by Paul Bellow
Crafting a weapon wasn’t difficult. Would armor be just as easy?
“Are you sure, Alex? You’re pressing your luck.”
“That’s the only way to get ahead sometimes,” I said.
I tossed my Bracers of Deflection into the super-heated cauldron. After a hiss and crackle, black smoke rose, filling the room. Gloria coughed, moving for the exit.
“That smells terrible,” she said.
Hand over my mouth and nose, I tossed in two Potions of Strength, my Ring of Climbing, and one-hundred gold coins. The mixture of metals popped again, but the smoke faded. After a few minutes, I lifted the clay pot containing the molten metals with a pair of tongs. The mixture hissed as I poured it into a mold I’d found for a new pair of bracers.
“Now we wait,” I said.
“Watching metal cool doesn’t sound like fun.”
I smiled as I looked over at Gloria. She was right that waiting wasn’t enjoyable, but I really wasn’t looking forward to delving deeper into the dungeon. The closer I got to the bottom, the more death of the character would hurt.
Could I face starting all over from the beginning again? The dwarven players I’d found tucked away in their own little zone had given up. Would I do the same after another dozen attempts at beating the game and getting out?
The new bracers I’d crafted eventually cooled. I broke the mold around them and examined my handiwork. They looked normal, but could I trust them? I pulled out a Scroll of Identify and read the arcane words.
Bracers (Unnamed)
These offer a permanent +10 bonus to STR while worn. They also confer a +10% chance to hit and an additional +20 damage per strike. Your climb skill increases 2 basic levels when worn.
Not shabby for my first run.
“Are you ready to go now?” Gloria asked.
“Why are you in such a rush?”
“I hate not knowing whether we’ll make it or not,” she said.
“Well, with the cockatrice corpse as our back-up weapon, I’d say we have a very good shot of making it to the bottom of this blasted place and defeating the Wizard of Yendro.”
She glanced up at me.
“What happens then?” she asked.
I reached down to rub behind her ears.
“We’ll know what happens soon enough,” I said, not having the heart to tell her she might be trapped when I got out of the game.
While it would be cool to have my roguelike companion follow me back into the main Tower of Gates game, I didn’t see it happening. Part of me doubted I’d be allowed to have the Amulet of Yendro or even escape with my life.
Gloria and I cleared the rest of the level then headed down a steel, spiral staircase. The ninetieth level boss would be the toughest we’d met so far in the game and we’d met some particularly nasty beasts.
My eyes widened as I reached the bottom of the stairs.
()xxxx[:::: Chapter 21 ::::>
Worse Than a Dragon?
You are on level 90 (-4450’)
You are a Level 91 Valkyrie.
You are full.
You are glowing. (+20 Armor Class)
You are Blessed (+20% to hit)
You feel wide awake!
You are NOT addicted to coffee.
A vast cavern stretched out before me. Gold coins and other treasures covered the floor. From where the coins reached on the stairs, I surmised there was a foot of coins piled up.
“Be careful,” Gloria said. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“A dragon can be turned to stone too,” I said. “We’ve got this.”
I sheathed Mega Metal Mao and carefully retrieved the cockatrice corpse from its own Bag of Holding. My gauntlets protected me, but I still worried about tripping. One false move, and I would be turned into stone. I’d already been through that once, and I didn’t want it to happen again. Not ever.
I scanned the cavern. Nothing moved or stirred. The light from my crown reflected off the thousands of coins glittering brilliantly on the floor. Something stirred under the treasure.
“Did you see that?” I asked, not trusting my eyes.
“The lights?” Gloria stepped onto the coins. “I see the lights.”
“No, that,” I shouted, pointing as a reptilian head poked above the treasure.
Time to stone the dragon.
I walked forward, being careful not to fall.
The scaled beast stretched out its long neck, reaching for me. When I got close enough, I swung the cockatrice corpse. With a satisfying crackle sound, the head of the dragon instantly turned to stone. As the stoning continued down its neck, another head rose from the treasure and snapped forward, biting off the head of the other one and stopping the stoning.
“Bring it!” I shouted, still wielding the cockatrice while attempting to keep my balance on the shifting coins.
The second head screeched then made the same mistake as his buddy. I smacked it with the cockatrice corpse, turning it to stone. Like before, another head popped up and snatched off the stone head before the stoning effect spread.
Frustrated, I stood my ground. The third one stayed back, not attacking me right away. As I waited for something to happen, I noticed the stumps of the other two heads growing.
Wait a minute. This isn’t multiple dragons. It’s one hydra.
“Mind the cockatrice!” I yelled as I dropped the corpse to the coins.
The third hydra head pounced as I pulled Mega Metal Mao.
I needed fire, so I activated the fireball ability of the sword. A glowing blaze shot out of the tip of the weapon.
Your fireball DISMEMBERS the hydra for 187 damage.
The hydra is not concerned.
As the flames washed over the two growing heads, miniature dragon heads screamed in pain. Three more heads revealed themselves. A six-headed hydra. Not fun. I activated my speed effect from the sword then ran forward, attacking the closest head with double my normal attacks. Time to die, stupid!
Your slash DISEMBOWELS the hydra for 117 damage.
Your slash MUTILATES the hydra for 69 damage.
Your pierce MISSES the hydra.
Your slash EVISCERATES the hydra for 138 damage.
You lop off the hydra head!
I wasted no time moving to the next in line.
Your slash DISEMBOWELS the hydra for 117 damage.
Your pierce MUTILATES the hydra for 69 damage.
Your pierce DISEMBOWELS the hydra for 117 damage.
Your slash MUTILATES the hydra for 69 damage.
You lop off the hydra head!
That’s what I’m talking about!
My smile faded when a seventh head appeared. All three of the remaining heads attacked all at once. Two of them shot flames from their mouths while the third chomped down on my shoulder. I screamed, pain coursing through my virtual body.
The hydra head flame MASSACRES you for 245 damage.
The hydra head bite EVISCERATES you for 145 damage.
You have [1,386/2,074] health remaining.
Your Cape of Feather Falling catches fire!
I unsnapped the cape and let it fall as I attacked again. My speed wouldn’t last forever.
Your slash MUTILATES the hydra for 67 damage.
Your slash EVISCERATES the hydra for 134 damage.
Your pierce MASSACRES the hydra for 214 damage.
Your slash EVISCERATES the hydra for 138 damage.
You lop off the hydra head!
Your pierce MISSES the hydra.
Your pierce MISSES the hydra.
Your pierce MISSES the hydra.
Your slash EVISCERATES the hydra for 138 damage.
You lop off the hydra head!
You feel strangely unlucky.
Uh oh. What now?
Only one full-sized head remained, but the others were all growing back. Two of them were almost ready to attack again. I pulled out my Wand of Fire and Fury and zapped it.
Your Fire & Fury DEMOLISHES the hydra for
398 damage.
Wand of Fire and Fury has [1/12] charges remaining.
I dropped the wand and pulled out my Staff of Time Stop. While I hadn’t tested it yet and knew little about it, I needed more flames to permanently stop the hydra from regenerating.
My fireball spell would have to work. I cast as the heads grew larger. The flames struck all of the heads, sending another round of screams echoing through the chamber.
“Finish it!” Gloria shouted from the bottom of the stairs.
You feel Blessed! (+20% to hit,+50 damage)
“Thanks!” I yelled over my shoulder as I cast again.
A fireball flew from my hands, hitting the base of the hydra as it poked out above the sea of treasure. The explosion washed over me harmlessly with my fire resistance.
“Don’t fire again!” Gloria shouted from behind me.
I let loose a third fireball spell as the words came out of her mouth. When it hit the beast, I knew I’d messed up. The explosion caused the ceiling to crash down.
“Come on,” I yelled, motioning for Gloria to follow.
Some of the treasure might be nice, but huge chunks of rock were raining down all around. I sprinted along the more stable wall of the cavern then cast again.
Your lightning MUTILATES the hydra for 97 damage.
The hydra is dead! (+200,000 xp)
Combat is Over!
You have [42,700,000/43,000,000] xp.
I checked on Gloria. Dust covered her body, but she was alive and walking. The collapsing ceiling stopped as I made it halfway around the cavern wall. Still no stairs? Was that the final boss or not?
Not wanting to run around exploring blind, I cast my most advanced map spell. With just over six hundred mana remaining, having the knowledge would help me stay safe. A vast network of square blocks and rooms ten-foot across, occupied the north of the map. I glanced over, unable to see a tunnel. Had the cave in covered it? I got out my Wand of Digging.
Zap.
The pile of stones and rubble disappeared. I checked the map and saw I’d connected with the tunnel leading to the huge chessboard area of tiny rooms. What awaited me? Another hydra? Or an actual dragon? Spellcasters worried me, but I felt confident in defeating whatever waited for me. As I walked, I drank a Potion of Cure All Wounds.
I also restored my mana to maximum.
“What’s that smell?” I asked as I stopped at the edge of the cavern.
Gloria sniffed the air coming from the tunnel.
“Catnip?” she asked, scrunching up her face.
I grinned, thinking of Tabby.
“Anything else?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“Hold on while I grab the catnip.”
“You can’t eat it, Alex, and we’re not likely to run into any more cats this deep down in the dungeon,” Gloria said.
“I know, but I want some for sentimental reasons.”
“Sentimental reasons?” Gloria asked.
“I’ll explain it after we defeat the Wizard of Yendro,” I said then grabbed the catnip.
After storing it in my sack, we walked toward the wide tunnel leading away from the hydra’s lair. The idea of beating the roguelike and having an epic artefact in the main Tower of Gates game made me smile.
“Are you coming?” Gloria asked impatiently.
“Yeah,” I said, walking over.
“We should check this place for more helpful items,” she said.
I turned around and stared at all the destruction.
“Do you really want to dig around in all this mess for the next seven days?”
“No, but I’m afraid of what lies ahead,” she said.
“Fear isn’t a problem. It’s what you do when you’re afraid. And we’re moving forward.”
“Okay, Alex…”
Gloria followed me into the tunnel. We headed north, walking next to each other. At the end of the tunnel, we reached the first of the rooms in the twelve by twelve grid. The walls were made with glass. I stopped in the first room, staring at the repeating reflections.
“There’s no doors,” Gloria said. “This place is creepy.”
“You’re telling me.” I turned around. “Should I use the Wand of Digging?”
I pulled it out of my sack and pointed it at the mirrored wall across from the tunnel. The beam bounced back, nearly tearing a hole through me. I dodged at the last minute.
“Gloria?” I shouted, alarmed.
“Up here,” she said, levitating.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “The wand won’t work.”
“We should turn back, Alex.”
“The stairs are in the northwest corner of this grid. We have to continue.”
“No,” she said defiantly. “We can go back to the cavern and dig our way down.”
“That’s no fun,” I said. “Let me try something.”
I pulled out Mega Metal Mao and swung with all my might, hitting the mirror I’d zapped with the Wand of Digging. The blade hit the glass perfectly, shattering it.
As pieces fell to the mirrored floor, a skeletal snake lunged.
The skeletal snake MANGLES you for 287 damage.
You have [1,787/2,074] health remaining.
I slashed with all four of my attacks, slaying the long, bony beast.
Combat is Over!
You get +10,000 xp.
You have [42,710,000/43,000,000] xp.
Great. I glanced around the mirrored room, again seeing no doors.
“We should go back and use the Wand of Digging,” Gloria said.
“That snake went down easy enough,” I said. “We’ll be okay.”
As the words came out of my mouth, a new mirror appeared, fixing the one I’d broken. I felt the room shifting underneath my feet. Question marks spread throughout the grid on the map of the level I’d created.
“Come on,” I said. “This is going to take forever.”
I lifted my sword and attacked the mirror in front of me. As it shattered, a ghostly minotaur rushed through, attacking me. The ghost’s hands felt chill around my neck.
The minotaur ghost EVISCERATES you for 134 damage.
You have [1,653/2,074] health remaining.
You feel drained of energy.
You lose 10,000 xp.
You have [42,700,000/43,000,000] xp.
I stabbed the ghost in the gut with my sword then ran it up, cutting as I went. The ghost wailed in pain. Neither of us had anywhere to go. I stepped back to get a better swing.
The minotaur ghost DISEMBOWELS you for 104 damage.
You have [1,549/2,074] health remaining.
You feel drained of energy.
You lose 10,000 xp.
You have [42,690,000/43,000,000] xp.
This is not good, I thought as I swung four times.
Your slash MUTILATES the minotaur ghost for 69 damage.
Your slash DISEMBOWELS the minotaur ghost for 124 damage.
Your pierce DISMEMBERS the minotaur ghost for 154 damage.
Your slash MUTILATES the minotaur ghost for 97 damage.
The minotaur ghost is dead!
Combat is Over!
You get + 10,000 xp
You have [42,700,000/43,000,000] xp.
Back where I started.
I stared at all the mirrors, reflections bounced all the way down. Will one of the rooms contain the boss for the level? Or was the grid of mirrored cells the actual monster?
The thought scared me. If all hundred and forty-four rooms had a creature, it would take forever to clear them all. Gloria looked up, fear evident in her eyes.
“We’re trapped, Alex. This is the end…”
I heard the terror in her voice and vowed to bring her with me when I exited the game. Why couldn’t she come with me? The main game was the same as the roguelike.
“We’re getting out of here, Gloria.” I bent down on one knee and put my hand under her head. “Both of us. Do you hear me?”
She nodded, nuzzlin
g my hand. I scratched behind her ears then stood.
Break another mirror? It was like a mob lottery.
What’s behind the next wall, Bob? Can I defeat them all?
I shattered another mirror with my magic sword of hardened steel. The sound of glass sprinkling to the floor surprised a creature in the next room. It turned, showing its octopus-shaped head. Several long tentacles spiraled under its chin.
“Mind Absorber!” Gloria shouted. “Watch out!”
I lunged forward to attack before it could cast a spell. What I didn’t know at the time was that it used psionics. A blast of mental energy flooded my brain, causing physical pain.
The Mind Absorber DEMOLISHES you for 345 damage.
You have [1,204/2,074] health remaining.
You lose 1 INT permanently.
You feel queasy and uneasy.
Your teeth hurt. All of them.
I dropped my sword and clutched my head with my hands. The Gauntlets of the Barbarian Oath crushed my skull, causing damage.
You INJURE yourself for 14 damage.
You have [1,190/2,074] health remaining.
You should be more careful.
“No kidding,” I screamed as pain racked my body. The splitting migraine spread to every nerve. I fell to the glass-covered, mirrored floor.
Gloria rushed into the room and head-butted the Mind Absorber. It looked down at her, its tentacles swirling. A bolt of lightning shot out from them and hit the unicorn in the head.
She blinked twice and stared up before falling to the floor. As I watched her body convulsing, I struggled to my feet. Overwhelming pain flared up even more each time I moved a single inch.
