Dungeon V Ch. 1 - Inheritance

by Sebastian Ordonez

The Dungeon’s hallway was a sight to behold. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of a dark, black stone covered in intricate carvings. A wide path stretched down the hallway’s length, upon which were many different people preparing for their own Raids. Some were grouped together with their teams; others lingered here and there, wandering about in search of work. In either case, they were equipped with all manner of weapons, tools, and armor, all necessary equipment for their work. 

Massive, stone pillars lined both sides of the hall, and together with the walls they curved up to a point high above the center of the hallway to form a ceiling. Lanterns that shone with a magical blue light lined the walls, and other lights lined the pathway, leaving only the ceiling in darkness. The carvings in the walls and pillars also glowed with a faint, blue light which brought their carved designs into clarity. Ancient-looking sharp symbols glared down at the dungeoneers. And of course, between all the pillars were the Gates, massive stone doors covered with carvings even more intricate and beautiful than on the walls. 

Even after a week, Leo still looked in awe at his surroundings. He thought he’d never get used to the sight. 

Raised voices suddenly caught his attention. Looking around, he spotted two men standing at odds in front of a Gate. 

“We can’t,” one of them was saying. His coarse brown hair was dirty and sharp. He wore a thick, blue jacket with a high collar, padding on the shoulders and sides, and loose, baggy black pants. His oddly slit-shaped eyes stood out among his features, outshone only by the blue claw-mark tattoos on his cheeks. The man’s frustration was visible on his face and evident in his stance. “The last time we took on something we couldn’t handle, it didn’t end well for us. That’s why we’re in this situation right now.” 

“I know that,” the other responded, raising his voice slightly. “But the rewards we’re getting from C Rank Gates aren’t enough anymore.” The second man was a whole head taller than the first, and much larger as well. His nose was thick, his brows thicker. His smooth bald head sported innumerable scars, with two slicing down across his head and one outlining the edge of his jaw. His arms and body rippled with muscles and his boots groaned under his weight. Large shoulder pads accentuated his hulking form and a leather strap was wrapped diagonally across his torso, covered in pads and pockets. His black shirt may have looked clean, but his dirt-stained pants and frayed belt contributed further to his rough appearance. “If we’re gonna fix this,” he said in a husky voice, “we need the larger rewards a higher-level Gate can offer.” 

“But if we hurt ourselves in the process, we’ll only make things worse,” the first man said, his slit-shaped pupils narrowing. “I want to help Leah as much as you do, but we’re setting ourselves up for failure. Besides, we don’t even have enough manpower for this. We should have at least five people here, and we’re only two. We can’t handle this on our own.”

“That’s why we’ll find soloists to help us.” 

“Three of them, and on such short notice?” 

“Yes!” The larger man seemed to notice that their argument was getting people’s attention. In a lower voice that Leo could still make out over the general chatter, he continued. “As long as we get an even share of the reward and we can pay for Leah’s treatment, it doesn’t matter to me what injuries we get.”

“Ryker, you dumbass, the point is that if we get injured, we won’t be able to work anymore, and if we’re not bringing in a steady stream, Leah will really be in trouble.” 

“I can help.” 

The two quarreling men turned quickly to face the source of the new voice. “Sorry,” Leo said, offering an apologetic smile, “but I couldn’t help overhearing. If you need soloists, I’m happy to join you. I was looking for work anyway.” 

The first thing the larger man, Ryker, noticed about this newcomer was his armor. It was made from a pale blue steel which appeared sturdy and clean, seeming to shine and shimmer in the light of the flickering lanterns. Beneath the steel, he wore an undergarment of chainmail rings. A white patterned cloth which fell from his waist flowed back behind him as he approached. Moreover, Ryker noticed the armor’s weight didn’t seem to affect his gait at all. He figured it must have been enchanted with a number of spells, not the least of which increased durability and reduced weight. Needless to say, a suit of armor of such high quality was not often seen in this level of the Dungeon. 

The second thing Ryker noticed was Leo’s age. At a glance, he looked around eighteen years, an extremely young age for someone with such valuable armor. His dark hair had a wavy, messy appearance, and he had a smooth, even-featured smiling face. Despite the fact Ryker towered over him, there was some feeling of awe stirring within him. 

“I couldn’t help but overhear you,” Leo repeated. “You need soloists for a B Rank Raid, right?” 

“Aren’t you kind of young, kid?” the claw-marked man said bluntly. 

“I’m old enough,” Leo responded defensively. “And my name’s Leo. Don’t call me kid.” 

Ryker turned to his companion. “See? That’s one down already. All we need is two more and we’ll have plenty to get the Gate done.” 

The younger man stared at him for a cold moment before his face finally softened. “Fine,” he sighed, “if we get two more people onboard, then we’ll do it. For Leah,” he added. 

“For Leah,” Ryker agreed. 

“Pardon me… but…” 

The trio turned to face yet another new voice. A young girl with a soft face was approaching. She wore a simple chainmail shirt, metal chestplate, and undecorated spaulders and greaves. Her neck was obscured by a thick red scarf tightly wrapped, and it made her face seem small. Her eyes strayed from her hands to the floor beneath her feet; when their eyes met, she’d quickly glance away with an awkward air of shyness. Her smooth, waving light hair hung down in thick strands. Holding her scarf over her mouth as if hiding behind it, she said in a small voice, “Sorry but I also overheard, and after I saw that boy come to help you, I thought I’d also lend my aid. I’m Ruby.” 

Ryker smiled widely as he shook her small hand. “Pleasure to have you. I really appreciate you guys offering to help out. I’m Ryker, and this is Markl,” he added. 

“It means a lot. If we win, you can’t understand how grateful we’ll be,” Markl added. 

Leo smiled at Ruby as well and shook her hand in a quick greeting. She smiled at him briefly; then she turned to Ryker. “We just need one more, right?” 

“That’s right.” 

“Then what about him?”

Her finger was aimed at another figure walking over to them. He was weaving his way through groups preparing for their own raids. He was a young man also, with straight, light-colored hair almost a shade of purple, and sharp eyes. On the left side of his face, his hair was long and straight, and came down in thick, uneven strands, concealing part of his face; on the right side, it was gathered into a number of short, thick braids that went no lower than his ear. To complete this strange look, he was dressed in a dark-colored robe. 

He smiled and raised a hand in greeting as he saw them notice his approach, the long sleeve of his robe hanging limply below. “Hello,” he said pleasantly to the group, still wearing a bright smile. Leo looked him up and down; the stranger carried himself almost with an air of nobility and was brimming with confidence and elegance. “Preparing for a Dungeon Raid?” he said, addressing no one in particular. “I saw you’re a party of four and was hoping to join. I don’t have a team of my own... Unless you’re waiting for someone?” 

“No, not at all!” Ryker said, with a friendly smile. “We’d be happy to have you.” 

“That’s great,” the man smiled. “I’m Roman.”

“I’m Ryker, and this is Markl,” Ryker gestured respectively. “And these are Leo and Ruby.” 

“Pleased to meet you all,” Roman said, smiling to each of them in turn. Leo thought his eyes lingered on him for a moment too long, but when Roman looked away, he decided he imagined it. 

“Alright, then,” Ryker began, taking initiative. His deep, booming voice demanded their attention. “Now that we’re five, let’s get down to business. I’ll make this brief. We’ll complete a B Rank Dungeon Raid and split the reward evenly between the five of us. Markl and I are counting on making a certain amount from this, so we can’t accept any less than that.” He looked at them as if daring them to object; when no one did, he continued. “We’ll split the reward evenly then, and work together. Besides Markl and I, since we’re not a team and don’t know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, let’s just stay out of each other’s way and give each other plenty of room to maneuver. If you get overwhelmed or in trouble, just call. And don’t use attacks that’ll catch the rest of us in the blast radius.” 

“That all sounds fine by me,” Leo said, smiling up at him. 

“I assume you all can handle a B Rank Raid, right? What about you Leo? You got this?” 

“Well, I only started raiding a week ago, and this is my first B Rank,” he said as a small flicker of surprise registered on Ryker and Markl’s faces. “But don’t worry about me,” he said quickly, “I’m not weak. I’ll be fine.” 

A week of fighting C Rank Raids and there’s not a scratch on him, or his armor, Ryker thought with some surprise. Not that armor that nice would be scratched so easily. It’s probably equipped with all sorts of enchantments. He looked in some awe at Leo, who despite his young age and lack of experience, was going confidently into his first B Rank Raid after only a week in the Dungeon. He must be stronger than he looks, Ryker thought. But then again, we were confident on our first A Rank, and look where we ended up. “Well, if you ever need help, I got your back, little man,” Ryker told him with a rough pat on the shoulder. “Just shout and let me know.” Ryker decided he’d make sure that they not only won, but that Leo made it out in one piece. 

“Thanks,” Leo said appreciatively, “but I’m sure I’ll be fine. Like I said, I’m not weak.” 

“Alright then,” Ryker addressed the others. “Let’s get started.” 

A sudden voice in Leo's ear surprised him. “Hey, your name’s Leo, right?” Roman was right beside him. 

“That’s right.” 

“I’m Roman,” he said, stretching out his hand. “Pleasure.” 

They shook hands. 

“Your armor’s quite impressive. Where’d you get it from?” 

“Oh, it was my father’s.” 

“Is that right? What was his name?” 

“Oh, uh… I never met him.”

“Oh… sorry,” Roman said with an awkward smile. For a moment, Leo thought he saw a twitch or change in Roman’s expression, but then there was nothing. 

“That’s okay, it’s not your fault.” 

Leo turned away from him to look at Ryker, who had turned his back on them to face the large Gate. “Before we get started, everyone has more than one life, right? I don’t have any Revival Stones to speak of.” 

The four of them nodded. Leo felt the memory of his first Revival Stone coming back to him. It had cost him an arm and a leg, but he had managed to get his hands on one. After swallowing the yellow stone, he had felt a strange surging of warmth and magic flowing through him, and that was it. It certainly hadn’t felt like he’d received the power to cheat death.

“Everyone ready?” Ryker said with a quick glance. “Ok, then. Into the Dungeon we go.

Leo’s heartbeat quickened, and a sense of excitement rushed over him as Ryker placed both of his palms on the Gate, and slowly began to push. Recognizing that someone was attempting to enter, the Gate began to creak heavily, and suddenly the doors began to slowly slide open of their own accord. The excitement, the feeling of adventure… Leo could feel his heart’s desire for such things. He reflected that he was only taking a small step towards his true goal, which lay beyond the dark, lantern-lit hallways and Gates of Level 0, despite their awe-inspiring majesty. 

The stone doors had opened wide enough for them to enter, and as they did, the Gate’s slow advance came to a halt; moments later, it began to close behind them. There was a short, dark hallway ahead of them, as large as the Gate they had passed through. Their footsteps echoed against the stone as the dazzling light at the end of the hall grew brighter and brighter. 

Leo squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light of the enormous room they were now entering. They had just stepped into an enormous arena, which—to Leo’s disappointment—wasn’t all that different from the C Rank ones. Despite this, he found himself looking in awe. A large rectangular arena floor was marked out in front of them, and around it were raised, empty seating areas, like in a colosseum. The seating, walls, and roof were all made of the same dark stone as the Level 0 hallways they had just entered from. Giant pillars and looming columns lined the walls behind the seating areas. The ceiling was lined with bright white lights that illuminated the entire arena. Most interesting of all, however, were the enormous stone doors positioned at the other end of the arena, which now began to creak open. As they did, a great blue light began to pour out through the crack in the middle, and as the door opened further, they could see the shimmering and swirling of the enormous blue portal on the other side. 

“Everyone brace yourselves,” Ryker announced with a grimace. “Wave One’s on its way.” 

Markl readied himself, and Ryker planted his feet firmly on the ground. Ruby had her eyes closed, and seemed to be mentally preparing herself for the fight, taking slow and deep breaths. Leo looked around at the other four wondering if they would produce weapons from somewhere in their clothes or armor; amazingly, the majority seemed to lack weapons. They must have some crazy magic to be able to fight like that, he thought. It was only then that he noticed Roman. 

The fifth member of their group was pulling off his black robe, revealing the armor underneath. He was wearing a relatively plain but elegant white tunic with gold threads, a chainmail shirt just visible underneath. He had brassards on his arms, a simple belt around his waist, and a sheathed sword hanging from the belt. Roman straightened his tunic, and then gripped the sword’s handle and unsheathed it. It was one of the most unusual swords Leo had ever seen (although admittedly, he hadn’t seen many). It was a long, one-handed sword which was extraordinarily thin, like a fencing sword but thicker. Roman whipped it around a few times to his satisfaction and then glanced over at Leo, who became aware that he was staring and quickly looked away. 

Ryker steeled his nerves. He was feeling on edge, especially after what had happened in his last raid, and the injuries Leah had sustained. A fleeting image in his mind showed him a massive pair of jaws closing around her body as her eyes fixed on his…

He shook himself up. There’s no point in dwelling on that. There’s nothing I can do for her now except…

The Gate’s doors were now fully open, and the portal was in full view.

Except to win this. 

Then the first wave burst through. 

The first they saw was a number of black spots appearing in the swirling blue depths of the portal. Next the brown, fur-covered muzzles and black shiny snouts pushed through. The magic beasts’ large fangs gleamed white in the fluorescent lights of the arena, and their red eyes shone as they blinked in the light, and then settled their gaze on the only targets in the arena. In another second, the lycans sprang forward and began rapidly closing the distance. 

Ryker and Markl stepped ahead of the three of them. “Save your strength,” Ryker called to them. “Markl and I can handle this wave.” 

Leo watched with a feeling of mounting tension as he watched Ryker run out to meet them with his bare hands. Some distance away from them, Ryker stopped and planted his feet firmly on the ground. His hands closed into fists and began to glow with a faint yellow light. Then, with both fists, Ryker punched at the air in front of him. 

The result of his punch was like disturbing the surface of a calm lake and sending ripples shooting across it. It was barely perceptible at first, but as Leo watched, he realized he could see what was happening: the air itself seemed to ripple outwards as the force of Ryker’s punch tore across physical space, closing the gap between him and the advancing lycans. The incredible air pressure sent a handful of lycans flying up into the air. They landed on the ground moments later with loud cracks. The lycans that had avoided the impact were completely unbothered, singularly focused on reaching Ryker. That they reached him, however, did not mean they could hurt him. 

Leo watched in amazed silence. Each of Ryker’s punches didn’t simply knock the lycans off their feet. Each punch sent them flying through the air across the arena. Some of his punches weren’t even connecting; it seemed that the wind pressure generated by each punch was enough to send the lycans tumbling through the air. With each strike, the air warped around Ryker’s closed fist, and a shockwave would ripple through space with enough force to lift the lycans off their feet. A faint yellow glow accompanied each shockwave; Ryker’s arms seemed to be emitting this light as well. 

As Leo watched, the lycans began to encircle him and he was quickly surrounded. Ryker simply put his fists together and dropped down to the ground, slamming them into the rocky surface. An enormous shockwave expanded from the point of impact, and the lycans were launched away from him; it was so powerful, Leo felt an intense wind blow past him when the shockwave reached him some fifty feet away. 

“Show off,” Markl was crouched on the ground beside him, smiling to himself. “It’s probably time I jump in and help him.” He crawled forward a few paces on his hands and feet, fixing his eyes ahead at Ryker and taking the stance of a four-legged creature. He closed his eyes for a moment and grasped at his magic, willing it to take shape. With a sudden light, his outline seemed to shine blue; then it changed. His body didn’t change, but the blue outline expanded and began changing form. The transformation was complete a moment later. 

It was as though large, glowing blue claws covered Markl’s upper arms and hands; he had glowing blue hind legs, ears, and even a tail. He shot off like a bullet, running on his hands and feet, just like a lycan; when he reached them, he began fighting like one. One swing from his magic claws was enough to kill a lycan. Deep gashes appeared in the beasts’ pelts where the claws made contact. They were just as sharp and powerful as they looked. 

One of the lycans attempted to bite down on the glowing blue outline of his leg. Its sharp teeth seemed to sink into nothing. Another sunk its fangs into his arm-claw, but Markl was completely unbothered. One lycan managed to bite into his shoulder, and it finally pierced him. Markl let out a cry of alarm, but Ryker was quickly at his side. Prying the beast’s jaws open with his bare hands, Ryker wrestled with the thing for a moment before releasing it. The beast never saw the kick coming; by the time Ryker’s foot made contact, it was too late. The lycan was sent barreling into the stone ceiling with a flash of yellow light. So it’s not just his punches that can do that, the thought flashed through Leo’s mind.  

With that last lycan down, the first wave was over. Leo feared Markl was hurt badly, but the wound didn’t seem to be deep, though it bled freely. The padding in that jacket must be tougher than I thought, Leo thought, or perhaps magically reinforced. The beastly blue silhouette that covered him slowly flickered and then faded altogether, and he walked back over on two feet, gripping his injured shoulder. 

“You guys okay?” Leo asked, and he felt unable to keep the awe out of his voice. 

”We’re fine,” was Ryker’s response. “I’m gonna take Markl and make for the far end, just to stop this bleeding. You guys get ready for the next wave, it’ll be here soon.” 

With a sudden pulsating sound, the portal began to shine more brightly, and it swirled as though agitated. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of this.” Leo planted his feet firmly on the ground and held his arms out firmly in front of him. He focused his mind on manipulating the magic energy within him. Wielding it, he reached out into another space. Black sparks began sputtering out of his palms. They slowly grew from sparks into a swirling vortex which began to take shape, elongating and thickening in his hands. When he grasped at it, his hands gripped around the solid pommel of a sword, and then the black receded into nothingness, and in his hands was an enormous greatsword. 

Roman was at his side. “Impressive,” his voice was passive as he glanced down at the rippling blade inscribed with burning flames. “Are you capable of wielding it?” 

“Naturally.” 

“Good.” He unsheathed his own sword, the thin needle-like blade which hung at his side, with a sly smile. “As for me, I don’t need to compensate for skill with size.” 

“Is that a challenge?” Leo flashed a dangerous smile. 

“Guys, focus,” Ruby was suddenly on his left. “The second wave’s here.” 

The portal flashed and hummed, and fresh lycans poured in. “Let’s take them,” Leo practically quivered with excitement.  

The lycans had stopped pouring out of the Gate. The large, wolf-like creatures were single-minded in their goal; they each picked from one of the three targets before them and rushed blindly forward, snapping their jaws hungrily as they went. Roman, Ruby, and Leo quickly spread out as the lycans closed the distance. The greatsword in Leo’s hands sliced through the first lycan’s head, and then he quickly swung it around and began hacking through the others. 

The greatsword was not ordinary in any sense of the word. Bladeburner was its name. It had come to him with his armor, and it was of a quality rarely seen in Level 0. It was infused with numerous enchantments, most of which Leo could only guess at; he had no way of knowing the full extent of its magic. Despite its size and appearance, the greatsword was lightened by one of its own enchantments. Leo could slice through things with ease and even wield it like a short sword and still lose none of the force. It sliced smoothly through flesh and bone, and it was highly resistant to dents and chips, so it would wear down much more slowly than most swords. This in and of itself was enough to make it a cut above most weapons in the entire Level; but these weren’t the sword’s only secrets. 

Leo cleaved one lycan in half and barely had time to perceive the one jumping at him from the side before it reached him. He raised his left arm without thought to defend himself and the beast’s jaws closed around it. He winced in anticipation of the pain; but that pain never came. He recovered quickly and swung down on the lycan with Bladeburner. It released him with a yelp; another cut through the neck was enough to put it out of its misery. 

Looking down at his arm, he marveled at the armor that protected him. Where the lycan had bit, the shining metal wasn’t even scratched. There were absolutely no dents or imperfections in the smooth plating, just a trace of saliva from the beast’s mouth. 

It didn’t take a blacksmith’s eyes to appreciate the beauty of the suit. The pale-blue steel gleamed and shone brightly in the light. The mail was smooth and without blemish. The robes underneath were a spotless white accented with lines of bright blue. Like his sword, the armor was brimming with hidden enchantments. It was resistant to dents and scratches, and it could withstand the stress of powerful impacts. It was also incredibly light, allowing Leo to move at a speed that almost seemed unnatural. 

With Bladeburner and his armor, he proved untouchable to the lycans, and they were all dead in a matter of minutes. Having eliminated them, he glanced around the arena. 

Ruby was standing amidst a group of dead lycans with an odd sort of quietness. She wielded no weapons. Leo wondered what kinds of spells she had cast to defeat them. Some of the lycan corpses she left behind her seemed to be frozen, as though trapped in a thin layer of ice. Others had enormous holes in their bodies, as though massive spears had skewered them. As Ruby approached him, Leo could assess that there was not a scratch on her, nor stain on her clothing. Leo couldn’t help the feeling of amazement that he suddenly felt looking at her. She was stronger than he had taken her for, but despite that strength, she approached with a shy and quiet kind of awkwardness. Everything in her body language suggested there was something she was embarrassed by. 

Roman was quickly approaching from the other direction, leaving behind him a string of sliced-up lycan corpses. His thin sword was now covered in red lycan blood. 

Ryker and Markl rejoined them. “That’s a flashy sword you got,” Markl whistled.

“How’s your shoulder?” Leo gestured at his bandaged arm.

“It’s fine.”

“No time for pleasantries,” Ryker interrupted. “Wave Three will be here in a moment.”

Facing the portal, they waited for a moment in tense silence, and then the air was once more filled with the humming and swirling of the portal’s magic. More lycans were pouring into the arena, snarling and gnashing their teeth. With them, however, was one other magic beast. A black nose slowly appeared, followed by a large muzzle. It was an enormous lycan which filled Leo with a feeling of dread. It was half the size of the portal. Each of its fangs was half as big as any one of them.

“Are you kidding me?” Markl mumbled. “How are we even supposed to fight that thing?” 

Ryker looked similarly put off. Leo watched his face contort with the expression of one trying to work out the solution to a difficult problem. 

“Ryker,” he called, and Ryker seemed to snap out of a daydream. “If I had to guess, it’s probably weakest at the neck, and I think I can cut through it with Bladeburner. If you guys can keep the other lycans off my back, I can focus on decapitating it.” 

The gears in Ryker’s head seemed to turn as the plan clicked into place, and he fixed his face into a determined expression. “You heard him,” he called to the other three. “Keep the lycans focused on us and leave the big one to Leo!” 

They wasted no time. The lycans were bounding frenziedly across the arena and the four of them did their best to stand out and call their attention. Markl reached deep within himself and muttered under his breath the incantation that would activate his transformation: “Beast Aspect: Lycan.” 

The blue wisps that hung around him solidified and took form. His claws grew larger, his tail longer, and his lycan ears grew into an entire lycan head with menacing, sharp fangs. It looked to the others like he was wearing the magical skin of a lycan over his entire body. So he can… take the physical appearance of magic beasts? Or only of a lycan? For Leo, magic never ceased to amaze. 

Meanwhile, Ryker was tapping into his own magic. His arms began once more glowing with yellow light and strands of magic energy appeared as wisps from his arms. He got straight to work, each punch powerfully amplified, launching any lycan that got in his way across the arena. Markl jumped right into the fray, kicking, biting, clawing at every beast within reach. Roman’s sword twirled through the air as he sliced and stabbed with fluid, controlled motions, and Ruby seemed to be holding her own, launching strange projectiles through the hearts of the beasts.

Leo weaved his way through the chaotic fighting towards the large one. It roared loudly and swung its head around to face the combatants. Its eyes took no more than a few seconds to narrow in on Leo, who was rapidly approaching. It took a few enormous steps towards him, and tried to swipe out at him with its massive paw. Leo jumped back to avoid it, then sprinted with renewed effort around the beast’s side, behind the path of its swipe. As he ran by, he allowed Bladeburner to slice down the length of the exposed arm, which caused the beast to howl in pain. Leo took the opportunity to run under the lycan, whipping and lashing out at its feet with Bladeburner as he went.

It roared in outrage, spinning around faster than Leo could react and swiping out at him. The large claws raked across his chest and the impact knocked him off his feet. He felt the wind go out of him as he soared through the air for a moment before hitting the floor. Alarm coursed through him. Catching his breath, he thought for sure his armor would be damaged, but to his continued amazement, it remained in perfect condition and he realized the impact had barely pained him at all. He rose quickly to his feet, but barely had enough time to gather himself before the giant lycan caught up with him. Leo found himself staring down the jaws of the beast. For a moment, all he could see were the rows of sharp teeth, the slobbering tongue, and the dark gaping void of the beast’s throat. His heart seemed to stop. Then the creature pitched forward and hit the ground unexpectedly. 

Leo looked wildly around and saw that Roman had cut the beast’s front legs clean off with his sword. “Leo!” he shouted, “Kill it, now!”

I could’ve died right there, Leo thought with gratitude. I’ll have to thank him later. For now, he had to take advantage of the opportunity Roman had created: the beast’s neck was now within striking distance. 

Leo jumped up into the air, as high as he could, Bladeburner raised high above his head. He thought frantically as he did, calling out to the blade with his mind and activating its hidden magic. Burn! Burn! He willed the sword to heat up. He imagined it raising its temperature and springing into flames, and as he did, the sword above his head was suddenly wreathed in fire. Burn! Brighter! Red hot flames licked at the blade above him, igniting from the hilt and rising up to the end until they enveloped the metal completely. This was the power of Bladeburner, enchanted to burst into flames at its wielder’s command. 

With a now blazing Bladeburner, Leo swung down on the beast’s neck with all his might. He felt a radiating heat as an arc of flames trailed in the sword’s wake. Slicing through the air, the sword made contact with the beast’s thick hide. Leo anticipated some resistance, but either the giant lycan’s strength wasn’t as great as it seemed or it was no match for Bladeburner’s powerful magic, because slicing through the neck was as easy as a hot knife through butter. The beast’s eyes registered surprise, its tongue springing out from behind its fangs in a last act of desperation. Then it died. Its enormous head fell to the ground with a dull thud, and its body, already pitched forward, continued its trajectory onto the arena floor, blood spraying from the stump of its neck. 

The flames on Bladeburner withdrew as quickly as they had been summoned. The sword clanged on the ground and Leo landed awkwardly on his knees. The physical exertion of his attack combined with the effort involved in activating Bladeburner’s magic left him heaving, and he sat there for a moment trying to catch his breath. Using Bladeburner’s flames just once always left him exhausted. 

The lycan’s slain body had landed between him and the others, and Leo couldn’t see the rest of the arena, but he could hear the sounds of fighting carrying on. There were booming thuds echoing from Ryker’s shockwaves and the sounds of many lycans barking, grunting, roaring, and growling. 

While he sat there, Leo held out Bladeburner in front of him and felt out once more with magic until he reached that other space. Bladeburner was engulfed in a black swirl-cloud of haze that erupted from his palm, and then the magic faded, and he was left holding only an empty hand up in front of him. The sword was gone. 

Leo’s breath slowed and he began to feel his strength slowly returning. Soon the fighting would be over, his first B Rank Dungeon Raid a triumphant victory with no casualties. He felt a surge of pride, smiling to himself as he got onto his feet, leaning on the giant lycan’s body for support. Maybe… I can do what I set out to do. I’m not so useless after all. The thought comforted him. 

He took a few shaky steps, using the corpse for support, when he was overcome with surprise. The smile on his face vanished in an instant as that surprise quickly became a numb shock. He heard himself make an involuntary, audible sound, like a small gasp of surprise. The warmth in his face retreated and the color drained out of it. An excruciating pain bloomed in his chest, spreading outward and causing his brain to cry out in alarm. What the hell—? He looked down. Understanding dawned on him as he slowly processed what was happening. 

The tip of a sword was sticking right out of his chest, covered in his blood, piercing right through his magically-enhanced armor. His head felt empty as his entire being seemed to focus on one thought: I’ve been stabbed… And then, Who…? 

He was moving in slow-motion, disconnected from reality, as he turned his head around. His eyes caught sight of a row of braids across one side of a face, an elegant white tunic, and a pair of eyes that looked back at him with a look of annoyance and distaste. Roman’s hand was clasped around the hilt of his thin sword, which was stuck directly in Leo’s back. Slowly, he spoke. 

“This sword may look weak, but its true strength is in assassin work like this,” he said. “The blade only pierces flesh, passing harmlessly through everything else. In effect, it doesn’t matter what armor you’re wearing or what enchantments it might have. The blade will pass right through while still piercing your heart.” He spoke as if reciting a memorized line, with all the apathy in the world. 

Leo tried to speak, but he could only manage to give voice to one word: “Why….?”

“It’s nothing personal,” Roman said. “It’s just that armor. If you weren’t lying earlier, I don’t know where or how your father managed to get his filthy hands on it, and frankly, I don’t care. I’ll be taking it back either way.” He pulled the sword back out through the wound, and Leo felt the pain in his chest erupt as the pale steel slid through his flesh once more. Once it was out, he felt his own blood pouring out of the wound and into his armor. He fell over onto his face, and his collision with the ground caused the agonizing pain to bloom again. He tilted his head on its side to get a look at Roman, searching for some explanation. Then he felt himself slipping, a strange feeling, almost as though he were sliding right out of his body. Am I dying? was the thought that continued to fill his head. He slowly felt himself losing consciousness, and as he did, he heard Roman say, “Besides, a weakling like you isn’t worthy of wearing it.” Roman’s cold eyes towered over him, and he thought he saw anger flickering behind them. Then he felt nothing. 

His vision faded, his feelings faded; all sound, taste, and smell passed out of his range. He felt as though he was floating in a void. Then from somewhere within him, he felt a warm glow, and somehow, though he couldn’t see, he knew he was enveloped in a bright yellow light. The Revival Stone was working its magic. He felt feeling return to his limbs, felt his body once more intact, and instantly noticed that all pain in his chest was gone. Then his eyes opened. 

He was lying on his back in a dark chamber. He felt strange and cold. The next thing he felt was utter exhaustion, much worse than before. It felt to him like he had just called upon Bladeburner’s flames a dozen times. The exhaustion that wracked his body was incredible; he felt like even just lifting his arm would take all of his strength. 

His mind slowly returned to him, and his thoughts began to flow, although only one thought took shape and it quickly overwhelmed him: I just died. Immediately, he saw Roman’s face in his mind. Then the memories returned to him: the pain of getting stabbed, the overwhelming sense of fear and death, and the feeling of his blood pouring out of him and into his armor. He rolled over onto his side and threw up. Pulling himself onto his knees, he could do nothing but breathe heavily as he processed everything. It was then that he finally noticed he was no longer wearing his armor. He’d been revived wearing a thin black shirt and long gray pants, and nothing else. His feet were bare on the cold, stone floor. He looked up and around him, and finally took stock of his surroundings. He was in the Respawn Chamber of Level 0, a large, dark, empty room with dim lights in which all who died with Revival Stones came back to life. That bastard! he thought violently. He stole my armor! I have to get it back… 

He didn’t even want to consider the possibility of losing it. It was an outcome he simply could not accept. Ignoring the protests of his mind and body, he pushed himself to his feet and dashed for the entrance. Passing through it and down a short hall, he found himself funneled back into the main tunnels of Level 0. 

People were everywhere. The large street that ran down the halls was crowded. In appearance, this main hallway was much like the B Rank hall, but the ceilings were much lower, and there were lights plastered absolutely everywhere, so that it felt as though you were standing outside in the sun. Instead of gates, market stalls, street vendors, and shop entrances lined the walls. The people running them called out to the large crowds walking by, advertising all kinds of goods and services. Some people were lured, but others were simply making their way to the outside world or deeper into the structure. 

Leo ran across the street and joined a sea of those moving deeper into Level 0. He ran past most, pushing or shoving his way forward, calling out apologies behind him without even looking. His running and pushing and shoving exacted heavy tolls on his body, but despite his exhaustion, he kept pushing forward, his mind singularly focused on one thing: I have to get that armor back! 

At last, he arrived at the B Rank Gate hallway just as Ryker, Markl, and Ruby were emerging from it. Ryker had slung over his shoulders the corpses of two fairly sized lycans, and Markl was carrying a sack full of lycan fangs over his shoulder, including two from the giant lycan. 

It was Ryker who spoke first. “Hey Leo, what happened man?” He had a look of concern on his face. “You shouldn’t have come all the way back here. Reviving takes way too much energy. We would have come and found you, you know.” 

“Where’s my armor?” Leo demanded, panting.

“Your armor?” Ryker said with surprise. “You didn’t revive in it?” 

“No, of course not!” Leo snapped impatiently. “That bastard Roman killed me for it! He must have taken it off my corpse while the Stone was still taking effect.” 

“He killed you?” Ryker was now overcome with anger. “He said you got crushed by the big guy’s jaws after you had killed it, and your body had disappeared. That guy,” he said angrily, “No wonder he ran off so quickly. And without any of the profit, too.” 

“What direction did he go?” Leo demanded.

“He went that way,” Ryker said, pointing, “in the direction of the Level 1 portal. You don’t think…?” But Leo had already taken off running. Rejoining the main street within the Level 0 complex, he ran to its furthest end: the portal to another world. 

“Markl take these, quickly,” Ryker said, handing over the two lycan corpses. “I’m going after him.” 

“I’m coming too!” Ruby exclaimed, following. 

Leo’s shoving got more violent as he caught a glimpse of the back of Roman’s head, half full of braids, in the crowd ahead. He desperately tried to reach him, but the crowd was keeping them apart. Up ahead, he could see the end of the hallway. It opened up into a more open circular room up ahead, that was even more brightly lit than the halls, as though the sun itself were in the room. To the right and left, the main hall continued, but straight ahead in the circular room was the portal to Level 1. It was a large, swirling portal of green, from which wisps of magic occasionally detached, floating through the air like clouds before fading into nothing. On the other side of that portal lay an entirely new world: the Dungeon’s first level. Even worse, Roman wasn’t moving left or right: he was heading straight for the portal. 

Leo began to panic now. If Roman passed through that portal, he wouldn’t be able to follow. “Roman you bastard!” he yelled as loudly as he could. “Get back here! Give it back!” Leo now had the attention of those around him and they moved out of his way, trying to avoid whatever conflict was about to ensue. 

Roman, however, had continued walking, not showing any sign he had heard him. He was walking up the steps to a small, circular, raised area in front of the portal when Leo finally caught up. There was no one else on the platform, but Leo had no time to think of how exposed he was or how much attention he was attracting. He put his hand violently on Roman’s shoulder and turned him halfway to face him. 

“You’re not going anywhere,” Leo heaved, feeling the limits of his exhaustion, “until you give that armor back.” 

But Roman fixed him with a look of utter confusion. “I’m sorry, but what are you talking about? I have no idea what you’re saying right now,” Roman intoned with mock surprise and fear. “You must’ve mistaken me for someone else, I don’t know who you are.” 

Leo was wrathful. “Don’t lie to me, dammit,” he said through clenched teeth. “Give back the armor you stole. I’m not letting you leave until I get it back.” 

But Roman kept up his act. “I’m telling you, you’ve made a mistake!” he said, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice. “I haven’t stolen any armor. If I did, I’d have it on me! Look!” 

Leo looked him up and down as he once more pulled off his robes. Underneath was his elegant white tunic and armor plating. Leo’s armor was nowhere to be seen. 

“What the hell did you do with it?” Leo said, raising his voice and grabbing him by the shirt.

“I’m telling you I don’t have it!” Roman had become angry. He was playing the role of an innocent victim extremely well. “Look around. Everyone can plainly see I don't have this armor you say I stole, so let go of me!” 

Sure enough, there was now a crowd gathered around them below the platform. Most of them were glaring at Leo, frowning at him and shaking their heads. Roman pulled Leo’s hand off of him and Leo didn’t resist. He was beginning to feel despair.  

“Damn it, what’d you do with it?” Leo yelled and took a step towards him in a desperate act to keep him from leaving. His exhaustion, however, made him slow and Roman was faster. Roman hit him in the throat violently, causing him to choke. He grabbed at his neck and fell to his knees, gasping for air. 

“Now for the last time, I don’t have what you’re looking for,” Roman said, making a show of straightening out his shirt, and slipping his robes over his head again. “Whatever it is, I hope you find it. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be leaving now.” With that Roman crossed over to the portal in a few short steps. 

Leo tried to shout, Wait!, but his throat only rasped violently. He tried to move his legs, but they gave out on him; his exhaustion had finally caught up with him. As he did, Ryker and Ruby finally pushed through the crowd. Ruby stooped down next to him with concern before turning her attention to the figure passing through the portal. It took Ryker no more than a second to take in the scene, and he jumped after Roman; but he was too late.

As Roman crossed to the other side, he looked back at Leo with the ghost of a smile dancing mockingly on his lips. Then he passed through, leaving Leo stuck on the other side.