62. Five Lights in the Darkness

Jake returns to Haven, leaving Miranda, Lillian, and Neil to finalize logistics with the Sultan. With Sylphie in tow and new Beast Pellets in reserve, he swaps chestpieces, accepting minor Vitality loss for larger Toughness and Endurance gains. He considers upgrading his rare Boots of the Wandering Alchemist with an epic token but delays until he nears the token’s level cap.

Preparing for a lengthy alchemy session, Jake reviews his boots’ history and comforts, then focuses on potion work to avoid ecological fallout from poisons. He expels the absorbed Indigo Fungus Mycorrhiza Lifecore and replaces it with the Eye of the Libertas Eagle to study and leverage its Perception potential. Lillian plans further material deliveries as Jake commits to intensive practice.

Meanwhile, with the Treasure Hunt approaching, factions push coordinated party training aimed at fighting humans. Even Haven’s strongest group isn’t top tier compared to leading cities, highlighting the competitive landscape.

In a dark-aligned D-grade dungeon, a Sanctdomo team—Bertram (shielded guardian/leader), Lucian (lunar swordsman), Maria (flame archer), Joshua (light mage), and Noor (priestess)—executes a precise assault on a towering shadow golem. They suppress darkness with holy barriers, anchor limbs, and burn through its core with amplified light and fire, forcing the elemental’s second phase.

As the core elemental emerges with minions, Noor contains it, Joshua and Bertram pin it, and Lucian carves it apart. The finisher combines Joshua’s holy blast with Maria’s Patron-empowered Galeshot of Gwyndyr, collapsing the elemental and yielding a kill notice for a level 130 guardian. Maria’s mercenary ties and the Augur’s quiet patronage are noted; some tout her as rival to Haven’s Lord Thayne, though Bertram disagrees.

The chapter closes on Jake’s contrasting regimen: relentless crafting punctuated by playful agility drills with Sylphie, signaling his unorthodox but unyielding preparation for the Hunt.