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

by TJ Reynolds

  To ensure that future attackers wouldn’t simply climb down to avoid the bridge, Ban carved a ridge around the chasm like a great ring. Above, Ban added rich soil and a few of the tree and shrub designs he’d learned from Imogen’s Soul Sphere.

  When he’d unlocked the second threshold of the sphere, Ban had acquired a handful of more powerful minions as well as a vast array of natural resources. Ten types of river stones, a dozen qualities of soil, and dozens of plant and fungal life forms.

  He made sure to take his time, lavishing this hanging garden with every plant and animal that could thrive there.

  Below the ring, only smooth stone descended from above. There was no way the walls could be scaled, and if ropes were deployed, Ban’s minions would make easy work of dangling men.

  Afterwards, Ban summoned heaps of soil in the far corners of the chasm, and again, added the plant life of the Mirin swamps.

  With the same theme of beautifications in mind, Ban carved out wide windows in the walls of every floor. Should they find themselves in a tactical bind, Ban could always close them up. For the time being, he enjoyed the fresh breeze that ran through his halls and chambers.

  Regarding more personal growth, all of the adventures and countless deaths had brought Ban up to Emerald ascension.

  His own transformation hadn’t been as terrifying or difficult as Rhona’s or Kai’s had been.

  Instead, he’d simply announced he had to depart for a time, and turned his focus inward.

  Long he stared into vastness within, and on his own, Ban found the key to his ascension. Similar to his companions’ Mandalas, Ban discovered he could refine the density of his core’s inner structure. Just like the threading branches of material that made up crystals and rock formations, Ban found his own grain.

  By manipulating that pattern, Ban managed to condense his Earth Core, allowing for a great deal more capacity.

  When he awoke, he felt capable of raising an army all on his own.

  A glance at his potential MCP confirmed that feeling.

  In total, Ban had 640 MCP, enough to double his forces he’d commanded in the last battle. Not only that, but his area of influence increased as well. He could see a full one thousand feet above, below, and all around the Sunken Keep’s core room.

  His immediate response was how he might increase the height of the tower.

  Kai had laughed at the suggestion, making the point that the tower’s height was restricted to its depth, not the other way around.

  Not a bad idea, Dragon Kai, Ban had responded, and even before the great feast took place, Ban had started work on excavating another fifty feet down into the bedrock below the tower. Soon, he would have his improved Sunken Keep.

  Kai and Rhona rested.

  Both of them were changed by the invasion and the events leading up to it. More than ever, Ban noticed Kai’s hunger for progress. Only a few hours after Ban had awoken from his ascension Kai had asked for minions to fight.

  Knowing his young dragon was bored and otherwise unoccupied, he’d complied.

  In the span of two days, Kai had gained yet another level.

  Moreover, Ban had caught his dragon reading over the map of Earth Cores by himself. Kai not only mapped out the nearest Earth Cores to their positions, but he appeared to be making notes and planning expeditions in the near future.

  Kai hadn’t spoken about it with them, but so far, he remained in his human form. Whether or not he could transform again at will, Ban didn’t know. It’s his business, Bancroft. Best leave him be with his thoughts. He’ll open up when he needs me.

  Rhona joined Kai in his training efforts but Ban sensed it was done more for duty’s sake rather than eagerness. Her own journey had forged a quieter and more thoughtful woman. Gone was all too much of the swagger and scorn she’d possessed when first meeting Ban and Kai.

  And already, Ban missed the old her.

  As their little guild worked to prepare the feast together, he asked her about it.

  I’m still here, Ban. It’s just that a part of me is there too. The Gold Mind is an enticing realm, she’d answered with her thoughts. More than ever, the young woman spoke with her thoughts rather than her mouth.

  Ban told her he understood, but in reality, he most certainly didn’t. To the Earth Core, everything that mattered was in this world, this keep, this room.

  Kai finally had his cauldron. Ban had gone overboard and made one large enough to feed a hundred dalgards. This turned out to be a boon as Tessra arrived an hour prior with forty kobolds and twenty spider mounts.

  Combined with the appetites of Kai, Rhona, and Ban’s latest champion, they’d need all the food they could get.

  While Kai churned his cauldron, adding pinches of the odd spices the kobolds had brought with them, Rhona played outside with two kobold youngsters who accompanied the warriors. Ban watched her, and for the first time since she’d emerged from her battle with Hastings, his worry for her faded somewhat.

  I don’t care where she finds her joy, as long as that girl’s spark returns, I will be satisfied.

  Kotsi brought a large skin of wine, and was even now passing the sack around. His job was clear enough. He seemed determined that every soul in the Sunken Keep was drunk before the night was over.

  Ban busied himself with a few tasks at once. He’d long since patched the side of the tower, cleaned up, reset, or removed the traps. But far too many walls stood bare. Other than etching filigree patterns in columns or draping tapestries on the walls, another design he’d gained from Imogen’s Soul Sphere, Ban also continued to work at integrating the strange item.

  Only a large pebble remained, bathing in his ether as it slowly dissolved. No matter how hard he focused, the Soul Sphere couldn’t be absorbed any faster. So, Ban had found patience. He only checked it a few times a day to gauge his progress.

  His daldrim guests were making marvelous progress with their strange methods of cooking, and a few had taken to enjoying the sun on their balcony.

  This had inspired Ban, and now the creatures could come up and down their own private staircase as they chose to.

  A few of the braver daldrim were fishing in the stream, babbling in their odd tongue excitedly. A large contingent of the kobolds became quick friends with the daldrim, and Ban was enjoying watching them attempt to communicate in two separate tongues.

  Needless to say, gestures aplenty were being made.

  An eruption of water in the nearest pool gave everyone a start. With monsters rising from the deep, the kobolds, the human, and the dragon alike all reacted as if a fight were on their hands.

  Instead, laughter followed as a team of kobolds struggled to pull in a massive fish.

  Cleaver as always, the Ruby Kobolds had devised a method of crafting rope from the fibers of dried-out mushroom stalks. They’d taken a thirty-foot length, tied on a crude hook Ban made for them, and tossed it out in the deepest part of the pool with a piece of meat for bait.

  Even Ban, proud to have fashioned a hook with no design, thought the kobolds were just passing their time.

  At last dragging in a four-foot-long salmon, the celebration reached new heights as the guests tore open the fish’s body. The creature was cleaned and filleted well before its heart stopped pumping.

  Ban suppressed a snap judgment. I’ve felt what it’s like to be trapped within a body. Just because they look like savages when they tear apart living creatures doesn’t mean they are.

  Besides, he planned on entering his new champion to dine with the guests. How could he scorn their appetite?

  A confrontation rose up between Kai and Sora.

  Surprised the two had any reason to be upset with one another, Ban paid closer attention.

  Sora pumped his arms, pointing at a fellow kobold holding the fish’s enormous head. “We must place the head in the soup, Dragon Kai! It is good luck and will make the meal taste even better!”

  Shaking his head, Kai refused. “No way! Listen, this is my first o
fficial cauldron meal, and I am trying to make a curried goat soup. How will a fish head improve its flavor?”

  “Goat is fine. We rejoice to eat goat with you, Dragon Kai. Brave and strong for hunting goats so high in the mountains!” Sora praised Kai for a while longer. Ban knew the near worship made Kai uncomfortable. Ban enjoyed every word of the banter.

  Turning toward his argument, Sora finished. “The fish will only add flavor and good fat. You must add it to please my warriors. After all, Dragon Kai, each of them looks up to you!”

  The dragon crumbled just as Ban knew he would.

  Consenting, Kai allowed the boulder-sized head to be plopped into his half-cooked stew.

  Kai showed grace, however, and refused to be upset by the defeat. Instead, he modified the recipe in his notebook, permanently adding 1 Large Fishhead.

  The food was ready in another hour, and all had their fill.

  Rhona gave her compliments despite the spiciness of the dish, and every one of the Ruby Kobolds mentioned how delightfully fishy the stew was. Kai took the compliments gratefully, seeming proud of his first attempt.

  Ban emerged, wearing his new champion’s body. The Frigid Fenrir looked much like the hulking ice wolf Imogen had favored, and he’d gained the original design from her Soul Sphere. Of course, Ban had thrown the minion into his Amalgamation Interface and combined it with his old Sludge Hound design.

  The Frigid Fenrir had lost some of its impressive height in favor of the stalky, wide-set stance of the Sludge Hound.

  Ban kept almost all features either completely or mostly ice wolf though. He wanted the champion to remind them all of Imogen and her sacrifice.

  He lay on the stones, still warmed by the afternoon sun, and ate a third helping of roasted fish and goat stew. Something caught his ear and Ban looked up. There it is, he thought. My trees and shrubbery have done fine work it seems. Nothing like bird song to call an end to the day.

  Others noticed it soon after.

  The ring of vegetation encircling the rim of the chasm came alive with the songs of an entire flock of the feathered creatures.

  A great bonfire was made in which all sat around and warmed themselves.

  Kai and Rhona found seats close to one another, and while the kobolds danced and laughed, they had a private conversation. Witnessing the two youths chat idly betrayed much about them. Gone was the awkwardness, which had come primarily from Kai’s attraction to Rhona.

  The monk will be an ideal mate should she find him worthy, Ban mused. And this surely showcases the benefits of near-death experiences. No better way to know someone for who they truly are than to slaughter your enemies together.

  As much as he wanted to interrupt, Ban left his friends to their own devices.

  He slunk around the periphery of the celebration, noting which of his guests were most pleased. Kotsi had found a perfect balance somewhere between rosy-cheeked and blind drunk. Caw spoke with Tessra, a few of his proud daldrim warriors standing beside him as they presented the kobold chief with a fine gift of freshly harvested mushrooms.

  Even the noble Honor seemed in high spirits. The kobold youngsters had discovered the joys of feeding the beast tufts of grass torn up from cracks in the stone.

  When he was sure that every last daldrim and kobold was happy, he made his way back inside his core room. All was as it should be there as well.

  Ban couldn’t help but admire his upgraded core. The stone had nearly doubled in size, and the shade of blue had intensified slightly.

  He brushed his Fenrir’s nose against it before turning round and inspecting the room. In the privacy of his own mind, Ban made plans to add bedrooms for Kai and Rhona as well as a central room built directly around his dais.

  We should have a War Room, I suppose, Ban thought decidedly. What else to call it though?

  After a time, he came upon the perfect name. The Guild Core doesn’t need a War Room. No, what we need is a Peace Center.

  A faint cracking sound tugged at Ban’s attention. He couldn’t quite place it. Again, the sound came, and when Ban turned his shaggy head, he found the noise to be coming from the hearth.

  Within, a pleasant fire was blazing, but the wood wasn’t popping or…

  Ban’s heart froze.

  He raced to the hearth and looked inside.

  One of the dragon eggs had a webbing of thin cracks running along its surface. As Ban watched, a nose pressed at the cracked portion of shell yet again, and a tiny squeal emerged after.

  Kai! Rhona! Rhona! Kai! Come now! Ban screamed with his mind.

  The two adventurers burst into the core room a moment later, glaive in hand and fists ready. “Ban! What is it? Are you hurt?”

  Then the dragon noticed where Ban was, and another bout of fear crossed his features.

  Wordlessly, Kai ran to the hearth with Rhona on his heels.

  Ban let Kai absorb what was happening, let the awe and wonder of it sink in.

  “I can’t believe it’s finally happening,” Kai whispered.

  Rhona reached out a hand, wanting to touch the hatching creatures, but she kept her distance. This will change many things. Mark my words, you two.

  I’m sure you’re right, Ban replied. Might no longer be Bancroft’s Sunken Keep if we’ve a flock of scrawny dragonlings to care for.

  The creature before them gave a mighty push and the section of shell broke free. Azure scaled with bulging eyes and a scrawny neck, the dragonling lifted its head and opened its mouth. Two rows of pointed teeth shone within.

  Kai grinned wide but remained silent. Never had Ban seen his dragon so awestruck and humbled. Rhona giggled. Some of her old joy spilled out unconsciously as she stooped down to peer into the creature’s ice-blue eyes.

  The dragonling swung its head from side to side.

  It inspected Rhona first, its bulbous eyes observing the fiery strands of her hair for a time.

  It moved on to stare at Ban’s champion, most specifically the large and impressive fangs jutting from its maw.

  The tiny dragon found Kai. His smile faded as wonder took control. He moved closer until the tip of his nose was only a foot away from the dragonling’s snout. Then, in a clear and confident voice, the dragonling spoke a single word.

  Food. Food. Food, the dragonling repeated until all were laughing.

  Without hesitation, Kai begged Ban for a smaller cauldron. He dove into the pile of supplies the Ruby Kobolds had brought with them, and began making his first batch of substitute dragon’s milk.

  And as they’d predicted, none of their lives were the same again.

  49

  Denizens of the Deep

  Kai

  Deep below the Sunken Keep, the dragon, Kai Unterinan, trudged through the endless tunnels. A hulking Ice Fenrir trotted at his side, the champion’s eyes vacant.

  Beside the two, a monk of the Path of the Bleeding Tiger stood, looking between the three tunnels ahead. “I’ve no idea, Kai. And you can’t just say ‘we go where the air smells fresh’ anymore. This far down, it all smells like a dank root cellar.”

  “You’re not wrong,” Kai responded absentmindedly.

  He didn’t hesitate though. Instead, Kai walked forward and let his intuition guide him.

  They chose the center tunnel.

  After the feast had finished and the kobolds departed, Kai had organized a short trip to investigate where exactly the pangolin had come from.

  Downward was the easy answer, but Kai needed to know more.

  They’d tracked the monster’s progress through the ruined tunnels it had risen up through, but deeper down, beyond Ban’s influence, the tunnels were much wider. It was only the occasional streak of black fungal spores that let Kai know they were on the right trail still.

  Fifty feet down the central tunnel, Kai saw the tell-tale spoor.

  A long swath of the tunnel wall was streaked with black fungus.

  The three followed the tunnel as it burrowed ever deeper under the mountain. Hours p
assed, and still the tunnel meandered ahead, its slope growing steep and dangerous.

  Even Kai, the ever-eager hero, was considering calling a halt to their journey. After all, how well could they expect to do in a fight should they find another pangolin. And what other chasm creatures lived down so far?

  The beast’s warning hadn’t left Kai’s mind.

  It said that its brothers were stronger, Kai reminded himself. How much stronger can we handle? And how many are there?

  He refrained from asking the final question along that line of inquiry, for though he tried to stay positive, he knew that the monsters would come.

  To Kai’s mind, all that remained to learn was when.

  Abruptly, the tunnel ended.

  A small chamber, perhaps eighty feet long and forty wide opened up, seemingly an end to their travels. Still, they couldn’t explore the space. It stood just out of reach.

  The three stopped at the edge of the jagged cliff that fell away from the tunnel’s path.

  Rhona mumbled something to herself that almost sounded like a prayer. Ban had remained back at the keep, always finding new projects to keep himself entertained. Kai almost whistled but thought better of it.

  His torchlight couldn’t pierce much of the dark pit, and his dragon eyes couldn’t either. Perhaps, if he wished to test himself again, Kai could fully transform and leap down into the abyss to find out first hand.

  Such an action terrified him in more than one way.

  So, he shot a glance at Rhona. Grinning slightly, Kai tossed his torch and watched it plummet.

  Rhona gasped, making Kai’s smile broaden further, and the two stared in wonder as the flame tumbled end over end down the chasm.

  The flames brushed against a wall, and a fire burst along the stone. Black fungus spores erupted in flame, burning up in an instant.

  Kai and Rhona shielded their eyes but not before they both saw the peculiar landscape below them. The ragged hole ran far too deep to see the bottom. But it was the onyx and midnight-black structures that gave Kai pause.