Lewd Dungeon, Chapter 362

Chapter 362 – Intercession

Loot:

3000 gp

Potion of Full Healing

Girdle of the Immortal Warrior

Bow of the Ancient Slayer

Golden Helm of Might

Aria’s Soulgem

As their group’s expert on magic, Tabitha quickly looked at the loot table from the chest, ignoring the level-up messages as she looked for a way to save their rogue. Gold was nice, and the potion was better, since the potions which instantly returned you to full HP were very rare. Belt for a tanky type, with some constant HP regeneration and a bonus to CON. An upgrade to Julio’s bow. Helm for a holy type, which would improve Toby’s healing and holy spells. And a ruby gem, cut like an eight-sided die and roughly the size of one of those ‘gold’ dollar coins from before the System.

Aria’s Soulgem

Type

Tool

Rank

Unique

Cost

5000 gp

Weight

0 lb

This gem is the crystalized form of a mortal soul, trapped outside the body, neither living nor dead. The one possessing this gem can control the soul within and conjure them as a ghost, if their will is strong enough. However, the soul can possess the body of a creature holding the gem, if the creature is not able to overcome their will. In some cases, the soul within the gem can trade places with another soul, taking their body and trapping their victim inside the gem. If combined with an item, then the soul is bound to that item, creating an intelligent item that is capable of growing and gaining levels alongside its wielder.

Tabitha frowned, as she looked at the gem’s description, and then turned to Ryker. “Apparently, this gem holds Aria’s soul, boss. But the description doesn’t say anything about how to return it to her body, or anything like that. If you have a strong enough will, you can conjure the soul inside as a ghost under your command, but if their will is stronger, you can be possessed just by holding it, or even find your souls being swapped. And if we attach it to an item, then that item is Aria’s new body. Don’t know how that works, though.”

Toby frowned. Clearly, that description didn’t please the healer. Well, it didn’t please any of them, to be honest. “What if we put the gem on her body? Will that put her back where she needs to be?”

Tabitha shook her head, sadly. “No, not permanently, at least. While she has the gem on her, she would be able to effectively possess herself, but if the gem was ever separated from her, like with one of those stripping traps, her body would drop, like it is now. And I don’t know any way to magically ‘set’ the gem in her flesh. The body isn’t a ring you can put a new setting on, after all.”

Ryker frowned, and said, “Fine, use a [Mage Hand] to set the gem in Aria’s hand. That’ll keep any unfortunate accidents from happening. Not saying that she’d try and possess or switch with one of us on purpose, but she has to be freaking out in there, and scared people do things they wouldn’t normally do. After that, well, we can ask for a bit of divine inspiration, I guess.”

When the [Mage Hand] released the Soulgem into Aria’s hand, the rogue immediately gasped, her hand clutching the gem reflexively. Wide, panicked eyes looked around at them as she scrambled to her feet. “W-what happened? I was reaching for the scepter, and then everything was black. There was nothing, nothing at all. I couldn’t see or hear anything.”

“Look at your hand, and [Appraise] the gem you’re holding,” Ryker said, gently.

“What?” Aria said, looking at the gem. “No. Oh no, no, no. What in the Madoka Magicka is this? I’m a gem now? And if someone takes the gem, they can control me? Fuck, fuck fuckityfuck!”

“Calm down,” Toby said, as he hit her with a [Calming Glow] spell. Aria breathed out, no longer in the grips of a panic attack, and the healer continued, “We know as much as you do. But it seems that the scepter trapped your soul when you touched it. When we finished the encounter, the scepter disappeared with the boss, and your gem was left in the chest with the loot.”

“So, I’m loot now?” Aria said, almost managing to sound cross, despite the spell forcefully calming her still being in effect.

“No, that’s not what he’s saying,” Julio said, “and you know it. Relax, Aria. We just wanted you to be in your body before we asked for help, so you can be part of this.”

“And I believe that is my cue.”

Tabitha managed not to jump as the dungeon god’s voice came from behind her. Everyone turned to see Kuronoth standing there, in his normal black getup, just as he had been when observing the fights in the Arena above. “So, you were watching, then?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “You are the first group to actually defeat the Pharaoh and his team. Quite impressive, honestly, especially with how you adapted when one of your own was claimed by the Scepter.”

Ryker nodded. “It was a surprise. Is there anything you can tell us about the scepter?”

The Demon of the Dungeon stroked his goatee, considering. “Well, I suppose that there’s no harm in telling you a couple of the Scepter’s properties. First, as you no doubt guessed, it works to focus the Pharaoh’s magic. However, it also acts as a soultrap. The only ones who can safely touch it are Undead, Constructs, and Warlocks. Anyone else will find their soul trapped within the scepter, or swapped with the soul in the scepter, if it is already occupied.”

The Golden Knight nodded. “In that case, what about Aria? Is she stuck as a gem, or is there some way to return her to her body?”

“Well, one could use magic to embed the gem in her flesh, thereby uniting the two on a more permanent basis. Or, you could find her a new body, giving her a chance to ‘upgrade’ by switching places with another soul.” The Demon looked at each of them in turn, before his eyes fell on Tabitha. “But then, there is also the option of using her soul to augment one of your items. If you attached her to the Sorceress’s staff, for instance, she would be able to conjure a ghost with shadow powers to help protect her. And the staff would grow in power as you did.” His eyes turned back to Ryker. “Or perhaps your armor? She would always be with you, then, and you would always have a reliable attacker at your side, even when your living party members were not around.”

“Hey!” Aria snapped. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here! I’m not some object to be traded around! I’m a living person!”

The Demon of the Dungeon smiled at her. “Actually, my dear, you are precisely that, an object. That gem is you, and you are the gem, in a very real sense. Drop that gem, even for a moment, and your body will crumple like the soul-less husk it is. You are a puppet on its strings. Just because you are in control, now, does not mean it will always be so.”

Ryker stepped in front of Aria, cutting her off before she could say anything that might actually annoy the dungeon god. Looking the Demon in the eye, he said, “Is there a way to permanently rejoin her to her body, without finding someone who knows the magic to fuse a gem to someone’s body?”

“Of course, there are ways. By the levels you all are at, any wielder of divine power has the ability to return a soul to their mortal frame. Some versions work better than others, but one of the common pieces of every spell of that sort is that the caster must either have possession of the soul in question, or that soul must be free of bonds and willing to return. Otherwise, those spells simply fail.”

The Demon waved off Ryker, silencing the warrior as he was about to say something. “Yes, yes, I know that such spells only work on the dead. But, really, you ought to have figured that part out by now. Just kill your friend, and then use her soulgem as a catalyst to bring her back. Simple and easy, no?”

Toby, their Sunblessed Healer, frowned. “I do not have a resurrection spell available to me. That’s part of the restriction for having my healing be extra effective at helping the living and putting the dead to rest. I can’t actually bring people back to life.”

The Demon smirked, and shook his head in an attitude of exaggerated disappointment. “And you didn’t even bring a single scroll of Resurrection or the like with you? Tsk, tsk. Just goes to show that I have, perhaps, been too gentle with you adventurers. These coming floors will definitely be good for you, I think. I guess your options are to either run back to Swamptown, and see if a priest will help you in killing and raising your friend, or finding an item she can make her new home, before looking for a new rogue to add to the party.”

Julio shook his head. “Don’t forget the third option.”

Aria frowned at Julio. “What third option? You’re not thinking of just leaving me as a gem, are you?”

Julio touched the rogue on the shoulder, and said, “No. I’m suggesting that we talk about the third option, and what it might cost. After all, there is someone here who uses divine power, and could raise you, once we killed you.” Though he was speaking to Aria, his eyes were on the Demon as he said that final line.

Ryker nodded slowly, a frown on his face. “That is an option. The only question is, what will your intercession cost us, Oh Demon of the Dungeon?”

The Demon just smiled. “Very good. It seems you lot aren’t completely hopeless when smashing your way through isn’t working. But I cannot go around giving things out for free. That serves neither Pleasure, nor Domination. If you wish my intercession, then you will have to prove yourselves to me, by demonstrating the spirit of Domination.”

He waved his hand, and five leather collars appeared on the ground before them. Another wave, and the room was filled with silver light. “The five of you who are fully alive, instead of technically not completely dead, shall fight amongst yourselves, until one stands above the rest. Because I am a generous god, I have set a field keeping everyone within it from going below 1 HP, but you will fight until there is one combatant still above that number. The winner will then snuff our little gem’s body, ensuring that both winner and gem climax at least twice in the process. Then I will revive the gem and she and the four losers will each get a new item to wear around their necks.”

Aria shuddered. “That’s twisted. Making us kill each other, and then enslaving everyone? How could we do that?”

“Perhaps you would rather watch as your friends spend time in the Breeding Halls, instead? I know our little Sorceress will be thrilled to help as I try and crossbreed human and horse to try and make a centaur, I have plenty of interesting tests I could run on the guys. But then, you could always just decide to remain a gem.”

“I’m sorry, everyone,” Tabitha said, softly. Then, even as the others turned to look at her, she raised her staff, and called out “[Destruction Vortex]! [Suffocating Rain]! [Wrath of the Lightning God]!” With three spells, she emptied her entire MP pool, unleashing destruction up on everyone in the room. Oh, she knew that the Demon of the Dungeon would be unaffected, but everyone else? The silver field would keep them from dying, but she knew they’d be suffering. Sometimes, not being able to die was worse than mortality. She was sorry for the suffering, but it was the only way.

There was a golden gleam, and then she felt pain. Looking down, she saw Ryker’s sword embedded in her chest, almost to the hilt. Her face rose as her HP plummeted to 1, and she saw Ryker standing there, sorrow on his face, wrapped in golden light, his skin solid gold. Right, he had the [Golden Warrior] skill, allowing him to turn into magical gold temporarily, allowing him to defend against many types of attacks, though it was on a long cooldown.

As her spells faltered, she looked past Ryker, to see Aria safe within a barrier next to the Demon of the Dungeon. Ryker had just ‘killed’ her, and was the last one standing after she had ‘killed’ the rest of her party. She sighed weakly as Ryker pulled his blade from her chest, and she slumped to the floor.

“I know why you did it, Tabby, and I forgive you. But this is a burden I should shoulder, as the leader.” Then, Ryker turned towards Aria, who was staring at him, wide-eyed. “Don’t worry, Aria. We’ll have you back before you know it.”