by Atlas Kane
Minda organized the defenders to form a ring around Cade and Polde. And in a few moments, he’d told her what to do.
By then, the second group of moths had joined the fight, and things were turning desperate. Minda summoned a group of ether daggers and sent them flying through the group, and dozens more of the insects fell. Likewise, Sholl triggered a new spell that turned his spear into a whirl force and purple arcs of power launched up into the enemy swarm. More bodies plummeted to the ground, sizzling on impact.
At last, Dan roared above the din. “Ready!”
Cade pointed to the center of the mass of moths, not either head, as he’d come to thinking of them, the snapping jaws where the moths lashed out and engaged them, but the whirling core. “Now!” he bellowed. Throwing his own Boom Stick first, a half dozen other explosives rose above them, all falling somewhere near the cloud’s density. The creatures predictably dodged the attacks, reacting with supernatural speed.
But when a forking bolt of lightning struck one of the bombs, they all ignited in a chain reaction that shook the sky. The villagers had fallen to the ground, shielding themselves from the blast.
Cade’s ears rung, and the sound was so profound he was disoriented for half a second.
Please, he pined, hoping their ploy had achieved some measure of success.
He could only grin as a moment later the patter of limp bodies falling to the ground sounded like the beginning of an obscene rain storm.
Rolling over, Cade saw that a portion of the insects had risen up and were winging away from them at great speeds, heading deeper into this level of the dungeon. The air was filled with dust, a sparkling fog of moth wings and blasted body parts, all those unfortunate monsters who’d been close to the eruption. And all around, bodies of disoriented or dead moths continued to fall.
The group might have celebrated but for the general state of ear ringing that afflicted the parties. Herbs and tinctures were had all around, and the multitude of lacerations that had begun to wear them down healed. Their actual healers were forced to use skills to negate the party’s collectively damaged hearing. When the ringing finally abated, they took a few minutes to collect themselves before deciding their next move.
“I’m okay with moving in further, but want to know one thing first,” Polde demand. “Why wasn’t our armor effective?”
Cade considered the question and remembered the minions’ name. “They’re called Shriek Mothlings. I didn’t hear anything other than their wings, but maybe they simply emit a higher pitched noise. It could somehow penetrate our armor. I have no idea, Polde, but we should rely on other means of protecting ourselves in this level of the dungeon. Else we might be in for a lot more trouble.”
A few other theories were passed around, until the general consensus remained that though they couldn’t understand the source, they did know their armor was useless.
Some of the defenders, Polde at their head, suggested they might remove their armor and store it in the Inventories. That way, the weight would be massively reduced being held in the pocket dimension.
Ronden, along with a few others, felt otherwise.
“They have a point, Polde. We don’t know what else we’ll face. Insects and windy things no doubt, but what if the others can’t do what the Shriek Mothlings could?” he questioned, and the team leader quieted down.
Deciding to progress further, the group made their way down a few more platforms.
The deeper they went into this level of the dungeon, the gloomier it became. Soon, the sun was a distant thing, still shedding light on the plants and wide stone platforms, but with decreasing effectiveness.
Twice more, clouds of the killer moths approached, each time filled with a new variation of the insect. Shadow Mothlings came first, a dense blackness that produced an odd terror that defied reason. Still, Cade had called for an alternating attack with the Boom Sticks, and again, the beasts were blasted apart.
The final attack came from Mothling Brights, and though they were again devastated by the blasting explosives the dungeon divers threw at them, an unforeseen side effect nearly resulted in tragedy.
At the center of the minion’s elegant and glowing wings were small crystals, apparently channeling the ether from the dungeon and giving them their signature brightness. When blown apart, the crystal turned into a thick cloud of shrapnel that pelted Cade and the others.
In a flash, the moths were destroyed or retreating, and everyone was writhing on the ground in pain. Some escaped with only one or two tiny cuts, but most were seriously hurt. Fenian, however, seemed to have drawn the short stick. His bulky frame had been shot through with crystal fragments, and he was so injured, he couldn’t even speak. Instead, the man stared blankly up at the sky, his life’s blood leaking from him too quickly.
“Stability Tablet, now!” Cade commanded, and the nearest of them crawled over to the healer and summoned the chalky pill. It was the size of a quarter and thick, so they had to pour water down Fenian’s throat to get him to swallow it. The task still might have proven futile had the tablet not had an effervescent quality. It fizzed to life within his mouth and the liquid drained away.
Cade poured another few mouthfuls of water into the man’s open throat, watching the tablet shrink each time.
The bleeding slowed to a crawl, and though his voice remained mute, Fenian’s eyes found Cade’s. The shock had been held at bay, and the remaining healer was given a chance to act.
Using their most powerful skill, one with a 48-hour Cooldown no less, the healer was able to restore Fenian to a stable condition.
The close call sobered the group further, and a serious discussion was had about going back.
“It must be miles up now though, and what if more moths keep coming? I don’t know what we should do if another cloud of those last attack again. Besides, how many more explosives do we have?” Sholl asked, his scaled neck turning an anxiety yellow.
Everyone counted the remaining explosives and the answer was telling. Three Boom Sticks and six Blast Sticks. It was enough for two more attacks at best, and that was relying on the smaller grenades a little too heavily for Cade’s taste.
“I say we march on. Turning back will only cause us to have to retrace our steps later. Let’s just hope we are close to the end,” Cade said, before listening to a few more concerns.
In the end they agreed to proceed.
The dungeon at last leveled off, and though more platforms linked together to take them further in and down, they only dropped off a few feet at a time now. The ropes were stowed away, and the party moved forward, wary of ambush.
Ahead of them, a great mist continued to build, further blocking out the sun, but when they came close enough, Cade noticed they were entering the mouth of a vast cave. Others pointed this out as well. Minda added a different observation. “Smells like shit, guys. Smells like the droppings of way too many creatures.”
They didn’t have to wonder long whose feces they were smelling. After another few minutes and two more platforms, the floor of the cave came in sight. It was huge, spreading out in all directions, and over its entire surface clung a faintly glowing material. Guano, baby. Nothing better for your tomatoes, Cade wanted to say, but he held his tongue. The mood was foul enough without his antics.
Trodding through the muck wasn’t pleasant, but Minda handed out two leaves to each of them. They were brightly colored things, canary yellow, and pungent. Rolling them up and tucking one in each nostril, Minda gave them a valuable solution. Having the eye-watering herbs buried in their faces would have been torture had the alternative been any less disturbing.
As it was, Minda became quite popular.
After five more minutes of marching into the cave, a brighter glowing light emerged from the mist. The light came from several shapes, they saw at last, the form of each becoming distinct soon enough.
They looked like eggs.
Massive things, each large enough for several men to fit inside. And
even as they watched, the nearest began to shake. Sure enough, a tear formed, and a cloud of Shadow Moths emerged in force.
The same terror filled Cade’s heart, but he screamed the order, “Explosives!”
Boom and Blast Sticks were tossed in their midst, lightning followed, and half the cloud evaporated. The rest was disoriented, and though a few of the moths came close enough to attack, spitting out tiny gobs of black acid, they were largely defeated. Minda sent her daggers through their midst and Sholl used his spear attack once more, shattering the remaining group’s resistance.
Yet all around, more eggs began to shudder.
Before they were overrun by a never-ending supply of bugs, Cade reacted.
Pulling the corked flask of brandy from his Inventory, Cade threw it out above the cluster of massive eggs. A second later, he fired his blast staff, breaking the ceramic container to bits. The liquor sprayed over the eggs in a fine mist. Then, darting forward, Cade threw a handful of the reactive powder.
A roar of flame swept over the area, scorching the eggs in a pillar of flame.
Moths erupted from the egg sacks, but their thin wings caught on fire, adding to the mess. “Throw the rest!” Cade screamed, and the remaining handful of explosives were tossed into the chaos.
Ten seconds later, and only the crackle of silken egg sacs could be heard.
Cade laughed, his relief catching on as the group fell to near hysterics. They’d done it, destroyed the nest of nasties that had plagued them for the better part of the day. It was over, and now they could go home and tell the rest of the village of their bravery and hard work.
Cade was wiping a tear from his cheek, exchanging a look of gratitude and relief with Minda, when a primal roar tore through the fragile sense of peace.
In a heartbeat, Cade fell to a knee, pointing his blast axe in the sky, searching for the terror flying above them.
Gusts of wings buffeted them, and a vast creature descended.
The boss had finally arrived. And it was related to mother fucking Mothra!
14
The Intersections of Culture and Class
When the mega bug landed, a wave of moth shit roiled toward them. Cade cowered behind his arms, holding his breath, and when he looked up he was facing an insect the size of a jet airplane.
The creature’s eyes sparkled in an array of colors, and its wings stretched wide above them. A long proboscis extended like a spear, and the beast shuddered with some primitive emotion.
Where is a lightning-shooting giant lizard when you need one? Cade thought, realizing that even Bellows wouldn’t stand a chance against such a creature.
A long moment of tension stretched out as the party waited to see what the boss would do. Minda summoned her daggers, and Polde triggered a skill over her own. The rogue’s daggers became coated with ice, and then she slashed them into the air before her. Twin razors of magical force shot at the boss’s face, followed by all nine of Minda’s daggers. One after another, the projectiles landed, sinking into the insect’s flesh, and the most surprising thing happened.
Each attack caused significant damage.
Like tissue paper reinforced with balsa wood, the moth flinched at each attack.
The beast roared again, a deafening sound, then it crouched before them. An aura of rainbow-colored light pulled up from the cave floor and wrapped around its body. At once, the wounds began to heal themselves.
“Let it rain!” Cade screamed, and a shower of other skills flashed out at the boss creature, fighting against its intense healing powers.
Ronden’s hammer crushed through its torso, and the moth fell to one knee. Dan let his lightning scorch the beast’s hide, and the smell of burned moth dust filled the chamber. Cade couldn’t wait any longer. Launching an Armor Piercing round first, the bullet ripped through the moth’s frame like a heavenly bolt, exiting its back and continuing on up towards the ceiling.
Then he triggered the skill he’d been dying to try out.
Burst Clip activated, his blast axe transforming in his grip. The staff shortened into a thick barrel and the glowing batteries shifted to form a drum. He lifted the machine to his shoulder, spread his feet wide, and fired.
Round after round, the bullet chuffed out of his blast axe, one per second. The kick was similar to a twenty-gauge shotgun, enough to let you know it was there, but given the slower rate of fire, easy to control. Mana-condensed bullets ripped through the moth’s eyes, blowing chunks of its delicate body away.
Getting caught up in the extent of his own badass self, Cade did the only thing a reasonable warrior of Camp Casmeer would: he screamed.
The moth shuddered and fell, both front legs collapsing as Sholl launched his spear into the boss’s chest. The last few bullets from Cade’s blast axe cracked home, burrowing ever deeper in their enemy’s skull. Ether smoke trailed from the blunt barrel, and Cade stood panting, watching in delight the fruits of his divine destruction.
With a final screech, the boss fell to the cave floor.
More of the rainbow light still seeped up into its frame, trying in vain to heal itself. Polde dashed toward it and put an end to its misery. Racing up one extended leg, the rogue triggered a skill, lighting her daggers up crimson. Cade thought of Satemi’s sword skill, and though the rogue’s blades didn’t extend as hers did, they certainly became more powerful.
Cade’s machine gun attack had torn away enough flesh to make the six-inch cord visible. It pulsed with the absorbed rainbow ether, giving away its weak spot. Polde flipped over the top of the beast’s neck, twirling around to bring both daggers across and through the knot of its exposed spine.
As soon as she landed, the ether began to evaporate, and the beast went still.
After a brief celebration, most screams and jeers sent echoing through the expansive cave, the group decided that the lingering smell of moth shit made the location unfit for a satisfying party.
They looted the boss, as they had with all the other moths along the way, and received a near endless stack of usable materials. Cade surveyed their material gains with keen interest.
413 Mothling Wing Scraps
292 Mothling Hide Scraps
72 Insect Crystal Shards
153 Insect Shadow Shards
81 Insect Shriek Shards
1 Ultimate Proboscis
23 Refractive Eye Panes
15 Gallons of Natal Ectoplasm
1024 Units of Mothling Guano
Cade already knew much of it would be handy for crafting. Where each material could be used, he had no idea. Only the Natal Ectoplasms registered to his Alchemical Engineering skill as an official reagent. He’d need to examine it further when they returned.
The Guano might be a godsend as well. Talking with the gardeners had given him a better understanding of the limits of pig shit. The addition of moth droppings would most likely make the green thumbs in their village happy.
What excited him the most were the 5 Soul Weapon Enhancers that dropped from the boss monster. He’d get to see Mr. McGregor level up after all. Another batch of Mana Shards was a nice gain as well, but this time, only 25 dropped.
Fed up with the stench, and exhausted, the group trudged toward the back of the cave.
Sure enough, an exit was found after another ten minutes of walking, a staircase leading back up to the surface within.
Confirming their suspicion of a separate dimension, the group only had to climb five floors till they reached the Town Interface room once more.
Topside, the sky was darkening, and a scattering of voices carried down the slope from town.
Not the rambunctious display of an entire population celebrating at once, but a typical night. If anything, it was a good deal quieter than usual, and that made all the sense in the world. Sixteen members, nearly half their numbers, were walking home, flanking Cade on either side. He hoped Gemma had returned by now, but knew also that if she hadn’t achieved her mission, the hunter would still be out there somewher
e, hard at work.
Sure enough, when he walked toward the cook fires, only ten Casmeeri villagers huddled together. He could see they were nervous. They were sitting closer than necessary, in an attempt, he thought, to distract them from the fact that their numbers were so low.
But as the delvers came in sight, a cheer rose up to greet them.
Dinner was passed out, freshly roasted ribs and fried plantains, kept warm in the bowels of the cook’s Inventory.
Cade ate his fill and observed those around him with quiet satisfaction.
Taking a pull from a mug of ale, he was interrupted by a familiar voice. “No near death experiences this time?” Satemi asked, pulling up a stool.
Grinning at her jibe, Cade answered. “Not unless you count Fenian. The poor man got it bad. Was shot through with fragments of crystal. Were it not for the Stability Tablet, he’d be gone.”
“His sacrifice was worthwhile though. Only two more levels and we can gain control over the dungeon,” she said, her attempt to remain positive endearing as it was against her typical nature. Squinting, she asked, “What of the Mana Shards? Any more?”
He smiled. “Just 25. And that was for both levels.”
The woman cursed. “Blast it. I was hoping since no XP was granted that the quest would have given a lot more. What were the rewards then? And what of the loot?”
“A huge pile of materials for building. Little else. We will see though. Perhaps they’ll be more valuable than I think. 5 Soul Weapon Enhancers too,” he added with a bounce of his eyebrows. “As for the quest, the fourth level gave us an Etheric Golem Heart. I’m hoping I’m right about what it might produce. The fifth rewarded us with XP, but it only extended to the party members. I’m sorry. Since it came after the boss fell though, I did raise another 60% towards the next level. Crazy if it would have been two levels in a row. Still, I have yet to choose a new trait and skill. Care to advise me, lovely?”