Dungeon Noble 2: Knight, page 38
Actually, there was one thing he could do, and Jake kicked himself that he hadn’t considered it until this moment. Giving Gordon some Wyrdgeld, Jake sent him back into Casthorpe with a specific requirement.
A few hours later, he arrived back with a long, wooden wand that started off black at the grip and slowly lightened as it progressed, ending with a bone white tip.
Jake took the wand with a delighted smile and excused himself from the current discussion of tactics to head down into the cellar. The thick walls would be just what he needed for this.
Channeling Wyrd into the wand, Jake pointed it at the far wall and released a small burst of icicles that smashed into the stone and shattered, turning into a small patch of mist.
From experience, Jake knew that the mist would be freezing, sapping the strength of whatever was within it. The mist didn’t last long, so the effect wasn’t too powerful, but it was still useful.
Satisfied that the wand did what he wanted, Jake went through the process again. This time, however, he focused on controlling the Wyrd he fed into the wand and following the patterns it went through.
Infused items and infusions to create effects in items were essentially the same thing, as far as Jake was concerned. The difference was that an Infused item was permanent, whereas the infusions he could make with his Wyrd were temporary.
Jake wasn’t a crafter, and he certainly wasn’t a Weaver, so he didn’t really know how the effects were made. No doubt Varin would explain if he asked, but for what he was trying to do now, it didn’t matter.
Again and again, Jake fed his Wyrd into the wand, activating it and studying how the magic moved within it. He lacked any sort of System benefit to help him sense the movement of Wyrd, but his training with Gargan certainly helped.
After every tenth attempt, Jake would take a break for a minute or two and let his mind dwell on what he’d found so far as his Wyrd recovered. Some ways of working his Wyrd into the wand seemed to provide more or less detail, so he started mixing it up, testing what worked and what didn’t.
After an hour of repeatedly firing the wand at the wall, Jake finally followed the magic through the pattern. It was hazy, incomplete, and hard to follow, but it had happened.
The creeping fatigue from Wyrd use vanished as adrenaline coursed through Jake’s body, and he did it again. Each time he fired the wand, he felt himself getting a better grasp of the pattern within.
It was a fairly straightforward one—much like the others he knew—which was probably a good thing. This method of learning them felt like a brute-force solution to a delicate problem, which was fine for now, but probably wouldn’t work with more complex things.
Eventually, Jake had to stop and rest for a time to recover his Wyrd properly. Thankfully, Alma had sent Gordon back with supplies for them all. A meal full of Dungeonous ingredients was just what Jake needed to perk right back up, and soon enough he was back in the cellar.
With a big delve planned that evening, Jake wouldn’t push things too much, but if he could make this work, it would make all the difference in the Dungeon.
Bit by bit, he slowly got a rough grasp of the inner workings of the wand, eventually realising that it was actually two linked patterns. Changing over to the thorns wand he carried, Jake went through the same tests, finding that it also had two patterns within it and one of them was the same for both wands.
The shared pattern was likely whatever caused the wands to project the effect, so he could ignore that for now. Swapping back to the ice wand, he instead focused on the second pattern until he had a loose image of it.
Wearily putting the wand aside, Jake took a quick break before grabbing one of his mundane daggers and manually infusing the pattern he’d learnt into it.
Nothing happened.
The Wyrd was expended, but as best Jake could tell, there was no benefit.
Doing the same thing but activating his Wyrd Infusion Skill, Jake felt the pattern he was creating shift slightly as it took hold within the dagger. Touching the blade, he felt a slight chill from it, though it quickly faded.
Calling up his Skill, Jake read it over once again, paying careful attention to the wording.
Active - Wyrd Infusion (IV) - Rare - You are able to infuse Wyrd into any item you are touching. The effect of any patterns that you create have a medium boost to their power and stability. This effect remains for a moderate time once you are no longer touching the item.
“Medium boost to their stability…” Jake muttered to himself before repeating the infusion, this time with the Skill active. Unlike last time, however, he paid close attention to the changes the Skill was making.
When he’d been developing a pattern from scratch, he’d had to build it based on what he’d seen elsewhere. The Skill had helped it stay together, but not much more than that.
Now, though, the Skill was actively changing the shape of the pattern. Not by much, but just enough to make it work a little better.
Jake rubbed his jaw in thought as he tried to work out why it was different. The best he could come up with, though, is that he knew this pattern was correct. This wasn’t an experiment where he wasn’t sure what the outcome would be. This was a known pattern he was trying to recreate.
Felix had always said that intent was powerful with the System, that it could change how Skills functioned.
The implications of that slowly filtered through for Jake, and he let out a somewhat menacing chuckle as he called on his Wyrd and infused it into the dagger again, this time trying to match how the Skill had shifted the shape.
The blade was colder this time, and it lasted for a heartbeat longer than before.
Excitement thrummed through Jake’s veins as he realised that if he copied the changes the Skill made, he could use it as a guide.
This was so much more than he could have hoped for—no pattern was beyond his reach now. Sure, each one might take endless hours of repetition to learn and perfect, but Jake was stubborn.
This was a path to power, and it was one he could walk along without need of Dungeons or Wyrdgeld or any of his other requirements. Time and effort were all he needed, and for now, he had both.
A somewhat manic desire to push forward overtook Jake as he settled in and repeatedly infused the dagger, using his Skill as a guide. Time slipped by as he worked, the pattern he was creating changing and becoming more stable little by little.
Unfortunately, Jake’s plan of using this method to develop the most-powerful infusions he could hit a snag. The boost to stability took the form of adjusting the shape of the pattern, but only until it was mostly correct.
Once the pattern hit some sort of threshold of stability, the Skill instead reinforced it directly, rather than changing things. While useful, it was a little disappointing. Still, he supposed it made sense to limit just what he could do with a Skill like this.
Infusing the dagger for the last time, Jake wore a proud smile as he watched a slight sheen of ice cover its surface. Striking at the wall, his eyes lit up as most of the ice shattered on impact, leaving behind the same cloud of freezing mist that he’d seen with the wand.
Perhaps if he improved the pattern further, it would last for more than a single hit. That was something to work on another time, though.
Stretching and stifling a yawn, Jake made his way back upstairs to get some tea and relax. He’d been down here a while, but there were still a few hours to go before they left for the Dungeon.
Chapter
Thirteen
The last few hours slipped away, and before he knew it, Jake was walking through the dark streets of Casthorpe, preparing himself for one of the most important delves so far.
This was what he needed to advance further with his Class, and the second-tier Dungeon meant the chances of dying permanently were highly increased for that final battle.
Even if the Drake didn’t kill them, it could still damage their souls, making whatever they did next all the harder. All it would take was one of them taking some nasty soul wounds, and they’d have to give up any hope of fighting the Fatesworne.
“Worrying about it all?” Nepthys asked softly from where she was walking next to him, Moby sitting proudly on her shoulder.
Jake had summoned the duck the day before in order to save his Manifestations for the upcoming delve. He had seven of them now, but if this was anything like the last second-tier Dungeon, he’d need them all.
"Yeah, just a little,” Jake said with a rueful smile. “Silly, isn’t it? We’ve come all this way, and I’ve not worried about the actual Dungeon itself until the very last moment.”
“Well then, don’t start now,” Nepthys said, nudging him with a reassuring smile of her own. “We’ll get this done, and we’ll get you to your next tier, just you watch.”
Jake nodded, taking a deep breath as they reached the open area around the Dungeon itself. The huge doors leading in loomed ominously in the dark, the familiar shifting symbols carved into them seeming almost comforting now.
Calling on the System, Jake reviewed everything he’d worked so hard to gather.
Name - Jake Khesh
Patron Deity - The Great Dungeon
Class - Dungeon Noble - Knight
Tier - II
Rank - X
Dungeon Network - 13
Plexus Strength - Slight
Plexus Manifestations - 7/7
Plexus Points - 1
Traits
Physical - Lesser Noble Constitution (IV) - Rare - Descended from a Noble bloodline, you have a medium enhancement to physical characteristics.
Mental - Delver’s Will (III) - Uncommon - Gird your will, advance endlessly. Provides a small bonus to willpower when delving Dungeons.
Skills
Passive - Personal Plexus (II) - Very Rare - You gain the ability to bind Dungeons and form your own Plexus, with a small increase to the strength of Dungeons that may be bound. Currently, Dungeons up to Tier II can be bound. Doubles the Wyrdgeld cost of advancing in Class Rank.
Active - Wyrd Infusion (IV) - Rare - You are able to infuse Wyrd into any item you are touching. The effects of any patterns that you create have a medium boost to their power and stability. This effect remains for a moderate time once you are no longer touching the item.
Bound Items
Wyrd Infusion - Woadheart Ring - Common - The bound Skill now has a minor reduction in Wyrd cost and any effects it generates that increase impact have a minor boost to their power.
Patron Gifts
Passive - Agent of the Great Dungeon (III) - Very Rare - You are bound to the Great Dungeon by blood and Deed. Other followers of the Great Dungeon will recognise you and aid you as they may.
Passive - Sense Dungeon (II) - Rare - As an agent of the Great Dungeon, you are able to passively sense the location of nearby Dungeons in a meagre range.
Passive - Authority of The Great Dungeon (I) - Very Rare - You have the approval of The Great Dungeon and may enact rituals in its name. You gain the knowledge of the Ritual of Castigation. Misuse of this authority may result in its removal.
Plexus Boons
Hidden Fang - (III) - Granted by the Holrswar Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a dagger with inherent poisonous properties. Using the dagger, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.
Orchard’s Gift - (II) - Granted by the Aptofir Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest an apple infused with vitality. Ingesting the apple transfers this vitality, healing and sating the hunger of its consumer.
The Mighty Drake - (III) - Granted by the Engans Deja Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest Moby, a mighty drake, to aid you. The Manifestation is consumed in maintaining Moby’s presence, not his actions.
Dauhaust’s Root - (III) - Granted by the Fyardi Veranis Dungeon, this Boon allows you to Manifest a spear which can leech from the blood of the foe. Using the leeching effect, maintaining it, summoning it and dismissing it all draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.
Hunter’s Grace - (I) - Granted by the Kja Ascen Dungeon, this Boon allows you to use a Manifestation to receive a boost to all physical characteristics when hunting your prey. Maintaining the effect draws on the power of the Manifestation.
Shroud of Shadows - (I) - Granted by the Valhol Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to become harder to see in dim lighting and darkness. You may also exert the Boon to dim the light surrounding you. Both exerting the Boon and maintaining it draw on the power held within it on Manifestation.
Nature’s Path - (I) - Granted by the Dufsott Murk Dungeon, this Boon allows you to move without hindrance through natural terrain types. Maintaining the effect draws on the power of the Manifestation.
Plexus Development - (VI) - This Boon may only be increased in rank by choosing it at additional Dungeons, but it has no cap on its rank level. Increases Manifestations available by one per rank. Granted by the Herrgak Deja, Julg Ascen, Firva Veranis, Haugask Deja, Wilfek Murk, and Ormel Infernis Dungeons.
Deed requirement to increase Tier
1 - 5 Tier II or higher Dungeons bound
He’d come a long way from when he’d first stumbled out of the Ascension Hall, unsure of what was happening and struggling to understand his new situation.
“Alright,” Jake said, feeling his focus sharpen as he settled into his delving mindset. “Let’s do this.”
The doors of the Dungeon swung open soundlessly as the party moved inside, pausing long enough for Alan and Gargan to light their torches. Their flickering light wasn’t much, but it gave them enough to see by.
Silently, they advanced through the foyer of the Dungeon, taking the first set of stairs they came across. At the base of the stairs was the familiar door to the Dungeon itself; Jake waited till everyone was ready before opening it and stepping into the inky darkness beyond.
“Well, this takes me back,” Jake said, more to himself than anything, as he looked around the warm tunnel with its porous black surfaces.
Scattered rocks jutted out of the tunnel’s walls and floor, giving off a dim red glow that added to their torchlight. From past experience, Jake knew they also emitted a lot of the heat that made these tunnels so oppressive.
“Urgh, I’d forgotten how warm it was down here,” Alan said with a sigh. “It’s going to get real humid as well.”
“Lovely,” Aspen muttered as he peered off into the dimly lit tunnel.
“Come on, let’s get moving,” Jake said, waiting for Alan and Gargan before moving off down the passage.
They were walking for all of thirty seconds before the dim light revealed a large lizard that was almost six feet from tail to head. A vivid red ridge ran from its head down to the base of the tail, and its thick jaws were bunched with muscle.
In an echo of the first time they’d been here, Alan passed his torch off to Nepthys before putting an arrow through the lizard’s eye. The creatures had tough scales for what they were, but they still had their weak spots.
“Just like old times! This will be easy,” Alan said, taking the torch back with a wide smile.
Silence fell over the group as they all turned to stare at the Scholar with various expressions of disbelief.
“I thought we’d got you past this,” Jake said plaintively. “Come on, Alan, you know better than that.”
“Right—yeah, sorry,” the Scholar replied, his cheeks flushing a bright red.
Sighing, Jake turned back and started forwards once more. “Just for that, you can be the one taking them down for the first floor.”
Alan groaned, but passed his torch back to Nepthys and drew another arrow as they continued down the passage.
The first floor was a simple layout, with a single long tunnel running all the way to a wider open area at the end. That space came with much larger chunks of heated rock, which made everything less pleasant. They did light up the room, though, which was something.
Alan took down any lizards they encountered in the tunnel with single, well-placed shots, but had to rush a little in the larger area. There, five of the lizards were grouped together, and as soon as Alan attacked one, the rest charged straight for the intruders.
Once upon a time, Jake had thought these lizards were fast. By now, he knew better. While the monsters moved as quickly as they could, Alan’s enhanced reactions and speed meant that he could put an arrow in each of them before they were more than halfway across the space.
“Good job, Alan,” Jake said, giving his friend an approving nod as he collected the Wyrdgeld from the kills. A handful of coins would make little difference to any of them now, but they weren’t so advanced as to ignore the rewards of their work.
Once they were done, Jake led the way down to the next floor.
The next floor was much the same. It was familiar and unchanged, with the lizards behaving just as they had once done before. Unlike last time, however, their party was breezing through this part of the Dungeon with little effort or danger.
The stark difference to the experiences really highlighted how much stronger Jake was now—nor was he the only one. His allies were a cut above what they had once been as well.
Well, the ones that had stayed with him.
Jake felt some of his excitement fade as he remembered Karl and Rhew leaving the group. He tried not to think about it too often, but he wondered how they were getting on. Were they at the same point as the rest of them?
“All done,” Alan called out as he drew the last of the Wyrdgeld from his kills.
Shaking off that train of thought, Jake checked with the others before moving on to the third floor.
A cooler, humid environment replaced the hot, dry heat of the first two floors. It was still warmer than outside the Dungeon, but compared to the previous levels, it was a welcome change.
The dimly lit rocks that had been providing the heat were gone from this floor; instead, there were small puddles of hot water scattered around.
As they moved through the tunnel, it widened out into a large rocky chamber that had a central pool of steaming water in the centre, with more of the smaller puddles around the exterior.
