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Story Codes: Fantasy, Gamelit, Magic, Violence

For a list of all the dungeon builder stories click here

Comments are very welcome. I would like all criticism, positive and negative, so long as it’s
constructive, and feedback is very appreciated.

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Click here for Part 18.

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Chapter Forty-Four

Garnet reached the tree line at the end of the meadow. The dwarves were almost on her. They were tearing across the field, so desperate to reach her. She waited as they thundered closer and closer. Her wings spread wide.

“Kweh, heh, heh!” she chortled as they closed the last dozen feet. “You fell into my trap, boys!”

She launched into the air as the first horny dwarf leaped at her. He tried to grab her feet but missed. He landed on his belly and slid into the trunk of a tree. The other dwarves groaned as she flapped her wings and soared over them. She flew fast for the hole. Faster than they could run on flat ground, and they would have to run up the steep slope.

They had descended it fast, but climbing it…

Garnet laughed as she soared to return to the fight and help her family out. She would help them kick that Led’s ass. She wanted to whip him and make him kneel and beg for forgiveness. She flapped her wings and then tucked them in low as she hurtled into the tunnel.

She landed and ran.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pain burned in my side. If the Granite Flesh spell hadn’t been active, I would have died. That ax would have cut way, way deeper into me. As it was, I was bleeding out fast. Shock shivered through me. My body didn’t want to do anything but shiver.

Through chattering teeth, I forced out, “Graven wounds pulse in pain, let the healing of Lord Dumazid flow!”

I burned through more of my magical reserves. It pulled on the Void Crystal. I had expended a lot of it rebuilding my dungeon and summoning monster girls that were too far away to be of any help in this fight.

It was so frustrating.

My side knit together and the afterimage burned into my gaze vanished. I pushed to my feet to finish this fight as the magic mended the worst of the damage. Even Mend Flesh couldn’t fully heal a wound that bad, but I wasn’t bleeding to death. I could fight.

“Hard and enduring, let—” I started casting Granite Flesh when the ground beneath my feet became slick with ice.

My feet slipped out from beneath me. I slammed on my tailbone with a grunt of pain. My back and head hit the frozen ground a moment later. Fuzzy pain washed over my skull. I blinked against it when a block of ice appeared over my head.

And fell at me.

“Shit!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hagane just died.

Maya had a moment of hope when she saw the metallic girl rushing at the valkyrie’s back only for Led to kill the nerdy and amazing girl.

Now the undine groaned. Maya was dying. It grew harder and harder to hold her arms up and drown the valkyrie. The bitch wasn’t getting woozy, either. She had unnatural stamina. Maya didn’t know all the abilities of the valkyrie.

The ice formed in Maya’s fingers that had flowed into the valkyrie’s nose and mouth. Pain tore through them. The frost spread over the valkyrie’s deadly and beautiful face. Maya screamed out as the agony ripped at her watery flesh.

The valkyrie bit down hard with her teeth, shattering the icy fingers. Screaming, Maya recoiled, her hands coming free. The valkyrie sucked in a breath. She laughed in cold triumph. She had one. She could breathe again.

“You were good,” the valkyrie said. “I respect a woman who fights. You do not give up. I never gave up, either.”

The valkyrie thrust out her arm holding the sword. It pushed Maya away from the valkyrie, half of the undine’s body now frozen. Torment twisted through her. She shuddered, her feet, still flowing water, stepping back.

She stepped on something wooden.

“When I was in the ring, I always fought to my best,” the valkyrie said, such exultation on her face.

“Ring?” Maya asked, her watery foot flowing over the wood. It was a handle.

“The wrestling ring,” the valkyrie said. “I was Smerta the White Valkyrie. The star of Russian wrestling. I dominated the female division.”

“Led’s a fan, huh?” groaned Maya as she lifted the pickax with her foot.

“Oh, yes,” said Smerta the White Valkyrie. “He would send me so much fan mail. They were such creepy things. But now I understand his greatness. Now I am his woman. The first he brought when he and his brother appeared.”

“Wow, lucky you,” Maya said. “Get to be your stalker’s fuck toy.”

“You can serve him, too,” said Smerta. “You are fierce. I will ask that he takes you as his concubine.”

“Pass!” Maya shouted and kicked her left leg out, her foot holding the pickax, at the side of the valkyrie.

Her left arm lashed out and slammed into the weapon, knocking it to the side. Maya gasped as her surprise attack had failed. The ice surged through her body even colder as the valkyrie laughed. Maya struggled, death moments away.

“Yes, yes, very fierce,” Smerta said, her blue eyes almost glowing.

“N-ever… be… his!” Maya screamed, the ice reaching up to her throat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instinct and training with Usiku saved my life.

I rolled to the side, the slick floor sliding me further out of the way. The ice smashed to the ground and burst into a dozen sharts. My heart hammered with adrenaline. My side ached from the half-mended wound.

“Fuck,” I growled. “Graven wounds pulse in pain, let the healing of Lord Dumazid flow!”

I healed the rest of the wound, the pain fading. As I did, I slid across the floor. Maya’s screams of pain echoed through it. I had to help her and kill Led. No, by killing Led, I would be helping her. Helping us all.

I got clear of the patch of slick ice and growled “Hard and enduring, let the rocks of Lady Ki defend!”

“From above it falls, let the ice of Lord Anshar crush!” Led chanted.

I ducked my head down out of instinct. The ice slammed into my newly armored flesh. It burst off of me, stone cracking from the impact. I grunted and stumbled forward two steps, grabbing the post of the bed, my shoulders aching from the chunk of ice that struck me.

“The sharp gleam of ice, let the icy ax of Lord Anshar fall!”

My head snapped to the right. An ax hurtled from that direction, flashing as it cut through the air. It slammed through the bedpost and struck me in the chest. Ice shattered around me. I grunted, nearly collapsing from the impact. More stone cracks burst over my chest, spilling over my hardened skin. But it held.

For now.

I peered in that corner. I needed to find a way to reveal the invisible asshole and kill him, Maya’s screams tearing at my heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is it, thought Maya. I’m dead.

“Do not be afraid,” Smerta said. “It’s your choice if you want to serve Led. He is a good master.”

“Good!” burst from Maya’s lips, the ice reaching up to her throat. “He… enslaved… those…”

Her freezing water choked off her speech. The ice crystals reached up for her head. Her thoughts would solidify and she would be dead. Leo would have one last ally to help him.

Where were the others? Maya thought. How long did it take to get here? The battle had felt like it had been raging an hour, but was it really just ten or so minutes? That elevator really does take too long.

A shadowy whip cracked about the valkyrie’s neck. A hard jerk yanked her back. The sword slid out of Maya’s body as Smerta landed on her back. Releasing her sword, her hands shot to her throat, pulling at the shadowy whip.

“Kweh, heh, heh!” chortled Garnet. The succubus stood at the hole dug in by the dwarves. She reeled in the valkyrie, dragging her kicking across the floor.

The valkyrie’s sword lay by Maya.

She groaned, her entire body half-frozen. Every movement cut pain through her. She groaned through it and picked up the sword in her left hand, the fingers half-frozen. With a roar, she flung herself down on Smerta, thrusting the point of the sword at the valkyrie’s heart.

Maya let the force of her fall slam the sword through the valkyrie’s breast, impaling through the expanse of cleavage Smerta’s armor left exposed. Her eyes widened, golden eyes fierce. A smile flitted across her lips. They opened to speak but…

The Valkyrie vanished.

“Fuck!” Maya howled. She sagged to the ground, the sword melting out of her grip. It was a part of Smerta. The half-frozen undine crashed on the floor. Ice burst in her. she whimpered as she lay on her side. She stared to her right through the pain.

An ax of ice appeared in that direction and hurtled towards Leo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I dodged the next ice. It came from the other side of the room.

I needed help. Garnet had returned. The valkyrie was down. Maya lived, but for how long. Led was near the vault door. Hewas moving towards it. The dwarves had badly damaged it. If he got through it, all he had to do was get to the Void Crystal to beat me.

My mother held three dwarves with her roots, standing against the wall out of the way. She was keeping them in check, but they were also thrashing, looking to be in a panic. Where they really a threat now.

Three of them?

“Mom, let them go,” I ordered. “Led’s by the door. We have to find him.”

My mother shot me a glance and then nodded. Her roots came undone around the dwarves. They crawled away and then ran around the edge of the room. My gaze searched for Led. He had gone silent again. Was he at the door yet? Could he open it?

Then my mom ran across the room.

What was she doing?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An idea struck Mrs. Zoe Baldwin.

Leo cried out to her, but she ignored her son. The dwarves were rushing for the tunnel to escape. At any minute, Usiku, Paanee, and Baaghi would arrive. They couldn’t let Led escape again. He had to be trapped in here.

It was dangerous, but they had to kill him. He was too much a threat to her family. It was more than Garnet and Leo that were her children, it was Maya and Hagane and Halia and even Lana Fulmine. All of the monster girls.

She reached the tunnel mouth, passing her daughter Garnet, and stood in the opening. She thrust her arms wide and then grew her roots. They spread to grow and choke off the escape route. She cast her gaze out at the room.

Led could be anywhere, but he would not escape. Not without killing her. And if he did that, hopefully Garnet or Leo would see where he was at.

“Kill him, Leo!” Mrs. Baldwin shouted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You have any idea where he is, big bro?” Garnet asked.

Her big brother, on the other side of the room, shook his head. His skin had gone all stony with cracks that ran through him. His eyes kept glancing towards the Vault Door. It was badly damaged. Behind Garnet, her mother was growing to fill the tunnel.

“The sharp gleam of ice, let the icy ax of Lord Anshar fall!”

The chanting came from her right. Out of instinct, the naughty succubus sent her whip slashing in that direction as an ice ax appeared and hurtled right back at her. She struck an invisible form. Led gasped in pain and reeled back.

The ax slammed into Garnet’s chest. Pain burst through her. She screamed as she flew back and hit the ground. She whimpered, her blood spilling over her chest. Her wings fluttered. The world grew dark and then…

Souleen was holding her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pain tore through me as my little sister died.

But I saw right where the spell came from. Night engulfed where it had come from, a choking death for whoever stood there. Led could not have gotten clear in time. I was ready for him, Night Smother on the tip of my tongue.

“The thick night falls, let the enmity of Lord Zuen smother!”

My darkness engulfed the corner, choking him.

“Radiance erupts, let the brilliance of Lord Shamash explode!” screamed in the misty shadows, a spell being cast.

Bright light flashed and devoured my darkness. He was right there.

“Spark of lightning, crackle of electricity, let the wrath of Lord Enlil explode!” I shouted. Lighting hurtled across the room where the light died down.

“Srat’!” Led cursed. The lightning crashed into the wall in a burst of sparks. I had him. I just had to kill him. “The sharp gleam of ice, let the icy ax of Lord Anshar fall!”

“Strong and durable, let the strength of Lord Nabu shield!”

The ice ax struck my shield in a burst of sparks as I advanced. This ended now! He had nowhere to run. It was just me and him. He would pay for what he had done. My mind flicked through the catalog of spells I had.

“From the ground below, let the spikes of Lord Abzu erupt!!” I shouted at where he was at, an Earth spell.

Rock spikes burst out of the ground, missing him. He had to be over there.

“From above it falls, let the ice of Lord Anshar crush!” chanted from that area. I threw myself to the right, dodging the hunk of ice that crashed against the ground where I had been standing.

“Shadows flow and darkness sharpens, let the cunning of Lord Zuen stab!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maya crawled across the ground, her body thawing. She came closer and closer to where Led was casting at. She had seen that ice ax that killed Garnet and the flash of light. A dark dagger slammed into the wall near there, Leo casting his spells.

Maya pushed herself up and staggered to her feet. She could ignore the pain. She was close, feet away. A man chanted right before her, his voice thick and heavy. She had him. She could almost picture the Russian bastard before her.

“Blinding brilliance hardened, let the light of Lord Shamash cut!”

Roaring, she threw herself at him.

A blade of blinding and dazzling light appeared in the air and swung at Maya. She gasped as it cut through her watery body and struck the ice in her. Shards shattered, ripping through her flesh. The light burst around her, blinding her eyes somewhere.

She landed on him. She hugged Led with her watery body. She squeezed tight about him as he cursed in shock. He was a negative void, her half-frozen body outlined just where he was. He cursed in Russian.

“Kill him, Leo!” Maya screamed.

“The sharp gleam of ice, let the icy ax of Lord Anshar fall!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“From the ground below, let the spikes of Lord Abzu erupt!” I shouted as an ax appeared and flashed at me.

I twisted my body to the side. The ax clipped my stone-hardened shoulder and flipped me around. I spun and hit the ground as the rock spike burst out of the ground right where Maya had Led wrapped up. A sickening crunching and then a painful scream.

“Zasranets!” Led spat. “Radiance erupts, let the brilliance of Lord Shamash explode!”

A bright flash of light burst from him. My eyes burned from it. I screamed through the pain. I couldn’t see anything, dazzled by him. But I didn’t need to see. Not any longer. Maya held him tight. She had him immobilized. The rock spike had impaled part of him.

“Hard and unyielding, let the steel of Lord Nabu attack!” I snarled, picturing where Maya held him.

I couldn’t see, but I heard the length of steel slam through Maya’s watery form. A splash and then a crash of ice followed by a crunch of ribs breaking. Led screamed and then wheezed. I blinked against my burning vision.

“The sharp gleam of ice, let the icy ax of Lord Anshar fall!” he roared, his voice thundering through the room.

He wanted to finish me off.

The ax struck my chest, bursting across my flesh. But I had his brother’s powers. I had taken Ziamili’s glyphs, and they protected me against Led’s attack. I stood there strong and focused on where he stood, visualizing it perfectly.

“Water’s crushing weight surround, feel the grasp of Lord Enki squeeze!”

The spell I should have cast earlier. I had a lot of them. It was hard to think in battle. To know how to react. Things were chaotic. Attacks came from every direction. I just had to react. But now… Now, this was perfect.

Water engulfed him and Maya. It was her home. She would be just fine in it. I mended my vision, my magic almost out. I would need my Void Crystal to draw in more and restore it. As my sight returned, I saw a thrashing shape in the ball of water, his invisible flesh outlined in it. he thrashed and then…

He went still.

A groaned as pain seared into my chest. The Ice and Light Runes carved into my flesh. I staggered, from the weight of it. I let the spell go. The water vanished and a body appeared. Led slammed to the ground, bloody and battered.

The door burst in and Usiku, Paanee, and Baaghi stumbled into the room, looking around at the destruction. My fomorian’s shadow blade lowered as she gasped at the sight. Paanee hissed, the naga looking around. Maya groaned on the ground, ice shards in her body.

I staggered to her. I had power again. Magic I’d gained from killing Led. I planted my hand on her chest and I cast the spell. The ice melted from her body. All but a few shards of it. The pain relaxed on her face.

“Leo,” she groaned and then threw her arms around my neck and kissed me.

“What did we miss, Lord Leo?” Baaghi asked.

Chapter Forty-Five

Halia and the orcs were almost to the elevator when suddenly the world lurched. She gasped and found herself in the bedroom. She blinked as she looked around. Garnet was bouncing up and down. Terra was rubbing at her forehead in awe. Hagane ran over and embraced and kissed Lana Fulmine. Mrs. Baldwin nodded her head in approval.

“What happened?” She asked.

“We missed it,” Baaghi said. The rakshasa shook her feline head. “We missed it all.”

The door to the Vault opened and Leo stepped inside into the bedroom. He looked around at them, naked but looking whole. “Led’s dead.”

“Yeah, he kicked his ass,” Maya said. She was at his side, clinging to him. It was rather close, though.”

“But I came in and saved the day,” Garnet said. “Kweh, heh, heh, that valkyrie didn’t see that coming.”

“No, she didn’t,” Leo said. He smiled at Halia. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

“I wish I was here,” the paladin said, her black braid sweeping down her back as she looked around. The room looked normal, but she felt that it was only because Leo had put it back together. “I don’t understand.”

“Led used his dwarven slaves,” Leo said, anger on his face. He pointed to the room where six or seven dwarves lay unconscious. From the other room, the orcs, will o’ wisps, and werebears stepped into the room. Leo glanced up at the orc at the front. “Zobens, carry these dwarves to Astovin village. When they wake up, let them go. Speak with the mayor and make sure they have provisions to see them returned to their home.”

“My Lord,” Zobens nodded. Then she started barking orders like a general.

Halia came up to Leo. She swallowed. “I am sorry I missed it. I was…”

He smiled at her. “Having fun with the monster girls.” Leo pulled her to him with his free arm. “Halia, that’s one of the perks of being my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” The word was strange to her.

“His lover,” Maya said. “His paramour.”

“Oh, yes, I am that,” Halia said with pride. She was a dungeon builder’s paramour. That was such a strange concept to her. She pressed her body against his, rubbing her nipples into his strong chest. Then she kissed him.

Halia’s world was a strange one. But she was glad to have it. She kissed the dungeon builder she loved. She would help him convince the rest of the world that he was a man worth supporting. Humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings would all learn that at least one dungeon builder was their friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I think you should keep Smerta,” said Maya as I stood before the Void Crystal. The orcs and other monster girls were leading away the dwarven prisoners. None of them had died.

There was that.

I had destroyed Led’s body when I repaired my dungeon. The hole that had been dug in was restored with mountain stone. I had to come up with a way to keep that from happening again. I needed to keep a portion of my dungeon this high up to tap into the mana vein here. But it was clear it left my Vault and myself in danger. I liked the idea of having my lair up high. Close to the surface but…
Beneath would make more sense. It was why dungeons in video games had you delving into the earth most of the time. You went deeper and deeper. It wasn’t just a metaphor for venturing further into the dark.

It was practical if you, the dungeon builder, wanted to stay alive.

“You want me to keep…” I blinked. “Which one is Smerta?”

“The valkyrie,” said Maya. “I think she would serve you.”

I hadn’t kept either of Ziamili’s companions. I hated Ziamili for what his monster girls had done to Halia. Led I detested, but it wasn’t the same. It didn’t feel nearly as personal to me. I considered it. The valkyrie was a fierce fighter.

“And the fairy?” I asked.

“She’s fun,” said Garnet. “I could have someone I can fly around with and play jokes.”

“Yeah, let’s not keep her,” Lana said, a smile on her face. “Imagine having to deal with two Garnets.”

“I know!” Garnet sighed. My little sister’s tail flicked back and forth with such mirth. “It’ll be soooooooo awesome, big bro! Let’s do it!”

“Then there’s the question of who you will summon next,” Terra said. She rubbed at my chest with her gray fingers. They were soft and malleable. She touched the Light Glyph, seven of the cuneiform-like arrows that formed a sun, the lines pointing out from where their triangular bases all touched to form a circle. Then she slid over to the Ice Glyph. It was a narrow V like an icicle that hung down. “Which cute girl from school are you going to choose.”

“Alizee the cheerleader?” asked Maya, a big grin on her watery face.

“Ooh, ooh, Morana would be perfect,” said Garnet. My little sister bounced up and down. “Goth and ice. That has to be a perfect fit.”

“He wants a MILF for light,” said Lana Fulmine. “Another motherly beauty like you, Mrs. Baldwin.”

Maya and Garnet both shot each other looks. “Mrs. Lucina!” they gasped together and then giggled.

“Who’s that?” asked Hagane.

“Oh, my, yes, you do like to stare at her gardening,” my mother purred. “But you know who you should choose for ice.” She arched an eyebrow at me.

I opened my mouth, about to agree with her, when Du’s voice echoed through my head. “Lord Leo, there is a visitor.”

I turned my head and looked over my shoulder. “A visitor?”

“Yes, an elven scholar named Fauraliiithiliana,” Du answered. “She says she got your letter and was very intrigued by it.”

My eyes widened as I remembered the letter I had sent to the Great Elven Library of Lyrialiasa. “Send her in. Escort her to the throne room. I’ll meet her there!”

Finally, this might be the chance that would provide some answers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fuegin sat on his fiery throne. He watched the entrance to Leo’s dungeon through the use of a scrying window. Fuegin had the sensor hidden over Leo’s base, a complicated Light ritual was required to make it. Expert level magic.

“An elven scholar,” Fuegin said as he stared at the sensor. He glanced over at Liegra. She stood with her back straight. She was a kaleidoscope of rainbow colors that all bent and warped around her, making her curvaceous form hard to pick out. She was a monster girl called a prism, his light companion. “You were correct to summon me.”

“I am glad, Lord Fuegin,” she said, bowing, which caused the light refracting to her body to dance in new and almost hypnotic ways.

Fuegin had tried to get into the library so many times, lying to Leo about it. He wanted the boy to feel like he had agency. The library lay in the heart of elfdom. They had so many priests and wizards laying protecting magics around it. They were guarding knowledge of such immensity to require such defenses. He had long considered attacking them, but if he accidentally destroyed something valuable…

But through Leo, a low-level dungeon builder who was trying to make peace with the world, well, Fuegin had hoped there would be a chance he would learn something. But to have a scholar come to him. This was intriguing.

The gambit with the twins had worked out. Leo now had power. Only the strongest of dungeon builders would dare challenge him. He would have time to uncover the secrets that burned in Fuegin.

And he’ll be so grateful to share them with me, thought Fuegin, smiling. It was nice having a friend. A shame he would have to kill Leo one day. If Fuegin’s instincts were right about what this game was…

But he wasn’t sure. He had to understand. He had to know just why he had been dragged here by the Incarnation. Who was she? Why did she break off pieces of herself and invest her power of creation into men drawn from the real world?

Fuegin burned to know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“My Lord,” the servant said, knocking at the door.

Lord Shorvin looked up from his papers. There were rumors that Leo had gone to war with the twins, the two dastardly dungeon builders who had enslaved the dwarves in the Vorianil Mountains which lay to the east. This could easily spill devastation into Lord Shorvin’s territory.

He was not happy.

“What is it?” he demanded. “What fresh disaster has befallen us.”

“He’s here,” the servant said. “The Priests of the Lord and Lady of Darkness have consented to your request. They have finished their rituals and have decided that slaying Leo the Tyrant of Astovin as the first test of their creation.”

A shiver ran through Lord Shorvin. “They have sent Anguin?”

The servant nodded. “He awaits you in your audience hall, Lord Shorvin.”

The lord rose from his desk, smiling. The reincarnated Anguin. No longer the Paladin of Light but now the Blessed Saint of Darkness. He would be perfect for slaying this dungeon builder. Before his death, Anguin had been the greatest hero of his generation. All had thought he could destroy Fuegin, the Black Flame of Nyias.

Sadly, he had perished in the attempt.

Now that he had been reincarnated, he would wield even greater power. It was a true miracle. Something new. Something that would forever change the balance of power. If their greatest heroes could be reincarnated as Saints, then how could the dungeon builders survive?

Click here for Book Three, Part 1.

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