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

by TJ Reynolds

  Others preferred to stalk the slimy toads that inhabited the stream bank.

  Their enthusiasm and undaunted good cheer brought a light into the Sunken Keep that hadn’t been there before.

  It only made Ban want to ensure his gift was perfect.

  So far, he’d already thought of a general care package of various ores. Copper, iron, and tin came first. Ban summoned a fist-sized lump of each ore, making sure young Ross would not only be able to use such metals when he needed, but also give him a large boost in Basic to Advanced Materials, not to mention the AE he could gain by converting the metals.

  Afterward, he’d scrounged every less common ore he could think of.

  Gold, silver, platinum, and even the mysterious aluminum all got tossed into the gift basket.

  Gemstones came next: quartz, calcite, amethyst, and sapphires made up the bulk of this portion of Ban’s gift. But he rummaged through the vast stores of his own subterranean stores for others.

  In short order, Ban had discovered Tiger’s Eye, Moonstones, and two kinds of jadeite. Ban felt certain more could be dredged up given enough time, but it was his intention to send a return envoy as soon as possible.

  It will benefit us all if a second Earth Core grew into its own power in the area, Ban thought wistfully. The trade potential would be limitless!

  The next pile he set aside for Earth Core Ross was more or less miscellaneous.

  He packed oak, pine, and cedar, wanting a few basic varieties of wood available to the Ruby Kobolds. Kai’s report had mentioned the use of fungus for nearly every building material.

  Ban would never insist on a culture modifying its expression to suit his own desires, but the sheer benefits of improving their weapons made this gesture worthwhile. By adding wooden handles to their axes and spears, the small creatures could only improve.

  Leather, oil, rope, and a dozen other random items or materials Ban could think of went in as well.

  At last, he shifted toward gifts the kobolds themselves might appreciate more. Having seen first-hand what the daldrim creatures made with the food supplies Ban had given them made this decision easy.

  In just a few days, the daldrim had become veritable culinary masters. Having moved on from jerky-stuffed apples, the daldrim now organized the pantry themselves. The large pile of apples was being processed in a dozen different ways now.

  Some of the little beasts thought to slice and dry the apples. They’d soon discovered the balcony Ban had left them, and a corner of the new construction was dedicated to the drying and preserving of apple and mushroom slices.

  Said dried apples were even now being ground into a flaky powder. For what purpose, Ban couldn’t say, but the daldrim were so eager he didn’t have the heart to stop them.

  Another contingent had dedicated considerable time to the making of apple sauce.

  Though some of the dishes produced made Ban cringe, he didn’t judge the daldrim for experimenting. They’d lived in the prison of the Sunken Keep for two decades, surviving on little but meat and mushrooms. Any change in that routine would be worthwhile.

  As a final good faith gesture, Ban also sent a dozen spears and axes, adding simple leather bracers, chain mail shirts, and small wooden bucklers.

  Each item Ban reduced in size. It was hard to guess how small the kobolds actually were. When he’d been in Greg’s body, everything seemed tiny. When he’d finished with each, Kai had been polite enough to help him make the necessary adjustments.

  When all was ready, their kobold guests were presented with the equipment.

  Even now, the eight battle-hardened warriors practiced with their new weapons and armor. A few injuries had followed, but despite the comical appearance of such tiny creatures wielding weapons of war, the kobolds had a surprising degree of discipline.

  Their leader, Sora, had come along as a spearman.

  His ragged voice cracked like a whip in the still air of the Sunken Keep. And just like that, the troops developed new tactics. The bracers had been but a gesture, but the creatures had already learned to deflect spear thrusts with the leather armor.

  The bucklers had been even more ground-breaking.

  Initially, Ban had thought he might have made a mistake. Several serious wounds occurred within the first thirty minutes of buckler training.

  But with great effort, and Sora’s harsh voice, the kobolds mastered the basics of using the shields.

  Ban wracked his mind in search for any item, material, or resource he could supply their new allies. He even considered nudging Kai, but the dragon was still speaking with Rhona.

  He’s certainly been at it long enough, Ban thought dryly. If only he’ll return, I’m sure he can add to my list.

  Then Kai did open his eyes.

  Normally, when returning from a Soul Projection, Kai would become disoriented and nauseous. The look of abject horror on Kai’s face seemed out of place though.

  Panting, Kai called out to Ban.

  Greg, just outside, seemed the best way to respond. “What is it, Dragon Kai?” Ban asked in his champion’s grumbling voice, adopting the formal title the kobolds used.

  Kai gaped, gesturing ineffectively with his hands.

  Growing frustrated with himself, Kai shook his head. “I don’t know what to say, Ban. It’s happening. We need to prepare faster.”

  “What do you mean, Kai? Explain yourself, please.”

  With little else but terror in his eyes, Kai finished. “She’s on her way. The rebels are dead, Ban. And Hastings will be here soon!”

  37

  Gifts for the Guests

  Ban

  The chaos of frantic preparation had overtaken the Sunken Keep.

  Shortly after receiving the bad news, Sora had taken his kobolds back to their home with the sole intention of returning with greater force.

  Kai had to convince the kobold leader that such a gesture would be unnecessary. When Sora pressed him, eager to show the kobolds’ loyalty, Kai found a suitable compromise.

  The Ruby Kobolds would prepare for battle and protect their newly awoken Earth Core. Ross was weak, after all, and needed more protection than Ban and Kai.

  Sora had the other kobolds packing up the packs Ban had fashioned for them in minutes. Then, their silly little guests were trudging back toward their forest home with a promise to protect Earth Core Ross with as much savage ferocity as possible.

  Afterward, Kai announced his own plan of action. He had serious training to conduct, monk-style techniques to master, and wanted a bit of space to do so.

  The proclamation came as a pleasant surprise for Ban.

  Given the terrifying deadline they’d been given, Ban knew his own work was considerable. And, when considering the invasion to come, the keep itself remained their one most potent advantage.

  Ban had to master their defenses and quickly. Or, at the very least, he had to make a presentable defense.

  They simply lacked the time it would take to strive toward perfection.

  When it came to killing, however, Ban knew that perfection wasn’t necessary.

  Thankfully, Ban had all but mastered the bridge, gate, and first floor. Each trap and contour of that section of the keep had been designed and tested as well. In future projects, Ban doubted they’d be able to afford the luxury of full run-throughs.

  Beginning on the second floor, Ban fell to his tasks as dungeon master.

  He started by changing the layout of the floor itself. He arranged new walls to divide the floor into aisles. This would serve the purpose of slowing Hastings’ advance as well as spreading out his men.

  From the bottom of the stairwell, Ban ran a wall all the way to the opposite end of the tower. When the invaders made it that far, they’d need to circle around the wall and head back. In such a fashion, the five dividing walls would have the soldiers weaving back and forth for a good while.

  Traps, Ban decided, would have to become his mainstay. How else could he hope to kill two hundred plus Brint
oshi soldiers with less than a quarter of their numbers in minions?

  Sure, Kai and Rhona would count, as would Greg.

  But Hastings himself had to be considered. It was doubtful the man would stand idly by as his men were slaughtered. No, I have a feeling he’ll press his advantage right away.

  So, Ban decided to do every bit of damage he could without risking his minions, or friends for that matter.

  One trap that felt devilishly clever to Ban, was little more than an altered rendition of a floor trap. The idea came when he recalled the trap Kai had fallen in during the taking of Imogen’s dungeon, saved only by his glaive.

  It took him a few modifications, but soon, Ban had a working model.

  He ran a few dalgard soldiers down the hall, and sure enough, the trap sprung beautifully.

  Considering how this first stretch of the second floor ran along the outer wall of the keep, Ban thought to make use of that feature. When the floor trap triggered, a sideways hinge activated. In the blink of an eye, the cluster of dalgard warriors fell to the ground and slid downwards at an angle.

  And just like that, the minions tumbled out the side of the keep and fell the eighty or more feet to their doom.

  Some highly ascended fighters might be able to survive falls from great heights, but eighty feet was pushing the limits. And most of Hastings’ soldiers were no more powerful than Kai now.

  Pleased with his work, Ban placed four of the sideways sliding floor traps along the first corridor. He did the same for the opposing wall as well.

  That left the meandering labyrinth between the two walls to work with.

  Throughout, Ban scattered a few common floor traps, shallow spiked pits beneath. He didn’t expect these to amount to much, but they’d keep the soldiers wary.

  Another stroke of genius came when Ban devised a trap that made him a little queasy. That said a lot coming from an Earth Core.

  He decided to call them footfalls.

  Each footfall consisted of a single floor tile. He modified the piece of stone to rupture under pressure, placing stress lines along the bottom to do so. When a soldier stepped onto the trap, it would break and allow their foot to fall through.

  Below, Ban fastened a criss-crossing blade a hand’s length further down.

  Upon testing the device, Ban made an oath that he wouldn’t use the technique again unless they were in grave danger.

  The dalgard minion broke through, their foot fell into the hole below, and then struck the blade. The force of the minion’s weight as well as their momentum caused their boot, and the foot within, to split apart.

  More disturbing was how easily the appendage was destroyed. The dalgard’s foot split into four uneven pieces, and as the creature’s weight bore it down further, so too did its ankle and shin bone.

  Ban absorbed the minion immediately and took a few seconds to calm himself. I was a peaceful, scholar’s dungeon. I must remember that, he reminded himself. If it were up to me, we’d all spend our time on more valuable pursuits… like crafting or design.

  Regardless of his hesitation, Ban placed two dozen footfalls on the second floor.

  Next, Ban devised three more major traps that would function to enhance his minions’ abilities. The first two were variations of the same. He placed a small mechanism below a given tile, and when someone stepped upon it, the trap in the ceiling above would activate.

  Ban placed a hinged ceiling trap above the first of these, and when he thought of which of his minions to use, he did so wisely.

  Sure, he could put a three-hundred-pound shield boar in there. When the beast fell, surely it would crush a few heads.

  He had a limited supply of MCP though. His choices had to be precise.

  Browsing his list of designs, he settled upon a classic minion.

  After making his choice, Ban modified the trap once more. He lengthened the hidden compartment, making it run twenty feet along the corridor behind the foot trigger.

  He finished designing the mechanism, then summoned ten Viscous Fire Slimes to remain within.

  To test this trap, Ban summoned fifteen dalgard soldiers. The minions jogged down the corridor, and when the first struck the floor trigger, all hell broke loose.

  Each viscous slime weighed maybe fifty or more pounds. They were gelatinous, liquid in every way.

  So, when the trap doors fell open, and the slimes poured out, the dalgard soldiers were coated in their fiery goo. All of the poor beasts died screaming.

  More impressive and terrifying was that only one of the slimes actually died in the process. The rest just sloshed about, reforming themselves and slinking away from the sizzling bodies.

  Knowing how smart soldiers were, Ban modified the same trap using different minions. Relying once more on MCP-efficient minions, Ban selected Amethyst Vipers for the next.

  He placed only three of the massive snakes in the overhead compartment. The three would spill out onto the heads of the Brintoshi, and if Ban had any sense at all, kill at least a few.

  To take advantage of this distraction, Ban formed narrow tubes in the walls, with openings just large enough for more vipers to strike from. The best part was how Ban designed the openings to only appear when seen coming from the opposite way in the hall.

  So, while the invaders hacked the falling snakes to bits, two or three dying in the process, six more snakes would slither out and begin striking every ankle and calf in sight.

  Using just 27 MCP, Ban hoped the trap might become truly disastrous.

  Chaos, he knew from experience, was his best ally during an invasion.

  The third major trap Ban set was completely different from the others .

  So far, Ban had been thinking about how he might use forces like gravity to kill the Brintoshi. That, and of course his minions.

  What he hadn’t recalled, however, was that the dungeon could summon any material he had ever consumed before. With enough resources, Ban could have glittering spears fall from the ceiling, skewering every one of the attackers.

  All of Ban’s resources were limitations, not just his MCP. So he’d need to be sparing even with physical traps.

  The idea for his third and final death machine was complex in the making.

  Without having spent so much time digging around to supply the kobolds with goods, he might have missed the odd resource below his keep.

  In a small cavern a hundred feet below the surface, Ban discovered an odd sight. A pool of tepid water hissing faintly, with no other sign of life around to explain the phenomenon.

  Ban took a closer look and saw a foul substance dripping down from where it leaked through the sandstone substrate. It was greasy in texture, and the flavor when consumed made Ban ill.

  He’d dismissed the experience until this very moment.

  Ban summoned the liquid now, and when it pooled on the stone floor, little happened. Ban had one of his dalgards press their hand into the pool, and when it pulled the limb away smoking, he knew what he was working with.

  The acid slowly ate away at the minion’s hand until the bones could be seen.

  Ban felt certain the liquid could be deadly, but it didn’t have the instant effect he desired. More testing would be needed.

  Ban tried mixing the liquid with a dozen different fluids, and even tried heating it up.

  Nothing worked.

  Then he nearly laughed at himself. It has been there from the beginning, Bancroft! Wake up!

  Ban summoned a single drop of pure water, and he let it fall into the pool of acid.

  The reaction was staggering.

  When the two liquids touched, large amounts of heat roiled up. The pool fizzled and writhed in anger. Following Ban’s order, the same minion pressed his other hand into the substance. This time, the minion’s flesh dripped off of its bone, and even that started to smoke and crumble.

  Success! Now, all I need to do is devise a method of delivery, Ban told himself.

  This portion of his preparation would tak
e time, considerable time, and he knew precisely where he’d place it.

  But, Ban wasn’t alone in this keep.

  He checked in on Kai to make sure the dragon didn’t need anything else.

  Kai, I’m quite busy up on the second floor. Almost done, but then I have three more to go, Ban said, catching his friend up on his progress. Is there anything else you need for the time being?

  The dragon stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders. His face was covered in sweat, and Ban knew he’d been training his hardest.

  Sighing in frustration, Kai said, “I’ve done a lot of work with the monk forms Rhona showed me. No matter what I try, I can’t seem to figure out Crystal Mind. I need to learn the shape of my Mandala, Ban. Or else I’m in serious trouble.”

  Is the Mandala absolutely necessary? Ban asked. Maybe you could just make up a pattern that is pleasing to the eye.

  Kai shook his head. “No, I trust Rhona on this matter. She said I need to figure it out before ascending. Still, maybe she can give me some insight when she gets here. I think I should move on.”

  Hoping to encourage his dragon, Ban agreed. Assuredly, the insight will find you, Kai. Moving on sounds like an excellent idea. What do you plan to do then? Work on your skill with a glaive or start accruing more Progression?

  “You know me too well. I think I can do both of those at once. Is there any way you can summon minions for me to slay?”

  Ban practically hummed with nostalgia. Yes, of course, Kai. Shall I summon a Giant Rat for you? I do recall you fancied them.

  Kai chuckled, at last catching his breath. “I don’t care what you throw at me. I won’t complain this time, I promise. I just need to hurry up. With my Core Mender Accolade, I only gave up a fraction of the Progression I did for you. And Ross is simply smaller than Imogen was. Still, I have almost zero Progression towards Emerald 1. I need to work fast.”

  Knowing his companion’s feelings were justified, Ban told Kai to take up a fighting stance on the tiled floor beside the keep.