PERCEPTION PIERCES SHADOW RAPTOR STEALTH!

YOU SENSE DEATH FROM BEHIND!

Eric wasted no time in alarm or dismay as every sense screamed to hyper alertness, time seeming to slow to a crawl as he felt the sudden surge of killing intent, perfectly mirroring the vile raptor that had nearly chomped completely through his hip.

Only that one’s intensity was nothing like the monster at his back, even now going for his—

Quickness Check made!

It was like moving through molasses, every desperate moment stretching to eternity as Eric sensed massive jaws about to tear into the back of his neck.

It was like moving through a nightmare.

A nightmare lit a sudden brilliant crimson arc as Eric arched his neck back and desperately twisted just in time to see beady eyes of obsidian malice that seemed to drink in the light, promising eternal death, yet Eric refused to freeze.

Until a faint crimson promise blazed a brilliant arterial red as the Utahraptor’s gaze was skewed ever further out of alignment when murderous hunger turned to stunned surprise, then spinning end over end as snapping jaws were cleaved free of neck in geyser of pink frothy blood as Eric’s crimson blade drank its fill.

Bloodfire Strike!

You have critically struck your opponent!

Essence of Fire pierces Level 68 Resistances!

Essence of Dominion cleaves through obsidian scales!

Essence of Wrath boosts the power of your swing!

You have successfully slain Level 68 Stalker Raptor!

You have slain an opponent 20 or more levels above your own!

Windfire Strike has evolved to Bloodfire Strike!

Bloodfire Strike is now Rank 11!

Iado (Fast-Draw) is now Rank 17!

You are presently suffering the effects of Soul Reserve depletion.

“No shit!” Eric said with a bitter laugh. For all that his heart was absolutely pounding in his chest, he couldn’t tell if what he felt was exhilaration or terror, triumph or exhaustion. Certainly he felt vindicated. Because if he had not been slamming points into a certain cluster of stats like a madman, there was no way in hell he would have spotted that bastard in time. Let alone been fast enough to spin around to face it, or graceful enough to unsheathe his blade in a coordinated fashion, with enough arc and momentum to cleave right through the largest Utahraptor he had faced yet. A predator so stealthy that it had nearly torn out the back of his neck. Which would have meant breaking his spine and crushing his throat, since he was wearing mithril, before slamming his crippled ass to the ground and using its beak to scootch up his mithril hauberk before devouring his entrails while he was forced to live through every agonizing moment of the most fucking hideous way to die that he could think of. The exact same way millions of wild creatures were slaughtered by predators every year for the last hundred or more million years.

If there was one bright side, besides the massive potency surge that had just blown him past the 44th level halfway mark, it was that coming so close to as grizzly death as he could imagine had put his unexpected perk choice in perspective.

Because at the end of the day, at least he could fight. At least he wasn’t tied up in some orc pleasure barracks wishing for death, or locked in chains forced to watch loved ones being sold at auction. Or executed by goblin assassins for daring to think outside the box or develop an unusual class skill or profession that might abate the slow grinding away of the resources, wealth, and freedom of all the suckers who actually thought that Freetown was their ticket to a better life.

At the end of the day, Eric was one of the very few people who could actually take on an orange tier territory, even an orange tier rift… and live to tell the tale.

Even if his go-to skill was now tied to a rapidly depleted potency pool, and his smug interface was now making it clear that no, he couldn’t use Windfire Strike in its original pure form ever again. It was blood and fire all the way, and if that ended up corrupting his cultivation path, then sure as shit, the System would be happy as a clam.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Eric wanted to scream, but settled for falling to his knees and laughing his bitter heart out, glaring down at a blade he only dared use as a blade, as exhausted and drained as he now was. And what he should be doing now was getting the fuck out of this death trap of a dungeon just as fast as he could. His Soul Reserves and Spiritual Energy were near rock bottom. The only thing recuperating with any degree of speed was his Mana Pool. Because at the end of the day he was pretty much an elf, the progeny of a mad Winter Queen who had only screwed his father to pop out some kids who could help her in her mad dreams of global conquest.

And that was just the way it was, he thought, as he harvested the still smoking and utterly massive remains of the Elder Root, technically a level 85 Dread Boss, and ran for all he was worth back in the direction of the entrance, lightning wand and sling both flickering in the back of his mind, ready to summon either one in an eyeblink if any abomination so much as glanced his way.

But if there was one upside to heading back the way he came, sprinting for all he was worth along the uniform slab of obsidian banked on one side by jagged cliffs and the other by a pool of lava, was that he had excellent line of sight and it would be very hard even for Shadow Raptors to stealth him as his pace easily hit 150MPH, this time without the exhaustion that a massive increase in gravity had caused him before.

Of course he didn’t get off scott-free without attracting at least some airborne attention, quickly spotting pterodactyl-like creatures with massive bat-like wings radiating what Eric’s Unified Perception picked up as some kind of Gravity Magic. They were clearly the perfect airborne predator for taking out fragile or injured prey fleeing for their lives in this hell hole of a delve.

But one thing they were not was resistant to a right hook to the beak.

Particularly not when it was saturated with explosive Fire Qi.

Fire Fist!

You have critically struck Pterosaur.

Level 30 Pterosaur has suffered catastrophic damage!

All internal organs have been incinerated!

And never had the obsidian crackle of a fiery gate looked quite so appealing in any game Eric had ever played as it did right then, Eric giving a whoop and a holler as he jumped right on through.

Even if a part of him was terrified that unseen enemies would have him in their kill sight the moment he reemerged.

Yet when he stumbled to the rich loamy soil of the lush waist-high grass swaying in a breeze smelling of countless wildflowers and the promise of summer, surrounded by all 17,000 of his revenants holding their eternal vigilance assuring what was probably the safest spot in the whole damned continent, assuming strategic spells or ICBMs weren’t in play, all he could do was fall to his knees and weep, before summoning his 4-poster bed and savoring thousand count fiber sheets against his skin before drifting off into the sweetest, most luxurious sleep of his life.

Only to be confronted with an unexpected Interface message, and the hardest choice he’d ever had to make.

Congratulations! You have successfully entered an Orange Tier Delve, defeated at least one level-appropriate monster within, and escaped with your life!

You have earned the title: Adventure-Bound!

The Tier 3 Adventurer, Explorer, and Pathfinder classes are now available to you! The Beast Hunter (Adept Tier) Class is now open to you!

Stat bonus and Title Boon has already been claimed.

You are the tenth Contender to achieve this feat!*

Original 9 ranks claimed by a single party. Stat boons granted to all surviving party members for Party-Related achievement. 30% bonus to all future delve loot drops is conditional: Original party (or its surviving members) must continue to adventure together!

Eric gazed for long moments at the crackling portal humming between pillars of obsidian stone. “So just surviving a single encounter in that hell hole opens anyone up to four Adept tier classes, including Tier 3 Adventurer. So if someone’s interested in a mixed-build like mine, weapons, magic, and some unorthodox abilities… all they have to do is risk getting instantly shredded to achieve it. No need to worry about perfect meridian configurations, extremely strong affinities, destined blood, or core compression to some crazy extent.” He chuckled softly. “The question is, could one or more noobs be carried by a couple tanks like me, get in one or two shots with crossbows, or even just group credit for the final kill, and pop right back out with futures three times as bright as any Conscript’s?”

He winced, instantly recalling the crushing gravity well and air that was downright caustic, or at least would be for anyone who couldn’t actively regenerate. “Okay, maybe it would be best for those who hit a couple levels in Conscript or can at least compress their core. Especially if they were smart and trained up Strength and Vitality something fierce, before then buying a level or two’s worth to push both stats past 20. Still, with the right runic chants in place… as long as they can take the first minute or so of hell while I string the runes together until I actually learn some proper fast-cast runic utility spells… I think there’s definite potential here.”

He frowned thoughtfully. “But if Elonia’s right, and there’s another chance for class evolution at level 50… maybe it would be a great opportunity for a Standard Classer to get a second chance at greatness? Much more likely to survive the experience than a Level 9 or hell, level 1 Conscript at least.”

Eric then took a deep breath of air rich with the scents countless thousand of wildflowers and closed his eyes, imagining himself anywhere but where he was now. “And I’m delaying like a chickenshit coward, because of how fucking close I came to kicking the bucket.”

He gazed fondly at his massive army, catching Bunbun’s eyes, the little rabbit gazing at him so intently, almost as if she were alive. So different from the rest of his stoic troops, all his other recruits radiating the same contentment of an old trunk you’d imagine grateful for the warmth of a fresh summer day, even if barely a single twig still had leaves.

But his little rabbit? She was bouncing up and down on excited legs as if she were truly alive. And the way she was gesturing with her ears.

Your Greater Revenant BunBun has a request!

A bemused Eric blinked, kneeling down to gaze at his curious little rabbit. “Really? You’re a greater revenant now?”

She preened, as if saying ‘of course I am!’ with a bemused glance for her admirer.

Eric chuckled. “Alright, I’ll bite. What’s the request?”

Eric hissed and lurched back, alarm bells shrieking in his head… yet before he could strike out at an unknown threat he sensed a young woman’s panic… instantly freezing his hands before he did something he’d forever regret as he sensed his little bunny pulling up his own Interface tab and revealing one of the no doubt many, many sub-tabs and highlighted lines of data he skimmed more often than reading in painfully thorough detail, though he was surprised to find he had missed such a vital line.

Congratulations! As a Master Tier Necromancer, you are able to take on one or more familiars! Familiars are the one class of Summons permitted access to all Pocket Realms!

Great Revenant BunBun would like for you to bind her as you familiar!

Warning! This Ritual will require links to all Necromantic Affinities. Your Soul Orb is attuned only to Necromantic affinities. Cost in potency will be 33% of potency needed to ascend to the next level. (You are currently at 55% of the potency needed to ascend to level 45 as a Master Adventurer.)

Eric frowned down at the little rabbit, wondering just how stupid he’d have to be to waste a third of a level to permanently bind such a fragile revenant with, from what he could tell, zero combat affinities. Before freezing and hissing a soft curse when soft green eyes met his own.

Like windows to the soul within.

Sensing an awareness that reminded him to a painful degree of a certain boy even now delighting his parents and awing his mother, the headmaster of Elonia’s future arcane academy, with unexpected magical proficiency. A boy who, along with his father, should technically be…

“Alright,” Eric said with a strained whisper. “I’ll do it.”

And the way the little rabbit danced such a happy little jig, arms raised in the sky not like a cartoon rabbit but like a snarky teen glad her dad had finally gotten a clue… was as painful as it was sweet to see. Eric chuckled softly. “Okay, now I fucking have to make this work. Is there any way I can...”

Eric blinked, eyes going wide as the obvious finally hit him. “Fuck, I’m being an idiot!”

He then pulled up his interface tab, scrolling through class perks once more, flashing a cheeky smile when he found exactly what he needed, for more reasons than one.

You have one Free Master Tier Necromancer Perk available to you!

Do you wish to upgrade Soul Orb Potency to be usable for all blood magic rituals and bindings?

You have chosen YES! You may now access Soul Orb potency for all Soul Point expenditures!

Eric gazed for long moments at the massive ball of inky darkness lit with brilliant fiery bursts of color, like gazing into the midnight sky as billions of brilliant stars blazed in the heavens. Then those heavens began to bleed with the weight of sin, or perhaps it was power, as the entire orb began to shudder and compress, and a wide-eyed Eric had only a heartbeat to wonder if maybe too much potency was stored in that vessel as it began to vibrate and pulse wildly.

The orb of course followed right along with him, being as it was just an extension of himself. So he could feel all too well the hideous pressure trapped within that globe as obsidian darkness became a ruby red so deep it was like the essence of blood itself.

Eric chuckled and cleared his throat under Bunbun’s bemused gaze.

“So yeah. Okay, it worked. I never doubted it for a second. So come on over here, Bunbun.”

He crouched down, gazing warmly at the little rabbit twitching her whiskers so hopefully in his direction.

“So, you sure about this, girl? I’m about to hop right back into an orange tier dungeon where I’m a shit ton more likely to die than facing all the goblin shenanigans in Freetown. So if you want out...”

Eric blinked when the little rabbit hopped on his shoulder and covered his mouth with her paw.

Eric smirked. “Alright then, I guess you’re my familiar.”

Additional source of potency detected! Do you wish to immediately upgrade your Familiar binding to the extent viable with Blood Orb potency storage? Additional potency will be used to calibrate and enhance soul resonance!

Eric shrugged. “Sure. I mean, I could use a sidekick and it’s not like I’ll be using that potency in the deep...”

Eric groaned when he found himself sprawled on the ground, vaguely recalling a brilliant flash of red and now feeling like he was waking up from a two day bender with a rabbit hopped on his chest, gazing down at him a bit too intently.

“What the fuck? And why are you holding my Ice Wand? Wait… that thing’s soul-bound to me. How do you even… Bunbun?”

Congratulations! You have successfully bonded Level 0 Greater Familiar known as: BunBun (who will also answer to Lilly Thompson, former Exile’s Path & Cavern Killer Streamer and all around sweetheart, if you ask very nicely!) Note! You have opted for maximum resonance!

Your familiar has achieved Tier 1 Resonance with your soul! She is now able to communicate battlefield perceptions with you in live time! If anyone sneaks past you but she spots them, you’ll instantly know!

Your familiar has achieved Tier 2 Resonance with your soul! She may now access your Mana Pool and make use of any Soul Bound artifact you possess!

Your familiar has achieved Tier 3 Resonance with your soul! Bunbun may now access your Mana Pool to cast any magical spell you know!

Note! Bunbun may not cast any runic magic dependent upon Spiritual Energy! You presently know 1 Runic Spell (wand derivative) that you may cast with or without Spiritual Energy. - BunBun may cast Lightning Bolt at will, so long as you provide the Mana!

Learn additional (pure) arcane spells to increase the utility and versatility of your familiar!

Your familiar has achieved Tier 4 Resonance with your soul! Bunbun’s Vitality now matches your own! Note. Any damage suffered by Bunbun will be absorbed by Blood Orb reserves before your familiars (limited) health pool (or your own) is drained.

Eric blinked, gazing at his familiar for long moments. “Really?”

BunBun winked, before spinning around and pointing his Ice Wand at the closest revenant

“Glacie Pilum!”

Eric blinked at the rather impressive javelin-sized ice-bolt that had just bounced off his closest revenant’s Resilience-Rune reinforced breastplate.

Bunbun frowned, as much as it was possible for a bunny to frown, and glared at the Revenant.

“Forzar!”

Eric blinked at the sight of a blistering bolt of blue-white lightning forming between his rabbit’s ears before crackling through the air to slam against the breastplate of the now smoking Revenant.

Eric couldn’t help smiling at that, even as he felt his mana pool dip the tiniest amount before flooding back to full in just a couple of seconds.

“Not bad. Just remember that you’re casting the arcane variant of lightning, which doesn’t have the same abjuring properties as Cultivation Fantasy lightning.” Eric winked. “And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find that the only reason why my Qi boosted lightning works so damn well at popping my own revenants is because all my favorite Truck-San Isekai adventures made it clear that cultivator lightning is absolutely badass at cutting through defenses and abjuring shit. Now tell me you can train that skill up so it costs me less mana with each casting?”

Bunbun gazed up at him. “I was thinking more like… added stopping power with each rank up? Because trust me, fearless leader, with your royal elven blood glittering brighter than your sister in the tabloids, you’re not running out of juicy juice any time soon.”

Eric stared for long moments at the cheekily grinning bunny before him. “How the fuck is it that you sound just like Little Lilly giving noob tips on how to face-roll Cavern Killers?”

Moving so fast it sent a chill of surprise racing down his spine, his bunny was on his shoulder once more. “Lol. Sorry hero, I don’t know any stupid gamer girl who lacked the common sense to do anything but scream like a headless chicken when orcs actually broke into her parent’s home—which used to be right where your sister set up her cute palace, by the way—forgetting every damn lesson of every RPG game she had ever streamed, not making it a single day after the incursion’s start. All around epic fail girl, if you ask me.”

A speechless Eric gazed at the rabbit on his shoulder for long moments… before silently handing her one of the plumb-like fruit he had claimed from the delve just hours ago.

“Fuck, this has a shitton of mana boosting potential! Permanent +3 to Mana Pool? Stackable up to three times? Yes please, and than you VERY very much, fearless leader! Now I get to have a tiny mana pool of my own until I actually level up, because I have the bestest necro-king in the world I can pilot like a go-cart!”

Eric smirked. “Sorry, LL. This isn’t Cavern Killers or Exile’s Path. We call peeps like me Master Necromancers now.”

His bunny shrugged. “You say tomato...”

“Yeah, yeah. You got those ears ready? Here’s the rule. You see shit I miss at any angle, call out the time. Just like in CK.”

Bunbun tapped her foot in agreement. “Any stealthy fucks getting your six, I’ll blast them with lightning, bossman!”

Eric smirked. “Just say six. Or six high. The Pterodactyls aren’t too bad, but those Obsidian Utahraptors are pretty fucking tough nuts to crack.”

Bunbun snorted. “If you could handle it, should be a piece of cake for a ‘leet pro like me.”

Eric chuckled. “Sure, Bunbun. Whatever you say.”

Several awkward seconds passed as Eric continued to stare at the gate.

“Um… boss man? Eric?”

“Yeah, Little Lilly?”

“You’re not actually jumping through the gate.”

“You got that right. Fucking death trap in there. Why the hell would I jump into an orange tier dungeon? Do you know how many times I almost got killed in there, yesterday?”

Bunbun snorted. “So that explains why your trembling like a little girl hiding under her bed trying to log on for all she’s worth. As if she could actually jack into her character and have a chance at killing the fuckers who ate her family.”

Eric squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fists. “Bunbun, I...”

“Oh but wait, you’re not trapped in a paraplegic’s body, shaking under the bed. You’re Eric Orcbane! One of the strongest motherfuckers in the Northeast who absolutely fucking obliterated the assholes who butchered poor Little Lilly’s fam! Badass hero like you can dart around so fast any fucker tries to gut you will lose his head before he can blink! But hey, if here’s where you call it, that’s cool. Only a couple million girls still shaking in their beds, hoping tomorrow will be a better day in a world full of bastards who’d love to devour them, body and soul.”

“Fuck you, Bunbun.”

His familiar cocked her ears. “Oh, what’s that I hear? That’s right, monster surge coming in ten years! I’ll bet your girlfriend will be just fine when all the plains of earth are flooded by an absolute shitton of Red Tier beasties. Because if I thought my death was gruesome...”

“Alright! I’m going through!”