Chapter 131

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The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea

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I paused my work to check on Isid's and Paetor's parties' progress, and had to mentally blink, then double-check in shock. They were... leaving the fungal cave system on the Eighth? On the third peak, the passage way was opening, and deep in the second peak, the ruby pedestal was dim, and inactive.

I missed it.

Again!?

God Fucking Damn it!

This was like the third time I'd missed something important because I was too absorbed in my work! New plan! Set magical tripwires at the entrance to all unexplored areas of the dungeon, keyed to trigger only when fully human beings cross them. The tripwires would send a magical and inaudible ping through the dungeon only I would be able to hear, getting my attention.

Of course, I'd have to figure out how that'd work first, but the idea was solid. 

Upon reaching the crossroads between the third and second peaks, and investigating the tunnel, Isid and Co found it open and empty. They shared glances, double-checked their equipment and consumables, then marched on.

Oh Shit. They were gonna fight Pyry?

They were gonna fight Pyry!

Pyry, you've got company incoming! Two parties; eight guilders total. They only have one bow between them, and their only mage is a Lightning mage. 

"Ha! Finally! I was wondering how long it'd take them to reach me," the Thunderbird replied, letting out a dramatic cry. She made sure her chicks and mate were safe, deep in their nest, and emerged to sit on it's edge. She loomed over the arena, while thunderclouds gathered above her as I triggered the weather enchantments.

Thunder echoed over the peak as the guilders emerged from the tunnel. Though it was a shortcut, it didn't emerge directly into the arena, there was a sheer cliff they needed to scale, avoiding brittle ice sections, falling icicles, and the occasional lightning strike as the storm grew.

It was designed to exhaust them, spending their energy clinging to handholds, ledges and hauling themselves up over edges. The other option was to fall, and splatter themselves against the ground far below them. When they'd all finally managed to reach the end, they walked up the short stairway into the arena proper. By now, rain and sleet fell in sheets, and lightning lit the clouds above almost constantly. 

One strike struck the arena itself, sending sparks scattering through the puddle it hit and creating a small explosion of steam. This strike also illuminated Pyry. The deep blue of her plumage highlighted by yellow and white accents. She raised her wings and let out a piercing cry. Played by the lightning and the thunder itself, music began to form.

She took flight, and the fight was on.

Duncan, their only archer immediately started shooting. He was incredibly accurate, having had long practice against the bats on the Sixth, and his arrows hurtled right at the thunderbird, leading her perfectly. His shots were blocked handily as she grew long ice talons from her own claws, and intercepted them. A flap of her wings in their direction sent a barrage of icicles back at them.

She was, also, highly accurate.

They all managed to dodge, not even trying to block or parry the deadly icicles almost as large as themselves as they pierced the stone arena floor. Pyry let out another cry, and all the guilders shifted, no doubt smelling the growing ozone. Another barrage of icicles fell around them, not giving them a second to prepare a counterattack.

"Lilliette! You're up!" Paetor cried, dodge-rolling to avoid an icicle. Nodding, the Lightning mage planted her staff. Her gleaming metal hand hovered around the crystal set at the top, while her other hand gripped the staff, white-knuckled. A dome of mana pulsed out from her, engulfing the group entirely. 

 Then the dome locked in place, and it's outer face lit up with electricity. Just in time for a series of lightning strikes.

One. Two. Three-four. Five-Six-Seven. Four strikes at once. Five. Six! Beneath the dome, Lilliette's face paled with each strike, looking more and more strained as her staff's crystal glowed brighter and brighter. Seven strikes at once, and both the crystal and the shield itself were shining bright enough the other guilders had to squint their eyes. With a shout of exertion, the dome collapsed inward, forming a ball of energy above her staff. It wobbled and warped like liquid, and I realized what that woman had just done.

She'd used her own mana to make a shield to absorb the lightning, and channeled it directly into fueling a ball of plasma, contained by a powerful electromagnetic field also powered by the lightning.

She raised the staff, and pointed it at Pyry. The Thunderbird was diving directly at them, having intended to capitalize on the shield collapsing to deal a devastating blow. Instead, her eyes widened in sudden panic as the ball of plasma was launched directly at her. It moved fast, and without any time to move or shift course, the ball hit. Then it pierced right through her, and Pyry's body hit the ground, cracking the stone tiles of the arena. 

The storm began to fade, along with the music. As columns of light pierced the clouds and illuminated the arena, Lilliette collapsed.

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The Eighth Floor, Guardian's Arena, The Dungeon

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"You're sure she's okay?" Paetor asked, holding the limp lightning mage in a princess carry. Isid, who'd been analyzing the woman's staff, glanced at her again.

"Yes, I'm sure," the albino woman answered, looking back at the staff. "She's both strained and emptied her mana circuits, channeling more mana than they're able to handle. Her body's in a kind of healing-coma, and will be until it's repaired. Her core is showing some hairline fractures from the strain, but that'll only be a problem if she keeps trying to use her magic before seeing a healer."

There was a moment of silence, broken only by their steps as they descended the stairway to the floor's exit.

"Hey, it worked, at least," Jerrard said, waving back up the mountain behind them. "Sure, that attack shattered the guardian's core, but you've got to admit it was incredibly effective. Glad we shelled out for that... what did the Drake-kin call it? Potentalum?"

"Potentium, Harald corrected, pausing his own note-taking, no doubt documenting the fight and the guardian itself. "Supposedly an alloy of Mithril, Moonsilver and that green metal called Orichalcum. It has incredible amplification effects on any mana channeled through it, by multiple orders of magnitude, even. Isid, How'd the staff hold up. The core?"

"Perfectly," Isid answered. "No cracks or signs of strain. It channeled all that energy... and apart from shifting the core towards lightning mana hasn't done anything damaging." She holstered the staff on her back, and looked down the stairs. "Remember, we're only getting a glance at the Ninth, investigating around the entrance, then heading back up. Lilliette's down, and with Paetor carrying her they're both out of commission. We were already down to members; we can't afford to be down two more."

Paetor descended with careful steps, eyes focused on the twisting staircase. It was a fairly steep thing, with plenty of switchbacks, but far easier to traverse than the rest of the floor. Powdered snow slowly gave way to bare rock, then dirt. Yellow weeds clung to life in cracks and anywhere else they could root. But something was bothering him.

"So... we're not going to talk about the music?" Paetor began, getting their attention. "And it wasn't just music. It was music, as played by the lightning and thunder itself."

"The First Guardian had music for a couple of days before our delve. As far as I know, it's played for every fight since. None of the other Guardians have music yet. We don't know what triggers it, but most likely it's the dungeon messing with us specifically. Nothing new."

Soon, they were at the base of the peak. Before them lay another tunnel, the entrance carved with columns and script. Harald moved forward, eyes flicking between the runes and the book he rapidly leafed through.

"That means... yes... and this..." He muttered to himself, brow furrowed. Once he was done, he snapped the book closed. "Congratulations on conquering the Eighth. The Ninth awaits you. Seek the Scorpan King, and the path to the Tenth will be revealed."

"That's... simple enough. So this is the floor the Scorpan's are from, then?" Duncan wondered, scratching at his stubble. "Not looking forward to fighting them. You remember that black one that fought in the invasion?"

"Yes, Skitters works in the Voice's mansion, now," Isid commented offhandedly. "She's often seen in town with her two scorplings. Remember, they're Children of The Creator. Unless they set themselves against us, they're non-combatants. I've no doubt this floor will be filled with monsters for us to fight. Keep your guard up."

They entered the tunnel. It was large enough to walk three-astride, and they did so with Paetor and Lilliette in the middle. Isid was right, after all. He couldn't exactly fight while carrying her. The tunnel was lit with the same bioluminescent moss as most other tunnels in the dungeon were, leaving just enough light for Paetor to admire Lilliette's face. 

He blinked as he realized the teal glow of the moss was giving way to a harsh yellow light; the tunnel's end was near.

The group spilled out from the exit, groaning. Paetor could only squint against the light piercing his helmet as the floor was revealed.

"Sand. Sand.. Everywhere..." "A Desert. Why'd it have to be a desert..." "Man, that light is harsh. I feel like i'll burn up in seconds." "Why'd it have to be fucking sand. It's going to get all through my armor. "Oh shut up, it's not that bad." "You're wearing leathers, Duncan. I'm wearing armor. Sand is course, harsh and gets everywhere! Gods forbid I fall over. I'll be finding sand everywhere for days!"

"Alright, that's enough. Get a grip," Isid interrupted. "There's no point doing any exploring now. Use your crystals. We'll regroup and make another attempt in a few days. Here's hoping that shortcut stays open and we don't have to go through that cave system on the second peak again."

Paetor shuddered at the thought. It'd been terrifying. The clicking in the pitch black, shifting limbs... It elevated the mushroom creatures from the FIfth in a new, horrifying way. Navigating the dark, twisting fleshy halls, being as silent as possible, lest they call down a wave of deadly mushroom monsters. 

He'd never forget it for as long as he lived.

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The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea

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It was a little disappointing that they left almost immediately after reaching the Ninth, but I understood. Down four of their usual members, there's no way they'd risk navigating an unknown area, even with the safety net their teleport crystals represented.

Pyry reconstituted herself within the hour, with no problems. Though she wasn't exactly pleased about her loss.

"What was that?! I went down like a chump! At least fighting that one from ages ago was a fair fight. There was back and forth-pressure and opportunity."

I can't speak of your last fight, I wasn't exactly awake at that point. This fight though... I hadn't expected Lilliette to manage to isolate plasma. She showed signs of using it fighting the dinosaur, but that looked like more of an accident than anything else.

"Plasma?"

The fourth state of matter; an ionized gas so filled with energy that it acts like a liquid when contained, and a gas when uncontained. She used lightning mana to contain it in an electromagnetic field, then propelled that field at you. She's a pure lightning mage, so such a feat isn't beyond you. It's just a matter of containment, and having a sufficient amount of energy. She managed it with overwhelming power, but now that she's achieved it I wouldn't be surprised if she figures out how to make it work with less power.

"I need to figure it out then, for next time." Pyry decided. "If not how to generate it, then how to manipulate these electromagnetic fields. Perhaps, I can guide it away from me?"

Solid plan, Pyry. You get on that. I'll let you know when they're about to reach you again.

I retreated as her mate and children moved in to comfort her, leaving them all in a ball of feathers and love. A quick check... no, the heroes weren't in the dungeon yet. Weren't in line, either. Time to get back to work.

I shifted back to Olympus, focusing on my Avatar. It stood, stock still near the pier on Core Island. Cadmus was flying in and out of the clouds in their Dragonkin form. As soon as they noticed my Avatar moving, they flew in for a landing. They landed smoothly with a light jog, and ended in a hug around my middle.

"Mother! What happened?"

"Isid and her fellow guilders finally reached the Ninth."

"They beat Pyry?" Cadmus asked, eyes wide with concern. 

"Yes, they did. She's not happy about it, but she's not giving up. They're in for a real fight next time. How's flying?"

"Great! It's not as fast as in my dragon form, but It can turn much sharper!" They bragged. I reached down, illusion and mana forming a scaled hand that let me pat their head as if I had an actual flesh-and-blood hand, and not just a skeleton. It had pressure and force, but not the heat normal flesh would give off. Something to work on.

"I'm going to be busy working on my Avatar for a bit. Why don't you go find Wave and Taura?" I suggested. With a bright smile and nod, Cadmus turned and jumped off the island, shifting to a dragon as they did. Golden scales gleamed in the sunlight as he flew off towards a collection of vine and tree-covered islands emerging from a cloudbank in the distance.

I sighed, and refocused. 

As the sun set, my chest raised and lowered, powered by lungs and organs in my chest and abdomen. Rainbow-hued pupil-less eyes stared out from my snout. My nose sniffed, and air passed in and out. Sunlight glinted off my scales, golden just as Cadmus's were.

It was, of course, sill an Illusion. Hardlight Illusions were nothing new for me. I'd been using them to disguise monster dens and hidden tunnels from the guilders for a very long time. The real development was in the way the Illusions worked on their own, anchored to the bone beneath and around them. Runic script carved over my entire skeleton glowed with mana, expending only the bare minimum to maintain the illusion. If I stood still, the drain was unnoticeable. Moving only worsened it slightly, mostly around the joints, where the illusionary flesh shifted and squished believably. 

More importantly, but anchoring the enchantment in my skeleton, It was linked to the manacore with powered my avatar. Normal everyday use wasn't enough to overcome the stream of mana that led back to my Core. It was a drain, yes, but I passively used less than I gained. I could disable and reenable the enchantment, whenever I wanted, but It'd probably only be necessary in times where I needed that little bit extra.

Cadmus returned as the sun touched the horizon, lighting up the clouds around us with pinks and oranges. They quickly shifted from dragon to Scaleborn, and ran towards me as they had earlier. I picked them up, and they exclaimed in joy as I hugged them close. "You figured it out!"

"I did, little one. Have fun?"

"Yeah. Wave and Taura showed me how to hunt the four-wings!"

"Wonderful. Ready for bed?" I asked, putting the little scaleborn down. He took my hand and started to pull me.

"Yes, Mom," I almost froze, and Cadmus's tugging brought me back as he led the way to his rotunda.

Mom, huh?

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