Chapter 59 (Patreon)

The dungeon studies department’s office had plenty of rifts for the party to challenge. No palms needed greasing, and the Oakheart name went unmentioned. The number of rifts around the city had multiplied over the past month. Diviners assigned most of them a danger level of orange. A handful apparently leaked yellow light through the spatial opening, and there were also a few greens.

Dean Woodson had instructed the staff to divert delving parties from the dungeon to the rifts. Unfortunately, only novice and apprentice parties had given into the temptation of doubled clearance rewards. No journeymen had stepped forward. The department demanded their parties have at least two journeymen or one journeyman and an adept. Any apprentices in the party needed to have delving experience and an exceptional combat record.

After Lord Oakheart made a fuss following his heir’s death, the department required all delvers in a party needed to report to the office. They added an enchantment to the delving badges, which guards watching the rift would check before granting them entry. When the staff saw Michelle and Ernest, they appeared relieved.

Professor Wolfhammer regularly updated the office about his students. As a result, they had a positive opinion of the rest of the party. Lillin lacked the necessary delving license, but her star’s rank certainly helped. Despite the previous delve’s casualties, they also had a positive opinion of Nox and Annabelle and gave everyone the necessary pass.

Between the abductions and the spatial anomalies, they appeared stretched thin. Nox believed the department would have a lot more luck sending students to the journeyman rifts if they loosened up their requirements and provided passage to them. Providing support to delving parties not affiliated with the university would make things easier. They needed to improve their infrastructure, but Nox didn’t think it was his place to say anything on the matter. Despite the obnoxious tuition, Nox gave them the benefit of the doubt. The staff had bags under their eyes and appeared pallid.

The party thanked the staff and set sail at first light on Fifthday.

Lord Oakheart had left the Wedge in the City of Ygg. Apparently, it was for House Oakheart’s investigators as they assisted in the missing mage mystery. Annabelle believed her father had left it there for delving trips. An armed man wearing the house colors accompanied them. He wore a journeyman delving badge. Nox hoped he wouldn’t accompany them.

The rift sat at a cliff top. It looked like the center of one of Lillin’s gravity orbs, darkening and warping the world. Everything appeared stretched toward the tear in space. The light leaking through it was mostly yellow but had hints of green to it, too.

“Mistress Annabelle,” the Oakheart man approached the party just as they disembarked. “It might be for the best if you attempt a different rift. I wouldn’t be surprised if the realm is on its way to an evolution.”

“We have two adepts—” Annabelle paused, glancing at the party. Only the male half of the Beaufort siblings had disembarked. Nox saw no sign of Michelle. Ernest held a spear almost as tall as him in one hand. Meanwhile, the other adjusted a rectangular pack on his pack. It was half as long as his torso. “We have one adept and a journeyman. Nox and I are the best apprentices in our class and are both close to transcending to the next level.”

“I’m not questioning your prowess,” the man said. “After Master Victor’s passing, your father wants to take fewer risks. The green hue shining through the anomaly makes this a risk.”

“We’re still walking through it—”

“In that case, I'm coming with you.”

“What? No—”

“I won’t interfere unless something goes wrong. I’ll stand back and observe.”

“What’s your spell set?” Nox asked.

“I’m a Chrono mage,” the man replied. “My mana system is mostly built around stasis and healing through short-term time reversal in a small area.”

“It’s not necessary,” Annabelle said. “Can you even enter—”

“I spoke to the office after you finished. House Oakheart has privileges. One involves us getting permission to assign you a protection detail. My badge has the necessary enchantment.”

“I suppose I’m fine with it if everyone else is.” Annabelle sighed, turning to the party.

Neither Lillin nor Ernest protested. “I’m fine with it,” Nox said. “As long as you don’t interfere unless someone is fatally injured, I see no reason to turn you away.”

“My orders involve only extending my protection to Mistress Annabelle,” the man replied. “The rest of you are on your own. I’m Wilson, by the way.”

The party made instructions, and five people entered the rift instead of one.

Hot and humid air assaulted the party as soon as they emerged on the other side. It reminded Nox of the mangrove forests around the Sapphire Straits. The air was suffocating at first, but Nox adjusted to it quickly. Instead of swamps and trees standing on their roots like stilts, the remains of an ancient city awaited them. Vines draped the stone walls, and trees grew out of holes in the roofs. It would be a beautiful sight if not for the cloud of mosquitoes buzzing overhead.

Nox had an ointment for the occasion. Everyone but Ernest slathered it onto every inch of exposed skin. No one complained about the bitter smell. Rift inhabitants with keen senses of smell would have no trouble detecting the party, but that’s something they needed to accept.

Lillin and Annabelle hated the idea, but Nox broke off from the group. He sped ahead of them as the scout. Otis would ensure nothing snuck up on him and would also detect all other threats in the area without actually sighting them. Nox didn’t have a Sigil of Agility or Haste for a swift retreat, but his control spells and essences made up for it. Annabelle planned on regularly poking him with her contact cantrip to ensure he never ventured too far.

An hour passed before Nox saw a dungeon creature. The creatures were a lot more humanoid than he expected. They had the same dark skin shade as Professor Das. However, they stood five feet tall, had wide stocky builds, and manes of curly black hair. Their faces looked much too broad to be human, and protruding lower jaws. Long fangs jutted out over their thick upper lips.

“Asura,” Nox whispered when he felt Annabelle’s mental presence. He had heard of the creatures before. They were of the same mythos as Kumbhakarna. “There are six of them on patrol. They’re armed with maces and spears.”

Instead of words, Nox got a mental prompt from the woman. She was exploring the rooftops around the central path. All of them would converge on his position within a handful of minutes. Instead of waiting, Nox set a trap. He still had a surplus of crystalized Fae Fire. Nox grabbed a big handful and shaped it into a chain of finger-nail-sized links. He had practiced the shaping several times the night before.

A quick unfurling spread the length across the path. It didn’t make enough of a noise to attract the chatting asura. They spoke in a low guttural tone, in a language they didn’t recognize. It cost Nox’s Shaping Planet of six units of mana. Next, he grabbed a handful of arrowheads and lengthened them into usable projectiles.

By the time he finished, Nox heard Ernest’s thundering footsteps. The asura heard him too. They raised their giant rounded noses to the air and sniffed. The creatures fell into a triangular formation. A trio of mace wielders stood up front with their shields held in front of them. Meanwhile, the spear-wielders stood behind them, their weapons sticking out over the frontline’s shoulders. The squad moved as one.

A projectile from Annabelle’s slingshot struck the lead asura’s shield and exploded, bathing the group in darkness. Then Ernest charged into their midst. He skewered the leading asura while knocking the others aside. Then Lillin followed with a gravity sphere. Once his friends were clear, Nox shot a fire arrow into their midst. It exploded into a giant fireball, knocking over two Asura.

The battle almost fell clinical. Even though the asura were significantly stronger than the creatures from the previous rift, they fell swiftly once Ernest broke their formation. Michelle had made his form sleeker. The giant man had much better balance and, though slow, he appeared to predict and block or parry most blows that came at him. Occasionally his arm appeared to bend the wrong way during fights as he swung his spear around.

Lillin didn’t bother with any attack spells. She saved her mana and only created solitary large gravity orb to first pull the asura off balance. Then she imploded the conjurations and all entities were ripped off their feet and pulled to the destroyed sphere’s heart. Then Ernest exchanged his spear with a club and clobbered the disabled asura.

Ranged attacks proved sufficient to pick off the stragglers. Annabelle’s slingshot lacked the power to do more than slow or knock them around. Meanwhile, Nox’s crystal arrows successfully penetrated their thick skin and inflicted significant damage. Then they burst into flames or melted them from the inside.

“It’s almost like killing people,” Annabelle commented after the fight ended. “Not that I have any experience in the department. They just look so much like us.”

“That was far too easy,” Lillin said. “I don’t know if Ernest makes this too easy or the creatures are weak.”

“I think its the latter,” Ernest replied. “We don’t know yet how deep the rift goes. The patrol new how to fight but they’re the first layer of defense. If the creatures here are smart and organised, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were younglings or newly created by the Rift Lord. Don’t let one victory make you overconfident.” He paused, glancing at Wilson. “That’s how I died the first time.”

“He’s right.” Nox patted the giant golem of a man’s back. The chain of fae fire essence glass hung from his belt. “This did feel too easy. However, we don’t know if there will be traps further in. It’s best if we don’t let this victory go to our heads.”

“I’m going to scout with you.” Lillin slung an arm around Nox’s neck. “I make very little noise when under the effects of lowered gravity,” she told the rest of the party. “It lets me sneak around without making much noise. I propose we move in pairs, while heading towards the tower.” Lillin pointed at a spire sticking out of a thick canopy ahead. “If we come across similar patrols, taking them down should be no challenge.”

“I suppose that can work.” Annabelle hesitantly glanced at Nox. “Lets just stay close enough so my communication spell can reach you. If things get hairy, we can raise to each other’s aid.”

“It’s more likely to be you,” Ernest told Lillin. “I can take care of most and Annabelle has Wilson watching her back. Are you sure you want to separate? Its never a good idea in rifts.”

“I’m sure,” Lillin replied. “The more ground we cover, the more we’ll learn about the dungeon. That’ll speed up finding the Rift Lord and our completion.”

“Fine.” Ernest sighed, sounding more human than ever before. He returned the club to his necklace and replaced it with a short spear and shield. He also enlarged a one-handed mace and hung it from his belt. “No one do anything stupid. I’d rather not lose party members on the first day with a new group.”

“Believe me, ol’ buddy, ol’ pal.” Nox slapped the bigger man on the back. “We can’t afford to lose more party members either. It’ll give us a reputation we can’t afford. So, keep that phylactery safe. Alright?”

Nox got no answer. Annabelle pecked him on the lips before the following the larger man deeper into the ruined city. Then Wilson followed, leaving him and Lillin alone for the first time in a long time.