âSo now you possess the crafting skill every dwarf wishes they could have,â Fowl muttered as he turned his mug slowly in his hands. âAnd your stats are beyond broken. Does anyone know what bonuses a human gets for a natural two hundred and fifty stat?â
Everyone turned their attention to Tanila who rolled her eyes at them.
âI only know of what they get for intelligence, not for any of the other stats.â
âWait! Fowlâs not messing with me?â Max asked, confused to learn something new.
Clearing her throat, their mage took a drink from her cup and shook her head.
âHe isnât. The truth is most never hit a natural stat of two hundred and fifty. Each race has a different bonus but for intelligence my race gets one at two hundred and fifty. The perk is called A Sharp Mind and adds damage to spells and increases mana regeneration. Only those who reach the upper levels of the tower ever reach those numbers.â
âNot even royalty?â Max asked.
Tanila shook her head.
âEverything has to come naturally, without any modifiers. Just like our dwarven warrior over there has a natural bonus to constitution and health, his ability to acquire a two hundred and fifty in that stat would require him being weak minded, slower and not as strong. Sure items can help with those but for most of the tower he has to give up a lot of stats to reach that point.â
âWhich is why when you always make fun of me for having a low intelligence doesnât help,â Fowl complained. âIf I want that bonus, I have to sacrifice everything for it.â
Visit freŃnovelkiss.com for the đest nđ°vel reading experience.
Max considered that as he glanced at his stats again.
[ Base Stat Only Check ]
*****
STR: 221
DEX: 220
CON: 224
INT: 225
WIS: 225
*****
Tanila had given him the middle finger when he had told her about his new intelligence but Fowl and Batrire had seemingly taken in all the information without much reaction.
âThose goblins were worth a ton of intelligence and wisdom. For so long I was lacking in them. I think thatâs why my lightning spell did so much,â Max said. âIf my math is right Iâll find out in the next ten floors what a natural two hundred and fifty looks like.â
Grunting once, Fowl lifted his cup to his lips and finished off his drink.
âMay the gods not shite themselves the day they run into you,â his dwarven friend replied.
***
âTwo more!â Max shouted as a pair of beetles popped out from underneath the soil up at the three who were standing on top of a stone wall.
The fighting had been fierce as the dungeon was a set of enormous caverns filled with bugs that exploded upon death.
Max sent an empowered shot with his bow, causing the one that was crawling up the tunnel to explode in a fireball.
âFreezing!â Tanila yelled as she froze the first beetle that appeared, ice surrounding the four foot long bug.
Max did the same on the second, seeing both were the ones that had green dots that signified a poison gas would appear upon their demise.
âGet them, I got this one!â Fowl called out as he brained the chitin shell of the beetle trying to get through the dwarfâs defenses. Its long red mandibles clamped down on the shield but couldnât rip it free from Fowlâs grip.
âTossing these! Then shoot them!â
Max moved to where the one Tanila had frozen was and grabbed it, freeing it completely from the ground and tossed it back up the tunnel where they had come.
Arrows began to pelt the soft underside as it flew through the air and the monster exploded before it hit the ground, sending up a gas cloud twenty yards from them.
An explosion from where Fowl was signaled he had defeated his opponent.
âYouâre up!â Max said, grinning at Tanila as he lifted the last beetle and waited for her ice spear to form. Tossing it down the tunnel he watched as she skewered it mid flight and caused another explosion, more gas filling up the fifteen meter wide tunnel.
âMan these are a pain in the arse,â Fowl said. âWho in their right mind makes up bugs that blow up when they die?â
Snorting, Max nodded and remembered the joys of the first pair that blew up near him and Fowl, green gas burning both of them. The worse was when they breathed it in, their lungs feeling like someone was twisting a knife inside.
Four hours of consistent fighting had brought them deeper and deeper into the tunnel system and only the green and blue moss that grew on the walls provided light. An eerie glow from the two colors made things like their armor and weapons shimmer as they moved.
âTell me how this stuff isnât going to make me upset,â Fowl muttered as he watched Max move to another lava trap and broke the ground over it.
A section of dirt started to fall downward, plunging ten feet into a pocket of boiling magma that was hidden by normal looking soil. Only when weight was put on the top soil did it crumble and fall.
âIâm just glad I can sense these,â Max said as he motioned ahead and to the right. âThere is another about twenty yards up there. Falling into one of these wouldnât be fun at all.â
âImagine my beard then,â Fowl replied. âBurnt off in an instant.â
âI guess then youâd look like those beardless dwarves from the last floor,â Max teased as he moved to activate the next trap. âNothing like a bald dwarf all over.â
***
Ten more hours of slow grinding through the tower floor brought the team to the exit, ending an otherwise uneventful experience.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
âNo stats?â Fowl asked after the other three had used the portal.
Shaking his head, Max shrugged.
âIt happens that way after a boss usually. They're stronger than the rest so depending on what they give, it may be a floor or two before that stat gives me another boost.â
Snorting, Fowl fixed his beard and nodded.
âStill, knowing you're close to achieving what only a handful of heroes has ever done is unbelievable. That alone makes me wonder what youâre going to be like as we get closer to the top end of the tower.â
Max nodded and pointed at the portal.
âI know, but Iâm also worried about this jump everyone talks about. Something about it feels dangerous and Iâm not excited to see exactly what.â
The moment his foot touched the stone tiles outside the tower, Max felt the same wave of anger and displeasure come over him.
As his eyes adjusted and his sonar attempted to find what it was he was feeling, Max couldnât figure out where it was coming from.
âEverything okay?â Tanila asked as she saw his face.
Frowning Max slowly shook his head.
âItâs there⊠that same presence. Something is off.â
The others had moved away from the portal exit and Max continued to scan the area, sensing the eyes of something on him.
âLetâs worry about it later. For nowââ
A scream followed by the arrival of people spilling out behind him got his and everyone else's attention.
Two members he recognized from Dexicâs group came tumbling out of the portal, both of them bleeding and one he recognized as an archer missing his left arm from the elbow down. Two arrows were sticking out of what had to be their elf mageâs back.
âHEAL!â Max shouted, his weapon in hand as he raced toward the two, pulling a healing potion out as well.
The guards raced over and Max saw both of them coming with weapons in hand, one holding their finger with a communication ring to their face, calling for assistance.
âWeâre here!â Max exclaimed as he caught the stumbling archer, lifting the potion to his lips and giving it to the man. âWhat happened?!â
Fighting⊠inside⊠ambushed.â
His words stopped as he greedily drank the healing potion, the blood flow stopping immediately as the wound on his arm closed over.
âDexic?â
Wincing, the man motioned to the portal.
âShe stayed, fought against the group, buying us time.â
âWhat floor?â the male guard who arrived asked.
âForty second.â
His eyes saw Tanila and Cordellia and he winced.
âElves⊠they said the rare spawn was theirs, even though we were fighting it. They took it after killing our healer. Dexic saved us⊠took out one of theirs and brought us near the portal. They caught up, so she⊠she sent us here.â
Max felt his blood boiling and turned to the guard who was standing near him.
âCanât you go and help?!â
Sighing, the guard shook his head.
âTower business isnât our job. We keep people out who arenât strong enough. What goes inside isââ
âPeople are dying!â Max shouted, standing and getting into the guard's personal space. âSurely you can go in there andââ
âHe canât! His level wonât allow it!â
Max spun around, seeing the other guard and know it was her from the start.
âWe are specifically unable to go in. Even though weâre level fifty, we do not climb the tower.â
âThen what can we do?â
The guard winced as she saw Maxâs face and the pained expression he displayed.
âHope your friend makes it out.â
âAnd if the ones that come out are flagged?â Max asked, his nostrils flaring as he breathed heavily.
âYou would not be allowed to attack them. The guard has been summoned. They will defend the tower climbers. If you were to try and attackâŠâ her voice trailed off, seeing the malice intent in Maxâs eyes. âYou would have to fight the entire guard and I do not think that would go well for you.â
Laughter came from inside Maxâs head and he had to suppress the urge in this moment that was present.
Oh, but what a mistake they would make by angering you. Stay out of this for now. As much as I would desire to drink the blood of those foolish enough to stand in our way, we have agreed to help each other and you are not ready nor truly desire this path right now.
The truth of his skill saying those words made him wince and Max saw the guard nod.
She probably thinks I see the reason behind her statement.
No reply came and Max took a deep breath, letting it out as he felt Tanila put her hand on his shoulder.
âWhat do you want to do?â
Max frowned, still feeling the sensation of being watched and upset by it and what was before him.
âYou four take them to our Faction house. Iâll stay here just in case Dexic makes it.â
âIs that wise?â
Shaking his head, Max glanced at Fowl and snorted.
âYou and I both know if she makes it Iâm the only one who can stop her from getting in more trouble.â
Grunting, Fowl nodded and held a hand out to the human mage, leading her toward the carriages.
âIâll be waiting for you. Donât do anything stupid,â Tanila said as she kissed her fingers and then pressed the tips against his lips.
âOnly because you asked,â Max replied as he turned back toward the portal. âTell Everett Iâm here. Heâll know what to do.â
***
Two minutes later a group of guards and wagons came racing toward the tower and stopped as close as possible to the path that led to the tower.
Twenty plus guards moved quickly to where he was standing and an older man moved to where the two toward guards were waiting.
âWhat level?â
His tone reminded Max of a time he had gotten in trouble and his father had spoken like that. Nothing but a simple reply was desired, and that was exactly what the man got.
âForty two.â
Grunting, the older guard turned and gave Max an appraising look, his blue eyes taking in the man before him.
âParty member?â
âFaction member. Seth Pendal of the Golden Axe sir.â
âOgre nuts,â the man replied, snorting afterwards. âI wish I didnât know your name but I do. What is it with you and everyone seeming to hate you?â
Max shrugged and pointed toward the portal.
âI donât think or I sure hope this had nothing to do with my problems, sir. Should I ask how you know my name?â
âI have a captain, Vella, and our conversations have been very interesting over the last few months, to say the least. Iâm Major Greyson. Not much gets me out of my office except moments like these. Tell me, what do you know?â
The male tower guard started to open his mouth but the Major turned and gave the man a glare, cutting him off.
âMy Faction member said there was a dispute about a rare spawn. A group of elves ambushed them. I know the healer in their squad is dead and most likely the other warrior as well. Dexic stayed behind to help them escape. She also managed to kill one of their attackers.â
Spitting, Major Greyson nodded and frowned.
âAll we can do now is wait but Iâm assuming you know the rules.â
âAbout not attacking?â
Chuckling the man nodded, crossing his arms and moving to stand beside Max, towering over him by a whole foot.
âI have no doubt youâre strong but trust me, this isnât the way to handle this.â
?