Mage Tank

Guar was alive, just Paralyzed and missing two-thirds of his health. A quick tap from Pio cleansed the debuff as she went past on her way to Baltae, picking her way carefully between the spikes.

Baltae was trapped beneath the rubble of the pillar and wall he’d smashed into. Guar had to move several stone blocks to reach him, some larger than the stout Littan’s torso. I was surprised by the mage’s survivability, but he’d had Shielding from Pio, an evolution that stacked additional Shielding whenever he spent mana, the skill Force Shield that let him buff defenses for mana, and then finally Mana Barrier, which allowed him to take damage to mana instead of health for anything that managed to get through all of the above. That, plus his rapid use of moderately expensive spells made a major dent in the spatial mage’s mana pool, but his health was still above half.

Madel had been the closest to death, but she had the skill Second Wind that allowed her to trade stamina for health, and her applications of Bleeding drained life from the Atrocidile whenever they ticked for damage. Pio’s panicked spamming of AoE buffs and heals helped out, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Fusion Madel’s pride forced her heart to keep beating at some point to avoid the shame of losing.

The Atrocidile’s Fallback skill allowed it to teleport to a home point within 1 mile if it took damage that dropped it below 25 percent HP. It sounded kind of broken, but it took a lot of time to set up. It had a massive cooldown, and it was really only useful for defending a set location. Not worth a skill slot unless you planned to fight often in a predetermined place, but it was perfect for a Delve minion.

There were two strategies Grotto could deploy once this skill went off. He’d either let the Atrocidile rest and recover to preserve it for future Delves–raising a Grade 20 mana monster took time and wasn’t cheap–or he could cause the Atrocidile to reappear as a final surprise challenge on the party’s way to the obelisk chamber. He opted for the first choice since the Littans were healthy enough that a weakened Atrocidile wouldn’t present enough of a challenge to be worth throwing the creature’s life away.

The final path to the obelisk chamber was through an underwater tunnel the Atrocidile had been guarding at the bottom of the lake. Madel noticed it during her dive, and since the clock was ticking again, the Littans moved on quickly after a brief recovery period. They had an hour and a half left.

[It seems they will have no issue with the time limit, but there is one final hazard in the obelisk chamber I am excited to see.]

I was curious why Grotto hadn’t ‘seen’ this hazard yet, but I assumed he meant he hadn’t ‘seen’ it in action.

I was wrong.

He hadn’t seen it at all. At least, not since we got back from Deijin’s Descent.

“Why… why wouldn’t you check on this before letting people inside?”

[Despite my age, or perhaps because of it, I find myself enjoying surprises. I will admit, this is definitely a surprise.]

When the Littans stepped into the Obelisk chamber, it was completely overgrown by a single, semi-sentient plan. Vines covered in dancing leaves grew across every surface, with thousands of thorny tendrils hanging from the ceiling or rising from the ground. Melon-sized buds opened into colorful blooms that shuddered and turned to the Littans, who stood in the chamber’s doorway, cautiously surveying the room. Tendrils slowly snaked in their direction, like curious danger noodles trying to decide if the Delvers were small enough to eat.

They 100% were.

Now, seeing that the obelisk chamber had been completely subsumed by a massive, flesh-eating plant was unfortunate, but honestly, it wasn’t that weird. I’d fought big evil plants before. One was the spawn of a divine avatar and used giant starfish covered in humanoid hands to bring prey toward its acid-filled digestive sac. That was weird. By comparison, this lethal jungle was tame.

What was weird about this plant was that it was infinite.

At the top of the chamber, the leafy vines stretched out into eternity. It was like looking at a visual glitch that caused the figures to distort and become a streaming line of colors vanishing into the sky.

The tunnel went on farther than the eye could perceive, and its terminus constantly moved to the edge of my vision, as though perceiving it caused it to shift locations. What was more likely was that my mortal optics were ill-equipped to take in whatever visual data was being delivered by the phenomenon.

The roof tunnel also wasn’t the only one. Each wall, even the floor, drifted off into an impossible space that tugged at the edge of my vision, endlessly weaving from side to side as I tried to peer into it.

When I looked closely, I could see that the leafy vines grew along a wall that wasn’t there, displaying an impossible density of foliage while still failing to block the view of eternity behind them. They were part of that vastness, a collapsed representation of what inhabited it, the shadow of the creature they were a part of, more vast than I could comprehend.

It reminded me of my experience in the Basilica-Cathedral loop. When I’d teleported through the strangeward direction, I’d glimpsed a hint of the nature of a fourth-dimensional location. That had been overwhelming, but this was paralyzing, drawing my thoughts into a spiral, tempting me to ascend into the realm and see myself reduced to bare geometry, a stick figure on the wall.

I willed my view of the room away, back into the Atrocidile cavern.

“Okay, when I reacted to the hot spring earlier, I was being hyperbolic. Right now, I am being entirely serious. What the fuck is that Grotto?”

There was a long stretch of psychic silence.

[Ah, you see… it was a Dominion Ivy plant. I thought it would be an interesting addition to the Closet’s flora since it uses minor dimensional magicks. The plant consumes small prey–insects and rodents mostly–but the mass it gains after trapping its catch is negligible. It was theorized that the plant creates a small pocket dimension where it houses its digestive organs.]

“Alright, then what is it now?”

[I do not have a categorization for it. The System suggests ‘Dominion Ivy Plant of the Endless’, but this is a novel classification.]

“What grade is it?” I wasn’t willing to peer into the creature again until I recovered from my last viewing. Even now, there was a temptation to return to it, to let myself get lost, and I wasn’t even physically there.

[The grade is ‘Variable’.]

“I didn’t know that was an option.”

[It is only applied to entities that are essentially unkillable through normal means, but that are not an insurmountable obstacle to deal with temporarily.]

“How… are you supposed to deal with that? Even temporarily?”

[That is a good question. Let us see what the Littans do.]

I mentally frowned at Grotto but returned my view to the Littans without looking directly into the obelisk chamber. They wore grim expressions, as though they were watching an atrocity in action. After a few moments of silent observation, Sgt. Baltae stepped forward. He rose up with Telekinesis and entered the chamber. I watched the man go, keeping my attention wholly focused on him, not allowing my attention to drift to the plant beyond.

Madel stood back and hurled daggers at the thorny tendrils that reached out toward Baltae, but the vines continued to extend after being severed. No matter how much was cut away, the tendrils would continue forth. They weren’t regrowing, there was just no limit to their length.

Guar took to throwing his hammer, tearing down vines in a massive arc around the room before the two-handed weapon returned, and then he’d throw again. Baltae moved forward slowly, allowing the skills of his allies to keep him safe. Pio spent the entire time praying.

As Baltae neared the obelisk, he cast several spatial spells, going down the list of every offensive active skill he had. He was building up his combo passive, but I had no idea how that would matter. I tried to view the creature’s information–it was still technically a mana monster under the Delve’s control–but its health bar was a series of question marks.

Once Baltae had finished casting, he spoke, and reality trembled.

“RoRaThumGye.”

They were words of power, speaking truth into existence. Baltae commanded the space to conform to his god’s will, fueling the interaction with the power of his faith and connection with Yara.

The vines, leaves, and flowering buds exploded until everything had been destroyed to the edge of the room’s normal dimensions. They were shredded from the inside out but the vines continued to pour into the space as quickly as they were annihilated.

I felt a presence invade the Closet, bursting out through Baltae’s soul to judge what it found. Yara herself turned an eye upon Baltae’s surroundings, peering through the spatial mage’s spirit like a pinhole at the mess she was being invited to clean up. Even so, the presence looked through the chamber, through the Delve, through me until it was running deific fingers across my essence.

The fingers shuddered when they made contact with the part of my soul that housed my revelations, the part that connected back to Sam’lia. Yara was clearly unhappy with what she found within me, but she pulled back after feeling the other goddess’s presence. I sensed no fear or caution, but a grudging sense of respect and… fair play? Still, the presence lingered all around me, and a booming, feminine voice followed.

“I greet the one held in the Dark Mother’s embrace, he who is System-bonded and master of a domain beyond my realm. The faithful have sacrificed to call me here and I have spent a thought to answer. I offer you these choices, such that you remain sovereign, and so that you will know the consequences of your actions.

“Allow my faithful to leave, claiming nothing of your realm save for the memories they have gleaned. A debt of favor shall be owed to you, to be paid at once and without enduring. Our exchange shall be finished and our threads untangled.

“Deny me and I will leave your home, as this right is granted to you by pacts unbroken. My faithful will be yours to do with as you wish, but a debt of favor will be owed to me. Our exchange shall be suspended, our threads interwoven until your penance is paid or taken.

“Beseech me to contain this wound upon your material world. I shall do so in exchange for the safety of my faithful, and they shall claim everything of your realm that they have earned through conquest. A favor done and done, from each and to the other, paid in full. Our exchange shall be finished, but I will remember your wisdom should we meet again.”

I hadn’t expected to speak to a new god today. I took a moment to think over the options and consider the wording of my response very, very carefully. I had no interest in extracting a favor from the goddess and snubbing the Littans, nor was I keen to owe her a debt and have the party run out of time while fighting a being that could not be killed.

“Greetings to you as well, Yara Godqueen. I am happy to accept your third proposal, so long as my familiar, Grotto, does not anticipate a calamitous response from the System for doing so.”

[A Delver may use whatever strength they have been granted. If it is your will, Heavenly Goddess, then let it be so.]

“This pleases me, and so it shall be. May we next meet in peace and accord.”

The presence faded, and the endless tunnels in the obelisk chamber spiraled into themselves until they closed. Countless tendrils and vines were crushed and snapped as they were severed from the plant’s main body in the beyond. After a moment of squirming, they became still and dead.

Baltae hovered down to the floor, breathing heavily and dropping to one knee amidst several tons of dead plant matter. The rest of the Littans warily entered, checking on Baltae and having a silent conversation. They were back on their psychic comms. After a couple of minutes, Baltae managed to stand, and Pio went to the obelisk. She looked up at the structure, which had grown quite large since I’d last seen it, now over a hundred feet tall. Pio brushed away a few dead vines, then placed her hand on its surface.

I felt Grotto having a moment of indecision.

“Confused about something?”

[Yara’s request is that the Littans take all they have earned through conquest.]

“Yeah, so they get their stats and the chips for beating the boss. Probably some weird plant essences as well, I bet. You don’t think they deserve it?”

[I do. Rather, I believe they deserve even more. Allowing a gold party into the Delve required special permission from the System. Typically, the benefits of the second phase are reserved for those who have proven their merit during phase 1. That is to say, platinum Delvers. The System was willing to allow this group of Littans to make the attempt because of our unique status and relationship with the System, but it would not have permitted their entry unless it judged the Littans to be somewhat worthy of the opportunity.]

“Okay. Sure. What are you getting at?”

[Baltae, Cezil, and Madel have each displayed powers beyond those offered by the System. They are, by my accounting, sufficient to have earned the Escalated status. Pio and Guar are effective, but still have some progress to make before they have realized their potential. Either way, Escalated Delvers and their party members do not earn gold stat distributions.]

I felt Grotto nudge the obelisk, and some parameters changed within the relic. Runes lit up along its surface, shredding the rest of the vines covering it, and arcs of mana poured out of it and into the Littan party. Madel’s sword clattered to the ground as Cezil rapidly transitioned back to her normal form. The mana continued to pour out, a look of surprise crossing each of their faces when it went past the normal 4 points awarded to gold until it finally petered out after the full 8 were given.

Each of the Littans now had a thin platinum sheen hugging the outside of their golden souls.

“That was nice of you.”

[It was well within operational guidelines. My generosity knows many bounds.]

“Will that let them access more expansion Delves and other phase 2 resources?”

[Yes, but it will only last so long as they never return to gold.]

The Littans looked between one another, but a portal appeared before they could discuss what they’d gone through. They were more than happy to get the fuck out, not wasting any time looking around or hunting for hidden treasure. Without a word, the group hastily made their exit.

I allowed my consciousness to return to my body, letting go of the mini-obelisk and flexing my hand to dispel some stiffness. I stretched and looked over to Grotto, who had his tentacles crossed, looking to be in deep contemplation.

“Welp,” I said aloud. “That was something. Saw some cool things, learned a few lessons, drew the attention of yet another deific being capable of smiting us out of existence with a twitch of her pinky nail. Why is Yara called the Godqueen anyway? Is she actually supposed to be the queen of the gods?”

[She rules her pantheon. Her faithful are divided on whether she should be revered as the queen of their gods, or the queen of all gods.]

“I see. Cosmologically, I guess we know that she’s not the queen of all gods. She didn’t seem to have any authority over Sam’lia and, as impressive as her soul felt, it was nowhere close to the Dread Star.”

[Perhaps you should refrain from spreading those insights among the Littans. Her Grace is a popular patron in their culture.]

“Already starting in with Diplomacy training? We should at least take a break first. There’s also a couple of things I’d like your help with.”

[Have you slotted the skill? Did you do that prior to Yara’s request?]

“Yeah. I did it while the Littans were on break.”

[I see. You should check your notifications.]

I blinked, then glanced at my interface. My personal notifications had been suppressed while I surveyed the Delve, it seemed, and I saw that both Dungeoneering and Diplomacy had advanced. I brought up the messages.

You have successfully administered a level 15 Expansion Delve!

Near deaths: 4

Actual deaths: 0

Rating: Excellent

You have earned 15 System Rep

Your Dungeoneering skill has advanced from level 20 to level 25!

“Oh, neat,” I said. “I didn’t know that was a way to level the skill. Also, 5 levels at once, nice.”

[It is the most reliable way to advance Dungeoneering. Producing constructs also helps, along with study, performing managerial duties, gathering mana, and so on. Delve administration grants experience to the skill based on difficulty, with Expansion being on the higher end. We also received the second-highest rating. I expect we lost marks due to the hot spring debacle.]

“What about the plant?”

[The plant was a level-appropriate challenge. The Delvers dealt with it themselves, it simply cost them a potent resource.]

“Ah. Well, I’m glad Yara dealt with the plant for us. How were you going to get down to the obelisk to make modifications with that thing in there?”

[It was a Delve monster. It would not harm me.] He paused and thought for a second. [Probably. I would have been more worried about its influence spilling out to other areas of the Closet. Its biomass was limitless. I have no idea why its effect on this dimensional space was so well contained.]

“Maybe it had trouble adapting its conceptual identity to conform to a three-dimensional space.”

Grotto tilted his whole body in consideration, then eventually shrugged his tentacles.

[I lament the loss of such a novel creation, but perhaps I can grow another with a moderate amount of time and effort.]

I started to ask Grotto to please not do that, but reconsidered. As long as he didn’t let things spiral, it might be interesting to have an infinite plant of wonder hanging around. Especially if it wasn’t hostile to us. I decided to mull it over some more. We could always call in another god to deal with things if they got out of control.

Was that a completely irresponsible attitude to have? Probably. However, with the ways things were going, I felt like I’d be able to host a dinner party of the divine and famous before long.

“What does System Rep do?”

[You can spend it to increase the chances of a successful System Call. I did not realize you could earn any as a Delver, even if you are a Delve co-arbiter. Curious. I wonder how it might be applied.]

It was my turn to give Grotto a shrug. I’d add it to The List.

I looked at my next notification.

Your Diplomacy skill has increased from level 1 to level 10!

“Uh… why the hell did I get so many levels in DIplomacy?”

[Negotiating with a goddess apparently yields exceptional experience,] Grotto thought to me. He began rubbing his feelers together, a menacing gleam in his eye. [We should try to find more gods to make deals with.]

It looked like Grotto was on board with the deific dinner party idea. I wondered what kind of hors d'oeuvres one served at such an event. That could also go on The List, right below choosing my Diplomacy evolution. I wanted to run those by the entire party.

“So, Grotto, got time to help me dive into my soul and perform complex manipulations of my mana matrix with the goal of reforging half of my active skills?”

[Will this also involve abusing our shared spiritual connection since it was recently made more exploitable by the godly avatar Fortune?]

“Yes! I also plan on applying my divine revelations to novel and likely unintended use cases.”

[Very well. That sounds moderately entertaining.]