Chapter 10

“Mr. McCarthy, there's a giant monster on the first floor of the dungeon!” Said a messenger. “Alexander has recently passed out and it's the only thing he said after running out of the Dungeon.”

“Oh, did Alexander say what kind of monster it was?!” Asked Blaze McCarthy.

“No sir, he just told us about the monster and fell to the ground.”

“Was he injured?”

“No sir, he fainted from fear. Alexander's body was fine, though it appears that he soiled himself.” Said the messenger.

“Lead me to the dungeon!” Ordered McCarthy.

Both McCarthy and the messenger headed straight for the dungeon's entrance. They passed by people equipping armor and grabbing swords. The compound had entered a state of emergency. The fact that Alexander had fainted and soiled himself made McCarthy very worried, Alexander was one of McCarthy’s top lieutenants.

“Welcome sir, a scouting party has been sent into the dungeon to investigate Mr. Alexander's find.” Said one of the guardsmen, as Blaze had just arrived at the dungeons entrance. McCarthy was sweating, the monsters never left the dungeons, but it hadn’t even been a day since he first entered that dungeon and obtained the slave collar and the healing pendant.

Dungeons bosses and loot from those bosses change every time the floor is cleared. At first, the boss monsters were an alpha dire wolf and a sprite. Now, after McCarthy left the dungeon, it re-spawned all its monsters and created two brand new boss monsters and rewards for the first floor.

“This must have been the kids' fault. Why did I even send him into the dungeon, what a waste of a good mage.” He sighed with disappointment, a great asset was lost in the dungeon. “Slave Collar, return to me!” McCarthy shouted while holding out his hand to the entrance.

Back inside the dungeon boss room, Oliver was thinking of what to say to McCarthy, he still had the slave collar on and he needed to be in his good graces. Otherwise, Oliver might suffer great cruelty and… manual labor! “Ewh!” The very mention of the word sent shivers down his spine.

“Hm, I’ll just say that you were the reward for killing the boss.” Oliver pointed at the bone salamander. The salamander looked at its master waiting for orders. A minion was nothing without their master's orders, after all, what couldn’t the bone salamander do for its beloved master.

“No, that would never work.” Oliver clenched his broken arm in his hand, “Maybe, if I just leave the dungeon and tell McCarthy that the boss was a bone salamander and not his minion.” His eyes gleamed, “yes, that’ll do it… then I’ll—” He was paused by the sudden release of the collar that controlled him. It unlocked itself and started to fly out of the dungeon.

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“Crap, that can only mean McCarthy summoned it back to him, he must think I died.” Oliver’s troubles weren’t resolved like he had just thought they were. His arm still hurt and he still hadn’t much mana left. “How can I even defend myself?” Oliver paused and looked at the giant bone salamander wagging its tail. “...right.”

***

“Report!” McCarthy ordered the scouting team that just returned from the dungeon.

“Yes sir, we searched the entire floor, but it seems all the monsters were dead, the two boss rooms were empty and so were the chests.” Reported the leader of the scouting team.

“How!” McCarthy stomped his foot in anger, which left a small footprint size crater inside the cracked pavement. “Did you find a boy there?” Asked McCarthy, slightly calmer than before.

“No, we didn’t see anyone, the entire first floor was empty.” Replied the leader.

“He wouldn’t… he couldn’t… Oliver Breige must have gone down to the second floor.” McCarthy said. At that moment, the collar returned to the hands of McCarthy.

“What, but we haven't even gone down to the next floor? This child is definitely dead, I don’t see how he could survive on the next floor.” Said one of the members of the scouting team.

There was silence for a bit. The second floor was leagues more difficult than the first. All the people they have sent so far have never returned. McCarthy lost a lot of good men, and the people under McCarthy lost some new friends. After that moment of silence, McCarthy spoke up. “You two stay here and guard the entrance!” Blaze pointed to the two guys behind him. “Kill whatever leaves this entrance!”

“Sir!” The two guys said in agreement.

“The rest of you, return to your posts. That boy is dead, without a doubt. I’m not sure what scared Alexander, but it can’t leave the dungeon. At least it shouldn’t.” McCarthy left with his collar and left the two guys to guard the entrance.

***

Meanwhile, in the staircase to the second floor, Oliver was mounted on top of his Bone King Salamander, the halls and tunnels were just wide enough to fit the lizard and maybe half of another one. As Oliver and the salamander approached the staircases end, and the second floor, they talked. Well, Oliver talked.

“So, are you conscious?” He asked.

The Salamander nodded its head up and down happily.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Said Oliver, “Next question, can you use magic?”

The lizard shook his head left to right.

“I see, maybe it's because you were a physical attacks type monster, before your transformation. And now, you’re still a physical attack type monster, just whiter and pointer.” Oliver said, somewhat disappointed that his lizard wasn’t a lich.

“Last question, before we start exploring the second floor. Do you want a name?”

The salamander stopped and started to wag its tail and nod its head profusely.

“Okay, okay, calm down…. How about… Aurelian!” Asked Oliver with joy. His very first monster and it was a freaking boss. The lizard wagged its tail even faster, nearly throwing off Oliver. “Onward, Aurelian!” The lizard roared and they entered the next floor.

(A/N: Aurelian = Are-el-ian)

As Oliver and Aurelian entered the second floor, Oliver heard a voice, telling him that there were again two bosses on the second floor. After acknowledging this with a nod, Oliver commanded Aurelian to move forward.

Oliver and Aurelian swept the second floor of the dungeon, the walls were more lit up and were more ornate. The monsters on the second floor were quite strong, but compared to a boss monster, now undead subordinate, they were nothing. What laid on the second floor was, in terms of monsters, were kobolds, malevolent spirits, and gnolls.

The kobolds wore cloth covering only what was necessary, they carried clubs and small wooden shields. The malevolent spirits were spirits who used fire magic and sometimes wind magic, to attack the enemy. Lastly, the gnolls were quite ordinary, closer to regular animals than a monster.

Oliver and his mount destroyed all that stood in his way. All though, Aurelian did all the actual combat, and Oliver just walked slowly behind, killing the few monsters who survived Aurelian’s wrath. His arm wasn’t getting much better, and the pain had come back with a vengeance. Oliver tried to stay focused, but the torment of a broken arm was nothing to laugh about.

After some time, and a lot of walking, Aurelian, carrying his master, arrived at the first boss room. Oliver was too weak to defeat the boss, and his mana was still not fully recovered. “Defeat the boss… and bring me the chest.” Said Oliver faintly, “If I am dead when you return… you will be free from me… enjoy your immortal life, Aurelian.”