Ultimate Level 1 - C.236: Difficult Choices

Max and Tanila spent a few hours in the crafting area as he worked on the list of items the Faction needed. Some of the metal from the tower floor with the goblins and weird dwarfs had been of higher quality than Max had expected once it was smelted down into bars.

Currently, three different weapons were being made and unless something went wrong, they should all come out as a legendary grade one.

“You seem happy with how things are going,” Tanila said as she watched him working on etching runes into the spearhead. “That smile hasn’t left your lips.”

“Are we talking about this morning or in here?”

She groaned, but Max could sense the corner of her lip forming a smile even though he never looked up from his work.

“I was talking about the crafting, but yes that was nice too.”

Nodding, Max motioned to the piece he was working on with his head.

“This metal is super strong and has a natural tendency to want to absorb magic. Part of me thinks I could even make a sword powered by a crystal. I’m not sure what that would turn out to be since it would be a fusion of two skills.”

“Weapon crafting and Engineering and Tinkering?”

“Yup. In my head I can see things that the other skill would have me do. It would look very different, but I’m almost certain there would be other bonuses given.”

Pausing, Max quickly stored the spear head and stood up, stretching and then popping his knuckles.

He then pulled the gun he had in storage and laid it on the table before her.

“So you see how there is this extra space here?” Max asked as he pointed to a wider area above where the trigger was.

Tanila nodded and followed as Max drew an imaginary box on the side.

“In here is where the magic is, as one might say. The power core provides the necessary energy to send the piece of metal toward the target. Unlike a bow that has its power stored in the wood, metal, or bone, this gun wouldn’t do anything without the core. It’s like my skill said, the way magic and energy are used is different.

“Our way of making things and casting spells draws from mana and the magical energy of the elemental cores. Those are fused with the items. Drawn with runes and basically take on a life within the weapon. I’m not sure if a sword could ever lose all of its energy and then seeing Fowl’s hammer, which can potentially evolve, makes me wonder how magic might even be absorbed by the weapons we use. What if each strike somehow drains a portion of one's lifeforce or power?”

Tanila cocked her head and Max saw the way she stared at the gun, thinking about what he said.

“So what you’re saying is this gun doesn’t technically belong on our world?”

Max nodded.

“Based on everything I’ve learned and know and what my skill has told me or shown me, traveling between worlds is possible. You yourself mentioned that your god actually sends your people to different worlds, trying to grow stronger through them. What if Ockrim does or did the same? What if there is a world of dwarves, slightly different from ones here and they possess a different kind of power and knowledge?”

Tanila rubbed her temple with a thumb and grimaced.

“If what you’re saying is true, that really causes a lot of potential problems for all three races as well as any other potential god out there who might want to attempt coming to our world.”

Max grinned and snapped his fingers.

“That’s what I was thinking. Everything I know is that another god somehow manipulated the system to give me this black skill. Somewhere out there is a game between gods, playing with lives like ours and others across countless worlds. Was I intended to get this strong? Was I meant to be simply some great destroyer that took out Phaius’s way of gaining power? Are we locked in a battle I know nothing about beyond someone wanting to use me a piece on a board?”

“Welcome to my life,” she sighed. “Never knowing if I’m loved by my parents or seen as power to be reclaimed later or sent off when deemed worthy of it.”

Reaching over, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

“I love you. Whatever that is worth, know that you are loved.”

She smiled and squeezed his hand back.

“I know. The fact you love me for who I am and not what I can give or do for you means everything.”

Grinning like a fool, Max gave her one more gentle squeeze before letting go of her hand and pointing at the gun again.

“Ok, now back to my previous thought,” he said, getting a chuckle from Tanila as she laughed.

“What if I created a weapon powered by a crystal but also infused with an elemental core?”

Her eyes went wide and her chin dropped slightly as the thought of such a thing hit home.

“You’d marry two different powers into one item… potentially creating something new and a grade beyond anything we can imagine.”

Max nodded slowly and pointed to some metal bars he had sitting on the table a little bit away.

“After next week, when the fight is over, I’m going to do just that. I have something in mind and if it works, I’m probably not going to share it with anyone.”

Tanila snorted and shook her head.

“Will I ever get something like that?”

Rolling his eyes, Max grinned and smiled.

“And here I thought my love was enough.”

***

Climbing first out of the carriage, Max saw that the group of guards were gone from the platform this morning.

“That’s not good.”

Each of them filed out and saw what he was talking about.

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“I wonder how that went,” Tanila said.

“Forget about it and focus, you two,” Batrire snapped. “We’re not here to worry about that drama. Today we’re fighting a tower boss and you both need to be sharp.”

Max nodded and grinned at their healer.

“Thank you for reminding me. Sometimes I get carried away like a dwarf at a drinking contest.”

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Their healer groaned as Fowl laughed, nodding in approval.

Four groups were already waiting to enter the tower and as they stood in line, Max continued his thoughts from last night's crafting.

His skill hadn’t responded to his questions or in his dream, but there was no doubt it was present. He wasn’t sure why it was quiet after having chatted some when facing down the elves. Multiple notifications of power being stored had also been present so it couldn’t be because it was weak.

“Go ahead,” the guard said as they moved toward the portal.

“I’ll go first,” Fowl declared, stepping up and vanishing.

The other three went before Max and, when he reached the tower floor, something was off. He could hear the heartbeat of everyone in his party beating rapidly. When his eyes worked, Max understood what had caused everyone a little bit of panic.

“Two portals,” Cordellia whispered. “A blue one and a black and purple one… on the boss floor.”

Max cleared his throat and glanced at Tanila who was frowning.

“I wasn’t expecting one of these again,” Fowl said.

“Again?”

Batrire gave their ranger a gentle pat on her back and nodded.

“We’ve been in a few while doing the dungeons. People talk about seeing these in the tower, but what are the odds of if?”

“Never,” Cordellia replied. “You could probably count on one finger the number of times a portal like this appears on a boss floor. Other floors are all I’ve ever heard about. To even begin to imagine what is on the other side is scary.”

Max stood next to Tanila and reached out, grabbing her hand and squeezed it.

“So we really aren’t going to discuss this, are we?” Fowl asked.

Snorting, Max shook his head, and Tanila started to grin.

“Wait! You’re all serious?! We’re going to attempt a tower boss through an elite portal?!”

Max turned sideways and studied their ranger's face. It had been so long since he had seen true fear in her eyes. Right now they were about as wide as the day she found out Tanila was an Elven Princess. She trembled now, like she had during their first boss.

“We’ve never turned down something like this,” Max informed her. “There is a reason we got it and if you’re honest, you know the potential loot that that boss–”

“Or death! Seriously!”

Shrugging, Max nodded, not caring that she had cut him off.

“Every floor has the chance of death. Someone could come up from behind while I’m off scouting and stick a blade in your back. Tell me which one seems more common right now?”

Frowning, Cordellia glanced at the others and saw each of them wore the same expression. Their jaws were set and a slight smile was on each of their lips.

“Don’t forget,” Max said as he pulled out the portal stone. “If it’s too much, I can always use this.”

“But–”

“What did I tell you?” he asked, smiling at her. “Do you remember I said I would protect you?”

Her mouth was still open yet words seemed to fail her at that moment. Finally she shut it and nodded.

“Then you have nothing to worry about.”

Sighing, Cordelling blinked her eyes and wiped a few tears that had formed.

“Batrire, are you ready?”

She nodded and smiled.

“Buffing now. Everyone put your fire rings on. Something tells me it's going to be hot in there.”

***

Max knew he had the highest magic resist and even then the heat of this tower floor was overwhelming the moment he entered it.

His eyes saw the tower floor before him and the deep breath he took was hot, almost scorching his lungs.

“My balls are already sweating,” Fowl complained seconds after joining him. “What in the–”

Each person commented immediately as they entered the boss floor about the heat and each one stopped talking as they gazed across the open area before them.

A circle of lava over a mile wide was before them. The same purple stone from so many dungeons was under their feet and a path led downward and toward a giant circle of stone, easily four hundred yards in diameter. Every so often, a section of stone that looked to be twenty yards wide was missing, creating a patterned ring of lava.

Crystal lines ran through the stone, an eerie pattern of reflective orange and red light sparkling from it.

“There’s no portal,” Cordellia gasped.

Max didn’t even bother looking. The moment he came over he knew they were going to fight.

“Look at that thing,” Fowl said. “What is that?”

“It’s an Ifrit,” Tanila replied. “Nasty things in the books I’ve read. I’m guessing even worse in person.”

“Listen to yourselves,” Cordellia called out. “Don’t you see how bad this is?!”

Max turned and sighed, seeing how she was reacting. A few times during those dungeon breaks others had lost their ability to think, overwhelmed and let fear take over.

“Tanila. I think you need to go all out this time. Don’t hide behind the bracelet. Besides, it will most likely help keep Cordellia from losing her mind.”

“I’m not losing my mind! You all are–”

A hand came across her cheek, and the ranger turned to see Tanila glaring at her.

“Yes, you are and get a hold of yourself. Be the elf I know you can and stop letting the fear that once controlled you still control you!”

Cordellia started to open her mouth, and Tanila lifted her hand again.

Bringing both of hers up in surrender, their ranger shook her head slowly.

“Sorry… I’m… I am afraid, but I’ll fight it.”

She sighed and hung her head.

Tanila reached out and put her hand on the other elf's shoulder and squeezed it.

“You’re fine. We’ve all had those moments. Ask Batrire or Fowl what a near death experience was like. Let them tell you their struggles and how hard it was to overcome. We get that. We really do. But living in fear will never allow you to truly live.”

Tanila turned and winked at Max.

“Until I let go of my fear and gave in to what was before me, I never knew how great life could be. Don’t be like I was and miss out on what is before you.”

“Uh… are you asking her for a threesome?” Fowl asked.

Two staves appeared and both whiffed as the dwarf dodged the attacks from their mage and healer, laughing the entire time.

“I swear I’m not going to heal him today,” Batrire grumbled.

Max was fighting the urge to laugh, seeing the embarrassment on both Tanila’s and Cordellia’s face.

“How about we just focus on the boss?” Max asked.

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