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

by TJ Reynolds

  Tela growled, impotent rage burning in her eyes.

  Hoping for some compromise, Rhona suggested an alternative. “Maybe we fall back to the horses, then circle around to where the second group was headed. If we do, might be we can see what’s become of them. If we act cautiously, we should be able to get close again without being detected.”

  With a wave of his hand, Copper refused her idea. “No. It’s too risky. Let’s get our shivving horses and be on our way. Let’s go.”

  Tela looked angry enough to bite the man, but she was a disciplined fighter. She only nodded and followed behind Copper as he headed toward the stand of bushes where the horses were tied.

  A startled nicker caught Rhona’s attention. It sounded like Honor when he was angry or annoyed.

  She sped up, passing Tela and coming up alongside Copper.

  He shot Rhona an angry glance, but she gestured ahead, eyes wide and fearful.

  Copper slowed, then stopped, just a hundred feet away from the line of tethered horses. Rhona pointed, spotting the three men moving just ahead. A slap sounded, and one of the horses galloped away.

  They’re scattering our shivving horses!

  Rhona wanted to scream, but instead sprinted around the side of the thicket. Copper and Tela were right behind her as she came upon the Brintoshi soldiers.

  One of the men had just finished untying Honor’s reins. He smacked the war horse’s haunch, but Honor’s reaction took him by surprise. Honor turned and kicked the man in his stomach, sending him tumbling back a few paces.

  The other scouts spotted Rhona as she ran toward them. One pulled a sword free from her hip and swung at Copper. The ranger ducked under the blow and dropped his shoulder in the woman’s chest. As Copper spun away, the woman fell to her knees, clutching a small but deadly knife wound.

  The final scout had chosen to remove a war horn from his belt. He filled his lungs and lifted the horn to his lips. Rhona struck the man in his throat, knocking the horn to the ground.

  He clutched his throat with one hand and sent a hasty punch with the other. Rhona let the punch pass over her shoulder. She twisted her body against his and used his arm as a lever. The bulky soldier, easily twice her size, tumbled to the ground as she threw him.

  Another strike to his throat collapsed his windpipe.

  Tela’s blade ended the soldier’s suffering a moment later.

  Rhona snatched up the war horn and mounted Honor. “We should run down that horse,” she said to Copper. “If they let the horse wander back, they could follow it to our base.”

  Copper nodded, and they galloped away.

  Rhona’s heart raced in her chest, but the fear and excitement of the skirmish hadn’t touched her at all. Then she realized she was still holding the Iron Mind in place.

  Fine by me, she thought. I can relax when we’re well away from this place.

  Half an hour later, they found the horse drinking water in the shallows of a stream.

  The Brintoshi hadn’t found it, so despite their caution as they approached, no further fighting occurred.

  Copper made their group circle far to the south before curving back around and heading toward the rebels’ cave. The sun was already setting by the time they dismounted and tied their horses to the hitching posts in the thicket atop their hill.

  A stew of ham and potatoes roiled over the fire when they entered the cave, but no sounds of joy or celebration found them.

  For Copper had been right.

  The second recon group had been discovered, and neither they nor their horses had returned.

  23

  In One Basket

  Ban

  As proud of Kai as Ban was, turning each moment into more and more of a scholar, nothing could be more dull than watching a dragon reading.

  Thankfully, with knowledge came purpose.

  Halfway through his studies, Kai announced their next little project. “Ban, we need to get moving on this immediately. The tome only indicated that a ‘considerable time should pass before the eggs might hatch.’ There’s another part that mentions that eggs mature while dormant as well. Imagine it,” Kai said. “How amazing would it be if the dragon eggs hatched soon?”

  Ban had agreed such an event would be greatly satisfying.

  With his powers as a dungeon, the preparations didn’t take all that long.

  He extended the hearth, making it wider. Within and off to one side, Ban summoned a large slab of stone. Atop, he inscribed the seven runes Kai instructed him to. When they were done, Ban infused the stone with ether, activating all seven runes.

  Then he fashioned a nest of sorts. Little more than a leather basket that held the eggs together in a cluster. Still, it served its purpose.

  Kai transferred the heavy eggs to the basket one at a time, moving painstakingly slow.

  Finally, Ban had made a small modification to the hearth. He added a series of adjustable vents, ensuring the temperature within wouldn’t fluctuate too drastically.

  Kai admired their handiwork. “Simple but I like it, Ban. I really wish we could know how long it would take for these to hatch.”

  It would be convenient, Ban admitted. There is one more task I wouldn’t mind some advice on, Kai, if you don’t mind me asking for your opinion.

  “Go ahead. What is it? Need help designing a trap?”

  Ban suppressed the sudden rush of nerves that flooded his core. Not quite. It’s just that I need to integrate Imogen’s Soul Sphere. She told me to simply absorb it, but that the process would take a long time. I thought it might be nice to make a display of my progress. Does that make sense? If so, where would you suggest I do so?

  Kai looked around the room, scratching his chin. “Yes. That’s my short answer. A display would be nice. How about on the hearth above the dragon eggs? Or hanging from the ceiling like a lantern?”

  The Earth Core considered the options for a time before deciding on the latter. I feel the eggs deserve their own glory, if that makes sense. I have it now, Kai, thank you. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

  After that, Kai fell to his studies with renewed vigor. It was plain to Ban that the young dragon wished to do his best to help his younger kin. Within moments of finishing, Kai had resumed reading, face practically pressed between the pages.

  Unperturbed, Ban left the reading to Kai.

  After all, he had tasks to perform and an entire mountain to explore.

  So, that’s just what the Earth Core did.

  Much work had to be done on security if they were to withstand the likes of the cruel man who’d murdered Imogen. Yet Ban was determined to settle the matter of Imogen’s Soul Sphere. It had been tugging at his mind for days now.

  He fashioned a delicate network of chain, a net of sorts but one that had a hook at the top to hang from the ceiling as Kai had suggested.

  Ban spent plenty of time detailing the net, adding tiny crystals to hang in the delicate webbing. When he was done, he formed a silver bowl, one large enough to hold the fist-sized sphere.

  Then he summoned the item and hung it from a steel hook he forged in the ceiling. At first, Ban thought to use the sphere as a light for Kai’s reading, hanging it over near the young dragon’s bed. Instead, he hung it directly over the dining table. In that way, he’d ensure they’d remember the brave Earth Core who’d sacrificed herself for their cause every time they ate.

  Unable to wait, Ban interrupted Kai.

  “A chandelier! Ban, you did it at last!” Kai exclaimed excitedly.

  Oh, Kai. You always remember my ramblings, Ban replied bashfully. I’m glad it pleases you. The light it gives off is not overly bright, but it lends a nice glow to the chamber, doesn’t it?

  Kai stared up at the fixture with hands on hips. “I’ll say. Well, good work Ban, but I’m going to keep up my studies. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  Having set Kai up with a small library of books, Ban pushed his mind deep into the rock and loam of the mountain. He looked
about in the vast network of caves and tunnels around them, and after some careful consideration found three likely places where his excavations might be most profitable.

  The first was a grotto far underground.

  The sunken river had carved channels out of the sandstone and created a series of caves that linked together. The grotto sat at the center of their meandering pathways, making it a hub of sorts. It was secluded, at least regarding the outside world.

  The grotto boasted a rich vein of iron, and coal threaded the stone around it as well.

  The myriad tunnels gave him pause though. He didn’t mind eating away walls and sections of tunnel, but he feared what his digging might do. If Ban exposed Kai and the dragon eggs to the creatures of the deep, he could never forgive himself.

  Ban had followed a few of the tunnels diving deeper in the mountain, and several of them ran well beyond the reach of his domain.

  The second prime location was down one of the tunnels that Kai wished so much to explore. Instead of diving deep and veering around aimlessly, a few of the off-shooting tunnels made a bee line into the Zargan Mountains to their west.

  Not only did Ban hope they might find intelligent creatures or some hidden civilization, but the chances of even more resources was hard to resist.

  Besides, the local minerals surrounding the site were promising.

  A dense patch of iron and various crystals clumped together in a vast swath of stone. Calcite hung in clumps, and even amethyst wove among the glittering trove.

  Ban refused to simply begin his work on a dig site that was merely acceptable. He wanted to hold out for the best. While he searched, however, Ban did allow himself a taste of everything he found. It was just enough to keep the Earth Core happy.

  An hour later, Ban discovered his most exciting location so far.

  Not only was the it quite stunning, but contained the resources and security Ban most desired.

  Connected to some of the caves below the Sunken Keep, Ban found a narrow tunnel. It wound a hundred feet down and then back up into a tiny wonder. The cave was covered in a fine layer of crystals.

  Like the other, calcite and amethyst peppered the walls, lending it a magical atmosphere.

  Among them, sapphires could be found at intervals. The blue stones were delightful. Ban had to stop himself after a few nibbles, but never in his life had he tasted something so sharp and bright.

  He likened it to the lemon, though he couldn’t recall what the fruit tasted like.

  Still, Kai had told him all about the flavor, complaining it made the sides of his mouth burn and saliva to flow in excess. If I can ever afford to give myself a treat, I won’t have to think hard, Ban mused.

  To make things more enticing still, he discovered a copper vein some fifty feet from the cave. He resolved to begin his endless excavation immediately.

  Ban rejoiced in the tremendous diversity of stone present, consuming chert, shale, limestone, and quartz in plenty. When he stumbled upon basalt for the first time, and he savored its exotic flavor. By Briga’s kind eyes! He exclaimed. If only Kai could eat rock. I would simply love a second opinion. It almost reminds me of the elekine had it been thoroughly roasted.

  More than simple rock, Ban found veins of ore in all directions.

  Not only abundant iron, but copper, tin, gold, and even some platinum.

  When he found a vein of aluminum, Ban was confused for a moment. It seemed similar to the platinum, but its taste and qualities differed wildly. Though he could recall that Yorick placed a high value on platinum, it seemed to Ban that aluminum was a worthier ore when considering weaponry and armor.

  Then it struck him. Every deposit, every vein, they were all arrayed in a vast pattern.

  Not only was this one mountainside far too diverse to be a natural occurrence, but the veins and pockets of gemstones all radiated outward from the central hub of the Sunken Keep.

  The Earth Core before me created all of this! Ban wanted to shout. What luck! What great fortune! I have enough material to outfit an army!

  This revelation defied some of Ban’s assumptions. He figured Earth Cores carved out swaths of material from their mountain and used it to improve their dungeon. This was true, but such a model couldn’t last long.

  The Earth Core who’d constructed the Sunken Keep hadn’t done so overnight. In fact, if the stories were true, it took the resources of a noble family to accelerate the work.

  So, why would the Earth Core strip everything away when its goal was to stay exactly here and grow stronger and stronger over the years?

  Rather than empty the surrounding area, the core filled it with any material it might need.

  Having spent so much time admiring the many benevolent qualities of the previous Earth Core, Ban couldn’t help but wish he had met the creature. Surely, the mind behind so many ingenious ideas, so much practical efficiency, must have been a worthy friend.

  Ban had just finished topping off his IM reserves for the third time that day, and was preparing to convert it all into AE. He’d also been converting excess AE into Progression.

  This process was highly inefficient, and Ban hated how much material went to waste. Yet what could be more important than ascending his core again. Their time was limited and Ban only hoped they could hold out long enough to get close to Emerald ascension.

  Ban wanted to spend a little time decorating the tower as well. Of course, he knew such an endeavor was anything but pressing, but the keep needed a little spiffing up.

  Not everything in the world can be practical, Ban argued with himself. If so, then what purpose does a gemstone have, or a wildflower for that matter? Then again, maybe everything can be viewed as both practical and beautiful, if given the right context.

  As if to punctuate this perspective, Ban stumbled upon a treasure of greater significance than the ore, the gemstones, and perhaps even the keep itself. And though many would disagree, the Earth Core found this hidden gift incredibly beautiful.

  Ban was pulling his attention away from the vein of aluminum he’d been snacking on, intent on getting his hands dirty with another project, when he noticed it.

  Before he pulled his focus back to the Sunken Keep, he discovered a strange tunnel close by.

  It had flat, carved walls that were anything but natural.

  The tunnel led to a small chamber with a low ceiling.

  Ban scanned it with his mind, and nearly departed again, writing the chamber off as some unfinished concept. That was when he noticed the pale rib bone protruding from the floor.

  Pushing his consciousness further, Ban’s most urgent desire was fulfilled.

  Crystals, ore, and a variety of stones could sustain Ban for an eternity. He could consume such resources without growing bored, and every day he’d grow stronger.

  What he needed the most, especially with Hastings and other monsters like him in the picture, Ban needed weapons and armor just like Kai.

  Unlike the young dragon, Earth Cores relied on minions, amalgamations, and champions.

  Things are looking up in that regard, Ban thought, marveling at the cache of bones. And now I know how I’ll be spending my afternoon. Time to see what new creations I can come up with.

  24

  Moldering Treasures

  Ban

  Ban dove through the sea of remains, swimming between curving rib bones or through the cracked maws of long-forgotten skulls.

  He didn’t care if Kai would consider his actions morbid.

  Many humans, or dragons for that matter, lacked the insight to see the value in this heap of corporeal leftovers. To Ban though, or to any Earth Core for that matter, the burial site meant pure opportunity.

  With a ravenous appetite, Ban absorbed every skeleton in sight.

  Some were incomplete, not allowing him to imprint their designs. These he relegated to BM, taking the scant resources they offered before moving on.

  Most were perfect though. Unique and strange, lovely little skeletons he sim
ply couldn’t wait to tell Kai about.

  In total, Ban found he now had twenty-six new creature designs he could use. Several were insects. Most of the bugs Ban had seen were tiny things, but though the insects he’d absorbed were the smallest of the designs in his new collection, they weren’t always so by a large margin.

  One, in fact, an Obsidian Beetle, was as large and heavy and a boulder.

  The Cave Crawler gave Ban the creeps, but its long legs and venomous fangs were promising.

  Then there were the half dozen variations of grasshopper and cricket. Though a few could fit in Kai’s palm, big enough to bite and draw blood, the others were more impressive.

  The largest of these spanned over a foot long, from bulging eyes to the pincer at the end of its tail. I might need to apply my full attention on this project, Ban mused. I rather doubt they’ll do much good in battle, but mixed with the right creature… well, who knows?

  Ban’s enthusiasm soared as he continued to search through his new designs, already coming up with ideas how he might mix and match them with one another.

  Most of the other designs were of four-legged beasts one would expect to see while adventuring.

  The Striated Stag sounded lovely, and he couldn’t wait to see what he might do with the beast’s impressive antlers. Though he wasn’t sure what it would look like in the light of day, he could see in his Interface that the beast got its name from the odd pattern of its fur.

  Its antlers balanced between offensive and defensive structures. The beast appeared much like the Marshland Moose found west of Mindonne, but the rack of bony antlers differed in one major aspect. On either side of its head, the antlers coalesced into a single, thick point.

  They reminded Ban of the tip of a wooden spear.

  It didn’t take great imagination to see how the beast, given its bulk and powerful form, might puncture armor with such antlers.