The entire dock-like platform I was on shook the instant my hand touched the sapphire. Great rumbling sounds filled the air as long-dormant chains, bound up into massive coils, creaked and groaned as they came to life, buried beneath the stone of the dock. It was so loud that it momentarily drowned out the constant crashing of thunder born from Tatsugan’s still flickering tail, somewhere far above us. I nearly stumbled from the shaking in the small control hub that I had stayed behind in to facilitate the lowering of the barge that my friends and companions were scurrying around on. I could just barely see them through the howling gales of wind and rain, visible through the viewing slit on the wall in front of me.

  They almost stumbled on the deck of their commandeered barge, too. The great mass of chains holding the vessel suspended over the cliff face lurched in place, one corner of them falling suddenly. The barge listed to one side on suddenly slackened chains, sending my companions scrambling to hold onto anything they could in order to not fall into the churning inland sea far below them.

  My heart lurched in my chest, but I needn’t have worried. Gradually, the rest of the chains holding the barge suspended began to slacken, and the orientation of the ship corrected itself, seemingly on purpose. I suppose the mechanism of this enchantment included something like that, for which I was very glad.

  Through the viewport, I watched as the barge holding my friends began to descend slowly out of sight beyond the rim of the platform. The last thing I saw before it completely disappeared was Bella at the helm, turning around to look at me.

  Across the distance and despite the peril we were in, the pirate Captain still had the temerity to wink in my direction.

  And then she was gone.

  I huffed a slight laugh and shook my head. The barge might be lowering the way we had hoped it would, but we weren’t out of danger just yet. The thundering of Tatsugan’s rattle had more than one purpose, after all.

  It was meant to call every last damn monster that still resided on the island of Goryuen to his side.

  And they were coming.

  I could feel and hear it.

  Just barely audible over the thunder and the creaking of chains as the barge crept ever downward, I could hear another sound, slowly growing louder. Roars and screeches sounded out in the distance as the Oni and the Wyrmkin that called this spit of land home rushed inward from the jungles, plains, and mountains. I began to feel a rumble in the stone beneath my feet as innumerable giant feet and clawed paws raced to the aid of their master.

  I had deliberately kept the door to this miniature bunker open, after my companions had left. At the time, I had thought it would be better to have a clear eye on the mountain path stretching upwards so I could know if any monsters were coming.

  That was a mistake.

  From one moment to the next, a veritable horde appeared on the horizon through the door. Countless Oni and Wyrmkin of all shapes, sizes, colors, and maturities swept down the path I and my companions had only moments ago carefully fjorded. Not a one of them displayed the caution we had, and as a result, I could see a number of different monsters go tumbling over the side of the path as the horde charged down towards me. And I had no doubt they were coming for me.

  All of their beady little eyes were trained right in my direction.

  My own nearly bulged out of their sockets as I contorted my body, careful to keep my hand on the sapphire, and hooked one foot around the edge of the door. Full force, I slammed the heavy stone door closed in the doorway, cutting off my view of charging beasts. Seconds after, I was surprised to see bars that had been inset into the wall fall down to block the door from opening again.

  I blinked at the unexpected windfall, as moments later, the horde arrived.

  They slammed into the door, rattling both the frame and the bunker itself from the force of it. Even through the thick stone of the door and the walls, I could still hear the roars and the screams of the beasts as they slavered for the blood in my veins and Aether in my soul. Wyrmkin swarmed around the front of the bunker to claw at me through the small viewing port while Oni pounded their massive fists against the walls, cutting off my view of the caldera and the looming form of Mt. Gorenzan. I had to lean back from those reaching claws to avoid losing an eye.

  I’d nearly experienced that once before, thank you. I had no desire for it to happen again.

  Thankfully, although I could see the bars holding the door closed flex from the force of the blows, they held.

  For now.

  God damnit, couldn’t this mechanism go any faster?! I had no idea how long this was going to take! Just how far down did the barge have to go?!

  I tensed as I saw cracks start to form in the bars holding the door closed. Thankfully, the door itself was fine, but those stone rods weren’t going to hold for much longer. And the moment they shattered, I was fucked.

  I had to do something. With my full strength, with both Vis Maledicta Exactoris and Might of the Wyrdwood active, I think I could probably hold the door closed myself. But I had to keep a hand on the control gem. My friends were counting on me.

  And I refused to fail them.

  Unexpectedly, my core ring stirred from where it had been quietly focusing alongside me. It put forth an idea, and I only took a moment to consider the possibility.

  I mean…it could work.

  Maybe.

  Worth a shot.

  I held out a hand and called for my newest Skill.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Manifestation of Agony.

  From my outstretched palm floated a ball of ghostly blue flame that sprouted wings and limbs of crimson red thorn. It flapped those tiny wings for a moment as my Core Ring smoothly transferred itself into the simulacrum born of celestial and terrestrial power. It looked at me, and somehow, I got the impression I was meeting the eyes of the Sprite.

  It nodded at me and floated downwards to land on top of the sapphire I had my hand upon, careful not to burn me as it did so. Just as carefully, it lay both of its hands down on the gem as well.

  Slowly, watching and listening for the chains of the platform through the viewport, I lifted my hand from the sapphire and held my breath.

  Nothing.

  The chains kept up their steady descent, and the barge was still lowering.

  My Sprite counted as a person able to keep the process going.

  I exchanged a victorious smile with my Spire (at least I think it was smiling), but it didn’t last long.

  Behind me, I heard a sharp, distinct cracking noise over the sound of banging and screeching. I shot a quick glance over my shoulder to see my fears realized. One of the bars had snapped, and the other looked like it was buckling in real-time. I didn’t waste another second thinking.

  Instead, I activated both of my physical enhancement Skills and lunged for the door. I managed to lay both of my enlarged, scaly palms crawling with ghostly red thorns upon the stone just in time.

  The second and last bar snapped, and suddenly, I was holding back the force of dozens, or perhaps even hundreds, of monsters as they crushed themselves against the door.

  The pressure was immense. Monstrous in the extreme.

  It was like the mountains themselves were looming the whole of their ancient weight against the stone as I fought to keep my footing. I’d activated Might of the Wyrdwood at ten percent, and that just wasn’t enough. Desperate for more footing, I deliberately ruined my boots by digging my taloned toes through the leather and digging them into the stone beneath me.

  It wasn’t enough. I could feel myself boring trenches in the floor as I was pushed back.

  I jacked Might of the Wyrdwood up to fifteen percent.

  Still, I struggled.

  Twenty.

  I grit my teeth under the strain of holding the Skill at that level, much less at the same time I was transformed.

  I was pushed back an inch, enough for a crack to open between the door and the frame. Instantly, claws from the Wyrmkin on the other side of the door appeared, scrambling frantically for the existence they felt on the other side.

  Fine.

  Life or death, then.

  I ratcheted Might of the Wyrdwood up as far as I’d ever dared to.

  Thirty percent.

  I was peripherally aware of the crimson vines crawling across my body, thickening to the point something curious started to happen. They almost began to shape itself into something else, condensing on certain areas of my body. It was hazy, though, and besides.

  I was far too busy screaming from the sheer exertion I was being placed under. My muscles had strengthened to such a degree that I felt my very bones begin to creak and groan inside my body. With just my surviving Outer Ring within my mind, all I could focus on was bearing with the pain as my evolved strength Skill nearly sundered the very bones in my body.

  But it was enough. I shoved forward, and the door moved easily to slide back into the frame. The scrabbling claws from the Wyrmkin were instantly snipped by the edge of the door, and I heard their owners screech bloody murder on the other side of it.

  I allowed myself a brief moment of satisfaction before I got back to focusing.

  I knew, I knew that if my concentration slipped for a moment, the Skill would waver and die. If it did, I was dead. The door would burst open, the Oni and the Wymrkin would tear me apart for my meat and Aether, and then my friends would be stranded on a half-descended barge.

  I had to focus. Focus through the pain, and noise, and the drain.

  I could do this.

  I could do this!

  “I can do this,” I whispered to myself fiercely, setting my shoulders as firmly as possible. I leaned my head down as I felt my body scream in protest.

  And tried to meditate, through the agony.

  In.

  And out.

  In.

  And out.

  In.

  And.

  Out.

  I don’t know how long I stood in that position, leaning against the door and holding back the proverbial tide. I was lost to the passage of time in my concentration, focusing intently on the heartbeat waves of Aether that resonated from the core of Vereden.

  But, eventually, I became aware of a heat floating somewhere to the right of my cheek. That broke me from my meditation, and I exhaustedly raised my head to find my Sprite hovering there.

  It was pointing frantically over its shoulder, unable to verbalize its frustrations. I looked behind me briefly to see what it was gesturing towards to find that the sapphire gemstone as large as a baseball had gone dark. I could feel no more Aether running through it. I didn’t know what that meant, for a moment, and when I realized what it did, my eyes widened and I nearly lost my grip. Both on the door and on my Skill.

  The descent was over. The barge had to have reached the inland sea.

  But…

  Now what?

  It occurred to me that I had never formulated an escape plan once I’d accomplished my goal. I was, perhaps, now doomed unless I could fight my way through the horde on the other side of this door. If I was at full Mana, I might have been able to do that. But my stunt the other night with The Scintillant Blade, combined with keeping my Sprite active for who knows how long, meant I was dangerously low.

  Shit.

  However, my Sprite came through for me once more. It gestured excitedly up at the ceiling, and I followed its fire and thorn fingers up to find...

  What looked like an escape hatch. There looked to be a small, square hole cut in the ceiling with an equally small door held closed with a simple bar lock.

  I blinked tiredly at the sight. I hadn’t even noticed that thing until now.

  Huh.

  I…guess the ancient Kawamarans had realized they would need a quick egress.

  The Sprite zipped up to it to try and move the stone lever that kept it locked shut, but it wasn’t strong enough. I moved my tired body as quickly as it was able and shifted to where I was keeping the door shut with my back, and when I did, I lifted one hand to point at the same lever the Sprite was struggling against.

  And cast Thorn Grapple.

  The length of thorny vine shot from my hand and wrapped around the handle at my will. Once it was secure, I yanked on the lever. A grinding sound echoed out above me and a lock must have come loose, because my Sprite was suddenly pushing the small rectangular door open with ease. In moments, I heard it thud open on top of the bunker’s roof.

  But I never let go of my vine. It was still tied to the other side of the lever, trapped under the little escape hatch.

  I took a deep breath.

  Alright.

  Let’s do this.

  In an instant, I did multiple things. Almost as if I was in slow motion, I leaped forward from the door with all of my strength, until I was standing underneath the open hatch. Behind me, I could hear the door slam open, and monsters began to pile through the now-open stone frame. Urgently, I leapt upward, while at the same time, I urged my grappling Skill to retract as quickly as it could. In a fraction of a second, I found myself sailing up and out of the hatch, but not before I felt a claw scrape through my pants and against the armored scales of my transformed self.

  I landed on the roof of the bunker, and with my Sprite’s help, I frantically closed the hatch behind me and locked it again with the lever that was on the outside of it.

  After that, I barely took a moment to consider the horde of monsters that had overtaken the docks down here.

  Some of the surrounding Oni were nearly as tall as this building and were starting to look my way.

  I didn’t stick around long enough for them to make a grab at me.

  Instead, using the strength from Might of the Wyrdwood, still at thirty percent, I leaped forward, snapping my wings open as I did so. In moments, I had soared along the roof of the cavern.

  Out into the storm.

  That turned out to be a mistake.