Ultimate Level 1

Chapter 170: Old Tricks

Alexander had been saddened at the news of their departure but knew it was coming. After the birthday party and the announcement that they had reached level fifty, he had prepared one last treat for them.

“This is amazing!” Batrire exclaimed as she drank the drink through the straw.

Laughing, Alexander smiled as the other three nodded and grunted, each amazed at the flavor and texture.

“I don’t make that often, so I want you four to know I have enjoyed the time you spent here. Anytime you need a room or just a meal, I’m always here.”

“We appreciate that,” Max said as he set the frozen pineapple drink on the table. He then pulled a bag from his storage, handed it to Alexander, and grinned. “A few last items for any possible adventurers. Know that they should serve whoever gets them for a long time.”

“You’re a rare person, Seth Pendal, but I guess with a name like that I shouldn’t expect anything less,” the Innkeeper said as he took the backpack and added it to his storage. “Anything else you four need? I need to get back and ensure dinner is on track.”

They shook their heads and after another round of handshakes and goodbyes, watched Alexander disappear into the kitchen.

“I’m going to miss his ale,” Fowl said with a sigh, having already emptied his glass.

“But your waistline won’t,” Batrire teased.

Max nodded and winked at her. “I for one am ready for a bath and a good night's sleep. Tower camping isn’t as fun as I thought it would be.”

Everyone laughed and agreed as they moved toward the inn's door.

“That’s new,” Fowl pointed out as he reached the tower portal first. “We can choose the floor we want to start on?”

Cordellia nodded and grinned. “I told you, but apparently you weren’t listening.”

“He never does,” Batrire said, shaking her head and frowning. “If it’s not about beer or beards, getting him to pay attention is hard.”

“Forgive me for being a little foggy after getting turned into a frozen dwarfcicle. Next time, I’ll make sure to thaw out faster.”

Each of them selected the second floor and walked through, finding themselves standing outside what looked like a large flower garden.

“Dwarf balls, this is going to suck,” Cordellia cursed as she glanced around at the area.

Huge stone walls ran behind them and then were covered up with vines and other large flowers, trees, and plants. A small clearing of about fifty yards was before them, and then stone walkways led through a fifteen-foot-tall stone arch into the collection of vegetation.

“What tower floor is this?”

“It's a bad one,” Cordellia answered Fowl. “I’ve never been in one, but I’ve heard about them from the reports, which, by the way, I think we need to get you all a copy of sooner rather than later. The experience is even better than the last one, but you won’t know what’s a threat until it actually attacks.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Max asked. “How is that possible?”

“See those large flowers on the left past the arch? Those can all be flowers or monsters,” she replied.” And before you ask, no, you don’t want to destroy everything along the path. Doing so will make the creatures stronger.”

“I'm Glad she’s with us; otherwise, someone might have tried burning down the floor,” Fowl said, elbowing Max.

“I’ll take point then,” Max said. “Fowl, you stay near the others. I’m our best bet at finding what's real and what isn’t.”

“Um… I’m sorry. Can you run that by me?” Cordellia asked. You’re strong, and I know you can use magic, but how can you think for a moment that you’re the one who should be at the front of the party?”

Max smiled, seeing how Cordellia was standing, hips cocked to one side.

“You’ll see. Now, let’s get ready. I want to see what we’re up against.”

Max and Fowl both turned at the same time to look at each other and smiled.

Less than a second later, they were no longer in normal clothes, instead, their armor and weapons were in place.

“This is so going to make taking a wizz a thousand times easier,” Fowl stated, grinning from ear to ear.

“It’s sad that was my first thought too,” Max replied.

After everyone was ready and Tanila had her fire familiar summoned, they began moving slowly toward the arch.

Max tried to ignore a lot of the weird sounds that seemed to come from everywhere, instead focusing on trying to find movement or something that hinted at a monster waiting to leap out from somewhere.

The stone path they were on was only ten feet wide, and the patches of flowers and trees that ran along both sides for as far as he could see until it turned and disappeared left a weird sensation in his mind.

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“Batrire, be ready with those heals.”

Their dwarf grunted loudly, aware of what Max was implying.

He was ten yards ahead of the group, sticking to the middle of the path and already fifty yards in, wondering how soon the tower floor would reveal its true nature.

Flowers a little less than twice his height, with huge petals and thick stems, hung over the walkway, looking ready to pounce on whoever walked under them. Trees with massive branches, moss, and vines seemed ready to suddenly come to life and devour anyone foolish enough to get close.

Up ahead, Max could see what looked like giant vegetables growing in the ground.

“Cordellia, are those things edible? Should we bring some back to the faction?”

“I believe so, but again, it is the first time for me in a floor like this.”

Max nodded and held his shield and halberd ready.

As he approached a section of the path with multicolored flowers on both sides, a wind began to blow, and everything around him started to move.

His sonar was picking up everything, but nothing felt like an attack.

A thought ran through Max’s brain, and he stopped moving. He turned to look at the four behind him, each wondering what he was doing.

“How strong are these creatures, Cordellia? I mean like super strong, or is it the threat of them suddenly attacking that causes problems?”

Their archer massaged her neck for a moment and appeared to be trying to remember what she had read.

“It’s not that they are strong. It's the numbers and the sudden attack,” she answered. “If they surround the group and get to the casters or healers, then you can imagine what happens next.”

A devilish grin appeared on Max’s face, and Fowl immediately started to groan.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Fowl said. “I don’t like that look.”

“Get up here and stop complaining; be the warrior your woman thinks you are. Besides, if Cordellia is right, I think I know what we’re going to do.”

Tanila started to chuckle, and then Batrire joined her, each of them having an idea of what Max was thinking.

“I’m sorry. Obviously, I’m new, but what the heck is so funny?”

“We’re going to do something we did in a dungeon, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll all escape while Fowl dies, but if it does, this zone may be the easiest one we face.”

Cursing under his breath, Fowl began rotating his shoulders and pulled out a second shield to replace his new hammer.

“Goatmen?” Fowl asked, his voice not hiding the displeasure he felt.

“Goatmen!” Max exclaimed. “Tanila, you fill in, Cordellia. I’m going to get us a few groups to try.”

“INCOMING!”

Cordellia had already come to realize Max and the others were insane, but when Max had taken off running, a pack of wildflowers with tentacles and giant mouths jumped out of their area and chased after him. Max continued sprinting down the path. She knew things were going to get even wilder after that moment when Tanila started bouncing up and down excitedly.

About four packs of monsters, all moving mostly together, were coming down the path. A few large trees with gaping maws, moving branches with hands, and vines whipping around, moved with dragon flowers snapping as they moved, giant teeth longer than her arm, all around their petals.

“Be ready, Fowl!” Batrire called out.

“Remember, use your area of affect attack when I tell you,” Tanila told Cordellia. “Let Fowl do his job, and we’ll do ours.”

“This is insane!” Cordellia argued. “There are at least fifteen monsters there!”

“Trust us!” Tanila snapped as she focused on the group coming and the speed at which Max was moving.

“He’s gotten better at that,” Batrire said casually. “Their clumped up way better this time.”

Tanila saw a Fire Nova go off from Max as he approached them and realized that something was different. It was wider, and more flames erupted than before.

“Ogre shite,” she cursed silently, noticing that Batrire looked at her with a raised eyebrow but shook her head. “Just remind me to talk with Seth later about something.”

Batrire grunted, seeing that Max was about ten seconds from them.

“Preparing to cast!” Tanila shouted.

Max came to a stop behind Fowl, grinning like a fool, his bald head shining in the soft glow of the tower floor's light. A mid-day sun hung overhead, bathing everything in warm light, including the horde of pissed-off and burning plants fighting for space on the narrow pathway.

“Gods, this is going to suck!” Fowl exclaimed as he moved a few paces ahead.

Max said nothing, starting to summon a fireball not near the size of Tanila’s but still much larger than the one he had on the first floor.

He had considered telling Tanila about his new skill but wanted to wait and show it off, knowing how much she would enjoy it.

The fireball descended on the pack just as Tanila’s did, and he immediately began casting fire nova, grinning as their mage came up next to him.

Fowl raced ahead, moving through the horde of monsters, burnt and wilted leaves, missing pieces of bark and stems, and more.

“Taunting!”

Fowl’s taunt went off, and as it had with the goatmen, every creature turned immediately, their focus on Fowl, and began pounding against the shields he used to hide between. Vines encircled him all around as others tried to bite or strike him. The dense pack of monsters prevented any from getting a good attack on him.

Both Fire Novas went off at the same time, and as the fire spread out from them, scorching regular plants and monsters alike, the pack made shrieks and weird noises.

Everything but the three trees fell over dead or were burnt to ash.

Max raced in, using his axe, and lived the life of a lumberjack for a moment, felling trees with a few strikes.

Cold power came over him as he sapped the life from the trees.

[ 6 Constitution Consumed ]

[ 3 Constitution Consumed ]

Max frowned slightly as the third tree died to his blade, wondering why no more stats had come.

“Gods, I hate being that guy,” Fowl muttered, turning around with a grin covering his face. “Still, that experience was amazing!”

Max felt a hand on his shoulder, and Tanila spun him around, leaning forward and putting her ear near his. “Care to tell me what rank your elemental mastery is?” she whispered before standing up straight.

Winking, he motioned at Cordellia with his head and beckoned her to come close with a finger. When his lips were next to Tanila’s ears, he blew gently against it for a second before saying, “Epic.”

Shuddering, the mage stood upright and tried to glare but couldn’t keep it before smiling. She shook her head. “You’re a bastard… no other way to say that. I'd say something worse if I didn’t like you.”

“Thankfully, you do,” Max replied.

“Guys, I think we broke her.”

Batrire’s voice made Max and Tanila turn to see Cordellia standing there like a statue. Her bow was out with an arrow ready, but her mouth hung open as their archer stared past Max and Tanila.

“Don’t ask!” Fowl shouted. “It won’t make it better.”

The dwarf turned and saw what Cordellia was actually looking at.

“Holy goblin shite! Look at this loot!”

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