Chapter 177: Level Sixteen

Chapter 177: Level Sixteen

Level sixteen. Mason had sure as hell come a long ways from a panicked level one in the tutorial, barely able to kill a goblin.

On the other hand, back then at least he’d had a bow. But moaning didn't help anything. He pulled up his profile.

Mason Nimitz

Level: 16

Primary Class: Ranger (tier 2)

Secondary Class: Druid

Prestige Class: Avatar of Cerebus

Strength: 19

Dexterity: 24

Vitality: 23

Intellect: 12

Will: 16

Presence: 10

Luck: 9

Essences: Essence of the Wolf.

Titles: Killer, Early Lead, Soloist, Crazy like a Fox, Burnt the Boats, Patron, Progenitor, Hit the Ground Running, First Blood, Defender, The Prestige, Tiering it up, Phase Jumper, Front Runner, What Is Dead May Never Die, Poison Shmoison

Powers: Power Shot, Crippling Strike+, Transformation, Predator’s Strike, *Nature Affinity, Ranger’s Claws (T2), Endless Quiver+, Trapmaking, Aspect of the Cheetah, Blessing of Gaia, Ranger’s Mark, Duality of Strength

Another power enhance. Extra time was pleasant, and God knew he couldn't get enough of those. Now the question was what.

He looked at what he'd enhanced and what he hadn't, and it occurred to him he wasn't sure how the 'synergy upgraded' powers worked with enhancement. It hadn't come up before, but he'd enhanced regeneration before it turned into 'Transformation'. Was that just...wiped out? Or was the enhancement part of the upgrade?

The old face smiled, then its eyes turned and Mason heard women laughing in the valley. What looked like nymphs ran through the woods and waved, green magic surrounding them as they leapt into the great tree and disappeared.

"I think I understand," Mason said. "The nymphs will keep it alive."

Tree-face smiled.

"One more question," Mason said. "I'm looking for a druid, taken prisoner by a giant. I need to find him to free him. Can you help me?"

The ancient tree stopped smiling, shifting its face and back and forth as if to shake its head. The expression was hard to read, but Mason thought it looked less empathetic than he might have expected. But whatever the issue, he decided to drop it.

"Then we'll leave now. I'm glad we could help you. I'll cleanse the other tree, if I can. I promise you."

The old face smiled again, a little moisture building in its 'eyes'. Then the vision faded and Mason was back with the heart, blinking as his eyes adjusted. As before with the heart's defender, the walls shook and cracked and groaned, and three much smaller tree-men emerged carrying bundles of leaves.

"Patron?" Phuong summoned his sword and stepped into a fighting stance, Alex moving behind him.

"It's alright," Mason said, feeling no threat from the creatures. They came forward and placed their bundles rather purposefully at each player’s feet, then stepped back until they vanished again into the walls. "Gifts," Mason said. "They're thanking us."

He lifted his own, unraveling the leaves until he found a single...acorn? And a small pouch full of the green crystals he'd seen the goblins take. The acorn felt warm to the touch, and he had no doubt it held some magic power, as did the crystals. But he had no idea what.

Phuong lifted his, which was considerably larger, and practically gasped when he found a thin 'vest' that looked like bark, with vines and leaves engraved in some kind of cross between art and forest camouflage. "It's so beautiful," he said, then frowned. "It can't be to wear? It looks so...brittle."

Mason very much doubted that. He helped the man put it on, being as careful as possible but it soon became clear it was the perfect fit. "Well," he said with a grin. "You look a hell of a lot fancier. Even if it doesn't do anything."

Phuong grinned, inspecting himself and seeming rather pleased.

Alex picked out a necklace that looked like flower petals. The stoic Belarussian put it around his neck and looked at the others, his heavy face turned down in his resting scowl. Mason and Phuong burst out laughing.

"What?" Alex glanced at himself. "Does it break already?"

"No." Mason wiped his eyes. "It's perfect. Whatever the hell it does."

"Feels nice." Alex poked at it but seemed to like it around his neck. "Like warm towel."

Mason couldn't help but notice the trees hadn't left a gift for Seamus, but he wasn't particularly surprised. He lifted the still half-unconscious, slightly mumbling Irishman up to his shoulder and somehow knew the exit to the tree was a touch away.

"Time to go," he said, closing his eyes and touching the far end of the room, a final glance at the heart. He thought of Blake and his girls and the druid dreams and the other trees and the giant he didn't know how to find, ending the thought with a sigh. "We've got a lot to do. And probably not much time to do it."

Then he accepted the prompt to exit the dungeon, and vanished with a blink.