Ultimate Level 1

Everyone had their fingers in their ears, even after Batrire had healed them.

The eardrums had ruptured as the sound amplified in the tube they had slid down in, but no one had suffered any major injuries.

As they prepared to move the metal pieces that had been wedged against the opening, in about fifteen seconds, most of it faded, having vanished with any remains of the boss.

“What in a gods arse is that ogre shite?” Fowl muttered. “Who allows a tower to come up with a boss that kills you after you kill it?”

No one replied as they moved from the safety of their tunnel, surveying the carnage before them.

Everywhere were large gouges in the metal wall. A section of the metal covering had been knocked free, leaning partially against the wall.

A crater of upward turned metal plates marked where the boss had died. Some sections of it were over ten yards deep.

Metal chunks were scattered everywhere, and yet no one seemed to notice anything but the treasure chest that awaited them in the middle of the area they had been trapped in.

“That’s not as big as I hoped,” Fowl muttered, ignoring the snicker Cordellia gave.

Laughing, the elf took off across the ground, dodging the debris easily.

“Hey wait!”

Max, Tanila and Batrire all laughed as Fowl chased after Cordellia.

The chest was no bigger than an average dungeon chest and it was made of rust colored metal. Outside there was a gem between simple bands.

“That doesn’t look at all like I expected,” Batrire said as she bent down and touched it.

Cordellia shrugged and went to open the chest, grunting as the lid didn’t budge.

“Something wrong?”

She frowned and ignored Fowl’s question, giving another push, using more muscle this time, and still it didn’t open.

“Bah, let me show you how a dwarf does it,” Fowl proclaimed as he moved up to the chest, putting both hands on the lid and thrusting with everything he had.

A trio of grunts and a red face later, he took a deep breath, gasping at his failed attempt.

“I’m assuming you’re used to not performing how you intended?”

Cordellia’s jab had everyone chuckling except her target as everyone ignored the problem with the chest for a moment.

“You want to try?” Fowl asked, pouting as he moved back a step.

Max nodded and gave a push that should have moved a mountain, yet the lid didn’t even react to the effort.

“I think we all need to touch the chest,” Tanila said as she moved up next to Max and put her hand on the metal lid.

Everyone moved forward and when all five were touching it, the gem on the outside lit up and a click came. Slowly, the lid lifted up on its own.

“Well, that's new,” Max said as he waited for the lid to finish its ascent.

“They are very rare,” Tanila stated as she frowned. “Designed for bosses like the one where we fought. If someone dies, no one gets any loot.”

“That doesn’t seem fair!” exclaimed Fowl as he began to peek inside the chest. “Why would they–”

He stopped talking, jaw still lowered as he looked inside.

Everyone didn’t wait and moved to see what had managed to silent the usually chatty dwarf.

The space below wasn’t the typical purple dimensional storage. This time it was a golden glow and Max felt himself drawn toward the color.

“That’s… nothing I know about.”

Their mage's words fell on deaf ears as each person saw that only seven items were inside.

An orange crystal that appeared far larger than any of the other ones they had collected from the previous floors stood out.

Metal chain boots waited for Max while a rust-colored pair of boots belonged to Batrire. Cordellia had a rust-colored leather helm waiting for her and the last two each had a ring waiting for them. Finally, one item rotated between question marks, not revealing what it would be to the winner of it.

Even with only one item, each something about the items radiated with a unique power.

“I’ll go first,” Max said slowly, unable to keep his hand back any longer.

The pair of boots appeared, but the energy he felt as he reached in was so different. All the exhaustion and stress of that last battle was gone.

As he felt the metal touch his fingers, Max inspected them, his mind in disbelief.

[ Inspect Boots ]

*****

Godwalkers

25% Stat Increase

Touched by Fate - Reset all skill and ability cooldowns. Requires 30 days between uses.

Permanently Bonded - Destroyed upon Death

*****

His eyes read the notification as he tried to consider how something like this could be possible. It wasn’t as far as he knew and for it to meant that somewhere, someone had given great power to grant this.

“Seth?”

Unsure of how many times Tanila had said his name, he shook off the fog and quickly equipped them, feeling the rush of increased stats enter him.

“That good?” Fowl asked.

Nodding slowly, Max pointed at the chest.

“Everyone take theirs. Honestly, don’t share the stats. You’ll know why.”

Each of them moved as one, taking their item, and Max watched their expressions.

Pupils dilated, cheeks went flush, jaws dropped and a few of them suffered from hands that shook. Time passed, and no one said a word as each of them took in whatever treasure they held.

Finally, as a group they began to focus on Max and the smirk he had.

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“Impossible,” Cordellia whispered. “No one… I mean…”

Each person nodded in agreement, echoing her sentiment.

“We don’t share these stats with anyone,” Max said again. “However we acquired these, they aren’t meant for anyone but you.”

“And the last item?”

Max laughed first and everyone else joined in after.

Sighing, he gave his dwarven friend a gentle tap and grinned.

“Oh, I love you and the dwarf fascination with loot.”

“Hey!” Batrire exclaimed. “It’s not all of us who are loot whores, just Fowl!”

Their dwarven warrior shrugged and tapped the side of the chest.

“I think we all should roll on this one,” he said. “However this ends up, we all had a chance.”

Everyone looked at one another and nodded.

After everyone touched the last item, they waited.

Breaths were held as a twenty-sided sphere with four of each of their faces spun, bouncing and moving around in the space.

As it slowed down and finished its movement, it hung for a moment on an edge, Max’s and Tanila’s face both facing upward.

Finally it moved sideways, landing so that Max was the winner and all the air that had been held in was exhaled.

“Congrats,” Tanila said, her tone carrying a true semblance of excitement for him.

“I should have known,” Fowl sighed before he gave his friend a gentle punch to the gut. “Now show us what you got.

Max snorted and nodded, overwhelmed at what had transpired.

No loot in so long, and now the quality of gear was beyond crazy.

Reaching in, he touched the spot again and pulled back his hand. In it rested a massive piece of black ore. The weight of it was off as it felt light like a feather, but he could tell it was denser than anything he had ever touched.

“What is it? Ore?”

Max nodded at Cordellia and held it out for everyone to look at.

“I can use this,” he said.

“Well, at least it's usable,” Fowl declared as he motioned toward the portal that appeared. “Grab that crystal for Everett and let’s head home. I’m about done with all this.”

Without waiting, Fowl started to move toward the portal.

“Forgive him, he has no manners,” Batrire said as she moved after her man.

Cordellia nodded and followed their healer, leaving Max and Tanila alone.

“So what is it for?”

Max stored the ore and nodded.

“It will work with the dragon’s tooth.”

Her eyes widened, and she smacked her tongue a few times as she took in that knowledge.

“Seriously?”

“It’s the first thing I really know can be used. Nothing Everett or the Faction has is a good match. Whatever kind of metal this will create, it will be useful.”

Shaking her head, she snorted and then tapped her newest ring.

“You want to tell me yours if I tell you mine?”

Frowning, Max knew he was wincing.

“I do… but it might scare you.”

“Why would it scare me?”

“Because what we got wasn’t something anyone would ever receive for at least another fifty floors.”

“That is true… I mean, mine gave me twenty percent to all stats and twenty percent to all spell damage.”

Max whistle in appreciation.

“Any skills or abilities?”

Tanila’s eyes narrowed and she leaned closer.

“So you’re saying yours has an ability.”

Nodding, Max shared it with her and watched as the mage took a step back.

“That name… and that ability… those are…”

She tapped her chin a few times, her cheeks and lips moving as she tried to find words that would be right.

“That’s why I didn’t want anyone else to share with me what they got. You and I both know how the others would react to mine.”

Tanila pointed at the chest where the crystal still waited to be retrieved.

“You going to get that?”

Retrieving the crystal, Max held the orange power source, marveling at how it was twice the size of the others. With his Power Core skill, it now revealed the true power that was waiting for someone like him to tap into.

“There is so much energy inside this. It’s a shame I can’t do anything with it.”

Snorting, Tanila nodded and moved to his side, sliding her arm around his.

“Slow down there… we need to finish the tower before you become a legend. If you do it too soon, I’ll not be worthy of you anymore.”

Laughing, Max stored the gem and gave her a kiss, walking toward the portal.

“We both know I’m the lucky one to be in this relationship.”

***

Bags were visible under Everett’s eyes, and yet the Faction leader was excited at the crystal sitting on his desk.

“You say it blew up after you killed it?”

Max nodded as the older man set another orange crystal beside the new one, showing the difference in size was almost two-thirds.

“Those are rare, but they do happen. I’m really not sure how to compare that to normal as nothing your party does is normal. Still, I need to talk with you about a few other things we’ve been working on.”

Everett moved to the secret storage space and after pulling a chest out, set it on the desk, leaving it open for Max to peer inside.

Multiple items used for crafting were in there, ore, gems, a weird piece of stone and some wood. Pulling each one out and holding it, Max could feel the potential in them, but none sparked his weapon crafting skill like the ore had.

“These will make great weapons and a few would be really good in some armor if you had a person that could make legendary armor.”

Pulling a cloth from storage, Max set it across the desk and laid out the items in order.

“These would probably make one of the best items that I can make right now,” Max said as he pointed at the ore and gem. “Toss in an elemental essence or two and it would be really powerful. These items would be about normal and I’m not sure how the wood would be useful since it’s only about eight inches long.”

Pulling a smaller chest from storage, Everett picked up the ore and gem and put them inside, holding it out toward Max.

“Take them and make something with them. When you need the essence, let me know. I’ll get you whatever I have on hand.”

Frowning, Max waited a moment, but finally took the chest after Everett offered it again.

“Are you sure?”

“Completely. We owe you… no, I owe you for how you have made my job harder, but so much better.”

Both laughed as a yawn escaped right after Everett said those words.

“I have always dreamed of our Faction becoming a powerhouse and now that dream is coming true. Everyone on the council understands that as you and your party rise, we rise. As such, we will funnel a lot more to you.”

“And what about those above us?”

Sitting down, Everett shrugged.

“The only real person who could complain would be Dexic and she sings your praises. Right now she’s waiting for a group to climb with. Losing those two members hurts and she might join a weaker one, helping them to rise and training them for success.”

Storing the chest with his new crafting materials, Max smiled, glad to hear she wasn’t doing anything stupid.

“Anything else we can do?”

“You can go and encourage the new recruits. They are dying to meet you.”

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