“I have a dungeon! It’s under this neighborhood, and I know where the entrance is. It’s a total secret, no one knows it’s here but me!”
“You’ve been living above a Dungeon for four years?! Do the monsters ever get out? What kind of biomes are in it? How big is it?” Katrina’s demeanor had changed entirely, and Alicia couldn’t help but smile at her excitement.
“Oh no, it hasn’t been years. This one just opened up a few weeks ago.”
“But that… Alicia, that doesn’t make sense. Every Dungeon we know about appeared during the Change. New ones can’t just pop up out of nowhere.”
Alicia shrugged. “Hey, I don’t know how they work. I just know that one day, everything was normal, and the next, I had a Dungeon.” She paused briefly, nervously fidgeting with her fingers. “Would you… want to go see it?”
“Are you kidding?!” Katrina floated out of the tree quickly but paused before she traveled too far. “Wait, what about you? I’m nocturnal, but shouldn’t you be asleep?”
“I’ll be fine! Besides, I think it’ll be fun to look at this with you, since you’re so knowledgeable about Dungeons.” Alicia vanished into her tree, floating down to the base of the trunk, and stepped out onto her lawn. She saw Katrina in the middle of packing up her guitar, though it seemed to be taking longer than usual. She was trying to pull all the cherry blossom flowers out of her case, which she’d left open. Once she’d finished, she eagerly turned to Alicia.
“Okay, I’m ready! Where to?”
The Dryad turned north, and the girls started walking. “So, I don’t really know much about it. I can feel the monsters walking around, some of my roots are exposed in the Dungeon, but thankfully they don’t seem to fight each other. The entrance is in the basement of an old destroyed house, and when I found it, there was a zombie walking around.”
“Zombies are normally on the weaker side for monsters, so that’s not terrible. Did you fight it?”
“Of course not! I blocked off the staircase and ran!”
“Right, you’re a Bulwark. What Level are you?”
“I’m only Level One. Nothing ever happens out here, so it’s not like I’ve ever had a chance to gain experience. Plus, Delving never really interested me, so I never cared that I wasn’t gaining Levels. What about you?”
“Bard, Level Two. My subclass is built for Spellcasting, but I don’t unlock spells until next level. Right now, I just have a simple Buff Aura. I can hasten Regeneration for HP, SP, or MP for those around me.” Katrina thought to herself for a moment. “Sounds like we’re not really built to deal damage, are we?”
Alicia laughed. “I guess not! But we’re just looking, right?” As she finished talking, she turned a corner and finally saw the destroyed house she was looking for. “Here it is!”
Katrina walked ahead, checking out the area carefully. “You said it was in the basement, right?” She approached the gap where the front door used to be, and cautiously pushed her hand over the threshold.
“Yup, basement is just around the corner.” Alicia watched the Vampire, who seemed oddly nervous about stepping into the house. “You okay? You seem nervous.”
“I’m checking to see if the System still thinks the house to be someone’s property. If someone still considers this their home, then I wouldn’t be allowed in without their permission.”
“Right, Vampire.”
“I think we’re fine, though. I don’t feel any resistance.” Katrina took a deep breath and passed through the doorway, then exhaled. “Lead the way!”
Alicia turned sideways, squeezing past Katrina. She was immediately aware of how close they were, their bodies brushing against each other as she passed. She cleared her throat nervously, then pointed down the hall. “So, down this hall there’s a staircase, which leads down to the basement. The Dungeon entrance opened inside.”
She had to stop briefly when they found the doorway, as it was still blocked off by a collection of vines, lumber, and rock. She closed her eyes, connecting with the flora present, and over the course of the next few minutes, slowly undid her barricade while Katrina pulled out the debris. When they finished, the darkened basement stood ready to be explored, though Alicia couldn’t help but notice it was much creepier at night.
The girls looked at each other for a moment before Katrina spoke. “You sure this isn’t a secret murder basement? I’m not going to find all the bodies of your previous victims?”
“I’m Level One!”
“Hey, I don’t have a Scan, you could be lying.” Katrina stuck her tongue out playfully. “Still, I believe you. I’m fine leading the way, but if I get attacked, can I get a barrier?”
“I’ll keep you safe, Katrina.” Alicia whispered, grabbing the Vampire’s shoulder. She let her hand linger for longer than she intended, and pulled it back nervously after locking eyes with Katrina.
“Alright, we can do this.” With a deep breath, Katrina started down the staircase. Her steps were careful, and her nervous energy was infectious. Alicia could see her shoulders tensing, her fingers squeezing into fists as she descended. Her hands brushed against her legs, which were clad in dark gray denim that clung tight to her enticing frame. Each of her steps, while slow and precise, seemed like careful dance moves when coming from her. As she reached the basement proper, she turned towards the back wall, and Alicia’s eyes traced the curve of her backside, which had previously been hidden by her guitar case.
“Wow, look at that!” Katrina said.
Startled, Alicia shook herself to her senses as she pulled her eyes away from the Vampire. “Yes, the Dungeon, right. Is it what you expected?”
“Hard to say. They say you should never judge a Dungeon by its entrance.” Katrina stepped closer, her eyes wandering over the smooth stone of the entrance. “Wait, can Dryads see in the dark?”If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Nope. Would light be a bad idea? You’re the expert here.”
“Nothing could be worse than trying to delve in pitch darkness. Wanna hit your phone flashlight?” Katrina looked back at her, and after a moment of silence, spoke again. “Wait, you’re not wearing clothes. Do you even have your phone with you?”
“I barely touch it these days, it’s back in my room.”
“No problem, you can use mine.” The Vampire moved closer, pulling out her phone and setting it up. A bright light filled the area, and soon Alicia was carefully grabbing the source. She held it to her chest, and her eyes met Katrina’s briefly before the vampire turned to face the Dungeon again.
Alicia took a deep breath as she aimed the flashlight. There was no end to the chasm in front of them, and her nerves were shaking away the fatigue she felt from being up so late. Out of curiosity, she tapped the power button on Katrina’s phone to check the time. It wasn’t as late as she feared, but she was immediately distracted by something else she saw; there was a girl on Katrina’s lock screen.
She had natural, bright red hair, and a generous ocean of freckles covered her face. Her green eyes peeked out from behind a large pair of glasses, and she was smiling at the camera as she lay in a field of grass.
Could Katrina have a girlfriend? She kept saying that people made her nervous, so I assumed she was single… Oh, c’mon Alicia! She could be anyone! This could be a sister, a friend, maybe someone she lost in the Change! This wonderful girl is finally getting a chance to delve, and you’re worried about her dating life? Pull yourself together!
She tapped the power button again and refocused her eyes on the Dungeon in front of her. Katrina had wandered further ahead, though not by much, and the Dryad eagerly quickened her pace to catch up.
“So, what’s the plan?” Alicia whispered.
“We shouldn’t go in far, especially not without any real damage abilities. Honestly, I only feel safe peeking in like this since you said the last monster was a zombie. They’re pretty slow, and we can easily run away if one shows.”
With another step, Alicia finally crossed the threshold into the Dungeon. The harsh concrete of the basement gave way to packed dirt, and she could feel her connection with nature strengthen again. She dug in her toes, wondering if she could learn anything from the surrounding plants. Katrina was busy digging through a sconce on the wall, which gave Alicia a few seconds to survey the area.
Many of the local foliage had been shaken loose by the appearance of the Dungeon, but her abilities couldn’t get a strong read on the tunnel ahead. She could feel the vines that had previously blocked off the basement, however, and they were stirring.
“Katrina, wait! I think something’s behind us!” Alicia whispered.
“What? How?! I didn’t hear any doors opening!” Katrina ran closer, standing in front of Alicia as the girls both looked back towards the entrance. There, blocking their escape, was the zombie from several days ago. It was covered in vines and leaves, and had just finished crawling free of its corner.
It never went back into the Dungeon! It must have laid down and I accidentally covered it when I blocked the door!
“Get ready, it looks like we’re fighting our way out.” Katrina pulled her guitar case off her back, setting it down carefully before hyping herself up.
“You don’t have a weapon! What are you going to do?!”
“Just keep me safe, alright?”
Alicia’s pulse raced as she watched Katrina close the distance. The zombie was focused on her, for better or worse, and she ran in to try and strike its head. She smirked as her punch landed, and while the monster flinched, it didn’t seem all that affected. It retaliated, throwing its weight behind a strike of its own, and Alicia managed to summon a barrier to intercept the attack. A collection of roots, bark, and vine rose from the floor just inches from Katrina’s body, managing to stop the attack from hitting her.
She felt the attack dig into her HP, but thankfully the nature of her class meant she couldn’t feel the pain itself. The zombie, however, suddenly began moving with unnatural speed, and quickly pivoted on its good leg to lash out again. Alicia hadn’t expected this, and watched in horror as the zombie struck Katrina’s shoulder, sending her flying. She landed a few feet away, wincing in pain as she hit the floor.
The zombie, now free of its target, turned to Alicia and rushed. She froze, panicking, unsure how to react. She wasn’t a fighter, and had never been attacked like this before.
“Alicia! Barrier!” Katrina shouted.
Barely thinking, Alicia summoned another barrier, and it caught the zombie just as it had jumped at her. She saw its arms flailing, trying to reach around the sides, and she screamed as she fell to the floor herself. Katrina ran in, taking advantage of the distraction, and grabbed the zombie’s head. Pulling it back, Alicia saw her mouth open, and her impressive fangs sank into the monster’s neck. They sank deep, causing the zombie to groan in pain before finally ceasing to exist. Its body vanished in a puff of smoke, and Alicia heard several small items clatter to the ground.
Several moments passed, both girls processing their victory, and soon enough Katrina stepped closer to Alicia. She held out a hand, and Alicia eagerly accepted the assistance.
“Are you okay?” Katrina asked. “That thing was stronger than it looked.”
“Me?! You got thrown across the room! What about you?”
“Eh, I knew what I was getting myself into, and it’s not like I’ve never been in a fight before. Now c’mon, what’s your HP at?”
Alicia caved, summoning her Status. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. Sixty-eight percent, just from those two attacks.” Alicia paused, trying to catch her breath. “Can we leave now? This was way more danger than I was ready for.”
Unexpectedly, Katrina pulled Alicia in for a hug, holding her tight. “I’m so sorry, Alicia. I shouldn’t have tried to bring you down here, I just… I got so excited.”
“I-I mean, it was my idea. You can’t blame yourself for that.” Alicia felt herself blushing again, and even dared to return the hug. Her hand traced over Katrina’s back, and she grew momentarily distracted by the feeling of the Vampire’s impressive chest pushing against her own.
When Katrina pulled away from the hug, she quickly ran to grab her phone and her guitar case. Alicia, on the other hand, knelt down to the floor to examine whatever small items had fallen out of the zombie. There were a few teeth, a piece of cloth, and another item she didn’t recognize. One side of it was unusually reflective, as if it were part of a mirror, and it had jagged, uneven edges.
“Katrina,” Alicia asked, “you killed the zombie by biting it. Aren’t you not supposed to bite zombies? You’re not going to turn into one, are you?”
“Nah, monsters have their own weird rules.” Katrina, now with all her stuff, began walking to the basement staircase. "Dungeons can throw anything and everything at us, but think of whatever it spawns as a fancy simulation. It may look like a zombie, but it acts nothing like a zombie you might see at the DMV. In that same vein, some dungeons spawn human monsters, like cultists or apocalyptic raiders, but I would never be able to feed on them."
The girls quickly left the basement, and Alicia sighed with relief once they were out. She moved to the front lawn and sat down, happy to be back outside. “Thanks for saving me, Katrina. That was… well, let’s just say I’m comfortable in my decision to not be a Delver.”
“Give yourself some credit! We both contributed, and we’re both alive. Well, you’re alive and I’m the right kind of dead, I suppose.” Katrina laughed, looking up into the sky, the moonlight illuminating her face. She seemed oddly exuberant, and Alicia couldn’t help but smile along with her. “Wait, did you pick up the loot? What did we get?”
“Oh, right.” Alicia was still holding everything in her hand, and she gave it to the Vampire to look it over.
“Wow, actual monster loot!” Katrina turned over the items in her hands, her eyes full of wonder. When she started looking at the last item, the strange reflective piece, she paused. “Wait, this is… oh my god.”
“What’s wrong?” Alicia slid closer out of curiosity.
“Alicia, this is a piece of the Bean.”
“Wait, THE Bean?”
Katrina nodded, apprehension appearing on her face. “It was destroyed in the Change, and everyone’s been trying to rebuild it ever since. But that means this isn’t some random Dungeon, Alicia. This is the Chicago Dungeon!”