Underworld - Sanctuary: A LitRPG Series, page 16
You will now change to a different form 10% faster.
Next Level
You will change form 10% faster.
After getting Stone Giant and Fire Incubus Forms, I’d be able to transform that much faster because of my mastery. When I got the time, I’d need to power level their early levels.
Returning my attention to the present, I took a step toward Aeris, holding out my arms to embrace her. Startled, she darted up into the air overhead. She was holding one arm with the other, as if she was covered in filth.
I watched her for a moment before speaking slowly, emphasizing every word. “You look beautiful!”
“I don’t like it,” she said, with tension in her voice. “This isn’t me.”
“Of course it’s you. You earned it.”
Her eyes rose from the floor and looked to see if I really believed what I said. With her newly acquired inhuman speed, she shot towards my neck and hugged me before I could even react.
Grabbing her in my arms I held her there. After a moment, I whispered, “By the way. Never go off on your own again.”
She burst out laughing, leaning back to show me her scrunched-up nose, and mockingly mouthed the words back at me.
I let another couple of minutes pass before moving on. “So, what do you say we figure out how to open this door for the guys?”
“I suppose,” she replied. “Do your blood sucky thing then and let’s go.”
With a nod, I agreed. She flew up to give me some space.
Turning back to Feuer, I cast Drain. As his lifeblood and flesh merged together, then funneled into me, the exquisite surge of power was so intense it reminded me of Lord Darius.
+320 Str
+235 Dex
+315 Con
+12 Int
+5 Wis
My intake of stats was almost beyond belief. Perhaps I should have cast Devour and Vampire’s Embrace separately, but I suspected Devour’s tendency to leech physical stats at a higher rate than Vampire’s Embrace had just showed its true worth. Feuer had hands down been the toughest physical creature we had faced but feeling the increase in my physical stature was incredible. Either that or I was so excited I was…
White light flooded my vision. Looking down, I saw the same light leaking from beneath my armor.
“Elorion. You’re glowing…” Aeris said as she floated down and poked her nose close to mine to examine me.
Drawing back the armor over my arms, I saw the light firsthand. It illuminated the surface of my skin and seemed to be coming from my pores. Unlike the blinding light that had preceded Aeris’s transformation, the intensity of light coming from me was slowly growing brighter.
I examined the popup window that appeared with the light.
Congratulations! Your ascension has begun!
In place of future stat progression bonuses your bonuses will take on a personalized nature.
Ascension
Race: Human
Due to each of your stats reaching 1,000, or ten times your natural limits, your mind and body can no longer be contained by your human frame. A person’s ascension is talent dependent. You have talent in Light and Blue Magics, so your transformation will bolster these natural inclinations.
As the light grew brighter, I looked to Aeris, or I tried. Even with Mana Sight at full strength, the glaring white drowned out every detail.
Tension overtook me. Every muscle fiber, my skin, and even my bones seemed to flex all at once. It was not painful, or exhausting, for the tension wasn’t coming from physical effort. I began to compress. The light dimmed enough that the world became clear. It felt like I was being pressed from all sides, but instead I grew taller. It was only a few inches, but impossible to miss as it happened in a moment’s time.
I may have grown taller, but my muscular frame decreased in size despite having Advanced In the Buff currently activated. My muscles hardened to something inhuman, as did the surface of my skin. Every part of me was changing, but unlike Aeris, my complexion mostly stayed the same.
The light departed, leaving me a much leaner, but no less powerful version of myself. Before I even looked at the next popup, I could feel much of what had changed.
In the Buff has become a part of you.
+300 Strength
+300 Dexterity
+300 Constitution
+300 Intelligence
+300 Wisdom
No mana cost
Regeneration has become a part of you.
+100 HP Per Second
+25 Endurance Per Second
No mana cost
These changes are based on your current Light Magic Rank. When you advance, your ascended abilities will advance with you.
Mana Sight has become a part of you.
Ability to view the Mana Spectrum
Increase your perception of time at will
No mana cost
What I had felt with the change was my Mana Per Minute becoming available. Except for my armor and a few defensive Blue Magic spells, almost all of my Mana Per Minute was free. The possibilities…
Seeing that there would no longer be a cost for Regeneration or Mana Sight was also game changing. Perhaps it was the fine print that was the most intriguing part. “When you advance, your ascended abilities will advance with you.” It only referred to my Light Magic, but looking at my level 90 Advanced Healing spell, I knew it would only be a matter of time. I didn’t expect it to be any time soon, though, for I had just reached level 90 and the experience was much harder to come by. It had taken my extreme uses of Light Magic to get this far and its normal use just didn’t seem to be enough anymore.
The only downside seemed to be that my ascension had replaced any 1,000 Strength bonus I’d have received. It also seemed that future bonuses would be tweaked depending on my talents.
Bringing up my Character Sheet, I was giddy with delight.
Level: 642
Health Points: 162,516
Mana Points: 208,299
Mana Per Minute: 6,546
Attributes
Strength: 1,314
Dexterity: 1393
Constitution: 1355
Intelligence: 1,181
Wisdom: 3,098
Points to Spend: 155
I quickly spent my stat points on Wisdom, bringing it to 3,253, which gave me 6,856 Mana Per Minute even without my scepter.
Aeris was kind enough to wait a few moments as I read through my popups. When I looked up, she was two feet from my face.
“Yes? Do you want something?” I teased. Flipping my popup about my ascension around I let her see.
Her finger went to her mouth as she scanned it, then her eyes scrunched up in confusion.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I don’t understand,” she replied, as she brought up her own menu to compare. “We’ve both changed, but yours says you ascended and mine says I’ve taken my true form…”
She showed me what she meant.
True Form
Wind Sprite
You are able to move about with the grace and speed of the Wind
Your Magic and physical form have become one
Manipulate your buoyancy at will
+50% Wind Magic
That was all it said. It was extremely general except for the Wind Magic buff.
“I think yours is unique to you,” I suggested, scratching my chin. “But ascending is something that anyone can do. Once they get enough stats.”
“So, it’s possible I’ll change again?” she asked, shaking her head as if it was too much to take in.
She was conflicted about her change and I doubted there was anything that I could say to truly help.
“At least you still look human,” she grumbled.
Offering her my hand, I pulled her in close and held her tight.
She wouldn’t meet my eyes.
I waited until she finally looked up. Her eyes glowed with a silver light even if I had Mana Sight toned down. It was then that I realized it was impossible to fully deactivate the spell. Mana Sight had really become a part of me.
“You know everyone is going to be jealous, right?” I insisted.
“I don’t know,” she answered.
“Think about it. I just got skinny. You are actually one with Wind Magic. Now I’ll have to fight off every guy of every race in the Underworld. Next week, we’ll have some hot arrogant vampire lord showing up to ask you out.” Changing my voice, I imitated the best arrogant noble I could. “I’ve never dated the embodiment of Wind before. Your unique beauty is beyond mere immortals. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a glass of Bloody Mary? She’s still fresh…”
“Ewww,” she yelped, smacking me on the chest armor. “You’re an idiot, you know that?”
“So you’re going to choose the vampire lord over me?”
“No!”
“Good. Because I’d then have to kill him. Although, I’d probably do it anyways… Vampires give good stats.”
Digging my fingers into the leather around her ribs, I was able to apply enough pressure to cause her to jump. Well, she was still ticklish.
After some teasing and petting, we finally turned to the problem at hand. Chris and Travis were stuck outside, and we were trapped in here.
“So, what do we do?” Aeris asked.
Turning around to face the now empty throne, I pointed to the turquoise serpent that rested above it. “I think that is our answer.”
With a nod, she rose up into the air and floated over to it.
I jogged over, slowing as I reached the ice-covered channel at the base of the stairs.
“It’s not Wind Magic, but air flows around it without touching it at all,” Aeris stated.
“Yeah. It looks like it is covered in Water Magic,” I confirmed. “Try touching it and issue a command with your mind to open the door.”
“Command?” she said, as she placed her hand on the serpent’s neck. Almost immediately a thunderous creak proceeded the rising of the gigantic stone slab that had trapped us in here.
Climbing the stairs, I joined her on the platform that held the Incubus’s purple throne and examined it. The majority of it just looked like a cushioned stone chair, except for the armrests. Beneath the purple fabric at the end of either arm was a round section under the cushion about the size of an apple that glittered blue in the mana spectrum.
I immediately recognized that a rod of silver was being used to carry mana through the armrests to control the rest of the dungeon. It was like a command console of sorts. Activating Force Learn, my consciousness entered into the mana conduit in the armrest. Following the mana flow, I traveled through the silver rod in the chair into a channel of silver that ran into the wall. It ran to the image of the serpent, which I confirmed was aquamarine and was being used in a unique way.
The way aquamarine was used in the Wraith’s Tomb was to refine water mana. Here, the mana was already refined. Instead, the aquamarine acted like a magnifying glass, greatly amplifying the mana’s potency. This amplified mana ran through a thick silver vein, then into a golden slab at the base of the now frozen stream of water. It was here that the water was created and controlled.
It seemed silver conducted all energy well, just as it did electricity. Gold, like silver, was used for the same purpose and pure gold wouldn’t tarnish.
Back to the aquamarine, an intricate web of channels flowed to the door that Aeris had just commanded open, the Water Mana Cloak that had hidden the contents of the room and a second door behind the throne.
My time in Force Learn was getting ready to end. I could have extended the time, but my mana was already low. I’d speak to the others before exploring any further.
Shaking my head as my consciousness returned, I turned to face the entrance to the room as the slab continued to rise.
I felt Aeris join me. She slipped under my arm. I held her close to me, knowing she would not be comfortable now that someone else was about to see her new look for the first time.
Travis and Chris ran in with weapons in hand. After a few turns of their heads, they confirmed that none of the enemy were left alive. Travis came to a stop, lowering his spear, and Chris followed a moment later, sheathing his sword.
They saw us standing in front of the throne.
I stood as a tall man of lean chiseled muscle in the same bone armor their friend would have worn. Under my arm was a lady of vibrant silver wearing the same leather as the girl that I had melted through a wall to rescue.
They took in the frozen river that sat motionless, running from the base of the stairs, with over forty imps crushed on its banks. Near the middle of the room, to left side of the river, lay a red demon with a broken face. Astonishment froze them in place.
Removing my arm from Aeris’s shoulder, I offered her my hand.
She hesitated for a moment but took it.
We descended the stairs at a slow pace, so that they could grasp what had happened at their own pace. As we stepped over the edge of the frozen stream to one side, they began to approach. We all came to a stop in the middle of the room with what was left of Feuer between us.
Drain had taken his blood and flesh, but a shell of skin remained like an insect’s exoskeleton.
Chris was the first to speak. “You made it,” he said under his breath.
I nodded to him with a kindly grin, but his eyes darted uncomfortably from one of us to the other.
“I told you not to drink the water!” Travis blurted out.
The tension dissolved in an instant as we all shared a laugh. We could always count on him.
Without waiting for them to ask, I went ahead and shared what had happened to us while we were trapped in here.
“So basically, you tricked us into staying out there!” Travis teased.
“Did you guys get experience?” Aeris asked, speaking for the first time.
Travis smiled from ear to ear like a fat tomcat.
It was as if Chris hadn’t heard her question. He was captivated by the new way she looked and moved. Aeris looked away, embarrassed. So Travis elbowed him in the ribs.
“Sorry, Aeris,” Chris apologized. “Your eyes look pretty. Er. I can’t say that because you two are together, but you look good, and I, um.”
“What he’s trying to say is that you look pretty dang awesome,” Travis asserted with a nod.
I gave her a squeeze.
She recovered quickly and at least seemed to be relieved that they hadn’t thought she was a monster or something.
“So, who’s ready to explore the secret room?” I asked with a smirk.
Even Aeris’s mouth dropped open as everyone’s eyes fell on me.
***
Hurrying over to the throne, I put my hand on the silver conduit and issued the command. The sound of metal grinding cut through the room as the entire wall behind the throne started to rise. I had to catch myself from falling, since I was standing so close to the wall.
Taking a step around to the side of the throne, I saw an ancient hall of many rooms. I had been wrong when thinking the slab to the entrance of the throne room was the source of the sound we had heard before we had entered the throne room. Instead, it had been this door that Feuer had closed to protect his stuff.
Before I joined the others, I cast Drain on the rest of the imps in the room. To my disappointment I received no more stats from them. At least the loot looked decent.
There was a flight of stairs at the back of the throne’s platform, which I took to meet the others below. The hall was illuminated by blue light coming from the walls and ceiling. The stone here was speckled with minerals rich with water magic.
Immediately, I recognized the smell of roasted meat. My mouth watered at the very thought of food, even if it had been cooked by imps.
We followed our noses as we took the first entrance to the left. It opened to what looked like a royal ballroom furnished with tables for an army of guests. Another throne sat at the far end of the room in the same purple as the other one. The kitchen we found at the back of the room through an open door. It was small like the one in the Head Mistress’s Labyrinth, with an assembly line type design.
There was an enormous cooking spit that was turning of its own accord, on which we found a pig the size of a cow slow-roasting over an open-faced fire. Best of all, it was ready to eat.
Travis found a two-handed cleaver and chopped at the rear leg until it was dangling. Chris was there with a tray to catch the large chunk of meat which had to weigh at least twenty pounds.
I didn’t have to taste it to know it was Cave Swine. The neutral mana that simmered inside of it gave it away. As much as I wanted to eat it, there was a lot to do and I didn’t have the willpower to sit down to eat.
Chris and Travis did a shabby job of cutting the meat, but in a few minutes we all had a large portion of Underworld pork. Now armed with a plate of pork, we continued to explore. The cupboards here were well stocked. The problem we now had was to figure out was what was going to stay and what was going to go.
“Everyone take inventory of what you see, and we’ll come back after we have a better idea what all is here so that we can plan what we’re going to take,” I suggested.
The next room we explored was filled with beakers, jars, pouches and kilns. It was a much larger alchemy crafting station than Lydia’s.
“Jackpot!” Chris hollered. He shot over to a set of shelves that were filled with ingredients and grabbed something. He looked at Travis. “We have everything we need.”
Chris was done in the room, however. He had just found the last ingredient to cure Travis, but he was here for so much more. Specifically, a way to impress Lydia.
“That’s great, man,” Travis replied. Even with the smile on his face, it seemed to me that he had just been hit in the gut.
We left Chris there a few minutes later. There was no doubt that he would take care of grabbing everything on Lydia’s list and then some.
The smithy, forge and armory were in one long room. To the left was a wall full of armor and weapons. Near the front of the room were spears and knives, and imp sized scalemail. Further down, near the back of the room, was much older equipment that looked like they had just never bothered to move it when they had taken over this dungeon. Swords and axes, scraps of leather and steel.
