Meanwhile Naomi was working on her second floor. The general design will be sewers built from bricks. There will be twenty five rooms in a grid five on five. Each room will be ten by ten meters with a vaulted ceiling. Two meters wide and six meters long corridors connected each room. Some corridors were blocked by walls creating maze. On walls and sometimes in corridors were ten centimeters thick pipes. Better looking were filled with steam under pressure and rusted one with sewer water. Naomi''s plan was to populate the floor with rats. But there was a problem. Even when she pushes changes to the limit and creates the most terrifying rat she could, she still can’t force herself to use them. They were too real for her, and because of her past she was against unnecessary cruelty. She sighted and started walking around her workshop trying to find strength to do that anyway, or maybe find another solution. Then she saw something on the shelf with her few testing pieces. To see how good she really is, she tries to build a simple mechanical toy. Mechanical monkey with cymbals all made from brass. The catch was she needed to create parts by hand, because she didn''t have a computer, and the magical creator can show you only general things from this world. If a dungeon master wants something new he needs to design and build it from scratch. It was hard at the beginning but great exercise and the end result was satisfactory.


    -and what if… - Naomi said looking at the toy - yeah - she smiled and got back to the workbench.


    -first I need a normal rat. Enlarge its body to one meter. Great - she started making molds of its head and paws to cast them in bronze. Then from the bronze metal plate she starts to form segments that after assembling will be creating the body of the rat. When she finishes she compares its movements with movements of real rat. After some adjustments she started working with the interior. She started adding struts and gears to move every part as similar to a living rat as possible. Everything will be moved by big and strong spring similar to those used in old clocks. She needed some experimenting with size and enchantments, before she was certain that spring will keep running more than one hour, to last until reset if adventurers retreat. There will be no room for cheating. When you enter a room you will need to destroy it to move forward. The next step was the most challenging for Naomi. She needs to use magic stones and enchantments to make it react, and move. Some things were there, enchantments reacting to light, storing mana and spells in magic stones, runes and magic metal. It took her a whole week to have a working prototype.


    -I did it! I can''t believe I really did it! - Naomi jumps, seeing the first ready golem rat.


    -nice work. Great start, but you still need to work hard to make your work acceptable - said The Smith. His rating was harsh, but he was smiling and Naomi knew herself that it was working because of dungeon magic.


    --yes, you did it my dear - said The Lady - however can you explain why so much work, when you can summon any rat?


    -I''m terribly sorry my Goddess, but I can’t. I will use your creations, animals and plants whenever I can, but for fighting I just can’t - Naomi hangs her head and starts looking on the floor scared what will come next. Surprisingly it was a hug.


    -it’s alright my dear. I''m glad to hear that.


    -Goddess I''m dirty - Naomi tried protesting.


    -you need something special to soil my dress - smiled goddess - you calmed down my dear?


    -a little.


    -don’t be scared. You don’t do anything bad.


    -rather something great. I can''t wait to see the faces of all those old pricks calling himselfs grand masters. Bah, you can level your skill all you want, but creating something new really counts.


    -thank you. I know that this is something that barely works and before me there is a lot of work.


    -yes. However you still don’t explain why you can’t summon my creation to fight for you, like you do that with your final floor. You must understand that your explanation is very important for us. In the past we overestimated the abilities of mortals like you, and because of that archlich was born. I don''t think you are anywhere near that path, but if you need help we will try to find it for you.


    -I think I already have a lot of help. Adventurers Guild Master, commander of paladins, grand priests and wife of Guild Master recently too. They are trying and helping me a lot.


    -wonderfully. And explanation?


    -well - Naomi takes a deep breath - they are too perfect.


    -that is probably the first time when mortals accuse gods for being too perfect - said stunned The Smith.


    -it is. I checked all the archives - said god of knowledge who appears - care you elaborate?


    -details, yes - Naomi was nervous - so I think it was something like that. When you, gods decided to create dungeons obviously you need something that will be fighting with adventurers. As gods you can create anything for that purpose, but because our job is to teach, fighting something like flying octopus when it doesn''t exist in the real world will be useless. Adventurers need to learn to fight real things, like wolves, giant rats. And why over complicate things, better use what is already there. However when patterns of creatures were copied for us dungeon cores to use, they were copied perfectly. Without soul of course, but rest is perfect copy. And that is my problem. Summoned animals have every possible emotion. And I don’t talk about this bond between them and me. I''m talking about what they do when no one disturb them. They live like every real animal. my frogs, birds in the oasis. Moss and Ivy in the jungle. They are too real.


    -you are mostly correct in your assumption - answered god of knowledge - but you forget that they are very complicated illusions of real things. However, it is true that for mortals emotions are important so your insight is very valuable.


    -I''m very glad to hear your explanation. I also think that you overthink the whole situation. However, I see your deep care for life in general - said goddess - I can''t bless your creation, but they will carry my approval. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    -I also like your work. But it’s too early for something special like a blessing. However I think you should check your path - laugh The Smith and gods vanishes.


    -my path? - Naomi asked, surprised, and then hastily checked it. She got a new skill. Novice golem crafter. Naomi smiled - thank you.


    She double checked her new floor and golem rats. Then confirmed creating it and she got ping that she now was level four. Naomi smiled and decided to take a break.


    After a whole week adventurers mapped all rooms from the first floor.


    The fifth room had a twenty five round platform instead of a floor. They stood in waist deep water. In the center of the chain was a hanging shelf with a small chest with a prize in it. At first it looks simple, you just need to jump from one platform to another. I wasn''t. When the scout jumped she almost landed in water. platform start swings in every direction. only her skills and experience allowed her to jump on the next one, crouch and catch it. After a few swings the platform stopped.


    -it was close. Who''s next? - she laughed. It took her team almost an hour to cross the room.


    Eight room were again suspiciously empty. There was only a pedestal in the middle with a chest.


    When the scout entered immediately the whole left wall started moving to the center. On the right side in both corners the ceiling was slowly dropping down. They need to run because they have at best fifteen minutes before the passage will be blocked.


    The eleventh room was dangerous. There was a narrow bridge over water, leading to the platform and from there to the right to exit or to the left far corner where there was a chest with prize. The bridge was built from narrow, not even two feets long columns and between them were rotating blades. They look like wings of windmills. You need to jump through them to cross the room. It was dangerous, because blades could drag you underwater and you could drown.


    With every run general tips for all rooms were gathered by adventurers guild and shared. They also confirmed the existence of the mysterious thirteen room, however no one yet found an entrance to it. The general opinion was that it''s better not to look for it. It was definitely a very special kind of trap, and for silver or two it was not worth risking your life. Guild master issued a general warning about it, and set a reward of one gold for those who will find entrance to it.


    At the same time, when Naomi finishes floor, the team under leadership of Jillax just finished the last room.


    -lets grab money and time for us -said Jilax.


    -no amulet - reported Wed.


    -and everyone has one? - asked leader and all confirmed - so it is like the Guild said. Let''s go.


    When they reached the bottom of the stairs they stopped. There wasn’t exit to the grassy field of the final floor. There was a corridor built from bricks.


    -fuck. What o fucking luck - said leader - second floor is ready.


    -are we going in? - asked dwarf Hemnir, their shield bearer.


    -good question. How are our supplies and mana?


    -I’m good, almost full -answered Hiki.


    -same here and I have still ten vials of healing potions in my pouch - said Maedia elven healer.


    -one room shouldn''t be a problem I think. Let''s see what’s there. Until we don’t enter we can always retreat - Jilax decided and the rest agreed. They were adventurers, it was their job to check dangerous places.


    The room before them was much bigger than the rooms on floor one. It was built of bricks, and in small recesses where light stones as source of light, as was in the floor above. On walls also where pipes, some rusted, other looks not bad. And in the middle was a sleeping, curled giant rat. Well he would be sleeping if he was alive and not made from metal.


    -trap room? - asks Hemnir.


    -maybe. I don''t see any animals. What about this sculpture?


    -there is something in it - said Hiki - hard to say what. Never seen something like this.


    -it is not alive for sure - said the elven healer.


    -great. Shields up. We are going in - said Jilax


    They barely crossed the threshold and something like eyelids of sculpture moved reviling to red gemstones eyes. Immediately the sculpture jumps on its legs ready to attack.


    -You said it is not alive! - shouts Jilax.


    -there isn’t even the tiniest spark of life in it. I don''t understand what is happening.


    -it’s mana and enchantments! - shouts Hiki


    Rat use moment of their confusion to jump in their leader''s direction. Adventurers maybe were busy to understand what is happening, but that doesn''t mean they don’t observe the rat. Jilax covered himself with a shield on time and even got the first hit. The rat however retreated unharmed.


    -fuck! my axe is useless. Hemir your hammer should be better. I and the rest try to get him occupied.


    -got it!


    Skirmish last quarter of an hour. Wed and Hiki try shooting on running and jumping metal rat, when Jilax covers them with his shield. Hemir uses every opportunity to land a hit with his war hammer. After the first few hits he saw that one or two armor plates got loose enough to start showing gaps. He immediately switched to the spiky end and after a few misses he finally scored a hit. The spike went deep and the sculpture had difficulties moving properly. Jilax, seeing a struggling rat to move, immediately discard his shield and grab his axe in both hands and land a hit on its neck. Something loudly breaks and the rat stops moving entirely.


    -it’s dead? - asked Hemir ready for anything.


    -all magic is gone - said Hiki - so rather yes.


    -lets see this up close - Jilax dwarven blood boils from excitement. Whatever that was, it was built from metal and powered by magic. Dwarfs for a long time were building simple artifacts using enchantments, or moving parts. However nothing so marvelous like this animal built from metal and acting like one. When they pry a few bronze armor plates they saw intricate machinery full of gears and struts.


    -thank’s gods that this thing is a dungeon creation, because I don’t want to think what the arch master who built it will do to us for destroying this artifact - said Meadia.


    -true - nod Hemir.


    -which part of it are we taking? - asked Wed. They have only one hour until reset of the room and dungeons only allow you to take up to a quarter of a killed creature as a reward.


    -we are taking head, and right leg if we can. There is that engraving with its name ,,golem rat mk 1’’ - Jilax decided. After some praying of plates from the neck of the rat they get to some hinges and after a few hits they separate the head from its body. Removing the leg goes similarly. The rest of the rat immediately dissolved into mana.


    -it’s fucking heavy - complain Wed when pick up head of rat.


    -what you expected. It’s made from metal - laugh Hemir when take it from scout - although it looks like it is empty inside because it is lighter than what I expected for a solid block of bronze.


    -Let''s get a quick look at what is on the left and right side and we are going back - said Jilax - at least there are no doors.


    On the left side were three rats, on right just two.


    -those two look tempting - said Hemir.


    -I need a war hammer too - shakes his head Jilax - and we need support. At least one or two people to carry parts.