Summon the Great Spirits - Book 1 Chapters 19,20,21

Chapter 19

Ant King’s Revenge

The ground burst from beneath the party’s feet, sending each member sailing through the air. A creature burst from the disturbed earth, mandibles clacking and body pulsating with the black ooze. It looked like a giant ant, five times the size as the normal ones, with equally large tentacles. It remained partially submerged in the soil, lashing out with limbs before the group could even stand.

“You had to say it!” Targe shouted, absorbing one blow with his shield. The Fighter let out a pained groan as his boots sunk into the dirt.

Ethan shook his staff and did a little jig on the spot, activating [Caller’s Sprint] and [Spur]. Luca grew twice his normal size and blurred to attack the massive tentacles. Void unleashed everything she had at the monster, disregarding her mana usage and letting loose. Twist had the hardest time attacking the sub-boss. He skirted near the edge of the battle, holding back and taking opportunistic shots at the flailing masses of oozing black flesh.

“We need a plan!” Ethan shouted as he cast [Cure Minor Wounds] on Targe.

The act took him down to 135 mana. His new ability did not trigger that time. The Caller urged Luca to fight more dangerously, getting closer to the snapping mandibles of the monster. If he could trigger [Caller’s Resilience], gaining 84 mana if he waited the full 30 seconds. The skill stipulated that he couldn’t resummon his spirit, but it said nothing about casting healing magic.

Targe couldn’t keep up with the pace of the monster’s attacks. He couldn’t reposition himself to counter-attack. The Fighter just stood as though stemming the tide of an ocean with just his shield.

“Sorry if I say anything mean!” Void shouted, her skin flashing with the blue-black energy. Void bolts poured from her body, creating a steady stream that whittled away tentacles and damaged the sub-boss’ appendages. It reeled back, screeching.

That opened things up for Twist, who wove a deadly path with his daggers. At one point, he vanished on the spot, only to reappear at four tentacles simultaneously to deliver an over-head stab. When the ability was done, he returned to his old position. Targe doubled the pressure, turning from a stationary brick wall to a train. He dashed forward with his shield leading, slamming into the pulsing body of the monster. Although it was rooted in the ground, the massive ant still reeled from the strike.

Luca, not one to pass up a chance to inflict damage, clawed away at the monster’s tentacles. The attack forced it to writhe on the spot, limbs and tentacles flashing out until they found the summoned spirit. Flying across the room, and impacting the far wall, Lucantele’s power faded. Ethan felt a rush of mana flood through his body, and he topped off Targe. [Clarity of Mind] activated, making the ability almost free. Then he began counting the seconds down.

“Luca is down!” Ethan shouted. “Taking a second for my mana to regenerate.”

“Gimmie some of that mana, caller!” Void shouted back, sending a massive bolt of void energy that slammed into the sub-boss.

But for all their attacks, the monster was done reeling. Targe was the first to get smacked in the face, then Twist. Tentacles reached out, intent on wrapping around Void. But the Mage swatted them away with a wave of blue-black force. Ethan noticed something within her he hadn’t seen before. He was distracted for only a moment when he felt something like a fissure within her. Distracted long enough for the wind to leave his lungs, his feet to rise from the ground, and his body to tumble across the dirty floor.

“Healing priority. Me, Twist, you,” Targe shouted. Then he was back in the fight. Down to a quarter of his total health.

“Damn,” Ethan said, forcing himself to his feet.

The Caller’s mana dipped when he performed the first cast of [Cure Minor Wounds], eating into 10 seconds of his regeneration. But the second one aimed at Targe only cost 2 mana. Then he targeted Twist, topping him off completely, then himself. After the gout of healing magic, he was down to 100 mana. And his mana regen ability had expired. Ethan popped his [Mana Tap Ring], only gaining 10 mana after channeling the [Summon Lucantele] spell.

Luca burst from his silver circle after the cast time, rushing to join with Targe. Void cackled as bolts flew from her hands. A strike that should have cracked stone slammed into Twist’s mask, seeming to do minor damage to the man. It wasn’t even worth healing.

The fight had already gone on too long. Everyone targeted those damn tentacles. Each strike to the vulnerable spots sent the monster wheeling around, desperate to push off its attackers. Instead of the slow attrition Ethan was used to, they were grinding the sub-boss down with raw power, going all-out for the unexpected fight.

One tentacle fell away from the sub-boss, still writhing on the ground. It was much more calm than the rest of the beast, but still disgusting enough to turn Ethan’s stomach. Luca seemed to radiate an idea. Without hesitation, the Caller accepted. Jumping down from the ant’s body, the spirit tore into the discarded appendage. Each slash of the spirit’s claws sent the main body squirming in pain.

“The disconnected tentacle!” Ethan shouted. “It still hurts the main body.”

Twist rolled mid-air, kicking off from the monster and slashing into the oozing tentacle. The sub-boss roared this time, looking down at the group with defiance. But each strike on the stationary thing sent it squirming, unable to control itself. Ethan hoisted his staff and drove it into the goo. Void came over, biting and cursing. Targe stabbed his sword into the thing. They were chipping away from the sub-boss’ health pool without even touching the main body.

A weakness they could exploit in the future.

Wild stabbing, cursing, and bashing saw the creature whittled down to nothing. No visible wounds appeared on the monster’s protective shell, but it flagged. The group, covered in slime and ooze, fell back when the beast finally went still. All but Void, who continued to gnaw on the tentacle, threatening to destroy every species of ant in the world. A system message appeared.

[Targe’s Party] has defeated the  [Hive Tunneler 5368]!

[Bonus Fight]!

[Puzzle #82]!

“Oh, thank the gods,” Targe said, collapsing.

A black mirror appeared in the room’s center. It reflected a distorted image of the room, shimmering with magical energy. Ethan dismissed Luca and approached the mirror, staring inside it.

“The mirror puzzle is easy,” Twist said, approaching it with Ethan.

“Even a baby could solve this!” Void shouted through a mouthful of goo. “Can you solve it, baby?”

Ethan turned around to shoot her a look. Her face was covered in black ooze. It dribbled down her chin, collecting in fetid pools on the ground. Turning back to the mirror, he thought about it. The last puzzle he solved was the one with the keys. He got that one from dumb luck, but this didn’t seem easy. He walked around the mirror, humming to himself as the others recovered. Twist had fallen to the ground to catch his breath, but still watched the Caller try different things.

Ethan pressed his fingers against the glass, finding it to be normal glass. He made faces, ensuring the key wasn’t to spot some imposter. Then he studied the room, using the reflection to spot if anything was out of place. How many ants had they killed? He spun around, finding that one corpse was missing in the mirror image.

“We’re missing an ant?” Ethan asked.

“Puzzle 82 is for children,” Void growled. She spat a mouthful of goo at the mirror. “Yay, you’re as smart as a baby. Good job!”

“I don’t like her when she’s glowing,” Ethan said, pointing an accusatory finger at the Mage.

“I don’t either,” Targe said. “Could you top everyone in the part off before we solve the puzzle?”

Ethan obeyed, casting [Cure Minor Wounds] until everyone had full health. He hoped another sub-boss wouldn’t emerge from the ground, but wouldn’t voice that out loud. If Void’s display was anything to go by, just mentioning a sub-boss would have it find them in the dungeon. Superstitious, but it was better to be safe.

Once everyone was rested, the Caller touched the offending ant. The room flashed, time halting for a moment. A system message appeared.

[Targe’s Party] has defeated the [Hive Tunneler 5368], earning a [Gold Sub-boss Chest]!

Solving [Puzzle #82] has earned [Targe’s Party] a [Silver Bonus Chest]!

Defeating a sub-boss with 4 party members has earned a [Gold Bonus Chest]!

“Good haul,” Targe said, stepping back. Three chests descended from the ceiling.

“My ass! You’re going to keep the treasure for yourself!” Void shouted. “I’ll kill ya!”

“Why don’t you have a nice scream?” Ethan asked. “That worked last time.”

Void narrowed her eyes at the Caller. “Fine.”

The Mage shouted at nothing in particular. She let loose a series of curse words, accusing everyone in the room of something. After a moment, her shimmering skin faded to its normal color. She collapsed.

Ethan stuck his pack behind her head, propping it up so she wasn’t directly on the dirt. “That’s not a fun ability,” he said.

“Some kind of ability that reduces her mana consumption. It has side-effects, I guess,” Targe said. “Who is opening the chests?”

“Does it matter?” Ethan asked.

Targe let out a heavy sigh. He offered Ethan a weak shrug. “Depends on who you ask. Some people think the person that opens it gets preference. Others say its the phases of the moon. Others claim it’s just random.”

“You open it,” Twist said.

“Agreed. Targe needs gear more than anyone,” Ethan said. “Did you see how he took those hits? How did you not break any bones?”

“I’m pretty sure it broke every bone I have. Just that fancy healing magic set them,” Targe said. “Alright. Let’s do the [Gold Sub-boss Chest] first.”

The Fighter kicked open the chest, nodding to himself. Ethan edged closer, trying to get a peak.

“Well, at least we have some Rank 2 [Sub-boss Monster Cores] that aren’t corrupted. Well, one Rank 1 and one Rank 2. Two pieces of gear… This one goes to Twist.”

Targe held up a copper ring with a green gem set inside. He handed it off to the Rogue, but Ethan inspected it as the transaction occurred.

[Rogue’s Leaping Ring]

[Ring]

Rank 1

Epic

Description:

Use this ring to jump higher once every 10 minutes.

Effects:

Double the height of your jump after using this ring.

10 minute cooldown.

“Jumping ring,” Ethan said with a nod. “Not bad.”

“Would have been useful in that fight,” Twist said dryly. He slipped it over his finger.

“Unfortunately, it looks as though the dungeon wanted to support the Mage,” Targe said, withdrawing a midnight-black caster’s robe from the chest.

Ethan inspected it.

[Void Mage’s Subduing Robes]

[Robes]

Rank 1

Epic

Description:

Traditional robes for a [Void Mage] meant to mitigate the harmful effects of void magic.

Effects:

When using any ability that generates [Void Madness], you may invest an amount equal to half your total [Void Madness] into these robes.

Allows you to siphon [Void Madness] back into your body at will.

When the [Void mage’s Subduing Robes] reach full charge, you’ll receive 100% of the stored [Void Madness].

Ethan let out a low whistle, letting his eyes linger on the prone Mage. “Don’t think I’d want to be a [Void mage].”

“Yeah, just from that item’s description… I can’t imagine having the class,” Targe said. “And we got some money. As always. Right. Next chest.”

Those who remained awake in the party let their eyes linger over Void. She was still prone, snoring away on the ground. While Ethan feared the appearance of another sub-boss, he doubted their luck was that bad. But as he thought about it, he gave four firm knocks to the wooden shaft of his staff. Just for good measure.

“Silver next,” Targe said, kicking open the next chest. “Ugh.”

Ethan edged closer, leaning over to see what was in the chest. On the left was an item, but on the right was a class core. It seethed with malicious energy, a black cage pulsing around living ooze. Targe snatched the item from within and slammed the chest shut.

“Ew, I examined it,” Twist said. “[Corrupted Core].”

Targe turned to stare at Void before shaking his head. “The world doesn’t need to know that exists.”

“Agreed,” Ethan and Twist said in unison.

“As for the item,” Targe said, holding the shirt of chain mail out. “Mine.”

Ethan examined it anyway.

[Mail Shirt of the Earthenworks]

[Chain mail Shirt]

Rank 1

Rare

Description:

Provides excellent protection against slashing attacks. Wearing this chain shirt with a padded cloth underlayer is a popular form of protection for mobile Fighter-style classes.

Imbued with the power of the giant ant monsters.

Effects:

Spend 10% of your maximum health to create an earthen barrier.

Effect generates new earth, which will degrade.

Can be used once every 20 minutes.

“Yeah, that’s sick,” Ethan said.

“It seems healthy enough,” Twist said.

“Nah, I mean it’s awesome.”

“That it is,” Targe said. He didn’t delay, removing his armor to put on his new piece of gear. “Some money, too. Someone open the last gold.”

Twist moved forward, kicking the chest open. There were two items and some money in this chest. Ethan’s eyes shot to the gloves, but he didn’t discount the core inside. They were a pair of supply leather gloves, lined with an incredibly soft material. As he slipped them on, before examining them, he noted how well they fit him. Not only were they the perfect size, but they weren’t stiflingly hot. His hands felt cool, and a sense of power rushed through him as he clutched his staff. He inspected them.

[Caller’s Steadying Gloves]

[Gloves]

Rank 1

Epic

Description:

Creating a solid connection between Callers and the spirits is difficult. These gloves help achieve that end.

Effect:

Once every 5 minutes, you may enter a channeling state.

While in [Caller’s Steadying Stance], you may not move.

While in [Caller’s Steadying Stance], you are more connected with your spirit, increasing it’s combat abilities.

Casting a spell, or taking any other action will break this trance and put [Caller’s Steading Stance] on cooldown.

That was the most complex ability Ethan had seen on a piece of gear so far. Twist let out a whistle, running his calloused fingers over the supple material.

“Fine pair of gloves,” he said. “Very nice.”

“And the core?” Targe asked.

“Something to sell to some rich guy,” Twist said.

Ethan inspected the class core. It wasn’t a subclass core. It was a base core, which he had no idea how someone slotted. There was a divide amongst people where some people could slot cores, and others couldn’t. While he didn’t understand it, he knew this was significant. He inspected it anyway.

[Healer’s Core]

Epic

Healer-Style Core

Rank

0

Level

1

Description:

[Healer] is the base class that all healing-style cores are derived from. Healers are the menders of the land, finding themselves in the thick of battle, or among those in the streets requiring aid.

Latent Effects:

Spellbook

“It’s not about how good the core is,” Targe said, moving in to inspect the item. “But the potential. Anyone who wants to start down a healer’s path starts here. That’s a great find.”

“Lines our pockets,” Twist said, snatching the core and stuffing it in his bag. “What do you think? Five gold?”

“At least. Depends on where we sell it,” Targe said.

“Fine. Just fine. Scones? Tea?” Twist asked.

Without prompting, the dark elf fell to the ground. He twisted his pack around to his front as he fell. The chests remained in the room, even as the Rogue pulled out his flame-machine, a kettle, and a bit of cloth wrapped around something. Ethan came over to join him, eager to see what scones he’d brought. But the scent gave him away. A sweet scent filled with citrus and sugar. The Caller tried not to clap his hands together like an idiot as Twist unfurled the lemon scones.

“Thinking you should stay away from sweets,” Targe said, jabbing Ethan in the ribs with his elbow.

Ethan looked down, lifting his robe to reveal his belly. It had rapidly reduced since he’d been on the road. An effect of his limited diet, perhaps, but it could be related to his leveling. He didn’t know, as the attributes didn’t seem to affect one’s physical appearance.

“My fat tummy is a work in progress,” Ethan said, snatching a scone. He then watched as Twist prepared the tea.

“Just giving you a hard time,” Targe said, clapping a powerful hand on the Caller’s shoulder. “Only way to make sure someone keeps at it, sometimes. Especially with friends.”

Ethan let out a long sigh as he smelled the scone. Buttery, sweet, and filled with more lemon than should be legal. But Targe had a good point about the belly fat he was working hard to reduce.

“Back home, it was easy to do nothing,” Ethan said.

Twist removed a paper packet from his pack, dumping an amount of tea in the kettle. Ethan didn’t know where he got the water to boil, and wouldn’t question it. Tea sounded pleasant right now. The water boiled quicker than it should have, filling the room with a deep aroma of black tea.

“Uh-huh,” Targe said.

“It’s very easy to eat poorly there. Very easy to sit on your ass and do nothing all day. After work, of course,” Ethan said.

“Work?” Twist asked. “We’re working. Right?”

“Yeah. This is like work. I mean, I died at my last job. So that means jobs on Earth are more dangerous than here,” Ethan said, scratching his head. He held the scone in his other hand, salivating at the prospect of dipping it in his tea. “What’s the name of this world?”

“Avansea,” Targe said. “Don’t burn it, Twist. Give it a little shake.”

“I am,” Twist said.

“That’s fine. Just fine. Caller Bells… Ethan. Tell us more about Earth.”

Chapter 20

Lots of Ants

A black pot boiled on the magic fire. Twist, Targe, and Bells sat around the boiling water, adding things as they saw fit. Each held a bowl and something like a spork, dishing out food or spearing meat as it cooked. Ethan pulled a length of mystery meat from the boiling liquid, setting it atop a pile of freshly cooked noodles before slurping a mouthful down.

“Meat is better when you don’t know where it came from,” Targe said, nodding to himself.

“And with the threat of imminent danger,” Twist added.

It had been at least an hour since the fight was over. Void still rested on the ground, stirring occasionally. But the party was hungry, with much more of the corrupted dungeon to clear. There was no sense in rushing through it if they could take time to eat. Twist and Targe seemed determined to burn through their fresh ingredients quickly, leaving the dried rations for the last half of the dungeon.

Ethan had been telling the group about Earth. Cars, electricity, and the internet were oddities to them. They didn’t see technological advancement as a good thing. Not entirely, anyway. This world had its own technology, derived from the various classes people could take. The airship they’d seen near the [Goblin Dungeon] was proof enough of that. Or the artifice fire that ate copper coins for fuel.

Twist was mostly hung up on the idea of a job. Some people in Avansea took jobs as they needed them, only working when they needed money for something. That subset of adventurers weren’t even considered lazy in this world. Exploiting one’s talents to get by was a smart move. A swift rise to power represented a chance to fall.

The group ate and discussed small topics. Ethan couldn’t help but edge the conversation toward restoring Lucantele’s temple.

“Hard to say,” Targe started, slurping down more noodles. “No one would stop you from laying claim over the temple.”

“The duke would be willing,” Twist said.

Ethan didn’t know what he thought about owning the temple. That sounded expensive. “Not sure I have the coin for that.”

“Well, you’ve got to find the coin to restore it, don’t you? Might be some fat chests with those orcs,” Targe said, rubbing his shoulder under his armor. “Not eager to face down those bastards.”

“Depends on the rank,” Twist said.

Void groaned, then flipped onto her belly. She dragged herself along the ground, pausing a few times to sniff the air. When she had dragged herself to the circle of companions, she held a hand out. Twist placed a bowl and a spork in her hand. Without saying a word, she righted herself, sitting cross legged before picking vegetables and small cuts of meat from the stew.

“Did you have a nice nap?” Ethan asked.

Void grunted a response no one could understand. With her head down, she slurped the broth, and chewed the food like a bored cow.

“Her health is full,” Ethan said, poking the Mage in the arm. “Guess that ability takes a lot out of her.”

“That’s the truth,” Targe said. “Never met a [Void Mage]. Never wanted to know one long enough to watch them die.”

Void grunted again. “Death… close.”

The trio shared a look. That was too grim for Ethan. Void needed a few days at Lucantele’s temple. Something to take her mind off whatever that [Void Mage’s Core] was doing to her. Maybe the Great Spirits knew something about helping the woman out. He wouldn’t share his thoughts, but it lingered in his mind as they ate.

Void brightened up after a while. None gathered wanted to draw the line between the power she’d used and the state she was in, but the Mage shared anyway.

“[Void Madness] is more than just insanity,” she said, patting her round belly. “The core itself is damaged. Great way to start off my life as an adventurer, right?”

“Have you tried to have it removed?” Targe asked.

“Yeah, they tried to yank it out,” Void said, tracing a line down the center of her chest. “There’s a fissure in the core. When they tried to yank it out, the gap widened. So, I get more [Void Madness] than other [Void Mages]. Fun, right?”

“Not fun at all,” Ethan said. He couldn’t stop thinking about the Great Spirits. “Have you prayed to the Great Spirits?”

Void pressed her finger to her chin. “No use in that, is there?”

“Is there a Great Spirit of Healing?” Ethan asked.

Targe shrugged. “Dunno.”

“Feels like a Caller should know this,” Void said.

“The Great Spirits are having issues. If the interaction between Lucantele and Telbarantis is anything to go by.” Ethan thought for a moment. Perhaps there was a connection between that and the dungeons being corrupted. Or something else. It was hard to say. “The plan is to get more pacts with the spirits. So, maybe we can find a Great Spirit of Core Repair.”

Void let out a mirthless laugh. “Well, keep me posted on that. After this dungeon, I’m taking a long rest in Oudsted.”

Ethan spotted how serious Targe’s face had become. The Fighter wanted Void to leave the dungeon. For her safety. He didn’t know if that was even an option.

“Void needs to take it easy,” Targe said. “We’re heading directly for the boss. I’m praying we find a common puzzle there.”

“Prayers won’t work,” Twist said.

“Yeah, but I can hope,” Targe said, almost snapping at his friend. He took a deep breath. “The only other option is to retreat. Train to the absolute peak of Rank 1 then come back.”

“You don’t know what’s going to escape while we’re out,” Void said.

Targe looked more annoyed than before. But he took another long breath. “I’m aware. The decision falls to me. There’s one bit of good news for you, Void.”

The Fighter rummaged through his things, pulling out the [Void Mage’s Subduing Robes]. Void’s eyes lit up. She snatched the robe from him, nearly losing it in the boiling pot, and stared at the item.

“Seriously?” she asked. “I can mitigate my madness? Just found it in a chest, did you? What are the odds?”

“One out of four?” Ethan asked, not sure of his math. “Perhaps even better, considering we may have an observer.”

“Telbarantis,” Twist said.

“Good to know,” Void said, undoing the various straps that kept her black dress in place. She threw it to the side, slipping her new robe over her head. “Oh, and it’s comfortable.”

“Whether we go forward depends on you, Void,” Targe said. “Will this robe allow you to… not die?”

“Uh, yeah?” Void said, chuckling. “I struck out on a subduing piece of gear on my way down here. Ran three dungeons on the way, got absolute crap for gear.”

“Then, we proceed,” Targe said.

Compared to the dungeon Ethan had run before, they adopted a completely different strategy. There was no need to clear the entire thing. That would have been dangerous. Instead, they’d cut straight up the western wing, and hit the boss as soon as they could. The shorter the time they spent in this place, the better.

The group packed up their camp, finally leaving the room they’d battled the sub-boss in. The next room was apparently the room the massive ant was in originally. Now it was empty, giving way to the next room without issue. There they found the regular corrupted ants, as well as a [Corrupted Hive Brooder]. It had the head and front appendages of a regular monster-ant, but with a vile grub-like backend. The monster was twice as large as the others, and spat little ants out that scattered around the room.

“Standard tactics,” Targe said, poking his head around the corner. No one would step foot in the hall. “Four ants, one brooder.”

Ethan cast his [Summon Lucantele] spell and waited for the order. Targe instructed him to target a normal [Corrupted Ant], instead of the brooder. Based on the size of the creature, it couldn’t move swiftly. They had plenty of room to kite the monsters around, leaving no one with the desire to engage her. Not just because she looked like a pulsing grub that crapped ant monsters.

Luca sprinted down the passageway, weaving around the brooder and attacking the closest regular ant. All the others turned to the summoned spirit, barreling in to attack. Ethan did his little jig, activating [Caller’s Sprint]. Luca was back with the group in a few moments, leaving the flailing tentacle ants behind. As Targe expected, the brooder didn’t follow. It stayed behind, spewing tiny, near-harmless ants behind. Those chittering things followed behind, but they didn’t seem like much of a challenge. Like the tiny goblins from the bonus fight in the [Goblin Dungeon].

Targe did something amazing. Two ants passed the threshold when the Fighter activated the ability on his [Mail Shirt of the Earthenworks]. A barrier of dirt sprung up from the tunnel, sealing the passage and locking the other ants behind its wall. They immediately attacked the dirt wall.

“Genius!” Void shouted, throwing a bolt of void magic at the nearest of the two monsters.

Luca cast [Barrier of Hope] on Targe and poised himself to take shots at the creature’s tentacles. Ethan stood near Void, finding himself checking on her as they whittled the two monsters down. It was a much more standard fight than they were used to.

“Can’t wait for the—” Void started.

“Shut it!” Ethan said, pointing a finger at the short woman. “Do not summon another sub-boss. I swear to God.”

“Which god?” Void asked.

The two monsters fell without incident. The ants on the other side of the barrier had worked their way through the wall of dirt, finding it hard to push their bulbous bodies through the gaps. With the addition of their tentacles, they couldn’t fit. But what did come forth was a wave of tiny ant monsters. Rank 0, Level 1, but the poured in like flowing water.

“Ah, crap,” Targe said.

The group stomped on the creatures, killing them instantly. But they were vast.

“Really could use an area attack,” Targe grumbled before yelping. An ant had latched itself onto his forearm and was chewing away at his flesh, between the gaps in his armor. “Ya little bastard!”

Ethan ordered Luca through the hole the ants had created. The spirit dashed down the hall, and he shook his staff. Filled with the power of [Spur], Luca made his way to the brooder. The Caller only got errant thoughts from the spirit, but the brooder was not good in combat.

“Sent Luca to fight the brooder,” Ethan said, stomping on a pile of ants. The squelched under his foot.

“Good idea,” Targe grunted.

“Ah! They bit my butt!” Void shouted, twirling on the spot and swatting at her behind.

Ethan slapped the ant away with his staff, sending it dead to the ground. Then the ants pushed their way through the barrier, shattering it. Another tide came with them. The Caller threw out four heals, topping everyone off. 62 mana consumed, sending him down to 100 mana. The heals popped his [Clarity of MInd] ability twice, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief in between stomping on ants.

“This is just annoying!” Targe shouted.

The Fighter had trouble angling his shield and stomping on the ants. He was taking the most damage out of everyone. It wasn’t large chunks of his health, but single HP chips that sent him plummeting down to three-quarters health in a few moments. Ethan threw out another heal, only reducing himself to 95 mana. Luca was doing fine against the brooder, jumping over the tide of small ants and kiting them around the room. The Caller felt the fight more than he saw it, and appreciated the spirit’s ability to improvise.

When the two ants fell, the group focused on killing the endless tide. There seemed to be more coming from down the passageway. Targe had taken to holding his shield in both hands, smashing the front-facing side on the ground. Twist stomped with more speed than a human should have been capable of. Void did a lot of angry screaming.

“How is the brooder?” Targe asked.

“Hard to say. I think Luca has it half-dead. At least,” Ethan said. “Oh, Luca died.”

Ethan felt the rush of mana flood through his body, choosing not to summon him back right away. He’d fallen to 60 mana after tossing a few heals around, finding it harder to cast the spells as the tide increased.

“Just rush the damn thing,” Targe said. He angled himself with his shield raised, then blasted down the passage. The little ants flew away, like water parting under a speeding boat.

The Fighter slammed into the brooder at the hall’s end. Twist, Void, and Bells sprinted down the freshly cleared path, finding a clear spot in the room to stand. The Rogue broke off from the group, activating his [Rogue’s Leaping Ring] to vault ontop of the brooder. He dug in with his daggers, slashing at the flailing tentacles without mercy.

An ant chewed on Ethan’s shoulder, and he squashed it in his hand. He focused, casting [Summon Lucantele] and preparing to use his [Mana Tap Ring]. Back at 100 mana from the [Caller’s Resilience] ability, he could stay in the fight much longer. Unlike Void, who was spent. She focused on keeping their immediate area cleared.

The group hacked the brooder down, leaving only the sea of small ants to deal with. What proceeded was like the stomping of grapes. Except the product of their efforts were piles of sour-smelling ichor that stained everything it touched. The process took longer than it should have, but when the room was cleared Ethan felt a rush flood through his body.

[Ethan Stout] has leveled! Ding! Level 2!

[Ethan Stout] gained 1 free point.

“Yay,” Ethan said with no enthusiasm. “Got a level.”

The party produced a series of half-hearted cheers. Ethan was now aware of how daunting the dungeon was. He realized they should be taking breaks more often, trying to keep morale up against the horrid ant monsters. He clapped his hands together a few times.

“Yay!” he shouted, this time with enthusiasm. Perhaps it was forced, but it was better than nothing. “More [Mana Regen] for me!”

The party returned with slightly more excitement this time.

Ethan placed his point into [Mind], bringing the Attribute to 19. His mana went from 205 to 210 and [Mana Regen] from 14 to 14.5.

“This place saps your will,” Twist said, sneering at the blanket of dead ants.

“Just so,” Targe said, tapping his boot on the ground.

At least Void looked alright. Not like the last time they fought. But they had a decision to make. The party was fed and watered, strong enough to push ahead. But the way the dungeon drained their will to move on made that difficult. Ethan could see how Targe thought about the problem, the gears in the man’s mind turning. Grinding to a halt at this roadblock, perhaps.

“This is my second dungeon, so excuse me if I’m wrong… but how many more sub-bosses are there?” Ethan asked.

“Depends on what way we go,” Void said. “Straight down one side, and that was the only one. One sub-boss per path. Unless—no. I won’t say it.”

“Good, keep those thoughts to yourself,” Targe said. “What are the chances another sub-boss comes for us? From the adjacent tunnels?”

No one offered an answer. Ethan thought about it. He understood a good amount about how monsters locked onto a person, having run the [Goblin Dungeon] solo. But this was not a normal situation. They had to move forward with the best information, not absolute truths.

“We can assume we’re safe,” Ethan said. “Can’t be more than one or two more rooms until the boss, right?”

“Should be about two more rooms,” Void agreed.

“We’ll deal with it. If it happens,” Twist said.

“Good enough for me,” Targe said. “So long as Void understands to take it easy.”

“I will,” the small woman said, waving his concerns away. “You’re not the first soft-hearted adventurer to fall in love with me. Not going to be the last, either. People love a sob-story.”

“That’s not… I’m simply concerned for a fellow adventurer,” Targe said.

“Uh-huh.”

“We can all fall in love with Void later,” Ethan said. “Let’s focus on moving forward. Sprint the rest of this cursed dungeon. I don’t even care about rewards. I just want out.”

“Agreed,” Twist said.

Void and Targe nodded together.

The group waited for their mana to regenerate, relying on Ethan to cure their wounds. Once everyone was topped off, and the Caller’s [Mana Tap Ring] was full, they proceeded down the narrow passageway. Before they hit the threshold, the Caller spotted the boss room. Beyond the next room was the last room they had to mess with. Then he could summon Telbarantis and they could get the hell out of there. He could feel the Great Spirit nearby. Urging him to reach the boss room as soon as possible. Like a distant voice calling over. Vague and confusing.

The dungeon had mercy for the second-to-last room. Five [Corrupted Ants], which they made quick work of. Void didn’t need to strain herself, not with the tactics they’d developed. Twist and Targe had honed their attacks on the tentacles, making quick work of the rabble.

The curious thing about the boss of the dungeon was its size. It looked like the tunneling ant-creatures, but even smaller than those. The height of Ethan himself. The party rested, prepared all their gear, and plunged into the massive room. A strange sensation like being dragged through space by his navel filled the Caller’s body. He stood back at the entrance of the dungeon, blinking away his confusion as a system message appeared.

[Ethan Stout] has entered a [Boss Arena]!

Surprise!

[Ant King 32] has cleared the dungeon, throwing your party into [Individual Trials]!

Each member must solve their own puzzle to clear the dungeon.

Chapter 21

Clear the Ant Dungeon

Ethan stood in the first room of the dungeon alone. Only the slowly pulsing light from Luca illuminated the room. The system provided him no more information, other than that he had to solve his own puzzle. Scattered around the room were various tables, cupboards, dressers, and other furniture. Resting atop each one was a candle, while torches burned in sconces on the wall.

An archway dominated the room’s center. Made of well-hewn stone and bearing an inscription Ethan couldn’t understand, it was imposing. The center of the structure was empty, and there was no way out of the room. All entrances had been sealed with shimmering portals.

“Alright. Just take a second and think,” Ethan said, examining everything in the room. But there was no more information he could glean. “Luca, rummage through the stuff. See if you can find anything useful.”

The silver squirrel got to work. Ethan approached the archway and ran his fingers along the surface. He couldn’t reach the inscription at the top, but the stone felt normal. But why place an inscription on something if he couldn’t read it? Was the system trying to throw him off? Perhaps the corruption of the dungeon had something to do with it.

“Candles,” Ethan said, approaching one. He blew, but nothing happened. “Everlasting candles.”

Luca chirped. He’d found a drawer filled with junk.

“Make a pile, Luca,” Ethan said, walking to the far side of the archway. The inscription on this side was different from the other side. Each phrase was carved with blocky writing that seemed somehow familiar. Like the meaning of the words were right at the edge of his mind. He just couldn’t grasp them.

Fearing there was a time-limit, Ethan moved to one table and knocked the candle off. It reappeared where it was before, and the flame remained burning. He determined that this was the purpose of the exercise. Unlike most parts of the dungeon, the candles were the only thing illuminating the space. Normally there were mushrooms or fairy lights on the walls. But this room lacked such light sources.

Luca built a bigger pile as Ethan searched around. He tried everything he could think of to make the candle out. From dumping watered wine on the flames to screaming at them. Nothing seemed to work. Not until Luca made an excited chirping sound, shoving the shard of a broken mirror across the floor. The spirit used its mouth to drive the shard into the ground before staring at it.

Ethan came over, scratching his head as he looked at the display. The spirit sent no more information with the action. Instead of worrying about it, the Caller got on his belly and looked into the mirror.

“What do you see, dude?” he asked.

Luca chittered, then growled.

Ethan poked the mirror, tilting it back. He saw the text inscribed in the archway. His eyes went wide.

“It was backwards,” Ethan said, snatching up the mirror. He held it, getting a better angle on the text. “Just says ‘extinguish’. Yeah, I know that.”

Luca chirped again, sending an intensely frustrated emotion through their connection. The spirit bound to the far side of the archway, jumping at the other text.

“Oh, right,” Ethan said, walking to the other side. “Says something different here… ‘dirt’. That’s… helpful?”

Luca growled in frustration again.

“Oooh! Use the dirt to snuff out the candles?” Ethan asked. “Sure, why not?”

Ethan scooped up a handful of dirt, then dumped it on a candle. The flame snuffed out immediately. Then he had the laborious process of digging in the ground with his hands to snuff out all the candles. It was hard to judge time in the dungeon, but he figured it took between a half hour and an hour. The last scoop of dirt fell over a blazing torch, extinguishing it.

But nothing happened.

“I don’t get it. That’s all of them, right?”

Ethan checked the areas in the room, making sure there were no hidden burning candles. But every candle he needed to snuff out seemed to be in plain sight. He paced around the archway, circling around the outside. He passed through it, stomping his foot as he came to a rest on the other side. Nothing came to his mind. The lights were out. What else was he supposed to do?

As the Caller turned to walk through the gateway, he spotted something strange. The inscription on the archway had changed. It was no longer a single word, but a scrawl of them that wrapped around the thing. Using the mirror trick, and the light from Luca, he read the inscription.

The darkest days bring the brightest lights. When…

The message continued on the other side. Ethan shuffled over there, angling his mirror.

…all lights are out, the true light shines.

Ethan dragged his eyes over the room, finally settling on Luca. All lights. Including the little peppy spirit currently bathing the place in a silver glow. With a thought, the Caller dismissed his companion, plunging him into total darkness. He couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face, no matter how much he waved it. But as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he spotted something on the far side of the room. Judging from how low it seemed, it was in the pile of things that Luca was digging through.

Stumbling a few times as he walked through the dark room, Ethan snatched up the item. A system message popped up immediately.

[Puzzle Solved]!

You’ve completed your individual puzzle.

Teleporting to the boss room…

The world swirled around him and he was suddenly standing in the boss room. There was no boss, only a magical fire and a one-eyed dark elf making tea.

“Hooray,” Twist said. “Which did you get?”

“A light puzzle. Had to snuff out all the lights,” Ethan said.

“Agility puzzle,” Twist said with a sage-like nod.

“That’s not fair.”

“No, it is not. Tea?”

Ethan nodded, sitting near the magical fire. The water was already boiling. Twist added a healthy amount of black tea to the mix before drizzling a honey-like substance into the kettle. The aroma filled the room with a mixture of sweetness and earth. A sound like a pop came from nowhere, and Void appeared.

“A riddle?” she asked, shouting the question. “Well, I just hate riddles.”

“Yeah, I hate riddles too,” Ethan said. “Want some tea?”

“Oh, I’d love some tea,” Void said, walking over to sit near the fire.

Twist gestured to himself, “agility puzzle,” then to Ethan, “extinguishing lights puzzle.”

“Glad I didn’t get the agility one,” Void muttered. “I’m about as agile as a crocodile.”

As long as Targe solved his puzzle, Ethan hoped this would be the end of it. He didn’t want to entertain the idea that they’d also need to fight the boss. That wasn’t something he was interested in at all. He’d rather sit here and sip tea than take on another horrifying ant monster. He didn’t know how horrible the regular ones were, but the corrupted ants could all die in a fire for all he cared.

Telbarantis was nearby. Ethan could feel the Great Spirit pressing against the dungeon, clawing his way in. Something about the way the spirit jabbed its claws into the dungeon seemed desperate. He couldn’t sense Lucantele nearby, and he couldn't figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Another pop issued from the room’s corner and Targe appeared. The man was covered in slime and heaving breaths between coughing the viscous liquid up. Ethan sprung to his feet and cast a few [Cure Minor Wounds] on him. A system message appeared.

[Puzzle Solved]!

You’ve completed the Rank 1 [Corrupted Ant Dungeon]!

Defeating the final boss by solving the puzzle and surviving has granted you a…

ERROR!

“What? Error?” Void asked.

The dungeon shook around them. From behind, the dungeon core rose from the ground. It was a man-sized orb of malicious energy. A pulsing cage of black ooze and malice. Tenbarantis’ claws ripped into the dungeon, tearing through the earthen ceiling.

“My tea!” Void shouted, covering the top of her cup.

Ethan spotted Twist shoving his things into his bags, even as the maw of the Great Spirit came down. Telbarantis clamped his jaws around the dungeon core, ripping it from its place before disappearing into the dark void he left in the ceiling. A system message popped up again.

[Dungeon Core] has been removed.

Ejecting [Targe’s Party] from the [Corrupted Ant Dungeon]!

Ethan was flung backwards through space. The darkness of the dungeon gave way to the brightness of sunshine. He tumbled, listening to the shouts of fear from people around him. Unfamiliar voices filled the air.

“Well, that sucked!” Void shouted.

“Agreed,” Twist said, groaning to his feet.

When Ethan’s eyes finally adjusted to the outside light, he saw what the duke’s men were shouting about something. Towering over their camp was the massive form of Telbarantis. Clasped in his jaws was the corrupted dungeon core, tentacles forming on the edge of the thing to slap against him uselessly.

“It is done,” the Great Spirit said.

“Caller Bells!” the commander of the outpost shouted. “Why is the Great Spirit Telbarantis here?”

“Removing the corrupted core, I’d guess,” Ethan said, waving at Tel. “Did we do good, boss?”

Telbarantis nodded. “The core cannot be destroyed by a mortal. And I could not penetrate the dungeon without a Caller near the core. You’ve done well. Well enough to earn my favor.”

“A pact?” Ethan asked.

“A pact,” Tel repeated. “I hope you don’t forget me when you get your next quest. I hope you don’t forget the other Great Spirits.”

“I won’t,” Ethan said, staring up at the massive alligator-like lizard spirit. “But I have a favor to ask.”

“Oh? What would you ask of a Great Spirit?”

“My friend Void here has a cracked core. Know any spirits that could heal her?” Ethan asked.

Telbarantis tilted his massive head, fixing a single eye on the Mage. Void shrunk at his gaze, staring up with fear in her eyes.

“Is he gonna eat me?” she asked.

“A fissure. Void magic leaks into her soul. She doesn’t have long to live, Caller Bells,” Tel said. “A month, perhaps. Send her to my temple. I can prolong her life while you search for the Lesser Spirit Parabaxis. A nescant spirit, yes. But she can help.”

“Thank you, Tel,” Ethan said, waving up at the massive spirit. “We’ll bring her right over. Need anything else while we’re here? Should we close the dungeon up, or something?”

“It will collapse on its own. Advise the duke’s men to retreat from this place. Immediately,” Telbarantis said. “Bring the Void Mage to my temple.”

“Will do.”

Tel nodded, then simply vanished. That got another chorus of shouts from the duke’s men.

“Hooray, we did it!” Ethan said, turning to his companions. Everyone in the camp was staring up at the empty space where Telbarantis just occupied.

“I didn’t crap my pants this time,” Targe said. “That’s a start.”

“You’ll explain what just happened,” the leader of the camp said, stomping over. He got a bit too far into Ethan’s personal space.

“Unless you want the big lizard back, you can just leave me alone,” Ethan said, pushing past the man. “Jobs done. The dungeon is going to explode soon. Like real soon.”

The camp went into a panic as everyone evacuated. Targe’s adventuring party walked together as the duke’s men scattered. They found a decent vantage point after traveling for a few minutes. Far enough away to witness the duke’s camp explode. Streams of black goo shot into the air, joined by plumes of dirt and dust. The sound rolled over them, almost deafening. Then Ethan remembered he’d completed a quest.

The Caller went to his quest screen, finding that he could complete the [Heal Telbarantis] one whenever he wanted. The moment he accepted, a new staff appeared before him. Like the old one, this one had a wooden handle with a brass cap on the butt-end. Depictions of various Great Spirits were etched in the wood. Two bells rested inside the decorative brass circle at the top this time. He inspected it before the next quest appeared.

[Caller’s Beckoning Staff]

[Staff]

Rank 1

Epic

Description:

A caller’s staff is specific to their class. Topped with a summoning bell, these staves are used to encourage the Symbols of Great Spirits.

Effect:

Allows half mana regen within combat.

With intent, shake to invoke the [Spur] ability once per hour.

With intent, shake to invoke the [Caller’s Mana Regen] ability once per hour.

“How many bells does one man need?” Targe asked.

“Two, at least,” Ethan said. He inspected the ability attached to the item.

[Caller’s Mana Regen]

Equipment Ability

Cooldown:

1 hour

Description:

For one minute, you gain full mana regen in combat.

Effect:

Full mana regen in combat for one minute.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Ethan said. He tested the item, shaking his staff. As he intended, only one of the two bells rang. It activated the [Caller’s Mana Regen] ability. He shaked it again and the other bell rang, activating the [Spur] ability. They were at slightly different tones.

Before the Caller could appreciate his staff more, a quest notification popped up.

[Rebuild the Temple]

Quest

Description:

You’ve cured the dungeon blight! Now get back to work.

Lucantele’s temple is in ruins. Restore the place to its former glory through whatever means necessary.

Objectives:

Rebuild Lucantele’s Temple

Reward:

Building Crystal

“Building crystal,” Ethan said, trailing off before he said more.

“Hah! That settles it. System wants you to own the temple,” Targe said.

And Ethan could put it together. The crystal represented some ownership of the building. Something he wanted nothing to do with. Perhaps there was a way he could usher stewardship of the building to someone else. Maybe make a cult for Lucantele like there was for Telbarantis. Was it really a cult, or an actual religion? The Caller decided it was a real religion. At least the giant lizard showed up to say ‘hi’.

“Time to get back to Oudsted,” Ethan said. “We need to get Void to Telbarantis’ island.”

“Why?” Twist asked.

Ethan remembered they couldn’t hear the conversation he had with the Great Spirit. “She’s dying. Sorry, Void. You’re dying.”

Void shrugged. “Meh. Already knew it.”

“Telbarantis can keep you alive for longer while we look for a Lesser Spirit named Parabaxis,” Ethan said.

“Oh, really?” Void asked, brightening up. “Seriously? You have that kind of pull with the spirits?”

“Well, I’m the only one around who can talk to them so… yeah, I guess,” Ethan said. Something came to mind. “Oh! Check this out.”

Ethan channeled a spell. [Summon Telbarantis].

The blue lizard jumped from a blue arcane circle, landing to dig his claws into the ground. Releasing a roar that would have been mighty if he was large, the small creature posed. He was slightly larger than Lucantele’s summoned version, but not by much. The adventurers came over to pat the Great Spirit’s Symbol on the head, cooing at him as though he were a baby.

Ethan examined his new summon while the group played with the spirit.

[Telbarantis]

Spirit of Fertility (of the land)

Bond Level

1

Bond Rank

0

Mana Cost

Medium

Perpetuation Cost

Low

Description:

Telbarantis is the Great Spirit of Fertility (of the land). He is known for seeding the shores of the Oudsted river with fertile beds. Those within the area pray to him for a good planting season. They also often pray for babies, but Telbarantis is legendary for his hate of children.

Abilities:

[Bulwark]

So he had to level the new spirit up. Ethan knew that before, but seeing it himself made him realize how much work there was going to be. What would happen if he got 10 spirits? He pushed the thought from his mind to examine the [Bulwark] ability.

[Bulwark]

Summon Ability

Mana Cost

Extremely Low

Cooldown

1.5 minutes

Description:

Absorb the next strike directed at the summoned spirit.

That was a solid ability. Telbarantis had already said his Symbol was defensive, and Ethan could see some applications where this would be useful. The one thing that stood out was how inflexible he was in combat. He’d keep an eye out for abilities that let him summon faster so that swapping them out wouldn’t be such a pain. With a mental command, he ordered Tel to use [Bulwark].

The spirit dug its feet into the ground and tilted his broad head forward. His body shimmered with blue energy, a cloud of dust swirling around him. When Ethan ordered the Symbol to move around, it did so without issues. But there was an obvious drawback. Unlike Lucantele, Telbarantis was quite slow. He wouldn’t be used for any recon missions. Only tanking duties. But that’s what it meant to build out a diverse set of powers.

“I’ll build him like a tank as I level him,” Ethan said, patting Tel on the head. The spirit growled.

“Not trying to replace me, are you?” Targe asked.

Ethan clapped the Fighter on the back and smiled. “No, I don’t think I am. Not after I saw you taking hits in the dungeon.”

“Damn right.”

The group departed the hill, making their way down the forested hill. Void was bluffing. She collapsed half-way back to Oudsted. Twist volunteered to carry her on his back, handing his pack off to Targe for the remainder of the journey. The need to get her to Telbarantis’ island was more dire. Ethan’s desire to find Parabaxis suddenly outweighed his obligation to help Lucantele.

The Caller entered Oudsted with a flood of conflicting feelings.