Dungeon Bound 2

by Bastian Knight

  We’re only two rooms away. Hope Cuix’s forces are guarding Meri.

  “Reyna, try to flank them from the left and take some pressure off Cindra. Sthuza, aim for any weak points to slow them down,” he ordered.

  The werebadger grumbled, then muttered something about his dick, but she rushed into the melee. She showed more cooperation than he’d expected from the belligerent lycan.

  Sthuza was ahead of him and had loosed three arrows by the time Reyna slipped in behind a distracted spider monster.

  Gabriel immediately reached inside and studied his mana pool.

  Mana 24%

  While he’d recovered more than expected since the battle in the baron’s keep, he had already burned a good bit of it on maintaining multiple Haste buffs for longer than ever before.

  Got to assume they’re all sisters to the powerful one Cindra saved me from. I’ll need to conserve my pool for when we face her, if she’s with them.

  He focused and harnessed enough mana for a deflective shield spell, then wove the arcane energy into the unfamiliar patterns.

  Gabriel recalled the sparse details he had learned about arachne. He knew enhancing his bonded would be far more effective than trying to blast the magic-resistant monsters. He anchored the defensive buff to Cindra, cast it, and then suppressed a shudder at the sensation of another sustained spell tapping his dwindling pool.

  That makes five. Not sure how many more spells I can maintain at one time.

  Sword already in hand, since he’d needed it as his conduit, he stalked toward the increasingly brutal melee.

  Reyna drew off one arachne when she leapt onto its disgusting, chitinous abdomen and ripped a leg off. That relieved the pressure on Cindra. She made good use of the increased speed from his Haste buff to parry the flurry of blows the other three launched.

  Cindra growled angrily and lunged at the foe closest to Reyna’s prey. She dodged between a pair of thrust spears and ducked low to cleave the startled monster’s front legs.

  The wounded arachne screeched. Ichor sprayed out in pulsing gouts as she recoiled and fell back fast enough to leave her sisters exposed.

  Cindra halted the black blade’s momentum and brought it back to hit another spider-woman. Her attack caught the monster where pale flesh merged with hardened chitin.

  The screeching of the three wounded arachne, whose voices were a horrific blend of chittering insect and skinned cat, had Gabriel cursing his enhanced hearing. They made the bellowing growls of Cindra and Reyna sound soothing and pleasant.

  How can they stand it?

  His whole body begged him to flee as the cacophony set his nerves on fire, but he clenched his fists and rushed to support his bonded.

  No way I can cast with that much noise vibrating in my head!

  He caught his target by surprise, her focus entirely on the hellhound who’d just sliced her sister’s belly open.

  His mithril blade slipped through the weak chitin near the leg joint. He threw his weight behind the strike, and it sank deep into her spider-body.

  She spun, flinging him around as he held tight to the sword wedged inside her.

  Turning was a mistake. One Sthuza quickly took advantage of when she loosed two arrows into the woman’s exposed back. The black missiles punched through the unarmored part of her lower back and drove the monster to her bulbous belly.

  Gabriel twisted and drew his sword out of the dying arachne’s guts as her chitinous legs twitched wildly around him. He ducked beneath one, then dashed away from the slashing claws.

  Cindra had finished one of her foes, and Reyna was busy gnawing her way through another’s throat.

  That left only one more spider monster to deal with on their side.

  Good thing too. Haste spell is wearing on me.

  He paused to catch his breath and tried to contact Meri again. Gabriel received no reply, though their connection felt even stronger. While her fear washed over him, he thought the Core sensed his presence this time.

  Across the room, two arachne still tangled with a half-dozen desperate kobolds.

  Though armored and wielding a sinister black spear with skill, the wounded arachne backed away. Her red eyes darted between her sisters’ killers.

  “You are Dungeon Master?” she asked. The chittering undertone of her voice sent shivers down his spine.

  She’s a lot harder to understand than the one we fought before. Like she doesn’t speak Common often.

  “Yes. Why are you here?” He was careful not to take his eyes off her while she shuffled back again. She walked oddly, no doubt due to her missing front legs.

  “Yesera, oldest sister says you be ours,” she replied. The arachne seemed to calm down when she spoke the name.

  “Is that the one we burned the face off of last time?” Gabriel smirked when the arachne snarled and exposed vicious fangs.

  “It would appear so,” Sthuza said. She sounded calmer now that they’d dealt with the immediate threat, and she turned to glare at the spider-woman. “If you swear to keep your sisters away from here, Master may be willing to let you leave with your life.”

  The arachne shook her head, and a single coal-black braid whipped behind her. “You slay me. Sisters still claim Core.”

  As she spoke, one of the pair facing the tiny lizardmen spun and moved to her sister’s aid.

  Gabriel brushed his bond with Meri and flinched. All the tension that had started to seep away rushed back with a vengeance at the realization there were arachne in the Core Room.

  If possible, she was even more terrified now. He could feel Meri’s thoughts vaguely now that they were so close. When he increased his focus on her, she rushed to him, and it felt like she was trying to bury herself inside him.

  ‘Gabriel, save me! They’re killing all the goblins!’

  Hide, we’re on our way. We’ve already dealt with three of them.

  The talkative arachne turned toward her sister.

  Sthuza loosed an arrow.

  Gabriel barely caught the blur as it passed him to plunge into the distracted arachne’s eye. The large monster girl collapsed instantly, her humanoid body slumping lifelessly while her remaining spider legs twitched, slowly curling up.

  “So you heard what I told her?” He grinned at the gorgon, who nodded and matched his expression.

  “There are more of them threatening Meri,” he explained between ragged breaths. “They’re still killing goblins, which means we might get there in time, so hurry.”

  The lone arachne that faced them screeched horribly, her inhuman voice assaulting his ears. She tossed her spear up, switched her grip, and threw the long weapon.

  His vision tunneled, time slowing as the lethal missile flew straight for his chest. Wishing he’d kept up his combat training, Gabriel threw himself to the side, then winced as the sharp blade caught his left arm.

  It carved through his coat. The dark metal parted flesh to cut a shallow gash along his triceps.

  A hard landing jolted his senses back to normal, and he shook his head clear before rolling to his feet.

  Sword still in hand, he turned back to face the monstrous woman and blinked.

  She was just starting to reach for her sister’s discarded spear when Cindra lopped off one pale-skinned arm, and Reyna leapt at her humanoid torso.

  “You fucking skank!”

  The vicious werebadger stretched her jaws wide and sank her fangs into the pale throat. As she brought her victim down, the last arachne fled toward the Core room.

  He felt another spike of fear from Merideva. It was so intense it washed over his other bonds, and he saw both of his bonded flinch.

  “We need to move!” Gabriel called out toward the pair of blood-covered monster girls. Sthuza was already at his side.

  He didn’t waste any time and led the way through the door. Cindra caught up to him in the last room before Meri’s, where eight more armored arachne blocked the path.

  They stood over several unmoving goblins an
d a pair of the kobolds.

  “You should surrender now, save much pain,” one of the looming monsters declared. She spoke in the same chittering screech they all seemed to possess.

  Cindra growled deep in her chest and lunged for the speaker. Her greatsword crashed against the woman’s spear with a crack like thunder.

  Then it was on as the other seven spider monsters swarmed forward and tried to surround the hellhound.

  Reyna rushed in and drew three of them off of Cindra.

  While Reyna forced her way to stand at Cindra’s back, Sthuza loosed arrow after arrow. She aimed her shots at any weak points she could find.

  Another wave of dread slammed into Gabriel. He staggered as though it was a physical blow.

  So did his bonded.

  “Hurry to Lady Merideva!” Sthuza hissed as she drew another arrow. “We will deal with thessse, Massster. You mussst protect her.”

  Gabriel was torn. He hated the thought of leaving his bonded and Reyna to face the eight monstrous warriors. But the overwhelming despair that flooded across from the Core chilled his soul.

  Can you shift into your other form? Or use your gaze?

  ‘Pretending to be human has kept my mana low, Master. And if the arachne resist my gaze, it would put us at an even worse disadvantage.’

  Shit.

  Cindra whipped her greatsword across to fend off all five of her attackers. “Snakey is right! We kill these. Packmaster save Lady Glowy.”

  An arachne screeched and thrust at her, but the hellhound narrowly dodged aside.

  Despite the tense atmosphere, he couldn’t help but chuckle at Cindra’s simple way of viewing things.

  They’re facing worse than two-to-one odds, but she’s right. I’ll lose them all if the arachne harm Meri.

  “Don’t die,” Gabriel said, then raced past the chaotic battle. He wasn’t sure if it was truly a command, or a plea.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  The pit trap had been triggered, but no doubt failed to slow the arachne. Gabriel reset it without pausing as he entered the hall that led to Meri’s room. A single goblin corpse was viciously hewn apart just past the pit. A small crossbow lay on the stone beside the dead warrior.

  Gabriel ignored it and sprinted to the ajar door.

  The large, well-crafted room was a scene of horror.

  Several butchered goblins lay strewn about the spacious room. Gabriel didn’t know if they’d tried to defend the Core, or had just been cowering here and got caught. His stomach roiled as the stench of blood, shit, and goblin piss filled his sensitive nose.

  He recognized a couple of the more intact goblins and felt his blood chill at the sadistic injuries inflicted on most of them. Several had been crudely skinned, while one hung from an upright spear—strangled with his own guts.

  A pathetic mewling drew his attention to the large arachne standing by the dark altar at the back of the room.

  Cuix’s green face was a bloody ruin. She looked up, and her one good eye locked onto Gabriel. One feeble arm lifted off the altar and reached toward him. “Boss guy, sa-save… Core.”

  The monstrous arachne withdrew her curved sword from where it was buried inside Cuix’s hamstring, which elicited another tortured whimper, and turned around. Like her sisters, she wore a dark breastplate and scale armor.

  Bile climbed into Gabriel’s throat as he recoiled from the horrific visage glaring at him. He forced it back down and met her gaze.

  Staring into her burned face sent his mind racing back to when he first met Cindra. She had rushed in to save him from the powerful arachne, burning the monster’s face off and almost dying in the process.

  The grotesque woman chuckled, or at least he thought she did. The clacking sounds and the way her face stretched sent another shiver up his spine.

  “I hope you do not find my looks too unpleasant now, Dungeon Master,” she said. “This is thanks to you and your infernal mutt. You have no idea how much pain you’ve caused me, but do not worry.” She paused to sneer, and her eyes glared at him.

  All six of them, though half were a hideous milky-white.

  “I’m still going to let you live with us and breed my sisters and me,” she continued. She might have been going for seductive. The way his rage and disgust mixed with the fear and pain that still radiated from Meri, he didn’t care.

  “I was going to say you and your sisters could leave if you surrendered, but that was before I saw what you did here. You’re going to die for this,” Gabriel said. His words caused her red and white eyes to blink disconcertingly.

  “Really? You care so much about a few goblins? It is your own fault, truthfully. I grew bored of waiting for you to return. So I decided to play with a few of them,” she said with a snicker. The sadistic monster flicked her twin blades, which sent a spray of goblin blood splattering across the gray stone.

  She sheathed the sinister swords and pulled a black and purple spear from behind her back. Its dark blade glistened wetly.

  With a thought, he activated Magesight and studied the arachne. Every item of hers glowed with powerful enchantments.

  The ornate, feminine breastplate and her spear were both potent enough to hurt his eyes. Her twin swords carried a similar glow, though with a harsher feel.

  She was tough enough unarmored.

  Six eyes studied him. “Do you intend to fight me with your sword again? Surely you remember how that went last time. Your firebreathing bitch isn’t here to save you now.”

  A surge of rage washed through Gabriel. He fought back against the desire to rush the arachne and sink his fangs into her throat.

  That’s Cindra’s bond. Can’t afford to get offended and rush in recklessly.

  The memory of the first time he encountered Yesera was fresh in his mind as he focused on the Interface.

  Mana 21%

  With a force of will, Gabriel suppressed the urge to charge and began a spell cast.

  She’s an arrogant bitch, but she’s not wrong. I almost died last time, even with Cindra protecting me. Hope I can overcome her magic resistance… or this is going to be a very one-sided battle.

  “Ah, yes. I would like to see your capability as a mage before I claim you. Please don’t disappoint me too much,” the monstrous woman said.

  Then she started to cast a spell.

  Gabriel frowned but dove back into his own work. He formed the glyphs for a brace of Aetheric Missiles. Once he had the mana layered in, he split his focus and began to weave a spellshield.

  She was quicker than he expected, and he had to rush his own magic to keep up.

  It’s risky to cut corners, but I’m much stronger than before. Even Tobias never managed to counter my magic.

  A sense of dire urgency crossed his bonds with Sthuza and Cindra. It took less than a second to confirm that the pair were hard-pressed by their foes.

  I need to finish this bitch quick. Can’t leave them to handle all eight of those horrid bugs alone.

  “What is your name, Dungeon Master? I would know it before I take you for the first time,” the large arachne said. Her horribly burned face stretched sickeningly in a parody of a smile.

  “Gabriel Grimm.”

  “Gabriel… Grimm? I like that. You may keep the name after you are mine. Perhaps I will even take your last name? I have heard it is the way of your people,” she said distractedly. “My name is—”

  “Yesera. Yeah, I already figured that out,” Gabriel snapped, then released his completed spells.

  Ten purple-pink darts of arcane energy shot out and crashed into the arachne’s shield.

  She clucked her tongue. The glyphs before her flared, then she pointed her dark spear toward him.

  A wave of calmness filled his mind.

  Mental domination?

  Gabriel shook his head once, and the soothing sensation vanished.

  Six eyes widened when he shook off the last of her attack and dove into another spell. “That is a little impressive, let’s see how you do
with the next one, though,” she said.

  A second volley of the basic missile spell lasted only a split second longer. They pierced her shield but fizzled out upon striking the arachne, and the pale-skinned woman paused to stare at him.

  “Your magic has an unusual… flavor,” she said, then she licked the burned side of her lips. “Who are you?”

  “I’m the guy that’s going to kill you and every one of your sisters.”

  Gabriel checked his pool.

  Mana 16%

  He pushed aside his worry and tried another spell.

  Bet that miasma would cut right through her defenses.

  ‘Yes, Gabriel. Cut this arrogant upstart down. End her delusions in seconds. Use your true power. Our power—and you can slaughter all those that oppose you.’

  Gabriel shivered at the voice in his mind. He shook away the sinister sensation and refocused on his spell.

  I can win without using that repulsive shit. Just supercharge an Aetheric Lance to breach her resistance.

  Across from him, the arachne glared death. “You dare ignore me, Dungeon Master?” she snarled.

  His eyes widened at her words, and he realized he’d been distracted by the voice for longer than he’d thought.

  The arachne shot him another hard stare, then dove into a new spell.

  Gabriel did the same and wove in additional glyphs to enhance penetration. Working them into the spell construct slowed his progress. Each second felt like minutes as he pushed himself in an attempt to get ahead of the skilled arachne.

  She finished first.

  Translucent blue tendrils writhed about him. They reached up and wrapped around his shield.

  The magical barrier flared brightly. A loud crack split the air as Yesera’s attack broke through.

  Gabriel dropped to the ground as the spellshield shattered. Instead of being caught in the tightening tentacles, he rolled to the side.

  “You move well,” she said.

  He ignored her, eyes closed, keeping his entire focus on holding his nascent spell together. When he regained his feet, his eyes snapped open, and he grinned at the startled arachne.