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Chapter 13: Spoils of War
writer:Monsoon117      update:2022-07-21 16:42
  My eyes snapped open, and I pulled myself upright. Bats swarmed in every direction, though they kept their distance. At this point, I barely received experience from killing them. I smiled at the thought. Oh how the times had changed.

  I turned Oppression off. I’d be destroying them in mass but after they cleared out the bugs. With that handled, I sat up and glanced at my notifications. The first one already brought a childish grin to my lips.

  I balled up my fists then laughed aloud, “I did it. I fucking did it. Hell yeah.”


  Peering down at the colosseum, a glowing orb of yellow hovered over the center of the dungeon. I hopped onto my feet before skipping down the broken steps. As I reached the bottom of the steps, the yellow sphere ebbed out a yellow mist. I reached it.

  Poking the core, the energy coursed from its surface and siphoned into my body. It was a gentle warmth that passed quickly. Once the core’s energy depleted, it collapsed to ash, turning to powder. I watched the gray fade away, and I couldn’t help but have a giddy grin on my face.

  I was going to get the hell out of here, finally. I gripped my hand into a fist, putting it against my forehead. My eyes burned as a quick tear poured down my cheek. It had all been worth it. All the torture, all the lonliness, and even the dark gloom…I was finally free. I was going to get out of this hellhole, find Kelsey and Michael, and we’d laugh about this.

  Baldag-Ruhl’s twisted face flashed in my eyes, and I winced. I shook off the feeling before opening my status. I had points to assign. I placed two more points into strength, two into endurance, and two more into willpower. I wanted the two perks given from strength and willpower, and I hoped fifty endurance would give me another tier of perks or something.

  Even after investing all those points, I still had eleven attribute points left to my name. I rubbed my hands together, and I contemplated all my choices. I gained sixteen levels, giving me three perk points. I also got two more after that, one from the core and the other from the Agony refund.

  That resulted in five perk unlocks, a hefty boon. Aiming to unlock as many perks as possible, I checked out my attribute screen. The values showed lots of even numbers, and that fact pleased me far more than it should’ve. After relishing that for a second, I weighed my options.

  For starters, I was about to be out of this dungeon, so charisma may become useful. That wasn’t a guarantee, however. Besides that, there was no way I could afford armor better than my own.

  With that in mind, I put six points into perception, unlocking the first tier perk. After that, I put the rest of my five points into dexterity. Wanting to feel the raw rush of attributes, I selected finalize. My arms and legs loosened, becoming more pliable. My nerves tightened their control of my body as well.

  Taking a moment, I lifted a foot. Underneath the pointed, smooth greaves, I could flex each toe in opposite directions. It was odd. The perception carried a more familiar sensation. My vision cleared some, and my hearing sharpened. I made out the disparate bat howls around me with greater detail.

  Underlying the obvious benefits of perception, a bizarre sensation crossed over me. I peered at some of the unmarred runes in the distance. I comprehended them more, like staring at a puzzle and knowing I was an inch away from seeing the solution. Other forms of awareness took hold of me as well.

  I smelled the toxic aroma of the bat’s nasty breath. I could see just how gross they were. I could hear their mouth’s smacking like an old lady’s gums. In a moment of lucid clarity, I willed Oppression back over the bats.

  The points in strength and willpower glossed over without the same kind of notice. I already owned excellent totals in both, so that seemed understandable. With the attributes assigned, the perk menu came up. A laundry list of powerful upgrades appeared.

  The list amounted to over ten choices. I gained some interesting perks in the bunch. I went ahead and picked up Uncompromising, Arbiter, Cataclysmic, and Strong. Those would add permanent, stacking bonuses that would make me overwhelmingly powerful at later levels. Parsing through my options, the most interesting perk left was Blood Magic.

  It just so happened that I had much, much more health than magic. I also owned a ton of pain tolerance and a ton of health regen. I picked that final perk and selected finalize. Like the clashing of planets, the perks took effect.

  I surged with a sudden, explosive strength. The armor and limbs lightened until I hardly noticed their weight. My understanding of my surroundings solidified. My memory cleared. I clasped my hands, my fingers clamping down like a lion’s jaws. My armor stretched as the metal thinned over expanding musculature.

  I quit shaking as the coursing energy passed. I took a breath before checking out my attribute screen.

  My attributes increased to exceptional levels. Despite the raw values, most of the recent surge in my strength came via the per level perks. By now, they made the largest difference. I imagined that was how most higher leveled people would handle the early system upgrades.

  They probably hunted down every level thirty perk for the per level bonuses of every attribute. After that, they grinded out levels while focusing on a few primary attributes. The first perk, Body of Iron in my case, decided those primary attributes.

  Those factors culminated until every level would extend far beyond a single attribute point. Thinking that through, I figured I’d do the same. With that handled, I checked out my player screen. A message appeared.

  I leaned back, gawking at how high that number was. 95%? Psh, that sounded absurd. If someone hit me with twenty points of damage, I’d only take one point in turn. Why wouldn’t everyone just bulk up beyond belief and be invincible?

  I narrowed my eyes, thinking of how quickly Baldag-Ruhl damaged me with his insects. If I lacked my 90% damage resistance then, I would’ve been eaten alive in seconds. Schema could be making everyone bulk lords, sure, but that seemed unlikely. If anything, it seemed like higher level enemies might just put out absurd levels of damage.

  The kind of damage that required 95% damage resistance to be the standard.

  A chill ran up my spine at the prospect, but I kept looking through my notifications. Another one caught my eye.

  I liked how the system laid out the effects, making it easy for me to understand. Oppression acted as a replacement for Agony, kind of like the skill fused with the armor. At the same time, the damage resistance seemed absurd as well, but like I mentioned earlier, I might need it in the future.

  A few other points that caught my eye was the name itself. It was, uh…A bit much if you asked me. I mean, I was a fighter, sure, but The Harbinger of Cataclysm? It almost made me laugh out loud at how overkill it was.

  Either way, I opened my character screen.

  I was a tough cookie, let me tell you. My physical power bonus went through the roof, my health regen doubled with Blood Magic, and the extra hp from Cataclysmic gave me extra oomph. With Agony evolving into Oppression, I could afford to take more damage during my fights as well.

  Even if the whole Harbinger title was a bit excessive, the armor could evolve from ambient mana, so I might be able to make the armor worthy of its name one day. Getting the energy would be the problem, however. Peering around, most of the creatures and pools of mana would fall into the mana category. That meant the more monsters I killed, the stronger my armor would grow.

  I would build it up, brick by brick.

  With my status squared away I stood up and started my walk out of the middle chamber. There were too many bugs for me to stay here, and Baldag-Ruhl lacked any physical possessions to loot anyways. Peering around, the bats changed their shapes, turning the bugs into mass. A few of the flying creatures even gained a few levels. I’d wait for them to really charge up for the extra exp.

  Peering around, I found the main thing I wanted to keep – the runes Baldag-Ruhl carved. It didn’t take a genius to recognize one; these markings were special. I resolved to one day come back once I knew something about them.

  Thinking of which, I reached for my mana. I found none waiting for me. I tried summoning the little blue mana stream from before. An almost non existent burn spread from my hand as a red fog appeared. I placed my hand over the reddish cloud, and the same cool air sensation crossed over it.

  A notification appeared.

  I grinned at the easy forty nine skill points. I put them into Obliterator before I ran down the tunnel leading here from BloodHollow’s outer ring. Wondering where my party was, two red marks popped up in my status. It felt like Schema was looking out for me, and using that direction, I picked up my pace.

  Running fast, my feet pounded against the stone and wind passed by my face. I picked up ever greater speed, running faster than I ever have. I kept running, finally free from the chains of my high constitution. My strength, dexterity, and other attributes came together at that point, giving me the mobility I so desired.

  I couldn’t believe how much fun just running was with the body I had. The rush of speed. The sensation of my body flowing as one unit. The rush of speed. Alright, I said it twice. Sue me.

  I sprinted down the hallway, my feet cracking stone with each pounding stomp. Within an hour, I rushed out of the tunnel and crashed into a boulder hiding it. A thunderous explosion echoed throughout the cavern. I sunk into the rock, dust floating around me. Gaping fissures lined the boulder before I pulled myself out.

  I smiled at it before bending down and leaping up. I jumped too high before losing my balance. Falling flat on my face, I thanked my armor for the helmet keeping me from breaking my neck. This was more dangerous than a thought.

  I took a moment before trying again. This time, I got over it without taking myself out. Landing on the other side, bits of boulder flung off my shoulder from smashing into it earlier. I brushed some powdered rock off my arms, grinning like a kid during his first sugar rush. I won’t deny it. The rush of power was intoxicating.

  It was a good day to be alive.

  But that was enough of that. It was time to find David and Stacy. They wouldn’t be able to get out without my help. I didn’t care too much about them, but I wouldn’t leave them here stranded.

  I sprinted towards our previous encampment, shutting Oppression down. I might have killed them in a few seconds with it on at this point. I couldn’t say, but either way, I wouldn’t take my chances. I didn’t want to murder someone if I could help it.

  Falling into the rhythm of running, my feet pounded against the stone as I ran. The pitter patter ended when I got a sight of a glowing, fiery gemstone in the distance. Having sprinted in darkness, I fell a few times. Just sight alone bolstered my already high spirits.

  Stacy and David sat around the campfire, Stacy drying off from something. Between them both, a chest laid open while they read a book between them. Worn, ragged, and thin, the booklet looked more like a used napkin than a proper publication. Despite the book’s appearance, it enraptured both Stacy and David alike.

  Hah. I shouldn’t have judged a book by its cover. As I got within earshot of them both, they peered around and pulled out their bows. David shouted at Stacy, “I told you we should have never come to this god forsaken cave.”


  Stacy shouted, “You’re the one that mentioned it before we left. I would never have thought of this if it wasn’t for you.”


  They shot right at me, their aim steady and true. Hitting a thickened chestplate, the arrows broke on the metal like throwing sticks at a tank. I slowed down as I reached them. I glanced up, slow and foreboding as I said in a deep voice,

  “I have come. Come to steal your souls and devour your bones.”


  David and Stacy screamed before I burst into laughter. They glanced at each other, confused before David mused, “Wait a second. That voice is familiar.”


  I nodded, “Of course it is.” I pointed at myself, “I got this sweet new set of armor.”


  Stacy glanced at David before turning back to me. The oddest look popped up on their faces. I put my hands on my hips, expecting them to snap out of it. They didn’t.

  I spread out my hands, “Guys, it’s me. Daniel.”


  They gawked, and Stacy mouthed “Daniel? That’s you?”


  I leaned back, “Uh, yeah. The one and only.”


  She frowned, “What…What happened to you?”


  At this point, I got worried. I pointed a thumb at myself, “I killed the boss. I got some armor. We can leave now.”


  David took a step back, “Uh…uhm.”


  Fed up, I snapped at them, “What the hell is wrong with you guys? This is good news, isn’t it?”


  They peered at each other, worry spread over their faces. David grimaced, “I don’t know how to break this too you man…But, uh, you’re the boss now.”


  My eyes widened as my stomach sank, “Wait a minute…I’m the boss now? There’s no way. Naw. That’s impossible.” A surge of panic raced up my chest, and I began trying to find plates where I could remove the armor. I found none.

  Stacy raised up her palms to me, “Uhm, you ok?”


  My voice rose, “Ok? You think I’m ok? The last boss was trapped here for centuries.

  I am not going to be stuck here like that. Do you hear me? It’s not going to happen.”


  David waved his hands, “Hey man, nobody said it would.”


  I peered at them before realizing I was panicking. Stacy took a step closer, “It’s going to be alright. We’re here to help.”


  I put my fingertips against my temples, “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry. I just lost it there for a second.” I took a deep breath, “So…What does it say exactly?”


  The two of them gave each other a look, measuring if I could handle the situation. I raised a fist, “Guys, I’m alright now. I can take it.”


  Stacy spoke in a light, easy voice, “So, like, Schema is outlining your status in black like a boss. Your name is actually purple though, so I don’t really know what that means.”


  I waved my hands, “Can I see it?”


  She walked back up, “Here, let me show you.”


  I raised an eyebrow, “Wait a minute…You can look at someone else’s status? Really?”


  Stacy nodded, “Yeah, you just have to give them permission to view with your thoughts. Schema does the rest. It was in-“


  I crossed my arms, “The tutorial. Yeah, I figured. Go ahead and open it up.”


  She frowned at me, “Someone’s in a bad mood, huh?”


  I pursed my lips, “Uh, yeah. Apparently, I lost my ticket out of here.”


  She paced up, and her status came with her. I viewed myself from her eyes.

  I spread my arms, “Why in the hell am I the boss? A boss with a purple name and everything.”


  David scratched the side of his head. Stacy cupped her chin, saying, “You’ve definitely seemed less human since we met back up.”


  I pointed at Stacy while looking at David, “But that’s the thing. She

  looks like a monster. Why isn’t she the boss?”


  David burst into laughter. Stacy rolled her eyes, “Real witty, boss man. Anyways, quit being a jerk for a second. We’re trying to help you out.”


  I shifted my weight from one leg to the other, “Alright, alright.”


  David pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’m thinking back, and I remember Schema mentioning an ‘unknown status’ for certain creatures. It’s a punishment or something.”


  I blinked, “Punishment? For what exactly? Trying to get out of this place?”


  David shrugged, “Hell if I know man. I’m just glad we’re finally able to leave.”


  Stacy scrolled through her status, and she sighed, “So, I reread everything…I think the Unknown status means you’re not considered protected by Schema. It’s like you’re a monster that can still level up or something. For example, we could kill you, and we wouldn’t get in trouble. You’d actually give us doubled experience.”


  My eyes sharpened, “Kill me? For experience?”


  Stacy threw her hand at me, “It’s an example, ok? Anyways, mister demon lord, how about you explain what happened while we were asleep. We waited a day for you.”


  I explained Baldag-Ruhl’s ritual and him trying to steal my soul. They ooh-ed and ah-ed at some of my descriptions before David pointed at the rustic booklet, “Yeah…That matches up perfectly with this journal.”


  I frowned, “Journal?”


  “Yeah. When we woke up, you weren’t around. We went looking for you, and we shouted for hours. You were gone for over a day. We thought you just got tired of us and decided to leave.”


  Stacy crossed her arms, “I figured you just went off to kill the boss. David’s the one who thought you left us.”


  David gave Stacy an exasperated look before turning a hand to me,

  “Point is, we explored the cave, looking for the boss or some way out. The journal was back where you fought the Lord of Worms. He had hidden it at the bottom of the runic pool. It kept the bugs out, making everything in the pool invisible to Baldag-Ruhl’s minions.

  Stacy raised her arm, “That’s why I’m soaked.”


  David raised his brow, “She lost rock paper scissors, but yeah, this was written by Alfred Worm. He was the Lord of Worms. It was kind of hard to read because he started writing it after the whole corrupted soul thing.”


  I paced over towards the book, picking it up with care. This guy saved my life. I clasped my hand. Technically, Alfred gave me my armor too. I tried putting pieces of the torn cover together before giving up on that. I opened it, exposing the yellowed pages. In a neat cursive, I read what it held inside.

  I blinked, and the rest of the page was torn out. Peering closer, I found more notes, but they fall into the madness Alfred described.

  I glanced back up, “Well…I’m glad we helped him find redemption after death.” I shook the book, “This would’ve been helpful to have before the final fight. There would’ve been fewer surprises.”


  Stacy and David shifted in place. We stood in silence for a moment. It was a respectful sort of quiet, the kind found at a funeral or graveyard. It passed as quickly as it came when I put the book on top of their packs, “Well, any ideas on what to do now?”


  David said, “You took the dungeon core, right?”


  “Yeah.”


  “Then we reach the Sentinel and leave.”


  I tapped the edge of my helmet. A sharp, metallic sound echoed in the cave, “Any plans on what to do as far as I’m concerned? I’m pretty damn sure the Sentinel will attack me on sight.”


  David narrowed his eyes, “You still have the golem cores right?”


  “I do, but what about them?”


  A wicked smile traced his lips as he said, “Then I have a plan.”