It had taken two weeks to make a large tunnel under the tomb and the sarcophagus. Measurements were taken constantly by Lanner as Ozy helped make the tunnel.
Once we were under the sarcophagus, a large chamber with a central rectangular pillar was made. The dungeon had a lot of stone or other material before one would run into the spatial barrier that was above and below each layer of the dungeon.
The problem was going upwards into the ornate sarcophagus. I had checked the room several more times, having Ozy open up the hole to take a look. There was a lot of silver and gold decorating it. Possibly platinum etchings as well, if one stared closely at the golems.
The golems themselves were of winged humanoids with spears and shields. They were also in slightly aggressive poses. While none of their weapons were raised, they weren’t just standing guard either. They looked like they could spring to life off their platforms at any moment.
Lanner had left a rectangular pillar of stone leading upwards in the middle of the small chamber. Ozy was slowly cutting around it, up into the sarcophagus. Then the entire stone pillar would slowly be lowered to create as small as disturbance as possible.
As they worked I kept an eye on the room for any movement or disturbance. My face was pressed up against the hole, stopping the Mana from exiting the room with my eye blocking it.
While it was boring to keep watch it was necessary. If the golems moved and burst out, then we would have seconds at best. I wasn’t sure about their strength, but I had a distinct sense that each of the golems could go up against a legend at the very least.
Ozy let me know, he was done cutting out the bottom of the sarcophagus and was now slowly lowering the pillar through Alchemy. Still no reaction.
Lanner and Ozy had strict instructions not to touch anything without my approval. Once the stone pillar was lowered, Ozy let me know. I put a stone plug back on the hole and turned it slightly, letting the grooves slide into place. Better than having Ozy constantly use Alchemy to open and close the observation hole.
I made my way into the underground chamber and stared at the figure on the stone platform.
It was a woman. Her skin was slightly desiccated and dried out, but she was surprisingly intact. The Mana coming off her corpse was immense and oppressive. Lanner was struggling to breathe and Ozy had backed away in fear.
A pair of white wings rested under the woman’s body. She was wearing a simple dress woven of gold and platinum. The cost alone would bankrupt a nation. She had a platinum belt on. Her hands were clasped around a sword that was resting on her body, pointing down towards her feet. It was in a sheath, but I could tell it was an incredibly powerful weapon.
The woman had golden hair. Not blonde, but gold that shimmered with Mana. If it wasn’t for her dried and wrinkled skin, it could have been mistaken that she was just taking a nap. The ears of the woman were pointed like an elves.
There were no pieces of jewelry or armor. Just the sword, belt, simple dress, and the corpse itself. I felt a sense of shame looting the tomb. Disturbing this sleeping figure felt like a very bad idea. Like if I dared to touch her, some great disaster would happen.
I shivered despite not being cold.
I looked at the sword. It was a longsword. Clearly meant to be wielded with two hands or a very strong person with one hand. I was tempted by the weapon.
Reaching out, I made to move the woman’s hands off the hilt of the hilt that rested just below her chin. As I touched her hand, I staggered and everything seemed to spin.
Everything was white. And endless white expanse. It seemed familiar for some reason.
I spun about and the woman who had just been laying in the sarcophagus was standing there. “I am Justin Burnstock,” I said.
“Well met Human Justin Burnstock. I am the last remnant of Seraphim Intrepid Spirit,” her voice had a musical quality to it.
“You are dead. Where are we?” I asked.
“We are meeting in what could be described as your subconscious. Touching my corpse, allowed my Mana to reach you and see who had come to claim my weapon. I thought it would be someone else,” she said.
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“I apologize for disturbing you,” I said with a bow.
“It was not a disturbance, for I am dead. The dead are remembered, but all things fade with time. Even a once mighty Seraphim. You have done well slaying a demon with your strength,” she said.
“You can tell that? Of course you can. I hope I didn’t offend you,” I said. I was regretting not looking at the etiquette book my father had left me. Who would think they needed a unique etiquette skill in the dungeon?
“I am a Seraphim. But I suppose knowledge of our kind has been forgotten. It has been a long time since the Great War. And I am not offended. I will not harm you. In fact I have a selfish request,” she said.
“I will listen to your request,” I said, still tense about what was going on.
“That is the best I can hope for. You do not possess the strength to wield my sword. If you were to draw it, your soul would be crushed under its very existence.”
“A tier 6 weapon?” I asked.
“A tier 7, by the standards you are using.” My heart froze at that. It was more powerful than my mother’s blade. “I ask that you destroy it.”
“Destroy such a treasure?!” I was shocked and wanted to refuse on principle. This was a weapon of legend. A treasure beyond compare.
“Yes. I have sealed the curse that was placed on me into the blade. My deepest wish is for the blade to be destroyed along with the curse. This is a quest of great importance,” Intrepid Spirit declared.
“How would such a blade even be destroyed?” I asked hesitantly.
“I can tell you are thinking of keeping it. To become strong enough to wield it yourself. If you do, then you would suffer greatly. On the continent above, there is a great forge that has fallen into disrepair. Take the blade there. There is a machine of great power. Place the blade inside and turn the machine on. The blade and the curse will be destroyed beyond recovery.”
“I can just leave it here,” I said and she shook her head.
“Others would find it. They would try and use it. Which would be a disaster. It must be destroyed. I have enough strength left to request this. Before you refuse. I will offer you something. One skill.”
“Any skill?” I asked.
“Any skill. Just one. But you will have to swear to destroy the blade on your very life. I will place a curse skill upon you that will be only broken with the blade’s destruction. If the blade is drawn from its sheath you would perish. Make your decision.”
“And how would I find this forge and this machine?” I asked.
“The curse skill will show you the way,” Intrepid Spirit declared.
“And your people can’t do this?” I asked.
“No. They will not enter the depths unless absolutely necessary. Doing so would trigger a strong reaction. But they would if there was no other choice. If you did not accept this quest,” she declared.
It was tempting to just ask for a skill that would let me navigate the dungeon. But that would be a foolish choice. “What skill would you recommend?” I asked and she smiled.
“For you, with all your skills, you desire strength. Your body struggles under the weight of your soul. I would recommend the tier 3 skill Seraphim Stat Tempering. It would allow you to use your Mana to slowly improve your stats.”
“Even Vitality?” I asked in surprise.
“All your stats. There are limits. But as the skill improves, you can improve your stats further. It will take a long time, but for those that desire power then that is the best skill I can offer you. Or you can choose a skill to let you navigate the depths, a tier 3 skill True Compass of Desire that would lead you to what your heart most desires,” Intrepid Spirit explained.
A skill to improve stats. Something like that was beyond priceless. There was not even a whisper of such a skill. To get such a skill would be priceless.
“Or I could give you a skill, Seraphim Skill Tempering. It would do the same for skills, and also allow you to remove those curse skills. Three choices. All skills that would be impossible to gain on your own. It is up to you pick and accept this quest.”
Three amazing skills. I wanted them all. But I could tell that Intrepid Spirit wasn’t going to haggle with me beyond the one skill. Three amazing skills. Each one of them was beyond priceless.
Adventurers would kill for just a chance at one of these skills. A way to increase one’s stats or skill levels without fighting monsters in the dungeon. A skill to lead you to what you desired. Each of them was beyond the value of everything I knew of except the tier 7 sword.
“Are you emitting the Mana or the blade?” I asked as I realized a very important question.
“The blade is emitting most of it. Once you take it, it will attract trouble. You must hurry to destroy it as quickly as possible. It will act like a beacon to any who seek its power,” Intrepid Spirit declared.
I could flee with the blade. Flee without the blade. Flee with the blade and take up the quest to destroy it, while getting an amazing skill in return. Fleeing with the blade to use it myself was clearly a stupid choice.
That was asking for trouble while possibly angering this remnant. I didn’t know if she could hurt me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she could trigger the tomb’s defenses. Leaving without the blade would see me abandoning any reward I might get, while also having a good chance of avoiding trouble.
But the skills were too tempting. Every moment, I thought about them, I wanted one of them. I wanted all of them. Improving my stats would create a solid foundation that would see me far into the future. Improving my skills would allow me to improve higher tier skills without having to use them. Getting the direction to what I desired, was incredibly useful. It would allow me to get out of the current section of the dungeon.
My mind kept going back and forth. Each of the skills were equally balanced in my heart. Having to pick just one was torture. Stats, skills, or my desires. I could find more Abnormals in the dungeon and get more natural treasures.
But a way to improve stats through a skill was priceless. Even if I ate soul fruits by the dozen, they only had so much of an effect. There was a limit to what they could do. But being able to improve my stats directly, I could increase my Vitality and live forever. Improving my skills would let me become insanely powerful, finding other methods of getting those two skills.