Chapter 34

Crack the Shell

“I can’t speak for everyone here, but I need the money. With you guys here, we should still be able to get out if things go sideways,” said the earth manipulator up front.

Some of the others didn’t look so sure, but nobody contradicted the digger.

“This is a gamble, man. Even just a small portion of the reward could be worth years of pay. Everyone heard about the massive payout for the last quest item.” The man who spoke up didn’t look so sure of himself. “Eagle Station dropped hundreds of gold on it.”

“Right well, they sound up for it. I know these quest notifications go far. Bear Station and Eagle Station are probably already aware of it,” said Rowan.

“I guess I’ll give it a try. We pull out as fast as we can if we can’t handle something.” Janus was still unsure about it, but this felt like a pivot to him. A moment where the hero decides to act or to just go home.

This was his chance to act. To be like the heroes in the stories. He would just have to gloss over the fact that he was mostly doing this for money and glory, not to keep anyone safe.

If I have more resources, I can keep more people safe.

Janus knew he was performing mental gymnastics, but without justifying the risk, he would never go along with the quest.

“Let’s get moving. Fast as we can safely go,” said Janus.

“Yes!” Tara pumped her fist in the air. “That’s more like it. I knew I would like you, Janus!”

Her excitement only lead to more anxiety for Janus. He had been slowly learning that when Tara got excited, things were getting dangerous.

The digging crew was already moving, surveyors choosing which direction would be best based on the burrowing from the [Heartstone Guardians]. They quickly selected a direction, and the diggers began moving. It was tough going as the tunnel slanted upwards. After a hundred meters or so, one of the earth manipulators began forming stairs.

There was no telling how far they had to go. The surveyors had skills that would let them see into the rock a certain distance, but even they couldn’t say exactly where the [Heartstone] would be. The diggers were simply following the rough digging that the monsters had done earlier, widening so that everyone could follow.

The digging had taken on a more fevered pace, and the crew was no longer concerned about reinforcing as they went. The faster they finished the quest, the faster they could return to safety. Janus noted that everyone was on edge. Except for Tara. She had a huge grin on her face.

“Maybe I should’ve just called this off,” said Rowan.

“I’m trying my best not to think about it. The more thinking I do, the worse this decision feels,” replied Janus. “Let’s try to foc—“

“I’ve got something!” One surveyor was pointing towards the wall. “I can feel an open cavern this way. Something seems to be… floating in the center?”

The digging crew immediately changed directions, taking a sharp right turn. The surveyor indicated that they should simply burrow in a straight line, keeping everything level. Janus’ legs were glad for the change. Stairs were on the way to becoming his worst enemy.

It didn’t take long before the group broke out into a spherical cavern. In the center, floating nearly two meters off the ground, was a huge red gemstone. It cast red light all throughout the cavern. As it slowly spun, it reminded Janus of a disco ball, something his father had shown him years ago.

“So do we just like, grab it?” asked Tara.

“Nothing had bothered us yet, but I bet you if we touch that thing, we’re gonna have something to deal with,” said Rowan.

Tara shrugged. “We’ve come this far. I’m going to touch it.”

Janus wasn’t sure where to stand. He finally decided to stay as close to Tara as he could. If there were more [Heartstone Guardians] they would come in from the walls. Hopefully.

He glanced back and saw their makeshift entrance and thought differently.

“The digging crew should stay back in the tunnel. Maybe make an easier exit for us if we have to move quickly. If more [Heartstone Guardians] come, they should be focused on us. I think,” said Janus.

The crew began moving back and out of the cavern. He could already see them getting to work, manipulating the tunnel so that it would be easier to run inside of.

“I don’t know what to do with this thing. It won’t budge!” called Tara.

Janus turned his attention back to the floating gemstone. Tara was grasping it with both hands and pulling as hard as she could. The gemstone wasn’t moving at all. Rowan stood off to the side, a contemplative look on his face.

“This thing is the [Heartstone], right?” asked Janus.

“How am I supposed to know? What else could it be?” Tara was still struggling to move the gemstone.

“I don’t know. Try hitting it or something,” Rowan suggested.

Tara stepped back and readied her sword, golden energy surrounding the blade, and brought it down on the gemstone. A loud clang rang out through the cavern.

[Your party has found the Heartstone! Break it out of its shell before being overwhelmed.]

“Oh fuck,” said Rowan.

Oh fuck

“We need to make a decision now. We either leave or start trying to break whatever this is.” Janus pointed at the floating gemstone.

Tara barely hesitated before she began slamming into it with her sword, a look of ferocious glee on her face.

Janus wasn’t sure if the digging crew would be safe or not. He could only assume that whatever was coming would focus on his companions and himself. Rowan had joined in with Tara, striking at the gemstone. Janus wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t want to waste mana before any monsters showed up.

It didn’t take long before he could feel rumbling beneath the ground.

“We need to keep moving so they don’t come out directly below us!” Janus shouted.

He could still remember their previous fight when he had been knocked against the wall as one of the [Heartstone Guardians] burst through the ground beneath him.

Rowan was already moving towards the edge of the cavern. “Tara, back away from the gemstone! Wait for whatever is coming to get here!”

She looked uncertain, but finally moved back from the center of the cavern. Just as she stepped back, the ground beneath the gemstone broke open. Seven [Heartstone Guardians] crawled through the churned up rock. Rowan immediately spread illusions of himself throughout the cavern.

The gem encrusted monsters weren’t sure who to attack and so they simply lashed out indiscriminately. Each time one of Rowan’s illusions was struck, it exploded in a puff of purple smoke.

“We have to get back to the gemstone if we’re going to break it!” Tara called.

Janus created a mana shell around himself and began making his way towards Tara. It was safer for him to position near the [Paladin] than anywhere else. He launched balls of reinforced mana at any of the [Heartstone Guardians] that looked their way. Tara used the opening to move back towards the center of the cavern, and Janus followed behind.

All around them was chaos as Rowan distracted the monsters. The signature red flash of his dagger skill appeared throughout the cavern.

“Rowan, can you try to corral them? Get them all in the same spot?” asked Janus.

“I can give it my best shot.”

Many of Rowan’s illusions congregated on the other side of the gemstone. Unfortunately, this cleared up the area around Janus and Tara, which caused a pair of the [Heartstone Guardians] to focus on them. Tara stopped slamming the floating gemstone long enough to place herself between Janus and their new aggressors.

“We need to get these ones on the other side,” said Janus.

Tara grunted and pushed on the creature’s back with her shield. Suddenly, as the monsters lunged forward once more, Tara dodged past them. Janus shouted as he saw the two monsters lunging towards him as Tara positioned behind.

A moment later, Tara shoved forward with her shield, and a halo of golden energy pulsed out. The two [Heartstone Guardians] were flung forward and past Janus into the group of illusions behind him.

“Rowan, get on this side!” Janus shouted.

He turned and began forming a massive mana pearl. It may have been the largest he had ever made.

“Tara, up front. Rowan, by me.” The mana pearl formed and Janus tossed it forward.

Before detonating the pearl, Janus created ten barriers of reinforced mana between Tara and the blast. He had spent more than half of his mana on this gambit.

“Shield up!” he shouted.

Tara’s shield raised and Janus detonated the mana pearl.