Creature name: Gargoyle (Zxra’kkv)
Level 4 (large dark bred monster)
Alignment: Pragmatic evil
Once a powerful warrior in the armies of the Harpy Empress, Zxra’kkv the Dwarf Cruncher is but a pitiful shadow of his former self. After the Harpy Empress was destroyed by the First Elfish-Dwarf Alliance, her armies scattered and Zxra’kkv sought refuge in Feysecret Forest. As the years past, his prodigious strength began to fade along with his eyesight, and he now lives in a haze of half-remembered glories. But some of his old cunning remains and many careless adventurers have ended up in the gargoyle’s belly. That’s the thing about gargoyles, always thinking of their stomachs. It’s their greatest weakness.
Matias closed the book and slipped it back into his rucksack. That was a great help, he thought, sarcastically. Still, he now knew that the gargoyle, or Zxra’kkv as he was called, was a level 4 enemy. That didn’t sound so tough, even though Matias was only level 1. Maybe he might not need to inflict too much damage to bring the monster down. Trouble was, he was only armed with his staff and he doubted that would make much of a dent in the gargoyle’s hard head.
As he brooded on this, he heard Zxra’kkv let out a low growl and then the sloshing of water. Matias realised the monster was coming towards his hiding place. Quickly, he retreated back along the ledge to his hiding place.
As he did so, his hand brushed against something metallic lying wedged up against the wall. He paused and his fingers tightened around the object, and he picked it up to examine it in the faint glow of the chalk. He was holding a pair of oversized brass goggles, and as he looked closer at them a message appeared:
Item Description: Goggles of Murklight
Quality 10
Durability 7/18
Weight 1.7 tkulls (Sumarren unit of weight)
Item Type: Gnomish contraption
Information: A product of gnomish ingenuity, the Goggles of Murklight allow their wearer to see in the dark as clear as if it is day. Very useful on those long dungeon crawling trips and trying to find where you dropped your house key after a heavy night at the Happy Ogre’s Bar & Grill.
Matias smiled bleakly as he put the goggles over his head and fitted them onto his eyes. To his surprise, they actually worked and he could see everything clearly, albeit in a soft purple light. He looked up and down the ledge and turned back toward the main pool. The gargoyle had stopped again and was looking round, snorting and growling under his breath. Thanks to his new goggles, Matias could see Zxra’kkv much more clearly. The monster was over nine feet tall with heavy arms and legs that were covered with thick scales that spread across his back and over his wide head forming a natural kind of body armour. Two curving horns jutted from his head and two wings sprouted from his back. Once the wings would have been intimidating, Matias imagined, but now they were twisted and tattered—the membranous skin filled with ragged holes. He doubted Zxra’kkv could fly with those pitiful things. As Zxra’kkv moved his head, his one reptile eye was shiny and black in the purple light, while the other was milky with cataracts. His crocodilian snout hung open, brimming with mismatched and oversized fangs.
He was an imposing son of a gun, Matias couldn’t deny that. The monster could easily tear him apart without a second thought. Yet, Opon had told the truth when he said the gargoyle had aged. He moved with a shambling, bowed gait, and his reactions were slow and stiff. Matias was younger, slimmer and faster, but that didn’t seem like much of an advantage at the moment.
Frustrated, Matias headed away from the outcropping, at a loss of what to do next. Sweeping his gaze along the ledge, he noticed the presence of a crevice in the wall where he’d found the goggles. With more objects lodged inside it.
Reaching in with his hand, he pulled out several metallic arrows with sleek fletches, and a long exquisite bow. He set them out on the ground and examined one of the arrows more closely. It had a small mechanism with a button on it fitted just behind the arrowhead, and the arrowhead itself resembled a long, corkscrew drill. Baffled, a message of explanation suddenly materialised next to the projectile.
Item Description: Gnomish Drill Arrows
Quality 50
Durability 100/100
Weight 0.4 tkulls (Sumarren unit of weight)
Item Type: Projectile
Information: Invented by the weapon makers of Cog Forge, drill arrows are fiendish projectiles that can cause lethal devastation. Simply press the button on the magi-battery and the drill will start turning. Fire them like a normal arrow and they will burrow into the armour and flesh of an opponent causing agony and death. It has been known that the very sight of drill arrows has caused armies to surrender and flee rather than risk being struck down by such ingenious devices.
Matias ran his hand along the drill arrowhead, grimacing as he felt how sharp the point was. He had to agree these could do some serious damage. He put the arrow on the floor and counted out the others. There were eight in all, and they all looked in good condition. Deciding not to test whether they still worked just yet, he picked up the bow and took a good look at it, reading through the information message that came up for it.
Item Description: Longbow (Sumarren design)
Quality 20
Durability 23/30
Weight 5 tkulls (Sumarren unit of weight)
Item Type: Long range weapon (mundane)
Information: Standard longbow made in Sumarros of sturdy, quality workmanship to be found in the possession of any hunter or archer across the land.
So now he had weapons to fight with, he thought to himself. That was something at least. Would the drill arrows be enough to take down the gargoyle, though? The monster was plated in natural armour, hard scales that looked like stone. The drill heads looked so long and delicate he feared they might shatter against Zxra’kkv’s tough hide.
With a frown, he crawled back to the outcrop to take another peek at the gargoyle. Something from the gargoyle’s description in the journal flashed in his mind. It had mentioned Zxra’kkv’s stomach twice. ‘The stomach was a gargoyle’s greatest weakness.’
A cold smile spread across Matias’ face as he looked the gargoyle up and down. The thick scales covered his body; that much was true. Only his stomach was free of any defensive scaling. It was completely exposed and hung large and flabby, like a beer belly. Hairy warts and vile looking growths studded the flesh and the whole wobbly expanse offered up the perfect target for the drill arrows.
Matias’ heart was beating faster now as he scooted back and snatched up the bow and arrows. Going back to his vantage point, he set the arrows down at his feet, all but one which he held up in front of his goggles. He pressed down the button on top of the small mechanism on the arrow. There was a click as the drill head started spinning, making a low droning noise as it did so. Matias glanced over at the pool, fearful that the noise of the arrow had alerted the gargoyle, but Zxra’kkv seemed oblivious to it. He was just standing in the pool, swaying gently to and fro.
“Just stay right there, you ugly jerk,” Matias muttered, as he nocked the drill arrow.
He aimed it at the gargoyle, whose stomach was now facing him. Sweat plastered his forehead and his limbs trembled as he knelt down, getting ready to fire. His back muscles were screaming in agony as he tried to keep his aim steady.
Finally, unable to hold the arrow any much longer, Matias released it and let out a sharp gasp.
The drill head spun in a blur as the arrow streaked across the cavern. Matias’ heart was in his mouth as it surged toward the gargoyle’s stomach. Just as it was about to hit home though, Zxra’kkv turned and the arrow collided with his shoulder. A horrible scraping sound hurt Matias’ ears as the arrow tried to burrow through the scales.
The gargoyle roared and snatched at the arrow, yanking it from the meat of his deltoid. His one good eye glared in pure hatred at where Matias was crouched, on the outcropping, and he rushed toward his position—no longer slow or ponderous.
Terror spiked inside Matias as he scrambled back along the ledge, keeping hold of the bow and snatching up the remaining arrows. Zxra’kkv let out a thunderous howl that reverberated around the cavern and smashed into the rocky outcrop with all the force of a runaway train. He made the ledge tremble, and his fierce countenance snapped and snarled at Matias.
Relieved that Zxra’kkv couldn’t fit down the side tributary, Matias retreated a few yards and prepared to nock another drill arrow. Zxra’kkv was snorting like a wild hog and Matias froze to determine what the gargoyle did next. The winged monster scrunched up his hideous face for a moment and then opened his mouth as wide as he could.
In the purple light of the goggles, Matias only saw a black smudge come out of Zxra’kkv’s mouth. It took him a fraction of a second to comprehend it was some kind of gas, and a fraction more to tell his brain to hold his breath.
He was too slow.
His lungs erupted in flames as the first noxious vapours hit him straight in the back of the throat. He lurched onto his side, overcome by a brutal coughing fit. Despite having the protection of the goggles, the gas affected his eyes as well, making them sting and stream with tears.
He clawed at them, trying to pull them off. But his skin was blistering so badly, he couldn’t fight against the searing pain. He heard the gargoyle’s grunting laugh. The dumb ugly schmuck had outsmarted him. Matias let out a strangled groan as the coughing fit subsided. He’d been too cocky, and now he was going to pay for it.
Unable to get the goggles off, he gripped one of the hard metallic arrows in his hands, seeking some kind of respite from the burning heat with the cold surface of the arrow. He rolled around on the ground. The foul water was suddenly a beacon of relief. Slowly though, his eyes began to clear and he could see again. He managed to sit up and glared at the gargoyle. The monster had screwed his face up again, ready to shoot forth another burst of gas. Matias stared in terror as a second black smudge coursed towards him. He rolled off the ledge into the water, still clutching onto the drill arrow.
The water helped soothe the blisters on his hands and face. So he submerged himself completely, revelling in the sheer bliss it offered. The reprieve would be short-lived though.
Suddenly, he felt the gargoyle’s scaly claw grab his ankle and yank him out of the tributary, back into the main pool.
Matias swallowed at least a gallon of the rancid water as he went rushing backwards. The gargoyle bellowed with triumph and, still holding onto Matias’ ankle, lifted him up to throw him across the cavern. Matias’ stomach lurched into his mouth as he hit the side of the wall with sizable force. His three stat bars flashed in the corner of his eye, his health and strength each losing a chunk as he crumpled against the rock. The impact knocked the air out of his lungs and he tumbled back into the water.
He heard the gargoyle sloshing towards him and flailed around trying to make his escape. Two huge hands scooped him up like he was a helpless baby. Next thing he knew, he was face to face with Zxra’kkv. The gargoyle’s jaws filled his vision as the monstrosity made to bite off his face.
The drill arrow.
Despite all of the trauma and the agony ripping through his body, Matias was still clutching the drill arrow. He numbly remembered how it worked, and his thumb found the button that powered the magi-battery. It thrummed into life and, with a feral scream, Matias thrust the fast-turning drill arrowhead at Zxra’kkv’s face, homing in on the gargoyle’s good eye.
The monster shrieked as the deadly sharp drill tip speared the soft jelly and, after a sickening moment of resistance, sank deeper into the eye socket. Zxra’kkv shuddered and bucked. Somehow, Matias angled the arrow upwards, in the direction of the gargoyle’s brain, before the creature hurled him across the pool again.
Matias hit the outcropping with bone jarring force and he flopped into the water, his body a morass of pain. Clinging onto the rocks behind him to stop from sinking into the water, he watched with repelled fascination as the drill arrow finished its deadly work. Punching through the back of Zxa’kkv’s skull.
The gargoyle stood swaying for several moments before collapsing into the pool with a huge splash.
“There,” Matias said in a weak voice, after staring at the space where the gargoyle had been standing for several minutes. “You weren’t so tough.”
He started coughing violently again and lurched over as he threw up.
Chapter XII: Spoils of Battle
After hacking up his guts, Matias started looking for his rucksack which he had lost during the battle with the gargoyle—not that it had been much of a battle. Still, he had survived, and that was all that mattered.
He found the rucksack floating under the bridge. It was nothing more than a sodden lump when he picked it up out of the water. Surprisingly, the journal was bone dry, but all he cared about was the little tin that contained his remaining healing seeds. His skin still felt raw and blistered from the gargoyle’s gas attack, and his lungs burned with every breath he took. Retrieving the tin, he dropped the rucksack back into the water and swallowed one of the seeds.
The same tingling feeling he’d experienced after the battle with the moss mubb swept through his body, but it was not as nearly as regenerating. The blisters faded and his health bar returned to full, but his lungs still hurt and his legs felt weak.
He winced in pain, irritated that he was not completely replenished. Still, he felt better than he had before, so that was something at least.
While he was doing this, a couple of updates popped up in front of his eyes:
Ability increased: Use of blunt weapons
Ability increased: Archery
Experience points gained: 10
Experience points needed for next level: 145
“That it?” Matias growled, his voice raw and rasping. “I completed the dumb quest, didn’t I? Don’t I get some kind of reward, or level up? And why ain’t I cured after taking the seed? What’s wrong with this cruddy game?”
Predictably, he met with no response and he unleashed a string of savage expletives that ended with him doubling over in another coughing fit.
Vented and exhausted, he half-swam half-trudged across the pool, back to the ledge, with the rucksack slung miserably over his shoulder. He took care to avoid the corpse of the gargoyle.
Climbing back up out of water, he retrieved his staff where he’d left it, along with the longbow and remaining drill arrows. Putting the arrows back into his rucksack, he slung the bow over his shoulder and gripped onto his staff. Now, he had to figure out what to do next.
Reluctantly, he slipped back into the dank waters and used the goggles to find a way to get back up to the upper part of the cavern. After around a quarter of an hour of searching, he found a break in the sheer walls with enough handholds to climb back up until he was standing on the side of the cavern where the fire pit was. It blazed brightly, sending orange fingers upward toward the rocky ceiling. Grateful for its heat, Matias slipped off his sodden robe and his goggles, and he dried himself off as best as he could.
Kneeling in the rotting straw surrounding the pit, he pretended to ignore the charred bones and disturbingly humanoid shaped objects heaped in the centre of the fire.
Feeling better now that he was warm and dry, Matias got to his feet and began exploring the area around the fire pit. Opon had been right when he said that there would be equipment and weapons in the cavern. What he failed to mention was that most of it was rotten, broken, or rusted beyond use. But the sly old coot had probably known that. He’d lured Matias down here deliberately as food for the gargoyle, he was sure of that now. Getting caught in Jhondey’s trap and Matias finding him had all been a set up. Matias felt it in his bones. Opon hadn’t decided on the spur of the moment to turn on him, he’d been ordered to bring Matias down here and then turn the tables on him.
Matias brooded on what Opon had told him. Krumer had been to the gargoyle’s cavern before. Was it Krume
r who had organised all this? He was sure Opon was too stupid to come up with this little scheme on his own, and what had he done to upset Krumer. More likely, Opon had cooked this up with Mardon and Trub as payback for kicking their collective pansy butts. But how had they known he’d been out in the forest and close enough to hear Opon’s cries for help? Had they been waiting for the opportunity all this time, or had it been pre-arranged? That would mean Sour Root was in on this as well.
Matias’ mind wheeled with paranoia. That was more baffling than Krumer wanting him dead. The old Sasquatch had intimated he needed Matias for some undisclosed purpose, so what was the point of luring him here to die? It would have been easier to slip him some poison and get rid of him that way. He could make it look like Matias had had a heart attack or a seizure, or something like that. Matias was sure Sour Root knew how to kill someone without it looking like murder, and it was unlikely Jaggen would be bothered enough to ask too many questions.
“None of this makes sense!” Matias shouted into the murky cavern. Anger surged through him and he scooped up a broken helmet from the ground and hurled it at the wall. It hit the rock with a clang, and he glared at where it had fallen. A soft red light gleamed from the gap behind a pile of rotting crates. His fury dissipated and turned to curiosity as he stared at the light. Walking over to the crates, Matias pushed them aside and reached down to pick up the object wedged behind them and the source of the red light.
“Okay,” he said to himself, as he held the object up and carried it over to the fire pit to examine it in the light. “This is a little better.”
He had found a stylish looking leather cuirass. It was in pristine condition, dyed jet black with silver buckles and a steel, spiked pauldron fitted to the left shoulder. It glowed with the soft red light that had first attracted his attention and thrummed with a power that sent goose bumps all along his skin. Emblazoned on its breastplate was the stylised face of a roaring tiger worked in copper. Matias ran his hand over the face, admiring the workmanship. Now this is what he called decent equipment. While he gazed at the cuirass in admiration, an information message appeared:
The Alchemy Worlds: Enter T(he)rap(y): A LitRPG Adventure Page 10
