“Because of the altitude, the dungeon is cold, it's dangerous, and there is normally a line of teams waiting to go in. The battles outside this dungeon have been some of the minor sparks that rage into universe wide conflicts.
“We can see the dungeon entrance from here; there are currently three teams stacked up and a team inside. None of the big players are here, or even guilds we should worry about. None of them brought a carrier blimp to the dungeon. Battleships sure, but not a behemoth like ours. They do have the option to call for backup but that is assuming we allow them the opportunity.”
Groz tapped the desk, raising his hand. Gemini nodded to him and Groz said, “We can beat them?”
“Combined?” Gemini said, seeing that was what Groz meant and he nodded. She shrugged. “We have Gryff. So, I would wager yes. The way a spell is used to keep a ship afloat is different from an air shield and yet, similar in certain ways. If Gryff starts chucking spears through air shields and then pokes holes in blimps, the amount of mana required to patch those holes becomes a huge drain. Some crews prepare for battle damage to their blimps, shred enough of it and no one can keep it afloat.”
Orion raised a hand to speak, Gemini nodded and he stood. “I was a blimp commander for the Inquisitors. Notice, I did not say captain. There are a few ways to fight in the air and all of them have deviations. None of this is new warfare, there have been battles high in the air for eons. For most of us commanders, we have to consider our platform, our offense, and our defensive capabilities. A losing fight a few thousand feet above the air can be insanely costly.
“That is why you’re seeing three groups staged peacefully. If we roll in aggressively, I expect the others to scatter, and reform their line behind us. We bully forward. The real question becomes… Do we smash the guild currently in the pipe? Or wait the day for them to finish and bide our time for the respawn?”
I cleared my throat for attention. “So let’s say I hurl some god like spears. How many before the enemy ship starts to falter?”
Orion shrugged and said, “You’re an unknown. But… Bolts from a ballista do something similar to what you do. The problem is, they cannot move with as much force as you use. However, since they are the closest thing to measure I would wager a half dozen throws and the other blimp will start to sink. Fewer if you cause structural damage. And once it starts, there is an increasing mana drain to keep it upright.”
“Meaning, it will burst from the strain. The crew trying to keep it aloft will exhaust,” Gemini said with a frown. “We have a metric ton of firepower even without you Gryff. This bruiser carrier is not something groups come here to farm in.
“When a mighty dirigible like this arrives, it is nefarious with its intentions. A bruiser carrier is used to disable, board, and capture prizes. We will be seen as a high threat and fled from. I do not expect a fight. The question is do we bully the -”
“Yes,” I said, interrupting her. “Take the ship in, smash those in our way. We’re not here for anything other than to get this wyvern momma to submit. It is a momma right?”
Gemini sighed, rubbing her temples. She had told me what the boss was a few days ago. Apparently, I had not listened that well. She was clearly flustered by my question. Nicole pinched my thigh while being unable to contain her giggle.
“Axle go send the word to the bridge, slow insertion into the dungeon.” She watched him duck out of the meeting room. “Okay here is a dungeon overview. Again for those of you who already had this briefing.” That was aimed at me but I was studying my boots. They were brand new and very brown. Gemini continued. “Wyverns. Wyverns are dragons without front legs. In this dungeon they spawn in four variations.
“The first type to expect is the shoulder wyvern. It is short, feisty, but relatively easy to defeat. They’re used in the dungeon as a pet for scouting. Probably the best drop out of the bunch inside here besides the boss. Mainly because they are fantastic at locating the enemy with their keen eyesight. These smallest variations are going to drop in orbs as mythic with a chance of legendary. Their mana consumption is minor if you have one. Which leads into why they are so desired. To kill them simply apply any damage type. To avoid being killed by them, try not to run into a swarm of them in one of their caverns alone.
“Buried beneath the initial opening in these peaks are the fire breathers. These wyverns live outside the main tunnels that the others call home. They are a pack animal. When they arrive you need to drench them in rain and zap lightning into them. That or have numerous volleys from archers. They are resistant to fire so avoid using it. When a fire breather senses an airship they will send out a signal to the others. The swarm will come in close to damage your blimp while you're progressing down the dungeon’s trail. Remember that concept we mentioned earlier. A damaged hull requires more energy. You will see the scattered remains of dirigibles below our route. They were too weak to be attempting the dungeon and are now littered remains scattered on the surface of the mountain valley. Simply put, we will be fine if they are defeated within a reasonable amount of time. But... they are a threat and are known to let you pass only to sneak up on you later. Do not let the fire breathers get close.
“In the main caverns rest the brawlers. These variations use their wings like arms. Except, instead of hands, they have spikes. They’re huge, intimidating, and extremely aggressive. They rely on speed to close the distance, dig into your ship and then fight the crew on the deck. Their scales are resistant to most magic and require a lot of physical damage. You will notice we have a second line of bolt throwers in the central portion of the deck facing the outsides. This is so when the brawlers latch on, they are killed with massive bolts. If not, pikes, spears, javelins, and to some extent, swords and arrows, will do the trick. Avoid dying, by avoiding close combat.
“Mengon, they are the mages of the bunch. They fight solo thankfully, because with the brawlers they would be a true menace. Mengons are going to be like fighting another army. Big wyverns, about three times the size of a human that have hardened shells. They tend to go insane when triggered into a fight and will almost always burn themselves into a mana exhaustion. It becomes a shield battle between mages. These will never pop our shields with this many warriors. We can burst theirs, then shred their scales with magic. Or we can let them burn out and crash down low when they run out of mana. Which is the easiest way to defeat them.
“At the very end of the dungeon, there is a nest. The whole way to this final outdoor nest is up a valley trail. If you skip to the end, and choose not to run the gauntlet, well, the entire dungeon empties and converges on you. Hence, why you will see even more of a graveyard at the end. Can you kill the wyvern prince without clearing the dungeon? Sure, it is doable and there are guides on how to get in, smash his egg and get his treasure. Should you try it? Hell no. We could, but we would take casualties and run the gamble of not being able to support our ship, thereby stranding ourselves.
“Hold your question Gryff, I’m getting there. The boss loot is inside a golden egg. Probably the easiest boss to kill in existence. Pop the egg, get the loot. Yeah, very, very tempting. There are times where a fighter pilot dives down, pops the egg, and a second crazy adventurer on a rope drops down to grab the chest. Then they get out before the guards kill them. Because there are guards. There is a wyvern uncle that wears the temporary mantle of ruler for the dungeon. He likes to monologue and ramble. Super not the boss though. The egg is.
“How do you go about making the dungeon submit? My guess is you kill them all besides the uncle and talk to the egg. Or maybe it is the uncle. Either way. All we can do is try. We were sent here for a reason and I think we will find the answers we seek at the end of the dungeon.”
When Gemini finished her long spiel Axle entered quietly. He had clearly been waiting for her to finish to open the door. The young dvaren went to whisper in her ear. I mulled over all she told me. Obviously I was the dive in, hold the egg hostage kind of guy. We could kill the
rest of the dungeon with my abilities. A supersonic spear was about perfect for this run.
“The team in the dungeon is looting the first checkpoint. Cleaning up in this dungeon is a nightmare of a task. A run can take a long time. Three days or so for a decent crew. A week or longer -”
“Excuse me,” I said to Gemini, halting her talk. “I’d like to dive on the boss, kill the guards and use the egg as ransom.”
“That will trigger an epic fight. If we do it my way. There is almost no risk, but a few days of farming are lost. We’re so close to finishing here Gryff. I implore you to see the reasoning. And yes, I know you can defeat the horde of wyverns, but were short pilots to risk it,” Gemini said.
I grumbled in frustration. I may have pinched Nicole’s firm ass in order to vent. I smirked the stern glare she shot over her shoulder at me.
“Gemini, where do we get more pilot orbs?” I asked, obviously not thrilled by this revelation. “If we’re going to get hounded and fight in the air, barely being able to keep the blimp afloat is silly.”
“Well a few things. First we have an under leveled army. Simply running this dungeon will improve our odds because of the level gains. Next, this dungeon drops the exact orbs we need, and finally, there are those onboard who have no purpose yet. So… we give them the spare orbs and pilot duty. It's a win all around to do the dungeon.”
I nodded in understanding. “Fine, rational thought tells me you’re right. Okay, I take it I’m the guy in the position to win the fight with the current guild in the dungeon? Do we have any intel on them?”
Jason raised a hand. “I had to lerk them up in a guild book. Der flag had em as a Wyvern Wranglers. Says in there book that they only farm on this planet, and work to improve the quality of flight orbs universe wide.”
“So neutral,” I asked and he nodded. “You think they won’t stick around for a fight?”
Orion smirked and said, “They’ll hop out of the dungeon and then go back to the first spot. The others would all do the same. So it's not a big deal, they will have to wait a few days but what is a few days to an immortal who is wealthy and merely becoming wealthier. Bully them and then we get to have the fun of doing this dungeon. It really is a unique challenge. I’ve done it a dozen times and loved each adventure.”
“Anything else?” Nicole asked and there were heads shaking around the table. “Perfect, then everyone needs to head to your battle positions. Including you Gryff. Let’s see how many assassins try to murder you out in the open.”
“Ugh, you had to remind me,” I said with a confident tone. I wasn’t too worried. We added two more legendary healing staves out of the thirty thousand new recruits. If I died I was a priority revival. What did bother me was this uncle figure. Maybe kidnapping his kid nephew was the wrong play. While I was undecided on how to get them to submit, I did know one thing for certain. Farming a wyvern dungeon was going to be fun.
CHAPTER 18
“I wonder what they want?” I grumbled from the starboard side of Gorilla’s top deck.
My arms were folded and my frown deep. A shuttle flight from the battle blimp currently in the dungeon was heading for our deck. A white streamer flew under the vessel in a universal sign of requesting parlay.
The wind was minimal but chilly. The bluish sky held scattered fluffy clouds that seemed harmless from rain. The slate gray of the mountain scape brought a boring look, certainly not one you would expect deadly wyverns to assail you from.
The group ahead of us had cleared the wyverns of this area and the smaller birds were darting about for free meals. My neck spun to shoulder check the others in line, they were sitting on the horizon waiting as if we’d never arrived.
Gemini rubbed a hand against my back lovingly. “Darling, they’ll wish to know why we’re breaking protocol on their planet. These specific guilds tend to hold sway in nearby towns and cities. A guild like these… What was the name again?” Gemini’s faces twisted as she tried to retrieve the name. I snorted because she asked me, like I’d remember.
Axle raised a hand and input, “Wyvern Wranglers, and I thought it was catchy.”
“Well, it certainly is fitting,” Nicole said with a bored tone. She was leaning on her staff, letting out a large yawn. Poor woman pulled a double night shift with the babies trying to be sweet to us. I was tempted to send her back to bed but she would be stubborn. “Have you ever dealt with these guys?”
Orion pointed to his chest to see if it was him being addressed. Nicole eyed him with a growing focus as the small ship neared. She never said so, but he understood.
“This particular guild no. But they are a top million guild, so they make decent durca,” Orion said. “You farm the same dungeon over and over, well, you can get some really good hidden gems, especially since you do it so quickly.”
He was going to launch into a big farming doctrine discussion when the vessel touched down softly. A dvaren deck crew rushed to secure the tether lines to the deck. We walked for a lowering ramp so we could greet this mystery person.
An orange haired woman with a ladybug type shell on her back came streaming out of the shuttle. She was pretty with her high cheekbones and piercing steel gray eyes. The resting bitch face knocked her appeal down. Then the fact she was stomping with clenched fists brought it lower. I really was hoping to avoid killing folks that weren’t on my list.
“And just who do you think you are?” the woman’s shelled back fluttered in annoyance before tucking back down.
“Yes, an introduction is at hand. I am Commander Orion. This is my Emperor, Gryff, of the Prox universe. This is General Gemini, and master healer Nicole. Welcome aboard the Gorilla,” Orion said with an amused bow. His smirk had not gone unnoticed. I, however, noticed she didn’t react to the word Prox.
“As if they matter! You’re minor thugs on a big ship, whose daddy bought this war blimp for you?” the lady scowled and I grew irritated.
“Hey, so what do you want?” I asked with a grunt. My posture was edging toward violence and rightfully so. This was my home after all. “We’re here for the dungeon so we can leave the universe, and we’re sorry you’re mid farm, but there is no helping the fact our need is great.”
“So that’s your final offer?” she asked with arms folded, her face twisted in a scowl. This woman really didn’t like me. My charms and soft tones were clearly being deflected. At this point, I think they were wanting a bribe to go back into the line.
“I’m afraid you’re mistaking me and mine as someone who cares. Look, I’d love to just mosey on down this dungeon and convert the boss into an orb. If you are determined to stand in our way, then I understand,” I said with an uncaring tone.
She smirked, folding her arms. “You're a daft dunce. A, you can't convert a dungeon. Unless you're some ordained god, and spoiler those don’t exist anymore. B, we're going to get backup and there is nothing you can do to stop the armada we will be sending your way.”
She spun to leave without ever telling me her name. Well, I understood why she was taking a hard line stance on some invaders pushing her off the dungeon. I’d be pissed too if the roles were reversed. The problem was, well, we were desperate. This orb could mean I get to go home today. If there was ever a cause worthy of sinking a ship, this was it.
“Hey miss,” I called out, walking to a jutting balcony that a ballista rested upon.
She watched me near the edge, her procession back into her shuttle halted. I hopped up on top of the weapon to get a good line of sight. A mile ahead of me, the Wyvern Wranglers’s battleship was moored to a mountain anchor. I knew my power was enough to hurl at this distance.
My physical superiority orb surged power into my body. I spawned a spear in my hand and leaped into the air. With the full amount of power I could muster I unleashed a spear. The air imploded as the spear achieved the speed of sound. There was an extra loud boom from the sheer force.
I was sent tumbling from throwing without pla
nted feet. I groaned as I went tumbling over the deck. That was embarrassing, evident by this bug lady laughing while pointing at me. I peeled myself off the top deck with healing washing over me. Crew members were off the starboard side railing raising a commotion. The visitor grew intrigued and casually walked over to see what I had already noticed.
I’d split the enemy ship in twain as if it were a tiny toy in the distance. There was a big hole, a large seam, and a buckle point at the bottom of the air ship. Maybe I got lucky and hit some cross beam or something. Either way that ship was doomed for now. The crew knew as much too. They were scattering to find places to hide instead of being captured. Ha! A half dozen throws my ass.
“How dare you?” she exclaimed, her hands darting to her weapons. She spun defensively.
I shrugged, choosing to ignore her. “Orion, escort the prisoner below deck. When we finish farming she is to be released,” I said knowing she heard me.
She sprinted with high knee pumps as she tried to rush onto her ship to escape. Yeah, she didn’t get very fair. Orion quickly tackled her. There was a long string of curses unleashed at me that I ignored. Gemini joined my side to survey the damage on the battleship. I saw her frown, bouncing her head left and right as she contemplated what to do.
“They’re easy prey down there. Most will surrender quickly to us,” Gemini said, continuing to think. “That is the only shuttle, but the groups behind us will have seen that. The big cities will know we're here regardless. The question is do they interfere or see we let them be and move on.”
“Let them be,” I said with a long exhale of indifference. I really wanted just to pass them by. These weren’t my enemies and yet, she had threatened me. “We don’t need the prisoners, and I have no desire to execute people for loot. We really need the final orbs. If they were Justicars and helped us get home, sure.” I grunted to myself, feeling vindicated by my own words. “No, we are not the defilers they make us out to be. We disabled their ship and moved forward. Sound the horn to increase the speed.”
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