“This is bullshit!” The farmhand shouted, kicking a rock in the direction of my core room. Mimi’s children cowered, confused by the violence.
Owyn raised and lowered his hands pleadingly. “I know, this isn’t ideal, but you need to accept this for now. The church-”
“The Church of Will knows what they’re doing!” The farmhand spat back. “This is a ploy to weaken the dungeon! They’re trying to entice it to get close so they can destroy it in full!”
Owyn shook his head, confused. “What? How the hell did you come to that conclusion? What part of the church’s actions led you to believe that they’re doing this for us!?”
Mr. Vernant wandered into the light, holding his son's hand. Grant, my little lich. “Is there a problem?”
The farmhand didn’t respond verbally, but instead lunged for Grant. Mr. Vernant’s hand balled into a fist, and faster than anyone could react, he socked the farmhand in the side of his skull. He collapsed to his side, dazed and barely conscious.
“Woops.” Mr. Vernant didn’t sound apologetic.
Owyn tilted his hands to the side in lieu of an actual apology. “The rules are a little… different here. You’re going to have to get used to living with Lucid’s monsters and Mercy’s undead. Grant included.”
“That’s Grant?” The newcomers seem to finally connect the dots about why Mr. Vernant was holding the skeleton's hand. As if somehow Grant's bone tight clothing wasn’t enough of an indicator.
“You’re enthralled!” A second accused. “You’re trying to get us to obey the dungeon!”
Owyn pointed both hands to his headlamp. “Magic! Thralls can’t use magic! Fuck, I thought I explained this already!”
“Not this time.” Damian reminded him from the darkness.
The four upright newcomers huddled closer together, staring in the direction of the demon. He just sighed.
“I’m going to see if my new armor is ready.”
“See you inside.” Owyn casually said. He returned his attention to the newcomers, still trying to inform them of the rules and what else to expect down here.
I left him to it. This batch made for nineteen humans within my territory, and thanks to the previous rescues, I had extra mana to use. I could have used it right as I gained it, but I wanted to set a pattern up for myself. If the other dungeons were watching, and I had to assume they were, they’d notice that I was gathering 5 humans every other day. And when I did, my mana dropped significantly. I didn’t know if they could tell when my mana dropped, but I didn’t know many things about this world. Like how to make my own thausens for one. And if there’s a creature that can eat magic, it would make sense for there to be one that could see magic, right? Or at least sense it.
Maybe this whole ‘holding back’ on my mana was stupid. I didn’t know. Though it wasn’t like I was holding it back without reason either. I would need it here in a few minutes.
How’s the new armor? I ask Damian. Armor may be stretching it though, since it was just pants, and wouldn’t protect any of the demons actual vitals.
He’s fiddling with the new belt, trying to see where the pants fit most comfortably. “It’s excellent. The fur absorbs sound very well, and since I can sheath my knives, I’ll be able to sneak much easier than before.” Damian straightens and faces Mimi. He bows deeply. “You have my utmost gratitude. These will serve me well.”
Mimi returns the bow. The human sitting next to her bows lightly as well. Although she didn’t actually make the pants, she was Mimi’s teacher, so the gratitude probably extended to her as well.
Good boy… I mutter, wandering off.
Rab, who usually sat in front of the entrance to the core room, was standing in a group with Mercy’s undead. Dweller was chasing Silver around his bulk, shouting insults at the dragon. Silver had stolen his mace, and looked very much like he was enjoying the chase. The various other monsters I had stolen from the other dungeons watched off to the side.
I sigh. My army was so pathetic compared to Mercy’s. A fact so evident when they stood so close. Mercy had dozens of skeletons, zombies in various states of wear, tear, and decay, and of course the giant centipede inspired dragon skeleton. On the other hand, I had like four competent fighters, half a dozen mindless drones, and a bunch of non-combatants.
The newcomers screamed, drawing my attention. Owyn was trying to introduce them to Mycroft, who had snuck up behind them to intentionally scare them. I debated whether or not she counted as a combatant or not. Ultimately it didn’t matter, since everyone would fight sooner or later, but that wasn’t the point. Her use to me was as a diplomat of sorts. A bridge between humans and monsters. So for that, her friendly, playful nature suited her perfectly. The fact that she was smart enough to understand tic-tac-toe was promising too. Hopefully her intelligence would grow with more games. It was hard to remember she was only a few days old at times.
Subsonar? How’re we looking?
Subsonar’s signature was flying around the open cavern. A few stray bats were flying around, and I didn’t want to risk other dungeons getting aerial support any time soon, so he was taking care of them while scouting out Lizard’s dungeon.
Our numbers equal theirs, but it’s hard to tell if we have the advantage. The skeletons have lost the strength of their living counterparts, but the zombies have increased strength. With the exception of the stolen monsters, our personal forces are much stronger individually than the basic Lizard forces, but they number few.
So we don’t know the outcome for sure.
No. Subsonar agreed.
The largest variables were twofold. One, their boss monster. Mercy’s long dragon was meant to face a ‘large’ monster, vague and general. The Lizard’s boss monster was a little more than something vague and general. It wielded stalagmites as clubs, perfectly countering the skeletal nature of our own boss monster. If I was to get in a fight with it, I’d want a specific counter to their boss monster.
The second threat was an unknown. Their champion. A lesser boss monster. Of the four other dungeons down here, we knew of two champion style monsters, and assumed that the other two were forming ones of their own. Lizard had one of those unknown champion monsters.
Right. No time like the present.
WIth the influx of mana from the new humans, I could afford to spend it a little more directly. An image formed in my mind, informed by many mental simulations of battles between Lizard’s boss monster and a monster of my own.
Rab tensed when he felt the guiding hand of my mana. It gripped his hard carapace and pulled, urging him to grow in all directions. He rumbled in happiness, preparing himself to grow even further.
The process for evolution by mana was slow. The slowest method by far, but right now, it was the only one I had. Mycroft had taken all of Depths’ core fragments to become what she is now. Thanks to that, I now had to focus my will on what I wanted Rab to become. A shortsighted mistake made without better knowledge. I knew now though. From now on, I’d only use dungeon cores on my fighters, since they were the most important part of my dungeon's survival. Smaller projects, like Mycroft, would be evolved using mana from now on.
A few hours later, Subsonar reported to me.
Lizard’s forces are growing. Smaller lizard creatures are becoming -kin sized. They’ve noticed us preparing for war.
Let them. I said, still focusing on Rab. There’s not much we can do about it now. What’s Lefty up to?
They’re gathering forces. Between them and the insect dungeon, they’re forming a balance of attack and defensive forces.
And right at this moment, I could care less about what the Grove was up to. I divided my attention to check up on the humans. While for the most part they seemed to be fine, if just a little antsy, there were a few dissenters. People that really didn’t want to be inside a dungeon. I could see it already. People would grow impatient, or rowdy, or maybe they’d see an opportunity to act out, and ultimately cost me something I’d rather not lose.
Now, I was all for interesting things, but revolution against your savior? That wasn’t my cup of tea. And I’m not going to be one to just sit back and let it happen. They needed an ultimatum.
I spoke with Damian. I needed his voice.
Damian, after understanding my intentions, sought out Owyn and Mr. Vernant. He collected them, and they collected the rest of the humans in the crossroads cave. Mr. Vernant’s baton sat in the center of the cave, a permanent fixture now. One of the villagers sat with it at all times, keeping it lit for the others. Owyn’s helmet was being used exclusively for outings and when they needed light better than glowing moss in their own rooms.
“Listen up!” Mr. Vernant called everyone to attention. Once all the humans were actually paying attention, he ceded the floor to Owyn and Damian.
Damian spoke first. “The master has granted you sanctuary, and yet there seem to be talks among you that indicate you do not welcome his assistance. He wishes to remind you all that you are not prisoners. You are encouraged to leave at any time.”
Allow to. I reminded him. Not encouraged.
Damian didn’t correct himself.
“Look, I know this isn’t exactly ideal.” Owyn said. “For the Goddesses sake, we’re eating moss and berries and raw meat. We’re relying on a small magic core to produce our water. We-”
“We were eating better under the protection of the church!” Some human from the crowd shouted. Others nodded or muttered their agreement.
“I’d hardly call that protection.” Owyn said. “They killed Finn and Huck.”
Who? Oh, the lumberjacks.
“And Grant.” Mr. Vernant added. “But thanks to Lucid, I’m able to say goodbye. And when my wife gets down here, so will she.”
“Undeath is a blasphemy!” A new voice shouted. “I’d rather he stay dead!”
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Mr. Vernant tensed in anger, but Owyn’s hand on his shoulder held him back. Owyn sighed.
“Lucid has… given us an ultimatum. In a few hours time, his guardian crab, Rab, will reach his final stage of evolution. When that happens, he and the rest of the monsters, as well as all the undead, will attack the dungeon to the right of us. Mr. Vernant and I will be included in the attack.”
Gasps of surprise echoed through the crowd. Demands to know why they would do such a thing.
“It’s the price for your safety.” Owyn told them distantly. “But Lucid will not house those whom he deems a threat. As I told you, if you attempt on his life, or the lives of his monsters, he will force you to become enthralled. But he recognizes the fact that some of you don’t want that. And so, when the time comes, he asks that you make a decision. If you will listen to Lucid, do as he says, then you should stay in these caves. If you will not listen to him, you will stand outside.”
“What, outside his dungeon!? He kickin’ us out?!”
Owyn shook his head. “Just outside this cave. In the core room. The doorway is defensible and you might survive the counterattack if you hold there.”
Damian picked up from there. “The master will begin placing stones in the doorway here, slowly closing those who wish to stay inside. It will be the safest place while his men are at war. If you wish to risk the church, one of us will guide you to the ladder out.”
He left the insinuation that they would have to face the church unspoken. The same church that tied them up and left them for the dungeon to collect. The same church that had already killed some of their own.
After a moment of silence, Damian retreated from the hole in the wall, walking up into the core room. He returned soon after, carrying my core.
“Mimi and Rab’s children will weather the storm in here with you, as well as the Sneakies. They are non-combatants, and therefore shall be treated as such. They will be holding the master’s core here in this room. Out in the open. However, the master offers the task to any of you.”
Damian held out my core, offering it to the humans who instantly backed away. Damian, unperturbed, walked further into the room, core first.
“Please. Hold the master. Feel his power. Understand that he only requires an instant of contact to enthrall you. Understand that any attempt on his life or those whom he trusts will result in your enthrallment. All it takes is one… little… touch.”
“That’s enough.” Owyn said, a little defeated. I echoed the sentiment to Damian. He nodded, lowering my core to the ground. Some mimic crabs swarmed around it, picking it up and wandering over to a deserted corner.
Damian walked back to the exit, pausing for a moment to speak over his shoulder.
“You have six hours to make your choice.”
----------------------------------------
To absolutely no one's surprise, all of the humans stayed within the nursery caves. After a while, I even offered some of them the ability to fight for me alongside my monsters. After all, I had a few scrap metal armors I could lend them.
They didn’t take the offer.
That brought me more amusement than it probably should have. I suspect I was beginning to die from boredom. Ah well, all that would end soon.
Rab was finished. He had grown in size once again, not quite matching the size of the Lizard’s boss monster. His carapace had broken up into numerous plates, shifting flexibly across one another. They’d be able to absorb blunt blows much better than his previous singular shell. To compensate for his skeletal structure, he now had an endoskeleton, which required thicker muscles to use. His thin crab legs had thickened to something akin to tree trunks, as well as his arms. His shield and lance were much sturdier now compared to before. Finally, his coloring had faded completely, and along with his knightly helm, he took on a new moniker.
My white knight. Mimi stroked his lower back. The only place she could reach now that he was so large.
Rab made no outward reaction to the contact. His singular eye was glued to the darkness at the edge of my territory in the direction of the Lizard dungeon.
My mana flow to the giant crab finally halted. Not from anything I did, it just stopped. Rab had reached his final evolution. According to Owyn, nothing I did to him anymore would alter his appearance. Be that in his favor or otherwise apparently. He was locked in now.
As a tank weighing in at approximately fuck-you size wielding a lance and a shield nearly as large as the main body.
Oh yeah. This was good.
My remaining mana got diverted to sealing up the crossroad cave a little more. Loose rocks had been piled in the entrance, and my terraforming magic welded them all together to form a porous wall. Air and small critters could probably make it through, but that’s it. It’d protect the humans and baby mimic crabs inside long enough for me to wipe this other dungeon off the face of the planet.
All forces ready?
Aye! The Sneakies declared in tandem, ready to bite any human that got close to my core.
Yes sir. Damian said, taking flight and disappearing into the darkness.
“Ayup.” Dweller nodded, twirling his mace. Silver rolled his eyes next to the fish man.
“We’re getting ready?” Mr. Vernant asked next to him.
“Looks like.” Owyn replied from atop Mycroft.
Ready. Mercy reported from Grant’s hands. I gave her the remainder of my mana, anticipating her use of it during battle.
Rab rumbled, stamping his feet in anticipation. Mimi backed off slightly, picking up the rocks she was going to use as ammunition. She had a whole carapace full of them.
Kill. Rab rumbled.
I grinned. Yes. Kill.
My monsters roared, and the undead silently followed suit. Rab led the charge, galloping through the cavern ahead of the rest, fully prepared to take the initial blows. Unlike last time, I couldn’t even imagine that I was right there with them. They faded from my sight, disappearing beyond the edges of my domain.
The sounds of battle begin, but they’re muted. Far away.
I frown a little. This… wasn’t fun. Thus far, all the battles my minions had gone through, I’d been with them in one way or another. Well, perhaps excluding the ‘adventuring’ parties I created in the upper caves. But those were small scale. I didn’t mind missing those. This, I did mind. The fact that I was removed from the fun made me feel a little… empty.
Did that make me a battle junky? Nah, I didn’t think so. I just liked action. My dreams always had me as the main character, but here? I was just a part of an equation.
Boo…
“It’s gone quiet…” One of the villagers has their ear pressed against a hole in the wall leading out.
“Ay, keep an eye on them fucks!” Another jabs an elbow to his buddy. A small wall of five villagers stand defiantly between my core and the rest of the villagers.
“I don’t think they’re going to do anything.” A nice lady comments.
I feel intruders barge through. Lefty’s forces. About twenty smaller creatures, and one larger one. I sigh. None of them pose any threat to me.
Well this sucked.
Oh sure, the humans screamed when Lefty’s soldiers slammed silently into the wall and began clawing at it to force their way in, but that hardly put a smile on my face. I satiated my boredom by asking Subsonar to keep me informed about the battle, although I could mostly feel the results from my connection with my minions.
Rab was locked in battle with the other boss, neither able to disengage with the other without risking substantial loss of the smaller minions. The lizard folk were tearing apart my unarmored and grounded minions, but they in return were tearing them apart in equal measure. Silver got injured early into the fight and had to retreat to the skies. Owyn and Mr. Vernant fought basically side by side, with the large sword wielding man covering Owyn and Mycroft so the archer could do his thing. I reminded myself to get him some new arrows, because his ranged attacks were doing wonders against the enemy.
Mycroft, for her part, was just playing catch with the enemy ranged units. Her multiple toothy tentacles were perfect for blocking the stony projectiles the lizards could throw at us. In return, Mimi threw her own rocks, forcing the melee lizards to either take the blow or dodge into unfortunate positioning for Dweller or Mr. Vernant to deal with them.
Grant hung around his dad for the most part, reviving the lizards with Mercy as they fell, as well as the few minions I’d gained that had since died.
Then the champion showed up.
An armored lizard with six legs and a wicked horn. Much in the same way Rab was now a tank, so too was this monster. Thick muscles, thicker armor, and spikes all around the neck and vitals. Specifically geared to counter Damian. An anti-assassination guardian.
Now this was getting fun. I changed up everyone's orders, having them focus on isolating the previous boss monster as much as possible. Mercy’s dragon should delay the lizard tank from interfering, and Damian would help kill the boss. After that, Rab would switch targets and we’d see how things went.
“FUCK!” A human shouted.
My attention returned to the crossroad cave. The largest monster that Lefty had sent towered over its peers, holding a large rock above its head. It smashed down, probably not for the first time, loosening the rocks that made up the barrier between them and the humans.
Oh… I thought, a hint of a smile growing. Now this is going to be good.
“Fuck! You fucking dungeon! Do something!”
I sat back smugly, eating non-existent popcorn. Nah. If I remember right, you’re one of the assholes that doesn’t like me.
“Do- smash is back!” One of the women shouted. “Hit it with a rock!”
“What rock!? They were all used to make the barrier!”
“Use this one!” A farmhand grabbed the topmost rock and wrenched it out of place, loosening the rest of them.
Oh you fucking moron.
It didn’t stop them though. The humans were now in a rock slugging fest, trying to beat back the encroaching enemy using the same method it was using to try and break in. All it accomplished was loosening the barrier even more.
And reinforcements were on the way apparently.
Mm. I grunted, watching distantly as half a dozen large monsters carrying heavy rocks ran through my territory. Yup, time to help.
I commanded the mimic crabs to all mimic one motion. Namely pushing against the air, like there was an invisible wall. Some of the humans got it and pointed it out, saying they just had to last longer than the dungeon I was attacking. Which was true from the start, but hey, points I guess.
Dweller died.
I snapped back to the battle in Lizard's dungeon. Dweller was my most well armored individual. He was the last person I expected to die!
The champion isn’t stopping. Subsonar reported. Attempts to isolate the boss has led to us turning our backs on the champion. It’s charging through, and Silver and Damian have joined together to stop it.
What about Mercy! The long dragon! That was her job!
It’s killing the minions, as well as the other undead. Grant is running around, reviving all the corpses. Mercy’s force is growing. Grant-
The stop in his voice worried me. But I was helpless. I couldn’t do anything.
Grant revived Dweller. Dweller attacked Grant, and now holds Mercy’s core.
Anger flared. The feeling washed over my minions, piling on to their own feelings. I felt a mass influx of mana.
Rab has killed the boss monster. He’s joining the battle.
Mercy betrayed me. She abandoned her post and stole Dweller from me.
What happened to Grant!? I murmur.
The humans have surrounded him. He’s missing an arm and most of a leg.
I growled, my mind whirling with ideas of revenge. Abandon the fight. Let the undead deal with the lizards. Find the core.
“This is bullshit!” A human shouted. “Fuck this!”
He broke away from the others, approaching the mimic crabs holding my core. The Sneakies backed off, corralling most of the mimic crabs away with them. Only the one holding up my core remained still. The human reached for my core.
I felt his fear. His apprehension. As he picked me up, an understanding passed between us. He would shove me through the crack in the barrier and sacrifice me to the monsters on the other side. Whether I lived or died was of no consequence to him. And to be fair, it was a good plan. I could easily convert Lefty’s monsters without much effort, assuming he aimed me away from the rocks they were smashing down on the barrier.
But a niggling thought lingered in the back of his mind. For the briefest moments, he considered just throwing me against the stone wall, ending it all then and there.
And I wasn’t risking another betrayal.
Obey.
The human stopped his march to the exit, still holding my core. The other humans stared at him as his own gaze turned down to my core, confused somehow. Aside from the rhythmic sounds of rocks against the barrier to the outside, everything went still.
“The core! Destroy the core!”
Several humans lunged for my newest minion.
Insubordination would not be tolerated.