Ultimate Level 1

The sun had just set and the light stones were blazing brightly against the tower and on some stands nearby.

Max was moving the moment he saw the golden armor appear at the location everyone came from the Tower.

Dexic was staggering, blood dripping from her sword and from all over her armor.

“Dexic!” Max shouted as he drew close to her, seeing her eyes trying to focus as her weapon came up in his direction.

“It’s Seth! You’re safe!”

As if his words had cut ropes keeping her upright, Dexic fell toward the ground, caught in his arms before she had.

“Drink this,” Max said as he handed her the potion he had been waiting to use this entire time. His finger had already popped the cork and was at her lips, forcing the liquid into her.

She choked once before she managed to swallow the healing potion.

After it did its job, Dexic glanced at Max and then at the guards who were moving to surround her.

“An archer and a mage,” Max replied. “No one else.”

She nodded slowly and then stood up on her own power.

“Major.”

The older man frowned and nodded at her.

“Are they still alive?”

“Three are,” the golden clad woman replied. “Two of them won’t be making it back anytime soon. I would have ended more of them, but the odds were not in my favor.”

Smacking his lips, the Major turned toward his soldiers and motioned toward Dexic with his head.

“They’ll take you to the usual place for a few days. I’ll notify Everett of our report. Anything else I need to know?”

Max watched as something that had obviously happened before between these two played out before him.

She shook her head and stored her weapon.

“If they come out and are still flagged you best make sure I don’t know where because I’m going to end their lives one way or another.”

Her tone was like running a file against metal.

Turning her attention toward Max, Dexic sighed as she frowned at him.

“This might blow back on you and the rest of the Faction. Let Everett know I’m sorry.”

“No matter what, I’ll be by your side,” Max replied, holding out his hand.

She shook it and nodded.

“Be careful with that statement. You might find yourself surrounded one day because of it.”

Shrugging, Max motioned to the tower.

“You’re part of my family. That means I’ll defend you no matter what.”

Chuckling, he didn’t flinch when she slapped his shoulder one time.

The force of the blow would have killed a normal person, and probably anyone below level fifty. An echo of the impact reverberated through the courtyard.

Dexic chuckled, and Max grinned.

“Damn, I forgot just how strong you are,” she said. “Now if you will excuse me, Major Greyson has somewhere I’ll need to go.”

She left with five guards, not acting like she was doing anything different from a normal night, riding around town when most people were fast asleep.

As she left, Max turned to the Major who was frowning again.

“Not her first time I take it?”

Shaking his head he chuckled.

“No, and one day I expect you and I to have this same conversation. After the thirty-fifth floor it’s not uncommon for some fights to break out in the tower. The real problem arises when someone survives.”

“Because of the grievances?”

“Pretty smart for a warrior type,” Major Greyson replied. “If a group dies in the tower, no one knows why. Yet when stuff like this happens, blood is going to be required. Next week the Colosseum will have another night and I don’t doubt for a moment that she’ll be there, ready to kill someone.”

He gave a quick whistle and held up three fingers.

Six guards moved to encircle the platform where everyone came out of the tower.

“I’m going to bed. These men will see to whoever comes out. I suggest you go home. Odds are they won’t return before their aura wears off.”

***

Everett and Tom both glared at Max who stood before the pair.

“She didn’t say what Faction did this did she?”

Shaking his head, Max didn’t feel he needed to ask, but apparently he should have.

“It’s because she wants us to wait for the report,” Tom replied. “We both know how hot of a head you can have in these moments.”

Stolen novel; please report.

Glaring at his friend, Everett’s fingers twitched and for a moment Max wondered if he was about to see the man lose his cool.

Two deep breaths later, the throbbing vein on the Faction leader's forehead was no longer looking ready to burst as his fingers drummed against the desk.

“Thank you again for helping Cressida and Fletcher. They were in bad shape from what I hear.”

Max nodded and wanted to ask about the arm and being able to regrow it but felt now wasn’t the time to discuss such a difficult topic.

“The fight in the Colosseum that apparently is going to take place. What is Dexic going to do?”

Both men frowned at that question, each looking at the other before turning their attention back to Max.

“The problem is she can challenge and I have no doubt they will accept,” Tom replied. “Who they send will be the real problem. It can be anyone, and while Dexic is strong, she isn’t the strongest.”

“You mean she might die because they send a higher level climber?” Max asked, his eyes widening at the thought of that.

“It is considered bad taste, but yes, that is most likely what will happen,” Tom answered. “At this level the risk of losing someone is too much to undertake. I have no doubt there will be many who will take this moment to see our Faction become weaker. There is a reason most of this is settled inside higher floors. Where rules are loose and people can get revenge on more than just one person.”

Stroking his chin, Max considered that knowledge and knew that Tanila, along with Batrire, wasn’t going to like his next question.

“Can I fight alongside Dexic when she challenges them?”

“Uhhh….” Tom’s voice held that word for a few seconds, wincing when he stopped and glanced at Everett who was smirking. “You could, but you do realize I just told you that there might be someone who has beat the fiftieth floor inside there? Could you really–”

“If I’m allowed to, I want to,” Max answered, cutting off Tom. “Eleven days till the Colosseum is active. A few more days for her fight if you push it to the end. That gives me time to get a little stronger and help her.”

“Everett, tell this man he’s being an idiot!”

Rising from his chair, the Faction leader held out his hand and grinned.

“I’ll tell her your plan, Seth. Ignore Tom and go get some sleep. I have no doubt you’ll be busy in the coming week.”

Tom started to sputter and Max turned, leaving the older man motioning at him while looking at Everett.

When the door shut, Tom roared, anger radiating from him.

“You would toss him away?! Just like that?! Do you have any idea what he can become?!”

Everett sighed, sitting down and crossing his arms as he nodded.

“I do. Trust me, I don’t want this to be the way it has to be, but you and I both know he’s stronger than Dexic and if anyone has a chance of saving her, it’s him.”

“But…” Tom started and stopped his complaint and saw the look on his friend's face. “You know something I don’t… I can see it… what am I missing?”

Shaking his head, Everett shrugged.

“IF I could tell you something, I would, but trust me when I say that Seth is going to make every other Faction tread lightly when targeting us.”

***

Lava ran along the rocks near them as they sweated, climbing up the massive volcano that occasionally spewed molten rocks near them.

“The only thing hotter than this dungeon floor is Tanila’s attitude,” Fowl muttered as he picked up the red gem that had appeared.

Max nodded and turned back, seeing the look she still gave him.

Last night had been long after he told her his plan.

“There is no other way and you know it.”

Fowl nodded and sighed, giving his friend a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“I’ll bet all my gold on you again. Trust me, I never doubt you will come through.”

“Five more up ahead!” Cordellia shouted as the two men began leading the way up the rock.

“Damn fire golems,” Fowl muttered. “I can already feel my beard being singed.”

“Please, you’ve been hit one time, and that was your fault.”

Chuckling, Fowl nodded.

Max turned around, ignoring the gaze of frustration on the woman that he loved and smiled.

“I’ll cast on the left one. Cordellia you focus the one on the right. Tanila you have the one next to her. Any questions?”

“Are all men idiots?” Batrire asked, earning her a chuckle from both their warrior and ranger.

“Usually, but that’s why women love us.”

Max turned, smiling as he summoned an ice spear.

“On three!”

Two giant ice spears raced toward the fire golems while an ice arrow sped toward its target.

Both golems exploded from the impact, neither able to withstand the amount of damage done by either spell. Even without the equipment Tanila had and her familiar, his intelligence was above the three hundred mark, a stat which apparently wasn’t common for most at these stages.

Cordellia’s arrows continued to tear off chunks of the golem, the ice freezing part of its body.

The remaining two began their descent down the mountain at them, moving quickly, and Fowl rushed to get in their way.

Max moved to join him and as the two golems got close, went invis, popping right out and slicing one in half before Fowl landed a strike on his victim.

Another attack later, all five were dispatched as easily as the others.

“This is getting old,” Fowl said as he watched the golem’s body begin to cool, the lava that had filled their cracks and the flames that were once a roaring fire now went dark.

“Better than the alternative,” Max replied. “We’ve still got a solid eight hours or so before we reach the top.”

“Why don’t you speed things up?” Tanila asked as the trio came up behind them.

“You really want me to run around pulling these things in packs and destroying them all?”

“I believe you told me your plan was to get strong as fast as possible,” their mage replied. “Wouldn’t killing as many of them as you can at once be the easiest way to do that?”

Max shrugged and nodded, seeing that no one else seemed to complain about it.

“Fine, just make sure Fowl has you all protected. There were a few that appeared from the lava as we got close.”

Tanila cleared her throat.

“We’ll be fine. Now go.”

Without waiting, Max took off running.

“Are you sure about this?” Batrire asked as she watched her friend’s face.

“He’s made up his mind and you know it. I can argue and fight but he won’t give up this notion of being the hero or protecting those he considers family. All I can do now is try to help him get stronger, and that means letting him do what he does best.”

“Kill stuff,” Fowl interjected.

“Exactly. Now let's start moving, I have no doubt he will be faster than we imagined.”

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