Somerset

by Aaron Oster

  Lucky Rabbit’s Foot Effect: +10 Luck Ring of Wisdom Effect: +4 Wisdom

  RULE OF THE DAY

  Do not use any swear/curse words (Broken) Divine Curse Effect: Total Strength Attribute Halved Duration: H 1: M 44 : S 29

  Effect: Muted Duration: H 10 : M 21 : S 52

  Sam noticed that his skills and abilities were all improving, but he still wasn’t sure how many times they had to be used in order to level it up. He resolved himself to keeping track of one or two, and seeing how they progressed over the next few levels.

  He was also happy to see that his attributes were finally beginning to look halfway decent, though his Agility and Endurance were still quite pitiful, and his Strength was practically non-existent. He wasn’t about to waste any points on those, as he knew he was going to become a Mage , and mages didn’t really tend to need a whole bunch of Agility or Endurance. He would keep putting points into Constitution because he didn’t much feel like dying anytime soon.

  Closing his status, Sam looked around the open cavern, now noticing a tunnel leading off at the other end. He bit his lip as he debated whether to continue or not, but in the end, greed won out. If he’d received such awesome loot from this boss, how much would he get from the next one?

  Then he remembered that he’d almost died, due to Gordon’s lack of help. If he was going to take on another boss that would likely be even tougher than super-bunny was, then he would need the dog’s cooperation.

  Gordon looked up as he approached, still chewing on his new stick. Sam folded his arms over his chest, giving him an angry look, then went on to do what many would have considered as the worst interpretative dance in history. By the time he was done, though, Gordon was nodding right along with him.

  “Yes. I may have been upset at your earlier rudeness and decided to teach you a lesson. However, you have more than made it up to me by supplying me with this excellent stick. I will help you fight from now on and we shall take the final boss on together.”

  +1 Charisma

  Sam grinned at him and nodded, extending a hand. Gordon placed his paw on his palm, and the two of them shook.

  “Excellent,” Gordon said, grabbing the stick between his teeth. “Let us move onward!”

  Finally, the dog’s cooperating, Sam thought as he followed him. Now things might be a bit easier.

  Entering the new tunnel, Sam immediately noticed a difference. The roots on the walls were now growing thicker and were bunched more tightly together. Small blue crystals lined the walls, glowing with a steady light and giving the tunnel a strange, flat look. The light also didn’t bounce off of anything, not even Gordon’s very shiny stick.

  Sam began looking around nervously as they walked deeper into the tunnel. He was beginning to wonder what type of creatures he’d find, when he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t even take a second to react and used Mana Cloak.

  Something smacked into him and bounced harmlessly off as his spell deflected it. Whirling around, Sam saw a creature that vaguely resembled a bunny. There were several key differences. The first difference was its size. This bunny was nearly the same size as Gordon, coming up to Sam’s knees, but the strangest part was that it walked on two legs, which gave it an oddly stooped appearance. Its fur was a dark brown, spotted with black and white, and its eyes shone red with hatred. Its front paws were actually balled into little fists, and it was showing its large front teeth, which were bared in a snarl.

  DUNGEON MONSTER

  Name: Martial Bunnist Level: 5

  HP: 70/70

  Status: Enraged

  The bunny launched itself at him without any warning as his Mana Cloak wore off, and Sam staggered back with a Muted curse, as the bunny lashed out in a flying side kick.

  How the hell did this bunny know martial arts?!

  The next second, a heavy kick slammed into his stomach, and Sam saw his HP drop by 3 points. He was momentarily stunned. Not by the kick, but at the complete lack of damage it caused. It took him a few seconds to figure it out, as Gordon flashed past him and tore into the bunny, shaving off nearly half of its health in a single attack.

  He’d completely forgotten about his armor rating. If he had to guess, that bunny’s attack should have done about 10 points of damage. He hadn’t noticed a difference in the last fight, due to the boss monster’s overwhelming power. For every point of damage he was supposed to take, his armor would cancel one out. This meant that if he was attacked by a creature that did 7 damage or less, he wouldn’t take any damage at all.

  He nodded to himself, glad to have figured it out. Quickly pulling his Casting Orb from his pocket, Sam used Mana Burn and watched carefully for the damage. The bunny’s HP dropped by a further 20 points and he grinned as Gordon’s next attack finished it off.

  Martial bunnist dies! +98 XP

  The bunny’s corpse quickly melted away, leaving behind a few copper coins.

  Score!

  Sam quickly swept them up and deposited them into his wallet, once again telling himself that he needed to find a better place in which to hide it.

  Maybe I’ll have a pocket sewn into the lining of this shirt. That might work, Sam resolved.

  “It looks as though the monsters are growing tougher. I do not understand why it seemed to despise you so much, however,” Gordon said, cocking his head to one side and appraising him.

  Sam didn’t really know how to mimic a title, so he just shrugged, rolling his finger to indicate that he’d explain later.

  “Very well. Onward,” Gordon said, moving ahead of him and further down the tunnel.

  They continued on, bumping into the occasional bunny, all of which would immediately target Sam, trying to kill him. After the fifth such incident, Gordon made an educated guess as to what was going on.

  They kept going, and Sam noted the passage of time by occasionally glancing at the clock in his status. He’d tried opening the map to see if it could help them navigate the confusing tunnels, but for some reason, it refused to open. When he’d mimed opening a map to Gordon, the dog had readily explained.

  “Dungeons are living, breathing entities. As such, it is impossible to map them.”

  So that was it.

  Sam yawned widely, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as they came to yet another dead end. If he’d been able to talk, he imagined he’d be cursing up a storm, but his inability to do so was oddly relaxing. They turned around, to walk back the way they’d come, when Sam felt a sudden urge to scan a section of the wall.

  Holding up a hand to stop Gordon from going any further, he carefully ran his eyes over the wall of twisted roots. After a few moments of searching, a small blue outline suddenly appeared in the wall. Curiously, Sam placed his hand against it, and suddenly his entire body was sucked forward, right into the wall of twisting roots.

  13

  Sam would have screamed if he could, as the vines closed around him, cutting off his vision and making his heart rate spike alarmingly. Thankfully, it didn’t last for long and he stumbled out on the other side just a few seconds later, gasping for air and shaking from the shock.

  What the fuck was that?

  He could feel his heart pounding in his ears and his hands were trembling. Sam did not do well in confined spaces. In fact, several different doctors back on Earth had diagnosed him with severe claustrophobia. Whenever he would enter a space that felt even a little too small, he would begin to hyperventilate and have a panic attack. That was what he was feeling right now. Sure, he might be free, but the shock was still there.

  Sam felt as though a band of iron was slowly constricting around his chest and he slowly sank to the ground, his breathing ragged and uneven. A moment later, Gordon popped through the wall. He looked none the worse for wear and eyed Sam worriedly.

  “It would appear that you suffer from anxiety when dealing with enclosed spaces. I find it quite odd that this mental deficiency was not eliminated when out illustrious Overlord transporte
d you here.”

  Sam felt his panic vanish in an instant, only to be replaced by anger.

  His deficiency? Fuck you, dog! he thought scornfully

  “Good. It would appear that my words have had their intended effect,” Gordon said, seeing Sam’s face reddening in anger. “Please accept my apologies. Illnesses of the mind are a true burden, and should not be treated so lightly. If you will take my advice, I believe that raising your Mind Over Body skill will help you overcome this phobia of yours.”

  Sam felt the anger melting away at those words. Had Gordon just been… nice? Not only nice, but encouraging and offering advice?

  He straightened, feeling the last dregs of his anger recede and nodded to the dog in gratitude. Then he began looking around the room in which they’d ended up. Now that he could think clearly, Sam realized that his Luck attribute probably had something to do with his finding this room. Sure, he’d needed to use the horribly named Stalker skill to actually spot the opening, but he never would have bothered examining the wall if something hadn’t told him to.

  They were in a small circular room, lit by the same blue crystals as the rest of the dungeon. The walls were a mass of tree roots and he could see only one way forward: a gap in the wall to his right, from where he could feel a distinct breeze coming through.

  Could this lead to the boss room?

  He looked to Gordon and tried to mime his question, but the dog was already ahead of him on that front.

  “I believe that the final boss is just up ahead. All we must do is travel through the tunnel to face it.”

  Sam took a deep breath as his heart rate increased again. He took a quick peek at his health and mana, and saw that they were both full.

  He was as ready as he’d ever be.

  Nodding to the dog, Sam clutched the Caster’s Orb in sweaty fingers and headed down the tunnel. The breeze became more noticeable the further in they walked and by the time they reached the end, the wind was gusting around them. Emerging into the final boss room, Sam looked around in wonder.

  The walls were completely covered in roots so dense that not even a drop of sunlight shone through. A massive tree trunk occupied the center of the room and gave off a bright blue glow. Sam’s eyes widened as they alighted on a crystalline orb, floating in a hollow at the base of the tree trunk. It was beautiful, like every precious stone he’d ever seen, rolled into one.

  “That would be the dungeon’s core,” Gordon said, making Sam jump in surprise.

  He’d been so preoccupied with his staring, that he’d completely forgotten the dog was there.

  “Yes. It is truly a sight to behold, and the ultimate prize of any dungeon. Before we can claim it, we must first face its guardian.”

  As if waiting for Gordon’s introduction, there was a loud crackling sound and a moment later, a massive bunny exploded out from the ground. Sam inwardly groaned, noting that it appeared to be a larger version of the bunnies they’d been fighting so far, but with some new differences. For one, the bunny was wearing a fucking gi, complete with a black belt tied around its waist.

  Its ears were pulled back behind its head and a band was wrapped around them, giving the appearance of a ponytail. A pair of black cloth strips were wrapped around each of its fists and ankles. Sam couldn’t help but notice that the bunny was oddly muscular.

  Great. First bunny-zilla, and now Kung fu bunny. What the hell was up with this place?

  The bunny gave him a look of pure hatred, then raised its cloth-covered paws and shifted its feet into a classic T-stance.

  Sam knew a bit about fighting, thanks to Greg, who had constantly tried to get him into the gym. Well, maybe a that was stretching it. He knew almost nothing about martial arts. The little he did know told him that the bunny would likely kick his ass. He used Inspect and a black skull icon flashed above the bunny’s head.

  BOSS MONSTER

  Name: Bun Ni Level: 8

  HP: 170/170

  Status: Enraged

  Sam face-palmed.

  Bun Ni? The fuck was wrong with this Overlord?

  “It would appear that we are facing a monster that will unleash an area of effect attack at a certain point,” Gordon said, as Bun Ni’s fists began glowing red.

  Shit. That didn’t look good.

  Then the ripped bunny let out a scream and launched itself directly at Sam. He barely had the chance to throw up his Mana Cloak, before the karate bunny’s fist slammed into him. The force of the blow was enough to send him reeling back, but thankfully, he took no damage.

  He quickly fired off a few of his spells, using the orb to increase the damage, but the bunny didn’t stop attacking, even while he pelted it with spells. Sam’s eyes widened as he realized that Bun Ni would keep attacking until the shield faded, which would be in about a second.

  Sam used Mana Flare just as the cloak disappeared, sending out a shockwave of blue energy that staggered the bunny for a moment. He quickly fired off another spell, but he could already see that it was already recovering.

  His initial attack had knocked off about 30% of the boss’ health, but with his new damage output, that should have been more. That told him that the boss had some kind of armor. Bun Ni’s low HP also probably meant that his attacks would pack one hell of a punch. Pun intended.

  Just as the boss bunny regained its balance, Gordon crashed into it, tearing at one of its legs, and ripping massive chunk from its flesh. Sam would have cheered, had he been able to talk and he noted that Kung fu Bunny’s HP was now dropping a bit faster.

  He held out the orb and used Mana Burn, sending the flame-like ball of mana right into the bunny’s chest. Bun Ni staggered back, shrieking in rage. Its eyes were still locked onto him, in spite of the dog currently savaging its leg. He grinned at the bunny, then flipped it off as he shot another spell at it.

  The boss monster’s health was plummeting, and soon it was at the 30% mark. Sam’s grin grew wider, as Bun Ni tried to free itself from Gordon and attack him, but the dog was just too strong.

  Easy win!

  Sam kept the Caster’s Orb raised and sent another Mana Burn at the boss. Gordon bit deeper, and the boss’ HP dropped to 10%. That was when things inevitably went horribly wrong. Bun Ni screamed, then his entire body began glowing red. It kicked to the side, dislodging Gordon and sent him across the room. He slammed into the opposite wall and Sam saw his HP drop by almost 30%!

  Ouch!

  Then the bunny pulled its fists to its side and spread them out, with its fuzzy palms facing outward. There was a massive, sonic boom and a wall of force slammed into Sam, sending him flying and his HP plummeting.

  Sam impacted with the far wall and hit the ground with a bone jarring crack. He let out a groan that made no sound, then looked up to his flashing health bar. It took a few moments for it to come into focus, and when it did, he felt his heart jump up to his throat.

  He only had 5 HP left. Why do all these monsters keep dishing out so much damage?

  He quickly dug his hand into his bag and retrieved both Healing Herbs. He popped one into his mouth and quickly cast around for Gordon. The dog was lying in the exact same spot as before, but Sam could see that his HP was in much better shape than his.

  Popping the second herb into his mouth, Sam turned his attention to the bunny, who was standing still and panting very heavily.

  That attack must have some sort of recoil, Sam though, getting to his feet.

  “I think now would be our best chance to defeat the boss!” Gordon called out.

  Sam turned his head and nodded to the dog, who was shaking off splinters of wood and dirt. Then the dog ran at the bunny, pouncing on it and sinking his teeth into its neck. Sam looked around for his Caster’s Orb and found it lying a few feet away. Quickly snatching it up, He noted a small crack in its clear surface and checked its durability, wincing slightly.

  It was down to 12/30 and the damage output had been decreased to 1-3.

  Gritting his teeth in anger, he shoved
the orb into his bag, replacing it with the wand instead. And he’d just gotten that too! Bunny Lee would pay with his life!

  Sam extended the wand out, and began firing his spells into the boss monster, screaming in silent rage, until well after its HP had hit 0.

  BOSS DEFEATED!

  Congratulations! Your party has killed Bun Ni!

  Rewards: +489 XP, Bun Ni’s Hand Wraps, Bun Ni’s Gi, Bun Ni’s Sash, Bun Ni’s Bandana, Healing Herb (X5)

  +1 Luck

  Sam finally calmed down once the new messages popped up and as he walked over to the quickly vanishing boss corpse, he wondered why his luck had increased. Gordon had walked away from the defeated bunny and was now chewing on the stick he’d gotten from their last boss fight.

  Wasn’t he interested in the loot?

  He raised his hand in thanks, despite Gordon’s apparent disinterest. Without the dog, he probably wouldn’t have made it.

  Gordon dipped his head slightly, but continued devoting the majority of his attention to the stick. Sam just rolled his eyes and bent to examine all the gear that had been left behind after Bun Ni’s death. As soon as he used Inspect , he understood why his Luck had increased.

  ITEMS FOUND!

  Name: Bun Ni’s Gi Durability: 117/120

  Rarity: Legendary Quality: Enhanced Armor: +15

  Effect: -10% Damage taken from physical attacks Name: Bun Ni’s Hand Wraps Durability: 84/90

  Rarity: Legendary Quality: Enhanced Armor: +8

  Effect: +10% Increased damage when using physical attacks Name: Bun Ni’s Sash Durability: 39/40

  Rarity: Legendary Quality: Enhanced Armor: +6

  Effect: +15% Chance to land a critical hit when using physical attacks Name: Bun Ni’s Bandana Durability: 40/40

  Rarity: Legendary Quality: Enhanced Armor: +8

  Effect: +1% Chance to nullify damage from physical attacks You have found a full set of Bun Ni’s clothing.