Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Salty air blew in through the open door as we stood just inside the landing room of the stairs. Over the last several days, the three of us had been grinding nonstop. We cleared another six floors of the ziggurat, all of us rapidly growing in strength. Since passing through the miciliums floor, the monsters had become stronger, rewarding us with much more experience.

With Vito securing my phylactery, I had an assurance that even if I died, I would be brought back. He would do whatever it took. Maxwell had the Altar of Creation, though we could not get to it on our own at the moment. Vtio could always retrieve Maxwell if it came to it. The only one who had any real worry about death was Raven, but she was as fearless as ever.

My growth in power was also shown by how much my body was now covered by thin, black muscles. The fibers and threads had woven themselves together into solid mats. Even though I was still horrific to look at, that thought was long from my mind as I stood in that room, finding the wind blowing through the tunnel refreshing. I truly knew it was, and not because Maxwell or Raven told me. On some level, I could sense it with my own body. This was new evidence of my progression.

I couldnt smell or taste yet, but it was the first indication Id had without needing to use magic. As I had grown a level, I poured the majority of my stat points into my intelligence and spirit scores. Though I did add a few to agility and dexterity, since agility was useful in combat, and dexterity made intricate magic easier to cast and build.

Instead of raising a mass horde of the undead, I focused on keeping our group small with more powerful individual monsters and constructs. The volanswhich Raven named Vlad, having decided it was going to be one of her petshad been sent back up above a few floors ago due to its lack of growth in power.

The mobile cannon had not grown in power, though I found a blood crystal I adapted and install inside of the construct in one of the cavities left open. It wouldnt directly increase the power of the construct but allowed it to fire more rounds. It still hit like a truck, and most creatures could not withstand a critical shot.

The flesh horror on the other hand had grown so far, I was pretty certain it was no longer a mindless creature or construct, but that was just a suspicion. It kept pace with the three of us as wed grown in level. My control over it was still strong, but its growth was alarming for many reasons.

It had a ravenous appetite and physically looked different than it had before. In fact, it was no longer even labeled as flesh horror. It was twice as big as it had been at when it started, which judging by the number of things it consumed, I thought it should be even bigger. The mouth was now full of pitch-black teeth and used a highly caustic necrotic poison

Its bulk blocked a large section of the door we need to pass through to move on. Normally a creature its size wouldve had difficulty navigating some of the narrow floors we had been on. But it was able to move its body almost like it were liquid. Rippling muscles twisting and turning as easily as a ribbon caught in the wind. I pulled up its description.

Hungry Horror

Undead Abomination

Level: 76

Originally Created by: Ezekiel Vernizac

This was once a flesh golem but was given a stomach and the ability to grow by its foolish creator. Imbued by some of the nature of its original creator, a Lich, its victims will sometimes generate death cores. Though as it has grown further away from its original creation, this ability has faded. However, the time in which it has had this ability, it has killed a large number of creatures and consumed most, resulting in a constant supply of death energy. This has allowed its own core to grow in power.

Its all but immune to bludgeoning damage, and highly resistant to most forms of physical harm, it has used the best qualities of many of its victims to strengthen its weaknesses. It is also immune to death magic and all related magics, along with being highly resistant to blood magic and all related magics due to a steady diet of blood magic infused creatures.

It has a ravenous hunger that drives it to consume all it can. The poison left behind by its claws and bite will also turn those infected into the undead when they die either by disease or other means.

Did that once, I chuckled darkly. Not a bad way to power a ritual. If he was right, people were greatly underestimating what a bard could do. They might not be your standard adventuring type, but set up in the way Maxwell was progressing, they could be WMDsweapons of mass destruction.

Raven was scouting ahead, her abilities with dark magic had excelled rapidly under Vitos tutelage. She was now nearly undetectable whenever she wanted to be. I had expected this floor to contain monsters in the interior, which was full of what appeared to be old, abandoned workshops, warehouses, and other such buildings. But wed discovered nothing.

That changed when we stepped through an archway out onto the docks. It had not even been clear when I had first seen the harbor, but it was as if a wedge had been carved out of the ziggurat and the harbor was placed in it. Part of the harbor was covered by an overhang from the top floor supported by a massive sweeping arch, after the top floors disappeared, the harbor opened up to the outside world looking out onto the ocean. It was a dark cloudy night, but even still I could see countless shapes moving along in the darkness, climbing and jumping into the water with periodic splashes.

Theres a lot of them, Raven whispered from above us, crouched on a ledge above the door. Ive been watching for a while, whatever they are, most reside in the water. I have a feeling once the fighting starts, they will come rushing out of the water towards us. We best make sure were set up and ready, else we get overwhelmed.

What are they? Maxwell asked.

Some kind of humanoid, Raven said. Theyre built like humans, but their skin is bluish, and they have fins and what appears to be gills along the neck.

Merfolk, I said. But I thought they were normally sentient and not just creatures.

I wouldnt know, Raven said. From the way they interact and move around, theyre definitely not a civilized race at least. If anything, they must be some kind of savage tribe.

You think you can retrieve one for me so we can get a better look? I asked.

Of course. Raven jumped off the ledge and stealthily raced out along the dock.

True to her word, it did not take long for her to come back dragging an unconscious merman. I studied it for a long moment before I got a read on the creature.

Blood Swimmer Merman

Level: 72

These merfolk have taken up residence in what they thought was a sheltered safe harbor. Unfortunately for them, the water was tainted with blood magic, though it was subtle enough that they did not realize it until it was too late. Their society devolved into a brutal animalistic society as their bodies and minds were corrupted by blood magic. Barely more than animals now, these merfolk are highly territorial and often raid hunting down both other local merfolk and unsuspecting fishermen.

Well, Maxwell shrugged after I relayed the description. It sounds like exterminating them will be a public service.

I smiled. I cant help but agree.

I know a place we can set up, Raven said. We should avoid going out on the piers, that would be a death trap as they could surround is easily.