Somnia Online by K.T. Hanna (reading strategies book txt) 📕

previous self, it appeared his aggro table had been wiped. Esolan was on hand to pick up the aggro then and there, so this fight looked like it would be a tank swap. Etriad and Zonama hurried to get their spells back on, but not before the first wave of shots fired out of his mini cannons.

A metal slug found its way into Rashlyn’s stomach, and Murmur barely resisted the urge to run over and see how she was doing. For the most part, the guild was wary enough of the shots to mostly avoid them. A lot of it was luck, too. The fight felt like a game of dodge ball on acid. Dodge the cannonball shots, and then make sure you dodge the spinning turtle shell too!

Murmur checked her sensing net, testing the area around them for booby traps and for potential ambushes. She wouldn’t put it past the turtle to have something else for backup here. And while she’d spoken to Sheladrios, and understood him mostly, she hadn’t realized he’d been mostly literal.

Zonama wasn’t quite all there. Down to seventy-eight percent, the madness in his eyes had only increased. Murmur wanted to reach out and soothe him with her mind, with her mind healing spell like she’d done that one time before…

Why don’t you, then? Somnia sounded breathless in Murmur’s mind. Almost like a breath of fresh air actually, and Murmur had to wonder just what it was that had changed for the world.

But Somnia was also right. “Wait!” Murmur sighed and tried to figure out just what to do with her spell. How to go about it. “I think I have a better solution.”

Everyone listened, or she thought they were, though maybe not Jirald’s little group.

“I think we can end this.”

Murmur steeled herself against the barrage of questioning glances around her and summoned Mind Healing. She willed it over Zonama and into his mind, treading carefully so as not to destroy any type of memories or thoughts that might need to be reconstructed if she wasn’t careful enough. She had no idea how to do that and didn’t plan on learning right now.

The massive turtle was in turmoil. Sadness, grief, and melancholy overwhelmed him. He’d believed his whole family lost but had found Sheladrios and decided he couldn’t let him go again. But keeping his brother as a captive so he wouldn’t leave had slowly driven the poor turtle to madness. He believed everyone was out to get him, that everyone was there to tear him and his family apart, and he wouldn’t let that happen.

Again, Murmur didn’t think this was part of Telvar’s original dungeon design. Instead, she could feel the effects of the getashi in this. It had warped and convoluted so many of the more unique aspects of the world that it pained her to think about it.

Finally, restructuring his entire interpretation of things without the influence of doubt that the shards provided, Murmur finally released the Mind Healing spell. After last time, she wasn’t expecting the reaction in front of her.

Zonama lifted into the air, supported by a soft blue glow. He spun slowly; each little cannon powered down, whirring with a finality that spoke of peace. His eyes cleared, and his glowing elements travelled through from orange right through to a pale green that was full of life.

Finally, the turtle was lowered back to the ground, with the entire guild standing to the side, watching silently.

Risk crossed his arms as if irritated that he hadn’t got to finish fighting the creature. But for the most part, the raid appeared to be happy about it.

Sheladrios approached his brother cautiously, side eyeing Murmur at the same time like he was partially scared of what she’d done. “Zonama? Are you…”

“Shel?” The green turtle looked up with relief, his own monocle coming down so he could inspect that the turtle in front of him was the real thing. “It is you…I am so, so very sorry.”

“It’s okay. I forgive you.” Sheladrios pushed his nose against his brother’s for a brief moment.

And suddenly notifications galore crossed their screens.

You receive one of the twelve keys.

You receive a getashi.

You receive a midia crystal.

You have completed the Glacier Lake dungeon as compiled by Rav, version 22.2282, triggered by Murmur of Fable.

You have successfully completed the quest: Sheladrios’s Plight.

This version of the Glacier Lake dungeon will no longer be available to future raiders.

You gain experience.

You gain experience for being the first to complete any version of the Glacier Lake dungeon.

You gain experience for choosing to complete the quest: Sheladrios’s Plight.

You gain bonus experience for defeating the Shalan guard forces.

You gain bonus experience for zero drowning deaths.

You gain bonus experience for choosing a smarter way.

You gain bonus experience for solving the quest given instead of powering through and killing everything.

You gain bonus experience for reaching the ancient turtle Sheladrios.

You gain bonus experience for healing the ancient turtle Abyssios Zonama.

You gain bonus experience for completing the second of the endgame dungeon chains.

You gain bonus experience for not attempting to circumvent the portal restrictions.

You shall be rewarded.

You are already max level.

Your experience from this dungeon will be transferred to monetary and crafting material rewards.

Murmur blinked at all the information in front of her like she’d never seen so many before.

Merlin laughed giddily. “See? That’s more like the notifications I’m used to.”

Beastial rolled his eyes, and even Havoc seemed happy. So many notifications, so much experience to be pooled into cash or else MA increases. Murmur was absolutely okay with getting stronger and richer. She had a feeling Neva was burning through a lot of guild resources. The relief that spread through the enchanter was almost exhausting, though.

Sinister stood next to her, a hand draped loosely around her shoulders, which, was a bit of a reach for the blood mage. “I’m not sure how you always know to do what you do to solve the things you solve.” She frowned and looked up at the enchanter.

“Well, he’d been driven mad by loneliness and the