Runeblade

Kaius descended the wide blocky stairs that lead deeper into the mausoleum that had laid at the centre of the glade. Each step was just a little too tall, a little too wide, to walk down comfortably. Their faces were carved in deep reliefs. Yet more scenes of death and slaughter like those that were engraved on the exterior wall.

Kaius itched to race down the stairs. The rewards that each Champion protected were another potential edge he would have in his inevitable confrontation with the Guardian. Plus, they pushed him. His fights with the bear and the Butcher had been some of the best he had ever had. Both in terms of skill growth, and in how it made his heart race. He could already feel his blood heating up at the thought of what lay at the bottom of this macabre descent into the earth.

Porkchop padded alongside him, huffing as he eyed the endless rows of coffins recessed into the walls. Stacking high up to the ceiling.

"This feels wrong." The words coloured with discomfort as they flowed across his connection with his friend.

"Yeah." Kaius kept walking down the stairs, trying to make out what he could beyond the limited range of his Low Light Vision. "I don't like it either. Whole place gives me the creeps."

"No." Porkchop shook his head, having started to pick up on Kaius's body language. "Not the building. The bodies. Shouldn't be kept from the earth."

"Oh?" Kaius looked over to Porkchop. "We mostly do that, only the rich are buried in something like this. You do know those stones outside had bodies buried under them, right?" Or at least they would if the Depths had put them there. He didn't know how deep the recreation of environments went.

Porkchop's ears flicked back, stopping dead on the stairs.

"Outside was a field of the dead?!" Porkchop asked, mortification spilling across their link.

Kaius couldn't help but snort at Porkchop's surprise. It broke his tension, distracting him from his rising anticipation. He could tell from their link that Porkchop was more creeped out than offended.

"Why didn't you tell me!" Porkchop yelled, embarrassed as he ran after him.

"I thought it was obvious! There were bloody walking corpses everywhere!" Kaius said back with a disbelieving shake of his head. He honestly forgot that Porkchop was a greater beast sometimes. That he didn't have the cultural knowledge he often took for granted.

"Wait. If those stones are where bodies are, then what about where we were wrestling? At the church?" Porkchop eyed him accusatory.

"I thought you knew!" Kaius threw his hands up in defeat. "Come on. It's not my fault this biome is creepy. We have a Champion to fight." Kaius picked up his pace.

Porkchop grunted. "It's still wrong!" he said, following after Kaius.

…

They reached the bottom of the stairs. A massive iron door barred their passage further into the catacombs. On its front face, a raised engraving of a man being sacrificed on an altar. A cloaked figure loomed over the man, a withered hand plunging deep into his chest.

Stopping in front of the door, Kaius inspected the engraving before slipping down to take in the heavy bar that held the door shut.

"Alright," Kaius turned to Porkchop. "We need a plan. I'm confident that whatever we find in there we'll be able to handle, but strolling in like we're going to the spring fair is just stupid."

He wanted to just throw open the door and hurl a challenge at the beast that no doubt waited within. But, Bloodsong or no, he wasn't going to be reckless.

"I'm thinking that I should put the pressure on whatever is in there, try to hold its attention." Kaius explained. "I'm a bit more mobile than you, and with a sword I can actually parry and block without getting cut up."

"I'll try to flank?" Porkchop asked enthusiastically, clearly getting excited for the battle ahead.

He gave Porkchop one sharp nod. "What of your Crystal Manipulation? You've mentioned you have it, but I haven't seen you use it?"

"Maybe." Porkchop tilted his head. "Raw manipulation is slow, especially at a low level and without other skills to support it. Claws are usually better. If you distract them well enough it might work if a physical assault wont work."

Kaius nodded again, chest expanding as he took a slow breath to ready himself for what was to come. Even if he did find clashing blades invigorating, nobody could completely get rid of all of their pre-battle jitters.

It was a little…loose to be truly considered a plan, but at the very least it gave them clearly defined roles. Without knowing what they would face, it wasn't as if they could strategize in depth.

With a grunt, Kaius hauled the lockbar off the door, tossing it to the side to clatter to the ground. He dug in, yanking on the heavy iron gate that slowly creaked open. The open portal revealed a room too far for his Low Light Vision to pierce completely.

Kaius stepped through, Porkchop close behind.

Embedded sconces on the wall flashed to light, highlighting the room in a soft orange light. Skill or no, after so long in the dark the illumination was blinding. Kaius threw his hands up, shading his eyes. He heard Porkchop growling in frustration next to him. He must have been similarly affected.

Eyes adjusting quickly, Kaius returned his hand back to his blade and took his first good look at the room.

Wide and high ceilinged, it was easily large enough that it must have stretched under a good chunk of the graveyard above. A raised plinth dominated its centre, a large golden sarcophagus glimmered in the firelight on its top. Otherwise, the space was completely empty.

It was where the Champion would be, it had to.

"Let's go." Kaius gestured to Porkchop, directing him to circle around. They spread out, slowly approaching the grave. As he drew near, Kaius could make out that the sarcophagus was clearly fashioned after the creature that had been set into the doors to the chamber.

A heavy grind sound started to emanate from the coffin.

"Shit." Kaius started to run.

The lid of the sarcophagus slid open, defying gravity as it inched its way out over open air. A figure rose out of its confines. Flat as a board, the black garbed undead floated straight up. Kaius kept running, flicking off an Inspect.

Tomblord Xerx - Level ?:

???, ???, ???

Definitely the Champion.

To his left, Kaius saw Porkchop sprinting. Trying to circle around the raising figure.

After it had reached a few long-strides in height, the Tomblord snapped upright - still stiff, with its hands crossed over its chest. Decrepit eyelids opened to reveal empty orbits.

They ignited in a green balefire a moment later.

Kaius's skin prickled under its gaze.

**Ding! You have challenged a Champion: Tomblord Xerx **

Kaius watched Xerx slide through the air faster than he could run, darting away from both him and Porkchop. The undead's body stayed ridgid, only tilting slightly in the direction it moved.

It stopped, halfway across the room. One gnarled hand snapped out from its chest. Hovering unmoving, a ghastly green light started to grow in intensity in the palm of its hand. It was a caster.

He had nothing to deflect magic.

"Porkchop!" He screamed to his friend, still sprinting towards the Tomblord. "Magic! You try to get its attention!"

Porkchop roared, the sound biting deep into Kaius's ears as his friend redoubled his pace. Charging the undead.

Green grew in intensity. They were almost there.

A green shard appeared, rocketing away from the Tomblord to lance towards Kaius. Far faster than he expected.

"Shit!" He thought, throwing himself to the side. The bolt clipped his shoulder, sizzling his leathers and eating its way into the flesh below. Kaius let out a ragged cry. He could feel his flesh roil and twist. The strange magics grabbing on to him, expending themselves to morph his flesh. Pain screamed out from the site of the wound as skin and fat began to break down.

Rapid Adaptation reacted, flooding the wound with questing vigour, the skill tasting the flavour of the new mana he had been exposed to.

He hit the ground roughly, looking up to see the Tomblord glide away from the rapidly approaching form of Porkchop. Reaching the other side of the room, the undead floated higher.

Firmly out of both of their reach.

Stopping fast, its hand snapped out towards Porkchop, glowing green once more. It was channelling again.

Kaius's stomach sank. If they couldn't even hit it, how were they supposed to win? They needed to flee.

"We need to run!" Kaius pushed himself to his feet. "There's nothing we can do!"

Porkchop roared a challenge at the undead, standing his ground.

"No! Crystal can do it! Original plan!" Fury burned over the link.

"Fuck! Fine!" He sprinted towards the undead. "Look here, you gangrenous bastard!" He yelled, trying to grab the Champion's attention.

Kaius ripped his hunting knife from his belt, sending it hurling end over end towards the Tomblord. It hit home with a thunk, sinking deep into its stomach with a trickle of black blood.

The Tomblord's aim snapped to him, another bolt of vomitous green lacing towards him. Kaius didn't try to block or parry. While some blades had enchantments to interact directly with raw magic, his did not. He dove, rolling across the ground, wincing as his injured shoulder flared in pain.

**Ding! Rapid Adaptation has added a new Resistance: Corruption!**

**Ding! Rapid Adaption has reached level 16!**

Seeing the notification Kaius felt a flood of relief. At the very least he now had some defence against the Tomblords hostile magics. At his feet once more, Kaius held his blade at the ready, staring at the floating undead.

It had returned its hand to its chest, staring at him with unvarnished hatred as one lip curled back to reveal blackened teeth.

Out of the corner of his eye Kaius spied Porkchop doing … something. He had hunkered down, some sort of glittering dust wafting up from the ground around him.

Kaius didn't have time to think about it more. The Tomblord thrust its arm out. This time the acid green energy in its palm seemed to spin, growing larger and larger by the second. He held his ground. Pushing the offensive now would do nothing to help him.

More space meant more time to react.

The ball of light grew and grew, until it was twice the size of the undead's head. With a crackle and a blinding flash of light the orb condensed. With a snap it erupted into a glistening shard that seemed to bend the light that passed over it. More than thrice the size of the previous incantation, the spear of corrupting energy hummed with an ominous buzz.

Watching Tomblord Xerx tighten their grip on their new spear, Kaius adjusted his grip on his sword. Ready to leap to safety at the first sign of the new spell being launched at him.

Xerx swished its spear in a flourish. And. Moved.

The undead shot straight for him. Kaius shifted his grip on his sword, bringing it up high over his head.

Strafing past him, the undead mage scythed at him with its spell, leaving trails of sparking energy in its wake. He shifted his footing, pivoting to track the Tomblord as it passed. The spike-like point of the spell burned him with aura alone as it sailed closely past his chest.

Kaius grit his teeth against the violation of feeling his skin morph against his will. Rapid Adaptation reduced some of its influence, but it was nowhere near able to negate it entirely.

He cut. Enchanted steel cut cleanly through the flowing tail of the Champion's robe, but only managed to scrape the edge of its hip.

Xerx stopped fast, spinning in place to rush towards him again. The energy spear flashed through the air. Kaius ducked under the blow, spinning to keep his eyes on his opponent. Past the floating form of the mage, he could see the cloud of shining dust above Porkchop had grown.

Three times bigger than the meles himself, the glistening fog swirled above him. A moment later the particles stopped, hanging mid air. They started to drift inwards. Condensing. Nucleating.

"Just a bit more!" His friend's tone was strained.

Kaius grit his teeth, committing himself to his path. He jumped inwards, assaulting the Tomblord with a slash. Dancing away through the air, Xerx retaliate by sending its energy spear streaking towards him. Trails of light tracing its path.

Kaius blanched. He threw himself back, trying to avoid the spell. It hit the ground in front of him and detonated. Mutagenic energy erupted from the impact point, washing over his front.

Kaius screamed. Foul sorcery clawed at him, sinking its teeth in to shift and change the outer layers of his flesh against his will. Boils erupted with fervour, popping to morph into sores. Only for another growth to occur a moment later.

He snapped his jaw shut, feeling his teeth crack as he forced himself to open his eyes. Rapid Adaptation flooded his system, fighting the corruption even as it cordoned off his agony. And his fear. The first resistances, the first skills, he had ever gained.

Pain wouldn't stop him.

Neither would the Tomblord. The damage from the spell was minor. The way it tore at him was excruciating, but only skin deep. His Health was already burning to fix the damage.

He could still fight.

**Ding! Rapid Adaption has reached level 17!**

He locked his gaze on Xerx and felt hate. The mage hovered there, staring at him a few paces away, staring contemptuously. He dashed in. Sword flashing over and over. The undead glided around the strikes. Retaliating with casual swipes of his claw-like nails, gossamer threads of green trails behind.

Forcing him into a frantic waltz of sword and sorcery.

**Ding! Adamant Body has reached level 5!**

Risking a glance towards his friend, Kaius looked past the Champion to see if Porkchop was ready. It was far past the point where they should put this corpse back where it belonged. Porkchop locked eyes with him, expression focused. Over his head a shard of clear crystal the size of Kaius's leg span. Faster and faster. So quick it's jagged edges seemed to melt together.

"Ready!"

Kaius pushed the Tomblord, unable to pin it down with his blade.

Suddenly it darted back, surging across the room to create distance. For the fourth time it stopped fast, unmoving. Another pool of green began to spark in its palm. It was channelling. It couldn't move while it was channelling!

"Now, Porkchop!" Kaius was already sprinting for the undead, blade held at the ready.

Porkchop roared in victory. There was a crack.

A glistening blur shot across the room.

Shards erupted from the far stone wall, crystal and masonry both.

The Tomblord dropped, the lower half of its body falling in a different direction from its torso.

Organs hit the ground with a splash.

Kaius arrived.

Tomblord Xerx lost their head.

**Ding! You have slain a Champion: Tomblord Xerx - level 23 Vile Corruptor! **

Kaius threw his head back and let out a yell of victorious agony. Declaring himself the victor as Porkchops of deafening roar joining his own.

Panting as the thrill of the fight slowly left him, Kaius winced as he felt his skin roiling as his Health restored the damage he had taken from the casters spell.

Rapid thumps against stone slammed into the ground behind him. Kaius quickly sheathed his blade and turned, yelping in surprise as Porkchop bowled him over in a rush of furry enthusiasm.

"Kaius! You okay?!" Porkchop licked at his face.

"Yep!" Kaius scrunched his face, trying to push Porkchop's bulk off him. "Stop that! We have loot to grab!"

Porkchop hopped off him, backing up with a cocked head.

"Loot?"

"Yeah, loot." He said with a grin, hauling himself up. He stalked over to the centre of the room, eyeing the golden sarcophagus that lay open with undisguised avariciousness.

"Let's go see what we got."