The Mage's Path: Chapter 39

Hi all, 

Here's the next chapter. I'm still using my phone while my laptop is getting fixed, so this took me longer to write.

Chapter 39

They stood in the darkened corridor, watching the Imps at the intersection, brainstorming on how they would deal with them.

"Let's retreat into the corridor," Harry whispered. "I want to try something."

They withdrew deeper into the corridor. Harry cast Magelight and an orb of brilliant white light materialised above his head. For an instant, it illuminated the surroundings, and then the light vanished. 

"What are you doing?" Celeste hissed before she froze. "Where did the light disappear to?" 

"I told you this corridor was strange." Harry's eyes remained fixed on the space where his Magelight should have illuminated their surroundings. The orb continued burning somewhere overhead, invisible but present. 

Although there was no light in the tunnel, their Perception was strong enough to make out small details. It didn't prevent them from being completely turned around earlier, though. 

"Did you know this would happen?" Jeanie asked.

"No. I wanted to see if I could lure the Imps into the corridor."

Celeste crossed her arms. "Give us a warning next time."

Harry cancelled the spell and opened his menu. The window materialised without issue, unaffected by whatever force consumed the light. 

The dungeon was currently in the Magic Phase. That made things easier. Jeanie would be useless during the weapon phase—one weakness he couldn't change. He needed to create a golem that relied on physical prowess rather than magic, so he would have assistance during both phases.

"Jeanie, how about you create a distraction?" Harry closed his menu. "We can't fight these Imps directly. There are too many of them."

She nodded, understanding his meaning without the need for further words.

They returned to the intersection. Jeanie summoned a shallow pool of water and sank into it, disappearing.

More pools manifested in succession, each one appearing closer to the Imps' position. Without a natural water source, she had to be creative to get around. As long as she could summon more pools, she could travel through the ground itself.

The water reached the closest Imp's feet before the creature noticed. It glanced down at the spreading moisture, confusion flickering across its twisted features. Jeanie erupted from the pool, her hands closing around the Imp's ankles.

The creature shrieked as she dragged it beneath the surface. Both vanished before the other Imps could react.

The monsters converged on the spot, chattering in their guttural language. They were clustered together, exactly as Harry had hoped.

Celeste struck first. She utilised her favourite combination of Void Burst and Void Prison. The skills hammered the Imps, dealing damage whilst slowing their movements. Several became trapped, unable to move.

Harry summoned four whirlwind blades on each hand, testing his new dual-casting ability. He hurled the cutting projectiles into the Imps' midst. The blades carved through their ranks, leaving trails of destruction.

He didn't pause. More wind blades materialised and flew, each volley expensive but devastatingly effective. Celeste continued her combination attacks, preventing the Imps from moving. But some had escaped the skills' range and charged towards them, no longer avoiding the darkened corridor.

Jeanie reappeared, clutching a lifeless Imp. She dropped the corpse and it vanished into motes of light. She submerged again, targeting another victim.

Harry and Celeste retreated deeper into the corridor as the surviving Imps pursued them. Fireballs erupted from their clawed hands, the projectiles difficult to dodge in the confined space. The bigger issue was the moment the flames ignited, their light winked out, swallowed by the corridor's darkness. Dodging became a lot harder.

They continued casting, picking off the Imps one by one. Though the creatures had entered the corridor, they seemed reluctant to venture too far, their advance hesitant and measured.

The final Imp collapsed, its body dissolving into motes of light. They had left a trail of loot scattered across the floor. 

Harry and Celeste moved towards the intersection, groping blindly for the dropped items. Jeanie waited for them, practically vibrating with excitement from the battle. At least her bloodlust focused on monsters rather than humans.

"Good thing they didn't call for reinforcements," Harry said.

Celeste frowned. "More of them are still  out there." 

"But we know how to deal with them."

As they collected the remaining loot, Harry reflected on the encounter. His Whirlwind Blades, enhanced by dual casting, were devastatingly powerful. But they drained his MP reserves rapidly. However, if he could group enemies together, it would be more cost-effective.

Jeanie had impressed him. Her abilities made her a formidable stealth party member, even before considering her magical offensive capabilities. Once she mastered his water grimoire skills, she would become even more dangerous. 

Through research within the System's database, Harry had begun understanding the Pool of Water skill's mechanics. The water existed partially in another dimension—far deeper than the shallow puddle suggested. But it acted as a normal puddle until Jeanie pulled targets into it. Each casting cost ten MP and lasted approximately one minute.

Her Drowning Grasp skill operated on a simple principle: her Strength versus the target's Endurance. The skill doubled her Strength temporarily. If it exceeded the target's Endurance, they were dragged under. The difference between the two stats determined how long Jeanie could keep victims submerged. Long enough, and they would drown.

The ability wasn't omnipotent. Certain skills, traits or a monster's physiology might counter it. Her Strength attribute was low, so against monsters with high Endurance, the skill would likely fail. But against ordinary enemies, it was brutally effective.

Harry opened his map interface, studying the illuminated pathways. Only the route from the mess hall showed on the display, along with the intersection they'd just cleared. The darkened corridor remained unmapped.

"Let's start exploring the floor," Harry said, closing the interface. "We need to find the stairs to the next level. I don't want to spend too much time in this dungeon."

"Please don't make statements like that," Celeste protested. "It will come back to bite us in the ass.”

“Aren't you too paranoid?”

Celeste ignored him. “Are you going to ignore the obvious problem with this dungeon?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Imps are demons!" Her wings buzzed with agitation. "I thought this was supposed to be some wizard's tower. Sounds suspicious to me."

Harry frowned. He hadn't considered that point. The monsters might bear no relation to the Tower's origins and were just a result of the System's strange design. From his experiences so far, that was unlikely.

"Why are we standing here like idiots?" Jeanie asked. "You won't find answers by talking about it."

"You're right," Harry replied. "If something deeper is happening here, we'll stumble upon it eventually."

They began exploring the floor, starting with the left corridor. The architecture resembled a medieval castle, with stone walls lined with torch brackets, arched doorways, and narrow windows. 

The corridor led them past what had once been servant quarters, their small chambers now empty save for rotting straw mattresses. 

They encountered more Imps as they explored, but most travelled alone. The monsters fled when they spotted the trio, chittering in their guttural language. 

Harry's group gave no quarter, hunting down each monster before it could escape. Despite their efforts, some Imps managed to alert others nearby, leading to brief but intense skirmishes.

They passed several locked doors as they explored. Harry attempted the Unlocking Charm on them, but the spell failed against whatever protections sealed them.

"I could slip under the door," Jeanie suggested. 

Harry nodded. "Worth trying."

She dived into her pool and flowed towards the door's base. Instead of passing beneath, the water struck an invisible barrier. 

"Even I can't get through," Jeanie said. "Something is blocking the way."

Harry shook his head. “Forget it. We'll come back to it if necessary. There may be nothing inside the rooms anyway.”

They continued down the corridor they were on until they turned a corner.

"What is that?" Celeste asked.

An open doorway stood before them, flanked by a pair of imposing statues. The figures resembled enlarged Imps—stone gargoyles with extended horns and leathery wings folded against their backs. Their craftsmanship was exceptional, so lifelike they seemed ready to spring into motion.

They approached the threshold and peered inside. Rows of wooden pews faced a raised pulpit at the front of the chamber. Above the speaking platform hung a mural depicting a human figure—or what had once been human. His features were twisted into something inhuman, with horns protruding from his forehead. A crown inlaid with seven gems adorned his head.

"It's some kind of chapel," Harry observed.

"Not any kind of chapel I've seen before," Jeanie said. "Must be for demon worshippers."

"Way to state the obvious," Celeste muttered.

They entered the chapel and approached the pulpit. An open tome rested upon its surface, its pages covered in script Harry couldn't decipher. He was about to examine it when Celeste cried out.

Harry spun around to see her staring at the mural.

"What's wrong?"

"I saw the head move," Celeste said. "I swear!"

"But it's a mural—"

"Sure, Mr Wizard. It's not like you live in a castle with magical portraits."

Before Harry could respond, he caught movement in his peripheral vision. The figure's eyes had shifted, tracking his movements across the chapel. He stepped sideways, and the gaze followed.

"Sorry for doubting you," Harry said nervously. "We should leave. That's freaking me out."

The mural became more animated as he spoke. The figure's mouth opened, and words emerged in a deep, resonant voice.

"Welcome fledglings. Have you come to challenge the Tower to pursue the Acolyte's Path? Don't assume it will be easy."

"I think he's talking about you, Harry," Celeste whispered.

"Don't assume he's talking about the same thing.”

The figure continued speaking, clearly delivering a predetermined message rather than responding to their conversation.

"My name is Thornwood. I created this Tower to find only the most promising demonkin. You need to possess a King's potential to take part in the trial."

Harry felt a hollow sensation in his stomach. He knew that term because he was one of those individuals who possessed the potential. He even had a title to confirm it—King's Authority. The only other person he knew who possessed the same potential was Fleur. Only females were known as Queens.

What were the chances of encountering someone else inside a dungeon who knew the term? How many were out there with the same potential?

"Harry," Celeste hissed.

"Shush. I want to hear what he's saying."

Thornwood continued his monologue. "There are seven floors, each with a trial you must overcome. You must find the gem located on every floor and socket it into a crown to proceed."

"What crown?" Harry muttered.

Thornwood reached up to his crown. He lifted the crown from his head and held it forward. To their shock, the crown disappeared from the mural and fell through the air.

Harry dove forward and caught it before it could strike the stone floor.

"Once all gems have been socketed into the crown, you will gain unimaginable power," Thornwood said. "But it won't be easy. Good luck, fledgling. May we meet again in the Abyss."

The mural fell still, returning to mere pigment and plaster.

"That was disturbing," Celeste murmured. "The  Abyss? We don’t want to mess with anyone from that place. That crown can't be anything good. Throw it away."

Harry wasn't listening. He turned the crown over in his hands, examining it. The gems from the mural had vanished, leaving seven empty sockets arranged around the golden circlet. 

He used Appraisal on it.

======???????? | Level: 1 | Legendary | Type: Headwear | Enchantment Slots: 7 

Description: This mysterious crown has no power by itself. Its true purpose and strength only appear when the seven enchantment gems are set into it. The crown selects its wearer, and anyone without the right potential risks serious harm if they try to wear it. Warning: The effects of wearing the crown can vary widely, depending on the person.

*Defence: 0 

*Durability: ∞ 

*?????

*Additional Requirements: A King's or Queen's potential.

Enchantments attached: [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] ======

"Legendary," Harry breathed.

The crown required a King's potential to wear, and it promised significant power once he started socketing the enchantment gems. But he couldn't ignore the warnings either.

"Harry!" Celeste's voice cut through his contemplation. "You're not seriously considering putting that thing on your head?"

He looked up to find Celeste staring at him with an expression of alarm.

"The description mentions enchantment gems," Harry said. "If we're going to explore this place anyway..."

"Absolutely not," Celeste interrupted. "Nothing good could come from that demon.”

Harry studied the item again, conflict warring within him. A legendary item was tempting, but Celeste's warnings carried weight. Yet something about the crown resonated with him. He couldn't explain it.

"I won't wear it for now," Harry said. "But I'm keeping it. I don’t think we can progress through the tower without it."

He stored the crown in his inventory, ignoring Celeste's disapproving glare. 

As if to confirm his suspicions, a quest notification materialised before Harry's eyes.

======New Main Quest: The Seven Trials of Thornwood 

Description: Thornwood's Tower contains seven enchantment gems hidden throughout its floors. Each gem must be socketed into the crown to unlock the path to the next level. The player must complete all seven trials to gain the skill required to advance to Acolyte Mage.

Main Objectives:

• Locate the enchantment gem on the first floor.

• Socket the gem into the crown and equip it.

• Use the crown to find the way to the next floor.

• Repeat until all seven gems are collected.

Rewards: ?????? (Legendary); Acolyte Mage Path skill. 

Time Limit: None 

Quest Difficulty: Variable ======

Harry dismissed the notification. The quest confirmed his suspicions —they needed the crown to progress further up the tower. Before he could share the details with the others, the sound of doors slamming open echoed through the corridor.

Celeste whirled around. "What's going on?"

"I believe the trial has started. Send a shadow creature to check the situation out," Harry said.

Celeste nodded. She concentrated, and a shadow coalesced on the ground, forming into the sleek shape of a ferret. It darted into the corridor. A moment later, she received a message back from the ferret.

"Not good." Celeste scowled. "The locked doors are now open and the room Mr Ferret checked is filled with Imps."

Harry frowned. "We passed over two dozen locked rooms on our way here. And we haven't fully explored the floor yet. How many Imps would there be in total?"

"Too many to count."

"Are they exiting the room?" Jeanie asked.

"No." Celeste rubbed her chin. "It's a good question. Why aren't they leaving?"

Harry studied the corridor entrance, weighing their options. "I don't know. But I suspect one of the rooms has the enchantment gem we need to progress."

"Do we have to clear all of them?" 

"That would take far too long, and it would use up too many resources."

Celeste shrugged. “That's not a problem for me." 

She was right. Her Shadow Leech skill could restore portions of her MP reserves by draining HP from the monsters. So long as they possessed mana, she would never run dry. However, the ability could only target one creature at a time, and each monster could only be drained once.

"We need to look into the other rooms to see if they are the same as the first room,” Jeanie said.

Celeste's expression brightened. “Good thing we have Mr Ferret on our side."

She fell silent as she directed her shadow creature, sending it to investigate each room systematically. They waited several minutes in silence until they got a response.

"Dammit.”

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"All the rooms have a treasure chest inside them, tucked behind the Imps. We won't know which chest holds the enchantment gem without opening them first."

Harry sighed. He knew it wouldn't be so straightforward. "Let's clear the nearest room of Imps and see what the treasure chests hold."

They employed the same strategy as before to eliminate the creatures. Even though the Imps spotted them lurking outside the doorway, the monsters refused to leave the room, merely shrieking and waving their clawed fists in futile rage.

At first, Harry thought he could exploit this behaviour. He summoned his whirlwind blades and hurled them towards the doorway, but the projectiles fizzled out the moment they crossed the threshold.

“I knew it was too easy,” Harry muttered.

He sent Jeanie inside. The golem vanished into her conjured pool and dragged an Imp under the surface. Harry and Celeste entered the room while the Imps were in disarray and unleashed their spells. It proved just as effective as last time, although the Imps managed to get some licks in due to their proximity.

The room was bare, save for the wooden chest positioned against the far wall. 

Before Harry approached the chest, he checked his minimap. He had a theory he wanted to test. 

His Treasure Hunter skill could detect chests within a certain range, unless they were hidden by a special condition like being in a concealed location. The treasure chest hadn't shown on the map behind the locked door. But now it appeared on his map. 

He opened the chest. Empty. 

Harry frowned. His theory had proven correct. The chest showed up on the map, regardless of whether it was a dud. He didn't find it feasible that every chest inside the rooms held loot, so there had to be a trick to it. 

The chest vanished in a puff of smoke, and a new notification blazed across his vision.

The player has activated a modified Genimo Curse. All Imps inside the remaining rooms have doubled in number. The room’s dimensions have increased proportionally to accommodate them.

"What's a Genimo Curse?" Celeste asked, reading over his shoulder.

"Who cares?" Harry dismissed the notification. "The outcome is the same. Does this cursed tower want to exhaust us to death?"

"Is the same thing going to happen again? I can't even calculate how bad it will get."

"We need to hold off on searching the rooms for the moment,” Jeanie said. “The Imps won't leave the rooms. I suggest we continue exploring the rest of the floor. There has to be a clue somewhere that provides a solution."

"The undead weed has a point." Celeste grinned. "I knew she would be good for something."

Jeanie eyed her evilly, but the fairy seemed unperturbed by the hostile glare.

"I can't think of another plan," Harry said. "Let's get going."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

They began mapping out the rest of the floor and clearing out the remaining Imps that wandered the corridors. 

Beyond the servant quarters and the chapel, they found a library whose shelves stood empty, and what appeared to be guard stations positioned at strategic intervals. All bore the same medieval architecture, but decay had claimed most of the furnishings.

It was in a small study tucked behind the library that they found their answer.

The room contained a pair of bookshelves flanking a modest desk. Harry approached the bookshelves, running his fingers along their spines. Each book he pulled had blank pages. 

"Another dead end," Celeste said.

Harry was about to agree when his fingers closed around a slim volume wedged between two larger books. 

"Hold on," he said, opening the book.

The pages contained neat handwriting. Notes filled the margins, diagrams illustrated various magical concepts, and formulas covered entire pages.

"Thornwood's journal," Harry murmured, scanning the entries.

Most of the content dealt with magical theory beyond Harry's understanding, but one section caught his attention. The heading read: "Modifications to the Genimo Spell."

Harry read aloud: "The traditional Genimo Spell creates perfect duplicates of objects when physically touched. I have modified the enchantment for the first trial to make it more challenging. Fledglings who don't use their heads will quickly find themselves overwhelmed.”

Celeste snorted. “This Thornwood is crazy.”

Harry continued reading: "The modification doubles the number of creatures in adjacent chambers, providing escalating difficulty. To prevent the spell from activating, one must open the chest without making physical contact.”

“Crazy,” Celeste insisted.

Harry slammed the journal shut. "The solution was that simple?"

"At least we know now," Jeanie said pragmatically. "What's the plan?"

Harry moved towards the door. "We check every chest. One of them has to be real. But we have to be smart about it.  I’m not fighting all those Imps.”

“What do you have in mind?” Celeste asked

Harry explained his idea as they approached the first room, where over a dozen Imps prowled the interior.

"Create another shadow creature," Harry said. "Something small that can fly."

Celeste concentrated, and the darkness coalesced into the shape of a sparrow. The small bird flitted around his head, picking at his hair. Harry held out his hand, and the sparrow landed on his palm.

Harry smiled. "This one seems to have some personality, unlike your other creations.”

“Bothersome. Let me make another one,“ Celeste said.

“Don’t be cruel. Send it inside, but keep it near the ceiling."

The sparrow darted through the doorway, settling on a beam directly above the treasure chest, hidden from the creatures below.

Harry summoned his wand and stepped carefully into the room, making sure to not alert the Imps. Even if they couldn't leave the room, they would crowd the doorway if they noticed him. 

He raised his wand and cast a Levitation Charm on the chest's lid. The wooden cover rose, revealing the container's contents to the sparrow's gaze. Through her connection to the creature, Celeste received the information immediately.

"Nothing inside," she whispered.

Harry released the spell and stepped back before the Imps could notice his presence. The lid settled back into place with a soft thud.

"Went off without a hitch," Harry said. 

"Don't speak too soon," Celeste warned. "There's plenty more chests to check."

They repeated the process methodically, moving from room to room. Despite Celeste's concerns, nothing went wrong. By the thirteenth chest, Harry had begun to wonder if they'd missed something. The sparrow settled above the container, and Harry executed the familiar Levitation Charm. The lid rose to reveal the chest's contents.

"Finally," Celeste said, her relief evident. "There are items inside this one."

They proceeded to clear the room of Imps using their established tactics. Once the room was empty, Harry approached the chest. 

He hesitated for a moment, then placed his hands on the lid. The real treasure chest wouldn't have the modified Genimo Charm attached—at least, he hoped not.

The lid opened without incident, revealing three items nestled within. Harry's attention immediately focused on the enchantment gem, a small pitch-black crystal shaped like an eye. 

“Appraisal.”

======Veilpiercer | Level: 20 | Epic | Effect: Enchantment Gem

Description: The gem contains the power to pierce absolute darkness. Some regions of the Abyss are consumed by such complete darkness that no light or magic can breach them. This gem allows the bearer to see through these impenetrable veils and navigate safely through them. 

*Grants True Sight through areas of complete darkness.

*Provides immunity to blindness status effects. 

*Perception +5

======

Harry's mind immediately went to the darkened corridor they'd encountered earlier. The connection was obvious—the gem would allow them to navigate the passage without being turned around.

"So that was the exit all along," he murmured. "But without the gem, we would never have found it."

The gem referenced the Abyss. It was the second time it had been mentioned in this dungeon, but he hadn't paid much attention to it the first time. 

What was the wizard's connection to the realm? Was this where the demons came from? What had driven Thornwood to turn himself into some kind of demon? The description on the gate had been misleading. It hadn't mentioned anything about demons.

He pulled the crown from his inventory, expecting to need an enchantment station to socket the gem. Instead, as soon as the two items came within proximity, the gem was ripped from his grasp and pulled into one of the crown's empty sockets with a soft click.

"Well, that's one less worry," Harry said.

"But it adds another one," Celeste replied, eyeing the crown warily. "Don't you think this crown is a little too independent?"

"I get what you're saying," Harry conceded. "But it's a legendary item. It probably plays by its own rules."

Celeste frowned but didn't press the issue further.

Harry set the crown aside and examined the remaining items. One of them he recognised and used Appraisal on it.

=======Manor Fragment: Mage’s Tower | Level: -- | Epic | Effect: Manor Room

Description: A crystalline shard filled with stored knowledge. This fragment is the first in a collection, each representing a different part of the manor. When these fragments are combined, the player can summon a manor, provided he owns the plot of land where it will be placed. Explore more dungeons to locate the remaining fragments. ======

Harry grinned. "My very own Mage Tower. Isn't that exciting?"

"Yes, yes. Congratulations," Celeste said.

Harry ignored her snarky tone and appraised the final item. It was another consumable scroll.

======Warp Scroll: Seventh Floor | Level: -- | Rare | Effect: Consumable  

Description: A magical scroll that creates a temporary portal directly to the seventh floor of Thornwood's Tower. The portal bypasses all intermediate floors and deposits the user near the dungeon's exit gate. Single-use only. 

*Activation time: 10 seconds.

*Portal duration: 30 seconds. 

*Cannot be used in combat. ======

Harry's brows furrowed. “Why would the System give me something like this?" 

"Because it wanted to give you the option of skipping the trials," Celeste said. "I told you the crown was suspicious."

"That's a stretch," Harry replied. "Besides, are you forgetting we have another quest to complete? We need to find out what happened to Adam."

"The answer could be on the seventh floor."

"If we're lucky."

"Admit it," Celeste said, crossing her arms. "You want to do these trials to obtain a legendary item."

Harry shrugged. He didn't deny the accusation because he couldn't. He couldn't even explain it to himself.

"There’s also the matter of my occupation,” Harry said instead. “It's giving me a choice, but realistically, there is no choice at all.”

"Alright," Celeste said, though her tone suggested she wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer.

Harry re-examined the crown. The item's description had been updated to reflect the change, showing a +5 Perception bonus alongside the gem's effects.

"Let's return to the corridor and get off this floor," Harry said, storing the Manor Fragment and Warp Scroll in his inventory.

They made their way back through the castle's corridors to the darkened corridor.

Harry stood at the threshold, the crown heavy in his hands. Something twisted in his stomach—nerves, or anticipation. Celeste's dire predictions echoed in his mind, but beyond that lay a deeper unease he couldn't name. 

"What are you afraid of?" Jeanie asked. "Don't listen to that speck of purple misery. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it."

"Hey, mind your own business, pond scum," Celeste shot back.

Harry ignored their bickering and lifted the crown towards his head. He took a breath and placed it on his head.

For a moment, nothing happened. It felt anticlimactic after he built it up to be something more. Then fire erupted from his scar.

The pain hit him like a lightning bolt, white-hot agony drilling into his skull. He cried out and collapsed to the floor, his hands clawing at his forehead. It felt as though someone had pressed a red-hot poker directly into his head and was twisting it deeper with each passing second.

"Harry! What's wrong?" Celeste's voice seemed to come from miles away.

She darted towards him, her tiny hands grasping the crown's edges. She pulled with all her strength, but it remained fixed to his head as if it had grown roots into his skull.

"Don't just stand there," Celeste snapped at Jeanie. "Help me!"

Jeanie joined the effort, her larger hands wrapping around the crown's base. Both of them pulled, but the crown wouldn't budge. Harry continued writhing on the floor, his vision blurring from the overwhelming pain.

Then, gradually, the agony began to fade. The burning sensation dimmed to a dull throb, and Harry's breathing steadied. He sat up slowly, his head spinning.

"Your scar is bleeding," Celeste said.

Harry reached up and touched his forehead. His fingers came away wet with blood. Frowning, he pulled a spare shirt from his inventory and wiped the blood away.

"Harry," Celeste whispered, "your scar is gone."

"What?!" Harry's hand flew to his forehead, feeling along the smooth skin where the lightning bolt mark had been.

A notification materialised before his eyes.

The Veil of Blood enchantment has been removed. 

Harry stared blankly as another notification appeared.

======Congratulations! The Mark of Mystery Quest is complete.

Reward: Removal of the Veil of Blood burden 

Sub-Objective Rewards: 500 XP, 2 PP ======

"It looks like the crown has taken your choice away," Celeste said. "Now, your mother's enchantment isn't concealing you from whatever's out there."

Harry felt hollow. Had he known the crown would have such an effect, he wouldn't have put it on. The scar had been his mother's protection, her final gift to him. It should have been his choice when to remove it.

He grimaced. If he was honest with himself, he hadn't removed the enchantment out of fear of the consequences. In truth, he'd wanted to hold onto some part of his mother, even if it wasn't entirely rational.

"I told you the crown was suspect," Celeste said. "But I think this is a good thing. You were procrastinating on this matter for too long. And you managed to clear one of the pesky side quests."

"That's a great comfort," Harry said, his voice flat. 

He checked his status and confirmed the burden was gone. He now had full access to his mana reserves. Whatever consequences awaited him when he left the dungeon, he would deal with them.

"Let's go," Harry said. "I want to see what else this crown will give me."

"Harry, you're crazy.”

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Harry continues climbing the Tower.

Thanks for reading.