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

  “So, I'll tell you the truth. In my line of business, you get to talking with a lot of people. As a result, you hear things. Did you know that there was a Dungeon Collapse on the border of Prost? It was outside the Kingdom, but thousands still died. No one thinks it'll happen here, but it's not very often that some crazy bastard decides to take a Dungeon core. And that makes people scared.

  “Me, however, well, I get scared when it comes to my family. And I'm sorry to say, but I know that your wagon was attacked by bandits on the way to Krader. It could all be a coincidence, but that seems like a couple of strange things happening too close together. I don't know why it happened, but Stewart Teller's son was in the wagon, and the family just disowned that same son. If I'm Stewart Teller and I'm about to steal a Dungeon Core, I might have told my son. A son who could tell people what his father was planning, causing him to lose a lot in the blowback.

  “You start to think things. Make connections. Jump to conclusions."

  What the f—

  I felt my ears heat up, and my face flush as he continued to point fingers at Zane. Britta's dad noticed because he put his hands up to calm us all down. Oddly enough, Cassie also looked visibly upset and was now staring at Zane.

  "Don't get me wrong,” Mr. Rolle said. “I told you already, I'm happy my daughter chose you boys. You both seem like good kids, and you've shown me no reason to think otherwise. But your father isn't a good man. If I think about anyone willing to kill thousands to capture a Dungeon Core, Stewart Teller is one of a few who come to mind. And I wouldn't put it against that type of man to send bandits after his own son.”

  He let out an uncomfortable breath. “For all I know that attack had nothing to do with you. It was probably just a poor coincidence. But either way, the less others know about where you're all heading, the better.

  “I can hire Gavin to protect you from monsters, but sometimes, it's not the monsters in the wild that you should worry about. So, I'm sorry if I lied to you all. I just want to protect my daughter. And this is the best I can do under the current circumstances. Zane, my daughter believes in you. Whatever happened between you and your father, I want you to know that I trust and believe in you too."

  His words got rid of my anger. I looked at Zane, whose smile was now completely gone as he looked directly at Mr. Rolle.

  The room stayed silent for a few moments before Mr. Rolle stood up.

  "I'm going to spend some time with your mother before I need to get some sleep. You can all stay out here as long as you want. Just try to keep it down a little bit. You'll meet here the day after your semester ends. Good night."

  "Thanks, Dad, we won't stay up too late."

  "Thanks, Mr. Rolle. But one last thing.” Jen raised her finger like she was in class. “Do you know his apprentice's name? Is it someone we might know from Krader?"

  Mr. Rolle paused at the door. "I've met the boy once. He seems like a good kid. Hard-working. I think his name was John. Good night."

  Britta's father left the room.

  I don't know anything about Zane's dad, but I know Zane, and I know he wouldn't do anything to put us in danger. I felt a little better after he explained his reasoning, but...wait. Did he just say John?

  There's no way it could be my Cousin John...could it?

  John's a popular name, after all.

  But what other John's would have a mentor who also has the ICE Affinity?

  No, the Goddess wouldn't do this to me! Haven't I dealt with enough? There's no way I need to go on a hunting trip with my Cousin John, right?!

  …

  Shit.

  * * * * *

  "Are you okay, Zane?” Cassie asked. She rubbed his shoulder. “I hope Mr. Rolle didn't say anything that hurt you."

  "My dad means well,” Britta added. “He really does like you guys. He's told me that before."

  "No, it's okay. I don't think he said anything wrong.” Zane waved it away. “I hadn't heard about the Dungeon Collapse, but I could see my father doing something like that. I didn't know about it, and I don't think it was him, but it could have been him. It wouldn't be the first time. But if what your dad said is true, this Dungeon seems a little too close to Prost, which isn't something my dad would do."

  He could see we were still quite tense, so he smiled and gave a chuckle, letting us know it was fine.

  "Okay, but what about the wagon thing?” Jen said. “Regardless of how he feels about you, he couldn't send a bunch of bandits to hurt you, right?"

  I kept quiet, my mind still reeling at the idea of my Cousin John coming on the hunting trip with us.

  "I can't say for sure, but the thought did cross my mind.” Zane chuckled again. “I thought about it a lot when we first got here, and there is a chance that my father sent those bandits to kill me." He kept laughing.

  "Zane, this isn't funny.” Cassie scowled at him. “We're not talking about some one percent chance that anything could happen. He's still your father."

  "That's just it, Cass. He isn't. Stewart Teller is no longer my father. He made that extremely clear. And if I know my father, he might not want someone walking around who knows as much as I do about him and his family's business. So, no, I don't think it's a one percent chance. I'd say it's a fifty-fifty chance."

  Chapter 6 – Interlude – Mammoth

  Tom and his team were three days into their Dungeon expedition, and so far, they still hadn't reached any of the mountains circling the frozen plains.

  The team could have gone faster, but Tom wanted to ensure they were cautious. Despite spending so long in the Dungeon, they had only encountered Snow-Talons so far. Usually, in groups of five or ten, the Snow-Talons were near identical to those they had battled outside the Dungeon.

  Tom and his team made sure to harvest each Snow-Talon for its pelt and meat. After selling the teeth and claws in the past, they knew those specific parts were not very profitable. As a result, they decided that taking the time to declaw each beast was not worth the effort. Choosing to push ahead towards the mountains instead, they only harvested claws or teeth if they were undamaged or abnormally large. Even then, with the amount they were battling, their packs now held an ample number of Snow-Talon parts. The Merchant arrived in four days, at which point they would check if claws and teeth were being sold for more.

  Luckily for them, the three days had not been a waste.

  While harvesting each of the Snow-Talons for edible meat, they were also looking for Dungeon Orbs. And on their second day, after battling a group of eight Snow-Talons, they had finally found a Dungeon Orb! Plus, the orb was undamaged and fist-sized!

  After spending three days traveling through the cold and battling groups of Snow-Talons, the team was thrilled!

  Even if they were only fighting Snow-Talons, they were happy to keep going if that meant more orbs.

  "Are we doing this?” Lin said. “It's right there! What are we waiting for?" She was crouched in position under a mound of ice and snow, frustrated at their hesitation.

  "Simmer down, Lin,” Tom ordered. “We're used to fighting Snow-Talons, but that mammoth is larger than I anticipated. I want to make sure we have a plan for this first."

  The mammoth was larger than the Alpha they had fought a week prior. Its height was as tall as three grown men stacked on top of each other, with large tusks extending from its mouth. The mammoth's body was covered in brown fur, while its legs were the size of small trees.

  "The mammoth is surrounded by six Snow-Talons, so our best bet is to take those down first. Griff, you'll be up front. Try to keep the mammoth distracted. I’ll cut down the Snow-Talons as quickly as I can. Lin, use 'Disorient' on the mammoth if you can. Rana, focus on the Snow-Talons with me. I'll start on the left, so aim for the ones on the right. Holly, you stay back and watch our surroundings to make sure we don't get flanked by anything else.

  “And let's try to conserve our Energy in case it does something unexpected. We might also draw in other monsters because of how easy the
mammoth is to see from a distance. I can't tell because of the fur, but its skin is likely durable. We might need everything we have to break through. Any objections?"

  Everyone agreed to Tom's plan as they adjusted their equipment, made sure their packs were tossed aside, and got ready for the fight.

  Despite the poor traveling conditions, the lack of snow and other blizzard conditions made it possible to see around them with little obstruction. They were cold, but it allowed them to avoid unexpected surprises so they could plan out the majority of their engagements.

  "I'm just happy to see something that isn't a Talon. Something that big is bound to have an orb as well. And those tusks are probably worth a ton!" Lin smiled like a mad predator as she prepared her daggers. She sat on her haunches, ready to start using her Skills.

  Lin's attitude throughout the trip had gotten worse as the team moved slowly through the Dungeon. She knew the dangers of exploring a new Dungeon but also wanted to make the best of the time they had. Tom had explained several times that they needed to know what they were dealing with before they could progress at a faster pace.

  "Take a breath, Lin.” Griff hefted up his shield. “Let me head out there first to draw their attention."

  Griff's helmet slid onto his face as he stood up. He started to walk towards the group of monsters. At first, the Snow-Talons made no move towards the team, but as Griff came closer, they began to growl in his direction.

  The Snow-Talons bared their teeth and extended their claws. Crouching down, each of the Talons held their position while Griff approached.

  Griff got within a hundred feet of the group before one of the Snow-Talons made its move.

  Throughout it all, the mammoth slowly moved its body in Griff's direction.

  The team had dealt with multiple groups at this point and knew exactly how to deal with them. The Alpha had caught them off guard in the past, but the smaller E-Rank equivalents were little trouble. Their speed was an issue, but Griff's Rank 3 'Draw Them In' made it easy to group them together.

  As the beasts started to move towards Griff, Tom and the rest of the team got into position.

  "Restoration" Holly yelled, placing it on Griff and slowly applying it to the rest of the team as well.

  Holly's Rank 3 spell 'Restoration' was fairly common among healers but also very powerful. It slowly healed the recipient of any wounds they might receive for a variable period of time. When she first got it, the Skill would last one minute and use up most of her Energy. Now, at the height of Rank 3, she was able to apply it to the whole team and have it last for ten minutes.

  The rest of the team thanked Holly as they also received their 'Restoration'. It might have been in their heads, but receiving the Skill always made them feel a little bit better. She turned and started to watch their surroundings as the rest of the team focused on the group in front of them.

  For her part, Rana immediately started firing arrows at the oncoming Snow-Talons. Her 'Quick Reload' allowed her to fire quickly. Arrows fell down towards the Snow-Talons. Their speed made it possible for them to avoid the arrows directly, but they had a difficult time evading from directly above.

  Arrows hit, and by the time they reached Griff, two of the Snow-Talons were already down.

  Griff applied 'Draw Them In' to ensure Rana's arrows didn't attract focus to the rest of the team.

  With four Snow-Talons remaining, Griff was being attacked from all sides. All he could do was block and hold his position as the Snow-Talons attempted to bypass his armor. His shield had proven highly effective at reducing the damage the Snow-Talons could do, while his armor could use a repair.

  Tom dashed into the fray to take some of the pressure off Griff. He stabbed, spun, and pivoted his way through the throng of beasts.

  Within seconds, each of the Snow-Talons were dead, dying at their feet.

  Throughout it all, Lin applied 'Disorient' to the mammoth. The Skill had been an upgrade on her base Rank 2 Skill 'Darken Area'. Throughout the fight, the mammoth had continued walking in their direction, but could not meet the speed of the Snow-Talons.

  Its head was now fully encased in a globe of darkness as it pounded towards the team's position.

  "Holly, how are we doing," Tom called out.

  "All clear," she responded, applying 'Minor Heal' to Griff, just in case.

  "Move in. Lin, keep blasting that thing. It’s slow but try to apply 'Shackles'. Maybe we can knock it over.”

  "On it." Dark shackles appeared around its back legs. It showed no visual difference, as it lumbered towards the team.

  Lin's Mana started to drop quickly as the Energy cost increased while trying to entrap such a heavy opponent.

  "Can't hold for long,” she warned. “It's too big, the shackles are basically useless." She gritted her teeth as she continued to hold both spells on the mammoth.

  "Get rid of it for now,” Tom said. “Re-apply when you can. Take an Energy Potion if you need. We'll engage now." He readied himself to dash in.

  An arrow burst on top of the mammoth's head. Rana had increased her arrow's destructive power by using her Rank 3 Skill 'Empower'.

  The arrow hit the mammoth in its torso but did not penetrate the skin.

  Tom could now see that the mammoth's skin was extremely durable.

  "Griff, draw its attention, I'm going to try and cut its legs."

  "Okay, boss."

  Griff stood in front of the beast as Tom applied 'Sharpen'.

  He dashed towards the monster's right leg and hacked at it. Slight scrapes started to appear, but the wounds looked minor.

  The beast took notice as its head dipped down, trying to skewer Tom on its tusks. Despite being slow on its feet, its head was faster. Tom narrowly avoided it.

  It seemed that 'Disorient' was having little effect on the large beast.

  Tom re-applied 'Sharpen', using more Energy to enhance the effectiveness of the blade. His slashes started to cause some blood to appear, but he knew he still wasn't getting anywhere.

  Rana continued to rain down empowered arrows, attempting to hit different parts of the monster, looking for some sort of weakness.

  Tom disengaged and looked at the beast again.

  His attacks had done very little, but his team was also in good condition. They had used some Energy, but knew they were unhurt and capable of running away. The beast was slow, but extremely durable.

  He thought back on the Armadon he had fought with his nephew months ago. At that time, he had been capable of splitting the monster in half with his Rank 2 Skill and some Internal Energy alone. For this monster, however, it did very little.

  He considered asking the team to disengage completely but knew he still had one more trick to try. His newest Skill 'Talon' was so new that he had had very few chances to try it out.

  So far, Snow-Talons were split in two when impacted by the blade summoned from his weapon, but their defences were nothing compared to the mammoth.

  Tom also knew that ‘Talon’ used the majority of his Energy.

  He watched as the mammoth tried to thrust its tusk into Griff. Rana rained down arrows. She had already taken at least one Energy Potion to replenish her reserves.

  Looking at the beast, Tom noticed that one of her arrows had caused some additional scarring at the small of the monster's back, between the neck and shoulders. Lin's Skill had almost hidden the wound, but Tom was thankful to have noticed it.

  "Rana, aim for the top of its neck. Make it a good one."

  As he waited for Rana's shot, he empowered his legs and re-applied 'Sharpen' onto the blade. Despite ‘Talon’ being a blade made of pure Energy, he hoped that sharpening his blade prior would help with its penetrative power.

  He knew he shouldn't test theories during battle, but he was still getting used to what the Skill allowed.

  Tom heard the arrow before he saw it hit the mammoth's neck.

  The beast let out a massive cry of anguish as the arrow penetrated. In its anguish, it lifte
d both of its front legs before trying to stomp them back down onto Griff.

  Tom took the opportunity and dashed towards the mammoth's back before jumping on top. Once there, he jumped once more so that he was directly above the mammoth's neck.

  Not knowing if he would have another chance, he uncorked his only Energy Potion while falling towards the mammoth.

  In the moment that he was falling, he waved his sword down towards the mammoth's neck while using 'Talon'. From his sword, a large crescent shape blade descended. The wave of Energy shimmered silver as it fell towards the beast.

  Tom chugged the Energy Potion quickly, before expelling a second blade of Energy with a whip of his sword. The second wave looked identical to the first.

  The first wave hit the neck of the mammoth and cut deeply until it stopped at the bone. The second wave found the same mark and eventually cut the head completely off.

  Unable to stop his fall, Tom braced his legs as he fell right on top of the now-dead monster.

  The mammoth’s body had fallen on its left side as its neck squirted blood onto the ground.

  Tom's head started to pound as his Energy bottomed out. He dropped to one knee and closed his eyes. Holly, Rana, and Lin rushed over to him. He tried to wave her off, but Holly still applied a ‘Minor Heal’ and a ‘Restoration’ to him. He felt the Energy pound through him and opened his eyes again…

  "Where's Griff?" Lin finally said, as they started to look around for their large fully-armoured tank.

  "Under... here!" The mammoth’s head shifted slightly.

  While Tom had been trying to complete his aerial maneuver, Griff had continued to distract the beast. They each grabbed a handful of fur and hauled the giant head off him.

  Once freed, they took stock of how large the beast was.