Before he moved on, something caught his eye. The skeletal knight's skull was fully intact and it looked to be staring at him. Merrick watched for a second longer and realized that a dull red glow was starting to form in its eye sockets. If he had any predilection to becoming a necromancer, he might've picked up the skull and figured out a way to control it.
While he watched, the bones closest to the skull started to shift along the ground. The skeletal knight was attempting to rebuild its form. Since Merrick was not interested in specializing his build just yet, he crushed the skull with his foot and the stirring bones fell still again. Once he crushed it, Merrick checked his Knowledge Archive. There were now entries for skeletons, slimes, and something called a sylph.
The sylph was apparently the lightning being that he fought before the water crystal pushed him off the edge. The specific type he fought was a Sylph of Lightning, but apparently it was a powerful elemental hybrid from the Air Domain. The image of the dungeon's main boss was starting to take form in his head. The highest platform was labeled as Air, the Warden was supposedly a Pure Lightning Elemental, and the Sylph of Lightning was from the Air Domain.
As he walked toward the Fire platform, Merrick resummoned Crudle, drank his final sorcery boosting potion, and readied himself. When he reached the platform, he found that it was nearly identical to the last platform he was on. Except that instead of an overwhelming rush of water energy, it felt like he was walking into the heart of a volcano.
At the center of the platform, a column of bright red crystal hovered as the source of the volcanic energy. Between the column of crystal and Merrick, the Sylph of Lightning hovered as if it had been waiting for him. As soon as it saw him, the sylph swirled like a gust of wind back to the column and just like it had done with the Water Elemental, the sylph forced a wave of fire to rush outward.
Merrick summoned forth the water energy swirling within him as the wave of fire rushed outward from the column toward him. He was barely able to get the shield formed in front of him in time. However, as the fire washed over him and the shield receded, he could still feel the swirling energy inside of him. The elemental charge he gathered earlier had lasted more than just the first use.
As soon as the fire passed him over, Merrick launched his counterattack. The sylph must have been caught off guard by him surviving the wave unscathed because it failed to dodge his Arcane Blast as it knocked the sylph directly into the column of crystal. The wispy being fell to the ground unconscious. Merrick did not hesitate to take advantage of the opening.
While he swung his arm on instinct, the rune-covered dagger that he'd left in the Library on the shelf appeared in his hand. It delivered a swift, lethal blow and bit into the sylph's back. The sylph's physical form started to fade, leaving only a withered husk behind.
Merrick's mind wandered for a moment back to the Knowledge Archive entry that mentioned they were elemental hybrids. Had the elemental side passed on immediately, like some kind of soul leaving its body behind?
Before he could think too deeply about that, another wave of fire came over him. He senses it before he saw it. He could feel the heat coming. This time, Merrick released the full charge of energy he had been holding onto, rather than conjuring a shield of water. It burst outward from him just in time to block some of the flames.
For a second, Merrick's vision went white and he felt his entire body drenched in sweat as his surroundings turned into an elementally powered sauna. As the steam faded, Merrick's skin felt raw but his main concern was the column of crystal. Whatever the sylph had started, Merrick had only made it worse by knocking his enemy out using the crystal.
There were fissures forming all over the crystal. Merrick could feel rage, nearly tangible, in the air around him. Sheathing the dagger and leaving the charred husk of the sylph behind, Merrick approached the column of crystal with both hands raised.
"I am sorry. I was only defending myself. I know that you are not in there willingly. I met the Water Elemental a few floors up before that wispy pr- before the Sylph of Lightning knocked me down here. I-m a Mage, is there anything I can do to help?"
A voice screamed through his mind: -- FREE ME. --
"You seem a little angry right now. If I free you, are you going to turn me into a pile of ash?"
--THIS SHELL IS BREAKING. FREE ME OR IT WILL SHATTER. FREE ME OR YOU WILL BE REDUCED TO ASH.--
"Okay… I could free you… If I knew how to do that… but I think it might be easier to fix the crystal." Merrick pulled one of the books from the Library out of his bag, "This book details how to bind Elementals. I was able to inspect the other column, the one with Water inside."
Merrick's mind shifted back to when the hacker had nearly locked up his system. The Fire Elemental before him could do something similar but instead of locking up his system, the Elemental could just kill him. If he was able to keep it contained within the column though, the worst he knew that it could do was the waves of fire.
--FREE ME OR REPAIR THE SHELL. WASTE TIME AND ALL OF THE PRISONERS WILL DIE WHEN THIS SHELL RUPTURES.--
Merrick paused, "You care about the prisoners?"
It was shocking that the Fire Elemental knew about the prisoners, let alone made sure that Merrick was aware that it was not just his life in danger. Finally, the Fire Elemental answered without screaming into Merrick's mind:
--They have no idea what is going on within the walls of their prison. They practice their long suffering as if their crimes will be forgiven. No soul ever leaves this Cage… Not even the guards.--
Merrick nodded. The Secret of the Elemental Cage; that was the name of his dungeon and now that he had met the second Pure Elemental within its core, he was sure the secret was much darker than he had imagined. Merrick reached out toward the crystal. He felt a searing heat against his outstretched palm.
"Here goes nothing." Merrick took a deep breath in and placed his hand against the column of crystal. Even though he knew its name, he struggled to think of it as a coffin. The being inside was still alive.
Buried alive, essentially. Even if the shell was not cracking, Merrick could not have left it inside.
The notes in his journal, the contents of the book he borrowed from the library, and a healthy amount of guessing based on his history of thousands of hours of gaming through RPGs were all that he had. Merrick focused all of his energy into the crystal. He felt as if he was integrating with it, he could feel the seams in the crystal where it had started to crack. He painted over them with his own energy.
He may not be a Grand Wizard or Master Summoner, but he was also not trying to control the Elemental. He was just trying to carefully free it. In his mind, this was similar to what a Golem Operator did to change the commands on their Sentry Golems. Though he was using a broad brush to fill gaps and create a door for the Elemental to leave through.
As the last seam vanished, Merrick felt his knees give out. As he fell backward, Crudle grabbed him by the shoulder and steadied him. Despite the mephit's long claws, it supported him painlessly. Merrick found his balance, with help, and took a look at the column of crystal in front of him. It was fully repaired and there was an arcane gate that the Elemental could use to escape the Crystal Coffin.
The Fire Elemental laughed into Merrick's mind:
--You are powerful, Mage, even if you have no real skill. You remind me of the freshly born elemental, teeming with immense energy but carrying no direction. A fresh flame waited to blaze a path. I am impressed.--
"So you are not going to kill me?"
--Correct. You may live.--
"What was that you meant about no soul leaving here?"
--The Elemental Cage was not built for your kind. It was built for us: three powerful brothers. Tricked and trapped by one of our own.--
"The Warden." Merrick nodded. It made sense. "How do I get out of here?"
--Even though no soul ever leaves this Cage. You may be the first. First, you must restore my Earthen Brother up above. He has been… Something happened to him. I am not sure what. --
"If I restore him, he could then fix the paths and that would grant me access to the higher platforms."
--Yes. It will let you access the first and last prisoner. Then you could climb higher to where the Betrayer waits.--
"But first… I have to fix your Earthen Brother." Merrick took a deep breath, "One last question before I go… Why have the prisoners?"
Their lives are the power source used to keep us in chains.
Merrick whistled. He had not seen that coming. That was some secret. "Why are you still in the shell?"
--You repaired it… and even though you opened the door to my cell, I am not ready to leave. I fear my Earthen Brother is irreparable. I would linger until you heal him. That way I can return to my home, if it still exists, with a peaceful mind.--
"I will do my best."
--I cannot aid you much, without the Betrayer noticing, but I can send one of my kind with you. I hope you find its form… familiar.--
With that, Merrick felt the Pure Fire Elemental living within the crystal fade from his mind. Moments later, a system notification popped up in between them.
The Pure Fire Elemental that you rescued from death has granted you a Boon of Fire. You will be accompanied by a Vassal of Fire until the duty asked of you has been fulfilled. The Vassal of Fire will take the place of your current minion, Crudle, until you gain the ability to maintain more than one summoned being.
Merrick closed the notification and turned to see that Crudle was indeed gone. Hovering in his place, however, was a flame elemental of the same variety. The Vassal of Fire was a flame mephit but it was not pure flame. Instead it had a volcanic core that took the form of a suit of armor. From the nooks of the armor, jets of flame escaped. From its back, a pair of flaming wings beat lightly at the air. From its volcanic hands, long claws of fire extended. It seemed to have the same power as Crudle, only aspected differently.
After taking one last look at the column of crystal, Merrick headed for the edge of the platform where the grand spiral staircase climbed toward the next platform. "Alright, Vassy, let's do this."
--Do not call me that.--
Merrick laughed and noted that there was at least one difference between Crudle and the Vassal of Fire.