SK4 - Chapter 30 - The Exit

As Nick and his wives appeared in the plaza, numerous people had gathered. The black tower that rose up above their house, the obelisk, had mysterious scripts lighting up. He knew it pulsed each time they completed a new floor, and now, they had completed another Stratum.

The density of essence in the air had increased once again. It had only been three weeks since they entered the Ordeal thanks to the bizarre floor, but to Nick and the rest, it felt like three whole months. The essence welcomed him, wrapping around him in–just as the nearby crowd did.

Only his most trusted subordinates were close to the exit archway near his home, but the people lined the streets in the circle around the tower. 

It was much like the celebration for the King’s Mandate, with hundreds of people present. They clapped and cheered, all understanding that their king had fought hard and brought them into a new age. Something that might only happen on this shard once every several generations: a new king reaching this level.

The tower above them brightened further, white and gold lights traveling up the glyphs to the top. The same thing occurred on the Hero’s Path Ordeal, before suddenly a gigantic pulse of light occurred, an unmistakable halo of gold and white light streaking across the heavens.

It was the horn of triumph, signalling to the rest of the Shard that a lord had finished the twentieth floor–becoming a True King of Orion, a contender for ownership of the Frontier Shard.

Nick had a bad premonition about this–that their enemies would see this too. But there was nothing to be done. He greeted the clapping and cheering crowd, waving and shaking a few of their hands. 

He called out to them by enhancing his voice, letting them know that new residents would be coming to Frosthaven as the result of a Trial. Trial Closure would bring homes with them, and so new people of various trades would be arriving. It was an exciting time for the city to expand even further.

Eventually, he came back to the center to greet all his subordinates, family, and friends.

For whatever reason, none of his Maidens, even if they had gone through the Ordeals, had appeared within Test of Governance for which he was thankful–it would have made it even weirder dealing with facsimiles of them. Seeing them here, he was happy to go give them hugs and kiss them on their cheeks. 

The mothers of his future children all looked radiant, having healthy glows. Though, concerningly, perhaps too much darkness within them. Apparently, three weeks was a bit too long to be away all at once, and Chastity was the worst, with Irene second.

He looked at them with concern. The essence within him was already refined to what he considered the maximum levels after these months and of the appropriate balance. He was bursting with essence, and he needed to ascend first before he had…fun with them in that way, where he’d purify theirs, or he’d waste their efforts of empowering him.

“You girls need to pace yourselves.”

Chastity smiled at that, hugging him tightly. “Oh, but we all knew…” She whispered up into his ear, “that Daddy would be back to pay us all a visit soon enough.”

Irene smirked at that. “We have been missing you, Hero. But don’t be so concerned. We will be fine for a few weeks more, so you can take your time and ascend as you like. We have our eyes on it.”

Veronica smiled at him. “We missed you in many more ways than just that one. The maiden wing of home finished constructing from the essence, and we’ve moved our things over to it now. It’s sad not seeing you there at home.”

Marissa nodded. “That’s right. And our babies already started moving, and they need to hear their daddy’s voice.” 

Nick smiled at that. “Of course. We’ll definitely spend some time together soon, I promise. I’ll need to rest after that big battle, and that’s a perfect time for us to get together.”

Irene beamed at that. “That sounds so exciting. You really won over even more people again in a Trial? I can’t wait to see them all, and hear more about it.”

As Nick told them about what happened, he saw that Shara was nearly in tears as she hugged her mother, then her father. “I’m so glad to see you two.”

Myron asked, worried, “What’s the matter, my little treasure?” 

“Oh, um…it’s not that big of a deal. Well, it was a long time for us. It was over three months inside.”

Elyra arched her brow. “Time dilation? That sounds fun. Surely you enjoyed having plenty of time with your new husband and family in the Ordeal? Plus the fighting. I know you enjoy that. Wasn’t it more like a honeymoon?”

Shara blushed at that. “I did, but…well, I’ll tell you later. I got stronger and learned a lot, so I’m happy and proud of what we did, but there was some…weird stuff. It made me miss you two more.”

After catching up with the soon-to-be mothers of his children, Nick went around and made sure all his subordinates felt appreciated. Especially Lumos. She was actually standing near Councilor Robins, so that made this perfect, and he walked over to the two of them.   

“Councilor Robins, and Lumos! I’m so glad to see you both.”

Councilor Robins quirked his brow. “Ah! What is it I can do for you, Milord?”

“Master, do you need something?”

“Just wanted you both to know that I sincerely appreciate you. You’re great; thank you for what you do for Frosthaven. I mean that.” He shook Councilor Robin’s hand, and as he approached Lumos, it seemed her body language preferred a hug, so he obliged.

Councilor Robins laughed as he shook his hand. “Well, it’s great to feel appreciated!”

Lumos pulled back from their hug with a smile. “You betcha! I love the opportunity to really make and fix things. I am happy to be useful!”

“Just let me know if either of you need anything–anything at all. I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen.”

The two were happy to outline some projects they required his approval for, and Nick already had some DP earmarked to upgrade to the full-on Trade Quarter, and thanks to the Path of Kings being climbed while he was inside, they likely had enough or would soon have enough for it. This would be perfect for the incoming dwarves, ratfolk, and quilboarfolk.  

“You’re going to have both a lot more work to do, but also a lot more help soon. Brightclaw and his people are talented and should be a big help. Let me tell you more about the ratfolk and quilboarfolk, and the dwarves.”

He told them a little bit about the Ordeal Floor, the Test of Governance, and the subsequent floors and how the three groups of people would be joining them. None of them were really born fighters other than their climbers, and so there were people with various important professional skills arriving. Perhaps, people with more experience than their own.

“My, you’ve outdone yourself once again, Milord!”

“Wow! More people, ready to work work. I can’t wait to meet them. Worry not, Master. We’ll get these people something to do. I can’t wait for that Trade Quarter; the people will truly begin to grow.”

He went to shake hands with the orcs, giving Andross and Lothar their bro hugs, happy to see them instead of their fakes. The drakans weren’t bad, thankfully, but they just weren’t the same. He promised them both a drink at the bar to recant his tale at the hero’s tavern–once Brightclaw and the rest arrived tomorrow, so they could all meet.

Meeting with the monsterfolk people and his Maidens, they all piled in, crowding him and congratulated him and the girls. He gave each of them hugs and a kiss, much to their satisfaction. He could feel that each of them had grown while he was gone, their progression rapid. Likely, they had done more than one run through the various Ordeals, able to alternate with their slots between the Path of Kings, Samurai, and the hunt.

Eirwen seemed to nod at his thought. “Yes, they’ve all been working very hard to keep your attention and stay ahead of the other gals.”

Fang beamed with pride, lifting her chin up. “That’s right. I picked the bestest ones.”  

Nick chuckled at that and noticed the enigmatic naga was missing. “Where’s Thelisse?”

Zara chuckled. “She’s been busy with the the Spirit Lodge. It just needs some finishing touches before we can take care of you, Boss. I hope you look forward to it; I know I am.”

The other monsterfolk girls smiled and nodded at that, the naga girls swaying their bodies and the wolfen girl’s tails wagging furiously, and the scalefolk girl’s tails even thumping on the ground. It seemed they were thinking of being able to pamper their alpha but also at least hoping for what might happen next. 

Nick smiled at that. “I definitely am, and I’m sure it will be soon. We’ve got some more beasts for taming and more monsterfolk coming. Frogloks, mantisfolk, and diregators arrive tomorrow.”

Thava smiled brightly. “Oh, how unique! I can’t wait to meet them. This one here is nearly ready to claim the drake’s home, and that should be a big help. While a few of us have tried to steal away some drake eggs or tame one after drawing it away from their nest, it has been dangerous and slow-going. Because there’s no alpha, they are extremely aggressive right now. We don’t want to start a stampede which would force us to have to slay them.”

She stroked the drake’s neck as she spoke, which now rose above her own head–which of course, was not that high, since she was a scalefolk, but it was taller even while it sat on its hind-quarters. Soon enough it would reach the second stratum, and at that point with its superior bloodline and size, it should be able to claim dominance over the remaining drakes which would help them tame them, especially any newborns hatched. 

Eirwen noted, “We’ll have to find the right place for that Diregator Spawning Pools. It should be a popular spot for adventurers, based on what I read. Tons of resources for alchemy, unique creatures to hunt, and supposedly, it often spawns unique treasures. It’s an excellent place for their spawning because there’s so much diversity and age of the essence.”

It was a resource nearly at the level of his Frostspire Mines. The demon cores and constant gains of ores and gems were slowly making Nick a fortune and giving his crafters plenty to do. So now, they had something interesting and useful for more types of crafters.

Not everything was good news, as he arrived back. Lothar told him that his scouts had already learned that the monster kingdom was starting to move. With how they typically worked, once they began their assault on the keep, it was something that might never stop. It was why the marshal was an important figure on nearly any shard and often one of the most powerful. 

Most likely, once he and his wives ascended, he would need to begin his assault on them. They were already reinforcing the holdouts in the keep, and the beetlefolk appeared to be taking the charge in this. They were preparing for war, the old king and queen hatching nearly a dozen larvae per day of new young as food and essence pearls were brought in to fuel their birthing and subsequent growth. 

But overall, his people were safe. The barrier and Seraphara’s Light of Wisdom defensive weapon meant that his kingdom would not fall easily, and he could rest on his laurels for a breath. He enjoyed the celebration much like the previous one with his family and friends, drinking and eating as many danced once again. 

Nick was happy to be back. He would need just a few days rest, and then it would be time to ascend.

***

Vaegor stumbled to the ground, the hollowback behemule groaning as its mossy form spit him out from its cavernous body and fell down on its side, groaning with exhaustion. The quadrupedal plant creature had been overworked to bring him home after his failure, his raids in the West entirely ruined. 

How?

How could this happen? 

Thankfully, he had finally arrived at his sanctuary, and finally, he would get some answers. The decrepit swamp of rot and petulance was inviting to his corrupted arborfolk body. His wounds began to heal as he fed on the decay of order stored within as he took slow, measured steps into the murky water.

His head eventually submerged as he entered the deep, and after a time marching underwater, he arrived at his sunken tower. He merged with the wall, then phased through the wooden doorway, arriving inside his Dark Kingdom’s Crown Sanctum, a womb of restoration.   

Sending a tendril of plant flesh into the wall, he interfaced with his Blackroot Seedvault. He knew Thresh and Elrash had died while he was gone, his connection to their implanted seeds destroyed. How could he not? The only way he could lose his parasitic connection was if they died. 

Making his connection to the parent seed, Vaegor watched the series of images, showing him the moments leading up to Thresh’s death. However, it was completely blank at first. He had to trace backwards until he found sight through Thresh’s eyes. 

He went a bit further back, starting at where he thought the encounter began. The Outlanders–the purple people–had been corralled in front of a devilsaur’s lair after tracking them for over a thousand miles in total to the Northeast. This alone infuriated Vaegor, how could his people be so incompetent?

Thresh’s tendrils lashed outward, attempting to strike the purple Outlander man in ambush. An explosion of starlight interfered with their attacks, and Thresh chuckled as he walked out from behind the trees with Elrash, the panther beastfolk ruler of Shadowhaven.

“Not bad, they blocked the ambush. You purple people sure have given us a hard time, but you will go no further. What were you going to do here, anyway? Was your plan to fight all the way here, to feed yourselves to some demon reptiles?”

Elrash grinned. “Truly tenacious, to force me to come all the way out here. To think so many of you were at the Third or Fourth stratum, but you were brought low to this. You Outlanders sure got unlucky.”

Thresh stood across from the Outlander man, and his mercenary army surrounded this ‘Myron’ and his people, and it looked like a done deal. They gloated and laughed as they threatened the Outlander until a pulse of light went through the world. Thresh recognized it as a scan from a Tower of Orion, and that was only partially right. Vaegor got a bad premonition, knowing the end result, and he was proven right a moment later.

Elrash looked over at Myron in confusion and pointed. “What’s that? Orion is talking to the Outlanders?”

Thresh had been checking around for anything related to this pulse of light from before and turned and understood immediately what was happening now: the Outlanders were being offered a Trial. 

He shouted in alarm, “No! Don’t let him!” and leaped into the air towards Myron, the claws on his hands growing outward. But of course, the man pressed accept on the floating prompt, and the golden light of Orion spread outward, encompassing everything and bringing distortion and static before going blank to Vaegor’s view. 

A Trial with the Outlanders? Why? How?

Now, it made sense why the scene had gone blank. Orion had long since blocked recording events and retracing the contents of the Trials, for numerous reasons. 

Trials were meant to be fair, everyone getting a separate but mostly equal chance at victory. The outcome of a Trial was sacred, and Orion hated when nepotism and extortion allowed significant advantages. If an immortal’s child entered a Trial against the youth of Orion and could find out who killed their child, they would use that information to get revenge.

And if they could get revenge…that meant their child could threaten it. Give up this Trial or Daddy will kill you, even if you win. 

Vaegor chuckled condescendingly at that. Those nobles… such insufferable pricks full of entitlement. They’d espouse the importance of order and of laws, but only when convenient for them. After they got the advantage in life, they used said laws to keep what they won from the weak and stupid. 

He knew the truth. That all life was chaos, that good and evil were just titles given by those who ruled, the justification of the strong to help them sleep better at night. It was why he made a vow to bring rot and decay to all those who ruled.   

Of course, those powerful enough and willing to expend enough effort could just learn all the parties involved in the Trials and just…kill everyone who took part anyway. But there was always a seed of doubt. Monsters mixed with cultivators, denizens of the towers, and more. In this case, Vaegor couldn’t even be sure it was the Outlanders that killed Thresh and Elrash at all. It could have been a third party altogether, or maybe one of those devilsaurs.

For all Vaegor knew, the Outlanders were dead too. He spent some time reviewing his messages, finding that his scouts had reported during his absence, and the ones that didn’t, and none of the news was good. When Thresh died, the Altar was destroyed, and his subordinate took claim of the Ordeal. Then, he decided he no longer feared Blackthorne and that it was his kingdom now–a rebellion. Foolish.

And Shadowvale was gone, the Altar of Subordination destroyed. Elrash had mentioned it was under attack in the recording, and there were really only two possibilities for it to be under attack from a Lawful Kingdom: Silverbrook or Frosthaven.

In the end, it didn’t matter. He grabbed two nurtured seeds from his vault, ingesting them. The healing energy would help really begin the long path to recovery.

Exiting the Crown Sanctum, he began his march across the dark marsh. He needed to get his people ready for facing this rebellion. As he began to awaken people, something shocked him to the core. 

A halo of light blasted across the sky, and Vaegor trembled with rage. It was coming from the Northeast. He recognized it. A lord had completed the twentieth floor.

Before, Vaegor thought Frosthaven had just been impudent and lucky, taking on Shadowvale in defiance of another’s rule. Who wouldn’t? Vaegor didn’t respect those who backed down without a fight, accepting another’s rule anyway. Not that he would allow him to live, but… Now, it was like every detail he had learned up to now suddenly told a different of story. 

He had underestimated this… Noblefrost. In a matter of six months, the man had climbed the tower nobody had completed in a thousand years, killed Davon, somehow claimed Shadowvale, and conquered the twentieth floor as well. 

No doubt, this man was also responsible for the loss of the warden in Silverbrook and also aided the deaths of Thresh and Elrash–somehow. That pulse witnessed by Thresh…it came from the direction of Frosthaven, he realized. 

Now that everything lined up, it was starting to become very clear. This man had systematically dismantled his claim over the North, ruining all of his plans and weakening his dominion. He brought order to the North, and now Vaegor knew why he felt so weak. It wasn’t just the lost altars. It was everything. 

He could not allow this to stand.

His Path of Rot-crowned Dominion fed from the decay of Order, a subjugation of Lawful Dominion. From the dismantling order from a kingdom, chaos was bred, empowering him. His efforts for the past one hundred years had been completely obliterated in a matter of months, and thanks to the backlash, it had stopped his campaign in the West. 

He was so close to getting a lasting presence there, getting the strongest kingdom yet to capitulate and build his altar. He had been focusing his thornspawn and rotlings in that direction because the kingdom was older and much more entrenched; the North completely his. 

But just when he was about to make that final push…

Everything was ruined. 

His armies were just making headway when the destruction of his Altar of Subordinations from both Shadowvale and the Murkdeep Scar caused terrible backlashes, which caused him to lose control over his thornspawn and rotlings. Most withered away, and while he had plenty of mercenaries in that neck of the woods, the third stratum kingdom saw weakness, and they struck Vaegor’s armies quick and hard. 

He barely made it out with his life, unable to fight back thanks to the backlash.

Vaegor would have his vengeance and make an example out of this princeling, eroding the order he had brought to the North. The man had just entered the third Stratum. It would take years, even at this person’s crazy pace, to near the peak of it like him. He had numerous subordinates early in the third stratum and even some in the middle. Even if this Noblefrost had people as talented as himself, there was no way they could keep up with his breakneck pace. 

Marching through his vast swamp, he finished awakening dozens of corrupted arborfolk from their slumber, their large bodies surfacing from the murk. His important protectors. It had been so long since he required their aid, most had never even seen or heard of their might. But now, he would awaken them all. With only one Altar left to the Southwest, he couldn’t afford to lose another. He would move and show his strength immediately.  

The corrupted arborfolk groaned, his voice slow. “Ah… I awaken. There are some…whispers on the wind. They speak of rebellion, of–”

“Yes, I am aware. I want you and your men to head for the Murkdeep Scar. We must quell their foolish rebellion. Then we march for Frosthaven. Everything ordered will rot away, leaving the truth.”

The swamp man nodded. “Everything will rot.” He then turned to look to the Northwest, and essence ran through him as numerous others awakened and began to draw up their essence as well. Vines lashed, and fungal spores and seeds formed.

Hundreds of seeds and spores sprouted from their plant flesh, the spawns of decay and chaos eventually drifting into the wind, like a cloud of deadly fireflies taking to the air. They then began their lumbering march Northeast, their long legs covering a large distance with every step.

Vaegor would need to rest and recover, even with the healing seeds he consumed. The backlash he received from those Altars being destroyed and fleeing from his Ordeal Test was not insignificant. 

All he received near the peak were quests to accomplish for his Dark Kingdom, Vaegor no longer able to enter his tower to rise. Another failure, and he would face Tribulation and it would be his second, each one more difficult than the last. Odds were, he would not survive again.

His Pathstone was crumbling, and now, he also needed to find himself even more mercenaries and bandits. At least two-thirds of what remained after his failure were already headed toward the North, but he had arrived home quicker thanks to his mount.

Not that he would let them know where his hidden tower was, even if they could keep up.

Vaegor was still fuming with rage as he marched back to his Crown Sanctum to recover, stepping over his countless victims that lay beneath the murk. While one couldn’t call what they did living, their suffering still continued.

He would make the princeling pay for his insolence. Noblefrost’s suffering would be endless beneath the murk.  

***

Anya blocked a bladed limb and countered with her sageblade, cleaving off the offending limb. She and the rest of the Wraiths of Keltharis fought against a swarm of Zeraxi, a tribal insectoid people. The aggressive folk were mounting an incursion onto this Shard and the only ones standing in between them were the knights. Not that Anya particularly cared if they succeeded, just that Orion had pitted her people against them in a Trial and the only path to survival was killing them all. 

No hard feelings.

The creatures often had deadly appendages with blades at the end or long, sharp claws. They also had creepy faces and terrifying maws, the feral, nearly hive-minded people not often making any attempt at making peace. They were usually as aggressive as demons, seeking food for growing their horde.   

With one swing, she cleaved off one of their sleek heads with her sageblade and sent a rain of ice shards into the approaching group off to the side, dissuading their approach. Drawing the green blood from her dead foe, she grimaced as she gathered and froze it into more spell material, creating more shards to send at the crowd of enemies.  

Hemolymph was still blood, but it felt terrible and sluggish to use and weak of flavor when consumed, like it was diluted blood. Still, she didn’t have any choice. Her men were scattered, and she knew even Henrik was struggling on the other side of the battlefield. 

During their journey, they had previously been lucky to find a Permanent Trial, a fixture deep in a cave that was like a static Ordeal, or dungeon. Her men fought through the five floors and faced the boss, their sageblades making the challenge straightforward. 

The place was perfect for them to reach the second Stratum and form their armor of blood and frost. They killed countless bugbears, navigated a dangerous cave as they fought ambush creatures, and finally, a challenging scaled feral bear that was likely around level 15. And the nearby kingdom didn’t seem to know or care that it had such a precious resource able to be challenged by a group or two weekly. Thankfully, their Sageblades were able to divine its location as they headed North-ish toward Frosthaven. 

But now, they had found a Roaming Trial, and Orion was pulling out all the stops. Even Anya and Henrik were being pushed, their lesser-trained allies forced to fend for themselves as they had gotten split up. She had fought to the center of the cavern, an endless number of these insectoid people spilling out of the portal and heading down the different branches of the cave.

It was clear that the Keeper didn’t want Anya and Henrik just carrying their brethren to the finish by how it had set up the fight, and she worked to try to unite her knights. As she reached the center, it was difficult to fight forward–near the portal was a dense group of enemies, and she would quickly get surrounded. 

Anya conserved her mana and essence as she fought near the mouth of her cave branch, watching for the others. Eventually, the others could be seen making their forays out of their lanes, the knights performing as they should.

She asked her sageblade, “Partner, are any knights in need of help?”

The eye on her blade opened and began looking around, and then she heard its voice in her mind. “Down the right path, there is a wounded knight. They could use your help.” 

She counted ten warriors, including Henrik across the way. “Wraiths! Defend your brothers and hold the line! Fight to unite if you are able. For blood and ice!” 

A chorus of knights responded around the cavern, even as they fought for their lives, “For blood and ice!”

Henrik was on the other end of the cavern fighting, so she knew if the leader appeared, he could hold it off at least until she returned. She began fighting down the cavern path, a steady stream of creatures heading down the path. 

Anya jumped up to a cavern wall, then leaped over a group as she lowered her corporeality. Vaulting from wall to wall over the threats, she found two knights protecting a wounded third knight, their backs against the wall.

Unlike her who had a sageblade and could cleave through most enemies in one swing, they had to fight to wound and debilitate before scoring the killing blow. And with deadly claws ready to tear into their downed companion, they were having difficulty doing more than defending, enemies replacing those they just wounded. 

The creatures would immediately eat any downed foe–even their brethren. This caused them to go into a frenzy. They felt weakness, and they would go for it and empower themselves.

She sent a wave of frost into the insects’ backs, slowing them down. She swung her sword as she moved with speed and grace, cutting the enemies down one by one. The essence within her moved to near-perfection, every step and movement following her style of blood-and-frost-powered superiority. 

Enhancing the bladed edge of her sword with her essence, the deadly sharpness cut through the insectoids, cleaving right through defending limbs or mandibles. Body parts scattered onto the ground, and thanks to the reprieve, the two knights were able to turn it around, landing devastating blows and breaking free of their attackers. 

A woman nodded at her. “Lady Anya, thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. The fight is just beginning. Can she recover?” She nodded to the downed figure.

Grunting, the wounded woman reached out and then drew up all the insectoid blood from the room, blood and ice exploding from the corpses and being drawn in toward her. She opened her mouth, and the crystallized mist floated inside, and ice began to cover her wounds as her flesh began to reknit.

“I…can manage now. For blood and ice, I can still fight.” 

The four then fought to the center, cutting through the vicious enemies as they went. The insects screeched and barked gutturally as they fought back, but knights fighting side by side made short work out of the chaotic creatures. Fighting technique and ages-proven tactics and coordination cut through the monstrous people, unable to match their might.

When they returned to the main cavern, she found that all knights were accounted for now. However, a man was fighting toward the others rather than holding a branch. Henrik was doing his best to fight toward him for rescue, but he had already been grievously wounded.   

Sighing, Anya raised a free hand and drew up the power of her bloodline, her bloodfrost. It was a unique mixture of magic that merged body, soul, and frost, which had powerful effects on a wide variety of enemies. Pushing with her will, she infused it with her Superiority Concept and formed several blades before sending them shredding through the crowd.

They were cleaved through effortlessly, the wounds spreading a deadly frost over what remained. Any insectoid that didn’t die instantly would soon succumb to the superior cold, few creatures able to live as their warmth was drained from their bodies and spirits at the same time. Most couldn’t manipulate Soul Essence well, their defenses unable to protect against it.  

Anya dashed over and cut down the last enemy near the wounded man. His arm had already been chewed off, and he had wounds nearly all over his body. 

“What are you doing? I ordered you to hold the line!”

“I can’t hold on much longer. I was already wounded. I figured…”

“Don’t be a fool. Use the blood nearby to heal, and join your brothers. Stand fast, we will get through this!” 

The man listened to her command, drawing in the green blood with a grimace. He coughed and choked, but Anya didn’t have an opportunity to watch him for much longer.

A pulse of light flashed, the portal in the center of the cavern suddenly widening. Five powerful insectoids appeared, over double the size of all others. These were ascended zeralix, those who had evolved their bloodlines further in addition to being a higher level. Their limbs were longer and sturdier, and their carapaces were difficult to penetrate.  

The knights were given no reprieve. Even before they finished cutting down the final enemies, the larger ascended’s bladed claws went on the attack. Henrik’s drain thankfully weakened them, even as it empowered him. 

And Anya burst forth, pushing her skills to the limit as her blade met the leader’s. This monster was even larger, its eyes showing a gleam of intelligence.  

Anya shouted, “I’ll take on the leader. Focus down the ascended and then join me!”

Her heart beat strongly as she imposed her will, empowering herself with her Superiority Concept. It was a versatile Concept, able to enhance her body as well as her spells. It even merged well with others, enhancing them. Moving faster as a result, she met the creature’s scything claws with her greatsword, deflecting and redirecting the attack as she countered.

As she fought, she drew up as much blood and ice as her aura could reach, streams of green blood heading to form into a growing sphere as she defended herself against the larger creature. They had a little more than three knights per ascended so she only needed to hold on long enough, and victory would be hers.

Henrik’s Drain weakened the four ascended zeralix, and the other knights used their own Concepts or fragments, cutting deep into the creatures. Blasts of ice chilled the monsters, slowing their assaults. The creatures went into an angered frenzy, but those focused on defense put themselves in the way as they systematically cut the larger monsters down with their superior tactics and teamwork. 

One man was sent flying from the monster’s might, but another was able to take his place. Anya also noticed someone get run through with one of their blades, but that actually gave the opening for another knight to take the ascended down.

Much like before, she sent out a wave of blades of bloodfrost toward the large ascended. But the monster roared and used its own ability, drawing essence from the cavern toward it. It sent a blade of essence at her bloodfrost, one large enough to shred right through her magic.

Flooding herself with Superiority and then creating a cutting edge with her frostblood, she met the blade of essence with her sageblade, blocking it. The energy bashed into her like a runaway bull, sending her flying. 

The monster leaped after her with its wings buzzing behind it, its scything blades reaching far. She took on the corporeality of a spirit, preventing her from bashing into the wall too hard, and infused her will into her spiritual sharpness concept as she swung at the creature. 

The monster saw her swing coming but froze in confusion as her Sageblade passed right through its bladed arm and cut into its spiritual body. Her blade sliced into its core but rebounded off. Unfortunately, its soul core was far too sturdy for her to finish the creature. It roared at the damage it received and kicked out with its taloned foot instead. 

Her attacks flowed with spectral grace, her swings carrying a sanguine might as she blocked the swing and sliced and evaded. She attempted to push her swordsmanship to the limits, but eventually, she ran out of time. The wraiths finished their quarries, and spears and blades of ice all stabbed into the monster from nearly all sides.    

Anya sighed as she dealt the killing blow. Her greatsword cleaved the head off its shoulders a moment after the several ice missiles trapped its arm against its chest. The golden lights of Orion pulsed outward, and something she recognized landed in her hand: an Ordeal Cornerstone. The mystical cube sparkled gold in the light, and its weight was far heavier than it looked.

Everyone looked over, exclaiming as they received their own rewards, and they were shocked about what she received. 

But she was too busy thinking about the fight, looking at her sageblade. While she was close to mastery with her swordsmanship, it had eluded her. One could not enter a Frontier Shard already a master, only understanding what it took. 

She had practiced for countless months and achieved Early Mastery for all three of her future Concepts before she was frozen. She was a true prodigy among her peers and even many of her brothers and sisters.

Strangely, she felt that Henrik was closer than herself to becoming a master in swordsmanship. He had incorporated his draining, stalwart defense into his fighting style so well that he embodied something very effective and useful in combat. 

Anya had easily bested him before, but that was before he completed his shield of bloodfrost. With it, she would still win, but it definitely wasn’t easy. Her superior skill with her essence control and bloodfrost magic was usually what helped her clinch the victory in their duels.

Anya frowned as she thought of the implications of the cornerstone and didn’t know how to feel about the reward, teetering between anger and excitement. It was an amazing treasure, and she only barely felt her party had earned it. The ability to start their own Ordeal or add one to an existing city. Many would have to experience a much more harrowing trial to receive something so precious. 

The rewards from Trials were essentially what a Keeper decided you lacked or needed. And this wasn’t necessarily a reward for herself. Or was it?

Did that mean the Keeper thought she needed to start her own city? Was it a temptation? Or was it forcing her down a road to travel with her future lord?

She hated when others, anyone, decided her future for her. At the same time, she understood that this could be looked at like it was granting her freedom.

A groan took her out of her introspection, and she turned to the wounded man from before. Others crouched over him, and in their inspections they just shook their heads. They knew he was probably a goner.

Unfortunately, as useful as the sageblades were, they had zero ability to heal on their own. They could help enhance one’s own capabilities, the symbiotic bond granting them access to many of the things a Wraith of Keltharis was able to do–like turning corporeal. But while many knights could heal themselves, few were talented at healing others. 

The man from before didn’t look much better, even after his healing.

Her partner spoke into her mind. “He will likely only make it if you give him the blood of the ascended leader. It would be valuable to even you, perhaps even granting you a minor Trait. But…” 

Of course, as the leader of the knights and the one who killed the leader of the incursion, it was hers by right. Of course, she would help her brethren over improving herself, for now. 

The man was breathing heavily. Weakness filled him as he had been unable to recover enough of his own blood. While they could stimulate their own by using others, they needed strong and pure blood to achieve anything drastic, unless truly talented.

He said, “Just…kill me. I’ll slow you all down.”

Anya scowled. “You do not die until your lord says you can die or orders you to.”

Henrik added helpfully, “Well, not that you’ve sworn yet. But hey, we heard they got some talented healers up North. If you survive, they should be able to make you as good as new. At least you didn’t get cut down running from a fight. You just, well, you kinda sucked to be honest.”

“You’re not helping, Brother. Here.” She floated over the leader’s corpse, using her ability to manipulate its blood to draw it closer. “Use this blood; I will allow it. It will keep you alive for just a little longer. We’ll hunt whatever we come across on the way.”

The knight reached his only remaining hand out and drew the green blood into him. The significant amount of high-quality essence contained within was used to restore his own, empowering his body. The man was able to restore just enough of his flesh to close his wounds, though his arm was still missing. He would live to see another day. 

The man coughed, then gave her a pained smile. “Thank you, my Lady… that helped.” His eyes widened suddenly, and a reflection in the man’s eyes caused Anya to look up. The lights of Orion had revealed a hole through the ceiling of the cave, allowing them to easily escape now that the Trial was completed.

But that wasn’t what the man saw. A white and gold halo of light spread across the sky from a very clear direction: the North. It was the horn of triumph, heralding a new contender for the ownership of this very Frontier Shard.

Anya’s jaw dropped as she stared above her. “No way. Father said the resonance was from completing the tenth floor. That wasn’t long ago.”

“What is it, Sis?” Henrik saw where she was looking and looked to the sky. ”Ah, shite. Don’t tell me we screwed around for too long. It wasn’t that long, was it?”

Anya sighed, looking at the Ordeal Cornerstone she just received. “I doubt it, Brother. We may have gotten there a bit quicker if we had just hopped on that ship. But if we got there in the first stratum, would we have been any use to someone who got to the 20th floor in just a few months?”

“I guess not, but maybe he is making some terrible mistakes, rushing for some dumb reason. This is a Frontier Shard. Could he really have all the knowledge he needs to succeed? Our sageblades alone should be a big help when it comes to that.”

“I’m sure his family, and with his bloodline… it will probably be fine. Well, there’s no use worryin’ about it now. This just means we need to rush. Double time. We won’t make it before he ascends, more than likely, but if we rush, we can be there in a week or two.” She nodded meaningfully over to the whimpering, wounded knight.

Henrik groaned as he tossed the knight over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, the man groaning in response. “Damn it. Well, at least we got our future liege a nice gift.”

Anya shook her head. She had stowed away the cornerstone in her pouch. Many of the knights got some decent personal rewards, but she had received the main one for the entire cadre of knights. “Nice gift? What happened to starting our own kingdom. To being a foil that he must defeat to help him grow?” 

“I said all that before I knew he’d reach the third stratum in just a few months. I’m really looking forward to our duel now, but I already see the result. The Wraiths will deem him worthy of service.”   

“For once I think you might be right, Brother. You must be learning. Or, wait. You asked your sageblade, didn’t you?”

Henrik coughed. “No way! One doesn’t almost die in combat several times without growing a few hairs on their chest. I just…matured. Yeah, that’s it.” He nodded to himself, dumbly confident he sounded believable.

“Oh really? How many hairs on my chest you think I got from that, Brother? Think carefully.”

Henrik blanched at that and then took that opportunity to leap up and out of the cave. She joined him effortlessly, landing far more gracefully than he did onto the mountain path.

“Erm, it’s just a figure of speech. Hey.” He smacked his burden’s leg. “Make yourself a little lighter. Your dumbass is heavy.”

“Stop that, Henrik–he really can’t be doing much until he gets some more healing. Let one of the other knights take turns with you. I will rush ahead to hunt.”

The other knights were busy absorbing essence and drawing in blood for their armors and tempering their bloodline. They would take a bit of time to heal, but none were as bad as Henrik’s burden. It seemed she had a lot to hunt for, needing to find some more high-quality blood to speed up their recovery for travel.

The trip would be frustrating, but their journey was nearly over, one way or another. Having the Ordeal cornerstone granted her a special sort of freedom that Anya was happy for. At this point, she wasn’t sure if she’d rather find out that the lord was worthy or not. Ruling a kingdom of her own sounded a lot more exciting.