Fortress Dungeon

Ninth Floor

One Shard Active

"So close, and yet, so far," Shade said as he climbed the stairs. He stopped in front of Owin. "Is this a joke?"

Owin had to stand on his toes to see over the ledge onto the ninth floor. They were currently in a graveyard that butted up against the boundary wall. The sun was in the sky, covered by a solid black disc, giving the surrounding forest an eerie midnight glow.

Shade walked over and grabbed a bony hand sticking out of a grave. It had been clawing at the mound until Shade pulled the creature straight out. It was nothing more than an unarmed skeleton mob. Especially after Shade pulled its arm right off.

"Oh, you wanted that, I assume." He dropped the arm back onto the half-emerged mob. "Do you think we look alike?"

"You know you just look like a skeleton, right?" Owin finished climbing the stairs. "Do we really need to spend time fighting more undead?"

"Brains," a decayed mob said as it shambled closer to Shade.

Shade sighed. "He knows I have no brain, right? Right?"

The last time Owin had been on a ninth floor, the mobs had been massive and horrifying. Even with his strength and speed, he had been overwhelmed and underprepared.

The decayed mob tripped over the loose skeleton arm and fell face first into the dirt in front of Owin. He lifted his foot and stomped.

0 Experience

"Maybe this floor is just easy?"

"No. It's definitely not. I'm sure there is more to it. If I were to design a floor, I'd make it a trick like this. If it looks easy early on, a hero will let their guard down, and then . . ." Shade tried to snap, but his olm skin glove wouldn't let him. He narrowed his eye sockets as he stared at his own hand. "Did that ruin the dramatic effect?"

"Kind of."

The emerging skeleton brought its other arm out of the dirt and reached for Shade. He turned, kicked the arm right off the weak mob, and faced Owin once again.

"Can we leave the graveyard so I don't feel objectified?"

"Okay?" Owin climbed on top of a gravestone, casting a look throughout the area. It extended into the distance until it reached the other side of the boundary wall. It wasn't as far as he was expecting. Compared to other floors, the ninth was more narrow. The trench in the Ocean was also narrow, so maybe that was just a theme among ninth floors.

The fence separating the graveyard from the forest was tall, spiked, and had a slight shimmer to it. Owin had witnessed that enough to know it was an extension of the boundary. A gate sat right in the middle of the fence. When Owin pointed, Shade immediately headed in that direction.

They strode quickly through the graveyard. Some graves looked newer than others, but it didn't seem to matter as most shifted as mobs tried to dig their way free.

"Is that a necromancer?" Owin asked, pointing at a robed figure in the distance. It stood before a small mausoleum and held a mushroom-covered staff.

"Are you a necromancer?" Shade shouted.

Black magic gathered over the creature.

"Yes," Owin said. He walked over, pushed on the gate, and sighed when it didn't budge. "We have to kill another necromancer."

Shade pushed Owin and the Thunderstrike Maul toward the shambling necromancer. With most of its minions still trying to free themselves from graves, and being in all kinds of horrible shape when they emerged, it was easy to walk over and smash the mob to pieces.

Owin hit the necromancer with enough force to send the half flesh, half bone mob into the boundary wall. All the mobs crawling out of their graves went still as soon as the mob died.

"See?" Shade shouted. "Too easy. It's a scam."

"A what?"

Shade waved dismissively. "I'll show you another time." He pushed the gate open. "Pretend I didn't say anything."

"Okay." Owin grabbed the mushroom-covered staff and carried it over.

Adept Magical Item

Decaying Staff of the Decomposer

The Decomposers of the Great Forest are a clan of mighty druids, able to tame the Forest itself. Some of their legendary staves were stolen in an age long forgotten, just as the thieves have also decayed in body and memory. Unlike other magical staves, a Staff of the Decomposer acts as a channeling tool, allowing a magical caster to focus spells and mana through it.

"This seems good?" Owin shoved the staff into Shade's arms.

The skeleton's index opened. It took a moment before he shrugged. "I can't imagine it helping either of us." He held it up and turned it over a few times. "Do you want to keep it?"

Owin shrugged.

"Send me away. I'll grab Isotelus too." Shade flicked a mushroom on the staff. "You have too many weapons."

"I know."

Summon the Withered Shade

Owin walked through the graveyard, kicking bones, digging into piles of dirt, and checking random things to see if he could manage to find any good loot. There were several bone weapons like his lich bone knife, but they weren't nearly as good. Some of them were really just bones in the shape of weapons without any magical aspect.

Summon the Withered Shade

Shade returned with Isotelus in hand. He let the sword flop to the side as he swiveled his head back and forth. "We're still in the graveyard."

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"I was waiting for you."

Shade looked at the bone club in Owin's hand. "Is that special?"

Owin tossed it over his shoulder. "No." Without any further comment, he headed out of the graveyard and into the forest beyond. The trees were tall and hid the filtered sunlight. A simple dirt path led from the gate, through the center of the forest, and to a plain wooden door. The building was made of smooth quarried stone, stacked high, just like the outside of the Fortress.

Before Shade could barge in, Owin cracked the door open and peeked inside. The interior was one massive room with a checkerboard tile floor and mirrors covering every wall. It made it difficult to tell the exact number of skeletons inside, but it was a lot.

"What do you see?" Shade asked.

"Skeletons."

Shade groaned and kicked the door open. "Let's get fighting." Luminous fire erupted along Isotelus as Shade activated Ice Blade. The sword still managed to freeze and form the ice edges even while burning with Luminous Surge.

"A mender?"

Shade looked back with glowing eye sockets. "Always have been."

"No, you haven't."

Shade pointed Isotelus and shot a beam of luminous magic. It speared through multiple skeletons and immediately burnt them to ash. "Don't ruin this moment for me."

Owin rolled his eyes and charged in after Shade. There were skeletons of all classes within the room. Even undead dogs and bone golems waited inside. Despite all these mobs, Owin's speed and Shade's mender spells made quick work of the undead. Without a necromancer to revive the mobs, undead fell apart quickly.

They did a quick round of searching for loot. Owin thought it was a waste of time, as he once again found nothing but coins. None of the skeletons had been carrying weapons worth taking. The few with armor only had pieces that were barely held together by grime. He kicked at a few of the dead mobs, scattering bones across the room.

"Surprise!" Shade dove in front of him, falling hard onto the floor. He held a rose pink potion that he shook right in front of Owin's face.

"Is that—"

"A divine dexterity buff? Exactly what you were going to guess?"

Owin frowned. He was going to say a revive potion, but that was a different shade of pink. "Yes."

Shade shoved the bottle into Owin's hands. "Drink. Drink. Drink."

Owin popped the cork out and drank the sweet, berry-flavored buff.

Divine Dexterity Buff

+70 Dexterity

Dexterity: 420

Owin hopped on his feet. At this point, the dexterity buffs didn't immediately make him feel faster. He would notice when he was fighting.

"Good find," Owin said.

Shade looked at the bones scattered across the room. "No luck?"

"Am I just bad at looking for loot?"

Shade nodded. He stood all the way, grabbed Owin's shoulder, and pointed Isotelus at the door on the far end. "Adventure awaits. Hopefully a boss awaits because I would love to not be here anymore. Do you know what I mean? Imagine being literally anywhere else and you'll feel better immediately."

"What about the Ocean?"

"Shut up." Shade pulled Owin onward. "We don't talk about the damp, horrid domain."

Owin let himself be guided. He wasn't feeling the horror and fear he had on the last ninth floor, but he was definitely feeling ready to be done. "How much do you know about each of the dungeons?"

"My memory is still a weird slush of information. I have bits of personal life, mostly aided by Sloswen, but what I did at any one time isn't very clear." Shade stopped in front of the door. "There are moments that are very clear, and it's frustrating because I want to remember it all, even knowing how painful it would be." He crouched and faced Owin. "But the gods left the memories of them fully intact. Including my hatred, apparently. I can think of specific things I hate about each one of them."

"What do you hate about . . ."

"Diphinadra," Shade said.

"Right." Owin shrugged. "Diphinadra."

"More than anything else, I hate how ugly he is." Shade put his free hand to his face and cupped it over his eye socket. "Huge, bulging eyes. Absolutely hideous. Hard to believe." He shrugged and opened the door. "Just don't stare into his eyes when we see him. Although, he is tall so that probably won't be a problem for you."

"Thanks."

The next room had a floor of dark stone, bone white columns, and a similar bone-like throne in the back. A single figure sat upon the throne, but stood in slow, uncertain movements upon spotting Owin and Shade.

It was a hairy creature that would otherwise look like a hobgoblin. The pointed hair on top of his head was light blue while the hair on his body was orange. He had pointed ears in a size somewhere between a goblin's and an elf's He was an odd looking, though regal creature.

"Are you a necromancer?" Shade asked.

"I am many things," the man said. His heeled boots clicked on the stone floor with each methodical step. "For I am—"

Fortress Mob

Gagory

Level 70

"Gagory?" Owin said, interrupting.

The creature bowed its head. "The amalgamation of battle."

Shade's brow rose. "Really? The amalgamation of battle and yet, you aren't what I would call pretty." He looked at Owin. "I guess maybe you can be strong without the looks."

Owin scowled.

"Our lord wishes us to battle." Gagory materialized an ornate, winged spear in his hand. At the same time, flesh wings lifted from his back and stretched to their full length.

"A vampire?" Owin whispered.

"I think he's a little bit of a lot of things." Isotelus fell apart into miniature spinning blades as Shade activated Shuriken. "Are you ready?"

The Thunderstrike Maul was starting to feel less helpful, as Artivan had first predicted. On the stronger floors, it didn't do all that much. Its full charge was helpful, but it wasn't powerful enough compared to items like Isotelus or even the charge of the Darkblade. It was just a way for him to use his full strength. Maybe Althowin would be able to modify it for him.

"I'm ready."

Gagory's eyes turned red, whorling with energy. Owin started to dash as soon as he recognized the ocular attack. Red lasers hit the stone floor where he had just been standing. Spinning shurikens from Isotelus flew across the room, forcing Gagory to spin his spear to block.

Owin threw the hammer before even reaching the boss and drew the Darkblade and lich bone knife. Gagory hit the Thunderstrike Maul aside, which threw him slightly off balance. His wings beat to keep him upright.

In the opening, Owin slid in and slashed across Gagory's ankle with the Darkblade while stabbing the lich bone directly into his knee cap. The amalgam howled in pain before smacking Owin in the face with the butt of the spear.

Shade recalled the shurikens, recollecting Isotelus. Ice formed along its edges as each section lined up to create a perfect sword. Instead of charging in, Shade opened his index, cocked his head, and shrugged. "Fortification."

A buff hit Owin. He felt his skin harden until it felt like metal. Gagory had fully turned on him and attacked with a mix of his spear, flashes of spells, and abilities that Owin was having trouble following. He stepped back into a hunter's trap that scraped on his reinforced skin.

The spear blade glanced off the Darkblade and hit Owin in the face and slipped right off. The force of the blow still rattled his brain and felt horrible, but he wasn't cut or bleeding. Even Gagory seemed stunned from the lack of damage. Owin clenched his jaw and dove in, getting inside the spear's reach. He immediately slashed with both knives, cutting Gagory's legs apart. A furred hand touched Owin's head and cast Discharge, sending electricity coursing through him.

Before he even realized what happened, Owin's face hit the stone floor. He groaned and rolled over as a fiery Shade tackled Gagory. Luminous flames roared as Shade drove Isotelus into the boss's chest, spilling multicolored blood across the black stone.

They fought, even as Shade ripped Gagory's heart out. Flames continued to burn while they thrashed and flailed all over the floor. Owin sat up, found the Thunderstrike Maul, and walked over.

Shade jumped off with the spear stuck between his ribs and held his hands up high. Owin brought the Thunderstrike Maul down as hard as possible, smashing Gagory's head. Brains, blood, and bits of skull splattered the white throne.

Shade brought the still-beating heart up to his face and tried to sniff. "Think Althowin would like this?"

Owin shrugged.

Shade dropped it into Owin's bag, pulled the spear from his ribs, and used it to point at the stairs that had just appeared in the corner of the room. "Ready?"

Owin lifted the hammer and let it rest on his shoulder. "Yeah. Are you?"

Shade nodded enthusiastically. He kicked Gagory's headless corpse once. A health potion popped out.

"Oh." Owin picked it up and immediately drank it. "Good find."

Shade had already left, heading toward the stairs. "I know you wish you had the same talent. Unfortunately, it isn't something I can teach. Some of us are just born with it." He leaned on the stairs when he reached them. "I cannot teach things I do not know. You know?"

"Sure." Owin walked right past the skeleton and up the stairs, passing right into the void nexus.

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