Chapter 6 — Stealth Practice

Since I’d used a surprise attack to battle the Manticore, my stealth stat had increased by two. Dylan crept down the steps only a little ways ahead of me, but my footsteps were totally silent. The torches cast waving shadows, but somehow my movements never seemed to catch the light.

After going down what felt like two floors, I realized that the school basement was long gone. Passageways snaked outward from the occasional opening in the stairway. Monster howls and stinking vapors drifted into the stairway from the vast dungeon floors, but Dylan kept going deeper and deeper.

My wristband silently vibrated to warn me that I was in a too high level area.

I almost turned back before Dylan finally ducked through an old stone arch flanked by torches.

The room looked like an ancient sanctuary. A white altar sat on the far end, and the light streaming through stained glass windows painted the polished marble floor in strange colors. Grey smoke that smelled like old incense poured out of the room and into the stairway.

Dylan hurried up to the altar and bowed.

Dr. Byrd stood at the other side, smiling his skeleton smile.

I almost shouted for Dylan to run away, but rather than summoning his skeleton minions to attack Dylan, Dr. Byrd started talking, “I’m glad you decided to meet today, Dylan.”

Dylan, still in Gnoll form, spoke in a mix of growls and words. “Grrr. Whatever gets me what I need. Do you have it?”

Dr. Byrd smiled and opened a cabinet on a dusty shelf behind the altar. He turned to face Dylan with a little velvet covered lump in his hands.

Dylan’s wrinkly gnoll fingers rubbed together excitedly as Dr. Byrd drew off the cover.

It was a rock.

I almost laughed from the door where I was watching.

Why did Dylan want a rock so bad? I knew he wasn’t the smartest, but this was ridiculous. I inched backward toward the stairs, hoping I’d be able to get to the cafeteria in time to still find some pepperoni pizza.

Dr. Byrd lifted the rock and held it out to Dylan. The moment the stone touched Byrd’s hand, the air went still. The torches twitch and shook to provide the most light. The room brightened and a bar of light shot toward me on the stairs, as if the fire itself were trying to show them I was watching.

“Yes, I have your Luckstone right here, Dylan.” Dr. Byrd tossed the rock between his hands. “But you must level up significantly before you’ll even be able to attune to it’s power.”

“And you’re sure it works?”

I could have sworn Dr. Byrd’s skeleton eyes turned toward me. Still, there was no way he could know I was here, my stealth had succeeded. Byrd’s jaw opened into a wider, leering smile. “Oh, I’m very sure.”

I squeezed deeper into the shadows, and Dylan folded his arms. “And you’re sure I’ll get experience from disqualifying students?”

“Yes, according to your little Dungeon Royale’s rule book, players can gain the most experience by disqualifying other players... it’s says ‘Royale’ after all.” Dr. Byrd leaned his skeleton’s grin right up to Dylan’s face. “You’ll be able to use the Luckstone in a few productive days. Imagine it... living a life inside and outside of this school where everything you attempt luckily succeeds.”

Dylan smirked, “Oh, I know how powerful a Luckstone is. Just make sure the next class is a normal lecture... and make it boring.”

Byrd nodded and handed Dylan a handful of strange glass marbles. They glowed softly in purples and turquoises.

Dylan stuffed them into his loot bag as Byrd turned and continued working on something in the shadows behind the altar. He called to Dylan over his shoulder, “You just get yourself out of the room the moment it starts, or all this will be for nothing.”

I was rushing up the stairs, and missed Dylan’s reply if he’d said anything. Hot anger rose in the back of my throat. How dare Dylan even think about disqualifying other students no matter how cool a Luckstone was supposed to be.

A few steps away from the exit, I froze. My class after lunch... my next class was Mrs. Libby’s with Dylan. I had the horrible feeling I’d be meeting whatever the Techno-Lich had given Dylan in just a few minutes.