“And that’s why you should come with me.” Allistor smiled at the elf. “To help me avoid needless mistakes that might, I don’t know, start a bloodfeud?”
*****
Half an hour later the group was aboard the Phoenix and heading out to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Allistor left the flying to Kira and her crew of trainees, instead gathering the group in the larger mess hall. Everyone he’d invited had opted to join him, along with Amanda, both bears, and a few of Remy’s and Leila’s people, and the room was buzzing with speculation. Allistor stood up and got their attention.
“Okay so we’re going to Dover Castle, to see if we can claim it. From our satellite info, it doesn’t look like anyone is living there, so this might be a five-minute job. I’m actually kind of hoping there’s a bunch of creatures in the underground levels, so we can clear it like we did the Silo.”
“Dungeon run!” Selby pumped a fist into the air.
Allistor sighed, “I wish. I wish there really were dungeons like we had in the VR games. We’ve cleared several underground areas full of monsters, but once they were clear that was it. No respawns or big loot chests.” He paused, grinning. “Except for the gold depositories, of course. There was plenty of loot, and the leprechauns left us actual pots of gold.”
Shelby said, “Oh, there will be dungeons. They take a little while to form, but I’m sure several would have been created during Earth’s Stabilization. They will grow larger with time. And as you mentioned, once you have cleared them, they will repopulate over a period of several days.”
Droban added, “And the loot is better inside actual dungeons. The system provides bonuses based on individual circumstances. For instance, if you conquer a dungeon full of creatures that are on average ten levels higher than you, the loot awarded will be substantially better than if the situation were reversed.”
“As a Planetary Emperor, you can also create your own dungeons on Orion, using a specifically enchanted core, and significant sundry resources.”
The mouths of every human in the room dropped open. Goodrich actually drooled a bit. Nobody spoke for several seconds. Allistor finally asked, “A real dungeon? Like, the kind with quests and bosses and big chests full of loot at the end?”
“Aye, real dungeons.” Longbeard confirmed. “They be most often used to train an emperor’s troops. Weed out the weak, and strengthen the survivors. It be a benefit to the emperor either way. The weak die, makin’ the dungeon monsters stronger. Then the stronger troops who kill ‘em get more benefit.”
Amanda shuddered, her face turning red. “Who would force weak troops into a place that is sure to kill them?”
Longbeard shook his head. “Few need to be forced. Clearin’ a dungeon be among the fastest ways to level up. And most dungeon owners let ‘em keep whatever loot they get from kills. So even the weak ones be willing to take a chance in a dungeon.”
Droban added, “The weaker soldiers know that when battle comes, they must face enemies that were likely strengthened by their own dungeons. Their odds of survival are better in the dungeons as part of a group. And should they survive the dungeons, they improve their odds o’ surviving battles.”
Allistor nodded. How often had he sent his people into combat to level them up? Clearing buildings, claiming territory, or hunting. This didn’t seem all that different to him. And he’d purposely sent his lowest level people into harm’s way for the same reason. So that they’d survive unexpected attacks of unknown strength. He did his best to make sure they were safe, sending higher level experienced raiders with them. But it was basically the same.
“We need a dungeon!” Bjurstrom’s smile was a little disturbing. He’d taken on the responsibility of coordinating raids for the lower level citizens.
“I agree.” Allistor was already picturing giant loot chests, glowing with golden light, bursting with epic gear. He looked to L’olwyn. “Where do we get one of these cores?”
“They can be purchased on the open market, though they are priced too highly for any but the larger factions and emperors to afford. You can commission a master enchanter to create one to your specifications. And again, this is quite costly. Occasionally a core is given by the System as a quest reward or world-first achievement, like your yacht.”
“Or they can be stolen when you conquer a wild dungeon, or one belonging to someone else.” Selby happily offered.
Droban cautioned the obviously excited humans. “Stealing a dungeon from an emperor or faction is generally grounds for war. Most simply wait for a wild dungeon to make itself known, and rush to be the first to conquer it.”
Allistor looked to Longbeard. “Would the planetary survey have picked up a dungeon if there was one on Orion?”
Longbeard shook his head. “Nay, lad. Dungeons be a place outside normal space.”
“So we might have dungeons on Orion, and on Earth. We need to find them.” Allistor mused.
Drobon nodded. “Almost certainly on Earth. Though several of the colonists will already be seeking them out. As for Orion, it may be that the dwarves already conquered and destroyed them. A dungeon is a valuable asset to control. Beyond using it for your own people’s benefit, you can sell access to interested parties. If the core can be taken without being destroyed, and moved elsewhere, like a secure homeworld…”
Kira’s voice echoed through the mess hall. “Okay guys, approaching the coast of England. We’ll be at the castle in less than five.”
The entire group got to their feet and filed out of the mess, heading down to the cargo bay. When Allistor felt the ship’s forward motion cease, he opened the cargo bay doors. Kira was hovering about a thousand feet above the main castle structure.
“That’s just awesome!” Allistor took in the massive stone walls, towers, and buildings. The grounds were overgrown, and the deep grass showed no signs of passage.
Kira descended, landing the ship in a large parking area south of the fortress proper, just west of a building that, based on its cross-shaped construction, must have been a church. The moment Phoenix touched down, Allistor and the others walked down the ramp and onto a paved street that led directly through the main castle gate. The walls and towers stretched maybe thirty feet above them, ancient stones projecting a sense of strength and power. The very definition of a bulwark.
“This is the coolest place ever!” Sydney shouted, then ducked her head between her shoulders as the rest of the raiders shushed her. They were in hostile territory, and shouting could bring monsters from every direction. “Sorry.” She whispered, blushing furiously.
Bjurstrom broke the raiders into small groups, dividing up the analysts by their various roles. Unsurprisingly, Droban and Longbeard were both melee fighters who could wield a shield and double as a tank if needed. L’olwyn was a healer, and Selby could alternate between firing a tiny gnomish crossbow or casting lightning and fire spells.
The sisters began singing a song that buffed Stamina and Constitution by two points each, choosing an old tune that Allistor couldn’t quite place that had a driving beat. One of the girls sang the equivalent of a bass line, while the other took the melody. The range of sounds the girls could now make with their voices was amazing.
As usual, Allistor led the way. There were dozens of structures here to clear, including the massive walls and towers that rose every hundred feet or so along its length. Several buildings lined the insides of the wall, all surrounding the massive main tower in the center. Outside the walls were other structures like the church, another gatehouse, and more. Those could be cleared later. Allistor was anxious to get inside the main building and down into the tunnels.
Passing through the high arch of the gateway, they found themselves in a courtyard paved with flagstones, facing the massive central tower. It rose four stories, thick stone walls and narrow windows, built for defense as well as light and air, looking down on them. Allistor couldn’t help but imagine knights in full armor striding up the stairs to the tower’s door, squires leading
horses toward the stables over to one side. Silence reigned as the others took in the sight for themselves. There was a feeling of history here, as if one could almost hear the battles and celebrations of the past.
Bjurstrom broke the silence, issuing quiet orders. “Groups one and two, move left, clear the buildings. Groups three and four, go right. Only clear from the ground up, and report any access points to the underground. Maintain radio contact. Check-in’s every ten minutes, and call for help if you even think you might need it.”
The group spread out as directed, taking one building each as they began to leapfrog each other around the outer wall structures. Allistor stayed in the courtyard near the tower entrance with the sisters, Amanda, and the two bears, to keep an eye on the gate and serve as backup if anyone called for help. In less than an hour the others had checked and cleared every room in every building in the loop. None of them reported any contact with monsters, or any life forms at all. Which made them all a little nervous.
Amanda was the first to say it. “This is the first place I’d have come if I were a local. And there’s no way that nothing spawned here or took shelter here for the last year. So either somebody already cleared this place, or something has killed everything else around.”
Meg shook her head. “We didn’t get a trespass notice when we came in. If this place was cleared, they didn’t claim it. Maybe they died in the process?”
Bjurstrom nodded. “Makes sense. They probably did just what we’re doing, started by clearing up here, then worked their way through the tower and down to the underground levels.”
Sam finished the thought. “And like that asshat Colonel Potts, couldn’t get the job done. Or maybe they’re down there right now, still tryin’.”
“Only one way to find out.” Allistor looked around. “Everybody take five to grab some food, get buffed up, and we’ll head into the tower.” All the raiders took a seat there in the courtyard, munching on sandwiches or jerky, while the girls renewed their musical buff on everyone. Fuzzy took the opportunity to teach Fiona the proper way to mooch treats, leading by example.
Chapter 18
Allistor got to his feet, the rest of the raid right behind him. Without a word, they broke into their previous groups, spreading the healers and tanks out. Allistor took the lead, climbing the few short steps to the tower door. Casting Barrier on himself, he stepped through.
It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, the interior of the tower not getting much sunlight through the narrow windows and doorway. When he could see clearly, he scanned the hall in front of him. Exposed stone walls with hanging tapestries, heavy wood plank floors, all with a thick layer of dust that looked undisturbed.
Moving quickly, he stepped forward to the next door, which led to a much larger room. A corridor led left and right, with several thick wooden doors along each side. Bjurstrom spoke quietly into his mic, sending groups left and right to start clearing rooms. These were experienced raiders, for the most part, and didn’t need much instruction.
Allistor and his group, which included Amanda, the bears, Ramon, and the girls, moved into the large room and started checking the walls and corners for anything hidden. It was only five minutes before his radio transmitted the all-clear, and the groups began to move upstairs. Allistor and company waited in the throne room, checking out the blocky twin thrones and other historic items. The castle had been operating as a museum when the world ended, and didn’t seem to have been disturbed much since.
The smaller groups found a few vermin on the upper floors. Normal earth rats, not the monsters from the menagerie. And some pigeons nesting on the top floor. The rats perished, the pigeons were chased away, at least temporarily. Allistor shook his head when he heard that report. In the early days, the opportunity for pigeon meat would have made their mouths water. When everyone had returned to the ground floor, Ramon pointed out the stairway leading downward on the map he’d been creating to level up his Cartography skill. He’d actually found some tourist pamphlets on a rack, one of which included a map of the castle and its underground levels.
Knowing that they were moving into confined spaces, the group configuration altered. Allistor still took the lead, with Logan next to him to open doors. Behind them were several tanks, followed by most of the dps and healers, with another small group of dps and tanks at the rear. The bears, and the teen sisters, stayed near the center of the group.
Allistor led them down the stone staircase, which ended at a thick wooden door with heavy iron bands reinforcing it. The ancient looking door had a modern round knob made of brass. Executing their usual drill, Logan opened the door, clearing the way for Allistor to step through.
Three light globes glided past Allistor’s head as he passed the arched doorway. Straining to see down the hallway in front of him, his peripheral vision picked up dried bloodstains on the walls and floor ahead and to either side of him. Continuing forward with his Barrier spell active in front of him, he made room for the others to filter in behind.
“Something died in here.” Sam observed.
“Captain obvious.” Meg snickered, elbowing her husband.
“Several somethings.” Helen added, winking at Meg. “Look at the splashes on the walls. Some are round splats like a gunshot spray. But most are long splashes, from deep blade cuts, or maybe claws.” The group took a more careful look at the walls, nodding their heads in understanding. There was a jumble of broken furniture further ahead, also liberally covered in dried blood.
“No bones, though.” Remy observed from near the back. “And whatever it was, it wasn’t strong enough to break that door behind us, and didn’t know how to work a doorknob.”
Everyone knew what no bones meant. Whatever had been victorious in the fight down here had either moved, or consumed, the bodies. Sam, rubbing his side where Meg had attacked, looked down at her with a wide grin. “Maybe it was giant spiders.” He stepped to the side before a second elbow could land.
Allistor couldn’t help but smile. His people were seasoned and confident enough to joke with each other in what amounted to a bloodstained dungeon corridor. This is what he wanted for them. To be strong enough to thrive, despite living in a world that pretty regularly tried to kill them.
Moving forward, they cleared the furniture by pushing and stacking it to either side, leaving them a clear path, as well as potential cover to hide behind if necessary. For an hour they slowly made their way through the first level of tunnels, clearing as they went. McCoy pointed out some spent shell casings, both for shotguns and rifles. The absence of any handgun casings puzzled them for a little while, until Leila pointed out that handguns were illegal in the UK, except for military personnel.
There were also large burn marks on some of the furniture scraps, as well as deep gouges. So the battle had included both magical and melee attacks. Fiona sniffed at what appeared to be a set of three claw marks on a chair leg, and growled, her hackles rising. Amanda petted her head to reassure her. Fuzzy took a sniff too, and shook his head. Allistor got the impression it wasn’t a scent he recognized.
“Might be a new monster, guys. Fuzzy hasn’t smelled it before, and he’s been almost everywhere I have.”
“Let it not be bugs.” Meg whispered, and several of the folks nodded their agreement.
After clearing the first level of tunnels without incident, the group moved to the next stone stairway that spiraled downward. Halfway down, both bears began to growl, their noses sweeping back and forth. Allistor held up a hand, and the entire group froze.
There was a rustling noise echoing up from below. The limited light from the globes hovering ahead of him didn’t reveal any movement, or any creatures waiting in ambush. Refreshing his Barrier, Allistor continued forward, whispering to the bears to be quiet.
He needn’t have bothered. Whatever was down below already knew they were there. The rustling increased, followed by rattling sounds, and several short, barking noises. Allistor drew his sword, and heard the tank
s behind him equipping shields. The light globes pushed further down the stairs as the party advanced. Allistor had taken just three more steps when the first of the monsters appeared around the bend in the stairway. It paused, surprised by the large number and size of invaders above it.
Oviraptor Juvenile
Level 40
Health: 21,000/21,000
The little thing, less than three feet tall, looked much like a dinosaur. It ran mostly upright on two powerful hind legs with three-clawed feet, and had two short upper arms with three claws each. Its head was elongated, with two rows of sharp teeth in a wide jaw, and eyes on either side of its head. Down its back ran a line of what looked like multicolored feathers protruding from its grey scaled skin.
“It’s a tiny murder chicken.” Goodrich called out from further up the stairs. His voice squeaked slightly. The man had a definite aversion to the murder chickens after his last encounter. McCoy patted him on the shoulder.
Hearing the voice, the raptor barked back in challenge, the sound quickly joined by several more behind it. Two, then four, then nearly a dozen of the creatures crowded into the stairway within sight of Allistor. More could be heard barking down below.
“Shit.” Logan muttered from right behind and above Allistor. “This is gonna leave a mark.”
With one final bark, the lead raptor dashed forward, speeding up the dozen or so steps between its position and Allistor’s. When it was maybe four steps away, its powerful legs bunched, then uncoiled with a burst of strength, launching the little monster right toward Allistor’s face.
It collided with the magical barrier in front of him, and much to Allistor’s surprise, the invisible shield held! The raptor was stopped cold, it’s head knocked back as it fell straight down. Unfortunately, the three that leapt in right behind it smashed through the shield. The one coming straight at Allistor lost its head as he swung his sword, its corpse falling atop the stunned raptor at his feet. Logan used his massive axe to split the second one nearly in half while it was still in the air. The third missed Allistor’s shoulder by inches when he ducked, flying past him to impact the shield of one of the tanks.
Shadow Sun Progression: Shadow Sun Book Four Page 29