Sthuza paused and rubbed a slender finger against her dark-green lips. “Hmm, that should be fine. The trap is easily bypassed by experienced adventurers, but it should be more than adequate against others like the baron’s men.
“Its effectiveness against most roving monsters would be even better,” she said thoughtfully. “It would not even slow down the arachne, though. But I doubt Lady Merideva could support enough goblins to defeat them, anyway.”
“Why’d you go and aggravate those dangerous monsters in the first place,” Meri muttered.
Sthuza shot Gabriel an exasperated look, but he shook his head and ignored the petulant Core.
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” he said. “It wouldn’t fare well against that spider bitch, but one pit might be large enough to block the narrowest part of the tunnel that leads here. That should reduce the risk of intruders entering Meri’s Domain and damaging it, right? Especially if we get the goblins some bows.”
“Yes, that would work, and we could set it to not activate under the weight of a goblin. That would mean only the three of us would need to avoid triggering it,” Sthuza said, then glanced over to Cindra.
Instead of following him when he rose, the large monster girl had laid down and now rolled around on the three cushions.
She paused and glanced back toward them, then grinned. “What? Cindra won’t set off trap. That would be silly,” she said casually then resumed her rolling.
Gabriel shared a surprised glance with his Prime, then chuckled. “That’s good to know.”
“I was responsible for monitoring traps on several floors for Lady Iylara. If you want to install the pit trap now, Master, I can help you inspect the site and tell you about the potential triggers. Unfortunately, most of them will be too expensive.”
“You can use different ones for it?”
“Of course, you can heavily customize anything you create through the Interface, Master. The main limit outside of Essence cost is your creativity and willpower. The more radical a creation, the more of a challenge it is to visualize well enough to add it to your catalog.”
Already headed for the hall where he wanted to place the trap, Gabriel stumbled at her startling revelation.
“We can make anything in the dungeon?”
“I believe there are a few hard limits, but as a general matter, yes. Though again, the more powerful or rare something is, the harder it will be for you to mentally conceive of it well enough to craft it.”
He nodded absently, mind racing at the many ways to use such an open-ended ability.
That means we could build a luxury mansion down here, doesn’t it? Fill it with all sorts of awesome magical items and relax with my bonded. Then just let a bunch of minions and traps deal with all the adventurers, right?
Something poked his shoulder, hard.
He shook his head and blinked at Sthuza’s face as she stared at him from inches away.
“Uh, sorry about that, I got a little distracted.” He coughed lamely, then wiped at his mouth.
“Yesss, Massster, I noticcced.”
Blushing, he grinned and stepped around her. “So I was thinking we put the trap right over there,” he said and gestured at a point where the stone walls narrowed noticeably.
Sthuza nodded. “This is an excellent location, Master. Now you need to decide what type of trigger to use. And remember, anyone can trip the cheapest ones. I believe our best bet will be to set it to weight. Otherwise, the goblins will constantly activate it.”
“Right, thanks for the reminder.”
“Yeah, I lost a few to the traps nearby before,” Meri said.
Gabriel brought up the Interface and selected the pit trap. The display flashed, and there were several options. Each one had a partially filled bar beneath it.
He focused on the one labeled depth and tried to slide the bar to the right. It worked, but the DE price of the trap doubled. Curious, he tried the same action on the one labeled width. Again the price went up, but not as fast.
So I can customize the trap to our exact needs.
‘I believe so. Mistress Iylara designed all of the traps. It was my duty to oversee them afterward.’
He played with several of the switches, testing the effect on the price. Once the trap was the full width of the hall, he lengthened it until the cost was back up to the original amount.
Wasn’t my intention to expand Meri’s Domain earlier, but we really lucked out. Not sure she would’ve had enough Essence to cover the maintenance cost without it.
‘Yes, it will make defense easier, Master. But please, do not reach out beyond her Domain and risk yourself again. It is too dangerous.’
Gabriel nodded and confirmed his choices, then asked Meri to create the trap.
The ground in front of him shimmered, and a gaping pit appeared. A thin floor materialized above it. Even though he knew the trap was there, he couldn’t tell the difference once the magical glow faded.
Have to remember the spots that are safe to walk on.
He turned to his Prime, but a bloody goblin rushed into the room, panting.
“Boss guy! Giant lizard peoples is invading the dungeon!” the goblin screeched before stumbling to his knees.
Gabriel’s bonded stood straight at the warning, while Merideva flashed to a swirling blue and yellow.
CHAPTER SEVEN
A sudden rush of emotion washed over Gabriel. The urge to hunt down the intruders and slaughter them filled his mind. To burn them to ash. It felt like the sort of fiery desire Cindra might exhibit, but it seemed to come from his own mind.
Doesn’t matter what caused it. We need to kill the intruders before they can threaten Merideva! No one hurts my Pack!
“How many? Where?” he asked. With his eyes locked on the panting goblin, it only took a second to realize the small monster was too wounded and winded to reply. Instead of wasting time with it, Gabriel dove into his Dungeon Sense.
This time he restricted his presence to the Core Room and was pleased to find it worked as he intended. Already focused on the dungeon, it took the barest thought to direct his mind to Meri’s connection with all of her monsters.
From there, he surged along the tethers that linked them to the Core, and he located the only goblin not in the room with him. Before he knew it, Gabriel was watching the goblin as it snuck along a hall on the fifth floor.
The small creature trembled and kept looking over its shoulder as it advanced down the long tunnel. Gabriel spotted movement at the far end, thanks to his better vantage point, and the fact he wasn’t actually there.
Scrying from safety makes this so much easier than scouting in person. I could go for a closer look, maybe see what they are. But after what happened last time, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to move away from Meri’s Domain and her monsters.
‘Please do not, Master. It is not worth the risk right now. We can prepare for this threat without exposing you to the Swarm.’
Gabriel exhaled as he came back to his body. That eagerness to kill anyone that threatened him and his rushed back at the same time. Again his mind brushed against the bond he shared with Cindra. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get the rest of the goblins and set up an ambush.”
He had stomped halfway across the room, Cindra next to him, before realizing his Prime hadn’t moved. “Sthuza, is something wrong?”
The gorgon had a frown on her face, and she glanced over at the glowing orb hovering near the black altar.
“Meri?” Gabriel asked. “What’s the matter?”
Merideva wobbled a bit, then steadied. “N-nothing. It’s not important.”
“Come on. We don’t have time to sit around here. We need to hurry up and stop them,” he snapped. The fact that both Sthuza and Meri seemed less than eager to stop the intruders puzzled him.
We need to hunt these bastards down and kill them.
‘Master, please calm down. Your instinct to protect what you perceive as your Pack is influencing your
thinking. You are scaring your Core.’
Gabriel flinched back like he’d been slapped. As soon as her words registered, a haze seemed to lift from his mind. Glancing over to the floating orb, he saw her reluctance.
A single brush of their bond confirmed it. Meri wanted to tell him something but couldn’t bring herself to speak of it because of his aggressive posture. All thought of needing to rush off and slaughter anyone that threatened Meri melted away from his mind.
Gabriel closed his eyes and ran a quick centering exercise before opening them again and smiling at the dim Core. “Sorry I snapped at you, Meri. Didn’t mean to worry you.”
Merideva brightened instantly. Her color shifting back to pink, she rushed over to hover close in front of his face. “Thank you for caring, Gabriel.”
“So what is bothering you?” he asked. “We’ll deal with these lizardmen, don’t worry.”
Sthuza replied for her, “Remember what I said about the reduction in Essence value if you participate in the battle, Master?”
Gabriel froze at the reminder.
This would be a chance to test out my improved Dungeon Command and to earn some more Essence for Meri.
‘Yes, Master. Direct them and relay your plans to me. I will ensure the fur coat follows your will.’
He sighed, then nodded. “You’re right. I’ll command the goblins from here.”
“You don’t mind, Gabriel?” Merideva asked.
“Of course not. I just forgot about it. Now, how close are they?” he asked.
“It’s hard to tell. You added a lot of area to my Domain, and I haven’t finished attuning with it yet. But they’re down on the fifth floor, near the section of it you captured.”
“Okay, get the rest of Cuix’s troops ready. I’m going to prepare a few spells for Cindra before she and Sthuza head out,” Gabriel said as he stepped up to the muscular hellhound.
She’d just returned from grabbing her gear, and he grinned up at her.
“You ready to defend the dungeon?”
“Yep! Packmaster not fighting this time?”
He shook his head. “Not this time. I’m counting on you and Sthuza to watch each other’s back, got it?”
Cindra bobbed her head eagerly. Sthuza rolled her eyes but flashed him a grin.
“I’m going to lay the spellwork out, but refrain from activating it until you’re ready to attack. No reason to waste mana before it’s needed.”
“Does that not cause the spells to unravel over time?” Sthuza asked.
“Yeah, but it should be fine until you attack.”
His Prime nodded, then moved to Merideva and began instructing the goblins.
Cindra stared at him with her blue-on-black eyes as he took his time and layered the glyphs for a Haste spell and the most potent armor reinforcement he could manage on her. He formed each one carefully, minimizing the mana cost and the effort required.
‘How hard will it be to activate the buffs from up here, Master?’
Not bad. I’ve already anchored both spells to Cindra through the Weave. Being able to touch her while casting really reduces the cost. Activating it should only take a thought. The downside is that I can’t adjust the spell or boost the mana tap afterward.
‘Do not empty your pool to support us, Master. We will be careful. You may need a great deal of mana when we catch up to your betrayers.’
True. I’ll only cast Haste on Cindra and reinforce her armor. That won’t take too much but should keep her safe in the melee.
By the time he finished constructing the final glyphs and sealed the spell, the goblins were ready.
“Cuix, you remember what we practiced earlier?” Gabriel asked.
The little goblin, still wrapped in the shredded remains of Kelith’s gaudy red-and-gold robes, nodded.
Gabriel grinned down at the glum goblin. “Are you ready for another battle?”
“No! Big boss is a meanie,” Cuix muttered.
“Anyway, I want everyone to be careful. Once we deal with these intruders, we’re going to head out after the Domain Crystal.”
Cindra rushed over and tried to crush his ribs with a hug. “Cindra kill bad monsters for Packmaster, and then we go to inn!”
Gabriel patted her back and glanced at Sthuza.
He pushed any worry away and kissed the gray-skinned beauty. When she released him a moment later, Sthuza stepped up and replaced her.
She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head against his shoulder. “Please be careful, Master. Do not tempt fate again. We will be fine.”
Gabriel nodded and kissed her forehead. “I’m not going to risk another jaunt around the dungeon. I’ll rely on you two and the goblins to see what’s going on.”
“Are you sure that is wise, Master? Sthuza asked while adjusting her armor.
“Yeah. The Swarm found me when I got too far away from any sort of anchor. As long as I piggyback through your bonds, it should be fine. I’ll be able to see and hear everything.”
“Packmaster can watch Cindra protect Pack territory.”
Gabriel sat down and watched the pair of monster girls set off down the hall, then turned his focus inward. He opened his connection with Meri, then dove into his bonds, and tried to scry on his Prime.
◆◆◆
It took a few minutes but worked as Gabriel had expected, and he silently followed the deadly duo rushing down to the fifth floor.
The only “giant lizard people” Sthuza mentioned were salamanders. If the ones the goblins spotted are from the tribe she knew, we should be fine.
Gabriel thought back to what he’d learned of the reptilian monsters in his studies.
And if they aren’t friendly, they’re fire-attuned, so Cindra should be able to handle the brunt of their attacks with ease.
While his bonded headed toward the unidentified intruders, Gabriel concentrated on splitting his focus. It took a second to do, but it was easier than casting a spell and counterspell at the same time. Once he managed it, he reached out to Meri’s goblins. He found Cuix first, then grabbed the two males near her.
Watching both groups felt strange, but the longer he held the twin views, the more comfortable it became.
This is amazing. Once we deal with the crystal, I need to test out just how much I can do.
Gabriel ordered the goblins to spread out and help scout as his bonded continued toward the intruders.
Just after they descended to the fifth floor, Cindra’s ears perked up, and she raised a hand.
When she pointed off to their left, Gabriel adjusted his viewpoint to spot anything in the dead-end room. At the far end, indistinct shapes shifted, and he pulled back to center on his bonded.
“Cindra smells several. Can hear some annoying yipping too,” the hellhound whispered.
Sthuza’s green eyes flashed, her head-snakes writhing silently, and she nodded. “My senses are not as good as the walking rug’s, but I can hear them as well.”
What are the odds they’re going to attack before we can try to talk to them? Gabriel asked Sthuza. She paused to relay his words to Cindra.
“They reek of fear, Packmaster,” Cindra said, and his Prime nodded.
Gabriel rubbed his face for a moment before exhaling.
We need to get ready then. I’ll bring the goblins, then we attack.
Both monster girls nodded and waited silently as he shifted his focus to the goblins. He felt their reluctance to head toward the enemy. It took less than a second to crush their feeble resistance with pure willpower, and he gasped when they stopped fighting him.
‘Are you all right, Master?’
Yeah, just had to force my will on the little cowards. They weren’t eager for battle. Was a shock when they buckled and complied.
A minute later, the goblins caught up to the pair. The three armed and armored goblins, with the still wounded Cuix leading the two males, joined his bonded.
Gabriel shifted his presence fully into the goblins.
&nbs
p; First, I’m going to activate the spells I prepared on Cindra since I expect her to face the worst of their fury.
Sthuza relayed his message, and Cindra bobbed her head eagerly. He closed his eyes and reached out through the Weave to the almost completed spell circle he’d set up ahead of time.
Finishing the armor enhancing spell reminded him that he needed to find a more defense-oriented bonded. At the moment, the hellhound was their only frontline fighter.
At least I can’t rush into melee when I stay behind like this. That makes it a little safer. Plus, this time we get to choose when the fight starts, which makes buffing easier.
Casting the spells ahead of time allowed him to complete them later without maintaining them the entire time. But, they leaked a bit of mana and would slowly unravel if left too long.
When he activated the spells, a telltale glow surrounded the muscular hellhound, and Gabriel checked on the others.
Okay, think we’re all ready.
He focused his thoughts and dove deeper into the mind of one of the male goblins. It took several seconds for him to acclimate to being the goblin. Soon, he felt settled enough that he ordered the other two into formation next to him.
Cindra raised her greatsword and charged into the stalactite-filled cavern. She roared, and several high-pitched voices screeched in surprise. Her loud growling echoed oddly and all but drowned them out.
Shadows danced and twisted, and a small shape darted between two larger stalagmites. Cindra turned and rushed after it.
“Wait, Cccindra,” Sthuza called out. “It isss a trap!”
Without acknowledging the warning, Cindra continued forward. She dodged between the rough stone pillars and swung her black blade at one of the shifting shapes.
The sharp crash of metal on stone rang out, followed by the clatter of crumbling stone.
And a sharp chorus of stuttering chirps.
“Cindra, come back out here!” Gabriel shouted—in a squeaky goblin voice.
“She isss not lissstening.”
“Yeah, damn it, let’s follow her,” he said, then rushed the goblin trio toward her loud barking.
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