A Dungeon's Soul_Book 3 of the Adventures on Brad

by Tao Wong

  “Is that the Elms?” Daniel said as he squinted back the way he came. In the distance he could see figures moving and the Elms were the only others on the fourth floor thus far. A moment later, he saw the birds that had collected above the other group suddenly collapse as if a giant hand had crushed them. The Elms broke apart and alternately stomped, kicked, stabbed, and smashed the ground. Or more likely, the monsters that were on the ground. It took the group barely a half-minute before they started walking again. “I guess that’s what Gravity Well does …”

  “Focus,” Asin hissed at Daniel, and he found himself grimacing again. Right, they had their own monsters coming in soon. He fell silent, head bent as he focused on the trembling in the earth as the monster coasted inside the ground. Daniel was once again grateful that whatever made it possible for the Tremqua Worms to move at such speed underground also made it possible to detect them so easily.

  Asin yowled slightly, arching her back in anticipation of jumping, before she looked to where Omrak continued to bang on the ground. Omrak stopped his tapping after a moment and then roared as he plunged the blade into the earth, leaping backwards immediately after.

  Cued to attack, Daniel dashed towards the sunken blade. The Tremqua Worm burst forth from the ground, injured by the strike with its mouth torn open on one side. Even as it raised itself off the ground and twisted to hide again, Daniel reached it. The stocky Adventurer roared as he loosed Perin’s Blow, smashing the monster higher into the air. The Worm’s body elongated under the attack and pulped under the mace, splattering Daniel with warm blood.

  Above, the birds dived and were met by Asin’s Fan of Knives. The survivors flocked closer, the lead bird struck by Omrak’s thrown axe and falling to the ground in a bloody fan of feathers and meat. Daniel paid no attention to what was going on above him as he pounded on the Tremqua Worm with his Skill. Even the bird that attempted to pierce his armor with its razor sharp beak and peck at his body from its perch on the ground failed to draw his attention.

  Asin almost chuckled as she watched Daniel, one hand swinging and cutting any attacker while the other tossed knives underhand. The Catkin would have to spend a few minutes finding all of them later on, but it was why she marked each knife with her scent each morning. It was a tactic that only worked for a Beastkin and one she had not shared with her party members, nor did she intend to. Asin idly hopped to the side, scooping up another pair of knives she had left in the ground for easy access while they waited and continued her attack.

  One last blow and Daniel rose fully, idly catching a swooping bird against his shield. The raptor smashed directly into it, its claws and wings compressing briefly before it found itself on the ground, stunned by the sudden stop. Daniel stepped forwards quickly, stomping down on an exposed wing as he surveyed the battlefield.

  Omrak, bare-chested and bleeding again, was swinging his sword around and batting birds to the ground around him. Occasionally the Northerner would take a step aside as injured raptors attempted to hop their way to him. Injured and bleeding though he might be, Daniel could tell that Omrak was not being hindered by his injuries. Knowing that, Daniel took the time to attack the monsters that had been grounded. Omrak’s fighting methods were strong, powerful, and dangerous—but they were not designed to allow a Healer to approach and lay hands on him for healing. It was a definite concern and one that had Daniel considering learning the ranged variations of his healing spells.

  Minutes later, the group found themselves free of monsters. During the cleanup, a second Tremqua Worm had surfaced and attempted to attack Asin. The agile Catkin had proceeded to jump straight into the air and throw a Piercing Shot directly down its throat, immediately killing the monster, much to Daniel’s chagrin. In truth, locating and picking up the various Mana Stones was more difficult than the initial fight.

  “Better?” Daniel asked as he glanced at Omrak, who stood stretching, his wounds scabbed over and slowly healing under Daniel’s spell.

  “Yes. My thanks again, Hero Daniel. It is a marvelous thing to have a Healer in your party.”

  Asin chuffed her agreement before looking around the ground once more. Satisfied they had collected both knives and stones, she pointed down the road. Time to go. The Crimson Elms were on their way.

  “I need a break,” Daniel said, his breathing heaving hours later. The only reason it had taken so long before he called it quits again was his Healing magic, and even that was limited by the amount of Mana he dared use. “How big is this level?”

  “Big,” Asin said.

  “It does seem extensive,” Omrak added, shaking his head as he surveyed the land around him. Twice more already the group had needed to pause to deal with the building numbers. Behind them, the Crimson Elms continued to trudge onwards, more than content to let the Tremqua Worms attack as they walked. “It reminds me of stories of the Lowna Plains.”

  “It reminds me of the road from Peel,” muttered Daniel wryly. Flat, boring and endless that road had been. “You know, this level might end up being an easy one for most groups.”

  “Hmmm?” Asin growled as she chewed on a strip of jerky.

  “The monster attacks are few and far between. Once you know what to expect, it isn’t difficult to deal with. It’s also a single flat plain, so if there are a lot of parties, you might not even be attacked,” Daniel explained. “In other levels, you don’t want to cluster up. Too narrow corridors, too small caverns. Here, there’s no reason not to.”

  Omrak nodded slightly, rubbing his chin. “Yes. And the features are the same as before. Unlike the second floor, where the water levels alter the paths.”

  “Exactly. No surprises, no changes. This will be an easy level,” Daniel said, his breathing slowly coming under control. Pulling some jerky from his own pouch, he began to chew on it as he waved for the group to start walking. They would eat and move.

  “Why?” Asin asked and waved her hand around the Dungeon at their puzzled glances.

  Daniel shrugged and Omrak stayed silent. It was generally believed that Panqua, Erlis’s, son was the one who managed the actual Dungeons. Apocryphal stories even had Adventurers running into the god in Dungeons, gifting reward and punishment for those who succeeded and failed spectacularly in equal measure. Still, stories from the church or not, no one actually understood why or how he did what he did or when. Because of that, most Adventurers ignored what little was known, focusing on the rather more important day-to-day aspects of surviving the Dungeons.

  It was late afternoon by the time the Elms finally caught up with the group. As the day lengthened, Daniel found himself slowing down even further, such that the group had taken to just walking for the last few hours. That had increased the number of Worms who latched onto the group, which forced them to slow down further and wait for each attack.

  “Not running anymore?” their leader said the moment they had caught up. Daniel pressed his lips together, refusing to rise to the bait, while Asin just growled.

  “No,” Omrak replied cheerily. “We see no end to this level as yet.”

  “Well, you did well. For a Beginner group,” she continued. “If you follow close enough, we’ll keep the monsters off your back too.”

  “It would be our honor to join in glorious battle with such great Heroes,” Omrak said.

  “That’s not—”

  “Ah, you would prefer not to fight such paltry monsters? We will be honored to ensure your weapons are not demeaned by their blood.”

  “No—”

  “No need for thanks, great Hero,” Omrak continued, waving his hands around. “We will do our best to fight under the eyes of ones so great. Perhaps some pointers would be helpful.”

  “Look, you—”

  “Leave it, Amrah. We’ll move faster if we aren’t having to deal with the monsters,” said the Mage.

  Amrah looks dissatisfied at that, growling softly beneath her breath. Still, she said nothing further as she stomped onwards. The large warrior on their side foll
owed quietly, though the slightest smile could be seen on his lips.

  “Thank you, great Heroes!” Omrak called.

  In answer, the Mage raised his hand and called forth his spell, the birds that had gathered falling to the earth. The Crimson Elms continued their walk while the trio found themselves dealing with the injured monsters. When they were done, the Elms had already moved on, leaving them to collect the Mana Stones.

  “Did you do that on purpose?” Daniel said.

  “Do what?” Omrak replied, a wide smile still on his face. Daniel squinted at the large barbarian suspiciously while Asin just snorted, continuing to pick up the Mana Stones.

  “Hurry. Catch up,” Asin said, pointing to the group a distance ahead.

  “Right, right.” This was going to be a long day.

  Chapter 7

  “A day and a half journey, eh?” Liev said, rubbing his chin. He stared at the tired, dusty trio that stood before him. “That explains the lack of monster attacks.”

  “Uhhh …” Daniel said.

  “Levels require Mana to create. The larger the level, the more Mana. Beginner Dungeons are Beginner Dungeons partly because there is only so much Mana that they have access to. It’s why they are limited to ten levels,” Liev continued. “More Mana spent on a level to make it larger means less monsters.”

  “Interesting,” Asin said approvingly.

  “You did not fight the Champion?” Liev asked, glancing at the stones before him.

  “No, the Elms did.”

  “Did you see it?”

  “Yes. It was enormous—thrice as large as a normal Worm. No birds, though—not any more than normal,” said Daniel. “Tough and you have to be much more careful than before. You really can get injured.”

  “Did you reach the fifth level?” Liev asked as he finished totting up their earnings.

  “Yes. We didn’t explore, though,” Daniel said. “It was just a room with a door. Didn’t want to test the door out.”

  “A door?” Liev said, running a hand through his red hair. “Well, might be many things. Going in tomorrow then?”

  “Definitely,” Daniel said. His earlier misgivings were still there, but after meeting the group, he knew he would not give up. If they lost, they lost—but he was not about to let the arrogant Crimson Elms saunter in without any challenge.

  Asin beside him just nodded, already splitting the coins. The pile was significantly higher than their previous trip. Playing clean-up for the Elms had at least been highly profitable, if demeaning. She quietly handed the coins over to each group member before flashing the group a grin and offering a wave before she left.

  Omrak picked up the coins, sliding them into his pouch. The barbarian stretched before he spoke. “I shall see you tomorrow. Hero Daniel. Attendant Halliope.”

  Daniel nodded goodbye, pocketing his own coin as he headed out.

  In the inn, Daniel sighed, stripping a shirt off to wipe himself down. As frustrating as the day was, he did have one small thing to smile about.

  Name: Daniel Chai

  Class: Level 8 Adventurer (02%)

  Sub-classes: Level 7 (Miner) (31%)

  Human (Male)

  Statistics

  Life: 257

  Stamina: 257

  Mana: 186

  Attributes

  Strength: 25

  Agility: 22

  Constitution: 29

  Intelligence: 19

  Willpower: 19

  Luck: 14

  Skills

  Unarmed Combat: Level 3 (43/100)

  Clubs (Novice): Level 1 (14/100)

  Archery: Level 2 (48/100)

  Shield: Level 9 (74/100)

  Dodge: Level 6 (23/100)

  Combat Sense: Level 7 (18/100)

  Perception: Level 7 (04/100)

  Mining: Level 7 (78/100)

  Healing: Level 9 (64/100)

  Herb Lore: Level 3 (31/100)

  Stealth: Level 2 (24/100)

  Cooking: Level 3 (99/100)

  Singing: Level 2 (14/100)

  Skill Proficiencies

  Double Strike

  Shield Bash

  Perin’s Blow

  Mapping (II)

  Spells

  Minor Healing (I)

  Healer’s Mark (I)

  Gifts

  Martyr’s Touch—The caster may heal oneself or others by touch and concentration, sacrificing a portion of his life to do so. Cost varies depending on the extent of the injuries healed.

  The increase to his attributes was as always, extremely helpful and been quickly allocated. Daniel also had a Skill Proficiency point to allocate this Level. He had a few options, including taking some of the Skills he had ignored or upgrading an existing Skill, but there was also new options to consider.

  The first was from achieving a Novice level in Club Proficiency. He had two options at this point. He could either purchase Mighty Blow, which was a more powerful version of Power Strike, or he could purchase Elemental Blow. It imbued his own attacks with an additional elemental force, much like the elemental bracers that he once wore and that Asin still did.

  In addition, with a higher Skill level in Combat Sense, he now had the option of purchasing a new Combat Sense-related Skill called Find Weakness. It was a Skill Proficiency that innately made him understand where he could attack to increase the amount of damage. This was particularly important when fighting new monsters, since their weak spots were not always apparent immediately.

  As always, he could also dedicate his Skill Proficiency to increasing one of his existing Skills, but those, while useful were not particularly interesting. One day perhaps, he might acquire Triple Strike, but for now, it’s beginner variation worked well enough. Nor did he desire to spend his point on upgrading his Healing spells. At the very least, he wanted to wait till he could acquire a ranged variation.

  Both new options were powerful for different reasons, but in the end, he found himself selecting Find Weakness. The reason was simple. Elemental Blow required him to use Mana, something that he needed for Healing. Find Weakness, on the other hand, was a passive Skill Proficiency and thus was more powerful overall.

  Having made his decision, he selected it and looked over the information silently.

  Find Weakness

  Increased understanding of opponents and ability to detect weaknesses.

  Skill: Passive

  Cost: N/A

  Effect: User has a 20% + 5% chance per level of Combat Sense to find weakness

  Satisfied with his choice, Daniel sighed and closed his eyes. Even if it was in the middle of the day, the Adventurer had been awake and moving for a day and a half as it stood. He was exhausted and tired and really just needed some rest.

  Later that evening, Khy’ra pushed open the door to his room. She laughed, seeing the sprawled-out form of the Adventurer as he lay there, shirtless with a touch of drool slipping out of the corner of his mouth. The Elf moved into the room, pushing against Daniel’s discarded clothing on his desk to clear some room for the food she had been acquired downstairs.

  “Daniel,” Khy’ra said as she gently pushed against his shoulder.

  “Mmmrrpphfff.”

  “Daniel, dinner,” Khy’ra said again, prodding his shoulder harder. He rolled over and the Elf grinned impishly, sneaking a finger between his armpits to tickle it.

  “Aaargh!” Daniel said, sitting up and glaring at her.

  “Evening,” Khy’ra said, leaning over and kissing him on the lips. “I brought dinner. You need to eat.”

  “Mmm … I guess.” Daniel rubbed at his face to clear the sleep from his eyes before he swiped at his mouth just before his stomach growled. “What would I do without you?”

  Khy’ra fell silent at those words, turning away to pick up the plates and return with them to the bed. She handed Daniel’s plate to him while she began to poke at the crust of her pie to mix it in.

  “Did I say something?” Daniel asked, frowning at the sudden change of
atmosphere.

  “No, you didn’t. Not really. It’s just, well, you are going to be gone soon,” Khy’ra said. “It’s just coming up so fast.”

  “Oh …” Daniel blinked, shaking his head, and then he reached out and hugged her. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” Khy’ra said, her voice soft and slightly tired. “It’s fine. It’s not as if I didn’t know to expect this.”

  Daniel nodded into her hair, just hugging her harder. That too was true.

  “Eat,” Khy’ra said again, elbowing him slightly to make him let her go. “I keep telling you that recently don’t I?”

  Daniel laughed slightly, and then turned to his pie. She was right. Still … he would miss her. They ate in silence for a time, both of them lost in their own thoughts, before Khy’ra shook her head, visibly pushing the morose thoughts aside.

  “Come. Summer is not ended,” she said.

  “It’s autumn.”

  Khy’ra smiled, kissing him on the lips. “Now, tell me about your delve.”

  “Well, we tried running the floor. That was a mistake. If I didn’t have my Gift …” Daniel said, Khy’ra leaning in with interest.

  Chapter 8

  Standing on the fifth floor after the first doorway, the group stared at the small tile-set arrayed before them and the locked door. Even Omrak’s great strength had been unable to budge the handle and striking the door had not worked either. It was obvious that they were meant to solve the puzzle of the tiles.

  “What do we do?” Daniel said, staring at the set of multi-colored tiles. It was a large set, thirty pieces wide and thirty pieces long with a series of five colors. All the spaces but one were filled.