Beyond the Gate separating the tier two trunk zone from the tier three one, it was night time. Cowen had warned them about it; it would be night, and not only that but permanent night. The sun would never rise, and the full moon would remain near the zenith, casting its wan light over the landscape.

At least, that moon looked normal. A bit brighter than Jonas would have expected a full moon to be, but its familiar topology was there, even if it no longer had phases.

“Well. That might make it a bit harder to find targets,” Ira noted.

“The zone is forested, but not that heavily forested. The light should be enough,” Jonas replied, just as Jonathan pointed out a silhouette in the distance.

Black Moonstalker

Level 222

Health: 2457

Mind: 663

Endurance: 2397

Aether: 232

“Dash it! 220s? That high?”

“Yes. Cowen confirmed that all trunk zones seem to have about the maximum levels. So it will be like fighting veterans all the time. With probably the same experience, if not more.”

“And ancients. Yes. Those we should avoid like the plague.”

“So. How do we do it?”

“As usual? It’s a normal creature, not anything special. It just has high vitals and probably one attack?” Ira said.

“Then let’s do it.”

The team started to jog toward the upright canine-looking shape. The moonstalker remained blissfully ignorant until they got very close. At one point, its head turned sharply to face the incoming Careful Barrier.

Black Moonstalker’s hair raise. +232 defence rating.

“Whelp, that’s new. Did it just gave itself some improvements?”

“Looks like. It sunk all of its aether into that,” Ira said, as he slashed.

Black Moonstalker slinks away. 50% damage avoided (41 fire damage)

“Okay, that one might be a mite annoying,” he said.

The rest of the team started waling on the werewolf, who suffered mostly full damage, only slinking irregularly. Ira was the one who got hampered the most, while Alton landed all of its attacks and special attacks, prompting Jonas to wonder if the Dexterity potential could be the most important factor there.

At least, his magical Elemental Spray hit for nearly full fire damage.

Black Moonstalker: 1864XP/6 contributors = 294XP.

“Nice experience.”

“Told you it was veteran levels. It’s not nearly as dense as a lair, but you’re only fighting those, no matter what.”

“Do we get veterans here?”

“We got a few in the tier-two, but not that many. It’s going to be the same, hopefully. So… basically, they're going to be a bit above a low elite from Vuneras.”

A Moonstalker Albino

Level 251 ancient

Health: 24730

Mind: 16005

Endurance: 17836

Aether: 21898

“Nobody moves. It’s not looking at us,” Ira whispered.

Jonas breathed slowly, before announcing.

“Let’s back away. Slowly. If it’s like the normal ones, it might not hear us.”

The team obeyed, stepping back carefully, never losing sight of the white shape silhouetted against the grove behind. Once they were far enough that the descriptor no longer showed as the Ancient was too far away to be even distinguishable, they all breathed in relief.

“Well, Cowen wasn’t kidding when she said if we met one, we’d have casualties,” Jonas then said.

“The bear thing had lots of vitals, but that one…”

“… is at the other end of the tier range,” Jonathan interrupted.

“Probably even a bit higher. The zone lair charts I’ve seen say 250 for highest lairs, but ancients are typically five to ten percent lower than the lair basics and veterans.”

“What if we’d stumbled on it, and we couldn’t run before he kills one of us,” Laura asked.

Jonas shuddered.

“I’m guessing… if there’s only one or two dead then maybe, we could send the fastest runner of us to distract it, while the rest tries to drag away the corpses. If we’re quick enough, that might suffice to get out of his natural range. If not… then Final Death.”

“We’re not going into the woods any longer,” Ira stated.

“I guess not. We can spot them well enough outside, but that’s really too dangerous.”

“What do you think is at the Plaza?”

“Another Legend. Cowen mentioned it. Nicteres something?”

“Do we check what it looks like?”

“Why not? Sure, as long as we're careful, let’s go.”

The Plaza was spread out in a large clearing, under the eternal full Moon’s light. Unexpectedly, it also had a small campfire burning next to it.

“What’s that?”

“I think I can see someone making moves with a sword with lightning,” Jonathan answered.

“Cowen?”

“She mentioned something about coming for it,” Jonas said. “Looks like they're here and have finished.”

As the team neared the Plaza, they spotted nearly half a dozen Professionals. The usual cowled figure of Habborlain was standing a bit away from the campfire, and some of the Professionals had already unrolled a bedsheet. Jonas looked around and didn’t spot Myrl Douglas, Cowen’s spellcaster, nor Foale, the green-clad swordsman of the team, even though one of the men already on the ground was sporting Aubert’s navy style clothing.

“Hey, told you they were around,” Cowen announced to the man she was talking to. Jonas immediately recognised Jack Millard from his visit to the office.

“Sims. And hello to the rest of you, I hadn’t the honour to meet you yet.”

The team traded descriptors.

“Only three levels left?” Jonas asked.

“They’re the slowest. But yes, tier seven in about two weeks, hopefully. How’s your own experience going?”

“Nicely. The normal werewolves are a good challenge, and yield loads of experience. You killed the Legend?”

“We just did, just three teams. Full of surprises, since it was the first time, but we overpowered it enough not to worry too much. More than half of the people have already Recalled. Nobody wants to stay in a zone without some travel regeneration any more than strictly necessary.”

“You’re staying?”

“Going to check tier four, see the Legend there. This one will probably be more like what we usually fight, and I’d like to get a gauge on what it is by myself before I call out everyone.”

“Anything good from this one?”

“A crown-style healer gear, and fur boots with too much vitals and not enough in Potentials. The Core is of course what we were most interested in. A bit low level, but we can use it. It’s a nice treasure haul overall, no really under-level pieces.”

Sparkling Shakudō Orb

Core

Artefact

Requires: Level 221

Provides: +2 Gauge Enemy rank, +2 Repel rank, AGI+36, STA+35, CON+33, DEX+32, PRE+30, +392 mind, +8% regen, +5% armour, +2% team defence

“Oh, and a Puppet,” Cowen added.

“Thinking all the Legends here drop one?” Jonas asked.

“Maybe. It’s useless for you, of course, it’s a level 200 required one.”

“Too bad. The Plaza has…”

“All the tier's Professions, as far as we can see. Which means we don’t know, since we all have obtained completion on this Plaza guardian.”

Jonas looked at the Plaza and decided to check. Jack Millard accompanied him to see what he found.

“How is the trunk progression going?” Jonas asked.

“It takes an infernal time getting there, but we have multiple teams. I’m sending the lower levels first now, in the hopes we get the upper tier five through the upper entrance. The War Office is now managing the six-people teams’ composition to maximize. You probably have someone updating your headquarters’ lists,” he replied.

“I don’t think it’s ‘my’ headquarter.”

“By seniority in the Labyrinth High Office? It is. Of course, you’re probably the lowest level now, since all of your team out-level you, but those things happen. Levels matter for fights, not for authority.”

Tier 3: Castikal

Abiding Assistant

45 WIS, 20 STA

Abiding Deviser

45 FOR, 20 STA

Careful Commander

45 PRE, 20 FOC

Counsellor

36 PRE, 36 CON

Fiddler

36 FOR, 36 DEX

Massive Spotter

45 FOC, 20 CON

Page

36 CON, 36 WIS

Precise Assistant

45 WIS, 20 DEX

“Barrels of fun, can’t get any of them.”

“No spell Profession?” Millard asked.

“None directly,” Jonas replied, pencilling the list in his notebook. “Well, I might be getting the Abiding or Precise Assistant in two Milestones, but what would be the point? I get a tier four in three Milestones after all.”

“I noticed. Solid Spellwrangler then, early next year? This year?”

“This November if we keep the same average levelling speed or faster. That’s why we’re here. We want to be able to help when Agni launches,” Jonas replied.

“Strictly speaking, being just a fresh tier four won’t suffice unless they lower the requirements. And besides, you’re the keys to our Gate. Wellesley will not allow you to risk yourselves. You’re not married to Brown Bess, you know.”

“Anyone enabled is one more for the assault. Besides, even lower tiers can help against higher tiers. You just need more, like Cowen’s team against that guy Deschanel.”

“If you really want to do it, ask the Duke first. Just trying to spring this at the last moment won’t work, you know. Not that there’s anything wrong with levelling, but don’t waste efforts just for something you won’t be allowed to do.”

They stepped out of the marble floor of the Plaza. Most of the British Scouts were in their sleeping bags, save for Cowen, who was chatting with Ira and Jonathan, probably exchanging some tips or other about fights.

“Not staying?” Jack Millard asked.

“No. Don’t know why you’re making camp already, but we’re in the middle of our day. We’ve got lots to cover yet.”

“Staying in a no-day zone will do that for you. It’s even worse in the zones where there is a sun that stays up, like that tier two. You keep thinking it’s still not night, and when you Recall, you find out you’ve missed entire days from the calendar.”

“Time is all kind of weird in the Labyrinth. At least, when I went to the colonies, I had time to adjust, no matter what. Here, you step through a Gate, and it’s six hours earlier, and you get tired at noon.”

Millard laughed.

“Wait until you get into a zone that has a fifteen-hour day. My team did most of our tier four in Nicamore, despite the discomfort. Because we wanted to prove to the bosses at the Company that it was doable. That was back when I was with Cowen.”

“Oh?”

“Yea. But she’s always worked better with weird ones, and so they ended up reassigning her and Blair away.”

Jonas went up and gathered his team. They all waved at the British Scouts and headed out.

“We’re less likely to meet ancients now. Millard told me they killed four to get enabled for the next tier, and they’re not likely to regenerate for nearly two weeks.

“Not everyone, though.”

“No. There’s going to be a few more around, but not that many.”

“How long do we keep making the rounds?”

“I’m guessing… ten more days? It should put us near Thursday or Friday back in London. Then I’m going to check with the Duke.”