Dungeon bound 5, p.1
Dungeon Bound 5, page 1
Dungeon Bound 5
Bastian Knight
Copyright © 2023 Bastian Knight
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover design by: Vempirick
The Story So Far
Framed and expelled from the Academy of Magic, Gabriel Grimm joined the Adventurer’s Guild. Desperate to keep a roof over his head, he joined up with a powerful sorceress and her party to delve the Dungeon of Lostbarrow.
The fortunate turn of events proved calamitous as the adventurers betrayed Gabriel, and he wound up the virgin sacrifice in a plot to steal a Domain Crystal.
Soul shredded by the ritual, Gabriel faced total annihilation until Merideva, a young Dungeon Core, saved him by claiming him as her Dungeon Master.
Grateful, he set out to recover the stolen crystal for his benefactor, but fully aware of how outclassed he was, he dove deeper into the dungeon, seeking allies stronger than the few goblins serving Merideva.
After a harrowing clash with a deranged minotaur, Gabriel stumbled into the hunting grounds of a greater gorgon. Instead of slaying, or petrifying him, Sthuza Slytheria led him to her lair and offered to become his first bonded.
In addition to her incredible power, the gorgon, his Prime-bonded, suggested how he could further boost their chances against Estrial’s party.
Recruiting a salamander didn’t work out as she had planned. When ambushed by an arachne, they were aided by Cindra, a seruuberc hellhound. Claiming the shapeshifting canine monster girl as his second bonded, Gabriel headed back to Merideva, feeling better about their journey.
They had their first of many clashes with the undead, but Gabriel cast strange, terrifying magic that bested the malevolent monsters.
Back with his Core, Sthuza discovered that Swarm—a timeless, unrelenting psychic horror—had infested the deepest depths of Lostbarrow. But even that apocalyptic doom was meaningless if Gabriel failed to retrieve the Domain Crystal in time.
Before they could set out after Estrial, Kelith led a huge band of guards and mages into the dungeon. The baron’s only son had been the second best student at the Academy, and the one who framed Gabriel.
His party sought Merideva. After a series of clashes, Gabriel stood victorious over the wounded mage, but at a high cost. Kelith’s final attack killed Sthuza, but thanks to Merideva’s guidance, Gabriel managed to rip the other man’s soul out and use it to resurrect his fallen bonded.
The next day, they headed into the city to track Estrial. They settled into the same inn where he had stayed before his death, and rumors led them to Baron Alberik’s sex dungeon.
Reyna, a female werebadger, had been captured by Estrial’s party and sold as a slave to the baron. She agreed to guide Gabriel to the elven sorceress, but only after he and his bonded helped her punish the man who had cost Reyna her sister.
Given the loss of so many guards in Kelith’s thwarted attack, Gabriel felt they actually had a chance to pull off an attack on the castle.
His two bonded and Reyna led the assault, drawing the guards out while he prepared the most powerful spell he had ever attempted. Using Fireball, which he’d just learned, Gabriel blasted the primary barracks and High Wizard Falken’s tower.
That gave them the edge, and his bonded slaughtered all who resisted up to the baron’s receiving hall. After a pitched battle, Gabriel spared the devastated baroness, Elaine, while Alberik was handed over to Reyna for punishment.
Sthuza helped the lycan steal the noble’s soul, and after looting the castle, they returned to their inn, only to be awoken by a frantic plea from Merideva.
Yesera, the arachne who murdered Cindra’s old Pack, had attacked. They raced back and barely defeated the arachnid monster girl and her numerous sisters.
Mortally wounded and forced to draw on the Swarm’s power to win, Gabriel survived only because Reyna bonded with him, gifting a portion of her lycan regeneration.
Weary the following day, and troubled after the revelation of the Swarm’s tendrils burrowing in Gabriel’s soul, they readied to track down Estrial.
An undead horde invaded Merideva’s Domain before they left. The battle was rough but they were winning until Dougraine, an imposing death knight, joined the fray. It took everything Gabriel and his bonded could muster to win, and then they had to rush off after the elven sorceress.
A chance encounter with bandits left a score or more dead on the side of the road. Camping was almost pleasant, with good food, drink, and company. Reyna dragged Gabriel off to “fulfill a bet” from earlier, and they picked up a new friend: Gwenaelle, a lonely wolf drake.
Reaching Stillcrest, they learned more about Reyna’s troubled history. Confusing Estrial for another beautiful but arrogant female adventurer, Gabriel and the others met Brynja, an enslaved valkyrie shieldmaiden whose wings had been clipped.
In exchange for dealing with Jessandra, the spoiled summoner daughter of Count Maddis, Sir Darren transferred Brynja to Gabriel’s party.
The public duel outside of Stillcrest made several people happy. The cruel ex who’d sold off Reyna’s innocent twin sister lay dead, drowned in his own blood as his boss, Jessandra, had her flawless face ruined and her crimes exposed publicly.
Illanaya, the elven Guild Rep, hired a diviner and set them back on Estrial’s trail.
They rushed onward, mounted on horses taken from the arrogant adventurers. Once close enough for Gabriel to locate their target, they set up an ambush on the road.
With his powerful bonded and magic, Gabriel had no fear of his former companions. Until Sthuza went mad, shifting into her larger, four-armed form, and hurled herself at Estrial, screaming.
Brynja, Cindra, and Reyna annihilated Torrik, Derek, and Dresk, while Gabriel pursued his Prime and Estrial. Sthuza’s unthinking assault left her vulnerable against the Gold-ranked sorceress, and Gabriel struggled to save her from Estrial’s trump card.
By the time he caught up with Estrial again, she had been captured by orcs. They took the brutally maimed elf back to their village, forcing Gabriel to plan an attack.
They crushed the orcs, slaughtering everyone who resisted until the handful left surrendered in despair. Meeting up with a dying Estrial, he found himself pitying the elf who had clearly been tormenting herself over betraying him.
Estrial had sold the crystal, but she identified the buyer, Duyaris Galamore, a Mithril-ranked mage.
In a frantic rush as Merideva felt the Domain Crystal losing attunement, they raced after the elf and his entourage.
Their first warning was a Lightning Bolt blasting Brynja from the sky. A chaotic battle ensued, with his bonded facing off against Duyaris’ elite companions and guards as Gabriel struggled to match the powerful mage.
Even drawing on the Swarm magic wasn’t enough to win. Throwing everything into a single, heavily enhanced Aetheric Lance, Gabriel finally dropped the elven mage, but too late to save himself.
Reyna leapt into the path of Duyaris’ lethal attack, saving Gabriel. After she died in his arms and Sthuza was unable to capture her soul, they despaired.
The Domain Crystal’s attunement was worsening; they were too late.
Using items and potions they’d looted, Brynja flew a levitating Gabriel back to Lostbarrow. The pair crashed heavily into the main square, drawing far too much attention before forcing their way into the dungeon.
Relief filled Gabriel once they’d made it, only for terror to take over as the Swarm used the attunement process to attack Merideva.
He shifted into the Astral Realm, drawing all his bonded to his side, and struggled against unending hordes of Swarm-infested monsters besieging a beautiful crystalline castle.
In the end, they barely held out, but now Merideva was safe. It took a week for Cindra and Sthuza to return, with Reyna’s remains and a band of orc survivors.
Despite the sadness of losing his bristly lycan bonded, Gabriel was determined to persevere, protecting the rest of his bonded and his Dungeon Core.
Peace reigned for almost a month, allowing Gabriel, Merideva, and Sthuza to expand the Core’s control across most of the upper five floors. A series of escalating undead incursions shattered the comfortable lull, forcing them into action.
While saving a pair of inutari twins from a band of undead, Gabriel was drawn back into the city. In addition to the comforting welcome of Mrs. Spaulding’s inn, he and his bonded found themselves honored guests of Baroness Lostbarrow and her old friend, Leryane.
The baroness proved eager to work with Gabriel and the others to revitalize the city and its adventurer population. She went so far as to recover and return the remains of Reyna’s dead sister, Raeya.
Still unsure if the feisty lycan in his head is the real Reyna, Gabriel pledged to save the other Keenclaw, though not until after he deals with the undead threat.
The Swarm presence, which had haunted Gabriel ever since he became Dungeon Master, revealed herself at last. Queen Vesrah ranted and raved about how he was her destined mate. Reyna disapproved of that proposed fate even more strongly than he did.
During a Guild survey of the first five floors, a major undead assault reinforced the need to deal with the Mistress.
When Merideva asked him to formally accept Matriarch Wannaga and her minotaur Herd, he led his bonded down to claim the sixth floor.
The discomfort he felt from his unpleasant first encounter with one o
But an unexpected invasion marred the boisterous celebration after Merideva’s presence reactivated long-dormant portals.
Five alien warriors in massive, nigh-impervious armor proved more than any minotaurs could stop.
Even with Brynja, Cindra, and Sthuza fighting at their best—the gorgon shifting into her massive naga form—they couldn’t defeat the relentless intruders.
Brynja tanked scores of strikes that would fell most mortals before succumbing to injuries. So overpowering were the intruders—the s’kraith—that Cindra’s foe managed to burn the hellhound before dropping her low.
Gabriel opened himself to Vesrah, drawing on her corrupted power to slay the s’kraith before they could kill his bonded. The nightmarish abomination he unleashed slew four and left the final intruder comatose. It also destroyed most of their gear and left him drained, physically and mentally.
While Gabriel wanted to rest with his bonded, they had agreed to meet with the baroness. He sought Callie and Claire, the cheerful inutari twins, to deliver a message, but ended up meeting with Leryane.
The elven adventurer accepted his message and passed on one of her own, warning of an annoying noble in town.
After a too-brief rest, Brynja, Cindra, and Gabriel headed into the city to meet with Elaine. Arrogant guards tried to block their path... And were brutally put down after hurling insults.
Gabriel’s meeting with Sir Triscol Blakemore went about as poorly as Elaine and Leryane feared, with the Dungeon Master accepting the Mithril-ranked mage’s challenge in Elaine’s place.
Using the powerful arcane conduit he looted from the s’kraith, Gabriel defeated Triscol, only for the dead noble’s second-in-command to trigger a coup.
Scores of civilians died, along with over a hundred mercenaries, as Cindra and Brynja defended the baroness and cut down the attackers. In town to meet with Elaine, Sir Darren assisted with crushing the coup while Gabriel faced off in melee with a brutal warrior.
After managing the immediate aftermath of the battle, Elaine invited the others back to her study...
Chapter One
Gabriel let Sir Darren and Baroness Lostbarrow carry the conversation. He needed several minutes to recover from the intensity of Vesrah’s dark, insidious rant. His bonded remained quiet, Cindra savoring her elven icefire while Brynja sat alert on his other side.
The older man was keen for any details the baroness could provide on the Guild’s view of the dungeon’s increased floor space and the surge of adventurers, especially the beastkin he had sent.
Once the discussion quieted down, Molly knocked and brought in two trays filled with delicious-smelling hors d’oeuvres.
“Oh, Cindra likes tasty tiny bites,” Cindra said, reaching for an assortment of artfully folded thin slices of meat.
The black-furred inutari shot Darren a smug look, drawing a petulant huff, before retreating in total silence.
Leryane and Elaine shared an amused look, then glanced at Darren.
“Your… maid is quite a competent and forceful presence, isn’t she?” The baroness teased.
He grinned, looking almost bashful. “So, we’re in agreement on continuing to prioritize expanding the numbers of lower-ranked adventurers?” he asked, changing the topic. His gaze flickered between Elaine and Gabriel.
The baroness gave a tired smile. “I believe it is the wisest course of action, at least for the foreseeable future. I expect that in time, Gabriel here will… discover more of the forgotten stretches of the dungeon?” She turned the statement into a question, and Gabriel nodded.
“Yeah… yeah, we’re working to clear some of the blocked tunnels and explore them. But I think it’s best to play it conservatively and focus on the first five or six floors until we can be sure what’s deeper in the dungeon.”
Darren shot Gabriel a strange glance, then looked over at Elaine, who gave a slight headshake. The older man shifted the topic to training and guard schedules, so Gabriel let his thoughts return to his Prime’s words about what they’d accomplished.
He jerked back to the present when Cindra spoke up.
“Ooo! Cindra loves Beef People. Old Pack used to hunt them.” The seruuberc hellhound licked her lips, glowing eyes darting over to gaze at Gabriel.
Leryane nodded, joining in. “Yeah. After you’ve had aged minotaur steaks, cow and oross just won’t cut it.”
“It’s a shame Harkon didn’t take the time to butcher the two he faced,” Darren said. The white-haired adventurer sighed, then took another sip of his elvish whiskey.
Slouching in her chair beside the baroness, Leryane bumped her elbow against the human woman in her well-fitted adventurer garb. “How long do you reckon till some locals start farming the furry bastards again?”
The elf made a show of licking her lips, mirrored by Cindra. Elaine shook her head before speaking, but Gabriel missed her words, his focus shifting back to his Prime in Merideva’s Core Room.
‘Adventurer’s “farm” minotaurs for meat?’
‘Of course, Master. Why would they not… Ah, I see. Until now, none of Lady Merideva’s monsters have been worth hunting for anything other than their Magic Stones. You are aware that adventurers butcher and process many dungeon monsters for the raw materials their bodies provide, yes?’
Gabriel suppressed his instinct to nod, leaning into it and sipping at his frosty tumbler of gelid whiskey. The slightest focus of his weary mind broadcast a mental nod. ‘I knew they did that with monstrous animals, but… I never considered where the line would be drawn.’
Sthuza’s amused snort washed across their bond. ‘The line is drawn in chalk and washed away by the tide, Master. While there is some nuance as to which humanoid monsters are harvested and which are not, it mostly comes down to how profitable the trade in their parts is. I assure you, if there was a market for goblin hides, there would be wily adventurers seeking to skin them more efficiently.’
Gabriel finished his drink, washing away the disturbing imagery of skinned goblins and grubby humans strip-mining Merideva’s monsters for more wealth.
‘If you would like, Master, we could deliver some ready-to-cook meat. I already sent Torrik up, but having Lady Merideva arrange enough for a feast would not take long.’
‘Wait, what? How would she manage that? I’m not an expert, but I’m pretty sure you need to bleed and age meat, at least a little. Besides, while adventurers will kill her monsters, I’m uncomfortable with us doing it.’
‘There is no reason to kill any of Lady Merideva’s minotaurs for meat, Master.’
‘Then how?’
‘Now that she has a properly established Domain, Lady Merideva can conjure anything her monsters produce. If she had some arachne, we could procure as much of their silk as needed.’
‘Even aging the meat?’
‘Of course, Master. However, anything more than the basics of a butcher processing the carcass would increase the Dungeon Essence cost. That said, if you ask, I am confident you will find Lady Merideva eager to produce enough steaks.’
Gabriel thanked his Prime, then checked in with the Dungeon Core, verifying she was willing to conjure the meat before he spoke up.
“—There’s not much more we can do about the dungeon today,” Darren said. He rolled his broad shoulders and tilted his head side-to-side, the audible popping sounding loud in the quiet study.
Elaine smiled. “I agree, Aren. Besides, it has been an eventful day, and I’m sure we could all benefit from dinner and relaxation. We’ll meet again tomorrow afternoon once Olphelia finishes interviewing Harkon and his crew.”
“Ooo, Pack and Packfriends could go have tasty treats at Happy Cook’s lair.”
Leryane and Brynja both spoke up, but Elaine and Darren rose to their feet, looking eager.
Gabriel sighed at Cindra’s energetic outburst. “Guess we’ll need to let her know to cook the minotaur tonight.”
“Darlene has minotaur in her larder?” Leryane asked in disbelief.
Gabriel shook his head. “Not yet, but Sthuza arranged to deliver some to her. It might take an hour or two, but I’m sure Mrs. Spaulding can whip something up. If you’re still interested.”
