You are Summoned

Chapter 232. Another Contract.

I looked toward the summoning portal, saying goodbye to Tzes’zod and Melvin before I stepped in. Once inside the portal, the system came through with the typical basic information on the summoning. It looked like my contract with the dungeon core was about to activate.

Your summoning parameters are as follows:

This is a contracted summoning for the Ruins of the Forbidden Glade dungeon core.

Summoning tier, 2.

Summoning rank, 2.

Rewards level, moderate.

This summons is combat related. Prepare accordingly.

Forced compliance is active.

Your current loadout has been equipped.

A link to the dungeon core has been established and you have been granted limited control over the dungeon minions.

Stepping out of the portal, I found myself back in the familiar goblin village on the first level of the dungeon. It was where my team had fought against a horde of the creatures, including the giant elite goblin Ebbiq. Now, there were only a scattering of goblins about, probably less than a quarter of what I’d faced in my delve of this place.

Near the stairwell leading to the next floor, a portal appeared, and the dungeon assistant, Capria stepped out of it. I wasn’t sure what species Capria was, but her green skin wasn’t like that of an orc, and her clothing looked like it had grown directly onto her body like a plant. She smiled and nodded at me as the dungeon core spoke.

“I am weak now and must focus all my attentions on the dungeon. Please speak with Capria, she will assist you in what must be done,” the dungeon said. I could feel the fatigue in its voice and given the state of the room I was in, could see the effects of the dungeon’s decline.

“I’ll do what I can for you,” I assured the dungeon.

“Thank you for keeping your end of the bargain, I was happy to see that the contract was created just as you had promised. Time is short, though, and I fear we must get to work immediately,” Capria said.

“Can you tell me what is happening and where you need me?” I asked.

“Yes, after you left, the trespassers continued to venture into the dungeon, always taking more than they left. The wizard that sends the trespassers here was angry that we can no longer spawn as many minions as before, and that our rewards were limited. I’m sorry to say that we no longer have the mana to both spawn minions and attach rewards to them.

“The wizard, after their last venture, said he was going to try one more time, and if the dungeon did not deliver what he expected, he would send in his forces to purge it and collect the core for his own research,” Capria said. I could feel the fear in her voice. If the dungeon core was destroyed, I doubted that the dungeon assistant would survive the experience given how closely they were linked.

I tried to remember the wizard she was referring to. When I had been summoned by him, it was through a device, and I never got to see how powerful he was. The kids that used me and the other summoned beings as characters in their game didn’t seem powerful on their own, especially if they needed an artifact from the wizard to summon us. I needed to know more about what I was up against.

“Do you know the wizard’s power and what kind of forces he can bring to bear?’ I’ve seen the kids that use this place as a game, and I don’t think they would pose a threat to my minions,” I asked.

“The children are trespassers, but they know not what they do. This wizard, a human named Avius, was powerful enough to defeat our defenders in his first run through our home. He was accompanied by several others at the time, warriors, and another spellcaster that acted as a healer. The final defender gave them trouble, and if our dungeon had gathered all its forces, I’m sure we would have won the fight,” Capria advised.

“What type of spells did he use, and did the others with him have any special abilities or magic that you were able to see?” I asked.

“He used several different spells, most of which I would categorize as wind magic, as well as some of the more basic spells available to all wizards. As for his companions, they were competent warriors, with a few martial abilities, most of which I’m not familiar with. Their healer also created some shields over the warriors, but he stuck mostly to using healing spells,” Capria advised.

“Thanks, that’ll give me an idea of what I’m up against if things go south. If it’s at all possible, I’d like to talk to the wizard first and see if we can work out some arrangement that is mutually beneficial and doesn’t require bloodshed. If he’s not amenable to reason, I’ll do all I can to defend your core. If worst comes to worst, what do we have to work with? I doubt I can handle a kill team full of wizards, healers, and warriors with just my minions,” I asked.

“As you can see, our forces are severely depleted. We’re in the process of deactivating the entire second floor to conserve mana. With the resources that the core has gains from recycling the second floor, we’re trying to slowly replenish our numbers here. As of this moment, we have eleven standard goblins and two archers. The core is working on rebuilding the boss for this floor now, but it is a slow process,” Capria said.

“I remember the boss, Ebbiq, he was strong if not very smart. How much control will I have over your defenders?” I asked. A dozen or so goblins and a boss would significantly bolster my forces, but if they just did their normal stupid goblin trick of charging right at the foe, they were only good for slowing an enemy down.

“Our core will grant you complete control, though our core will resume control if you use them foolishly. Depending on how long it takes for the trespassers to return, we may have a few more defenders for you to work with,” Capria said.

“Good, for now, keep everyone in this room, I’ll stay by the entrance and greet our trespassers when they enter. Can you create some obstacles and traps for us, or is that too much of a drain on mana?” I asked.

After working with the military for a while, I had a good idea of what I needed to do to defend this place. One thing we would need was some cover against long range mage spells, and archers. The passageways were also great chokepoints for traps and to set ambushes, but that all depended on how much the dungeon could create for us.

“We can make some of what you wish, though my core cannot both respawn new minions and create these obstacles at the same time. You have control over our defense, so we will defer to your expertise in what you want us to do,” Capria said.

“Okay, let’s get Ebbiq back first, he’s going to be our heavy hitter. After that, we’ll mark out some areas for traps and some adjustments to the passageway where I want to set an ambush. This room will be our final battlefield, but I want the enemy tired, wounded, and out of tricks by the time they get here,” I advised.

“It shall be done as you have asked, Rico Kline,” Capria said.

If things played out like I expected, my first encounter with the wizard would be when he brought another group of kids in with their summoned characters. They wouldn’t prove much of a threat, especially after seeing how poorly the kids controlled their minions. Last time, we didn’t make it halfway to the end of the first floor before they started fighting amongst themselves.

I had lots of surprises planned, but I didn’t want the wizard to get a peek at them on the first visit. I wanted him to come back with his kill team, expecting to face the same as always in the dungeon with only me as the unknown factor. For now, I’d just use the basic melee goblin defenders. They would be what the wizard expected, and with me and a couple of my minions supporting them, we should be able to deal with the kids’ summoned beings.

While we waited for the trespassers to appear, I mapped out what I wanted with Capria. The dungeon, in its diminished state, had a fairly simple layout. There was the starting area which was typically undefended. After that, the passageway continued for a long stretch before reaching the first room. It was there that a half dozen goblins usually waited.

After that first room, the passageway continued on a winding path until reaching the goblin village room that we were in now. This was meant to be the main challenge, and a chance for new parties to learn how to draw out the goblins in small groups, defeating them in the cramped confines of the passageway like I had done on my solo run through here.

If an enemy made it past the hordes of goblins from the village, Capria said that the floor boss, Ebbiq, and four regular goblins would usually comprise the final encounter for the floor. When I had entered the dungeon, the core had gone almost all out on me, sending the entire force, including Ebbiq, into the passageway to fight my minions. I was going to change everything up and hold nothing back if the wizard, Avius, wouldn’t see reason.

Time passed as I marked out what defenses I wanted and where I wanted them placed. After Ebbiq respawned, I had the dungeon core shift to respawning any goblin archers that it could. They were a better fit for my plan than the regular melee goblins, though they would also play a part. After four of the archers were spawned, I shifted to having the core construct the traps and barricades I wanted.

We had made good progress, and about half of the construction was done, when the core spoke to us.

“The trespassers have returned.”