Dungeoneer (The Weight Of It All): A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure Read online

  Dungeoneer

  The Weight of it All

  Book 2

  A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure

  J. J. Thorn

  Dungeoneer: The Weight Of It All

  Copyright @2021 by J. J. Thorn

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this book are fictional.

  This book is dedicated to all the people who reviewed the first book. I read every single one and I’ve appreciated the constructive and helpful reviews more than you know.

  Thanks to all of you for giving the story a chance.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue – Collapse

  Chapter 1 – Stinky and Pinky

  Chapter 2 – Potions

  Chapter 3 – No. Sentient. Monsters.

  Chapter 4 – Technique

  Chapter 5 – Skink Ink

  Chapter 6 – Interlude – Mammoth

  Chapter 7 – Solitude

  Chapter 8 – Soft Landing

  Chapter 9 – Stocking Up

  Chapter 10 – FINALLY!

  Chapter 12 – Test

  Chapter 13 – A Rank Above

  Chapter 14 – Interlude - Bargain

  Chapter 16 – Nest

  Chapter 17 – Covered

  Chapter 18 – Celebration!

  Chapter 19 – Interlude – Ranger

  Chapter 20 – Collaboration

  Chapter 21 – Crown Prince

  Chapter 22 - Useful

  Epilogue – One Step

  Glossary of Characters

  Thanks for Reading

  Prologue – Collapse

  "Did you see the Dungeon Boss? It looks like it appeared directly in the center of town! Those people are in for the wake-up call of their lives!" The woman started to cackle.

  "Don't get distracted. We have to get back to the Kingdom as fast as possible. Look out for anyone who might follow us. This already took longer than it was supposed to," said the man sitting beside her. This man's hair was entirely grey, with long hair pulled back into a tail. His persistent scowl was framed by the many scars on his face and body.

  "It's not like I have anything to do up here,” the woman continued. “Rocky is handling the ride, after all." She wore black clothing that hugged her body. Her blonde hair was completely straight and went down her back. "Ain't that right, Rocky." She addressed the large man at the front of the large rock that was currently flying through the air.

  Four humans flew through the sky atop a large piece of earth. This rock hurtled through the sky faster than the fastest wagons on the continent.

  "Don't bother me, vile woman,” the man at the helm of the rock spat. “I have a hard enough time carrying everyone. I don't need your pestering in my ear as well." He wore no armor, with short sleeves that showcased his sculpted arms.

  "What’s with this vile woman stuff? You must be mad that I didn't kiss you while we were in the Dungeon. I can give you one now if you wish." She puckered her lips and feigned kissing noises at him.

  "I would rather die in the Dungeon than receive one of your kisses." As he growled at her, the rock started to dip towards the earth.

  "Enough, Toxic,” the stoic man with the grey hair ordered. “We lose altitude when he loses concentration. Stop bothering Rocky." A slight growl came from his voice as he got more frustrated.

  "You've been nagging us this entire expedition,” the fourth man finally added. “It’s already been three months. Could you please stay silent for this part of the trip, at least?" He wore glasses, with dirty brown hair, and a goatee. He usually kept his appearance very neat, but the current circumstances didn't allow for many chances to keep tidy.

  "Why’re you all ganging up on me?” Toxic cried. “Oh, how I miss having another woman in the group. But wait, you let her die, Doc. Aren't you supposed to be our healer? Is that why you want us to keep quiet on the trip home? You don't want us saying how you let Shield die?"

  "And besides,” she continued, “I thought it was funny to see the Dungeon boss run loose on all those buildings. I wish we could’ve stayed to watch the show, but you all wanted to rush out of there as quick as possible."

  "Shield's death was impossible to avoid,” Doc said. “I cannot heal someone who has lost most of their torso, and we had already used all of our health potions. Even then, her injuries were so severe I doubt any health potion would have been able to help."

  Doc took a breath, strained. "The Boss will kill hundreds of people alone, and that's disregarding all of the other monsters that were unleashed when we took the Core. Have you no value for human life at all? Thousands will die today. We can only hope that the monsters don’t chase any humans who attempt to escape. Maybe there are also some high-Ranking users in the area that we did not know about."

  Doc looked down at the forest they were flying past. His eyes glazed over as he considered the implications of their latest mission.

  "Don't act so high and mighty,” Toxic spat. “You're just as guilty as the rest of us. You may not have killed many monsters, but you helped us steal that Dungeon Core Slash is holding. And I know you're just as greedy as the rest of us. You'll be selling the orbs we got to further your own wealth. And Shield was injured because you can't take care of yourself in a Dungeon. She was protecting you from the Boss because you couldn't get out of the way fast enough.”

  She swore under her breath.

  “It’s always the same with you damn healers. You focus so much on trying to heal people that you forget to even learn basic body enhancements. You have one good Skill, and you can barely even heal. What are you? Rank 3? Why would they let someone so weak enter a B-Rank Dungeon?"

  "That is ENOUGH, Toxic. I will not repeat myself again," Slash raised his voice, enhancing it slightly with Internal Energy. "It is bad enough that we took three months to complete the mission, but we are not going to discuss our abilities any further. You already know more than you need to about the rest of the team. Doc's abilities are no longer your concern. And I'll have you remember that it was Doc's Replenish Skill that allowed us to stay alert and hydrated while traversing the Dungeon. We knew it was a Dungeon manifesting in a desert, and you still chose to wear all black."

  The stern older man stared straight at Toxic, exhausted by her constant complaining.

  "We needed to get here,” he continued, “figure out if anyone had sighted the Dungeon Boss, and then traverse an entire desert to get there. You all keep talking about ‘this three months’ though, and that's faster than most would have taken.”

  Toxic threw up her hands. “Okay, that's the last thing I'll say, but don't fault me for trying to look good. The rest of you can walk around looking like garbage, but I intend to look good wherever I go."

  Her skin was flawless as she started to brush her hair atop the rock. Her ability to understand and manipulate those poisons was unmatched. These poisons would be injected into her skin, making her look younger than her actual age.

  "The king has us on a deadline. This trip should take another couple weeks with the amount Rocky needs to rest, so we're cutting it close. Prep's new semester probably starts soon."

  * * * * *

  “What will you have them call you? This plan must remain as secretive as possible. No one can know that the king ordered this. We can't have them call you ‘captain’."

  "I've been on missions like this in the past, Francis. We assign ourselves a name based on our Affinity so that the rest of the team knows what we're capable of. They'll call me Slash."

  "Your service to the Kingdom is wi
thout repute. Do you know who you will be bringing along?" Francis, the King's Chief Advisor, responded.

  "I have some old teammates in mind, Earth and Shield Affinities. Rank 5 and Rank 4, respectively. We'll be able to get it done."

  "There is no room for error, captain. As such, I'll be adding another to your team. She recently surfaced in a nearby town and was apprehended trying to seduce and poison half of the guard."

  "Why would I want to bring along a woman of such ill character? What value will she provide?"

  "Well, as it turns out, she has been using her abilities for the last forty years to poison both men and monsters. She was on the Kingdom's wanted list for a long time, but we thought she had died when she didn't make an appearance for the last few years."

  The two men sat in the advisor's chambers. Francis had sent away any servants, not wanting anyone else to hear the conversation.

  "I don’t want to bring a wildcard on the trip. I prefer to bring my own men and teammates."

  "I would agree, captain, but you are an honourable man. We do not need an honourable man for this mission. We need someone capable of getting it done. She will be invaluable in gathering information, and her abilities will help kill any monster in the Dungeon. Supposedly, her poisons are extremely toxic, even against Dungeon Monsters. We lost several C-Rank Dungeoneers trying to apprehend her."

  "Okay, but how do I know she won't run off? How do I know she won't poison the whole team?"

  "We've offered her a significant amount of gold already and at least half of the orbs you procure in the Dungeon. I don't expect you to stop for every resource, but orbs should not be left behind. Plus, her freedom, for now. As long as she complies."

  "And if she doesn't keep her side of the bargain during the mission?"

  "Well, captain, I trust that you will take care of it. The king knows Emmett will not join Prep's first semester, but he expects him to start in the second. You will be discrete. But also know that you are on a deadline."

  "Have all other avenues not been taken? Must we really kill thousands for the sake of this one child's future?"

  "It is not for you to question the will of the king, captain. I chose you because you have fought and bled for the Kingdom several times before. There has been blood spilled, but you have never passed down a chance to show your loyalty. This is another one of those missions. Also, do not forget the considerable benefits you receive as captain already. Will you disregard the will of the king and the benefits we provide?"

  "No, Francis, you don’t need to be so verbose. I will take the mission."

  "Good. I've also contacted one other member. He is not a dungeoneer by trade, but he can act as your team's healer and has Skills that will help deal with the woman's abilities, if necessary."

  "I have my own healers available, but I will check out your man. Is there anything else?"

  "No. Go as soon as you can. Newtown is a month away with the fastest horses, so we’re already short on time." Francis handed the captain a piece of paper, including details of his last two members.

  Slash started to walk out of Francis' chambers.

  While walking back, he looked at the piece of paper. The document listed the names of his two potential teammates.

  Jasmin Kolo and Dr. Desmond Grey.

  * * * * *

  It had been at least a week since the group left Newtown. In that time, they had only left the flying rock for Rocky to rest and recover his Internal Energy.

  Toxic had kept mostly silent, following Slash's orders from that first day. They had no way to know what had happened in Newtown but could only imagine how many people had been killed.

  Slash's Inventory Satchel currently held the Dungeon Core, along with the orbs they had recovered from the Dungeon. Both Toxic and Doc requested their portion, but Slash promised to give it to them when they returned to the Kingdom. Not a moment sooner.

  It had been a couple of hours since their last break, and they were now flying over a large body of water. It had been about an hour since they last saw land as they continued to head back to the Kingdom.

  "Why’d you take us over the ocean?” Toxic groaned. “It's so much more boring than the trees and landscapes we had before."

  "We are less likely to be seen over the ocean, plus it works as a good shortcut on our way to the Kingdom. Sit down, Toxic, we're not going through this again."

  "In a couple days, you and I will never speak again, so stop acting like some righteous leader. You and I just helped kill hundreds of people. You and I are the same. I will stand if I wish to stand." Toxic stood defiantly on the rock. The wind buffeted the group, but Rocky had placed some stones in place to deal with the turbulence.

  After a few more minutes, Rocky started to slow down.

  "Why are we slowing? We just had a break a few hours ago. You can't be tired already Rocky, what is going on?" Jasmine said, noticing the change in speed.

  "Good enough, captain," Rocky said as he lowered the earth down to the water's surface.

  "Captain? Who, Slash? Are we stopping with the farce of using nicknames now? It makes sense that you would be some captain in the Kingdom. You did seem a little too good to be just a mercenary. Even if you did just doom hundreds of people." Toxic braced her feet, ready to defend herself if needed. She had fought off many groups of men in her life and was willing to do so again. In addition to her potent Skills, she had honed her abilities and was now capable of using her considerable Energy very well.

  She looked around, noticing that there was nowhere for them to go. She trusted her ability to swim but didn't know for how long.

  "Slash, what is happening? Why are we stopping?"

  The captain looked at Toxic's face, saying nothing. Rocky was at the front of the rock, the captain was behind him, while Toxic and Doc were at the end.

  "Jasmin Kolo. I looked into you before we left. You don't look it, but you are almost sixty years old. We are not the same. For your entire life, you have poisoned men, women, and children across the continent. We can confirm close to four hundred murders but estimate that the number exceeds a thousand. Your method of murder is difficult to trace, but villagers have been found with strong poison in their bodies. The Affinity user is unknown, but I believe it would all be traced back to you.

  “After your crimes surfaced in the Prost Kingdom, an order was made to apprehend you. Even though we lost countless Guards trying to do so, no one was able to find you. It is believed that you stayed in a Dungeon long-term or went to another Kingdom. I do not know which, but I know that you are a threat to the Kingdom's citizens.”

  He took a breath, his eyes not leaving hers. “For that reason, I will be executing you for crimes against the Kingdom here and now. Do you have anything you would like to say before your execution?"

  Jasmin's mind started racing, unable to think of a way out of the situation. She thought she was safe because of the promises made by the Kingdom's advisor. Several possibilities went through her mind as she considered where she had gone wrong.

  She knew jumping into the water would be her best chance but wouldn't be able to do so without at least distracting the men around her.

  She had seen Rocky and Slash fight, so she knew they were both physically stronger than her. The only weak target was the Doc.

  All three men stood by silently, waiting for her to make her last words.

  She thought of all the weapons and potions available in her Inventory. She made a decision.

  She snatched a dagger from her Satchel, enhanced her legs, and bounded towards the doctor. She flashed a hand and used her Rank 3 Skill on each of the men around her.

  "Infect." Her Skills above Rank 3 did not require direct contact to be effective, making them more deadly than most POISON Affinity users on the continent.

  Before the doctor could react, she had darted across the boulder and put the dagger to his throat.

  Through it all, Rocky and Slash stood still, staring at her.

  Sm
all black marks appeared across their skin. To everyone, it looked like a series of black spots, but Jasmine knew that meant her Skill had worked. The black spots continued to show across their arms, face, and torso as the poison made its way through their bloodstream.

  "Last words?” she snarled. “I'm harder to kill than that! The infection I've given you may not be enough to kill you right away, but it should slow you down enough for me to jump into the water. Plus, I'll make sure to kill the Doc before I leave, so you have someone else to worry about.”

  She grinned. “That's your issue Slash, or should I say, captain! You're too righteous for your own good! You could have attacked me at any time during our escape, but instead, you needed to make it into a spectacle!"

  A line of blood started to drip down Doc’s neck as her dagger bit deeper into his skin.

  Still, each of the men stayed silent. Jasmine became overly worried as she recognized that none of the men said anything. Even the doctor stayed calm throughout the entire ordeal.

  "And now, this man's death is on your hands!" She waited, hoping they’d say something.

  Doc had been very vocal about the sand and dirt on their Dungeon run, but now he said nothing. Before Jasmine could speak, the doctor grabbed her hand and used her dagger to slash his throat.

  Jasmine was stunned as Doc’s body started to fall to the ground.

  "What? Why would you—"

  Before he could respond, she noticed that he was now moving on the ground, and no additional blood started to show up on the rock. As she looked down, confused, Doc sat up and looked at her again. His wound slowly healed in front of her eyes.

  He had used his Rank 2 Skill, ‘Minor Heal’, which she had seen multiple times already. The healing did not bother her, but she had not expected him to slit his own throat.

  She didn't let him sit still for long; she lunged towards him with her dagger. She knew his Skill couldn't heal major wounds, so she aimed for his heart instead.

  Out of nowhere, a sword appeared and cut off the hand holding her dagger. Her right hand fell through the air, and then into the sea around them.