Ultimate Level 1

Flames almost as hot as the chains that Aria’s staff had created, burned the flesh from Max’s skin, causing the pain of it all to blind him for a bit.

Regeneration was keeping up and Batrire’s heal had him in a great spot health wise but for the last forty seconds since the new goblin had dropped from a building up above and onto where everyone was, Max endured the pain that came from running and leaping upward, grabbing the creature and using Demonic Teleportation to remove it from its attempt at detonating on the three women.

As soon as he and the creature hit the ground, it exploded, covering a good twenty yard circle in flames.

Leaving that area had taken a moment as Max gathered his whits. Now he stood outside the circle, still on fire.

Ice Nova had not stopped the flames nor had the barrel of water he tried to douse himself with.

Some magic cannot be put out by normal means. Whatever this is, it isn’t just magic but a combination of magic and items.

His skill confirmed the thought he had been debating as the fire ate away flesh and muscle, again and again as his skill healed him. It was like the acid except hot but not near as life threatening.

Finally, the flames vanished and his body immediately felt normal as a heal came once more from Batrire.

“Seth!” their healer cried out

“I’m okay,” Max said as he touched his face, his gloves vanishing for a moment as he made certain he wasn’t too ugly to look at.

“You saved us!” Batrire exclaimed. “Had that landed in our midst, we would have been burnt to death.”

Fowl gave him a gentle slug to the arm and nodded.

“It’s my job, and I know everyone here would do the same for each other. Besides, now we know they can come from those higher buildings,” Max replied, waving off their praise. “We’ll need to fight closer to the middle of the street and I’ll try to keep an eye out on above.”

Snorting, Fowl shook his head.

“Always thinking about next time instead of how we barely survived this time. Are we still wanting to keep going or do you have some idea on when we should try to camp?”

“Let’s get about four or five more hours in and see where we are. After that we can find one of these openings the bikes create when they leave the building.”

Max noticed Tanila motioning to him to follow her for a moment away from the group.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Max followed expecting he knew what was coming next.

“You’re focused on pushing through at a fast rate,” Tanila said. “I know you want to make certain we are stronger to try to protect us, but don’t forget, we won’t be there in a week or two. This journey is supposed to take years, if not decades.”

Max could feel the other three watching them and heard Cordellia ask if he was going to ever relax again.

“I’ll try… I really will,” he replied. “Just… you saw your mother and I have no doubt that eventually that bridge will come tumbling down and I can’t risk any of you. Especially you.”

She smiled and nodded, moving close to him, and gave a quick kiss on his cheek.

“I know… but don’t forget who you are. I won’t push, but what happened on that floor… it has changed you.”

Sighing, he nodded slowly.

It did change me… why?

No reply came but even without his skill telling him, Max knew the weakest point in his armor was Tanila. If someone intentionally hurt her to get to him he would burn the world down, selling his soul along the way.

“I know… I’m working on finding myself again. Just give me a few days or weeks. I can’t promise it will happen overnight, but I’ll get there.”

She nodded and then motioned to the others who came to where they stood.

“Well, you heard our leader,” Tanila said, her voice now mocking the title Max hated. “Time to keep pushing on till he lets us sleep.”

The air changed as everyone laughed and prepared to find the next group of goblins in their path.

For a few minutes, everything was almost like it had been before the previous night.

***

Fowl yawned as he waited on Batrire’s heal.

“Two of those exploding at the same time actually hurts.”

Max nodded and stored his bow, taking in the carnage they had just waded through for the last twenty minutes.

They managed to sleep without any incidents, and until about two hours ago the progress had been like the day before.

“We just need to find out why those other groups are coming with the one we pull,” Max said. “I scouted and didn’t see them but like all the last few major fights, a few extra doors are open which means they are hiding in the buildings.”

Fowl grumbled and nodded as the others moved to where they were standing.

“You two complain too much,” Batrire stated. “With your ability to heal and Tanila’s mana regeneration we haven’t really had any issues. Even those self detonating goblins manage to take out a few of their own since we destroy them early on.”

“I know. It’s just not a good thing when we fight forty or so in a row, even if the experience is good,” Max replied.

“Oh, it's good. Real good,” Fowl said as he grinned.

“We’re ready when you are,” Cordellia said as she nocked an arrow.

Nodding, Max moved ahead of the group, preparing to find their next victims.

***

Seven more hours ended as they arrived at a massive half dome, four hundred yards high and made of patchwork metal sheets.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Underneath the dome the portal sat at the end, almost a half mile away.

Leading to the portal were rows of raised barricades, with packs of goblins scattered behind each one.

“Those barricades are like fifty yards apart,” Tanila stated as she pointed at the portal. “The worst part is I don’t see any of the ones that blow up when you get near or kill them.”

Everyone could see about forty airplanes circling up above, black smoke trails following behind them, the constant drone of those engines and the occasional sputter easily heard.

More of the robot suit goblins were moving around behind the seven rows of barricades.

“There has to be almost three hundred of them there?”

“Is that a question or a statement?” Max asked Fowl who gave him the middle finger.

“You know that was a question! If it’s not gold, we both know I struggle to count that high.”

Smiles appeared even as the group tried to consider the options for getting to the portal.

“Feels like another one of those floors like the bee,” Max said. “I can see a path and have no doubt I can run past all these goblins before they can respond. My biggest fear is what might be hiding and all those barrels stacked on top of each other near the portal.”

Cordellia squinted and snorted.

“You can see those? Maybe Fowl is wrong and you’re part elf too,” their ranger stated. “I noticed them but thought nothing about them till now.”

“I’m all for getting carried out here if you want to run,” Batrire said. “I have my barrier and with how fast you move, we can easily reach the portal long before it runs out.”

Max nodded, his eyes still focused on the barrels.

“What is it?” Tanila asked.

“I’m the only one who was fortunate enough to get close to those goblins that explode in flames. In the back of the mech was a barrel that looked similar to the ones stacked there. Part of me fears a possible trap, but the other part of me wants to try to steal one or two.”

“So you would run with us, toss us in the portal and then try to grab a few before exiting the tower floor?”

Max nodded at Tanila, who then sighed but shrugged.

“Why not? You’ve done crazier things before.”

Everyone grinned and even Max smiled, knowing they were right.

“Alright. Let’s get set, I want to get you all safe and if I feel I can still make it, I’ll grab a couple.”

Everyone moved into position while Fowl held out his arms, holding his shield before him.

“One day we need to come up with a name for this,” their dwarven warrior muttered. “That way you can just call out ‘Dwarven Express’ and we’ll all know what to do.”

As Max finished putting Tanila on top of Cordellia he chuckled.

“You’re right and I probably need to get a harness made so I don’t have to worry about anyone falling off.”

***

Once they were all set, Max raced toward the first barricade, judging the distance, and jumped well beyond the first line of defenders.

A shout came and then an alarm sounded as horns around the top of the dome blared out an ear piercing sound.

The planes began to descend, but none of them were fast enough to react as Max was already past the third barrier and closing in on the exit with each step.

Goblins flew past him as he moved, many trying to turn and focus on him, yet most couldn’t rotate fast enough to keep track as he ran.

At the sixth barrier, the wall began to rise, appearing to attempt to stop the group that was almost past all the defenses.

Summoning an air wall, Max jumped off it, leaping above and beyond the wall, angling toward the last one that did not appear to get taller.

The groan Fowl made as they moved almost made Max laugh as he angled toward the portal.

Having gotten closer to the space between the last barrier, Max felt a skill go crazy.

Red areas on different pieces of metal appeared and everything inside told him if he stepped on those, life wouldn't be good.

[ Trap Detected ]

[ Trap Detected ]

[ Trap Detected ]

[ Trap Detected ]

[ Trap Detected ]

[ Trap Detected ]

A flood of over fifty notifications flew by and Max had to summon an earth wall to adjust his intended path, hitting it harder than he wanted and jostling everyone he carried.

“TRAPS!”

Max felt everyone tighten up as he slowed his pace, dancing along the metal floor, avoiding areas he knew would set off something most likely not good for their health.

Explosions sounded behind him as the first line of defense sent their explosive projectiles this way, most of them striking the sixth barricade that had risen.

Leaping sideways, Max squeezed Fowl and the others as tight as possible, wishing for a harness or extra body mass so that he could grip them better. There was still almost four hundred yards until the portal was in range.

The sound of plane engines struggling to gain speed and come toward him sounded like an angry buzz, filling the moments of silence between the blaring alarm.

Dodging left, then leaping right, Max weaved his way across the floor as more traps appeared as he got within range.

This close, he could see the slightly raised section of the floor, noticeable now but before something one would have missed if not looking for it.

An ice spear formed above him as he ran for a moment and then was gone, sent behind by Tanila as she defended his back.

The distance vanished as each step and leap covered ten to twenty yards easily, going slower so he could land where he needed to.

As the portal came near, Max sensed arrows flying toward them and then an air wall stopped the attacks from striking his group.

“Hold on!”

Touching down near the portal, Max immediately tossed Fowl into it, ignoring the scream that came from his dwarven friend. Catching Batrire as she shifted from the move, Max grabbed her with one hand and spun, sending her into the portal right after her man.

“Forgive me!”

A scream that almost reached the same pitch as Fowls escaped Tanila’s throat as she was flung into the portal.

Two seconds later Cordellia was sent out of the tower and Max tried to not pause as the sight of over a hundred goblins rushing toward him and the dozens of airplanes that were headed in his direction.

Forty yards away in each direction were hundreds of the kegs he wanted to steal.

Dashing from the portal, Max summoned an ice wall. As he reached the first row, he began grabbing them and storing the first two immediately.

The next pair he tossed across the area at the incoming goblins, moving along and already having stored four more before Max’s projectiles were halfway to his target.

Arrows began to rain down all around him and Max summoned his air wall once more, preventing an attack that wasn’t aimed at him but the barrels near him.

Shite! They’re trying to blow me up now!

Dozens of explosive charges were flying towards the wall of barrels, and Max knew only seconds remained as he pivoted and sprinted back toward the exit.

Ten yards from the portal, the first explosive charge hit and a whoomp sounded in his ears, a massive heat immediately reaching his back.

Behind him, the greatest display of destruction began as barrel after barrel ignited in a domino effect.

[ Demonic Teleportation ]

Time wasn’t on his side and as he touched the portal the brightness of the orange glow around him was almost blinding.

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