Chương 54: The First Undertaking

The 21st day of the month of Plums. Exactly two months to the fateful day he'd received an invitation to the Cauldron Wars beta test—and two months after the last time he'd cleared a cave full of mana crystals from the comfort of his childhood bedroom—Jordan Yu found himself at a cave full of mana crystals. For real, this time. And with none of the comforts of his childhood bedroom. Well, technically speaking, Sandy Quarry was really more a karst formation than strictly a cave.

This according to Taison of Hundred Springs, the most book-smart of the Gym Rats. Jordan had to take his friend's word for it. To him, standing at the edge of a limestone base, the karst looked like a large sinkhole that had opened up in the middle of the plains. A footpath had been carved onto the rocky descent, complete with lanterns and safety ropes. Even now, several dozen quarry workers busied about the place, forming a chain of spellcasters to convey carts full of pinkly gleaming crystals.

Gotta spend mana to earn mana. Jordan smirked to himself, appreciative of the hustle. If only the adage could apply cleanly to himself, then he'd be feeling much more confident while standing at the edge of his next adventure." 38, 858 cc?" Jordan could still recall the incredulous look on Heron's face as he revealed the full extent of his 'plan'.

"Why the ungodly number? And why do you need it so urgently?"" Well, just between you and me," Jordan had explained, surprising himself with how much he now trusted Heron, after all that had transpired, "a part of the Heavenly Cauldron's gimmick is that I'm supposed to open the Nine Gates of Ascension. Which, if what you and Graft Auspice taught me are true, surely correspond to the nine voidward gates of spellcraft.""

Nine, only if you accept the existence of the Firmament Gate," Heron had corrected Jordan, ever the conscientious instructor.

"And you're suggesting that the Garuda's Turbulent Cauldron has something to do with your Ascension. That, in fact, it may well be a physical representation of the Tempest Gate." Jordan sure was glad that Heron had been so quick on the uptake. Not just that, but the man had also readily grasped the nature of Jordan's proposed 'experiment'. To the point where he'd helped draft a viable solution to his recruit's severe case of mana poverty.

Writ of Undertaking Quest Taker: JORDAN YU Quest Giver: HERON CATCHGRAIN on behalf of the Imperium Task: Secure the unreclaimed depths at Sandy Quarry. Reward: 12, 000 cc of mana in refined crystals, plus an additional 10% of the initial yields from the newly reclaimed section. Yes. Jordan had up and signed his first quest contract in Stormvast! Using his newly acquired [Personal Seal], of course; none of that barbaric crap with the bleeding thumb.

The potential mana rewards were substantial, downright eyewatering for the average recruit. But Jordan had nonetheless pushed back a little, his gamer mind exploring loopholes and hidden possibilities." A way to passively generate mana?" Heron had shot back with a sneery scoff.

"I'm humbled by your high estimation of me, Gatekeeper Yu, but you mistake me for an Immortal of legend. No, I earn my mana through honest means like anyone else. And you, instead of chasing such fancies, would do well to follow my example." An interesting answer that wasn't quite a flat-out 'no'. Something for Jordan to keep on the back-burner, no doubt, while he focused on what was available to him now. And so, here Jordan was with his hand-picked party. The six members of the Gym Rats.

A rather well-balanced group, one that helped proc Jordan's strongest [Feat] ([Call the Shots]) while, more importantly, being made up exclusively of close friends who could be trusted with his life." Shall we?" Speedster Taison got things rolling first, ever the grown-up if not quite the unc of the group." Thought you'd never ask!" Porter Rowan blustered, ever determined to look braver than he felt." Careful, Rowan.

Rushing in head first is the surest way to tempt fate," Dendromancer Pinion cautioned, ever the most rational and level-headed of the group." Not to worry. Any of you get hurt, I'm here to patch you right up," Thaumaturge Bramble reassured, ever a valuable member of any party." Are you ready, Jordan?" Tetherer Pewter turned to the de facto party leader with a bracing smile. The man had been in high spirits lately, even by his usual standards. No doubt a certain act of independence had something to do with it."

As ready as I'll ever be," Jordan said with a solemn nod. It wasn't strictly true, of course. One could always find more ways to improve, especially someone of Jordan's newb-ness. But it was true that he'd done everything in his power to prepare for his first big boy quest. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. Private weapons training with Finch Quiverwing. Diligent gym-ing, which had recently bumped his [Zhurong's Blessing] up to Lv.

4 (STR 16 -> 17; Encumbrance 26. 0/240 -> 26. 0/255 lbs). As well as reading up on the monsters endemic to Featherifter cave systems, thus conferring an additional boost to [Fuxi's Blessing (Lv. 2)] (INT 21 -> 22; modifier +5 -> +6). And perhaps more importantly than all that, he'd since built himself a wheelbarrow. Not by himself, of course. Pewter Sapling had been the project's head engineer, dipping into some family trade secrets while also assisting with the construction.

The result was a simple yet perfectly functional tool, to which the Heavenly Cauldron had been securely lashed with a Tetherer's reliable magic. Jordan still pushed his 500-pound Vessel everywhere, but he now did so with a pair of handles and the laws of physics working with rather than against him. It meant he could travel on foot for longer distances without severely straining himself, while also being better able to navigate changes in terrain.

All in all, it was still a wack-ass setup, especially in a world of magic and spellcasters. Not that Jordan could complain. He was grateful for all the help that had gotten him here—the friendships he'd forged, rocky starts and all. And now, he was ready to take that all-important next step. And so, Jordan and the Gym Rats descended into the karst, to the curious looks of quarry workers they passed along the way. The scrutiny didn't end as they reached the bottom of the artificial footpath.

There, they were met by a man in imperial armor, one of the outpost soldiers charged with defending Sandy Quarry from threats both within and without." You're the lot Heron sent to clear the depths?" the man asked dubiously by way of greeting." That's us, Ranger," Taison answered for the group, along with a rigid salute. He then considered for a moment before adding, "Have you any words of advice for us before we start?"" Pray that Heron had the right measure of yous." The response was prompt and blunt.

"And know not to expect rescue, should anything happen to yous down there." This man certainly pulled no punches. Jordan felt his whole party tense, and not just the easily spooked Rowan. He himself felt oddly (and perhaps undeservedly) calm as he joined the discussion." Not that I'm ungrateful for the opportunity," he said, "but can I ask why this section of the karst has remained unsecured for so long?"" Not worth the risk," the Ranger said matter-of-factly.

"And the city didn't need the mana. Although… that might no longer be true, what with all the [Frenzy] business going around. So, I guess good luck to yous, boys. Do the Emperor proud and all that." With that inspiring pep talk to kick them off, the Gym Rats entered the unreclaimed depths. The footpath made way for uneven rocks. The ceiling was low, with plenty of stalactites hanging at head-level. And, predictably enough, darkness grew thick deeper into the cave.

Taison took point, occasionally casting [Detect Life] to check for nearby threats. Rowan was on [Light] duty, channeling the low-cost spell as the second vanguard. Pinion brought up the rear as the most conventional 'combat-class' spellcaster of the group, ever mindful of the support members such as Pewter and Bramble. It didn't take long for the party to stumble into their first combat encounter. <Monster Sheet> Name: Toxipede Class: Spitter, Lv.

5 Vessel: Gland of Venomous Spume A cluster of giant centipedes, each one about the size of a boa constrictor. They crawled out of the darkness and converged on the Gym Rats, their writhing bodies glistening under Rowan's [Light]. A truly horrific sight. But the party was ready for them. Thanks in part to Taison's advance warning, but also because they'd trained and rehearsed for just such a fight. The vanguards—Taison and Rowan—kicked things off by casting [Taunt], evenly dividing the aggro between them.

Then, as the Toxipedes rushed toward the vanguards… PEWTER SAPLING cast: Greater Snare A Tetherer never went anywhere without at least several lengths of rope. On this occasion, Pewter's spell reshaped his ropes into a latticed wall, trapping all the Toxipedes in one go. Even as they wriggled helplessly in place, the creepy-crawly monsters looked to attack. As Lv. 5 Spitters of a venomous disposition, their bread-and-butter spell was [Acid Spit]. Which they now aimed at Taison or Rowan, whoever was closer.

Yet, by then, both vanguards had the chance to cast a second spell each. Taison with [Blur] to turn himself into a dodge machine. Rowan with [Shield] for the more traditional method of tanking. Together, they ensured that the Toxipedes wasted their barrage of [Acid Spit]. While the vanguards kept the enemies [Taunted], the rest of the party moved in with impunity. In this case, the most effective tool for the job was also the simplest. Stab stab stab with [Standard Issue Spears].

The spearheads soon lost their luster as they got covered in black monster goo. All told, the Gym Rats slaughtered twelve Toxipedes between them. Jordan too had gotten in on the action, stab-stab-stabbing with the best of 'em. This was followed by a rowdy harvest session, each soldier loudly recounting the highlights of the fight while digging around centipede throats. Gland of Venomous Spume base mana gain: 80 cc (x2). JORDAN YU gained: 220 cc. Current VR: 11, 362/50, 000 cc (22. 7% partial, 0. 0011362% total) Target VR: 1, 000, 000, 000/1, 000, 000, 000 cc (100%) [Hoarding Mode] remains in effect. Before leaving the barracks, the Gym Rats had agreed to split all loots and rewards six even ways. No dick-measuring, no arguing over who contributed what and how much. It was by far the cleanest way to divvy up mana, and Jordan couldn't be happier that he'd found the right people to make it happen.

The smooth success of the first fight had the effect of bringing the Gym Rats closer, while also loosening up their collective mood. Gone were the nervous silence and anxious looks. As the six men delved deeper into the unreclaimed depths, they began to joke easily, laugh heartily, and dream of greater glories that lay ahead. Little did they know, then, that a great threat indeed lay in wait. In fact, it had heard them coming, from the moment they'd stepped foot in the cave.