《Deathforged Dungeon [Dungeon Core litRPG]》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Jack didn¡¯t know the last time he saw sunlight. All he knew were these four gray walls and a heavy steel door. Then there was the hole in the floor where he had the fun of pissing and shitting. Can¡¯t forget about that little luxury. He could still remember the time when he was a newly minted artificer fresh out of his apprenticeship with his master. His poor master¡­ His master was a human much like himself. His master, Master Artificer Quincy, was a genius and one of the kindest people one can hope to meet. Jack was just a street kid when Quincy found him and took him under his wing. Jack had been some dumb punk kid with more balls than brains. Jack had been stabbed and blacked out in an alley propped against a wall. When he woke up in Quincy¡¯s workshop lying on a cot with a hearty bowl of soup and a healing potion sitting nearby it shocked him. Jack couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the memory of his surprise. Of course, that surprise was immediately dwarfed by the one that followed once he got a good look at the wonders that surrounded him. The wonder he felt at the sheer majesty of all that surrounded him. Machines of brass, bronze, steel, iron, and copper. Tools that he could never imagine as they were both beautiful and scary. Pistons, pumps, and pipes hummed and growled with the hiss of escaping steam. Then there were the magic items, neatly organized and set on pegs or stored in cases yet open for anyone to see. Jack could still remember how he could feel the magic energies radiating off them. Then there was his Master, the closest thing Jack had to a father. He was past middle age, his deep brown skin with a bald head. His face had smile lines and a short snow-white beard. Always dressed in a heavy leather craftsman apron and a belt with all manner of tools and devices attached to it. Quincy was old but he didn¡¯t carry himself like he was. With a jovial smile and a firm pat on his shoulder that made his entire body move. Even now, Jack still couldn¡¯t believe how strong the old man had been. He hated it at first since what snot-nosed teen liked having their bones rattled like that. He left that day confused but grateful. Quincy for his part asked no questions nor gave any words of disapproval. Only wished him good travels, friendly words of advice, and a hot meal waiting for him if he wanted it. Before Jack knew it, he had a room of his own. Not long after that, Jack was helping Quincy with simple tasks like washing or putting tools away. Despite the work being hard and the tools heavy, it was honestly some of Jack¡¯s most fond memories. Quincy even paid him for his help despite already being taken under his wing. When Jack tried to refuse his master only laughed and told him, not as the kid who didn¡¯t know his ass from his elbow. But as an equal, a friend, and maybe even a wayward nephew. ¡°Anyone that does honest work should get fair and honest pay! Nobody cheats me for my work and I¡¯m not going cheat you for your work.¡± His master said with that ever-jovial smile and a firm pat on the back that made Jack stumble. On that day, Jack swore to himself that he would pay his master back, not only for saving him. No, his master gave him a far more precious gift that Jack never realized he had until much later. His master was giving him hope and a future. Since that day Jack had become obsessed with learning as much as possible. To not only become an artificer but to be the very best of them all. To be just like his master before him and be a good and honest man. To make tools and machines that improved people¡¯s lives, to get that look of surprise from his master when he learned a new skill faster than expected. It took him years, and some nights were hard when he couldn¡¯t master something as fast as he wanted. Yet Quincy was always there, giving him words of wisdom that helped him through those hurdles. Then Jack had made it. He had not only passed the Artificer Guild exam and made it into the guild. Jack had become one of the highest-scoring people to enter the guild. Soon after Jack had his own workshop and for three years he worked mostly with repairing or making tools. Though he only made a few magic items, his customers always gave him glowing recommendations. The pride he saw on his master¡¯s face was all the validation Jack needed to know that he was doing the right thing. Even when Jack jumped up in the roster in the guild, built himself a shop of almost equal measure to his old master, Jack just could never bring himself to call Quincy anything but his master even when they met for drinks. Jack reminisced those happy memories while sitting in his cell. At least until the latch at the bottom of the thick iron door opened for a tray of food to come in. ¡°He¡¯s your food human.¡± The elven guard said with disdain. Jack forced himself to pick up the tray and looked at the hunk of stale bread along with a tankard of water. Jack sighed since he really missed the taste of steak. Hell, he¡¯d strangle someone just for some boiled vegetables at this point instead of this hunk of sawdust his jailers call bread. ¡°Hey key shaker, where¡¯s the butter? This shit needs butter, or at least some spit.¡± Jack called out wanting to irritate the guard. It was his only form of entertainment. ¡°Enjoy it human. Your days are numbered unless you tell us what we want.¡± The elven guard demanded. ¡°Sorry, what was it you want again?¡± Jack said with a mock voice of confusion. ¡°It¡¯s so hard to remember, you know with all the blows to the head and all that.¡± At this, the guard slammed a mailed fist against the iron door. Using mana to enhance their strength judging from how the heavy iron slab rattled. ¡°The chaos shard your dead master made! The one we know you helped make! You will tell us where the Artificial Dungeon Core is you fucking worm!¡± The Guard snarled and oh how Jack wished he could see the elf¡¯s frustration. Jack knew full well what it was they wanted and he was not going to give it to them. It was Quincy¡¯s last great project, the last thing he and his master made together, and the very thing that his master had hoped would change everything for their town, and maybe turn it into a city. Dreaming of a bright future for everyone who called their growing town home. Now that shared dream was dead just like his master and their town¡­ The least he could do now was make sure they never found it and they never will. After all what better way to hide something than under someone¡¯s nose? ¡°Essy dar. He ain¡¯t worth da frustration.¡± The gruff voice of Jack¡¯s dwarven jailer said. ¡°Oh cool. The one without honor makes his voice heard!¡± Jack said with false cheer. ¡°So, did you shave your beard off yet? After all a dwarf without honor can¡¯t have a beard. Can¡¯t have betrayers and backstabbers be confused with good and proper dwarfs.¡± Jack could already imagine the dwarf turning a few shades of red at that comment, or at least hang his head in shame. Especially since he can¡¯t deny it. The local dwarf clans and the principality were originally allies and trading partners to the town. Many elves and dwarves even came to his and his master¡¯s workshop to either buy magic items or even have their weapons and armor repaired. Yet here they were. Conquers and betrayers all when they somehow found out what he and his master were working on. Attacking the town to corner its people before killing all of them outright. All to make sure there were no witnesses. Luckily Jack and his master burned all their research materials as a nice little act of spite. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The dwarf was silent after Jack¡¯s remark. Either too angry or too ashamed to respond. Didn¡¯t matter to Jack either way, so long as his words stung. ¡°Enjoy ya games lad¡­ its comin to a end soon enough.¡± The Dwarf said in a low voice before the latch in the slammed shut. Jack just sighed before a predatory smile crept on his face. Especially since the dwarf didn¡¯t know just how right he was. As his master said, may the gods welcome his soul in paradise, there is a solution and tool for every problem. Once sure the two were no longer interested in his cell he choked down the food and drink and used the metal tray to start scraping once more. It had taken him over a month though tonight would be the last night. Taking a deep breath, Jack blew the stone dust off the ground and out glyph lines. It took him close to an hour to get all the stone dust out of the magic circle. All over the floor, alchemy and arcane circles and lay lines have been shallowly carved into the floor. In his time when enchanting magic items, Jack had made a fair number of circles. But this one¡­ this one was by far the most elaborate and complex glyph he had ever made and filled it with terrible purpose. Never before did Jack think he would have made something like this. Though much like inspiration, imagination, curiosity, necessity of the moment, and yes some boredom were the seeds of invention. Rage, spite, depression, desperation, and grief were also sources of the invention as well though those sources tended to result in a far more malicious product. And that was exactly what Jack wanted. By the time Jack had finished the last of the lines, using the edge of his tray as an improvised carving tool. Jack finished the last of the lines and double-checked everything to make sure it was just right. Once he was sure there wasn¡¯t a single mistake he moved to sit right in the center and activated it. The lines and runes lit up as if glowing water was steadily filling them to get ready to release its terrible power. As the circle that encompassed the entire floor filled with mana, Jack laced his hands together just under his rib cage. Right where he had hidden his master¡¯s and his last great work. It was a painful experience trying to swallow the damned thing. Yet it worked the betrayers hadn¡¯t thought to cut people open to try and find it. If Jack had any regrets, it was that he would not live to see it work. It had taken longer the Jack expected for the magic circle to fill, then again, this one was much bigger than the ones he was used to working with. Which was fine. Jack had waited this long, what was a little longer. Besides, he made sure to include something into the circle to make sure no one could stop it and that part of the circle was already charged. As the circle was charging and filling with enough mana to power an enchantment to cover the town, the slot to the door opened. ¡°Eat up hu-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?¡± the Elf screamed and tried to throw the door open as the dwarven compatriot cursed and struggled with the keys. Huh¡­ the circle must have taken longer to charge than I thought. Jack thought to himself. Oh well, I could use a show before the end. By the time the iron slab swung open, it was too late and Jack didn¡¯t care since the dungeon core was now glowing so bright that the light showed the bones of his ribs as dark bands through his skin. Jack just smiled at them as they looked on in horror. ¡°Are you mad?! Stop!¡± the elf screamed in terror as he tried to dive for Jack. In mid-dive, a shimmering half-dome shined in the air as the elf crumpled against it. ¡°What are ya doin lad!?¡± The dwarf yelled, unsure of what to do as the elf held the broken nose. ¡°This? Yeah, I decided between the beatings, the interrogations, the killing of this town that I¡¯m going to kill everyone here.¡± Jack said with a smile as he enjoyed their horrified shock. ¡°You filthy ingrate!¡± The elf yelled as he tried casting a spell to break the barrier only for nothing to happen. ¡°You would use such evil power!¡± ¡°Ya can¡¯t do this!¡± The dwarf shouted, beating his fists on the barrier. ¡°Think of da people! You would kill so many?¡± Jack just shrugged as he enjoyed the show while waiting for the last of the circle to absorb the last of the power it needed. ¡°Being a bit hypocritical, aren¡¯t we?¡± Jack laughed for the first time in a long time. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys come here and start killing pretty much everyone in sight? Sure didn¡¯t seem all the bothered about death when it wasn¡¯t your lives on the line.¡± Jack chuckled darkly. Neither could say anything as knew they had killed over three thousand men, women, and children. Everyone that they killed were mostly farmers, shopkeepers, and craftsmen. They were helpless against the heavily armed and armored dwarves or the magical bombardment from the elves. ¡°We¡­ we had orders.¡± The Dwarf said lamely. ¡°WHO ARE YOU DO JUDGE US?!¡± The elf shrieked while still uselessly attacking the barrier. ¡°YOUR RACE IS A FUCKING SPECK TO TIME! SHORT-LIVED AND GREEDY FOR POWER YOU DON¡¯T DESERVE!¡± Again, Jack just shrugged. He didn¡¯t really care since they were all going to die anyway. ¡°What do ya want!¡± the Dwarf shouted desperately while other jailers could be heard rushing down the hall. ¡°What will it take ta get ya to stop this madness?!¡± At this, Jack couldn¡¯t help but let out a predatory smile that made the elf and dwarf grow pale at the sheer hate they saw in his eyes. The glowing in his body made more of his bones visible as they could see his ribs in detail and his skull appeared through his glowing flesh. ¡°That. That right there is what I want.¡± Jack said as he saw the circle was almost done as it needed only a few seconds more. He might as well have what fun he can. If he was going to die then he should at least give one of those needless villain monologues like from one of those storybooks he used to make fun of with his late master. ¡°I was taught by a good man to be a good man. But you and your fucking asshole countrymen came here, walking in like you¡¯re some untouchable hot shit. You killed everyone here and took everything I wanted here and the people who gave a damn about me. The people here only wanted to grow and better themselves. I took great pride in my efforts to help build this town and, hell let¡¯s be honest, I enjoyed fixing and enhancing the equipment of the dwarf clans while trading magic tools and items with the elves.¡± Jack took a second to remember the time with a hint of whimsy, seeing there were only a few seconds more left. ¡°We traded with you in good faith and welcomed you as friends. But the moment you found out we were about to actually better ourselves, you cut down everyone in this town. The terrors of the wilds may be monsters, but you. You are so much worse. I¡¯d like to remind you of what I said at the start of this rant.¡± Jack said as a hateful snarl took over his visage as his flesh grew brighter while his bones were now clear to see as if highlighted by a dark outlining. ¡°I was TAUGHT by a good man, to BE a good man,¡± Jack said as he saw that the circles were now filled, time to end it. ¡°The effect of this circle will have a two-and-a-half-mile radius so no point in trying to run. As for what I want, is to see the hope in your eyes die like how you killed mine. Kind of like this.¡± Jack activated the magic circle and that was when he saw it. He saw all their hope shrivel and die. *** The town that was once home to thousands of humans and a few other races Erupted with raw unfiltered mana. The shock wave covered and suffused everything within a two-and-a-half-mile radius from the center of the eruption. All the animals, bugs, plants, dwarves, and elves were completely saturated with this rogue mana. Every living thing the mana touched would feel as if ready to burst into flames while some were already showing signs of mana poisoning. Then all the mana that had been rushing out as fast at possible to latch onto any and every living thing stopped. Hanging in the air for a second before it all came rushing back to the center of the source. Ripping out all the life energy of every living thing it touched. Everything living withered in moments as the chaos shard hungrily devoured it all. Once every last drop of life energy and mana was sucked into the stone. With all that mana and life energy now in the stone, it came to life. *** Jack watched as the elf and dwarf withered before his eyes as he felt all the magic energies getting sucked through him and into the core. And as he watched his form jailers withered to hollow shriveled husks, he then felt his own life energy getting sucked out. He watched as his arms became thinner and his muscles became weaker as he seemed to age over a century in seconds. He didn¡¯t feel pain per se, only weaker by the second. But he did it, he got his revenge and denied them the prize they murdered a town for. With what little strength he had left, Jack laid down on the stone floor and closed his eyes. His breathing became more labored before it stopped when he took his last breath. As Jack felt himself fade from this world. A message passed before his mind.
User has been identified. Attempting to bind dungeon core to user¡¯s soul. Attempting ¡­. Binding successful!
Congratulations! You have become a new Dungeon Core!
Chapter 2 Chapter 2 He didn¡¯t know how long he had floated endlessly in that void. He tried counting to keep track of time but he gave up somewhere around a hundred million and something. By that point he was so sick of numbers that he simply couldn¡¯t stand counting anymore. After the counting he decided to think of making magic items like tools, weapons, armor, and other various enchanted items. Once he got bored of just thinking about them and not actually making them, he then stated to think about golems of various shapes and materials, then he thought about automatons. He even came up with a design that was shaped like a crab. That way it could assist with getting equipment or repairing things. Before growing too excited, he remembered that he couldn¡¯t actually make anything now. But he needed to keep his mind busy, needed something or anything to focus on. Floating aimlessly in the void, he could feel his mind slipping as if he could feel madness creeping in from sheer boredom. Being locked away with his own thoughts was like hell. He believed his name¡­ his name was¡­ FUCK! Did I forget my name again? He cursed himself internally. He just got it back! Or at least he thought it was recently. Ok, we got this. Let¡¯s just start at the beginning. Last things I remember I was¡­ in and alley. I was hurt and I was angry at a lot of things. Life was hard, I¡¯m not completely sure why. The next thing was¡­ come on you know this! You woke up in¡­. a workshop! YES! Yes, that¡¯s right! It was a workshop and there was an older man! Okay. We¡¯re getting somewhere. The old man was good to me and¡­ why¡­ why do I feel happy and depressed thinking about the old man? He thought to himself, as feeling melancholy at the thought of the old man. He tried to remember the old man¡¯s name. Maybe he could talk to the old man once he got out. Yet as he struggled to think of the old man¡¯s name¡­ nothing came to his mind. His failed attempt to remember the old man¡¯s name made him want to weep at the profound loss he felt at this. But he couldn¡¯t linger on those thoughts. You can focus on that later. One problem at a time. We need to remember our name. He said as he tried to focus and steady his nerves. Alright. The old man taught me a lot of things. Do I remember those things? Okay yes, I do. Holy fuck I do! Wow that is a lot of stuff he taught me! Was I a scholar or something? No wonder I feel so sad for not knowing his name! Wait. Stop¡­ focus. The old man taught me and¡­ took me in¡­ He treated me like I was his kid¡­ I¡­ I¡­ studied very hard and became an Artificer. I made my own shop and I man, WOW! I made some cool stuff! Yeah, that¡¯s right! I was an artificer and I was a really good one! The old man and I worked on stuff together! We made magic items! Yeah! We made life better for people! I worked with elves! I worked with dwarves! Elation was coming to his mind as the memories were coming in clearer now. Still no name yet but that was alright it would come to him. He wanted to dive deeper and get more answers since from what he could tell, he was freaking awesome before he ended up in the void. We got what I did. Damn I want to do that again! No wonder I¡¯ve been feeling need to do something! Okay so I was a crafter and used a bit of magic to make magic items. I was invited by the old man to make something very special called a dungeon core. Wait¡­ dungeon core¡­ HOLY FUCK ON A STICK! We worked on making a dungeon core! Those things were insanely powerful and they made loot! Gods damn we are fucking awesome! No, no no. Focus. Right, so we made it and we found it needed a lot of magic to turn on. We were going to power it and then¡­ He paused as he remembered now with sharp bitter clarity. Profound hatred filled every part of his being. That¡¯s right¡­ the nearby elves and dwarves betrayed us. They killed everyone, tortured me, they wanted the dungeon core. The old man gave it to me and I shoved it down my throat so those bastards couldn¡¯t find it. Then I killed them. I killed ALL of them with necromancy and nothing lived. I made sure of it. They never called me my name though. They only called me human while in their captivity. He sighed as he didn¡¯t remember his name¡­ maybe he could use a place holder? Yeah, that would work. At least until he remembered his actual name. Human¡­ yeah. That was definitely what I was. Was¡­ now that was a strange thought. You know, let¡¯s go with Hu. That was a good place holder. Yeah, sounds good. Just as Hu was setting to try and think of something else to keep his mind busy. Hu felt something change. Huh¡­ the fuck was that? Hu pondered. Hells, when was the last time I felt anything. Was it pain? No¡­ no pain was much more unpleasant than that. He could feel his consciousness spreading now, reaching and spreading until he felt he now had arms and legs. Then he felt he had a head. Yet it didn¡¯t feel like it was taking shape. More like it was filling a space or filling a mold of some kind. As he felt his limbs, Hu realized that he could feel. It was muted but he could feel the stone beneath him. That was when he could see. The world exploded into his vision, finding that he was laying on the stone ground only everything was covered with a layer of moss or ivy. Hu realized that his body was actually buried under the moss. With a flex of his arm, he felt it burst free and then saw the last thing he expected. Above him was a skeletal hand and arm. He stared at it, struggling to understand what he was seeing before he tried to flix his fingers. Yeah, that can¡¯t be-Nope! That is me. He flexed and turned his hands and turned his wrist. Hu was looking at the limb and he honestly couldn¡¯t tell if he was more fascinated or freaked out. It took him a couple hours to get up and look over his skeletal body. The fact that he could stand, walk, and do some dexterous movement with his limbs despite not having any muscles was both unsettling and fascinating. But Hu chose not to think too much of it since he was honestly unsure of just how he was doing it. Once he was able to move and walk smoothly enough, he walked to outside of the cell that filled him with a powerful sense of disgust. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. As he walked and moved through the halls, he looked at half broken down skeletons. Some were lengthy while others stout and dense. It didn¡¯t take much thought to recognize what species those skeletons belonged to. Had Hu had any lips, he would have smirked at the bodies but the spirits were gone so it didn¡¯t matter anyway. Once he walked up the last flight of mossy steps, Hu came up to the town¡¯s old prison. Much of the furniture had been rotted and damaged by age and water exposure. There were a few piles of bones that looked like they have been chewed on by some kind of creature. Hu looked them over more for curiosity to what might have chewed the bones but he knew more of craftsmanship than he did animal signs. Hu ignored it once he couldn¡¯t figure it out and moved to leave the jail when he saw a mirror in the corner of this eye. Do I even have eyes? Huh¡­ let¡¯s find out. Hu walked over to the mirror to see what has become of him and see what the damage was. With a few steps Hu found that he now stood in front of the old and dirty mirror but luckily it was still clear enough for him to get a good look at himself. What he saw was both surprising and yet not. What he saw was that he was a full body skeleton. He confirmed that he didn¡¯t have eyes which in itself as confusing as that was. It also raised a few questions to how he was able to see. Putting those thoughts aside, he saw a standard human skeleton that didn¡¯t seem all the special. The biggest difference that separated him from the others that laid in broken heaps was he was moving and what he saw floating in his ribcage. Within his ribcage was a floating opal stone that floated lazily in his center that emitted a soft iridescent light. It was perfectly smooth and spherical with a surface that looked like it had been religiously polished. It took him a moment to remember that it was the dungeon core he had forcibly choked down. What surprised Hu was that he was just calm about this. He was a skeleton with a glowing rock floating in its chest after all. Yet, for reasons he just didn¡¯t understand he was just¡­ accepting of it. He admired himself in the mirror for a few minutes longer. Trying to test the limits of what he could see and how far his limbs would bend, twist or turn. That was when he had noticed a little flashing symbol in the corner of his vision. How did I miss that? Taking a minute to focus on the symbol that looked like the dungeon core and just like that, a widow like a sheet of glass with text on it filled his vision.
Congratulations!
You have successfully bonded with and awakened the Dungeon Core! Time spent to bond with the core (916) years. Master of the Dungeon: Jack Smithson Dungeon type: Mechanized, Necromancy. Dungeon and Dungeon Master Level: 1
Nine hundred and sixteen years!? Fuck my boney ass! No wonder I had a hard time remembering stuff! How the hells am I not insane!? He shouted internally. Huh¡­ so my name is Jack Smithson. I was way off calling myself Hu. Before he could ponder further, another sheet of text appeared in his vision after he closed the first one.
Attention! New Quest Available! Build Thy Dungeon!
To begin making a dungeon, please select a location to plant the true body of the Dungeon core.
Would you like to see your dungeon core menu? Yes/No
Seeing no reason not to. Jack focused on yes as he, for some reason, felt that was what he needed to do to do it. After selecting yes, more panes of glass with text opened up with multiple segments. It was rather convenient and useful to have the information organized like this. Jack was a tad bit curious as to how he was able to see and intuitively use what he saw. Then again, he wasn¡¯t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Dungeon Core Sheet Dungeon Master: Jack Smithson Race: Lich (Formally Human)
Dungeon Mobs Available: Zombie Rats Skeleton Rats Tin Crabs
Dungeon Abilities: Mob Summoning Mob Absorption Reanimate Dead Dungeon Shaping Dungeon Repair Item Absorption Item Creation
Current Loot Drop Options: Coin: Tin Coins Copper Coins Silver Coins Items: Purified Bone pieces Refined materials (Metal)
Special Ability: Avatar of The Master ¨C Note. This is a legendary ability. Dungeons with this ability can make a physical manifestation of its consciousness, also known as the Dungeon Master. The form of this avatar is a Lich who is able to enter and leave the dungeon¡¯s territory at will while also able to change their form as the dungeon grows. The avatar will have the same abilities as its non-mob counterparts.
Rooms/Chambers: None available.
Jack nodded as he read the menu. Moving to a mostly intact desk to take a seat as he held his boney chin. Okay, So I¡¯m a dungeon core now or at least the consciousness of the dungeon core. We know my name is Jack and I have some powers. So far so good. Jack thought to himself as he looked over the sheet a second time. The body is a lich¡­ guess that means I¡¯m an undead. Kind of cool I guess, at least I don¡¯t have any fleshy bits hanging off me. He looked more at the sheet and moved on to the next section since this one was more focused on him specifically.
Dungeon Avatar Sheet
Race: Lich Stats: Strength: 8 Agility: 12 Durability: 14 Intelligence: 27 Wit: 26
Race Abilities: Spell Casting Life Siphoning Curses Casting Necromancy Affinity Quick Study Spell Resistance
Spells Available: Assembly Stone Needles Electric Bolts Detect Resources Refinement Reanimate Minor Detonate Sickening Fog
OH SWEET! I can cast SPELLS now! Jack cheered internally as he hopped off the ruined desk and did a happy dance. Yeah! That¡¯s right! I can cast spells and enchant now. Uh huh! Oh yeah! That¡¯s right! Who¡¯s the best? I¡¯m the best! Jack continued his happy dance, but eventually paused in his celebration to look down at himself. Getting a good look at his ribs, pelvis, and leg bones. If Jack still had skin his face would have been a deep crimson. I mean¡­ there¡¯s nothing for anyone to really look at. Or anyone around¡­ I think. Jack then looked around to see if there was anything he could use to make some makeshift clothing. Ooooookay, first on the to-do list. Find or make pants. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 It took longer than Jack was willing to admit, but he was able to make himself a pair of sturdy work pants with multiple pockets and a fairly nice shirt. He couldn¡¯t make himself a pair of shoes unless he wanted them out of wood. Jack decided he would go barefoot for now until he could find something more useful. Thankfully once Jack figured out how spell casting worked and it made making the cloths were somewhat easy. First, he tested Detect Resources and Refinement. Both spells luckily did as their names suggested. Thanks to the former, Jack was able to find flax and with Refinement he was able to make linen. The clothing was rough and gray but they weren¡¯t going to just fall apart and that was all that mattered. He could look into learning how to make better cloths later. Maybe even he¡¯d even look into how to make dye while he was at it. Now that he was dressed and didn¡¯t feel nearly as exposed, he walked around what was once a town. Now all that was left were tall one or two story tall buildings. All over grown with plants with trees growing and cracking stone roads along with tall grasses growing from between the bricks. Jack looked at some of the crumpled buildings along the weathered roads. He strolled along while looking around at some of the buildings around him. He glanced at both the crumpled buildings that have large broken stones scattered along the street and the buildings that have weathered cracks along their surface. In some ways there was a haunting beauty to the now very dead town. Looking around, Jack could see some remnants of bones that were mostly broken down. The sights of the once prosperous and lively human town now so empty left Jack feeling a little disappointed on multiple levels. The first part of his disappoint was that the humans here were very much dead. Though that was a given. What really disappointed him was no one came to move back into the town! Yes, thousands of people died and the town was mass graveyard. But the buildings and infrastructure were still good! Well¡­ mostly still good. Yeah, with enough people and supplies Jack can see this town coming back to life. There was plenty of potential all around despite the damage. Maybe even some improvements could be made if the repairs were made building by building. As he walked around the streets. Jack felt some memories coming back to him though they were meaningless memories. He passed a building that was once a cleaner for laundry. Another he passed with a bay window with the glass long since gone, Jack remembered that they made really good spice bread. He couldn¡¯t recall the taste, but he remembered they good none the less. A few blocks later he found the local smithy where metals were smelted and shaped. Building after building, Jack was able to remembers shops and the people the ran them long since passed. They were blurry and distant yet they were coming back. Then he found a shop that made him stop in his tracks. Standing in front of what used to be a warehouse turned workshop, Jack read a stone plaque that had an etched bronze plate. Filling him with both pride and sadness as he used part of his sleeve to rub off the dirt. Smithson¡¯s Crafts and Creations Master Artificer Hey girl¡­ I¡¯m home. Jack thought to himself as he brushed his fingers across the plaque. Once he took a moment to savor the emotions that came from visiting his old workshop, he looked over what remained the doors. The doors were utterly destroyed, allowing him to look inside without much issue. When he walked inside, he saw his heavy machines were destroyed or missing, his tools were gone and all of the goods he made from toys to magic items were stolen. His workshop was picked clean. The sight of it was saddening yet it also gave Jack a little bit of hope. If his workshop had been picked clean, then that could mean that maybe there were still people around. At least there was still that silver lining¡­ even if they stole his stuff. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Eh, there were only a few weapons. Most of what I had here was utility stuff anyway. Jack thought before looking to the far corner of the warehouse. So long as my good shit it safe than we have Noooooo problems. With a casual stride in his step Jack walked to the corner of the workshop and pressed a brick well over his head in before sliding it to the side. Revealing a switch that he flicked with his middle finger just before the brick slid back into place. Thank the gods I remembered about the vault and how to get to it. Arcane circles glowed to life as the mana now flowed back into the arcane circles once the circuit was reconnected. The floor from the wall started to grind and rumble from being inactive for so long instead of the smooth slide it was originally made to do. Section by section the floor receded deep into the ground to make a set of stairs. The newly formed stairway leading to an underground hallway with glow stones lighting the way to a heavily reinforced vault door. As Jack walked down the hall, he found a few skeletons inside that were wearing old elven and dwarven armor laying on the ground just in front of his vault door. Around them were old tools and the vault had some minor dents and one singular deep gash. The sight left Jack feeling both relieved and slightly impressed. Oh, who was he kidding. Jack was really impressed that they managed to make that gash in the metal. The vault door had eight layers of reinforcing enchantments and wards and an inch and a half mix of steel and adamantine alloy. Not quite as strong as pure adamantine but it was damn tough stuff. Even with mages helping it should have taken years to get a good cut into it. Never mind a full-blown gash through the first layer of the vault door. Now that he actually thought about it, how the hells did they manage that? Stepping closer to the pile of tools and bones on the ground he inspected them to see if there were some clues how they the managed that little feat. That was when he spotted a rather impressive hammer and an exquisitely made dagger. Picking up the hammer and the dagger, Jack looked them over in the light of the glow stone. The hammer had a double head made of highly refined steel. One side was made with a partially rounded head while the other side was flat. The face and top of the hammer had intricately engraved runes that allowed temperature control for both heating and cooling while the other side had runes made for amplifying strikes and shock waves. The handle was made of a sturdy polished oak with bronze bands to reinforce the strength of its neck while the grip was wrapped in well broken in leather. Looking it over, Jack was more than a little impressed by its craftsmanship. Hell¡¯s it would have been the envy of many artificers to use for¡­ Taking a closer look at the hammer Jack felt a creeping sense of familiarity. Inspecting it more thoroughly to see if the suspicion had merit, he looked at the bottom of the handle and found it. With a building fury he picked up the dagger and looked it over to see it was an adamantine dagger with a single edge. The face of the blade was like a mirror in its finish with runes engraved along its spine. The blade was the length of a forearm with a sweeping hand guard just over the handle that was made with a grip to prevent slipping. Just under the hand guard after carefully inspecting the dagger was that same mark. His craftsman¡¯s mark. An anvil with a three overlapping gears on its side and scroll resting on top of it. His personal insignia that marked his works. Now he recognized the hammer. It was Jack¡¯s own hammer that he made for himself. His fury became an inferno as he recognized the dagger as well. It was made for an elven ranger who was tasked with hunting down cultists. He even gave the bastard a huge discount. The bastards not only came here to steal his best stuff and secrets but used the very things he made to do it. You filthy¡­ Jack thought internally as he looked at the skeletons who dared to steal from him with pure hate. ¡°RAT BASTARDS!¡± Jack yelled aloud as he thrust a hand towards them as a bolt of lightning shot at what little remained of the bodies. The sound, a sharp CRACK, filled the air as the elf¡¯s skull was sent skidding across the floor. Jack quickly changed his aim to blast the dwarf¡¯s remnants. ¡°You motherfuckers thought you can steal from me?! Well look at you now!¡± Jack yelled staring hatefully at the skeletons. In mid tirade, he froze. Taking a second to process what just happened and what he just did. ¡°Did I just talk?¡± Jack asked out loud as he reached for his throat only to find empty air and the spine of this neck. Touching his spine with his boney hand, he physically shuddered. ¡°Woah, that feels so weird.¡± He said trying to forget the sensation of his spine being touched. ¡°Alright. I can actually talk. Good to know. No one around to talk to¡­ eh, beggars and choosers.¡± His rage forgotten for the moment. Jack than turned his attention back to the vault door. Getting closer to examine it as he looked inside the gash. The gash was far too small and the inner space inside of the vault door was not visible, much to his relief. Moving to the three sets of tumblers and entering the four-digit code into each. Once done, Jack spun the bolt work crank to tract the bolts only for the crank to stop half way. ¡°Oh no¡­.¡± Jack said as he tried twisting the tried to twist the crank again only for it to jolt still at the same spot. ¡°Oh nononononononono¡­. NO¡­¡± Jack tried to twist the crank as hard as he could. He tried pulling, pushing, twisting and even tried to kick it yet the crank didn¡¯t turn any further. ¡°Greaaaaaaaaat¡­ it¡¯s stuck¡­¡± Jack grumbled while leaning on a wall with his arms crossed. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°Oooooookay. Jack, it is important to remain calm.¡± He said to himself while staring at the vault door. ¡°Right, let¡¯s look at the facts. I¡¯m a skeleton or lich. I¡¯m a magic user now. I have lost all of my muscle which sucks big time. I can use spells now and not just arcane and transmutation circles. Big plus there. I have been up a few hours and have had a nap for over nine hundred years. Chances are more than good that everyone involved in this is WAY dead. Don¡¯t care how healthy of a living they have or life span. No way they can live close to a thousand years. From what I saw of what¡¯s left of the town, no one moved in and anything useful here is probably gone. Not to mention my vault is stuck.¡± Jack thought aloud, giving the vault door a kick. ¡°Alright, now my current problems. I got no physical strength. I have very little resources and tools available. As far as I know humans, elves and dwarves are at war with one another. Or had a war? Eh semantics. That means I need to find a way to get more information on current events in the world and figure out where I stand on things. I am undead so most people are probably going to try and kill me. I have no specific shelter yet and I guess I need to make a dungeon.¡± Jack thought aloud while holding his chin to ponder. ¡°Then there is figuring out how to set up a dungeon¡­ Actually, why do I also get those illusionary planes of glass with information while we¡¯re at it? Never seen anything like that before¡­ a new form of measuring strength maybe?¡± Jack looked to the piles of bones for a moment as he considered his options. He saw there was plenty of bone for sure. They had calcium, salt and phosphorus. Calcium and phosphorus were good for making fertilizers for growing crops. Salt made for a good preservative and flavoring for food but the idea of bone salt for food just didn¡¯t sit right with him. The fact that he didn¡¯t need to eat didn¡¯t help either. Thinking more about it, Jack remembered the other thing that made bones so tough. Carbon, iron, coper, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium. The amounts were small but something was better then nothing. ¡°Yeah¡­ I can work with that¡­ going to need more though.¡± Jack muttered before extending a hand to the nearest pile of bones. Jack focuses as he cast the spell Reanimate on them. Testing to see if the spell would do as he thought it might. Arcane energies extended from his palm and finger tips to the elven skeleton. Connecting with the tendrils violet energy as Jack watched the tendrils seep into the bones before weaving between them. Forming a complex lattice that drew the separated bones together. The entire process only took seconds before the violet energies vanished just moments before the skeleton shuddered. The skeleton started to rise up like a puppet being lifted up by strings, bent backwards before landing on its feet to support its weight where it stood upright by its own power. The whole scene made Jack take a step back as he was a bit startled by the theatrics of the whole process. The skeleton stood taller than him which was typical since elves stood a fair deal taller than the average human. Jack had been at an average height for a human so it wasn¡¯t surprising. ¡°Alright tall man. I got a job for you.¡± Jack said, gaining the attention of the risen skeleton. ¡°I want you to look for more skeletons and bring then to the upstairs warehouse. I¡¯m going to raise another to help you search around. Got it?¡± The skeleton didn¡¯t do anything at first. It just stared at him blankly the same way a statue would stare out at nothing. Before Jack could say anything else to see if the skeleton understood, it steadily turned and began to make its way up the stairs. Okay, not fast to react and moves at a steady pace. Might need more back up than I thought to speed things up. Jack thought before turning to the dwarf. Starting the process again, Jack reanimates another skeleton along with two others before going to his old workshop with them. With his reclaimed hammer and the new dagger in his pocket and strapped to his pants, Jack went to recline on a partially rotted work bench. Using it as a lounge chair while he waited for the skeletons to do their work. While he waited, Jack drifted off to daydream. His thoughts drifted and lingered on what he should do next and what he could do. He wondered if there were any humans left. There weren¡¯t that many humans to begin with on the continent. Maybe two cities, a handful of towns and maybe a dozen small villages. A lot of things can happen in over nine hundred years¡­ Nine hundred years¡­ Jack thought while staring at the ceiling and his hands clasped behind his head. That would make me the oldest sort of living human on record¡­ Jack dwelled on these thoughts as he heard his ¡®assistants¡¯ continued to gather bones for his first project in a very long time. Jack needed strength and if he couldn¡¯t find it, then he¡¯d just make it. Granted he¡¯d have preferred metal but bone would be tough enough for now. While going over the design in his head, deciding on going with a standard humanoid form, Jack heard a scream in the distance. Startling him as he tried to lurch upright only for the improved lounge chair to break under him. ¡°Fuck!¡± Jack cursed as he sat up and saw that his skeletons didn¡¯t seem to care about the scream. Getting up as fast as he could, Jack ran from the out of the old workshop and listened as best he could. Hoping that the scream was not the last sound of whoever made it. If there was a chance, he could maybe not be alone in theses ruins then he was going to take it. After listening intently, Jack heard distant voices from up the old street closer to the old market district. He couldn¡¯t hear what was being said but that didn¡¯t matter. what mattered was that he recognized that kind of scream. It brought up memories of the town being attacked. People laying in the street dead while others tried to run before being killed by blades, spells, or arrows as buildings burned or collapsed from being attacked. Not this time fuckers. Jack thought to himself as he ran as hard as he could. Not. This. Time. Jack found his way to the large courtyard where the stalls used to be. Tall damaged buildings surrounded the circular courtyard where piles of rubble could be seen. The voices had become far louder but still not clear enough to hear. When Jack rounded the corner, he found the source. There were two elves standing side by side. One was clearly a ranger judging by the bow across their back along with a saber in hand. The other was likely a mage from what he could see of the staff in their hand. The ranger, a male elf, was stalking closer to a huddled figure who was backed into a corner. The small form had light blue skin, large bat like ears on the sides of their head. A shaggy mop of white hair on their head and a long tail that ended with a tuff of white fur. It was dressed in ragged cloths and currently terrified. Jack immediately recognized it as a gremlin but he never knew gremlins to wear clothing before. What Jack knew of Gremlins was that they were not a clothes wearing species. Hells, last he checked they weren¡¯t sapient and little more than feral creatures. Jack remembered many times when he had to chase them away from stealing his stuff or tools. Like bipedal packrats. But as he thought before, a lot can change in nine hundred years. The gremlin was small and cowering as the elf stood over it. The Gremlin was missing its right arm and had a string tied tightly around what remained of its limb. ¡°WHY?!¡± The gremlin yelled as it struggled to push back despite the rubble keeping it from escaping further. ¡°I was scavenging! Why can¡¯t you leave me alone!?¡± From the sound of its voice, the gremlin sounded like a female. More surprisingly it was using the universal common tongue. ¡°Give us what you found and you¡¯ll live, or should I hack off your leg next?¡± The elf sneered while the mage just waited patiently. Nope! You¡¯re not doing that. Without saying anything, Jack marched out from his cover and started to make his way to the two elves. The mage noticed him first and took a ready stance with their staff in hand and their spell book in the other. The ranger was still too focused on the small gremlin, waving his saber in a manner that said he was itching to hack at her again. The gremlin though noticed him and looked even more frightened. ¡°Tuvis, stop playing with the rat. We have a boney.¡± The mage said. ¡°Then blast it. I¡¯m busy.¡± Tuvis said with clear annoyance. Wasting no time, Jack pointed his index and middle finger at the mage with his thumb extended. Silently casting Stone Needles at the mage since he wanted to see what the spell would do. With the thought and the hand gesture, four sharp stone needles the size of his finger formed before they launched themselves with a surprising amount of force. The elf¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his head from panic while trying to case a ward to stop the attack. The needles flew as fast as an arrow with two of the four needles stopped by the ward while the others struck the mage in his shoulder and upper arm. The mage yelled in pain while the ward cracked into a spiderweb pattern from the Stone Needles that hit it. Fortunately for the mage the ward held. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Caster!¡± The mage yelled in pain. The ranger spun and Jack could see Tuvis¡¯ face was a mask of pure annoyance as he drew a bow in a flowing motion and fired an arrow right at Jack¡¯s chest. The Arrow flew true as it pierced his chest and through his only shirt. The arrow sank half way through before he felt it hit his shoulder blade. Jack looked down at the arrow that would have pierced his lung had he still had one. Thank the gods I¡¯m already dead. Jack looked up from the arrow to both the elves and even the gremlin was staring at him expectantly. The ranger for his part steadily reaching for another arrow. Jack of course saw the ranger getting ready to take another and the looks on everyone¡¯s faces nearly made Jack burst out laughing. They looked so confused as by him just standing there with an arrow in his chest. Unable to help himself, he decided to have a little fun at their expense. He didn¡¯t really want to fight, if anything he would have been happy to just scare them away. But since he was here¡­ Crossing his arms over his chest and making the arrow shift, Jack tilted his head as he looked at them all. ¡°If the first arrow didn¡¯t work, what makes you think the second is going to do anything?¡± Jack said aloud. ¡°I¡¯m fucking dead, genius.¡± Now Jack couldn¡¯t help it now. The faces everyone made was so utterly priceless that he practically hollowed with laughter. The two elves grew deathly pale as their eyes were as wide as can be with their jaws practically touching the floor. The gremlin was no better as she looked as if she just saw someone become inside out, do a song and dance, the went back to normal before asking about the weather. ¡°T.That¡¯s not possible¡­¡± The mage stammered while taking a step back. It didn¡¯t take much for Jack to regain his breath since¡­ he didn¡¯t have to breath. Though it did take a moment for him to get his giggle out of his system. ¡°Not possible, eh?¡± Jack asked as he grabbed the arrow and pulled it out of his chest. ¡°Welp, guess you are having a hallucination than.¡± Jack said as he leaned against the nearby wood beam that had once been a part of a stall. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t like the idea of murder in my neighborhood. Enough of that has already happened.¡± Jack said and he looked at the elves. ¡°Now with all due respect, please fuck off.¡± ¡°W.Wha¡­¡± The mage asked dumbly. Still looking horrified but now that surprise and horror had a slight bit of cautious curiosity. NOPE! Nope nope nope. Nooooo. I know that look, you are not taking me apart. Jack thought to himself. ¡°I said, fuck off. The only reason that I didn¡¯t kill you both while tormenting little blue over there is because I ain¡¯t a monster.¡± Jack growled, doing nothing to hide his contempt. ¡°Not a monster?¡± The mage asked now shaken from their fear and surprise while the ranger still looked like a frozen idiot. ¡°You shot me with stone darts!¡± Jack for the most part ignored the mage¡¯s whining as he watched the gremlin with his peripheral vision. For fuck¡¯s sake! Jack cursed internally. You literally have an out right now! Why won¡¯t you run damnit!? Jack sighed when he saw the gremlin still didn¡¯t run while the elf bitched and moaned about the new piercings. Jack looked over the mage for a good target. Not seeing any great choices, he decided to target the staff. It seemed a good a target as any. ¡°I am really over all this whining.¡± Jack said before snapping his fingers to use the spell Minor Detonate. The affect was immediate as the staff just above the mage¡¯s hand exploded. Wood splinters flew in all direction accompanied by a loud BANG. The elf¡¯s hand became a pin cushion as some even of the splinters flew and pierced his cheek. With the sudden chaos, Jack snapped his fingers again as it was now the bow¡¯s turn to explode in the Ranger¡¯s hand. The upper limb slipped and struck the ranger in the fore head. There was a deep gash now and both elves were now gasping and yelling in pain. With both stunned or distracted, Jack ran in close as he drew his dagger and activated the enchantment making the edge glow to life. He stabbed the dagger into the mage¡¯s stomach making them scream and properly distracting them so they couldn¡¯t focus on casting a spell. Out to the two the mage had been the biggest threat. He¡¯d seen what a spell can do compared to an arrow and he was not going to go against a caster without some kind of advantage. With the mage stabbed, Jack let go of the blade to turn to the ranger to cast a spell. The ranger though acted fast despite being dazed. The ranger lashed out with a sword that took off three of his fingers on his left hand. Jack jumped away while casting Electric Bolt right into the ranger¡¯s chest. The bolt of electricity arched from his fingers with a loud crack and bright light that left spots in everyone¡¯s vision while Jack dived for cover behind a stone sale stall. The ranger was knocked back with a sizable scorch mark burnt through his leather chest piece. The mage only just gaining enough sense though the pain to pull the dagger out of his stomach. ¡°Fy?rfl¨­d!¡± The mage yelled while clutching his wound in one hand and used the other to cast the spell. A massive gout of fire blasted out from the mage¡¯s outstretched hand as the fan of flamed engulfed the area. Jack watched at the flames surrounded him and stream around the stone stall he dived behind. Checking his left hand to see that his pointer, middle, and ring finger were missing. Thank the gods this didn¡¯t hurt nearly as much as it should. Jack thought while looking over his hand. Jack took a quick peak over the edge of the stall counter to see the elf was still blasting the relentless fire. That¡¯s it, keep wasting your mana. Jack remained still as he waited for the flames to stop, yet with each passing second the area around him grew hotter and hotter. The elf¡¯s flames didn¡¯t stop as he kept feeding mana into them. Three seconds become ten then twenty of continues merciless heat. Getting a little warm here! Jack thought as he saw some of the bricks nearby start to glow along with stone stall. For fuck¡¯s sake, how much mana does this guy have? Jack waited for almost a minute before the roaring flames died away. The surrounding ground was a glow from so much heat for so long. The only parts not glowing was the area Jack sat that wasn¡¯t directly hit thanks to stone stall acting as break point. Jack¡¯s cloths were almost all burnt and singed away while the stall itself was partially melted. Jack couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by the what the mage did since was not an easy task to melt rock and stone. Taking the chance, Jack popped up from the cover to find the elf was still standing. He was panting hard with no small amount of sweat, plastering his hair and some of his cloths to his skin that now grew a few shades paler. Still clutching his wound, he stood hunched over with a hand resting on his knee for support. ¡°Ha! Missed me!¡± Jack called out with his right hand aimed at the mage. The mage looked up in fear before four Stone Needles shot out to pierce him in the chest. The mage looked down dumbly at the needles that pierced his lungs and heart. Unable to comprehend the fact he was dying until a second later he collapsed. ¡°Now where is that-¡°Jack started to say while looking around until he suddenly couldn¡¯t feel his legs anymore before falling to the ground. From Jack¡¯s perspective, the world was flipping over and over until he felt his back hit the ground. Laying face up, Jack was stunned while trying to understand what happened to him. Turning his head, Jack found the ranger now standing over him with the saber in hand. Glaring down at him with hate and satisfaction while Jack¡¯s legs laid not too far away. ¡°Not so tough now, are you?¡± The ranger crowed as he stood closer to gloat over Jack. ¡°What¡¯s the matter boney? Cat got your tongue? Oh, wait you never had a tongue.¡± Wow¡­ I actually feel embarrassed. Does this guy think he¡¯s clever? Dear gods the second-hand embarrassment is painful. ¡°You don¡¯t seem all that torn up about your friend over there.¡± Jack said as he looked at the ranger. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t think you two were dating or anything¡­ Don¡¯t¡¯ get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with two guys wanting to date but if that was the case, he could have done bett-¡± ¡°SHUT UP!¡± The ranger, who¡¯s name Jack already forgot, screamed while stabbing Jack through chest as Jack grunted in pain. ¡°JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!¡± Jack groaned in pain as he was now staked to the ground by the saber through his ribs. Some of them were even broken yet the majority held up while he grabbed the blade with what remained of his left hand. ¡°That¡¯s it boney. Feel the pain.¡± The ranger said as he twisted the saber. Making it grind and scrap against his ribs. A twisted smile curled the ranger¡¯s lips as he heard Jack in pain. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy watching you die~.¡± Jack mumbled something as he then made a sound as if trying to suppress an involuntary sounds of pain. His left hand holding on as tight as he could. The ranger leaned in closer turning his head to offer a pointed ear. ¡°What was that? I didn¡¯t quite hear you.~¡± Waaaaaait¡­ wait wait wait¡­ is he getting off on this? Jack thought feeling really uncomfortable with that bit of information. So much ew! ¡°I¡­ I said¡­.¡± Jack groaned than he switched his tone entirely. ¡°You got too close dumbass!¡± Jack laughed, unable to keep up the act as he gripped the ranger¡¯s wrist with his right hand. With the ranger¡¯s wrist gripped, Jack used his Life Siphoning ability to start literally sucking the life out of the elf. Immediately Jack felt the life essence flowing into him and it felt amazing. Already he felt utterly rejuvenated as the removed fingers from his left hand started to regenerate rather quickly. With the hand now fully regained its fingers, he gripped the now screaming and panicking elf¡¯s arm with both hands and stared to suck the life out of him faster. ¡°Wooo baby! You might be a murdering lunatic but by the gods you have some tasty life energy!¡± Jack laughed as the elf¡¯s arm started to wither while desperately trying to pull away. ¡°Thank the gods you¡¯re stupid or I¡¯d have a problem trying fix myself.¡± The ranger¡¯s confidence was gone as his struggle to pull away become ever more desperate. Jack¡¯s grip didn¡¯t loosen in ranger¡¯s attempt at freedom. With the flowing of life energy now passing into Jack, his grip became stronger and with the limb weakening there as no escape. More and more of the ranger¡¯s form started to wither and atrophy as his screams became weaker until they became whimpering pleas to live. Jack however didn¡¯t care. The elf is a sick bastard and likes killing and inflicting pain. Jack could see it in the ranger¡¯s eyes so he needed to die. As more the ranger shriveled and wasted away more of Jack¡¯s lower spine and legs started to regenerate. By the time the deed was done, all that was left of the ranger was a shriveled husk and jack had a new lower half complete with toes. With a contented sigh, Jack shoved the remains of the ranger aside to collapse in a heap next to him. With no small amount of effort, Jack grabbed the handle and handguard of the saber for better leverage. The blade eventually came out of him and fell on the floor with a clatter. Afterwards he checked the ribs to find that the bones were now pretty much as good as new. Thank the gods you¡¯re a dumb monster. He thought unable to spit on what remained. At least I saved the gremlin¡­ probably off saying how she was saved by a- Jack¡¯s thoughts were cut short when he saw the gremlin was still sitting in place while clutching her tail with her remaining hand. Her eyes as big as dinner plates. ¡°WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU RUN?!¡± Jack yelled in frustration. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Early in the day, Frizzy was just minding her own business as she was wandering through the ruins of the ancients. It had been her turn along with five others to explore and scavenge for tools, resources and maybe even treasures. Each going in their own direction. She had gotten lucky once while exploring and fond some pieces of a beautiful pin clasp. When she turned it in to the elder, she had been given her choice of mushrooms to take for her garden at home. She and her fellow gremlins were natural seekers after all, especially with magic metals or enchanted items since they can literally sniff them out. Today though was a new day and it had been a fairly enjoyable one too. She had found some pieces of good iron and copper, there was even a magic item! The item was a small glass marble and after playing with it she discovered how it worked. The small marble glowed a soft light and made the surrounding air comfortably warm. Oh yeah, she was keeping this one especially during those chillier nights. The ancients really Knew how to make magic items and there was always more to find. There were many such items that people simply couldn¡¯t make anymore and could only be found in the ruins of the ancients. Frizzy loved hearing the stories of the ancients growing up. Her elders said the ancients were a strange people. Not as tall or as physically powerful as orcs, they were rich like the dwarves, spell casters were rare among their people compared to elves. Yet they were Masters of craft and mastered many mysteries of the world. From how her elders described it, they didn¡¯t chalk every mystery to magic but understood the truth of various parts of the world. The old legends tell of how they would make tools and items meant for making people¡¯s lives better. There were even tails of how they would make weapons and armor that could make people near unstoppable but only sold those to high nobility at absurd prices. Sadly, their story ended bitterly. They had been betrayed by the elves and the dwarves. Their old trading partners and allies brought the city down. Killing all of the ancients in a surprise attack. But that was when the ancients of the city used a trump card. Everything for miles of the city was said to have been bathed in a horrible magic before sucking the life out of everything that lived. Frizzy admired the ancients for that. She knew that there were dwarves and elves who were peaceful that just wanted to be live out their lives. The gremlins in her tribe were very much the same way. But from how the stories were told, everyone involved in the attack were not very good people. She remembered the sorrow she heard in the elder¡¯s tone. Telling how the elves, dwarves, gnomes, and the lizardmen all banded together to kill off the remaining cities, towns and villages of the ancients. None were spared and Frizzy felt a deep sadness whenever she remembered the story. Not only for the wisdom that was lost with them but because she couldn¡¯t help but wonder just how much brighter the world would be if they were still around. She sighed before shaking her head to refocus on her task to forage around the old ruins. She had some success and updated her own map as she explored. She enjoyed the freedom and being the first to see new and wonderous items just waiting to be discovered. She even found another scavenger a few hours after she started from another tribe. Around mid-day she had the good fortune to sniff out a rather interesting device inside a two-story building with hidden compartment. The item was a twelve-sided metal device that looked as if each side was connected with each other. It was made of a brown yellow metal that was heavy in her hands despite its size being a little smaller than her palm. She tried to see what it did but after five minutes of nothing happening Frizzy put the strange device within the pouch around her waist just under her shirt. It was shortly after that her originally pleasant day became horrid. The two elves had cornered her as she came out, they demanded that she give what little treasures she found. When she refused to be bullied, the two attacked her. The ranger severed her arm above the elbow with a quick slash of their saber. Her limb falling uselessly to the ground as she screamed. Clutching the stump as best she could while she ran, trying to slow the blood flow as she escaped. Luckily, she managed to surprise both elves with her very shrill scream. Both of them covering their ears as she had just enough time to pull out string and tightened it as much as possible and stopped the blood flow. She ran fast and hard, doing her best to try and lose the two. But it was no good. They ambushed her when the ranger kicked her hard, making her land in the pile of rubble with a scream in pain. By the time she could recover from the stunning strike, she saw the two standing over her. When she asked them why, she could see the glee from the ranger and the disinterest of the mage as the false deal was offered. That was when the skeleton shambled in. She watched when the ranger took the shot. Skeletons were incredibly weak undead that were easily put down, even groups of children could take one down with rocks and sticks if they were smart about it. When it cast that strange spell and attacked the elves her hopes rose for a moment. If it was a magic caster then that might be the chance she needed to escape! Especially with the mage with a now injured arm. Before she had a chance to act, the ranger already had an arrow nocked and fired. It all happened in less than a second. That¡¯s when she was paralyzed with surprise. When the arrow struck the skeleton and didn¡¯t collapse, she stared at it utterly confused as to why it didn¡¯t die. She could sniff that the ranger¡¯s bow had a minor blessing of the moon on it. That should have been more than enough to put the skeleton down. When she saw the skeleton looked down at the arrow in its chest and then back at them with smooth movements, her confusion became all the deeper. There was no way a Skeleton should be able to take a hit like that and move so smoothing. When it took a pose that was just so alive with its arms crossed and a tilt of its head her, confusion became shock at the truly impossible behavior. When it spoke, Frizzy¡¯s understanding of the world nearly shattered. ¡°If the first arrow didn¡¯t work, what makes you think the second was going to do anything? I¡¯m fucking dead genius.¡± The skeleton said with no small amount of annoyance and mild amusement. She watched as it spoke to them, responded to the elves¡¯ words. Then when it fought them, she saw it used strategy and spells to give itself the advantage. Even when it seemed pinned it mocked them before killing the mage first. When the ranger cut the skeleton in half, it mocked him and made jokes. Faking pain to use the ranger¡¯s sadistic nature against him before turning them into a shriveled husk to grow new legs. The skeleton was smart, had personality and moved and acted like a genuine living being. None of it made sense! None of it should be possible! It could even use magic weapons that could cut through magic defensive spells! Those kinds of magic weapons were rare to in this age and from how only its edge glowed and from how it smelled, it could have only come from the age of the ancients! How! How can a skeleton use magic items, mock someone, and act like it was a living person with a soul?! ¡°WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU RUN?!¡± The skeleton yelled at her. Shaking Frizzy from her internal crisis. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she squeaked with a jump. The skeleton stared at her for a second while getting up. It dusted itself off when it paused to take a look at itself. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Damnit¡­ I¡¯m naked again.¡± The skeleton whined. ¡°Took a while to make those cloths too¡­¡± Still freaking out, Frizzy wanted to say something. There was no telling what might be possible right now. This was the stuff of myths, legends and the wild ravings of crazy people. ¡°E.Excuse me!¡± Frizzy called and the skeleton looked right at her. ¡°C.Can I ask you something?¡± She asked in a voice that felt it was growing weaker along with her courage. The skeleton tilted its head at her. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡± The skeleton answered. She watched as it moved to kneel down next to the mummified ranger. Patting down the body in search of something. ¡°W¡­ who are you?¡± Frizzy asked unsure if it was the right question to start with. It was already out now so no sense in regretting her first question. The skeleton watched her quietly while tapping its chin in thought. She could feel the stare of missing intelligent eyes. This skeleton, no this person, was no fool. Magic creatures don¡¯t say their names since names have pow- ¡°Well, I¡¯m Jack but I think you meant to ask ¡®what¡¯ I am but baby steps I guess.¡± The skeleton, Jack, offered offhandedly. JUST LIKE THAT HE GAVE HIS NAME!?!? Frizzy screamed internally. ¡°Your arm looks pretty bad.¡± Jack said with his arms crossed. ¡°Got to get that cauterized before an infection sets in.¡± Jack said while looking over at the downed elves. ¡°You are going to help me?¡± Frizzy asked, struggling to understand why an undead would want to help the living. ¡°I mean¡­ Yes?¡± Jack sort of asked. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? So far of the three people I have meet since waking up, you haven¡¯t been a prick.¡± Jack said picking up the dagger then moved to the sword to pick it up and flicked it. Listening to the metal as the ring steadily died down. ¡°Wow¡­ this is a piece of garbage. Who the hell would sell a blade like this? Pffft amateur hour at best.¡± Jack grumbled before he paused and looked lost in thought. ¡°¡­ How did I do that without lips?¡± Frizzy was going to ask what he meant until he waved the question away. ¡°Never mind, not important.¡± he said, turning his attention back to the offending sword. Fizzy watched while Jack the skeleton dropped the sword then walked over to some bushes and plants growing from a nearby wall. She watched what this strange undead being was doing as he took the dagger and carefully trim off some clipping from some of the plants. With the clippings Jack rolled them together to before crushing them with the two smoothest rocks he could find nearby. Once the herbs were as much of a paste as possible, he scraped the green paste onto a stone before going to one of the bodies to cut up strips of fabric from the fresh corpses. Frizzy continued to watch quietly as she tried to figure out what exactly Jack was trying to do. From what she was understood, he was making plant paste and from the cloth he was making wrappings of some sort. That was until he laid out the strips of cloth and waved a hand over them. The motion made a faint glow appear over the strips with the smell of manna filling the air. She watched in amazement as the strips of cloth became cleaner and the frayed fibers knit together. The cloth reforming and shaping itself into three lengths of some of the nicest looking bandages that Frizzy ever seen. Each one was of the proportions as the next. ¡°Um¡­ Jack?¡± Frizzy asked, getting the skeleton to look in her direction while he was taking a glob of plant paste and placed it on one of the strips of cloth. ¡°What are you doing? How did you do that with the fabric strips? They look brand new as if they were never cut?¡± Jack in response shrugged his boney shoulders. ¡°Just making some basic numbing medicine and some bandages.¡± He said as if it was obvious. ¡°Can¡¯t make anything too strong since I¡¯m not the greatest at alchemy and I don¡¯t have a proper lab to refine it. That said, it should be more than strong enough to numb the stump. No sense in you feeling the pain for cauterization if we can help it.¡± He said while rubbing the paste into the first strip in one hand and the others in the other hand. When Jack approached, he paused a fair distance away for Frizzy. The bandages held in hand in front of him to make sure she saw the them. ¡°I know that right now, I am pretty much the last person you want touching you after what I just did to that guy.¡± Jack said as he motioned to the mummified husk that was the ranger with his head. ¡°But since you are down a hand, you¡¯re not going to be able to put this on yourself that well. Plus, the sooner we do this the sooner we prevent an infection. Sooooooo¡­. Do you want me to tie?¡± Frizzy blinked up at Jack at what he was saying. The way he said it so casually and to the point, not shying away from the facts for what they were. Especially since he wasn¡¯t wrong. Especially after what she saw him do to the ranger but right now, she couldn¡¯t let an open wound like this go without treatment for too long. She¡¯d seen what happens to others with lesser wounds that went untreated. It got bad and it got bad fast. Frizzy had just managed to survive being attacked and watched her attackers die at the hands of a talking skeleton named Jack. If she died of an infection, that would just be a sad way for her story to end. She needed to see what would happen next. Mustering her courage, she held out the severed end of her arm to Jack. Wincing from the pain of the effort. ¡°I¡­. I want you to wrap it, please.¡± She said as she forced herself to look at Jack¡¯s empty eye sockets. ¡°Alright. Fair warning. For the first few seconds, this is going to REALLY suck.¡± The skelet- no, Jack said before taking the couple of arrows and pressed them together. ¡°Just bite down on this. I¡¯ve done this a few times and trust me it helps.¡± Frizzy reached out with her good arm and took the bundles of arrows and placed them in her mouth. Once they were in place, she looked at Jack and held out what remained of her arm again. ¡°Alright. On the count of three. Ready?¡± Jack asked as he held the paste covered bandage. Frizzy nodded, bracing herself for what was about to happen. She knew the pain was going to be terrible and she was not looking forwards to it. Yet she had to endure it all the same. ¡°One¡­¡± Jack said before she suddenly felt the bandage pressed to her open wound with Jack holding it tight. The pain was so sudden that it left her speechless as she clenched her teeth so hard on the arrows that her teeth started to cut into them. First second was agony with the next not being any better. Then the pain started to fade fast. Quickly becoming a faint memory as her stump soon became completely numb. After ten seconds, her entire arm became numb to any sensation. Frizzy looked in awe at how her arm no longer hurt in anyway though she was panting hard from the endeavor since, as he said, that REALLY sucked at first. Spitting out the arrows, she looked at Jack in a new light. There were legends of only one group of people with medicine like this, clever enough to make something priceless out of weeds, not to mention use such powerful artifacts that she had just seen. ¡°You¡¯re an Ancient one!¡± Frizzy all but yelled while jumping up to her feet proper. Surprising Jack to the point that he stumbled backwards and fell on his boney ass. ¡°I have so much to ask you! What was the city like? What were the common magic items? What was your profession? Do you know what happened to the armies that attacked here? Can you tell me wh-mfff!¡± Frizzy had been speaking a mile a minute. Firing off every question that came to mind since she had someone in front of her that not only lived in the ancient times, but was ancient themselves! She wasn¡¯t going to let this opportunity pass. There was simply too much to learn and she wanted to learn as much as possible from the ancient! That was until a boney hand covered her mouth and stopped her in mid question. For a few seconds, Jack had kept her mouth covered before slowly taking it away once he was sure she was done talking. ¡°Calmed down?¡± Jack asked, still sitting on the ground after falling backwards. Frizzy nodded though barely restraining herself from ask all the questions that came to mind. There was no telling what kind of secrets this ancient might have and the wisdom he could share. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s finish up the arm first. Then I¡¯ll ask you a few questions before I start answering yours. Deal?¡± Jack the ancient said while offering his hand to shake. Not needing to think twice about it, she took his hand with her remaining one and shook it vigorously. With the deal done, Frizzy watched as Jack picked up the ranger¡¯s sword once more and took the dagger to it. Resting the edge to the flat face of the sword to heat it up until went from a shining grey, to a blister red, then a scorching white. With the metal headed up, Jack pressed the tip of the sword to the stone floor until it bent. Once the metal was bent to the make a flat surface parallel to the ground, he heated up the flat surface until it was glowing bright red. ¡°Your arm should be really numb by now, so you shouldn¡¯t feel anything.¡± He said coming closer with the glowing metal cauterizer. At seeing the glowing metal coming closer, Frizzy closed her eyes and braced herself. She knew the ancients were wise and this one, Jack, was not going to lie to her. Yet she still closed her eyes and turned her head away. Despite her arm being numb, she did not trust herself to not flitch away. As she waiting with her eyes scrunched shut, Frizzy decided that once the treatment was over, she was going to have Jack to take her as an apprentice. The man, or skeleton, was the only true connection to the lost knowledge of the ancients. Knowledge that would give her people a chance at a better life. She couldn¡¯t wait to learn of the wisdom he might share. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Bum bah, la dah bum ba, la dah bum ba. Jack hummed in his head while he was cauterizing. Normally Jack would have a music box playing as he worked, since he didn¡¯t have one at hand, humming would have to do. The gremlin had her head turned away while he finished up cauterizing her wound. Finding it kind of funny seeing her to expect some kind of pain despite her arm being as limp as a dead fish. Lucky for her, making prosthetic limbs and attaching them to people was child¡¯s play. The luck though was that the bone was cleanly cut. If he had to file the bone down then she really would have been in a world of suck. With the cauterizing done, Jack reapplied the bandages with the numbing agent on it. Trying not to laugh as he watched as gremlin still wincing and bracing herself for pain that would never come. Soreness was another story, but that was a later problem. The second part though was going to be a bit trickier. ¡°You¡¯re all set.¡± Jack said as he poked the gremlin girl¡¯s cheek. After waiting a moment, the gremlin girl opened one eye to look at her arm then back to Jack. It was funny in a way to see her disbelief as she inspected her arm. ¡°Any pain, discomfort or tightness?¡± Jack asked as he stood up fully, putting his knife away while holding the cauterizer in his other hand. leaning on it like it was a really ugly cane. ¡°N.no. Thank you for helping me.¡± The gremlin said as she lightly touched her arm to inspect it. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet, you¡¯re still down an arm and the job ain¡¯t done until you get a replacement.¡± Jack said as he looked at the gremlin, just now realizing just how rude he¡¯d been. ¡°Shit! Sorry, I didn¡¯t ask for your name when I gave you mine. What¡¯s yours?¡± The gremlin was staring at him with big wide eyes with her mouth gaping like a gaping fish. Staring at him as though he was speaking tongues. That or she probably had a stroke of some kind. ¡°Hey¡­.¡± Jack said trying get the gremlin¡¯s attention. ¡°Helllloooooooo?¡± he called while waving a boney hand in her face. ¡°Wake up!¡± he shouted while flicking an ear. ¡°Owe!¡± the gremlin winced while rubbing her ear. Ok, good to know. If you want their attention you have to flick their ear. Noted. Jack thought to himself. ¡°Oh, good. You¡¯re back.¡± Jack said with his arms crossed. ¡°Where did I lose you? You looked like you forgot how to breath for a second.¡± Once the gremlin girl came to her senses, she practically tackled Jack as she yelled, ¡°You can give me back my arm!?¡± Jack nearly jumped out of his¡­ ok, maybe not skin. But he did nearly trip of over his own feet for a second time when the gremlin jumped up and clung to him with her face inches from his own. There was a frantic and desperate look in her eye that demanded answers. ¡°Yes! I absolutely can!¡± Jack answered as fast as possible. ¡°I can¡¯t regrow it but I can make you a new one!¡± he said while trying to pry her off to no avail. As soon as he said that, the little gremlin clung to him all the tighter as she used her arm and legs to hug his rib cage tightly. ¡°Thank you!¡± she cried in joy. ¡°The stories of the ancients are true! Thank the gods they¡¯re true!¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting snot on my ribs!¡± Jack complained while still trying to get the gremlin girl off him. ¡°Sorry!¡± the gremlin squeaked, realizing what she was doing and jumped off of him to land on the ground in front of him. After looking himself over and ripping off another piece of cloth from the bodies to wipe off his bones, he turned back to the gremlin girl to get some answers. ¡°Ok, first what is your name?¡± Jack asked. ¡°I need to know what to call you.¡± ¡°Frizzy.¡± Frizzy said without any delay. Still looking up at him excitedly while cleaning her face. ¡°Alright, now we¡¯re getting somewhere. Can you tell me if there are any other humans around or nearby?¡± Frizzy looked, her face contorted from deep thought. One that said she was really searching her memory for the word. Jack could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears and heard the gears in her head grinding against each other. After a minute of her thinking and coming up with nothing, she shook her head with a down cast expression. ¡°I¡¯ll sorry but I have never heard of humans before.¡± She answered. That¡¯s¡­. a little worrying to hear. ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­¡± Jack said, trying not to worry. ¡°If you don¡¯t know than maybe somebody else does.¡± Jack turned his attention two fresh corpses and used the Reanimate spell on them. Turning them into a pair of zombies before he ordered them to walk around to collect as many bones as possible from the surrounding area. With the orders given, Jack took a seat on a pile of rubble to sit across from Frizzy. ¡°Alright, next question.¡± Jack asked while making himself as comfortable as possible as a pile of stone will allow. ¡°Does anything or anyone live here now?¡± ¡°No Ancient. No one lives here. Everyone says this place is cursed. The only reason people come here is to scavenge for magic items that might still be around. Most of it are small items, like this one.¡± Frizzy said as she dug in her pocket to pull out a small glass marble. Carefully plucking the marble from her outstretched hand, Jack a closer look. He held it up to the light to examine the internal arcane scripts inside before letting out a chuckle. ¡°Yep, you got lucky with this little beauty.¡± He chuckled while rolling the marble in his fingers. ¡°Good thing it¡¯s enchantment isn¡¯t set to fully activate as well.¡± Tilting her head, Frizzy took a step closer to get a better look at the marble. ¡°What do you mean, Ancient?¡± She asked, looking over the marble more closely. ¡°Pleeeeeeeease just call me Jack.¡± He pleaded. ¡°And what I mean is that if it was, you probably wouldn¡¯t be carrying it in your pocket.¡± He said while carefully placing it on flat stone surface. ¡°That my little blue associate, is a pressure engine core. It is normally put in a metal container filled with water that is connected to piping then from the piping to a machine. It heats up the water to turn it to steam that would power the machine. This one was made for small machines. Not the most powerful but it has some kick to it.¡± Jack hadn¡¯t realized it, but he had been fully engrossed in explain the pressure core that he wasn¡¯t paying attention around him. He had been lost in thought while remembering how the magic item worked and what possible uses it could serve. Honestly it was a very lucking find since they were a pain to make. Not because it was a complex arcane script to make, far from it, Jack just really hated working with glass. The stuff was terrible with conducting heat, and once you did get it hot enough to shape was like trying to sculpt with warm honey. All gooey and didn¡¯t want to retain the shape you put in it or shaped it to. Fighting with the stuff the whole time while trying to make it keep its shape while it cooled was not his idea of a fun time. He¡¯d take working with metal any day. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. After his little day dream and moment of respect for the crafters who masted the art of making and shaping glass, he turned to see that Frizzy was practically on top of him again. Listening to him as if he just told her the secret to eternal youth. ¡°¡­ Frizzy?¡± ¡°Yes, Ancient.¡± she answered without so much as blinking. ¡°Again, just Jack.¡± He said as he leaned back a bit. ¡°Frizzy, you really need to learn about personal space.¡± Frizzy for her part didn¡¯t move an inch as she continued to stare at him intently. ¡°Frizzy, if you were any closer, you¡¯d be inside my ribcage.¡± Jack said as he was now starting to feel a little uneasy. ¡°I¡¯m going need you to take a big step back.¡± With that, Frizzy took as big of a step as her short legs allowed. Still hanging his every word as if waiting for more word of profound truth from him. ¡°O¡­. okay¡­ Anyway, you got lucky. Had the pressure core fully turned on, it would have burned hot enough to burn through your pocket. Maybe even scortch your leg a bit.¡± ¡°WHAT!¡± she yelled before looking at the pressure core accusingly. ¡°Yeaaaaaaah. Those cores burn really hot.¡± Jack said while looking at the two zombies that were picking through the rubble to collect bones. ¡°I was going to use that to warm my den!¡± That outburst made Jack snap his attention right back to Frizzy. ¡°Are you insane!¡± He shouted back. ¡°Bad! Bad blue girl! Bad! Are you trying to cook yourself?!¡± ¡°How was I supposed to know that it did that!¡± she shouted back at him. ¡°A lot of the knowledge of the ancients is lost! None of this stuff comes with instructions! You¡¯re probably the only one who knows how it all works!¡± Not one to lose in a shouting contest, Jack yelled back. ¡°That is a very fair point! I am sorry I yelled at you!¡± Unfortunately, the little gremlin was proving to be just as stubborn. ¡°Then why are you still yelling at me!¡± she demanded while the zombies came back to drop a pile of bones next to them both. ¡°Because what is common sense to me is no longer! I just woke after nine hundred years! Before today, I had skin! the panic I¡¯ve been pushing aside is creeping in and I¡¯m letting out at the worst time!¡± Jack yelled back, surprised by his own confession since he was actually panicking since the reality of his world was really starting to set in. ¡°That sounds offal! Would a hug help?!¡± Frizzy yelled now out of worry instead of trying to win the shouting contest. ¡°Maybe! A hug might help!¡± Jack replied. With no need for further invitation, Frizzy slammed into him with an arm to give him a half hug. Giving him as much of a squeeze as her small frame could manage. Jack for his part hugged her back and gave as much of a squeeze as his weak arms could manage. Holding her tight as he could feel her trying to give him what little comfort she could. For a brief moment, for one fleeting moment, Jack let himself get lost in the hug. It was the first touch in over nine hundred years that was filled with compassion. He had no idea when he last heard a kind word, a hug from a friend, shared or just casually spoke with someone. Before he died, he had been locked up alone in cell. The only interactions being his jailers interrogating him or beatings to find out where the dungeon core was. His last moments of life were so full of bitter hate and spite that revenge had been his sole obsession. Yet even death brought him no peace. He had only found himself in a new jail cell. One that was infinitely worse since he couldn¡¯t taunt his jailers. He had been trapped in a literal void with nothing but his own thoughts. Fighting with everything he had to stay sane yet still he felt pieces and parts of who he is slip away. Now here he was. Free from that abyss to find the world he knew as a crumbling ruin. Even most of who he was physically, and no small part mentally, was also gone as well. He was still able to remember all the skills he had learned to become a master Fabricator. While he was in the void, he reviewed all those skills over and over and over again just to have something for his mind to stay busy and hold onto. Everything else though was lost in a mental fog. He had glimpses but nothing that was truly hold on to. And the hug only furthered the feeling that there as so much of himself that was missing. He felt faint echoes of comforting memories, yet no matter how much he tried to hold on they slipped just beyond his grasp. Could he even call himself ¡®Jack Smithson¡¯ anymore? He knew that is who his status pages said he was. But could he honestly say that was still ¡®His¡¯ name? Was he even still the same person since he was missing much of who he was? These thoughts plagued Jack as he continued to hold onto Frizzy. Everything he had been trying to push from his mind since waking up was now overwhelming him. Doing his best to try and compartmentalize these thoughts to something more manageable. Doing his best to hold on to the feeling of the hug so he doesn¡¯t lose himself. ¡°Anci-¡° Frizzy started to say in a soft voice but caught herself. ¡°Jack¡­ are you ok?¡± Jack, being brought back to reality by the question, thought for a moment before he answered. He could say yes, that he was just fine. But that would have been an obvious lie. There was no sense in lying to himself or Frizzy. It was better to face the truth for what it was. ¡°No¡­ no I¡¯m not.¡± Jack answered, ¡°I am utterly lost and completely out of place here. And I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m still me.¡± Frizzy said nothing as she squeezed him a little harder. Jack appreciated the sentiment since he kept him in the moment. But unless she could help him reclaim his lost memories, there was little she could do to help him. Besides, she still needed a new arm and he still hadn¡¯t finished what he started. Gods knew he could use the work to keep his mind busy and it was as good a place as any to get started in this new world of his. Taking a metaphorical breath, Jack patted her on the back to let her it was ok to let him go now. To her credit, she understood right away and let him go while taking a step back. ¡°Alright Frizzy, now that I had my moment of personal crisis. Let¡¯s make you that new arm.¡± Jack said as he dusted himself off and then made sure he wasn¡¯t leaving his knife and hammer behind. ¡°Do me a favor and grab that cauterizer?¡± He asked Frizzy. Following his instructions, Frizz scurried over to the cauterizer before resting it on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s still amazing that you ancients could just make new limbs like that.¡± She said as she quickly moved to stand next to him. Jack called over the two zombies and told them to carry the pile of bones they have collected so far. Once the pile was collected, he told them to following close behind him before leading the way back to his old workshop. ¡°That is not completely true. Most people that lived here can¡¯t do what I¡¯m going to do.¡± He said while Frizzy hung on his every word like a dutiful student. ¡°Most people here where were tradesman, bakers, farmers, scholars, artists, and craftsman. Basically, everyone you would need to build a community. The reason I could make a replacement arm is because I was a Fabricator.¡± The sheer wonder in her eyes when he looked at her would have make Jack smile¡­ if he still had a face. ¡°What¡¯s a Fabricator?¡± She asked like an excited child. ¡°Fabricators are people who make machines, magic items and other gadgets. It¡¯s like being a smith, a mason, and a bunch of other trades but we inscript them with magic to do all kinds of things.¡± Jack answered with a bit more swagger in his step. ¡°Most of us can¡¯t use spells, so we had to learn how use arcane circles and scripts in order to enchant the items. It¡¯s like being a mage except the magic we make is permanent and reusable. Kind of like making a statue that moves compared to summoning a monster. With the statue, it can take a while to shape and carve. Then there was making the arcane circuits for how it will move and what it can do. But once it is done, it will stay and follow your directions for a long time. With a mage, they can summon a monster, it will take seconds to do, it will follow directions but it won¡¯t stay long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Frizzy said as she was practically hopping with excitement. ¡°Is that how you are going to make my arm? Are you going to make it out of stone?¡± Jack was practically oozing with pride as he took one cocky step after the next. ¡°I could make it out of stone, but that would be really heavy for you.¡± He said as he rounded a corner. ¡°We also don¡¯t have enough metal to make a proper arm with either. And that is another part of what it is to be a Fabricator. We see a problem, study it, then make a solution to that problem. See it, understand it, solve it.¡± Frizzy was practically hopping as she followed close to his side. Growing giddier as she listened to what people of his profession did and was eager to hear more. ¡°That is so cool! What are you going to make my arm of since stone is too heavy and there isn¡¯t enough metal?¡± She asked now growing thoughtful at her own question. Not one to just give the answer out of hand, Jack chose to remain quiet and let Frizzy puzzle it out on her own. It was good for outside the box thinking and that kind of skill was helpful no matter. Frizzy was thoughtful as they walked down the block, saying nothing as she really gave the question some thought. By the time they reached the next block, she seemed have an epiphany. ¡°You going to use wood with the metal?¡± she asked. ¡°I know some rich members in my clan who have door hinges for their dens. Are you going to use the metal for the elbow and the wood for the arm?¡± ¡°Under normal circumstances, you wouldn¡¯t be off the mark.¡± Jack said, impressed that she got the basic idea on the first try. ¡°Most prosthetic were made with metal for the joints while the rest was lacquered wood. Buuuuuut, we¡¯re not aiming for normal. Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary!¡± ¡°Then what are you going to make the arm out of?¡± she asked, confused since she didn¡¯t see too much around them besides a heap of rubble. ¡°Think outside the box. What do we have? What can we use? What can we have tried and what haven¡¯t we tried yet?¡± Jack asked as they got closer to his workshop. Frizzy thought more about it as Jack said nothing while they walked. He was a little disappointed that she didn¡¯t get it right away. But it was understandable since that kind of mindset was one that needed to be learned through practice. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 They walked in silence until they made it all the way to the workshop. It didn¡¯t take long for Jack find the large pile of bones collected by the skeletons. The one of which was just walking back into the workshop with an armful of bones before dumping them onto the pile. The pile was sizeable but there wasn¡¯t enough for what he needed yet. At the rate his¡­ minions? Yeah, let¡¯s go with minions. His minions would probably need a few days to get all the bones he needed. Maybe he should send one to find some scrap metal while they were at it. At least there was enough for Frizzy¡¯s arm. Eventually she gave up trying to guess and asked Jack what he was going to use while as he prepared his work space. When he had told her he was going to use bone, her reaction had been priceless. She swore up and down that it was not possible but Jack just chuckled and told just wait and see. He had the skeletons and the zombies go out and collect the biggest piece of stone they could find and to bring it into to be his new work table. The first stone they brought in was a bit too big to use. He told them to go out and another large piece that reached past his hip in height. While they were doing that Jack set to work to make some tools he would need. He took the cauterizer and started to measure it by eye to how much metal he had to work with. It wasn¡¯t be as precise as he would normally like, but this was for a tool. He ended up taking half of what was once a sword and used the dagger to super heat the spot he needed until it glowed white hot. Once it was at the right temperature, he took his hammer and dagger in order to start cutting the steel until he had two separate pieces. When he had what he needed, Jack put the rest of the scrap to the side then got to work. He used his Form and Function spell to try and shape the metal into a simple chisel. That was when Jack hit his first snag. The spell activated but the hunk of metal wasn¡¯t affected. Curious, Jack tried another method by using the spell refine on the hunk of steel and this time the metal did change its shape. Heating up and morphing itself while slag and impurities were removed, the steel took the form of a small bar while the slag made a small pile on the table. Jack and Frizzy looked over the steel and admired it once it had cooled down enough to touch. Taking his hammer to lightly test it, Jack heard a clear crisp ring come off the bar. It was easily the purest sounding steel Jack had heard and it made him very grateful that he wouldn¡¯t need to go through the entire smelting process once he got more materials. With the steel purified, Jack tried again to use his Form and Function spell and this time it worked. The steel morphed twisted and shaped itself before their eyes to make a small triangular tipped chisel. Looks like I can¡¯t use mangled items with the Form and Function spell. Only processed materials will work. Jack thought to himself as he looked over the chisel. I¡¯ll have to experiment later to see it if has any other limits. With his mental note complete, Jack repeated the process with more of the sword to make a mason¡¯s chisel while he waited for new stone table. When it arrived, Jack used his mason chisel and hammer to clean up the surface until it was relatively smooth and made a semi deep bason on the side of the work table. Putting the bones in the basin, he took his hammer and started to crush them until nothing was left but a fine powder. Now came the actual crafting. It took him an hour to forge with the chisel to carved a fusion circle into the stone surface of his table. But when he wsa done, Jack carefully placed the bone power and the steel bar inside its center. Adding more bone powered as need until he found he a working mix. Once Jack felt it was all ready, he activated the circle and the old workshop was once again filled with arcane light. Jack was lost in his craft as he fused and melded the steel and bone. Watching as the two became one. Mixing and melding until it eventually made large block of a semi white metal that was one foot in height, one foot in length and one foot in width. The material was smooth as glass while also solid to the touch. As he inspected his creation, Jack noticed a flashing icon shaped like the marble floating in his chest was blinking yet again. When he focused on it, a new plane of glass with text popped into existence once more.
Congratulations! New Alloy Discovered!
Osteal Ferrum This alloy is made by fusing bone dust with steel. Though it is not strong as steel, it is light weight and far more conductive for enchantments and channeling arcane energies. This alloy is ideal for making artifacts and crafting magic items.
You have made the following.
Osteal Ferrum Brick. Quality: Low Weight: 20 pounds Mana conductivity: Medium
Jack looked over the brick and read the notifications. Thrilled that this new alloy would be great for enchanting. Never mind that fact that it was so light and he could now see that actual quality of the metal. That certainly took out a lot of the guess work and experimentation on his end leaving him plenty of time to make Frizzy¡¯s new arm. When he saw the quality of the brick though, his inner perfectionist refused to let it slide. After using the Refine spell to remove any impurities and bringing the quality to high, he set to work using both spells and skills to cut, shape and model the alloy into pieces and parts. Showing and explaining what it was he was doing to the gremlin girl as she asked him questions. The whole process was enjoyable and far faster than he was used to. The alloy seemed almost eager to take shape at his guidance, responsive and cooperative to his will as each piece of the arm was made. Then there was Frizzy who seemed eager to learn and asked questions that showed her naivety and her desire to understand what it was he was doing. It felt good to not only work with the new alloy and make something meaning full while also explaining why and how it worked to someone eager to learn. As he finished making all the parts, Jack explained to Frizzy that certain enchantments needed set into them so each part work with one another. He then explained that the real trick that made it work was that it each enchantment was really just a piece of a greater whole. She asked what that meant, Jack explained that it worked like branches in a steam, each branch led to a different part and would cause a different affect allowing different part of the arm do to different things much like an actual arm. When the arcane circuits were finished and connected to each other properly, they would work to make something entirely new. Jack then started to add some additional enchantments. This was a dangerous world after all, it would only do Frizzy some good to have something to protect herself with. At some point, Frizzy fell asleep while he worked. Likely because of the stress of the day had caught up with her. Which worked fine for Jack since he wanted to surprise her with the arm when it was done. By the time he was done, the arm was made to look like segmented ivory that looked like a mirror opposite of her left. That was when another notification popped up.
Congratulations! You have Crafted the following Magic Item!
Osteal Ferrum Arm This arm is able to take the place of the missing limb. Once the arm attaches to the user, it cannot be removed by anyone other than the user. This arm has all the same range of motion and dexterity of a normal flesh and blood one. Enchantments: Strength Multiplier Durability Reinforcement Self-Mending Mana Conduit
When Frizzy finally woke up, Jack presented the arm to her in all of its splendor, her reaction took him off guard. She walked around the arm, looking it over and touching it with reverence. The way she regarded the replacement was as if she was looking at something out of myth. Her eyes even watered as she carefully touched the limb, almost scared as if her touch might soil it. When Jack asked if she was ok or if she liked it, she nodded so vigorously her bat like ears started to flop. Coming out of her reverence, Frizzy screamed with joy as she practically demanded to have it put on at that moment. After checking to see if her arm was still numb and finding that the medicine in the wrappings was wearing off, he quickly made a fresh batch. Once her arm was good and numb once more, Jack guided her arm stump into the opening where arm attached itself. The was a light crunch sound and a soft hum before a pale green light shined between the segments before it faded from sight. She sheer amazement and joy on Frizzy¡¯s face when she moved her new arm, opening and closing her fist, and even moving individual fingers. Each movement as smooth and natural as her flesh and blood arm. Jack felt no small amount of satisfaction from a job well done. That was until she made a face that said she was looking at something visible only to her. That was when her looked at the arm with even greater excitement. She asked him if it was true what her arm could do. His only response was to tell her to try and punch the first stone slab that was brought in. Jack watched in amusement as she approached the stone slab. Unsure if she should actually punch it with her new arm. Clearly scared that she might break it if she actually tried. After some encouragement, she mustered up the courage and wound her arm back and swung with all her might with a clenched fist. With staggering speed, her fist whistled through the air before striking the stone. When her fist connected, the sound of metal striking stone filled the room with chunks of stone were sent flying off. The once pristine knuckles of her new hand were scuffed with shallow scratches. Yet when she watched as the same pale green light shinned in those scratches before the surface became smooth and pristine once more. If Jack had a face, he¡¯d have the smuggest expression at seeing her stunned expression. That was until he saw silent tears streaming down her face while flexing and moving her fingers. Still unable to believe what she saw when she turned her gaze to him. He was about to ask if she was ok when she finally spoke. ¡°Please¡­. Please teach me¡­¡± Frizzy said finding her voice once more. With more of her senses coming back to her, Frizzy dropped to her hands and knees and pressed her forehead do the ground. ¡°Please! Please teach me the art of the ancients! I want to learn! I want to build! I want to make artifacts and wonders like you!¡± She begged not taking her forehead from the ground. Now it was Jack¡¯s turn to be caught off guard. He expected her to be happy, some gratitude and maybe even a tear of joy. That was what he thought would happen since that would made sense if someone got a new and stronger limb. Thinking it over, Frizzy was curious and she was inquisitive. There was a clear passion for magic items there. If he was honest, she was probably more excited to see and learn about magic items and crafting then when he first started. Passion can take someone pretty far as well even if they didn¡¯t a proper understanding of how something worked. After all, with enough time and practice someone can build up and understanding. Thinking about it, Jack probably would have taken a couple apprentices had things played out differently. Plus, there were worst things he could be doing besides teaching someone what he knew. But it never hurt to make sure the person he was going to teach was going to be responsible with what they learned. ¡°Tell me, why do you want to be my apprentice?¡± Jack asked after a moment of silence. ¡°You said ¡®what¡¯ you want to do. I haven¡¯t heard the ¡®why¡¯ you want to learn.¡± Remaining in place, Frizzy didn¡¯t raise her head from the ground and started to tremble a little. The sight left Jack feeling a little guilty, but he needed to know her reasoning. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m a gremlin¡­ my kind are small¡­ we aren¡¯t fast, we aren¡¯t strong, and we don¡¯t have a lot of magic¡­¡± she said as her large ears drooped at her admission. ¡°The other races don¡¯t treat us with respect and they barely treat us like people¡­¡± she continued now with mounting frustration. ¡°You saw how the elves treat my kind¡­ The dwarves cheat us in trade¡­ The orcs raid us and many of the others take advantage of us where they can.¡± She said as her fingers started to clench into fists, still keeping her head down. ¡°I want a better life, I want to make our lives better. I want to become so irreplaceable that I can never be threatened again and give my people a better choice than scavenging for relics.¡± Now she raised her head and looked Jack in the eye sockets. That was when he saw what he was looking for. Fire, passion, drive, and a refusal to let anyone stop her from chasing her dream. A dream of a better life. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I don¡¯t want to survive anymore,¡± Frizzy said with resolve strong enough to rival adamantine. ¡°I want to live.¡± If Jack had a face, he¡¯d be grinning ear to ear. ¡°Than get the hell off the ground.¡± Jack said with a firm tone of voice. ¡°No apprentice of mine is allowed to beg to anyone. Not even to me.¡± The hug he got at that moment from the now crying Frizzy was worth every bit of snot and tears she leaked on him. The joy that radiated off of her as she thanked him profusely made Jack chuckle before she eventually tired herself out. Frizzy spent the night sleeping at his workshop while Jack took some time to think that night. The following day, Frizzy left to go and get all her things from her tribe. She promised to be back in about four or five days to begin her apprenticeship in earnest. He had handed her the adamantine dagger for protection, telling her how to activate the fire enchantment and how turn it off again. When she started to protest, saying she was not worthy of such a powerful artifact, Jack told her it was a loner until she got back or she made her own. She left that day and Jack found that he was alone once more. He had his skeletons and zombies but they weren¡¯t much for conversation. Thankfully they were diligent and tireless. He had them working all through the night to search for any metal or bones that were to be brought back to the shop. After the first two days, Jack opened up his stat sheets or plains of glass with text¡­ Menus? Jack thought for a moment. Yeah, menu feels right. Jack looked over his status menus and the menu for his dungeon he was supposed to make. He looked it over to see if he could find something useful when took another look at the loot drops. Purified bone pieces and refined metal. If there was ever a sign that he needed to get off his boney ass and make the dungeon, that was the kick in the pants he needed. Taking a moment to think, he weighed his options of where to plant the dungeon core. Thinking more on it, Jack discovered that he had another question to answer on top of his first one. What KIND of dungeon was he going to make? Thinking about it, he drew up what he could remember about dungeons and the types that existed while he was alive. There was just one¡­ little problem. ¡­ I DON¡¯T REMEMBER A FUCKIN THING! Jack lamented. Jack tried over and over again to remember what kinds of dungeons that existed. He KNEW they were powerful and he knew without question they were sources for hard-to-get resources. Like adamantine, celestial coper, or void iron. For the life of him he couldn¡¯t think of what forms dungeons can take. With a sigh, Jack resigned himself to try the ¡®throw it at a wall and see what sticks¡¯ method. OOOoooooh how he HATED that method. To him it was like banging his head on a wall until he found the door that was that was two feet to his right the whole time. Taking a moment to consider how he wanted to start, Jack decided that the center of the town as a good place to start. It might even give him some ideas on how to plant the dungeon core, however the hells he was supposed to do that. The walk was fairly long from the shop was and where he thought the higher district was. From what he could remember, the town was built in rings and layers with walls that separated one from the other. Unfortunately, the first thick wall he came across was partially collapsed in a way that made a massive V in fortification. As he walked through the massive gap, he thought more about the design of the town and reconsidered the design. Yes, it was a town by population standards but by design it felt more like a city in the making. Or at the least it was designed to later become a city. At least the architects seemed to have some forethought. Walking further into the inner sections, Jack would find that many of the buildings were damaged, burned, or partly collapsed. Yet as he got closer to the inner most section, he found the buildings were much less burned or damaged. The doors were all broken in, showing that the invaders had the idea to not destroy the nicer buildings but to kill the opponents to create free real estate for the next person to move in. The buildings homes were much larger and the gardens, though vastly over grown, were nice to look at. He could imagine what the area would have looked like back in the day. A little trimming here, a bit of pruning there, maybe a black iron door with some copper or bronze inlay and he could see himself living here. Thinking more on it, Jack had to ask himself what was stopping him from living in the upper district? Sure, there was his workshop and the vault, but he could always empty the vault and make a new workshop. You know what Jack, maybe it¡¯s time to move up in the world? He thought to himself. Nothing and no one saying you can¡¯t afford it. Jack mused to himself with these thoughts while getting closer to the center of the town, or at least what he thought was the center of town. It was there he found the major¡¯s center office, or was it the governor¡¯s office, and found it was a five-story tall building. At least he thought it was the mayor¡¯s, or governor¡¯s, building. There were columns and stone arch ways around the building that made it look more decorative. The way it was made gave that the impression that it was designed to look like a temple of some kind. The building was large so there was plenty of space to work with. The building itself was defensible and was easily the most intact with the exception of age and weathering. There no doubt that this would be the best place to plant his dungeon core. Town hall! Jack thought with a snap of his fingers. Yes, finally. That was going to bother me all day. Jack walked through the open doorway and searched around to find the most defensible room available. After searching for a while, was able to find a room that was perfect as it was a safer room in the basement of the town hall. The door had been destroyed of course but it wouldn¡¯t take too long to fix. Hopefully. Just from the doorway alone he knew that the walls were four feet thick. For now, he would focus on a much more important task. Walking into the room, Jack though that this would be the closest equivalent to the center. At least he hoped it was. Once in position, Jack summoned his menu and looked at the window while trying to think of how he was going to plant the dungeon core. He tried to focus on the dungeon core section and even tried thinking about how to plant the core. For almost an hour of standing there and feeling stupid, Jack started to pace back and forth trying to think of a way to plant the core. There has to be some way to do this¡­ He thought to himself while pacing. How come I could pull up more information on my spells and skills by just thinking about them but planting a dungeon core has me stymied? Come on Jack, think damn you! If you can¡¯t get this done it¡¯s going to take you weeks or months to get enough materials! Cursing himself, Jack continued to pace back and forth as he raked his metaphorical brain to try and figure out what he could be doing wrong. Plant the dungeon core the thing says, build a dungeon it says. Couldn¡¯t have come with some kind of instructions but nooooooo. He thought to himself while kicking a piece of debris. All it says is plant the dungeo-waaaaaaaait. Jack tilted his chin down at his rib cage to stare at the dungeon core inside. Playing with the idea while silently praying that the answer wasn¡¯t what he thought it was. Jack decided to take a chance since nothing else came to mind as of yet. Reaching into his rib cage, Jack grabbed the floating dungeon core to hold it up to his face to look at it. Taking a moment to examine it before he tried his idea. ¡°If this works, then I¡¯m going to feel really stupid.¡± Jack mumbled to himself. Kneeling down, Jack pressed the Dungeon core to the ground before he pressed against it.
Attention! You are attempting to Plant the dungeon core
Would you like to start the Dungeon Core planting process? Yes/No
¡°Oh¡­ Fuck you.¡± Jack growled as he felt profoundly stupid at how simple it was. ¡°I mean thank the gods I figured it out but fuck you all the same.¡± Still muttering, Jack focused on the ¡®yes¡¯ option of the prompt and felt a massive flood of mana suddenly wash through him.
Attention! You have stated to make your dungeon
Please Choose what type of Dungeon you wish to make from the following options. 1. Subterranean Dungeon 2. Lost Plains Dungeon 3. Graveyard Dungeon 4. Open Air Dungeon 5. Ruins of The Lost Dungeon
Feeling his earlier frustration quickly fade away as his excitement took its place. The next three hours, Jack examined the options and focused on each one to get more information on each one. The names of each type of dungeon were mostly self-explanatory like most of the things the notices brought up. I really need to talk to Frizzy about these prompts. Maybe she can give me some insight on what these things are. Refocusing his efforts, he examined each of the dungeon types to get more information and found that each type has its own benefits. The subterranean dungeon, the mobs got a big bonus to stealth and dropped crystals as a loot option. When he looked at the crystals, he found they would act as a type of magic battery. They allowed the user both empowering skills and abilities as well as casting spells without using the user¡¯s own mana. There were a few other benefits but nothing that was all that tempting. The Graveyard dungeon had some rather impressive benefits. For undead mobs it gave them a bonus to how tough they were and get him get new kinds of undead more easily. It also let him turn adventures that died in his dungeon into undead almost automatically. For adventurers it would make it so that there were more hidden chests with treasures inside that could be gold or minor magic items. The adventurer would also gain skills and abilities to better combat against dark powers. Useful and severed a good purpose for all involved. Jack looked over each one multiple times and gave a lot of thought to what it was he wanted to actually do with the dungeon. At first, he just wanted access to the loot options and use the refined metals loot. Now though¡­ now he had options. What was his legacy going to be? What was it that he wanted to accomplish? He wasn¡¯t going to die of old age now, and not only did he have access to the resources from a dungeon but he controlled it. After thinking about it he felt an urge start to well up inside of him. Something that felt like a siren¡¯s call that refused to be ignored. Chasing the feeling, Jack eventually caught it and held on to it for dear life until he finally understood what that feeling was. It was desire. More specifically it was a desire to build, to create and design. To either make something entirely new or to make something that exists better. That¡¯s right¡­ Jack thought to himself. I wanted to make people¡¯s lives better with my craft. Jack continued to chase this thought as brief flashes of memory crossed his mind. Images of strangers came and went and with each person he saw that he was helping them. Selling them new limbs, giving devices that made life more convenient for people. He had wanted to make the world better. To make people¡¯s lives better. Only there was no one left. The town didn¡¯t have a single living soul left in it. The buildings were in ruin and in various states of decay. No¡­ The people are dead but the town itself is still here. Jack thought, feeling a decision within himself be made. I have the foundation here, not to make lives better. No. I will do something harder. Something much more rewarding. And to do that there was only one option. Without any hesitation he chose the Ruins of The Lost Dungeon type. I¡¯m going to make a better world. Jack said with finality. With an explosion of mana, Jack felt the dungeon core shot from his hand deep into the ground as the ground shifted and morphed. Stone twisting before him to make the surrounding safe room change before him. The stone of the saferoom warped further as the effect spread beyond the boundaries from the room. Soon everything was subject to the changes. By the time the stone was done shifting twisting and folding on itself. The entire building had been remade as well as the room he stood in. More and more of the building began to warp as Jack felt himself being raised higher in the air along with the room. With each second that passed, he found furniture forming out of the stone as metal also started to bud from the walls. Then it was all finished. Jack now found himself in a grand room large enough to be a warehouse. The walls were of a fine marble with veins of iron and copper running through them. Obsidian columns with vines of Gold and silver tracing up their shafts lined the room at supported a dome ceiling above. On one wall was a stone book case made into the wall that sat empty while another wall was lined with a giant work bench made with a granite top and above it was a rack of all tools of every make and variety. Cabinets of rich red wood also sat over or on the work bench where they also had various shelves made of the same wood. Everything he could need for metalworking, woodworking, tinkering, carving, masonry, a small forge for smithing and more was set up orderly with the work bench and that there was the terrace that showed a view that overlooked the entirety of the ruins of the town. There was the large stone platform center of the room that radiated arcane energy. But at the end of the room there was the throne. Sitting by itself was a throne with the main body being made of black and white stone with gears and cogs of bronze and coper sticking of its sides that silently turned. While in the seat, armrests and back had a crimson cushion for the comfort of the one who sat there. This was no workshop. This was Jack¡¯s dream workshop. Walking around to inspect the room to really take it in, Jack eventually found himself standing in front of the throne. Jack had never really given much thought to the idea of thrones. Sure, he could have made quite a few nice ones but now looking at this piece of moving art left Jack mute. Slowly and carefully, Jack answered the call of the throne to take his place on it. The moment he put his weight on the throne, he felt himself truly relax as he fully enveloped himself in the seat. Jack let out an involuntary sigh as he leaned his head back against throne. It honestly surprised him just how comfortable the throne was. After letting himself relax and enjoy his new favorite chair, Jack noticed that blinking signal marble icon once more. Taking a moment to focus on the icon and that was when he saw the new notification.
Congratulations! You have Successfully Planted the Dungeon Core and created a ¡°Ruins of The Lost Dungeon¡± Type Dungeon.
First Building made! Tower of The Master! This building acts as the central room of the dungeon core. From here the dungeon is shaped, controlled and grows outwards. Any who make an item, a potion, a weapon or a suite of armor has a higher chance of learning a new skill in terms of the crafting arts.
Mob and adventurer benefits from the ¡°Ruins of The Lost Dungeon¡± Dungeon Type
Adjusted Stat Bonuses for Dungeon Mobs 1. Necrotic Repair (+5% to +15% Health Regeneration) o Mobs regenerate health outside of combat, with the regeneration rate varying depending on the mob type. The more powerful or ancient the undead or construct, the higher the regeneration rate. 2. Restless Resistance (+10% to +20% Status Effect Resistance) o Mobs gain increased resistance to status effects such as stuns, paralysis, or poison. The percentage of resistance depends on the type of mob and the specific status effect, making them harder to debilitate in battle. 3. Increased Physical Defense (Variable Defense Bonus) o Mobs receive a bonus to their physical defense when attacked. This bonus varies based on the mob type, the nature of the attacker, and the type of weapon used against them, making them more resilient in combat. 4. Changing Times (Evolutionary Potential) o Mobs have a chance to evolve after each combat encounter. This chance doubles with each battle the mob survives, potentially transforming them into a more powerful version with enhanced abilities. 5. Awareness Increased (Heightened Sound Sensitivity) o Mobs have enhanced sensitivity to sound. When they detect a noise, they will investigate the source, making stealth and silence crucial for adventurers trying to avoid combat.
Benefits for Adventurers 1. What Doesn¡¯t Kill You¡­ o While in the dungeon, adventurers gain 1.5x more experience from encounters, combat, and quests. This bonus reflects the harsh environment and the rapid learning curve necessary for survival in such a dangerous place. 2. Lost Knowledge o Adventurers have a higher chance to gain new skills or level up existing ones while exploring the dungeon. The ancient, arcane nature of the dungeon imparts forgotten knowledge to those who survive its challenges. 3. Make It Better o While crafting within the dungeon, adventurers have a 10% to 15% chance to craft items, both magical and non-magical, at one quality category higher than what would typically be possible. The dungeon¡¯s mysterious energies enhance their craftsmanship. 4. Residual Insight o As adventurers spend more time in the dungeon, they begin to develop a sixth sense for its layout and dangers. This growing awareness helps them recognize patterns, detect unseen dangers, and sense when something is out of place. They may also develop the skill Danger Awareness, enhancing their ability to anticipate and avoid traps, ambushes, and other hazards. 5. Fortified Resolve o The relentless challenges and trials within the dungeon serve to temper the adventurers'' minds and bodies. Those who endure find their resolve growing stronger, both physically and mentally. This hardened resolve becomes a vital asset, allowing adventurers to face future threats with increased determination and resilience. "Find your resolve, Adventurer. Temper it, and it will serve you well."
Jack once again reviewed the benefits of the dungeon for by his mobs and the adventurers. Satisfied with what he saw and that he was on the right track. His mobs would be strong but not so strong that the adventurers wouldn¡¯t be able to handle them. the benefits would also be pretty enticing as well for them to delve in his dungeon. He already had some ideas for loot and they wouldn¡¯t take too long to make. He¡¯d have to figure out a way to make it so the adventurers would get the loot without them trying to stab him, but that was a later problem. While sitting comfortable on his throne, Jack side swiped with his hand to shoo the notices away. That was when he saw another one pop up to take its place. As he read it, Jack leaned more out of his throne and took a closer look to make sure he read it right. For a third, fourth and fifth time Jack reread the notice more frantically each time. By the sixth time, Jack was sitting at the edge of his seat struggling to believe what he was seeing. Just to be sure, he rubbed his metaphorical eyes and red it for a seventh time. It was then that his literal lower jaw fell and hit the floor. ¡°Oooooh, Mother fucker!!¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Jack rested his elbows in his knees and his face in his boney hands. Remaining in this pose for well over an hour as he thought long and hard about what he just saw. ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck¡­ fucking fucker¡­¡± Jack signed while rubbing his temples from stress. Looking up, he checked the notification once again.
Notice! You now have access upgrades option with use of the Upgrade Point system!
Upgrade Points Upgrade points are points earned by completely quests, creating new items/loot, or defeating delvers/adventurers. Completing Quests = Varies Creating Item/Loot = 1 to 5 Defeating Delvers/Adventurers = 1 for defeating 50
Attention! You have earned Upgrade Points!
You have defeated 37,697 people and used their life essence to awaken the dungeon core. Due to your overwhelming triumph, you¡¯re the amount of Upgrade Points received will be adjusted from 1 point for 50 to be 1 point for 10 for this one-time circumstance. Upgrade Points Available: 3,769 Points available.
Dungeon Upgrade Option Menu Current Available Upgrades
Area of Control Expansion Upgrades 1. Area Expansion [Repeatable] (Cost: 3 Points) o Description: Expands the dungeon¡¯s territory by an additional 200 feet in all directions. o Effect: Increases the overall size and complexity of the dungeon, allowing for more rooms, traps, and mob placements. 2. Create Pocket Dimension (Cost: 200 Points) o Description: Adds a hidden, alternate space within the dungeon that can house unique challenges, mobs, or treasures. o Effect: This pocket dimension can only be accessed through specific portals within the dungeon, adding a layer of mystery and difficulty. Mob Upgrades 1. Constructed Guardians and Undead Construct Hybrids (Cost: 30 Points) o Description: Unlock powerful constructs, including hybrids that combine undead and mechanical elements. o Effect: Introduces mobs like Iron Golems, Clockwork Sentinels, and hybrid creations such as Skeletal Watchers, blending necromantic and mechanical components. 2. Restless Spirits (Cost: 10 Points) o Description: Introduce ghostly apparitions that are bound to specific objects or areas within the dungeon. o Effect: These spirits cause minor disturbances and psychological tension, unsettling adventurers without overwhelming power. 3. Reanimated Guardians (Cost: 20 Points) o Description: Unlock a new type of mob that combines the resilience of the undead with the strength of constructs. o Effect: Introduces mobs like Reanimated Sentinels or Bone-Bound Guardians, heavily armored and equipped with weapons, making them tough opponents.

Avatar Upgrades 1. Hardened Bones (Cost: 40 Points) o Description: Strengthen the physical durability of the dungeon avatar. o Effect: The avatar''s bones are reinforced, making it more resistant to physical damage. 2. Arcane Knowledge (Cost: 120 Points) o Description: Enhance the avatar¡¯s magical abilities by deepening its knowledge of arcane arts. o Effect: The avatar gains access to basic spells, such as magical barriers, minor illusions, or elemental bolts, adding tactical options. 3. Teleportation (Cost: 80 Points) o Description: Allow the avatar to teleport to any part of the dungeon. o Effect: The avatar can teleport to any location within the dungeon once every 3 hours, providing mobility and strategic flexibility. 4. Reinforced Frame (Cost: 40 Points) o Description: Improve the physical structure of the avatar, making it more robust. o Effect: The avatar¡¯s frame is reinforced, increasing its overall health and resilience to damage.

Dungeon Abilities 1. Adaptive Defenses (Cost: 40 Points) o Description: The dungeon becomes more responsive to intruders who pose a direct threat to its core. o Effect: When adventurers attempt to destroy the dungeon¡¯s core or critical structures, the dungeon actively deploys mobs or alters the environment to defend itself. 2. Arcane Nexus (Cost: 90 Points) o Description: Create a central focus for magical energy within the dungeon. o Effect: Establishes a chamber or area where mana is concentrated, boosting the magical abilities of mobs and the avatar within that space. 3. Mana Circulation (Cost: 150 Points) o Description: Improve the flow of magical energy throughout the dungeon, enhancing its overall functionality. o Effect: The dungeon gains a network of mana conduits that circulate magical energy, improving the efficiency of mob summoning, trap activation, and other magical effects. 4. Illusionary Walls (Cost: 25 Points) o Description: Introduce false walls and passages that can deceive adventurers. o Effect: The dungeon can create illusionary walls or barriers that appear solid but are not, misleading adventurers and hiding traps, mobs, or secret areas.

Loot Upgrades 1. Alchemical Ingredients (Cost: 10 Points) o Description: Introduce rare and valuable ingredients used for crafting potions, poisons, and other alchemical products. o Effect: Adventurers can find various alchemical materials within the dungeon, making it a target for those seeking to craft powerful consumables. 2. Basic Enchanted Items (Cost: 40 Points) o Description: Add simple enchanted items to the loot pool, such as weapons with minor elemental effects or trinkets that offer small bonuses. o Effect: These items provide small, useful effects without being game-breaking, attracting low to mid-level adventurers. 3. Cursed Coins (Cost: 2 Points) Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. o Description: Introduce cursed currency to the dungeon''s loot, which appears valuable but carries negative effects. o Effect: Cursed coins can be found alongside normal loot but bring bad luck or minor curses to those who take them. 4. Mystical Components (Cost: 80 Points) o Description: Add components used for crafting or upgrading magical items. o Effect: These components are sought after by adventurers looking to enhance their gear, providing a steady flow of skilled adventurers into the dungeon. 5. Trapped Chests (Cost: 15 Points) o Description: Some treasure chests within the dungeon are rigged with traps, adding danger to the rewards. o Effect: Trapped chests provide valuable loot but trigger traps when opened, adding an extra layer of challenge and risk for treasure-seeking adventurers.
¡°Fuck me¡­ this is something else¡­¡± Jack said after looking over the new information as well he started to understand the implications of what it meant. There were advantages of different types of dungeons. He could understand that. Those advantages could factor for area, available resources, and people that were close by that the dungeon would need to attract. But that upgrade list¡­ That fact that he could buy those kinds of upgrades with points that are earned¡­ for something like that to exist meant he was not the first sentient and sapient dungeon. There must be more self-aware dungeons out in the world besides him. The real question he had to ask himself now was if they were formed that way naturally, or if they were the souls of people that were chosen and bound to become a dungeon? Jack didn¡¯t like the implication of people being used like that. There were a lot of implications and too many questions with not nearly enough clues. Relax Jack. He thought to himself. You aren¡¯t trapped. You are free and you are in control. Now take control and find your answers. Jack repeated the mantra to himself over and over until he felt the panic start to die down. He was free, he was in control, and he will get his answers. He just wouldn¡¯t get them today. It¡¯s not like was in any rush and he had to build himself up again first. Yes, his plan had not changed. He only gained an additional goal to aim for. A new problem to solve. It was another ten minutes before he felt sure enough to take his next step. The original reason he planted the dungeon core in the first place. Jack opened his dungeon core menu and brought up the loot drop system and focused on it. It took him a minute but he was eventually able to pull up more information on how it worked. According to the system, or whatever the hell it¡¯s called, Jack found that the loot items were made with mana. Specifically in two ways, the first being a loot drop table set per mob type and he would have to adjust the probability of those items being dropped from that mod. Once the mob was slain, the loot item dropped would automatically be drop. The second method required the item summoned by the dungeon itself but then it would take mana to form it. ¡°Ooooh, that is cool as shit!¡± Jack said getting giddy with that bit of information. ¡°So long as I got mana, I can get all the supplies I want. Alright, I can work with that. Guess I know which upgrade I¡¯m going with first.¡± Opening up the menu, Jack searched until he found the upgrade for Mana Circulation. After spending the points, Jack felt a sudden change in the air around him as it felt somehow richer. Taking a deep metaphorical breath and felt the mana coursing through him like cool spring water was washing over him on a hot day. ¡°Oh I can get used to that.¡± Jack declared feeling rather invigorated. ¡°Let¡¯s procrastinate a little more. Gods know I got plenty of upgrade points.¡± Taking a look at the upgrade menu again, Jack inspected the area of control options and decided that the Area Expansion option was rather cheap, so why not? Focusing on the options and when he was given the option to purchase it, he selected yes. In that moment, Jack felt his awareness of his surrounding expand beyond the building that he was in. Gaining a spatial awareness over everything outside the building. Everything within too hundred feet of the building felt like it was his or a part of him. Wanting to test his new sense of awareness further, Jack purchased the upgrade again, then again and again. Each time Jack felt his area of influence expand as it grew further and further out. He lost track of how many times he purchased that upgrade since he was too engrossed to realize just how much he was spending. With each use of the upgrade, he found his consciousness spread all the further, his awareness of everything in domain allowing him to see it all yet he didn¡¯t feel his consciousness was being spread thin. He could sense and feel everything in his domain and had found quite a lot of magic items, bones, and some materials. From plants, metals, stones, and wood, he could sense it all. Taking a moment to figure out the absorb item ability, Jack focused on each magic item and absorbed about half of them into the ground where he got a metal schematic for each one. Some were simplistic while others were complex, but each one was useful in its own way. When he absorbed a good number of the shallowly buried magic items, Jack opened the notice he received to see what the system was trying to tell him this time.
Attention!
You have spent 150 points on Mana Circulation. Mana will now circulate and within your area of influence. Allowing for a richer mana density and faster mana replenishment with in your area. Mana will be at its densest around the core of the dungeon. You have spent 2,376 points on Area Expansion. You have purchased this upgrade 792 times. Your territory now extends to a 30-mile radius. Upgrade Points Available: 1,243
¡°Woops.¡± Was all Jack could say as he read the new notification. Feeling rather embarrassed by the fact that he spent so many points in such a short order. Letting his moment of embarrassment pass, Jack focused and felt out his lands that he just claimed. Allowing his awareness spread far and wide as he took quick note of as much as he could. Exploring thousands of squire miles without moving so much as an inch. Through this awareness, Jack found there was plenty of old farms not consumed by forests, old roads overgrown by grass and dirt, there were also tools buried in the earth along with other various goods. What got him excited though was that there were some gold coins that had been hidden under the old farm houses. Now gold could be very useful when he made arcane circuitry and enchantments. Especially if he mixed it with silver. While searching, he also found that some of the old farming fields had some crop plants like corn, wheat, potatoes, some yams here and there, and luckily some oilseeds as well. After taking a moment to have samples of each absorbed with blueprints for each forming in his mind, Jack felt he could recreate anything and everything that he just absorbed. ¡°Alright Jack, you played around enough. Focus.¡± Jack said as he chided himself. ¡°You were going to make some muscle and now you got the means to do it.¡± Jack was just about to do that when a thought came to mind. His tower was likely the safest place in all of the ruins and Frizzy was going to coming back. Who was to say she would even know where to find him. Thinking of the damaged roads, the debris, and not to mention the crumbling buildings. ¡°Ok, first I¡¯ll clear a path. Then I¡¯ll make some muscle.¡± Jack sighed. Taking a moment to think, Jack started by having the debris absorbed as well as some of the collapsed buildings. He had to do it in part since the he couldn¡¯t just absorb anything that was too big since that would take a while. Alright, so there are limits. Good to know. It took Jack a while, but he was eventually able to clear the area around his old workshop and make path leading from it to his tower. With that done, Jack brought his focus back to his skeleton body where he was able sink back into himself before turning to look outside. It was then that he saw that it was dark outside. He knew he had been working for a while but he didn¡¯t quite realize just how long he had been working. It also gave Jack another clue as to how being a dungeon worked. While his consciousness was fully focused on the dungeon he couldn¡¯t really tell if it was day or night. His sense of time remained the same but it was hard to gage how much time passed unless he looked outside or at a time piece. Especially since he couldn¡¯t feel physically tired anymore. With his consciousness back in his skeleton body, Jack found he could still feel and sense everything in his dungeon. It was distant and more like a sensation at the back of his mind. Interesting... Jack thought to himself before shaking his head. Gods damn it Jack, focus. You keep distracting yourself. You can experiment later. Jack turned to the work bench and the mini forge and set to work. Approaching it with confident strides as he held out his hand. Jack tried to will the loot drops to form in his hand as he approached it took a few tires to get the first one to form but he eventually got a small lump of iron to form in his hand. After he got the iron, he than formed a piece of purified bone. With two pieces of the raw materials, Jack repeated the process to make the Osteal Ferrum alloy once again. Jack ground down the bone pieces and prepared the iron before fusing them. it was only seconds later before Jack had a new bar of Osteal Ferrum sitting on the work bench. With the alloy made, Jack absorbed it and got a mental blue print to recreate as he might need. With the easy part done, Jack started to summon as much silver, gold and Osteal Ferrum until he had roughly two tons of the metals. With everything ready and eager to begin, Jack rubbed his hands together with an evil laugh before got to work. For hours Jack worked on his project. Toiling away with each segment while inlaying them with threads of gold and silver mix. He used the silver and gold to make complex patterns into each piece he finished. Creating a circuit that seamlessly connected to the next. He worked throughout the night. His forge burning hot the whole time since didn¡¯t need any sleep. Sure, he could have used some of his spells to speed up the process, but he wouldn¡¯t have felt the same satisfaction. Besides, there was the chance that the spell would miss some nuance little detail either esthetically or in the flow of mana for the enchantment¡¯s inlay. Something like that needed a delicate touch and once those inlays circuits were made, they set forever. For days, Jack lost himself in his work. Allowing himself to feel immersed as he was able to make two legs, a torso and one and a half arms made. It wouldn¡¯t be long now. It wouldn¡¯t be long now. Once all the parts were made and connected, he¡¯d have one hell of a bodyguard. ¡°Oh, oh baby.¡± Jack muttered over his soon to be body guard. ¡°You are going to make demons starting pray to the gods.¡± Jack was so focused on his bodyguard that he didn¡¯t realize just how long he had been working when a rock came clattering across the floor from the terrace. Looking up, Jack stopped his work to inspect the offending rock. It was then he heard the distant shouting from below that he peeked from over the edge of the terrace to see that Frizzy that it was Frizzy calling his name. The only thing was she was not alone. Somehow, he had been so focused on his work that he didn¡¯t even notice over hundred and twenty gremlins had walked in and were now circling the clearing in front of the tower. Feeling embarrassed, Jack walked to the circular platform of his towner where the runes lit up. Ribbons of light to emerge around the platform before it started to lower him down. After the platform speeding up its decent, giving Jack a mild feeling like he was falling, the platform slow when it came close to the bottom. Landing into the slot in the floor before he heard the click of deadbolts moving to lock the platform in place. Before Jack could have a chance to step off platform, a section of the wall split to form a seam. That seam further split the wall to make a rectangle shape segment before it slid to hide itself into the wall. With doorway made, Jack walked outside to see that Frizzy was jogging her way to him. Stopping a few paces from him with a bright yet apprehensive smile. ¡°Hello teacher.¡± Frizzy said while Jack looked down at her with his arms crossed and his head tilted to the side. Many of the surrounding gremlins that saw him immediately took a few steps back. Giving him space while they stared at interest and suspicion. Since none of them were panicking, Jack guessed that Frizzy told the other gremlins of his existence and they tagged along. Most likely to see if whatever stories she told were true or not. ¡°Hey Frizzy.¡± Jack said in turn, making all the other gremlins who could hear him stare all the more intently. ¡°Can¡¯t help but notice that there are a lot more people here.¡± Frizzy chuckled nervously at this. ¡°Y.Yeah¡­ they all saw my new arm. They thought it was amazing and asked how I got it. I told them an ancient made it for me.¡± she said while rubbing her left arm with her new hand. ¡°Most of the tribe didn¡¯t believe me when I told them how you saved me¡­ but those of my clan came with me here. I¡­ I hope that is ok teacher.¡± Jack looked away from Frizzy to examine the gremlins that he could see. There was a lot of them but they were all small. It wasn¡¯t like they would need all that much space. At their feet were all manner of sacks and small crates to carry their possessions. There were young and old alike, all of them tired, dirty and scared. A good number of them were also missing fingers are whole limbs. Thankfully though there were very few who were actually missing limbs. ¡°I don¡¯t have any problems with it.¡± Jack said while still examining the surrounding gremlins. ¡°They¡¯ll need a place to stay and then there is the food problem.¡± At this Frizzy perked up immediately with a big toothy smile. By the gods she has teeth like a bear trap. Jack thought to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry teacher! My clan brought lots of supplies to start setting up a settlement. All we need is some land to get started.¡± Frizzy said while taking a step closer. ¡°We don¡¯t need much space. Just enough land to build our homes and to start growing our gardens for food. Teacher, would you please let my clan live here so we might learn from you?¡± She asked, making her eyes as large as she could to try plea with him. Oh, that is not fair. Jack groaned to himself. No one could say they could do puppy eye! Jack was going let them stay and but was also going to warn him that everything in a thirty-mile radius was now a dungeon. Meaning that once mobs started to spawn, he couldn¡¯t guarantee their safety if they moved in. Before Jack could say a word, a new message popped up in his vision.
Attention! You have asked for residency with in your dungeon.
You have been asked by Frizzy to accept her clan as residents within your dungeon. By accepting, all gremlins of the [Grayroot Clan] will be granted residence and will not need to fear any hostility from the mobs of the dungeon. All members of the [Grayroot Clan] would be able to live within the dungeon. Benefits: You gain all the Gremlins of the [Grayroot Clan] as residents of your dungeon. They will be able to assist and work on behalf of your dungeon. Cons: The [Grayroot Clan] would be your responsibility. They will need housing, clothing, food, and water. Failure to do so would mean the end of this clan of gremlins. Do you accept? Yes/No
Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Jack looked at the prompt and thought more about what it would mean if he said yes to this one. It was a big step and a lot of responsibility if he was being honest. A community leader, ensuring their needs are met so that clan survive. In exchange they would be able to assist his dungeon to grow in all manner of ways he might not be aware of yet. It would be hard but it did fall in line with his goal of making a better world. Of course, he was only just getting started in making his dungeon and didn¡¯t even have anything actually ready yet. Is anyone ever truly ready? Jack asked himself as he re-read the prompt. Eh, I¡¯m smart and pretty sure I can figure something out. After focusing on yes, the prompt vanished as a new notification appeared.
Attention! You have accepted a residency request!
You have been asked by Frizzy to accept her clan as residents within your dungeon. Each member of the [Grayroot Clan] will be granted special privileges that adventures will not be able to enjoy. All residents will be have a special mark to designate they are can enjoy these privileges. Such privileges include: 1. Mob command: Residents will have a limited level of command over a nearby mob that hasn¡¯t been given orders by the dungeon master. 2. Aura of Protection: While in the dungeon, residents who are attacked will be protected by the dungeon mobs and will sacrifice themselves in order to protect the resident. 3. Dungeon¡¯s Favor: Residents of the dungeon can earn points overtime or completely tasks for the dungeon. These points are used to purchase special perks, such as temporary buffs, unique items, or summoning powerful mobs to aid them in battle. These favors represent the dungeon¡¯s appreciation for the resident¡¯s contributions. 4. Dungeon Map: The resident is provided a mental map of the dungeon, allowing them to navigate and locate resources within the dungeon. 5. Safe Passage: All people who are marked as a resident can travel in and out of the dungeon without fear of being attack by mobs. 6. Special Access: Resident can have special access to areas of the dungeon that is otherwise inaccessible, restricted, needs certain requirements met. This access is only limited by what the Dungeon Master grants to either all residents as a whole or specific residents.
Now that is cool! Jack thought as he read all of the notice. It was after reading the notice that Jack saw that everyone had a distant look to their eyes. With Frizzy being the closest, he noticed that by her collar bone peaking from the neckline her shirt he saw a faint light glow. The light then grew brighter before it quickly faded to show she now had a symbol in place of the glow. Seeming like a tattoo, but instead of ink, it seemed as if it was made of silver. Jack noticed that every gremlin around him had similar glowing patches on various places on their bodies. Some had it shining through their cloths on their chest, shoulder, arms or legs. Others had it appear on their places like their foot or hand while a handful had it appear on their cheek, neck or some place else. When Frizzy finished reading her own notice, she was smiling brightly up at him with all the excitement in the world. ¡°Everyone! The ancient one has taken us as residents and gave us safe haven!¡± Frizzy cheered loud enough for all to hear. ¡°All hail our new patron! Jack The Ancient!¡± Every gremlin in sight immediately started to jump and cheer as loud as their small forms will allow. Then the scariest thing Jack had seen since waking up happened. Every single gremlin that surrounded him came running at full sprint. All their arms wide open in preparation to give him a hug. Before he knew it, he was swarmed and covered head to toe in gremlins who clung to him like sticky sap. His boney arm just emerging above the pile of gremlins that buried him. His hand searching a grasping at the air for freedom. ¡°Help!¡± Jack called out from the pile of gremlins. ¡°Frizzy! This is your fault! Save me!¡± ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t do that teacher.¡± Frizzy said, her voice coming from next to his head. ¡°I¡¯m kind of buried in here to.¡± she chuckled happily. It was then that Jack got a notification.
Attention! You have earned a title!
Titles are granted for great deeds or bestowed by a person of immense power or by a large group of people. Though no two titles are the same and they all give different benefits to the carrier, they all must be earned in one form or another. Title Earned: Patron Saint of Gremlins For providing the gremlins of the [Grayroot Clan] a home with far greater resources, accepted the responsibility of their patron, and given them hope of a brighter future. You have been given the title of Patron Saint of Gremlins. The Gremlins of the [Grayroot Clan] will spread word of your great kindness to other gremlins. ¡°You came in our time of need and gave us a home. We will never forget your kindness, will always be here for you.¡±
Patron Saint of Gremlins As the Patron Saint of Gremlins, you gain the following benefits/effects. Passive Effects 1. Gremlin Affinity: Gremlins encountered in the world are more likely to be friendly or cooperative. Some may even offer their services or provide information. The carrier of the title is also less likely to be subject to pranks from gremlins with the exception of those done in good nature. 2. Gremlin¡¯s Luck: The Carrier of this title gain the benefits of a gremlin¡¯s luck. This affect subtly changes the odds in the user¡¯s favor. Slightly increasing the odds of finding treasures, make enemies more likely to trip on something. Be warned, the chaotic nature of their luck can lead to a chance of something going wrong. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. 3.
It was hours before Jack was eventually freed from the clingy mob. When he was free, Jack was sitting next to his new apprentice and three of the elders from her clan. Each one was wizened and dressed in slightly thicker clothing then most of the other clan members. From what he could see of the clothes, they were made more for keeping them warm then it was to designate a status. It was actually endearing to see that their culture looked after the elderly. What was surprising was how they reacted to him. The elders of the clan treated him with the same level of respect that many of the other gremlins would pay them. When he asked the about it, he learned that gremlins see age and experience as those of highest standing. Especially since their lives were so chaotic and dangerous that the odds of seeing old age were slim. When they heard how he had technically been alive for over nine hundred years by Frizzy, Jack had bene considered an elder among elders. He tried to explain that he technically died and is considered dead, they just bushed it aside. Telling him he can talk, he can think, act and he had a soul. All of which they considered things only a living person can do. The talks they had after a while was mostly about resources, what everyone needed to get stated to state making homes. Jack managed to get the housing situation taken care of by telling them they can take and fix up three mansions at the inner district of the town around his tower. It made the most sense after all. Technically they were his people and they would need to talk with him something came up. Plus those mansions were big and made to have live in staff of dozens. The elders agreed to managed the housing situation to get everyone moved in. with that done, Jack decided to have a few rows of each kind of crop plant he had absorbed into the dungeon in the gardens of the mansions. It would help them in the long run and would help ease some food problems until they can start producing their own food. Feeing some mana into the crop plants, they ended becoming fully grown in seconds. With that done and after making sure there was nothing the gremlin clans needed at the moment, he walked back with his first apprentice back to his towner. Both of them stepping inside at the base to come on top of the platform. With the platform activated rose high up until they came to the main chamber at the top. It was there that Frizzy got her first look at what was essentially Jack¡¯s personal home. The moment she saw it, she started running around to examine anything and everything. She desperately wanted to touch every tool as well as open every draw and cabinet he had. But she kept herself restrained though it was clear she was in physical pain from forcing herself from not touch everything in sight. Instead, she hopped excitedly from foot to foot with anticipation to get started on anything and everything. ¡°Teacher! What do we do first? What do we do first?¡± she asked practically vibrating with anticipation. Eager to begin and become a fabricator. She¡¯s going to be pissed was she going to be when I tell her what the first step was going to be. Jack thought. ¡°Alright, first thing¡¯s first. Can you read common?¡± Jack asked Frizzy who nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes!¡± she replied excitedly, ¡°I can read and write the common language and also two trade languages.¡± ¡°Perfect. In that case you have some tasks for you to write out. After that, once you post them on the base of the tower, we¡¯ll get to work in helping your clan get set up.¡± He said as he interlocked his fingers before pushing out his palms to make his fingers joints crack and pop. ¡°Cool. I can still do that.¡± ¡°We are starting with that?¡± Frizzy asked as she came scampering back. ¡°What is it that you need that you can¡¯t already make?¡± ¡°A lot more then you think.¡± Jack said unabashed while walking to the carpentry section of the work bench. ¡°Different kinds of wood have different kinds of uses. For example, soft woods are used for woodworking and carpentry while others are best making paper.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Frizzy said while scampering after him to stand at his side. ¡°We need wood then. What kinds do we need?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll mostly be working with hard woods. Most importantly we need the kind to make paper.¡± Jack said as he looked over his tools. ¡°I have a type of wood already but the more options we have the things we can make later. I¡¯d also like to do a few experiments I want to test so if we can get a blank book the would be a big step. If the experiment works then our lives will be smoooooth sailing.¡± ¡°What are we going to do with a boat?¡± Frizzy asked with her head tilted. ¡°There is a lot we can do with a boat. But that is a later talk. First, we need to make that board notice. Make some tools for our budding community. After that see about what we can trade and what is valuable. After that I have a few questions I have to ask you-¡° Jack said then turned to find that Frizzy was no longer standing next to him but was inspecting Jack¡¯s golem project. ¡°What in the name of the gods is this?¡± Frizzy called out while her eyes scanned every inch of the golem in progress. ¡°The magic coming off it is so strong it¡¯s making my nose tingle.¡± Jack walked closer so he wouldn¡¯t have to yell. Cuious as to what she meant when she said her nose tingled. He didn¡¯t remember activating any of the golem¡¯s parts so there should be any residual mana. ¡°Frizzy?¡± Jack asked as the small gremlin didn¡¯t look away from the golem. ¡°Frizzzzzzy?¡± Frizzy still continued to watch the golem with hunger. Her fingers twitching with a desire to look it over and have Jack explain every little thing to her. Yet she restrained herself since she didn¡¯t want to touch anything. Reaching out, Jack flicked Frizzy¡¯s ear tip and the little gremlin yipes before rubbing the offending spot. ¡°What was that for?¡± Frizzy whine as she rubbed the sore spot on her ear. ¡°You weren¡¯t listening and I thought you were going to start drooling if I didn¡¯t wake you up.¡± Jack lectured with his arms crossed. ¡°That is a new work station and I want to give it a week before we start getting stains on it.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± She said as her ears drooped. ¡°I got overly excited.¡± ¡°No worries, just keep focus for like a few minutes and I¡¯ll give you some stuff to start learning.¡± ¡°Yes teacher!¡± Frizzy immediately perked up. ¡°Can I ask a question though?¡± Unable to help himself, Jack answered. ¡°Just did.¡± Tilting her head, not understanding the Joke. Jack shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s your question?¡± ¡°Why are you making that statue?¡± she asked with a more critical eye while she stated at the golem in progress again. ¡°I can¡¯t really think of anything that you might need something like that for. Can¡¯t you make one appear?¡± Jack focused outside of the tower for a second and tried to will a statue to form from the ground to make it look like bear doing a hand. The next second the statue began to materialize from the ground, building itself up from the ground up. A tiny trickle of mana being siphoned away to form the stone. ¡°Yep.¡± Jack said once his consciousness was back inside his body. ¡°But it¡¯s not a statue. It¡¯s a helper.¡± ¡°YOU¡¯RE REPLACING ME ALREADY?!¡± Frizzy wailed, making Jack jump from the unexpected yell. ¡°No!¡± Jack yelled back from being startled. After a second to collect himself, Jack explained. ¡°I¡¯m literally a bunch of bones. Not muscle, tendon, or skin. Fuck, I¡¯m surprised a stiff breeze hasn¡¯t made me topple over. I got to have a bodyguard and some muscle to move really heavy things. And maybe open certain containers that are feeling a little naughty.¡± Jack chuckled. I¡¯ll show that vault door for being made so well. He snickered. ¡°Teacher I¡¯m confused¡­¡± Frizzy said with a thoughtful expression. ¡°When we were accepted at residents. The notice said we were accepted as residents of your dungeon.¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s right.¡± Jack said, curious was to where Frizzy was going with this. ¡°If you control the dungeon, can¡¯t you have the container you¡¯re trying to open absorbed?¡± She asked making Jack freeze in place. ¡°Everyone knows that a dungeon can absorb something left in its domain then the dungeon can recreate it.¡± Jack¡­ you can¡¯t get mad at your apprentice. Jack said to himself slowly. She is only trying to help. You can¡¯t be mad at her even if the question makes you feel really stupid. Quickly, Jack sent his consciousness towards his workshop. Sent it towards the false stairs only find he was only able to sink a few feet into the ground. He tried a few times to sink deeper only to keep meeting that same invisible barrier. With the test done, Jack quickly brought his consciousness back to his body and forced himself not to sigh with relief. ¡°Under normal circumstances, yeah. I would do that. But my kind of dungeon is made to mostly work above ground.¡± Jack said with a shrug. ¡°But that is part of what being a fabricator is. Finding and making solutions for problems.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Frizzy nodded in understanding. ¡°But what are we going to make first?¡± Jack focused on a section of the floor where a thin sheet of white marble appeared. Jack then searched the gremlin¡¯s camping spot then absorbed a junk of charcoal before making a charcoal still appear next to the marble slate. ¡°Use that to write this down.¡± Jack said. Making Frizzy jump into action and picked up the slate and got ready to write. ¡°First we need samples of different kinds of wood. Then we need samples of metals, tin, zinc, and bronze. We also need oak, cedar, redwood, ebony wood, and pine. We¡¯ll worry about the more exotic options at a later time. Right now we need the basics, so we¡¯ll also need ink, and a blank book.¡± Frizzy was frantically scribbling down what Jack said. Nodding vigorously as she tried to fit as much as she could on the slate. By the time she was done, her charcoal stick broke twice but persisted until the list was done. Looking up she wiped her brow only to leave a black streak on her face. ¡°Ok, I got it all written. But how are we going to pay for these things?¡± Frizzy asked. ¡°Easy, we¡¯ll pay with these.¡± Jack said before summoning five tacks of coper coins, three stacks of ten silver coins, and one stack of ten gold coins. ¡°That should be more than enough for what we need. Should also be enough to buy some farming tools and other tools we might need. Should try buying the stuff we need from the dwarves.¡± He said while he checked his mental inventory for some items. Frizzy was momentarily surprised by the sudden appearance of so much wealth but quickly collected herself. ¡°Yes teacher. We¡¯ll see who can make the journey after we get settled. We¡¯ll also have to see about catching some boar so we can travel there and back faster.¡± Frizzy said while adding some extra tasks on the list. ¡°Didn¡¯t even think about that. Good catch Frizzy.¡± Jack said, his voice full of praise since he couldn¡¯t show it his face. ¡°Now there is just one task I have for you specifically. This will be a good start point for you to becoming a fabricator.¡± Jack held out his hand as a nonmagical pocket watch materialized just above his palm. One it was made he held it out to the now wide eyed and very excited Frizzy. ¡°For your first step, you have to take this apart then put it back together.¡± Jack said as he placed the simple watch into her hands. ¡°No time limit, and if you break it or lose it, I¡¯ll give you a new one. When you can do the deed, I¡¯ll teach you something more fun.¡± ¡°Wait, this isn¡¯t fun?¡± Frizzy asked as she held the new treasure. Jack¡¯s only response was to burst out laugh since Frizzy had no clue to the amount of frustration she was about to face. Oh, if only she knew. Jack snickered while Frizzy looked over the watch Chapter 10 Chapter 10 It had been three days since Frizzy and her clan came to move into the dungeon and Jack was humming a happy tune as he was making the finishing touches on the golem. Things have been moving smoothly as he made them some essential supplies like nails and planks of wood for them to start repairing their new homes. Jack did move his consciousness to peek at them as they worked. He never really paid much attention to how building construction work before, but from what he saw the gremlins were natural craftsmen. They were clever and when they stumbled upon a problem, they were quick cobbled a solution together. Might not have been pretty but it was sturdy and would last for a long time. When he made a loom for his budding community so they could start making cloths, they were kind enough to make him some cloths. It was a black suite with a white shirt and Jack had to admit it was much better than anything he could make. It was impractical for being a fabricator but he felt good all dressed up. At first, he wanted to wear it only when he was just relaxing or just lounging about. But the elders insisted that since he was master of the area then he should look the part so everyone knew his importance. In the end it was just easier to just agree and to try not to have his new cloths damaged when he worked. At the moment he was double checking each part of the golem, ensuring each script was set properly before completing the last inscription. Afterall, once the last script was placed to complete the circuit there was no changing it. Just moments after making certain that he was happy with the arcane scripts, Frizzy had tugged on his jacket to attention. When he turned to face her, he found that Frizzy¡¯s hair was a shaggy mess while she was dressed in a leather apron and gloves on top of her normal cloths. She had a blank expression and likely just stopped with her tinkering with the watch. She had been making stride in taking the watch apart and organizing the parts as well as identifying what each one was for. Putting it back together on the other had had proven to be a much greater challenge to Jack¡¯s apprentice. ¡°Teacher, can I barrow a hammer?¡± she asked, her expression neutral and her words casual. ¡°Sure. A half pound hammer or a full pound hammer?¡± Jack asked back. ¡°One pound please.¡± She asked before Jack walked over to the draw there the tool was stored then placed it in her hand. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jack watched her walk away for a moment before he went back to his own project. There was no point in asking her why she wanted the hammer since it was all part of the process to learning to become a fabricator. Sometimes it took unconventional methods to make something work. Sometimes it takes a whack to make something work or get something started. Jack wasn¡¯t sure exactly why it worked but hey if it worked it worked. The only time something was stupid is if it didn¡¯t work. That was when he heard what he had been waiting the last few days for. ¡°Die you basted!¡± he heard Frizzy yell from across his tower along with a resounding CLANG. Jack turned to see Frizzy using both hands to swing down on the anvil on the watch for a follow up attack. He waited and watched as the Frizzy continued to attack the offending watch until it was in many deformed pieces. Panting hard as she glared at the biggest pieces of the remaining watch. Once she caught her breath and seemed like she wouldn¡¯t shatter his kneecaps, he approached. ¡°Hey there, feeling better?¡± he asked, keeping a fair distance. ¡°Yes¡­¡± she said as he dropped the hammer with a sigh. ¡°Yeah, that was really frustrating. It felt like that thing hated me! I took that thing apart and put it back together a dozen time! How can it not work!¡± she said before picking up the hammer again and gave the pieces another good whack. ¡°Now I feel better.¡± ¡°Welcome to Fabricating 101!¡± Jack laughed while Frizzy gave him another confused look. ¡°First thing you should know, just because you can put something together doesn¡¯t mean you know how it should work. Whenever you take something apart you are not familiar with, you should be asking what each part does. Make a blue print either in your head or on paper as you examine something.¡± Frizzy grew thoughtful at that and considered his words while Jack had the ruined pieces reabsorbed the pieces. Making a new watch spawn on top of the anvil while she wasn¡¯t paying attention to it. ¡°I think I understand teacher. But how can I understand how it works?¡± She asked. ¡°That is part of what it is to be a fabricator. When someone looks at something they just see what it does. We look deeper. We might make magic items and machines, but at the core we are problem solvers and inventers.¡± He lectured while pacing back and forth while Frizzy hung on his every word. ¡°Now tell me, were any pieces missing?¡± Frizzy thought for a moment before she shook her head. ¡°No, I made sure to put every part in a small dish so it couldn¡¯t roll away.¡± She said as she started to think more deeply about it. ¡°No¡­ it didn¡¯t look like it was missing anything either. Maybe a part was damaged?¡± Jack would have been smiling from ear to ear at this line of thinking. It showed his apprentice was really thinking about it from multiple angles. Unfortunately, she was not going to like the answer when she finally got there. ¡°Could be.¡± Jack shrugged with his hands out to his sides. ¡°Why don¡¯t you check?¡± ¡°Because I smashed the watch.¡± Frizzy said as she looked at him with her arms crossed. ¡°Even if find all the pieces, they would all be too damaged to find out which one was the problem.¡± ¡°Remember what is said? You can there is no time limit, you can break it or lose it. I can give you another.¡± Jack replied then pointed to the anvil. When Frizzy found the watch waiting for her, she grumbled before snatching. Giving it the stink eye for a second before stuffing it into her pocket. ¡°For now, take a break. I want to show you something really exciting.¡± He said as motioned for her to follow him. Dutifully Frizzy did just that. Following at his side while they got closer to the table that help up the golem. Her mood improving significantly as the approached the golem. Looking over the resting form that was waiting to be awakened as she stood on the stool to look it over. The awe in her eyes at the nearly completed arcane machine filled Jack with no small amount of pride. The golem itself was a gray white humanoid in form. The design was made to mimic armor and built for a balanced warrior shape. Jack of course could have given it multiple limbs if he wanted or few hidden weapons but that would be unnecessary. Especially since extra limbs would get in the way and hidden weapons would make it needlessly complicated to build. Plus, with how strong it was going to be, there wasn¡¯t going to be any need for any addons. The body was shaped to look like plane but sturdy armor. The head was of an angular shape and resembled a helmet. The body of it was made to be like that of a more athletic warrior so that it would be well balanced. Next to it was large flanged mace that would normally take two hands for any person to lift since it was so heavy. But it was just the right size for the golem. Frizzy was practically bouncing as she looked over the nearly finished mechanical warrior. Taking a sniff here and there while drooling over it. ¡°The magic smells so strong teacher!¡± Frizzy beamed while looking over the golem. ¡°It smells easily ten times stronger than anything I ever found before!.¡± ¡°Sorry to break it to you my blue bundle of energy and spite. But this big boy hasn¡¯t been activated yet. No magic for you to sniff.¡± Jack said as he crossed his arms and leaned on the table. ¡°Now that you brought it up, you are able to smell magic energies?¡± She looked away from the golem to regard Jack¡¯s question. Looking at him to let him know he had her attention even if her eyes kept flicking back to the golem. ¡°Yes. Every Gremlin can. My nose is a bit more sensitive than most.¡± She said as she kept glancing at the golem. ¡°The best way I can describe it that the stronger the magic then the sweeter it smells.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jack asked now very curious, also a little jealous but mostly curious. ¡°Because I haven¡¯t activated it yet. Is it only magic that you can smell or is it magic and magic conductivity?¡± Frizzy stopped glancing at the golem at his question, considering his question with deeper contemplation. After a minute of letting her think, she finally shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I actually don¡¯t know. I never really thought about it.¡± Frizzy answered. ¡°What does that mean teacher?¡± ¡°It means we now have something to experiment with.¡± Jack said rubbing his hands together. ¡°If we can figure out how that works then we can test to see what its limitations are. Once we do that, we can do some really fun stuff with it.¡± ¡°Really? Like what?¡± Frizzy asked, growing excited from his own excitement. ¡°For one, making way more powerful magic items since we we¡¯d be able to actively measure how strong it is without ever turning it on if its magic conductivity. If it¡¯s straight up magic then you¡¯d be able to find resources all the better.¡± Jack answered. ¡°I am not sure what that means but it sounds good.¡± Frizzy, who was all smiles, said excitedly. ¡°Yes! But it¡¯s not just good! It¡¯s great!¡± Jack all but cheered before taking a metaphorical breath. ¡°First before we do any of that we need to get big boy up and moving. Time for us to crack open a val-¡° Jack froze when he picked up a presence in by his dungeon¡¯s boarder to the south east. From what he could feel, it felt similar to the presence of when he first became aware of the gremlins. Only this presence felt stronger somehow. ¡°Teacher?¡± Frizzy asked, regaining Jack¡¯s attention to find her with a worried expression. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah.¡± Jack said with only some concern. ¡°Someone unfamiliar just came by and they seem to have a bigger presence then the gremlins you brought. I¡¯m gonna check it out check it out real quick.¡± Without wasting time, Jack sent his consciousness to the location that he felt the presence and found that there was actually a group of people there. There were five elves there and two very large orcs and the front and end of the group for a total of seven. The six that were present felt as if they had a minor presence but the one in the middle felt like a much larger presence. There was something off about that elf as he was half a head shorter than the other elves. His shoulders and chest were broader as well. A stark contrast their usual lithe body type. While two of the elves were carrying staves and the four had were carrying bucklers along with a saber. While the strange elf wore some kind of broken in half plate armor. Armor that his practiced eye picked up was repaired and patched dozens of times while armed with a bastard sword. The orcs armor was heavy full plate armor and carried iron shields along with an axe or a halberd. They were all a well-equipped group and experienced from how they carried themselves. Well, the strange elf and the two orcs seemed like they were pretty experiences based on what repairs he could see. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. What really separated them though was that he sensed their presence. Most of the elves felt similar to one another, while the orcs felt they had a much larger presence then most of the elves. The strange elf though had a much larger presence than all of them. Something in the back of his mind told him that that strange elf was the strongest of the group. Not only that, they all seemed to be looking around in multiple direction. Searching for something as they walked further into his dungeon territory. From what he could see, they weren¡¯t heading directly towards the old ruin town. Their path would however cut through from the south east to most western part of his territory. He doubted they would see the town but it would be close enough to get him concerned. ¡°Nothing can be fucking simple.¡± Jack groaned as he moved his consciousness back to his body. ¡°What is it teacher?¡± Frizzy asked, an edge in her voice that was worried yet at the same time angry. ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°No, just something that is making have to change my priorities again¡­ for what feels like the tenth fucking time.¡± Jack groaned while face palming then sliding his boney hand down his skull. ¡°Gods above¡­ why do you continue to piss on me and insist it¡¯s rain?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the full meaning but I feel like I agree.¡± Frizzy growled as she started to pace back and forth. ¡°What is happening?¡± Jack wasn¡¯t sure when he was the who had to answer to her, but if she knew something that he didn¡¯t then what did it matter. ¡°There is a group of seven total. Five elves and two orcs. The orcs seem stronger than most of the elves. There is one elf stronger than all of them. He¡¯s weird for an elf though. Instead of lithe, he¡¯s a bit shorter and built broad and strong. He¡¯s also using a bastard sword instead of a finesse weapon.¡± ¡°That sounds like Faldor Silverroot.¡± Frizzy said in thought. ¡°He¡¯s always been an honorable adventurer. He has a good reputation, treats people fairly, from what I heard he¡¯s a grade C5 at the adventuring guild. Rumor says he has a much higher level but chooses to stay in the C ranks.¡± ¡°Alright, so he¡¯s not a bad guy than. Good to know now than to know about it later.¡± Jack said with relief. ¡°Any idea why he would be bringing people in through this?¡± Frizzy nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s likely doing some kind of training with new adventurers. He always does that kind of thing. Sometimes he brings them for training in the ruins, other times he takes them hunting or herb gathering.¡± ¡°Alright, so no need to kill anyone then.¡± Jack sighed in relief. Sure, he¡¯d have to kill people as a dungeon. Something that he knew in his bones but that didn¡¯t mean he had to look forward to it. It was the means for a dungeon to grow stronger and it was in his best interest to grow stronger. It wasn¡¯t just him on the line anymore, now he also had his community of gremlins to think about. ¡°Still, this could be an opportunity for us.¡± Jack mused to himself as one of his boney fingers tapped his chin. ¡°Frizzy, how trust worthy is the adventurer¡¯s guild?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­. not an easy question teacher.¡± Frizzy said reluctantly, moving to take a seat on the table¡¯s edge with the golem. ¡°It depends on who you are dealing with. There are a good honest people in the guild like Faldor Silverroot. Sadly, there are also people like those two who took my arm¡­¡± She said, her ears drooping. ¡°So, it¡¯s a gamble¡­¡± Jack groaned then started to pace back and forth. ¡°Gonna have to put it off¡­ alright, can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll have to have some things set before we start enticing the guild.¡± ¡°Things like what, Teacher?¡± Frizzy asked, cocking her head to the side. ¡°For one, building up the dungeon and for that I need some references. We¡¯ll need to make a quest to get some information.¡± Jack said while now pacing himself. ¡°But how? We still don¡¯t have proper paper or ink-¡°
Attention! You are about to issue a quest to all available recipients!
Path Finder of the Deep (Draft, pending Dungeon Master approval) This Quest is issued by the Dungeon Master. The Master of the Dungeon has issued a quest to bring information regarding other dungeons. The information the Dungeon Master wants is based on dungeon lay outs, mapping and the kind of dungeon they are. This quest is repeatable until the Dungeon Master closes it. Quest Risk level: Low Requirement to Quest Completion: Bring the information to the Dungeon Master or give it to a Dungeon Resident. Quest Reward: (Pending) Possible Reward Options: Currency Value: 20 Silver coins per piece of information Magic Item: Minor Utility Classification Weapon: One random weapon of fine quality Armor: one random armor piece of fine quality Are there any adjustments you would like to make before finalizing the quest? Yes/No
¡°You know what? Scratch that.¡± Jack said after reading the latest notification. His fingertips tapping together like a clich¨¦ villain while simultaneously resiting the urge to laugh like one. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need write out quests anymore.¡± ¡°Teacher¡­ Are you having another moment?¡± Frizzy asked, sounding more annoyed than concerned. ¡°Maybe.¡± Jack snickered than refocused himself. ¡°I¡¯ll make the quest than we can wake our new friend up.¡± Going back to the notification Jack decided to make the quest reward the 20 silver coins her piece of information. It was fair for this kind of quest since it was only right to pay whoever got the information. Not only that, it just didn¡¯t feel right to give anything else besides money for this kind of quest. after all, how was someone going to split items if there was a group of people. Not only that, he could just manifest items for his residents if they really need it. No, magic items or weapons and armor need to be more of a personal quest. With the final touches made, Jake approved this quest and when asked if he wanted to send it out, he selected yes.
Attention! You Created a World Quest!
Path Finder of the Deep This Quest is issued by the Dungeon Master. The Master of the Dungeon has issued a quest to bring information regarding other dungeons. The information the Dungeon Master wants is based on dungeon lay outs, mapping and the kind of dungeon they are. This quest is repeatable until the Dungeon Master closes it. Quest Risk level: Low Requirement to Quest Completion: Bring the information to the Dungeon Master or give it to a Dungeon Resident Quest Reward: 20 Silver coins for each piece of information
¡°¡­ mother fuckin, cross eyed, shit sniffer¡­¡± Jack said numbly. ¡°What happened now?¡± Frizzy asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Yeaaaaaaaaah, hehe. It¡¯s actually pretty funny in way.¡± Jack said while not making eye contact with his apprentice. ¡°Actually, its hilarious in a ¡®try not to panic¡¯ sort of way. That quest that I was making? Turns out it was set to become a world quest. We don¡¯t even need tell the adventurer¡¯s guild because they already know.¡± Frizzy gave the most unamused stare Jack had ever gotten. Ever, of all time. ¡°Teacher. I am very mad at you. The good news is that I got the quest and it doesn¡¯t say where our dungeon is. The bad news, I¡¯m going to hit you. The very bad news is that everyone that got that quest is now going to look for this dungeon.¡± Frizzy signed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Well, if we are going to take a gamble. Then this might be the time.¡± Jack said, marching to the golem once more. ¡°What do you mean teacher?¡± Frizzy asked, her frustration forgotten for the moment. ¡°I mean if we are going to announce we exist, we might as well have a heavy hitter to greet them when some snot stain tries to make trouble.¡± Jack said with much more seriousness then Frizzy was used to hearing. With a tool in hand and a flick of his wrist, Jack finished and connected the arcane script. Arcane energies gradually flowed into the crafted scripts and veins of the construct. The body gradually starting to radiate power while the hand twitched before grabbing the edge of the table to sit up on the table. Frizzy look on in awe at the feat of arcane craftsmanship. Jack however wasn¡¯t done just yet. He meant what he said and now was the time to put one of his dungeon abilities to the test. With the golem made he focused on his mob absorption ability on the golem. Willing the construct to be absorbed and after a minute of intense focus, visualizing the Golem becoming a part of his dungeon until a notification popped up.
Attention! You have found a new potential Dungeon Mob
New mob type: Osteal Ferrum Golem Wardens, shock troopers, warriors, guardians or aids and assistants. With immense strength, these golems can take on multiple roles and are tough enough to endure almost anything thrown at them. Would you like to absorb this golem and have it as a dungeon mob option? Yes/No
Not needing to think about it Jack selected yes. A second later Jack got another notification appeared.
Attention! You have found a prime Dungeon Sentinel candidate!
Dungeon Sentinel Dungeon Sentinels, unlike other dungeon mobs, are the wardens and keepers of dungeons. A Dungeon Sentinel is a more powerful version of a dungeon mob. Unlike a regular dungeon mob who will simply do as instructed by the Dungeon and or Dungeon Master in the most direct way possible. A Dungeon Sentinel not only do as instruct but also think on its own to accomplish its task in the most efficient way possible. While still being a dungeon mob, these mobs are unique in that they can think for themselves and even have their own personalities. Dungeon Sentinel Candidate option: Osteal Ferrum Golem Create a Dungeon Sentinel? Yes/No
Jack didn¡¯t think twice as he selected yes. The stakes were high and he was not going to gamble the lives of his residents. He made a mistake with the quest. He should have known better when he saw that it would go to ¡®all available recipients¡¯ in the notification. Now everyone knew he existed. But he was not going to let his residents pay for his mistake. He will not allow it. Jack and Frizzy watched as air started twist and churn around the golem where it stood. The air moving as Jack could feel immense amounts of mana being pulled from his available pool. Funneling itself into the golem with bones and liquid metal forming a cocoon around the still figure. Frizzy who had been fascinated at first grew scared as she saw the bones and metal started to form. Moving to stand closer to Jack, positioning herself to stand partly behind him for safety while Jack continued to watch. Feeling her fear at the event before them, with magic and mana thumbing in the air, she clutched his pant leg as he placed a boney hand on her head to reassure her. With the with the metal and bone cocoon slowly growing and swirling before them, Frizzy looked up to her Teacher with the same awe she had when she learned he was an ancient. Yet Jack didn¡¯t look away from the event before them. ¡°Teacher?¡± Frizzy asked in a small voice, worried about what was happening. ¡°I promised you a home my apprentice. A home for you and your clan. When I made you all residents of my dungeon, I took the responsibility of claiming you as my people.¡± He told her as the cocoon grew larger as the swirling mass radiated that much more power. ¡°I have lost a lot my memory. I barely remember who I am or was. But I do remember the feeling of losing my home, the feeling losing everything I loved, the feeling of helplessness, the feeling of being completely alone in this world.¡± Jack¡¯s tone was chillingly composed. The cocoon still fluctuating and as the power coming off it was growing stronger. ¡°Never again.¡± Jack said with finality. ¡°I will not allow anyone who calls my dungeon home to go through that. Never. Again.¡± Jack stayed in place, watching the cocoon as Frizzy clung to his side while staring at her teacher with far greater admiration. For an hour they stayed like this, waiting for the cocoon to take its next phase. Then it happened. The shell of the cocoon began to bubble and fizzle. Steadily shrinking in on itself with the bones turning to dust and the metal evaporating. Gradually taking the humanoid form until the last of the cocoon was gone to reveal the marvel that took the place of the golem Jake had made. Standing at almost eight feet tall, with cloven armored feet, hands like clawed gauntlet with broad spikes along the forearms. Their head like a faceless angular helmet, a thick neck with broad shoulders with short spikes growing out of its pauldrons like shoulders. Their white armored body detailed with bronze filagree along parts of the joints. The figure before them radiated more than just power, authority was the only word that could justifiably be used to describe the Sentinel¡¯s presence. Jack watched resolutely while Frizzy breath caught in her throat at the sight of the newly born Dungeon Sentinel. The Sentinel faced them directly before lowering itself down to one knee. With a close fist over the center of its chest and the other fist pressed to the ground, the sentinel bowed their head to Jack. Jack wasn¡¯t sure why, but he knew that what was to come next needed to be treated with the upmost seriousness. This was a thinking being and they would needed to be treated as such. ¡°I am made, my general. Why was I made?¡± The Sentinel asked, their voice low and deep with no small amount of reverence. ¡°You were made to be my sword and my shield. To protect my lands and those who have been have made it their home. To aid me in my endeavors, and to destroy those who threaten us. You were made to be all these things and more. for these reasons, I name you Aegisthal.¡± Jack answered stepping closer to stand in front of his new sentinel, feeling a link in his mind that connected him to his new mob. ¡°What purpose would have of me, my general?¡± Aegisthal asked, their head still turned facing down while maintaining their pose. ¡°First, I would have you rise. You kneel to no one, not even to me.¡± Jack said and Aegis stood, his size and bulk allowing him to tower over Jack and Frizzy alike. Yet from within the link, Jack could sense Aegis¡¯ respect for him grow along with a powerful need to obey Jack¡¯s instructions. ¡°My purpose for you. You are to aid me in my works. To safeguard my dungeon from those who wish to destroy it and to aid those who live in my dungeon. But most of all, you are to grow.¡± ¡°Understood, my general.¡± Aegis said with a closed fist to the center of his chest. ¡°You will, shall be done. What task will you have of me, my general?¡± he asked, reaching for the heavy steel mace and picked it up with one hand. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Faldor walked with his team and the new trainees of the guild to their next destination through the forest of oak trees. Taking the long-worn path as they steadily made their way to the mountain range. In his seventy years he¡¯s done this kind of work for the guild multiple times. It got the next generation ready and made sure that new people with actual potential got the skills they needed while separating those who had no business out of guild¡¯s ranks. It was honest work and he enjoyed it when he helped the newbies get started on the right foot. So far many of the newbies he¡¯s helped to train became fairly good adventurers. If he remembered right, three of them became guild masters in different cities on the continent. I should pay them a visit. Faldor mused to himself, ignoring as one of the newbies complaints. It would be a short visit of course. He never really cared much for city life. Too crowded and too many people with opinions on things they know nothing about what they are talking about. He liked country folk better for that reason. They admitted when they didn¡¯t know something instead trying to take unneeded steps to hide the fact they didn¡¯t have an answer. Not mention it was much more freeing out on the roads. Yes, there was risk out on the roads like raiders, bandits, and monsters. Faldor though was willing to take the risk to brave the wilds if it meant exploring the world on his terms. He was still young and there was much he wanted to see. ¡°Boss.¡± Terga, one of the tanks in his party and an orc he¡¯d been working with for the last three years with called out to him from the back of their walk order. ¡°We¡¯s should make camp in a few. Dez newbies lookin pretty rung.¡± Faldor looked to the newbies and saw that they were sweating pretty good now. None of them were outwardly complaining from pushing themselves this far yet he could see they were going start to falter and stumble soon. One was an aspiring battle mage, another a healer and the last two were undecided but were aiming to take on a similar class like himself. Which was fine since there will always be a need for front line fighters. When they got the notification, the newbies wanted to run off in search of the new dungeon to get that reward. Faldor had to admit that the reward was pretty good, at least it was until he noticed that there was no listed and told them as such. That had quickly cooled them down but not so much that they didn¡¯t want to start searching around for the dungeon. It was an attitude that would take them far as adventurers for sure. Had the more experience, Faldor would have encouraged them to start searching. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t full adventurers yet and they had a lot to learn before they can start going out into the wilds to search. It had been hours since that that notification appeared knew everyone in the guild would be searching. Especially since it was an unfamiliar dungeon that was likely unclaimed. It was only going to be a matter of time before someone found it and once it was found, people were going to start fighting to build settle near it. It might take a couple of months, but it will happen sooner or later. When it did, Faldor planned to keep his party far away from the coming chaos until the dust settled. ¡°Bossman.¡± Yagra called from the front while stopping to stop the group. Giving the for everyone to be quiet as Faldor came up next to his friend. ¡°Wez gots eyez on uz.¡± The big orc growled, his face scanning around them with his voice lowered. ¡°What do you think it is?¡± Faldor asked, his hand resting on his sword. Now also scanning the surrounding trees for any signed of movement that didn¡¯t belong. ¡°Not sure.¡± Yagra answered, the leather on his gauntlets creaking from his grip tightening on his axe. ¡°Itsa big one bossmann. Feelz it in the ground and its gettin closa.¡± Curious, Faldor kneeled down and placed a palm to the ground and closed his eyes to concentrate. After a few seconds of focusing, Faldor eventually felt it. The feeling of heavy feet vibrating the ground with each step taken. It was faint and he was not as well versed in the skill as Yagra was. From what he could feel from his limited talent in the skill, it felt as if the owner of those feet were moving at a fast pace and getting closer to them. He tried to feel for what direction it was coming from but no matter how hard he tried to feel it out. ¡°It¡¯s coming alright.¡± Faldor said as she stood up, rubbing his hands together with the road dust so he had a better grip. ¡°Any idea what direction and how far it is?¡± Yagra was quiet as he focused on their approaching guest. His head steadily turning towards the south west. From what Faldor could see of Yagra¡¯s face from the open helm, he looked confused and concern. Staring hard as if trying to see what he was looking for through the trees. ¡°Itz strange bossman. Forst it was just west, thenz it turned south thenz to uz again.¡± Yagra said as he stared hard in the direction of the one approaching them. ¡°Itz slowin down, but itz still a comin. Wez got maybe a Quata hour at most.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Faldor nodded, turning back to the rest of the group. ¡°Everyone, eyes and ears alert. Something is coming and we don¡¯t know if it¡¯s friendly or not. Guard up, don¡¯t attack unless whatever it is tries to draw blood first. Everyone gave some form of confirmation before they all grouped up. Each taking position with the magic users in the middle and the combat specialists guarding them. it was a standard formation for any unknown threat, one that was tried to and true. It wasn¡¯t a long wait through, before they knew it, they all heard the distant sounds of metal feet marching through the forest. The they were very faint at first, then they became louder as the snapping of twigs on the ground along with the thuds of those heavy feet. It was then they all saw it. Nearly eight feet in height, clad in some of the finest white gray armor like body with short spikes on the shoulders and bracers. This figure moved with an easy of motion that showed signs of being tired. Even at higher levels, wearing such heavy armor would but a toll on anyone. Not even people who invest heavily in building their strength and stamina could do a long-distance jog without so much as a pant. Not unless they had some serious enchantments on said armor. A suspicion that quickly died when Faldor looked closer to gauge the armor at the joints only to find more metal instead of the padding to protect the wearer inside. No, this was no person. Faldor had heard and even seen the works of golems craft. Magic engines that were made of wood, stone, clay and, even more rare, metal. They were supposed to be powerful engines that only some of the highest nobles and rather powerful mages could have made. He didn¡¯t understand the process of how they were made or how they worked. But from what he understood, they were undoubtable strong. At least, they were supposed to be. From what he remembered from his conversation with researcher Alamisa, today¡¯s golems were strong for sure. But the ones made in ancient times where a whole were a whole different story. She had shown him the one she had made and explained that one average golem of today¡¯s make was as strong as a party of upper C ranked parties. She then explained that a golem of the ancient times, could rival a lower A rank party. The remains of the ancient golem she had shown him, though badly damaged and beyond old, was both a work of art and a monster. The she had shown him that day was dug up from old ruins with over a hundred skeletons surrounding it. The craftsmanship looked almost lifelike and made to look almost like a dragon. She had explained that from what they learn of this discovery, that monster was involved during the fall of the Lost Ones or, as some call them, The Ancients. That it had been used to protect their creators when the elves, orcs, dwarves, and gnomes came to destroy them. That such monsters had killed hundreds before they could be brought down. When he asked if the Lost Ones had such monsters, then why did they lose. Her answer had chilled him, saying that they only made a few such monsters. More than that, the ones they often made were gifts to royalty or to magic schools. Giving many of the other race¡¯s insights to make their own versions. Going to far as to tell him that some of those original golems were still around today and serving the decedents those, they had been gifted too. Only they had no way to fix or restore them if they ever broke. Saying that when the Lost Ones perished, they took many of their secrets with them. Burning their notes and research before they were all killed. But now¡­ as he stood, he found himself looking at that same monster of the past. Only now, it was in the form of an elegant yet powerful warrior and it bled an air the commanded respect. This was no ordinary golem, no. This was a golem of the Lost Ones. ¡°Hello.¡± Came a feminine voice that Faldor was not expecting to come from the engine before him. It took him a moment, he noticed a moment later the head of a small figure peeking out from around golem¡¯s shoulder. Climbing down, Faldor found that the figure was a gremlin woman who had greeted them. She was dressed better than any other gremlin he had seen in the past. She was dressed in the same kind of clothing of a trade¡¯s person. Durable, practical, and light enough to breath to be comfortable. What was really strange though was that she had an arm that seemed to be made of the same metal as the golem she had dismounted from. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°My teacher, and clan patron, as asked me to greet you and to speak on his behalf. Will you speak with us?¡± the gremlin woman asked while the golem stood close behind her. She had was putting on a brave face and was doing a rather good job of portraying confidence. Despite noticing the slight tremble of he hands that showed her uncertainty, Faldor had to respect her for mustering her courage as she had. Stepping forwards, Faldor began to speak when one of the damned newbies had to open their gods damned mouth. ¡°What is the meaning of this, rat?¡± one of the aspiring warriors demanded. ¡°Who is this ¡®teacher¡¯ that would send a pest and golem out to threaten us? The houses of the local lords will hear of this clear threat to your betters.¡± He spat only to be slapped in the back of the head courtesy of Terga. ¡°Please, excuse that idiot.¡± Faldor apologized, making sure to keep the golem in his vision while making eye contact with the gremlin woman. ¡°He spoke out of turn and does not know better. I promise, we mean no disrespect to your teacher and patron.¡± He watched as a series of emotions played across her face as any hint of uncertainty she had before was replaced with anger. Glaring angrily at the young idiot before her attention turning back to Faldor. ¡°¡­ Out of respect for you Faldor Silverroot, I¡¯ll forgive the slight this once.¡± She said with much more confidence, then paused as her head tilted as if listening to something. Then nodded before she came to stand next to a sizable rock. ¡°If he does it again though¡­¡± Faldor watched as that metal hand clenched into a tight fist as she wound up her arm, punching the stone hard. The force of her blow breaking the stone into chunks which left everyone around stunned. ¡°I¡¯ll crush his balls.¡± She said while giving the offender the stink eye. ¡°I don¡¯t care what someone calls me. But no one insults my teacher and clan patron.¡± Faldor was surprised by the demonstration. He knew for a fact that gremlins weren¡¯t nearly that strong. He knew that he was strong enough to do a similar feat as well as his two actual party members. Only they would have hurt their hands in the process unless they had some high-quality gauntlets on. ¡°We understand.¡± Faldor assured the gremlin woman who returned to her spot in front of the golem. ¡°Please be assured, we have no intent to fight or insult. What is it that your teacher and patron wanted to speak about that he sent you and the golem to greet us?¡± Faldor asked, trying his best to keep things calm. The gremlin regarding him for a moment. Likely trying to determine if he was being honest. Which he couldn¡¯t blame her in the slightest for. The gremlins were a very slow to trust since a lot of people treated them so poorly. He had earned some good will with the gremlins and even been named as a friend. Sure, they often broke things from being too curious, often pulled pranks and had a nose for trouble. But they were also loyal once that trust was earned. And from how this gremlin was acting, she knew of him and likely trusted him for his reputation. This patron however was far more trusted than he was. he had to be careful here, especially since one of the idiots he was in charge of already put a strike against them. She gesturing to a stump near the road. ¡°Do you want to sit while we talk?¡± ¡°By all means.¡± Faldor said, gesturing for her to go first. Taking the invitation to be polite, the gremlin woman lead the way to the stump with the golem following close behind. With their backs turned, Faldor made a hand gesture signaling his party members to be on guard and to keep the newbies in line. He then followed the gremlin woman as she pulled up a stone the stump before gesturing for him to do the same. Mimicking her, he pulled over a stone as well and took the seat across from her while the golem stood behind her. ¡°Thank you for speaking with me Faldor Silverroot. I hope that after today we can meet again on good terms.¡± The gremlin said and from how she said it, Faldor could tell that she meant it. ¡°I feel the same way, but again I must ask why your teacher and patron would want you to speak with us.¡± Faldor said again. Keeping his tone polite but to the point. ¡°Alright,¡± she sighed. ¡°My teacher has sent use both to come and speak with you because of the world quest we know you received.¡± She said plainly. ¡°I see, I take it he is a noble that wants to hire us to search for this dungeon then?¡± Faldor asked. He wasn¡¯t opposed to taking the quest but it would have to wait if that was the case. He had already agreed to have the newbies trained so he couldn¡¯t abandon his current one for the new one. His word was his bond after all. At his words, he noticed that the gremlin woman said nothing for a moment and notices that her ear twitch as if listening to something some unseen person. Then she snorted while trying to cover her mouth from trying not to laugh. After clearing her throat and had the confidence to not laugh, she answered. ¡°Yes and no. My teacher is also not a noble according to him.¡± she said with still some humor in her voice before she became serious once again. ¡°At my suggestion and vouching of your reputation, Teacher has decided that he wants you to be the first one to reach out to and know the location of the dungeon.¡± Now that was news. A mysterious person that wants to form some kind of alliance and was offering the location of the dungeon. It would be a rather lucrative offer without question. Yet it was also an offer that made him worried. Was the gremlin¡¯s teacher a fae? What would this mystery person gain from this? No, speculation was for later when he had more information. For now, he needed to focus on the now. ¡°I see.¡± He answered back, pulling out two cups from his satchel and a flask with brandy inside. ¡°Your teacher sounds generous. I wonder though, what is it he wants to gain from this? Not to be rude, but people with power rarely give something without gaining something in return. Judging by your bodyguard, your teacher, is a very powerful person.¡± He placed one of the cups in front of her and filled it with his brandy before filling his own. once both glasses were filled, he took his own cup and sipped it. If he remembered right, it was a sign of good faith among the gremlin clans. ¡°He is generous and he does want something.¡± The gremlin woman said, taking her own cup and sipped it. A large grin showing on her face once she got a taste. ¡°My teacher though isn¡¯t someone to something. He sent us to ask if you would be interested in this opportunity.¡± ¡°That so?¡± Faldor said while taking another sip of his brandy, savoring the burn. ¡°Tell me, as an example of your teacher¡¯s generosity, what has he done for you?¡± There as a hardness to her eyes now at that question. ¡°He saved my life as I was scavenging. Two elves tried to intimidate me. I refused and they took my arm.¡± She said with her metal fist clenched on the stump. Then her face became softer with a small smile on her face, her ears perking up. ¡°Then my teacher came. With spells and trickiness that make any gremlin proud he killed them both.¡± she then started to snicker. ¡°He even yelled at me for not running when I had the chance. Afterwards, he made medicine from weeds that stopped my pain, then he made me my new arm.¡± she said with a smile like a cat that just got a dish of cream. ¡°Your teacher made that arm?¡± Faldor asked, forcing himself to keep his voice calm. Not missing that the arm was a similar design to that golem guarding her. ¡°Yes, he did.¡± She said taking another sip of the brandy, mischief dancing in her eyes. ¡°If I may ask, what is it that he teaches?¡± he asked, wanting to get more information. ¡°That, I can¡¯t share nor is that the reason I came talk.¡± The gremlin woman said abruptly. Ending the side track conversation. ¡°Now, my Teacher would like to know what is it you would plan to do with the location of the dungeon and what is it you would be willing to trade for it?¡± ¡°Do you have this information or would we get it in a roundabout means if we come to an agreement?¡± Faldor countered. Seeing the current topic for what it was, bartering. ¡°I have the information and can tell you right away if an agreement can be made.¡± She said with a sly smile. ¡°If we can come to an agreement.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Faldor said while rubbing his chin in pretend thought. ¡°Of course, any agreement we make will have to wait until the current-¡° ¡°If she has the information what is stopping us from just taking it from the little rat?¡± one of the newbies asked as the rest look on at her greedily while also flicking glancing wearily at the golem who still stood with a casual ease behind the gremlin. ¡°We out number her, and its golem. So long as she can¡¯t say any orders it can¡¯t do anything. To us.¡± Faldor wanted to strangle the stupid little shit for his words. How stupid were they that they couldn¡¯t see the danger they were in? if they survived this, Faldor was going to make it his mission to get the inbred little shit banned from the guild. He had already proved that he was boarder line criminal and the other newbies would likely need a similar treatment. At least the current mission was basically resolved now. He just weeded out those that didn¡¯t belong in the guild. Such a mindset would only cause problems down the line for everyone. ¡°Terga!¡± Faldor barked, turning to glare angrily at the group of newbies. Without further prompting, the orc turned and swung his arm in a heavy punch into the newbies face. knocking in elf out with a single strike with a broken nose. ¡°I am sorry about that.¡± Faldor said with head bowed to the gremlin woman. ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll have him-¡° Faldor was saying until a very unamused hand raised up to fore stale him. she didn¡¯t not break eye contact as she sipped more of the brandy. Placing the cup back down with a thunk to signify that it was now empty. ¡°Ok, in the words of teacher. ¡®Let¡¯s cut the bullshit.¡¯ And I agree, if you are interested tell us once you made a decision. Once you have used this.¡± She said with a hand gesture and Faldor watched as the golem took a step forwards and placed a metal plate that was intricately carved and radiated magic. ¡°You can use that to speak with us. If you are interest though, don¡¯t bring the idiots. We held your group up long enough.¡± *** Jack sat in the yard of one of the mansions he gave the gremlins to make into their homes. He had been witling some wood to make some toys for the children who excitedly inspected the wood figurines. He had wanted a break from being in his tower and it was nice to make some simple little things that brought joy the little devils. Not to mention it was a nice distraction while waiting for Frizzy and Aegisthal to reach the group. When they had reached the group, he sent his consciousness to observe and was also surprise to find that Frizzy could hear him. Throughout the exchange he mostly watched and stepped in at certain points. By the end, the group left while Frizzy and Aegisthal waited until they were far away before making their way back. even then they didn¡¯t take a direct route back. now with his consciousness back in his body, sitting on the bench where he last left it. All he could was sit there dumbfounded by everything he just saw and heard. Only one thought coming to mind from that entire exchange. ¡­ Just how fucking stupid can someone be?! Jack screamed privately in his own mind. Who the fuck is that stupid with two tons of badass in ear shout!? Had Jack still had a heart and a brain, he¡¯d probably have a stroke from how mad he was at the sheer level of stupidity he just saw. Barely restraining himself from cursing out loud and teaching the gremlins kids still around him a whole slew a of new colorful words. Apologies 😞 Hello everyone, James here. If you are wondering where chapter 12 is, I am sorry to say that it is not ready yet and I won''t be able to meet my normal deadline. This week has been pretty hectic for me as I have a new job and I am going to classes at night. Normally I do most of my writing on the weekend but things came up that prevented me from sitting down and getting the chapter ready for you all like I normally would. Don''t worry though, I promise I am actively working on it and will try to have it posted as soon as possible. Thank you all for being patient and I want to thank you call for your kind words and also for following with this story. If you have any questions about the book or have any thoughts you want to share about the characters so far. Please feel free to leave a comment as I do try to read them all and will try to answer the best I can without giving any spoilers. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Jack Muttered under his breath. Still fuming as since his apprentice was threatened. It had been three weeks since then and he had half a mind to send Aegisthal after that piece of shit turned to paste. Lucky for them Frizzy had talked him out of it. For now at least. Since then, Jack had been at work making his dungeon in earnest and if he was being honest with himself, it was actually REALLY fun! Since his old down was surrounded by forests and mountains with the meadows having long since vanished, he decided to use that to his advantage. He started by setting his dungeon up in rings. To start he was going to make the first ring a five-mile-thick band. He made a divider to separate the outer most ring form the inner section. He had absorbed some pants and use the hem to make barriers to separate the sections. It was tricky of course since he still needed to gremlins to be able to go in and out of the dungeon if need be. To give them a clear and easy means of coming and going, he made hidden paths form them to take. Since they were short it was easy for them to remain hidden. He was also proud of the plant he chose to be rather nasty since some of them would give a bad rash if it touched bare skin. Not to mention he made it so there was enough spacing and paths to make game trails so animals could migrate. Be one hell of a pain in his boney ass if he and to worry about wild animals causing him problems. Not that he didn¡¯t enjoy puzzles and challenges. Hells, Jack loved a good brain teaser. He just didn¡¯t like problems that repeated themselves. ¡°Frizzy!¡± Jack yelled in indignation. ¡°That son of a bitch bear is back! AGAIN!!! Why?! Why does that fucker keep coming back!¡± Jack growled in frustration. Frizzy, for the third time, sighed at her teacher¡¯s antics as she was interrupted from her work. She had been repairing the self-winding pocket Jack had given her earlier to practice but was not placing the tools to the side. ¡°Teacher¡­ I want to ask you a serious question.¡± She said with thinly veiled annoyance. ¡°What, in the name of the gods, makes you think I can do anything at all about that bear?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Maybe you¡¯d have an idea didn¡¯t consider before!¡± Jack said, doing nothing to hide his frustration. ¡°That walking floor rug keeps killing my undead dungeon monsters! WHY! There is plenty of food LITERALLY everywhere!¡± ¡°Teacher¡­ is this really that important?¡± Frizzy asked exasperated. ¡°It is! What are the adventurers supposed to fight if I keep losing the mobs to the bear?¡± Jack said with blatant frustration. ¡°I have is set so the mobs can response after a certain amount of time, but still! That pest will just keep making that area easier for anyone that wants to come in!¡± Frizzy sighed while stepping away from her work station. Making sure all the tools and parts she had been working would not get lost and made a note where she left off. Frizzy loved her teacher and had nothing but the upmost respect for Jack. He was her teacher and the patron of her clan on top of just being a good person. Sometimes though she really wanted to hit him on the head with a stick to knock some sense into him. Especially when he got like this. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t actually do it. At least not this time. No, she¡¯ll save that one for when he really needed it. ¡°Teacher. Have you tried to send Aegisthal after it?¡± she asked. Her head tilted ever so slightly with an eyebrow raised. ¡°I asked him to do it but his answer was-¡° Jack quickly gestured to the Golem in question who stood at a rest stance not thirty feet from them. ¡°For me to leave and kill this bear, I would be leaving the vulnerable unguarded. By the time I reach the bear it would be long gone. My leaving the vulnerable would then be a meaningless risk. Will stay here where I am most needed, My General.¡± Aegisthal supplied. ¡°And I can¡¯t disagree because he¡¯s completely right.¡± Jack sighed. Frizzy looked to Jack and then back to Aegisthal with a confused expression unsure of what to make of Aegisthal just refused an order. Something she never thought a dungeon mob was capable of doing. Then again this was her teacher and she saw him make a device that fits on the wrist and spews fire. A device he called the Crowd Control. Then there was the time he got bored and made a magic hammer that would make an explosion behind its head so it swung and hit harder. A weapon that he called¡­ ¡®Da Boomstick¡¯. At this point she really shouldn¡¯t be surprised anymore yet here he was, surprising her yet again without really trying to. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly before engaging her Teacher and risk a headache. ¡°Teacher, maybe you can coat your mobs in something that will make the bear not want to kill them?¡± She asked, while noticing the Aegisthal was tilting his head at her. At the question, Jack froze in thought. Considered the idea before his jaw suddenly started to slacken. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of it before? It was so simple and obvious now that she mentioned it. What the fuck is wrong with me? Jack reprimanded himself. It¡¯s so freakin obvious. Dumb Jack! Dumb! ¡°Frizzy you are a genius. I¡¯d kiss you if I had lips.¡± Jack said as he then summoned one five pounds of bronze and copper. ¡°Quick question. Did anyone in your clan bring chilies or maybe peppers?¡± As he asked that question, Frizzy had a distinct feeling that if her teacher had a face, he¡¯d have a rather evil smile. Bears in the past have attacked gremlin communities and raided their homes in the past. She didn¡¯t like bears but understood they were animals trying to survive and eat. In this moment thought she felt a surge of pity for the unsuspecting bear. ¡°I can ask some of the clan to see if anyone has any. But I don¡¯t think anyone has any since we mostly eat sweat things, root vegetables, and also meat from small animals. Not many of us like spicy food.¡± Frizzy said before holding her chin in thought. ¡°I think there are some wild chilies you can find in the south. I don¡¯t know if they are in season though¡­¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Jack sighed before crossing his arms in frustration. ¡°Well crap. There goes that idea. We¡¯ll have to one day buy some but I rather not sound anyone from our community for something like that. We¡¯ll just have to just deal with it¡­ for now¡­ fucking asshole bear.¡± Jack turned his focus back to adjusting his dungeon. He might as well get something done while stewing in his frustration. No one said he couldn¡¯t multitask while being thinking of petty revenge schemes. ¡°Teacher, can¡¯t you make a trap to catch there bear?¡± Frizzy asked while interrupting his thoughts. Making his conscious mind become back to the body. ¡°I heard there are jaw traps that work good on beats.¡± ¡°No.¡± Jack said plainly and sternly, all quirkiness now shoved aside as he planned. ¡°My goal is to either drive it away or to kill it out right. Those traps are cruel and I will not use them. They maim and injury, they cause unnecessary pain. We are fabricators Frizzy. We do not take the easy way if it is not the right way. We do not take half measures when we solve a problem. We either do it right way or not at all. Do you understand my apprentice?¡± Frizzy was taken aback at Jack¡¯s sudden seriousness. He didn¡¯t raise his voice nor was there any threat or the usual string of curses. The intensity though, the level of seriousness he had regarding the trap made it very clear that he was not going to use anything of that sort nor tolerate its use. Frizzy for her part at hearing her teacher¡¯s words made her feel ashamed for even bringing it up. ¡°Y.yes Teacher.¡± She said nervously, unused to this level of seriousness from him. ¡°I am sorry teacher.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He said plainly before shaking his head to regain himself. ¡°Right! Let¡¯s see it see if we can get some spicy stuff. Would you ask around to see if anyone has those chilies. Hells, a seed would be enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask around teacher.¡± She said still a bit taken aback by the intensity he had but a moment ago. ¡°Uhm¡­ teacher?¡± ¡°Yeah Frizzy?¡± Jack asked with his head tilted. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°When can I start learning to make magic items?¡± She asked, unsure if she was even ready to ask about it. ¡°Not for a while. You Still have to learn the foundations of what it is to craft something. There is a lot involved. For example, if you need to make something tough but at the same time light weight you need the right material for it. Use the wrong one and sure a you might have something that works but is it then you got a heavy bundle of weight to lug around. Or you need something that can bend and flex without warping. Pick the wrong one you have an ugly lump of metal or it just falls apart. At worst it can explode. Sorry Frizzy, but you are my first apprentice and that means I¡¯ll be used as a chew bone if I don¡¯t make you into a master fabricator.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°T.thank you Teacher.¡± She said with a slight bow of her head. ¡°What should I be studying then?¡± ¡°Wellllllll. Seeing how we got those blank pieces of paper, those blank books and that ink. I think it¡¯s time to give you some homework!¡± Jack said excitedly while clapping his boney hands. ¡°Home¡­ work?¡± Frizzy asked, her large ears perking up and her head tilted. ¡°Not important.¡± He said with a dismissive wave. ¡°Real question is, can you read the common tongue?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes!¡± Frizzy said, clutching to question as it was one she was able to answer with confidence. ¡°I can read. Everyone can read the common tongue since everyone grew up with the System.¡± ¡°Perfect, in that case let¡¯s see if this is going to work.¡± Jack said before thinking about the loot system and making a book. The book he imagined was the average size for a hard cover book. The cover was green and after imaging all the basics of metallurgy, the book in his mind became seventy pages thick. For good measure he imagined images to demonstrate certain concepts. That made the book in his mind become one hundred and thirty pages. After imaging the book and looking it over in his mind and finding it rather plain looking. Jack decided that it should have thin sheet of silver over the cover with copper bands to bind it so that it would look nicer. Once satisfied, the willed the book to come into existence. That was when he felt a huge draw of mana that felt as if he just got punched in his non-existent gut. He felt the mana being drawn from so drastically that it felt as if that all the energy he had in himself was just suddenly pulled out of him. Leaving him to actually drop to his hands and knees to regain his composure when the mana draw stopped. A the every book he had imagined now sitting on the ground. The moment he fell to his hands and knees, Aegisthal was standing over Jack. Using their massive bulk to shield their creator with their body while Frizzy ran to Jack¡¯s side and clutched his arm with pure panic in her eyes. ¡°Teacher! What¡¯s wrong?! Are you ok?! What happened?!¡± She asked not giving him a change to answer her when she turned her head to face Aegisthal. ¡°Aegisthal! Teacher is vulnerable! If anything attacks while he¡¯s vulnerable you crush them! You crush that villain to paste!¡± She barked, taking the lead while jack was very winded from the recent ordeal. Lucky for him he picked the upgrade for the Arcane Nexus upgrade when he did. Already he could feel the mana recirculating back into his area of influence as it steadily restabilize and refilled his dungeon core¡¯s reserves. Despite the stead refill, he was done for the day. There was no way he could realistically work on his dungeon with so little mana to work with. While it touched him that Frizzy was so protective of him and that Aegisthal already stood over them both with a menacing mace in hand. Jack really wanted to know what the actual fuck had just knocked him on his boney ass. ¡°Heeeeeey.¡± Jack said awkwardly while dusting himself off and started to sit up. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t love the attention. But I promise I¡¯m not going to fall apart.¡± Both Aegisthal and Frizzy stared at him almost in sync. Aegisthal¡¯s face was of course unreadable since it was basically a faceless featureless angular helmet. Thanks to link of him being Jack¡¯s dungeon sentinel, he was able to feel that Aegisthal felt incredulous at hearing what Jack just said. Frizzy on the other hand was an open book with her worry and agitation. ¡°My General. The event that has left you rendered incapacitated, no matter how brief it may be, was one of utter surprise that we do not yet understand. It is advisable that you remain here until it is certain you have recovered.¡± Aegisthal said with that same level of calm directness he always had. ¡°Teacher¡­ Jack. Aegisthal is far too polite to actually say it so I¡¯ll say it for him. You are sitting fucking down and staying still until we figure out what flattened you out like a fully loaded runaway wagon.¡± She growled while jabbing his chest with a finger from the prosthetic arm he made her. ¡°If you try anything before we figure out what happened, I swear that I¡¯ll steal your legs and not even Aegisthal will be able to stop me!¡± Aegisthal turned to look at her and was about to say something. That was until Frizzy, who wasn¡¯t looking in his direction, held up a finger. ¡°Don¡¯t not a word Aegisthal!¡± She barked, making the giant guardian back down. Slightly annoyed, but also kind of impressed that the tiny woman was able to make an immovable force take a step back. Jack lowered himself down and just accepted his fate since he didn¡¯t want to fight with his apprentice. Honestly, he liked that show of confidence. Any self-respecting fabricator needed to have a strong sense of self-worth and certainty in their choices and words. After all, there was always that one asshole customer that tried to cheat a crafters hard work. Demanding discounts or how something ¡®conveniently broke¡¯ and wanted a refund. ¡°Alright fine. I¡¯ll sit still.¡± Jack said while mumbling the last part. ¡°before that, I think you should study that book I made. It¡¯s a good start for you to understand the nature of materials I¡¯ll be teaching you to use.¡± Jack said still sitting exactly as he was when he surrendered to his apprentice. ¡°It¡¯s the basics but it¡¯s important to know. Once you can answer any question I give you from that book, we¡¯ll move on to actual crafting and making simple magic items.¡± As he said that, Aegisthal eached over for a chair and brought it closer for Jack to sit on. Frizzy turned to the book and quickly picked it up with her ears perking up in excitement. Clutching the book close to her chest to fend off any invisible thieves that might try to steal it from her. ¡°What¡¯s in the book?¡± he asked while she continued to guard her new treasure. ¡°The basics of metallurgy. The founding principles for the study of the basic metals, their purification and production.¡± He said dismissively. ¡°More or less, why metal works for beginners.¡± He snickered at his joke. At the news of what the book was. Frizzy guarded it jealously, spending every free moment she had to study it and going so far to ask him for sheets of paper with ink for notes. Again, making Jack proud to have her as his apprentice since she was going above and beyond in her studies. In just a few days since getting the book she made dozens of notes. He tried to look them over once before she chased him away saying they weren¡¯t ready yet. Which was fine since everyone had their right to their own secrets. Once he had regained all his lost mana and made the finishing touches to his first level only to be¡­ disappointed by the results. The first level of his dungeon was basically a forested area that moved into the abandoned farmlands. The homes were partially collapsed and decapitated to give the appearance of age and neglect, most of the area was had his skeleton rats with tin crabs lurking about. For esthetics Jack decided that he was going to age the appearance of the tin crab. Giving it a nice ancient look because why not. There were also some changes he made like when he got rid of the some of the bramble. He ended up making paths with the remaining ones and also made some notes and clues within the farms. All that was left was the boss and then the wall. From what he learned from the books the gremlins were able to bring back for the quest he gave them. Each level of a dungeon needed to have a boss. It also said each level boss had their own unique abilities. The biggest thing that stuck out to Jack though was that the boss for each level were made to a similar theme to that level. After checking his mobs list he studied what his options were for a boss could be.
Dungeon Mobs Available: Level 1 Mobs: Zombie Rats Skeleton Rats Tin Crabs Level 2 Mobs: Skeletons (elves, dwarves) Zombies (elves) Level 5 mobs Osteal Ferrum Golem Notice! All mobs crossed out are mobs not available until certain dungeon level requirement is met. Found/made mob options that have been absorbed will be saved until requirements are met.
Jack looked over the mobs and too a moment to think while still making more changes. He¡¯d by lying if he said he wasn¡¯t disappointed to see the notice. But he¡¯ll find a way to make it work. He made four clearings with thick sections of brambles surrounding his territory just behind the clearings. With a clearing the north, south, east and west of his territory. To give each one some extra taste and flavor. If he was going to make a dungeon, why not one that tells a story? Within each clearing he created a singular tree that sat in the with grasses all around along with some flowers. Resting against the tree was an elven skeleton dressed in battered armor with a fist sized hole in the belly. A quiver of arrows, a rusted knife along with a broken bow rested at its side. Next to each skeleton was an old journey journal bound in dried leather to give it an aged look and feel. Each journal was made to make it sound it belonged to a young hopeful looking to come to the city to strike their fortune. Only for it to end implying that they have been betrayed and attacked from behind. Using the last of their strength to make one last entry before dying at the tree. By the time he was done, he actually quite admired the work he had done. The scene and setting were both beautiful and sad. It actually made him kind of eager to see the what people would think when the visited his dungeon. Except what would a good boss be for this kind of boss area? He took some time to think it over and considered the setting he had made. After a few minutes, a far distant memory came to mind. He remembered some time ago he once had a person visit his shop. They wore light leather armor and they were human like him. They were had just become and adult by age but had a boyish face. they were young and thinking more on the memory, they also had a knife and bow¡­ Yeah, that was it. They were a ranger was staying in town for a while to resupply. And they weren¡¯t alone. They have a large wolf with them. That¡¯s right! Jack though internally as he snapped his fingers after pinning down the vague memory that had just became, at least partially, clear. His name was Silas. He was a hunter and his wolf¡¯s name was Mose. He came looking for some arrow heads and bow enchanted. He was a good kid too, bright and sunny. Always had a big smile. He said he wanted to be famous hunter and make a name in one of the big cities. Jack looked at one of the clearings in thought once more. This time with greater consideration. Taking a moment to consider what he had just done without even realizing it. Taking a second, Jack reabsorbed the journals for clearing and made some last adjustments. Jack took one last look at the skeleton with some last notes of melancholy to allow himself a small moment of reflection he gave himself one last private thought on the matter. Well Silas, it looks like you¡¯ll be famous after all. If only it was the way you intended instead of this¡­ With that, Jack decided exactly what he wanted for the boss of this level. Once he had that his dungeon would be officially open. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 It took some time before Jack got a wolf¡¯s body, but when Jack did he set to work right away to make his new boss. When the process was done Jack was actually giddy at the sight of the it. It really was a thing of beauty and he was very excited to see when people would get their first look of the beast. There was just one itty bitty problem¡­ He was allowed to have only one boss per layer. Jack had been slumped in his throne after putting in all that work. He found a work around because he was just that awesome. The problem was he had no way to test it to see if it worked. If it worked properly the dungeon boss was supposed to spawn a good three or five minutes after everyone entered the clearing. Once they entered the surrounding the foliage would rise up to prevent people from running the way they came to shoot at it. No sir, there was no cheating in his dungeon allowed. When the party would beat the boss random loot item would drop. Too keep it fair and interesting, Jack made it so that the loot dropped was randomized and that it would alternate between items and coins. But again, he can¡¯t be sure it works until someone actually does it. A few of the gremlins had offered to set it off while Aegisthal guarded them. Gods bless them. Since they were residents of the dungeon however it didn¡¯t allow them to explore the dungeon like anyone else. Since they were protected by the mobs, and there for the boss, were supposed to protect them. No, there was only one way to really test it¡­ ¡°Frizzy¡­¡± Jack groaned miserably while slumping in his throne. ¡°Make the call. Let that guy know we are officially open¡­¡± Frizzy came closer with the book tucked under her arm as she gave Jack a concerned side eyed stare. ¡°You don¡¯t sound excited Teacher. Care to share your thoughts?¡± She asked while coming to his side. ¡°You have been excited to get people to visit the dungeon. Now you sound like you¡¯re dreading it. What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t like the idea of inviting people to challenge the dungeon before it¡¯s even ready. It¡¯s like one of the rules of any craftsman. Don¡¯t say something is ready unless you know for certain that it is. Otherwise you¡¯ll just look like an ass.¡± He huffed while crossing his arms. ¡°I can¡¯t test anything so we have no choice other than hoping for the best¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that does sound frustrating¡­¡± she said as her ears drooped down. ¡°Is there anything I can get you before I call Faldor?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Jack said while pouting. ¡°How about a blanket?¡± She tried asking. ¡°¡­ A heavy one?¡± Jack asked, turning his head slightly to look towards Frizzy. ¡°Sure teacher, I¡¯ll ask Clicka if they made any heavy blankets.¡± She said with her ears perking up a little. Happy that there was something she and her clan might be able to help brighten Jack¡¯s mood. ¡°Thank Frizzy¡­ I¡¯m going to just pout for a while.¡± *** Faldor was sitting in the guild hall of Altico nursing an ale in his hands with different kit set up. Today he was using a short sword instead of his normal broadsword. He wore reinforced leather armor with metal plates plated in key areas and had the leather boiled in glue. Further strengthening it without adding more weight than needed. While sitting at the table, a group of ¡®B¡¯ listed adventurers lying about unconscious around him on the guild¡¯s floor. He wasn¡¯t sure when it became a thing for other adventurers to try and challenge him. If anything, it was getting rather annoying. Why someone wanted bragging rights to say they fought him, he didn¡¯t know. Still, despite the infrequent irritation that was the occasional idiot talked into fighting him by their friends. Faldor was actually enjoying himself. The guild hall was lively with music and food. Grizzled vets and big named ¡®A¡¯ rankers were about. Some even having just come back from a successful job and buying a round for all present. Then there were the newbies who were trying to find their own glory or just really needed the money. Faldor taught both of the latter. Even had a few veterans come by every so often to ask for his advice. For his words of advice he usually asked for a drink or a meal in exchange. If it was the guild asking though he would charge his normal fee of five gold coins. He cared about his fellow adventurers sure. But if there was gold to be made then he was going to take it from those who can afford it. He might have been soft spot but he was still a professional and professionals get paid. As he reminisced, Faldor took a quick glance around the guild hall to find his two other party members. Enjoying he sights of the multiple tables with parties and solos eating and bragging to each other of past glories. A couple adventurers in the corner slugging it out while a band played on stage. A large hearth fire burned with a crackled and the quester¡¯s reception desk not too far from the notice board. Even the rafters overhead had a few a adventurers hanging about. After glancing about the hall and found no sigh of his party members. Thinking that they were likely off doing their own thing since it was their time off. Which was fine by Faldor since everyone had their own wants and desires. A little time apart wasn¡¯t a bad thing. After traveling the roads together for a while, even with close friends, tensions can rise. Just when he was thinking about how he was going to do with the rest of his day off, he heard a faint tone from his pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out the metal plate he had been given by the gremlin. The moment it was free the gremlin¡¯s face formed out of a small cloud of smoke just above the plate. ¡°Hello Faldor.¡± She said plainly. ¡°My teacher is ready to tell you the location of the dungeon. The first level is ready. Please find a quiet place alone with a quill and paper ready.¡± At those words, Faldor felt his heart freeze for a moment from shock. Then it started to beat faster and strong with a small smile spreading across his face. A new adventure awaits. *** In the elven city of Elamornis, a Marchioness by the name of Sylvanis Windwelkyr. Or the Mistress of Secrets as some like to call her. Well, they would If only they knew that the mistress was actually her. There were only three people who knew what she actually did. Everyone else only knew that the mistress was a woman and that was it. People dug far too much if there was no information at all. If there was some, well people got less curious. The king of course knew who she actually was. Then there was the captain of the Veiled Talons, the kings secret guard who the¡­ morally questionable get back in line. She enjoyed her position. Yes, she had to put on the airs of a being pompous elitist. Yes, she also had to tolerate when some upstart had to chew her ears with another long-winded speech about how their family was important. Despite the headaches, there were many perks she enjoyed from the unsee. One of which she enjoyed was seeing some criminal dragged in chains. The other she enjoyed, rather greatly at that, was seeing the kingdom flourish. Thanks to her efforts she was able to find weasel out imbursement cases, traitors, and those who abused their power. Her reward for her efforts? Children with filled bellies and promising futures. Families staying together with roofs over their heads. And the biggest reward was that the kingdom was a peace with the other races. Aside from the toothless skirmishes that happened once in a blue moon, there was peace. She sat at her desk as she sipped her glass of brandy. Allowing herself a minor calibration at the latest news she received. Not a few hours earlier, she received some news that was rather exciting. Thanks to one of her informants in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild that there was a discovered a new dungeon. New dungeons of course were always in demand yet hard to find. That however was not what had her excited. What made her want to celebrate was that it was found in the first town her kin¡¯s man attacked. In the first fallen town of during the great betrayal. Ever since she had heard from her predecessor how their people had betrayed the ancients¡­ it left a foul taste in her mouth. They had been a young race at the time but their place in the world was unmistakable. Because they have been neutral in most political events, they were the intermediaries for between the various races. but that was a trifle of what they could do. The dwarves might be master craftsman, the elves were wise sages, orcs were fearsome warriors and so on. But the Ancients¡­ the humans as they called themselves were the masters of innovation and invention. Even to this day, few came close to replicating the wonders the Ancients could make. Even then those imitators couldn¡¯t match the inventions of old. Lost in her thought she let out a small sad sigh as she sat on her desk. On it was a box with a small bronze key. A toy that had been past to her by her great, great grandmother. Lifting the lid and three turns of the key, Sylvanis smile while watching the tiny dancer rise up from the box. A sweat simple melody played, reminding Sylvanis of her time as a young girl. Listening to her grandmother¡¯s tales of the ancients and how she got the music box from her own mother. A gift from the one of the ancients. Telling her of how their family had been family friends to a family of ancients and the adventures they had shared. The world had truly lost a great deal with the ancients. Now a dungeon was had formed in the first town that had fallen. She¡¯ll have to watch this dungeon and see what it would become. She¡¯ll make sure the territory will remain neutral if for no other reason than to pay respect to that tomb her people help make. *** Ufeas sat in the council hall along with many elders from multiple clans. The news they got from one when they had an informant sneak through the adventurer¡¯s guild records was startling to say the least. A new dungeon was found! Normally this would be cause for celebration and there would be a feast with dark beer all around. When they heard where it was though¡­ it chilled even the most hot headed of their kin. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The forsaken ruins from the war of betrayal. There isn¡¯t a dwarf who hasn¡¯t heard of that place. The former home of the ancients. Friends and brothers in arms they had betrayed. First out of greed they burned that town, then out of fear they helped kill all they could find. Their reward for betraying their belief of honor and murdering their friends? Hundreds of years of lost trade, the inventions they became dependent on stopped being made, and the loss of a friend a loyal friend who absence was still felt. They deserved the stain on their honor and they deserved it. They had more than earned the black mark on their history. Now the start of their shame was coming to life once more. Only now there are dungeon mobs taking residence in the mass grave they helped make. Had their been a necromancer to summon they spirits of the dead, they would hear the mocking laughter from beyond the grave. "Wha¡¯ are we gonna do ¡®bout this, eh?" one of the elders rumbled, breakin¡¯ the weighty silence. "We all know others¡¯ll be pokin¡¯ their noses there, but after what happened... d''we even deserve ta go? We know those lands ain¡¯t gonna take kindly ta our kind." Ufeas nodded to this as did many other members of the council. "Aye, ye¡¯re right. The ghost o¡¯ that town¡¯ll remember what our kin did... they won¡¯t be happy ta see us, and I can¡¯t blame ¡®em," another elder muttered, runnin¡¯ his fingers through his thick, brown beard streaked with gray. "But we ought to go. If for naught else, to keep that place neutral. It¡¯s the least we can do... maybe make amends ta those who lived there durin¡¯ the Great Betrayal." "It¡¯s a right poor gift fer such a heavy debt..." another councilor sighed, his brow furrowed. "Let¡¯s just hope a vengeful spirit ain¡¯t lingerin¡¯ there." Ufeas nodded then banged his hammer on the table in front of him. Gaining everyone¡¯s attention before he placed the hammer that had been passed down to him by his father. A hammer that was made by the ancients and one of the finest in the kingdom. "Then we know what we¡¯ve gotta do," Ufeas, king of the northern mountain range, boomed in a loud, clear voice. "All in favor of handin'' the dungeon and its lands over to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, so it stays neutral, say ''aye!''" Almost as one they all said ¡®Aye¡¯ and thumped fists on the table. There was no need to ask if anyone was against it. *** It was a month¡­ a fucking¡­ month¡­ since Jack asked Frizzy to send out the message. ¡°Frizzzzzzzzzzzy.¡± Jack called out as he looked around for his apprentice in the tower. ¡°Where are you FrizyYAAAAAAH!¡± Unaware of the trap, Jack stepped in the trap his apprentice made that sent him falling to the ground before being strung up to hand by his ankle. Only then did his apprentice make her appearance known. Removing the tarp she had over herself that blended with his curtains. She approached him ominously with a hammer in hand. ¡°Teacher, glad I caught you.¡± She said with false cheer. ¡°Since your are hanging around I thought we need a talk. Do you have a second?¡± she asked, Jack was about to answer before she cut him off. ¡°Great! So let¡¯s talk about you teaching me about how to make magic items. Not to mention the more important thing of you TAKING A GODS DAMNED BREAK!¡± She barked at him in frustration. Flipping her hammer over to whack him with the handle. ¡°OW!¡± Jack said, using his boney arms to protect himself. ¡°Why are you hitting me!? OW!¡± ¡°To knock some sense in you through that thick skull!¡± she barked before whacking him again. ¡°And because I am frustrated!¡± ¡°Why are you, OW! Made at me!¡± Jack protested as he tried to do a sit up to avoid the tiny woman¡¯s wrath. ¡°Because! You have been dumb stuff because you¡¯re bored!¡± she jumped while swinging at him. ¡°That last experiement blew up and I lost some hair! You are clearly bored and won¡¯t sit still!¡± she shouted before running to get a chair to reach him. ¡°And you keep whining about stuff we can¡¯t change! Take a freaking break!¡± she snapped while the chair. ¡°Aegisthal!¡± Jack pleaded to the golem who was standing to the side. Watching the whole thing. ¡°Save me!¡± ¡°Apologies, General, but I cannot comply. Your life is not under threat, and she is a resident of this dungeon. Additionally, in her current state, she presents a formidable risk. I have no desire to lose a limb over this.¡± ¡°Worst bodyguard ever!¡± Not having the time to further whine at the golem, Jack did the only sensible thing he could at the moment. Throw money at the problem! Or in this case upgrade points! With a quick glance through the upgrade menu, Jack found what he was looking for as he shot a stone needle at the leg of the chair to make it fall. Buying himself a few seconds before she grabbed another chair. He wasn¡¯t planning on upgrading himself because of the cost. But cost be damned now! Quickly confirming his purchase with the needed points, Jack started laugh as he got the confirmation notification. ¡°Ha! You fool! Now your attacks with mean nothing to me!¡± he laughed as Frizzy was busy sliding over another chair. ¡°Now I will be¡­ ow¡­ the fuck? Ow! Why in the hells does this hurt?¡± Looking over the notification, he re-read the notification to see why this upgrade was painful. At seeing her teacher twisting and flinch from some unseen force, her frustration was immediately forgotten. Rushing over to him to see if he was ok, knowing full well that she wasn¡¯t whacking him hard enough to actually hurt him. to see him in actual pain made her switch near instantly from frustrated to worried.
Attention! You have purchased the dungeon upgrade: Reinforced Frame (Cost: 40 Points)
Notice! The dungeon avatar will now begin to develop Frame Reinforcement by forming bio-metal connective tissue. This will result in the body of the avatar to become stranger and less likely to have parts separate from the body.
As the pain gradually grew, and with that pain something else came up. A nagging feeling that numbed the pain and discomfort he felt. It was familiar yet he found he didn¡¯t like this familiarity. Metal tendons grew out of the joints, connecting one bone to the next. His skeleton body now decorated with silver gray metal on each of his joints. Making his body less bare as the pain still lingered. Yet none of that mattered to Jack. His mind was desperately trying to hold on to that sensation. That nagging feeling in the back of his mind yet it was already starting to fade. Desperate, Jack reopened the upgrade menu and purchased the Hardened Bones option. Once he got the notification, he felt the pain return. His bones slowly taking on a metallic sheen that was a darker tone to the new tendons. Heat could be seen radiating off of him as smoke started to come off his cloths. Instead of panicking, Jack embraced the pain. Needing to understand why this was familiar. Why that nagging feeling, that shrouded memory. That was when something woke up. Deep inside, something that had been asleep had started to wake. Flashes of memory darted across his non-existent eyes. Scenes of him in a prison cell. His limbs restrained as he was beaten. Elves and dwarves standing over him as they tormented him. Pitiless stares, mocking smiles, empty promises of salvation if he gave them what they wanted. Broken images of an elder man appeared. A profound sense of loss struck him as he watched the come and fade before his vision. Scenes of a town that was once alive and full of people fading and reappearing with scenes of the same areas on fire bodies littering the streets. Explosion and the sounds of screams interchanged with the scenes of a peaceful and lively town. Back and for the images came with the appearances of elves, and dwarves mixed in the crowd. Switching from trade, debate and friendship so those same people killing and slaughtering without remorse. Constructs meant to defend the town laid low and broken before they ever had a chance to activate. The changing scenes of an imperfect but peaceful town full of life and the scene of pitiless slaughter further. ¡°NO!¡± Jack roared, unaware that the heat of the glow metal now coating his bones had burned through the rope around his ankle and his gifted cloths. Standing up, Jack found himself awash in pain yet his ignored it in favor of the next set of broken images. Flashes of his view from a prison cell, a torture chamber, and the mocking smiles of his captors. Flashes of pain came with each image, words of them cursing him and taunting remarks for the murdered. Hopelessness engulfed him in these visions. Emptiness filled him as they joked about how people, defenseless people, had been killed. Then came the laughter¡­ Images of his tormentor¡¯s laughter filled his mind. Laughter of how they killed his people. Laughter at how they tormented his body. Laughter at his misery. Laughter at how they took everything because they could with only one last thing left to take. Bathed in the broken visions, the fractured memories of emotions that threatened to consume him. A new thought interrupted it all, silencing it all at once. ~They took everything. I had nothing left.~ New images filled his mind at this thought. Images of faces, faces of the gremlins he had come to know. The elders of the clan who spoke with him on how the community was developing. The adults who worked to build a future. The kids who pestered him for toys and skeleton rat pets. Frizzy his apprentice being his first and finest apprentice. All of them looking at him with hope. ~I have something to lose again.~ Panic and desperation overwhelmed Jack at this revelation. He had people he cared about. They were vulnerable. People could come and take them from him again. The very idea of that happening sickened him, enraged him. Who were they to come and take his people. Who were they to threaten HIS people? Who were THEY to FUCK with what HIS?! The memory of Frizzy going out with Aegisthal to meet with Faldor took the for front of his mind. How that little piece of shit opening suggest they kill her and take what they want. Rage, desperation, fear, spite, and disgust filled him at the memory. ~What will you do to protect them?~ With that question proposed, Jack¡¯s mind became still. The visions of broken fragmented memories stopped all at once. Giving Jack clarity of thought to see that Frizzy and Aegisthal were both watching him intently. Frizzy showed open worry as she looked up to him. Clearly wanting to say something, to do something to give him comfort. To help him through whatever it was that was happening to him. a desperate need to make sure he was ok, not just because he was her teacher. But because he was her friend. Aegisthal stared at hime as well. Though his face was unreadable as was his body language. Jack felt through the link that his shield and sword was concerned. Looking for information, trying to understand what was happening. A soldier looking to their commander for guidance. ¡°Jack?¡± Frizzy asked hesitantly. ¡°Are you¡­ ok?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not. I was about to make the same mistake twice.¡± Jack said coldly. ¡°Time to fix it before it becomes a mistake.¡± Jack summoned one hundred tons of Bronze before casting the two spells he was having the most practice in. He knew what he was about to do wasn¡¯t the right way to do it. But he didn¡¯t care. Time was not on their side and it needed to be done now. Using the Fefinement spell, and the Form and Function spell in conjunction. Jack shaped and crafted the parts assembled them to make one bronze golem at a time. Days of work taking place in the span of seconds while burning though his mana reserves. In minutes he had ten bronze warriors ready and made with a sword, shield and spear for each one. ¡°Aegisthal. Take command of your first soldiers. Awaken them.¡± Jack said as he felt something at the edge of his consciousness. Signaling that someone who wasn¡¯t a resident of his dungeon was in his territory. ¡°Get them ready. We have our first explorers.¡± *** Frizzy watched her teacher going through his transformation with bated breath as it happened. Watching like some useless bystander as he went through a torment that went beyond the physical discomfort of the change. When he fell to the ground from her trap. Watched as his cloths burned away from the glowing hot metal that now coated his bones. When he stood up with the metal slowly cooling, he looked not like the teacher she knew. The man that was carefree, excitable, laughing and up to some mad scheme as now replaced with something much¡­ scarier. There was a terrible focus to him now. One that saw a problem she was blind to that had to be removed. She had almost forgotten that the ancients for all the tales of their wonder and talents. There were also tales of the terrors and weapons that they made that the other races feared. Teacher, please be ok. Frizzy silently prayed. *** Aegisthal observed as the General was captured by his second-in-command, Frizzy. It was commendable¡ªFrizzy had successfully outmaneuvered the General. Yet Aegisthal suspected the General had allowed this to happen, a calculated move to encourage Frizzy¡¯s growth. The ensuing antics appeared similarly orchestrated, a means of amusement in the absence of other demands. Aegisthal understood this well; a General¡¯s mind required constant stimulation, just as a soldier accustomed to battle requires activity to stay sharp. Interference in this exercise would be unnecessary. However, when the General¡¯s demeanor shifted, Aegisthal grew concerned. He knew his General¡¯s strength, but through their link, he sensed an unfamiliar pain and distress. Images flickered across their bond, fragments of the General¡¯s vision reaching Aegisthal. While he lacked full context, what he glimpsed was enough to make him still¡ªa scene incomprehensibly vile, one that demanded justice. This, Aegisthal understood. What the General had seen was a crime beyond description, an abomination that should not be named or repeated. When the new golems were created and fresh orders issued, Aegisthal understood his path forward. ¡°Your orders are heard, my General,¡± Aegisthal stated, placing a fist over his chest in salute. ¡°They will be done.¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Faldor road in the back of the wagon for the last three week as part of the expedition team to build the foundation base at the Dungeon. The caravan had four hundred people in total. Smiths, trades people, fortune seekers, country folk and nobles who won¡¯t inherit and of course adventurers. All the things needed to build up a small community as well as a small base that would eventually become a town. Elves, orcs, dwarves, gnomes, and even a handful of lizardmen had all come to start building. It was honestly amazing that so many were coming. Though it was in many ways unsurprising since this up-and-coming town was going to be held by the guild. Meaning it was neutral territory and didn¡¯t answer to a king, queen, lord, or empire. Meaning no additional taxes to be paid. Well, that wasn¡¯t strictly true but it was true enough. With some many people wanting to join and become a part of this new town to set down roots. It took roughly a wee for the caravan to get organized before they could start traveling. Now that they were nearly there, Faldor felt his excitement reaching new heights at the idea of exploring a new dungeon. Yet it also felt like a kick in the groin as well. When he received the details about the dungeon and where it was, he realized after looking at a map that he had already walked partially through it. Odds were also good that the gremlin woman, Frizzy as she introduced herself, and her teacher knew it too. He didn¡¯t blame them too much though since keeping a dungeon secret only made sense. what confused him though was the sheer size of the dungeon¡¯s territory. A thirty-mile radius¡­ that was not the size of a new dungeon. Then there was the fact that despite being in the territory, he and his party were not attacked. Aside from the surprise of Frizzy and the golem there was no immediate threats. At least nothing from any mobs anyway. While pondering this, there as a call for a halt further up in the caravan. Shaking him from his thoughts when he felt the stop. Looking to his two orc companions and the dwarven mage they picked up, they all understood they needed to investigate. They were all still a few hours from there the boarder of the dungeon¡¯s territory was supposed to be. Meaning they likely had trouble ahead. With the party disembarking from the wagon along with about five other groups, they all walked forwards to investigate. It was a good five minutes before they all found what had caused them all to stop. Standing there, blocking the caravan was Frizzy along with that same golem from before. Only now, there were three other golems made of bronze behind them. Each one armed with a sword, and shield that formed a wall across the impromptu path. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± The caravan driver demanded. Faldor for his part stepped forwards in front of the caravan to stand between the golems and the caravan. Last time Frizzy had been amicable and willing to talk instead of just having everyone killed despite the idiot that threatened her. He just hoped that she was still willing to talk. ¡°Hello. If I may, why is the path blocked?¡± Faldor called out, keeping a respectful fifteen feet of space between them. He just hoped that would be enough space to buy him time to react. ¡°If you are all here for the dungeon, you are all already inside of it.¡± She said, tapping the gray golem¡¯s shoulder. Making him take a few steps forwards. ¡°Any further and you¡¯ll start to ender the danger zone. You should either turnback about fifteen hundred feet or start building right here.¡± Faldor stood his ground as she approached. Making sure to keep his hands away from his weapons while everyone else watched on. ¡°Thank you for your council.¡± Faldor said in response, maintaining eye contact with her. ¡°If you are able, can you tell us what we might expect here? You seem to have some knowledge of the dungeon and how it works.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t say much. That would defeat the purpose of exploring a dungeon.¡± She said before taking a moment to think. ¡°There is one layer of the dungeon so far. It is about five miles thick and recommended for newbies or low levels. You¡¯ll have to find the boss of the area and don¡¯t worry. There are about three but the other two are very far from here.¡± She said as she made eye contact with Faldor but kept looking to the caravan and other adventurers. ¡°Thank you for that information. We will have to discuss it among ourselves to see what we will do next.¡± ¡°Fair enough. When do you think you will all start to explore the dungeon?¡± She asked, her head tilted curiously. Now that was interesting. Why would she want to know that? ¡°Not until we build a camp and decide which team would be going in to gage the dungeon for ourselves.¡± He said honestly. ¡°Alright. That is good.¡± She then looked fully to the caravan. ¡°For everyone who is interested in the world quest. Once you have camp set up, you¡¯ll find two boxes. One to turn in the items, the other will provide the reward. The second area is not yet open. The golems behind us will lead you to a clear area outside the dungeon if that is what you want. Otherwise if you go any further you¡¯ll be leaving the safe zone.¡± Nobody challenged or protested Frizzy¡¯s words. They didn¡¯t have nearly enough information to do so. Not to mention she had the equivalent four high ranking adventuring parties backing her. There was some further talks among the caravan but everyone ultimately agreed to build outside of the dungeon¡¯s territory. They had later learned from frizzy that if they wanted to, they could have multiple teams ender the dungeon at once. But they were warned that only one party at a time can fight the boss. Faldor kept an eye on her and her bodyguards as they escorted the caravan to outside the dungeon territory. They were flashy and clearly powerful. He could tell the newer ones weren¡¯t as powerful as the white gray one, but they were still a credible threat. By the time the caravan made it to the area that would play the foundation of the town they will be building, Frizzy and the golems remained close by. When everyone was done making camp, Faldor noticed Frizzy and her golems stayed between caravan and the dungeon. When the camp was made though they started to leave heading back into the dungeon¡¯s territory. Faldor made a note of that. Anyone who can actually walk into a dungeon, bodyguards or no, anyone that could walk into a dungeon without fear was not to be underestimated. After a night of people spreading rumors that have no real merit and others trying to debate what kind of monster¡¯s they might face, morning came before they knew it. In the norming, the only A5 ranked adventurer, Zinvil a lizardman knight, called all adventurers to come to the center of the camp. When all the adventurers were present, he had the most senior adventurer¡¯s step forward and form their parties. He explained that the most senior groups would be going in first to see if the first section was fit for newbies. He went on to further warn everyone that all who enter the dungeon going in knowing that their lives were at risk. Everyone exclaimed their understanding before the senior and higher ranked adventurers stated gathered to form their parties before going in their own directions to made the area and find the boss area. Faldor, Terga, and Yagra all formed and made their way inside the dungeon¡¯s territory. All three had their guard up and keep their eyes open. None of them saying anything since they knew each other¡¯s roles well. a few hours of searching, they found what appeared to be an abandoned farm. There was an unkept field with both crop and wild plants mixed together. The house and barn were left in a wreck, falling apart from both neglect and time. Yet the buildings remained intact enough that a person could go inside if they so choose. Albeit they¡¯d have to be careful or risk breaking something or worse. Walking through the field, Faldor plucked an ear of corn from a stalk. Tucking it away and unconcerned as Terga raised his shield to intercept a skeletal rat. Causing the monster to make sudden stop before falling to the ground with an axe quickly bisecting it. With the mod fading away, three copper coins materialized in place of the skeleton rat who faded away to reveal the dropped loot. Faldor drew his blade and looked to Yagra to see if he felt any tremors. The burly orc leaned down to place a hand on the ground. Concentrating as to pick up vibration as Terga picked up their reward. After a few seconds, Yagra stood and used hand signs to communicate. ¡°Boss, three enemies two smallies, one medium. East in the building.¡± He signed before pointing to the barn. ¡°Everyone, eyes open. Weapons ready, we move in. Got to get info for guild.¡± Faldor signed and his team nodded in confirmation. As one, they moved to the barn to see what other mobs were on the first section of the dungeon. Terga and Yagra were both being taking lead with shields up to block any attack. Faldor followed close behind, ready to intercept or move to where ever he was needed to deal with the threat. he seriously doubed that the first section of the dungeon would he a real danger to a team of ¡®C¡¯ rankers. Yet it didn¡¯t matter how high a level you were. Level one or a level one hundred, didn¡¯t matter what level you were when you had a slit throat. Bleeding out was bleeding out and it only took one mistake for that to happen. Coming to the barn as quietly as possible, Faldor had Terga stand by the door. Ready to open it while Yarga took position right behind Faldor. Ready to follow close behind him. With a nod from everyone to signal they were ready, Terga jerked the barn door open. Allowing Faldor and Yarga to storm inside with weapons ready to strike down anything that moved. The first sign of movement was a large zombie rat that stormed from the right as another charged from the left. Both of which were easy to dispatch. Then they saw the third mob The third mob was a mechanical creature in the shape of the crab. It stood nearly two feet tall and three and three feet wide. The surface was worn and damaged with two large claws in front of it. One of which held a piece of wood that it looked be breaking apart before it¡¯s attention settled on them. with the rats dispatched, the metal crab started to steadily scurry closer to the party. Its claws raised and open to attack. It wasn¡¯t fast nor all the intimidating at first. But when a partially fallen beam that was in its way was knocked aside, their guards were on high. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Yarga with his mace intercepted the crab. Using his shield to block its hammering strikes until it grabbed the edge of his shield. With one of the claws now busy, he swung down on it with his mace. The bludgeoning weapon smashing the claw arm with relative ease, showing the metal wasn¡¯t as strong as steel or iron. Yet the pincer claw still clutched the shield tightly as the rest to of the crab tried to keep fighting. That is until the mace came crashing in down on its main body. Leaving a massive dent as its legs collapsed under it only to have its other whole claw arm swing to attack. Yarga stepped back, dodging the attack as Faldor stepped in. Driving his blade into its body between the plates of its body. Causing the blade to snag on something inside before the body froze up then collapse. With the crab now destroyed it dematerialized leaving behind ten coper coins. With the deed done and the threats removed Faldor and Targa regrouped with Yarga. Working together to remove the pincer claw Yarga¡¯s shield and collect their newly dropped loot. In the end it wasn¡¯t much for them. But to some newbies it was a fairly good reward considering the risk. The rat skeletons and zombies were also quick but not all that strong, the crab though slow was strong and able to take a good bit of damage. Good, they¡¯ll be a good challenge the newbies. Should make them stronger if they go about it with some for thought. Once the party went over the remains of the barn, finding little in the way of clues or loot, they went to the main farm house to investigate it. It was their they found something of interest. It was there they found a tattered and damaged trunk in what might have been the living room. Inside they found a journal. The last entry talked about a hunter that have moved through farm, buying some goods and asked for directions for the town of Ironford. It talked about how the hunter had a large but adorable wolf companion with them as they made their way east by south east. They also found in the trunk about thirty-seven copper coins and five silver coins. it was their first clue to which direction they needed to go and it was a rather sizeable reward for any newbie who found such a reward. Before they took the coins and headed in the direction said by the journal, they explored the property further for any more hidden treasures. The property was fairly damaged from age but upon a closer look, they found something that really bothered Faldor. Along the door to the house there were gouges that came from either a heavy sword or more likely an axe. There were burn marks from what looked like a spell from how intense the burn was in one specific spot. It was out about fifty yards from behind the house that they saw what remained of the house¡¯s owners. There were four partially broken-down skeletons. Two were larger and the other two¡­ were much smaller. The two larger ones had multiple arrows sticking from their backs, arrows that punched through and partially pierced the skeletons of the kids. From that Faldor could gather, they were a family and the adults were trying to carry the kids to safety only for the arrows to get them. ¡°Bossman.¡± Targa called as they examined the long since dead bodies. ¡°Da arrows, they be ancient elven.¡± He said as he help up one of the carefully extracted arrow. The wood shaft was half rotted but it was the arrow head that showed it was elven. The tip was a tri-bladed broad head that was diamond shaped for easy removal and reuse. ¡°Yeah¡­ it is.¡± Faldor confirmed. ¡°We are in the lands of the betrayed. This place is a lost grave. Let¡¯s there is no telling what might be around here now that it is a dungeon.¡± Yarga said nothing as he dropped to a knee over the murdered family. His hands clasped over the holy symbol he wore around his neck to make a prayer. Targa and Faldor stood to the side, their heads bowed as Yarga gave the family last rights. When the prayer was done, they moved as one once more. Making their way deeper in the dungeon¡¯s territory and encountered more of the mobs. Since they were ¡®C¡¯ rankers the mods were pretty easily. Moving deeper and keeping their eyes open for any sudden movements from mobs that hid in the foliage. They spotted trees that had a mark on the bark that was faded from time and regrowth. An old trick from ancient rangers and hunters who wandered the deep woods to keep from getting lost. Likely left long ago from the hunter that had been mentioned in the journal. Following the long-faded trail, they walked and killed mobs as they appeared. Netting a fair amount of loot until they found something that they believed that was the boss area. It was lucky too since it was midday by the time they found it. The clearing as actually beautiful. It was about hundred and fifty feet across in all directions. The ground was covered in thick grass with wild flowers of all kinds of colors from vibrant blues, bright yellows, full body reds, deep violets and even some pinks that dotted the ground. Creating a tapestry that drew the eye in all the more. At the center was a tall maple tree with orange red leaves. With their guard up, they all entered the clearing and once they were a good distance in the foliage around the clearing steadily grew taller and thicker. They all approached the tree seeing that it was likely the spot they needed to be to get the boss to reveal itself. The air around the clearing was cool and crisp, the sounds of the surrounding forest grew quieter as they approached the tree. Faldor, Targa, and Yagra all kept their eyes and ears open and alert. There was not telling what and where the boss would come from nor what it was capable of. When they reached the tree they found slumped against the base was a skeleton. The skeleton was dressed in aged and battered leather armor with a large hole in the stomach. There were broken and rusted equipment from a quiver of arrows, a broken bow, a rusted knife and a small bag. When they reached the skeleton and were about to inspect the bag, they all felt a chill in the air that was accompanied with a low threatening growl behind them. Turning around, they all saw the source was coming from the ground as a beast clawed its way out. Steadily revealing itself as a zombie wolf only it was much more horrific. What came out of the ground was a large brown wolf with matted fur and parts of its flesh rotted off revealing parts of its spine, skull and muscle. In the hollow was once its eye, there burned an unnatural silver light while both whole and broken arrow shafts stuck out of its sides and back. it looked patches of charred flesh could be seen from spell attacks. What made it more unsettling was that some of the exposed bone could be seen with what looked like a rusted metal coating them. The fangs were of lightly rusted iron as were its claws while arrow heads could be seen from along its bushy tail. Hate filled its one remaining eye as it stared at them with it heckles raised at them. Its body was low and ready to strike as it bared those fangs at them all. Then it moved. Without giving them a chance to strike or organize, it moved much faster than a partially rotted monster had any right to. it moved in a zig zag pattern, anticipating any ranged attack as it made its way closer as it pounced at Targa with claws and fangs out. Landing on the raised shield making the orc have to brace as the wolf swiped its tale at Faldor making three broken arrows fly at him. Making the warrior turn to the side to dodge the arrows while Yagra batted the wolf off Targa¡¯s shield. Making the dungeon boss yipe in pain before it came to land and roll back to its feet. Snarling at them once more with ribs clearly broken from the heavy blow. Yet it seemed undeterred as it stood between them and the skeleton. Daring the party to try and get passed it. ¡°Targa, Yagra. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Faldor said as he stepped forwards making the two orcs step back. Taking a fighting stance, he lunged at the wolf. Using a faint to make it jump back, creating an opening for him to flick the tip of his blade at the muscles in its shoulder. Cutting deep before the wolf landed. Making it stumble thanks to the sudden weakness in its leg to give him another opening. Pressing his advantage, he used the momentum of his first swing to follow up another for its head. Only for the wolf to open its maw to catch the blade between its fangs. Though it did catch the attack, it was not expecting the power Faldor had behind the swing making the blade push and cut far back into its jaw. Though still stopping the attack, the wolf was all the more damaged yet the hate in its eye never faded. Even as Faldor used reverse grip stab with the dagger in his free hand to plunge the dagger into its neck. Instead it swiped the claws of its damaged leg at him. Faldor jumped back to avoid the attack making him pull his sword free of its maw making sparks in its wake while the dagger tore through its neck. The beast head was partially tilted thanks to the damaged muscles in its neck and its face more damaged from it catching the blade. Yet the boss remained between the party and the skeleton. Still glaring hatefully at him before it swing its tail at him once more, making two arrows fly at him. Faldor rolled to the side as he flung the dagger at the wolf. His attack catching it in the other shoulder to bury itself in the joint, slowing it down further before he swung the sword up where he severed the head from the neck. The head falling to the floor and the body wabbling for a few seconds more before following right after.
Attention! You have defeated the First Layer Dungeon Boss!
Notice! You have defeated ¡°Mose, Guardian of Lost Loyalty¡± In life, this faithful wolf had roamed and hunted alongside their companion Silas. Together they braved the wilderness and took down dangerous prey. In death, she remained behind to stay with her companion. Ever guarding him as a revenant well after his murder. ¡°In death and in life, the canine will always be man¡¯s best friend. Your hunt is over Mose¡­ Please, come and rest now¡­¡± You have earned: 200 Exp 8 gold coins And one minor magic item made by the ancients. (Randomly Generated)
Everyone in the party saw the notification letting them know that the boss¡¯s name was Mose and left them with more than they had expected. The party looked at the wolf for a moment longer paying it silent respect. It was only a few seconds after it died that the wolf steadily dissolved into a black mist that they found the loot drop of six gold coins and a small box. Targa picked up the box and Yagra gathered up the coins. Faldor though wanted to inspect the skeleton that was likely the dungeon boss¡¯s former master. Approaching, he inspected the bag and looked inside where he found long rotted food stuffs that had turned to dust, a beaten-up leather book, and a small bronze coin with intricate patterns carved in its surface. Taking the book he opened it and found it was a journal and he looked through it. Many of the pages were tattered and the ink faded or distorted from exposer to the elements. The last entries though were semi legible and spoke of dreams of being in the town. How they planned to strike it rich hunting and going on adventure with their companion at their side. It was all the dreams of a young man trying to mark their place in the world. The very last entry though was a as clear as it can be.
The day has barely ended, and I write with hands trembling. Out of nowhere, the elves and dwarves attacked us, and I can¡¯t fathom why. There was no warning, no cause I know of ¡ª just steel and fire and blood. We barely escaped. Ironford is less than half a day¡¯s walk from here, but it might as well be a lifetime away now. It pains me more because I worked so hard to earn that pass into town. I¡¯d hoped to make my name there as a hunter, maybe even something more. I dreamed of building a reputation that would carry me through these lands, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll live to see it. Not with the wounds I carry, and not with those soldiers closing in. Mose¡­ my heart aches to see her hurt. I¡¯d give anything for her to be back at full strength, to watch her run free again. She¡¯s fared better than I have, strong as she is, and she still stands guard, even now. Part of me wishes she¡¯d just go if I fall, to find some safer life. But no ¡ª she''s too loyal. I can only hope she¡¯ll run if it comes to it. She¡¯s my truest friend, and the thought of her out here, alone, leaves me with more sorrow than anything else ever could. I can hear them, the elves and dwarves ¡ª close now, closer with every breath.
Faldor closed the journal and carefully placed it back inside the bag as he took the coin. Once he had the coin, he placed the bag on the skeleton¡¯s lap and stepped back with his head bowed to long dead hunter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Was all Faldor said, knowing that the words would change nothing. With the dungeon boss area found, the party made their way back to the encampment. They needed to make their report and let everyone else know this was no normal dungeon. It was haunted by the ghost of the past and carried long lost history. That along demanded this pace be treated with a certain level of respect. And to the adventures who forgot or didn¡¯t care¡­ Faldor wouldn¡¯t lose any sleep if they fell in this dungeon. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Jack was sitting on his throne, feeling rather satisfied by the first dive into his dungeon by the adventurers. He especially enjoyed how the dungeon boss fight went. Mose was fast, strong and dangerous but not unbeatable. He could tell that the fight was very one sided since the Faldor and his party were the ones that beat it. Hells, he had had the feeling that the only reason that they didn¡¯t kill the boss faster was because they wanted to get information on it before calling it a day. Which was fine and understandable. It took a while for them to get to the dungeon boss and they had to deal with a few inconvenient ambushes. Plus he found the fight adventures had provided a good amount of information about his abilities as the dungeon master. He learned that he could have the mobs resummoned while people were in his territory but it too time for them to respawn. It didn¡¯t take long but it did take long enough but it was still a good ten to fifteen minutes before it happened. He also learned that if there was an adventurer within fifteen yards of where the mob should spawn then it won¡¯t. Which was also fine and since he was a fair dungeon master, he arranged it so adventurers leaving the dungeon wouldn¡¯t be attacked. If the adventurer was moving away from the center, then the mobs would avoid them entirely or hide. But if they took the same path they took before then the adventurers won¡¯t encounter any mobs. Luckily, he was able to set that little feature so he won¡¯t have to consciously make it happen. It was only fair after all. That and he did not want to have to conscious have to stop the mobs from spawning then individually make them spawn each time. NOPE! He was not going to deal with that kind of bulls shit if he could help it. he already had enough to do without micromanaging every little thing. After almost eleven days since the first divers came and adventurers of all kinds were coming into the dungeon. It was really fun to watch them come and explore while fawning over the dungeon. And each group that killed his mobs he found they gave off some kind of energy, or maybe was it experience? Whatever it was he found that the more they gave off the more he felt his dungeon feed and grow stronger from it. It was in small increments but it was still a profit all the same. When an adventurer died though he got a bigger chunk of that energy, or experience, and it gave him a fair bit of a growth spurt. It was a bit saddening to see it happen but they knew the risks of coming into his dungeon. Not to mention some of them died in what has to be the dumbest ways he had ever seen. Seriously! Why the fuck would someone go running a METAL CRAB MONSTER with nothing but a fucking DAGGER yelling?! Seriously! They could have just used a surprise attack then weaken it at range! Buuuuuuut, it was pretty funny to watch that surprised look on their face when they stabbed the thickest part of its body. At least before the crab back clawed him in the head. Somehow that dumbass survived that and Jack still didn¡¯t know how. The gremlins all laughed or cursed at the sight as they had watched it all happen on one of the newest invention he made. A scying crystal only it wasn¡¯t a ball but instead a large crystal that was shaped like a plane of glass. Many of the gremlins even had their favorite adventuring teams with some even putting on bets on how far they got, how long until they to a certain point, and other things like that. Jack had just finished watching the latest group of adventurers explore the first layer and they were pretty beat up. They had just finished fighting Mose with their tank taking all the arrow attacks on his shield while the rest of the party wore her done. They had a few bad cuts but nothing that was fatal. Not to mention there was a healer back at their camp. Or better said the new settlement. There was still mostly tents but there was the beginnings and foundation of a town being made. Trees were cut down for lumber some areas were being inspected to start looking for ore. When Jack pieced that together, he adjusted the loot drops on his mobs so they¡¯ll also drop bronze and coper from his crabs. While Mose would drop ball of iron every now and again. Further incentivizing the adventuers to fight them. With the progress it took for the buildings to be made, Jack had to admit he was fairly impressed. Especially with how some magic users were using magic to shape the ground to make really sturdy looking foundations. Some taking it even further to make a one-story building for themselves. All in all, everything was going fairly well. More people steadily came to the town from the east, and from what he saw by carrier pigeon, another town was being made in the west. And if his math was right then in another seventeen or so dives with no one dying he¡¯ll level up his dungeon to level two. If maybe six or seven people died in the dungeon then he¡¯ll level up all the sooner. He as actually a little excited to see what other new features he¡¯ll get with the level up. Not to mention all the new information he was getting when people placed the information about other dungeons was helping him out tremendously. Frizzy¡¯s idea for a box to turn in quest items was nothing short of genius. With that information he already had plans for what his second level was going to look like and even start some to set some of it up already. There as just one little thing that mildly annoyed him¡­ ok it annoyed him a lot. Fine! It really annoyed him. His dungeon was gaining experience but his dungeon avatar wasn¡¯t. Yes, technically HE was the dungeon and the avatar was just a part of the dungeon. But still, it should also be gaining something. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem the System, or whatever it was, didn¡¯t agree. After speaking to some of the gremlin elders and Frizzy, he learned the only ways they knew to grow ones level was to personally do things to level up. Such as doing quest, killing monster or creatures, practicing skills and spells, conduct research into subject and other things like that. No matter what he had to put work into it. This left Jack a choice to make for now. He could stay in his dungeon or he can go out and explore. He could easily stay and work on his dungeon some more and continue working on his projects. Frizzy was also practically and adept fabricator in her own right. It was actually scarry how quickly she picked up the trade and how serious she was about studying. The only thing keeping her from reaching adept ranking in the trade was that she didn¡¯t have the experience and her knowledge of arcane circles was incomplete. Once she learned that then the sky was the limit. But if she wanted to make journeymen rank, never mind master, she¡¯ll need to get that experience and prove her skill. Favorite apprentice or not, there was going to be no special treatment in that regard. Then there was leaving the dungeon to go on an adventure of his own. Looking for quests and exploring the world and go on a journey of self-discovery. Jack was sitting on his throne as he contemplated his choices. His chin resting on his knuckles as he wore his new green suite with a blue shirt underneath. It was a hard choice. There was a lot that Jack wanted to do for his dungeon in order for it to be ready for the next layer. He wanted to get new mobs and also experiment with what he could make. Then there was seeing about if there were other humans out there in the world. there was also the fact that he wanted new materials to craft with. He really wanted the more exotic materials so that he can start making really good tools again. He had plans to make specialized rooms for his and his gremlins to use. Honestly there was just a lot to do. Luckily, Aegisthal was already at work at breaking into that damned vault. It would take a while since he made that son of a bitch tough as can be. But there was only so much punishment any item can take. It was only a matter of waiting now. Oh who the fuck am I kidding. I have too much to do to go out and adventurer. Jack admonished himself. Besides, I¡¯m having plenty fun as is here. Hopping up from his throne, Jack walked over to Frizzy across the work shop who was busy teaching a group of young gremlins who also wanted to learn the trade. She had started teaching them the same way he did, only they were taking longer to figure out the watch problem then she did. It was only right that she be the one to teach them after all since she had proven to have the skill needed to teach the basics. But until she learns to work with arcane circles, she was a very talented tinkerer. Once she learned that skill though, she¡¯ll be one hell of a fabricator. The young gremlins upon hearing Jack¡¯s approach stopped their project and looked up at him excitedly. Each one greeting him as with a bright cheery wave and smile. Only for Frizzy to snap at them with a bark to get back to work. ¡°Hello Teacher.¡± Frizzy greeted once all her apprentices were back in line. ¡°Was there something that you needed? Or are you just bored and wanted to cause some trouble in my lesson?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow and arms crossed. ¡°Yes to both.¡± Jack said unapologetically. ¡°I decided that in a few days I¡¯m going to teach you how to use arcane circles. At least the basics to get you started.¡± He said then crossed his arms over his own chest and made a sniffle noise before sounding as if his feelings were hurt. ¡°But with how fast you learn¡­ I sometimes it feels like you don¡¯t need your poor old teacher¡­¡± ¡°You must be very lucky to have such a talented student than.¡± She replied with a smirk. ¡°What can I do to help Teacher? You said you needed me for something?¡± ¡°Yep. Want to help me make the next mob idea that I had? It¡¯s a fun one.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Frizzy said immediately, casting aside the air of cool calm and collected she been putting on for her students. The class of young gremlins were all practically cheering and or begging to also come along if only to watch. Jack deferred to Frizzy to decide since it was her class and they were her students. He might be her teacher but he wasn¡¯t going to undermine her in front of her class. But ultimately Frizzy told them all to go home early and practice at home. Which of course they all did but with no small amount of whining and complaining. As well as a few devious little smiles that promised pranks of retribution on her later. Once they were all gone from the workshop and tower, Jack ignited the forge and summoned an elven zombie that wasn¡¯t animated. Essentially making a dead body appear on the polished smooth crafting table and summoned some coper, iron, steel, tin, bronze, brass and of course the metal he made Osteal Ferrum. Even if he couldn¡¯t smell, he made a point to make body as fresh as possible with only the smallest bit of rot. If he had to put a time for how long the made body had been dead, it would likely look maybe the person died a day ago. ¡°So my delightful and devious apprentice. Today we are going to do some experimentation.¡± Jack said with an eagerness in his voice. ¡°Know I know this is going to be¡­ alright let¡¯s be honest. This might get a bit gross but this is not just a construct dungeon. But and undead and construct dungeon.¡± Frizzy eyes the mostly unspoiled body with suspicion but didn¡¯t interrupt as Jack explained. Turning back to him once he was done explaining to silently ask, ¡®are we about to do what I think we are about to do?¡¯ to which Jack only nodded. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not exactly thrilled about the idea of it either. BUUUUUUUUUT another way to look at his is watch exercise I gave you when you started to learn. You got to take something apart to understand how something works, not just know how it works.¡± He said defensively. ¡°I¡¯m not judging Teacher.¡± She said with her hands raised to show she wasn¡¯t going to fight him on the topic. ¡°I¡¯m actually a little curious myself how we work. But I¡¯m not cutting the body open. Besides, its not like you just robbed a grave or anything. You literally made the body just now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I was honestly expecting you to¡­ you know¡­ ¡®Teacher! What is wrong with you?!¡¯ or maybe, ¡®Teacher, have you lost your mind completely?¡¯.¡± Jack said a bit surprised. ¡°And your condition is fair. You¡¯ll just take notes then.¡± He said as he made a blank book appear on the work table. The book cover was leather bound a green cover with vellum pages since he wanted to be a little fancier with this one. Plus he got access to vellum when one of the adventurer¡¯s gave him information on other dungeons since it was written on vellum. ¡°By the way teacher, I have a question.¡± Frizzy asked while picking up the book and picked up a nearby pen to stir the ink in the ink pot. ¡°Sure, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Jask asked as he used some the spell Form and Function to make a steel scalpel. ¡°Is this body able to move if you animated it?¡± Frizzy asked while testing the consistency of the ink. ¡°Yep. If I used my reanimate spell, it should get up and do whatever I tell it to do.¡± He said as he tested the edge of the newly made scalpel on a piece of paper he summoned. ¡°If you can do that then doesn¡¯t that mean you already know the body and its form?¡± she asked, seeming satisfied with the ink and left the pen in the ink well. sitting on a nearby stool next to Jack. ¡°Hmmmmm¡­ Yes and no.¡± Jack answered off handedly. ¡°It¡¯s more or less the situation with the watch again. If you give someone who never saw a watch the blueprint and the parts, they can assemble a watch.¡± He said as he made a few more scalpels of different sizes and edge types. ¡°I had my dungeon absorb a few bodies already. Like you said before, anything my dungeon absorbs I can recreate. I have the blueprints in my head and can remake it with mana. But that doesn¡¯t mean I understand how the body works. I only know enough to make a prosthetic that fits the person it attaches to and able to work on their command. Much like how your arm works.¡± He continued making three new scalpels and placing them next to the first. Frizzy pulled out her personal note book and took notes. Writing quickly in her small tight letters to write quickly while fitting as much as possible on one page. ¡°So you understand what make us control the arm but not what makes the arm move?¡± She asked, quickly looking up from her note book to pay attention to what he might say. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Jack shrugged while turning to face her. ¡°Once I teach you to use arcane or mana circles to make magic items, I¡¯ll start to teach you about prosthetics. Making a working prosthetic is how to tell if you qualify as a journeyman level Fabricator or not. Actually, by having you help with me you are getting an early peek at what¡¯s next in your training as a Fabricator. We¡¯ll get more into that later.¡± He said with a wave of his had as if to dismiss the topic. ¡°For now¡­¡± he said as he picked up a scalpel while looking at Frizzy with what she could have sworn was a shit eating grin despite not having a face. ¡°Let¡¯s open this bad boy up and see what¡¯s inside!¡± For the next nine hours Jack dissected the body while Frizzy took meticulous notes. Between Jack inappropriate jokes and Frizzy literally slapping his head off his shoulders, they methodically examined and documented everything they saw. From the layering of skin, to veins, nerves, muscle, organs and bones. They explored and documented each and every part of the body. The end Frizzy, though a little greener than she was blue at the moment, had taken very detailed notes. Making crude drawing and diagrams alongside the notes where she could. It was a tad messy at the end as the parts such as organs and other various tissues were stored in various containers for later examination.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Once done, Jack wished Frizzy a good night before she turned in for the night. Leaving him alone with the remains as he thought over everything he had learned thus far. It was a good start since he now had a better understanding of how body was formed and how it held together. Now came the part where he had to understand how the parts work with one another. Looking at what remained of the body, he cleaned up the mess by having the remains reabsorbed back into his dungeon before resummoning a new one. Making sure to leave the organs and tissues untouched. ¡°Well, my mister body. You and I have a long night ahead of us.¡± He said as he took some coper and used his spell to form dozens of thin copper needles. thirteen hours later¡­ Jack wrote down his latest findings from his experiments. He found that the certain parts tissues were responsive to certain amounts of electricity. Allowing for limbs to move and bend to all manner of degrees. What was really interesting though was that if the muscle contacted hard enough it actually would tear the connecting tissue from the bone. These discoveries actually gave him a few ideas on what he might do for his new mob. But the problem was he didn¡¯t have any of the metals on had that would be conductive enough for what he had in mind. There might be something in his vault but he couldn¡¯t be sure. During the last stretch of the night, Jack decided to work more on the second layer of his dungeon. At first it was mainly forested area just outside the actual foundation of the old town. There as a stream that flowed through it also fed into the original town to supply it with water and flush out waste through the sewers. Since there was already a barrier set at the end of the first layer, he decided to build the second layer up from there. He decided to make a stretch a good hundred yard from that barrier before the adventurers saw that first indicator of the second layer. It was there that he started to form a nice tall wall of stone. At fifteen feet tall and four feet thick, Jack seriously doubted that someone would be able to blow a hole through that. He made three points of entry with gate doors made of thick iron doors designed to hand on a roller rail up top so they can slide to the sides into the walls. The mechanism that opened the doors were a chain crank system that would only be opened with that token that was collect from the skeleton guarded by the first boss. Once it was made, he decided to make the second lay two miles wide. Within that band he decided to make it a worn-down residential area. He made sure that the structures were made to look like they had been battered and attacked. Some were of course collapsed while others looked to be what was left after a fire. The buildings were also overgrown with vines and other plant life. He wanted everything to look like the forest was trying to reclaim it to really give it that old ambiance. Even made a point to do the same thing to the outer wall. By the time he was done making the layer look like it was once a thriving residential area, made another wall and two boss areas. One at the north and one at the south. Now it was a matter of waiting. To reach level to start setting up his mobs and make the boss. Until then it was back to experimenting with the body. When he looked out the window to see that it was maybe an hour before sun rise, he decided to wait for Frizzy to come back. For the experiment he wanted to try graphing a metal ally into the body. Coating the nerves with one of the more magically conductive alloys he knew. Luckily for him it was made with two metals he had already absorbed into his dungeon so he could make the ingredients on demand. Since he was going to teach her about magic circles so he might as well teach her about the alloy and how to make it. In the meantime, Jack had opted to start making a few toys. It was not something overly elaborate but it was something kept him busy. He needed to have something to do during the night since he didn¡¯t need to sleep nor sure if he could anymore. Not sleeping had really messed with his sense of time. By the time he was working on the fourth toy, a mechanical wolf made of bronze, Frizzy had come back to the workshop while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Seeing him hunched over while working on his toy. Utterly distracted and painfully unaware of his surroundings. A devilish smile split her face at this while she quietly moved closer to him. Once she was within reach of the of him, she decided to test one of the features of her arm. With a prosthetic finger extended towards his back, she activated the mana conduit feature making a magical spark appear and jump into his tail bone. ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Jack shouted, forgetting the toy he was working on to jump up and clutch the back of his pelvis while the stool he was using tumbled over. Frizzy for her part had jumped back while snickering in victory at her prank. While Jack continued to curse up a storm. Trying to get the tingle out of his spine as he rubbed his tail bone. ¡°Why!?¡± Jack demanded as Frizzy snickered all the harder. ¡°My ass is even more numb then normal now!¡± Frizzy only laughed harder at this and even started to cough from how hard she was laughing. ¡°Retribution¡­¡± Jack growled at his apprentice. ¡°It shall come when you least suspect it.¡± ¡°Hehehehe. Come on, admit it. I got you.¡± She snickered once she was able to catch her breath. ¡°Now let¡¯s get back to studying the bod¡­what happened to the body we are working on?¡± she asked once she saw the new body in place of the old one. ¡°Fine, you got me.¡± Jack grumped. ¡°I replaced the first one. We couldn¡¯t work on it anymore since it was literally taken apart in every way. Got this new one so we could try some new experiments. Need an intact body for that.¡± ¡°Alright. Good point.¡± Frizzy relented as she looked at the body. ¡°But why are there copper needles stuck into it in lines like that?¡± ¡°The copper needles are part of the experiment.¡± Jack answered while picking up his stool. ¡°The needles are lines along the major nerves of the body. Today we are going to use a one of the most favored alloys of a Fabricators for making magic items.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to make Aurigold?¡± Frizzy asked excitedly. Practically hopping with anticipation while her ears were perked up high. ¡°Correct!¡± Jack declared with a clap before pointing at her. ¡°Five points to the blue lady!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She said with a big grin then gave a confused expression. ¡°What are the points for?¡± ¡°Not important.¡± Jack answered while waving the question away dismissively. ¡°What is important is that I¡¯m going to teach you how to make it.¡± Frizzy was smiling from ear to ear while Jack summoned needed gold and silver. After summoning the needed metals, Jack portioned the metal and needed to make the mix. Making sure the leather sheet was rolled out on a nearby table. Using it show Frizzy the needed transmutation circle for purification and refining the metals. Even if the metals he summoned were of high quality it was still good to get her in the habit since not everything she¡¯ll be working with will be summoned by him. especially if she ever decided to leave to make her own shop. With that step done, he proceeded to show her how to combine the metals though both transmutation circle and by using a crucible. The end product being two ingots of Aurigold. Or as most jewelers called it electrum. After he got the notification saying that ingots were of very high-quality Jack placed them next to the body. That was nearly covered in coper needles and also partially by the cloth linens since the body he produced this time didn¡¯t have the freshest skin. ¡°Alright Frizzy. We have almost everything we need.¡± Jack said with a clap of his boney hands making her jump and look up from the notes she was taking. ¡°Now this next part is normally done by only Master Fabricators so you aren¡¯t allowed to try this until I say you can. Buuuuuuut since you have been learning everything really quickly and been super responsible, I¡¯m gonna show you so you have another reason to become a master yourself!¡± Jack said as he grabbed a manna conductor and channeler along with another leather sheet. ¡°What are you going to show me?¡± Frizzy asked eagerly. Still just as excited to learn more as she had when he first started teaching her. It still surprised him to be honest. Most of what he had showed her had been fairly common knowledge. Hells, you didn¡¯t even need to be a fabricator to know that these methods and skills existed. The way she acted though made him think that people forgot these skills and tricks were ever real at all. It made him wonder just how much people have forgotten or how low the standard of common knowledge had dropped. What he was about to show her though was a trick that was not common knowledge. ¡°I am going to show you how to make a mana stone.¡± Jack said casually while Frizzy¡¯s eyes became as large as tea saucers. ¡°But¡­ mana stones are rare¡­ really rare.¡± Frizzy said sounding like wanted to believe him but was struggling to do so. ¡°Yep!¡± Jack said chipperly, enjoying that he could still shock and surprise her. ¡°They sure as shit are! Fucking expensive too. Yet they are very useful for our trade as consistent power source. The masters of old, like any good fabricator, saw this as a problem and decided to solve it. They invented a way to make their own but in discovering this solution they found another problem. Make too many mana stones and to frequently and you¡¯ll ruin the markets. Plus you¡¯ll also make it too easy for dangerous and irresponsible people to get a hold of it.¡± Jack lectured as he prepared the leather sheet. Jack used the mana conductor and conduit to draw and form the arcane circle into the leather. There was no reason to make a permanent one so he was making it into the leather. Besides, by guild laws it was not allowed to make this circle into anything permanent. The arcane circle was a sequence of squares crossing sections across one another. Their lines crossing one another into making a swirl point into the center. The pattern taking form within an octagon with an outward pointing triangle connecting to outer face of each side of the octagon. From an artistic perspective, one could have compared it to a geometric sun. ¡°What was their solution?¡± Frizzy asked eagerly like a child listening to a fantastical story told by their parents. ¡°Those sounded like huge problems for what they invented.¡± ¡°Damn right they¡¯re big problems.¡± Jack confirmed while double checking his work. ¡°Their solution was luckily really simple. They kept that knowledge to themselves. They made specific laws within the guild stating that there is to be no written record of this arcane circle. They only taught this circle to masters within the guild as well with the condition that it wasn¡¯t to be used frequently. That way there was no sudden bulk of the stones and knowledge wouldn¡¯t be abused. Plus natural mana stones were stronger anyway so people still had to buy them for making more powerful tools and machines. All and all it worked pretty well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Frizzy said, struggling to find the right words. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not what you would expect.¡± Jack said with a shrug. ¡°And the process for making magic stones is also a bit underwhelming as well.¡± Frizzy nodded in agreement. ¡°Teacher, why are you making a mana stone anyway?¡± She asked while gazing at the leather sheet curiously. ¡°You¡¯ll see. Just give me a minute to make the stone.¡± Jack placed a hand on either side of the circle on the leather. Resting his thumbs on either side on the tips of a triangle on either side before activating it. With the circle activated, mana was called and pulled from the air around them. Condensing and compiling it to form just over the leather at the center. The mana gradually taking physical form as a small viscus white blob. Steadily growing bigger as its surface rippled until it was the size of a large marble. Only then did it go from a liquid state to a solid one before fell out of the air to land on the leather with unceremonious plop. ¡°There we go, a brand new mana ston-¡° Jack was saying until a notification popped up to interrupt him.
Attention! You have found a prime Dungeon Sentinel candidate!
Dungeon Sentinel Dungeon Sentinels, unlike other dungeon mobs, are the wardens and keepers of dungeons. A Dungeon Sentinel is a more powerful version of a dungeon mob. Unlike a regular dungeon mob who will simply do as instructed by the Dungeon and or Dungeon Master in the most direct way possible. A Dungeon Sentinel will not only do as instruct but also think on its own to accomplish its task in the most efficient way possible. While still being a dungeon mob, these mobs are unique in that they can think for themselves and even have their own personalities. Dungeon Sentinel Candidate option: Aurigold Mummy Create a Dungeon Sentinel? Yes/No
Attention! Dungeon Avatar has reached level 2
For your discovery for a second Dungeon Sentinel before the dungeon has reached level 2, Dungeon Avatar have been awarded level 2 status.
Dungeon Avatar Sheet Level 2
Race: Lich Stats: Strength: 12 Agility: 15 Durability: 18 Intelligence: 30 Wit: 28
Race Abilities: Level: 1 Spell Casting Life Siphoning Curses Casting Necromancy Affinity Quick Study Spell Resistance Level:2 Mana Absorption Essence Scrying Dark Communion Chilling Aura
Spells Available: Level: 1 Form and Function Stone Needles Electric Bolts Detect Resources Refinement Reanimate Minor Detonate Sickening Fog Level:2 Spectral Shield Deathly Lure Rotting Chains Sealing Glyph Haunting Wail Arcane Weld Construct Repair Chain Lightening Arc
¡°¡­ Frizzy. It looks like we just found another sentinel candidate.¡± Jack said sounding surprised at first then practically giddy. While Frizzy did in fact cheer. ¡°And I leveled up! Got new spells and abilities but we¡¯ll figure that out later. Let¡¯s see what our new friend is like!¡± Frizzy for her part giddily told him to stop stalling and just do it already. Selecting ¡®yes¡¯ they were greeted to the same sight as the first time when they made Aegisthal. The air started to swirl and churn around the work table while mana from Jack¡¯s mana pool started to get funneled into it. only this time, instead of bone and liquid metal forming the cocoon. A dark energy and bright shining gold like energies swirled and formed around their experiment. Both energies swirled and twisted into one another but never completely mixing. Creating a kaleidoscope of patterns as if ink-stained water and died oil. Both resisting and fighting one another yet still working in harmony to form the singular body while pulsating with power. Greedily it siphoned Jack¡¯s considerable mana pool as he saw it also pulled mana from the air itself. Further feeding the twisting swirling energies as the cocoon became denser. Radiating light while the air crackled with minor arcs of lightening across its surface. Jack and Frizzy watched with baited breath. Excited to see what this new Sentinel will look and be like. Aegisthal was a presence all of his own. An unmovable bulwark and as unstoppable as a land slide. Very direct and upfront about everything they spoke about. Despite his bluntness it was an actual pleasure to be around the juggernaut though he wasn¡¯t much of a conversationalist. This new sentinel to be though, they were a mystery. Untapped potential that was just waiting to be released into the world to act as an extension of his will. Jack was eager to see who his new sentinel. Excited to discover what they will become and ready to learn what they will be like in terms of how they will see the world around them. When Jack felt the mana swirling around them stop flowing into the cocoon, the cocoon swirling back and gold twisted and pulsed all the faster. The twisting and swirling patterns moving all the faster until the eye could no longer keep track. That was then cocoon started to shrink gradually taking the form of a man. At this Frizzy was thumping Jack¡¯s leg and side excitedly. Practically hopping with anticipation to show she felt the same as her teacher. ¡°It¡¯s happening!¡± she all but shrieked in delight. Once the energies of midnight black and radiant gold took their final form to outline the new sentinel, they vanished to reveal them. Standing there at just under six and half feet tall, stood a bipedal being. Their body wrapped in interwoven linen that shined with the pale yellow with a grayish hue of Aurigold. Completely covering their form as if it was their skin. They stood regal and posed as some of those metal wrappings hung from their arms and shoulders with frayed endings. Revealing they were made up of Aurigold threads with each being as thin as fine hair woven together. Their frame was fit yet thin, not the build of a warrior or fight as air was filled with the smell of rich spices. In place of their face, saw a mask that was reminiscent of a great horned owl. The mask covered their face entirely and even parts of the sides of their head. Made from the darkest onyx jack had ever seen and inlayed with pure silver to make the details of the mask. Black lenses of the mask covered the eyes yet Jack could feel the eyes of this new sentinel entirely focused on him and him alone. With their gaze, Jack there was a depth of wisdom and intelligence hidden behind that mask. Then Jack felt the link between them where he could sense this new sentinel¡¯s mind. The new sentinel was focused, eager and excited. Curious of everything around them and wanted to understand all that was around them. They wanted to explore and to understand. Once fully formed, the figure made a deep bow. Their hands spread wide out to their sides, steping back with one leg while bending both knees, their back bent to lower their head yet keeping their eyes fully on Jack. ¡°Greetings my Primus Sage! I have come to exist at your behest.¡± The new figure said sounding rather happy and with a voice of a well-educated young noble man. ¡°What purpose would you have of me?¡± He asked curiously with his head partly tilted at the question. Stepping forwards, Jack approached the well-spoken Sentinel then made a gesture for sentinel to stand. Which the sentinel eagerly obeyed. ¡°You were born from experimentation and study, discovered by an accident like many great discoveries are.¡± Jack said choosing his words yet also let them flow. ¡°I would have you put that great mind to work. To study magics, to learn of the greater mysteries, to understand why things work as they do. Then share that knowledge with those of who call my dungeon home so they too can learn of the world and understand it¡¯s inner workings. To that goal, I name you Omnus.¡± ¡°Then it shall be done! I will absolutely contribute to the creation of a grand library, brimming with knowledge from every discovery and invention! Anyone with a thirst for knowledge will be welcome, and they shall either find the answers they seek or gain the tools to uncover them themselves! I¡¯ll begin at once! Of course, only upon your leave.¡± Omnus said eagerly with another quick bow. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 It was less than a week since Omnus had come to be. During that time, Jack came to a conclusion about the sentinel. THAT SON OF A BITCH WAS A MENACE WHEN LEFT ALONE FOR TOO LONG!!! Within a day, A FUCKING DAY, of coming into existence Omnus claimed a building for himself to start his experiments and research. Within an hour of doing so, the damn building blew up with him flying out with smoke trailing behind him. Like some kind of silvery gold bastardized version of a comet only to crash into ANOTHER building make a sizable dent in the wall. Then there was the time he started to experiment with monster corpses. Jack was still unsure how or when he got those. He would just disappear one day then came back with five of them. Even recruiting Aegisthal to help bring them back before the juggernaut returned to his work of breaking into the vault. In order to make safeguards, Jack had to get involved by making a large dome of iron in a secluded area that was fifteen feet tall, fourteen feet in radius, and half a foot thick. It wasn¡¯t a perfect solution but it would keep any potential explosion well contained. At least for now¡­ Jack hoped. Despite being a menace, Omnus actually did a good job. He was meticulous with his notes, very detailed in his study and tirelessly contributed information to the book shelves in Jack¡¯s workshop. He already had a book written about the anatomy of a troll he dissected as well as how each part worked and developed a healing spell based on his findings. Not to mention the gremlins loved the nutty scholar. For all his madness and quirks, Omnus proved himself to be a fine teacher. Gremlins young and old would often come to him with questions and he would not only answer them, but teach them how to find an answer on their own. a few times Jack caught Omnus teaching mathematics to some of the gremlins while mis metallic wrappings seemed to work with minds of their own to write notes for one of his experiments. That information proved to be invaluable since it also allowed him to better understand how troll anatomy worked. Once he absorbed the book and resummoned it of course. Once he reabsorbed the roll though he found he had the option to summon it bronze boned zombie versions of it. but once he studied the properties of that kind of zombie, he found there wasn¡¯t much benefit to it. Maybe for heavy lifting of things though ultimately, he didn¡¯t see much use in them. especially since the zombie version didn¡¯t have that healing factor. Instead, he chose to focus on his next dungeon layer. His dungeon might not be at layer two yet but that didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t make preparations. Jack was actually part way though setting up the boss areas of the layer. Working on the finer details the same joy that he had with the first layer. The second layer was made to look like a residential district. Going into detail to make some parks along with fountains and even a few large and small markets. It was mildly disheartening when he had to make them all into ruins. He made scorch marks, cracked and shattered stone what used to be a really nice area. He could only sigh with mild disappointment at what had to be done. The next layer will I¡¯ll keep in a nicer state. Jack promised himself while still working on some final touches. Just as he was about done with the boss areas being made to look like guard postings, a notification appeared in his vision. And boy was he grateful to figure out how to turn off the number listing options. That was really annoying.
Attention! The Dungeon has now reached level 2!
Dungeon Core Sheet Dungeon Master: Jack Smithson Race: Lich (Formally Human)
Dungeon Mobs Available: Level 1 Mobs: Zombie Rats Skeleton Rats Tin Crabs Level 2 Mobs: Skeletons (elves, dwarves) Zombies (elves) Gorebound Hounds Tin Constructs Coper Spider Level 5 mobs Osteal Ferrum Golem Aurigold Mummy
Dungeon Abilities: Mob Summoning Mob Absorption Reanimate Dead Dungeon Shaping Dungeon Repair Item Absorption Item Creation
Current Loot Drop Options: Coin: Tin Coins Copper Coins Silver Coins Gold coins Items: Purified Bone pieces Refined Materials (Base Metals, Wood) Magic Items (Common - Rare Quality) Mana Stone (Artificial Potency) Custom (Books Thus Far)
Special Ability: Avatar of The Master ¨C Note. This is a legendary ability. Dungeons with this ability can make a physical manifestation of its consciousness, also known as the Dungeon Master. The form of this avatar is a Lich who is able to enter and leave the dungeon¡¯s territory at will while also able to change their form as the dungeon grows. The avatar will have the same abilities as its non-mob counterparts.
Rooms/Chambers: Level 2 Alchemical Shops Healing Spring Tressure Vault Traveler¡¯s Inn Life Essence Collection Chamber
Attention! New Dungeon Upgrade Options Available!
Dungeon Upgrade Option Menu Current Available Upgrades
Area of Control Expansion Upgrades Level 2 Options Advanced Area Expansion [Repeatable] (Cost: 15 Points)Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Description: Expands the dungeon¡¯s territory by an additional 500 feet in all directions. Effect: Increases the overall size and complexity of the dungeon, allowing for more rooms, traps, and mob placements. Multilayered Dimensions (Cost: 300 Points) Description: Adds a hidden, alternate space within the dungeon that can house unique challenges, mobs, or treasures. Effect: Adds multiple pocket dimensions interconnected by portals. Dimensions can vary in environment (e.g., underwater, volcanic) to enhance challenges.. Underground Lair Levels (Cost: 100 Points) Adds a multi-level design, enabling vertical exploration and ambush opportunities. Mob Upgrades Level 1 Constructed Guardians and Undead Construct Hybrids (Cost: 30 Points) Description: Unlock powerful constructs, including hybrids that combine undead and mechanical elements. Effect: Introduces mobs like Iron Golems, Clockwork Sentinels, and hybrid creations such as Skeletal Watchers, blending necromantic and mechanical components. Restless Spirits (Cost: 10 Points) Description: Introduce ghostly apparitions that are bound to specific objects or areas within the dungeon. Effect: These spirits cause minor disturbances and psychological tension, unsettling adventurers without overwhelming power. Reanimated Guardians (Cost: 20 Points) Description: Unlock a new type of mob that combines the resilience of the undead with the strength of constructs. Effect: Introduces mobs like Reanimated Sentinels or Bone-Bound Guardians, heavily armored and equipped with weapons, making them tough opponents. Level 2 Trickster Spirits (Cost: 45 Points) Description: Summon mischievous and deceptive spirits that confuse and disorient adventurers, turning traps or dangers against them. Effect: These spirits may use illusions, teleportation, or mind-affecting abilities to confuse adventurers. Some might turn invisible, cause hallucinations, or create decoy copies of themselves, making it hard to determine which are real.
Avatar Upgrades Level 1 Options Arcane Knowledge (Cost: 120 Points) Description: Enhance the avatar¡¯s magical abilities by deepening its knowledge of arcane arts. Effect: The avatar gains access to basic spells, such as magical barriers, minor illusions, or elemental bolts, adding tactical options. Teleportation (Cost: 80 Points) Description: Allow the avatar to teleport to any part of the dungeon. Effect: The avatar can teleport to any location within the dungeon once every 3 hours, providing mobility and strategic flexibility. Level 2 Options Regenerative Necrotic Veins (Cost: 300 Points) Description: Integrate necrotic veins throughout the avatar¡¯s body, enabling regeneration and magical enhancements. Effect: The avatar passively regenerates health during combat by drawing on ambient necrotic energy. The veins also allow the avatar to channel stronger necrotic spells, such as life-draining pulses or curses that weaken foes. Swift Reflexes (Cost: 120 Points) Description: Enhance the avatar''s reaction speed and agility, allowing them to outmaneuver and counter opponents with precision. Effect: The avatar¡¯s movements become faster and more fluid, enabling them to dodge attacks more effectively and react to threats with heightened reflexes. This upgrade grants a bonus to evasion and allows the avatar to counter melee attacks with swift, precise strikes. Ethereal Wings (Cost: 180 Points) Description: Grant the avatar spectral wings that enable flight and enhance mobility. Effect: The avatar can hover or fly for short periods, gaining a significant advantage in combat and exploration. The wings also emit a pulse of fear when fully unfurled, intimidating weaker foes. Lichfire Core (Cost: 250 Points) Description: Implant a core of pure lichfire within the avatar, granting powerful offensive and defensive abilities. Effect: The avatar gains the ability to emit a burst of lichfire in a radius, burning enemies with necrotic flames. The lichfire also enhances the avatar¡¯s physical attacks, adding fire damage to every strike. Additionally, the core passively increases the avatar¡¯s resistance to fire-based damage.
Dungeon Abilities Level 1 Options Adaptive Defenses (Cost: 40 Points) Description: The dungeon becomes more responsive to intruders who pose a direct threat to its core. Effect: When adventurers attempt to destroy the dungeon¡¯s core or critical structures, the dungeon actively deploys mobs or alters the environment to defend itself. Illusionary Walls (Cost: 25 Points) Description: Introduce false walls and passages that can deceive adventurers. Effect: The dungeon can create illusionary walls or barriers that appear solid but are not, misleading adventurers and hiding traps, mobs, or secret areas. Level 2 Options Mana Overload Nodes (Cost: 120 Points) Description: Install powerful magical nodes throughout the dungeon that can discharge bursts of raw energy. Effect: Nodes periodically release bursts of elemental or arcane energy, dealing damage to intruders and creating hazardous zones. Advanced Adaptive Defenses (Cost: 100 Points) [Unavailable until Adaptive Defenses is purchased] Description: Upgrade the dungeon''s ability to learn from intruder strategies, adapting defenses to counter repeated threats. Effect: The dungeon analyzes adventurer behavior, deploying tailored mobs, traps, or environmental changes to neutralize specific tactics. Illusionary Overlays (Cost: 50 Points) Description: Improve the dungeon¡¯s illusion capabilities, creating more complex and deceptive effects. Effect: Enables illusions of moving traps, fake mobs, and phantom treasures, further confusing and deceiving adventurers. Core Stabilizer (Cost: 200 Points) Description: Protect the dungeon¡¯s core with an unbreakable shield that forces adventurers to complete specific challenges to disable it. Effect: Adds a magical barrier to the core, requiring adventurers to solve puzzles or clear designated rooms before accessing it.
Loot Upgrades Level 1 Options Alchemical Ingredients (Cost: 10 Points) Description: Introduce rare and valuable ingredients used for crafting potions, poisons, and other alchemical products. Effect: Adventurers can find various alchemical materials within the dungeon, making it a target for those seeking to craft powerful consumables. Basic Enchanted Items (Cost: 40 Points) Description: Add simple enchanted items to the loot pool, such as weapons with minor elemental effects or trinkets that offer small bonuses. Effect: These items provide small, useful effects without being game-breaking, attracting low to mid-level adventurers. Cursed Coins (Cost: 2 Points) Description: Introduce cursed currency to the dungeon''s loot, which appears valuable but carries negative effects. Effect: Cursed coins can be found alongside normal loot but bring bad luck or minor curses to those who take them. Mystical Components (Cost: 80 Points) Description: Add components used for crafting or upgrading magical items. Effect: These components are sought after by adventurers looking to enhance their gear, providing a steady flow of skilled adventurers into the dungeon. Trapped Chests (Cost: 15 Points) Description: Some treasure chests within the dungeon are rigged with traps, adding danger to the rewards. Effect: Trapped chests provide valuable loot but trigger traps when opened, adding an extra layer of challenge and risk for treasure-seeking adventurers. Level 2 options Elemental Infused Weapons (Cost: 80 Points) Description: Add a selection of weapons with elemental infusions, giving adventurers more options for dealing with different types of enemies. Effect: Introduces weapons such as swords that deal fire, ice, or lightning damage, or bows that fire arrows with a minor elemental effect. These weapons can help adventurers exploit weaknesses but are not overwhelmingly powerful. Cursed Artifacts (Cost: 60 Points) Description: Introduce items with strong powers but at a price, forcing adventurers to make choices between great benefits and harmful drawbacks. Effect: These artifacts may offer powerful bonuses, such as increased damage or enhanced mobility, but come with curses, like reduced health, slower movement, or uncontrollable effects that may trigger during combat or when entering specific dungeon areas. Trap-Laden Treasure (Cost: 40 Points) Description: Add a risk-reward element to the dungeon¡¯s treasure, where chests contain valuable loot but are rigged with traps. Effect: Treasure chests can be found containing useful gear or magical items, but they are booby-trapped with simple traps like poison darts, pitfalls, or explosive charges. This encourages careful exploration and decision-making by adventurers.

Upgrade Points Available: 1,075

When Jack looked over the notifications not once or twice but three times¡­ well, it was a good thing he was as skeleton otherwise he¡¯d make a small puddle of drool. He wanted to buy a lot of them as soon as he saw them until he remembered that though he had a lot of upgrade points, it was hard to get more. Putting his point poverty aside, Jack refocused himself as he excitedly set to work setting up his mobs throughout the second layer. First he summoned the tin constructs to see what they were and was delighted to see they were basic automatons. Simple humanoid constructs that stood three and a half feet tall, with two fingers and a thumb on each hand with two eyes on a simplistic face. After testing to see that they were fairly strong he decided to make them a fairly uncommon unless someone went looking for them. He made sure that their outer shell looked beaten up but left their joints untouched. They were faster than the crabs though that wasn¡¯t saying much. The comparison would have been like comparing a snail to an old lazy turtle. Once they were summoned, and idea struck Jack like lightening. Taking it a step further, Jack summoned unanimated skeletons into the piles of rubble and set the tin constructs to try and dig them out. When the adventurers saw Jack seriously doubted that there would be a dry eye at the sight. With that done, Jack spawned animated skeletons with wither a missing limb, with arrows sticking out of them in placed, and a few with a cracked or broken skull. All to look like they have been attacked. Making sure to use elven, and dwarven skeletons alike. Placing the skeletons around the layer with some that were buried like their prop version cousins while others just laid in wait on the streets or buildings. When he spawned a Gorehound though¡­ ¡°Fucking¡­ ew.¡± Jack muttered as he started at the half-rotted wolf¡­ or dog. ¡°Teacher¡­ what is that?¡± Frizzy asked from behind him while holding her nose. ¡°That has to be one of the worst smells I have ever smelled.¡± ¡°Hey Frizzy.¡± Jack said, briefly looking aware from the nasty little monster. ¡°I just leveled up my dungeon and was seeing what some of the new mobs are like. So far, I really don¡¯t like this one.¡± ¡°imagine how the adventurers are going to feel seeing that thing.¡± Frizzy replied while trying not to gag. ¡°Please, Herp! Get rid of it.¡± She begged. Reabsorbing the mob, Jack quickly replaced it with the coper spider instead. What appeared was a rather meticulous construct of coper. It was a spider with quartz eyes, sharp needle fangs, and a glass vile on its abdomen filled with a clear fluid. It stood at a foot tall and when he ordered it to move, he quickly discovered that it was fast. The rapid tinking of its pointed feet propelled it in quick bursts of speed while it pounded on the hammer across the room. curling its legs around the target to grab hold before trying to bite it with those needle fangs. ¡°That one is astounding!¡± Frizzy declared as she ran to the construct that still attacked the hammer to inspect it. ¡°The way it moves! How it can jump and us it legs like that!¡± she shrieked in delight. ¡°Teacher! Can I have one too study please? There is so much I can learn about this construct!¡± She continued on, fawning over the mechanical spider like a child shown a very shiny new toy. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine with that.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°it will be good practice for you. But there are more things with the dungeon. I can make safe zones that take the form of inns and a healing springs. Can also make an alchemy shop if I want. But I am more curious about what a life essence collection chamber is.¡± Frizzy for her part seemed to have stop paying attention once she got permission to study the spider. A clue he was made very aware of as she was currently running away with the freaking thing in her arms. ¡°¡­ did I just accidentally give her a pet?¡± Before he could ponder the idea any further, Jack went back setting the spawns for the mobs and giving them a look drop. Most of the layer had skeletons in it but he made a few of the gorehounds to act as harassers while the spiders with do rush attacks. Then is sets some inns at the half way mark and a couple alchemy shops. He also hid a few vaults with some store of tin and copper inside. As for the life essences collection chamber, he spawned that near his tower so Omnus can study it. he didn¡¯t want to use it for real until he had a full understanding of what it was and how it worked. Though he made sure it was well away from his dungeon residents and ordered Aegisthal to keep the residents away from it. even if it frustrated him to no end to further delay his vault being opened. That just left one final problem. what was he going to use for the boss? Just as he was about to break down possible candidates and think about what kind of lore he could make for the boss to be, something appeared at the edge of his awareness. ¡°For fucks sake!¡± Jack cursed. ¡°What the devil is it now!? Do the pains in my shiny ass never end?!¡± Chater 17 Chapter 17 To say Jack was a little upset was an understatement. Out in the north east of his area of influence, about fifteen miles from the center, he felt a disturbance that wasn¡¯t there moments ago. When he moved his consciousness out of his avatar body inspect the disturbance, he quickly found the source. The disturbance was past the second layer of his dungeon. the area was still woodsy and outside the actual area of where the town¡¯s original boundary was. the ground was starting to dome as if something from underground was pushing its way up. It was by where one of the old farms were located with some still domestic plants clustered here and there. The house in the area had long since collapsed along with any other structure there might have been. Jack growled as the ground steadily pushed up. Frustrated that he now had a new problem to deal with when he just wanted to work on the second layer dungeon boss. He thought about sending Aegisthal or maybe Omnus until he concluded that they had better things they could be doing. Not to mention neither of them as far as he knew were fast movers. So it was with reluctance that Jack made a purchase of the upgrade system. Then decided that if he was going to pay for something he might as well make another. it was not what he wanted to buy initially but he was not going to go unprepared. First he purchased the Teleportation ability then he got the Lichfire Core. The teleportation once wasn¡¯t so bad in cost, but the core upgrade made him ache.
Attention! You have purchased 2 Avatar upgrades!
Avatar upgrades Lichfire Core and Teleportation have been purchased. The Dungeon Avatar will now undergo the changes needed for abilities to take effect. Dungeon Upgrade Points remaining: 745
¡°Oh this, better we worth the cost.¡± Jack growled as he felt he changes take place. It started simply with his bones taking a faint glow for a few seconds then fading to their normal color. Otherwise, there was no real visible change beyond that. Then came the more visible change. Forming in the center of his rib cage came a small black dot. From the air around him the mana that suffused throughout his dungeon started to condense and collect to his chest. The normally dense mana around his towner and workshop became even denser as it compressed and built up. Becoming a thick dense gas that obscured jack like a pulsating cloud of power. Working its way further to pass his ribs to gather around the dot. It was then the gaseous mana compressed even further, becoming a condensed black oily liquid that twisted and churned. Steadily growing larger and more powerful by the moment. Necrotic and dark energies pulsated as it steadily grew from the size of a pea to a grape. Jack quickly moved to the closest reflective surface to watch what was happening more clearly. As he watched, he felt the power still growing in his chest. The center of that liquid core steadily turning into a solid at its center as it grew larger. The core growing larger as more liquid mana turned solid with only more being added with each second that passed. The surface becoming more crystalized until it was as big as a fist, resembling a black pearl with a silvery white sheen. Yet the core was not done with its transformation. Jagged white line appeared across its surface in random patterns while a ghostly black flame that was outlined with a pale white engulfed the core. Then the biggest surprise of all happened. The core that now saw in the middle of his rib cage pulsed before another quickly followed. The pulses taking on a regular pattern that became all too familiar. *thump thump* *thump thump* Jack stared at his reflection, for but a moment, transfixed at the realization. It was pitch black and burned with a haunting flame yet there as not mistaking it. The Lichfire Core had become his new heart. Jack was stunned, speechless, his mind struggling to comprehend while wanting to be cheer and weep with a joy. To savor the sensation of a beating hear that he had no idea he had missed so much. Looking up from his rib cage, Jack saw that his eye sockets now also held that same flame that engulfed his new heart also existed small nodes. Turning his head from side to side while staring at himself to see that nodes moved in his eye sockets to remain focused on him. Jack nearly lost himself to the fascination of what he saw until he reigned in his focus. Remembering the reason why he had purchased the upgrades in the first place when he felt the disturbance become more noticeable. Wasting no further time, Jack imagined himself moving from where he currently was to the place he felt the disturbance. Within moments he felt the energies start to build before it felt like there was a burst of energy and he found himself now standing next to the steadily rising mound of earth. Far closer to it then he had actually intended to be. That was when he saw a chitinous hand emerge from the ground. Seeing there was no helpd for it now, Jack moved back a good distance away to that he wasn¡¯t in immediate reach of whatever the hell was digging its way up. He was fairly certain that he could handle whatever might climb its way out. he had magic spells, his boy was partially made of metal and not he had a heart radiating power. Despite these advantages, Jack wasn¡¯t going to just ignore any potential advantages he might have incase whatever it was is an actual threat. Confident he was now out of reach, he prepared his new spell Rotting Chains. Since it was a spell that restrained and gradually weakened its target, it would be the best to get a good if the situation got out of hand. As he waited, Jack got a good look to see what it was that was digging its way out of the ground. What emerged was what he best describe as an insect person. They stood around the same height as Jack with a body covered with chitin armor with segments of interlocking parts at the joints. They had an oval head going length wise with two large eyes. They had two long antenna emerging from above their eyes with segmented mouths. Their legs were clawed feet that walked on the ball of their foot and the heel off the ground. Their hands had three fingers and a thumb with each ending with a short-curved claw. The creature was of a dark green over most of their body with dusty brown at the joints. When they emerged from the ground, they poked their head and shoulders out before climbing all the way out. once free of their early prison they looked around only to freeze as they saw Jack. Who was just as stunned to see the insectoid person as the insectoid person was to see him. Their impromptu staring contest could have lasted for quite some time since neither seemed to have eyelids as far as the other can tell. The contest though was thankfully cut short as the insectoid steadily raised a hand and gave an uncertain wave with one of their two arms. Jack for his part also raised and a hand to give a hesitant wave in response. What the actual fuck am I looking at? Jack thought to himself before the insect person turned more to fully face him. Once they were fully facing each other the insect person clutched one hand in front of the other while giving a small bow at the waist. Yet still making sure its head and face were ever looking at Jack with what felt like and air of uncertainty. "Greetings. Uncertainty lingers if understanding flows between us.¡± They said as their voice and words were soft yet clipped with clicks and chirps from their mandibles working to make the words. ¡°Yet, we extend peaceful intent. No harm is wished. This one seeks sustenance for the hive alone." Jack found himself struggling to believe what he was seeing and hearing. This insect person was speaking formally to him with as much respect and politeness as while staying to the point. Meanwhile they look like they should be¡­ Well Jack wasn¡¯t exactly sure what they should be doing. The entire thing just felt so alien to him that he just simply didn¡¯t know what to make of it. that was until Jack remembered the look Frizzy was giving him when they first met. She probably felt just as confused and unsure of what to do as he did right now. And that was before all the physical changes he went through. As the silence continued to the point where it felt awkward, Jack forced himself to speak and focus himself. He can try to make sense of it later. For now, he needed information and the only way he was going to get that was to speak with this strange creature.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Since it was speaking formally to him, he felt it was only right to try and extend the same curtesy. With a bow of his head to the insect person while maintaining eye contact. ¡°I greet you as well. I do not want conflict either. I would like to understand what and what you are if you are willing to speak with me.¡± Jack said hoping he hadn¡¯t already fucked up. The insect person started to stand a little straighter at this point making Jack raise his head as well. They made no move to get any closer, though it visibly relaxed to a degree. Seeming much more curious now with its head tilted while making a series of clicks. Its hand clutched at its chest while it examined him like he was some kind of riddle. ¡°This one believes words may bridge understanding. Yet, we too question¡ªyou are unlike any essence seen before. We have witnessed lifeless forms, but never those who walk or speak beyond their stillness.¡± They said with some chirps and clicks, making it hard to get a sense of their feelings on the matter. Jack felt he mostly understood what this insect person was saying based on context clues. The parts that he didn¡¯t understand though were rather confusing. What could it mean by essence? It felt like they were talking about as a person but not quite the whole of the meaning. ¡°Since you are a guest in my territory, you should probably ask your question first.¡± Jack offered, trying to get the being to talk first since the best way to get someone to open up was to get them comfortable or feel special. ¡°This one seeks understanding. What essence do you carry? Are you of the elves? A small orc, perhaps? Your bones glint with metal, yet traces of life linger within. Was this state your own choosing, or were you drawn back to movement by the will of another?¡± they asked, not moving from where they were. The way they kept moving their head, turning ever so slightly this way and that, it was clear they wanted to know more but were cautious enough to know better than to just approach. "Within your core, this one perceives the intertwined currents of life and death as one. Such a union should not exist¡ªit defies the natural flow. These forces should have torn your essence apart, yet you remain, unbroken. More so, it appears you draw strength from this harmony. Will you share this knowledge? Curiosity stirs within, for we have only shaped life and flesh, yet your method feels akin to our own craft, though it is unlike anything we have known." Now that got Jack¡¯s attention in a big way. Did this insect person just say they were used to shaping life energy and flesh? Did that mean they could shape the energies that support life? Did they also shape flesh the way he would shape metal? Or was it more like how a potter shaped clay? While both were a means to make something useful, the method in how they go about it are vastly different. The implications for either or were astounding. Then there was how they said how they sense both life and death energies coming from him. That also had a lot of implications if what they said was true. ¡°Yeah, you probably sense my new heart.¡± Jack said as he watched the insect person with his own growling curiosity. ¡°I just grew it just in case I might needed to defend my land from an invader. I think you sense death because I¡¯m technically undead. To your question of if I¡¯m willing to share in exchange that you share information as well. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t really answer how I became like this since I¡¯m not really sure.¡± The insect person really perked up at this. Their antenna seemed to twitch quickly while they looked at Jack. With the lack of facial features Jack was working with what he could see by leaning HEAVILY on reading body language. Fuck this is hard. "You seek knowledge of our essence? This brings us joy, yet also confusion. Many who gaze upon us are... unsettled by what we are. Tell us, why do you remain at ease in our presence, where others falter?" They asked with far more clicks and chirps in rapid succession. When they got to the part asking how he didn¡¯t seem bothered by their appearance they finally had a more curious tone when before it was more monotone. Ok, got to listen for the emotion as well. Good to know. Jack for his part only held his hands out to his side with his palms facing outwards. A gesture that asked the silent question, ¡®you can see that I¡¯m a metal skeleton, right?¡¯ "¡­A valid point is made. This one sees how such a question is ill-formed when viewed through your sight." They said with a nod of acknowledgement and some embarrassment. ¡°Since we are going to be speaking for a while, we might as well introduce ourselves.¡± Jack said as he took a few steps forwards and held out his hand. ¡°My name is Jack Smithson. Former human, but I guess you¡¯d probably call me an ancient. What¡¯s your name?¡± The insect person froze up for a moment at seeing Jack start to approach before stopping. Appearing to be uncertain as to what he was doing but watched on with caution and interest alike. Examining Jacks out stretched hand rampant curiosity once it was presented to it. At hearing Jack say that he was, what everyone he met so far, called an ancient the insect man stood up straight while their antenna pointed up. A second later the insect person closed the distance in short order. Their face stopping inches away from Jack¡¯s own. their body visibly shaking and trembling as those multi lensed eyes were inches from Jack¡¯s hollow eye sockets while he stumbled back. "An Ancient! You are an Ancient! This is beyond belief¡ªastounding news! The hive has long thought your kind lost, extinguished in the flow of time. To stand before you is an honor unmatched. This one is overcome with awe!" They chattered with barely restrained excitement and joy. The click and chips were now accompanied by whistles. ¡°Holy fuck!¡± Jack exclaimed, regaining his balance from the initial surprise. ¡°Too close and too close way to fast. You just scared me half to death.¡± "Such a thing is not possible. Your essence has already passed beyond the veil. We offer apologies for causing fear, though." They said while lowering their antenna ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Jack mumble. ¡°Just try not to do it again. Anyway, I would like to learn of how you mold and shape flesh if you are willing to share. Especially since you said it was one of my kind who taught you this.¡± He said once he got his composure back. "It would bring this one the highest honor. Yet, before such words are spoken, we must commune with the others of the hive. This discourse is too sacred to be carried without the wisdom of the High Council. If you are willing to await, this one shall return shortly, bringing the collective will of the hive." The insect person said with a respectful bow of their head. Jack nodded in understanding. ¡°Sure, that makes sense.¡± he said while using his Form and Function spell to create a clay chair for him to sit on. ¡°I¡¯ll be right here.¡± *** Frizzy, inside her teacher¡¯s tower in the work shop, was currently dealing with both an anxious Omnus and a pacing Aegisthal. Neither of them knew where Jack had gone and both were growing more unsettled by the second. Frizzy for her part was rather annoyed with her beloved teacher. But moreover, she was worried. Her teacher was many things. Eccentric, unpredictable, kind, wise, intelligent, powerful, foul mouthed and a fountain of information. But irresponsible and would just vanish without saying a word? No. Sure, he would wander around and explore to see how her clan was developing and to talk with them from time to time. Even with a sack full of toys to give out the kids some times. But to utterly vanish? She knew her teacher was powerful but didn¡¯t have any power like that. Something must have happened. Something must have happened to have either delayed Jack or distract him on his latest wandering session. It had to be that. there could be no other reason why he was missing for two whole days. The very idea that something could actually happen to him was not even worth humoring. No, he had to be lost, had to be doing something stupid, had to be experimenting with something, maybe even exploring something that needed further investigation. So far Frizzy had done the best she could to keep her clan from knowing that Jack was gone. There was time before they started to wonder where he was. But that time was not long. If they found out he was missing they would most likely start searching everywhere to find him. The last thing she needed was members of her clan to start going out and search for him only to get lost or injured themselves. That would only make matters worse once Jack was back from where ever he was. ¡°If you keep pacing the way you are, you¡¯ll start to wear a hole in the floor.¡± Frizzy said, trying to keep the edge from her voice. The Golem stopped his pacing to turn and fact her. despite the lack of a face, the tension in his body was unshakeable. ¡°The floor is stable. It is insignificant compared to our current concerns. What matters is that we do not know the General¡¯s location. All we know is that he lives and is deep in thought. I have attempted to communicate, but there is no response. Nothing. He has never behaved this way. This is not normal.¡± ¡°I know Aegisthal.¡± Frizzy lamented as she rubbed her temples. ¡°I can¡¯t sense him like you two can but knowing my teacher, he¡¯s just fine and is up to one of his schemes.¡± She hoped. ¡°Omnus have you had any luck? You are more knowledgeable about magic and the arcane in general. What do you think?¡± ¡°Yes, we can sense our Primus Sage, though it¡¯s... peculiar.¡± Omnus said from the table he sat at as rested his masked face on the table. Clearly having a headache from the mystery, they have been trying to solve. ¡°There¡¯s no clear direction or distance. It¡¯s all so abstract, like trying to grasp the edges of a dream. We catch fleeting glimpses of his brilliant, erudite mind, but never the whole picture unless he deliberately sends us his thoughts. We know he¡¯s receiving our impressions, but... for now, it seems he¡¯s simply choosing not to respond.¡± Frizzy growled at this answer as she rub her temples to stave off the building headache and to fend off her worry. What as that ass thinking? What was he actually doing? In that moment, Frizzy made a promise to herself that she was going to either glue his feet to the floor or use the metal staining process he taught her to stain the frilliest pattern on his bones. It was the least she owed him for making her worry like this and causing this many problems. ¡°What is that bastard thinking? Why the hells does he do this to us?¡± Frizzy asked aloud to no one in particular, mostly to vent her frustration to the air. Omnus thought thought she was asking him since she spoke out loud. ¡°My apologies, First Student, but we simply cannot say why he hasn¡¯t answered. It¡¯s... beyond us. To fully grasp the thoughts or plans of another is a challenge in itself. But to comprehend the mind of our Primus Sage? That may well be an impossibility.¡± ¡°Thank you Omnus.¡± Frizzy said to Omnus as a soft sigh. Finding it easier just to accept the offered explanation. ¡°You are not wrong there.¡± While they tried to think of ways to figure out what happened to Jack and what they were going to do to find him, Frizzy heard a disturbance from outside the tower. Curious and frustrated from the interruption, Frizzy went to the balcony to see what the fuss was about. When she saw it, all Frizzy could do was stare. She wasn¡¯t even surprised at this point. Of course he was coming back home with an entire entourage of Zur¡¯keth following behind him. The bug people, the flesh molders. There was easily a hundred or so of the bug people following and two rather large versions walking behind Jack to help lead group and another two guarding the rear. Many carried goods and possessions with them as they chattered to each other. Filling the air with those clicks, chirps and whistles. ¡°Everyone! I¡¯m home!¡± Jack shouted to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°And great news! More people want become residents! Our community is growing!¡± Frizzy just watched the entire thing with a flat expression. Aegisthal and Omnus seemed relieved as they saw their creator was back. Many of the gremlins that were present seemed hesitant and maybe even worried to hear there were more people moving in. ¡°If he wasn¡¯t dead already¡­ I¡¯d kill him.¡± Frizzy growled in frustration and nearly collapsed with relief to know he was ok. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 This meetup was not going how Jack had hoped it would go. Tensions were high between the gremlins and the Zur¡¯keth that had come join his growing community. Jack honestly didn¡¯t know why the two were not mingling. The moment the gremlins saw the Zur¡¯keth they have become very closed off and warry. The Zur¡¯keth had also become very hesitant in approaching and seemed to be even more uneasy around the gremlins. Jack when had met with the hive council of the Deep Wander Hive and they spoke at length as they were extremely eager to meet him. They have told him how they had dreamed of meeting another of the race that had made them. They spoke to him as if he was some kind of holy person no matter how he tried to tell them not to. eventually he gave up and just let them call him what they wanted. They had told him how a human woman had given them their starting steps into existence and had taught them her arts of flesh molding. From there the hive council that all Zur¡¯keth have used the craft to improve themselves and build their homes. It was all the more fascinating to him that such a practice was used and it was something the Jack wanted to learn for himself. Not to mention the Zur¡¯keth were absolutely fascinating. Jack really didn¡¯t remember much before he became the dungeon but he was absolutely sure the Zur¡¯keth never existed when he still had meaty bits. During the negotiations, he made a deal with them that if they got along with the current dungeon residents then they were welcome to join his home. The hive council agreed basically on the spot. the rest of the first, or better said night, was spent discussing needs, location of the new home, and expectations becoming residents. They had warned him that most of the ¡®surface walkers¡¯ often scared of their kind. Mostly because of how they looked and how they used and reused anything organic to build and make everything in their hives. Literally nothing that was organic was wasted. A sentiment Jack could understand very well since he was very much the same way with materials for his own craft. Once they negotiations were done and Jack had a full list of their needs, he saw that they had very few wants. Their needs were mostly just wanting organic materials to guild their homes, fresh foods, and protection. All of which Jack was perfectly fine with. For organic needs he could just spawn or summon bodies or plant matter. both of which cost him next too nothing with mana expense. Same with food since he could just have them learn farming and provide the ingredients to enrich the soil. As for protection, he seriously doubted they anyone could make golems like his. As for his wants, he wanted them to explore the underground and search for useable materials. Anything from long buried bodies or rare metals and minerals. Which they agreed to on the spot saying they were happy to. His second request though did make them pause. When he asked for them to share their knowledge about flesh molding and shaping they hesitated and seemed reluctant to agree. They apologized quickly enough and reassured that it wasn¡¯t a meant to slight him. They explained to him that they were hesitant to say yes since it wasn¡¯t, in their mind, their craft to share. It had been taught to them by the ancient that helped make them. Jack doing his best to be diplomatic told them it was fine and they will go back to that subject another time. Then came the traveling. Initially he had been excited to introduce the two groups. Purposely remaining quiet and not responding to Omnus¡¯ and Aegisthal¡¯s attempts to contact him. The Zur¡¯keth were, in Jack¡¯s opinion, were a very polite people and curious with an eagerness to interact with others. And the gremlins were mischievous little explorers and innate tinkers if given the right supplies and tools. Jack honestly thought the two would have become fast friends. Now he was stuck between the two groups who were staring at one another. Warry and unsure what to make of each other. When Frizzy came marching up to him, he would have let out a sigh of relief if he had any lungs to do so. Once she was next to him he leaned down to ask her why the gremlins were acting like this with the Zur¡¯keth. Frizzy only stared at him. her expression was clearly confused and suggested she thought he was an idiot. Then it morphed something that was exasperated, while partly amused. Remembering he simply didn¡¯t know since he been back for only a few months now. ¡°Teacher. The Zur¡¯keth don¡¯t have the best reputation. There are bad rumors about them that would make anyone concerned. The biggest being that they kidnap people and use their flesh to do¡­ well it¡¯s a very good image.¡± She explained. ¡°So?¡± Jack had responded, doing his best not to reprimand her for trusting rumors over experience. ¡°I can bet you that a lot of people have some bad rumors of gremlins that we both know aren¡¯t true. I¡¯m even willing to wager that there are some rumors about ancients that you are realizing aren¡¯t true either.¡± Frizzy nodded at this, her ears drooping a little as he spoke. ¡°Frizzy, I would like to discuss philosophy with you later about judging by character and merit, maybe with Omnus with us as well.¡± Jack said as both groups have been now staring at each other and whispering to themselves way longer then he would have liked. ¡°But right now, we need to find a way to get these two groups to get along.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry teacher¡­¡± Frizzy muttered lamely, clearly ashamed that she judged a group of people the same way her own kind were. ¡°You¡¯re right. If they are moving in then we need everyone to get along. Maybe start with common ground?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Jack hummed as he held his chin while thinking. ¡°Provided we don¡¯t have them bond over, ¡®oh, you were out case by the other races? Me too!¡¯ kind of crap. That shit will only lead to more problems down the line.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Frizzy asked with her head tilted. ¡°I fucking know so. Think about it. If they got started building a bridge like that, its going to lead to a ¡®us¡¯ vs ¡®them¡¯ mentality. That will make hard for any new people to join our home since they would be considered and outsider from the start. NOPE! Not going to let that shit fly.¡± Jack muttered to his as she nodded in understanding. ¡°by the way, why aren¡¯t you or anyone else asking me about the fire ball in my chest? shouldn¡¯t it be kind of a big deal I changed again.¡± At that question, Frizzy just gave him a flat stare. ¡°Teacher¡­ I think people care more about a large group walking to our front door then about a fire ball in your ribs. And two, everyone here kind of expect this kind of thing from you by this point. It¡¯s not all that surprising anymore.¡± With his ego properly bruised and a fair point being made by his apprentice. Neither he, nor anyone else for that matter realized that one of the younger gremlin children had wandered off from the group of gremlins and was making their way to the group of Zur¡¯keth. Specifically, a young Zur¡¯keth with a dark muddy green chitin. ¡°Hi!¡± The gremlin child greeted as they came to stop in front Zur¡¯keth hatchling who stood a little taller. ¡°My name is Chadivon. Everyone calls me Chad for short. What¡¯s your name?¡± Little Chad asked, ignoring everyone as they all stared with uncertainty at him. The young Zur¡¯keth, nervously clutched their hands at their chest. Their antenna twitching as they seemed unsure of what to make of this little blue being having just come right up to them and talking to them. "H.hello, Chadivon. This one is called Gi¡¯gah. It... it is an honor to meet you." Gi¡¯gah said, clearly nervous by the tone of the low clicks and chirps in their voice. ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± he said with a big toothy smile. ¡°Do you want to play? Jack makes lots of toys for us sometimes. Do you have toys? You should have some toys. Come on, let¡¯s play with toys.¡± Chad said not giving Gi¡¯gah a chance to reply. Without much having much say in the matter, Gi¡¯gah felt their hand be grabbed by Chadivon before being lead away. Casually being brought to where many of the gremlin children when to play before little Chad paused to look at the two groups. ¡°Mama! I¡¯m gonna go play with my new friend. Can he come over or dinner?¡± The little gremlin boy called out to his mother in the crowd. It was then a gremlin woman stepped out with a few younger children close at her side so they wouldn¡¯t also run off like their older sibling. From what Jack saw many of the other gremlin children also wanted to make new friends to play with but were being held back by their parents. The gremlin woman looked at her son, clearly irritated that he ran off. Then she looked at the Zur¡¯keth who had stepped forwards and clutching their hands at their chest when Chad started to wander off with Gi¡¯gah. Likely the young Zur¡¯keth¡¯s parent and they seemed worried as they looked between the children and her a few times. The gremlin woman had an unreadable mask as she looked at them. then sighed as she walked over to her child with his siblings in tow. Giving him a sharp flick on the ear as she gave him an stern frown. ¡°Chadivon, how many times must I tell you to stop dragging people off. Its rude and you didn¡¯t even give the poor kid a chance to decide if they wants to play or not.¡± she scolded. ¡°But, if their parent is ok with it then I¡¯ll be happy to feed Gi¡¯gah too.¡± She said with a smile as she looked at the adult Zur¡¯keth. The Zur¡¯keth that had stepped forwards, looked to both the kids and the woman who chastised their son. The two siblings now in easy reach joined their bother and Gi¡¯gah. Asking the young Zur¡¯keth tons of questions while begging to join in playing with them. While Gi¡¯gah seemed to grow less nervous and was trying their best to answer their questions while agreeing to play some games. "This one is agreeable to Gi¡¯gah spending time with your youngling. Yet, the young one may only join your table if you permit this one to extend an evening meal to Chadivon in return." The Zur¡¯keth offered, trying to return the favor in kind. ¡°Deal!¡± The Gremlin mother declared with a grin. ¡°Gods know I could use the break from the little devil.¡± Jack watched as more gremlin kids went running to claim their new friends with even a few Zur¡¯keth children going to meet some of the gremlin in the middle. it seemed that the Zur¡¯keth were more on they shy side while the gremlin kids were a lot bolder once they saw the other kids as potential friends. Before he knew it, many of the children had one or two new friends in tow. Off to go play with the toys he made or to play some made-up game. The adults watched on and while they were still wary of one another, there was also significantly less tension between the two. Jack leaned down to Frizzy as they both watched on and whispered as they continued to watch. ¡°Thank the gods for the kids.¡± Jack said with relief. ¡°It¡¯s a start¡­¡± Frizzy admitted. ¡°It will take time but it is a start.¡± *** It had been nearly two weeks since the Zur¡¯keth joined the community. While the Greyroot Clan and the Deep Wander Hive weren¡¯t holding hands and singing songs with each other. They¡¯re interactions were civil and friendly enough. It woud take time but Jack was mostly sure that things will get better between the two. From what he saw thus far the two were still trying to figure each other out. Luckily the kids on both sides showed a lot a promise as they played each other. Gi¡¯gah and Chad had become an inseparable pair since they first met. Not you couldn¡¯t find one without the other being close by. Not to mention the two had a nose for trouble while appearing where they weren¡¯t supposed to. It had been a mildly stressful two weeks as he played mediator between the to. making sure both were getting along while the Zur¡¯keth were getting settled in. Then there were the adventurers¡­ Jack had gotten his second dungeon layer ready. Setting up all kinds of interesting locations, cumbersome traps, the mobs placed and set just right, safe zones being made, and of course a new boss. It had been a labor of love and he really wanted the adventurers to start exploring. To test themselves and his dungeon since he had grown to really enjoy watching adventurers wandering and appreciating his hard work. Especially when a group beat his boss for the first time as he eavesdropped on their celebration. Yet despite all the effort, no one has even tried to explore the second layer! It was after a LONG day of trying to figure out when no one had tried to explore, Jack collapsed and laid on the across his glorified chair with his head hanging back. Pouting while hie used his fingers to lazily flick little puffs of litchfire in the air over head. Creating tiny explosions over head of black and white to distract himself. He just couldn¡¯t watch the adventurers explore his dungeon anymore. If he watched one more group beat the first layer boss and go back to the town, he was going to scream. Not to mention that Frizzy was now at the stage were she was able to explore and experiment on her own. While he was immensely proud of this apprentice, not to mention how she too to his knowledge and teachings as easily as breath, there was no new lessons he could gave her at the moment. No, she needed to experiment, practice, succeed and fail a few times before he can start showing her the complicated suff. For now, she need to practice her knowledge of arcane circles and scripting. Until then he need to take a hands off approach. Which really fucking sucked since he would have loved to have that kind of distraction right now. ¡°Primus Sage!¡± Omnus shouted excitedly while approaching him. Jack, having gotten used to his sentinel¡¯s eccentricities by now, lazily turned his head to face Omnus. The mummy carrying two whole books in his hands as he was dressed in button shirt and durable pants along with a heavy leather apron to protect his close. As usually he seemed excited and happy which Jack enjoyed that his sentinel was feeling fulfilled. But right now, he was just so glum from all that work he put into the second layer going unexplored that he couldn¡¯t muster up any fake enthusiasm.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°This is truly amazing! Your genius and foresight know no limits, Primus Sage! The Zur¡¯keth, oh, what a treasure trove of knowledge they are! Their understanding of living bodies is unmatched. And these books, just the ones I have on elves and dwarves alone, are incredible! I cannot wait to dig into what they know about the other races. The possibilities are just... endless!¡± The silvery gold mummy said as they clutched the books tightly to their chest. Positively giddy at the prospect of learning more and adding to the steadily growing library. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s great¡­ yeah. Awesome¡­¡± Jack sighed as while making another tiny explosion over his head with the lichfire. ¡°You¡¯re doing great work Omnus, but don¡¯t overdo it alright? I want them to feel comfortable and that his is their new home. Don¡¯t want them to feel interrogated or used.¡± ¡°Oh, of course, Primus Sage! I promise I will be careful. They will feel comfortable, welcome, and right at home. No one likes to feel like a test subject, and that is definitely not the goal. But is something on your mind? You usually get so excited about new discoveries, and you have done something truly remarkable here. The community is thriving, and they are so close to making it official. This should be a wonderful moment for you. Maybe there is something I can do to help lift your spirits?¡± Jack thought for a moment as he regarded the offer to help. Omnus was probably the best choice for him to vent to at the moment. Aegisthal was a good listener but isn¡¯t really one to give feedback. Frizzy was not an option at the moment since she was working on her own experiments and teaching other gremlins the basics of the being a Fabricator. He can¡¯t distract her with him complaining about his woes. Omnus, despite his eccentricities and loose use of safety regulations with his research, he was a sharp minded being. Eh, fuck it. He does genuinely want to help and maybe he could help with my disappointment. ¡°Sorry Omnus, I¡¯m just glum that none of the adventurers have come to explore the second layer yet.¡± Jack admitted while crossing his arms over his chest to stare up at the ceiling far overhead. ¡°I put a lot of work into it and was excited for them to see what I made. Especially the dungeon boss I made. Not to mention the inn keeper for the safe zone. That would have been a real treat. But every fucking time someone beats the dungeon boss Mose and have the option to go into the next layer they just go back¡­ it just feels like I put in all the effort for nothing. Not to mention my own growth as the dungeon has also slowed down since no one is exploring that layer.¡± Jack said as he let his frustration out, feeling mildly better to give his frustration words. ¡°Ah, the explorers. Now I get it.¡± Omnus sighed with what sounded like mild annoyance. ¡°It is not your fault that they can¡¯t appreciate the wonders right in front of them unless there is a big sign saying, ¡®Look here!¡¯ But that is alright, Primus Sage. I will figure something out to brighten your mood. Leave it to me!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jack asked as he turned his head to face Omnus again. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t stress about it!¡± Omnus said with a dismissive wave of their hand. ¡°Saying that increases my stress.¡± Jack said with way more worry then he had earlier in the day. ¡°Just leave it to me, I¡¯ve got this all figured out!¡± Omnus said as they made their way out of Jack¡¯s tower. ¡°Omnus. Omnus! No!¡± Jack said as tried to get up from his glorified chair and tripped from his foot getting caught. ¡°Omnus! No explosions!¡± ¡°No promises are made! Bye!¡± Omnus called just as he left the tower. Picing himself up and dusting himself off, Jack stared at the door Omnus just ran away through. Feeling rather worried about what Omnus might do to ¡®figure something out¡¯ and what the eventual fallout would entail. Jack loved the guy but that maniac gave him a migraine and he didn¡¯t even have a brain! Despite his moment of panic, Jack paused to consider what he had just realized about himself. Do I actually love that lunatic? Jack asked himself, really taking the time to sit down and consider the question. After taking the time to really think about it, thinking about who Omnus was and what he was to Jack. He came to the conclusion that he actually did love the guy. He enjoyed Omnus¡¯ company most of the time. He was always fully in the moment no matter what it was he was doing. He took great pride in what he did and was actually always happy to lift people up by sharing his knowledge and discoveries. Yes he had his problems, but who didn¡¯t have some kind of problem? Thinking more about it, Jack realized that it was a proud kind love. Jack then thought about Aegisthal. Aegisthal was strong without question. An unshakeable corner stone and pillar in one. He was direct and honest with a stalwart sense of right and wrong. Always sticking to what he thought was right, consequences be damned for what it meant to speak the truth. In his own way though he was also kind to those he was charged to protect. Jack didn¡¯t miss how the towering juggernaut would sometimes assist some of the gremlins a lot of people would dismiss as beneath them. When Jack asked himself how he felt about Aegisthal, he realized that he love the golem as well but it was more of respect then pride. When he asked himself how he felt Frizzy he had to pause and really consider his feelings. When he found her, she was a half-starved, timid, frightful little thing. Now she was a rather strong woman who knew who she was, who knows what it is she wants and willing to do what it takes to achieve her goals. She was brilliant, quick to learn new skills, confident in her skills and hunger to not only learn but to be the best. She was an amazing apprentice, imaginative, strong willed, as stubborn as them come, refused to give up, and she was honest one of the strongest people he knew. It won¡¯t be long before she became a master fabricator in her own right and become his colleague. Yes she was his apprentice, but she was also his friend. Would you look at that. He thought to himself. For a bag of bones and metal, you can actually care about people Jacky boy. After savoring the moment of realizing he was still more human than he realized, Jack went back to doing his best to give the door the stink eye. ¡°It will be fine. Maybe¡­ also I need to find out who is teaching him sass.¡± He grumbled to himself. ¡°Get enough of that from Frizzy. Don¡¯t need that coming at me from him too.¡± *** Omnus dashed through the trees with all the speed hid body could muster. Going so far as using his whip wrappings to swing and catapult all the faster. The Primus Sage was unhappy and such foolish trifles shouldn¡¯t burden his creator. Such an erudite mind should have to be distracted by why mortals weren¡¯t exploring the dungeon. Omnus could imagine himself doing other than this that were much more worthwhile of his time. Such as dissecting monsters, documenting their anatomy, researching and experimenting spells, or even instructing the dungeon residents when he wasn¡¯t adding to the bibliotheca. Omnus didn¡¯t care for most mortals in general. Seeing them as a distractions a times or maybe minor inconveniences one had to tolerate. Much like an uncomfortable itch in a public place. The dungeon residents though were an exemption to that view. The Primus Sage offered them sanctuary and so that alone put them in much higher standing to the general population. When Omnus took to teaching the younger and older generations, he found that he quite enjoyed their point of view with each subject of study. Conflicting point of views, interpretations of discovery and theories, the debates they had about not only the ¡®why¡¯ but also ¡®how¡¯. There were even a few that Omnus was rather interested in training further. They did show quite the promise as scholars if nudged in the right direction. Maybe even become his assistants for some of his more general experiments until they got more experience. Unfortunately, the mortals that were distracting and also hampering the Primus Sage¡¯s works and growth were not dungeon residents. He had watched the ¡®adventurers¡¯ who explored the first layer for a time. Many have shown promise as they explored and fought the mobs. There was even a team or two that he viewed quite favorably. While he might not take bets like many of the dungeon residents have done, he did enjoy the ones showed sounds thinking. Even more so when they explored in further to find more lore hidden around the first layer. But for every group that he enjoyed or took mild amusement from observing, there were a good number more that were¡­ infuriating. Those infuriating groups showed no respect to the ancient lore that the Primus Sage had hidden. No appreciation for the story of the past shown by the Layer boss known as Mose. Not to mention to dozens of little bits of information! The absurdity! The audacity! No, he couldn¡¯t let himself be stuck in that looping rut again. He needed his wits about him and to if he was to find out the problem before him. One should never conduct an examination with and unclear mind or risk biased results. Once he came to be roughly a hundred yards of the developing town, Omnus came to land on the ground and straightened his cloths. They weren¡¯t a necessary feature as the Primus Sage had the foresight to make the wrappings as durable as they were distinguished. Yet to Omnus they were nessisary to show his position and how he accepted it with graceful humility. A scholar was not meant to seek statues after all. But knowledge to build and better their communities. But now his outfit included a sect of brown robes with scroll that sheathed a sword through its center stitched in white thread on the back. A gift of casual wear from the Primus Sage himself. Omnus was glad finally have a reason to wear it since this would be considered a formal occasion. Once sure he would be presenting his best foot forwards, he walked the rest of the way to the town in progress. He had already made rather good time in getting this far so there was no need to rush the rest of the way. Omnus savored the walk since he never left the Primus Sage¡¯s immediate home. Frankly he never had much of a reason to do so. It was actually rather enjoyable to simply admire what he called the frontier of the dungeon territory. Never mind go beyond it. As he walked, Omnus noticed that there was a clearing and palisade that was made of stone with an archway that separated the dungeon territory from the town. It was mildly interesting that the people there were able to made something so large with what was relatively a short amount of time as he understood it. Hmmm, mayhap there is an inkling of potential in these adventurers. At least in a few of them. I¡¯ll need to keep an eye on them, watch from the shadows once our business is concluded. Omnus considered as he examined the wall from the edge of the clearing. Wonder if the Primus Sage might permit me to craft a little quest for them, a trial of sorts to measure their worth. Hmmmmm¡­ yes, but later, perhaps. Putting the thoughts aside, Omnus clasped his hands behind his back while walking at a casual stride to the archway. The people guarding the gate had two on top while another two stood at the actual entry way. The two on top were an archer and a mage if Omnus had to guess by their equipment. The two at the entry itself looked like maybe a duelist and the other some type of tank. Not a bad composition since the group was likely flexible enough to handle some variation of attack. It was respectable and showed that whoever was in charge did have some foresight. Either way, the gate guard were no his priority. He came for answers and they likely didn¡¯t have the answers he wanted. ¡°Halt.¡± The tank called and stepped forwards, attempting to approach Omnus as wells as block his path. ¡°Identify yourself. I don¡¯t recognize you.¡± ¡°My sincerest apologies¡± Omnus called with an arm tucked at his waist along with a light bow. ¡°I am here on business with the guild master of this... delightfully growing town. My master has bid me to speak with them directly. So, might you allow me entry? Or perhaps you could summon the guild master to meet me here instead?¡± The guard that stepped forwards to greet him was maybe a little under six feet tall. Not many defining features. Heavy armor, a clever like sword, plane features, messy hair, some kind of orc and elf hybrid. Nothing that was overtly special, clearly a tank class that was more on the aggressive side instead of defensive. They looked Omnus over, clearly suspicious of him which was fair. ¡°Who is it that is asking for him?¡± The guard asked, as they watched Omnus with their hands visible but loose. ¡°They will want to know who is calling them.¡± Oh? Trying to find more information about me are we? He thought privately, amused about their attempt since they would likely use some kind of divination magic. Sorry to disappoint, but you won¡¯t find much. "Ah, of course. I am Omnus, scholar and keeper of knowledge in service to the Primus Sage. I have come to discuss matters concerning the dungeon and those who dare to traverse its depths." Omnus said politely. ¡°Interesting¡­ so you want and this ¡®Primus Sage¡¯ want to know why we ¡®dare¡¯ to explore a dungeon.¡± The guard reiterated, not bothering to hide the suspicion in their voice. Mortals, so overly sensitive with certain words. Omnus thought in exasperation, not uninterested in the perverbial dance on eggshells he now had to navigate. Would killing them get me faster results?... it would likely make the more powerful representatives come out to meet me sooner¡­ but they wouldn¡¯t be nearly as inclined to speak with me. Very well, the preverbal dance it is then. "Oh, you misunderstand.¡± Trying to be disarming as possible. ¡°When I say ''dare,'' I mean those brave enough to venture forth, not as a threat. Never that, I promise! My apologies for the poor choice of words. It was not my intention to cause alarm." The guard still eyes him with suspicion. Not seeming entirely convinced by Omnus completely reasonable explanation. Omnus for his part suppressed his mild annoyance. He didn¡¯t enjoy this interaction and found himself eager to return back to his lab and library. The dungeon residents there may also be mortal, but he found his conversations with them far less tedious and much more stimulating. Not to mention he wanted to work on some more research projects. There were three that were promising and he wanted to see them completed. Since they are inconveniencing me, and thus the dungeon and the Primus Sage, I might as well gain some additional resources to make this venture worthwhile. Omnus mused to himself, waiting for the guard to process their own thoughts. ¡°Very well. I will fetch the guild leader.¡± The guard said as their left hand made little gestures. ¡°Please wait here until he comes.¡± A secret language perhaps? He thought as he noticed the little gestures. My my! Now that is interesting. Omnus just nodded and waited. Using a simple earth manipulation spell to summon a stone chair to take a seat. It wasn¡¯t long before he felt the faint sensations of arcane energies pass over him. Had he not had Aurigold incorporated into his tissues, he would have never picked up on the sensation. Truly Primus Sage had astounding foresight to have given him such a gift. Yes, Omnus would have to see about bringing something extra for his creator on top of the desired information. Rare metals perhaps? Maybe a selection of alchemical plants or ingredients. The Primus Sage was a being of knowledge and creator by nature¡­ what would make him happy? But what could he possible bring that the Primus Sage can¡¯t just make or get for himself? Oho! Now this is a challenge! How thrilling! Who would have thought that finding a present could be such a delightful brain teaser? Omnus continued to muse and play with the wonderful little puzzle he discovered when he heard someone clear their throat to get his attention. Looking, Omnus found a female dwarf standing before him. She was broad like most dwarves, her hair was braided with a bronze circlet resting on her brow. They had orange hair that was obviously dyed while their right eye was blind. They wore half plate armor and carried a sword with an arcane mana stone built into the cross guard. Designating her as a type of spell blade of swords. Omnus felt some respect for the dwarven woman since learning the disciplines of combat and spell craft could not have been easy. "Name¡¯s Dona, leader o¡¯ the community. Ye called for me, what¡¯s yer business?" she said in a flat level tone. Her body language held no open threat, only readiness should Omnus try something. "My purpose here is straightforward. The Primus Sage seeks to understand why no one has progressed beyond the first boss of the dungeon." he answered in kind, keeping his points straight since she didn¡¯t seem the talkative type. "And what¡¯s it the ¡®Primus Sage¡¯ wants, askin¡¯ why no one goes past the first boss o¡¯ the dungeon?" she asked in kind, her tone never shifting. "Research and study. The Primus Sage seeks to understand dungeons and their workings. To achieve this, he needs people to enter and explore. He has gathered sufficient information on the first layer, now his focus is on the second." "Is that so? Then why does he not step inside himself if he¡¯s so keen to learn?" she asked with a quirked brow. "Simple. Have you ever attempted to take notes in the middle of a fight? The information gathered would be limited to a single subject, a mage, and that is insufficient. There must be data on the responses of multiple classes and archetypes. After all, what value is there in knowing the result of a single sword slash if the opponent might react differently than expected?" Omnus countered with all the patience in the world. "Do ye now? And why¡¯d they send someone carryin¡¯ the stink o¡¯ necromancy on ¡¯em?" she asked as Omnus noticed how her hands shifted ever so slightly, the other guards now also getting ready to strike. Announcement! Hello everyone! This is finals week for classes so I won''t be able to get this weeks chapter out at its usual time and day, not to mention that i will be having surgery on my jaw this week as well to top it off lol. Instead it will be coming out this Saturday around mid-day easter standard time. Hope you are all looking forwards to it, how''s Omnus going to get out of this mess? share your thoughts with the voting pole at the bottom or leave a comment about your possible theories of what might happen next!Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Omnus was now more than just mildly annoyed by this guild representative. Who was she to threaten him just because he can use, and is made from, Necromancy magics? The absurdity of it was insulting. He had no say by which means he came to existence. What he found truly insulting though was the implications she said indirectly about his creator the Primus Sage. By what right did she have to question a being with the knowledge of a lost age? Who was she to subtly back hand the a being that surpassed life and death? Who was SHE to delay progress that can change the world. No, Omnus found that he did not much care for this woman. Nor did he care for the how there was now a gathering of more adventurers. Each with twitchy hands that rested on their weapons. Ah, it seems I have finally found my limit with the ignorant and the foolish. Omnus thought to himself. With the minor discovery of himself made, he released enough Aurigold threads in the air for quick action but few enough that they were hard to see. ¡°I see. So, you wish to speak candidly. Very well, let us speak frankly and, as they say, ''cut the nonsense.''¡± Omnus stated as he took resumed his seat on the improvised stone seat. "Ask your questions, and let us conclude this. It is evident you have not approached in good faith, so let us not waste any more time than necessary." The guild leader stood her ground, hand resting on the hilt of her blade. Her face a stone mask. There was a slight flicker of her eyes yet she continued to stare at Omnus. "The fact I¡¯m here talkin¡¯ instead o¡¯ rainin¡¯ spells and arrows down on ye should be good enough faith." The Dwarven woman said as Omnus noticed her forcing her gaze to stay on him. Omnus now had enough. He can tolerate the ignorant, the foolish, and dimwitted. But a liar? No. "Is that so?¡± Omnus said, their voice low and even. With a flex of his finger, he channeled mana into the Aurigold thread making it light up for but a second as it slashed through the previously empty air. A second later, there was a thump and clatter to the ground with a dagger and a hand becoming visible. A second latter there was a wailing as the previously invisible assassin shimmered into reality. The man now clutching a stump that was their wrist to their chest to try and stem the bleeding. Everyone watching could only stare on wide eyed. At least all the guards who had been watching the event take place. The dwarven guild leader though seemed more aggravated at the sight as their sword was now partially drawn. Omnus remained motionless while the would be assassin clutched their ruined arm, wailing in pain. ¡°Then you are a liar." Omnus stated with the same disinterest as one would say the sky was blue. Adjusting his potion, he turned to the downed assassin and gripped a fist full of their hair in his hand. Ignoring the arrow that was loosed at him that was summarily cut from the air by a Aurigold wrapping made whip. With the would-be killer not properly caught and exposed, he turned once more dragged the whimpering wretch to sit next to him in the dirt to face the guild leader once more. "Be silent, child." Omnus said, letting mild agitation seep into his tone. Casting a spell to muffle the assassin¡¯s cries of pain and fear. Never breaking their gaze from the guild leader whose name he purposely forgot. No one said anything, no one moved, unsure if they too would end up suddenly losing a limb as well. "Now that I have your undivided attention, it seems an opportune moment for a proper lecture. Especially given your earlier statement, which was not only infuriatingly ignorant but also in dire need of correction. Necromancy and restoration magic are, in truth, one and the same. Two faces of the same coin, distinguished mainly by their aesthetic. One animates the body, like so..." Omnus lectured, casing the reanimation spell on the severed hand. causing it to twitch before it started to move and flex its fingers push itself up off the ground. Crawling and moving closer to him and his reluctant teaching assistant. Using one of his wrappings to hold out amputated end of the assassin¡¯s arm. "...and the other reforms it.¡± Omnus puppeteered the severed hand and made it crawl into place back ere it once was before. Pressing its severed end back to the stump it came from. When it was there, Omnus cast a spell to make the regeneration spell he developed from watching studying the troll body. Releasing the animation spell on the hand as it reattached itself to the assassin¡¯s wrist. Everyone watching on in grizzly fascination while it all took place. Even the assassin watched dumbly with a slack jawed expression. When it was done, the assassin found that the could move and wiggle their fingers once more. further stupefying them and the rest of the on lookers. "There. Your hand is reattached. Thank you for being a, albeit reluctant, volunteer for my demonstration. Now, limp back to your master." Omnus said as they released the assassin¡¯s hair and withdrew their Aurigold bindings. Feeling no further need to further punished the fool. The assassin cradled their newly healed arm as they shuffled to the gate. Face full of shame, fear, and perhaps some phantom pains that still lingered. no one moved closer to help them. no one made any threats or tried to get in his way. Once the assassin was gone from everyone¡¯s sight, Omnus looked to each adventurer who was watching. Certain that no further attacks from some hidden dagger were coming. He turned his attention back to the dwarven woman who¡¯s arcane channeling blade was partially drawn. Clear anger and frustration painted across her face. ¡°Yes, there exist magics that are truly ''good'' or undeniably ''evil,'' but they are exceedingly rare. Necromancy and restoration do not belong to such extremes; they are simply tools, knowledge to be wielded." Omnus said, crossing a leg over his knee. ¡°Now, to your second offence.¡± He allowed his mana to release from his body at this point. Letting it chill the air with frost forming around everything in his immediate area. He felt anger for sure, but he was not one to let it control him. No, no. Omnus would never allow himself to be blinded by anger. Others might have burning anger. But for him, it was precise, cold and focused. ¡°The lie.¡± He said with a voice that was colder then peak of a harsh winter. ¡°Here, of all places, you dared to claim you acted in good faith. I can scarcely imagine a greater insult. The irony is both profoundly sad and, frankly, revolting beyond belief.¡± He took a moment to let his words settle in over the crowd.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Taking note of a some ashamed filled faces along with a few angry glares while others looked confused. The dwarven woman though, was not shame faced or angry. She was only focused on him, ready to act. There was doubt in her eyes maybe. A light hint of acknowledgement perhaps. Either way it didn¡¯t matter to Omnus. He had a mission and right now this woman was anything but useful. "Now, will you answer my question, or do you intend to keep wasting everyone''s time?" Omnus asked his tolerance now at an end. The dwarven woman said nothing at first still regarding him with deep thought before releasing her sword to let it fully sheath itself back in the scabbard. "I don¡¯t trust ye." She said tersely. ¡°"Waste my time, it seems. Very well. I had intended to offer payment in exchange for information, but it appears I¡¯ll have to seek my answer elsewhere.¡± He signed tiredly, wanting to go back to be around people who were intelligent once more. Resolving himself he turned his gaze for the dwarven woman to a dwarven man that was on the wall taking aim at him. "You, over there, on the wall.¡± Omnus called out, earning a very confused look from the dwarven he called out. ¡°Yes, you. With the bow aimed at my head. Five thousand gold coins if you tell me why no one progresses beyond the first layer." The man had an expression of greed plastered all over his face. the woman he been speaking with looked ready to bark orders. Instead of letting her, Omnus summoned a sound proof dome around her so she wouldn¡¯t waste any more of his time. The dwarven archer looked uncertain as to what to do. They were clearly tempted and wanted to take the offer, but with so many people present they likely didn¡¯t want to accept in front of everyone. It wasn¡¯t long though for them to sucum to the temptation once Omnus presented the bag of gold and opened it to show the treasure inside. In short order, the archer told Omnus everything that he wanted to know. The adventurers were planning to delve deeper in the near future. The main reason they haven¡¯t done so yet was because they were busy building up their town first. They were working on building a smithy, an inn, some barns and permanent housing. Omnus took notes in his down with a small journal then snapped the book shut once the archer had nothing left to say. "There now, that wasn¡¯t so difficult to say, was it? So much trouble could have been spared if this had been shared from the start.¡± Omnus said feeling much more content now that he had his answers, tossing the heavy bag of coins to the archer who had been of far greater assistance. ¡°I am certain the Primus Sage would gladly arrange for supplies to be sent. Farewell, and rest assured, you can expect them to arrive shortly." With that, Omnus turned left before departing. Choosing to take the long way just in case anyone tried to follow. Taking it a step further by casting spells that would conceal his presence and using his aurigold wrap whips to get of the ground and move faster. Preventing them from having a trail to follow. Only when he was absolutely sure no one would follow and no scrying spell was on him did he return how. Eager to share his good news. *** Jack was anything but happy at the moment. He had watched everything that happened between Omnus and the adventurers. Admittedly he was thrilled that they were planning to explore his dungeon soon. Hells, he was downright excited to see them try the new challenges and explore the residential area. All the hidden traps and treasures the puzzles. Not to mention the lore and mobs he had all set up for them to test themselves against. He was excited to see it all and relieved to know that all he needed to do was be patient. What had him pissed off, was that Omnus was followed. When Omnus made his great escape he did manage to lose the adventurers that were tailing him eventually. But that after he partly made his way into the dungeon territory. The adventurers just barely stepped inside and it was to see if they could find him again. Luckily they hadn¡¯t so they couldn¡¯t report back to the he and his community were. There was no question that he could put on one hell of a fight but he knew there was some very powerful people out there. He didn¡¯t know if there were any in the budding town outside of his territory. In all likely hood there probably weren¡¯t any here and likely those people won¡¯t be interested in his dungeon why he was still low leveled. Unfortunately, since it was an unknown factor he can¡¯t afford to risk it. "Primus Sage... may I, perhaps, be permitted to leave the corner now?" Omnus pleaded. Jack whirled to face Omnus, ending his pacing as did his best to glare. They were in his tower work shop, the sun was down with the sounds of insects filled the air. His tools were in their assigned place with a half-made project on his work bench was the start of a yatagan sword for Frizzy to have and study. The air was cool and the lighting was dim with half of the torches out. The far side of the work shop having a corpse that Jack had summoned to experiment with to see about possibly making a new mob. Notes scattered around the test subject along with various metals he had available to test. Jack had been pacing back and forth between his work stations with his hands behind his back. Trying to think of what to do about the mess. Only for Omnus to interrupt his thoughts and pondering. ¡°Naughty boy will be quiet!¡± Jack warned with fists on his boney hips. ¡°What did I tell you to do?¡± ¡°Sit in the corner and reflect on what I¡¯ve done...¡± Omnus answered, unable to look Jack in the eye sockets. ¡°Damn right! And you are grounded! No experimenting privilages for a week!¡± Jack barked. ¡°But-!¡± Omnus began to protest before Jack raised a warning finger at him. ¡°You wanna make it two weeks?¡± Jack asked. ¡°And don¡¯t you lord the fact you have an ass while don¡¯t over me!¡± "I''m... truly sorry, Primus Sage..." Omnus said defeated, sounding truly remorseful for his part. Jack pinched his nasal bone, as he let out a sigh. Omnus had gotten the information as promised, he even made a trade with some public relations work by promising the town supplies and materials. The problem was he thought too much like a scholar. Meaning he didn¡¯t see the problem of approaching the town FROM the direction of the dungeon. An undead and construct dungeon. Anyone would be suspicious if they saw that and not to mention everything about his appearance was automatically suspicious. Jack really did appreciate Omnus efforts, he really did. The problem was Omnus didn¡¯t have nearly enough street smarts or common sense for this kind of work. It was no fault of his own or course. He was as Jack made him. curious and hungry for information consequences be damned. ¡°It¡¯s ok Omnus.¡± Jack relented, realizing he might have been slightly unfair to the dungeon sentinel. ¡°Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. Even me. You acted in good faith but you didn¡¯t think beforehand about how to solve the problem. You just dived right in. That is not how you solve problems involving people and it is not how you should do research.¡± At this, Omnus recoiled. Clearly horrified that he might have been doing reseach the wrong way the whole time. Jack could feel though the link that his mummy mage was in fact panicking. ¡°The punishment stands.¡± Jack said in full seriousness. Hells, if he left the mummy to continue working like that then it was only a matter of time before blew up half the dungeon. Especially if Jack ever told the mummy about the dangerous concepts he was aware of for transmutation and arcane circles. Still¡­ Jack didn¡¯t want to discourage Omnus¡¯ thirst for knowledge and he knew just how to put a positive spin on this. And maybe kill two birds with one stone. Maybe four if he was lucky. ¡°That said, you¡¯ll be working with Frizzy, Shol¡¯theran The Fleshsmith, and myself to work on one of my projects.¡± Jack said cheerily, getting a sensation of shock from their link. ¡°we¡¯ll be making a new mob for the dungeon and maybe we¡¯ll have a new-OOOOF!¡± That, apparently, had been a mistake. Omnus closed the distance between the two of them in a heartbeat. Tackling Jack with surprisingly more weight than he thought from the Silvery gold mummy. Being pulled into a hug while being lifted off the ground as Omnus. ¡°Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!¡± Omnus shouted still hugging and spinning Jack around like a limp rag doll. ¡°Down!¡± Jack commanded. ¡°Shinny man crushing spine!¡± Omnus for his part was simply too happy to hear Jack¡¯s protests. Taking a full minute for him to finally put Jack down. "Apologies, Primus Sage, but I cannot contain my excitement! You rarely allow others to assist with your projects. It¡¯s usually only First Disciple Frizzy who gets such an honor! This is incredible!" Omnus said practically bouncing with giddiness. ¡°OOooookay.¡± Jack said, twisting his back to make a vertebrae pop back into place. ¡°Back¡¯s it fixed. Alrighty, Omnus you¡¯ll be helping by working with us and I am very happy you are happy. Today though¡­ YOU STAY IN THE TIMEOUT CORNER!!¡± ¡°EEEEEEK!¡± Omnus shrieked, running as fast as he could for cover as Jack arches of lightening danced between his boney metal fingers. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Jack was looking over his notes to double check the measurements he took earlier. The machine in question was a something that was mandatory for any Fabricator. A large steam powered hammer. There were shaping drills, extenders, hydro-presses, forge blowers and or course engravers. But the power hammer was, in Jack¡¯s opinion was nothing short or revolutionary for fabricators. In terms rapid production without sacrificing quality, it was a must have for any fabricator that needed to do either bulk orders or conduct rush orders. Jack took a step back and looked over the device. Taking a moment to appreciate the machine for what it was. All in all, it is a simple machine bit it was the simplicity of its design that made it so tricky to use. It had a large rectangular body with a piston that connected to a chain to spin the gear. The chain connected to a steam engine that was made to have a close system. The steam would boil, travel through the rotating mechanism, travel through the pipe that would cool it down back to water and once enough water was collected in the bason, get dumped back into the boiler through the one-way valve. Making the hundred-pound hammer move up and down in rapid succession at eighty strikes at minute. To the lay man that might sound like much since a smith can easily strike faster in a minute. But a smith can¡¯t strike with the same force each time and maintain that pace for long periods of time since their arm would get tired an lose accuracy. Jack double checked on the hammer, the foot pedals and the dials to make sure it all worked properly. With the kind of pressure, the steam engine would produce he wasn¡¯t going to risk it exploding and flash cooking someone. He already made three others when making his power tools. It was just the power hammer¡¯s engine was more dangerous since it was much larger. If something that big blew up then it would hurt more than a little compared to the others. After checking the third time the make sure everything fit together, he had Frizzy move to the other side of the tower and take cover. The moment he activated the boiling mechanism for the engine he dove for cover to wait as the engine to pressurize. At first nothing happened. After a minute passed, with nothing to show for the hammer¡¯s activation, Jack peeked from above his cover. Waiting for something to happened. Watching the pressure gage to see if anything hanged. ¡°Did it work?¡± Frizzy called out from her own corner of safety. ¡°No¡­¡± Jack said feeling a little braver and came out from cover. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t look like it. Something went wrong.¡± He sighed, approaching the engine and turned the pressure release valve. When he turned the valve a jet of pressurized steam shot out. Hissing angrily with the air becoming very foggy in short order. Before he knew it the air around him became saturated. Leaving his cloths damp and clinging to his metallic bones. ¡°Teacher! Are you ok?¡± Frizzy shouted before jumping out from cover. ¡°Yeah!¡± Jack answered back, silently curing himself since the safety release didn¡¯t work and the pressure gage wasn¡¯t working. ¡°Just annoyed and very moist.¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t say that word!¡± Frizzy shuttered. ¡°It¡¯s gross and makes my skin crawl.¡± ¡°What word?¡± Jack said, leaving the pressure release open and making sure the heating element of the engine was off. ¡°and don¡¯t get too close. The air over here is extremely hot.¡± ¡°Moist.¡± Frizzy muttered with a shutter. ¡°I hate that word.¡± ¡°Moist?¡± Jack said, making Frizzy involuntarily shiver again. ¡°Will you stop it!¡± Frizzy growled with some heat. ¡°That word is so gross. It brings up nasty images every time I hear it.¡± Jack snickered before he flipped the lever to the container with cool water back into the engine. Ensuring that no one got burned by accident. Especially Frizzy¡¯s students since they were a very curious bunch. Something he absolutely loved about them, even if I often lead many of them to some mishaps. ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, I hate the word perfection.¡± Jack offered while going to the clothing rack to take his work apron off and put on his work jacket. ¡°The very idea of it disgusts me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, teacher.¡± Frizzy said was she took off her own work apron and put on a jacket as well. ¡°Why would you of all people hate perfection? We¡¯ve been working on your newest project for almost three months and each time we get a break through you used that word constantly.¡± Jack pulled over a clipboard from a nearby table. Looking over the resource inventory for Frizzy¡¯s crafting classes. Noticing that they were going to need a few thousand pounds of tin and copper. The next page showed that the flesh molders were also going to need more plant matter and body matter for them to build their hive den. Looks like he had a lot of summoning and spawning to do later. ¡°Well¡­ hmmm.¡± Jack hummed as he looked over the notes. ¡°Maybe saying I ¡®hate¡¯ the word ain¡¯t exactly right. It¡¯s more like I hate the idea of perfection. If something is perfect then that¡¯s it. A dead end, nothing new to learn, no boundary to push, no further growth. I honestly can¡¯t think of anything more horrible. I fully support the idea of chasing the impossible and exploring the unknow. But achieving perfection¡­ no. In my opinion that is a fate worse than death.¡± Jack looked over his notes, continuing to make plans for what he needed do for the day. Unaware that Frizzy was looking at her teacher with admiration and contentment. For the times he played the fool and moody madman, she appreciated these moments where he would slip. Showing that he was a much deeper thinker and wiser than he lets on. ¡°Teacher, since you are sharing your thoughts. Can I ask you another question?¡± Frizzy asked, walking over to the work table to retrieve the blueprints for the power hammer to go over later. ¡°Ha! You just did.¡± Jack laughed, using a quill to write notes on the clipboard. ¡°Besides, you know I¡¯ll answer just about anything you ask. What¡¯s on your mind my favorite pain in the butt?¡± ¡°Do you ever think about the bodies we¡¯ve been experimenting with?¡± Frizzy asked while writing down some notes. In truth¡­ it had been something that had bothered her for some time. Yes, the bodies were summoned ones. Technically they were never alive. They never had lives nor did they have anyone that once knew them. By all accounts they were blank slates. She could understand cutting up monsters and had been involved in the dissections of both. She did them, learned a great deal and even made her own designs for prosthetic limbs from her studies. Yet¡­ she couldn¡¯t help but feel bothered by dissecting the bodies Jack summoned. Then there was the fact that it frustrated her that it bothered her. ¡°Sometimes.¡± Jack answered, double checking his notes before putting the clipboard down. ¡°Buuuuuuut, I have a feeling there is more to that question then you¡¯re letting on. Come on Frizzy, if you want a straight answer you got to ask straight questions. What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Frizzy took a breath to stall and gather her thoughts. Trying to find the best way to ask. Ultimately giving up and taking her teacher¡¯s advice to heart. ¡°Teacher¡­ does it sometimes bother you when we dissect the bodies?¡± Frizzy asked. Jack paused at this question. It was a much more serious topic then he initially thought it would be. Looking closer, he could see that she was hiding how much it bothered her. The look in her eye and her face said it all. He cursed himself for not noticing it sooner. ¡°Frizzy I think we need to have a talk.¡± Jack said making the poor girl wince. ¡°It¡¯s nothing bad but it is serious. Follow me.¡± Jack led frizzy to the back of the workshop where their latest project laid motionless. A white sheet covering the body with no sighs of it having been moved recently. When they both stood next to the work table with the body, Jack pulled the sheet down to the shoulders of the body. Revealing the cadaver was that of a woman. Surgical cuts crisscrossed the cadaver¡¯s skin that were stitched shut were visible everywhere along with a thick mane of hair. The expression was peaceful with their eyes shut, giving the appearance of someone who was just deep asleep. ¡°Tell me Frizzy, had you not seen me spawn the body, would you say there is much difference between this body and the body of an adventurer who died in the dungeon?¡± Jack asked, looking at the body with his hands clasped behind his back. ¡°Their features are plain, but no¡­ I wouldn¡¯t know the difference between the two.¡± Frizzy admitted as she too stared at the body.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Alright,¡± Jack nodded. ¡°In terms of appearance, there is really not much difference besides one looks more boring. Since you know one of spawned and another was made the old-fashioned way, can you tell me any other difference between the two?¡± At the question, Frizzy grew thoughtful. Taking some time to consider the body in front of her. Jack for his part just waited. Taking second to move his consciousness around his dungeon. Examining the adventurers who were currently exploring the first and second layer. In the three months since Omnus went to investigate the Adventurer town, it took a month before they finally started to explore the second layer. The results were everything Jack had hoped for. They were exploring the buildings, looking for traps, and fighting the bobs as expected. Then the first group arrived at the gate, Jack and all the dungeon residents had a good laugh when they couldn¡¯t open the door. What made it even funnier was they had the entry key from when the first boss the first time. Only they had left it back at the town and went around the boss this time. They spent a good hour trying to breach the door. And for their efforts they managed to break the stone door only to be exhausted afterwards. Forcing them turn back. The second group was much the same thing except they didn¡¯t burn themselves out trying to force their way through. Instead, they tried to find a hidden lever, which was something he was absolutely make later. It was the fourth group that managed to get inside using the key from the first boss fight. Their rection to seeing the second layer was priceless. When they saw the ruined buildings took a moment to actually stand there and fully take in what they saw. Partially collapsed or burned buildings. Ruined streets could have at one time been smooth and beautiful. Piles of rubble that could have once been someone¡¯s home or maybe a statue. A fountain with scummy water with broken pottery and heavily rusted cups attached the fountain¡¯s base. Then there were the ¡®ancient¡¯ dwarven and elven sets of armor left here and there at random with the appropriate skeletons in side them. Some of which got up and would try and fight the adventures. The first group that made their way into the second layer took notes and made their way back to share their findings. The groups that followed began to really explore what the layer had to offer. Exploring buildings, ruins and looking over any books they could find. The tin constructs were an instant hit and proved to be a good challenge for the adventurers. They might have been small but they were strong. Jack still snickered when he saw an adventurer tried to challenge on that was ¡®damaged¡¯ by throwing a dagger at it. What that guy hoped to accomplish, Jack still didn¡¯t know. But that punch to the groin in response was absolutely hilarious. Lucky for the adventurer with the squashed grapes they found the healing spring soon after. With that discovery, they stared to really search the second layer. Hungry for more discoveries and in short order found the Alchemical shop and the Traveler¡¯s Inn. So far no one found the tressure vault but that was fine. what was even better was then they found the ¡®Inn Keeper¡¯. Now that had been a day. Coming back from his reminiscing, Jack found that Frizzy was still considering the question. Really thinking it over until she looked back at him. ¡°One was a live other wasn¡¯t?¡± Frizzy asked more than stated. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. But ultimately, they¡¯re both dead. What else?¡± Jack asked. ¡°One has a past and the other doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°They both have a story behind them. One is just a lot shorter than the other.¡± ¡°Then¡­ one is¡­¡± Frizzy started to say, struggling to think of something else. ¡°Not much difference is there?¡± Jack asked while pulling the sheet back up over the body. ¡°Do you ever wonder why after each experiment and dissection I make sure their eyes are closed then immediately have them reabsorbed?¡± Frizzy thought for a moment while Jack patiently waited. When she shook her head, he continued. ¡°The reason I do that is because they are people. Spawned? Yes. Ever alive? No, they weren¡¯t. Could they have been alive under different circumstances? Maybe. Bottom line though they are people. That means they deserve some dignity so I do leave them to fester or on display.¡± Jack said feeling an inkling of fuzzy memory, a fragment really. The words of the obscure person though were clear enough and Jack agreed with them so he¡¯ll share them with frizzy. ¡°The body is a vessel. A living machine that houses the person inside. When that spirit is gone, all you are left with is the shell.¡± Jack said, leaning his hip on the work table. ¡°Yes, we are taking them apart to learn and invent. But that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t deserve respect and dignity.¡± Frizzy considered his words while Jack sat there. Waiting to see if she had any further questions. ¡°I don¡¯t think you answered my question.¡± Frizzy said look at him with a hint of a grin. ¡°Fair enough.¡± Jack nodded then looked back at body on the work table. ¡°A little. Not so much that it is a ¡®body¡¯ but because they could have been a person.¡± Jack said as he placed a boney hand on the body¡¯s head respectfully. ¡°The face they could have been a person means they deserve to be treated better than a pocket watch. And that is why, in my own way, I put them to rest in my own way.¡± ¡°Thank you, Teacher. That helped put things in perspective.¡± Frizzy said, now looking at the body in a new light. Before she could say anything else, Shol¡¯theran The Fleshsmith entered the workshop through the lift. The Zur''keth walked to them both with their antenna twitching excitedly. Each step was full of purpose until he came to stop at a respectful distance in front of them both. "H.hello, Ancient One, and greetings to First Disciple Frizzy of the esteemed Grayroot Clan. This one carries an important question. Most important indeed.¡± Shol¡¯theran said eagerly, practically hopping from foot to foot. The caressing of their hand though gave away that they were nervous. Jack couldn¡¯t help but enjoy their excitement since it was absolutely infectious. ¡°By all means. Hells, everyone should know by now they are welcome to ask me questions.¡± Jack said cheerily. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Shol¡¯theran nodded eagerly while their antenna twitched anxiously. ¡°The hive leaders have spoken, and all are in harmony. Ancient One, we humbly ask to become full residents of your great dungeon, to bear the same sacred mark as our gremlin neighbors, who have become... our most cherished friends."
Attention! You have received a request from the [Deep Wander Hive] to become Dungeon residents.
You have been asked by Shol¡¯theran to accept their hive as residents within your dungeon. Each member of the [Deep Wander Hive] will be granted special privileges that adventures will not be able to enjoy. All residents will be have a special mark to designate they are can enjoy these privileges. Such privileges include: 1. Mob command: Residents will have a limited level of command over a nearby mob that hasn¡¯t been given orders by the dungeon master. 2. Aura of Protection: While in the dungeon, residents who are attacked will be protected by the dungeon mobs and will sacrifice themselves in order to protect the resident. 3. Dungeon¡¯s Favor: Residents of the dungeon can earn points overtime or completely tasks for the dungeon. These points are used to purchase special perks, such as temporary buffs, unique items, or summoning powerful mobs to aid them in battle. These favors represent the dungeon¡¯s appreciation for the resident¡¯s contributions. 4. Dungeon Map: The resident is provided a mental map of the dungeon, allowing them to navigate and locate resources within the dungeon. 5. Safe Passage: All people who are marked as a resident can travel in and out of the dungeon without fear of being attack by mobs. 6. Special Access: Resident can have special access to areas of the dungeon that is otherwise inaccessible, restricted, needs certain requirements met. This access is only limited by what the Dungeon Master grants to either all residents as a whole or specific residents.
Attention! Conditions required!
Quest As above, so Below In order for the [Deep Wander Hive] to truly become residents of the dungeon, there must be a place best suited for their living conditions. While they are able to live above ground, they are most at home underground and need a place to make truly their own. Reward: [Zur¡¯keth] becomes new Dungeon Residents, 210 Dungeon Upgrade points Accept the quest? Yes/No
If Jack had a face in that moment, he would have been grinning like a mad man. Last he checked, the dungeon upgrade would make it so he could start developing underground was around one hundred upgrade points. With the reward he¡¯d still be making a hundred and ten points. Perfectly acceptable loss since the Zur¡¯keth had been great residents and became as thick as thieves with the gremlins. Jack accepted the quest without a second thought. ¡°You are all welcome to become residents.¡± Jack declared while Frizzy practically tackled Shol¡¯theran in a hug. ¡°Before the hive can become full residents, I have to complete a quest to make sure you have a good home to call your own.¡± Shol¡¯theran profusely thanked Jack, praising him and the honor it was to be with an ancient again. Frizzy was also very happy by the whole arrangement practically ordering him to tell he what to do so that they can get the quest done sooner. Jack for his part only reassured them that by tomorrow he would have everything ready and the Zur¡¯keth hive would become official residents by then. When everyone had calmed down and Jack was about to have them restart their efforts for the experiment, a new notification appeared in his vision.
Attention! New quest available!
Quest Stand against the horde An army of unknown enemies gathers. Their number, unknown. Enemy type, unknown. Their intentions, Evil. Their target, the adventurer¡¯s town at the edge of the dungeon. Defend the town, destroy the army. Time till the invaders arrive: 5 days Reward: 2,000 Dungeon Upgrade Points Three new mobs New Mob Type Consequences: Refuse and the town maybe destroyed. Dungeon residents will be at risk of being killed/corrupted by malignment forces. Accept the quest? Yes/No
After reading the alert, Jack felt a chill run up his spine. Fractured images of horror flickered through his mind. People screaming and dying. Dead laying in the street and people being butchered. Invaders taking sick glee in tormenting the helpless. No... Jack thought to himself, cold giving him focus. I won¡¯t allow it. With plans upon plans now running though his mind, Jack accepted the quest. ¡°Frizzy, bring me Aegisthal and Omnus,¡± Jack ordered turning back to the experiment on the table. They should be here for when their sister wakes up. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 5 Days remaining¡­ Jack waited for Omnus and Aegisthal to come once Frizzy left to get them both. Thinking about what it meant that the system was warning him that an invading for was approaching. Was it the gods? Was it the system itself? Was there something else in play? Why was it warning him? Did it warn everyone of an invasion for? Or was this a special circumstance? Jack didn¡¯t have any answers nor did he have the luxury of time to tease out the answers. No, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste a second. He needed to answers. He needed information and no one in his community, nor his sentinels, knew anything about scouting. There was too much at stake to just throw waves of mobs at the enemy and Jack didn¡¯t even know if regular mobs could even leave his dungeon¡¯s boarders. The sentinels absolutely could, the regular mobs though¡­ Another thing I¡¯ll have to test¡­ Jack groaned. At least that one will be easy. Right now, I have other priorities to focus on. It didn¡¯t take long for Frizzy to find Aegisthus and Omnus since she sprinted to fullfill Jack¡¯s request. When the three came back, Jack regarded them. Aegisthal, his first sentinel. The warrior, guard, bulwark and commander. Omnus, his second sentinel. The researcher, librarian, teacher, and mage. With the implications that the quest presented, he needed both at their best. Both would be integral to protecting the dungeon and the adventurer¡¯s town. He needed them to be informed and prepared as best as possible. ¡°We are going to be invaded in five days.¡± Jack stated, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. ¡°The system itself has told me and that can¡¯t be good. There is no information on who the enemy is, what they want, nor their end goals. Only they are evil and if they win, our residents will be at risk. That is not acceptable.¡± From his link, he felt that Aegisthal and Omnus felt the same way that he did. Frizzy looked worry and unsure what to do, at first. When she heard the residents would be at risk, all doubt left her with only angry determination remaining. Shol¡¯theran for their part, had their antenna flicked back and their fingers curled like claws followed by angry clicks and chirps. Good. We are all on the same page. ¡°Aegisthal,¡± Jack said making the towering golem snap to attention. ¡°Get your golems ready to respond quickly to any major threats. I need one of them carrying a message to the adventurers later today so they can be warned.¡± ¡°It will be done, my General. All ten golems under my command are stationed around your town. How many should remain to ensure the protection of its residents?¡± Aegithal asked in that ever calm yet commanding tone of his. ¡°We will leave three behind to protect our residents. The rest will go to protect the adventurer¡¯s town since they are more exposed.¡± Jack answered in kind. ¡°It will be done. However, I require additional troops. The golems you have created are formidable, but their numbers are insufficient to face an army.¡± Aegisthal said in turn. ¡°You will have them.¡± Was all Jack said, making the Golem solute with a fist over his chest. ¡°Omnus.¡± Jack said turning his attention to the Scholar who stood straighter with hands clasped behind his back. ¡°I need you to look into any spells that are focused in combat. Anything with crowd control that will hamper or kill our enemy. Can you make it happen?¡± "Yes, Primus Sage.¡± Omnus said, focused and ready to meet any challenge. ¡°I have devised a few potential solutions. While the process may require time, I shall devote every effort to ensure we gain any advantage possible." ¡°Whatever you find, teach it to as many of our residents as possible.¡± Jack said pulling up his dungeon upgrade menu. "Forgive my ignorance, Primus Sage, but is it your intention to have the dungeon residents confront this unknown force?" Omnus asked, his head tilted slightly. ¡°No, but if the enemy flanks us or somehow gets around our forces I want my people to be able to defend themselves.¡± Jack said as he made a mental list before closing the menu. ¡°Understood, Primus Sage. I shall ensure the dungeon residents are adequately prepared to defend themselves with spell craft should such a contingency arise.¡± Omnus said with a bow of their head. ¡°Good. Shol¡¯theran,¡± Jack said getting the usually very polite and friendly Zur¡¯keth to stop his angry h chittering. ¡°I need you to go to the hive elders. Let them know I need them to made as deadly a poison as possible for ranged weapons.¡± "By your will, Ancient One,¡± Growled respectfully to Jack. ¡°This one shall go at once. The hive elders shall be informed of your command, and the deadliest of poisons shall be crafted to arm the swarm. We shall ensure our enemies taste despair before they fall." ¡°Thank you, but not yet.¡± Jack responded with a nod. ¡°I still need your help here first.¡± Shol¡¯theran tilted their head in confusion at Jack. Turning their head to glance at the table with the latest project and research notes then back to Jack. Jack simply nodded his head and Shol¡¯theran nodded their understanding. ¡°Frizzy,¡± Jack said and the small gremlin woman looked ready to strangle a lion. ¡°I need you to get all your apprentices to start making crossbows and bolts with barbed heads.¡± ¡°Consider it done Teacher.¡± Frizzy confirmed. ¡°Want me to stay and help with the project first like Shol¡¯theran?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll also need Omnus to say as well. Aegisthal, I need you go get work on your task now.¡± Jack said to all of them. ¡°I will call you to come back when the time is right.¡± Aegisthal gave another solute before spinning on his feet and marched out. Omnus, Frizzy, and Shol¡¯theran all approached Jack and the table to get to work. Each working in conjunction to one another while Jack re-opened his upgrade menu to make some purchases.
Attention! Dungeon upgrades purchased
You have purchased: [Underground lair levels] for 100 dungeon upgrade points. dungeon territory will now extend adoringly. Due to currently level of the dungeon the max level of depth for the dungeon will be set at [12] miles. Dungeon Upgrade Points remaining: 646
In an instant, Jack gained awareness of everything that was underground. The sewer system, the rocks and minerals, everything thing alive and many other things Jack never even thought. He didn¡¯t have the time to properly extend his consciousness to explore the depths. but from what background information he was getting there was some things he re really want to explore. Instead, he set to work clearing out the sewer systems, absorbing stone and dirt to make multi branching chambers of various sizes. All connected through a series of tunnels. Reinforcing the walls with compressed dirt until it was solid while making two tunnel entrances to the surface for both air ventilation as well as to enter and exit. Once it was all done, there was a total of seven large chambers and twenty smaller chambers. The entire structure was reminiscent of a maybe a large sideways pine tree. With the final touches made, leaving sections with soft spot so the Zur¡¯keth can expand and make more chambers, Jack got a notification showing the quest was done. Awarding him the promised Dungeon upgrade points while Shol¡¯theran had a small patch on his back start to glow. Signifying that he was gaining the symbol of Jack¡¯s dungeon and becoming a dungeon resident in truth. Taking a second to look as the symbol finalized itself, Jack saw that it was the same as his tradesman¡¯s mark. An anvil with a three overlapping gears on its side and scroll resting on top of it now made of silver etched itself on their back. Jack refocused his efforts and looked to the group who were taken by surprise by the sudden light show. Then Shol¡¯theran stared off into the air, likely reading their notification that they and all of the hive where now true residents of his dungeon. ¡°Sorry to cheat you of the moment.¡± Jack apologized while coming closer to the group. ¡°But we¡¯ll celebrate your hive becoming residents once the threat is over. Then we¡¯ll have a proper party.¡± ¡°This one is stunned... humbled..." Shol¡¯theran pause, struggling to process the moment "A party, yes, of course, but please forgive this one, Ancient One. It is difficult to grasp such an honor... given so quickly.¡± ¡°Think nothing of it.¡± Jack said with a wave of his hand to dismiss any potential praise. ¡°Got other things to worry about. Let me check something really quick before we get started.¡± Jack didn¡¯t wait for confirmation before he became to move his consciousness from his body. Moving it back to one of the first sources of frustration since he woke up to this new age.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The vault under his old workshop. With his consciousness freely moving, Jack quickly found that he could move through the vault door freely to get inside. Before that though, to quickly satisfy his curiosity, he looked inside the mechanism to the door to see why it was so jammed up. It didn¡¯t take long to find the bane of his existence since it was a snapped anchor gear with four bolts now out of alignment and locking the door in place. With his curiosity sated, Jack moved to inside the dungeon and what he found was a treasure trove.
Attention! New items absorbed
You have absorbed the following Tools: Gemstone Polisher, Stabilizing Clamp, Crystal-Cutting Saw, Heat Dispelling Glove, Clockwork Gear Scribe Materials: Metals Common Quality: Lead, Nickel, Alumi, Magnesium, Chromium Uncommon Quality: Titanium, Cobalt, Quick Silver Rare Quality: Tungsten Crafting Materials: Common Quality: Glass, Oak Wood, Mahogany Wood, Maple Wood, Pine Wood, Obsidian, Glow Dust Uncommon Quality: Firegem Dust, Sparkmetal Flakes, Lightstone Gem, Ironwood, Amethyst, Quartz, Topaz, Garnet, Onyx Rare Quality: Mithril Thread, Shadow Diamond, Tourmaline Miscellaneous Items: Uncommon Quality: Enchanted Quill, Glowstone Pendant, Mystic Lens, Glimmerstone Orb, Everwarm Mug, Arcane Music Box, Rare Quality: Miniature Automaton Assistant, Hovering Eye, Spell-scribing Pen Weapons: Uncommon Quality: Gale Harp Bow, Frostbite Blade, Thunderstrike Hammer, Brightsteel Rapier Rare Quality: Mirror Mace, Zephyr Blade, Armor: Uncommon Quality: Woodsman¡¯s Cloack, Mistweaver Robes, Ironbark Vestments Rare Quality: Stormcaller Plate
Oh¡­ Fuck the hell Yesssssssss. It was a gamble but not a major one. Summoning the materials and components, Jack told Frizzy, Shol¡¯theran, and Omnus what it was he wanted to try. Omnus had excitement radiating off of him, Shol¡¯theran¡¯s antenna twitched curiously, while Frizzy only nodded her head. Ready to do what needed to be done so that they can protect their home. In short order, Frizzy was at fast at work, using the Mana Conduit ability of her prosthetic arm. Focusing the channeled energies to make a molding and fusion arcane circle around each finger tip of the body. Then repeated the process to the teeth of the body. Once she was done, Jack stepped into finish the arcane circles. Inscribing them to focus on the tungsten. Setting it to fuse the metal with the fingers and bone. Shol¡¯theran for his part carefully diagramed the muscles and planed out how best to infuse the mithril wire into the muscle groups. Omnus wasn¡¯t idle as this was all happening. While everyone was set about their tasks, he was busy setting about creating lay lines to better focus the ambient mana. Shol¡¯theran proceeded to shape and mold the tissues and sinew. Moving and braiding the muscle to be more tightly packed while adjusting circulation. All to improve the strength and endurance. Then he moved to the eyes, ears, and nose. Jack, after refining the arcane circles, he used a scalp to make the next set of arcane glyphs and circles. Each of them working in tandem for hours, each one handing the other tools or materials. Their efforts taking them well into the evening with the full moon shining through the windows and balcony. The cool night air rolling over and making the small flames in the surrounding lanterns and torches flicker. Once they were done, they all stood around the sheet draped body. Shol¡¯theran stood to the side, holding a pair of organic based blades that resembled bone. The slightly curved single edged blade resembling a smaller version of a serrated falchion. But it would have been more accurate to call them small short swords since each blade was eighteen inches each. Frizzy held solid steel rods that had been fletched into arrows. Each arrow having a bared head to cause as much damage going it as they would being pulled out as possible. Aegisthal carried a large recurved war bow that stood taller than Jack and nearly as tall as Omnus. Its outer arms were made with a steel frame while the inner arms were made with alumni with a draw string made form mithril thread. Giving it a draw strength of maybe four hundred pounds with runes and an arcane circle at the grip to further enhance acceleration. Jack for his part Jack stepped closer to the form ready to active the new mob type while somehow turning them into a sentinel. Only nothing came up. When he made Omnus and Aegisthal, he was given an alert to let him know they would become a sentinel. Once he accepted he got new mob variants along with them. Yet nothing happened. Four an hour, the body remained motionless. With each passing minute, Jack¡¯s frustration grew. With each passing second Jack stared at the motionless body, he cursed and could only guess why It wasn¡¯t working now. before he hadn¡¯t even been trying! The first he just wanted to make an assistant and body guard. Someone who was steadfast and strong to watch his back when he was just a frail pile of bones. For Omnus he wanted to have someone to conduct research and understand the new rules of this world. Someone bright and curious who was excited to discover the mysteries of the world. Jack pulled up a seat to the table, his frustration mounting while everyone else was pacing with the exception of Aegisthal who stood quiet and ready. No one was able to think of why it wasn¡¯t working. Yet no matter what ideas were thrown, yet nothing made any difference. No matter what idea Jack teased at or considered end up in failure. No matter how he looked at it, there was only one true difference between the previous sentinels and the current one he was trying to make. How he perceived it. All the others he saw as people, waiting to come into being. Surely it couldn¡¯t be that simple. But¡­ what if it was? jack questioned to himself. Really considering the possibility. A lot of people say that the simple solution is usually the best. Jack looked over the dungeon sentinel to be and really considered the thought of what made this scenario different from the others by the end he found there was nothing. Jack, having run out of patients, moved to stand at the head of the table and placed his hands on the tables. One hand resting at either side of the bod¡­ of the woman¡¯s head. Then he started to envision her. Sharp and cunning. A huntress, an assassin, a spy. She would be his eyes and ears to the world that he once knew. Pragmatic, observant, devious and dangerous all wrapped up in one person. She would seek the secrets and threats of those who would threaten his people. Like a cat, she would pound and kill unsuspecting prey, like a ferret she would find her way into the dark corners in which his enemies thought they were safe. Tall and mighty, lean and deadly. Swift as the wind and as unsettling as the silent night. I would name her Eorlas, The Wyrdhunter, my huntress, and none will escape from her. With that thought complete, Jack felt something deep within click as a notification popped up in his vision.
Attention! You have found a prime Dungeon Sentinel candidate!
Dungeon Sentinel Dungeon Sentinels, unlike other dungeon mobs, are the wardens and keepers of dungeons. A Dungeon Sentinel is a more powerful version of a dungeon mob. Unlike a regular dungeon mob who will simply do as instructed by the Dungeon and or Dungeon Master in the most direct way possible. A Dungeon Sentinel will not only do as instruct but also think on its own to accomplish its task in the most efficient way possible. While still being a dungeon mob, these mobs are unique in that they can think for themselves and even have their own personalities. Dungeon Sentinel Candidate option: Vormghoul Create a Dungeon Sentinel? Yes/No
With a sense of satisfaction, Jack selected yes. No sooner than when he chose yes, a swirling in the air took shape with mana hummed and crackled in the air. Soon surrounding the table with the body, creating a shell that dark black with a motley browns, greens and silver mixed in. the swirling twisting shell taking their time as the power built up. Twisting and turning faster while compressing smaller while his dungeon¡¯s mana was dropping quickly. As this happened, Frizzy watched with anticipation, Shol¡¯theran¡¯s antenna were twitching with nervous eagerness. Omnus was practically a beacon of radiating excitement to meet with a new dungeon sentinel. Then there was Aegisthal, still ever stalwart guardian, his outward appearance was impossible to read yet the link told Jack that his first sentinel was curious as to who would come out. It was minutes before the swirling shell of magics further twisted until it was the size of a large apple. Then it froze. Hovering in the air before it steadily stretched and pulled out to form the figure of a person. Steadily taking shape until the form stood at seven feet tall with more details taking shape. When the energies fully dissipated, the new sentinel was revealed in all her glory. From her head was a thick mane of wild rust red brown hair that reached to her mid back. Her figure was made with taught muscle like cables under her tan skin that were well defined like that of a seasoned athlete. Her exposed arms and neck showed surgical scars that crisscrossed over her skin. Clothing was well worn leather vest that with tough pants, a set of durable boots, a belt with multiple pouches buckled to it, and on her hands were fingerless gloves. Showing that her fingers transitioned from flesh at the base of each finger to become metal capped claws at the tips of her fingers. Then there was her face. It was covered with full face mask that was styled like a high quality Volto mask of a woman¡¯s face. the cheek bones were high, the eyes were dark holes where the actual eyes couldn¡¯t be seen. Fillagree formed the details of the face while the lips were pulled into an unsettling grin. Showing pointed gleaming teeth that shined with terrible purpose. "I am forged, Master. Speak your will, and it shall be done." The woman purred with a voice smooth as silk, kneeling before him and ready to hear his command. ¡°Stand, like those who came before you, I will not have you kneel. Only stand.¡± Jack ordered and the woman did so, looking to him as Jack felt those predatory eyes now resting on him. "As you command, my Master. What task would you deem worthy of my hands? How might I best serve your grand design?" She asked, a hunger in her voice that said she would relish the chance to prove her worth. ¡°Your purpose is to be my eyes, my ears, to overwatch my territory and lands. To seek those that wish to pry into the affairs of our people and sabotage us.¡± Jack said as he felt her excitement build while the smile of the metal mask grew larger and more predatory. ¡°I name you Eorlas, The Wyrdhunter. You are my huntress, my spy and assassin. Your trade will be the secrets of others, seeking them like the greatest of treasures then use with the skill of a master artist.¡± Eorlas bowed her head, the link informing Jack she was ready to begin. Carefully taking her new weapons from each person present for her emergence into the world. ¡°Your will shall be done, my Master.¡± She said, securing the arrows to her back along with her bow before testing the edge of her new daggers along her tungsten claw. "I await your command with eager purpose, my Master. Speak your will, and I shall see it done." ¡°An army is coming to invade the adventurer¡¯s town on the boarder of my dungeon.¡± Jack said, hands clasped behind his back while tilting his head to look up at the imposing woman. ¡°That town is important for the growth of my dungeon and that army threatens to cause further damage beyond that. That army is supposed to be here in four days from today. Find that army, and gain as much information as possible on it.¡± ¡°Yes, my master.¡± She purred, the teeth of her mask gleaming in the tourch light the flickered around them. ¡°When I find them, shall I hamper them?¡± Jack considered the question. he was under no obligation to fight fair. He had no intention to either since the survival of his dungeon and his residents was his biggest concern as were the adventurers who made it grow. That army likely had no intention of sparing anyone so he needed the odds tipped as much as possible in his favor. ¡°Without being seen or caught, kill the officers, poison their supplies, cripple their mobility.¡± Jack said looking her where her eyes should be in the mask. ¡°Search and destroy with extreme prejudice.¡± Jack watched as beads of liquid formed between the teeth of her mask. One of which gripped down the chin before landing on the ground with a bubbling hiss. Her fingers flexing and grasping to claw the air at some unseen prey. ¡°It will be my absolute pleasure, my Master.¡± She growled with perverse hunger. Without further invitation, she turned and sprinted with explosive speed. Bolting to the open balcony with light steps that barely touched the ground, hopping to the top of the balcony railing to launch herself into the night. Happy hunting. Jack thought to himself, almost feeling sorry poor bastards. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 4 Days remaining¡­ It was before sun rise and Jack had finished making weapons for his sentinels and summoned an arsenal for all his residents. Hundreds of crossbows with thousands of arrows accompanied with hundreds of short swords along with two sets of leather armor for everyone should the worst happen. None of it was tailored made nor specifically attuned to anyone like he had done with Frizzy¡¯s arm. It irked him that he couldn¡¯t do any fine tuning but it would all work. No matter how much his inner perfectionist screamed in indignation. Once it was all over and they survived, then he¡¯ll go on a fixing spree. Until then, he had other things to worry about. After some experiments, while everyone was asleep, he quickly learned that his normal mobs can¡¯t beyond his territory. When he summoned a body in his territory, he could bring it over the boarder then used the reanimate spell. While Zombies and skeletons can be useful but they weren¡¯t all that effective. With some experiments he found that skeletons were quicker but easily damaged while zombies were slower but physically stronger. When they were summoned at their formed and made to fight it became easier to see what their limitations were. With a few more experiments he also discovered that they were also able to use weapons it a limited degree. The skeletons were able to use a simple bow and arrow and the zombies could use clubs. But anything magical that required conscious thought to use were no better than their normal counterpart. If they could have use magic items, that would have solved a lot of his problems. could have just lured the mystery invaders in then just throw waves of mobs with magic gear. But since that wasn¡¯t the case, there was no point in doing so since it would only mean arming the invaders with better equipment once the mob was killed. That left only regular weapons for his mobs that had fingers and thumbs. ¡°FuuuuuuuuAAAAAKA!¡± Jack complained to himself, slumped sideways in his throne. ¡°All I wanted to do was make a dungeon, get as many memories back as possible and keep building my community. Is that so much to ask for?¡± he whined as he turned his head to look at the miniature automaton assistant he summoned. The simple humanoid construct simply stood there, uncaring of Jack¡¯s misery. Only standing patiently, waiting for whatever request he might make. ¡°Seriously.¡± Jack continued, also uncaring that the automaton didn¡¯t care. ¡°Is it such a crime to just want to build things? I don¡¯t do political bullshit! Might as well as a fucking fish to climb a tree!¡± The automaton continued to stand and say nothing not that it could. Allowing the lich to vent their frustration. ¡°I swear¡­ what the hells am I even getting myself into?¡± Jack asked as he looked up at the ceiling of his new workshop. ¡°Sometimes I think maybe it would have been best if I stayed asleep. Maybe wait out the craziness for a while longer. Then I think about all the people I have in my life and I think, ¡®Fuuuuuuck¡­ These people love me. They need me. Their lives are improving with my involvement. Are there others who need my help? Should I go looking for them? How involved should I be? Is it even my place to try and lead them?¡¯ and each time I just stare dumbly out in space. Thinking ¡®Asshole! Wake up! You need answers for those questions dumbass!¡¯ I mean come on Jack! These people need you and they put their live in your hands! You can¡¯t have slippery fingers and let them slip!¡± Jack turned further in his throne, draping his legs over one armrest with his head hanging over the other side as his hands over his midriff. His fingers were interlocked as he took a deep metaphorical breath. Staring up at the ceiling to look for some hidden answers. ¡°Now¡­ now I have to lead them but I¡¯m no leader. Maybe I used to be¡­ but now? Now I¡¯m a husk of what I was. All I remember are bare fragments, flashes of what might have been. The only thing I remember for certain is my skill as a Fabricator and all the knowledge that comes with it. Then¡­ then there are the screams¡­ the sounds of people screaming for help, yells for violence and blood. The smell of fire, burning wood, stone, clothing and flesh¡­ the sights of the dying and dead¡­ while their murders lurked the streets. Then there is the pain¡­ the pain being tormented, guilt that I am still alive when there were so many dead. Then there is the rage¡­ that uncaring, hate filled rage. I feel echoes of it still. It¡¯s in the background and easily missed but it¡¯s still there¡­¡± Jack confessed, will looking for a hidden answer in the ceiling. ¡°I sometimes wonder would the old me know what to do? Would he handle things differently or maybe even better?¡± ¡°Would you like to find out?~¡± a sultry voice said from within his tower workshop. A voice Jack didn¡¯t recognize. Turning his head, Jack saw a beautiful woman clothed in a revealing blue dress. Her chest was ample, her hips alluring and her green eyes were deep and devious along with ruby lips that looked plump and sweet. Her hair was also a full wavy brown that cascaded over her shoulders. Her hips swaying seductively as she came closer to his throne. As she approached Jack questioned why he didn¡¯t notice her sooner. Only to realize that he actually could sense her presence within his dungeon like everyone else. He had only been too deep in thought to notice her before. Then there was the sensation of some kind of magic was washing over him. Something that was trying to suggest things to him, whisper things in his non-existent ear. Feeling it was a good time to test his Essence Scrying ability, focused on the woman to see that it did.
?????? Sheet Level 37
Race: Succubus Stats: Strength: 26 Agility: 42 Durability: 31 Intelligence: 38 Wit: 40
Race Abilities: Level: 1 Alluring Presence Life Draining Kiss Infernal Resistance Shadow Step Level:10 Emotional Manipulation Soul Branding Flame Lash Dark Wings Level:20 Infernal Bonding ??????? ??????? ??????? Level:30 ???????? ???????? ???????? ????????
Spells Available: Level: 1-10 Charm Person Fire Bolt Glamour Illusion Darkness Demonic Whispers Level:11-20 Greater Suggestion Infernal Flames Shroud of The Shadows Kiss of Death Level:21-30 ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????
¡°After all, there are many services I can offer.~¡± the disguised succubus said with a hungry look to her eyes. Huh¡­ cool. A demon either wants to fuck me or make some kind of deal. He thought as he felt another sensation of some kind of magic trying to influence him. Oh, you cheeky fuck. You wanna get in my head? Game on Bitch. ¡°Well hello to you too.¡± Jack said as he sat up right in his throne to sit in it properly only to lean on his knees with his fingers clasped together. ¡°Didn¡¯t know I was gonna have a guest. Seems you caught me with my pants down. Was having a chat with my buddy over there. Say hi.¡± The automaton at the direction raised a two fingered and one thumb hand. Waving it from side to side as it looked at the succubus then put it back to its side. ¡°Oh my, quite the pleasure, I am sure.¡± The mystery succubus said as she took a polite bow. ¡°Yeah, great guy. Not much of a talker but he¡¯s a good listener.¡± Jack said before looking back to his automaton. ¡°Please, get me box number¡­. Hmmmm lets go with seven. Gonna need that in a little for the next project.¡± The automaton turned on its heels and walked off. Its metal feet making a soft clink with each step. ¡°Soooooo, How can I help you?¡± Jack said, turning to look at the succubus, back straight with his hands in his lap and a leg crossed over his knee. ¡°Dear dungeon master, It is not so much you that could help me. More of how I might help you.~¡± she purred taking another step closer, giving him a good view of her cleavage. I wonder how much of that is natural or just an illusion. Jack pondered to himself. ¡°Okay, what do you have to offer?¡± Jack asked, already having an idea of what she might be after but wanted to see how long he mess with her. ¡°No offence but I¡¯m not seeing a cart with goods in it, never mind pockets. You got nice legs though.¡± Her seductive smile grew a little at his last comment. ¡°Wait¡­ are you showing that much skin to show off?¡± Jack asked, now confusing the succubus who didn¡¯t seem ready for that comment. ¡°Trying to lord over me you got fleshy bits while I don¡¯t? Wow, that¡¯s kind of rude.¡± Jack crossed his arms over his chest now, making his body language show that he was pouting. ¡°Wait.. what?¡± the Succubus said, seeming confused now. ¡°I¡­ what? No I-¡° The succubus starred to say, trying to recover from their bout of confusion. Except Jack wasn¡¯t going to let her. ¡°NO no.¡± Jack tutted. ¡°No excuses, you hurt my feelings and here I was going to take you on a shopping spree. Maybe even show you some jewelry.¡± He huffed. ¡°Shopping?¡± the woman questions sounding even more confused. ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked!¡± Jack said, hopping up from the throne and marched right up to her. taking her by the arm to lead her to his various work benches. ¡°Here at Jack¡¯s wares and baubles, we got just about anything you can think of. And if we don¡¯t have it, we can make it!¡± he said as he brought her to the bench. ¡°Here you can see we have all manner of rings! Most of which are enchanted! We got fire resistance, poison resistance, some that can help with those chilly nights. Also a few that make a light when visiting dark places.¡± He said shoving a fist full of rings into her hands as she tried to hold them in her cupped hands. ¡°We also make wedding rings as well.¡± ¡°Wedding rings?¡± she stammered. Still trying to keep from dropping the rings as he kept shoving more into her hands to look at. ¡°Oh, you are getting married!¡± Jack said with false cheer, grabbing her wrists as he hopped up and down making her drop all the rings. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say so!¡± Jack then dragged her to another part of the workshop without letting her get a word in edge wise.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Now I want all the juicy gossip girl.¡± He said taking a more feminine tone, walking with her arm in arm to the next table. ¡°Is he a big guy? Handsome? Maybe a lord of hell? Hmmmm?¡± he asked and just as she was about to speak he interrupted her again. ¡°Ah who are we kidding, girl like you can have her pick of the litter. No shame there, you work it girl.¡± Jack said with a sassy snap of his fingers, surprising himself and the succubus. ¡°huh¡­ that was cool. Now check this shit out!¡± Before the succubus could say anything, Jack was shoving wedding rings of all kinds into her hands. Much to her frustration while Jack saw that the automaton brought the requested box to one of his work tables. Right on time! ¡°Excuse me darling, I simply must work something. I simply must. But not to worry, I am sure my friend would be more than happy to entertain! Auti, please attend this lovely darling.¡± Jack called, walking away from the succubus who had he hands full of wedding rings, all poise and alure forgotten in favor of trying not to drop the rings. The Automaton came cover to stand next to her while Jack moved to the box. Using his back block her view as he pull out one of his¡­ less then useful devices since he never had a use for it until now. He screwed the top off and pulled the bottle to the side. Pouring in some purified water, some refined salt, and for good measure a silver dust. With the ingredients put together, he screwed on the top that was a pressure pump with a lever and a pressure release valve that was adjustable. With the quick fix made, he used ink to quickly draw an arcane circle at the bottom of the bottle that would metaphorically add more salt to the wound. Just in time for the succubus to give up and drop the rings back on the table. ¡°Listen, I-¡° The succubus said trying to restrain her anger and use her charm magic on him again. Only for Jack to interrupt her. ¡°Oh, found nothing that you like.¡± Jack asked while hanging the bottle from his hip by the lever in his pocket, again not allowing her a word in edge wise. ¡°OF course not! you are a lady of taste! Why should you settle for such garbage! Come I will show you the bes-¡° ¡°WILL YOU SHUT UP FOR FIVE SECONDS AND LET ME TALK!?¡± The succubus yelled, hellish flames puffing from her nose and mouth. ¡°Sure! You said five seconds, right?¡± Jack asked not missing a beat still maintaining his cheerful tone. ¡°Yes!¡± The succubus growled while glaring murderously at him. ¡°Alrighty.¡± Jack agreed, clasping his hands behind his back and stayed silent. Really enjoying himself way more then he really should. ¡°Thank you.¡± The succubus growled, then took a second to regain her composure to put on her charms. ¡°I have come to make a deal with you.¡± 2¡­ Jack counted in his head. ¡°I can offer all manner of gifts and delights.~ Power? Easily.~ Greater knowledge, for certain.~¡± She said in a husky voice as she stepped closer to him, delicately placing a hand on his shoulder to trace a finger on his upper arm. 4 and a half¡­ Jack quietly snickered to himself. Greateful that he didn¡¯t have an actual face at the moment or he¡¯d really have a hard time hiding a shit eating grin. ¡°I can even get you your mem-~¡± she tried to whisper in his non-existent ear before jack interrupted her. ¡°Times up!¡± Jack snickered while taking a step back to face her. ¡°Now about the payment you owe Me.¡± Jack said with all the cockiness in the world. Confusion flashed across the succubus¡¯ face before it morphed into anger. Her previously alluring eyes now filled anything but charming. ¡°What do you mean I owe you! We have made no deal! I haven¡¯t asked you of anything!¡± She snapped indigently. ¡°Oh yes you did.¡± Jack snickered with delight. ¡°Your request was and I quote, ¡®will you shut up for five seconds and let me talk¡¯. I said sure and reconfirmed that you wanted five seconds. You said yes again and I agreed to your request. You asked for five seconds of my silence and you got it. Deal made and fulfilled.¡± ¡°I¡­ You!¡± The succubus sputtered. ¡°Yes, me. You owe me an unspecified reward for my silence. Let¡¯s just leave it at you owing me a favor for now.¡± ¡°Why you little!¡± The succubus stared, her face becoming boiling red with murder on her mind. ¡°Ah bub bub bah.¡± Jack said raising a hand to forestall her rebuttal. ¡°Relax, it¡¯s not my fault you got played at your own game. After all, a succubus with forty points in Wit should know that verbal agreements are just unwritten deals.¡± At his word, all anger vanished from her face as she grew pale. Realizing that he knew before a smile pulled across her face. ¡°You knew? How long?¡± she asked, crossing her own arms over her ample chest. Brow raised curiously. ¡°A few seconds before you used and inuendo for doing work or fuck me.¡± Jack shrugged before he opened his pants and showed her his shiny metal pelvis. ¡°Unfortunately, I got literally nothing down there.¡± At this new attempt to put her off balance, she merely pursed her lips. ¡°Now that is a shame.¡± She sighed. ¡°And what about why my charms weren¡¯t working on you?¡± ¡°Sorry sugar, but we ain¡¯t playing your game. Already did that and I won.¡± Jack tutted as he refastened his pants. ¡°If you want information, you got to pay me for it.¡± ¡°But what better way to spend eternity then to play a game with high stakes?~¡± She said with another alluring smile. ¡°Not a gambler.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°Got better things to worry about and do.¡± ¡°Like make your community and dungeon grow perhaps?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Jack said off handedly, caring very little what she knew since she was likely ease dropping on him. ¡°And if I told you that I knew information that you would want?¡± she asked with a devilish grin. ¡°Something that could determine the fate of cute little community you are making.~¡± She purred once more. ¡°That so?¡± Jack said faking interest, trying to decide if he should spray her now lor later. ¡°And what kind of information would that be?¡± ¡°How about the location of the army, the number of forces, composition, and its leadership?~¡± said hummed as in thought, putting on the air of considering it might be something she could share. *** Out in the forest a man dressed in dark cloths was running through the forest, his heart pounding in his chest frantically while his lungs burned. Desperate to escape his pursuer with his other surviving compatriot. Both ducking and weaving between the trees in a desperate attempted to avoid being attacked. As a scout for the dark army, he needed to report his findings. He needed to warn them of the monster the lurked in the forest. ¡°Run.¡± The voice of the woman whispered from almost everywhere. Leaving neither of the scouts able to locate the thing that tracked them both. There had been five before, yet each one vanished or died. The forest seeming to be offended by their sheer existence. The first to die was the private, a goblin that had a nose for picking up anything too subtle to see. One second he was there, sleeping on his putrid rags with a foul rusted blade in hand. They had turned for but a moment, and the next he was gone. No sounds, not signed of a struggle, was made to proclaim he had ever been there. Only that foul knife was left behind to prove that he had ever existed. ¡°Run!~¡± The woman¡¯s voice commanded with a growl. Delight tinged its voice at their fear as if savoring the moment. Making the remaining scouts panic more as the voice sounded closer still. The second to vanish was the minotaur, a large brute of a man. A land surveyor that could find the smoothest path for any large group of people. able to find locate bodies of drinking water like second nature. When he had looked around to see if the little wretch, a blur danced through the foliage just outside of camp. Swiftly moving from too and from the minotaur. Making the beast man stiffen for a second. When he turned, he was clutching his throat where a chunk had been torn out. Desperately trying to gasp for air while drowning in his own blood. ¡°Run!~¡± The woman¡¯s voice demanded, sounding as if it was on top of them both. A blood thirsty longing echoed in their words while the lingering and wounded compatriot struggled to keep up before he to when down with chilling scream before the dwarf was dragged into the dark. Before anyone had a chance, the third scout had their life plucked from them. An arrow an oversized arrow shot from the dark punching through the neck of the other minotaur that was part of the scouting party. Taking their head off before while the arrow continued to fly and scored a grazing shot to the other goblin¡¯s side. Leaving the wounded goblin and the last unharmed squad to run for their lives. Now it was only him¡­ ¡°RUN!!!~¡± The orc ran as hard as his legs will let him. His chest heaved, his legs ached, his throat burned. He didn¡¯t know how long he ran, he didn¡¯t dare tun back to see what was after him. He just ran, desperate to survive. There was no glory here, there was riches or honor, there was no raiding like his ancestors of old had done. This was nothing like the stories of old, this was a nightmare. And he was desperate to wake up. By the time he stopped running, he took cover behind a tree. Panting hard, desperate to take down gulp of air. His legs have given out from all his effort. After a few seconds a desperate sob escaped him as he tried to keep quiet. The former squad leader praying to the gods that the monster didn¡¯t hear him. Begging and pleading in his prayers to live, swearing to never raid or scout again so long as he lived. Unaware of how quiet the forest around him had become with his face buried in his knees. Especially to the predator that lurked so close. THUD! The sound of something wet and heavy landed to his right, making him whimper as he jumped. Turning to see that it was an arm. A minotaur arm. A minotaur arm that looked to have been knawed from the shoulder with even the bone being chewed through. He stared in horror at the severed limb, leaving him blind to the creeping horror behind him. A hand with metal clawed fingers reached out from the dark. A silver metal masked face surrounded by a rust red mane, its face twisted to a gleeful feral grin with fangs bared. The last scout then felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder, almost delicately. Freezing him in place, his prayers unanswered. "Ah, caught you. Our little game was delightful, wasn¡¯t it?¡± The monster said, sounding singsong, delighted to have enjoyed their chase with that guttural growl underneath. ¡°But now comes the part I savor most. I have questions, and you will answer them, won¡¯t you?¡± The hand turned him, carefully by the shoulder making him turn to see that which had taken such delight in their fear. The metal mask a parody of a woman¡¯s face, twisted to that of a savage predator, its maw partly open to show those silvery fangs stained red with the eyes being hollow voids in which there was no escape. Viscus liquid dripped from between the fangs. Landing on the ground with a burning hiss. The scout couldn¡¯t tell the monster anything. If he did there was no telling what it would do, how far it would go. Who knew what it might learn if it found the army. Who knew what it would do once it found them. there was a slim chance that if it found the army, it might back track where base might be. It was smart, and proven it was ruthless. The whole thing had been a game to it. ¡°Oh, such defiance spirit in your eyes...¡± the monster cooed at him. Without so much as a warning, the monster grip on his shoulders became like claws in truth. The metal points burying themselves deep into his shoulders where the points scrapped the bone. Making the Orc first scream in pain then horror as the metal mask became more feral, the maw grin growing wider as the fangs parted to open wide for him to stare down the gullet that reeked of raw meat. ¡°I BET IT TASTES DELICIOUS!~¡± The Orc screamed as the maw snapped shut, less than an inch from his nose. Flakes of that caustic drool landing on his leather armor making it hiss. As she withdrew the metal claws of one hand from his shoulder while the other was still holding strong. Allowing him to discover that the muscles in his shoulder were now crippled from damage. "Oh, don¡¯t worry... I¡¯ll savor every moment with you. In fact, I think I¡¯ll give you a nickname while we chat. How about... Dessert?¡± the monster cooed, their face becoming less feral yet still the fangs never went away. Raising a claw that hand just been in his shoulder to that maw, a long tongue lapping the blood clean off her finger. ¡°Mmm, yes. You seem so... sweet." ¡°n.no¡­ please¡­¡± he whimpered, tears streaming down his face. With no further word, she dragged him into the dark. Kicking and screaming until he two like the rest of this squad vanished in the dark. *** ¡°Yeah, I am not all that worried about that.¡± Jack waved dismissively. ¡°Come on girl. You gotta be more like a merchant. Entice me. Show me what you got! Get me interested.¡± Undeterred, the succubus just smiled a hungry smile with multiple meanings behind it. ¡°Not enough? Hmmmm, then what else might someone like you want?¡± she hummed walking to work bench and leaned her hip into it. that finger still resting on her chin in mocking thought. ¡°how about your memories? Not all of them but maybe some of them, perhaps? The more personal ones maybe? What about the one who taught you? What was his name¡­ Quincy?¡± At that name a thousand fragments of thought slammed into Jack all at once. Images of an older human man, his bald head, snow white beard, powerful build, deep brown skin, and a jovial smile that welcomed you like family. Images of him striking a hammer and anvil, bending heavy metal to his will. Using fine tools to place delicate parts. Using arcane circles to, enchant, infuse or transmute materials or items. All while Jack was at his side, eagerly learning and working like any proud apprentice. Master Quincy¡­ You were too good for this world. ¡°Oh?¡± The succubus said, her eyebrow rising. Reminding Jack of her presence. ¡°Did that catch your attention. Are you enticed now?¡± She asked with a chuckle. ¡°You will tell me everything you know, now.¡± Jack all playfulness gone. His good humor replaced with absolute seriousness. There was no way for her to know something like that. not unless she was there. No, there was something more going on and he was going to get his answers. ¡°Try asking nicely.~¡± The succubus said, clearly enjoying the illusion that she now had some kind of leverage over him. ¡°Maybe we can make a deal. Or better yet, beg. Like a good doggy and maybe I¡¯ll give you a bone.¡± Jack casted his spell Rotting chains on her. Making multiple chains erupt from the ground, all seven rusted and medium thickness chains all wrapped around her, binding and slowing her. Each radiating necrotic energy yet the succubus merely smiled, satisfied that she was going ground. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you, I am telling you what you will do.¡± Jack said flatly, unsure how well the chains will hold against someone with her level of strength. It didn¡¯t matter though, it didn¡¯t have to be long. Only long enough. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know you were into this.¡± She hummed with more sultriness to her voice. ¡°You might be more fun than I thought, I know a few girls that would want to know this spell.¡± ¡°No, bad demon.¡± Jack said blandly taking his spray bottle and sprayed a mist over her creating a mist over her and the chains. ¡°No horny in my workshop.¡± The succubus seemed unimpressed at first. Getting ready to use another quip, when the mist stared to setting on her. Then her eyes bulged as her skin stared to sizzle and blister. Making her the illusion of her beauty melt from her form as she thrashed and screamed. At her efforts and making the chains rattle and groan in strain, Jack sprayed her again making her renew her efforts as the purifying water landed on her again. ¡°Keep thrashing and I¡¯ll shove the bottle up your ass.¡± Jack said to the now withering and thrashing demon in pain. The succubus, with her true face now exposed snarled at him. Her face that of wrinkly charred skin. two large horns jutting from her head with spikes growing from her cheeks. Her body like that of a hag with cloved feet and tattered bat wings growing from her back. She seemed ready to thrash again until he pointed the spray bottle at her. Then she immediately stilled, glaring at him with two hateful red eyes. ¡°Better.¡± Jack said as he continued to watch her, bottle still aimed at her to give another spritz. ¡°Where did you hear that name?¡± ¡°You foul thing!¡± she snarled, her voice now that of a horse and raspy growl. ¡°I will have your soul! It is inevitable! I shall enjoy hearing your shrieks for eternity and be the envy of all with the soul of the last human of this world! AHHHHHH!¡± Jack sprayed her disinterestedly for her threat. Making her wither and squirm in pain as the purifying droplets sizzled her skin. ¡°Others want me, huh. Which one told you I exist? Which one told you that name?¡± Jack asked still aiming the bottle at her. ¡°FUCK YOU! YOU HEEP OF BONE! YOU MASTER LINGER AND LANGUISHES IN THE ABYSS FOR OUR PLEASUAAAAAAAAAAH!!!¡± the succubus cursed as then shrieked in pain as Jack adjusted the nozzle of the bottle to shoot a jet of the water at her. the stream burning a hole in her abdomen. ¡°Next time you mention him, I¡¯ll spray your eyes. This is your only warning.¡± Jack said coldly, adjusting the nozzle to mist once again. ¡°Now answer my question.¡± The demon now whimpered from a pain they couldn¡¯t enjoy. Their flesh sizzling and blistering from the liquid that might as well have been acid. Yet she didn¡¯t speak, a defiant hate filled glare in her eyes. Curious, Jack took a simple dagger from a nearby table and jabbed it into her shoulder between the chains. Only for the blade to pass through her flesh only for it to reseal itself as if she had never been harmed, a satisfied smile on her ugly visage at his perceived failure. That was until he misted the blade with the spray bottle. This got a look of terror from the demon as he nicked her shoulder with the blade and this time the demon thrashed in pain and the cut didn¡¯t close. ¡°Now that is interesting.¡± Jack said thoughtfully, as he looked at his new project. He dropped the bottle on the floor while the succubus was too distracted from withering in pain. Absorbed the bottle and its contents then resummoned a new one. He then summoned some iron and a bucket of the purification water. Used a nearby arcane circle to heat the iron up, getting it glowing hot before he quenched it. Once he absorbed the metal again, he got a notification saying he now had Sanctified Steel. A metal who¡¯s forging was closely guard by holy groups as far as he remembered based on its lore from the notification. It was low grade but perfect for what he wanted. Summoning a good four thousand pounds of it, Jack used the Form and function spell to make a cage of the steel around succubus. While it might not be strong enough to make her burst into flames but it sure as the hell going to hurt if she tried to break free. It was once the cage was made that he released the spell of for Rotting Chain on the demon who had been whimpering all this time. Trying to regain her strength from what looked to be the excruciating pain in her existence. When she regained her senses, she found the cage she was in and the chains that bound her were gone. She immediately tried to grab the bars, likely to bend or break them, and her hands started to smoke and sizzle. Making her recoil from touching them. ¡°What is this!¡± she demanded. ¡°Release me! Release me or I will hound you for eternity once I break free!¡± ¡°No.¡± Jack said plainly. ¡°I rather see what I can learn about you. If I get lucky, I might learn something useful, maybe even get a new Dungeon Sentinel out of it.¡± Jack shrugged. True fear was plane to see over her face. ¡°No¡­ Y.you can¡¯t¡­¡± She stammered, trying to regain her bravado along with any form of control over the situation. ¡°I¡¯m the demon! Not you! Mortals don¡¯t get to torment demons. I¡¯ll tell you anything you want! Everything you want!¡± ¡°Sorry saggy tits, but that ship sailed and I¡¯m mostly sure do don¡¯t know anything.¡± Jack shrugged again, already making plans for what he wanted to test. ¡°P.please¡­. mercy¡­.¡± The demon pleaded. ¡°Pfft, Ironic.¡± Jack snorted. ¡°And stop being a drama queen.¡± NEWS!!!! Patreon is now LIVE! Exciting News: The Patreon Page is Live! Hello, my delightful deviants! First off, thank you so much for enjoying the story and following along on this journey. Your support has been incredible, and some of you have been asking for a Patreon page sooner than I expected. Well, I¡¯m thrilled to announce that it¡¯s finally here! For now, the first two tiers are open, and I¡¯m excited to see where this leads. I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m still figuring out how to operate everything, so I appreciate your patience as we navigate this together. As the book grows, I¡¯ll be adding new higher tiers with even more rewards and perks.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Your support means the world to me, and whether you¡¯re able to join Patreon or not, I want you to know how much I appreciate you. Times are tough, and I completely understand if this isn¡¯t something you can do right now. Just being here and enjoying the story is already an amazing gift. If you¡¯re interested in checking out the Patreon page, you can find it here: patreon.com/JimmyScribbles Thank you for everything. This wouldn¡¯t be possible without you! Chapter 23 Chapter 23 4 Days Remaining¡­ Evening¡­ ¡°¡­ Teacher¡­¡± Frizzy asked as she stood in the workshop. Her mind desperately trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Yet she no matter how she broached it, she just couldn¡¯t make sense of it. ¡°I¡­ I think¡­ I know WHAT I am seeing. But I am having a hard time believing it¡­¡± ¡°What so hard to understand?¡± Jack asked, all cheery cherry. Humming a tune while he continued to make mithril into powder. ¡°It¡¯s exactly what it looks like.¡± ¡°Teacher¡­ Do I even want to know how you did it?¡± Frizzy asked, her eye twitching out of frustration, confusion, and in no small amount impressed since she didn¡¯t even think what he did was, or even should be, possible. ¡°Eeeeeeh¡­. Mayyyyyybeeee? Let¡¯s go with maybe.¡± Jack said sounding unsure at first but then settled for an answer. ¡°But it is really dumb for anyone else to try. Except me, because I am awesome.¡± Frizzy looked at the demon who sat in the cage once more. Well outside the safety marker around the cage to be out of reach of her attacks. The demon was hugging her knees, rocking back and forth. Her stare was vacant and locked firmly on the floor. Staying right in the center of the cage away from all the bars so as not to touch them. Terror etched all over her face without her making even so much as a sound. ¡°Teacher¡­ what exactly did you do to the demon?¡± Frizzy asked, her fingers interlocked with her pointer fingers extended and pressed to her lips. ¡°Also, can you please tell me HOW you managed to catch AND imprisoned the demon?¡± ¡°Long story or short story.¡± Jack asked, swirling a vial of quick silver and some mithril powder together. ¡°Short please.¡± Frizzy said while pointing with her extended index fingers to point at him. ¡°That my dear, and favorite, apprentice-¡° ¡°Would mean more if I wasn¡¯t your only apprentice¡­¡± Frizzy muttered under her breath. ¡°-can be summarized like this. With imagination, understanding of multiple subjects, spite, and no small amount of ¡®fuck you, I¡¯m amazing¡¯, anything is possible.¡± Jack said as he took a gallon sized container from a nearby table. Frizzy took a DEEP breath at his answer, taking some time to really breath to resist every urge to lecture her Teacher. For all his brilliance, talent, and skill, he was also insufferable sometimes. Especially when he thought he was being funny. ¡°A serious answer, please Teacher.¡± Frizzy requested, praying for patients. ¡°I am being serious.¡± Jack said with the same cheery cherry tone as before. ¡°If you understand enough things, you can see use that knowledge to do all kinds of stuff. With imagination, you are only limited by what you can think of which is where understanding helps. Spite can be a powerful motivator, gives you fuel and push you towards a goal. As far as the ¡®fuck you, I¡¯m amazing¡¯, that is confidence. You need to be confident in what you do, because sometimes when you have to take a risk, to can¡¯t let yourself hesitate.¡± ¡°That¡­ that¡­ that actually makes a fair amount of sense.¡± Frizzy said as she stared after Jack as he carried the quick silver, mithril container, and summoned a bottle filled with liquid. ¡°Can I ask about the long story?¡± ¡°The long story.¡± Jack said, pausing at the table, summoning various crafting materials. He summoned some couple Lightstone gems, Tourmaline, and a pair of Mystic Lens. He then used his spell Form and Function to turn the raw stones into multiple smaller multi-faceted gems. Using his tools to cut runes into a slate to for his project. Flipping open the book with the notes he took. ¡°At first, I only wanted to play a game with her. Get her annoyed, make her owe favor, then send her off dry and unsatisfied.¡± Jack said, summoning a stone block to act as his chair while he worked. ¡°Then she said something that¡­ well. Gave me false hope. By the time I realized she didn¡¯t know anything, I decided that I was going to get my time¡¯s worth out of her. I distracted, redirected, then when she was vulnerable I struck. Thanks to some time with her, I have an idea that seems promising.¡± ¡°Teacher¡­¡± Frizzy said, recognizing his tone and how he answered the question, so he approached him slowly. Coming to climb up to stand next to him and placed an arm, making him pause. ¡°Jack¡­ are you ok?¡± Jack genuinely thought about that question. he didn¡¯t want to answer it. It was anything but pleasant for him, revisiting his feelings about what memories that succubus revived with his old master¡¯s name. Then there was the storm of emotions that came with thinking about that name. Profound loss, aching happiness, respect, admiration, then back to the sense of profound loss. It made him want to scream in frustration then smile fondly at the thought to the man. More than anything¡­ he just wanted to fully remember the man who felt like he meant so much for him. ¡°I was reminded that I¡¯m what¡¯s left of who I was¡­¡± Jack said in a soft voice. ¡°When she said the name of my Master¡­ I got bombarded with broken fragments of him. I feel that there as so much more that I am missing. Like he was a friend, a confidant, a mentor¡­¡± Jack sighed, staring at the table with all the items now left untouched. ¡°I want them back¡­ I want them back so bad that it aches. I wish I could just make a solution but it¡¯s just not something you can just solve with a cando attitude¡­¡± ¡°Jack¡­¡± Frizzy said softly, keep her hand on his arm. Making sure that he stayed in the moment. ¡°It¡¯s ok¡­ It will be ok.¡± Jack sat still for a long time at this, forcing his mind to still. Composing himself to remain strong for what he needed to do. There were people dungeon residents needed him to make this work. He didn¡¯t have the answers though. He had a plan, he was making weapons and constructs for battle. But he didn¡¯t know anything about armies, battle strategies or anything of that nature. It was one thing to trick and idiot and get them to stab themselves in the foot. Everything else? ¡°I know Frizzy. I have no choice but to believe that. Now I have to do something much harder and that¡¯s put my faith in others instead of doing it myself.¡± Jack confessed, still staring at the table since he found it really difficult to look Frizzy in the eye. ¡°Mmm~¡± Came a sultry moan from a certain cage. Jack whorled to face the succubus for her VERY inappropriate interruption as did Frizzy who had a murderous glare in her eye. ¡°Yo wrinkled small tits!¡± Jack barked at the Succubus who glared back hatefully at him. ¡°What¡¯d I tell you? No horny in my workshop! That is the second time you interrupted me having a moment.¡± The succubus shrank back as she eyed the spray bottle with fear. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought! You don¡¯t have permission to feed off my feelings.¡± Jack harumphed. ¡°Fucking demon ruining something that¡¯s none of their business. Just when it felt like I was going to realize something about myself.¡± He mumbled to himself, turning back the table to get back to work. Frizzy was unsure what to for a moment what to do. Now that he had his guard up once more, there was little to be done to get him to open up again. She would have to bide her time. And just try to be ready to help where she could. Then again that brought her back to the main focus of her why she had been questioning him in the first place. ¡°Back to the point, and no non-answers Teacher. What did you exactly did you do to the demon to have it acting like that?¡± she said, gesturing to the demon who was back in the fetal position staring out into nothing. ¡°Honestly, not much really. Sprayed her with some improvised purity water, trapped her in a cage, took some blood samples once I found out she was semi-immaterial.¡± Jack said as if it was not most natural thing in the world. ¡°Once it sank in that she literally has no power over me she kind of just went catatonic.¡± Frizzy stood there, looking back and forth between Jack and the demon being held as a hostage. ¡°I¡­ have a question.¡± Frizzy said as she stared hard at Jack. ¡°Just one?¡± Jack said in a voice the suggested that he would have a grin. ¡°I have A LOT of questions¡­ but I am going to start with this one for now.¡± Frizzy said, pulling out the enchanted quill for it to take notes of their conversation while they talked. ¡°How did you find out she was semi-immaterial then take blood samples.¡± ¡°Oh, that? I tried to stab her and failed. Then I successfully cut her.¡± Jack said off handedly, causing Frizzy raise her hands making a grasping motion to express her urge to strangle him. ¡°That is how I found out that demons aren¡¯t all that much affected by normal weapons. They need to be either, coated in purifying liquids, made of sanctified metals, enchanted or just overwhelmed by magic. It¡¯s all in the book over here.¡± ¡°Teacher¡­ anyone ever tell you that sometimes you¡¯re a mad menace?¡± Frizzy asked, giving up on understanding her teacher¡¯s antics. ¡°Awe, thanks for the flattery.¡± Jack gushed as he set each tiny cut gem into various positions on the table. ¡°Aren¡¯t you full of compliments today.¡± Frizzy chose not to peruse that line of conversation. Instead, she only asked where and how she could help. Deciding she would have far less of a headache if she just bit her tongue and rolled with the landslide. He already proved that he could trick and abuse a demon on a whim. She really didn¡¯t want to know what other impossible ideas he was capable of today. One revelation was enough. She heard enough stories about how ancients made the impossible possible and now that she had seen it first-hand, she was good for a while. After she managed to forget that her perception on reality had been seriously challenged, she joined in helping him organize the gem stones into the pattern he had diagramed within the before she knew it, there as an outline of a person made of the tiny gems with some marking key joint points for limbs and spine. Two bright green gems near the center of the face to make the eyes then he marked the table with arcane runes and circles. These ones far more intricate than any other she had learned before. These were made of dozens of simpler runes and circles to make new more complex ones that made almost a written script that formed and interwoven with the circles. By the time it was done, Frizzy¡¯s watch, the first one she successfully took apart and put back together, said it was well past midnight. The moon was full and shining bright into the workshop. The air was cool and crisp as she overlooked the silhouette of gems that formed the outer body and a simple skeleton. There was something different about all this. Something that was profoundly different that spoke of a different nature compared the others. She could smell it in the air that this one was something new. Something that was¡­ soothing. Something comforting and welcoming. With Aegisthal, she had felt and smelled the power, the resolve, a force of nature that does not relent or slow like some land slide that didn¡¯t care about stood in its path. With Omnus, she felt and smelled that his power was more playful, curious, wanting to explore and to understand all that surrounded it then share what it had learned. With Eorlas it had been hunger, subtle, and deadly like a predatory that lurked in the dark watching and waiting for a sign of weakness before delivering a deadly strike. This one though was calm and peaceful, like a balm the soothed burns and relieved aches. Then he pulled out the purifying water, and the quick silver, first pouring the quick silver over the gems that marks the joints of the bones along with the ethereal whips of energy from the gallon sized container. Bother inter weaving and blending to cover the gems and make bones that seems just barely hovering in preservable reality. All of it lifting off the table as it was suspended in the air by the power of his runes and arcane circles in the pale moon light. Then he pulled out the purifying water. The water trickled and glimmered in the light. Coating the outer layer numerous tiny gems of the outer layer to bring them floating in the air over and around the shining ghostly bones. Creating a blank body, one without refined form or features. A blank empty shell that was similar to a manikin, devoid of uniqueness or individuality. Then it went wrong. A fluctuation happened, a rippled shimmered across the still floating form. Violently the surface undulated and ripped, barely able to hold itself together yet held it did. Without thinking and while wearing the mystic lenses, Jack plunged his hand into the floating form. Immediately his arm hissed and burned thanks to the purifying waters. Smoke rose around his metal coated bones, bubbles formed inside the form around his hand as the metal hissed and burned. Slowly dissolving as pain floored him while his arm slowly dissolved. Yet with his connection he was able to better control the flow of mana. With the mystic lenses he was able to see the tiny nuanced faults that was destabilizing it. Since the scrips and circles weren¡¯t adhering or imbedding into solid matter, they were left to shift and change. It needed direction, it needed a guide to stay in place. Even still with Jack now directly connected to the shifting energies they still resisted. Refusing to remain still as they were free of the rigidity of metal, stone, wood, or flesh. A feet made all the harder ad Jack felt his arm slowly dissolving layer by layer. At seeing his arm slowly dissolving, Frizzy frantically tried to pull his arm away form it. To get him away from boiling water that slowly creeped up his arm to try and consume more of his arm. ¡°Stop!¡± Jack barked, his voice hitched in pain while fighting on. ¡°Trust me! Believe in me, I can do this!¡± he all but yelled through gritted teeth with the materials of the from fighting him. Reluctantly and despite her deep desire to try and protect her teacher, let him go. Release her grip on his arm and stepped back, putting her trust in him to be ok and to have faith that this was something he had in control. Yet staying close to be of help for whatever he might need. Jack continued his battle to keep the form stable, unaware that the succubus was watching with rampant attention. Hoping for his demise as she took pleasure from his suffering. Once he had the form stabled enough, he called for the large container containing the life essence along with the rest of the mithril dust and flakes. Frizzy handed them both over with all the speed she could muster. Using his arm that was in the form as a guide, he poured the life essence into the form. Filling it with all that remained of the essence then taking the mithril to dump it over the form. Causing the dust and flakes to float and linger in the air around it. Like an aura of silver and shimmering star light that surround the still silhouette.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Jack for his part was not only swimming in a sea of pain that could best be described as being on fire. He was currently doing back strokes in it. Yet despite the pain, despite that his arm was dissolving, he kept going. He knew what he was doing was unconventional, he knew that in all likelihood it was going to fail. He understood that the odds of this working were the same as every dungeon resident simultaneously shitting a gold brick at the same time. Yet he pushed on. With all his being, he pushed through the pain, he put his faith into this mad gamble working. He put his trust into this working and that Frizzy would help him should the worst happen. More than that¡­ he wanted¡­ no. He chose to believe that this would work and that his people will survive, that they would make it through this invasion. That everything¡­ ¡°Hey Jack¡­¡± a soft feminine voice said, faintly tickling his non-existent ear. ¡°I¡¯m right here, everything will be ok. You can do it.¡± Jack found he was no longer in pain, the world around him was gone. In its place he found himself standing in a vast gray void. Before him a portal showing images and sounds moving before it like the view of a scrying mirror. Jack approached it, slowly, carefully, until he stood facing it in truth. Within that portal he saw ghost and fragments of his past. Instead of an overwhelming rush of like a waterfall of broken glass raining down on him as were his previous rush of memories. This one was slow, deliberate and clear with an echo of emotion that came with them. In that portal, he saw a woman. A woman with sand colored skin, vibrant life filled blue hazel eyes, a ponytail of golden-brown hair and a smile that was nothing but warmth. Her face that of soft delicate features yet polished by a life well lived. Scenes of her played in the portal, her hand were callused pulling him by his own to lead him to a field. Her voice lovely yet confident, urging him to join her and escape his workshop for the day. The next was of her at a tavern, singing a jaunty tune while she played her lute. Setting a merry ambiance for all who came for a drink at the end of a hard day¡¯s work. Jumping from the stage as the rest of the band played to bring him to the floor to dance. The image then cut to show she was with him in the workshop, helping him to create a lute. With her strumming and play with a vigor of one who truly loved to play music for its own sake. Once she gave her approval and said it played as well as it looked, she screamed in delight once he confessed it was for her. Tackling him with a hug before she kissed him. The next that played show him in his master¡¯s workshop, Quincy all smiles as usual while he walking to him with a lacquered wooden box. Telling him that it was time he made an honest woman of her. The next was him looking at her, his nerves affray while he presented her the box. Opening it to reveal a pair of rings, both made of braided silver and gold wires to form a band that held a mana stone cut like a gem in the center of both. The moment she saw the rings, she crowed the words that sent his heart soring for the heavens before she smothering him with a kiss. ¡°As if I¡¯d ever say no!¡± The scene that followed was with her in his arms as they laid in bed, him awake as she slept. Tucking herself against him, her head laying on his shoulder, her arm draped over his chest. Her breath tickling his skin while his fingers idling played with her unbraided soft brown hair. Sharing one another¡¯s warmth against the slight chill of the night air. The sensation of a heartbeat, her heartbeat, on his finger through his ring. Then it cut to her comforting him in a time of stress, reaffirming she believed in him. Reassuring that she was with him and that he can do it. Then came the last scene¡­ She was pregnant with his child, struggling against the grip of the elf that was trying to drag her away while he had four dwarves and two elves trying to hold him down. She used the lute he gave her to strike her captor and broke free. Coming to try and fight their attackers off him. All while two dwarves laid dead, their helmets caved in from Jack¡¯s hammer, and elf with a shattered leg laid around from his earlier fight with them. She batted the nearest attacker with her lute, breaking it over their head and knocking them to the ground. Freeing his arm so he could try and fight once more. Then she stilled, her eyes growing wide and distant. Looking down to see the end of a saber sticking out of her chest from being stabbed in the back. Her murder shoving off the blade violently as the elf sneered down at her dying form. Jack could feel the faint sensation of the memory as she stared at his eyes, tears streaming down her face as she reached for him. Smiling for him as he raged and roared, desperate to get to her as he felt her heart beat growing weaker by the second. Yet she still smiled for him, still reaching for him while muttering her last words. ¡°I love you¡­¡± Then just before the world went dark, he saw that same elf who stabbed her march forwards. Looked at Jack with a sickening smile, spit on her still dying form before his boot stomped on his head. As the scene ended, Jack watched as all the images scenes restarted once more. ¡°I¡­¡± Jack stammered, clutching his chest as it ached where his true heart used to be. ¡°I love you too¡­¡± was all he could say. His words hitched in his non-existent throat. That was when he felt it, something wet. Something wet that was near his eye socket. Reaching up with a boney metal coated finger, he touched the source of the sensation. Pulling it away to find a small miniscule tear. ¡°It¡¯s ok Jack¡­¡± he heard from behind in a voice that was now all too familiar with and longed to hear for just a little longer. Jack turned to see that it was the woman from the rift. While her form faint and transparent, it was undoubtable her. His wife¡­ his Sylara. And she still had that smile that was just so infectious. ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t cry for me love.¡± She said, her tone playful yet sad. Coming closer to wipe what remaining tears he had. ¡°Please, don¡¯t remember me for how we parted. Only how we lived.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± he muttered, only to feel a sudden smack on the back of his head. ¡°Owe!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be!¡± She declared sternly, her nose now inches from his face a disapproving eyebrow raised while her hands rested as fists on her hips. ¡°I lived a good life! A happy life that was all the better with you. So don¡¯t you start that silliness of blaming yourself, Jack. If you do, I¡¯ll haunt you and nag you into eternity.¡± She threatened with a scowl said she meant business. Unable to help himself, Jack burst into laughter as the sheer absurdity of her threat. A full laugh at the audacity of the threat that somehow mad the sorrow he felt melt away. Then he heard Sylara join him with her own whimsical laugh. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t threaten me with a good time!¡± Jack answered back, making her laugh all the harder. ¡°If it¡¯s a promise, maybe I¡¯ll start writing sad poetry like some blow heart bard.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you dare!¡± Sylara exclaimed, in mock horror. ¡°You couldn¡¯t write a poem to save your life! Love that you tried but I swear your word scheme made my ears bleed once!¡± ¡°Oh? I couldn¡¯t have been that bad!¡± Jack whined in fake protest. ¡°Not that bad? Swear you could only carry tune in a bucket.¡± She teased, still struggling with a fit of the giggles. ¡°Is that a bet? If you give me some time, I¡¯m sure I can make a bucket that can do just that.¡± he said proudly, crossing his arms over his chest. Then, ending their game of teasing each other, Sylara swooped in and hugged him tight. A smile on her ghostly visage as he slowly encircled her in his boney arms. Holding her close and tight. ¡°I¡¯m so relieved¡­¡± Sylara said, her face buried in his shoulder bones. ¡°Even without your memories, you¡¯re still the Jack I know.¡± Jack didn¡¯t know what to say to that. What could he say to that? Here was a woman that actually knew him before he became a dungeon and dungeon master. Someone that knew him very well, yet he couldn¡¯t say the same. The only memories he had available to him was what he just saw. Yet the feelings that came with them¡­ they ached. They were bone deep and resonated with his soul. No, he couldn¡¯t say anything back. Anything he said would probably sound disingenuous to her¡­. All he could do, was hug her close and tight. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s good to know I can still leave you speechless.¡± She chuckled, patting his back to let him know it was alright. ¡°Jack, I¡¯m sorry to say this but I can¡¯t stay. No matter how much I want to, I can¡¯t. I just wanted to see you one more time. To let you know I¡¯m ok and that I don¡¯t blame you.¡± She said pulling back from the hug but held his shoulders to make sure he was listening and her words were sinking in. ¡°Most importantly, I want you to move on. I want you to move on and live your life.¡± She said with a sad smile. ¡°You have lot of people who need you now Jack¡­ the past is done. Live in the now, live it with them. Alright?¡± Jack took her hand and brought it where his lips once her, trying to give her knuckles a kiss then contented himself to hold her hand. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah I can do that.¡± Jack said hesitantly. ¡°Good. I never known you to break a promise and I don¡¯t expect you¡¯ll start doing it now.¡± Sylara said with a fuller smile, then it faltered and her expression became reluctant. ¡°¡­I have to go now. My time is up but Jack¡­ I have to warn you. If you meet someone¡­ someone strange. Be careful around them¡­¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Jack said feeling a twinge of anger at the idea that someone might make Sylara fearful. ¡°How will I know them?¡± ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t say their name¡­ they are might hear. But you¡¯ll know them by their smile.¡± She shuddered. ¡°it is a mocking thing, something that says they know something you don¡¯t. Take care now Jack¡­ and don¡¯t be afraid to meet someone new.¡± Jack wanted to say more, to hold her one last time. But then he was ripped out of that gray void. Thrown back to the reality that he knew with a new notification popping into his vision.
Attention! You have found a prime Dungeon Sentinel candidate!
Dungeon Sentinel Dungeon Sentinels, unlike other dungeon mobs, are the wardens and keepers of dungeons. A Dungeon Sentinel is a more powerful version of a dungeon mob. Unlike a regular dungeon mob who will simply do as instructed by the Dungeon and or Dungeon Master in the most direct way possible. A Dungeon Sentinel not only does as instruct but can also think on its own to accomplish its task in the most efficient way possible. While still being a dungeon mob, these mobs are unique in that they can think for themselves and even have their own personalities. Dungeon Sentinel Candidate option: Silvireth Create a Dungeon Sentinel? Yes/No
Wasting no time, Jack selected yes. Waiting and baring the pain until the cocoon formed. Only then did he yank his arm free while the white, blue and green cocoon finished forming. Magic being siphoned from the air rapidly while the succubus shrieked in horror. Meanwhile Frizzy was busy fussing over Jack to make sure he was ok. Looking over his arm while he had eyes for the cocoon. The succubus shrieked and shriveled in pain, her body withering as mana was siphoned from her body. Causing her to lash out at the bars of the cage, desperate to break free while growing weaker by the second. Yet she did not die, merely made the same demand over and over again as her voice went from shrill screams to whimpers. ¡°How is this possible! It¡¯s not possible! No mortal soul should be able to do this! WHAT ARE YOU?!¡± Yet neither Jack nor frizzy turned to address her. They only had eyes for the pulsating cocoon while it radiated warm and peace. The shell bubbled and swirled with those tranquil colors. Almost like watching a gentle stream with colorful leave riding the currents downstream. Slowly it fluxed and churned steadily swelling in size while shined beautifully with the pale light of the moon. Then it popped. Like the shimmer of thousands of tiny stars that floated lazily in the air, the cocoon became an aura of countless notes of silvery dust. All of it surrounding a woman who stood suspended in the air before them with her eyes closed. She had pale white skin, her hair great cascade of thick platinum hair that was covered by a shall with and embroidered brim. The parts of her hair not covered moved and floated as if she was suspended in water. Her face was of soft and delicate features, her eye lashes eye brows a pale black, a button nose centering her face, her lips full and light pink, around her neck was choker of ivory silver and shaped like vines. And from the chocker hung two large bright green tourmaline stones one over the other on top of her simple white dress. Covering her was a was an ivory robe embroidered with platinum pale thread that reflected the moon light, concealing her arms and most of her body. As the eye explore her, they would see that the ends of her limb were partially transparent. Further enhancing her otherworldly beauty, suggesting that even if she was within sight, she was beyond reach. Then she eyes opened. As her eyes slowly opened, revealing them as emerald green pools that held the wisdom and depth of countless centuries. And kindness. A warm and welcoming kindness that promised comfort and understanding that matched the humble smile that shaped her lips. She floated down, her arm spread with the hem of her robes fluttering until her transparent bare feet touched the floor. Her head lowering before Jack and Frizzy. "My Lord, and to the esteemed first apprentice of my Lord, I offer my humble greetings. It is a joy beyond measure to have been brought into existence by your will and purpose." The ethereal beauty said, her voice sweet melodic note that reverberated and echoed. Jack was stunned by what he saw¡­ she looked so pure and clean. A far greater contrast to what he had tried to make by studying the succubus. His words died in his non-existent throat. She was the closest thing he saw that could pass for a human since waking up. But she wasn¡¯t, not in truth. While she might look like one, she was a dungeon mob. Still, it was nice¡­ the let himself be fooled. At least for a little bit. ¡°Teacher¡­¡± Frizzy said as she stepped closer to the aethereal woman. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s beautiful. Is this how the ancients looked?¡± she asked forcing her eyes away from the women who tittered at Frizzy¡¯s question yet kept her head bowed. ¡°Please, raise your head.¡± He said as he stepped closer to the ethereal women, who did so while favoring him with a gracious smile. Clasping her hands before her in the each other. ¡°Some of us. Not all. Many humans came in all kinds of colors, shapes, and sizes. Our friend though is exceptionally beautiful.¡± At his words, the woman bowed her head in gratitude while Frizzy¡¯s eyes sparkled in wonder and delight. Finally able to see but one version of an ancient in person in a more complete state beyond walking talking bones. Then the phantom woman noticed his arm, her kind smiled turning into a small concerned frown. Jack raised the arm in question to see what her concern was about. when he saw it, he quickly realized why she seemed unhappy to see its current state. On his arm were tiny patches of corroded pock marked metal to reveal the bone underneath. The bone it itself looked melted and withered, some parts of his fingers now missing from his hand. "My Lord, if I may?¡± The aethereal woman asked, gesturing a hand towards his badly damaged arm. Jack stretched out his arm while frizzy watched in pure fascination. Her face spoke of dozens of unspoken questions. Yet she held her tongue, knowing this was the time to sit quietly and watch patiently. Eager to see what might happen next while the succubus remained silent, not daring to make a sound so to avoid notice. The otherworldly woman carefully took Jack¡¯s out stretched arm into her hands, inspecting the damage with a scrupulous eye. Turning his hand this way and that, inspecting the damage with great care. Once done, she held his hand up one of her own then rested the other on the back of what remained of his. ¡°It grieves me deeply to know you nearly sacrificed your arm to bring me into being. Please, allow me to tend to this wound, that you may be whole once more." Said, looking to him for permission to heal him. With a nod, he gave her permission. Once she got consent, she closed her eyes while holding his damaged arm and hand. A soft low hymn bubbling from her lips with the aura of dust now turning and swirling around them both. Her hands giving emitting a light glow of that enveloped his hand and arm. The swirling dust twisted and danced to her melody, heeding her call eagerly to form a shimmering cast over Jack¡¯s arm. With the final notes of her song, the dust floated away to reveal his arm was unblemished and whole. All missing finger bones returned, all dissolved bone repaired and the metal that coated the bones were back once more. Frizzy marveled at the feat, practically yanking on Jack¡¯s arm to inspect it once the otherworldly woman let go. Jack for his part, also admired what could best be described as a miracle. Healing magic shouldn¡¯t be possible on an undead creature or construct and Jack was technically both. For constructs healing magic shouldn¡¯t do anything but waste mana. Whereas undead would actually be damaged by healing magics. ¡°How¡­?¡± Frizzy asked in awe, staring up at the woman with eyes wide in wonder. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± The woman tittered playfully as she leaned down to be at the same level as her. "Beloved First Disciple, you above all should know, having stood at the side of My Lord. There is no ''impossible,'' only puzzles awaiting the clarity of understanding." She said with a kind smile. "Come, First Disciple. The hour grows late, and I sense that My Lord¡¯s burdens are far from lifted. Moreover, you yourself are in need of rest. Allow me to walk you home?" The woman asked, holding out her hand to Frizzy to take. As Frizzy took the woman¡¯s hand, who stood up once more to cause Frizzy to float in the air suspended in the air, Jack stepped forwards. Gaining the attention of Frizzy and the woman alike. ¡°Halyndra¡­¡± Jack said, his voice calm and low. ¡°Halyndra, The Seraph of Sacred Faith. I trust you understand the meaning of your name.¡± Jack said, forcing calmness into his voice. Halyndra, bowed her head. A graceful smile spreading across her face with her eyes closed. Seeming to savor the name she had been gifted. Then she opened her emerald eyes once more to show they were full of joy. "Of course, My Lord. I shall live to be worthy of the name you have bestowed upon me. But I am not overly concerned. After all,¡± she said as her smile became a grin, a grin that was all too similar to Sylara¡¯s ¡°I have faith... and faith has a way of making things work out.¡± she said with a wink of her eye then guided Frizzy from the workshop. In another time¡­ they could have been sisters¡­ Jack sighed then turned to look at the succubus who now shuddering in terror. ¡°Welp! Time to deal with you.¡± Jack declared making the succubus grow pale since both of them were now alone. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 3 Days remaining¡­ ¡°Ponder, puzzle, mystery, and what to do with you¡­¡± Jack said aloud, standing next to the cage holing his chin in thought. ¡°Eh, let¡¯s play it safe since I really don¡¯t want to waste any more time on you. Things to build, people to kill, and being a general pain in the ass to those I don¡¯t like. Packed schedule so I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± He finished with a shrug. The succubus didn¡¯t say a word, only stared at him in horrified disbelief. Her jaw moving about uselessly since no words came out. Eyes the size of dinner plates, watching him without so much as a blink. ¡°Here¡¯s what I want. You¡¯re going to go to hell, going to bring back some rare metals. You will not communicate my existence to anyone, creature, thing, demon or otherwise directly or indirectly, before, during or after the task I have given you. Once you deliver about half a pound of rare metal from the hells to me, you will have fulfilled your favor owed to me, under the condition that you will continue not to make anyone aware of my existence as I have stated earlier.¡± He said while pulling out the coin he had made and rolled it between his finger bones with soft metal clinking sounds. ¡°Failure to do as stated or keep me a secret to the best of your abilities will result in you owing me another favor. Deal?¡± The demon said nothing, still completely terrified and unable to speak. Eventually she was able to find her tongue and remember how it worked. Muttering a yes along with how none of this should be possible. ¡°Good enough.¡± Jack said after waiting a minute for the succubus to respond. His dungeon reabsorbing a part of the cage he had made to make a door. Once the door was made, Jack stepped to the side to clear the way. Only for the succubus to remain in her spot. Her gaze still disbelieving and horrified as she stared at him. ¡°¡­ you gonna leave the cage?¡± Jack asked, feeling a tad awkward from how her gaze bore through him. Smoke practically leaving her ears from her brain practically sizzling from the effort of trying to comprehend the uncomprehend able. ¡°Hello?¡± She continued to state are him without so much as a muscle twitch. ¡°oh, come on. Stop being such a drama queen.¡± Jack huffed, crossing his arm in exacerbation. ¡°You act as if I tormented you for eternity. All I did was trick you, sprayed you with some holy juice, then take a couple of tissue samples.¡± Still she did not respond nor leave the cage even when he stop on the opposite side of the cage away from the door. ¡°Ahkay¡­ I¡¯m over this.¡± Jack sighed, going back to the work table to retrieve the spray bottle before coming back. ¡°Naughty kitty begone!¡± The succubus was shaken back to reality, hissing at him in distain. Cursing at him and saying all manner foul pyrophanite that honestly impressed Jack to an extent. He actually started to take mental notes for thing he wanted to try since he never thought of use a nutcracker that way before. Or a boot for that matter. ¡°BEGONEEEEEE FOULLLLLL SPIIRITTTTTTT-AH!!!!¡± Jack commanded, summoning a bucket and enough purifying water to fill it. Holding it with menacing intent. At this new threat, the succubus ran at full sprint from the cage since she knew he was almost guaranteed to pour the bucket on her. Okay, that is one less thing on my list of shit to do. He thought to himself, having the bucket and its contents reabsorbed back into the dungeon. I made a bunch of generic bronze golems. Wish I had the time to make iron or steel, but those bastards can¡¯t be ranked out like I want. Jack walked back to his throne while the cage he made was absorbed back into the floor. When he reached the throne, he took a seat and allowed himself a moment to overlook his workshop. Admiring the progress he had made and what he had accomplished with his friends. Got to keep your eye on the ball Jackie boy. He thought to himself. The dungeon is growing, your people are advancing. But you Jack haven¡¯t really grown besides the upgrades you bought for yourself. Maybe a little but not much. When this is done you got to see about growing as a person and in level. Jack reviewed his interaction with the succubus. In hindsight, he was lucky she was an idiot despite what the stat numbers said. If she went into a straight up fight, he¡¯d lose easily. That was not something acceptable in his book. That way he saw it, this was his second life and he needed to make sure that he didn¡¯t die this time. He could make plenty of weapons, on a whim now by spawning the loot options. He had an army in the form of dungeon mobs and he could just keep summoning those. As for his heavy shock troops, there was only so much you can do with a simplified bronze golem. Just give them a big heavy club and tell them to smash that thing in that direction. He had the time to make a smarter stronger golem, but only one and it wouldn¡¯t be near the same quality of Aegisthal. Not even by a long shot. Oh sure, he could make one that was absurdly strong, but brute strength didn¡¯t count for much if it could be out smarted. Not to mention it did him no favors to make a golem, absorb it only to not be able spawn it since he didn¡¯t meet the level qualifications. Luckily Frizzy and disciples were doing an amazing job on their part. Especially when they came up with hollowed out arrow heads to fill with poison and the bleed arrows who¡¯s head broke off the shaft easily when someone tried to pull it out. Then there as the poison that the Zur''keth were making along with tonics and making food preserves in case there is a siege or the adventures needed relief rations. Then there were the groups where some Gremlins and Zur¡¯keth were working together on their own projects. Then there was Gi¡¯gah and Chad. Those two were just double trouble. Chad had become one of Frizzy¡¯s disciples and seemed to take to the information like a fish to water. Even picking up Arcane Circles and enchanting script with fervor that rivaled a fire¡¯s love for dry wood. Gi¡¯gah turned out to be a young Hive Guardian and was growing very fast and strong. Now standing over four feet tall and had the muscle strength to bend a bronze rod with just their hands. When the two were left unsupervised they ended up building their own version of a construct in short order. It didn¡¯t work of course and the design was amateurish at best in Jack¡¯s perspective, but it was still impressive how well they worked together. Especially how they tried to combine the fabricator method with flesh molding. Sure it blew up and made a mess, but sometimes invention was a messy business. Buuuuut, Jack was not a fan of explosions involving meat and metal shrapnel so he made it a point for them to only experiment when Frizzy, Omnus, or an elder Zur¡¯keth were present. Now Jack sat in his throne, with far too much time to think about his options with very little on what he can do to further tip the scales in his favor. The biggest problem was he didn¡¯t have enough information about who or what the enemy was. Without that he could only make general preparations and those had already been done. He could make weapons and tools from purified steel, but the pros and cons didn¡¯t add up for him to do so. It was a good material, but was most effective against things like undead and demons. Against anything else then it might as well just be normal steel. Not to mention most of his mobs wouldn¡¯t be able to touch it without losing and arm didn¡¯t help. He could make enchanted weapons, amor, and accessories that gave a boost or power up. The problem with that idea though was that his current mobs were limited in what they can do and wouldn¡¯t put that stuff to the best of use. Not to mention that if the enemy army was smart enough, they would just loot the mobs carrying that gear then use it themselves. Making the invaders that much of a threat with each piece of gear they took from the slain mob. Jack rested his chin on his chin on his fist as his elbow rested on his knee. Thinking about what he might want to do with the time he had left. With the amount of frustration, he had to deal with in punching out those generic golems, plain weapons and armor, then gods damned succubus got involved. At least that whole endeavor got him a new sentinel and a fragment of his past. A very¡­ personal fragment that made him quite sentimental. If any of those fuckers involved are still breaking, I¡¯ll put them in a giant meat grinder. Feet. First. He growled in the privacy of his own mind. Jack shook the fantasy away. No, he can explore that fantasy later even if everyone involved well past dead. Even the leaders who organized the genocide were dead with maybe their descendants who were innocent since they had no part in it. The sins of the parent weren¡¯t those of the child. He¡¯ll just have to settle for the invading army. Which brought him back to his current problem. What meaningful thing can he do to make sure the adventurer¡¯s town survived? ¡°Yeah, that is a problem.¡± Someone said, bringing Jack out of his thoughts. ¡°Want me to give you some advice or maybe a hand?¡± the voice said, sounding distorted like there as a dozen people speaking at once and in sync. A reverberating echo following at the end of their word while a treble sounding as if power was building before they spoke the words. A dozen voices, some sounding deep and terrible, some light and bright while what remained sounded like a singular man. Maybe I should buy that Adaptive Defenses upgrade. Jack mused to himself. Getting pretty sick of people just appearing here. ¡°Can¡¯t say that blame you,¡± the other worldly voice said, adding their opinion to what Jack previously thought were is private thoughts. ¡°It would be a good long-term investment.¡± ¡°Alright, you can read minds.¡± Jack sighed, pinching his nasal bone. ¡°Am I going to see who you are? Or am I just going to talk to unseen voices like a crazy person?¡± The air cracked and chip like a plane of glass. More cracks spread until the largest of the spider webbing spread apart to show a void beyond the break in reality. Then a leather boot with strange buckles stepped out, followed but a leg with blue pants with the ends of the pant legs were a darker blue yet around the knees appeared faded. The nest to appear was a torso clad with a leather vest of some kind with more buckles to fastened it. Over that was a long coat that reached down to the knees with the inside lines with what looked like short soft fur. The clothing under the vest and coat seemed to have a hood that was pulled up, hiding the face inside since their head was down cast. The figure walked out of break in reality with their hands tucked in their pockets as the crack mended itself until it vanished entirely. ¡°Well, here I am.¡± The strange person with a distorted voice said. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say the same.¡± Jack said as he looked figure who seemed humanoid and maybe around average human height. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen your face yet.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen your face either.¡± The stranger said, their head tilting up. Showing the inside of their hood was a dark void with no features to be gleamed. Making a circular gesture around the opening of their hood by rolling their gloved hand around the opening of their hood to indicate the face. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have at the moment.¡± ¡°Oh, you dick.¡± Jack said while crossing his arm over his chest. The stranger just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d call you an asshole but you don¡¯t have one of those either.¡± If Jack had a face, he¡¯d be grinning with delight. And from what he was feeling from the stranger¡¯s gaze on him, there was a hidden grin hidden in that hood as well. ¡°Did we just become friends?¡± Jack asked while leaning on the arm rest with his right hand, meanwhile his left was resting on the other arm rest with his hand aimed at the stranger just in case he needed to act. ¡°That depends, got any booze or beer?¡± The stranger asked, his own arms crossed over his chest. either not noticing Jack¡¯s attempt to prepare for an attack or just didn¡¯t care. ¡°Is that why you came?¡± Jack huffed, the two nodes of light in his eye sockets still watching the stranger. ¡°Just wanted to raid me of my happy juice?¡± ¡°Hey, what are friends for?¡± The stranger said with no shame. Jack sat there for a second, digesting the words then burst into a hearty laugh. Going so far as to slap his knee since she can¡¯t remember a time when someone shot back at him. ¡°Ha! Oh, I like you.¡± Jack declared as he got up off the throne and came to stand in of the stranger to find he was a few inches taller than the visitor. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet, wanna try your beer first.¡± Stranger said back, his face still utterly unseen but the smile could be heard in his distorted voice¡­ or voices.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Alright, alright. I can take a hint. Come on, I got some stuff.¡± Jack said leading the way to a corner of the workshop. ¡°I keep it over here. Mostly use it for degreasing some equipment but it will put a carpet on your chest.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said the stranger who kept his hands tucked in his pockets. ¡°Been a while since I felt a proper burn from a good shot. And don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll take a shot for both of us.¡± ¡°Thank the gods, was afraid I was going to have to waste good liquor pouring it down an empty jaw bone.¡± Jack joked as he brought the stranger to the cabinet with a lock on it. Ever since some of Frizzy¡¯s disciples found out that little bit of information that it was good for getting drunk, he¡¯s had to keep it locked up with one of the most complicated locks he could come up with. He loved his Gremlins, but their nimble little fingers were too damned adept at taking apart or picking locks and mechanical parts. He even had to go so far as to even add another layer of protection with a sealing glyph in order to lock the tumblers in place. ¡°Thanks friend, tell you what. I¡¯ll take it out since you are hosting.¡± The stranger said, his hand coming out of his pocket to show it was gloved and reaching for the cabinet that stored the prize inside. Cracks and fractures appeared across the cabinet as his hand got closer. Like the webbing of broken glass, the fractures appeared and spread until the doors were a culdoscope of cracks. Then they separated, each piece retracting and pulling away from the center where his hand approached. moving away as if the pieces didn¡¯t dare get in the way of the approaching appendage. When his hand was inside the cabinet, the stranger quickly found the bottle in question along with a glass. When his hand came out with collected prize, the new hole in the cabinet closed once more. Each piece pulling itself back into place and interlocking with its neighbor like an elaborate puzzle. Seamlessly going back together then fusing together as though the cratering never happened. What chilled Jack though was that he didn¡¯t sense any magic from that he just saw. There was just nothing. No spell, no incantation, no arcane script, no influx or flow of power. Not only that but the cabinet was in the exact same state that it was before. When he touched it to see if the arcane script of the spell was still there, he found that it was in fact exactly has he had first placed it. Jack heard the sound of liquid filling a glass while studied the cabinet. A distorted chuckle echoing next to him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t make sense, does it?¡± The stranger asked before being the glass to the interior of the hood to take a stip. ¡°Oooooh, now that¡¯s some good stuff. Could use this stuff as fuel for a lamp.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ you could.¡± Jack said, his full ettention now on the being in front of him as it stated to click. He might not have seen it, but he could hear it in their distorted voice, a cocky know something you don¡¯t grin. ¡°Guess I got your attention.¡± The stranger said, their hood turned to look at Jack to show they were focused on him as well. ¡°You can say that,¡± Jack said, schooling himself and his thoughts. Remembering the clues this stranger gave thus to a game jack was now realizing he was playing. ¡°More importantly you have me curious as to who you are, what you are, and what you want.¡± ¡°The who is easy enough to answer.¡± They said taking a step back, letting go of the glass to leave it floating in the air perfectly still while they took a slight bow with their arm tucked at their waist. ¡°Greetings! My actual name can¡¯t really be pronounced. But you can call me, The One Who Watches. My pleasure to meet you, I promise.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jack Smithson, and wasn¡¯t expecting you this soon.¡± Jack greeted back with a small bow of his own. ¡°My question though is what is it you want?¡± ¡°Not your soul if that¡¯s what you¡¯re implying!¡± They laughed like they heard a rather funny joke. The sound of their laugh was disorienting thing to hear. Some parts sounded jolly, others mocking, but most of it sounded genuinely amused. Then it ended abruptly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t deal in souls. That is the currency of children. Nah, I prefer something much more important.¡± The One Who Watches said, still sounding amused. ¡°And what is it that you wanted from my dead wife?¡± Jack said as his hand clenched into a fist. The One Who Watches shrugged, ¡°Normally I don¡¯t talk about those kinds of things. But you were her husband and I don¡¯t want any hostility between us. For her to see you one last time, I asked that she sing me a song. That¡¯s it.¡± Now Jack was confused. A song? That¡¯s it? A simple song in exchange for a visit back from the afterlife to say one last goodbye? But why? What kind of value could a being like this gain from a song? ¡°Sorry buddy, but that I can¡¯t tell you.¡± The One Who Watches said as they reclaimed their glass from the air and took another sip. ¡°That¡¯s some good stuff! I¡¯m already bending some rules with what I already told you. Oops, did I say that last part out loud?¡± They said as their voice sounded as if their grin had grown just a little bit bigger. ¡°Damned alcohol, oh how you loosen the tongue.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing there isn¡¯t a living soul to hear that blunder.¡± Jack probed, curious but on guard for what kind of game this being was playing. ¡°Yep, good thing there isn¡¯t a Living soul to hear my blunder.¡± They said, the interior of their hood slowly becoming less of a black void. Inside that hood, Jack saw a tiny node of light, that light then spread and grew. Becoming a myriad of colors of thousands of tiny pin pricks of light. bending and swirling after one another to make a spiral with more lights taking form to fill the spiral with nebula like clouds forming between the tiny pinpricks of light. The entire thing looked as if a galaxy had been trapped within the confines of that hood. And just underneath that galaxy, almost hidden and difficult to see was a teasing cocky grin. One that suggest they knew a juicy secret that you didn¡¯t and content to keep it just out of your reach. ¡°Good thing my drinking buddy is around to make sure an Outsider like me doesn¡¯t spill any juicy gossip such as rules are in play. Who knows what I might say with after drinking too much.¡± he said, that grin growling just a little bigger. ¡°Tell me buddy, I heard you might be having a problem? Something about an invading army or something like that?¡± Jack nodded slowly, feeling as if he was being hinted at about something greater being in play. Especially since The One Who Watches was now slightly slurring their words. ¡°Yeah¡­ Trying to figure out what to do to better prepare for the attack.¡± Jack said, picking his words carefully, feeling actually unsettled by this talk. ¡°That really does suck, buddy.¡± The One Who Watches said, swirling his refilled glass of essentially moonshine. Their grin never fading for a second. ¡°Hey¡­ Hey! Buddy, pal, friend of mine. Did you know that in the time before history. Other creatures used to walk this earth?¡± Jack shook his head, listening to the strange entity with rampant attention while then released the glass and started to chug the bottle itself. Curious as to this subject change. Then they stopped their chug to speak again. ¡°Oh yeah! Great and powerful beasties. Some were giants, others were no higher than our knees. Unfortunately the world had a cataclysm so their all Dead now.¡± The One Who Watches sighed while they finished the bottle then turned the empty bottle into dust that vanished in the air. ¡°Yeah, shame too. Only way to Find them now is Deep in the earth. Bones and Fossils are all that remain.¡± Jack didn¡¯t miss how The One Who Watches grin grow at the mention of WHERE and HOW to find these beasts from before time. Especially with how he let slip that they were dead bone buried in the earth. Jack felt the fantom sensation a devious grin of his own wanting to take place on a face he no longer had. Thanks for the tip, I¡¯ll see what I can do. ¡°Oh, I think I might have talked your ear off a bit and took all your booze.¡± The One Who Watches said, thumping the heal of their palm to the side of their head. ¡°That was rude. Sorry buddy. Tell you what, so there¡¯s no hard feelings, I¡¯ll pay you back for the good time. Don¡¯t have any money on me, would you accept magic items as payment?¡± ¡°Of course, buddy.¡± Jack said, playing along to the game of this entity¡¯s game. ¡°And to show you are welcome to come back, I¡¯ll have another bottle ready for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Because that stuff was pretty good. Some of the better stuff I had in the last two thousand years.¡± The One Who Watches said, reaching into their pocket and pulled out strange items that Jack had never seen before. Three of them looked like small crystalline metal gems just to resemble a brain. Each one the size of a small apple with tiny purple arches of electricity coming from them to dance along their surface. There was a fourth one the size of a grapefruit made in a similar fashion as the first three. Then there was the fifth one. A strange gyroscopic devise that had multiple layered rings that danced and swirled around each other. The bronze color leaving and shimmer as they moved and twirled as the blood red gems left a streak through the air from where they were placed in the gyro rings. An incredible amount of Arcane energy emanated from the gyroscope that left Jack¡¯s jaw hanging open. The amount of power emanating from it was nothing to scoff at, if anything the amount of power it we generating would likely kill any living creature expose to it from mana poisoning. ¡°Here you go, buddy.¡± The One Who Watches said, placing the items in Jack¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh noooo, it seems I pay you too much. But their in your hands now so they no longer belong to me. Oh well, we¡¯ll just have to make up the difference another time with you giving me plenty of more booze.¡± He said with a shrug as if to say it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Thanks for the drinks. By the way, you should really check your notifications. It¡¯s so easy to forget to check them but hey, sometimes you get a nice Surprise from that. Another time, buddy.¡± Not waiting for Jack to respond, The One Who Watches made another crack in reality before jumping back into the void. Both of which vanished from sight as Jack was left standing with his new prizes in hand. taking a moment to process what had happened and who he just spoke with. When he checked the corner of his vision, he saw that he did have unseen notifications that he had missed before. Taking care of his first problem, Jack summoned a hundred pounds of bronze and used his spell form and function to create a thick walled safe box. Then he summoned enough lead to create a walled lining with in the box to keep the magic form radiating out. once he was sure it was properly sealed with no mana leaks, he checked the notifications to see what they were.
Attention! You are attempting a forbidden act!
Warning! Probability of this act ending in failure is high! Failure in this act that defies the gods will result in the destruction of Dungeon Avatar body and possible long term damage to Dungeon Core.
Warning! Dungeon Avatar¡¯s arm is being erased in the presence of purifying essence! Remaining percent of arm: 90%..... 87%.... 82%... 79%
Warning! Critical failure Imitate! Possible radius of explosion: 470 feet
Attention! Forbidden act Complete
Forbidden Quest Found!!!! Break Thy Chains, Claim They Power in Truth You have found a hidden quest that has been forbidden by the gods. Once this quest as started there is no stopping for to start this quest is to walk the path of ascension. Mortals have become gods before, will you succeed as well or fall like those who have tried before you? Pre-requisite to start the quest: ?????? ????? Create a Celestial Create a Soul ????? ????? Step 1: Complete! You have done the following to begin this quest: Create a Soul Create a Celestial ATTENTION! Due to exceeding the requirements to begin this question, the reward will be adjusted to reflect your actions. Reward: 1. New Mob Type has been added to your dungeon: Celestial This new aspect will be added to your dungeon as you will now be a dungeon centered around Undead, Constructs, Celestial 2. You have been granted access to a new Metal from the Heaven realms. Step 2: Create your first ¡®Angel¡¯ Status: Complete! You have created your first Angel! Born of gems, the waters of purification, Mithril dust, the life essence of the fallen, the essence from your own body, and an act of faith. You have created your first true Angel. ¡°Halyndra, The Seraph of Sacred Faith¡± Reward: 1. You can now upgrade your current dungeon sentinels to the status of dungeon sentinel and angel. If upgraded to Angel status, they will receive greater self-awareness, greater abilities, and an increase to their stats. Note: This upgrade will not change their personalities but they will be aware that you have elevated them to the higher realm of the divine. 2. You can now Grant true blessings, each blessing will be unique to the person it is given too. 3. Future leveling of dungeon avatar will include skills, spells, or abilities considered divine. 4. You are no longer considered a Lich, check status page for updated information 5. You can now create Angels. WARNING! Angels can¡¯t be created with in the mortal realm! Step 3: Create a religion Status: in progress A divine being needs worshipers to grow their power for it is faith that they are able to conduct their miracles Rewards: ??????????????? ?????????????? ?????????????? ?????????????? ¡°You¡¯re actions have not gone un-noticed. Eyes from beyond the veil now watch you. Welcome to the great game, play it well.¡±
Jack stared at the notifications struggling to comprehend all that he was seeing. Yet the answer was clear as day¡­ ¡°I¡¯m¡­ becoming a god?¡± Update, school
Hey everyone! I¡¯m sorry for the short notice, but there won¡¯t be a chapter this week. I¡¯m busy preparing for a TEAS exam to get into a medical program, so I need to dedicate all my available time to studying. I promise to make it up to you next week and really appreciate your understanding. Thank you for sticking with me, and I¡¯ll be back soon with more content. Wish me luck on the exam, I¡¯ll definitely need it! Thank you all for your support!Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 3 days remaining¡­. Mid day ¡°I¡¯m¡­. becoming a god¡­¡± Jack said as he looked over the notifications for the fifth time, sitting in his throne to steady himself so he wouldn¡¯t collapse¡­ again. No matter how he read and reread those notifications always told him the same no matter how much he wanted it to say otherwise. He was on the path to become a god and someone knew it was happening. The biggest question was if The One Who Watches was the only one that knew or were there others that knew. If it was only The One Who Watches, Jack could work with that. The One Who Watches didn¡¯t seem to be malicious but it was plain to see that they had their own agenda. For now, that agenda seemed to work for Jack¡¯s favor which was great since The One Who Watches was a power that Jack couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how he would combat. Demons were one thing, cocky adventurers he could deal with, maybe even some types of monsters. But whatever The One Who Watches was¡­ no, that was not a battle he wanted to fight. He had other things to focus on, and needed to act fast. Including today, he had two and a half days left and with this new information, he now had new options he could explore. With a thought he opened his menus to see what had changed and what he could try.
Dungeon Avatar Sheet Level 2
Race: Lich (Currently) (Will change once evolution is complete) Stats: (Will change once evolution is complete) Strength: 12 Agility: 15 Durability: 18 Intelligence: 30 Wit: 28
Race Abilities: Level: 1 Spell Casting (Will remain the same post evolution) Life Siphoning (Will change once evolution is complete) Curses Casting (Will change once evolution is complete) Necromancy Affinity (Will remain the same post evolution) Celestial Affinity (Will become available once evolution is complete) Quick Study (Will remain the same post evolution) Spell Resistance (Will remain the same post evolution) Level:2 Mana Absorption (Will remain the same post evolution) Essence Scrying (Will remain the same post evolution) Dark Communion (Will change once evolution is complete) Chilling Aura (Will remain the same post evolution)
Spells Available: (Some spells will be changed/adjusted once evolution is complete) Level: 1 Divine Artisan (Formally: Form and Function) Stone Needles Electric Bolts Detect Resources Sanctified Transmutation (Formally known as Refinement) Reanimate Minor Detonate Sickening Fog Level:2 Spectral Shield Deathly Lure Rotting Chains Sealing Glyph Haunting Wail Arcane Weld Construct Repair Chain Lightening Arc
Attention! You have met the criterial to evolve your Dungeon Avatar and Dungeon Core. Once The Evolution choice has been made and begun, some choices with in the dungeon upgrade menu will be changed, closed off, or replaced. Please select the dungeon upgrades you would like to have before beginning the evolution. Would you like to see review the evolution upgrade options? Yes/No
Jack was about to take a look at the options and explore the changes further when he felt a disturbance with in his dungeon territory. Something was moving incredibly fast, heading straight towards the center where his community was taking shape. And from how Aegisthal came climbing into rushing into his chamber, he felt the disturbance as well. it took him a minute to focus in enough on the disturbance to figure out that it was Eorlas who was coming back at high speed. It was surprising that she was coming back so soon but it also gave Jack some relief that he was getting information no instead of the last minute. Hopefully she would have some good news since right now. While most people would like the idea of becoming a god, which Jack also kind of liked the sound of it, he knew that people in power tend to not like change or a new contender. If nobles didn¡¯t like any up-and-coming people that might threaten their authority, he can only imagine what an established god might think. Jack didn¡¯t know how many minutes it was when Eorlas first entered his dungeon¡¯s territory. But she made a grand entrance of rocketing through the air some a form in hand. Aegisthal stood between him and her while she flew at high speed with no sign of slowing. Aegisthal must not have known who exactly was coming since he stood in a fighting ready stance. Perhaps his vision wasn¡¯t as good at long distances as it was for short. Something to test later. His hands were raised and loosely open, ready to defend or attack. The second Eorlas came hurtling through the balcony entrance at mind boggling speed, Aegisthal lurched forwards. His armored hand catching her by the throat. Making her upper body stop dead in its tracks while her lower half carried through. Just before her back was parallel with the ground, Aegisthal threw his weight forwards and down. Slamming her with enough force to create a spider web of cracks and fractures in the stone floor of Jack¡¯s workshop. Eorlas gasped deeply after having the air knocked from her lungs, yet her hand clutched one of her blades with the tip pressed under Aegisthal¡¯s arm pit. Jack didn¡¯t even see her draw the blade nor when she moved to press the blade to Aegisthal. What he did see though was the person she was carrying get hurled forwards, carried by the momentum and slip free of her grip. It was a second after Aegisthal realized that the possible threat was in fact another dungeon sentinel. "Eorlas, next time you approach at such speed, provide advance notice. I detected rapid movement but could not identify you clearly due to the velocity." He said plainly, gradually releasing her throat then held out the same hand to offer assistance to stand. ¡°Oh, Aegisthal, how sweet of you to care about my safety. Slammed me down like a falling star, such a strong grip you have. Next time, I¡¯ll send a little whisper ahead¡­¡± she said, sheathing her blade then too his hand. ¡°Or perhaps you¡¯ll learn to keep up with me. Shall we test which comes first?¡± "I am far more concerned with why you have brought an outsider to the heart of the dungeon," Aegisthal stated, lifting Eorlas to her feet. Jack found that he agreed with the immoveable wall. Who or what did Eorlas find that that she thought was important enough to bring directly to the heart of his domain? His curiosity quipped; Jack moved closer to the prone figure. Being careful not to get too close just in case their ¡®visitor¡¯ in question was playing possum. What he found was that they were a mostly un harmed with the exception of a few minor scratches and a bruise here and there. What really got his attention was that their guest was a half-orc. If Jack had to guess, they were a knight of some kind. They wore half plate armor stained, carried an axe with an armor piercing spike opposite of the blade head. Except the blade was heavily nicked and chipped while the parts where the blade wasn¡¯t chipped was heavily dulled. On the chest plate was an insignia of a fist holding a sword along with a, what Jack thought was an implied, tattoo of a viper. The chisel work was subpar at best and there were almost no clean lines. The armor itself though was a fine piece of work leading Jack to believe that the insignia was made by someone else and not the original forger. The half-orc himself was a male, strong and bulky like most orcs, though his skin had a tinge of grey along with brownish green. They had a long-healed scare across their cheek and metal rings in their cheek bones along with wooden beads braided into their black hair. He laid on his side, his face twisted in pain as his hand clutched his shoulder. Probably dislocated from the landing. That or Eorlas found it easier to make someone more co-operative if they couldn¡¯t use one of their arms.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Was not expecting this,¡± Jack said as he made sure to not take his eye¡­ sockets¡­ off their new hostage. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re one of the big shots?¡± "Rrgh... whole body aches..." the half orc growled, still wincing in pain. ¡°Yeah, that happens when you get thrown around like rag doll.¡± Jack said, his guard up, not willing to chance getting attacked. ¡°Alright big shot, what are you and your army after? Who is giving the orders?¡± After regaining their focus, the half or gave Jack a hate filled glare. Their teeth bared in a snarl while still holding their injured shoulder. Managing to sit up on their own despite their injury. "Who da hell are ya, bone-walker?! You da one who sent dat beast?!" They growled with their short tusks bared at Jack in Challenge. ¡°For you specifically, no. You just got crap luck and drew the short straw I think.¡± Jack said off handedly, not feeling any particular need to guard his words. ¡°What is your group? How many are there? What do they want?¡± "Why da hell should I answer yer question?!" ¡°Know what, that is a good question.¡± Jack answered back, taking a second to consider it. ¡°Your right, you don¡¯t have to answer a single question I ask.¡± At his last statement, he could sense the confusion of both Aegisthal and Eorlas through his link with them. He could sense they had a hundred unspoken questions. Jack of course ignored them all. The half orc was, of course, confused by Jack¡¯s words. ¡°Eorlas, how much time would you say you bought us with your intervention?" Jack asked his huntress and spy, never looking away from the captive. ¡°Master, I have delayed them with caltrops, traps, and a few unfortunate ¡®accidents¡¯ in their supplies. I¡¯d say they¡¯ll have a limping behind for three days.¡± Eorlas said quickly and promptly to his question. ¡°Now that is good news.¡± Jack said as he watched the half orc. ¡°how many heads did you count? Rough estimations are alright.¡± "Master, last I counted, they numbered between ten and fifteen thousand, give or take a few scouts, wagon drivers, and a leader or two, though I doubt they¡¯ll be missed. Mostly consists of orcs, trolls, centaurs, and minotaurs. I couldn¡¯t extract precise counts on their specialists, fighters, healers, mages, elites, title holders, too many variables, too much movement. If you wish, I can rectify that oversight.¡± She said, her tone respectful and with just the slightest hint of disappointment in herself. Jack stood there as he listened, taking in all the information while he watched the half-orc. Watching for any kind of reaction. When he heard the rough estimation of how many people were in that army¡­ ¡­. Oh¡­ fuuuuuuUUCUK! He cursed internally, being careful to keep still. Fucking son of a BITCH!!!! WHY?! Why the fuck are there so many! The fuck to they want?! Two thousand upgrade points is not enough for taking out an army! ¡­ Ok, a medium sized army, but it¡¯s still a fucking army!!! ¡°Good,¡± Jack said doing his absolute best to keep his voice from cracking with dread. ¡°Since I am expecting this guy is someone important, and this is an army, the rules of war apply. No torture, no unjust harm, decent quarters. If he behaves but acts like an ass, no harm besides a bruised ego. If he harms a resident¡­ Then you have my full permission to use your imagination Eorlas.¡± ¡°My pleasure. ~¡± Eorlas purred as she stared hungrily at the half-orc who paled at the sight. Nope, not gonna look deeper into that. He quickly thought to himself. ¡°Good, I want you and Omnus to see what information you can get out of him. As for you my unexpected guest, answer their questions and don¡¯t make this harder than is has to be. Who knows, maybe no one has to die if we play are cards right. Aegisthal, I need to say to ask you a few things.¡± With that, Eorlas took their prisoner away. Helping him to stand up then escorting him to the central lift to leave the tower workshop. All with a blade resting at his ribs just in case he decided to do something very foolish. That left Jack with his first sentinel Eagisthal. His Bulwark, his sword and shield and tireless guardian of his dungeon residents. ¡°Your thoughts?¡± Jack asked, retaking his seat at his throne. lazily waving his hand to make a chair form out of the ground made of stone for Aegisthal to take. "Victory will be difficult, my General.¡± Aegisthal started while taking his seat. ¡°The standard mobs provide numbers and can be replenished, but they lack the strength to turn the tide. Even if you purchase the mob upgrade and gain access to stronger creatures, we cannot win a sustained battle in the open. Coordinating with the adventurer town is not an option¡ªthey would be more hindrance than help. The golems you have crafted are invaluable as shock troops, but they must be deployed sparingly against the greatest threats. Eorlas excels in eliminating command structures from a distance. Omnus is suited for crowd control. From what I have observed of Halyndra, she will serve best in mending our most powerful constructs. As for myself, I will command, coordinate, and stand at the front." ¡°Yeah, I thought so too.¡± Jack sighed, leaning and arm on the armrest. ¡°No sense taking the gamble on points. I¡¯m going to spend some on a dimensional plane¡­ just in case.¡± ¡°That would be the wisest course of action.¡± ¡°What are the odds they have something stupidly strong with them?¡± Jack asked while toying with a few thoughts. ¡°The odds are high. An army of that size is bound to have a backup plan, or perhaps a powerful weapon for insurance. Judging by the prisoner¡¯s equipment, it is likely the latter. They would not attack a branch of the Adventurer''s Guild unless they were certain they could fend off an enemy of that power.¡± ¡°Yep¡­ we are up shit creek without a paddle in sight. Now we got a hole in the boat.¡± Jack said with part of his focus now delving deep within the earth bellow. The One Who Watches more than hinted that he could find something that would some remains that would help him. Pushing most of his consciousness deep into the earth, Jack began his search to see what treasures he find. All while making sure to keep some of his awareness within the workshop to keep speaking with Aegisthal. ¡°I fail to comprehend how we are submerged in a body of water composed of excrement, nor how we are within a vessel that has a hole.¡± Aegisthal stated, in his usual flat tone. ¡°It¡¯s a metaphor big guy. Means we¡¯re have struggles ahead of us without a sign of anything that might help in sight and it¡¯s getting less and less ideal.¡± Jack clarified without much thought. Currently too involved in exploring the earth to see what might help. What he found was actually rather interesting. There were bones and fragments of creatures that were more stone than actual bone. There were even some plants that looked to have gone through a similar process and even a small deposit of oil. He didn¡¯t have much need for oil since he can didn¡¯t need any lubricants at the moment. The creature bones on the others hand were something rather interesting. There were a few that caught his attention in particular. One was a what looked to be four legged, the back of its head was like a shield with two elongated horns with one short horn at the nose. What was additionally strange about the skeleton was that it had a beak with molar like teeth at the back of its jaw. From what he could judge about its size, it was a nearly twice the size of a cow. ¡°A curious manner of speech. But it accurately reflects our position. I believe there is still a chance, my general. We need only be more strategic in how we engage them.¡± Aegisthal said as he with resolute certainty. The link that connected him to Jack saying that he fully believed every word he said. ¡°Hit-and-run tactics will serve us well. Lead them into traps and pitfalls. Force them to focus not only on what lies ahead, but what may lie beneath.¡± ¡°Hey Aegisthal, how do you feel about a mount?¡± Jack asked as he already stated to absorb the skeleton form the earth. Finding that while it was still semi-bone, it a great deal of stone as well. "A mount, my general? I fail to see the necessity. I do not tire, nor do I slow." Aegisthal said as plainly as ever, not seeing the benefits of what Jack was considering. ¡°Aegisthal, big guy, giant who I am mostly certain can lift then throw a tree like a spear on a whim. I am trying to give you something to be excited about. Maybe also give us and advantage in the upcoming fight at the same time.¡± Jack said while standing up from his throne and moved closer to Aegisthal. Aegisthal, surprisingly, didn¡¯t have an immediate response to Jack¡¯s statement. Instead, Jack could feel that hulking warrior was carefully measuring and considering what was said. Really thinking about what Jack said and sorting out his own feeling on the matter. It was a few seconds before Aegisthal came to a decision. "I would accept a mount. If for no other reason than it is a gift from my general and creator who I value above all others." Aegisthal said in that same deep even tone, yet Jack could feel the sincerity through the link along with an inkling of happiness. ¡°Awwwwwwwe, you are gonna get me teary eyed if I still had eyes.¡± Jack gushed. ¡°Come on big guy, we¡¯ll need to step outside for this one.¡± Without a word, Aegisthal stood up from his stead as it merged back into the floor. Following Jack outside as they took the lift down before leaving the tower after he grabbed the treasures that The One Who Watches had given him. Once they were outside, the found it was a cloudy day outside but still nice enough. What caught Jack¡¯s attention though was how much his budding community had developed and grown. The buildings were for the most part cleared weeds and vines that previously smothered any available surfaces. Leaving only enough for a decorative effect. The yards of the pavilions were also cleared of cluttering foliage, the garden beds had been seeded with plants both edible and medicinal. The original mansion that he had given to the gremlins had been improved immensely. Any and all rubble and debris had been picked up and removed while previously cracked or damaged walls had been fixed. Even the parts of the stone work that had chunks missing were put together and mended with parts of the stone that seemed to have had the seams fused together. When he stepped closer it became clear that his arcane and transmutation circles had been used to accomplish the feat. The mansion had even been painted with colors of black and silver. The surrounding buildings were also in a similar state or either being or were fully repaired. Some of the gremlins could be seen working alongside Zur''keth to move and tend their homes. Both even had some mobs assisting them from Tin Crabs, Skeletons, and Copper Spiders to help in the repairs or moving supplies. Making the job easier by having them take care of the simple tasks. In the central clearing where the tower was made, all the rubble had been removed and was used to build a few storage buildings and some walls for their vegetable gardens. One mansion had been a sign made of bronze with iron lettering proclaiming it to be the new study and development center. On the opposite side of the clearing, Halyndra could be seen surrounding by a group of children. Both Gremlin and Zur''keth were listening to her as she told them stories. He wasn¡¯t sure what stories she was telling them but they seemed enthralled and he wasn¡¯t close enough to ease drop. Then again, he wasn¡¯t one to interrupt when a good story was being told. Adult and elders from both races have been working with one another and it warmed Jack¡¯s flaming pearl heart to see them getting along. To seem them building homes, families being made, and he noticed a few very new and young faces mixed in the group. Then there were some of the more familiar faces from Frizzy¡¯s classes. Some even experimenting with some new gadgets, tools or toys in hand for their efforts. It all gave him hope for the future and reinforced his need to keep his people safe. Setting his admiration for how quickly his people were developing, Jack moved to center of the central clearing. Gaining the attention of his residents, Jack started to summon copies of the bones he just absorbed and alongside it was a pile of iron and bronze of equal size to the skeleton¡¯s height were it standing on all fours. Everyone had gathered at this point, all excitedly whispering and watching what might happen next. Many pointing at the prehistoric pile of bones with guesses to what Jack might do this time. Jack for his part wanted to test his improved spell Divine Artisan to see what it¡¯s limits were. With the spell casted, the pile of metal liquified. Pooling around the bones before steadily creeping up the bones from the bottom up. Inch by inch it climbed up the bones and fill out the form according to Jack¡¯s imagination. Steadily taking the beast with gears, cogs, torque mechanisms, joints and pistons. The whole process coming far easier and the intricacy of the work now much more refined than what the previous version of the spell could manage. Wanting to test the limits of the spell, Jack began to imagine within his mind the arcane scripting and enchantments. Mentally picturing and shaping it into the metal and bone beast. Finding that he can now, much to his surprise, frustration, and relief, that he could now make magic items with the spell. There was of course a draw back. While his former spell Form and Function was unable to make magic items or imprint enchantments or arcane script. It was fast, allowing him to mass produce tools and equipment. While Divine Artisan did allow him to make magic items, it was not nearly as fast. Sure, magic item or construct that would normally take him maybe a month to make was being done in hours. But it was still semi-slow compared to work that would take days being done in minutes. Putting that aside, Jack continued to focus the spell. Guiding the materials to take shape and form over the bones. Joints were being reinforced. Mechanical muscle with pistons and gears, protective plating taking shape over the slowly forming body. With the body forming, scripts for moving imprinted, and the mass gradually growing. The iron and bronze beast took its finally shape. The metal beast laid prone on the ground, three proud horns on its head, the shield like skull made with bronze filagree. The long tail ending with double headed axe. The body large and bulky to the point that the top of Jack¡¯s head reached its back while pilled out one of the smaller crystal brains. Unsure of how to use it, Jack simply approached the head of the mechanized beast. Holding the brain in his hand in thought while considering how he was going to use it. Then the notification appeared, asking if he wanted to fuse the Lexicon Cortex to the construct. When he selected yes, the crystal brain jumped from his hand. slamming itself into the mechanical beast¡¯s head where it slowly sank into it. the metal and bone bending and forming around the crystal brain until it was safely tucked inside. With baited breath, everyone watched and waited for what might happen next. Crystalizing threads could be seen snaking their way through the gaps from the back of the head to the rest of the body. Creeping like fast growing vines the interlaced through every limb once they grew through spine of the machine. After minutes of watching, there was rumbling growl emanating from the mechanical beast. Then its eye lit up with a pale blue light. With an unsteady step, the mechanical beast stated to push itself up. Rising to its full height on all fours to where it stood taller than even Aegisthal. It looked around at its surroundings when it paused to look at Jack and Aegisthal as they were the ones that stood closest to it. Aegisthal moved to stand between Jack and the mechanized beast. A hand out stretched to Shield Jack and to keep the beast¡¯s attention. There was something primal about how it stood and moved. Something old and bring with power that spoke to Jack on an instinctual level. There were no jerky movements nor anything that felt mechanical about how it carried itself. Instead, its movements were subtle with ever so slight movements here and there. It felt more like a living creature that was in metal and bone body then a mechanical construct made to look like a creature. The mechanical beast made that low rumble as it watched Aegisthal, going so far as to even sniff the air before it let out a steam filled snort. Aegisthal for his part did not move nor look away. this was a test between the two to see who would back down. A suspicion Jack had and quickly confirmed when the beast pawed the ground then raised its four legs up to stomp on the ground. A display to challenge and intimidate. ¡°I think he likes you big guy.¡± Jack said as he watched on, feeling the beast would listen to him if he told it to calm down. Doing that though would set a bad example since Aegisthal was supposed to be the commander of the army and guard. "I find him agreeable. Large, strong, stubborn, and bold. He will serve well as a mount." Aegisthal said stepping forwards towards the new mechanized beast. With his hands closing into two fists, Aegisthal two more faster steps towards the beast. Taking a jump from his last step, his armored arms raising above his head as he came back down. Landing on the ground with one knee, a thunderous clang rung out as he slammed both fists into the stone floor. The force in which he struck the floor was enough to make the ground shutter, many of the watching residents felt the tremor and the beast took a hesitant step back. Lowering its head as Aegisthal stood up once more. Aegisthal walked with a slow and steady gate, with no particular urgency as he stood in front of the tri-horned beast. Placing a hand on its forehead. "Your designation is now Ironhorn. You will serve as my mount and companion." Aegisthal said with finality. Oh, I am really liking this. Jack thought deviously, his hands rubbing together as he found the second prehistoric beast he wanted to make. I always wanted a pet. Chapter 26 5 days remaining¡­ Maybe¡­ Jack was positively giddy. Way too giddy for Frizzy¡¯s liking So much so that Frizzy, his first apprentice, disciple, and friend, was watching him suspiciously as he summoned a few tons of metal and a large pile of bones from some unnamed beast. Snickering manically as he rubbed his hands together like a villain in a play. They stood in a large chamber underground past the old sewer system, a space he carved out using his absorption ability. Creating a large cavern large enough to fit a three-story mansion inside. The air was damp and everything was dark with the main source of light coming from the torch she had on hand. The cavern walls were made of compressed clay that had been hardened and cured while taking the form of a large dome. Even the floor was made of a similar hardened clay, making a light scuffing sound while she walked closer to her teacher. Who seemed enjoy acting like some story book villain since he just made himself an actual lair. I need to stop him before he loses it¡­ again. ¡°Come get some bitches!¡± he cackled like a maniac, arms out stretched as he had his head thrown back. ¡°I¡¯ll show you what it is to Fuck around and find out! Muahahahahah!¡± Seeing that Jack was losing it yet again, Frizzy walked up behind cackling skeleton then kicked him in the back of the knee. Causing him to fall over where he landed on his back, followed swiftly with a hand chop on the top of his head with Frizzy¡¯s prosthetic hand. ¡°Ow! Why!¡± Jack protested while holding the top of his head. Frizzy stood over him with her arms crossed and an unamused glare on her continence. ¡°Because you are losing it, haven¡¯t taken a brake yet, and acting like an over-the-top villain from a fable.¡± Frizzy said, clearly annoyed with his antics. ¡°Time to take some time off. ¡°Oh, come on. I¡¯m stressed about the upcoming fight, and just letting it out in an unhealthy way.¡± Jack pouted as best he could. ¡°Let me have my fun.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± She shot back, unmoved by Jack¡¯s whining. ¡°You aren¡¯t allowed to do anything involving the battle. Work on the dungeon. Invent something. Make some toys for some of the kids. You can do anything but work on the invasion. When was the last time you watched the adventurers fight in your dungeon?¡± ¡°¡­ A while¡­¡± Jack said sheepishly while he stood up. The fact that he was showing shame told Frizzy everything she needed to know. He was over working himself, losing focus, becoming more irrational than normal. If she let him continue as he was, and knowing him, he might actually make something that could kill everyone and everything if left unsupervised. Be it some kind of box with a button, a pendant with an enchantment or some other gods know what device he might make. She could not let that happen. She already had to stop him from making a self-reloading and cranking ballista. In hind sight, it might have been a good idea if he had actually made it to counteract the invading army. But that was before they knew an army was coming to attack them. ¡°Teacher. You need a day off. Just one day to relax and take your mind off what maybe for a while.¡± She said with just a hint of more sympathy. ¡°I can handle the day to day for our community. I have the sentinels working on tasks and projects, and I have my students working on making and refining weapons. Work on the dungeon if you have to make something. But you are NOT working on whatever in the hells that thing is until I¡¯m sure there won¡¯t be and explosion.¡± Jack stated at her for a moment, speechless from her proclamation. ¡°You know I¡¯m the dungeon master, right?¡± Jack asked cautiously. ¡°Yes, but you also need supervision.¡± Frizzy said unphased. ¡°How dare you be right.¡± Jack grunted in frustration. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll just make one thing then I¡¯ll go and work on the dungeon. Fair?¡± Suspicious, Frizzy eyed her willy teacher with not-so-subtle suspicion. Frizzy had no doubt that Jack was on many levels a maniac. She heard stories of how the Ancients were a bold sort often taking risks and taking on gambles that the more cautious would never consider. Jack was of no exception to those stores, but times like this made her wonder if all ancients were a mad as him or if Jack was just a special case. Then again¡­ she honestly couldn¡¯t say she would be holding herself together so well if she went through what he has.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She was still curious about what that interaction was when Halyndra came into existence. There was some kind of hidden conversation there and while she was curious, she also respected Jack way too much to pry. Whatever it was had left him¡­ changed. He was shaken and far too soft spoken for the remainder of that day. He was getting closer his version of ¡®normal¡¯ with each day, but there was still something off about him. She couldn¡¯t what exactly but knew that he would talk when he was ready. Moving to the pile of metal ingots, Jack held up a hand as he cast that new spell of his. Energies could be felt filling the air. A sense of them being something greater than mere arcana. Like before when he created that giant three horned metal beast from where she watched with everyone else in the crowd. She felt that the spell he used was more than it had been previously before when he used it. As always it was charged with power that permeated in the air. Filling it with energies that seek guidance and a goal. Eager to take direction like a child asked by their parent to help with a task to show how helpful they were. Now though it was somehow much more. The power of it was deeper, more profound and complex. It felt more like there as a hidden truth that had yet to show itself. One that had many unspoken implications. It was powerful, it was beautiful, it was dark, it was peaceful and yet it was ominous. It was a power that sought to create and it would not be denied. Be it with raw materials or refined, it did not care. It only sought make something anew from the old. Consuming them to birth something new. Creation and destruction, destruction then creation. Over and over in the frightening yet beautiful pattern. Frizzy could see herself being lost in this endless cycle. She can even claim that she practiced it though in a much smaller scale and depth than that of her teacher can perform so casually. It left her envious at times. Not just when he uses magic to create and build, but how he also used his hands to create. She had watched him before, how he molded metal, shaped would, refined them, then gifted them with life through magic and enchantment. Conjoining them all to create that which worked and acted as if all those elements and parts had always been one. Yes, he had far more practice at the craft than she did. That was something she had accepted because it was the truth. What frustrated her was that even with all her studying, all her efforts, she still felt that what he made didn¡¯t compare to what he could. Even with her building knowledge and understanding of arcane circles for enchanting, infusion and transmutation. Still, the way he used them were by their foundation the same. Yet somehow the what he made was either better, different, or so profoundly foreign to her she just couldn¡¯t understand how he come up with those alien ideas. Yes, she could understand with one she had time to study those concepts. But she still struggled with how he ever came up with them. she got inklings, concepts, and glimpses into how his mind worked. Yet just when she felt was close to fully comprehending and understanding, he pulled the rug from under her feet. And she was left standing there, questioning, grasping, struggling, trying to comprehend yet it was only after he explained it did she got see just how much the world was poorer with the death of the ancients¡­ and how she hated the people responsible for their murder. Yes¡­ she hated them. She hated what those monsters did in the past. She hated what had been done to Jack. She hated how ignorant she was and how far behind everyone was because so much wisdom and knowledge was lost. She hated the fact that there was no justice and that community was under threat when they were trying to better themselves. But what can she do? Waking herself from her thoughts, Frizzy watched and her insecurities and envy were washed away once she saw Jack latest wonder was complete. It was a well needed reminder for her that she was still learning and that was ok. The ancients were not dead since they still had Jack. Yes, the world was ignorant poorer since the loss of the ancients. But their growing community was learning and discovering together. Each day they were building and improving their home. The young learning and playing, the adults had families that were safe and work to enrich them, and the old were secure to give guidance and share their wisdom. They had hope for a better future, better lives, where life could be rich and wonderful¡­ it was everything she always wanted. And it was all thanks to Jack. Her teacher, her mentor, the patron of her people¡­ and her dearest friend. As she watched the metal skeleton with a burning black pearl with white flames for a heart, lifting a new device that she had yet again never could have dreamed of. Her conviction that she was do everything in her power to help build a better world. To create a world where anyone can come to learn, to grow, and become their best selves, to find a home where they are only limited what they can be by how hard they try. She will help build this world as thanks. To thank Jack by giving him as much of what he had lost back as possible. She will rebuild his lost home and while he was the last of the ancients¡­ the people that will reside there will be his people and him to them. For that dream, and for that world. She will do all that is necessary to ensure this world came to be. ¡°Tah Dah!¡± Jack proclaimed, unaware of his disciple¡¯s ambitions and private musings. Making her smile and grow excite to learn what new wonder he created on a whim. ¡°I was thinking, ¡®hey Jack, what can we make that would be as easy to use as a crossbow, but and shoot faster and heavier projectiles¡¯ and this is what I came up with!¡± He proudly showed Frizzy the device was a rather strange one at that. Was under three feet in length in total. His had a stock like a crossbow and a trigger similar to one. After that the similarity ended. Where a crossbow bolt sh Chapter 27 Chapter 27 5 days remaining¡­ Maybe¡­ Jack and Frizzy both huddled together to watch through the scrying crystal. Both were excited to see the fight take place since it had been WAY longer than either or had expected. It was one of the better-known parties that had gained quite a bit of popularity within the community. I really need to come up with a name for this place. ¡®The community¡¯ ain¡¯t cutting it. Jack mused to himself, looking over the part as he sent a message to the mobs his residents were using to bring attention to the crystals. The party was called Horizon and were a party of five. They had a mage, a ranger, a tank, a healer of some kind of martial artist. They had good chemistry and worked well together with honest comradery between them. It was the reason why he liked them over most adventurer. Unlike some of the other adventurer parties who sometimes left their dead behind or took REALLY dumb risks. Horizon was actually careful in scouting, getting information and trying new things to combat the problem. When they tried to bribe Mose, with a bone to let them pass, Jack nearly fell over from how hard he laughed. Even more so when Mose took the bone and gnawed on it. At least until martial artist got just a little close the skeleton. That got their asses kicked that day, lucky for them no one died. Since then, they did research on Mose each time they faced that boss, they came up with new ways to beat her. Some more effective than others, some with close calls at other times. Yet they pulled through each time. And now they were moving towards the barrier wall with the guard gate where the guard stood at the portcullis. Jack was really looking forwards to this fight, if they beat the boss, he¡¯d have a special reward for them. In fact, he was already working on it right now. they were properly scouting the boss area. Gathering as much information as possible *** The leader of Horizon, Detvoris the tank of the party and a lizardman, sat crouched as he peered around the corner. At standing, he was nearly seven feet tall, had deep green scales with red stripes down the length of his body. Heavy iron places covered his body like a second layer of scales. It was worn and a little beaten up but it was broken in so it felt as comfortable as a second skin. On his back was a single edge over sized falchion with a reinforced leather harness to support it. Both of which were replacements for the old board sword he once had. The falchion looked very, VERY, old but when he did a cut test with it, it easily out performed his old weapon. It was honestly the smartest choice he made while he and horizon were at the inn. Like many who were able to make it to the second level, Horizon stayed at the Inn that everyone came to called The Restless Rest. At least that was what the sign had said. And the inn keeper, a skeleton who¡¯s race he didn¡¯t recognize, that everyone called Mr. Bones had sold him and the rest of his party their equipment. Weapons, tools, and even some preserved goods along with beaten up but warm beds. When Mr. Bones didn¡¯t attack anyone and actually offered supplies in exchange of payment, the inn was designated a safe zone. Especially since normal mobs didn¡¯t get within certain distance to it. What mobs were inside also didn¡¯t offer any threat, instead they moved and carried supplies or guarded the building. Each of the weapons they had bought aged for certain, but each was of the high in quality. There was even a weapon for the party¡¯s monk. Something called ¡®knuckle dusters¡¯, a pair of weapons that were meant for fingers to go through and overlap the knuckles. It was a good thing to. The boss that they saw standing and waiting at the guard post looked to be anything but easy. The guard post had an open area of twenty yards of cobble stones with a surrounding waist high beaten-up stone fence with a broken metal gate. Those automatons could be seen walking about. Aged and decrepit, digging through piles of rubble to either pill out some kind of bones or other automatons that were broken. At the back of the area was a massive wall that went on for MILES for either side that stood maybe forty or fifty feet tall. The gate in itself was possible ten feet tall with an iron gate and behind it were great oak doors bound with iron bands. There as a post hut built into the wall at the gate that held a window port. Then there was the guard themself. They stood at the average height of an elf, they were dressed in some old beaten-up half plate armor with a full helm. Their breast plate an ancient elven style short sword driven through the belly all the way to the hilt. In the left shoulder a dwarven war axe rested. They carried a wood round shield on their left forearm, on their hip was broad sword, and in their right hand was a poleaxe. There was nothing ornate about the armor, it had patches of rust, deep cuts, and the green cloak that was likely a mantle of leadership were stain of old blood and a tattered hem. What was most unsettling though were the skeletons. There were dozens of them, all slumped around the clearing of the guard post. Elves in museum pieces of armor, from robes, to leather armor with steel scales. Deep cuts were around the neck, the armpits, and legs. The dwarven skeletons with their heavy plate armor laid among the elves. their armor also something from an ancient time. Their breast plate pieced, the weak points also punctured or slashed. All with the necks of the armor stained and rusted. Likely a result of the hamstrung fighters having their throats cut once they were weakened. When everyone that invaded that was dead, their bodies were moved aside leaving a clear path to the gate. This scene told a story, and it was one of violence and blood. ¡°I don¡¯t like it big guy¡­¡± Tivel, the party¡¯s ranger and gnome said, while also peeking around the corner. ¡°Your thoughts?¡± Detvoris asked as he watched the boss who¡¯s head would occasionally look in their direction, clearly aware of their presence but did nothing about them. ¡°The boss looks strong and seems to be a fighter of some kind. Can¡¯t tell which kind though. Probably Martial type based on gear, weapons, and the left overs. Clearly and undead but¡­ he¡¯s not an elf. Too stocky and those weapons he¡¯s carrying are not meant for speed or strength but a balance of both. If I had to guess, maybe a weapon master.¡± ¡°You think ranged attacks are best?¡± Detvoris asked as he picked up a stone, testing the weight of it in his hand. ¡°Maybe¡­ I¡¯m doubtful though. That armor would make most iron or steel tip arrows useless. Even if they get in the gaps since the boss is an undead. We¡¯ll need decapitation, crush the head in, or torch the body enough that we can weaken then move in for the kill.¡± Tivel said as he checked his twice blessed dagger and short sword. ¡°We have oil and beakers. Just need to light a cloth and throw.¡± ¡°Doubtful,¡± Detvoris rumbled before tossing the stone under hand high in the air towards the boss. When the stone came within twenty feet of the boss, it twisted itself to the said with the shield raised. It¡¯s spear darting in hard and fast to strike the stone out of the air with its steel tip. Breaking the stone from the force of the impact into a cloud of dust and pebbles. With the perceived threat gone, the boss returned to its at rest stance. Ready, waiting, professional. Just like any high-ranking guard who took their duty seriously and pride in what that did. Then it turned its head and looked at both Detvoris and Tivel yet made no move to approach or threaten them. If anything¡­ it was almost like it was¡­ amused or maybe curious as to what they will do next. This boss, was smarter than the level one boss and it was skilled. ¡°Thought as much.¡± Detvoris nodded as he took the boss¡¯ measure. ¡°The tricks that worked on the first boss likely won¡¯t work here. Magic and defense will be our best choice here.¡± ¡°Yeah, no kidding. Wasn¡¯t the fastest I¡¯ve seen someone move, but damn that was an accurate hit.¡± Tivel commented, revising any tricks he might have cooked up before that display. ¡°Let¡¯s gather the party, tell them what we know. Then organize on our attack.¡± Detvoris stated, already stepping back with his hand on Tivel¡¯s shoulder. They walked through the street and alley ways to reunite with the party. Their camp site was two blocks away from boss area inside old build that likely a home for someone in times long since passed. The hearth of the ruined home was lit with small pot of soup cooking. Everyone was sitting by the fire while listening to Detvoris and Tivel¡¯s information on the boss. ¡°Sounds like a good challenge.¡± Silla, a moon elf and the party¡¯s punch expert. ¡°I can run as distraction. Out of all of us, I got the best reflexes and hardest to hit.¡± ¡°Yes, but if we did that than you are in the area for any area of effect spells I cast.¡± Morkal said, a Fangari of the fox decent and mage, her hands holding her wand while sitting in that ever dignified and proper manner. ¡°I suggest moving in and out as you attack, create openings for me to bombard him. Tivel would also be best for surprise attacks while he¡¯s distracted.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Ragril, a Satyr and the party¡¯s healer, confirmed while cutting a piece of apple for himself. ¡°It is the safest strategy until be better understand our opponent.¡± ¡°Are then any objections to this plan?¡± Detvoris asked everyone, looking to each member of the party to let them know that if anyone had an opinion they would have his full attention. When no one spoke up Detvoris continued by giving instructions on what to prepare in terms of equipment to try and get any additional edge they might need. Once they had their potions ready, their bottles of stick sludge, antidotes just in case there was poison, and then their bottle of holy water. They mixed some holy water into their canteen of vegetable oil then dipped their arrow heads and coated the edges of their weapons. It wasn¡¯t as affective as pure holy water in itself, but it was a sound strategy against undead. With preparations made, they all left as one. Detvoris taking the lead for any surprise attacks, Silla at the rear to protect it, Moral in front of Silla for ranged attacks, Ragril was in the middle for healing support and safety. That left Tivel right behind Detvoris for additional offence. Each of them knew their role and how to guard one another¡¯s back. It was the basics but the basics were the foundation for a reason. They made their way closer, approaching with care and their eyes surveying for any signs of impending attack. They would make it to the boss area un threatened and the boss just staring at them. Making no move to approach, or suggest that it was going to attack. Detvoris noted even though the boss was aware of them and that there was even more of them now, and a bigger threat now, it still seemed unphased by their presence. That fact that it didn¡¯t immediately take a fighting stance even if they were outside of the boss¡¯ area worried him. ¡°I don¡¯t like this¡­¡± Detvoris announced once they were but a few feet from the boundary of the fighting area. ¡°I don¡¯t like this either¡­ since he noticed us something felt off about this one¡­¡± Ragril confirmed, clutching his staff a little tighter. ¡°It¡¯s measuring us, gaging us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take lead, test the waters before we fully start this battel.¡± Detvoris informed, makng sure his shield and sward were ready before he took a step into the boundary. That was when the dungeon boss approached. it was not a hurried pace, using the spear as a walking stick. Its posture still carrying that calm collected pace of a guard doing their job. No one moved as they watched, everyone outside fo the boundary yet they had weapons and spells alike ready to act in an instant. Detvoris for his part was in a ready stance as the undead walked closer at a pace that said they were in no hurry. By the time the undead stopped a good ten feet away from Detvoris, it stood there. It simply stood there to stare at him before taking its spear and driving the butt cap of it into the ground where it stood up once the dungeon boss let go. Then with that same had that implanted the spear, it held out a palm towards Detvoris, is palm facing up. Waiting expectantly to given something. Everyone in horizon remained still, watching, waiting, ready. It was Detvoris who moved first. Lowering his falchion by placing it back into the harness on his back while making sure his shield was up and ready. Detvoris then approached the dungeon boss of the second level, quickly learning that he stood a fair deal taller and vastly broader than the dungeon boss. When Detvoris stood just out of sword¡¯s reach of the dungeon boss who still stood with their hand out and facing up. Waiting for something to be placed into it. ¡°I am Detvoris, leader of the Horizon. We wish to pass and see what awaits up to the next layer. Will you let us pass?¡± Detvoris addressed the level boss, his voice firm and direct while trying to remain polite. Detvoris was unsure if the level boss would even understand or if there was a specific meaning behind its actions. Yet it since it didn¡¯t act like a normal dungeon boss, so why not try and unusual method to pass. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the dungeon boss shook its head at them. Its outstretched hand moved to its side to reach into a pocket where it pulled out a thin slab. This slab was the size of a playing card with a lanyard hole on the top while being made of brass. There was a script written along the border of the slab that framed the depiction it held. The depiction was that of three figures, one an elf dressed in regal robes, next to them was a dwarf fitted with armor like a proud warrior, and the las of the three was a figure they who face Detvoris couldn¡¯t see as their back was to the viewer. The inscription was, ¡®we signify as partners in trade and neighbors of shared land, that we meet in this as friends. That we who bare this pass come invited as welcomed guests.¡¯ The dungeon boss then placed the pass in their opposite hand. Then with the clutched slab to point at Detvoris and his party before gesturing to the gate that it was guarding. It was astounding¡­ a dungeon boss that communicated. It just conveyed a whole explanation of rules, what it expected, and what they needed to do to pass. All without saying a single word. But why? Why would a dungeon boss tell them how to pass? Why would it not simply attack them once one of them was close enough? This was far from normal. ¡°Can you speak, guardian of the gate?¡± Detvoris asked, wanting to know more, wanting to understand more. At his question, and Morkal furiously scribbling down notes to document every little thing that happened, the dungeon boss shook their head. Placing the Slab back into their pocket. ¡°Do you have a name?¡± Detvoris asked, unable to help himself. Now all the more floored when the dungeon boss nodded. ¡°Can you share it with us?¡± The dungeon boss did nothing at first. Staring at them quietly, the silence stretching on to the point where it became uncomfortable. Then it grabbed its spear, lazily so the head pointed at the ground. Using the tip to scratch out a name before going back to a stance of rest. ¡®Adam¡¯ the name said. ¡°Sir Adam¡­ would you let us pass if we do not have that token?¡± Detvoris asked while everyone in the Horizon party watched on to see Adam the dungeon boss shake their head no. ¡°If we did, you would let us pass without a fight, yes?¡± Adam nodded then. ¡°Where might we find these tokens, sir Adam?¡± Ragril called out from behind the wall, just outside of Adam¡¯ area. To answer, Adam raised his spear, using it to point to the surrounding area around them. Making a vague gesture of somewhere out there then replanted his spear to pat the pocket he put the token he had shown before in. telling them they either had to find them out in the dungeon or they would have to fight him and take it. ¡°And what if we decide to fight you?¡± Silla asked, her neck popping as she flexed her fingers, getting herself ready for a possible fight depending on what everyone decided on now. At Silla¡¯s question, Adam raised his hand once more, pointing to each and every member of horizon. Letting everyone know he saw them to make it clear he was referring to each of them specifically, then he pointed to the piles bone and armor that was pushed to the side of the space they stood in. Detvoris understood right away what Adam was saying and while he didn¡¯t appreciate it, he understood. ¡®I will fight each one of you, and will do my best to have you join the others that you see here.¡¯ ¡°You seem sure we will die, Sir Adam.¡± Detvoris said, keeping his voice neutral. ¡°If we chose to fight, is there any chance we might win at all?¡± At that question, Detvoris noticed that Adam was now looking at him and each member of the party more closely now. Considering them and measuring them with an appraiser¡¯s eye the same way how a gambler or professional soldier might to measure someone¡¯s chances. When Adam stopped staring so hard at them all, he raised a hand. Keeping it open and flat with the palm facing down before teetering from side to side which was followed by a shrug. ¡®You have a chance, it is so so. Can¡¯t say for sure though.¡¯ Was the message that Detvoris, and likely the rest of the party got by that display. Then as if getting ready for their choice, Adam retook his spear. Walking backwards to keep his eyes on them all while the decided on what they wanted to do. The Horizon party all gathered together. Some debated on what they wanted to do. But it ultimately boiled down to wanting to fight the strange boss. Together, they all entered the dungeon boss¡¯ area with weapons drawn or spells that were half way cast. All prepared and signaling their choice. And Adam answered in kind. He charged with his shield bared, spear in hand. Closing the distance in short order. He used his spear to make a faint, going for Detvoris¡¯ head to make him raise his shield. Adam to duck down and sweep his leg into Detvoris¡¯ knee to make him buckle and faulter. In the same motion, Adam used his momentum to swing his spear head at Morkal¡¯s throat. Making her break her spell to jump back into Ragril, clearing the way for Tivel to try to jump in and aimed for Adam¡¯s flank as Silla did the same for the opposite side. With the backend of the spear, Adam deflected the Tivel¡¯s slash. Making it go wide while using his shield to stop Silla¡¯s punch dead it its tracks. The sound of the impact ringing the shield like a gong. With the next move, Adam twisted to thread under Silla¡¯s arm and behind her back to throw her in the direction of Detvoris. Swinging his shield to bat Tivel away while they similtaniously ducked from an ice bolt that left a gouge mark on his helmet. Detvoris dodged around the party member thrown his way to try and take the aggression off of them. shoving himself between Adam the dungeon boss and Ragril just as the spear was thrusted at the healer. Blocking the blade with his shield and catching the shafted of it between the shield and his falchion. Twisting his torso to snap the weapon in half and finally making Adam Jump back to disengage. Blocking the thrown vial from Tivel with his shield just to be struck with a fire bolt that quickly followed the vile. The shield¡¯s surface erupting into flames and distracting Adam long enough to not notice the second vile thrown by Silla at his feet. Gluing a boot in place while Adam threw off his shield. That should slow him, and without his main defense or weapon the fight should be easier Detvoris thought. That was until Adam cast his broken spear aside then with each hand, grabbed the short sword that was in his chest plate with his left hand, and in his right, he drew his broad sword. Drawing both out in the open, freeing one from its scabbard and the other from his chest. brandishing both to show he can still fight. Flicking his blades down to cut the laces of his boots to free his feet. Diving into a roll to avoid the fire ball thrown at his chest then springing back to his feet to twist away from the vile thrown at him by Silla. ¡°Don¡¯t let him get close!¡± Detvoris roared, charging in to meet Adam head on and intercept him. Flipping the short sword into a reverse grip, Adam used the blade to block the Flachion Detvoris swung. Preventing his decpatioaton with Detvoris¡¯ attack getting caught on the short sword¡¯s cross guard. Yet as Adam blocked, he drove his right knee into Detvoris¡¯ shield with the force of a warhammer. Rattling Detvoris¡¯ arm from the impact. But Detvoris endured it, absorbing the attack and created and opening they needed. Tivel jumped in then, slashing at the back of Adam¡¯s leg and buckle form the impact. Spark flying while the edge missed the gap in the armor to grieve instead. Unable to find purchase, Silla dashed in hard and fast to kick Adam in the side. The blow connected explosive force that sent Adam tumbling across the battle area along with the unmistakable sound of a bone snapping. Tumbling head over heels, the short sword left where it was dropped, Morkal Chased after the tumbling dungeon boss. Who quickly regained their footing to twist their hips into their swing. Their broadsword whistling through the, going straight for face and eyes. Forcing the martial artist to duck and lean back to avoid the blow. The tip of the blade just nicking her cheek and nose as the sword swing was followed by a spinning back kick to her abdomen. Knocking the wind out of Silla¡¯s lungs. Sending her flying back from the blow and clearing her away as Morkal blasted the relentless dungeon boss in the chest with an explosive ball of blue fire. Engulfing him in the fiery explosion that left angry scorch marks on the ground and spots in everyone¡¯s eyes. When everyone¡¯s vision was cleared up, they all found that Adam the second level boss was kneeling and using their broadsword for support. Their left arm was missing, their chest plate now melted slag with the remaining parts glowing with left over heat or falling his form. Even the helmet was partly destroyed, revealing a lower half of a face that was missing cheeks and lips. Teeth bared in an ugly snarl as the rest of their exposed flesh showed rot and thinning and gray. Now with a large hole in his chest, Adam pushed himself up to stand once more and face them. Sword at the ready yet again, uncaring of their missing limb, destroyed armor, or hole in their chest. They only stood resolute in standing between the Horizon party and the gate. Tossing his own Shield and sword aside, Detvoris saw that this was fight was going to drag on far longer than he wanted. The longer it went on, the higher the chance a mistake was going to be made, that one of them will tire out and that is when the dungeon boss was going to move in for the kill. Already Adam had shown he was immensely skilled, did not tire nor felt pain, and already came close to killing some of the party. This needed to end and Detvoris was going to take the gamble. Detvoris ran in to take Adam off guard who responded by trying to side step Detvoris. Swinging his sword at Detvoris¡¯ leg to crip him for the lizardman to jump over the swing to plant a clawed foot into Adam¡¯s chest. Raking his claws against the zombie¡¯s chest as he continued to turn away, avoiding most to the damage. Only to have Detvoris catch his remaining arm then throwing him over his shoulder for the zombie to land flat on his back. Tivel tried to join in, stabbing the prone Adam in the side of his chest with the bless dagger. Making the flesh and muscle it pierce sizzle and burn while Silla jumped in with a heavy blow aimed for Adam¡¯s head. The warrior undead, tilting his head at the last moment before Silla¡¯s knuckle duster fist struck the stone floor where his had been causing it to slinter, crack and shatter from the force that blow. Ragril threw seeds all around the scuffle while using magic to cause vines to entrap the momentarily still Adam. Further slowing and trapping the dungeon boss with vines that ensnared and pierce the fierce undead warrior. ¡°Jump away!¡± Morkal yelled, the spell she had been building up crackling with barely restrained energies that demanded to be release. The second everyone tried to back off, Adam released his grip on the sword and grabbed Detvoris¡¯ vambrace with a stunning amount of strength. Preventing the party leader fully escape as Morkal release the spell. A bolt of crackling lightening stuck the struggling Adam in the chest. His body burning and sizzling as it charred. The currents of electricity destroying the zombie¡¯s body with Detvoris getting a heavy dose of the same electricity. Causing his arm to be burned before he was able to escapes with his arm hanging limp shock. Everyone stood still now watching the dungeon boss with caution. Eying the body with weapons and spells at the ready. All of them waiting for the notification that said they had defeated the dungeon boss. With each second that passed, they became more certain that Adam was not dead. Something that became more certain when his right hand twitched. Slowly flexing and turning, feeling around for possibly a weapon that did not exist. His body mostly destroyed, barely holding together, yet still wishing to fight. To stop them, to safe guard that gate from those who wanted to tress pass. Detvoris went to pick up his falchion with his good hand, moving closer to the determined undead that called itself Adam. His respect for the warrior immense as he lifted up the falchion. Ragril said a prayer for the still struggling warrior. Silla rested her hand at her sides to bow to Adam who was about to meet their end. Morkal making a promise to herself that document this dungeon boss. Tivel rubbed his wounds and smiled with mirth at the undead who still wanted to fight. When Ragril¡¯s prayer ended, Detvoris cleanly took Adam¡¯s head with a sing slash.
Attention! You have defeated the Second Layer Dungeon Boss!
Notice! You have defeated ¡°Adam, The Gatewarden¡±. In life, this warrior lived a life of duty and honor. A pillar of a community who dedicated themselves to the people. From the young do the old, there were none who knew his name and did not love him. In his last moments, he stood guard. Fighting to his last breath all to give the last of his charges one last chance to escape. He only fell once the city was truly lost. Even then, he made sure to take as many invaders down with him as possible. ¡°"Please, Adam¡­ you have done enough. Please¡­ rest. Let go. There is no one left to protect¡­¡± You have earned: 2,500 Exp 100 gold coins And one magic item made by the ancients. (Randomly Generated)
Everyone in Horizon got the notification, everyone read it. Their victory felt bittersweet. Each member of Horizon grabbed a piece of what remained of Adam¡¯s armor, his sword and shield. Giving them back to what remained of the warrior who died for the city and its people. With their rewards received, they didn¡¯t bother to count the coins. Nor did they open the two-foot-long box to see what magic item they had gotten. Instead, they took the entry token to go into the next layer and the elven short sword once they saw it had an adamantine edge. All members agreeing to go back to the Restless Rest to recover then go back to the Adventurer¡¯s town to make their reports. With Horizon leaving, Detvoris turned back to look at Adam once more. Watching the body be reclaimed by the dungeon to spawn back once more. remembering what the undead guard had mimed. They had a chance and it was so-so. Had they not had a plan, there was more than a chance that at least two of them would have been dead. *** ¡°That was Awesome!¡± Frizzy proclaimed when the fight was over. Hopping from foot to foot with excitement while Jack just sulked. ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess it was awesome¡­¡± Jack pouted with his arms crossed. From outside his tower, he could hear that the residents of his dungeon were all either cheering for the fight or groaning in frustration. Likely because some placed their bets poorly and others were counting their good fortune. But all had clearly enjoyed the first fight of the second layer boss. Jack had wanted to make something special for this layer. Something that would test and push people to actually have to use skill to show they were ready for the next challenge. And what better way to test and challenge someone that with a very skilled warrior and zombie? The dungeon boss did better than he expected, acting like a guard should. Giving directions when asked, informing others one what it needed to pass and most of all, being one hell of a fighter to keep trespassers at bay. The armor did a great job and the adventurers also proved themselves quite skilled and capable for the next set of challenges. Speak of which he really needed to work on that soon. It was a great fight without question¡­ but if he was being honest, Jack was disappointed that the party didn¡¯t open the box to see the prize inside. ¡°Hey, I know that look.¡± Frizzy chided, nudging his side with a big grin. ¡°You wanted to see them play with their new toy.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ made is special since they were the first ones to beat the boss.¡± Jack pouted while splitting his focus to start working on the third layer of this dungeon. Already deciding that it should be a two-mile-thick band and have some more interesting features to go with it. Maybe make the terrain a fair bit harder and a few more features for adventurers to find. Maybe make it like a park? Details for later. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Teacher, I¡¯m sure the next time they come back we¡¯ll see them use it.¡± Frizzy said with a confident grin. ¡°Also think about all the adventurers that will be coming to fight Adam now that they know where he is.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah. You know what, you¡¯re right!¡± Jack said as he felt some more excitement return. Looking forwards to more adventurers coming to challenge his second layer boss. ¡°Should see some more people coming to the dungeon as well once word really starts to get out. I just hope they bring some really good supplies I can absorb and use later.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit Teacher!¡± Frizzy declared to feed into his enthusiasm. Before Jack could say anything else, a new notification appeared in his vision.
Attention! The Dungeon has now reached level 3!
Notice The dungeon has reached a milestone. The dungeon upgrade menu will update along with the dungeon options to represent this milestone. Would you like to see these options now? Yes/No
¡°Frizzy, we just got some options.¡± Jack said after reading his notice with certain tone of eager anticipation. Had Frizzy not known better, she could have almost sworn she saw Jack jaw shift to make a menacing grin. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 5 days remaining¡­ Maybe¡­ ¡°Teacher, stop doing that.¡± Frizzy deadpanned. ¡°Doing what?¡± Jack said, caressing his hands with one another. not really paying attention as he was currently fantasizing what goodies he might find with his mile stone upgrade. It somewhat surprised him that level three was considered a milestone for a dungeon. Then again, he was in a particularly strange position since he was on the path to become a god of some kind. He still needed to look into that but now was not the time, there were other thing that were a little more urgent than his evolution. Like the invading army, making sure that his trade didn¡¯t die out, rebuild a lost society, and maybe reclaim what lost memories he can. Little things like that. Can¡¯t forget that guy, The One Who Watches. Jack thought to himself. That guy is clearly up to something. Just need to figure out what they¡¯re up to or after. Ugh¡­ I have eternity yet it feels like there isn¡¯t enough time to get anything done. ¡°That.¡± Frizzy clarified, bringing Jack back from his musings. ¡°That right there. acting like some kind of villain in a lair and being vague.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Jack groaned, fixing himself up. ¡°We are getting a boon or a bonus for reaching some kind of milestone. Not sure it¡¯s because we hit level three or something else. Either way, I don¡¯t care. But we are getting a bonus of some sort. The upgrade options menu along with the dungeon menu itself is supposed to get an update.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Frizzy cheered, her face practically split by the smile spreading across her face. ¡°Did you look at it yet? What do you think the changes be? Do you think it will help with the upcoming battle? Why aren¡¯t you telling me anything?!¡± Frizzy squawked, having jumped up and clung to his face. Her manic stare practically burning a hole through Jack¡¯s head. Her normal hand holding on to him tightly as her prosthetic hand was like and over cranked vice on his bones. Good thing his bones were coated in metal or there would likely be some cracking noises coming from her grip. ¡°Tinny terror needs to release my face!¡± Jack protested trying to pry her off. ¡°I haven¡¯t checked yet you menace!¡± It took a minute to get the now very excited Frizzy off along with summoning four zombies to pull her off his face. even then the zombies were in very rough shape when she fought them off all to get Jack to answer her questions. He loved the little blue menace and since she¡¯s honestly his best friend. Sometimes though she was way too intense when she wanted to know or learn about something. He¡¯s going to have to establish some boundaries at some point since she almost pulled head off when the zombies tried to separate them. he had to admit, Jack was really surprised by her sheer will and determination to get answers. Especially when she used her prosthetic arm to tear to break the zombie¡¯s wrist so that she could get her feet on the ground again. ¡°Just show already!¡± Frizzy both barked and pleaded at the same time. ¡°What do you mean show you!?¡± Jack barked back, having used the teleport ability to hand from a ledge overhead so he was out of reach of his disciple. ¡°How can I show you something that is private?!¡± Frizzy who was standing under Jack at the base of the pillar was about to climb up when she heard him shout. Making her look up with a harumph. ¡°You know you can write down what you see on your stat sheet. Or you can summon it so it is viewable to who you want. How can you not know that by now?¡± She grouched; Watching Jack slowly climb down once he was sure she wasn¡¯t going to pounce on him again. ¡°Maybe because I been a little busy.¡± He said in a sweet voice when he feet touched the ground once more. ¡°You know, managing the dungeon, working on new inventions, teaching you new techniques for fabricating, building an army, and maybe it¡¯s because¡­ No one told me!¡± ¡°¡­ I can see how that might be an issue¡­¡± Frizzy answered back sheepishly, especially since she knew he was completely right. ¡°Fine, I forgot about tell you about that. Mostly because I¡¯m used to everyone knowing about it.¡± ¡°Right, awesome. How do I do it?¡± Jack asked, taking his turn to have a sassy stand across from his disciple. ¡°Ok, I can take the hint.¡± Frizzy relented. ¡°Believe it or not, it is much easier than you might think. All you have to do is think or say is ¡®open personal menu, double¡¯ once you see both you select the one you want to show, and what parts, then say ¡®present selected menu¡¯ and that it. The other person will she your menu.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jack asked, slightly bewildered. ¡°It¡¯s really that simple?¡± ¡°Yes. The System is surprisingly easy to use once you get the basic idea. But people are constantly nearing something new from it despite its simplicity.¡± Frizzy said with a shrug. Not really having anything to add to the subject, Jack did as he was instructed and opened the menus. Eager to see what changes have been made and what new resources or abilities he would have at his disposal. Specifically calling for the newest information in mind.
Attention! The Dungeon has now reached level 3!
Dungeon Core Sheet Dungeon Master: Jack Smithson Race: Lich (currently) (Formally Human)
Dungeon Mobs Available: Level 3 Mobs: Ghouls Bronze Ape Amalgumation Land Squid
Current Loot Drop Options: Items: Eitr ¨C Metal ¨C This metal is the embodiment of a paradox. A metal that is both solid and liquid simultaneously. This metal is able to take any form and shape.
Rooms/Chambers: Level 3 Dungeon Bazaar Runescribe Hall The Ossuary Miasma Pools Gravekeeper¡¯s Sanctum
Attention! New Dungeon Upgrade Options Available!
Mob Upgrades Level 1 Constructed Guardians and Undead Construct Hybrids (Cost: 30 Points) This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Description: Unlock powerful constructs, including hybrids that combine undead and mechanical elements. Effect: Introduces mobs like Iron Golems, Clockwork Sentinels, and hybrid creations such as Skeletal Watchers, blending necromantic and mechanical components. Restless Spirits (Cost: 10 Points) Description: Introduce ghostly apparitions that are bound to specific objects or areas within the dungeon. Effect: These spirits cause minor disturbances and psychological tension, unsettling adventurers without overwhelming power. Reanimated Guardians (Cost: 20 Points) Description: Unlock a new type of mob that combines the resilience of the undead with the strength of constructs. Effect: Introduces mobs like Reanimated Sentinels or Bone-Bound Guardians, heavily armored and equipped with weapons, making them tough opponents. Level 2 Trickster Spirits (Cost: 45 Points) Description: Summon mischievous and deceptive spirits that confuse and disorient adventurers, turning traps or dangers against them. Effect: These spirits may use illusions, teleportation, or mind-affecting abilities to confuse adventurers. Some might turn invisible, cause hallucinations, or create decoy copies of themselves, making it hard to determine which are real. Level 3 Runed Guardians (Cost: 80 Points) Description: Constructs and undead infused with basic arcane runes for durability and resistance. Effect: Stronger against basic elemental magic (fire, ice, lightning). Slightly tougher and more coordinated in battle. Vulnerable to dispel effects¡ªif the runes are broken, they weaken significantly. Lingering Wraiths (Cost: 60 Points) Description: Ghostly remnants of fallen warriors that haunt the dungeon. Effect: Appear as flickering echoes, watching intruders before attacking. Can pass through walls but only attack when fully materialized. Disappear when banished or if their tethered item is broken. Grave-Touched Abominations (Cost: 100 Points) Description: Lumbering undead fused with dungeon stone or metal, making them slow but durable. Effect: Resist physical attacks but are vulnerable to fire and divine magic. Can break walls or obstacles, reshaping dungeon paths. Slow to react, making them easy to avoid unless in tight spaces.
Avatar Upgrades Eitr-Flesh (Cost: 180 Points) Description: The Avatar integrates Eitr ¨C the Living Metal, to grow and develop lost flesh. Effect: The Avatar will begin to tissue made of this ever adaptable and shifting metal. Organs, muscles and eventually skin will form over the Avatar¡¯s body. This process is very slow but can be accelerated with the absorption of Eitr. Slow self-repair: Minor wounds regenerate over time unless destroyed outright. Weakness: Strong vibrations or resonance disrupt the Eitr, temporarily destabilizing the Avatar¡¯s flesh. Arcane Focusing Core (Cost: 150 Points) Description: A specialized magical core improves the Avatar¡¯s ability to cast and sustain spells. Effect: Faster spellcasting and reduced cooldown on abilities. Can store one extra spell, releasing it instantly when needed.
Dungeon Abilities Level 3 Options Shifting Trap Network (Cost: 120 Points) Description: Traps become slightly adaptable, repositioning or resetting automatically. Effect: If a trap is disarmed or avoided, it may rearm after a short time. Some traps subtly shift positions, making repeat visits more dangerous. Residual Arcane Energy (Cost: 100 Points) Description: The dungeon absorbs small amounts of excess magic, allowing traps or mobs to gain temporary magical boosts. Effect: Certain undead or constructs may have slight magical resistance or temporary enchantments. Occasional arcane surges may empower a mob for a short time.

Loot Upgrades

Level 1 Options Refined Dungeon Materials (Cost: 120 Points) Description: Specialized dungeon-forged metals, woods, and minerals become available. Effect: Weapons and armor crafted from these materials are slightly more durable or resistant to corrosion. Some materials hold enchantments longer, making them useful for enchanters. Cursed Trinkets (Cost: 80 Points) Description: Small arcane charms with both beneficial and negative effects. Effect: Grants minor benefits (e.g., enhanced vision, minor strength boosts). But also imposes drawbacks, such as paranoia, discomfort, or minor magical interference.

Jack was left without words. Everything he was more or less what he had expected. What he hadn¡¯t expected were two things stood out to him beyond anything else. Two things that took his metaphorical breath away. Leaving him standing like a statue. He wasn¡¯t even sure if it was real but he wanted them. He wanted them beyond anything else here and now. He was so focus that he hadn¡¯t even noticed that Frizzy was thumping a fist to his leg to get his attention. ¡°Jack. Jack! Wake up! Stop ignoring me and say something!¡± Frizzy said, grabbed his thigh bone and shook him. ¡°Frizzy, I just saw something that might not help us win the fight. But here are things that I really, really, want¡­¡± Jack said quietly, thinking of the possibilities of what might imply. Yes¡­ yes, that might work. ¡°Stop being mysterious and show me already!¡± Frizzy barked, shaking Jack more vigorously. ¡°Alright! Alright! Stop assaulting me! Here! Just read them already! Present Selected menu!¡± Jack protested as his bones were rattled. With the menu now visible for Frizzy to see, she looked them over. Almost snatching them out of the air to read it. Leaving Jack to fix his cloths while he waited for her to finish going over the menu until she was ready. ¡°Teacher¡­ what is ¡®Eitr¡¯, I never heard of it before.¡± Frizzy said with her head tilted, her large bat ears up and wide to catch every word he was about to say. ¡°That my friend,¡± Jack said with full seriousness. ¡°That is a metal that not even the greatest of us fabricators or alchemists was ever able to achieve. Many of us in the guild theorized the possibility of a metal that was in a state of both liquid and solid. Able to take any shape, change and shift to any form on a whim then go back to its original state. For us fabricators, it is the equivalent of what the philosopher¡¯s stone for alchemists.¡± Jack said, morphing the floor to create a pair of basic chairs that both he and Frizzy took. ¡°But, teacher, that doesn¡¯t sound possible.¡± Frizzy replied, her ears pinning down. Likely because she didn¡¯t understand the concept. ¡°How can a metal of all things be both a solid and a liquid? Everything you thought me says that metal, or anything really, only has two states. Solid or liquid and that it can be one of the other.¡± ¡°Yes, that is true. If I haven¡¯t seen the system confirm that it was possible I would have mostly agreed with you.¡± Jack said leaning on his knees, his pointer and middle fingers rubbing his temples. Feeling an imaginary headache from all the ideas he was having. ¡°But there is also the state of vapor but that will take a day or two to explain. But the state that is liquid and solid at once is real. It was just never real for metal before now. You can make it easily with starch and water and that was what started the theory of this metal. We called that mix Oobleck. In a relaxed state it could bend, flex, shift and even flow through small spaces like a liquid. But once you hit it with great force it gets almost as hard as stone.¡± ¡°That sounds amazing!¡± Frizzy said, her excitement growing then calmed once she fully saw how Jack was acting. ¡°That¡­ that is amazing, right?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s more than amazing Frizzy. For people with our trade, this is the stuff of myth. Just imagine it, a metal that can take any shape, take forms impossible by normal means. Able to adapt and change itself to the crafter¡¯s needs. Able to strength itself on impacts, able to repair itself, take on the properties of things that other metals simply can¡¯t replicate.¡± Jack said, still deep in thought. ¡°¡­ it also means a lot of what we know and understand of the properties for metal go out the window when it comes to Eitr.¡± ¡°That sounds frustrating but it¡¯s still exciting!¡± Frizzy said with glee to the point her face was nearly split in half by her shark tooth grin. ¡°We are about to experiment with a metal that even the Ancients considered a myth. Think of all the possibilities! We already know it can imitate flesh!¡± she said, bouncing in her seat with all the joy in the world. ¡°Only one problem my excitable friend.¡± Jack said, feeling like an ass for raining on her party even though he felt the same way. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to experiment. We have four maybe five days max until the invaders come. Until then all new experiments have to be on hold.¡± At the news, Frizzy¡¯s ears drooped. Disappointed that they wouldn¡¯t be able to play with the new toy at their disposal. Letting out a defeated sigh then regained her focus and composure. ¡°Right¡­ Your right. Just wish we could get this over with already.¡± Frizzy pouted. ¡°I want to go back to how things were before¡­ experimenting, learning, inventing¡­ everything was so much more fun.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know what you mean¡­¡± Jack sighed. ¡°But we can¡¯t go out to them because they would have the advantage. Last I checked trolls, orcs, centaurs, and minotaurs were tough and fast. Not too keen of giving them any kind of advantage.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah¡­ Sorry that you didn¡¯t get anything more immediately useful for the fight.¡± Frizzy said trying to be comforting to her teacher. ¡°Yeah¡­ so am I. Welp, enough of the pity party. Time for me to make a shit load of bodies.¡± Jack said slapping his knees while standing up. ¡°I feel like I should be worried about how you phrased that.¡± Frizzy said as she hopped down from her own chair. Not saying anything further, Jack extended his will and absorbed the mess he left from his failed weapon test. Removing all the gore and shattered stone until the area was clear, then he started to summon bodies. Dozens and dozens of bodies of all kinds, including few trolls, while using his dungeon ability to reanimate them. Creating a battalion of basic zombies who steadily brought themselves up to shamble about the room. If these zombies are considered mobs, I am going to be slightly pissed. *** Within the forest, miles and miles away from the newly found dungeon was the army of Ungormoric. An alliance of worshipers of the dark gods. By following the will of their gods, they have found a great many riches and grew stronger. Orcs, trolls, minotaur, harpies, and goblins composed the forces of the rightful rulers of this world. Leading them was the grand general Igmond, the bastard child of an orc and troll. A giant among their ranks and a powerful martial warrior who was also a system secret holder. At nine feet tall, he surveyed his forces as they marched into through the forest. The orders of his gods ringing in his ears clear and true. he breathed in the clear air through his stubby nose, his beady eyes gazing over the surroundings rich with resources to further grow his forces. The sun warming his gray skin with as he stretched his bulging cords of muscle. Smiling to reveal his pronounced crooked tusks that poked out from his cracked lips. The reports of his advanced troops were promising. Telling of a futile fight he was delight in crushing at the dungeon. A so-called ghost that snatched up his warriors or staked his officers deadly arrows. Yes, once he broke these pathetic attempts they would make for a great assassin. He could already hear their pleas for mercy and it filled him with delight. Once he took over the dungeon of course. With that he could make his army truly grow and start to truly make moves to conquer the neighboring countries. But what really excited him though was that rumors the dungeon had once been a city for the Betrayed. With monsters and creatures that were once creations left behind. More secrets he could use to grow all the more powerful. It was the discovery of the Betrayed¡¯s war engine that he started to grow his power. if there was another then he truly would unstoppable. He turned away from this army of forty thousand to approach the sleeping monster in question. Being pulled on a giant sled by teams of minotaurs and centaurs was the beast. A giant amalgamation of iron and steel. With eyes burning red eyes, skin of black iron and bared fangs, the beast slept while rubbed its head. ¡°Soon pet. Soon you shall taste blood once more. The dark gods have promised this and they have not lied yet.¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¡°The Last of the Transgressor still lingers.¡± The void echoed, the voice a distorted mess that be warped to the ear of any mortal creature¡¯s ear. A pulsating and rippling hole within reality that shimmered as it spoke. Hovering with the pantheon, it lingered with in the iridescent halls. Stone of no natural form shaped the floor, making them a deep blue of the sea. The surrounding walls and pillars were that of a black canvas with the thousand pinpricks green vines creeping along the surface. Like the branches of a great and mighty tree that reached into the night sky. It was within this place beyond mortals reach that the void hovered. Across from it, a new force took shape. This new arrival twisted and fluctuated. Unfolding itself until it revealed itself to be a sphere of deep red flames. The light coming from it was angry and bright as the flames flared off it at random. ¡°Impossible! They were killed! We saw this! We know this! All from that age are dead! All humans Slain!¡± The sphere of fire proclaimed, flares of fire shooting off its form to show its anger. The void said nothing as the sphere expelled their frustration. From the said a new form manifested. In the flash of a brilliant light, a green diamond appeared for all to see once the brilliance of the light faded to a light green glow. ¡°It is no lie. The other who transgressed does still linger. They their presence is unmistakable yet we cannot find them. They are shielded by the outsider.¡± ¡°The outsider?¡± both the void and sphere asked as one. ¡°Yes¡­ the outsider protects them. Veils them even from our sight.¡± ¡°That was intentional friends.¡± Said a chipper tone from The One Who Watches. The three entities all drew their focus down to the singular individual who stood on the floor to look up at them. The lone humanoid figure, dressed in a hoody, broken in blue jeans, leather boots, and a leather jacket. The inside of his hood a swirling nebula of a galaxy in place of a face. the three other beings towered over him like greatest of mountains standing over a single person. The power radiating off of them would have obliterated any normal mortal. Yet The One Who Watches stood utterly unbothered by the bombardment of power. No more bothered by it than any mortal would be bothered by a light breeze. ¡°Really?¡± The One Who Watches chided, their hands tucked in their pockets. ¡°Come on. We all know that wasn¡¯t going to work. Now, why are you all trying to interfere with my business? You know that breaks the rules of the game.¡± ¡°You were not invited! You have no place in our world!¡± Roared the red sphere. ¡°But I was. I was invited. I was the last wish of a dying soul. One of the humans called me in their dying breath. Then another learned of me, then more. I have not intervened nor have I interfered unless invited to do so. As per the rules.¡± The One Who Watches said, unbothered but the raging inferno. ¡°We do not see it that way.¡± The void supplied. ¡°Just because you can¡¯t see reality for what it is, doesn¡¯t mean the facts aren¡¯t facts.¡± The One Who Watches answered back, unbothered by the void in reality. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you all enjoy my company? You all seemed over the ecstatic when you needed my help. I thought we were all friends.¡± ¡°We are acquaintances Watcher.¡± The green diamond said in kind. ¡°We had a deal and that deal does not involve further involvement on your end.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± The One Who Watches chirped happily, hands still in his pockets without care. ¡°We had a deal and that deal said was not to interfere with the function of how the world operated. But that deal said nothing about interaction with its people. They called, I answered. Now, back to the main point. why are you trying to peek at what I am doing?¡± None of the beings said anything at this point. None of them dared to utter a word. They all just stared at The One who Watches, each of them trying to will him away. Banish them from their pantheon. Yet nothing happened. Even it all the gods were present instead of just the scheming three, there was nothing they could do to banish The One Who Watches. Fact that irked them all the more by that cocky ¡®I know something you don¡¯t¡¯ smile under that swirling celestial mass. ¡°No? No one?¡± They asked, tilting their head to the side. ¡°Welp in that we are basically wrapped up here. Just have to use my penalty fee and we¡¯ll be all set.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Roared the flaming sphere. ¡°I protest.¡± The green diamond added ¡°This is not agreeable.¡± The void said in turn. ¡°Why?¡± The One Who Watches asked, still unbothered by their out bursts. ¡°You tried to break the rules, I am following them. I am exerting my right within the rules we all agreed to. You can¡¯t get upset for my using the same rules you set to try and keep me out. You shouldn¡¯t have tried to peek.¡± They chided, leaning back to rest their back to an invisible wall. ¡°Honestly, you act as if I am the biggest problem you all have.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We should have never involved you.¡± The diamond sighed, their glow dimming. ¡°On the contrary! Getting me in volved was probably the best choice you made!¡± The One Who Watches laughed uproariously. Then became dead silent. The silence was oppressive to the point it was suffocating. No one said anything, no one move, the three gods felt The One Who Watches displeasure. They saw in this moment he was not smiling. ¡°Tell me, gods, why do you feel that I should continue to follow your rules when you yourself just tried to break them?¡± He asked, his voice calm and low, yet in silence of the pantheon hall it might as well have been thunder. ¡°We have not broken any rules. We have followed them to the letter and have not glimpsed into your affairs.¡± Said the void, finding it difficult to gaze at outsider of the pantheon. ¡°But not the spirit.¡± The One Who Watches answered plainly. ¡°No¡­ not the spirit of the rules.¡± Confirmed the diamond. ¡°I thought not.¡± The One Who Watches states, letting silence fill the air once more before their smile returned. ¡°Cheer up everyone! I am not here to penalize. Merely to let you know that I¡¯ll be getting collecting a fee and leave it at that. So relax! After all¡­¡± With a momentary flair of their power, The One Who Watches though smaller than the gods physically, he dwarfed them in power. so much so that the only proper comparison was that of to an erupting mountain to a that of a geyser. The pressure solely focused on the three who¡¯s forms were forcibly changed. Bending and molding them on a whim until they were at the same height as him with their shapes now that of humanoid version of their former selves. The One Who Watches observed how everything unfolded. A cocky in the know smile. One that suggested he was privilege to some juicy secrets just at the tip of his figurative tongue, waiting to be revealed that could lead to fortune or irrecoverable ruin. All without so much as needing to actually the powers at their command. ¡°Its. Just. A. G?????a??????m??????e???.¡± The One Who Watches all but purred, the last word of their sentence created and distorted the air. Then without so much as a wave of their hand, a disturbance in the air, flash of light or movement of his person. The One Who Watches simple ceased to exist. Leaving the other three to linger in their halls. *** 2 Days Remaining¡­ Aegisthal¡­ was displeased. He had read the reports that Eorlas had submitted. The enemies numbers were great. From what the reports have suggested, the army was disciplined with proper training. That was not ideal since an army of that sized would back up supply chains along with officers who could act independently with soldiers who can not only follow orders but carry them out on their own prerogative. That was a problem not easily dealt with. To vent his frustration, he chose to spar with a some of the more dangerous cannon fodder that the General was kind enough to make spars of. Four large undead trolls, outfitted with iron plat armor over their forms. Aegisthal stood across from them in the underground chamber number three. A two-hundred-foot radius chamber at a hundred-foot-high dome ceiling. A chamber of reinforced gray stone with half a foot of steel coating the walls and ceiling. The only entrance and exit being a forty-foot wide by fifty foot wide. A chamber that was meant to be a testing area for devices, experimentation and if need be storage. It was the second largest of the chambers with chamber two being nearly twice the size. Omnus sat to the side, working with some arcane scripts and circles to develop a new spell. Even Eorlas stood to the side to over watch Aegisthal¡¯s sparing match. Aegisthal ignored them. They did not matter in this moment. All that mattered was the four large trolls who were armed and armored. More siege beasts than warriors. Yet they would do. With his shield to the side, a great sword in hand being wielded like an oversized broad sword. Aegisthal raised his off hand and point to his sparing partners. ¡°Kill me.¡± he ordered in a monotone voice, deep and powerful to carry out the seriousness of his order. As if a whip had been cracked. The undead trolls came charging at him with iron clubs I hand. Thundering foots rushed towards Aegisthal with thousands of pounds of muscle and metal. Each one letting out rancid roars as the closest to him raised their club to strike. Clumsy. He side stepped strike, his hand grabbing the collar of the troll¡¯s chest plate. Twisting the taller brute to the side along with swinging his blade to deflect the blow of the second troll. His meat shield then took the strike of the third. The fourth was blocked by the three other bodies between Aegisthal and it. Aegisthal followed his deflecting strike to the second troll¡¯s leg between he plates to hit the side of its knee. Leaving the troll to collapse under its own before the first troll came colliding with it. Clearing the way for the third and fourth. The fourth tried to strike at Aegisthal¡¯s head as the third tried to get ready for a second try. Aegisthal ducked under the wide swung attack to drive his sword into its armored belly. Piercing the armor for the ruined tip and edge to emerge out the other side. Releasing his sword, sweep kicked the fourth troll¡¯s forward most foot while it¡¯s weight was still on its back foot from the swing. Raising his hands in time to catch the third¡¯s swing by its wrist. With its wrist trapped, Aegisthal turned. Shoving his hip into its body to throw the large lumbering undead over his shoulder to slam into the ground. Still holding the undead troll by its wrist, Aegisthal drove his knee into the back of its elbow. Shattering the bone in its arm and simultaneously breaking its grip on its club. Making it all the easier for Aegisthal to steal the iron club. Using it to cave in the third troll¡¯s head while the first, second, and fourth struggled to get back up. ¡°Enough.¡± Aegisthal ordered, stopping the troll¡¯s from any further attack. ¡°Aegisthal, your little game with the meat puppets, while amusing, yes, but hardly helpful. You could¡¯ve crushed them in no time if you¡¯d actually put your effort into it.¡± Eorlas hummed, as she approached. spinning a dagger between her clawed fingers to keep her hands busy. "Your assessment is inaccurate. The exercise provided valuable insight into their capabilities. A swift victory would not have afforded me the same understanding of their potential. Efficiency is achieved through strategic evaluation, not haste." Aegisthal answered back, unbothered by her games of veiled threats. ¡°Greater knowledge increases the probability of success. As a spy and assassin, this should be more apparent to you than most." (To be continued.)