Sera - A Dungeon Revival LitRPG

Outside Sera's Dungeon.

Shrike released a heavy sigh, his shoulders slightly sagging as he approached the camp. His men were scattered haphazardly around the clearing, a disordered contrast to their uniform appearance.

Each soldier wore the same vibrant red cloak he did, emblazoned with a stark black eagle on the back. Their armor from breastplates to steel-capped boots caught the fading light from the sunlight that filtered through the forest canopy above.

Despite the uniformity of their attire, the camp itself was in disarray. Several soldiers lounged carelessly on rough-hewn logs with tankards of beer clutched loosely in their hands, amber liquid sloshing over the rims with every hearty laugh.

Others reclined against their rocks and tree trunks as they lost themselves in tales and crude jokes. If Shrike had his way, he'd have fired over half the squad a long time ago, but he's a man who works with what he has been given.

Shrike stopped right in the middle of his men. He tightened his grip on the shaft of his metallic spear and brought it down with force against the hard-packed soil. The impact produced a thunderous boom and was accompanied by an electrical shockwave that surged outward.

The raucous laughter choked off mid-sound, and the careless sloshing of beer halted as if frozen in time. Every man jolted to alertness as they scrambled from their makeshift seats and slouched positions.

The campsite filled with the clatter of armor and the hurried shuffle of boots as the soldiers snapped to attention. Their postures straightened as their eyes focused forward.

Shrike paced deliberately in front of his men, pausing to look each of the ten soldiers arrayed before him in the eyes. "Listen up! I know everyone's excited for today's mission, but you all need to stop fucking around, understood?"

His men snapped to even straighter postures. "Yes, Boss!"

With a satisfied nod, Shrike tapped his spear against the ground once again, sending a minor tremor through the soil. "Grab your shock spears, along with your light and firestorm runes, we're going into the dungeon immediately."

The men sprang into action, each swiftly grabbing their gleaming metallic spears. They then reached for small, leather pouches that jingled with the sound of enchanted runes. Shrike took the lead as he cut a path through the dense forest. The underbrush gave way to his passage, branches and leaves rustling softly in his wake.

Soon, he spotted what he had thought to be the entrance to a dungeon. However, as Shrike’s gaze fell upon the entrance, his confident stride faltered. Where there should have been a traditional wooden or stone gate, he saw a barrier made from intertwining roots instead. The fuck? Don't think I've ever seen a dungeon entrance like that before.

He turned sharply to the man on his right. "Wesley! Did we go the wrong way?"

Wesley frantically pulled out a crumpled map from a leather sling bag slung over his shoulder. He unfolded it hastily, eyes darting between the paper and the root barrier. Uh, I'm pretty sure this should be it."

Shrike eyed the dungeon entrance once more as he tried to make sense of the anomaly. "Stay behind me. I'll try to get a better look."

He moved towards the dungeon’s peculiar entrance cautiously, tightening his grip around the shaft of his spear, the polished metal cool and reassuring under his fingers. Then, he pushed the sharp tip of his spear into the roots.

With each press, a curious thing happened: the roots unfurled and slunk back to the ground as if responding to the touch of the spear. The more he pressed, the more the roots withdrew, slowly revealing glimpses of the dark interior of the dungeon.

Turning to face his men, Shrike saw them straighten up under his intense gaze. "Alright, the dungeon seems to have changed a little bit, but the mission stays the same. We take the dungeon core and get out. Any questions?"

"Boss, what about the beastkin shifter? Heard the one in this dungeon might be pretty strong." One of his men said.

"Relax, this dungeon is still new and hasn't been opened to the public yet. Means that the monsters will be weaker, and if we just go for the head of the guardian beast, we'll be fine."

"But aren't those shifters usually really strong?"

"And we have a full squad with shock spears and firestorm runes, what's your point?"

"N-nothin' Boss."

Shrike slammed his spear against the ground again, creating a small shockwave that rippled through the air. "We're doing one last weapon test and then we're going in, move!"

The men quickly scrambled into position, each gripping their shock spears. They aligned their weapons as they aimed at various trees encircling the clearing.

Shrike paced deliberately in front of his men as he meticulously inspected each soldier’s stance and equipment. "Remember, we got these spears from the royal guard, and they didn't sell them for cheap. If any of them break, it's coming right out of your cut for the month."

As his eyes roved over the line of soldiers, Shrike’s keen gaze caught a flaw. Wesley’s spear was angled a few degrees too low, the point directed towards the ground, a sloppy mistake that could prove costly. Damn idiot.

Shrike approached Wesley and exhaled loudly. "When we fight a beastkin shifter, do you really think we're gonna kill it by shooting the ground?"

Wesley's eyes widened, he frantically adjusted his spear and raised it to a more appropriate level. "N-no, Boss."

Shrike sighed deeply, a mix of frustration and resolve crossing his features. He then positioned himself, his own spear aimed at a sturdy oak tree. "Everyone! On my mark."

"Ready!"

Upon Shrike's command, every single shock spear's rune covered tip pulsed with electrical energy. The air around them crackled audibly, blue arcs of electricity dancing wildly as the energy built to a crescendo.

"Fire!"

A torrent of lightning blasts erupted from the tips of the Shock Spears in unison. The lightning struck the surrounding trees with devastating force, many of the trunks exploding into splinters as the powerful energy cleaved through them.

The air was filled with the deafening sounds of splintering wood and the thunderous crashes of toppling timber. The interiors of the trees were exposed by the blasts, glowing an intense red-hot from the searing energy.

Steam hissed violently from the shattered trunks, and thick, acrid smoke billowed upward as the sap inside the trees boiled furiously. Gradually, the once-vibrant glow of the scorched wood dulled back to its charred state while the pungent smell of charred bark lingered in the air.

Shrike lowered his spear. "Spears down!"

His men followed his command without hesitation. As they settled their weapons, Shrike tapped the butt of his spear against the ground rhythmically as he walked towards the dungeon entrance.

He paused, turning to address his squad with a stern look. "One last thing, don't fuck with the firestorm runes unless absolutely necessary. They're expensive and each pouch only has one."

"Got it, Boss!" The men responded in unison.

Suddenly, Shrike tensed, his sharp eyes catching a glimpse of movement behind his men. A figure clad in a black cloak and covered in bandages walked silently towards them. The eerie sight almost made Shrike's heart skip a beat.

Shrike's men noticed his reaction and quickly turned around, aiming their shock spears at the approaching figure. The air crackled with tension, the men ready to unleash their weapons at a moment's notice.

"Stand down," Shrike commanded, stepping forward with a measured pace. His eyes narrowed as the figure drew closer. "Zoha?"

The figure stopped and waved a hand, a familiar voice emerging from beneath the hood. "It's been a while, another dungeon core heist?"

Shrike let out a hearty laugh, the tension in the air dissipating slightly. "That depends," he said, his tone lightening. "Are you the one they paid to guard it?"

"You could say that I have an arrangement like that, yes."

"How much do you need to look away this once?"

Zoha tilted her head, a playful grin spreading across her face. "Tell you what, Shrike. I'll do you a favor and won't interrupt this time."

She stepped closer, her presence almost palpable. Leaning in, she whispered into his ear, her breath warm against his skin. "When you inevitably fail, I'll be there to watch."

Before Shrike could react, Zoha vanished into a swirling cloud of flies. The sudden transformation drew confused and fearful gasps from Shrike and his men. The flies buzzed around them for a few seconds before dispersing into the air.

Shrike blinked, his mind racing to process what had just happened. He turned to his men, their expressions mirroring his own confusion. Since when could Zoha do that? And what in the fuck kind of magic was that?

"What was that?" one of the men asked.

"Should we just back off?" another man suggested.

"Calm down, we're not going anywhere. We have a job to do." Shrike said.

His expression hardened into one of resolute determination. He turned around and reached for his spear. His muscles tensed, ready for action. "Let's move."

***

When Shrike and his men entered the dungeon, they stuck close together, spears poised in all directions. The cavern they found themselves in was draped with a thick carpet of glowing moss, casting a soft light that barely pierced the encompassing darkness.

Shrike raised his hand and signaled to his men. "Light runes, now!"

His men immediately reached into their pouches, withdrawing small yellow runes. They all crushed the runes in their hands, the brittle material crumbling easily. And almost instantly, a mote of yellowish light materialized before each of them, hovering in the air and casting a warm glow that lit up the cavern more fully.

With the newfound light, Shrike took a few cautious steps forward to get a better look at his surroundings. There was nothing of note just yet.

Shrike lowered his hand, signaling to his men. "We’re clear for now, let’s go."

The men relaxed their stances slightly but remained vigilant as they walked in a more relaxed state. Shrike constantly eyed the surroundings, alert for any hint of danger. To his surprise, not a single monster attacked even as his men made it further and further into the dungeon.

That was, until one of his men yelled out a warning, "Incoming! Nine o'clock!"

Instantly, Shrike and all his men pointed their spears to the left. Their armored boots crunching against the ground.

From the shadowy corners of the cavern, a massive bipedal creature lumbered into view. It was a terrifying blend of the organic and the monstrous, composed of intertwined fungal strands and thick, mushroom-like plates that acted as a form of natural armor. Its movements were slow but each of its steps caused the ground to tremble slightly under its weight.

The moment it stepped closer within striking range, Shrike yelled. "Fire!"

A barrage of lightning shocks erupted from the tips of the Shock Spears, the air crackling with raw electrical energy. Each bolt seared through the dimly lit cavern as they struck the fungal creature. The impacts bored through its spongy flesh, creating sizzling holes that illuminated the cavern with each flash.

With every strike, sections of the creature’s body blackened and crumbled into ashen fragments. The creature convulsed violently under the assault, its form disintegrating piece by piece until it finally collapsed to the ground with a heavy, wet thud.

As the dust settled, the creature’s corpse rapidly transformed into ethereal wisps of blue mana. Several items dropped onto the now-scorched cavern floor: a glistening brown sphere, roughly the size of a large apple as well as several sizable chunks of mushroom plates, their edges still smoldering from the intense heat of the lightning blasts.

One of Shrike's men approached the new loot, first reaching for the orb to examine it closely. He turned it over in his hands, feeling its weight and texture. "Any of you think this one is bigger than usual?"

Shrike approached the man and gestured with his free hand, indicating that he wanted a closer look. "Let me see that."

The man handed over the orb obediently. Shrike raised it to his eye level, scrutinizing the shimmering surface and the faint pulsing light within. "I've seen bigger monster cores, but for how easy that one was to kill... I suppose it is rather large."

He then handed the orb to Wesley. "Pack it up."

Wesley nodded and quickly opened his sling bag, carefully placing the monster core inside. As he cinched the bag shut, his gaze shifted to the scattered mushroom plates strewn across the cavern floor. "What about those things, Boss?"

Shrike approached the mushroom plates. He bent down and picked up one of the larger plates, his spear tucked securely under his armpit to free his other hand. Holding the plate up, he flexed it gently, testing its resilience and noting the texture and weight.

He then tapped on its surface with his knuckles, listening intently to the hollow sound it produced. The plate’s durability and structure wasn't too shabby, perhaps it could be made into something useful.

He handed the mushroom plate to Wesley. "It's decent material, maybe the smiths back in the underground can work it into something,"

While Wesley packed up the plate, Shrike took the opportunity to survey their surroundings. He took a few steps forward, sweeping across the cave as his men continued to scout the area. "Anyone find anything else useful?"

One of his men stepped towards him, shaking his head in response. "We got nothing for now, Boss."

Shrike grunted, signaling his readiness to move deeper into the cavern. His men followed suit, eyes scanning the dimly lit surroundings as they advanced.

The oddest thing so far to Shrike was the scarcity of monsters within the dungeon. They did eventually encounter two more of the mushroom creatures, similar to the first. However, these encounters were not much of a challenge as the monsters were quickly dispatched without any trouble. Didn't think this dungeon would be this easy.

Other than the mushroom creatures, the cavern was eerily devoid of further monstrous presence. All of it felt very wrong to Shrike, because he was told that this dungeon housed a particularly large dungeon core. Even if the core was relatively new, he would expect for at least human guards to be present while the core generated new monsters in the meantime.

Yet, his thoughts were cut short when he spotted a large opening in the cave wall ahead. It was partially obscured by thick roots, similar to those at the entrance. A wave of unease washed over him at the sight, but the promise of the substantial payoff from securing the dungeon core spurred him on. Can't turn back now.

He tapped the butt of his spear against the ground to capture his men's attention. "Heads up, boys, we're going in there next."

As Shrike and his men neared the root-entangled opening, their presence elicited a response from the living barrier. Gradually, the dense weave of roots pulled back to reveal the chamber room beyond.

They stepped into the chamber cautiously, their eyes immediately drawn to an intricate magic circle inscribed on the floor. And at its center was a delicate silver flower. The chamber itself was dimly lit, walls lined with bioluminescent moss.

The men exchanged puzzled glances as they approached the magic circle. One of them tentatively stepped into the circle, boots scraping against the cavern floor. "What do you think this is, Boss?"

Another soldier crouched down to inspect the silver flower. "This some kind of display or what?"

"Be careful," Shrike warned, stepping closer. "We don't know what we're dealing with here."

Shrike stepped into the circle himself, spear held tightly in his hand. He turned slowly, scanning the chamber for any signs of danger. Until suddenly, a disembodied voice echoed through the room.

Do you wish to be taken to the next floor?

Shrike gripped his spear tighter. "Who said that?"

Do you wish to be taken to the next floor?"

Shrike exchanged a bewildered glance with his men before nodding decisively. "Just get in the damn circle."

The soldiers hesitated for a moment before obeying, stepping into the circle and forming a tight cluster around the silver flower. "Uh, take us to the next floor?" Shrike said, his voice firm despite the uncertainty gnawing at him.

Please remain calm and stay within the circle.

A bright light enveloped them, the intensity of it causing them to squint and shield their eyes. They soon felt weightless as their bodies were teleported away.

***

While his vision cleared, Shrike almost stumbled as the abrupt shift from one environment to another left him disoriented. Instinctively, he reached up, clutching his head with one hand as he fought to regain his balance.

The cavern around him looked similar to the one they had just left, covered with faint traces of glowing moss. "What... happened?"

"Pretty sure we got teleported, Boss," Wesley groaned beside him, clutching his own head as he tried to steady himself.

While the rest of his men slowly gathered themselves, Shrike leaned on his spear for support and used it as a makeshift staff to help him walk forward. Despite the shock of their sudden displacement, the men quickly regained their composure, checking their equipment and readying themselves for whatever was ahead.

The new floor appeared to be much the same as the first. It even had the same three mushroom creatures they had encountered before, stationed as if guarding the area. These were dispatched swiftly in much the same manner as before, allowing Shrike and his men to pick up the drops and move on fast.

But eventually, one of Shrike’s men ventured too close to a particularly glowy mushroom. As he extended his hand to touch the radiant fungi, it suddenly detonated with a soft pop and released a burst of glittering spores.

The soldier’s eyes widened in shock as he inhaled the spores, his body seizing up almost immediately. He collapsed to the ground, his limbs stiffening into a rigid, unresponsive state.

The cavern was momentarily filled with frantic activity as his comrades rushed to his side. One soldier quickly uncorked a vial of potion and poured it carefully into the fallen man’s mouth.

For a tense minute or two, the paralyzed soldier remained motionless. But gradually, the potion took effect. His eyes blinked rapidly as awareness returned, his breath evening out as he regained control of his limbs.

Regrouping after this unexpected setback, Shrike led his men deeper into the cavern. Soon, they reached another opening, this one leading to a familiar looking magical circle.

Wesley, recalling the previous encounter, half-joked, "Should we ask it again to take us to the next floor?"

Immediately as before, the panel responded. Within moments, the familiar sensation of dematerialization overtook the group as they were enveloped in blinding light.

The next thing Shrike knew, he found himself standing within a truly enchanting forest. The trees here were unlike any he had ever seen, their trunks broad and twisting high into the air.

But before he had too much time to take in his mesmerizing surroundings, a rustling sound snapped him back to reality. Instinctively, Shrike raised his spear toward the source of the noise, his men quickly following his lead, their weapons poised and ready.

A figure emerged from the dense underbrush. It was a gray-furred beastkin who looked like he came straight from the slums. Shrike's guess was that the beastkin was likely owned by another adventuring party using him as a pack mule.

Regardless, Shrike wasn't aware that any other adventuring party was supposed to be here with him, unless his informant lied to him. "Where are your masters, doggy?"

The beastkin clenched his fists. "None of you should be here."

Despite the tension, Shrike couldn’t help but chuckle at the beastkin's warning. "Are you lost? Because we got bigger fish to fry."

The beastkin's eyes narrowed. "I'm warning you, this isn't going to end well."

"Wait a minute, did your party get to that dungeon core before us?"

"Go eat a dick."

Shrike let out a snort of derision as he glanced at Wesley. "Make the doggy talk."

Wesley nodded and primed his spear, the tip crackling with building electrical energy. As the beastkin tried to dodge behind a nearby tree for cover, Wesley released the charged shot.

The blast of lightning streaked through the air and struck the beastkin's leg. The energy shredded through muscle and bone, nearly destroying the limb instantly. The beastkin howled in pain and anger, collapsing to the ground as his leg gave out under him.