“That dog is certainly impressive, but I doubt any of the Raider groups in here would be able to kill it,” Shale had warned, after seeing it *pop* into existence.
You’re right, of course, which is why they will have to team up with multiple groups to take it down. It’ll be the ultimate challenge. And if they succeed and need something harder, then I can release some of the other rooms with Canines at the same time, making it even deadlier via the Pack Hunter trait.
“That makes sense, I suppose. This whole concept is new to me, as having access to additional groups of Raiders to take down a difficult dungeon creature is a bit foreign to my thinking.”
Mine, too, but I think my new form of existence has broadened my mind a bit since my days at DAPS. Seeing things from the perspective of an actual Core had only seemed to have taken her knowledge and expanded upon it, instead of limiting her thinking like she realized it had been before. That, and bending or outright breaking some long-established rules of dungeon management had helped.
Back to the current time, everything seemed to be working quite well, though the groups of Raiders were still being quite cautious in their fights, preferring to kill the weakest of the creatures coming out from the slide tunnels rather than anything really threatening to them.
That was fine, though, because if she had learned anything about the mortal races, it was that they eventually grew bored of easy and wanted a challenge – which she was more than happy to provide.
Chapter 25
Tacca watched them have their fun for a little over a week, with groups growing bolder and bolder all the time. Every day, the stands were packed – with barely any empty space – as group after group participated one after another in single battles. They were taking turns, which was nice to see, but after a few days they realized that they weren’t taking advantage of what their friendly local Dungeon Core had set up for them. It took an overheard comment from Sterge to get them moving.
“Hey, Gwenda, do I remember correctly that there isn’t a limit on how many Raiders could fight at one time?”
“Yes, I believe so – why do you ask?”
His answer wasn’t even necessary, as those sitting next to the 2 Hill Dwarves started discussing it immediately. The information spread like wildfire, going through the stands they were sitting in like wildfire, and even jumping across to the other stands until the entire arena crowd had learned of it. Thank you, Sterge.
While she had assigned decent rewards to all of her creatures upon their death, she had additional “bonuses” to those who participated in multi-group battles or who chose to tackle more than one creature pack at a time. So far, those that wanted a challenge just asked for something harder, which she obliged by unleashing her Minotaur, Ursino, and her Archmage, but none of them appeared ready for multiple packs as of yet. That changed as soon as the first dual-Raider group attempted to fight in the arena.
It was also the first death, though it wasn’t as if Tacca had intended it.
Two 5-person groups, all their members ranging between Level 7 and 9 (which she had learned from some overheard conversations), stepped out into the middle of the arena, appearing quite confident. Composed of a total of 3 Melee, 2 Healers, 2 Casters, and 3 Scout Classes, they stood in separate groupings, divided by their normal attack formations. She could tell that they weren’t used to working with other people, unlike what she had seen of the large army of Raiders meshing together to attack the invaders.
Since there were now more Raiders, it was time to up the stakes a little: Tacca released the two weakest of her creature packs. 10 Level 1 Root Foxes ran out of one slide tunnel on the east side of the arena, while 7 Level 2 Frond Coyotes and 7 Level 2 Branch Jackals sprinted out from a different one at the western side of the arena.
The sudden appearance of twice as many creatures surprised the two groups, and there was mass confusion as they hesitated in which to shoot towards first. Eventually, one group of Raiders turned and focused on one group while the other concentrated on the other; by the time they figured out what they were doing, it was too late to get more than a few spells and arrows off, killing a single Root Fox and 2 Branch Jackals before they closed with the gathered Raiders.
That’s when their lack of preparation took a turn for the worse, because Tacca’s creatures didn’t differentiate between the two groups. Their backs turned toward the Coyotes and Jackals, one group prepared to easily cut down the Foxes they were facing; unfortunately, the Coyotes and Jackals just happened to be a tad bit closer to the Fox group and attacked them from behind before the other group could intercept them.
Of course, standard strategy was to have their most vulnerable members of the group in the back, so the Healer and Caster were literally piled on as they were knocked down from behind. The Physical Attack damage from her creatures weren’t all that high, especially being Level 2, but the Pack Hunter trait enhanced it enough that even against a much higher-Level, they could still be deadly. Before anyone could react and come to his rescue, the Elven Caster had his throat ripped out from three different Coyotes working together to do the deed. The Healer also nearly had her arm ripped off by a quad of Jackals, but was saved by the quick thinking of the 3 Scouts in the large group, who jumped in when they saw what was happening, throwing themselves on Tacca’s creatures with savage abandon.
From there, it was pure chaos, but fortunate on the side of the Raiders. Her creatures’ first attack was quickly countered, as each member of the bigger group went a bit berserk and practically ripped apart her Canines. It didn’t take much, honestly, because her creatures were relatively weak in comparison to all of those Raiders, but in enough numbers and with surprise on their side, they could certainly be deadly.
Once the arena was clear of attackers, their corpses (or what was left of them) disappeared, leaving behind their normal rewards. However, a treasure chest appeared 20 feet from the center of the arena to the north. After their surprise, one of the members of the group that had lost their Caster opened it up, where they found a Minor Healing Potion as a bonus reward.
“Not really equal compensation, is it?” Shale asked.
No, not at all, but I wasn’t planning on someone dying to my weaker creatures, either. The treasure chest inside of the arena was the only thing she could affect while there were Raiders inside, because it was a mechanic that Dungeon Cores could use to reward especially great performances. While she normally let the chests be automatic in her Boss Rooms, here she could tailor the Reward specifically to the fight that had occurred.
The surprise “bonus” wasn’t lost on everyone that had been watching, and even though some of those watching one of their own lose their life were visibly affected by it, overall the death didn’t seem to curb their enthusiasm for the arena. On the contrary, it seemed to vitalize the rest into wanting to push further.
Additional group pairings were attempted, with better successes, and Tacca was starting to get a feel for what the Raiders could handle. After a few more days of this – and because she hadn’t really changed the locations of each creature pack – she was letting them dictate what they wanted to face when they pointed to the tunnel slides they wanted. Some of the stronger multi-group pairings were even choosing 3 or 4 of the packs at times, which was daring enough that they deserved some excellent compensation. Gold coins, Enchantment Scrolls, and steel weapons from Reward Tier 4 were slowly being accumulated by the teams.
Finally, towards the end of the first week, a pair of Raider groups that had some of the strongest members currently living there – including a fully armored behemoth she overheard was called Anton – pointed towards one of the two tunnel slides that hadn’t been used yet. Fortunately, it was the smallest of the two, not the large one that contained the gigantic Mastiff dog, but Tacca hesitated.
I…I’m not sure I should release them. I’m having second thoughts.
“Then don’t. Keep them there and let them wonder,” Shale advised.
Her h
esitation only seemed to make Anton and the others annoyed, and possibly angry. “I said I want to face whatever is in that one – we can take it!” The crowd roared in approval, deafening just about everyone in the room as the echoes reverberated over and over. Yet, still, she hesitated.
The crowd settled down as they waited for her creatures to be delivered to them, and she began to hear some considerable grumbling from just about everyone in there. Thankfully, she was saved by her 2 Bonded Hill Dwarves, who were at the front of the southern stands.
“Hold on, now, listen up!” Sterge shouted at the top of his voice, just loud enough to be heard by quite a few people around him. Tacca had seen how much respect most of the other Raiders held toward the diminutive Hill Dwarf (as well as Gwenda), so the silence spread throughout that stand and through another and another, until the whole arena was nearly silent.
As she had figured based on the dynamic she had observed between the two, Gwenda took over. “I believe there is something up there that may be a little disturbing to us, so I would offer fair warning that you might be alarmed by what you see,” she began, looking around at the crowd hanging on her every word.
“Is it some sort of horrific monstrosity?” a voice shouted out from the stands, and Tacca was too distracted to find who had asked the question.
Gwenda cocked her head to the side as if considering it. She knows exactly what is in there; smart girl. “In a way, you could say that. If you consider that, at times, us Raiders can be…monstrous.”
The Hill Dwarf didn’t have to elaborate, obviously, because Tacca saw comprehension dawn on faces throughout the stands, spreading like a tidal wave as those that had caught on immediately whispered to their companions. Very smart girl.
“You’re saying that they are what…us? Or at least Human or Elf or whatnot?” Anton yelled to be heard over the murmur of the crowd.
“I don’t know for sure, but that is what I would assume,” Gwenda answered with a shrug. “So, it’s up to you if you wish to face something like that. I just wanted to give you fair warning.”
There was a conversation that Tacca listened to going on within the middle of the arena, where Anton and the others were arguing furiously over what they wanted to do. If she was being honest with herself, the Dungeon Core would actually rather they passed on facing her creatures inside there, but as luck would have it…they chose to go ahead.
“We’ll do it. I’ve heard about some fighting pits in some of the larger cities, and I’m sure that most of you have, too, so I can’t see this being too different.”
That was news to Tacca, as well as to her Dungeon Assistant.
“They fight each other for fun? Or for sport? I thought Raiders were crazy before, but this just emphasizes the crazy even more.” She could hear him shaking his head even as he answered. He had taken to staying invisible near the top of the arena so he could watch the fights first-hand, as it was turning out to be entertainment not just for Raiders, but Fairies, also. He was usually joined by most of the Dungeon Assistants from the Nursery, who were still on the fence about connecting with her dungeon – but one or two of them were reportedly getting closer to giving in every day.
With the proclamation of assent, she opened up the trap for the room and the 5 “Raiders” and 1 Dungeon Fairy slid down the ramp into the room, though the Fairy started flying almost immediately after the others started moving. As the group of Tacca’s creatures raced out to the arena, a hush fell over the crowd as they watched the strange facsimiles of their own kind rushing toward the group in the middle. They were mostly silent as they ran; the only sound was the pounding of their footsteps and the creak and jingle of their armor as they moved. As for the Dungeon Fairy, it had rendered itself invisible the moment it flew out of the tunnel, and Tacca doubted many had actually seen it arrive.
When they were about 50 feet away, the Elven Caster stopped, held up the Exquisite Maple Staff it carried, and a Magistrike spell erupted from the tip. It shot across the distance to the seemingly frozen Raider groups, striking Anton in the chest and knocking him on his back. He didn’t appear too hurt from the strike, as his armor had likely blocked most of the damage it would’ve done, but it did have another effect.
It suddenly spurred his friends to jump into action.
The other heavily armored Melee Class from the second group of Raiders sprang forward, placing himself between Tacca’s incoming creatures and Anton, who was quickly getting to his feet. It was just in time, too, because the dungeon-created Gnome Scout stopped and fired off an arrow, only to have it bounce off of the Raider’s shield. A second Magistrike from Tacca’s Caster slammed into his shield a moment later, causing him to stagger backwards – but he held strong.
Her Orc Melee Variant reached the line of Raiders, completely passing up the armored defender as it aimed for the closest Healer, but it was slammed into from the side by Anton, who seemed to have gained his feet. Meanwhile, Tacca’s Hill Dwarf rammed his own shield into the off-balance Raider who had blocked the arrow and Magistrike spell, nearly knocking him down.
The rest of the Raiders immediately counterattacked, their 3 Casters flinging out spells not only towards the Melee creatures that were closer, but toward Tacca’s back line of creatures that were actively attacking from afar or sending out their own healing spells. Injuries on both sides came fast and furious, though her dungeon group was losing to the better prepared, more numerous, and higher-Level Raiders.
Tacca’s Dungeon Fairy suddenly appeared over the heads of her creatures, though no one fighting actually saw it. That didn’t matter too much, though, as Blinding Flash was activated, sending out a pulse of shockingly bright light that immediately caused half of the crowd in the stands to cry out in surprise, drowning out the pained reactions from those closer to the epicenter.
“Aaah! I can’t see! Neville, can you fix this?” Anton screamed out, and the Raider Healer stopped his own complaining to answer.
“I don’t know! Let me try something….”
Meanwhile, Tacca’s creatures, even having known the Flash was coming, were still marginally affected by the Dungeon Fairy’s ability. While they weren’t completely blinded, they were slow to take advantage of the situation, only reacting seconds later by attacking the nearly helpless Raider groups. One of the Raider Casters got an arrow in her stomach, and a different Healer other than Neville got a face full of a Magiburst, sending him sprawling backwards, alive but apparently unconscious. Two of the Scout-Classes managed to avoid being decapitated by Tacca’s Orc and Hill Dwarf, their keen hearing allowing them to partially dodge and suffer only minor slices as they backed away.
That all changed when the Raider Healer cast what Tacca figured was a Soothe spell, which cleared up the temporary blindness of everyone in the area. The now ticked-off Raider groups, able to see again, threw everything they had at Tacca’s creatures, using their abilities liberally to overwhelm her forces. The Dungeon Fairy used its Healing Aura ability to rapidly heal her creatures, having to drop its Invisibility in order to afford keeping it going.
As if sensing that it was helping, the Raiders noticed it for the first time, sending up arrow after arrow to kill it, but the Fairy was quite nimble in the air, dodging every shot. Suddenly, a net woven of magic appeared above its head and dropped down on the unaware Fairy, catching it and dragging it down to the ground, where it fell with an almost audible *thud*. The Healing Aura was cut off as the Fairy died from the impact, and suddenly the rest of the battle was a foregone conclusion.
Tacca’s Elven Caster was taken out first, cutting off the Sapping Fog it was releasing onto the Raiders, followed quickly by the Human Healer. The Orc Melee was next, as it was surrounded by Raiders and nearly hacked apart, followed up by the Hill Dwarf Melee. The Gnome Scout Variant proved to be quick on its feet as it avoided many of the long-range attacks sent its way, but it quickly succumbed when it was caught and surrounded by the Raider Scout Classes, ending the battle that lasted a lot longer
than Tacca had expected.
There was silence as the victors stood in the middle of the arena, panting heavily, with their opponents disappearing and leaving behind a piece of armor or weapon as their Reward. For the Dungeon Fairy, a single gold coin appeared where it had fallen.
Tacca began to worry as the rest of the arena was also silent, eerily so. Suddenly, as if it were some sort of trap being triggered, the crowd burst into deafening exultation, screaming their praise for the victorious Raiders. In the middle of the arena, Anton raised his arms in the air in a victory pose, strutting around and pumping his sword and shield to the rhythm of the chant that suddenly arose.
“An-ton, An-ton, An-ton!”
The Raiders had found a champion, a figure they could get behind to defeat even the strangest and most “monstrous” of enemies the dungeon could throw at them.
Of course, they hadn’t even seen her giant Mastiff yet, but that would have to be another day.
Chapter 26
“Brandon has finally decided to try a connection, despite the unknown risks.”
It was a little over a week since the Raiders had been trapped inside of the mountain, a week since the arena exhibitions had begun, and this announcement came as a complete surprise to Tacca. She hadn’t heard anything from Tulip or the other Dungeon Assistants regarding their progress in encouraging their Cores to connect for a few days, and she had honestly thought they wouldn’t go through with it.
What made him change his mind?
Tulip, the Dungeon Assistant for the Core named Brandon, shook her head in confusion. “It was my description of the fights in your arena, believe it or not. He said that it reminded him of a ‘movie’ called ‘Gladiator’, whatever either of those are, and that he didn’t want to miss out on any more of the action.” She emphasized the two mysterious words with air quotes, which was humorous to see, and she realized that Tulip probably hadn’t had as much experience with the personalities of the otherworldly souls as Tacca had. To the Fairy-turned-Core, she had gotten over their strangeness after the first dozen Cores she Bonded to, taking their mention of weird things in stride. “Plus, he was getting really bored with just the two small rooms he had built so far, as he wouldn’t be getting any visitors for a long time, if ever.”
The Dungeon Fairy: Three Lives: A Dungeon Core Escapade (The Hapless Dungeon Fairy Book 3) Page 24