Chapter 9: A Weapon to Be

Max returned to the goblin village with little difficulty and arrived at Rial's hut after chatting with some of the goblins along the way.

He knocked on the rough wooden door of the hut and heard a slew of curses coming inside before Rial grunted loudly for him to enter.

Max entered the familiar room and immediately saw that everything was pure chaos. The usually neat and tidy room looked as if it had been hit by some sort of tornado as almost all the alchemical ingredients were spilled onto the tables and even a few ancient-looking books were opened to random pages with various complex diagrams painted within them.

"How can I help you, Max?" Rial muttered as he hurriedly cross-referenced between two books while desperately stirring a red-hot cauldron that was bubbling dangerously.

"I'm a bit busy at the moment... DAMNIT!" He shouted as the strange magical substance in the cauldron turned into a murky brown puddle in an instant.

The liquid that had been boiling moments before was now just murky sludge at the bottom of the pot. It looked more like mud than anything resembling a potion.

Rial took a deep breath to contain the evident anger on his face before tossing the stirring rod into the pot and turning toward Max with annoyance on his face.

Max felt guilty at his intrusion but something in his gut told him Rial wasn't mad at him... he was mad at himself.

"You alright there, Rial?"

Rial frowned at Max's question and was about to brush it off before he stopped and stared at Max in amazement.

"Where the hell did you find that?" He said while gingerly pointing toward Max's backpack.

"The Backpack? You guys gave it to me remem-"

"No no no... not the stupid backpack. I'm talking about whatever is condensing mana in your bag," He said as a spark of energy filled his eyes.

"It's sucking up mana and spitting it out faster than I have ever seen before,"

"It's beautiful," Rial said as his eyes glowed and focused on the threads that only magic casters could see.

"Actually, that's why I was coming to see you..." Max trailed off as he reached into his backpack and grabbed the two bone shards carefully.

"I went back to the place where the Death Hound attacked and scavenged what I could find left,"

Rial eyed the shards in Max's hands with a clear interest in his eyes.

"I think this is what's left of Drynn and Vaun,"

"I found it surrounded by the remains of the Death Hound," He said before opening the lid of the jar and showing it to the shaman.

Rial went from spirited and filled with energy to solemn and astounded in just a few moments. His face fell into one of confusion and then realization.

"I-I see..." He mumbled as he stared at the bone shards again.

"May I see them please?" He asked quietly.

Max nodded and silently passed them over with as much care as possible.

Rial held the two bone shards in his hands and looked at them as if they were priceless treasures.

A heavy silence filled the room as Rial seemed to have drifted off in a moment as if lost in memory. But after a few minutes, he snapped back to reality and placed the shards on the cleanest table in the room that he could find.

"Thank you, Max,"

"I didn't even know you left... let alone to do something like this..."

"It means a lot to me," Rial said solemnly as he stared max in the eyes with gratitude.

"It's my pleasure," Max said while shaking his head.

"You and your people have treated me like family in the last 3 weeks I've been here,"

"You are my saviors. It's the least I could do,"

Rial lowered his head before his eyes darted back toward Max's backpack.

"There's another?" He asked in confusion.

"Yes. The third was stained with darkness. I thought it was most likely the Death Hounds," Max said as he took out the third shard and held it out to Rial.

Rial grabbed the bone shard and inspected it closer than he had done with the bones of his people.

"This is... remarkable," He muttered as his eyes flared with magic.

"The Death Hound must have been refining the creatures it ate into these... Mana Conduits? I'm not sure what they are but I think that describes them aptly enough,"

"If it had the capabilities to create these then it was a truly dangerous beast indeed," Rial thought aloud.

"With every creature, the Death Hound ate it could have become more and more powerful... It could have funneled all the magic in its surroundings into itself, becoming the only creature that could use magic in its region,"

"That sounds... dangerous," Max said worriedly.

"It is," Rial said while making eye contact with Max.

"It would have become an apex predator if it had eaten even a few more goblins... who's to say how strong it could have gotten,"

"Oh, right," Rial jolted out of his thoughts.

"You found it and that means it's yours,"

"Do you want me to help make something with it? Maybe an amulet or a staff to help further your magic studies?"

Max was left speechless by Rials' words.

"I could never-"

"It's yours, Max. Accept it. You returned the remains of two of my kin to their home. You have done plenty for our people," Rial said sternly.

Max fell silent as he took in the shaman's words.

It took him a moment to accept them as he mulled them around in his mind.

"Fine, I'll accept it,"

Rial nodded and hummed in agreeance.

"So what do you want me to make of it?" Rial asked eagerly.

Max thought for a moment as he pondered on what it could be made into.

'I don't really like the idea of using a staff or a wand or anything like normal mages use... I'd look ridiculous and I'd feel clumsy if I tried using one,'

'An amulet would be nice but I feel like it doesn't serve a secondary purpose,'

'Hmm...' Max trailed off before an idea clicked in his mind.

"Could you turn it into a weapon?"

"Like a knife or a spear?" He said while gesturing to the weapons on his side and back.

Rial frowned and creased his brows before nodding hesitantly.

"It can be done. It's an interesting idea..." He muttered as he stared at the shape of the bone shard.

"We could make a fine spearhead out of this... that could be used in conjunction with the body of the spear to create a sort of magical funnel for you to channel your mana into,"

"Does that sound interesting?"

Max nodded with a light smile on his face in response.

"I don't know much about magic right now. If I had something that could help me concentrate my mana then it would help speed up my progress a lot," Max thought as he remembered the difficulty he had while trying to force his mana into the threads around him.

"Then it will be done," Rial nodded.

"I am rather busy though... so I should have it to you in a week, is that okay?"

"It would give me some time to figure out how exactly to use fire magic," Max nodded.

"It never showed up on that Panel I was telling you about,"

"Magic is a fickle thing. It's never easy to learn, let alone master," He said gently while organizing a few herbs that were nearby into small piles so that he could organize the order in which he would use them to make whatever magical brew he was attempting.

"I'll help when I have the time but I'm afraid I have a lot on my hands right now,"

"3 of our newborns have been born with mana sickness... It's both a blessing and a curse,"

"I have to make them some mana inhibitor potions or else they will die in a few weeks,"

"But if they manage to live for a month or two they should be able to manage on their own... and they will have the talent required to learn magic," He said seriously.

"Then I suppose I should leave you to it. I don't know enough about Alchemy to even try helping," Max said awkwardly.

"Then take care, Max," Rial said while flashing him a smile.

"And thank you. What you have done for my people is more than worthy of the help we gave you," He said as he locked eyes with Max.

Max nodded and smiled in embarrassment before clumsily leaving the hut.

There was a lot to be done in the village... and Max needed to get stronger.

'It's time to get back to training,' Max thought as he stared at his supplies with determination.

---

The tunnels of the Labyrinth stretched wide and were void of the light present in the little Dew Drop Forest the Tribe of Goblins Max had grown fond of resided.

The walls were slick with moisture and the air was frigid in the dark expanse of the Connecting Corridors of the Labyrinth.

This enormous hallway was not a room within a dungeon or a room at all. It was simply a part of the Labyrinth. It was a branching path that connected dungeons and levels to each other. It was the main method of travel between dungeons... and the easiest way to get yourself killed.

The traps that lined the Connecting Corridors and the monsters that wandered within them were impossible to predict. The majority of the Subjects within the Labyrinth don't die within the Tutorial dungeon... they die within these halls.

A large caravan of a few hundred humans walked silently through this dark and deadly place with purpose in their travel.

They wore heavy armor that glinted a myriad of colors as the light of their torches reflected off the beautiful metal.

The majority of the group was looking into the darkness... searching for what hidden dangers lurked within the unknown. But a few of these armed soldiers walked casually in the center of the caravan, with not an ounce of fear in their being.

"We have confirmed 12 Humans alive in this direction?" The young voice of a woman rang out through the tunnel fearlessly.

The woman was of normal height at about 5 foot 8 inches tall. She had dark brown hair that looked almost black in the dim torchlight that surrounded them.

Her face was angular and sharp, almost as sharp as the golden blade that was sheathed on her waist.

She was beautiful by all standards... but the men that surrounded her acted like they were walking on eggshells.

"Yes, Madam Sun," The gruff voice of a grizzled man echoed out beneath an impossibly heavy set of armor that walked beside her.

If you didn't know that this was a caravan of humans then you would have had no way of telling whether this metallic being was a golem or a man completely covered in tons of metal plates that were intricately bound together. It looked more like a prison than a suit of armor.

"What were their classes again? We need more Healers and Architects for the settlement in New Reach. If they aren't mages or craftsmen then we shouldn't bother with them," Her voice echoed out emotionlessly.

"The Theory Crafter divined that there were 4 Warriors, 2 Rangers, 1 Thief, 2 Mages, 1 Tactician, 1 Craftsman, and 1 Observer," The metal giant echoed out dully.

"Hmm..." She hummed in annoyance.

"An Observer? When was the last time one of them showed up? It's been quite a few months hasn't it?" The woman asked suddenly with intrigue.

"And that one went mad," The Giant nodded in confirmation.

"It's never been a popular class... I'm surprised that the Great 7 even made it a core class," He rumbled in distaste.

"Hmm... We will see what this Observer is made of if he's alive when we find him. How close is the nearest Tutorial dungeon?" Madam Sun asked shortly.

The Metal Giant went silent for a moment as some sort of metal clacking could be heard echoing through his massive gray helmet.

"5 Days, Madam Sun," He confirmed as a whirl of steam escaped from the vents that lined the outside of his mask.

"5 Days? We have been traveling for a week already... It seems like the spawn points are getting further and further out," Madam Sun said in annoyance.

The Metal Giant grunted in reply before he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

One of his massive metal gauntlets reached out toward the darkness at the front of the Caravan and an ominous glow began to envelop his fist.

"Glowsteel Prison," He said in a dull voice as the light began to condense impossibly fast.

The grey energy that was being gathered in his hand launched out into the darkness before exploding in a massive prism of glowing grey steel. The Prysm hovered above the dark expanse and had been illuminated by just the two words the giant had spoken.

Silence filled the air as the Caravan halted suddenly, and before even a single soldier could speak the roaring sound of a massive collision filled the Labyrinth and the Prysm rocked unsteadily as whatever was inside it desperately tried to destroy the metal binding it in the air.

"It was another Stalker, Madam Sun. The fourth in this leg of the journey already," The Massive giant said as he held his hand outstretched in concentration.

"I suppose something must have riled them up in this direction," The woman in the golden robes said disappointed.

"I guess I should end this quick," She sighed as she pulled out her golden blade which began to glow with divine energy.

"We do have a deadline we have to meet after all," She tutted gently before she got into a tense stance with the blade in hand.

Her body tensed up and in one quick movement, she slashed forward, sending a massive wave of electricity out of the edge of her blade.

A blast of golden energy and the shrieking of lightning filled the cavern before silence returned to the Labyrinth.

"Such a disappointment," Her voice echoed out as darkness returned.