Alistair, Juno, and Zola rushed ahead, the three trailing down a hill and coming to a small clearing that sat directly in front of what looked like a cliff at first glance, yet was clearly manmade. Much of the stone had eroded, and the parts that weren’t bulging with roots were covered in moss, but it was clear that the structure that stood before them was the fortress they were looking for.

“Crazy,” Juno said as the golden bee he had released buzzed in and out of a large gate made of rusted metal. The bee was starting to fade, its frantic movements making it harder and harder to keep track of. It hit a portion of the stone wall and fell to the ground.

Zola picked it up. “It’s a Mechanical summon?”

“Actually, yeah.” Juno grinned at her. “I didn’t really think of that. I mean, I knew it was powered by Resonant Mana, but I didn’t really take that concept all the way to its natural conclusion. Anyway. We’re here. Let’s see what’s inside. Noctarii?”

“I’m definitely not going in there,” the fae said, appearing out of nowhere. “Something is off. In fact. Alistair, if you would do the honors.”

“Sure.” Alistair returned Noctarii to his card form and pressed him into his chest.

“We’re not going to be able to easily lift this thing,” Kanda said as she looked at the gate, which was easily ten feet tall. “Alistair in his binded form could do it. Or I could call my drake. We can also send Ziggy in.”

The slime, who remained on Alistair’s shoulder, seemed to shrug. Squish? Squish.

“Wait a flipping minute. You have a drake?” Juno asked.

“I’m a Skyward. I have many things.”

“But you aren’t an invoker, right?”

“No, I’m not,” she said, her patience wearing thin. “Let’s get on with this.” Kanda touched her chest and cast her hand out.

Orochi-Drake, Level 25

An enormous lizard formed, one with a scalloped head and a pair of horns. Fins ran down its back and its tail had a cluster of thorned pods, which quickly came apart, opening like a flower. “Hello, Kitty. Please remove this gate for us.”

A message came in from Juno.

Juno: Kitty? Why would Kanda name something so badass Kitty?

Zola replied before Alistair could.

Zola: Why did you name your cactuswine Piglet? Or your basilisk Snake Eyes?

Juno: Um, because they’re cool names. Get with the program, Zolka Dot.

Kanda motioned the trio aside. “Are you going to stand there, or are you going to let Kitty do what she needs to do?”

The three Fledglings stepped aside and Kanda’s drake took a rumbling step forward. The enormous creature, which had to be Champion or maybe even a Behemoth Class, drove its horns into the ground and sent its tail forward. The tail latched onto portions of the gate and Kitty lurched back, the drake pulling with all of its might.

Rwwwwwwoooooww…

It groaned, repositioned itself, and pulled again.

“Does it need help?” Juno asked.

“Kitty is a she, and no, she doesn’t.” Kanda returned her focus to her summon. “Kitty, second form.”

The drake pulled her head out of the ground, her horns covered in dirt. She clenched up and scaled armor cascaded down her body, growing her size. A pair of small, pink wings pressed out of her back and fluttered as she buried her now oversized horns once again, the drake now using her tail to pull at the gate.

Rwwwwwwoooooww…

The gate came crashing down, brick crumbling after it. Kitty stumbled backward, and Kanda quickly returned the big summon to her chest as the dust settled.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Juno approached the rubble and peered ahead. “Whoa. It’s dark in there.” He fell on his ass as a voice exploded out of the opening.

[Surprise! You thought you’d get away with killing Whiskers, ruining a dungeon core, and solving a very difficult riddle to complete my last challenge. Well, think again!]

“Tarnis?” Juno asked. He got back to his feet and steadied his wand.

[No, it’s a different dungeon architect who has literally made it possible for lackluster students such as yourself to succeed. You knew I had some access to the Quest Board. You should have seen this coming, yet you did not, and now. Ha! Now, you’re going to face something that even the oldest of you—hey there, Skyward, not quite the senior skip day you hoped for, huh?—has never dealt with before. Inside this abandoned fortress is a dungeon core. One that I haven’t been able to get my grubby little paws on. Not only do you need to get the Bonesdoggle Femur Blade, you also need to get the dungeon core. Now that’s a double cross!]

Ghost: How is that a double cross?

“Fuck you,” Juno told Tarnis. “We don’t have to do anything. There are plenty of things to fight in the forest.”

Ziggy seemed to agree. Squish! Squish!

“Wait.” Kanda stepped forward and placed a hand on Juno’s shoulder. “Also, unless you want me to check in with Melissa, watch your language. I’ll do the talking with Tarnis.” Kanda looked at the darkened entrance beyond. “Is this an undiscovered dungeon core?”

[If it wasn’t, I would have possession of it. This is a dungeon core that has yet to be taken into academic custody, which is an increasingly rare occurrence.]

“I’m aware of what that is.”

[I’ll bet you are. Since you’re so smart, you also know that the monsters that follow could be unstable at best, violently unhinged at worst due to the corruption of a dungeon core left to fester. This is why it’s good that the little babies have a babysitter with them, because you, Skyward, are going to be challenged as much as they are. And guess what? I don’t have any control of what happens in there, nor did I populate the fortress dungeon with monsters. Sounds like a terrible time, right?]

“Then why are you here?” Juno asked. “Why won’t you leave us alone?”

[Didn’t the Skyward already tell you to let her do the talking? I seem to recall that happening, huh. Maybe I’m starting to hallucinate in my dear old age. As to why I’m here, I’m here to monitor you because if anyone has experience with something like this, it is me, the most important, most influential dungeon architect that the Dawncrest Kingdom has and will ever produce. And you already know why I can’t leave you alone. I shouldn’t have to answer that, but I will. You killed Whiskers!]

“Whiskers deserved to die,” Juno said, ribbing him on. “Screw your dragon cat.”

[You take that back!]

Kanda motioned for Juno to stop antagonizing the dungeon architect. “Just tell us what you want, Tarnis.”

[I already told you what I wanted, but I’ll repeat myself so the people at the back hear it. I want the dungeon core. Have you lost the ability to listen?]

“What I mean,” she said, keeping a firm, yet polite voice, “is what do you mean by monitoring us, and equally important, what will you give us for procuring this dungeon core. Because we could always sell it.”

[You wouldn’t dare!]

“We would dare,” Kanda said. “But we also don’t need money that desperately, at least to my knowledge. So we want something else.”

[What? Tell me?]

“I remember reading that there is, or perhaps was, a dungeon core card.”

“A Forbidden Imprint Card that allows one to create a dungeon,” Zola said, interrupting their conversation. “I’ve heard of it as well. I, um, might or might not have been secretly raiding the rare manuscript collection at the Wraithen Archives whenever I get a chance.”

“Neela told me about that,” Kanda said to Zola. “Who do you think keeps covering your access? She says you have viewed the Tome of the Wild, too.”

“I, yeah.” Zola’s face turned a bit red. “I just want to get ahead. I mean, why hold back knowledge, am I right?”

“I agree to an extent. Some knowledge is dangerous in the wrong hands—”

[Like the ability to create a dungeon on the fly. Enough of your little side conversation. Why, Skyward, why would I ever give you access to something like that?]

“Because I want to use it to fuck up a group of assassins.”

Ghost: Brilliant! Even I didn’t see this one coming.

Alistair quickly sent a message to Kanda.

Alistair: You wouldn’t want to do that this weekend, would you?

Kanda: I’m thinking out loud at the moment, but yes, this could work. It will work. We will talk to Ghost. Maybe not this weekend, but soon. Or, it’s something I can use as head of the Baronblades to punish descent. Put someone in an ever evolving dungeon that spawns its own monsters.

“So they actually exist?” Zola asked Tarnis. She shot Alistair a nervous look. For his part, Juno didn’t seem to realize the implications of what Kanda could do with something like a dungeon core card.

[Of course, they do! I’m the one that invented them.]

“We’re aware,” Kanda said for Zola.

[And you want it to rid our kingdom of assassin filth?]

Kanda nodded. “Correct.”

[Are you sure that’s what you want? Because there are other things I can give you.]

Kanda glanced around to confirm that this would work. All seemed to be in agreement, including Ziggy, who gave her a satisfactory squish. “We’re sure.”

[Famous last words. In that case, I agree. You’ll get the reward for the femur blade and a dungeon core card. This will be a verbal agreement because you wouldn’t want that second part jotted down somewhere, yes, Skyward?]

Kanda spoke again: “Correct. I believe that will work. I will personally hold the core until the card is delivered.”

[Fine! But before you four get too cocky, remember the instability that lays ahead. You might just find yourself wishing you had bargained for an easy escape plan…]