Once my vision cleared, I saw before me the once familiar scene of the canyon. This canyon taught me a lot like never underestimate your opponent and destroy your enemies with overwhelming force. Too bad I wasted a level 6 spell I will have to spend another couple of hours preparing that one. I could just make one of my mana spells stronger by infusing it with a bit of arcane mana. The only drawback is that it guzzles down my mana really quick after I cast it.  

“Screw it I am going to pump about 90 percent of my mana in this spell. Those stupid goblins will wish they never messed with me.”  

After a bit of walking, I am finally in front of the fort. After a quick reconnaissance, I finally decide on the best way to do this. To be as mana efficient as possible, I start off with a long drawn out incantation. Long incantations have more detail put into a spell and because of this detail the mana doesn’t have to guess what the caster wants so less is used up. As far as I know, I invented the long cast or as I like to call it, ritual casting. The purpose me doing a ritual cast is so I can save that much mana so when I inject arcane mana, I can inject more of it before hitting my 90 percent threshold.  

After about 20 minutes of chanting and injecting arcane mana, my spell is ready. I open my eyes and point my stretched-out palms toward the goblin fort. A think oozing purple mist flowed out from in front of me slowly creeping towards my target. Five minutes later the cries and screams of goblins could be heard. It was like music to my ears, just hearing their cries made me smile. Did I want revenge that bad?  

20 minutes later the screams finally died down and my spell was cut off. I felt slightly dizzy and a bit nauseous but I was good. I decided to wait for the fog to dissipate so I sat down and had a quick snack hoping to replenish some of my mana.it took about another five minutes for the fog to disappear but as I walked through the fort, I knew it was worth it.  

Strewn about where the half-melted corpses of goblins. The spell I used was a pseudo curse. The fog contained a paralytic poison that paralyzed the muscles, mainly just the arms and legs. The fog also contained a slow-acting acid that ate away at biological materials. Knowing what they suffered in my head I couldn’t help but give a slight chuckle.  

After I poked around the fort for a bit looking for anything of use. I realized that the fort was like a tutorial test. It contained all of the elements of the previous floors. So, I was right the beginning floors were a tutorial.  

Once I was done, I found the stairs to the next floor. Staring down at them filled me with a sense of wonder as well as a bit of fear.  

“Well. Let games begin.”  

.  

.  

.  

The seventh floor had a creepy crypt vibe to it...no that not right. It definitely was a creepy crypt. There were coffins and corpses in the wall.  

“Ok. So uh, creepy crypt...check. Spear...maybe. Might need something with more choppy and less stabby.”  

Just as I had thought the floor was filled with undead. My light magic was pretty useful, especially my lasers. However, it put quite a drain on my mana so I didn’t use them much. I did, however, find the using my spear as a staff, I could kill the skeletons quite easily. The zombies were a bit harder. I was doing decent at just stabbing them in the head but I had to resort to some fire magic to kill them. The only major problem I had was trying to use the spear as a staff in some of the narrower corridors. I also found that my bow was fairly useless. I mean it could kill the zombies with headshots but I was fighting skeletons most of the time. I did get a rusty scimitar or was it a falchion. I wasn’t too sure but it was decent against the undead so I started to use that.  

The floor had a few traps like spiky floors and pitfalls. I soon learned that they were my best methods of killing the undead. That was how my time with this floor went, parry, slash, decapitation, as well as luring into traps. I found a decent-sized shield on a skeleton and I would use that hold a zombie or skeleton back while I either pierced or cut off the head. Thinking about it now I suppose I would have done all right in a zombie apocalypse.  

Several hours later I came to what looked like a cathedral. I saw red-carpeted stairs descending downwards. However, in the middle of the room sat a lone coffin.  

[That doesn’t look good. Is there some kind of lich in there?]  

Preparing for the worst I drink a concoction I made that give a boost to the body's natural mana absorption rate. I also set my knife to be easily drawn downwards from my chest. I had my spear attached to my quiver in case I needed it. I readied my sword and shield and stepped into the room.  

I cautiously circled the coffin ready for an ambush. After a few times nothing happened, I started my way to the stairs. Once I got close a barrier activated, covering the stairs. Startled I turn around towards the coffin and raise my shield with my sword drawn and resting on the top of the shield.  

After a moment of silence, the top of the coffin slowly slides off. A pale white hand grasps the edge and is soon followed by a woman in a red dress. Leaving the coffin, she gives a loud yawn and stretches. She had platinum blond hair and crimson eyes. She looked to be about 25 but that probably wasn’t her age. She wore a long formfitting dress with a slit going down one side and had a fur of some kind wrapped around her neck. As if finally realizing my presence, she spoke to me.  

“It's been so long since my last meal and a pretty one such as yourself shows up. Shame about those scars though.”  

“I don’t suppose you will just let me pass to the next floor, would you?”  

She gave a loud laugh with tears coming out of her eyes. “No. Of course not. My dinner finally shows up and it wants to leave, I don’t think so.”  

In a flash, she appeared before me and swipes at me with her claws. Using my shield, I take the impact, but it sends me flying into the wall behind me. Coughing up some blood and trying to pump air back into my lungs I manage to stand up. Looking down at my shield I realized it is done for. I also see my arm is starting to bruise.  

“Damn. Just from one hit.”  

I throw the piece of scrap metal attached to my arm to the floor and ready my sword.  

“OH my! How impressive. You were actually able to get up. Though I know it hurt you quite a bit, I can smell the blood. You warrior types are always the same.”  

She disappears again but this time I was expecting it. Seeing her move I activate shadowstep and appear on the opposite side of the room. Reaching her destination, she is shocked to find her attack is met with air. She starts looking around with confusion on her face before seeing me behind her.  

“You...What did you do? I didn’t see you move and I didn’t detect any spatial magic.”  

“Can’t have a girl reveal all her secrets, right? I will tell you this though. You made an error calling me a warrior type.”  

Looking at her confusion, I throw away my rusty sword. Using light magic, I create a blade of light that extends from my forearm. I can't use this for long because of the drain. On the plus side, because of the potion, I drank once I deactivate this spell my mana will charge up quickly.  

Activating shadowstep, I appear right next to her and slash her with my light blade. As if detecting my killing intent, she manages to dodge but not before getting a gouge to her side. She blinks away from me and screams in pain. I can see some steam or smoke rising from her wound. She gives me a terrified look.  

“I don’t understand. Only heroes are supposed to be able to use light magic. But I am also sensing you are using dark magic as well. Just what are you?”  

Now it's my turn to be confused.  

“What do you mean only heroes can learn light magic? I thought anyone can learn any of the elements.”  

“You truly do not know, very well I'll tell you. Normally yes, but light and dark magic are opposite elements. One can only learn one or the other. Also, to use light magic, one must be pure of heart or blessed by a god. Dark can only be used by those who either have suffered tragic misfortunes or are cursed by a devil.”  

Wow...way to just sum up my life. I have to end this quickly. I can feel my mana getting low and that unneeded conversation didn’t help. Using shadowstep I close the distance. After reappearing I give a quick stab...only to find there is nothing there. Suddenly I feel arms wrap around me and hear a low giggle.  

“Oh, dear me. Did you just get tricked? Once I figured out how you were moving it was easy to track you.”  

“But seriously I didn’t expect someone like you to be able to use both light and dark magic. I think I would rather have someone as interesting as you become a vampire.”  

Feeling her fangs sink into my neck I begin to panic. Trying desperately to escape her grasp, I thrash around. But she is just too strong for me and I don’t move much. I can slowly feel myself getting colder. I look down and see the knife attached to my chest. Using my left hand, I pull it down out of its sheath. Using all my remaining strength I stab as hard as I can to my right, embedding the knife up to the hilt in the vampire's face.  

I feel the fangs leave my neck. I turn around and she was thrashing around with the knife in her face screaming. Not missing an opportunity, I dash forward and grab her neck.  

[Ok so if I leave my self 5 percent mana, I should be good, just really sick.]  

With that in mind, I activate a minor version of my big purple flames of doom from earlier. The room is filled with screams and the smell of burning vampire. After about 3 minutes the only thing left is a charred corpse. I then begin to vomit from mana sickness.  

“Ug...that was too close.”  

Once I am stable enough, I descend to the next level.  

-------------------------------------  

  

Zaber and a small group of 5 are descending through the dungeon. The different rooms took them by surprise as they hadn't seen anything like it. The second floor wasn’t really much and neither was the third. What got them was the fourth. It wasn’t until they lost two members to the traps that they finally were able to get to the next floor.  

Upon arriving on the fifth floor, Zaber looked around in complete shock.  

“Wait...how are we outside again?”  

Coming back to his senses he rallies up his group.  

“So, this floor is really unusual we need to be careful and try to find anything of importance.”  

“Yes, sir.”  

After some time, the group realized that the only thing on this floor was crafting materials. They discovered the exit to the next floor and decided to go down. Once they arrived on the sixth floor, they discovered the same device on the first floor.  

“One of you use this device and go make your report then come back.”  

After an hour the scout finally came back and they continued on their mission. They finally came upon what appeared to be a fort. After walking through the entrance, they discovered a grizzly scene.  

“What kind of monster did this to these goblins?” Zaber had spoken aloud.  

“Sir we don’t know if it was, in fact, a monster. It could have been anything really.”  

“Yes, I suppose you are right. You there collect a body and bring it back to base for examination. You can stay at the base until we return in a few days.”  

With that, they continued down to the seventh floor. Spending the night and the battles with the undead had taken a toll on the group. They were excited once they came to a large open room with a coffin.  

“Split up and search around for anything. Be wary of the coffin.”  

After just a minute of searching one of the scouts had found something. In front of the group a burnt body.  

“This looks recent...I don’t think we are alone in this dungeon. I think someone else got here just before we did.”  

“There is nothing else here let's continue and hopefully we can leave this place.”  

  

----------------------------------------  

  

In a crypt in a dungeon lied an unmoving burnt corpse...except it did start moving. Skin and muscle slowly start growing over the corpse. After a while, the figure of a naked woman lay on the ground. Her eyes slowly opened and she started to cough violently.  

“Damn...She had that much power. I completely underestimated her. Her power felt just like the old Demon Lords”  

“I can still feel it...the way she completely dominated me. Showing me my place...”  

With a dazed look in her eyes, the vampire stood up and looked at the stairs. Smiling as if she was in complete bliss.  

“My Mistress.”