Part Ninety-Three

“Ladies and gentlemen. Before we begin the assembly, I’d like to take the time to thank you all for your efforts in securing the fort's safety. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it is due to the collective efforts of every single person that this fort still stands.”

Cheers broke out from the collected mercenaries. No one hates to hear themselves be praised for their efforts, least of all people who fought for their own glory or fortune.

“This last week has been one of trials and tribulations. War is never pretty, and is even less so when the enemy are monsters. Those heartless beasts have no concept of surrender, nor do they know what compassion is. All they know is slaughter. It is up to us to defend ourselves from them. To push back against the tides of death, and to stand tall in the face of fear. And I can say that we have achieved that with a resounding yes!”

More cheering followed that, but the Commander calmed the crowd down before they could get carried away.

“But it has not all been smooth sailing. Some of those who should have stood beside us instead turned their blades on us, killing their fellow man. And many have lost their lives while fighting the monster hordes.”

The crowd became sedated as many remembered those who had fallen. About one in four people had died within the Dungeon, so many mercenaries had known someone who died.

“I wish that I could say that each loss was a valiant sacrifice for the greater good, but the truth of the matter is that each death marks the loss of another vibrant soul. Every death hangs over us, a grim reminder of the price we pay. They were not just soldiers, they were people. Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, brothers, and sisters. Their loss can never be replaced, nor should we attempt to do so. To forget the dead is the greatest sin we can commit. And so I would ask you all to follow me in a moment of silence for the dead, so that we may remember them as they were.”

Even the most jaded mercenaries followed the Commander’s lead, lest they raise the others' ire. Nothing could be heard within the fort for the next minute, aside from some quiet sobbing.

“Despite the fallen, we must continue on. For if we will not, who will? All I ask is that you keep them in your hearts, and do not disregard their sacrifice. Loss is a part of battle, but that doesn’t have to make it a tragedy.”

***

“Loss is a part of battle”? Ridiculous. Why I should I agree with something like that? It would be like I was just admitting that I couldn’t stop anything from happening to those I care about. It would be giving up. And I hate giving up.

It would’ve been so easy to just lay down and die back in the Labyrinth, but I’d gritted my teeth and fought through it. I wasn’t someone who’d accept the “inevitable” lying down. The odds of me surviving the Labyrinth had to have been less than one percent, but here I was.

“These losses are even worse when considering that you all are conscripts, not professional soldiers. It is not your duty to die in defense of this fort. That is why Aliver has prepared a way for you to return to civilized lands. But before we do that, it is time to reward you all for your service.”

The crowd, and myself, popped for that. One could say that this is what we all put our lives on the line for. After all, only the patriotic or altruistic would risk their lives in such a dangerous Dungeon and ask for nothing in return.

Actually, I half forgot that we’re supposed to get paid by Ethiopia after we’ve cleared the Dungeon. Hm, didn’t that Director guy say we’d forfeit getting paid if we left? What was that guy's name anyway? It was stupidly long, so I immediately forgot about it. Oh well. I’ll figure it out later.

“To show our appreciation for your efforts, every soldier here will receive a small token of thanks. Show this token to any soldier who knows of the fort, and they will be honor-bound to provide aid.”

Several NPCs were moving through the crowd, distributing these tokens. Though we’d gotten ours before the assembly started. It had the appearance of a small silver coin. One side had dozens of glyphs engraved into it in minute detail, while the other had an engraving of a sheep's head. And surprisingly, it could be Analyzed.

Aries Token

Rank: Special

Description: A small magically-created coin given to those who aid in the defense of Fort Aries. The token can used to summon a squadron of the Fort’s soldiers to one’s aid. Can only be used inside Dungeons.

I still can’t believe how good this thing is. Though I guess its utility will depend on how many soldiers make up a squadron. If this is the consolation prize, I wonder what else is in store for us.

“Now I believe it is time to move onto the meat of the matter. Firstly, while those who completed the special assignments have been amply compensated, I’ll be throwing in a little bonus for you dependent on how many assignments you completed.”

Wait, how many assignments did I complete? Uh, the sabotage mission, the wolf hunt, the Orc General’s challenge, and the counterattack operation. Assuming all of those are counted as assignments, then I’ve done four. Does this mean that I can really look forward to my reward?

“Those who completed one assignment will receive a second Aries Token. Those who did two will receive a Medal of Aries. Anyone who did three will get an Aries Pendant. And, for the few who did four, you’ll receive an Aries Signet Ring. These rewards will be given to you after the assembly is over.”

A ring, huh. Can’t say I’m too stoked about that. I’d much rather have the pendant. Well, I guess I’ll see what they’re all about later. There’s bound to be more to this assembly. Right?

***

Long story short, there really wasn’t. The rest of the assembly consisted of the Archmage and Commander lauding the various achievements of those they’d selected as representatives. It was honestly a lot of tedium, and I was fed-up with it after five minutes.

The only interesting parts were when the Archmage gifted everyone who Awakened a Grimoire, and when the Commander gave out a number of weapons to anyone who killed a certain number of monsters by themselves. The sword I got wasn’t bad, but it still paled in comparison to the Twin Swords. Though I think many weapons would.

Mercifully, the end was in sight. After giving a few final honors, the Commander dismissed us to prepare for later. Apparently the Archmage was currently off putting the finishing touches on a special teleportation Array that would lead us out of the Dungeon. Though I had little interest in that.

“Eherm, young man? Could you hang back for a minute?”

“Huh? Uh, alright?”

There was nothing in it for me to ignore the Commander. After all, I still didn’t know what I’d need to open up the Sub-Boss’s Lair.

I stayed to the back of the stage as I watched the others clear out. Most were either off to prepare for the major battle that was only a few hours off, or were gathering their things in preparation to flee the Dungeon. Things had finally come to a head.

Once nearly everyone was gone and we were the only ones left on the stage, the commander turned to address me.

“Now normally I would attempt to talk you out of it, but Aliver seems to think you have a chance, and your track record backs it up. So while I’m doubting you can actually deal with that beast, I feel that I have little choice but to entrust you with the key to its Lair.”

The gold plate he handed me was the size of my face, and had a sheep's face engraved onto one side. The two notches on the top seemed out of place, at least until I realized what it was for.

“Do be careful. What waits for you in there is exceptionally dangerous. I’d also advise you to pick your companions carefully.”

The commander left while I was still flabbergasted, giving me no time to inquire further.

***

[Alicia’s POV]

Alicia stood in her room, practically vibrating with excitement and joy. She’d thought that there might be an opportunity to get a Grimoire, but actually getting one so easily had surprised her. And now, she had all the knowledge she could need about Lightning Magic. She’d already transformed the book into an Elemental Grimoire, so all that was left was to read it.

She cracked it open and immediately skimmed past everything else, hunting for the section containing the Lightning Magic Spells. She could go over that stuff later, when she had all the time in the world to do it. Right now she needed Magic and the firepower it could bring.

0th Grade Lightning Magic Spell [Sparks] – A simple magical conjuring that generates and maintains a few electrical sparks. Has very few practical applications, but can be used to start or power small machines.

1st Grade Lightning Magic Spell [Stun Strike] – A simple spell that generates a quick and sudden electric jolt. May cause targets with a nervous system to experience sudden paralysis.

2nd Grade Lightning Magic Spell [Spark Burst] – Causes an electrical explosion. While not very powerful, those caught in the explosion will experience intense discombobulation as their nervous systems are scrambled.

3rd Grade Lightning Magic Spell [Electric Chains] – Creates a series of electrical chains that shock and bind their targets. The chains will last until either they are dismissed by their caster, or the mana powering them runs out.

Elemental magics are ranked with four categories: power, utility, cost, and control. Each branch usually excelled in one aspect, but suffered in one or two others. Fire Magic has high attack power, but also has a high mana cost. Wind Magic has high control and low cost, but also has low power. But surprisingly, Lightning Magic was an exception.

That wasn’t to say that it was perfect. There’s no such thing as perfection. It was better to say that Lightning Magic was merely a jack-of-all-trades school. It did everything it did to a certain standard, but not one iota more. Nearly every aspect of it was outclassed by one of the other elemental schools. The only notable point of the school was its ability to paralyze beings with a nervous system. This secondary effect could even work on beings resistant to magic, and even the Undead, who’s nervous systems were nearly obsolete.

This “stun" effect was very well known, and was often used by bounty hunters looking to bring in their bounties alive. Or by slavers looking to capture new wares.

But that was neither here nor there. Alicia immediately zeroed in on the instructions for [Stun Strike], and began memorizing them. While not as complex as [Rot], she still thought that it would take a few hours of work to fully figure the spell out. But having a means of magical attack would go along way towards powering her up. And unlike Michael, she wouldn’t need a catalyst to cast her spells.

***

[Kalia’s POV]

Kalia returned to the infirmary after the assembly, though there was little for her to do there. Brad's group had already been discharged, as well as nearly everyone who was injured by the Void Wolf yesterday. Only three patients were actually left, and they were all stable. They were actually going to leave with the rest, Kalia just had to give them an activated [Soothing Aura] to take with them and they’d be right as rain. Or as right as they could be with missing limbs.

After activating the Ritual stone, and handing it over, she was left with literally nothing to do. The NPCs were helping her patients to the escape array, and the other healers had already cleaned the infirmary, so she now had a great deal of free time on her hands. Though that was sure to be temporary, as what was possibly the most pivotal battle was approaching.

Maybe I should take a nap, just to calm my nerves? Hrm, but then I’ll probably have another nightmare, which’ll just make it worse. Haaah, and I probably won’t be getting much sleep tonight either.

In all honesty, Kalia wanted to leave the Dungeon too, but a sense of duty and compassion kept her here. Not only did she know that the casualties would more than double if she did, but she still felt that she wanted to help Braddock as much as possible, even if no one else did. There was also Michael and Alicia, and a handful of others who she’d regret leaving here. All that added to her compassionate nature meant that she was forcing herself to ignore her fear in favor of staying.

Nearly desperate and lacking any other options, she headed back to her room. The second she entered, she felt a wave of sleepiness wash over her, and the desire to burrow into her blankets became nearly overwhelming. But before she could embrace her inner mole, she noticed the necklace sitting on her desk.

Oh, that must be the reward the commander mentioned. Well, I guess I could check that real quick.

Aries Pendant

Rank: D

Description: A gift given to those who greatly contribute to the defense of Fort Aries. Helps to instill courage in the heart of the one who wears it, as well as raising resistance against Fear-based attacks.

This, this! Kalia slipped the pendant over her head, and as it settled against her collarbone, she felt a sense of calm and serenity wash over her, almost like the effects of [Grace]. She then crawled into bed and for the first time in months, fell into a peaceful, dreamers sleep.