By the time the ten minutes was up, each of the three mages had about a third of their mana back. It wasn’t enough for Nightwitch to cast [STARS FALL], but at least they’d be useful in the fight.

The entire arena started to shake.

POOM

POOM

POOM

The door to the largest entrance opened.

The Giganto-Spinner didn’t really look like a spinner at all. Instead, it had a lower ball it rolled on (with no spinning blades), a middle ball (again, without blades), a set of four appendages on the middle ball that almost looked like arms, and a tiny top ball with blades that looked like the dwarf had just stuck a normal spinner on top. Each arm was a pair of spheres with an inner sphere that seemed to be able to move anywhere on the middle ball and an outer sphere that had spinning blades.

It was smashing the “arms” into the walls and floor as it rolled towards them, holding the blades away from the wall.

POOM

POOM

“BEGIN!”

Nightwitch, Echo, Moira, and Doyle immediately opened fire.

Serenity moved away from them to give some space. Lancaster and Liuyedao followed him.

POOM

It smashed into the floor in front of Serenity.

It’s time. May as well try it and see what happens.

Serenity attempted to trigger the tattoos that had appeared after Margrethe shot him, but nothing happened. There didn’t seem to be a convenient way for him to directly trigger them. It made sense, since they were intended to stop an unexpected deadly or disabling attack - but if he couldn’t use them to stop one he expected, they’d be a lot less useful.

The golem had rolled coser to him and raised one of its arms up in a big, telegraphed attack. Serenity dodged to the side - he couldn’t move back without getting too close to the people he was protecting.

There are seven tattoos. Maybe it’s not a single trigger, but meant to only trigger the one that’s necessary? This had better not trigger a Concept.

Serenity frantically fed a little mana to each tattoo. It wasn’t at all easy to do in combat, and he knew it was only possible because of his Arcane affinity. As it was, all he could manage was to barely dodge the slow, telegraphed attacks.

As the Giganto-Spinner slammed its arm down where Serenity had been a moment before, Serenity felt his mana quickly empty as a shield formed around his body. He leapt, attempting to get onto the arm. He managed it, but the spinning blades caught his right foot as he grabbed the arm.

He could feel the blades hitting the shield as each strike drained stamina. He pulled his foot up, and the shield guttered out - leaving him low on stamina and out of mana but uninjured.

It was a good trade.

Two of the other arms attempted to swat him off the arm he was holding on to, but they could only get so close without threatening the arm he was clinging to. “Attack the middle!”

As long as Serenity was able to keep three arms occupied, they had a chance.

Lancaster ran up to the fourth arm and batted it away with his skill.

Liuyedao simply stabbed the middle ball. His sword snapped and the spinning ball flung sharp pieces of metal across the group - but he’d made a jagged tear before the blade broke, and the others took advantage of it.

The fight didn’t last long after that. One of the other arms slashed Serenity on his left leg, while Lancaster was swatted across the arena, but other than that they escaped damage.

“CHALLENGE COMPLETE! THE CHALLENGERS HAVE WON THE DAY! COME CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!”

Serenity felt his healing drain to manage the damaged leg, but the important thing was that he’d learned something - he’d learned how the shield worked, at least when he triggered it manually. It was possible that it would work differently when it triggered on its own, but he had to guess that it would cost all of his remaining mana and a lot of his stamina no matter what. It was definitely something not to use lightly.

His boot was a lost cause. It was - barely - holding together. He’d have to get another one. The tattoos were undamaged, which took care of that fear.

Lancaster had a concussion, but he’d somehow escaped being hit by the blades. Rissa was unhappy about it; apparently blood loss and cuts were easier to heal than brain bruising. She did what she could, but declared that they would be heading to the surface so she could get Lancaster in front of Blaze as soon as possible.

None of the others had any major injuries - mostly cuts from the shattered sword, which Rissa took care of as she saw them.

The group headed back up to the announcer. He pointed them to a door that hadn’t been there before. When they went through it, they found themselves in a natural-seeming cave with another pedestal and pea-sized crystal. In front of the crystal was a wide chest.

Serenity took one look at the crystal and turned to go out the door - but the door wasn’t there anymore.

He decided to keep facing the cave wall. It made controlling himself easier.

“Crystal for Serenity again?” Lancaster’s voice, followed by several he couldn’t distinguish, agreeing. Serenity turned around. The chest hadn’t even been opened yet, which they should really do before giving him the crystal - but -

The crystal -

He knew he’d give up whatever was in the chest for the crystal.

Serenity walked up to the crystal, picked it up, and almost ate it in front of everyone. He froze, then carefully forced himself to absorb it from his hand.

[Tutorial Great Dungeon Level 2 Complete]

[100 XP awarded]

[100 Ev awarded]

[Ev diverted to Core progression]

[Exit Dungeon]

[Proceed to Level 3]

[Wait]

Wait

[Compatible Crystal Core material detected]

[Reinforce Core?]

Yes.

When he was done, he leaned over and opened the chest. It held a sword and seven coins. “Huh, Etherium. Useful.”

Basic Longsword

This sword is a well crafted longsword with no outstanding features.

Enchantments: None

“Etherium?”

“Basic currency of the Order. Especially useful because you don’t have to carry it. It can also be used for some enchantments and spells to replace other components. I think the sword should go to Liuyedao, and - there are only seven coins, so one per person, I’ll sit this one out since I got the crystal.”

Liuyedao quietly spoke up. “I’ll take the sword, I do need one. I think that’s worth more than the crystal, though, so you should get a coin.” Serenity turned to him, but Liuyedao continued, “You do need to replace a boot after all.”

Serenity looked down at his feet, one of which was bare, and barked a quick laugh. “You have a point.”

Serenity picked up a coin and moved it to his Status. “All you have to do is hold the coin and try to put it away.”

While Serenity handed out the rest of the coins, Doyle coughed once. “So, uh, I think you weren’t here yet. One of the independent groups should be finishing the tenth Trial Dungeon today, and - they have two healers. Well, one healer and one … weird guy. But he has some healing, should be enough for us with a few potions from whats-her-name -”

Echo supplied the name. “Mystraven.”

“Yeah, her. Between her potions and Doc Savage - yes, that’s the name he took, don’t laugh - “ Nightwitch seemed to be the only person other than Doyle who got the joke. “Anyway, we can go ahead and split into groups of four - well, five with you and Moira. Since apparently you don’t count. If this is really hurting our gear - well, I’d have to say that we didn’t come out ahead on this level. More gear would be worth a lot.”

Name: Serenity

Species: Human Chimera (Altered Template)

Core: Connecting

(Unique when connected)

Progression: 86.6%

Features: 2/10

True

Crystal

Path: Paths Available

Level: 97 (360/980)

Tier: 0, 0/97 Spent

Path History: None

Condition: Hungry

Healing Available: Low

Mana: 10/830

Stamina: 150/850

Might: 75

Agility: 75

Phys: 75

Understanding: 73

Will: 77

Mind: 73

Perception: 75

Luck: 71 - 168%

Ev: 23

Resistances

Curse: 263

Pain: 1033 (33 active)

Pleasure: 23

Sleep: 1

Unknown

Affinities

Death: 101.83%

Life: 14%

Mind: 30%

Arcane: 50%

Plasma: 42%

Liquid: 6%

Vapor: 14%

Solid: 17%

Energy: 40%

Void: 60%

Time: 15%

Space: 5%

Essence: 86.6%

Concepts

Death

Mind: 15%

Arcane: 78%

Plasma: 26%

Energy: 52%

Void: 25%

Time: 5%

Space: 20%

Essence: 2%

Aspects

Essence: Initiated

Unknown

Titles

Previous Supreme Existence

Altered Template

Named

Ghost in the System

Aspect Pathfinder

Coin

1 Etherium

Blaze kicked the group - other than Rissa - out of the room while he healed Lancaster’s injury. With nothing else to do, Nightwitch, Doyle, and Liuyedao headed off to see if they could find Doc Savage. They wanted to get started early the next morning.

Echo, Moira, and Serenity wandered around.

“Hey, the leatherworkers are just down this way.” Echo pointed between a couple stalls. “You should ask them about your boot.”

“No.” There was no way Serenity was going back to those two if he could avoid it. He hadn’t yet gotten his armor repaired, either, and for now he was just going to live with that.

Serenity turned resolutely away from the leatherworkers and realized he was heading towards the Armory. “Huh. I bet I can take boots from the Armory into the Trial. Clothes work, it’s not like it’s armor or weapons…”

The trio walked into a party in the Armory, complete with music (live), food, dancing, and drinks. Serenity tried to slip past to get to the supply room, but Kerr saw him first. “Hey there! Welcome to the party! We’re celebrating Ras’s first product, so be sure to get some!” She grabbed the wall and seemed to use it to steady herself.

Serenity looked at the drinks then looked at the more-than-tipsy Kerr. “How many have you had?”

She looked down at the cup in her hand. It was about half full. “Uh … half?”

“Uh… “ Serenity was still trying to come up with a polite way to say “I think that would poison us” when the door opened again and Kerr turned to Margrethe.

“Hey Margrethe! You don’t usually come to the parties! Come on, drown your sorrows!”

Margrethe stopped in the entrance, staring at Serenity.

The music didn’t stop, and neither did the crowd noise - but it stopped seeming important.

A full minute passed before she spoke. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

Serenity lifted his foot. “I needed a new boot.” He paused. He did have a question that had been bothering him. “Walk with me?”

Margrethe silently accepted his invitation, and the four of them headed to the supply room.

Kerr had vanished somewhere.

When the door closed behind them, cutting off the sound of the party, Serenity relaxed. He’d probably join in after a bit, but for now he needed a boot and an answer.

“So … you’re not angry with me?” Margrethe was looking at the floor - no, she was looking at Serenity’s boot.

Serenity turned away and started digging through the boots. Surely there would be a pair here in his size? “I am. I understand why, but that doesn’t excuse - you betrayed my trust. You’re here to help, and - “ Serenity made his hands relax. The boots were sturdy, but throwing them all over the supply room would just mean he’d need to pick them up later. “Can we not talk about this?”

Margrethe watched Serenity for a moment. “If that’s not what you want to discuss, what do you want to talk about?”

Serenity finally found a pair of boots that looked like they would fit. They were in much better shape than his current pair, even the one that hadn’t been nearly destroyed by the Giganto-Spinner. “Tell me about dungeon level stones.”

Margrethe found a box to perch on. “There’s not much to say. They’re good for crafting and enchanting - I’ve heard some people prefer them to monster cores, but I’m not a crafter, I wouldn’t know. They’re rarer. Most people take them for the value, the buff generally isn’t much. They’ll all regenerate as long as the dungeon core isn’t moved or destroyed. That’s really it.”

Serenity slipped one of the new boots on. “Do monsters like them? Do they act like monster cores if people eat them?”

“Uh … no? To both? The essence in them isn’t the same. Why do you ask?”

Serenity finished the laces on the first boot and pulled on the second. “What’s different about it?”

“It’s just a rock. Whatever’s in it is usable for crafting, but it doesn’t corrupt people. It doesn’t do anything. People have tried, we have records, I’ve seen them. Why do you -” Margrethe broke off. “Wait, are you - you don’t - No, that’s not possible. Monsters don’t eat them, why would you be different? Why are you asking?”

Serenity finished lacing the second boot and stood up. He needed to make sure they fit while he was moving. “Why would I answer that?”

Margrethe didn’t have an answer.

The boots weren’t perfect, but they’d do.