Anima: A Divine Dungeon Series (Artorian's Archives Book 6)

by Dennis Vanderkerken

  Artorian gave a pleasant thumbs up. “That demon’s name is Ghreziz. A-ranked annoyance. I beat him down before in the old world, cheating with a Mana storm that I funneled into a costly attack. I was certain I offed him, but I guess demons can be resummoned from the Abyss. He pulled a few demons in right before my eyes, so I taunted him and played him into letting me do the same. Except I didn’t draw from the abyss after seeing him do it. I pulled from the celestial affinity layer. Heaven? Plane? I really need help with terms here. Some fellow named Adam showed up, and while I don’t know the lad, I felt in my heart that I could trust him. I’m surprised he’s still around, based on what he said about his time being fleeting. I thought he might have winked out.”

  Tatum closed his eyes for a quick check. “I can confirm your Adam is still there, wiping the sooty floor with Ghreziz at the moment. My chosen, as impossible to guide or control as he is, is on the way as well. Wagner doesn’t take kindly to anything other than himself being on Hel. Some wildlife is fine, but people? Ooof, he hates people. I don’t actually believe the entity you summoned is able to leave? The chaos chains around Cal’s real body force a one-way journey until they fade.”

  Chandra stretched, lying back. “I am not going to complain about one more ally actually able to give our primary enemies a what-for. Now what do we do about the demons?”

  Tatum nodded, and got back to counting fingers. “When Eternium is reattached to the Silverwood Tree, the demon influences will once again start seeping out. Each demon we defeat will likely go to a memory Core, and unless we get all of them there is a chance for one to get free and envelop Eternium. If that happens, it will have control over that Core and will be able to let Barry out in a heartbeat. Or at least, that’s what I think their plan is. As additional bad news, with Cal being out cold, Barry will have the easiest of times defeating us. Everything is food and power for him, and Cal is full of it.”

  Chandra rolled her wrist. “How do we win?”

  Henry raised his hand; he’d been having a decent idea. The proverbial ball had been passed to him, so he spoke. “Wouldn’t that just be to go into Eternium and squish all the demons? While some of us remain outside and keep tabs on the Core for protection? We also need to rebuild several realms, and we aren’t doing fantastic on manpower, in terms of people who can do effective work. On that note. Could I go ahead and make a request?”

  Marie moved her hands in an ‘I don’t see why not’ motion, so Henry continued. “Artorian. This is going to sound harsh, but please know I do not mean this with malicious intent. Please don’t help with the Soul Space reconstruction.”

  Artorian wasn’t the only one curious, and he slowly turned in the vat to lean on his arms, interested in the explanation. “Henry, would you mind telling me why? I’m not upset at the request, I’m just… not following.”

  Marie squeezed her brow. “Henry. Take a bath, you smell. Let me explain this for you before it turns into another court catastrophe like with the Marquis.”

  Henry said nothing to the contrary, moseying over to the rack to start putting his armor up. It didn’t seamlessly hold together with Cal out of the picture, and he wasn’t in the slightest against a nice bath. He also hoped nobody would ask for the story of the Marquis. That was the most voracious flirting he’d ever been subject to.

  Queen Marie pressed the flats of her palms together, and got right to it. “You make messes. Not bad messes. Just inconvenient ones. You missed a lot of meetings, but the short of it is this: Your chosen are amazing at realm management. You turn wind-chimes into… artwork, when they were supposed to be useful for training. While we call you the Administrator, you’ve had neither the chance to really show your skill at it, nor have we a great number of recorded examples where your style of managing causes a realm to flourish. You get bored with nitty-gritty tasks like land-building, and you have an extreme penchant to go and alleviate that boredom. Keeping you on task is so rough, we had a group vote to let Dani decant someone from your old family to help keep you focused, knowing full well that might upset you.”

  Her hands dropped towards him. “You, on the other hand, excel when it comes to people, and sneaking your way into complicated social situations, regardless of how labyrinthine the rules are. I admit I checked out when you were playing court jester with the Wisps. Yet you got them to blab to you about heart-kept secrets in less than three hours! On a topic that would have taken me… I don’t know. Two millennia? With accidentally getting lucky and overhearing it?”

  Artorian deflated, sinking back down into the water. “I… well. Yes. I’m sorry. I didn’t do a very good job being a realm supervisor. In hindsight, I sort of just… let it handle itself, and that caused some issues my chosen had to jump for in my stead. You’re right that I didn’t do so well, though I also only got one iteration of chance at it. As for being an Administrator…”

  He sighed heavily, rubbing at his face.

  Marie filled the void, and spoke for him. “When it comes to how we feel we were handled: It’s not great. You were the only one able to use the senate for a while, even though it was somewhat our own fault we were rebuked from it in the first place. We were not checked up on frequently enough. While some people are great with working in isolation, I am certainly not one of them. There is a specific kind of administrative skill you excel at, but it wasn’t the kind that worked well with us.”

  Artorian kept quiet as he was getting slapped. Marie wasn’t wrong with her assessment. “You thrive in situations where a civilization is in full swing, and you can plod around and stick your nose in. So, in the Soul Space, you’re not a great fit. You are most certainly a massive boon for Cal when he gets stuck somewhere and needs an idea. Here and now, however, you’re going to get bored. There’s nothing left to fight, save for one demon that’s already losing, and is going to get ganged up on by us after we’ve had a breather.”

  Tatum motioned for a moment. “Actually, it just died. Brianna got it after Adam distracted it and got struck on purpose. Adam got Cored, but it was very much on purpose, it seems. Ghreziz just got assassinated. I’ll go fetch her.”

  Marie motioned to Tatum to make her point, but Artorian was already holding a hand up. “I’m sorry, my friends. For how it has gone. I will give up my Administrator position per the soul realm immediately. It’s obvious I was no good at it. Honestly, I think the Soul Space would be better off if that position simply didn’t exist. We all flourished when we could speak freely in the meetings. Or at least I felt so. While my particular brand of oversight was limited due to… well. I’m a bit of an absentee. Not a great feeling to reflect on.”

  Artorian had expected some kind of pull, didn’t feel anything when giving up the position. He wasn’t sure if Cal not being around failed to make it official, or if it had been revoked from him beforehand. Without a status screen to check, there was nothing he could do to be certain. Either way, his admittance of failure put his friends at ease. Dawn even rubbed the top of the youngster’s head. “What was that for?”

  Dawn took his hand, and resumed mending. He could tell when the burning prickles started up again. “I told them it wasn’t going to be a problem. Marie has been a little worried you would try to cling to the position like Brianna did, long ago. You have a terrible habit of taking tasks upon yourself that you can’t truly handle. Don’t be too disheartened? You are an excellent Administrator, but only in a setting where that is possible. I heard stories of what you did to the Academy on Cal’s old dungeon. I giggled for days. That was you at your best, with bright-eyed students in tow seeking tales of wonder. Snooty instructors that needed to be knocked down a peg, and more. I think Henry’s mention was actually harsh, even if Marie explained it.”

  Henry scrubbed himself with a rag in the baths, his lips forming a thin, apologetic line. Clearing his throat, he amended his statement. “It… Well, yes. With us, we did a lot better when you were in stasis for several iterations. Though I think because the first iteration left
such a sour taste in my mouth, it stuck with me. You’re not a bad manager, Artorian. I just don’t remember it fondly. As a person, I like you very much. If we could continue being friends, I would be very happy.”

  Marie nodded in agreement, and Chandra followed, though she had different things to say. “Personally, I don’t match their grievances. I understand needing some… time. The first iteration was rough for me, yet you came when you were able and swiftly moved to get things done. I think you did good, given what you had. Which was an admittedly harsh situation. If you wanted to stay and help with the soul realm, I would not be opposed. Though I understand why Henry and Marie think you could flex your particular set of skills in Eternium. Especially when we put the lost people back. Also… the other reason that hasn’t been mentioned.”

  Artorian raised a brow. He tried looking to Tatum, but the man was gone. “Did Tatum leave already? I wanted a—”

  *Vwop*.

  “Oh. Never mind. Hello, Brianna.”

  “You wanted to what, Artorian? I half-listened in from afar.” Tatum stretched after bringing in the assassin Queen, who sat down in an available seat. Remaining cordially quiet. Chandra poked Tatum in the ribs when he sat down next to her. “I… What? Oh, you want me to tell him?”

  Brianna just smirked, and decided to be helpful. “Allow me. Could we have a show of hands as to who actually enjoys Cal’s number system and living in Eternium?”

  Artorian quasi-raised his hand, but his heart wasn’t really in it. Nobody else budged an inch. He blinked at everyone, his head snapping to make sure he wasn’t the only one that moved. “I… I can’t be the only one that doesn’t mind?”

  Brianna shook her head, explaining given the group didn’t seem to want to talk. “I won’t speak for others, but I despise being in Eternium with a passion. I do it because I have to. The other Royals do it because they have subjects and must practice for the real thing. I believe this has come up before, but even with Cal mentioning that normal cultivation gains will be tied to game progress, I want nothing to do with it. I of course will when I have to, but let us never mistake that for genuine interest. You, on the other hand, possess a boon in Eternium the rest of us simply do not. A boon only Tatum partially matches, though not remotely with your level of freedom.”

  Artorian was even more confused, craving some elucidation. “Are you… going to leave me in the dark?”

  Tatum didn’t really want to say it, so Brianna kept hold of the ball.

  “You can cheat. We can’t. You have the blessing of Anima.”

  Afterword

  We hope you enjoyed Anima! Since reviews are the lifeblood of indie publishing, we’d love it if you could leave a positive review on Amazon! Follow this link to be redirected to the Artorian’s Archives: Anima Amazon product page to leave your review.

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  About Dennis Vanderkerken

  Hello all! I’m Dennis, but I go by a myriad of other nicknames. If you know one, feel free to use it! I probably like them more. I’m from Belgium, and have lived in the USA since 2001. English is my 4th language, so I’m making due, and apologize for the inevitable language-flub. I still call fans ceiling-windmills. The more shrewd among you may have noticed some strange sayings that may or may not have been silly attempts at direct translations! Thank you all for bearing with me.

  I started writing in the The Divine Dungeon series due to a series of fortunate circumstances. I continue writing because I wanted to give hungry readers more to sink their teeth into, and help them ‘get away’ for a while. If you have any questions, or would like to chat, I live on Dakota’s Eternium discord. Feel free to come say hi anytime! Life is a little better with a good book.

  Connect with Dennis:

  Discord.gg/8vjzGA5

  Patreon.com/FloofWorks

  About Dakota Krout

  Author of the best-selling Divine Dungeon and Completionist Chronicles series, Dakota has been a top 10 bestseller on Audible, a top 15 bestseller on Amazon, and his first book, Dungeon Born, was chosen as one of Audible's top 5 fantasy picks in 2017.

  He draws on his experience in the military to create vast terrains and intricate systems, and his history in programming and information technology helps him bring a logical aspect to both his writing and his company while giving him a unique perspective for future challenges.

  “Publishing my stories has been an incredible blessing thus far, and I hope to keep you entertained for years to come!” -Dakota

  Connect with Dakota:

  MountaindalePress.com

  Patreon.com/DakotaKrout

  Facebook.com/TheDivineDungeon

  Twitter.com/DakotaKrout

  Discord.gg/8vjzGA5

  About Mountaindale Press

  Dakota and Danielle Krout, a husband and wife team, strive to create as well as publish excellent fantasy and science fiction novels. Self-publishing The Divine Dungeon: Dungeon Born in 2016 transformed their careers from Dakota’s military and programming background and Danielle’s Ph.D. in pharmacology to President and CEO, respectively, of a small press. Their goal is to share their success with other authors and provide captivating fiction to readers with the purpose of solidifying Mountaindale Press as the place ‘Where Fantasy Transforms Reality.’

  Connect with Mountaindale Press:

  MountaindalePress.com

  Facebook.com/MountaindalePress

  Twitter.com/_Mountaindale

  Instagram.com/MountaindalePress

  Mountaindale Press Titles

  GameLit and LitRPG

  The Completionist Chronicles,

  The Divine Dungeon, and

  Full Murderhobo by Dakota Krout

  King’s League by Jason Anspach and J.N. Chaney

  A Touch of Power by Jay Boyce

  Red Mage by Xander Boyce

  Space Seasons by Dawn Chapman

  Ether Collapse and

  Ether Flows by Ryan DeBruyn

  Bloodgames by Christian J. Gilliland

  Wolfman Warlock by James Hunter and Dakota Krout

  Axe Druid and

  Mephisto’s Magic Online by Christopher Johns

  Skeleton in Space by Andries Louws

  Chronicles of Ethan by John L. Monk

  Pixel Dust by David Petrie

  Henchman by Carl Stubblefield

  Artorian’s Archives by Dennis Vanderkerken and Dakota Krout

  Appendix

  Abyss – A place you don’t want to be, and a very common curse word.

  Adam – A celestial elemental from Dale’s original party as a cleric. Now he serves as an embodiment of the celestial plane.

  Adventurers’ Guild – A group from every non-hostile race that actively seeks treasure and cultivates to become stronger. They act as a mercenary group for Kingdoms that come under attack from monsters and other non-kingdom forces.

  Affinity – A person’s affinity denotes what element they need to cultivate Essence from. If they have multiple affinities, they need to cultivate all of those elements at the same time.

  Affinity Channel – The pathway along the meridians that Essence flows through. Having multiple major affinities will open more pathways, allowing more Essence to flow into a person’s center at one time.

  Affinity Channel Type – Clogged, Ripped, Closed, Minor, Major, and Perfect. Perfect doesn’t often occur naturally:

  Clogged – Draws in no essence, because the channel is blocked with corruption.

  Ripped – Draws in an unknown amount of essence, but in a method that is unpredictable and lethal.

  Closed – Draws in no essence, because the channel is either unopened, or forcibly closed.

  Minor – Draws in very little essence.

  Major – Draws in a sizable amount of essence.

  Perfect – Draws in a significant amount of essence.
This affinity channel type cannot occur naturally. It is very dangerous to strive for, as the path to this type leads to ripped channels.

  Aiden Silverfang – The new leader of the Northmen, this Barbarian turned Wolfman holds deep grudges easily. He is one of the many supervisors of Midgard.

  Alhambra – A cleric that lives in Chasuble. Kept down for the majority of his career, he remains a good man with a good heart. His priorities for the people allot him a second chance, one derived from an old man’s schemery.

  Amber – The Mage in charge of the portal-making group near the dungeon. She is in the upper A-rankings, which allows her to tap vast amounts of Mana.

  Artorian – The main character of the series. If you weren’t expecting shenanigans, grab some popcorn. It only gets more intense from here on. He’s a little flighty, deeply interested, and a miser of mischief. He is referred to by the Wood Elves as Starlight Spirit. In Cal’s Soul Space, he takes the position of head administrator, and supervisor of Jotunheim.