Fall of a Dungeon House: A litRPG Story (City of Masks Book 1) by John Stovall

Author:John Stovall [Stovall, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Capital Station Books
Published: 2022-01-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Dual-Purpose Slaughter

Excerpt from the journal of David Thomas Toledo the Fourth, called Leviathan, recorded year 660 After Cataclysm, month of the Beginning, day 1.

I’ve had trouble with recruiting people, but the most damning trouble I’ve had is, in some ways, with my own children. Luke joined me, as did Benjamin. But they’re somewhat expected, having joined me on our last adventure. The surprise was that none of the others joined, with the exception of Melissa. Most said they barely knew me or cared for my crusades.

Melissa said the same thing, but in reverse. She said the only way she’d get to know her parents was to go on this adventure, since I cared more for my grandchild than for my own daughter. I bungled the explanation of why I needed to focus on James, how it was good for the whole, since I didn’t reveal the true reason I’d started training him.

The sad truth is, she’s right to a degree. I barely know her; she’s barely older than James, so it’s almost like she is a grandchild or niece or something, and with her mother’s death years ago, she’s been raised almost entirely by nannies, tutors, and her older siblings.

I feel I may have made a lot of mistakes, but there is only so much time in the day. I’m a Dungeon Council Member, a House Leader, head of the mortal servants of the Light in this area, the strongest personal adventurer, and a guide for numerous heroes. Something had to drop.

But the way I’m treated by my own children now makes me think perhaps it shouldn’t have been the role of father.

***

James walked up to the gang members. Both were taller than average, around six feet, and both had the strong arms and thick wrists of trained swordsmen.

One stared at James’s face and the plain wooden snake mask James wore. The guard’s eyes narrowed behind the tiger mask he wore. “What do you want, scrub?”

Before James could answer, the second leaned over and whispered something into the ear of the first that James couldn’t hear. His head nodded meaningfully to James’s waist, where the magical crystals were clear in the hilt of his sword.

I’ve got a smart one here. Probably not to my advantage.

“I was curious if a man named Hive is here,” James said. “I need to speak to him.”

“Hive works for us now,” the first guard said. I’m gonna name them Rude and Smarty, James thought to himself.

“Okay,” James said, drawing out the word. “I wasn’t inquiring as to his employment status. I was just asking if I could speak to him.”

“Look, you can’t talk to him, I’m sorry,” the second guard—Smarty—said. “He works for us, um, permanently. In the back. People can’t see him.”

“Wait,” James asked. “He works for you permanently? As in, he’s a slave?”

“Exactly,” Smarty said.

“Is that official?”

“Official enough,” Smarty said.

“So, not official?” James asked. “Look, I’m not really fond of the idea of enslaving people to start with, but this is an entirely different level of bad—it’s illegal, and the Dungeon Council wouldn’t stand for it.

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