Kaius descended the wide blocky stairs that lead deeper into the mausoleum that had laid at the centre of the glade. Each step was just a little too tall, a little too wide, to walk down comfortably. Their faces were carved in deep reliefs. Yet more scenes of death and slaughter like those that were engraved on the exterior wall.

    Kaius itched to race down the stairs. The rewards that each Champion protected were another potential edge he would have in his inevitable confrontation with the Guardian. Plus, they pushed him. His fights with the bear and the Butcher had been some of the best he had ever had. Both in terms of skill growth, and in how it made his heart race. He could already feel his blood heating up at the thought of what lay at the bottom of this macabre descent into the earth.

    Porkchop padded alongside him, huffing as he eyed the endless rows of coffins recessed into the walls. Stacking high up to the ceiling.

    "This feels wrong." The words coloured with discomfort as they flowed across his connection with his friend.

    "Yeah." Kaius kept walking down the stairs, trying to make out what he could beyond the limited range of his Low Light Vision. "I don''t like it either. Whole place gives me the creeps."

    "No." Porkchop shook his head, having started to pick up on Kaius''s body language. "Not the building. The bodies. Shouldn''t be kept from the earth."

    "Oh?" Kaius looked over to Porkchop. "We mostly do that, only the rich are buried in something like this. You do know those stones outside had bodies buried under them, right?" Or at least they would if the Depths had put them there. He didn''t know how deep the recreation of environments went.

    Porkchop''s ears flicked back, stopping dead on the stairs.

    "Outside was a field of the dead?!" Porkchop asked, mortification spilling across their link.

    Kaius couldn''t help but snort at Porkchop''s surprise. It broke his tension, distracting him from his rising anticipation. He could tell from their link that Porkchop was more creeped out than offended.

    "Why didn''t you tell me!" Porkchop yelled, embarrassed as he ran after him.

    "I thought it was obvious! There were bloody walking corpses everywhere!" Kaius said back with a disbelieving shake of his head. He honestly forgot that Porkchop was a greater beast sometimes. That he didn''t have the cultural knowledge he often took for granted.

    "Wait. If those stones are where bodies are, then what about where we were wrestling? At the church?" Porkchop eyed him accusatory.

    "I thought you knew!" Kaius threw his hands up in defeat. "Come on. It''s not my fault this biome is creepy. We have a Champion to fight." Kaius picked up his pace.

    Porkchop grunted. "It''s still wrong!" he said, following after Kaius.

    ...

    They reached the bottom of the stairs. A massive iron door barred their passage further into the catacombs. On its front face, a raised engraving of a man being sacrificed on an altar. A cloaked figure loomed over the man, a withered hand plunging deep into his chest.

    Stopping in front of the door, Kaius inspected the engraving before slipping down to take in the heavy bar that held the door shut.

    "Alright," Kaius turned to Porkchop. "We need a plan. I''m confident that whatever we find in there we''ll be able to handle, but strolling in like we''re going to the spring fair is just stupid."

    He wanted to just throw open the door and hurl a challenge at the beast that no doubt waited within. But, Bloodsong or no, he wasn''t going to be reckless.

    "I''m thinking that I should put the pressure on whatever is in there, try to hold its attention." Kaius explained. "I''m a bit more mobile than you, and with a sword I can actually parry and block without getting cut up."

    "I''ll try to flank?" Porkchop asked enthusiastically, clearly getting excited for the battle ahead.

    He gave Porkchop one sharp nod. "What of your Crystal Manipulation? You''ve mentioned you have it, but I haven''t seen you use it?"

    "Maybe." Porkchop tilted his head. "Raw manipulation is slow, especially at a low level and without other skills to support it. Claws are usually better. If you distract them well enough it might work if a physical assault wont work."

    Kaius nodded again, chest expanding as he took a slow breath to ready himself for what was to come. Even if he did find clashing blades invigorating, nobody could completely get rid of all of their pre-battle jitters.

    It was a little...loose to be truly considered a plan, but at the very least it gave them clearly defined roles. Without knowing what they would face, it wasn''t as if they could strategize in depth.

    With a grunt, Kaius hauled the lockbar off the door, tossing it to the side to clatter to the ground. He dug in, yanking on the heavy iron gate that slowly creaked open. The open portal revealed a room too far for his Low Light Vision to pierce completely.

    Kaius stepped through, Porkchop close behind.

    Embedded sconces on the wall flashed to light, highlighting the room in a soft orange light. Skill or no, after so long in the dark the illumination was blinding. Kaius threw his hands up, shading his eyes. He heard Porkchop growling in frustration next to him. He must have been similarly affected.

    Eyes adjusting quickly, Kaius returned his hand back to his blade and took his first good look at the room.

    Wide and high ceilinged, it was easily large enough that it must have stretched under a good chunk of the graveyard above. A raised plinth dominated its centre, a large golden sarcophagus glimmered in the firelight on its top. Otherwise, the space was completely empty.

    It was where the Champion would be, it had to.

    "Let''s go." Kaius gestured to Porkchop, directing him to circle around. They spread out, slowly approaching the grave. As he drew near, Kaius could make out that the sarcophagus was clearly fashioned after the creature that had been set into the doors to the chamber.

    A heavy grind sound started to emanate from the coffin.

    "Shit." Kaius started to run.

    The lid of the sarcophagus slid open, defying gravity as it inched its way out over open air. A figure rose out of its confines. Flat as a board, the black garbed undead floated straight up. Kaius kept running, flicking off an Inspect.

    Tomblord Xerx - Level ?:

    Kaius grit his teeth against the violation of feeling his skin morph against his will. Rapid Adaptation reduced some of its influence, but it was nowhere near able to negate it entirely.

    He cut. Enchanted steel cut cleanly through the flowing tail of the Champion''s robe, but only managed to scrape the edge of its hip.

    Xerx stopped fast, spinning in place to rush towards him again. The energy spear flashed through the air. Kaius ducked under the blow, spinning to keep his eyes on his opponent. Past the floating form of the mage, he could see the cloud of shining dust above Porkchop had grown.

    Three times bigger than the meles himself, the glistening fog swirled above him. A moment later the particles stopped, hanging mid air. They started to drift inwards. Condensing. Nucleating.

    "Just a bit more!" His friend''s tone was strained.

    Kaius grit his teeth, committing himself to his path. He jumped inwards, assaulting the Tomblord with a slash. Dancing away through the air, Xerx retaliate by sending its energy spear streaking towards him. Trails of light tracing its path.

    Kaius blanched. He threw himself back, trying to avoid the spell. It hit the ground in front of him and detonated. Mutagenic energy erupted from the impact point, washing over his front.

    Kaius screamed. Foul sorcery clawed at him, sinking its teeth in to shift and change the outer layers of his flesh against his will. Boils erupted with fervour, popping to morph into sores. Only for another growth to occur a moment later.

    He snapped his jaw shut, feeling his teeth crack as he forced himself to open his eyes. Rapid Adaptation flooded his system, fighting the corruption even as it cordoned off his agony. And his fear. The first resistances, the first skills, he had ever gained.

    Pain wouldn''t stop him.

    Neither would the Tomblord. The damage from the spell was minor. The way it tore at him was excruciating, but only skin deep. His Health was already burning to fix the damage.

    He could still fight.

    **Ding! Rapid Adaption has reached level 17!**

    He locked his gaze on Xerx and felt hate. The mage hovered there, staring at him a few paces away, staring contemptuously. He dashed in. Sword flashing over and over. The undead glided around the strikes. Retaliating with casual swipes of his claw-like nails, gossamer threads of green trails behind.

    Forcing him into a frantic waltz of sword and sorcery.

    **Ding! Adamant Body has reached level 5!**

    Risking a glance towards his friend, Kaius looked past the Champion to see if Porkchop was ready. It was far past the point where they should put this corpse back where it belonged. Porkchop locked eyes with him, expression focused. Over his head a shard of clear crystal the size of Kaius''s leg span. Faster and faster. So quick it''s jagged edges seemed to melt together.

    "Ready!"

    Kaius pushed the Tomblord, unable to pin it down with his blade.

    Suddenly it darted back, surging across the room to create distance. For the fourth time it stopped fast, unmoving. Another pool of green began to spark in its palm. It was channelling. It couldn''t move while it was channelling!

    "Now, Porkchop!" Kaius was already sprinting for the undead, blade held at the ready.

    Porkchop roared in victory. There was a crack.

    A glistening blur shot across the room.

    Shards erupted from the far stone wall, crystal and masonry both.

    The Tomblord dropped, the lower half of its body falling in a different direction from its torso.

    Organs hit the ground with a splash.

    Kaius arrived.

    Tomblord Xerx lost their head.

    **Ding! You have slain a Champion: Tomblord Xerx - level 23 Vile Corruptor! **

    Kaius threw his head back and let out a yell of victorious agony. Declaring himself the victor as Porkchops of deafening roar joining his own.

    Panting as the thrill of the fight slowly left him, Kaius winced as he felt his skin roiling as his Health restored the damage he had taken from the casters spell.

    Rapid thumps against stone slammed into the ground behind him. Kaius quickly sheathed his blade and turned, yelping in surprise as Porkchop bowled him over in a rush of furry enthusiasm.

    "Kaius! You okay?!" Porkchop licked at his face.

    "Yep!" Kaius scrunched his face, trying to push Porkchop''s bulk off him. "Stop that! We have loot to grab!"

    Porkchop hopped off him, backing up with a cocked head.

    "Loot?"

    "Yeah, loot." He said with a grin, hauling himself up. He stalked over to the centre of the room, eyeing the golden sarcophagus that lay open with undisguised avariciousness.

    "Let''s go see what we got."