“So now you possess the crafting skill every dwarf wishes they could have,” Fowl muttered as he turned his mug slowly in his hands. “And your stats are beyond broken. Does anyone know what bonuses a human gets for a natural two hundred and fifty stat?”
Everyone turned their attention to Tanila who rolled her eyes at them.
“I only know of what they get for intelligence, not for any of the other stats.”
“Wait! Fowl’s not messing with me?” Max asked, confused to learn something new.
Clearing her throat, their mage took a drink from her cup and shook her head.
“He isn’t. The truth is most never hit a natural stat of two hundred and fifty. Each race has a different bonus but for intelligence my race gets one at two hundred and fifty. The perk is called A Sharp Mind and adds damage to spells and increases mana regeneration. Only those who reach the upper levels of the tower ever reach those numbers.”
“Not even royalty?” Max asked.
Tanila shook her head.
“Everything has to come naturally, without any modifiers. Just like our dwarven warrior over there has a natural bonus to constitution and health, his ability to acquire a two hundred and fifty in that stat would require him being weak minded, slower and not as strong. Sure items can help with those but for most of the tower he has to give up a lot of stats to reach that point.”
“Which is why when you always make fun of me for having a low intelligence doesn’t help,” Fowl complained. “If I want that bonus, I have to sacrifice everything for it.”Max considered that as he glanced at his stats again.
[ Base Stat Only Check ]
*****
STR: 221
DEX: 220
CON: 224
INT: 225
WIS: 225
*****
Tanila had given him the middle finger when he had told her about his new intelligence but Fowl and Batrire had seemingly taken in all the information without much reaction.
“Those goblins were worth a ton of intelligence and wisdom. For so long I was lacking in them. I think that’s why my lightning spell did so much,” Max said. “If my math is right I’ll find out in the next ten floors what a natural two hundred and fifty looks like.”
Grunting once, Fowl lifted his cup to his lips and finished off his drink.
“May the gods not shite themselves the day they run into you,” his dwarven friend replied.
***
“Two more!” Max shouted as a pair of beetles popped out from underneath the soil up at the three who were standing on top of a stone wall.
The fighting had been fierce as the dungeon was a set of enormous caverns filled with bugs that exploded upon death.
Max sent an empowered shot with his bow, causing the one that was crawling up the tunnel to explode in a fireball.
“Freezing!” Tanila yelled as she froze the first beetle that appeared, ice surrounding the four foot long bug.
Max did the same on the second, seeing both were the ones that had green dots that signified a poison gas would appear upon their demise.
“Get them, I got this one!” Fowl called out as he brained the chitin shell of the beetle trying to get through the dwarf’s defenses. Its long red mandibles clamped down on the shield but couldn’t rip it free from Fowl’s grip.
“Tossing these! Then shoot them!”
Max moved to where the one Tanila had frozen was and grabbed it, freeing it completely from the ground and tossed it back up the tunnel where they had come.
Arrows began to pelt the soft underside as it flew through the air and the monster exploded before it hit the ground, sending up a gas cloud twenty yards from them.
An explosion from where Fowl was signaled he had defeated his opponent.
“You’re up!” Max said, grinning at Tanila as he lifted the last beetle and waited for her ice spear to form. Tossing it down the tunnel he watched as she skewered it mid flight and caused another explosion, more gas filling up the fifteen meter wide tunnel.
“Man these are a pain in the arse,” Fowl said. “Who in their right mind makes up bugs that blow up when they die?”
Snorting, Max nodded and remembered the joys of the first pair that blew up near him and Fowl, green gas burning both of them. The worse was when they breathed it in, their lungs feeling like someone was twisting a knife inside.
Four hours of consistent fighting had brought them deeper and deeper into the tunnel system and only the green and blue moss that grew on the walls provided light. An eerie glow from the two colors made things like their armor and weapons shimmer as they moved.
“Tell me how this stuff isn’t going to make me upset,” Fowl muttered as he watched Max move to another lava trap and broke the ground over it.
A section of dirt started to fall downward, plunging ten feet into a pocket of boiling magma that was hidden by normal looking soil. Only when weight was put on the top soil did it crumble and fall.
“I’m just glad I can sense these,” Max said as he motioned ahead and to the right. “There is another about twenty yards up there. Falling into one of these wouldn’t be fun at all.”
“Imagine my beard then,” Fowl replied. “Burnt off in an instant.”
“I guess then you’d look like those beardless dwarves from the last floor,” Max teased as he moved to activate the next trap. “Nothing like a bald dwarf all over.”
***
Ten more hours of slow grinding through the tower floor brought the team to the exit, ending an otherwise uneventful experience.
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“No stats?” Fowl asked after the other three had used the portal.
Shaking his head, Max shrugged.
“It happens that way after a boss usually. They're stronger than the rest so depending on what they give, it may be a floor or two before that stat gives me another boost.”
Snorting, Fowl fixed his beard and nodded.
“Still, knowing you're close to achieving what only a handful of heroes has ever done is unbelievable. That alone makes me wonder what you’re going to be like as we get closer to the top end of the tower.”
Max nodded and pointed at the portal.
“I know, but I’m also worried about this jump everyone talks about. Something about it feels dangerous and I’m not excited to see exactly what.”
The moment his foot touched the stone tiles outside the tower, Max felt the same wave of anger and displeasure come over him.
As his eyes adjusted and his sonar attempted to find what it was he was feeling, Max couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.
“Everything okay?” Tanila asked as she saw his face.
Frowning Max slowly shook his head.
“It’s there… that same presence. Something is off.”
The others had moved away from the portal exit and Max continued to scan the area, sensing the eyes of something on him.
“Let’s worry about it later. For now–”
A scream followed by the arrival of people spilling out behind him got his and everyone else's attention.
Two members he recognized from Dexic’s group came tumbling out of the portal, both of them bleeding and one he recognized as an archer missing his left arm from the elbow down. Two arrows were sticking out of what had to be their elf mage’s back.
“HEAL!” Max shouted, his weapon in hand as he raced toward the two, pulling a healing potion out as well.
The guards raced over and Max saw both of them coming with weapons in hand, one holding their finger with a communication ring to their face, calling for assistance.
“We’re here!” Max exclaimed as he caught the stumbling archer, lifting the potion to his lips and giving it to the man. “What happened?!”
Fighting… inside… ambushed.”
His words stopped as he greedily drank the healing potion, the blood flow stopping immediately as the wound on his arm closed over.
“Dexic?”
Wincing, the man motioned to the portal.
“She stayed, fought against the group, buying us time.”
“What floor?” the male guard who arrived asked.
“Forty second.”
His eyes saw Tanila and Cordellia and he winced.
“Elves… they said the rare spawn was theirs, even though we were fighting it. They took it after killing our healer. Dexic saved us… took out one of theirs and brought us near the portal. They caught up, so she… she sent us here.”
Max felt his blood boiling and turned to the guard who was standing near him.
“Can’t you go and help?!”
Sighing, the guard shook his head.
“Tower business isn’t our job. We keep people out who aren’t strong enough. What goes inside is–”
“People are dying!” Max shouted, standing and getting into the guard's personal space. “Surely you can go in there and–”
“He can’t! His level won’t allow it!”
Max spun around, seeing the other guard and know it was her from the start.
“We are specifically unable to go in. Even though we’re level fifty, we do not climb the tower.”
“Then what can we do?”
The guard winced as she saw Max’s face and the pained expression he displayed.
“Hope your friend makes it out.”
“And if the ones that come out are flagged?” Max asked, his nostrils flaring as he breathed heavily.
“You would not be allowed to attack them. The guard has been summoned. They will defend the tower climbers. If you were to try and attack…” her voice trailed off, seeing the malice intent in Max’s eyes. “You would have to fight the entire guard and I do not think that would go well for you.”
Laughter came from inside Max’s head and he had to suppress the urge in this moment that was present.
Oh, but what a mistake they would make by angering you. Stay out of this for now. As much as I would desire to drink the blood of those foolish enough to stand in our way, we have agreed to help each other and you are not ready nor truly desire this path right now.
The truth of his skill saying those words made him wince and Max saw the guard nod.
She probably thinks I see the reason behind her statement.
No reply came and Max took a deep breath, letting it out as he felt Tanila put her hand on his shoulder.
“What do you want to do?”
Max frowned, still feeling the sensation of being watched and upset by it and what was before him.
“You four take them to our Faction house. I’ll stay here just in case Dexic makes it.”
“Is that wise?”
Shaking his head, Max glanced at Fowl and snorted.
“You and I both know if she makes it I’m the only one who can stop her from getting in more trouble.”
Grunting, Fowl nodded and held a hand out to the human mage, leading her toward the carriages.
“I’ll be waiting for you. Don’t do anything stupid,” Tanila said as she kissed her fingers and then pressed the tips against his lips.
“Only because you asked,” Max replied as he turned back toward the portal. “Tell Everett I’m here. He’ll know what to do.”
***
Two minutes later a group of guards and wagons came racing toward the tower and stopped as close as possible to the path that led to the tower.
Twenty plus guards moved quickly to where he was standing and an older man moved to where the two toward guards were waiting.
“What level?”
His tone reminded Max of a time he had gotten in trouble and his father had spoken like that. Nothing but a simple reply was desired, and that was exactly what the man got.
“Forty two.”
Grunting, the older guard turned and gave Max an appraising look, his blue eyes taking in the man before him.
“Party member?”
“Faction member. Seth Pendal of the Golden Axe sir.”
“Ogre nuts,” the man replied, snorting afterwards. “I wish I didn’t know your name but I do. What is it with you and everyone seeming to hate you?”
Max shrugged and pointed toward the portal.
“I don’t think or I sure hope this had nothing to do with my problems, sir. Should I ask how you know my name?”
“I have a captain, Vella, and our conversations have been very interesting over the last few months, to say the least. I’m Major Greyson. Not much gets me out of my office except moments like these. Tell me, what do you know?”
The male tower guard started to open his mouth but the Major turned and gave the man a glare, cutting him off.
“My Faction member said there was a dispute about a rare spawn. A group of elves ambushed them. I know the healer in their squad is dead and most likely the other warrior as well. Dexic stayed behind to help them escape. She also managed to kill one of their attackers.”
Spitting, Major Greyson nodded and frowned.
“All we can do now is wait but I’m assuming you know the rules.”
“About not attacking?”
Chuckling the man nodded, crossing his arms and moving to stand beside Max, towering over him by a whole foot.
“I have no doubt you’re strong but trust me, this isn’t the way to handle this.”
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