Shadowcroft Academy Year 2 - Chapter Forty-Four

Logan couldn’t talk. Connecting to Chadrigoth wasn’t like connecting to Inga or even Tet. The abyss lord wasn’t just more powerful than him, he was worlds more powerful, and it wasn’t just his ranking, but rather the four knots he’d tied to optimize his core. Suddenly, Logan had access to Chadrigoth’s vast pool of Ignis and Umbra Apothos and he had to fight to keep from being swept away by the sheer current of it all. Being linked up with Chadrigoth was like being attached to nuclear power plant. And handcuffed to a dysfunctional family.

Snippets of the abyss lord’s sad life hit Logan like a tidal wave.

The first was an image of a stern-faced man with gaunt cheeks and salt and pepper hair. Norman the Unholy, Chadrigoth’s father. He was a cruel looking man, who’d rarely had time for Chadrigoth and when he did, there was never a word of kindness or affection. Just correction and instruction. Life was one of duty and obligation—there was no place for joy or love or fun. Norman had undergone the Evocation of Transfiguration when Chadrigoth was only nine, shedding his human flesh in favor for the cold indifference of a Dungeon Core. Watching the only person who semi-cared for him die at eight, left a mental scar that would forever affect poor little Chadrigoth’s psyche.

Norman’s faced flickered and faded, replaced by a rotating carousel of Chadrigoth’s siblings, which in turn bled into a images of a beautiful woman, her skin pale white, her hair black and shiny as an oil slick. Chadrigoth’s mother.

Despite the fact that Norman the Unholy had never much cared for Chadrigoth, he was still far kinder than Chadrigoth’s mother. Norman had been more or less indifferent to Chadrigoth’s existence—other than as an audience for Norman’s boasting. Yet his mother had seemed to actively despise him, sometimes going as far as to call him the worst of her children. Chadrigoth had been the middle child, the lost child, and he’d grown up so lonely. He’d had to become a dungeon core so his father and older brothers would talk to him. His mother just saw him as one more of her sons who’d abandoned her.

There was hate, and gossip, and resentment overflowing in that family. They might be the Eritreus Elite, but they had enough drama for a reality show. Keeping up the Nobleblades. This fall on E!

The onslaught of images morphed and the focus shifted.

After years of study and a grueling training regiment, Chadrigoth passed his own Evocation of Transfiguration and won his way into the Shadowcroft Academy for Dungeons, the most prestigious school in the universe. Except no one was impressed. No one that mattered. His father seemed annoyed that he needed schooling at all—after all, Toddrick had secured a powerful dungeon on the ice world of Gloogig without any help. A self-made dungeon, just like Norman. And then Gretta, princess of Haven Home, had chosen stupid, perfect Toddrick—another insult on top of all the others.

And then Logan Murray showed up with his team of misfits. Most of them never wanted to be a dungeon core in the first place. Talk about a slap in the face.

And when the fungaloid started ranking up at a pace no one had ever seen before? All of a sudden, the teachers cared less about Chadrigoth—all anyone could talk about was the fungaloid. Logan didn’t deserve to be famous at the school. Logan was the worst!

And so Chadrigoth, for the first time ever, felt outclassed by someone who wasn’t in his family, and it drove him insane with fury.

Wading through the rush of memories and thought, Logan caught a glimpse of the stone chest, filled to the brim with Psuche Powder. That would even the score. The Psuche Powder would give Chadrigoth the edge so even Mother and Father would be proud of him. And Logan Murray wouldn’t matter to anyone, anymore.

Logan pressed his eyes shut and pushed away the surging influx memories. So much raw life. So much suffering and loneliness. The abyss lord had been holding oceans of pain inside himself for a very long time. Logan had always disliked the abyssal lord but after seeing all that—seeing what he’d endured as a kid… it was hard to hate him. He was a product of a world that viewed life the same way this academy did: a disposal commodity, only worthy of protecting the Tree of Souls and only doing that so you could brag about it.

Maybe now, though, Logan and the abyss lord could move past all that.

Chadrigoth blinked and set Logan’s guardian form onto the ground. Chadrigoth then, reverently put Logan’s core on the pedestal; their gems, one light and the other dark, began to circle one another.

Logan felt his consciousness expand out to fill the dungeon. He sensed every crack, every cranny, every room. Most of it was dull with crumbly statues, but Chadrigoth’s minions were nothing to laugh at. Despite his lack of imagination, the abyss lord was amazingly powerful.

You wouldn’t know it right then because the abyss lord fell to his knees. Fiery tears streamed down his cheeks. <You saw. You understand. I can’t talk to Jimi or Lady Elesiel about this. But you know me, now. I feel seen, Logan. For the first time in my life… I feel seen.>

The abyss lord’s shadowy flame crown flickered off, and the demon started to sob uncontrollably, bent double, face buried in his hands. He messaged Logan while he ugly cried.

<And I was so mean to you, Logan!> he sent. <You were lost, alone, and scared. You never asked for this. But suddenly, you’re at the academy, with the worst guardian form possible. You were stuck here. You could never go home again. You missed your dogs, and your uncle, and there was that one girl you dated, Lizzy. That didn’t work out too well. And your leg, man. You fought a war, lost your leg, but you never gave up hope. And I was such douchebag!>

Logan stood there, awkwardly. <Yeah, buddy, it was rough. But we’re beyond that. Did you get a chance to see the part where Steve is going to try and come here and kill one of us so he can break the last seal?>

<Yeah.> Chadrigoth cried some more. <You were right, man. He’s… I don’t know what he is, but we need to stop him. And together I know we can do it because through the power of friendship we can overcome anything, and you and I are friends now, right? Best friends, even?>

Logan patted the big demon’s shoulder reassuringly. <Sure, big guy. Friends. It’s going to be all right. The Symbiosis bond can be intense. Let’s just focus on the task at hand.>

The abyss lord leapt to his feet, and swiped the back of his hand across his runny nose. <But I see things so clearly now, and I have so many questions. Is what I have with Lady Elesiel real? Is that what you call love? Can it last? I burn so hot. She’s cold, like undead cold, you know? I’m not sure we’ve ever really bonded. And Jimi can be kind of a rock head. I mean, that makes sense, considering he’s an earth golem, but is there more to our relationship than lava?>

“Oh boy,” Logan muttered. <Look, we can talk about all of that, I promise. But first, we have to focus. If we can’t stop Steve, my friends will be gone and so will yours. I noticed you don’t have any traps in the Bloodrock. Your class gives you traps, right? Did you just not choose them?>

Chadrigoth fought the tears long enough to reply.  <Yeah, I have traps. I had to pick a few. But I never needed them before. They were complicated, and I didn’t quite get them. I just wanted to fight things myself, you know? To like win the approval of someone who doesn’t care about me. Maybe Brian isn’t so lucky. I mean, I’m not sure I’d want Mother giving me all that attention. She’s so toxic.>

Logan wasn’t getting anywhere. <Hey, Chadrigoth, show me your guardian core matrix. We’re basically facing four dungeon cores. What might’ve worked against Inga and me, is definitely not going to work with Steve. We’ve got to set up some traps to slow his minions down. Then we have to launch an offensive attack.>

<Wow, you’re right, bro.> The abyss lord took a big breath to calm himself. <Some bad news, that first Dungeonaut is dead. They’re hitting the next room, where my Unleashed Pit Spawn are. With the statues of the professors. Hey, did you notice I made them all crumbly? I thought I was going for a more weathered look, but now I understand that unconsciously I wanted them to look ugly, so I could look good. I see that now. I feel like such a narcissist.>

Logan physically suppressed a groan. Now was the worst possibly timing for Chadrigoth’s spiritual awakening. Logan shifted focus to the entrance, and saw that the Dungeonaut was indeed dead, though thankfully it had managed to pull Chadrigoth’s statue down on top the stairs. That would buy them a few minutes. Though maybe not as many as Logan was hoping for. Already, strange spidery automatons, with featureless plaster faces, were digging through the wreckage, trying to uncover the way forward.

Logan tried to bring the abyss lord back to the moment. <You’ve always fought against things that were weaker than you. You never needed to get creative. But Steve is stronger. Stronger than anything you’ve ever faced before. We’re going to have to do things differently. Luckily, as you know, my history is radically different. I’m always swinging outside my weight class. With the two of us, we can do this thing. We just need to get creative.>

<Okay, best bro, feast your eyes on my guardian core matrix! I’m very optimistic about our chances. My mind is being opened in so many different ways.>

Logan wanted to ask about the chest of Psuche powder, but they didn’t have time.

And suddenly, he was given the very lengthy guardian core matrix of an extremely powerful dungeon core.

<<< ۝ >>>

Chadrigoth Nobleblade

Guardian Core Matrix

Base Race: Abyss Lord

Current Evolution: Dread Cambion

Cultivator Class: Azure Branch Cultivator; B-Class, Rank 1

Primary Elemental Affinities: Ignis/Umbra

Racial Abilities:

Hellsight, Fiendish Resistance, Infernal Mastery

Racial Skill:

- Abyssal Bloodrage

- Unrelenting Endurance

- Soul Barrier

- Summon: Vengeance Blade

Circle of Inferno:

- Dark Covenant: Unleashed Pit Spawn

- Summon: Hellblaze Whip

- Brainfire

- Molten Chains

- Inferno Blast

Circle of Wrath:

- Dark Covenant: Dungeonaut

- Hellfury

- Scourge Lance

- Necro Shield

Circle of Torment:

- Dark Covenant: Hellion Imp

- Diabolis Puzzeliris Boxi

- Shame Maze

- Mind Slave

Circle of Pestilence:

- Dark Covenant: Defyler

- Seeping Corruption

- Blight Aura

- Putrid Wound

<<< ۝ >>>

Logan quickly glanced through the laundry list of available options, skills, minions, and spells. It looked like Chadrigoth’s class was broken down into various circles of hellish punishment, each one with its own theme. Circle of Inferno dealt with flame related attacks and skills, while Circle of Wrath specialized in powerful physical abilities. Circle of Pestilence caught his eye—he’d rarely seen Chadrigoth use the disease-related spells—but he simply didn’t have time to go through so many options. What he needed was something to slow Steve and company down. The Circle of Torment had some unique looking options—options he was sure he’d never see Chadrigoth utilize before. And there was also a minion under of the Circle of Pestilence that was new.

<Tell me about the Defylers, the Shame Maze, the Diabolis Puzzeleris Boxi, and Mind Slave. And quick!>

<Why?> Chadrigoth asked, looking genuinely baffled. <The Defylers are powerful and the skills inside the Circle of Pestilence have some potential. Seeping Corruption and Blight Aura are both useful AoE abilities. Seeping Corruption makes armor and weapons rust, lowering their durability and effectiveness, and it causes arthritis to spread through an enemy’s body, slowing them while the spell is in effect. Blight Aura deals passive poison damage and Putrid Wound creates a festering injury filled with pus and disease.>

<Why didn’t you show us some of this stuff before in our Core Calisthenics class?> Logan asked.

The abyss lord shrugged. <I held a ton of stuff back because I figured at some point, I’d need to fight one of you other dungeon cores to the death. Wow, yeah, just add paranoid delusions to my list of issues! Plus, none of the stuff in the in the Circle of Pestilence would’ve affected you anyway, because you’re a fungaloid.>

<What about the other stuff? In the Circle of Torment?>

<I didn’t use that because everything in the Circle of Torment is basically useless. You can’t crush or kill or maim anyone with those abilities. I don’t even know why my class has a Circle of Torment. It’s all head games. Stupid traps and puzzles and thoughtful introspection. I stayed as far away from that kind of thing as I could—would’ve totally ruined my reputation.>

Logan wanted to say something but held his tongue. Not the time, not the place. Instead, he simply did what he always did—he rolled up his metaphorical sleeves and got to work. They had only a few minutes to add some traps and other tasty tidbits to Chadrigoth’s dungeon before Steve’s main forces arrived at the entrance.

The fate of Arborea hung in the balance. The only thing stopping Steve was a desperate mushroom man and an emotionally fragile demon. Just another day at Shadowcroft Academy.