[Loot: 1 Zombie Flesh, 1 Token of Acclimation, 2 Gold]
All ten zombies gave the exact same loot. The squirrel ran ahead while I checked through the side rooms to make sure I did not miss any creatures or loot. Mostly was just checking for loot. I did find a broken chest, but there was nothing inside of it. A corpse with purple flesh was laying nearby, and he had clearly triggered some kind of trap. I backed out of the room, hoping I too did not trigger anything.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Earle’s health bar disappear.
[You no longer have a companion.]
“What the hell?” I shook my head trying to see if I could find out what happened.
[Mumbler +1]
I knew Earle went exploring ahead, so I ran towards the end of the hall ignoring the remaining zombies still chained to the wall. As I reached the doorway, I felt a subtle change come over the dungeon and knew whatever I was here for was in the next room.
Chapter 8
Location: Goro’s Lair
Crossing into the room, I stumbled to a stop. Pillars lined the massive circular chamber, and at the far end was a throne. Stonework mirrored the area I left, but this area wasn’t as grimey. A new addition, or maybe someone kept it cleaned.
On the throne sat the first living being I’d seen in this dungeon. If I had to guess, it was a mutant gnome—four-arms, bald, ripped abs, and no shirt on. Its head lifted from where it rested on one of his many fists and turned to look at me. A spark of life entered its eyes as all four of his hands clenched, and the popping of knuckles echoed across the chamber.
The gnome was inconsequential in my eyes because on his small—but bulging—shoulders was Earle. In comparison, the squirrel was taller than the gnome’s head.
“Earle? What are you doing?”
“Ye gorna play stoopid now?”
“So you betrayed me?” I growled.
“Yeayea. Ye shoulda known da price o’ dealin’ wit da Mist Squirrel Mafia, muddafucha. I juss needed a patsy ta get in. And I’mma lookin’ attem.” Earle pointed at me with his creepy little leathery finger. “Dis is Goro, da real leada of our mafia.”
“May fire burn your mafia,” I hissed trying to unclench my jaw. “I will send every damned squirrel to the inferno and purge their evil from existence.”
This time I did not just imagine the flames covering me. Smoke was rising from my hands, and the heat radiating from my body distorted my vision. Fire filled the hollowness inside me and fed on my fury. Every step closer to Earle brought my rage to new levels, an endless supply of kindling for the blaze burning inside. Betrayers must die.
Earle said nothing. I could see his confidence withering. The squirrel’s beady black eyes widened with every step I took.
“Silence.” The gnome said, ironically breaking the silence. Its head twitched to the side twice. Either he was insane, or the system was glitching and the gnome fighting against its programming. Insanity was the result either way. No matter, the gnome was just an obstacle, the squirrel was the goal.
“I am Goro, and I am a god of—”
“Liar,” I blurted out.
“Wut?” The squirrel asked, rubbing his little nose with his tiny little fingers.
“He is not a god. He is a dungeon boss. Doesn’t even run the dungeon do you?”
“Silence. I am Goro, and I am a god—”
“Shit tits,” I tried to stop from saying that out loud but failed.
“Silence. I am Goro—”
“Yeayea, boss, we know, skip to kicking dat muddafuchas ass.”
“Silence. I am G—”
“Shaddup, ‘n kill dis fucha.”
“You shut up, you keep resetting his speech. Let him finish so I can burn you to ash, rat.”
“No, no, no. Lit Dungeo stol’ ‘im away from us. I’mma make ye anudder deal, ye—”
“No. No more deals Earle, I warned you not to interfere with my quest. Now you can kiss my ass. Shut up and let the freakish gnome finish.”
The squirrel was staring daggers at me but said nothing while Goro went into his speech.
“I am Goro, and I am a god of war. Are you the one who seeks to challenge me? Do you seek to challenge for control of the Outworld?”
“What the blaze is the Outworld?”
“It is the world you left to come here, this crypt belongs to the Nether Realm. As do most dungeons, and they are all controlled by Lit Dungeo, The God of Dungeons. If you seek power, you must defeat the gods, such as I.”
Yup! Insane. Putting him down had to be a mercy, but I couldn’t tell if the insanity was part of it or a side effect. If Earle wasn’t an asshole, I might have tried to understand the situation better. As it was, I didn’t care, the gnome was my quest.
“What power?” I asked.
“The [Power of Acclimation].”
That sounded promising. The doctor promised me another feat, so if this acclimation was part of it, then I would likely pick up a rare skill. All of that sounded nice in theory, but what was the doctor’s endgame? Why did he send me here? And why the hell was the squirrel flicking me off?
“I seek to challenge you,” I said, and because this boss was flesh and bone, I equipped my sword and dagger. Armed, I ran towards the boss and his evil squirrel.
[Fight to the death!]
The words were barely out of my mouth before the little four-armed freak was leaping into the air and stomping me to the ground. I swung my shield and sword trying to catch the gnome off guard, and then while he was dodging, I smashed him in the gut with my iron fist. Both of us backed away from each other and circled the room. I charged in and used my shield with two hands so I could stabilize the attack, but the little bastard was quick. I took two right hooks onto my thigh, and I stumbled as the muscle trembled.
Goro came in again, this time all four arms grabbed my shield. He hung there and lifted his legs like a gymnast and let gravity swing him forward in a reverse mule kick. The heels of his bare feet jabbed into my hip, and his momentum ripped the shield off my arm. Before he could toss it away, I punched in him the face with [Mister Fister].
The gnome crashed to the ground, and the shield tumbled away with a loud clang. Reacting on instinct, I tried to take one of his arms off with an overhand sword strike. The weapon descended, but Goro struck the side of the blade and shattered it. It forced me to release the pommel because the remaining blade vibrated with such intensity that it was numbing my arm.
This gnome was all over me like a rabid monkey, and I was not sure how I could win this.
“A true warrior has all the weapons he needs without resorting to these silly toys.” The gnome hissed and came at me chittering like the squirrel.
Hearing the chittering, I reacted by dropping to the floor. Earle flew past me; his attack grazed my neck. Neither squirrel nor gnome expected my reaction and Earle landed on Goro’s face. While they were both trying to recover, I struck the gnome hard in the face with my iron covered fist, but Earle scrambled out of the way. However, gnome and squirrel flew across the room and struck the throne-like chair. Earle landed on the seat and tumbled to the floor but the throne’s backing could not stop Goro’s momentum.
Snap! The throne broke, and the gnome went tumbling over it like a rag doll before crashing into and through the wall behind it. From my vantage point, light poured out of the hole and made it impossible to see into the next room.
Earle climbed to his feet and tried fading into mist. Not giving him the chance to escape I ran forward and kicked him in his rat face. The look he gave me caused me to snort, and it broadened into laughter when the squirrel flew towards the spikes above.
“Fuch ye, muddafuching cunt. I’mma get ye. I’mma find ye while ye sleep, an’ I’mma gut—” Earle’s voice cut off on impact, but it was a good speech.
The gnome was rising to his feet when I crawled through the new entry. This room mirrored the previous one, except it was better lit and new. Time had not worn the stone smooth. Instead of a thron
e at the far end of the room, there was a relief or statue carved into the wall. It depicted the gnome I was fighting; only it was three times the size of the original. Still small, but large enough to turn the archway made by the legs into a door. I was not sure I could fit through the door.
“That door is so tiny,” I blurted out.
“You dare mock the god of war?” The gnome said and spun towards me, his arms moving so fast he looked like a blender. Or maybe a helicopter?
Rather than let the little bastard reach me, I punched him in the face. My long arms gave me an advantage I exploited. Goro stumbled back and stood there swaying, and a voice rang out:
[Finish Him!]
Not one to disappoint I charged the little twerp, knocked him to the ground. He tumbled a few times before landing on his stomach. I jumped on his back and felt something give. Taking all four of his arms in mine, I pulled back hard. Bones snapped, and flesh tore as the limbs came free from his body. Before he screamed out, I used all four arms as clubs and smashed in his head.
I hoped death gave the little freak closure, but I was not sure how respawns worked in this game. Shivering at the brutality of what I did, and the lack of fire in my body once more, I tossed the limbs away from me.
[You have performed a Fatal Finisher]
It’s just a game, right? I asked myself but was not sure if I believed it. However, it was loot time, and nothing made me feel better than getting loot.
I knelt next to the gnome and pressed my hand against his armless corpse.
[Loot: Goro’s Might, 15 Tokens of Acclimation, 10 Gold]
Goro’s Might turned hot in my hand. I squeezed it and felt it pop, however, the warmth inside it transferred into my body. A small gasp of surprise escaped me. I tried to release the object but my hand would not budge, nor would my body respond.
[You have discovered a Legendary Feat.
Bonus: You embraced the inferno inside your soul and have discovered a unique class, but it requires that you have four arms—Oh? You have four arms… I mean why not, right Mary Sue?]
“Who the hell is Mary Sue?” I asked, but nothing came up, not even the query menu.
[Do you wish to take on the class Dragon Fist?]
Chapter 9
Location: Goro’s Lair
“I accept, make me the Dragon Fist.”
[You are now a Dragon Fist. This Advanced Class uses the Monk as its base class. To a lesser degree, it also has some Priest abilities. Do you wish to know more about the Legend of the Dragon Fist?]
More? I wanted to say no, because who gives a shit, but I was at least a little curious about the class. The unexpected wall of text that filled my vision made me want to weep, but when I reached the bottom, my greedy hamster did a backflip.
[Legend of the Dragon Fist: Liaki, arguably the most celebrated monk of the eight monasteries, faced the dragon alone. Too injured to help, his companions watched helplessly. They cowered in the tunnels and behind objects where the dragon could not reach, trying to recover.
Hundreds of years this dragon hunted along the Gamanges, ravaging towns, eating people and livestock, and slumbering in his hidden lair among the mountains. Until a goat herder stumbled upon the cave while searching for a stray. A child could have followed the trail of blood, but nothing prepared the herder for finding a dragon’s lair. His lack of curiosity saved his life, and he fled to the nearest town to warn anyone that would listen.
Word spread. An untouched dragon’s lair brought treasure seekers from across the realm. Heroes, and even fabled [Authors] came seeking glory, but only Liaki survived intact to reach the dragon’s hoard.
The old monk did not come for glory or possessions. He had accepted his death decades ago and had no need for something as small minded as objects without permanence. Liaki came for knowledge.
Knowledge is gained through experience, and it is the only way to receive insight. A long life of perseverance and personal triumph left him in a precarious position. Insights had slowed and his growth stalled. A man like him had rose to the pinnacle and had to accept that his life was on a decline. Become an elder as the others before him had done. Until a dragon appeared, a final challenge to his pursuit of knowledge.
Whether he lived or died was inconsequential. Liaki’s diligence did not fail him, because he matched the dragon equally. His agility reached levels the beast could not match, and he fought, possessed by the spirit of battle. Each foot placed exactly right, and every strike was like a flash of light in the dark.
Luck undid him. Bad luck. The old monk stepped on a small stone, throwing his movements off by a small fraction. Dragon and man both knew the moment the battle ended, and dragon fire licked hungrily at Liaki’s flesh. Clothes turned to ash.
A glow of the purest light surrounded the monk as he pushed his Ki, or Inner Light, outside of his body. His mana shield absorbed ambient light to help fuel it, and in his ignorance, he allowed it to absorb the light of fire. The magical energy of dragon fire pushed itself into his Ki, and he had nothing left to expel it.
The price of this knowledge was the loss of his lifelong pursuit along the Path of Light. All his hard work undone by the fire of a dragon. However, the gods were not cruel, and in those moments before inferno took his life, they offered him a new path. The gods showed him the Path of Fire and offered him the Dragon Fist.
Seconds felt like hours as he contemplated the choice. With his Inner Light destroyed his choice was death or becoming the first of the Dragon Fists. No longer fighting the fire, it flooded into him and he took it all. The dragon did not realize its fire was getting drained until it could not prevent it. A magical beast cannot exist without its mana, and a strange twist of fate undid the dragon. Its corpse turned to stone that no tool of man could cut.
Deuce, this is your legacy, for you have rediscovered this unique class.
One Time Message (OTM): Visit a monk or priest trainer to finish opening your class and its abilities. Since Dragon Fist is unique, there are no trainers for your class skills. Hint: Dragon Fist is an advanced Monk, which means its skills are modified from the lesser class. Learn Monk skills and then figure out how to evolve them. Remember, a Dragon Fist relies on its Inner Dragon, a fire core, so find someone that can assist you.
One Time Message (OTM): A unique class will provide a quest chain once you reach max level. Finishing the quest will allow you to grant or revoke this class for other [Authors] or NPCs. The class will downgrade from Unique to Legendary (or Rare), but you gain other perks. Each unique class is different and finishing the quest will provide you with additional information. (Sneak Peek: Anyone that becomes a Dragon Fist becomes your acolyte, and this will grant you additional powers and abilities.)
Liaki created the Order of the Dragon, do you wish to know more about the order? ]
“I’m in a hurry, can I save it for later? Or give me the quick version?” I asked, not sure if the system would comply.
[The Order of the Dragon became the ninth monastery, and the most vicious. The other orders tried to eliminate them, and a long bloody battle ensued. United, the monasteries were able to bring down the Order and kill off all the Dragon Fists. The eight remaining monasteries exile any monk that follows the Path of Fire. Each elder of the remaining Orders decided they could not risk any fire monk to rediscover the Dragon Fist class. A legend persists that speaks of a Dragon Fist returning and with him the rebirth of the first Dragon.
This legend is why the Orders decided to create the Water Shadows. This faction of assassin monks follow the Way of Water and Shadow and are considered boogie men, myths.
Warning: Dragon Fist increases the difficulty of your game play. You have two things working against you. The first is finding trainers or people that can help you advance your class to high levels. Second, if any of the monasteries find out about you, they will send the Water Shadows to hunt and kill you without remorse. Recommendation: Keep your class, the Order of the Dragon, and your Inner Dragon a secret until yo
u are prepared to fight a war.]
Well, shit tits. That would have been useful information to have before I accepted the class. Now, I’d have to find a monk trainer to teach me the fundamental monk skills and hope they don’t realize what I am. Nothing like playing with fire—Ha! Fire.
I’m only fooling myself because I’d still have taken the class, risk or not. Only a moron would turn down an opportunity of this magnitude.
Time stopped and I could not move my arms or body. My head could still move and I turned to look around and wished I hadn’t. The dead gnome rose up, its missing limbs didn’t stop it from floating up to me. As it moved the skull reformed even if the flesh didn’t. Once it stood in front of me it bowed slightly.
“Hello, Deuce. Sorry about the appearance and interfering with your game play. Don’t worry, we could talk for an hour and only one real world second will have passed. However, it's not safe to keep your brain in an accelerated state like this.”
“Who are you, and why did you have to use that body?”
“This body is the closest object not controlled by Lit Dungeo, he can be a grouch. Anyway, you can think of me like a janitor. The AI that has to clean up all the broken shit and maintain order. Which leads me to you. A four-armed mutant playing a Monk based class—you created an imbalance.”
“How is that my fault? The system scanned me and did whatever it wanted.”
“True. We are not penalizing you, just making adjustments. The attributes you can manipulate are like a base layer of the larger complexity that makes up animal movements. Then we have the hidden attributes, which are affected by your choices, such as Coordination. Do you understand?”
“Maybe? Adjusting [Agility] does little by itself. My increased [Agility] affects [Coordination], which has a much larger impact on my abilities in the game. Right?”
“Yeah, I can work with that. Because of your class change you are getting access to skills that require a lot of Coordination to increase the ranks. A Monk class by itself is hard, people will have to work to improve themselves. That’s normal people with two arms.”
The Land of Trademark Online Page 5
