My curiosity would be satisfied as our exploration of the room led to the discovery of several corpses in various states of decay, scattered about.
From the missing limbs and how mangled some of them were, the outcome was obvious to piece together.
Letting the party know that we can head out, some of them were more than vocal about our sudden exit from the room, though a reminder that the Quest was still on-going was enough to get them going despite their hushed disagreements.
'They weren't sent there to fight the beast, they were sent there for its horde' the thought resounded in my head as the armour and weapons we found with the bodies were now meant for fighting such a creature.
My suspicions were all but confirmed as soon as we entered the town. Before even reaching the square, the mayor was ready to greet our party with a handful of armed guards beside.
"Well Adventurers, did you manage to slay the beast?" He asked, with the prompt for us to end the Quest following after.
Selecting the continue option, the Quest was considered completed.
Bounty Quest Complete: Slay the Mynillian Drake
Rewards:
Gold coins(x100)
Once our reward had been collected a secondary option appeared. Interacting with it, the mayor simply responded with the need to be on his way.
With a further prompt to question him on our suspicions (WISDOM) or bring up the condition of the guards the equipment they were provided with(INTELLIGENCE).
The bonus of leveling your Wisdom stat is the increased intuition it offers, both in and out of battle.
Those how it manifested was more of a gut feeling while at higher levels, it was through the notice of more subtle if not hidden details.
Choosing the wisdom option, the mayor stood in his tracks. Now warning our party that he must leave, and so must we.
That he could no longer accommodate us.
The party was understandably upset with all but Vestralia questioning my intentions, but no answer would be enough to quell their frustrations, and instead we just chose to find the carriage driver and be on our way.
Once we were far enough from the town, the group took a long rest, some celebrating their first major win while others checked their stats and made adjustments.
I took the time to do the latter, inspecting the curious item I had picked up from Axes and Arms.
"Faustian Prism. 9% Satisfied"
'That would mean fighting nine more drakes before I can even open this thing. Maybe this thing was more trouble than it's worth' Putting the strange polygon back into my inventory.
Half a day later…
We were once again within the alabaster walls of Taluria.
With the carriage taking us to the Adventurers stables. With the deduction for the trip made, the driver saw us off as we entered the Guildhall.
Approaching the same Elven attendant, I presented the completed Quest to her, much to her surprise.
"I must say I am impressed. If you continue to perform this way, you'll all be in for a promotion very soon." she cheered with an excited expression.
"We appreciate the sentiment." Weiss said coldly.
"You all did well. Perhaps we'll see each other again in the future " I said, as I shook their hands. Though it was obvious none were surprised by my words.
"No offence, Winn but something tells me that if we stick with you, things will only get crazier." Kal joked as he patted my back.
"Yeah, I'm still just trying to enjoy the game but you seem to be on your own mission. No need for us to get in the way, right guys?" Dan added, as he looked to the rest of the party.
"I mean… " Vestralia seemed hesitant with something on her mind, but she couldn't say it.
"As long as we're friends, we can still party together again" Letting her know and giving the rest of the party a nod.
"Well, see ya." said Weiss, giving me a nod, before she was already on her way, with the rest of the party walking off to catch up with her.
"Till next time" I saw the group off before making my way to the Quest board.
'Just more level, and it'll be time to go'
"You have a new notification. Friend invite: Weiss Dustling. Do you accept?"
"—"
One week later…
"Welcome to Axes and Arms. Where you bring me the coin, and I bring you the loins…the name's Lan, now how can I help you?"
Is he ever going to let that go? Seriously.
"Lan it's me"
"The gods preserve us, Winn, at this point I see you more than I see my own wife, kid"
"That doesn't make sense considering you aren't married"
"..." his lively energy tanked after hearing my comment.
"Just for that, I'm going to keep what I would have told you to myself." The burly figure was now pouting with his grey whiskers masking his attempt.
"Well it's not like I trust anyone else with my business. You always seem to have just what I'm looking for"
"You're the only patron that would buy that kind of stuff. I swear the day something happens to you, my shop's reputation is going to be ruined by it. Oh no, he's the one that bought those Cursed Items from that shady shop. That's what the news is going to say" abandoning his bratty attempt as he spoke.
"Hmm. Can you show me your wares? Blueprints included"
"Sure, looking for anything specific?"
"Just something that helps with managing status effects. The Challenge Dungeons have opened up and the one available in Taluria is Niflheim."
Challenge Dungeons are events that can be accessed using your Transport Key at any landmark. Since landmarks are used for Teleporting between known locations, when a Challenge Dungeon appears, it becomes accessible.
They are randomized every week, but the aim still remains the same. Descend deeper into the Dungeon, and with each floor that is clear, you can earn rewards, with deeper floors possessing a greater challenge.
"All right then, you're welcome to have a look until something catches your eye."
Axes and Arms Purchase List:
Basic Steel Longsword: D Rank(-500 silver)
Basic Steel Shortsword: D Rank(-250 silver)
Basic Steel Shortsword: D Rank(-250 silver)
Frostclaw Voyager Coat: D Rank(-15 gold)
Frostclaw Voyager Armor: D Rank(-50 gold)
Lesser Healing Potions x10(-100 silver)
Basic Healing Potions x2(-200 silver)
Lesser Mana Potions x5(-100 silver)
Basic Mana Potions x2(-160 silver)
Lesser Stamina Potions x4(-60 silver)
Completing my purchase, the next step would have been getting scrolls.
With how low my Intelligence stat was and the fact that I didn't have spells of my own, scrolls were the best way for a solo player to use magic.
But with my last purchase using up most of my coin, it wasn't much of an option. Leaving the shop…
"Hold on there kid. Told you I had something share."
"Hmm?"
'Why would someone be looking for me? I know it's not Yugo, or Hawkwing. I should be seeing them on my way to the Glass Sea…maybe' the prompt I received a while back when helping that beggar came to mind.
'If it really is them, then…No, now is not the time for anything of that' Opening the map on my HUD and selecting the center of the Nightmother's Realm, my body dissolved into pixels of light before being sent away.
Landing in a flash of bright light, in the district square. In front of me was a tall obelisk centering a large fountain. Using the Transport Key again, the option to travel to Niflheim was now available.
--??Fallen??--Challenge Dungeon: Niflheim.
Difficulty: B Rank.
"Defeat the Heralds of Elivagar on each floor to earn a Unique Reward."
The moment I saw the prompt, I thought it had to have been a joke, there was no reason for such a high level Dungeon to spawn in Taluria, which was basically the starting area of the Middle Kingdom for new players.
'Seriously, the game was never this buggy before…' Still despite my protest, I knew that there was only one way for me to actually make it out of this Dungeon, and that was through the Floor Boss.
"Sigh…" So I continued walking down the frozen hallway in front of me, until I could feel a strong breeze.
Pretty soon, a bright light was streaming through the opening ahead and with it the breeze grew more fierce.
Coming out of the corridor, what I saw was quite the sight.
Surrounding my rim of mountainous peaks reaching beyond the clouds, I seemed to be in what looked like a valley that was in the middle of a blizzard.
From the opening there was a dense forest ahead.
'Well, that has to be the place to go.' Switching out my normal equipment for the Frostclaw Voyager armor, I began heading towards the forest.
"Frostfangs Level 8"
"Dammit. It's going to be hard as hell to fight in this snow" The beasts popped up one by one from the cover of the snow, with their jagged teeth glowing like sapphires within the white storm.
The closer they got the louder their snarls become, with it being easier to tell them apart through the storm.
Their deep blue eyes were piercing and the grey manes were thick as it billowed in the wind.
These beasts also had another deadly feature.
Due to their camouflage working so well during snowstorms, their true size is often underestimated.
Still, knowing that their numbers would only grow, the best option was clear.
To focus on finding the Floor Boss.
Running past the mobs of Frostfang, managed to attract their attention as they too began to give chase.
With the resistance I had to the Frost status effect, none of the stats suffered any de-buffs, allowing me to push ahead, without anything holding me back.
Breaching the boundaries of the forest, the few that were still on my tail were a lot easier to manage.
Without the storm getting in the way, I was the one hunting them.
Frostfangs x12.
Eyes of the Storm x4.
Frostfang Pelts x6.
"All items are now in your inventory." At this point I had wandered deep within the woods, finding a clearing that opened up to a wetland that had frozen over.
Stopping here, there was one item I checked before I continued. The Faustian Prism.
For as long as I've had it, the item hasn't opened yet.
With the number appearing on it at 70%, I was half tempted to sell the thing back to Lan, but I would just toss it into my inventory and try to forget it.
Though what I did notice was that the number always went up faster when facing stronger opponents.
"From the moment I got back to Ulgree, I feel like the game has been steering me towards this direction" the thought was ultimately meaningless. If there was really anything to blame, it might be how little I've invested into my Luck.
Looking around, the space seemed oddly quiet. Had this floor already been cleared, the entrance to the next one would have been opened. But it wasn't…
"Well then, that means I have the first go at it." Heading down towards the frozen wetland, it was obvious it was meant to be a Boss Arena.
"Equipped. Ring of Ash and Blood: A Rank."
"Equipped. Mask of the Reviled."
"Equipped. Basic Steel Longsword: D Rank."
After giving the Arena another look, and seeing no other monsters nearby I used the skill.
"Aura of the Reviled. All monsters in 30m radius will be drawn to you for 30 seconds"
As I venture towards the edge of the water, a bone-chilling silence creeps over the trees, and the rustling leaves come to a standstill.
Suddenly, a deafening roar pierces through the stillness, shaking the ground beneath my feet. As I turn towards the source of the noise, lay eyes on a majestic yet horrifying sight.
A deer-like beast emerges from the clearing, its silver armor that masked its head completely was shining in the dim light.
Its deep blue eyes glint with an electric aura, and as it steps onto the lake, the water freezes solid beneath its hooves.
The very presence of this powerful monster seems to drain the life from the surrounding trees, and a massive snowstorm swirls around it, trapping me in the frozen arena.
"Subjugation Event. Beyond this point, you will not be able to leave the area before the prey has been hunted"
"Floor 1 Boss: Svol, the Rimelord. Level 20"
"Title: The Sword of Winter [Deal 10% extra damage to Frost Chromatic Beasts and Draconic Beasts]" A prompt appeared below the visual of the beast's level.
"It's a Chromatic Beast. Seems like my Blessing is just having really shit luck." Cutting my palm open and allowing the blood to drip on my sword, the edge was quickly engulfed in a fierce flame.
"Curse of Ash and Blood Effect. Your sword will temporarily have the Burning Affinity, increasing the chance of inflicting the Burning status effect with each strike." a prompt appeared in my HUD.
"Curse of Ash and Blood Effect. The bloodfire will continue to burn indefinitely once the Burning status effect is inflicted. The player's HP will slowly decrease as long as the effect is maintained." An additional prompt appears below the first.
Making the first move, I charged at the beast, when it slammed its hooves against the ice letting out a powerful shockwave. The wave of cold was fast but not very intense, being able to brace it with just my sword.
But that was just a diversion, as the deer charged at me, using its horns to knock me back, sending me into the banks of the wetland.
The hit was very hard but it was surprisingly fast. If I were planning to get close I'd need to blindside it.
Picking up my burning sword, I rushed towards it. As it slammed the ice again, I leapt into the air.
Catching the beast as it jumped into the air, getting ready to bash into me, I switched hands, leaving my right hand unarmed.
"Drakeblood Maw." the skill activated as I threw my punch, knocking the beast back into the ground.
It wouldn't stay put for long, but at least it wasn't charging. From the air, I equipped my sword, doing a plunging attack.
But the sword wasn't all that useful, while the beast was wounded it was still moving. Channeling the storm, the winds grew fiercer.
Overwhelming my Frost Resistance. My stats would soon be affected.
This battle would end soon, for me or the Rimelord.
Bleeding all over the sword again to activate the skill. If it wasn't running around again…I ran towards it as it charged another icy wave.
This time, the chill birthed ice spikes growing outwards from it.
But the advantage with such an attack was how telegraphed it was.
The more observant would see gaps in the wave to find cover, however the last place I'd want to be is on the ground.
Instead, using the ice shards as a platform to launch myself into the air. The ice blast was turned upwards.
At this point, the strength I had was put behind my throw, launching the flaming sword at it.
Drawing away its attention as it avoided the sword.
The cone of freezing wind was turned to the attack, with the cutting winds washing past me.
The damage was enough to disrupt my moment but it also helped put me in the right place.
"Spear of Glacias!" a massive spear that appeared to be carved from blue glass manifested beside me before launching itself into the back of the beast, ripping through it before crashing into the ice below it shattering upon impact.
The skill does activate pretty fast but it still uses an absurd amount of mana. At least it won't be thrashing about.
Now…
"Curse of Ash and Blood!" a spray of blood rained over the beast, igniting it in a frenzy of deep red flames.
Flames the beast tried to extinguish, ended its fierce blast of wind.
With my HP depleting, I drew my sword and used my last skill.
"Drakeblood Slash!" slipping past hooves and carving at its throat with a final slash across its chest.
Letting down a shower of blood as the beast crashed into the ice, cracking open the wetland.
"Defeated: Svol, the Rimelord. Floor 1 Cleared."
Rewards:
Fragment of Hvergelmir(x1)
Jewelled Eyes of the Storm.
Hide of the Rimelord(x4).
Skill gained: Rush of the Rimelord Level 1(Active: 1-minute cooldown)
"Embody the power of a storm, charging towards your target and striking with a forceful shockwave"
Skill gained: Svol's Icewind(Active: 1-minute cooldown)
"Channel the freezing wind of a blizzard to force opponents back, dealing Frost damage the longer they brace your fierce winds"
Skill Level Up: Curse of Ash and Blood. Level 2
Skill Level Up: Spear of Glacias. Level 2
Skill Level Up: Frost Resistance. Level 3
Level Up —> Level 14
"You have a new message."
"V: Hey Ark, I'm at the square, did you already start without me?"
"W: I didn't think you actually wanted to join me in the Dungeon. Besides I thought you weren't in Taluria"
….
"V: I came back a while ago. I even stopped by that shop you like so much and asked the owner to pass on the message so that you would wait for me there"
"W: …Sorry about that."
"V: It's fine, but don't blame me when I end up clearing this Dungeon before you."
"W: Well then, I accept your challenge. But just so you know, I'm already ahead."
"V: Not for long, Ark. Unlike you, I've got a friend helping me through this. 😂"
"W: Guess we'll see who made it further. Loser has to share their rewards 🙂"
"V: You're on. Anyway, we're about to enter, so I'll talk to you later. Bye"