No one said anything for a long moment. Wyn didn’t blame them. He was still processing what he experienced, too.

  “What does that mean?” John said.

  “Fucking hells,” Marcy said. “Or rather, that we’re fucked.”

  “Maybe not,” Tasha said. She had a frightened look on her face. “And you actually saw the tablet?”

  “Yea,” Wyn said, slumped in his chair. He was rubbing his eyes while still trying to fight off the feeling he had towards the end of the meeting with the Faceless Four. “It’s the same size, color, and general shape of the stone tablets we have.”

  “What’s the significance of these tablets?” Cal asked.

  “We don’t fully know just yet,” Cedric said. “We do know that enough of them together form a magical symbol similar to our classes. We have three, and were able to piece two of them together to form a portion of what looks to be a much larger image.”

  “Whatever it is, the result is going to be big,” Marcy said. “Probably life-changing big since the makeup is so complex and it’s so secretive.”

  “Big like their masks,” Cal said. “I remember them and hearing about how strong they were. It makes sense, now, with their mask’s effects. That’s just absurd.”

  Wyn shuttered again thinking of their masks. Why would they wear them if they were cursed like that? Were the curses not present before and then showed up after they all wore them? That made equipping any item a risk, especially ones that were so strong.

  But if they knew about them before, then why in the hells did they decide to use them? Were they truly that obsessed with power?

  “What was the other name, again?” Cedric asked.

  Wyn took a steadying breath. “Karvian.” He thought back to the phoenix mask that Jane wore that bore the name Karvian. He wasn’t able to see the mask’s official item name, but in clear runic letters at the forehead was that name.

  That in itself wasn’t what frightened him. It was just a name that didn’t mean anything. But when he read Landon’s mask first, the jackal, the runes on the forehead stated a name in his mind that he had heard multiple times before.

  Aliyar.

  Multiple questions overwhelmed him when he saw it, but the vast magical makeup with the name of the tower’s creator scared him. Was it a personal mask of the god, not meant for mortals but somehow revealed itself? Perhaps it was supposed to consume the user to become the puppet of the god?

  Wyn had no idea. But the idea that those four Climbers used items that were possibly meant for gods, or possibly provided magical strength as strong as gods, was enough to terrify him.

  Cedric slowly nodded. “I’ll remember that and go to the library tomorrow to see if there’s any text about that.”

  “I’ll go with you to help look,” Tasha said. “We can get it done faster with two of us.”

  “What about us?” John said.

  “Let’s go get Cal some new equipment,” Marcy said. “No offense, Cal, but you’re pretty behind us, now.”

  Cal laughed. “I know. Sorry about that. After my brother died, I foolishly got rid of some of my equipment, and the few I kept I sold to help fund the restaurant.”

  “That’s okay,” Wyn said, pulling himself back to the conversation with the group. “But you’re sure you’re fine leaving the restaurant?”

  “I am. I’m still a primary investor, but I want to come back and help. I’m ready to return and want to rejoin all of you.”

  Wyn felt touched at Cal’s statement. It was nice that he was back, and felt comfortable enough to return without needing to be coaxed or convinced. He was the perfect fit for the group, too, rounding out their abilities well while still having a class in the third tier.

  “What items do you still have?” Marcy asked.

  Cal’s cheeks reddened and he awkwardly smiled. “I only have my blue rarity hammer with the knockback effect and blue rarity chain mail that’s pretty pitiful.”

  “We have some items you can use for now, and we can find a set or two you can use at the trading hall,” Marcy said.

  “For the remainder of the season, we’ll focus on two things,” Wyn said. “First is obtaining a full equipment set for you. It shouldn’t take but a week or two to get the items needed to trade for at least one full set of items and a weapon and shield if needed. We already have some items we can put towards a trade. The second goal will be to push into the third tier.”

  The others agreed, nodding their heads or smiling at finally pushing themselves. They only pushed into the third tier once since obtaining their upgraded classes, which was during a month where the environment and monsters were a favorable match up for their abilities. They made it to the twelfth floor before using a key to leave, surprised at the increased difficulty the layout presented.

  Since then, despite having information collected from other guilds, they kept only to the second tier. Only having five of them was a huge disadvantage. Now they had a full team, and a strong sixth member with Cal, but their lack of information they would receive by no longer being in a guild would hurt.

  At least they could purchase the information, but it would take another week before it was public to Climbers who weren’t in a guild. That was just what they would have to do until their guild was approved by the Tower Master.

  They finalized their plan of taking the next day to obtain gear for Cal while Cedric and Tasha went to the library. Wyn thought about bringing Arabelle to the trading district if she wasn’t climbing with her group, both to see Cal again and to talk about the Faceless Four.

  Their meeting left a sour feeling with Wyn, and he was afraid for what was to come. The one positive he knew was that at least he wasn’t facing it alone. He had plenty of friends and allies who would face their coming challenges at his side.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  *****

  Floor Eight

  Group: 6/6

  Quest: Chasing the mastermind behind the hag coven’s arrival is no easy feat, but you’ve found a trail within the nearby Krag Mountains. Tunnels and caverns show a maze-like hidden world, and something – or someone – appears to potentially lurk within.

  “Gods, Cal, it’s great having you back,” John said, licking his fingers clean. “I don’t know what I’ll do if you decide to leave again.”

  Cal smiled as he folded up his cutlery and napkins. “You just miss the food I make.”

  “The meat pockets have gotten even better!” John said. “How is that possible?”

  “I think that’s the secret to your heart,” Marcy said. “Just give you food and magic items and you’re smitten.”

  “You’re not completely wrong,” Tasha said, smirking.

  Wyn did some light stretches while the others readied themselves to continue through the floor. John wasn’t wrong – it really was great to have Cal back, though not just for the food. While the breaks were far nicer to have delicious food rather than rations or meager snacks, his climbing ability seemed to have picked up exactly where he left off.

  It only took them a few days to make it up to the eighth floor, and every climb Cal seemed more and more comfortable in his role. The last time they climbed together, he took a defensive role along with John, though now he was their primary defender. Since John’s class upgrade moved him to be more offensive when he fought - along with some supportive abilities - Cal was still happy being a defense-focused fighter.

  His own Paladin abilities to buff the group added another layer on their already stacked potential, especially his Auras. Wyn almost forgot how potent they were when he fought with them, and when John stacked his Saint Aura on top of it, well… Wyn felt nearly invincible.

  He knew it would be a relatively easy task to make it up to the third tier. They just needed to secure the proper equipment for Cal so he’d be ready.

  So far in the second tier the Paladin had been fine with the cobbled together blue-rarity items the group had for him. After they went to the trading hall, he found two different sets he was between, and wanted to take some time climbing to see which one would work best to wear alongside the team. For now, he was wearing a collection that was serviceable but wouldn’t last too far into the higher floors.

  For their current climb, they had progressed for nearly two hours before taking a break. The winding caverns and frequent monster waves were exhausting. Despite only a few traps being found in that time, the monsters were numerous, which made sense considering they were large ants the size of wild animals and seemed to number in the hundreds, possibly more.

  “Are we ready?” Wyn asked.

  “Ready to squash some more bugs!” John called. He stood and mimicked Wyn, doing his own stretches.

  “Where has this excitement been?” Cedric asked.

  John stopped mid-stretch and looked over at Cedric as though he just struck him. “Do you even have to ask? We had meat pockets. Meat pockets! My stomach’s never been happier!”

  “He’s going to be like this the whole time, isn’t he?” Cal asked.

  Marcy sighed. “It’s your own fault.”

  The group quickly found their own rhythm again, forging ahead in the narrow stone tunnels. There were small pockets all throughout the walls and ceiling that were too small to search but were known to house ants that could spring out at any time to attack. Wyn also kept his lantern activated in case they found more secret rooms, a practice he’d been doing constantly since seeing the Faceless Four. So far there had been nothing, but he was hopeful of eventually finding something.

  The tunnels themselves were just big enough for two of them to walk side by side comfortably, though Cal and John had to split up because they couldn’t fight with enough room to be safe. Cal led the way along with Marcy, while Tasha and Wyn walked in the middle, and Cedric and John covered the back. The six of them easily settled back into a good cadence together, with Marcy spotting approaching ants in the front and both John and Cedric more than capable of dealing with monsters that tried to ambush them from behind.

  After another half hour of wandering and fighting, Marcy stopped and told everyone to be ready. She felt a strong group ahead. Cal and John both activated their own Auras, which was enough to coat the entire team in multiple layers of magical boosts. Loud chittering echoed off the stone from around a bend in their path, signaling a serious coming fight.

  Wyn felt a mixture of surprise and eagerness as a large group of white ants turned the corner, all of them glowing in a white and blue aura. The few times he had seen that effect was from his lantern revealing their magical essence, and the color of ants was new. Normally they were an unmagical brown or a magical dark green when possessing the earth element. He knew what these new monsters were.

  “Champions!” Wyn called, summoning his weapon in the form of a short-handled hammer with a large, blocky head. He found the blunt head to be more effective against the dense chitinous bodies of the ants than blades, and the shorter weapon was easier to maneuver in the tunnels.

  Marcy immediately began firing arrows into the coming horde, starting with two coated in area of effect spells that created a swarm of visible slices of air. They were incredibly effective against the earth elemental ants but seemed to lack the same impact on the champions. They were still effective, slowing down some and outright chopping up several at a time, but the wave of monsters kept coming as more replaced the ones that had fallen.

  “Shift!” Wyn called. “Trapped funnel!”

  Cal stepped back while Marcy stepped forward and placed one of her chain traps on the ground. Their trapped funnel formation was one where they would slow down or restrain enemies while Cedric and Tasha pounded them with strong magical attacks. Wyn quickly replaced Cal and placed a Web charge on the ground overlapping Marcy’s chain trap. Both of them covered the entirety of the tunnel. As Wyn was backing up to swap positions, he placed a Siphon in the middle of the path overlapping both traps. Thanks to its size it was wide enough to span the entire width of the tunnel, though he set it just after the two traps to provide a third and final obstacle for the monsters.

  Cedric then moved into Wyn’s spot as Tasha replaced Marcy. Marcy stepped back and to the middle where she continued to fire arrows as Cedric and Tasha hugged the walls, giving Marcy room for clear shots.

  As the ants crossed the traps, both of the mages fired their spells. Cedric cast Lightning Bolt but changed its element to wind, creating a strange but powerful line of light green magic that sliced a long line of ants continuously, as well as those caught at the edges. Beside him, Tasha fired a wide beam of white and red light that singed ants in moments.

  Both of them swept their continuous spells over the swarm of monsters, cutting and scorching them over and over. It was a frighteningly powerful combination, and Wyn couldn't help but be in awe of the sheer power both Climbers showed with their spells.

  After ten seconds and dozens of ants killed, the monster wave continued but slowed. They still came in droves, though, and Wyn wanted Cedric and Tasha to save as much mana as possible.

  “Switch!” Wyn yelled over the carnage around them. “John, take over!”

  Wyn stepped forward and tapped Tasha’s shoulder. She ended her beam spell and stepped backward while Cedric continued his Lightning Bolt. Marcy fired several area of effect arrows, helping to mitigate the ants. Tasha immediately cast Arcane Aura on John while he cast his own skills that coated his body. Cal joined them with his Paladin aura, further making John look angelic with the dense magical energies surrounding his body.

  Utilizing his Wandering Magi ability Overcharge along with his Ability Link, he empowered Drain while duplicating it onto John after spending a quick Regen to further heighten the Sword Saint. The spell, along with the other boosts, made John a walking one-man army. He had so many layers of magical auras that his actual body was difficult to make out, as the glowing effects were nearly blinding in a rainbow of magical energy.

  Wyn tapped Cedric’s shoulder to signal him to stop, then John took his place. He summoned his greatsword and stepped forward, sweeping the great weapon across the hall, slicing ants easily like they were stalks of wheat. Each strike took out several of the monsters, and while some ants climbed on the walls and tried to attack him, he simply punched or kicked at them, splattering them as easily as crushing fruit. While the wave of monsters seemed overwhelming, John was so heavily protected any attack would be stopped by one of his protective abilities, and if any attack was strong enough to bypass them, he was still under Wyn's healing effect.

  It took him less than a minute to completely eradicate the rest of the champion ants, never slowing down in his advance as he tore them.

  “Gods,” Cal said, his eyes wide while watching John walk back through the slowly disappearing ants. “I’m not sure if I’ve seen anyone with that many effects before.”

  “He’s been our primary combatant for months,” Wyn said. “We’ve developed some formations that have worked for us.”

  “And damn does it work,” John said, smirking.

  The rest of the team groaned while ignoring him and moved to pick up the dropped loot. Champions often dropped as high-quality items as bosses, and this monster wave was no different. They found several mounds of crowns and cloaks, multiple potions, gems, monster drops from the ants that were blue rarity, and two blue rarity items, one a pair of gauntlets and one a belt. They took their time gathering and sharing the loot amongst each other.

  Encouraged by their haul, they continued at a higher pace. It took only a few more turns in the caverns before Wyn’s lantern caught a glowing set of runes carved into a wall in a circular pattern.

  “Holy shit,” Marcy said. “A secret room?”

  Wyn stepped forward and read the runes. Looking over them, it was clear what they were saying. “I think it is!”

  “We haven’t found one this high before,” Cedric said.

  “I hope it’s another tablet,” Tasha added.

  “Only one way to find out,” Wyn said, stepping to the wall. “Everyone ready?”

  The team had crowded around and readied their weapons. Once Wyn touched the runes and willed it to open, he felt the stone shift and move as the entrance slowly revealed itself.

  His glowing light continued to shine inside, and the room inside was fairly small. It was still easily comfortable enough for all of them to enter and walk around, but not nearly as big as the rooms that held the tablets.

  The room was completely empty, too, except for a single, large chest resting on the far wall and a floating crystal above it. The wooden chest was large, easily the size of a table, and was glowing purple just like the crystal.

  John gasped. “A purple chest! Gods! This is better than the tablet!” He scrambled over to the chest and put his hand on it.

  The chest rumbled, then opened on its own and clamped down on John’s body in a furious move that seemed impossibly fast and strong. He screamed in surprise and tried to get away, but the chest caught his arm and upper torso as though grappling him in a set of jaws.

  It then grew long, gangly legs and arms and easily lifted John off the ground while he continued to flail and scream in a pained shock.

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