The Strongest Spellblade

Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock

“Blood Gore,” I said, greeting the crazed naked man in front of me. Monster entrails dripped from his hands and body. I had Sarah out and ready to swing if he got any ideas.

“Elena, wonderful to see you down here. Just wonderful,” he said with a pleasant smile, but that didn’t hide the madness behind his eyes. He licked his bloody lips, the disgusting pig.

“Two things I want to talk about,” I replied.

“Talking. Hmm. You have gotten stronger,” he said.

“I went back down to the 25th layer recently on a little errand.”

“Oh, pushing the limits. A new level, level 160?” he asked.

“Something like that,” I replied and he gestured. Two stones rose up. An invitation to sit.

“I would say peace for peace and fist for fist, but all I have are fists,” he joked as he sat down. I sat down as well with my blade in my lap ready to use at a moment’s notice. “So what brings Warlady Elena down here to the 23rd layer, interrupting my kill fun time.”

I could tell he used a twist of words with multiple meanings. ‘Kill fun time’ could mean he was having fun killing or killing the fun time of others. Blood Gore was an insane brute, but he wasn’t stupid. You don’t become a Supreme Legend by being stupid. He was still a pig though.

“A legend with an experience siphon cursed skill. Tier 6. They also use poisons. Do you know anything?” I asked.

“Trouble in paradise?” he asked back.

“They attacked my son,” I replied, and Blood Gore frowned at this.

“The child?” he asked, and I nodded. “Bastard. If they want a fight, come to me. I love fighting and killing. And eating, can’t forget the eating.” He was insane as his mentor Bastian. “I do know of someone like this.” I immediately paid much closer attention. My first lead.

“But I want something from you,” he replied.

“What?” I asked.

“A kiss,” he demanded. I was expecting something like that of this human shaped pig. I immediately got up and strode over to him. Anything for my son. I reached out and grabbed the back of his head and pushed my face forward onto his bloody lips. I kept my sword pressed up against his side in case he tried anything. I knew if the kiss was half hearted he would make some kind of objection. The man had no honor.

Three minutes of kissing later I broke it off and he didn’t try to keep hold of me as I backed up. “Wow,” he said as I went and sat back down. I wanted to spit out, but that would just annoy him. I had suffered and wasn’t going to give him a single excuse. And if he didn’t know anything, there would be one less Supreme Legend. He looked at me clearly wanting me to rush him along, but I didn’t fall for such a petty trick. He was also getting excited, but if he tried anything, he would regret it.

“You are decisive. I like that. I can see why you are stronger than me. Even with my constant fighting. You have no weaknesses, or perhaps one, your child,” he said. I just tapped a single finger on my sword, clearly sending a message to him to hurry up.

“Fine, fine. No foreplay at all.” There had been too much in my opinion. “Legend Xanatos. That’s the name of the man you want. I know them from my run ins with the Dark Cabal.”

“Killing them or trading with them?” I asked and Blood Gore smiled at me.

“Both!” I should have expected such an answer. But the Dark Cabal would be annoying to deal with. “He is quite high up in their ranks as well. Maybe even their current leader.”

“I will find and kill him. Now that I have a name, there is no easy escape,” I replied.

“A mother on the hunt, scary. Quite scary. You mentioned two things?” he asked.

“I am considering a final descent. The Mathemancer, The Librarian, you, and me. A team of supreme legends,” I said.

“Oh, you should have started off with that. Now you are making me throb with excitement. How deep?” the human shaped pig asked.

“The 35th layer to see if there is a core beyond violet,” I answered.

“Deep, very deep. Getting back out won’t be easy or simple,” he said.

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“It won’t be. But are you interested?” I asked.

“Hmm, yes. Count me in. I will be going down to the 24th layer after this. Got to push myself a bit more if I want to be ready. How long are you thinking?” he asked.

“Less than a decade, but likely in a couple of years. We will find you, when we all descend and pick you up on the way,” I replied. No one wanted Blood Gore to back up layers. Best he stay buried deep in the dungeon.

“Sounds good. New monsters. New food. Perhaps the excitement of us together, will open up new doors,” he said.

“You are a pig in human form Blood Gore. You are also strong. But I will never submit to someone like you,” I replied. He licked his lips.

“That’s what makes you the only woman to tempt me. If you offer a bit more, I would be willing to help out with this Dark Cabal matter,” he said, and I stood up. I was willing to give up a kiss, but anything else would be debasing myself.

“I can handle my own business,” I replied.

“Well, then we just have to spar. Three exchanges,” he said.

“I will embarrass you just like I have embarrassed you before,” I replied.

“Let me taste you again!” Another statement with two meanings. Either he wanted to kiss me again or eat me in some depraved cannibalism act. One could never be sure with Blood Gore the Butcher. He rushed at me.

“Rebound Shield.” A glowing half circle of Mana formed up and he slammed into it and then bounced off. A tier 5 skill I had learned from that Abnormal down on the 25th layer. Blood Gore went stumbling back a few steps as the shield disappeared. “First exchange to me.” Blood Gore spat out a mouthful of blood to the side.

“Aura Of Boiling Blood.” Already going to his signature skill like I used Slice as my signature skill. Tier 4 and heavy on the Mana use. But he had Mana to spare. Unfortunately for Blood Gore it only tickled me slightly as his Mana washed over me. He rushed at me as his hands grew long Mana infused claws. He really was half beast, fighting like this, completely naked.

The crazy people in the dungeon were the worst and Blood Gore was at the pinnacle of that flaming pile of garbage. Sarah moved quickly as I easily deflected each of his attacks with a bit of effort. He was strong, but he didn’t properly invest into skill synergies. As I deflected his attacks, I unleashed a Hyper Blade into the surrounding stone at precise angles.

That was why thinking was the strength of us people against the monsters in the dungeon. That was why he struggled going deeper. He could outlast anything in a fight and then fight again. He was practically unkillable. This spar wasn’t a spar and it wasn’t going to last three exchanges.

If I did lop off his head, even that wouldn’t kill him and he had annoying death curse skills. Probably learned from the Dark Cabal. The only thing Blood Gore would want were more depraved skills and he would trade them with the cores he picked up deep in the dungeon.

I pushed my Mana out and the runic trap activated. Glowing white chains rose up from the floor and wrapped around him. “Really Blood Gore?” I asked him as I stepped away.

“AHHHH! Dammit! Not again,” he cursed, and I shook my head. He never learned, too caught up in attacking me directly. No subtlety at all.

“You can spend some time cooling off until the Mana I used runs out. In a month or so,” I replied, since I had pushed quite a lot of Mana into the runes. He calmed down and let out a snort.

“At least you aren’t The Mathemancer. It is my loss. Next time Elena. I look forward to descending with you,” he replied calmly. That was why he was so dangerous. One second he was manic, the next he would be happy to have a polite discussion. The man clearly had issues, but he was too strong and set in his ways to ever fix them. I gave him a nod and departed.

My next stop was the Dark Cabal. A group of crazies who believed in complete and utter depravity. It was rumored they had a hidden repository of knowledge, which they used to train up new members. Drugs, monster smuggling, slavery, and anything else they could do to make money and make others miserable, they did all to enhance their power while bringing the world to ruin.

I should have known it was them, but I figured they knew better than to mess with me. They didn’t target the strong. Too much risk of blowback. But they thought they could mess with my child, my son? Well this legend named Xanatos would soon be remembered why it was a bad idea to mess with me.

Without having to worry about Squires, my progress through the dungeon was incredibly quick.

Legend Xanatos of the Dark Cabal

“Another prophetic divination, master,” I took the sheet of paper and waved away the Shadow.

Sarah comes for the darkest shadow.

The hidden watches closely

Only two lines, but the information was enough. Supreme Legend Elena’s sister was named Sarah. Difficult information to get, but nothing that our Past Seers could not work out. And of course the woman would name her blade after her beloved family member. The darkest shadow could only refer to me. The leader of the Dark Cabal.

The second line was concerning. There had been several references to someone or something being hidden and observing. But as long as they didn’t act, then it wasn’t a major concern.

Her son had seemed like a good target at the time. But she was clearly not giving up. I had been hoping to leverage such a connection, but all our divinations showed it would end in disaster. Supreme Legend Elena did not compromise. She brutally killed her enemies and I was on the top of that list for cursing her child.

The regular tricks and traps would not suffice dealing of someone of her caliber. As I tapped my skull throne, I considered other options, much more dangerous options. A ritual of immense power combined with Alchemy. I wouldn’t risk the Dark Library, a gift of my predecessors and the greatest repository of knowledge in existence.

It was time to remind the world that the Dark Cabal existed. The dwarven city of Undercraft and the College of Advancement would be the perfect backdrop for the conflict. Elena had gone past the Last Bastion to speak to Blood Gore. The only one who knew my identity and would talk to Elena.

A shame the man was a brute, but no one else could trade with him safely. One mistake and he would kill the person wanting to make a deal instead. Our trades had allowed me to take control of the Dark Cabal, but that came with the price of exposure.

“Get two eggs. The ones kept in storage,” I said with a grimace. Two was better than one and Elena deserved the best. A shame to use them both so soon, but even that wouldn’t be enough. Elena was not to be underestimated, and I was enjoying the trickle of skill experience from her son. Not as great as actual experience, but every bit helped.