[DCI] Chapter 66 - The Fallen Apostle (Patreon)

We ran to the nearby spire and entered the gothic tower, finding plenty of Skeletons inside just like the last time. Levia held up her hand for a moment, making sure that her concoctions worked properly, but not a single monster turned its empty eye sockets to us even after a few long seconds so we seemed fairly safe. She gave me a gentle nod and began providing Aisha with directions through our mental communication.

That way, our drakan Berserker could lead the charge while Lulu watched our backs. I stayed in the middle of our formation with Levia. Rose scouted ahead whenever she could and the lazy Divine Fowl remained hidden under our Witch’s big hat until we needed its assistance.

Surprisingly, both of our familiars didn’t trigger any reactions from the skellies. Levia explained that it was thanks to the bonds we shared with them. Both Rose and the godly chicken were currently masking their presence by drawing on the potions we had consumed. It was honestly one of the little tricks I hadn’t been aware of. In the game, all party members needed to consume their own doses of whatever consumables you used. But, maybe familiars worked differently. I hadn’t had a chance to test that out.

Therefore, we snuck around the bony boys for a good while. We had to navigate around the few damaged or destroyed spires thanks to our previous visit. I was a bit worried about the fallen altars, but Levia assured me that she didn’t need all of them intact to do her part. And, the more of them we destroyed, the harder it was for the mastermind behind their creation to achieve whatever they were aiming for. So, the resident titan’s angry flailing was in our favor.

Soon, we located our first altar and Levia glanced back at me. “Be ready to run at any moment. The Rib Titan might be waiting for us to show ourselves.”

“Should we put someone outside to act as bait?” Lulu asked anxiously.

The elf lady shook her head. “Our potions should work against it too. We just need to be fast since there is no doubt that it will try to kill us by destroying this tower even if it is not able to spot our specific position.”

“And we can’t really use that spell to make us lighter again without putting a target on our backs.” Aisha clicked her tongue. “I’ll take a quick look around outside. Let me know when shit goes down.”

She stepped closer to leave a peck on my cheek and sauntered to the exit without looking back. I shook my head, amused at her still continuing to mark her territory in front of our lust imp friend. But, I could live with it. It certainly was amusing.

Levia focused on the stone slab while the remaining two of us kept our eyes open for any changes. She tried her best to operate the magical terminal as fast as she could and I really admired how agile and accurate her slender fingers were while tapping the various runes and formations. I had no doubt that she would be able to beat even Zeke in typing speed after just a few weeks of practice with a mechanical keyboard.

A small competition to verify that sounded like a neat little idea. I couldn’t wait to see him completely demolished by a dainty, little lady with a bored, almost sleepy expression. He would never psychologically recover from that. I bet she would be a total monster in MMOs.

Since this time we were much more focused, the signs of the approaching giant bastard were much clearer. Everything shook increasingly more as the Rib Titan used the other spires to propel itself our way. Aisha reported sighting it far away and I gently urged Levia to hurry up or drop it before we ended up as bone dust. She flicked a few more flashing sigils and jumped away from the slab, letting me grab her hand and pull her to the exit.

Regrouping with Aisha, we hastily ran up the stairs to the bridge three levels above us. We reached it pretty much the very moment our massive friend arrived at our spire. It didn’t fuck around and smashed the flat of its skeletal palm into the tower from above, bringing it as low as it could. We’d barely gotten to the other spire before the bridge crumbled down.

But, we did not stop to gawk. Our current spire had suffered some collateral damage too and we had to move to the next one as soon as possible. Not being able to use any skills or magic was a real drag. It showed especially for Lulu, who was used to supporting herself with her shadows and other tricks.

Our decision to escape proved to be the correct one. Somehow, the Rib Titan knew it hadn’t squished us to death and it began taking it out on the nearby towers. By the time it calmed down, we were already a safe distance away from the commotion. At least until Levia would touch another ritual altar. We’d passed plenty of floors and rooms but we ignored most of them, giving them only a brief glance since our objective was clear. Locate the Dungeon Core or the Dungeon Master as soon as possible and take them down.

About an hour later, we found another altar and Levia took a peek my way once more. “I might need to read one more slab other than this one. I shall try to finish the triangulation here, though investigating the spiritual matters too deeply might break the effect of the potion.”

I placed a hand on her shoulder. “Do what you need to do. We’ll trust your judgment. The Rib Titan isn’t far so we might not have much time for you to remain here too long.”

“You are right.” She nodded faintly. “I will hurry, then.”

Aisha went to be on the lookout and we repeated our actions from earlier. Levia’s fingers moved with even more speed as her focused gaze aimed to drill holes in the surface of the altar. I saw her sway a tiny bit from the amount of effort she put into it and quickly stepped closer, delicately supporting her waist, not wanting to break her concentration but at the same time helping her stay balanced.

The runes and sigils flashed much stronger and a booming roar shook the tower. It was obvious that the Rib Titan was after us. And, this time, I was pretty sure that it wasn’t coming in blind. Call that intuition, but I could tell that Levia’s spiritual energy was no longer hidden.

The jig was up.

I sent thoughts and prayers to whatever gods watched us for her to finish quickly. Lulu’s head swiveled from side to side as she anxiously clutched her hands to her chest. Aisha continued to report the movements of the big bad and we could only wait for the inevitable.

Fortunately, Levia wrapped her survey up quicker than before and stepped back from the slab, running into my chest. She looked at me in slight confusion and I just smiled warmly while she slowly realized what I’d been doing, directing the tiniest grateful smile back at me in return.

“I got it. The main ritual circle is not that far from us,” she said as I let go of her. “The core issue is, it is on the very bottom of the chasm.”

“In the middle of all those Skeletons?!” Lulu squealed a little.

“Not exactly.” Levia shook her head. “But, we have no time for explanations.”

~Damn right,~ Aisha chimed in mentally. ~The Giant Boner is only two spires away. And it’s coming back with vengeance.~

“What do we do?” The imp girl looked between the two of us.

“We should start running down. You are still concealed. I will descend a floor or two behind you to keep that monster away from your position,” our Witch suggested.

I shook my head and gestured at them to run along. “No, that’s too risky. I won’t leave you behind with no support. There has to be another way.”

Aisha opened the skeletal door for us and we got to the spiral staircase running around the spire. “Can’t we jump down again?”

“Good idea.” I sent her a quick smile. “Will Feather Fall last long enough for us to reach the bottom without turning into tomato paste?”

“If all of us jump together, I do think so,” Levia replied. “But the fall might be slow enough for the Rib Titan to attack us in the air.”

I clicked my tongue as the tremors intensified. Our not-so-little friend was launching itself towards the spires next to the one we were on. Time was almost up.

“I do have one spell ready in case Feather Fall would fail,” our beautiful Witch continued. “Air Cushion. It also slows down one’s fall but much closer to the landing surface. Its activation has to be very precise too.”

“Just tell us one thing.” Aisha turned to her. “Can you time it right?”

We all stared at Levia as she met our gazes one by one and finally nodded. “I will.”

“Then get the fuck ready!” my berserker mate shouted and wrapped us all in one giant hug.

The next part was quite easily predicted. She launched us off the spiraling stairs a few seconds before a skeletal hand finally reached us. Lots of stone and other debris followed us as we plunged into total darkness. With my hands free, I hastily fished out one of the vials attached to my coat and chucked it below us with all I had, both physically and mentally through Telekinesis. For this to work, it had to hit the ground first.

And it did work as the small flask sped to its destruction much faster than we did and hit the floor with a bright flash, spreading fluorescent fluid all over it, effectively illuminating our landing zone well enough for Levia to judge her spell correctly without having to rely on some divine intuition.

Our professional magician did not disappoint. We caught a faint gleam of a golden arcana being activated and saw a translucent pocket of greenish air appear below us, right before we crashed into it. Everyone groaned lightly as we lost most of our velocity in a blink and then continued toward the ground at a slightly more pleasant pace. We were down on the stone tiles in no time, watching the contours of the Air Cushion dissipate into nothingness.

“Quickly! We have no time to collect ourselves! The Rib Titan will be on us in a moment! Our only hope is to reach the ritual circle if we do not want to fight it on its terms!” Levia raised her usually quiet voice to push through a lot of skittering and clattering echoing all around us like cicadas in their season.

No one opposed her suggestion and we were on the run right away, following the petite Witch as she was the only one somewhat knowledgeable on where to go and what to do. Behind us, we already heard the massive torso with arms crumbling the nearby spires while moving down.

We really were doing so damn much running in this Dungeon.

After taking a few turns around the bottom of the many ominous towers, we suddenly came out in front of something that actually emitted light. About a dozen of giant blue crystals resembling those we had destroyed on the top level were set in a circle around something. That something seemed to be a cascading, gradually rising platform, one level over another. Each disc was glowing with plenty of arcane symbols and sigils. In the very middle, hovered a sizable octahedron of the same color, levitating above an intricate altar.

That had to be the source of corruption the quest mentioned.

But, before any of us had a chance to voice out that thought, a massive crash thundered somewhere behind us, with its impact so strong we almost fell to the ground. I barely managed to grab Levia before she tripped, pulling her into me. One look over my shoulder confirmed my fears.

Our friend was there. And it was not happy.

“To the crystals!” Levia shouted while tugging on my clothes. “Quickly!”

I did not question her words and sped forward alongside the others. The floor shook with each powerful smack the Rib Titan gave the naughty floor as it dragged and pushed itself after us. We could hear the scraping of its severed spine over the stone tiles beneath our feet. Levia didn’t even consider fishing out some kind of an arcana to fight it off. She just gazed longingly towards the ritual site. We gave it our all to reach it first.

Fortunately, we’d been decently close to the massive crystal obelisks when the Titan had come down so we were able to achieve that goal without ending up as a bloody smudge. We threw ourselves past the glowing pillars and watched as the Titan’s skeletal hand stopped in mid-air, hovering over them, and effectively over us. It hesitated and withdrew its spooky fingers, glaring at us furiously with its empty sockets.

“You think yourself smart, child?” An ancient voice belonging to a woman echoed around us and our heads snapped in different directions. “You think you can be safe by invading the site of my grand ritual? You are terribly mistaken, then.”

“Do not listen to her,” Levia said, back to her more casual, neutral tone. “These crystals are crucial to whatever spell she is preparing. The Rib Titan will not risk damaging them.”

An ominous chuckle reverberated through the air. “Oh, really?”

Just then, that very Rib Titan shoved its palm forward close to the ground rather than swing it from above. We pressed ourselves into the floor as it rushed past us before retreating to its owner. It had just thrown a punch between the crystal pillars. It certainly wasn’t out of the game yet.

“Do you think my little pet is the only thing I can use against you?” the evil Witch asked with an amused smirk in her tone. “I have an entire army of loyal children to do my bidding. And they have been aching for an opportunity to stretch their old bones a little.”

Something akin to a snap of someone’s fingers bounced off the nearby spires and the previously somewhat distant noise of scraping and chattering began growing closer. Its source was obvious. The normal Skeletons were on the move now too.

“Spread out!” I shouted, pulling Levia up. “Keep yourselves close to a crystal! I need time to think of something!”

The ladies did exactly as I commanded and we jumped in different directions while grouped in pairs. Lulu and Aisha took off north while Levia and I escaped south.

“Fools. You are only delaying the inevitable,” the invisible voice boomed. “It’s much simpler and less painful for you to just drop dead and join my lovely family.”

“I would rather shove a morningstar up my cunt, bitch!” My fierce drakan mate taunted her.

“I am afraid we are unable to listen to your request,” Levia added too, with a bit more class and courtesy.

“Ah, for you, my dear, I might have a different suggestion,” the voice said, and we finally had a chance to spot our main target.

But, to our dismay, instead of some old woman of a random race wearing witchy clothes, a simple… cloak… fluttered into view. It was dark blue and floated through the air like it was attached to a person. But, its wearer did not exist. Or she was invisible.

“Soul Severing Curse…” my pretty Witch muttered under her nose. “Her soul was torn out of her body due to a failed ritual and ended up bound to the cloak.”

“Correct.” The cloak billowed more as it spoke. “I’m glad to hear that you aren’t a complete novice, dear. You are right. I’m like this because my previous form was lacking. But, thanks to that, I'm no longer limited by the restraints of my flesh. Join me, sister, and become the hand that will guide us both to greatness. I shall allow you to become my assistant and lend a hand in attaining greatness. With the two of us, no ritual will be the slightest challenge.”

I glanced down at Levia but there was no reason to worry. She flashed me one of those precious smiles of hers and shook her head.

“You have forsaken your fate by collaborating with the forces of the Void. Your soul is too far gone, tainted to its very roots. You should have never let the Dungeon assimilate you willingly. Right now, there is no helping you. Your only choice for redemption is to fully accept death, which you have been avoiding for decades if not longer,” she replied firmly. “It is sad seeing one of our sisters fall so low as to be sentenced to eternal damnation within the dark energies of destruction.”

“You are making a huge mistake here, child,” the evil Witch almost growled. “It’s through the Void that we can unlock our full potential. I thought you could see that. But it looks like I was mistaken. I will be the saddened one having to take your life. You could have served under me as your master and attained the unimaginable.”

“I already have a master,” Levia countered. “One you are not worthy of even speaking the name. And one who will bring forth your demise.”

“Then so be it. I hoped you would be smarter, but—”

“Raaaaaah!”

Suddenly, Aisha flew at the cloak from behind, interrupting the evil Witch. But, just as her hammer was going to make contact with the floating piece of cloth, the material shifted and let her weapon through. Aisha fell forward and rolled down a few platforms before regaining her balance. She shot the cloak a vicious glare, readying herself for another strike.

“Drakans. As barbaric as ever,” the cursed woman sneered. “You will make a fine addition to my collection. Children!”

Skeletons began climbing up the first step past the crystal obelisks from all directions. The bluish glow of the magical pillars illuminated the sea of enemies surrounding us. They were nothing more than simple grunts, rarely equipped with any weapons, but their sheer numbers were a massive problem.

“Can you stop them somehow?” I asked Levia, hastily looking around for any solution to our troubles.

“I can cast Protection from Evil over the ritual site. But, that will leave me completely open to any attacks for the entire duration of the cast. You have to quickly destroy at least three pillars, they are what animates the Rib Titan and the other Skeletons, then crack the core of the ritual. That is the only way we can win,” she answered, finding my eyes and staring deeply into them. “I shall leave everything to you. You can do it, Master.”

She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her delicate lips into mine. I savored this sweet sensation for as long as I could before Levia drew her face back and dove right into her role in this encounter. I stood over her as she pulled out all the necessary components to cast the mentioned spell and dropped to her knees to start working on it while holding one of her arcanas between her palms joined in a praying gesture.

I hastily pulled out a single flask out of her medical bag and downed it right away. Checking on the buckler attached to my left forearm, I took a defensive position over my beloved Witch, now incapable of feeling any pain for thirty minutes.

Who said that poisons couldn’t be useful too?

~Aisha, get those pillars down. And don’t hold back. I’ll remain by Levia’s side so don’t worry about collateral damage. I need them gone. Now,~ I ordered my other precious partner mentally, imbuing my words with both Command and Encourage.

A fierce, draconic roar reached my ears and a smile crept up onto my lips. Leveling the cloak with a determined gaze, I brought up my mace and let both handaxes orbit my chest.

“Bring it on, you expired piece of laundry.”