The Demonic Games (Disgardium Book #7): LitRPG Series, Dan Sugralinov [the read aloud family TXT] 📗

Dungeon Boss.

“Mortal!” the boss growled deeply, but didn’t go beyond the bounds of the gates.

Right. So I could forget about just letting all the bosses out. I’d hoped that they’d emerge and block the path down the stairs to the lower levels… But it wasn’t to be. I couldn’t fight Alpha Ryukitsu either, not as a Cursed Cripple… Although… Dungeon boss? Did that mean the levels of the Pitfall were instances of their own? That meant my Dungeon Hero perk would partially compensate for the penalties from the debuff!

“Cowardly mortal!” Ryukitsu roared, dripping smoking saliva. He licked the claws of one paw, then the other. “Take the fight or die!”

Alpha Ryukitsu’s next roar cut off in a guttural yelp as I barreled into him. Surprise activated, knocking the beast off his feet. I focused in on the enemy’s health bar. Seeing no numbers whatsoever, I couldn’t figure out how much health he had. My first strike with Hammerfist, strengthened with Rindzin’s Ghostly Talon, critted and took away 2% of his health. The second, normal attack took away less than 1%.

Unarmed Combat level increased: +1. Current level: 3.

Massive paws bristling with monstrous claws raked open my belly. The boss’s spit, which he’d spread all over his claws, turned out to be Fetid Poison. A Poison debuff began to tick, removing three points of my health every second.

Resilience level increased: +1. Current level: 3.

Once Unarmed Combat reached level seven, my health — along with the boss’s — was down in the yellow. I redoubled my assault, realizing that mathematics was on my side — my Unarmed Combat and Resilience were growing.

At 20%, Alpha Ryukitsu howled. A copy of him materialized nearby, which also started howling. The two bosses turned into four, then eight.

The copies attacked all at the same time apart from one. The closest suddenly exploded in a flash and melded into the ground, after which a nine-foot spear of light suddenly shot up from beneath my feet, stabbing straight through me. The real Ryukitsu stretched his claws toward me and began to absorb my health and mana. I couldn’t do anything.

The spear disappeared when my health was down to just 6%. The boss was now in his enraged phase and healed, and I was right on the brink. Another copy exploded, but this time I managed to fly away at the last second. The spear of light lanced through the earth, found no target and dissipated.

“There he is!” I heard from above.

A squad was running down the stairs, Quetzal and Marcus at its head. Arrows and spells shot toward me, but I easily dodged them.

“Woah! He’s nearly dead!” Marcus shouted gleefully.

“Scyth removed the seal!” Quetzal shouted. “Careful, it’s the boss! Prepare for battle! Everyone inside!”

I had nothing left to do here. My health would take a while to recover, and my debuff was slowing down my leveling too much. I had to find somewhere to wait out the day. But I couldn’t just waste my time either; I needed to spend it leveling up something that could help me. Shame I couldn’t finish off Ryukitsu — that would have been a lot of experience…

Leaving the boss to fight the players, I dropped down like a stone toward the bottom of the Pitfall. Without a healing potion, I would have to wait nearly half an hour to recover my health.

Even at full speed, it took a long time to fly to the bottom. My Night Vision leveled up to almost nine! When the number of the second-to-last floor flashed in fiery letters before my eyes, I slowed my speed. When I saw ‘666’ I stopped, felt out the hard ground with my feet, landed and sat down.

Sitting in lotus pose, I directed my gaze inwards, concentrating on the bright blue point in my chest and the pale azure lines branching off from it — the channels of my spirit. What was it the description said? Long hours of meditation lead to strengthening your spirit.

I was going to need an awful lot of spirit. It was time to add Clarity to my strategy.

Chapter 8. Nothingburger

FROM BEHIND THE GATES numbered 666 and leading to the final level came a mighty thump once per minute, like someone striking a gigantic anvil with a hammer, accompanied by a hum bordering on the ultrasonic, and a squelching noise. The combination interrupted my concentration and I stopped seeing my spirit channels.

The third time my trance-state was interrupted, I fired off Ghastly Howl just to vent my frustration and improve the skill. Night Vision was leveling up with incredible speed. I could already see in the dark as if beneath a starry sky.

Everything else had ground to a halt. The first day of the Games was already past its zenith, and I hadn’t achieved anything. The temptation to go up and sow terror by throwing players into the abyss distracted me from meditation. The thought of my unsuccessful attempt to kill Alpha Ryukitsu filled me with the desire to try to finish off one of the bosses and clear a floor, protecting myself from being knocked out of the Games.

Constant urges to look around and listen to make sure no contestants had come after me also broke my concentration. It would take a long time to get down here by foot, and I probably didn’t have to worry about any uninvited guests that day, but even knowing that, I found it hard to relax. Then I jumped up, remembering that I’d thrown Messiah and Destiny down here. What about the loot from them? I combed the whole floor of the Pitfall, trying to make out their bodies, but found nothing.

Only when I stopped distracting myself and focused on the little grain of spirit within me, on the fine channels of spirit, forgetting the place