Chimera King Box Set Books 1-3

by Atlas Kane

  Not having any other ideas, Cade nodded. “Okay, we try that. But be careful, and if anyone gets too close, someone else needs to draw the thing away. Think of it like a huge bear, and each of us, our groups at least, will be a hound.”

  Polde scoffed, ruffling her shoulder feathers. “Speak for yourself, Archon. I’ll not consider myself a canine. Ew.”

  Dan growled, sending the woman a nasty glare that she studiously ignored.

  Shaking his head, Cade gave the go ahead.

  Forming four distinct groups, the Casmeeri villagers prepared themselves for the worst. For the third time in their crawl, Cade shouted out an Alpha’s Call, and wanting to be quick on his toes, followed it with Wyrm’s Wrath.

  His body trembled with amplified power, and he felt ready to burst in flames when one of the support members used a similar party buff. Checking his stats briefly, he saw that his Constitution and Dexterity had risen by an additional 10%. As Polde walked closer to the trap, his mind wandered exactly where it didn’t belong.

  What would fucking be like this juiced up? Would the girls be able to handle it? he considered. Better yet, could my manhood withstand them?

  Shuddering, Cade shoved a string of terrifying images aside and wielded his blastaxe. He’d start by firing an Explosive Shot up into its eye. If he was lucky, that might cause significant damage.

  Polde triggered the trap and sprung backward on her hands, coming to stop near Sholl.

  Similar to the first chamber, thick lines of ether shone around the room. Their faces were lit up an eerie blue as the power fell from a huge node in the ceiling and coursed down the walls. Racing in to power the sleeping golem, the hillock before them animated.

  Piece by piece, the creature stood. It grew to thirty feet high, and opening hands big enough to cradle Ronden, it called thick shards of crystal out of the ground.

  Gripping the weapons like twin swords, the golem roared.

  Ethereal light poured from its gullet and eyes.

  On instinct, Cade examined the boss, curious at least to know the name of this terrifying beast.

  Shard Golem

  Level 16

  Dungeon Elemental Boss

  As if wanting to live up to its name more than ever, the golem flexed its torso and spikes of blue crystal exploded out its back and shoulders.

  “Well, good bye dreamless nights. Let’s get this horror show on the road,” Cade grumbled to himself, launching an Explosive Shot up into the creature’s eye.

  The resulting blast sent fragments of stone showering down on them, but it didn’t do more than mar the elemental. Worse, it turned its head and looked directly at Cade. Somehow, he could feel the penetrating gaze land on him and him alone.

  The only thing he could think of next was to pull out two large Boom Sticks. Laughing like a madman, Cade prepared to hurl the explosives.

  Then Minda was stalking forward, her staff glowing bright. The golem regarded her curiously before lifting one of its shard swords high into the air. Before Cade could shout to tell her to back away, before Ronden could hurl his great hammer or Polde could dart in and save her, and well before the golem could land its attack, Minda cast her most powerful spell.

  The chamber shook for a split second before a column of white mycelium erupted from the stone and the walls around them. It plunged toward the golem, eating into its dense core.

  Thrashing around, the golem severed many of the strands that clutched at it. The crystalline swords cut through the mycelium easily. Yet each time it did so, another blossom of threading white fingers would emerge, consuming the golem at an incredible rate. The boss bellowed in impotent rage.

  It dropped its swords first, and then the great arms fell off one at a time.

  When its massive head tumbled to the ground, its empty eye sockets filled with white mycelium, Cade knew the fight was over before it had truly begun.

  The group stood in mute astonishment as the last of the boss’s frame crashed to the dungeon floor. Then Ronden’s half-psychotic laugh split the air and dispersed the tension. Minda bowed, her staff collapsing to its smaller size, and everyone crowded around the beastkin woman to congratulate her on the victory.

  Cade just watched with pride as she accepted the praise with grace, sending him a loving glance in between hugs and handshakes.

  That, everyone, is my mother fucking girl.

  13

  Winging It

  The belch that left Ronden’s mouth was so loud and impressive that even Polde laughed.

  “You’re a freak of nature, Ronden. I swear, you might have defeated the golem by yourself had you just done that,” the rogue said, standing up and walking well away of the lounging giant.

  Ronden chuckled, self-satisfied as ever. “Jealousy doesn’t befit one so strong. I’ll forgive you though. I hear even the gods are envious of noises I can make.”

  Cade stood up as well and dusted off the seat of his pants. “Okay, before anyone provokes him into proving his point, what are we going to do? It’s only been a few hours by my estimate, and none of us are injured. We heading back, or…”

  Minda stretched out on the boulder she’d been sitting on, her feet shaking in the air. “Let’s keep going, Cade. Admit it, that’s what you were really trying to say.”

  “She has a point, Cade,” Dan mumbled, rousing himself from where he’d slouched against the chamber wall. He picked something in his teeth and added, “I would like to continue as well. The quest rewards were good for this floor, but I am upset that the little one took most of that XP.”

  “If I hadn’t, you’d be ground dog meat right now,” Minda shot back.

  Cade held his own tongue. The golems throughout the dungeon provided plenty of XP, and with the addition of the boss, they’d all have gained a level. But Minda had killed it by herself. Cade had scored a tiny hit on the thing, so he’d gained another 2% toward his next level, but Minda had shot up. The worse part was that any given battle could only raise an Antinian up a single level, so although Minda was already close to leveling, all she did was jump up another 23%.

  Rather than get bitter at the woman he cared so much for, Cade reminded himself she was right. The boss had been so overpowered that their chances of winning were far from guaranteed.

  “She’s right, Dan. No fighting. Let’s just make it a vote then. Who wants to keep going, raise your hand?” Cade said in his best Archon voice.

  Sixteen hands lifted at varying speeds and degrees of enthusiasm. Still, it was unanimous.

  Grinning, he ushered them up off their asses. “Let’s do it then, guys. And by the way, did I tell you all I love you?” Before Ronden could send back something lewd, Cade shouted, “Micah! Please open up the stairwell to level five!”

  “Of course, Interface Controller Cade. Proceed to the exit. An optional stairwell will be provided,” the demon intoned, his voice as robotic and chilling as ever. In fact, coming from the echoing chamber, directionless, Cade developed some serious goosebumps.

  Everyone stored their waterskins in their Inventories, finished whatever they were eating, and retrieved their weapons. As one, the dungeon raiders walked out of the fourth floor and toward the stairwell that was still descending into the stone.

  “Did I ever tell you the story about the priest and the baker’s wife?” Ronden asked, taking up the rear of the formation.

  “Gods, no. Not another one,” Polde pleaded.

  A few more groans were heard, but the giant plodded ahead regardless. “They became good friends. It’s true. The woman flat out adored him and he her. But do you know why?”

  “Why, Ronden?” Cade asked, wanting to get the dirty joke over with. Ronden only had one kind of joke, and they’d heard a dozen since entering the dungeon. Apparently, if you didn’t give the man something to kill and deprived him of his best friend Satemi, he couldn’t shut up.

  “Because every time her husband was away to market, the priest gave her everything she kneaded.”

 
More groans were heard and Ronden laughed, pleased with himself. Poor Dan stopped dead in his tracks and turned to his friend. “I don’t understand. Isn’t that a good thing? What is the funny part?”

  This of course spurred Ronden into another fit of laughter. Wheezing, he managed, “The problem was, Dan, that though she spent all afternoon kneading, when her husband came home there wasn’t any bread to speak of.”

  “I don’t—” Dan tried once more, but Cade cut him short.

  “Never mind it. We’ll get a lonely girl to show you when we get back to the village, okay? For now, keep quiet and get your heads back on straight.”

  Like the one above, the level seemed to have an earthen theme. Everything was made of stone, but unlike the fourth floor, the fifth was anything but dusty. It seemed clean, almost sterile.

  The stone walls and ceiling were etched with striated patterns, grooves coursing along them in a mesmerizing fashion. At the end of the staging area, a shimmering wall of opaque material stood. It looked almost like clouds, or white paint spilled into a pool of water, milky and ever-changing.

  Their tactic of having Ronden go first had proven less than effective before. Having discussed a different approach, Sholl and Polde moved to the head of their formation and were first to probe the screen.

  As Sholl’s spear touched what passed for dungeon doors, a faint sound drifted through, almost like pure white noise. It was muted though, and gave them no further clues. Removing it, the sound ceased. That the spear wasn’t plucked from his hand or didn’t melt, seemed a good sign. So the lizard man strode forward with his lover at his side.

  They pressed their faces through at the same time, and again, that whooshing sound.

  Polde continued forward slowly, but Sholl retreated and called out, “Wind! No danger yet. Come through everyone.”

  Glancing up at the elegant stone ceiling, Cade noted why they were familiar. This was what rock looked like when carved by endless wind.

  Giving the signal, the group followed Sholl and Polde through.

  As soon as Cade passed beyond the screen, a torrent of wind pelted his face and ears. It was roaring, so loud he had a hard time orienting himself. Were it not for the two walking serenely before him, he might have turned back. But after a few more steps, the wind abated somewhat, allowing him to focus.

  Ahead, a wide stone platform stood, lit up by a sunny sky. Trees grew all around what appeared to be the world’s largest zoo enclosure. Blinking up at what appeared to be the actual sky above them, Cade shook his head. “How in the world is this down here?”

  “Only the gods of Antinium know,” Polde responded. She was taking in the scenery as well.

  The chamber was so large that its opposing end was too far away to make out. It was lost in a thick bank of mist. Jungle plants grew all around, ferns and palms of immense size ringing the chamber. Below the wide platform they stood upon, a series of descending platforms fell away deeper into the dungeon.

  Turning around, Cade saw where the gale-force winds were tearing across the stone walls, taking a curtain of leaves and debris along with them in an endless display of power.

  “Well, at least it’s pretty,” Minda pointed out, craning her neck up to see the cloudless sky with all of them. “But how do you think they managed to put the sun down here in the first place? Very strange if you ask me.”

  Thinking of his only basis of knowledge for the dungeon, Cade suggested his singular theory. “Back on my world, we had electronic games. Sometimes you’d enter a new level or dungeon, and it was considered an instance, a distinct realm or dimension. Maybe each floor of the dungeon functions in that way. So we might simply be in a dimension outside of Antinium, or within it, I don’t know. But I doubt that is the same sun we’re used to.”

  Minda was wearing her scientist face now, and Cade wished he had a white lab coat to give her. Maybe a pair of glasses would be appropriate as well. A nerd this hot should have all the trappings.

  “Might be right. No way to find out though. Anyway, we going down or what?” she asked, pointing to the huge step-like platforms that fell away into the chamber like the entrance to a grand valley.

  Nobody had anything else to suggest, so they walked to the edge of the platform and stared down at the one that followed. It was a thirty-foot drop, and though the stone was notched and easy to climb, Cade ordered them to take out their ropes and descend with as much sense as possible. In two groups, they climbed down one at a time, Sholl and Polde remaining to untie the ropes after. They climbed down quick and easy, their Dexterity so high they made the task seem enjoyable. Ronden and Dan stood below, ready to blunt their fall regardless. Thankfully, the precaution wasn’t needed.

  As they walked out onto the next platform, still no enemies came to bother them. The lack of obvious threat made their progress fraught with tension, and Cade found himself wishing whatever minions were in this huge terrarium would pop out and fight them already.

  Occasionally, a sound could be discerned, coming from one of the roaming banks of mist around and above them. A harsh flapping like a pile of papers tumbling along with the wind.

  “Definitely wings,” Minda said after another such fluttering passed. “This is an air-themed dungeon level, and the bad guys seem to be flying about us. The only question is when they will decide we’re a threat.”

  Unfortunately, the answer to that question arrived after they’d begun descending to the third platform.

  The wind had shifted dramatically, clouds above obscuring the false sun and throwing the landscape into shadow. Cade was halfway down the rope when an explosion of wings assaulted him. Four of their group had made it to the bottom already, and he was shimmying down beside Vrin.

  Suddenly, he felt razor-like claws tear across his skin. The streaks of pain made him nearly release his grip on the rope, so sudden and painful they were. Instead, he settled for growling and redoubling his pace.

  Again, fiery pain lanced down his back. All he could see were the shadows of whatever creatures were attacking him. Turning to get a better look, he glimpsed only a pair of frantic white wings.

  For some unknown reason, the creatures that dove at him endlessly seemed unperturbed by the armor he wore. A dozen slashes across his back and shoulder made his body throb with pain. Finally, he was close enough to jump off the rope and fall the remaining eight or so feet. Vrin landed beside him, and the two produced their weapons as quickly as possible.

  Ronden and Dan were already engaging the enemy, a shifting cloud of small winged beasts that moved as one. It had the warping and beautiful quality of the droves of swallows Cade had seen on nature shows in his past life. Yet here, it was terrifying. Ronden swung impotently and his hammer would pass through the air, his attackers having already moved away from him.

  Dan sent out one of his standard lightning bolts, and half a dozen of the things fell to the ground, sizzling.

  Glancing at one of the fallen minions, Cade analyzed it.

  Shriek Mothling

  Level 6

  Dungeon Insectoid Minion

  Insects! No shit, and to think I left my can of insecticide at home.

  Cade tried a few swings with his axe but missed as terribly as the tank had. Trying a different tactic, Cade fired an Explosive Shot into the center of the cloud. The mana bullet passed through a hole the moths created too fast to register. It erupted a few seconds later further down the platform.

  Shouts and noises of struggles came from the top where more than half their numbers still remained. Cade saw one of Polde’s daggers slice through a moth, and he noticed that though they were fighting the same swarm of insects, it was attacking them from two separate points. It looked like a shifting, two-headed beast.

  Trying another tactic, Cade used his spear point, hoping to get lucky and stab another of the beasts. The cloud pulled back and then shot down toward them again. He stabbed into their midst, almost blind by the endless flurry of wings. More wounds lanced down his arms, but
when the group retreated once more, a single moth twitched at the end of his spear.

  Still, despite the moderate success, Cade knew their plight was hopeless. There must have been hundreds of the moths, each with a wingspan of ten or so inches.

  A gust of ethereal wind erupted from above, and a cloud of glowing leaves ripped through the swarm. Dozens more of the huge bugs fell dead. Minda had used her wind attack, but its cooldown was too substantial to count on. Worse yet was the second shadow that swooped toward them, moving at inhuman speeds. Great, Cade groaned. Now there’s more of them.

  Then an idea occurred to him. They needed an area attack, and other than Dan’s or Minda’s leaf storm, they didn’t have many options.

  “Dan, I need you to use another lightning spell. Do you have one ready yet?” He shouted.

  The wolf man sliced another few moths from the air with his claws, and Cade saw a few thin lines of blood form across his already-matted pelt. “Another two minutes and I’ll be ready!”

  “Okay, Ronden, still have that Boom Stick I gave you?”

  The giant looked over his shoulder and a ragged smile formed on his lips. After giving him a nod, Cade told him to have it ready. Then, knowing it would be a hellish trip otherwise, Cade backed away from the small cliff he’d just descended and activated his jumping skill, Locust Leap.

  His legs exploded with power, and he nearly dropped his blast axe. The ground flew away from him in a blur and Cad hurtled toward the other portion of the dungeon divers. Landing with a gust of discharged ether, all of his companions turned toward him, weapons held as if he were some new and terrible threat.

  “Sorry, it’s just me. I have a plan!” he screamed, trying to have his voice carry over the endless susurration of wings tearing at the wind.