《The Dungeon's Son》5. Empty Shell
Advertisement
Kaiser Remington
If he's going to die, then it must be related to the power that he gave me. His statement made silence grew more as I looked down, trembling, and, speechless.
"I've been waiting for a long time. I thought I'd perish without passing this gift of mine."
"Waiting for what? Please tell me more!" I said losing my composure.
"My mana body is fading for a very long time Kaiser, it's a good thing that I've kept that power for more years. Now that I've released the power, I can die without worries." Said Kaiser.
"What worries?" I asked.
"If I died here, the power that I gave you will just spawn like a ball of power, and if it gets to the wrong hands, it can destroy everything. That's why I'm telling you to not underestimate that power because it's the greatest power that dominates all gods."
After that, I put my hand to my chin to ponder about everything he said. If the statement he claimed is true, then, I could assume that he senses my maturity or he knows my true identity.
"What if you died now and I get out of this mana domain? People will think that I've killed you." I said brushing of my thoughts.
"Haha. I'm really not wrong in choosing you, Kaiser. You understood the situation in a very short amount of time." Said Kaiser.
"…" I noticed that he addressed me in my name as if he thinks highly of a child.
"I'll be reversing back the time to where you're at earlier. You're going back to the past where you're sneaking towards the carrier. Don't worry because this memory that we both share is only stored in our minds. After that, the Orb will deactivate and they will never know the cause." Said Kaiser.
"How should I use this gift? I know that you've explained it earlier but can you teach me the basics in using this efficiently?" I asked. To me, it looks like he already planned the time travel for the person that he's choosing.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you." Replied Kaiser.
"Why?"
"Receiving that power provides perks of seeing elemental level and affinity in your surroundings including yourself. Its other power is unique to the user depending on their mana manifestation." He instantly replied.
"I see. So the power depends on my capability. Then, what do we do now?"
"Well, after traveling in the past I want you to use that power to train yourself. The unique power it has depends on how you train and use it. After your mana manifestation, the unique power you had will manifest in you and you have to train that as well." Kaiser said while pausing for a moment.
"Will I meet you again?" I asked with a soft voice.
"I'm afraid not." He replied.
His words rung to my ear as I bit my lower lips causing it to bleed.
"Thanks for the gift. I appreciate it." I replied with a composed and cold voice.
"Do you have questions before I channeled my last spell?" He asked.
Advertisement
"Why do dungeons exist? And what resides in the highest level of it?"
"Kaiser, there are things that I can't tell you. You're still young, I'm sure that you'll understand this in the future." Replied Kaiser.
"If you can turn back time, why didn't you use it on yourself?"
"Good question. Even though I'm a god, I only have one life, and my life as a statue is all of my remaining mana along with my will."
As our conversation comes to an end he started to chant spells that were still unfamiliar to my ears. For a moment, light shed over my body and I looked at him with teary eyes knowing that I'll never see him again. "Tsk, entrusting this power to a kid." I said back at Kaiser.
"Oh shut up, my instincts don't lie. Kaiser, it looks like I've spent too much time so I'll teleport you back on your way here when you're hiding in the carrier. If I delay this magic for too long, I may not be able to make your way back because my mana is running out."
I clicked my tongue and tears started to form at the side of my eyes. "Thank you very much, Kaiser!"
"Farewell Kaiser, train well and dominate just like I did before." Kaiser said with a strong father-like tone.
The light shined over me and I was instantly teleported back at the carrier.
****
Shit. I thought while wiping away my tears. By the look of the terrain, it looks like we're still 5 minutes away from the cave. My heart still aches but I have to accept this fate in order to fulfill Kaiser's wish.
I revealed myself at father and told a lie that I want to come with him while hugging him. Good thing the tears are still fresh and he embraced me as he noticed it. The driver showed no emotion and continued focusing on the road.
We arrived at the cave and the scene that I experience earlier happened again. I saw the man telling us to line up and after lining up, we're at the back of the King with Dem, his daughter, and royal guards.
It's time for the people to go inside the cave so the guard called out the first person to go inside and he listened. After the first person went inside the cave, it called out the guards in panic and the guards were shocked as well.
'Looks like Kaiser's really gone.'
Because of the commotion, a man that looks like a guard with a higher rank walks toward the cave where the man and the guards are standing. This man looks robust and he carries claymore in his back.
'Ah! The vision!' I thought to myself. I activated God's Vision and I was shocked at what I'm seeing, the man that's walking has a red aura clad in his body. I can't see his elemental magic but I can say that his aura is calm. I stopped looking at him as I felt sluggish, my body is already receiving its backslash from using the power and I needed to rest. Father saw me and carried me in his arms telling me to sleep for a moment.
Advertisement
I looked at the man and he ordered them to arrest him immediately. Even without using the gift, I saw the big guard used a large amount of mana, a red aura suddenly covered his body and he redirected all of them to his eyes. He scanned the man and seeing that the man didn't steal the power that I assume to be God's Vision, he snapped out and knocked him out.
"What's the meaning of this? Explain." The King asked.
The man heard this and walked towards the King. He bowed his head in respect and explained to him that the power of the Orb was gone, saying that the man he knocked stole the power.
I remembered the words that Kaiser told me, telling about the outcome about the power being in the wrong hands. I needed information about this team of guards standing in front of the King, I think their job is not related to the King and it looks like they serve for another organization. But why would the King entrust the cave to an unknown organization? There must have a reason but I need to avoid using this power while I'm near these guards.
I assume that this organization or group is using their position to acquire the power of Kaiser, but for what? I turned my head again to my father's chest and pretended to sleep to hear more.
After talking with the guard, the King turns back at everyone and announced that the Orb's power was stolen and the suspect will be interviewed by the group of men that guards the cave. While the King's announcing, I looked at the guard and saw him slightly smirk.
'Looks like my hunch is correct. If I didn't train well, I can never defend my family if the power I had is discovered.'
I could hear the people in the back ranting their disappointment. Some were pissed off and left the line but the majority listened. Father, looking so down walked down until he reached the carrier. From what I can remember, I saw father earlier so excited as he exits the cave but I forgot that I was teleported back to the past.
'Sorry father.' I thought to myself.
We were transported back at home by Jard and father sat down in the chair looking a bit depressed. Flora came out and embraced me tightly. "You're back brother! Please eat the food we made!" She excitedly said with shining eyes.
"You helped mom cook the food? You're so amazing Flora." I complimented her. She looks so happy and took my hand and brought me to the table. Mother did the same to dad as well.
We all ate and finished our lunch. Father walks up to me to invite me in taking a bath, "Let's take a bath Kaiser. I know you're tired from the trip we had." I nodded in affirmation and heads down the bathroom.
He came inside undressed and poured water into my head.
After several minutes of being in the bathroom, I completely mustered my courage to ask him. "Father?"
"What is it, son?" he replied.
"What questions or wishes do you have to ask the Orb?" I said.
He sighed for a bit then looked at me with his sad eyes. He then pats my head and said, "Kaiser, having a family is hard. I want to ask Orb ways to improve our lives to the middle class. However, the power of the Orb was taken and I'm afraid I can't talk to it again. How about you? What wishes do you have son?" He asked.
"T-Toys." I replied without looking at him.
"Hahaha. You sure are the small version of me." He said laughing for the first time.
We enjoyed the rest of the bath with father telling me his stories of his adventure in the dungeon. 'I'm glad he's back to normal again.'
The day went by quickly and we took our dinner in the evening. I prepared myself in sleeping when Flora jumped at my stomach.
"Hey, stopped that! I'm full." I said to Flora.
"A-are you mad?" Flora replied with teary eyes.
"N-No! Don't cry flora." I said and mother walks inside the room and comforts Flora.
Flora calmed down and told mother to wash up quickly so she can read us bedtime stories.
Mother came inside the room with the book and my sister was excited. My sister is so sweet and attached to me. She embraced me while my mother is reading the stories that she had. After several minutes, Flora's sleeping and mother went to switch off the lamp and went outside the room to go speak to father.
I was depleted and tired for a day because of these quick happenings in my life. I closed my eyes and prepared my mind and body for my first training tomorrow.
"Good night Flora." I softly said to her, it doesn't matter if she's sleeping or not but what I said is genuine.
I swear that I'll be the idol in this family. I'll bring them happiness for giving me a place in this family.
I closed my eyes and slept for the night.
Morning came and it's also father's rest day. I guess he can give me a handful of advice in fighting but how could I apply them to this body? I tried to brainstorm for a moment and I've made my final decision. I'll be trying to advance my mana control to increase my mana's maturity rate. After that, I'll be able to use magic and infuse it into my body.
From what I remember in Kaiser's statement, maturing your mana body comes with your age and if you matured your mana, you'll be able to access the element that you had. If I'm a shadow elemental, I'll have to work over interacting in other elements to copy them as well.
If this strategy of mine will work, I'll be able to mature my mana body to be able to manifest my first elemental magic.
Advertisement
Rivers of Rogue
In the span of only a heartbeat, River is transported from the comfort and security of her room to a world of monsters, magic and violence. River finds herself suddenly at the bottom of a dark chasm with sheer walls of unscalable stone all around. The blue skies and clouds of the outside world stare down at her from far above, unreachable from these depths. The only path left open leads into the Hollow Delve, a gluttonous dungeon of stone and magic teeming with slavering monsters and enchanted treasures alike. Giant featherweight swords, explosive hammers, magic cloaks and aberrant, monstrous bodily transformations make up the treasures and boons of this twisted labyrinth. Faced with brutal combat for the first time in her life, a war of despair, pain, hope and ambition rage inside River as she struggles to improve her abilities and fight to survive. Because in this hollow chasm, death is only a reprieve. (Updates Tuesdays)
8 54Savage Hunters
Giant monsters roam the land Civilization is frozen in a savage age. For the beast slayer Alden, power and survival are one and the same. The ancient evil that once ravaged his village and murdered his ancestors has returned. At the same time, politics hurls Alden and his crew into gladiator pit battles for control of the throne. When Alden takes possession of a cursed sword promising untold power, the hunter is determined to save his people by slaying every giant monster standing between him and the throne. But the angry ghost trapped inside the blade has other ideas. Buckle up for the brutal LitRPG ride of a lifetime Savage Hunters is an alternate-world neolothic fantasy. Characters grow their powers with explicit stat blocks presented right in the text, including levels, attribute scores, and unlockable skill trees. Experience is accumulated by battling enormous monsters the size of buildings. Political intrigue and romance elements ramp up as the series progresses. I originally wrote this story after playing Monster Hunter with my niece. She was 12 at the time, already an avid reader, and wanted to read my other published books. I'm a licensed psychotherapist specializing in severe trauma so I tend toward darker fiction. I told her my usual books are too brutal for her but I'd write her something special. The result was this series, which has been praised by both teens and adults for its depth and universal appeal. It begins with an emphasis on cultural elements because I consulted with a trained anthropologist to craft this neolithic setting down to exacting social detail. After these opening chapters, it rapidly shifts to an action-packed adventure. The first 3 books are fully written as of November 2020, totalling approximately 69 chapters. The first book has been professionally edited already. The following two books require some editing which I'll do on a chapter-by-chapter basis as releases progress. I welcome reviews and comments. Writing is a passion, and reader engagement makes my labor all the sweeter.
8 154Redhill
The world has been destabilized thanks to the emergence of supernatural creatures. Hordes of werewolves swept across the world, spreading like a pandemic. The Guild was created by the United Nations to counteract the threat. When he was only seven, Kyren’s parents were killed by Guild hunters for being something they were not, werewolves. Thinking he was a victim, Kyren was adopted by the same hunter who had killed his parents. Now, Kyren has begun to undergo certain changes, changes that are coming just as they do to every member of Kyren’s heritage, changes that make him look indistinguishable from the abominations that his adopted father is sworn to kill.
8 155The Golden Throne
The world we live in is quite the chaotic one. But there are others. This is one such tale. One of a young man from our world who was unfortunat- no, he was truly fortunate to get transmigrated to another world, one where he knew he could belong. One with magic, one with kingdoms, one where power meant everything. Support me at patreon.com/jdbeue Follow me in instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jdbeue_/
8 189SAE: Black and White
After 209 years, only 0.1% of what humanity once was still survives. Since after the first incident of SAE, all creatures on the planet started evolving rapidly, taking down human supremacy and making nature a warfare for the perfect species to be created. Even so, people still build lives and fight, being for power, family, or to find the right path in a world where humans are forced to live in fortresses and never step in the forest outside the walls. While with the change of rules, a new metal called Black Cutter together with the new form of power, the Vis, are fundamental for the future actions for humanity to prevail. Can our platoon of sixteen young soldiers of the Academy survive in this world where only who adapt faster thrives? Average chapter's length: 2000 words (4000 per episode)
8 174Faith's End: Godfall
"The Heart and Soul of our world met the Red Tempest of our species and is now without faith. Doomed to coil around the sun like a dying serpent in a bleeding desert," - Scholar Pulram. It is a time of darkness in the hearts of mortals. On a day unlike any other, in a battle meant to be standard fare, their lives were changed forever. Now, they have fallen, so quickly, to the vices of despair, misery, and fanaticism. The worst of them reign supreme with kratocratic tyranny, each squabbling over stretches of land and driving their subjects into poverty, fear, and mountains of the dead. By their hands, entire nations will fall, and whole peoples will be eradicated over petty reasons of ideological differences and speciesism. But all is not so bleak for everyone. Jira ne'Jiral, the knight of secrets, refuses to bow to those men and women who so callously obliterate the world, fighting to protect a world that distrusts her. Orlantha Quills, broken and lost, wanders the world with her enigmatic companion in search of the truth. Gíla Arsinoe, a Drayheller of little renown, works with the fates themselves for the salvation of the future. Three stories that will converge as the world itself splits apart in chaos and madness.
8 73