After the Dwarves finished their breakfast, Egard led them out of the building to wait on the main street of the Grobbler town without a word.

I exchanged disbelieving looks with Sania when the shadow of Grigor loomed over us.

“These Dwarves are being very disrespectful toward us, Lord Clive. This cannot continue.”

“I hear you, man, they’re behaving like kids, but I don’t think anything I could say would make this better. After all, I’m not the boss of them, but neither are they the boss of us. Just enjoy your breakfast, and when we’re ready, we’ll join them for the next leg of the journey.”

“What of the day and night traveling? Will we let that pass?”

“Sure, Grigor. It benefits us. I’m sick of these tunnels and the attitudes of the Dwarves, so as soon as we can get this over with, the better. They may have saved us a day or two in their company. We should be thanking them,” I laughed.

Grigor smiled and nodded thoughtfully. “You are right, Lord Clive. That is a good way to think about it.”

We were another half hour at least with our breakfast. As soon as we had all filed out into the street, Egard wordlessly marched off, back into the seemingly endless tunnels, and I was glad that, one way or another, we were nearing the end of our journey. I had no reference for how far we had left to travel now to reach the far north where we’d find Stada the Gran, but I knew it couldn’t be much further.

I wasn’t even sure how far we’d have to travel today, so it was a pleasant surprise when we reached the Nideland's doors.

Two Grobbler guards came out of the gatehouse, and after speaking briefly with Egard, they opened the doors. The Dwarves purposefully all moved to one side of the tunnel for us to pass. When I came up to Egard, I stopped.

“Is that it? You’re not going to say anything? Like where we are and what we’re doing here?”

“I already told you, Lord Clive. Through this exit, you will find the town of Komal. This is one of the few places we think you might find word of Cushec. That is all.”

“And are you coming out this time?”

“We are not. It is no longer required of us.”

“And you didn’t feel like you would share that information with us?”

Egard didn’t answer.

“You’re not exactly filling me with confidence that we’re safe here with you, Egard.”

“You are safe, as Darkness commands.”

It was clear that we weren’t getting anything more out of the Head Guardian of Agorak, and I wanted to be away from him, anyway. I beckoned the rest of my group to follow me out of the exit and into the fresh and frosty air beyond.

I felt a huge burden lift from me as we moved away from the Nideland, and I doubted I would ever want to go back in again.

“I can’t believe I haven’t asked this already, but who the fuck actually lives in Komal, anyway?”

Danivra, for once, shrugged. “I have no idea, my people have little reason to come this far north. I know that there are not many settlements up here.”

“Oh well. I hope Egard hasn’t set us up to arrive in a town full of demons or something,” I said only half-joking.

It turned out that the town of Komal was the home of a surface Grobbler tribe that had remained neutral. As we walked into their town, it was clear from the looks we received that visitors, or perhaps visitors that looked like my group, were not common here.

“Where now then?” I said once we’d made it about a quarter way into the town on the main road that looked like it went straight through and out the other side.

“Ask somebody, I suppose,” Sania said, then shouted over to a Grobbler. “Hey!” Have you seen the dragon named Cushec?”

The Grobbler jumped in surprise when she spoke, but then pointed down the road.

“See, easy as that,” she said with a wide smile.

I wasn’t convinced the dragon was down the road, but we moved deeper into the town, nonetheless.

At the halfway mark, we passed a much larger building that had a guard on the door.

“This seems like a good place to ask,” Grigor said, mirroring my thoughts.

“Yup, let’s go and ask. It certainly can’t hurt,” I replied, heading over.

“What brings you to Komal?” the guard asked in a surprisingly intelligent voice compared to what I was used to from the Grobbler.

Keka: Level 36, Komal Town Guard, Groler (Grobbler II).

This was the first evolved Grobbler I’d seen, and though he didn’t look too much different apart from being a little bigger, mentally, he seemed to be a clear leap above the others.

“We’re looking for the dragon Cushec,” I replied.

“Hmmm. You’d have to speak with the chief about that. Wait here. I’ll ask if he’ll see you.”

“Awesome. Thanks, man.”

The guard disappeared briefly, returning with an affirmative reply. “He’ll speak with you, but just one of you. Not safe for those inside if you all go in.”

I could see his point. We were a wicked looking group, but then I didn’t want to go in alone either. “Can one of my friends come in?”

He shook his head vigorously. “No, only one enter. This is the law. Your friends can get refreshments over the road,” he said, pointing a long arm at a building that was clearly some kind of food place.

I shrugged at them. “It’s okay, guys. It’s not like you couldn’t be in there in a second if anything goes wrong,” I said, tapping my temple and giving them an exaggerated wink.

“I’m not happy,” Sania said. “But it’s a fair point. Try not to get agitated if you don’t need us, though, even if the chief’s really annoying for you. Because if I think for a moment you’re in trouble, we’re coming in.”

“We will,” Grigor added.

Danivra just gave me a small smile that carried so much malice with it, none of which was directed at me.

I turned back to the Grobbler guard. “Do I just go in then?”

“The chief is waiting, yes.”

Inside there were eight Grobblers sitting around, talking and drinking. I checked out their identifiers as a matter of course and was shocked to see that a couple of them were quite highly leveled. At least in comparison to all of the other Grobbler I’d seen, that was.

Gabla: Level 52, Kolmar Chief, Groler (Grobbler II).

Dinga: Level 50, Kolmar First Warrior, Groler (Grobbler II).

There were other Grolers, but those two were the most notable, each with keen intelligence in their eyes.

“What is this?” Gabla asked as I approached.

“A demon man. How unusual,” Dinga said.

“I’m definitely not a demon. I was originally a human, and mentally, that side remains prevalent.”

“I know some good people who are demons,” Gabla said defensively, and Dinga nodded agreement.

“Ah, well I can't say that I do,” I replied. “But I’ll take your word for it.”

The table broke out into laughter. “No, my friend,” Gabla said. “All demons are assholes. Now, what brings you into my hall, and why do you have dark and light alignments? It’s confusing.”

“He has more than that,” a croaky voice from the corner said.

My head spun around almost of its own volition, horrified that I’d completely missed someone else in the room. I really needed to sort out my Perception. So many things to do, I lamented before quickly calming myself so that my friends didn’t come rushing in.

“I’m okay. Just a surprise is all,” I said across our bond.

“That was close!” Sania said.

As she laughed in my head, I checked out the other presence in the room.

Laga: Level 98, Kolmar Wise One, Grond (Grobler III).

“Hey there,” I said with a wave to the tiny, heavily wrinkled Grobbler. The new, most important person in the room, she looked ancient, despite the obvious power she must have access to.

“You hold Creation if I’m not mistaken? Has he returned to the land?”

“Ha, er, yeah. I mean, no. It’s... Hey, do you guys know where Cushec is? Also, if you’re worried about the incoming armies and need to leave here, then we have a place you can go.”

“Do you now?” Laga asked. “And where’s this place?”

“Far to the south, under the Forsaken Lands.”

“Hmmm, interesting,” she said, giving nothing away and not answering the question about the dragon.

“So no attacks yet from Destruction or Justice?”

She shook her head slowly. I was beginning to get creeped and sent a warning that I might need back up soon to my friends.

“And you want to speak with the mighty Cushec? What do you want with him?”

“I need a hand with a little problem I have in the south.”

“Which is?”

The way she talked made me not want to answer, but after a few moments of careful consideration I couldn’t see how it would matter.

“We are in the middle of a war, but my main problem is Natom Hilgresh.”

“Who’s that?” she asked.

I couldn’t believe that she was so old and powerful and didn’t know who Natom Hilgresh was.

“Just a super powerful dude down south I need help with.”

“And why would Cushec want to help you with that?”

The feeling of discomfort was growing. “I dunno. Thought I’d ask, you know.”

“Who else have you asked?”

“You know what, Laga. I’m really looking for a direction, not an episode of this is my life. Any clues?”

She smiled, revealing a mouth full of overcrowded and crooked, flat, yellow teeth. “Far to the east. He is watching the progress of the armies of Justice as they enter into our lands.”

“Ah, thank you very much. I think I’ll take my leave now. So much to do, so little time.”

“I can imagine,” she said, smiling wider. “Good luck on your hunting. If we need any help, we’ll come down and see you at your lovely little town.”

I turned back to the First Warrior and the Kolmar Chief. “Well, it was great to meet you all. Maybe we’ll meet again.”

“Stay for a drink. Tell us more about your town and your plans. Maybe we could help,” the chief replied.

“Maybe some other time. I don’t want to keep my friends waiting. I can always check in on you guys on the way back south if all goes to plan?

“I look forward to that day,” the Chief said, clapping his hands while the others, including the First Warrior, stared at me as if I was a piece of meat.

“Yeah me too,” I finished, slowly backing out of the room.

They all stood and began following me. As I sent the warning to my friends, a spear jabbed into my back.

“You guys really don’t want to do this,” I protested as yet another spear prodded me. There were around ten Groler guards blocking the way out now, and I was encouraged away from the door and deeper into the hall.

“The thing is,” Laga said, “I’m insatiably curious about what you’ve got inside you, and I really don’t think you should be carrying that around in Kalabri without the proper attention to detail when protecting it.”

“It’s safe enough, thanks.”

“So I will take it off your hands and look after it instead,” she continued as though I hadn’t spoken.

I shook my head. “You know that isn’t going to happen though, right?”

“Oh. And who will stop me? Your ragtag bunch of friends you came in with?”

“Did you check their levels?” I said in disbelief at her nonchalance.

“I saw, yes. None above fifty-one. A very poor showing. Now, if you had come with the Dwarves you left behind in the Nideland, there might have been something for us to be worried about.”

She must have missed that Danivra didn’t possess an identifier, and I smiled as the sounds of fighting rose up from outside. The smile dropped from my face as I felt a pinching pain inside my chest. It was pretty unusual for me to feel pain these days, except by obvious, obscene force, like being slapped by a Gashadokuro.

Only with my ability to see Neuma in the environment now did I notice that, from Laga’s extended hand, a tendril of dark orange power reached across the distance into my chest.

“What the fuck are you doing,” I growled, but she merely cackled in reply.

Activating my claws of Brutal Dismissal, I hammered it through her projection of power, severing it momentarily, though she just sprung up another bead of power onto my chest and the pain began again, growing slightly worse this time.

I waved my hand at it again, but I was now acutely aware of the six weapons of ascension now glowing in the room all around me.

“How long have you got left now with your ascension weapon? Level 44? Hmm, I give you fifty seconds.”

I pulled the Cleaver of Clive from my pocket, and she cackled again as the Groler in the room moved closer to me. I broke her next bead of power and took the opportunity to empower the cleaver. It glowed golden, bringing a surprise to all of their faces. I heard whispers of, “Two,” echo around the room.

As I broke her next attempt at connecting with my chest, I quickly shot two Spicy Balls straight at her face. An orange-hued shield sprang up around her and deflected them harmlessly, followed by another cackle.

I didn’t have time to rue the failure as the Grolers all surged forward. They thought they had me. They were very wrong as I shot myself up into the air at full speed and power, bursting through the roof in a shower of wood and slate tiles. Laga’s power was still attached to me, but I hit it again with the claw before firing a barrage of Spicy Balls into the town hall.

I was furious and remorseless in my attack, hammering ball after ball, building one of dark as I shot golden one then vice versa, creating a stream of constant power that decimated the entire building.

I only stopped when Sania’s voice sounded in my head. “Come down, Clive, you’ve done enough.”

I looked to my friends in the street, all watching me. The entire street was scattered with dead Grobblers. It looked like they’d killed half the goddamn town. If any Grobbler remained, they were keeping themselves well hidden in the buildings.

I dropped down to the street and took in the decimated building I’d been attacking. Notifications began to come, but I noticed there were none for the First Warrior, the Chief or Laga, and I wasn’t happy about that.

I explained the situation to my friends, particularly Laga’s level.

She raised a surprised eyebrow. “I’ve not heard of her. Or a Grobbler possessing such power. Their racial debuff on Intelligence means they seldom live long enough to reach even the second tier. And she was able to pull on the seed and wielded fire magic?”

“I… I was going to say I hadn’t realized it was fire magic, but I did know that somehow. Weird.”

“Are there any changes to your stats? You’re still at Level 44.”

“I honestly don’t know what she was doing.” I took a brief moment to meditate and found everything where it should be. Not least the Singularity, still there at Level 5.

“Everything’s normal, but I was able to hold her off with my ascension claw.”

“You’ve done well in there, Clive.”

“Well, I survived,” I said, eyeing the rubble. “Now I’m going to finish the bastards off. Then we can get out of this shithole.”

Sania patted my back proudly. “I’m glad to hear it. They do not deserve mercy for the unprompted and deceptive way in which they attacked.”

“Do not forget about the swathe of experience in there too,” Danivra added as I walked over to where I spotted a collapsed roof truss shifting. My friends lined the street ready to attack any who came near.

As the thick wooden truss fell to one side, the First Warrior's head appeared, then disappeared in an explosion of gore as I point-blanked a Spicy Ball straight into his already injured face. I knew the Chief was right next to him, so I cleared some of the wood and rubble to one side until I saw a still twitching leg.

A pang of guilt finally reached me through the outrage I was feeling at their attack. If I was honest, it was mainly Laga I wanted to obliterate. She had a deeply unsettling feeling about her, and I felt the world would be a better without the cackling old hag.

Looking back down to the leg, I sighed. “Well, Gabla. You knew what you were doing, didn’t you? I wasn’t walking out of there alive if you had your way,” I muttered as I shifted enough rubble to uncover his heaving chest, leaving his head and right arm pinned under a massive slab of rock.

From there, I sent a thick tendril of power into his heart, bringing it and his futile wriggling to an end. As the notifications came in, I dismissed them, walking over to the corner of the building where Laga had been.

I cleared the whole area, using Neuma in the end to speed the process. After about five minutes, I had to call Danivra and Sania over to see if they could sense her anywhere. I didn’t want to be clearing the whole damn building away.

Amazingly, neither of them could detect a trace of her. Though, they could locate each dead body and one of the guards who was still alive. I couldn’t believe that somehow the old fucker had managed to do a vanishing act.

“Let’s just get out of here,” I said sourly.

There was no disagreement, so we left the town of Komal with another potential enemy wandering around.

“Did they give you any clues about Cushec’s whereabouts at least?” Grigor asked.

“She said far to the east, watching Justice.”

“Did you believe her?” Danivra asked.

“She was creepier than a worm in a bowl of ramen, so probably not.”

“But unless the Dwarves, who aren’t talking to us, have any other ideas, then we don’t have much choice but to head east,” Sania said.

“If it’s more Grobblers, then I want nothing to do with them. I don’t particularly want to head further east, either.”

“Then let’s go north for Stada,” Grastad said. “Then we can maybe find Cushec on the way back. Like you say. Better than going east to where Justice is fighting.”

I shrugged. “It’s not a bad idea. Let’s see what Egard’s got to say for himself and talk about it over a beer tonight.”