Underworld - Book 4 - Chapter 11

I waited until we had rejoined the others before letting Fire Incubus Form drop entirely. Turning back, I launched a 50,000 mana Drain into the center of the cavern and watched as thousands of tentacles reached into the rubble and drew the blood and flesh of the mobs Aeris had killed to a single point. A glob of fluid larger than Waldemar hovered momentarily in the middle of The Belly as if it was its beating heart, before a strand shot toward me. I was soon covered in the converted power as I absorbed it.

+3,050 HP

+281 Str

+363 Dex

+193 Con

+47 Int

+32 Wis

It was a fairly low take for the numerous mobs that had died, but then again, Vampires Might had already tasted the blood of most of these mobs’ multiple times already. If it wasn’t for it ranking up to its intermediate form, it would probably have been much less. Vampires Might didn’t even level once, but Lesser Devour scaled up from 78 to 83.

With an additional 21 levels, I’d made out well.

Elorion

Level: 751

Health Points: 235,216 (+2,059)

Mana Points: 216,049 (+1,842)

Mana Per Minute: 7,660 (126 Per Second)

Attributes

Strength: 2198 (+21)

Dexterity: 2,044 (+20)

Constitution: 2,059 (+20)

Intelligence: 1,228 (+12)

Wisdom: 3,830 (+37)

There was certainly nothing to complain about, and the others had done far better than me in the leveling department. Only 1,234 levels to go until I reached 10,000 Wisdom.

I finally allowed 3x Advanced Mind Buff to drop and made sure everyone had a fresh cast of Invisibility.

Giving the others my full attention, I faced them in my skeletal armor with my helmet uncast. It was then that I saw Aeris flying over and around them as they tried to follow her swift movements. Instead of feeling the same anxiety she had during her first transformation, she was thoroughly enjoying this new form. The fact that she could change between it and her Wind Sprite form must have alleviated most of her worries.

I had to admit, from what I’d seen, this new form of hers alleviated much of my concerns for her safety as well. She’d taken the heat of liquid magma head-on. The rest of my questions would be answered soon enough. I waited as long as I dared while she was enjoying teasing the others. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time to spare.

“We must get going.” I said, joining them. I took a moment with Mana Sight’s help, to examine our three melee specialists. All of them now had denser mana after they’d leveled up considerably.

A high pitched sigh looped through the air as Aeris whipped around and landed at my side—her physical form took shape. “Yes, yes. Our boneheaded leader here came to rescue me from a sweet little kitty and went all macho by activating his Light Magic buffs. He was like, ‘ahhh!’” Aeris said, throwing up her arms and flexing.

Everyone laughed, but their uncertainty was written all over their faces. 

“You’re forgetting that this is a giant magma kitty that once almost ate me for breakfast.” I replied.

She waved her hand like it was inconsequential. “But he’s right. We need to get moving. Thankfully the Wraith’s Tomb is in the opposite direction of Sanctuary.”

“Wait.” Melony replied horrified. “You’re telling me we’re going to be leading Mistress Nava away? We’re bait?”

“No. They wouldn’t put us in that kind of danger.” Jess reassured her before turning to us. “Right?”

Aeris met my eyes. She didn’t have any clever responses either. I smiled awkwardly.

“You are.” Jess said. Her mouth quivered.

“What’s the plan?” Perry said, stepping forward and putting on a strong face.

That was the question, wasn’t it? There had always been the danger that taking them with us would put them in the position of facing Mistress Nava prematurely. That was looking much more likely now. In their current state, they would be nothing but fodder. I wasn’t confident Aeris and I could handle ourselves much better. The chance that the two of us could successfully run and hide was much better alone. If they stayed with us, it was unlikely that we’d be able to protect them from her.

“We take you back.” I watched as their eyes fell to the floor, one after the other.

“But then we’d be leading her right back home.” Melony said.

“We’ll retrace our steps and come right back to The Belly before continuing on.” Aeris replied, answering for me.

“But. But that will put you guys in even more danger.”

“A little, but if it’s just the two of us, Elorion and I are very fast. What would take all of us hours, will take him and I minutes.”

I could see Melony’s acknowledgement of her weakness in the creasing up of her brow.

“There’s another way.” Perry said. “If we can find the original tunnel we took when Zorik was leading us to Sanctuary, I can get Jess and Melony back safely. I’ve always had a way with directions.”

“That could work,” Aeris said aloud as she was still considering it.

It could, but, if they ran into high level mobs, it could be our first true disaster. I examined them closely. Even without killing a single mob themselves, they’d leveled like kids scarfing down candy on Halloween. Melony was now level 436 after leveling over 40 times. She’d said she was working on her Constitution next, so that meant she’d have close to 220 stats making her that much more difficult to kill. Leveling about the same amount as her friend, Jess was now level 440.

“Jess, how did you spend your stat points?” I said, unsure how she was proceeding with her character build.

“I was thinking of adding more to strength. I need to hit harder.”

I began to quiz her about how Intelligence and Wisdom affected her Fade ability. It soon became clear what would improve her ability the most. She realized it without me having to say anything. “If I increase my Intelligence, Fade would last longer—I could cast it more often with less down time. And once I get the 1,000 stat bonus…”

I nodded my approval. She’d have to work on increasing her damage eventually, but her survival ability was nearly overpowered. Pushing its strengths to the extreme might unlock something new as well. At least, that’s what I hoped for her.

Perry on the other hand had as straight forward of a build as could be. His talent wasn’t in a stat like Skyler’s was Strength, but in hitting things. The higher his physical stats, the better he could, well, hit things…

Perry

Level: 449

Health Points: 40,900 (+409)

Mana Points: 1,000 (+20)

Stamina: 2,863 (+29)

Attributes

Strength: 1,057 (+10)

Dexterity: 817 (+8)

Constitution: 409 (+4)

Intelligence: 100 (+1)

Wisdom: 101 (+1)

He’d already spent his stat points. I only wished he could stay with us longer so that we could get him his Dexterity bonus at 1,000. The real question was, was he strong enough to keep the girls safe while he led them back to Sanctuary. There was also the problem of the walls of magma and rock that Clarissa and I had left in place as we’d blocked our way behind us when fleeing Mistress Nava. It was possible that Lady Contessa had knocked it down as she followed us, but just as likely that she’d found another way into Sanctuary.

Bringing up this last point, it didn’t even faze him. He immediately plucked something out of his inventory. It was a mining pick. “There hasn’t been much call for it lately, but I’m really good at making holes.”

That’s right. He was one of our two people with the mining profession. “But how long would it take you to dig through a wall?” I replied.

“Depends on the wall. A few minutes maybe.” With his other hand he pulled the sledgehammer from his back. Skyler hadn’t been wrong about him. He needed a little direction, but now that he had a goal in his sights, he was determined to get on with it.

“We’ll see. Its about time we check back with Sanctuary. Give me a moment.” I stepped away from the group and returned to the ledge that overlooked the Crystalis. Even after all this time, I easily found the entrance to the tunnel that would head back to the Head Mistress’s dungeon on the other side of The Belly. The rubble Aeris had left was a mound of rock near the mouth of its opening, but after seeing Lady Contessa make her entrance from that very cave, it wasn’t something I believed I’d ever forget.

Shaking away the memory, I checked in with Skyler and Olivia, giving them a quick update on events since we’d entered The Belly. Skyler was blown away at what he heard, but Olivia didn’t seem surprised at what Aeris had done at all. Which left me wondering if Aeris had told someone about the new instincts she’d gained through her transformation after all. It was a question that would have to wait.

“We don’t have much time. Skyler, do you think Perry is capable of leading Melony and Jess back to Sanctuary?” I quickly explained Perry’s plan and my fears of high level monsters.

“He’ll be fine.” Skyler replied without hesitation.

“You’re sure?”

“Yup. When he gets his head in the game, he’s a better fighter than I am. Don’t let his lack of Underworld talent fool you. If we hadn’t been taken, he could have gotten a college scholarship playing any sport he wanted. He’s one of those freak athletes that’s good at everything—a lazy geek freak, but still a freak.”

“Uh, thanks. That’s reassuring.”

That was the best information I probably was going to get, but it still hadn’t completely settled it for me. There was still the magma wall I’d thrown up to block our path that needed to be taken care of.

I turned back, facing my group.

Perry had rested his pick and sledge against either shoulder. The look he was giving me told me he already knew what Skyler had said.

I give up. “Let’s go find ourselves a wall.”

***

Finding the exit we’d taken during our first visit to The Belly wasn’t difficult. It’s amazing how the emotions you have when you’re running for your life burns a memory into your mind. It wasn’t far from the ledge on which we’d stood.

The incline inside the tunnel reminded me of the Wargs chasing us. It was the first time I’d used the Magma spell Xaphan had allowed me to steal with Force Learn. It wasn’t far from the entrance that we came face to face with the quickly erected wall. Most of the magma had run down from the top in its liquid state and cooled near the bottom, leaving large mounds of igneous rock that looked like layers of ocean waves frozen, one upon another.

Without a word, Perry approached the wall—not bothering to remove his armor. Setting his sledgehammer to the side, he grabbed the handle of the mining pick with two hand before twisting at the waist a few times, then rounding his shoulders. With a final stretch, he took a long look at the mess of rock before him.

Glancing at the girls, the looks they were making were as doubtful as mine. We stood back as he took his first swing.

His pick swung down from overhead at a slight angle. It was swift, but not with the amount of power I’d thought he’d use. With 1,000 Strength, there wasn’t any question whether he could knock a hole in the wall. My concern was whether he could do it quickly and safely.

After two more swings from different angles, he sat down his pick and grabbed the handle of his sledge. As if he’d flipped a switch, his muscles tightened, as did his focus. His sledgehammer crashed into the rock he’d just picked. A mass of stone, the size of a small boulder that had come up to my waist, crumbled.

Using his sledge more like a broom than a hammer, he brushed the rubble out of his path, before setting his hammer down and grabbing the pick once again.

In less than three minutes he stepped through a minivan sized hole in the wall to the other side. Turning back in our direction, he poked at the top of his makeshift entrance with his pick a few times to clear some loose rock. With a nod of his head, he inventoried his mining pick and returned his sledge to his back.

I’d seen him fight on our way to The Belly, and he’d done well enough, but wererats weren’t much challenge for any of us at this level. After seeing this, and hearing what Skyler had said, I was bummed I would get to see more of what he was capable of. If we survive all this, I’d make some time to find out.

“Keep your eyes peeled and stay safe.” Aeris said as we watched Melony and Jess walk carefully through the new stone archway.

“Have your health potions ready.” I added.

“Yes mom. Yes dad.” Jess replied with a laugh.

Aeris grabbed my hand and laid her head against my shoulder. We watched them go. I uncast Invisibility and gave each of them a fresh heal. “We should give them time to cover some ground before we leave.”

“What are you thinking. Ten minutes?” I said.

“That works.”

“So it’s just you and me.”

“Don’t get any bright ideas mister. This is a business trip.” She replied with a playful glare.

“Do you think they’ll be alright?”

She sighed. “There comes a time when all parents must let their children grow up and walk off into the Underworld, alone.” She was immediately shaking head at what she’d said. “Okay, our sixteen kids won’t be allowed to leave home until they’re thirty.”

I was staring at her, my mouth agape. “Sixteen? Really?”

“Who’s to say Wind Sprites aren’t super fertile and have eight babies at a time?”

“That’s a lot of mouths to feed.”

Her hand disappeared from mine as she transformed and spun around my waist, then chest like a windy hula hoop before stopping inches from my face. I looked into her semi-transparent eyes. Through the mana realm there was a higher concentration of mana where her pupils were. With the swiftest of moments she leaned toward me and gave me an airy kiss.

Her lips were like kissing pillows of compressed air. I felt them more than I’d expected. She was also warmer.

She pulled back as quickly as she’d leaned in. “Let’s return to our ledge. Is there anything you want from The Belly before we leave?”

“No. The sooner we’re away from this place, the better.” I replied.

A minute later, we sat together, our legs dangling over the cliff. I feared Mistress Nava could get there any moment, but at the same time, it was highly unlikely. Once she’d gotten a reading on where we were, she’d send someone else to track us down before coming herself. Or, if she did come herself, she would finish up whatever was currently holding her attention. She was too full of herself to drop everything just to run here herself. She’d come in her own time. I could be wrong.

There was no sign of her when we climbed to our feet and returned to the tunnel. 

Amping up In The Buff to 4x gave me an additional 1,200 points to each of my stats while only costing me approximately 6,000 mana per minute, leaving a little excess incase anything popped up. It also allowed me to run much faster while creating an obvious trail for Mistress Nava to follow. We began to run. In other words, I began to run, and Aeris flew circles around me in her new form, mocking my speed. The change in her was simply incredibly and she was enjoying every minute of it.

We returned to our original path where we’d decided to take a detour and head to The Belly. This time, we headed in the originally intended direction toward the Wraith’s Tomb. After a few miles of heading away from Sanctuary, I dropped In The Buff and cast Hell Hound Form. It cost 1,800 mana per minute at level 10. Running around on all fours wasn’t something I’d even come near to mastering, but even though it was only currently giving me +1,360 to Dexterity, there was no denying the advantage of running on four legs instead of two.

“Don’t hold back your heat this time if it helps you go faster. Temperature doesn’t bother me in this form.” Aeris sung as she blew from side to side near the ceiling of the tunnel. “The hotter things get, the faster I can go.”

It wasn’t easy to follow her with my eyes, but Mana Sight at least made keeping track of her possible. I’d seen her playing with Xaphan with my own eyes. There was no reason not to believe her.

The last twenty four hours had been interesting to say the least. First, I’d learned to fly, or at least not smack into things, and now, I was about to get a crash course in running on all fours.

Casting Hell Hound Form covered me in black fur and gave me the shape much like a giant greyhound, but with a much more sinister appeal. I didn’t exactly feel powerful but filled with heat and boundless energy. I felt like I needed to move. With Aeris’s permission, I funneled 4,000 additional mana per minute into the form’s Turn Up the Heat ability.

Turn Up the Heat: For every 100 Mana Per Minute(20 with buffs), an additional +5 Fire Damage/Per Minute is given. Maximum damage, 500.

This allowed me to max the ability out. The air around me and the cave itself began to smolder in the additional heat. I felt the flames ignite where my ears and tail had been, brightening the path before me. Even my hide began to glow like red hot coal.

The description of the skill didn’t say as much, but I’d seen firsthand Mistress Nava’s Hell Hound’s greatly increase in speed when it used this ability against us. I’d even tested it briefly during my first stint of power leveling the form.

My breathing was no longer the inhale and exhale of air, but the drawing in of oxygen to fuel my flames as I began to run, leaving a protesting Aeris in my dust. It was then that the true difference between running on two legs and four became painfully clear. Even flying with Fire Incubus Form would have struggled to beat my pace. The floor beneath me was a blur even with Mana Sight at full power. The rest of the trip, that would have taken us half a day of walking, I doubted would now take an hour.

I saw Aeris before I heard her out of the corner of my eye. She was flying even with me, except instead of struggling to keep up, she was spinning in the air beside me as she skirted above the ground. I would have laughed, but I almost had a misstep that would have sent me tumbling into the wall where the tunnel took a turn. There was no denying it now. She was in a class of her own.

It was for the best that the others had to return. Not even Travis would have been able to keep up with us now. If things went well with the Wraith we could be back in a couple hours with the blueprints of a structure that would allow me to safely train—I even dared to hope—with a plan that would allow us to take care of Mistress Nava once and for all.