Chapter Thirteen: Trial Three: The Reigning Champion is a what???

Congratulations!

While one of you has fallen and been found guilty. The rest of you have triumphed over one of the worst plagues to threaten entire kingdoms. You are a step closer to proving your innocence. Only one more challenge remains!

As the announcer finished, the Shadowspawn erupted with noise, clapping his hands to his ears due to the horrible noise that echoed around the Amphitheatre. Whether they were cheering, jeering, or something else, Rory had no clue due to how foreign the noise was to him.

Eventually, the noise died down and Rory was able to hear himself think again. Gazing around the arena grey flakes caught his attention, the hundreds of rats that littered the arena floor were disintegrating, flesh, bones, sinew, everything was flaking off the dead bodies turning into specks of ash that floated upwards before disappearing completely into the darkness of the ceiling.

Before long, all that remained were his very tired teammates and the dead body of Shannon. With unsteady steps, Rory made his way slowly to where she lay. Upon reaching her, he sunk wearily to his knees. His eyes glittered in the dim light, tears threatening to appear.

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t help you. We were forced into this stupid dungeon together, and I didn’t even think to ask you your name.”

The others left Rory too his silent mourning, not knowing him well enough to help and also due to being in a state of shock themselves.

All too soon, the third and hopefully finally challenged started.

Ladies and Gentle Spawn, our accused have made their way to the final challenge and must now go head to head with our reigning champion.

Put your hands together for the Creeping destroyer:

The trail of inevitability,

The unstoppable,

The one The only! Your friend and mine! Turbo the snail!

A great bang echoed along the Amphitheatre as a giant ball of tungsten embedded itself into the arena floor. Sand, blood and dust was thrown everywhere, causing the group to shield their eyes.

When the disturbance cleared a three meter by three meter ball of tungsten with a grayish lustre sat squarely in the centre of the arena. With a hiss, a small opening spiralled open in the side of the ball, revealing a football sized snail with three spiralling stripes of pink, green and purple.

Two tentacles waved lazily in the air, turning this way and that as the snail observed its surroundings

With a sigh, Rory stood up, Shannon’s body at the same time disappearing into his spatial storage so that the camp could pay their respects to her when they returned.

Rory analysed the snail, which appeared in no rush to attack them.

Candy ball snail (Turbo) – 25

Description: common pests to many. This unfortunate snail happened upon the dungeon entrance one day and became forever trapped. Over time, the snail evolved into something more and, through amusing circumstances, rose to become Champion of the Shadowspawn.

Unlike most snail...

With a bone jarring impact, Rory was sent tumbling head first as a hard object collided with his leg, breaking his concentration.

Landing back first onto the sandy ground, Rory's wind had been knocked out of him. Glancing in the direction of where the object that had hit him had gone to, Rory was just in time to see a blurring shape slam into his face, sending blood fountaining out of his now broken nose.

Circling up in pain, Rory grabbed hold of his broken nose, wincing in pain as he did so. Forcing himself to get up despite the pain with tear streaked eyes, Rory got a good look at his assailant.

The Snail had retreated into its shell and had then proceeded to spin around gaining fearsome speed and momentum, the snail zipped from one end of the arena to the other, turning on a penny it whizzed back and like a bowling ball crashed into Peter sending him flying and deflecting off of him to hit Emily square in the stomach.

Emily lay on the floor clutching her stomach, trying desperately to catch her breath while Peter staggered to his knees.

Reaching the end of the arena, the snail turned again and came barrelling back towards Emily, who still lay sprawled out on the floor. Alex grabbed Peters sword that lay forgotten on the floor and with a grunt swung the sword like a golf club, with a clang metal met shell, neither yielded however the snail was vastly smaller and lighter than Alex and was sent sailing through the air where with a thud it hit the arena walls.

Instead of dropping to the floor, the snail's shell stayed rooted in place, having emerged from its shell. If snails could glare, Rory imagined the snail was glaring now as its eyes seemed to bore into Alex, seemingly insulted at being used as a golf ball. No scratches or cuts could be seen on its brightly coloured shell.

The snail suddenly withdrew itself and hurtled again towards the group, Rory tried to pepper it will his flames but it was moving far too fast to accurately aim and even when he left a trail of flames in front of the snail its momentum caused it to plough straight through the flames causing no damage.

Everyone was better prepared this time however and as soon as the snail reached them, they dodged out of the way or, in Emily’s case, were practically dragged away.

The stalemate continued for a further fifteen minutes, while the snail seemed unaffected by the game of cat-and-mouse. Everyone else was flagging, being almost dead on their feet expending their Stamina to constantly dodge.

Finally, Matthew came to everyone’s rescue when bravely or idiotically he dived on top of the snail, like diving for the ball when it has come loose from a scrum. The sound of bones breaking echoed across the arena as Matthews Ulna and Radius snapped from the impact with the snail.

Roaring in pain, Matthew hugged the snail closer to himself, and will a grunt lifted the snail off the ground where its tentacles lashed out impotently at him.

Seeing his chance, Rory ran up to where Matthew held the struggling gastropod and with a force of will cast static bomb compressing it to its smallest form before exploding it on the snail, causing it to become limp.

Temporarily paralysed, Matthew gingerly placed the snail on the floor and backed away. With the snail being immobile and defenceless, Rory called upon his fire magic, spraying flames down on the soft body of the snail, where it bubbled and boiled before releasing an earthy mushroom like smell.

Several notifications sounded in Rory’s mind, which he ignored as he limped over to everyone else to make sure they were alright.

“Well, snails have definitely moved up the list of things to eat after having to fight that fast fucker,” Peter joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Emily started to chuckle at Peter's lame joke, then immediately regretted it, wincing in pain and grabbing her ribs.

Alex seems to be the only one left unhurt from the ordeal. Peter and Rory both sported black and blue shins, with Rory also having a broken nose and the start of a black eye. Emily appeared to have at least several broken ribs and Matthew's right arm being mangled.

Congratulations!

You have passed the third challenge and been found innocent of all charges!

At this announcement, a door opposite of where they had entered opened up.

For passing the trial of merits you will be awarded your freedom and receive a title for your efforts.

Please stand by while the Shadowspawn comes to a consensus over whether you deserve a further reward.

Several more notifications sounded in Rory's head and realising that there weren’t further tests took a moment to review them.

Ding - your Dungeon Party has defeated [Candy ball snail (Turbo)] you have killed a being 10 levels or more above you. additional experience received. Experience earned reduced due to being in a group.

Ding – Class: Disciple of the Arcane has reached level 13 – 10 stat points awarded.

Ding – stage 1 of 2 of Murky Cavern Dungeon completed.

Ding – Successfully competed in an arena challenge, title aspiring gladiator earned.

While most would go out of their way to avoid unnecessary violence, you embrace it, to the victor goes the spoils. +1 to all stats, receive 2% commission from all bets placed on yourself.

Rory was thankful that he had gained another level and quickly split his points between wisdom and intelligence.

“that last fight got me to level ten. I’ve unlocked my class options,” Peter proudly announced.

Just as everyone started to congratulate Peter, an enraged roar sounded from the Amphitheatre stands. A group of about ten Shadowspawn were pushing their way towards the end of the stands, clearly agitated.

Upon reaching the stands, they lithely jumped over them, landing lightly on the arena floor. Rory and everyone else tensed at this development and huddled together, raising their weapons in anticipation.

The Shadowspawn bellowed in rage and started full on sprinting towards the group.

As the Shadowspawn made it halfway to them, they suddenly burst apart, their bodies coming undone and turning into flakes of ash just as the rats' bodies had done.

Warning!

Unauthorised attempts to interfere or influence dungeon challenges will be met with the harshest of punishments.

Before the cloud of dust could reach Rory, it suddenly evaporated into nothing.

Status page:

Name: Rory Richardson

Class 1: level 13 - Disciple of the Arcane

Attributes:

Strength:30

Dexterity: 26

Endurance: 30

Vitality: 32

Intelligence: 48

Wisdom: 55

Available points: 0

Health: 323/323

Stamina: 304/304

Mana: 550/550

Blessings:

Child of Flame

Child of Lightning

Titles:

Cheater of Death

First kill

Prodigy (locked)

Fledgling Mana User

3rd to First Threshold

Aspiring Gladiator

Resistances:

Lightning Resistance - lvl 14

Flame Resistance – lvl 12