Soul of the Warrior

Chapter 92: Maw of the Abyss

"Once we move past the boss room to the third floor, the corrupt Mana in the Dungeon will become dominant, and it will suppress your abilities," Reivyn reiterated to the older Adventurers. "It won't just make it harder to channel Mana, either. If what I saw of the other two melee combatants in my last Party is any indication, it will affect your Stamina abilities, as well."

Reivyn had signaled to his protectors using the method his parents had shown him after his meeting with Galwit. The older subordinates had been briefed by Refix, so they knew it was a possibility they would be called upon to help their young prince complete the Revenant Dungeon. All of the people in the employ of his parents were loyalists to the Vynn Imperial family, so they knew the truth of the matter, and they gave their loyalty to Reivyn almost as much as to Ameliyn and Refix.

"I want to try and figure out the optimum Mana and Stamina usage to be able to solo the Dungeon for the Achievement, so I just need you to cover me in the corridor. All of the monsters will attack us together, all at once, so we'll engage them and draw them to the hall so they can't surround us."

"Yes, Your Highness," the Adventurers responded.

Reivyn paused for a moment, still unused to being addressed that way. They didn't refer to him as such when they were outside of the Dungeon, just in case there was someone listening that they hadn't detected, but they had immediately become deferential once they stepped into the Dungeon and became isolated from the outside world.

"Ok, let's go," Reivyn commanded. They packed up their sack and headed toward the stairs. Reivyn walked in front, his shiny new gear finally fully replacing his old medium armor.

The Adventurers that he had been paired up with by his parents weren't the same ones that he had previously had encounters with, though they still had the same general make-up. There was a man in full plate armor with a large shield, though he carried a wicked-looking battle axe for his weapon. There was a lithe woman in light leathers specialized in hiding in the shadows and attacking from the rear or from a distance.

There was a mage in light robes who used the Sun Affinity. It was a Tier 3 Affinity that Reivyn had never seen before, and the mage had explained that it was similar to his mother's Celestial Affinity, but it was a step down. He had been specifically assigned to the group for his ability to counter the dark nature of the Abyss Mana.

There was one last Adventurer, also dressed in robes like the mage, but he wasn't a combatant. He used predominantly Water and Wood Mana with a smidgen of the Tier 4 Life Affinity. He was a healer who was able to perform healing magic outside of the influence of Holy Mana supplied to priests associated with a church. Holy Mana was the Mana used by priests and paladins. It wasn't literally holy, but it was the designation to Divine Mana that wasn't empowered like someone with a Divine Class would have.

Reivyn knew that there were healers outside of the influence of the churches, but learning that it took a speck of a Tier 4 Affinity for it to work made him realize why it was so rare in the lower Regions. The healer had explained that healers in typical Adventuring Parties were some sort of combat alchemist. Physicians and other mundane healers didn't usually go on Adventures, preferring to be attached to a formal organization like a military or setting up shop inside of a city or outpost.

The Adventuring Party had coasted through the first two floors of the Dungeon, and they had initiated the Hard Mode of the second-floor boss. The empowered Dullahan had proven no competition to the powerful team, and they had annihilated it with zero problems. They had their own gear, and Reivyn didn't feel bad about taking the loot that dropped from the System as he knew he could have done it on his own, anyway.

Cuisse: Defender of Light A piece of Heavy Armor infused with the Divine Protection of the Light.

STR +3

VIT +5

Provides minor protection against Evil.

1/7 Set Piece: Defender of Light

Requirements: Only denizens of the light may wear this armor. One must have never suffered Misery unless forgiven by an ordained church.

Greaves: Defender of Light A piece of Heavy Armor infused with the Divine Protection of the Light.

DEX +3

VIT +5

Provides minor protection against Evil.

1/7 Set Piece: Defender of Light

Requirements: Only denizens of the light may wear this armor. One must have never suffered Misery unless forgiven by an ordained church.

Helm: Defender of Light A piece of Heavy Armor infused with the Divine Protection of the Light.

INT +3

MAG +5

Provides minor protection against Evil.

1/7 Set Piece: Defender of Light

Requirements: Only denizens of the light may wear this armor. One must have never suffered Misery unless forgiven by an ordained church.

Full Set Activated

All Stats +1

Minor Protection Against Evil -> Moderate Protection Against Evil

I never noticed much of a difference from the minor protection against evil, but that might have been because of my immunity, Reivyn thought as they descended further into the Dungeon. Maybe I'll notice a difference, now.

The Party quickly traversed the hall and made it to the end of the man-made bricks. Once they crossed over, Reivyn halted the Party.

"We should familiarize ourselves with the effects of the suppression from the Mana before we head any further," Reivyn said. "This was one of the main mistakes we made last time. You're all much more powerful than my previous team, but you should still understand the difference in your abilities before engaging the enemy."

"Yes, Your Highness," came the reply.

Reivyn followed up with his own advice and activated several Spells and Skills to test out before there was any danger. He knew he could wrap his Spells in the Abyss Affinity, but he still wanted a baseline of the suppressing effect.

He channeled a simple Fire Bolt Spell, and he was surprised to find that the suppression on his Mana channeling through and out of his body was noticeably less than last time.

So the Protection Against Evil counters the suppression, and Reivyn was enlightened. So the typical progression should be for Parties to run the Dungeon and defeat the empowered Dullahan until they have enough gear to offset some of the restrictions on the third floor. Erik and Tahl had gotten a sword and a shield, and they didn't have the Protection Against Evil buff on them. It makes sense that they were struggling as much as they were even though they weren't using Mana.

I wonder if there is any loot for Caster classes to get around the restriction? Maybe my Luck Stat is influencing the drops, and it's giving me what is most appropriate for me because it's so much higher than anyone else's. I'll have to ask the others if they get anything different from the Hard Mode reward.

"Everyone figure out your situations?" Reivyn asked after experimenting a couple more times. He had determined that he would still be able to function at least a little bit even without the Abyss Affinity, though it would still be at a discount to his normal abilities. His Stats had improved so much, though, that he would still probably be as effective as he was the time he had soloed the Dullahan.

"Yes, Your Highness," the four people answered.

"It seems like the power of the Affinities is directly proportional to the suppression," the mage said. "My Tier 1 Affinities are diminished about 90%. My Tier 2 Affinities, though, are reduced by about 70%. Tier 3 is operating at about 50%. If I stick to Tier 3 Affinities to infuse my Spells with, I should be able to more easily power through the suppression. It will just mean much greater Mana expenditure, but I should be fine as long as I pace myself."

"That's fine," Reivyn nodded his head. "I only want you guys to support me, and only step in if I can't handle the monsters."

"My Tier 4 Life Affinity is only suppressed about 10%," the healer chimed in. "The Water and Wood Affinities are compromised a bit, but I should still be able to patch up any injuries in an emergency."

"Great," Reivyn said with a smile. "We should be ready to go, then. Follow me."

Reivyn once more lead the team toward the giant, open cavern. The other vanguard Adventurer took up position to Reivyn's left, and the lithe rogue slunk into the shadows. She wasn't equipped to act as a vanguard like Teilon would occasionally do, though she definitely had the Stats to stand up to the Revenants. Even with their additional empowerment this deep in the Dungeon, they were still fundamentally mid-Tier 3, and each of these Adventurers was at least Tier 4, according to Reivyn's Sense Threat Skill and their previous performance.

They quickly made their way to the open mouth of the tunnel's end, and the defensive Adventurer volunteered to step forward to attract the enemies, just in case anything out of the ordinary happened. The Revenants immediately focused their attention on the intruder like last time, and they charged the man who had desecrated the place with his presence.

Reivyn took in some calming breaths as he watched them storm in their direction, the older man retreating to take up position next to him once more.

Ok, here we go, Reivyn thought, keeping himself calm. I have no reason to panic this time. I need to pace my Mana usage. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Reivyn used his Dual Casting Skill to activate his Elemental Weapon Spell, taking the mage's advice into account and infusing his Mana sword with the Light Affinity. It didn't have much combat application, but the point was to bypass the Revenants' immunity to mundane damage. He simultaneously activated his Mana Shield Skill, and he infused it with another Tier 3 Affinity, Durability.

He could feel the effects of the suppression, though it was further reduced to only about 20%, he gauged, due to his Moderate Protection Against Evil. The first Revenants to reach their position were the miner variants, and they swung their pickaxes like weapons to try and kill the intruders. Reivyn maintained his focus and threw all of his distracting thoughts away once combat was initiated.

He wasn't frantic this time around, and he had a solid shield to his left. He wasn't worried about being surrounded or any monsters bypassing him to attack his companions. He methodically blocked and parried, and thrust and slashed at the enemies. Slashing and Piercing attacks weren't the most effective against skeletal monsters, but solid strikes against the bones still did a surprising amount of damage. Piercing attacks, specifically, actually worked extremely well when targetting the skull and the little orb of miasmic Mana empowering the bones of the skeleton.

The armored Revenants were a little more tricky to deal with, as not only were their skulls protected by black, metallic helmets, but they were also Experts with their weaponry. Reivyn's own Skills, though, were superior to his enemies, and after a short exchange of blows with the armored Revenants, he would thrust upward into the skulls whenever an opening presented itself. The strikes were just as effective as piercing straight through the tops of the miners' skulls.

Reivyn's Battlefield Awareness Skill allowed him to remain apprised of the entire situation, and he wasn't flustered or surprised when the Spectres made their appearance, shrieking into the melee. Reivyn strained his willpower a bit further and created a third Spell to launch at the Spectres.

He found it a bit easier to manage it when combining the Dual Casting Skill with his Mana Weapon Skill. Channeling his Dual Casting through additional, actual Skills took some of the burdens off of adding more Spells to his attacks, and he lassoed the Spectres with chains infused with the Gravity Affinity. He decided on Gravity in order to reduce the chances of missing the Spectres with his Mana chains, as he still had to maintain his focus on the melee combat with the Revenants.

He could always command his companions to handle the Spectres, but he wanted to practice for a future solo attempt. He wasn't so pressed yet that he needed assistance.

The Revenants kept coming in an endless stream, and Reivyn slogged through the combat. They weren't able to all attack Reivyn at once, so he was able to maintain control of the combat and dictate the pacing to however fast he wanted. The Spectres would join the combat in groups of three to five, and they were the only things that caused him any kind of stress.

The combat continued unabated, Reivyn entering a zone of total concentration. He was still aware of everything going on around him, and of his companions, but everything else sort of fell away. The combat wasn't anything special once he got into the swing of things, but the Spectres were a bit of a nuisance.

Every now and then, there would still be a Spectre alive from a previous group when new ones showed up. He had lost count on the number of enemies he had slain, and the number of Spectres in their groups was beginning to be five at a time more consistently.

If I don't pick up the pace that I destroy the Spectres, they might overwhelm me, and then I'll have to use assistance, Reivyn thought. That won't be the end of the world, but I should really try and find a way to do it on my own. I'll try and use the trick of enveloping my Mana in the Abyss Affinity again, and hopefully, the loss of the 20% suppression will allow me to clear them all out.

He put thought to action. Adding another Affinity, utilizing the Concept from yet one more, was almost too much for Reivyn with his current abilities. He still managed to do it, only having to infuse the Gravity chain whips, but it caused a bit of mental strain on him.

The method was effective, though, and the Spectres began to be destroyed at a faster clip, reducing the strain of having too many piling up.

Reivyn's blood pumped through his body, and he could practically hear it thundering in his ears. He looked at the Revenants with distaste. These monsters were incredibly annoying, and they were responsible for the deaths of many innocent people. People who hadn't even chosen for themselves to delve the Dungeon.

Reivyn's sword flashed faster and faster, and he stepped forward, pressing against the tide of Revenants assaulting their position. He needed to destroy the Revenants. He needed to kill them. His attacks came faster and harder, and the Revenants were reaped like wheat before his blade.

Reivyn was suddenly pulled out of his trance as something grabbed his waistband and yanked him back. He looked up in surprise and noticed that he had begun to abandon his favorable position in the mouth of the tunnel.

"Be careful, Your Highness," the other vanguard said, some anxiety in his voice. "It wouldn't be good to lose yourself in the middle of combat."

"Right, thanks," Reivyn replied as he reclaimed his calm state of mind.

Considering what Galwit told me about Abyss Mana, I was obviously influenced by the Affinity coursing through me, Reivyn thought, sweat dripping from his brow. I almost really messed up there. I don't think I would have been in danger right away, but if I didn't have someone to watch my back, I would have eventually been surrounded on all sides. They might not have been able to kill me right away, but would I have even paid attention to the damage accumulating over time from the Revenants able to get behind my guard?

Reivyn dismissed the Abyss Affinity, dropping it like a hot potato. It can come in handy in situations where I can quickly annihilate any Spectres that begin to pile up, but I'll need to release it and completely calm down before utilizing it once more.

Reivyn's heart thumped in his chest from the blunder, but he soon calmed back down as he continued the fight.

Reivyn didn't know how long he fought, but eventually, the Spectres stopped coming. The Revenants were in much greater number, and he had no idea how many he fought through, but they, too, eventually stopped coming.

The ground would have been littered with countless bones if they weren't in the Dungeon, but the additional Revenants joining the fray stomped on the bones and caused them to dissipate back into the Dungeon like every other monster. An armored Revenant would drop a piece of their superior gear every now and then, but it wasn't enough to get in the way of the combat.

Reivyn finally slashed through the last skeleton, and quiet returned to the Dungeon. He panted for breath and checked his vitals on his Status page.

Health: 4,238/4,860 (+310) Stamina: 1,788/9,330 (+410) Mana: 961/4,580 (+50)

Having to use Tier 3 Affinities really cuts into the Mana expenditure, Reivyn noticed. He felt a bit of pressure in his head from the usage, but it wasn't as bad as last time. Using it over a longer period of time prevented me from getting closer to having a backlash.

I have just enough Stamina and Mana to be able to solo this floor. If I had tried before filling up my Bloodline, I wouldn't have been able to do it.

"Thanks for bringing me out of my daze," Reivyn turned to the Adventurer team. "I should be able to handle clearing the floor solo, but it would have been a dire situation if I had decided to attempt it without you guys to watch my back first."

"It's our duty, Your Highness," the armored man said, inclining his head.

"Still, I appreciate it."

Reivyn kept his sword and shield out, but he dismissed the Elemental Weapon and Mana Shield Skills now that there were no longer any monsters around.

No reason to let our guard down completely, he thought. Just because we think all of the monsters attacked us together doesn't mean there aren't others lurking about.

"Alright, let's go see what else this floor has to offer," Reivyn said. The others nodded their heads, and they resumed their formation as they walked into the cavern.

This Dungeon was a Resource Dungeon, so Reivyn wasn't surprised to see veins of metals and minerals on the walls of the cavern. The thing that did surprise him, though, was the lack of them. There weren't nearly as many as he would have suspected, but he guessed it was just because of how large the cavern was.

Objectively, there's still a ton of resources available to mine down here, it just seems like it's not that much because of the amount of coverage.

The third floor was a huge space, spanning an area larger than that of the previous floors. Reivyn didn't spot any additional tunnels branching away from the central cavern, but there were natural support columns left in place.

The Party walked around for almost an hour, exploring every bit of the cavern in a methodical manner. The floor was so large that they often couldn't see the walls on any side, and Reivyn's mental map played a large role in making sure they didn't get turned around.

"It doesn't seem like we're going to find much down here, Your Highness," the lithe woman commented.

"Seems that way," Reivyn agreed. "Though there is one last thing I want to check before we call it a day."

Reivyn had noticed that the mana density intensified whenever they moved in a particular direction, so he led the troupe towards the source.

The Abyss Mana continued to become thicker and thicker as they moved towards the direction it was coming from, and Reivyn was eventually able to see motes of darkness floating about even without his Mana Sight activated.

"What is this?" the mage asked, reaching out and touching one of the motes. It was pitch black with a slight red tinge running through it. They flitted about in the air.

"That's the corrupt Mana," Reivyn replied, glancing at the mage from the side of his eyes. The mage jerked his hand back like he had been shocked.

"Don't worry, we'll get a round or two of cleansing from the priests when we leave," Reivyn chuckled. "I don't think we can accumulate enough corruption for it to hurt us even down here where it's coming from." Reivyn left out the fact that he was immune, anyway. "If we don't find the end soon, we'll go ahead and turn back, just in case."

It didn't take much longer after the Mana became visible for them to spot what was introducing the Mana into the Dungeon.

Looming above them, stretching beyond the ethereal light of the Dungeon, was a towering gate. It was built out of the same metal as the armor and weapons of the Revenants, and it had a shiny, black appearance. Murals of demons and acts of violence were carved into it, and it was sealed tight. Abyss Mana leaked through the central crack where the two doors of the gate sealed it shut.

"What in the..." the armored vanguard trailed off as he looked upon the gate. The other Adventurers in the team were speechless as they gazed upon the construct.

Reivyn ran his hand over the metal. It was smooth and almost frictionless, the murals providing the only bumps to his touch.

"So this is the source," Reivyn mused.

He felt a powerful pulse from the center of his being, calling out to him to open the gate and explore the other side. He looked at the gate, trying to find some sort of mechanism to open it, but there was nothing. He was unable to get any sort of hold on it to leverage his physical Strength.

"I don't think we have any way to open this," Reivyn said, turning to his companions.

"You want to open it, Your Highness?" The mage exclaimed, aghast.

"Sure," Reivyn nodded. "We're in an instanced Dungeon. Whatever we do in here isn't going to affect the outside world, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"I guess..." the man said. He was clearly skeptical of the dubious proposition. Reivyn couldn't explain his desire to open the gate, so he simply left it unsaid.

"It doesn't matter, anyway," he said. "We can't open it, so I guess we'll go ahead and call it here. Let's go back."

The others nodded their heads and turned to follow Reivyn, using his mental map, leading them to the exit.

I'll have to consult someone knowledgeable of the Abyss about this gate, Reivyn mused. It just so happens that there's someone in town who fits the bill.