Chapter 14-The Beatdown

The group had gotten themselves together and Liliandra took the Alpha's body. Wolfy looked around but he unfortunately could not find any loot.

“What did the scout report say?” Asked Theo.

“Potential Alpha, not a fucking titled one.” Liliandra angrily said.

They were on guard while walking out of the crevice. Liliandra looked at the five massive claw marks on Morpheus’s chest.

“How the fuck did you survive that.” She asked.

“I healed.”

“From those burning claws?”

“Yes my healing is arcanic.”

Wolfy angrily muttered to himself and Theo had a neutral face, he wasn’t surprised anymore.

“Well that explains a lot, what’s your class?” She asked.

“How rude of you to ask me?” He joked.

“I di.. You bastard. I’m just interested in any arcanic classes. They’re very rare.” She said.

“Well secrets are best kept secret.” The young chimera said.

Liliandria just shrugged accepting it. The young chimera lit a cigarette and they jogged back to the Ervos.

Arriving at around six the group hurried to the guild to collect their earnings. Morpheus sat down at a table enjoying a ale going over his notifications.

Amazing! You have slain (Alpha Wreckon, Red Kindling, Level (111). For killing an enemy 50 levels above your own you have been awarded additional experience. Experience shared.

…

You have levelled up Arcane Strike (Level 16)

You have levelled up Fire Magic Resistance Level (5)

You have levelled up Taste of Talaria Level (8)

You have levelled up Arcane Hardening Level (6)

You have levelled up Arcane Step Level (15)

You have levelled up Flow of the Valkyrie Level (8)

You have levelled up Battle Axe Arts Level (16)

You have levelled up Spartans Essence Lebel (16)

‘Congratulations’ you have levelled up Level (62) (4 stat points available)

‘No title and Arcane Rebirth didn’t even level up.’ He thought to himself. The young chimera had levelled up, but was slightly disappointed. He put the four points into agility to get the stat up close to the rest.

Liliandra sat down opposite him on the bench, putting a pouch on the table.

“This is your cut, we got a bonus because it was titled.”

Morpheus looked into the pouch, he roughly counted fifty silvers.

“Not bad for almost dying.” He said.

Liliandra looked down slightly defeated.

“Thank you again, we lost a team member a year ago. And another one quit soon after. So it was just us three left. We would have quit adventuring if another one of us died.”

“It’s fine, it was a good fight anyway I’ve levelled a bit.” He responded.

“It was a tough one, I’m really shocked at how strong you were.”

“Thanks. Do you know anywhere I can train? I’ve been meaning to increase my skill levels since I got my primary.” He asked.

“Oh the guild has teachers and trainers you can pay. You could ask Ellana.”

“Thank you, send my regards to the others as well.” He said.

Liliandra said “I will and young Nvos, may you seek your path.” To which Morpheus nodded.

Morpheus snatched up the coins and headed on over to the counter.

“Hi Ellana, I was wondering if I could find a trainer anywhere?”

She pouted “Well you can come here in the morning, a lot of trainers just show up here looking for work so you might be able to find one. We have training areas you can hire if you’d like?”

“Yeah that sounds great, Lance wouldn’t do it would he?”

“I can ask for you, will it just be physical training? No magic.”’

“Yes, just physical.” He said.

“Brilliant well come by tomorrow morning.”

And so Morpheus trudged back to the inn, rather exhausted from his recent adventure. The food that night was orc stew with bread accompanied with ale. He retired to bed, ready for the next day.

He woke up, feeling more tired than usual. He walked over to the window and lit a cigarette while looking down at the street before him. He liked the calmness of mornings, the slightly cold air mixed with the sound of the distant jostling of carts. He stretched and put his normal clothes on, since his last armour set was ruined

He sat out with his belly full, heading towards the nearest armoury and clothing store. He bought the same pre-made outfit and a basic shirt with brown pants.

He made his way over to the guild, finding Lance leaning over the counter chatting to Ellana.

“Nvos, you wanted some training?” He asked grinning.

Morpheus cleared his throat “Yes I was hoping you could just hit me really hard while I try to dodge blindfolded.”

Lance looked at Morpheus like he was crazy.

“I’m improving my new passive skills.”

“Well, if that’s all I charge five silvers an hour.” Lance said.

“Deal.” Morpheus said, shaking his hand.

The two went outside into the courtyard behind the guild. He saw many people firing off spells towards targets and others clashing swords.

Morpheus changed into the shirt and trousers he just bought and tied a rag around his face.

“Are you sure?” Lance asked.

“Not one hundred percent but I’d like to try. I won’t hit back, only dodge if I can.” He nervously responded.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

Lance planted his fist directly into the young chimeras face, he fell to the ground with a thud.

“Ah fuck, I’m ok.” He said getting up slightly disoriented.

“Could you maybe try going a little slower, my sense skill can’t react that fast.”

He homed into Arcane Pulse. Red lines formed the slight images of Lance and the fences that surrounded them. Again, Lance launched his fist at Morpheus except slightly slower. He dodged it with a slight movement of his head.

“Can you try to throw in a kick as well?”

This time Lance attempted the punch except followed by a kick to the young chimera’s knee. He dodged the punch and used Arcane Step to back away from the kick.

“Not bad, very handy having a teleport.” Lance said.

For another thirty minutes that’s all him and Lance did. The guild master tried different means of attack, from head kicks to gut punches. A few times Lance caught him off guard breaking his knee and shoulder, but it was nothing he could not heal.

“We can keep going until noon, I have some meetings with the King’s advisors then.” Lance said.

“Sounds good, can you increase the intensity a bit? I’m levelling my skills so fast.” The young chimera asked.

Lance nodded. “If it gets too much just say.”

The speed picked up and so did the power of the attacks. As Arcane Pulse levelled up he could make out more details of the area surrounding him. The attacks looked more detailed and the arcane pulses seemed to reflect more before returning to him, giving Morpheus a constant sense of what was around him. This helped greatly in always determining where Lance was and he could also see any surprise attacks.

“You’re getting a lot better.” Lance said.

“Could we involve some wooden weapons? An axe if you’ve got one.” Morpheus asked.

Lance stopped his attacks and walked over to a chest next to the doorway into the guild. He pulled out a wooden shaped battle axe and sword. He threw the axe to Morpheus and firmly grasped the sword.

The sparring session lasted all the way up to noon. A small crowd had gathered during this time to watch a blindfolded man get beaten senseless by the guild master.

“Well Nvos, you’ve gotten increasingly better in a small amount of time. Very impressive.”

“Thank you, it’s nicer training with you rather than Brevair.”

“Ha, he must of beat you to the bone.”

Morpheus just smiled with his blind fold still on looking at his new notifications.

…

You have levelled up Arcane Pulse Level (10)

You have levelled up Arcane Hardening Level (9)

You have levelled up Flow of the Valkyrie Level (11)

‘Not bad’ he thought to himself. He paid Lance his coin and changed into his preset leather armour. Morpheus was debating what to do with the rest of his day. Eventually Morpheus would leave Arios and travel somewhere else. But he had no idea where he would want to go, preferably nowhere near the Empire and Queensdale didn’t seem so bad.

He asked this question to Lance.

“You’d be better off getting a world map soon, they’re rather expensive but it will be worth it if you’re travelling.”

“How much?” Morpheus asked.

“Sixty silver five or take a few.” He responded.

“I can afford that, the Wreckon Alpha paid pretty well.”

“So I’ve been told, but it’s best to keep your head down for the moment. Maybe enter a few dungeons.” He said.

“You know where I can buy the map?”

“We work with a cartographer company, they supply the majority of the guilds in The Independent. It’s a five minute walk south along the Main Street.

“I’ll stop by then, thank you again Lance.” He said.

“No problem, you’re going to become strong in the next few years and it’s always good to have a strong friend.”

He shook Lance’s hand and exited the guild, heading towards the cartography shop. As he arrived at the store it was a lot bigger and more expensive looking. The windows were outlined with silver linings making it look almost like royalty.

He opened the door to be greeted by an old gentleman wearing a three piece suit. ‘This really isn’t my place’ Morpheus thought.

“Good afternoon young man how may I be of assistance?” The suited you man said.

“I’m looking for a map of Arios.” The young chimera asked.

“Yes of course mister, if you’ll speak to Kendra behind the counter she will be able to help you.

“Thank you.”

The store was rather large, it was almost like a cafe mixed in with a shop. A lot of people here looked like nobility, all wearing fancy dresses and jewels. It was a place where Morpheus stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Excuse me, I was told by the suited guy to come here to purchase maps.” He said with a posh accent.

A lady in her mid twenties with long blonde curly, white shirt and patterned waistcoats turned around.

“Yes of course, although our prices are expensive.” She said looking at his armour.

“Oh really?” He said, dumping a large pouch of coins. ‘Rich people are the same everywhere.’ He thought.

“My deepest apologies, please follow me.”

Morpheus followed the young lady into a side room which connected to the main area.

“What maps are you looking to purchase?” She asked.

“Map of Arios” He said.

“The Map of Arios is sixty five silvers..” “Anything else I can do for you.”

“How about a notebook and pen?” He asked.

“Pen? We have ink painters if that’s what you mean.”

“Yes sorry that’s what I meant.”

“Well they're rather expensive, roughly forty silvers for the two.”

Morpheus pouted, it wasn’t that he could not afford it, but rather he would only be left with forty silvers.

“I’ll take the lot.” Morpheus said extending his hand.

The lady did not shake his but bowed.

“I do not mean to offend you but nobility do not shake, only bow.”

“Why?” He questioned, Morpheus thought a hand shake would be universal.

The lady cleared her throat, looking slightly embarrassed. “Our partial owner Thomas Bellus believes that the nobility is clean and peasants are dirty, to shake hands with a peasant is to dirty your hands.”

Morpheus couldn’t believe it. “And what do you think?” He asked in a passive aggressive tone.

“I was raised as a peasant but I am now Nobility, so I can understand your anger. I would shake your hand but it is against the terms that Bellas has set.”

“That’s understandable, I heard Bellas was from the empire? Is that true?”

She gulped “Yes he is, he made a deal with the King and he agreed to allow the Bellas family to operate and live in the Independent.”

“Interesting, well thank you anyway for your services.” The young chimera said putting down a hundred silvers.

“My pleasure, I apologise again for my rudeness.” She said handing him over his goods.

“Please refrain from updating your map while standing, it will give you slight nausea.”

“Ha, maybe I should do it standing over the nobles in there.” Morpheus jokes.

The lady giggled slightly, which made him feel that she wasn’t as bad as he first thought. A job is a job which Morpheus always told himself on Earth.

He left the posh store and headed back to his room at the Dashing Horse Inn. He picked up a few unknown meat skewers to dig in on his way back. The training had really taken a lot out of him.

He went up into his room and locked the door. Morpheus pulled out the scroll which had a nice ribbon on with a small note saying. ‘Map of Arios’

Do you accept Scroll ‘Map of Arios’ Y/N

Mentally suggesting yes, a huge influx of information flooded his brain. He felt slightly dizzy but nothing seriuos, he pulled up his map quickly.

‘This world is huge’ he thought to himself. Morpheus studied the map for hours, especially looking around Ervos. Heading south would suit him best, through Citite and then to Southcross. He heard tales of the great city in the guild and the inn. But what if he travelled north, visiting Northcross and then onto Port Sivence and Queensdale. Travelling down to Seaford from Queensdale then maybe taking a boat to Citite. All these options swirled about in his head, he still had time to think it over so. He lit a cigarette and leaned over the windowsill, looking out into the street, people watching.

He stayed there for a while still thinking about all his options. To take his mind off it he went through the dungeon notebook, trying to find a suitable dungeon. ‘Trials of the Independant 10-∞’. ‘To infinity’ he thought. He had to ask about dungeons tomorrow at the guild, it didn’t make sense to him what actually a dungeon was. Were they made by the gods or just randomly created. He flicked through the booklet trying to find some answers.

‘Some say dungeons are trials made by the gods, scholars say that it is caused when an influx of creatures inhabit an area or the area has a high density of mana.’

‘Trials of the Independant is a level based dungeon, you must clear the floor previous to advance onto the next. The levels appear to be infinite, the highest recorded level is 43 which Lance’s team broke. It hasn’t been broken for 60 years since from when this book was written. You can teleport to the levels you have completed. Level 43 has beasts ranging from level 400-500 using specialised magic. The dungeon was created in the city of Ervos when the Independant Kingdoms was created 400 years ago.’

Morpheus rubbed his chin, he couldn’t believe he missed a dungeon in the middle of the city. It was already decided where he would go tomorrow.

Morpheus left his room and headed down to the counter to ask Rose where the dungeon was.

She said it was located in the east side, just before the royal quarters, he gave Rose a smile and walked into the eating area.

He enjoyed his night, drinking till late with some travellers from Northcross. They told stories of the beasts in the north, which Morpheus was very interested in. The idea of even seeing completely unknown creatures seemed to spark something in him.