“Did you hear that?” I whispered to Curmlough who cocked an ear and shook his head.
“All I hear is my stomach rumbling,” the Satyr answered sadly and patted his belly. Octave rolled his eyes.
“Maybe pull some of that hair out of your ears! I heard it too, Kenric. It’s around the next corner. Shall I fly ahead to scout?” I shook my head.
“We’ll go together, but be ready with your bow.” I stated. Whatever this new danger was, I knew I was the one with the most protection magic to face it.
We were at a place where the corridor of books was curving to the left. While mapping our course had been difficult at first, I had continuously checked random book titles and found a familiar pattern emerging. The Library was arranged by subjects just as any library would be. We moved from a section on History to sections on Geography and from there to Aramyrian Cultures. If we needed to backtrack, we need only discern subjects from book titles to retrace our steps. Currently, we were in a Bestiary section. Books upon books of the many myriad beasts of Aramyr. There were even a few, thick tomes written on the subject of the World Beasts. I noticed an entire shelf devoted to Mahalib alone.
I put my back to a stack and inched myself forward until I could peek around the bend. We had arrived at another cul-de-sac and would have to backtrack it seemed, however this dead end wasn’t empty. Squatting down upon the floor, book open upon its lap, was a purple skinned monstrosity that possessed the body of an ogre, but with a head possessing human features that included high cheekbones, an aristocratic, upturned nose and a pair of glasses perched upon the nose’s tip. The creature was reading.
Name: Garfle
Race: Murk Mutant
Class: Void Alchemist of Xat
Without Lore Sight, that was all I could discern of this new enemy. I recognized the name, Garfle, as the Abbey’s Alchemist who had created the potions I had found and now carried in my Inventory. I couldn’t see what book Garfle was currently so engrossed in, but the tome appeared comically small held in the Mutant’s overlarge hands. I slowly inched my way backwards and through hand gestures indicated to both Octave and Curmlough I wanted them to remain silent and to move back the way we had come.
After retracing our steps back far enough that I didn’t fear Garfle hearing us, I finally explained to my companions what I had seen.
“Do we even need to fight him?” Octave asked. “We need to retrace our steps anyway. I told you we should have taken that fork after the section on Slimes and Oozes!”
“I have to agree with goldilocks,” Curmlough said. “It might only be one enemy, but we have no idea how strong it might be and we have no reason to take the chance.” I nodded my head slowly. They were both right. Finding our way through the Library and defeating the Dungeon’s Boss was our priority. Yet, I had to consider the Quest I had been given too.
“Somewhere in this Dungeon is a tome I must find,” I stated firmly. “I can’t take the chance that Garfle or some other creature has it in their possession.” I sighed. “We have to confront that Mutant. Not only that, but to leave such a twisted creature behind us to possibly cause us trouble later is a chance I’m not willing to take.” Octave still didn’t look convinced, but Curmlough smiled and nodded.
“Lord Gor once said that all living creatures serve a purpose and that Nature does not make mistakes. Dungeon Core’s are a part of Nature and since it brought Garfle here, then he must serve some purpose! See?”
“Your brain serves no purpose, wool head!” Octave guffawed. I also wasn’t totally sold on Curmlough’s reasoning, but as it was I had already made up my mind.
“Let’s head back. We’ll approach this the same way we did before with the Spirits.” I renewed my buffs and protections then led the way back towards Garfle’s cul-de-sac after my Mana had recovered. He was exactly as I had left him before, intent upon reading his book.
“Alright, I’ll begin then the both of you start right after,” I whispered. Curmlough and Octave both nodded and readied themselves with Aulos and bow respectively. I would start by casting Harvest Moon, Minor Mana Tap and a Lesser Shadow Leech. Then, once Garfle realized what was happened and tried to fight back I would stun him with a Minor Cube of Confusion and move in for a Vow of Contagion before attacking with my staff. If any part of my strategy didn’t work I would rely upon my companions to make up the difference. I took deep breath, said a quick prayer to Cel that my spells wouldn’t fail and darted around the bend, placing myself in full view of Garfle.
The bookish Mutant didn’t look up, but I didn’t hesitate. Harvest Moon I placed directly over Garfle’s head. I threw out my next prepared sequence and my mana depleted as one would expect, but notifications began flashing before my eyes and I felt the beginnings of worry when I saw what they were all saying.
Harvest Moon Resisted! Spell Level insufficient!
Minor Mana Tap Resisted! Spell Level insufficient!
Lesser Shadow Leech drains Target: Garfle of 8 Hit Points!
Two spells resisted and only one successful. Apparently, I hadn’t prayed to Cel hard enough.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Octave. Curmlough. Attack!”
Garfle slammed his book shut and snarled at me, showing rows of sharp teeth.
“HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY STUDIES!” Garfle shouted and he rose to his feet. I looked over the tattered remains of Garfle’s clothing that barely covered his purple torso and legs. He looked to have burst out of them and hadn’t bothered to find better fitting garments after his mutation. Or perhaps the Dungeon hadn’t bothered to provide them? “DON’T YOU KNOW THAT FEL SHARD GROWTH REQUIRES A PRECISE AND CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT?”
Garfle swiped at me with a clawed hand, but was rebuffed by my Bell shield. The Mutant grunted in pain as he took damage, but he recovered quickly to swipe down again to smash me into pulp. Another round of reflected damage and this time Garfle eyed me with displeasure.
“YOU HAVE TRICKS? I DO TOO!” Garfle pulled a vial of something liquid from a pocket of his torn pants. It was a comically small vial in the Mutant’s hands, but I knew that whatever that potion was, I didn’t want Garfle drinking it.
“Don’t let him drink it! Sunburst!” I shouted. I cast Minor Cube of Confusion.
Minor Cube of Confusion Resisted! Spell level insufficient!
“Wik take it!”
There was a bright flash of light and I almost didn’t turn away in time when Octave let loose with a Sunburst and so I saw stars floating in my vision when I opened my eyes again. Garfle was also covering his eyes with one large paw while blindly swiping the air with his other hand.
“AAARGH I’LL GET YOU FOR THAT! YOU’RE INSIDES WILL BE FOOD FOR THE MURK WORMS!”
Arrows thudded into purple skin, but Garfle seemed to be ignoring them for now. At least we had succeeded in keeping him from imbibing his potion. The vial lay upon the ground, surprisingly still intact. The potion bottles must have been made of strong glass, I surmised. That gave me an idea.
“Keep him distracted for a moment!” I yelled and swooped in to snag the dropped vial.
Curmlough began to play a merry tune upon the Aulos and Garfle made a disgusted face when he saw the Satyr.
“FOREST IMP! YOU CANNOT SHAKE MY MIND! I AM YOUR INTELLECTUAL SUPERIOR!” Octave started to laugh and I looked up at him in disbelief.
“Forest Imp! That’s a good one!”
Face turning red, Curmlough blew a long, loud note from his Aulos which made Garfle cover his ears in pain. I took the opportunity to dart forward to snatch up the dropped vial with one hand while slapping my other hand against Garfle’s exposed thigh to cast Vow of Contagion. I only just managed to dodge Garfle’s attempted retaliatory slap and mentally cheered when I saw the new notification.
Target: Garfle is infected with Vow of Contagion!
Garfle is infected with: Flesh Rot!
It had happened a bit late, but I had realized that Tier I spells, with the notable exception of Lesser Shadow Leech, were failing for being too low level to use against a creature of Garfle’s high level. When the final tick of Lesser Shadow Leech ended, I tried recasting the spell immediately.
Lesser Shadow Leech Resisted! Spell level insufficient!
I must have been lucky with the first cast. This things magic resistance is more than I can overcome with the majority of my magic! I need to take a different tactic!
Earlier, I had found and looted several potions that had been created by Garfle, whom I had correctly identified as a highly skilled Alchemist. Unfortunately, either by the designs of Prior Sandoval or whatever demon the Prior had released upon his fellow Monks, the poor Alchemist had not been spared either and had been mutated into some sort of Ogre-Mutant and pulled into the Revelations of Cel Dungeon by the Dungeon Core. I saw no other recourse but to destroy him. I removed the potion I wanted and held it loosely in one hand.
“WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?” Garfle held up a hand and even I drew back in surprise when I saw what was happening. The purple flesh of the Mutant’s hand was bloating as if it were being pumped full of foul fluids. Garfle snarled in anger. “YOU CANNOT POISON A CHOSEN OF XAT! I HAVE ACHIEVED A LEVEL OF ALCHEMICAL GENIUS EVEN THE MYSTICS OF PURGATORIUM COULD NOT HOPE TO MATCH!” The Mutant reached into his pocket, fumbling for another potion.
“Yes, you’re right!” I cried, temporarily drawing his attention to me. Octave had ceased firing arrows and Garfle’s chest looked like a porcupine had used him for target practice while Curmlough began playing a different tune, this one buffing my speed and reactions.
You are under the effects of Hare’s Jubilant Summer!
Your Natural Speed is increased by 100%
“I went into your hut in the Abbey and found this!” I held up Garfle’s Potion of Clarity and made a big show of pulling out its cork. “Your alchemy is brilliant, which is why when I drink this, my spells will get the boost they need to get past your spell resistance! You’re going to lose!” I had no idea if anything I had just said was even remotely true, but I held back a grin when I saw Garfle’s eyes widen and he lunged forward to snatch the potion from my hand.
“THIEF! ONLY I AM WORTHY OF XAT’S WISDOM!” With that, Garfle chugged down the potion and cast the empty bottle away. Then, he began to laugh even as my Vow of Contagion caused the flesh of his hand to burst open, sending viscous yellow fluid flying everywhere.
“Gross!” Octave cried and he made a vomiting noise behind me, but I was too focused upon Garfle’s face to check upon the Cherub. One of his elbows was beginning to bloat, but I would have to get closer if I wanted to renew my spell as it was almost at its last tick.
“YOU WERE A FOOL TO CHALLENGE ME, LITTLE MONK! THE SHARDS ARE NEARLY READY FOR HARVESTING AND SOON XAT WILL…WILL…”
Garfle looked down at me in disbelief as he belched again and swayed upon his feet. Calmly, I walked forward to renew Vow of Contagion and then tried recasting Lesser Shadow Leech and this time the spell took hold. Grinning, I cast the rest of my spells to snatch what Mana I could, as well as another Harvest Moon to make sure I was making Garfle as weak as possible.
“HOW…WHAT?” I held up the real Potion of Clarity before the Mutant’s wide eyes.
“Just a little misdirection, Garfle. How did your Potion of Insolence taste? I believe the phrase is, ‘getting a taste of one’s own medicine,’ yes? You lowered your Wisdom enough for my spells to get through your magic resistance. Prepare your soul to face Ord’s Judgement!” Garfle wailed and tried to hit me, but the cooldown on my Bell shield was renewed and the Mutant only ended up hurting himself again. Octave started shooting arrows and Garfle did not last much longer after that.
You have slain Garlfe, Void Alchemist of Xat!
Experience Rewarded!
You have gained +50 Faction Sul!
You have unlocked the Achievement, More than Manageable I
You have successfully defeated an opponent 10 Levels higher than you!
Reward: 16 Green Nodes
“That was well done. How did you know that thing was going to fall for your trick?” Octave asked. I shrugged, dismissing the welcome and somewhat surprising notifications.
“I didn’t, but I recalled something my father once told me. ‘Arrogance is born from an inflated sense of self worth that never stands up to common sense.’ Garle may have been a good Alchemist, but his sense of superiority blinded him to the notion that anyone might be able to outsmart him. If he had only bothered to notice that I held up the Potion of Clarity with my right hand, but he grabbed a potion from my left hand…well, you saw what happened.”
Octave snorted and Curmlough laughed. I joined them and I turned to loot Garfle’s body and was rewarded with the following:
Garfle’s Potion of Fire Breath
Garfle’s Potion of Dual Simulacrum
Garfle’s Tincture of Distilled Limbus Energy
Without Lore Sight, I was in the dark about what the three potions could do and could only hypothesize. Regarding the final potion, the Distilled Limbus Energy, I was of two minds about what to do with it. Destroy it or keep it? Anything that was tied to Limbus energy was tied to Shadowmurk and I was wary.
Yet, what if it could be studied and a cure found for Shadowmurk once and for all? I’ll keep it in my Inventory for now. There are other brilliant Alchemists in Aramyr who aren’t crazy like Garfle was!
I placed the potions in my Inventory and then knelt down to examine the book Garfle had been reading. There was no title on the cover, but when I opened the book and saw what information was within I couldn’t keep the smile from splitting my face. I turned to Octave and Curmlough.
“It’s a Dungeon Map!”
Octave flew closer to examine it with a critical eye. “It has all the Library sections labeled. We shouldn’t have a problem finding our way to the Boss now. Speaking of which…” Octave pointed at a big X marked on the maze-like drawing on one page. Curmlough leaned closer and scrunched up his nose.
“What’s the word written here?” The Satyr poked at a single word written under the X. I leaned in to read where he was indicating. I groaned.
“Worm,” I read.