Rhen shielded his eyes as he looked up to the misty clouds of the alpine chamber. He couldn’t even see it anymore. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Wyland, but he really hopped nothing went wrong with the aerial part of the plan, which was almost the whole plan.

Joseph led the team, two by two, down the softly trodden path. They hadn’t gone toward the Chimeti cave much since they discovered it, and so the way was packed with snow. Aki could’ve helped with that, but he needed to save his anima for phase two.

Just ahead of him, Alex twirled his blade nervously. Rhen leaned forward and gave him a pat on the shoulder. Alex looked back and Rhen gave him a winning smile. “It’s going to be fine.”

Alex nodded. “Oh, I know, I’m just worried I’ll lose.”

“Lose?” Rhen cocked his head.

He blushed, turning to face front again.

Olliat leaned forward, tapping Rhen on the shoulder. She was beaming pridefully. “To me. We have a bet riding on the kill count.”

“How much?”

Alex groaned. “The other’s dish duty for a year. I hate dishes.”

Rhen’s brow shot all the way up to his hairline in surprise. “That’s a lot.”

“For him, sure. For me?” She shrugged. “Doing dishes gives me time to think.”

“What she thinks about is how to get me back,” Alex said with twirl of his dagger. “So now, I’m conflicted. If I let her win, I do all the dishes, otherwise she gets ample time to plot her many revenges.”

Rhen smiled. The twins were planning to stay long-term, or at least Alex was. It was nice to think he’d made a dungeon community that others wanted to be part of.

They moved along the foot of the mountain, the orbeye speeding ahead sometimes to get an alternate shot of the party moving in. When they reached the location of the previous avalanche, Joseph brought them to a halt and had them gather up. Aki, Tsu’me, and Joseph serenaded them with a quick, stacked buff of Defender’s Cry, Champion’s Chord, and Soothing Aura. Then, they got into position.

Rhen sped up the side of the treacherous path, showing the way to the archer team. Olliat, Alex, Sora, and Samari kept pace with him, their bows gripped tightly. He stopped at the mouth of the cave and looked down at the rest of the team. They moved lightly and quietly from tree, to rock, to snow mound, getting into strategic positions that weren’t too far from Aki.

Rhen looked back at the other four archers, then gestured for them to line up single file. The mouth of the cave was clear of bodies they’d left behind, but Rhen noticed the trails of blood leading further in, like the bodies had been dragged back.

He dropped into stealth with Caress of Night and crept forward. His vision was much improved from the last time. He noticed every stray rock and was easily able to avoid them. The cave narrowed into the tunnel leading back to the Chimeti and Rhen struggled not to gag. Gods, was it always this foul?

They snuck around the edge of the opening and Rhen moved out onto the left. The ledge before the winding slope downward was a good three feet wide for a bit, and so they made use of that space, spreading out. Rhen lowered his bow to his side and gripped the string, ready to pull. He looked at the others, and though he could only barely make out their outlines in the low light under stealth, he could see they were in a similar position, at the ready.

A ray of blue light cast down on the massive Chimeti at the back, which had grown by at least five feet. The corpses of yetis lay at its clawed feet, and it snored, the sound rumbling Rhen’s chest. He swallowed back the fear that the sight of the creature’s face caused and looked away from it toward the center of the room where hundreds of yeti, large and small, lay sleeping.

Rhen raised his bow and pulled. A glimmering blue arrow that swirled with black power at the tip materialized between his fingers. It was expensive, but the arrow was infused with both Piercing Shot and Blast of Anima Rot. The combination would create a deadly wave that sliced through whatever it touched for fifteen feet and bury the curse deep in their flesh.

Beside him, a yellow arrow flared to life, then two more blue, and one more yellow on the end. They aimed at their respective targets, Rhen’s was the center of the sleeping mass. He picked a the biggest yeti in the group and exhaled hard, then loosed.

The other arrows took flight fractions of a second after his. Rhen didn’t wait for his first arrow to hit before loading another and pointing his bow closer toward the node. The yellowed arrows struck the Chimeti. It roared in surprised pain, bashing one massive fist against the wall.

The ground trembled and Rhen loosed his second arrow. The horde of yeti that hadn’t been struck with the wave of anima rot jumped to their feet and charged toward the ramp. The archer team released their last arrows and ran for the exit at full speed.

The orbeye was waiting at the mouth of the cave with anticipation. Everyone jumped aside, rolling into the snow and finding their respective positions to take aim. Rhen turned back at the exit and breathed a heavy blast of Primordial Light, revealing the incoming horde. Just a little flash of fear for the viewers at home.

Rhen did a Tremor Blast jump over the orbeye and onto the tall rock he’d perched on for the first death train. The orbeye moved back and up, getting out of the danger zone.

“Here they come!” Rhen yelled, pulling another Blast of Anima Rot arrow.

The shot pierced through the first yeti and detonated on the second, blasting four of them out of the cave and into the snow, coloring it red. The other archers fired indiscriminately at the mouth of the cave while Joseph and the other two bruisers moved in to go toe to toe with the hapless creatures dazed in the snow.

Like before, the yeti poured out in an unending stream. Joseph tossed the deceased creatures farther down the hill where Bort waited with a team of three to dissect and harvest the monsters for all they were worth.

The ground trembled once, twice, three times, and the onslaught of creatures froze in their tracks. The yeti clamored back toward the cave, even throwing each other aside to get there. The raid took advantage of the chaos to put down a few more. Bort and his harvester team were keeping up with the slaughter, but only just.

“Phase two!” Rhen yelled and jumped down from his perch.

The delvers clustered together beside the mouth of the cave, and Aki took his place on the platform just above the opening. The orbeye circled around him, then looked up to the top of the mountain. Big plumes of white cascaded down the mountainside with the rumbling sound of approaching doom.

“Now, Aki!”

The Prelusk exploded in a mass of gigantic tentacles and glowing pink light. The warm aura surrounded the party, and with Blubberific on, it was most certainly too hot. Aki draped an oversized tentacle over the group, shielding them from the oncoming onslaught, then twirled the others overhead with a flourish of yellow light.

His pink aurora cut through the avalanche and turned the snow into a fine mist. Aki pulled the water up and around himself in a quickly growing tornado of warm water. The avalanche smacked into Aki’s warm water barrier and melted, joining in with the spell. The rest of the snow flowed around them harmlessly into the trees.

When the avalanche ended, Aki brought the water together into a single, wide stream he pushed through the mouth of the cave. The pressure wash flowed through the opening, picking up bodies and other debris on its way. Rhen could hear the growing cries of the yeti within as they drowned. It still made him feel a little bad for some reason… a knife to the back of the neck just seemed a better way to go.

When the sounds died down, Aki flourished his forcep-tentacles in a sparkle of gold. The water rushed out the tunnel exit and poured down the mountainside. Waterlogged yeti floated on the river and out of sight into the forest. Feeding the whismics, Rhen thought wryly.

Just as Rhen thought he might roast to death inside Aki’s warming aura, it ended. The Prelusk returned to his normal size, and the rushing river of water from the mouth of the cave slowed to a trickling stream.

Rhen peeked his head inside, listening. The hot water hadn’t done much for the smell, but most of the blood had been washed away. There was another trembling thunder farther up the mountain and Rhen knew the Chimeti was making itself a bigger hole to escape through.

“Phase three!” Rhen ushered everyone into the cave.

He stood at the edge, watching the sky above. The big, winged bastard appeared with a cry. Rhen notched a glimmering blue arrow and fired. The shot burst before making it all the way, but it was enough to draw its attention.

Black eyes the size of wagon wheels locked on him, and the creature gave a vicious roar that shook the whole alpine chamber. The monster dove with surprising agility and grace for its size. It dragged its clawed fists across the rocky landscape, snatching up boulders in each hand.

Rhen loaded up another arrow, as did Olliat beside him. When the monster was close enough to induce absolute terror in him, he loosed. His shot slipped through the monster’s fingers and shattered the boulder in its hand. Olliat’s yellowed shot went a little too wide as the monster swooped past the opening and sailed over the trees.

It turned and launched the second boulder at the cave opening. Rhen fired another arrow, shattering the rock into a dozen hand-sized pieces, then followed with a Tremor Blast to turn the would-be shrapnel into dust. The Chimeti bellowed its displeasure and activated a red syntial on its shoulder.

Before it could unleash whatever hell it had planned, a fat, purple octopus—probably Ulecks—slammed into it from above. The Chimeti staggered but wasn’t brought to the ground. It raised a clawed hand and raked across the octopus’ head, right between the eyes. The Ulecks wrapped two tentacles around its raised arm and prevented another scrape, but only just.

With much difficulty, the purple octopus slithered onto the Chimeti’s back and held the creature’s arms akimbo. Another black and red octopus—Jakira—plummeted from within the clouds, falling like a meteor. Jakira hit like a freight train and grounded the Chimeti.

“Phase four!” Rhen called and the raid charged down the mountain toward the monster. He knew it was too cold for the cephalo-formed raiders to survive long, and they had to be quick.

The Chimeti howled and strained as Jakira and Ulecks pulled on its arms and legs, flattening it out for what would be the massive attack. Eli, in his red spear-squid form, whispered through the clouds. Rhen couldn’t tell for sure, but he looked off target. The cephalokid spun so fast, Rhen couldn’t see the individual tentacles, but a mass-like disc of red. He slowed his decent while the other two fought the Chimeti into position.

The raid team reached the smashed clearing of trees where the battle of giants raged. There weren’t any good vantage points for physical attack, but that didn’t stop Rhen from trying. He fired a Piercing Shot at the Chimeti’s leg that was slipping free from Uleck’s grasp. Frost coated his tentacles, reducing his strength.

Eli stopped his mad helicoptering when he was lined up, then dropped. Ulecks and Jakira held strong despite their freezing bodies. Eli hit the Chimeti with a loud crack and pierced through its chest. The monster roared and ripped one arm free, then tore Eli out of its chest. He used Eli like a weapon, smacking Jakira back, then Ulecks.

“Tell them to de-shift!” Rhen called to Aki.

The Chimeti rolled to its side, blood running down its chest from the hole left by Eli. Rhen fired another arrow, right in its big, ugly eye. The shot exploded on impact, sending black goo dripping down the monster’s matted yellowed fur. Arrows shot off all around him as the archer team went to work.

The red glow of an incoming spell alerted Rhen to the danger. He fired an Anima Rot arrow at the left shoulder, not wanting to find out what that ability might be at such a close range. The shot penetrated into its arm and detonated, disabling that syntial for fifteen seconds.

The Chimeti tried to flap its wings, but the left one flopped uselessly and it howled. The Chimeti fell forward onto its hands and knees, reaching for the archers. Joseph and the bruisers ran in, hacking at the creature’s supporting arm.

Heavy metal chords of music permeated the frosty air, and fire burned in Rhen’s chest. He ducked under the Chimeti’s swipe, then grabbed hold of a tangle of fur as it passed overhead. He held on for dear life as the creature’s arm swiped back and forth at the raiders. With his half-moon blades, he climbed the monster’s stinky arm up to its shoulder. He gave it another slish-slash with Curse of Anima Rot to keep that syntial deactivated.

The Chimeti took notice of him, and sat back on its clawed heels to use its other arm, trying to slap him away. Rhen was just fast enough to miss the heavy-handed slap that sent a gust of air at his back. He fell forward onto the monster’s neck, and regretted it. The slippery black goop of the creature’s eye made him fall down its chest to the hole Eli had made. The monster’s wound was already healing.

Rhen gripped the slimy fur in his right hand and with his left, made a focused Comp-Bomb right in the monster’s wound.

“Drop!” Aki yelled and Rhen instinctively let go.

He dropped down to the monster’s stomach and watched as its other hand slapped against its chest, right where he’d been. The Comp-Bomb detonated, sending a spray of blood out into the snowy clearing. Another swat was incoming, so Rhen released the creature’s fur and dropped to the ground between its knees, a place he really did not want to be.

Arrows ripped through the hole Rhen had made bigger and detonated one after another. The Chimeti lost its balance and fell back into the trees. As one, the raid team descended on the creature, stabbing, slashing, blasting, and bashing. It flailed knocking a few unlucky raiders into the sky, but it was getting weaker by the second.

Rhen was almost out of anima but knew he could give the bastard a little more. He inhaled a deep, putrid breath that almost made him vomit, then exhaled hard with a blast of fire. The flames caught in the monster’s fur and rippled across its body. The stench was unbearable, and Rhen had to back away.

The raiders backed off, focusing on ranged abilities while the Chimeti writhed in pain, all its fur going up like a bonfire.

“And you think drowning is unmerciful?” Aki asked.

Rhen cringed. “Yeah, well, it deserves it for trying to bury us in an avalanche… twice.”

The spells, arrows, and fire reached a peak that the creatures advanced healing couldn’t overcome. The Chimeti reached for the sky, crying out one last, resentful roar. The arm flopped into the snow with a whump, and then it was still.

The orbeye got in closer, circling the big beast.

“We did it!” Jakira yelled, raising her bone club overhead with a victorious hoot.

The raid cheered loudly, giving each other pats on the back. But it wasn’t over quite yet.

“Bort, I want the wing bones if we can get them, the core of course, and the talons. We need to stay alert!” he yelled to the group. “The whismics may be waiting for us in the shadows of the trees. Keep the harvesting team safe and help them however you can. I need three to come with me to check the node.”

Jakira was at his side in an instant, followed by Olliat, and Alex. Aki stayed behind to keep a warming aura on Tsu’me and the other Sephine who couldn’t get Blubberific. The orbeye followed them too, since they’d learned that the harvesting shots didn’t perform quiet as well as other activities. It was probably the gore…

“Seven,” declared Alex with a cocky grin.

“Oh, not bad… but I got twelve.” Olliat leered devilishly.

Alex looked at the ground, defeated, and whispered pathetically, “So many dishes.”

She knocked his elbow playfully. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”

They followed the still-trickling stream of smelly water up to the cave mouth. There were a few yeti that survived the drowning attack, but they made quick work of them. The stink was palpable in the warm air and Jakira intermittently retched beside him. He patted her on the back a few times saying, “There, there.” She glared at him, her gold flecks pale and her face dark green.

They made it to the den and moved cautiously toward the purple glowing node, Rhen’s hopes high. The node in the aquatic chamber glowed purple, and it was a Nexus to another realm. Could this be one, too?

No, preposterous. TWO new realms in one dungeon?

Oh gods, what about the paperwork? Rhen didn’t want to have to think about that.

He placed his hand on the smooth crystal. A bright anima burst shone from within, and light projected out of the top of the node.

It did not, however, transport him to a new realm. The anima condensed back down into a few lines of text.

[Dungeon Node 5]

Anima Types: Life | Dark

Attunement Options:

{Control}

[Expand description? Y | N]

[Select] {Yes} | {No}

---

{Mastery}

[Expand description? Y | N]

[Select] {Yes} | {No}

-----

Rhen sighed with a bit of relief. Two new realms would be great, but also a nightmare. He needed time dealing with just this one, first.

For this node, however…

While Mastery would’ve been great for all the new abilities they would unlock, having another Control node would give him much more access to make changes, and make the mining process easier. They needed to get the Magnite out with haste, and a Control node could do just that.

So, with a thought, he selected Control, and set about making the first changes: some damn air vents to get the reek out. Next he made some additional passageways out to the base of the mountain, and added walking paths up the inside of the long interior. He could see on the map there were several big pockets of Magnite poking out of the walls and made a mental note for the mining team.

The changes cost just five thousand anima, but already there was a lot more light pouring into the chamber. Rhen turned around a few times, sniffing at the air. Still putrid. He sighed. It was going to be a long four weeks in here.

Jakira was glad to escape the death-stench back into the snowy field where it was just a garbage reek. The harvesting team was making good progress on the Chimeti, and within another ten minutes, they had the massive core free from the monster. It began disintegrating into the snow, which was a blessing.

The core was absolutely gigantic, at least three time’s Rhen’s height in diameter. The delver team rolled the core toward the base of the mountain and Rhen ran inside to make the opening a little bigger. They pushed it through the long tunnel and set it to rest at Rhen’s side.

With this, he knew he could do a lot more than just make some tunnels and ramps.

Rhen rested his hand on the massive core and smiled. “Time to give this mining operation a boost.”