Forgotten Dungeon

Charles

We were still getting our bearings when the source of chaos reappeared - Uno's irritating megaphone minion waddled out from the Dungeon. The soldiers knew better than to accost it, especially since many of them owed their (now furry or scaly) lives to the one hidden behind it. The potions he provided, even with their considerable side effects, were priceless.

The first to react, of course, was Non.

The moment Uno's dwarven carrier appeared, she perked up, making the earlier exhaustion seem a lie. "Master!" She shouted, waving her hand like a girl in love.

I chuckled. In some sense, she was one.

"Master, how are you?"

"Hmm? Non, my little angel! I'm fine. Fine-ish, let's say. There are always consequences, right?" There was something strange behind the voice. A strange hitch that wasn't there before.

"And how is everyone? Finished getting your ass kicked?" I couldn't see his grin, but I could feel it.

"Thanks for the help." Agnes was the first one to surrender and bow her head. "If not for Non, then we would have died. Or worse." She trembled, nearly imperceivably, but I had seen it.

"And whose fault was it?" I asked, lifting my brow, trying to joke, despite the life-and-death situation we had been thrust into.

"Ha~~." She played along, waving her scaly hand.

"You aren't a princess anymore, Agnes."

"Oh, yeah? Then what else would you have me do? Meekly follow these avatars of arrogance? Mr. Over My Dead Body?" She shot back angrily, before dropping the pretense and kissing me.

Her lips tasted of vanilla.

After a moment of silence and bliss, the lamia-kin's expression grew serious. "I didn't know that Eve was still alive, not to mention that she was so high on the Theocracy's ladder." She muttered in a lonesome tone. "If only we knew earlier…"

"Even if we knew, then what?" I disagreed. "What would change? Do you think that those elven monsters would work with us? That they would swallow their pride to let Silver Oasis prosper? That they would destroy the undead while leaving the common citizen alone? I don't think so."

"I concur." Master Vincent nodded his helmeted head. "Those still serving the dead Aeon cannot be measured by common sense. I can only assume that this assault was their perfectly reasonable answer to Eve's plea for your salvation."

"It really seems like these bastards interpreted it as take her alive, no matter the consequences." Agnes spat on the ground, stomping her feet.

"I think you all are kinda avoiding the elephant in the room." A grindingly cheerful voice interrupted. "They want to kill you and kill the undead. And monsters. And beastkin. All-around murder spree! A murder bonanza! It's like they serve a dungeon, am I right?" The Uno's mouthpiece just wouldn't shut up.

Even worse, nobody could say anything about the vitriol that was spewed. It was true, after all. Of course, the power he wielded over us didn't help.

"At least we didn't get completely shafted." The megaphone minion continued. "Non, dear, could you show me the goods?"

The former revenant shook uncomfortably under our combined gazes. Then she straightened her back, reaching into a small pouch attached to her hips. "Yes, Master! Your enemies didn't stand a chance against the black light!" She happily reported, her hair swaying in the wind. "And, like we anticipated, their essence had been harvested."

Three golden orbs suddenly appeared in her outstretched hand. They radiated concentrated power, drawing our attention.

"By the Gods… are those their souls?" Master Vincent asked in a trembling voice. I smiled mirthlessly. Was this a line the old man didn't want to cross?

"Not really." Uno answered as callously as ever. "It's just their essence. Vitality." He stopped for a moment, seemingly thinking about a better word. "Their cultivation." He gleefully added, waiting for a response.

"What does farming have to do with anything?" Agnes asked, confused.

"Why use agricultural lingo?" The old mage's face twisted.

"Could you please not?" I asked the Dungeon Core. Somehow, I knew what he was talking about. And I wasn't impressed.

"Aaaaaanyway…" The Core mouthpiece couldn't grin, but the feeling remained. "These are nice boosters to use! Premium items, lovely - as long as consuming them won't consume you instead!"

"We're not fools. We know there's no advancement without risk. And that the worst ones are those that seem effortless." I grumbled. "What are our chances?"

"For you scrubs? Consuming them would mean certain death. Those were some of the most powerful people in the world." Uno shrugged. I saw Agnes getting redder and redder, with her emotions slowly getting out of control. It took a few seconds before she blew up.

Contrary to common wisdom, not all snakes are patient.

"Then what use are they?!" She yelled. "If they can't strengthen us, then they're just pieces of trash! Why show us something we can't have?! Do you just want to brag?"

I knew the answer to that question, but decided to wisely remain silent.

"You caught me! That's the point!" He answered cheekily. Predicting the outcome, I hugged my raging girlfriend, feeling her warmth as she melted into my chest.

"That can't be all." I managed to utter, while focusing on keeping my fiancée in place.

His tone immediately shifted. Uno was serious now, no longer hiding under the veil of silliness. "Did you consider my proposal?" His minion pointed at the concentrated vitality. "These things are quite dangerous, but also potent in the right hands. They could be used to fuel your augmentation. To allow you to reach even higher levels of power. Just think of the things you could do with it!"

"There's something I don't understand."

"Hmm?"

"You just got your hands on these balls, correct?"

"Yes, that's true."

"But the procedure you want me to go through was brought up months ago. What's up with that?"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

There was a pause before a booming laugh escaped from the megaphone. "Buahahahahaha! Good, good, hahahahaha! Good!"

The noise continued for a few more awkward minutes before the Dungeon Core calmed down. "Whew! That was something!" He cheered, ignoring the silent surroundings. "Well, dear Watson, the truth is that these supplements aren't needed for the operation. They raise your chances to become something truly special, but the energy and expertise needed for the transformation were ready a long time ago."

"I am just waiting for your answer." Uno hesitated for a moment before continuing. "And let's say that the sooner you decide, the better. Non's powers are limited - shocker, I know! - and your people soon will be forced to fight for their survival. Even with my help."

"Neither the old Lich nor the elves are going to pull their punches." He chuckled darkly. "And considering how the undead are reacting to their appearance, there's some history there."

"What do you mean?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

"The old dead man is ranting. And I mean RANTING. You don't want to hear about what, but I predict that their battle will be LE-GEN-DA-RY!" He laughed again, and I couldn't stop myself from joining. The judging gazes of those surrounding us made sure the laugh withered in my throat.

Uno noticed it too, then proceeded to ignore the situation. "Choose soon. Because - tick, tock, tick, tock - the time is running out. And once this place gets blown to kingdom come, I won't be able to put the pieces back. Cheers!"

With that, both the loudmouth minion and the former revenant descended back into the Dungeon proper. Their departure sent waves through the surrounding troops and monsters. The faces and snouts around us turned more serious, and officers and sergeants once again took control over the mob, their shrill screams bringing order to chaos.

Strangely, there was no anger, no snarling. The monsters and sentient races were standing shoulder by shoulder at that moment.

Ever so slowly, the Dungeon's denizens trickled away, the sounds of battle growing louder in response. Blood was still being spilled, but compared to the sheer pressure of the elven powerhouses and Non's otherworldly skills, everything else seemed… muted.

I took in the swirling crowd's emotions, the beastkin mostly trained or were busy gazing longingly at the rats and undead pouring into the breach. The Ogrekin were picking their noses, and human warriors chattered and traded with dungeon kobolds. Even dwarves that Uno summoned from who knows where stood less at attention than usual, observing the weapons and armor carried by my troops - although they still weren't talking.

The sense of serenity was cut short by Agnes' murmur. "So, what are you going to do? What about the deal?" She asked, still curling up in my arms.

"The deal?" I stalled. It wasn't something to talk about lightly.

"Hmmm?" She hummed, twisting around, to stare me in the eyes. Then she pinched my chest.

"Hey! That hurts!"

"That's what you get for hiding things from your wife!"

"Aren't we just engaged?" Another pinch. "Hey!"

"No! Hiding! Things!" Every word had been accentuated with another painful pinching.

"Okay, okay, I surrender!" I half laughed, half cried. Agnes had always been strong and a bit of a bully, especially to those she liked, but her transformation only enhanced that quality of hers. "Let's talk somewhere more secluded." She nodded, and we changed places, with Master Vincent following in our footsteps. Somewhere along the way, my old butler, Adam, joined us - like a shadow, silent, and calm.

I ignored his twitching eye.

The whole plateau was buzzing, but my private quarters were pretty isolated from that. We sat down, with Agnes still clinging to my chest. Adam served some tea with an interesting taste.

Seeing my raised brow, he responded calmly. "The Dungeon's bounty hides many surprises. These handberries, as the rats call them, are quite bitter, enhancing the taste. Despite not focusing on meat and crop production, our local benevolent underground is still a magical place."

"We have time and manpower to gather them?"

"They started appearing on the surface." Adam shrugged his shoulders. "They're edible if not that palatable by themselves. Supposedly, there's a way to make them sweeter, but no one has managed to trade for that secret."

"I see."

"No more stalling!" Agnes took this time to cut short the small talk, even if her face buried in my shirt was making it hard to take her seriously.

*OW*

Another pinched thigh stopped that train of thought.

I sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"Tell me everything - from the beginning!"

"There isn't much to talk about." I grumbled. "Uno was light on the details."

"So?"

"He has some procedure, which should be able to enhance my power, in a similar fashion to Non, Dos, and your transformation. Which probably means I'll turn into something inhuman." Seeing Agnes' wet eyes, I quickly added. "Not that I have anything against other races!" I lied. "It's just that the lack of details is killing me. That and the lack of faith in Uno's good intentions. He seems strangely obsessed with this proposition of his."

"Maybe he just doesn't want to die?" Master Vincent gave his opinion. "Despite being a piece of rock - or maybe, because of it - he can't help himself. Uno needs to strengthen his defenders because, as a Dungeon Core, he can't run away. He's stuck here. Stationary."

"And me, being a lord of this place, makes me one of those defenders?" I asked.

"That's a bit of a stretch, but I think we had established some rapport. Some understanding."

"Did we? Can we even wrap our heads around what Uno is really thinking? Despite his jokes and flippant attitude, I can't help but notice there are gaps in his humanity. There are times when a real monster rears its ugly head, and there is this dissonance. An unnatural thing." I drank the remaining liquid in one gulp. Adam hurried to refill the cup. "Can we trust him?"

"The better question is, do we have a choice in this matter?" Master Vincent calmly commented, sipping on his tea. "Right now, we can only wait for the winner of a fight between the undead and the golden elves to emerge. No matter who triumphs, we lose."

"Because we are too weak."

"Yes. It all comes down to strength." The old mage's gaze held steady. "We don't have the luxury of choice."

"We could always run, we're not bound to the Silver Oasis like Uno is."

"Run where? The lands of our allies are already chock full of refugees, and their granaries are being emptied at an alarming rate. The kingdoms around us burn, as monsters and undead rampage."

"The dwarves are starving. The elves and half-elves hate us."

"Do you want to escape this continent like the Dross Republic fools did?" He sneered. "Good luck with that, especially carrying the divine mark in your soul. The hunters will follow your every step."

"I am still not sure that Uno's offer is the best choice." I stubbornly answered.

"I understand." The mage nodded. There was quiet tiredness nested in his eyes. "I don't agree, but I understand."

He straightened up and scratched his chin. "If that's all, then we should return to the front. I can sense something absurd happening. The amount of mana they're gathering is… immense. I want to see what that spell does, even if it kills me."

He bowed shortly and stepped out of the room, leaving all three of us stewing in silence.

The lamia girl twirled and twisted while still curled up on my lap. "You don't need to do it." She suddenly whispered in my ear. "Nothing is set in stone. Tinna will help us defend her home, and with a powerhouse nestling under our feet, we have a chance to survive, no matter what that cranky old man says."

I felt her hot breath on my face, and the searching eyes gazing into my own. "I suppose that's one way we can weather this storm." I lied.

My resolve grew.

Real life wasn't a fairytale, where the knight saved his princess and they lived happily ever after.

There was always a price to be had. Price in blood, lives, or pain. Or worse.

Our ruminations had been interrupted by a loud *crack*, like the sky itself had been split apart. We ran out under the open firmament, gazing up, and understanding nothing.

An enormous spear made of ice pierced through the floating castle, the barrier around the elven stronghold crumbling like glass. A few buildings had been leveled, and a tower torn into pieces. And yet, the levitating mountain persisted.

There was silence, and then, like monstrous bees buzzing out of an angered beehive, a bunch of figures flew out. Even out here, we could feel their auras, the light and justice intermingling in a self-righteous fire. They might've looked like small flames bending under the wind, but their power was enough to wipe Silver Oasis off the map.

Against them stood a now familiar Lich, its blue eye flames taking in the opposition. It was screaming what I assumed were insults; the lack of throat and lungs didn't stop the flood of curses.

It didn't matter that most of the observers didn't understand the language. It did it because it wanted to.

That was a privilege of the strong.

I turned around without a word, my unhurried steps taking me to the Dungeon's entrance. I could hear Agnes gasping as she observed the attacks exchanged by the elves and the undead. The buzzing fliers descended on their enemy only to plummet to the ground, their wings and bodies pierced by dozens of hidden ballista.

It was not the end, however, as the battle started to rage on everywhere I could see. Ice, flames, light, and corrosion. The spells and skills flew, with them both living and undead combatants starting to thin. A bunch of harpies joined the aerial battle, with a few armored undead riding a wyvern or a gryphon answering the call on the monstrous side.

I was reminded of Master Vincent's opinion. No matter who wins this battle, the Silver Oasis will be the loser. The prize, more like.

In comparison, the Dungeon felt like a chance.

Worse, it felt like home.