The Dungeon Slayer: A LitRPG Level-Up Adventure (The Dungeon Slayer Series Book 1)

by Konrad Ryan

  A hurricane of roaches descended on Tad. Minor cuts opened across his arms and legs as he dodged by the narrowest of margins. His weapons were practically invisible as they sank into roach after roach, but for each that fell, two more took its place.

  In the furious melee the queen’s army fought to protect their queen, but despite their best efforts the pure physicality of the larger metalroaches quickly overwhelmed them. All of them except for the queen roach, who didn’t seem to need protection. Her movements were a blur as she crushed metalroach after metalroach, with her chitinous pincers, some she swallowed whole, making a gooey crunch as something in her gullet finished the job.

  Like a loaded spring, a roach exploded from the dirt beneath Tad. The surprise attack was a success, Tad’s meaty thigh impaled on the skewer as the two flew into the air. Tad removed the pincer from the roach’s face with a flick of his wrist and then drove Raekast’s Fang deep into the side of the roach’s head. It died instantly. Tad jumped off the corpse, midair, away from the concentrated fury of the attacks. There were too many roaches. Tad glanced at his health bar as he tried to quell the panic rising in his chest.

  *Health: 76/110

  Mana: 36/42*

  Tad spun from two roaches and flipped over a third, his daggers plunged deep into its back. A burst of healing energy surged through his body as he cast the heal spell. Tad couldn’t think of a single spell that would help him here. The roaches were too numerous and had too much life for thunderstorm. They would avoid firewall. Better to have full health.

  Time lost its meaning. Dodge, slash, stab, leap, spin. Kill, kill, kill. Wings, legs, pincers, heads all flew in the chaos. Blood covered Tad’s limbs, both from his own and from the roaches. Pressed to the limit of his concentration, he fought desperately. He had gotten into this mess. There was only one way out of it. Roaches covered the cavern walls. Between attacks Tad looked for the tunnel he’d entered from, but couldn’t find it anywhere. Had they collapsed it? Hidden it? There was no retreat.

  Suddenly, Tad came face to face with the queen roach. Her mighty chitinous pincers flew toward him, each as big as his body with a promise of death. She was too fast! Tad couldn’t get out of the way!

  “Ice vortex!”

  Tad dipped under the attack as her motions slowed enough for him to dodge the attack. In her natural state, she was faster than him. Built like a triple decker bus, the queen chased Tad. Snap after snap, her powerful jaws tried to find purchase anywhere on him. His head, arms, and legs, common targets. Tad’s daggers flashed in counterattack as he chipped at the pincers. Sizeable holes appeared wherever Raekast’s Fang landed, but the pincers were so large it barely scratched the surface. Other roaches darted and sliced. Bigger cuts opened across Tad’s limbs and torso, unable to dodge the attacks properly under the dogged pursuit of the queen.

  Tad blinked and the queen roach disappeared completely from view. Where? How could something so big disappear completely? The ground rippled beneath his feet as the queen burst from the ground. Tad leapt into the air to avoid the attack, but the queen had him. Giant mandibles closed on Tad like lightning. Tad caught the pincers with his daggers and legs. He pushed with his might, but her power dominated as the jaws inched closed. Fear gripped Tad’s heart as the pincers overpowered and slammed to crush him. He was in way over his head. There was no escape.

  Suddenly Tad couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move as time stopped. Silence enveloped the cavern. Gone was the cacophony of war. Stuck in the queen’s maw, Raekast’s Fang shone. Ruby light swelled until it was blinding. Everything disappeared into darkness.

  * * *

  Tad floated in black mist, weightless. Somewhere deep in his mind he knew he should be concerned about something, but the thought slipped away as he sunk further into the calm of the void. Time passed. Eventually a rumble disturbed the stillness. Odd… there had been no sound since Tad came to this place. It felt like he had just arrived, but it also felt like he had been here for an eternity. The rumble came again, this time more insistent.

  Could a rumble be insistent? Tad strained his ears.

  “Why not use Void?” A deep voice reverberated through his skull. “Sign the contract. Unleash Void.”

  An ominous voice in a dark void. Yeah. That seemed like something Tad wanted to sign a contract with. Tad laughed at the thought. What even was happening right now? Had Tad died? Was this the afterlife? What had he been doing before he came here? Images of fighting the roach queen returned to his mind in flashes.

  Well… fighting might stretch the truth a bit. Tad had run from her endless attacks and was about to be crushed and devoured.

  Tad looked for the voice in the darkness. This place, wherever it was, seemed eerily similar to the place Tad had been when he’d first entered this dungeon, when he’d met that being with seemingly infinite power. This place was similar. But this being hardly seemed to have any power. Tad could barely sense him.

  “Unleash Void!” The voice came again, more persistent, desperate even. “Power. I’ll give thee power. Unleash Void!”

  “Who are you? What are you? And what power could you give me? You seem even weaker than me!”

  “Nonsense!” The voice faltered. It sounded weaker by the minute. “Void was like thee. Void came here in dire need, like thyself, but none lived within to form a contract. Void remained instead of facing certain death. Unleash Void!”

  Tad thought back to the roach queen. Could he beat her by himself? He’d been doing pretty well before the queen had shown up, but she seemed to be in a league of her own. The situation was getting risky. While she was alive, he couldn’t level up. He wouldn’t be getting any power spikes mid-battle. This might be his only chance for additional strength.

  But this creature… whatever it was. Tad doubted it could give him enough strength to change anything. Not to mention that who knows what kind of weird side effects he would get from making a deal with something like this. Tad didn’t think it would hurt to ask.

  “What can you give me?”

  “Power… View ahead. Unleash Void.”

  Text appeared before Tad’s eyes.

  *Do you wish to make a contract with the failed void?

  Strength +5

  Dexterity +10*

  That’s… it? It seemed kind of underwhelming. Tad was actually more interested in what his level-up program called the being. A failed void. This wasn’t the first time Tad heard that word. The announcer at the battle arena called Tad that. A void. Was this someone like Tad? Someone who could control their own progress? Why had they failed? What did success look like? Tad’s thoughts raced. Maybe they had answers!

  “Why am I different? Am I a void too? To what end?” Tad could hardly get the words out fast enough.

  “Contract first. Unleash Void.”

  “I don’t…” Tad stopped. Ten dexterity and five strength didn’t seem worth it. Wasn’t the weapon’s strength fueled by the being inside of it? If the weapon was this impressive with this weak thing, how much more impressive would it be if Tad could get something actually strong inside to contract with. Tad didn’t want to be stuck with a contract for just three levels worth of stats. Yeah, he was in a pinch, literally, versus the queen, but would ten dexterity really help? Tad didn’t want the thing’s help, more than help, he wanted information. Tad would deny his offer, let him down easy. Hopefully, they could still talk. Tad tried to speak in his most persuasive voice, but because of nervousness, it came out in a squeak.

  “Maybe next time?”

  Silence. It stretched until something shifted. The darkness constricted in front of him. It pressed across his body, wrapped him inside of it. It crushed him. Tad struggled against the darkness, but it felt like the life was being wrung from his body, like water from a cloth. Tad could feel his mana draining.

  Panic exploded in Tad’s chest. He would die. This being that was crushing him had been stronger than Tad expected. It was too late. The entire dimension shook from the rage of t
he being who lived inside. Tad’s attempt to pacify the thing seemed to have had the opposite effect. He completely pissed it off!

  “Fine! Void will kill you like the rest! Unleash Void!”

  Suddenly the pressure of the darkness increase exponentially. He felt like a squeezed grape. The pressure would crush him. Tad couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. His vision went even darker if that was possible. Had he made the wrong choice? Was his low charisma score the reason the creature had gotten so angry? If it were higher could he have found a diplomatic solution? Tad would die. He could feel death as his health hemorrhaged. He opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. An immense, sinister pressure ripped his body apart.

  With a popping noise, Tad was suddenly back in front of the massive jaws of the roach queen. He watched in slow motion as the dull jaws of the queen slowly closed around him. Tad threw his silver dagger deep into the open maw of the queen and braced for the worst. The queen hissed in pain; the jaws faltered for just a moment, but that’s all he needed. Tad kicked powerfully against the mandibles of the roach, repositioning. The pincers slammed shut a moment later, but Tad’s legs redirected the power into momentum. He flew backward across the cavern from the shock wave of the attack.

  Tad’s enhanced balance and reflexes were the only thing that kept him from slamming into the ground as he flipped to his feet. Tad skidded across the cavern floor to kill his momentum. A cloud of dirt and dust sprang up in his wake. The terror in his heart gave way to something else. Exhilaration? He was alive. That thing hadn’t been able to kill him. Neither had the queen. He’d escaped both the failed void and the Queen of Roaches. Tad’s life was on the line, yet excitement rose in his chest. Strength and riches to gain, everything to lose.

  Tad glanced at his health bar.

  *Health: 7/110

  Mana: 0/42*

  That bastard! He had tried to kill Tad. It had drained his mana too! Suddenly, Tad wished he could meet the failed void again. The creature made a nasty situation even worse. Tad would remember that.

  Tad would get powerful enough to protect himself. He wouldn’t let himself be at that creature’s mercy ever again.

  He gritted his teeth as he glared at the queen roach. “Only one thing to do.” With that, he charged.

  Chapter 22

  There are few times in life you have to be perfect. Tad knew this was one of those times. Cold sweat ran down the neck as he tried to calm his nerves.

  Any misstep would be fatal with only seven health left. Roaches surrounded him on all sides. There was only one safe place in the entire cavern. In the belly of the beast. Tad spun and sliced roaches as he cut a path toward the queen. The queen clicked animatedly as she sped toward him. Smaller roaches crushed under her immense girth. Ice from Tad’s spell still spidered up her legs, slowing her movement. But she was still lightning fast.

  It would come down to one moment. Life or death depended on one exchange.

  Could Tad dodge her attack? Victory lay beyond. Death if he failed.

  The two met near the center of the enormous cavern. Roaches encircled the two of them, like a playground fight. The queen roach stood directly in front of Tad, giant mandibles readied for the attack. Her speed was blinding. Compared to the slower roaches, he could hardly keep her focused in his vision. How could something so big move so fast? Confidence faltered. She was too fast. He wouldn’t be able to dodge her attack.

  The queen lunged. His momentum carried him right into the range of her jaws. It was too late, he couldn’t change course. But he knew that failure to evade her bite was certain death. Tad spun his back toward the queen’s powerful jaws. In a heartbeat Tad pushed his weapons into the void and pulled to summon Wraithford’s remaining axe directly in front of him. He summoned the axe upside-down. Axe blade appeared in hand, the haft of the weapon stuck straight up into the air. The next moment the queen’s powerful jaws slammed closed on the axe head, but it was wider than Tad himself. He ran up the length of the axe blade and flipped backward, on top of the queen’s head.

  Tad darted toward the queen’s exposed back. The queen slammed her jaws closed a second time. The impact sent Tad to his knees, but he sprang to his feet and charged down her back, toward her thorax. The queen spread her wings as the entire ground underneath Tad rolled and pitched. His enhanced dexterity was the only thing that kept him on his toes. He sped to the thorax. He didn’t have much time; roaches were already climbing up her sides to get Tad off their queen. But they were too slow.

  Tad slid to his knees, Raekast’s Fang in hand as he stabbed downward with all his force. A manhole-sized piece of chitin exploded from the fury of his attack. Orange blood and warm white fat met Tad beneath. A glance showed the roaches close behind. But not close enough. Tad took a deep breath as he dove headfirst downward. Tad’s hands were a blur with his repeated stabs, each stab destroyed enormous chunks of white fat with Raekast’s Fang’s enhanced power. Blood pooled in the wound as the queen writhed in pain. But Tad burrowed deeper and deeper into the makeshift cavity. It had to be here somewhere.

  Squishy yellow-white fat pressed on all sides as Tad wriggled farther into the belly of the queen. Tad sliced through it, shoving it to the sides to make a pathway. He squirmed farther inward, slicing downward. Ever downward. He could feel the vibrations from the screeches of pain in his bones. Still, Tad made his way farther into the insect. There had to be organs in here somewhere. The effort quickly used up his oxygen supply, but he was already in this far, he had to be close. Slicing and crawling through the fat, using every inch of his body to wriggle through the squishy mass.

  A pounding sound became audible. Boom, boom, boom! Tad felt the vibrations. Surely that was the roach’s heart! Tad hacked as best he could with his dagger squished so close to himself, but he slipped his way through toward the vibrations. Finally, the texture beneath his dagger changed. Using his elbow to push the fat, Tad freed enough space to stab the muscled mass below. Surely it was dark enough in here to use stealth. Black mist kissed his skin as he activated stealth. He stabbed three times in an instant.

  *Backstab x3.*

  Like a popped balloon, a river of roach blood exploded. It flowed over him until the force was too great and the river carried him. He shot out of the self-made manhole and flew ten feet into the air. With a violent twitch, the queen fell still, dead.

  All the accumulated experience hit at once.

  *You have leveled up!*

  *You have leveled up!*

  *You have leveled up!*

  *You have leveled up!*

  *You have leveled up!*

  *You have leveled up!*

  *You have leveled up!*

  Revitalizing energy rippled from head to toe as his many wounds sealed up. His mana full.

  He’d done it.

  Tad stood on the queen’s back, soaked in her slightly orange roach blood. A gruesome sight, he was sure. Tad scanned the room. Surely the roaches were coming after him, enraged at the death of their queen. Instead, groups of the queen’s roaches surrounded the dead to feed. The metalroaches seemed unaffected by the queen’s death and hunted down the pacified queen’s army. But both parties seemed to have lost interest in Tad. Instead, they fed on the queen’s corpse with crunches and slurps. Golden monster essence gleamed across the room, like treasure uncollected.

  “Stats.” Tad said. Tension flooded out from him. If the roaches had no interest in him, then he could take a minute to level up.

  *Tad Harrington

  Rank: Soldier

  Level: 21

  Health: 110/110

  Mana: 42/42

  Str: 10

  Dex: 27

  Con: 11

  Mag: 21

  Cou: 5

  Cha: -9

  Points to allocate: 35*

  35 points. Wow, had he really leveled seven times? He couldn’t help but feel impressed his plan had worked. The queen’s only weakness was her size and her lack of maneuverability. The duel was over the se
cond Tad reached her back.

  Tad scanned the cavern. Tiny golden roaches skittered above their dead bodies. Monster essence. He couldn’t even count all the roach essence that glittered across the cavern like treasure. Raekast’s Fang needed to absorb one hundred of them. He would catch the rest in the soul lantern he’d taken from the fallen mage slayer. But both things could wait.

  His stats floated before his eyes. With thirty-five points at his disposal, it finally felt like he had some freedom in how he allocated them. First was his constitution. 110 health was feeling like it was not even close to enough. Tad knew from healing the man that Gruff had over five hundred health. Becca and Scar had less, but not by much. Bosses were several times more deadly than the inhabitants of the dungeon, and Tad wanted a health pool that could take a couple hits at least. Thirty. He would bring his constitution all the way to thirty. Tad grunted in satisfaction as his max health climbed to 300. A series of musical chimes rang out along the way. His body stretched and distorted as fat dispersed across his entire body, but Tad pressed on.

  *You have learned the skill ‘Neutralize Poison.’*

  *You have learned the passive skill ‘Vitality 1.’*

  Oh nice! ‘Neutralize Poison’ would have come in handy earlier…

  *Neutralize Poison: Consume 50 health to counteract the harmful effects of most poisons.*

  Ouch, 50 health seemed steep, but it was nice to have the option. He opened his new passive skill.

  *Vitality 1: +100 max health.*

  Oh, hell yeah! Free health was always welcome! A grin crept from ear to ear as he looked over his stats. Tad looked down at his body. The transformation hadn’t been as dramatic as the first time he’d increased his constitution. His ten strength and twenty-seven dexterity helped balance the thirty constitution. He was on the thicker end, but still looked very athletic. Like a shot-putter.