The Guild Core: The Complete Saga Boxset: A LitRPG Dungeon Adventure

by TJ Reynolds

  The Miremog moved its head at the last minute and Ban’s acid spittle trailed down its long neck. The spit sizzled where it touched, and another shriek of pain resounded from the foe. Well, it can be hurt, Kai thought, and used all the strength fear lent him to yank his boot free of the muck, stumbling back a few steps.

  He crouched to stop the shaking in his knees and tossed his pack off as quick as he could in preparation for the fight.

  Four thick legs held up the bulk of the monster, jointed and armored like an insect. Its head was a nightmare. Two razor-sharp mandibles extended from its mouth like curved daggers and a pair of huge black eyes, glossy and fathomless peered out hatefully at the intruders. The beast’s body was hard to see as it was draped in the algae and water weeds it hid within, but at least a dozen dark tentacles writhed in anticipation of Kai’s attack.

  Even as he watched, a tentacle shot out for his ankle. Without a moment to spare, Kai blasted it with a Flame Dart. The dragon had used his spell a dozen times throughout the day, and his Restoring Tide spell once after accumulating too many small injuries to comfortably continue. Though his ether was constantly recharging, he couldn’t count on an endless volley of Flame Darts to get him through.

  He considered using Shadow Shroud, but the spell would most likely fail against something that already knew where he was. Confounded Core was another option, but the cast time was too long to really be of use—15 seconds was a lifetime in the heat of combat.

  Kai breathed and continued to backpedal as the Miremog slowly walked toward him on its main legs. This must be what an ant feels like when it encounters a beetle, Kai thought.

  Quit your whining, dragonling, and get a grip on your spine! Ants kill beetles, Kai, and we’ll kill this thing! Ban screamed into his mind. The dungeon’s champion swooped down again and spat another gob of acid on the beast’s back and raked its face with his talons.

  When the Miremog turned to lash out at the little gargat, Kai shot a Flame Dart directly at its face. Again, the monster dodged, but the magic bolt still burned a hole in its neck. Growing frustrated, the monster charged Kai. In quick succession, its tentacles snapped toward his face, and he removed the tips of the first two with quick sweeps of his glaive. The third tentacle managed to grab his arm, however, and yanked him off balance. Two more tentacles found purchase around his thighs.

  Kai tried to cut himself free, but with one arm bound, he couldn’t effectively do so. Ban dove and cut the tentacle holding onto his arm. Relieved and infinitely grateful, Kai flashed his glaive in two tight arcs, severing both of the slimy appendages.

  Roaring with rage, the Miremog pounced. Kai blasted it in the face with another Flame Dart, the attack burning out one of its eyes, but its revolting form crashed into Kai, knocking him down. His glaive slipped from his grasp and several more tentacles gripped his body. He felt himself being lifted up off the ground, and he screamed.

  Ban dove onto the back of the Miremog’s neck and tore into its flesh. Talons and claws dug deep furrows in the sensitive flesh at the back of the monster’s head, causing it to howl in pain and rage. But it refused to drop Kai.

  As he was dragged toward the beast’s belly, Kai saw that underneath the creature, dozens of smaller tentacles hung. He knew then that if he couldn’t stop it from pulling him in, he’d be bound completely, and the Miremog would fall back into the pool. Kai would drown like the countless other creatures the beast had ambushed over the years.

  Kai reached out with both of his hands and channeled Flame Dart from each hand, something he wasn’t entirely sure he could do until he’d tried. The bolts sunk into the soft belly of the Miremog and charred its sodden flesh.

  The monster’s scream changed pitch, becoming deeper and shaking the world around Kai.

  He found himself falling back into a shallow puddle as the monster released him, and by a stroke of luck, the shaft of his glaive dug into his ribs. In a second, Kai had rolled backward, holding the weapon before him again, his grip fierce and unyielding. I’ll not drop you again, my friend, I promise.

  Kai stood up and rolled his shoulders, and for the first time, channeled Confounded Core. So far, the Miremog hadn’t used a skill, and if Kai could deny it such an advantage, it could very well change the course of the fight.

  Ban! Kai called to his friend. I need you to distract him, I can’t do much of anything while channeling this spell!

  The gargat champion dove once more and clung like a leech to the beast’s neck. Ban was forced to dart away as the monster reacted almost instantly, a tentacle whipping around to snatch at him.

  The damn thing is learning, Kai thought as he felt the spell swell within him.

  Unlike the Restoring Tide spell, this one brought no sensation of cold with its touch. Instead it filled him with an odd emotion, almost as if liquid fear pooled in his gut. Though his own mind remained detached from the sensation, his body shook with the effort of holding it back.

  Ban darted in once more but was forced to veer away before he could inflict any further damage. Thankfully, Kai was at last able to release the spell. Confounded Core blasted out from his stomach, an inky purple beam of ether that struck the Miremog in its bulky body.

  The effect was immediate.

  The monster shrieked, its one good eye going wide, and Kai could see that his foe had registered fear for the first time in its miserable existence. It turned, as if searching for some unseen threat. But then, shuddering, it regained its composure and focused on Kai.

  No confusion, then. I’ll have to trust that it’s at least confounded. If it can’t use any skills, then this becomes just a physical battle. If it wasn’t so blighting huge, Kai thought, I could walk up and stab it.

  Kai inched closer, hoping to do just that. When he came within range of a strike, though, one of the beast’s massive legs flicked out toward him, like a massive finger. Kai side-stepped just in time to avoid having his chest caved in. Still, the blow grazed him. Though his armor protected him, so fierce was the blow, the chain links of his mail tore the skin along his ribs.

  As the leg retreated, Kai swung with all his might, catching the appendage a few feet from its pointed tip. Sparks showered down and a painful, numbing jolt ran up Kai’s hands and arms. He nearly dropped the weapon again, as the glaive bounced off.

  The other front leg lifted up above Kai’s head, and as he tried to dodge, his foot slipped in the squelching mud. He held up his glaive instead, hoping to avoid instant death, and watched as the creature’s spear-like leg descended with great power.

  At that moment, Ban dove in and raked his claws across the beast’s face, scratching the soft skin around its eyes. It flinched and its leg sunk deep into the mud near Kai’s foot. Thank you, Ban! That was close enough to give me a shave! Kai bellowed in his head. The dragonling scrambled to his feet and tried a direct stab into the leg while it was still buried in the muck.

  The glaive’s point thunked into the chitinous leg and shuddered. Though Kai felt the weapon pierce the armored plate, it wasn’t enough to wound the beast. He looked up to see Ban swoop down again, but just before he made contact, a rogue tentacle flashed up and wrapped around the gargat’s waist.

  Kai! Help if you can! Ban called out, and Kai leapt forward, stabbing his glaive at the Miremog’s face. It hopped back, easily avoiding his attack, but rather than stuff Ban’s champion into its mouth, it struck Ban against the ground, knocking him senseless and then flung him out into the swamp.

  Kai heard a wet plop maybe fifty or so feet away, and he was grateful the little creature had a chance of surviving this encounter.

  The monster hunched before Kai, its legs shuddering with rage, and it screamed a challenge at him. Instead of quaking, Kai yelled back. If he was going to die, he’d do it well. I have to kill it quick or I’ll be drinking mead with Andag in the Seven Halls in no time. Then, bolstering his courage, Kai advanced.

  He anticipated one of the great legs flicking out at him again, so when it did, he
rolled under the attack. Rising to his knees, he found himself within range. Before his window of opportunity closed, Kai thrust the glaive up into the Miremog’s face. The tip of the blade struck home, landing in the flat expanse of its cheek. He heard a faint crack, but his weapon glanced off nonetheless.

  Its shivving face is armored too? Come on!

  The front legs rose and fell in quick succession, plunging into the mud as Kai evaded. Again, one of the legs grazed him, the force bruising and breaking open his skin.

  Kai thrust again, aiming for the remaining good eye. His glaive sunk in a foot, and the Miremog reared back its head, roaring in agony. A spray of blood showered Kai’s face and he was grateful his mouth hadn’t been open. Still, the stench of its wound nearly made Kai swoon. It was awful, like a dead thing had been left to simmer in a stew pot.

  Kai fell back, wiping at the filth near his eyes, and appraised his foe. It lashed its head back and forth a few times, and finally, the spray of blood ceased. A quiver ran through its body, and for a moment, Kai thought it might retreat. He’d made it pay dearly enough that any beast in its right mind would do just that.

  But instead, the Miremog stilled, and lowering its head, it waited. What is it up to now? Kai wondered, and shifted his feet. A pocket of mud sputtered as he did so and the monster reoriented itself toward him. Great, now it’s going to kill me with its ears?

  Kai held still and tried to breathe softly. He was sure the beast could still hear his rasping breath, but he could only do so much about that. He wracked his brain for some solution. Then he remembered the secondary benefit to Shadow Shroud. Using most of his remaining reserves of ether, he cast the spell. A fog of darkest night swirled out of his body. It was an instant cast, so the effect was noticeable right away.

  From his vantage point, the daylight dimmed and even the drab browns and greens of the swamp became more subdued. Most importantly, at least in this situation, the sounds around him became muffled and indistinct.

  If Kai’s own movements weren’t quite silent, at least they would be that much harder for his foe to pinpoint.

  But now there was the small matter of finishing this fight. How can I kill this thing? I stabbed it in its shivving head and still it’s fine. Then Kai recalled the Miremog’s soft belly, and the expanse of smaller tentacles below its body. Its legs and neck were protected. And though its eyes had been destroyed, skewering its head had produced less than satisfactory results. Truly, the last place he wanted to venture was beneath the beast, but he could come up with no other options.

  So, the belly it is then, Kai thought. But how to get there? And how to survive the encounter?

  Kai looked around and saw his pack a few dozen feet away. He doubted he could retrieve it, let alone open it up and find something useful inside. Then he noticed two feet of severed tentacle half submerged in a puddle nearby. That would have to do.

  The Miremog advanced in his direction as soon as Kai took a step. By the time he had picked up the tentacle, the beast appeared to have overcome whatever confusion his Shadow Shroud had caused, and stood almost within striking range.

  Kai froze again, even holding his breath. Sure enough, the Miremog froze too.

  Channeling Flame Dart, Kai held on to the spell, allowing it to build in power. The seconds ticked by. He had just enough AE to fully charge his blast, but as the spell grew in power, the flame at the tip of his glaive began to crackle with etheric energy. The Miremog advanced, and Kai tossed the tentacle far to his left. It landed with a splash near the monster’s leg, opposite where Kai was facing. Immediately, the beast swiveled and struck, alternating stabs with both its front legs, spearing the ground repeatedly.

  Not wasting a second, Kai sprinted forward, his movements masked by the beast’s own thrashing. As he got close, the Miremog turned again, finally noticing the deception.

  The Miremog tried skittering back, but Kai’s momentum carried him under its roiling belly. In one sweeping, overhead arc, Kai scored the monster’s underside, cleaving deep into its belly. As the blade parted the soft flesh, it struck against something firm. This slowed the passage of Kai’s glaive, but when he released the fully charged Flame Dart, a long tongue of flame ripped through the beast, lacing the sky above its back.

  An explosion tore open the Miremog’s abdomen, bursting some vital sac, and a shower of ungodly filth poured out.

  Kai emerged retching, the liquid burning his skin and reeking of death. He turned and held his weapon up in a defensive stance, ignoring his discomfort in anticipation of a counter attack, but the Miremog deflated from within. The great legs twitched as the body sank to the ground, its tentacles and neck falling limp. The beast shrieked weakly then flailed the mud in a final spasm.

  A few moments passed as it died, then a vast cloud of ether rose from the corpse and poured into Kai’s chest.

  The flood of Progression was almost enough to make him feel better. But as the sensation passed, the odor overwhelmed his nose once again and he retched into the swamp until his stomach lacked even bile to spew.

  An hour had passed by the time Kai recovered, gathered Ban’s unconscious form and his pack, then bathed himself as best he could in a stagnant pool nearby. No water in the swamp was clean, but compared to the fluid from the Miremog’s entrails, everything smelled like daisies.

  Absently, Kai noticed he’d leveled up to Amber 2. He had two attribute points to spend. Without much thought, he assigned one to Strength and the other to Intelligence.

  Strength and Constitution accounted for one’s stamina. Immediately, the pack on his shoulders and the limp form of Ban in his arms felt just a bit lighter. He was also pleased to note that his potential pool of ether had grown to 150, though at the moment, it was all but depleted.

  Kai searched for a dry patch of land for another ten minutes or so.

  He did not find any.

  Instead, he settled on a damp mound of moss and swamp reeds. When he laid everything out and collapsed to the ground, Kai found he no longer cared how wet his clothes were. He was simply grateful to rest. They’d survived.

  And though injured, Ban’s little champion continued to draw breath.

  Kai clutched the ugly gargat to his chest, relishing the warmth, and the world faded to black.

  28

  When in Doubt, Remodel

  Bancroft

  Being blasted out of his champion’s frail body was an experience Ban had not relished at all. It felt like someone had rapped his core with a chisel.

  The transference from body back to core was immediate. He assumed the gargat champion still lived, but considering that he could not enter the little beastie again when he tried, Ban figured it must be unconscious.

  Anxiety gnawed at Ban. His dragon was in danger fighting the most fearsome beast either one of them had ever encountered. He also knew there was nothing he could do. He could not absorb his champion and send out a new one. The only saving grace was that if Kai died, Ban would feel the loss immediately. As long as he did not feel that sucking void in his core, he knew his dragon was fine.

  Thinking on such an emotional subject made Ban remember when he had lost Yorick. He knew the dragon was heading into a dire situation. Yorick had not allowed Ban to send a champion with him, though why exactly, he could not remember.

  He could only recall a sense of absolute loneliness and fear, scrambling to defend himself against unknown enemies, and then a dark pang that scored his soul. Yorick had died, somewhere else in the world, Ban nowhere near and unable to comfort him.

  What had followed was inevitable. A simple dungeon made into a scholarly retreat, hoping to fortify itself over the course of a few haunted days was a lost cause. He had been weak and unorganized the last time he was besieged. Ban would not make the same mistake again.

  Already, his dungeon was better off now than it had been then. His work with amalgamations went deeper than before. Ban did not have a single memory of working to build stronger minions. Now, it would take a
small army to overwhelm him.

  Much needed to change regarding his layout though.

  He started his work there first.

  The configuration of his dungeon was set up for convenience, not defense. The entrance he left alone, only increasing the number and size of the stalactites in the cave to hamper anyone set on entering.

  Ban also narrowed the door that led back into his cave. The idea of sealing it off completely was appealing, but when he tried to do so, Ban remembered he could not. He was attached to his dragon, so sealing himself off completely was not possible unless Kai was here within him.

  Just one of the lovely rules of being an Earth Core, Ban quipped sarcastically.

  Instead of allowing his mood to become more caustic than it already was, he settled into the work he could perform. He continued by making the passage into the first room cumbersome.

  Only one raider at a time would be able to get inside. He left the first room, the pantry, otherwise unchanged. Traps could be added when he was done with the layout. The second room, the library, was filled with far too many treasures to allow any defender to steal, so Ban’s next change was drastic.

  Ban tunneled a new room off the training hall. He concealed its entrance as cleverly as he could and placed it at the end of a long, narrow passageway. Then, using all the focus he could muster, Ban began the arduous process of moving his core.

  He used the stone flower chalice that held his core to transport himself. The sensation was nauseating and rather time-consuming; when he was done, Ban was aware that over an hour had passed.

  He rested a few minutes, meditating to the sound of the little fountain he had made for Kai. It was not long until he had recovered from the strain, but it was with great relief that he began working again, well aware that his core was much deeper and further within his dungeon than it had been.