The Pinnacle Warrior

Astrid shouldn’t have been surprised. Really, she shouldn’t have expected anything less than luxury as the Guild continued to throw things at her that tried to convince her that her years of experience with mediocrity were nothing but a bad dream. Regardless of what her expectations were, it also made sense that the packs provided by the Guild were also spatial artifacts. Each one could hold nearly 2 cubic meters, enough to carry the drake, Astrid guessed. Each person’s supplies, enough for a full month, were inside. Beyond that, inside of each pouch, because every member of the party received their own, were the changes of equipment for each individual to don when they evolve to Iron.

“Never put one of these inside the other.“ Greely commanded. “If you do, they will both explode and you’ll lose everything that’s inside of them, the spatial tears leave no remains. You’ll either die or be seriously injured from doing it. So, you’ll get hurt and lose these very expensive, valuable items in the process.”

Astrid, who had been about to ask something to the effect of how many they could put inside of each other, stopped playing quite so excitedly with the spatial pouch and instead settled it on her back. It was a leather case, maybe 45 centimeters across and 30 centimeters tall, with the mouth opening as wide as it could be pulled.

“And don’t worry about your equipment right now.” Greely gave another suggestion just as, again, Astrid was about to do what he said. “It’ll just make you want to put it on when you can’t, and if you give in to that temptation, you’ll get yourself mana burns and misery. I doubt any of you have experienced strong mana burns, but they take longer to heal than you think, and you’ll be unable to use equipment for almost twice as long as it takes for the burns to fade.”

“I’ve had a burn before,” Astrid added, “but it was before I’d been bestowed a Class, so I don’t know about the equipment restrictions, but it took weeks for my hand to stop hurting.”

“Thank you, Astrid.” Greely nodded. “Also, you won’t be able to recover from mana burns as fast as you can from other things. Healing just makes it hurt more, and potions are less effective on someone who’s been mana burnt. This is the last warning I’ll give you, so make good choices.”

Already hesitant to have touched the equipment before, Astrid became positively determined not to give herself burns so close to the Wandering Trials. Instead, Astrid looked at Greely while settling the bag again on her back and ripping her attention away from it. “How long will we need to travel to get to the Trials?”

“Let me tell you a secret, Astrid.“ Greely smiled. “I am much higher level than you. You don’t need to worry about travel times.”

“That’s not a secret, we all already knew that. Also, that’s not much of an answer.” Astrid grunted to the infuriatingly smug old man.

“It is an answer, just not the kind you were looking for.” Astrid knew what the old man’s response would be before he said it, and still it made her grind her teeth. Sick of dealing with the generally overwhelming nature of talking to Greely as he showcased wealth beyond her understanding, and the reminder that this should be the case across the country, Astrid spoke to her companions. She stood beside Felix, who kept thumbing at his pack, not looking inside, just touching the spatial storage’s strap.

“You think you’re ready?“ She asked him.

“I have 493 experience until level 21.“ Felix gave a short answer. When Astrid continued watching him for more information, he sighed and shrugged.  “I never thought I’d be able to reach Iron before I was at least 25. Here I am, only 21 years old, and I’m just a couple hours’ effort away from getting that same level. That’s overwhelming enough, but we also killed an Iron tier drake as a level 10s. I think Benedict and I were actually level 9? I can’t remember. Anyways. Yes, it was weakened, but the Great One witnessed what we did and I’m sure it’ll have bearing on what Classes we’re offered. We’ve constantly been killing monsters higher than our level, and of higher watersheds, and I’m here at the cusp of Class evolution so much faster than I ever thought was possible. So, in answer, I don’t know what ready is, but I’m here for the ride, I guess.”

The Bodyguard laughed a little as he just leveled his gaze at Astrid. For her part, she realized how much her own inflated sense of competence had skewed her expectations of what she would be capable of achieving and how quickly. After all, she’d thought that Iron before a year was expected, while now, Iron before two years was an accomplishment. Yes, this was an unbelievable rate of improvement for all five of them, and she had just taken it in stride.

“I guess you’re right.” She laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. “It’s easy for me to forget that most people didn’t think they were going to be the Great Ones’ gift to delving before they got their Class.”

Felix let out a chuckle of his own. “I don’t know why you’ve changed that opinion, you seem to be doing pretty good, with the boon and now being invited to the Wandering Trials.”

“Quit blowing smoke.” Benedict scoffed as he settled his backpack over the spatial pouch. “We all already have big enough egos without people pushing us to have even more inflated senses of self-worth.”

“Speak for yourself, you big headed Bard.” Skandr laughed. “Some of us could use a little bit of a self-confidence boost.”

“How about the supporter who doesn’t have a single attribute over 100? How’s that? Do you think maybe he needs a little boost?” Benedict retorted.

“Maybe if he could ask for it, he could get it.” Astrid replied with a little shrug. “You know, the crying baby gets fed. And you’re the one who said we didn’t need the encouragement.”

“Do not be overconfident.” Muti cautioned. “It is better to be cautious and to overestimate your enemies than to overestimate yourself and to walk as if untouchable.”

Various other conversations, each one born as much of nervousness as anything else, continued for nearly half an hour until Greely was prepared and gestured for the party to follow him. Three other delvers followed as well, none of them a person that Astrid recognized. She couldn’t help but wonder what purpose these three guards actually served, but as they walked out of the city’s walls, Greely walked towards an old, gnarled tree. Each of his steps came with confidence, and Astrid, knowing next to nothing about the man’s Class beyond its name, simply followed. At the tree, he leaned down to let his hand touch near the very bottom, where the roots spread into the ground. Then, raising a hand and stroking up one side and down the other, Greely whispered something that Astrid couldn’t understand, despite being able to hear it.

Mana exploded into existence all around, then flowing into the tree. Astrid could only feel the overwhelming pressure of so much magical potential, and she staggered before the mana faded. Her companions did the same, and as they recovered, the tree twisted open into a shimmering gateway, not unlike a Dungeon branch’s entrance. Greely didn’t look back as he stepped through the gateway and disappeared, though his companions gestured for Astrid and her party to follow the old man before they would step through themselves. Astrid kept her hammer stowed away while she stepped through, though her shield remained on her arm. The weight of her hammer was so great that she had to keep it on her back instead of on her hip, as it would pull her off of her path if it wasn’t centered. Her stride was steady if a little hesitant.

Striding through the portal, Astrid’s stomach twisted as her vision swam, but she found herself in front of a small camp of heavy duty tents. Humans all decked in armor stood everywhere, some on guard, some obviously merchants, and others still looking more administrative than others. Despite the obvious various different roles, not a single individual was unarmed or unprotected. From behind Greely, Astrid saw respectful looks and bows in the direction of the slightly bowed old man, reminding her that she definitely didn’t know the depths of Greely’s influence. He’d mentioned his age, and that was a reminder that he was powerful enough to live for centuries, and he was an old man in a profession where men died young.

“Where are we?” Astrid asked.

“A small clearing in the bounds of the Verdant Sanctuary. Don’t burn anything not provided to you, don’t cut down any trees, and use the chamberpots, not the forest. Clear?”

The party paused for a second before nodding, just in time to be interrupted.

“Greely! Cutting it close, as always?“ A boisterous woman’s voice greeted the Druid as a shorter woman, maybe 150 centimeters tall, strode forward. That Astrid was 60 centimeters taller than her didn’t seem to matter, and she, wearing finely tooled leather armor with subtle enchantments covering every bit of it, patted Astrid‘s belly three times in a rough greeting. Each hit drove some of the breath from Astrid‘s lungs, and she stepped back half a step to brace herself against the casual strength displayed by the nondescript woman.

“Mila, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t injure my delvers the day before they go into the Trials.” Greely gently corrected as he reached out with his staff and tried to thunk Mila on the head. She let it happen, though Astrid could faintly see a flare of mana from both sides in the seemingly casual movement. Evidently  a deeper exchange than she had expected.

“Oh? You’ll be entering the Steel tier entrance? Congratulations on your confidence in evolving!” Greeley laughed as he reached an arm out and, instead of challenging or teasing Mila, took her into a gentle hug. The woman’s pale face flushed as she wrapped an arm around the older man and nodded. She hid her embarrassment behind her straight black hair for a moment before she pulled back.

“I’ve been level 90 for about a month. Had a couple people come cover for me in Talliel, so I’ve been delving again. Got the party back together and everything.”

“I’m excited for you, but I’m sorry that we were unable to keep things peaceful enough for you to not be forced to do so.” Greely’s voice dropped in apology as he said it, but Mila laughed as she threw her head back.

“I’m always looking for an opportunity to be able to get out of administrative duties. This is just an excuse, more than anything. Now I can work towards catching up to you!”

“If you reach Mithril, it will just be a matter of time.” Greely patted her back as he said it. “Congratulations. This is Astrid and her companions, Skandr, Muti, Benedict, and Felix. They’ll be entering the Bronze entrance, coming from Purcell.”

“Well, if they’re coming with you, of course they’re from Purcell! You’re getting in the Bronze section?” Mila asked, turning her attention to Astrid. “Man, I wish I’d been in your position when I was your level. Good luck!” The Steel tier delver about to evolve to Mithril reached her hand up for Astrid to shake, and she did so. Like with the pats on her stomach, Mila exhibited an overwhelming strength, one that she apparently was holding back with every movement, just insufficiently.

“We’re hoping to make everybody proud.” Astrid answered as she forced enough strength into her grip to keep her bones from being crushed. Mila didn’t seem to notice as she let go and stepped back.

“You’re big! For a physical fighter like yourself, that’s a benefit! Levels and attributes cover for a lot, but there’s something to be said about having the literal weight behind your hits. Looking forward to seeing how far you go. Have you seen the competition yet?”

“Mila.“ Greely’s voice was firm. “We just arrived. We might speak in the next day, before the descent in earnest begins. Give us space.”

“Yes, of course. I’m sorry.“ Mila sounded only partially abashed, but mostly still excited, though whether it was because she was participating in the Trials or if she had seen Greely, Astrid didn’t know. “Nice to meet you, Astrid, Scan… Felix, Benedict, and Muti. I’m sorry, Scan guy, I forgot your name. Anyways!”

The woman bounded off, and Astrid would’ve compared her to a bunny if she hadn’t felt the immense strength carried in every one of the woman’s movements.

“An old protege. Please, forgive her.” Greely chuckled as he shook his head. The other companions in Astrid‘s party didn’t seem to mind, but the other people accompanying them seemed to look at her with some measure of recognition. Asher decided she didn’t have the energy or the desire to get into a deeper conversation about what was going on, and just shook her head and continued following Greeley. Mila wasn’t the only one who wanted to speak with the older Druid, but he waved off any attempts at a more involved conversation and continued walking until they came to a large tent near the center of the camp. Once they arrived at this point, Astrid could see farther off that there were other camps, those not belonging to Humanity.

The Barbarians’ tents were similar to the Humans’, though not made of fabric, but instead out of large tanned hides, and were much taller affairs than Humanity’s camp. Their camp was much louder as well, raucous laughter and cheers filling the air as they seemed to party. Astrid was surprised to be surprised, given that she had come to understand at least certain aspects of the Barbarians’ culture in the past year and a half spent alongside Muti. Even so, she’d expected to find unbridled violence and insanity instead of genuine laughter and contests of skill as they trained together. She couldn’t see much specifically, but it was obvious that the Barbarians were putting on a display for the other groups nearby.

On both sides of the Barbarians camp were the Verdant Walkers and the Kin, both appearing differently than she’d expected. The Verdant Walkers, as Astrid had always heard, were effectively sentient, sapient trees. Astrid had, perhaps foolishly, expected to see just a grove where their camp would be. Instead, around three truly enormous trees, long, thin approximations of humanoid figures stood. The three trees, each at least 50 meters tall, swayed in the wind, and the Verdant Walkers, ranging in size from a “mere” three or so meters tall to well over ten meters tall, stood mostly motionless around the trees. A part of Astrid wanted to go over and ask how they’d gotten the three massive trees here, but Astrid‘s idle curiosity didn’t matter.

More interestingly, the Kin all seemed to be of one type. Astrid hadn’t ever seen many, the only one she had consistent contact with in recent memory being Aarta, and she couldn’t quite recognize what breed they were. All shared the same characteristics, though, with broad builds, thick, short muzzles, and heavily furred arms. Each Kin, regardless of the breed, varied in which characteristics they leaned more towards, with some having what looked to be paws from this far off, and others having ears on top of their heads, so Astrid thought it might be a clan of wolves? But no, the ears weren’t quite right. She supposed that didn’t matter, and turned her attention to the last camp, the Hiveguard. 

The insect people had created a hive, not far away from the rest, where they swarmed in and out of several entrances into the mud-formed building. Astrid only caught brief glances of them, their markings meaning something, she’s been told at least, but nothing she could understand. They stood mostly upright, like a human, but had four arms and three distinct segments to their bodies, like an insect. Some were more brown than others, though all had shiny armor adorning their bodies, whether that be something natural to them or worn, Astrid didn’t know.

“Come in.” Greely commanded, pulling Astrid out of her observation of the other camps. The large tent had several groups of people bustling inside, with conversations Astrid couldn’t hear obviously occurring. As soon as they walked past the threshold, a wave of noise washed over her, and Astrid blinked, realizing that there had been an enchantment to keep all sound from exiting. It stood to reason, given that there were four camps of people to be considered anything from competitors to outright enemies outside, and there is no reason to share any information with their Rogues and Scouts.

“Greely! Glad you could make it. This is the final Bronze party?” A man stood from a desk where he wrote furiously and extended a hand towards Greely with a broad grin.

“Assuming no others are coming, yes.” Greely answered, shaking the hand with a smile.“This is Astrid, Skandr, Muti, Felix, and Benedict. Provisions and equipment have already been prepared and handed over, all that remains is entering the Trials.”

“I’ve always believed you would be prepared.“ The unnamed man waved off Greely’s business-like statement. “If you say they’re ready, they’re ready. There’s an empty tent that will be able to house them until the parties are permitted to enter the Trials tomorrow. If there’s anything you need from us,” the man turned to Astrid and her party, “feel free to let us know. If not, get some rest.”

The dismissal was obvious in his tone, but Astrid refused to be pushed out so easily. “Well, it seems you have information here. Whatever information you have that will serve us in the Bronze Trials, I would like to hear it. Better to know now and be allowed time to prepare than to have to learn on the fly in the Dungeon.”

The unnamed man stopped at her insistence and turned to face her. He was, at least to Astrid‘s eyes, a middle-aged man. His dark hair was graying at the temples, and a neatly trimmed salt and pepper beard covered his face. His eyes were a light blue, and he carried himself with confidence, moving with purpose through everything he did. When he stopped, not a single part of his body continued to move, instead remaining eerily still, and making Astrid wonder if he was an Assassin or something similar.

“You are assertive. That’s good in a party leader, to advocate for yourself and those you delve alongside. There will be a brief in your tent, and if you have any questions about monster types, levels, or threats, not addressed in the brief, please return. You can ask for anyone in general, but if you desire my expertise, you may ask for Lars. Any other questions?“ His dismissive tone had faded, now a little more accepting of Astrid‘s existence. 

She looked at her party, who shook their heads, and said, “No, thank you. If we need your help, we’ll depend on you, Lars. Thank you. We’ll ask somebody outside where the tent we will be staying for the night in is.”

Astrid stepped out of the tent, the strange feeling of her ears popping returning as she walked through the invisible threshold back into the outside world. She didn’t listen to Benedict’s very quietly uttered complaints, but she did raise a hand and then put a finger to her lips to shush him before he could be overheard. He mimed locking his mouth and continued following her as she asked a nearby guard where the vacant Bronze party tent could be found.

“Sure, I’ll show you to where the Bronze tents are, I’m not sure which one of the four is empty, but the parties there will be able to help you out.“

Though more than willing to help, as soon as they got into a small square of four tents, the guard nodded his goodbye and walked back to his previous post. There were several people standing outside and near a fire pit as she approached, and Astrid rolled her shoulders back and put on a smile as she pulled her helmet off and strode forward to make her greetings.