Rune Seeker

“We all should’ve,” Hiral admitted, though he didn’t have time for more, with the notification window expanding.

Dynamic Quest: The Tower of Dynamic Trials

Due to the inherent power of A-Rank and their potential impact on the battle within the Cradle, an additional requirement has been implemented to give other Ranks time to contribute.

To proceed – and assault the opposing faction’s keep – one faction must control (or destroy) both A-Rank defensive towers and claim victory within the 12 floors of the Tower of Dynamic Trials. Only then will lanes allowing A-Rank individuals to pass be opened.

Note: The A-Rank lane you came to the tower through has since been closed, and teleport nodes – if unlocked – have been temporarily sealed until progress conditions have been met.

Note (2): Only one party from each faction may enter the Tower of Dynamic Trials at one time.

Note (3): Only one party from each faction may assault the opposing tower at one time.

Faction Tower controlled: 1/1

Opposing Faction Tower controlled / destroyed: 0/1

“Something happen up there?” Nivian asked over the party chat.

“Blurry wall fell,” Seeyela replied. “New tower popped up.”

“The Tower of Dynamic Trials?” Wule asked.

“That’s our guess. Not like there’s a big sign on it saying what it is,” Seeyela said.

“Am I reading this right?” Ilrolik asked. “There are two defensive towers – the one we’re in and the one the other side controls – along with this new trial tower. We need to control all three of them if we want to go after Vorinal and the Urn.

“And, to make it more fun, we have to split up if we want to accomplish that.”

“While,” Loan piped in. “They could leave all three parties in their tower to prevent us from taking it. Effectively stalling us completely.”

“Try and prevent us,” Yanily said, though he didn’t move away from where he was going through spear forms in the center of the roof. “One way or another, we’re taking all three towers.”

“You think you could stand up to eighteen Infested?” Yully asked.

“If we have to,” Yanily said. “Pretty sure Hiral will have a better plan, though.”

“Well, Mr. Raid Leader?” Seena asked, looking over at him with a smile on her face. “Do you?”

“I do,” Hiral said, rereading the notification window quickly one more time. “If you all trust me.”

“You know we do,” Nivian answered. “What are we doing?”

Hiral nodded at the support from the others. “Okay. We’re splitting up. With Olimpas taking the Urn to Vorinal, we don’t have time to sit on our hands. The fastest way to open up a path to the Fallen is taking all three towers at the same time.”

“You don’t think they’re going to turtle?” Yanily asked.

“Before you ask,” Seena said. “It’s from the guide. Basically, it means putting up a strong defense with little risk. In this case, keeping all three parties in their tower, I think.”

Yanily stopped his spear dance just long enough to point at Seena and give her a thumbs up.

“No, I don’t think they will,” Hiral said. “Olimpas will have warned them about us getting stronger. While I fully expect them to underestimate us again, I bet that’ll mean they have orders to rush over and crush us before we have a chance to complete any more trials. A-Rankers are the only ones who could do that decisively.”

“The whole reason this quest seems to have been put in place is to prevent that,” Romin said.

“Exactly, which means they want the same thing we do – to get through it as quickly as possible. They’re going to split up too.”

“Are we going to the far tower then?” Seena asked without using the party chat. “Just in case.”

Hiral shook his head. “No. It’s a risk – and dangerous – but I think we need somebody else to do it.”

“Just tell us where you need us to go,” Loan said. “And what you’d like us to hit. This new A-Rank body of mine is ready for a workout.”

“Nivian,” Hiral started. “Your party has the most important role in all this. You’ll be protecting this tower. Probably want to come back up here so you can see the other group coming. No matter what else happens, the A-Rank Infested can’t make it past this point.”

“Between the tower, the traps, and us, they won’t,” Nivian promised.

Even through the floors separating Hiral from the basement where Nivian and his party stood, Hiral felt a resonance with the Death Knight’s concept of ‘I protect’ and his words. There was no doubt in his mind or body. He would be the shield protecting those weaker than himself from the danger of the Infested.

“Smash?” Bash asked.

“Very soon,” Wule said. “You ready to see if you’re stronger than an Infested?”

“SMASH!”

“That’s what I thought. We’ll be right up.”

“Ilrolik,” Hiral went on. “Your group has most dangerous job. You’re taking the other defensive tower.”

“The one that could have three groups of Infested in it?” the Shaper asked.

“That’s the one,” Hiral said. “There’s the risk I’m wrong about them splitting up, but I think your group makeup has the best chance of taking that tower if I’m not. And, even if I am, I think you can get away.”

“We won’t need to get away,” Loan said. “They will. Not that we’ll let them.”

“If we can get through the traps without somebody stepping on one,” Yully said. “We might be able to make it right to the tower without them even knowing we’re there.”

“And between your balance of offense and defense – especially with the new skills from Mechanized – you can take control of the tower,” Hiral said.

“We’re not exactly stealthy,” Ilrolik said. “But I think we’re up to the task. Consider the tower taken. We’ll need a few minutes to make a plan.”

“You’ve got it,” Hiral said. “As for the final Tower of Dynamic Trials, that’s where we’re going. Since we don’t know what the ‘claim victory within the twelve floors’ thing really means, having the extra numbers with Left, Right, and Wallop may make a difference.”

“You’re also the most flexible group,” Nivian said. “The towers are knowns. The trials aren’t. Whatever comes up in there, you can handle it.”

“We can,” Hiral said. “Thanks, Nivian. Now, there’s a chance our raid chat functionality will get interrupted after we separate. If not, let’s keep each other updated. That especially goes for us and Nivian’s group. If we encounter an Infested party, that’s one less group defending their tower. That would be…”

Dynamic Quest Update: The Tower of Dynamic Trials

One faction has entered the Tower of Dynamic Trials. If no representatives from the opposing faction enter within 10 minutes, control of the tower will temporarily be ceded to those present.

9:59 remaining.

“And there’s one less group right there,” Hiral said. “We should get going.”

“We could hold here,” Romin said. “If one group does come, we could overwhelm them before moving on.”

“They have to know the same thing would be an option,” Hiral said. “No, they got to the tower in the middle because it could’ve been an advantage. Something I should’ve thought of too. Sorry. They won’t attack here until they know at least one of our groups has committed.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Yanily asked, suddenly beside the rest of them.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“We’re going,” Hilal said, spreading his scarves to the party around him. “Ilrolik, go when you’re ready, but anything you can do to slip in will probably give you an advantage. Whatever happens, though, prioritize your safety over taking the tower. If you have to retreat and return later, that’s not a problem.”

“We’ll stay safe,” Ilrolik said. “While capturing the tower. Don’t expect there to be any leftovers for you.”

“Good,” Hiral said. “I’m expecting we’ll have our hands full as is.”

With that, Hiral stepped up onto the parapet in preparation for launching himself toward the Tower of Dynamic Trials, but he didn’t get any further than that before another notification popped up.

Staging Area Transportation

Party teleportation available. Please choose destination:

Staging area to assault opposing faction’s tower

Tower of Dynamic Trials

Note: To return from either destination, simply attempt to ‘leave’ from the same place you arrive.

“Did you just get an option to teleport to either tower?” Hiral asked the others around him.

“Sure did,” Yanily said. “Though…” he poked at the air. “It doesn’t seem to be working.”

“The destinations are kind of greyed out,” Seeyela added, though she wasn’t trying to poke anything.

“Party-leader-only option,” Seena said. “Must be. Mine are highlighted.”

“This would explain how the other side got to the tower so quickly,” Hiral said. A quick minute to explain the function to Ilrolik’s team – it would help them get to their destination safely and quickly – and Hiral nodded at Seena. “Let’s go see what these trials are all about.”

“One tower full of Infested, coming right up,” Seena said. And, though her words were cheeky, the look on her face was anything but. The whole party had shifted from friendly-banter mode to their time-to-take-care-of-things personas. Her hand tapped the air, and Hiral’s surroundings shifted.

There was a pull like gravity and something else – that same something Hiral was missing when he’d tried to replicate Seeyela’s teleportation – and then suddenly he was in another place. In another tower, from the looks of the room around him. Gone was the fake sky of the Cradle above, replaced by simple stone, which is pretty much how Hiral would describe the rest of the space as well. Bare walls and floor, the only thing really of note was the clear wall separating their half of the large, circular room from the other.

The other… where a group of four Infested and two – Are those half-Pilgrims, like we saw in the Jailbreak dungeon? – others stared at them from. Standing in a line and glaring at Seena’s party as it had arrived, they must’ve been able to feel the teleportation, or maybe gotten a notification. Either way, a mix of confidence and glowering painted their faces.

They weren’t moving to attack – probably because of the clear wall between the two groups – so Hiral and the others took the opportunity to read the notification that had appeared as soon as they had.

Welcome to the Tower of Dynamic Trials!

Within this tower, you will face 12 challenges.

The first 11 floors will pit you against the opposing faction in tests of skill and cunning. Victory in each of these trials will award you advantages on the 12th and final floor – a battle to the death.

Note: While not all floor-victory advantages are equal, more is always better.

Note (2): While boons from victory can be potent, they alone will not guarantee victory against a vastly superior opponent. Choose trial participants wisely, and whether you proceed to the 12th floor or not even more wisely.

Note (3): You may retreat from the tower at any point, but wins / losses on individual floors will not be reset until the 12th floor is completed.

As he usually did, Hiral read through the notification twice in quick succession, the others around him clearly doing the same thing. Twelve floors of trials, and then… a fight to the death? Okay. Did that mean they couldn’t kill each other until that twelfth floor, or just that it wasn’t the goal until that point? Since he didn’t have the answers – and his party members likely wouldn’t either – Hiral closed the window and instead turned his attention back to their opponents.

Starting on the left, the first Infested crouched on the balls of his feet, hands on his knees as he leaned forward to stare at the new arrivals. Wearing little more than a harness and a loincloth, the tentacles of the squid inside him were all on full display. He didn’t have a PIM or anything like Banst had, but his hands up to his forearms had an odd sheen to them – That looks like ice…? – while the rest of his body had a tint of blue. Frost lined his bushy beard and shoulder-length hair, so it wasn’t too wild of a guess he used some kind of magic related to cold.

Could he be like Banst and have mastered a single rune?

Another thing he’d find out soon enough, so his gaze moved to the next Infested in line.

Like the first, this Infested wasn’t any bigger than Hiral or the others, but she was wearing significantly more armor than the frosty one beside her. Made out of something that looked like black-as-night snakeskin, a pair of weapon-hilts peeked up over her shoulders. Hiral’s first guess was swords, but the hooked blades he saw jutting out near her hips made him second guess himself. Her tentacles wrapped even around the armor she wore, and a pair of curved fangs extended from a small plate on the back of her hand. Claws for in close? A full mask – made of the same snakeskin – left only her eyes visible, and they didn’t hold any love for the party.

Beside her, the third Infested wore a lose robe of blue cloth, hiding all of his tentacles but the ones wrapped across his bald head. Standing impressively straight – Really, his posture is amazing – with his hands clasped behind his back, his only really defining feature was the long, narrow beard that went almost down to his waist in front of him. There was nothing else. No weapons. No jewelry. Just the man, the beard, and the unnervingly good posture. Out of the three so far, something about this one was definitely the most unsettling.

Hiral let his gaze linger a second longer, but there was nothing else he could parse from the man, so he moved on to the fourth and final Infested.

Unlike the almost plain man beside him, this one was a smorgasbord of color and style. A scarf of alternating red, blue, and green hung from his neck and down his back, while a jacket of some kind of white and black leather stood open to expose his bare – and hairy – chest. Leather pants – brown and grey – were tucked into knee-high, yellow boots with enough flop at the top it was a miracle the man didn’t trip over them. All of this was painful enough to look at, but it wasn’t the strangest thing. No, the man had scrolls tied all over his body. Three on each upper arm, one on each forearm, more on his thighs and waist, and there were even some poking out of the inside of his jacket. Of course, he had the tentacles of any Infested, but they pulsed with alternating colors themselves.

Like he felt Hiral looking at him, he flashed a smile so bright his teeth sparkled, then made little finger-guns.

Creepy. At least he didn’t…

He winked.

“I’m definitely killing the one in the boots,” Seeyela whispered just loud enough for the party to hear. She’d obviously seen the wink as well.

Moving on, Hiral had to physically turn his neck to look at the next opponent in line. While the four Infested were standing relatively close to each other, the final pair had a clear and distinct separation between them and their party-mates – at least four feet. These two definitely reminded Hiral of the half-Pilgrims – or demons, as Gran called them – they’d seen in the Ascender’s Tower dungeon, but there were differences as well.

For one, they didn’t look like they’d been split clean down the middle and fused with half-a-Pilgrim. Instead, they had features of the Pilgrims dotting their bodies here and there, more patchwork than anything else.

The first of the two towered over everybody else present. So big he’d look down on most Shapers, the guy had to be almost nine or ten-feet tall. Down his left arm, he wore a vanguard very similar to the one Nivian had, heavily armored and running up to his shoulder to belt down around a heavily muscled chest. His right arms were free of man-made armor, but had the distinct look of a Pilgrim – alabaster-white with red veins running through them, clawed hands, and bones extending from the elbows – one from the shoulder and the other from his ribs. Compared to the twins, nothing about these arms could be considered gaunt.

He had two horns on his head, each extending from one of his temples, but they were short – maybe four inches long – and curved down toward his feet. His eyes were normal, though his mouth extended all the way back to his ears. Instead of heavy boots, his Pilgrim-like feet were bare, with two clawed ‘toes’ and another spike of bone jutting from his heel. Beside him, a large maul rested head-down on the ground, the thick, crooked shaft of it standing tall beside its wielder. The damn thing was even bigger than the Weight of Tomorrow, and radiated more magic.

The sixth and final member of the troop stood hunched, the knuckles of his four hands resting against the ground in front of him. The way his long back curved reminded Hiral a lot of the Ex-General, but he had none of the same thinness that Kindred had. Instead, like the one beside him, he was very muscular. From the elbows down, his arms were that of a Pilgrim, while his biceps and shoulders were normal.

Small, stubby wings with black scales in place of feathers grew from his back, just barely showing over his shoulders, while his legs from the knees down were also Pilgrim-like. Where his body wasn’t alabaster-white, he wore patchwork plates of different kinds of armor. Like he’d picked pieces off fallen opponents across a battlefield, none of them matched, or even really protected his vitals.

As for his face, it was more Pilgrim than person, almost the entire thing white with the red veining. From each of his temples, two horns extended, twisted like a screw to extend six inches in front of his pitch-black eyes. Finally, as his long jaw unhinged and opened just a crack, licks of purple flame escaped.

“Can anybody View them?” Seena asked.

“Nothing,” Seeyela said. “The wall is blocking it.”

“Then assume A-Rank,” Hiral said.

“A-Rank and ugly,” Gran said. “Though, it’s been a long time since a man looked at me like a slab of sexy, well-cooked meat. If my heart could beat, it’d be going a little faster now.”

“I don’t think any of them have anything pleasant planned for you,” Romin said, in case the old vampire had missed it.

“Depends on your definition of pleasant,” Gran cackled. “Get a few years older, you’ll be surprised what you try. Even more surprised what you like.”

Snuff.

“No,” Romin said immediately to his companion. “I am not suggesting that to our party leader.”

“And on that note,” Seena said. “Let’s find these trials.”

Even as she said the words, a familiar interface rose from the ground on each side of the clear wall. Close enough the parties would be within arm’s length of each other, if not for said wall.

Without hesitation on the other side, the blue-robed Infested stepped forward and put his hand on the interface. Then, with a look of both defiance and challenge, he looked straight at Seena.

“Oh, it’s on,” Seena said, marching forward and slapping her hand on the interface without breaking eye-contact. As soon as her hand met the crystal, a notification window popped up in front of Hiral’s eyes.

Tower of Dynamic Trials – First Floor

Challenge – Sharpshooting

A battle of precision, will, and focus.

Choose one party member (and their companion, if appropriate) to compete in this challenge.

Note: Chosen member will not be able to compete in any other single challenges until all other party members have competed at least once.

You have 1 minute to choose – 00:59

“Not long to make a choice,” Seena said. “And not a lot of information on what the challenge actually is.”

“Other than we want to win for those juicy advantages,” Yanily said.

“Sounds like the more we win, the easier the fight against those monsters is going to be,” Romin said.

“Yeah, and if it’s about shooting,” Seeyela said. “The choice is obvious.”

“Looks like I’m up,” Hiral said with a step forward.