A particularly loud curse from Susie jarred him as he had fallen back into the monotony of the crawl. Jack’s head snapped up in time to see her stumble, her knee colliding with a jagged protrusion along the tunnel wall. Blood trickled down her leg, but she barely spared it a glance, gritting her teeth as she pressed on.
They had survived a few trap rooms and a swarm of slime creatures, but nothing too unusual so far. Standard fare, Jack thought wryly. But the tunnel around them had other plans.
The walls began to contract and pulse rhythmically, squeezing and releasing like a giant throat. Jack’s stomach sank. The sudden motion was more than an idle quirk of the dungeon -it was a reaction. Something had triggered it.
“Blood,” he muttered, his eyes darting to the droplets Susie left in her wake. It wasn’t much, but in dungeons like this, it didn’t take much. Blood was as potent as chum in shark-infested waters.
“We’ve got a problem,” he growled, his voice sharp with urgency.
“Gee, you think?” Susie snapped, her usual venom tempered by exhaustion. She stumbled forward, her movements unsteady but determined. Her clothes were little more than tattered scraps, burned and eaten away by acid from earlier encounters -both monsters and traps alike. Despite it all, she pressed on with fierce resolve.
Jack hurried after her, his instincts on high alert. The map in his HUD showed a chamber ahead, an open space that might provide some reprieve. They just had to make it there alive.
The walls seemed to close in as the tunnel pulsed harder, the rhythmic contractions growing stronger. Jack’s mind raced, weighing their options. Two possibilities, he thought grimly. This thing has a gag reflex... or it’s getting ready to swallow.
He wasn’t sure which was worse.
“Hurry!” Jack barked, his voice carrying the rising urgency he felt. Susie shot him a glare over her shoulder but didn’t speed up.
“I’m going as fast as I can!” she snapped, her tone more resigned than defiant.
The air grew thicker, each breath a struggle as they pushed forward. Jack’s hands and knees slipped on the damp, shifting tunnel floor, the walls pressing closer each moment that passed. The map showed they were close -so close- but the suffocating tension made every second drag like an eternity.
Jack’s thoughts flickered back to the Bog-Fiend dungeon, to the claustrophobic crawlspace he’d navigated alone. That experience had shaped him, hardened him. But this? This time was different. The stakes were higher, the danger more immediate. This time he had someone he needed to protect.
“Almost there,” he muttered, his voice more for himself than Susie.
They rounded a bend, and the tunnel opened into a cavernous chamber.
But Jack’s relief was short-lived.
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The room was massive, its walls glistening with the same organic texture as the tunnel. Pustules of bioluminescent fluid dotted the space, casting an eerie greenish glow that danced across the walls.
As Susie tumbled out of the slick, pulsating sphincter into the chamber, Jack followed closely behind, his boots squelching against the viscous surface, a sickening mix of mucus and something Jack didn’t want to identify.
Both were coated in a slimy residue that clung stubbornly to their skin and clothing like an unholy blend of tree sap and oil. It was nauseating -oozing, gelatinous, and utterly resistant to their attempts to wipe it off. The foul stench of it only made it worse, an acrid mix of rot and ammonia that made Jack’s stomach churn.
He caught sight of Susie wringing her hair out with a grimace, her fingers sliding through the clinging muck in futile disgust. She muttered a string of curses under her breath, the frustration evident in every motion. Normally, Jack might have found some dark humor in her bedraggled state, or even appreciated the absurdity of it all. But here, surrounded by the ominous stillness of the chamber, his thoughts remained sharp and focused.
Susie stood beside him, her eyes wide as she took in their surroundings. “This is... disgusting.”
“Welcome to Dungeon Diving 101,” Jack said dryly, scanning the room for threats. His eyes narrowed as he spotted movement in the shadows. “Stay sharp. We’re not alone.”
Susie tensed, gripping her weapon tightly. “What is it this time? More slimes? Giant spiders? Oh God, please don’t say giant spiders.”
Jack smirked, though his eyes remained fixed on the shifting darkness. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
They had to proceed carefully, because Susie was still classless. Jack, being in a halfway state, had access to many features and abilities of the system, but not all. Jack glanced at the meter he had set in the corner of his field of view, noting with satisfaction that the passive energy absorption he gained from being a Dungeon Master was unhampered by his lack of primary discipline. Thank the gods for small favors.
He stopped mid-thought, the faintest whisper of something -movement, maybe?- cutting through his awareness like a razor’s edge. It wasn’t sound exactly, but rather a shift in the atmosphere, a dissonant ripple that set his nerves alight. Instinct took over. He reached out, his hand landing firmly on Susie’s arm.
She froze instantly, her body tensing as her eyes snapped to his. Jack didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. They had an understanding. She had promised to follow his commands without question, and she had proven her word was good. Her trust was absolute, and in that moment, it was her greatest weapon.
Jack’s head tilted slightly as he scanned the chamber, his enchanted machete gripped tightly in one hand, its etched runes dimly glowing in the faint light. He swept his gaze across the vast room, his senses on high alert. His heart pounded as he checked every corner, every shadowed recess. Always scan everywhere, he reminded himself. Never leave a ceiling or corner unchecked.
His gaze shifted upward, muscles taut and ready for a strike. But there was nothing -no sudden movement, no lurking shadow. The chamber seemed empty, its vastness reflected on his mini-map. He exhaled softly, lifting a finger to his lips. Susie nodded in response, clutching the dagger he had given her. It was far from ordinary, its runes shimmering faintly as if alive. Not silver like his first blade, but undeniably powerful -now that they were within a dungeon- and perfectly suited for her hand.
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Jack’s mind drifted for a split second. No shrine. No resurrection chamber. The thought made his stomach tighten. In higher-tier dungeons, there were usually safeguards, hidden pathways to shrines where adventurers could reset or resurrect. But here? They hadn’t found one. Whether it was by design or omission, Jack didn’t know. A mistake, he thought grimly. And one I hope we don’t pay for.
His focus snapped back to the present when the air in the chamber shifted again, this time with palpable intensity. He followed the ripple as it coalesced in the chamber’s center. The sand on the floor began to stir, moving unnaturally, as if drawn by an unseen force. It wasn’t random. The grains swirled in intricate patterns, rising like iron shavings pulled by a magnet. Slowly, the sand began to take shape.
A creature rose from the ground, humanoid in form but undeniably alien. It towered over them, well over three meters tall, its body a grotesque fusion of man and worm. Its head was an elongated worm-like appendage, segmented and glistening with a thin sheen of mucus. Its arms mirrored the same horrifying design -corrugated, sinuous tubes that ended in six-fingered hands. Each finger writhed independently, smaller worms with lamprey-like mouths that snapped open and closed as if tasting the air.
Jack’s grip on his machete tightened. He’d seen creature-types like this before in the Otherworld, though perhaps not this exact abomination. A grim nickname surfaced in his mind. Worm Lord. That was what he’d called them -creatures with minor regenerative abilities, able to regrow severed limbs as long as they remained connected to their power source.
He scanned the room quickly, his eyes tracing the way the creature’s limbs merged with the sand. It’s connected to the earth, he thought. That’s the key. Separate it from the ground, and we might stand a chance.
Susie’s breath hitched as the creature’s form solidified, its lamprey digits flexing with grotesque purpose. Jack leaned in close to her, his voice low and steady as he whispered in her ear.
“This fight is different,” he began, his words deliberate, calculated. “Everything we’ve faced so far -wormlings, slimes, even those tendrils- they’re entry-level. This?” He gestured subtly toward the Worm Lord, which now stood fully formed, its head swaying slightly as if it could feel their presence. “This is the worst of the worst in this dungeon. If we beat it, we get to the heart. We close this dungeon for good.”
Susie nodded, though her lips parted as if to question him. Jack cut her off, his tone firm. “We beat this, Susie, and we win. Simple as that.”
She mouthed a single word: How?
Jack’s smile was grim, almost predatory. “Two-pronged attack. I’ll hit it hard and fast, go for its legs, and separate it from the ground. You’ll back me up. If anything else joins the fight, that’s your job to handle. You know how to deal with them -cores are never where people think they are. Remember that.”
Susie nodded again, this time with steel in her gaze. She raised a small spritz bottle filled with the anti-slime concoction Jack had devised years ago, its contents ready to dissolve the toughest of foes.
“Good girl,” Jack murmured, his voice barely audible over the growing hum of the creature’s movements. He smirked faintly. “You ready?”
Susie’s nod was sharp, her grip on the dagger firm.
“Thata girl,” Jack said, and without another word, he stepped forward toward the Worm Lord.
The plan was simple, at least on paper. Hit it low, hit it fast, and use his machete’s runic edge to sever its connection to the ground. Like a jiu-jitsu fighter against a boxer, he would duck, sweep, and destabilize. The challenge was in execution. If anything went sideways, he had a few Prismata cards lined up in his fractured cloak’s inventory, their effects ready to level the playing field.
His eyes narrowed as he assessed the creature. By the tier of beasts they’d encountered so far, this dungeon was a Tier 1 or 2, maybe Tier 3 at worst. That meant the Worm Lord couldn’t be higher than Tier 4. Should be manageable, he told himself, though doubt gnawed at the edges of his conviction.
The Worm Lord turned its eyeless head toward him, its lamprey digits writhing in anticipation.
“Looks like it thinks we’re the appetizers,” Susie quipped behind from him, her voice strained but steady.
Jack stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the Worm Lord. “Not if we make it choke.”
Jack rolled his shoulders, his machete glowing faintly as he adjusted his grip.
“Let’s dance,” he muttered, and he launched himself forward, the fight beginning with a crackling hum of energy and the clash of steel against corruption.
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Jack moved -fast. One moment he was beside her, legs coiled like springs, muscles tensed and glowing faintly with the energy coursing through his runed Fae’Ri tattoos. The next, he was gone -a blur of motion, the faint hum of his Prismata-charged aura left in his wake.
His machete gleamed with an otherworldly sheen as he darted low. In one fluid motion, his years of training and experience adding to his strike, he sliced cleanly through the Worm Lord’s legs. A sickening crunch followed, the severed appendages collapsing like felled trees. And at the same time he poured on extra energy to surge forward in an added burst of kinetic power, hoisting the massive creature off the ground.
The monster roared, a guttural, bone-deep sound that reverberated through the chamber. But Jack didn’t give it time to recover. His knees buckled under the weight -it was far heavier than he anticipated- but adrenaline and sheer determination fueled him. He stumbled forward, the Worm Lord flailing in his grasp, its lamprey-like fingers writhing and snapping at him with frenzied hunger.
This thing weighs a goddamn ton. Jack’s mind raced as he struggled for footing. He hadn’t thought this through. He had assumed his momentum and strength would carry him further, that he could hold the beast aloft long enough to finish the job. Now, with its grotesque limbs battering against him and its head craning to bite, the reality of his predicament hit him like a sandstorm to the face.
Sweat poured down his temples as his stamina plummeted. His HUD screamed warnings: Stamina Critical! Reserves at 7%… 6%…
The Worm Lord’s lamprey hands latched onto his cloak, their circular maws gnawing away at the protective garment.
“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. Desperation started to creep in as he scanned the room, searching for options. With one hand he fumbled at his cloak, and his fingers brushed against the edge of his carefully prepared card deck, a reassuring presence amid the chaos. “Time for some help.”
Jack yanked a card from the deck and flung it toward Susie with an astonishing show of precision. The card spun in the air, its golden edges gleaming like a beacon before landing just a few feet short of her. Her eyes snapped to it, wide with realization.
“Cast the damn card!” Jack barked, his voice strained as he twisted to dodge the Worm Lord’s snapping head. Every movement drained him further, but stopping wasn’t an option. If he let up even for a second, the thing would pin him and finish the job.
Susie scrambled toward the card, her hands trembling as she picked it up. “What if I screw this up?” she muttered to herself, the words barely audible over the creature’s thrashing. But Jack had drilled the basics into her before they traveled very far into the dungeon. She just needed to focus.
She inhaled sharply, clutching the card tightly. A system message flickered before her eyes. She was so startled by it, she nearly dropped the card. But Jack had warned her about that too:
System Notification: Prismata Link Detected – Platform of Living Stone. Infuse with energy? Yes / No
“Yes!” she shouted, her voice ringing with determination. Energy flared from her chest, a swirling mass of light that poured into the card. The air crackled as the card erupted with power, forming a hovering platform shaped like a massive, ornate stone door. Its surface shimmered with gnomish sigils, the glow pulsing in time with Susie’s strained breaths.
“What do I do now?” she screamed, holding her arms out instinctively as she held it aloft by sheer intention. Her focus kept the platform steady, though it tilted precariously with the strain.
“Just hold it steady! I’ll be right there!” Jack shouted back, his voice raw. His legs burned, his muscles screaming for reprieve as the Worm Lord’s maws tore away at the fabric of his cloak. He activated Wings of Renewal, granting him a much needed boost. It may have been small, but in situations like this, every little bit helped.