A beautiful woman was lounging upon a divan at the center of another remarkable Grove. The third and final path had led me here with only six Fae Sculpted obstructing the path. They hadn’t lasted long. Their loot was unremarkable, but lucrative.

  Whereas the previous Grove had been in the dead of Winter, this particular Grove was draped in eternal, merciless Summer. The heat was scorching and withered the skin. The “Sun” above burned into the earth rendering it cracked, dry and bleeding dust. I knew it all to be an illusion, a magical fabrication of the Greenhouse, but by the Eye it looked and felt all too real. Cold may not have affected me as much as it used to, but the intense heat was making me sweat and turned my mouth into a desert. I wiped spittle from my bent lip.

  The woman seemed unaffected by the weather. Her hair was silver and framed a perfect face. I saw the pointed tips of her ears. Another Elf. Her lips were purple, which complimented the dark red of her nearly see-through dress. It was impossible not to stare. Her lazy, unblinking eyes watched me approach. A playful smile flitted across her lips. I stopped just a few yards away outside a ring of bizarre looking plants.

  The plants in this area were like none I had ever seen before. They had dangerous looking needles growing from them that reminded me of the thorns used by the Goblins in Bleakthorn Hollow. I sniffed and smelled something sweet, but was it the flowers or the woman?

  “If you’re done looking, why don’t you…” the woman began. I didn’t let her continue. I had already made my plans.

  I ran forward casting Burning Blood and followed up immediately with Burning Arms. The woman’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. She screamed as my first spell caused the blood in her veins to combust. She raised a shaking hand and a shimmering silver shield coated her like a second skin. My flames parted around her like water.

  “You little human freak! You would dare to attack the Blood?” she shrieked. There was no beauty in her face now, only a grimacing mask of rage and pain. Burning Arms had missed, but Burning Blood was damaging her. I couldn’t let up. I wouldn’t let these Elves hurt me again. I didn’t care who she was. This woman was going to die.

  Iacansu Merovingian, Warden of Keys

  Level: 23

  She was a full level beneath Tyndonomir, but he had been a warrior. From Iacansu’s hand gestures and the guttural speech flowing from her lips a different skillset was revealed. I gasped as tree roots erupted from the ground around me, each one as sharp as a spear. I screamed in surprise and pain when one grazed my left leg and I stumbled away just barely dodging another.

  “Get her!” I commanded my Fire Elemental. The creature flared and flowed forward, its arms outstretched. Iacansu sneered in contempt and pointed a finger directly at my elemental summon. Those strange plants surrounding her shuddered and their needles grew as long as swords. What happened next defied reason. The plants burst from the ground and stood upon tiny legs! They began to spin like pinwheels, their swords/needles swishing and slashing through the air. A new window opened up above each one of these whirling dervish sword masters.

  Cactoi Treants

  Level: 18

  By the Eye! What sort of magic is this?

  My Fire Elemental was being cut to pieces by the four Cactoi before my eyes. Iacansu’s laughter was cruel and set my teeth on edge. She raised both her hands above her head and stared down at me imperiously.

  “You were a fool to come here, Awakened! Wither and die like the rest of your kind!” she snarled. My Fire Elemental gave a final, soundless cry and disappeared in a burst of flame. As one, the Cactoi spun my way ready to cut me into pieces as well.

  I did the only thing I could do. I activated Wrath Shield and charged forward. Iacansu’s laughter stopped abruptly when one of the Cactoi tried spinning one of its swords into my midsection only for the blade to instantly disintegrate in a shower of sparks when it made contact with my body. My hand snaked out to catch hold of another Cactoi. The moment my hand made contact with the creature’s skin it crumbled into black ash. I smiled in satisfaction when I heard the Cactoi’s frightened, pained wail.

  “You bring Corruption here? Damned, Human scum! Accursed God Killer! Is there no evil your kind won’t stoop to?”

  “That other Elf cut off my bloody arm! Who are you to call me evil?” I held up the stump to show her and I stalked forward determinedly. Cactoi tried and failed to penetrate Wrath Shield’s impenetrable defenses and died for their foolish efforts. My mana was depleting quickly, but the burning power rushing through my body was intoxicating. Wrath was wrong, but it was so strong! I summoned a Combustion Bolt into my hand and threw it in Iacansu’s face. Her shield blocked it, but she still grimaced and fell back a step.

  “You fought my brother?” Iacansu’s face grew dark and her eyes began to glow. She opened her mouth wide, threw back her head and howled in rage and sorrow. “You could only be here if you killed him! Tyndonomir! Curse you! Curse you, Child of Wrath!”

  The ground started shaking so violently I couldn’t keep my balance, but neither could the two remaining Cactoi. They fell to the ground, needles snapping as they made impact with the rocky ground. I deactivated Wrath Shield with about 30% of my mana remaining. My wounds were forgotten as the ground cracked and flames erupted from the fissures.

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  Iacansu and I were separated by a veil of flames, but rather than cower in fear as she undoubtedly expected me to, I felt a plan take shape. The flames spoke to me in a language only a Pyromancer could understand. I could hear their whispers…

  Wither…Burn…Blister…Peel…

  I stared at Iacansu through the flames. Her lips were moving in a rhythmic chant, but I couldn’t hear the words. I still held her eyes and that was all I needed. I cast Hypnotic Flames, never breaking eye contact with the beautiful Elf. Would the spell work on so strong a Dungeon enemy? There was only one way to find out.

  “Where is the Silveron Seed?” I asked.

  Iacansu’s face twisted and her mouth opened as if she were about to respond in anger, but then her eyes glazed over and she spoke in a monotone, detached manner. I slowed my breathing and let my body relax. I ignored the pain from the wounds I had taken in the fight as best I could. I put what little mana I had left into boosting Hypnotic Flame’s influence.

  “My Father placed it within the Tree. We begged him not too.”

  “Why? What tree?” I asked. Then I recalled the vision granted to me by the Warden of Secrets. Had it not shown me a tree? Was the tree this Dungeon’s Final Boss?

  “He said it was the only way for the Blood to…save ourselves from…the Withering. He…” Iacansu was fighting back against my spell. She was coming out of it. My head started pounding as my mana reserves began to run dry. “The…Moon Willow…took us…drained us…we…AAAHH!” Iacansu threw back her head and screamed as she finally broke free from the hypnosis. My mana was gone and had I not been holding onto my staff I’d have collapsed from the strain.

  “You…you are…how did you?” Iacansu was disoriented. She swayed on her feet, but she managed to extend a hand towards me like a claw. The flames she had summoned surged towards me, but I welcomed them with a weary smile. They washed over me like a cool rain or a passing breeze. Iacansu’s jaw dropped open.

  “What are you?” she whispered. “This cannot be! Father!”

  I forced my body to move. My vision swam from the mana loss, but my Focus was clear. I swung my staff with all my strength and felt a satisfying crack as it slammed into the side of Iacansu’s head. The Elf’s head snapped to the side and she crumpled to the ground. I raised the staff above my head with a primal scream. I stopped myself at the last moment from bringing the staff down upon her again when I saw the staff’s magic taking effect.

  Iacansu Merovingian is [Stunned] for [10 seconds]! Critical Hit!

  Leprosy Debuff Applied!

  The skin where my staff had struck her was already turning black. If a Cure Disease spell wasn’t applied, the Elf would continue to take stacking Disease damage and die. I didn’t know any such spells. I wouldn’t have used them even if I did. The remaining Cactoi, unable to upright themselves after falling, began to wither as well. I sank to my knees completely spent as Iacansu stirred after the Stun wore off. I wasn’t done yet.

  I had been holding back my Limit Break. Each hit I had taken had continuously pushed me closer and closer to the edge, but I had gained a greater measure of control over the ability as my Focus and Will attributes rose.Now was the time to release it.

  With a roar, I spewed my Voidflame Breath directly onto Iacansu.

  Her scream was pure agony as I unloaded pure, liquid flames onto her legs and torso. Her back arched and she thrashed upon the ground as black flames erupted from her melting flesh and clothing. Iacansu Merovingian was caught between competing hells of fire and rot.

  I stared in horror at what I had done to this woman. Dungeon Boss or not, it was disgusting and disturbing. I stared down at my hands. They clutched the Staff of Rot in a death grip. My nails were dirty and a few were broken. Blood covered them and it wasn’t all entirely my own.

  What am I becoming? What is happening to me?

  “I’m sorry,” I choked back a sob. What was left of Iacansu stared back at me. She wasn’t even trying to fight back anymore. Her Hit Point were ticking down and were nearly all gone. My staff fell from my suddenly nerveless fingers. Iacansu’s bottom half was gone. Black flames still burned and ate away at her remaining flesh. Leprosy had eaten half of her face. One of her eyes was milky white and useless, but her remaining eye burned with hate.

  “Go…to…Hell, Awakened!” she gurgled. She spat black bile. “You…are…the death…of this world!” Iacansu tried to say something else, but at that moment her Hit Points hit zero. She shuddered once, then died.

  You have defeated Iacansu, Warden of Keys!

  I groaned and fell onto my back. I closed my eyes so the bright Sun wouldn’t damage them, but a dark cloud passed above me and I heard the distant rumble of thunder.

  It rains inside this Greenhouse too? Sure, why not?

  First one raindrop fell, then another, then a dozen, then several dozens. It kept falling until I grew tired of the sound of rain drops turning to steam as they hit my skin. I was too low on mana for all of the water to evaporate, however. I let it fall into my mouth and run across my face for a few minutes. Then, I sat up. I switched out Hypnotic Flame with Cauterize Soul into my Active Spells to give myself some healing. The wound in my side hissed as the flame sealed it tight. The Soothe magic it provided also was a balm upon my spirit and I felt the Wrath recede a bit.

  I don’t realize just how much of a burden the Wrath is until Soothe wipes some of it away. I’m growing too used to it. Don’t lie to yourself! You’ll have to use it again!

  “Yes. I will have to.” I whispered.

  I stood up and looked around. I avoided looking at Iacansu remains and instead checked my Inventory. My eyes widened when I saw what she had dropped.

  86 Gold

  Leggings of the Blood Willow

  Speed: +3

  Presence: +1

  Increases Dodge and Parry by 5%. Healing Received Increased by 5%.

  Skill: Zephyr

  These leggings are woven from the filaments of Blood Willow leaves, which are extremely flexible and durable. There is a 10% chance that successfully Dodging will activate the Zephyr skill and cause the wearer to increase their Speed by an additional [3] points for 3 seconds.

  Sanctuary Key

  The Sanctuary. That will be where I find the tree and the Silveron Seed.

  I equipped the leggings. They were too tight at first, but then magically resized themselves to fit me. What also amazed me was that they were a deep black color at first, but then shifted to a red that matched my robes. I felt lighter on my feet almost instantly. Speed had always been a weakness for me, but an extra three points in the attribute did a lot to improve my confidence if running became a necessity.

  The Cactoi Treants had little to offer, but I looked over what they had dropped for me and saw no reason to dump any of it, especially the coin.

  48 Silver, 20 Copper

  Cactoi Needles X 5

  Cactoi Desert Flower X 1

  I started walking back towards the cloister, turning the Sanctuary Key over in my hand as the rain ran down my hood. Instead of a having the mundane shape that fit into a typical lock, this key had a sigil stamped onto a flat end. What was I to do with this?

  If the Warden of Keys gave me a key, then there should be a door with the Warden of Doors, yes?

  I recalled the stone arch Tyndonomir had been kneeling before. It had held glowing runes that died when the elf did. Could the key activate them again? There was only one way to find out. I rubbed the cauterized flesh of my stump. It still hurt and I was still angry about it, but I still had my life.

  I’m not going to die here. I have to eliminate every enemy in the Dungeon, I know. I just wish it was only plant monsters like Igvild said. Why the hell are Elves here too? Why do I have to fight against actual people instead of monsters?

  Iacansu and Tyndonomir had both identified me as an Awakened and seemed to despise me for it, especially Iacansu. Why? What brought on such hatred for Class holders? Anya had already explained that Dungeons adjusted themselves for whomever entered their demesne. Did that mean whenever I entered a Dungeon it would be like nothing encountered before? That the effort the Dungeon put forth to kill a Pyromancer would be twice as what was typical? Or did every Awakened receive the same challenge? I clutched at my stump.

  It doesn’t matter. I’ll use the exact same strategy I used with Iacansu. I’ll rush the Final Boss before it can attack me first. Take it down fast! And if I have to, I’ll use Wrath Shield again and throw myself at it. Whatever it takes.