We rushed down the stairs and out of the building. Ready for war.
“Get in. Get in!” Leo called to us from the inside of a black van.
Of course, knowing Leo, I didn’t expect this to be any normal kind of transportation. Even though the entrance to the vehicle was a simple sliding door, inside Leo was sitting behind a huge hexagonal table in the middle of a large brightly lit hall.
“What the fuck, Leo?” I said as I lowered my head to walk into the van, only to realize that I absolutely didn’t need to crouch to fit in there. “Just how much did this thing cost?”
“What is it even?” Louie asked as he levitated himself into it.
“I don’t know how much it cost, because it isn’t mine,” Leo said in all his bright blue pride. “It belongs to the clan, and it’s mostly used as a mobile command center. That’s kind of why we need it tonight.”
“Aye, Firenzian. Nice ride,” Rory said as he pulled himself into the room as well.
Leo pressed a button on the large table and the door closed behind him. The moment the door locked, the car started moving, no doubt being driven by one of the DiFiore’s personal chauffeurs hidden in the driving compartment next to the room we were in.
A few steps led from the floor up to the table. I took a seat at the table and paused to marvel at the extra-dimensional space inside the vehicle. The table in front of us was massive, made of dark wood, with one large screen covering its entire surface. The technology looked a lot like a normal television, but this had to be some kind of custom Apocosmos product.
The walls surrounding the space were filled with bookcases and maps of places I had never heard of, while the ceiling was completely white. It felt like we were standing in the middle of a factory.
“Talk about spacious, Leo!” I said and my eyes fell on the layout of a building being shown on the screen.
“It is great, but we need to be back before dawn,” he said and clenched his teeth awkwardly.
“Did ye steal yer parents’ car, boy?” the dwarf managed to say before he burst out laughing.
“Don’t worry about that. Let’s focus on what we’re doing tonight.”
“What did you find out?” I asked. “Or rather what had you already found out?”
“The people who attacked you are using an LED sign warehouse in the Bronx as their center of operations, but there’s more to it,” Leo started explaining. “They’ve merged the interior of the place with an extraplanar realm.”
“A fucking dungeon in New York?” Rory said, surprised, which was already a bad sign. Rory was never surprised. “They must be crazy thinking they can keep up with having a plane open for so long.”
“That, or they’ve got enough pull to keep everyone away,” Leo replied.
“What are you guys talking about?” I asked, confused at how casually they were throwing the word dungeon around.
“Dungeons are a complicated thing, lad,” Rory replied. “Ye see, extra-dimensional spaces, much like this one, don’t need to exist exclusively within the confines of a strictly defined space. They can travel within the Cosmos. Dungeons can’t do that, but they can meld with the Cosmos.”
“It’s an instant dungeon, Alex,” Leo interjected. “If you’re a passerby, you’d continue through the Cosmos space as normal, but if you’re one of us, elements of the Apocosmos will be visible.”
“Oh, that’s simple,” I said. “Why couldn’t you say so, Rory?”
“The fuck is an instant dungeon? I was trying to explain to ye how the two realms are merged but it seems ye’re too daft to get it.”
“So what are we dealing with here?” Louie put us back on track.
“There are three more people in the group. You said there were five who initially pulled you in, minus the three that broke into your house leaves two. So the third one must be their boss or whatever. But that’s the least of our problems,” Leo continued. “The place is festering with monsters. I wasn’t joking when I said it’s an instant dungeon.”
“Just how were you able to get this information?” Louie asked. “And how strong are these monsters?”
“I have a guy who regularly goes into all kinds of places and people don’t mind him at all,” Leo said, wearing a suspicious smile. “And I don’t have a list of the monsters, but he said that it’s nothing we won’t be able to handle ourselves.”
I had a pretty good idea of who Leo was talking about and I was more than happy to trust any information Leo himself felt he could trust. However, he still hadn’t mentioned anything about the layout we were seeing on the screens.
“So a monster-infested neon light warehouse, with three people at the end of it?” I tried to summarise the facts. “Is this a map of the place?”
“Yes and no,” Leo replied with pressed lips. “Dungeons that merge with the Cosmos take up the same actual physical space but in multiple layers. You can think of them as dungeon floors. Once you reach the end of the first physical warehouse, you’ll transition to the next one, starting from the entrance of the warehouse again. All of those layers use this exact layout I got from the real-estate agency that sold this place to them.”
“How many layers are there?” Rory asked.
At the same time, Louie threw in a question of his own. “What do you know about these three people? One of them was half-infernal.”
“Three layers at least that I know of. Though, I’m not sure if there are more and I have no doubt that once we reach the first, they’ll know we’re coming for them,” Leo replied to Rory and then turned to face Louie. “Your guess is as good as mine. My source has only heard the sixth person, but never seen them. Let’s put a pin in that for now, ’cause I don’t like unknown variables.”
“The warehouse plan seems pretty straightforward,” I said. “How do we proceed then? Head straight for the other end of the place?”
“If only it was that simple,” Leo replied. “The person who created this dungeon and allows monsters to manifest in it has absolute control over them. It’s unlikely we’d be able to get to the person in charge without going through them first. The best strategy would be to go through each room and clean them out.”
“That way, we won’t have a bunch of monsters ganging up on us when we’re taking down the boss man,” Rory added.
“And what happens once we take him out?” Louie asked. “Does the place just disappear? Are we thrown out of the building or what?”
“Not much happens,” Leo responded. “After about an hour or so, the plane collapses. Actually, ‘collapses’ is a pretty powerful word. Nothing changes in the Cosmos really. The layers just stop existing, along with anything that was stored in there and any monsters that had manifested.”
“Which means we’d better hurry if we want to get the loot, half-Celt,” Rory added and rubbed his hands together. “I bet me pipe that all of their gold and valuables will be stored in there.”
“That’s right,” Leo agreed. “An alternative would be to keep them alive, but that always carries its risks.”
“No, let’s not get too greedy. That’s what got us where we are today in the first place,” I said. “We’re going in there to finish it.”
“About that,” Leo said and looked at me. “Rory and I have been in the Apocosmos for quite some time and are used to it. Louie has been part of the Apocosmos for practically his whole conscious life, so this is more normal for him as well. How are you handling the fact that we’re going in there with the sole purpose of killing those people, Alex?”
This was a question I’d been trying to avoid thinking about too much. I kept telling myself that this was a different world, with different rules. I tried thinking about how they’d attacked us, the fact that this was a zero-sum game, and that our lives were at stake here, but I just couldn’t bring myself to accept the fact we were going in there with the intent to murder.
“I don’t like it,” I finally said, “but it is what it is. I’m not going to let my feelings stand in the way
of what we set out to do. I’ll trust my logic and do my part.”
“Fair enough, lad,” the dwarf said in what sounded almost like a sympathetic tone. “Are we ready then?”
“A couple more things,” Leo added. “Rory, I suppose you’ve got your own healing potions?”
“Aye,” he replied. “Need some?”
“I’m well-stocked,” Leo responded and now turned his head to face Louie and myself. “I suppose you also bought inventory bags of your own?”
“We did,” Louie replied as I nodded.
“Louie, I’d suggest you focus on healing,” Leo continued. “I’ll also heal every now and then, but just to be safe, I brought a couple of potions for each of you.”
He reached into the air in front of him, his hand disappearing into a thin line of purple light and when he retracted it, he was holding four corked red potions in long thin test tubes between his fingers.
Item: Lesser Healing Potion
Type: Consumable - Potion
Durability : 20/20
Rarity: E Grade
Weight: 4st.
Description : A magic potion which, upon consumption, restores a small amount of HP over time. The effect of the potion lasts 15 seconds.
“Thanks, man,” I said and put two of the potions into my inventory the same way Leo had taken them out of his.
“Thank you,” Louie said and let out an excited bark as he levitated the remaining vials into his own extra-dimensional bag.
“Now one last thing,” Leo said. “I’ve arranged for us to meet with a buffer before we enter.”
“Leonardo, lad!” Rory exclaimed. “I like yer thinking. What kind of buffer are we talking about?”
“A level 41 Amplificationist. Just to be clear, we will be meeting this person on our way there. He’ll cast his buffs on all of us and we’ll head straight to the dungeon afterward without him.”
“Is it a good idea to include more people in this?” the ever-cautious Louie asked.
“I’ve worked with this person before. He’s discreet and professional. He doesn’t scan, he doesn’t ask questions. He simply provides his services and that’s it. As long as he gets paid, he doesn’t care what four individuals might do, all buffed up in the middle of the night.”
“So is this like a buffs-for-sale service?” I asked, surprised at the ingenuity of the business model.
“Exactly. I couldn’t find a higher-level buffer I could trust at such short notice, but at least he’s already upgraded his class a second time.”
“That’s great, Leo,” Louie reassured him. “How much time will we have afterward?”
“Twenty minutes until the boons start expiring. We won’t need more than thirty seconds to reach the warehouse, but we’ll need to move fast if we want to make the most of it.”
“Each layer has a corridor that leads to the next one, with three closed rooms on each side,” Rory said looking at the schematics. “We should have enough time to clear all three layers before our buffs run out.”
Leo nodded and we felt the car slow down, pulling up next at the curb outside of a local 24/7 burger joint. Just outside the restaurant, a dark figure dressed in blue jeans and a black leather jacket was leaning against the wall. When Leo lowered the window, the figure started walking toward us and I could see it was a man with dark curly hair, a bushy beard, and wild thick sideburns.
“Mr. DiFiore,” the man said as he reached the car and leaned on the windowsill. “Shall we proceed?”
There was something different about this man. His characteristics were rough, almost primal. His hands were the only part of him that was visible under his clothes, but even there he was extremely hairy, and the way he looked at us reminded me of the way predators looked at their prey on documentaries.
Name: ???
Race: Werewolf
Class: Amplificationist
Level: 41
Werewolves too? I knew I should be used to it by now, but I was surprised every time I found out that a beast or monster that had seeped into our culture actually existed elsewhere.
I did find it a little weird that he was only masking his name and leaving his race open for anyone to see, but perhaps werewolves were famous for their skill at enhancing spells. Or perhaps it was just because the word “werewolf” silently said “don’t fuck with me or the pack will claim you”.
“Let’s do this,” Leo said. “The dog goes last.”
The man in the leather jacket nodded and a long metal staff with an emerald at its top appeared in his hands with a flash. Immediately he started whispering an incantation and moving the staff around until a blue spiral enveloped him. His next incantation was directed toward Rory and I could see that his initial spell had probably raised his Casting Speed, since he was now moving his hands and speaking noticeably faster.
A series of images flashed in front of the dwarf—a shield, a sword, and more obscure shapes appeared outlined with light whenever a buff was cast. Rory looked stronger and more formidable with each passing second.
“In the meantime, accept my invitation,” Leo said and a dot flashed on the periphery of my vision.
Leonardo DiFiore has invited you to a party.
Party Members: 3/9
Party Leader: Leonardo DiFiore
Do you accept the invitation?YesNo
This time, the faces of Leo, Rory, and Louie appeared in the corner of my eye, along with their HP and MP bars. However, I noticed something else appearing right underneath Rory’s bars. I focused on the new icons that were lining up there and realized they were the buffs he was receiving from the amplificationist.
Name: Fortitude
Type: Buff
Level: 2
Effect: Boosts Physical Defense by 12%
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : A thick layer of mana envelops the recipient’s body, acting as a dampener for physical blows.
Name: Rapid Body Regeneration
Type: Buff
Level: 1
Effect: Boosts HP Regeneration Rate by 10%
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : The recipient’s metabolism is accelerated by mana, making their body able to regenerate faster.
Name: Bloodless
Type: Buff
Level: 1
Effect: Boosts Bleed resistance by 30%
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : Flesh wounds are closed by mana, thus lowering the chance of the recipient bleeding out.
Name: Mental Resistance
Type: Buff
Level: 2
Effect: Boosts Sleep resistance by 30%, Mental resistance by 30%, Root resistance by 30%
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : The mind of the recipient is fortified against magical attacks that can render the body immobile.
Name: Enforce Shield
Type: Buff
Level: 1
Effect: Boosts shield defense rate by 5%
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : A layer of mana coats the shield of the recipient, providing it with greater deflection and defensive properties.
Name: Might
Type: Buff
Level: 3
Effect: Boosts Physical Attack by 15%
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : The recipient’s muscles are infused with a staggering amount of mana, providing an extreme strength boost.
Name: Rush
Type: Buff
Level: 2
Effect: Boosts Speed by 33
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : Vast amounts of mana are concentrated on the recipient’s feet or wings, greatly increasing their movement speed.
Name: Bless the Blade
Type: Buff
Level: 1
Effect: B
oosts Holy attribute of Physical Attack by 20
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : The weapons of the recipient are blessed by holy light, making their attacks especially strong against creatures of darkness.
Name: Guide the Blade
Type: Buff
Level: 1
Effect: Boosts Critical Rate by 20%
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : The senses of the recipient are heightened in a way that means their strikes find targets in vital areas more easily.
Name: Hand that Guides
Type: Buff
Level: 1
Effect: Boosts Accuracy by 2
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : The senses of the recipient are heightened in a way that means their strikes find their target more easily.
Name: Twist the Blade
Type: Buff
Level: 1
Effect: Boosts Critical Damage by 25%
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description : The senses of the recipient are heightened in a way that means their strikes deal more damage in vital areas.
I had no idea how much these buffs had cost but had I known about them before, I would definitely have purchased them myself. The bonuses were amazing, especially the ones that gave percentile bonuses. The buffer started casting his boons on me while I observed Rory’s new stats.
Name: Rory Battleforge
Race: Dwarf
Class: Mastersmith
Berserker: A LitRPG Urban Fantasy Adventure (Apocosmos Book 1) Page 25