by Drew Jager
He retrieved the loot and his Dagger, then hobbled forward towards the end of the Room, where he saw the exit.
"Fuck this, I wont find my adversary in this room." He spat, then began sprinting towards the end of the room. It was then he saw the next set of Monsters.
Two small rodents covered head to tail in spines waddled out from beneath the tree roots, and began running full tilt towards him. He just laughed, there was no way he would die to an overgrown rat. Grabbing his Dagger he rushed to meet them, and threw out a vicious kick towards the Spineback in the lead. The animal curled into itself as it absorbed the blow, and was knocked back 10ft into the trunk of the tree. The other Monster slowed its advance, most likely out of fear. Then the Beast curled into a ball and Tannar just laughed.
Then he realised why the Beast had curled in a ball and regretted everything. A second bird had flown down from the tree and howled directly into his ear canal as it flew by. He missed his strike and the bird flew by unharmed. He was now on one knee, shaking his head to remove the stars from his vision. It was at this point the other Spineback reemerged from its fetal position, and barreled towards him at a breakneck pace.
"Come on you bastard!" He shouted as way of a challenge. The spineback just hissed in response and jumped at his leg. The injured leg.
Oh come on!
The Beast was so focused on further maiming his leg that it didn't even care when it was decapitated by his blade. He now had a plethora of quills stuck into his exposed calf. Not to mention a nasty bite mark 2" deep closer to his ankle. His leg was now all but limp and it would take serious healing to continue his Quest now.
I can't believe I have to use a Healing Crystal on a first floor Dungeon. What an embarassment. I cant imagine what I would do if I became known as the One-legged noble.
Healing Crystals were exceptionally expensive and it was not unlikely a Commoner would go their entire lives without having earned enough to afford one. His leg was now thoroughly mangled though, and if he did nothing he would not be able to continue further than he was now. Failure was not an option.
With a heavy heart, and a grumble about damned rats, he crushed the Healing Crystal in his hand and gasped as Mana flowed throughout his body. Soon his leg was back to normal, but the leather armor he had covering his calf was still in tatters.
As his leg was finishing repairing itself he noticed out of the corner of his eye three very large, and very angry, snakes slithering towards him.
He didn't even think about the repercussions, he just ran towards the end of the room to get the fuck out of there.
"No thank you, i'll deal with you guys on the way out." He said with a laugh as he ran towards the next tunnel. He was stopped by a large brown and silver door though, and it took a considerable amount of effort for him to yank it open. Clearly this was not how he was supposed to do things, but there was no way he would fight three of those snakes at once. Just as the first Beast reached him, the door creaked open far enough for him to slink inside. Putting the full brunt of his weight on the other side now, he slammed it shut just as the snake struck. It bit his hand as he was pushing the door closed, but his armor blocked the fangs from piercing his skin. It left a nasty bruise though.
After catching his breath he looked around the new tunnel, searching for any hidden dangers.
He looked to the side of the new tunnel he was in, and felt his blood run cold. The snakes were back, they had tunnels into the room. Of fucking course they do.
No time to think now. He ran forward, towards the bend in the hallway covered by vines, and leapt over the three snakes who were emerging from the holes in the wall.
"Haha! Take that you dumb brutes! You can remember this as the day you almost caught Tannar El Ver-" His gloating was cut off as he slammed his heels into the ground to slow his charge. There was a massive hole in the floor here, and there was no way in hell he could jump the gap. He looked to the many vines and silently cursed the Dungeon.
It could take him ten minutes just to find the correct vine to get across safely, but time was a luxury he didn't have. The three snakes were aleady recovering from being jumped over, and were racing towards him even as he stared at the pit.
It's an F ranked Dungeon. The correct path has to be the largest vine.
He took a leap of faith, and grasped the thickest vine he saw. He swung with all his might and propelled himself forward. He laughed in unrestrained glee as his guess was correct, and he sailed away from the danger of the snakes.
He continued down the L shaped tunnel towards the light at the end of the next room, searching for any traps along the way. He found none.
Another door blocked his path. He steeled himself, then pushed it open expecting some equally absurd scene such as the flower room. He was not dissapointed.
In there he found a circular room surrounded with pillars and vines. The vines were spread all across the roof and stone pillars, providing very little visibility of what may be lurking up above. The room was also eerily quiet, as nothing but the sound of a few buzzing insects reached his ears. He walked cautiously towards the center of the room and stopped as soon as he saw a large pit of sand.
Yeah. Thats a trap.
Skirting around the sand he could swear he felt the Dungeons dissapointment. He reached the end of the room unmolested and was shocked. How did a Dungeon have a room with no Monsters?
"This place really is a jok-" His words caught in his mouth as he looked towards the door he had entered from.
Four large Monkeys with fangs and claws capable of ripping his flesh to ribbons stared at him. Their golden brown eyes showed no sign of anger or hatred. None of them moved, or made a sound, as they quietly observed him.
They were completely blocking off the exit and made it so the only way for him to go was further into the Dungeon. He was preparing himself for the fight of his life when he felt all hope disappear. The three snakes from before had appeared from the side of the wall. He hadn't noticed earlier but there were large overhangs on the side of the walls. They must have a tunnel there as well.
It's over. I doubt a full group of Adventurers could handle this. What chance do I have?
The snakes did not attack though, they merely slid up to their fellow Monsters and helped to block the door. If Tannar looked closely he could swear one of the Monkeys, the smallest of the four, was smiling at him. He watched in horror as it pointed a clawed finger, much longer than the others, towards the door behind him.
The message was clear, "Keep going."
Tannar gulped. This might be it. This might be where he faces his greatest adversary. He had been spared, that much was obvious. Clearly the Dungeon wanted him to succeed, to live.
He took the biggest risk of his life, and turned his back on the assortment of seven Dungeon Monsters behind him. He waited for the sound of slithering, or claws treading dirt. He heard none of it though, and stepped safely through the door. He slammed it shut behind him and finally let out a choked sob.
Not now Tannar, not now. Wait until your safe.
He took a tentative step forward, and nearly fainted. There was a 5ft drop directly into a pile of sharpened wood stakes. He yanked his leg back from over the gap, and leaped forward past the trap. Then his blood ran cold as he beheld what had to be a tunnel of nightmares.
Six large alcoves were carved into the walls of the tunnel, and in each was a carving of a beast more horrifying than the last. They vaguely reminded him of what he saw at the entryway. Except more crueler, and with far more teeth. One of them almost resembled a male Deer, or maybe a Wolf that somebody attached antlers to. It sent shivers down his spine and made his guess of this being the end of his Quest almost certain.
My adversary is up ahead. I know it. I'm ready, it's time for me to fulfill my destiny.
To further solidify his idea that this was the end, he saw a massive 6ft by 6ft door staring down at him from the end of the tunnel. He could see silver covering the edges of the door, and the
wood it was made of was the same as the tree he had seen earlier.
He walked confidently towards the door, narrowly avoiding a Falling Boulder trap he hadn't even noticed until he was already past it.
Thank god, if I died now it would be a mark of shame on my family for generations.
Reaching out to the door, he noticed two large golden gems staring down at him. Under the lighting it almost looked like a pair of eyes watching his every move. It was a lot more unnerving than he would have liked to admit.
The handle was brushed silver, and when he turned it, it felt cool to the touch. The door was considerably more heavy than the others, and he had to put his full weight into it just to move it an inch. It took so long, and so much effort, that he ended up closing his eyes and just shoving with all his might to move the thing.
Inch by inch he felt the door give and open up to reveal the contents of the next room. He still had his eyes closed, panting from the effort that just opening the door had taken out of him. He opened his eyes, ready to formulate a plan on how to handle what would surely be the greatest fight of his life.
He noticed many things at once, the first being how bright the room was. It reminded him of a Summer day outside his family's Mansion. There were trees in the distance that reminded him of the pure beauty of nature, as well as small flowers dotting the ground similar to those in the earlier room.
This place really is beautiful.
Then Tannar's sub conscious registered what he had been fervently trying to ignore. The 9ft tall visage of a Bear standing in front of the door he had just opened.
The Beast had eyes the color of liquid gold, and the fear he had felt at the likeness on the door was nothing compared to what he felt now. He was paralyzed, and didn't dare move. This is my adversary? Is this what I have to overcome?
He shakily reached down, hoping he wouldn't drop his Dagger before he could get it into his hand. The Beast let him grab his weapon, and just continued to watch him. Staring just like the other Monsters did.
They won't even attack me. They think they are better than me, they think I don't have the power to make it through this god forsaken place.
"I-I've come, to co-complete my Quest. Face me Beast, and know today you f-face Tannar El Verandin!"
Grrr
The Boss Monster didn't roar a challenge, it didn't even acknowledge him. It growled once, low and softly.
The sound sent vibrations throughout every bone in his body. His last vestiges of courage crumbled and he felt his legs push off the ground, in the opposite direction. He would rather face the hordes of Monsters waiting for him in the other room than spend one more second under the gaze of this Beast.
The Bear continued to stare from inside it's room, unimpressed at the Elf's lack of courage.
I was a fool. A fool to think I was capable of handling something like this alone. I don't deserve the Verandin name. I don't deserve anything. If I ever get out of this hell, I'm going to do everything in my power to make amends for the wrong I've done in my life.
"Please! Please let me live, I swear I won't come back! I will do anything, I will become the most pious man the world has seen. I'll give my entire fortune to the next Commoner I see! Please, just let me make amends for the mistakes I've done."
Chime
Congratulations, Tannar El Verandin!
You have completed your Quest, A Heroic Task
By facing harrowing odds and sure death you have overcome who you once were. You have defeated your greatest adversary and grown into something more. Welcome, Hero, to your new life.
Tannar stumbled in his mad dash out of the tunnel filled with grotesque statues, and nearly fainted. That was what it took to complete his Quest? All he had to do was promise to give a bit of money to the poor? He felt his earlier feelings of righteousness wash away as he felt anger at the injustice. He came into this Dungeon when all he had to do was give to charity?!
"You've got to be fucking kiddi-" His curse was cut off as he tripped on an overturned rock on the ground. He landed face first into the dirt, and as he lifted his hand up to drag himself upright, he heard an audible click.
A pressure plate.
Two hundred pounds of solid stone crashed down on top of him from the ceiling above, crushing his spine and instantly killing him.
The Mana from his body flew off towards the direction of the Crawl. Then all was quiet again as the Dungeon repaired itself, preparing for the next set of visitors.
Chapter 10 - Fun Times
* * *
In the middle of the night. A few hours before the official opening, most of the towns people have gathered around the entrance to the Dungeon.
"Did you guys hear it?" One sleep-deprived person asks.
"It sounded like the Voice of the World." A Beast-man says.
"Bullshit. If that was the Voice that would mean a new Hero was made. I don't see any new Hero, do you?" A Human yells back. The man next to him, presumably his friend, slapped him in the back of the head. "Quit being a dick, we don't know what happened yet."
"All of you go back to sleep. We will find out, and inform everyone in the morning." Brian, the Towns unofficial/official leader, calls out. His booming voice cows most of the protesters and a stern glare warns off anyone who might try to complain further.
With a lot of mumbled curses, and a few extra explicitives from the pair of Humans, everyone went back to their makeshift homes.
The town was progressing nicely, but the housing was still very much a sore spot. They just didn't have enough space to fit everyone. Brian knew that problem would not last forever though, once the Dungeon was opened new spaces would vacate almost immediately. He sighed at the thought.
Brian turned to the two women next to him.
One was a Gigant, a northern race hailing from the slopes of the Andel Mountains. She was nearly his own height, and had just about as much muscle as well. Her name was Holly, and was the Towns resident Cleric.
Any who came out of the Dungeon injured, unless treated by a healer in their party, had to go through her. Many of the men and women were intimidated by her, but to Brian it just made the scene of a 6'6" woman holding a grown man down as she poked and prodded him for injuries even funnier.
The second woman, Joy, was a Beast-woman. She was much smaller than her Gigant counterpart, closer to 5'3". She had a small layer of red fur covering most of her body, and almost comically large fox ears on the top of her head. She also had over twenty knives hidden throughout her body at any time. Brian wasn't going to ask, but he was sure at least a few were tucked somewhere in her bushy tail.
Both of these women were chosen by the Guild Master to accompany him, and to help establish the new Dungeon Town. They were Veterans, or B ranked Adventurers, and Brian knew if they worked together even he might not be able to come out unscathed.
"Joy, Holly. I am going to investigate what happened in the Dungeon. Please guard the entrance." Both of the women looked surprised he was going in alone, but he was an A rank for a reason. So neither voiced their complaints, they just nodded and took up opposite sides of the entrance.
Brian looked down into the depths of the Dungeon, and let out a long sigh. He already had a good guess as to what happened in there, and he knew he would not like it.
* * *
30 minutes earlier. Our Crawl is watching a lone Elf stumble through his Dungeon.
Will could not stop laughing. He hadn't stopped since the Elf first screamed when he was blindsided by a Dungeon Serpent in the first room.
Bel wasn't doing much better. She was watching what was happening with a front row view, following along with the Two-legs, invisible. Every time he came across a group of Monsters, Bel had told all of them to go for his injured leg.
Will nearly fainted when his Spineback forced the invader to use some weird Healing item. It was, without a doubt, the funniest thing he had ever seen. The look of pure defeat and shock that the nearly made One-leg had when he saw the M
onster jump right at his calf was priceless.
When the serpents came out of their hidden tunnels and chased him across the vine pit, he was worried the fun was over. By some miracle though, the Elf had picked the correct vine and moved on.
Will knew he stood no chance against the Troop, and while he could tell the Monsters were excited they would get a chance to fight for real, he told them to let the Elf pass.
He wanted him to meet Grizzly, and he wanted his Boss to get a good look at what he would be fighting for the foreseeable future. The Monkeys all let out a sad hoot at being held back. Then Will told them they could at least scare him, and they perked up a little at that.
When he saw the female monkey point towards Grizzly's Door, he knew the pale mutant was going to lose his nerve.
