Anti-Mage

Anton stepped into a room with two chairs and a table. On the table sat a hand-sized solid dome of clear crystal. On the other side of the table, a light-skinned female elf sat waiting for him. The chair for himself was on this side of the table.

“I am Elowyn, Adventurer’s Guild liaison. I am here to determine if you meet our requirements to enter the Adventurer’s Guild for access to the local Dungeon. Would you please have a seat?” Elowyn asked.

Anton moved to sit and looked at Elowyn. She didn’t appear to be a high elf, wood elf, or dark elf. Instead, her skin was pale white and she had light purple irises. She kept her hair long and wore an elegant silver robe that was both dignified and professional. Anton shook off the effect of her unique appearance and said, “Hello Elowyn, I am Anton, it is very nice to meet you.”

Elowyn smiled as she wrote something on a clipboard she pulled up from her lap, “Thank you for answering my first question Anton. My second question isn’t really a question. Please put either hand over the doom of crystal in front of you. It is a magical device that will detect your classes and levels.

Anton placed his hand on the hand-sized crystal dome as he said, “It’s not going to work on me.”

“I don’t know why you would think that…”, Elowyn started to say when she noticed that the crystal had not activated, “What are you doing to our Analyzing Crytal?”

Anton took his hand off the crystal and made sure that his Anti-Mage field was restrained to his body. The crystal started to glow a light blue immediately

“What?” Elowyn asked.

“Magic doesn’t work on me,” Anton said as he opened his SYSTEM Status pulled up his Anti-Mage ability, and made it visible to Elowyn.

Anti-Mage

You are the antithesis of all magical spheres, including natural expressions of those energies, such as lightning and fire for example. Additionally, this ability allows you to break down all physical matter given enough time and will. You may break down one pound of physical material per hour equal to your willpower attribute. Energy of any type automatically dissipates within willpower inches from your body. Note: Soul, Spirit, and Mental attacks are unaffected by this ability.

Elowyn read over the ability and looked at Anton wonderingly. She touched the table in front of her and an embedded keyboard and terminal appeared. She typed something into the keyboard and waited. A moment later a low-pitched “zzzt” sound came from it. Anton guessed that the sound implied a negative result. A moment later he was proved correct when Elowyn said, “We do not have any information on the ability you just showed me. Are you implying that you are completely immune to magic?”

“As far as I know, yes,” Anton answered truthfully.

“Very well, what is your class?”

“Specter,” Anton answered honestly.

“What is a Specter?” Elowyn asked.

“What do you mean?” Anton asked.

“Is it a fighter class, a rogue class, a mage class, or a healing class?” Elowyn asked.

“If I had to quantify it, I’d guess it’s a scout, rogue hybrid class,” Anton said thoughtfully.

“Okay,” Elowyn said as she wrote something on her clipboard, “What level are you?”

“Tier 1, Level 34,” Anton said.

“Tier 1. You realize we normally don’t allow members to join here until they’re at least level 50 right?” Elowyn asked.

“I did not know that, though in my case it shouldn’t matter,” Anton said.

“The level minimum is to ensure you have the attributes and skills to survive when you enter the level 50+ dungeon. It is very unlikely that anyone of lower level could survive in the Dungeon.”

“I guess there’s nothing for it,” Anton said as he opened his Status Screen again and shared the information on his other ability.

Immortal

You are immortal. If you are killed you will automatically heal at a rate of 1% cumulative per second until all damage is repaired and hit points restored. This ability is always active and does not require you to die for it to activate.

Body and Hit points are returned by 1% after 1 second. 55% after 10 seconds. 100% after 14 seconds. Energy of all forms except Soul, Spirit, mental, and that which is tied up in living or undead creatures can be broken down to fuel the ability Immortal.

Additionally, if completely disincorporated or disintegrated a new body will materialize near where your previous body was destroyed. You may alter your resurrection point by a number of feet equal to your Perception attribute.

Elowyn looked away from the information Anton had shared with her, typed something into the terminal at her fingertips, and waited. This time there was a “ding” as information began scrolling across the embedded monitor.

“What did you discover?” Anton asked.

“That ability is not unheard of. There are at least two known cases loaded into our network, Elowyn said.

“It was my understanding that this ability was incredibly rare. You have two people with that ability here in the city?”

Elowyn laughed gently, “Heavens no. The network I’m referring to spans multiple worlds, dimensions, and universes where we have Adventurer’s Guild branches throughout the many universes that exist within the SYSTEM.”

“Your organization is that large?” Anton asked.

“Of course,” Elowyn said.

“Then why do you have a level limit for joining? I would think a guild that large would have the ability to allow individuals to join at every level?” Anton asked.

“Simply put, in this city there is a minimum level requirement because of the Dungeon that we use. Anyone can join the Adventurer’s Guild. If you wish to apply for a basic membership I can issue that but you will need to travel to another area to level because you will not be able to do so in the Dungeon below us.”

“That makes no sense,” Anton said confusedly, “Can’t you make a group and power-level people?” Anton asked.

“That is not the purpose of the Adventurer’s Guild,” Elowyn stated.

“The Adventurer’s Guild isn’t here to help people get stronger so they can fight monsters?” Anton asked.

“The idealist among us would say that is so but, no that is not the purse of this Branch of the Adventurer’s Guild,” Elowyn said flatly.

“Then honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing here?” Anton said.

Elowyn looked thoughtful for a moment before Anton heard a click behind him as the door he’d entered locked.

“What is going on?” Anton asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

“Well, it is not often someone with two Legendary abilities while at a very low level comes within our grasp. Since you won't need those abilities, we’ll transfer them to someone who can utilize them,” Elowyn said with an evil grin, as she cast a spell.

Anton looked at Elowyn with a sense of resignation. He should have known better than to trust anyone, especially a corporate shill. Also, she’d tried to cast a spell at him. Next time he had a chance he was going to have to pick up some bombs or grenades or something. Still, he needed to get to the Dungeon Entrance and he didn’t want to have the entire guild after him so he added Elowyn to the list of people he had a score to settle with and activated Specter.

Elowyn stood quickly and looked around the room while Anton moved to the door behind her.

“Where is he? I need a sweeper team in orientation room 3, now!” Elowyn called out.

Anton waited until the door he was next to opened and then phased through the 3 people walking into the room. As the door closed, he heard Elowyn say, “Sweep the room, he has to be in here, he couldn’t have teleported out.”

Anton smiled as he moved through the hallway looking for a way down to the Dungeon. Nope he hadn’t teleported out, he’d just floated out.

Anton looked around for a moment to get his bearings. It looked like the interview rooms were set up to process people and get them on their way to the dungeon immediately. The hallway Anton exited into led to a big corridor that had a few different shops on each side. Weapons, Rations, Generic Supplies, a SYSTEM Shop, and even a magical store. Anton thought about sneaking inside of one but decided there was no point. He continued along the hall which ended in a circular ramp that led around a huge hole in the ground. Anton estimated that it had to be over 100 feet deep.

Anton stepped off the ramp and allowed himself to float down to the very bottom where the ramp opened into a large room with two sets of huge double doors. Each door was at least 20 feet high and 10 feet across which meant very large creatures could enter and exit this area. Anton looked around and saw that there was a large room off to his right in a very large room with oversized furniture and items. Anton could see a portal that opened into a scenic mountainscape. As he watched a giant humanoid stepped through the portal into the chamber. A moment later the portal winked out of existence, leaving a flat stone archway behind.

As he looked around he noticed that the area was bustling with people moving to and fro and stepping into a queue that led toward a huge golden portal at the end of the hall. Anton ignored the queue and moved to the front of the line. As he came to the front he saw the backs of five adventurers as they disappeared into the glowing golden portal. Anton wasn’t sure if he could use the portal while in his Spectral Form but it couldn’t hurt to try.

As Anton came up to the barrier he didn’t notice anything different as he willed himself through it. Which was why he wasn’t surprised when he passed through the barrier and found himself in solid rock. Anton floated back through the barrier and looked at the portal into the dungeon. Anton brought himself level with the ground and deactivated Specter.

Before anyone could say anything Anton stepped through the barrier and found himself standing inside a small room with a pedestal and a clear crystal node. Anton didn’t hesitate and walked up to the node and placed his hand on it.

You have entered The Dungeon of Life and Death

Do you wish to wait for other members to enter this Dungeon Instance, Yes or No?

Anton chose “No”

Warning, this is a level 50 Dungeon, You are currently under-leveled for this dungeon. Are you sure you wish to continue, Yes or No?

Anton chose “Yes”

Very well. Please continue through the door into the 1st Floor.

Anton withdrew his hand from the node and passed through the door onto the first floor of the Dungeon. As he stepped through the door he noticed that he was in a small clearing within a jungle with trees and vegetation all around. There was an obvious path leading off into the foliage and the door he’d entered from was embedded in a cliff face behind him that rose up at least 100 feet to a cavern ceiling. The light in the cavern seemed to come from somewhere above him and made him feel like the sun was in the late afternoon.

Anton activated Specter and rose above trees and plants as he followed the path forward. Once he was above the trees he immediately noticed that some of the plants and animals along the path appeared to be predatory. One of the plants looked a lot like a giant Venus Flytrap. Both of its pedals lay flat on path and waited for someone or something to step onto them. From the ground the plant would have been hard to detect as the “teeth” along the edge of the pedal looked like small twigs or tree stems sticking out of the ground. From the air, the plant was easy to make out.

Anton knew he wouldn’t be able to Analyze any of the creatures he saw unless he dropped his Spectral Form so he skipped along until he came to the end where he found a giant bull. Nothing fancy, just a giant bull. Giant, in this case, meant that its shoulders were at least 20 feet off the ground while standing on all four legs. It had to weigh at least a ton. How the hell did a team of Adventurers fight something that big?

Anton ignored the Giant Bull and found a depression in the ground that had a stairway that led into the Earth. Anton followed the path down until he came to a new room which seemed to be a rest area. There was a small stream, an obvious place to rest if someone wanted to. Anton looked around the rest area and noticed a door along the wall.

Anton moved over to the door and stuck his head through to see what was on the other side. This door opened into the side wall of a corridor that went off to his right and left. Also, the doorway appeared to be a concealed door from the other side.

Anton passed through the door and followed the corridor off to the left. As he floated along he noticed that except for the spot where the first floor connected with this corridor, everything seemed to be natural. The floors and walls did not appear to be reworked in any way. The corridor, or tunnel, only went on for about 50 feet and opened into a very dark cave. Anton turned around and followed the corridor in the other direction and found that it only went 50 feet in that direction before it opened into the same cavern. It appeared that both corridors had a slight curve to them. Now that he knew what to look for Anton verified that both corridors opened into the same cavern.

Anton looked around for a bit and ran into the denizens of this cavern when he partially passed through a spider about the size of a German shepherd. Spiders? He hated spiders. So this level was a hell-to-the-nope. Anton continued through the cave and into the last chamber where he found the Spider Queen which was as big as the Giant Bull on the level above. There was no way he was sticking around to mess with a spider that big.

It took him five minutes to find the exit to the corridor because it was hidden behind some webbing. Unlike the corridor that led to this level, this corridor contained masonry and looked well made. After 50 feet, Anton came across a wall socket that contained an unlit torch. In his Spectral Form, Anton could see in darkness just fine so he ignored the torch and continued on his way.

As he came onto the third level he noticed immediately that that his level would be something special. The first room was empty but the single corridor that led from it went down thirty feet and opened into a hall lined with skeletons and what Anton could only describe as a lich, sitting on a throne looking down on the Undead.

Magic was real, even though it couldn’t be used on him but Anton realized that if magic was real the possibility that there were undead as well. Anton was going to bypass this level as well when he ran into a problem. As he came to the wall on the other side of the lich where he found a corridor that led out of the chamber Anton bounced off of a barrier of some sort. He also noticed that as he bounced off the barrier the staff in the Lich’s Skeletal hand flashed red.

Suddenly, Anton heard a raspy voice that seemed to echo through the dimension he was in, “Appear before me, mortal, there is nowhere you can look upon me that I cannot find you!”

Lich’s, Lich’s, what was it about Lich, what was their weakness again? Anton thought as he racked his memories from the roleplaying and phone based fantasy games he’d played. A phylactery! What is a Phylactery? A container of some sort. Anton looked around the room quickly. There was nothing in the room, though there were two sealed vases on the other side of the barrier in the corridor to the next level. If there was a barrier stopping him, it couldn’t be magical in nature which meant that space in this dimension must be limited in this area, or sealed off somehow. On the mortal plane though…

Anton walked over to the corridor behind the lich and deactivated Specter. The Specter was already moving as Anton stepped through the magical barrier that was keeping the lich trapped. It was kind of ironic. The dungeon was placing the lich’s phylactery behind the lich and forcing it to protect it by stopping anyone from proceeding. Normally people would have to fight the undead before the lich would even come into play but in Anton’s case. Anton just stepped through a magical barrier and pulled the lid off of one, and then the other vase.

A moment later the Lich was at the barrier looking at Anton with glowing red eyes as it exclaimed as he tried to break through the barrier, “There were magical wards and traps on those vases, you should not have been able to open them!”

Anton looked back into the glowing eyes of the lich as he reached into the second vase pulled out a smaller sealed vase and said, “Good to know,” Just before he opened it.

Anton watched as a light ethereal current left the jar and the Lich fell apart, as did all of the skeletons along the wall behind it as the staff it had been holding fell to the ground, and notifications filled Anton’s vision.

Congratulations! You have destroyed a Tier III Level 51 Lich

You have earned 195,300 XP

You have earned 2,604 Gold (Treasure was doubled for a Flawless Victory 1,302 Gold x 2)

Congratulations You have earned Levels 35 and 36

Two levels for opening a vase? can’t beat that, Anton thought as he reached through the barrier and picked up the staff. Once he’d drawn it back through the barrier he willed it into his inventory. He couldn’t use the staff but he could definitely sell or trade it later on.

There was nothing else in the room so Anton activated Specter and continued down the corridor until he came to a closed door. He passed through the door and stepped into a small room with two node pedestals in it. One was a clear crystal ball, the other was a black crystal. Anton made sure the room looked empty and then dropped Specter. He stepped over to the pedestal with the black crystal orb and touched it. Nothing happened.

Anton moved over the pedestal with the clear crystal orb and touched it.

Congratulations you have completed The Dungeon of Life and Death.

Labyrinth Travel has been unlocked. Would you like to add the entry node to this Dungeon to your Labyrinth Waypoint list, Yes or No.

Anton chose “Yes”. A moment later the second node with the black crystal flared and changed its color to sapphire.

You may use the Node you are touching to return to the entrance of this Dungeon or you may touch the Sapphire node and enter the Labyrinth.

Note, there are no nodes at entry points to the Labyrinth though there is at least one node within one day's travel of your entry point. If you are not suitably outfitted, it is recommended that you outfit yourself before proceeding.

Anton walked over to the Sapphire Node. As he brought his hand down to touch it a prompt appeared.

Would you like to travel to the Labyrinth, Yes or No?

Anton chose “Yes”

Error, Magical Teleport has failed.

Error Log elevated for Review.

A Portal will open momentarily

A moment later a portal opened onto a grassy plain surrounded by trees just a little way off. In the distance, Anton could see other people walking away from his vantage point and making their way onto a street that could have been anywhere on Earth with buildings that looked somewhat familiar. There were men and women, human men and women wearing outdated clothing walking up and down the streets. Anton noticed a blimp off in the distance floating above the skyline.

Without hesitation, Anton stepped through the portal which closed immediately once he was through. His vision was once again peppered with notifications.

Welcome to the Labyrinth.

You have translocated to Earth circa 1928.

Labyrinth Nodes are scattered around the globe and are only visible to individuals who have entered this instance of the Labyrinth from outside. In all other regards this, and all, other instances within the Labyrinth are living breathing memories of times past throughout the various realities the Labyrinth reaches into.

In this Instance, SYSTEM Shop access will be found in any City Library.

Please Note: Not all Instances will have helpful information like these notifications.

Good Luck Adventurer, May you find that which you seek in the Labyrinth