It had taken almost a bell to reach the location Torm remembered, and Julia blinked in shock upon seeing it.

“Small,” Julia breathed, looking around the cavern ahead of them.

The irregular arching ceiling of dark stone stretched for kilometres ahead. Within the walls gemstones and metals shimmered as they reflected the light from magma. Some of the ‘small pools’ were larger than Olympic ones, and an assortment of different sized pools lay scattered frequently throughout the cavern. Each emitting bubbles of gases and even small eruptions of magma. The regions between the banks flexed with waves, and some look more like barely cooled lava than anything substantial.

“I’d suggest we work our way along the edge. If anything tries to stay at range, you handle it; otherwise, we’ll fight it once it comes up on the rock. Once we’re fighting, keep your eyes peeled, it will attract whatever is in the vicinity to join in.”

“If that’s small pools, what size are the big ones?” Julia asked.

“Larger caverns with magma from wall to wall, deeper still you’ll find the magma ocean. Various Elemental Lords and Tyrants rule in its depths, or on its waves,” replied Torm as he moved forward.

Their intent to skirt along the edge was optimistic, as they hadn’t even got to the edge when a pool of magma nearby swelled. Black pits looked at them from within the magma as an enormous hand somehow kept its shape intact scooped up the molten fluid. With excess dripping over the edges of its palm, its arm swivelled and tossed it towards them. Julia’s Teleport set her near the head that emerged from the magma, and she lashed out with Ki Strike, even as Analysis provided their foe’s details. Torm ran towards the shoreline, long knives wreathed with frost appearing in his hands.

[Species: Large Para-Elemental, Magma

Level: 120

Health: 4,560

Mana: 600

Defence: 110

Melee Attack Power: 380

Ranged Attack Power: 220

Magic: 30

Combat Skills: Grab [M] (12), Engulf [M] (18), Smash [M] (15), Throw [Ad](2); Innate Spell Forms - Various Magma Effects

Details: A Elemental can require sixty or more years of accumulated energy to reach this size.]

Ki and Mana erupted from her strike as the response came. A blow from the Elemental threw her back, and another limb smashed her down against the pool’s edge. The magma clinging to her skin didn’t burn through Demonic flesh. However, the impact caused pain to spike through her leg. Torm’s knives slashed across the limb, hardening a crust along it. And Julia’s knee strike ladened with Spatial Mana ruptured its shell before it could backhand him. Julia used her momentum to tumble away from it as more limbs speared out from the Elemental.

Scorching heat brushed past Julia’s face as her motion took her beneath a strike. Another missed Torm as Teleport shifted his position. As the damaged arm reformed, it drove downwards against Julia’s trailing leg. Its impact broke her ankle with a wet snap as the limb twisted and bone breached flesh. With its grip bearing down on her, Julia's form shrank, and she teleported away in the instant when a gap developed between its form and hers. As she reformed in mid-air, Julia smashed a heel kick down on its arm. The momentary contact was enough to leech some health back into her form. Ice blades driving deep into its molten surface sent shards of its structure bursting outwards. The Elemental’s inferno having destroyed a section of its own frozen ‘flesh’ with the rapid temperature changes.

Inner pain lingered within reformed flesh as Julia moved to attack. As an arm grabbed for him, Torm teleported just beside its path. Its momentum turned against it as he reappeared with blades outstretched. The attack gouged out trenches in the molten material. As the spray separated from its form, it recoiled back. Yet Julia’s attack smashed the flinching limb back into the blades. The pain-enraged Elemental reared up to crush the annoying bugs between its body and the ground, only for neither of them to be present. Hardened, igneous rock drank its heat as the blades and fists struck from new directions. Its churning motions were already beckoning others of its ilk that intruders were at hand.

As Torm stabbed the Elemental again, three smaller ones rose from magma. Though they were coming towards them quickly, Julia compared them to the one they still fought. Separated by the bulk of their initial foe, they both smiled and struck again. The large Elemental losing more energy from inflicted wounds as it lashed out in response. Magma Elementals joined the battle at irregular intervals, even moving up on the rock in an attempt at surrounding them.

[Species: Para-Elemental, Magma

Level: 80

Health: 2,400

Mana: 300

Defence: 90

Melee Attack Power: 250

Magic: 20

Combat Skills: Grab [Ad] (32), Engulf [Ad] (22), Smash [Ad] (35), Innate Spell Forms - Various Magma Effects

Details: An Elemental can require ten or more years of energy accumulation to reach this size.]

The death of the Elementals had caused them to solidify with strange speed, despite the searing heat. After they were all destroyed, Torm had grumbled about materials being wasted and set to crush rocks.

“I should have brought tools with us,” said Torm, as he dropped yet another rock section to the ground.

“What had you planned to do?”

“Purchase them from the Dwarves depending on what area they wanted help in.”

“So you’ve brought me to an area you’d normally come to get experience?” Julia asked, trying to scrape slowly hardening lava from her arm.

“I need something worthy to battle, and you want to get stronger. Why didn’t you use your Protean more?”

“Need to push my skills. Taking the simple way through fights didn’t help me with Lêdhins,” Julia replied, biting off the words but forcing herself to move past her reluctance to speak his name aloud.

“Did you have fun?” Torm asked, the subject change as subtle as a mallet. Still, it directed Julia’s attention towards the combat summary, the experience showing brought forth a wry smile.

“It was okay, but I’ve had better.” Julia quipped, gazing over the hardening forms around them. “Were you holding back?”

[Combat Summary:

Medium Para-Elemental, Magma x12 (50%)

Large Para-Elemental, Magma x 5 (50%)

Total-Experience Earned: 41,400

Monk: +31,050

Succubus: +10,350

Agile [Ad] (14->17)

]

Torm’s response came even as B started snickering in her mind, and Julia wasn’t game to ask what she found amusing.

“Being focused on using the knives with the forms Master Farhad has taught me, I will admit, slowed me more than a bit. Why do you ask?” enquired Torm, looking up from a rock finger he was breaking apart.

“Just the way I see our fight experience, it gave me exactly half, and I was sure you’d done more damage. It didn’t work that way when I’ve fought with others.”

“We’re here working together, not competing for kills; that’s the way it works for genuine partners. How does a contract of a copper per Elemental you kill in here sound?"

“How cheap do you think I am?” Julia asked, waving her hand dismissively, her laughter barely restrained under the words. “You need to set the contract at a silver each buster.”

“Deal! A small silver each,” Torm responded with a nod as he started extracting a fleck of Mithril from the stone.

“Fine,” Julia replied, her tone a mock grumble. She looked again at the rock shell a spell form had wrapped around a forearm and tried a fresh approach. When it disappeared into Inventory, Julia tried to eject only the hardened rock and leave everything else behind. The flecks of crystal her profile listed afterwards brought a smile, and she set about repeating the process on the Elemental’s remains, ejecting the rock into the nearest pool. Julia smirked before handing Torm the grams of Mithril, Adamantine, and tiny gemstones it had left behind.

[Inventory [Ap](12->13)]

“You couldn’t have done that earlier?” Torm asked, looking over the large hand it had taken him time to break up, obviously comparing it to the mass that Julia had handled in mere moments.

“Boys like breaking things; thought I should let you have some fun at least. Though actually, I wasn’t sure I could separate materials; it’s a new trick.” Julia replied, her tone bright at the success.

“I’ll let you handle the rest of the cleanup,” Torm said with a nod, his satisfaction turning into puzzlement when Julia gave him a frown.

“Figures.”

Torm sighed, relieved at her teasing tone, and took a shuffling step away from the remains.

“While you’re still regenerating mind if I try something?” Julia asked with a glance at his injured leg. “I need to practice healing with my Ki.”

“Makes sense. I’d heal, but it could mean a difference to someone not so fortunate later,” Torm said.

Mana Finesse made it easy to pull the Abyssal energies back from her hands. As Julia focused on the Universal Life skill, the golden light again shone along the skin of her hands. Not sure if she needed to focus it on the point of injury, she just tried placing her hand above an offered forearm. As she concentrated, she felt a slow trickle of energy between them. It was long minutes before the first notification appeared in her awareness, only the trickling power encouraging her to persist.

[Ki Spent: 1

Healing applied: 19

Universal Life (1->2)]

“Interesting. It felt like a coolness was washing through me. A very distinct sensation compared to healings provided by blessing, those are like warm hearth and being home,” Torm commented.

He seems to like that word.

{{I think we’d find it interesting to figure out who he’s got his eye on. Who oh who could it be.}}

[Ki Spent: 1

Healing applied: 19

Universal Life (2->3)]

B that’s his business. I was rude to tease him; he seemed tense when I brought it up.

Julia focused on feeding Ki through the Power. With all the health gained via Energy Drain, Julia’s health recovered well before Torm’s own, even with her help.

[Ki Spent: 1

Healing applied: 20

Universal Life (3->4)]

The time between each healing notification had only slightly reduced, as her skill had continually increased during the healing process, but Julia smiled at the numbers the last report showed.

[Ki Spent: 1

Healing applied: 39

Universal Life [B](3->4)]

“Doubled the amount of healing, though it still takes time to take effect. You need practice dodging, but I’d say you’ve got the endurance to handle getting beat up,” Julia said, lifting her hands from where they’d hovered above his pelt.

“I’ll learn. That Power will be useful; I’ll have to try learning it as well. I can channel some Healing blessings from Týr as one of his Rangers and as a Celestial. After a battle, another healing option could mean someone's life or limb saved.”

“Master Farhad's treatise has a section on it,” Julia said, having looked at the preface when Farhad had given her the treatise.

“Let’s recover Mana and Ki, then move on,” Torm said, voice bright with anticipation.

“If fighting that many only gets us a few grams, one weapon will require hundreds of fights,” commented Julia.

“And you can store tons of material.” Torm reminded her with a smile. “You do want to see what tier seven classes that achievement unlocked.”

“I know this isn’t the way all Celestials spend their time.”

“No, but you needed time in the company of someone you could trust.”

“Thanks, but are you sure?” Julia asked, feeling a pang of guilt for dragging him away from Eyrarháls.

“Yes, it’s my choice, remember. I need to increase my level, and I can think of few people whose company so improves wandering. Anytime you need someone, let me know,” Torm stated, frowning at the emotions in her eyes.

“Thanks, yes, I forgot you said you planned to travel. I’ll stop bringing it up. Which direction did you want to venture through the cavern?” asked Julia, looking apologetic.

“This pool is closest to the cavern’s left side. Shall we continue along that wall?” Torm asked, gesturing in their original direction.

Julia just nodded before moving lightly out along the rock path towards the next pool. Miles of inferno lay ahead of them, and she was sure plenty of playmates would object to their dropping in. The rock she’d ejected melting within the pool’s magma and finding a focus, fresh energy swirled around the pieces. Torm moved to walk alongside, determinedly keeping his True Sight off.

Torm led the way, carefully plotting a course that ensured he had places to fight. After the next few battles, it became clear the further they ventured into the cavern, the greater the Elementals grew, both in numbers and strength. Though that had a benefit besides the experience, as remaining on edge stretched Danger Sense and Perception.

The spray of lava burst from a pool nearby reached towards the ceiling, and Julia spotted the moment the erratic spray gained form. As Julia took in the massive hand rising above the bank beside her, it was clear the fingers alone were the length of her torso. The fluid surface of the pool rippled in displaced waves as its body rose as well. A reflex Analysis gave numbers that were larger than any previously seen. The Elemental’s body was causing the pool's surface to undulate for fifteen or more metres around as it rose. Its emerging sent ripples out to banks further away, and more Elementals than she’d seen in one fight were already emerging.

[Species: Huge Para-Elemental, Magma

Level: 150

Health: 6,960

Mana: 1050

Defence: 210

Melee Attack Power: 500

Ranged Attack Power: 290

Combat Skills: Grab [M] (18), Engulf [M] (24), Smash [M] (22), Throw [Ad](34); Innate Spell Forms - Various Magma Effects

Details: A Elemental can require a hundred or more years of accumulated energy to reach this size.]

Teleport only just got Julia clear as the blow shattered the rock where she’d been standing. The impression left behind rapidly filling with molten fluid from the pool. Another arm swung at Torm, only for him to jump up and run along its length. A legitimately wolfish grin lit up his features as he teleported to one side and lashed out in a single motion. As more Elementals rose, Julia lashed out with a Spell Form, and Order pulsed through a Shock Blast. The purity of the Mana crystallising flowing magma and parts of Elemental alike into rigid gleaming stone that ruptured in the heat.

Torm dropped flat to avoid a glowing fist. Even as he went to rise, another arm struck towards him from one side. Julia teleported them both back along the cavern’s wall, and Torm nodded as he rose. He called out another mocking sound that rang the air and the Elementals as one focused their attention on him. With a gesture towards a different path, Torm headed to lure them away, and the Elementals raced to intercept. As they streamed towards him in growing clumps, Julia struck with another spell, its energy cracking forms and heated terrain alike. When those injured moved towards her, the sound came again and Torm regained their focus.

A Taunt?

As each mocking outburst rang the air, more Elementals came forth, till dozens had streamed out of pools, and the recent arrivals kept their attention on Julia.

{{Guess they want to give you a tug since the wolf boy's tail is too long. }}

Seeing the mob in pursuit of Torm, Julia teleported further along his path. Preparing the Lightning Bolt's spell pattern, Julia let it fill with Order, holding it till his retreat took him past. Molten vapours crystallised, their prisms radiating light through the chamber, the air chiming with the energy that went cascading through the Elementals. The closest was barely out of arm’s reach from Julia as Teleport took her away. The Elementals stubbornly kept chasing after Torm’s scornful sounds, and bombarded by more Order became hardening remains.

[Combat Summary:

Small Para-Elemental, Magma x40 (x50%)

Medium Para-Elemental, Magma x34 (x50%)

Large Para-Elemental, Magma x20 (x50%)

Huge Para-Elemental, Magma x2 (x50%)

Total-Experience Gained: +177,560

Succubus: +27,104

Wizard: +150,456

Wizard Level Up!

Additional experience awarded for contract completion: x96

Assassin: +96,000

Assassin Level Up!

Lightning Bolt [Ad](23->28)

Shock Blast [J](35->40)

Greater Teleport [Ad](24->25)

Mana Finesse [M](2->3)]

So much easier to get experience purely for Wizard. I’ll need to fight some foes with only Ki techniques, unarmed combat, no Teleport or shifting form.

The unallocated attributes gained from level forty-two in Wizard Julia quickly spent in her Intelligence..

“If you’re going to shoo me to safety, I’ll have you know that isn’t a good idea,” stated Julia. “You had rotten aggro control; never provoke more than what you can handle; I've had sharp reminders of that recently.”

“You’re assuming I expected you to run off to safety. I’m certain that sort of individual would never have taken a risk for an already dead child. I asked Farhad about the advice he gave you. Would you like to know what I believe?” asked Torm.

“Everyone seems to have a view about how I should change, including my Id.”

“This isn’t advice about changing; in fact, it’s the opposite. When you fight for yourself, then opponents are obstacles; when you fight for those in need, you’ve attacked to kill. Think of when you rescued those from the Charter House. Don’t look towards changing who you are inside, instead be a better you. Focus on fighting for those you see as being worthy. Evil in one form or another will always threaten innocents somewhere. So I’d suggest you keep working to save people, and you’ll find plenty of individuals you’ll need to kill quickly. Don’t rush to improve a power that in time will grow without betraying yourself,” Torm stated.

That’s both grim and disturbingly comforting.

“Thanks, that helps. Any other words of wisdom?” Julia asked after a few moments of careful consideration.

“You’ve got a mess to clean up,” stated Torm.

“Thanks.”

At Julia’s dry tone and flat look, Torm couldn’t help but snort in amusement.

That’s what I get for tipping my hand. Dishes.

The trick with inventory quickly extracted more metal fragments and gemstones from the solidified forms.

“That sound you made, what was it?”

“When I use Provoke, anything said distorts into that noise and releases energy that attracts foes to me even through solid walls. There are limits to its range and the numbers I can affect with it.

“Even through solid objects. Interesting." Julia said, lightly tapping her fingers together in thought. "I’d think we go back to where we entered the cavern and be methodical.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I think we set ourselves the goal of killing everything in the cavern’s pools before we move on. You should use Provoke near the edges of each pool, and then we deal with whatever comes up. Then repeat that on every pool.”

“The pool’s depths extend further than the range of Provoke.”

“I’m sure they do, but it will allow us to gather up a bunch Elementals and leave less in the region, if nothing else,” Julia countered. “Are these the primary threats from the magma region for the Dwarves?”

“These are more natural hazards. It’s the Salamanders and other organised inhabitants of the magma oceans that are the principal threats. I’ve rescued prisoners that have staked out to die on the edges of the Plane where the heat will only slowly kill them,“ replied Torm, looking deeper into the Planes depth before returning his attention to Julia. “How long do you want to spend clearing out Elementals?”

“That’s not the question to ask, Torm. The question to ask is, what’s our goal. The time taken doesn’t matter as long as we’re efficiently progressing towards it,” replied Julia before teleporting back to where she’d first looked over the cavern.

“What did you need to achieve?” asked Torm, interest apparent beyond mere curiosity.

“Ultimately, enough power to crush the Lady and the Sisterhood. Find my friends in Hell, and help them free themselves from whatever is holding them there.” Julia said, fingers tapping against her sternum where Ebusuku had poked when snarling about it.

“Understandable. I guess it's good to have a long-term goal, but what’s your next goal presently?” Torm persisted.

“Getting all my current classes to level ninety, I want to see what options tier seven will bring me.”

Torm smiled and moved towards the closest pool they hadn’t yet gone near. The mocking sound he let loose cause the magma to ripple before they got close. With a quick exchange of nods, they set to dealing with the first emerging Elemental. Julia expected they’d have cycles ahead of them in clearing the cavern of Elementals, given the numbers they’d already faced.

Julia looked at the molten river they’d found at the cavern’s far end. The only rock near its surface, a narrow lip along its edge that disappeared in places with only a steep wall.

“It looks intimidating, but we’re both immune to fire and can Teleport, so it's not an issue. The biggest problem is ensuring I have a place to fight. How much experience was the cavern worth?” Torm asked as he gestured back along the kilometres they’d travelled within the cavern.

“For the week of fighting it required, it was millions and I have the knack for levelling Monk separately to Succubus down now. Even if it means I need to restrict how I fight,” replied Julia. “Why do you ask?”

“We know about classes, but we can’t see the numerical experience progression as you do even with imprints. Though the various pantheons have objects similar to the imprint stone, you let Yngvarr research. If you could get into Hell undetected, would you go searching for your friends?” Torm asked.

“That was a quick change of subject. Are there ways to hide the Sigil? Whose help would we need? What would they charge?”

Julia's gaze shone with intensity, and more questions leapt forth, and Torm just raised his hands pleadingly a moment.

“No, I don’t know how to hide the Sigil, but others potentially do. Folks who are far safer to ask than Ebusuku. I’ll make enquiries when you want to take a break. However, what I know is if you go there not knowing their processes, they’ll spot you quickly. Even if your Acting skill could carry you through, if you go there with Ebusuku, then you’re playing by her plan.”

“Again, back to improving Acting, Dominion has been useful, but I wish it hadn’t absorbed Acting. I had hoped Verdandi could find someone to get in touch with them.” Julia responded, a glum tone filling her words.

“Yngvarr and Verdandi discussed it after he returned from Ternòx. Neither of them responded to any combination of the names you provided when Yngvarr tried. Though there are probable reasons to explain that which aren’t dire; at least two you can figure out yourself, and they aren’t the only reasons,” Torm said, resting a hand fleetingly on her shoulder. “If your friends are as strong as you, they’ve likely prospered in one fashion or another. Devils teach their newcomers; they’re troops in the infernal armies in the Devil’s ‘Blood War’ against the Abyss, not just more spawn to let sink or swim.”

Yeah, they might have changed their names or been summoned by someone. Troops! I can’t see Rach responding to military discipline, and Sarah is more inclined towards inflicting discipline.

“Well, let us take that last passage that had stone underfoot. If we can find more caverns like this one, we’ll both be rolling in levels without fighting in lava soup.”

Torm nodded and gestured for her to go ahead, and Julia teleported them both.

“You had some interesting approaches to fighting. Your people had games where you pretended to fight monsters for enjoyment?” Torm asked as he led the way into the passage.

“To us, they’re just legends that didn’t exist in the world. People created games, where they could take the part of heroes.”

“Why did you enjoy playing them?” asked Torm.

“Not worried about something hearing us?” countered Julia.

“We’ll just have to keep alert for an ambush. Now you were saying about these games you enjoyed.”