Ultimate Level 1

“These are just acting just like the ogres,” Tanila said as Max used the syringe Alfreda had given them for moments like this. “They don’t rush in like fools.”

Once done with collecting some trolls' blood, Max put away the equipment and sighed.

“So we’re facing a creature smart enough to roll around in the water to remove the flames. Even worse, like the ogres, they are willing to surround us, which means we have to fight near the walls again.”

“Beyond letting myself get hit, I guess the only real thing I have going for me is the fire reflect damage of my shield,” Fowl said. “So with my thorn aura and the shield, it should at least help stop some of their healing even though it doesn’t set them on fire.”

“What about if we all focus on one troll with your spells and my arrow? Wouldn’t that at least help us to finish one off before it can hopefully put out the flames?”

“Now that I have my fire familiar, we should be able to do that,” Tanila replied. “The question is what happens if more than three come? Keep ice prisoning them? Root them? I doubt they will just stand there and stay rooted.”

“We’ll figure it out as it comes,” Max said. “Ice and root are easy ways to buy some time. The problem is going to be how many come at once.”

Groaning, Fowl pointed at Max as he looked at their healer.

“It was him this time,” their dwarf warrior said as Batrire groaned.

“Five more! Casting Earth Prison!”

Max raced back and forth from every troll he could get to without leaving the group alone.

Tanila’s fireball was almost one-shotting the creatures, and they appeared to know that. Now, they stacked up, with one in front and using it as a shield.

Thirteen trolls were dead, eight more could not do much because they were missing arms and legs, four were frozen or rooted, and six were still actively attacking.

“I’ll get their attention if they get close!”

Fowl had managed not to use his taunt yet but the need was about to be there.

Casting another fireball at the pack of three coming toward their party, Max cut off a leg and arm from the one he was fighting now, leaving it with the other four near it.

Tanila summoned an air wall as one troll threw a club it had picked up from its fallen ally. It bounced off, the force almost shattering the wall.

Her Fireball spell began to grow above her as Max closed in on the pack of three, cursing as they split up, sending one to intercept him while the other two continued toward the three women.

Not willing to waste time, Max used his skill to save time.

[ Power Strike ]

His blade cut through the troll, slicing its weapon in half as it tried to block the attack. Max then cut both legs off as he finished the swing.

Tanila’s fireball washed over the front one, causing it to stumble. Now only twenty yards away, the troll behind it grabbed its ally and tossed it at the group of three.

Max’s air shield appeared as the flaming troll approached within five yards of the three, hanging in midair before sliding down into the water.

Cordellia’s empowered shot, combined with her fire enchant, pierced the troll’s skull, killing the injured beast.

Fowl was facing three more trying to come around him.

“Taunting!”

The three immediately turned and began attempting to brain the dwarf, who blocked and parried their attacks. His shield and thorn aura filled the pungent air with the scent of burnt troll flesh.

Roots came up, ensnaring the troll that had tossed its ally.

Before it could break the roots that had its feet contained, Max reached the troll, his axe carving the flesh and limbs from the monster, ending its ability to fight back or move.

Tanila sent a fireball into the three attacking Fowl, and Cordellia rained down fire arrows, helping to end the threat there before their dwarven warrior’s taunt wore off.

***

“Okay, something is seriously wrong with how much smarter they keep getting,” Tanila said as she sat on her chair, trying to regain mana as fast as possible. “Tossing weapons is one thing, but throwing another troll at us?”

“Don’t forget how they stacked up,” their ranger said as she refilled her quiver. “What are we going to do if more than twenty come at the same time? We barely managed to handle the numbers we faced.”

Max could feel the gaze of everyone in the party upon him, waiting for an answer.

“We have no idea how far this dungeon goes, and without that knowledge or if there is a boss or something worse in here, running without that knowledge just means we could be stuck somewhere facing countless trolls. So for now, all we can do is go slow and try to stay safe.”

Fowl grunted and packed up his chair.

“I’ll do whatever you think is best. I appreciate you taking the lead on this. Only the gods and you know how much I hate that job.”

***

“Do we need to try and camp out?” Tanila asked.

Max sighed and shrugged.

“It’s been what? Twenty miles?”

Their ranger nodded as she drank from her water skin.

“A little more, actually. I’m surprised we’ve made it this far.”

“We’re like fourteen hours into this, and I can tell you’re frustrated. Do you want to mine a hole, and we just camp out there?”

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Smiling, he gave Tanila a gentle squeeze and nodded.

“I guess Fowl and I can get to work and see about making a place for us to stay.”

***

Max’s eyes were heavy, but after about ninety minutes of work, he and Fowl had dug out a simple tunnel four feet wide, six feet tall, and over sixteen feet deep. Everyone was resting at the back as Max kept watch. Rocks piled up slightly before the entrance of the cave.

I’m not certain if you can hear me or if you’re listening but I need to sleep. If you can keep watch, I’d appreciate it.

Words never came, but a sense of something inside him felt like an acknowledgment of his request.

***

“Seth?”

“I’m here,” he replied, already waking up when he sensed Tanila getting closer. “Nothing has come by that I can tell.”

He felt her nod and breathed a little softer when she came and leaned against him.

“Did you sleep at all?”

“I did.”

“How long has it been?”

Pulling out the watch he carried from his hip pouch, Max checked and saw that it had been about five hours.

“Five hours. I’ll need to contact Everett and Tom when we get up.”

“We’re up,” Fowl called out from behind Tanila. “You two aren’t as quiet as you think.”

A few other grunts came, and Max smiled, thinking most of them were awake because of how they had shifted and their heart rates had changed a moment before.

“Fine, let me step outside and tell Everett we’re okay.”

***

Seven more miles of swamp was what remained of the tower floor. The further they got, the thicker the trolls seemed to be. The fights continued to get harder as more attacked at once.

When the trees finally vanished and a clearing appeared, over fifty trolls stood spread out in rows, each staring at them with yellow eyes.

“Uh, how are we going to defeat that?” Fowl asked.

None of the trolls moved. Each stood there with their weapon ready, seemingly not concerned with chasing after them yet.

“We can run through them,” Max said. “I can carry you all and summon a stone wall to use as a jumping point.”

Batrire spat in the water but she nodded.

“I don’t like it, but this feels like another one of those fights we can’t win,” she said.

“I’ll hold my shield out in case you need a battering ram.”

Max chuckled and couldn’t help but grin as each person moved close, preparing themselves to be jostled and slung over his shoulders.

“Tanila cast a fire nova when I say now. Tell me when you have three seconds left.”

With everyone on his back, he gave her the signal and she began casting.

“3 seconds!”

Max surged forward, water spraying from the speed at which he approached the pack of trolls.

They roared and came as a single group, still unprepared for how fast Max covered the distance.

His stone wall shot up from the water, angled as he wanted it and with a single bound was on it and flying over the heads of the trolls who started tossing clubs at them.

An air wall stopped a pair that were tossed at the right angle, sending them down and away as he landed in the water behind the group, ten yards to go for the portal.

Tanila’s fire nova went off, sending one wave and then a second wave of flames before they touched the portal.

***

Stumbling as their feet touched the worked stone of the portal pad, Max caught himself and the others this time, his sonar and body now ready for the transition.

Some chuckles could be heard from the guards nearby and Max saw the pair smiling when his eyes started working again.

After letting his party down, Max gave a slight bow and received a few claps from one of the guards.

“Did I miss something?” Fowl asked, glancing between the guards and his friend.

“They enjoyed the show I put on, coming out of the tower with three people on my back and a dwarf in my arms.”

Fowl then turned and gave a bow, smiling as both guards gave a few more claps.

“Gods we don’t need his head getting any bigger,” Batrire said. “If he does, that magical helmet will never fit.”

***

Everett was with Tom and Alfreda as they turned in all the materials from the last two dungeon floors.

“I appreciate the message. I won’t lie, a part of me gets nervous when you all don’t return at your usual time.”

Shrugging, Max watched as the older elf woman never lost her smile, writing down everything they had kept.

“This one was a lot harder. The trolls were smart enough to put out the magical fire. I mean, I was surprised that the water did that, but then again, it’s a magical tower, so why can’t water do that?”

“And they tried to block your exit… that is disturbing. I don’t want to say I’m excited to hear what the next floor holds but a part of me is. The notes you keep providing are invaluable. Knowing those trolls don’t have more than a two hundred and fifty strength gives me the ability to prepare and help outfit the adventurers coming up after you all.”

The faction leader pulled out a wooden clipboard and gave it a few taps with his knuckles.

“So far, we haven’t lost any of the five new groups that have joined our faction.”

“Five?”

Everett smiled at Max’s surprised look, and the man nodded. He coughed and hid the amusement behind his fist, having it gone by the time his hand was lowered.

“Word has spread about our successes lately in the tower. There is nothing specific about you just that we have been able to grant more skill upgrades and that our crafters have been consistently creating quality equipment. I now have at least two potential groups coming each week, wanting to discuss joining and most are content with the standard tax the Faction charges.”

“Speaking of taxes, how much money do we technically have coming to us now after that agreement Tanila and you made?”

Pretending to be sad, Everett wiped away a fake tear.

“You’re bleeding me dry is the honest answer. Right now you basically can spend about ten thousand gold without me needing to talk to the council. Even then, most of them are quite happy with the reports they get and the share of the income they continue to receive.”

Max bobbed his head as he watched Fowl start unloading the fifteen bags of troll heads they had collected.

Alfreda looked like she might go weak again as she gasped.

“I think Fowl does that intentionally,” their Faction leader said as he frowned. “Just when that poor woman thinks you’ve given all there is, he pulls more stuff out.”

“You’re a hundred percent right. Something about that little guy and getting to fluster elves. I know he doesn’t hate them, but Fowl sure does enjoy giving them a hard time.”

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