Dungeon Builder's Harem Book 01 Ch. 09

Chapter Nine

I spent the next two days working on my dungeon.

The first thing I added on, at Souleen's suggestion, was a dynamic map in my throne room. Set in the floor before my throne, it would let me monitor all the activity in the dungeon. Basically, a magical security device. It showed all the tunnels and had dots for everyone. I sat on my throne to admire it.

There was my simple dungeon. A white dot blinked where my throne lay while a gold dot was standing nearby. Lana Fulmine. There were four blue dots in the guard room, my will o' wisps. I could see all the details of my domain. The doors. It was a useful thing.

But my dungeon was not. It needed more defenses.

I created two more will o' wisps to guard it, Gintaras and Dvasia. They were such loving creatures. After pumping their pussies full of cum, I began designing my dungeon. I replaced the guard room with a simple maze, a winding collection of tunnels where I scattered the will o' wisps in strategic spots. They all seemed content to spend their days just standing around as guards, happy to protect me.

Beyond the maze, I put my first trap room. I really had access to only one magical trap: lightning columns. They would zap anyone who got too close to them, five feet or so. I scattered them through a rectangular room that all intruders had to go through. It was the only way to reach my throne room.

I reinforced the door to my throne room and added a few pit traps throughout the dungeon in the maze part. Simple things that should, hopefully, drop any enemies in them. I was rather proud of it when I finished.

"It's simple," said Souleen, "but you really can't make one much bigger without getting another glyph or waiting a few weeks for the Void Crystal to expand its capabilities."

"True," I said, stretching my arms over my head. It was the end of my second day of creation. My back was sore. Lana Fulmine was making me dinner right now. It wasn't the most inspired fare, but it was all I had. "I think I'll have Lana give me a rubdown after dinner."

"Mmm, enjoy, Lord Leo," said Souleen.

"I will. She has magic fingers."

I rolled my shoulders to work out the stiffness and opened the door to my room. Lana Fulmine was lying on the bed on her side. She was flipping through a book. I had recreated a collection of my favorite books and comic books. They came out looking like ancient tomes, leather-bound with parchment pages and handwritten script complete with fanciful, illuminated letters.

She looked up at me, lightning flicking from her hair. A smile crossed her silvery face. She closed the book. "So you need my--"

The piercing notes of the dungeon's alarm blared through the room. The sound assaulted my ears and froze me in my tracks. A wave of cold fear washed through me. My heart thundered in my chest, flooding the chill throughout my body. My fingers flexed.

The throne room, Lord Leo, Souleen gasped in my ear. We are under attack.

Lana Fulmine rolled off the bed. Her lightning wings pulsed and crackled. Her face grew fierce, an un-Lana expression. Bolts of electricity zapped from her, striking the floor and ceiling. Curls of smoke rose from them.

"Leo," she said.

I wasn't ready for this. I hadn't even been here long, just a week, and already I was under attack? Why? What had I done besides just existing? I wasn't attacking the local village. My monster girls weren't raiding and causing problems like other dungeon builders. I just wanted to be left alone.

Lord Leo, to the throne room. You must be ready to protect me, Souleen gasped. We have a contract, my Lord. I need you to save me.

"Leo," Lana said again. She took my hand. "I'm here, Leo. You're my number one fan. I'm not going to disappoint you. The will o' wisps are not going to disappoint you, either. So let's go. Let's repel this rabble and scatter them. You have your magic."

I did have my magic. I was gifted with power. I drew in a deep breath and nodded, letting Lana take my hand and lead me from the room. I squeezed her hand, the robes I wore rustling about me. She opened the door of the bedroom onto the living room. It had furniture now. A bookshelf with those tomes I had made. Then we were in the corridor to my throne room.

Throne room? It sounded so pretentious. But I was the dungeon builder. The dungeon master. I was the person who constructed this place. Controlled it. I had needed a seat of power. I drew in a deep breath. I had a role to play here. I was the final boss. I had to be ready to crush my enemies. If I failed, Lana would die. The will o' wisps would perish.

Souleen would die.

They were counting on me to be strong. I walked with my back straight. I marched faster, pulling ahead of Lana now. I released her hand and threw open the door to my throne room. The large room echoed with my entrance. I mounted the dais and sat on my throne.

The map projection appeared. I stared down at it. I could see all the dots. There was my white dot in the throne room, Lana's gold dot beside me. My will o' wisps were the blue dots, and there in the guard room was two red dots. They had broken through the main doors.

Two dots. Okay. I could handle this. I had six will o' wisps and...

A blue dot winked out. I gasped as I felt Sviesos, my first will o' wisp, die. My hands clenched tight on my armrest. My chest rose and fell. Power rushed through the maze at her death. The dots in the room moved about. A red one closed on a blue.

Svyte died.

"Shit," I muttered. Their beautiful faces, made of the roiling plasma, danced in my mind. They were so loving and playful. Now they were dying. Anger swelled in me.

Kibir snuffed out.

"Come on," I growled. Lana stood beside me, her arms folded. Lightning crackled from her wings as she ground her teeth together.

A blue dot rushed the red dot from behind. But then she vanished. Zaibas slain. That was four of them. Over half my will o' wisps were dead. Fury beat in my heart. I ground my teeth together. I didn't make them to die. I made them to protect. To love.

So long as we win this day, Souleen whispered, they can come back. They are made from me. They are pieces your Will and Words shaped, Lord Leo. They can be reborn, but only if you protect me. If you fall...

I swallowed. Gintaras died. Now only Dvasia was left. She didn't last long.

I slammed my fist down on the armrest of my throne. Lana snarled her fury as we watched the red dots move through the maze. They had a few wrong starts, but they found their way through to my trap room.

Would it be enough?

The lightning columns flashed on my screen. They discharged their electric attacks. The two red dots pulled back into the hallway. Maybe it was enough to deal with them. My heart squeezed tight. I wanted to restore my will o' wisps to life. I wanted to have a dungeon where no one attacked. Where we could live peacefully.

The red dots burst back into the room. The lightning columns flashed on the map. One of their icons winked out. Then another. Frustration growled through me. The dots were heading for the door, moving along the side of the room. A column flashed. One dot reeled back.

Then the trap vanished. They moved on, bursting through the exit. They were in the hallway that led here. Fear clenched tight about my heart, fighting with the fury at my home being invaded. My monster girls being dispatched.

"It is time to arm yourself, my lord," Lana said.

I swallowed. I glanced at the corner where my armor lay. Souleen had me make it. I had never worn it. A silver breastplate imbued with crackling lightning. I stood up as Lana went to fetch it. The red dot had to contend with the final gauntlet of traps. Trapdoors that dropped into pits. One activated. The dot hovered over it for a moment, making it impossible to tell if the enemy was caught or not.

Then the two red dots merged as if one pulled the other free. I sighed.

Lana returned with my breastplate. She held it up for me. I thrust my arms out as she cinched it tight. She worked the straps around it until it fit over my gray robe. I felt like a sorcerer-king with it on. Then she handed me the spear, the haft made of silvery metal, the tip gold and crackling with more electricity.

She smiled at me. "You can do this, Leo." She fluttered her wings wide. Lightning crackled between them. "We will stop them."

"Yes, we will," I lied. Could we? They had killed all my will o' wisps. I glanced at the map. They were almost here.

I took my seat, my right hand clenching the spear. I stared at the door to my throne room, my eyes boring hard at it. My heart thundered in my chest. Blood rushed hot through my veins. Kill my monster girls? Invade my domain?

Fucking heroes. I hadn't harmed anyone.

The doors flung open.

A tall man entered with black hair and eyes that appeared to be red. He wore a black robe that clad his chest and then fell open as if to show off the tight, leather pants he wore. He held a staff of a shadow-stained wood in his hand. Behind him, a woman entered. She was tall with dark-purple skin, on the edge of fading to black itself. She was a busty beauty, naked and unashamed. She held a shadowy sword in her right hand. Blue hair spilled down around her fierce face.

The man leered at Lana. "I am going to enjoy having her in my harem," he said, his gaze flicking over her. "Yes, I am. Lightning and Dark sound fun together, don't you think?"

"You're a dungeon builder?" I demanded in shock. Not a hero at all. But someone like me. Someone brought to this world and given powers.

"Mthunzi," he said and gave a mocking bow. "That is my new name."

"New name?" I asked, snorting. I glared at him. "I am Leo Baldwin." I rose, gripping my spear. "You trespass on my domain at your peril."

He burst into mocking laughter. "Oh, you are young. What are you, eighteen?"

"Nineteen," I growled. "You think you can march into my domain and steal my woman?"

"Yes." Mthunzi smiled. "You're new here. Been, what, a week. You had an uninspired dungeon. You did nothing to give your will o' wisps any defense. I'm lucky I got here before any of the more powerful dungeon builders found you. I'm going to steal the power of your Void Crystal and add your rune to mine." He leered at Lana. "I'm going to enjoy fucking you."

"Stick your cock in me, and you'll find out how exhilarating I can be," Lana said and lightning burst from her.

Mthunzi laughed again. "Once I have his rune, you won't care about any of that. You'll love me."

I slammed the butt of my spear down in anger. I struggled to remember the words to the magic I had been taught. How to use it. The way I had to imagine it rushing out of me. I glared at this bastard. I would ram my spear into him.

"No one takes Lana Fulmine from me," I growled.

The man grinned. "Lana Fulmine. Jane Dangerous herself, huh? I wish I had thought of her." Then words spilled from his mouth: "Shadows flow and darkness sharpens, let the cunning of Lord Zuen stab!"

He raced forward as he threw darkness at me. It flashed across the room straight at me.

Out of instinct, I thought of protective electricity and cried out, "Lightning crackle and hiss, gird me in the love of Lady Uttu!"

The aura of crackling electricity leaped around me. The darkness hit it, freezing amid the cage of lightning flowing around me. I saw it then, the dagger of darkness he had conjured. It fought to break through my protecting barrier before sizzling away into motes of darkness.

I grinned. I could do this.

A second dagger slammed into my protection, cast while I was exulting. My Static Aura crackled. His dagger burst into shadows even as my protecting spell shorted out. It died away, leaving me standing undefended.

Darkness tumbled at me.

"Fuck!" I jumped to the side. The dark dagger flashed past and struck my throne while I hit the ground, my breastplate clattering.

To my right, Lana Fulmine and the purple-skinned monster rushed at each other. Lighting fired from her wings, blocked by the enemy monster girl's shadowy sword. I pushed myself back up, Mthunzi almost upon me.

"Spark of lightning, crackle of electricity, let the wrath of Lord Enlil explode!" I cried out, thinking of a burst of lightning.

The bolt of hissing, white-blue plasma shot from me. Mthunzi cursed and flung himself to the side, hitting on my map. He rolled over it as I scrambled back to my feet. I grinned, exhilaration flowing through my body. I could attack, too.

I spoke the words and threw another Lighting Spear at the enemy dungeon builder.

"In darkness slumbers and shadows hide, let the grace of Lady Ninazu fall!" Mthunzi cried even as he rolled to dodge the attack. My Lighting Spear slammed into the ground where he'd lain. Smoke curled up.

Darkness engulfed him. A cloud of darkness ten feet across. It utterly hid him. I froze then, frowning. I raised my left hand to fire another Lightning Spear at him. He had to be somewhere in that black. Where, though?

"Spark of lightning, crackle of electricity, let the wrath of Lord Enlil explode!" I chanted and threw a Lightning Spear, magic coursing through me from the Void Crystal. I could feel it dwindling.

The lightning bolt slammed through the darkness obscuring him. It passed out through the other side and hit the far wall. I shifted my aim even as the cloud moved, Mthunzi running in it. I fired a second Lighting Spear. A third. They crackled through his obscuring protection as he wove closer and closer to me.

"Fuck," I growled. How could I hit him if I couldn't see him?

* * / *

Lana Fulmine fired another bolt of lightning from her wings, her anger surging through her body.

The enemy monster girl raised her sword before her, the black blade absorbing the energy. Crackles of blue raced up the shadowy blade. The purple-skinned woman smiled, her blue hair rippling. Flashing light danced over her gloating expression.

"My lord shall enjoy you," she said, her eyes blazing with ecstasy. "Oh, yes, yes, we shall be on our knees together sucking his cock."

"I would never suck his dick," Lana snarled and fired another bolt of lightning at the enemy. "Only my number one fan deserves to feel my mouth on his cock."

She laughed as she advanced, her weapon absorbing it. Lana's hands clenched. She had to get closer to the enemy. If Lana touched the other monster girl, she could stun the woman. Maybe even kill her. Lana's fingers flexed as she pivoted on the balls of her feet.

What would Jane Dangerous do?

She'd quip a one-liner, roll on the ground, and come up with double pistols blazing, gunning down her enemy.

Lana dived for the stone floor. She tucked her head in and landed just like she had practiced for the movies. In this body, she felt so strong and athletic. She was beyond her mortal limits. She came up and her wings spread wide.

Twin bolts of lightning fired at the enemy.

Her rival pivoted, the sword flashing. She caught the first bolt of lightning on her sword. Blue chains rippled down it, electricity coursing over the shadowy blade. Then she whipped her weapon to the left and caught the second one. Her smile spread as flashing light spilled over her face.

"Nice," she said. "Jane Dangerous. I always did love those movies. I wanted to be you." She flexed the fingers of her left hand. Then shadows swirled. She drew back her arm and threw the forming weapon.

A short spear. A javelin of darkness hurtled at Lana. She rolled to the side. It stabbed the ground. As she came up to her feet, the enemy rushed in. Lana gasped at how fast the purple-skinned monster girl closed the distance. In a heartbeat, she was on the lightning sprite.

She rammed the shadow-sword into Lana's guts.

Pain burst through the movie starlet. Exultation spilled over the enemy's face. Her blade had punched into Lana Fulmine's guts all the way to the crossguard. It burst out her back. Crackling blood spilled down her stomach. Her large breasts heaved. The triumph blazed in the enemy's eyes.

"This won't kill you," the enemy said. "Once your lord is dead, you'll be Mthunzi's. Then we'll be fucking him together, Jane Dangerous. We'll be his whores."

"NEVER!" Lana Fulmine roared and thrust her arm forward. She slammed her hand into the bitch's neck and unleashed her lightning.