Chapter Nineteen: The Neighbor
Things have been much more relaxed in the dungeon these last few days. The spiders have been busy disguising the secret entrance as just a rock with a bunch of smaller egg sacks on it. I was first going to try to disguise it as the kind of egg you might expect a baby Tiny to crawl out of, but then thought adventurers might actually want to smash something like that. A bunch of smaller sacks on a rock is way less interesting.
In the Secret Base, the kobold and the ants have been hard at work digging, though the kobold basically spent the night after the move over by the spring, cleaning her robe. Which was fine by me. It gave me time to get the ants and spiders to make her a gift of a bed.
I don't know exactly what kobolds like to sleep on, but Id bet theyd prefer something softer than just the floor. I had considered just making a little nest of webbing for her, but decided to make her almost a hammock. I say almost because its not particularly high up, nor is it designed to swing and potentially dump the occupant out on the floor.
Its more like a thick sheet of silk stretched over a divot in the floor. Because thats exactly what it is. I figure it should have enough give for her to be comfortable, and her confused look upon returning with her clean robe was worth the mana spent. When she figured out it was a bed for her, she even smiled over at my core. I like having a Resident.
Oh, Ive gotten my new form of invader now, too. Ive been spending mana on getting more mining nodes growing. Ive got copper, iron, marble, and a minor green gem. It says its peridot, but I thought that was yellow? Whatever it is, the Delvers love it. And so do the gremlins.
The gremlins are little twisted bipedal things, makes me think of a scaled lemur or something. Thankfully, the slimes seem to love the things, and the dire rats like them, too. I dont know if the spiders dont like them, or if they just have difficulty hunting them, but Ive only seen a few spiders get one.
They love to go after the various mining nodes, and since I dont get any mana for them sneaking off with some, I do my best to keep that from happening. Ive also had a few more Delvers from the deep wander in, but theyve all been less interesting than the first pair. Theyre mostly various critters that I can quickly defeat, and most run away from encounters, and then away from my demesne.
Operation: block the tunnels has been proceeding well, which also means operation: bigger secret base has been going well. Everything that gets dug out of the base gets taken to the various tunnels to choke them down.
The library is now an actual book shelf in the wall, and I have a second book, too. The lab has become a full alcove now, and the ants are constantly expanding and adjusting the alchemical stuff according to Queens will. Shes been interested in iron since I wrote down a few examples of what steel looks like for its structure. I think she wants to either make some, or wants to extract some property of it.
I think steel ants would be cool, but I dont know if thats a thing. I dont hinder her efforts, though. Shes definitely got the alchemy knowledge, not me.
Speaking of steel, now that the chimney in the house is open, Ive turned the room with the fireplace into a little smithy/smeltery combo. Most of the miners dont bother with the place, but a few do avail themselves of it, and I eagerly take notes on how to actually process ore, and how they actually use it. freeweɓnøvel~com
Ive also made a workshop on the second floor of the house, a few rooms from the public lab. A few of the woodworkers and masons, and even a jewler like to practice their craft there, which means I get even more notes on how to craft things. Ive been putting the notes in the second book, and making sure to illustrate as I can.
I dont think the kobold can read, but she likes to look through the book and she tries to copy some of the crafting advice. She even mined a bit of copper and processed a small bar. I dont know what her plans are for it, but she was definitely proud of it.
Elsewhere in the tunnels, Jello has been growing by leaps and bounds. I wonder if she could somehow hear when I thought that gelatinous cubes are cool. Shes hardly a cube, but shes definitely getting bigger and a bit more transparent. Shes basically taken to just sitting at the smallest tunnel exit she can fit in, and practically filter-feeding on gremlins and mice.
Works for me.
What doesnt work for me is some of the reports Ive been getting from my expedition birbs and bats. Theyve been steadily expanding the map on the wall for a while now, and Ive been steadily expanding the war room to fit it. If I can web a library to a wall to make a sign, I can do the same with a war room to make a map. Anyway, the town is actually pretty big, and it looks like I would not be able to take the whole thing with an expansion, even with that massive price tag. But thats not whats not working.
Theyve found the wall and what looks like a bay to either a lake or ocean. I actually just sent an expedition to see if its salty or fresh. No, seagull invaders dont mean its an ocean. Those pestilence birds will live anywhere with food, not just on beaches. But thats also not whats not working for me. I mean, its technically not working for me, because seagulls suck and I want to know if Im on a lake or an ocean.
No, whats not working is a new label on my map. I mean, it is working, but I dont like what its saying. See, I had never really stopped to wonder why people would be jonesing so hard for herbalism stuff, or for the mining stuff I have now, too. I just figured Id want to have some healing potions if theyre a thing where I lived. Probably wouldnt have helped me with the semi-truck, but still.
There wouldnt be all that demand for my supply just because people want it to put on their mantle or in their medicine cabinets. And if I was the only supplier around, there wouldnt be alchemists and such handy to use what I have. I had never considered that, though people seem to make a lot of healing potions at my workshop, people dont tend to drink a lot of them on my grounds.
But now I know why. The map doesnt lie. It might be vague at some times, but it doesnt lie. And now its showing another dungeon on the other side of the town. My expeditionists say people seem a lot more cautious around it than with me. Im not sure how far Ill trust a birds word on how people act, no matter how many have heard.
Still, itd make sense. Elf guy was very cautious the first couple times he visited, and mentioned something about me potentially being murderous. I had thought he was talking about some other dungeons far away, but now I wonder if its a lot closer to home than I had originally suspected. For what the other dungeon seems to be, I wouldnt be surprised at all if its murderous. I doubt there are many cemetery dungeons that are all sunshine and rainbows.
Chapter Twenty: The Meeting
I need information. I think the kobold could go out and get it, but I dont know how to ask her, and I dont know how the town would react to her wandering around. And, considering I need info on that cemetery dungeon, I wouldnt want her to head out without a weapon. No, the claw pickaxe doesnt count.
I do have an idea, though. I put a notice on the flier on my front door.
Freddie and Rhonda, I have need of you. If you are willing to help, please wave and get the attention of Poe, my Raven Scion, and follow the next Scion to approach you.
Yeah, a bit weird, even for me, but I dont know what else to do. I am, at least, pretty sure it counts as a quest, though. It cost me more mana than it usually does to write stuff. Thankfully, the kids are pretty regular delvers, and they show up an hour or so after dawn to do stuff. I figure Rhonda is in constant need of herbalism stuff, and Freddie is more than happy to help keep her safe and get better goodies.
When the two read the flier, however, they look very nervous.
What do you think it means, Freddie? asks Rhonda, looking about as sure of herself as the first time I saw her. Im not sure Ive ever seen Freddie look so concerned.
I I dont know. I mean, dungeons are supposed to be aware, but Ive never heard of one that wants to... talk? He looks up to Poe, and around the house, like the answer will be on the grass. Should we do it?
Rhonda looks incredibly uncomfortable, and I half expect the two to simply leave, but she seems to come to a decision, and I dont think she likes it much. I think we should. Everyone knows this dungeon is weird, but nobody knows why. If we can somehow talk with it, maybe well learn something?
Freddie nods at that, looking curious about what I could want, but also wary about dungeon danger. Their decision made, they step out more into the grass and wave at Poe. He peers down at the two and caws at them, and I send Fluffles to go meet them.
While hes on the way, I get Teemo down to the secret base to try to relay some instructions to the kobold. Looks like shes simply perusing the crafting book, looking at the diagrams for various things. When Teemo squeaks at her, she practically falls over herself to stand at attention, and I cant help but smile to myself at her being so formal.
Alright Teemo. I need her to get the map and for you two to head to a random cavern in the underground. Maybe the spring pool room? Thats a nice room, and the little glowing fungus has really taken a liking to it, so the kids should be able to see, at least. Ill need them to see, too.
Teemo squeaks at the kobold again, and scrabbles at the wall underneath the map like hes trying to climb up to it. Im pretty sure he could make it himself, but I need someone who can actually talk with the kids, so she might as well carry the map and project at least some kind of authority.
She looks confused as she watches him pretend to fail to climb the wall, before she looks up and sees the map. She slowly approaches, looking like shes worried she shouldnt, but shes interacted with Teemo enough to know he only squeaks when he wants her attention for something important. When she carefully removes it from the wall, Teemo gives another squeak and heads for the flap, and she follows, seeming to be a bit baffled.
While they were preparing, Fluffles was heading up to meet with the kids. Freddie gives him a wary eye, remembering how he was transported from the maze to the gate when Tiny got him. Rhonda doesnt look too upset about him, though. Shes never been carried around by him.
He leads them through the house and down into the tunnels, and the kids are very nervous as they walk through the basement. Im just glad they followed Fluffles down that way. Yeah, its the fastest way to the spring, but theres still some pretty strong stuff hanging out in there, giving the kids looks. I dont let them do more than just look, though. Theyre practically guests right now, so be nice.
The kobold has just gotten herself comfortable on the floor when the kids come in, and she looks at Teemo and Fluffles, confused. The kids, for their parts, look at the spidersilk-clad kobold with equal confusion, and a bit of awe. Theyve probably never seen a robe like that before, and probably also never seen a kobold, either. I havent seen any others in the various other delvers, at least.
The kobold speaks up first. Who are you two?
Im Freddie, and this is Rhonda, pipes up Freddie, doing his tanky duty of taking attention when Rhonda doesnt know how to handle it. Girl is terminally introverted. Who are you?
Im Aranya, chosen Resident of this Sanctuary, the kobold responds with a bit of pride in her voice. The kids, though, still look confused and look around the room.
This spring?
Aranya sighs. Not just the spring. The manor, the tunnels, the maze, the yard, everything on this side of those walls; all are part of this Sanctuary.
Realization seems to light up Rhondas face. Oh, the Dungeon! She shrinks back a bit as all the eyes in the small cavern focus on her. It, uh it asked us to come down here. It said it needs our help? The three look like theyre uncertain how the kids could help me, before Teemo squeaks at Aranya. The sound reminds her what he had her bring, and so she looks to him as she holds the folded map up, clearly uncertain if she should show the kids.
Fluffles, however, never learned to not be grabby with his not-hands, and so simply plucks the map from her hand with his telekinesis, and spreads it on the floor for the three to see.
Woah its a map of Fourdock, says Freddie as he peers at the small map. It even knows where we live? he asks with a start, seeing his church and Rhondas shop clearly labeled. Rhonda points out a few other labels.
And the Dungeoneer and Adventurer guilds. And a lot of stuff, actually. Fluffles lazily waves his tail over the map to get their attention, before tapping the tip against the area with the graveyard dungeon. The kids eyes widen as they realize where hes indicating.
Neverrest Boneyard? You dont want us to go there, do you? The place is full of undead! Its supposed to be murderous, too, so guards keep people out as much as they keep the zombies and stuff in! Freddie seems to know a lot about the place. Itd make sense, I guess. If your church is named after a crystal shield, youre probably expected to be able to protect people, so of course theyd be all over knowing about something dangerous like this Neverrest.
Aranyas eyes widen at the description of the other dungeon. A fallen Sanctuary? So close? She looks deeply concerned, so I pay a bit more attention. She seems to know a lot more about dungeons than anyone else in this conversation.
Rhonda looks a bit confused at her reaction. Why wouldnt it be? Dungeons tend to form in places on the outskirts of activity, so a graveyard or an abandoned building would make sense to be dungeons. She seems to pause as she thinks back to some of her lessons with her master.
Old Staiven has mentioned this isnt the first time a dungeon has been in this spot, though. Nobody knows what happened, but none of the others ever seemed to get as established as the current one. Elf guys cryptic warning about losing a good dungeon echoes in my memory, and I wonder if the various invaders are more of a potential threat than I had originally thought. I mean, I knew to keep them away from my core, but that was more instinct and wanting to keep creepy thingies away from whatever it was they wanted to get close to.
Aranya nods solemnly. Fallen Sanctuaries are well, fallen. They despise and destroy, instead of nurture and care. Legends say kobold society was shattered by a fallen Sanctuary attacking its brethren. It was defeated and destroyed, but so too was the unity the Sanctuaries had created. Infighting and suspicion overcame camaraderie, and my people fled or were cast out of the Sanctuaries.
Dungeon wars? That doesnt sound good. Oh what sounds worse, though, is that Jello wants me to know shes found a new invader: a skeletal hand.
Chapter Twenty-One: Preparing Defenses
Call me paranoid, but I dont like the fact that theres a graveyard dungeon on the other side of town, and Ive just gotten my first undead invader. This math is adding up in ways I dont appreciate, but I guess its better than it not adding up at all.
Just in case, though, I should probably check my math. I tell Teemo to come collect the thing, once Im satisfied Jello is done chewing on it. Aranya and the kids have a bit of story time while that happens, too. Im bad with names and dates, though, so I mostly just pay attention to see if theres anything to give me more detail.
Theres not. Its an interesting look into kobold society, though, and the kids are enjoying it. Before they can ask much about kobold history after the collapse, though, Teemo comes back in and plops the skeletal hand down near the map.
Aranya just looks disgusted, which is fair. A skeletal hand covered in Jellos jello isnt the kind of thing to parade around. Rhonda looks confused as to why the dungeon would bring a hand to them. Freddie, though, stares at the recently deanimated appendage.
That was undead, he says with the certainty of someone whos seen pictures and heard lectures on this kind of thing. The other two immediately look more concerned, and Freddie leans down to get a closer look. Ive never been to Neverrest, but its supposed to be crawling with undead. There might be some from other sources deeper in the tunnels, but I think that other dungeon sent this.
Well, I was hoping it wouldnt come to that, but sounds like it has. Im gonna need to increase the defense budget, looks like. The other dungeon probably felt the quake, and has been sending expeditions into the tunnels to try to find me. I dunno if it has airborn stuff like I do to make expeditions, but I doubt the townsfolk would ignore zombies and skeletons like they do bats and birds.
Rhonda looks to Freddie. Should we go tell the guild, then? I know theyve been watching this dungeon closely, and have warned people to stay away from Neverrest. This seems like something they should know about.
Freddie nods. Yeah, I dont think their inspector has been back in after he tried the maze.
It seems its Aranyas turn to be confused. Guild? There are surface people who monitor Sanctuaries? The two kids nod.
Yeah, the Dungeoneers Guild, replies Rhonda. They keep track of dungeons and whats going on with them. They were worried this one had gone murderous, and nobody wanted that. Neverrest is enough of that for one town.
Can you take me to them? All I know of Sanctuaries is from legends. If Im going to help this one, Ill need the knowledge to do it properly. Aw, I didnt know you cared, Aranya.
Can you leave? asks Freddie. Im glad he asked, because I dont know that, either. Im also glad that it implies that the biggest hurdle isnt how the people will react. Makes sense, I guess. Ive seen all sorts of fantasy races come through here. Probably also explains why the delvers didnt think she was another encounter.
I can sojourn, yes. The denizens do, so I can do the same. Neat. Well, I consider this quest complete, and spend a bit of mana to finish it. I dont gain any for it, but with all the new info and connections, I think its well worth it.
With the meeting pretty much over, I have Teemo and Fluffles gather the map and vanish down a trail to get back to the secret base. I trust the kids, but its a need to know kind of thing, and they just dont need to know. Freddie pulls out a rag that I think he uses to polish his shield, and picks up the hand to give as proof to the guild, and they all head for the surface and the gate.
Interestingly, when Aranya leaves, it doesnt list her as on an expedition, but on a sojourn, just like she said. Well, while they do that, I should focus on the home front. Delvers are here, and they dont know about the plot thickening down in the tunnels. Speaking of the tunnels, that should probably be my next order of business.
Ive been mostly sending expeditions on the surface, but I should probably do similar underground, too. I get various groups of bats, rats, and spiders to head out on expeditions down there, along with some healing ants to hitch a ride and provide support as needed. I pay special attention to the tunnel the hand came from, and make sure Jello stays blocking it up. Shes happy with that. Theres been all sorts of things to eat coming from there anyway.
Without knowing what else to do, I basically just start upgrading my various spawners. The spider spawner quickly takes over the little cavern it was moved to, so the little camouflage flap blends in even better. Its started spawning widows, too, which look plain mean. I order them around to the various tunnels to make sure nothing can sneak in, and to be able to provide support if something tries.
The rat spawner is starting to take over the basement, too, and has spawned a ratling, apparently. It looks like a rat developed a hunch and started walking around on two legs. I can still give it orders, but I can definitely feel its smarter than anything else Ive spawned. Well, except the Scions, but theyre special.
Oh, Ive also designated a Warehouse. If Im going to potentially be at war with another dungeon, Im going to need a place to store stuff. And an Armory. I think only the ratling and Aranya could actually use it right now, but better to be prepared. The ratling put Aranyas copper bar in the Warehouse, and then started making trips up to the maze to gather some wood, too.
It feels kinda weird to gather my own resources, but I make sure the ratling takes it slow with that. I still want most of it to be gathered by the Delvers so I can get mana.
I upgrade the snek spawner a few times, but nothing new has popped out yet. The vipers are looking bigger and badder, but I dont know how theyll fare against undead. I was hoping for constrictors or maybe even quatals, but no big nor winged noodles for me yet.
After an upgrade, the ant hill started occasionally spitting out fire ants, and Queen was all over snagging those to help with her alchemy. They really are fire elemental, which is good. Undead dont tend to like fire, if videogames are anything to go by.
I dont upgrade my birds nor bats yet, mostly because I dont have the mana for it, but also I dont know what Id do with them. The surface and tunnels are pretty full with denizens, too. I think Ill have to actually take that upward expansion before I do much more with the avians. Maybe Ill be able to build a tower or something once I get some more ratlings. I note in the alchemy stuff for Queen to analyze the mortar between the bricks to see if we can make some of our own. No rush on it, though.
Meanwhile
Aranya walks with the two defilers, no delvers, she has to remind herself. Theyre not defiling the Sanctuary, especially if it specifically asks them for help. She supposes the other defilers should count as delvers, too. It seems strange to her that it allows them to simply pillage like they do, but the Sanctuary must have some kind of plan.
Thats just one of the many mysteries that guided her to sojourn to this guild. The legends certainly have information, but certain details have faded over time. If this guild has more current answers, she needs them.
She looks at the two children, thinking her Sanctuary has odd choice in help. Why these two? Why spiders she asks herself, though the two hear her and exchange a look. She probably didnt mean to actually ask, but telling the story would at least kill the awkward silence. Its not worth any xp, but itd still be nice to be rid of it. Rhonda speaks up first, as it was technically her idea to go get a spider.
Well I had just gotten apprenticed to Old Staiven, one of the local mages, and he told me to go get a familiar. But I didnt know what kind of familiar to get. Freddie chuckles and inserts his two copper.
Something normal like a cat or something was too boring, I guess. Rhonda sticks her tongue out at him.
Im allergic to cats, she says matter-of-factly, before continuing the tale. Anyway, after thinking on it, I thought of our first adventure into the dungeon and all the spiders around. I just like spiders, I guess, so I decided to try to get one.
Freddie laughs. I think you wanted a spider just to mess with me. I used to be afraid of them, he explains to the red kobold. Too many legs, too many eyes, venom. But he trails off, letting Rhonda continue the story.
Anyway, we went and captured a few mice in a bucket, and some of the roaches, too, and tried to find a spider for me to make my familiar. Only we didnt think about all the different spiders the dungeon would have.
Rhonda wanted a jumping spider like Lucas there, and I just wanted to be done, heh. So we followed a couple into the kitchen, and she started enticing one with a mouse. Only while we were both looking at the jumping spiders, there were net spiders on the ceiling.
Rhonda giggles at the memory. We didnt know to look up at the time, so they just kept slowly plucking mice out of the bucket while we were distracted. And I guess that counted as feeding them, because Freddie tamed one without even knowing it was there!
Freddie smiles at the memory, too. Yeah, I about jumped out of my skin when I saw Fiona here on the bucket, happily munching away. In the end, though, we still had enough for Rhonda to take Lucas home, and I got over my fears and gained a great friend, he says, smiling at the spider with the huge eyes beside him.
She clearly wants to ask more, but they round a corner and the kids point at a building that looks very similar to the other various ones around, though it has a different sign on it. Aranya squints at the sign, resolving to somehow learn to read. With her Sanctuary apparently able to communicate in writing, shes going to need to learn to continue to contribute.
Thats the Dungeoneers Guild building, Aranya, says Rhonda, and soon she opens the door for them all to enter. Sitting at a desk in front of a shelf of scrolls, an elven woman eyes them as she sips some tea.
Well, youre some interesting visitors. To what do I owe the pleasure? she asks, looking amused at the odd little procession.
Freddie steps forward and sets the wrapped hand on the desk and explains as he slowly uncovers it. Well the dungeon wanted to talk to us, and it showed us this. The elf coughs into her tea when Freddie says the Sanctuary talked to them, and all amusement is gone from her face as she sees the skeletal hand in the rag.
She composes herself quickly, though, and grabs some paper and a quill and ink, before looking at them all seriously. If you all could, explain what happened, please.
Aranya straightens herself and clears her throat before the kids can respond. I am here on behalf of my Sanctuary. I need information to help it, and I will tell what I can to trade for it. The elf gives her a considering look before replying in turn.
You represent the dungeons interests, then? Aranya nods, and the elf continues. Very well. It is a dungeon in good standing, and that hand is from one that is not. I take it your dungeon wishes to know how to protect itself?
Another nod. I dont know why, but it allows your def-, uh delvers to enter and gather and fight, but I do not think it likes the idea of another dungeon bothering it.
Very well. I am willing to trade information for information. I believe we both have a vested interest in the wellbeing of your dungeon.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Battle Lines Drawn
Alright, Neverrest, knock it off. I know those various undead trying to get in are from you, not from just other underground stuff. I know its probing me, trying to figure out whats up with me, so I do my best to be inconsistent. I leave Jello in what appears to be the most direct tunnel connecting us, only having her move to let a few of my own expedition bats down the tunnel, and to return.
If Im reading the map right, which is a big if, admittedly, that tunnel seems to run more or less straight towards Neverrest. Ive seen a few other hands in the tunnels, though, so I know theres more than one route. I mostly let the various slimes deal with them, not wanting to tip my hand too much about what I have available.
Some manage to get deep enough that I can have spiders get them. Its a bit nerve-wracking to let them get that close to my Sanctum, but theres no real risk of it being discovered. Theres just too many spiders around from the spawner for any hand to have a chance at getting in. I hope.
In an attempt to get a better idea of what Im dealing with, I even decide to send Teemo on an expedition to scout what he can and return quickly. It costs a fair bit of mana to send him out, but Im confident the little guy can sneak in better than the bats and get me more information than just where our borders sit.
While he and the kids and Aranya are out, I try to keep myself occupied with running dungeon stuff. That doesnt take very much of my attention, though. Woe is me, I have too competent of scions and everything is running like a Swiss clock!
Coda is still minding the various herbalism nodes, between organizing the subterranean bats. Tiny is doing his thing in the maze. Delvers have actually gotten brave enough to run multiple parties at a time, trusting in safety in numbers. One group of each set is practically guaranteed to be captured, but the total mana from them gathering stuff has increased, so Im not gonna complain.
Poe has been keeping track of the yard and my birb expeditions, and has been helping map out Neverrests borders and what can be seen from the sky. By all accounts, its a typical large cemetery with gravestones and the occasional mausoleum. One or multiple of them probably have tunnel access, but we dont have any way to tell from the sky.
Jello is just happily eating whatever undead try to get through her tunnel, and the numbers are slowly increasing. I dont like it, but theres not a lot I can do about it yet. At least theyre feeding Jello nicely. Fluffles is mostly wandering and practicing his magic. I think hes fully mastered that protection from elements spell, which will be useful, Im sure.
And Queen is actually, what is Queen up to? I know shes doing alchemy stuff, but I dont know exactly what. The ants are looking pretty excited over at the lab, though. Alright, let me see Healing goop is still being produced, and healing ants are being produced with it, good. Bottled lightning production also continues apace, excellent.
Whats your third little set up doing, Queen? I see rough bits of iron, and some coal from the forge upstairs, so I guess youre still trying to play with steel? Oh hey, I think you managed to make some. That little group there is looking very excited and pleased with themselves over the little bit of metal in their jaws.
I watch, fascinated, as the ants start to puke out a little puddle of liquid in a dish. At first, I think its water, but it has a strange tint to it. Are her workers actually able to hold various chemicals for her? Thatd be cool. I know normal ants can store water and food. With an Alchemist queen, itd make sense for her to have some that can store chemicals.
Once theyre satisfied with the amount of liquid, the ones with the steel come over and nudge the bit of metal into the liquid. Slowly, it starts to dissolve, and the puddle starts to look more like mercury than off-color water. Did she somehow make liquid steel?
The ants are all very excited at the reaction, which is understandable, and a group of majors march up to the little dish. I imagine they might give a little speech in ant, or get a speech in ant from Queen, before they dip their mandibles in the liquid.
At first, I think theyre just getting a coating of steel, which would be pretty cool. However, I take a closer look, and see their mandibles are fully transmuting to steel! Or at least iron. I cant exactly zoom in far enough to pick out carbon in the iron atoms. They even make little clanking sounds as they test their new jaws. Good work, Queen! See if you can get enough of that to transmute one of the mandibles from the scythemaw. That could be a really nice weapon for Aranya. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Speaking of, looks like shes back! It also looks like the kids had other things they needed to do, because I dont see them. I send Fluffles to go greet her, and she smiles at him as the two head to the Sanctum. Once there, she sits on her bed for a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking to my core.
Oh Sanctuary I bring troubling news. The Fallen one is truly a blight. Despite the efforts of the people of this town, it has destroyed several other Sanctuaries in its history. The people cant even expunge it, as only a Sanctuary can truly harm another. I fear it, my Sanctuary. Ive only just found you, and youre under attack from an experienced foe and I can do little to help, she finishes, seeming to be ashamed of herself.
I have Fluffles curl up on her lap, since I cant think of much else to try to comfort her. I cant exactly just put an arm over her and tell her everything will be alright. At least it seems to help her some, and she gives Fluffles a small smile as she rests a hand on him. Thank you
Before I can dwell much on what shes said, though, Teemo returns, and his report is pretty concerning. Unsurprisingly, there are at least two different spawners for undead: skeletons and zombies. Actually, make that three. The hands are their own thing, seems like. Neverrest also has plaguerats, which thankfully only give diseases on bite, not from their fleas, so at least no bubonic plague to deal with.
It also has wasp spawners, which is especially obnoxious. It seems hes been harassing me for a while, though all he could bring to bear before the tunnels was the wasps. It seems to only have two scions, but they seem like theyre very powerful. One is a four-armed skeleton that seems to be wearing the best stuff the dungeon has gotten off of slain delvers. Teemo saw it practicing on a headstone, and there was no headstone by the time it was done just a few seconds later.
The other appears to be a lich, or some other form of fleshy undead with magic, so Im gonna call it a lich. It seems to prefer a lab in one of the mausoleums, though it looks to be more an enchantment lab than an alchemy one. I want enchantments. Looks like crystals are a big thing for that, so I make a mental note to look into that. Maybe Fluffles could handle duties like that?
Back to the report. It seems like its gathering its denizens, too, as there were tons of undead feet for Teemo to hide behind and scurry around. He even managed to find its Sanctum! Sounds like it doesnt care about keeping it a secret, either, as its simply in a large sarcophagus in the most central crypt. The skeleton scion guards it, so thats going to be a thing to deal with.
With his report finished, Teemo starts to resume his duties, when he notices something, and so do I. Something feels off. I do a quick look around, and everything seems to be fine. Aranyas gasp draws my attention, and I look at where shes focussed. The map?
Oh. Our borders are touching now. Hes expanded his claim in the tunnels.
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Plan
Well, were not at Defcon: Oh Crap, at least not yet. Definitely at Defcon: Caution, at least. None of the other tunnels seem to connect to him, but Im still sending expeditions with my bats to make sure. The hands I found in other tunnels may have been able to sneak past Jello somehow. If I could find a way to sneak in closer to him without him knowing, thatd be great.
I tell Tiny to web the entrance to the maze, and send all my small spider swarms to guard it. I figure the various venoms of the swarm spiders wouldnt do much to the undead that will surely soon come visit. Im just glad the big guy fits in the tunnels still. Im running out of large animals to compare him to.
Healing ants are all tiny-legs on deck down there, though. I want to see if the healing will disrupt them like it does in just about any fiction with undead. The lightning and steel ants are also in the main tunnel entrance, but theyre mostly on standby
Jello is still my primary line of defense down there. As far as I can tell, Neverrest hasnt found any other paths in yet, either, and he doesnt have anything that can quite deal with Jello just sitting at the entrance. I figure hell eventually move his lich down to do something nasty.
My various birbs are keeping an eye on the surface of the cemetery around the clock. Theres more undead headed underground, but none that are anything especially new. Maybe he figures a bunch of zombies and skeletons will be enough? If I had expanded downward as soon as I could have, he would have been right, too.
But now I have ratlings. Still not very many, but theyre starting to get kinda organized. They like to mine and use the forge/smeltery at night, and though theyre still not very good at it, they at least have some armor and crude swords. Theyre probably going to be important for me later, but for now, I still have them mostly just working on filling my little warehouse and armory.
Aranya is often in there, looking to see if anything is particularly good. She even spars with the ratlings sometimes, which helps her and them get better. I dont know how good theyll be able to get by the time Neverrest actually attacks, though.
I also have changed the sign on the front door. Now, instead of talking up the maze, it politely informs anyone who reads it that Neverrest has expanded its borders to be adjacent to mine underground, and that any Delvers who would like to help should seek out Aranya, the kobold.
Im pretty sure the kids are trying to rally the townsfolk, or at least the adventurers guild. My birb lookouts say the guards at the gates of the cemetery have increased, which is probably why hes sending everything underground instead of trying to storm across the surface. He probably doesnt like his odds of having to fight through the town before even getting to me.
Ive even sent a few probing slime attacks down the tunnel. Theyve earned me a nice bit of mana, too, but I dont know how much he gets from killing my puddles. I get a lot more undead than he kills slimes, but from the mana cost and gain, I think its about a wash.
Oh, Ive also officially created a public war room. I might want to work with the townsfolk, but Im not quite ready to allow them into my secret base just yet. Besides, its not like Tiny can fit in there.
Its the cave next to the little spring, and the ratlings have even slowly been making furniture for it. Theres a rough table, now, and the ratlings are working on chairs, too. Im kinda reminded of that scene from The Patriot where Mel Gibson fails to make a chair and tosses the latest broken one onto a huge pile of failures. Except my ratlings arent smart enough to get mad, I think. They just take the broken chairs to the forge to burn as fuel.
Traffic has slowed considerably since I changed the sign. Some herbalists still come in to get the easy stuff, and a few miners as well, but practically nobody wants to fight anything right now. They probably dont want to weaken me. I mean, some fighting would still be nice, but I can hardly blame them.
Hey, speak of the Devil, its Aelara, Ragnar, and Yvonne! You guys wanna beat some stuff up and train? Hmm, from the way theyre looking at the sign, I think they have something else in mind. I wonder if they got a quest from the office of dungeon affairs? It seems like the kind of thing theyd make a quest for.
Yvone is the first to speak up after looking at the sign. It really is asking for assistance.
Aye, nods Ragnar, stroking his beard in thought. And it has a resident for us to talk with, too.
Then let us go find this Aranya and see what the dungeon has to say, finishes Aelara, and the group starts to slowly wander, looking. Teemo, go see if you can guide them to the war room. Ill have Fluffles get Aranya, and we can see about using the public war room for actual war planning. I miss when I thought I wouldnt need it for that.
When Teemo squeaks at the trio, it seems even Yvone didnt know he was there, and they all take a defensive posture. I think they can all tell hes much more than a simple rat. When he squeaks again and starts walking towards the basement, they look confused. A third squeak and a look over his shoulder, and they seem to get the hint to follow.
Creepy mutters Ragnar, and the other two nod their agreement, but all three follow Teemo. With Aranya, its much simpler. Shes down in the warehouse, trying to get the ratlings to organize things a bit. They vaguely listen to her, but I think theyre more interested in just getting resources in there, rather than making it easier to actually use whats been gathered.
She turns to Fluffles when he hisses at her. Im trying to get them to organize! This place is a disaster! He just hisses a few more times to get her to follow, and she reluctantly does. I wonder if she thinks shes in trouble.
She seems confused when he leads her to the war room, and her confusion seems to mount when Teemo enters, followed by the trio of delvers. Aelara is the first to speak up. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Ah Aranya, I presume? The kobold slowly nods.
Yeeesss who are you? she asks, trying to puzzle out why Ive sent some delvers to talk to her or sent her to talk to some delvers.
I am Aelara, and this is Ragnar, and Yvone, she answers, motioning to the dwarf and birblady in turn. And well, the Dungeoneering Guild wanted us to investigate whats going on, and it seems your Dungeon wants the same.
The sign said to talk to Aranya, adds Ragnar, and my little kobold sighs.
So thats what it wanted she mutters to herself, before gathering her thoughts and pointing at the map on the table. Well, the Fallen Sanctuary you call Neverrest has made contact with my Sanctuary, and its not friendly. Currently, much of the Sanctuary's resources are being spent to ensure the tunnels are secure.
As she speaks, I zoom the map to the tunnels, and everyone can see my various forces in the main tunnel entrance, and the occasional zombie or skeleton scout trying to get past Jello. I then move the view of the map towards the war room, and Tiny approaching. The party is stunned at the size of the spider walking into the meeting, and confused as he simply moves to the side. Hes clearly part of the meeting now, even if hes unlikely to be doing much talking.
I get Teemo to squeak and have Fluffles tap the map again to get their attention, as I do more shenanigans with it. I zoom out a bit, showing both my forces and the war room, then draw a few lines. My forces push into the tunnel, while the line representing the group heads up the stairs and out the front gate. I follow the line on its path towards Neverrest, having it go through the gate and beeline for the Sanctum in the crypt.
The party exchanges uncertain looks, and Yvone is the first to speak up. I I dont think were qualified for this, she says, and Aelara follows up.
Yes, Neverrest is very strong and absolutely murderous. Wed be utterly outclassed in there, says the elf with a bit of regret in her voice. Ragnar, though, doesnt look as demoralized.
We may nae be able to delve in there, but the guild has stronger parties. We cn tell the Dungeoneers what weve learned, and try ta get the strongest in the guild t help.
This time, Aranya speaks up. The Sanctuary seems to want to help as well, and from what Ive learned, only the Sanctuary can truly rid us of the Fallen One. Not only does it seem to want to send several of its scions to aid what delvers will go, but there are also alchemical ants that Im sure it will send to aid, as well. Ive seen them heal wounds.
The three look surprised at that. Healing ants? says Yvone, finding the concept beyond strange.
Aranya nods. I know it sounds strange, but Ive seen them in action. The party of delvers still doesnt look too convinced, but any help against Neverrest is good help. Aelara speaks up once again.
Then well go deliver the information to the guilds, and hopefully get stronger adventurers to come. The four all look at the map again, and can see the numbers of undead slowly increasing as Neverrest continues to test my defenses.
And quickly, I hope. I dont think it will take its time in attacking.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Reinforcements
Aelara, Yvone, and Ragnar jog towards the Dungeoneers Guild. They would run, but running adventurers can cause a panic. Jogging ones are surely simply training, or eager to turn in a quest and be paid. And though they all would appreciate the coin, they all feel the pressure of time quietly bearing down upon them
How bad do you think it is, Ragnar? asks Aelara. Though theyre all the same level, the friendly dwarf is probably the most knowledgeable about dungeons.
Ah think we should join whatever adventurers from th guild are available an get back quick. Neverrest doesnae just refer to not lettin corpses sleep. Itll nae stop til one dungeon or thother is destroyed, an a stronger Neverrest is nae good for anyone.
Yvone nods at that assessment. Ive peered through the gate at Neverrest before. The place is evil. We cant let it grow stronger. Aelara nods as they round the corner, bringing the Dungeoneers guild within view.
Were all agreed, then. Well make our report quickly, then round up whoever at our guild is available. The three nod without their strides faltering, and soon enter the Dungeoneers guild.
Telar sits at her desk, two scrolls before her. One is for the Fourdock Dungeon, the other for Neverrest Dungeon. From the stats, at last inspection, it doesnt look good for the new dungeon.
And judging by the looks on the faces of the adventurers that took her quest, things arent exactly looking up. She sighs and speaks up as they approach. How bad is it? she asks, hoping she wont have to place the final seal on the scroll for the Fourdock Dungeon.
Its bad but it could be worse, says Yvone, prompting a curious look from the elf behind the desk. Aelara speaks up to continue their report.
At the moment, the dungeon seems to be keeping Neverrest at bay, but it also seems to know that a stalemate is unlikely to go well for it. It has also directly asked for our help. Telars eyes widen in shock.
It asked for help? How?! Does it have a Voice already?! If its strong enough to have a Voice, Neverrest should pose hardly any threat to it, but it would also be much sneakier than anyone suspected.
Ragnar shakes his head. Nae, no Voice. It does have signs. An scions. An a Resident.
Ah, yes, the kobold in white. Aranya, I believe. We discussed Neverrest when she visited, not long ago. Shes marshaling the dungeons defenses, then? The party exchanges a look before Aelara speaks for the group.
No. The dungeon itself seems to be seeing to that. It even wishes to work with us to assault Neverrest.
Telar looks shocked. Work together? How?
By walking through the gates of Neverrest, rather than the tunnels, explains Yvone. It seems to want to take the spider scion, as well as the rat and snake scions, and whatever adventurers are willing, walk the streets of the town, and assault Neverrest from the surface.
The dungeoneer chews that idea over for a few moments, still looking like the party might be playing a trick on her. If if Neverrest is assaulting via the tunnels, it would expect a counter from the tunnels. Its never cooperated with us in the least, so would assume any attack on the surface would have to be fliers, since we specifically kill anything that it sends out.
She blinks for a moment, after getting a grip on the tactical situation. It could work. It could actually work. Most people wont know a Scion at a glance, and if recognized adventurers are with them, nobody would even raise a fuss. Her professional look returns as she refocuses on the party. When does it want to go?
As soon as possible. Neverrest will only increase its pressure the longer we wait, points out Yvone, and Telar nods at that.
Yes, its very persistent. Give me a moment. Telar pulls open the scroll with the details of the partys current quest, and signs it complete, before quickly starting another scroll. Take this to your guild. Its an open quest for all comers to help assault Neverrest. If Fourdock can take the core, there will be a substantial bonus paid to your guild, and to all participants as well. She signs the new scroll with a flourish, and hands both to Aelara, who nods.
Then we shall go. Aelara accepts the scrolls and the party makes their exit. They had been hoping to recruit members of the guild for this, and with a significant quest from the Dungeoneers, theyll probably have every adventurer in the guildhouse wanting to come along.
Whadya mean out?! shouts Ragnar at the balding and skinny orc behind the desk. He doesnt have the look of someone who could lead a guild, but its a carefully-curated facade hes kept from his adventuring days. It generally pays to be underestimated in this line of work.
The orc sighs and nods. Everyone else is out on various quests at the moment. You lot were my emergency backup, and this is the emergency. He gets up from behind the desk, and motions for them to follow as he leaves the office on the second floor of the house. He talks as he leads them down the stairs.
And while its not ideal, I get the feeling you three will be able to handle this crisis. Of course, that doesnt mean I wont be able to give you some help. Even without the quest reward, a chance to actually remove Neverrest would be a boon to this guild. He leads them to the basement, and a large door. He smirks at them as he opens it, revealing racks of weapons and armor, clearly with potent enchantments.
Those guild dues have to count for something. Whatever you see fit will be loaned to you for the duration of this quest, but do only take what you can use. Even with that caveat, the three adventurers look like kids on Christmas morning.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Into the Breach
Neverrest is a pain in my non-existent butt. Im pretty sure Im making more mana from this than he is, but he just keeps sending more and more undead at me. I get the feeling we are probably just not able to do too much damage to the other right now. I mean, undead get digested as well as anything else my slimes catch, but they definitely keep resisting longer than living things.
The healing ants do a number on them, though, which is good. Some swarming bites before the jellies get ahold of them speeds the whole process up, but I still get the feeling Im guarding the pass at Thermopylae; holding my own, giving at least as good as Im getting, but in a worse position as time goes on. I havent had to retreat or anything yet, but Ive been rotating my slimes as quickly as they can move. Ive even upgraded the spawner and Jello!
Jello seems to love the taste of undead, too. Shes actually earned a title from all the things shes killed: Purifier. It certainly helps, and seems to make her less corrosive to living things, too, which is great for the ants.
I give a mental sigh of relief as I sense the three adventurers return and then immediately wonder why theres still only three of them. They didnt seem very confident about their odds in the graveyard, even with me supporting them. As they hurry towards the war room, though, I can see why they are back. Theyre all decked out.
Aelara has what I can only assume is mythril mail of some kind. It sure looks to me like what Frodo had in the Lord of the Rings movies. Shes also traded out her prismatic-styled staff for one that looks almost like a thin, living stalactite, with a large bit of onyx or something on the flat top.
Ragnar still has his family shield, but I guess he didnt have family armor. If I didnt know better, Id think he was a metal golem or something, but the beard sticking out under the helm kinda gives it away. That plate mail looks good on him, and I can only guess what kind of punishment he can take with it on.
Yvone has some kind of black leather on. Not like Catwoman, but leather armor that is black. Looks pretty slick, maybe itll help her with stealth or something? That new bow looks pretty cool, though. The, uh main bow part? Whatever is usually wooden, looks like its made of cloud, and the string looks like a contained tornado. She has a regular quiver of arrows on her back, though, so I dunno how itll actually work.
Im glad Aranyas still in the war room. Shes been mostly staring at the map and watching the battle unfold. Im just glad she didnt grab a weapon from the armory and charge in, because thats what it looks like she wants to do. She recognizes her skills, though, and when to stay out of danger. I guess the deep tunnels dont suffer fools to live long down there.
She perks up when Tiny, Teemo, and Fluffles enter the room, and notices the three adventurers on the map. She seems to take a few moments to try to compose herself. Shes basically my representative right now, so I guess her taking it maybe a bit too seriously is better than her taking it not seriously at all or way too seriously. With the stories shes told to my core, I should probably be glad shes not founded a creepy cult around me.
She stands beside the table by the time the three enter, and seems surprised to see the change in their attire. Nobody else would come? she asks, before looking like she realized how rude that could be taken. Aelara and the others look a bit awkward and shake their heads before the mage speaks up.
Unfortunately, all the other adventurers are out on quests, but the guildmaster was at least able to lend us some potent gear. Aranya looks relieved to hear that.
It does look impressive. Its enough to change your minds about your chances against Neverrest? she asks, and Ragnar nods.
Aye! Id wager I could go toe to toe wi th big spider fr a while in this! Tiny doesnt look impressed, though. Yeah, Ragnar probably forgot that you can weave or he doesnt know you can in the first place. Either way, if you only swiped at him, that armor could probably take quite a pounding, big guy.
Are your preparations complete for your dungeon? asks Yvone, and Aranya can only give a slow nod. If I could, Id tell her yes. Tiny has tons of my ants on him, so they can distribute themselves on the walk over. Speaking of, I have Teemo squeak and Fluffles tap the map with his tail, drawing everyones attention back to the plan.
Ah, yes. We believe your plan to walk through the streets to be a sound one. With the element of surprise, and some luck, we should be able to destroy Neverrests core before it can rally its troops, says Aelara, and the others nod. Tiny shifts from where hes sitting and extends a leg. Its only after Fluffles and Teemo zip up it that the others realize theyre supposed to climb aboard, too.
Yvone doesnt look like its anything out of the ordinary. Shes gotta be some kind of ranger or something to be so comfortable around Tiny. Ragnar looks amused at the idea, though he has a bit of difficulty climbing up, at least until Fluffles just levitates him. Aelara looks uncomfortable with the idea, but steels herself and climbs aboard as well.
Once again, Aranya looks like she wants to join, but restrains herself. Listen to the Scions, Delvers. The Sanctuary speaks through them without words. They will guide and protect you, but you must be willing to listen.
I wonder if she practiced that little speech in her head while watching the map. Either way, though, its time to get this road trip started. We didnt pack any snacks, but Im sure itll be fine. Tiny! Head em up and move em out!
The party clutches onto Tinys tarantula fuzz as he starts moving. Despite all the legs moving around, the body stays pretty level and it seems like a smooth ride out of the tunnels. Once on the surface, I have Teemo squeak to get their attention. They all look at him with varying degrees of curiosity.
I have the ants swarm in front of him, and have Fluffles levitate one of the healers for the heroes to inspect. Ragnar doesnt look too interested, but more for not knowing what hes looking at than for being disgusted by them or something. Yvone and Aelara, though, each take an interest.
The gaster is swollen and red, observes Yvone, and Aelara gives her a curious look. freёwebnovel-com
Gaster? The birb chuckles and points a talon at the rear of the ant.
The butt. Normal ants will store food or water and swell from it, keeping it safe for the colony. These ones have something else. Aelara nods and speaks from her field of expertise.
It appears to be concentrated healing potion, and I suspect these ants actually create it themselves. Nobody is quite sure how, but dungeons with labs will often create alchemical creatures. This is the first time Ive heard of one making some with a healing element, though.
At the gate, I have Tiny carefully open it, and am a little nervous. If its like the other expeditions, theyll all vanish from my awareness, which would be bad. I trust my Scions, but I dont know what theyll do without me there to give them orders. Well, its too late to back out now. Tiny. Teemo. Fluffles. If we go radio-silent, be safe, and keep the party safe, too. And be on your best behavior in the town. We want to make a good impression.
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Battle at Neverrest
Whew, I can still sense them, and even give them orders! I can only sense what they sense, though. Colors are pretty washed out, but Tiny gives a pretty good view with his various eyes. Fluffles heat sensing is great, and with him constantly tasting the air, I have a pretty good idea of what alls going on.
The townspeople are giving us curious looks, but they dont look very concerned. I feel like Im in an impromptu parade: something interesting to look at, but nothing to really get excited over. I can at least fill in my map with some good details while Im here. I should see if the delvers are interested in more field trips some time.
Speaking of, they all look well, not relaxed, but pretty at ease. I guess this is kinda their job, so theyre used to it. Theyre not used to getting to ride a huge tarantula with ants clustering on their backs, but the calm before a battle is definitely something theyve gotten used to.
And I havent. I keep thinking of what else I could have done or could do. In fact, I have a second part of the plan that Im supposed to do. I tell my stuff in the tunnel to press forward, make Neverrest think Im attempting to counter down there. Hes gotta have most of his forces down there already, but I want to make him get everything else he can.
The undead get quickly overrun, at least at first. I definitely have the numbers advantage, but his zombies are much tougher than my spiders, rats, and snakes. I manage a good few dozen yards before his lines seem to solidify, and were back to a mostly stalemate, if one much less organized. I fight carefully, doing my best to retreat wounded forces and get the ants to triage, not wanting to give him more mana than hes spending on undead.
I think its still pretty even, though, which is less than optimal. I just hope he thinks thats all my strength, and so tries to push through to crush me. I mean he might be able to, Im not sure how much other stuff he has to throw at me. From here, though, I get the feeling hes not too concerned about what I can do to him. I kinda want him to bring one of his scions down here but I also kinda dont. Jello could probably stand up to the skeleton for at least a bit, but shes my last real combat scion thats still at home.
I still prefer her chances against him than the party, though. The scions with them could probably team up and take it down, but I dont want to risk the party. My guys respawn, I dont think delvers do. Either way, though, were approaching the gate. Teemo seems to have some good stealth options, so I send him off ahead to do his things once the cemetery comes into view. With him scurrying off, the party seems to accept that this is go time.
Ragnar readies his shield and hammer, giving the approaching gates a wary eye. Men th spiderll keep their attention as we make our way t th crypt. We cannae get bogged down or well be overrun, so keep movin. The scionsll do whaever theyre gonna do once there, an well need t make sure they cn do it.
Aelara and Yvone both nod, and I have Fluffles nod as well. Its more an outline than a full plan, but simple is good. Simple means more room to adjust on the fly. No plan survives first contact with the enemy, but I dont know any sayings about how outlines fare.
Meanwhile, Teemo has slipped inside, and it looks like hes not been spotted yet. At least he cant sense anything that indicates it. The main yard is looking much less populated, which is a good sign. Im probably going to have a serious counter-push in the tunnels soon, which is exactly where I want all those undead to be.
Unfortunately, it doesnt look like the skeleton scion has taken the bait. Teemo can see him at what seems to be his post: standing in the doorway of the crypt. He also has a cape, which he didnt have last time. That lich must have made something new for him, and I have no idea what itll do. Well, its not like we can back down right now.
I have Tiny stop right in front of the gate, to the suspicious looks of the guards there, but the party disembarking the spider seems to calm them. Aelara holds up a scroll for them to inspect. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
Were here on official business of the Dungeoneers Guild. Let us pass. The guards look at the scroll for a few moments, then nod and step aside. Strangeness aside, nobody would be able to fake that seal. Fluffles slithers up Aelaras staff and settles himself on her shoulders, his tail pointing towards the crypt.
Looks like things are mostly going well, for now, says Yvone, nocking an arrow. I can see electricity arcing along the shaft, which is really cool. I want some kind of storm thing. The party braces themselves for a moment, before we all charge the gate. Tiny bangs the gates wide open and hurries through, Ragnar right beside him. The huge spider could go a lot faster, but I dont want him leaving the dwarf in the dust.
A small group of zombies notices the party and moves to intercept, but Teemo darts from cover to nip at all three. I can feel hes done something, and the smile on Yvones beak confirms something has happened.
The rat scion can mark, she says simply before loosing her arrow. Its not quite a lightning bolt, but it definitely does arc. It hits the first zombie and seems to turn in mid air to pierce the other two, dropping the small group without anyone needing to slow down.
We sure have his attention now, though. The rest of the undead on the surface start shambling towards the crypt, and theyll get there before we will. I redouble my efforts in the tunnels as well, sending in the ratlings now, and starting to steadily push the hordes down there further back. Cant let him think he can ignore the tunnels, even with the assault on his core.
Ragnar is the first to hit the crowd of zombies and skeletons, and he does so like a meteor. I wonder if that armor of his is designed and enchanted along those lines. Either way, he bowls a lot of them over, and Tiny helps ensure few are able to get back up.
Aelara is confirmed as an earth mage as she does her best to give the corpses a burial they wont be able to escape from this time. Fluffles does his best to push away any that manage to get too close. A few actually get into range to swipe or bite at her, but the mythril seems to do its job. Thankfully, Ragnar and Tiny are keeping most of the crowd away from the squishies.
Yvone is shooting arrows as quickly as she can draw them, and Teemo is darting and marking as many as he can. Unfortunately, it seems the skeleton scion isnt going to sit there and wait for us to get to him. He clashes his swords together before charging. I guess he cant exactly roar without lungs. He makes a bee-line for Ragnar, and the dwarf simply laughs maniacally. Im pretty sure thats his thing to put off damage. I just hope that family shield of his fares better than the tombstone did.
Yvone and Teemo try to focus some fire on the scion, but he dodges Teemos teeth and maneuvers his billowing cloak to intercept the arrow. Looks like its specifically enchanted against ranged stuff. Thats gonna be annoying. I try to get Teemo to mark as many of the other undead as possible, hoping Yvone will get the hint and shift her focus to the horde. I also have Fluffles point out the scion to Aelara, and the two try to shift from crowd control to single-target.
Meteor! shouts Aelara, and I can feel Fluffles helping as the elf pulls a large rock from the earth and launches it at the skeleton. I can actually hear it break the sound barrier when Fluffles contributes his telekinesis. Block that with your cloak, jerk!
The apparent enchantment interposes the cloak between the rock and the skeleton, and his armor rings like a gong from the impact. Unfortunately, while the dent would have collapsed the rib cage of anything else well, it probably did the same for him, come to think of it. He just doesnt have lungs to be inconvenienced by something like that.
He does seem a bit hampered by the simple physical shift in his structure, though. It drops two of its swords to wrap those arms around itself, while the other two arms swing at the laughing dwarf. Ragnar is able to catch both swords on his shield and grins like a maddwarf. With a wild laugh, he counters with his hammer, but the foe is still nimble enough to dodge out of the way. Hes not able to dodge the upward swipe from Tiny, though, which sends the monster flying almost straight up.
Being in the air like that seems to give everyone ideas. Teemo and Fluffles team up for a kind of fastball special, launching the rodent at the scion to mark it. Aelara opens a yawning pit underneath it, which definitely wont be good for it once it lands. Ragnar and Tiny seem to refocus on the zombies, which are much less of a horde already. The dwarf charges once more, and Tiny tosses a large web over a lot of them. Yvone takes her time nocking and drawing her bow.
True Strike! she shouts, and this time it does look a lot more like a bolt of lightning, if a lot slower. I think the scion knows thats not going to be good for it, and it cocks an arm back to throw one of its swords. Teemo, gnawing on one of his legs, spots the action, and jumps, putting himself in the line of the sword as it leaves the skeletons grip. A moment later, the lightning strikes the scion, and the same thing happens to it as what happens to frogs that get struck by lightning.
Unfortunately, the sword is still in the air, sailing quickly towards Yvone! Fortunately, Teemo is in the way! More unfortunately impaling him doesnt seem to have slowed it by much. It does seem to have thrown the arc off slightly. Even with Yvone doing her best to dodge, it probably would have taken her in the throat, or maybe in the heart. Her turning, though, and Teemo weighing it down, it takes her just above the floating rib. It cant go all the way through her, once again thanks to Teemo, but judging by the look on Aelaras face, thats still not good.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Cost of Victory
Yvone! yells Aelara as she rushes towards her fallen friend. Ragnar has stopped laughing, and thats somehow creepier than when hes having a good time in a pitched battle. Him and Tiny are handling the rest of the undead, giving Aelara a chance to tend to Yvone. Not to Teemo, though.
He was a champ, but I can already see his respawn timer on the rat spawner. Good job though, little buddy. I think Aelara can save Yvone. Honestly, if she can get that sword out of her, the ants can help, too. Poor birb, though, is laying down and trying not to cough up blood. Or she cant breathe. That thing probably got her diaphragm, come to think of it. Get that sword out of her, someone!
Aelara seems unsure what to do, but Fluffles is great at moving things around. I have him remove it as carefully as he can, and the healing ants swarm in. That seems to kick the elf into gear, and she adds her own magic to the mix. As far as I can tell, Yvone is getting better.
Whats not getting better is the situation in the tunnel. I think maybe Neverrest wants to make this a mutual kill or something, because thats definitely his lich down there now. Its not very concerned with aiming, either, and is tossing around all kinds of fire. I guess that when you dont need to breathe, you stop caring about burning things in a tight space.
Its pretty effective, though. The slimes boil easily, it seems like, and everything else I have still needs oxygen to function. Uh I need to figure out something to stop him. Jello! No, hell see her a mile away and just fireball her, too. Well there are a few twists and turns down there. Jello, fall back to a good kink in the path. Hopefully you can grab him as he rounds a corner or something.
Back in the graveyard, Yvone seems to be getting better, but Aelara still looks concerned. Tiny and Ragnar finish off the last of the undead on the surface, and the dwarf sprints over to his fallen companion, with Tiny not far behind. Fluffles. I need you to go to the crypt. Tiny wont fit inside. Just be wary of traps. In fact, levitate something and ride it, if you have to.
Whats wrong? asks Ragnar, doffing his helmet to look at the wounded birb. Aelara gives an exasperated sigh.
I dont know! Ive healed what I can, and the ants are helping, but something keeps hurting her! The dwarf frowns at that and looks to the sword on the ground. He gingerly picks it up, and his frown deepens as he follows the runes with a finger.
His frown turns to a look of horrified shock as he seems to finish reading them Lifedrinking
Aelaras face turns ashen at that, and she looks down to her friend. No
Yvone, at least, is able to breathe again, even if she looks to be in a lot of pain. Nnf h-how bad is that?
Bad whispers Aelara. Its an enchant that fits this accursed place and its stronger than I can counter.
The lich spews fire as it stalks the deep tunnels, moving as quickly as it can. Its master demanded it reach and consume the core of the lesser dungeon. It is, of course, lesser. This new dungeon is not its master, and its master is the greatest by definition. These minions only reinforce that simple truth.
The filth may have caused trouble for the lesser undead, but the lich is a scion, and master of the arcane! Once into the lesser dungeon proper, it will be child's play to locate and consume the core. All it must do is-
Its world becomes white agony as it rounds a corner in the tunnels, and finds itself enveloped by something! It draws upon its well of magic to fight back.
Jello didn't like having to retreat, but she must listen to the voice. She likes the voice, and what it says has helped her a lot since she came to exist. She enjoyed watching the delvers mine. She definitely enjoyed eating everything that tried to come in at the tunnel she was assigned.
She absolutely enjoyed all the weird food that showed up recently. It wiggles more, but digests quicker. Thats why she didnt like being told to retreat. Now she sees, though, that the voice is a smart voice. The tastiest thing shes ever eaten just blundered into her! Shes going to need to remember to hang out in curves and stuff from now on.
Oh. Ow. The thingy is trying to burn her? How dare it! She is Jello, the Purifier! This tasty thing isnt going to kill her! She wont be able to eat it if it kills her! And she won't allow that!
The tombstone is not the best thing to try to ride, but it was the best option available. Fluffles grips it more in his coils as he levitates up the stairs, letting him see the interior of the crypt directly. He can see the open coffin with the glowing core inside, large enough that the lid could never hope to be closed around it. Its a more jagged and raw thing than the simple sphere of the Denmaster.
He can also tell thats not the true core. The Denmaster suspected that might be the case, but had hoped it wasnt. Unfortunately for the vile place hes in now, he can sense the true core not far away. Thermal sense is supposed to help him find prey, and he supposes it has done that job here as well.
Its behind a sealed grave in the wall. The scion doesnt know the technical term for it, but he knows hell need to get in there. He also suspects he shouldnt touch the floor in here. As a snake, though, its not difficult to grab onto some of the carved reliefs on the walls. It takes him a few long seconds to transfer himself from the tombstone to the wall, but once there, he smashes his former ride against the sealed grave.
Hes not surprised when it explodes, and hes able to protect himself from the elemental fire before it washes over him. Hes very glad he was able to practice that spell since the first time he saw the party of three. The Denmaster is right about them being useful and worth protecting.
He levitates a line of rubble to slither across, and makes a little platform in the air, just before the evil core. Its large enough that it was practically right against the opening, so all he has to do is reach his tail for it.
Please groans Yvone, in clear pain. Aelara and the ants keep trying to help, but theres not much they can do. Ragnar takes her hand in his, trying to give her some comfort.
CONSUME
I mentally jerk back, shocked at the what was that? Fluffles? Oh, you touched the core. Do it again, I got a bunch of mana from that.
DEVOUR
Screw you, Neverrest!
MINE
Nope, this is my mana now.
STRONGER
Hah, clearly not, bucko! Any last words? Feels like youre about tapped already. No wonder my ants flipped their crap when that mole touched my core. I get the feeling a scion drinks a lot faster than just an invader, though.
GOT ONE
What? Wait Yvone!
I focus through Tiny, and see the worst. Aelara is slumped over Yvone, sobbing. Ragnar has his hand over her eyes I think he just closed them. He seems to be murmuring a dwarven prayer for her. Dammit
Resident Request. Accept/Deny?
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Beyond the Pale
Resident Request? What? Who?
No.
Does it work like that?! Yes! Accept! Come on, be Yvonne!
Yvonne
Not how I expected everything to end, but I suppose everything must, eventually. All in all, I think there are worse causes to give everything for. I float just above my corpse, and I think my greatest regret is the sadness Ive caused Ragnar and Aelara. I cant help but smile at the corpse of the little rat scion, too. He tried. If not for that enchantment, he would have saved me.
As I contemplate, I notice The Raven circling above, and I watch, curious. I was under the impression my soul would be pretty quickly escorted to the afterlife Ive earned, but its taking its sweet time. It notices me noticing it, too, and comes in to land atop my corpse. Not that the others can sense him.
Yvone Silvercrest, he says, and I nod. For good or for ill, Ill not try to pretend to be anyone else. Legends rarely go well for mortals that try. The Raven gives me a considering look, before motioning a wing above my head. Do you still mean that? freewebnøvel.coɱ
I give him a confused look, and he nods above my head. Looking up, I see a floating, glowing scroll.
Resident Request: Pending
What is all I can say, baffled. I did desperately ask the dungeon to help, but I didnt expect it would actually be able to do anything.
Do you still mean it? repeats The Raven, and I look back to him in surprise, before considering the question. When The Raven comes to collect your soul, its wise to heed his questions. Do I still mean it? Im dead, so does it even matter? Well it must, or he wouldnt be asking, and it probably wouldnt still be pending.
Would I actually be able to go back, if I do mean it? Ive followed the teaching of the Golden Wings my whole life, so I dont fear where The Raven will take me. But if I could continue to live, would I?
I would like to keep exploring, keep adventuring, keep being with my friends and trying to make a difference in the world. Technically, I guess my time has come, but I would like the chance to be able to do even more.
It will not be easy, speaks The Raven once more in warning. I almost scoff it away. Life isnt easy. Of course, hed know that. There will be something else, then? Ah, right, Resident. There would certainly be strings attached. The kobold, Aranya, seems to be doing just fine. Of course, she also seemed to have come from the deeps. Its arguable slavery is better than trying to live there. At least ones master has a financial incentive to keep one breathing.
Although is she a slave? After some consideration, I chuckle at the idea. She seems to be able to come and go as she pleases. And there are royalty who would be jealous of that silk robe she wears. But how far can she roam from her dungeon? That would certainly make things more difficult for my adventuring career, and for making a difference in the world.
Or would it? Fourdock Dungeon seems to be proactive in the area, and even better, proactively good. Or at least proactively cooperative. It certainly could, in theory, be playing an evil long game, but I doubt that. It seems like half of its spawners are focused on loot and resources, rather than actual dangerous encounters. Itd have a lot of difficulty transitioning to being truly murderous.
So thats what it really comes down to, then: go to my final reward, or gamble on the strange dungeon. As I weigh my options, my gaze falls once again on the little rat scion. It tried to protect me even when I wasnt a Resident. And those strange ants, too. They tried to keep me alive. Why would it even have healing ants?
More of what little I know about the dungeon flashes through my mind, and strengthens my resolve. Whatever its true goals are, they are not malicious. I dont know what it actually wants, but I think I trust it enough to want to find out, and help it achieve it. I look The Raven in the eyes.
Yes. I still mean it.
Then it is done, quoth The Raven, and never more, as he flaps his wings. In moments, he vanishes into the sky, and in watching him go, I can see the scroll change.
Resident Request: Accepted!
I feel myself drifting towards my body, and I smile as things go a bit blurry. I wonder how this will actually work.
Did it actually work? My counter shows two Residents now. There! Shes starting to move! Welcome back to the land of the living, Yvone! Its nice to see youre alive again. She groans and sits up slightly, to the stunned faces of Aelara and Ragnar.
Ugh that was unpleasant Oof! Ragnar and Aelara both hug her tightly, and she slowly hugs them in return. I guess shes still sorting her synapses back out. She gives a weak laugh at their crying happiness.
Its good to see you two, too.
Yer alive! But how?! demands Ragnar, pulling back slightly from the hug to smile at his friend, even as he wonders how she can be alright. Aelara seems to be taking a more practical route to identifying the cause, though, and seems to be doing a kind of magical scan. Yvone, for her part, has the answer.
The dungeon. In my final moments, I begged it for help. Im a Resident now, so I guess I respawn like the scions? Ragnar looks confused at that.
Thats nae how that works. Scions respawn. Residents dinnae.
Aelara gasps and drops her spell, looking at her friend with horror and pity. You you didnt revive, Yvone. Youre youre undead.
Yvone looks in shock at the news, and her beak runs with the first thing to pop into her mind. Thats why he said it wont be easy