Dimension Dungeon 2

  S.D. McKittrick

  Contents

  Copyrights

  1. Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 2

  3. Chapter 3

  4. Chapter 4

  5. Chapter 5

  6. Chapter 6

  7. Chapter 7

  8. Chapter 8

  9. Chapter 9

  10. Chapter 10

  11. Chapter 11

  12. Chapter 12

  13. Chapter 13

  14. Chapter 14

  15. Chapter 15

  16. Chapter 16

  17. Chapter 17

  18. Chapter 18

  19. Chapter 19

  20. Chapter 20

  21. Chapter 21

  22. Chapter 22

  23. Chapter 23

  24. Chapter 24

  25. Chapter 25

  26. Chapter 26

  27. Chapter 27

  28. Chapter 28

  29. Chapter 29

  30. Chapter 30

  31. Chapter 31

  32. Chapter 32

  33. Chapter 33

  34. Chapter 34

  35. Chapter 35

  36. Chapter 36

  37. Chapter 37

  38. Chapter 38

  39. Chapter 39

  40. Chapter 40

  41. Chapter 41

  42. Chapter 42

  43. Chapter 43

  44. Chapter 44

  45. Chapter 45

  46. Chapter 46

  47. Chapter 47

  48. Chapter 48

  49. Chapter 49

  50. Chapter 50

  51. Chapter 51

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2023 by S.D. McKittrick

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact [include publisher/author contact info].

  The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

  Chapter 1

  “It’s me, Sable. It’s your Eski.” My dragonkin partner sobs harder as she clings to the elf.

  Blinking my eyes, I rub away the spots that have formed after the blinding light of the summoning token took up the room. With one last blink, I focus on the elf before me. Sable. Green hair that closely resembles a mixture of forest colors. Sharp pointed ears and a slender body. Her eyes, like Eski’s, are bright violet, and are bristling with tears.

  “Eski? How?” Sable asks. Her voice is soft, almost like she isn’t used to talking. Then again, she was in the void, so I suppose she hadn’t been talking.

  Eski leans away and frees a hand to wipe at her eyes. “I was saved from the void. Sam…” Taking a deep breath, she looks over at me. “Sam, saved me.”

  “Sam?” Sable asks slowly. Following Eski’s gaze, her eyes settle on me. “A human?”

  “Is that a problem?” I ask. Crossing my arms, I wait for her answer. The way she asked irks me a little.

  Her eyes narrow on me before she shakes her head. “I can live with a human.”

  I let the two hold each other for a few moments longer before I fully introduce myself. “As Eski said, my name is Sam. You’re in my domain. We already have a bedroom for you set up if you would like to lay down for a bit.”

  Eski nods quickly in agreement. “You should rest.”

  Shaking her head again, Sable starts to get to her feet. “I need to move. I’ve been floating for ages and would like to adjust to my body.”

  “You’ll probably feel weaker,” I point out.

  “I know,” Sable says simply before letting go of Eski.

  Stretching her arms, she bends and twists as she loosens up her muscles. Patting her sides, she realizes that she doesn’t have any weapons, and starts frowning.

  “Where is my gear?” she asks.

  Eski jumps into a reason before I can. “I only came over with my armor. Sam has been making my weapons for me and I’m sure he will make yours as well.”

  “Smithing?” Sable looks at me with narrow eyes as if I’m holding some deep secret.

  “Yeah, I can smith. I also do enchanting and jewelry. I hope that isn’t a problem,” I say. My eyes narrow to match hers and after a moment she breaks contact.

  Shrugging, Sable walks over to the double doors that lead to the training area. “Only tier one and you are already working on professions. I’m surprised to be honest.”

  Pushing open the doors, she lets out a low whistle. “And it looks like you have made a few upgrades to your domain.”

  Once again, before I can respond, Eski jumps forward. “We have. Sam has been making money at an alarming rate.”

  Sable’s eyes flit over to me and look me up and down. “What is your class, Sam?”

  “I’m a miner,” I tell her simply. Crossing my arms, I wait for her to respond.

  “Miner… You’re non-combative.”

  Nodding, I prepare to tell her that I fight, but Eski gets the first word in. “He does his fair share. He can throw bombs of different elements and took down the last boss single handedly.”

  “Did he now?” Sable crosses her arms and steps closer to me. “How did you summon me?”

  “We used an orange summoning token,” Eski explains.

  “Orange?” Sable asks, turning to her former leader.

  “Yes,” I answer. “It was orange. Apparently, it led us to you.”

  “I see…” Her judging eyes move around the living room before taking in my computer. “Are you going to buy me gear?”

  “What type of armor do you wear?” I ask.

  “Leather or chain. I need to move quickly so lighter armor is better.”

  Nodding, I move to the computer. “I can get you leather armor. As for weapons, I’ll make them if they are within my power.”

  Moving to my side, she leans over my shoulder to stare at the computer. “That’s a good start. I’ll help you choose which pieces I need. You won’t be able to make my bow, but I’ll leave my swords to you.”

  “What is your class?” I ask, looking up at the elf. Like Eski, she’s nearly as tall as me. She might even be taller, and I stand at six feet.

  “Warmonger,” Eski answers. Moving quickly, she sits in my lap and turns to Sable. “She’s a great fighter like I explained. She will be our front-line woman.”

  Sable blinks and leans back as the two of us look at her. “You two…”

  Eski quickly nods. “I’m sure he will win you over.”

  Shaking her head, Sable returns to the computer. “Let’s get this over with. I have many questions about our team dynamic and your previous dungeons.”

  Nodding, we spend the next few minutes moving through the armor selections and selecting leather gear for Sable. After picking up a bow and an enchanted quiver—It’ll prevent her arrows from falling out as she moves around the field.

  “What questions do you have for me?” I ask, turning the chair and Eski so we can look at Sable.

  “You’re tier one and already summoning a second companion. Is it because you don’t fight?” she asks.

  “I fight,” I tell her simply. “After we clear a room, I mine the materials out of the walls.”

  “You actually mine in the dungeon?”

  Giggling, Eski grabs Sable’s hand. “He does and he makes so much money. But there’s a problem…”

  “What problem?”

  Eski and I share a look as Sable asks her question. Clearing my throat, I decide to be forthright. “We have found pure Mana Crystals. They are somewhat of a problem. We can’t sell them, but we learned Darkness is looking for them. Or at least the bosses are. When I show up in a dungeon, the monsters start mining the walls at random hoping to come across the Crystals.”

  Sable moves to the couch to sit down before asking, “What do the bosses want with the Crystals?”

  “They can power up to the next tier if they consume one.” I watch closely for her expression to change, and her eyebrows quirk up slightly.

  “Pure mana…” she whispers.

  Eski quickly nods. “Exactly. They are consuming a large amount of mana and leveling up. Our dungeons have been harder because of it. Now you see why we need more help.”

  Sable closes her eyes for a moment. “Just so I understand. Sam, you have a unique class, and you are the fulcrum behind some dungeon changes. Now I’m being brought in to keep you alive so you can keep changing things. Am I leaving anything out?”

  Wincing, I nod. “There’s also a group of adventurers that have joined Darkness and are working on destroying worlds.”

  Taking a deep breath, Sable slowly opens her eyes. “I see. And have you already worked on team dungeons?”

  “Yes!” Eski says happily. “We just finished one and we found another companion we want to steal away.”

  Sable’s eyes go wide as she stares at Eski. “Steal away?”

  “You see…” I start. “We received a mysterious message that traded one of my Mana Crystals for your summoning token. They also have information I need to take Erin into our group.”


>   “And she wants this?” Sable asks. “You’re not just stealing her because you can?”

  Sighing, I shake my head. “Do I seem like the type of person to do that?”

  Shrugging, Sable tells us, “I’m not sure. I’ve only just met you, but you seem to have won over my Eski.”

  “Your Eski?” I ask sharper than I mean to.

  Glaring at me, Sable nods. “Yes. My Eski.”

  Holding up her hands, Eski waves them in our faces. “Sable, I’m not yours anymore. I’m Sam’s now. We are getting married.” Holding up her ring finger, she shows off the wedding ring. “See?”

  Recoiling as if she was just slapped, Sable starts to stammer, “Eski? Why?”

  “We should start from the beginning,” Eski says softly. “When I was first summoned, I felt a very strong pull to Sam. Stronger than the pull I had with you, Sable. You will always be my first, but this was different. It took me a few months, but I wore the man down and now we are together for good.”

  “Hmm…” Sable mumbles. “A strong connection. I see…”

  “Sable,” Eski says sharply. “I’m with Sam now. If you want to be part of the relationship, I’ll welcome you with open arms. Sam has already said he is open to adding more people, and I know you are hiding behind a mask right now. You feel the connection too.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” Sable says with a smirk.

  Scoffing, Eski gets off my lap and shoves her face into Sable’s. “I’m not going to let you undermine Sam. You are part of this team now, and you will work with us. Or do I need to remind you of your place? I remember when you first came over to my domain, we can repeat that.”

  Holding up her hands, Sable quickly surrenders. “I’ll work with you two, but we need to train. We need moving targets, and I need weapons.”

  Clearing my throat, I turn back to the computer. “How about I upgrade the training room, and I’ll get started tonight on your weapons. We have been working on unarmed combat since I needed a place to start.”

  “Good,” Sable says quickly. “I could use a refresher.”

  Eski starts to pull Sable aside while I focus on upgrading the training room. Not only am I going to have to make it bigger, but I need to prepare for Erin joining us as well. I’ll need a range with various distances, moving targets, and dummies that can attack.

  All in all, I rack up a total of over a hundred thousand in upgrades. Still, I have plenty of money remaining, and if I need more, I could always sell the mithril bars I have smelted. But I’m so close to being able to use mithril that I won’t part with them easily.

  Looking over my shoulder, I find Eski holding Sable near the wall, whispering to her tensely. I don’t know what they are talking about, and with the way they are both standing, I’m not sure I want to. I’ll let Eski take charge of the women in my life. Especially after she pulled Erin aside last time. I still have no idea what they talked about.

  Hitting the purchase button, I listen to the grinding that fills the air as the training room shifts and settles into its new adaptation. The girls pause long enough to nod towards me before moving their conversation to Sable’s new bedroom.

  Sighing, I look up to the ceiling. “Maybe I’ll message Erin really quick.”

  Pulling up my friend screen, I type out a quick message.

  Just wanted to let you know, I’m thinking about you.

  Hitting send fills my heart with a little warmth. Erin really did share a connection with me, and I can’t wait to explore that further. But for now, I need to focus on Sable. She seems strong, but her personality is tough. She analyzed everything we told her, and I’m not sure what she was going to decide until Eski yelled at her.

  And what was her smirk about the bond for. I know I feel something towards her, although fainter than Eski and Erin, but it’s still there. Will it grow? I’m not sure, but I do know that she feels something.

  I should worry about that later. Right now, we have training to do, and team dynamics to figure out.

  Chapter 2

  Eski

  “Get in here,” I hiss as I pull on Sable’s arm.

  The two of us enter the second bedroom, the one that Sable will be using. And as Sable looks around the plain room, she nods and turns to me.

  “Why are we in here?” she asks.

  Sighing, I move her over to the bed and sit her down. Taking a seat next to her, I start. “What is with you being so tense with Sam? You were drilling him with questions.”

  Shrugging, she looks aloof and starts looking around again instead of answering.

  “Sable!” I whisper harshly. “Tell me what’s going on!”

  Finally turning back to me, Sable sighs. “I’ve been in the void for years and I actually get to meet you again, and I find you in the employ of a human boy. What am I supposed to think? You were stolen from me before, and now you are still gone.”

  Nodding, I think I understand. “You don’t like that I’m with Sam?”

  Shaking her head, she opens her mouth to respond, but shuts it just as quickly. Taking a deep breath, she tries again. “I just wish things were the way they were before. The way we were betrayed Eski, it grinds on me. I just want our old life back.”

  “Sam has been helping me with that,” I tell her. Pausing for a moment, I decide to add, “He really helps take the edge off the terror I feel when I think of the void. He makes me feel safe and secure.”

  “That’s good,” Sable says softly. “But where do I fit in now. Before it was you and me against the world. I still feel that connection with you, and now it’s confusing with Sam here.”

  Reaching up, I place my hand against her cheek. “Sable, you can still have me, but you need to be open to Sam as well. But he is an understanding man. If you ask for time with me away from him, I’m sure he will give in.”

  Pressing into my hand, her head dips towards her chest as she takes a few shaky breaths. “You won’t ask for me?”

  Chuckling, I move my hand around her back to start rubbing her in small circles. “What happened to the big bold woman from a few minutes ago?”

  Laughing with me, she shakes her head. “You know that I’m not normally like that. But if I’m going to be his fighter, I need to put on a strong front. If this connection I feel with him is anything to judge by, I need to keep him alive at all costs.”

  “Thank you!” I nearly shout. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Clapping my hands, I show her how excited I really am.

  “Is he that important to you?” Sable asks.

  Nodding, I feel like I’m going to explode with emotions. “He is. There’s something about him Sable. He’s changing the dungeons, and the bosses are talking now. They are doing things that never should happen. The last boss we fought transformed into a tier two, and Sam took it down by himself. He doesn’t fight often, and he usually ends up very hurt when he does. But he’s reliable. He’s stronger than he looks, and I know you will be impressed by him. I just can’t keep protecting him on my own. Things in the dungeons are changing too much, and they are unpredictable now.”

  “Slow down,” Sable tells me while grabbing my hands. “I need to see the changes for myself. It’s hard to determine anything off just words.”

  Smiling, I squeeze her hands. “Then help us fight. Sam needs training, and I recommended that you were the best one to help him. How surprised do you think I am that you are actually here?”

  Chuckling, Sable leans in and rests her head on my shoulder. “You smell just the way that I remember. Are you sure we can’t spend a few minutes together?”

  Nodding, I push her away gently. “You have to work with Sam on it. I won’t be caught in the middle of relationship drama. I’ll pick Sam every time.”

  Sighing, she nods once before standing. “Let’s go see what Sam can do. Does he know how old you are?” she asks suddenly.

  “Nope…” Trailing off, I realize that we never discussed it. “He probably thinks I’m his age.”

  Holding her stomach, she starts laughing, until she wheezes. Taking a breath, she calms down for a moment. “Oh, Eski. How could you keep that from him?” Laughing again, she falls back on the bed to stare up at the ceiling.

  “What do you think he will say about your age?” I ask.

  “You said he was understanding. I’m sure it will be fine.”

  Getting up, I turn to face her. “You’re older than his mother,” I point out.