-Jilax, something happened? - said Maxwe who was clerk responsible for Adventurers Guild documents, after seeing dwarf little more tired than normal.


    -fucking second floor happend - he answered and drop bronze head of rat on desk and add leg. Thankfully the furniture was very sturdy, built especially for that kind of occasion.


    -I need full rapport - said calm and stoic as always the Guild Master who was sitting before the desk at the end of the tent.


    -yes Guild Master. But better first calling the Grand Forge Master. He needs to hear that.


    -Maxwe find grand priest - Guild Master simply said and started inspecting rats head.


    The news about the new floor spread quickly and soon almost everyone gathered around the tent..


    -Jilax, you can start - Guild Master said indifferent to commotion.


    -so. We finished our run on the first floor and went down to return. But there was a second floor instead. It was built from bricks. Looks a little like an underground vault of some palace. The room was larger than the rooms on the first floor. Not bad lighting and pipes on walls here and there. Very thick, like my leg, and some are looking fine, but they are hot and others are rusty and look like they can break at any moment. That''s it about the room I think.


    -on the floor in the middle was a plate. Dungeon Mistress writes on it that those responsible for forcing bandits to seek death in her halls will be brought to justice - added Maedia.


    Juntar nodded, feeling rather reviled. It was a useless gesture, however it shows that the Dungeon Mistress holds value in justice and not seeking just vengeance.


    -yeh. I forgot about that - shrugs Jilax - anyway. We don’t see any traps. Only in the middle of the floor was this sculpture of a giant sleeping rat. Hiki sensed magic from it so we assumed it was trap or sort of test. It was neither. When we go in this thing wake up and start attaking us like real fucking rat.


    -you''re telling us that the Dungeon Mistress has living metal creatures? - asked surprised Lucius.


    -this thing wasn''t alive. I didn''t see even the tiniest spark of life in it - denied elven healer.


    -it didn’t have guts like normal things. Only gears and enchantments under its armour - explained Jilax


    -you are bullshiting us! - shouts excited Grand Forge Master - you are telling me that Dungeon Mistress built a mechanical living rat?


    -well, good imitation Grand Priest. Little clumsy and anyone who saw some rats will see differences - added Wed.


    Priestess Pinera touch head lying on the table.


    -this thing carries touch of The Lady. Goddess saw and approved whatever that is - she said no less surprised than others gathered.


    -but The Smith doesn''t do that. Why? - Grand Forge Master looked flabbergasted - golem rat mk 1- he read an engraving on leg, made with dwarven runes. When he started examining head he saw something. Small few hexagonal indents around top of the head. They were in the middle of a small circle almost seemingly fitted to the surface, but it was definitely a different element - could be that a head of screw? - he mused - give me a moment - he said and ran to his field workshop. Screws were known but hard to make. Sets of good tools for making them were one of the most valuable things that you can get from your master. Because they are always made by hand, every set was different, and if one part of it would break it was enormously hard to recreate it. The heads of screws also were usually rectangles. Easy shape for creating both parts and tools for rotating it. After a few minutes the dwarven priest was back with a piece of thick wire, and a few tools. After some work on making the end hexagonal and feeting he got a tool for trying to unscrew the screws. Carefully he passed the first one in the left direction and it moved. When he took screw to hand he was impressed how precise it was. However for now this screw was useless. Only when someone creates a tool for drilling grooves can these screws be used. He smiled. His small team of four have their first real project.


    -can I see it? - asked grand scholar Vecto.


    -sure - Grand Forge Master handed screw - what are you doing? - asked curious seeing that the scholar checks the dimensions with a compass on a short ruler.


    -oh. Trying to confirm our hypothesis. It looks like Dungeon Mistress is using a decimal measuring system. Probably this mysterious metric system mentioned in the past by other dungeon masters.


    -I think i heard about it as a kid - mused dwarf - there were some tries I think.


    -yes. And scholars in their private works sometimes use it. If it someday will spread worldwide everyone will benefit immensely - scholars start fantasizing.


    -and how it works? - asked Pinera.


    -very simple. There should be this absolut length called meter and then you just divide or multiply it by ten to get your measurement.


    -and this meter is how long? - asked the Guild Master.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    -one yard and a few inches.


    -that very not precise answer for something that should be absolute - observed Juntar.


    -and that is the problem. No dungeon master remembers exactly the difference between those two measuring systems. On top of that there is the question which yard and inch should be used.  But our Dungeon Mistress uses it just fine. That means she knows how it was created.


    -her wisdom and skills could prove that - nod Juntar.


    -great for her. I managed to unscrew the last screw. Lets see what our Dungeon Mistress hides in there - said Grand Forge Master and carefully pry the lid. In light of the sun stone he saw a destroyed array of magic stones, gears and enchantments. He laughed.


    -Grand Forge Master? - asked the minotaur.


    -my bad. I couldn''t resist. No wonder that The Smith don’t touch that thing. This mysterious array is as wondrous as sloppy. Dungeon Mistress just cram inside whatever she needs and just make sure it works. She doesn''t care about quality.


    -mysterious? You mean you don’t know what is for? - asked a stunned Pinera.


    -yes and no. Short version is it’s needed for moving this golem rat. Long version, yes, I don’t have any idea how this array works. Even how it should look is a mystery because it''s half destroyed. It will take me months if not years and a lot of gold to repair it and understand it.


    -and about gold. I need to make a prize tag for this - said Guild Master.


    -for this one I give five gold. But for the next head you only get five silvers. Better try pry rubies from its eye sockets. For bronze I will tell when and how much scrap for resmelting I will need. For now I and my apprentices will assist as support. I need to rebuild one of these golem rats. I will be paying one gold per run.


    -I will issue an official quest in the morning - answered Lucius.


    The next day adventurers start waking up with the first rays of rising sun. They were too excited to see the new floor. Traps were ok, some even funny but on the second floor were monsters to fight. Adventurers after a hearty breakfast start entering the dungeon. The first team was led by Nurmela. This time without Guild Master, who will need to compile reports from teams after each run. However they were supported by Grand Forge Master and two master level adventurers. Those two will be fighting alongside them beside carrying bags with spoils between rooms.


    -everyone ready? - asked Nurmela - all of you have the return amulet? - all in the team confirmed - good. Move out.


    They go fast through the first floor. Take only prizes that were easy to get and ignore anything else. When they descended to the second floor Nurmela smiled.


    -Jilax said that only the right and left corridor was open. Right?


    -yes. And now there is also an open corridor across too - nod Iason - Dungeon Mistress likes to gamble. I''m curious about side corridors.


    -there is only one way to find out - smiled Paoli.


    The fight lasted only five minutes. They were prepared and indeed this golem rat was clumsy. It jumps, bites and attacks with claws even runs just fine. However also was big and its attack simple and repetitive, making it easy to hit and evade.


    -nothing special, but still fun - said Paoli checking her mace.


    -I definitely like no blood part - said Nonisa - sometimes even on the back line you can get hit by splat, not mentioning about harvesting parts.


    -I agree - said Iefer - but I think this dungeon should be your second or third. You should see and get used to all the usual mess.


    -Iason take a look about which corridor we should take next. Old man how dismantling is going - Nurmela started issuing commands.


    -I’m Grand Forge Master, you little shit - answered Erirser - and it’s going good.


    -are you planning to sell these fancy wrenches - asked Nurmela, seeing how screw after screw was unscrewed.


    -actually that could be a good idea - the grand priest answered - I could spend my time in a workshop doing something meaningful and not in a dungeon wasting my time.


    -without dungeon you will just sit and rot in your workshop - Nurmela quipped.


    -and you will freeze your tits in the north - he answered. And stand up after dismantling rats legs - I’m good for now. I can''t wait until we end this run and start trying to assemble this golem rat.


    -have fun - shrugged Nurmela - Iason where next?


    -forward. There are two rats, on the left are three and right is blocked.


    -time to more fun - smiled Nurmela


    -yes! - laughed Paoli.


    For the third room they need to choose between four and five rats. They chose the first one and the fight was hard. They ended with lots of scratches and bruises. Iefer had a lot of work to do to heal every wound. Even the Grand Forge Master joined the fight. They were almost ready to check the next room when the light turned red and started pulsing rhythmically.


    -what is happening? - shouts Nonisa.


    -how the fuck should I know? - answered Nurmela. As suddenly as the red light appeared it returned to white.


    -and that’s all? - Paoli was confused.


    -everyone rapport! - Nurmela ordered and all adventurers started checking everything, but all was unchanged. Until Iason found one thing.


    -I know what happened. It was a sign that corridors are changing. Before the red light we can go forward or back. Now we can only go on the left or right side.


    -fucking great - Nurmela swear - with way are less rats?


    -right, there are four of them.


    -damn. How we stand with our supplies. Nonisa Iafer, how''s your mana?


    -I think I can keep us safe - said the healer.


    -my mana also looks good.


    -and you two? - Nurmela asked their support.


    -we can do it. But our backpacks are almost full.


    -we need to be more picky or get more support - mused Nurmela - so one last room?


    -yey! - Paoli shouts happily. Rest also nods in agreement.


    Almost an hour later they appear in the return ring. They were visibly beaten and tried, but two backpacks were also full of metal parts.


    -how was the run? - asked the Guild Master who was waiting nearby.


    -lot of fun! - Paoli was really happy. At last she was able to fight for real.


    -good. Rats are indeed a little clumsy and their attacks are simple. When there are four or more you need to be careful. But I guess it’s mostly because it’s something new. In a few days people should have an idea how to handle them. Oh and every hour the maze is undergoing change. Some corridors are getting closed and others opened. You will get a warning with red lights when that is happening - reported Nurmela.


    -good. Maxwe is waiting for you. for today, get rest.