“Dungeon denizens can absolutely escape their prisons, if they’re smart enough to make it through the exit before the delver closes it…or if a delver lets them out. However once in the real world unless they find a way to survive they tend to die out or get hunted into extinction regardless of their connection with the Paths after escaping. The planets controlled by The Green Horde are one such example of why dungeon monsters or even semi friendly species should never be let out and allowed any level of freedom.”
-Lecture on The Green Horde given by the Delvers Guild to initiates in their academy
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At the very least, Thomas knew that Azar could be reasoned with. The cat alphas' English was broken and crude but its intent was clear. Plus he didn’t make any moves to attack Thomas while he was floating back down to the mud. Somehow by defeating the exit guardian, it would allow the cats to leave the dungeon with him. The exact mechanics were lost on him. However if Azar escaped, Thomas had no guarantee that they wouldn’t try to kill other humans. He quite literally couldn’t do anything to ensure that the alpha and his pack wouldn’t go after humans once they had escaped.
“Elindu. Gave us knowledge. Helped. Not enough for guardian.”
Azar spoke once more in Thomas’ mind. Probably reading his own surface thoughts just as he did to the alpha. Thomas shook his head and looked slightly down at the alpha as they both began to move across the no man's land between the trees.
“His books helped me as well. I owe him a lot, even if he’s dead.”
Thomas mulled over the conundrum in front of him. At the end of the day he didn’t think that he was capable of killing the exit guardian by himself. If the crablord could push through his telekinetic walls, he really didn’t want to find out what a fireball did to his water armor. The very thought made him, and Azar wince. Confirming that his surface thoughts were visible to the beast.
“If I do free you. What will you do?”
Being able to see the alphas surface thoughts made it much easier to judge the big cat. Thoughts of a new home, freedom, and a hint of desperation filled the alpha as its shoulder whips seemed to go limp. Despite the fact that he had killed a few of Azar's pack, a fact that he surely knew about from Thomas’ own surface thoughts he still needed to ally with Thomas regardless. Alone they were no match for the birds and the exit guardian together.
“This place is. Trap. For Elindu, for us. Not home any longer.”
From the note left behind, Thomas knew that Elindu was trapped here by an organization called the Triumvirate. The cats weren’t a part of that trap, but Elindu clearly had something to do with Azar. The fact was that without the cats Thomas didn’t have much of a change against the guardian, but without him neither did they. Without food he only had a few more days to escape the dungeon at best.
“If escape. Will not. Harm. Your kind. Together. Escape”
As if trying to reassure him from reading his surface thoughts, Azar did sound sincere at least.
“Alright. I’ll work with you to kill the exit guardian and escape. In return you won’t harm any humans.”
If they managed to escape the hotel after this dungeon. The exit would be the other side of the elevator, the thirty seventh floor. It was bound to have more dungeons but as long as the doors to the stairs were open or even a window would work now that he could fly. Azar could read his surface thoughts but didn’t comment on them just as Thomas saw a flash of Azar offering up his own life so that Thomas might help his pack escape.
“Agree. Come to den. Attack soon while birds rest.”
Thomas nodded his head and followed Azar as they walked and flew above the mud. Without the fire mind of the bird alpha to blind him, his mindsight began to meld into his regular vision. Sensing Azar's surface thoughts and the tree filled with more cats was easier than ever as they began to ascend to the canopy once more. Thomas using his platform and Azar running on air as the guards let them both through with a snarl from Azar.
Now more than ever impatience filled Thomas’ heart. He was so close to making it out of the dungeon he could almost taste it. But when he did escape, the world around him might be completely different. Everything was changing while he was stuck in this place, but he had changed as well. His previous life, filled with lying to others and to himself was over. When he escaped, he wanted to be a better man. Not for any great reason like a righteous cause or a woman but for himself.
Helping these cats was a good first step. Even if they had tried to kill him, that was before he realized what he was up against. And even with the loot from Azar, it probably wouldn’t be enough for him to kill the guardian himself. He was so lost in thought that when they reached the entrance to the den it caught him off guard. A fairly sized tunnel for big cats but one that would require him to bend down in order to make it through. There was no way he was going down there no matter how good of a person he wanted to be.
“If the rest of the den passageways are this small, I’m not going in there. We can talk up here and then you can go back inside and tell your pack about the plan. I’ll wait until you’re all ready and then we move.”
Azar looked up at Thomas and shook his head in agreement before laying down near the entrance to the den.
“Pack know. Little hope. Distract others while. We kill guardian. Then escape and close door before. Birds get out.”
Thomas mulled over Azar's plan with a frown. That was a very long, and fairly complete string of ideas from Azar, looking at a human's surface thoughts must’ve been helping him communicate.
“That plan seems very risky. Can’t we just whittle them down one by one until there's only the guardian left? And what if their alpha shows up?
Looking at Azar’s physical body revealed nothing, but Thomas could tell that the alphas mind was in turmoil. Azar loved his pack, but as the alpha he had to make the decision that would be best for all of them. Risking more, instead of less sounded counterintuitive to Thomas.
“Their alpha, driven off by guardian. Can’t wait, they kill us faster. Running out of easy food with crab’s gone.”
Crabs. Of course they were the easiest food to gather, and Thomas had killed their alpha. That meant that after killing an alpha there would be far less to none of that enemy in the dungeon anymore.
“Fuck.”
He cursed and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath as his hands clenched into fists. In trying to survive and get himself food, he had forced the cats hand and his own. Without each other's help neither would make it, even if killing Azar for the loot had crossed his mind once or twice. It would be tough but he could probably do it, and then take his time dismantling the pack before moving on to the birds. However Azar and the pack's help was more valuable than any loot he had. The spear and ring weighed heavily in his hands now that he knew their true price.
“So we go in fast, win, and then I hold the door open as long as I can. Great. Anything you can tell me about the guardian before we go in guns blazing?”
With his question, scenes of Azar locked in battle with the guardian flashed in Thomas’ head. From the fights he could point out a few abilities. It could spit fireballs, was extremely maneuverable in the air, and could wreath itself in fire. There was one final ability that he hadn’t gotten a chance to see in their earlier fight. The exit guardian could regenerate just like he could but much much faster. Fear ran down his back as he watched Azar’s memory of getting the drop on the damn bird. Thomas felt the alphas claws slice into the bird's flesh only for it to mend before Azar had even leapt off completely.
How the fuck were they going to kill this thing? That was Thomas’ first thought as he processed the sudden memory barrage. There was no way he could survive the guardians fireball with his water armor, and the regeneration was the nail in the coffin. He sat down and looked at Azar with a scowl on his face.
“Even together. How the hell are we going to kill that thing? It can regenerate! I’m just an actor. I killed that crablord because I got lucky and now I have to fight a giant bird that can spit fire? I’m going to die here, we both are.”
At the end of it all, Thomas was tired both physically and mentally. The weight of what he couldn’t possibly do weighed on him just as much as the fact that he had to try. It was that or let it all be for nothing Thomas thought to himself. The paths, the reinvention of himself, it couldn’t all be for nothing. From a dead end life in the world before to powerful perks and skills lifting him from ordinary to extraordinary in the new one. Seeing his inner conflict Azar spoke once more before ducking down to spread the word to the rest of the pack.
“Enough wounds overwhelm healing. Use flight to dodge. I will help keep attention away while you kill.”
The confidence in Azars’ words was hollow. Thomas’ telepathy told him that from the alpha’s surface thoughts. That didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate the encouraging words. With a small sigh as his ally entered the den Thomas’ attention turned to his loot from the crablord.
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Still shining with that inner light, the spear laid in his lap. The ruby and metal itself never changed, not even fingerprints from where his hand touched the metal. Slowly and carefully Thomas began to touch every inch of the spear. From the tip of its leaf blade, down the unadorned metal. Noting its extremely precise and uniform construction, there was nowhere to twist or otherwise shift any part of the crossguard. Only the ruby was captured by thin strands of the lustrous metal. When he touched the ruby itself, a telepathic connection blossomed in his mind.
After nearly dropping the weapon in shock, he began to inspect the connection. Mindsight revealed that the spear didn’t suddenly have a mind and thoughts alongside it but there was a small connection to some infinitesimally small light that he could see. Trying to understand what the connection did revealed only one clue to its use. He could only feel three things, bigger, smaller, and stop. On a whim he sent the word smaller down the connection.
Instantly the spear in his lap began to shrink before his eyes. From its full six foot length it gradually became smaller until Thomas projected the command to stop. At its new three foot length, the spear actually shone far brighter than it did before. In its six foot size the light was just enough to illuminate a small area around it, but at three feet long the light was enough to hurt Thomas’ eyes when he tried to look at it.
With two simple commands the spear returned to its normal size and stopped growing larger. When it had returned to its normal size the light faded as well. Well that was certainly interesting, without telepathy he’d have no idea how to use the spear. Thomas shrugged and decided to attempt to connect to the ring as well using his telepathy to no avail. It remained just a simple silver band no matter what he did.
At least he sort of knew what the spear could do, and with that a battle plan began to emerge from his thoughts. With the spear growing smaller or larger, he could swing it around with his telekinesis at high speeds at range. Imagining the spear growing larger instantly as he swung it, or even inside the wounds it created gave Thomas a sense of hope. Maybe it was possible for them to win after all.
Even with a plan like that he had no experience using a sword, and telekinesis required at least some level of visualization. So Thomas wrapped an invisible hand around the spear shaft and lifted it into the air. Starting simple he began to move it in a circle around himself, forcing it to grow smaller or larger and adjusting the grip of the telekinetic hand. It wasn’t easy. The spear changing sizes made the hold that he had to keep on it adjustable with the rate that it changed. After what felt like an hour or two he was finally getting the hang of it when something started to feel off. Looking at the sky, it finally clicked when he saw the sun.
The passing of time presented a different problem. It had been a long time since he left the safe room and the light hadn’t changed one bit. Shadows hadn’t gotten longer, and the sun itself hadn’t changed its position in the sky. That it had taken this long to notice frustrated him and with that he sent out his best shot at a telepathic message to Azar.
“HOW DO WE. ATTACK. WHEN BIRDS RESTING. IF SUN NEVER GO DOWN.”
It was loud, choppy, and extremely broad. Like a screaming telegram, the thought shot down into the den and impacted Azar's mind like a blast from a cannon. Thomas watched and winced as the telepathic letter’s impact sent ripples of annoyance through the alphas surface thoughts. In return another packet hit him like a ton of bricks causing the spear to clatter to the ground with the disruption of his focus.
“Soon. Light never fades, but they still must rest. Not much longer.”
Azar's English was getting better and Thomas was trying not to think about how monstrously smart the big cat was. In the real world, he very well might survive and thrive as long as the rest of the world was caught up with the dungeons. At least now he could do something to pass the time and help their chances.
Time passed quickly for Thomas, honing his new combat ideas and training to swing the spear wasn’t something that came naturally to him. Traditionally he knew that spears were used to stab enemies at a distance, but with this spear he could hurl it around the battlefield quickly at range and change its size to slice through enemies easily. The smallest it could get was roughly the size of a toothpick while being as bright as a white hot flame and he had no idea what the biggest was. When it hit fifteen feet he had stopped rather than test further, although the light shining from it had decreased even further at that length.
By the time he was getting confident with the spear's abilities Azar was making his way through the den with the pack at his heels. It was time to make their move. Thomas watched as his allies exited the tree, hundreds of them pouring out behind their alpha. Looking at the veritable army in front of him he smiled at Azar and waved his spear.
“I figured some things out, and I’m ready to back you up. Let's get the hell out of here.”
Azar nodded in agreement as the rest of the pack looked up at the strange human that had promised to help them. Still they followed their alpha to the edges of their tree, and stepped off the tree when he did. Most of their limbs flaring out and catching the air, flying towards the bird's tree for a change in wave after wave. Azar himself simply began to walk across the air as Thomas joined the big cat in the sky.
Nothing was said between the two of them as they made their way to the central tree. The minds of the birds showing signs of sluggishness greeted Thomas’ mindsight, besides the guardian's mind. That was still made of fire and practically unreadable to him even as his skill in telepathy progressed.
In moments, the pack was in place. Surrounding the central tree on all sides just below the canopy. Thomas turned to Azar and nodded, there was no need to communicate with words now. As one the pack moved in complete silence, marking off different birds and getting ready to pounce. Then Azar and Thomas moved, flying gracefully over the top of the canopy straight towards the guardian.
When they had nearly reached their target, the attack began. Birds cried out in pain as many were killed in the initial ambush, but the price the cats paid was steep. Even in their death throes the birds were bigger, and far stronger than their enemies. More importantly, the shrill cries pushed the guardian into movement.
Thomas’ mindisght saved him from near instant death as the massive firebird emerged from the canopy. He forced himself to look at its mind, even as it burned his eyes. That foresight allowed him to shift out of the way at the last second. The bird’s flames burned him without his water armor but even with it the steam would cook him from the inside. He gained altitude fast and saw Azar begin to engage.
Just like the last time they fought Azar was clearly outmatched by the guardian and couldn’t do anything but doge. The alpha was trapped in a deadly dance and only Thomas could help him. Standing above the battle, Thomas let go of his spear and caught it with a telekinetic hand. He was probably being ignored because Azar had been the guardians main enemy for some time.
That was a mistake. With a mental command the spear shrank to the size of a toothpick, the light radiating from it outshined the guardians flames. Azar jumped further up to bring the guardian within his range and like a cat chasing a mouse it followed. The spear whipped through the air, so small he could barely see it as the tiny toothpick of light slammed into its target.
Feeling the spear slice into the guardian and the resulting screech of pain was music to his ears. But it wasn’t the exit guardian for nothing, instantly it changed targets. Somehow sensing that Thomas was the threat instead of Azar. The switch was anticipated once Thomas had dealt damage to it for the first time. Having a bird the size of a 747 turn and rocket towards you was still nerve wracking.
Keeping his feet locked into the platform, Thomas began evasive manuvers as his skin began to blister from the raw heat radiating from the guardian as its claws passed within inches of his face. With the spear still under his control, it arced around the guardians back for a second strike. This time it grew larger before impact. Banking on inflicting more damage before it could circle around for another path. The spear, hurtling through the air impacted the guardian with a loud clang. Azar’s voice immediately echoed in his mind. With a better viewpoint he had seen exactly what had happened to Thomas’ spear.
“You hit the scales. We can’t break. Avoid.”
Immediately after missing Thomas with its claws, the guardian spat a fireball at him. In the hours before the battle, he had tried to come up with countermeasures for this attack in particular. In the middle of the pitched battle, feeling the heat of the flames, his skin drying and cracking his mind went blank. There was nothing he could do besides try to push it away before it impacted him. Invisible waves of force slammed into the fireball and forced it to detonate before reaching him.
The mid air explosion cracked his lip and his uniform caught fire. Just like the birds cry of pain earlier, his own scream now echoed in his ears. Only thinking about getting the fire doused as quickly as possible Thomas summoned his water armor and then immediately dropped the skill. A thin sheen of water appeared and drenched the fire as it fell on his body. The ragged bellhops uniform now fused to parts of his skin as regeneration kicked in. In that time he realized, he dropped the spear.
While Thomas was desperately trying to survive Azar was fighting to distract the guardian until Thomas could return to the fight. Every second was precious but the damn bird didn’t want to do anything but kill Thomas even as Azar ripped into its back with his claws. Its regeneration was overwhelming his ability to damage it even now.
Unfortunately for the two of them, the guardian wasn’t going to be distracted from taking out one of its enemies. The bird shot through the air, turning and appeared to be pushing fire through its wings as its speed increased further. The wide turn became a straightaway as it barreled down on Thomas like a runway train. Just as the water armor dispersed the flames it hit him.
Thomas’s chest caved in, his lungs collapsed, and blood leaked from his mouth as the world seemed to stand still to him. Right as his eyes were clearing from the water and the pain of being lit on fire, the guardian had hit him. Yet he wasn’t falling off his platform, he was in the damn things claws. Adrenaline and fear kept him from passing out even as his vision narrowed. There was only him, and the guardian. No spear and no allies could help him right now. He had to help himself.
While his body was weakened and near death his mental powers blossomed. Without the use of his body, and single minded focus on his task there was nothing holding him back. A net of telekinetic power formed in an instant over the birds head, wrapping around it and tightening around the feathers. Without being able to move a muscle in his body Thomas jerked the birds head up and to the side with every ounce of power he could muster.
A sickening crack echoed throughout the canopy as the guardians head suddenly snapped upward. Right then it let go of his body and he began to fall until a platform stopped his descent. The impact forced his chest further inward even as regeneration began to snap the bones back together. With a bloody cough Thomas forced himself back to his feet and looked around.
The guardian was laying on top of the canopy, its head twisted almost all the way back. Its eyes still gleamed with hatred and perhaps now a hint of fear. Thomas sighed and coughed blood that splattered on the invisible platform that held him up. In his nearly blinded mindsight he sensed Azar with his spear behind him even though his vision was still tunneled in on the guardian.
“We must finish it now. It will get back up. Destroy the head. Weakpoint.”
The alphas tone was slightly apologetic, but now was no time for introspection. With a flex of his mind the spear shot out of the big cat’s shoulder tentacles that held it and rocketed towards the guardians head. With an invisible hand on it and guided by his thought there was no way to miss and another mental command forced the spear to grow larger and larger. Far past anything he had tested at the den.
The inertia of the massive metal spear increasing more and more as the weight and speed increased until he could hardly keep it on target. Thirty feet of slightly lustrous metal was hurtling down at the guardian, the blade now as big as its talons. Thomas barely managed to keep it straight as the spear sliced through the guardians head and kept going. Bisecting the fearsome guardian right down the middle, its blood staining the canopy while parts continued to try and knit back together.
In awe of Thomas’ prowess Azar stood there for a moment and thanked his lucky stars that Thomas was his ally. The boy did now know how powerful he would become. Even still the wretched guardian tried to come back from the dead. Eventually the body stopped twitching and fell still.
Thomas’ eyes blazed with words. He had done it. He could leave.
Exit Guardian Defeated!
Dungeon Challenges Completed:
Lesser Phoenix Dragon Hybrid Defeated 1/1
Crablord Alpha Defeated 1/10
Secrets of Elindu 2/10
Evolved Swampstalker Cat Alpha 0/1
Shadowhunter Bird Alpha 0/1
Crab King 0/1
Dungeon Ownership Denied.
Points Awarded: 40
Even with the joy of success, pain still wracked Thomas’ spent body. Regeneration was slowly healing his collapsed lung, and his ribs were being forced back into place at a snails pace. There wasn’t much else he could do besides stay standing. To his surprise Azar did not attack him while he was down. Instead the car alpha stood before him and lowered his head to the ground.
“Without you. My pack would be trapped for eternity, or dead. Claim your loot, and we shall follow you into your world. Steady Thomas.”
Where the guardian had fallen, a large chest sat on a massive leaf. Just like the one he had found after defeating the Crablord only this one had accents of gold with flecks of red throughout the metal. This chest clearly would have higher quality loot within it. As they approached, Thomas shrank his spear to a normal size and pulled it to meet them on the leaf.
A single touch from Thomas caused the lid to nearly fly open as if it was eager to reveal what lay inside. A necklace with a red gem, a dagger made of what appeared to be part of the talon from the guardian itself, and a large ruby that seemed to have fire trapped inside it. Quickly Thomas snatched them up and looked for the exit.
Only thirty feet away from the body of the guardian was a large archway. However instead of leading into another dungeon the portal showed the other side of the elevator doors that he had stumbled through what felt like months ago. The way back to Earth was open. In Thomas’ weakened state it took quite some time to make it, but Azar simply walked with Thomas. Not rushing the man that saved his pack even as some were still holding back the rest of the birds.
Before his eyes the large cats that had defeated their targets flung themselves through the arch. Landing on the other side and prowling down the hallway. About forty made it through before Thomas and Azar walked through the portal together. Once Thomas was through the portal it closed behind him. Leaving several of the big cats behind, not that it mattered to Thomas as tears streamed down his face.
He had survived against all odds and returned. But it wasn’t over yet, not by a long shot.
End of Volume 1