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Levelling Up The Weakest System The Edge of Civilization
“Not seen either of you ‘round these parts before,” The barkeep said as Risa and Alexei drew close to the bar. His voice was as gruff and weathered as he looked. The man was tall with thick shoulders, but looking at his face Alexei could tell that he was older than his built frame might otherwise suggest. His face was heavily wrinkled and his head was bald. “We’re from the Mage Temple in Alandria,” Risa said, “Just passing through and hoping to take a couple of rooms for a night or two.” “Mage Temple in Alandria, eh” The man said, “Don’t get too many of your types through here at all, for the dungeon out down south I take it.” “That’s right, we’re looking for some herbs and ingredients that can only be found there,” Risa affirmed, “Or so our records say, at least.” “Well, can’t say there’s much love for the mages out here, but I ain’t got no quarrel with either of you,” The barkeep said, “It’ll be two pieces a night per room, third night goes for one piece if you pay upfront.”
Levelling Up The Weakest System The Shopkeep
While the warp gate had taken Alexei and Risa to the nearest town to the dungeon, that didn’t necessarily mean that the town was actually all that close to the dungeon itself. In fact, the dungeon in question was still about an hour's drive by dragonhorse caravan, and they’d need a caravan to bring desert faring supplies with them. That of course all relied on someone actually renting out a dragonhorse and a caravan. The anti-mage sentiment in the town was strong enough that the locals may have refused to sell to them if their feelings on the matter were strong enough. Alexei had hope, though, that their need for coin would far outweigh their need for petty revenge on something that happened decades ago. “I’ve never seen a dragonhorse up close before,” Alexei thought out loud, “Well, we were transported in a dragonhorse train when we were taken to the Academy I suppose, but we weren’t allowed anywhere near the creatures.” “Nervous?” Risa asked. “Not nervous as such, quite
Levelling Up The Weakest System Dragonhorses
Stepping back out into the blinding heat wasn’t exactly something that Alexei enjoyed doing, but if it meant he got to meet and hang out with some dragonhorses? That was something else altogether. The Academy had its own fleet of dragonhorses, of course, but only a rare few Initiates ever got to interact with them. Those that truly excelled in combat would be called forward to train in the ways of dragonhorse riding, being able to ride through the legions of the Shades atop the back of a mighty beast did a lot for the morale of those around the rider. It was only those Initiates, and the Dragonhorse trainers, that were allowed to get close to the beasts. It wasn’t because the animals were dangerous at all, it was just another way for the Academy to limit the experiences of their Initiates so that they minded less when they were sent out on the front lines to die for their kingdom. Being able to go face to face with one of the creatures had always been one of Alexei’s dreams, and
Levelling Up The Weakest System Caravan
For some reason, Alexei had expected it to be difficult to suit the dragonhorse up with a harness, but the creature seemed entirely accepting of the apparatus. When the old shopkeeper drew close and lifted the harness up, the beast simply knelt its front two legs down and presented its head forward so that he could throw the harness strap over its head and secure the fasteners around its sides. The temperament of the big beasts continued to surprise him when the creature simply followed after the old man as he walked toward a second shack, presumably where the caravans were kept. “Are they intelligent as well as tame?” Alexei asked, impressed by their behaviour. “Dragonhorses are some of the smartest creatures out there,” Risa replied, “They’re easy to train as long as you’re not scared of them and once they take a liking to you they’ll be loyal for life if you’ll let them.” The door to the second shack opened with a creak and a flurry of dusty sand. It was clear that the carava
Levelling Up The Weakest System Dungeon Entrance
Travelling across the dungeon was actually easier than Alexei had expected. The Dragonhorse cleared the sand dunes with no issue, the wide pads of its toes giving each foot more than enough surface area to stop it from sinking through the sand. The skis of the caravan worked on the same principle, which allowed their vehicle to easily glide across the surface of the desert. They needed to stop a couple of times to rehydrate the dragonhorse and give it some food, which it was always appreciative of, but within an hour they had made it to the entrance of the dungeon. It had been clear that they were drawing close to the dungeon long before they actually made it to the doorway that served as the entrance to the place. A chasm had opened up in the desert before them, leading down out of the harsh sunlight and into a shade-covered crevice. As they wove deeper and deeper the chasm got wider, and the sand on the grand grew thinner until it revealed a blue and red coloured brick path.
Levelling Up The Weakest System In The Dark
Taking a step into the dungeon was almost as nice to Alexei as dipping into a cool river at the height of a hot summer's day. Even in comparison to the shady areas of the chasm outside it was much cooler inside the dungeon. “Almost wish I’d brought a coat at this point,” Alexei joked, “So, where do we go from here?” “Well, that’s hard to say, exploring a dungeon is no easy feat,” Risa replied. “What do you mean by that? Surely people have gone through this dungeon in the past,” Alexei said. “Yes, no doubt countless people have made their way through the dungeon, but we mages learned early on that trying to keep a record of anything to do with a dungeon is a fool's errand.” “How so?” Risa muttered a spell under her breath and a cool blue flickering flame flickered into being between them. It gave off no heat, but it did illuminate the entrance area of the dungeon. “Well, you see how there’s three different tunnels leading off of this section?” Risa asked, gesturing to the three
Levelling Up The Weakest System Tapestry of The Demon Lord
Alexei and Risa stepped out of the passageway that they had discovered and into the main bulk of the room. Alexei hadn’t noticed it at first, but as well as the strange glyph writing on the pillars there were also tapestries hung up on all the walls. “Risa, you see what I’m seeing here, right?” Alexei asked, his voice was nothing more than a hiss now. “Yeah, I see it,” Risa replied, “Maybe you’re right… Maybe this place is a bit weird, but dungeons are weird. That’s their whole point… right?” He didn’t like how uncertain Risa suddenly sounded, but he liked the story the tapestry wove a lot less. Alexei reached out and touched the tapestry, right on the face of the man, and then his mind was cast into the aether. xXx[Three Thousand Years Ago]The Demon Lord awoke from his slumber. There was much that the Lord of demons despised. He despised goodness in all of its forms. He despised magery and its continued efforts to try to thwart his goals. He despised the weapon-bearers and
Levelling Up The Weakest System Tapestry of The Demon Lord - II
[Present Day]Alexei staggered away from the tapestry with a gasp. “Alexei? Are you okay? What happened?” Risa asked. She placed a steadying hand on his shoulder to stop him from falling over, which was definitely a possibility considering how unsteady he seemed on his feet. “Shouldn’t be here,” Alexei muttered, his head splitting, “This place… it’s bad.” “What do you mean it’s bad? It’s just a dungeon, isn’t it?” “Not just a dungeon,” He groaned and looked up at Risa with bleary eyes, “It is a dungeon but it’s more than a dungeon, it’s his tomb.” Risa looked around with wild eyes, “What do you mean ‘his’? You can’t… not him. Not the Demon Lord.” “This is the Demon Lord’s tomb,” Alexei breathed, his headache beginning to recede, “Somehow that tapestry… showed me a fragment of his memory. Projected it into my mind as if I were somehow living it. The moment he did it, the moment he tore the world and let the Shades in.” He stood back up to his full height, winced slightly as his
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- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Return of The Proto Lord
After his last encounter with the Proto Lord Alexei had never wanted to hear the hoarse croaking laughter of the creature ever again. Now that he had the hairs on the back of his neck and his arms were all standing to attention and every fiber of his being was telling him to flee, run as far away as he could, and never look back. But he couldn’t do any of that. He had a mission to complete, people to save, and a kingdom to protect. “Show yourself, Proto Lord!” Alexei called out, his staff held defensively in preparation to ward off any attacks, “I’m not the man you faced before, I’ll take you out myself this time.” “So you say,” The Proto Lord wheezed from somewhere in the dark, “And yet you still bring so many users of the Power Divine to fight alongside you. So many snacks for me to feast upon.”That was the final straw for Alexei. With a pulse of arcane power, Alexei slammed his staff down onto the ground. A sphere of light erupted out from where he stood, a magery spell desi
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Manifest
Nerves had seeped into the hearts of the men that Alexei and Harold had chosen to take with them into the underground sanctum of the Proto Lord the moment they took their first steps into the tunnel system that the creature had made its home. They all looked to be strong and full of heart, but Alexei could sense it. The fear was electric and it was all he could do not to get caught up in the worry himself. Instead, he drew his staff and allowed it to shift forms into that of a magery wand, perfect to be used in enclosed situations and easier to maneuver with so many bodies around. With a flex of his will, Alexei summoned a ball of light at the tip of the wand and sent it out ahead of the group. It illuminated the dank depths of the tunnel that they were slowly descending into. Once upon a time, Alexei could have imagined the tunnel being used for mining and most likely to serve as a lower down access port to the well that he had originally sensed the malaise of the Proto Lord seep
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
A New Team
As Alexei explained what the Proto Lord was to Harold and the other members of the Royal Defence Corps he could tell that their willingness to fight such a creature was waning further and further. Alexei could understand. After being told to go to the front line and expecting to die in combat defending the kingdom the shades had all disappeared. That had given them all a second chance at living. Being told that they instead had to fight a being that was well on its way to becoming the next Demon Lord? Something that, just like the shades, could kill you and then perhaps use you to fight the rest of your friends? That wasn’t something that a lot of people were keen on. Harold, though, was a brave man and always had been. “Very well,” He said as Alexei came to the end of his explanation, “If that is the case then this so-called Proto Lord must fall before the Proto part of the wretched thing's name becomes Demon instead.“I will not order anyone to join myself or Alexei in this f
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Ancient Evil
Alexei placed his hand onto the Warp Gate and sent a pulse of magery through the system. He’d never actually had to operate one of the things before, but thanks to his more innate relationship with magery it was a bit like opening a book and simply reading from the pages. He placed his palm onto the stone and it fed information directly to him and allowed him to open a temporary link between the gate he was standing next to and the gate that was back in Alandria. It opened with a sputter at first and then, as Alexei made the link between the gates more solid, it blazed into life with a swirling blue glow. “You really are full of surprises now, aren’t you,” Harold said with a shake of his head, he couldn’t believe how different his friend had become compared to the last time he had seen the man. “Just a bit of advanced magery,” Alexei shrugged, “What did you expect me to do when I got kicked out of the Academy, go become a merchant somewhere?”“That probably would have been the sm
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Royal Defence Corps
Alexei worked his way through the woods until he was able to catch up with the soldiers of the Royal Defence Corps. These were all men and women who had gone through the training at the Academy and come out the other end, each of them with a Power Divine powerful enough for the previous Demon Lord to want to absorb it. Perfect for fighting against a Proto Lord who hadn’t fully come into the powers that Eldreth was offering them. At first, Alexei wasn’t sure who he should approach, but then he noticed someone who looked just a little bit familiar. Without any doubts, Alexei was sure the man he saw walking in the centre of the column was none other than his old friend from the Academy, Harold. “Harold!” He exclaimed, “Is that you?” The column of marching soldiers froze instantly, like a rabbit caught in the path of an oncoming dragonhorse, before turning on Alexei with their powers at the ready. It took only a moment for Harold to realise who had called out to him. “A… Alexei?!
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Good News
“Okay, wish me luck you two,” Alexei said, he was standing in front of a Warp Gate, one that Risa had told him led to a town that was very close to the front. Neave wrapped her arms around him as best she could and he returned it by holding her close. “You better come back safely, yeah?” Risa said, she held his gaze with a stern look. “Hey, if the Shades are running wild then you have my promise that I’ll be jumping right back into that Warp Gate,” Alexei said, “This is a recon mission, nothing more nothing less. Promise.”She gave him a critical eye, “You know, every time you’ve ever said that you’re just going to look at something or do a bit of recon you’ve come super close to dying.” “Yeah, but those times I had no idea what I was going into, this time it’s either going to be one of two things, and only one of those two things could actually be dangerous. Pretty good odds if you ask me,” Alexei said with a grin, though he could tell he was only annoying Risa with his banter.
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Grief
Waking up in the morning Alexei realised that, despite everything that was going on, he actually felt pretty good. Not only was the threat of the Demon Lord technically dealt with, he’d also met with the Administrar and had basically engineered a situation where the man would no longer be able to send people after him. All things said and done, that was two of his major problems dealt with already, even if he did still plan to get his revenge on the Administrar in one way or another. The man couldn’t be allowed to continue in his post, not after he had sacrificed so many Initiates to the Shade Front for no good reason. When everything had concluded and everyone was safe, Alexei intended to go to the Royal Household and speak to the Emperor, perhaps he would listen to reason, if Alexei could get an audience with the man of course. Alexei pulled himself out of bed, wrapped a towel around his waist, and walked off to the shower room. He shivered as the cold water streamed onto his
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
One Last Stew
“So, let me get this straight,” Lyla said, “You’re going all the way to the front to maybe take on a massive Shade Army that you have no hope of actually fighting against just in case they’ve gone wild now that the Demon Lord is actually properly dead.” It was a pretty succinct way of explaining the situation, but Alexei was glad that Lyla had grasped the broad strokes of what was going on. “Yeah, pretty much,” Alexei shrugged, “Though I have a feeling that it’s not going to be nearly as bad as you’ve just made it sound. In fact, I think it’s going to be a wasted trip, but a necessary one just in case.” “A wasted trip?” Lyla asked. “Well, after first meeting the Demon Lord and being given a sliver of his powers I’ve always been able to sort of… you know, sense them,” Alexei said, “Just as a kind of dark fuzz off to the eastern border. Can’t feel that anymore.” “What, as in they’re just gone?” “That’s what it feels like, yeah,” Alexei said, “It feels like the Demon Lord had one l
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Lyla
While Alexei had made it seem as if he were going to be running off to the front lines as fast as he could, there was one thing that he needed to take care of before he left Alandria again. He was sure that if he left the city without at least swinging by The Trout’s Gills at least once then Lyla would have probably ripped his head off with her inhuman beastkin strength. Once again Alexei was struck by a distinct sense of de ja vu. The day had receded into night, with the final glimmers of the twilight sun just about peaking over the very top of the mountain. It was dark, and the streets of Alandria had drawn to a near-empty silence. The only thing that guided his way was the lamplight from the many torches that hung off of the sides of various buildings. The water lapped at the underside of boats and barges alike, and he knew that somewhere deep down under the water there was the body of the very first assassin that he had dealt with, now likely stripped of flesh to the bone by
