《Alistair’s Great and Powerful Startup Dungeon》Chapter 5.2 – Part Deux of A Duel to the Death!
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Alistair appeared in his summoning circle, white mist clouds appeared around him and began floating upward. Normally, the sight of the new Air Wisps would have calmed and amazed Alistair. Only now it was too late and his focus was on killing the elemental. Alistair performed the healing spell, his movements no longer gracefully but instead had an edge of crispness and power that his rage lent him. He wanted to rush through the casting, but he forced himself to keep his movements as perfect as possible. His mana drained from him as the final movement occurred and the spell washed over his aura. Thinking about how much time it would take to get to the Warren, Alistair delayed casting the Damage spell until he was closer to the Magma Elemental.
Alistair took off down a path, his hoofs banging loudly against the rock pathway. Since the great casting the magma chamber had changed. There were still great stone arch paths passing over the magma that connected various rock outcroppings and stone islands together. Yet, as Alistair started to run, he could feel the bubbles forming all over the magma pool and when they would burst, spilling hot magma across the path. Alistair skidded to a halt as a bubble burst in front of him. Red hot liquid sizzled slowly falling off the path back in the magma pools. The superheated liquid almost overwhelmed Alistair’s fire aura even though he was standing three feet from it. At least, now due to the fire aura the oppressive heat in the chamber only felt like a warm day in the sun.
The last of the magma drained off the path and Alistair once again started running. Tiny fire salamanders looked up at Alistair as he passed then on an island and jumped onto a stepping stone walkway. Alistair could feel which stones were floating and which stones were anchored underneath the magma. Jumping to a half moon shaped rock he had to almost hop to stone to stone. Looking over the next tree stones he saw that the only stable one was a rock with a small dome on it He leapt into the air and as his hoof came down the slight dome of the rock made it slide to one edge. Fearing the loss of his balance, his thighs buckled on his reverse knees, dropping him precariously on the stone. Alistair quickly grabbed the edge of the stone feeling a small wave of magma burn him. He screamed in pain as he held on long enough to re-center his hooves on the stone and then jumped to a flat one. His hand appeared to be covered in black scorched flesh. He took a moment for the healing spell to begin to grow new skin as the charred skin began to fall off. Keeping his hand cradled to his chest, Alistair jumped the remaining stones to the Magma Pool edge. With a final leap, the grit and sand crunched under his hooves as Tiny Fire Salamanders looked up at him.
Alistair took a moment to think about the lava tunnels before him and the best route to get to the Warren. He knew they were empty up due to the heat from the magma pools. The blazing heat kept mana monsters away, while the Salamanders didn’t want to wonder from the magma pools. So the next quarter of a mile the tunnels were devoid of monsters or traps. After that the poisonous gases had kept Mana monsters from entering the Magma pools. Now, Alistair somehow felt rats beginning to breed and populate the tunnels ahead of him. They would not naturally form into rat swarms unless Alistair summoned them; and yet he felt like when the Kobold’s began to create waste pits he could create a spawning point for them. Alistair’s mind raced at all the things he needed to do still for his dungeon even as he ran down the tunnels to fight the elemental. He could only think that his Dungeon Construction skill was helping him as he ran in the dark lava tubes, giving him a type of dark vision as it told him where every hole, rock, and turn were at.
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Alistair turned left and saw flashing lights in the tunnel exit about 150 yards ahead of him. It was the elemental still throwing fireballs around the warren trying to destroy it. Alistair took a moment and began casting his damage spell. The healing spell had slowly put back together his hand, except for a few ugly blisters that were still on it. As he moved the blisters began to open and fluid started running down his hand onto the stone floor. Alistair focused on the spells movements as drops of moisture began to hit his legs. The final words of the spell left his mouth and blue mana began to condense itself around Alistair’s claws, horns, and hooves.
For a moment, Alistair wondered if he should spend the healing spell to recover any lost health and start it again, when a load roar came down from the head of the tunnel. The Insignificant Magma Elemental no longer looked as insignificant as before as it started moving towards Alistair. Alistair began running towards it as the object of his fury presented itself. From a distance, Alistair saw the Elemental bring up its arm. Stone from the walls of the cavern broke off around the Elemental and began forming a Magma Ball as a stream of fiery energy went from its hand to the stone ball. Once the ball had glowing red cracks around the surface of the rock, the elemental threw it towards Alistair. Seeing the magma ball coming at it, the elemental as it raised its other arm to start the progress all over. For Alistair, he was able to see the red stone ball rushing towards him, and took three steps towards his left to dodge it. The magma ball flew by his right shoulder and his fire aura crackled with energy giving him a small sense of healing energy directed at his hand.
Alistair was only thirty feet away from the Magma Elemental as it threw another ball of magma. Alistair threw his body out of the way, as he only had a split second to make a decision. He felt the magic of the defense aura kick in and help deflect the ball by pushing with his fire aura. Alistair hit the stone floor feeling the grit tear small scratches into his skin; the magic from his defense aura still needing to regenerate before it could protect him again. Being a veteran Adventurer, he continued with the motion of rolling forward, till he felt his legs roll under him. With a push of his legs Alistair jumped into a stand position no more than ten feet from his prey.
Alistair saw the elemental had changed its glob of a hand, into a scythe as it was moving to him. The cutting edge was tearing down on him with whip like speed as the elemental had formed a long tentacle like appendage where its right arm use to be. Alistair stepped into the swing out of the blades cutting edge and into the path of the tentacle. He reached out with his claws slicing through the elementals arm. Pain ripped through his body and mind as the severed limb turned into blobs of cooling magma which spilled across the wall and Alistair. His flesh burned and the healing spell along with his fire aura began to fuse the rock with his skin. The Magma Elemental quickly formed another hand from the right stub. However, its left hand looked like the end of a giant square sledge hammer and was swinging for Alistair’s legs. Alistair lifted up his leg, so that the hammer passed underneath it and with a turn of his body kicked the Magma Elemental in the face. Globs of magma flew out the back of its head, as he felt his hoof began to heat up. Pulling the hoof back, the edge had started to smoke as it came into contact with the magma. The edge of the hoof had burned off slightly, while the tender inlay of his foot felt like it was burned. Feeling that this was the best time for it, he activated the Healing Spell, feeling the life energies surge around him.
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Alistair hands repair themselves. Rock still hot from the magma cooled down as his fire aura absorbed some of the fire mana and added to his healing. The elemental’s second arm had transformed into a sharp pointed blade. The elemental thrusted his blade forward and Alistair felt it puncture the area above his left hip. Pain lanced his body as the smell of his burning flesh filled his nose. It was a killing blow that not even a healing spell could have helped with. So Alistair committed himself to his next course of action and began slashing the elemental back and forth. Magma began flying about the tunnel, burning holes in everything. The elemental began moving his arm through Alistair’s flesh trying to find something critical as Alistair kept going. Pain clouded his vision as he felt his left hand thrust into the chest of the Magma Elemental and spear the swirling fire mana core of its being.
Another spike of pain entered Alistair’s chest as the Elemental finished it’s his second blade arm and struck Alistair under his ribcage into a lung. Alistair left hand was on fire in the Elemental’s core, but his fire aura was still healing his hand as it was being incinerated. Alistair began to see magma dripping like rain from the Elemental as his hand and claws turned to ash. With whatever well of strength Alistair had left, he thrusted his second hand into the elemental’s core. His vision began to get dark at the edges from the pain and loss of blood. It wasn’t till Alistair’s vision began to become fogging and dark, when he finally felt the Elemental burst in a blast of Magma. The hot liquid covered Alistair entire body, setting hair on fire and collapsing his body to the ground. There he laid dying his fire aura overwhelmed and each second a painful existence. With his last breath he spoke to the elemental, “Who own you now?!”
Bits and pieces of memories began to patch themselves back together making up the mind of Alistair. His immortal soul was in the void once again, but this time it didn’t have a mind to be afraid of it. Like small specks of light, thoughts came back began to form visions. Alistair remembered standing in the swamp with a group of Adventurers talking about what they needed to do. Alistair saw his friends laughing in the main camp, as the lower ranked Adventurer conscripts were in camps of their own. At the time he thought it was natural, but now he only thought about how the separation had given him a feeling of superiority. After all, he didn’t need to talk to them or feel like they were equal enough to share his campfire. Now that he could see the scene clearly, it was a moment where deep down in his mind he had decided their lives weren’t worth the same as his. Alistair’s soul twisted itself in sickness at his previous thinking. Those men and women singing and drinking were people just like he had been. Some might not have had the chances that he had or the skills, but in the end they were people with families or significant others.
Alistair felt himself come awake in his pocket dimension. As he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was big blue eyes and dirty blonde hair belonging to the dwarf girl Helga. “Hello Lord Alistair! Are you awake now?!” The girl’s voice was a combination of hammers breaking rocks and a high pitch bird screech.
Alistair lifted up his hands and slowly motioned for Helga to move away from this face. “Yes dear Helga, I am awake.” Alistair said
Helga took a few steps back and then screamed at the top of her lungs, “He’s awake now! Herma, he’s awake!” Helga folded her hands in front of her as she stood looking at Alistair. Alistair sat up in bed thinking of all the ways to be woken up from death, this wasn’t one of the worst ways, but it certainly could have been better. Yawning for a moment a blue prompt screen popped up in front of him.
Event!You have captured your first Worker!You have put everything on the line and have captured your first Dungeon Worker. Sadly, the Magma Elemental cannot be used as your primary worker. Your dungeon is currently aligned with Dragonkin.
Dragons were the first race of creatures created by the Gods and Goddesses. Connected to the primal mana elements, Dragons began to understand the how to control the world around them to the same degree as the Gods and Goddesses. With this new found understanding, Dragons grew in power and began to steal from their creators to fulfill their own desires. The Gods and Goddesses feeling betrayed by their creations, began to create other races to war with them. Dragons being attacked by the new races across the land, began to enslave them by binding them in magic and blood. Hundreds of races developed and died within the eons afterwards. Finally, when the Celestial Accords were signed the creation of new races stopped with it. At the time the most basic worker for Dragons were Kobolds. Dragons used their blood and dogs to change Gnomes into Kobolds.
Due to your epic battle with the elemental the following has been rewarded to you. Experience Points from an Insignificant Magma Elemental is 300. The Magma Elemental had evolved from Insignificant to Small, as such another 100 experience points have been rewarded to you. Placing your hands into the fiery mana core of the Magma Elemental has given you the ability to siphon Fire Mana with your Fire Aura. Should you come in contact with any Fire Mana your aura will absorb all of it and increase the damage done by your Fire Aura. Additionally, as your first worker is a higher rank then your allied species first worker; you have been given an evolved Kobold Worker to choose from. The evolved forms are Elemental, Metallic, and Celestial. In natural clutches of Kobold Workers one out of ten thousand eggs will hatch one of these evolved forms.Monster Description:The Elemental Kobold Worker is a small being of two to three feet in height. Breed with the blood of elemental dragons, they will have scales in primary colors. When a Worker is waiting to be hatched, the eggs in the clutch will act as a mini Mana Nexus summoning the surrounding mana and purifying it by placing it in bodies of the unhatched Kobolds. When they are born the elemental energies will influence their personalities. All Workers will be born with a breath weapon along with basic Kobold abilities.Dungeon Advantage:Workers will began to dig tunnels, create traps and actively hunt Adventurers. When not in combat, Elemental Kobolds will increase the mana generation of their specific element in the dungeon.Mana Cost:25Monster Description:The Metallic Kobold Worker is a medium being of four to five feet tall. Bred with the blood of Metallic dragons they will have scales that look to be the color of polished metals. When a Worker is waiting to be hatched, the eggs in the clutch will act as an ore seed. Upon the birth of the Kobold a corresponding ore vein of the metal will be created in your dungeon levels. The Metallic nature of the Kobold will add bonuses to their hides and will increase their desire to fight. All Workers will be born with the ability to sense metal along with basic Kobold abilities.Dungeon Advantage:Workers will began to dig tunnels, create traps and actively hunt Adventurers. When not in combat, Metallic Kobolds will decrease the mana requirements for Loot Tables for their specific metal.Mana Cost:35Monster Description:The Celestial Kobold Worker is a small being of three to four feet tall and have extremely long lives. Breed with the blood of Celestial dragons, they will have black scales with white glowing spots on them. When a Worker is waiting to be hatched, the eggs in the clutch will filter experiences of the past from mana, making it easier to purify. When they are born the memories attached to the Mana will influence their personalities giving them memories of other beings and things. All Workers will be born with the talent for magic along with basic Kobold abilities.Dungeon Advantage:Workers will began to dig tunnels, create traps and actively hunt Adventurers. When not in combat, Celestial Kobolds will increase the dungeon research speed by 0.1% per Kobold.Mana Cost:50What form would you like to choose?ElementalMetallicCelestial
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