(DD) Chapter 1 -The Plan- (Patreon)

Thoughts sprang from the void. They filled the crystal with consciousness.

“Where… where am I? What’s going on?” said the crystal. “I was just-”

The voice was cut off as Ryker cut the soul free of the crystal. It floated off immediately and vanished, heading towards wherever it was spirits did.

“Ah? Sorry about that, friend. Let’s both hope your next incarnation goes better,” he said with a smirk. Rolling the dungeon core around in his hand, he could still feel the life there. “Well, if not better, maybe at least last longer than it takes me to eat breakfast.”

Setting the core down on the table, Ryker lifted the heel of bread to his mouth and ripped a strip of it off.

That takes care of that. A working dungeon core I can use. Now we need to figure out how to get the core to do what I want.

Chewing methodically he stared into the highly polished crystal.

His dark brown eyes stared back at him. They were almost black they were so dark. Wild black straight hair stuck out in every direction on his head, completely tousled from a night of hard sleeping.

As to the core he was using as a mirror right now.

He’d managed to find it on one of the very few dungeon dives he’d been on. It’d been a simple stroke of luck to have found it, without anyone else noticing either.

A side tunnel he’d been thrown into from an explosive spell blast had been it’s resting place.

He’d taken it for a simple beast core at the time since they’re so similar in appearance. Scooping it into his bag he’d returned to the fight.

Since then he figured out what it was. He’d been waiting around for a soul to inhabit it, so he could promptly cut it free, but keep the life force within. Night and day he kept it with him.

Waiting.

Watching.

His plan had been rather straight forward. Kick out the soul, keep it as a dungeon core, use it to make his own dungeon. If he could do that, he could grow his own herbs and live rather well for himself of selling the items.

Or that’s how it had started out.

Before he’d been dismissed from the guild.

Certainly a different plan now.

Thinking back on the even, he’d been forced to figure out another way to earn a living after that last dungeon run.

It turned out adventuring wasn’t the life for him.

Ryker didn’t have the magical stamina to stand toe to toe with the monsters that dwelt in the dark for long.

Mental fortitude? Check.

Physical endurance? Check.

Willingness to brave the depths? Check.

Being able to cast more than a few spells before getting tired in a combat situation? Nope.

Ryker shook his head at the memory of being carried out by the Paladin. She’d scooped him up after he collapsed, carried him out, dropped him off at the entrance, and went back in.

“Embarrassing,” he mumbled to no one, his mouth full of food. The memory of it was still painfully shameful.

Shaking his head to clear those thoughts, and that memory out, he stood up.

Dropping the bread to the table he decided there was no time like the present to get started. Especially since he’d lost his appetite.

He picked up the core and made his way into his basement.

The home he’d built for himself was on the far edge of civilization. Almost an entire days walk if one went slowly. In fact, it was built atop an expansive yet low hill.

It’d been picked deliberately for those qualities. In purchasing the land, he also purchased the entirety of the hill.

This would be perfect for a dungeon to be in.

An idea location.

Right now it was all farmland. Farmland he’d been painstakingly working so that it appeared as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

That he really was adjusting to a life that he hadn’t expected and wanted.

Or so he wanted everyone else to think.

Not that he hadn’t done badly at it either.

Damn impressive crop if I don’t say so myself. Given how little I had to work with.

Smirking to himself he stood in the middle of his cellar.

“And now, you lot of simpletons and peasants. You gaggle of dullards. I’ll build up a dungeon and become rich. Filthy rich. Then I’ll drown your city in my wealth. You and everyone in Warrenton.

“I’ll take my revenge on you for your ridicule.”

The memory of the entire population of Warrenton laughing at him for his failures popped into his mind again.

Part of his mind knew it wasn’t as bad as he made it out to be. That really it had only been the adventurers guild who had told him to stop.

Forced him to, really.

They were even right to have made him, as well.. There wasn’t really a way for him to have continued

That of course hadn’t stopped a large part of the guild members who mocked him. Called him a one-pump chump.

Gritting his teeth Ryker calmed himself down as best as he could. That’d been several years ago now. People had long forgotten that and gone about their lives.

Ryker the farmer was all that they knew now.

Ryker the promising wizard with great control was long gone.

Looking at the core in his left hand, he stared at it for several seconds.

Then he focused his magic into the dungeon crystal. After a single breath of laying the magical foundations he’d formulated, Ryker started to call up a number of different spells.

He’d been crafting these to control the dungeon core. Many a long night had been spent refining these spells.

He’d use spirit cores from low grade monsters to test them on. For all intents and purposes, at least as far as he could tell, a dungeon core was a variation on a spirit core.

“What are you doing?!” screeched a high pitched voice.

Rusty reflexes trained in hours of practice sprang from the deep parts of Ryker’s mind. His left hand shot up and a blue shield flickered to life in front of himself.

At the same time his right hand called up a fireball.

A dark winged fairy hovered in mid air in the corner of the room. Long black hair hung down covering her shoulders.

She was the very picture of a Fairy, though significantly larger. She was easily two feet in height when the vast majority of her kind barely reached one foot.

One could never underestimate a fairy though. They were ferocious when they chose to be.

Ryker would actually know since he’d killed a few in his time.

He began to channel the fireball towards activation, bringing his right hand around.

“Wait! Stop!” yelled the Fairy. She dropped down to the floor and prostrated herself. “Please!”

For a reason he couldn’t define, Ryker actually stopped. The Fireball was a single flick of his fingers away from being cast.

Keeping the shield in place, he stared down at the Fairy.

“You’ve got three sentences, then I eat you for lunch after I barbecue you,” Ryker promised.

“I’m-I’m a dungeon Fairy! I’m here to help that dungeon in your hand,” squeaked out the creature.

“Pity for you then, the dungeon won’t be needing help. I’ve cut it’s soul free. It’s a husk and little more. You have one sentence left.”

The Fairy trembled and lifted her head up to peer at him.

She was like every other Fairy he’d seen. Pretty and alien at the same time. Green eyes, sharp teeth, and delicate facial features.

“If you control the dungeon, I would bind myself to you and the dungeon core to help you. I can do so much to help you!” promised the Fairy.

“That was one sentence too many,” Ryker said, getting ready to roast her.

And stopped

Dungeon Fairies would normally take days to arrive. The only way for a Fairy to arrive this quickly means she was actively scanning for a dungeon. Waiting for one, even.

Considering how rarely a new dungeon came to being, that said quite a bit to her determination.

“I have a question for you, actually. How did you get here so quickly? And why?”

The Fairy stared at him, and then blinked. It seemed like she’d made some internal decision.

“I’m… I’m an outcast. I didn’t have the aptitude needed to be a dungeon Fairy. I’d be forced to rely on the core to do most of the work to establish the bond. I can’t keep a spell up for long, or to do multiple spells. I lack control. But I have an extremely large power pool!

“I have the endurance but no focus.

“But… but a wizard wouldn’t have a problem at all with this. In fact, it’d be even easier for us since your grasp of magic is clearly above average. Spells worked that quickly are uncommon.

“And no other dungeon Fairy would bind themselves with you. They’d want the core or nothing. I’m willing to! They’d all leave and consider the situation a loss as soon as they saw what was going on.”

Frowning, Ryker couldn’t help but feel that she was telling the truth.

Telling the truth and was actually right.

And on some level he couldn’t help but identify with her. He didn’t share her exact pain, but he had an idea of how she might be feeling.

Fairies were a prickly lot on the whole. He could easily imagine them singling out one of their kind.

As for her being a dungeon Fairy. He’d already figured he’d have to kill whatever Fairy showed up to bind itself to his dungeon. Wizards owning dungeon core’s happened, but they were exceedingly rare.

To the point that the only recorded history of such events were more myth and fable than reality. In those situations, they were almost always merely used as a focus or a way to power a home.

Dealing with this Fairy here and now though might work out to his benefit. The entire situation was feeling far more bearable than he planned for.

“If we’re going to consider doing this, I suggest we trade cards. Make sure we’re both on the level,” Ryker offered cautiously.

Wynne looked up and nodded her head quickly.

Since he was the one who suggested it, Ryker decided to go first.

Pressing two fingers to the inside of his palm, he focused on his soul card.

It raised up from his skin as if it had always been there. With a flick of his wrist, a projection of the card flew across the room to hover in front of Wynne.

He waited patiently. He knew what she was reading and didn’t feel any need to rush her.

“I see. Allow me to return the favor,” Wynne said. She flipped a hand through his projection, dismissing it. Slower than he managed it, she sent a projection of her card his way.

“Admirable,” Ryker said calmly. Her ability was much higher than his own. By nearly ten levels.

Strong. But thankfully, my own strength is in magical combat. I could still win despite the difference.

“We’re in accord on this then. If you cross me, I’ll pull your wings off and make your existence pain. Or maybe pop your arms off, tie a string around you, and use you like a damn kite,” Ryker threatened. With a quick shake of his hands side to side, the spells he’d been holding onto this entire time, extinguished themselves. “Start your bond, I’ll finish it. Then we can talk about my plans.”

The Fairy bounced up to her feet and clapped her small hands together.

A spiral of magic sprung out from her chest and began to rapidly envelop her. When it got to the point that it was going to wrap around her completely, it reached out to the middle ground between them and stopped.

The spell fluctuated and clearly was unfinished. Even as he watched it started to fade, retracting back towards her.

Panting, the Fairy eyed him, her hands pressed together.

Is that the extent of her focus? Her control really is lacking.

Ryker sighed and then latched his magical senses onto her spell.

The weave was complex. Yet understandable to him. It was a patterned spell that seemingly worked to share magic back and forth, as well as create a bond where one could not harm, endanger, or betray the other.

He read it as if it were nothing more than a children’s book.

Working carefully, Ryker turned his magic to the end of the pattern, and began to fill it in. He matched it beat for beat, copying it exactly.

After getting the hang of it, he looked to the Fairy.

“I’ll need your help in powering this, Fairy. I don’t actually know what you were trying to accomplish, but I can at least supply the direction,” Ryker said.

Scrunching her nose at him, the Fairy nodded her head.

“I’ll lead the spell, you keep it together. And my name is Wynne,” said Wynne the dungeon Fairy.

Raising an eyebrow, Ryker didn’t say anything, but instead waited.

Get it right pintsize or I’ll pull your little arm off and beat you to death with it. Then eat it. Fairies really do taste ‘magical.’

Wynne’s eyes narrowed and the magic Ryker was building shot towards him. It began to loop around him as it had done to Wynne.

Wrapping around him from head to toe, it dove into his chest and stopped.

Ryker felt the contract bind itself to his magic, and then expand rapidly.

The pool he could tap into continued to grow, and grow, and grow.

To the point that it felt as if he’d expanded his magical endurance by a factor of ten when it finally stopped.

Wynne watched him with a small smile. “I told you. Large pool, no aptitude for spellwork.”

Ryker snorted and nodded his head.

“So… you said plans. What plans?” asked his Fairy.

And his she was. He could actually feel her location now. Could feel it, and even know what she was feeling.

She was excited, energized, smug, and… a touch of fear.

“I want to turn the adventurers guild in the nearby city into a smoldering ruin and piss on the ashes,” Ryker said with a feral toothy grin.

Wynne said nothing, her eyes glued to his face. Her hands were clutched one in the other in front of her stomach.

“I… see,” she said finally. “I would like to add my own goal to your plans then. I don’t think you’ll slight me for them, or even disagree.”

Tilting his head to one side, Ryker was intrigued. “Oh? I’m listening. Do tell.”

“I want to take revenge on those who exiled me. Would you be willing to bind them forcefully? Against their will and make them our minions? They would serve our dungeon and us.”

Now it was Ryker’s turn to be stunned.

The ferocity rolling off of her, that he could feel, was intense. It was hatred.

It was fury.

It was perfect.

Ryker grinned again and walked over to Wynne. Getting down in front of her he patted her gently on the head with careful fingers.

“I agree to that wholeheartedly. We’ll ruin those who slighted us,” Ryker said seriously. “So, my little Fairy. My Wynne. How do we begin? I was about to start using spells to control the dungeon core, since it has no soul. I’m open to other options or ideas.”

Wynne’s visage was thoughtful. “Let me think on it. Try the spells you had in mind and we’ll go from there. What are your plans with the actual dungeon though?”

“Oh, that’s fairly straightforward. For now, I’m going to use it as a means to make money. I need to build up the location, reinforce it. Secure my standing so when the dungeon goes live, the guild can’t try to throw me out.

“Easiest way to do that is to draw up a contract with the Queen, giving her thirty percent of everything I make from the dungeon. As well as promising that her citizens are the only ones allowed in,” Ryker explained.

“From there, we simply ask for a few royal guardsmen to help protect her investment. At this time, she has no dungeon’s to claim as her own. The church of light has one, and the adventurer’s guild two. 

“Before we do that though, we’ll build the dungeon up. Drop in items so it can replicate them, draw in monsters, maybe buy a few creatures. Really get it going. Build it from the ground up with the intention of being a training ground. 

“Then, when we’re ready, we get it squared up to the point that beginner adventurers can start going in. I plan on opening an inn right in front of the entry. It’ll serve as a store as well. It’ll sell to those would be divers equipment and items. We’ll also want to build the dungeon in such a way that they’ll be forced to buy gear that they’d need. Torches, antidotes, curse breaking, stuff like that,” Ryker said, rambling off year’s worth of planning in a few sentences that didn’t do it justice.

“Goodness. You’ve… really planned this out haven’t you?” Wynne asked. He could sense her feeling of awe.

That she was impressed.

“Yes. Yes I have. We’ll also build a store at the exit of the dungeon. That way they can sell what they don’t want back to us. Though I must be honest, the buy back prices aren’t going to be very high there. They’ll be better served carrying it back to the city to sell. Those who value the coin will, those who just want whatever they can get, will sell it there. That or we sell based on tokens that they can use for the store, rather than coin. 

“After that we ship it back to the inn, and sell it for a higher price there,” Ryker said.

“Ok, that… that all sounds good. I like it. But… what about the revenge part of it all? Do you have a plan for that?” Wynne asked.

“Oh yes. I do. See… the adventurers guild will want to send people here to evaluate it. To see if they can use it as a training ground,” Ryker said.

“Ah. That’s why you wanted an inn right on the opening?”

“Yep. We’ll get them coming regularly, charge them for entry, and make a killing. Then, after a while. We’ll start spreading rumors of a special dungeon inside of the dungeon. One that is only available to higher levels. And it doesn’t always appear, but randomly.”

Wynne’s eyebrows came together and she opened her mouth.

Beating her to the question, he held up a hand.

“First, let me ask you this. What are the tenants that all dungeons hold to? Or at least, I think there are tenants? I could be wrong. Every time a dungeon starts to change from the norm, the church or the guild clean the dungeon out and shatter the core.”

Frowning, Wynne nodded her head slowly.

“Yes. There are rules. To a degree. They’re really only there so that a dungeon doesn’t get killed. Most do end up breaking them. That’s when they typically get attacked as you described.”

“Ok, and what are the rules?”

“Be fair. You’re allowed to kill as many people as you want in your dungeon, but it has to be in a way that’s fair. They have to be given a chance at least equal to a fifty fifty shot, and a choice to take that risk or not. Now there’s some fast and loose playing with that one, but the general idea is there.

“Reward them according to the risk they’re taking. The quickest and easiest way to make sure they don’t contemplate destroying you is making it worth their time. You don’t have to be over generous, but you have to make it worthwhile.”

Ryker nodded to both of those, they were more or less what he’d expected. His research had turned up that economy drives dungeons more than anything.

“Stay away from using demons in your dungeon. The quickest way for a church to demand action is if you have a demonic presence. Undead are fine since they occur naturally even without magic.

“And I guess… the last one is to make sure your core is well hidden. Most cores put themselves at the center of their dungeons, surrounded by a multitude of creatures.”

“To answer your question then,” Ryker said with a smile and holding out one arm. “I provide those I want to die with a sign, that if they accept, will allow them to enter the special area. That special area is going to be a death trap that should kill them quickly and easily. Though they’ll have a chance to survive.

“The sign will tell them quite clearly that the challenges will be elevated, and most likely kill them. I need to let at least let one group survive though, so they can go reinforce the rumor, and that it really is there. Maybe make that a function of the dungeon and that people know about it. Last person alive gets to live.”

“But they won’t go in again after that,” Wynne said.

“That’s why I have to make the reward for completing it obscene. To the point that everyone would try. Greed does nicely for motivation.”

Ryker laughed darkly with a grin.

And so, we set forth onto a lovely plan for vengeance.