We made a camp near dungeons entrance or exit, depending on your position. Entrance to the dungeon leaked out darkness itself. Barrier also was bck, and it looked like something that kept darkness inside.

  For the first time, in a long time, I did not want to go inside. Takazuchi was the first one, who went inside, and Nelly immediately followed him. I sighed and also stepped inside.

  Entrance led as to wide cave. We barely made a dozen steps, when several wights flew out of the corridor and attacked us. They were too close to use high ranking spells, that could destroy all of them at the same time, and I had to use Holy aura on my sword instead. Takazuchi jumped in front of Nelly, and one of the wights extended his arm. Fox tried to bite it, but his teeth went through wights body. Undead monsters hand touched Takazuchi, and fox squealed in pain. Nelly tried to hit monster with her staff, but it also went through the monster.

  I grabbed Nelly's shoulder and showed her back. She fell on her bat, but at least now she was behind me.

  My sword went through the wight, but covered with Holy aura it was more effective than Nelly's staff. Monster turned to fog pieces, and magic stone fell on the ground.

  - Divine aura! - Trevor used simir spell on his sword, and he and Luara joined the fight. Luara's new sword could destroy undead, even without magical help, and soon we got rid of all the wights.

  Takazuchi got up and shook. Wight touch could drain life force, but it worked slowly and high ranking creature like Takazuchi had more than enough Health points.

  - Are you all right? - I asked Nelly: - Sorry, for pushing you.

  - I am fine. How is Takiko?

  - He is fine, - I sighed: - Nelly stay in the back. Trevor protect Nelly. Luara front line. I'll go second. Fox, do not get in our way.

  Everyone took assigned positions, and we went inside Darkness dungeon.

  * * *

  I cut down st drake in the cavern and cleaned my palm from the sweat. Four days ter we reached floor five, but it was miracle in itself. Giant Takazuchi took his small fox form and licked his paw. Kitsune was showing us the shortest and safest way through the dungeon, but even so moving forward was difficult. Unlike other dungeons, in this one every cavern was occupied. Even with night vision skill we could barely see anything, and monsters were also stronger than they should have been in upper floors, even in ancient dungeon.

  - If I would have needed to guess, I would say that it is a miracle that dungeon did not caused monster stampede already, - said Luara. I agreed with her. Something was definitely wrong.

  - Use stamina potions. We are leaving magic stones, and are going forward, as soon as Nelly maps this are, - I ordered. We were forced to use huge amounts of stamina and anti-sleep potions to continue moving forward and fighting. During first night we tried to get some sleep, but were attacked five times, before I made decision to move forward. I considered returning, but coming back would mean fighting swarms of monsters again, and I decided to trust in Takazuchi's guiding and finish our dungeon run with single try. I did not completely trusted the fox, so I still made Nelly draw maps, that way we could find way back even without kitsune's help. Fox showed us the way, and in next cavern we run into Burning tiger.

  - Nelly, - I ordered and casted slow spell. Floor guardian slowed down a little, and Nelly got enough time to cast Frozen nd. Whole cavern got covered in ice, including Burning tiger. Monster blinked and tensed his body, trying to break the ice.

  - Sacred arrows!

  Dozen light arrows pierced monster's body, and he fell on the ground. Luara approached him and finished monster, by cutting of his head.

  - Collect his magic gem, - I ordered her. I did not mind leaving ordinary monster materials and magic stones, but magic gems were too valuable. Especially to me. Luara took out her dagger and started cutting out magic gem. I used mana potion and gave one to Nelly. If that fox lied about Primordial magic book, I will skin him myself.

  We needed twelve days of unending battles to reach floor ten. We only succeeded because of several hundred potions that we carried in our magic bags.

  Floor ten was infested with giant wolves, rats and we even run into floor guardian Wolf sheppard. He controlled several hundred wolves, and, without Nelly casting her Frozen nd, spell we would not leave that floor alive.

  - We are almost there, - said Takazuchi. Nelly stared at him with surprise. This was the first time that fox actually talked in someone else's presence.

  - The faster we get to the end the better, - I sighed.

  We stepped around the corner, and, at the end of a corridor, I noticed light coming out of the entrance to some kind of room. We carefully approached it, ready to run away at the first sign of danger.

  As it turned out the light came not from the room itself, but shining barrier that covered the entrance.

  - Do not cross the barrier!

  Someone called, and we froze in pce. Voice was loud and deep, and it gave echo that traveled deep inside the corridor behind us.

  - I will not harm you! You my came closer. I have not spoken to anyone for a long time and would appreciate a conversation.

  We carefully came closer and saw a huge man, chained to the wall. In one corner of the room were sleeping several foxes, with more than one tail. The other corners were filled with magic stones and many monster materials. There were hundreds, no thousands magic stones. Whole mountain of them, and some were even big enough to be magic gems. I also noticed huge book, near titans legs, and my mouth filled with saliva. The book was dark blue, and it radiated magic power. If that was not Primordial magic book, then I did not know what was.

  - My family! - screamed kitsune and jumped inside the room. Barrier allowed him to enter and, from what I saw, he was unharmed.

  - That was a mistake, - shook his head the titan: - Barrier allows objects, monsters and creatures to get past it, but you will not be able to leave.

  - What! - I screamed: - That means that we cannot get anything out of your room?

  - Poor kitsune, - sighed Nelly.

  "Hell take that kitsune! What about the book?" - I thought to myself, but did not say it out loud, knowing how much Nelly liked that stupid fox.

  - What about spells from that book of yours? - I pointed at Primordial magic book: - Can't we use it to destroy or dispel the barrier?

  - No. Magic won't be able to help you to destroy that barrier.

  That was bad. Only reason why I came here was Primordial magic book. I had no intention to leave without it.In the meantime kitsune was licking his family and pushing them with his nose, trying to wake them up.

  - I am sorry little fox, but in order to keep them alive, I pced the spell on your family. They will not wake up until the barrier is destroyed. That was the only way I could help them. I also contacted you and pretended to be your family members, to tell you that your family is alive and to give you some relief. I did not expect that you will come here and cross the barrier yourself.

  - Who are you? - I asked. That titan was suspicious, but I did not sense any evil power coming of him. I gnced at Nelly, but she shook her head. Her all seeing eyes also did not tell her anything.

  - My name is Prometheus. I am one of the gods, or original Titans, as you may call us.

  - If you are a god, then what are you doing here?

  - It is a long story.

  - We are not in a hurry right now.

  - You are an impudent mortal, but, very well, I will tell you my story. Long ago, when forces of chaos invaded this world, I broke rules set by the gods and gave creatures of this world skills, or you might say that I made them accessible for all the creatures and accidentally also some monsters as well. You see originally gods bestowed their blessings and gave mortals, what you call, eleventh skills, which made mortals heroes among their kind. But when soldiers of chaos invaded, that was not enough. Humans were at a danger to be wiped out, so I used my power to give all of them mana and skills, that in the past only few could use. Using my gifts, inhabitants of this world won the war. But I was left weakened, and other gods punished me. The chained me in this dungeon, were I can see no light, and where monsters attack me and torture my body, - he pointed at his collection of magic gems: - In a way, they also made me the guardian of this dungeon.

  - So what about that book of yours? - I pointed at the only thing that I cared about right now.

  - Is that why you came here? - he chuckled.

  Prometheus picked up the book and through it to me. But it hit the barrier and fell on the ground. It was so close that I could literally reach out and touch it, but it was out of my reach, at the same time.

  - I have no need of it. But I am afraid that you cannot take it.

  - What about those magic stones and monster materials?

  - And Takazuchi's family, - added Nelly and gave me angry look.

  - I have no need of any of them. If I could, I would give them to you. But I am bound by my chains, and that barrier was made to keep monsters in here, so they could not run away and would be forced to attack me.

  - So if we can destroy the barrier, we can take the book, magic stones and those foxes will be free to leave? - I asked, to make sure.

  - Yes, - Titan shook his head: - But like I said...

  My Barrier destroyer sword smmed into the barrier and it slowly disappeared. Light disappeared as well, but we all could see in the dark, and it did not bother us. I quickly grabbed the book and showed it inside my magic purse.

  - How did you...? - asked surprised Prometheus.

  - Used an artifact, - I shrugged. I slowly came inside the room and started to show all magic stones inside my purse, trying to keep an eye and stay as far as possible from the titan at the same time.

  - That artifact, - Prometheus squeezed his eyes and looked at my sword: - I see. It was forged, or reforged by Hephaestus himself. No wonder it could destroy that barrier. But how did you get it?

  - Found in a dungeon.

  Nelly approached kitsunes and looked at them curiously, while more careful Trevor and Luara stayed outside the room.

  Foxes were slowly waking up. After seeing Takazuchi they made some happy sounds and started to lick each other. Nelly looked as happy as they were, and I shook my head. Her attachment to that divine animal was a mystery to me.

  Prometheus did not move, and I continued gathering his treasures. I even found a sword in the pile of magic gems.

  - What's this? - I pointed at the sword.

  - Some artifact, that one of the human like monsters had. It increases strength stats by three.

  Useless, but could be sold, all passed down to someone in the Bcksmith cave.

  - Fox! - I called and throw him the sword: - Take this with you, to a pce where you are going.

  Takazuchi gave me his fox gre, but nodded.

  - What about Prometheus? - looked at me Nelly: - We cannot leave him here.

  - He can leave himself, for all that I care. We got what we came here for.

  - He cannot leave. He is still chained to the wall, - objected Nelly.That girl could be such a nuisance.

  - What do you want me to do about that?

  - Can't we help him?

  - You're friends sword could break these chains, but she should not do that. Anyone holding the sword will be destroyed, alongside the chains and the sword. I could promise you a reward for freeing me, but no reward is worse your friends life.

  - What kind of reward? - I asked curious. I liked that word - Reward from a god. Especially the one who invented skills.

  I continued showing treasures inside my purse and even found one magic stone as big as a melon. If I get lucky, I will have enough magic gems to get me several levels.

  - Anything in my powers, but, like I said - no reward is worth your life.

  - Can you increase our levels?

  - Yes. But only one level for each of you. But, like I said...

  - What about your blood, can we use it to make the leveling potion?

  - Yes.

  - And can you change our skills. Make them more high ranking ones. And change more than one skill. Like seven, no eight for me. Seven and one more. One more skill that only you can give me, - ever since I found the scroll describing advanced skills, I spend many sleepless nights imagining the skills that I would want to get, and how I would change them if I could. And now I could finally get the skills, that I dreamed of.

  - Very well. I do possess such powers, and, as creator of skills, I could do that. But no more than three, maybe four skills for your companions. That is extent of my abilities. For you, for some reason not known to me, I can change more skills.

  - Good. And what about artifacts. Can you change... Let's see. Trevor's cuirass, Luara's chainmail, Nelly's cloak and my vest to an artifact, that would grant us resistance to sun and fire?

  Using my burning sun spell, always required me casting protection spell on them, and having such artifacts would make things for us way easier. Too bad I could not ask for a Light magic resistance artifact, but my Shirt of Ares artifact prevented me from doing that.

  - One artifact for each of you, should be possible. But artifacts can be made only from magic ores or other magical materials. Let me see, - he looked at our equipment and nodded: - That is possible, but doing all of it would leave me weakened. Also, your vest can be only made into an artifact that will protect you from sun. For some reason all of your clothe can be changed into artifacts, so I can, in addition, change your shirt into an artifact that will protect you from fire. That is way more than I should do, but since you will be receiving simir reward as your friends, I can do that.

  - Good. So increasing our level, four vials of your blood, changing our skills and making our artifacts, also, - I stopped to think some more. If I was freeing this god, then I was squeezing him for all possible rewards: - If I am losing my sword, I will need a new one. Something equally powerful. And also something that I can actually get, not something that is located on another part of a continent. Unless you can create something with simir abilities?

  - No. That is beyond my power. Only Hephaestus can forge such a sword. But I do know about another one. Remnant of the times, when Herculian rules Iron mountain's. The sword is kept by the ruling family of town called Taingor in kingdom of Ashgrin. It's called sword Kdenets. It is most powerful sword that you might be able to get, that I know of. But that knowledge will be useless to you. Like I said, anyone using your sword on these chains...

  I through the sword and it pierced the chains. I already completed gathering the magic stones and run out of ideas, what to demand from the god. Bright light forced us to close our eyes. I had to rob my eyes and blink several minutes, before my eyesight returned.

  - You could have warned us, about the bright light, - I compined.

  Prometheus ughed and took of his chains. Part of them were destroyed, but now he was able to get rid of the rest.

  - You surprised me mortal. Never I imagined someone using your sword that way. But it should have not be possible.

  - I have a Throwing skill, - I shrugged.

  - I see. That would expin, why it worked.

  - Do not forget that you promised to reward us. I took out for empty vials and pced them in front of Prometheus.

  He nodded and approached me. I stepped back, but he only touched my forehead and them my vest and my shirt. He repeated his gesture, but in case of my companions he touched part of their equipment, that he promised to changed into artifacts.

  I felt something different about my vest. I touched it all over and realized that my armored adamantium ptes were gone. Second skin yer, that was sown into my vest, also disappeared.

  - Hey, - I indignantly looked at Prometheus.

  - My apologies. Seems that when I changed your vest into an artifact, it regained its original form.

  He could have warned me about that. My armor just became an ordinary vest. Well fine, a powerful artifact, but my additional armor that helped me survive monster cws and their bites was gone. And I paid a lot for those adamantium ptes.

  - Your vest will be known as Vest of sun bunny, - continued Prometheus, ignoring me: - And your shirt will be a Shirt of burning water. Rest are Cloak of Firebird, Chainmail of the desert and Cuirass of sun child. Now, what skills would you like to change?

  - Let's begin with Trevor. By the way Trevor how high are your Health points? Are they above a hundred?

  - What? Of course not! It is only twenty two.

  - That's too low. Then. Change his Knight skill to Knight of Light, his Swordsmanship to Sword master and Increased speed to God's speed. For Nelly... Yes. Her Wisdom skill to Sage's wisdom. Her Intelligence skill to Spellweaver and Increased maximum mana points to Bottomless mana. And also her Staff user to Staff master. For Luara. Her Hunting to Apex hunter, Butchery to Arcane butchery and her Scouting to Silent assassination, and also can you as well change her Dual wielding skill to Nightmare demon samurai?

  - I apologize. I can see that you possess Arcane butchery skill, but I have never heard about it. I am afraid that I cannot change her butchery skill.

  - How about my Tracking skill? - raised her hand Luara: - Can you change it to Shadow tracker. Among my tribe there were legends about such a skill.

  - Yes. I can do that. But I should warn you. Some of those skills are what you call and eleventh skill. If I change them for you, no other god will be able to change your skills ever again.

  - Good. That way our skills will remain at master level, once we reach it. Unless you can change our skills, without lowering their level?

  - No. Changing skill is unnatural. They were not made to be changed. For that reason you must pay the price, and your skill levels will be lowered.

  - I see. One more question. Why can't I level up by killing monsters? I spend two years in a dungeon and killed then tens of thousands of monsters, but even after I killed king of the Iron Mountains, I could not increase my level. Why is that?

  - That's because of your current level, - smiled Prometheus: - How should I expin. You do know that all creatures, who have mana, also have so called Health points. When you kill someone with mana, their health points are transferred to you. Once you obtain sufficient amount of health points your level can be increased. In order to reach level two you need to get 50 health points. Then to break level cup of ten, you need 860, to break level cup of twenty 13626, but the hire you get, the more you need. To get to level forty you would need 255 366 health points. To get level fifty, around one and a half million, and to level sixty almost ten million. And the hire your level is the more you need gather life or if you prefer Health points. After level one hundred requirement is constant till level thee hundred, and it is one billion Health points. Just so you understand, ordinary dragons have life points in hundreds. There are some legendary monsters or creatures that have life points counting in hundred thousand, or demi-gods and some legendary creatures, with higher than million Health points. Killing them would also greatly increase your own Health, but those are as rear as it gets. Most creatures have around thirty Health points, which is normal. Like your friend said, even at his high level, he has only twenty two health points, which is normal for creatures. So, after level sixty six, you would need to gather life force in tens of millions, more and more with every level.

  - I, I see, - my head was spinning. No wonder I could not reach another level: - So even killing ten legendary creatures, would not help me to increase my level.

  - I'm afraid, no.

  - That's a shame. But fine, - I did gather a lot of magic gems right now, so I will have to believe in my luck. Greed above all, so to say, and do not say no to your dream, no matter how stupid it is: - So for me, change my Night vision to All seeing eye, Wisdom to Sage's wisdom, Intelligence to Supreme demon-god mana control, Increased speed to God's speed, Hunting to Apex hunter, Dual wielding to Spellsword Twin Bdes, and Light magic to Rainbow deity.

  I exhaled everything in single breath, while counting skills on my fingers. Yes. There were seven of them. I would have asked more, but had no more skills that had advanced levels. No more than I knew of anyway.

  - Rainbow deity? - asked Prometheus: - How do you know about that forbidden skill? Mortals were not supposed to know about it. It was created by goddess Hekate, and other gods agreed not to bestow it upon anyone.

  - That answer was not part of our deal. If you want to know that, I will need something in return. Like, like why is this dungeon so filled with powerful monsters. I get why other gods left you as guardian, but the level of the monsters, even in its upper floors, seems way too difficult in my opinion. Are there not some kind of rules about it?

  - Fine, - nodded Prometheus: - I will tell you, but you are forbidden to tell anyone about it, or you will suffer my curse.

  He lowered his head and, before I could tell him that I changed my mind and want something actually useful in return, he whispered into my ear.

  - Another divine being - archangel Lucifer, is imprisoned in this dungeon's lower floor. His mana is what makes monsters so powerful in this dungeon.

  I did not need to know that. Damn. But it was too te. I did obsessed too much by monsters levels in here, and it bitted me in my ass.

  - Fine, - I sighed: - A deal is a deal. I learned about those skills from a scroll, that I found in a dungeon. Not a big secret about it.

  - Was there anything else, that happened after you found that scroll?

  - There was actually. A teleportation circle activated. But it activated only after I came out of the room.

  - Loki, - sighed Prometheus: - Probably his doing. Very well, now please stay quiet for a while.

  He closed his eyes and concentrated. After a long time he opened his eyes and nodded. He looked tired and exhausted to me. Prometheus approached the vials, which I took out of my purse, and sshed his arm with his nail. He filled the vials with his blood and nodded.

  - You have your reward and my gratitude mortals. Now, I must leave and found a new guardian for this dungeon.

  - Wait. Did you forget already? Deal was seven skill and one more for me.

  - Oh, yes. You did say that. So what skill would you want?

  I beckoned him with my finger, and, when Prometheus lowered his head, I whispered in his ear. Prometheus paled and stepped back.

  - How do you?.. I see, that scroll. Gods curse Loki. If I would have known what you are pnning to ask me, I would have rather stayed a prisoner here. But, I gave you my word, - he looked over: - Give me that cursed dagger of yours and the scroll too.

  I handed him Loki's dagger and took out the scroll from my Female purse. Prometheus took the dagger and snapped his fingers. Scroll caught on fire. I yelped and dropped the burning parchment.

  - Hey!

  - That scroll should have never existed. I think that even Loki realized it, and pced that trap to make sure that anyone, who got the scroll, would perish in the dungeon, - Prometheus pced his hand over dagger's bck bde and concentrated. The bde gloved, and he handed it back to me: - In order to get that scroll, the dagger must always stay with you. You will receive the skill that you desire, only after all your skills reach master level. Which skill you wish to change.

  - Hmm. I do like all of them, but... Spellsword Twin Bdes then, - I sighed: - It is mostly with the same benefits as Demon style martial arts, so let's use that one.

  - As you wish. Then, after you fulfill all requirements, your Spellsword Twin Bdes skill will change forever. But do not forget that once it happens it will be a novice skill, and all your master skills will revert back to novice levels. That is the curse that will accompany the skill for you, since you will lose what you desire right now. The strength that your superior skills give you.

  - What? That's not fair! Well, I will be able to get them back to master level right?

  - Yes, you will. But one more thing. Before acquiring that skill you will need to prove that you deserve to have it. You will need to use that dagger to kill someone innocent. An embodiment of good and pure. And, if before that, you will use that dagger to spill the blood of any other creature or monster, you will never get that skill. But once you perform final act of murder, this dagger will become the skill, which you asked me. We are done now, cursed child. But take my advice and throw out that dagger, before it is too te, - fmes surrounded him and Prometheus disappeared.

  - God damned ungrateful Titan, - I grumbled. I did not expected that st trap for my skills. Did that Titan even knew, how hard it was to level up after level thirty? I collected vials, looked around and sighed: - Do not know about you, but I am gd that he is gone. That Titan gave me chills.

  - You are an impudent elf, - shook his head Takazuchi: - But you saved my family. Now, we will leave and return to our former home, just as I promised.

  Takazuchi grabbed the sword with his teeth, and five foxes run out of the room.

  Nelly waved her hand and wished them good luck. I noticed tears in the corners of her eyes. That damned fox, did not even told her goodbye. What an ungrateful animal.