Bruce_Sentar

DD 204 Ch 17

Chapter 17

Bedraggled with his shield arm limp and wielding a two handed sword with on hand, the lion had looked far better when the fight began. He popped a potion into his one good hand, holding it with two fingers while trying to keep the sword angled at me.

I’d been waiting for that, snapping out a throwing knife from my CID and shattering the vial before he could even get the stopper out.

“Curse you.” He hiss and swung for my head, only for me to ...

DD 204 Ch 16

"Maybe we don't jump straight to murder," I suggested, glancing at Crimson as I worked my way to my feet.

She waved a hand at me, and blue magic jumped off her fingertips to help accelerate my healing.

"You have healing magic?" I asked, squinting at her, wondering who this woman was before me.

"Of course I do," she replied. "When you have as many resources as I do, why not grab a few emergency spells? Like, what if I needed to heal myself? Or if my Ken was nearly dead?" ...

DD 204 Ch 15

I followed behind the older shaman, with Felin at my side, despite her people's attempts to separate us. Felin seemed to sense that this might not end well, especially if we were separated.

At least, it might not end well for me, that was for certain. 

The shaman walked into a large building. The interior was mostly open, with columns breaking up the circular space. There were a few doorways that led off to other rooms, but we didn't seek those out. The shaman sat down at a d...

DD 204 Ch 14

It had been four days since we figured out who was going to make our meals and a whole week after we had returned to earth from our misadventures from the Dungeon Shuffle.

We had been zigzagging our way across the dungeon, bouncing between level 45 and even going as high as level 30. At this point, I felt confident that the Nekorians were not going to pop up.

But having that concern alleviated didn't stop us from portaling back to a comfortable location every evening. While there ...

DD 204 Ch 13

Chapter 13

"Time out," Penny said after we killed the most recent pack.

We had worked ourselves back up two more floors and were now on the 48th floor. The gazelle's only getting a little easier.

“I'm starting to slip," Penny said, looking over the group. "I'd say we should probably call it a night."

"Agreed," Des said. "I'm starting to go cross-eyed, focusing on my spells."

"All right then," I waved a hand, "but we should probably go back to S...

DD 204 Ch 12

Chapter 12

She looked almost nervous but rapidly nodded her head. "Of course. Why wouldn't I want to meet them?" She started marching forward at full tilt, straight towards the Nekorian party whose attention had already shifted to us.

The large ears on their heads were not for show. When I first met Felin, she had overheard my conversation from the other side of a crowded bar. Certainly, in the open safe zone, they would have heard me from a mile away. And, possib...

DD 204 Ch 11

Several days later, with plenty of experience piled on from slaughtering zombies, my party found ourselves back in the boss room on the 50th floor. We had encountered more Orkai and maintained a passing friendliness with them, but we hadn't gleaned any information about the boss. And even if they had provided some, I was not particularly trusting when diving the dungeon.

We were going to figure the boss out for ourselves. 

The boss room contained a large crypt and a not-so-la...

DD 204 Ch 10

The coffin-wielding zombie swung at Penny, but our tank rolled away just in time.

Ice spikes rippled through the group of monsters, hitting most, but not all, of the smaller zombies that had emerged from the crypt.

The coffin landed with an explosive swirl of mist that condensed and then expanded in a ring, knocking Penny and I backwards.

I slid on the balls of my feet, using my swords to drag along the ground, then kicked forward like an Olympic sprinter coming out of the s...

DD 204 Ch 9

Chapter 9

We stepped out of my portal and into Star City, my new group in tow. Penny was our tank, Charlotte was our healer, Des and I were damage, and Felin was a flexible support and damage dealer.

Felin's shaman class had a wide range of abilities, largely themed with ice and lightning. She could use these elements in attacks and to enhance our abilities. She had a small heal, but more powerfully, she could create barriers of ice to protect people from blows at critical moments...

DD 204 Ch 8

I spent the next two days in Italy with the elves, becoming nearly addicted to the soft love the three of us repeatedly indulged in during our time. We barely took breaks for coffee and meals.

Of course, the two of them loaded up the skills they wanted most. Elysara had to keep [Absorb], but added [Portal] to her repertoire, Fayeth doing the same. 

Crimson and Neldra gave flimsy excuses as to why they hadn't finished yet, but truthfully, none of the three of us cared. The eas...

DD 204 Ch 7

Chapter 7

It was Fayeth who turned out to be the most eager to move on from dinner, eventually pulling me up from my seat the second I paid the bill. The petite blonde was stronger than she looked.

"Let's go," Fayeth said as Ely giggled and ran ahead of us to a nearby hotel.

"Hey," I said urgently, but I couldn't help but laugh as the flushed elf failed to manage her high strength and practically dragged the two of us, arms still linked, out of the restauran...

DD 204 Ch 6

Chapter 6

Our party celebrated being home deep into the morning.

Crimson and Des had rallied us all and took us to a fantastic adventurer's club. We partied like we had never partied before. Ultimately, the night was about reminding ourselves that we are alive and living life to the fullest. It was a strange experience, but one I would not forget.

The club had been packed with other harems; male leads, female leads, and full-on poly-adventurer groups. They a...

DD 204 Ch 5

Chapter 5

"I see,” the President of the United Guilds murmured as we finished our recounting about what had happened down in the dungeon.

I had concluded with a brief explanation of Star City, hoping that maybe they would probe more on that information and leave the rest of what I said alone. Particularly the bit about the Royal College students.

 I glanced around, feeling the awkwardness of the situation.

We were in the largest building that th...

DD 204 Ch 4

Chapter 4

King Albar stared up at us as we walked into his office. Two pretty women lounged behind him as if begging for his attention that he took power in not giving them.

"You are aware that I have more important work to be done. I cannot clear my schedule every time you wish to barge in, Crimson," he spoke as if she were insufferable. Part of it made me want to punch him in the face. Perhaps when we were done with our encounter, I would do just that or far wor...

DD 204 Ch 3

Chapter 3

Crimson and I returned to Star City from our trip towards the Elven world, unsure of how much farther we had to go. Most importantly, we needed to meet the other members of the schools that had been stuck and not yet made it to Star City before we had left.

I stepped out and waved to the group. Machen was a head taller than everyone else, and when his attention snapped towards me, other heads quickly followed.

"Good afternoon," I hesitated, checkin...

DD 204 Ch 2

Chapter 2

"I was only asking what you were," the Orkai said, as if Crimson was being a bother. "That was the polite way, but I will try again. Hey incubus, what’s your nubile little sex slave?" 

I bit my lip to stop from laughing. "Oh this one?" I pointed at Crimson, barely containing the smile that was threatening to stretch across my lips. I grabbed her and pulled her into my arms, holding her tight. "You won’t believe this. There's a whole world of the...

DD 204 Ch 1

Chapter 1

With Crimson and my party sitting around me, we took turns catching up with each other at the bar. After telling numerous stories and enjoying being together once again, our party retired with Crimson to her room.

Although as we walked inside, I decided that room was not the right term for the giant suite we stood inside.

“Now, what's next?” Crimson’s leather suit creaked as she crossed her arms and plopped down on a chaise lounge.

The ...

RD 3 Note

It seems from the Patreon update several things need to be addressed.

I don't always read comments and I don't really want to dip in when they are particularly negative. Chris however summarizes them weekly for me and I have an excel spreadsheet of things to touch up based on the comments. I am terrible with keeping a timeline.

As for reading through some of them, I simply ask why you've all turned my comment section into an echo chamber assuming the direction of the story?

...

DD 204 Story Thus Far

Story Thus Far

Last time on Dungeon Diving 101, Ken and the others from Haylon Class 1A joined the raid competition on the 32nd floor of the dungeon. It was a different challenge than they had faced thus far, discovering that coordination between 25 people was exponentially more difficult. However, like the all-star adventurers that they were, they quickly adapted to the problems and began to take down multiple bosses. 

Ken struggled to balance leading the gr...

Patreon Update 1-22-25

So, big items. Kickstarter #2 has a landing page up! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brucesentar/dragons-justice-4-6-special-editions 

RD 3 Ebook is on track for 2/9 after some final edits. The timeline needs a little patching, but that's most of it.

I am just seeing some of the DD 203 Audiobook files get uploaded today. Proofing and scheduling st...

Next Time on Returner’s Defiance 4

All over the world, people noticed the ground quaking. A research team in Antarctica, the people on the streets in Bangladesh, the city workers of Denmark, the fishermen in the Atlantic, the workers in Russia, the bazaar-goers in Angola, and those in the heart of Australia all looked around.

Everyone turned to the massive disruption around them. The steady rumble built and built, until a swirling red energy pierced up into the sky. It shot up from the ground, tearing anything in its pat...

RD 3 Ch 53 - END

"Yes, Daddy," Gloria said into the phone, bobbing her head, the picture of a filial daughter. "Bran took wonderful care of me. There was a little danger, but nothing that we couldn't handle. I know it was a lot longer than we expected, but as soon as we can, we're going to come visit you. Where are you? You moved into the fort?" 

I stood beside her, listening to the conversation as a small swarm of helicopters appeared above the trees, their blades beating a deep rhythm in the air....

RD 3 Ch 52

Strength flooded through me as Last Stand activated. My muscles swelled with power, my body filling with speed, and my mind suddenly quickened.

As the pain of my injuries bled away, my awareness multiplied. It had been a while since I'd used Last Stand, yet I quickly adjusted to the new feeling. I threw open my stat window as I rushed back at Boss and the Dracoon, clicking my tongue sighing in disappointment. Unfortunately Blood Rage Ascension and Last Stand did not stack; instead, both...

RD 3 Ch 51

"I thought it was odd that the inscription only pointed in a single direction," I murmured, moving through the forest, only to stop at a cliff down below.

There was a circular landscape, almost as if it was set to be an arena. In the center, the dracoon was laying down. Boss was using a purple crystal in a strange ritual with the unconscious dracoon. By the way everything was glowing, it appeared he was almost done.

According to my new inscription it could only detect Zaydelin fro...

RD 3 Ch 50

I spat at the one-armed swordsman demon in front of me, jumping back to give myself space. I activated the Sanguine Locking, preparing for a second sweep.

To my shock, the demon broke out of my Sanguine Locking with ease. He moved fluidly to block my sword, rolling inside my guard before baring his teeth and aiming for my throat. 

I had just enough time to twist away, his teeth scraping past my neck and burying themselves in my shoulder.

Relief hit me. That bite was far...

RD 3 Ch 49

Chapter 49

I stabbed my blood blade into one of the onyx serpents, looking around to see the rest of my forces finishing up their own battles.

The whole Mul Branova had been working together to take on monsters far higher in level and strength than they were individually. The most interesting aspect of this instance to me was that several of the monsters we faced had higher ranks than any rank we had started with in the instance. That was, at least to me, an anoma...

RD 3 Ch 48

Chapter 48

"It kind of looks like a microwave," Nyx said, as my enchantment, which was totally not a microwave, continued to make the icy dish rotate. 

"It really does," Gloria said, reading my expression. "Don't even try to deny it."

"I don't think it looks like a microwave, but you're welcome to your own opinions," I replied hastily. 

What lay before us was a giant ice plate, spinning slowly. It had a larger enchantment that I had built aro...

RD 3 Ch 47

Chapter 47

The first monster we encountered in the instance wasn't a high level. It was a level 70 A-rank monster, the same type of beast we had seen inside the vault. However, the fact that the monster now had a rank told me the system had taken over.

These weren't of huge concern to our main group, so the Mul Branova took the lead in clearing out the chaff.

"So, now that we have a minute, how about we talk, Bran?" Circe suggested, letting the lower ranks o...

RD 3 Ch 46

Chapter 46

"If you're not precise, you can make the destruction worse," Da Vinci argued. 

Circe flicked her hand, and a breeze of wind slammed him into the cyclone walls that she had kept around the clearing. "Shut up and let Bran work. As for the rest of you, don’t think about escaping. We fix this or we all die." 

I took the vote of confidence in stride and kept working as quickly as I could move. 

The suction of the black hole was p...

RD 3 Ch 45

Chapter 45

I stumbled out of the portal, only to be met by an old woman. Her hair was gray and her face so wrinkled that I nearly didn't recognize her. "Circe?" I said, my surprise overtaking any other urgency we had.

Circe shook her fist, her voice warbled. "It's been eighty-four years, Bran," she said, her voice weary from old age.

The room around us felt as though it was deep underground. Red light seeped in from a stairway.

I froze, wondering if Ea...