The heavy stone door ground open, dust and sand cascading from the etched hieroglyphs as the trio entered the final chamber. The air was heavy with the scent of frankincense and myrrh, the resinous aroma emanating from braziers ensconced in alcoves along the sandstone walls. Intricate murals and carved reliefs depicted scenes of Egyptian mythology - Osiris judging souls, Anubis guiding spirits, and Ra traversing the underworld.
At the chamber's center towered a thirty-foot statue of the sphinx, Bastet, her human face an impassive mask with sightless eyes. Golden bands encircled her neck and forelimbs, glinting in the firelight. Behind her flicked a stone tail, swaying as if alive.
Calvin tensed, gripping his spear as he scrutinized their surroundings. Amy drew her blades, poison dripping from the edges. A guttural growl rumbled from Freya's throat as she bared her fangs, the fur on her hackles raised.
With a grating roar, the statue lurched into motion, stone cracked and fell away to reveal smooth fur and muscle. Bastet fixed the trio with glowing emerald eyes, her lips curling to reveal ivory fangs.
"You have passed the trials, now face me in combat to prove your worth," her voice boomed.
Crouching, Bastet pounced with astonishing speed. Calvin swung his spear, lightning followed by a wind blade arced towards the sphinx. She twisted lithely, the bolt glanced off her shoulder to explode against the wall, while the wind blade missed entirely. Stone shards and dust rained down from the surroundings.
"Is that the best you can do, whelp?" Bastet taunted. She darted forward, poisoned claws extended towards Calvin’s chest. Calvin activated Storm Legion and summoned his loyal, spectral legionnaires. In unison they stabbed forward into Bastet.
With a roar of pain, Bastet swiped her paw, shattering their shields, causing them to release a powerful wave of lightning. Bastet was sent flying back, crashing hard into one of the stone pillars in the chamber, dust and sand exploded with the impact.
“We need to hit her together,” Calvin said. Amy nodded. As Bastet stalked towards them, muscles tensing beneath her fur, they coordinated their attacks. Amy vanished in a swirl of toxic mist while Calvin charged his spear with resonant energy. He dashed left as Freya feinted right, then Calvin hurled his crackling spear. It sliced across Bastet’s flank, burning through fur and flesh. She screamed in rage and rounded on Calvin, poison dripping from her jaws.
In that instant Amy reappeared behind Bastet, daggers piercing her back. The sphinx staggered, then Amy faded away as Bastet’s venomous fangs snapped shut on empty air.
Howling winds swirled around Freya as she called forth a howling gale. Dust and debris pelted Bastet while Calvin raised his arms, storm clouds gathering above. With a deafening crack thunderbolts rained down, blasting craters in the sandstone floor. One lightning strike slammed into Bastet and she collapsed, writhing and thrashing.
“Enough!” Her voice echoed through the chamber. Slowly Bastet rose to her feet, chest heaving, and raised a paw. Her injuries shimmered then vanished.
“A formidable effort. Now face my true power!” Her form wavered, expanding rapidly into a colossal winged lioness with a serpentine tail. Fire kindled in her jaws as she loomed over them, blazing eyes bright with fury.
Calvin and Amy exchanged dismayed glances. “Freya, keep her distracted!” Calvin yelled. As Freya darted forward, Calvin focused his energy into his palms, sculpting a cage of sizzling plasma around Bastet. She roared, thrashing against the burning bars to no avail. Amy quickly scaled one of the towering jackal statues and leapt, daggers aimed at Bastet’s back.
Bastet effortlessly swatted Amy from the sky, sending her crashing to the ground, her daggers scattering. Bastet towered over Amy, her serpentine tail lashing out, poised to strike.
"No!" Calvin sprinted forward, in one swift action he summoned six spectral spears and sent them all rocketing toward the sphinx in a deadly swarm. They ripped through her body, bursts of blood and gore erupted from her flesh. Mortally wounded, she crashed to the floor. The plasma prison dissipated and Bastet shrank back into a bloodied but human-sized sphinx.
Panting, she raised her head. “Well played,” she gasped. “You have been found worthy.” Her form glowed brightly then dissolved into golden dust, leaving only her collar and armbands behind.
Calvin rushed to help Amy up. “You okay?”
She winced, rubbing her side where she’d hit the stone floor. “I’ll be alright.”
Freya bounded over, tail wagging excitedly.
The chamber rumbled, stone grinding as the far wall sank down to reveal a portal framed in shining glyphs. Beyond, a treasure filled antechamber beckoned.
“Oh man, Marshall is going to be sad he missed out on a treasure room.” Amy grinned. “Let's go check it out!”
The first thing they noticed in the room were the chests of gold coins and jewels. Calvin analyzed them, and they were just regular gold coins and jewels. A few months ago, this would have been a horde worthy of kings. They would have been wealthy beyond measure, now Calvin wondered if these things held any value at all. He stashed them away in his pouch. At the very least, maybe it would be valuable trading material. There had to be some sort of market for jewels and such on an intergalactic market place, if for no other reason than collecting Earth stuff.
There were a few items that did appear to be quite useful.
Potion Vial of Shifting Sands (Platinum): Drinking this potion will allow the user to pass through solid objects for a short duration. This potion vial refills automatically over six hours and is highly resistant to damage.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Harpy Feather Cloak (Gold): Grants the wearer the ability to take flight for short distances. The duration is increased by the user's control stat and by feeding energy into the cloak.
Spear of Achilles (Gold): This spear was wielded by Achilles himself. While equipped this spear grants enhanced speed to the user. While spinning this spear grants defensive capabilities able to deflect attacks. (Power +2, Speed +6)
There were also several urns and other containers containing all sorts of resources that would be valuable for the crafters in Olympus. Calvin thought the haul wasn't bad for the first round of treasure from the dungeon. While his current spear was more powerful in the damage department, the one he just found provided additional defensive capabilities. Nothing said he had to replace his spear, he could swap them out in mid battle, especially with his spatial storage belt that attuned things with storm essence. Amy and Reaper already swapped weapons quite extensively in combat, so it looks like Calvin would join the party.
The cloak was also really neat. Any one of them would find value in being able to fly. They stored it away for now and would discuss how to distribute it after they got more treasure and headed back to Olympus. Calvin activated the crystal pillar within the treasure room and they were sent back to the main chamber, two doors remained unopened.
CONGRATULATIONS. FLOOR THREE OF THE DUNGEON OF THE UNDERWORLD: COMPLETE.
The message popped up for the trio and it reminded Calvin that they had a quest to get through floor one. He was having too much fun and neglected to follow up on that. He flipped back through the System Messages.
QUEST - DUNGEON OF THE UNDERWORLD - COMPLETE
Explore the first floor of the Dungeon of the Underworld.
Rewards:
2500 xp
QUEST - DUNGEON OF THE UNDERWORLD ( PART 2)- COMPLETE
Defeat the first path guardian within the dungeon of the underworld.
Rewards:
5000 xp
50,000 credits
3x Skill Forge Tokens
QUEST - DUNGEON OF THE UNDERWORLD ( PART 3)
Defeat the second path guardian within the dungeon of the underworld.
Rewards:
???
"We need to check with Andy about the skill forge." Calvin reminded Amy.
"You should make a list, Andy is going to be busy when we get back." she quipped. "Shall we continue on?"
Calvin waved her forward, indicating that it was her turn to open the next door.
Amy placed her hand on the door emblazoned with the Ankh. The rune glowed brightly before the door yet again dissolved into nanite mist. This time, instead of a passageway, they were greeted with a shimmering portal. After a steadying breath, the trio stepped through.
The portal swirled closed behind them as Calvin, Amy, and Freya found themselves deposited into a howling sandstorm. Stinging grains pelted every inch of exposed skin as they raised their arms to shield their faces. Through squinted eyes, Calvin surveyed their surroundings, struggling to see through the opaque clouds of sand that assailed them. Dunes rose and fell in undulating waves stretching to the horizon on all sides. It was impossible to get any sense of direction.
"We need to find shelter!" Calvin had to yell over the screaming winds. Amy nodded, her auburn hair whipping wildly around her face. A persistent bark drew their attention to Freya. The husky bounded a few feet away to the crest of a nearby dune, stopping to look back at them expectantly before continuing on.
"I think she's found something!" Amy called. They stumbled after Freya into the storm, nearly losing sight of her wavering form several times. At last they crested the dune in her wake and spied the crumbling remains of an ancient structure nestled between the dunes just ahead. Half-buried walls tilted at precarious angles while columns lay cracked and shattered amidst the sand. Eroded carvings and statuary hinted at what once must have been a grand temple, but was now little more than a ruin. Still, it would provide a respite from the punishing sands.
They hurried inside, finding a small chamber between two listing walls which cut the worst of the wind. Sand drifted through cracks and gaps, piling in the corners. Everything was coated in a fine layer of grit that their footsteps scattered. As the noise of the storm dulled, Calvin's ears caught a faint skittering that raised his hackles. He spun, spear at the ready as several scarab beetles the size of dogs emerged from crevices and descended upon them, mandibles gnashing.
Amy's knives flashed as she dispatched two in quick succession while Calvin impaled another on his spear. The Aetherwolf darted forward, snapping one beetle up and flinging it into a wall where it cracked open, ichor spilling across the carved bricks. In moments, all that remained of the creatures were twitching legs and shattered carapaces.
"What is this place?" Amy grimaced as she wiped bug guts from her blades. Calvin shook his head.
"No idea, but let's have a look around before anything else shows up."
They searched the small complex of buildings, most little more than rubble piles with a few partially intact chambers. All were empty save for sand, shards of pottery, and detritus carried on the incessant winds. One larger building still had sections of roof intact over a long central hallway lined with empty alcoves. Faded murals decorated parts of the remaining walls, depicting stylized figures that might have been gods or pharaohs.
Freya sniffed around piles of debris then returned to Calvin and Amy where they stood studying a cracked frieze of falcon and jackal headed figures making offerings around an enthroned man holding a crook and flail.
"I think this might have been a temple to Osiris." Calvin traced his fingers over the damaged carvings.
Amy peered up at rows of empty alcoves with symbols below them. "So where did all the other gods go?"
As if in response, a low rumble echoed through the ruins accompanied by distant cracking and snaps. They exchanged wary glances. The sounds drew closer until stones shifted underfoot. Cracks split the walls and ceiling, while sand poured through widening gaps. The entrance they came through collapsed as they ran toward it.
"Let's go! Further inside!" Calvin shouted as they sprinted deeper within the temple. They emerged from the far side of the temple ruins into a spacious unconfined area. The sand storm persisted but was far more muted here. They were safeguarded on the leeward side of massive constructions. This was an strange place. Looming ahead of them was a large pyramid reminiscent of the Great Pyramid of Giza before it succumbed to the ravages of time. It was constructed with smooth white stone and capped with a large golden capstone. To their flanks there were vast Corinthian columns and structures resembling all types of Earth cultures. There were buildings with recognizable ancient Greek architecture, adorned with sculptures of their divinities. There were small ruins more reminiscent of ancient Mayan civilization, adorned with carvings embossed in gold. There were the broken-down remnants of a Viking longboat, half buried in the sand and decaying away in the unfavorable desert conditions.
"What on earth?" Calvin said in disbelief, "This place is like a monument to ancient Earth cultures."
Freya let out a small whine. Danger she said to Calvin.
The sand around them began shifting and writhing as stinger laden tails pushed their way through followed by massive sand scorpions. They numbered in the dozens. Not wanting to find out what this was all about the trio rushed toward the pyramid. Calvin and Amy cleared the way ahead with a barrage of daggers and wind blades as they pushed through the emerging danger toward shelter.