The wash of heat rolled over me as another wave of Fireballs hit what remained of the southern wall. While the craftsmanship had looked questionable, the wall had surprisingly withstood the Empusa's barrage of magical fire so far. Only three of the Demoness's remained of the five, with eight of the Goblins. 

After their initial rush, which we had beaten back, the Monsters had adopted siege tactics to battle us. The Empusa were acting as artillery while the Goblins tried to sneak closer to get into the camp. So far all it had done was end in the deaths of three more Goblins in exchange for two destroyed Skeletal Warriors and my singed robes. 

Ava and my new Familiar, Shadow, were hounding them from behind. So far the two had accounted for a quarter of our enemy's deaths and had pulled four Goblins from the main fight. Since more arrows were currently pelting the Goblins and Empusa from the south, I assumed the four Goblins sent after Ava and Shadow were now dead. "We are at a stalemate, if we attack even with my Minions, the Empusa will destroy them. They cannot get in without suffering overwhelming casualties so they are holding back. Suggestions?" I asked Danicus as I glanced over the wall and watched as one of the Empusa launch a Fireball towards the tree line. 

Danicus grunted as another Fireball exploded near him and he glanced over the wall. "Ava is about to provide a distraction, have your Minions follow my charge. Put your Debuffs on the Empusa when we do and keep them up until they are dead." the Spartan relayed to me and then a barrage of arrows came from the tree line and Shadow managed to snatch a Goblin off its feet and dragged it back towards the tree line kicking and screaming. 

Danicus bolted up and over the makeshift wall, with a thought, my Zombies and remaining Skeletons joined him as I hit each of the Empusa with Death's Touch. They let out shrieks of frustration and launched Fireballs or solid jets of fire towards their oncoming foes. I hit each of my minions with Necrotic Mending, hoping to buy them some additional time to get closer to the Goblins. 

One of the Skeletons went down under two Fireballs, leaving four charging foes to face eight Goblins and three, make that two Empusa as one of them went down due to arrow fire. I hit each of the charging figures with my healing spell one more time before I tagged the two remaining Empusa with Death's Touch again, before launching a barrage of Death Bolts towards the Monsters. 

Two of the Goblins died almost instantly, then Danicus and my three remaining Minions slammed into them adding to the Monsters. Deathground came off cooldown shortly thereafter, so I quickly cast the spell, slowing them down before ducking back behind the wall as one of the surviving Empusa took a shot at me. I downed a Spirit Potion before popping back up but the fight was over for the most part. Only two of the Goblins had survived thus far and they were quickly slaughtered by my Minions as Ava and Shadow joined us. 

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Quest Alert: A Monstrous Problem

Notice: You competed the Secret Quest and tracked down the band of Monsters that have been plaguing the road between Thebes and Athens. These Monsters have been slaughtering isolated settlements of Humans and Humans traveling between Thebes and Athens for weeks. You have received 5,000 Experience, your Reputation with the Brotherhood has increased, your Reputation with Athens and Thebes has increased.

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2 X Level Up!

You have (10) undistributed Attribute Points. You can allocate Attribute Points at any time.

You have (2) undistributed Skill Points. You can allocate Skill Points at any time. 

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I was Level thirteen now, in two more Levels I would unlock four more Skills from my Class Skill Tree. Pestilence was my next spell that could deal damage, it was another Damage over Time spell that lasted thirty seconds at Initiate Level. However Ageing could prove to be more powerful, while the Debuff did no direct damage, it reduced the target's damage output and regeneration rates. For fighting any Bosses or anything powerful, it would be a lifesaver. 

The third Skill was passive but was essential to my survival, Soul Shield. Based on the description of the Skill, any time an enemy died within fifteen feet of me, I would earn a Soul Shard that would absorb up to five percent of any damage for sixty seconds. Now that was a small percentage but the effect would stack three times. Finally, Dark Shield would be the fourth and final skill unlocked, which I could only cast on Minions or Allies, protecting them from damage for fifteen seconds with a thirty-second cooldown. Yet another Skill useful for any Boss fight but the Spirit Cost made me frown. At a hundred-fifty Spirit, for only fifteen seconds of protection on a single ally or minion, it was a steep price. 

I dismissed the information, at this point, it didn't matter. I looked over to see Danicus looting the bodies while Shadow trotted over to me and studied me. "Do you know what they were doing with the cave?" I asked the Demon Dog and it looked over at it.

"Yes, it is one of the many entrances to the Underworld. Be wary and do not enter unless you have a reason for it is a land for the dead and not the living." Shadow replied causing me to arch an eyebrow but then again this was a world of magic even if it was Earth. The Underworld, no matter what portion of the world you investigated, had stories about it. Only the name and who ruled or controlled it changed. 

"What?" Danicus asked, grabbing my attention.

"Shadow says that cave is an entrance to the Underworld. Of all the things I expected it to lead, that was the last thing I would even consider." I told the Spartan earning a frown from him. 

"Can you do a quick scan, see if we are going to have a problem with it?" Danicus asked as Ava joined us. 

"We are clear, no other Monsters are nearby from what I can tell." the Ranger reported as I walked off to study the cave entrance as Danicus told her what Shadow had relayed to me. 

I studied the cave entrance, "Is there any way to collapse it?" I asked Shadow as Danicus finished looting the bodies and my Minions started digging a mass grave. 

"You can, but it is only a temporary solution. Either the entrance will shift somewhere else or eventually, it will be unblocked." The Demon God responded as he sat down next to me. 

"Ok, so it is a one-way trip if we enter the cave and it doesn't matter if we close the entrance at all," I replied absently earning a snort from Shadow.

"No, it's not a one-way trip for either you or me. Because of my nature, I can travel between the two and because you are a Necromancer you can travel there as well, but I would not recommend it.' Shadow advised me causing me to wonder why so I voiced the question immediately and the Demon Dog responded. 'You have potential Derrick, as a Necromancer and the Dead there will sense it. They will want to use it and you to try and come back to the world of the living. Unlike your summoned Minions, there would be no binding magic to keep them in-check there. Until you become more proficient with Necroscience is would be better for you to stay on this side of the river Styx." Shadow explained before yawning. 

I frowned, nothing indicated there was a river here, underground or otherwise. Yet maybe it was the concept more than anything it represented, not the actual river Styx. "I am going to check it out, I won't go too far," I told them before striding off towards the entrance. Surprisingly Shadow hopped up at once and followed me but I felt amusement from the Demon Dog as if he was waiting for me to do something stupid or discover something that would surprise me, yet I kept going. 

I did hear cursing behind me from both Ava and Danicus as I entered the cave which just revealed a darkened cavern. I looked questioning at Shadow and the hound answered my unasked question, "Deeper, that is where the entrance to the Underworld is." the Demon Dog explained and I conjured Mage Light over myself and around the cave entrance revealing a path leading deeper underground.

The light revealed nothing too odd, just a few carvings in the wall that I didn't understand. "It's Goblin Speak, and it describes the local group that discovered this cave and the greatness of Iapetus, the Titan of Death and Punishment. As if the Titan was concerned about the Underworld or his duties beyond how it serves him and his ends." Shadow stated contemptuously as we walked deeper into the cave until we approached another yawning opening but this one was different. Two statues were carved into the rock on either side, one depicting a Demon Dog and the other a figure I had no idea what it was.

Before it was a small stream of water that passed through the rocks on either side of the entrance to the Underworld. "That is a branch of the Styx, it is said it is what creates these entrances wherever it touches the mortal world. To cross it is to enter the Underworld and the land of the dead." Danicus warned me from behind but something told me this place was too important to forget. I quickly pulled up my Interface and panned over to the Wizard Skill Tree and invested one Skill Point into Teleport as a notification appeared as I closed my Interface.

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Skill Name: Teleport
Skill Level: Initiate
Skill Type: Active
Description: Traveling over long distances can be time-consuming, good thing a Wizard has the knowledge to drastically cut down on how to travel between two points. The Teleport Spell can take the Wizard and a small party instantly from one place to another.
Damage: N/A
Effect 1: Can Teleport to any City you have been too. (Current: Athens)
Effect 2: Create up to (4) Teleport Bind Points. (Current: 0/4)
Effect 3: Teleport self and up to (4) others (Minions and Summoned Creatures do not count) to a Bind Point or any city.
AoE: N/A
Range: N/A
Duration: N/A
Cast Time: 5 Seconds
Cost: 250 Spirit
Cooldown: 60 Minutes

Ability Unlocked: Create Teleport Bind Point
Skill Type: Active
Description: The Teleport Bing Point allows a Wizard to use the Teleport spell to travel instantly to any Bind Point he or she creates in the world as long as the Wizard can use magic and spells are not blocked.
Damage: N/A
Restriction: Bind Point must be within a safe location for it to take effect.
Effect 1: Create (1) Teleport Bind Point. 
AoE: N/A
Range: Self
Duration: Indefinite or until Cancelled
Cast Time: 5 Seconds
Cost: 50 Spirit
Cooldown: N/A

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I dismissed the information, while it was a Skill I had planned on unlocking eventually, it was one I had not been planning on getting so soon. I brought up my Interface again and opened up my known Skills and Abilities and used Create Teleport Bind Point causing a slight blue glow to permeate the air around me as I heard a chirp in my ear. I assumed it was successful but I quickly brought up the Teleport Skill and it showed I could travel to either Athens or one other place currently. 

"Derrick! Over here, come and harvest this." I looked over at Shadow to see him sniffing and digging at a rock that had flakes of a black and grey substance on it as I focused on it a prompt appeared [Stygian Iron Node]. 

"Ahh, what is so special about Stygian Iron?" I asked aloud causing Danicus to flinch slightly as he studied what Shadow was doing more closely.

"It is a tightly controlled substance in our world, only Titans and their spawn are allowed to have it. If they find any Humans with it, it's an automatic death sentence for the Human, their family, and anyone they care about. Yet it is rare to find it outside the Underworld and if found outside it, it can only be found in places like this. I will harvest it for you, but I would be wary of using it." Danicus stated as he pulled a pickaxe out of his inventory and Shadow moved immediately out of the warrior's way.

"I know someone that can smelt it and craft either armor or weapons out of the ore.' Shadow told me and I scoffed but the Demon Dog growled at me. 'I am not lying Derrick, I know a Sveltaflor that resides here in Greece. He is a master Blacksmith and knows how to be discrete." Shadow informed me as a Quest notification appeared. 

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Quest Alert: A Master's Touch

Description: Your Familiar, Shadow, knows a Sveltaflor that resides within Greece that can both smelt and craft with Stygian Ore. This ore is tightly controlled by the Titans and if you are found with some, you will be killed on sight. Yet this ore can provide you with an edge against any conflict. Travel to the island of Kephallonia and seek out the Dwarf Sturgis Grimfist to craft either armor or a weapon. Know this, if the Master Smith agrees to craft anything, he will not do it for free and will ask for either gold or a task in return.

Quest Class: Personal

Quest Difficulty: Easy

Success: Travel to the island of Kephallonia and make an agreement with the Dwarf Sturgis Grimfist to create either armor or a weapon.

Failure: Lose the Stygian Ore or do not convince Sturgis Grimfist to craft anything for you.

Rewards: Unknown

Accept? Yes or no

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I looked over at Danicus, "Feel like taking a boat ride?" I asked him as I accepted the Quest.