Dungeon Titles

[Lost Star]

It wasn't recognizable as a city anymore. As the flares continued to fly up and illuminate the area, it showed a scene of devastation. A good quarter of the city had been turned into nothing but rocks and sand. Massive stone pillars shot into the air, and between them practical rivers of sand flowed around.

The air was just as bad. The winds whipped this way and that, and the sand flew through it, wearing down stone and flesh alike. Worse was a subtle nearly clear mist that burned through anything. This was the result of a World Boss fighting.

Samael and his allies charged into it anyway. Spellcasters wove protective magics and tried to create fields of safety. Samael was still thankful for his iron skin though. Occasionally the winds would pick up just enough to cause him minor irritation. It would cause others to bleed.

The world boss was before them now. It had changed from when Samael had fought it. The main body was slimmer and more snake than worm like. The limbs had shrunk, and the many wings had become whip like things with blades. More than a few were stained rusty red.

"Reinforcements!" One of the people occupying the boss shouted out from her defensive position. "Surround it! We've got a burrow counter, but it's still impossible to pin down!"

Even as the woman spoke, the boss demonstrated the reason why by digging its many feet into the ground and surging across the field in a way that was far too fast for something so large. Someone screamed as they were caught by one of the whipping limbs. Blood flew through the air and dripped onto the sand.

"Pointment, on the limbs!" The captain ordered, and his voice rose above the din. "RALLY!" Samael felt the words rattle in his head and found himself moving faster. Almost enough to catch up to the beast.

Magic flashed through the air. A lance of fire caused the world boss' skin to sizzle and it twitched towards the perpetrator then dashed again, nearly knocking Samael down as he reached out and grabbed onto something on the beast.

He heard clanks and clangs as the bladed limbs were deflected by the pointmen, but paid them no mind. Instead he levered himself up onto the wriggling and writhing body of the monster. One of the bladed limbs arched through the air as he climbed and Samael cursed as he dodged and nearly lost his footing. Then the beast paused a moment and the monk chanced a glance towards its front.

Sampson's muscles bulged and he roared as he held the beak edges apart. Blood poured down from his hands and the world boss stilled for an impossible moment, beside him was a woman in red. Her wand was flaring red and aiming right at the monster's open mouth.

Samale turned back to his task as the monster flinched and reared back. He hit the limb next to him with a tap and then dropped onto one of the legs in an attempt to avoid the seeking blades around him. The monster had clearly learned from its previous encounter somehow, because he couldn't find a safe place even as he used the limbs to dodge around it.

Wind began to roar and sand began to swirl. The monster twisted in on itself in a surge of motion and inhaled sharply. An impossible amount of magic rose up and a cyclone started to form around it.

Magic flared into the visible spectrum as every caster gathered attempted to counter the oncoming spell. The boss stilled for another moment and then turned, bird like to some place in the distance.

Samael hadn't been idle though. Nor had the others. The monk slammed his palm down into the beast's flesh and golden cracks appeared up and down its body. In particular they were centered around the limbs he had managed to dodge around.

His allies were no fools. They spotted the glowing cracks immediately, and aimed for them. Swords, lances, maces, everything. They all lashed out and into the body of the beast. The flesh was broken, then cut, then flayed down to the bone. It stood out starkly on the beast's skin.

For the first time in the battle, the world boss screamed. It was possible it was in pain. More likely it was in rage, because it immediately shifted it's attention to Samael.

This wasn't like the look it had given him before, when they had first fought. This was something more. Like standing in front of a magnifying glass and knowing that something was examining you to every detail. The beast had no eyes or ears, but it still looked.

Samael scrambled off the world boss immediately. Not a moment too soon either, as its beak actually took a chunk out of its own body to bite at him.

"Its after him!" Someone shouted, and Samael couldn't help the bark of frantic laughter.

It had gotten faster, Samael observed as he clapped his hands together. The beak of the beast didn't flinch is it attempted to close around him and hit a barrier. He wasn't going to be able to dodge it.

Knuckles roared as he slammed his mace into the boss monster's beak as it closed still further. The impact was so great that the weapon itself cracked, and it was just enough to cause the creature to miss Samael.

With something like frustration the boss' body writhed around in an attempt to knock back everyone around it. Knuckles was literally crushed under its body for an instant. Several tons of mass caused his armor to creak and bend.

Despite this the terror knight didn't stop moving. He grabbed at the beast with his broken body and continued to roar, digging his fingers into the beast and pulling with all his might.

It caused the boss to slow just a hair from the weight. More hits impacted its body, and its skin started to crack.

Then, in the distance, Seonag opened the metal cylinder that she had brought with her. The scent of fresh blood wafted across the ruined area of the city. She poured out the blood that the object had contained onto the sandy and poisoned ground.

The spell Bloodlust began.

 

[Lost Star]

Bloodlust was not a nice spell. It had a bad reputation with adventurers. Not because it was ineffective really. No, it had a bad reputation because it was too effective. Overconfidence was probably the number one killer for adventurers.

Samael didn't really know any of that. All he knew was at one point he was worried about Knuckles and trying not to be eaten, and then the people around him roared together. He felt his blood surge, and then everything sped up.

Great gouges were torn out of the world bosses skin. It thrashed out with its many bladed limbs and found them caught, deflected, and then ripped off. Writhing like a stuck worm, it twitched this way and that to get away, and found itself hemmed in on all sides.

Its next actions seemed more panic driven rather than anything else. It slammed its head down into the ground and started to burrow. The earth rippled around it, and it quickly disappeared with a ripple of shifting earth.

This was where the counter came into play for the first time since Samael had been there. The ground above where the beast was flared with light. Several mages started to cast in the distance as the beast flowed through the dirt like a fish would through the sea. These were long casts, focused in a way most battle magic wasn't.

Everyone else wasn't idle. They started to follow the light indicating the boss as well. Not too close. Everyone had been briefed about how the beast would shatter stone upon exiting.

The world boss seemed almost content to flee at the moment. This was unacceptable to everyone. Fortunately the long and slow casts finished before the creature could leave the ruined area that was the battlefield.

A large fireball formed above everyone and started to spin and twist. It angled itself towards where the world boss was tunneling and then touched down almost softly. The sandy ground hissed and started to pop and crackle. It was oddly soft and quiet. The effect wasn't something one could dispute though. The contained fire dug deep into the dirt and caused molten rock to slowly flow up.

The effect on the world boss was more dramatic. It immediately surfaced in a shower of fire and embers. Its body looked like someone had dragged charcoal over its entire length. Its beak clacked and clattered as it thrashed to dislodge the molten and still burning rocks.

Then the fighters hit it again. This time with Samael leading the fray. They impacted into the creature as one, fueled by Bloodlust and the desire to end it.

One could be forgiven for thinking that it would have been the end. Samael certainly thought so. He had almost forgotten that it was a world boss. They did not die easy.

Cornered and dying, the world boss' movements increased in speed. It stopped targeting and started to simply lash out. The first man died to the beak clicking shut on his head and nothing else. Another died to a lashing tail as it impacted him and threw him away.

Then the world boss dug into the ground and leaped into the air, the limbs remaining lashed out in a torrent of blows. Some were deflected. More drew blood and took lives.

For a moment the boss hung in air silently, and then the storm came. A bubble of wind gathered around it and it hung in midair, held up by nothing but a torrential gale of air. Clear liquid dripped from its maw and then it did blasted out a mix of poison and wind in a titanic pop that was half sound and half sheer air moving. It blasted almost everyone back end over end.

Samael, Harry, and one of the elites in heavy armor were the only ones unaffected. The man in heavy armor didn't even hesitate. He charged at the beast as it dropped down in a blast of sand and pulled out a large hook. The weapon flew through the air and cut deeply into one of the gouges in the monster's head.

Harry slammed his hand into the ground and the area around the boss grew black and started to draw in the light from the flares still burning above them all. The boss immediately tried to lunge away, but the man in heavy armor held it with a sharp tug. It was weakening.

Samael didn't hesitate. He jumped forward and slammed his fist into a leg and then slammed his palm into it next. Golden cracks pulsed around his strike, and Harry struck next, crippling where he hit.

The world boss staggered. A bladed limb whipped through the air impossibly fast and impailed Samael clean through. The monk looked down in shock and then grabbed at it and pushed his power into that too. The golden cracks destroyed its constancy and someone cut it as he staggered to his knees.

Everyone was recovering now and charging again. Samael waved people on as he grit his teeth and pulled the limb out in a shower of gore. Barely able to breath Samael grit his teeth and focused hard. Finding peace and faith was hard when the bloodlust was surging through his veins, but he wasn't going to stop.

He staggered to his feet to see the boss head being pulled down by several more hooks. The monk grinned just a bit and raced forward once more.

It didn't have eyes. It didn't have ears. It likely felt things far differently than other people did. Samael liked to think it recognized him as he slammed his fist into its struggling head. Again and again he struck. Golden cracks arched up and down its head in reply. Soon his fist was driving through bone and into what was likely its brain.

The world boss gave a spasm. Then two. Full body things that caused everyone to step back lest they be crushed. It tried to open its maw to eat or cry out, or perhaps to cast something. The terrible beak spread wide, and then it lost all its strength and fell shut.

Finally, finally, the world boss died. Its death was an eruption of magic beyond anything Samael had ever seen. It washed across the ruined field like an explosion, and likely washed over the entire sea like a tidal wave.

The sensation was indescribable. Like getting jolt of life itself. Which was fitting, since everyone alive cheered with absolute joy.

 

[Lost Star]

The aftermath of the battle wasn't so jubilant. After the initial high of destroying the world boss, people had to account for the damage. Some of it was easy. The rest, not so much.

A full quarter of the city had been outright leveled. There was literally nothing left, only sand and rock. The buildings were gone, the basements filled in, the stone dissolved. Countless thousands of gold were wiped out with no hope of salvaging. Worse for the area was probably that it had hit the richer parts of the city.

Casualties were also bad. The exact number was impossible to tell. People had scattered, and there were no real records of how many people had really been in the city. The lack of blood and bodies made things even worse. The world boss hadn't left remnants in its rampage. Some people were just flat out missing, and no one knew where they were.

In a mix of good and bad fortune, the adventurers had actually kept records of how many people had fought. They weren't good records, but they had kept them. Thanks to that they had a vague idea of how many people had died fighting. The numbers weren't encouraging.

Of those that fought the world boss first, and had managed to hold it until reinforcements came in, almost all of the newer adventurers were dead. Fully half the veterans were dead. Of the few elite, one had died. Total casualties were in the range of several hundred all told. That was the group that had held the world boss.

The reinforcements hadn't had new adventurers. This was the only reason its casualties weren't as horrific. A quarter of the veterans had died anyway. The elites that had come had managed to survive.

Samael had been told that the reason casualties among the adventurers were so high was that the newer adventurers had joined in. Battles against a world boss were incredibly dangerous, and required a lot of training to even survive properly. Newbies were the most vulnerable, and most likely to risk themselves.

It was a cold comfort. He spent several days with his team trying to salvage what they could from the destruction. There wasn't much frankly. The world boss was thorough. All they could do was go through the perimeter and try to sort out the ruins there. That was done quickly, and then it was time to deal with the real aftermath.

A large tent had been setup in next to the bones of the world boss. The body and flesh had dissolved in its death, leaving just the bones. There were plans to forge trinkets from it for everyone that had fought in the battle. That was for later. Right now, all the clan leaders had gathered there, along with those who had survived.

Ulf was the one who spoke. He stood in front of everyone with his arms behind his back. "I know the damage seems horrific." He began with a grim tone. "We all lost friends today." He nodded a few teary eyed people. "But take heart that this was done quickly, and done well."

No one felt like it had been done well really, but that came from seeing so many people clutching mementoes of the fallen.

"A world boss can ruin kingdoms. They will continue until there's nothing left. We stopped this one before that. Yes it destroyed a lot of this city, but it didn't destroy it all. We killed it in the end." Ulf smiled just a bit before he sobered. "That doesn't mean our job's done though. There's a rather large problem coming down the line. We lost a lot of new adventurers. Those are the ones that would grow into elite. We cannot afford a skill gap, especially now that we have a clue as to where world bosses come from."

Everyone broke into murmurs at that and then Ulf nodded to the leader of the Starchasers. Joseph cleared his throat as he stepped forward.

"Hello everyone." The man waved with an absent minded expression. "Keep in mind this is mostly speculation at this point, but here's the recording of what the world boss initially looked like."

Joseph waved his hand and a familiar looking picture appeared in front of him. One that Samael had seen what seemed like a lifetime ago. The strange formless blob that had fallen from the sky.

"Immediately before that we saw this." Joseph brought up another picture. That of a falling star. "So, what we have is this, then this." He flipped back to the blob picture. "Ergo, world bosses come from falling stars. At least some of them."

Ulf cleared his throat from the side.

Joseph blinked and made an aha gesture. "Oh yes. Also, the world boss immediately assaulted the dungeon. Right now my theory is that they go into the dungeons and devour all the magic they can. Thus accounting for their immense power."

Ulf moved up to the front of the tent and gently pushed the astrologer aside. "Yes, so in normal words, world bosses fall down, eat dungeons and then eat people. There are a lot of plans in the works, but what we need are a lot more adventurers. That's where you all come in."

Everyone looked around with confusion.

"If you lived through this fight, you're an elite." Ulf's blunt statement caused people to blink at him. "I don't care what you did, where you were, or how scared you were. If you saw that beast with your own eyes, you're a damned elite. Because of that, I'm taking gold out of my own pocket and putting it down right here right now." Ulf dropped a pouch on the ground. Gold coins spilled out from it. "We're rebuilding this city as a training area. The duke has agreed to give everyone the land here."

Samael choked on air. He wasn't the only one.

"Technically you're all getting plots of land here." Joseph waved around the area.

"Frankly it's not worth anything really. This much damage?" Ulf shook his head. "If we pool money and land together though? I can personally guarantee we will prevent a city being brought low like this again. Anyone else?"

Joseph casually threw out a pouch of his own. "The Starseekers will contribute as well."

Soon, everyone was throwing in money and shouts. The pile in front of Ulf very quickly became immense.

Samael felt himself caught up in it as well. He couldn't help but wonder what the duke's plan in the future was on this though.

 

[Lost Star]

Several months after the fateful battle, Samael finally had his answer on what the duke was doing. It came in the form of a familiar captain, and the letter he was carrying. It found Samael as he was helping to carry some large wooden pillars for rebuilding.

"Letter for you!" The captain held out the object in question. It was a fancy looking thing, on thick paper and sealed with a bit of wax and magic.

"What?" Samael blinked blankly at the item. He really didn't expect anything like this.

"You gonna take it or what?" The captain asked dryly. "I've got an entire stack that I have to deliver personally."

The monk set down the wooden mass he had been carrying and opened the latter. Xavier didn't bother to stay around. Instead the man moved on, grumbling as he pulled out another envelope.

Samael rather wished that the man had stayed. He was if anything more confused by the contents of the letter. The flowery script was inviting him to come to a celebration in the capital, and it was signed by the Duke of Earlsberg. He had no idea what the angle here was.

Shaking his head, Samael put the letter away and picked up the pillar again. He could deal with that in a moment. Other people would be getting the letters too. He still needed to help some.

It turned out that the duke had invited everyone who had fought the world boss. The reactions ranged from curiosity to disdain. More than half the adventures weren't even going to bother. They discussed it in one of the newer, and larger taverns while everyone was eating.

"He's trying to take credit for the boss being killed." One of the witches offered after a moment.

"Oh come on, everyone knows the clans did most of the work." A rogue scoffed in reply. "His 'scouts' sat around with their weapons rusting." He ended as he gestured with a knife.

"Barely even bothered with evacuation orders." A man-at-arms mattered, and there were general agreements.

"Evacuation orders?" Samael questioned from his place at a side table.

He didn't see who answered. "Basically you get people into basements, or shelters. This time half the nobles just ran. It made the fucking defense a travesty. Especially with the newbies."

One of the spellcasters spat a nasty sounding curse at that. "That's what happened?! I knew the casualties were horrible."

One of the priests sighed. "They were over eager, and wanted to help defend. Most of the time if you've only done a few dungeons you're little more than fodder. Not even good fodder. It couldn't have been helped."

"Hah!" The rogue scoffed. "You didn't hear the calls for people to defend the city? The clan leaders went along with it, but they didn't like it. That call came from the duke." He gestured with his knife again. "The duke brought everyone he could into the cities. "

"It could not have been helped." The priest repeated. "People wanted to defend and a chance at glory. If you're new, you don't know your limits, or how terrifying a boss can be."

"I lost good friends. We barely got halfway through a dungeon." A morose looking woman stated dully.

One of the more senior witches moved quickly to the woman's side and glared at the room. "I think that's enough if you don't want curses flying. No more blaming."

"Fine by me." The rogue answered and went back to his meal.

Samael waited a bit for the conversation to resume, but it seemed to have run its course. He turned back to his table with a raised eyebrow. His friends looked a mix between worried and expectant. Even Seonag, who had her mask up for once.

"You want to head out there." Knuckles stated for all of them.

"Am I that obvious?" The monk replied back with a small chuckle.

"As clear as blue skies in the morning." Seonag stated with a dry tone and then smiled just a bit. "What do you expect to do?"

"I'm honestly not sure. I just don't want him to possibly get full credit here." Samael answered after a moment of thinking.

"Well, if you want to head there, we'll have to leave quickly! Even if we leave tomorrow we'll only get a day to prepare." Camila stated cheerfully and then pursed her lips. "I think the clan leaders will be there too?"

Knuckles gave a short and quiet chuckle. "Either they will be there, and everythings good, or they won't and we've got trouble."

Samael turned to the other man in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"If they're there, then they've made deals with the duke for some reason. He's got the party set up as a way of showing off. If they aren't he's being tricky." Knuckles reasoned out and flicked out a fork in emphasis. "I'm guessing the second one."

"Why'd he invite us then?" Samael asked curiously.

"So he can say he made an honest effort, and because he doesn't see us as a threat." Knuckles set down his utensil and looked at Samael. "I wonder if he even got the message that you weren't killed? He certainly didn't know you were at the boss fight."

The monk blinked several times. "What?" That deserved emphasis. "What?!"

"You ever try to coordinate something a long way away? Messages get lost. Things get shuffled." Knuckles hid a smile at the expression on Samael's face.

"He sent me a letter! Addressed to me specifically!" The monk protested loudly. Everyone in the tavern glanced at him and then dismissed him as soon as it was apparent that it was just him yelling.

"I know big brother has a secretary that does everything like that. He just signs where she tells him to." Camila pointed out innocently.

Samale didn't know if he should be offended or relieved honestly. Eventually he settled on gritting his teeth and glaring down at the remnants of his meal. "We're going there, and going to crush his reputation somehow. Preferably by me punching something."

"You can punch reputation?" Camila asked teasingly.

Seonag laughed a moment. "I wouldn't put it past him."

 

[Lost Star]

It probably said something that the hardest part of getting into the party had turned out to be proper attire. As much as they had wanted to go in with their standard equipment, that would have gotten them basically thrown out. Probably more irritating was that getting proper attire cost a very pretty penny on such short notice.

Samael had to restrain from scratching at the tight fitting collar as he was waved in by the guard. At his side Camila smiled airly as she held onto his arm. She had dressed in a ruffled black dress that looked remarkably feathery from the hips down. Behind the two of them, Knuckles and Seonag followed sedately.

Knuckles was the only one of the four that actually looked good. Something about the way his body was made the formal coat and pants combo look proper. Seonag looked about as uncomfortable as Samael was in her simple green dress.

"If you fidget one more time, I'm dunking you in a pond after this." Camila said in a sweet whisper as they entered the dining hall.

Samael blinked at the uncharacteristic threat, but tried to still his movements. "You ok?" He questioned lowly.

"Oh, I'm just remembering that I hate corsets. Even appropriately set magical ones." Camila said and smiled warmly at the people around them. "It's like being eaten but less wet."

The monk had to cough to cover up the sudden laughter. "That bad eh?"

"Ask a historian how much women suffer for the sake of fashion. At least it's just tight, not rib cracking. Heh." Camila covered her mouth as she restrained a laugh. "Apparently that stopped because the adventurer women almost killed people when their corsets snapped."

"You're joking." Samael looked down at Camila's dress again. He couldn't really notice that much different, though the dress did look nice.

"You needed reinforced monster bone to get the proper heft, and some stronger adventures could break that." The astrologer explained with a light wave as they made their way to their seats.

"That must have been hilarious, in a dark sort of way." Samael mused as he took a seat in a chair.

The rest of his party did so as well, though Knuckles pulled a chair back for a confused looking Seonag. Camila gave Samael a poke when she noticed that, though Samael had no clue what she was poking him for.

There was a lot of socializing going on. None of the party members really felt inclined to socialize with the other members of nobility, and the number of other adventurers was rather low. It took a moment before another party of three adventurers took seats near them.

"Oh, hello!" Camila was the first to speak to them. "You're the summoner girl that helped with the world boss." She gave the other woman a nod. "Jessy, was it?"

Jessy ducked her head and gave a wane smile. "Yes. You did most of the work though. I did the summoning and sort of passed out at the end."

One of the men at her side slapped her on the shoulder. "Stop selling yourself short. You helped a lot there."

"Getting people there fast probably saved a lot of lives." Samael tried to reassure the woman.

"If you say so." Jessy answered back and slumped down in her seat.

Both men at her side sighed simultaneously. One of them nodded at Samael apologetically. "She's a bit broken up about the fight. Feels like she should have done more."

"I should have!" Jessy protested and squeaked when the other man grabbed her nose.

"Enough." The man demanded.

Samael tried not to laugh. He really did. Even when Jessy went bright red and tried to pull out of the man's grip. He wasn't quite able to restrain it. He was sure the others at the table were laughing too, though quietly.

Eventually Jessy managed to pull out of the man's grip and crossed her arms with a pout. Conversation started to meander a bit after that until some appetisers and drinks were served. That was when the speeches started.

The first one was a fairly standard welcoming speech from the host. Who apparently was not that duke. The noble managed to turn what was around a half minute greeting into an almost ten minute long talk that said absolutely nothing. By the end of it, Samael was half asleep and already dreading the rest.

Captain Xavier was next. He held up a glass with a solemn expression. "I want to personally thank everyone that contributed and sacrificed for the sake of defeated the world boss. Your contributions are appreciated."

With that the man sat down. Jessy and her friends clapped fairly loudly. The rest of the nobles tittered slightly, but they were overwhelmed by the other adventurers that were clapping, Samael included.

The duke came next. He stood and cleared his throat. Samael caught a glimpse of the captain sitting there with a stony face, and felt his attention sharpen. This, this was it.

"First, I must thank those that donated towards the relief funds." The duke was a round man with a mustache and a small, ornamental rapier at his belt. He reminded Samael of an egg as he bobbed up and down with his glass. "For such a poor and beleaguered province, any sort of contribution is appreciated and needed."

Samael saw Calmia mouthing 'poor and beleaguered' with an incredulous expression out of the corner of his eye.

"As you all know, I am Templeton, the Duke of Earlsburg." The man continued with a cheery and fake looking smile. "We have always struggled and managed to persevere against all odds. I am proud that the world boss turned out to be one of those times when we beat the odds and beat them with flying colors. The last world boss recorded destroyed cities! This one just damaged one, and that is already being repaired thanks to some ingenuity from the government!"

Camila had to shake Samael to keep him from breaking the glass in his hand.

The duke paused and began to pace, his fancy clothing swishing this way and that. "Already the rest of the kingdom is asking us how we did it! I am proud of our people, and will tell them that thanks to everyone working together did it. From the guilds offering their unconditional support, to the valiant efforts of our adventurers, to the scouts that risked their lives to give reports, to the people who drove their horses into the ground to get messages to the right people. I will tell them, that Earlsburg proved itself through everyone's effort and sacrifice."

The Duke raised up his glass. "To Earlsburg!"

 

[Lost Star]

Xavier hated these sorts of parties. He could do them, part of becoming a Captain involved shifting into the social scene some. You had to know how to talk with people and get support basically. That didn't mean he liked it. Especially at times like this.

The duke was in fine form at the moment. The speech had been genial, humble, and even mentioned the adventurers. That was the problem with sleaze like him, they always sounded good while lining their pockets. Somehow, someway, the duke was going to get a lot of money out of this, and very little of it would go to rebuilding anything. Well, anything important.

Xavier didn't like any of these thoughts show up on his face. All he did was nod at the end of the speeches and wait for the party to end. His clan was getting an enormous amount of funding from the duke. They spanned the continent, and could snag people right as they started.

That was really the problem with noble titles. They weren't combat orientated, but they certainly knew how to wheel and deal. Templeton was no exception. He was corrupt and more concerned with lining his pockets, but no one could quite call him on it. Even those who saw everything like Xavier did.

The speech started like the rest. One of the people standing up with a glass. Xavier glanced at the man and then paused as he identified it as one of the people who had fought the world boss.

"I would like to make a toast myself." The man began with a small smile and nodded as the duke gestured in agreement. "I am Samael the Monk." The man declared with obvious pride.

Another person would have missed it. Xavier knew the duke fairly well. He saw the twitch of reaction, which was very interesting. Knowing the name of an adventurer indicated that the man had dealt with him somehow.

"I would like to thank the duke for his timely and very subtle assistance. Why, it was so quiet, I barely noticed it at all!" Samael continued loudly. There were a few polite titters. "I especially have to thank him for gifting me and my allies the ruined and destroyed land that the world boss left." Here the man paused and some people looked confused before he continued. "We have all decided to turn it into a training grounds for many people. For more fighters, more mages, and more monks like me."

The duke's smile tightened just a bit. Xavier found himself restraining a smirk himself. He didn't know why, but Templeton was getting seriously irritated at this.

"Thanks to the duke, and us pooling our money together, we will be able to get people to each of the dungeons! I will even put in a suggestion for travel arrangements." The monk bowed slightly to the duke. "As our duke stated, horses were driven into the ground. I'd like to be sure we have enough to get people anywhere and everywhere." Samael smiled widely. "So, to the duke, for such beautiful assistance and ideas!"


Everyone raised their glasses. After the toast was done, Templeton set down his glass and drifted over to Xavier casually. It took a few minutes, during which he schmoozed and talked with more than a few people. The captain saw him coming though and allowed a fake smile to appear when the other man had gotten into earshot.

"Samael, what do you know about him?" The duke asked casually as he swirled a wine glass.

Xavier thought briefly about lying, but decided against it. "Physical fighter. Hard to take down." Well, understatement there. He could count on one hand the people that could take shots like the monk. "No real range options. The rumors in particular are wrong for him and his title. As a person, I couldn't say. He was on the front against the world boss."

"That's fine." Templeton waved his free hand airly. "I was thinking about a duel as entertainment, and he caught my eye." Flashing a grin the noble continued. "He'd certainly be bold enough to accept."

The captain felt his face blank. That wasn't a casual statement. "How good a fight would you want?" Translation, how much damage would you want to do?

"It's no fun if he just trounces someone you know?" The duke sipped at his wine casually. "You say he's hard to take down right?" To anyone else, this would have been a casual exchange. More than a few people overhearing it were perfectly convinced of it actually.

"He's got a technique that rival's priest heals." Xavier stated bluntly. He had seen it in action, and while he was loathe to give up things like this, he knew who owned his clan.

Templeton blinked in honest shock. "Truely?" Xavier nodded, and the man smiled widely. "Well, in that case we'll have to call out the big guns!" The duke waved down a servant. "Go wake up Block, would you? Tell him I've got a challenge." The man's warm smile didn't stop the chill going down Xavier's spine.

Block was a nickname for an ice mage. He was technically Xavier's superior in the clan. One of the elite strong enough that his name was nearly part of his title. Someone who was so strong and seeped into his power that he had nearly become associated with his declaration. You got them occasionally, people who had made themselves legendary.

Block wasn't there quite yet. Mostly because he had transitioned into being the duke's hatchet man and fallen out of the limelight. He got the name because he left his opponents in ice blocks, and sometimes the people were 'weak' enough that they couldn't get out. Xavier wasn't sure how many of them were deliberate.

Of course, none of this showed on Xavier's face, or the duke's either. Instead the captain nodded to the nobel and then excused himself from the party. Whatever the result, he didn't want to stay.

 

[Lost Star]

Samael had known it was a trap of some sort going in. Fighting a man the duke had decided? Of course there was some trick. He had gone in anyway because he was certain he could turn it around. Hopefully, it was confidence and not arrogance talking.

His opponent walked into the impromptu arena with a flourish and a smile. Dressed in robes and wizard hat, the man looked every inch the stereotypical wizard. About the only thing he was missing was the great big grey beard. Instead it was a neatly trimmed black beard that made him look more roguish rather than anything wise or elderly. He even had a wizard's staff.

"Hello everyone, my name's Tim, though most people call me Block the mage." The man gave a short bow as he introduced himself. "My specialty is in ice and cold magic." He bowed again and then nodded to Samael with a casual smile.

"I think people already know me." Samael replied back with a dry tone but bowed. "I'm Samael the monk."

"I've called Block here to give us a good show, so everyone step back and keep outside the circle!" The duke called out to the audience and indicated the drawn circle that was around both combatants. "It will let him really show off without giving us a chill Hopefully our dear Samael here will be able to keep up!"

"Always a pleasure." Block tipped his hat to the duke. "Ready Samael?"

"Of course." Samael had stripped down to his shirt and a pair of pants for this. Even his shoes were gone. He didn't see it, but several of the women were eyeing him, to Camila's visible displeasure.

"Begin when you're ready!" The duke ordered with a smile as he stepped back.

Block immediately flicked his free hand out and a small bolt of light blasted out. Samael raised an eyebrow as it darted through the air and smacked into his shoulder. A small sprinkle of snow splashed out from the impact point, accompanied by a cold sensation.

"Hah, sorry. Just testing." Block grabbed his hat and then pulled it down slightly. His smile disappeared and two missiles flashed out.

Slightly irritated at being underestimated, Samael attempted to move forward. Then blinked as he found he couldn't. Looking down he noticed ice wrapped around his feet. There wasn't even a hint of cold about it.

The two missiles impacted his shoulders and snow showered out in great gouts. It glittered through the air and floated down just a moment before evaporating. The cold sensation was barely there, but already Samael could feel his skin getting a bit chilled.

Three missiles formed around the mage. Samael grit his teeth and clapped his hands together as they darted forward quick as thought. The icy projectiles hit the absolute control of grace, and were stopped dead. Snow flowed through the air, and Samael used his sudden freedom to charge forward.

Block didn't even flinch as his opponent charged forward. Instead, as Samael got within striking range, a flash of frost and snow blasted out and knocked him back with no warning or chance to defend himself. The monk tumbled back and rolled end over end before stabilizing himself on a knee.

More flashes of snowy projectiles had him thrust his hand forward before his conscious mind could register the movement. The missiles went wild and impacted the circle surrounding the two to cries of shock and amazement.

For the first time Block paused. "Huh, a spell disruptor?" His eyes widened and he then frowned. "Shit, that might make things hard."

That did not mean good things in Samael's opinion. He lunged forward again before his opponent could prepare the next spell. This time he was prepared for the backlash. He braced himself and slammed his fist through the blast of cold and snow. Frost formed on his knuckles and then his hand stopped dead before reaching the man's body.

Mage armor. Of course it was mage armor. Fortunately mage armor could be worn down. Samael slammed his fists forward again and again into his opponent's defence. The transparent shield flexed and then started to feel like it was about to break.

Then Block made his move. HIs staff spun around frantically, and the man slammed it into the ground nearby a dodging Samael. Ice formed everywhere around him, and then ran up Samael's body.

It rose up and up, like a quick forming icicle. Too fast for Samael to dodge really. Too fast for anyone to dodge. The crowd gasped as the ice enveloped the man's body and then thickened and firmed up around the man until it turned into a solid block of transparent ice.

"Damn, did it again." Block cursed. "Let me get you out before you die." He muttered, and started to wave his hands.

Samael would have laughed had he been able to. To anyone else watching it, Block was the very picture of concern. To the monk it was obvious that he was taking his time.

That was fine though. Final prayer started to burn on his chest. The ice around him sizzled and started to melt. Block had a moment to step back and raise his staff before Samael burst free in a shower of ice and water. The monk slammed his fist into the mage amor again.

This time the armor didn't give. Block had a frown on his face as he gestured and ice spikes came into being all around him. The razor sharp edges nicked Samael's body and drew blood, forcing the man back as he attempted to make sense of the new obstical.

"You're resistant to cold. And my block move." The mage mused, and then sighed as he pulled off his wizard hat.

"I'm hard to put down." Samael stated with a wary look. His opponent didn't look like he was giving up. Even the panic he had been showing was gone.

"I can see that." Block tapped his staff against the ground and it froze itself solid. He placed his hat on it casually and then adjusted it so that it was set properly. Then he pulled out a pendent. "So, I'll switch to something else. Careful, this could be dangerous." The pendent glowed and ice started to form around it, and then Block's hand. Soon a large icy claw had formed.

The mage flexed the claw. It crackled like snapping ice, and then the man smiled. Ice started to move up his arm and onto his shoulder in great snapping cracks. There was no hint of warmth in the man's expression.

"Shall we?" Block asked with fake geniality.

 

[Lost Star]

At first, Samael thought the arm was for close up fighting, which was frankly more than a little laughable. Mages as a rule focused on studying and magical practice. They didn't live and breath combat.

His first charge was therefore cautious, but confident. That lasted until he saw the claws of the icy hand flex and pull back for a swing far too early to hit him with the range the man had. Samael immediately switched into a slide, and was thankful he did so.

The arm's claws extended just over the monk's falling head, getting a few hairs. Snowflakes trailed behind the attack, and Samael rolled to the side more on instinct than anything else. Ice erupted in his path and caused more spiky obstacles to appear in the battlefield.

Everything inside the circle was covered in ice now. Great spikes of ice rose high into the air and brushed across the ceiling. Snow drifted in the air, and each of Samael's deep breaths caused a great puff of grey mist. Block's breath notably wasn't doing the same, and not because he wasn't breathing hard. Despite the one-sided nature of the exchanges, the mage was doing the equivalent of swinging a massive club around in an attempt to hit Samael.

All the ice did give Samael a fair amount of cover fortunately. The ice spikes were lingering and were distored enough that he could dodge behind them as the claws swiped again and again. It didn't delay the razor sharp talons long, but it did force him to extend more and more effort.

Two, then three, then four swipes, and Block was visibly heaving. The man scowled and clenched his free hand together.

"Cute." He spoke quietly.

"I thought so!" Samael called out from his latest covered area.

"Been a long time since someone made me breathe hard." Block continued and chuckled. "So, as thanks, you can see something even more fun!" He grinned widely. "Ladies and gentlemen! I hope you're enjoying the fight! My vailant opponent has truely impressed me, so here's something that hasn't been seen in years!"

The snow on the field started to pull together and swirl towards the staff and wizard hat. Samael blinked and cursed internally as it gathered and packed itself around the object. Before the man could do more than take another step, it formed arms and legs.

"You made a living snowman." The monk deadpanned.

"I call him Smashy! Mostly because the next command is 'SMASH'!" Tim pointed with his free hand at Samael and the creature lumbered forward.

For the first time in the fight, Samael couldn't help the laugh. He darted out of his cover and immediately met the lumbering creature. It wasn't that much larger than him, but it was thick. No features other than the ridiculous hat, it wasn't a very proper snowman, especially with the club like arms and legs.

Hitting it with his fist was like hitting a steel armor plate though. Samael's frost covered knuckles split and bled from the impact, and then the blood froze. The man grunted and continued to strike out, before ducking down to dodge an icicle from Block's direction.

A two front attack then. Samael snorted and moved up as close as he could to the snowy golem, which was pretty close. There was a fun brawler trick that worked on something this close and clumsy. As the snowman reared back for a swing, Samael's danger sense screamed another threat.

The monk juked right into the snowman's body and under the swing, scraping across the packed ice and letting the icicle impact right into the monster's body instead of his. The weapon dug in a moment before sticking.

Samael laughed loudly, and Block muttered something that he couldn't hear. He did see the icicles starting to form around him again, and he ducked and between the golem's legs this time. Most of the icicles missed. One hit his torso.

Oddly, there was no real pain. Just icy numbness as the skin around the missile went blue. Samael hissed to himself and rolled to his feet.

"Even if you can dodge it all, I can do this all day." Block called out mockingly as the snoman continued to clumsily swing at Samael.

Cracking his neck Samael slammed his hand forward at open air again. This time the air ripples slightly from Purity, and the golem's body began to glow with golden cracks. Samael ducked the snowman's clumsy swing and slammed his fist hard into the icy body. It cracked through the packed and frozen water and impacted the staff in its middle.

Samael grit his teeth and pulled hard. The body of the creature stiffend and wrapped its arms around him in a bear hug. More icicles pierced the monk's body, but he continued to pull with all his might.

A loud cracking sound resounded from the golem, and something started to splinter. Then something cracked. The staff broke in two, and the golem stopped moving.

Samael pulled his hand free and dropped the part of the staff he had snapped off. Staring at the stunned looking Block, Samael clapped his numb hands together and breathed deeply, focusing hard.

One by one the icicles embedded in his body popped out. The blood dripped to the ground, and then the wounds sealed. Samael's body steamed in the cold air as each and every wound and scrape healed up. His ink patterns glittered with golden light and the monk stood there whole and completely recovered.

Block stared for a moment and then began to cover his face with his non ice hand and laugh loudly. "Hahaha! Oh wow! Hahahaa!" He doubled over and continued to laugh. "Hahah! Oh and here I was just bringing out tricks. I'm sorry. Let's take this really serious now."

The mage's clawed hand started to crumble and flake. He spread his hands and dropped the amulet.

"You know the difference between mage and wizard right?" Block asked loudly. "I think everyone does. Wizards study! Mages, mages cast." The man sketched a bow to Samael. "Now, let me show you."

Block's fingers snapped. The sound was unnaturally loud, and the air around the mage stilled. The sound stopped suddenly. The lights dimmed for a moment.

"I've done nothing more than try to find how cold I could make things. This is my path to that. My sole achievement in life. My best spell." Block called out in the sudden silence. "Absolute Zero."

 

[Lost Star]

"This isn't a perfect spell yet frankly." Block stated as he placed his hands in his pockets and took a few steps away to avoid Samael's charging form. "That would give me archmage. Right now you're barely noticing anything."

Samael turned on a dime and lashed out with a kick, only for Block to start to skate backwards on the ice forming on the ground. The monk managed to keep his balance as she reset his stance, but he wobbled as he slid on the ice some.

"That cold resistance is really helping you a lot here by the way." The mage commented as he continued to skate away. "Normally people would be shivering. But onto this spell. It's pretty far from being perfect yet. Creating spells takes a lot of iteration before they're properly set so to speak." Snowflakes started to fall down out of the sky.

Samael clapped his hands together and there was a crackle of ice as Grace triggered around him. For a moment there was no cold, but then it billowed in with another wash of snow. He was starting to feel the cold, especially around his feet. The monk glanced down at them. Fortunately they still looked good, but this was getting bad.

Block continued to talk as he skated. "The largest flaw aside from the time it takes to effect the area is that it's only really effective when you can limit the area in question. Like a dueling circle like this." The mage took his hands out of his pocket and gestured to the area.

"So it's useless." Samael grit out and charged forward again. The ice wasn't as slick as it had been for some reason, and the falling snow was starting to die down. It was not lost on him that the roles had been reversed here.

"Yeah, pretty much." Block shrugged as he continued to skate. "Except when it fulfills those two conditions, it's a killing move."

Samael blinked and slammed his palm forward. Magic rippled around him, but to no effect.

"That's a disruptor. Not a dispel. Not like you'd be able to dispel this. You'd have to get through my mage armor first. There's a difference between the two, which is critical here. I'm not directing everything aside from the basic area around me." Block explained quietly as he continued to move. "Absolute Zero is the theoretical point where everything freezes. Even air." The man held out a hand and a drip of what looked to be water dropped from his hand.

"That's air isn't it?" Samael breathed out and coughed.

"This is about as far as I can get it. It can burn the lungs and flash freeze water. You're barefoot in this and just starting to turn blue." Block shook his head and amazement. "That is some hefty cold resistance."

Samael tried to respond, but only hacked instead.

"Annnd, done." Block snapped his fingers again, and the sound came back. Like a wave, heat started to return and there were crackling and popping sounds. "My win!" The man stated with a smile.

"What?" Samael hacked again and dropped to his feet and coughed. The ice was already starting to melt.

"Why any more and you would have died." The mage responded as he blinked innocently. He walked casually towards his hat on the ruined snowman and pulled it off the body. "That would be very unsportsmanlike after all. Going for a killing move like that and not stopping it when it was clear I won."

Samael wanted to deny that Block had won. He really did. But his burning lungs and tingling toes and fingers made that a lie. Arrogance, and pride again. His heart burned to dispute that win. To get up and fight again.

"Good match." Tim offered his hand to the monk with a sardonic smile.

It would have been easy to get up and punch the other man, almost trivial even. Samael had never walked on the easy path. He centered himself and quenched his building rage. He let peace and serenity flow through him and heal. Then he reached out his hand and took his opponent's hand in his.

Block pulled Samael to his feet and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'd say you're about Elite ability now. Anywhere else? I would have lost. Keep it up." The mage offered quietly.

The statement caught the monk off guard. "You're serious." It was one thing to hear it when after the world boss, and another to hear it after a fight like that. "I did have a good counter there you know?"

"Hah, cold resistance doesn't matter a bit to a good ice mage." Block winked and started to walk off with a yawn. "Now, I'm going to need to take a long nap. This stuff is tiring. Have fun with the fan club."

"Fan club?" Samael asked with confusion as the other man walked out of the circle.

Like popping a bubble, the crowd started to rush in. Breaking the circle had signified that the duel was done. Everyone who had watched wanted to speak with the combatants after this.

Block waved them off with a smile and easy cheer. Samael however wasn't so lucky, and had more than a few people hanging off him. Well, Camila hanging off one arm and the rest of the people trying to get the other.

Admittedly the man was completely lost at that point. Too many different conversations, and his teammates were of no help at all. They were either laughing, or in Camila's case glaring. Samael spent the rest of the party trying to figure out what was going on, to no avail.

He missed the duke quietly excusing himself. He wouldn't have attached any significance to it either. Very few people did at all.

 

[Lost Star]

The party had long since ended. The guests had departed. The servants had cleaned up. It was long into the night, and nearly day now. Yet still the Duke of Earlsburg sat in his chair at his mansion and sipped at his wine.

It was an expensive brand. Made from dungeon grapes, and a good fifty years old. The alcohol had a bit of a zing to it, and the magic flowing through it gave it an energizing effect that was unmatched. You couldn't chug something like this. A full glass would have you bouncing and drunk at the same time. You had to artfully sip at it every now and again when the tingle stopped.

Naturally the wine was worth more gold than most people would see in their life. Even adventurers would balk at casually buying a few bottles. Templeton knew that a few of them had it though, and something about that thought made the wine not as palatable as usual. He still carefully sipped it though. One didn't waste wine like this.

"So we're doing the whole wait in the dark again?" A rather annoying voice made the duke look up from his glass.

"You're late." Templeton replied back simply and leaned back in his chair as he set down his glass.

Block shrugged as he walked in and glanced around the opulent office. "Getting a replacement staff's a bitch. Wanted to get it sketched out before I forgot what I wanted."

The duke peered at the man with narrowed eyes before dismissing the statement. He knew adventurers, but the specifics of their crafts still escaped him. "I'm glad you brought that up actually." The man mused. "I distinctly recall saying that I wanted that Monk dealt with. Care to explain why?"

The mage snorted and began to move around the room, casually lighting a few lamps with a flick of his fingers. "Can't say I didn't give it a good shot. You pay me 'cause I handle it discreetly." He paused as he spoke and held up a few fingers. "First attempt, ice blocking him failed due to that weird counter effect he had. Second attempt with the blades simply didn't work. I was told coming in that he was veteran."

"Based on all the information I had he was." Templeton sighed morosely. "I suppose then that I'll need to reprimand the captain and upgrade the bounty." The man pressed back into his chair and frowned at the room in general. "This monk has seriously cost me money."

"You're still doing that?" Block asked with raised eyebrows.

"By this point it's more personal than financial. You wouldn't believe how much money he lost me thanks to the brawlers." The duke picked up his glass and sipped at it again, then grimaced. "And the complaints. I had letters piled this high." He indicated a height larger than his glass. "The man just refuses to die."

The mage snorted and started to light up a few more lamps. By now the office was still shadowy, but it at least looked like it could be worked in. "Sort of comes with the job. Adventurers are hard to kill."

"Yes, annoyingly so." Templeton agreed feverently.

"I'd honestly suggest you back off on it. You're going to get the Starchasers on your tail soon. They're already poking around based on what I'm hearing." Block stated casually as he finished lighting up the room and took a seat.

"I've been considering arranging for something to censor them as well." The duke admitted casually. "Nothing overt, but the attention they've been placing on me is getting fairly close to areas I'd like untouched."

"Really?" Block perked up from his seat. "They finally get past your paperwork skills?"

"Several of my friends in the transportation industry are getting a bit disturbed. They made so many strides in consolidating their businesses in the wake of the World Boss that they made a few mistakes." Templeton stared at his glass with pursed lips before he finished it off.

Black snapped his fingers. "Ah! So that's where you've been getting the money."

Templeton snorted. "No, that's where I've been getting a few gold coins. You don't become rich as a duke if you don't diversify." The man waggled a finger as he searched for the bottle of wine and poured himself another glass. "For instance, all those relief donations? They all go to the right areas. If some of the authorized statements are to friends I have? They lost some things too."

"You mean all the nobles that ran when the Boss came round." Block confirmed with a dry tone.

The duke nodded as he poured himself a glass. "Yes, only the foolish stayed. Most of their estates and heirs are dead now. The land was basically worthless, but they had money elsewhere that could be taxed. All of it was perfectly legal." Setting the bottle away the duke gave a crooked smile. "No one would really understand that of course."

Block waved a hand negligently. "Public opinion can be so fickle."

"Yes it can be. That's why I pay you Steelguard so much. Pays to keep most of you on my good side." Templeton sipped at his glass again and gave a Block a look. "Might have to see about getting more out of you though."

"As always I'm at your service." The mage replied with a sarcastic grin on his face.

"I'm not drunk enough not to hear that sass." The duke snapped back and then took another sip. He went silent as he thought.

Aside from killing the monk, Templeton didn't have many plans left. The accursed world boss had really destroyed any plans he might have had beforehand. Now he needed new ones. He also needed to be sure that his ass was covered in the meantime. He still had that report to do to the king.

"The horse dungeon." Templeton stated suddenly, and ignored Block's look of confusion. He moved to his drawer and dug around it. "Ah, Shadow-wind. Why you name dungeons like this I don't know. Arrange a few teams and have them capture the horses there." The man slapped a paper down on the table.

"What?" Block deadpanned and got to his feet to look at the paper.

"Our fast travel wagons were essential to the fight right?" Templeton smiled triumphantly. "I'll place that on the report and our beastamers will be able to sell them en mass. The price will triple!" The duke rubbed his hands together as he grinned at the thought of all the money.

The mage watched the duke for a moment before shaking his head and moving away. The idea was sound on the surface, but all the fast travel wagons in the world wouldn't have stopped the boss.

Outside the mansion he paused at the entrance and spoke into thin air. "Contract on. He's in the lit room drinking wine."

There was no response. No flicker of wind. No sound of footsteps. If the gate took a moment less to close, then Block could honestly say he noticed nothing.

The mage walked away from the mansion with his hands in his pockets whistling a tune into the night. Block had always been of the opinion that the greatest monsters were not the bosses. The greatest monsters had always been other people.