The Land: Predators

by Aleron Kong

  Richter was in the middle of one such sparring session when a blazing red prompt appeared. He stepped back and the expression on his face made Randolphus start searching the area for enemies. The danger wasn’t to either of them though.

  DUNGEON MASTER RICHTER!

  THE BARROW OF THE CHAOS SERPENT CALLS FOR AID!

  CHAPTER 87 – Day 148 – Kuborn 38, 0 AoC

  The intense red color of the prompt wasn’t the only reason it stood out as abnormal. It also flashed dangerously in his vision. He had never gotten such a sense of menace from a notification window before. He didn’t even have time to react before the prompt appeared again.

  DUNGEON MASTER RICHTER!

  THE BARROW OF THE CHAOS SERPENT CALLS FOR AID!

  Richter focused on it and more information appeared.

  The Barrow of the Chaos Serpent calls for your aid as its Defender!

  Max party size is Doubled for the duration of this crisis. Exceeding max party size will cause all immunity to be removed.

  Anyone entering to fight with you is given Immunity to Dungeon monsters and traps.

  No Loot can be claimed or Resources gathered from the Dungeon or that person’s immunity will be removed. Spoils of war can be gained from the Dungeon invaders without penalty. Breaking any of these regulations will cause that person to be Marked with the Curse of the Barrow of the Chaos Serpent.

  Failure to destroy this specific threat will cause loss of your Dungeon Mastery. This could lead to the monsters breaking out of the Dungeon to wreak havoc, or even the absorption of the Dungeon mouth by the Labyrinth.

  Protect your Dungeon!

  He could lose his Dungeon? His people might be attacked by Labyrinth creatures? What was happening? Richter shook off his shock at the knowledge he’d just absorbed. He knew he had to make a split-second decision. He could cast Dungeon Transport and arrive at the Well of Offering in the next few seconds. The question was, what would happen then? Whatever the hell the danger was, he had to assume the worst. As badass a fighter as he now knew Randolphus was, the man had sounded cautious, and maybe even fearful, when he had discussed the monsters of the Labyrinth. If some of those had indeed invaded the Dungeon, Richter and Randolphus probably couldn’t handle it by themselves.

  No, he couldn’t just rush in. He had to arm up with the best the village had to offer and gather the strongest fighters and casters that he had. Richter started running towards the Forge of Heavens and Randolphus sprinted behind him. While he coasted on air using Cloud Running, he sent a message to his familiar.

  *Alma, go find Hisako, Yoshi and Sion. Tell them there is an emergency and ask them to meet me at the village gate immediately.*

  The dragonling had been flying above him, but veered off towards the Quickening, the usual haunt of the Hearth Mother. She took off like a bullet, her body already glowing yellow as she cast Weak Haste.

  As soon as he got to the forge, he started snapping orders. “You!” Richter singled out one of the human smiths. “Drop what you’re doing and run up to the Dragon’s Cauldron. The guards might stop you from going up into the meadow, so give them the code phrase, ‘Thank you, Bill Paxton,’ and tell them to come with you. Give the same phrase to Tabia and tell her we need every health, mana and stamina potion she has. The guards will help you carry them down to the village gate.” The man stared at him in surprise for a moment, but then raced off to do as he was told. Richter made a mental note to change the village passcode again and turned his attention to the village Smith.

  “What be the trouble, yer lordship?” Krom asked. He was holding his hammer in a way that said he was ready for anything. It wasn’t the enchanted ebony warhammer that had been handed down through the dwarf’s family for generations, but Richter had no doubt he could still do serious damage with the simple high steel tool in his hand.

  “I’m not sure, but there’s trouble in the Dungeon.”

  “Just let me don my chainmail,” Krom told him, moving quickly towards an armor rack.

  “No, my friend,” Richter told him quickly. “This enemy might be beyond any of us, and I won’t risk the best smith in the village when there are others that can swing a weapon.” Krom opened his mouth to protest, his eyes flashing angrily at being sidelined, but Richter held up a hand, “I need you to make sure all of the village noncombatants make it up to the northern meadow. Do this for me. If I fail, you and the guards will have to keep our people safe. Do this for me.” The dwarf shut his mouth with an audible clack. His eyes were still angry, but he nodded and started shouting orders of his own.

  Futen floated up in response to Richter’s mental summons. He gave the remnant an order as well, “Go to the training ground and find Terrod or Caulder. Tell them we go to battle in five minutes. Tell them to meet me by the village gate and bring only the Professionals.”

  “As you wish, my lord,” came the deadpan reply before the glowing orb floated off. While he normally moved at the speed of a walk, Futen could travel at the speed of a run if the situation called for it. Clearly, this time he felt the situation called for it.

  “What can we do, Lord Richter?” another smith called out.

  “Someone run to the Healer’s Hut and tell Sumiko that I need her and her best healers at the village gate in four minutes. Tell the other healers to go to the northern meadow and prepare for possible casualties. Everyone else, run through the village and tell everyone you meet the same thing.”

  With those orders given, Richter walked over to the heavy elementum chest, only to be intercepted by Krom.

  “Ay will do as ye command, yer lordship, but if a battle is a loomin’ then ye will have the best ay can offer. This were going to be one of three gifts before ye went to battle the lich, but the others na be ready yet. Ay had to buy a Talent, Weld Magic, ta make this, but ay think yew’ll agree, it be worth the price.” Krom took out a sword contained in a beautiful wooden sheath that had been lacquered black. Though he couldn’t see the blade, the hilt was ornate and familiar.

  The chaos seed took the weapon and unsheathed it. When he did, the light in the forge dimmed and heat seemed stolen from the air. A moment later, the visual disturbance and sensation faded away and all was as it had been. Richter examined the beautiful instrument of death in his hand. As soon as he saw its power, he spent the necessary gems to soul bind it to him and him alone.

  You have found:

  Black Ice

  This darkstone blade was forged by Bowdin of the Mist Village and enchanted by the village Master, Richter. The hilt was recovered from a pile of the dead. Created from the dimensional bones of a Greater Shadow Demon, this hilt and the blade that was once attached were wielded by the Dark Paladin Tqlor. A fragment of the demon’s soul is still bound to this item. Using this hilt will shroud the wielder in shadows, greatly increasing their base Concealment stat. Whosoever holds the weapon also benefits from some of the demon’s powers. The more lives this weapon claims, the greater the powers it can unlock. The culmination of these events has produced a Named Weapon. You hold Black Ice.

  Level: 1

  Attack: 29-36

  Durability: 317/317

  Item Class: Rare

  Quality: Superb

  Weight: 6.9 kg

  Traits:

  +10% Damage vs Spell Barriers

  +9-10 Earth damage*

  7-8% chance to Disarm

  3% chance to Shatter

  +4-5 Water Damage**

  4% Chance to Freeze

  Wounds inflicted with darkstone will fester and interfere with mana regeneration

  Hilt Bonus: Your weapon hungers. Feed it to increase its powers.

  +1 Dark Damage per 5 skill ranks in Dark magic ***

  Charges: 468/468

  * +200% vs Air, +300% vs Crystalline

  ** +100% vs Fire

  ***Independent of Charge

  In the hidden caverns of the northern meadow, after Richter had slain the dark aberration, he had found a room full of bones and items l
eft over from centuries of the monster’s victims. It had almost all been trash, but Krom had saved a few pieces, this random hilt included. Krom had affixed the hilt that Richter had found to the darkstone blade Bowdin had forged. Richter had had no idea it would actually be valuable. He didn’t really understand why the blade had gone from being scarce to rare, but then he saw the “hilt bonus.” It was a gods-damned scalable item!

  Richter didn’t really know the significance of having a “Named Weapon.” Krom told him he couldn’t answer that. Each Named Weapon was unique and only fighting with it would reveal its nature. Even without that info, the blade’s enchantments, coupled with the Dark damage from the hilt, were huge. It was also a scalable weapon, so even without its Named status, it would get stronger the more he used it! Krom told him that scalable weapons could grow in many ways. They could level with their user, absorb the energy of slain creatures, or require new components to be added, among many other methods. Black Ice fell into the second category.

  “Krom. I-” Richter was at a loss for words. The Smith had sacrificed precious Talent Points to make this weapon. The village was truly lucky to have such a dedicated man.

  “Yar. Do na make it weird,” Krom told him gruffly. “Just go kill things.” The dwarf turned away, muttering under his breath. “Give a man a blade, and he turns into a wee lass.”

  Richter smiled after the gruff dwarf. Another smith brought him a shoulder harness for the sword. Every smith in the village knew that Richter didn’t like wearing a sword belt. The story of him trying to walk with one, only to fall three times in quick succession, was still chuckled about.

  That done, he raced down to the village gate. A few minutes later, everyone was assembled and Richter filled them in on the prompts that he’d received. He told Hisako and Yoshi that they, of course, did not have to come. It was his village and his Dungeon that was being threatened, after all. The Hearth Mother just waved his words away and asked what the plan was.

  Richter looked to Randolphus as the man had the most experience of any of them by far. The Spy had nothing to add though, “The Hall of Elemental Hunters has not had a Master for centuries. I have never been called to defend a Dungeon before. Labyrinth monsters would occasionally enter and cause a bit of havoc, but the Dungeon in Law is so large that its own monsters would overwhelm any interloper if given enough time. Adventurers mostly avoided those sections of the Dungeon until the Labyrinth creatures were slain. To be perfectly honest, running from Labyrinth monsters has always seemed the best course of action.”

  Great, Richter thought. The badass Spy’s only advice was to run away from the very monsters that they were about to run towards. He addressed the group gathered before him, “I have no idea what we’re about to face. Believe my next words, everyone. Even though the rest of you are my villagers, none of you has to come with me. I only want volunte-” Terrod, Caulder, Sion and every single other person took a deliberate step forward. Richter’s heart swelled with pride. With a firm nod, he said, “Then let’s do this.”

  Dungeon Transport only had an effective distance of five yards from himself, but that was enough for the group he was taking into the barrow. With his party size doubled, he could take ten with him, not counting his Companions. It meant he could bring his whole varsity squad. His defenders included the Warriors Cath, Ulinde, Ygritte, and Wisteria. Except for Ulinde they were all melee fighters, and each was wearing the best weapons and armor the village could provide.

  His three village Mages were also present: Sumiko, Zarr and Quasea. Hisako, Yoshi and Caulder rounded out the ten-count. With Richter and his Companions, that brought the total up to fourteen. The smith he had sent to the Dragon’s Cauldron arrived with the potions and Richter made sure they were handed out. The magi also cast buffs on the party, increasing their health, attack, defense and speed. The spells weren’t cheap, and the mages downed two blue mana potions each right afterward. He also handed out Potions of Clarity from his Bag of Holding to every party member. Everyone drank the sparkling clear fluid, each hoping they would live long enough to enjoy the +25% experience boost. With the preparations done, Richter cast his spell.

  Tendrils of mist rose from the ground, encircling them all in a grey-white bubble. Nine seconds later, they appeared in the Entrance Chamber. Richter quickly looked around, but saw no immediate threat. The throbbing red warning signs that kept popping up in his vision proved the danger had not passed. The shimmering energy field that led into the rest of the Dungeon was still there though, which Richter hoped was a good sign.

  The chaos seed drew Black Ice and strode through the portal, his party close behind. Devastation met his gaze. Most of the red columns were in ruins. Richter hadn’t even been sure that they could be broken, but only a few still remained whole, the rest shattered or snapped in half. The bodies of koran tuskers and jenit prowlers lay strewn about the cavern. In many cases there were just pieces left of the Dungeon monsters.

  Spear-like projectiles nailed one prowler to the broken remains of a stone column. Whatever had thrown the weapon had done so hard enough to embed the javelin two feet into the enchanted stone. Immediately in front of Richter lay the two ragged halves of a large tusker that had been torn apart. Richter had no idea how a creature that had to weigh half a ton could have been torn in half. Then he heard the roar.

  It was a deafening, earthshaking bellow of rage. More squeals and howls echoed from the same location, at the heart of the chamber. Even though many of the columns had been damaged, enough remained whole that Richter could not see the source of the noise. The rest of his party appeared out of the portal behind him, and Alma launched herself from his shoulders. She gained altitude immediately and flew directly towards the center of the cavern. Seconds later, Richter saw what they would be fighting. His eyes widened in shock and two dueling feelings swelled in his chest: fear… and excitement.

  Richter turned and looked at his party, “Ummmm. It’s a rancor.”

  That probably wasn’t the creature’s real name, but he’d be damned if that wasn’t what it looked like. Richter had to fight an irrational desire to look up, just to be absolutely sure that Jabba wasn’t looking down on him through a ceiling grate.

  The Labyrinth monster was about thirty feet high with gravy-brown skin. Some of it was ruffled in places like a bulldog. It hunched over like an old person, but there was nothing frail about it. The thing’s muscles were so large that it almost looked like there were tumors in its arms. Arms that were so long they could drag along the ground. They ended in gigantic, three-fingered hands tipped with four-foot talons. Its head was the size of a pickup truck and its face was pinched like it had been sucking on a sour ball. With its massive fangs though, Richter was sure its primary food source was warm and bloody.

  Prowlers and tuskers were attacking it, but the creature wasn’t alone. Six other monsters that Richter had never seen before were running around the rancor’s feet, fighting the Dungeon monsters as well. They looked like a cross between a hyena and a dog. Their hairless skin was matte grey and massive quills traced down their backs like mohawks. They had sharp talons on each paw and their two front feet each had a long dagger-like spur that they were using to eviscerate the attacking Dungeon beasts.

  Dozens of beasts were attacking the Labyrinth monsters, but dozens more already lay dead. The Labyrinth monsters were unfazed, just attacking with abandon. Richter saw the largest monster almost casually pick up a fully grown adult tusker. Its long talons pierced the side of the pig beast, letting dark red blood trace down its arm. With no hurry at all, it put the squealing creature into its mouth. One strong bite was all it took to rip away the tusker’s leg and most of its side. Blood fell in a torrent, splashing the ground beneath. The red fluid was being sucked up like it was water in a desert. The Dungeon was using that blood to restore some of its power, instinctually trying to regain enough energy to spawn even one more beast.

  It was fighting a losing battle.

  Even though
Richter had been warned about how dangerous the Labyrinth’s monsters would be, he was still taken aback by the intense savagery of the battle. Quickly pulling out his Traveler’s Map, he showed everyone the images Alma was sending him.

  “Have you ever seen these things before?” he asked Randolphus.

  “No. That means little though, my lord. The Labyrinth has an endless supply of horrors.”

  Hisako had nothing to add either.

  “Okay, then,” Richter said, thinking quickly. His heart was pounding in his chest in anticipation of battling some of The Land’s worst monsters. “We could wait. Try to separate the monsters and take them down one at a time. As long as I read the prompt right, the Dungeon monsters are on our side for now. Or at the very least, I don’t think they’ll attack us. If that’s the case, then waiting is a mistake. We need to attack while we still have allies. I say we get in there now. Try to kill the little ones, then take out the big ugly one.”

  “You do realize those ‘little ones’ are still bigger than us, right?” Sion asked, not liking what he’d seen on the map.

  “Got any better ideas?” Richter asked. The ensuing silence was all the answer he needed. “That’s that, then. Warriors, take out the smaller ones, one at a time. Terrod and Caulder, protect the casters. Sumiko, reserve your mana for healing. Everyone else,” he shook his head a bit helplessly, “I’m sure you know what to do. Sion, ol’ buddy, let’s make this opening salvo count.”

  The chaos seed sheathed his sword. Then he retrieved his bow from his Bag of Holding. Taking a quick breath, he placed a Multishot Arrow of Shattering on his bowstring. The other two archers did the same.

  “Let’s sneak closer, using the remaining pillars for cover. Once we’re within range, I’ll sneak a peek and use Analyze. If there’s any relevant information, I’ll let all of you know; otherwise, we imbue and shoot. Ulinde, fire at the same time we do.” Everyone nodded and the group moved forward, as silently as possible.