Walking over to the greenhouse, I noticed Wardi throwing multiple items into the porter box, many different armours, and weapons and what appeared to be Vechisia stone at the last minute.

  “Got it all back from the merchants and then some, it’s all below my current gear so going to see what Fijetta can make out of it, one of the sods had a Vechisia stone in his wares.” Wardi said to me.

  “And you’re going to send it to that random you met one time? Damn, you’re brave…or an idiot heh, remember Barry said that stuff is rare, taking a gamble big man!” winding him up once more.

  “Ha! ya git, let’s see what happens, she just sent back this thing called the Chum-Spunger” he said.

  “What does THAT DO exactly?” Horace Proclaimed.

  “Seems like it makes things essential for fishing. Bait, lures sunscreen, clothing, reels and even a chair.”

  “…We’ve been fishing exactly twice in the eight years we have been here what use will that do us, also let’s just point out that she didn’t give us a rod with that machine” I said with an annoyed tone to him. Wardi may have lost a braincell or twelve recently I thought.

  “Must be some limitation on her class, but there was a merchant at the edge of town that had a rod, so I’m going to grab it on the way out, now that we’re all suited and booted again let’s have a look at the map, everyone come over here” Wardi threw up in the air a small parchment of paper that unfolded itself a little bit and then rapidly grew into something that could have functioned good enough for a drive-thru cinema.

  “The benefit of an enchanted map: It showed us the locations of who’s territory is in control and where we know where to avoid.” said Lucy to Silana who still did nothing but stare at it floating in the air.

  “It’s been a while since this has made an appearance, we really should travel more, look at how little we’ve unveiled of the map, there’s so much of it to unravel” said Rhua.

  “Well, we’ve mapped most of southern and western ends at least, and some fringe places in the east and north, it’s practically a quest if you think about” said Lucy excited at the prospect. Wardi marked out the route from Et-Navn pointing to the northern end of the Marsh which would take us northwest of the map.

  “It’s going to be a few hours travelling by foot, we’ll make our way along Tumble’s Road up to Green Top Pass. From there we’ll hit the skybridge across to the marshes, otherwise we’re going to have to go down into Newswandydd city Queen Areya’s territory, it’s in our best interests to avoid that one if we can, everyone on board with this plan? Said Wardi.

  We all nodded in agreement of course, everyone’s curious about this Dr A character after all.

  Broekslang along with his wife and daughter approached us and shook all our hands one by one, thanking us for saving the family. Waving goodbye, we then set off towards the north gate, Larry wished us well on the request ahead, and said he would notify of us where and when to meet the Dr when we have the mats. Wardi of course bought that fishing rod he caught the eye of before we left Et-Navn.

  Silana pointed out to us that a man was waving at us as we were three or four hours into the journey. It was a familiar face, Haych the travelling fixer upper.

  “What’s cooking peeps? Been a hot minute since I’ve seen you four on the road, I see you picked up a couple of new friends too.”

  “Heya Haych, we’re doing good and you’re looking as good as ever, business doing well?” I said.

  “You bet your shiminy-jinglies it is, upped my game a notch or two, can make these Overdura orbs, here you can have a batch” He threw up several silvery looking orbs and we each caught one. Apart from Lucy who failed to catch it completely.

  “Use em, they’ll automatically fix your broken pieces one time, could save yo hides in a pinch” “

  “That’ll be helpful, how much for them Haych?” He shook his head at Rhua’s question. “No worries on the cost, I owed you guys form the last time when those gob-heads tried to steal me Re-workomatic, stay safe, there’s been some fighting around Green Top Pass lately, keep your janglies about yas.”

  Haych returned to hammering some goods and throwing them into his re-workomatic.

  “Thanks for the heads up Haych” said Rhua and we continued our way; it was only a couple of hours left so we practically jogged the rest of the way.

  “I never understood why they call it Tumbles Road to be honest” said Lucy panting away.

  “Tumbles Road, it’s plain, it’s boring, brown dusty gritty walkways and flat grassy fields with the odd tree to add a bit of colour, besides the gear that is used by those we’ve passed by, it’s hardly an appealing place.” She followed up with.

  “Back in the early days, it was a testing ground for people, they often met other more serious sentients and got into their first parties for fighting other groups of sentients, monsters, or requests or even just the occasional journey to see what’s out in the world.” Rhua said

  And continued by saying - It was almost always where people would normally experience their first dungeon if they weren’t unlucky and accidentally walked into one alone for example.”

  “I know all that, it just seemed to be a silly name for such a place, why not top-pass road or sentients road something along that line of naming?” Lucy wheezed out.

  “Focus on the path ahead, it’s a stone throw away now, we need to make sure we’ve made a base camp at the entrance by nightfall I want us all on a good night’s rest.” Lucy pouted from Wardi’s words and Horace and Silana patted her on the head to try to cheer her up.

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  Rhua quickly centred herself at the front of the group shouting out “Bulwark! Phalanx”! And a barrage of elemental bolts smashed into her, so numerous and constant, we couldn’t see anything but darkness straight ahead, from the layers of dust spat upwards from the floor, only dissipating when a ferociously powered up bolt spear burnt through it all and smashed through Rhua’s defensive structures and into her shield.

  “That was a hell of a first assault!” I said loudly

  “It’s mainly ranged fighters, looks like four Longshots,’ two Slingers and a hulk of a Slamchamp” Wardi said after using his area scanning ability.

  “Will wreck em if we get in close.” He followed up with.

  I drank a bone enrichment potion, that Slamchamp could be dangerous without the potion, especially if he grabs me.

  Rhua unfazed by the attack shouted “Alright this is unavoidable, let’s do this!

  She readied herself and we charged forward together as a three, I made my way to the longshot’s whilst Wardi dived into his Shadow step ability to target the back line of mages.

  Travelling unseen he quickly approached the stronger looking of the two but was caught off guard when he was forced to shout because of the rapier.

  “I have a cocktail sausage! he mumbled softly” he had only a second or two to block the dagger that flew at him from someone that could also use Shadow step, and he quickly recognised it as the Fidaist, an assassin type class.

  “Watch out, they have an enfeebling type of assassin back here too!”

  Rhua and I called out for Horace to give us a hand with support.

  He quickly loaded his mortar to target the longshot’s whilst he synthesized poison and paralysing resistance gas canisters throwing them at us. The strong resistance we gained would stop the effects of the enfeeblements but not the shrapnel produced or the explosive effect which some traps had.

  Rhua quickly found that out the hard way by stepping on traps that did both, she wasn’t affected at all due to her armour being so tough and neither was the Slamchamp rapidly closing in on her due to his natural toughness.

  A bolt impaled my arm by one of the other longshots, but it didn’t break my wrist bones, just left a gaping wound where my flesh used to be.

  I grunted at the pain and kept charging, flinging globs of blood around the ground. Both the potion and new ring I have, was effective here I thought. Luckily, longshots are one of the worst melee fighters and I was confident I could take them all at once if needed.

  The first one took a clean slice across the chest and the new daggers I have begun emitting an odd tone which only got louder the more damage I was dealing.

  “This damn Slamchamp, it’s conjuring boulders and throwing at our back line rather than trying to take me on in melee, would be a lot easier if we had all hands-on deck!” Shouted Rhua.

  “Just keep it at it, I can help when there’s less to deal with on that side, I need to keep my spells protecting us back here I don’t want Silana getting hurt!” shouted Lucy back at her.

  Boulder after boulder slammed into Rhua but she continued charging until a holy spear slammed into her bringing her to her knees.

  “UGH motherfu-, that got me good.” Rhua wheezed the words out.

  The art dealt a blow to her and the Slamchamp followed up with a violent boulder slam into Rhua shaking the ground over a large radius.

  This in turn caused the mages on their side to topple which gave Wardi an opening to strike one of them and Horace managed to take the other out of action following up.

  But this also gave the assassin a chance, Wardi was able to parry the slash. He pulled his foe in close but was shocked when it was a clone that quickly dissipated to smoke. Only to be revealed by another projectile from Horace to launch Wardi’s foe in the air.

  “Thanks kid! Shouted Wardi as he drove his blade into the neck of the assassin, a vile grin that appeared on his face made Wardi realise that was an unwise decision he just took.

  The foe shouted, “Speck is me!”

  Bits of flesh and bone flew out in all directions. Many shards of bone impaled Wardi in the arms as he shielded himself and yelled in pain

  “Faen!” he shouted out.

  As I finished off the last Longshot the rather loud and irritating set of buzzers im using as daggers become silent. Huh, that’s weird I think to myself wonder what that is about?

  Seeing Wardi on his knees in pain trying to pull chunks of bone out his arm I rush over to aid him. I use a soothing salve to help him recover from his open wounds and do the same to myself. Lucy also helped by casting a healing spell now that she didn’t have to focus on protecting as much. And rejoined the fight against the Slamchamp.

  We hit it with a few back attacks before returning to the group to gather for buffs from Horace. Suddenly a thick red mist began swirling around the foe and stopped it moving. Rhua backed away just in case it was some sort of damaging ability or art, and the foe Roared with such force it felt as if the air shook for several metres.

  It pulled a lethal looking pole from their inventory and fused it with a boulder it conjured. Not only did change its weapon, but its stature also changed as well, it became shorter, yet leaner, the mass had gone instead what appeared to be a demigod was stood before us, yet the red mist was still present and his eyes… it was as if it was in another place mentally.

  “What does his profile say, can you check it Wardi” said Rhua

  . He nodded and the scan ability pulsed out

  “It says Ragezerker, never heard of that before, it evolved classes midway through a fight and that’s a bit different!”

  It laughed a deep laugh and slammed the weapon into the ground causing pillars off earth to smash us upwards, but Horace stopped them from reaching by blasting it with a counter turret shell.

  “No, no! This is no good now is it!” The foe shouted.

  “We must fight, FIGHT!” again.

  Rhua threw her shield at his head and Wardi threw himself at the foe and slashed away at it.

  “YES, FOR THE GLORY OF COMBAT!” it roared manically

  Wardi hadn’t finished long before he got booted flying by a kick that was too quick to react to after he had been using such intense abilities in the previous fight. Rhua had shouted “Blessed Veil” an ability which absorbed most of the damage dealt to Wardi just before he was hit.

  Meanwhile, Silana began screaming out of fear of what was happening which only spurred us all into super guardian mode.

  Rhua ran past to bait him with another shield throw and got several slashes in as she did, Horace synthesized a debuffing shell to try to slow the foe down and I climbed up its back and began punching it in the head.

  Wardi had darted back into the fray and at this point there is a small waterfall of blood coming from several huge wounds on around the foe, yet it seemed unphased, laughing far more than before.

  “Do you think it’s winnable, it has taken a hell of a beating and we’re only getting tired!” I shouted slamming elbows into the dense lean head of the foe.

  “Keep it up nothing has a healing regen that good, we just need to overpower its regeneration.” shouted Wardi.

  As it lost more blood its strength got greater and greater, and it felt like a train hit when it swung it’s weapon upwards and it connected against my arm.

  “FAYCK!” I shouted somehow still alive from a blow that strong.

  Wardi was hit again but had been knocked unconscious and was several metres away.

  Rhua was not backing down and despite taking massive blows was still managing to retaliate as well as Horace, though he to, was taken out of the action instantly by a surprise boulder attacking crashing into him.

  “SCHEITERHAUFEN” Lucy shouted aloud and a fire so strong, I’m sure even Wardi could have felt it where he lay had he been conscious.

  The intensity, the heat and the smoke were almost unbearable, yet the Ragezerker laughed and laughed in the fire.

  Eventually however, it turned to screaming, it was almost cruel to watch. Its regeneration tried to push back briefly again but to no avail, it took maybe a minute or two for the screaming to stop but it felt like it would never end.

  After the fire burned out, there was nothing left of that foe, not even ashes remained and the greenery nearby, burnt and scattered to the wind the stench of flesh carried with it.