Dungeon Builders Harem Book 04 Ch 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Asud Gu!"

Silver light flared around Kassie and me. Then we were standing in an identical room. The only reason I knew that we had teleported was the door that had been there before I was gone. I turned around and spotted it behind me.

"Not a long distance, Lord Leo," Kassie said, smoothing her robes, "but they're linked."

"Excellent," I said and marched to the door and opened it. My monster girl companions were crowding the room.

"Wasn't it neat teleporting?" Garnet asked. "Big bro, wasn't it so cool."

"I guess," I said as Kassie followed me out. "And you're the only one that can use them?"

"Any mage can use them," Kassie said. "That is one point of vulnerability to them. Of course, they have to have figured out the pass-code. That was most of my research, figuring out how to activate it."

I nodded. "Fair enough. Now for the next test."

I grabbed the Void Crystal. I took the room to the right and moved it adjacent to the hub beneath Astovin. The door vanished. "Kassie, let's see if they still work."

"Garnet," said Kassie. "You volunteering again."

"I'm not going to end up in Meskalamdug's creepy dungeon, am I?" Garnet asked.

Crystal rolled her eyes. "There's hardly any left of it. Just the teleportation circle and the inscription room. Our brother wrecked the rest of it."

"Still," Garnet said, fidgeting.

"I'll do it," Maya said. "Come on, Kassie."

I followed them through the door. Maya stepped into the circle, the word was spoken, then she was gone. Just like that. The light faded.

"I'm in Astovin,"

said Maya.

I smiled. "These are going to be so useful," I said. "They're points of vulnerability, but only if they stay in one place. When I need to use them to get around, I can just move one to where I'm going. I'm sorry you'll have to be my chauffeur, Kassie."

"Chauffeur?" she asked, giving me a strange look.

"A valet," said Hagane.

Kassie shrugged. "I'm one of your servants, Lord Leo." The halfling quivered, a big smile on her lips. "This is so fascinating that we can move the rooms around and they stay linked. I had never even thought of using them this way."

"Then this is going to work," I said. I grabbed the Void Crystal and brought back the room with Maya in it. She opened the door and peered into the room, blinking.

"I could have used the circle" she muttered.

"We have work to do." I sent the ghosts to the tunnel beneath Sharithin.

"Duhot, you and your sisters need to find me four buildings that we can use to bring in our forces. I want them to be spread out around the city. East, west, north, and south."

"Yes, Dark One,"

came Duhot's mournful answer.

Excitement shot through me. Then I summoned Paanee and Baaghi, realizing I would need them, along with one of each of the Level 2 monster girls into the throne room. The first ones I made who often acted as the captains for their particular group. Gyvate the quetzalcoatl, Damhanalla the arachne, Bhaaloo the werebear, Skamianiela the basilisk, Zobens the orc, Snezhinka the yuki-onna, Rih the unicorn, Engana the salamander, and Talalo the sphinx.

The only ones I didn't bring were Duhot since she was busy and Ghoda, my hippocampus. There would be no water for her to swim in. I always felt bad for the Water monster girls. They were so hard to use. The mermaids and hippocampi needed to swim to move around. They were useless on land.

I led the others back to the throne room where the monster girls were at. Kassie's map was in the center of the room on a table I had created. I moved to it, the others watching. My monster girls knew that something was up.

That an attack was about to be launched.

Damhanalla looked so nervous, the arachne rubbing her hands together. Then she gasped at the sight of Kassie.

"A halfling," she whimpered, her head whipping around. "They can melt your skin with their eyes."

"We can?" Kassie asked, staring in shock at Damhanalla.

"She's Lord Leo's personal mage," said Garnet. She raced over to the arachne. "Trust me. She'll never hurt you."

"She's scared of me?" whispered Kassie.

"The arachne are shy," I said. "But in a fight, they are fearless and deadly."

Damhanalla hugged my little sister to those big, gray breasts with the red diamond stretched between them. The spider-girl's black carapace had a waxy gleam to it, her multifaceted eyes reflecting a distorted and broken mirror of the world.

"The problem, Lord Leo, is the composition of the enemy monster girls," said Hagane. "Fifteen out of twenty-two of them are going to be in the air. Thunderbirds, phoenixes, and hippogriffs will pose a major problem to us."

I nodded as I looked around the room. Only the quetzalcoatls and the sphinxes could fly. "I have ten monster girls plus Lana, Garnet, Mrs. Lucina, and Nina."

"I can fly, Lord Leo," Isatu said, spreading her wings wide in emphasis.

"So can we," Engana said. "Sort of." The salamander spread her wings. They were made of flame. "We're not the fastest, but we can help."

I considered that. They were able to fly, but they didn't seem as confident as the others. "How well do you fly."

"Well, it's more a glide," Engana said. "But we're really good at gliding."

"That's not going to work," Nina Naughty said. "As much as I would like to fly in the sky with you."

"Yeah," Engana sighed. "I know, we're more ground monster girls. Gliding is good for us to move through mountains and pounce on prey from above. I think that's how we used to work."

"You're just not going to work for the air attack," I said, sighing.

"Sorry," Engana said.

I smiled at her. "I'll still have a use for you."

"There's Feya," Smerta pointed out.

"She has her responsibilities in Astovin," I said. "And you're on reserve, Isatu." I stared at my dragon. "I don't want to reveal to the world that I have a dragon if I don't have to. Things have to have gone horribly wrong before I'll unleash you."

Isatu sighed. "I suppose that just makes me so special, right?"

"That's right."

"The ghosts can fly," Morana pointed out. "That brings it to nineteen against fifteen."

"Right, right," I said, shaking my head. "I didn't think about them in that way. Okay. Then we need to figure out how to take on these monster girls. Thunderbirds are thunder monster girls, so we'll—"

"Lightning, actually," corrected Fara. "They're made of lightning."

"Okay, so the quetzalcoatls are not useful against them," I said.

"We're ready to fight whomever you need us to, Lord Leo," Gyvate said, her rainbow-hued hair framing her calm face.

"Send the ghosts after the thunderbirds," Hagane said. "They'll be hard to be hurt."

Morana nodded. "The ghosts are perfect. Their spectral attacks will be effective."

"Led by me," Nina said. "I'm not going to be good against the phoenixes."

"I'll take the phoenixes, then," Mrs. Lucina. "With the sphinxes."

"So I have the hippogriffs with the quetzalcoatls," Lana Fulmine said. "I am sure they would love to have their big sis with them."

"We would!" Gyvate shouted, her rainbow wings fluttering. She rose up on her green snake tail. "We'll defeat the hippogriffs."

"Lord Leo, allow my orcs to kill the werewolves," Zobens growled, her golden sword in hand. The orc stood tall and impressive.

"Don't let the orcs have all the fun," Bhaaloo growled. "I would love to tear those she-bitches apart. My werebears will fight hard."

"I like that," Leo said. "Better odds than we'll have in the air." I looked around. "Terra, you lead them."

My golem nodded. The Earth monster girl formed her fist into a hammer.

"What about me?" Garnet asked. "I'm a flyer, big bro. I can fight."

My stomach churned. She wasn't the best fighter. Then something hit me. "I have a special task for you."

"Ooh?" she asked, her wings fluttering.

"You're coordinating evacuation from the air," I told my little sister. "You will have to be flying around the city, making sure the halflings are getting out and no one is left behind."

"You can count on me, big bro!" Garnet said with such seriousness in her voice. She wasn't playing around here.

"Maya and Mom, you two will be commanding ground forces who are doing the actual evacuating."

They both nodded.

"Maya, I want you to have the west half of the city. Mother, the east half. Rih and your unicorns, you'll assist Maya. Skamianiela, your basilisks will aid my mother."

"Lord Leo," Skamianiela hissed, the blue-scaled basilisk smiling.

"I will, Lord Leo," the gentle Rih said, her voice soft. Her hooves clopped on the ground as she shifted in place.

"Garnet, you'll guide them to any who need to be saved." I looked around the room. "We are saving as many halflings as we can."

"We'll save them all, big bro!" Garnet whooped, bouncing up and down. "Kweh, heh, heh."

My mother smiled while Maya winked at me. I could count on them to get it done.

"What about me?" my older sister asked. "I want to kick ass, too."

"Sky support," I said. "You, Paanee, and the yuki-onna have long-range attacks. I want you on the rooftops to support the air battle."

"Sounds fun," Crystal said, rubbing her hands together.

"Massster," hissed Paanee. The armless naga bowed, her large breasts swaying.

"We'll cut them down, Lord Leo," Snezhinka said. The pale yuki-onna also bowed, mist spilling off her frozen body.

"What about us?" Engana asked. The salamander's eyes burned with eager fire. "If we can't fight in the skies, where are we fighting?"

"Do you need us?" Damhanalla asked. "Halflings are scary. Maybe we can stay behind?"

"But you're not fighting halflings, Damhanalla," I said. "The arachnes and salamanders are with me, Halia, Usiku, and Ms. Trueno. We're hitting the commanders in the middle." I stabbed the map. "I'll come from the north with Ms. Trueno and your arachnes, Damhanalla. Halia, you'll lead Usiku and the salamanders from the south."

"And what task shall I perform, Dark Lord," Morana asked in an extra-gothy voice. Mournful and soulful, her black mist spilling thick over her pale figure.

"Yes, Lord Leo?" Baaghi asked. She licked her chops. The rakshasa's whiskers twitched.

Hagane nodded, giving me a questioning look with her metallic eyes.

"You three are my reserves," I said. "You will attack where we need extra help."

"The QRF," Hagane said.

"The what?" asked Ms. Trueno, giving me a quizzical look.

I shook my head.

"It's a US Military term," said Hagane. "It means Quick Reaction Force."

"Exactly," I said. "I'll station you in the west, east, and south parts of the town. If someone in those areas needs help, you're on it." I glanced at my dragon. "You'll be in the north part. My very last resort."

Isatu nodded. "As you wish, Lord Leo."

"We have found four suitable buildings, Lord Leo,"

Duhot reported.

"Return to the dungeon,"

I said and broke away from the table.

I quickly rushed to my Vault and used the Void Crystal to return the five ghosts to me. They drifted about me on the way back, a strange honor guard of ethereal women, naked and glowing green. There was nothing hotter than that.

I returned to the map room. "Okay, have we missed anything?"

"Are we going to use Siwang?" Maya asked. She arched a watery eyebrow that sent ripples across her face. "He seems keen to help."

"He only has Level 1 monster girls." I shook my head. "I think it's best not to, and if he's in my dungeon, he'll make it impossible for me to rearrange things."

"What about scouts?" Ms. Trueno asked. "Sulanga will respond once we attack. We'll need warning if his forces are coming."

I nodded.

"Hela, you and your girls are going to be put to work."

"Oh, Lord Leo?"

the wildhounds answered.

"I'm going to deploy you around the halfling city in the wilderness. You'll be our scouts."

I hesitated.

"You might be left behind. Be prepared to return to the dungeon overland."

"We'll just find ways to kill ourselves, Lord Leo,"

she answered brightly.

My stomach quivered at that. I didn't like the sound of that at all.

"Your lives are not that worthless, Hela,"

I said.

"I know. That's why we have to return to you as soon as possible. We can't waste days traveling through the wilderness back to you."

I sighed.

"Fine. You'll make a ring around the city a few miles out. I want a warning if Sulanga counterattacks."

"You can count on my girls!"

she yipped.

I knew I could.

"You never gave me a job," Smerta said. She stared at me. "Am I to remain behind?"

"Someone has to command the dungeon defenses," I said.

She nodded. "No enemy will ever get past me." She sighed. "I just wish I was joining you."

I nodded. Then thought,

"Feya, you need to prepare Astovin to take on refugees. It is vital to get the halflings out of the dungeon as fast as possible once they start teleporting. They will appear in a room beneath your command center."

"I'll begin coordinating with Mayor Bevlin,"

she said.

Kassie sighed and stretched her back like it was sore. "I need to make more teleportation circles."

I frowned. "But you can only use one at a time."

She smiled. "One teleportation circle to get you from the Void Crystal to Sharithin. We can't wait for you to spend a few hours to get to the Astovin circle. Once you thrust your tunnels up into the city, they could be discovered and ruin our surprise."

"We cannot lose the initiative," Hagane said, nodding in agreement.

"Then there's the problem of you getting back to your Void Crystal to break the connection with Sharithin in a hurry if there is a counterattack," Nina Naughty pointed out. My devil winked at me. "We need that second circle. You

have to

get back here and sever it before we get invaded."

"Okay," I said, the wisdom of it was clear. "I'll make two more teleportation rooms. Fara, start working out how we'll breach Sharithin." I glanced at the ghosts. "Which buildings?"

The ghosts pointed. Fara took notes. Then she darted off to her study to start making the designs. She was good at that. I made two more teleportation rooms for Kassie to get to work. Things were moving fast. Smerta redeployed monster girls in the dungeon to defend against any assault. The level two monster girls gathered in the throne room as they were broken off into groups.

Plans were discussed again and again. We were getting ready for our biggest battle yet. This was our fight. We weren't reacting, we were going on the offensive. Siwang was made aware of what was going on.

"He'll be on standby,"

Feya reported.

"He has brought the entrance of his dungeon to within the boundaries of Astovin. He'll have his monster girls ready to rush in if things go south."

He had his lemures, choirs, and cockatrices, plus his three companions. Those would be more useful. A wraith, a lampetia, and a cyclops were his unique monster girls. I had never heard of a lampetia. They were from Greek mythology according to Hagane. Like nymphs of light or something.

"Lord Leo," Bellia said, rushing up. She had the other adventurer trainees with her. "We wish to join the fight."

Halia glanced at me and gave me a subtle no.

"I need you to help defend my dungeon," I said, putting my hands on Bellia's shoulders. "Smerta can use your swords in case a group of adventurers or another dungeon builder attacked." It probably wouldn't happen, but why take chances? They would be safe. "Can I count on you?"

"Of course, Lord Leo," Bellia said.

"We won't fail you, Lord Leo," added Nomaz. The tallest of the four grinned at me. "We're ready to fight for you."

Karvin and Melin nodded. "Good, good."

Fara hurried in after that. "I have it."

I followed her to the Vault and grabbed the Void Crystal and created a little lectern once more. I unfurled the map on it so I could study it. Fara walked me through it, her ears quivering. "The Ghosts gave me very precise distances. This is accurate."

"It better be," I said and went to work.

From the tunnel I had driven, I raised it up closer to the surface than a large room in the middle with four tunnels thrusting out in a cross shape to the four target buildings. I moved one of the teleportation rooms into that large room, removing the walls. The other went to Astovin. I created additional rooms beneath the buildings but did not breach the surfaces. Not yet.

I extended all four of the tunnels two miles out of the city and sent them to the surface. I broke the wildhounds into three pairs with Hela by herself. They raced out into the surrounding area to set up their perimeter. I collapsed those tunnels right after, erasing them.

My wildhounds would be on their own, but I was confident in them.

We were getting closer and closer to time. We just needed Kassie.

"I have food ready,"

my mother said.

"Leo, you and Halia are going to eat it. Kassie, too, when you're done carving. This is going to be a big day. You'll need your energy."

"I'm not hungry, Mom,"

I answered, my stomach churning.

"You are going to eat!"

she said in the sternest, most motherly voice possible.

I sighed and nodded.

I left behind the room, Fara coming with me. It was a hearty stew that I forced myself to eat with my mother watching me like a hawk. I spooned up the beef and vegetables, swallowing it. My stomach churned with nerves.

I wanted this to be over. I wanted to just get it done.

It was almost time.

Kassie came into the room in her blue robes trimmed in red. Her copper medallion gleamed as it swung beneath her. "They're ready."

I nodded as my mother pushed her a bowl. "Eat."

"Yes, Mrs. Baldwin," the halfling squeaked, intimidated by that fierce expression on my mother's face.

Halia was devouring hers without any problem. I envied my paladin's calm.

"I wish I could do more," Fara said between her own bites. "There's nothing left for me to do but wait and fret."

"Sorry," I told my elf. "You're my scholar. Too valuable to risk doing anything dangerous."

"I'll try to distract myself from figuring out where more of the shrines are. If I can get two more pinpointed, we should be able to know where the rest are." She leaned back. "Assuming they form a circle. That let me find the Thunder shrine, but what if Led was mistaken and they're not in a circle? I could have just gotten lucky."

"You have it," I said.

I pushed back my bowl. "When you're done, Kassie, we'll begin."

I moved to the Void Crystal. Souleen was on there. She stared at me with this worried look on her face. She bit her lip. "You're going to be taking on a more powerful dungeon builder."

I nodded. "I am. Nothing to be done about it. I have to protect these halflings." I winked at her. "Besides, it's not like Sulanga is in the city. We'll have it all evacuated before he can arrive."

"I hope so," she said.

I gripped my humming Void Crystal. I moved one of the teleportation rooms to off the central one. Then I began moving my monster girls into position.

In the north, I placed the anti-werewolf group: Terra, the orcs, and the werebears. With them went Garnet to command the evacuation and the assault group that I would lead: Ms. Trueno and the arachne. Last, I dropped Isatu there, my trump card.

If things went real bad...

In the east, I put the anti-phoenix group: Mrs. Lucina and the sphinxes; the evacuation group: Mom and the basilisks; and in reserve, Baaghi.

In the south, the anti-hippogriff group: Lana Fulmine and the quetzalcoatls; the sky support: Crystal, Paanee, and the yuki-onna; and the assault group: Halia and the salamanders. Morana was left in reserve there.

Finally, I put in the west the anti-thunderbird group: Nina Naughty leading the ghosts; the second evacuation group: Maya and the unicorns; and in reserve, Hagane.