The first groups of enemies that they encountered were not difficult to dispatch but left both Tony and Vasna shaken. The Rotten, constructs made of flesh, tubing from the ship’s innards, and metal groaning pleas for final death while actively trying to kill you would have left most shaking in their boots. The only one unfazed by the encounters with the “constructs” was Maximus. The fearless dog had jumped right into the fray when the first construct nearly gutted Tony, slamming it in the chest with his head and pinning it to the ground with his front paws. Maximus had torn the thing’s head clear off with his teeth clamped around its neck. Then he padded over and dropped it at Tony’s feet, his curly tail wagging like a helicopter propeller.

After that, the pair of Ascendants handily dispatched the occasional swarms of the Rotten. Tony wasn’t sure if it was simply due to the enhancements made to his weapon or due to the light frames of his enemies. Still, with each second or third swing of his newly improved Dreadblade, they shattered into messy pieces and soared from him, slamming into and sometimes through the walls of the corridor. He chalked the lack of enchantments up to needing to resummon his Dreadblade or to call its Invocation. The gamer in him wanted to swing around his newly enchanted and powered-up weapon of doom, but an eerie sensation of being watched told him that he should wait. Tony had learned to listen to those feelings.

Maximus was level six, according to the Companion Sub-Menu, and Tony couldn’t help but wonder if he was level capped due to unspent trait points. Thinking back on it, Maximus had been level 5 when he found him, there was no way that he hadn’t gained enough XP to level more than once in the time they had been together. Tony cursed inwardly. They’d moved so rapidly from one thing to the next that he had barely spent his own trait points and specializations. He hadn’t even touched Maximus’s.

With this realization came an all-too-familiar sense of regret. The Maximus he knew in his old life had died suddenly; tumors had formed around his bladder and his heart. The decision to lay him to rest had to be made quickly. The doctor told him that they could have given him maybe a couple more days, but the tumors were too close to vital organs to remove and another day would have been a blessing. The chance that Maximus could have collapsed due to the pressure put on his heart as soon as an hour after they left the animal hospital made Tony feel that trying for the extra time would have been selfish.

Tony had struggled internally for months after that, wondering if he had been a bad “dog dad.” In hindsight, the accidents inside and sluggishness were glaring signs that something was wrong. But in the moment, Tony had only gotten frustrated with the ailing dog. He hated himself for that. He had a hard time breathing past the lump forming in his throat when he felt Vasna’s hand rest on his exposed skin, just above the bracer on his right arm. Tony nearly jumped at the contact.

“What’s going on up there?” she asked, her eyes boring into the side of Tony’s head.

He set his jaw and pushed those feelings down, now wasn’t the time.

Vasna didn’t like that.

The notification popped up right as Vasna’s fist slammed into the side of his face, catching him entirely off-balance and sending him careening into a mess of tubes and metal. “Stop that!” she yelled. Tony looked back at her, confused.

“Stop what?” he grunted, flexing against the tubes and wires.

“Repressing your emotions!” she yelled.

Tony’s eyes flicked to his status bars; there was no debuff there to represent his stifled feelings.

Vasna rolled her eyes. “I don’t need to see a debuff to see that look you make when you think about something sad and then clench your jaw to force it down. My Empathy skill is at ten, you’re not hiding anything like that from me.” Tony tore himself free from the guts of the wall.

“Can we talk about this later?” Tony’s mouth formed a hard line.

“No, we’re talking-”

“I mean after we deal with that,” he cut her off, pointing down the hall over her shoulder.

Vasna whirled. A behemoth of wires, metal, tubing, incandescent liquid essence, and flesh lumbered toward them. The thing’s bulk was immense, forcing the hall’s walls out. More liquid essence poured from the gaping wounds in the ceiling and over the beast, illuminating its myriad faces. Their rictus maws split open in unison and loosed a terrible roar that boomed through the confined space.

“Cover me!” Vasna shouted as she slung her tree-trunk-made-mace over her shoulder and clapped her hands together. The sound reverberated through the hall, chasing the echoes of the roar from the space.

Tony looked at Maximus then back to the monster. “I promise to spend your points when we’re out of here, boy. I need you to stay back and protect her, alright?” Maximus barked an affirmative and stood in front of Vasna, hackles raised and teeth bared.

I got dis!

Tony drew Legion and took off at a sprint as Vasna began to chant.

“Great Spirit of the East, Great-grandfather fire, Spirit of the new day, Eternal fire of the sun, hear my plea. From you comes our life energy, vital spark, the power to see greatness, to envision with boldness. You who purify the senses, our hearts, and our minds. We humbly ask that we may be aligned with you, that your energy may flow through us, and be expressed by us for the good of this realm and all living things upon it.” As she spoke, her voice grew in volume, smoke poured from her skin, and sparks erupted from the slightest friction. At the end of the passage, an aura of fire erupted from her.

Vasna turned to the South.

Tony was under siege before he reached the horrid amalgam, tendrils coated in essence and tipped with jagged scraps of metal and bone lashed out at him as the beast lumbered toward him. The Dread Knight weaved side to side, narrowly dodging the strikes.

I have to stop it before it gains too much momentum! he thought and activated Battle Rush. The burst of speed hurtled Tony into engagement range, and the Doomed King’s Helm slammed into place just in time to deflect a razor-tipped attack. Legion’s edge slammed into the monstrosity, arresting its momentum, and the muscles in Tony’s shoulders and back screamed with effort as the thing pushed against him.

Vasna’s prayer continued. “Great Spirit of the South, protector of the lands and of all things growing, the noble trees and grasses. Great-grandmother earth, Guardian Spirit of nature, power of receptiveness, of nurturance and endurance, bringing forth the flowers of the fields, fruits of the orchards, and of the garden. We humbly ask that we may be aligned with you, that your power may flow through us for the good of this earth and all living things upon it.” The metal of the halls groaned as vines and flowering bushes grew out of them, reaching for Vasna. The fire surrounding her did not scorch the plants, but caressed them, spurring their growth.

Vasna turned to the West.

Tony weaved between the behemoth’s bulldozer-like “hands” and fended off a flurry of blows from the sinuous tubing that hung from seemingly everywhere on the beast. He had gotten the thing to stop but had no idea what Vasna was doing, or what would happen if the glowing green essence dripped on his skin. Legion was seemingly unaffected as Tony carved through the softer surfaces of the monster with his parries.

Tony heard Maximus bark and then the sound of something slamming into a wall behind him. A cold sweat broke out across his back, and he looked. Maximus was barking at one of the smaller scrap flesh amalgams that he had seemingly headbutted into the wall. Tony barely managed to pull Legion up in front of him as his moment of terror cost him thirty percent of his HP bar; twenty percent from the thing’s car-sized fist slamming into him, and another ten percent from slamming into the far wall. Tony tasted copper and pulled himself free of the crumpled metal wall. The beast was moving to walk past him.

“Where do you think you’re going?" he grunted, spitting blood onto the floor. "I’m not done with you!”

“Great spirit of the West, Spirit of the great waters of rivers, lakes, springs, and rains. Great-grandmother ocean, the deepest matriarch, the womb of all life. With you comes the dissolving of boundaries and of limitations, the power to taste, feel, cleanse, and heal. Great blissful darkness of peace. We humbly ask that we may be aligned with you, that your power may flow through us, for the good of this realm and all living things upon it.” Vasna’s skin rippled and glowed a translucent blue, shining like Earth’s sky reflected in a lake of crystal.

Vasna turned to face North.

Challenging the beast to face him again accomplished a few things at once. The beast roared, and hundreds of tendrils lashed out at Tony at once. Some cut him as they grabbed at him hungrily, costing him another ten percent of his HP. It was impossible to dodge and cut through all of the appendages surging at him. Tony was wrapped up in vitriol-coated tubes before he could escape the area-of-effect grapple attack.

Just before his vision was completely cut off, he looked back to Maximus. The dog’s eyes were conflicted. Tony had told him to guard Vasna and the lesser amalgams continued to approach her at a snail’s pace. If she weren’t stuck channeling she would be more than fine, but that wasn’t the case. The tendrils blacked out Tony’s vision and all he could see was his remaining HP ticking down at one percent per second.

Maximus let out a low mournful howl.

Tony’s mind flashed back to the argument he’d had with his father. “You didn’t deserve that mutt, you didn’t take care of him. This is what you get!” He wouldn’t subject Maximus to the same sorrow he experienced.

Tony activated Invincible Will and The Pauldron of Vengeance activated with it, putting his Lore bar to fifty percent. Tony pushed out with every ounce of strength he could muster. He felt tubing snap and metal creak and break away from him.

It wasn’t enough.

Tony dumped another ten percent of his Lore into the Invincible Will Talent for the upgrade effect, increasing his strength by twenty percent. He tossed out any notion of restraint and roared with effort, rage, and sorrow. He wasn't done, Maximus needed him, Vasna needed him, Jorogu needed him.

Vasna turned sharply to the North. Urgency pumped the final passage of the chant out, and her Talent activated forming four gargantuan pillars. The totems formed from glass that contained a lightning storm, obsidian with streaks of glowing magma running through its vibrant coral surface, its core pulsing with bio-luminescent light, and perfect spheres of Iron, Aluminum, and Copper orbited around an orb of pulsing viridian light.

Greater Invocation of Wind Totem – Haste increased by thirty-five percent. Greater Invocation of Flame Totem – Damage increased by forty percent, Regeneration increased by twenty percent. Greater Invocation of Water Totem – Damage taken reduced by twenty percent. Greater Invocation of Earth Totem – Armor increased by fifty percent.

The four totems, more like monoliths in size, pulsed once more, applying the buffs to Tony and Maximus before they condensed to orbit around Vasna’s head.

Greater Crown of Elemental Invocation – in addition to the effects of Greater Invocation Totems, all elemental damage dealt by the Shaman is increased by one hundred percent, all healing effects are applied twice, any Elementals summoned by the Shaman are increased by one category.

Vasna was ready.

A wave of energy hit Tony as soon as he was mostly freed from the biomechanical cage that gave him the last of what he needed to liberate himself entirely. As his feet met the ground, Maximus soared past him, a glowing, snarling mass of auburn fur, and slammed into the behemoth. Liquid essence, scraps of metal, tubing, and chunks of necrotized flesh flew from the hole that the enhanced Maximus carved through the beast.

The behemoth recoiled and wailed. Vasna streaked past Tony next, her fists wreathed in blazing stone and fire.

I always wanted to try this! he heard her speak into his mind.

“Shoryuken!” she shouted, leaping into the air to deliver a crushing uppercut into the “primary chin” of the monster, nearly tipping it into its back. The flame on her fists detonated on impact and cleaved off half of the thing’s faces. Tony dumped the remainder of his Lore points into three successive Adamant Slashes, the indigo waves slashed through the behemoth’s arms at the shoulders and vaporized its remaining visage. Maximus bounded free of the collapsing corpse before it dissolved into essence slush and seeped through the floor.

Achievement Unlocked: Miniboss Slayer! - You have slain your First Dungeon Miniboss. Gratz!

Despite the joyous tone of the notification, Tony’s shoulders slumped. “That was the Miniboss?”

Vasna approached him. “I wouldn’t worry about that too much, you soloed the thing for the most part, and my Greater Invocation will be active for the rest of the Dungeon.”

Encounter Experience Gained!

Ship Guts Flesh Amalgam x 50

Experiment 12 (Fetid Survivor Golem) x 1

The experience will be divided among your Active Group

Level Up!

Congratulations, you have reached Level 16!

Legion Absorbed the Soul Construct of Experiment 12!

Legion will require [12 hours] to Process Enchantments and Enhancements

You have [30 Minutes] to spend Points

Your Core Attributes have Increased!

You have 4 Attribute Points Available

You have 5 Skill Points Available

You have 2 Talent Points available

Invincible Will+ is ready to be Upgraded

Oath is ready to be Upgraded

Adamant Slash is ready to be Upgraded

Things had gotten dire during the fight with “Experiment 12,” but Vasna’s buffs had come through in a huge way. With time ticking away, he jumped directly into Maximus’s Character Sheet. What he saw was not surprising, Maximus’s stats were average for a Familiar, though his Charisma was exceptionally high. Tony looked to Maximus for approval with every point and talent selection made. The little dog would either pant and wag his tail, meaning yes, or sneeze and shake his head for no.

Maximus: Level 11 Canis Familiaris Class: Warrior (5) | Dire Hound (5) | Dog of War (1) Attributes

Strength 18 Dexterity 15 Endurance 18

Charisma 22 Wisdom 8 Spirit 10

Intelligence 10 Wits 16 Luck 10

Skills

Brawl 10 Awareness 15 Survival 8

Fortitude 5 Athletics 5 Tandem Tactics 10

Talents

Spirit Pet Weapon Training (Martial) Armor Training (Light)

Intoned Call Empath Crushing Bite Maul

Awareness Evasive Alert Instinct Signal

As soon as Tony confirmed the changes to Maximus’s sheet, the dog changed rapidly. His fur took on a lamellar-like sheen, his nails hardened and sharpened to rending claws, and his puppy-friendly armor split and tore off of him as he nearly quadrupled in size. The maybe twelve-pound pup that had yipped and flopped around was now almost two hundred pounds of battle hound who could look Tony in the eyes. Maximus stared at Tony, seeming confused to be so tall before his tail started to wag and he assaulted Tony’s face with unrelenting kisses.

“Ack! Max! Gimme a minute, I need to spend my points too you know!” The Maximus back on Earth would have paused for maybe half a second, and then continued anyway, but this one understood the urgency in Tony’s voice, at the very least, and sat to wait. He was only a head shorter than Tony sitting.

Tony went for his upgrades first. Invincible Will + upgraded to

Indomitable Self - In addition to the effects of Invincible Will +, upon activation, the Dread Knight gains 100% of their Maximum HP as Temporary Hit Points and is immune to Crowd Control Effects until those Hit Points are lost. Lore Capacity is permanently increased by 15%

Pleased with the permanent addition of Lore, Tony noticed a trend that quickened his pulse. The initial upgrade to Invincible Will had come in handy, but wasn’t anything “game-breaking,” but its seemingly final upgrade to Indomitable Self was truly awesome. What had easily become Tony’s favorite Talent, Adamant Slash, upgraded to

Adamant Slash + - When using Adamant Slash the Dread Knight may spend an additional 5% Lore to add the following effects Splitting Beam - Two lesser waves split from the initial attack, seeking the nearest enemy targets after impacting with an enemy. Adamant Blade - Instead of projecting the attack, [Adamant Blade] contains the Lore to discharge and instead increases the damage and physics of the next attack made by the Dread Knight. Overcharge (Stackable) - For every 2 applications of [Overcharge] the effects of Adamant Slash are doubled. [Overcharge] precludes the use of other Adamant Slash + effects.

Tony let out a low whistle. Now THAT’s an upgrade! he thought. He hadn’t activated Oath since his “showdown” with Ignacious, but he had to guess that being under the effects of the Oath that he made to avenge D had been what made it eligible for an upgrade.

Sacred Vow - An Oath sworn on the Dread Knight’s very soul. When a Dread Knight invokes a Sacred Vow, no power can sway them from it. All attempts to dissuade a Dread Knight from fulfilling their Vow automatically fail. Another perfect effect will be contested by the Dread Knight, and they receive their (Essence + Spirit Modifier) as a bonus to resist. Should the Dread Knight fail to complete the terms of their Vow, the Archon will come to collect.

Using his two Talent Points, Tony picked up Asphyxiate and Runeforging.

Asphyxiate Cost: 15 Lore Duration: Instant Damage: None Effect: The Dread Knight crushes the Magic within his foes by sheer force of will. Talents or spells that have vocal components are interrupted. Spells or talents from the same discipline are silenced for ten seconds.

Against a Mage-class enemy, ten seconds with no magic being slung his way could turn the tables very quickly.

Runeforging Cost: Varies Duration: Varies

Effect: Inscribe Runes into non-artifact arms and armor increasing their effectiveness and granting bonus effects.

Lore cost and Inscription time is dependent on the rune inscribed

Runeforging seemed more like a profession skill than a talent, but if he could put his mundane armor pieces on a similar level to his Artifact pieces, it would be well worth it.

Your Party has been challenged by the Dungeon Boss!

Go forward and conquer!