QuestWright Bk2 C65: The Second Dungeon (II) (Patreon)

Author Note:

Not much here. Just that 65 is my favorite number (football number), and that I'm testing some covers with AI so I have a reference for the artist that does the final versions. I'm not sold on any of these, though I like the book 3 one quite a bit.

Cover #1 theme test (vellum)

Cover 1 standard

Cover 2

Cover 3

Now, onto the show

Chapter 65: The Second Dungeon (II)

As the other members of the group moved out to the edges, Cass focused on his role in the excursion.

I’m the map. I’m also the QuestWright. My job is to look over everything at once, and that’s just what I’m going to do.

I am not a warrior. He reminded himself. I’m not the hero. Focus on helping the group, Cass. That’s what you’re here for.

He had not been idle these last few weeks. After deciding he needed to master the skills he had before taking on more, he’d practiced and worked hard to learn as many merged Quest types as he could.

Adya had been a big help there. Together, the two had come up with several combat scenarios that might strike the next time they entered a Dungeon. That was why, though he knew their situation was incredibly dangerous, he already had a plan of action.

With a grim look, Cass projected Command Center on the ground. While fourteen Greybeards slowly approached through the ash, he spied dozens more coming in from the periphery. Alan was right; the reward was the bait.

Opening his Outliner, Cass created his first Quest of the Dungeon.

. 

Awaken Activated

Set at the lowest intensity he could, Cass’s clarity was now increased by fifty percent while lasting for forty minutes. As he took a breath and his nerves calmed, he set about creating several quick templates, then created his first Hybrid Quest.

Bane Activated

And again.

Bane Activated

And again.

Bane Activated

In every direction between the defenders and the incoming monsters, golden rings circled the ground with a small amount of overlap. The radius for each wasn’t overly large, but that was because Cass was banking on the thought that this would be a protracted battle, not something quickly done in the next five minutes.

With three Bane circles out and targeting the Greybeards, he shifted his focus to the group. Alan had already moved out and to the left, two Greybeards now missing from the map. In the brief pause before the old Scout fought again, Cass sent him an Awaken Quest focused on reflexes.

Then, he did the same for everyone, again focusing on time rather than intensity. A quick glance up showed several members of the group looking his way in astonishment, but Cass was already planning his next step.

All of this was possible because of Cinder and the upgrades that came with it. He and Adya had started to test the limits of his energy the moment Way of the Forged had formed from his Paths. 

Before Cinder, Cass could create maybe ten Quill Quests, or four Hybrids, before he ran into trouble. After first unlocking the Way, that had increased to over forty, and further testing had shown he could create eleven Hybrid Quests.

But the moment the burning flames of Cinder, Stalwart, and Tempered had stood side by side in his screen, Cass’s Questing independence took on a completely new level.

So far, they had not discovered his limit. But Cass knew the Dungeon was going to test that on this day.

Four Greybeards moved from the edge of the fight toward the bottom, only a few dozen feet from the position Gary and Pellin were holding. Cass quickly selected two of his newest templates, one for Observe and one for Secure, then drafted both in his mind and sent them out toward his best friend.

They merged just before reaching him.

[Tier 2 Sentinel Quest]

Gary, you’ve got 4 Greybeards coming at you from the right. They should have Waypoints on them, so they’re easy to see. Take Pellin and take them out, then get back to your position.

Cassio Vale

Liberty Guildtower

Journeyman QuestWright

As soon as that was sent, Cass looked around and found several lit-up areas. With speed, he created another Quest by merging Secure and Hunt.

[Tier 1 Containment Quest]

Damien, find every Luminosity you can and bury them in your pack. Nobody is expecting you to fight, but you can still help by keeping our position as secret as you can. The Greybeards are going to run at the circles I put down; we don’t need any other distractions.

Cassio Vale

Liberty Guildtower

Journeyman QuestWright

In an environment where sound was obsolete, Cass’s Quests were a lifeline to the group. But the map could only show so much. Looking up again, Cass’s Tactical Framing turned on as a Greybeard neared one of the Bane circles. 

As expected, it lit on golden fire, though the flames were small as he’d dialed the intensity down during its creation. The Greybeard took another two steps forward before an arrow found its eye, then it collapsed.

The next few minutes passed quickly as the original fourteen Greybeards suffered ignoble deaths. Then the next wave came, with another, larger one behind it.

Doing a temperature check on everybody, he couldn’t outright see if they’d suffered any wounds. From what Shirley had said, a simple cut could turn into something deadly if left untended.

I’ll just have to trust that they’re taking care of themselves.

Cass watched as thirty Greybeards got close enough to see through Bane’s glowing circle. As they entered the circles like moths drawn to the flame, instead of arrows striking them, several bursts of Cyan light lit the ash cloud around the area before striking the Greybeards.

The brightest of all came from Pellin's weapon on the right, each shot creating holes in the monster big enough for Cass to put his fist through. Teeth chattering, the Greybeards fell in place, a mound of corpses staining the ground.

Several burning Greybeards made it out of the circle as the flames slowly died off. The smell of putrid flesh burning covered the area as one got close enough for Cass to take action himself. His hatchet was out in the blink of an eye as he dodged a poorly fired attack from the Greybeard. 

As it retracted, he moved in close. Using Tactical Framing, he timed his next step for another dodge, then buried the sharp blade in the monster’s skull. A small bright orb appeared on top of the body, which he immediately placed in his bag before returning to the map.

With the amount of bodies covering his Bane circles, their light was severely diminished. Thinking on it, he sent a Retrieval Quest to Jason, asking the armored man to move the corpses off the circle. 

Jason glowed for a brief moment as he accepted the Quest, then nodded Cass’s way before flinging corpses off the circles. A few Greybeards grew close, but the two archers of Team Razorwire handled them with ease. The weapons that Pellin had sold to Alan were apparent as small cyan glows lit up the ashy environment every so often.

The group has realized the same thing I did, this is a battle of attrition. They’re using the Pellblasts anytime they’ve charged up.

God that name is stupid.

The map showed most of the closest monsters were already dead, but the largest wave yet was still coming. Numbering over one hundred, they came in a broad line spread to cover a large area. The result was that they were much less grouped than before.

The Guardian’s directing them. Cass thought, taking a guess as to the change in tactics. The first waves were just like the last Dungeon. It was testing us. Now it’s taking control.

That means our tactics need to change too.

Right now, everybody is spread out, with Alan and Adya the furthest away. That needs to change. 

Cass knew if Awaken wasn’t running, he’d probably be panicking right now. But as things were, his mind made the necessary speedy connections before he took action. There was always hope in the darkness, or in this case, the ash.

He just needed to see them through this.

First, he sent out two Hunt Quests. One to Alan on the left, and one to Adya on the right. Cass was very particular in making certain that only four of the Greybeards on the edge of the map were selected before directing both to return as soon as their Quest was complete. 

He didn’t want them away from the group for too long in case something unexpected were to occur.

To Gary and Pellin, he called them closer to himself; same with archers Wallace and Seb. By pulling them from the periphery, he forced the Guardian to redirect the Greybeards to a more centralized attacking location, placing them closer to the three burning circles of golden Bane.

To Shirley and Jason, he split them, putting Jason in front of Gary and Pellin, with Gary providing the armored man with some support, while Shirley would be forced to hold the left on her own. 

And in each of his Quests to the non-Scouts, he quietly reminded them to use their Pellblasts as much as possible. If they could keep their distance at all, it would make things easier as the Greybeards closed in.

And it worked.

Alan finished his Quest quickly, returning to help Shirley as she was pressed from several redirecting Greybeards at once. Cass nervously watched Adya’s position on the dark map, but slowly, one by one, her targets were eliminated as she began her return trip.

In the meantime, some of Damien’s traps finally saw some use. Jason was baiting the Greybeards into them whenever he had the chance, and as that area cleared up, the Trapsmith would quickly collect any loose Luminosities before repositioning his Calling’s namesakes.

Between the Pellblasts, arrows, traps, and occasional kills, the Greybeard numbers whittled down quickly, and Cass didn’t have to step out from the center once. He’d kept a close eye on Bella and the horses in case anything tried sneaking up on them, but so far, the battle was relatively smooth sailing.

Of course, as his mind started to relax and he began thinking of ways to handle his Quests more efficiently, the Guardian changed tactics again.

A single, very large red dot appeared on the map just as the excursion group members found their rhythm. What was truly impressive was how fast it moved, cutting across the ground at a speed Cass had never seen before.

He wanted to warn the group. Wanted to scream out that something was coming, but there wasn’t enough time, nor was there a sound to make.

It was coming, and they’d have no warning.

In just seconds, it was upon them.

Jason’s longsword was high in the air midstrike when the crocodilian-shaped snout of the Rake appeared from out of the ash like a nightmare. Its thick, meaty arms propelled its body forward with haste as it swung its bony tail in a blurring spin.

The three long, sharp bones on the edge struck Jason's armor with a silent crash as the member of Team Razorwire was caught completely unaware. Flying through the air, the armored man blew past the group, sailing into the ash and darkness beyond as the Rake’s mouth opened wide.

Cass was already preparing a Bane Quest when suddenly several Greybeards fell off its back. Immediately, they began attacking as an all-out scrum erupted behind the circles of Bane and in the heart of the group.

Cass closed the map and pulled out his buckler and hatchet as two Greybeards came directly for him. Blocking one, he quickly dodged another before a Pellblast shot took one down. Decapitating the other one after three quick steps and a rolling dodge, Cass looked at the group.

Everyone was fighting a pitched battle surrounded by Greybeards left and right. Of the Rake, he saw nothing at all, but the map on the ground showed it swinging around them, several red dots appearing each time it stopped before backing away again.

We’ve truly underestimated this Guardian, Cass thought as he spun up and liberally covered the area in Greybeard Bane Quests. 

Golden fury burned into every monster, but they were spread out enough that he simply didn’t have time to cover every location. Rather than going for time, Cass created two massive, high-intensity Bane Quests. 

The rings burned for less than a second, flashfiring the Greybeards in the area before the blinding light disappeared as if it had never been. The monsters weren’t dead, but they were severely burned, giving the two teams and Alan time to catch a breather.

Then, as he caught his breath, Cass heard a voice in his mind.

Fuckith off!

He quickly looked at Bella and the horses…they were surrounded.