The Ruby Magician

The wooden warriors oddly reminded Wyn of the dummy back at the guild training hall. They had similar features, wielded weapons, and were magically created. Unfortunately, that’s where the similarities ended. Here they were out to kill, the tower’s sadistic way of challenging its Climbers.

Wyn sidestepped to the left of the group, hoping to challenge one of the champions himself. The closest one was the one with a club. He knew it was a more favorable matchup with his spear being faster and him being agile, though he wondered about the skill of these new enemies. At first glance they certainly looked stronger and more capable than the beasts they’ve been dealing with so far.

If they were too fast or too strong for them, he knew Cedric and Marcy would step in, but they'd still be in trouble. Not to mention the rookies didn't need to rely on the veterans to fight their battles - they're here to grow and learn, and they have to be able to do that even if the challenge is difficult.

The club-wielding tree monster honed in on him and matched his readiness, raising its club to strike. Wyn was crouched and held his spear in front of him, similar to Lionel though lighter on his feet. He started to slowly circle around the monster, hoping to keep its attention on him. The enemy also crouched and circled now, separating from the other two to focus on Wyn.

Wyn decided to strike first, hoping to get an early upper hand. He lunged out quickly, stabbing forward where the neck should be. There was no extra bark armor there and he was hoping they had vulnerabilities like humans. His strike was aimed well, though the figure leaned back just out of reach to avoid being stabbed. It then rose its club overhead and swung it as Wyn dodged the swing with a quick side step.

The wind from the club tussled Wyn’s robe. The monster was faster than he expected, and the club more than a mere piece of wood. He realized the weapon was a small tree, and the end was a gnarled mess of dirt, roots, and wood. It made a loud thud as it hit the ground, and dirt scattered about both from the tree-club and the ground after the impact.

It was obviously strong. Too strong. And quick. Wyn knew right away that if that strike connected he'd be knocked out or more likely dead.

An idea clicked in his mind. He took a step back to give himself some room and time. The spell would hopefully activate right away, but he wanted to be sure. After placing his left hand on his chest, he glanced at his mark. There seemed to be enough mana for the spell, as it was recovered just over halfway. His mark’s symbol was still lit, gathering mana from Lucidity, though the outer ring was dull. He instinctively knew it was enough.

“Arcane Aura!” Wyn yelled.

A magical rune appeared in the air in front of him in a soft white color similar to his Regen spell. It hung in the air for a second, the circles of magic turning slowly, before rushing towards Wyn in a swarm. It covered him like a sheet, and the magic became an aura around him. A layer of armor was created from his spell, covering his torso, head, and thighs, though it weighed nothing. He radiated some light around him, too, being able to see his immediate area a bit better than before.

He nearly laughed to himself. While the danger was ever present, using magic really was special.

Just as the spell took hold the wooden figure stepped towards him and brought its club up for another attack. Wyn again dodged it as the club whiffed the air and missed him. He thought he might not need the spell if he's able to dodge it consistently, but he was cautious. He’d get tired before the magical creature would.

Wyn brought his spear up and stabbed into the figure’s thigh. He hit his mark, though the spear thudded against it and bounced off as though he stabbed a tree.

Which, in a way, is exactly what happened.

The two continued their lethal dance several more times - club swinging and missing, spear stabbing harmlessly. Both were locked in a stalemate of ineffectiveness.

“Guys, I’m not having any luck over here!” Wyn shouted. “My spear is useless against its body!”

“Speak for yourself!” Lionel yelled back. He was locked into the fight with John against the other two champions. They were more successful on their end as John’s flaming sword and Lionel’s axe were both effective weapons against enemies made of wood.

John clashed sword with sword and shield, parrying the enemy’s strikes with his shield and effectively striking back. His sword wasn’t doing much on its own, but the magical flames radiating from the blade made large, burnt gashes in his foe. The armor was stripped away after a few strikes, sloughing off like melted wax. Even when John would miss with a direct attack, the flames would lick at the wooden body, catching fire here and there in a literal heated fight.

Lionel quickly gained the upper hand against his enemy as well. The dagger-wielding champion was quick but his strikes were shallow, glancing off Lionel’s chain mail with every cut and slash. His shirt was shredded, though. He would counter with his battle axe at well-timed moments, cleaving bits of bark off with each contact. The champion was fast and dodged with high agility, though Lionel was smart with his attacks and connected more often than not.

Both Lionel and John were good Fighters, keeping their edge intact. Tasha was holding her staff and keeping the Torchlight spell active, watching the fights around her nervously but keeping her composure. She took deep breaths to keep her nerves still.

“We might not be needed after all,” Marcy said to Cedric, still holding a nocked arrow. They were both watching the group handle the champions. “They’re doing fairly well.”

“You know how it can change,” Cedric said. “Keep your eyes out. We’re still tasked with keeping them alive, after all. Even if we are supposed to let them succeed or fail as much as possible.”

“Yea, yea. I know.” Marcy kept looking around. Something felt off. Her Extrasensory was alerting her but she couldn't quite make it out. They were already aware of the champions but the skill was still activating within her.

“Ha!” Lionel yelled. A soft thump came from the ground as his enemy’s arm fell, lopped off by his axe and a lucky swing. He took the opportunity to attack faster, and was able to chop off a leg on the same side. The champion fell, now off balance, and Lionel quickly chopped into it like a logger splitting a tree. except more carnal and barbaric.

Wyn, however, continued to struggle. This fight was dragging on and he was aware of it. He was getting tired and had only splintered the armor on his foe, despite managing to luckily avoid all of the slow club swings.

That was true until his fatigue caught up with him.

He stepped to the side to dodge yet another attack when his foot caught on a lump of grass. The recovery was too slow, hindered by fatigue. He managed to avoid most of the club’s force but still took the majority of the hit on his right shoulder, knocking him back several feet and on his backside. The magical armor dissipated at his shoulder as it took the majority of the blow, but it still felt like he was kicked by a horse.

He took a quick, gasping breath. His arm was nearly numb, but he could move it, at least. A silent prayer went up to the gods it wasn’t broken. The realization that the spell saved his life and prevented his torso from being smashed hit him nearly as hard as the club.

No need dwelling on that, though. He needed to finish this.

The tree monster had its club at the ready and was pacing him again, taunting him. Wyn’s spear was near useless. He realized, here and now, the importance of a magic weapon and their effectiveness against the tower’s monsters.

He looked at his mark through his shredded robes. It was still recovering mana but had enough after his Arcane Aura spell for one more based on his intuition.

Wyn waved his left hand slowly over his spear and thought about the spell he wanted to use: Magic Weapon.

He didn’t even need to say it. The mark protruded itself like before when he cast a spell, magic runes appearing in front of him and around his spear, covering it with magical light. His spear lit up a bright white, the same color as his magic armor, and gave off a bit more light in the dark. It hummed with magic and shimmered in the darkness.

The spell wouldn’t last forever - Wyn knew he was racing against time. In fact, he didn’t know exactly how long it would last, so he also knew he needed to be smart and act quickly. If the spell faded and his spear lost its magical ability, he'd for sure be useless against it.

He took the opportunity and decided for one last attack. If it didn’t work he’d need to back off and let someone else handle it. He hated the thought of not finishing the job because he couldn’t do it, so he decided to risk it.

He ran towards his enemy and swept its leg with his spear. His weapon was stronger, and he felt stronger wielding it. He hooked behind the foot and pushed it to the side, hoping to throw it off balance.

It worked.

The champion’s foot slid to the right from the force of the spear, harmlessly bringing the club down awkwardly. Wyn swung the spear around and butted it in the stomach. He figured it wouldn’t do much but he was hoping it would tell him if the spell would be effective or not. He could back out now if it wasn’t, or keep going if it was.

The shaft dug into the bark armor and beyond, piercing several inches into thick wood. The warrior doubled over and stepped back as if the wind was knocked out of it, if that was even possible.

Wyn saw a hole in its torso that was bigger than the shaft of the spear. Even though the hit was with the blunted end, the magical aura seemed to amplify the power of the weapon.

Seizing the opportunity, Wyn twirled his spear around and performed one more attack - slashing across the torso followed by a stab.

It was more than effective. The slash left a large, gaping gap of wood that Wyn felt was as easy as cutting through paper. The stab went straight through the champion’s neck, well past the spearhead. Wyn’s momentum carried him further than he wanted, and he stared at the monster face to face in its red eyes.

He watched as its eyes dulled and became a lifeless husk of bark and dirt that fell to the ground.

“Damn, Wyn,” John said, walking over beside him. His sword wasn’t on fire anymore. “What in the gods did you do? You’re glowing!”

“It’s a spell,” Wyn answered. “And the magic on my spear is my spell Magic Weapon.” He looked at his spear. The aura was still there, pulsing and vibrant. It felt alive.

“That’s helpful. I wonder what it would do to a weapon that’s already magic?”

“Huh. I don’t know. I’ll need to ask my mentor about that.”

Wyn made a mental note to ask Daniel about the spell when he returned. His list of questions was growing quickly.

“You guys are amazing,” Tasha said. She looked at the champion John slayed. It was a pile of harmless wood and ash, some parts still smoldering. “But that was creepy.”

The fallen champion Wyn defeated began to glow. He and John readied their weapons, unsure of what was happening.

A small, dim glow of bright green was coming from the wooden body. It wasn’t moving, but rather began to dissolve like acid. It only took a few seconds, and what was left underneath was a strange object and the source of the glow - a hunk of wood.

“What in the hells is that?” Wyn said. He bent over to look at it closer. It didn’t seem dangerous, so he picked it up. It was truly a hunk of wood though it was radiating a small amount of magic.

“It’s the reward,” Marcy said. She walked over and inspected it while Wyn held it. “Monsters in the tower will sometimes drop items. This one is a common crafting material. Not too special.”

“Says you,” John said. “I can’t wait to see what else we find!”

“Mine had nothing,” Lionel said. The others jumped when he spoke, startling them. “I finished chopping it up and wanted to see all the fuss.”

Marcy perked up again. She drew her bow, pulling the arrow back and anchoring it on her jaw. The others stood confused.

“There can’t be more already,” Tasha said. She stood in the middle of them to offer them light.

“Something else is here,” Marcy said.

The woods appeared to be alive. The trees swayed and moved similar to before.

Wooden branches cracked and thudded against the ground, falling from something unseen. It was like a miniature, focused storm around them they couldn’t see.

The group huddled closer together and drew their weapons. Cedric joined them in the circle, no longer standing back to watch them.

Something didn’t sit right with Wyn. Marcy and Cedric looked like they were about to intervene rather than let the rookies fight. He wondered what was beyond their light.

More wooden enemies suddenly formed from the trees. They had varying types of weapons, though most of them wielded branched clubs or nothing at all. They slowly stood, stretched, and then crouched in an attacking position. They began to slowly move towards the group.

There were nearly two dozen of them.

“By the gods,” John said. He lowered his sword. “I don’t think we can take all of them.”

“We have to try, damnit!” Lionel said. He raised his axe.

A bright light shot from Marcy’s bow with a twang from her bowstring, startling the rookies. Wyn thought he heard her say something but didn’t make it out.

The arrow flew quickly, striking one of the wooden monsters in the head. It caught fire immediately, his wooden head now engulfed in a harsh and powerful flame. It dropped to the ground as fast as it was hit.

It was a fire arrow. And a powerful one, at that.

Marcy drew again. Wyn saw the fletching right before she fired - red feathers.

She downed another, this time hitting it in the torso where it’s heart would be, if it had one. It began to catch fire and burned longer than the previous one, producing more light for the group to see.

“Anytime now, Cedric,” Marcy said. “I don’t want to shoot all my arrows!”

“I know, I know,” Cedric said. “Everyone huddle together.”

He raised his staff and the topaz gem at the end began to glow. He pointed it at the closest enemy, not ten feet behind them.

“Lightning Arc!” he shouted.

Wyn stared wide eyed as he saw a large runic circle, much larger than his own spells, appear at the end of Cedric’s staff. A large flash of lightning formed and shot out from his staff even quicker than Marcy’s arrow. It exploded the first enemy in a loud pop as wood chips rained down around what used to be solid wood.

The sound was deafening, like someone clapped right inside their ears. The rookies all flinched, barely following the bolt of lightning as it flew. The after effect was more noticeable than the spell itself.

Wyn next saw two more arcs of lightning fly out from the now-charred corpse into nearby champions with a similar speed and clap of thunder, though a bit slower than the original flash. It continued several times, the arcs splitting away and forming new streaks, until all of the enemies were smoking husks of burnt wood.

The area was silent for a few moments. The rookies’ ears were ringing from the sound of the spell. Marcy and Cedric, however, were used to the noise, seemingly unaffected.

“Show off,” Marcy said. She seemed to relax for the first time.

“Sorry everyone,” Cedric said. “But that was unusual for the first floor to have not only a second wave of champions, but that many. I figured we would just get rid of them quickly and move on.”

“Holy shit,” John said. “I… wow.”

“I’ll say,” Lionel said. He eyed Cedric up and down, gripping his axe harder. “What in the hells kind of spell was that?”

“A powerful one,” Cedric said. “I wanted to make sure they were finished. Though, admittedly, it might have been a bit of overkill.”

“You think?” Marcy said.

Wyn and Cedric both laughed. Tasha stared at them dumbfounded.

“Let’s just get on with it,” Tasha said. “Get me the hells out of here.”

“I think some dinner sounds nice,” John said. “Lionel, maybe some sparring after, too? I’ll go easy on you this time.” He mockingly patted the other Fighter on the back.

Lionel snickered. “I’d like that. You spar better than you climb.” He grabbed John on the shoulder in a friendly manner, then jerked his hand back as though the gesture physically hurt him.

He shook his head and cleared his throat, ignoring the looks from the others. “Let’s just find that trail again.”

The group began to search for the path to continue on except for Lionel. He suspiciously watched the group, never letting go of his axe. Wyn didn’t bother to ask why - he was ready to move on and move away from him.

In minutes John picked up the trail and led the way. Lionel followed behind the group this time, keeping his distance. Wyn didn’t mind but something still felt off. They cleared the enemies but he just couldn’t explain what it was. Marcy seemed on edge, too, so at least he didn’t feel like the only one.

Wyn sighed. Onward and forward. It wouldn’t be long before they’d be finished and he’d be able to sit down and think about the challenge the tower presented. He only hoped the final challenge wasn’t too difficult - he had a long ways to go to be useful in this strange place.