DAY TWO

  The following morning after breakfast. Rhys, standing by the campfire, orders. “Break camp, then gather round. I need to see everyone’s Status Sheets. I also want to check you all with my Essence Sight. This will give us an idea of what Skills or Spells you all need to work on, and give us a gauge for how many goblins you can handle at a time. One thing I want all of you attempting to gain an Identify or an Analysis Spell or Skill. So far, we have been culling the encounters for you. That will most likely end sometime today.”

  “My attributes are maxed out. All of my damage is increased, my talent has levels?” Tanner asks.

  Rhys answers. “Most of the manipulation powers show levels as they improve. What I find interesting is your damage, you are putting out base damage of five which is normal for EPIC. Damage base is two for COMMON, three for UNCOMMON, and so on. You have addition damage, with your spell, and your melee attacks are hitting harder. That is usually from an enchanted item. level one gave you a + 1 now it’s + 7. I see it is because your attributes are maxed out? Sorry Tanner I didn’t catch this earlier, too many of you for me to keep up with, should have brought Penny with us.”

  Bree asks Tanner. “I think you should show us your status every time you level, all right?”

  “Okay.” Tanner nods his head in agreement.

  “Tanner, if you want to be a pure mage double up on your spell casting, if you are looking at maybe a hybrid sword mage, try casting through your weapons or casting while in a melee. Use your best judgment for what feels right for you. Do not worry about how you will fit in to a party role. That goes for all of you. You can always adjust party tactics. It is harder to fix a class that you don’t feel comfortable with.” Bree says with a pained look. As she looks all the younger Delvers in the eye. “I mean it, that goes for all of you. Who wants to go next? Claire??”

  “Okay.” Claire answers, showing her Status Sheet.

  Rhys looking over Claire’s status. “Claire, you also have addition damage and your attributes are also maxed out. Those of you with maximum Attributes are getting a +1 bonus to damages per level. We are on to whatever is making your attacks hit harder. Claire, if you concentrate on what you have been doing so far, you are on your way to being a close range mage or a hybrid combat mage. If you want to go to a mid or distance range, you will need to back off and start blasting spells at a few paces back from the melee.”

  “I like what I am doing so far.” Claire answers with a smile.

  “Fair enough.” Rhys smiles. “Connie lets see what you have.”

  Connie, smiling proudly, shows her status.

  “Excellent Connie, I did not get a Healing spell until Level 5. You have two at Level 7.”

  “I have another talent now. * HEAL / HARM; NATURAL ABILITY TO HEAL OTHERS. WHAT IS BROKEN CAN BE FIXED / WHAT IS HEALTHY CAN BE BROKEN.”

  “Wow Connie, you are turning into quite the capable young lady.” Bree praises her.

  “Connie with that talent you may very well become one of the best Healers in the Empire.” Rhys says with a smile. “And one of the scariest damage dealers. Focus on Healing, if everyone is okay, follow the damage dealers lead and attack their target. Make sure you save enough Mana for healing though, as that is your primary focus. Okay?”

  “I gained Party Status.” Connie says, while showing her newest Spell. “This will help me a lot. It shows everybody in the party with the attributes next to their name. HOLY GODDESS.” Looking at Bree and Rhys.

  Bree explains. “We are Level 268 and in the 3rd Tier.”

  “I knew that, but seeing it is just a shock. Uh your attributes read different?” Connie says, still in awe.

  “That is something that happens at the 2nd Tier, do not worry about right now, Okay?”

  “Uh okay.” Connie agrees.

  “This is a fantastic ability Connie. That it is a natural Skill and not from a Class means it will probably grow faster. Class Skills only grow when the Class levels call out for it. A natural Skill grows with you, not your class.” Rhys pauses for breath. “The new Party Status will help a lot. Just don’t get so focused on it, you lose track of what is going on around you. My party role is Healing and Damage. I can help you with strategies. Once we get out of here, I will work with you and Iris more.”

  “Who is next?” Bree asks.

  “I’ll go.” Lilli speaks up, showing her status.

  “With three of you, we can confirm the damage addition is because of your maxed out attributes. It also seems to be + 1 per level. So far, Tanner, Claire, and Lilli have it listed and all three have maxed attributes. We need to document this. Make sure you are all keeping your journals updated.”

  Bree, looking over Mick’s status, says to him. “Mick you are doing very well on the front line. With your Epic Physique +4 to base damage, then another +3 for your strength. It was understandable you and your other two frontline companions were out damaging the rest. Now having maxed out your attributes. You and Lilli are beasts. Keep up the hard work. Karnna is just behind you and Lilli Attribute wise. I expect her to catch up within the next two fights. Once caught up you three are without a doubt the strongest frontline of your year. Jackson you are up.”

  “Jackson you are right in line with everybody else. Looking very good.” Rhys says. “Lilli, Mick, hold the killing blows. Let the others get a few each in. That is why you two are higher level. I want everyone of you at Level eight. Then you will start taking the goblin patrols on at their full strength. They patrol in groups of five and have levels ranging from eight to ten. Once we get all the low land patrols, we will start hitting the camps. They will be in groups of nine to twelve goblins in each camp. Levels will range between nine up to twelve. I want everybody to gain their Class before we hit the camps. I want you all at Tier 1 when you take on the boss fights. Let’s get going.”

  “Just one more thing,” Tanner says. “We can start taking three at a time now. Iris then Connie gets the killing blows until they are Level Eight, as they are our Healers. Then Karnna, she is frontline, and she can help control the fight. Jackson, Claire, Milly, and Dylan in that order. I will be last to Level eight.” Tanner and his friends check the camp over to make sure they have left nothing behind. The group departs, forming up in battle positions.?“Contact right.” Milly calls out softy.

  “All right, Mick, same combat plan. Mick charges in and gets the attention, and holds it. Lilli takes up the slack. Both of you stand firm against all three. Jackson, we need you to control. So I want you to focus on the third goblin on our very left, try to stun it. Keep try trying for a stun.”

  “Got it, going to try to get Psionic Scream, it is an area effect mind stun.” Jackson replies.

  Tanner nods his head, “Everyone keep trying to get Analyze or Identify. Claire work right to left. I will do the same. Connie, Iris heals then damage as you can. Mages follow Claire’s lead with your attacks. Keep the frontline in mind for healing as needed. Conserve your Mana for the next few fights until we get used to three goblins. I need a ready from everybody. Then Mick goes on three.”

  All reply, “Ready.”

  Mick starts his count down, on three he gives a shout and charging in. Leading with a Shield Bash, smashing against the smaller goblin group. The goblin on the left stumbles back from the attack. Jackson shouts and thinking. “Psionic Scream.” over and over with all of his heart and soul. Mick shouting and striking at all three opponents to hold their attention. With sudden movement, Lilli dances in, doing just enough damage to keep the goblins from flanking her and her frontline friends. Claire, moving to the right, casts her bolt spells, distracting her target goblin with pain. While Tanner hurls Arcane Bolts repeatedly into the goblin's head. Mick yells at Iris, “Now.”

  Iris draws her bow, placing three arrows in the goblin’s neck in the time it takes to draw a breath. With a smooth side step and turn, she shifts aim at the second goblin and lets loose arrows into her new target. Lower belly, sternum, chest, then neck, the four arrows hit with meaty thunks, and the second goblin falls dead. Everyone's attention turns to the last goblin, it screams and turns to run, only to trip and fall dead. The group stands still in stunned wonder.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Jackson croaks out, “I think I overdid it.” As he collapses to the ground, out cold. Rhys and Bree moving far faster than the lower levels are at Jackson’s side before the others arrive. Rhys, scrutinizing Jackson's still form, breathes a sigh of relief. "He is okay, just needs a few minutes to gain his Mana back. He drained himself."

  Milly, kneeling down at Jackson’s side, starts wiping blood off of his face, asks. “Why is his nose bleeding?”

  Rhys, putting his hand on her shoulder, answers. “Sometimes when we focus enormous effort into an effect we want. It can do this to us. He is suffering from sudden Mana depletion. He drained every bit of Mana in his body all at once. Iris’s healing helped the physical harm to his body restore. Now he just needs to rest for a few minutes while his Mana recovers. Let us go over everyone’s Status while we wait, and we can critique the fight.”

  After everyone has shown their experience gains and gone over their fight performance. Jackson’s eyes open. “What happened?” He asks.

  “You depleted all of your Mana, all at once.” Rhys answers.

  “How are feeling?” Connie asks him. “We’ve all gone over our part, we are just waiting on you to wake up.” Tanner, stepping into Jackson’s field of view, asks if he is well enough to continue with the critique.

  Jackson sits up, looking at his status. “I did not get the spell I wanted. I got something better,” He smiles, looking over his Spell status.

  * PSIONIC BLAST (COMMON); 10 MP TO CAST, 5 TO 20 +7 DAMAGE, CHANCE TO STUN 5%.

  [* NEW * PSIONIC WAIL (EPIC); 20 MP TO CAST STUNS ONE TO THREE OPPONENTS FOR UP TO 1 MINUTE DURATION, MINUS 10 SECONDS FOR EVERY LEVEL ABOVE CASTER. 100 + BONUS DAMAGE UPON END OF STUN, STUN ENDS WHEN ATTACKED OR DURATION IS COMPLETE.]

  “Jackson, no one likes an over achiever.” Milena giggles.

  Tanner, smiling and shaking his head at her, announces. “This could change our entire way of fighting. Jackson, you will strike first with your newest spell. We need to see it in action. So we need one goblin. Hit it with the spell. Watch how it reacts, then let it wear off. Hit it again until it dies. Then we move up to two do the same thing over again. Then three, when we hit three at once, we can plan how we fight. The rest of the Dungeon. If this works the way, I think. We will have to change our entire group's fighting style and tactics.”

  “Good plan, Tanner.” Bree nods with approval. “I am very curious about this spell myself. One lone goblin coming up.”

  A few minutes later, Mick calls out. “Contact front.”

  The decuplet stop, with everyone looking at Jackson. Flushing at all the attention Jackson, tells everybody. “We need to get closer.”

  “Okay Jackson walk slowly closer, Lilli, Karnna, and Mick walk with him. Jackson once you are in range cast the spell.” Karnna takes Jackson’s arm and whispers, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” As she follows him, close behind.

  “Thanks.” he replies under his breath. The foursome walk into spell range, “I am ready.” Jackson says, stopping. “Freeze.” He yells. The goblin in the middle of turning toward the trio falls to the ground face first. A few seconds later, the goblin pushes its self back up to its feet. Attempting to charge at the three young Delvers. Jackson yells, “Stop.” The goblin shakes its head and continues toward the trio. Jackson yells, “Stop.” Once again, the goblin falls flat on its face. The budding PsiMage moves backwards. Jackson once again stops just in range of his spell. The frontline trio guarding him closely, with Milly tight on his back. After a few more times, the goblin falls dead, and the group feels the Essence rush into them.

  Tanner asks, “Gather around, everybody. Jackson?”

  Jackson, looking at the group, replies. “It took seven times to kill it. I have less than half of my Mana left. It stayed down for about ten seconds each time.” The rest nod in agreement.

  “Well that was interesting Jackson. Lets get you full on Mana then try two at once shall we?” Bree says from the side. Tanner, looking at Jackson, asks the budding Psi Mage if he is ready for that. Thinking for a few seconds, Jackson agrees.

  “Two it is then.” Tanner, nodding at Jackson, turns to his adopted mother with courtesy, asking. “Two please?”

  Bree, smiling at Jackson, turns to Tanner and says. “Two it is.” While waiting for Jackson to recharge his Mana. Milly and Jackson have a whispered conversation. Once Jackson is ready, the decuplet move in the direction Bree went.

  “Same as before Jackson, Lilli, Karnna, and Mick will guard you, the rest of us, will back you up if you need it.” Tanner calms the anxious young mage.

  “I have this. I can do this.” Jackson repeats to himself. When the goblin duo comes into view, Jackson squares his shoulders and walks toward the targets. The frontline warriors, surprised by Jackson's new attitude, promptly step up to flank him. Jackson, once again, stops just within spell range, and yells out, “Milena.” As the goblins fall, Milly bursts out laughing in delight.

  “You did it.” She crows, dancing a little jig.

  “What the Hells was that?” Tanner demands. “I asked him to.” Milly says.

  “Why?” Mick asks.

  Milly, with a very large grin, replies, “I wanted to see my enemies fall in fear at the sound of my name.”

  “No more playing around when we need to be on our toes.” Tanner orders. “Jackson you gonna take care of that?” Gesturing to the goblin that recovered and is charging into the foursome’s backs.

  “Freeze.” Jackson yells. As his target continues rushing into the frontline trio. The other goblin springs to life and charges him. Yelling “Freeze.” the goblin shakes its head and continues to charge. The goblin screams in rage and tackles Jackson to the ground. Milly, in a panic, starts viciously stabbing at the goblin’s back. Mick steps forward and tears the goblin off of Jackson and tosses it to the side. Tanner and Clair pelt the goblin with Arcane and Primal bolts, burning its Hit Points down like an oil-soaked rag. The other goblin breaks free from Lilli and Karnna and charges toward Jackson. Mick meets it with his shield, knocking the goblin back several steps staggering it. Tanner and Claire shift focus onto the stunned goblin, throwing bolt after bolt into the creature, while a sobbing Milly drags Jackson back to Connie.

  “After you have recovered, two more. Never play around like that again. You will not endanger the rest of your party again. Do I make my self clear?” Bree says, looking both Jackson and Milly in the eye.

  “Yes Ma’am. Sorry.” Jackson and Milly chorus together.

  Tanner, intruding into the duo's space, whispers to them both. “Make certain this never happens again. Jokes and fooling around have their own time and place. While our lives are in jeopardy is never the time and never the place. The monster's level is irrelevant, even if it’s 100 levels below us. This will not happen again. I will disband the party.”

  Rhys speaking in a low voice. “Once everybody is back to full. We will move out and engage two more goblins.”

  The next fight goes much smoother. Jackson and Milly are much more subdued. The others feeling the two senior party members' disapproval also act more focused. At the end, Iris once more steps forward to end the goblins.

  Jackson, pondering, looks over at Bree. “Can I do two or maybe three more couples? My timing is off slightly and there is another tactic I’d like to try.”

  “Clear it with your team leader. I have no objections if he does not.”

  After explaining his ideas, Tanner agrees to try Jackson's tactics. After dropping one of the next two goblins, Jackson hits the still charging goblin with another Psionic Wail, dropping it to the ground. Stepping back, waiting for the first goblin to recover. The first stunned goblin rises. Jackson hits it with a Psionic Blast. Jackson takes a moment to time his next blast to coincide with the second goblin’s rise. He hits the first goblin again before casting Psionic Wail on both. This time, neither goblin feels the effects and continues to charge. Casting Psionic Wail again, the goblins continue to charge. He calls out Mana, and Iris steps forward for the kills. Casting a mana bolt spell for the first time on the right, most goblin killing it. Iris steps backward, while rasing her bow and strikes two times, with sharp snaps of her bowstring arrows fly to the goblin's head, killing it.

  “And that takes me to Level Eight, Connie you are up.”

  “Jackson good job, I see what you where trying to accomplish. Right now your Mana reserves are too low and the stun chance for your Blast is not high enough. At Level 30 I see it being an effective combination. I want to see you keep practicing this. But right now you are over reaching just a little. You noticed how your Mana ran out faster, you just don’t have the Mana reserves currently. You did hit them harder. Overall, marvelous job.” Bree give him a nod approvingly. “Two more?”

  “Yes Ma’am, Two more.” Over the next two fights, Jackson fine tunes his use of the Wail spell and hits Level 8.

  “Alright I am ready for three.” Jackson announces.

  “Good this is what I want to try.” Tanner says, gathering everybody's attention. “Jackson attempts to stuns all three goblins. Claire catch any goblins that Jackson misses. The goblins will be numbered left to right. One, two and three. Mick charges number one and only that one goblin. Karnna you jump in and help Mick. Lilli will attack that target as well but use light damaging attacks. Milly monitor the stunned goblins along with Jackson. When one of the stunned goblins come to. Yell out its number Dylan and Iris will hit that one. Jackson will wait until the last goblin regains it wits and cast Wail again on all three. Mick and Karnna keep focused on number one. When it looks like it is going to fall. Call for Connie to kill it. We then shift to number two, repeat until all three are dead. Any questions?”

  Mick says, “If we can get this timing down I can see this strategy work for larger groups too.”

  “That is the plan.” Tanner grins. The next few fights concentrate on perfecting techniques and timing. Connie levels to eight. Allowing Karnna to get the kills. The decuplet fighting their fourth group of four, Karnna has hit Level eight and Jackson is clearing the last goblin. Tanner gets a notice from his status sheet.

  [* NEW * SKILL: IDENTIFY; YOU CAN NOW LOOK AT PEOPLE AND OBJECTS UP TO FIVE LEVELS ABOVE YOU. ABLE TO SEE LEVELS, HIT POINTS, EQUIPMENT, QUALITY AND RANKING.]

  “I just got Identify. I will hit Level eight after this next fight. What about the rest of you? Levels?” Tanner asks.

  “I am halfway to nine.” Mick replies.

  “Same.” Chime Lilli and Iris together.

  “I will hit nine just after the others.” Connie says.

  Jackson, looking over his Status sheet, says. “I need one more kill.”

  Milly informs the others. “Three more kills should put me at Level Eight.”

  Tanner glances at Dylan. “How about you?”

  “I need five kills I think.”

  Claire, the last to speak, “I will hit Level nine after this fight as well.”

  “So three more fights today?” Tanner asks the party. “Let’s make them full squads of five. Any objections?”

  Everyone response with a “READY,”