Warfang: (Sky Realms Online Book 5): A LitRPG Series

by Troy Osgood

  Hall motioned to the doors, Roxhard moving to watch the closed one while Jackoby took up position at the open, off to the side so that anything waiting inside would not see him. Hall pulled up his map, double-checking that there was only a small room through the open door. Which didn’t mean it was empty.

  He walked over to Roxhard, leaning down close to the Dwarf’s ear. “Watch the door.”

  Roxhard nodded.

  Stepping up behind Jackoby, the two walked forward. They rushed into the next room, Jackoby going to the left while Hall moved right. The Firbolg had turned off the Greenfire globe attached to his shield, the ambient light from the others in the larger room allowing Hall and Jackoby to use their racial night visions.

  Not large, the room was square.

  And almost empty.

  In one corner was a dark shape. A lump. With his Limited Night Vision, Hall couldn’t tell what it was, just that it wasn’t moving. He tapped Jackoby on the shoulder, pointing to the Greenfire globe.

  Turning the light back on, Jackoby held the shield up, pointing the bottom edge toward the shape. Cautiously, Hall stepped forward. He reached out with his spear, poking at what he now recognized as a Cavlyn. Dead, ripped apart. The thing was a bloody mess. What was left of it. Tears and gashes in the hide, muscle and entrails pulled out.

  He could make out the smell. Rot and blood.

  Giving the room one last look with the light, they walked out.

  Nothing had come through the other door.

  “One long hallway, six doors off it, last room at the end,” Hall explained, telling them again what to expect.

  “At least now we know what we’ll be facing,” Sharra said, moving around one of the dead Gangori.

  “I’ve never heard of these,” Roxhard said.

  No one responded. Hall took that to mean they hadn’t either.

  What had Electronic Storm added to the game? Why had they added a new race?

  He pushed those thoughts out of his mind. That was for later. Right now, they had to get through the door and the next few rooms. Without a doubt, there was a boss waiting for them in the larger room. There was no way to know what was waiting beyond the door.

  In most games he had played, it was pretty safe to open a door onto a corridor. There would be some time before a routine patrol would come upon them. At least enough time for the party to familiarize themselves with the location and get ready. But that no longer applied to the new Sky Realms Online. There could be anything beyond the door.

  Hall motioned to Caryn to open the door, shifting Jackoby to be in front, just to the side, with Roxhard against the wall, Hall behind. Sharra was behind Jackoby, but more to the side, with Seo in position next to her.

  Jackoby would take the brunt of anything that immediately attacked, with Seo to heal as needed. Sharra could throw fire or coat the floor in ice, whatever was needed to create separation. If something charged, Roxhard would be ready to take the next attackers or swing in behind the one attacking Jackoby.

  One last look to make sure everyone was ready, Hall gave Caryn the nod.

  She grabbed the handle of the stone door, pulling as fast as she could.

  The door opened, showing a long and dark corridor. Everyone tensed, waiting for something. Anything.

  Nothing happened.

  The corridor was empty.

  Hall didn’t like it. The far end was an opening, no door, looking out onto the big room. Sound would carry into the space, and unlike the pre-Glitch game where mobs had set routes and areas, Hall didn’t think they’d remain in that room.

  Which meant searching the six smaller rooms, three to a side, with doors and doing it quietly.

  No Witch or Skald with crowd control. Sharra had the Frozen Steps spell, which would coat the end of the corridor in ice. That would have to do.

  “Sharra and Roxhard, you watch the end of the corridor,” he told them all in a whisper. “If something comes down it, ice the ground first. Keep them from coming down. The rest of us will clear the rooms one at a time.”

  Skill Gain!

  Strategy Rank Two +.1

  Hall dismissed the notification, still confused on what the skill actually did.

  Chapter 18

  They headed into the corridor, moving as quietly as possible. Roxhard and Sharra went first, past the doors, taking up position about a dozen feet from the end. The first set of doors started ten feet into the corridor, the next set twenty feet down, and the last another twenty feet. Even without the map, Hall would have guessed that the placement of the doors meant the rooms inside were twenty feet wide, the door in the center. But he had the map Bradberry had made and knew they were also twenty feet deep.

  Large square rooms.

  They took the one on the left first. Caryn placed herself at the rear so she could watch the other doors. Seo opened. Jackoby and Hall rushed inside.

  Empty.

  The one across the corridor was the same.

  So was the third.

  The fourth wasn’t.

  A Gangori Bloodcarver screamed as it lunged at Jackoby. Hall cursed, knowing the sound would carry and alert the boss room. Jackoby caught the Gangori on his shield, the long arms reaching past and slashing thin lines of blood across the Firbolg’s arms. He set his feet and pushed with his arm, his strength sending the Gangori flying off the shield. The gangly creature hit hard but was up quickly.

  Hall rushed to help, intending to slide his spear into the Gangori’s side, but a hissing to the side stopped him. He set his feet in a defensive stance, turning to look deeper into the room. Another Gangori stood there, long arms raised, hands moving in intricate gestures. It growled and hissed in some kind of chant. A dark purple light was forming around the fingers.

  Some kind of spellcaster.

  Skill Gain!

  Identify Rank Two +.1

  Gangori Bloodsinger (blue)

  Dark streaks of crackling purple light shot out from the Gangori’s hands. Hall twisted to the side, one bolt slamming into his shoulder. Smoke curled up, the leather armor blackening. Hall grimaced in pain, shocks of energy flaring through his arm.

  Biting back a cry, he reached over his shoulder, pulling a javelin from the harness. In a smooth motion, he sent it flying across the dozen feet. The Gangori, so lost in its casting, didn’t see the weapon. It slammed into the creature’s thin shoulder, metal tip bursting out the back. Momentum sent the Gangori into a spin. It twisted, landing hard on the ground.

  Hall activated Leap, covering the distance quickly.

  Landing in front of the Bloodsinger, Hall stabbed down with the spear. He caught the Gangori in the side, piercing deep. The creature hissed in rage, body stretching. Barking a single word, sickly green light flowed out from its fingers, spiraling in the air. Hall was too close to move aside, the growing spiral slamming into his stomach.

  He fell back, feeling pain spreading through his body. His muscles contracted, body pulling together. He bent down, spear dropping to the ground, clenching at his stomach. Hall felt like he was going to be sick, body racking with spasms.

  The Gangori slammed into him. For a caster, the creature was strong. Hall fell back, slamming against the stone floor, head bouncing off the ground. Stars filled his vision. He tried to roll, to stand, to do anything, but the spasms stopped him.

  He could barely see the Gangori standing over him, sharp claws ready to slash.

  A blue-white crackling bolt of lightning slammed into the Gangori. Smoke rose from the wound, energy crackling around the creature. It hissed in pain, raising an arm to try to stop Pike’s attack. Talons slashed across the arms, blood falling to the ground as Pike tore the flesh apart.

  One last spasm of pain shot through Hall’s body. His breathing came hard. He was exhausted. Glancing at his bars, he saw almost half his Health had disappeared, a quarter of his Energy, and worse was the hit his Vitality had taken. Half of it was gone.

  That was why he was so tired. The spell had sapped him
of almost everything.

  Hall struggled to push himself up, seeing Pike flying around the Gangori. The dragonhawk was holding his own, the Gangori a bloody mess, but the creature had scored hits of its own. Pike was wobbling, one wing stronger than the other.

  The dragonhawk screeched; the Gangori growled.

  Hall drew his sword. He stepped forward, slamming the tip into the Gangori’s side. The creature twisted, trying to attack. Pike took the opening, blasting a bolt of lightning point-blank into the Bloodsinger’s head.

  It roared in pain. Smoke rising, its head burning.

  Hall pulled his sword out, swinging it horizontally. The creature’s head fell to the ground, the body limply following. Letting himself drop, Hall tried to look around, to see if the other creature was alive. Pike settled down next to him. Hall reached out, scratching the dragonhawk under the chin.

  He could see a body on the ground to the side, the large Firbolg standing over it.

  “Seo,” Jackoby called.

  “Pike first,” Hall muttered tiredly as the Druid rushed into the room.

  SLAIN: Gangori Bloodsinger

  +40 Experience (Dungeon Bonus +40 Experience)

  Skill Gain!

  Light Armor Rank Two +.1

  Skill Gain!

  Polearms Rank Two +.2

  Skill Gain!

  Small Blades Rank Two +.2

  Skill Gain!

  Thrown Rank Two +.2

  Watching the comforting glow spiraling around Seo’s arms, through his hands and into Pike, Hall reached into the potion pouch on his belt. He felt around until he found the Minor Vitality Potion. Pulling the cork out with his teeth, he let it drop to the ground. Grimacing, not looking forward to the taste, Hall poured the entire contents of the small bottle down his throat. The thick yellow liquid felt like syrup as it slowly flowed down. He could feel it sliding, forcing himself not to gag. Almost immediately he felt energy spreading through his body. Tension fled, the feeling of tired flowing away. It felt like he’d drank gallons of black coffee. An intense jolt of power.

  His Vitality bar had mostly filled, still down some, but a good night’s rest would take care of that.

  He felt Seo’s hands touch his arm, the power of the healing spell spreading through his body.

  “Thanks,” he said, standing up, sheathing his sword.

  Hall picked up the javelin. He held it by the end, looking down the shaft. The wood looked straight still, no warping or cracking. A quick look at the metal tip showed it firmly attached. The javelin could be reused. He replaced it in the harness and grabbed his spear.

  “How you feeling?” he asked Pike.

  The dragonhawk spread his wings, flapping them. He answered with a quiet squawk.

  Hall looked around the room. In a corner he saw a strange shadow. Cautiously, he walked over. He didn’t think there would be another Gangori, or anything, since there had been no attacks. Hall wasn’t surprised by what he saw.

  In the corner, just to the side, along the edge of the wall was a thick crack. Barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through. Hall didn’t bother looking into it, knowing it would open to a tunnel that led deeper into the mountain’s depths.

  This was how the Gangori and possibly the Cavlyns had entered the dungeon.

  For a brief moment he was tempted to seal it up somehow. But how would that work with the dungeon’s mechanics? He wanted Small Frost Caverns to repopulate so they could run it again. There wasn’t any loot, but they were getting good experience.

  Out in the corridor, Hall explained about the Bloodsinger’s spell in a whisper. It was a deadly spell, knocking him for a loop. He hoped there wouldn’t be more Bloodsingers, but he had a feeling there would be.

  Sharra and Roxhard still waited at the end of the corridor. It didn’t appear as if anyone had heard or approached. Hall shook his head. That Bloodsinger had made a lot of noise; he had expected to see bodies piling up. He wished that Electronic Storm would make up their mind. Sometimes it seemed the post-Glitch world was moving away from game mechanics, but then there were times like this.

  They shifted down to the next door. That room was empty. The sixth appeared to be a storeroom. Empty of Gangori, but filled with sacks. Hall decided to wait until the rest of the dungeon was cleared before searching through them.

  Judging by the sharpened teeth and claws of the Gangori, as well as the names, Hall wasn’t sure he wanted to see what the creatures kept for supplies.

  They gathered just back from where the corridor ended, keeping an eye on the opening.

  “We heard something moving around,” Roxhard said in a Dwarven whisper, which was louder than Hall wanted. “Nothing came where we could see. My Darkvision didn’t show much of the room. Just big and round.”

  “I believe they know we are here,” Sharra added. “There was a hissing in the background, but I could not tell how many.”

  “I could sense magic in the room,” Tulla said, not bothering to speak in a whisper. “But I was not close enough to tell what kind.”

  He pulled out his map, a duplicate of his in-game map drawn on faded parchment. Unrolling it, the map showed the dungeon and the last room. He’d found many benefits with the Cartography skill, glad he had somehow managed to get it, but being able to display his mental map to others was one of the best.

  They all looked it over, deciding on a plan of attack.

  Hall crouched at the edge of the opening, near the corridor wall. He stretched out his senses, trying to hear. His Limited Night Vision didn’t extend far into the dark room. The walls to the side were much like the rest, just rounded and larger blocks. The ceiling was higher, extending past the limits of his vision.

  With a thought, Hall sent Pike into the room.

  The dragonhawk streaked off in a straight line, heading right for the back end, where the raised dais was. Hall didn’t connect with Pike’s thoughts; he started counting down from ten. Blue-white crackling lines of energy brightened the far side of the room. Through the flashes, Hall could see at least a half dozen figures, maybe more. Long, clawed arms reached up for the speedy dragonhawk. Stone steps rose up, the tops lost in shadow. Hall thought he saw a larger, darker shadow shift on top of the dais.

  Hitting zero, Hall ran into the room, followed by the others. Next to him were Jackoby and Roxhard, all not needing light. They crossed the room quickly, starting to see the shapes of the Gangori massed at the far end. It was still hard to pick out individuals, the Gangori so close together and on top of each other. Even though he couldn’t see details, Hall knew the creatures were turning to face the oncoming threat.

  But Pike’s distraction had worked, allowing Hall and the others to get close enough to engage the Gangori first.

  Next to him, the large Firbolg and smaller Dwarf disappeared in a blur. Both streaked across the remaining distance, slamming into the mass of Gangori. Hall picked out a single target, activating Leap.

  Jumping into the air, keeping his arc low, he landed in front of the creature. It stood in front of two others, all startled at Hall’s appearance. He stabbed with the spear, catching the chosen target in the chest. The spear pierced the thin body, bursting out the back. He pulled back on the spear, kicking the body. He pushed it back, the growling Gangori falling into another.

  Spear tip free, Hall activated Double Thrust. He twisted his angle of attack, away from the wounded Gangori and the one it had fallen into, instead aiming at the third. The spear slammed into the thing’s shoulder and then its chest. Pulling the spear back, he shifted his grip, swinging the butt end up. The thick wood caught the Gangori below the chin, snapping the head back. Sliding the shaft through his hands, Hall gripped it close to the tip, which he slammed into the Gangori’s exposed throat.

  He twisted the tip, moving it side to side. Blood gushed out as Hall kicked the dying Gangori away.

  Turning to the other two, he caught a glancing blow from swiping claws. He pulled his arm in tight, avoiding most of the attac
k, but ruining his thrust. Instead of a solid hit in the Gangori’s stomach, he sliced along the creature’s side. Hall barely managed to get the butt end of the spear up, catching the swiping claws of the second Gangori.

  Light filled the space, green highlights appearing everywhere. Globes rolled across the ground, followed by flames and dozens of small wooden splinters. Gangori hissed and screamed, some reaching up to cover their eyes.

  Hall twisted the spear around his body, slicing the tip across one Gangori, slamming the butt end into another. He stepped back, holding the spear out in front. The Gangori recovered, blinking their wide eyes, snarling at him. Hall smiled, activating Sweeping Strike.

  The spear slid forward in his hands, and he caught it near the end. He crouched, swinging it near the ground. The hard ironwood hit the Gangori just below the knees. The two yelped in pain, hopping up and back. At the end of the swing, Hall pulled the spear back, grabbing it midway up the shaft, twisting and slamming the tip into the side of a Gangori. It came at an angle, cutting into the Gangori, slashing up toward its heart.

  The body spasmed. Hall managed to pull the spear out as the Gangori fell back.

  Claws slashed across his side. Hall twisted, trying to pull away. Taking a step forward, he jabbed with the spear, driving the Gangori back. Hall felt the pain spreading through his arm, every movement causing the slashes to grow, more blood to flow. He glanced at his meters, seeing his Health down to almost three-quarters full, his Energy much lower.

  Lunging forward, the spear’s tip barely caught the backstepping Gangori. It hit the bottom step of the dais, falling down, giving Hall an opening.

  He took it.

  Pulling the spear out of the dead Gangori, Hall looked up the dais.

  Magic shot off from the top, the sides. Two Bloodsingers stood on either side of the largest Gangori that Hall had seen. The size of a Firbolg, pale gray skin, large red eyes. It opened its mouth to growl, the sound loud, showing pointed teeth. Unlike the rest of the Gangori that wore just rough loincloths around their thighs, this one wore rough hide armor. Shorts and a vest.