The phantom elf and her bonded human arrived on the final pillar, the boss’s domain. Its murky depths were flashed with a thundercloud so dense it looked like smoke. The rhino monster they’d spotted before appeared from the darkness, plodding forward without urgency or concern. From what Rin recalled during his parents’ lessons, it was an average size, a dozen feet long and six tall. The main difference was its wicked horn wreathed in lightning and the static discharge exploding from its stumpy feet with every step.
The beast took one look at the paltry level 6 human and snorted in disgust.
Dungeon Boss: Level 35 Thunder Rhino (Wind-Lightning Combo Type)
By Rin’s estimation, the mention of “combo type” in its description made it at least twice as deadly. There was no telling which of its two types it would use first. Worse yet, lightning-type abilities shored up many of the weaknesses of a regular wind-type. The fact the dungeon had served up this combo monster meant it considered them a formidable threat, one that required an atypical boss. The Sonnigs had said most adventurers considered this wind dungeon weak and dull. The ever-present lightning they’d witnessed was unheard of. It seemed Rin’s rapid advancement was now affecting the dungeons they faced.
So be it.
“You remember the plan?” he asked, his eyes fixed on the approaching monster.
“The one where I stab it over and over?”
The boy snorted. “That’s plan B, and you know it.”
Trixie sheathed her sword with a playful frown. “Meanie.”
Rin ignored her and changed into the ant-like body of the level 35 Dirt Stomper. Its earth-type was the perfect counter to lightning attacks and a solid counter to wind.
The moment he transformed, the boss’s behavior changed. Its uninterested swagger vanished, replaced with apprehension. Its trunkish legs locked, its tail curled between its back legs, and it froze in place. It was precisely the reaction Rin wanted, telling him everything he needed to know.
I’ve got a chance.
Rin charged.
The boss reacted. But not how he predicted. Rather than racing to meet him, it turned tail and fled, thundering away as fast as its stumpy legs would carry it. When it approached the pillar’s edge, it didn’t slow but rather sped up, flinging itself off without a second thought.
Rin and Trixie followed the boss monster to the edge where they stared at its plummeting body. They could see the rhino falling fast with its chunky legs splayed wide. Suddenly, a cone of wind erupted from the monster’s body, and it rocketed even quicker, propelled by an unseen magical boost.
Rin belatedly noticed the ground far below them looked different. Before, it had been a deadly wasteland filled with sharp rocks. It now contained a deep crater with a lightless hole at its center. The dwindling speck of the rhino plunged into that hole and disappeared with a distant blue flash.
“Uh, did that just happen?” asked Trixie. “The boss was so scared it leaped to its death?”
Rin still embodied the Dirt Stomper, and he scratched his head with an enormous earthen club of a fist. “I don’t know. That flash was different from the way a monster usually dies. For one thing, there’s no essence hanging around.”
“Maybe that hole goes somewhere. So it ran away?”
“I don’t—”
A roar sounded at their backs and something slammed into Rin, knocking his Dirt Stomper body off the pillar and into the air.
He spun around as he fell to see the rhino bellowing victoriously. It peered down at him with what looked like a smug grin.
The bastard teleported. Right back to its respawn point!
Rin changed into a level 32 Wind Fairy and dashed straight up, passing the boss to rocket further into the sky. The confused look on its face was priceless. He changed back into the Dirt Stomper a hundred feet over its head and let gravity take hold.
This will probably hurt, but I don’t care.
The rhino had little time to dodge, stumbling back as Rin impacted the floor in an impressive blast. A quick check of his HP told him the dramatic entrance had only cost him a few HP.
Current HP: 1150/1200
Totally worth it.
The boss roared in defiance, stomping at the floor as lightning danced up its horn and hit Rin straight in his earthen ant face. The monster gawked as the attack was canceled out, nullified by the natural grounding effect of earth.
Rin didn’t wait for it to mentally recover, lumbering forward and activating his Pound ability to plunge his massive fist into the creature’s side. The attack clobbered the beast, forcing a breath from its lungs that crackled with electric arcs. He followed up with a strike to its face, but the beast deflected it by slamming its horn against Rin’s fist at the last moment.
The monster followed through by smashing its side into Rin, knocking him stumbling. It raised up on its hind legs, using its size to bash its hooves into Rin’s back.
But Rin’s ant body was no pushover, with the natural ability to lift many times its weight. With a mighty shrug, he tossed the boss off and swept a fist around to punch the rhino in the face. This time the blow connected, clocking the beast right in the jaws.
While momentarily stunned, Rin thumped it repeatedly in the same spot, activating his Pound ability every time. Then he reached up with his front two stomper fists clamped around its massive horn, and conjured an earthen cloak over the beast. He quickly added more and more layers of dirt to the cloak, smothering the rhino’s lightning ability and forcing its legs to buckle. Rin added his Smash Hat as a final touch to the strange garment.
The combined mass of the oversized steel hat and the earthen cloak, now several feet thick, brought the rhino crashing to the ground.
Rin transformed into his human form and approached the monster’s nose peeking from beneath the cloak. Its horn was secured and unmoving, wrapped in dense layers of weave-enhanced dirt. The boss was indisputably subdued.
“That fight was too short,” he said, patting the rhino on the nose. “But it was a good one. You’ve got some nice tricks. I can’t wait to try them for myself.”
It makes a huge difference when you use a monster with the right counter-type.
A muffled grunt was all Rin received in response. He was surprised he received anything at all. It was almost as if the beast understood him.
He turned to Trixie and gestured at the boss. “Your turn.”
The ghost glided forward and unsheathed her sword. “Aww, you’ve taken all the fun out of it. You didn’t let me get a single strike in.”
Rin knew she wasn’t serious, but the words still stung. He was genuinely trying to make room for her in their battles, and his hands rose to his hips. “I didn’t say you had to stand there doing nothing. You could have attacked at any time.”
When Trixie saw the effect her words had, her gaze softened. “I know Rin. I didn’t mean that. You and the rhino, well, limbs were flailing everywhere. I didn’t want to start slashing with this new soul sword and accidentally hurt you somehow.”
“Yeah, okay.” He nodded at the monster beside them, still subdued and disturbingly still. If Rin didn’t know better, he’d think it was listening to their conversation. “Well, now’s your chance, if you want to finish the job.”
Then something happened neither of them expected—a mental notification he’d never seen before.
The boss has chosen to yield to your victory.
The dungeon is completed and your rewards will appear shortly.
You may still slay the boss if you wish, but all essence and level rewards will be forfeited.
Rin appraised the monster with a new sense of admiration.
“Damn. All essence forfeited, huh? Is that your attempt to get the last laugh?” Rin caused his dirt cloak to recede from the beast’s face so he could look it in the eyes. They sparkled with intelligence. “Well, the joke’s on you, buddy. I’m Cursed. I can’t absorb essence, anyway. I can’t even level up!”
The rhino’s features contorted in confusion, then into shock and fear. It shifted uneasily under the crushing weight but remained controlled.
This thing is smart. It knows there’s nothing stopping me from killing it now.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“Actually, I think that message was for me,” said Trixie, staring into space at her copy of the notification. She lowered her sword and huffed with exasperation. “I can hardly kill the thing now, can I?”
Rin fingered his chin, thinking. He decided to gamble. If the rhino was as intelligent as he suspected, it would understand that attacking him was not in its best interest right now.
Time for an exercise in trust.
He waved his hand and his conjured artifacts vanished with a flash of essence. The rhino rose unsteadily to its feet. It was then Rin noticed it was female.
She stepped back, uncertain of the boy’s intentions. Rin raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m letting you go free. So don’t attack or you’ll regret it, okay?”
The rhino expelled a chuff of air, gathering itself up to stand proudly with its head raised. Its lightning effect was noticeably absent. Perhaps it didn’t want to antagonize them by activating it.
“Glad we understand each other,” said Rin. He carefully stepped forward before reaching up and scratching one of its jowls. He could have sworn the thing raised a skeptical eyebrow. Even so, it tilted its head so his scratching would reach a better spot. “You’re a smart one, aren’t you? Do you have a name?”
The rhino snorted as if the very idea was preposterous.
A mental notification revealed that Rin’s trust exercise had paid off.
You have charmed a Level 35 Thunder Rhino (Wind-Lightning Combo Type)
Duration: 10 minutes
Huh. I didn’t think I could charm a boss until it was defeated. I guess yielding counts.
Swirling lights in Rin’s peripheral vision caught his attention. Behind him, three dungeon flowers materialized in the center of the pillar. He hurried over and scarfed them down, the rhino ambling agreeably after him with great thudding footsteps that shook the ground. In typical Craven fashion, Rin was still short by one flower.
Windton Stepping Stones: 29/30 flowers acquired
The boy groaned. “One flower left.”
“I don’t understand,” said Trixie, floating closer. “We scoured this place, head to toe. Floor to ceiling.”
“Wait. What did you just say?” Rin’s eyes swelled wide. “The floor! We never explored down there! And that big crater is practically begging to be explored. There’s something there, I know it.”
Trixie held out a hand, pointing. “Well, there’s the dropoff. After you.”
Rin eyed the rhino. “This is gonna look weird, but don’t freak out.” The air flashed with essence and the creature was gawking with boggled eyes at its twin. Its status sheet showed solid gains in several physical attributes, particularly strength and stamina, and its abilities were self-explanatory.
Rin Cartwright
Level 35 Thunder Rhino (Wind-Lightning Combo Type) [CURSED] Level 6 Potato Farmer
Attributes:
Strength: 78 (+65)
Dexterity: 36 (+21)
Perception: 17 (+2)
Stamina: 77 (+62)
Toughness: 50 (+42)
Current HP: 500/500
Recovery: 49 HP/min (+37)
Magic: 62 (+52)
Current MP: 270/620
Absorption: 8 MP/min (+3)
Charisma: 79
Inherited Abilities:
Wind-Enhanced Charge: Grade E
Lightning Thrust: Grade F
That Wind-Enhanced Charge must be what it used when it fell into the crater. And the Lightning Thrust is when it shoots a lightning bolt from its horn.
Satisfied with his deductions, Rin took off running, barreling toward the pillar’s side with his trunkish legs thudding the ground. When he reached the edge, he leaped and accelerated into freefall. Although the wind battered him, his body was so dense it didn’t alter his trajectory.
Here goes nothing.
He activated the Wind-Enhanced Charge, just as he’d seen the boss do, and rocketed into the depths of the dark crater.
A blinding flash obscured his vision. When the wall of white cleared from his eyes, Rin found himself standing in an underground chamber, fifty feet across, still in rhino form. An immense stone plate occupied half of the room’s floor. It was a pressure plate built for an obscenely heavy object. Like a rhino. The other half of the room had a single object rooted in the ground: a lone dungeon flower, twinkling with magic.
Rin turned human, ate the flower, and impatiently clenched and unclenched his fists as he waited.
Come on, come on.
He was hoping for a treasure chest with the upgraded rarity bonus to appear. He thought back to all the extra work he’d put into this dungeon; how every flower had to be found because they no longer spawned automatically after defeating an area. He thought of the flowers hidden deep within the pillars, among the storm clouds, and the ones that only appeared when he used the Lightning Sphere attack inside a circle of rocks. Then there was the very room he stood in, hidden to all but the brave and reckless.
Pretty difficult challenges, I think. But once you’re on this Cursed path, you learn to find all that stuff and know what to expect.
A beautifully carved chest appeared in a grand explosion of essence. By the look of it, it was at least legendary rarity.
Secret Treasure Chest
First Timer Bonus: Despite the long history of this dungeon, you are the first person to discover this chest. Rarity upgraded 2x.
Epic => Legendary => Unique
Choose a type of treasure:
Ability
Artifact
Consumable
“Yes!” He pumped his fist, unable to contain his excitement. “I want Craven to choose! I want Craven TO CHOOSE!”
The old god appeared in his usual position, his pipe in one hand, a book in the other—one with a yellow cover this time. He had one eyebrow arched above his wire spectacles and his lips twisted in a mischievous smirk.
“You’ve interrupted me yet again. I can’t say I’m surprised. But today I’m in something of a rush.”
“Oh? You don’t look like you’re in a—”
“Your rings,” he said, offering an outstretched palm. “Both of them.”
Rin handed them over, parting with his new storage ring with visible reluctance.
Craven held up that ring first so that Rin could see. “Now watch closely. This … is trash.” The ring disappeared in a flash of blue light.
“Wait! That had all my—”
“This, however, is not.” Craven held up the poison ring. It gave a subtle wink in the light so indiscernible Rin doubted it actually happened. Craven handed it back to Rin who just stood there gaping.
“Three challenges approach. The first two, I’d wager you have a sound chance of success. The third, however …” The god left his sentence hanging as he shrugged, raising one hand casually in the air. “I can’t wait to see how you rise to the occasion. Now, go play!”
The god snapped his fingers and vanished …
… leaving Rin staring at the lame poison ring on his palm. It had undergone a subtle transformation, flattening to an unremarkable metal band. All traces of its origin were gone. Its previous emblem of an eight-pointed star had vanished. If Rin hadn’t seen it happen, he’d have no inkling it was a poison ring at all.
I can’t believe it. All my stuff is gone. All that gold. The map. Barnaby’s Encyclopedia. Gone!
Identify impulsively triggered, as if a scheming god had architected it to do so.
An Ordinary Pewter Ring
This ring is plain and boring. Very, very boring. Nothing of importance whatsoever.
What a useless item! You should put it back where you found it.
Soulbound to Rin Cartwright.
Wait a minute.
Now that Rin was familiar with the god’s sense of humor, he could read between the lines. This was Craven’s ring, all right, through and through. But what had happened to it?
When he put it on, the ring slipped onto his finger as easily as ever, slotting into the calloused rut it had formed over the last few weeks. The same old notification was displayed, as always.
You have been inflicted with a lethal dose of Craven’s toxin.
Effect nullified by immunity to Craven’s toxin in all forms.
So it’s definitely still a poison ring.
When Rin concentrated on the item as he’d done with his previous storage ring, his breath caught in his throat. Listed in his mind’s eye were not one, but two inventories. The first had a whopping 500 slots listed, some of which were already filled up with his own personal items. Every artifact from his other storage ring had been copied over flawlessly.
The second inventory had only 100 slots available, and the title “Living Creatures” was written above it.
Is this what I think it is?
Rin slumped onto his rear, his jaw hanging open in shock. His mind spun, unable to process the implications of what he’d just read. The first shocker was that gods could access your storage ring and even manipulate what was inside. Then again, they were gods. Who knew the limits of their power? He was just happy to have his stuff back.
The second shocker was that the ring could store actual living creatures. It wasn’t supposed to be possible.
“I think … I think … my mind just broke,” he said aloud.
Craven’s laughter echoed in the shadows.
The boy couldn’t help himself, angling his gaze to the ceiling of the sealed chamber, imagining Craven looking down on him from somewhere in the distant heavens. “Th-thank you, Mister Craven, sir. I really appreciate this!”
He didn’t hear anything in response, but Rin didn’t care. The gesture was still appropriate. He was thankful. The ring was incredible.
He approached the enormous stone pressure plate and turned into the Thunder Rhino. To Rin’s astonishment, he could access his new storage ring even when fully transmuted as a monster. The ring wasn’t even visible. He supposed it was hidden about his monster body somewhere he couldn’t detect. Yet even invisible, the artifact had complete parity with his main ability. It was the perfect complement to Transmutation.
He clomped his way onto the pressure plate, and it shuddered to life, ascending quietly. Rin gazed up at the approaching ceiling with growing apprehension. Just as he was about to shout in alarm, the ceiling slid aside, and howling wind blasted into the chamber. The platform deposited Rin in the middle of a familiar location: the boss’s pillar. The rhino was waiting for him with an expression of disgust mixed with astonishment.
Rin turned human, clothed with his typical traveler’s garb, and reached up to scratch the massive beast on its neck. Trixie’s phantom body rose from the ground to join them.
“Did you get it?” she asked. “The final flower and the chest?”
“You could say that.” The rhino leaned her head into his hand. “You like that, doncha girl? Hey, how’d you feel about going on a little … trip?”