Lewd Dungeon, Chapter 199 (Patreon)

Chapter 199 – The Arena

By now, most of the different groups the so-called Golden Host had split into, in order to attack my dungeon, had fallen. Of the seven hundred that had entered my halls, only twenty-four remained alive and not trapped within the Breeding Halls. That kind of casualty rate was the worst it had ever been in my dungeon, and just as certainly as the XP that came rolling in, I knew that there would be some long conversations with other groups once this was done.

Of course, not all those ‘survivors’ were equal in measure. One group of seven were holed up in the safe room on the third floor. They’d lost three and the rest had just barely survived when the goblins introduced them to the minigun that had given the bounty hunters so much trouble. They were now trying to rest, as their primary healer was one of the ones who died, and it took a good deal of rest for the System to ‘heal’ the nastier wounds, like a crippled limb.

A second group of five had been trapped in the undead floor, and were currently trying to fortify a position to keep the ghouls from getting to them. They had been eight when they made the mistake of trying to purge the ghouls in the dining room when they saw what (or who) they were eating. It had not gone well for them, and they had lost three before they managed to find an empty room where they could bar the door and get a break.

There were a couple groups of single or dual survivors, who were locked away in some corner, praying for salvation. The big surprise was a group of six that had just made it to the Black Temple, before the lone female in the group rebelled, since the idea of being ‘unlocked’ by each of five keys in each challenge room did not appeal to her in the slightest. She had decided to change the tune, and offered a prayer to me.

After she had betrayed and enslaved her party, I accepted her as a worshipper, and gifted her with a device to teleport out of the dungeon. She was no longer a Dungeon Foe or Anathema, at least to me and the gods in the dungeon. I’m pretty sure she got some nasty debuff from Pofmis, though, since the moment she got out of the dungeon she started stripping off her armor like it was burning her.

But my attention wasn’t on her at the moment. No, my attention was focused on the twenty-fourth ‘survivor’. The Crusader-Champion of Pofmis had managed to get through the floors after the Black Temple, and was now the first challenger to make it to my twelfth floor, the Arena. I couldn’t wait to see her reaction.

Nudara Belkis

Lightborn   Riyran Female

Level   50 Golden Crusader/Exorcist

Market   Value: $3,428,900

I whistled softly to myself as I sat upon my throne in the VIP section of the arena’s stands. The Crusader-Champion was almost ready to break through into Tier 3! That was very impressive, indeed. According to what I had learned from the System and my new pets from offworld, the number of people who managed to get to Tier 3 was not terribly large, since most ended up either retiring or suffering fatal injuries before accomplishing something like that.

Belkis looked around, wide-eyed, as she viewed the Arena. No doubt, whatever she had been expecting, it wasn’t this, or the crowd of dungeon creature spectators that I had spawned to fill the stands, and add atmosphere to the scenario. As she turned slowly, taking in the sights, she clearly noticed the statues of the gods. When she laid sight on the statue of Pofmis in chains, well, I could feel her rage all the way up in the stands.

Now that she had seen the desecration I had made of her goddess, I figured it was time to start the show. Rising from my throne, I stepped to the edge of the balcony, the false sun shining down upon me. With a motion, I quieted the crowd, and ensured that all eyes were upon me.

CRACK!

Belkis hadn’t even bothered waiting for me to speak before she tried to take a shot from me. Unfortunately for her, I had designed this arena with a thought to people who would try and cheat like that. After all, it is what I would do. The energy bolt from her rifle did nothing except splash harmlessly against the shield separating the arena floor from the stands.

Looking down at her, I amplified my voice so that the whole stadium could hear my chuckle. “Crusader-Champion Belkis, you have profaned halls not of your Goddess, and, through your folly, have condemned your followers to death and torment. Many have died, and more than a few have been captured, and sent to serve in the Breeding Halls as seedbeds for new creatures to replace those they slaughtered. And some have been betrayed and enslaved by one of their own, who decided that their personal freedom was worth more than the freedom of her companions, who were intending to use her, despite her thoughts on the matter, during the course of the dungeon.”

Watching the Champion’s face, I could tell that having her failures thrown back at her hurt. But the mention that one of her Host had turned traitor caused her to stagger back in shock. Had she really thought that they were all uncorruptible, that they would all zealously throw themselves into the abyss for her? How delightfully tragic!

“Seven hundred members of the Golden Host of Pofmis assaulted this dungeon that is my temple and stronghold. Only one now stands before me. So much for the vaunted might of the Golden Host, and the strength of the followers of the goddess who looks better wearing chains than breaking them!”

I met Belkis’s hate-filled glare with my steady gave, and said, calmly, “I give you this one chance. Deny Pofmis, and condemn the lies she spreads, and you may be given a swift and merciful death. Or refuse, and learn first-hand the true depths of depravity, and the horrors one can face in the Breeding Halls.” I paused for a moment, then smirked. “Personally, I hope you refuse. I have high hopes for what might come from breeding a Riryan with some of the exotic creatures I’ve managed to acquire.”

The Riryan growled, and then shouted for everyone to hear, “I will not yield! I will never yield! I will cast you down, monster, and avenge all the souls that you have damned with your evil ways!”

I laughed, since that bit of defiance is just what I hoped for. With a flourish I gestured towards a gate in the wall of the arena, and said, “So be it. Let the games begin!”

The mechanical sound of cranks and chains could be heard, as the gate was lowered into the ground. I could have simply had the contenders teleport in, but I liked the spectacle of the ‘old school’ approach. After all, I wouldn’t have made an arena if I didn’t want to put on a show.

These matches would, hopefully, be quite distressing to the Crusader-Champion. After all, the first match was against none other than the three bounty hunter sisters that had so recently tried to fight their way through my halls. It was somewhat fitting that their first fight as my slaves would be against the Champion of their faith.

The three former bounty hunters had been spared the effects of Anathema and Dungeon Foe by the fact that they were enslaved and dungeon bound to me through the System, which overrode their other loyalties to Pofmis. So, they were at full power, and wearing gear made especially for them. However, Belkis had a couple levels on them, and likely had as much or more combat experience. So, I wasn’t counting her out just yet.

Daphiel, the Divine Excoriator, wept as she saw who their opponent was. “Champion! You must get out of here! There is no hope in fighting the Demon, he is—” Her words were choked off, as she looked up to me in surprise.

I wagged a finger at her from where I sat upon my throne, my voice still carrying to everyone. “Now, now. I didn’t give you permission to start spreading secrets. You are here to fight, not gossip about your betters. Now, I want to see you at your very best, or the Champion will have company in the Breeding Halls!”

All three of the girls visibly shuddered, and turned towards Belkis. I could see the regret on their faces, but they readied their weapons all the same. They did not want to fight, but I knew that they would.

“Begin.”

Daphiel charged forward, closing the cap between herself and Belkis, who was hesitating after realizing who these fighters were. The Excoriator was already too close to the Champion for her to use her gun, so she quickly switched to her sword and shield, which she raised just in time to meet Daphiel’s warhammer. The ringing sound of metal upon metal resounded as Belkis found herself being pushed back a step.

The Champion’s silver sword glowed golden with divine power as she tried to slash at Daphiel, going for the woman’s legs. She had the disadvantage in height and reach, but, if she could cut the woman down to size, then she just might have a chance! Just before she struck, however, she was forced to pull her hand back, as twin swords burst out of the shadows, with Lailah entering the fight!

Belkis barely had time to react to this second foe before arcane bolts began flying at her, curving unerringly around Daphiel and Lailah as they did so! That would be Sabrael entering the fight, with one of the basic magic missile type spells. Each missile only did a little bit of damage, but when you put it all together, it could add up. And the whole part about it not missing unless you had some specific magical defenses in place didn’t hurt, either.

But the Crusader-Champion of the Chainbreaker did not have such a title for show. The sisters were experienced bounty hunters, focused on stalking and bringing down their prey. Belkis, on the other hand, was a veteran of many battles, no doubt more than a few where she had been outnumbered. And, as a champion of a god, she doubtless had tricks that the girls did not.

Surging forward, she hit Daphiel under the chin with the edge of her shield, knocking the Excoriator off balance. She did not press that attack, however, instead turning to slash at Laila, forcing the Shadowblade to jump back to avoid being disemboweled. With a burst of power from her golden wings as they extended for just a moment, the Crusader-Champion flew through the gap she had opened, and descended upon Sabrael like a thunderbolt, thrusting her silver blade up, through the soft flesh under the High Magus’s jaw, and up into her brain. An explosion of light disintegrated what remained of Sabrael’s skull, and her body fell to the sands of the arena.

Wheeling about, she just barely got her sword and shield in place to stop a vicious strike from Lailah’s twin swords. Her initial strike blocked, the Shadowblade lashed out with her foot, her heel catching Belkis’s forehead. Belkis staggered back, just in time to be hit between the shoulders with the Divine Excoriator’s hammer as she moved to take advantage of the opening her sister had given her.

I could see the look on Belkis’s face, the confusion. Her opponents had just watched her slay their sister, and they only looked annoyed, not outraged or distraught. But that was because they were Dungeon Bound. They knew that their sister would return soon enough. Death had lost meaning for them, except as something rather unpleasant and painful that they’d like to avoid, if it was convenient.

But the Crusdader did not let the confusion get the better of her. Fighting with speed and energy that no doubt had something to do with the armor she was wearing, she rallied, taking several smaller blows, while preventing any vital shots from landing. And then, her armor exploded in light, the magical equivalent of a flash grenade. It was simple, yet devastating to people who didn’t know it was coming. I liked it.

Lailah liked it a lot less than I did, however, and not just because it drove away the shadows she used to amplify her abilities. No, the reason she didn’t care for the light show would probably be the sword that relieved her head from her shoulders. That would ruin anyone’s afternoon.

Now alone, Daphiel put up the strongest offense that she could, but the writing was on the wall. Soon, a third body joined the two already lying on the sands of the arena. As Belkis glared up at me, panting from the intensity of the fight, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Well done, little champion. But you do know that was only the first round, yes? Bring on the next opponent!”