Chapter 90: Paying the Price (Patreon)

Moving deeper through the cave tunnel only led to a series of other diverging tunnels. Carina had said that Martin would disappear down one tunnel and it became impossible to find him. There were now three different paths that I could take, each painted with the same black esoteric symbols as before that keeps this place cut off from the rest of the tower.

I couldn’t afford to get lost by choosing the wrong path.

I activated Heightened Awareness. It was a relatively low cost ability to enhance my hearing. In caves like this, sound can echo for miles if it's not interrupted and now that we’re cut off from everything else, the only sounds left should be me, Anders, and Martin’s. I heard my breathing and heart beating first. With concentration, I filtered those out and focused further out until the faintest sound reached my ears.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

It was so quiet that it was almost imperceptible, but it was clearly coming from the tunnel to my left. With nothing else to go on, I followed the sound down the tunnel. I knew it could end up being something stupid, like water dripping down onto rock, but it was all I had to go on.

The deeper I ventured, the louder the noise became until it sounded like metal being hammered. I held my sword in front of me as I cautiously moved closer. Though I knew it would be in vain If Martin had his giant goblin dog with him. That thing would catch my scent long before I could get within striking range.

Of course, fighting Martin and Anders in a tightly confined cave tunnel at our strength levels would be less than ideal also. I did not want to find myself getting stuck in another cave-in. Whatever Martin was planning, I had the sneaking suspicion that it involved another route out of here. There’s no way he’d willingly risk himself getting trapped in here.

I followed the tunnel until it opened up into a giant cavern. Stalagmites and stalactites larger than myself hung from the ceiling and floor around the edges of the room. In the center were Anders and Martin standing in front of an altar.

On the surface, Martin looked almost identical to when we’d first met right down to the tracksuit. Even after all this time and fighting, he hadn’t even gotten it dirty.

Anders, on the other hand, had clearly leveled up multiple times since our last encounter and had gained even more muscle. He’d fashioned some wolf animal skin into a loose jacket that still left most of his torso bare. A fashion statement to show off his hunting prowess rather than being worn for any practical purpose. His large axe still hung on his back and appeared to be in good condition, which irritated me, especially considering how much damage it had done to my sword in our last meeting.

I double checked the rest of the space to be sure, but there were no other creatures lurking in the shadows. No bats waiting to drop from the ceiling or giant goblin dogs waiting to leap out of the shadows. Not that Martin couldn’t summon them anyway, but at least if he did I’d see them coming first.

I wondered if I could take both of them out before Martin can summon one of his beasts? Wait, what are they doing with that altar?

Curiosity got the better of me and I crept behind one of the large stalagmites to watch them first.

As I looked closer, I realized that there was a woman lying on the altar. No, not a woman. A woman’s body.

Anders had a hammer in his hand and as he struck the body, I saw that he was hammering a nail into the woman’s wrist while Martin impassively watched.

“That’s the last nail, though I still don’t see why it had to be her,” Anders said.

Martin shrugged. “I was told that taking the wife of the town founder would be seen as an ideal act of conquest. It’ll help power the ritual so that we can take the next step.”

They were talking about Damian’s wife, Maria. They killed her and are using her body to power some kind of spell. An ideal act of conquest? Did that mean that Gundred was the one sponsoring them? The goddess of conquest who’d appeared to me as a kindly old lady before she’d gotten angry. Yeah, that meeting hadn’t gone too well, and I was in no rush to see her again. It made sense she’d pick someone like Martin though. Someone who’d focused on building an army and taking territory would appeal to a god that represented conquest.

Anders stepped to the side. Blood was flowing freely from the body and off the altar, which suggested she’d died recently. But if Martin had held onto her since the town was founded then that means he’s been planning this almost from the start.

“We?” Anders asked, puzzled.

“Of course. I never intended to leave you here.”

Anders didn’t know whether looking pleased would show weakness, so he settled for a frown when he thought of something. “What about Carina?”

“She’s strong and a survivor,” Martin assured him. “We’ll find her once we receive the goddess's blessing.”

Anders nodded, accepting that the answer lied in gaining more strength.

Martin placed his hand on the body and murmured something.

The air in the room grew thick with the scent of burnt ozone. Small arcs of electricity flashed through the air in front of the altar. These flashes intensified and steadily became a circle through which a blue portal emerged. The portal was massive, and it carried with it a howling icy wind from the other side.

If that portal leads to Gundred, the goddess of conquest, then I have to take them now before they leave. I kept my sword in one hand and had my inventory screen open, ready to bring out the paralyzing Zenyx Orb of Terror in the other.

Before I could move, Martin turned and, looking directly at my hiding spot, said, “Deal with him, would you?”

Inwardly, I cursed as I stood up. His senses shouldn’t have discovered me, but I can’t worry about that now.

“Gladly,” Anders grinned as he drew his axe.

“Don’t take too long,” Martin warned.

Martin started to walk away towards the portal. Now was my chance. I unleashed the orb and held it aloft.

There was no reaction from Anders who continued to advancing towards me. Martin, meanwhile, stopped and looked back at the orb. It suddenly grew red hot and then exploded in my hand.

I gasped in shock at my burnt ruined hand while Martin smirked and then disappeared through the portal.

The portal remained open after his departure, which surprised me. So Martin was being sincere when he said he wanted Anders to join him. I guess even egomaniacal assholes can get lonely.

There was only a moment to recover before Anders was upon me with a heavy axe swing. A direct hit would cut me in half, but with my dexterity I side-stepped his attack. The pain in my hand was a screaming, unwelcome distraction that I tried to block out as I moved to counter with my sword. But Anders had anticipated missing me with the first blow and was already spinning the axe around when I’d started to dodge. Unable to get away in time, I was forced to block with my sword.

Direct contact with the axe caused another piece of my blade to be chipped away. I grimaced and tried to retreat, but his next strike caught the blade again. This time, the attack was even stronger, and I felt the force of the blow jolt through my body.

It was enough of a shock that I had to retreat a few steps back, which Anders seemed to allow. Being partially cut off from the System’s eyes meant that there was no notification, but I could tell that Anders was at least my equal in level and wanted to brag about it.

His grin widened. “You sense it, right? That is what it feels like to weather a strike from level 50 Battleborn.”

Level 50?!

There wasn’t time to ask how he’d leveled so quickly and frankly the method wouldn’t matter since it was the clear that the goddess of conquest was involved. But she’d done more than help them advance in levels. Both of them now had the power to resist the orb, and Martin was able to break it with just a look. A power that a Beastmaster summoner like Martin shouldn’t have access to.

Anders approached slowly, confident in his new strength. Too confident. It was time to change that.

Channeling my Apprentice Swordmaster skill, I struck first, this time with a series of lightning fast feints and slashes. Anders might have gotten stronger, but I was still faster. My attacks put him on the backfoot as he blocked some with his large axe handle, while others got through and left shallow cuts.

With every successful slice, his blood called out to me. Without even consciously thinking about it, I used Blood Magnetism to draw it to me and heal my injured hand while I continued fighting.

Despite appearances, Anders wasn’t dumb. He knew one of my weaknesses and every chance he got; he made sure to block with his axe to further weaken my sword. I tried to pull my blade back each time to avoid damaging it, but sometimes it was unavoidable.

After a particularly close encounter where he’d swung for my head, I leapt back high into the air and activated Air Slash with my sword. A devastating white crescent line shot out of my blade and caught Anders head on while kicking up a stream of dust.

For a moment, I almost cheered. I’d watched this ability cut a building in half before.

As the dust cleared, I saw Anders was glowing red and was completely unharmed. His ability had nullified my attack? I’d seen Carina use it before, but not to counter magic. Whatever the ability did, it made him cocky as he twirled his axe while the red glow faded. The image reminded me of Carina also, which made me sad. As much as I disliked Anders, I figured I owed it to her to at least try and stop this from going any further.

“We don’t have to fight,” I said. “Carina is waiting for you in the camp on floor 98.” At least I hoped she still was.

Anders’s face darkened at the mention of his sister. “What did you do? Take her hostage?!”

“What? No, I…”

I trailed off as Anders burst forward with surprising speed before jumping up to bring a heavy two-handed swing down on my head. In that moment, time slowed down as I saw a way to end the fight in one final move.

As the axe came down, I raised my sword to block with one hand while the other drew my Viper Fang. When sword and axe collided with one another, my sword broke in half and the axe continued until it bit down into my shoulder. The pain almost made me forget the plan, but anger was an old friend that helped to dull the pain.

Gritting my teeth, I stabbed him in the chest with my viper fang. Anders saw it coming and managed to turn slightly at the last second. The knife still went into his chest, but I’d missed the heart. Not the instant death I was looking for, but a lethal dose of Green Viper toxin was still delivered into his blood stream all the same. Not that he’d know it yet.

I cried out as Anders wrenched the axe free from my shoulder. I raised my broken sword expecting more fighting, but instead he stumbled back, not in pain but confusion.

Anders grasped the knife and yanked it out of his chest. It wouldn’t matter. The damage was already done. His breathing got heavier and then wheezy and hoarse as the poison worked its magic.

This is it. I just have to wait for him to drop.

He started to cough and then the red glow around his body returned, this time permanently.

He spat to the side and took in an easy breath. “Poison? That was your grand plan?” Anders tossed the knife away with a contemptuous sneer. “Let’s see what else you got.”

As he exploded forward with his axe, I equipped the binding chains and threw a length of it at him. The chain wrapped around his axe handle and using Anders’s own momentum, I pulled him further forward. Unable to stop in time, he stumbled, and the axe slipped out of his grip. Using the chains, I yanked the weapon towards me and then threw it into the portal.

Let’s see how either of us do without our favorite toys.

I dashed at him with my broken sword and activated Savage Rupture as I attacked his neck. The blade lightly penetrated, drawing a little blood, but my ability didn’t work. I stabbed again and again in desperate strikes, drawing some blood, but not enough to be fatal. I reached for my anger to use Umbral Frenzy, but that ability only worked in darkness. Between the portal and his red form, the room was too well lit for it to work.

His red glowing form must be enhancing his toughness. I’m not getting through.

Anders recovered and roundhouse kicked me in the face. There was so much force behind it that I was sent flying back and crashed through one of the large stalagmites. Before I could recover, he was there, standing over me with a hateful glare.

I reached for my broken sword. It was gone. The chains wrapped around my other fist were the only thing I had left. Anders grabbed me and threw me across the room before I could use them.

I slammed into the wall. There was an explosion of pain as I cracked several ribs and breathing suddenly became agony. Blood Magnetism started drawing blood that had fallen on the ground towards me, but I feared that it wouldn’t be enough. What was it Carina had said about Battleborn? That the longer the fighter goes on, the stronger they become? It certainly seemed to be the case for Anders, who leisurely strolled towards me.

I forced myself up despite my bodies screaming protests. Once he was close enough, I sent out the chains to wrap around his left ankle. There. That will nullify his powers and limit his mobility.

Except he was still glowing red. I pulled tightly on the chains, but he pulled his leg back almost as hard.

Why isn’t it working? Is he immune to all magic?

He grabbed the chain in his hands and started pulling me towards him.

There was nothing else to do but abandon the chains before he pulled me too close. In a contest of pure strength, he’d win every time. Anders gratefully collected the chains and discarded them through the portal as well. I’m sure Martin was on the other side having a laugh and wondering what will fly through next.

I was out of weapons. There was nothing left but hand to hand, but I wasn’t giving up. I raised my fists and Anders did the same.

I moved in first, using Blood Magnetism. I drew blood towards my hand until it pooled into a small ball. When he was within range, I threw it in his face, temporarily blinding him. He roared in pain but knew enough not to try to wipe it away and lower his guard.

I launched a flurry of kicks and punches, focusing on weak points to knock him off balance. I may not be a strength build, but I wasn’t a slouch in that arena either. I heard bone crack under several of my blows, but Anders refused to go down. He swung blindly for me after my strikes, but I skipped away each time with ease. With his eyes closed, he was like a clumsy bear while I was a fluid dancer.

He’d bled enough to return me to my peak, but it wasn’t enough. Without my weapons, it was clear that I wasn’t doing any lasting damage to him. If this continued for much longer, he’d find a way to win.

Desperate, I jumped up and slammed my elbow down on his head. That turned out to be the moment Anders was waiting for. He shrugged off the blow and wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug. I couldn’t move. His strength was immense and his arms grew tighter. We were face to face, but his eyes were still clamped shut from the blood. I headbutted him and he ignored it. I did it a second time, and he laughed, almost daring me to try it again.

It was getting harder to breathe.

“Meow,” a cat echoed in the cave.

For a moment, Anders and I both froze as if not believing what we’d just heard.

The moment passed and Anders, assuming he was hearing things, resumed crushing me. But the message for me was loud and clear. I watched as a trickle of blood ran down his neck and I knew what to do.

I will not die here. I refuse. I will not die in this place just because some god with a giant ego became offended by some petty slight. I will survive. I will find a way out of here and I will save my friends. Whatever the price, I’ll pay it.

I opened my mouth and bit into Anders’s neck. My passive skill Feral Hunter kicked in instantly as I activated Savage Rupture. The shallow cut from earlier left enough of an opening that I managed to sink my teeth into him. His blood rushed into my mouth and I felt the euphoria of my body healing itself. The joy of all my pain and exhaustion being washed away in a wave of crimson. I returned to peak form, but as I continued to drink, I felt myself go further beyond it.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 40 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 41 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 42 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 43 – Experience Acquired.

Anders tried to stop me, but I could feel his arms grow weaker by the second. I wasn’t just using his blood to heal; I was draining his power. It felt incredible. This is what Samara meant when she said there was power in the blood.

*DING!* [Feral Hunter Skill] Increased to level 2

*DING!* [Feral Hunter Skill] Increased to level 3

*DING!* [Feral Hunter Skill] Increased to level 4

Anders let go of me and I felt his legs collapse. He was yelling, begging me to stop. I held on and kept drinking as the levels increased dramatically.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 47 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 48 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* You have Slain [Anders Johansson, Class: Battleborn] Level 50 – Experience Points Acquired.

Anders’s heart stopped, and I paused. The magic in his blood had not yet diminished, but without a live heart to pump it, drinking became more difficult. But this was my kill and I had a connection to it, an ownership of it that surpassed that. I activated blood magnetism and continued feeding.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 51 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 52 – Experience Acquired.

*DING!* Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 53 – Experience Acquired.

When he’d been drained completely, a new System message appeared.

[Congratulations on besting this foe. I’m sure the battle was hard fought, though I regret being unable to witness it. A sad fact of the matter when some beings like to put their thumb on scale when supporting a champion. Ah well, you’re more fun than Anders, anyway. This is a pre-recorded message in case you couldn’t tell. If all your allies are dead, then good for you for doing it on your own. If they’re still there, then boo! Boo for being dishonorable and ganging up on one man.]

I didn’t pay the message much mind. My senses were still singing. The pleasure from drinking the blood still enveloped me as I looted Anders’s body. There was surprisingly little in his inventory except for five thousand coins, which I added to my own collection.

I went into my stats and put an equal number of points into dexterity, strength, and perception. As soon as the new stats had been confirmed, there was another rush of power as my body advanced. I wanted to revel in newfound power, but then I received even better news.

*Ding!* Your ability [Weak Blood Magnetism] has evolved into [Crimson Domain]

*Ding!* You have gained the ability [Sanguine Projection]