Fantasy Dungeon Builder's Harem

Bhediya wasn't the only casualty Halia's party took as they navigated the labyrinth. Hela, Marwo, and Cysgo were lost to traps and an ambush of rock elementals. Halia hated each one of them yipping in pain before they vanished.

She knew they would be revived by Leo. They probably were alive right now, telling Leo what was going on. Still, Halia didn't want anyone to die against dungeon builders. She thought about her adventurers in training.

What if she lost one of them one day?

The life of an adventurer was not safe. Most of them didn't make it past their first dungeon. Only the best had successful careers. Delving into the dark winnowed out the weak and the unlucky. It's war, Halia told herself. Our world versus the rogue builders.

There would be casualties.

"There's a door!" Du yipped from ahead. "A metal one. Strong and locked."

It emerged out of the darkness, a stout door of steel just like the ones Leo used to guard the approach to his throne room. They must be at the end of the dungeon. Right now, Berg and his companions were in his throne room staring down at the map, watching their red dots getting closer and closer. Feeling his monster girls dying.

Nothing was more dangerous than a badger cornered in his den.

"How do wet get through it?" Baaghi asked.

"Shame Garzan is dead," Sarkz said, his voice bitter.

"Shame you attacked our Lord!" Cheekha growled back.

"I can open it," Hagza said. "Stand clear!"

The dwarven mage thrust out her stony hand, fingers splayed wide. She stroked the brass medallion about her neck, caressing the cuneiform markings on it. Everyone pressed against the walls. Halia hugged it tight, the wildhounds standing up, their small breasts quivering.

"Kisib Na!"

A granite fist punched the door, denting the metal. The hinges groaned. Hagza cried out the arcane words again. A second rocky fist crashed into the door. The metal bowed inward, the metal crumpling. The third stone blow ripped the door off its hinges.

It crashed to the stone floor with a loud clatter.

The dungeon builder's throne room spread out before them. Lights glowed through it, illuminating the space. A throne stood on the far side before another steel door. The dungeon builder, Berg, stood in full plate armor before the map on the floor. He had no weapons, but black soil trickled from the gaps in his clenched fists.

Earth enchanted.

He had three companions with him. On his right was a tall and strong woman with thick, shaggy hair and claws at the ends of her fingers and toes. Her large tits swayed as she shifted her stance and roared with ursine fury.

Instead of a human head, she had a bear.

Bugbear, thought Halia as she scanned the enemies. To the dungeon builder's left was a lampetia, her body made of pure light, her hair shining and eyes glowing blue. Beside her stood the last companion, another Light monster girl. A chalkydri. She had twelve wings, her feathers the spectrum of a rainbow. A lion's tail swished behind her and she stood on feline paws.

"Kill them," boomed Berg, his voice echoing from behind his helm.

The bugbear charged at Halia, but Baaghi roared and rushed past the paladin. The rakshasa and the bugbear collided. They crashed to the ground, tiger and bear heads snapping and snarling at each other as claws raked across their bodies.

The wildhounds rushed towards Berg, racing past Baaghi and her fight. The glowing woman stepped before her builder and burst with light. Halia winced at the brilliance from across the room. The wildhounds screamed in pain and clutched at their eyes.

"I can't see!" Du screamed.

"Where is she!" Nos howled.

Beams of light flashed from the lampetia's eyes. Ci vanished in a scream. Du didn't have a chance to dodge. Nos heard her sisters' cries of pain and whipped her gaze in their direction only for the beams of light to strike her in the side of the head. Gwyllt managed to lunge for the lampetia.

She vanished in motes.

The werewolves howled and the quetzalcoatls took to the air. The chalkydri's twelve wings flapped. She leaped into the air. Lights swirled about her wings in strange patterns, flowing from blue to red to orange to green to yellow to purple. A collage of colors assaulted Halia's vision.

She swayed there at the pattern. It was so beautiful. She followed the chalkydri as she soared to the peaked ceiling, the lights swirling around in watery beauty. Liquid hues splashed and swirled and mixed to form new colors Halia had never witnessed.

Her armor lowered. A smile spread on her lips as she watched the hypnotizing beauty.

Lightning flashed through the colors.

The chalkydri dove for the ground, the pattern broken. Halia gasped, the bubble of bemused delight around her popping. The dwarves and werewolves staggered with her, heads shaking and weapons raising.

The quetzalcoatls surged at the chalkydri, breathing more lightning. The monster girl's twelve wings beat. She spun. A burst of razor-sharp feathers exploded from her. The quetzalcoatls hissed and twisted in the air, struck by the attacks.

Quills penetrated their pale skin and green scales. Vaivory vanished in a flash of motes.

"The builder," Halia cried, leveling her sword at Berg standing there in a battle stance.

She charged, the two werewolves flanking her. The dwarves pounded after. They raced past Baaghi rolling on the ground with the bugbear. Lightning crackled overhead. The werewolves leaped for the Lampetia. She burst with light, but that doesn't matter to momentum. The werewolves crashed into her. She screamed in pain as their teeth found the mark.

Halia raised her sword as she closed the distance, his lampetia crying out in pain. A beam of light flashed from her eyes and just missed Halia.

"Bright and distracting, let the illumination of Lord Shamash distract!" roared the dungeon builder.

Strobe.

Lights pulsed before Halia. They dazzled her. She staggered back from the brilliance. Through aching eyes, she just glimpsed Vargi jumping ahead. The dwarven warrior raised her warhammer, crying out with fury.

"Fractured stone!"

She swung her warhammer.

He dodged her attack and punched. He struck her breastplate. The blow resounded, a loud clatter of metal. Vargi gasped, the front of her armor crumpling. The blow threw her down. No normal punch should have dented dwarven steel.

The dungeon builder drew back for another punch to finish her off.

"NOOOO!" Sarkz bellowed.

Cheekha leaped over Vargi. The she-bitch bit at Berg's leg. Her teeth clamped down on the steel cuisses protecting Berg's thigh. Metal groaned. His fist slammed into her back. The snap of the werewolf's spine echoed through the room.

Halia blinked, her eyes still smeared with light. "Lady Sherida, banish the dazzle from my eyes!"

Her vision cleared as Sarkz swung his ax at Berg. The builder took the blow on his forearm as Halia lunged forward at the same time. Her blade sang as she rushed at him. He battered her blow back with his left forearm and swung a punch at her.

Halia twisted to the side. Her body, strengthened by Lady Sherida, dodged his blow. She fell into a guard stance as he threw another blurring punch at her, dark soil spilling from his gauntlet. She caught the blow on the flat of her blade to sweep it aside.

Only the blow was so strong it threw her off her feet. She hit with a clatter of her armor.

"Brittle-dick bastard!" roared Sarkz as he swung his ax again.

Berg turned to Sarkz and took the blow on his helm. The metal rang, holding. The dungeon builder punched. Sarkz raised his round shield. The banded wood splintered from the impact. The dwarf hurtled a dozen feet and landed in a clatter of metal.

"My arm!" Sarkz howled, his shield shattered and arm bent.

Motes of light rained down on Halia as she stood, Iaidas killed by the chalkydri flying through the air.

"Urudu Hum!" Hagza cried.

A bar of steel slammed into Berg's chest. The dungeon builder stumbled back. Lightning sizzled in the air above. The chalkydri screamed in pain. Berg's gaze flicked up as his companion died. Halia lunged in at the opening.

She swung her sword.

He cursed and threw a punch at her, but it was sloppy. She ducked it and slashed at his leg. Her blade sliced through armor. He grunted in pain and staggered back. The tip of her blade emerged gleaming with red.

"Hard as rocks, let the fist—" Berg began to chant.

Lightning sizzled down at him and struck his armor.

It cascaded over his body. He howled in pain as Halia sliced off his left arm in a spurt of blood. She swung at him again, but he jumped back towards his throne, a feat of strength that should be impossible.

He has Earth magic, she reminded herself.

"Hard as rocks, let the fist of Lord Abzu punch!" he roared.

"Kisib Na!" Hagza cried at the same moment.

A rock hurtled at Halia. She dodged to the right. It struck her side. Her armor dented, the blow striking her side. She gasped in pain as it spun her in the air. She hit the ground in time to see a rock fist strike his helm. Granite burst, denting his helm.

Chaandi leaped at him. Her claws raked over his armor and knocked him off his feet. Her teeth snapped down on his helm, scratching over metal. She snarled, crushing the steel with her jaws. His free hand punched the werewolf.

She howled in pain as her body slammed into Vargi, knocking the dwarf to the ground. The werewolf rolled over, body spasming in pain.

Halia pushed up to her feet, ignoring the pain throbbing in her side. She wheezed in a breath as she rushed at him, the Blessed Blade of Light flickering with brilliance as she swung it down at the dungeon builder.

She cut off his head.

The dungeon shuddered around Halia. Power rushed through her. She shuddered at the sensation as the lights glowing in the room winked out. The dungeon map became a sheet of glass, reflecting the lantern light from the dwarves.

"What a fight," Baaghi growled. Claw wounds and bite marks left her swarthy body dripping in blood. "I'll tell Leo about it."

Baaghi closed her eyes and breathed one last time before she vanished.

Chaandi whimpered where she lay broken. Vargi looked down at her then swung her warhammer, crushing the werewolf's head and putting her out of her misery. Halia almost raised her weapon until she saw the expression on Vargi's face.

"It's not cheating," she said. "They do risk something, Hagza. Pain."

The dwarven mage nodded. "Let's find the Void Crystal and the treasures, then leave."

Skale landed by Halia, the only monster girl to survive the fight. She had small wounds but also wore a bright smile on her lips.​