Dungeon Robotics (Book 7): Collapse

by Matthew Peed

  “Sir, the construct Aires is requesting to speak with you,” First said a few moments later, breaking the silence of the bridge. Being higher-tier robots, they were connected to the ship via a network. While it might have seemed quiet, there was actually quite a bit of shouting going on.

  “Very well. I’ll head over there,” I replied and stood to make way over. A few minutes later, I found myself in a heavily guarded hallway in front of an equally heavily guarded door. I placed my hand on the panel and it slid open. Aires was gazing out of the small window in the room. “Enjoying the view?”

  “Responding. My kind . . . have been off-line for many centuries. We have gazed at nothing but darkness for many years. Pinpricks of light is a . . . soothing change.”

  I’d dealt with the automata for several months and the AI from my time on Earth. It looked to me that her personality was forming quickly and was starting to take a solid shape the longer she thought for herself.

  “That is a pity. If we’d met under different circumstances, I think our two races would have been fast friends,” I said, moving to lean against the wall. It was more for show, but it was hard even after all this time to get rid of my habits as a mortal. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “We lack the mana to escape this plane. You lack the information. We would like to make a trade.”

  I thought about that. Did they not have a way to generate mana, or was it damaged due to this space? Either way, I had a leg up on them. That being said, they did have a point that I wasn’t getting anywhere with my scans. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d have said we were in the middle of a black hole.

  “While I might have mana, I don’t have a lot to work with. How can I trust you?”

  “You can’t,” Aires said in a much more sinister tone than anything she’d said so far.

  I narrowed my eyes and sensed a mana link going back to her ship. “And who might I be talking to now, if you don’t mind telling me?”

  Aires’s face started to shift and soon took a much more masculine form. I could feel the ancientness from it even through Aires’s form. “Kurnezal. Prime Sentinel of the Keeper Matrix and last of the Ancients Guards.”

  “Ah. That only served to raise more questions, but nice to meet you, Kurnezal. I’m Regan.”

  “We know. You are . . . strange. You have bodies similar to us but are different at the same time.”

  “You appear to be made of mana. Yes, you have a physical body, but I’m guessing that the more advanced of your kind could shed those if you wanted. We on the other hand only use mana as a type of battery. Our bodies could be seen as synthetic versions of mortals.”

  I’d researched the few we’d killed intensively. While there were some technical things that would take the labs and me working for a few months to understand, we understood their basic construction. I was sure of my statement.

  The face took a contemplative look before the construct responded. “Interesting. Yes. We have evolved since our creation. What you state might be viable.”

  “What information do you have for me?” I asked, wanting to bring the topic back to the issue at hand.

  “Yes. We have recorded all the information we could so that we could leave this dimension. Unfortunately, our readings show that we lack the necessary mana to escape.”

  “You mean you and your constructs didn’t create this?”

  “Negative. The entire complex on the moon was pulled in during its formation. Likely, you avoided this fate due to the moon moving along its orbit.”

  That was true. Whatever this was, it likely wouldn’t have moved from its initial spot of creation. I was actually surprised the moon itself hadn’t been pulled into this plane. A fail-safe maybe? That would mean it was artificially created, then. Another mystery to investigate.

  “I see. While I’m not ready to move past the fact that you attacked one of my vessels as well as continuously launched attacks while we were here, I am willing to work together to escape this place. How would you like to transfer the data?”

  “This unit can serve as a hub. You can access the data through her.”

  “Understood. I’ll do as much. I assume I can contact you again when we’re ready to move forward?”

  “That is correct. May you succeed. Both our people depend on it,” Kurnezal said before his face shifted back to Aires’s.

  Straight and to the point. I liked that for a change. I wasn’t too sure I liked him as a person, but depending on how things proceeded from there, I was guessing we might be able to move past the past.

  “Welcome back,” I said when her face was all the way back to normal.

  “I never left. I was aware the entire time Kurnezal was using my body.”

  “Strange. Not sure I would enjoy someone else taking my body for a joyride.”

  “He could only access what I gave him permission to access. Thus, only my face changed.”

  “Fair point, I guess.”

  I held out my hand and formed a drive that was more along the lines of a fancy mana stone. With it, I could download her data. It would be easiest to connect her straight into the system, but I preferred not to give access to my ship so easily. A spot on her chest right above where the heart would be moved as a slot formed. I handed over the drive, and she inserted it without question.

  The aura around her grew denser as the information was transferred to the drive. I started to worry that the drive wouldn’t be able to handle it all. I really didn’t want to have to connect her straight into the system. After ten minutes, the aura died down and the process was completed. I took the drive back and chuckled when I saw there was only two percent free space left. It had been close.

  “That should be all the information you need,” Aires said.

  “Let’s hope.”

  Chapter 17

  Louella

  My walk soon came to an end at the barracks. Hundreds of people were moving around, doing the tasks required of them. Groups of soldiers practiced, while others made their way to the portals. It’d been like this every time I’d come to the barracks. I knew it was only going to become worse soon.

  A guard approached me as we came through the gate to the barracks grounds. “My queen! Lady Ezal has been expecting you.”

  “Thank you. She is in her office, correct?” I asked. I didn’t want to chase her around if she was busy.

  “Correct.”

  I nodded, then headed over to the correct building. Two minutes later, I found myself in her office. She was surrounded by officers, and she was handing out orders for both the airships and the border defense. I heard a few that pertained to creating a defense line on the Lecazar side as well.

  “Thank you, everyone. Come find me if you need additional orders,” Ezal said after about fifteen minutes.

  Everyone filed out, leaving just me and Ezal. I moved over to her desk and gave her a smile. I knew the farther along in her pregnancy she got, the harder this position would be on her. She was looking quite swollen now. I wasn’t a midwife, but even I could tell she was due soon. A month or two maybe.

  It was probably close to time that I suggested Bruce take over. I was dreading losing her as my chief of security and as my general, but her and the baby’s livelihood was more important. Given Ezal’s personality, she would likely refuse to stop working until the day she was literally giving birth.

  “I assume that was in response to the reports we’ve received?” I asked as I sat down across from her.

  “Yes. There is something strange going on. The temperature across the north is lower than it should be. The farmers are worried. We are relatively well off due to Regan’s dungeon aura covering us, but even with that, the temperature is reaching lower levels than normal.”

  “Any idea what could be causing it? Surely the Mages Guild has looked into it?” I asked. I couldn’t feel the cold much anymore. It was hard for me to tell the difference.

  “Yes, they have. They can only state that something
high in the sky is causing it. Snowfall outside the aura has already reached ten meters. The valley is almost unpassable.”

  “Ten meters!” That was higher than some cities’ walls! Could it be another type of attack from the necromancers to the north? Who knew what sort of changes the undead scar could have caused to the environment? I just didn’t have any way of getting information from that area without Regan around.

  “Yes. If we weren’t sustained by Regan’s dungeon, we would be in trouble.”

  “I hope it stays that way with him gone.” I thought about the situation, but until we got more information, there was little we could do but prepare for the worst. “How goes the training?”

  “Decently. Having Bruce here really is a blessing. He’s beating the royal force’s training into all the recruits. If we survive the winter, you’ll have one of the most well-trained and outfitted armies on the continent. It is almost unfair.”

  “How are we assuring the loyalty of the soldiers? Most if not all of them were refugees.”

  “Nothing too extreme. They just sign a magical contract with the standard stuff that lasts for two years. If they are offered a promotion, the magical contract gets renewed for a set number of years based on the position.”

  “That’s probably the best method for now.”

  “Have the airships reached Tearfalls yet? I’d like to begin reclaiming Lecazar soon before the undead reach uncontrollable levels. Plus, the Church will likely move north if they’re able to.”

  Ezal lifted her glass tablet from her desk and flipped through several dozen documents before she replied. “The winter storms are making it difficult for them. Tearfalls is rather far north. Every kilometer they travel only serves to increase the difficulty. The Church . . . is a problem we aren’t exactly equipped to deal with at the moment.”

  “There is still four months until spring. This winter is only going to get worse. We need to reach the last of the cities and towns. I’m worried about them for a completely new reason.”

  People would starve long before the winter was over due to the undead and snows causing a complete shutdown of trade in Lecazar. The Church would have a large enough stockpile to support the people in the southern cities. I just hoped that they were willing to share it.

  Ezal blew out a deep breath. She placed a hand on her stomach and looked out toward the dungeon with a pained look. “I agree. I hate to say this since it makes me feel weak, but we really need Lord Regan back.”

  I gave a terse laugh. “I agree. I knew I relied on him too much. I just didn’t realize how much until now.” Relying on Regan so much unsettled me. We had naïvely thought we’d have more time to figure out how to live without him. Now the fates are basically shoving the opportunity down our throats.

  Ezal must have noticed something in my expression. “My lady, even if your body is completely different, please don’t forget to rest. You worked the last three days straight.”

  I glanced to the guards out in the hallway. “I see someone has been spying on me.”

  “Only because they are worried about you. What are you going to do if we’re attacked and you end up collapsing?”

  “I get it! I’ll rest.”

  It looked like Ezal was about to say more when an explosion resounded from the training yard. We both jumped to our feet, Ezal pausing a moment to breathe carefully before we rushed out of the office. All the officers and soldiers were backing away from one of the training pits.

  “What is going on?!” Ezal shouted when we reached the line.

  We couldn’t see anything due to the cloud of smoke and debris. A Wind mage waved his hand and cleared the space. A . . . creature was in the middle of the pit. I couldn’t tell if it was real or one of the illusions.

  “That . . . that thing attacked one of the cadets! Major Bruce stopped it with an Explosion spell.”

  I took a closer look at the creature. It looked like four or five creatures had been slammed together without rhyme or reason. It had the general body of a wolf, while its head was that of a lion. From its back and sides emerged tentacles that ended with sharp blades. The way they moved made it hard to count, but there were at least two dozen. Two horns that extended at least half a meter from its head finished the beast.

  “What the hell is that?” I asked, more to myself than anyone.

  “Whatever it is, it took a full Explosion spell and it’s completely unharmed,” Bruce said as he moved in front of us.

  “Where’s the cadet it attacked?” Ezal asked, glancing around, presumably looking for an injured person.

  “It ate him in one bite,” Bruce replied, shaking his head.

  “Shit!” Ezal said as she raised her hand. A few seconds later, there was a boom and Feuer came flying from the distance.

  “Ezal! Step back. We’ll handle this,” I said, grabbing her shoulder. I couldn’t have a pregnant woman fighting something that could take a full-force strike from Bruce without an injury.

  “That thing ate one of my soldiers!” she said with a growl.

  “Yes. So, let us deal with it!” I replied, putting a bit more strength into my grip and pulling her back. Her feet made grooves in the dirt. “Think of the child!”

  “Yes . . . my lady,” Ezal said finally and backed away.

  I tightened my grip on Helios and started to channel my mana. The creature hadn’t moved the entire time, though I felt it was likely due to it gauging us. I could see it focus on certain people who were more powerful than the cadets.

  “I want everyone who is only tier one to back away! There is nothing you can do other than serve as food. Tier two members, please begin gathering your mana. I want to bombard this thing back to where it came from!”

  The creature turned to focus on me when I raised my voice. Its tentacles started to flail as it studied me. I could tell this thing was highly intelligent. I pointed my staff at it and readied all the mana I’d gathered so far. It was enough to level that army from a few weeks ago and then some.

  “Fire!”

  Magic of all types flew down at the creature. The barrage lasted twenty seconds before everyone’s spell ended, leaving a crater from the number of spells thrown at it. A few Wind mages cleared the cloud again. The creature stood perfectly fine. In fact, I thought it looked slightly larger.

  The thing roared, then shot toward me in a blink of an eye. If my senses hadn’t been enhanced, I might not have been able to respond. I raised my staff, and the creature locked its jaws around it and tried to gouge out my neck. The soldiers around me struck at the creature but were forced back as the tentacles stabbed back at them. One woman was even impaled.

  “Back away!” I shouted with a grunt. This thing had a ridiculous amount of strength. It felt like a mountain was pushing down on me.

  Shouts of, “My queen!” and “My lady!” rang out, but they couldn’t do anything to help.

  With the creature literally right on top of me, I could clearly see into its eyes. I felt like I was being pulled into an abyss. I blinked, then pulled my eyes away as I twisted my body to avoid the tentacles. I saw Bruce struggling to hold Ezal back. I couldn’t have that. I was done always being rescued!

  I released the seals on my armor that controlled my excess mana output. I’d never done the full amount before. The surroundings were suddenly crushed under my mana pressure. Everything appeared to start moving in slow motion. The creature reduced to a more normal level. “Just you and me, beastie!”

  I pulled my arm back and balled up my fist. Pouring as much strength into it as I could, I punched out. There was a boom, and the ground under us cracked. I felt the skin or fur of the creature break as it was sent flying back into the pit, where it impacted the ground and formed a new crater. I was glad physical means still worked.

  I jumped into the hole, the point of my staff leading. Tentacles shot out and kept me from approaching. This lasted for a few seconds before I got annoyed. Sweeping the tentacles to the side with Helios, I reared back an
d threw the staff with my full strength. The pointed end slammed into the creature, causing the crater to gain nearly five more meters of depth.

  I held my hand out, and Feuer flew to my grasp. I jumped into the hole with Feuer at the ready. The creature breathed heavily but was clearly at its end. Before I could deliver the final blow, it faded to smoke, much like the illusions we’d been seeing.

  All that was left to prove the creature had even been there in the first place was a puddle of blue blood and a crater. I waited for a few seconds that felt almost like an hour before I reset the seals on my armor. The world returned to normal. I flew out of the hole with Feuer and Helios.

  Stumbling for a moment from the extreme use of mana on my body, I quickly corrected myself. I would need to practice a bit more with the full release of my seals. “Raise the awareness about these creatures. I want someone with a glass tablet at all key locations throughout the city. If this thing reappears near regular citizens, it will be a massacre,” I ordered as I returned Feuer to Ezal.

  “What do you think it was?” she asked with a worried look toward the pit.

  “I have no idea. Whatever it was, it’s related to whatever or wherever Lord Regan currently is. It faded away like the illusions. I want you to get some vials to collect the blood and bring it to the castle. I’ll make sure someone who is capable of understanding it gets it.” I thought about it for a second. I didn’t want the blood to act like a beacon in case these creatures responded in force. “Actually, have Bruce collect it.” I paused for another second. “Ignea, can you come here for a minute?”

  There was a pop and the fairy appeared in front of me. She was looking quite ragged. It must have been distressingly hard to manage a dungeon. Not to mention the fact that Regan had several cores. I wished there was some way I could help her, but that was likely not possible.

  “What do you need?” Ignea asked, yawning widely at the end.

  “We were attacked by . . . something not of this world. The body vanished, but there is blood. I was wondering if any of Lord Regan’s people might be able to study it?” I asked.