The Heart is a Void: Ashes to Ashes

Chapter 155: Pride's End

Danemy led the group around the winding stone path, until they came to what looked like a dead end. There was a large rock wall blocking the path.

However, he scratched away some dust from the wall to reveal a lever. As he pulled this, a hole formed in the floor.

"Alright, the Minor Dungeon is just in there. There's also a mine, but I think it has some level 60 ghosts in there, not sure if it's safe yet."

"Yeesh, this place is a touch claustrophobic," KurtCobainsDog said, easing slowly into the passageway below.

Cael crouched down and made his way into the dark, cold tunnel. As the group made their way through, soon they came to a branching path.

"Left is the dungeon, right is the mines," Danemy said from memory.

After going left for a few metres, a prompt flashed up asking them to confirm a team for the dungeon. The dungeon's name was 'The Templar Coven.' They quickly formed a party, then headed in.

After teleporting into the dungeon, Cael saw that he was in a large, underground cavern, with the sound of water flowing from beyond the right wall. There were traces of dark, moist greenery coiling around the top of the cavern walls, but only a hint of light came from a chink in the roof.

Cael took out a torch immediately. Once the cavern was lit, they could see a handful of skeletons skulking towards them from the dark corners.

These enemies were level 50, and known as [Mighty Skeletons]. Cael noticed that they carried a massive Strength buff of 200%, which seemed to be a native trait of this type of enemy.

Danemy ran forwards to fight one, but it surged forwards and grabbed him, throwing him a few metres back.

Cael greeted the first wave of skeletons with a [Magic Missile], and Danemy looked back in surprise as the skeletons fell to the ground with 0% HP.

Further waves of skeletons began to appear, formed from piles of bones heaped up right in the corners of the dungeon. They grew one level every two waves, gradually reaching from 50 to 55. However, Cael's spells one-shot all of these opponents, except for two of the hardier level 55 skeletons which managed to survive by a sliver.

Danemy ran forwards to finish these off, but they had been aggro'd by Cael. They barged past Danemy, heading for the Mage.

One came close, raising its fists and preparing to strike. Cael, however, quickly dodged out of the way, using his increased movement speed. The skeleton, drawn by its momentum, barrelled forwards past him, crashing into the wall.

He used [Mana Strike] and [Mana Push] to fix it to the wall, holding it there until its bones ground down and cracked. It collapsed heavily to the ground on 0% HP, and some of the ground-up bones flowed down over it like sand.

Its partner had been more circumspect, and approached Cael cautiously, but was cut off by KurtCobainsDog. He aimed a series of slashes at its centre of gravity from behind, making it difficult for it to turn around.

As soon as it finally managed to turn around and face its assailant, Danemy stepped up and smashed its head off with a firm [Mordhau].

Finally, the last wave of the dungeon was made of level 59 skeletons, led by a level 60 skeleton with frenzied, fiery red eyes dragging a massive machete across the ground. Unlike the others, it was named [Mighty Skeleton Berserker]. Danemy grinned at the name.

"Alright, this should be it!" he called out.

Cael used [Magic Missile] on the group, but followed up with a sequence of spells focused on the Berkserker, since that seemed to be the most dangerous opponent here.

He first targeted it with [Spark], which slowed its advance, then pushed it backwards into the other skeletons with [Mana Strike]. A few skeletons fell like bowling pins. As it got up, he charged a [Mana Sphere], then unleashed this, quickly defeating the Berserker skeleton.

Meanwhile, Danemy and KurtCobainsDog had swept up most of the remaining skeletons, which had been left with 25% HP at most. They made sure to aggro the skeletons, then led them in circles across the middle of the room, using their Agility to stay at a safe range while cutting down the weakest. Danemy took a harsh blow to the left flank after getting too daring, but almost ignored it, since it wasn't by a boss and hence gave little pain. Soon, Cael downed the rest with another [Magic Missile].

The group congratulated each other, then were teleported outside of the dungeon.

"Alright, I think we can do this," Danemy said, smiling. "Crucis, why didn't you tell us your Mage was this strong?"

"Because sometimes I didn't know my own strength," Cael replied. "Anyway, if you guys keep the skellies at bay, I'll try and finish them off."

"Yeah, sure. We'll tank, sorry about that one which got through."

"No problem, was actually kind of funny when it ran into the wall."

"You can say that again!"

KurtCobainsDog laughed. "Yeah, if we don't have to do the offensive work, then we can block them off and let Cael attack. Dan, keep your distance from these skeletons, they're strong in close range. Use your sword to deter them. I think we got the hang of it in the end, just run away and let Cael handle 'em."

"Got it," Danemy said. "Well, let's see if we can put in a repeat of the last run. That was the easiest dungeon I've done, but I hear it's really good EXP. Should be worth a level or so. Use your chance this time."

They tried the dungeon again, and this time Danemy and KurtCobainsDog were more proactive and confident in getting the attention of the skeletons. They led the skeletons around, allowing Cael to easily stand back and eradicate wave after wave.

This time, on the final wave, Cael targeted the Berserker as soon as it appeared. After a [Spark], it fell down heavily, since its feet had been raised to rush forwards from its spawn point.

The other skeletons closed in around it, to prevent further attacks on their leader. However, after 5 seconds they were led to the side by Danemy and KurtCobainsDog, and Cael saw that the Berserker was still lying helplessly on the ground, barely seeming able to get up.

Cael relaxed, and charged a [Mana Sphere]. After 15 seconds, the skeleton had still not stirred, and Cael easily eliminated its remaining HP by projecting the wispy white sphere.

Since [Magic Missile] had recharged, he quickly turned and took out the rest of the wave as well.

For completing this dungeon, they received a good amount of EXP, and Cael found himself at level 53.

He had also received 10 [Fragments of Nykur], which could be used to unlock a Mount named Nykur. He would need 100 Fragments for the Mount.

From what he had heard, this Mount wasn't typically useful, since it was highly disobedient. At the same time, it was the only way of accessing a special kind of area known as the [Drowning Chamber]. These chambers can be found near major bodies of water, such as large rivers or seas. If the Nykur was rode near one of these, it would run right up to the water, triggering a 'cutscene' where it plunges the player into the water and they end up in the chamber. Surviving in these underwater chambers would require a [Water Gem], which could prevent drowning for up to 5 minutes.

Picking up this Mount wasn't urgent, but he would probably try to unlock it eventually, for access to exclusive content.

Finally, he gained an [Uncut Random Gem]. This could be taken to an NPC in town to be identified and cut, but had a high chance of being a low-value gem. The chance of a higher-value gem could be increased by spending some onyx coins, but he didn't have any. Either way, this wasn't a great use of onyx coins, since players with enough onyx coins to spare weren't likely to be lacking for high-value gems.

After waiting in the tunnel for a few minutes, listening to the wails of the ghost miners from the right side, the group headed out towards town.

They took a circuitous route, approaching Kruxol from the South-West. On the way, they didn't pass that many players, since most players had returned back to town after the news that high-level players had returned. On Darys' request, they did a few level 30-40 quests in the woods South-West of Kruxol, since Darys and a few other major DeathGang members were tired after the world event and were looking for some easy quests to stretch their legs and make sure they were ready for serious ones.

The quests were fairly standard early quests, things like clearing out cellars, helping to retrieve an item, or using basic Hunting skills to catch a [Sneaky Rat] in a trap. While the rewards were moderate, a few quests had useful drops like containers, healing potions, and 500-2,000 gold. Containers were quite valuable, since they allowed you to economise on inventory space: all items in a container would only take up one inventory slot in total. Once they were nearly done, Danemy gave his report to Darys, and the DeathGang leader replied that he would be bringing a group here in about 10 minutes.

While clearing these quests, their red names had worn off, so they headed to Kruxol once done. Cael led the way a few metres ahead of the others, since he didn't have a DeathGang tag and was less likely to be attacked straight away by Kruxol players if seen.

The sound of tentative whispering and chatter greeted them as they came close to the Kruxol borders. As news spread of the injuries and deaths due to the world event, a few groups of players had taken to skulking near the borders of Kruxol and eyeing another excursion out. They monitored the wild areas, which were slowly growing quieter as players returned, and planned safe routes to dungeons or grinding spots if things remained quiet. Since the larger players weren't around, it seemed like a good opportunity for other players to train undisturbed.

As Cael emerged from the woods, a group of players waved him over. Since he was unguilded, they assumed that he was an ordinary Kruxol player who was coming back from a dungeon, and might be willing to help them plan their trip. He could see that the higher-levelled members of the group were members of the Guild [Neuro], who had gained some popularity by staging hit-and-run attacks on DeathGang players and other gankers while the stronger players were in the world event. Their attacks had only increased after news that Darys had killed their level 53 leader in the world event.

By now, the Guild was also part of a loose coalition named 'Kruxol's Pride,' made of Guilds who were still planning a fight back against DeathGang.

He ushered the DeathGang players back, then walked towards the Kruxol group. They walked up enthusiastically to the border before calling loudly to him.

"Hey, man! Can ya help us get some gold?" one of the men cried hoarsely, wearing basic Archer gear.

Not waiting for a response, he continued. "We need to get more gold, you know, to afford a room at the Inn! You know anywhere?"

A level 40 player cleared his throat from the back of the group, and attempted to clarify. "My friends here are going through hard times, and they're still freezing after last night. They desperately need gold. You came from the South, know any good places for gold drops?"

He was named [XJHK33JDF], a name which Cael didn't even attempt to pronounce.

"Yeah, 'course. There's a couple good places," Cael said, raising an arm to point South-West. "Safest ones are out there, less people around. There's a great quest out there, a goblin asks you to clear his cellar and gives you a [Decorative Goblet] to sell for about 2,000 gold. That sound like enough for a few times in the inn?"

Since Darys would soon be in the area, he figured that the [Neuro] players would probably be killed if they went there. The three strongest, who were levels 39, 40, 49, all had their names displayed, and would die permanently. [Neuro] were a small-ish Guild whose players were generally levels 40-50 at most, so losing these players would be a significant hit for them.

A level 23 female, with tussled and slightly oily dark-brown hair, raised her hand flamboyantly as if seeking permission to speak.

Cael gestured towards her to speak, and she began enthusiastically. Her youthful face was surprisingly lively, despite her bedraggled appearance. "Our friends here, they're helping us out. Great guys they are! I bet we'll be able to finish this quest, do you think so?"

Cael glanced at the higher-level players accompanying the group, then turned back to the female. "They look quite strong, I'm sure you'll be fine. It should only need level 30 players at most, so I think you're way ahead."

"Great! But do you think you can come? You're pretty strong too. We need all the help we can get!"

"Now, Elizabeth," the level 49 player named [Arkkid] interjected sternly, "don't hassle people, this guy's only just got back and we shouldn't force him to go with us. We'll make it, it'll be fine."

Although this was reasonable, Cael sensed that the level 49 Mage was slightly haughty and invested in leading the group. As a result, this player took umbrage at the idea of a higher-level Mage coming along.

"Yeah, but what if someone attacks?" Elizabeth fired back.

"Nobody goes there, especially since the DeathGang guys are injured. Look, of all the people coming back, how many players have we seen coming from that direction? One. And this guy's safe, nobody attacked him. We'll be fine."

"Yeah, 'cause they said there's danger! And ghosts!"

Arkkid sighed, and glanced apologetically at Cael before replying. "Come on, Mara found out that the ghosts are in the North. People must have just got confused. You remember Mara, right? Her friends were there all morning, no danger."

"Oh, yeah, Mara, she's that girl who you guys want to put in charge of the Guild, right? With her as leader?"

An old, haggard level 19 man interjected. "I don't trust that girl, you know. She walks around town, you know, with less covering than a skinned cat. Like some kind of call girl, for shame! You shouldn't trust her to be a leader, find someone proper and good-hearted."

Cael held back laughter as the group shuffled awkwardly.

"Look, Mara is a good leader and, um, a good person. She's helped us through a lot. It's not fair to judge her on her clothing choice!" Arkkid said, suddenly blushing furiously.

"Look, there's no need to argue, alright?" Cael said. "I'll show you guys the co-ordinates for the quest. Anyone have a map?"

He turned pointedly towards Arkkid, who hurriedly accepted this opportunity to re-assert his leadership role in the group.

"Yeah, I'll handle that," Arkkid said, drawing out a large local map.

Cael gave the co-ordinates of an empty building next to the goblin's, because it would be easier for DeathGang to box these players into the building. Arkkid scrawled this down messily on the map, along with some makeshift directions.

While Arkkid double-checked the map and sent a flurry of DMs to one player who hadn't arrived yet, Cael chatted with some of the other players. He found out that the old level 19 was named Anthony, and the level 20 was named John. They were both Guildless, but had managed to tag along on this expedition. Anthony thanked him for helping, and said that it was sad that his friends planned to make a vile slag like Mara leader when they could find a good-natured person like Cael instead. Cael agreed sombrely.

Anthony went on to complain that Mara had set off to the North and refused to help them, and she'd throw a fit if she knew that her Guildmates were helping out these 'undesirables.' Cael said that they weren't undesirables, as they actually must have a lot of fortitude to survive without a spot in the inn, and took the opportunity to ask a few questions about their situation. Due to the rare flattery, Anthony was very much willing to answer, occasionally going off on eccentric rants about how Massie's 'hypnotism' was somehow responsible for Mara's hold over his friends. Sometimes it was Mara who was using hypnotism, depending on whom Anthony decided was his bête noire in a given moment.

Cael guessed that the antipathy towards Massie was partially due to a sense of loyalty towards the Temperants, who gave speeches and provided support on the streets of Kruxol. When he mentioned Massie's death, Anthony's eyes lit up and he began to rattle off a few of the details of what had happened last night, as well as some wizened speculation about how the killer could have snuck towards the Prayer Hallway unobserved. Cael almost got the sense that Anthony wished that he had been the killer. However, more importantly, Anthony's knowledge of the Kruxol street layout around that area was incredibly detailed, and he mentioned possible routes that Cael hadn't realised were options, such as elaborate paths crossing winding alleys and through buildings in such a way as to avoid scrutiny. Cael realised that such knowledge could be very helpful to DeathGang, who were planning to invade Kruxol and would benefit from knowledge of the layout while fighting inside the city.

While Anthony was heavily eccentric, Cael guessed that his cynicism and conspiratorial take on the Guilds were shared by most other street-dwellers. As such, it was useful to know. In many ways, this cynicism wasn't much more crazy than the rose-tinted glasses through which many Guild members saw their own Guilds.

He knew that it could be useful for him to get familiar with these people, since the Temperants were known to often provide them support. Since they didn't have a place to stay, and were too low-levelled and sickly to go into the wild safely, they were often the most frequent attendees of Temperant street speeches. As Cael would soon be infiltrating the Temperants, in order to promote pacifism and surrender among Kruxol residents, it would be useful to get some idea of their common audience.

Soon, Arkkid had agreed on a route, and finished sending DMs. The group would still have to wait for one member, who was running late, so Cael said farewells and walked into Kruxol.

Once out of sight, he PMed Darys the co-ordinates the group were going to. He got a quick response.

Darys: neuro? those guys = bugs

Darys: they do hitnrun stuff to our guys so they can boast in bars

Darys: will gladly take off ur hands :)

Cael: ty

Cael: Should be quick.

Cael: Let's hope they don't get cold feet lol

Darys: lol

Darys: so much for kruxol's pride lol

Cael: :)

Darys: btw, danemy just said one was lvl 49? nice target

Cael: Yeah, 'Arkkid'.

Cael: Also 40 and 39 in there, high for Neuro lol

Darys: lol small-time players + small-time guild

Darys: yep good catch

Cael: btw 2 non-neuro guys from kruxol streets

Cael: seem to know the place well, told me like 10 ways i could have snuck up to prayer hallway

Cael: maybe capture them rather than killing, force them to help with invasion plan

Darys: not neuro? kk, then idc

Darys: sure, will see if those are any use

Darys: if they help with the city war, then tyvm

Cael: kk, good luck

Soon, Danemy and KurtCobainsDog met up with him, after taking a detour and entering through South-East Kruxol.

"That was quite a rag-tag group," Danemy commented.

"I mean, they looked kinda gnarly. One or two of 'em could pass for being in a grunge band, scruffy lot," KurtCobainsDog added.

Danemy turned to Cael. "Darys sent you've sent them to the South-West? Very polite of you. So will they all die?"

"The Neuro guys, definitely," Cael replied. "But the others might be useful to capture, since they're weak and won't get away easily. A bit eccentric, but since they're street-dwellers I'd bet they know all the niceties of the Kruxol terrain. I heard Darys was a bit worried that fighting the last part of the invasion could lead to unnecessary DeathGang casualties, right?

"The part inside Kruxol?" KurtCobainsDog said. "Yeah, definitely."

"After all, if defenders get entrenched in the town, hounding them out will be more difficult than open battle" Danemy said. "Even if we'd generally beat these guys easily in the open, in their town it'll be tough."

"Yep. So maybe getting info from some of the street guys could actually be useful, I'm sure they'd happiy offer it in return for a few supplies and protection," Cael said.

"Yeah, all kinds of stuff we don't notice in Kruxol, especially since we're mostly East-based," KurtCobainsDog replied. "People with experience would probably be helpful in picking out stuff like where fights will be likely to happen, uphill and downhill segments, alternative routes, and other practical stuff we'd miss. Since you guys are going Temperant, maybe try and sound out if there'd be interest in our offer?"

"True." Danemy turned to Cael. "Anyway, Cael, should we try the Temperant thing now?"

"I have a few things to do, maybe in half an hour," Cael replied. "Is the doggy coming?"

"He'll make an alt, but will see how we get on with the Temperants first. He can help us with low-level content, if it's any faster."

"Alright, got it. But making new accounts now will make people think we're alts. So maybe we should train up to around level 15-20, then wait for a while so that people won't realise we're new? After all, there's plenty of low-level characters in town who have been here for days."

"Yeah, sure thing. Anything we should do first?"

"I guess it would be useful to have some information about the Temperants, such as what their names usually look like, the specifics of what they believe, how they usually behave, and so on. That way we can get an idea of their demographic and presentation, so they should be more appreciative."

Danemy thought for a moment. "Sure, I think that Oud knows a bit about them, I'll ask him. By the way, what class are you planning on using?"

"Well, for levelling up, it's probably faster if we do a class combination that works together. Not just the same thing. So maybe one ranged, and one melee?"

"Alright, we probably want classes which don't have to leave town much during their starting quests. Plus ones which we don't know that well, to make it easier for us to look new-ish. I think that's mostly Archer and Warrior. I could try out Archer, are you interested in warrior?"

"Sure thing. Anyway, I'll send you a message when I'm ready, shouldn't be long. Just getting my early sub-class quests done."

"Gotcha, see you soon."

As Danemy left towards DeathGang territory, Cael went North to look for the Cleric trainer.