Dungeons of the Crooked Mountains

by Alexey Osadchuk

  Her cute little dress, her golden curls, her skinny little body — they all dissipated. The harn’s powerful jaws were now crunching down onto the neck of a strange pale-skinned creature. And its final predeath rasps were fighting to escape its fanged mouth. It was lying on the earth, held down by the cat’s scaly body and impotently scratching the stone causeway with its long gaunt appendages. My mad gaze fell on the extremely long claws, which were leaving deep scratches in the paving stones.

  Just five more steps, and I’d have been turned into a bloody shredded rag...

  But as soon as I thought the creature’s time was up, it managed to surprise me. It wriggled with utterly unbelievable effort and, despite the scrawny body, was able to give a powerful burst and cast the harn aside... The creature’s neck and sunken chest were gushing a thick dark-blue liquid... That must have been its blood...

  It had a decent shot, but the creature wasn’t even thinking of running. It just took one abrupt motion and jumped off the ground, turning its nasty fanged face in my direction... However, that was all it had time to do before I sent it flying with a Ram.

  - You have attacked Snow Ghoul (19)!

  - You have dealt 33 damage!

  Its long legs splayed awkwardly, the creature flew a few paces back like a ragdoll, which the harn immediately took advantage of, enraged by its recent stroke of bad luck. A long jump and Gorgie’s fangs again sink into the elusive monster’s neck... A jerk upward and the creature’s bald head is rolling over the paving stones... Alright.. You’re done, freak...

  - You have killed Snow Ghoul (19)!

  - Congratulations! You receive:

  - Monster Hunter token (30).

  - Large ghostly crystal (5).

  - Small vial of Snow Ghoul Spirit.

  Swiping the victory message aside, I walked over to Gorgie on rigid legs and embraced his broad neck passionately.

  “Thanks, bro...” I whispered, my voice quavering. “You saved me again. I’m such a dummy... Sorry I doubted you...”

  “Youngster!” I heard Sly shout behind me agitatedly. “Your carelessness just about pulled up our mission by the root! If not for your amazing pet... Everything would have fallen through...”

  “I know,” I whispered back, stroking Gorgie’s armored neck as he groaned in pleasure.

  Then I turned my head to the ghost and said:

  “Well, you’ve gotta admit you weren’t doing great either...”

  “Where is this coming from?” Redtail’s face stretched out in surprise.

  “Would it have been so hard to warn me?”

  “Like I said,” Sly began to justify himself. “I am not allowed to interfere in your battles... Not by word and not by deed...”

  “Who says?” I squinted.

  “I am also not allowed to divulge that information,” the foxman shrugged his shoulders. “I can only give you advice before battle... During combat, I’m out of the picture... The battle is yours and yours alone..”

  I had lots more questions and complaints for the fink, but decided to keep them to myself. He’d twist out of them no matter what. Instead I said:

  “Well, now I have some crystals for you.”

  “Now that’s a different conversation, youngster,” said the foxman, rubbing his hands together in delight.

  “What’s more, I got one of these...”

  I take the small elongated vial from my knapsack.

  “You managed to capture the spirit of an otherworldly creature,” Sly nodded with a mysterious smile. “Let me note — that is a ve-ery rare trophy...”

  “Okay, what can I do with it?”

  “You, I’m sorry, but nothing...” Sly answered, shrugging his shoulders.

  “But why?” I asked in disappointment. “It doesn’t have any level restrictions, after all...”

  “That’s true,” Redtail agreed. “But it has a different problem...”

  “What?”

  “Absorbing a spirit is risky business... Only the most valiant of us ever had the courage to do it... Although when a hunter succeeded, they received a modicum of the otherworldly creature’s power. We used to call those warriors ghostkin.”

  “How do you do it?” I asked firmly. “If there’s a way to become stronger, I have to take advantage of it.”

  “Eric, you don’t understand...”

  “Not allowed again?” I asked derisively.

  His head tilted to the side, the foxman squinted his yellow animal eyes and answered:

  “I see you’re feeling determined... Alright then, if you please... But first let me tell you what you stand to lose.”

  “Okay,” I nodded. “But you must know - I am not planning to change my decision. I have to risk my life here every minute as it is, something you’ve played no small part in. And if these spirits you’re talking about can increase my survival chances, I simply must try.”

  “Then you must know that a hunter has to pay dearly for taking the spirit of an otherworldly creature,” the foxman said, flashing his sharp fangs.

  “What is the price?”

  “Their life,” the ghost answered threateningly. “In the truest sense of the word. Before you absorb a spirit, the creature it belongs to tries to take as much life from you as it can in one blow. But it’s never more than ninety percent of the total.”

  Trying not to show my anxiety, I clarified:

  “So you just have to start with a full life supply?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Then I’m in. What do I need to do?”

  The foxman just shook his head, but still answered:

  “You must perform a ritual before an altar in our temple. But let’s deal with something else first.”

  I chuckled acridly.

  “Are you afraid I’ll bite the dust before I give you your crystals?”

  “Honestly?” the ghost asked in annoyance. “You’re the first mortal the Door has allowed to enter in nearly one thousand years! Of course I’m afraid of missing my chance!”

  “By the way, why did it let me through?” I asked a question that had long been bothering me.

  “Your blood...” the ghost said and quickly stopped himself.

  “What?” I grabbed at the thread. “What about my blood?”

  “Alas,” the foxman answered, shrugging his shoulders. “I cannot say...”

  “Not enough reputation? Or has someone forbidden you?”

  “Neither... I simply do not know... I only have my own conclusions based on what has happened.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Well, you followed the ancient markers here, didn’t you?”

  “Yes...” I nodded.

  “The only reason they brought you to the city was because they analyzed your blood favorably. And don’t ask me how that happened... Magister Ilania herself created the spell... As much as I’d like to, I simply cannot explain what it’s based in... For the very simple reason that I myself know nothing about it...”

  Alright, he doesn’t want to talk now, he’ll tell me everything later... Although he’s already said plenty. Honestly, it was all stuff I already knew.

  “Here, take this,” I said in an appeasing tone, extending the seven large crystals to the foxman.

  Seeing my loot made him noticeably excited.

  “Woah! Seven just like that! And they’re large! Are you sure you want to become... ahem... what was it you said... Ah, right! Normal?”

  - Congratulations! Your reputation with the Order of Monster Hunters has been increased by 140 points! Happy Hunting!

  - Removed:

  - Large ghostly crystal (7).

  I opened the reputation tab.

  - Reputation “Monster Hunters.”

  - Present value: 160.

  “Bravo, youngster! Your reputation with the order has grown significantly!” the ghost praised me. “I believe I’ll be able to find something more for you in the arsenal.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?!” I smiled.
<
br />   The thing turned out to be magic scrolls. I couldn’t imagine how they’d survived so many years without crumbling to dust.

  “Take them, take them,” seeing my hesitation, the foxman encouraged me. “Don’t pay any mind to how they look. They won’t disintegrate. Their magic is still strong!”

  Cautiously picking up one of the scrolls, I took a look at the description.

  - Hunter’s Fury.

  - Type: Magic scroll.

  - Rarity: Rare.

  - Effect:

  - First strike or spell after use will do critical damage.

  - Note:

  - Must have reputation 100 with the Monster Hunters to purchase.

  - Price: 10 tokens.

  - Weight: None. Takes no space.

  “Well, what do you say?” Sly asked. “Quite a rare item. There are just twenty of them left in the arsenal.”

  “Very interesting,” I answered. “But I don’t really need them yet... My damage is still pretty low... But I will take as many of the Blots as I can. After seeing them in use, they’re really nice...”

  “If you say so,” Sly said, shrugging his shoulders.

  Setting twelve brown spheres aside, I took out forty-eight tokens and made the purchase.

  - Congratulations!

  - You have acquired:

  - Blot (12).

  - Removed:

  - Monster Hunter token (48).

  Carefully packing the spheres into my knapsack, I turned to the ghost, who was watching me attentively.

  “I wanted to ask,” I started. “Is all this token juggling necessary? It seems so silly...”

  Sly laughed at my question, clutching his stomach with both hands. His eyes even teared up.

  “I thought you’d never ask! Of course it isn’t necessary! You don’t even need to say anything... Haha! It’s enough to simply choose an item and mentally wish to make the purchase! Haha!”

  “Then why...” frowning, I wanted to ask a question, but Redtail interrupted me:

  “Don’t be angry, young one! It is an old tradition of ours! All the newbies go through it... I fell into the same trap once upon a time... Haha!”

  Sly laughed it off and said in an apologetic tone:

  “Well young man, I’ve been locked up all alone in this little hole for over a thousand years. You have to agree I deserve some entertainment.”

  Ah, a joker. At least he didn’t push me too hard. Out loud, I said:

  “Now show me where a guy can absorb a spirit around here...”

  The hunters’ temple was on the opposite end of the city, in the outskirts. It was a fairly wide platform with a stone block in the center that looked like an anvil.

  “So, here is the altar,” the ghost said, pointing at the block. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Yes,” I replied firmly.

  Sly just sighed heavily and said:

  “Then walk up to the altar and, when you’re ready, pour the spirit out of the vial and into the stone basin.”

  I nodded and took a few steps forward. After that, I checked my life supply. After taking some absolutely flavorless satiety potion, it was filled to the brim. I gave an order to Gorgie to stay where he was and not intervene no matter what. He agreed uneasily, and I activated Lair. Not looking back so I couldn’t see the concerned faces of the harn and foxman, I uncorked the vial.

  As soon as it happened, a message appeared:

  - Attention! You are attempting to initiate the process of absorbing a Snow Ghoul spirit!

  - Attention! To be sure you complete the process successfully, your life supply should be 100% full!

  - Continue?

  I checked all the bars again and, my heart aflutter, gave my consent. A second later, the transparent pale figure of a ghoul was hovering over the altar. And a moment later, it attacked...

  Before the darkness engulfed me, I saw its eyes. They were filled with blue blood...

  Chapter 22

  I CAME BACK to my senses gradually... It felt like my body no longer belonged to me... My limbs heavy and disobedient, there’s a cloudy veil before my eyes, as if I’m looking at the world through a pane of mica. My ears feel all plugged up, but I’m starting to hear familiar sounds...

  “Eric... Eric...”

  “Hrn... Hrn...”

  “Shoulder...” I rasp. It’s like there’s sand in my mouth.

  “Thank the gods!” came Sly’s voice.

  “Hrn...” came Gorgie. I was suddenly flooded with feline emotions. And they ran the gamut from adoration to reproach. Briefly, Gorgie told me I was a real jerk...

  “Sh-shoulder...” I repeated, sluggishly fending off the cat’s warm tongue with my left hand. “Right...”

  “Did you think there would be no consequences?!” the foxman started trying to teach me a lesson right away. “You just about got yourself killed! If not for that Lair of yours...”

  “What’s wrong with my shoulder?” I rasped, trying to see why my right arm was weirdly numb.

  “The ghoul left a mark on you,” the foxman explained. “Those marks serve as a reminder that us hunters always walk a razor’s edge...”

  I slanted my eyes to the right and tugged my shirt back a bit with my left hand. I could see a scar on my right shoulder left by the teeth of the snow ghoul. And the raw tissue was not red but an icy shade of blue.

  With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes. Time to see what I got for risking my life.

  - Attention! You have absorbed Snow Ghoul spirit!

  - Congratulations! Your reputation with the Order of Monster Hunters has been increased by 200 points! Happy Hunting!

  - Present value: 360.

  - Snow Ghoul Spirit.

  - Type: Magical spirit.

  - Rarity: Rare.

  - Effect:

  - Vampirism.

  - Description:

  - Summons a spirit that attacks an enemy one time, reducing their life by 35% and using that to replenish your life supply.

  - Summoning requires 500 mana points.

  Remember! You may only appeal to the power of the Snow Ghoul 1 time every 5 days!

  “Huh...” I rasped.

  “Well, what is it?” I immediately heard an acrid question. “Like what you see?”

  “Are you mocking me?” I burbled.

  “Not at all,” Sly chuckled.

  “Five hundred mana...” I moaned. “That would take fifty Intellect points! Where am I supposed to get that?! I don’t know if you know this, but iridescent tablets aren’t exactly just lying around on the side of the road...”

  “Oh your tender years, youngster,” the fox continued mocking me.

  “And all for one attack once every five days...” I mumbled.

  “But you must agree, it is quite an attack!” Sly exclaimed.

  “That’s true...” I sighed sadly and asked:

  “How long will my arm be like this?”

  “I think it’ll get better tomorrow,” the ghost answered, shrugging his shoulders.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I looked at the Lair figures. So I was lying there unconscious for just over four hours. That means I still have some time to relax before the portal opens. As soon as I thought about that, Sly upended my expectations:

  “Youngster, you have less than an hour to come to your senses. We have lots to do.”

  Paying no mind to the foxman’s commanding tone, I uncorked the vial with my teeth and swallowed the last drop of satiety potion. My supply immediately reacted positively to the liquid.

  When the empty vial disappeared into thin air, I fell back wearily onto the warm armored back of the harn, who was lying nearby and closed my eyes. Done... I need to get some sleep...

  * * *

  After a bit of rest, the foxman again ratcheted up the pressure. First of all, he dragged me back to the dusty arsenal closet.

  “Seeing as you earned another two hundred reputation points for absorbing the spirit, you now have access to another item from ou
r secret treasure,” he said as we walked.