Mage Tank

“That sounds like quite the opportunity,” said Etja. “We haven’t had the chance to pursue any Dungeons, given what little time has passed since returning from Deijin’s Descent. We are interested in them, of course. However, like the matter of your Creation Delve, I’m not sure why the Empire would need outside assistance.”

Empress Littana nodded contemplatively. “When we initially requested a meeting, it was primarily to clear the air,” she said. “Fortune’s Folly is the fastest-leveling Delver party across all of Arzia. Despite this meteoric rise–which many viewed as recklessly paced–your group displayed talents significantly above your Level during engagements with our forces. Your victory over the Descent laid to rest any doubts over whether this progress was a fluke of luck, and you returned having accrued more Levels than the year prior. It was only sensible to sit down and ensure Litta’s relations with you weren’t spoiled before they’d even begun.

“In the last week, many things have changed, as one would expect with the Phase transition,” the empress continued. “We are well-positioned to take advantage of the new challenges available to Delvers from a strategic and economic perspective. In the past, our method for Delving has been highly focused on efficiency, partially due to our limited access to mana-enriched resources. This has served us well. However, given that this new Phase is primarily focused on platinum Delvers, our past efforts towards pursuing the most reliable method of Delver advancement have placed us at a slight disadvantage.”

“The Littan military skews toward silver,” said General Connatis. “We have well-developed build strategies and party compositions that can nearly guarantee a party makes the full run of thirty silvers into thirty coppers. We have a strong force of elites focusing on gold Delves, some of which have surpassed the thirty-gold escalation barrier. Platinum Delvers have been viewed as experimental, and the pursuit of platinum requires express authorization that is rarely given.”

“You don’t have many platinums,” said Etja.

“Correct,” said the empress. “Compared to Hiward, our average Delver pursues a higher difficulty, because we have very few coppers. Hiward, however, has more exceptional outliers in the platinum range.”

“If I may ask, how do you control that?” said Etja. “The Creation Delve creates random parties. The Littans entering aren’t guaranteed to pursue a specific difficulty. Whoever they’re matched with may have different ideas than your soldiers.”

“We have the second-best representation,” said the general. “We also negotiate with Hiwardians who might potentially meet Littans during Creation. Some are open to it. Otherwise, Littans are mandated to tackle–at a minimum–silver. If they are unable to persuade a group to do at least that much, it’s a mark against them.”

“There are also remediation efforts that can be made,” said the empress. “A single copper Delve does not cripple a Delver who wishes to pursue silver.”

That brief explanation was leaving a lot unsaid, but we weren’t here to dive into the comparative fairness of the Littan Delving complex.

“Are Dungeons only accessible to platinum Delvers?” asked Etja. “Given the exploration you’ve done in such a short amount of time, I find it unlikely.”

“Not as such,” said Empress Littana. “Like Delves, Dungeons have Level ranges. Unlike Delves, these ranges are not related to Delver Levels, but skill Levels. However, these ranges are not requirements. Anyone can enter any Dungeon if they wish. It’s inadvisable for a lone Delver with no Levels in Dimensional Magic to enter a Level 40 to 70 Dimensional Dungeon, but they could. Further, Dungeons within specific skill ranges often have threats that can be quantified into specific Grades. The System does not make this obvious, but we are gathering data to establish relevant guidelines.”

“Given that Delvers who pursue higher difficulties tend to have higher skill Levels,” said the general, “it’s preferred that groups exploring these Dungeons together match. Gold with gold, platinum with platinum. A parity of Delver Levels is also ideal.”

“Together?” said Etja.

“That touches on the core of our request,” said the empress. “Traditional Delves are organized around five-person parties, so having a strong focus on fireteam tactics is unavoidable. However, for all other operations, Littan Delvers are trained to work in larger groups. Dungeons have no party-size requirements, so we’d prefer to explore them in squads of ten.”

“They’re usually too restricted for platoons or anything larger,” added the general.

“Then you have a five-person team ready for Dungeons,” said Etja. “They’re platinum, and you don’t have a matching party to support them.”

“Yes,” said the empress with a wide smile. The general also gave Etja an approving nod. It felt like they were buttering us up, but maybe they were just happy we were competent enough to add two and two together.

“For the sake of transparency,” said the general, “the party we have in mind isn’t full platinum.”

“They dropped down to gold?”

“No. They jumped up to platinum after thirty gold Delves.”

“Oh, that’s interesting,” said Etja. “Common wisdom would say that’s extremely unlikely.”

“The circumstances were unusual,” the general admitted. “Regardless, they’re Level 16 with one platinum Level. We’d like to continue encouraging their growth into platinum for as long as we can.”

I smiled internally. I had a pretty good idea who they were talking about.

“Hmmm,” Etja hummed. “With all due respect, it doesn’t sound like our group is a good fit, based on the parameters you’ve just laid out.”

“I assure you, they have the skills for platinum,” said the empress. “Their path through gold was flawless, and their pursuit of the lower difficulty was at our behest. We’ve realized that pushing them toward the second-highest difficulty was underutilizing their capabilities.”

“You’re also welcome to vet them yourselves,” said the general.

I sent a psychic message to Etja letting her know that if the group was the one I was thinking of, we’d be fine working with them. To be blunt, we played in a higher league than they did, but the group showed promise. RâƝȎBËʂ

“There’s also the Level difference,” said Etja. “We’re Level 12, not 16.”

“A gap I am certain you can overcome in a few short months,” said the empress. She wasn’t wrong. “Our group is due for some leave and a fresh round of training. We’ll be pairing them with more advanced instructors given their recent achievement. We’re not asking you to head out tomorrow.”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“What’s your ideal timeline?” asked Etja.

“Six months,” said the empress.

“What would our role be?”

“It’s fully collaborative,” said the empress. “We know you’re not a military group, and we’re not asking you to be bodyguards. The parties will cooperate on selecting relevant Dungeon sectors and pursue them as equals.” She paused to take a sip of her tea while she thought. “This is partially an effort at diplomatic outreach, as well.” She nodded at Nuralie. “We are interested in strengthening relations with Delvers from the other nations, especially Eschendur. Your group is diverse, in addition to being exceptionally talented and a good match for our team.”

Etja gave us a few seconds to have a silent conversation amongst ourselves.

“We are interested,” said Etja. “However, we will need time to think and discuss. There are also factors that may be prohibitive to this arrangement.”

“I assume one of those factors is you, Lord Ravvenblaq,” said the empress, looking at Varrin. “I believe I can negotiate for your participation if you are amenable. King Celeritia is a strong advocate for international cooperation, and you will be more than welcome to report anything you learn during the expedition.”

“I would be honored to be the subject of such a discussion between our nations,” said Varrin, with Etja’s approval. “We wish to encourage a unified global response to the avatar threat. Learning to work hand-in-hand is of paramount importance.”

“Well said,” said the empress, rapping a knuckle on the table. “I assure you, the Littan Empire is treating that matter with the highest degree of urgency.”

“Especially when avatars can sow such destruction that we are forced to redraw our maps,” added the general.

“Oh?” said Etja. “Are you referring to the devastation in the Left Hand?”

“Three entire mountains, removed from existence,” said the general. “We have only just begun surveying the damage, but it reaches deep into the Wastes. Fortunately, we have no records of any significant settlements in that area.”

“And we are deeply grateful that Eschendur was spared,” said the empress. “The Eschen trinity displayed profound influence on this realm to mitigate such a disaster.”

“Why are you certain that an avatar was involved?” asked Etja.

“Aside from reaching for the obvious, through divination,” said the general. “Avatars have a corrupting influence on scrying and other divining techniques. Some more than others. That entire region was obscured from our most talented seers yesterday.”

Lucky us.

“That’s quite concerning,” said Etja. “I hope that whichever avatar was responsible doesn’t plan on a repeat performance.”

“As do we all,” said the general. “We are working on countermeasures. Whatever creature is responsible will face judgment, I assure you.”

Etja gave a solemn nod, and the empress cleared her throat.

“If there are no more questions,” she said, “I’d like to introduce you to our team. We also have a gift for you, which will be presented by Major Tavio of Seqaria. You may not realize, but your warning to the major led to the discovery of a dangerous infiltrator.”

*****

The party the Littans wanted us to work alongside was, as predicted, Team Pio. Captain Pio’s group had earned their platinum Level from the Pocket Delve, and I had personally watched their run. That meant I was already privy to their composition, capabilities, and what I expected were many of their secrets. I was very appreciative that Etja was speaking for our group since I didn’t think I had the Charisma score to manage the meeting without giving something away.

We’d officially met them once before. They were the ones who’d delivered our invitation to meet the empress. That history helped obscure the fact that I was more familiar with them than I should have been. The meeting went well, and they gave us a basic breakdown of their roles and competencies.

Afterward, Tavio arrived to present us with a set of five masterfully crafted golden dragons inlaid with a dazzling array of precious gemstones. The stones had been mined in his homeland of Seqaria, which was renowned for its flawless jewels. The reason for the gift was simple.

I’d warned him that Gharifon was trouble, and it turned out that he had been.

Tavio had audited the illusionist’s activities after my warning and discovered some discrepancies with his official reports. Littan officers all underwent random screenings for outside influence and infiltrators, which Gharifon had previously passed with flying colors. Given Tavio’s evidence and his staunch advocacy for the veracity of my claims, Gharifon was ‘randomly’ screened again. This time, the Littans used ‘highly limited’ resources usually reserved for the most sensitive officials, such as General Connatis and even the empress herself.

The Littans didn’t disclose what those ‘limited’ resources were, but I expected they had something to do with Yara, given that her Holy Water had granted us deific immunity to all mental influence.

As it turned out, Gharifon wasn’t a decorated Littan officer, but a man in a crude and deeply offensive mouse costume. Upon discovery, the intruder attempted to flee. During their flight, Tavio and General Connatis worked together to subdue the spy, which unfortunately led to the man’s death. The Littans didn’t go into any more detail than that, but the whole situation sounded way too familiar.

Part of me was disappointed that we hadn’t gotten to see Gharifon’s unmasking. It felt like a thread we’d need to keep pulling, but the Littans had dealt with it without needing us. I eventually decided it was good they’d managed to handle what I now suspected was one of Hysteria’s divine spawn on their own. It meant they were capable, and the more capable people in the world, the better off everyone was.

Tavio and I chatted informally for a bit, and the ultra-buff Littan seemed to be doing well. His promotion to Major was a recent advancement, owing to a climb in Levels, his discovery of Gharifon’s malfeasance, and in no small part, a pristine service record.

The Littan had risen to Level 21, which was a decent pump from when he’d given me a beatdown. The last time I’d seen him on our way into Deijin’s Descent, the man had still been at Level 17. What’s more, the new Levels were platinum, meaning that he’d also made the jump from gold like Pio’s group had.

However, there was something strange going on with those new Levels. The number of gold Delves I could see within his soul had gone down. That was something I didn’t know was possible.

At Level 17, Tavio looked like he’d done thirty-four gold Delves. Now, his soul looked as though he’d done twenty-six gold Delves along with eight platinum Delves. Curiously, the amount of platinum he’d gained matched the amount of gold he’d lost. It was like he was converting one into the other, which didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

I put the matter aside for the remainder of the Littan meet and greet, which lasted until midday. Afterward, I asked General Connatis if I could create a Checkpoint in the Littan fortress to facilitate further meetings. The general smirked as he agreed and led us down to the fortified room where the dormant exit portal for Deijin’s Descent was.

“We’d expected you to arrive here,” said the general. “That is where you said you would be coming from. We were mildly surprised when you used the front entrance.”

“Sadly, extenuating circumstances prevented us from using a portal,” said Etja. I’d been forced to move the entrance to the Closet during our realm-hopping fight with Hysteria.

The room was secure enough that allowing us to lay down a semi-permanent connection wouldn’t be a massive threat to the security of the Littan’s forward base in Eschendur. It would also be a great place for the Littans to ambush us. We were working to build trust, so we didn’t make any noise about the choice of location.

After all, the general probably could have killed us any time he wanted.

I created the Checkpoint, and we left the Littan fortress on good terms.

My mansion had been destroyed, so we were using a hastily constructed war room as our base within the Closet. We’d put it together in a few hours, and it didn’t have shit for creature comforts. It was all stonework and dim lighting, with nary a tapestry or throw pillow in sight.

I loosened my tie and undid the top button of my shirt. “Anything to report, Etja?”

Etja crossed all of her arms and surveyed the group, wearing her serious face. It was a lot like her regular face, but she kind of squinted. It was very cute.

“Yes,” she said. “No less than three of you exhibited unusual behavior.”

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