Chapter 620: Seal (1/2)

Chapter 620 Seal

[Metal Mage – lvl 412]

Ilea looked at the man as he dispatched the few Centurions in the small dungeon with simple punches.

“Can’t believe you killed three Mature ones already,” Kyrian said. “Your Classes are stupid.”

“You’re free to pick up a healing Class too,” Ilea said.

“I have one that helps me regenerate. I’m still not crazy enough to face one of them,” the man said.

Ilea walked past him, putting the key into the slot before she looked at the destinations. “Then maybe get crazier,” she said in a deadpan tone before selecting the Iznakor dungeon.

The spell manifested before they appeared on the Krahen Isles. I wonder if we were detected already. How many more times can we use this key? she thought, looking at the wonderful tool before she stored it again.

“I’m content with the level of my madness,” Kyrian said.

____________________

Kyrian followed Ilea out and to one of the smaller isles. His eyes opened wide when he saw the absolute carnage left in the valley. He glanced at his friend before he took another look.

“You…,” he started, failing to find more words.

“Three weeks, Kyrian,” Ilea said.

“Three weeks indeed,” he repeated. Kyrian had never seen that much blood. And he seriously doubted he ever would again. Most of the corpses were devastated, half eaten or ripped apart by arcane lightning. The ground itself had turned a dark shade of red, limbs, bones, and chunks of flesh littering nearly the whole valley.

The dragon like elf flew towards them, hissing when he arrived. A pleasant hiss, Kyrian surmised. “Welcome back, to the Valley of death.”

“Wasn’t it valley of blood?” Ilea asked.

“Valley of carnage might be more fitting,” Kyrian said.

“It’s a feast,” Feyrair said, looking at the corpses with a pleasant smile on his face.

You eat that?

“Neiphato?” Ilea asked.

“Waiting,” Feyrair said. “Are we finally allowed to fight something else? Queen Ilea, ruler of the Krahen Isles?”

“You haven’t even killed a level nine hundred Bluetail,” Ilea said.

The elf hissed instantly. “Don’t.”

Kyrian really couldn’t tell if the elf was joking or if the fact that he couldn’t kill a monster more than double his level truly hurt his pride. Perhaps it was both?

“I’ll get him,” Ilea said and vanished, leaving the two alone.

Kyrian remained silent for a moment, finding the elf staring at him. “She… eh… really did that, hmm?”

Feyrair turned to look at the valley of misery. “Wonderful, isn’t it. I knew I had to travel with her.”

Not sure if inspiring Elves is a good thing or not, Kyrian thought as he grunted in approval.

“Here we are,” Ilea said, appearing with the other elf in tow.

Kyrian liked him more.

“So, where to?” the woman asked, a broad smile on her face.

He glanced at the massacre once more before he looked at her. The same person did that.

“There was a large keep. Full of traps. It was built within range of the storms, leaving a lot of the entrance destroyed but I always wanted to know what was inside. Then there are the caverns within the volcanic isle. Not sure if that is safe for all of us,” Kyrian said, looking at the Elves. He elicited two individual hisses, slightly different in meaning. “There are a few more dungeons and one keep that is underwater.”

“Not the underwater one. Do you think there are monsters in the trapped keep?” Ilea asked.

______________________

“Probably,” Kyrian said. “There were always golems and gargoyles, though their level was usually nowhere near the stronger Bluetails.”

“Doesn’t matter, if they provide a challenge,” Ilea said. “Let’s check it out.”

She was done fighting the damn birds. Bored out of her mind. Not because they lacked power. What they lacked was creativity and intelligence. She followed Kyrian, the group flying towards the distant isle while she reminisced about her fight with Queen Zaiked. If only she could face her one more time.

“There it is,” Kyrian said, pointing to the cliff side of the isle.

The group advanced with Kyrian at the front. The entrance to the large structure had been carved into the stone itself, a few outcropping stones suggested a landing area or dock had once been part of the area, long destroyed by the many arcane storms moving through. It was a wonder the entrance itself was still visible, some of it collapsed.

“How do you know it’s a keep?” Ilea asked.

Kyrian gestured for her to enter through the still sizable entrance.

‘ding’ ‘You have entered the Krahen Keep dungeon’

Ah

The inside opened up after the initial debris, a large hall made of stone, all built in the same style as the keep Kyrian had stayed in.

Here too there was old furniture, colorless tapestries and empty frames, where paintings had once decorated the walls.

“You talked about traps,” Ilea said.

“Not here,” Kyrian answered, pointing at the open double doors leading into a corridor.

No frames down there, Ilea thought, not even seeing hooks for torches or anything of the like. “And the traps were dangerous to you?”

“I haven’t tried in a while,” Kyrian admitted. “But yes. Getting crushed by several tons of stone isn’t good for my health, and I doubt that has changed much.”

Ilea smiled and walked into the corridor. “Stay back until it’s safe. You too Fey.”

_______________________

The elf hissed. Of course he did.

Kyrian watched as dozens of enchantments lit up at once, hundreds of spears coming out of the walls, most of them bent and destroyed already. Those that weren’t, were stopped by Ilea’s ash armor, the metal giving way.

“And you were scared of this?” Feyrair asked.

He didn’t say anything, deciding to let the traps do the talking.

Ilea’s ash fanned out, ripping the traps out of the walls before she walked on. Another set activated, the healer looking up before the ceiling descended with enough force to push aside the air.

Kyrian expected her to teleport out of the way but she just remained where she stood.

Her knees bent as she struggled against the weight. Finally, the block of stone went back up, Ilea glancing back with near glowing eyes.

Ah but there’s more, Kyrian thought, watching as the stone came back down, knocking her prone before it tried to squeeze her under its weight.

“Why does she not teleport out?” Kyrian finally asked.

“And let the boulder defeat her? You have much to learn,” Feyrair said.

A dull cracking sound came from the trap, increasing in frequency until fissures formed on the side of the stone. Ilea had started hitting the block from below, the stone unable to resist her continued abuse as bits and pieces were flung to the side. Four ashen limbs moved through the cracks and pushed outwards, ripping everything apart with a smooth motion.

Feyrair clapped as Kyrian watched in disbelief. Not because he couldn’t believe her strength. He had just expected some more, subtlety? Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure why he had expected anything different.

______________________

Ilea continued through the corridor, breaking every trap, most of them on the physical side. She assumed Kyrian could get through here without much trouble, the man simply having a different idea of risk management.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the other side, a few last poison darts failing to penetrate her armor before they fell to the stone floor. “It’s clear!” she shouted and displaced one of the darts into her hand.

She looked closely before she slammed the dart into the palm of her hand. A familiar feeling came from the location. One she hadn’t expected down here. The smile faded as she flung the dart aside, the blood manipulation in her palm quickly subsiding due to her resistance.

But this place looks nothing like I’ve seen from the Ascended. Maybe they just have a similar poison here? She stored the darts in her necklace.

“Stay focused, we might have intruded in an Ascended facility,” Ilea said when the group arrived.

“How do you know?” Kyrian asked.

“Blood Manipulation agent in the poison darts, it felt very similar to what I encountered before,” she said.

“It pierced your armor?” Kyrian asked.

She glanced at him. “No, of course not. I injected it.”

“Ah, I see,” he deadpanned, considering for a moment to say something else before he decided to remain silent.

“Just keep your distance, there might be more traps,” she said and walked on, down a long flight of stairs and over a tiny stone bridge above a natural cavern, water flowing into the place from somewhere.

The facility opened up again on the other side, various stone hallways leading away, two broad flights of winded stairs leading into a hall. Two humanoid creations stood at the center, Ilea looking at them as she leaned onto the parapet.

[Krahen Golem – lvl 521] - [Active / Stone]