Gyle
I angrily marched through the village with a small entourage of orcs, coyote beastkin, and my apprentice at my heels. I had turned into something of a hermit in recent years, but for the sake of achieving my goals, it was time for that to come to an end.
Why am I not surprised that pretentious, self-aggrandizing fool would try something like this?
As I neared the crowded town square, I pulled a vial from my pocket and downed its contents. The bitter taste brought back unpleasant memories.
“Albert, what is the meaning of this?”
My voice boomed far louder than any normal person's should be able to. Brewed from Sonic Berries, the potion I had just downed had to have been a couple of decades old, a relic from another life. At the sound of my voice, people made way. Whether that was out of fear, respect, or a desire to put distance between themselves or the source of the sound that left their ears ringing, I cared little.
“Ah, Peter, what a surprise! What are you doing here?” the mayor of Firmsoil Village exclaimed through a false smile and with open arms as I approached.
“You know perfectly well why I'm here. I should be the one asking you why you've intercepted my visitors and tried to prevent anyone from telling me of their arrival.”
“I was simply doing you a favor. You hate to be disturbed after all. Also, what do you mean by your visitors? As the mayor of this fine town of ours, it is obviously my place to greet and host important guests, such as the Adventurers Guild.”
“Ahem,” the heavily armored individual that led the team sent by the Adventurers Guild forced his way between us as he spoke, “Would you happen to be the one by the name of Peter Gyle?”
The mayor, a hairy and heavy-set bear beastkin, glared at me as the representative of the guild extended a hand for me to shake.
“Yes, that is right. Who do I have the honor of speaking with?” I asked as I shook the proffered hand.
“I am Sirius Toadskill. I am here to confirm the veracity of the reports we have received about a new Dungeon and, if they are accurate, serve as the new branch head of the Adventurers Guild here in Firmsoil. Is there somewhere we can speak more comfortably?”
I could see Albert's face turning red as he sputtered, “Wh-what? There is no need to involve him. I am the one who found the Dungeon, and I am also the authority in this town. Come, let us discuss our plans moving forward.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Chorlus, yours was the second report on the matter that the Adventurers Guild received, and it contained incomplete information that was directly contradictory to that of the one Sir Peter sent us.”
Shock filled the man's face for a split second before he he spoke again, voice filled with indignation, “Don't tell me you are going to take this nobody's word over that of mine, the honorable mayor of this fine town. I simply took an extra day to verify the information before I sent it out.”
“If the information Sir Peter provided turns out to be false, you will have my sincerest apologies, and we can discuss the matter of a finder's fee further; however, it is guild policy to deal directly with the lord of a territory when setting up a new branch and to take their word at face value, unless we have a good reason not to. As such, I will be discussing these matters directly with Sir Peter of House Gyle.”
“Sir? House? Lord of a territory? I don't know what lies he has been feeding you, but he's no one important. He's just some old codger. He has no authority here, yet you make it sound like he's nobility.”
I took great pleasure in my next words, “Though disgraced, I do retain my noble title from my younger days. Even if I was left with it as little more than a formality, it remains. Additionally, the paperwork arrived just this morning. I used the last of my remaining wealth to purchase Firmsoil and the surrounding forest from Lord Afrule.
“According to kingdom law, any noble house, no matter the ranking, is to be immediately promoted to that of a barony upon the discovery of a Dungeon within their territory. It is written in article two of our nation's founding constitution. As such, all authoritative power in this region now belongs to me, my appointed heir Lawrence, and the two families that I have chosen to give administrative rights to as a reward for finding the Dungeon: the Strongarm and Yip families. In other words, your service to this village is appreciated, but from this moment onward, you are out of the job.”
He stood there opening and closing his mouth for a satisfyingly long time. Then, he gritted his teeth and stormed off. I could make out a muttered, “We'll see about that,” as he left, but I was unconcerned.
“I apologize for that, mister Toadskill. Now, shall I host you at my humble abode? Lawrence, run ahead and start some tea, would you? Use the good stuff. I believe this man has been on the road for days and is likely missing the luxuries of the cities by now.”
“Yes, sir,” came the delayed and unsteady response of my shocked apprentice.
I chuckled to myself. I hadn't told him that I'd be naming him my heir today, and his reaction alone made that choice worth it.
After he ran off, the guild's new branch head spoke, “I think I'll enjoy dealing with you rather than that bumbling fool. My grandfather has spoken good things about you.”
“He is a good man. I think I can see a bit of him in you already,” I called back as I began walking with a growing smile.
It had been worth it to finally use up those last few favors I'd been saving for a rainy day.
* * *
Cameron
It had been two days since my first real adventurer group left. I knew that because that's how many times the sun had set. Oh, what I would have given for System clock. Sadly, that was not something I could enable in the options menu. I knew that because I had checked at least half a dozen times.
Fabian still hadn't returned. I was both bored because of that and happy that I still had time. I had been working on something that I wanted to complete before he got back, and I finally had the last piece I needed to complete it.
[You have absorbed 1 Wooden Roofing Strip Building Block! Wooden Roofing Strip Building Blocks have been unlocked as an item for you.]
[Wooden Roofing Strip Building Block has been condensed into the Wooden Building Blocks category.]
Yeah! Let's go Archie!
I cheered mentally, and my Trenti cheered with me in a gruff yet childlike voice. Had I named my Trenti woodworker? Yes. Had I been talking to him despite his lack of sentience? Maybe. Was I starting to think of the strange forest goblin as a friend. No comment.
[Trenti (Level 1) slain! No experience gained.]
Well, that put a damper on things.
Wait, what?
[Shadow Viper (Level 1) slain! No experience gained.]
Was my core feeling sweaty, or was that just my imagination?
Is that wizard back? Oh no, he'll kill Archie! Hide, Archie! Hide!
Did it say a lot about my mental state that my first reaction to danger was to worry about my mindless goblin instead of myself. No, it definitely didn't. Neither did my immediate refusal to use said elite monster to fight off invaders that were likely coming for my core.
I turned my attention toward my first room, and my viewpoint teleport.
“Yep, they match the report to the letter!”
“Hmm, the report didn't mention all these decorative carvings and pillars around the cave. What do you think, boss? Should we keep going until we find the core, or should we head back?”
My fears turned to confusion as I looked at the first speaker. The second was also eye-catching with his leather armor and longsword, but he was a normal human. The first, however, had features and physical characteristics I had never seen before. She had short, snow white-hair, what looked to be hardened, pale skin, large pitch-black eyes, and a pair of feather-shaped antennae. She was short, had a slightly wide frame for her size, and thin limbs. In each of her four hands, she held knives.
It took me a moment, but after I digested her features, I eventually decided that she vaguely resembled a moth. I made a mental note to ask Fabian for details regarding the mortal races before I was reminded that I needed to be on guard by the words of their group's third member, “The core's current location is unknown. We need to locate it, at the very least.”
I didn't like the sound of the short, robed, and staff wielding man's words. My first response was to rally my monsters. Then, I remembered that they had already been killed. I looked at my DP and Mana. I had eighteen Dungeon Points back and only four mana.
Why did I spend so much carving useless stone?
What I had wouldn't have done much, even without taking into consideration the fact that the cost of doing anything within the proximity of adventurers increased tenfold or more. As it stood, I could place two falling rock traps in a different room from them. I did that, and my mana bottomed out. I pushed past the pain and nausea doing that caused me, trying to focus on the group.
The group of four, the last member being a human woman with a white cloak and staff, continued forward. I had one Trenti left in the room, but I ordered it to hide until commanded otherwise. The group, seemingly knowing about that Trenti already somehow, found and killed it with a lightning spell from the mage before it even had a chance to set off the makeshift trap it was guarding.
I'm dead, aren't I? What's my luck with overpowered adventurers going straight for my core?
That thought gave me an idea. It was a bad idea, but it was an idea. Quickly, I commanded Archie to pick me up and place me at the end of the small tunnel between my first room and my core room. I was hoping–relying–on the possibility that this group, much like the wizard, were not here to destroy my core. It was a risk, but it was a calculated one. If they showed any hostile intentions, I would hopefully still have enough time to react.
“What do you know? There it is,” the short man the warrior had referred to as the boss said as he looked across my pit and into the tunnel, straight at my core.
Get ready Archie! The second I tell you to, move my core.
“Yay! Can we head back now?” the four-armed moth girl asked cheerfully.
“Yeah, that tunnel there looks like a death trap. We confirmed what we needed to. Let's go.”
Huh, I guess it really was that easy.
The group left, and I felt relief.
* * *
Albert Chorlus
“They just left,” a young coyote beastkin reported as he ran up to me.
“Good. Let's go. We need to be quick.”
The rest of the seven I had rallied to my cause scrambled to get their things together and weapons together behind me as I made my way to the cave entrance.
You took my job. You took my town. You took my future. Peter Gyle, you'll take this Dungeon from me over my dead body.
“Mr. Chorlus, are you sure about this?” an older orc man asked as he came jogging up to the cave's entrance next to me.
“Yes,” I answered loud enough for everyone gathered to hear, “the Dungeon is still weak, and the scouting group from the Adventurers Guild just cleared it. If we act fast, we can get the Dungeon Core before any new monsters are summoned. Once we get it, we can sell it, and all of us will be set for life! Sprawling villas, the finest alcohol, and anything else your hearts desire, it will be ours!”
Around me there was a chorus of cheers.
The fools.
As if I would share a coin of the profits with any of them. I just needed the manpower. I'd ditch all of them the second I got the chance.
I led the way down the stairs, surprised by the beauty of the carvings on the walls around me. Even if they were sparse and most of the cave was simple and rocky, I had hardly expected such things inside of a Dungeon.
Who knew death traps could be pretty?
Once inside, I slowed my pace, not enough for the others to notice, but enough for them to catch up with and start passing me. What good would my meat shields do if they were behind me?
The cave was bare. There were no monsters in sight, but carelessness was folly. It was a belief that had served me well throughout my life, and that sentiment proved more than accurate as we neared the end of the room, a split in the path directly ahead.
Snap!
I jerked my head to the side as I heard what sounded like a piece of wood breaking. My eyes landed on a shadow dashing into a wall before a massive boulder began rolling down a slope directly toward us.
“Everyone, get back!” I bellowed.
I, along with most of our group managed to dive out of the way, but the three men at the lead weren't as lucky. I, looking back, barely caught sight of them being hit by the boulder and knocked into a large pit, the boulder following them in. Their screams died off in mere seconds.
“You said it would be safe!” someone yelled at me.
Quickly regaining my composure, I made to defend myself, “I said there would be no monsters. Clearly, the adventurers didn't consider that trap worth disarming. It's unfortunate, and this cruel twist of fate pains me, but you all knew the risk in coming here. That said, we can't falter now. It's more money than we could spend in our lives that we're talking about. We must press on.”
I was lying through my teeth, but that was nothing new to me. From my experience, as long as you acted confident and dangled a carrot in front of the rabble, they would follow you blindly. That's why I couldn't show just how much fear and adrenaline was rushing through me or my uncertainty as to why that trap was left disarmed. If I showed even the slightest hint of weakness, the group around me would fall apart.
“I don't know about this,” the orc man from earlier wavered, “Maybe we should just head back.”
“Head back? Head back and forget about this chance to make more money in one day than we could ever hope to in our entire lives? Charles, for your own sake, I can't let you do that! You know that you'd always regret it.”
I couldn't allow anyone to spill what we were doing. It would cause too many complications.
“Maybe … Maybe you're right.”
“Of course I am! Now, come on. We have a fortune to collect!”
There were no resounding cheers at my words, but my four remaining pawns followed after me regardless. I led the way across the gap. With the boulder filling it, we could cross easily enough. Then, there was the next obstacle.
“Sadly, I don't think I will fit through this tunnel. I'll stand guard here.”
It would be tight, but I could probably have fit. I neither saw a need to go first nor wanted to, though, and with my bulky frame, the others didn't question my reasoning too much. Hesitantly, the three began to crawl through the small opening.
“Ow!” the one at the lead cried, “Something just fell on me!”
“Another trap. There can't be many more. Do you see anything?”
“Uh, yeah. It's a ball, and it's bright like a fire–ow! Argh, that hurt!” the man answered.
“That's it! That's what we're here for!” I encouraged them, “Our goal is in sight! Now, you just need to reach out and grasp it!”
Finally, fortune and power, it would be mine. It wasn't as good as remaining as the mayor would have been, but I'd take what I could get.
“Hey, there's something in here! It looks like a big mushroom with a stick.”
The man let out a short-lived scream of agony, after that. At the same time, another let out a battle cry, “Die!”
“Forget this. I'm leaving. I don't care how much money I could make; it's not worth my life,” the orc demanded as he crawled back out of the hole.
I shouldn't have brought him.
“It … it's dead!” I heard the remaining two men cheer.
I placed my hand on Charles's shoulder and spoke, “See, we've got it. There's no reason to back–”
My words were cut off by more screams, “Get it off! Get it off!”
“Forget this! I'm getting out of here!”
The first man's screams were cut short, and the second began wailing in pain as he tried to make his way back through the tunnel.
No, everything's falling apart!
The orc man knocked my arm off of him as he made to leave.
No, I can't fail. I can plot. I can scheme. I can come back and try again, but if this fool rats me out, it's over!
I pulled the sword from the scabbard at my waist and stabbed it into the man's back. His face, full of fear and betrayal, turned back to look at me. His eyes glistened with fear as I pulled my sword out and cut a large gash straight down that face. Then, I kicked him into the pit.
No one can know about this, or I'm finished. I'll regroup, reorganize, and try again.
Those were the thoughts racing across my mind as I charged through the Dungeon toward the exit, one final scream of pain resounding behind me.