Ultimate Level 1

“We’re ready for this,” Fowl muttered to himself as they waited to enter the tower.

“Pep talk?” Max asked, as he gave his friend a gentle nudge.

A slight shade of color appeared on Fowl’s cheeks, and the dwarf nodded.

“I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” he replied. “Something I do before every floor.”

“As do I. Just usually to myself.”

Fowl grinned and moved to where the massive portal was, looking at the other four.

“Warrior’s first!” their tank exclaimed as he turned and then vanished.

“He loves that part,” Max said as he moved to go next.

***

As soon as he felt the tower floor around him, Max could only react because his sonar and skill told him about the attack coming his way.

His shield appeared, and the sound was ignored, confusion at what was happening filling Max’s mind.

Pressure came upon his brain. It was as if a river of water was being forced through a single tube and only at his head. Somehow he stood against it, unsure if it was the intelligence stat or the Formidable Mind skill. Even under the continued assault, more alarming were the attacks he faced.

“Fowl!”

His shout did nothing as the one he called a friend swung at him over and over, the hammer he had crafted slammed into his shield again.

“Stop it!”

Frustrated, Max reached over with his hand as Fowl swung, grabbing the weapon between his fingers and holding it in place.

“Listen to me!”

The dwarven warrior’s face was in a scowl, eyes glowing yellow and staring at Max.

Another person appeared behind him and Max spun, preparing for what he already knew was coming.

An arrow slammed into his shield, the force of it sending his shield arm upward.

The second arrow almost struck him, but Max summoned an air wall before it pierced his armor.

Even though he knew Cordellia couldn’t see him, her eyes had the same yellow glow that Fowl’s had.

Fear began to build as Tanila appeared and Max braced for an onslaught of spells.

The bow that had been pointed at him changed to where their mage was and Max cursed under his breath, summoning a stone wall that stopped the arrow meant for Tanila.

Fowl didn’t move no matter how hard he pulled and Max groaned, knowing that those items and skills his friend had would make moving him impossible.

Letting go of the hammer and ignoring the weak attempts his friend sent his way, Max dashed to where Tanila was and grabbed her, racing further into the tower floor.

Arrows came at them and Max dodged them all, using his shield and evasion as he waited for Batrire to appear.

As soon as the healer entered the floor, Max saw her eyes were yellow like the other two.

“What is going on?!” he shouted, as Tanila reacted to his manhandling. “They’re attacking us!”

He could sense the tight, pained look on her face as the woman he loved fought back against whatever was attacking her. The sonar skill told Max that she had moved her hand over her wrist and felt the change in power immediately.

“It’s the boss! It’s trying to control us and fight each other!”

With a moment to take in the boss floor, Max trusted his sonar skill and speed, dodging Cordellia’s arrows while staying easily out of Fowl’s range.

The floor wasn’t large, only about five hundred yards wide. Giant stone walls with glowing runes all over covered the boss floor in a dome. At the center of the floor was a darkness and a tall being, standing next to a pedestal of crystal. Glowing lines ran from it to different sections of the stone walls, where the runes pulsed with power.

“What is that?!”

Max raced toward the boss, hoping to end this fight quickly when he had to quickly slow down, sensing a barrier of some sort before him.

[ Demonic Teleportation ]

[ Teleportation Failed ]

“Shite! I can’t teleport past this barrier!”

“Put me down and give me a minute!”

Max realized Tanila was having to deal with being carried like a sack of flour while he ran around trying to dodge the attacks their ranger kept sending his way. Fowl and Batrire were coming toward them, quickly covering the ground, and would soon be in range to attack him.

“It’s a mind flayer!” Tanila shouted as she stood on her feet. Her hair and eyes glowed, and Max only risked a glance once as he stared at the boss only about a hundred yards away.

What looked like an octopus for a head sat upon a long thin body wearing a black robe. Yellow eyes stared at the two of them and what might have been a grin was upon its face.

“I’ll deal with it! You take care of our friends! Just stay away from me so I don’t hurt you!”

Max started to reply as he easily blocked the arrows that rained upon the two of them with an air wall, watching Tanila run away from him.

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“But–”

“No! I need to use my power and you can’t be near me!”

Inside him, Max knew what she was about to do and inside him, a soft amount of laughter came from his skill.

If you could fight this boss... What you might gain would be wondrous, but that would mean sacrificing your mage friend to the others. Let her attempt this fight.

Fowl let out a war cry as the dwarf charged Max.

In shock and not concerned with his friend’s approach, Max took the hit from the dwarf’s hammer and couldn’t help but smile as it did nothing but merely bounce off him.

Over and over, his friend swung, and each time the strike did nothing, unable to damage the one who had crafted the weapon.

Arrows were the real problem, and Cordellia appeared to be ready to chase after Tanila.

Sighing, he cast ice prison, watching as the ice rose up around his friend, hating the fact that he couldn’t tell how much he might have damaged her.

Batrire came up at him, swinging her staff and meeting the same fate as her lover.

After about four more strikes from Fowl, Max sensed the change of weapons and knew that somehow either the boss realized this weapon wouldn’t hurt Max or wanted to try something different.

His friend's old mace came out, now needing to be blocked as he knew those might hurt.

Batrire turned and began moving toward Tanila.

Sighing, he cast root, keeping her in place while sensing the woman he loved moving further away.

She has unleashed her skill. You can feel it.

Max could sense the change in the air. Runes along the wall flared up with an orange and then red light, replacing the clear white color they once had.

Fowl tried to get past him, attempting to head to where Tanila was and Max stepped in the dwarven warrior's way.

“Sorry Fowl,” Max said as he kicked the dwarf’s leg.

A crack came as the bone snapped and Max couldn’t help but let out a cry as he felt the aura of thorns without the buffer of the dueling fields.

[ Regeneration ]

Pain subsided as the injury he had caused on himself faded quickly.

Light from Batrire appeared and Fowl moved again, the broken leg no longer a problem.

Cursing to himself, Max tried to figure out what he could do to help give Tanila all the time possible while keeping his friends from attacking her or injuring them.

A stone wall appeared under Fowl, sending the dwarf upward.

With the tank airborne, Max moved to where Batrire was and grabbed her, ripping the healer free from his spell and threw her over his shoulder, ignoring the kicking and punching she did.

With Fowl on top of the stone wall, Max immediately shattered it, catching his friend and racing to where Cordellia was frozen.

Fowl’s weapon hit his back a few times, sending a few painful spikes through his back but the regeneration kept the damage to a minimum.

Running with the pair was like trying to juggle cats while standing on a small boat on water. Each of them bucked and kicked, making the progress difficult but not impossible as letting go meant having to try and pry Fowl free from the ground again.

Finally, he reached the spot where the ice prison was beginning to crack. Max tossed Fowl high into the air, sending the dwarf upward while yanking out a thing of rope and immediately began wrapping Batrire up.

Curses came from the dwarf, none that he could understand as Max wound her like a top.

While Fowl began his descent downward, Max caught his friend, not bothering with the rope, knowing Fowl’s strength would easily break it.

Instead, he wrapped the dwarven warrior up with his legs as he sat down on the ground, keeping those arms pinned as best as possible. Fowl bucked and kicked but the strength difference was too much.

With two of the three disarmed, Max grabbed at Cordellia’s leg, yanking her free from the ice prison, and brought her to his chest. Wrapping both arms around the elf, he could only imagine the way the four of them must look.

One dwarf healer hog-tied in a poor fashion as Max sat on the rope, keeping her from moving. Between his legs was a plate covered dwarf trying to pry the legs wrapped around his upper body.

In his arms was a female ranger that fought like a wild beast, trying to kick and wiggle free as Max held her hands and arms, preventing any attacks from weapons she might attempt to summon.

“Hurry Tanila,” Max said as he strained to look in the direction of the boss.

***

Angst filled Tanila’s heart as she ran from where Max was trying to protect the both of them. The initial onslaught of the mental assault had been overpowering, but her skill had protected her regardless of if she wanted it or not.

Now with this barrier in place and how the rest of her group was acting, only one thing was possible to get through and it was if she finally let go of what she had kept held back for so long.

All those things Max shared about how it feels… the hunger and desire… even though it has been a decade it hasn’t decreased.

Her golden hair radiated the power as she embraced her blood and nobility.

Putting both hands against the barrier, Tanila let go.

[ Mind Flayer Skill Activated ]

The section of the barrier where her hands touched began to glow, and the color in the tower floor changed. Power fought against her and yet Tanila let it melt away as it touched her hands. Everything that was sent to fight her off was absorbed, filling her with more power.

Runes turned a dark red around the room and Tanila felt in her mind a voice reach out.

Stop it! This is my home! You are not welcome here! Leave and I shall let you live!

The voice would have sent shivers down most. The sirens call it had been upon entering the floor was gone, now replaced with an evil and pained sound.

Ignoring it, Tanila pressed on, watching cracks in the area she stood began to form in the barrier.

Instead of summoning magic and assaulting the barrier, Tanila closed her eyes.

She knew Max would protect her. There was no doubt that man would do anything for her. Her whole life no one had ever really loved her.

So many feared her because of who she was. Because of who her parents were.

They professed affection and even the fools that attempted to earn her hand by promising things that didn’t matter never loved her. It was the idea of being part of her family. Of perhaps having a child from the bloodline that flowed through her.

Max loves me for who I am… even… even the beast I must become in this moment.

Golden eyes flew open and Tanila’s hair rose, power crackling all over her as more cracks began to appear along the barrier.

[ Power Absorption Increased ]

[ Temporary Increase in Magical Power ]

[ Absorbing Ambient Magic ]

A smile appeared as the section before Tanila shattered and she walked through.

It was time to save her friends, even if it meant losing a part of herself.

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