Ultimate Level 1

“So how many barrels did you get?”

“Six,” Max replied, finally answering the question Fowl had asked two times already. “Part of me wishes we had been there with Batrire’s protective shield up because I’m not sure anything was left alive when I got out.”

A groan came from their healer as the carriage made its way from the Tower.

“I’d prefer not to risk it, especially since I’m not sure how much damage it can absorb before breaking.”

Nodding, Max saw Cordellia pulling a few of the gem pouches out as she started handing them to everyone.

“There are, I think, one hundred and thirty-three in each pouch. At this rate, we should hit the level forty cap before we reach the boss floor.”

“We need something to replace the lack of loot,” Fowl muttered as he reached in and pulled an orange gem out, crushing it between his fingers.

“Are we going to still do the next floor tomorrow?”

Everyone looked at Max after Batrire spoke and he shrugged.

“We have all our skills ready. I’m uncertain what the next floor will be, but these weren’t that strong compared to the other floor.”

“Or you’re just too strong,” Tanila stated. “Regardless, if we are going to do the floor tomorrow, I want to turn in early. Sleeping in a tower isn’t as restful as one might think.”

Grunts of agreement came, and Max nodded.

“I’m fine with that. We can eat and turn in. There are still four hours of light left in the day and I know three people in our Faction who will want to inspect one of these barrels.”

***

Max nodded and waved, shaking a few hands as different Faction members saw him and congratulated him on the success in the colosseum, ignoring the way Tom rolled his eyes each time they were stopped.

Eventually, the trainer dragged Max away from the members and to the room he had requested.

Behind a thick stone wall, the four watched as one dwarf handled the barrel in another room through the reinforced glass section of the wall.

“Hopefully that suit will protect him,” Tom mumbled as the dwarf in a shiny fire resistant suit undid the top of the barrel. He dipped a thin test tube inside and withdrew a small amount of the liquid, placing it on in a metal rack before sliding it through a hole in the wall that led to another room.

The breath of relief Alfreda let out when nothing bad happened told Max just how tense that moment had been. The group of four then moved to the next windowed area to watch the two Elven alchemists take the rack and tube from the transfer box.

“After our last problem with explosive materials, we needed to upgrade our area some,” Alfreda said, doing her best to whisper, so Everett didn’t hear.

No one said anything as the pair of elves began siphoning off smaller amounts of what was given to them and slowly combining in different boxes with exhaust systems that left the room.

They moved along the row of twelve tests they had, pushing a lever which combined something into the small amount.

Max and the others jumped slightly when a minor explosion roared in the fourth box, sending flames up the exhaust area.

“That is an organic activated liquid,” Alfreda stated. “The other three didn’t–”

Another explosion rocked box five as the next object was combined.

“Uh… I’ll wait, I guess, till they finish.”

Two of the last seven boxes all had a reaction and when the elves were finished, they watched as Alfreda made writing motions. Each nodded and began cleaning up the room they were in.

“So what does that tell us?” Tom asked as he saw the older Elven woman writing some things down in a journal she had pulled out.

“That whatever is in that stuff is dangerous. That stuff shouldn’t be in his possessions before level forty at the earliest. It ignites when it comes in contact with any type of organic material like skin, hair, meat, plant, etc. Dirt won’t set it off.

“Also, anything with a slightly higher than usual heat signature could set it off and electricity causes the worst explosion,” Alfreda said as she wrote quickly. “Finally, water doesn’t extinguish it, but there should be some materials we have used before which will snuff the fire faster. For now, I wouldn’t leave that barrel out as the potential to cause extreme damage is too great.”

“Why are you grinning like that?” Tom asked when he turned and saw the massive smile Max wore.

“Honestly, this stuff is pretty amazing, even if it's super dangerous. Blunt force will set it off if it's enough. The fact it hurt goblins and burned them was a perk. Sometime down the road, these may pay off.”

Nodding slowly, Tom flipped a gold coin to Everett, who smirked.

“I told you,” the Faction leader said as he caught and pocketed the coin.

“Yeah… Seth always likes to use stuff as weapons. I shouldn’t have taken that bet.”

Chuckling, Everett handed Max a piece of paper as they turned and left Alfreda, who was still focused on the results of the tests in the room.

“That has the list of things worth keeping from the three you defeated. Based on what I know, only four of the items really fit your team's needs.”

Tom grumbled as he walked behind them, muttering, gear better than anything I ever had, not knowing Max could hear him.

Scanning the list, he nodded.

“I’m sure that Cordellia and Tanila will want some of this jewelry, but the rest of it isn’t worth anything.”

A cough came from his trainer, and Max held up his hand.

“I mean, someone here can obviously use it but with what you both know I can make or the stats of a few of our items, we might replace this sooner than later. Even Fowl might only need one piece of armor.”

“You realize you are turning down…” Everett paused and made sure no one was within earshot of the three, “an item that grants a percentage of stats.”

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“I do, but for now, trust me when I say as much as I want to take one of those rings, I would prefer to let the rest of my team have them. Down the road, I may come back and ask for it.”

Max had done the math in his head and even though he still wore the first ring that gave only one point of dexterity, it served as a reminder of where all this started. As his stats grew, those percentage based rings would provide more stats if the jewelry they collected didn’t scale.

“Well then, just have someone come by and pick them up later. From the bags under your eyes, I’m guessing you will be turning in?”

Max nodded at Everett and found himself yawning at the acknowledgment of exhaustion.

“How do you manage those week and month long grinds in the tower? One night seems almost impossible sometimes.”

Tom scoffed and shook his head while rolling his eyes.

“You haven’t even suffered yet. That maze was the first proper introduction to a long tower floor stay, and you weren’t having to fight. Our worst time was almost two months and if we slept more than an hour at a time, it was utter bliss. Waves of monsters kept coming and we couldn’t retreat as no one knew just how much further we had to go.”

“But the experience was amazing,” Everett stated. “We gained more levels in that one grind than we ever had on a single floor.”

Nodding his head, Tom had the tiniest of smiles as he gazed off somewhere for a moment.

“I remember getting so hungry we were cooking the meat of the creatures we killed. After that we made sure to pack enough food for a three-month trip.”

Max felt himself wince as he realized they only had enough food for maybe two weeks.

“I guess it’s time I upgraded our storage as well,” he replied. “But for now, there is some warm water and a soft bed with a beautiful woman waiting for me.”

Both men laughed and waved as Max left the room.

***

Fowl snorted as they stood outside the tower entrance.

They were the fourth one in line as, for some reason, nine groups had been waiting to enter this morning from different factions.

Acknowledgements came from everyone but the group of elves that were two spots before them.

“It appears we are with a celebrity,” Fowl whispered. “Perhaps I can sell some of his used equipment for gold.”

Batrire snorted as Max groaned.

He had been trying to deal with the changes his and Tanila’s plan would bring. The recent rise of fame had been so bad that he used his appearance altering jewelry when headed out of the Faction property.

“It will pass,” he replied. “For now, focus. We don’t have any idea what we’ll face today, and I want to make sure we’re ready for it.”

“What happened to the fun-loving guy?” Cordellia asked as she winked at Fowl. “Always cracking short jokes and pretending life was just one good time after another.”

“He grew up,” was their dwarf warrior's response. “It is a shame.”

***

“Well, that’s not what I expected at all,” Fowl stated as they peered at the large opening in the black dirt.

Dozens of ants ran around the outside, moving towards another hole about a hundred yards off. These ants, however, were part ant and part metal creation. Some had metal legs like the automatons, a few had a robotic head and one was a bright red color with an extremely large appendage on the end. Each was at least five feet tall, with the metal heads being almost seven feet in height.

“Ants… again,” their ranger said with a sigh. “Which means we’re going underground.”

Max nodded and readied his halberd.

“We might be able to only get six if we wait till the ones moving are further away. Focus, the ones with the automaton heads first.”

“Ready when you are.”

Tanila’s statement was all Max needed as he motioned to the one Fowl would toss a rock at.

“Seven!”

Fowl’s stone had aggro'd two with the metal heads and five of the ones with robotic legs.

Immediately, the difference in speed was noticeable as the five ran past the larger and slower pair.

“Rooting!”

“Shooting!”

Two of the faster ants were stopped in place, large roots rising up around their legs and an arrow from Cordellia caused her target to find a chunk of its face missing, purple gore splattering everywhere.

As it screeched, crashing against the ground, the other two came right at Fowl who was swinging his hammer and banging his shield.

Max sensed Tanila’s ice spear and quickly cast his fire elemental, ready to use it again.

The first ant struck Fowl, screeching in pain as the thorn aura caused a purplish blood to gush from the wound.

Swinging his weapon, Max found the blade cut right through the outer exoskeleton with ease, tearing through the shell and causing its head to fall sideways, still attached by a few ligaments and chitin.

The pair of metal heads were almost upon them and Max moved to the side, giving Fowl a chance to get aggro while he prepared to unleash a Fire Nova.

An ice spear tore through one of the rooted ants, almost looking like someone had run a stick through its entire body before it fell dead.

Two seconds before the larger ants reached their dwarven warrior, he had brained the faster ant, snapping off an antenna and moving to intercept the pair as Cordellia finished off his foe.

A pair of three foot wide mandibles opened up, clamping down on Fowl’s shield, gripping it tightly.

One second it was holding on, fighting against the dwarf’s strength, and a second later a glow came over it.

The next moment Fowl was off the ground, still holding onto his shield but now spinning like a top as the pair of robotic mandibles spun.

Faster and faster they twirled, bringing a cry of surprise and a call for help as their tank was a few feet off the ground, a blur of plate mail against the ant’s head.

Max didn’t wait after seeing what had happened, racing toward his target and delivering a solid hit to the rushing large ant.

Gong!

The impact of his axe against the side of the insect's face created a loud sound of metal on metal and it caused the ant to stagger back, a crack having appeared in a part of the metal while purple and green goo came from it.

Surprised by the fact the head hadn’t been cut cleanly, Max moved with a speed his ant couldn’t keep up with, taking off the legs instead, causing the insect to find itself unable to stand as the weight of its head brought it crashing to the black dirt.

Fire Nova went off, sending waves of flames across the ground three times, the smell of burning insects filling the air.

Three steps brought him to where Fowl continued to spin around like a toy at a fair.

[ Power Strike ]

One hit obliterated the head, sending both it and Fowl crashing into the dirt where the pair bounced and rolled around until the momentum was lost.

Cursing could be heard though not understood from their dwarf warrior.

Another spell and a few arrows ended the rest of the ants they had to face, allowing the group to move to where Fowl was, dirty and slightly banged up, puking his entire breakfast out.

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