Denizens of the Labyrinth

The King was too large to fully pull himself out of the pool, and as such. Only up to his waist was in the chamber. His long arms were raised, to Jazmel’s surprise he was quite muscular, but swimming against deep sea currents must do that to a body. The king’s skin was darkened and hued in grey and blue. It reminded Jazmel of a shark skin, something he had seen in a book when we was at school as a child. The king, like the Atlantean guard bore tattoos and symbols, markings of Mana etched into his skin, and they shone faintly in the chamber. Jazmel’s eyes reflected the Mana and were dazzled by it. But that was not the only thing, aside from the tattoos, the crown of the king seemed to be filled to the brim with Mana, it shone like a star in the sky and Jazmel shielded his eyes from it as they grew accustomed. The final piece was the trident, a glittering and glistening creation of such power that Jazmel had not seen anything of the sword in the labyrinth. Mana ran the length of the trident from tip to end it was around twelve feet tall and though the king clutched it with one hand Jazmel could tell it was not too different to his own height.

“Dig in!” Tera Nema shouted, and the girls rushed to attack.

Wrath!

Morwen shouted and swinging her blade, a nasty attack of blood red Mana rent the air as it flashed through and struck the trident, the king blocked her attack and smoke billowed around it.

Cut

Myn said and her blade swung once. From the tip, a huge white scythe materialised and cleaved through the smoke of Morwen’s attack. The cut caught the king off guard, and he sneered, showing pointed shark teeth. The attack struck his chest and though it did not seem to damage him too much, a mark showed where here attack had landed.

Wand warfare!!

Tera Nema shouted and from her wand a bolt of arcane Mana flashed and struck the head of the king. The crown tilt back and screeching and whirling, he used his free hand to right his crown. He squealed and everyone clutched their ears. It was like a whistle under water and Jazmel felt his ear drums bend with the brunt of the screech. But before Jazmel could attack, the king did himself. He pointed his trident at the group and a blast of water blasted forth.

They dived out of the way, and where the blast hit, the corral had been blasted and crushed beneath the pressure of the trident’s power. “Remember, a named monster is stronger than its normal counterpart in its tier!” Jazmel shouted and the girls rushed around preparing.

“We need to get the trident out of its hand!” Tera Nema shouted, beside her Myn struck another attack but the hand clutching the trident didn’t move.

“We will keep it busy!!” Grace confirmed and then she turned to Jazmel.

“You are stronger, probably stronger than all over us individually. You need to attack it and draw its attention. I have an attack that will definitely cause it damage, but I will need a moment to prepare.” She told him and he nodded, and he stepped forward.

“I will protect her.” Morwen said.

Jazmel stepped forward, he drank a two stamina potions and felt refreshed immediately, he drank a Mana potion on top and the Mana sank into his stomach and waited, bolstering his already filled Mana pool.

He drew Nozarashi and as he carefully walked forward, the Mer king noticed him and stabbed downward with its trident. He blocked the attack, the immense power and strength from the blow pushed him back. But he pushed back and then the king swung the trident, and he flipped over it. As he flipped, in his right hand; where he was holding Hajime. He struck with the skill.

Flight of the blue kite!

The blue Mana bird flew from the katana with a screech. While this attack happened, he used Nozarashi with his other hand and shouted.

Slash

The attack flew behind the blue kite and they both hit the Mer king, using his massive hand to block the attack, the attacks creating a little smoke, but he did not waste his time worrying about it. He ran forward using the hand to block his sight. But the king slammed its hand down on the ground, but Jazmel was already past it, he took that time to jump in the air.

Whirlwind!!

He yelled and using both hands, he slashed both swords and sent a cutting attack of Mana across the eyes. The swords struck and he watched as the eyes popped in their sockets, from the corner of his eye he saw something and looked. The trident was swinging; he could not escape it, but he used both blades to block it and was struck out of the air. He hit the floor and smashed the ground where he landed. He laid where he landed and coughed up blood.

DANGER

BODY INJURY

HEALTH 30% DOWN

Shaken, he watched through blurry eyes as Grace stepped forward, her sword gone and in her hand a blade of pure white light. The Mana almost rivalled the crown’s.

Penance

She said and cut the Mer King with it. The attack was crucial, and the Mer King was split in two. She cut through the arm that was mid swing over Jazmel. She had cut through the arm, the torso, and the rest of the body. The Mer King died and immediately things changed.

DING!

QUEST COMPLETED

…

TIER III CORRUPTED MER KING TRITON DEFEATED

…

REWARDS TO BE GIVEN

CORRUPTION OF THE OCEAN TEMPLE REMOVED

Grace collapsed and the girls rushed around her. Jazmel was still injured, coughing and the iron taste in his mouth let him know he was bleeding somewhere on the inside. “Here you go.” He looked and it was Morwen, she gave him a potion. He had not seen this type before, but he did not mistrust her.

…

HIGHER HEALTH POTION

…

The potion immediately got to work and healed his wounds, he even felt the wound across his back heal and knit together. She helped him up and he rose up, putting his swords in their scabbards he thanked her.

He rolled his shoulders and then when he checked that grace was ok.

“That skills is a double-edged sword; it will take all the pain inflicted in the battle and use it to strike once. But it takes a lot out of her, she needs to recuperate for a moment.” Tera Nema explained to him, and he nodded, remembering that nameless attack that he had used on the black Wyrm.

He checked his notifications and wanted to see what rewards he had garnered.

DING!

…

TIER III CORRUPTED MER KING TRITON DEFEATED

…

+5 STRE

+5 AGL

+5 DEX

+4 INT

+4 END

+4 VIT

+3 WIL

+3 PER

LEVEL UP

…

LEVEL UP!

He looked at his stats and smiled to himself.

Name: Jazmel

Level: 50

Species: Human

Rank: Seeker tier III

Class: Sword Scion

Health: 1123/1425

Stamina: 1000/1144

Mana: 695/1000

STR:64 PER:53

VIT:53 END:58

INT:60 WIL: 50

AGL:65 DEX:57

Trait: HEART OF THE SWORD (BORN TRAIT)

Skills:

Sever (tier I)

Slash (tier II)

Flight of the Blue kite (tier I)

Title(s):

FIEND BANE

SERPENT SLAYER

Unused Stat points: 0

2X PLATINUM COINS

66X WHITE GOLD COINS

867X GOLD COINS

Item(s):

2X COLD IRON ORE

BRANCH OF A TREE

SEED OF MIRETE

100X GIANT SERPENT KILLED

TIER I 34X GREAT SERPENT SKINS COLLECTED

TIER I 25X GREAT SERPENT CORPSES COLLECTED

TIER I 42X GREAT SERPENT FANGS COLLECTED

TIER I 17X GREAT SERPENT GLANDS COLLECTED

TIER I RUSTED HELM COLLECTED

TIER I X3 RUSTED GREAVES COLLECTED

2/3 PIECES OF THE PLAQUE

3X HEALTH POTIONS

3X STAMINA POTIONS

1X ANTIDOTE POTION

TIER II TROLL BONE X3

TIER II TROLL HEART X1

TIER II TROLL CLUB X2

TIER I FOX FUR X2

TIER I FOX MEAT X2

TIER II HAG CORE X1

TIER II FIEND BONE X30

TIER II GREATER FIEND BONE X13

TIER I FIEND CORE X29

TIER II GREATER FIEND CORE X6

TIER II FIEND CORPSE X12

TIER I GREATER FIEND CORPSE X4

SEED OF THE WILLOW KNIGHT

TIER I MERMEN PEARLS X57

TIER I UNCORRUPTED CORRAL X3

TIER II OCEANIC SPEAR X3

TIER II ATLANTEAN SWORD X2

TIER I ATLANTEAN GARB X1

TIER II DEEP SEA PEARL X2

SHADOW WRAITH

LEVEL 12

PARTY:

5/5

BAEK LVL 112

Since he had completed his final tier tribulation in the seeker rank, he had earned five more levels and a whole lot of stat points to go with it. He suddenly felt cold in the room, and he looked down and saw his clothes were slashed and ripped where attacks had gotten through. He would need to sort that as soon as he entered civilisation again, he also needed to buy himself some other options. He could not wear the same things nonstop. But that meant he needed to expand his storage rings. That would cost a lot of money, he had the money, but he was loathe to part with it.

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Tera Nema said as she came to stand beside him.

“Just thinking about my next steps.” He said with a smile.

“You got somewhere you need to be?” she asked, and a little smile came to her lips.

“I need to find my party.” He admitted and she nodded, a little disheartened.

“I was hoping you would join our party.” She confessed and he felt bad, but they had definitely built some camaraderie.

“I cannot leave my party. But you and I are bonded since the realm. I am forever an ally if you need me. Just send word and I will bring my own party and come to your aid.” He bid her and he meant his words too.

“I promise.” She said and they hugged, he smiled into her hair, and she shooed him after letting him go, quickly.

“We need to split the rewards.” Morwen told them and they both headed over to the pool where the trident lay, and Jazmel noticed a small pile of jewels and pearls and gold coins, but they were not true rewards. Tera Nema offered that everyone had gained a lot of stats from the basement to the top floor. which everyone agreed to.

“Will you split these with us?” Tera Nema asked, and Jazmel looked. She was offering him a pick of the crown or the trident.

“You sure?” he asked, curiously.

“We would never have been able to get to the top floor without you assisting.” Morwen offered, suddenly nice and friendly.

“I will take the crown then.” She offered it to him and smiled.

“There is a lot of gems, jewels and coins.” She offered and he took a few more pearls and a much larger one too, adding it to his storage with the crown.

“Truthfully, I am looking for grave iron. I do not know why, but I was hoping for it, I thought the sea would be close to the death realm.” He explained and she nodded at his consideration.

“I have some.” Myn said and everyone turned to look at the shy and quiet girl. She went into her storage ring and inside it pulled out a chunk of grave iron, an ethereal chill leeched the room of any warmth and Jazmel swore he heard a wail.

“How much do you want for it?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“It is fair trade if you are only going to take a handful of rewards from here.” she said and gave it to him. He put it in his storage ring and thanked her profusely. Then the girls divvied up the remaining reward, putting it into the storage rings and promising to count and tally it up when they left the ocean temple.

“Where is the gate?” Jazmel asked, looking around the chamber room.

“Here.” Grace said, looking battered. Even though she had drank three potions, she need proper rest and Jazmel could tell she was ready to leave. She was beckoning to the pool in the centre of the room and when they went over, Jazmel could see that the Mana had changed, it no longer held any corruption and now it looked like a gate made out of sea foam.

“Remember girls, you need to focus on levelling up. A lot will be changing now that the monarch rank has been announced. I do not think too many friendly faces will be around too.” He offered and explained to the girls, in quickness what had happened with his party and the sworn. Tera Nema listened with wide eyes but thanked him.

He waved one last time to the girls and then he jumped into the seafoam gate.