Chương 74: Arc 2 - Chapter 16

With a sack full of magic lobster eyes and their monster meat boiling away in an iron pot, thankfully brought along by George, Fritz mused on the fight only half an hour before. He wasn't lying when he said it was easy but he tried to think how he would've handled it if he were leveless. After only a couple of seconds of contemplation he was sure his previous crew could've dealt with them easily enough. The lobsters were slow and stupid like he had said.

Their claws were clumsy and he had the sneaking suspicion that they were near blind. The only thing that was truly dangerous about them was their sand leaping. Fritz didn't want to dwell on the past, as it never did him any good. But he couldn't help but compare this first floor to his first floor. Bitterness soured his tongue, not from the foul air but at the fact that his first floor and the hounds had been worse. Far worse.

"It's ready!" Carter called. Rosie had exposed his unusual skill in making the inedible edible so he had been readily appointed as the team's cook.

"Bert eats first, just in case it's poisonous," Fritz said.

"Are you trying to kill me!?" Bert asked indignantly, to the shocked chuckles of the team.

"You'll be fine," Fritz said. Knowing fully well Bert's Vitality and Bloodwell would help him fight off any ill effects of the meat in question. That and the man had always had an iron stomach.

"Hmph," Bert said.

"I'll haunt you if I die!"

"You haunt me already," Fritz replied easily. Bert speared a chunk of the puffy, white, lobster meat with a long, silver fork. Fritz recognised the silver for what it was almost immediately as did George as he shouted, "Is that moonsilver?!"

"Perhaps," Bert said smugly. He blew on the still steaming meat, then took a small bite., then a larger one. He closed his eyes and chewed, he let a 'mmm'. Soon each of them had a piece of too-hot lobster and were blowing on it before taking their own tentative bites. Fritz knew Bert's false enjoyment trick for what it was, having employed himself in their first Spire and let the others test the flavour first. He smirked and Bert grinned as the rest of the team tasted the lobster.

Rosie and Carter took it better than most, grimly swallowing down the meat. George spit his out right away and Lauren retched as the pale flesh sprayed from her mouth. Fritz shrugged and took a bite, happy to suffer with his team. If they endured something they should endure it together. It was foul, terrible really, it tasted how burning pitch smelled. Bitingly bitter and entirely too mushy, butter would do nothing to save this dish. He grimaced and swallowed.

"It really is horrible, the worst thing I've ever eaten," He observed blandly, as Lauren wiped her mouth indelicately then proceeded to glare at Bert.

"Will we ever find monster meat that's any good?" Fritz lamented.

"The cat wasn't too bad," Bert reminded him.

"Yes, but it was cat," Fritz said morosely, nearly sighing.

"You ate cats?" Lauren said, her tone somewhere between disgust and outrage.

"You do when you're starving," Rosie said.

"Wouldn't mind a bit of cat right now if I'm honest, beats this mush.""'Twas a monster cat, with a white coat like virgin snow," Fritz waxed.

"It beset us from ambush, thus meeting my sword's blow."

"Then we ate it in a cave, 'cause the bear was a grizzly meal," Bert said as if reminiscing about good times.

"Alas," Fritz agreed, pointedly ignoring his friends pun. Lauren suddenly winced as she grabbed for her waterskin to wash out her mouth, and Fritz noticed the bright red line of a burn down her pale palm.

"You should get some grease on that," Fritz said with a frown.

"Did your Treasure do that to you?" She glanced around nervously while fiddling with the lid of one of the small tins containing the mint and bile-scented grease.

"It did, it gets hot when you use it," Lauren admitted.

"I'll say, cooked that lobster to char," George said exuberantly.

"Mighty powerful treasure, and a rare one too for Rain City," Fritz stated, hoping she would elaborate. Lauren just nodded at his assessment and said nothing more. Her nose wrinkled at the bittersweet bile-mint aroma of the grease, but her scowl relaxed as she applied it and she felt its numbing proprieties.

"Bert, I saw you were cut up. Do you need some help putting this stuff on your own wounds?" George asked, then frowned as he saw all of Bert's injuries were well on their way to mending.

"Wait, I saw you get slashed only half an hour ago, but those wounds look almost a day old," George said with concern writ plain across his face.

"Advanced Attributes," Bert said enigmatically.

"Advanced Attributes?" Carter asked.

"Not now," Fritz sighed.

"It has to do with Paths and Traits, we can talk about them when you get them."

"Speaking of which we should really be getting a move on. Pack up and let's get moving. Oh, and chuck the lobster, it's inedible," He added. Once they had followed his commands and were ready, if not eager, to move, he began to lead them over the sands.

"Should we really be walking this beach, shouldn't we try the jungle or something? What if more of the lobsters come?" Lauren asked.

"I'll warn you first, don't worry. You'll need the practise fighting monsters if you want to Climb any higher," Fritz replied easily.

"How high are we going to Climb?" Rosie asked.

"Well, Bert and I plan a full clear," Fritz stated, confidence ringing in his tone.

"With Spire's spite if we have to. For you fine folk it's up to you to decide. Though I hope you won't choose to cut and run at the nearest Well."

"I want to Climb to the top," George announced, opening his visor and wiping the sweat from his brow as his heavy footfalls struck the sand. Carter and Rosie looked at each other and seemed to have a conversation that was all looks and minute gestures that only siblings could understand.

"We were just going to go for Paths," Carter said.

"But if you're Climbing higher we want to try."

"I have to get to the top," Lauren puffed out.

"Can't go back in shame."

"Shame is it?" George asked.

"No prying," Fritz ordered.

"We're all here for a reason. We all have secrets, some more deadly than others." He added ominously, his words inspiring an awkward silence as they trudged.

"Leaping Lobsters again," Fritz called out.

"Remember, let them leap, get them on their backs, then go for the kill." Again the monsters burst forth, a pack of around six. Fritz had no trouble at all and was able to do as he'd done in his previous battle with the creatures. He relied on his Danger Sense to dodge their attacks and their ambushes, replying to their clumsy claws with precise stabs between their shell's plates. This time however he let two of the lobsters through to harass the leveless and was glad to see they heeded his advice.

The first of the monsters was already dead with Rosie's hatchet and spear buried in its chest. The second was quickly dispatched when George's sword split its grotesque underbelly with one overhead strike spraying himself with thin black blood. Luckily his visor was down so barely any splashed his face. Still, he spat and he cursed. Another wave of three lobsters came and they were slaughtered just as easily, with even Lauren getting in on the melee with that blackened shortsword.

It sizzled as it stuck the soft flesh of the flailing creature and its blood boiled, steaming slightly where it alighted on the blade. While Fritz suspected the shortsword wasn't imbued, or a true Treasure, he knew that it must be made of some magical material, one that generated great heat. Treasure or not it was probably rare, triply so for Rain City, so it must have come from her mother's personal collection or vault. Probably stolen if that air of guilt and furtive glances weren't just his imagination.

Not that he held that against her of course. How could he? He would do the same thing. Once they were done slaughtering the newest group of monsters and had collected their eyes, Fritz hurried them along. After another thirty minutes of walking, and some minutes of complaints he called a break, one Fritz was annoyed to have to permit, but one he knew the leveless needed.

They sweat and panted in the heat, Carter and Rosie had taken the trek the best, as he would've expected of the urchins, and George was taking it the worst what with all his heavy iron. He sat, removed his helmet and emptied his water skin over his head. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. It was strange to have to slow down and to see the apparent weakness of those without Endurance.

He had probably been taking his own Stamina recovery for granted, even cursing how little he had compared to Bert, who endlessly bounced on the balls of his feet and had seemingly boundless energy. But seeing this lot suffer reminded him of how far he'd come and he smiled. That would soon change for them and he couldn't wait to see their giddy faces when they had Powers of their own. Which wouldn't be too long, only an hour or two or more of walking if his Door Sense was leading him right.

He knew it was, and he took a sip of water from his constantly refilling flask. Fritz had them up and moving again before too long.

"Can't we try the jungle, there's shade over there," George groused.

"No, the terrain would slow us down, and who knows what dangers are in there," Fritz said.

"This is quickest path forward and we know what's out here, mostly."

"Mostly," Bert grinned.

"I hope there's a really big lobster." The leveless groaned and Fritz silently agreed with them rather than his battle-mad friend. Though a powerful beast would be an exciting change from the monotony of walking and weak lobsters. It could even be Aberrant and its seed might be worth a fortune. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Instead they fought another two groups of the clumsy creatures. Fritz's disappointment was tempered with delight to see that his team was getting better at dealing with the monsters.

They were now able to hold their own against at least three of the lobsters as long as they held their formation. They didn't come out unscathed though. Rosie had taken a long slash down her arm from a wild claw and George complained of bruises under his armour after being knocked down by a leaping lobster or two. But apart from those two it was mainly small grazes and minor cuts littering their respective bodies. Fritz was proud of them in a way only a Scout-captain could be.

As they were on the last stretch, or so Fritz thought from the impressions his Door Sense returned to him, he heard a hollow thud sound out from under George's iron boot. A noise close to the man's normal stomping but to Fritz's sensitive ears the difference rang like a bell. Fritz spun, "Hold!" He cried out and strode towards the hollow spot and drew Quicksilver, stabbing it into the red sands and striking wood with a satisfying 'thunk'.

He smiled, he guessed that this was the best way to cross this floor and he had been rewarded for his gamble. Rewarded, it seemed, with buried Treasure.

"Do we have a shovel?" Fritz asked his team. There were shrugs and shaking heads. Fritz sighed.

"Well let's dig with our hands then," Fritz decided.

"Dig?" Lauren asked.

"Dig for what?"

"A chest!" Fritz proclaimed eagerly.

"What?" She gaped.

"On the first floor? Already?"

"Quite right," Fritz said.

"Sometimes I amaze even myself." Bert, as the most rested and ready, immediately set to digging out the chest with his bare hands and when he had uncovered the lid and its bronze bands he hauled it out with a yell.

"Well done, Bert," Fritz said as he applauded politely, which Lauren joined belatedly while the rest just stared at their prize.

"Who's going to open it?" Carter asked softly.

"George's thunderous steps found it. So let him do it," Fritz suggested.

"Is that alright?'" George asked with some trepidation.

"It is!" Fritz said.

"Quickly now! I want to see what's inside." George set down his helmet he was cradling under one arm and opened the bronze banded lid. Prismatic light spilled forth, coalescing into three objects and three glass vials filled with bubbling clear yellow-tinted liquid. George pulled them out, looked at them then handed them off to Bert or Fritz so they could get a better look. The vials obviously contained some sort of Stamina potion if Fritz guessed correctly, while the other three items were more interesting.

One was a sheet or rather a cloak of blue-grey scales that dimly glittered in the light of day. Second was a ring of bleached bone, or perhaps coral, that was dry, rough and chalky to the touch. Last was something odd, a set of three two-foot-long identical steel rods.

"Care to use your lens again Lauren?" Fritz asked as they peered over the collection of items.

"Sure!" Lauren said excitedly, pulling out the lens and walking closer to the items arrayed in the sand. She then Activated whatever scrying Ability it seemed to possess and searched each object diligently, though the ring got the most attention.

"Ring is a Treasure, the other two are just magic," She explained.

"What's the difference?" Rosie asked. When no one offered an explanation for some moments Lauren sighed.

"Treasures come with Abilities, or even Traits, whose effects transcend the item itself," She explained as if repeating something back to a tutor.

"Huh," Bert said.

"Huh," Fritz said.

"What does that mean?" Carter asked before Fritz had to. Always good to have someone even more ignorant than you ask the questions so you don't seem like a completely unprepared peasant, Fritz thought.

"It means, magic or inscribed items are limited to the item itself, like becoming harder or setting themselves aflame. Whereas a Treasure might let you transform, increase your Attributes, or have other Passive and Active Abilities," She explained.

"Oh, but aren't there inscribed wands and other items that can cast Abilities?" George asked.

"Yes, at that point they're basically Treasures," Lauren said.

"But they only really affect the items themselves, not the person wielding it and often their mana can't be refilled or they're one use so we keep them classified as magic items."

"I don't get it," Rosie said, echoing Fritz's thoughts.

"It's like this," Lauren said, with some exasperation while pulling her blackened shortsword free of its sheath.

"This is a blade made of volcanic iron and inscribed with some heat-focusing and retaining runes. It's very hot, almost the equivalent of a Heat Blade Ability and the runes need refilling every once in a while. It is not a Treasure."

"Seems like one," Carter said.

"Yes it does," Lauren agreed.

"But it's not, because it only affects itself. Same with a breastplate or a sword with Durability runes. A Treasure version of this blade would let you Activate its Imbuement, which in this case would be the Heat Blade Ability. It would be as though you were casting the Ability yourself, but it won't benefit from your Passives or Traits as it's magic is too different from your own. Treasures will also just be more powerful, more durable and may have more magic effects than just its Imbuement," She explained.

"The rod, it's a Treasure right?" Carter asked.

"Yes," Lauren hedged.

"It's a forged Treasure, incorporating both inscriptions and an imbuement."

"You can do that?" Bert asked.

"Improve a Treasure?"

"Yes, you can do all sorts, but it's expensive and requires real experts. Only someone like the king or the higher nobles could afford or get access to. Though I hear things like this are easier to get on the mainland," She espoused.

"Why do you have one then?" Rosie asked.

"I uh... don't want to talk about it," Lauren said.

"No prying," Fritz intoned for a second time this day before Rosie could argue. Lauren looked at him gratefully and he continued, "I think I get the difference, Treasures are Imbued and magical items are not, even though they can look like they are." She tilted her way this way and that as if there was some more nuance she might elaborate on, but ultimately she just nodded.

"That's probably the best way to think of it. If you're a layman," She agreed.

"Not much use getting caught up in a definition. What's important is: what do these things do?" Fritz asked. Lauren shrugged.

"The lens only picks up mana, not alignment or anything else useful."

"Then how do you know the ring is a Treasure?" Rosie asked suspiciously.

"Its mana is brighter," Lauren said.

"Fair enough," Rosie said with a shrug, seemingly satisfied.

"Though I think the rods go together somehow, the scale cape and the ring I have no idea what they do. As for the potions they are probably some sort of Stamina restorative, but I'll have to check," She said bringing out a long, thin piece of paper from her pack and staring expectantly at Fritz who held all the potions. He smiled and offered her the vials. Lauren daintily plucked one from his palm.

She unstoppered the potion and dipped the paper into the liquid, then after three moments she pulled the paper out again. She stared at it intently as the colour changed from clear yellow to bright yellow and a small glyph appeared just below her thumb.

"Small burst of Stamina and a persistent, maybe an hour, Stamina restorative boost," She said, without inflection or passion as if addressing a customer.

"Wow," Bert said.

"Good to know," Fritz said.

"Got any more of those paper potion tester things?"

"Yes, two more," Lauren said.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring any."

"I forgot!" Fritz said proudly.

"I'm glad I have such a wonderful team to mind me my minuscule miscalculations."

"I could really do with one of those potions right now," George said, thankfully distracting the others before they started to question Fritz further.

"No. We're almost there, half an hour at most," Fritz said.

"We keep them for emergencies." George let out a tired breath but didn't argue.

"What about these things?" Rosie asked, "I wouldn't mind a pretty ring."

"We should work out what they do, but we only have one Know-note. Do we really want to use it on this first-floor Treasure?" Fritz asked. The team looked to each other awkwardly, either shrugging or shaking their heads.

"Guess not," Rosie said.

"Can't we just use it to test it out?"

"Sure... but it might be dangerous," Lauren warned.

"Though a first-floor bronze chest is unlikely to have anything deadly." Fritz agreed with the statement so let Rosie pick up the ring and Activate it. It pulsed with a wide wave of almost invisible blue light and rang with a low almost inaudible sound. Nothing happened. Rosie's face fell.

"It didn't do anything. Didn't even glow," She complained.

"It did do something. Though I don't know what," Fritz supplied. Before anyone could ask him about what he had seen, Bert exclaimed, "Wow! This is nice!" Fritz turned to look and saw his friend wrapped in the cloak of blue-grey scales.

"Is it?" He asked.

"Like a cool rain, can't feel the sun's rays at all," Bert said. George looked on enviously as he sweat in the slightly too-warm heat.

"Bert, give it to George. The man is melting in his armour," Fritz said.

"Oh, right!" Bert said whipping the gleaming cloak off himself and throwing it at the man in a flurry of movement. George caught the cape with his face but didn't dare grumble as he unbundled the cloak and wrapped it around his broad, armoured shoulders. He sighed.

"How is it?" Fritz asked.

"It's better," George said.

"Are you sure it's okay I take it?" He asked Bert.

"Yep. Looks better on you anyway, that and it'd only get in the way while punching." Bert said with a grin and a wink that the man seemed startled by.

"What that idiot means to say is: Assign Treasures where they're most beneficial," Fritz stated.

"What? You're not gonna just take all the good stuff like we thought you were?" Rosie blurted out.

"Of course not, we didn't bring you here to be slaves or shields," Fritz said earnestly.

"Then how are we going to split the loot?" Lauren asked somewhat interested in the items now. Apparently, she'd been thinking along the same lines as the others and needed to be set straight as well.

"We can work out worth and splits at the Precipice," Fritz replied.

"For now we'll just let whoever gets the most use out of them carry them. Agreed?"

"Sure," Lauren said with a gleam of greed in her eyes, that was mirrored in the rest of the team. The rest clamoured their agreements rapidly. Well at least they're more motivated now, Fritz thought. Just wait until they get Powers then they'll probably be the ones dragging us along.

"Seeings as this ring does nothing do you want it back?" Rosie asked.

"No. You hang onto it," Fritz said.

"What about the rods?" Carter asked as he studied two of them. With a sudden 'tink' the two ends of the steel rods stuck together. He pulled on them but they wouldn't unstick, it was like like they were fused together. Carter's face went blank, he looked to Fritz and Bert with some fear that they'd berate him for breaking the rods.

"Can you turn it," Lauren asked. Carter, wanting to fix his mistake, quickly tried the suggestion. First, he pulled right which did nothing, then he tried pushing left which made a small grinding noise as the steel turned and fell back into its two halves.

"It's like it's got a magic screw or something," Carter said.

"A disassembling steel pole," Lauren said.

"Useful for finding traps. Can probably double as a quarter staff in a pinch."

"I have no use for it," Bert said even though no one had asked.

"Anyone else want it?" Fritz asked, ignoring Bert's grin and the team's confused stares.

"Scout should take it, they have to deal with traps all the time," Lauren said. Fritz almost said he didn't need it because of his Trap Sense but decided to keep that to himself. He didn't know if he could trust them with his secrets quite yet. He received the rods graciously and slipped them into his belt with a smile. With the Treasures sorted Fritz handed one of the potions to Bert and kept one himself, the last they decided to hand to the temporary medic, Rosie.

Thankfully, there was no argument or dissent about the item distributions and they were all ready to move and get out of the sun. They got back to walking and surprisingly weren't challenged again by any lobsters. After ten minutes Fritz spotted a twelve-foot-tall rock sticking from the sand. It was black like obsidian but carved to seem as though it had dark, glossy scales. Fritz's Door Sense pointed him straight to the stone and he informed his team that they were close.

He didn't mention his Ability of course but rather that he had a good feeling about the stone and that it had the 'right look' of a stairway. There were some panting cheers and mild applause but he bid them hold their thanks until they were in the Well room. It was only when he was five minutes away from the Stairway that he felt the dread of being followed. No, hunted. Again. He looked back to see nothing, but still, worry filled his heart, even as he pressed forward.

Fritz searched the sands ahead, although he was sure the pressure was coming from behind, just in case it was some strange monster's Ability. But nothing of the sort appeared and they got to the Stairway without any more danger. They stood before the strange scale-carved bricks of the stairs and arch and Fritz ushered his team through the Door watching for whatever was causing the strange looming dread. Probably my nerves getting the best of me, my time in the Sunken Spire, and the gutter has got me paranoid.

Always waiting for the other shoe to drop, he concluded, trying to rationalise his fear. He didn't see anything so he shrugged and followed in after Bert, climbing the steps and towards new Power.

"It'll be fine."