Dungeon Runner

“We’re back,” Vivian announced as she, John and Beth entered her Barrier.

‘Do you want me to summon you?’ John asked Senka as they moved towards the kitchen.

‘It would be preferable,’ she responded. ‘It would be rude to not meet our ally.’

‘Alright.’

John’s mana dropped fifteen points and Senka manifested behind him. She languidly stretched her arms and let out a pleased hum.

“Is his head that cramped?” Beth asked, letting out a small laugh.

“Technically, it's an endless space,” Senka remarked, turning to the smaller girl. “But it is nice to be out and about.”

“Sorry,” John muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

Senka gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“There is no need to apologize,” she said soothingly. “There wasn’t any time you could summon me. Even in the morning it would have only been for a minute or two. To say nothing about being heard by your mother.”

John snorted lightly. “Which would have been even more awkward than the first time.”

“Indeed it would have been,” Senka agreed. “Now, I believe we have someone to discuss things with.”

John nodded and they entered the kitchen. Teri sat at the table, looking a little uncomfortable, her ears angled down. Her dragon-like pet, draped over her shoulders like a scarf perked up, its eyes locked on Senka. It bound off Teri and flew straight for the spirit, landing on her shoulder, a curious glint in its eyes.

“Well, hello there,” Senka greeted her new accessory, offering a hand to the dragon, stopping just short of touching its snout. The dragon leaned in, placing its head under her palm.

“Kitai, that’s rude!” Teri exclaimed, rushing to her feet.

Senka raised her unoccupied hand in a placating way. “No, this is fine. And we haven’t properly met. I’m Senka.”

Teri tilted her head, ears twitching before her eyes widened in realization.

“Oh, I sensed you yesterday,” Teri said excitedly. “In John’s aura. You’re a spirit, like Mason and Cammie’s, right?”

“A distant cousin, yes,” Senka answered, continuing to pet Kitai, who let out a satisfied trill. “Quite the demanding one, isn't she?”

“This is a bit more than she usually is,” Teri said.

“Could it be some resonance between your powers?” Vivian pondered aloud. “Kitai has some kind of shadow related power, right?”

“Yes,” Teri answered. “She can blend herself and others in shadows.”

“As fascinating as all this is,” Aeolia interjected, “what are we going to do about Teri’s problem?”

“Yeah, Vivian explained it as you guys need resources so you can be self-sufficient,” John said.

Teri nodded. “The elders have been making noise about actually settling down and need things like seeds and livestock to properly do so."

"I don't think chickens and pigs will do good in the base," Aeolia remarked, not sounding too happy with her former home being turned into a farm. "Growing things won't be easy either."

"I know," Teri grumbled. "Thankfully, I was able to convince them that setting up crops would be easier. Honestly, I'd prefer finding some way to earn money instead and just buy food, but we're not in the position to do so."

"We'll worry about career building later," Vivian said. "For now, we have to focus on the immediate issue. To set up crops, we'd need at least soil, seeds, and sun lamps. Aeolia, do you think the power in the Barrier could run those?"

The winged woman frowned. "I mean, we had enough juice to run some computers and lights in every room and hallway. I figure a few of these sunlight things won’t blow the power, but probably would be smart to do a test run once we get them.”

“Still means we’d need funds to buy all this stuff,” Teri remarked.

“A problem we have a solution to,” Vivian cut in. “John, if you care to explain.”

“Um, yeah,” John stuttered out, not expecting to be put on the spot. “So, basically, the Barriers I can make, well the monsters in it, drop real loot, including money sometimes. We can go and just mow down mobs, sell the drops and use the profits and any money drops to buy the stuff.”

“You just get things?” Teri asked after processing John’s long winded explanation.

“Well, we still have to beat the monsters,” John said. “Like yesterday, we took out a bunch of these vine monsters and got a bunch of this juice stuff. Which, now that I think about it, I never Observed. Where did we put those anyway?”

“They’re in the room down the hall on the left,” Vivian answered.

“I’ll go get one,” Aeolia offered, shifting to her innate size, and flew off to collect one.

“And this should work now. Invite Teri to Gamer Test Party,” John said.

Teri flinched back as the invite screen popped into existence.

“You really need to rename the party,” Beth remarked.

John shrugged. “It’s kind of grown on me.”

“Your powers are based on video games?” Teri asked as she peered at the display.

“Yep,” John answered. “The whole experience. Monsters to beat, quests to complete, loot to grab, levels to gain. I can show you my character sheet, or yours, once you join the party.”

“I have a character sheet?” the goblin girl inquired.

John scratched the back of his head. “Yeah. As far as I know, everything does. People, items, even magical effects. Though, um, they do sometimes reveal personal info. And being completely honest, I've used that skill, Observe on you, when we first met."

"I don't think I can fault you for that, given the situation our meeting was tangled with," Teri said, tapping the 'yes' on the display. "And how can I not want to see what my sheet says."

"Well, fair's fair, I'll pull mine up too," John offered, breathing a sigh of relief. "Though what it says is very different from yours."

Teri's cheeks grew darker and her ears quivered when her eyes reached the part of her sheet where her Libido score and sexual experience were displayed. Thankfully that was the only thing she seemed to react to and she quickly reigned in her embarrassment then glanced at John's sheet.

"I can see what you mean about personal information," she remarked, pointing to John's sexual skills.

"Yeah," John chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What do the stars mean?” the green girl asked, finger lightly tracing over her stat block.

“Basically it’s a way for me to see where I compare to someone in those stats,” John explained. “And you’re better than me everywhere.”

“I am seven levels higher,” Teri pointed out, a hint of pride in her voice. “Where do I rank among us anyway?”

“Second highest,” Vivian said. “Aeolia’s at level sixteen, if I recall correctly. Then it’s you, me, Beth and John. Mason and Cammie are probably even higher.”

“They are,” John supplied, eager to steer the conversation away from his last place finish. “24 and 27.”

“Are things really that boring that we’re discussing levels?” Aeolia asked as she flew back into the kitchen. She tossed the collected vial towards John, letting it shift back to its proper size. John easily caught it, the chalky white liquid sloshing as it smacked his palm.

“The only loot of a Vine Man,” John announced. “Boringly named ‘Vine Juice’, but it is what it says on the bottle.”

“Pretty basic,” John continued. “I wonder if we can use this to make better healing items?”

“You said you had a lot of this, right?” Teri inquired. “I could see if I can concentrate it or use it as a base to produce a stronger healing potion.”

“You’re a potioneer?” Vivian asked excitedly.

“Kind of,” Teri answered. “I’m basically just a novice at it, so messing with this stuff might just ruin it, but I have made some salves from plants.”

“Still might be worth trying,” Aeolia said. “It’s not like we can’t get a bunch more of the stuff. Plant monsters are pretty **** to what we can hit them with.”

“We can do that later,” Vivian cut in. “We should get moving on the money making operation.”

“Right,” John continued, summoning Instant Barrier’s info sheet. “So, we could just do what we’ve always done and summon up a bunch of monsters, but I think we might have a better shot at getting a lot of money, or things to sell, if we do the ‘Dungeon’ option. From the description, it sounds like we have a chance to find what I hope are rare items. Plus, the given quest might have a monetary reward or something we can sell. And there’ll still be monsters, so loot drops. Sound like that could work?”

Teri mulled over the options, her ears twitching slightly.

“I think we should at least try the dungeon one,” she answered. “See what it has to offer. If it’s not something profitable, we can do what you’ve been doing before.”

“Sounds like a plan,” John said. “Where do we want to set this up?”

“I’ve got an idea,” Beth spoke up. “There’s an old shopping center that’s pretty empty I know about. We should be pretty safe there.”

“Before we head there think we could stop at my place for a second?” John asked. “I’ve got a few items at home I think we should have just in case. Plus, it’d be a good time to see if you like the spare sword.”

Beth grinned at the thought. “No objection from me.”

John nodded then glanced around to the others.

“Anybody else want to draw from the vault?”

---

There were no objections, and after a quick stop, the motley group made it to Beth’s suggested location. Like she had said, it was a mostly vacant shopping outlet and Vivian drove over the cracked parking lot, stopping near the more abandoned part of the complex. With Senka back in John’s aura and Aeolia and Teri invisible, they left the car and marched towards the back of the building.

“Any cameras?” John asked as they rounded the corner. “Man, saying that makes it sound like we’re about to commit some crime.”

“Since we’re going to pull an Indiana Jones, I guess we are,” Beth snarkily remarked. “What is the going rate for grave robbing?”

“Is it really grave robbing when everything is produced by John’s powers?” Vivian pondered.

“We’re going into a place and probably going to take some shit,” Beth countered. “I think it still counts.”

‘As amusing as this banter is, can we create the Barrier?’ Senka thought.

“Right,” John said aloud. “Let’s get this up and running.”

He cast Instant Barrier, selecting the preferences they had agreed upon on the way.

Plant Dungeon Barrier Created. Average Enemy Level: 12

Reality shifted around and the group found themselves standing before a looming stone temple covered in verdant overgrowth. To their sides and rear was thick jungle, with no visible path deeper in.

Dungeon Quest: Temple of Root
Explore the overgrown temple and seek its treasures. But remember, every rose has its thorn and be wary of what moves in the underbrush.
Primary Objectives: Defeat the Temples’ three minor guardians and claim their totems. Retrieve and escape with the Temple Treasure.
Optional Objective: Defeat the Temple’s Head Guardian.

All items dropped by fallen enemies or found in the environment will be presented upon completion of the Dungeon.

“Well, that’s a long list of stuff,” Aeolia said from John’s shoulder, letting her invisibility fade.

“Just means we’ve got a lot of options to get stuff,” Teri added as she likewise let her invisibility fade, a Glyph Sphere clutched in her hand.

“Yeah,” John said, letting the quest display fade. “From the way it reads, we only need to take the main treasure and get out. Given that beating what sounds to be the main boss is an optional thing we can do, I guess if it’s too much, we can just book it.”

“We’re going to at least try, right?” Beth asked. “Don’t want my first boss encounter to end before it even begins.”

“I doubt we won't try," Senka remarked as John summoned her. "But if reaching the end takes too much out of us, then just taking our prize and escaping is a nice option."

“I guess,” the acrobatic girl said, accepting the spirit's wisdom. “At least we’ve got to beat those minor guys.”

“Of course,” Aeolia answered, leaning against John’s head. “I know he's wondering just what those totems are.”

John let out a snort of amusement. “Yeah. Can’t say the mystery of it isn’t enticing. But we won’t find out what’s inside if we just keep talking. Let’s get geared up.”

John opened his inventory and put on his Steelwood Greaves and Chestplate. After a moment of debate, he decided to put on the Composite Helmet, favoring added defense over the option of attack his goggles would provide. Finishing off his attire with the Glove of Fire and his jacket, John moved to extract the first of the two pieces of gear he brought along for the others.

“Here we go,” he said, summoning the Zilhavrum Sword and offering it to Beth. “One short-ish sword.”

Beth took the weapon and experimentally swung it around, a focused look on her face.

“I think this’ll work,” she said. “Kind of wish there was a sheath for it.”

“Sorry,” John apologized. “The mob that dropped this just had it growing out of its arm. I could probably make one later.”

“It’s fine. I can do this,” Beth asserted, pressing the flat of the blade against her back. “It doesn’t take a lot of mana to keep it stuck here.”

‘Not sure I like the look of that,’ John thought, imagining all the ways an exposed blade like that could inflict injury on her. ‘Not that there’s a better way to hold it. Just have to hope she’s careful.’

Shaking his worry away, John summoned the second item, the Zilhavrum Shield and presented it to Vivian. The redhead took the silvery disk and fastened it to her arm, the dappled light from above reflecting off its surface.

“OK, I’ve got one final piece of gear, if anyone’s interested,” John said, pulling out the Mantle of the Disciple.

“What the hell?” John exclaimed as his eyes took in the cape’s changed appearance; the white fabric was now decorated in golden vines that bloomed into roses. “This was pure white before.”

“It’s got a charge? How?” John asked.

“Is that the reward from the drop quest?” Vivian inquired.

“Yeah, but when I got it, it didn’t have anything in the first Attribute,” John explained. “And I’ve only taken it out once.”

John tapped on the mysteriously charged Attribute, hoping it could shed light on how he had stumbled into a small amount of godly power.

Godly Infusion: The magical power of a god can charge this item, granting it access to effects unique to the donor. Current God: The Lady (3/100).

“‘The Lady’? Isn’t that who the Order worships?” John questioned aloud, his eyes shifting back to the Mantle. He activated Arcane Sense and the fabric began to radiate the same sort of heat Moria’s locker had. “It’s got the same feel as Moira’s locker. Did this somehow suck up that energy?”

Think of it as a gift from me. A little taste test, but no more free samples.

“Well, that explains how it sucked up the holy power,” Aeolia remarked. “So, what exactly does it do?”

The Lady: The aspect of Gaia worshiped by the Order of the Golden Rose. Origin of their Wardens’ powers and directive: to protect those who cannot from the darkness of the Abyss.

“Huh, The Lady is Gaia, in some way,” John said after he called up the divine info. “Guess it being her own energy she moved into the Mantle made it an easy task. Also, I really don’t want to mess with The Order if their future leader just casually carries around their god’s power.”

“I don’t really know what you’re talking about,” Teri interjected, her eyes intently locked on the holy accessory. “But the emotion I’m reading off that thing feels more like a mother tending to her child’s wounds than some avenging warrior.”

“There’s emotions in it?” Vivian asked, eyes widening.

“Kind of,” the goblin replied, shaking a hand in a ‘so-so’ gesture. “It’s kind of a fuzzy feeling, like looking through a haze. But it makes me think of being protected and kept safe and warm.”

John hummed. “I get the warm feeling, like being on a beach during the summer. But I guess we’re just seeing, or sensing I guess, the same thing through different lenses. Magic is weird.”

He turned his attention back to the Mantle. “Let’s see what this bit of power actually does. ”

Arcane Channel Effect: Increased effectiveness of offensive and defensive skills against enemies with foul intentions, increased effectiveness of beneficial effects on others.

Aura of Devotion Effect: Causes hesitation and fear in weak willed enemies.

“Not sure how much benefit we can get for the first one,” John said after a second of thought. “Arcane Channel uses one point of god juice for every ten points of mana spent and I’m not sure if summoned monsters will even count as ‘enemies with foul intentions.’”

“The other one might work,” Teri pointed out. “Does it run out?”

“It drains a point every three hours,” John informed her. “And from what the description said, it only starts the count once it's worn. So unless this takes nine hours, it’ll still have a charge.”

“Do you mind if I take it?” Teri asked, her ears quivering hopefully. “I mean, to wear during this. I don’t want to ‘take it’ take it. But, you know, it’ll be a good way to see if the aura effect works on Barrier monsters. And, well, traditionally shamans of my people had sacred items of our gods. But that was way before I was born and I’ve never had the opportunity to even see one and I…”

“You don’t have to justify it,” John said with a smile, stepping towards the fidgeting goblin and offering the Mantle. “We’re allies, and beyond that, I hope we’re friends.”

Teri blinked, her eyes shifting to meet John’s, and she weakly smiled.

“Yeah, we’re friends,” she confirmed, gently taking the Mantle. She unfastened the clasp and threw it over her shoulders, Kitai flying up and landing on her head. Once she had the chain locked in place once more, she grinned at the others.

“Looks like we’re all geared up,” John said, returning Teri’s grin before turning to face the overgrown entrance. “Let’s conquer this dungeon!”

Thanks again for reading this little story. If you liked the chapter, please hit that thumbs up, and if you want to support my writing, check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/ScrapCrow. Get access to my chapters before they’re published here and join my private Discord.