Finn was right. It took us six more skeletons for me to hit level four. While I should feel incredibly grateful to have gained two levels already today, all I feel is exhausted and irritated. Emotionally drained from the stress of being forced to work with these goons.

By the time that happy musical tune plays that tells me I’ve leveled up, I have a surplus of four attribute points to spend. I open up my menu and try to decide where to put them when I remember that I still have a copy of the Warrior class formulas that Rin gave me when I first met her. She had said that manipulating the attribute system was half the game, so I look through my e-notes and pull out what she gave me.

HP = CL +9 x (0.6 FORT)

Damage = CL + STR + Weapon Mod + Status/Weakness - Armor

Armor = (.4 ARM Mod) + (.4 DEX)

Magic Resistance = (.2 MR Mod) + (.1 WIS x .1 INT)

Speed = 20% DEX

I figure “CL” must stand for class level, as that’s the only the way the math adds up to what I have for HP now. The damage formula Rin gave me must just be a semi-accurate guess or the top of a random range of potential damage, as I’ve never hit above what that formula gives me, but I’ve never been too far below it either.

I put two points into fortitude and decide to spend my two points I was saving into dexterity. While I could definitely use the extra HP, I figure a little bonus to my armor statistic and speed wouldn’t hurt either.

Aiden Rockwell

LV. 4 Warrior

HP: 195

STRENGTH: 14

FORTITUDE: 25

DEXTERITY: 15

WISDOM: 16

INTELLIGENCE:13

SWAY: 15

(LV. 4) Leather Helm: +2 ARM

(LV. 1)Tattered Tunic: +1 ARM

(LV. 3) Breeches: +2 ARM

(LV. 3) Dinged Short Sword: +2 DMG

(LV. 1) Dented Buckler: +1 ARM

I run the math again, and figure that my damage will cap out at 20, my armor should take about 10 off each hit, and my 195 HP gives me a pretty good distance between life and death. I revel in the fact that it’s almost twice as much HP as Alloy now!

That makes me wonder if the other classes use different multiplication modifiers on their fortitude attribute formula. It makes sense considering that Lenard has 18 points of fortitude, which isn’t too far off from me, and he hasn’t even broken over 100 HP yet.

But even with the advantage of more life, I assume that their magical attacks would take a great deal out of me considering I practically have no magical resistance at all. I’m a little disappointed when I realize that going against three magic users would probably not be the greatest idea I’ve ever had, but man would I get a lot of joy out of kicking these guys down a notch.

Once we are all finished assigning our attribute points, we all take a quick huddle in the bailey just outside the main doors.

“All right,” Alloy says. “The Five Roses is largely a puzzle based dungeon. There will be mobs, but most of them will come out of nowhere and try to surprise us. The biggest challenges are going to be the puzzles. They can kill us so I guess they are really traps, but you get the idea.”

Staring at the big looming doors ahead of us, I ask, “Has anyone else ever cleared the Five Roses Keep?”

“Don’t be a dummy!” Lenard says. “You really think we’d be the first in history to do it?”

Alloy sighs. “Like I said before, The Five Roses Keep has a few things that deter most players from going through it. It’s meant for lower leveled players, but it’s far away from Anticor’s capitol and most players have Guilds to help them level through harder dungeons. It also has a history of puzzles being changed periodically with updates to the game every six months or so to keep it fresh and challenging to all levels of players. Even with the increase in loot from the last update this place still doesn’t attract many people.”

I hold up my hands. “Sorry, I didn’t know.”

They wave it off like it’s nothing, but then force me back into the front line of the party. Yippee.

I lead the way up to the main doors—two black iron double doors with intricate engravings of vines and flowers. As we approach the doors swing open loudly without my touch, and as we enter our footsteps echo off the foyer walls.

Even on the inside, there is greenery everywhere I look; flowered vines are carved into the stone walls that work their way up to an arched ceiling, and the pillars that line the hall are giant, thorny roses. It’s an incredible sight even in the dusty darkness.

There are three doors in this room other than the main entrance we came from, and they all look identical. The others don’t have any input, so I choose the door in the middle and walk to it. I try to twist the big golden handle, but it’s locked tight. Then, I take us to the left door and it opens for me.

The smell of rot and damp must washes over me as I enter what must used to have been a kitchen. There are butcher blocks stained with faint traces of red with surfaces scarred by knives, mills for grinding wheat, and mortars for spices. The far wall is almost entirely brick ovens set above four fireplaces. But beside them, more interestingly, there is a much smaller door made of wood with iron bands. I try to open this one, too, but find that it’s locked as well. The let down causes a cuss to slip my tongue.

Lenard laughs at me. “What? We told you wasn’t going to be easy.”

“Yeah, I know. I just thought you said a puzzle, not an eye spy. I don’t see a key anywhere.”

“Spotting things is half of a puzzle,” Alloy says. “Besides, that looks like the entrance to a cellar, maybe a dungeon, which is probably the end goal. Something tells me we have to explore more before we’ll find the key to this door.”

Lenard takes a step forward to open a few drawers and cupboards and look inside.“But wouldn’t the end of the dungeon be the main hall? Like where they have the feasts and stuff and the king sits?”

Alloy shrugs. “It’s possible, and I think pretty typical with pre-Culicidae video games, but I wouldn’t say with certainty that’s how it’s going to work here. In fact, I’d guess it’s the opposite. Libertas tries, in some ways, to be the opposite of what you’d expect.”

The middle fireplace behind us whooshes alive with a crackling inferno that it can barely contain, flames dancing dangerously close to me. I startle, and slash out, violently and without any motivation other than sheer panic. Luckily, my sword only collides with a wooden barrel. But, on the other hand, it unfortunately rocks until it spills over, dumping white flour onto the ground and stirring it into the air like mist.

“What the hell was that?” I ask. “Why did the fire start?”

The others shrug, and before we have time to investigate the flames, a ghastly shriek that terrifies us to the bone fills the room. I try to squint through the cloud of white flour in the air, but can’t see anything clearly. That is, until I noticed the 3-toed footprints in the flour making their way around the wooden countertop and towards us, but no body.

I point it out with the tip of my sword and scream, “there!”

Finn jumps back in fright at the appearance of prints from invisible feet. Alloy shoves me out in front of it. “Kill it!” He commands.

I stumble forward and suddenly feel heat tear across my face in two blows.

The Ghast hits you for 34 damage! 161/195 HP remaining!

The Ghast hits you for 26 damage! 137/195 HP remaining!

After taking a few steps back, I swing my sword wildly and aimlessly, cutting nothing but air. Before the invisible creature gets another hit in, a bright idea comes to me and stoop to grab a hand full of flower and toss it into the air. Very faintly, I can make out the Ghast’s outline now where flour rests on its shoulder and head. It looks vaguely bulbous and human shaped, and about half my size. That bolsters my courage a bit, and I land a few swings on it.

You hit the Ghast for 12 damage!

You hit the Ghast for 15 damage!

The creature lets out a howl and reels back, then the others’ abilities start to fire off.

Alloy casts Life Pull on the Ghast and transfers 19 HP to Aiden! 156/195 Remaining!

Finn misses the Ghast!

Perry hits the Ghast for 13 damage!

“Don’t worry!” Alloy says. “That Ghast might hit really hard, but we’re way faster than it. Also, even though we may not have a good sight on it, Life Pull doesn’t require me to see them!”

He uses his necromantic spell once more, and getting my HP topped off again really helps settle my nerves. I shake the fear off, grip my sword with two hands, and shift forward, swinging with my hips.

You hit the Ghast for 12 damage!

You defeated the Ghast and gained 750 experience points!

The room fills with another screech, then a puddle of bluish gloop plops onto the floor.

“That was a fast fight,” I say. “It must not have had much health.”

Lenard steps up to the goo and pokes it with his boot. “Not surprising considering the tactical advantage its invisibility was supposed to give it.” The bearded man smiles widely and pats me on the back. “It could have been a lot harder fight if it weren’t for the flour you spilled all over. We wouldn’t have seen it coming.”

He bends over and begins poking his big fingers in the jelly, I wonder why the heck he’s digging around in the stuff until he dangles a golden key in front of me with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on him.

“A key!” I exclaim. “I wonder if it goes to that door.”

Lenard flicks it clean and hands it over to me. I walk back to the cellar door and insert it in the lock. It fits, but neither the key or the knob turns.

“Guessing by the color, it must be for the main hall,” Lenard suggests.

I nod, and we head back into the main foyer with the massive rose-shaped pillars. While there’s nothing that’s changed here, I still feel a bit nervous about this place as I insert the key into the golden handle. When I do, the big door swings wide open with a groan. Unfortunately, the feasting hall doesn’t look any more comfortable.

We step out into what looks like a giant mess of spaghetti. It’s all along the walls, the ceiling above, and the edges of the floors, and it doesn’t take us more than a few steps before one of us steps in it and realizes that it’s not spaghetti at all.

“Guys,” Lenard says, “these are spiderwebs.”

And then, as if on cue, the mother of all spiders drops from the ceiling, shaking the ground when it lands. Its stats appear in front of us all in blue text as it screeches louder than any other living thing I’ve ever heard before.

Goliath – Level 6 Mini-boss of the Five Roses Keep

HP 215

STRENGTH: 26

FORTITUDE: 24

DEXTERITY: 32

WISDOM: 12

INTELLIGENCE: 6

“Oh my God,” I say. “Look at the size of its HP pool!”

“Should we run?” Lenard asks as the monster begins to charge towards us. It shakes the ground with every step and I move forward to protect my party like I’m supposed to even though I’m absolutely terrified of this thing’s glistening fangs and hairy legs.

Alloy punches Lenard in the shoulder for that. “No! Even if you do die, you won’t die so don’t be such a baby. It’s just a giant digital spider.”

“Yeah,” I say. “One that’s got more physical attribute points than all of us combined.”

“That won’t matter,” Alloy says. “Look at its mental attributes. It doesn’t have barely any resistance to magic, and we’ve got two high-damage casters.” He motions to himself and Finn, then points at me. “We’ll be able to take it so long as you can keep it busy! So do your job and tank it!”

I nod and rush forward to meet the creature in the middle of the massive feast hall. Even though it’s all been cleared of tables, and the only piece of furniture I can see is the throne up ahead beneath stained glass windows, there is debris all over the room, and not all of it looks like wood. Some of it appears to be limbs.

Before I can even get into striking range of the spider it lashes out at me with a swipe of its one of its eight long legs. I duck beneath the blow fast enough, but before I even have a chance to retaliate in any way it’s at me again with another swipe, forcing me to focus on defense.

Finn readies Blinding Light!

Again and again the spider comes tearing at me and the only thing I seem to be able to do is narrowly avoid it, but I am keeping it busy as the first hit lands.

Alloy hits Goliath for 35 damage and lets out a scream, “big numbers for a big boy!” He laughs, and even though the creature flinches for half a second, I still can’t stay ahead of it. The spider gets lucky and slams its hairy foot down on me, crushing me onto my back.

Goliath hits you for 29 damage! 127/195 HP remaining!

“We have a problem, Alloy!” I yell as I push myself to my feet, then dive to avoid another wide swipe. “We forgot to get me to full health before walking in here!”

“I see that!” Alloy shouts. “Just don’t get hit!”

That infuriates me. How am I not supposed get hit by something with a 10 foot reach? I keep trying though, weaving, ducking, even face planting myself into the ground. Both Lenard and Perry manage to get in hits totaling 23 damage, but the tide really turns when Finn unleashes his spell.

Finn casts blinding light! Goliath is now stunned!

“It won’t last long!” Finn says. “Hit it hard!

I take advantage of the opportunity and hit it three times for a total of 36 damage, and so do the others. Yet again I have to remind myself that I’m not a damage dealer, but it still annoys me how a jerk like Alloy is doing way more damage than I am, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed.

Alloy hits Goliath for 39 damage!

To show my stuff, I try to get another hit in, but Goliath leaps into the air and out of my range. Ten yards away, it turns his back against me before a message appears on my HUD.

Goliath uses Ensnare!

Uh oh. A stream of thick, sticky webbing sprays all over me. I can’t pull my legs free or even lift my sword high enough to cut away at it.

You have been slowed!

You have been pinned!

Goliath uses Feed! He leaps for Aiden!

The monstrous spider soars through the air and comes down on me with his fangs. I feel heat penetrate down into my shoulder and cringe when I see the damage log.

Goliath hits Aiden for 49 damage and restores 23 HP!

I take a quick glance at my own HP and see that I’m down to 78! If the damage Goliath just dealt was on the low side of his potential range one more blow like that and I’m done for! Luckily, the blow breaks me free of the webbing and I quickly move away. I glare back at Alloy and he senses my panic and anger and begins to cast Life Pull.

I shift my attention back to the the mini-boss, knowing that if I make one more mistake I’m Frodo, and I don’t trust these guys to be my Samwise. The spider begins crawling its way back to me. I hold up my sword with one hand, and keep my buckler elevated and ready for anything. But before it reaches me, its whole body shudders and it screams as it activates an ability called Family Feast.

The webbing in all the corners of the room begins to burst open like little web bombs as scuttling spiders the size of cats scuttle their way out of their eggs. I make a rough count of at least twelve of them, and know that there’s no way I can tank all of them and still survive.

“Finish it fast!” I scream.

Alloy casts Life Pull on Goliath and transfers 25 HP to Aiden! 84/195 HP remaining!

Finn hits Goliath for 23 damage!

Perry hits Goliath for 12 damage!

Lenard hits Goliath for 15 damage!

Goliath uses Feed! He leaps for Aiden!

Things seem to go into slow motion. I’m done for!

“Use your ability!” Lenard screams as he hits one of the smaller spiders, finishing it in one blow.

My ability! I focus for only a fraction of a second on total defense in the action shows up in my log.

Aiden uses Complete Defense! Armor increases by 25% for 10 seconds!

Goliath hits Aiden for 55 damage and restores 27 HP!

I only have 29 HP left. This is definitely going to be the end unless we time things just right! I dive underneath the jumping attack of one of the smaller ones, summersault, and slash upwards at one of Goliath’s legs, screaming a battle cry as though it will empower the blow.

You hit Goliath for 15 damage!

Finn hits Goliath for 21 damage!

Perry hits Goliath for 9 damage!

Lenard hits Goliath for 14 damage!

Alloy hits Goliath for 33 damage!

Goliath is defeated! It’s offspring retreat in fear!

You gain 3,000 experience points!

You’ve found Goliath Venom!

Congratulations! You have reached level 5! 1 attribute point has been awarded!

Congratulations! Alloy has reached level 7!

Congratulations! Finn has reached level 6!

You have unlocked a new ability! Choose between the following:

Imbue Weapon: Charge your weapon with the energy of your deity. Add Sway to Damage for 20 seconds.

Or

Imbue Shield: Charge your shield with the energy of your deity. Add Sway to Armor and Magic Resistance for 20 seconds.

We shout with our weapons raised in a victory cry, then fall to the floor, exhausted. As much as I want to smash Alloy’s face in for not healing me enough and letting me get so close to death, I’m too tired to try.