The Dungeon's Worst Little Mistake

"Alright, you lot, scatter! Go. Go and fill the Dungeon with corpses and kill everything that breathes, or whatever it is you zombies do while I'm not looking. Thanks for the escort, but we don't need you here past this point. Go on, shew, shew! Oh, and here. Take this with you. Grow Death Fungous."

Waving at the backs of hundreds of zombies, which is just what can be seen of the couple thousand that is filling into this hall, Bug orders all of the shambling rotting things to go away. As they wander off far enough away and out of sight, she cuts off her control of any of the ones that she was controlling.

That had worked a bit too well… Didn't think that I would end up with so many Undead all charging down here. Sort of funny how the wild Undead will just follow along though. Wouldn't be so bad up on the surface, I think, but down here there just isn't enough room. Was getting crowded…Hm, I wonder what the Dungeon thought, seeing all of that? I hope it shat itself in fear. That'll teach it that I can cheat too if I must.

Once the hall is finally cleared out, and Bug's mana pool is no longer being all used up on controlling an army, she finally turns to look at the Boss Door. Mimmie is behind her, waving and saying goodbye to the retreating zombies as Susan just awkwardly watches on.

The door, much like the last two, is quite interesting. While the first boss's was a beautifully carved pair of stone doors, showing a scene of boars running through the woods, and the second was a massive curtain of spider silk, this door is instead a sturdy wall of layered steel. Like a door to a bunker, this door looks like it could take an explosion to the face and simply shrug it off with indifference. It is thicc, intimidating, and dressed in warning labels like a thug with tattoos. In the center of the door is the biggest warning sign of them all, a yellow triangle with the silhouette of a monster in the water, eating a stick figure human.

'Beware of Gators!'

"Now that's a door." Bug says as she looks up at it, two arms on her hips and the other pair across her crest, her tail wagging back and forth behind her in anticipation.

Susan walks over as she finishes watching the hordes of Undead finally disappear behind the distant corner of the hallway, only now allowing herself to relax now that she isn't surrounded by tons of what used to be enemies not but a couple of days ago.

"Yeah, it's a big door." Susan says with a shrug.

"You've been here before?"

"Several times. Had to get through here so we could work in the fourth layer after all. Boss isn't all that difficult."

"Supposed to be a raft race or something, right? Not really much of a boss fight then."

"Mhm, you have to reach the end before time runs out, or else a giant gator shows up and will try to eat your raft. Most people call him Gary." Susan says with another shrug. "Gary is an as-butthole. Tsk! Can you please let me curse? I feel ridiculous."

"No cursing. Any tips for getting through here?"

"Haaa… Yeah. Go fast, and don't bother with killing the monsters that try to stop you. It's a waste of time and they're just trying to slow you down. Just focus on defense and keeping the raft going."

"Couldn't we just kill Gary?"

"We can, if you want. But it isn't really worth it. It just makes the reward at the end a little better. And quite frankly, killing Gary is a pain."

"What sort of reward?" Bug asks curiously.

"Hmmm, best I have heard someone getting was two gold coins… which is a good chunk of money by the way. With two gold, someone can live very comfortably for a few months, or buy some high-quality enchanted gear." Susan adds when she remembers that Bug doesn't have much context for the value of human currency.

"Huh, neat."

"Why, you plan on fighting him?"

"Hm, maybe? But knowing the Dungeon, I'm expecting it to cheat again. So don't be surprised if Gary shows up early or something, or if, like, a second, bigger, boss shows up or whatever… You hear me Dungeon! You better not send another Cleaner! If you do, I'm sending Redacted a message telling her that you're cheating again!"

Bug shakes her fist up at the ceiling.

"Anyways… Since you've been through here before, I'll differ to you on this."

Susan gives the angry little Necromancer a surprised look.

"Really?"

"Yeah, of course. I may be in charge here, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore experience. You know what you're doing, right?"

"Ye- Uhm, yeah."

"What?"

"No, it's just… I didn't expect you to be…"

"What?"

"Nothing. I just figured you wouldn't be the type to let others lead, I guess. We can head in if everyone is ready?" Susan tries to change the subject.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Bug just watches her for a second and then shrugs, turning to Mimmie. "You ready to go in?"

"Yup!" Mimmie chirps.

"Alright, guess we're ready. Lead the way, Susan." Bug says with a nod towards the door switch.

Off to the side of the door, a pedestal stands about waist high a little off from the wall, glowing green as it awaits a hand to be laid upon it. Susan walks over and, not for the first time, sets her hands on the switch. It flashes green as she is accepted, and a second later the door begins to open as metal slides upward into the ceiling.

How many times have I been through here now? Definitely more than ten by now… Never thought I would be guiding a Necromancer through though…

They head inside and after walking down a flight of stairs, find themselves in a large circular room full of water with a wooden dock wrapping around the walls, entrance side, like a crescent moon. Tied to the docks are three rafts bobbing in the water, and a gated off exit is on the other side of the room, large enough for two rafts to pass through side-by-side.

Bug looks up to Susan as the three walk towards the nearest raft, Mimmie looking around with 'Ohs' and 'Ahhs.' Susan gets the wordless question and explains.

"It doesn't start until everyone is ready. Once everyone is on a raft and waiting in the water, those lights over the gate will start to glow. When all three are glowing, the gate will open, and we can start."

"How long does it take for the Boss, Gary, to show up?"

"Hmmm… about ten minuets? It can vary. Oh, and I have heard that he can show up early, or even right at the start if you're unlucky. So, yeah..."

"So, he probably will for us then." Bug deadpans.

"Probably…"

The little Necromancer just shrugs, her wings flexing as she moves her shoulders. "Eh, fine. I sort of do want to fight it anyways. Wouldn't be much of a Boss Room, if it didn't have a Boss Fight after all."

Susan can't help but to sort of agree with that.

With that they all climb onto the nearest raft and get situated. Bug summons up a team of eight Lizard Men skeletons to handle the oars, and a second set of four to get in the water and help push. This raft is much larger than the ones Bug had used before, so she has plenty of space to have more minions rowing than usual. They should be able to get some good speed going.

Heading to the back of the raft, Mimmie looks around curiously while everyone else is working and finds a large cylindrical thing with leather stretched over the top. Two sticks are sitting next to it, their tips terminating with a cloth wrapped ball.

"What is this?" She asks as the other two are working.

Susan looks up and over. "It's a drum. Some people like to use it. One person beats on the drum to help the rowers keep a rhythm and row in sync." Susan finishes untying the line and walks over to Elaine, grabbing the drumsticks. "Like this."

Susan starts to beat on the drum, holding a slow rhythm for a little while as Elaine watches with obvious fascination. When she stops, Elaine quickly reaches out her hands for the sticks, practically bouncing around in her treasure chest.

"Let me, let me! Give!"

"Say please." Bug sends over her shoulder from the other side of the raft as she keeps working.

"Please!"

"Ok, here, give it a try. Just remember, you have to keep a rhythm. You can't just mindlessly hit it, alright?"

"Okok, thankyouthankyou! Hehehehe~"

While Elaine is playing with the drum and figuring it out, Susan goes back to helping with setting up the raft. Once everything is ready to go, Bug wanders over to her and whispers, "Thanks. That should help keep her distracted while we do our thing."

Susan gives her a nod.

A second later, Bug seems to think of something.

"Actually, you know what? I'm pretty confident we've got this… Mimmie, I'm ordering the skeletons to row in sync with your drumming, ok? So, you're in control. Have fun!"

"Yay!"

Susan gives her a look. "Are you sure about that?"

Bug just shrugs.

"Mimmie and I can breathe underwater, and you don't even need to breathe. Worse comes, we'll just kill the boss and swim the rest of the way."

"Hmm, I guess. Wait, Elaine can breathe underwater?"

"Yeah, we tested in the fountain. Mimics are weird." Bug says with another shrug.

"Huh, neat. Well, everyone ready to go?" Susan asks.

Bug nods and Elaine holds up the drumsticks with excitement, ready to start playing.

"Alright then. Be ready for enemies to attack from the water, and also for monsters to attack from range. Our goal is just to get to the end as quickly as possible. It's just a straight path, so Elaine, just keep the skeletons rowing, got it?"

"Got it!"

"Why do I feel like you just jinxed us?" Bug asks herself, but Susan doesn't hear her.

With that they push off from the dock and move to the center of the room, waiting as the three lights all slowly turn green one after the other.

1...

2...

3!

The gate drops into the water and Elaine starts to hit the drum in a slow rhythm, getting the skeletons moving with the beat as they dip their oars into the water. The skeletons in the water start to swim forward and help push the raft.

Boom… Boom… Boom…

They pass the gate, and she starts to speed up, the skeletons matching as they row and swim faster.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

With the speed picking up, they head further in, the passage starting to dip downward as the water moves downhill slightly and bends to the left. Elaine simply continues to speed up more and more as she gets into the rhythm, adding smaller strikes in between the pauses of the larger ones.

Boom. Bam bam bam bam! Boom. Bam bam bam bam! Boom.

They move faster, the smile on Elaine's face only blossoming more and more as she lets the rhythm flow through her, watching as the skeletons row to the beat of her drum.

Faster!

Boom. Bam bam bam! Boom. Bam bam bam! Boom.

Faster!

Boom. Bambam! Boom. Bambam! Boom.

Elaine laughs and cries out, "Faster! Hahaha!!!"

BoomBoom! Badabada! BoomBoom! Badabada! BoomBoom! Badabada! BoomBoom!

With the sounds of the drum reverberating down the length of the flooded passage and vibrating Bug and Susan's bones, the raft speeds down and around the bend, water flying in their wake as skeletons row with unending dedication and swim with bottomless stamina. By the time they reach the end of the passage and are about to enter into a larger room, the raft is almost feeling as if it might suddenly take off and fly.

Elaine just laughs as she gives herself entirely up to the music. Her golden hair flying in the wind, sweat beginning to wet her brow. Below her, Mimmie has its tongue out and flapping in the wind, the eyes on the chest's lid full of delight and excitement as it watches the world go flying by.

"I'm starting to think this was a bad Idea!" Susan yells over the sound of the drum.

Bug just laughs as she transforms her arms into blades and readies for combat. "Hahahaha! She's having fun, that's all that matters! Keep it going Mimmie! Heck, go even faster! Hahahaha!"

Mimmie and Elaine don't bother responding. They can't. They are too enthralled by the beat to do anything other than play. But she does speed up through. If Mommy wants more speed, then they will be a good daughter. She'll happily give her all the speed she wants!

BoomBoomBOOM! Badabada! BoomBoomBOOM! Badabada! BoomBoomBOOM! Badabada! BoomBoomBOOM! Badabada! BoomBoomBOOM! Badabada! BoomBoomBOOM!