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

by TJ Reynolds

  She chittered, calling to her willing victims. Kai could feel every thought and emotion reverberating through the queen’s mind. Anger for the trespassing. Rage for those who’d been slain. Pure hatred for the loss of her fine mates.

  But joy and gratitude were there as well, riding along the stream of her emotions. This, according to the nightmare queen, would be a rare opportunity to dine.

  The queen noticed Kai then, sniffing at the air as his head started to slump. Dragon! she cried in Kai’s mind. Winged Storm! Stone Maker! Earth Smiter!

  Each word slammed into Kai’s core, sapping the cycle of ether that spun there. Somehow, the queen had used a spell or skill that suppressed his entire being. With each word of condemnation, Kai’s very core shuddered in agony.

  He couldn’t see a thing, and his ears thrummed with a strange vibration. Only the vibrant whorl of his core held his focus.

  I smell you, young dragon. And… impure! Half-blood. Mongrel! Whelp! the spider queen screamed. I’ll eat your flesh and savor your spell scales. Ether-rich for one so weak. Tasty fountain of power!

  Throughout the spider’s rambling, Kai had been searching. There was a clue to be found, something he’d forgotten. What am I missing? What can I do to stop this creature?

  A cold pressure covered Kai like a shadow. She was upon him. He, it seemed, would be first.

  Long palps explored Kai’s body, and his hair blew in the wind of her breath. His skin broke out in goosebumps, every fiber of his soul rebelling against the queen’s affectionate touch. I will have you first, dragon. And my children will become so strong, we’ll reclaim the world.

  Must find the answer, the key, Kai told himself, unwilling yet to give in. No, a weapon. I must find the hidden weapon. If only Ban…

  Then Kai had it.

  Pushing with all of his mental might, Kai sent a final command to Greg. Activate Hale the Host!

  A roar exploded from the knightmare’s throat, echoing around the tunnel like a trapped thundercloud.

  So far below the surface, and enshrined within the spider queen’s influence, the plume of Holy ether that covered Greg’s form stood out in stark relief.

  The queen hissed in rage, but her moment of opportunity had passed.

  Kai’s vision and hearing returned instantly as Greg’s final skill took effect. Hale the Host was a skill that augmented an entire friendly party. It used the unwavering resolve of Anlil’s Holy element to dispel ill effects like Curse and Possession.

  It also boosted Strength and Wisdom.

  Surging with renewed strength, Kai gasped. Air scorched his lungs as he inhaled deeply time and again.

  The kobolds, lying all around him, did the same. And with admirable courage, plucked up the spears and axes.

  Then Kai stared up into the many-eyed horror that was the queen.

  The black fungus had formed into dense ridges along her back, turning her physical likeness into something completely different. She didn’t look like a glass spider with long, spiky legs and a single, smooth bulb.

  The infected spider queen was covered in a network of fungal plates. Each held a single, inky eye. In fact, the queen’s normal eyes were overgrown with fungus as well, showing the extent to which she’d been taken over by the blight.

  Each of the many, evil eyes stared back at Kai, angry and a little afraid.

  He saw the queen’s resolve harden and she opened her pincers to take him.

  Kai’s scream rivaled Greg’s as he allowed the white-hot fury of his wounded core surge to the surface. From his kneeling position, Kai stood and lunged, his arms extending in a single fluid motion.

  His glaive struck the center of her blinking cluster of foreign eyes. The blade of the weapon pierced a single fungal eye.

  Then he triggered Flame Spear.

  And again, a third, fourth, and fifth time following after.

  Each burst of Fire and Wind ether lacerated the spider queen’s body. Her armored hide crackled and burst into flame, the strength of his spell increased by the flammable nature of the fungus.

  Two of her legs shattered from the heat, ichor splashing to the ground. Her ungainly body hitched to the side as she tried desperately to remain standing.

  Before she could fall, however, Kai’s spells ignited the network of fungus covering her form.

  The tunnel whooshed as flames crisped the ceiling.

  Kai found himself on the ground, his glaive no longer in his hand.

  When she cried out to Kai again, it wasn’t in his mind. Inarticulate threats and lamentations poured from the burning spider. No doubt, the fallen queen meant to promise him death and endless pain. All Kai could hear, though, was an unbroken stream of screeches and howls.

  Her power became evident in the strength of her resistance as she fought off death itself.

  It isn’t her at all, Kai realized as he witnessed threads of Abyss ether pulsing through the spider’s body. Whatever the fungus is, or who it is, it’s fighting to keep control.

  The damage was too extensive though.

  Soon, the screeching subsided, and the great monster toppled to the ground.

  Then all was silent other than the crackle of fire consuming her flesh.

  A fitting end for such a foul enemy, Kai decided as he found his feet.

  Kotsi hacked a few feet away, trying to clear his lungs.

  Sora was tending to an injured kobold, ever the diligent leader.

  Greg stood idle, awaiting a command, filled with the peace and patience of the mindless.

  Then a whirling light, almost like the starry sky itself, poured into him. His skin grew so cold Kai worried he might get frost burn, but before he cast Restoring Tide, he noticed his core filling with energy.

  Progression, he realized. I’m absorbing more Progression than I ever have before.

  Ether in its purest form flooded Kai’s system, alleviating every ache and pain in his body.

  The spider queen had died at last, and now he was bathing in pure ether.

  31

  To Know is to Trust

  Rhona

  The crackle of the bonfire and the lilt of laughter and music warmed Rhona’s heart even as much as the flames did.

  Inside the rebels’ cave, most nightly meals had been subdued affairs. They went on their daily forays, crossed blades with the Brintoshi in small, isolated skirmishes, and then returned here to recharge.

  Fortunately, one of the Hintari rangers had a knack with food. They ate like peasants after harvest, dining on simple fare. After relieving Hastings of a hidden cache of supplies, the rebels could afford a little excess.

  “To think, I might fall in love with a Brintoshi commander simply because he neglects to guard his larder!” Tela declared. “And of all possible stores to come across… bacon is such a treat.”

  Within the confines of the cave, the cooking pans of bacon had filled the air with oil. Rhona knew her face would break out the following day, but she couldn’t care less.

  Crunching a strip of bacon herself, Rhona moaned her approval.

  The choice to throw the celebration came immediately after Royar learned that Copper’s recon team, including Rhona herself, stole the hidden cache of goods.

  She could still picture the ranger’s face. One moment, he was stern and commanding. The next, a childish delight danced across his features when he spied the rashers of cured bacon and dried cheese.

  Royar had clapped loud enough for all to hear, then demanded they tap the one keg of ale left behind by Tembar.

  Despite the intensity of their celebration, the rangers never lost discipline. Two guards were posted at the mouth of the cave, and four more roamed the surrounding hillside. Only within the snug cave did the rebels let loose their hair.

  The Hintari are a fair folk, Rhona decided. Not so boisterous as Brintoshi nor as clever as the Kaltanese. Somewhere in between, and I’ll be damned if not a bit better for it.

  The monk qualified her opinions by recalling the Hintari n
obles were as self-serving as any other monarchs. But these people, lean and sun-kissed, were a folk Rhona could respect through and through.

  Copper could fell a deer from three hundred paces. Rhona had seen it the day before. But he lied like a starving step-child.

  Royar had the kindest eyes, and he could spin a tale with the skill of a proper bard. According to Tela, though, he was just as quick to sleep with your sister as well.

  Even Tela, tall and gorgeous, sharp enough to make a cave full of haggard men laugh like children. Even Tela had her flaws.

  Despite losing three sparring matches in a row, the woman refused to admit Rhona was her better. The odd manner the ranger fought with had thrown Rhona for a time. But though Tela was her senior, and had more skill with bow, spear, and blade, Rhona had focused her efforts on hand to hand combat for too many years.

  As a concession for her foul mood, Tela had given Rhona a prized seat near the fire as well as a handsome chunk of bacon.

  Rhona wiped the grease from her face and nudged her friend. “What do you think of Copper? He’s almost handsome, isn’t he?”

  Tela flashed her eyebrows at Rhona and whispered back. “Almost handsome is about right. A few months back, after having more than my fair share of summer mead, Copper was handsome enough.”

  Rhona choked on her ale, spraying a bit of foam in the air. “Tela! How dare you? Didn’t Royar hate you for it?”

  “Yes and no. Like I’ve said before, the man’s too randy to hold down. He’s never expected me to do what he can’t himself. But…” Tela said, eyeing the leader of the rangers seated opposite them. “But he doesn’t love Copper quite so much as he used to.”

  The women shared a laugh while a man took up a lute and plucked out the first few happy notes of a song.

  A few of the rangers sang along, but most either closed their eyes or hummed.

  The song was enchanting.

  What began as a pastoral melody, light and fleeting, soon turned to a more dramatic piece. The singer’s voice rose, and though Rhona could not make out the words to the song, she felt a portion of the emotions they were meant to convey.

  A few rangers chuckled when the musician let his voice crack terribly as he veered without warning into a jaunty drinking song.

  The rebels threw up a cheer, but a few looked disappointed. Then Rhona spotted Royar himself wiping a tear from the corner of his eye unselfconsciously.

  “What was it?” Rhona asked.

  Tela turned to face her, and mistakenly answered the wrong question. “What made me consider Copper for a night? I don’t know, maybe it was a flicker of Brintoshi flame in his blood.”

  “No, the song. It was... moving.”

  “It’s meant to be,” Tela replied, chuckling ironically. “We call it The Lay of Nemran, Dragon Sworn. It’s a valiant story, if you can believe it. Some even hold it above our nation’s anthem. Poor Royar can’t hold himself together when someone plays it.”

  With deft hands, the man with the lute changed tunes once more. Rhona recalled countless evenings spent in similar company. Sure, the Hintari differed in more ways than Rhona could count. When the skin was cut away, though, they were all just soldiers.

  And these past few days, they’d proved just that.

  The first couple of missions after Rhona had encountered Hastings, little but creeping around endlessly had occurred.

  Then, on what was meant only to be a routine patrol, Rhona’s squad of fighters bumped noses with a Brintoshi patrol. The ensuing battle had been intense.

  Taking down two soldiers herself, Rhona absorbed another gout of ether from the fallen spearmen and stepped in to support Copper as he took on one of the Shield Sergeants.

  The Brintoshi was a duelist for certain. The way he moved, so sure of every block and parry. Copper was no pushover either; in fact, with a blade, he was Rhona’s better.

  But when she’d stood beside him, the sword master fell soon enough.

  Copper lashed out with precision and speed while Rhona closed the distance. When she’d come within range, the Brintoshi squad leader had unleashed a terrifying blast of Fire ether. Augmenting his rapier, the skill discharged an arcing blade of energy that Rhona almost caught square in the chest.

  Distracted as he’d been by Copper though, the attack wasn’t as accurate as it normally would have been.

  Rhona had taken a scorching laceration across her shoulder.

  Fueling her own ability, Rhona filled her fists with AE and let fly.

  The Brintoshi became her third kill of the day.

  Copper had treated her with a great deal more respect after that, even admiring the way in which her body healed itself so quickly after the fight. The patina of blood spray that covered her face, neck, and chest, however, caused a different reaction.

  Crimson Queen, they’d called her.

  And though the nickname struck her as morbid and a little irreverent, she accepted it without question.

  Only one other skirmish occurred, and it was a good deal smaller. A solitary scout was making his rounds when Copper spotted the unfortunate man. They’d been hiding under a copse of short trees, when they’d seen him.

  Over three hundred feet away, at the least, and yet Copper hadn’t missed his first and only shot.

  In fact, Rhona was most surprised by the speed in which he took the shot.

  Not having ever served as an archer, Rhona knew little about the practical matters of bowmanship. She’d charged under the eerie whistle of dozens of volleys, but never made one herself.

  Copper needed only to breathe once, perhaps noting the wind or moisture in the air, then he drew, lifting his bow as he did.

  A half second later, the ranger released.

  Rhona recalled the terrible silence that followed as they waited. Three seconds later, the man faltered. The tiny figure touched its chest, looking almost curious to have been wounded.

  Then he fell to the ground.

  They’d followed up and found a message on him, betraying just enough information to be useful.

  Hastings had split his force into two camps. Both were independently probing the Hintari resistance.

  Turning to her closest companion, Rhona asked, “How long do you think we have until he finds out? Hastings, I mean.”

  Tela cracked a grin and shrugged. “Hells if I know. He probably already suspects. Not once have we appeared in as much strength as during that first battle.”

  Rhona swallowed. She wished she didn’t agree. The longer Hastings thought all of Hintar wanted to stop his progress, the better.

  Oppositely, Rhona was convinced that if the commander knew the extent of the rebels’ strength, they’d be overrun already.

  Rhona looked up as a few of the rangers shouted. She thought they were saying Copper, but laughter confused the words. When the red-haired man stood up and bowed, however, she knew she’d heard correctly.

  “Yes! Fisherman’s Catch! Play Fisherman’s Catch, you scoundrel!” Tela jeered, turning to Rhona after with a smile. “He plays the lute like a madman. Consider yourself lucky. He rarely plays.”

  And when Copper took up the instrument, every voice went silent.

  With a reckless slash of his fingers, the ranger started in on a new song.

  Immediately, Rhona recognized the tune. Fisherman’s Catch was called Shame of the Fishmonger in Brintosh, but when Copper sang out the first few lyrics, Rhona found she could sing along.

  If the man seeks the wild girl’s waters!

  With two fingers he should hail and call her.

  But if the gal wants his child to father!

  She should lie down, pretend he caught her.

  Oh, the river deep and cold runs nigh.

  For his pole is long and the fisherman shy.

  Oh, the river deep and cold runs nigh.

  Now the fish swim low and their babe does cry!

  When the last line finished, near every voice in the cave was singing, and immediately afterward, la
ughter overtook them all.

  The bawdy song had always been one of Rhona’s favorites, and she was warmed to the core that the Hintari thought the same.

  Copper stopped his strumming and began to beat with his hand on the base of the lute. A heavy thump, thump, thump resounded, and the rangers started to clap along with the rhythm.

  The ranger stared at Tela, flashing his eyebrows after a time. “Come on, Tela! When’s the last time we saw you move them hips of yours?”

  “Sooner for some than others!” a gravelly voice cried out.

  Laughter followed, Tela loudest of all.

  The woman winked at Rhona before standing up, holding her hands out to either side in surrender. “Fine! But when we’re done here, each of you owes me an ale at the next town!”

  Applause followed, an eruption of sound so great, Rhona was grateful for the odd spell one of the older rangers had placed on the mouth of the cave.

  Every ranger valued silence and stealth, but when the old man had summoned Wind ether and cast a dampening spell on their hideout’s entrance, she’d been truly surprised.

  Copper moved over to allow Tela a few feet of floor space. Then with wild abandon, he attacked the lute.

  Wordless and meandering, the melody Copper played unfurled in a wind storm. Tela, starting slow, thumped the ground with her boot, clapping with her hands as she did so.

  Then, with building momentum, Tela kicked and stomped out the steps of a common jig danced in Brintosh. Her version evolved, however, turning into a much more complex jig. Layer after layer, the dance moved, each revolution coming faster than the one before.

  For his part, Copper missed not a single chord. His fingers flew at a break neck speed, and all the while, the song continued to speed up like a boulder rolling down a steep hill.

  By the end of it, Tela’s face was covered in a sheen of sweat, and everyone was clapping in tandem.