Meanwhile, in the flying city of Shadow Mages, Thulganthar, one of the nine mighty Shadow Wizards, sat behind her desk and boredly stared out of the window while impatiently tapping on the soft chair handle. 

“Everything according to plan?” She asked as she repositioned her exquisite, long legs.

She was a beautiful human woman. She wore a deep-green dress that tapered to her neck, revealing her relatively small bosom. Aristocratic nose dominated her perfect face with green eyes filled with wisdom. Her full lips pouted a little bit but was soon replaced by a light smirk. 

The elven servant next to her was rattling like a chihuahua. He was tall, lean and almost naked. Just like the woman before him liked it.

“Y… Yes, madam Sia,” he stuttered from fear and excitement, “Lucifer broke through and became the first True Path user. He truly did it… However...” He was nervous to say it and heavily gulped.

“Well?”

“He became an oddity,” the man gulped, his eyes secretly sliding over her body.

“Oddity? Explain,” she knew, but did not care; you could look but not touch. She was no prude like Madam Tia who would punish only for a single dirty glance.

“He is Ethereal, but nothing else.” 

“Heh!” She chuckled, “that means he is a mind parasite… Not completely unheard off, though rare and even expected. Where is he?”

“We still don’t know. Position divination is still acting up. The same happens with Madam Tia’s attempts, according to the spy’s last report.”

“What about the other? Stone, was it?” Her previously bored eyes flickered with interest.

“We…” the servant averted his eyes and paused, searching for the best words that would not result in his untimely demise.

“So?” The woman impatiently asked, her long fingernail tapped on the wooden chair. A light wave of greenish mana exploded from the tap.

“We simply don’t know anything.”

“What do you mean? You have the best tools and divinators at your disposal!” Her green eyes flashed an even brighter colour.

“It’s… There is simply nothing…” He perspired, knowing that a single mistake could kill him. The Madam stared at him, her green eyes bored into his very being and soul. His rattling intensified as a malevolently looking green energy bolt hovered above her wrist.

“Whenever divinators tried to merge with the entity, their heads exploded. Only the best one survived and he is in no condition to speak. He constantly repeats one word; ‘Loud!’, for some reason.”

“Bring him here!”

“Madam, please, reconsider it. He is either catatonic or murderously ins…”

‘Bang!’

The servant’s chest exploded as the green energy bolt hit him. The edges of the wound began to slowly rot away.

“Glup… glaaarp…” The poor servant groaned and slumped on the ground. He was not dead, just in incredible pain.

“Servant!” Madam Sia did not even glance at the twitching servant.

“Yes, mistress?” A new servant, this time an amphibian woman, took the man's place, not even looking at the twitching bloody mess.

“Bring me the surviving divinator!”

“Yes, mistress,” the second servant grabbed the almost dead coworker by the ankle and dragged him outside. Before she closed the doors, she cast a single spell and all of the blood simply disappeared.

“Excellent! Oh, Tia, my sister, you don’t know what you have done… Leaving him alive just for your own amusement. Luci, I am coming for you~!” Her mouth slightly curved up.

☁☁☁☁☁☁

There was another meeting at the headquarters in the Army of the Abyss’s outpost between an annoyed Harkon Boomhammer, a grinning master Therdreag and a disgruntled master Baelgin who had been forced to search for Dafur by his family. His reputation took quite a big hit too when they found out he could be still alive… 

“The goblins are gathering an army,” Harkon frowned at the map before him.

“Again? Do they never learn?” Therdread dismissively asked after he drank from the beer-filled mug.

“It’s different this time. Orcs were sighted in the main camp,” Harkon glanced at the runemaster lounging on the chair before him.

“Hmm, that could be problematic,” Baelgin grimaced. He hated the evolved green beasts.

“Only for you, my friend, only for you… How's the search for Dafur?” Therdreag grinned. He was enjoying this immensely. For every single hour he remained, he was squandering the portal usage fees and rent of his refit laboratory that was of no use to him anymore anyway. When he thought about the broken casket and logs, it spoiled his mood.

“A few tracks here and there. The Druegars were… Well, no need to tell you how they are. The amount of mana crystals they asked in exchange for the information is simply not worth it!” Baelgin grimaced even deeper. He was not enjoying this. He was bleeding cash every single hour. Not only did he have to pay for the passage, he even had to pay rent for a ‘room’ here. The dirty tent was no place for a runemaster like him…

Harkon ignored the two and continued, “the goblins are too numerous and growing more daring by the day. They already almost ate through all the natural fauna and flora. However, somebody taught them about agriculture. The Orcs… how the hell could there be eleven warrior-Orcs? Here, in the first layer? Fourth-tier Monsters… Even I would be slightly perturbed fighting them all at once!”

“So what are we going to do? We could try to collapse the shafts,” Therdreag turned his attention to the muttering general.

“We cannot. A treaty with the pale-skins forbids us,” Harkon dismissed the notion.

“It went through?” Baelgin disgruntled face broke into an incredulous expression.

“Yea… It was after the large collapse three years ago the negotiations began. I think your family was there, master Therdreag, right? Eriv, Dori and Breadbeard if I remember correctly.”

“Yes, general Boomhammer. The savage ghosts pretty much scared them for life. They were even cursed,” Therdreag frowned, his smile gone. His kids… He hoped they were doing fine.

“So why didn’t you announce the success?” Baelgin asked. He knew there had been negotiations, but that it went through… Which Lich agreed?

“Lich Hen’Tai wanted to keep it secret. The others would not take it… well. Anyway, it's forbidden to intentionally collapse the shafts and caverns under a death pen…” 

A soldier ran inside, heavily breathing and interrupted the general, “sir! Sirs! Goblins! They attacked dur patrols!”

“Where?”

“Near the… huf… huf... second mark! And they were accompanied by a… huf... shaman!”

“Goblin shaman? Attacking some patrols? Does not make sense…” Baelgin muttered.

“Naet goblin! Druegar!”

At this, even the still-relaxing Therdreag tensed.

“A druegar… That would explain a lot. Fine! Recover the corpses and pull back patrols! Send scouts! War is coming!” Harkon gave the orders. “Baelgin, from the order of Army of the Abyss, you are hereby conscripted.”

“WHAT?!” Baelgin paled. This was almost a death sentence. Even as 4th-rank and having refined mana… Only 5th-ranks could feel safe on the first level.

“It was a request from your uncle. Something about failing Dafur and smearing family name.”

“This is good! Haha!” Therdreag spluttered his beer.

“As a fourth rank runemaster, you are hereby given a position of captain. Your unit, number,” the general shifted with some papers until he found the letter, “seventy is awaiting you. Dornus bless yar descend!”

Baelgin clenched his jaw, his face hardened. He knew this was all politics… Dafur could go fuck himself for what he cared… 

☁☁☁☁☁☁

It took Stone three long days to ‘heal’, during which a lot of things happened.

First and foremost, the goblin trio died. How? They attempted to kidnap the camp leader who just returned from the hunt for the Ghost, who was by the accident, Stone now. According to Kretin, they wanted to give a sacrifice to Stone. Well, no loss there. Lucifer even shed a tear in happiness as he heard how they died.

That was the second thing. The camp leader returned, fuming as hell itself. The goblin alchemist failed and boy, he failed hard. Shaman-Garza was wounded in battle against the Dwarven patrol and had to return to druegars village to recuperate, taking Dafur with him. Talk about luck. 

When the camp boss returned and saw the scorched mayhem, his ransacked supplies and large groups of goblins missing; it was then, when hell broke loose.

Lucifer was taken by the camp leader and interrogated-cum-tortured. Thankfully, Lucifer was a good actor. With the help of the siblings' memories, he was able to misdirect the goblin leader towards the druegars. A little bit of discord here and there… Though, he kept Jarka out of it. That woman could be useful.

Him and Stone also realized one of the most important things; thanks to the connection between them, they could not move too far from each other, only around 30 metres in radius, otherwise Lucifer’s ‘leash’ would collapse and he would not be able to regenerate his <SuperFlux>, effectively killing him after he consumed his own. The same concept applied to his bodies. 

Also, it appeared that the bodies were starting to degrade. His <SuperFlux>, as it was extremely potent, the bodies were not able to take it. Their cellular structure began to slowly collapse. He would need a new body in a week or so. 

He was able to return back to the tent from the double interrogation, which was in itself a very bizarre experience, and connect back to Stone. He almost died several times. Being tortured once was bad. Twice was worse, but twice and at the same time? Hell…  

The third thing that happened after the interrogation ordeal was that Lucifer had started training with newfound fervour… His proficiencies rapidly rose, especially with the two bodies. The only thing that limited him was Stone’s <Ambient Mana Refinement>.

Before Stone closed the tablets he had admired for the whole three days in silence, he gave them the last glance. Not like Lucifer would know. He did not promise anything! He just said ‘yes’ to shut him up! What a preposterous proposition… Less tablets… 

“Luci! I am done!” Stone proclaimed in a sudden baritone voice. He had enlarged the speaking holes, on Lucifer’s demand. Having ears really put things into perspective. It was no good to laugh every time the pebble spoke.

“Finally…” Lucifer heaved, his mind completely bored. They were limited to only their tent, with Kretin as ‘guard’… However, they were closely watched. Any kind of attempt to run away and the camp chief would know it.

They needed to run away. They had been extremely lucky until now, but sooner or later Stone’s mana leakage would have alerted the goblins. It was a small exudation, but constant and the blight pollution stacked.

“Luci! I want to level up again!” For three days, no experience and no level. When he remembered the mass-level ups from before, he wanted more. Needed. Craved. 

“No.”

“I want to! And you can’t stop me!”

“... You wanna die?” Lucifer was in no mood to play games with the idiot. He was nervous. His instincts were constantly flaring. Something was extremely wrong. He just could not put a finger on what.

That halted Stone in track. He did not want to die. The simplistic boulder was however bored.

“Luciiii… I am booooored. Let’s go hunting! I like hunting! And… where is my storybook?” Stone asked, finally remembering his forgotten storybook in the small cave.

“... miserable… My life is miserable…” Lucifer sighed. Still, he acknowledged that a bored Stone was a recipe for disaster. “Fine! Jarka could help us with this,“ he bent, ignoring the question about the book as he completely forgot about it too. 

“Luciii! I want my storybook!”

“For fucks sake! Gods! Really, help me here! Do something! Or I will…” Lucifer froze in the tracks, his mind reset. “Fine, we will go pick it up later.” He turned to the resting Kretin and kicked him in the ribs, “bring us to Jarka!” Lucifer ordered Kretin after he strapped Stone on his back.

Jarka was in the mess hall with her party. Lucifer could see that when she saw the siblings she frowned.

“Guard-Jarka! How’re ya?” 

“Why do ya have a boulder on yar back?” Scout-Durza asked from behind. He sat next to Jarka and proceeded to fill his stomach with the questionable meat.

At that moment, Lucifer realized something. He did not eat for today.

“Trainin’,” Lucifer shrugged with ex-Dori’s shoulders.

“I’m glad you feel better. We’ll go hunting later again. There’s a large infestation of Myceliars on the below-floors. It penetrates even to the entrance leading to the second layer. The shaman ordered cleanin’ works…”

“Finally! I was gettin’ bored. What happened anyway? I thought I was dreamin’ when I heard those explosions…” Lucifer asked with Eriv’s mouth. He needed to keep the act right. At any cost.

“Nobody knows, but everyone’s talkin’ about The Ghost,” she shrugged.

“Who’s that?”

“It hunts goblins from the third tier and below. Nobody knows who that is, or even how it looks. The goblins’re scared shitless… Hehe!” Scout-Durza explained, grinning. He held no love for the goblins. After all, he had fought them for all his life. He was putting up with this situation only because of his beloved Jarka.

“That’s…”

“Yea, kinda insane. Now, will ya please explain why that rock on yar back leaks mana and is blightin’ the air?” Scout-Durza whispered.

“I… “ Lucifer inwardly facepalmed and both of his bodies sweated. He felt like an utter idiot. “It’s… Ya know I’m blighted… I need something to put the leakin’ mana into… “ he weakly attempted to explain. 

“Yea, I hear ya, brotha. Blights cana have strange effects. If ya survive. But I woulda recommend askin’ Shaman-Ganra to engrave it. The mana crystal in that boulder woulda attract a few daring bastards.”

“Yea, thanks for advice,” Lucifer relaxed. Though he could see doubts there.

“Why don’t you tell them about me?” Stone asked through their link.

“Because I don’t know if we can trust them. We probably cannot. Remember Queen Ant!”

“Oh… You are right. Ask them when we will go for the hunt!”

“So? When’s the hunt?” Lucifer used this opportunity to shift the theme.

“In a few hours.” 

“Fine, I’ll return to the tent and pack up. What about the camp boss? He imprisoned mea and Eriv in the tent.”

Lucifer nodded with Eriv’s head but kept her mouth full of meat. It was already confusing as it was.

“Him? Right now, he’s lucky he’s naet dead. Shaman-Ganra was hurt thanks to him…” Jarka gritted her teeth.

“Guuurp” Lucifer finished his meal with both bodies and asked, “how did that happen?”

“That’s naet matter. He’ll return soon and bind the dwarf… Can’t say I agree.” She frowned.

“Fine, I’ll go now. Will meet ya here in two hours?”

She nodded and turned back to her cold meal.

After two hours, they left to the below-floor accompanied by a group of 25 2nd-tier goblins.

While they were carefully proceeding, they heard intense shouting, echoing in the shafts system. A battle. They picked up the pace and in a few minutes they entered a large cave. In the middle were a line of twenty shouting dwarfs defending against their poisoned and mind-controlled comrades who had pale blue skin and white eyes.

A large Myceliar, looking like an overgrown, 3-metres-tall brown mushroom with a large eye under the cap was observing the battle from behind.

“Mea and Scout-Durza go around to take down the Myceliar. You and the goblins attack the dwarfs!” Jarka ordered and left.

“Stone, could you prepare the fire elemental, please?” Lucifer asked as he observed the unfolding battle from a safe position, hidden behind the dwarven side. 

“No!”

Lucifer blinked a few times. “What do you mean no?”

“He broke a stone! I won’t summon him again!”

“Stone… You…“ And here it was again. The endless frustration with the stubborn idiot. “If you don't summon him, there won’t be levels!”

That put Stone into a conundrum. On one hand, there was a Stone-Breaker, a supreme evil. On the other hand, there were the Level-Ups. 

Stone and Lucifer saw as Jarka and Durza appeared behind the Myceliar and began to attack it. It screeched, pulling half of its mind-controlled army back to itself. It was also the signal.

The goblins cried-out in a battle frenzy as they activated their skills and leapt towards the dwarfs who were so surprised that in the first second two of them died in the ambush.

Stone was still baffled, not knowing what to do. It was a big dilemma for him.

“Master, I have non-explosive spells too,” Gorash sensed his master’s problem.

“Non-explosive?” 

“They will not explode and won’t damage stone around, only meatbags.”

“Why didn't you say it before?!” Stone was a bit angry. However, the problem was solved and agreed. Still, he did not like the fire elemental. Once a Stone-Breaker, forever a Stone-Breaker.

“You didn’t ask, master.” The elemental cheekily responded.

Stone mentally frowned. 

<You have tagged 45 beings. Challenge accepted!>

A purple spark flew out of Stone’s body. Stone pumped a whopping 500 mana into him. A large, purple cloud of fire streamed from Gorash as he conjured a spell <Fiery Rain Of Death>. He was proud of his naming sense.

The cloud moved towards the lines and drops of the fire began to land on everything in the area.

The dwarfs were already exhausted and lacked mana to conjure shields. They began to scream as they caught up in fire alongside the 2nd-tier goblins who were not fast enough. The blue-skinned dwarfs did not even notice and continued to attack the dwarfs.

Lucifer relaxed and sat back with both bodies, grinning from ear to ear. 

The cloud grew smaller and smaller as the drops of purple fire ignited everything in sight.

Soon everything was reduced to ashes. The few barely surviving dwarves were quickly disposed of by Stone’s <Mana Missile> spell one after another.

<Challenge cleared!>
<Stone gained 740.82% experience>

<7 times>

Yet again, the not-so-little-anymore boulder was drowned in the amazing feeling as he grew up.

‘Oooooom. I am Stone. I am the level up. I am amazing. I am Mantra. Ooooom.’ 

He sensed something. Something was… different this time. It felt like he was seeing something blurry in the distance. He wanted to grasp it. He could not. The amazing feeling receded.

Stone woke up, feeling a sense of loss. Unfulfillment. It was not craving like before. It was as if something slipped from his mind. Something important.

His instinct told him what he needed. More levels. Much, much more.

Meanwhile, Lucifer calmly observed as Jarka and Scout-Durza finally slew the Myceliar. Durza suffered a small wound on his shoulder as the Myceliar was able to conjure a <Ooze Poison Spear> from its ‘blood’ in its last moments and broke through his armour.

The goblins and dwarfs were all reduced to ashes. The blue-skin dwarfs collapsed the moment Myceliar died.

“New skill?” Jarka asked, holding blood-coughing Durza over her broad shoulder.

“Yea, after I levelled up I had enough mana… The goblins were caught into it though. Do ya mind?” Lucifer asked through Dori’s mouth. He had assigned the male as a spokesperson.

“Mea? Nae… Camp leader? He’ll lose his shit… Again,” she grinned.

“Ya dinna have an antidote?” ‘Eriv’ asked.

“I have, but it donna work. We need the alchemist,” she frowned. “It’s strange. The antidote shoulda have worked. It used a new type of poison and I woulda bet it was artificial.”

“And?” Lucifer asked.

“Well… Only Undead can do somethin’ like this here.”

Lucifer stumbled with both bodies. Undead, also called Paleskins. He did not hold any good memories from the time he was a Partner. However, he had to find Lich Hen’Tai. He shuddered.

“Yea, mae reaction too,” Jarka misunderstood, “and now, that we’re alone here in the middle of nothin’ and nobody can hear us,” she dropped her act and drew her double-edged axe, “who THE FUCK ARE YA?!” She yelled as the blood poured from her pores and turned to a mist.

“Luci?” Stone sensed the danger and conjured a deep-blue, 45-RM <Mana Missile>. It hovered between stumped Jarka and facepalming Lucifer’s male body. Eriv’s body shifted behind Jarka and a purple <Flux Missile> hovered behind Jarka’s head. 

“Calm! I can save this!”

“Ya’re naet Dori, nor Eriv. Flux… and refined mana,” she observed the spells. “Spells. Dwarfs cannot use spells…” Her head was spinning. She did not expect this. Maybe some shapeshifted Myceliar or a possession attempting to infiltrate. But this?

“Weeell… It’s kinda a long story,” Lucifer smiled, trying to avoid battling her. They would be able to take her, however, he still needed these bodies to survive. And he really did not want to discover what would happen if his bodies were destroyed. They were too squishy to take on the experienced, powerful druegar.

“First, Eriv and Dori?” Jarka asked, her hand tightened around her axe as the bloody mist coiled around her, threatening to burst out on the first hint of aggression.

“Dead as they can be.”

“Explain.”

“They were blighted. Of course they died…”

“I thought Dafur helped them.”

“He tried, but failed.”

“That donna explain who’re ya. Ye. Flux and refined mana. I guess Eriv is possessed by the second one,” another misunderstanding on Jarka’s part.

“Wrong. I am in both bodies. The second one… Look, it’s a long story and I’m no threat to you. Look,” Lucifer depowered his spell and stood with his both bodies before her.

“No experience?” Stone asked, disappointed.

Lucifer pinched his nose, frustrated.

“No, Stone. No experience. We need allies and she will listen.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because she could have killed us a long time ago. She is lost and is searching for... something.”

“What does that mean?”

“So? Will ya explain or we fight?” Jarka interrupted them as her blood mist surged again as she readied herself.

“Calm yourself. You may be strong for the first layer, but we are stronger,” Lucifer bluffed.

“We are?” Stone ego inflated. He knew he was amazing!

“It’s called bluffing,” Lucifer explained.

Stone ignored him. He was amazing!

“Yea? I would like to see that! Durza!” She yelled and the druegar leapt up and in each hand he had crossbows, lock and loaded on both Lucifer’s bodies.

“Luci? Should I…?”

“No! Fuck!” Lucifer did not see this coming. He had been played and he was played good. “Look, I will explain. Just listen.”

The blood mist faded a bit. However, Durza’s hands were steady.

“Talk!”

“Well, my name is Lucifer,” he began to explain himself, his story and the terrible twist of fate that had led him here. Of course, all of that was complete bullshit. He wasn't a trapped 6th-rank hero. He hadn’t fought Undead menace long ago. And he definitely did not kill a Lich in a tragic battle and get cursed in the last moments of his opponents.

Well, it could be the truth for all he knew but something was telling him it really was not.

“That does not explain the refined mana and how you found these two,” she frowned as a spark of desperation appeared in her eyes.

“Well… It’s a soulbound artefact,” Lucifer showed Stone. And at that moment she dropped her axe and gaped at the artefact. She saw that stone in her dreams for the past few days. She always turned to Siran and massacred the camp, but was stopped by this… this… 

“Jarka! Are ya fine?” Durza’s hand quivered, his focus broken.

She heaved and picked up her axe. Her blood mist turned back to her body and she put her weapon back on her back. “Yea, I’m.”

Now it was Lucifer who frowned. “Something happened?” He asked.

“Naet, it’s good. However, I know for sure this pebble’s naet an artefact.”

Lucifer flinched. Did he fail? How? How could she know that?

“Luci, we should kill them,” Stone said, a new <Mana Missile> hovered around them.

“No! Don’t!” Lucifer yelled.

“But why?” Stone asked. Loudly. His baritone voice echoed in the cavern.

“What was that?!” Durza and Jarka searched the surroundings for the source of the voice.

“Well, shit…” Lucifer felt tired. Maybe this was a mistake. However, he needed them. He needed allies and servants. The sense of wrongness from before did not abandon him. His instincts were yelling at him that something was coming.

“What! Was! That!” Durza yelled, spooked and his two crossbows again aimed at Lucifer.

“Stone, introduce yourself,” Lucifer sighed. 

“Hello! I am Stone!” The two dwarfs turned to the perfectly ellipsoidal, smooth white mineral. They blinked. Stone did not blink back. He did not have eyes, nor lids for that kind of expression. They blinked again and Stone did not blink back again too.

“Did… did that boulder say something?” Jarka turned to Lucifer’s female body.

“Yes! And don’t ignore me! I am here!” Stone cast a blueish wall and slapped her.

She gaped and so did Durza.

“What’s that?” Jarka gathered herself first, her face still stinging from the unfiltered refined mana.

Lucifer looked at them and began to madly laugh; “Hehehahahehahahea~!”

“I am Stone! And you are my minions, meatbags!” That stopped Lucifer. He wanted to say something, but was stopped by Stone’s mental command. A dread enveloped the Devilish Sorcerer.

Jarka and Durza were vigilant. The refined mana <Mana Missile> floating before them was indisputable. The pebble was the strangest Monster they ever met, but it was a Monster nonetheless and a strong one to boot. It even leaked mana, poisoning the air around it.

“I’m nobody’s minion… Stone,” Scout-Durza said, his finger quivering on the triggers. The crossbows were now aiming directly at Stone, who fearlessly sat on the ground.

“Can you, please, calm down? Stone! Drop it! They are different from goblins! And Scout-Durza, please, he is just young and he knows barely anything…” Lucifer pacified the volatile situation.

Stone was carefully observing them. He did not know much else than what Lucifer had taught him and felt confused. Should he kill them? Should he not? These questions were something that a Monster would never ask, should never ask, but he did not know that… For Stone was no Monster… Stone was Stone

“Eri… Lucifer,” Jarka corrected herself. She was still stumped. For her, this was… simply insane. Surreal as it can get.

“Yes?”

“Do ya control this Monster?” Jarka could not take her eyes off the Stone.

“No… I’m… subordinate…” Lucifer hissed through his gritted teeth, compelled by the <Subordinate> mark he learned to hate the moment he saw the description.

“How can ya be a servant?” Jarka asked, and even more questions entered her mind. Now, she felt like Lucifer did not tell her the truth.

“Because Luci is my friend! If you hurt him I will hurt you!” Stone proclaimed. Lucifer was touched by this declaration. Almost.

“Ya dinna tell me the truth before. I smell a big story here. And you will tell me about it on our way back to camp. Then I’ll decide if I tell the shaman,” Jarka said and Lucifer nodded in agreement. Not like he had a choice.

They were suddenly interrupted by a bolt grazing ex-Eriv’s face.

“THEY’RE HERE!” Echoed in the cavern. They rapidly turned and saw a dozen f angry, filthy and fully armoured dwarfs charging at them.

“Stone-Breakers!” Was the only response they heard before a barrage of bluish and purplish missiles reduced their numbers to a half. Stone knew Stone-Breakers. The Dwarfs. Stone’s menace.

☁☁☁☁☁☁

Encyclopaedia Stonia

Race: Myceliars
Fungus-based lifeforms. They are born directly on the 3rd-tier and their upper limit is not known. It’s said that on the third layer of Abyss are even 6th-tier Myceliars. Their natural habitats are in damp and shaded locations, primarily underground and in ancient forests.

Proficient ambushers using strong acids, poisons, fumes, pollen and of course, magic.

This race of Monsters is often protected by the Elven race, including Drows and are generally hated by every other race.

There is an old legend that the Myceliars were actually not a true race, created by Gods and Prime gods. It's said, they were created by an extremely powerful wizard during a failed experiment and due to their nature, they proliferated extremely quickly.

Their power is not to be underestimated. They are strong against close-combat warriors. Their poisons are varied and it is recommended to have a high level of poison resistance, stocked with antidotes and having at least two priests in the party.

Race: Elementals
Denizens of Elemental Planes where no living being has access, bar a few exemptions. Elementals are masters of their respective elements and have the path laid before them from birth. It is not possible to change Elemental’s nature. 

They are volatile, devilish and quite non-caring about the life of mere mortals as they have almost endless life. They are also bored to hell thanks to that. 

There are extremely few ‘lucky’ summoners, able to use their power in exchange for ‘food’ (mana, flux, etc…). The more powerful elemental, the more quality ‘food’ it requires.

Plenty of elementals travel to Prime Material Plane for shit and giggles, often choosing some poor victim to use him, or her, as a free ride. They have a little fun, consuming as much Prime Mana as they can and return home.

Inexperienced, stupid and careless Elementals may meet powerful beings who forces them into contracts. Gene-Locked contracts are very famous in the Elemental Planes and taken as a plague, associating with a Gene-Locked Elemental is frowned upon and may incur punishment in some elemental circles.