Chapter 47

Training and hunting for a door took the pair deeper into the floor. The plains and hills were more comfortable to traverse than the previous floors’ terrain. As a result, it wasn’t just Diya that could comfortably travel further from the hub, but other Climbers too. Every door the pair approached on the first day had a DeLawney settlement already present or growing around it. Gwyneth didn’t want to risk getting spotted by their watchtowers or sneak in. So, they maintained a wide berth.

On the bright side, the pair got more comfortable with their new tools throughout the day. Diya practised his spear play on bears and hill cats. His spear kept them off balance, and Ensnaring Vines launched through the gauntlet’s launcher disabled them. While they tried to reorient themselves or break free, he showered targets with inkfire blades. Diya’s decision to keep the tier-zero ink vines proved great, too. Gwyneth had questioned his decision to avoid inkfire at first but ceased once he pulled her out of the way using inky tentacles.

Every fight increased Gwyneth’s confidence with her bladed staff. Once she realised how powerful the weapon could be with a charged edge, she committed to improving her skills with it. Her attack spells exhausted the lantern’s light and her far too quickly. She preferred not to use it altogether in the little exchanges they had with gremlins, frog-creatures and stray lizardmen scouts. When up against giant bears, she tapped into the power for devastating hits.

Besides improving their individual skills, the pair worked on their teamwork too. While with her former party, Gwyneth’s focus had stayed on the backlines and sniped targets or provided cover for her teammates. Now, she had to learn to match Diya’s fighting style. Flowing around her enemies to slip into their blind spots was too advanced a technique for her. So, Gwyneth focused on marking off an area as her territory. She’d draw enemies in and then keep them off balance using the charged spearhead and lamp. Meanwhile, Diya would dance around her, ensuring she never had to deal with more than two targets at once.

After each skirmish, he’d talk Gwyneth through the fight, pointing out where she could’ve used a different form or approached a situation differently. She, in turn, would suggest more applications for the Slimeskin.

“You’re not using the Harden, Relax, and Stick commands in combat enough,” Gwyneth said. It’s a waste, in my opinion.

Diya recalled his training sessions with Baba being much rougher as far as criticism was concerned. The old man would go harder on Diya than his other students, and as a teenager, he’d retaliate in kind. With Gwyneth, there were no egos to hurt or unfulfilled expectations. The pair accepted that they both had shortcomings and would need to work together to improve.

Darkness came much later than Diya expected. He had read that the days and nights on the fifth floor were much longer than standard. So, when the sun disappeared over the horizon, he was exhausted. Twelve hours had passed since they entered the floor and dusk had just started settling in. The pair kept going under the moonlight until Gwyneth spotted a cave hidden under a grassy hill.

“How the hell did you spot that through the vines and drooping branches?” Diya asked, eyes wide. “My eyes jumped straight to the pretty stream and the weeping willow’s drooping branches. I’d never have spotted the opening without you.”

“It’s Lamp,” she said. “I think. Gaia has never said anything about it, but the lamp is tempering my eyesight.” She looked at the ground thoughtfully as the pair trekked towards their shelter for the night. “The world became somewhat sharper after I got my spirit, but I thought it was all in my head. Ever since I absorbed the card, though, things have improved significantly. I can feel the aether in Lamp and our opponents, too. Have you noticed anything similar?”

“No,” Diya answered after taking a moment to think about it. Then he thought about his fights against the spiders and mole. Perhaps his good fortune during them had nothing to do with luck. “My reflexes and reaction time have increased, but Gaia told me about those. Thanks to my training, I’ve always been good at close combat, but things have been much easier ever since I got my soul. Before, I only worked on instinct. My mind struggled to keep up with my body. Now, I can plan my moves during a fight.”

“Huh. I think I’m starting to understand Arthur more as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was obsessive about his research and studies. Once he put together a hypothesis, his brain wouldn’t let him rest until he found an answer.” Gwyneth sighed as she talked about her father. “I think I’ve got the same bug now. If we’re both experiencing the same thing, Gaia may make changes to our mind and body in line with the souls beyond the disclosed tempering.

“They’re oddly thematic. Lamps are sources of illumination, so I see better. Perhaps with time, I’ll understand the world more than the average joe too. A pen is a tool for creation and study. So, it affects your brain, speeding up the rate at which you think and process information.” A smile spread across her lips. There were tears in Gwyneth’s eyes, and Diya didn’t understand why. “It’s farfetched, and I might be wrong, but I bloody well want to collect data and figure this out. The De Lawneys were right. I’m my father’s daughter, after all.”

“I didn’t know your father and have little knowledge about your life so far, but that doesn’t sound like the worst thing in the world. I don’t particularly get along with mine, but I’d be proud to turn out as half the man he is.”

“It’s not the worst thing,” Gwyneth said, looking away so Diya couldn’t see her face. “He was a man of bad habits, but that doesn’t mean he was a bad man.”

Seeker’s Lantern took the lead when entering the cave. Diya followed it, his axe at the ready. Fortunately, it was empty. They still studied every nook and cranny for peace of mind, ensuring nothing used it as a lair. The last thing either of them wanted was for a beast to sneak up on them while one of them slept. Diya also worried it could be an entryway into a deeper cave system. He could find any connecting tunnels or holes, but there were too many stories starring hidden passageways and entrances.

“Should we start a fire?” Gwyneth asked.

“No,” Diya replied, shaking his head. “A smoke trail is much too easy to follow in such open terrain. Are you cold?”

“I’m not, but the night is long, and it only gets colder. I don’t want either of us catching a chill.”

“Well, there is no ventilation in here,” Diya said, inspecting the ceiling. “The green curtain will trap the smoke inside as well. I’m not sure we can afford it tonight. The Slimeskin coat will keep me warm. Why don’t you huddle up in the far corner until it’s your turn to keep watch? Keep your spirit out and use the light to keep you warm.”

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Gwyneth raised an eyebrow. She walked over to her spirit and held her hands up to it. The light dimmed, but the golden filigree glowed a moment later. “The light isn’t all that warm, but if I circulate the electricity through the metal, it should heat up.”

Science wasn’t Diya’s strong suit, so he took her word on that matter.

The pair ate silently, sitting at the cave mouth and watching the moonlight hills. The tall grass danced in the winds, and a familiar longing tugged at Diya’s heart. He thought of the Boleyn twins. He’d been so focused on fixing Alexander’s uncertain fate and getting stronger that Victoria had slipped out of his mind. He wished she were there to enjoy the landscape with him.

“No,” he mumbled, shaking his head.

“What?” Gwyneth asked, making him jump. Lost in thought, he’d almost forgotten about her presence.

“Nothing.” He laughed. “I was just in thought thinking about my friends.”

“Are these friends the nobles you grew up with?”

Diya nodded. “Before you jump to conclusions, they’re not the typical sort. Well, their younger brother is, and Lord Graham is a pushover, but Alexander and Victoria are a different sort. They don’t give a damn about a person’s station and treat everyone fairly.”

“You love them, don’t you?”

“Well, after my brother disappeared, Alexander became the closest thing I had to one. Now he’s at death’s door, and no one can fix him.” Diya sighed. “He’s why I’m in a rush to get to the twelfth floor. My brother’s journal talks of a plant monster up there with healing sap. We encountered the same beast hidden on the ground floor, and it brought the twins back from the verge of death. If we can find it, Alexander will be saved.” Diya paused. “Hopefully.”

“And Victoria? Is she like a sister?” Gwyneth grinned, narrowing her eyes.

Diya playfully bumped her with his shoulder. She chuckled and bumped him back. “Honestly? I don’t know.” He sighed. “If things were different, I think we would’ve been together. I had Alexander’s blessing. My family line isn’t the worse, so I think Lord Graham didn’t mind either.”

“But then the house turned their back on you?”

“Victoria tried standing up for me, but in my opinion, it wasn’t enough. She could’ve fought harder. I understand that she wanted to support her father, but....” Diya clenched his fist and rolled the crick out of his neck. Hurt and anger flowed through his body like a shiver, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “Edgar—the youngest Boleyn—and I never got along. He wanted me gone. If Alexander doesn’t make it, he’s going to be the next heir. I recently found out that he’s befriended someone important in the DeLawney house too. Lord Graham turned his back on me to appease his troglodyte turd of a son.”

“And money,” Gwyneth said. “People, especially the nobility, will turn their back on their dearest for money and power. That’s what’s happened here. I’m surprised your father is still working for them.”

“He wants to leave but has stayed on my request,” Diya told her. “My father makes sure Edgar doesn’t finish Alexander to cement his position. Besides, he has other responsibilities too.”

Gwyneth didn’t say much else while they finished the meal. Since her body wasn’t used to prolonged travel and close combat, she went to bed first. Diya didn’t mind. He got his journal out and worked on an alternate design for his gauntlet.

After some thought, he worked the pen into the design. When in combat, holding the pen removed grappling as an option. So, he worked in a groove under the wrist for it to rest. The positioning would let him grab conjured vines and the spear without issue but also keep his hand free while using Seeking Inkfire Blades.

Once done, Diya wrote a short story about the summon. Several months had passed since he last wrote for the fun of writing. It kept exhaustion at bay as he kept watch. Since thoughts of the Boleyns were still fresh on his mind, he wrote about a final showdown with Edgar.

I never thought I’d see the day when Edgar, of all people, disarmed me. His mace slipped through my guard and grazed my right wrist. As expected of blunt weapons striking a joint, it made my digits spasm, and the axe fell out of my hands. Then, the wild-eyed arsehole started his onslaught, coming at me with blow after blow.

The De Lawney Climbers I faced before him had successfully tired me out. Now, I struggled to keep up with Edgar, let alone dodge his attacks. So, I turned to my soul card and summoned the humblest of my creations: the armoured gauntlet. Edgar’s eyes widened when his overhead swinging glanced off the curved guard. Even though the Slimeskin’s outer surface was hard, the material inside remained soft and gelatinous. It absorbed most of the blunt force, letting me knock away attack after attack.

As Edgar got angrier and more desperate to put me down, his attacks got wider and more frantic. His breathing got erratic, and sweat washed away the manic grin. Then, during a back-handed swing, his footing faltered. That’s when I made my move.

“Stiffen,” I whispered, clenching my fist. The joints and soft material in the gauntlet hardened, locking my hand into a fist. The guard stuck out half an inch in front of my knuckles, forming a sharp edge.

First, I grabbed Edgar’s extended left wrist in my empty right hand. Then I pulled, taking away any chance of him regaining his balance. Then a powerful left hook struck his right temple, caving in his oversized skull. The youngest Boleyn crumpled, and I hoped his family would forgive me for what I’d been forced to do.

Diya sighed, finishing the short piece. He’d read the word cathartic before but never quite understood the feeling until he dotted the final sentence with a period. He believed Edgar deserved a lot worse, but for his friend's sake, if it ever came to it, he’d make it quick. Diya double-checked the drawing and read through the piece again. Finally, he added the runes for Harden and Relax to the armour around the launcher’s barrel. He also carefully drew the Blade rune along its top edge, which stuck out over his shoulders.

When Diya summoned the tool, the fountain pen slipped out of his left hand as ink poured from the nib. It slid down to his forearm according to design, and the solidifying ink held it in place. Unlike the coat, the summon formed in layers. First came the soft, dry glove that covered everything from the tip of his finger to the elbow. Then solid segments started developing over it. Little plates of solid ink formed all along his forearm, on the back of his wrists and over the backs of his fingers too. They only covered the space between the knuckles and fist joints. When he punched, those were the bits most likely to suffer damage.

Finally, a black slime grew from Diya’s wrist. It widened around the joint, remaining fluid to enable rotation and extended a third way down his forearm. The slime lost height as the rest of its body expanded to cover the back of his hand and knuckles. Then the outer surfaces hardened, forming the guard he desired. Diya had written it into the piece, but he hoped the armour’s ability to crumple and then bounce back would reduce the strain on his arm.

“That’s a much better-looking summon,” Gwyneth said, making Diya jump. She sat next to him on the soft earth, looking out into the moonlit night. The weeping willow hung in front of them like a curtain. Gwyneth ran her finger along the gauntlet. “It’s warm,” she commented. “I think you’ll get a tonne of use out of this.”

“I hope so too.” Diya nodded, watching her fingers explore the gauntlet. “Why are you awake already? You’ve got another hour.”

Gwyneth checked her pocket watch. “Seven-and-a-half hours are enough for me,” she said. “I lived a while on this floor, too. I’m used to the odd day and night cycles. Arthur and I always went to bed around sundown and awoke around this time. He liked to work while everybody slept.” She pushed him playfully. “Go on. Rest up. We’ll start at the crack of dawn and rush towards one of the poorly policed doors.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Diya told her. “How many settlements did we pass earlier? Almost a dozen? If they’re like the outpost on the fourth, we won’t have as easy a time.”

“What do you suggest then?” Gwyneth raised an eyebrow, turning her eyes to him.

“We spend a day or two traversing deeper into the floor.” Diya got out his guidebook and opened to the floor’s map. Gwyneth had marked the location of every DeLawney settlement on it, and apparently, there were more growing. Diya drew a line from their current location to a hyena drawing. A handful of outposts littered the area in between. “If none of these have what we need, we can target whatever creature lurks here. It’s far enough from the hub to make it a chore to get to. It’s likely the organised tribes keep most patrols away too. Either we find a vulnerable shaman or spirit caller, or we get past them and target a powerful beast.”

“If we can’t access the current doors, we can impress Gaia—”

“And she’ll make a temporary one for us,” Diya said, finishing Gwyneth’s sentence. “I’m not all brawn am I?” He grinned.

“Good thinking, Brains,” Gwyneth chuckled. “Now go get some sleep. If we do this, tomorrow’s not going to be an easy day.”