by Tao Wong
“Do we have everything we need?” Daniel asked the group on the short walk to the Dungeon entrance. Unlike other cities, which made a big showing of the Dungeon, Karlak’s entrance was a simple stone building with large double doors flanking it. Daniel’s lips twisted wryly at the sight of the doors—he had never seen them closed other than for the reconstruction.
“About time you got in. Been lazing around?” Ken, the chubby middle-aged town guard, called out to Daniel and Asin when they arrived. He gave a cursory glance at the seal they offered, dropping it into the pouch that waited beside him. “Well, I won’t keep you. I expect stories and drinks tonight at the Top, though.”
Daniel smiled at the noisy guard, offering a quick nod to Curtzman on the opposite side before he led his party inside. Neither of the other Adventurers had offered much more than a nod to the pair of guards—Asin because the guards generally treated her kind with a significant degree of distrust, and Omrak because his run-ins with the Karlak guard had mostly occurred late at night, and ended up with him in the cells waiting to sober up.
Inside, the stone building led immediately to a familiar grey entranceway. As they reached the entrance, both Daniel and Omrak stepped forwards to lead the way. Daniel twitched, staring at the Northerner who was in the process of unsheathing his greatsword.
“I shall lead the way, Hero Daniel. It shall be my honor to be your shield,” Omrak declared.
For a moment, Daniel felt a sense of vertigo as he adjusted his thinking. Omrak was right—being both a bigger, stronger, and more skilled melee fighter, Omrak was the better choice to lead the way. Especially as the first couple of floors had been reported as trapless. Daniel looked over the Northerner again, noting that outside a leather groin cup, Omrak still had not managed to save up for a suit of armor. In fact, aside from his greatsword and a knife that was so big it could be considered a short sword itself, the barbarian was the most lightly equipped of the group.
Daniel, was dressed in the breastplate and pauldrons of his old leather armor. While he would have preferred to use his newly acquired suit of iron armor, the dangers of the watery second level kept him dressed minimally. If he did fall in, he could discard his shield and mace and swim to the surface with what he currently wore.
Asin, was equipped with a light surcoat of untreated leather, a pair of crossed bandoleers holding throwing knives across her chest, and more strapped to her legs. On her hips, she carried a pair of larger fighting knives that she used when she needed to get close. Hanging from a series of straps behind her, were the bolos she had purchased in Peel. To top it all, he spotted the enchanted lightning bracers and the enchanted Shield gorget that she wore instead of more powerful armor.
All three Adventurers of course carried their other gear, packs filled with rope, lamps, food packets, trap balls, and other essential delving gear. Asin, catching his serious study of their equipment, snorted lightly and Daniel gave a wry smile. Okay, it was only the first few floors of a Beginner Dungeon.
The first floor was a total sense of déjà vu for the entire group. The low ceilings and narrow passageways meant that Omrak spent a significant portion of the time bent over, carrying his sword in one hand. The smooth, Mana-imbued stones that made up the passageways, glowed with a soft blue light that offered the group enough illumination to see easily, though they all knew that after a few hours they would feel the subtle strain.
What was different was the sheer number of Adventurers. Early as they were, staggered entry or not, the number of Adventurers walking through the first floor was unusual. It was no busy city street, but for a Dungeon, it could be considered uncomfortably busy. Many of the Adventurers held maps in their hands, sketching in new corridors and marking intersections, while others rushed down the passages as they attempted to either locate more monsters to kill or complete mapping the floor for the experience bonus.
In either case, after a long hour of not locating a single monster, both Asin and Omrak were growing impatient.
“Bad luck,” Asin grumbled, jerking her head to the Northerner.
“Asin …” Daniel began. It was not as if the crowding was Omrak’s fault.
“My blade hungers for blood too, Hero Asin,” Omrak said. “Though perhaps we can seek blood in less cramped quarters.”
The loud reverberations of Omrak’s declaration made Asin wince, her sensitive ears twitching. She growled softly, about to chastise him again, when she heard something. Having glanced back to look at his friend, Daniel saw her ears twitch and her tail straighten.
“What is it?” Daniel asked softly.
“Kobold,” she answered, and pointed down the hallway. The word had not fully left her mouth before Omrak let out a yell of excitement, charging the monster. As he took the corner, he barreled into the wiry, long-limbed Kobold who was rushing to check out the noise as well.
Bowled over, the short monster was only beginning to struggle to his feet before a massive fist, swung in a tight, left hook, connected with its face. It lifted the Kobold entirely off its feet and slammed the top of its head into the wall, cracking it open. It was not a fact that Omrak noticed as his foot swung forwards to end the fight.
Slain, the Kobold’s brownish-gray body glittered and broke apart, the corruption by Ba’al dispersed. In return, the Kobold left an unused, rusty shiv and a tiny Mana Stone. The Mana Stone was the core of the monster, the way that Erlis was able to manifest Ba’al’s corruption in a Dungeon and the entire reason for the Dungeon’s existence. Omrak bent down, picking up the stone, and then turned to offer it to Asin at her yowl. She took it quickly, sliding it into a secure pocket inside her leather vest before the party moved on.
As they traversed more and more of the first floor, Daniel started offering more concrete directions as he guided the group through the floor. Each turn, each new cavern and passageway, was added to his mental map of the underground, a gift of his Mapping proficiency. In a few hours and a few more Kobolds, the trio found the stairs down. Without a word, the party trooped down. The first floor held no challenges and, even worse, no coin to be earned.
The second floor was, as Liev warned, a significant contrast. Gone were stone hallways and narrow passages to be replaced by large wet grottos. Water dripped, ran, and pooled everywhere with only wet walkways treading through the cave. The group[ took a brief moment to register themselves on the portal stone before they carefully made their way forwards.
Bearing a lantern each, Omrak and Daniel slowly walked forwards, taking care with each step. Behind them, Asin rolled her eyes and let out a lazy yawn, her pupils wide as they drank in the meager light sources. Unlike the first floor, the party met their first attacker within minutes.
The Elemental Turtle surged out of the water and clamped its stone-infused jaws around Omrak’s boot, taking them all by surprise. Omrak snarled, jumping away reflexively and shaking his foot in a futile attempt to detach the creature. Howling, he put his foot down and readied his sword to cut the monster but is beaten to the act by Daniel, who’d anticipated Omrak’s failure. Crouched low, Daniel swung his mace down hard, smashing the turtle on the shell hard enough to shatter it. Injured, the turtle opened its mouth to die a moment later as Daniel repeated his attack.
Pushing by Daniel, Asin huffed in anger as she picked up the only drop, a small Mana Stone. She looked at Omrak and then Daniel before she said, “No smash!”
Daniel offered a shrug in apology while Omrak inspected his foot, prodding at the bruised ankle. After he’d taken a tentative step, Omrak nodded to himself and stalked forwards as he paid closer attention to the water. Daniel’s eyes narrowed as he gauged the damage from the slight hint of a limp that Omrak showed.
“Omrak, one second,” he called out to the Northerner. Stepping forwards, he placed a hand on him and cast a quick Minor Healing. The spell wiped away a portion of the Barbarian’s fatigue, his accumulated bruises, and the injured ankle.
“Ah!” Omrak drew a deep breath, the sudden absence o
f pain euphoric. “Your Healing is welcome if unnecessary. It was a minor injury.”
“I doubt we’ll get anything but minor injuries,” Daniel said, glancing around. The turtles were annoying but, at their level, not dangerous. Not unless the group decided to have a nap at least.
“Very true, these are not ballad-worthy enemies,” Omrak said, and Asin rolled her eyes. She turned her head, tracking the ripples in the water a distance away, her lips pulled apart to show glittering carnivorous teeth.
“Too far …” Daniel said, and Asin nodded. Still, she kept an eye on it as Omrak took off again.
“Let’s map the place. Remember, our goal is the third floor,” Daniel said, and the giant ahead of him rumbled agreement.
Fire turtles. Water turtles. Lightning turtles. Stone turtles. Air turtles, which were just strange with their tiny wings and their tendency to drop onto the party as an attack. Hours later, as they approached evening, Daniel was growing truly sick of turtles. The party had quickly developed a method of dealing with the monsters, but it did not make the repetition and annoyance any less.
Omrak had switched out his greatsword for his knife, using the pommel to smash apart turtles, or stabbing them in the guts after he flipped them over with his arms. Daniel’s trusty mace was aptly suited for killing these monsters, and it was only Asin who lacked the brute strength or proper weaponry who found herself mostly ineffective. If not for her enchanted bracer that added small arcs of electricity to her attacks, she would have been rendered utterly ineffective. As it stood, Asin spent most of the level spotting for the two melee fighters.
On Omrak’s back, his bag had begun to bulge with the Dungeon-created shells. Outside of a single, swirling, fire-patterned shell, all the others had been added to the pile. Asin kept that shell herself, intending to add it to her collection of rocks at home.
“Break?” Asin huffed as her stomach rumbled.
Looking around the cleared cavern, Daniel nodded and unslung his backpack, taking a seat near a rock a short distance from the water. The trio quickly took seats facing each other, allowing them to keep track of the cavern while they ate.
“You don’t eat much, do you?” Daniel said, glancing at the wrapped sandwich that was dwarfed in Omrak’s massive hands.
“Ah …” Omrak said as he visibly hesitated.
Asin let out a huff before she picked up a small stone and tossed it at Daniel’s head. Daniel flinched, and glared at his friend while she snorted and pulled apart part of her own sandwich, offering it to Omrak wordlessly.
“I could not …”
“Eat,” Asin growled, prodding him. “You fight.”
Omrak stared at Asin, confused.
“She means you’ve been doing most of the fighting,” Daniel clarified for Asin, who gave an appreciative nod.
“Ah …” Omrak glanced at the offered sandwich again before he took it in his hand. “My thanks, Hero Asin.”
When Omrak took a bite of the sandwich, his eyes widened, and he began puffing, his mouth wide open. Daniel choked off a laugh, realizing what had happened even as Omrak hastily drank from his waterskin.
“You are a true hero to eat that,” Omrak said, eyes filled with admiration as he watched Asin continue to chew on her sandwich and spiced meat. Offering the half-eaten portion back to Asin, Omrak said, “I fear this challenge is beyond me.”
“It is an acquired taste,” Daniel said, eyes crinkling in humor. Asin just sniffed, though Daniel noted the lazily swinging tail that indicated her own amusement. Pulling apart his own sandwich, he traded with Omrak for the remains of the portion offered to him. “Tasty though when you’ve gotten used to it.”
Omrak’s eyes widened even further as he watched Daniel take a bite of the sandwich, the stocky Adventurer’s only visible reaction a slight increase in mouth-breathing.
“Truly, I am in the company of great heroes.”
“Floor guardian?” Omrak rumbled in question as they peered into the large cavern. Inside, a single Elemental Turtle sat, surveying its surroundings. Its shell swirled in a pattern of red, gray, and their first white, indicating an attunement to fire, earth, and another element. The monster was twice the size of their previous opponents, just over four feet in length and a foot-and-a-half tall.
Elemental Turtle Champion (Level 4)
HP: 280/280
“Probably. See the stairs?” Daniel said, nodding past the Guardian to where a set of stairs led down.
“Yes. This should be a good fight,” Omrak said as he sheathed his knife and pulled out his greatsword. Asin winced as he did so, Omrak having forgotten to keep his voice low as he had grown excited at the prospect of battle.
Turning its gaze to where the three hid, the Turtle let out a low roar accompanied by a surge of fire. The trio scurried backwards, hiding behind an outcropping till the flames died; Asin growling softly in displeasure at having lost the element of surprise.
The moment the fire died, Omrak charged from cover, screaming his own challenge. The Turtle counter-charged, at the last moment pulling its head back into its shell as it noted Omrak swinging at it. The sudden change in the monster’s momentum made Omrak’s attack fall short, the blow only landing at the edge of the blade and making a minor chip on the turtle’s shell. The turtle’s initial momentum unchecked, it knocked the barbarian off his feet, forcing the Northerner to flip over the shorter monster.
Behind Omrak, Daniel followed more carefully. Hunkered low, he engaged Double Strike, his own Skill Proficiency that made his mace blur as it smashed into the Turtle’s shell. Each attack chipped away at the shell but left no other visible damage.
Hissing, the Turtle pulled itself out of its shell, snapping at Daniel. Daniel caught the attack low on his shield, stumbling slightly as he attempted to regain his balance from the low-angle of the attack. As the Turtle readied itself to bite again, a fan of throwing knives arrived, lightning sparking as they embedded themselves in the exposed body.
In pain, the Turtle snapped itself back into its shell and in doing so, knocking the knives free. Omrak’s own swing, cutting horizontally, missed the legs and knocked the shell sideways, sending it spinning. For a moment, the Adventurers wondered if their eyes were playing tricks on them as the shell glowed with an inner white light.
Moving forwards cautiously, Daniel readied himself to continue the attack on the monster. When it popped its head out, Asin sent a knife at it, which was blocked by the monster charging forwards. Asin snarled slightly, readying another knife even as the Turtle opened its mouth to breathe fire again. Staring at the glowing mouth, Daniel ran sideways towards the water’s edge and ducked low, covering his body with the shield even as the flames roared out.
Omrak, behind Daniel, took a more direct route, jumping over the attack. The barbarian swung his blade down, the greatsword cracking the shell with a loud clang of metal. To the side, Asin threw a Piercing Strike that drilled through the monster’s leg, laming the Floor Champion.
The turtle roared in pain, glowing white as it struggled to heal the wounds. Water spilling from his body, Daniel ran from the shallows to lash out at the Turtle, who dodged by retracting into its body. Frustrated, Omrak tossed his sword aside and grabbed hold of the edge of the monster, flipping it over with a surge of strength.
Its soft under-belly exposed, both Asin and Daniel pummeled the monster with attacks, its healing factor unable to keep up. Omrak, having retrieved his sword, dealt the final blow by plunging his blade into the monster’s exposed underbelly. Motes of blue light burst forth, dancing across the group before leaving the Champion’s giant shell and a Mana Crystal.
The group panted in exhaustion, adrenaline slowly draining away. Daniel straightened before casting his Minor Healing on both Omrak and himself, fixing the accumulated injuries in the party. Omrak grinned, battle lust still riding high in his eyes, while Asin just shook her head. Being their only ranged attacker had its advantages.
After some searching, the group finally
found the floor chest that the Champion was guarding. Within was the floor’s Mana Crystal reward, a much larger and higher-grade crystal. As always, Asin pocketed the crystal for the group, her tail waving in happiness.
“Down?” Asin asked.
“Just to register ourselves,” Daniel cautioned, and Asin nodded agreement. It was too late to start another floor.
Outside, after having registered themselves on the third-floor portal stone and transporting themselves back, the trio stretched. Daniel shared a friendly greeting with the new guards before the group walked towards the Guild Hall in good spirits. They had finished both floors in a single day!
“Omrak, are you going to need to fix your sword?” Daniel asked, recalling the massive blow that the Northerner had landed.
“No. Lund’s Blessing is on my weapons,” Omrak answered. At the raised eyebrow he received, Omrak explained. “It is a Skill Proficiency that increases the durability and strength of my weapons. My sword will not require fixing.”
“Huh,” Daniel said. As he considered Omrak’s fighting style, Daniel could see how such a Skill Proficiency could be useful. He ran a finger along the edges of his mace, noting the deformed metal. Soon, he would have to look into either getting a new weapon or fixing this one. Luckily for Daniel, maces required significantly less care than swords. A blunt mace was still dangerous, after all.
Inside the Guild Hall, the group approached Liev when it was their turn. Asin quickly handed over their Mana Stones while Omrak proffered the bag of shells. Liev waved the group over to a nearby wider table so that he could properly assess their earnings. As Liev sorted and counted their earnings, muttering the totals of each item, both Asin and Omrak watched over the proceedings with rapt attention.
“Nine silver and four copper,” announced Liev as he finished. Asin and Omrak both nodded immediately and then shared a long, considering look at each other. Daniel, on the other hand, had been watching the other Adventurers stream in, content to trust in his friends.
