CONQUEST: The Dungeon Core Gambit Book One

by Antony W. F. Chow

  Sibalt stared into her fearful eyes and he was delighted in her reaction. He knelt before her and opened the steel collar; he closed it around her neck with a "SNAP." The human avatar then reached for the four elements and pour the mana of fire, water, earth, and wind, respectively, into each symbol in the magic diagram on the collar.

  "In penance for your evil deeds, you will now be my slave for the rest of your life," Sibalt proclaimed. He felt her mental resistance against the spell. However, Markos used the collective will of the Hivemind to overwhelm the elf's resistance and broke her mind.

  "Enslaved: Jou Ra 'Tal, Level 8."

  To confirm his ownership of the dark elf, Markos etched the words, "Property of Markos Turloch," on the back of the slave collar.

  Alethea knelt beside her husband. She sought his hand and squeezed softly. The Great Earthmother believed in the sanctity of life and forbade senseless killing. She was happy to learn that her husband had implicitly followed this teaching by sparing the life of the dark elf.

  Sibalt rose to his feet and pulled his wife back up. He pulled her toward their bedroll near the campfire. "Let's get some sleep," he said in a loud voice for his companions to hear.

  "What about the slave?" Lemia asked and pointed at the dark elf.

  "Leave her there," he said coldly. Sibalt crawled into his bedroll and he felt the warmth of Alethea beside him. He pulled the blanket over the two of them and closed his eyes. There was still some time remaining until daybreak.

  Yozka ordered the two Supreme Earth Elementals to take the bodies of the five dead dark elves and return to the dungeon. Once they were gone, she created two Supreme Earth Elementals and hid them on the ground.

  The witch glanced at the enslaved dark elf who was still stuck in the pit. Sighing to herself, Yozka pulled one of the elementals back to the surface; she ordered it to create a canopy over the slave as a form of shelter. Her conscience now clear, Yozka laid down on top of the other elemental still embedded within the ground. It took a long time before she managed to fall asleep.

  Chapter 27

  Anger & Doubt

  As the party slept beside the campfire, Fast Runner and her wolf pack scoured the surroundings again for signs of more dark elves. However, they couldn't find any scent of the elusive elves and the alpha wolf sent a message confirming this to Markos telepathically.

  The dungeon core was still seething with anger. He recognized that the dark elves were able to use the forest to hide their presence and therefore, the wolf pack was not to blame for their failure to detect the elves.

  Nonetheless, Markos was heavily invested in the safety and well-being of his assimilated avatars, Sibalt and Yozka, as well as his new wife, Alethea, and Markos was beginning to enjoy her companionship. Thus, he decided to contact Ryota, who was keeping watch over the camp. We need to talk.

  I figure as much, the skeletal lord replied. It's about the ambush, right?

  Yes. It seems that I have been overconfident in my abilities.

  Ryota offered a raspy chuckle. It happens to the best of us.

  What more could I have done to ensure the safety of my people?

  The undead entity was surprised by this sentiment coming from a dungeon core. In his experience, dungeon cores were selfish and self-centered; the cores were heedless of the lives of living things and viewed them as mere pawns. Yet, Markos was different; he was emotionally attached to his people.

  Ryota wasn't sure what to make of it--and whether or not to take advantage of this unexpected weakness. He decided to maintain his unlikely alliance with the unusual dungeon core. After all, the undead lord still hadn't seen much of the new world aside from a dead village and a forest. Evolve, Ryota answered succinctly.

  What do you mean?

  The skeletal lord laughed. You are currently an Infernal Dungeon and you possess the ability to raise the dead.

  So?

  Ryota grinned inwardly. His guess had been accurate. When you evolve again, you will become a Heavenly Dungeon and gain the ability over life--including the ability to resurrect the dead.

  Markos thought for a moment. You meant that there is no way for me to avoid making deadly mistakes. But I could rectify them by returning my people back to life if necessary.

  Correct.

  That's a very broad perspective coming from a dead man.

  When you're dead, you see the world differently. As a young man, I often fretted over my imperfections in my training and my martial techniques. I failed to realize that making mistakes is what make us human and allows us to evolve into more perfect beings. As a skeletal lord, I have no more opportunity to evolve into something else. You can and you will.

  But I still don't know what conditions I need to achieve in order to evolve.

  I'm confident that you will figure it out in due course. I am Ryota the Conqueror. I will only serve someone who will achieve greatness. You will evolve into a Heaven Dungeon. I'm certain of it.

  Thank you. Markos was deeply touched and he was glad that Ryota had agreed to become his ally. While the dungeon core cared deeply for his assimilated beings, they were essentially his employees. Ryota, on the other hand, was his peer because of his broad life experiences. In times of self-doubt and loathing, the skeletal lord will be a bedrock of strength for Markos. The dungeon core left Ryota alone. Both had much to consider.

  * * *

  At daybreak, the party awoke and broke their fast in silence. They managed to gain a handful of hours of rest. The members were still tense and anxious over the ambush. They recognized that if Ryota was alive, he would have died from the poisoned arrow. And then the rest of the party would have been murdered in their sleep, aside from Sibalt, who was obviously targeted for capture by the dark elves.

  The dwarves were extremely thankful to be alive and, led by Alethea the Earth Singer, prayed fervently for the blessing of their Earthmother. The dwarves were aware of the presence of the enslaved dark elf but collectively shunned her and avoided looking in her direction.

  Markos examined the slave through Sibalt's eyes; the dungeon core felt the anger and disgust in the young man's heart. If Markos were to allow it, Sibalt would readily strangle her to death. We need her alive to hunt down the rest of the raiders, the core reminded his companion.

  When the young man calmed down, Markos released his control of Sibalt's body and allowed Sibalt to rejoin his wife.

  Yozka took control of the two Supreme Earth Elementals. The one that formed a canopy above the slave's head returned to its normal appearance. The witch then used Earth Work to pull the body of the dark elf back to the surface.

  Since the ground below her had been claimed overnight by the dungeon as part of its territory, Yozka was able to use the dungeon core's abilities. She chose to borrow the ability to Create minor object and created a homespun white dress. She also created sandals and a shawl to cover the dark elf's head. "Wear them," she ordered the slave.

  Wordlessly, the dark elf stripped off her dark clothes and wore the ugly dress and sandals; she had no underwear. She took her time wrapping the white shawl to cover her head and her eyes, leaving a tiny slit to see. As a dark elf, her eyes were extra sensitive to sunlight.

  Yozka regarded her new charge for a moment. "Your new name is Sin."

  "Yes, mistress," Sin replied in a hushed tone of voice. She had a heavy accent.

  The witch saw that the others had started walking again. "We need to keep up with them," she ordered. As the slave walked next to Yozka, the witch reached into her pack and gave Sin an apple. "Breakfast," the assimilated being explained.

  The dark elf immediately accepted the apple; she was full of gratitude for her new mistress. She also understood why the others had shunned her. "Thank you, mistress." Her hunger took over and Sin greedily ate the apple.

  Chapter 28

  Village of Anopii

  As the two women walked side by side, Yozka tried to get some information regarding the hideout of the raiders. "Where is the hi
deout?" she asked.

  However, despite the slave collar, Sin was evasive in her response. "I don't know the way back," she answered.

  "How could you not know?"

  "I have a poor sense of direction, mistress. During the raids, I always followed the leader."

  "How many of you are there?"

  "It varies. As few as five or as many as two dozen." The dark elf deliberately misinterpreted the question. She didn't know how many bandits there were in total. But she didn't want to say that outright. Thus, she answered how many raiders she was usually grouped with instead.

  Yoozka finally gave up asking her questions. The Compulsion made it impossible for Sin to lie to her. However, the mind magic could not impart knowledge that the subject herself was lacking.

  The collective Hivemind began to reconsider the wisdom of having Sin accompany them. Dark elves were despised by humans and light elves. Having a dark elf in their party would surely reduce their reputation in the eyes of others. True, Sin was a slave. But so far her usefulness had not been obvious. Moreover, she was another hungry mouth to feed during their travels.

  However, Markos was adamant that Sin remained in the party for a few reasons. First, it was possible that the other dark elves will try to rescue her. If so, the party could attack them and kill the remaining raiders. Thus, Sin had value as bait.

  Second, Sin was beautiful and exotic due to her race; if she was placed in a slave auction, then she would surely fetch an enormous sum of money. Therefore, Markos firmly believed they should hold onto her. For now.

  Of course, the dungeon core would not entertain the idea of bringing the slave into his dungeon. He had no idea how long the mind magic within the slave collar will last. When it inevitably fails, Sin will be dangerous to have inside his dungeon because she could escape and bring more of her kind to attack his dungeon.

  In the end, Sibalt was outvoted 1-2 and forced to accept the collective will of the Hivemind to keep the slave. The young man coped with this decision by simply pretending that Sin didn't exist. He stayed in front with the dwarves during the journey and refused to acknowledge her presence at all. His nights were spent with his wife and their nightly conjugal caresses.

  The dwarves were extremely happy with the attention, affection, and adoration that Sibalt was providing Alethea during the journey. Part of their (secret) mission was to capture the young man if he ever tried to run away from Alethea. After all, they weren't sure if Sibalt will accept the political marriage. Thankfully, they saw that he was as attracted to Alethea as she was to him.

  In addition, the guards pretended to be asleep while Sibalt and Alethea performed their bedroom duties. They enjoyed the show that the lovebirds put on every night. Although the three dwarfesses would like a piece of that fine human ass, too, they were adamant about keeping their promise not to touch Alethea's husband. At least not without her consent.

  The party continued their journey through the forest for the next four days and nights without further incidents until they reached the next human settlement. Unlike the destroyed village, this place was lively. There was a farmhouse with cows, horses, and other livestock penned inside a wooden fence. A rooster crossed their path fearlessly, forcing the party to wait for the animal to cross. Behind the homesteads were farms and many women were busy tending to their crops.

  An elderly woman slowly approached the party. Her face was ravaged by time and her eyelids drooped far below her cheekbones. Her nose was long and crooked. Strands of gray hair covered her ears and fell to her shoulders. Her eyes stared at the newcomers through narrow slits. Despite her unsettling appearance, she offered the strangers a kind, welcoming smile. "I am Elder Mabel Anopii and I bid you welcome to our humble Village of Anopii."

  Lemia approached her. "Are dwarves welcome here?" she asked.

  The elder nodded. "The world is full of ugliness and hatred. I started this village as a place to welcome all races," she proclaimed proudly.

  Suddenly, the door to the farmhouse opened, and a tall-looking demi-human stepped out. She had light gray fur with black patches here and there; her face resembled a dog and her long, thick tail wagged back and forth. She slowly approached the newcomers. "We have company," she remarked in surprise.

  The dwarven guards took note of the dagger on her right hip and a hammer in its holder on her left hip. They made no move to pull out their battle-axes.

  "Ah! Perfect timing! This is Cinta, a kobold as you can see," the elder introduced her. "She is also our resident carpenter," Mabel added.

  "Yup, and I just finished fixing the doorframe," the kobold nodded. "It shouldn't squeak anymore."

  Sibalt stepped forward. "My name is Sibalt and with me are my lovely wife, Alethea, and her guards, Lemia, Pewma, and Tensa. The lady wearing a green cloak is my master, Yozka. The warrior in the back is Ryota."

  Cinta noticed the dark elf standing behind Ryota and the steel collar around the elf's neck. "You have a dark elf for a slave?" The kobold couldn't believe her eyes! Dark elves were too proud to be enslaved by anyone!

  The young man nodded. "During our travel, we were ambushed by a group of dark elves. We managed to capture one alive; the rest were killed."

  "How did you manage to put the slave collar on her? Dark elves are sadistic, murderous, and strong-willed bitches. How do you even control her actions and prevent her from escaping?" Mabel asked cautiously.

  The elder could feel the enormous magic power within the young man. Mabel had to be cautious in how he was treated or else he could destroy the entire village out of anger!

  Sibalt nodded. "I was given this special slave collar by my master, Markos Turloch. He is a reincarnated dungeon core. The collar has long-forgotten magic to tame the wearer of this collar and compel obedience. The slave's name is Sin and she has proved to be perfectly obedient in the last four days we traveled together," he revealed.

  The other villagers had noticed the arrival of the newcomers. They began to gather behind the elder. They muttered amongst themselves upon hearing Sibalt's explanation.

  Mabel held up her hand to silence them. "Sibalt and his party have shown great mercy in sparing the life of the dark elf. Turning her into a slave and making her pay for her crimes is justice in the eyes of Dike, the Goddess of Justice. By killing the dark elves, these people have protected our village from raiders. We must be thankful and properly welcome them as heroes," she announced.

  The women behind her nodded in acceptance of the elder's judgment.

  Mabel turned around to face the party. "Please follow me. I will take you to my homestead where you can partake in a meal by a warm fire. You can spend the night here before continuing on your journey," she invited.

  As the group followed the elder further into the village, Yozka stayed behind for a moment. She commanded the two Supreme Earth Elementals to embed themselves into the road leading to the village. She ordered them to alert her if anyone else entered the village.

  The group entered the largest homestead in the village. It was located in the center of a row of houses. Like the others, it was built entirely of wood. The roof was thatched with straw.

  The hostess opened the door and lit a fire to her lantern, which was placed strategically on a hook next to the door. Mabel carried the lantern and walked over to the fireplace.

  Markos looked around, through the eyes of Sibalt, and saw a large living room with several tables and benches. The fire was burning in the fireplace and a pot hung over the fire. A delicious aroma drifted from the pot.

  The elder saw their facial expressions and chuckled. "I'm having rabbit stew. I'm afraid I haven't made enough for everyone, though," she said with a frown.

  "It's not a problem," Alethea replied. "We can share a small bowl of stew by dipping our bread into it," she suggested.

  Mabel laughed. "I'm sure there's enough for more than one bowl. While the stew is still cooking, please relax. I'm sure you had a long journey. But do tell me why you came this way."


  "My master wishes to invite adventurers to visit his dungeon. It is his hope to establish a human town next to the dungeon entrance," Sibalt revealed.

  The elder sighed aloud. "If only I was younger. In my youth, I imagined going to a dungeon and earning fame and fortune for clearing it out."

  "Would anyone in your village be interested in helping my master establish a town?" the young man asked.

  Mabel shook her head. "We're mostly farmers, aside from Cinta. She's a jack-of-all-trades. I'm very reluctant to let her leave our village."

  Sibalt nodded in understanding. "In that case, we won't press the matter any further. However, we do ask that you spread the word to people passing through your village."

  "Where is the dungeon located?"

  "It's to the southwest of the Bulddinger Mountains," Sibalt answered.

  "In fact, we're part of the Bulddinger Clan and came from the mountains," Lemia added.

  The pot started boiling over. Mabel hurried across the floor to open the lid. She opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle. She sprinkled some spices into the pot and used a ladle to stir the stew. "The stew is ready. Please take a bowl from the table. I will distribute the stew."

  The guests did as asked. In the end, the three dwarven guards split one bowl, the married couple split a second bowl, while Yozka and Sin split the third bowl of stew. Ryota pretended to take a bite or two from the third bowl as well. Mabel had a half-bowl of stew.

  Alethea noticed that the host was not eating. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

  "Oh, I'm not hungry," the elder replied with a polite smile.

  The party was famished and quickly finished the stew. A few minutes later, everyone started dropping to the ground. Their limbs were limp and they couldn't move. The disguised skeletal lord fell heavily to the ground, again to keep up with appearances.

  Damn! My avatars can't move! Mabel must have put something in the stew. That's why she didn't eat it!