Denizens of the Labyrinth

Jazmel cursed as soon as his eyes adjusted. He wasn’t back at the outpost; he was in another space where a fountain had been erected.

This quest seemed to be only for him again, he looked around and tried to see if he could find where the guardian was and after looking for now a few minutes he found sight of it, even when he looked with Mana. He went to the fountain and the water had almost dried up.

The empty vials he had were enough and he filled them before it was too difficult for him to fill more than three vials. He drank deeply from another, drinking it all.

DING!

TIER II WATER OF &4456& FOUNTAIN HEALS!

YOUR WOUNDS HAVE BEEN HEALED!

He felt it and in truth as soon as he had ingested the second vial, his body felt like he had recovered instantly. His stamina and health were both replenished and he could feel the Mana moving around him safely again, he rolled his shoulders and sighed from the comfort it gave him to be safe and feel hale again.

This fountain was different this time, it was sealed off by a raised lid; this was holding back the water from flowing down into the fountain and Jazmel could see the thick chains that were holding the lid up. But this time a pulley had been tied off to the side which was restricting off the flow of water. But Jazmel could see that it was sealed Mana runes run all along the length of the chains, but he couldn’t see what they meant; he just knew it changed the density of the runes. He drew Nozarashi and touched the chains and sparks flashed off and he had to turn his face to the side to make sure he wasn’t blinded.

He in turn sheathed his sword and then drew his other one and immediately he felt the iron quell the Mana runes on the chain. He raised his blade slowly and touched the chain and it threw up sparks and shards of the chain as Mana runes flashed ahead but Jazmel simply squinted and held his eyes covered. Just as his blade passed through the last link of the chain and the pulled whipped up the apparatus and broke off. He watched as it ascended and then watched as it toppled the halted seal. It flipped and the held back water burst forth and flashed into the fountain and then splashed down as it overflowed, he was drenched in it, but he felt buffed by it, but the system didn’t state any bodily changes.

DING!

YOU HAVE RELEASED THE FLOW OF WATER

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WATER OF &4456& WILL FLOW THROUGH THE LABYRINTH AGAIN

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WELL DONE!

CONGRATULATIONS

EXP EARNED!

LEVEL UP!!

+2 WIL

+2 PER

+1 DEX

ERROR!

REWARDS WITHELD

THE GUARDIAN OF THE FOUNTAIN HAS AWOKEN

BEWARE!!

This one was more upfront than the last, it roared; bellowed its challenge as it came out of a shadowed corner Jazmel had definitely checked. This creature was unlike anything he had seen, it was an ape and a man hybrid. Thick arms and it ran on all fours, its thick knuckles slapping the ground as it charged him.

He was prepared for this; he threw a vial of the fountain at its face, and it smashed, and it clawed at its face as the water burned its skin. He leapt forward and slashed its face, it blocked, and he wasn’t sure if it knew he was coming but he darted around the side and drove his sword into the soft flesh between its ribs, the blade of Tsubasa was lethal and he heard the ape man yelp and whine, but he was ruthless; he glided to the side and when he was behind it. he drove his sword through its back, and it sagged; he pushed it through the heart, and it whined as the blood from its heart pumped into its body and spurted from the hole he left in its body.

Cleave

He used his skill and cut through its neck; beheading the ape hybrid and the blood flowed freely.

DING!

DEFEATED THE GUARDIAN OF THE FOUNTAIN!

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TIER III SIMIAN IRONFIST DEFEATED

He had defeated a tier III monster without anyone’s help and just one skill. He was shocked at how lethal he had been when he was calculated, but he wasn’t shocked that he had the strength.

FOUNTAIN OF &4456& HAS BEEN MADE UNCORRUPT

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REWARDS WILL BE ADJUSTED

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DEFEATING A BRUXA FOR THE FIRST TIME

REWARDS WILL BE ADJUSTED

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EXP EARNED!

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LEVEL UP!

He had finally did it and he smiled to himself, he was ready for tier tribulation, and he could enter ranker, he just needed to make it to that level, and he had finally done it. Delving into the labyrinth on his own always provided him with bountiful rewards.

…

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REWARDS BEING ADJUSTED!

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TIER III BEAST CORE!

The core was like a giant marble of red and blue stardust in the centre of it. Just as the core landed in his hands the egg he had gained from the first fountain trial, the egg shivered in his hand and his eyes widened wondering if it would finally hatch.

THE EGG WOULD LIKE THE BEAST CORE TO HATCH

WILL YOU PROVIDE IT?

Y/N?

Of course he would accept!

They seemed to merge together, and the egg shuddered once more and then grew warm and began to vibrate a little and then thumped in his hand and he realised it was the echo of a small heartbeat. He went to put his ear to the egg to try and hear it better, but the sound of a crack drew his eyes back and the top of the egg cracked, and a small black eye peered up at him.

DING!

DRAGON OF THE NIGHT HATCHED!

LVL 1

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WILL YOU ACCEPT THE COMPANION OF THE DRAGON?

Y/N?

He accepted and he smiled as the rune on his hand grew into a small sun on the back of his hand.

WILL YOU NAME THE DRAGON?

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PALDANE NAME HAS BEEN REGISTERED!

Jazmel looked at the screen as it happened, and he looked at the tiny dragon in his hand and it puffed smoke from its nostrils. It was pitch black, the colour of ink or oil and along the small ridges that ran along its back, blue that looked like a topaz jewel. He stroked the back and it cooed and puffed more smoke. This was his shadow that had moved into the egg, he was happy and as he was about to discard the eggshell he saw the inside was silver; he would have to show that to colin when he next saw him. he willed the shell pieces into his ring and using its wings it fluttered up onto his shoulder, it was tiny; no bigger than his hand but it seemed to be sentient enough to know it wanted to be on his shoulder while he was moving around.

He needed to find tier tribulation items and fast, he wanted to enter ranker as soon as he could. He walked the path that broke off from around the fountain and down towards the gate which he planned to use to head back to his outpost, with his new friend; Paldane.