16 Torix Worm, of Darkhill

I cut off oppression while trying to lift my hands. I couldn't speak in his mana. Once my aura ended, the lich squinted his glowing eyes. He held me there, struggling for breath until I turned blue in the face. All at once, his aura returned to him.

I crumbled onto the ground, my hp falling fast. His aura nearly killed me before he cut it off. He pulled an ancient tome from his robes, and opened it as he cast a spell. I couldn't even begin to comprehend what he said.

Two shadows pulled at my arms, holding me up. He lowered his aura before saying, "Your life and your corpse are mine." He roared, "Where is Alfred. Pray to your god that he is not dead."

Still reeling from the sheer power of his mana and aura, my head rolled before my armor spit out Alfred's diary.

Another shadow spawned and picked up the book. It leaned onto one knee and held it out for its master. The lich put his glowing tome in his robe before picking up the ragged journal. Within seconds of opening the book, he let out a heartbroken howl.

He fell to his knees, heaving even though he didn't need to breath. He kept reading, and his eyes turned from blue to purple to red. A few minutes passed before he finished reading. He hugged the book close and said, "My only son...My only son..."

Seeing his sorrow was painfully awkward for me. I didn't really know what to say to an undead lich, so I replied with a saying that couldn't go wrong,

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Tenderly, he moved the journal into his robes before standing. The shadows disappeared as he said, "Are you the one that killed him?"

I grit my teeth before saying, "Yes."

The lich nodded before saying, "Did you stop this hivemind he called Baldag-Ruhl, of Many?'"

I nodded before he continued, "Tell me everything you know." There was not even an ounce of compromise in his voice. This was not a request. It was a command. Needless to say, I complied.

It took a while, but I told him the story of how Baldag-Ruhl tried turning me into his armor. He ended up giving me my current armor. As I told the story, the lich only nodded a few times while saying, "Hmmm. Of course..."

As I finished. He said, "Then you've killed my son and his killer. I can't tell if I should kill you or thank you for it."

I shrugged as I said, "Eh...It's hard to say. If it were me, I'd be at a loss too."

The lich stared with unchanging eyes before bursting into laughter. He replied, "You've grown rather accustomed to death then. To be so casual in the face of it...Even as a lich, I'm impressed. Who are you really?"

I said, "I'm Daniel Hillside."

He shook his head and said, "No, I mean who are you really. You can't have already reached level 88 in a month after the Schema came into play. Not for a new species."

I shrugged and said, "I can show you, if you'd like." I opened my menu screen and let him see it.

He nodded before saying, "I thought you were lying about how you spawned there...A human killing an ancient level 152 rift holder...and doing so with this abomination of stats and abilities. Impressive. It is nothing compared with this armor though. The Harbinger of Cataclysm. It's a part of your soul. You sustain it. A marvelous set of armor."

I nodded as I said, "In a way, this armor is your son's legacy. Killing me is like killing the last piece that remains of him. Wouldn't it be more fitting for Alfred Worm to be remembered for this feat? To be remembered for his sacrifice?"

The lich shook his head and said, "My son was a prodigy. A well of limitless talent for necromancy and the arcane. He would have been an even greater sorcerer than I. Dying like this cannot be redeemed. I would rather no one hear of this."

His tone grew wistful as he continued, "I'd searched for him for so long. I finally found traces of his mana signature on some strange world, off in some technologically decrepit world."

He raised his hands and said, "And lo and behold, as I near the dungeon, it disappears. Centuries pass of my searching. I couldn't find a trace of him, not until something strange happened here. A surge of the eldritch, unlike any I've ever heard of, explodes on this backwater planet. I would have thought nothing of it, just assuming it had been taken over by the eldritch. But, you see, at it's very center was the slightest familiar trace of mana. My son's mana."

He glances off at the vast cavern as he says, "Once I reach it, I find two humans walking from the dungeon. I interrogated them. It wasn't difficult learning what I needed to know. Then there was a very peculiar ability used within the forest. I followed it, finding a circle of dead fauna and a pair of tracks."

He met my eyes as he said, "Here I thought a Skeptilian mercenary had cleared the dungeon and killed my son. I come down, hunting for the user of the ability. I find Skeptilian bodies, then you. I watched you kill these monsters effortlessly. An unknown presence of such low level. I'd never seen it. I tested you by possessing the ogre. You killed it with ease. Then you cleared the insects below."

His eyes squinted, "You are interesting, but it does not change what you've done. You killed my son, even his fragmented remains. I cannot forgive you so easily. You will pay for what you've done."

Sweat crawled down my back as he continued, "You're one of two others I've found with arcane blood. I could hold you down and take pounds of your flesh, using it for mana. Arcane blood tastes so sweet to a lich."

Even more cold sweat fell from me as he continued, "And that armor of yours...I've never seen anything like it. Oh what experiments I could have with it, playing with your soul like a child playing in mud."

Oh god, he's starting to sound a lot like Baldag-Ruhl. The lich said, "Or I could have you become my apostle, and have you serve me in place of my son."

Without even a second of hesitation, I said, "You know, it's a tough decision between those three options, but I'd really recommend the third one."

The lich said, "Wise suggestion. I believe I will. Now, explain how your armor works, and all you know of it."

I explained how Baldag-Ruhl's spell worked to the best of my knowledge. I described the walls of runes, miles long and utterly intricate. I described how I could show him the tunnels, and how it would make an excellent evil lair for him. He even chuckled a few times. Thank jesus he has a sense of humor, otherwise I'd be nearly dying from the tension.

When I finished, he said, "Bring up your minimap."

I brought it up as he said, "Let me use it. I will download it then go towards this dungeon with the dungeon core you retrieved. These runes sound interesting."

I nodded as my armor spit out Baldag-Ruhl's dungeon core. The necromancer said, "The core is used. You will not lose your perk for it. Come to me after clearing these sets of dungeons. We have much to discuss."

A request appeared,

Torix Worm, of Darkhill(lvl 1236) has offered you an apprenticeship. Do you accept? Y/N?

I gave out another instantaneous yes. Torix replied, "You are not weak for your level, but realize that their are beings of immeasurable power spread throughout the Schema. Many are even more powerful than I. You are a desirable treat for them. If they find you, they will violate your soul in ways you cannot even imagine."

I shivered before saying, "Then I suppose I should thank you for taking me under your wing. I appreciate it."

Torix nodded before opening a black portal with a purple border on it. He said, "Don't disappoint me. You should avoid using that power of yours as well. It leaves a very...noticeable trace behind. Anyone skilled at reading mana will sense the offness of it. That is the way I found you in this dungeon."

He walked through the portal, leaving me entirely alone. I let out a breath of air, falling onto my knees. Jesus fucking christ that was terrifying. I collect my thoughts over the next few minutes, just laying there.

A level over 1200...Goddamn. He could kill me with just a thought. The sheer overwhelming power he had was more than just a little humbling. Oppression would not be used until I could mask it. Period.

Well, unless death was the only other option. Even then though, dying sounds better than being a carapace for someone else. I shrugged the paranoia from me. No point in dwelling on what I couldn't have known.

With that handled, I finally looked past the doorway. Past the doorway, the entire area changed. Giant pistons pumped scalding steam, with a bronze metal plated over every surface. Like walking into an industrial factory's hallway, I paced onto a catwalk. My steps thumped on the grating that held me up.

Giant vat's of molten metal poured out into molds, making parts for machines. When I reached a hundred feet into the labyrinth of bronze, a machine with two sword arms appeared. It had three wheels for legs, and no face. A few carvings on it made it look like a greek mural almost.

It rolled towards me as Schema's message said,

Trolm Guard Bot(lvl 31) - A guard bot made for defending Trolm factories. Basic, dumb, and easily dispatched, this should be no trouble for your average adventurer.

More interestingly, is the Trolm themselves. A race of evolved trolls, they are a hardy, powerful race with intricate technical knowledge. For beings of a rift, at least. With powerful regeneration, tremendous physical stature, and mastery of basic machinery, they are to be feared.

Man, the sheer depth of these enemies always amazed me. I expected just generic fodder in most dungeons, but no. Every species and aspect of the dungeons had some history for it. It made this whole experience feel far more real.

I couldn't help but smile. This was fun, even with all the danger and fear. Besides, any good adventure is dangerous.

So I charged towards the bot, meeting it head on. It's swords bent then broke against my arms before I smashed the bot with my helm. I turned my torso sideways then kicked the robot with my momentum.

The robot crushed against the metal wall like a tin can. I dislodged my leg before sprinting forward. This was fun. All of this was so much fun.

I crushed guard after guard for over an hour. Less like a dungeon and more like a playground, I relished in my improved strength, drunk off it. The possibilities I'd gain with time, they made me excited for the future.

I ran into the boss of this factory within three hours of hunting. Standing at the center of a circular platform, a spider robot waited for me. It had weapons on each limb, and a giant eyeball for a back.

I stampeded towards it like an angry elephant. I dodged one of its sword limbs before grabbing the leg. I pulled, straining till viens sprung up from under my skin. The leg tore off, and I used it to block another of it's attacks.

I pulled the sword leg sideways, chopping two limbs off. With the opening, I dashed forwards before smashing my hand held sword leg into it's chest. It tried stabbing me, but I ran towards its impaled torso.

I gripped my hands against it's bronze body and pulled apart. The metal screamed as it crumpled. I ran into it's body, tearing wires apart. Oil splurted everywhere as I gouged out its insides. When I forced myself out of the robot's eye, it died.

In a less disturbing manner than eating flesh, my armor gobbled up the robot. I just waited until it was torn apart before checking out my status screen. Hell yeah, another free perk.

[Smart(Intelligence of 10 or more) - Your intelligence is good. Doubles effective memory.]

[Flexible(Dexterity of 10 or more) - Your dexterity is good. Doubles flexibility bonus.]

[Perceptive(Perception of 10 or more) - Your perception is good. Doubles sensory bonuses.]

I was almost out of perks at this point. I figured I'd be listening to quite a few lessons from Torix, so I selected smart. It seemed like the...smart decision.

Terrible jokes aside, I reached another doorway with another slot for a core. I couldn't read the glyphs above, but it didn't matter. I already knew the gist of what it was saying. With that in mind, I put another core into the doorway.

When it opened, it was a doorway much like the sentinel's gate. It warped reality, showing the outside of the manhole I entered. As I walked into the doorway, gravity shifted. I used the ladderbefore crawling out of the dungeon I never knew I entered.

With that handled, I sprinted back towards BloodHollow Caves. My minimap had a direct route towards it. I doubt Torix was a very patient man.

So I sprinted like a man running from a tsunami, half for fun and the other half out of a slight fear. An hour later, I reached the caves that trapped me for over a month. I walked into the doorway.

The sentinel was waiting by the door, as usual. He turned towards me and said, "Back so soon? I was hoping I would never see you again."

"Same here, but hey, life isn't perfect."

He glanced again, silent and still. I passed by him towards the marker on my map. Torix had a little icon for his name and everything now. When I reached him, he was running his hands against the walls, looking for the runes I mentioned.

Once I neared him, he turned and said, "Good. You came back quickly. Show me where these runes are."

I nodded and ran towards an entrance. He followed behind me, riding on a ball of black he summoned in a second. When we reached an entrance, he said,

"So this is how that rift holder lived for so long. To have hidden himself so thoroughly just through design...Impressive."

I said, "You haven't seen anything yet."

We entered the tunnel and Torix's jaw literally dropped. He said, "These runes...They use eldritch language. My son was able to read this?"

I said, "It's pretty damn likely. You should see some of these. They'll blow you away if you find this impressive."

We passed by several miles of the tunnel, Torix amazed at the sheer volume of inscriptions. We eventually reached into the colosseum's center. The bat's already cleared out the bugs, revealing the majesty of the spell Baldag-Ruhl cast. I said,

"This is the culmination of your son's work. He and Baldag-Ruhl created this...thing."

Torix rubbed his hand against the wall, in awe at the complexity. He said, "To think my son had such an understanding...I can be proud of him."

I sat there waiting for him to finish his mourning. Torix mouthed a few phrases as he passed certain walls, like,

"This is my son's handwriting. You can tell by the way he dot's his i's."

"Ingenious, bypassing the limitation of internal mana by drawing from the eldritch dimension."

"Of course, using a blueprint of another's soul for grounding the innate chaos of eldritch mana."

"Bah, I can't believe he used a weighting algorithm for displacing the interdimensional pressure, then correlated the flux in time with a quantum stabilizing function."

When he finished studying the runes, he said, "This would take a thousand years to carve if you had a thousand people doing it, without a moment's rest. The hivemind helped, I'm assuming."

I nodded as he said, "This hivemind was prodigy all his own." Torix turned towards me and said, "And your armor is the product of all this. A rather paltry reward."

I shrugged as I said, "My armor raised my resistance cap already so-"

The lich said, "Wait, it raised your resistance cap?"

I nodded as he continued, "So it's broken one of Schema's fundamental tenants already. Interesting. Very interesting. How much mana has it absorbed?"

I checked, finding 30,000 from all the rats, bats, and machines I've killed. I'm guessing most of it came from the purple insect swarm. Torix continued,

"Then your first objective is raising the level of this armor and getting over level 100. Schema will allow you to travel between worlds then. We will return towards my domain, where you'll learn much of what you need to know about the Schema. You are wise to gain the per level bonuses from each attribute. Veterans recommend this course of action. The sacrifice is worth the benefits later down the line."

I said, "Any Ideas on how to gain those levels? Because finding a hard dungeon here is actually harder than the dungeons themselves."

Torix said, "Not a usual problem. Caves on my home planet hold monsters well above 3000. Even I cannot hope to fight them."

I raised an eyebrow as I said, "What planet are you from?"

"Aren't you a curious one. I will tell you in time. For now, you must prove yourself."

He pulled out his tome and used a magical scripture. The lines glowed a shining red then purple then black. After a few minutes of channeling, a portal appeared, wide and black and null. More like a void than opening, Torix said,

"From this portal, my personal monsters will come. You can gain experience from killing them. You will either rise, or I will break you. Are you ready?"

I clasped my fists as I said, "Only if it's a good fight."

From the portal, a howl like screaming children and the sloshing of torn organs echoed. A set of claws grasped at the portal as Torix said,

"There are no good fights, only slaughter. You can choose to slaughter, or become the slaughtered. Embrace brutality. Become a monster."

An eye the size of dish plate opened inside the void. Streams of red came together into a splot of blood at its center. An amber yellow pulsed in between the red. At that moment, the feral eyes locked with mine. I banged my fists together like blocks of iron as I said,

"I will be no monster, for I feast on them."