After a few more hours of shopping and spending a lot of his Copper, Colin and Rielle chose a new hotel close to the Dungeon portal.

The Dark Horse Hotel is a place that was justifiably expensive for several reasons. First was the location as it was only a five-minute walk from the city square that was built around the Dungeon portals. Second, due to its proximity to said portals, the hotel was usually filled to the brim with Adventurers, both Outworlder and not. The third was the five-star decor and service the hotel provided its guests. Then last was the discretion and privacy the building offered its guests. All rooms were guaranteed to be soundproof, homing spell proof, intruder proof, and spy proof.

It would be accurate to say that this is an excellent place to stay the night for the Antagonist in hiding. He and his Death Fey and Goblin companions.

So Colin paid the six Copper Coins to stay three nights in a room with two beds. The Antagonist mentally wished he hadn't already burned through the Prince's Coin bag but knew it was inevitable. After all, equipping someone who had nothing was going to be wallet-draining. Especially when he saw her gaze linger on a regular clothes shop, and he let her pick a few more things from there.

He let her do it for two reasons. She was an investment; if she was happy and well taken care of, she may never leave. Second, you never knew when a change of clothes could come in handy in a city. She may need to blend in at a market one day, and looking like a Rogue wouldn't help much there.

But when night fell, Colin spent a few hours enchanting Rielle's weapons with her choice of magicks. She seemed to be particularly interested in the igniting enchantment, and he gladly gave her what she wanted.

Your Enchanting skill is now level 4. Your potential in this skill has increased. You Attune Item subskill is now level 4. Attuning efficiency has increased by a small margin, mana control while Attuning has increased by a small margin.

When Colin finally ended the night, he was glad that he'd done the work here. This time going into the Dungeon, Colin hoped to do so much better with Rielle's help. Hopefully, they'd show the Roaming Boss, who's in charge.

---

The morning came, and the two of them got to work. Breakfast, equipment preparation, then they went to Sam's custom clothes to get Colin's new gear. The navy jeans he'd ordered were made from a plant monster called Solarix, and they gave bonuses against evil spells. The boots he ordered as well were enchanted with Lesser Fleeting Feet; it gave a bonus to movement speed when running, and Colin knew they'd come in handy.

Colin paid their entrance fee into the Dungeon and grimaced at the extra fee he paid to get in sooner. Colin, Rielle, and Nox in Colin's shadow entered the veil-like threshold between the city and the alternate dimension where the instanced Dungeon waited.

You have entered the Instanced Dungeon, 'Zagan's Besieged Fortress.'

On the bridge again, Colin knew the ruined area would reset to its former glory but was still shocked to see it. Rielle looked around outside the Bridgeway that led to the Fortress itself and gawked at the sight of the impaled dragon that Colin himself had only a couple days ago.

"Rielle, I have an order for you," Colin said, snapping her attention towards him. "I am an Outworlder, as you know. It means that I cannot truly die. So, my order is that if I die or it gets dangerous enough that it looks possible, just run back here and out of the Dungeon," He told her, gesturing to the veiled door behind them. "Just wait in our room, and I will meet you there later, alright?"

Rielle looked like she wanted to argue, but after a moment, the Contract of Ownership kicked in, and she meekly nodded.

"Good," Colin said, pointing down the bridge that led to the Fortress's front door. "Let's get going. I'm excited to see what you can do," he took the lead and walked to where a group of Squash Demons were chewing and discarded but intact limbs.

They were as he knew them. Miniscule, stumpy things, with three fingers, and blue-gray skin that spoke with chitters to the other two around it.

"Ready?" Colin whispered.

Rielle nodded and pulled the short bow off her back. According to her, her weapons training was very extensive but focused on three different weapons. The bow was one of them because the Fey as a whole liked bows.

In a smooth motion, she pulled three arrows out of her quiver and strung one while keeping the other two in the hand that held the bow. Within a single breath, she pulled, aimed, and fired it at the nearest Squash Demon, which promptly died. She grabbed the next arrow from her hand and killed the next before the third in the group had turned to see them. Within five seconds, Rielle had killed all three Squash Demon's and cleared the path.

Colin smiled, "nicely done. Let's grab the arrows and move on."

Rielle nodded and hurried over to retrieve her arrows, only to pause when the bodies disintegrated, the arrows in the bodies clattering to the floor. The particulates formed into a small gray cube that she touched, a small strip of Blue-gray skin appeared in her hand.

"Squash Demon Skin?" Rielle asked, looking a little grossed out by the square of leathery hide in her hand but gave it over to Colin. "Ew."

"Yeah, haven't really found a use for it yet," Colin casually slipped the square inside his Dimensional Bag. "I did check with a vendor yesterday, and he said it was a pretty common thing to find in here, so he said the selling price was pretty small."

"I see," Rielle stated. Keeping an eye out as she picked up the arrows that had fallen after the bodies vanished. She looked them over for a moment to make sure they were still usable and kept them out for quick use.

"I got the next ones," Colin said, drawing his Mythic Xiphos.

After a minute of walking, they found the next group, and they were immediately dismantled by Colin and his shortsword. On a whim, he used the absorb function on one of the Squash Demons and had to chuckle at the ability he got.

You have gained the Irrelevant Ability for one minute. As long as you do not act aggressively, Demon's will not bother to look at you twice.

Was this an ability that all Squash Demon's had, or was this something his Consume Skill created based on the Squash Demon's place in the hierarchy. He dismissed the negligible experience gained prompt and reached the smashed and savaged main door into the Fortress. The two slipped through the ruined door and moved inside. Colin pausing at what was waiting ahead of them at the security checkpoint before the main foyer.

Instead of a Squash Demon with a Spinal Cord whip wearing a security hat, a nearly ten-foot-tall Lesser Plated Demon stood in front of the door past the checkpoint. Its form was somewhat obscured by a tattered beige cloak, but the exoskeleton covering the thing like armor was easily recognizable. It held it's sword in front of it, an elegant longsword-like weapon with a thin blade, it's blade pointed down to the floor, holding the sword by the pommel.

The Lesser Plated Demon looked up at Colin and moved, its armored plates scraping against one another like nails on a chalkboard. It grabbed the sword by the handle and turned it right-side up and in front of it, then approached the two with purpose.

Only to stop when it got within twenty feet.

"Are you he who walks amongst Devils?" it spoke, its voice breathy and scratchy at the same time.

Colin contemplated answering but instead ignored it. He was here to kill and gain experience, not chat with Demons. Removing one of his readied throwing knives, Colin threw it and grinned at the effect.

The first and only enchantment he'd made with his Kinetic Magic and the increased force behind it did not disappoint. The Lesser Plated Demon, swung down to deflect the knife, only to have the mere airborne knife clang against its weapon as if it were a sword stroke.

On cue, Colin activated Kinetic Vigor and charged, his Mythic Xiphos flaring red. He also activated Aligned Strike and swung at the steadying Demon.

Rielle was not idle, either. She pointed her hand at the Demon and announced, "Heavenly Blight!"

Green-gold tinted fire ignited the space between Rielle and the Demon in a cord thin line and engulfed the Demon. The line of fire almost immediately ended, but the fire raged on over the Demon, no sign of it dying seemed obvious as Colin swung his weapon.

The Lesser Plate Demon took a small step to the side to avoid Colin's swing and countered with one of its own, the flames cast by Rielle having little noticeable effect as it moved. The Lesser Plated Demon's attack was deflected with a hastily drawn Drenching Dagger.

"Fine then," Colin grunted, jumping back. Putting away his weapon, he turned away to Rielle and told her, "save your MP."

She stopped feeding her skill mana, and the flames died away within seconds. WIth the only impediment to his next gambit gone, Colin turned off Kinetic Vigor, put both hands behind his back, and approached the Demon. It did the same and raised its sword above its head to strike down the human who seemed to have a suicide wish.

Colin grinned at the Demon, reactivating Kinetic Vigor and turning on an ability he hadn't used, Empowering Mana at the same time.

Empowering Mana was an ability mages get at first level. The whole point was to give them an alternative use for their mana to help cover their weaknesses a little. The type of power granted depended on the magic manipulation skill used when activating the ability. For example, water increased his Dexterity Attribute by 1% for every Water Magic Manipulation Skill level he had.

He activated now and marveled at the extra bit of smoothness that was granted him as he skipped upon the unkept weapon and smashed down on its finders.

The Demon recoiled away from Colin and grabbed at its fingers with its other hand. Its distraction was only momentary as its pain subsided, but that was enough time for Colin to reach to the small of his back with both hands. Taking a dagger with each hand dagger, Colin used Imbue Item to charge each with water mana. He activated Aligned Strike with both before launching both. Turning off both Empowering Mana and Kinetic Vigor to save what little mana he had left.

The blades flew towards the disarmed Demon with a cool blue light under rushing violent red energy. It punctured through its plated shell, and Colin yelled, "hit it again!"

Rielle reactivated Heavenly Blight, and the green-gold flames enveloped the Demon, it's a pain evident this time due to the screaming.

Redrawing his Mythic Xiphos, Colin stepped towards the Demon with the blade held out in front of him. So he was ready when the Demon lurched forward, still screaming as he swung wildly at the only target immediately before him. Colin ducked low under a swing of the now savage Demon, then with both arms drove the Mythic Xiphos up, aiming for one of the flexible parts of its armor.

His thrust missed and slammed into one of the thicker plates, and Colin was swatted away with a feral roar from the Demon.

You have taken 37 points of damage and have 245/282 health remaining.

Colin looked up from his now prone position and hurried to his feet as the Demon bent low on all fours, a bizarre-looking sight from a structurally bipedal creature. The creature tensed up and sprung forward momentum aimed entirely on Colin's position.

"Blighted Arrow!" and a shaft that shimmered green in the Dungeon's magical light slammed into the Demon mid-leap. That arrow somehow beat the odds and slid into one of its eye sockets, causing the Demon to change trajectory and land on the ground a few feet away from Colin.

Colin regained his Xiphos and looked down on the Demon, who was now clutching the shaft in its eye. The neon green flame danced along that shaft, and Colin ended its misery with a heavy thrust to its other eye with his Xiphos.

You have killed Krillic, a named Lesser Plated Demon and all members of your party gain 216 EXP. You now have 3906/9115 until Level 11.

A named Demon? Maybe that was why it functioned differently than the other Lesser Plated Demons he'd fought here. He was a little disappointed that none of his skills leveled up, but that was going to happen more and more. But more importantly, Rielle had done well and had kept her cool in this skirmish.

He saw the body turning into a loot box as he faced the woman and gave her a thumbs up. "Good job. What was the last skill you used? You didn't mention it to me before," Colin queried, not upset, but definitely curious.

"Blighted Arrow is something that all Fey can do when we get strong enough in a weapon skill. It lights the item on fire and deals necrotic fire damage," Rielle explained.

"Necrotic Fire?" Colin asked.

"It, uh… rots them instead of burning them," Rielle told him, her discomfort at the questioning obvious.

"Why didn't you use it earlier?"

"It takes a lot of mana, and the effect doesn't last long. It is usually better to save it until near the end of a fight until it levels it up more," she said, walking past Colin and to the loot box. She triggered the box, and a version of the sword the Demon used, sized for someone closer to their height, appeared in her hands.

She held the weapon in one hand and tested the weapon's weight with a few quick swings and thrusts. She nodded at the weapon appreciatively before turning to give it to Colin. Who promptly turned it down.

"You can have it if you want," Colin said, patting his Mythic Xiphos, "I'm covered."

He then looked ahead and grinned at the empty room, "time for a quick break before we go on. Mana recovery and all that," Colin said, walking past the security checkpoint and taking a hard left as he passed the secretary's empty desk. He walked over to the rooms that he knew were empty and stepped inside one, closing the door as Rielle entered.

Neither spoke for a time, Rielle even froze when the scraping sounds of a Lesser Plated Demon passed through the hall outside. With the body of the named Demon gone, Colin was sure that they'd be fine, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't be missed.

After the Demon passed, Colin checked him MP and found it nearly topped up. Rielle confirmed that hers was completely full, and he led the way out of the room. Figuring that a little skill training was in order, Colin gave Rielle an instruction and hid under the desk while she scurried off into one of the other rooms.

A few short minutes passed before a Lesser Demon with sword drawn walked into the foyer and walked past the desk were Colin was hiding. So Colin activated all his buffing abilities and climbed onto the desk, striking at the Lesser Plated Demon's neck with an Aligned Strike. Also, since this was an attack made from stealth, the assassination skill triggered dealing extra damage.

The head separated from the Demon's shoulders, and Colin grinned as the Demon dissolved.

You have killed a Lesser Plated Demon and have gained 40 EXP. You now have 3946/9115 experience until level 11.

"Your turn!" Colin called out, getting Rielle out of the room she'd been hiding in and trading spaces with her.

Several minutes later, another Lesser Plated Demon strode out and walked through the room. With the door closed, Colin couldn't see when it got to the point where he usually got them. Still, seconds passed, and no sounds besides the Demon's scraping exoskeleton reached his ears. The quiet twang of a bowstring reached his ears, along with the sound of snapping bone, and then with heavy scraping thump, the Demon fell to the floor.

"Walker!" she called, and Colin stepped out.

Indeed, there was a fading Lesser Plate Demon body on the floor, fading into a loot box as Rielle looked pleased.

"See, easy peasy," Colin confirmed. "Did you get the Assassination Skill?"

Rielle nodded," yeah. That skill combined with my Rogue Skill; Stealth Strike, killed it in one hit," she informed him.

"So, let's switch and do this a few more times," Colin told her, triggering the loot box and getting a couple copper bits.

Rielle nodded, and they got to work. Both of them got several kills, and Rielle said that her new Assassination skill leveled up twice while Colin's leveled up once. More importantly to him, his Stealth Skill leveled up once as well. The moment it did, Colin used a resource that he'd gotten weeks ago and wasn't sure where to use it. Now though, he knew where he wanted the skill point he'd gained after creating his inefficient Igniting touch, which used Kinetic Magic to create fire.

He put the point in the Stealth skill and made it his highest level skill at level 8. Colin was satisfied with where he put the bonus, moving unseen was something he was good at in real life. Though, his preferred method of stealth was simply to walk without being stopped, like disguises combined with hiding and moving silently. But this would work for the moment.

Besides, this would make it easier to use Assassination later.

Colin and Rielle were about to switch out again when the door opened early. A Dracowolf stepping in from the door that led to where Colin had first seen the freakish Roaming Boss. It's gaze latched on to Colin, and it howled before sprinting on all fours towards him.

It leaped at the last second, and the Juvenile Dracowolf soared towards him with its jaws wide and waiting. Instead of feeding the Dracowolf, Colin drew his blade and swung his sword up to meet it, activating Kinetic Vigor and Aligned Strike to maximize the damage. Both physics and magic worked in his favor as the magic held him in his place and gave him the strength to keep his power going. At the same time, physics demanded the Dracowolf's momentum give penance for the maneuver.

The result was a Juvenile Dracowolf being sliced into two pieces, from mouth to backside, through bone and muscle.

You have killed a Juvenile Dracowolf and have gained 56 EXP. You now have 4122/9115 until level 11.

Colin blinked a few times. Both to clear viscera from his vision and in surprise. He did not expect to cut it in half, and Rielle was more surprised than he was.

Before she could say anything, Nox's cackling voice echoed from Colin's shadow, "Nicely done, DevilWalker! I'll need to remember that one!" its accent coming through clearly through the gravely laughter. "Cutting it in half like that! Good one!"

By now, all the blood had vanished off them, and the Dracowolf's body had become another Lootbox. Deciding not to address the cackling, Colin touched the box, and a knife appeared in his hand.

The Loot Box has given you one Unknown Trench Knife. Unknown Trench Knife. Item Quality: 6. Durability: 200/200. Traits: Unknown. Description: A Knife carved from a Variant Matured Dracowolf's Claw, with the end encased in an unknown infernal material.

Colin looked it over in awe, this trench Knife was a nightmarish lovechild between a dagger and a brass knuckle. Unsheathing it, he found that the blade was a glossy black like it actually came from a claw of some great monster. But that didn't matter as much to Colin as the reddish-black metal that made up the metal knuckle guard. It reflected no light and had a reasonable amount of weight, which aided its stopping power, but the knuckle styled grip would remove the ability to turn it around in his hand. Still, it did mean he could just punch a fucker with it.

"Hey Nox, I got a question for you," Colin asked, turning to face his shadow.

Nox stepped out of it, cane in hand, and stuck a hand out to Colin, "let me see it."

Colin handed it over, and Nox immediately grinned, "DevilWalker, you are a lucky sonofabitch. This handle is made from Lucinate, a metal that can only be forged in hell's deepest layer. It has an empathic effect with the wielder. Good-aligned people get debuffs if they try to use it, and evil-aligned get damage bonuses depending on their evil level. I'd keep and use it DevilWalker, this could be a potent tool," Nox told him, handing back the weapon. "Especially since there are evil rituals that require Lucinate weapons in their magic."

Nodding, Colin resheathed the blade and attached it to his belt.

Your Knowledge: Metallurgy Skill is now level 7.

Another howl pierced the air from the hallway ahead of them, the hall where the Dracowolf had emerged from. Then another answered the call, and another, followed by other yells from more humanoid throats that made Colin grit his teeth. How did anyone get far in this Dungeon if they got swarmed?

Colin looked at the barred barricade that served to stop anyone from entering past the checkpoint without the guard ending them. The opposite could be used here.

"Come on," Colin said, hurrying past the checkpoint. Rielle followed him, and Colin gave her the instructions as the howls came to an end and something bashed on the door between their foyer and the hall. "Alright, shoot at anything that I am not directly engaged with, try not to hit me, and remember to just run for the exit if I get overwhelmed."

Rielle nodded and hurried back around thirty feet behind Colin and readied a handful of arrows, nocking one of them without drawing it back.

Something bashed on the door another time before the door came free from the frame. A Lesser Plated Demon came from the door, although, instead of wielding a sword like the others, this one wielded a heavy maul that dragged along the ground. To either side of it, Dracowolves sprinted around and paused long enough to find their target and rush towards Colin and Rielle.

Moving quickly, Colin turned the table next to the doorway up against it, blocking the bottom half of it for a few extra seconds. The first Dracowolf vaulted it quickly, the second half-tripped over it as it leaped, which made Colin smile. He loved it when impromptu plans came together.

An arrow whizzed past Colin and struck the first Dracowolf in the flank, the arrow igniting with typical red and yellow flames due to the bows enchantment. She fired again and again in succession to kill the thing before it got to Colin. When it did reach Colin, he fell onto his back as the creature pounced on him, used its momentum, and his legs as a fulcrum, to throw the Dracowolf back at Rielle. He then threw one of his throwing knives at it, and the Demon died at Rielle's feet. Allowing her to retrieve her arrows from its corpse.

The Next Demon was a little smarter, it paused just outside the reach of his Xiphos and tried to strike out at Colin with its freakishly long arm. Another rushed over the table and flanked Colin as he avoided another reaching claw. The attempted to harry him from both sides, effectively keeping him at bay for a few seconds while the maul wielding Lesser Plated Demon approached.

Rielle fired at one of them and pulled its attention to her. It barked at her before charging and triggering one of its abilities. Its eyes lit up, and static played along its fur as it ran at Rielle, lightning charging up its claws and making them glow a pale white.

While her heart beat fast, her reactions were even quicker. Rielle used Heavenly Blight on the Dracowolf charging her, then drew back her bow and arrow for another attack. She released before digging into a short roll to avoid a lunging claw swipe. Without hesitation, she pulled back again and fired at it with her enchanted bow, another ignited arrow flew and found flesh. She'd fired off another shot before the Dracowolf succumbed to the Heavenly Blight, and the skill turned off automatically.

Rielle turned and fired another arrow to assist Colin, having killed off the other Dracowolf while she'd deal with hers. The shaft slid into another Dracowolf that had run past the Lesser Plated Demon and knocked it a foot back with the impact. It paused howled and triggered the lightning effect that Colin had seen once before. The electrical power coalesced around it, only to flow around its torso and flowed to its open maw. Light filled its mouth, and Colin had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what was going to happen next.

A beam of lightning flowed out and impacted Colin in the chest, arcing through his torso, out his back, and into the stone brick beneath him.

You have taken 51 points of damage and now have 231/282 heath remaining.

"Fuck," Colin spat, reeling from the attack. But still, a grin spread across his face.

Absorption complete in 19 seconds.

Colin drew one of the throwing daggers in his pouch and nodded after checking it. He threw it at the lightning howler and grinned at the chilling effect slowing movements. Still, it moved faster than the Lesser Plated Demon, and it moved at a joggers pace towards him. This time, Colin activated his favorite duo of skills, Kinetic Vigor and Aligned Strike. His attack drew an angry line across its ribs before being quickly killed by Rielle's arrows.

Drawing his Drenching Dagger, Colin paused for a second before sprinting at the maul wielder. As he approached, it raised his giant sledgehammer over its head and slammed it into the ground. The impact sent tremors through the floor, the motion made Colin stop to avoid falling over.

It brought the hammer back up to its shoulder and twisted in preparation of full swing. When it did, Colin let out a breath and hurried into its threatened space and practically into its chest. After avoiding the arm movement of the swing, he activated Aligned Strike and drove his Drenching Dagger into its sternum. Using Frost Shaping to freeze the water inside the wound in its current configuration. He withdrew the dagger and tapped the blade on the mauls wooden handle, "ignition."

The wood ignited, and Colin hurried back and away as it released the maul with one hand and grabbed at him with the other.

Turning off Kinetic Vigor before he ran dry on mana, Colin resheathed the Drenching Dagger and grabbed his new Trench Knife.

Ding! Colin heard in his head.

Absorption complete! This weapon now can deal electrical damage for the next fifteen seconds.

"Fuck yeah," Colin whooped, getting a second wind. He put the Trench Dagger away again and sprinted again to the Demon. When it raised the weapon high over its head, Colin aimed his hand at the raised maul and used Lesser Knockback. The extra push caused the Demon to tilt backward precariously, and Colin thrust the blade forward into the frozen wound.

Electricity arced off the Mythic Xiphos and all around the wound and abdomen, the power probing the flesh that it was thrust into.

The Demon dropped its weapon as tremors shook its body. Rielle shot a green-tinted arrow at the open wound and then another regular arrow that skittered off its exoskeleton. Luckily, it didn't matter. Seconds later, the Demon fell back, and the most welcome prompt appeared.

You have killed five Juvenile DracoWolves and one Mauling Plated Demon and have gained 342 EXP. You now have 4464/9115 until Level 11. Your Consume skill is now Level 3. The MP cost of all this skill's uses have marginally decreased. The Bonuses received from consuming something have become a bit more predictable. Your Short Blades Skill is now Level 6. Your damage, attack speed, and reaction time with short blades has increased by a small margin. Your Ignition subskill is now Level 4. This subskills range has increased by a minor amount. Due to the subskill leveling up, The Fire Magic Manipulation Skill has also increased to Level 4.

Howls and screams from the hallway picked up even as the bodies around them evaporated and turned into one Loot box. Before Colin could go to the box and get their more monetary reward, a clacking of a staff that was specific enough for Colin to recognize made him grin at his chance for a rematch.

Through the doorway, a crimson robed humanoid walked through with a staff that writhed and somehow remained perfectly still. What light reached under the hood showed a bloodlessly pale face that was scarred, and had smooth skin over where his eyeballs should have been.

"Well, well, look at who finally came back," the Roaming Boss said, a bit of malicious happiness tainting his voice.