B3—Chapter 18: Neglected Gorge of Unyielding Monsters (Patreon)

After a big meal, we got ready. I put on my new armor from the dungeon and jumped in place, startled. The armor was loose on me, but it shrunk to fit me perfectly. I didn’t remember a mention of self-adjustment or anything, so I identified it again:

Aegis of the Light

Item Type:

Magical Leather Armor

Description:

Crafters combined Lunar Wyvern leather with mithril plating for added protection to create this extraordinary set of armor. The armor emits a divine aura, symbolizing invincible strength. The ensemble includes a jacket and pants worn on top of regular garments. It offers excellent maneuverability and comfort while guaranteeing powerful defense. Intricate engravings decorate each piece, emitting a subtle golden glow.

Properties:

• Dark Magic Resistance: Grants a 60% resistance to dark magic, forming a powerful shield that absorbs and repels dangerous spells and curses.

• Enhanced Fighting Prowess: This ability enhances combat abilities by 25%, boosting the wearer’s strength, agility, and endurance.

• Radiant Shield: Projects a shield of light that grants temporary invulnerability to dark magic and reduces physical damage for 10 seconds.

• Valor’s Aura: This ability provides a morale-boosting aura to allies within 15 meters, enhancing their combat effectiveness and fear resistance.

Appearance:

The Aegis of the Light includes a fashionable leather jacket and pants in a stylish dark blue crafted from the Lunar Wyvern’s mystical hide. Strategically placed mithril plating on the shoulders, elbows, knees, and chest enhances protection. Intricate engravings embellish each piece, displaying ancient protection and valor symbols emitting a subtle golden glow. With its lightweight design and incredible durability, this armor offers unmatched mobility and defense.

Lore:

With the guidance of a powerful archangel, Master Smiths crafted the Aegis of the Light from enchanted Lunar Wyvern leather and blessed mithril. Subsequently, they gifted this revered armor to a renowned hero appointed to fight the emerging darkness. Many great champions have worn the armor, passing it down for generations, and each has added their blessings and enchantments.

“Mahya, my armor adjusted to me, but the description says nothing about that. Do you have any idea how that happened?” I asked, fidgeting with the jacket straps to emphasize my point.

She shrugged nonchalantly, tilting her head slightly. “You mind if I take a closer look?”

“No, it’s just strange that it’s not mentioned in the description.” I shifted my weight, still getting used to the armor’s fit.

“I’ve seen this before with especially valuable items,” she said, leaning in to inspect the armor. “The Lore says that champions added their enchantments, so you might even discover additional properties when you use it.”

“But I thought the Lore was bullshit.”

Standing back up, she replied, “The story is untrue. The dungeon created the item, so it couldn’t have been passed down the generations, but the properties are true. So if it says more enchantments, you might discover some more, but it’s not guaranteed.”

“Good to know.”

I quickly switched between my swords, crossbow, bow, and the new healing staff to verify that I could do it on the fly and got an idea. I identified the staff again to confirm that it said nothing about ranged healing, and it didn’t.

Mystic Healer’s Staff

Item Type: 
Magical Staff

Description:

Skilled craftsmen have used an enchanted oak, passed down through generations, to create this beautifully designed staff. Intricate mithril inlays adorn the elegantly crafted staff, forming a continuous pattern of runes along its length. A sizable crystal orb crowns the staff, meticulously polished and emitting a gentle, shimmering light.

Properties:

• Enhanced Healing: Amplifies the strength of healing spells and abilities by 50%, facilitating quicker and more efficient healing.

• Mana Conservation: This ability reduces the mana cost of healing spells by 30%, allowing the user to cast a larger number of spells without rapidly draining their magical reserves.

• Rejuvenation Aura: It emits a passive aura that gradually replenishes the health and mana of nearby allies within a 10-meter range, offering a constant flow of healing energy.

• Radiant Glow: The orb positioned at the crown of the staff emits a gentle, rhythmic light that brings solace and renewal to those in proximity, contributing a tranquil aura to the surroundings.

Appearance:

The Mystic Healer’s Staff is six feet tall and has a smooth, polished surface, making it easy to hold. When the wielder moves, the mesmerizing visual effect created by the mithril inlays catches the light. The focal point of it all is the crystal orb positioned at the top, emitting a mystical glow that captures the attention of both the eyes and essence. The staff’s design seamlessly combines elegance and functionality, highlighting its timeless beauty while enhancing its powerful enchantments.

Lore:

An ancient order of Druids, committed to upholding balance and protecting life, created this powerful staff known as the Mystic Healer’s Staff. Throughout the ages, every individual who owned it added their own magical enhancements and blessings to it, turning it into one of the most revered and powerful healing relics in existence.

I pointed the staff at Mahya and cast Healing Touch. Nothing happened; I didn’t even feel the mana leaving me. I touched her with the staff and cast again—still nothing.

“My staff isn’t working!” I complained.

She looked at me, rolled her eyes, shook her head, and sighed audibly. Taking out a knife, she cut the back of her hand. “Now try it.”

I tried to cast the spell from afar, but it didn’t work. When I touched her with the staff, it did, and the mana use was so minimal I didn’t even feel it.

“Cool!” I exclaimed. It might not be a ranged heal, but the staff was two meters long, so it was a sort of ranged heal.

She rolled her eyes again, but Al patted my back with a smile. At least one of them got it.

Mahya put on her new wind cloak and took out her new sword to inspect it. Al only inspected his regular gear.

“You’re not using the new shield and sword?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “No. Both the shield’s weight and the sword’s length pose practical challenges. I could potentially make use of them in the future, contingent upon my numbers seeing a significant upward trend.”

“Can’t you just say they’re too heavy? Why the convoluted sentence?” Mahya asked, exasperated.

Al set his jaw stubbornly and crossed his arms. “It would be undignified.”

“You know you’re with friends, right?” I asked him. “We won’t think of you as less princely if you speak plain English or whatever language.”

He stared at me for a minute, looking combative, but then he sighed and nodded.

I called Rue over, put on him the snake armor Lis made, and tied the laces. “We need to find you a better armor,” I said.

“Rue like yummy snake armor. Lis friend make this armor for Rue.”

I scratched his ear. “I know, buddy. We’re not going to throw it away or anything. I want to find you something more protective.”

“Familiars are rare in such low mana worlds. It will have to wait until we reach a higher mana world,” Al said.

Mahya and I looked at him, surprised. He sounded normal! He blushed and looked away, fidgeting from foot to foot.

I tried to bend the healing staff to see if it was strong enough to fight with, and it felt sturdy. I even put one end on the floor and put my foot on it, with my entire weight behind it. The staff held with no problems.

I patted it and said, “Good boy.”

“Rue, good boy! Staff, no good boy! Only Rue, good boy!” Rue protested. His mental voice sounded so indignant that I almost laughed but stopped myself.

I patted him and said, “Sorry, Rue. You’re right. Only you’re my good boy.” Then, patting the staff, I added, “Good staff.”

Rue nodded, and I felt a strong sense of smugness from him. My dog was something else.

After we were ready, I collapsed the house, and we walked to the edge of the Neglected Gorge of Unyielding Monsters. In my opinion, the name was ridiculous, but nobody else seemed to mind, so I said nothing.

At first glance, the place looked like it would destroy all hope and light. It was dark even though it was daytime. The trees, with their bent crowns, looked like old guards. Their bodies were twisted and gnarled. The ground was wet and smelled like rotting trash. We could hear the growls and roars of monsters we couldn’t see.

Mahya kept her palm tightly on the handle of her blade and tensed her shoulders as she looked around at the creepy scene. “Okay, stay sharp. Al, you’re in the front. John, stick close to Al and keep your swords ready. I’ll cover our flanks. Rue, keep an eye ahead, but keep your pace with us. Questions?”

We all shook our heads.

As we descended into the gorge, we navigated thick mud and large, scattered rocks that made the path treacherous. As we went deeper, it became darker, and the roars got louder. Phosphorescent mushrooms stuck to the trees and gave them a creepy glow.

Al looked at the mushrooms with interest until Mahya said, “Focus on the objective. Harvesting will come later.”

He nodded and returned his eyes to the front.

Our first meeting happened earlier than planned. A horrible animal about twice the size of a bear popped out from behind a boulder. Its claws were very sharp, and its mouth was full of sharp teeth. Dried blood covered its matted fur, and an odd, intelligent light shone in its eyes.

“Attack positions!” Mahya yelled, and her MK47 appeared in her hands. “Al, keep it busy and get its attention. John, attack with your swords on the left. Rue, attack from the right. I’ll provide covering fire.”

Al rushed forward with his shield raised and his sword drawn. I moved to the left, and Rue ran to the right. Mahya moved so fast that she was a blur. She jumped at a nearby tree and fired at the thing. The monster was temporarily sidetracked and let out a painful and angry roar. That was our sign.

I hit it hard and fast, my blades cutting through its thick, black skin. The blood sizzled as it hit the ground. Rue’s jaws clamped down on the monster’s leg, and Al stood firm, his shield taking the beast’s wild swings with ease.

“Don’t stop!” Mahya yelled, her MK47 firing in short, steady bursts. “Almost there!”

Despite its injuries, the creature fought with terrible fury. Its claws tore into Al’s shield, leaving deep cuts. Rue’s telepathic yelp of surprise echoed in my mind as he barely avoided a vicious bite.

Seeing an opening, I slammed both blades into the monster’s chest with all my strength, aiming for its heart. With one last roar that shook the earth, the monster’s eyes lost their wild light and fell over.

Without missing a beat, I cast the looting spell. It shrank more and more and stopped. That surprised me, but I cast the spell again, and this time it finished the job. The whole thing took about two minutes, and we had our first crystal. It was even big enough to engrave the mana absorption circle.

Maybe the size requires more than one casting?

Al looked at me with astonishment, his eyebrows raised and mouth slightly open. “Can you explain how you managed to do that?”

I shrugged casually, though pride tinged my voice. “It’s a spell I finally developed.”

“When?” Al’s brow furrowed as he tried to recall. “I have no recollection of you achieving it.”

A small smile played on my lips. “When you were selling potions on Earth.”

“Are you able to teach me this spell in the same way you taught Lis?” Al asked, his eyes lighting up with hope.

I shook my head, sighing. “No. I tried to teach Mahya, but it’s too complicated.”

Mahya jumped down from her perch and looked around. “Good job, team. Anyone hurt?”

Al flexed his arm and winced. “Received a blow. It is not a matter of concern.”

I sheathed my swords, took out my healing staff, Touched Al, and healed him. As the magic worked, the pain faded from his face. “Better?”

Al rolled his shoulders and nodded. “Thank you, John.”

We kept moving, each step taking us deeper into the gorge. The next threat came as a swarm of bat-like creatures, each no bigger than a fist but with razor-sharp teeth and insatiable hunger. They attacked in a cloud of screeching wings, creating a terrible noise.

“Shields up!” Mahya ordered. “Al, cover us from above. John, ready your bow. Rue, keep them off us!”

I switched to my crossbow and quickly loaded a bolt. Al raised his shield overhead, blocking the attack. Mahya fired her MK47 in short, accurate bursts, each shot hitting its target.

The air filled with the crash, and screech of falling bats. My crossbow twitched in time with the attacks as I picked off targets. Those that swooped too low met Rue’s teeth.

Despite our efforts, some bats got through. Sharp teeth tore into my hand, drawing blood. Al cried out as one latched onto his exposed neck.

“John, we need healing!” Mahya’s voice cut through the chaos.

I dropped my crossbow and grabbed my healing staff, healing them one by one.

Al shouted, “Drink the Exoskin Elixir.”

Shit! I forgot about it!

We downed it while fending off attacks with the other hand. I tried to give one to Rue, but he refused, saying, “Rue too fast. Bats not catch Rue.”

We continued fighting, and the potion was outstanding. One of the bats bit me, but it couldn’t break the skin and felt like pressure from dull needles. After that, I fought less defensively and killed a lot more bats. Just when it seemed the fight would never end, the swarm thinned. The remaining bats retreated into the darkness, leaving us surrounded by their fallen brethren.

“Everyone okay?” Mahya asked, scanning for any lingering threats.

We nodded, catching our breath amidst the carnage. I cast the looting spell repeatedly and stored the crystals with my mana field. Those were small, but I estimated that after merging them, I would get two or maybe even three crystals I could engrave. We still needed more.

Oh well, the looter’s job is never-ending.

I snickered at the thought, but did it mentally. No need for them to think I was crazy on top of an idiot.

As the morning wore on, we encountered a dense thicket of thorny vines. The air grew thick with spores, making it difficult to breathe. Sickly yellow bell-shaped flowers hung from the plants, their petals oozing a caustic substance.

“Put on the potion masks,” Mahya instructed, her voice muffled. “These spores could be toxic.”

No sooner had she spoken than the vines writhed, revealing a massive, carnivorous plant. Razor-sharp thorns filled the plant’s maw, and the bell flowers spewed acid in all directions.

“Fall back!” Mahya shouted. “John, take out those flowers! Aim for the bases!”

I went about it differently and shot mana darts at them; after all, I needed to raise the spell’s level. Each dart found its mark and damaged the acid-spewing flowers.

“Rue, circle around and find a weak spot!” Mahya commanded. “Al, protect John. I’ll keep it distracted from above.”

We executed Mahya’s plan. Rue darted through the thorns, searching for vulnerabilities. Al shield deflecting the plant’s attacks. I continued to target the flowers, each shot reducing the plant’s offensive capabilities.

Mahya leaped from tree to tree, her MK47 firing rapidly to confuse the monstrous plant. It thrashed wildly, gouging deep furrows into the ground and nearby trees.

“Rue’s found something!” Mahya called out. “John, aim for the base of the main stem!”

I adjusted my aim, sending darts into the thick, woody stem. With a screeching wail, the plant’s movements grew erratic before finally slowing. The last flowers withered and fell, hissing as they decomposed. With a final groan, the once formidable structure of the giant plant collapsed, now lifeless.

I cast my loot spell and had another large crystal. This gorge was a treasure trove for Magitech. I just wished we didn’t need to fight first to get the “treasures.”

As we regrouped, Mahya dropped from the trees. “Well done, everyone. That was close.”

The gorge never let us feel at ease. Even as we tried to rest, the distant sounds of monsters roaring reminded us of the dangers ahead. As noon approached, the next wave of attacks began. A horde of nightmarish creatures burst from the trees.

“Rue sense danger from all sides. Stay close to Rue!”

Mahya was already moving, her MK47 blazing as she leaped into the air. As she descended, she switched to her sword, decapitating a wolf-sized insect in mid-air.

Al held his ground as a rhino-sized beast charged, his shield absorbing the impact. Despite the tremendous force, Al remained standing, redirecting the creature’s momentum and driving his sword deep into its side.

I swiftly crystallized the fallen monster. My luck activated a sense of danger from behind. I spun around and shot a manta ray-like creature, advancing silently.

“John, heal!” Mahya shouted, grimacing as a scythe-like limb grazed her leg.

I ran to her, and she jumped down, but I had to fight the insectoid to get to her. Al came to protect us with his shield so I could heal her.

The fight dragged on relentlessly. Switching between my swords and mana darts, I fought with every ounce of strength. Each strike and spell slowly transformed the battlefield into a dazzling garden of crystals littering the ground.

Mahya was a whirlwind of motion, her agility and speed keeping her just out of reach of the beasts’ claws and fangs. Al’s sword and shield worked in perfect harmony, and his movements were precise. Rue’s massive form barrelled through smaller creatures, his jaws snapping shut with bone-crushing force.

“Rue smells alpha!” He warned us. “Big alpha coming!”

A colossal figure emerged around the bend as if summoned by Rue’s warning. Standing four meters tall, it resembled an ape but had overlapping plates of bone covering its body with wicked horns crowning its head. Its eyes flickered with evil intelligence.

Mahya didn’t hesitate. She used the smaller monsters as stepping stones, running closer to the alpha. With a Jump, she landed on its shoulder and drove her sword deep into the junction of its neck and collarbone. The alpha roared, thrashing wildly in pain and fury. Mahya clung on, firing her MK47 point-blank into its face, but the creature’s rage seemed only to grow.

Al and I fought through the smaller monsters, leaving a trail of crystal in our wake. Rue lunged forward, his teeth clamping onto the alpha’s leg, trying to unbalance it. I switched to my bow, firing arrow after arrow into the alpha’s bone plates. Each hit elicited a scream of pain, but its strength remained undiminished.

“We need to end this now!” Mahya shouted, narrowly avoiding a swipe from the alpha’s massive claws.

An idea struck me. “Al! Give me a boost!”

Understanding immediately, Al braced himself and raised his shield. I sprinted towards him, jumped onto his shield, and he launched me into the air with all his might. As I soared towards the alpha, I drew both of my swords.

Time seemed to slow as I reached the apex of my flight, level with the alpha’s head. It locked its burning eyes onto me, filled with fury. I coated both swords with a thick coat of mana and drove both blades into those evil eyes, using every bit of my strength.

The alpha’s death cries shook the ground. As I fell, Mahya caught me incredibly fast, and we landed safely. The alpha’s massive body collapsed, shaking the earth with its final impact.

Breathing heavily, I cast the crystallization spell on the alpha. We got one hell of a crystal—bigger than my house core.

The remaining monsters scattered in different directions, like a spell had just broken. They slunk back into the gorge, leaving a battlefield littered with the crystals of their fallen.

We stood there, exhausted. Mahya leaned on her sword, Al slumped against his shield, and Rue panted at my feet. I gazed at my friends and managed a weak smile.

“We did it,” I whispered, dropped on my butt on the ground, utterly spent.

Once the excitement of battle subsided, we took a quick break to drink and rest. When I felt like I could stand again, I walked around the battlefield and collected all the crystals.

We went deeper into the gorge in the late afternoon. The scenery got even stranger, with strange rock formations that looked like cacti made of rocks and plants that didn’t follow the rules of nature. Overhead, there was a ledge with two trees growing upside down. There were also bushes growing out of granite rocks and vines curled in perfect squares and triangles.

Glowing moss covered some rocks, emitting an eerie, phosphorescent light. Crystalline petals grew from cracks in the rocks to form big flower-like shapes. As the sun hit them, the petals changed colors.

There were also ferns with metal branches that clinked softly in the wind and patches of grass that seemed to be made of glass. One strange structure looked like a bunch of stone mushrooms, with caps that pulsed slowly and gave off a soft, rhythmic glow.

A few meters deeper, we navigated through a field of enormous mushrooms, some with caps large enough to serve as platforms. Those mushrooms were alive, not the stone ones from before, and not as pretty as the ones we had in “our” valley. Here, they were sickly green-brown, and even Al scrunched his nose at them. And this guy loved mushrooms. They also released spores into the air that, based on the reactions from my mask, were some type of nasty.

We had our last fight as the sun set, casting long shadows across the surreal terrain. We stood on the bank of a dark, bubbling pool that stank to high heaven.

Without warning, the pool erupted, releasing a swarm of creatures the size of poodles, their wet bodies glistening in the dim light. Their four horns shone with an eerie glow, and their yellow eyes burned with evil intent. As they charged, their claws and teeth gleamed dangerously.

“Not these again!” Mahya groaned.

“Pims!” Rue shouted and sounded excited for some strange reason.

The ensuing battle was brutal and intense. The creatures, though small, were deadly in numbers. Their claws and teeth could inflict severe damage.

I constantly switched weapons. My swords slashed through the air, cutting down the surrounding creatures. When they got too close, I swapped to my staff, using sweeping motions to create space. My mana darts effectively picked off the creatures, harrying my friends.

Al’s shield was an impenetrable barrier against the swarm. His sword flashed in deadly arcs, each swing dispatching multiple pims. “They just keep coming!” he shouted over the din of battle.

Mahya was a blur of movement, her agility keeping her just out of reach of the swarming creatures. She switched seamlessly between her sword and MK47, taking down enemies near and far. Her ability to run along walls and leap incredible distances made her a constant, elusive target.

“Rue smell more coming!”

For every creature we felled, two more took its place.

We were being pushed back towards the mushroom field when an idea struck me. “The spores! If we can lure them into the thick of it, maybe it’ll disorient them!”

Mahya nodded, understanding immediately. She leaped onto one of the enormous mushroom caps and taunted the swarm. “Over here, you ugly mutts!” she yelled, firing her MK47.

The enraged creatures followed her into the spore-laden air. She jumped from one mushroom to another and, for good measure, jumped on each mushroom a couple of times to release more spores. As the pims entered the mushroom field, their movements became erratic. Some turned on each other, while others stumbled and fell.

“This is our opportunity!” Al shouted, charging into the disoriented horde with his shield leading the way.

We pressed our advantage, cutting down the confused creatures with renewed vigor. I rapidly alternated between my weapons, converting each dead pim into a crystal. As the last creatures fell, an eerie silence descended on the gorge.

“It is over,” Rue announced, relief apparent in his voice. “Rue smell no more close.”

Mahya looked at our group with a mix of pride and concern. “Good job, everyone. We’ve made significant progress. But we’re all exhausted, and it’s getting dark. Let’s head back.”

We nodded in weary agreement. Exhausted from fighting all day, we struggled to return to the gorge entrance.

“Rue is happy. Rue fight monsters with friends. Rue got level,” he exclaimed, his tail wagging in excitement.

“Congrats, buddy,” I said in a tired voice.

Al and Mahya also congratulated him as we trudged back. Crystal-wise, it was a good day, but I was utterly spent. Fighting monsters was a hard job.