Chapter 25: Why Not

“Iliana, I was thinking we go ahead and try to get to i8 in one go,” Trint stated. “You good if I take us to a level 31 instance?”

“Trint, I am locked at your level for the time being. I believe I can handle myself well, even as a backup to you in battle. Don’t worry about me,” She assured with not a hint of doubt visible.

So they traveled further away from the city Trint started in when arriving in i9. Trint asked Iliana to set a pace that she could maintain and not make herself too weak if they were attacked. She set the pace, which was just as fast as Trint previously had traveled. Trint found he could now easily match the speed and didn’t grow tired, so he took the lead and led her to a level 31 instance. They passed a dozen individuals and just as many groups. The groups were as small as two people and saw one with 8. They chose to swing wide of anyone they encountered. They even ignored one group of 3 that called out to them. And a couple of hours later, they found what they were looking for.

They walked into the instance together. Immediately Trint transformed into his previously used 9-limbed fighting form, lifted off the ground, and grew in bulk and mass. He took in his surroundings. No monsters were visible.

“I can’t see anything? Iliana whispered. “Can you?”

“No, but I can sense through the darkness,” Trint explained. “I never planned for an instance without any light.

‘Pneuma, is there a torch or something in the ring?’ Trint silently asked.

‘Yes, Trint,’ Pneuma scoffed as if offended he hadn’t thought of something so simple. ‘There is, but you might want to forego it. Light in the darkness will make you a target. So you must decide if you wish to have any measure of stealth or if you wish to draw everything towards you and Iliana.’

“Do you want to find another instance?” Trint asked Iliana. “Or do you want to follow me in here? I don’t want you needlessly killed, but I can resummon you later if you die. Or I can unsummon you now. We are both level 27, and I plan to increase the minimum enemy level to 36. This will be a huge challenge till we gain some quick levels at the beginning.”

“I trust you and would like you to decide,” Iliana assured. Trint could sense with great detail and from her expression that she was calm and confident in her posture. And her facial expression was that of a determined smile. She was eager to prove her worth to Trint and overcome this challenge.

“For the moment, we are safe,” Trint explained. “We are in a large cavern. My guess is a cave system underground. The ground and ceiling have smooth surfaces and are very dry. The ground slopes slightly upward as the cavern extends away from us. That’s the basic layout.” Trint had already received and ignored several system messages as he continued talking with Iliana.

“There are a couple of things I need to be sure you remember outside of the instances. I need to hide my ability to transform into another form. The form you encountered me in is not normal and will draw too much-unwanted attention to us. When we leave here, we will return to the city I arrived in for i9. We will focus on getting through without attracting anyone else’s attention. I haven’t been able to do that very well yet, but I think you will help make me appear more like a regular couple of adventurers.

“The other thing you need to know is that as a Sovereign, I have received some System privileges,” Trint explained. “They first appeared in the instance we met in. I received the same message and some options to modify the instance. The first three make the instance more difficult and will get us to i8 quickly. In contrast, the last option will grant us safe passage and completion but only half the Exp from a normal completion at level 31. So if you want, we can fight or breeze through this one. I know you wanted me to decide, but I would like you to choose from those two options.”

“My choice?” Iliana said. “That is generous of you, and you continue to surprise me, Sovereign. It may seem flippant, but I say why not? We should not become lazy or turn from a challenge so soon in our journey. Let us confront what may come.”

“Alright, I will bring the enemy level up to level 36 but won’t activate the other options,” Trint decided. “But please, no more Sovereign. I am Trint, and you need to see me as a person, not a god.”

“I know you have said this before. And I commit to keeping it secret. You must know that you are worshipped as a god to my people and me. Being in your presence and conversing with you is humbling, exciting, and confusing. You are a walking miracle, prophecy, and….” She had more to say but stopped herself. “I understand your wishes and will continue to honor them.”

Trint accepted the enemy level increase and didn’t even think about the others. Not wanting to increase the difficulty by another two factors accidentally.

Trint reached into his ring and pulled out a torch. He had asked Pneuma how to use it. It was a mana-fueled torch. A little mana would fuel a blue flame for 30 minutes. Trint sent a charge of mana into the torch. The light was not bright by daylight standards but was enough to see about 20 feet around them. Trint remembered Pneuma’s comments and kept the torch in his left hand. He would be the one to attract whatever lurked in the darkness.

“Let’s get this party started,” Trint said, turning away from Iliana and moving toward the pull of the instance exit.

“What party do you refer to? Are there to be more in our fighting party?” Iliana asked.

“No, that is just a saying from my life before the system. It means let’s go have some fun,” Trint explained. He reminded himself that although they shared a common language thanks to the system, their cultures differed. Only so much was translated by the system.

Torch in hand, Trint continued to lead the way. Their progress was uninterrupted for the entire cavern and then the next. Trint was beginning to wonder if anything was down here or if they had a form of stealth that might work on him. Then finally, straining his senses through the passages, he picked up movement in a cavern about 200 hundred yards forward. They went from cavern to tunnel and back to the cavern, always progressing up a slight incline. Trint warned Iliana to be ready and wait in the tunnel when he entered the cavern.

Trint senses and ability to process the information he perceived were growing. He could sense 25 centipedes about as tall as Trint’s human form. At just over 6 feet when stretched out, they were spread throughout the cavern—some unmoving. At the same time, others were interacting with each other. As Trint’s torchlight illuminated the cavern, the blue light hit the first of the monsters.

They were shiny, and their chitinous armor reflected the torch’s flame. It was their mandibles that stuck out to Trint. Their heads were the size of his human chest and filled with creepy digits undulating in anticipation of a meal. The most oversized mandibles were about 10 inches long and were made to pierce their prey. They would tear and pull it into their jaws.

Trint and the bugs wasted no time in starting the fight. Trint tossed the torch into the middle of the cavern about 75 feet away. That was enough to draw a few toward the light, but the half dozen closest to Trint could sense in the dark nearly as well as he could but at a much shorter range.

Trint’s form rose to his full height, and his two most extended arms and tail went to work. Trint also formed short blades on his primary arms in case the bugs got close enough. The long arms he took to calling his vipers because they could strike with incredible speed and it also helped him mentally organize his thoughts when sending each command. His lower extremities he started referring to as his crushers, were good at many things, but they needed names to help his mind organize and direct them.

With each creature that entered his range, he pierced them. Trying for the head, these enemies were fast, and their movement somewhat erratic. He started to miss headshots, and one centipede grabbed his left calf and tried to yank him down. Trint felt the talon pierce his left and quickly focused on hardening his body. The fangs or mandibles that bit him were pushed out as his body reacted by hardening and pushing against the sharp bite.

At the same time, he swung his left arm, and the bladed end removed the top half of the creature’s head. It fell to the ground, lifeless. Exp added to the reinforcement and pleasure of battle for Trint. He waded deeper into the cavern and the midst of the instance beasts.

Instinctively he lowed himself to his legs and used the crushers to aid in the destruction. With two arms for close combat, two crushers, two vipers, and a tail, Trint had to add focus to his feet and balance the constant change in his center of gravity. His strength in this form was massive, but so was the weight and mass he was throwing around. He found his mental abilities were up to the task.

He could divide his attention into perceiving the room, operating nine limbs, and using all of that to fight in the dark against 25 enemies. Trint found happiness. He couldn’t remember facing an extreme challenge yet being able to focus and thrive in the midst of it. He was used to everyday American life. He had worked a job, relaxing in the evenings and spending time with friends and family. Here he was almost alone in the dark. He was fighting for his life and trying to reach his family again.

At this point, he was near the torch, and the 25 enemies were down to 10, but they were all focused and attacking. They had no coordination but an uninhibited desire to kill and eat this intruder. The 10 crowded each other to get to him. He noticed one was out of his range and circling him. He focused on the more pressing issue of the 5 in his range and the other four behind. Within a moment, the 5 in range received a killing blow.

One to the top of the head, another was pierced through the mouth and out the back of the head. As soon as each viper struck, it retracted, ready for another. For the other three, one viper pierced the tip of its head hard enough to chip the rock below it, and the final two received crushed heads from the aptly named crushers.

“Well, one room cleared,” Trint said to Iliana. Only now did he realize she was standing over the remains of a dissolving centipede. Sword coated in ichor and bug remains.

“I wish the guts didn’t remain after the bugs dissolve,” Iliana complained. “That’s just gross. This human form is more agile than I’m used to, but I can see the need to protect my flesh better. At least until my levels are unlocked or increase.” Trint noticed a few scratches across the armor he’d given her and a line of blood on her left forearm.

“Well done killing that one. I completely missed it.” Trint admitted. “I would apologize, but you handled yourself well.”

“Yes, these beasts are a challenge with my level and skills capped at your level,” Iliana confirmed. “But I am capable. This is one of many foes that died by my hands. I am still not your match. How many did you kill in there? They just swarmed you, and now I can barely make out the torch due to the mist of dissolving corpses. This one here was hard to track in the dark until you stepped past the torch a bit. Then I made out the silhouette and killed it just in time.”

“Good work,” Trint praised. “Do you need a healing potion or to rest?”

“No, I am ready. Do you have an extra torch I can light if the need arises again?” Iliana asked.

Trint found another torch. He gave it to her, and they moved on. Trint instructed Pneuma to assign any stat points he gained for the rest of the instance. But to let him know if he hit level 31.