The Dungeon lord : Women, power and monsters

The first sign that the Dungeon War had begun was not a roar.

It was silence.

Tolu stood in the outer chamber with Ore beside him, listening.

The dungeon had been strangely quiet for several minutes.

The young Mirefangs had stopped moving.

Even the Razor Leaches seemed almost still beneath their hidden pits.

Tolu tightened his grip around his sword.

"They’re close."

Ore nodded.

She had already drawn an arrow.

Neither of them spoke again.

Then came a sound from the entrance.

A scrape.

Then another.

Something had stepped onto the stone floor.

Tolu slowly moved toward the first chamber, Ore following behind him.

They didn’t go all the way to the entrance.

There was no reason to reveal themselves yet.

They waited in the darkness.

A small creature suddenly appeared around the corner.

It was low to the ground, covered in rough scales, with a narrow head and long claws.

A Razorclaw Lizard.

Tolu recognized it immediately. "Scout."

Ore lowered her bow slightly.

The lizard moved forward.

It sniffed the ground.

Its eyes moved from one side of the tunnel to the other.

Then it stopped.

A few feet ahead of it was one of Tolu’s concealed trenches.

The creature approached.

It extended one claw toward the ground.

Tolu held his breath.

The lizard didn’t step into the trench.

Instead, it moved sideways.

Ore whispered, "They’re testing us."

Tolu nodded. "Yes."

Another lizard appeared behind it.

Then another.

Three.

Five.

Seven.

They spread throughout the first chamber, examining the walls and floor.

One of them found a rope hidden beneath the dirt.

It pulled.

Nothing happened.

Tolu’s heart sank.

The trap had been deliberately designed to trigger when an enemy crossed the passage, but the lizard had found the mechanism before stepping into the trigger zone.

It stared at the rope.

Then it backed away.

Tolu whispered, "They’re smarter than I thought."

Ore glanced at him. "That makes two of us."

A distant howl suddenly echoed through the dungeon.

The lizards immediately turned toward the entrance.

More howls followed.

One.

Two.

Then a dozen.

The sound grew louder.

Tolu’s expression hardened. "They’re coming."

The scouts retreated.

Then the first hyena entered.

It was larger than an ordinary hyena, with powerful shoulders and a thick neck.

Its eyes swept across the chamber.

Another followed.

Then another.

Within seconds, the entrance was filled with them.

Dire Hyenas.

Tolu counted quickly.

Ten.

Fifteen.

More were still coming.

The pack entered without rushing.

That frightened him more than a charge would have.

They moved in groups.

Some stayed near the walls.

Others moved toward the center.

A few remained near the entrance.

They weren’t simply entering.

They were establishing positions.

Tolu swallowed. "Ore."

"I see them."

"Don’t shoot yet." She nodded.

A hyena suddenly lowered its head.

It sniffed the ground.

Then it looked toward the trench.

The creature walked toward it.

Tolu’s hand tightened around his sword.

The hyena jumped.

It cleared the trench.

Another hyena followed.

Then another.

The first few traps were useless.

The pack continued forward.

Tolu felt his confidence slipping.

Then something huge appeared behind them.

A massive Ironback Boar pushed through the entrance.

Its shoulders were covered in thick plates of hardened hide.

It lowered its head.

Then charged.

"Now!"

Ore released her arrow.

It struck the boar’s shoulder.

The creature barely reacted.

The boar slammed into the first barricade.

CRACK!

The wooden supports shattered.

The impact echoed through the dungeon.

Tolu watched the pieces fly. "That’s what the boars are for."

Another boar charged.

CRACK!

The second barricade broke.

The third one held.

For three seconds.

Then it shattered too.

Tolu clenched his teeth. "Fall back."

Ore moved with him.

The Mirefangs had been waiting.

Thirty pairs of eyes stared into the darkness.

Tolu raised his sword. "Not yet."

The hyenas entered the next chamber.

More followed behind them.

Then the floor gave way.

A hyena dropped into one of the pits.

It landed heavily.

Before it could climb out, the dirt beneath it began moving.

Razor Leaches emerged.

Dozens of them.

They crawled over the hyena’s legs.

The creature screamed.

It twisted violently, snapping at its own limbs.

One leach was ripped away.

Another.

Then three more attached themselves to its underside.

The hyena became frantic.

It slammed itself against the wall.

Tolu watched.

"Now."

The Mirefangs attacked.

They exploded from the darkness.

The first Mirefang slammed into the trapped hyena.

Its claws tore across the creature’s flank.

Another Mirefang jumped onto its back.

The hyena fought desperately.

It managed to bite one Mirefang’s shoulder.

The Mirefang shrieked but didn’t retreat.

A second hyena rushed forward.

Then a third.

Suddenly the entire chamber erupted.

Fangs collided with fangs.

Claws scraped against stone.

Hyenas snapped at the Mirefangs while the Mirefangs tore into them.

The pack’s coordination immediately became obvious.

Three hyenas surrounded one Mirefang.

One attacked from the front.

Another circled behind.

The third waited.

The Mirefang turned toward the first attacker.

The second lunged.

The Mirefang barely twisted away.

Its claws caught the hyena across the face.

Blood sprayed onto the floor.

The third hyena attacked.

Tolu’s eyes widened.

"Don’t let them surround you!"

The Mirefangs responded instinctively.

Two of them rushed to reinforce their companion.

The fight became chaotic.

Tolu had imagined thirty Mirefangs would overwhelm the invading pack.

He had been wrong.

The hyenas weren’t stronger individually.

They were simply fighting together.

A Mirefang knocked one down.

Before it could finish the creature, two hyenas crashed into its side.

The Mirefang was thrown across the floor.

Another Mirefang intercepted them.

Ore fired.

Her arrow struck one of the hyenas in the neck.

It staggered.

A second arrow followed.

This one struck the creature’s leg.

The hyena stumbled.

The Mirefang immediately seized the opportunity.

It lunged.

Its jaws closed around the hyena’s throat.

The creature stopped moving.

Ore lowered her bow. "One."

Tolu nodded. "Keep shooting."

She fired again.

Another hyena dodged.

The arrow struck the stone wall.

The creature charged toward her.

Ore stepped backward.

Tolu rushed forward.

He swung his sword.

The hyena jumped aside.

Tolu’s blade cut through empty air.

The creature snapped at his arm.

He pulled away just in time.

Its teeth passed inches from his skin. "These things are fast."

Ore fired.

The arrow struck the ground beside the hyena.

The creature turned toward her.

Tolu immediately stepped between them.

"Don’t look away from me."

The hyena growled.

Then another appeared behind it.

Tolu’s stomach dropped. "Ore."

"I know."

They backed away together.

More hyenas were entering the chamber.

And behind them came another Ironback Boar.

It lowered its head.

Tolu looked at the destroyed barricades.

Then at the advancing creatures.

Then at the darkness behind them.

The first line of defense had already fallen.

But that was exactly what he had expected.

He raised his sword. "Fall back to the next chamber."

The Mirefangs began retreating.

The hyenas followed.

Tolu watched them carefully.

They weren’t chasing blindly.

They were advancing slowly.

Testing every step.

Learning.

Tolu’s eyes narrowed.

The enemy was adapting.

That meant he had to adapt faster.

He looked toward the next passage.

The traps were waiting.

The pits were hidden.

The poisoned spikes were ready.

And the Mirefangs were waiting for his command.

Tolu took a breath. "Let’s see how much they really learned."

He raised his hand.

The first hyena stepped forward.

A rope snapped tight beneath its paw.

The ground shifted.

And the second stage of the dungeon’s defenses came alive.

The sounds from the first chamber had faded.

For the moment, there was only silence.

Tolu and Ore stood in the second chamber, listening to the distant movement of the invading creatures.

Tolu leaned against the wall and slowly exhaled."Let’s count what we have left."

Ore looked toward him. "Thirty Mirefangs went into the first chamber."

"Not thirty anymore." She nodded.

"I saw at least four go down." Tolu frowned.

"Four dead?"

"I don’t know. Some were still moving when we pulled back."

"Then let’s assume the worst."

Ore nodded. "Twenty-six Mirefangs at most."

Tolu rubbed his face. "And the leaches?"

"Most of the ones in the first pit are probably gone."

"How many did we put there?"

"Nearly fifty."

Tolu stared at her. "Nearly fifty?"

"You told me to gather as many as I could."

"I didn’t realize you’d actually listen."

Ore smiled faintly. "You’re welcome."

Tolu almost laughed.

Almost.

The sound of fighting from the other chamber reminded him where they were.

He looked down the passage.

"What about the other pits?"

"We have three left with Razor Leaches."

"How many?"

"Probably another hundred or so."

Tolu’s eyes widened. "That’s actually more than I expected."

"I told you they’re easy to gather."

"Good."

He nodded slowly. "Those might be our best chance against the stronger creatures."

Ore adjusted the strap of her quiver. "I still have fourteen arrows."

Tolu looked at her. "Fourteen?"

"I had thirty."

His expression tightened. "That’s not enough."

"It is if I don’t waste them."

Tolu nodded.

"You’re right."

She reached into her quiver and pulled out one of the arrows.

"The poison is still on them."

"How effective is it?"

"I don’t know."

"You haven’t tested it?"

"No."

Tolu stared at her.

Ore shrugged.

"We didn’t exactly have time to find a Level Two beast and ask it to volunteer."

Tolu smiled despite himself.

"Fair."

He looked toward the ground.

"What about the spikes?"

"Six traps remain."

"Only six?"

"We triggered some ourselves during testing."

"Right."

"And two were destroyed when the boars broke through."

Tolu nodded. "So four poisoned spike traps."

"Six."

He looked confused.

"Four?"

"Four were destroyed."

She held up her fingers.

"We still have six."

Tolu counted silently.

Then nodded.

"Right."

Ore laughed.

"You’re tired."

"Very."

They both fell quiet.

Tolu looked around the chamber.

The walls were covered with marks from their preparation.

Ropes disappeared beneath the dirt.

Small stakes protruded from concealed mechanisms.

The floor was uneven from all the digging they’d done.

It no longer looked like a natural cave.

It looked like something that had been hastily turned into a battlefield.

Tolu spoke quietly.

"How many boars?"

"Two came through the first chamber."

"So there are still more."

"Probably."

Tolu sighed.

"Those things are a problem."

"They’re strong, but they’re not very clever."

"Strong enough to destroy everything we built."

Ore nodded.

"We need to keep them away from the important traps."

Tolu thought for a moment.

"Can the Mirefangs handle them?"

"Maybe one at a time."

"And if two attack together?"

Ore shook her head. "Then probably not."

Tolu looked toward the passage. "Then we don’t let them fight two at once."

Ore smiled. "You’re getting better at this."

"I’m trying."

A distant crash shook dust from the ceiling.

Both of them looked toward the entrance.

Tolu’s grip tightened around his sword.

"They’re coming."

Ore nodded.

"How many creatures do you think are left?"

"I don’t know."

"That’s comforting."

"I’d rather not lie to you."

She smiled. "Good."

Tolu looked at her.

"For what it’s worth..."

"What?"

"I’m glad you’re here."

Ore’s expression softened. "I’m glad I’m here too."

She stepped closer and rested her head against his shoulder.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

The sounds of battle slowly grew louder.

Tolu looked down at her.

"Do you think we’ll make it?"

Ore lifted her head.

"I don’t know."

She smiled.

"But we’re still here."

Tolu nodded.

"That’s enough for now."

Another roar echoed through the dungeon.

Ore picked up her bow.

Tolu straightened.

The brief moment of peace was over.

He looked toward the remaining traps.

Then toward the chamber where the surviving Mirefangs waited.

"We’ve still got creatures."

Ore nodded.

"Traps too."

Tolu tightened his grip on his sword.

"Then let’s make them pay for every step."