With those two obstacles now gone, I am free to make a rush toward the temple steps. Besides the useless small zombies I basically run over, the enemies I have left to deal with are mainly the three archers, a single armored skeleton, the guardian, and, of course, the mage. The mage’s face is pinched and narrow and he throws another bolt at be which I am able to dodge. I hope he doesn’t have too many of those left.

As I slaughter my way up to the steps, I deflect several more arrows with my barriers. The last armored skeleton and the guardian stand their ground on top of the stairs, clearly waiting for me. Out of the corner of my eyes I see the mage, siding up next to his guardian and start talking quickly. I have no idea what he says, but after a moment, the guardian nods and the mage retreats back into his temple.

...

Run and hide, buddy. Run and hide.

Finally, after taking out another large mutant zombie, the last zombie in my direct path, I take by first footfall onto the white stone steps. Behind me is still a veritable army of zombies slowly coming at me and while I can cut through them easily, I don’t think I can take them all. I need to do this quickly.

Blood drips from me like rain onto the pure white below me, staining it with crimson splashes, like the canvas of a serial killer.

Wow, I am just covered in blood.

An arrow shoots out at me and I put up another barrier to deflect it before moving up the long stairs. In the middle of the steps, the armored skeleton and the guardian wait for me, keeping the high ground for themselves. The armored skeleton is decked with the usual armaments, full plated steel from head to toe with a large double handed sword. The guardian is in his full gear too, that freaking heavy shield and spear. Additionally, I also see that he added a few more items, some additional cloth around his arms and legs along with gloves. I frown, almost all of his exposed bone is covered up. Looks like I won't be able to flare up his shield again, by adding a layer between it and his body he can negate the attack I had used on him last time. Stink.

I have got to get through these two blokes before the horde of zombies catches up behind me. It doesn't help having the archers continue to do their best to puncture lots of holes in me.

Without stopping I charge up to the armored skeleton and put up two quick barriers, a small block set right in front of his hands and a long thin barrier between him and the guardian, the soft light screens appearing out of thin air.

As planned, the guardian hesitates a moment at the new sight before slamming at it with its spear, shattering the projection. But that few seconds of distraction was all I needed as the block barrier momentarily impedes the armored skeleton’s ability to raise its hands. I skirt around to the opposite side and slam an edged dagger into the side of the defenseless helmet. It pierces easily, but the success comes with a price. Two arrow shafts plunge their way into my exposed back, knocking me and the, now, shell of armor forward.

I knew there would need to be a sacrifice for this recklessness, I am already down to a sixth of my mp and now I have poison in my body along with an increasing infection. Also, I’m pretty sure one of my lungs has been punctured judging by the pain and new difficulty in breathing. Blast, I can’t heal my wounds until the arrows are pulled and I can’t pull them while facing down an irate guardian. I’ll just have to endure.

The guardian stares in apparent shock at the sudden loss of his partner for a moment before giving out a blood curdling roar. He takes his shield off and for a second I think he’s going to throw it at me, but instead he tosses it aside. It lands with a heavy clunk.

Another archer not 10 yards back from the guardian shoots another arrow and I am forced to tuck and roll, clumsily falling down a few steps to avoid it along with a sharp thrust of the spear. My back flares angrily at the movement, and I am tempted to wretch the arrows out then and there, heedless of the cost. But at 50 mp, I don't have the resources to heal everything and still be expected to fight this bastard.

I get up quickly, but this guardian is faster than anything else here and he is on me. I block his powerful strike by holding onto my dagger with two hands and shoving it aside. The beast still hits like a train.

I quickly cast identify on him.

Skeleton Guardian: level 17

Great, he’s also gained some levels.

Beneath the helmet, the two soulless eye sockets stare me down and he continues his fast paced strikes.

Once I secure my footing again I cast edge onto my dagger and continue to parry the strikes from the guardian. At each blow a bright light flashes with a shower of sparks and after five hits I am rewarded with the tip of the spear getting shaved off. Two more strikes later the whole metal tip is sheared away and the guardian stares dumbly for a brief second at his broken staff. I give the guardian a fierce grin.

Two arrows come shooting at me but I am able to duck down to avoid them, before eyeing the culprits. They are still too far away.

I feel a tugging on my heel and I turn quickly to see three zombies hot on my tail. I kick the foremost one and am pleased to see him fall backwards onto his friends. I face forward again; the guardian hightailing it up the stairs. Damn him. With a growl, I give chase.

I see the doors to the temple open again and out comes the pale faced mage , now carrying another, shiny azure, spear in hand. His eyes bulge when he sees me running up at him and he quickly points his finger at me and I know what's coming. I halt and hastily cast barrier again. My mp is in running dangerously low though so I cast the least costly barrier possible for 20 mp. It’s just in time as the black projectile splashes against it for the briefest of moments before the barrier shatters. A wave of cold black air mists through me and I feel a shiver run through my body. I don’t know what effects that will have on me, but I don’t have time to investigate. The guardian is almost at the door and I see that mage reaching out to hand the new spear to his pet.

I don’t like the look of that spear so I cast identify on it.

???

That’s not a good sign, that screams trump card if ever there was one.

Another arrow hits me in the back and I stagger forward. I try to ignore it and rush onward.

I take my dagger in hand and flare it before throwing it as fast as I can at the mage, his body poking halfway out the door. My aim was off, but the mage flinches and ducks nonetheless, the spear wavering in his outstretched hand.

I then pull out my last dagger and do the same, this time chucking it at the guardian, desperately trying to delay them. The guardian chooses to ignore it but my aim was pretty good this time, striking the outstretched forearm and cutting the cloth there, nicking the bone underneath. I hear a crack and I see the guardian clutch at his arm. I’m not sure, but I think I broke it.

The mage is panicking now and he steps out a little further from the safety of his door in an effort to give his spear to his now suffering guardian, shouting angrily at it all the while. The guardian does an admirable job of ignoring his wounded right arm and takes up the new spear with his left. As he touches it, the spear glimmers for a second before turning bone white, the tip as black as night.

It lasts for a moment in time before I tackle him.

With his right arm crippled and remaining arm positioned wrongly from his attempt to get the spear, he is left defenseless against me as I now lay on top of him. I flare my left fist and punch him in the face before he has a chance to use his superior strength against me. His skull shatters, scraping my hand, but that’s it. That the end of our guardian.

...

It’s also the last of my mp as I am now left with 3.

...

And my body hurts like hell with four barbed arrows in my back spreading their poison.

...

That’s for burning down my house, you prick. At least I got my revenge.

I sigh and sit up. I see the archers release their arrows at me again and I pull the leather gear of the skeleton up to block them. They thud heavily into the bone corpse.

Once blocked I look up and see the approaching horde, mere yards away now. Then I turn to the mage next to me who is a single spell or quick thrust of that unknown spear away from ending my life for good.

I only see a fluttering of a cloak for a second before it disappears into the temple.

…

...

So, he’s a coward, eh? I can work with that.

Catching the closing door with a foot, I move my body as fast as my screaming muscles will allow. I grab one of my dropped daggers and slip in through the door, closing it carefully behind me. I hear a satisfying latch lock into place once it closes. I’m going to have to trust that that will prevent the hoard of zombies from getting in.

Now closed, the harsh noise from the outside is almost completely blocked. Inside is peaceful, with comforting dim yellow lamps hanging from the ceiling and dark brown walls and smooth cool stone beneath me. The change is dizzying. And best of all, the mage isn’t standing there ready to blast me, or a number of magical stone gargoyles. I can hear his feet pittering along the stone floor, getting softer and softer.

Nice. I could use another break.

With the lull in fighting I feel suddenly exhausted, and I slump down to the floor on the spot. I can feel the infection and poison starting to seize my limbs, but at my regen rate, I should be able to cleanse it before it becomes fatal. I think I’ll just sit here and marvel at my good fortune until then.

If not for that fight with Pesos restoring my mp, I would not have had nearly enough to last to this point. I’m still not sure what that was supposed to be, but it was clearly some spell that the mage had given her. Was it supposed to draw me into despair for an easy kill by Pesos? Seeing my Dad appear was, indeed, shocking, but if I had the power of illusion, I could have come up with much better scenarios to get me to die. Maybe it's like the move horn-drill in pokemon. Sure it's a one shot kill, but it has low accuracy and doesn’t work against enemies with a higher speed stat. I don’t know. He would have been better off just letting Pesos do her thing.

And also, the mage leaving during my fight with the guardian and armored skeleton, he should have stayed and provided backup for them instead of getting that spear. Did he expect them to last longer than they did? I did get thing going pretty quickly, he seems to be somebody who is not good at making quick decisions.

And lastly, if he has just realized how empty I was at the end there he could have easily killed me, instead he panicked and fled. In fact, he could return at any moment now and finish me off.

I guess he isn’t privy to my mp level, so he wouldn’t know. From his perspective, if he panicked too much, it would feel like the world was falling around him, his best pieces slayed easily to before me.

Good, let him think that way.

The fight was his to win and I think he blew it. Its a position my favorite football team had been in many times before.

His loss is my gain.

I can hear dull pounding on the door behind me, but its not too concerning, I just keep a close eye on the latch to make sure its not moving. Just as my vision is starting to go from the poison I use some of my regenerated mp to cleanse myself. Feeling the warmth and sudden burst of energy as paralysis leaves my limbs, I debate whether I should wait to heal my arrow wounds or not, but ultimately decide against it. The cost of healing and replacing whole chunks of flesh that would be ripped out by the barbed arrows will easily be over 100 mp. The mage may be a coward, but I doubt he is trembling under his bed right now. He is surely brewing trouble and I can’t afford to wait for him to finish it.

Instead, I break off the shaft of the arrows and leave the heads in, using heal to close the wounds only. Leaving those in is a bad idea, but for a temporary measure it should be fine. I learned already that I can use cleanse to force the heads out, it's just extremely painful doing so, especially once the wound is closed.

With a sigh and groan I get up. It’s not over yet, not by a long shot. After a small stretch, careful not to worsen my arrows, I head down the way I heard the mage escape to. It's probably a bad idea to run here, so I make a cautious haste instead. I’m not sure who’s side time is on.

The temple is huge, with large and many rooms, vaulted ceilings, and many offshooting passageways that looking tempting in a labyrinthian sort of way. Large windows let in copious amount of the dim green sun. But the furniture here is lacking, as if it's just a big empty house just built and waiting for some inhabitants. It gives off a sense of being unfinished, a work in progress, per se. Whatever the finished product is supposed to be, this temple and this whole place, it’s clearly meant for something big. The palace could easily fit a hundred residents and I think it is still supposed to grow. I don't want to know what kind of sickos would want to live here.

The little yellow lamps dimly lit almost the entirety of the place and I think I am going in the correct direction, but I am not sure. It’s not like there is a trail of blood I can follow.

Soon, I am met with a spiral staircase leading down. There appear to be fewer lamps down there and beyond the first curve I can't see any light. I look around the large atrium I am in, two large hallways go right and left from here as potential destinations for our mage, but my gut is telling me he is down there.

With a grunt I reach up and grab one of the magical lamps off the wall. It holds on for a second but with an efforted tug, it comes free.

It also loses its light.

With a grimace, I toss the junk aside and head down the stairwell.

I come to the dark shadows, and its all black down there as none of the lamps are lit. It's also about ten degrees cooler and I shiver as I descend. I cast flare on my hand for a few seconds, letting the bright light sting my eyes and illuminate the expanse. It feels like an abandoned house with the power turned off. The hallways and rooms are just the same as upstairs but with no windows. The corners of the room are difficult to make out, but there is no furniture in here either. I let the flare die away and give the place one more scan before preparing to head back upstairs.

In the darkness, I see a flickering blue light reflecting off the smooth grey stones from a room around the corner and down a hall, barely perceptible even in the darkness.

Carefully, I make my way around the edges of the hallway, drawing closer to the source of light. I pass by several dark holes in the wall from where more rooms are located and I pray to God that nothing jumps out of that blackness to eat me alive.

Eventually, I make it to the edge of the doorway where the blue light is emanating from and I peek into it.

There’s the mage, looks like I picked correctly. He look sweaty and pale, his hands moving furiously over an interphase that looks curiously like Tony Stark's holographic controls. The room itself is completely different from the rest of the palace, its completely filled with tons of interesting stuff I don’t recognize. I suppose there are magical instruments, generators, or whatever, but the place is stuffed like a mini-storage. In a different setting, I'd start casting identify on everything. I move in closer to get a better view, but despite my attempted stealth the mage notices me and looks up. His eyes bulge again and I see sweat dripping down his face despite the cold here. Rather than starting to fire his black bolts at me, he gets back to his work, his hands going faster than ever. I see that spear of his by his side.

Something tells me I don’t want him to finish his project.

I move in as quickly as possible, scrambling over or around the pieces of junk lying about the place. Before I can make it far he appears to finish whatever it is he was working one because he ends with a dramatic flourish and steps back, taking up and clutching the spear while staring at me wide eyed. I am pleased to see he is not suddenly filled with a heavy relief and confidence, so I press forward.

Next to the mage another bright light flashes and next thing I know, the guardian skeleton is standing there, hale and strong, spear, shield, the whole caboodle. In a quick motion, the mage hands over the dangerous looking spear to the new skeleton, replacing the wooden iron tipped one the guardian was summoned with. He then points his hand and me and shouts hoarsely, his voice echoing loudly in the silent basement.

Dang, I thought I defeated this guy already. He can summon this bastard again? I cast identify on him as we move closer to each other.

Skeleton Guardian: level 5

Niiiice, only a level 5? I don’t care what that spear does, I think I can still take him. I pull out my dagger and light it with edge. Does this guardian retain its memories? I think that’s a yes because the next moment he lets out an eardrum splitting roar and tosses aside it's shield again before charging me. I think I have maxed out my animosity with this guy.

We meet each other again for battle. He won the first one, I won the second. This rubber match will decide all.

Before we clash I see the mage letting loose a black spell at me again. It would be nice if I could hit the spell away with my edged dagger, but I can hardly hit baseballs so I don’t even bother. I am forced to duck behind a really odd device and let the bolt fly over me, but his timing was impeccable. Before I can stand up the skeleton is over me, jabbing at me with his new bone white spear.

I parry the blasted attacks from my disadvantageous position and am thankful his level was lowered to 5. His hits are much weaker; I would not have been able to withstand this if he was still level 17. I keep my edge on my dagger, hoping to whittle away at his spear down like last time, but as the attacks keep coming I realize that despite the mighty sparks that fly every strike, his spear is not getting damaged. In fact, I can feel the dagger starting to lose integrity at each hit.

Blast, there goes that plan.

I scoot backwards, trying to get away from the menacing skeleton, bumping up against the random equipment lying around. I can’t tell where the mage is, but he is surely positioning himself in order to get a better shot at me.

Suddenly, I feel my back up against a wall and realize there's nowhere else for me to withdraw to. I desperately parry a few more times before seeing the mage appear to the side, flanking me.

Blast, it's time for plan B, and I hate plan B.

I drop the dagger and accept the next thrust coming at me, like accepting a big hug. The blow is hard, it was aimed for my heart but I divert it slightly and it hits me right below it. It cracks and then shatters my rib cage, and then punctures my liver ( I think its my liver, I’ve never taken an anatomy course) before hitting the back of my ribcage and lodging itself there between my ribs.

It hurts like Hell and I nearly black out. Instead, I hold onto it and and force flare to cover the entirety of the spear.

Unlike from when the guardian was at the steps, I noticed this newly summoned skeleton is not wearing gloves.

I feel the spear itself resist my attempt for a split second, something I haven’t experienced before, before cooperating and allowing my golden light to shoot up and disintegrate the hands and arms of the skeleton. The skill knocks him back, his bones fragments raining upon the two of us.

From the side I hear a frenzied shriek and I try to turn away before a black bolt hits my left shoulder, my arm and part of may neck instantly falling useless.

Suddenly, I can’t keep my head up straight and it flops to the side, like I am staring at a sideways painting. I panic for a moment before I realize I can still breathe, my pipes have not collapsed yet.

As quick as I can, I pull out the spear stubbornly lodged in my ribcage along with some of my innards and more blood than is healthy to donate, and heal and close it up as fast as possible. Then I stand up and face the mage, my head flopped to the side like a deranged madman.

With another unintelligible shrieks he shoots two more black spells at me before turning and running back again. I duck away from them both before starting to move at him but for good measure I put an edge on my new spear that was gifted to me and smash the guardian’s face in for the second time today.

Good. Now stay down.

I hurry the mage before he can concoct another troublesome minion, trying hard to keep my head straight. It is incredibly uncomfortable and my right neck muscles is starting to really hurt.

Also, this spear. I like this spear. I noticed that as soon as I took it it changed forms from that bone white coloring to a more wood like texture and color. It’s also not nearly as heavy as the shield or swords from before, I can carry it easily.

It feels high class. I think I am going to keep it.

Again, the mage is pretty short and I am able to catch up to him right when he appears to make a grab for the discarded spear from earlier.

He takes it and spins around to me quickly, his arms quivering either from the weight, anger, or fear, I am not sure. As he faces me I can see his face red and flushed, his eyes also bloodshot. I can tell he has no idea what to do with the spear, he probably has less experience with it than I have. The weapon is taller than he is.

As soon as I close in on him he starts shouting at me again. I slow up as I come into dueling range, but he doesn’t let up, spittle flying from his mouth as he does his damndest to dour me with words.

I just give him a cold glare and move in slowly. He could be giving me a profound speech on the injustice of the world for all I know. I don’t even care, it’s clear he’s the one who’s been trying to kill me for the last week.

He starts backing up as I move closer and he fires another black bolt at me which I deflect easily with a barrier. I cast identify on him when I step closer.

Kronalager

Dungeon Manager (Artificial)

Undead Mage: (Level 10)

A feeling of unease sweeps through me when I realize this guy has a name. I wish I hadn't looked.

He fires one more bolt at me which I block again before he drops his hand and looks at me with a twisted face. I think he is out of juice.

In my next step he lets out a strangled yell, lifting his spear and blindly rushing at me. I edge my spear, feeling the ease at which it covers it all the way to the tip, and slice up, cutting his shaft in half like a hot knife through butter. He is still charging at me though, and I swing the spear back down, slicing the mage in half too, just as easily. His war cry is cut abruptly in a wet squelching sound. I stare at the mass of organic flesh of the floor that just moments ago was a living breathing person, intent on killing me. I look around the suddenly silent room, the stench from the corpse barely noticeable to me. All I hear is the dripping of blood, the spear still tightly grasped in my hands.

…

...

Man, I could really use a cutscene now.