Chapter Six: The Green Eyed Monster
WARNING! - [A Dungeon has been Established Nearby]
The [Natures Origin Dungeon] has been established nearby, all lifeforms in the immediate vicinity will now be assimilated into the dungeon core as raw resources.
[10]…
[9]...
The shaking had stopped. The cave had descended into an eerie calm its’ inhabitants hunkered down, bodies pressed low to ground in anticipation some imminent disaster. All they could do was watch and wait to see what would happen next. Gimble blinked, gazing about the cave, the rough jagged stone walls within she he had spent the beginning of his new life had been ground down to form a smooth rectangular room the black stone practically shinning in Origins brief glow high upon its' pedestal. A large crack had appeared in the opposite wall leading outwards into the dark. He mainted his stunned silence, gaze slowly reading through the notification time and time again, watching as the counter worked its' way down to zero..
All lifeforms would be assimilated.
All Life...
He didn’t like the sound of that. He was alive, he was a living being, at least he believed so. Gimble shook his head, a strange tinge of fear slowly worming its' way down into his core where it began to grow; an irrational fear slowly bubbling up across his surface. He barked out a mental command ushering George forwards the moss horror moving as quick as its’ flabby grey body would allow, tentacles wheeling about in massive arcs drawing it forwards across the cave creating a steady rhythm of thumps from the stone floor. If he made it through the crack he'd be safe, Origin was a dungeon core just like him, that meant it also had to follow the same rules, to establisha dungeon it would need to create a path upwards towards the surface. Gimble charged ahaed but it seemed he was not alone in his moment of panic.
A low rumble had begun to grow until it shook the cave walls; a cacophony of sounds unlike the grating and cracking of stone from moments before but a biological thunder as mudfish, spiny-hoppers, fire rats and frost snakes all began to hiss and cry and screech swarming forwards rushing from the darkened nooks and cranies they called home, meeting in a storm in the centre of the room. Gimble directed George around the mass of bodies writhing ina bloody rending mess; these creatures were blind they had lived their entire lives at home in the dark and they survived on instinct alone. Now those same instincts were screaming of death and danger which could not not be avoided, this was not something they could run from, they had no way to hide, there was only option left within their power to take: they would fight to the bitter and bloody end.
Several of the smaller fire rats rushed forwards breaking free of the battle stumbling onwards bloody and bruised a frost snake trailing behind them pursuing its' prey. Gimble turned pushed George forwards encouraging the monster to ignore them and push towards the exit before three small plumes of flame burst launched from behind them striking George's side before the rats slammed into the monster heedless of the snake launching itself at them as they sought to take down the moss horror. Gimble paused, a sudden tension tugging at the corner of his mind as George resisted his instruction lashing out with a tentacle ribbing one of the rats from its body.
Gimble turned up gaze latching onto the notification, flashing red, as the counter continued to tick down.
[4]…
They weren’t even halfway to the exit yet, if this kept up they were going to die!
He let out an internal cry, attempting to rest control away from his monster, George continuing to slam one of the rats down into its’ compatriots slowly turning the group into an indescribable pile of visceral mush, a trickle of life force seeping into Gimble’s core as the snake launched itself at the moss horror its' original prey now no more than a pink stain on the dungeon floor.
[3]...
George swung a mossy tentacle swatting the serpent away knocking it back intot he crowd of monster as Gimble let out a viscious mental yell. A small burst of mana and life force swelled from his body, George. George seeming to stiffen, a faint vibration rushing through the creature as it seemed to grow aware of the oncoming danger, it’s tentacles slowly reaching upwards encasing Gimble within.
[2]…
Two...There was nothing he could do. He was going to die; he was going to die again... His spirit would float free of his body drifting up and up and up. He’d leave this universe behind; he’d be forced to travel endlessly through the infinite void of time and space, the chain of causation stretching out and contorting in on itself for all eternity. He didn’t want that... He couldn’t... Never. Never! Origin would pay for this!
[1]…
Not again.
[0]
Gimble felt his sphere of vision contract, working on some ingrained instinct, his area of awarness curling up shrinking down away from the cave, down into ththe darkened space formed by George's impromptu shield. His vision shrank and shrank until he was the only thing in existence, a sea of black and flickering white light amidst currents of bright bluye and green. He was a crystal built like heart, filled with valves and passages, connected by tiny capillaries that rushed through his surface crisscrossing through his body like a neural network, except infinitely smaller more refined. Each conduit led to the surface and traced its’ origins back towards a pulsing seed of life at his centre, a mix of solidified mana and life force constantly swirling in an endless vortex of green and blue, a yin and a yang, hard and solid, energy flowed inwards and it rushed out, stored in dark chambers secret through his core but it always passed through him through the pulsing energy at his centre, through his heart. He could feel it, a gentle beat, the natural quaver of an artificial heart.
He took in a deep breath mana and life force streaming into his body. In that moment he felt profoundly comfortable. He waited for whatever would come next...
He waited...
And he waited...
And then he got bored of waiting.
Gimble frowned drawing his attention up and out of his body, expanding it out across the cave as far as it would go before swinging his bubble of vision around in a wide arc like a five year old with a yo-yo.
A thick mist had begun to fill the cave, coloured the dark green of the last leaves of summer before the onslaught of autumn cold, and while the fog spread slowly it travelled with intent. He saw the dark green cloud rush out slowly warping around the horde of rampaging wildlife fencing them in before working its’ way inwards. Every creature it began to melt Howling and screaming as they were dragged down into the earth slowly disintegrating into sand. The mist progressed through the cave nothing capable of escaping its’ reach, spilling outwards like a slow moving wave.
Maybe there was still home to escape? Gimble pushed George forwards with a light mental prodding the moss horror unfurling like an eldritch flower. Even the moss monster seemed to understand the threat present to its’ life as it raised its’ pace powering towards the exit.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
The mist followed biting at their heels, several thick strands seeming to lurch forwards detaching from the main cloud that filled the cave, tendrils of the dark green fog reaching for them gliding low over the dungeon floor. Still it seemed like George was outpacing them, not by much but by enough. Gimble let out a small laugh as the duo neared the exit, the narrow crack in the wall towering above them. Then he felt it, another tremor passing through the earth, a brief vibration passing through the mana filling his body.
Something was wrong, Gimble pulled tight on George’s mental reins. The monster briefly resisted GImble's command before slowly grinding to a halt as over a dozen thick spears of dark stone ripped through the floor at an angle aiming to seqewer the duo right then and there. If they had been a little slower to react then... Well it wouldn't have been pretty.
Gimble shook his head something hot beginning to rise within his core a burning heat rolling through his cyrstiline body as he forced George to run rushing away from the tendrils of mist using its' tentacles to spring forwards in inellegant leaps. This wasn’t some random attack; they were trying to kill him!
Like hell he was going to die like this!
George continued to retreat the mist closing in...
He wasn't going to die like this, cowering and hiding, if he was going to die he was going to get at least one good hit in on the son of the bitch that was trying to get him!
George froze unable to retreat any further, hey had been backed into a corner; quite literally. Gimble glared at the oncoming wave of fog, his attention focusing on something glinting in the distance as his orb of sight zoomed forwards. His gaze zeroed in on the source drawing to a halt resting around Origins core. That glowing green chump seriously thought he was going to die so easily! Gimble let loose a growl directing George to curl itself up into a ball once more, but retreating down into his core once more. He began to draw energy inwards, mana sucked from the dungeon outside forced down and compressed tighter and tighter under the sheer force of his will.
The mist had reached them now, slipping over George's surface in gentle flesh dissolving waves, the [Sunless Moss Horror] shrinking away at their touch it’s limbs beginning to tremble, its' moss tentacles constircting ever tighter around Gimble’s core. Time ticked by as the fog swamped the monster thick clouds swirling over its’ surface. Slowly the pressure slowly beginning to ease on Gimble’s core. George had stopped trembling the monster pausing to flex its tentacles waving them forwards through the mist, the deadly clouding seeming to have no effect. Gimble paused his efforts in attempting to concentrate the mana deep within his core as the moss horror slowly began to draw its’ arms downward exposing Gimble to the magic fog...
Pain!
It hurt! It hurt!
The dungeon core let out a shrill screech as the dark green mist speared his body, his perfectly smooth black surface being eroded away. A wave of shattering cold enveloped his body as his surface beginning to crack his durability dropping several points as he screamed several minor streams of mana drifting off of his core. Gimble forced down a mental order on the moss horror its’ arms snapping back up to reassert the protective barrier against the fog keeping Gimble safe within.
Hmm... This situation was trickier than he’d been anticipating. His sole intention had been to fire off a blast of magic in Origins general direction hoping to do some damage to his opponent, but now he had a way to get in close, he might even be able to fire off a shot before the other dungeon core had a chance to respond. He was going to make that glowing green bastard pay for all of this; it was bad enough that he just sat there safe in his wall all superior like while his fellow dungeon core slept in the damp grey moss among the bugs and the beasts, but outright trying to kill him was taking things a step to far! This was definitely going to put a damper on their friendship especially when Gimble shot a blast of madness magic right into Origin’s face! The dungeon core let out a small chuckle. Now he just needed to reach his target without getting burnt.
Gimble gave the mental order for George to unfold as many tentacles as possible while keeping his core covered, forcing the monster to stop the moment even a slither of fog broke through the tentacle barrier sending a wave of agony up through the dungeon core. With its’ free limbs the moss horror was now capable og making its’ way forwards through the cave and towards the enemy core waiting at the other end of the room, trudging along at a snails pace. Gimble let out a roaring laugh spurring his valiant steed onwards, failing to notice that the bright glow that had once filled origin had begun to fade.
Crack!
Crack!
He froze two blasts of sounds rocking the small stone room, directly preceded by two bright flashes of pure white light, lancing through the mist. George froze in his tracks the barely several feet out of his corner when a pair of dark figures emerged from the fog, and like george himself they seemed immune to the mists more unpleasant effects.
George toppled under the weight of the sudden impact, the ball of tentacles beginning to bucke, shaking Gimble from within. The dungeon core was forced to watch helpless as what appeared to be two deformed fire rats began to gnaw on George’s body, the Moss horror retalliating as best it could tugging at the bodies of the two beasts grabbing and squeezing in a vain attempt to constrict the rats. Gimble frowned watching the fight continue, large teeth slicing through soft moss slowly peeling away George’s arms beginning to reveal Gimble from within sharp biting bouts of pain exploding through his surface as the mist worked its’ way inwards through the gaps.
These fire rats were not normal, as a matter of fact now he got a closer looker, other than their general shape they didn’t seem much like fire rats at all, each was as large as a mudfish the normal bare pinkish skin replaced by what appeared to be a layer of thick brown bark, wooden needles filling their elongated mouths and sharp wooden claws ending each of digit on their six limbs. A single great staring eye was planted in their forehead shinning with ominous green light matching the dungeon core from which they seemed to have spawned. These were not animals, they were real mosters. Gimble snorted; was getting rather sick of the colour green, at this point even George’s sickly shade of grey was better.
Gimble let out a savage cry, as the face of one of the creatures burrowed its’ way down through between a gap in George's tentacles a long vine-like tongue slipping out between its’ teeth, revealing a mushy pink maw within. The beast lashed out thorny barbs grating across Gimbles core several scattered blasts of pain grating through his core as the attack left narrow gashes in his surface, his grip on the eneryg in his core loosening once the once blue glowing cloud turning a pronounced black. A wave of mist slipped through the gaps created by the rats entrance, Gimble’s mind seeming to jerk backwards at the shock as another wave of biting agony wormed its’ way through his mind.
Hnng... Hah... Huh... This- This was nothing!
The dungeon core let out wild cry that teetered somewhere on the border between pain and glee, the miniature ball of mana condensed in his core flickering briefly as Gimble unleashed his inpromptu attack. A small pellet sized sphere blasted into the wood rat’s face before exploding in a cloud of dark mist. The rat fell back George sealing Gimble away once again. The rat hit the stone floor hard a new notification popping up at the edge of Gimble’s view, he ignored it. The rat writhered on the floor its; body beginning to convulse as the cloud of dark energy rushed forwards seeping in through the creates eye, noes and mouth. Its’ eye rolled about in the middle of its’ forehead as its' body stifferened, it wasn't dead just immobilised, its compatriot continuing to gnaw on one of George's free limbs. George reached out with one of his more intact tentacles grabbing the tail on the fallen wood rat before swinging it in a wide arc overhead and bringing it down atop its’ partner like some kind of meaty flail. There was a savage crack as the [Sunless Moss Horror] truly earned its’ moniker, grabbing the stunned second rat by its' own tail, swinging both rats through the green mist wacking and slamming them as it saw for against any available surface the creatures teetering just on the brink of death.
Gimble let out a long sigh, the battle more or less concluded he turned his attention back up towards Origin the dungeon core resting on its’ pedestal as pompous as ever, or at least as pompous as a giant magical rock could manage to be. Gimble let out a roar of victory as George slammed the two rats together, a massive wave of energy rushing into Gimble’s core as another notification popped into existence at the edge of his awareness. He might have been out of magic now, but now he still had a weapon, or to be more precise George did, in the form of two rat shaped flails. He was going to make Origin pay one way or another but this; this was poetic justice. Gimble let out a long rolling laugh George proceeding to swing its' trophies through the air as it made its' way forwards. Gimble's laugh grew louder as he approached an earth shattering Crack! bursting through the air.
Gimble froze his attention sweeping through the dark green haze in search of the next assailant. Whatever origin threw at him, he could handle it!
But there was nothing. The room was silent, still and empty, except for the network of cracks spreading across the ground beneath their feet.
Crack!
Grnnnd!
Crack!
Bang!
The floor gave way beneath them as Gimble and George dumbled down into a dark abyss dispearing from view dragging the rat corpses with them. Elena let out a long sigh popping her head out from the small doorway she'd cut into the stone wall, a wave of sweat dripping from her forehead. Damn... Why couldn't things just be easy.