by R. A. Mejia
The two did as instructed, there was a flash of light, and when I used Inspect on them, I saw that they now had the Fighter class.
Frik Armbottle
Fighter - Level 3
HP 21/21
Mana 6/6
Frak Armbottle
Fighter - Level 3
HP 21/21
Mana 5/5
The two excitedly hugged each other, happy to have a class. I knew that saving fifteen silver each would have taken years for the two considering they likely made little more than a silver per week as general laborers, and the cost of living ate up much of that. It was one of the reasons Greebo and I had agreed to pay the upfront costs of the classes for some of the people in the Northern District. It would be a way to help them earn more without years of savings, which in turn, meant that we’d get paid back faster and that the neighborhood would benefit from their increased income as they spent more on local goods and services.
The five of us left the Fighter's Guild and went straight into the dungeon. We killed monsters on the first level to gather Scaledon skins, which I fabricated into leather armor for the twins. I used some of the copper we'd planned on selling to make them Poor Copper Short Swords, and from there, we delved deeper into the dungeon for better XP. We went straight to the third level of the dungeon where Manny and the twins could start to learn to work as a team fighting the mobile punching Cactucus, and the stationary needle shooting Spiny Cushions.
Manny's Defender class had him take the lead as a tank. We'd opted to outfit him in scalemail until I could forge him some good quality platemail, and for a weapon, the goblin had a one-handed mace and a hand-axe as a backup weapon. Both paired well with his shield, which added to his armor class.
I'd worried that it would take time to get the three of them to work well as a team, but it only took a few fights to prove me wrong. Manny was a natural leader who yelled out orders to the twins. He'd grab the attention of whatever monsters they were fighting with a shouted taunt ability, and the twins would flank the monster from the sides and attack. If they drew too much attention from the monster, Manny would shout for them to back away while he applied another taunt or bashed the creature until it focused on him again.
The three had hit their groove and found their rhythm killing the plant monsters on the level when the twins found a large grouping of cactus and started to stab them with their swords. They had decided to try to get in the first strike against any Cactucus monsters hiding amidst the plants. But upon stabbing a particularly large and bulbous plant with a single flower hanging from it, the ground started to shake and shift. I thought that there was some earthquake, but Greebo shouted, “Get back, you found him!”
I didn’t quite understand what Greebo meant but soon learned as the bulbous plant with the flower rose from the ground, revealing that it was only the head attached to a very large body that had been buried underground. It took me a moment to grasp what I was looking at, but as the monster shook the dirt off its limbs, I realized that it was a giant Cactucus monster that stood over eight feet tall. Having been attacked first, the giant Cactucus swiped the twins aside with a spine filled punch, taking a third of their health with the attack. The boss was not alone, however, there were four other normal-sized Cactucus and two Spiny Cushions. Together, the group was more than the inexperienced trio could handle. Greebo immediately stealthed while I brought my rifle to bear. I fired the first shot and blew the stationary Spiny Cushion into green chunks with a critical hit. With a verbal command, I sent the still-smoking rifle into my Internal Inventory and swapped it out for the second Flintlock Rifle I'd fabricated earlier. The second shot blew the other Spiny Cushion away, and I called the paper cartridge to hand. I tore the end of the cartridge off and poured some of the black powder into the firing pan. Then, after closing it, I turned the rifle muzzle up and jammed the rest of the powder, cartridge and all, down the barrel using the ramrod. The entire process took less than fifteen seconds, half that of the longer reloading process.
I aimed at Giant Cactucus and fired. The monster was just raising a massive spine covered fist to punch down onto Manny, who had his shield up to protect himself, when the minié ball blew a green chunk from the monster's head. It staggered back, obviously confused about why it could only see out of one eye.
I'd fought plenty of the normal-sized versions of the monster, so I called out to Manny and the twins, "Take out its legs. It'll be helpless if you can get it on its back."
I regretted not fabricating more of the paper cartridge ammo, but I hadn't wanted to stock up on them till I knew it worked. I called out my Blacksmith Hammer and ran to help Manny and the twins. While I ran, I saw Greebo soloing the remaining normal Cactucus. The two levels between him and the monsters made a big difference as he sliced through their limbs with ease.
By the time I reached the level boss, he'd recovered enough to realize that three goblins were hacking away at his legs. As it drew its leg up to kick out, Manny used his taunt ability to grab the monsters attention. He crouched behind his shield as he was kicked and went flying back like a punted football. The goblin crashed to the ground with a clatter, but thanks to his armor, his health only dropped by 10%. Manny got back up unsteadily but ran back into the fight.
Assured that our Defender was ok, I turned back to the Giant Cactucus and swung my Blacksmith Hammer, wedge side down, and began hacking away at the left leg of the monster like I was chopping down a tree. With the help of the twins, we finished chopping it into green pieces. The monster wobbled, one leg no longer supporting it, and one swift push from Manny with a shield charge, sent the monster tumbling back onto its back. The level boss down, the four of us slashed and bashed at the monster’s vulnerable head until it was little more than pulp and we received the notification of its death.
You’ve killed a dungeon boss, Mr. Poke Man - Level 4.
You receive 11 XP.
The XP for killing the floor boss monster was reduced since Greebo and I were two levels above the monster. Greebo walked up to us, covered in green sap and chunks of Cactucus. He was smiling, and I couldn’t help but agree that it was a good fight. Even if I didn’t get any XP for killing the two Spiny Cushions since I was three levels higher than them, the fight overall showed just how far Greebo and I had come since we’d first fought these monsters. Manny and the twins had done pretty well, especially considering they had been caught off guard by the level boss.
I used most of my mana to imbue the spell Minor Regeneration on Manny, Frik, and Frak. It would increase their natural regeneration and help get them back to full health as they rested.
“Well, guys, that was a good fight. Manny, you’ve proven you can handle leading the twins in a fight. I’m going to leave to go earn more XP for myself, but Greebo will stay with you to help kill monsters. Whenever he thinks you’re ready, he’ll take you down to the fourth level.”
Manny just nodded as he sat and rested, but the twins got to their feet and shook my hand, thanking me once again for helping them get a class.
As I left, I pulled Greebo aside. “I’m leaving, buddy. I’m not getting any XP on this level, but would you mind staying with the group? I know you’re getting minimal XP, but they may need help if they get into trouble. Remember that you won’t have a healer when I go, so they’ll need to rest more when they get hurt. Take them down to the fourth level when Manny levels. That should help bump up the XP gain.”
“I know all that already. I already got food and an emergency healing potion in my pack. You go earn your own XP, Bolts,” he responded, pushing me toward the level’s exit.
I left, certain that Greebo would help the goblins level up even faster than we’d done and that we could get our miners to a better location soon to earn more money.
Chapter 21 - Dungeon Level 6
I returned to my own XP grind and entered the sixth level for the first time after fabricating some more paper cartridges. Each weighed 0.09 pounds, including paper, powder, a
nd minié ball, and the ammunition only stacked to twenty in my Internal Inventory. Since I had a limited amount of space there, I didn’t want to fill any other slots by continuing to make extra.
The sixth level of the dungeon was new to me, and while I wouldn’t have normally explored it alone, my powerful new weapon lent me confidence that I could handle it. I showed my adventurer’s guild badge to the guard at the level entrance, and he let me pass. Like the dungeon levels before it, the entrance was a series of tunnels that led to a dungeon field. This one, however, was a forest. A proper, tree-filled forest with trees over thirty-feet high, trunks anywhere from four to eight feet in diameter, and a canopy so thick with green leaves that it partially blocked the light emitted from the crystals set in the cave ceiling, creating a kind of perpetual twilight.
As I looked out at the forest ahead of me, I considered how the environment would change how I hunted. On one hand, the abundance of wood would help with repairs. On the other, the trees were going to limit my line of sight while shooting.
I walked into the forest with my flintlock rifle in hand, ready to test myself against the monsters on the level. The forest was full of sounds: birds tweeted from the branches above; the wind blew through the tops, rustling the leaves; insects buzzed; and, somewhere in the distance, I heard the sound of a burbling river or brook.
I decided to head toward the sound of water, as monsters might be drawn there to drink. My iron-clad feet stomped through the undergrowth as I walked, and not for the first time, I lamented my lack of stealth skills. On several occasions, Greebo had tried to teach me how to walk quietly and hide in the shadows, but no matter how I'd tried, I just couldn’t muffle the sound of my wooden frame and iron armor plating. I knew there were upgrades I could take to quiet my armor, but they were a waste of class skill points, especially if I was using a loud weapon like a rifle.
After traipsing over roots and through bushes, I finally found the water source, a stream. It was only a few feet across, but at some point, it had been powerful enough to cut through the ground and form a riverbed several feet below the level of the trees. As I made my way down into the bank, I saw animal tracks in the mud near the water. Some were four-toed paw prints, others hoof prints with a split near the top, and others still almost looked like small, long-fingered human handprints. I wasn't a hunting expert, but it looked like there was a much more diverse group of monsters on this level.
I considered my options. I could either wait where I was until some monster came to drink from the stream, or I could try and follow the tracks that led away. My tracking skills were nil, and while the tracks were clear now, they'd be much harder to follow once the ground dried up away from the stream bank and the monsters traveled into the forest. No, it would be better to wait. I searched for a place to hide and found a spot with a clear view of the water back in the trees’ roots. The sixty-foot-tall tree overlooked the area from above on an embankment, and its roots were knobby and as thick around as my arm. I hoped it would be hard for a monster to get up here once I’d initiated combat, and I settled in to wait for my first target.
It wasn’t a long wait, only thirty minutes, but the monsters that appeared made me think twice about my plan. It was some kind of large furred elk with crystal antlers that sparkled as it lowered its head to the water to drink. I could see a herd of similar creatures behind it, but the bull stood out not just because it was the biggest of the group with a rack that was twice the size of any others but because, unlike the rest of the herd that had brown bark like fur, it had a bright white coat that gave it an almost ghostly appearance. He seemed to take it as his right to drink first, and after he finished, the others drank from the stream.
I'd just lined up my shot, deciding that the biggest bull would be my target, when the group turned almost as one to look behind them. They pawed the ground and pranced, but I couldn’t see what had spooked them.
The big bull lowered its head as shadowy creatures slunk out from the tree line. The monsters were pitch black and walked on four legs, and as they drew closer, I was able to discern that they were some type of wolf. Only, they were bigger than any variety I'd seen on any of the nature channels at about half the size of the bull I had been watching.
The pack of black wolves silently circled the herd of elk-like creatures as they pawed and mewled. The elk bunched up and presented their antlers outward, forming a circle of deadly crystal points, and the wolves began darting in and out, snapping their jaws, testing the herd's defenses. All while, the largest wolf, the alpha, watched.
I could see the pack's antics were getting to some of the smaller elk. They nervously tossed their heads and pranced any time a wolf got close. It was only a matter of time until one of the younger members of the herd got spooked and charged, and that would open a hole in their defenses which I was certain that the wolves would use to take down more of the herd.
I had no personal feelings of sympathy for any of the monsters--they were all XP to me--but I did see an opportunity to capitalize on the situation. I took careful aim with my Flintlock Rifle and fired. There was a pause and then a loud boom as the powder ignited and the minié ball was sent hurtling out of the rifled barrel.
My aim was true as the ball hit the large bull in its hind leg, and it stumbled, surprised to have been wounded. The sign of weakness was all the wolves needed to see as they swarmed the bull. The alpha leapt from the place it had been watching and landed on the hulking monster’s white-furred back, sinking its teeth into the back of the bull while the rest of the pack bit at its sides and legs. The bull barked a low guttural sound and thrashed and bucked, sending the wolves flying as its hooves and antlers tore into them. The rest of the elk-monsters heard the call of their leader and attacked the dark wolves.
I watched as blood and fur went flying everywhere and calmly sent my spent rifle back to my internal inventory and replaced it with the second, already-loaded one. I took aim at my second target, the alpha, and fired. My shot was a little off, and instead of hitting it dead center, I only clipped its rear end. It was funny to see the large dark wolf snarl and spin as it tried to bite whatever had hurt it, but the monster didn’t have the time to search for me. The bull barked again and bucked, throwing off more of the wolves attacking it. I began reloading my weapon and watched as the large creature lowered its head and rammed its crystal antlers into the side of the distracted alpha. The long antlers pierced its black fur, and the mighty crystal elk lifted it off the ground, even as the alpha squirmed and tried to free itself. As the alpha's lifeblood poured from its grievous wounds, it struggled less and less as it hung atop the antlers. The bull began to call a cry of triumph, but the loud crack of my rifle drowned out its call. The creature staggered sideways as my shot struck him in the side. The Crystal Elk was slow to turn due to its head being weighed down by the now-dead alpha, which gave me time to reload, aim, and shoot again. I cursed as my shot missed, but the bull remained occupied as the other members of the pack attacked it.
I reloaded and fired as quickly as I could, glad that my fabricated paper cartridges made reloading so much quicker. Another boom marked my next shot, and this time, my aim was true. The minié ball struck the bull in his throat just as he was rearing up to stomp on an attacking wolf. The Crystal Elk came down hard, front hooves splattering the offending wolf. Then the mighty creature took three steps, and a fountain of blood erupted from its torn throat as it collapsed.
The herd and the pack continued to fight, but both had lost their leaders. The elk worked in groups of two or three to stomp and gouge the wolves. I helped both sides as I reloaded with my paper cartridges and fired at any wounded wolf or elk that looked like it was on its last legs. I knew, in gamer terms, that I was kill stealing, but the XP that kept rolling in assuaged my gamer conscience.
Before long, the remainder of the wolf pack broke and ran back into the forest. The herd bellowed in triumph as the wolves ran, and the rest of the herd chased them to the tree line but didn
’t follow them into the forest. The behavior made me wonder if the shadowy wolves would have had a greater advantage if they'd caught the herd amongst the trees and not in the bright light near the water.
Regardless, the herd limped away in the opposite direction. While I didn’t think I would have trouble killing any single Crystal Elk, I had just seen what damage the herd could do together. So, I decided to let them go and grab the loot from the fallen monsters. I worked my way down the bank to the stream. I touched each monster corpse and searched through the loot. Unfortunately, I had a severely limited weight capacity with two Flintlock Rifles in my inventory and had to be selective about what I took. I ended up selecting three monster cores and a familiar-looking black crystal looted from the bull. When I Inspected the crystal, I received an all too familiar description that sent an uneasy feeling through my frame.
Infernal Crystal
Crystal infused with corrupting infernal energy.
This was the second time I'd seen such a crystal. The first was from a giant Moleikin that had reigned as a boss monster on the third level in the poisoned mine. It was similar to the mole monsters on level 4 but ten times bigger and more deadly. As I looked down on the corpse of the bull, I used Inspect.
Mutated Quartz Wapiti
Level 7
HP 0/52
