Homestead Survival

<12 August 2024, KARZUN FAMILY ESTATES, D+>
[Patriarch Karzun]
As Patriarch Karzun, in his full, massive dragon form of almost five hundred feet in length, lounged on a large flat black rock in the sun, the dungeon bothered him.

"Amadylaren, I need to speak to you." The Crypt Keeper said, using their connection. "It regards something I think you will find rather interesting and important."

Amadylaren Ignardium Vatheloren Karzun, Patriarch of the Family and eldest of the living Dragons, took a deep breath and then let out a long gout of flame. "All I ask is that I get one day a month that I can do nothing and enjoy the sun. That's all I ask."

He pulled himself to his feet and then triggered his Transmogrify skill that shrunk him down to roughly a fifth of his true size. Then he responded. "I am on my way, Crypt Keeper."

As he made his way to the crypts and through them to the Core chamber of the Dungeon, Patriarch Karzun thought of the changes that had started to take place in the wider multiverse since the induction of the latest batch of planets. He also chuckled at how enamored the Dungeon Core had become with the nickname that young Theo Sorrenson and Julia Brahmin had given to it.

Finally, he arrived at a truly gargantuan series of doors, each one comprised of stronger materials than the last. He came upon the Core, almost six feet in diameter and pulsing with blue and purple light. "Alright, Crypt Keeper, what is it?"

Pulses of light were emitted from the Core, and the Dungeon Core spoke, using magic to directly vibrate the air around it. "Mark of the Harbinger has been triggered."

"That is concerning, but not anything new, unfortunately. What got you worked up enough to reach out to me?" Patriarch Karzun asked.

"The activation was logged at the same place from which the portal bringing User Theo Sorrenson and User Julia Brahmin originated." Crypt Keeper said, "I am concerned."

Patriarch Karzun's scaled eyebrow rose, "You are concerned for the Humans? That is strange. You would normally be completely uninterested. What happened?"

"The title that Theo Sorrenson achieved in my halls granted me more than I am permitted to explain. And then he and Julia Brahmin sacrificed the System-granted boon that comes with a Dungeon Invader Tag to me, asking for what I needed."

"Finally got that gene, huh?" Patriarch Karzun chuckled. "So what about this is concerning? The Unwanted one indicated he was going to take them on. I didn't think anything of it due to the limitations that are in place for those interacting below their level."

"The System has flagged a glitch. It requested data from me regarding the two humans and then alerted me that their combined skills and classes interfaced with the Mark of the Harbinger, causing a System Error." Crypt Keeper said, suddenly gaining Patriarch Karzun's full attention.

"What error?"

"Unknown," Crypt Keeper Continued, "All I know is the resolving step that is being taken."

"What is it going to do?" Patriarch Karzun asked, a little intrigued by the idea of suffering a System Correction.

"Primordial Flight." Crypt Keeper said.

What color could drain, did drain from Patriarch Karzun's face. "I must go. Thank you, Crypt Keeper."

"You are very welcome, Amadylaren. Help them if you can." Crypt Keeper said.

Patriarch Karzun left as quickly as he had arrived, and then he called out. "Aflara!"

A Young humanoid woman with draconic features stepped out of his shadow, jogging to keep pace in her human form with his slow, lumbering gait as a Dragon. "Yes, Grandfather?"

"I need you to take a message to several people for me. Starting with Gurndin the Darksmasher, Eg'Valla Dreamscaper. Then you are going to a little planet called Earth. Bear the Sigil of our family at all times and go under the protection of a messenger."

Aflara wanted to ask questions, Patriarch Karzun could see it, but she simply nodded, "Understood, Grandfather. What is the message?"

Patriarch Karzun took a deep breath and began to speak about what needed to be done.

<12 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[Theo and Julia]
Theo and Julia looked at each other, and then they laughed. Angram the Storm Giant did not seem happy about that. Theo pulled himself together and smiled, "Well, I have to say, at least you seem to have some semblance of manners."

"What do you mean by that?" Angram demanded.

"I mean that you are buck fucking wild," Theo said, a little frustrated at this whole thing. "You and your people show up after some messed-up Corrupted Goblin Chief follows us for many days, and then marks me with some skill. Tries to push Julia off the Overlook, and you think that I am going to just say 'ope, guess you are right, time to die!?'"

The Storm Giant looked as if he didn't understand what was wrong with that, so Theo kept talking. "So no. My answer is and always will be no. I do not intend to die for a long time. Even if you do manage to kill me, I will make you pay for every drop of my blood with the lives of your people."

The Storm Giant chuckled, "You think that because you have the protections of the Ward runes, you can resist the will of the Unwanted God?"

"No," Theo said with a sigh, "I think that because I have breath to draw, I must resist. Because I have someone I care for, I must fight. And simply by being here, I have the obligation to oppose evil. And as far as I can tell, you qualify as evil. I mean that is what the corrupted tag means, right? You are a cannibal. You ate your own kind."

The Storm Giant chuckled, "Close, but no. The corrupted are those who have eaten of their own people willingly. We have one in our forces that is not corrupted, but I will do what I can to fix that, then we will slowly erode your ability to resist. Maybe we make you watch him be corrupted?"

"Very well then," Theo said, disgusted at the assembled army. "We shall see."

"I offered what I must, prepare yourself, Theo Sorrenson, Julia Brahmin, for the horde has arrived and will be your end."

The Ent waved a hand once more.

>Local Message: Universal Translation Deactivated

The group of Corrupted beings left, returning to the back lines of the assembled army. Julia watched them go, and Theo began pacing. Julia finally looked over at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I just..." Theo broke off, then let loose a long sigh. "I just wish we could have two months to get things set up. Every time that we go to do something, a million things interrupt it."

"That is... kind of true?" Julia said with a chuckle. "Let's get through this, and then we can finally get some things done."

The rest of the day was quiet. The Corrupted Army outside the wards was moving and encircling the cabin. Theo and Julia did their best to remain relaxed. Julia walked the perimeter, layering thousands and thousands of smaller temporary runes outside the permanent ones.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Finally, night fell, and Julia went to bed. And then, after roughly six hours, Theo woke her up and went to sleep himself.

<13 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[Theo and Julia]
"Theo, get up," Julia said quietly. "Something is going on."

Theo sat bolt upright, his Master Tool dropping into his hand and forming into the bearded axe he favored.

"What's going on?" Theo said, groggily looking around for some kind of threat.

"I don't know what is happening, but you should come look," Julia said, and they walked over to the opening in the wall that faced the hubbub. Theo looked out and saw several of the higher-level creatures that Theo had mentally marked as elementals standing around the only one that he had seen that was not corrupted.

{[Corrupted] Ban'Da Zzitz, Level 10, A+}
{[Corrupted] Ban'Xe Flarra, Level 09, A}
{[Corrupted] Ban'Da Frozza, Level 09, A}
{[Corrupted] Ban'Da Luxuisious, Level 09, A}
{Ban'Go' Ordus, Level 05, B-}

As they watched, the level ten grabbed Ban'Go Ordus and tossed him at the ward circle. The level five did not resist. Slamming into the Ward runes and accepting the damage. A level nine woman, Ban'Xe, stepped up, breaking off her own finger, which grew back rapidly, and proffering it to the level five man and speaking in their own language.

[Ban'Go' Ordus]
As Ordus was tossed into the Ward runes set up by the humans they were supposed to kill, he was once again impressed at the work these humans, who had been in the System for less than two weeks, to hear it told, had done.

As he climbed to his feet, he noticed that the Humans were watching. His gaze flicked back to the others of his species who were trying to convince him once again to join them.

Ban'Xe' Flarra, one of the others he knew and a former royal concubine turned assassin, offered her finger to him. "Eat. It."

"I refuse." Ordus said, "I will never do that. Thank you for the offering, though, Ban'Xe Flarra."

The woman grew furious and attempted to burn him, but his earth nature, reduced any effect the heat had by a large percentage.

"Enough," Ban'Da Zzitz said, dragging Ordus back away from the runes, "we will just have to keep persuading you."

[Theo and Julia]
They watched an exchange between the Soil Singer and the two higher-level beings. Then Ban'Da Zzitz dragged Ban'Go' Ordus back and tossed him to the wards, over and over.

"We can let people through the Wards, right?" Theo asked.

Julia shrugged, "I think so. They didn't attack Oreburn, but he is... Well, he is Oreburn."

"Okay, next time he tosses that guy at the Wards, let him through, and then go get something to detain him with."

Julia nodded, and they waited. The next Ban'Da Zzitz threw Ban'Go Ordus, which happened to be right at the gap in the walls that Theo had stacked. So as he sailed through the air, Theo slowed him, and looked at him with a smile, axe in hand. "We should talk."

Julia had just come back, and what she had picked was an interesting choice. In her hands was one of their Servant Contract items, and in her other hand the Servant's Log. Theo kept a good grip on the being.

[Ban'Go' Ordus]

Ordus was very confused.

A moment ago, he had been bracing for impact once again with the wards of the Humans, but instead, he now found himself on his knees inside the ring of Ward runes.

The male, Theo Sorrenson, according to the System, had a large axe in one hand, and his other hand was resting on Ordus's shoulder. Ordus did not understand, so he chose to wait. The female, Julia Brahmin, came up with two things that he recognized, and then wondered where they had gotten them.

Theo looked down at Ordus, held up a finger, and then pointed to the four other elementals raging outside the Ward runes. Then Theo held up two fingers and pointed to his axe, then Ordus's neck, and finally, Theo held up three fingers and gestured to the Servant Contract.

"I can either leave, he will kill me, or I can be a Servant to them, Ordus said to himself, following what the male was trying to say. "Well, let's see what kinds of terms they offer."

Ordus gestured to the Servant Contract.

[Theo and Julia]
Theo made his offers. Returned to his allies, killed, or work with them. He watched Ban'Go' Ordus think for a moment, shrug, and then point at the servant contract.

"Alright," Theo said, "You want to do it or you want me to?"

"You do it," Julia said, handing the Servant Contract to Theo. Theo shrugged and took the item, focusing on the idea of using it. The scroll unrolled, and a blue box appeared.

Theo smiled and selected Negotiate, and had a hurried conversation with Julia.

Then he quickly outlined the terms that he wanted to offer. The Servant's Log shimmered and opened, displaying what he had offered in System Runes that anyone could understand.

Ban'Go' Ordus was shocked. These were better than anything he could have hoped for. He read over the offer once more. Making particular note of terms eight, nine, and twelve. Then he hit accept.

Theo smiled, and both he and Ban'Go Ordus received a message as the scroll of the Servants Contract dissolved into Cherenkov blue sparks.

>Private Message: Servant Contract Agreement Reached
>Private Message: Terms recorded with the System
>Private Message: Terms acceptable, and accepted by both parties
>Private Message: Ensuring minimum compatibility, please wait...

A moment later, Theo felt a flush of power wash through Ban'Go' Ordus.

>Private Message: Language Y-7F63C-3_English Granted to User Ban'Go' Ordus
>Private Message: Minimum compatibility achieved

Then Ban'Go Ordus dropped to one knee, bowing his head to Theo, "My lord Sorrenson, what task do you have for me?"

Theo was about to tell him to knock it off with the lord stuff when war horns sounded, and Theo saw the Orcs forming up with bows in hand. "We can chat later, tell me, do you have any skills that are useful at the moment?"

"I can reinforce your walls by having dirt form up as a kind of mortar. But that is mostly the extent of my useful skills." Ban'Go' Ordus said, and Theo smiled.

"Ban'Go' Ordus," Theo reached down and pulled the man to his feet, "I think that we are going to get along great!"