Chapter 2 (Part 2 of 2)
(Michael POV):
As soon as we entered the dungeon you could feel it, the mana in the air was thicker was so thick you could almost taste the energy in it. Every breath contained hints of the elements, mana permeated the air. It was thick with humidity, hummed with the crackle of electricity even as sparks occasionally flickered into existence. If I were to describe it I might say it was like walking into a thunderstorm, like the heart of a thundercloud.
Strangest though was how the earth seemed almost alive faintly moving. Like the dungeon had a heartbeat and with every breath it took the earth trembled. This was always the thing I could never get used to about dungeons. They made the very earth submit to their presence it shifted to their bidding, perhaps it was the earth mage in me but it filled we with feelings of repulsion at the way it reigned over the land a false god in many ways but at the same time it gave me waves of envy they commanded the earth and it moved they spoke and it moved, it controlled the earth in a way no mortal could ever achieve.
The dungeon was still as weak as ever at first, we breezed through the first three rooms they hadn’t really changed. Only the ear shattering shrieks of the mandrakes kept one's nerves on edge. It sounded like nails on chalkboard. It wasn’t until we got to the third room that we found a significant change there was a tunnel leading farther into the mountain, the dungeon had expanded.
In the first few rooms we hadn’t seen any real change just 1 less mandrake in the second room while the third room had been reduced to only 2 mandrakes and 4 hawks but it's normal for a dungeon to move monsters around, though from what I can tell it looks like it’s sticking to 6 monsters a room from now on, we’ll need to list that in our report.
The fourth room was filled with new beasts there was one of what looked like a metal woodpecker and four tiny slime birds, they looked like blue bird shaped slimes as they zipped around the room, a real pain in the ass to kill but extremely weak. At least there’s not a, I thought when a shriek set all our nerves back on edge and I cursed even as my ears felt like they were bleeding.
“Well at least we know the dungeon can make new creatures.” Some of the known dungeons just make the same thing over and over just in bigger quantities like a slime dungeon that just makes basic slimes but spawns hundreds per room in lower floors turning them into a wave of slimes. The others glared at me but I could see they were happy to see less of those damn mandrakes, the banshees of the plant kingdom. I’m sure some of the rookies would get nightmares about them. Leaving their nice comfy farmhouses for a picturesque adventure only to be rudely awakened by the screaming, their lives forever haunted by the screams day in and day out.
After the Violet we all inspected the remains. I guess this is what passes for loot in the dungeon. I stood back after a minute and let Violet tell us what they were good for.
“It looks like the slime is water based. It can be used as a solvent in some low grade mana and water attribute potions. Not too valuable but enough to get some adventurers and apprentice alchemist out this way. On the other hands these metallic birds are another matter. If I had to guess the feathers could be refined into iron ore or made into some kind of feather armor but I’m not sure.”
“What no feather pillows out of these beasties.” Everyone glared at Michael, he was just reminding them of all the comforts of civilization they were missing out on. Still at least they knew the loot could be useful for something. I trusted Violet’s analysis she was skilled when it came to identifying objects, some kind of rare analysis ability. It was time to clear the dungeon though.
The fifth room was the exact same as the first and the as the fourth and the only thing of note was that after one of the slime birds shattered from Michelle’s frostbolt some slime landed in her hair. It wasn’t corrosive or anything but that didn’t stop her from bitching about it.
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In the next two rooms there was one less slime bird and a second of the slightly stronger metallic ones but still for adventurers of our level it was a walk in the park. I hadn’t had to someone even one of my beasts this whole time and I doubt I’d ever need to in a low level dungeon. Still I could see how a unique dungeon like this with it’s birds and plant combination would be useful in training new adventurers, help keep them on their toes.
*****
Finally at the eighth room we got something new. We all easily slayed the birds with a single blow still but this time Edgar got a nasty little surprise when he cut through his, a hawk with yellow wings and tail. He let out a curse and we all turned to look. I held my sides laughing his slicked back hair was standing straight up.
“You got your first afro man, I’m pleased to see you trying out new styles. Is this the new trend with all the nobility.”
The others all chuckled at him while he gave me a rude gesture with his finger belying his noble heritage. Then turned his glare on everyone else, after we all calmed down from our merriment we walked over to the bird. It looked like a hawk but the edges of it’s wing and tail were covered in bright yellow feathers and even in death it still sparked with energy. I snickered when I saw he couldn’t comb it back though no matter how hard he tried before turning my attention to the bird I’d heard of these before.
“I think it’s a static hawk. They’re hawks born in regions filled with high concentrations of lightning mana. Every attack they make is filled with lightning energy plus they have a innate defense a type of weak force field of static energy it’s a fascinating defensive mechanism.” They were rare but not particularly powerful from what I’d read about them in an old bestiary. Then grinning to myself I decided to say something I knew would make them all curse me.
“You know guys every animal we’ve fought has an enhanced version so don’t you think the next one will be a…”
They all cut me off cursing at me not to jinx it even as Jedrek knocked me upside the head with a massive armored palm. My head was still ringing when we entered the next room but the sight of 6 birds nearly had me weeping with joy. Does that mean no more mandrakes praise Elvira the goddess of light. She smited the horrible mandrakes so they might not spread their plague across the dungeon. Despite what I’d said they got to me just as much as the others, well maybe not Violet she had it worst with her enhanced elvish hearing.
After cutting down two bird slimes, beheading two metal birds, and shooting down the pair of static hawks with a combination of ice and arrows we reached the boss room.
It wasn’t what we expected to say the least. Well the two static hawks were but a 350 pound green boar surely wasn’t what I’d guessed. Charging Jedrek slammed it with his shield causing its whole face to smash in but to my surprise it wasn’t dead. The greenish head quickly reformed and from it sprouted two foot long tusks it was mad now. The tusks only produced sparks when it hit the massive kite shield but from that one alone showed how hard they were. Sneaking in Edgar slashed the beast's flank with his rapier even as an air hit it’s right shoulder and a frostbolt his face. I stayed back so I could jump in where I was most useful.
Shaking itself it shrugged off the magic and arrows but between Jedrek, Edgar, and myself we managed to slowly hack it up. The beast was constantly healing up the surface wounds but deeper wounds stayed and after losing a foreleg it quickly perished before our blades. Ignoring the fallen birds we all huddled around the boar and an old rusty looking iron chest set against the back wall. The boar appeared to be made of moss was my first impression but I stood back to let Violet do her work. Then gasping Violet fell back from the boar her eyes wide.
“It’s a plant construct. I’ve only heard of them but supposedly they’re the biological versions of golems and artificers constructs. I don’t know how this appeared in a dungeon but this is big. The knowledge is almost solely controlled by high ranking alchemists and a handful of elf mages.”
Looking closely at it you could see the green was actually a dense network of moss. While the bones appeared a mix of wood and iron it was brought fully to life by a large common rank earth mana stone. How did the dungeon do this, aren’t they just mindless beasts looking up towards the core as it lay hidden near the ceiling behind a carpet of moss. I thought what other shocking things will you how us.