Somnia Online by K.T. Hanna (reading strategies book txt) 📕

“Sleep well, my pet?” she purred at him, her eyes flashing with malice.

“So well, so good. What do I do now?” He practically panted the words, that small corner of his mind that screamed in protest grew smaller and smaller, locked away in a prison she had no intention of releasing him from.

Riasli grinned. “I’m so glad you asked. We have special plans today. I’m taking you to meet my boss, and he’s just going to devour you.”

James’s only response was a languid smile, like it was positively the best ever idea to be devoured whole by an entity he didn’t comprehend.

This was the part of her new life Riasli adored, and she fully intended to make sure it always remained that way.

Murmur kicked the massive corpse of Hipnormous and scowled. It didn’t even feel like they’d beaten anything, considering how long it took for the damned thing to die from DoTs with half of the raid dead from the rocks that fell on top of them. It was so anticlimactic. It felt like cheating.

“It’s okay. It’s still dead, you know.” Havoc kicked the corpse too, like he needed a bit of an outlet himself. “Trust me. I’m a necro. It’s my job to know when something’s dead.”

His deadpan expression undid her, and Murmur laughed. “Fine. Fine. I’ll take a fluke, lucky kill of this damned thing any day. As long as I don’t have to fight it again today.”

“Hear, hear.” Merlin was checking his bow over. It actually appeared to be a little worse for wear. “I don’t think I’ve ever shot so many arrows in one fight before.”

“Probably not.” Devlish leaned on his tower shield like he needed to keep himself upright with it. “And besides, I think we have more urgent matters to attend to. With the way loot is dropping in this dungeon, hippo guy only dropping three pieces isn’t going down well. I liked our other ways better.”

Murmur nodded, unsure why Telvar’s dungeon of all of them was the one not giving them riddles and things that required them to solve puzzles or approach things differently. Then again, most of Somnia had never had truly traditional dungeons in the first place, so perhaps this was different for Somnia.

Exactly. Sometimes I think you’re almost an AI.

Ha-ha, very funny. Thanks so much, Murmur directed at the AI, wishing she could convey the glare she wanted to somewhat better.

“Just take a look over them, Ver?” Murmur said as she saw the Viking approaching. “Give it to whomever gets the best upgrades and keep all the crafting mats for our little Neva, okay?”

“Sure thing, boss.” Veranol grinned and began looking through his HUD from the way his eyes glanced off to the side and seemed to go out of focus. Murmur ran a hand through her tangle of thick strands just wishing she could figure out one of these dungeons beforehand.

You’re trying too hard.

You’re annoying me, Murmur snapped back.

Fine!

And with that Somnia’s presence was, at least momentarily, gone. Murmur sighed and rubbed her forehead. The runes underneath her skin glowed like fluorescent purple messages she didn’t know the meaning of. Her head throbbed with the strange syncopation their pulsing sent through her veins, like for just that moment, she was one with the world. She remembered to breathe, and to try and find that center point where this world seemed to be in harmony with her.

Everything felt right. The balance, the fight they’d just completed, all of the dungeons they’d solved. Like it was meant to be or something.

She took one more calming breath and opened her eyes, breathing in the sight of Sinister approaching with a huge smile on her face.

“Well, whatever possessed you to give the loot to those who needed it most worked. Bigger upgrades than expected for a few key players in the other guilds and you’re almost their favorite person again.” Sinister grinned and looped her arm around Murmur’s waist.

“Just theirs?” Murmur teased, and then flushed bright red, not knowing what came over her in the first place. “Shit. Sorry.”

Sinister laughed. That strangely beautiful sound that made everyone look right at her as a feeling of happiness surrounded them too. As long as it wasn’t her mocking laugh, Sinister was a ray of light. “Silly Mur. There is nothing to be sorry about. Definitely my favorite person, by far.”

“Excellent.” Murmur only wished she could get rid of her goofy grin. After all, on a locus face there was no way it looked anything but damned weird.

Beastial strolled up, scratching his massive cat’s neck. “So are we going to chit-chat all day or move on and maybe sleep sometime this year?”

“Fine.” Murmur glared at him for a moment but couldn’t keep it up. “We’re going to head out.”

Steeling herself she spoke up and magnified her voice. “Buff up, gear up—let’s head out and see what else this underwater torture chamber has in store for us.” She glanced down at the nice mostly dry platform they’d just fought on and sighed. It was too good to be true. An underwater zone where she didn’t need to be in the water while actually fighting. Now that would have been a fantastic zone to find.

Moving out, Sinister by her side, Murmur made sure her Enduring Breath was cast so no one drowned. Enough of them had died, after all. It wasn’t exactly a flawless victory. Back in the water, the substance felt so much more sluggish than she remembered. It was downright suffocating, but if she concentrated on breathing in and out, she could transport herself away from that sensation.

Not for long, though. Thick bushes of coral, if that’s what they were called, made definite preferred routes anything in the lake should travel. Again with the physics of the lake and Somnian rules. The path wound around a mountain of rocks and shoved them blindly into the strangest looking creatures she’d yet to see in the zone.

If the creatures had been on land, they