Forge of Eternity: Alpha Testing, page 40
The noise rose in intensity, joined by a bestial roar after several seconds. The lights coming from the drake peaked back at their previous intensity when I tried to look over the mirror. Amalie and Goodwin had covered their eyes with their hands, so I crouched on my heels, waiting patiently. The ground began shaking, the effect emanating from the drake. The reaction was so violent I had to activate Weight of the Mountain to keep from falling over. With a final screech, the sound more befitting a pterodactyl than a creature with dragon blood, the boss finally reached its limit. I could still see its HP in my heads-up overlay and the moment it hit zero there was a strange popping noise. After a moment, a sound like falling coins filled the room.
You have defeated Juvenile Light Drake (Level 8) and gained 960 experience.
Warhammer Proficiency increased to level 3!
Your Defense skill has increased!
Quest Updated: Learn to Know
You have cleared a challenge in the Tempering Fires.
Clear the Dungeon: 1/1
Optional quest objectives remain.
Additional rooms may be cleared for bonus rewards.
The debuff faded with combat, my constitution and dexterity returning to their standard values. My body became more resilient and coordinated as my stats adjusted, making me feel more at home in my skin. The change was a welcome relief to the discomfort I didn’t realize I had, like yawning and popping your ears.
I made my way over to the treasure chest that had replaced the drake’s corpse on the ground.
Taking inventory of the party, I was surprised to see everyone was still alive. Gavin stepped on the button for his mirror, aiming the beam off into the wall opposite the door we entered from. We all regrouped around the body of the drake while its multicolored scales faded in intensity, dissipating into motes of fading multicolored light. The last of the lights coalesced into a simple wooden treasure chest banded in iron.
“Gavin, I’m at a loss for words here,” I said, staring numbly at the loot box. “I am legitimately surprised we didn’t wipe. How did you do that?”
“How, indeed? Any guesses?” Gavin produced his wooden pipe with a theatrical flourish and blew several smoke rings while looking contemplative. I knew this was all for show, but I let him have his fun. He just single-handedly saved our skins by figuring out the boss mechanics, I could stand to let him put on his show. At the same time, I wasn’t about to play the straight man to his stooge.
“Well,” Gavin said after nobody moved to answer. “I must admit, I’m not entirely certain how I came upon the solution myself. Perhaps it was divinely granted. Regardless, the monster had made a notable effort to get out of the path of the beams after spawning. Remembering the damage an errant sweep of the beam inflicted on Uri, I concluded that the mechanic of the fight at that point was to create a perpetual feedback loop of damage.”
“Once it was in motion I figured out that much myself,” I said, waving a hand. “I’m curious on how you knew which mirrors to turn in the middle of combat. And if you say lucky guess I’m going to see how far I can throw you with a single hammer swing.”
Gavin closed his mouth, tapping his pipe against his lips as he considered. “Amalie happened to be at a mirror I had been watching before the fight, so I knew how it was paired. Everything happened to be in an ideal state so long as you were able to handle the wildcard mirror manually.”
“I’m glad it didn’t try to give me another 10% debuff for cheating again,” I said, suppressing a shudder. “I’m also surprised nobody died”
“It was close there for a little bit,” Uri said, waving in the direction of the wall he’d hit. “I didn’t expect to take flying lessons today.”
“Yeah,” I winced in sympathy, “I know what you mean.”
“Hey, how’d you manage to heal from that?” Amalie asked, looking at Uri. “You just sort of, blurred the damage away.”
“I reversed the flow of time on my body,” Uri said, waffling his hand back and forth. “It makes me more vulnerable to attack when I channel it, and it uses a lot of mana, but I can reverse 75% of the damage done. It’ll also reverse most debuffs, but also reverses any buffs or healing received in the time I rollback.”
“Didn’t trust Gavin’s healing?” I asked.
“He spends so much time and effort healing you, I figured I could make his job easier,” Uri said, smirking when I narrowed my eyes.
“Whatever. This fight was dumb and I didn’t enjoy it,” Phelyya said, avatar sulking. “All the light-based effects dealt extra damage to me due to my racial affinity. Even absorbing the drake’s spells did damage. That’s not supposed to happen! Let’s just get the loot and go.”
I patted Gavin on the shoulder and nodded at him. “Your kill, you want to do the honors?”
The small man brightened, then bowed deeply. “It would be my pleasure, good sir!”
You have defeated a boss with custom loot!
Each party member will be awarded their own loot.
Choose your preferred reward, each item will be appropriate to your class:
1 x Weapon (Uncommon Quality or better)
1 x Armor (Uncommon Quality or better)
1 x Item (Uncommon Quality or better)
Crafting Items (Variable Quantity, Rare Quality or better)
Random (One of the above options or a special unlisted reward)
“Easy choice,” Phelyya said, excitement in her voice. “I already got one weapon drop today, going to balance that out with an armor piece.”
Goodwin chuckled. “Oh look, a random option. I guess I know what Gavin’s picking. Personally, I’m going to need a minute to decide.”
“Immediate gratification, or delayed gratification with slightly higher value,” Amalie said weighing the options. “Or leave it to chance.”
Between the armor I’d crafted earlier and the weapon I’d picked up in the dungeon, I had no pressing deficiencies in my gear. I could afford to put some time and effort into turning components into items, especially since the items were higher quality than the ready-to-use gear. I selected the option to receive crafting items, the game delivering them to my inventory immediately.
2 x Light Essence
3 x Medium Conversion Circles
5 x Light Drake Hide
While I had no idea what a conversion circle was, I did know that the middle of a dungeon wasn’t the best place to figure it out. I’d take the time to evaluate the loot in more detail later. Not too much later though, or I’m sure I’d misunderstand the poorly named drake hide by assuming light referred to the weight or grade rather than the type of drake. I did have more immediate concerns though. My stomach rumbled and I felt a mild wave of fatigue wash over me. I didn’t see any debuffs but decided it would be a good idea to eat and ensure I didn’t end up with any negative effects from ignoring my body.
Eating when hungry is a pretty basic feedback mechanism, and it was a comforting touchpoint in an otherwise alien world. Pulling some of the travel provisions from my inventory, consisting of dried meat, berries, and a tough piece of bread, I sat down against the wall and ate slowly. Most of the party was still deciding on or inspecting their loot when I finished. A few moved to consume their own meals, recognizing the informal break. I closed my eyes and relaxed for a minute, drumming my fingers on the head of the hammer where it rested against the wall.
As soon as I closed my eyes, I noticed something odd filtering into my senses as I tapped on the hammer. There was a minute vibration in the ground, something so faint it didn’t register at all with my eyes open or if I stopped tapping on the ground. I focused on the strange tingling, trying to get a feel for the exact direction and type of movement. The last time I’d noticed a tremor like this, it was one of the traps in the dungeon entrance. I stood up, eyes still closed, and tapped the wall with the heel of my boot a couple of times. That produced an even fainter response than the light drumming of my fingers. Sitting back down, I experimentally lifted the hammerhead off the ground an inch or two and let it fall. The tickling feeling in my senses pulsed brightly in response, finally revealing its location as somewhere behind me and to the right before it faded in intensity. I stood up again, opening my eyes and looking in that direction.
“You feeling okay there Deac?” Uri asked from where he sat a few feet further along the wall. “I know we heal pretty fast after a battle, but I keep getting these phantom pains and cramps just after battle. That happening to you?”
“No, that sounds awful though. Just like that attempt at a nickname,” I said, shaking my head as I took a couple of steps. “That’s not why I stood up, I think I found something.”
“Vague and ominous,” Goodwin said, speaking with something still in his mouth. “Can I at least finish my food before we start a new terrible challenge?”
I made a noncommittal gesture with my hand. “I think I found a passage beyond, probably supposed to open if we kill the drake correctly.”
“I beg your pardon, but the beast was vanquished with the mechanics of the test,” Gavin said, mock anger in his voice. “We achieved a goal and received a reward, as such I submit that we must have been fighting in the correct manner.”
“We brute-forced the puzzle and you know it,” I countered, running my hand against the wall with my eyes closed, dragging the hammer along it with my other hand. “Either way, our quest in this dungeon clearly states there’s a mystery here. We can leave and complete the quest, or we can try to get some of the optional objectives. I assume hidden things would be relevant to uncovering a mystery.”
“Or it’s a hidden trap that will kill us in a new, horrifying way,” Goodwin said cheerfully.
“Probably,” Amalie said, matching his tone. “A hidden path for solving the puzzle and defeating the boss obviously needs to be full of terrible traps.”
The vibration I sent into the wall changed in quality as I reached the spot closest to the anomaly that drew my attention. “Everybody on board with investigating the potential hidden path?”
“How?” Uri asked, getting to his feet. “That’s a solid stone wall.”
I faced him, putting on a deliberately wicked grin as I swung the hammer into the wall at full strength. Everybody winced at the impact, a few immediately dropping into combat stances. That was a good sign, I thought, as I connected with another swing. The stone facade chipped away easily, revealing a sturdy metallic door. Smiling in triumph, I pointed to the newly revealed door.
“Ta-da!” I said, standing to the side and taking a deep bow.
“Not going to lie, I’m impressed there’s a hidden door, but,” Amalie held the word out as she put her hand into the iron ring and pulled, “it’s locked.”
“Of course it’s locked,” I said, kicking myself for not checking first. “I wouldn’t assume the dungeon designers would leave a hidden door behind the wall unlocked.”
I rolled my eyes, then inspected the door again in greater detail. The center had a recessed section like the drake did in statue form. Unlike the statue, however, there was a plain circular groove around the aperture. I produced one of the conversion circles from my inventory and held it up to the door. It seemed about the right size, so I slotted it into place. Amalie pulled again with no visible success, stepping back and glaring at the door.
“So that wasn’t a key?” Uri asked, disappointment coloring his tone.
“For a room full of people with high intelligence scores, I’m a bit concerned nobody else is suggesting any solutions,” I looked over to the mirror directing the light beam harmlessly into a wall. “I’m thinking we have some more puzzling to do.”
Amalie groaned. “I do not want to waste more time on that stupid puzzle.”
“In this case, Fortuna smiles upon you,” Gavin said, standing near one of the mirrors, spinning it casually on its base. “With our foe vanquished the puzzle’s restrictions appear to have been lifted.”
“That would definitely make things easier,” Uri said, making his way over to the mirror directing the beam into the wall. He stepped to the back and placed his hand on the base before peeking around to look at the rest of us. “I’m not sure if you all want to be standing around the door while I move this thing.”
“Uri has a point, this way everyone,” I said, backing away. “In fact, get in formation. At this point, I think we’re all aware of this dungeon’s extremely punishing traps, so let’s be prepared for anything.”
Phelyya scoffed. “That’s a stupid command. You can’t prepare for literally anything.”
“Sure you can,” Amalie said brightly before I could respond. “Assume you will have to run toward or run away from the door, there’s your preparation.”
“That wouldn’t prepare you for a hoard of spiders spewing out of the door, or a siren calling you to it, or anything with a gaze weapon, or any mental effect really,” Phelyya said, her avatar counting off the items on her fingers as she spoke. “There are too many niche things for us to prepare for everything.”
“First off,” I said, pointing my hammer at the demon-touched elf, “I think most of those fell into one of the two options since they’re pretty broad responses. Secondly, you’re being pedantic and nobody likes that shit.”
“I think it’s a little amusing,” Goodwin said, his lip curled up in a sarcastic smile. “So, technically you’re incorrect.”
“Keep it up and we can have a practical example of friendly fire for you and Phelyya to analyze.”
“Oh! I can make it literally fire to add an extra layer to that analysis,” Amalie chimed in.
Goodwin raised his hands in a warding gesture. “I can also appreciate the practical side of things. Consider me ready for anything.”
Phelyya gave a short laugh at that, which I ignored as I made sure we were clear of the beam’s path. Uri began turning the mirror, the light leaving behind smoking scorch marks on the stone until it rested in the center of the door. I noticed an intense grinding start-up in the ground just inside the door. My gut reaction was to assume this was mechanical trap warming up and I tensed. Uri joined us within a few seconds, rapier drawn.
Patterns of light began making their way out from the center of the door, eventually reaching the frame and receding into the wall. Inside the floor and walls, I felt large bolts sliding out of the door. After the better part of a minute, the symbols on the door stabilized in both layout and intensity. Another minute dragged on with no changes and I relaxed minutely.
“The door is unlocked,” I said, breaking the tense silence. “I think we should move the beam away and see where the door goes. Any objections?”
“How do you know it’s open?” Amalie asked, wand still trained on the door.
“The bolts slid back into the floor already,” I tapped my foot on the ground for emphasis. “Uri, you want to run back over and fix the mirror?”
The time mage nodded, jogging over toward the last mirror in the chain only for the beam to cut off on its own when he reached the halfway point. He slowed to a stop after a few steps, shrugged, then started back our way. I pointed back at the mirror.
“We should still turn that, I don’t trust this place,” I said, slowly approaching the door.
Uri nodded, running back and turning the mirror off into a section further along the wall. When he re-joined the party, I hooked the head of my hammer into the door’s ring and pulled slowly. After a foot, I re-adjusted and pulled from the door itself until it was fully opened. The hall beyond was narrow, dimly lit, and had an earthy scent more in line with the mines above than the dungeon.
“Well, we all ready to walk down the obviously trapped murder hallway?” I asked, ending my question with a sigh of resignation.
Amalie - Backstage
Deacon’s sigh echoed down the hall, causing us all to respond with varying levels of nervous laughter. The door didn’t open into what I’d expect to find after solving an extremely frustrating puzzle. While the whole dungeon looked worn and aged, the hall looked even more dilapidated than anything we’d encountered so far.
“You’re going first into the murder hallway, right?” I asked, hoping to get everyone moving again.
“Normally I’d try to justify making Uri or Phelyya scout ahead,” Deacon said, then he sighed again. “Except, in this case, I think I may actually have the best chance of spotting traps in advance. This hall’s floors and walls are humming with motion again. Any traps we run into will probably have a mechanical effect that I’ll be able to pinpoint.”
“Sounds like a perfect opportunity for our fearless leader to prove his abilities,” I teased. “We ready?”
“I’m enthusiastically prepared for anything,” Goodwin said, giving a thumbs up and exaggerated wink toward Deacon.
The hall ahead was only wide enough for us to proceed single-file. Deacon led, Gavin trailing several paces behind. I found myself closer to the front than normal since this path was even tighter than the marble forest. Deacon rationalized that ranged backup may be necessary, but I think he just wanted me in the blast radius if something catastrophic happened. I couldn’t complain, it gave me a front-row seat to watch him act as a mostly-human minesweeper. Despite the danger, we set a good pace with our tank intentionally triggering small traps and calling out the dangerous ones as the tunnel turned and twisted.
The musty smell of the hall eventually gave way to a more metallic smell, like ozone and oiled metal. There was a distinct downward slope to the tunnel, and the crumbling masonry eventually became rough-hewn rock walls. The only sign that the path wasn’t a natural formation was the softly pulsing runework on the walls illuminating the way. We walked in silence for a solid half-hour, broken only by Deacon’s warnings, and the occasional yelp as he was hit by a bolt trap or some hidden blade. Even those died away after a time as the traps became less frequent. Seems like whoever was in charge of security in this passage figured that after a certain point more traps would just be wasteful.
