Chapter 6 First Dungeon
Making my way home, I consider. It’s 11am now, I don’t work until 4. No matter how long you're in the dungeon it only takes half an hour. So, go to the dungeon by 2, I have two hours to come up with a working wand. I have 5 dowels to cut in half, shit I don’t have a saw, would a bread knife work? I have $26 left, I think there's a home goods store near here, I’ll check. Crossing two lanes I pull in. This is a hole in the wall store but that’s all I need for today. I walked in looking for a small saw. I found a hand saw used in camping for $6, that’s just about perfect, grabbing it and checking out I continue heading home. Getting back to my apartment. I will consider checking the Interface again.
Pulling the dowels and saw from my inventory, I set about cutting them up. Over a foot long, maybe I could cut them in thirds? No, just half. Picking one up I set it against the edge of my deck to begin to saw at it. It takes a few minutes, and the ends are rough, but one down. I take a few minutes to do another. Four proto wands are enough for now. Now I need the enchantment. Snagging a piece of paper, I start thinking of what a show of force would look like? The only things coming to mind are arm muscles and that wouldn’t work. Maybe throwing it but that isn't what I'm doing now.
A show of force or a force of show? That makes no sense in visualizing but in phrases it does, I'm trying to make a wave of compressed force come from one end of the wand. Force being energy that isn't mana. Air? Pressure? Pressure would work except that makes me think gravity, and pressing down on someone would be entirely different. I start scribbling, if I can make a gravity wand, then I wouldn’t need to worry about being attacked nearly as much. Pressure baring down, thinking of the ocean and depths I circle in the square waves going down into the dark depths. The image in my head makes it nearly complete. I know the paper tag wouldn’t be able to hold this though. I lay the tag on the wand, wrapping it around near the end. I can feel the drain this time. Something is telling me there is more to it. Grabbing my sharpie, I transfer the design instead of using the paper tag. Drawing the image square and all almost neatly on the end of the dowel. The tag was useless, but this wand will most likely work.
I sat still for a moment, suddenly exhausted, this was much harder than any of the previous enchantments. Was it because I was affecting an outside force? Or because I wanted a repeat enchantment? I don’t even know if it will repeat. I'm hoping so. Thinking if I have anything that I can test this on in my apartment all that is making itself known is my pillow and mattress. Everything else is solid. But those two things would compress depending on the pressure.
Going into my room with the gravity wand I aim for the bed, if Star Trek worked then I need a visual component. I imagine a blue thread weaving itself from my chest into the wand. There's a stopper in the wand, then I think. I need a word. Something to trigger the activation, otherwise it might trigger every time I hold it. An idea comes to me, a nearly random word, riposte. A return thrust or a clever reply to an insult. Even if I was firing first, how many times have I ever heard the word, or said it?
Channeling into the wand again, I focus heavily. Thinking of how the word sounds the motions I want the wand to know, just point and shoot. This will either be a single target or area of effect. I'm trying for area though. More smaller targets. I wouldn't use gravity against a larger opponent if they had more musculature. I whisper “Riposte” the bed nearly collapses in on itself. I stopped channeling. Shit. I didn’t expect that. Almost all the mattress is dented in. Instead of being nearly three feet in height it was closer to ten inches. I just killed my bed.
******
Setting the gravity wand gently on my desk I go back to working on force bolt. A wave of pressurized air would work for most solid creatures. But I don’t want wind. So maybe I'll do mana instead. I think it would react to something like lighting, going from easiest point to easiest point. Making a new paper tag I redraw a square, within it a diamond with curved inward sides. Feels so much easier this time. I drew it on the wand in sharpie, can't shoot it here, I’ll destroy something. Hm. Shit, sharpie isn't permanent, need to carve them. I pull my chisel and pause. How the hell do I carve this small? Going into the kitchen I get the paring knife instead. I trace the lines if sharpie with the knife and carve grooves with it. The dowels are only an inch wide, so I don’t have much room to work with. I'm lucky I was able to draw them on at all. I decided to make the other two proto wands as well, so I have two of each. Just in case they are used one time I have a backup.
Looking at the clock it's just now 12.30pm, it will take me roughly half an hour to get to the dungeon. I pack up my wands and dig through my clothes for something that can take a beating, even if I can restore it. Thinking about that I quickly draw out three pristine and shove them into my inventory. Oddly enough they show up individually. I pause a moment. It takes me a second to pull something from my inventory so what if I need the wand instantly? I need to have it on hand? Looking around I found the duct tape. I tape some to the end of the wand. I roll a loop; the loop goes through my belt loop. I give it a yank and it comes free. I repeat this for all the wands, gravity of left, bolt on the right. I look a bit odd with dowels hanging from my pants but whatever. At least they're only about six inches long.
I pulled my knife out. Maybe I will set that up when I'm there. I packed the duct tape with me. Putting the kbar back into the inventory.
Getting back into my car the heat is killer. I pull out my phone for directions to the dungeon. Apparently, the military set up a corridor for parking and those who wanted to go in. I heard that way.
******
Being directed to the parking garage was unexpected. This was the nearest to the dungeon about two buildings down, it was seized by the guards for dungeoneers. Getting out, I start walking to the exit. There weren’t a lot of people around but there were a few cars. Guess the lunch hour was popular. The walk was extremely short though. The dungeon entrance was under an overpass. The street had been closed off due to foot traffic. There were people who set up camps for some reason. I saw red cross signs in a few places though, I guess a bunch of people chose to heal others, this would be the place to practice. The dungeon entrance looked like a scar of orange and purple haze. Mixing and clashing, swirling about. It made me vaguely nauseous looking at it. There was a literally booth near the entrance, not sure of the purpose of it, but it was the closest thing to the dungeon. About ten feet from it.
I wander near an empty spot and start pulling my gear out, starting with the chain shirt. It’s a front panel with wrap over sides and straps to hold over the shoulders and straps to hold the back together, shit. Am I going to be able to get this on? I should have brought an auto size. Do I have a sharpie on me? I scribble auto size on each of the straps then pull it on quickly, letting mana flow. The chain adjusts to me near perfect, a little loose on my shoulders but I think it's supposed to be? I pulled out my kbar and its strap. How do I hang this now? I don’t have a belt on. I wrap the sheath in duct tape and tape it to my pants, bouncing a little I decide good enough, its sits just behind my wands to my left. Since I'm right-handed. Got a short sleeve shirt, thick jeans, heavy boots. I'll overheat if it's hot in the dungeon, but it's some protection. My arms being bare bothers me though, I should have bought something.
Peering around there is a bus stop near the corner. Going over I call status.
Name
Level
Experience Gain
Credit
Arthur Turner
0
2.2%
120
Holy shit, people were buying my enchantments. I can go look for better gear now. Selecting store, I go down into armor.
Head
Feet
Face
Torso
Arms
Chest
Back
Hands
Legs
What's the difference between torso chest and back? I selected torso this time.
Hide
Scale
Chain
Half-Plate
Again, I select chain
Torso
Description
Cost
Chain
Interlocking metal rings
30
Why 30? Shit is it the complete shirt? I selected it. Pulling the new piece from my inventory I realize that yes, this is a long sleeve chain mail shirt, not just a chest piece. God sometimes I feel stupid. I pulled the chest piece off and shoved it into my inventory and put on the chainmail shirt. It's very loose. Going through the store I buy an auto size. That’s much better. 45 credits gone but I can deal now. Should I get leggings? No, it would likely slow me down too much. The shirt is good enough. Should I sell the wands now? No, I'll make sure they are good first.
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I go back to the dungeon. Strolling up to the booth I ask, “Why is the guard here?”
“To make sure people are aware of possibilities, such as death and dismemberment. There is no one coming to help you. There will be no rescue. Entrance to the dungeon is risking your life and your own cost, are you aware of the terms by which I've described?”
Such a spiel must be repeated hourly “Yes, I'm aware I'm risking life and limb. I'm still going in of my ow accord.”
“Please state your name, party number, and intention of clearing the dungeon?”
“Names Arthur turner, just me, no chance of clearing, not going to try.” he types it into the laptop I didn’t pay attention to.
“The time is now 1.20pm we will expect to see you by 1.55pm”
“Ok, great, thanks. See you then.”
Wow, he must get that a lot. I couldn’t imagine standing in a booth all day repeating the same sentence and writing down the answer. Thankfully they're keeping track of who goes in otherwise there would be a lot more missing person's case. People killed without evidence.
Striding toward the haze was nausea inducing. I kept striding. I felt a chill as I passed what I thought to be the last of it, I blink my eyes that were already open, I'm in a hallway. It's well lit. I can see the five or so feet in the room with a goblin. He doesn’t see me. Or sense me. Which is odd I'm in full view. It stood maybe three and a half feet tall skin a dark green bat like ears. Wearing nothing but a loincloth and holding a short cudgel. It was standing in the middle of a 30 by 30-foot room. Well lit. I could easily see across space. No shadows to be had here. The floor was packed with dirt. Not stone as I had first thought. I enter the room slowly, and as soon as I cross the threshold the goblin comes at me.
I tug the bolt wand free and step closer to the doorway. I put the wand in my left hand and the kbar in my right, I don’t know how well the wand will do, but I want to be prepared. Stepping into the room the goblin zeroes in on me, as it rushes, I point the wand and shout “riposte!” The bolt comes out in a cloud aiming for the goblin not even ten feet from me. It impacts. There's a squelch and the goblin's body topple over. The head is gone. The blood and gore spread about the area near at hand. I look at it, not understanding what just happened. I lean over and vomit. This is more real than anything I've ever seen.
I've never been in a fight before. Never experienced combat. Never saw someone die. This was too far past my limit. I just couldn’t stop. I started sobbing, I don’t know why. I fell to the floor heavily. I tried turning away, but I'm still in the doorway. Was I scared of the goblin? Was I terrified? Was I confident? I don’t know. I thought I was prepared enough for this, but not enough apparently. Never for this. The blood was congealing, the body sinking into the floor. The dungeon recycles its monsters. I giggle at that, the dungeon recycles. I throw up bile. I'm still sobbing my heart out. Why did I come here? Why did I think this was a good idea?
I think I'll just stay with crafting. Never step into a dungeon again if I can help it. Except, this was only the first room. The first monster. There were more? We don’t know if the monsters will ever come out of the dungeons. We don’t know if we will ever have to face them. What if the dungeons don’t hold all the monsters? What if dungeons spill them into the real world? Why didn’t I ask that?
This System seems so nice, not at all like an apocalypse, sure the economy will crash but we were heading for one anyway. Sure, humans will ruin the world, but we would have given time anyway. Why did the System choose dungeons with monsters we know? Why not something we never heard of? Some space fairing orc pirate things we would never be able to defeat? Why are dungeons geared to humans' levels?
Why do I feel better? I stopped crying, the goblin is gone, a stain of blood is all that remains. I don’t feel sick anymore. My head feels clear, what is going on. Can I continue? Why? I think of going into the next room and demolishing the goblin there and there is only satisfaction. What? I call “status”
Name
Level
Experience Gain
Credits
Arthur Turner
0
3.2%
85
My experience went up. 1% for one goblin. 100 goblins are one level. Is one dungeon ten goblins? It makes sense. Ten hours, for level zero, ten runs. Five days to get level 1. That’s why there aren't any levels yet, they haven’t had time to run enough, maybe two or three runs total.
I got up. I lift my arm. “riposte” the cloud races to the wall. A soft cloud of dust arises, but nothing. Not a mark. Either it loses functionality slowly or the dungeon can't be damaged. I'm leaning toward the former, while hoping for the latter. I walk into the corridor towards the next room.
The hallway is a little longer at ten feet this time. Still well lit, I can still see the goblins at the other end. Two this time. I switch to the gravity wand putting the used bolt wand in my inventory. Steeling myself I step into the room and shout “riposte” the goblins crunch against the floor. The blood gushing from them. I vomited again, once more bile. The gravity was again effective. The bones ground into the skin flattened to the ground.
I sit down and stare, mostly numb this time. It didn’t affect me nearly so bad, but it should have. Trauma is weird though, and this is self-inflicted. They should add that to the spiel at the booth of traumatizing content for adults only. Rated for gore. I laugh at myself. I'm waiting for the dungeon to absorb the bodies; I must see if it happens every time. Only a minute or two goes by and it does, dungeon recycle. I stand up. Calling status.
Name
Level
Experience Gain
Credits
Arthur Turner
0
5.2%
105
One experience for each goblin and ten credits. Why didn’t I notice that? I was just likely too out of it. This is why people are going into the dungeon, they want to see what happens when we level. I admit I'm curious too, but still. Is it worth it?
Standing I consider, first room on goblin, second room two. Third room three? How many rooms are there? I think it was five? Or four rooms then a boss? Okay prep for the next room. Gravity wand is still good. Haven't needed kbar yet so keep it in hand. I set it down for a moment. How long have a been here? Feels like hours, I set the wand down to, I do a couple of jumping jacks and hand rolls. I pick both implements back up. Ok, feeling better now I start into the corridor for the next room. The hall seems longer again, close to twelve feet this time. I can see into the next room but not well. As I got closer to the doorway, I saw I was right, three goblins. Appear to be arguing. Well goblin, what can you say? I bring the wand up to bear. Step through “riposte” I shout again. Once more blood and gore. This time some of the goblin bits weren’t as crushed, I supposed are of effect has to be quite smaller maybe five feet around. All three didn’t quite fit in. But their torso did, again I sat. Nauseas but not vomiting. I wait until the dungeon recycles them. “Status”
Name
Level
Experience Gain
Credits
Arthur Turner
0
8.2%
135
I wonder if anything will happen at ten experience not likely. Getting lots of credits, I see why dungeoneers can afford to keep buying the enchantments. I press my hands to my forehead, feeling clammy. Soon as I leave here, I'm going for a shower. Nice and cool. Getting up I prepare for the next room, likely my last. I'm not sure I can take all four. If they won't fit into gravity. I put the kbar into the sheathe and walk down the hallway about 16 feet now. I have my hand on the second bolt wand, but I don’t want to try pulling it, with two wands in hand I might shoot both, that doesn’t seem like a good idea without practice. Maybe I should trade the gravity wands? No, it's doing well and then I can sell the second.
I step past the doorway and shout again “riposte” three of the goblins are caught but only two die. I quickly drop the gravity wand and pull the bolt wand, shouting “riposte” and the only goblin to run at me. The head vaporizes again, the last living goblin struggles to stand, I point at him and murmur “riposte” the torso is gone. And just like those four goblins dead and gone. Both wands performed well. The second shot was done just fine with the bolt wand, dungeons just can't be damaged. I stand there waiting for the dungeon to recycle. It takes longer this time, but does it in piecemeal. The goblins that died first are the first to go, then the goblin that ran at me, then lastly the goblin that felt like a mercy kill.
I think, the order they died in, is the order they were absorbed. I hold a wand in both hands pointing at the wall. “Riposte” feeling a drain. A cloud of dust arises once more, but no damage to the dungeon itself. But now I know I can shoot both wands at the same time. And if it's true that mana regenerates faster in a dungeon then I can practice all I want.
Pointing at the opposite wall this time. “Riposte!” clouds of dust on both walls. A success. Both wands are a go. I can aim and shoot and use only one word to operate multiple wands, in a dungeon. I smile to myself. I don’t know what changed between the first room and now. But I enjoy using my wands. Maybe others will too.
I step into the last corridor. Remember when I told them I wouldn’t try and clear the dungeon. The longest hallway is about 24 feet. Getting near the end I look into the room. Two goblins and something larger. Darker, more muscles. Horns and armor. Holding a crude sword, likely iron if I were to guess. I suppose this is what a hobgoblin looks like. I've heard of them through various lore. An evolved version of goblins. It was still only about four feet tall though.
The goblins were on either side and neither were close to the hob. My guess it liked its space and was going to get it. I put my gravity wand into my inventory, it won't be helpful here. The hob looks like it has more muscle than a bodybuilder. I pull the first bolt wand, the kbar still in its sheath at my waist. Holding a wand in each hand I quickly lean into the room and shout “riposte” aiming at both goblins. Just as quickly I lean back. The hob had started running towards me then stopped. Both goblins were gone. I put one wand into inventory and pulled the kbar, if ever I needed it, it was now. Stepping into the room “riposte, riposte, riposte” I shout rapidly aiming for the hob rushing me. The first hit its chest and dented the leather there. The second glanced they should hold the sword. It dropped the weapon. The last took a leg out from under it. Which I was grateful for. My adrenaline was up. It was less than three feet from me. “Riposte, riposte, riposte” I shouted once more, aiming for chest and head, the head shot made it angry the chest shot did more damage, seemingly to impale its armor into its chest, the last shot finished it. The chest shot went through. It was done.
I was panting, and shaking, this was just like the first room all over again, but this time I was expecting it. I knew going in what was happening. What was going on with my head? Why did I enjoy such a fight? Was my life worth so little to me? Why can't I stop smiling? The was a creak and a false wall fell through the floor. I suppose if I complete the dungeon there will be rewards. Once more I wait until the dungeon recycles the monsters. I don’t know why, but its satisfying seeing the last traces of those who tried to kill me be destroyed from whence they came.
I put the wand away and sheathed the kbar. I don’t expect anything to come up now. I called ‘status’.
Name
Level
Experience Gain
Credits
Arthur Turner
0
17.2%
225
That doesn’t math right, one experience for each goblin. Then there for the hob? And thirty credits for the hob? I suppose if we were doing 1,2,3 the two goblins and one hob equaling three counts right.
I walk into the now unhidden room. There was an interface.
First Time Clear
Reward
Cost
Personal Interface
10000
That’s a shitty reward. The ability to buy something. No one should have enough to buy that yet. If they do I want to know what the hell they're selling. Wait, big dong just might, but I doubt it. It hasn’t even been two days yet. I look around the empty room, nothing. Just this. I go back into the boss room. There's now a dungeon exit it looks exactly like the entrance, nausea inducing and all. I walk through it.