by Skyler Grant
DLC
Skyler Grant
Copyright © 2017 Skyler Grant
All rights reserved.
This novel is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously, or are entirely fictional.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, except by an authorized retailer, or with written permission of the publisher. Inquiries may be addressed via email to [email protected]
Cover designed by Grace Zhu (gracezhuart.com)
Editing and formatting by Polgarus Studio (www.polgarusstudio.com)
Electronic edition, 2017
If you want to be notified of future releases from Skyler Grant and get the occasional goodie and free story please sign up for my mailing list here
I hate spam as much as you do. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contents
Previously in the Crucible Shard
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Coming Soon
Author Notes
Previously in the Crucible Shard
Dungeon Crawl Book 1. Liam, Walt, and Ashley found themselves brought to the Crucible Shard deep in the dungeon of a long-abandoned castle. Liam was a Paladin of the Goddess Yvera and quickly fell in love with her. The group made allies along the way, Maria the Queen of Spiders and Elsora the curse who had befallen the castle. Together they would go on to kill King Leosi and Liam would take over the Kingdom.
Spawn Campers Book 2. The party responds to piracy along the coast. They make new allies upon the Airship Vainglory, Cobalt the Captain who may be the deadliest woman alive, the seer Lea, and engineer Riggs. Together they make allies of the pirates and forge a peace with the Goddess Atlantia. They also learn that Leosi has been raised from the dead, and is now a potent Vampire out to return control of the kingdom to his daughter Maria.
Corpse Run Book 3. The party seeks an answer to the threat Leosi poses, a quest that takes them deep into the deserts in search of Mela, Goddess of Metal. When freed from captivity Mela at once summons a meteor to destroy the world, although when it arrives it turns out to be a ship from another world and entirely a different problem. To put a stop to these growing threats the Elves invade.
Gank Book 4. The party takes the fight to the Elves by going deep into their territory. Those connected with the Goddesses are going increasingly mad. Each finds some measure of sanity in the end, although the means to reach it are extreme. An alternate timeline is formed when Ashley kills Veros in the past, causing her to lose many of the sociopathic tendencies that had come to define her. Mela took Walt’s arm and replaced it with one made of death metal. A victory is finally won over the Goddess of Wood by corrupting her with the waters of Yvera. Yet that only brought on a new peril, Yvera seeming to lose her divinity even while prompts indicated all five elemental deities had been brought into a single pantheon.
Area of Effect Book 5. In the aftermath of Book 4 much is changed. Long in love with Yvera, Liam finds he no longer has the same connection with Yve, the woman his once Goddess has become. Liam journeys to the Silver City where he meets Queen Ashera, mother of Cobalt and Malachite, and complete badass. Finding himself in love Liam is soon drawn into the struggles of the Silver City in an effort to win Ashera’s favor. The A.I’s of Earth abducted several from the Silver City including Cobalt and used them to create The Nine, clones all possessing the Right of War and the Right of Rule. In the end, he discovers just how much Elsora has been using him in her machinations all along. Increasingly committed to rule of the Crucible Shard he gains the new Mind Games ability.
Chapter 1
I had a new power. I always appreciated a new power, but it did little to soothe how ashamed I felt. It seemed that every time I was getting on top of things I just got knocked down again and learned I’d not been half as clever as I thought.
I was resolved not to let it stop me. You couldn’t win if you didn’t play and right now I very much wanted to start racking up some wins. Earth needed me, my friends needed me, and I was sick and tired of being the pawn of others.
I now had the power of Mind Games and I could already imagine the possibilities. When so many others were hiding secrets, the ability to get at them was a potent one.
“So how does this new power work? Can I test it on you?” I asked Lake.
I was still alone with the avatar of truth. I knew the others had to be around somewhere getting their own revelations.
“It depends upon the situation and whether or not you are welcome in the mind of another. In some cases you’ll find yourself in a competitive environment, in others you might encounter something less conflict-oriented. And no, I’m not a tutorial, you’ll have to figure out by doing,” Lake said.
That wasn’t ideal, but I could work with that.
“You will also, as you use the ability, at times get the ability to level it up in various ways. This may expand your options in how the power is used and what abilities you have in the gamescapes,” Lake said.
I did love me some upgrades.
“Hopefully some good ones. Will I get any more powers?”
“If you triumph in struggles worthwhile on the cosmic stage, you will. Levels are going to be slower to come by than in the past, but also more meaningful when they happen,” Lake said.
That made sense. I wasn’t the match of people like Ashera and Elsora, not yet. To get on their level I’d have to pick bigger fights. I guess it was fortunate there seemed to be no lack of them.
The Machines of Earth had made nine people from the blood and organs stolen from Cobalt and her siblings. Nine children out there who all had the Rite of War and the Rite of Rule giving them the abilities to dominate worlds and make those world’s armies incredibly powerful.
They weren’t the only threats out there either. Assassins had recently tried to kill me because of my growing closeness to Ashera. There was also Veros and the Dark Court. They had to be my next target—it was said that neutralizing Veros should sever the connection between the Machines of Earth and the multiverse. It might be the only way to save my homeworld from destruction.
“Are the others done?” I asked.
“More or less. Shall I take you to them?” Lake asked.
“Please.”
Mists surrounded us for an instant and then faded away. I found myself standing on the deck of the Vainglory. Ashley, Walt, Yve, Malachite and Lea were already present and in conversation.
“Liam, about time,” Lea said brightly. It was good that somebody was cheerful, we needed more of that.
“I was busy verifying some painful truths,” I said.
“Things with Elsora d
idn’t go well?” Ashley asked.
“She’s pretty much been an evil mastermind manipulating everything behind the scenes this whole time.”
“Surprising no one,” Yve said.
No, it wasn’t a surprise. I always knew I was being played, I just didn’t realize how thoroughly or how completely.
Malachite said, “Well, while I’d love to sit here and hear more about all of your questionable and often irrational decisions. I need to bounce.”
“Thank you for the lifts. Is there any way we can get a hold of you again, if we need you?” I asked.
Malachite considered for a moment and then sighed, slipping a ring off one of her fingers and handing it over. It looked to be simple silver set with malachite.
“It’s called a windstone. Bleed on it, call my name three times and I’ll get the message,” Malachite said.
“Why does everything have to involve blood?”
“Be grateful it doesn’t involve anyone getting their limbs cut off, which seems incredibly too common for you lot,” Malachite said.
I had to concede that she had a point. We’d kind of been having amputation issues recently. At least, the limbs tended to grow back. Walt was a bit of an exception, but then the Death-hand was an ancient evil artifact upgraded by the Goddess Mela and now a permanent part of him. Whenever I started to feel sorry for myself, I just had to remind myself that my friends had it worse.
“Thank you,” I said, slipping the ring onto my finger.
“Abuse it and I’m taking it back,” Malachite said, before she vanished in a green flare of light.
“Did you get what you needed taken care of?” I asked Ashley. With us attempting to sever the connection between the Machines and Earth we’d hoped Lake could help her transition to the Crucible Shard. Walt and I were no longer gamers in pods.
“Yeah, this is me now. Ashley back on Earth was never going to get her vengeance against Veros, Ashley the assassin can,” Ashley said.
It was murderous logic, but I’d take it.
“What about Yvera?” I asked Yve. Yve had taken my place as a Paladin and the Chosen of Yvera. That was a little confusing given that they were the Crucible Shard and Earth versions of the same A.I. that had split in two. I was glad I wasn’t in the middle of this metaphysical quandary. It made my head hurt just to think about it.
“She has cut her link fully. Neither of us have a foot in that door anymore. It’s keeping us safer, but I wish we still had a line of communication with Earth,” Yve said.
“We do have Mela,” Walt said.
“Mela is a crazy psychotic bitch,” Ashley said.
“Seconded,” Yve said.
It was so rare that they agreed on something. It was a shame it had to be about how one of our allies was untrustworthy.
Fortunately, locusts armed with buzz saws didn’t take that moment to attack, which was hopefully a sign Mela wasn’t listening.
“Mela has proved herself. I don’t like everything that she’s done either, but when it counted she picked our side,” I said.
Ashley and Yve shared a look that suggested neither was especially happy about me sticking up for her. That was fine, there were plenty who would say bad things about both of them as well and I still took their sides. You had to stand by your friends, even when they were crazed sociopaths.
“Is the Vainglory at our disposal? We need to travel east. The Dark Court rules there on some sort of land mass they brought in from another world,” I said.
“Did you think up some horribly inappropriate gaming term for it yet?” Ashley asked.
“DLC. Good, right?” I asked. I was a little proud of it.
“Pretty weak,” Ashley said.
“I kind of like it,” Yve said.
“You guys are so weird. I can give you a lift. With the Captain running for the hills we don’t have anything else to do and you’re actually paying us well,” Lea said.
“I am?” I asked.
“He is? How well?” Ashley asked, sounding displeased.
“Elsora handles it,” Lea said.
For an incredibly evil and manipulative woman who had damned-near destroyed my psyche, I had to admit Elsora was good at running my Kingdom. Even now I didn’t harbor any thoughts of kicking her out, not truly. Besides, I wasn’t sure if I could, and didn’t know what I’d do without her.
“Then set course. I’m not exactly sure what we’re looking for, but hopefully whatever it is will stand out enough that we’ll recognize it when we see it,” I said.
“I do want to make a quick stop first. It should be on the way,” Lea said.
“What’s up?” I didn’t recall her ever making any sort of side trips before.
Lea looked strangely self-conscious and shrugged. “We’ve been hitting the truth a lot lately and the enlightenment has been coming fast and heavy. I’ve never looked back since I left home, but really, I left a lot behind there. I want to stop in and reconnect a little.”
I could understand that. I wished that when we’d gone back to Earth recently I’d had more time with my brother and that we’d been able to go back to Piper’s Mill. I wasn’t sorry to be on this adventure, but that didn’t mean I didn’t miss the people and places left behind.
“We can stop by, but we shouldn’t stay too long. For now, I’m going to hit the sack,” I said.
“Join you?” Yve asked.
The love that had once bound me and Yve was gone. It had been destructive and maddening to us both, and we both missed it terribly. Fooling around wasn’t bringing it back, but I think we kept hoping that maybe it would.
“Yeah,” I said. Maybe tonight would be the night sparks again flew.
Chapter 2
It was proving to be an exhausting night. You would think after all the revelations, I’d want nothing more than to get a good night sleep, but it turned out I just wanted to forget. Yve was great for helping me do that. The sparks might not be there, but a lot could be said for passion and creativity and we didn’t lack for either.
We’d just attempted something particularly acrobatic when the ship rocked violently and sent us both sprawling onto the floor.
“What was that?” I asked with a groan.
“Whatever it was, move, Liam. That doesn’t go there and I should probably put my armor on,” Yve said.
Oh. Right. I suddenly became aware of our new position and all the possibilities it opened up. Yve unfortunately seemed to have her mind somewhere else entirely as she clambered to her feet and started putting on her armor.
“You think we’re under attack?” I asked.
As if on cue there was a familiar rumble that shook the airship as the cannons fired.
“Aren’t we always under attack?” Yve asked.
I hurriedly slipped into my own armor. Since I’d stopped officially being the party’s tank I’d given up all ideas of plate. Really, I’d dressed in medium armor a lot of the time anyways and now I preferred the added mobility it gave me.
We finished getting dressed and I followed Yve onto the deck. Walt, Lea, and Ashley were there. Ashley had her daggers drawn while Lea’s runes were squared up. They flanked Walt as if seeking a more advantageous position.
“Guys, what’s going on?” I asked.
“Flyer. A giant eyeball of some sort. It has them both charmed and they’re not in their right minds,” Walt said.
Lea and Ashley didn’t speak. Good, that saved us from the whole bit of having to figure out who was really charmed.
Yve readied her massive two-handed sword and moved into position beside Walt.
“Uh, Yve, how about you go find the Eye and stab it? You aren’t going to be much good here—unless you want to chop our friends in half,” I said.
Yve considered that for a moment. “Fine.”
Flare
Yve gestured towards the sky and a giant bloom of light exploded in the clouds. The outline of a figure of an eye was briefly visible and I pulled its stats.
Vision of Doom: Greater Evil
Level 25: Type: Corruption HP: 750/750
The Vision of Doom is an ancient evil that for a long time was locked away in the sands of the Alkari dessert. Capable of charming an infinite number, any who meet its gaze directly will fall permanently under its sway until one of them dies.
I was focused upon the text, which kept me from meeting the Eye’s gaze directly. Now I turned my head to avoid catching sight of it.
“It’s permanent until it’s dead, we have to kill this thing,” I said.
“How do we fight something when we can’t look at it?” Walt asked.
It was a good question.
“When I was Yvera’s Chosen I had some protection against mental effects. Do you?” I asked Yve.
“Not enough. I can close my eyes and have her direct me, but we’ve got a few trust issues we’re still working out,” Yve said.
“Do it anyway. Walt, we need to focus on the deck. We don’t dare look up.”
“You’re thinking their feet might telegraph their moves?” Walt asked.
“Something like that.”
The problem was Ashley no longer had feet—or anything at all. She must have engaged her stealth. I knew well enough by now what that meant, so I had a moment to brace for it.
Backstab
A dagger pierced my armor and buried itself deep into my back.
Sun Portal