Meanwhile, deeper in the mines:

Around the same time that Saul and company were fighting their first battle against the Darkforge dwarves, deeper in the mine a conversation was occurring between a shadowy figure and a gruff dwarf.

"We need to sew chaos in the Rockbreaker kingdom. This plan doesn't work without it." The tall figure told the dwarf.

"I hear you but these lads are good enough for now. The king doesn't want to commit more forces to your cause yet." The commander responded. "Besides, shutting down their mine shuts down Bel Dharim's economy. I can't think of a better way to sew chaos than to cripple one of their cities."

This level of the mine looked different from the rest. There were wooden support beams visible between the glowing columns. There were large barrels and crates spread out near where the cart tracks ended. There were several Darkforge dwarves standing guard near the entrance. Almost every dwarf had a determined expression, though those close to the commander glanced back as if to eavesdrop. There was another force near the back surrounding a group of prisoners.

In each of these groups, there were a few Darkforge dwarves that looked tougher than the rest. They were all a bit bigger, and had armor that was of a higher quality. These were the elite forces in the raid group. A step above these elites on a small platform was the dwarf currently communicating with the shadowy figure.

The Dwarf looked like he’d seen many battles. Clad in full plate mail with large pauldrons and a wicked looking sword strapped across his back, nearly as long as he was tall and covered in nasty hooks. It looked like it had been designed for rending the flesh from an enemy.

To the other Darkforge dwarves, their commander was a stone cold killer. He was a powerful enough warrior to change the tide of battle single handedly. The dwarves had seen it firsthand when the Darkforge nation had gone to war with a massive conglomerate of Troglodyte tribes. Their squadron had been trapped in a losing battle against a force with superior numbers when the commander had finally intervened. Troglodyte blood ran in rivers once he joined the fray.

To the shadowy figure, the commander looked more like a chess piece than a sentient being. The Darkforge Commander was a pawn in a nefarious plot that would leave both dwarven kingdoms weaker and free to be exploited by other interested parties. Things are going exactly as planned. Our actions in the Prairie resulted in a transformation of one of the main Slime tribes. Instability will grow here as we fuel these tensions. Things continue to accelerate across all levels.

The man who seemed cloaked in shadows kept these thoughts to himself as he finally spoke up, “I'm telling you, you need to increase your numbers. Send a messenger to your king. Once the Rockbreakers realize you've captured their mine, you won't be able to hold them back."

The commander wasn’t the type to be told what to do by anyone other than his own king. He glowered at the shadowy figure, but the tactician in him whispered agreement with the man. A pained expression crossed his face as he relented, “It will be done. We’ll shore up our defenses and I’ll call for more reinforcements.” The shadowy figure nodded and turned to leave, and as he turned the glow from the nearby glyph column illuminated the inside of his hood, the light playing across features that looked distinctly human.

The commander began to bark orders out to his subordinates, “Men, get ready for a potential invasion! I want a barricade constructed near the front wall! Someone make sure those prisoners are secure! And send a runner back to Kalgolur to call for reinforcements! We’re going to make these surface dwellers bleed before they get a chance to take this mine back!”

A deafening cheer echoed in that chamber, his soldiers rushing to do their jobs. It’s not all bad being in charge.’He thought with a satisfied smile.

Saul and company were just finishing up their final preparations before moving forward. For Saul, that meant stretching out his sore muscles after a rough night’s sleep. More importantly, it meant he needed to steel himself for what was likely to come next - More violence. It has to be done.

As he thought about battle preparations, he realized he wasn’t yet aware of what changes his new levels had brought. With a sigh, he pulled up his menu, 'Status':

Name: Solomon Andrews

HP: 80=>120

Class: Ranger

Level: 4=>6

Talents:

Cultivate

Befriend Animal

Cultivation Level: Foundation

Abilities:

Attack

Shoot

Track

Strength:

26=>32

Intelligence:

25=>29

Dexterity:

29=>35

Willpower:

18=>22

Endurance:

21=>27

Experience:

4,500=>6,500

Page II read:

Talent Type:

Talent Level:

Talent Description:

Cultivation

Foundation, Lvl III

Through finding harmony with the ambient Qi, you are able to harvest it and use it to fuel your own strength

Befriend Animal

Foundation, Lvl II

Your connection to your animal companion confers you both greater strength and attributes.

Archery

Basic, Lvl I

Your growing mastery with a bow allows you to do superior damage

Single wielding

Foundation, Lvl II

You are able to use a single weapon in combat without hurting yourself

Dual wielding

Foundation, Lvl III

You are skilled enough with two weapons to use them to some effect

Dodge

Foundation, Lvl I

You have just begun to realize the potential of the human body. You may dodge some blows from enemies.

Two-handed weapons

Foundation, Lvl I

You are able to use a two handed weapon to some degree of effectiveness

Not only had Saul himself grown stronger, but it seemed Basi had too.

He could feel Basi’s increased strength through their bond. In fact, it felt as if their bond itself was quite a bit stronger at this point. The depth of their bond granted a deeper understanding between man and lizard. Saul could feel that there was depth to Basi’s attacks that he’d missed previously. The lizard was capable of using his tail to deal bludgeoning damage to opponents, as well as his claws and teeth.

Just how far up can Basi level? Does he always stay like this, I wonder, or is there a point where he’ll change into something else?’ He’d played enough pokemon to have some expectation of creature evolution, but so far this world seemed more like something out of DnD. Of course, in DnD it never bothered me to kill duergar… I never had to deal with their pain.

The thought was threatening to drag him to a darker place again. He pushed it, and the queasy feeling that threatened his stomach away and focused on his skills once more.

Saul’s abilities to fight with his two weapons had increased as well. His deeper understanding of how his hands could move independently of one another, and better ability to use them in such a way, meant his effectiveness as a melee fighter continued to grow.

“Guys, I’m level 6 now. From what I understand, most of these Darkforge grunts are between 3 and 4… How many levels did you all gain?” Saul asked the party, as much out of consideration of tactics as out of a desire to stop thinking about the death that they were going to walk past. Liza spoke up first, “I came in here as a level 5 warrior. I’m now at the 7th level. I also gained a few skill levels, mostly related to my Toughness and my two handed weapon.” What was that skill? “Toughness? What does that do?”

Her response was quick and simple, “It helps me to resist physical damage. I don’t know an exact percentage, I figured I’d work it out before I set off to the next level…” At that moment Edwin spoke up, “I’m also level 7 now. My mana regeneration has increased significantly, and my evocation spells will have greater damage.” Saul nodded. He looked to Reric somewhat expectantly, but the dwarf shook his head. “Dwarf levels don’t work the same… At least not for most of us. A few dwarves can act like you adventurers, but it takes more than just combat for us to grow stronger.”

They set off down the hall towards the deep end of the mine with a purposeful stride. Luckily for Saul, he was lost in thought as they moved past the corpses of their enemies, ‘Toughness, eh? How do you get a skill like that, I wonder…’ According to the map that Reric held, they weren’t terribly far away from the deepest mapped section. In preparation for the danger to come, Saul crept ahead of the group.

He moved swiftly enough to stay ahead of the noise his group was responsible for, his companion moving with him, slinking along the ground as quietly as possible. He was as quiet as the shadows themselves, blending in effectively. Before too long, they could hear the sounds of commotion up ahead - The sounds of something dragging along the cave floor.

As Saul continued to creep closer, he laid eyes on the source of the sound. There were a few dwarves up ahead dragging crates and barrels towards the sloped incline, creating a makeshift fortification.

Saul turned and rushed back to his companions, “They’re fortifying just up ahead. I didn’t get a read on how many of them there are. Stay quiet and move forward only when you hear the sounds of wood dragging along the way. I’ll move up ahead further to get a count… Try to stay near in case I find trouble.”

Liza and Edwin nodded their assent. The wizard seemed to mumble some incantation under his breath, and suddenly the members of the party seemed to fade somewhat out of existence - Their translucence increased by 50%. When Saul took a step he found that his steps were even harder to hear. The whispering of the wind was louder than Saul at this point.

That was good. It meant the party, even the heavily armored Liza would have the ability to stay close in case of trouble. Saul approached as close as he dared, the distance between him and the closest Darkforge dwarf so small Saul could practically count his wrinkles. He peered into the cavern, assessing the situation.

It looked like there were two distinct groups of dwarves here, not to mention the captives in the back. It looked like there were about as many Darkforge soldiers here as there had been in the cavern. That would be fine, but not all of the dwarves looked of the same variety.

He saw that one group of Darkforge were near his position, whereas another group was towards the back with the captives. There were a few elite dwarves in these units, their superior equipment and their demeanor indicating that they weren’t just grunts. One dwarf in particular looked like trouble - A menacing dwarf with a monster of a sword on his back.

Saul drew his bow and looked about the room, trying to figure out what the best course of action would be. He had an idea, but he didn’t want to cause any trouble for the captives. Let’s see… If I have Basi nearby, he can cut the dwarves free. If something should happen to us, at least they’ll have a chance to fight their way free. He gave his lizard a mental command to slink towards the back and watched as he moved off. The lizard was practically a ghost, and as Basi moved off into the distance, the shadows seemed to envelop him. Despite their bond, eventually he was so well hidden that even Saul would have had trouble telling someone where the lizard was. He moved into position near the prisoners as per Saul’s command.

As Liza and the others came closer, Saul nocked an arrow and began to infuse it with power. He willed the turbulent concentration of power into the arrow, gritting his teeth as he dug deeper and deeper to infuse the arrow with its maximum capacity. With his new and improved Basic Archery skill, he took careful aim at one of the dwarves nearby that seemed like an elite. He drew in a deep breath, his entire body tensing. More and more power and intent was forced into the arrow. He let the energy spill free from his dantian, preparing to fire even as he thought, ‘I’m sorry.’

He released his grip, a soft humming sound letting him know the arrow was rocketing towards its target, then nocked another arrow and fired again before the first one had traversed even half the distance to his target. He managed to get one last arrow nocked and fired before that first arrow hit, halfway burying itself in the eye of the Darkforge elite. Red flowed forth from around the arrow, painting his face in a macabre fashion as he slid to the ground. His health bar appeared and vanished instantly, Saul having just enough time to read: Darkforge Elite - Level 6

Exp gained: 900! Your share: 225

Saul tried to focus on the experience more than the fact that it came from killing a sentient being. That seems like a lot… He thought, even as the Darkforge contingent exploded into action. “We’re under attack!” Someone shouted, those closest to him drawing their weapons and scanning the area with a keen eye. Two more dwarves were hit with arrows and went down with shouts, though both of them were just wounded and not killed.

Further back in the cave Darkforge soldiers were readying weapons, large axes, spike covered maces and large warhammer brought to bear. Most of them seemed ready to take a few steps towards the entrance. That would work nicely. Saul didn’t want them anywhere near the prisoners.

To Basi, Saul sent: Cut the prisoners free, quietly. He knew from their enhanced bond that the lizard would be able to handle a command that had a request for nuance. He took advantage of his position in the shadows and fired off two more arrows in quick succession into the mass of dwarves near him. He hadn’t aimed, but the indiscriminately fired arrows still found targets and caused some damage before he was spotted.

He willed his melee weapons into his hands and prepared for the oncoming horde of Darkforge soldiers as several of them rushed at him. Sickly green bolts of magic flew into that crowd, splashing soldiers here and there with a sizzling hiss and eliciting screams of agony. Looks like acid.

Saul focused on the flow of energy in his body, sending it to his hand holding the dagger. As the dwarf swung at him, he moved his dagger to intercept the dwarf’s axe and deflected the blow just wide. At the same time he brought his sword across his enemy’s face. A thin line was cut across the dwarf’s flesh, and a red ‘48!’ shot up above his head. The dwarf’s health bar appeared overhead and showed that he was missing about a third of his health. Saul danced back at that point as more dwarves rushed forward, looking to keep distance until his allies joined the fray.

Sidestep, slash, duck, parry, stab… Saul began a bloody dance as he retreated in the face of that dwarven onslaught. Despite his clever movements and high dexterity, he got caught by the occasional blow, his health bar indicating that he was missing about 30% of his health. As if that wasn’t enough notification, his aching body and increasingly sluggish movements told him the same thing.

He felt the blood rushing in his veins, his heart pounding. His every breath infused his body with energy. He had managed to ward off several dwarves, a few of them falling victim to his skillful strikes, his blades seemingly guided by another being as he fought, but before long he felt himself growing overwhelmed. As he took greater and greater damage, his attacks came slower and slower. He focused more on dodging and parrying at that point, though his health was dwindling down, his arms feeling heavier by the second. I can’t take much more…He stepped to the side of a heavy blow as his body screamed in agony.

Just when he thought he was done for, Liza came down on the Darkforge dwarves like a whirlwind. Her massive sword cleaved through three of the Darkforge soldier’s necks, their heads taking flight in a bloody spray.

Reric appeared behind him with his healing hands pressed against Saul’s body. Divine magic seemed to course through his veins, and before his very eyes Saul’s cuts knit themselves together, energy unlike Qi infusing his muscles with a second wind. His heath bar acted accordingly, increasing back to full.

In the back of the cavern Basi had finished his job of setting the dwarves free and they seemed smart enough to stay out of the battle. They weren’t warriors in the first place, and they were suffering from the abuse they’d been dealt by their captors.

Towards the back of the room, the commander of the Darkforge dwarves watched the ongoing battle like a hawk. He seemed totally unconcerned. His demeanor was cold and callous. His nasty sword had appeared in his hands, but he wasn’t making a move to engage the party just yet. If Saul had a chance to talk to the Dwarf, he would have learned that the man cared nothing for his subordinates. The only thing that mattered to him was the thrill of battle.

As the Darkforge numbers dwindled down, the elites of the group were able to congregate and made their way towards Liza and Saul, their more heavily armored forms and larger weapons suggesting a greater threat level. There were perhaps five of them in the group. A fierce purple bolt soared into their group and dropped one, his hands clawing at his neck as if he were choking. Make that four.

There were only a few soldiers left standing, and the elites were closing the distance between themselves and Saul’s group quickly. As Liza managed to fell the last of the soldiers, the Elites arrived and began to press the two of them. Their teamwork and talents were clearly much greater than those of the other dwarves, alternating between offense and defense, working to keep each other alive. One would dart forward to swing their axe at Liza while the other would move forward with a large shield, raising it to absorb a blow from Saul.

Unfortunately for the Dwarves and in spite of their fearsome abilities, they were ignoring the other members of the party. Basi managed to sneak across the room behind one of the shieldbearers. The lizard pounced upon his vulnerable neck and those sharp teeth of his found purchase enough to him down permanently. Edwin’s spells weren't hindered by armor. Though a dwarf’s skin gave them some natural magic resistance, Edwin's relentless spells felled one of the elites.

That just left two. One for Saul, and one for Liza. As Saul started forward, he heard a sigh from the back of the room. The Commander was holding a monstrous sword in his hand, and he seemed ready to join the fray. In the blink of an eye, he was before Saul, his sword aiming to take his head off.