Ultimate Level 1

Max watched as everyone sat in silence, hunkered down in their erected tent, creating a place to hide in the forest without fear of giving off light.

“You four don’t have to come if you feel it’s too dangerous.”

“That’s a load of goblin shite, and you know it,” Fowl muttered. “What kind of friends would we be if you went in alone?”

“It’s not about being bad friends,” he protested. “It’s about the potential danger that lies inside.”

“And you’re certain that the area isn’t like our world?” Tanila asked as she drummed her fingers a few times on the table.

He nodded at her, studying how her face looked perfectly calm, even though he had sensed her heart beating faster as he told them what was inside.

“The truth is… part of me is scared for you all. Now, I wish I had gone down the stairs and done more reconnaissance, but at the time, I didn’t want to do that and potentially encounter something and have you all upset that I left you behind.”

A single nod was all Batrire gave again.

“Max, you’re fine. We know why you did it. I, for one, am grateful that you want to have us with you. No one else has come right out and said it, so I will. We’re a bit nervous if you think it’s that dangerous. It reminds me of the tower. Every level with you was exponentially more difficult than with Dexic. Yet even as strong as she was, the tower floors were not as easy as they were with you. Each of us knew you would do everything possible to protect us. That meant more than you can ever understand. Fowl often confided in me that he wasn’t sure how we could ever have gotten where we were without knowing firsthand the pressure you felt to make sure we were safe.”

“Hey! That was a secret!” their warrior exclaimed, banging his fist on the table. “Don’t tell him that, or he’ll think I’m soft.”

Chuckling, Max winked at his friend, who rolled his eyes.

“No worries, Fowl. I know you’re anything but soft.”

Snorting, their drinking champion crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, eyebrows becoming one.

A cough came from Cordellia, and everyone turned to see her grimacing.

“Batrire’s right. I want to go. Scared or not, it reminds me of the first boss we faced in the tower. You helped me overcome that fear. When you were gone and we were in the tower with Dexic, there was a really difficult fight. I’m fairly certain the only reason we lived was that sword you made her. The next fight wasn’t easy, but we had to do it; otherwise, we would give up and never believe in ourselves. If I chose to back out now, part of me knows I may never step up again.”

“So then it’s settled. We’ll go tomorrow night. I’ll get us in. Whatever happens, we face as a team.”

Tanila leaned over and grabbed his hand, squeezing it as she smiled.

“As a family, Max. That’s what we are.”

***

“I haven’t missed this oversized baby carrier,” Fowl groaned as Max cinched up the last of the straps, securing everyone to him.

“Oh, please, we all know you enjoy being toted around,” he replied. “Now remember, no talking or making noises. And when we start to fall, I promise you, we’ll be fine.”

Their warrior grunted once more, saying nothing.

With everyone in place, Max moved to the edge of the trees and jumped onto the waiting spear made of air, rising quickly into the night sky.

A few breaths were louder than normal, and he could sense everyone’s heart begin to beat faster as they moved higher into the sky.

“Ockrim’s beard,” Fowl cursed silently. “The town… it’s huge.”

“That it is. Now stop talking. We’re fine for now, but I don’t want to risk anything as we get close.”

Having reminded them all of the order not to speak, Max focused on their approach.

It’s not that much more mana to do this. Your coordination is exceptional to be able to perch like that with all of them on you. The wind that is buffeting you isn’t to be taken lightly. ℞ᴀ𐌽ȮꞖƐṦ

Grinning like a fool, Max knew what Bob was talking about.

Standing sideways on the spear, bent forward slightly, he was grateful for the wider surface that this spear had.

He could feel Tanila’s hand on his side, holding on to his shirt. None of them were wearing armor, as they didn’t want any light reflecting off them.

Are we taking bets on if anyone pisses themselves?

If I had money, it would be on your dwarf friend.

***

Two people had been moving around the streets closest to the building in the center, requiring him to wait a little longer, half a mile above a town that shouldn’t have been there.

“It’s clear,” Cordellia whispered, even though no one could hear her up there.

Seeing that she was right, Max grinned.

“I’m serious now. No one scream. We’ll be fine. Everyone ready?”

He could sense the head bobs and felt them all tightening up.

Let’s go.

The spear he had been balancing on vanished, and he began to plummet. He heard a few quick breaths come as they descended at first.

In his mind he knew when the spear would form again and at what angle, and when it did, Max felt everyone react to the change in angle and speed.

Once more, he was an arrow, streaming toward the covering and the door for the building in the center, this time not wanting to try to move all of them across the city road.

Be ready; you’re coming in a little faster than last time. I’ll adjust the angle and speed a bit.

You got this. I can already tell the difference .

As one, they worked together, eyes focused on the point he would land, seeing the small clearing of land near the building, which he would impact a dozen yards from the entrance.

The spear he was on vanished, replaced by another as he jumped on it. A different angle and speed were set, and his trajectory could be corrected.

His boots hit the ground with only the slightest sound.

A gulping sound came from the dwarf warrior on his chest, but thankfully, nothing followed after it.

Without waiting any longer, Max moved toward the door, keeping everyone in the harness, and quickly repeated the process from yesterday, undoing the bricks, swinging the entire door open, and then getting inside.

Having secured the bricks again, he entered Stealth, glad that it affected everyone, something he had tested in the woods, unsure at first how it would react to this many people.

Seems like one could sneak an army somewhere if they were strong enough and able to carry them all.

Perhaps… but it might be better to use your dimensional space next time.

We talked about that… I’m still not certain it’s safe for them, and I don’t want to risk that. Even if it’s not a long time.

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Bob did not argue as they reached the intersection of the hallway and moved to the door they would enter.

A few seconds passed, and the door moved open and Max shuffled quietly into the room that hadn’t changed since yesterday.

Once it was shut, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and he began undoing their straps, freeing them to get down.

“I… I threw up… and swallowed it,” Fowl moaned.

“Smart move,” Max replied as he swapped out his black outfit for all of his gear. “I’m fairly certain the stench would have attracted attention.”

“Dear gods… those people.”

Max sensed Cordellia moving to where one of the corpses was and could see the pained expression on her face.

“Who would do such a thing?” she asked.

“That’s what we’re going to find out and hopefully put a stop to,” he replied. “Now then, once I open the next part, we’ll need to be quiet again. Any questions?”

Seeing that everyone was ready and no one appeared to want to talk, he tried to ignore how they were all staring at the bodies, sensing the shudders most had experienced.

You seem more agitated than usual. What is it?

As Bob worked his ability to cause the stone table to slide away, a hint of something Max couldn’t put a finger on filled his mind.

The area feels stronger than it did yesterday. Like… I don’t know… be careful.

Doing his best to keep a calm face, Max motioned to everyone to follow him, going down the stairs first.

At the bottom, another hallway led in two directions: one moving away from the building they were in and one that seemed to wrap back around itself and under the center one.

Without needing to ask, he could sense where Bob felt they should go and pointed to the right, leading the group to the corner and checking down it.

One hundred feet of hallway stretched ahead, only worked stones and the occasional lightstone visible. Doing his best not to sigh, Max gave a hand signal and motioned for them to wait a few seconds while he scouted ahead.

Each step took him farther from his friends, a sensation that bothered him greatly. After getting halfway with no traps being detected, he motioned for them to follow, continuing down the hallway to where it turned again.

More steps…

It would appear that what we sense is underground.

Never a good thing.

***

After well over twenty minutes of moving downstairs, hallways like the first one finally ended when Max saw that the area they were now in opened up.

Gone were the twenty steps and the hundred-foot hallways. Instead, there was a cavern about fifty yards wide that went downward. He could sense stairs lining the walls on the outer edges and descending into the darkness below.

Dim light could be seen at the bottom, and there was the faintest noise of people.

Bringing his friends close, Max activated the item Everett had given him, creating a small bubble of space where they could talk.

“Someone or something is down there, but it looks like a quarter mile or so down. I’ll go first. You four stay here and be ready in case someone comes from behind. If it’s safe, I’ll come get you.

“Don’t worry,” Fowl said as he held his shield and hammer. “I’ll protect them.”

Smiling, he gave his friend a nod and then winked at Tanila.

“I’ll be back.”

Leaving the item with them, Max began moving down the stairs, moving in the darkness that enveloped them, no lightstones lighting up this path.

It seems like a smart move. Not having lights up here would make it so that if anyone did come down and needed one, they would alert those below.

It would be wise to assume that most people do not have the talent you do, the ability to sense the steps, and everything else.

Time felt like it was moving slowly, but Max knew the truth. Even in Stealth, he was descending down the stairs with speed most would find impossible to match in a full sprint. In moments, he reached the bottom, seeing an area inset on the opposite side.

Two men in leather armor played cards at a small table, their sides turned to the stairway.

I can take them out… kill or…

You don’t kill for no reason. Knock them unconscious. Just make sure that you use enough force. There is no way to know how strong anyone here really is.

Not wanting to waste the time remaining on Stealth, Max moved toward the pair of guards, judging the distance between them and where they sat.

Knowing he could do what he hoped, he grabbed both men by the back of the head, smashing them into one another.

A sickening crunch came as one skull cracked and the other did not.

Neither man moved, but Max didn’t need to check. One had not made it.

Cursing to himself, he sighed, seeing the red glow surrounding him.

I will take care of that.

[ Consume is Cleansing JIH1U08 ]

[ Consume has finished Cleansing JIH1U08 ]

Max felt only the slightest bit of relief, knowing he wouldn’t be labeled a killer to anyone who saw him. Still, the corpse on his right proved that he was one.

Not wanting to wait, he pulled a boulder from his storage and used his skill to bind the other one still alive, securing both feet and hands while also creating a stone gag.

Leaving the fallen one there, Max raced up the stairs, startling his friends.

“You can come.”

No one said a word, but their eyes told him they sensed something was wrong.

Without waiting and not wanting to have to explain multiple times, he turned and moved back down the stairs.

Arriving well before the rest, he had time to inspect the guards, finding one had a key ring in storage. At the end of the inset section of the crafted room was a door and a lock that looked like the keys he held would open.

“Is he…”

“He is,” Max replied, answering Batrire’s question. “I used too much force.”

Taking the key ring, Max moved toward the door, anxious to see if all this was worth what he had just done and trying to ignore Bob’s growing agitation.

Behind this door… something… something is there.

It only took three tries to find the right key out of the ten, and when the door swung open, a slight creak coming from the metal hinges, Max saw the doors that lined the hallway behind it. There were four metal doors on each side, all with a small lightstone right outside them. At the end of the hall was one more door that looked different from the rest.

Inside were the sounds of someone breathing.

It was multiple people breathing.

Giving hand signals, he stealthed, moving up to the first door. Inside the cell he could hear someone breathing. Peering through the small opening, his heart felt pain upon what he saw.

Bound in chains and lying on the floor was a person wedged up in a corner, tucked into the fetal position.

The only movement came from their chest, and he could sense that they were awake, pretending not to be by how their heart rate started to rise the longer he stood there.

Making his way past that one, he checked and found three more people, one in each cell.

At the end of the hallway, he stopped, holding the keyring in his hand, and flipped through the keys, finding the one he felt had to be it, based on its shape and size.

Dropping Stealth, Max turned around and motioned for his party to follow him, waiting near it till they were all close.

Holding the box that granted them a little silence pocket, Tanila spoke first.

“People? Down here? Are they like you?”

Shrugging, Max frowned.

“I don’t know, but whatever is behind all this is back here. Are we ready?”

Batrire nodded, casting her buff.

Slipping the key inside, Max unlocked the door and slowly swung it open.

As the door stopped its swing, a few inches from hitting the wall, torches began to ignite in the room he had just opened. Lightstones flared and burned red.

Everything that he saw shocked him, but even more so was what Tanila said.

“It… it can’t be…”

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