Watcher of Fate

Now, Entering the Underdark.

The stone tunnel descended sharply, Faelar leading the group with quiet confidence. His steps were precise, almost soundless, as his keen eyes scanned the path ahead. The air was cooler here, tinged with the faint metallic scent of minerals and the earthy dampness of deep caverns. On either side of the tunnel, jagged walls rose, dotted with glowing blue crystals embedded into the stone. The crystals pulsed faintly, casting an eerie but beautiful light that illuminated the tunnel.

Scattered among the rocks were clusters of bioluminescent mushrooms, their caps glowing softly in shades of green and violet. They thrived in the darkness, lighting their way deeper into the Underdark. The silence was punctuated only by the faint drip of water echoing from unseen crevices, and the occasional soft scuff of a boot against stone.

As they walked, Elara took a moment to let her mind wander, pulling up her experience notifications. The familiar interface flashed before her eyes, bringing up the small, steady flow of experience she had gained from their journey so far. The system rewarded her not just for combat, but for the ground they had covered, cataloging each new place they had explored.

You have seen several minor monster deaths: 143 exp

You have seen many weak monster deaths: 16,866 exp

Quill gains exp from killing 296 monsters: 16,668 exp

You gain experience by visiting 6 prominent new places: 6,750 exp

You gain experience by visiting 11 minor new places: 8,910 exp

Her eyes drifted down to the line that containing “6 prominent new places”, pulling up a list of locations she had visited recently:

Shifting Sands Desert

Olorun

Fort Stonehelm

Eastwatch

Eastern Gate Ward of Gabilanûr

Underdark

What caught her attention wasn’t the places themselves but how they were categorized. The Eastern Ward of Gabilanûr was listed distinctly, not just as part of Gabilanûr, but as its own major location. She paused for a moment, frowning in thought. That was unusual. Most cities, even large ones like Frostspire, were treated as single locations. The upper and lower wards of Frostspire, for example, were combined into one, even though each was, on its own right the largest and most sprawling city she had ever seen.

But here, the wards of Gabilanûr were clearly considered separate from one another, as if each one were its own entity. It struck her as odd and gave her an unsettling feeling, as though there was more to Gabilanûr than met the eye.

Closing her notifications, she quickened her pace and fell into step beside Owen. His face was set with determination, though there was a hint of unease in his eyes as they traveled deeper underground. Elara had known Owen long enough to see when something was on his mind, and right now, he seemed preoccupied.

“Owen,” she asked quietly, “what do you know about the wards of Gabilanûr?”

Owen glanced over at Elara, considering her question as they continued walking through the tunnel. “The wards of Gabilanûr are a bit of a mystery even to me,” he began. “I mostly know about the Eastern Gate. That’s where all the trading happens, as you’ve seen. It’s the busiest part of the city, with the Grand Bazaar. It’s where deals are made, and people come from all over to sell their goods.”

He paused before continuing, “Then there’s the Western Gate. That’s where the barracks and the Mercenary’s Guild are. It’s rougher over there, soldiers and mercenaries gather at the Broken Anvil Tavern, and it’s not a place you want to wander into without good reason. And, of course, there’s The King’s Hold in the center of the city, where the Iron Citadel stands. That’s the seat of power, and the King rules from there. But as for the other wards... I don’t know much.”

Elara nodded, absorbing the information. “Thanks, Owen. That helps explain a lot.”

Before she could ask any more questions, Faelar’s sharp voice cut through the tunnel. “Watch out! Cave Fishers!”

The group froze as long, sinewy tendrils shot out from the shadows ahead, glistening in the pale light of the glowing crystals. [Cave Fisher]s, large, crab-like creatures with powerful, spidery limbs and sharp claws emerged from the darkness, their chitinous bodies clicking menacingly. Their beady eyes glinted as they scuttled toward the group, hungry for their next prey.

“Let’s move!” Thorne shouted, gripping his massive maul, while Mira began muttering incantations under her breath, her hands crackling with fire.

Elara hung back for a moment, watching how the group reacted to the ambush. Thorne charged forward, his heavy armor clanging as he bashed one of the [Cave Fisher]s back with a powerful swing of his maul. Mira raised her hands, summoning a wall of flame that flared up between the creatures, forcing them back. Soren slipped into the shadows, almost invisible, as he maneuvered around the battle, waiting for the right moment to strike from behind.

Meanwhile, Kael stood off to the side, his dark eyes focused as he began weaving threads of blue and red magic together. As the strands intertwined, they formed a shard of purple crystal in his hand. The crystal flickered like a flame, but it exuded a bone-chilling cold instead of heat. The shard shimmered, seeming to dance with its energy.

With a flick of his wrist, Kael hurled the crystal at one of the charging [Cave Fisher]s. It hit the creature squarely in its shell, and a high-pitched screech echoed through the tunnel as purple ice began to creep up its body like fire. The [Cave Fisher] struggled, its limbs flailing wildly as the ice spread, freezing it in place. Within moments, the creature was encased in a thick layer of purple ice, its body immobilized as frost clung to every inch.

The other adventurers dispatched the remaining creatures swiftly, and the tunnel fell silent once again, the [Cave Fisher]s either dead or frozen where they stood. Elara approached Kael as the group gathered themselves, her curiosity piqued by the spell he had cast.

“That was impressive,” she said, her eyes still lingering on the frozen creature. “What spell was that?”

Kael glanced at her, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. “It’s something I’ve been working on for a while. It is called [Winter's Kiss]. It’s a combination of ice and flame, so cold it burns. The magic’s tricky, but it works.”

Elara raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Cold that burns... It certainly gets the job done.”

Kael shrugged modestly, though there was a glint of pride in his eyes. “It’s useful in situations like this. The creatures don’t expect it.”

Kael’s modest shrug lingered in Elara’s mind as they walked on. Watching him weave magic with such ease stirred something inside her, not just admiration but a sharp reminder of her own limitations. The process of forming her core was taking its toll, and she could feel it. Even Kael’s uncommon magic seemed to outshine her abilities right now, something that hadn’t been the case before. Her strength was tied up in the tangled threads of her core, and it was becoming a burden she could no longer take her time with.

Feeling the weight of her own weakness, Elara turned toward Lily, who was celebrating the victory with the other adventurers. The kitsune was laughing and sharing small jokes with the group, her three tails swaying behind her in a lively rhythm. Elara hesitated for a moment, but she needed answers. She needed to fix this.

“Lily,” she called softly, walking over. “Can I speak to you for a second? Alone.”

Lily’s golden eyes flicked to Elara, her usual playfulness dimming slightly as she picked up on the seriousness in Elara’s tone. She nodded, flashing a quick grin at the others before following Elara to a quieter tunnel section. The faint glow of the blue crystals around them cast a soft light over the stone walls as they walked a little farther from the group.

Once they reached a secluded spot, Elara turned to face her. “Lily, how much longer do I have to work on this core?” She paused, her frustration barely contained. “It’s becoming a detriment at this point. I feel... weaker.”

Lily tilted her head thoughtfully before sitting down cross-legged on the stone floor, her tails wrapping around her lap. She patted the ground beside her, indicating that Elara should join her. “Come on, let’s figure it out. Sit.”

Elara sighed and sat down beside Lily, trying to push away the irritation gnawing at her. The cold stone pressed against her legs, and she glanced at Lily, who was watching her intently.

“First things first,” Lily said, her voice calm. “Open your status screen. Focus on your energy bar. It’ll tell us more about the state of your core. It’ll show what kind of core you’ve got if you're down to four or fewer affinities. When you have cleared enough of your affinities, a tangled type core will show up. It will say unformed if you have not cleared your core enough.”

Elara nodded and did as instructed, pulling up her status screen. The familiar overlay appeared before her eyes, and she narrowed her focus on the energy bar, expecting to see the usual frustration reflected back at her. Her breath caught in her throat as she read it aloud.

Energy:

Amount: 6,370

Core Type: Straightened

Primary Affinity: None

Secondary Affinities:

Light

Force

Shadow

Spirit

Lily’s sharp ears perked up, and she turned to Elara with a surprised look. “Straightened?” she repeated, curiosity lighting her features. “That's... unusual. That’s normally the next stage after a tangled core, but it's more advanced.” She leaned closer, her tails twitching with interest. "That means you're making better progress than you thought, but something’s still off.”

Elara furrowed her brow, staring at the status screen. “So, it’s not unformed?”

Lily leaned back slightly, her golden eyes glinting with a mix of seriousness and amusement. “The next step,” she began, “is to knot your affinities into your core. There are multiple types of knots, different ways to weave them together. But here’s the catch: it’s not something I can teach you. This is something you have to feel.”

Elara’s frustration flared. “Feel? What does that even mean?”

Lily smiled, undeterred by Elara’s irritation. “Relax, it’s fine. Really. Almost any knot or weave will do the job. The important thing is that you’re already past the stage where forming your core makes you weaker. From now on, you’ll only grow stronger.”

That brought Elara a bit of relief, but before she could process it, Lily continued. “One more thing: don’t knot in your shadow affinity. You want that to remain free, to wrap around the rest and drive your entire core. Think of it as the binding thread that holds everything together.”

Elara let out a long breath, feeling both reassured and more uncertain than ever. Knotting her affinities felt abstract, and the idea of having to figure it out on her own without guidance left her uneasy. She knew what Lily was saying made sense, but the execution sounded like it required something more instinctual than calculated. That’s what made it difficult.

Before Elara could ask anything more, Faelar’s calm but firm voice echoed through the tunnel, breaking the moment. “Everyone, gather up. It’s time to move on.”

Elara exchanged a quick glance with Lily, who stood up gracefully, her tails flicking as she stretched. “We’ll figure it out,” Lily said softly. “You’re stronger than you think. The rest will come when it’s time.”

Elara nodded, rising to her feet and dusting off her armor. As she fell into step with the group, her mind turned inward. Knotting affinities, wrapping her core with shadow… it felt overwhelming, yet strangely within reach. There was no room for doubt now. Whatever came next, she would be ready to face it head-on.