[LD-1] 42. Entry of the Gods (Patreon)

XLII

Entry of the Gods

Partner Skill.

Daring Display, Common, Level 2: The darkin crystalis assaults a target’s mind and forces it to attack them. Summoner effect: makes the summoner more inconspicuous in the eyes of the target.

Would you like to change the partner skill?

I glanced at Kil. ‘Summoner effect?’

He bobbed. That’s the special nature of partner skills! Master get’s to share in part of their power. But the effect is only active whenever he uses his ability. Also, not all abilities have a summoner effect.

Which I could only figure out by actually swapping the skills around. Currently, there was only one other option to choose from.

Summon ability.

White Carapace, Uncommon, Level 1: The darkin crystalis surrounds themselves in a shell of bones. Summoner effect: the crystalis’s armour spreads to the summoner. Summoner’s armour is more brittle and covers less of their body.

I slotted that skill in without further thought, then flicked Kil on the head.

‘You should’ve told me about this sooner.’

He let out an exaggerated yell and hurled further than my flick could’ve caused.

Not fair, Master! All of you were in such a hurry, so I couldn’t get a word in.

I huffed. True. We’d basically left the moment I levelled.

‘So?’ I asked. ‘Anything else I need to know?’

We had some time now.

Master’s summons have their own stats. Though you can’t see them right now.

‘They’re locked?’ Most likely behind an ability.

He nodded. I can unlock the ability, but I’d advise against it. There’s nothing you can do yet that will influence them.

Better to save his skill points for later, then.

There’s also the bond mechanic, he added. It represents how much faith your summons have in Master and increases their power. But again—

‘It’s not relevant at the moment,’ I finished and sighed. ‘What about you, though? I cannot see your status.’

I already knew what his answer would be before he gave it.

Because I’m special! Kil cheered. I share in Master’s stats, unlike your other summons. I’m also not limited to a single partner skill.

Right. Mister Exception to every rule. That said, it made sense that I couldn’t change his skills manually. Unlike Char, he was intelligent. I could just tell him if I wanted him to get another skill.

I can also influence what skills your other summons will unlock, Master.

‘Hoh? That sounds useful.’

But I’ll need to unlock the skill to do so.

‘And how great is this influence?’

Similar to a suggestion. I’m steering them down a certain path, but there’s no knowing exactly what they’ll unlock.

So he could instruct something like: I want you to unlock defensive skills now. What defensive skill would they get? No telling.

I stroked my cheek. ‘No, leave it for now.’

Getting the skill would mean spending skill points. We were saving those so I could unlock a rare skill at level twenty.

He bobbed. Understood, Master!

Lithe steps drew my attention. Kiba plopped down beside me with a deep exhale.

My head tilted. “What’s the matter?”

He jabbed a thumb out to the side. Riri was crying. Alexa was doing her best to comfort the girl, as was a vine that’d pierced the ground to rub the leg of its master.

‘Huh, they stick around?’

Most techniques fizzled after a second or two, but hers must be more akin to a summoned creature.

I turned back to Kiba. “You’re running because she’s crying?”

“I don’t deal well with crying—I never know what to say or do to help.”

“That’s a lie.” I punched his shoulder. “Didn’t you help me only a few hours ago?”

He lied down. “That was a fluke. A stroke of genius.” He turned onto his side.

“Oy, you can’t go to sleep. We’re…”

I railed off and shook my head. My words would bounce off his skull; he was already gone.

‘He really is a monster in his own right.’

Alexa stepped into the corner of my sight. She allowed her posture to slump a little as she kneaded the tension out of her shoulder. “There are some last things we need to discuss before heading in.”

Lily helped the crying Riri onto her feet and steered her in our direction. The others followed behind them.

“Are we even sure we have to head in?” I asked.

Given that the commander was guarding the entrance, it was safe to say that the orc lord was inside.

“Maybe waiting until he comes out is better?” I continued.

She shook her head. “The—”

“—instance changes the situation,” Shota said. Douglas and Evans were walking at his side, as they always were.

My brow raised. Shota opened his mouth to speak—

“The lord isn’t just a monster,” Kiba mumbled. “He’s a…”

He trailed off.

We waited for his next words.

The white fang yawned and turned onto his other side.

Shota pinched his forehead. “An Explorer, like us,” he finished. Then, under his breath, he snarled: “Why are you even interrupting me if you’re going to nod off?”

I gripped my knee. ‘An Explorer…’

“So he’s trying to clear the dungeon, too?” I said.

“That’s right,” Alexa went. “We had two conditions for clearing the dungeon. His conditions likely reflect our own. Since he’s not trying to kill us, we’re left with the remaining circumstance.”

He was trying to destroy the realm core.

I bit my teeth. “What will happen if he succeeds?”

“We’ll all die,” she answered without pausing. “The dungeon will break, and the system will only save the victors from the fallout. The losers are on their own.”

Which didn’t mean guaranteed death. There were special stones that could be used to break or teleport out of a dungeon. But those were contingency measures that were incredibly expensive. Not something anyone on our tier would have access to.

The faces of the others fell. Even Emily, who was normally the cheerful one, looked as if she was seeing ghosts.

Alexa addressed us all. “We’ll head inside once everyone has recovered their mana. Make sure your equipment is in the best condition and go over your role and position with the members who are set to have your back.”

Grave nods all around.

A boy in Roland’s group raised his hand. “Do we have an idea who Lei is?”

Alexa shook her head. “Our best guess is a god of some kind.”

I glanced toward Kil. Unfortunately, he did not know who Lei was either.

There were many gods, of which only a few were well known. An entity like Lord Null was a major deity, known to nearly all. As was Wit, the god of Light. But beyond that? You could spend your entire life learning the names of deities and still not know the half of them.

And then you’d only learned about human gods. The monster races had gods, too, though many of them were the same deities that the humans served, just under different names.

“But it could just as well be some kind of saint,” she added.

A person recognised by the populace as a faithful worshipper of a deity. Something like a prophet.

“So we’re going in blind,” Roland cursed.

Everyone else grimaced, too. No one spoke.

For once, Alexa didn’t try comforting us either. The streaks of lightning reflected in her glasses and highlighted Lily’s silhouette in her eyes.

After going over the plan one more time, we returned to our own corners. Seeing the others walk away with their backs hunched made me think of pirates forcing their captives onto the planks, or death row inmates being called in for their final walk.

I inhaled and held my breath. ‘We’ll be alright. We can make it through this.’

Kiba had reached level twenty. I was stronger than my level let on, and my catafalque was nearing completion. Alexa and Lily had years of experience with a blade. Shota, while he was an obnoxious asshole, had his technos, which were formidable. Then there were Douglas and Emily. The two were a godsend who’d kept us safe the entire dungeon.

Our team was well-structured and complete. Our ability in combat had been tried and tested in battles of life and death.

…

Though the facts stacked up in our favour, the whirlpool in my stomach didn’t vanish. I let go of my breath, linked my hands, and calmed my mind.

There was no other option but forward.

We gathered in front of the entrance. There were nineteen of us. Most of us hovered around level fifteen, but the main fighters of our group were around level twenty.

Alexa placed her hand on the door. She turned around. “This is your last chance to leave. There’s no shame in doing so.”

Cold stares all around.

The president waited. Then nodded.

A velvet blanket stroked past my cheeks, over my shoulders, and swallowed my form.

You’ve chosen to enter [Temple of Lei]!

Party Members: 19/50.

Transmission commencing.

The buzzing of lightning fizzled out together with every other sound. A strong wind blew past like we hurled through the sky. I tried to blink, but my muscles weren’t giving me any feedback.

My chest contracted, but I didn’t panic—this was just like the last two times—and waited for the world to shift back.

“Weapons out,” Alexa’s voice pierced the unnatural quiet.

Light reached my eyes as her voice faded. My arm shot up to shield my eyes. I peered through narrowed eyelids. Stone walls circled and funnelled into a single hole in the ceiling, from which shot a wide beam of sunlight. The architecture reminded me of a—

“See, I told you they would make it.”

The familiar voice yanked my attention toward it.

Rhaast stood with his arms folded behind his back. The orc lord beside him lorded over him like a giant would an ant.

The shadowlord candidate swept us with a single glance—a flash of something red and hot flickered in his eyes but squelched in an instant—then turned back to a figure further in the room.

A woman lounged on top of a cloud that was as big as a person. She sat with her elbow on her knee, her hand supporting her head. Her big toe twitched inside her wooden sandals, which jutted out beneath wide pants. Her cropped shirt exposed her abdomen, putting her defined muscles and toned frame on display. A lightning bolt marking crawled up her belly and wrapped around her neck. The streak continued up her cheeks to coil around a single horn curving out of her temple.

Her marking pulsed a bright blue, offsetting the shade of her skin, which was such a dark grey it was nearly black.

[Priestess of Lei - lvl. 25]

She was level twenty-five. Ten levels behind the shadowlord candidate. A mere five levels removed from Kiba.

And yet, my head grew light in her presence in a way it hadn’t since I entered this dungeon.

Beside me, Kil shivered. Master, that’s…

For the first time, a deep-rooted dread crawled from Kil’s bond into my chest.

Three of our lower-level party members fell to their knees.

Seeing this, the woman smiled. “Welcome.“