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

by TJ Reynolds

  Rhona fell back on her haunches and let the laughing fit pass through her. A cloud of ether released from the baliska and into her chest. “Did ya see that, Kai? I countered its headbutt with a headbutt,” she managed at last, unable to get the absurd image out of her mind. “How stupid is that?”

  Kai stood above her, a grin on his face, and as she looked up, Rhona noticed for the first time that the young man was almost handsome. “It worked.” He shrugged. “And seems your hard head is more useful than I’d originally thought. Maybe it wasn’t stupid after all.”

  He held out his hand to her and she took it, standing up and holding on to him until she got her balance back under control. There was little use pushing on with a head injury, so Rhona used the rest of her stored ether to heal her skull and the bruising of her brain as best she could. It wasn’t enough to fully heal herself, but this was more than a nasty cut or bruise.

  Examining the baliska closely, the changes in their bodies became more evident. Their back legs were twisted downward, giving them the ability to stand upright as well as run on all fours.

  Though their limbs were shorter, the muscles bulged powerfully.

  The same black scales covered their bodies, but a patch of white scales spread upward from their chests along their throats. Most striking was the change in the baliskas’ skulls. These had narrower heads, and their jaws looked far less capable of swallowing Rhona’s head in a single bite.

  Yet these had been more deadly, by far. Not only were they larger, but their paws had morphed into hands tipped with two-inch-long claws.

  Rhona picked up one of the swords, and noted that though it appeared to be made of metal, it certainly wasn’t steel or iron. The metal was as black as the baliska’s scales and sharp enough to cut through stone.

  She thought of taking one for a backup, in case Kai’s glaive was destroyed, but it weighed as much as a battle axe. She let the weapon clatter back to the ground.

  “Well, a few more down and who knows how many to go,” Kai said, surveying the destruction they’d wrought. “Should we head back and get Honor? Who knows, maybe the dungeon’s end is in sight.”

  Rhona doubted the truth of those words but was grateful for his optimism. Being stuck with an inexperienced fighter was one thing, but if Kai had plagued her with negativity or superstition, matters would have been a sight worse.

  She kneeled to examine one of the baliska closer. Their bodies were armored naturally, and the weapons they carried far too heavy. So despite her searching, she found nothing worth taking with them.

  Then the young man was calling out, his voice shrill with anxiety. “Hey! Come look! I’ve found something. Oh, my goodness! It’s awful.” Rhona turned to see what Kai had found while conducting his own search of the circular room. He was on a knee, peering through a slit in the back wall.

  When she came closer, Rhona saw it wasn’t a wall, but rather a door, its hinges concealed well within the stone. Three thin slits on the door opened up into a blackness beyond.

  As she peered closer, the unmistakable acrid stench of urine and feces reached her. This was the source of the latrine smell, the rotting funk that had filled the passage so thoroughly, she’d almost gotten used to it.

  And then, in the flicker of the firelight, Rhona saw a pair of eyes, blinking back at her from behind the door.

  “We have to open it. I don’t know what they are, but the creatures inside are in a dreadful state,” Kai announced emphatically. “There’s dozens back there, maybe more.” He searched for a door knob. A tiny slit in the door showed where a key might be used.

  Then he added, in a more cautious tone, “Wait. What if they wish us harm? It would be difficult to fight dozens of beasts in this narrow space.” He looked back at her over his shoulder. “And you’re still recovering, Rhona.”

  “I’m fine. I think we should release them. If it’s only to fight them after, I don’t care, but there’s a greater chance, I think, that they’re prisoners.”

  Kai’s head bobbed in Rhona’s peripheral vision as she stared into the gloom. The distinct image she caught of one of the creatures, blinking their large eyes, stood out. In her mind’s eye, she saw, again, the gnomes who had waddled out from the mines, fear and desperation in their eyes.

  Kai muttered something about finding a key and left to rummage through the guards’ bodies, but Rhona was overcome with emotion.

  “Get back!” she shouted to whoever or whatever huddled behind the door, and then she punched the keyhole.

  “I’m not sure if you should just—” Kai started, but Rhona’s fist crashed into the stone again, this time with her full might. The door rattled, but didn’t budge. Another blow followed, and Rhona felt the skin over her knuckles split, her hand bruising.

  She pulled ether from the wound and charged her next strike. Her fist landed as hard as before, but this time, a blast of ether penetrated the stone of the door and cracked it.

  Rhona struck a fifth time and her hand pushed through the hole that opened suddenly. Without hesitating, she pushed the door wide open.

  Light from the torch behind her in the far wall flooded the dark space beyond, and a putrid stench overwhelmed Rhona’s senses. It was the smell of unwashed bodies piled together, of endless filth heaped upon itself, of unbroken despair.

  She coughed and wiped the tears from her eyes. Whether they were shed for her memories or from the sting of the acrid fumes, she didn’t know.

  A short, round form stepped into the light, shielding its eyes from the torchlight. Rhona refused to let her sensibilities deter her. She stepped inside the door, and kneeled. “My name is Rhona Bloodspar,” she said in a low, calm voice heavy with emotion. “You’re safe now.”

  The nearest creature held a short stick in its hand, and she noted it was a dried length of root. The beast had fur on its short legs and a broad chest. Long claws curled away from its fingertips.

  It lowered its hand slowly, black eyes squinting, still unused to the naked torchlight.

  It had the face of a bear, but odd patches of its fur were overgrown with a thick leather-like black skin. Distantly, she remembered a drawing she’d once seen of burrowing races in southern Brintosh. Rhona was face to face with a bunyip.

  She looked around and counted many more than a dozen of the creatures huddled nearby. If they wanted to, they could kill her in quick order, despite their obvious frailty.

  But the one closest to her did not strike out with its sharp claws, didn’t signal its kin to do the same. It curled its hand into a fist and placed it over its heart. Then, in a voice deeper than the beast’s frame led her to expect, it spoke, “Welcome, Rhona Bloodspar. It is unfortunate, for we cannot properly thank you. We are the bunyips of Cave Kilna, but we are far from home. Still, you are welcome here if you need sanctuary. But I warn against it, for surely, more of the baliska guards will come, and they will not take kindly to the destruction of their sacred door.”

  The eloquent speech took Rhona by surprise, but she mirrored the lead bunyip’s actions, placing her fist over her heart, and thought desperately what they might do to help the creatures. Surely, something could be done? The beast was right, though, more baliska would be coming, likely in numbers and in strength. What ills might she have inadvertently brought about, exposing them thus to the rage of their captors?

  Rhona looked around and seeing the determined face of her companion, declared, “We’ll need to kill all of the baliska, then, for your time in this place has come to an end. I promise it on the bloody hands of my father.”

  37

  Shadows in the Cave

  Kai

  Honor stood guard, having come to the scene of the fight on his own accord.

  The warhorse was amazing, and Kai had no idea how he remained calm despite their travels through the dungeon.

  Horses were trained for field and forest, sure, but not delving underground. Yet he did not shy away from the smell of the baliska blood, only turned to face back the
way they’d come, resolute in his watch.

  Kai followed Rhona into the bunyip’s den. It was obviously a cell of sorts, but the space behind the door was vast, with new tunnels dug out of the hard stone in many places.

  He tried his best not to show how much discomfort he experienced due to the stench of their habitation. It wasn’t their fault. But his eyes watered anyhow, oblivious to his desire to respect the prisoners.

  The overpowering fumes of the cell were a distant thing in Kai’s mind, however. In his chest, a familiar pressure made the bones of his ribs and sternum ache. This last skirmish, against such powerful enemies, had pushed his Progression to max.

  It was time he ascended to Golden.

  The ceiling was even lower within the cell, about five feet tall, though it was uneven, and Kai nearly had to crawl several times as they wove their way deeper into the tunnels.

  Finally, they emerged into the largest chamber so far, and even though the ceiling was still fairly low, he could at least stand up. The room was wide enough to allow several dozen of the creatures to huddle around at the same time.

  A small fire was burning. Kai was confused, wondering what fuel there might be in the dungeon. Then he noticed the twisted stalks of mushrooms, some as thick as his forearm, burning steadily. Atop the fire, several caps simmered, giving off a smell that wasn’t exactly enticing, but welcome compared to the odor throughout the rest of the place.

  He rubbed his chest and looked around, hoping for a chance to tell Rhona of his pressing need.

  The tiny leader showed them to a circle of flat-topped stones, and sat on one opposite.

  It gestured with a clawed hand. “Please, rest while you can. Our accommodations are limited, but you’re welcome to stay as long as you need.”

  The leader whispered something in another bunyip’s ear and it scuttled away, returning soon after with something in its paws. The creature waddled up to Rhona first, and smearing its thumb in a blue substance it had smeared in its palm, spread some of the stuff under her eyes and nose.

  “An algae that feeds off of the ether here. It will help with the smell. We apologize, but as you can tell, there is little we can do to make things better. The fungus is our food, but we burn the caps; the smoke helps a little,” the leader explained, and Kai stood still as the algae was applied to his face as well.

  When the goo was smeared across his cheeks and under his nose, a new sensation gripped him. It was subtle, the algae burning somewhat, and for some reason, Kai was immediately reminded of lamp oil. It did help, though, and his eyes stopped tearing up.

  Kai spoke at last, unable to defer the sensation longer. “Thank you for allowing us a place to rest. I have unfortunate news, however.” His eyes met Rhona’s before he’d finished. “I’m about to ascend to Golden. We can leave, if you want, but I must complete the ascension soon.”

  The bunyips gathered around him in excitement, a few clapping their tiny hands together. “Wonderful news. Unfortunate timing, perhaps, but ascension is never a bad thing. We can provide you with a private room with its own fire,” the chief said and snapped his fingers, issuing a few sharp commands.

  Rhona nodded respectfully to Kai, and he felt somehow embarrassed. It is a highly vulnerable practice, Kai. Embarrassment, though uncalled for, isn’t a strange reaction to the ritual, Kai could almost hear Ban saying in his head.

  It was strange being away from his dungeon as well. His previous ascensions were completed within the safety of Ban’s chambers.

  “This is a good thing,” Rhona said, perhaps picking up on his discomfort. “Your Golden ascension will not take as long as your previous ones, though, it will be uncomfortable. Of that, I’m sure you already know. Still, you should feel proud.”

  Their hosts were a blur of excitement around them. A few of the little creatures stood and stared at Kai and Rhona, studying their clothes, their weapons, and their faces. Many more fled the chamber, going deeper into the tunnel system to complete whatever task their leader had set for them.

  Finally, an elderly bunyip hobbled in, a smoking mushroom held in her hands ceremoniously. “The sacred act of ascension is not something we witness often in our chambers,” she began. “Yet, some do manage to increase their Progression to Crimson, though we haven’t had an Amber ascension since we have been held here by the baliska. We refuse to resort to killing one another for the sake of pursuing power.”

  Kai considered responding, but the shaman didn’t seem finished with her speech.

  “So, please,” the elder continued, “forgive our need of ceremony. Hagri here will purify your spirit and prepare you for the act. Then you may use the chamber we have prepared.”

  Kai only nodded to the chief, whose eyes glittered with delight. He couldn’t help but see the bunyip as a fatherly figure. Given how those around him treated the leader, it seemed this impression was not his alone.

  The old shaman, Hagri, made three meandering circles around Kai, the smoke from the mushroom filling his nose and pushing back even more of the stench.

  It made his head swim a bit, and when he looked down, he noticed a bright powder smoking within the mushroom cap. They were burning the same algae that had been spread on his face, but it was dried and much more potent.

  The diminutive shaman finished. She bowed, touching her wrinkled forehead to the ground for a few long and awkward moments.

  Kai bowed in return, though his body wouldn’t at all accommodate such a humble gesture. When he made to get down on hands and knees, hoping to return the sign of respect, the chief waved him up. “It is okay. You are the one being honored this hour. Please, just go and do what you must. You’ll find your chamber at the end of this tunnel.”

  Kai wound deeper still into the bedrock, Rhona following behind.

  The chamber that had been prepared had a tiny fire with flames no taller than his hand. And though he had to crawl inside, the ceiling no more than three feet high, it was clean and perfectly suitable.

  Kai thanked the bunyip who’d led him back, and then removed his gear and armor, making a pile of his things in the corner. Rhona saw him doing so, and suggested kindly, “You should strip nude, Kai. I’ll wait out here with my back turned, but it would be best not to soil your clothing if you don’t have to.”

  He felt his face light up like a bonfire, but dark as it was, he had no fear of her noticing. Kai only nodded, muttering his assent. In a few moments, he was sitting cross-legged before the small fire, his cloak spread beneath him. Though he was nude, he felt more comfortable than he’d have imagined.

  Rhona, sitting outside the chamber with her back against the stone wall, actually lent him a degree of comfort. If he couldn’t have Ban with him, at least he knew she’d be there to guard him while he was defenseless.

  Closing his eyes, he brought up his Interface, then found his churning core. It was a torrent of burning orange embers. The endless serpentine path he’d urged his core to adopt was overflowing with ether.

  Fragments sloshed out of place, scattering the energy throughout his body. He now understood why waiting too long to ascend could cause great harm.

  The body was meant to contain ether, not be overrun with it.

  Though a constant source of fire was within reach, he drew first upon his memory of the fountain in Ban’s dungeon. Recalling the fair and constant trickle, Kai breathed deeply, hoping to reestablish contact with the goddess who’d guided him before.

  Sure enough, after a few minutes of concentration, she came.

  Hello, Kai. You grow stronger still, and none too soon.” The goddess smiled. “Ascending to Golden is an important step for a dragon. You’ll gain your Elemental Affinity when you finish, and with it, you’ll learn why your role is so important.

  What do you mean? Does it have to do with waking the other dungeons? Kai asked, hoping to gain a thread of knowledge to fill in but a part of his ignorance.

  The goddess wrapped her presence around his shoulders like a cool mist. Focus
on what is before you. As always, I’ll show you what I can when you’re done. Now, do you remember your previous ascensions?

  Kai nodded.

  You made the river within you into a ring. Then you broke the ring into a serpent. This time, the goddess continued, you must fold the serpent into a ring once more. It will be smaller, more concentrated. Concentrate on doing that, and you will succeed.

  Briga’s cool embrace dissipated, and he felt himself alone.

  He stared at the unruly flow of ether in his core and studied its progression until he felt he understood its need better.

  There was a limited space within his core. He could not expand it outward. Rather, he had to expand it inward by folding his core in upon itself once more. Though he knew Ban would have a better way of describing his insight, he realized the infinite expanse within could span across the sky if unfolded and stretched. Kai had but to access what he held inside.

  It seemed like Kai wrestled with the ether for hours. Only after truly meditating on the ‘fold’ Briga had mentioned and pressing against the middle of the serpentine pattern until it gave way, did he at last collapse his core into a ring once more.

  Even as it did so, however, the river rushed through him, scorching his chest and abdomen. He needed it to also become smaller, more concentrated. So, with all his effort, Kai pressed down on the raging torrent, but it refused to budge. Then he noticed that the ring was not flat but swirled deeply like a churning tunnel.

  He plucked a single spark of ether and found a place for it to circulate deeper than ever before. It caught, turning a brilliant gold as it spun in harmony with his being.

  Piece by piece, he redirected his flow until at last, the surge of his new pathway pulled the rest of his ether into place.

  Kai’s mind exploded in a golden light, and though the pressure abated, his flesh ignited in holy flame. He screamed, his throat tearing, voice breaking off like a twig to be carried away in a river. Then he fell into the stream himself and allowed his soul to float away.