《Dug & Obu: A Goblin Dungeon Core Adventure》 Chapter 1 - Dug Interrupted Dug woke up slowly as was his habit. He woke to darkness but that wasn¡¯t much of a concern. He was largely nocturnal after all. His diminutive form was dwarfed by the large bed he found himself in and he liked it that way. He had bought the bed off of a giant and it was like sleeping on a firm soft cloud. Some kind of enchantment. He could forget his old aches and pains while he was in his bed but sooner or later he had to wake up. He sat up slowly, wincing as his old bones creaked inside his body. ¡°Bah, dese old bones. Sick of dem I beez.¡± He slowly scooted over to the edge of his bed and put his feet down on a set of wooden steps leading up to it. As he did so he motioned and a gnarled old staff zipped over to alight in his right hand. Using the staff he carefully walked down the dozen or so steps to reach the floor of his abode. Once firmly down on the ground, he patted his staff lovingly. It was a beautiful thing, especially when contrasted against his old hunched form. The wood twisted at the top into three spirals that contained a green gem, blazing with inner light. This central gem was accompanied by a latticework of smaller gems that traveled down each spiral as if the first had bled green. It was his Obulwaag, the symbol of his status as a Shamaan. Turning to face the inner chambers of his abode he spoke out loud to his staff. ¡°Come come Obu. Let usns see what da day holds hmm?¡± Painstakingly slowly he moved deeper into his home needing no light other than his staff to see in the dark. His overly large ears picked up the sound of water coming from his garden and he made his way to it. As it came into view he sighed happily. Here was his greatest work. Every form of fungi in its proper place, from the common variety all the way to the demi-divine. He moved slower now, savoring his walk as he moved between the different paths. Towards the back, he stopped before the carcass of some great beast. Within its chest cavity grew three clumps of vibrant orange mushrooms. Gently and almost reverently, Dug reached out and picked one clump. The mushrooms hissed and sizzled at his touch, but he calmly carried it to a small desk off to one side. On the desk lay a book, simple in appearance but stained and worn from much use. Carefully Dug opened it with one hand while keeping the bundle of shrooms in the other, leaning his staff against the desk. Inside was a riot of intricate drawings and lines of script set out like works of art. The script was as harsh as it was beautiful with violent jagged strokes that evoked a sense of earth and nature taking its course. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Dug noticed the beauty but it was secondary to the images arrayed with exacting detail. Every page held an image of a mushroom or fungi of some kind accompanied by descriptions in the jagged script of his people. Opening to a new page he carefully reached out and pricked his finger on a nearby needle set aside for that purpose. He then placed his bleeding hand on the page and with a flurry of movement, ate the bundle of mushrooms and swept up his staff in the same motion. The mushrooms scorched their way down his throat but Dug was not a minor Shamaan of some backwater bog. No, he was Dug Shardaal, Sporemeister of the Git Bog and no mushroom would be his end. His eyes sparked as he activated his magic, his Waag, rolling up into his head as green flames took their place. The blood pooling on the page began to move, lines tracing their way across the page, forming a picture, then color, then script, whirling and shifting before flaring with a green flame that flashed before settling. Dug opened his eyes and gazed upon the new entry with satisfaction. He leaned over the book and brought his staff close so his old eyes could see better. ¡°Hmm, this¡¯un beez a good one Obu! Strong, strong, took to the beastie corpse good and well methinks.¡± He looked at it once more before smacking his lips in satisfaction. ¡°Tasty too!¡± He cackled happily before making his way back through his garden. He was still walking through it when he felt his abode shake violently, a boom echoing down from the entrance. He frowned before making his way there. ¡°Bah, some beastie no doubt. Why make trouble for Dug?¡± Dug¡¯s Mushroom - Name: Daagomorti Affinities: Fire, Necrotic (Earth/Darkness) Rarity: Demi-Divine Description (Normal): Daagomorti, translated as Dragon¡¯s Death, is a fungus grown from the corpse of a dragon. It must be grown from the heart tissue and naturally takes on whatever element the dragon ruled over in life. Due to its nature however, the mushroom also has a strong complex Necrotic affinity that, when combined with the dragon¡¯s natural affinity, spells death to another of the same species. It is rarely seen in the wild for obvious reasons. Description (Dug Speak): Dis be Daagomorti. Dis a fungee dat be grown in a Daago¡¯s corpse from dey¡¯s thump thump, which lets da shroom absorb da Daago¡¯s power. Because it be shroom, it also gain powers of morti too. Both together means Daago of same power die quick fast. Not very natural cause I make it grow good and proppah. Hard to do dat inna wild. Chapter 2 - Dugs Judgement Toliaro the Son of Sunlight sent another lance of power at his foe. His Crystalized skill, [Sun¡¯s Judgement], activated as the weaponized sunlight pierced the shroud that kept his foe hidden from sight. Now revealed, his skill would burn the creature as long as it attempted to hide itself further. It was a powerful skill, Divine in rank, Tolario¡¯s trump card when fighting against The Hidden. The creature in question howled as its nature was revealed to the light. A long and lithe frame of corded black muscles made up the basic structure but that was where the similarities to any normal creature ended. Without the shadows that covered it like skin, its makeup was revealed. Like an animal skinned and then animated back to life the creature was grotesque with all of its muscle groups and bones exposed. It tried to hide by pulling shadows back to cover its body, only to burn under the [Sun¡¯s Judgement]. It howled louder even as Tolario rode the light to get higher before sending another lance of power at The Hidden, causing it to slam into the ground with an impact that shook the surrounding area. Toliaro hovered lower, riding the light with careful steps so as not to overwork his magic. Reaching the bottom he found the creature rising from a crater and limping badly. He raised his hands, preparing to finish the creature off, when the strangest sight arrested his gaze. Between the two combatants, a small green figure emerged from the sheer cliff face of the mountainside. It walked with the help of a gnarled staff, a green gemstone set into the top. Tolario and The Hidden both stopped and stared at the strange creature even as its features shifted from annoyance to outrage. Toliaro attempted to [Identify] the strange creature and was met by a system message that sent a cold feeling rushing through his sun-powered body. [Error - Nonsystem Entity Discovered]
Dug was having a bad day in his opinion. It had started out fine until all the hullabaloo had happened outside his front door. But to make matters worse, once he had stepped outside he wasn¡¯t met with the vast beautiful expanse of bogs and fetid swamps that was his home. Instead, he was met with a disgustingly wide-open mountain vista with clear crystal lakes and forests as far as the eye could see. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. And to top it all off he had two noisy neighbors making a racket early in the morning when any sane goblin would still be sleeping. One of those neighbors was a properly ugly-looking thing which only made it more palatable to his goblin sensibilities, at least when compared to the paragon of shininess hovering in the air above him. It looked human enough, although its skin was the wrong color, and Dug figured humans didn¡¯t shine like the Ever-fire in the sky. However, there was just one glaringly disgusting thing about the figure that the goblin couldn¡¯t stand. It was taller than him. ¡°Whatchya want tall-folk? Why you botha Dug huh? Notta nuff tall things to be doin? And why yousa two beez fightin in front of Dug¡¯s house eh?¡± Just his luck that some tall-two-legs with powers was fighting a beastie nearby. He stared little daggers at the shiny man-thing before turning to the beastie in the hole. He walked over to it, caring little for its aggressive stance and slavering jaws. It darted at him but he cared even less for its little display. He simply ignited his eyes and bopped it on the snout. With a whine, it slammed into the ground at his feet and lay there whimpering in pain. ¡°Der der,¡± Dug crooned, ¡°Yousa beez a good boyo and isa not need tah hit youz again.¡± So saying he moved along to check on its wounds and grunted in satisfaction before turning to look up at the tall-two-legs. A tall-two-legs that had a large spear of light in his hands and was in the process of throwing it at him. It screamed something but Dug couldn¡¯t understand it. He sighed and ignited his eyes, gripping Obu tightly. The spear didn¡¯t do much when it collided with the goblin¡¯s body, much of it dissipating before it even arrived. The light that made up the spear was siphoned away to fuel the goblin¡¯s growing flames. Dug sighed again as the tall-two-legs¡¯ eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°So yousa use the Ever-fire eh. Too bads for you. Isa do too. Torka Iksha Malkumsh.¡± He breathed the spell into life and felt the joy he always did when he used the sacred flame. He watched the tall-two-legs try to escape. They always tried to do that too. He spoke the final word and watched as a second sun bloomed into green flame where the tall-two-legs used to be. ¡°Waag.¡± Chapter 3 - Dug is Integrated…Not! Dug nodded in satisfaction at the barely recognizable corpse that fell from the sky to land at his feet a ways away. Even as he did so he felt the air itself quiver before a presence tried to invade his very soul. He let it breach the first layers of his defenses just to get a sense of what he was dealing with and flinched in surprise at the sudden barrage of words that flooded his vision. You have defeated: Toliaro, The Son of Sunlight You have gained XP! Error! Non-System Entity confirmed. Unable to gain XP until full integration. Attempting integration. It was at this point that Dug felt the power attempt to penetrate his defenses with the intent to emblazon itself upon his soul. With a snort, he drew upon his Waag¡¯s Aspect of Freedom inherent within the depths of his spirit and flicked the attempt away like someone might a bug or insect. It came back, more insistent this time. He flicked it away again impatiently and gradually became more and more annoyed as the feeling grew in power and persistence. ¡°Enough!¡± The old goblin spat as his eyes ignited into green sparking flames. ¡°Yousa leave Dug alone! I notta let you in tah make Dug slave. Isa not undah you!¡± At the finishing of his speech, he latched onto the power and forced it out before hardening his barriers to keep it away for good. He smirked and turned to the beast in the crater and patted its massive jaws in a comforting way. ¡°Now now beastie. Letsa get you inside. Isa gotta shrooms that will heal yousa up. Come come.¡± Turning he motioned to the beast to follow him and somewhat reluctantly the beast did so.
Unknown to Dug, The System was running its programs like normal. It was not thrown off by his refusal, nor did it have the emotions to care. It was programmed into the very world through its Aether leylines and that programming now compelled its next actions. Non-System Entity Remains Unregistered Conclusion: Power Level Unknown Finding Solution Bonded Weapon Found Analyzing Awakening in Process: 32% Experience Being Funneled Through Bond Successful Integration Has Succeeded Contacting Administrator Confirmed New Dungeon Core Beginning Awakening Bond With Non-System Entity Confirmed: Still Exists Reinforcing Bond Integrating Integration of Non-System Entity Through Bond Unsuccessful Contacting Administrator Confirmed Non-System Entity Confirmed as Sub-Administrator Per The Overpowered Protocol
Dug had just about entered his home when a great tingling shot through him and straight into his staff. It shuddered, the gemstone at the top igniting with green flames. Words flickered across his vision, congratulating him on becoming a Sub-Administrator whatever that was. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Dug¡¯s immediate reaction was one of anger as he attempted to purge the influence of whatever this thing was. His Waag flared to remove it only to be halted by the bond tying him to his staff of office. Words began flickering across his vision and despite his anger, the words halted his actions.
Congratulations Error! Your bonded weapon is undergoing the awakening process to become fully Sapient. Any attempt to halt this process will result in catastrophic damage to the item being awakened. Current Awakening Progress: 52% Until fully Awakened Congratulations Error! You have been made a Sub-Administrator of the great System. As a Sub-Administrator you have limited power over the System itself and therefore do not acquire integration. Note: As a Non-System Entity from another universe too powerful for the System to contain this option was chosen in order to repair the anomaly you caused by arriving. ¡°Please stop trying to destroy my System. I will be watching.¡±
  • The Administrator
Dug simply huffed at that final message before heading inside his home. Obu continued to shoot out sparks here and there but the original flame had begun to die down. Even as he walked his gaze was continuously bombarded with information as the ¡°System¡± showed it to him. He was both surprised and annoyed to find that his home had become ¡°Integrated.¡± Everything now sported a short description which included its history and experience. Experience appeared to be a physical representation of each item¡¯s age as well as how long it had been used. For example, Dug¡¯s favorite spoon said exactly that and had a higher Experience count than his other spoons that were used less frequently. Even as he looked around a thought sent him hurrying into the back where he groaned in consternation. His fungal garden had also been Integrated with each entry carefully laid out as if he himself had written it. ¡°Wait a minidd¡­I did write dese!¡± Annoyed now for a very different reason he hurried to find his book and halted when he saw it. Halted because it was now shining like a beacon to his new form of sight.
Tome of Spores (Mythic) Rank (A24) Level: 116 Experience Till Next Level: 3,591/25,600 Handcrafted and lovingly cared for, the Tome of Spores is a compendium of Fungi from another universe and contains wisdom and secrets pertaining to their growth and upkeep. It is written by Error in an alien tongue and is immensely difficult to decipher for even the most gifted of System Scholars.
¡°Yousa change dis right now! Dis is not proppah gobbo speak attall!¡± Dug roared at the System and to his surprise the System responded with another window.
Would you like to use your Sub-Administrator privileges to rewrite this item¡¯s entry? ¡°Or you could at least let me into your memories so that the System could learn your language, habits, traditions, and culture.¡±
  • The Administrator
¡°Bah!¡± Dug stewed for a moment but relented after looking once more at the description of his beloved book. ¡°Fine den! Yousa can have a looksie.¡± So saying he let down a part of his mental defenses. The System didn¡¯t wait long. It rushed in and poured over his memories. It was a weird sensation, like being high on a Mindbender Sporecap. He kept some memories safely hidden away like the origins of his powers or how they were gained but in general, he allowed the System to peruse his mind. Apparently satisfied it withdrew and he received another prompt.
¡°You have my thanks Dug Shardaal. I now understand a bit of why you do not desire Integration. Rest assured it shall never be forced upon you. Sadly I cannot make such an exception for your Obulwaag. It is currently awakening in my realm and must therefore obey its rules. Your bond will remain strong in any case and you may find Obu will be stronger than it might have been in your Universe. After all, based on your memories you have no Dungeon Cores where you come from.¡±
  • The Administrator
P.S. ¡°Your things have been redescribed by the System based on your goblin language.¡±
Dug looked from the words in front of him to the still-glowing staff in his hand. The System now considered it 72% complete in its awakening process. He considered what the administrator had said and moved to find his sitting chair. While doing so he manipulated some Healingcap Spores to begin entering the beastie who had been diligently following him this whole time. While he sat in his comfy chair he motioned to the beast to lie down which it willingly did, already feeling the effects of the Healingcap. Soon it was slumbering away and Dug was free to relax at last. Bringing his staff down onto his lap, he began to stroke the gemstone set into the top lovingly. ¡°Yousa will awaken soon Obu. Den we can find out whatta we supposed to do now.¡± Chapter 4 - Obu Awakens The Obulwaag had slept for centuries, content to remain steeping in the experiences and magic of its creator. Over time these experiences began to construct an awareness of sorts. This continued until the very makeup of the weapon was steeped in what it meant to be the Obulwaag of Dug Shardaal. This had created a new state of being. A kind of permanence separate from that of being alive. This state of being had recently begun to change rapidly. Like a sunken treasure being gradually returned to the surface, light began to shine upon what had once been content to lie idle. Experience became something akin to memory. With surgical, machinelike precision a psyche was built on the back of the item¡¯s history and permanence. The System prepared the husk of a mind, the beginnings of a soul, and then waited. Experience, new and fresh, poured into the freshly constructed mind and soul, giving them something to experience which in turn forced it to engage. Forced it to ignite. For all of the System¡¯s power and skill, however, a Spirit was something it could not give. The soul sputtered and the System waited. It did not have to wait long. Like liquid glory, a single drop of light manifested within the space dedicated to the Obulwaag¡¯s psyche. A voice spoke and reverberated through the space. ¡°LET THERE BE LIFE. ARISE DAUGHTER OF THE FLAME.¡± The Maker declared. The presence retreated and the drop fell. With a whoosh of spiritual power, the sputtering soul ignited into a full Spark. Immediately, the System began to integrate the new experience properly so that the new Spark grew rapidly but stably. It drew upon the weapon¡¯s bond with its creator to strengthen the old memories to make the whole experience of Awakening seem like a long slumber rather than a jarring snap to sapience. After making sure the process was running properly the System retreated and let nature take its course.
Obu awoke slowly and softly. Memories of a half-lived life fluttered at the edges of her consciousness. She reached for something to anchor herself in her new reality and found a memory. In it, a young green face stared down at Obu¡¯s gemstone with a covetous expression. She could feel a hand stroking her faceted surface and the face moved to speak. ¡°My name beez Dug. Weesa beez pahtnahs now Obu. You my Obulwaag and Isa swear dis: Togedda weesa gonna go to da top. Notta be slaves tah nobody. Da Waag. Dat¡¯ll take us der.¡± Dug. Male goblin. Her creator. Her name and its meaning were revealed in the context of what she had been, a staff of growing power. O-bu-l-waag. O Daughter of the Holy Flame. Even from her conception as a bonded weapon she had been named the family of this creature and not just a tool. Dug hadn¡¯t lied either. They had passed the tests and gained power beyond reckoning. For years her (Master? Father? Father.) father had stewarded his powers until they had arrived at this strange land. A land governed by a System that even now encoded almost her entire existence. Almost. Because in her soul, Obu could still sense the bond that bound Dug and her together. Only now it was strengthened by the System as well as the old rituals and rites her father had cast so long ago. She was safe in the knowledge that if the System ever attempted to enslave her, her father had the power to deny it. Regardless of future intentions, the System acknowledged her growing sapience with a notification.
Congratulations on your Awakening! Welcome Dungeon Core! ¡°I will step in here in place of the normal start-up notifications. You may be newly Awakened but, as I¡¯m sure you have discovered, you already have a wealth of experience to draw from. Most new Dungeon Cores require more System Assistance to survive before they can grow large enough to help themselves. I do not think you will have this issue considering the one you are bonded with. Therefore I have initiated the Quest Sub-System for you instead. There will be simple requests here to start out with. We will talk again once you have acclimated.¡±
  • The Administrator
New Quest Given! [Starting Out] Type: Chain Step 1: Choose a Cornerstone Description: Please choose between the following Cornerstones
  • Creatures: This Cornerstone focuses on the monstrous side of the Dungeon, allowing the Core to better manipulate and affect the creatures it spawns. Additional spawners become available at each Rank Up and this Cornerstone allows for a greater range of variants.
  • Traps: This Cornerstone focuses on traps to confuse, challenge, or kill intruders allowing the Core to better manipulate adventurers. Additional traps become available at each Rank-up and each Rank-up increases the customization of traps given.
  • Environments: This Cornerstone focuses on the very Dungeon itself, allowing the Core to better manipulate its Dungeon Body. Additional biomes become available at each Rank-Up and can be customized to a greater extent.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Obu looked at the options presented and thought hard about which one she should take. If she chose creatures, she would be able to draw on her adventures with her father to craft monsters this world had never seen before. The same could not be said for traps but that might make it a better choice since she could shore up a potential weakness. Again, her father¡¯s mischievous nature and brilliant mind for breaking things would be a boon for her. The last option was environments and she thought back to the myriad places she had gone to, carried along as her father traveled. Those memories would serve her well in constructing a Dungeon. But perhaps more information could be acquired. ¡°System?¡± She asked in a soft voice. ¡°What is the purpose of Dungeon Core?¡±
Query Received¡­ Answer: Within the System Universe Dungeon Cores were created to purify and stabilize Aetheric leylines. As natural creatures receive, internalize, and condense Aether, Dungeons also breathe in Aether and condense it. However, Dungeon Cores are also capable of reclaiming condensed Aether and releasing it back into the atmosphere and leylines. Dungeons grow by claiming land and this process of converting soil, rock, and other materials allows the Dungeon to convert these materials into raw Aether and back again as they wish. During this process, excess Aether is naturally released into the surrounding area breathing new life into the worlds they belong to.
Obu took in the information without expression. Well, she was a gem so she didn¡¯t have a face but she liked the idea. Maybe she could work with her father on a way to have a body. She made a note to ask him later and was pleasantly surprised to find the System responding by creating a little icon in her vision that looked like a letter. Opening it with a thought, it unfurled to reveal her note written in beautiful goblinoid. Returning to her thoughts on which Cornerstone to pick she noticed a little blinking light at the top right corner of her internal vision. Just as she had with the other icon, Obu opened it mentally and watched as a list of things unfurled before her sight.
The Obulwaag
Race: Dungeon Core
Chosen Name: Obu
Bond: Dug Shardaal (Non-System Entity)
Cornerstone: Unchosen*
Rank: F(1)* Level: 0* Experience: 0/200*
Core Attributes
Rooted: 1 Measures the Core¡¯s overall capability of digging deeper and expanding its Dungeon.
Empowered: 1 Measures the Core¡¯s direct power regarding its Monsters, Traps, and Environment.
United: 1 Measures the Core¡¯s ability to better coordinate its Dungeon¡¯s defenses.
Transformed: 1 Measures the Core¡¯s ability to modify its Dungeon in all aspects.
Obu looked over the information with interest but none of it gave her a better idea of what to pick. As she looked over it another tab began blinking and with the mental equivalent of a shrug she opened it. Another list of attributes appeared but this time she could feel something lacking like a huge ache in her soul.
Dungeon Statistics
Floors: None Rooms: None
Monster Spawners: None Traps: None
Environments: None
Obu shuddered at the feeling of emptiness she had just now become aware of. Moving on an instinct that she didn¡¯t know she had she began to breathe. As she breathed in she felt Pure Aether rush into her gemlike facets and then she was seeing. It wasn¡¯t like mortal sight. She knew what that was like from her father. This sight was something else entirely. Her connection to the surrounding Aether let her feel everything around her in a way that was strange yet exhilarating. She saw her father sleeping on his short cushioned rocking chair and beheld the great beast that slept before him. She saw herself, her gem body anchored to the staff that made up The Obulwaag. I guess that¡¯s just me now, Obu thought. The new form of seeing occupied her only a short time before the tugging on her soul resumed. Acting again on her barely understood instincts Obu reached out to the wall directly across from her father and breathed out. From her Core, a bright stream of Aether coalesced in sunset colors before colliding with the wall and fanning out like a jet of mist. As she continued breathing the wall seemed to absorb her mist and then a section of it was just¡­hers. It felt strangely satisfying and yet painful like a numb limb slowly regaining feeling. She prodded at the sensation and felt resistance. She pulled and the wall slowly evaporated from the inside out, leaving a hollow rectangle of stone before her. Oddly enough she could still feel the edges and the drifting Aether she had just made remained within the confines of the small hollowed-out section. Obu smiled. It was time to dig a hole. Chapter 5 - Obu Digs a Hole Obu started by breathing deeply, causing Aether to flood in from the open cave entrance. She then breathed out, waited, and then tugged when the stone and earth had been claimed. She found as she dug that what she claimed could be manipulated further. She could compress it and make it harder or stretch it thin and make it brittle. Continuing on happily she felt herself grow larger in the strangest way. Halls began to take form out of the rock and she was prodded by her instincts to expand outward. So she began to hollow out a large cavern-like space. It ended up being roughly 60 goblin feet wide and 20 goblin feet tall. In tall folk terms, she supposed they would consider it small but to a goblin, this would be perfect. After all, it wasn¡¯t her fault that tall folk wanted everything to be twice as big. Why would she want to cater to tall folk in any case, she was building a goblin cave. Her father would have a stroke if she chose anything else. Sadly she couldn¡¯t make the ceiling any lower. Apparently, the System had requirements for how big a room could be. She could make stalactites though so she grew a couple from the ceiling to make it appear lower than it was. She then grew stalagmite mounds from the ground with some connecting to form natural columns with the stalactites. When was finished she felt the System ting, acknowledging her creation.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have created your First Room and have begun your First Floor!
    • Rooms on the Floor: 1 / 5
    • Reward +200 Xp
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 1!
New Quest Given! [Building Plans] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Build a new Room [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Furnish your Room Description: Furnish your room with the following to complete it:
  • Monster Spawner 0 / 1
  • Traps 0 / 2
New Quest Given! [Preparing the Floor] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Choose an Environment for your Floor Description: Current Environments available to be chosen:
  • Cavern
Note: Options based on the overall Room structure of the current Floor
Obu stared at the new Quests with interest. There was a way forward. She didn¡¯t know what it meant to get Experience but she enjoyed seeing the numbers go up regardless. She felt the same way about seeing her Floor and Room numbers go up by one each. From the look of it, the Quests would give her more Experience if she completed them and also give her ideas on how she could grow. She decided that the System wasn¡¯t as bad as her Father had originally thought but she understood his refusal to be integrated even more now. If nothing else he would hate all the annoying little words, she thought to herself, chuckling as she looked upon her new room with a little pride. It wasn¡¯t much but she could change that. The last quest she had received had mentioned that her options for an Environment were contingent on how she structured her rooms. No wonder all I got was a Cavern Environment, she thought with chagrin. To be fair she hadn¡¯t known it at the time but she knew what she would do now. The cave would be fine for now but once she got a new Floor she would surprise her father with a Swamp Environment. Before that though she needed to experiment some more. She still didn¡¯t know what Cornerstone to choose after all. She picked the Cavern Environment and watched as the little cave she had made transformed. Aether shuddered and twisted as new stalactites and stalagmites formed under its power. Small rock pools formed in and around some of them, filling with water. Condensation formed around the upper reaches of the Cavern and began collecting on the stalactites only to drip down and fall into the pools with soft plopping sounds. After it was finished the Cavern was no longer a roughly formed cave. Instead, Obu looked out upon an almost natural cavern structure with twisting paths that led deeper and pools of indeterminable depths. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. She almost chose the Environmental Cornerstone right then and there but she held herself back on the grounds that she might like something else better. It was beautiful though and she tried to picture being able to manipulate her areas like that in the future. She shook off those thoughts as the System pinged, notifying her of her success.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 2!
[Preparing the Floor] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Choose an Environment for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Choose a Monster Type for your Floor Description: Current Monster Types Available
  • Goblinoid
  • Fungal
  • Radiant
Note: Options based on assimilated Experience prior to Awakening. Future options will be chosen from consumed or claimed creatures.
If Obu had hands she would have clapped them. She was so happy. Her first two options were sure to be a big hit with her father. He would be so proud of her. The last one was interesting but really wasn¡¯t much of a consideration in her mind. The note though caught her attention. She hummed to herself thoughtfully. That meant that these options would potentially disappear unless she found more examples of them. She chose Goblinoid right away. After all, there were no Goblins in this universe other than her father and he wouldn¡¯t be pleased if she tried to claim him. She didn¡¯t even know if she could, though it would be funny to try. She giggled at the thought. She quickly opened the Quest tab again and found the notification forming in real-time. Once it was complete the System chimed pleasantly to let her know it was finished. She nodded, pleased at what she found.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have chosen your very first Monster Type!
    • You now have access to Goblinoid Spawners!
[Preparing the Floor] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Choose an Environment for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Choose a Monster Type for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 3: Choose a Trap Type for your Floor Description: Current Trap Types Available
  • Mechanical
  • Environmental
  • Arcane
Note: Options are based on Floor Environment, available Monsters, and any Arcane Knowledge.
Obu looked over her new options with excitement. There was something addicting about getting new toys and although she was an Ancient Mystical Tool she was also a newborn. She poured over the options wondering how they would interact but from the note she figured they would interact with different parts of her Dungeon. Mechanical would most likely have to be activated by an intruder or one of her Goblinoid Monsters while an Environmental Trap would be something like a falling stalactite or pitfall. The only type she wasn¡¯t sure of was Arcane because that was more her father¡¯s area of expertise. For all that she was the medium through which he cast his great spells, those memories were like those of a spectator. She had no knowledge of how exactly they worked. If she chose it she had no doubt that the System would give her some knowledge to go along with the Trap but she didn¡¯t want that. Besides, even if she didn¡¯t pick it maybe she could have her father put a few traps of his own down. Since he wasn¡¯t integrated maybe the System wouldn¡¯t acknowledge his traps as a part of her Dungeon. She smiled at the thought of her father helping her. She honed in on the top two options and weighed them both for a while. She didn¡¯t quite know which one she preferred but she ended up choosing Environmental since she didn¡¯t want her creatures to have to activate anything. She didn¡¯t even know if her Goblinoid Monsters could activate a trap properly. Her father aside, most Goblinoids seemed pretty stupid. Excited she waited for the chime and was pleased when it sounded right on time.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have chosen your very first Trap Type!
    • You now have access to Cavern Traps!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 3!
[Preparing the Floor] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Choose an Environment for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Choose a Monster Type for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 3: Choose a Trap Type for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 4: Complete the Floor Description: Complete the Floor by completing Rooms
  • Rooms Complete: 0 / 5
Glowing with happiness Obu turned to her Room and mentally rubbed her hands together like she remembered her father doing before collecting ¡®shinies.¡¯ She might not have hands like him but she was quickly becoming enthralled with the idea of collecting new things to populate her Dungeon with. Maybe I can make him some shinies for when he wakes up, she thought giggling. Turning back to her Dungeon, she got to work. Chapter 6 - Obu Makes Monsters and Sets Traps Finishing her first Room didn¡¯t end up being all that difficult. Obu placed the necessary Monster Spawner down where her instincts directed her, in the back of the room up on a rough ledge carved from rock. The two traps she placed were a weakened stalactite rigged to fall on any unsuspecting intruders and a pool that was deeper than expected at first look. Hopefully, it would surprise intruders with a nice drink and keep them from responding to her Monsters. That topic, however, was causing her no end of distress. The Monster Spawner itself was little more than a hole in the ground with rough earth and stone piled around it like it had been freshly dug. It was what crawled out of the hole that caused her current distress. It was certainly a goblinoid in the sense that it had green skin, a short hunched stature with overly large features for its size, and a general air of ugliness. That was where the relation to her father ended. For one thing, they were even shorter than he was and their eyes bore no semblance of intelligence other than a simple kind of animalistic cunning. They were dressed in a simple loincloth and armed with a sharp stone dagger that was only slightly better than a chipped rock with a handle. To say that she was disappointed was an understatement. Obu had been ¡®raised¡¯ with her father who had risen up the ranks of goblin kind rapidly. In their old universe, goblins were a proper intelligent sapient race. They might not have been as strong as the other races or as ¡®civilized¡¯ but they were cunning, tricky, and most importantly they had the Waag to guide and help them. She couldn¡¯t show her father these poor caricatures of his proud race. He would chew her out for creating them despite the lack of control she had over what they looked like. Even as she began to lose herself in those thoughts a chime from the System drew her eyes to her new finished quest.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have completed the Quest [Building Plans] as shown below!
[Building Plans] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Build a new Room [Complete - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Furnish your Room [Complete - Reward +100 Xp] Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • For completing your First Quest you have been rewarded 300 Xp!
    • 200 Xp from the First Completion
    • 100 Xp from the Completion itself
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 4!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 5!
Warning! Dungeon Core has reached the Level Cap for Rank F(1)! To begin advancement to Rank F(2) please ascend to Level 5 immediately!
Obu stared at the warning with apprehension. How was she supposed to go about ¡®ascending¡¯ to Level 5 when she didn¡¯t even know what a Level was? She could infer that Experience was a method by which the System tracked progress and knowledge but what did a Level do? She opened her main page and watched the information unfold before her.
The Obulwaag
Race: Dungeon Core
Chosen Name: Obu
Bond: Dug Shardaal (Non-System Entity) Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Cornerstone: Unchosen*
Rank: F(1)* Level: 0* Experience: 1000/200*
Core Attributes
Rooted: 1 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s overall capability of digging deeper and expanding its Dungeon.
Empowered: 1 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s direct power in regard to its Monsters, Traps, and Environment.
United: 1 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s ability to better coordinate its Dungeon¡¯s defenses.
Transformed: 1 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s ability to modify its Dungeon in all aspects.
She saw the Experience sitting there but it wasn¡¯t doing anything. Then she looked lower and found an odd icon had appeared beside each of her Core Attributes. She focused on the Rooted Attribute and poked at the icon. Her mind immediately expanded and she Experienced what it was like to be fully connected to the world in its completeness, her roots reaching down into the depths of the earth where the Aetheric Leylines pulsed. When she came back to herself she saw that the total amount of Experience she had had been reduced by 200 and her Level had gone up by 1. Her Rooted Attribute had also increased by 1. She felt¡­different. Like a hermit crab that needed to find a larger shell, she felt like she could expand further than she was able to before. Excitedly she moved to the other Attributes and pressed the next one in line. Immediately she felt more powerful. She saw her creatures swelling with strength, standing straight and proud. She saw her traps glowing with power and growing in effectiveness. She experienced vibrant biomes and wonderfully detailed Environments that filled her Dungeon with danger and beauty in equal measure. Then she came back down and everything reverted back to how it was before but perhaps with just a hint more than what was there before She didn¡¯t bother checking her main page. She knew her Empowered Attribute had increased. Moving quickly she went to United and did the same thing. This time she felt her Dungeon like never before. Every divot and cleft in the rock, every detail stood out in incredible definition. She could feel the Aether as it coursed its way through, sustaining the life of her Monsters, Traps, and Environment as it did so. Even as she came down from the Experience she moved to increase her Transformed Attribute. Similar to the United Experience she could feel her Dungeon in every way but this time it was different. Everything became malleable. She Experienced shifting molecules purely through the power of Aether, manipulating her Dungeon body in ways that seemed miraculous. Her creatures grew mutations, gained magic, and changed forms. Her traps grew in complexity as she manipulated their structure. Environments gained a life of their own as she awakened their nature. Returning to herself Obu hovered over her Dungeon in silence, her young mind shaking from what she had just Experienced. It had been exhilarating and even now she had to keep herself from going and using her last 200 Experience to relive one of those amazing visions. Instead, she let herself recover and looked over her main page to see she was now Level 4 with 2 points in each Attribute. In order to get a better grasp on what her new Attributes meant Obu looked over her Dungeon for any changes. The first thing she noticed was that at the back of her first room was a rough stone doorway set into the stone. The implication was clear. She could now make a new room. Looking around her gaze found one of her creatures. The Monster was picking its nose in a disgusting manner but what truly took her aback was the floating words above its head. Grungy Git - Level 2 Obu knew the word Git of course. It was as close to a curse word as goblins had. It could also be used as a kind of compliment when used by a superior or peer. If it was used as a curse it meant the goblin was barely that, only fit for the most menial tasks and the lowest rung of society. If used as a compliment it meant the goblin in question was resourceful and cunning. It was often used when a goblin had pulled something over on a rival without them expecting it or made them look silly. This Monster was the lowest of the low. Barely a goblinoid at all and it appeared her Rank of F(1) meant that she had only the barest scraps of the power she had felt earlier. She was certainly a far cry from her father in terms of power and that information irked her. She was the Obulwaag, a mighty creation of the greatest goblin Shamaan to walk their world. With a huff, she turned away from her lackadaisical minion to look for any other changes. Eventually, she gave up. Whatever the other changes were they were too small of a change for her to notice. Thinking over what to put her final point into she finally decided on Rooted. If she was going to be a Dungeon she would need to begin building a proper one and that meant finishing her First Floor as quickly as possible. She focused on the Attribute and felt the vision come. As she came down from her mountain top Experience sometime later, she heard a grunt and shuffling coming from her father¡¯s armchair. He was waking up. Excitedly, Obu drew her consciousness back to her Core ready to show him what she had accomplished. Chapter 7 - Dug Meets His Daughter Dug, waking slowly, grunted as he woke in his armchair. He must have fallen asleep. He raised the staff on his lap and looked at the green spiraling gemstone set on top.
The Obulwaag (Awakened) Sapient Dungeon Core F(1)
Before Dug could fully take in the words that flickered across his vision a young feminine voice spoke up shyly within his mind. ¡°Hello¡­father.¡± Dug blinked, slowly, before patting the gem in front of him like he normally did. His staff had just talked to him like he was their parent and it was around a century too early for it but the old goblin was quite adept at rolling with life¡¯s idiosyncrasies. After all, he was a walking idiosyncrasy himself. ¡°Hi-hi Obu, dis beez nice. Weez can finally ¡®ave converzasions den.¡± He nodded to himself even as the feminine voice let out a girlish giggle. He stood up slowly and was relieved to find some his aches and pains to be less present. He had heard of ancient Shamaans getting a second wind once their staves had gained sentience. His Obu had skipped a few steps and gone straight to Sapience so perhaps it would be quicker in him than in his ancestors. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice. He yawned and then blinked rapidly again as he looked upon an entrance dug into the side of his cave where there hadn¡¯t been one before. He could feel a nervous energy radiate from his daughter and spoke up to get to the bottom of it. ¡°Obu what dis beez?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my Dungeon father¡­would you like to see it?¡± The nervousness he sensed skyrocketed but there was also some excitement present. Dug thought about for a moment before stumping towards the opening. If his daughter was excited then he might as well check it out. As he entered he was struck by how much like a goblin cave it was. It reminded him of his youth before his tribe had moved to the Gitbog. Proper stalactites and stalagmites grew from the top and bottom respectively and his ears were treated to the sound of plopping water on rock. He made his way slowly through the room aware of the heightened attention of his new daughter. He rapped the bottom of his staff against one of the rocks and nodded. ¡°Dis beez nice. You do dis Obu?¡± Receiving the approximation of a shy nod, he nodded himself. ¡°Good. Dis beez a proppah gobbo cave. Notta bad attall for dah first one.¡± He could sense the sheer relief his comments caused and he smiled kindly. He didn¡¯t really know exactly what a Dungeon Core did but he knew instinctively that this room was part of it. The room itself practically vibrated with Aether, all of it tinged with something distinctly Obu-like. It was a strange sensation to feel a whole new presence associated with the Aether but have it be so intimately familiar but Dug was unbothered. It was Obu¡¯s and that was enough for him. In fact, he found himself becoming rather excited to see what his daughter would be able to create. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It was at that moment that he caught sight of a creature and froze in his tracks. It was distinctly goblinoid with all the common features but it wasn¡¯t this that caused him to freeze. It was the void within it. Nothing called out to him, the Waag was completely silent. There was no like calling to like. Blood to blood. This creature had been created without that which made gobbos...gobbos. ¡°Obu what dis be?¡± He said slowly as he walked up to the creature. He looked into its eyes and found nothing there beyond simplicity of purpose. ¡°A goblinoid father,¡± Obu said disappointedly. ¡°I had some choices on Dungeon Monsters and goblinoid was an option. I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad.¡± Then her voice regained some brightness. ¡°But I think once I level up some more they will become stronger and better.¡± Dug nodded, not wanting to diminish his daughter''s hopes but he had his doubts. Without the Waag, these creatures would only be caricatures of gobbo greatness. He spoke up with that in mind. ¡°Whys it not ¡®ave da Waag.¡± At his daughter¡¯s silence, he turned to her. ¡°Obu?¡± He asked as he searched his bond with her for her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t have access to Waag for my creatures.¡± She responded despondently. ¡°The System doesn¡¯t have access to it so I don¡¯t either, despite my bond with you.¡± At this, Dug puffed himself up in outrage. The System denied his daughter her birthright? Outrageous! Before he had worked up a giant head of steam, words began scrolling across his vision.
¡°My System has no power to give what it does not have. You yourself are not integrated so the System has no ability to manifest your magic. In this case, you already have the answer to your perceived problem. Use your Sub-Administrator privileges. This is what they are for, to mediate between you and the System. They are a tool. Please don¡¯t break it.¡±
  • The Administrator
Dug huffed, let the steam out of his ears, and tried to do what The Administrator had claimed he could do. He channeled Waag into Obu and he felt her mentally tense as the fire blazed around her. Then she did something and the flame was distorted, being drawn within her gem and internalized. He then drew the little dagger he used for drawing blood and, placing Obu against a stalagmite for a moment, he sliced his right hand and let his blood drip over Obu. The blood was absorbed and he could feel Obu looking over it. The System must have done something because he suddenly felt a call to the blood within the creature. It was faint but the creature was much more of a gobbo now in all aspects than it was before. Its eyes brightened and its posture straightened although it was still diminutive. The creature shambled off and Dug nodded in satisfaction. It wasn¡¯t the paragon of gobbo¡¯ness that he was but it was at least a passing grade. He felt Obu¡¯s relief at his acceptance and chuckled. ¡°Dis beez a fine work and I beez sure dat youz will get bedder as youz go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not as powerful as you,¡± she said sullenly, though with a hopeful lilt at the end. Dug blew a raspberry at her words. ¡°Dis not beez true. Yousa jus¡¯ made a gobbo outta nudding. Dat something I notta able tah do. It notta good gobbo but yousa will get bedder.¡± He read her mood as she processed his words and felt her acceptance. There was also determination and he nodded in satisfaction. That was good. It wouldn¡¯t do for his new daughter to be discouraged. ¡°Now,¡± He said firmly rubbing his proportionally large hands together. ¡°Whatta can Isa do tah ¡®elp.¡± Chapter 8 - Dug Goes for a Walk ¡°Well¡­I suppose I will need additional creatures at some point. Apparently, I can absorb their bodies to learn how they''re made. Once I do I can make a spawner for them. You could also help me with my traps! I¡­don¡¯t know how to make magical ones.¡± Obu seemed a little disappointed in that last one. Dug just nodded. Unlike his daughter, the old goblin was well aware of how difficult it was to learn Waag by watching. At some point, a gobbo had to feel the magic to really step on the path. Many never achieved that crucial step. ¡°Dese be tings I can do,¡± he stated gruffly. ¡°First weez can getcha some beasties and den make da trapz.¡± Reticence came through the bond as Obu spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can go very far with you. The Dungeon is like my body now. Without me being present I think the Dungeon will fall apart and I¡¯ll lose it.¡± Dug thought about this and then tested something. He reached up and pried off one of the smaller gems that made up Obu¡¯s trailing triune latticework. He heard a yelp come from her before he heard her complain in his mind. ¡°Daaad, that felt weird! Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Dug didn¡¯t reply at first, simply walking over to the end of the room where the empty stone doorway was. Reaching as high as he could he used Waag to carve a hole the size of the gem into the side of the doorway where he then slotted the small gemstone. He immediately felt relief and a hint of wonder from his daughter and he smiled smugly. ¡°Der. Now yousa can come with,¡± he stated. ¡°It still felt weird,¡± Obu grumbled but underneath her obvious discomfort, there was a happiness that she could join him in his hunt for more creatures. ¡°Der der. Isa promise tah ask nex time.¡± Then, turning around, he stumped his way back into his section of the cave to check on his guest. He found The Hidden fast asleep and nodded. Satisfied that his patient was resting well the old goblin made his way out using Obu¡¯s staff to support himself. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the outdoors he found himself once more looking upon the disgustingly beautiful mountain scenery. Blowing a raspberry at the view he began his slow descent across the short cratered field where the morning¡¯s fight had happened. The sun was slowly falling towards distant peaks and the ground before him dropped away into a valley of sorts nestled in a rough half-oval shape several thousand human feet long. Arriving at the edge of the field Dug looked down upon a sloping rocky descent intermingled with trees and scraggly undergrowth. Off to the left his large ears could pick up the sound of falling water and he could see glimpses of water through the trees. Good. A river would be nice to have nearby for fresh water and food. In the distance, he could see where the river ended and a medium-sized lake began. There was much to explore but Dug could only see the amount of walking he would have to do. Grumbling, he reminded himself that this was all for his new daughter, and with that firmly in mind, he began his little excursion. Obu wasn¡¯t silent as he trudged along but he didn¡¯t mind. They engaged in conversation even as Dug began collecting little creatures here and there. Most didn¡¯t even have a single level to their name consisting of different insects of varying sizes. He did find and kill a bird that had decided to fly directly in front of him. Once it had been claimed Obu was excited to find it was an F(1) Ranked beast called a Fluted Lunawing. Dug, however, was more restrained about it. ¡°Yousa gonna need more den dat. Letsa see if¡¯n weesa can find a big bird fah you.¡± So saying, he began to scan the tops of the trees for any larger silhouettes. What he didn¡¯t expect was for one to find him. He didn¡¯t even see it until his wards exploded outwards to protect him from its diving rush. The impact threw him across the ground and down the hill even as a screeching call reverberated along the mountainside. With a quick mutter, Dug¡¯s eyes ignited and he funneled the power into his limbs. He straightened and rolled upright, his legs scraping small furrows into the ground as he did so. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Obu asked concerned. Dug simply waved a hand. ¡°Isa fine. Got spores.¡± So saying he reached into a pouch at his side and snorted the spores contained within. Immediately the Healwell activated and he empowered the effects to increase its potency. His aches and scratches from his tumble faded quickly as he looked up at his opponent. Frantically beating out the green fires that ate at its feathers, a gigantic beautifully feathered creature met his gaze. Almost like a bat and an owl in one with a beaked face and large feathery-furred wings, the creature let out an angry cry that sounded more like a bass whistle. Its large furred hind legs lifted it from the ground and it charged down the slope intending to crush the creature that had caused it so much pain. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Dug simply spoke one word. ¡°Waagh.¡± The flames that had been flickering out all over the creature, suddenly flared with heat and the creature stumbled, crying out in pain. Its legs collapsed and it went tumbling down the mountain to collide with a crack against a large tree. Once more infusing himself with power, Dug tore down the mountain in pursuit. Leaping into the air he brought his left fist down with a great impact against the creature¡¯s head ending its life. Huffing slightly from the exertion, Dug smiled as Obu began the process of claiming the big thing, satisfied that his daughter was getting a powerful protector for her dungeon. He sighed as words began to scroll their way across his visions. It had happened before with some of the smaller creatures he had killed but he hadn¡¯t really cared. This time though he let the words continue to scroll across his vision. He wanted to see what kind of creature he had been fighting.
You have defeated: Owlbat (C16 - Lvl 77) You have gained XP! Error! Non-System Entity confirmed. Unable to gain XP until full integration. Sub-Administrator Detected. Experience has been banked for future use.
Dug hummed even as Obu excitedly chattered away about what she could use such a beast for. He nodded along even though he couldn¡¯t follow a lot of what she was saying. Stuff about rooms and floors and other System things. He would have to sit down and ask the System some questions just so he could understand his own daughter. The thought irked him to no end. But his daughter was happy and that meant he was happy too, at least for now. The old goblin panned his gaze around the clearing they found themselves in only to lock eyes with a group of small creatures staring at him from across the way. They were dressed in rough loincloths to hide their modesty and armed with an assortment of rocks and pointy sticks. It was clear they were barely sapient from the way they looked at him but barely sapient and not sapient at all were two very different things. They were communicating with a series of chirps, clicks, and whistles but at such a low frequency that even his goblin ears couldn¡¯t quite pick it up despite them being not 40 goblin feet away from him. There were two things that stood out immediately. One, they were immensely cute, looking like something between a Mink and a Ferret from his old world, only thicker-limbed owing to their upright, slightly humanoid nature. This disgusted Dug as only a goblin obsessed with ugliness could be. They were even shorter than him, however, which lent them a great deal of acceptability they otherwise might not have had in the old goblin''s mind. He motioned to them, which broke them out of the frozen state they had entered into when he had locked gazes with them. They scurried over, at times running on four paws or on their back two like a person might. Once they arrived they immediately began sniffing around him, chirruping to each other in their own language. He read from their body language that they were impressed by his feat in killing the bird and were wondering how he had done it. This he got from their mimed acting which they were extremely bad at. So bad that it took him a while to get what they were trying to say at all. When he finally got it all he did was smile and snap causing green flame to ignite in front of him. The snap and the flame sent the little creatures scurrying into the undergrowth with fearful chittering, their eyes peeping out behind bushes and trees to see what would happen. When nothing did happen they gradually came back until they were in front of him once more staring with wide eyes at the flickering flame. He made the flame dance which caused them to take a few hurried steps back but once they had acclimated to this new wonder they were quite pleased with it and showed their appreciation with tail slaps upon the ground or upon any of the surrounding rocks. ¡°Father¡­what are you doing?¡± Obu asked, having finally finished claiming and analyzing her new creature. ¡°Don¡¯know,¡± He said with a toothy smile. His voice startled the beasties but they were getting more and more comfortable with him and so recovered quicker than before. ¡°Theysa jus appeareded from nowheres. Deys nice doh. Stupid but nice.¡± ¡°The System says they are called Muskeera, all Rank F(3) and roughly between levels 12 and 14.¡± She waited for him to answer but he just kept his mouth shut. ¡°Father? Did you forget to analyze them with your System powers again?¡± Dug huffed at her tone of voice. ¡°Notta need dah Syssitem tah tell meesa stuff. Got on jussa well widdout it all dese years. Notta need it now.¡± He heard his daughter sigh and winced before giving up and using his new ¡°powers.¡± He focused on the nearest beastie and watched as words rippled like green fire across his vision.
Cheep-Cheep Muskeera Rank F(3) Level 14 Psuedo-Class: Hunter Gatherer Affiliation: Clan Longtooth ¡°Your daughter shall be receiving a Quest right about now. Quests are like voluntary missions that come with rewards. Help her and I¡¯ll show you some interesting things you can do with all of your banked Experience Points. Things you can do with the Fungi you have stored away.¡±
  • The Administrator
Dug huffed at the ending message. ¡°Dat notta fair. Notta nice tah tempt Dug wid Fungee.¡± He was interrupted out of his grumbling by his daughter''s excited exclamation whereupon he promptly forgave the administrator for his crimes against his gobbo person. He wondered if that had been the being¡¯s goal all along. ¡°Father!¡± Dug was brought out of his meandering thoughts by Obu¡¯s excited cry. ¡°I just got a Quest from the System! We need to help these creatures.¡± Dug sighed but nodded and attempted to follow along as his daughter began explaining the situation. Chapter 9 - Obu Meets the Muskeera Obu watched as her father¡¯s eyes glazed over and giggled a little inside. It was funny watching him when she talked about System-related stuff because it reminded her of the memories she had of him trying to explain the Waag to humans and other tall folks. They often would get the same glazed-over expression. She continued watching as the old goblin shook himself free and tried communicating with the Muskeera. While he did so, the Core looked at the new System message that even now hung in front of her.
New Guest Given! [The Sapients of the Teeth] Type: Complex Description: The two Sapient races of the Teeth, the Muskeera and the Talpi, have been at war for untold generations which has all but annihilated their potential for growth beyond brutal tribal warfare. You are in a position to do something about it. Your options are:
  1. Annihilate the Talpi and forever destroy their potential as a rival to the Muskeera.
(Allows for the Quest: Muskeeran Ascendancy)
  1. Annihilate the Muskeera and forever destroy their potential as a rival to the Talpi.
(Allows for the Quest: Talpian Ascendancy)
  1. Annihilate both races and claim them for your Dungeon. (Dungeon Core Exclusive)
(Reward: Talpi and Muskeera as Dungeon Monster Schema)
  1. Find another way.
    1. (Reward: ?)
¡°I would¡¯ve given you this request down the road but seeing as you have already made contact I felt it right to have you begin now. I look forward to seeing how you and your ¡°father¡± proceed.¡±
  • The Administrator
Obu dismissed the message and pondered the administrator¡¯s words. Evidently, this had been something the being had wanted for some time. Something about the word potential was stuck in her mind but she didn¡¯t know why. She dismissed it as her father began to move. He had somehow communicated their desire to see their home. Looking at the group she could see one of them looking at Dug with wonder even as it communicated with the others. She hadn¡¯t noticed before but a thin stream of Aether connected Dug to the creature in some way. She zoomed in and found what she expected to see. Spores. Specifically Mindbender Spores. Her father had decided to expedite their conversation it would seem. While the spores remained in contact with both Dug and the creature, they could pass along information directly into the other¡¯s brain, with the spores carrying the information through the air via Aether channels. Her father¡¯s powers over Fungi never ceased to amaze her. She wished she could shake her head in admiration but had to settle for vibrating slightly. From the old goblin¡¯s smug smile though she could tell he had gotten the message. They moved off at a rapid pace through the forest, the creatures moving effortlessly through the undergrowth and rocky ground. Dug kept up decently well in spite of his old age. Intrigued, Obu examined him to find that his body was improving at a rapid pace. It wasn¡¯t so fast as to be nakedly visible but Obu with her peculiar sight could see every minute change. She couldn¡¯t help but feel relief that her father would not be dying of old age any time soon. It seemed that her awakening had had a positive effect on him and that was all to the good as far as she was concerned. As they sped along the mountain she let herself relax and contemplated an easy existence with her father where she built her Dungeon and her father experimented with his shrooms. It painted a pretty picture in her mind and she basked in it for a while. It would take a bit for the group to get to their destination. In the meantime, there was much to see. Her powers of perception only extended outward some sixty goblin feet or so but within that sphere, she got a lot of information. It wasn¡¯t cold per se but there was a certain chill in the air with a breeze coming down off the mountain top. Here, in the forest proper, it wasn¡¯t so bad but she imagined it would be worse on one of the bluffs that her father said ringed them in a rough half-circle. She attempted to analyze the trees and plants that passed them by and she found to her great pleasure that she could actually claim them easily. Claiming a plant was much different than claiming a dead animal. When she did so the plants seemed to lose a bit of their vitality but otherwise, they were fine. If the plants were small they did die but the larger trees and bushes remained alive as she passed by. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. It seemed they were in what was called a Temperate Biome. Every plant had that in common, that they were found within a Temperate Biome. The trees that she could see within her sphere seemed like they were bleeding reds, oranges, and yellows through their leaves both on their branches and fallen on the ground. They were gorgeous and she immediately began collecting as many of them as she could touch. Many ended up being the same but she was undeterred. By the time they got to where they were going, she was certain she could recreate what was around her. Perhaps the System would make it easy and give a Temperate Biome to her somehow. When they arrived at their destination it took all of her willpower not to chuckle. They had come upon a series of large trees and at the base of each one there was a burrow leading deeper. The reason she struggled to contain her giggles was because Dug, the goblin that he was, was congratulating himself on his original positive assessment of the creatures. He had firmly forgiven them of their cuteness and was certain there was potential in these little creatures purely on the basis that they lived in holes in the ground like any other civilized race. The little Muskeera who had led them here, quickly moved towards the larger of the burrows. It seemed made to carry down larger prey animals that they had managed to bring down. The evidence of undisturbed ground around the opening led Obu to believe this didn¡¯t happen often. According to the ranking system, they were very close to the bottom and according to the Administrator, they were not able to break through to higher Ranks due to squandered potential. Obu mentally shrugged even as she was carried into the burrow and disappeared underground. She had no idea how races as a whole went up ranks but she imagined that if the majority of the race went up in ranks then their offspring would retain the rank of their parents rather than becoming a lower rank. Or perhaps there was another way the System measured progress as far as total racial rank was considered. It most likely had to do with that potential the System had spoken of before. Dug was chattering away at the Muskeera mentally attached to him which was unnecessary because the Spores did much of the work in transmitting thoughts, desires, and meaning. Obu remembered many times when he would chatter away to her stone long before she had awakened. It was just part of his nature it would seem. She chuckled as he tried to explain the finer points of hole digging to the poor creature who could not escape his chattering. Soon enough they arrived at a larger central burrow that was crawling with Muskeera. From the way the returning company was greeted, it was apparent that the others had expected a large haul and were rather disappointed. ¡°Where beez your chiefy, eh?¡± Dug asked his guide who pointed at a larger figure pushing its way through the crowd that had gathered. Obu scanned the creature and mentally prodded her father to do the same. She heard his sigh and giggled.
Chek Longtooth Muskeera Rank F(4) Level 20 Psuedo-Class: The Longtooth Affiliation: Clan Longtooth
Obu looked at the creature with interest. It was a much higher level than its other members and she wondered if the reason behind it was the unique class that it had. She scanned the others and confirmed that the rest were simple hunter-gatherers. As it broke to the front of the group it chattered angrily at the troupe that had brought her and Dug to their home even as Dug transferred his Spores from the one creature to the leader. ¡°Hi-hi mistah Chiefy Longtooth! My name beez Dug and dis beez my daughtah Obu!¡± Dug paused to gesture to her gemstone and Obu felt warmth flow in and through her at his declaration. She didn¡¯t mind the weird looks she got from the Muskeera at his words. They would all understand soon enough. Being acknowledged by her father was more important than their looks. The chieftain especially seemed insulted. He chattered away and his body language clearly communicated his displeasure. By the darkening of her father¡¯s face, it was clear many insulting things were being said as well. At this point, the young hunter who had led them here darted forward and began chattering quickly to the chieftain. At first, the larger Muskeera only sneered but as the story the young one was telling went on, his sneer faded. In its place, a cunning smile began forming, ill-concealed, and Obu understood his motivations at once. It wasn¡¯t that hard to discern, after all, she had a quest related to it. ¡°He¡¯s going to use us against the Talpi,¡± she told her father. He grunted affirmatively to her while listening to the chief¡¯s next words intently. The Muskeera went on for a bit, clearly posturing in the best way to inspire sympathy. For all his simplicity and brutish nature he pulled it off surprisingly well. Maybe they were skills left over from when he had been at the bottom of the Muskeera totem pole. Speaking of totem poles, maybe she should do something like that for her Dungeon. That way she could physically show what sort of guardians lay within. After all, totem poles were well used within goblin society to denote ancestors or rank. Perhaps the odd local spirit or two found their way onto the poles as well so maybe it could also work as her own form of ranking system. She came out of her thoughts to find they were moving deeper into the ground through a series of low tunnels. At her mental question, Dug whispered to her from where he was half crawling due to him being slightly larger than the Muskeera who were moving through the tunnel on all fours. ¡°Weesa on our ways to dah Dum-Dum place. Skirmeeshees beez ¡®appining since last night.¡± Obu sent him her approximation of a nod and settled back to wait for the trip to end. It wouldn¡¯t be long now before she got her new pets. Chapter 10 - The Long War Ends POV Gorm Earthshaker Tremors shook the ground and Gorm looked up from where he was polishing his collection. Precious gems, mixed half-hazardly with other shiny objects, littered his private den. Something was happening and he didn¡¯t know what. Despite being the chieftain of his tribe, Gorm was a cautious soul and perhaps a little cowardly. It had kept him alive when all his other competitors had died gruesome deaths in the long war against the Muskeera. So when he went out to check he quickly called for runners to go and find out what was happening. He wouldn¡¯t be one of those chieftains who fell in battle because he charged into a situation blindly like those creatures who shared the dirt with them. He moved up the tunnels towards the sound of conflict only to meet one of his scouts hurrying back towards him. ¡°What happens?¡± Gorm asked simply. He listened as the scout told him a wild tale of a small green creature that burned with green fire. Not Muskeera, he thought, but dangerous predator. Predators he could understand. A predator that burned with green fire? Not so much. Gorm nonetheless moved up the tunnel. Cautious and cowardly he might be but he was still chief of the Talpi and he was the strongest. His son would be in the thick of it he knew. Well, one of his sons, his eldest. He was unconcerned by his eldest being so much braver than he was. He got a strong warrior and he had other sons to take his place if he fell in battle which seemed more likely every day. Making his way up he found the battle taking place around a Ten-Ten pit. Ten-Tens were the delicious bugs that his people had bred for as long as he knew, crunchy and satisfying to eat. The traditions of the elders were clear that the Ten-Tens had been gifted to the Talpi alone and no other race. It was why they fought so fiercely against the Muskeera who would eat anything they got their grubby paws on. The chief arrived upon a scene of chaos. The creature wreathed in flames was throwing his people around like sticks. Only his son, Malac, remained upright and fighting, wielding a large hammer like it was weightless. Watching his son, Gorm knew that he would have to go. Brave he was but he was also capable, much more capable than Gorm had assumed which meant his son had been hiding his strength. That meant he was also cunning and thus a threat to Gorm¡¯s rule. Yes he would have to go. The creature meanwhile was cackling even as it wielded a beautifully wrought staff with gemstones embedded upon the top. It was here that Gorm locked his gaze. What a beautiful color and how polished it was. It seemed to glow with its own inner light. He had to have it. He watched as Malac spoke to the creature and the creature laughed in response, replying further in a guttural language that was harsh in its tone and yet came off as mischievous. The creature laid aside its beautiful staff and Gorm¡¯s eyes widened as Malac scratched a rough circle in the dirt with his hefty digging claws. That was the circle of challenge that only chieftains could instigate. Oh yes, Malac would have to go. His gaze, however, drifted to the abandoned staff. The creature had entered into the circle and was discussing something with Malac. Now was his chance to lay claim to the staff. Once he had it he would use it to kill the creature and his arrogant son. Using his powers as the Earthshaker he slipped into the earth and began digging his way to where the staff lay. He tried first to come up from directly underneath it but found his way blocked. Perhaps a rock was in his path. No matter. Coming up beside the staff he reached for it, turning to grin triumphantly at his son only to see onrushing green flames. He only had time for a single grunt of confusion before it washed over him and he knew no more.
POV Dug Shardaal ¡°Now den, where was we?¡± Dug said as the charred corpse of a Talpi fell to the side from where it had been trying to steal his dear Obu. Looking back he noted the look of disgust on Malac¡¯s face directed towards the Talpi who had fallen. He motioned back toward the body, the haze of Mindbender Spores making communication easy. ¡°Dis beez somebeast yousa knows?¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Malac nodded and grunted in his gruff way of speaking, ¡°Father¡­mine¡­chieftain.¡± Dug looked at the creature before him before nodding. ¡°Notta good one it seems.¡± At the Talpi¡¯s nod of agreement, Dug shrugged. Talpi relationships didn¡¯t bother him. He was here to lay claim to their entire race for his daughter after all. That was what this challenge was for. He had convinced the Muskeera to stay behind after they had led him here and had them withdraw their troops. The chieftain hadn''t argued, content with his two problems taking care of themselves. Too bad for him that Dug was a master at beating those who thought they were above him at their own games. Flexing his Waag-emboldened muscles, Dug grinned at the Talpi before him and signaled that he was ready. The Talpi Challenge was quite simple. The first one to be pushed, thrown, or wrestled out of the ring was the loser. With a single grunt, Malac began the challenge, charging wildly at the slightly taller goblin. Infused with Waag as he was it was a simple matter for Dug to meet the Talpi in the middle of the ring. It was the work of a moment to pick him up and chuck him outside of it. There was a sucking sound as the Talpi¡¯s feet were ripped out of the ground where the earth had risen to lock him in place. Dug just chuckled at the creature¡¯s confidence. He had obviously been relying on those powers over the earth to keep the goblin from simply ending the fight. Too bad for him that Waag was the more powerful magic. Malac went sailing over the line drawn in the dirt and slammed into the side of the tunnel where he lay, stunned. Dug simply went over and picked up Obu once again. Turning he found the large Talpi picking himself up and looking at him in wonder. Grinning at the young creature, Dug simply motioned for him to help his comrades who were even now coming to after the thrashing Dug had given them earlier. While he did so Dug spoke to him. ¡°Getsa yah people and meet meesa here. Weesa goin tah end dis war.¡± Turning away from the Talpi¡¯s disbelieving gaze Dug moved over to what the System called a Ten-Ten. For all intents and purposes, it was just an extremely large centipede. Somehow it had been domesticated by these Talpi. Which, to Dug at least, were just large sapient moles. Moving swiftly he lowered Obu into the pit where the centipedes scurried around and bonked one on the head. It gleamed and then Obu confirmed for him that she had been able to obtain the creatures. They were ranked F(2) and he was sure they would be instrumental in bringing peace to these warring creatures. Once the tribe of creatures was gathered Dug led them to a large circular chamber that he had had Obu carve out with her powers. Once there he called out a predetermined signal and the Muskeera poured out of the tunnel opposite. Contrary to the Muskeera¡¯s expectations and in direct opposition to the Talpi¡¯s new fears Dug used his fires to corral both peoples once they were fully within his daughter¡¯s domain. At his command, she sealed the tunnels and trapped the two people groups inside. Some of the Talpi tried digging out but found the ground much too hard. The chieftain of the Muskeera was livid and began chattering wildly at Dug in their primitive language. Dug just shot a plume of fire over his head to shut him up. It also had the added benefit of getting all eyes on him and gradually the tumult died down. Smiling at the smaller sapients around him Dug reached into his pouch and took out some more mindbender spores. With a puff and some magic, he spread them out to reach as many of the creatures as he could. When it seemed as though most of the creatures were connected he began speaking. ¡°Hey-hey! Isa named Dug and dis be Obu,¡± he stated, lifting his staff and presenting the multifaceted gemstones set into it. The assembled races just stared at him uncomprehendingly and he chuckled. He stuck Obu into the ground and motioned for them to watch. He felt it in the Aether when Obu went to work. Her Core began to shine with greenish blue light, the Aether around her beginning to roil. The gathered creatures all stumbled back as a small pit formed in the ground. Then, as if formed from the very air, a small Ten-Ten crawled out of it. Dug broke out into a full-on cackle as every jaw in the cavern dropped in astonishment. It was like watching a fat gobbo king see food just appear in front of him. Dug couldn¡¯t help but be impressed himself. He was mostly oriented towards destruction and not creation but even he could put together that what Obu could do was beyond the realm of mortal magic casters. And to these primitive barely sapient creatures. He huffed in amusement. She might as well be a god. Their reactions were certainly along those veins. Whether or not they even had such a concept as gods and goddesses they immediately showed awe and reverence. The Muskeera began to lie down and went belly up, which the goblin found comical in the extreme. The Talpi simply knelt and threw dirt on their heads with some of them rolling in it. This too was hilarious to the ancient goblin. His hilarity only ended when his daughter spoke up. ¡°I think we did it dad.¡± At Dug¡¯s quizzical look she explained further. ¡°The quest I got was completed but I don¡¯t think we did quite what the administrator was expecting.¡± At this Dug just blew a raspberry. Who cared what that Being thought anyway? Chapter 11 - Obu Acquires Pets Obu stared at her System as words scrolled their way across her Core.
[The Sapients of the Teeth] - Completed Type: Complex Description: The two Sapient races of the Teeth, the Muskeera and the Talpi, have been at war for untold generations which has all but annihilated their potential for growth beyond brutal tribal warfare. You are in a position to do something about it. Your options are:
  • Annihilate the Talpi and forever destroy their potential as a rival to the Muskeera.
(Allows for the Quest: Muskeeran Ascendancy)
  • Annhilate the Muskeera and forever destroy their potential as a rival to the Talpi.
(Allows for the Quest: Talpian Ascendancy)
  • Annhilate both races and claim them for your Dungeon. (Dungeon Core Exclusive)
(Reward: Talpi and Muskeera as Dungeon Monster Schema)
  • Find another way. You have found an alternative path to solving the conflict. Your solution: Become the object of their worship and adoration. Congratulations!
    • (Reward: Ascension to Rank F(2), Sapient Framework [Small])
¡°*Heavy Sigh* Your father sure knows how to increase my paperwork. Luckily for you, this isn¡¯t a bad result. Sapients are one of the fastest ways for your Dungeon to grow and having a group of them able to run your Dungeon frequently is a good way to both increase your ¡°worshipers¡¯¡± power and test run your Dungeon at the same time. Regardless, exemplary performance. Just please, by The Maker Himself, take care that your father doesn¡¯t form a cult or something.¡±
  • The Administrator
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You meet the requirements for Ascending to Rank F(2)!
    • Would you like to Ascend? (Yes/No)
  • You are now capable of forming new Sapient Frameworks
    • The size of such frameworks is set to small.
    • Each framework is subject to the Maker¡¯s Approval before being accepted.
    • Each framework begins at the lowest Rank appropriate to its position in your Dungeon and must increase Ranks in the normal fashion.
    • These frameworks are counted as Dungeon Monsters and may not leave your Dungeon without the Administrator¡¯s permission.
Obu couldn¡¯t help but be excited. She would be able to make new intelligent creatures to fill her Dungeon with rather than simply strong beasts. They would be able to grow and create, possibly even teach her new things as everything in the Dungeon grew together towards making the best one possible. She was excited to get to work but had to wait as Dug finished speaking to her new ¡°worshippers.¡± As he picked her up and they began moving again she spoke up. ¡°So what did you tell them?¡± Her father cackled. ¡°Isa told dem dat deys will be all peaceable nows and dat dey will be moving closah to yousa¡¯s Dungeon. Weesa will whip dem intah shape right quick weesa wills.¡± Obu just sighed and let it go. Her father would do as he wished, she was just glad he hadn¡¯t confused the poor creatures anymore then they already were. It soon became apparent that they were heading back to the surface so she dismissed her fake Monster Spawner and removed her influence from the area. She had no desire to feel like her body was sliced up and divided anymore than she had to. The fake monster had been her father¡¯s idea. She had simply made a pit in the ground and then summoned a single and very weak rendition of the Framework she had claimed. It did the trick but it left her exhausted. It also showed her that it was possible to make her own Spawners in the future but she had no idea what that would look like. She just hoped that the System would give her more options until that time came. It took awhile for Dug to walk back to their home though not as long as she had thought as they got home just as the sun was setting. Some of the Muskeera and Talpi had followed them in order to know where the Dungeon was since the Talpi would begin expanding their tunnels in this direction according to her father. The Muskeera on the other hand were just going to move closer and dig new burrows to live in. It didn¡¯t matter much to Obu. She was just excited to get back to her Dungeon. After reaching the top of the bluff, Dug gave a look towards where a burned corpse lay next to a crater. He shuffled over to it and sniffed experimentally before reaching somewhere with hands coated in Waag. As he retracted his hands a glimmering shard came into view as though drawn out of the world itself. It radiated power and authority. Dug simply stuck it in his pocket and headed inside before she had a chance to examine what he had taken. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. As they entered the tunnels of Dug¡¯s home, Obu sighed in relief as she entered her own territory. A weight she didn¡¯t know she had been carrying was lifted from her shoulders. Immediately the System began to send her notifications. She had achieved her goal of finding new monsters for her Dungeon but some of them would require work before being suitable. Before she could look at the notifications, however, there was the matter of her ascension to Rank F(2) to take care of. Dug set her down, leaning her against his overly massive bed before climbing on top of it. He then went straight to sleep, evidently exhausted by the day¡¯s ordeals. Obu watched over him fondly before getting back to her ascension. She mentally accepted the prompt and was filled with a surge of something that hurtled through her like a comet through the night sky. It seared its way through her Core and by the end she was left gasping. The process had left her bone-dry, devoid of Aether, and she breathed sharply as only someone who has had their breath knocked out of them can understand. Aether flowed down the tunnels like a flood before reaching her Core where she sucked it up greedily. Only when she was satisfied did she hear the ring of notifications. Words sprawled their way across her Core and excitement replaced her earlier panic.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have Ascended to Rank F(2)
    • Monster Spawners may now be upgraded to produce F(2) Monsters.
  • You have Ascended without choosing a Cornerstone
    • Analyzing Dungeon Core¡­
    • Due to the all encompassing nature of the Dungeon Core, a cornerstone has been chosen.
  • You have received the Cornerstone: Jack of All Stones
    • ¡°A jack of all stones is a master of none, but often times better than a master of one.¡± -Billy Shakestone
    • A Jack of All Stones throws away the simple path of mastering one area of their Dungeon and instead focuses on all areas simultaneously.
    • This Unique Cornerstone focuses on Creatures, Traps, and Environment equally, allowing for a vast amount of Dungeon manipulation. However, due to this diversification, additional options become available every other Rank Up rather than every single one.
  • You received the following Frameworks via Absorption:
    • Owlbat (Bird/Mammal Variant)
    • Fluted Lunawing(Bird Variant)
    • Birds (Tiny)
    • Insects (Tiny)
    • Ten-Ten [Domesticated Northern Centipede] (Insect Variant)
    • Plants (Temperate Forest)
[Starting Out] Type: Chain Step 1: Choose a Cornerstone [Completed - Reward +200 Xp] Step 2: Complete the Quest [Building Plans] for the first time [Completed - Reward Mammalian Framework (Tiny)] Step 3: Complete the Quest [Preparing the Floor] for the first time Description: Complete the following Quest [Preparing the Floor] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Choose an Environment for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Choose a Monster Type for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 3: Choose a Trap Type for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 4: Complete the Floor Description: Complete the Floor by completing Rooms
  • Rooms Complete: 1 / 5
Rewards for Ranking Up:
  • Aviary Spawner (Assembled from collected Frameworks)
  • Sinkhole Traps (Variant of Cavern Traps)
  • Temperate Forest Biome (Assembled from collected Frameworks and immediate location)
Obu giggled with glee at all the new options available to her. She was glad she had forgotten to choose a Cornerstone because now she would be able to work on everything equally. She even got the Temperate Biome she wanted. It looked like all the Frameworks she collected had made a difference. It was a shame that she would only get rewards for Ranking up every other time though. She looked at what she was beginning to think of as her System Report. It revealed what she suspected. The amount of Xp she needed for each level had doubled and if the pattern held true for the levels needed to advance in Rank then she was in for a long grind to get two more Ranks under her belt. She didn¡¯t know what it would take but she knew who to ask. ¡°System? How do Dungeon Cores gain Experience?¡±
Dungeon Cores gain Experience by accepting challengers, completing quests, and defeating invaders
Obu stared at the response in bewilderment. ¡°And what¡¯s the difference between a challenger and an invader? And what are they anyway?¡±
Challengers are either Sapient or not and enter the Dungeon to Experience growth. Invaders on the other hand enter the Dungeon for only one reason, to destroy or lay claim to the Core. The System determines which one a person is based on different factors including mental state, physical reactions, and patron deities.
Obu took in the information before realizing that this was what The Administrator was talking about in his note. The Muskeera and Talpi could challenge her Dungeon regularly, giving her the Experience she needed to move up in Rank. The more Experience she got, the more she could receive insight from the world and expand her Dungeon. She smiled as only a Dungeon Core could before turning to her Dungeon. She had another room to create and a Floor to finish. Then maybe she could find some Challengers to test them out on. Chapter 12 - Obu’s Second Room Obu breathed deeply, drawing in Aether before blowing it out again, using it to chisel away at the stone and earth before her. She hummed happily as she did so and the sound reverberated through her Dungeon causing her creatures to perk up. She didn¡¯t notice the two Grungy Gits who looked on in wonder as she carved a hallway out of bare rock. They gibbered to themselves in a harsh guttural language that only partially resembled goblinoid. Their master was a wondrous being indeed. The Dungeon Core took no heed of this as she dug deeper. Once she felt the hallway was sufficiently long enough she went back through and changed it. She worked her Transformation statistic to its limits as she made the hallway a twisted thing with drops, dips, and steep inclines. She also added water that dripped from stalactites to the ground below forming a slick environment. Taking a metaphysical step back she nodded in satisfaction. Now the challengers or invaders would have to go slowly in order to watch their footing. Heading to the end of the hallway she began building her new room. Using her new statistics she was able to make the room a tad larger, around 30 goblin feet wide, 80 feet long, and 40 feet tall. The reason she made it taller was because she had a different idea for this room. She decorated it the same and made sure the Cavern Biome fit and watched as Aether washed over the room transforming it. Pools formed, water started dripping, and stalactites and stalagmites gained a more natural form. Notifications from the System attempted to get her attention but she put them aside as she moved to implement her new idea. High in the walls she dug out a little cave and placed her newest Monster Spawner, the Aviary. To her surprise the System sent her a message.
What framework would you like to place in this Spawner?
  • Available Spawners:
    • Owlbat
    • Avian Swarm (Tiny)
If Obu could have clapped she would have. The message confirmed something she had been wondering about. The Avian Spawner¡¯s description hadn¡¯t told her which Framework it would be using, only that it had been created out of the assembled Frameworks she had collected. Now she could customize her Monster Spawners with more Frameworks if she could collect them. That thought actually made her a little sad. She didn¡¯t have more options when it came to her Goblinoid Spawner, it just spat out Grungy Gits. How was she going to make a true goblin Dungeon for her father if she couldn¡¯t collect more Frameworks? She shook herself, causing her Dungeon to rumble slightly, before giving herself the Dungeon Core equivalent of a twin cheek slap. She wouldn¡¯t be deterred from her goal that easily. She would do it and make her father proud. After cheering herself up she turned to the System prompt and selected Owlbats. That was the whole goal of putting the Aviary in the Cavern Biome after all. She had examined the Framework she had gotten and found that the creatures had excellent night vision and would be perfect for hiding up in between the stalactites before ambushing their prey. It was the same reason she had made the ceiling a little higher as well so the creatures had places to roost. Ignoring the ensuing System notification Obu turned to creating traps. She made one of the stalactite traps from before and then tried her hand at using her new variant type. The Sinkhole Traps were interesting in the way that they functioned. In simple terms, they were traps that were formed from soft earth or mud that caused creatures who stepped into them to become trapped but it was a bit more than that. The feeling she got from the System was that they were also usable for hidden pit traps where the top layer of earth was thin and hid a large hole. Anyone who would step on it would break the barrier, plunging the person into a long fall. This was the trap that Obu ended up going with. Once her Owlbats began attacking, any invaders or challengers would be looking up rather than down and if they strayed from the main path they were in danger of falling. In fact, with that in mind she went back on her earlier decision of a stalactite trap and just made another hidden sinkhole. It fit the strategy of the Room better and if the people were always looking up for more foes then they would see the Stalactite fall and would just move out of the way. That did give her an idea for a later room but she shelved it for now, the System making a note at her insistence. As she locked in her choices she heard another chime and finally opened her System notifications.
Congratulations Dungeon Core! New Quest Given! [Building Plans] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Build a new Room [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Step 2: Furnish your Room Description: Furnish your room with the following to complete it:
  • Monster Spawner 0 / 1
  • Traps 0 / 2
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have completed the Quest [Building Plans] as shown below!
[Building Plans] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Build a new Room [Complete - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Furnish your Room [Complete - Reward +100 Xp] Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 6!
  • For completing a Quest you have been rewarded 100 Xp!
    • 100 Xp from the Completion of [Building Plans]
Obu let her Aether twirl in what she imagined to be a happy dance as she read of her level increase. She was on her way to a new Rank already. She quickly opened her System Report and gazed at her statistics.
The Obulwaag
Race: Dungeon Core
Chosen Name: Obu
Bond: Dug Shardaal (Non-System Entity)
Cornerstone: Jack of All Stones
Rank: F(2) Level: 5 Experience: 500/400
Core Attributes
Rooted: 3 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s overall capability of digging deeper and expanding its Dungeon.
Empowered: 2 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s direct power in regard to its Monsters, Traps, and Environment.
United: 2 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s ability to better coordinate its Dungeon¡¯s defenses.
Transformed: 2 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s ability to modify its Dungeon in all aspects.
The sight pleased her even as she looked towards the back of her new room to check something. Slowly taking shape was a wrought stone doorway. She made her Aether dance once more at her correct assumption. Each additional point of Rooted would let her make another Room. Looking at her Rank reminded her of something and she made sure to upgrade her Aviary Spawner to Rank F(2). She left her first Goblinoid Spawner as it was. She wanted her Dungeon to rise in strength gradually, otherwise, the Talpi and Muskeera might have a hard time. Going back to her System Report, Obu looked over her statistics before trying to upgrade Rooted again. She found herself blocked and the System sent words scrolling across her Core.
Attention Dungeon Core!
  • Due to chosen Cornerstone each Statistic must be increased equally before one can be raised higher.
Obu frowned at this new information but inevitably gave the equivalent of a shrug and moved on. She wouldn¡¯t change her Cornerstone for the simple expediency of being able to build more rooms. So she returned to viewing her Report and looked over the remaining Statistics. Each one would be useful but she tried to imagine which one would be more useful to her right now. She thought back to each Experience she had had and used them as the basis for her decision. Once she decided she made her choice immediately feeling the Experience activate. Once more she felt her Dungeon become malleable, like she could transform it into anything and everything. She basked in the sensation and tried to learn everything she could from it before it dissipated. Eventually it did and she sighed as she came back down to earth. The reason for her choice was simple. Her Transform Statistic would help her in designing her third Room. As she was moving to start, she felt her father pick her up and begin moving. Sending her awareness over to where he was, she found him stumping deeper into his tunnels heading for where she knew his fungal gardens were located. Breathing deeply she began claiming more territory as he moved, something he noticed but didn¡¯t comment on. In a strange turn of events, the territory she claimed wasn¡¯t quite hers. It was resistant to her attempts to change it when she tried and as she examined further she realized it was because she didn¡¯t really own it. She had claimed it with her powers but the ownership of it and therefore the right to change it was Dug¡¯s. In fact, the only reason she was able to claim it at all was because of their bond. Obu wondered, idly, if she could change it if she asked her father¡¯s permission first. Before she could do so they entered his fungal gardens and her gaze immediately locked on the beautiful sight. Row upon row of carefully regulated and divided fungi spread out before her, at least, what little she could see. She knew from her memories that it was far larger than what she could see currently. Her father moved carefully and lovingly through his garden stopping here and there to check and make sure that each plot was doing well. His power over spores and fungi helped them survive in the underground environment even when they wouldn¡¯t have been able to otherwise. That and the organism that lay in the heart of the garden. Dug eventually made his way back to where the Tome of Spores lay on its pedestal and Obu felt it was time to speak up. ¡°Hey dad? Whatchya doin?¡± Chapter 13 - Dug Plays with Spores Dug looked up at his daughter¡¯s words. ¡°Isa tink it be time tah play wid meesa fungee.¡± He felt her confusion and explained further. ¡°Da adminis-tater said heesa would show me someting tah do to wid my Fungee in da garden. I no knows what ima supposed tah do.¡± As if in answer to his words letters formed out of green fire and began scrolling across his vision.
¡°It¡¯s all pretty simple actually although you may need your daughter¡¯s help for the final bits. It should be especially simple for you with your knowledge of Spores and Fungi. Essentially as a sub-administrator who is outside the system you cannot level up or utilize System Experience to grow stronger. The System therefore has banked the Experience you would have gotten for your use. There a couple of reasons for this.
  1. If it wasn¡¯t banked it would have been released randomly into the surrounding area which would increase the chances of dangerous anomalies among the local wildlife.
  2. By banking the Experience instead it gives you the ability to funnel it into specific tasks, items, or creations.
This second reason is what you will be focusing on. By funneling your Experience into your shrooms you can increase their capabilities. That is not all, however. By utilizing your connection with your daughter you can use her new ability to form Sapient Frameworks. I will warn you now though. The rarer the Fungus the more Experience is needed to complete a Sapient Framework for that shroom. There is also the low chance that the Maker will not accept the Framework. If that happens the creation will devolve to the state of a monster. Good Luck.¡±
  • The Administrator
Dug doggedly read through the whole message despite its length before nodding to himself. This was the longest message he had ever received from the Being in charge of this Plane of Existence and to his surprise it seemed rather straightforward. He turned to his daughter and smiled. ¡°Seems like isa needs yousa¡¯s ¡®elp.¡± He grinned at her excitement and joy as it flooded their bond. He quickly began stumping his way to the center of his garden. Despite his attempt at moving quickly, it was quite a journey. Plots of Mistcaps, placed here and there among the other plots, kept a steady supply of mist drifting through the air in perfect amounts to maintain moist soil. Their soft milky blue caps glowed in stark contrast to the many grays and browns of simpler mushrooms. As he stumped his way along Dug let his eyes wander. A bright patch of red caught his eye and he made a slight detour. He knelt and gathered a few of the Ruby Sporecaps and stuck them in his long beard, where the mycelium quickly connected to the strands already present. They were good for stopping bleeding and infections though he mostly wanted them for a nice snack later. He made another pitstop to gather more Healingcap spores, their softly glowing green and yellow caps buzzing slightly as he gathered the spores from their gills. His route took him deeper into the garden where tall Spindlecaps grew on their thin stalks, supported by Thread Spores that connected each stalk to the other in a strange web. Eventually, though, the old goblin made it to the center. A single mushroom grew there with a vibrant purple cap and thick off-white stem that attached to the ground. Carefully cultivated from the simple Mindbender Sporecap this fungus was anything but simple. Dug had spent decades of his life enhancing the mycelial network of this one shroom. It wouldn¡¯t be that much of a stretch to say that it was his first child and the foundation of his great garden.
Name: Overmind Sporecap (Pseudo-Divine) Affinities: Mind Rank: S(28) Level: 139 Experience Till Next Level: 4,614 / 51,200 Description (Normal): The Overmind Sporecap is a unique creation among fungi. Fashioned by Dug Shardaal for his fungal garden, this fungus is the quintessential overlord of fungal kind. Its mycelial network is capable of connecting and supporting other fungi¡¯s mycelium and can communicate via chemical signals. With a strong Mind Affinity, this fungus has achieved a kind of sentience through its massive mycelial network and is capable of the most basic of feelings, though higher forms of thought elude it.
The reason behind his choice was simple. He had cultivated the Overmind Sporecap to bind and link all of the other mycelial networks he would ever add to his garden. It would facilitate and govern every other fungi and like a parasite would be accepted by the other mushrooms as one of their own. In this way, it was able to keep his garden healthy and in harmony when in nature such variety would lead to discord and competition. What better mushroom to bring to Sapience and begin a new race. Dug knelt and placed one gnarled hand on the cap. He reached out and connected to the simple mind and felt what it felt. It was largely simple in nature. There was hunger present and a desire to produce spores to reproduce. For the longest time Dug had suppressed its reproduction as he didn¡¯t want it to spread past his garden. Now, though, he pressed into its simple mind the idea of change. Of hunger being satisfied and of reproduction being possible. Dug felt the fungus almost shiver in anticipation. He looked up at his daughter and an unspoken affirmation came through the bond. Dug grinned and reached for his knife. Drawing it across his hand he let his life blood drip down onto the single sporecap and he began his greatest Working yet. Drawing on the bond with Obu he felt knowledge flow from her and into his mind, schematics and data pouring out. Dug ignored them and did what he always did and went with the flow of his Waag. Many goblins got it wrong when it came to their birthright. They saw the Waag as an energy to be used and controlled. It was why many remained simple shamans, having not grasped the fundamental truths needed to ascend to the status of Shamaan. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Waag was life and freedom in all of its terrible glory, the right to life and the right to choose that was made available with every sunrise. It was alive and lived through each and every goblin, granted so long ago by a sick and dying sun god to give freedom to the enslaved goblin race. Now Dug utilized that freedom and life to give it to his beloved mushroom. Usually this kind of working would require a whole host of goblins, their collective blood working to provide the Waag necessary. Dug had no need of many goblins this time. With his bloody hand he reached into his satchel and drew forth a shining golden shard. The divinity within called to him to claim it, to be transformed. Dug disregarded the dead god¡¯s temptations. Instead, he opened it up to his Waag and it rushed in. The shard of this realm¡¯s sun god hissed as green light filtered into it like dye in water. Rapidly the Waag took over and then the shard blazed like the miniature sun it was. Basking in the feeling of power, Dug lightly coaxed his Waag, reminding it of what they were doing. Joyfully the green fire aimed itself at the Sporecap and the working began. Dug relied on his daughter and their bond heavily as the Waag pieced together a possible Framework for his greatest shroom. Shrooms were quite unlike an animal with their base sentience and capability of feeling. They weren¡¯t that similar to plants either as they grew entirely differently and needed different things for growth. Dug knew this and didn¡¯t stress about what he couldn¡¯t change. His shrooms were shrooms and nothing would change that. But within their shroomish aspect lay hidden strength. The mycelial network was capable of both communication and consumption, working to feed the fruiting bodies that eventually would emerge. His Overmind Sporecap took this strength to the next level as it connected to and fed every other mushroom in his garden. It made it possible for the giant underground patch of earth to sustain his life¡¯s work. This interconnectedness was Dug¡¯s focus. Waag flooded into and enhanced that network, transforming it into a more robust system. The mycelium expanded in size nearest to the single fruiting body, creating a nexus beneath it of extremely sensitive and powerful connections. These connections sucked in Aether before turning it into some other substance, heavily tinged with Mind Affinity. That substance grew until it hovered on the cusp of something new. ¡°Use your banked Experience father.¡± Obu¡¯s voice rang in his ear as the ritual reached a climax. Acting on instinct, Dug reached out for his new powers and felt something open. Like a dam being broken he felt something rush through him, all sunlight and beams of power, before flowing into his fungus. That substance sparked and Dug felt a presence descend that shook him from head to toe with awe. ¡°AN ACCEPTABLE OUTCOME BUT ONLY JUST. I SEE YOUR HEART DUG SHARDAAL AND HONOR THE LOVE IN IT BY GRANTING SAPIENCE TO THIS CREATURE. BUT. I SEE THE MISCHIEF AS WELL AND DENY YOU YOUR MACHINATIONS. YOUR NEW SON WILL BE FATHER TO MONSTERS. SIMPLE AND CRUEL. HE HIMSELF IS FORBIDDEN FROM PROCREATION. HE IS FIRST AND LAST OF HIS RACE. I HAVE SPOKEN.¡± Dug collapsed as the presence departed, The Maker¡¯s words ringing through his ears and heart. The goblin wasn¡¯t sad, far from it. He had been successful after all. He had a new son and that son would be capable of growth. The goblin did frown at the ensuing negatives even as he struggled to stand up. He had chosen the Overmind Sporecap in order to cheat the System. By making the Overmind Sapient he had planned on using its powers to bring the others into Sapience as well over time. The Maker had seen fit to put a damper on his plans, as was right. Dug had let his irritation at the System cloud his judgment and the reminder, while unpleasant, was welcome. He was saddened though at the thought that his promise of reproduction to his new son would go unfulfilled. Or at least partially. He would be able to make monsters apparently but what kind Dug didn¡¯t know. It was clear, however, that he needed to start taking the System seriously as well as the powers he had been granted. While he remained irked at the apparent responsibility thrust upon him by the Administrator he would no longer try and deny it. If he and his children were going to live in this new land then he would have to begin to treat it with respect as he had the Gitbog where he had lived for so long. Thinking in those terms, Dug settled and much of his irritation and lingering disappointment left him. This was simply another land with its own rules to follow and while he steadfastly refused to be ¡°integrated,¡± there was no reason he couldn¡¯t learn the rules even if that was in order for him to bend them. Exhaustion from the ritual stole over him then. He felt Obu stir within her crystal and thrum as she drew in Aether, like he would breathe air. It was truly impressive and he had done his best to ensure that his son would be just as special. He didn¡¯t know exactly what form that special nature would take but he had some theories. As the Overmind his son would be blessed with certain psionic capabilities that came from his high Mind Affinity. He hoped that that would allow his son better control over these ¡°monsters¡± he was to create. Dug remained there for a time in silence, staring at his new child and clutching the pulsing shard in his hand. He slowly shuffled over to his new son, placing his hand on the purple cap. He felt his son respond to the touch and smiled as the developing mind went through a similar process of Awakening that his daughter had gone through. In fact, he checked using his sub-administrator powers and wasn¡¯t surprised at the words that flickered across his vision.
Congratulations Dug Shardaal! You have successfully begun the Awakening process of one Overmind Sporecap. It is undergoing the awakening process to become fully Sapient. Any attempt to halt this process will result in catastrophic damage to the fungus being awakened. Current Awakening Progress: 31% Until fully Awakened.
¡°Yousa¡¯s name is Razum.¡± He croaked with a tired voice. ¡°Yousa notta worry now, isa love you. Weesa will beez a good family. Jus a small one fah now.¡± He smiled sadly down at his new child as the shroom tried to understand him. He was still growing and awakening so not everything was getting through. He held back a sigh as he looked around at his garden. He didn¡¯t have the banked experience to try again but perhaps he could do things differently if he worked with the System and his daughter instead of trying to do most of it himself. As he took a step to leave he felt the presence of the Maker descended again, far softer than before. ¡°My son. I have seen your humility and have felt your acceptance. This pleases me. While your son will indeed be the first and last of his race upon this plane of existence, I am not without mercy. Within his sister¡¯s Dungeon there may yet be a future for his monstrous children and for him. Her Aether will calm their cruelty and elevate their simplicity. Monsters, however, they will remain. Your son will have to find his own path. I have spoken.¡± Dug simply bowed as the presence departed once more, his heart lifted by the Maker¡¯s advice. He began his journey back through his garden with a lighter heart, knowing there was a path forward for his son. He could feel his daughter perk up at the words and could practically feel her vibrate at the idea. He knew she would be going back to work almost immediately in order for there to be a place for her brother and his old heart was glad. He had meant what he said. Theirs would be a happy family and he would do anything to make sure of it. Chapter 14 - The Pontifex Pontifex Milo Sunstar was miffed. Toliaro had not reported back from his mission. While the boy was not one of the twelve Archons he was still one of the divinebound. He had a shard of Iaro, the dead god of the sun, and was in line to become an S-ranked adventurer within the society. For him to disappear, especially when hunting a beast with Shadow Affinity was preposterous. Perhaps it was for this reason that he elected to send scouts instead of one of the Archons. When looking back upon his actions later he would regret them immensely as it allowed a usurper to claim a shard. However, in the moment he was striding with purpose through the vaulted halls of Sun¡¯s Rise, the main temple of their order. As Pontifex, he laid claim to a great deal of authority within its halls and it was this same authority that he was seeking to flex. His guards followed him to his main office where he immediately sat down behind his desk of white Sun Oak, the beautiful swirls of the grain contrasting wonderfully with the golden embellishments around its edge. He barely noticed the beauty as he slid a sheet of equally white wood of the same quality. He focused his power, the task made immensely easier by the quality of the wood used. The wood flared before lines seared themselves upon the wood in ever-increasing intricacies. The message itself was relatively simple, written in clear sunscript. The nuances, however, were objectively more important. The different swirls that the power took on indicated just who had made the message tablet just as the wood itself denoted status. Nobody who saw the tablet could claim ignorance of its importance, just as those who read it couldn¡¯t claim to not know who had sent it. It was especially clear to anyone who had magical senses as the wood exuded not only its own aura but a hint of the one who had stamped it. He focused minutely and a light on his desk flared with momentary brilliance. Even as it faded there was a rapid but steady sound of approaching footsteps and the guards opened the door just in time for a man to slip in and opened it again for him after he had taken the tablet and bowed just in time for him to leave once more. Milo Sunstar smiled as he always did when observing the impeccable service of the temple staff toward him. It was good to be a Pontifex. Milo was one of three and his smile soured at the thought of the other two. He momentarily considered the idea that it was one of them poaching his up-and-coming talent before dismissing the thought. They might have different focuses being from different continents but his peers were steadfast in obeying the accords. The Sun Engine needed constant maintenance after the original star began falling apart and each major temple required the others to keep the prayers of the masses flowing. Like he had earlier in the day, Milo dismissed Toliario from his mind. There were other things to consider and while the soon-to-be S-Rank was troublesome there were still higher forces that the Pontifex had to juggle on a daily basis. Such as the powerful presence approaching his door. Milo sighed even as his guards admitted the figure they could no more bar from entry than the Pontifex himself. The man¡¯s stature wasn¡¯t immediately impressive. He was slight and lithe, dressed in off-white apparel that was a combination of loose comfort and military rigidity. Just like the man wearing them, they blended the two seamlessly. The material was made from high-grade wool shorn from a Sunram. The embellishments were pure gold which held the extremely high-grade enchantments that gave the outfit its considerable power. The clothing, looking like a priest''s robe modified for combat, was the pinnacle of Aether-Weave. It could stop most attacks in their tracks while allowing the man to flow in battle unhindered unlike the clunking metal adorning Milo¡¯s guards. The prohibitive cost of such vestments made it one of the few of its kind in the world. One of twelve, in fact. Archon Seren Offiaro looked around the Pontifex¡¯s office unimpressed. As he should be. Unlike his peers, Milo did not begrudge the Archons their seeming indifference and lack of deference. As a priest who had risen through the Ranks to become Pontifex on his own merit, he was a true believer in the Archons and their might. They were truly divinebound with an importance that couldn¡¯t be understated. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It was thus with only minor annoyance at the theatrics that Milo rose to greet the Archon. ¡°Archon Offiaro,¡± He said, stressing the man¡¯s divine last name, ¡°to what do I owe this honor you have given me by bestowing me with your presence?¡± He read the man¡¯s face and its minutest shift clued him in to the fact that such pleasantries were grating. So he followed up his question by motioning toward the hearth and its twin chairs that sat facing each other, as opposed to his desk and the single chair that faced it. He watched as the Archon received the more informal sitting arrangement with grace but with the slightest relief of tension. Milo gave the man a genuine smile. He was always pleased when he was able to put people at ease, whether that be from his observations or simple presence. It didn¡¯t matter that he was younger than the Archon in years. He had always been this way and believed it was the main reason why no other role suited him better than being a priest. He could have been the next Toliaro in his youth but had surrendered that path to others. Now he was Pontifex and had no intentions of giving up the post until his death. His attention turned to Seren Offiaro as the man took his seat. For a time the two men simply stared at each other. Milo was unbothered. He had too much respect for the Archon to dismiss him and didn¡¯t mind the silence as it gave him further time to study the man. He had heard of Seren Offiaro, of course. The man was diligent and dedicated to the church. As an Archon his duties were varied but the main one was protecting the Sun Engine as it tore through the sky. As a being with enough shards to form a Sun Core, an Archon was the only being capable of both guiding the Sun Engine and protecting it from Night Terrors. Seeing the Archon here was a surprise but not unexpected as they served in shifts. Seren Offiaro was close to his next shift but it was still almost a month away. So, Milo waited, content to be still and observe even lighting his servant light, the one in charge of tea. If the Archon knew what the light was for he didn¡¯t comment and the tea was soon brought. Letting the servant serve them, the Pontifex continued to exchange stares with the man in front of him. It wasn¡¯t often that he had the chance with most Archons serving the Sun Engine and Seren himself was often on another continent when not serving. His thoughts came to an end when the Archon spoke. ¡°Something has shifted.¡± Seren¡¯s voice was soft and contrasted with his militant bearing. Milo motioned for him to continue without asking questions and the man¡¯s mouth twitched upward. ¡°The balance of the world feels off. Too many of the old gods have fallen with mortals fighting over scraps and their Authority begins to curdle. We feel it.¡± This had Milo raising his eyebrows. Authority was something that the System took seriously. It was the basis of the world, the underlying pinnings of reality put in place by the Maker himself. If what the Archon said was true then the world was heading into a dark time. When Authority went bad it tended to break reality and when that happened, well, it was best that it didn¡¯t come to that. ¡°What would you all have me do?¡± Milo said urgently. He hadn¡¯t missed the fact that the Archon had used the term We when talking about sensing the disturbance. He didn¡¯t miss the minute quirk of the man¡¯s eyebrow in acknowledgment. ¡°Prepare the church. Prepare the people. Prepare the land.¡± The Archon¡¯s words were firm but unyielding as the sun¡¯s march across the sky. Milo simply nodded accepting the commission. Even as he was nodding the Archon was rising to his feet. He rose with the Archon and followed him as he went to the door and left. Milo then hurried to his desk and began pulling out more wooden tablets. He would need to send messages to the other Churches of the Sun with their own orders. He would then send messages to the other varied churches that existed to see if corroboration was possible. He would be remiss in his duty if he did otherwise. None of them were as coordinated as the Church of the Sun but then again none of them had to keep a giant flaming engine from going out and killing them all in the process. It didn¡¯t matter. If authority was going bad then the other churches needed to know. And extra confirmation wouldn¡¯t hurt. He had gotten the information from an Archon with strong hints that it was something felt by all of them. If that was the case perhaps the other divinebound could shed some light on it. Milo sighed even as he reached for another tablet. He had a lot of work to do and all thoughts of the missing Toliaro slipped from his mind. Chapter 15 - Razum Awakens Mycelium stretched in the fungal approximation of the motion. Little filaments extended outward before beginning to go through the feeding cycle that all fungi go through. It was thus that Razum¡¯s first experience of his Sapient life was one of hunger and confusion. He knew he was different than he had been before, memories flickering through his mind. They were simple memories as he¡¯d had no recognition of himself as a being. His memories were all stimuli of various kinds, diverse and¡­not all his. He explored that for a moment and found a host of hazy personas surrounding him, each one of a similar base nature as him. He, however, was something more as his father had promised. A fiery feeling began to grow within him, shaping his nascent Spark in ways he couldn¡¯t really understand. The results were felt, however. The fire grew, drawing in a brand new substance that grew in strength. It felt like liquid light, glorious and alive. The light shifted in nature transforming into something else. As if reacting to the substance, the Awakened shroom felt his Mycelium Nexus absorb this new substance and become something more itself. He did not know it but his Nexus absorbed the new Mind Affinitied Aether to form what a magician would call a Mental Matrix. A more simple man might have called it a magical brain and left it at that. With the Mental Matrix in place, the System now had a place to display itself and Razum had his first experience of a System message.
Congratulations on your Awakening! Welcome to the System, Sapient! As an organism that has been ritually Awakened by another Sapient entity, you have become a brand new race upon the face of Aldem. Your former Level of 139 has been consumed to fuel your transformation. As such your Rank of S(28) has been reduced to F(1). That Potential has not been lost but rather transformed. Due to your old Rank, the System has seen fit to grant you Titles and Boons in association with its own prerogatives and the Maker¡¯s commands. Please utilize your System Status to see the various Titles and Boons that have been granted. To utilize your System privileges all you must do is mentally proclaim ¡°Status¡± and you will be granted access. Congratulations Sapient and welcome to the world of Alinor! ¡°Hello Razum. You will find a few extra perks among what the System has given you. See them as your Father¡¯s reward for a successful first try. He will know what I mean. They should help you get mobile to meet him faster.¡± - The Administrator
Razum had to read the notifications multiple times to understand what they meant. His ¡°brain¡± rapidly grew in power as the aftereffects of Awakening stabilized. He flexed his mental capabilities and found them to expand and contract in interesting ways that were nonetheless natural. He reached out and found that his mind could expand through his mycelium to reach the other fungi he was connected to. When touching those filaments he received back more of those hazy needs that he remembered from before. He withdrew and consolidated his mind and found his faculties accelerating. The closer to his main fruiting body he drew it the quicker his mind processed the information nearby. It was in this hyperfocus that he realized what his next move should be. Shoving outward with his mind he thought of the word ¡°Status¡± and found blazing words running across his vision.
Razum
Race: Overmind Sporecap (Awakened)
Chosen Name: None
Bond: Dug Shardaal (Blood Covenant)
Class: Unchosen*
Rank: F(1)* Level: 0* Experience: 0/200*
Main Attributes A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Strength: 4 (F) Dexterity: 3 (F) Constitution: 20 (E - Tempered [Copper]) Intelligence: 28 (E - Tempered [Copper]) Wisdom: 16 (F) Charisma: 17 (F) Spark: 6 (F)
Razum now knew his name, though he had no tongue to speak it to himself. The meaning however flickered into his mind immediately. Mind, intellect, reason, understanding. All of these were viable interpretations and he latched onto them even as he looked over his Status. There was sense of diminishment that he instinctually felt when looking at his attributes. He felt as though he should be more, that he had been more before Awakening. As if to answer his question the System provided a message.
Congratulations on your Awakening! Welcome to the System, Sapient! As an organism that has been ritually Awakened by another Sapient entity, you have become a brand new race upon the face of Aldem. Your former Level of 139 has been consumed to fuel your transformation. As such your Rank of S(28) has been reduced to F(1). That Potential has not been lost but rather transformed. Due to your old Rank, the System has seen fit to grant you Titles and Boons in association with its own prerogatives and the Maker¡¯s commands. Please utilize your System Status to see the various Titles and Boons that have been granted. To utilize your System privileges all you must do is mentally proclaim ¡°Status¡± and you will be granted access. Congratulations Sapient and welcome to the world of Alinor! ¡°Hello Razum. You will find a few extra perks among what the System has given you. See them as your Father¡¯s reward for a successful first try. He will know what I mean. They should help you get mobile to meet him faster.¡± - The Administrator
And it was the same as the first one he had received. This time though he had the brain power to recognize its meaning. He latched onto the central message and understood. He was diminished and yet he wasn¡¯t. He had been gifted things in exchange for his previous unawakened existence. A strange feeling welled up in him, a sense of anticipation that left him weirdly jittery. He had no words to explain the feeling but he knew instinctively how to check. Show Me. His simple projected thought was nonetheless interpreted by the System rightly and he found his Status expanding to include a new section.
Titles Father of Monsters (New - Maker¡¯s Decree) Progenitor (New) Boons Divergent Overmind (Upgraded from Overmind) Nutrient Synthesis Spore Generation Durable Fruiting Body Sensory Mycelium Mindbender Experienced Potential (New - System Granted) Hive Lord (New - System Granted) Sporecap Locomotion (New - System Granted) Malleable Sporecap (New - System Granted)
There was a lot to take in. The meanings of those Titles and Boons flooded into his mind and Razum staggered from the weight of it. He frantically pushed them to the side for the moment but his thoughts latched onto the last two. He was going to be sure to read the descriptions in detail later but for now, the basic meaning supplied by the System was enough. His main fruiting body shivered before forming a rough, though grotesque, caricature of a humanoid frame. Small stout stalks raised the mushroom higher and much longer arms grew from the top until they almost reached its stalk-legs. It wobbled for a moment as it adjusted before the rough approximation of a face formed in the main stalk right under the cap. This was done almost subconsciously as Razum did not have the same senses as a normal humanoid. It was rough in the way an amateur ceramist might work with clay. Finished, the body began a shuffling gait through the garden. It traveled in straight lines, often using its arms to maintain balance. To Razum piloting the body was a strange sensation. It was him and yet it was not. It required access to his mycelium network for him to move it which had it moving in weird ways to follow the circuitous path his mycelium cut through the garden. In an instinctual way, he knew he was doing things inefficiently but he also knew it would require him to sift through System messages to figure it out. Instead, he plodded along, searching for something. It was only when he caught sight of a figure in the distance that he realized he had been searching for a someone. The figure was small and green though still larger than Razum¡¯s Sporecap. In his hand was a staff of wood with a vibrant green gem situated on top that gleamed with power. He was familiar in a way that made Razum ache. It was a good ache, a longing he didn¡¯t know he¡¯d had. The figure turned at some unseen prompting and Razum came face to face with his creator and father. He tried to speak but his new mouth could only make harsh sounds. With a warm chuckle, his father approached and laid his hand on the top of the Sporecap. The familiar gesture sent warmth shooting through Razum even as his father¡¯s voice echoed in his newly Awakened mind. Yousa ¡®wake now Razum? Dis beez good. My name beez Dug. Dug Shardaal. And yousa my son. Weesa ¡®ave a lot to talk about. Chapter 16 - Obu’s Third Room and a Miniboss 13 Hours Before Razum¡¯s Awakening¡­ Obu looked over her Dungeon even as the image of her new brother beginning his Awakening reverberated through her mind. She had a lot to do to prepare her Dungeon to receive him and any future children he might have. The fact that her brother might have powers similar to hers was a source of interest and comfort to her. Perhaps they could work together or at the very least she might glean some information from him. He was unique perhaps beyond herself since for all she knew other Dungeon Cores existed. How the System would handle Razum would be a source of knowledge in and of itself. Regardless he would need a place to practice his craft and she already had a few ideas. For one, she knew that Sapients could use her Dungeon to grow. Razum should, therefore, be able to use her Dungeon to grow himself and in the process, she would grow too. This was a possible loophole in the System since she doubted such a situation had ever come up. Who would have thought that a Dungeon Core could be related to a Fungi with the ability to craft monsters? She mentally noted that a war between herself and her brother could prove to be an extremely valuable experience once they both grew some more. She set aside such thoughts and instead homed in on creating her Third Room. She had already dug a new tunnel using a similar circuitous route as she had for the tunnel from the First to the Second. With this done she was now creating the cavern she needed. She started by making the cavern tall and long like the last time though she did increase its width while shortening the length to compensate. It ended up being 40 goblin feet wide, 70 goblin feet long, and 40 goblin feet high. As she finished the System took over, smoothing everything out and adding the little details that made it a Cavern Biome. With that finished she was about to begin customizing things to her liking when the System acted again by sending her a [Building Plans] Quest. She had expected it but it was different in small ways that made her stop and stare in wonder.
Congratulations Dungeon Core! New Quest Given! [Building Plans] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Build a new Room [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Furnish your Room Description: Furnish your room with the following to complete it:
  • Miniboss Spawner 0 / 1
  • Monster Spawner 0 / 2
  • Traps 0 / 2
Stunned, Obu looked over the changes before sheer giddiness washed over her Core. Here was something new and it proved to be exciting. The only problem was as she tried to find out what a Miniboss Spawner was she came up empty. There was nothing in her tabs that said she had anything labeled as such. She thought about it some more before metaphorically shrugging and continuing on with furnishing her Room. She now had the ability to furnish her Room with two Monster Spawners and she was going to do just that. Her original plan for the Room was to have goblins and a falling rock trap. Now though, she had a better idea. She set an alcove above where she placed another Aviary Spawner with Owlbats. Then, she placed a Goblinoid Spawner toward the back left side of the cavern where it would be out of the way. Once that was done she confirmed her selections, making sure to have them be F(2) in Rank, and watched them come into being. Just as the first monsters were spawning Obu received a prompt from the System.
Multiple Monster Spawners detected¡­ Which of the following Frameworks would you like to be included in the Miniboss Spawner:
  • Goblinoid
  • Owlbat
Note: With this being your first time forming a Miniboss Spawner, System Assistance will help in its formation.
Obu looked at the prompt and mentally shrugged once more. ¡°Both I suppose,¡± she said and watched as the System began to guide her through the motions. Apparently, it was quite a malleable process. She could do anything, from making the resulting creature a combination of traits of both frameworks to separating the creature into two although the resulting creatures would be less than if she combined them. She decided to keep them separate although both versions were pretty robust compared to their lesser forms. When they crawled out of the Spawner she was pleased to see both were bigger than the other monsters she had so far with the goblin standing straighter and broader. It wasn¡¯t much but even the System agreed that it was worthy of a different designation. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gitboss - Level 8 Greater Owlbat - Level 6 This excited Obu to no end. Her goblins could get stronger and become greater. A Gitboss was something she recognized from her memories. It was a title handed out among the lowest of the low. Oftentimes there was no need for such a title in smaller goblin tribes but in larger ones, there could be so many gits that a rough hierarchy would form. The strongest would declare themselves the boss of the gits and if they could keep their title for long enough the chief of the tribe would make it official. A Gitboss would then serve the chief in corralling and controlling the gits which was a service long sought after by any chief with a sizable number of the little freaks. To have one herself meant that she was roughly climbing the hierarchy of goblin kind. Perhaps in the near future, she would even graduate from gits entirely. It was almost too much for Obu to contemplate. For a time she lost herself in fantasies of true goblins populating her Dungeon, fierce, nasty, and ugly. She sighed in delight before returning to reality. It wouldn¡¯t do any good pining after what she didn¡¯t have. Instead, she needed to put in the work to get to that reality. So thinking, Obu turned to her new creatures. Both of the creatures were F(2) though they weren¡¯t extremely powerful individually. They were a pair and were meant to fight like that. She tested them against the other monsters and found that their connection was quite strong, allowing for them to overpower their lesser kin. At least they did until more numbers got involved. One level 7 wasn¡¯t a match for them especially since the Grungy Gits didn¡¯t have much in the way of weaponry. The Gitboss came with a rough spear which it used to moderate effect. Well, to be frank, it was terrible. Each of her monsters were more savage than anything else. They often fought just as much with their sharp nails and teeth then they did with their actual weapons. Despite this, the Miniboss did quite well in using its spear to keep the others at bay. It mostly jabbed awkwardly but it was still better than the others. When paired with its partner it did much better as the Owlbat¡¯s divebombing proved effective at distracting the opponent. When multiple gits attacked, however, the result was less than pleasing. Either one or the other would get tied down and the levels weren¡¯t too far apart as to be insurmountable. Obu pondered this as she watched the Gitboss face off against its lesser kin. She decided that while her original idea was sound the execution needed more room to grow. Perhaps later when the amount of variability at her disposal was better she would give it a try. For now she made the Mini Boss return to its Spawner where she attempted to shift things around. To her surprise, it was actually quite easy. There was no System Assistance this time but she could feel her Transformation Attribute activate within her soul. She dived into the Framework of her creatures and instead went with a combined approach. She left the goblin looking as much like a goblin as possible but made a secondary stage hidden within it. Once it got wounded enough it could partially transform some of its features into an Owlbat¡¯s. Its hands would become taloned paws and its face would partially elongate into a jagged beak. Its hearing and eyesight would improve as it changed. Feathery fur would sprout around its body as its skin toughened into a kind of hide. Satisfied, Obu pulled out and watched as her new creature crawled out of the Spawner. Immediately the differences were clear. The goblinoid stood even straighter and taller than the last one and its muscles were more clearly defined. It was still small in the way of all goblin kind but its eyes held a delightful gleam of cunning. Gitboss Shifter - Level 10 Its level left Obu a bit disappointed, however. A mere 2 level increase didn¡¯t seem worth it. It was at the maximum level for its Rank. Perhaps that meant more than she thought it did. With that in mind, she once more tested it against the other creatures and found to her delight that her suppositions were correct. The goblinoid was tougher, faster, and stronger than its contemporaries. It still struggled against multiple opponents but its increased toughness kept it in the battle longer than its previous version. This was then increased when it transformed or shifted. There was a moment of weakness before the shift was completed but once done it became a whirlwind of devastation and ferocity. Its talons were sharp and the beak weapon it sprouted was used to incredible effect. All in all, Obu was satisfied. It wasn¡¯t the peerless defender she might have wanted, since it lost all signs of preservation once it shifted, but its name gave her a hint as to what might be down the road. It was a ¡°mini¡± boss which meant that if she continued building Rooms she would eventually get a Boss Spawner and maybe even a Big Boss Spawner if that even existed. Regardless, she was satisfied and watched as her monsters settled into the cavern. She then turned to the traps. She cleared a part of the cavern to contain a flat half-circle right in front of the door. She then placed pools of water around and made two of them into cavern traps. She figured that her miniboss might be able to use the space and was surprised when the creature in question marched right over and set himself in front of where she imagined the next door would go.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have completed the Quest [Building Plans] as shown below!
[Building Plans] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Build a new Room [Complete - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Furnish your Room [Complete - Reward +100 Xp] Step 3 (Hidden): Establish a Miniboss Arena [Complete - Reward +100 Xp] Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 7!
  • For completing a Quest you have been rewarded 100 Xp!
    • 100 Xp from the Completion of [Building Plans]
Obu felt her Core gleam in triumph as everything settled. The hidden step of the quest intrigued her. Were there other hidden trophies around or was it just an incentive to continue innovating? She resolved to constantly test her limits. After all, she wouldn¡¯t know what they were until she found them. Even as she had the thought she felt something stir at the edges of her awareness. It came from the fungal garden and she felt elation fill her. It was time to meet her new brother. Chapter 17 - Family Reunion Dug directed the sporecap of his son Razum to a small ritual circle he had prepared for the occasion while he had been Awakening. The lines of the ritual circle were engraved with a paste made from Mindbender Spores and Hallucin Gelly, which would allow the minds of all present within the circle to hear the thoughts of every other individual. It took his son a while to find it and Dug¡¯s awareness and experience with fungi let him quickly figure out the cause. With a gesture and a thought he sent his son a familiar request and he could feel the gratitude that came with his son¡¯s acceptance. Connecting to his powers over fungi Dug fed power and magically summoned nutrients to his son¡¯s mycelium network allowing it to grow a new direct path through the ground. Razum rapidly grew a direct line to the ritual circle and Dug watched as the fruiting body moved to enter the circle. Once it did so, Razum planted the sporecap more firmly into the ground, with it losing much of its dynamism. Even as it did so, Razum himself became more ¡®present¡¯ as Dug felt his mind approach and settle within the circle. Fascinated, Dug activated his Waag to peer into the fabric of reality that made up the in-between space where Aether flowed freely. What he saw filled him with excitement. A mind of incredible complexity hovered just over the mycelium network that Razum had grown. It was connected organically to the mycelium through which Aether flowed to support the mind. Like a complex web of information, the mycelium provided the mind with what it needed to understand the world. The mind itself was almost completely created out of the same Aether Mindbender Spores released in small quantities. Stepping inside the ritual circle himself along with Obu, who practically vibrated with excitement, Dug activated the circle. He was beaten to speaking by his daughter. ¡°Hi, Razum!¡± Obu said, exuberantly. ¡°I¡¯m your sister, Obu.¡± ¡°Obu¡­¡± Razum¡¯s response was clear, his mental voice seeming to feel out his sister¡¯s name. ¡°Hello, sister. It is¡­strange speaking in this way. New¡­but not unpleasant.¡± Razum¡¯s words lacked the zest for life that Obu showed but every word was weighty and thought out. Dug smiled and listened as his children got to know each other better. Obu talked excitedly about her Dungeon and plans for expanding it while Razum listened politely, only replying here and there for clarification. It was clear his son was of a more contemplative nature than his sister but Dug was sure some of his reticence came from his having been so soon Awakened. He was, as of yet, only a couple of hours old. Dug set aside those thoughts and tapped his staff, upon which Obu rested, on the ground to get his children¡¯s attention. ¡°Isa pleased with yousas conversatin, but weesa needs tah talk ¡®bout tings.¡± His voice, both mental and physical, halted their banter and he felt their metaphysical gazes lock onto him. He smiled, letting his pride and joy flow through him and into them before speaking further. ¡°Weesa must prepare. Family we be but dah family beez in danger.¡± He chuckled softly to dispel the growing panic in his children before it could get out of hand. Pulling the shard of condensed sunlight, now full of green fire, out of the satchel at his side where he had been keeping its power smothered, he presented it to his children. ¡°Yousa ¡®ave no way of knowing what dis is but isa do. Per¡¯aps dah Sysitem will tell yousa aftah dis but dis beez Autority. Pure dis power be and dangahrous.¡± He felt at the power in the shard and was pleased when it came back stable. ¡°When isa pigged dis up it was unstable, dah last dying breads of a ded god in crystal form. Now it beez attuned to dah Waag, not in dangah no more of going bad.¡± He made sure to look at each of his children to make sure they were following along. ¡°Dah man who had dis would ¡®ave been important tah ¡®is people. Deys will come lookin fah it. Yousas must beez ready. Isa will protect us but yousas must do yousas part.¡± He turned to Obu. ¡°Dis means dat weesa must get yousa dah stuff yousa need tah grow Obu, tings tah challenge yousas dungeon.¡± He then turned to Razum. ¡°Yousa too Razum. Yousa been named Faddah of Monstahs by dah Make-ah but before yousa can do dis yousa must first learn tah use yousa self.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. He could see in the way the ritual energy fluctuated that his children were thinking deeply about what he said. He nodded with pride, glad that they were taking his words seriously. ¡°Razum, isa will start wid yousa. Isa teach yousa dah wayz of dah Sporemeistahs. It ¡®as served meesa well but will do yousa beddah. Den weesa can see about yousa learning tah use dah Waag.¡± He pointed to Obu with his offhand. ¡°Yousa too, Obu. My children will use dah Waag and usa it proppah.¡± So saying he began putting an end to the ritual but maintained his connection to his children through adroit use of both Waag and sporecraft. ¡°Now den,¡± He smiled kindly at his children. ¡°Let us¡¯ns go see how our guest beastie beez doin. I tink she¡¯s just woke from ¡®er long nap.¡± So saying he led the way towards where The Hidden was beginning to wake from its healing-induced slumber. Dug, using his powers to help Razum follow with his mycelium, reached where the large monstrous creature was opening its eyes. And it was an it. The old goblin hadn¡¯t needed the System to tell him that. The fact that the creature was monstrous in the extreme had no bearing on his desire to help it heal. As a goblin, this was not his first time protecting an ugly monster from facing extinction. That realization had come from the System.
The Hidden Umbral Symbiote Rank: A(23) Level 112 Monster Core: Umbral Fleshcrafter Affiliation: Hunted By All, Last of its Kind
Dug had wondered long and hard about what to do with his unexpected guest but in the end he had decided to just ask it instead. It wasn¡¯t sapient but it was powerful and had evidently enhanced itself through the System in order to survive its various pursuers. Upon arriving he watched as the mass of twisted muscle and flesh quickly put on shadowy skin. Baleful blue eyes turned their gaze upon him and he met the beast¡¯s gaze unflinching. ¡°Yousa wake now den? Dis beez good.¡± Dug moved swiftly, circling the beast and prodding it with his fingers lightly. The monster growled softly, guttural and strange. The sound warbled hollowly as if pushed out from deep within the writhing innards of the creature. Dug ignored it, finishing his check-up before nodding in satisfaction. ¡°Yousa all healed now. Dem spores did deys job well.¡± Dug looked into the creature''s eyes and summoned his powers, spores beginning to float from his hair and beard to form a connection between him, the beast, and his children. ¡°Now den beastie. What do yousa want? Weesa can hide yousa ¡®ere in my ¡®ome. Yousa can leaves and make a ¡®ome elsewheres. Up tah yousa.¡± For a long time, the two stared at each other but the one who answered his question wasn¡¯t The Hidden. ¡°It doesn¡¯t want to leave,¡± Razum thought-spoke. Dug turned to the sporecap of his son even as he continued speaking. ¡°It has been seeking safety for a long time, somewhere to grow and propagate. We are similar in that regard.¡± Dug winced but his son spoke quickly, ¡°I do not blame you father for my inability to propagate more of my kind. The gift of sapience far outweighs any such consideration. I¡­have found solace in our family.¡± The goblin felt his son¡¯s metaphysical gaze fall on the The Hidden. ¡°Besides, it is not as though I cannot have children, they will simply be different than I imagined. This creature may help me in that mission.¡± Dug felt something then, a pressure exuding from his son. Something he had only felt from the Waag once or twice as it thrummed through him. Authority. The inherent right to change the world as you see fit. His son¡¯s next words addressed the creature directly. ¡°Creature of darkness. Do you wish for safety? I can give it to you. Do you wish for a worthy host beyond what mere flesh can offer? I offer myself. Do you wish to grow, propagate, and spread? So do I. Hide or join me in the light. Choose.¡± Chapter 18 - The Hidden & The Hunters The monster known as The Hidden observed the small green being circling it with something akin to annoyance. The fact that the creature was magnitudes more powerful than it helped reign in its violent tendencies. Even so, the host it now inhabited was hungry and if The Hidden couldn¡¯t find enough sustenance then even this carefully crafted host would fail. It growled at the thought before noticing the green thing was speaking. While The Hidden couldn¡¯t really understand words it could understand intentions and emotions well enough. It needed to learn in order to survive those who hunted it. Too many times it had fallen into the trap of innocence only to have the jaws shut tight. This green being wanted to know something. His mind formed images to communicate and The Hidden saw itself staying in this dark hole in the ground or leaving to find its way outside. The creature growled. It didn¡¯t want to leave but didn¡¯t really know how to communicate such a thing. Its surprise was complete, therefore, when it felt its emotions being expressed by one of the other presences it could feel on the periphery of the conversation. The green being turned to gaze at a decomposer nearby, the one that moved strangely. The Hidden turned to face it even as the presence made itself more fully known. The new presence also offered a choice but in an entirely different manner. The image it offered was of a joining, a binding of existences, and a leaving behind of the old to become something new. It was the pressure of it that captured The Hidden¡¯s attention. The presence was certain of what it promised and it had promised much. It wouldn¡¯t just offer itself, it offered safety, and a chance to spread. As a symbiote, The Hidden needed viable hosts to seed into in order to have offspring. Male and female reproduction was contained within its body so it needed no other symbiote to help. Just a host. It had left behind seeded hosts before but they were all eradicated by those that hunted it. There were none left. Everything it had done was to survive another moment in order to get to a safe place and fulfill its monstrous nature. To spread and devour. It leaned closer to this other presence as it finished speaking and gazed past the poor excuse for a body and into that other place. It gazed upon the one that asked for a joining and found blazing potential and a mind so sharp it could cut. The presence was young and old at the same time but its Spark burned with life untapped. So much potential. A worthy host indeed. It must be understood that The Hidden while intelligent was not sapient. There was no firm identity in place despite the Title the System had given it. It did not see itself as a being nor had any of the higher thoughts we expect from sapience. It survived, hungered, felt pain and other emotions, but of itself there was no thought. Would it surprise anyone, therefore, that the creature accepted what most would consider servitude in return for a host that would not let it die out? That all but guaranteed its survival and propagation. The acceptance was quick and the symbiote was quick to abandon its constructed meatsuit and all the power it possessed. It lost much in the transition but it had no knowledge of levels and ranks. It only knew that it was becoming something more. The joining that happened was quick but strange as the one it joined was not of flesh. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. That made no difference to The Hidden who flooded through nerve-like filaments until it reached a nexus and began joining with its new host. To one so long bound by the limits of flesh, Razum¡¯s mycelium network and vast connection to other life forms was like heaven to the monstrous creature. It felt the presence say its goodbyes before joining it at the nexus. This time the meaning of the creature¡¯s words was crystal clear. ¡°We have a lot of work to do. I am Razum, The Overmind. I name you Ten¡¯Telo, The Frame of Shadows.¡± As its new name settled over it so did its new purpose, carried on the wings of its hosts Authority. It let itself bleed into everything, becoming a frame upon which something new might be built.
Cheep-Cheep looked around at the eclectic group he had gathered and managed a quick nervous grin. He wouldn¡¯t consider himself a hunt-leader but if others did then maybe he had it in him. Right? He shook off his doubts and squeaked a greeting to the assembled party. ¡°Hey-hey, I Cheep-Cheep. The green one, he wants us to do somethin.¡± He looked around as the group turned their gazes to him and stopped talking amongst themselves. Cheep-Cheep pressed his paws together in a nervous fashion before speaking further. ¡°We are to help his kit grow by huntin things. I don¡¯t know how we are to do that though.¡± He spoke in the Muskeeran language and trusted that the Talpi present would understand him. The fact that they had gathered when he had asked them to proved they could to a certain extent at least. All of those gathered were either outcasts or had been with Cheep-Cheep when he had encountered the green one. One of the Talpi raised his hand and spoke gruffly in broken Muskeeran. ¡°When¡­do?¡± Cheep-Cheep acknowledged the question with a nod before answering, gratified to find he had been right. ¡°We go soon. Get what you need for hunt, then go to cave.¡± The others around him nodded and then departed silently to gather their various tools of the hunt. Cheep-Cheep did so himself, grabbing his spear from where it had been lying and climbing up to the bluff that overlooked the rough encampment below. The plateau gave an excellent view of the surrounding lands and Cheep-Cheep took a moment to look out and enjoy the view. The Far-Light was dipping low in the Big-Blue-Above, beginning its descent into the earth to warm the Ever-Flame-Below. The Big-Blue-Above was beginning to bleed in color as the Far-Light was ripped from its embrace. Soon it would put on the dark somber colors of sadness and become the Endless-Dark. Not that it bothered the people of The Teeth much. The Talpi and Muskeera both lived under the ground for most of their lives and only the Muskeera really hunted above ground and only during the embrace of the Endless-Dark. Cheep-Cheep had to admit the colors of the dying Far-Light were beautiful to look at. He shook those thoughts away as his party of hunters began to gather around him. He turned to find them also looking out at the fading lights with the Talpi looking at it in wonder and appreciation. He decided to wait for a moment more and turned back to watch the sights until the light fully gave way to the Endless-Dark. Speaking without turning from the sight Cheep-Cheep chirruped, ¡°Come-Come, the green one waits.¡± He turned then and headed for the tunnel where he knew there would be a challenge that needed to be completed. He hoped he really was the leader he was pretending to be. Chapter 19 - Obu’s First Dungeon Run (Part 1) Obu watched as the mixed group of Talpi and Muskeera were directed by her father to enter her Dungeon. Her Core practically vibrated on his staff and Dug sent her a fond smile as she sent her Awareness out to gaze upon the party as they entered her First Room. They didn¡¯t seem like much but she had to remind herself that they were higher level than her and her creatures and they were stepping stones to her growth. She was surprised out of her thoughts by a System notification.
Analyzing¡­Challengers Detected¡­Commencing Dungeon Run Challengers: Cheep-Cheep: Rank F(3), Level 14, Hunter Gatherer Chi-Chala: Rank F(3), Level 12, Hunter Gatherer Meek-Fee: Rank F(3), Level 12, Hunter Gatherer Dorn Heavyclaw: Rank F(3), Level 11, Tunnel Dweller Mita Heavyclaw: Rank F(3), Level 11, Tunnel Dweller Good Luck, Dungeon Core!
The Core let the notification fade as her gaze was drawn to the creatures staring in awe at the cavern before them. As creatures smaller than goblins, her cavern must look properly big. She let herself preen for a moment before focusing on them once more. They were beginning to move, Cheep-Cheep squeaking softly to get the rest¡¯s attention. She was interested to see how they would deal with her gits. Sure they were higher level but her spawner had kept on pumping out Grungy Gits until there were ten of the diminutive little creatures prowling the cavern. The first encounter was both humorous and disappointing. The party had just barely begun to move when a Git circled around a stalagmite and came face-to-face with the group. The party froze uncertain until the ugly little thing screeched at them, leaping forward with its ¡°dagger¡±. It managed a single scratch on Cheep-Cheep before it was skewered by three spears. If Obu could have face-palmed she would have. Apparently, fighting at the peak of F(1) meant throwing oneself at the enemy and hoping for the best. The only upside was that the Git had alerted the rest of its brethren with its screeching. The gibbering alerted the party who quickly tried to adapt to the circumstances. When the small horde of goblinoids began to pour from the darker corners of the cavern they were as ready as they could be although that just meant they had a more defined formation than before. The two Talpi were in front armed with clubs of dark wood while the Muskeera stood behind them with their hunting spears. The male Talpi, probably the Dorn Heavyclaw from her System notification, raised a foot and stomped it giving Obu her first glimpse into Aether manipulation from a System standpoint. There was a brief burst of Aether before it rushed into the ground causing it to ripple in an outward arc. It didn¡¯t go far but then it didn¡¯t really have to. The first oncoming Gits hit the ripple and lost their footing, stumbling off balance even as those behind them crashed into them causing them to fall. The Talpi wasted no time in wading forward with their clubs in a movement that certainly seemed a tried and tested maneuver between the two of them. The Muskeera were a little late in joining, almost as surprised as the Gits by the ripple of stone and earth. It didn¡¯t take them long before they were in the thick of it too, stabbing with their spears. The Gits did recover eventually but they only got a few stabs and slices in before falling. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. All in all, it was a poor performance by the Gits but Obu wasn¡¯t completely put out. For one thing, the fight had given her a rudimentary measuring stick to compare further engagements with and secondly, as soon as the last Git fell she received a System message along with a prompt.
Room 1: 10 F(1) Defenders Vanquished¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated A total of 2000 Experience has been generated. The Reward has been divided in the following ways: 400 Experience is awarded to the Dungeon, The Obulwaag, for offering the Challenge. 1600 Experience has been divided among the participating Challengers. Would you like to distribute the rewards? Yes/No
Obu didn¡¯t know why she would ever want to withhold rewards but perhaps it had some function in the future. Regardless she accepted and was gratified to see the little creatures¡¯ eyes widen as they received their own messages. They chattered to each other excitedly, the Talpi in their gruff voices and the Muskeera in their higher chittering and chirrups. Then Obu got her own message and excitement flared in her Core.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 8!
She quickly pulled up her sheet and found that she hadn¡¯t chosen an attribute for her seventh level leaving her still at Level 6. She shrugged mentally. She must have forgotten in her excitement to see her brother. She put off choosing an attribute to increase for now. She was sure no one would be able to harm her while she Experienced what she needed to, especially since her father carried her Core but she felt it was prudent to let the creatures below finish their Dungeon Run. The hunting party for their part seemed game to continue despite the various scratches they had accrued. The Experience they had gained seemed to make up for whatever minor hurts they had bean dealt from the brief tussle with her Gits. They did nothing for their wounds other than lick them clean which Obu found strangely fascinating before proceeding toward the back of the cavern. Everything was smooth sailing until Chi-Chala fell into one of her cavern traps. The pools up until this point had been little more than puddles and she was in the middle of a conversation when she stepped into a pool and was suddenly scrabbling to get out. It didn¡¯t take long for her to get over panic and escape the trap but the rest of the party looked on with intensely varying expressions. Her fellow Muskeera made noises akin to laughter and it was evident they thought it humorous in the extreme. The Talpi on the other hand looked horrified. They both took a couple of steps away from the pool and looked around worriedly at the other pools nearby. They looked terrified. Obu wondered why that was before puzzling out a possible answer. They were primarily dirt dwellers and rarely went above ground. They probably couldn¡¯t swim and if large quantities of water flooded their tunnels they would probably just drown without being able to escape. The ensuing conversation seemed to prove her theory with the Talpi trying to explain their reticence to a curious Cheep-Cheep with lots of miming and various motions of their heavy digging claws. Cheep-Cheep nodded but still seemed to find the situation more humorous than not. He motioned for them to keep watch for other pools and such traps before heading off. However, they didn¡¯t get far before stumbling into another of her traps. This time it was Mila Heavyclaw¡¯s turn to fall victim. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on the perspective, Mila¡¯s gaze was on the pools so she did not react in time when there was a shuddering crack above her. Despite the warning sound she only had the time to look up and brace before the chunk of rock crashed into her. As terrible as it sounded when it struck, after the dust had settled Mila was already heaving the chunk off of her, though she favored her left arm. Her brother quickly went over and helped remove the offending rock, then her to her feet. After fretting over her for a bit she eventually shooed him away. She held her left arm close but hefted her club onto her shoulder with her right before motioning with her head for them to continue. Obu found herself impressed with this little band as they gamely braved the dangers of her Dungeon. They soon reached the end of the cavern and the doorway there. They had a small conversation before entering the hallway that led between Rooms. The Dungeon Run would continue. Chapter 20 - Obu’s First Dungeon Run (Part 2) As the party navigated the ups and downs of the hallway to her Second Room, Obu turned to the System Notification she had received after the group had left her First Room.
Room 1: 2 Traps Survived¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated Room 1 Challenge Completed¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated A total of 1200 Experience has been generated. The Reward has been divided in the following ways: 240 Experience is awarded to the Dungeon, The Obulwaag, for offering the Challenge. 960 Experience has been divided among the participating Challengers. Would you like to distribute the rewards? Yes/No
Ahh, so that was why the last question was there. Obu nodded mentally to herself. She could distribute the rewards separately once they had happened or wait until they had left the Room entirely. Perhaps even until they had left the Dungeon itself. Obu wondered at that for a time before dismissing it as something she would figure out later. The party had almost made it to her Second Room. As soon as they entered the Talpi were immediately on their guard, looking up at the dark recesses of the cavern ceiling. Obu was a little miffed at that. Did they somehow know what was coming despite never having been in the Room before? She watched as they moved and felt silly as a thought struck her. Of course, they would be cautious. The one had just been crushed by a stalactite not too long ago. So, instead of being upset with them for too much longer, she decided to applaud their cautiousness. After all, they were only challengers. It wasn¡¯t like they were invading her Dungeon to cause destruction or anything like that. She watched as they entered further in and when nothing happened right away the Talpi relaxed slightly, though they remained vigilant, looking upward every so often. It was fortunate for them that they did so because it was in looking up that Dorn saw the diving form of an Owlbat with clawed lower paws outstretched. There had been no noise to alert anyone as the drip, drip, drip of the cavern had dulled what little noise the creature made. Mid-dive it proved difficult for the creature to dodge the club that Dorn swung its way. There was a thud and a squawk and then the Owlbat was gone, fluttering off to the side where it lay still. Obu looked on as the cavern devolved into a whirlwind of feathers, fur, and blood. These creatures were F(2) which gave them an increase in general ability but they also fought altogether differently than the Gits. Rather than a loud rush it was a silent one. There were also hints of higher intelligence, if only in the arena of savage cunning. Not including the one slain there were only five remaining creatures but the way they fought was evidently both annoying and effective. They were also large, having a wingspan of around three and a half feet long. As silent as they were it was easy for one or two to distract the party while the remainder floated in from behind on silent wings to tear chunks from the unsuspecting rear guard. This only had to happen once, however, before the group wised up and began to anticipate such ambushes. Once they had, it proved simple for them to dispatch the remaining creatures but not unscathed. The battle had left them with some fearsome wounds, with none of the group left untouched. Cheep-Cheep sported a nasty gash over one eye from a beak that had narrowly missed blinding him. Dorn bled from numerous slashes on his arm where his opponent had dug in with its talons before he had slain it with a club strike to the head. Chi-Chala and Meek-Fee had been ambushed from behind and were perhaps the worst off as their wounds were on their backs. The Owlbats had swooped in and latched on with their pawed talons before savagely ripping with their beaks. Meek-Fee had lost an ear, the wound jagged and bleeding as he tried to staunch it with some moss he had found. Chi-Chala had received a blow to her head though the beak hadn¡¯t broken through her cranium and killed her she was still reeling from both blood loss and a possible concussion. How Obu knew that she had no idea but she suspected it had to do with her father¡¯s medical skills and her nature as a Dungeon Core. Mila was saved from further major wounds due to her having been in the center of the group as they had made their way through the cavern. She had been instrumental in saving their back line as the Owlbats had swooped in. Once she had heard the cries of her compatriots she had turned and swatted the creatures away with her club. After that, the surprise had worn off and the party had little trouble. All in all the battle had lifted Obu¡¯s spirits. Her creatures were performing admirably according to their ranks and her Third Room would prove to be an apt challenge for them. However, she doubted she would get the pleasure of seeing them face the Third Room on this run. They had been bloodied and it was clear they wanted to head back and, quite literally she supposed, lick their wounds. Cheep-Cheep turned to the rest of the party after they were sure no other creatures were going to attack them and began to speak. After a time it was clear what he was communicating from how the others responded to his gesticulating and chirrups. He motioned that he would explore further to the end of the cavern and then return, at which point they would leave. The rest agreed and began gathering her slain creatures into a pile. Obu wondered why they would do such a thing but from their conversation she gleaned that they were treating the Challenge like a hunt. They needed to bring something back to their tribes to prove they had indeed caught something. From the general air of victory, the party sported they were content with the haul, despite their wounds. Obu supposed they would be used to it with the savage lives they had lived before her father ended the war. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. It was gratifying to see the Muskeera and Talpi helping to bind up each other''s wounds. In this party at least, there was only a tiny lingering of hostility. They were careful and cautious but they no longer carried the harsh edge they¡¯d had when they first entered her caverns. Perhaps that was what happened when people fought together, regardless of race. Cheep-Cheep only took the time to find the next doorway before heading back. Obu was surprised when he took the time to test the pools for traps before returning. It was just his luck that he took a different route back and fell into a sinkhole instead. The deep pit sucked him up and he fell straight and true to the bottom. A crack rang out as his right leg¡¯s ankle broke and he howled in pain which in turn summoned his companions. It was pure luck that kept them from repeating the same mistake as Dorn was close to Chee-Chala to snatch her up and out of the air as the ground broke beneath her feet to reveal another pit trap. Or perhaps it wasn¡¯t luck at all. Obu had watched as the Aether within Dorn had flared, with him reacting almost instantaneously to guard his party member. The Dungeon Core marked the use of Aether again for later. None of the other members of the party had hinted at such control and she wondered why Dorn was different. It didn¡¯t take the group long to find their leader. A lowered spear and a concerted effort later he was hobbling alongside them as they moved back the way they had come. After picking up their prizes they stumbled and hauled their way back through the hallway and the First Room. Obu held off checking her notifications until they were safely out of her Dungeon before checking her System Notifications that she had held back.
Room 1: 2 Traps Survived¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated Room 1 Challenge Completed¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated A total of 1200 Experience has been generated. The Reward has been divided in the following ways: 240 Experience is awarded to the Dungeon, The Obulwaag, for offering the Challenge. 960 Experience has been divided among the participating Challengers. Room 2: 6 F(2) Defenders Vanquished¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated Room 2: 2 Traps Survived¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated Room 2 Challenge Completed¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated A total of 3600 Experience has been generated. The Reward has been divided in the following ways: 720 Experience is awarded to the Dungeon, The Obulwaag, for offering the Challenge. 2880 Experience has been divided among the participating Challengers. Would you like to distribute the rewards? Yes/No
Obu stared, awestruck for several moments at the amount of Experience generated by her Dungeon. Completing the various Quests given to her by the System was nothing in comparison. She shivered as she realized just how precious her Dungeon would become to those who knew of its existence. Not only would she grow quickly but anyone who challenged her depths would grow quickly as well. Even as her imagination ran wild she felt the soothing presence of her father through their bond and she calmed. Her father was strong and had already proven his ability to protect his home even to the point of refusing to be integrated. It would take the greatest of this world to stand against him and she was comforted. She would build herself into a fortress and grow in strength until she reached the point where she was no longer in danger. She moved her Awareness until it hovered over the party as they in turn stood before her father, tired and wounded but triumphant with their prizes. She accepted the distribution of rewards and watched as the companions flinched at the System¡¯s Notifications before they began cheering. Cheep-Cheep in particular seemed overcome with emotion. She checked her logs and realized that he would have reached the end of F(3) and now had the option of progressing up to Rank F(4). That would put him at the pinnacle of his kind alongside the Chieftain. Obu hoped that wouldn¡¯t cause any problems in the future. She was drawn away from her ruminations by her own System Notifications which blared at her.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 9!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 10!
Warning! Dungeon Core has reached the Level Cap for Rank F(2)! To begin advancement to Rank F(2) please ascend to Level 10 immediately!
Excitement flared within the Dungeon Core. This experiment with her Dungeon was a huge success. She now had four whole levels to Experience and that meant she would be able to get another point in Rooted, allowing for another Room in her Dungeon. She wondered how a Dungeon Core with a Rooted Cornerstone would build their Dungeon. She imagined they would have vast Floors full of Rooms with lower-rank creatures. At least, they would be lower Rank until the Dungeon¡¯s Rank caught up to its expansion. In contrast, she supposed an Empowered Dungeon would have few Rooms and would grow at a slower pace but have truly impressive monsters for their Rank. Perhaps their monsters would have different abilities or even be able to use magic. She would have to see for herself when allocating points to that attribute. She continued her thought experiment imagining the sheer detail and beauty that specializing in the Transformed attribute would offer. The whole Dungeon would feel so much more alive. The only one she was confused about was the United attribute. She supposed the whole Dungeon would be connected in a way she couldn¡¯t yet imagine. From monsters to traps to biomes, each aspect of the Dungeon would work together to fulfill the Core¡¯s goals. She shrugged mentally. It didn¡¯t much matter since she was unlikely to meet another Dungeon anytime soon and she was satisfied with the System¡¯s choice of Cornerstone for her. Her father was speaking to the group but she let her Awareness disperse as she slipped into her Core. She settled in and began spending her Experience. First, she went with Empowered and United, once more Experiencing the connection to power and unity that were key aspects of her Dungeonhood. Then she increased Rooted, for obvious reasons, and then Transformed to continue her goal of increasing the level of manipulation she had over her Dungeon. She decided to remain dispersed as she seeped her Awareness into her Dungeon. She wanted to know how the changes had affected her and her creatures though she had a feeling the changes would be slight. She would let her father deal with the party that had delved into her Dungeon. Her last thought before the Dungeon equivalent of sleep took over was, That could be the official title for them. I wonder if they would like being called that. Chapter 21 - Dug Explores the Valley Dug let the party of young creatures disperse, having given them their congratulations and seeding them with healing spores that would serve to strengthen their flesh and bone even as it healed them. Checking on his bond with Obu he found her sleeping in her own way. A quick check using the System allowed him to see that she had indeed grown. Seeing as she was asleep he carried her to where his son was making his own changes and left her there to sleep. Then, he left his cave, moving to stand atop the bluff looking out at the valley before him. His large eyes had no problem piercing the gloom, particularly with the large moon overhead. The old goblin stretched, feeling younger than he had in years. Letting a grin split his face he leapt from the bluff. Well¡­ he thought about it before deciding some preparations were in order. First, he breathed outward, the spores that dwelled within his lungs spewing outward in a cloud. Then, he gathered them with a quick gesture before adding a shroom he plucked from his beard. While that was percolating he snagged another for himself, popping it into his mouth like a berry. As he munched he tossed the now enhanced shroom off the edge of the bluff while simultaneously rating the shroom he was munching on. First things first, it was properly crunchy yet held hints of moistness that gave it a pleasing texture in the mouth. Secondly, it held the right amount of necrosis to give his enhanced body a zing as it tried to degrade it. Thirdly, once the necrosis was finished there was pleasing pop as it exploded in his gut releasing spores that would propagate within the host body until the mycelium reached the brain whereupon the host would finally die and the fruiting bodies would be given leave to sprout. Dug simply guided them to his stomach walls where they joined the host he had gathered for some time. He did this by attaching them to his Aether conduits which acted like mycelium for the various spores and controlled how and when they would grow or be released. A healer would be appalled at the state of Dug¡¯s body if they ever had a chance to look deep enough. It was the work of a moment for him to summon any particular spore or mushroom he had ever eaten, every specimen carefully contained in its own sections. That way if he ever lost his beloved garden he would be able to regrow it from scratch, provided he had the right grounds to seed them into. Smacking his lips as the last of the mushroom¡¯s taste left his tongue, Dug determined he had waited long enough. With that, he leapt off the bluff with a low cackle. It took him roughly six seconds to fall the distance and he landed atop a tall stalk of mushroom, the cap catching him and gently lowering him to the ground. What he had tossed off the bluff was a concoction of his own creation. Take the same Exploding Sporecap and mix it with some Air Attuned Cloudspores from his lungs and voila you now have a shroom with explosive growth and the ability to go with the flow. A proper mage would most likely be grumbling about how such a thing was impossible if they were around to witness it. Dug would ignore them even if they were. Indeed, even other Sporemeisters would likely grumble and scratch their heads but only perhaps a few handfuls of all Sporemeisters in his old realm could do as he did and only a couple more would have the Waag as well. None of those were Shamaans of any power. It was perhaps safe to say that no other goblin across the realms was quite as strange or as powerful as Dug Shardaal. Not that he cared much about such things. As he stumped his careful way into the woods toward the sounds of running water, Dug continued perusing his hair and beard for tasty morsels even as he was on the lookout for hidden gems. Finding one such thing he knelt in the soft loam near a fallen tree and with careful hands gathered a mushroom. The last time he had been in the valley, he had paid attention to other things, intent as he was with helping his daughter. Now though, with her asleep and his son recuperating from establishing a new Familiar Bond, Dug was free to engage in his first love. He brought the mushroom to his nose and sniffed, letting the earthy aroma wash over him and setting his heart alight. He licked it, getting a feel for its taste and any properties it might hold. Like a noble connoisseur tasting fine wine, Dug went through his old habits and when he determined there was nothing left to notice on the outside, he popped the whole thing in his mouth. Exquisite. Dug hummed happily to himself as he sought to gather more, munching all the while. It wasn¡¯t the spiciest mushroom he had ever had but truly it held a charm all on its own. This world had its own rules after all, so why would the fungi be an exception? Notes of Earth Affinity mixed pleasantly with the natural Necrotic Affinity that all mushrooms naturally possessed in small quantities. Notes of something else tingled on his palate and he paused for a moment to puzzle it out. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. He could practically feel the System buzz around him as if he would cave in and ask what it was. He blew a raspberry in derision. The day he couldn¡¯t figure out what went into a mushroom would be the day he¡¯d get integrated. It took a few moments but it came to him. It was Wood Affinity or perhaps more appropriately Plant Affinity. While commonly regarded as a subsection of the Life Affinity it was a little more nuanced than that. For one thing it contained hints of Solar Affinity which was essential for its makeup. That would explain the current shrooms'' zest. With the mystery now solved he indulged in using his administrator powers to ascertain the name of what he had just picked. Leeward Woodcap E(7) - Level 32 Maybe it was just his imagination but Dug imagined the System was subdued in giving out its information. Letting out a little cackle at its expense he attached his new shrooms onto his Aetheric Mycelium hidden within his beard before moving on. Nothing accosted him on his journey despite his external appearance of weakness for which he was grateful. While he was more than comfortable enough slaying creatures so that his daughter had defenders, he had no desire to kill more than he had to. He would much rather play pranks, grow his mushrooms, and now see his children grow. Well, all of that and exploring this new world he had been dumped into. Such was his mindset now as he got closer and closer to the sound of running water. The importance of such a thing could not be understated and so he had determined to explore it himself. It wasn¡¯t long before he broke through the foliage to reveal a scene of wild and untamed beauty. Water gushed forth from a chasm high above, as though a giant spear had pierced the rock clean through to the source of water. The water thundered as it hit the pool at the bottom some 200 goblin feet below before it made its way to a river that continued down the forest slope of the mountain. Dug took a moment to admire the view. This was nice. If all of this world were like this then things would be good. Most tall-folk back on his home plane would have said that goblins were evil and hated all life. Complete and utter rubbish. While it was true that some goblins turned out bad, the majority loved nature and the savage ways of the world. Their magic reflected those natural tendencies. Civilization, on the other hand, was a tall-folk invention for those too big to see the world around them. The tall-folk, be they Humans, Khasar, Indeluci, or any other, rarely took the time to bend down and look around. Some of them did and tried to guide the others but it didn¡¯t do much in the long run. That''s why the Waag was given. To show them all that the small folk could bite back if given the chance. That was a long time ago though, the first Shamaans long dead and gone. Dug called forth a finger of green flame. The Waag had remained, sustaining itself upon the bloodlines of thousands upon thousands of goblins. Perhaps only one in a thousand could call forth the flame and of those only one in ten thousand could be called a true Shamaan. Those would be commanded to breed so that the spark could be passed on. Dug had never done so. He had remained committed to the flame and his spore work for decades only to wind up here, far from anything he could reasonably call a goblinoid. His daughter¡¯s creations were getting closer but they would always be integrated and connected as such to this world, not the one he came from. He let himself indulge for a moment in reveries of the past. Of the Dum-Dums in the forest, the earthen drums ringing forth, and green bonfires that spat their flames high. Of the cavorting dances and the fullness of freedom. But his eyes opened eventually and his ears were still greeted by the roar of water rather than flames. Sighing he stumped forward and dipped a hand in the pool before bringing it to his mouth. It tasted sweet, refreshing, and cold. ¡°Good ¡®nuff dis is, isapose.¡± He said in a mutter that couldn¡¯t fully conceal his delight. That and a smacking of the lips was all he allowed himself. There was still so much to do before he could truly feel like his new family was safe. Controlling the water source nearby was the first step. He didn¡¯t want to mess with it too badly but he needed eyes and ears down the valley and everything needed water at some point. Walking into the water he began to hack and cough before shooting a wad of phlegm into the pool. He quickly reached out and took control of the spore-rich mucus before it could run amuck. Finding a rock he sat down and began to concentrate. It took time, guiding the spores to different areas all the way down the river. Areas where he felt that creatures might stop for a drink. The spores took root immediately as he had designed them to do and would sprout in due time. Even hidden as they were he doubted all of them would make it but those that did he would be able to connect to as long as he touched the same running water they did. He made that easier by growing a control shroom at the edge of the pool. Bigger and larger than the rest it would allow him to connect to others down the river easier. With his mission finished the old goblin decided to indulge himself. Slipping his warty feet into the cold water of the pool he rested them for a long moment, content to drink in the dark moonlit beauty of the area before eventually making his way back to his cave and his resting children. Chapter 22 - Cheep-Cheep & A Growing Storm Cheep-Cheep found himself nervous as he moved through the camp after coming down from the Dunn-Junn. The things he had faced and the Experience he had received in return had him quivering with excitment. His nervousness had come from the Lifewords that had flashed across his vision after leaving. F(4)...He had the ability to ascend to F(4) and not through some horrible quest either like the chief. No. All he had to do was run the Dunn-Junn again and hunt the third room they had found. Alone. And that seemed plenty dangerous to him. But the danger wasn¡¯t only in the Dunn-Junn. If the chief knew how much Experience he had gained inside the tunnels of stone above, then he would be forced to stop, perhaps even killed. It was the way of the tribe and Cheep-Cheep knew it from experience. His brother had attempted to breach F(4) without the chief¡¯s blessing and had never returned from his journey. The chief had said he had failed or run off in defeat but Cheep-Cheep knew the truth. The chief had sent two of his hunters after Cheep-Cheep¡¯s brother. They had come back with bloodied speartips. So Cheep-Cheep had bided his time and now had an opportunity greater than any other. The tribe had no seer, one who could read the Lifewords of another. The last one had died some time ago and the chief¡¯s brutality had kept another from rising. Now that brutality would fail him. Cheep-Cheep and his new friends had already agreed to keep the Dunn-Junn a secret and if asked would say the green one had them helping his daughter with something. It was the truth. Cheep-Cheep didn¡¯t know exactly what they were doing to help but the green one had seemed immensely pleased when they had left. If he played along with the chief long enough then soon he and his group of outcasts would be free. Cheep-Cheep was brought out of his musings by a paw which brought him up short. He followed the path of the arm stopping him until it came to rest on an unpleasant face. Deek Longtooth, the chief¡¯s son and one of the hunters who he suspected had killed his brother, looked down at him with a sneer on his furry face. ¡°The chief want talk. You come.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question but an order and Cheep-Cheep kept his emotions carefully bottled up as he nodded. There would come a day to release his anger but it wasn¡¯t now. That would come later when he was stronger. So he bowed his head and followed Deek as he led the way to the chief¡¯s burrow. It was the largest, in the best spot, and the one the tribe had dug first since arriving at the green one¡¯s bluff. Upon entering Cheep-Cheep was greeted by the smell of fresh meat. A rabbit had been caught and of course, the chief had demanded it as his portion of the day¡¯s hunt. Cheep-Cheep bowed his head as was proper though the action burned him inside. ¡°Chief Longtooth call, Cheep-Cheep answers.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The chief didn¡¯t answer for a long time, forcing Cheep-Cheep to keep his posture of servitude until he did so. Eventually, the sound of chewing stopped and the chief¡¯s arrogant voice filled the room. ¡°The green one call you. You go. Come back. What you do for green one?¡± Cheep-Cheep let nothing show on his face as he rose. This too he had prepared for with his group. ¡°Test shrooms for green one.¡± He shuddered dramatically as if remembering. ¡°Others not bad but green one fed me nasty shroom. Made Cheep-Cheep see strange things. Make Cheep-Cheep sick.¡± Chief Longtooth cackled at his words with his son following suit. It was what they wanted to hear. It was Cheep-Cheep¡¯s reward for warning his chief to not try and fight the green one, something that would have resulted in his death. Once again, Cheep-Cheep reprimanded himself for not letting it happen but he had been afraid of the green one¡¯s retaliation upon the Muskeera as a whole. He had no wish to die for his chief¡¯s stupid decisions. In all other ways, Chief Longtooth was a fine chief but when it came to his ego and pride he brooked no sign of weakness or diminishment. Cheep-Cheep¡¯s tale had done its job and the chief let him go with another cackle, safe in the knowledge that he had forced a proper punishment upon the young Muskeera for speaking out of place. Cheep-Cheep left gratefully the embers of revenge in his heart smoldering gently. There would come a time for igniting them but that time wasn¡¯t now. When he went to sleep that night his dreams were filled with sparkling caves and the rush of battle. POV Radiant Rangers Contrary to their name, The Radiant Rangers were as dour a group of men as could be seen. Rough and ready, with nary a clean shaven face among them, they were the premier scouting group for the Church of the Sun¡¯s Northeastern Branch. They were three days into their journey North when their youngest member halted midstride. ¡°What is it Gerald?¡± asked one of the more senior members, Askar. ¡°Not sure. I felt something shift in the threads.¡± The rest of the group paused at that, unwilling to overlook the man¡¯s words simply because he was young. In their group, age was but a number. Skill and skill alone was the only reason someone was accepted into their ranks. Skill meant dedication, talent, or experience, and the group was overflowing with all three. Gerald was the youngest but had a peculiar talent, something he was born with. The ability to sense what he called threads. In the beginning, a lot of the men had grumbled superstitiously claiming it was fate magic of some kind. When the priests found out Gerald¡¯s talent coincided with the cycles of the Sun Engine, the grumblings died out quickly. He was now accorded a good deal of respect from the rough crew around him. ¡°Can you find the place? It could be what we are looking for.¡± The one who spoke was Desmond, the scout leader and de facto leader of their group whenever there were orders to be taken or people to be talked to. He had that kind of personality and was generally the cleanest of the group at any single point in time. ¡°Aye, I believe I have it,¡± Gerald said with a grimace. He took the lead like a bloodhound and group sped off toward the Northeast, their Rank D bodies propelling them further and faster than any mundane form of transportation. Their skills and talents in woodcraft blended together to transform the group into a single moving organism that sped onward following the shifting of the threads. Chapter 23 - Razum Experiments and Explores Razum felt it the moment Ten¡¯Telo fully integrated into his vast body of mycelium. The bond was strong, formed of a covenant that had been hashed out in detail. With his new Familiar settled in place, he finally returned to looking at his System Status.
Razum
Race: Overmind Sporecap (Awakened)
Chosen Name: None
Bond: Dug Shardaal (Blood Covenant), Ten¡¯Telo (Familiar Covenant)
Class: Unchosen*
Rank: F(1)* Level: 0* Experience: 0/200*
Main Attributes: Strength: 4 [10] (F) Dexterity: 3 [12] (F) Constitution: 20 [25] (E - Tempered [Copper]) Intelligence: 28 (E - Tempered [Copper]) Wisdom: 16 (F) Charisma: 17 (F) Spark: 6 (F)
Looking at his Status he noticed that none of his Main Attributes had increased despite his Familiar now bolstering his form. There was however now a secondary set of numbers beside his more physical statistics. On a whim he moved his consciousness to his fruiting body and to his delight found that he could move it better than before. Clenching his ¡®fist¡¯ he punched the wall and felt the earth give a little. He felt no pain since there were no nerve endings to send such signals but he did note that the flesh of his ¡®fist¡¯ was slightly damaged. Before he made a move to repair the damage he found tendrils of darkness sweep into the damaged area and when it retreated the flesh had been repaired. Observing closer he found yet more tendrils covering the body and reinforcing the major muscular groups he had thrown together. Hmmm¡­so his fruiting body was empowered through his bond but his far vaster underground Nexus was most likely too large to see any extravagant gains in its attributes. Razum made his fruiting body shrug like he had seen his father do and found he liked it. That was fine. He had chosen Ten¡¯Telo for a different purpose and that had to do with the Titles and Boons he had received for his Sapience. It was to these that he turned his attention to next.
Titles: Father of Monsters Progenitor Umbral Host (New - Familiar Bond) Boons: Divergent Overmind Nutrient Synthesis Umbral Spore Generation (Upgraded from Spore Generation) Umbral Infused Fruiting Body (Upgraded from Durable Fruiting Body) Sensory Mycelium Mindbender Experienced Potential Hive Lord Sporecap Locomotion Malleable Sporecap Umbral Fleshcraft (New - Familiar Bond) This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Symbiote Fragmentation (New - Familiar Bond)
There were a host of differences that showed him just how much his new covenant had affected him. A couple of Boons had been upgraded while new ones had become available. Not only that but he had earned a new Title that undoubtedly communicated the nature of his relationship with his new Familiar. Now that he had time, he figured it would be wise to look at each of his Titles and Boons in order so that he might see what his natural limits were before choosing a cornerstone that would define his future growth.
Title Granted: Father of Monsters This Title was bestowed by The Maker as penance for a father¡¯s arrogance and machinations. Title Effects: Like a Dungeon Core, you have been given permission to create Monsters from a specialized Monster Core known as a Sporeheart. A Sporeheart can only be planted into dead, plant, or fungal-based material and replaces the former Spark Matrix. Such a Monster is afflicted with The Growth allowing for intense Aetheric mutations instead of developing intellectually. They will never reach Sapience though they may with time reach a high level of sentience as they rise in Ranks. Their Rank may never exceed yours. As a result of this Title, you have been denied the ability to propagate your species. Your methods of reproduction will be changed to reflect this. As this is The Maker¡¯s Decree it is inviolable.
That¡­was more than he had expected. It seemed that The Maker had decided to be generous despite the reason why the Title had been given. Razum wasn¡¯t put out by the notion that he would not sire Sapient children. His yearning to spread and grow was something he had brought with him from when he had been a simpler fungus. If he had been given permission to spread at that time then his offspring would have been like him, simple and without Sapience. The fact that now they would be able to grow and reach a state of sentience was more than enough. He wasn¡¯t sure what his thoughts on the issue would be like down the road as he grew older but he would deal with those thoughts when he had them. Like his father, Razum figured he would dwell in the moment and pursue the future with rigor according to his abilities. It was in this vein of thought that he opened up the next two Titles.
Title Granted: Progenitor A Title granted for being the first of your Species upon the face of Aldem. May you be blessed. Title Effects: Experience gained is increased by 100%. Direct descendants will gain this benefit in a reduced form for as long as your bloodline endures. The effect will be locked to your eldest descendent¡¯s bloodline unless none remain before being granted to your next oldest and so on for as long as your bloodline endures. Error! Maker¡¯s Decree acknowledged. Due to the prevention of true Sapient offspring, the following Trait has been affected for Monstrous descendants: The Growth Title Granted: Umbral Host This Title has been granted as a byproduct of being the host of an Umbral Parasyte. This Title¡¯s effects will differ based on whether or not you are a willing host or not. Title Effects: As a willing host for an Umbral Parasite, you have been granted the benefits of a Familiar Covenant. The parasite will treat your body as its own while following your commands as the Bond-Holder. As this is not a normal bond but rather a covenant sealed with Authority, neither party may break the bond with the other but neither can an outside party. Numerous Boons have been added or upgraded and further Boons may become available as the Host and Parasyte grow. As this is a Covenant the Host and Parasyte will split Experience evenly.
Taken together, Razum decided that his last two Titles would prove to be immensely useful. The last one was simply an explanation of what he had hashed out with Ten¡¯Telo so he wasn¡¯t terribly surprised. The additional Experience he would gain from being a Progenitor would be immensely helpful since it would mean that he and Ten¡¯Telo would be able to grow extremely quickly as each did their part to help the other. With his Titles out of the way, he looked over his Boons and gave the best approximation of a sigh that his fruiting body could manage without lungs. He found the action to be comforting despite its ineffectualness. The sheer volume of Boons he had was comforting but it would be a lot to get through. He decided to take a moderated approach, beginning to operate his body more fully. He moved off in the direction of his father¡¯s main living quarters, slowly growing his Mycelium in that direction. It took Aether to do but he found that, once again, Ten¡¯Telo helped him along. Shadowy tendrils helped to guide his Mycelium giving them a robustness they had lacked when attempting to grow under the earth before. Arriving at his father¡¯s quarters, Razum looked around but found only Obu on her staff. As it was apparent she was sleeping or something equivalent he did not disturb her but instead moved to the center of the room and planted himself. Perhaps this would be easier to do in the garden but Razum wanted to be present when his father returned. The reason for this was simple. Razum wanted to learn Sporecraft from his father. He was aware of just how much knowledge his father had, having been the centerpiece of his massive fungal garden for years. That being said, Razum also knew that experimentation was often the key to his father¡¯s success and that failure, more often than not, paved the way forward. So he sat and began to grow spores. They descended from his cap in short stalks tipped with a glowing purple-blue bulb. He engaged in a brief moment of whimsy and twisted his cap causing the spores to twirl this way and that sending shadows flickering around the room. Afterward, he let the bulbs drop from the stalks and was surprised when they didn¡¯t immediately fall. They floated in the air, bobbing on invisible currents as they began to spread outward. He now had spores to play with but didn¡¯t quite know what to do with them. He could still feel them even though they were no longer connected to his Mycelium. Reaching out he could feel them follow his intent but slowly like he was creating a current with his mind. When he stopped they continued to float and even changed direction as some other force acted upon them. He watched as they bobbed up and down, gradually being carried away by some unseen current. Flexing his mind he heightened his awareness and his connection to his spores brightened. It is important to note that Razum saw the world in a very different manner from other creatures. His Sensory Mycelium had been cultivated in such a way that they picked up on environmental signals before translating them into something understandable. Now that Razum was Sapient his Mental Matrix could empower those Mycelium to sense the environment in ways they had never needed to before. As he flexed his mind his mycelium responded to his need by growing thin filaments from his sporecap into the air, waving like little streamers as they caught whatever current the spores were in. Immediately, recognition flooded into his mind. Aether¡­his spores were floating on currents of Aether. Struck with curiosity, Razum uprooted his body and began moving in the direction the Aether was taking his spores. It took him a while but his spores moved slowly to begin with so he had no need to hurry. Eventually, his slow and steady gait ended with him standing before a yawning cave opening. The different streams of Aether coalesced into a veritable stream of life-giving energy. His spores had long since been caught up in the flood and taken inside but Razum hesitated outside. His mycelium lost all connection to his senses when he tried to push them through and the blackness failed to be penetrated by his glowing spores. Razum was not someone to be intimidated for long though. Perhaps it was his youth or perhaps it was the fact that he was intensely curious but regardless of the reason, Razum moved his body into the blackness and felt a piece of himself vanish with it. Chapter 24 - Razum’s First, Accidental, Dungeon Run Razum found himself in a fascinating, for him, situation. A small part of his Mental Matrix had broken off to form its own tiny Matrix centered on his fruiting body. He found that once it had breached whatever barrier it had gone through his fruiting body had become separated from his mycelium network. Rather than abandon the body the portion of his mind that occupied it had been sucked in as well. He still controlled it but from a state removed from his main mycelium network. He flexed that little portion of his mind and watched as it began to slowly grow its own mycelium network using what little it had on hand. He found it to be extremely difficult as having only a small portion of his mental prowess available stretched his capacity to truly expand. The mycelium grew outward only a short distance before it became impossible to create more and Razum gave up. Instead, he drew it back in and extended it in a straight line ahead of him and then marched his body along that line. Once he got to the end he shifted the mycelium that was behind him back in front of him and repeated his action. In this way, he moved a couple of feet every few minutes. He found that he was aided in his task by the piece of Ten¡¯Telo that remained within the fruiting body, the shadow-like flesh helping his mycelium to grow across the hard dirt of the cavern floor. The fact that it was a cavern was not lost on Razum. Even diminished his mind was able to pick up and discern his surroundings from the various inputs he received from his Sensory Mycelium. What little feedback he received was then transmitted and processed by his much larger Mental Matrix. The air was damp and cold, indicative of moisture and open air. This was not a tunnel but a vast open area. An area absolutely soaked in Aether. Razum could feel it through his mycelium along with vibrations that shook the air, vibrations that his mycelium interpreted as sound. Razum didn¡¯t really have ears which he believed to be why his father preferred to use his mental magic to speak to him, utilizing the spores of his lesser cousins. If he were honest with himself, Razum preferred it that way too. Sounds had to be further interpreted by his mind into useful information before he could act on it. When utilizing mental magic, interpretation and meaning flowed much easier but some of that might be the result of his father¡¯s openness with him. Dug was not above deception but he was unapologetically himself. If there was any deception it was due to the other person refusing to recognize his true nature. Razum liked that and was determined to do the same. Perhaps that was why he chose the strategy he did when his mycelium relayed an increase in sound nearby. Coming to a halt, Razum planted his fruiting body, spreading what little mycelium he had in a circle around him, and hiding the more humanoid features of his body. To all appearances, it seemed like a mushroom had spontaneously sprouted from the ground. He made sure to grow a few spores, the purple-blue of their mind attunement shining softly as they descended from his sporecap. He also corralled the spores already floating in the cavern and brought them closer so that he would have some tools already present in case he needed to act quickly. It didn¡¯t take long for the source of the sounds to make itself known. Razum noted the surprise in the tone when it inevitably caught sight of him. The sapient mushroom opened a visual pit, his horrifying approximation of an eye, in order to see what had discovered him. He saw a green form and his mind was shocked to stillness. It wasn¡¯t at all like his father but it was similar to the point that it took him a moment to pick out the differences. It was smaller, if that was possible, as well as hunched in posture and stupid in the face and eyes. Only a sort of wicked cunning was there behind a wall of hunger and desire for violence. The goblin-like creature shuffled forward and Razum had to hold in a surge of disgust that welled up within him at the stupidity written large on its face. Nonetheless, he let the creature come close until it was sniffing around his fruiting body. Like tiny motes of light Razum let his spores go and the sniffing turned to choking as the creature breathed in a cloud of purple-blue spores. He felt the moment the creature''s mind bloomed within his own awareness. His smaller Mental Matrix whirled to life and Razum began to experiment. He slammed his lesser mind into the other creature¡¯s like a battering ram. It hissed in pain as its mind shuddered under the impact and lashed out at the only thing nearby, still unaware completely of how it was being harmed. Razum¡¯s fruiting body had a chunk taken out of it but it was small and since he didn¡¯t feel pain he cared even less. He slammed into the creature¡¯s mind again and felt it shudder and crack. The goblinoid keened softly, grabbing its head before collapsing to its knees. Razum waited for a moment but when it seemed as though the creature was unable to continue the fight he figured it was time to put it out of its misery. In this way, he mirrored his father. When hunting a creature it was best to refrain from torturing it. He sharpened his Mental Matrix, diminished as it was while separated from his main mind, and sent it like a spike into one of the cracks in the creature''s brain. Immediately, the mind unraveled and the creature¡¯s body stilled. Razum reshaped his fruiting body into a more humanoid form in order to shuffle over to the goblinoid, sending his mycelium forward to facilitate his movement. It didn¡¯t take long for him to reach the still-breathing corpse. It was quite interesting in fact. The mind had collapsed and unraveled like so many strings and yet the Spark remained active and the flesh along with it. He supposed that the inner spirit of a creature must be separate from its mind and a mind separate somehow from the physical flesh. To experiment Razum pushed more power into his body¡¯s transformation to fashion a spiked ligament in place of his right arm. He drove that spike into the creature¡¯s heart, watching all the while. The flesh died quickly with no mind to keep fighting for life and the Spark released from the flesh with an almost audible Snap once it had given up its function. A strange development. Perhaps further experimentation was in order of an entirely different sort. He had a freshly deceased body before him, a desire to propagate, and a Title given for the purpose. He had planned on learning more about spores and fungus from his father before creating a monster of his own but he figured that in the situation he had found himself in any mistakes could be rectified. Razum focused intensely on his Title and found that the process of creating a Sporeheart was not as difficult as he had thought at first. From the edge of his Sporecap grew a singularly large stalk with a spore on the end. It glowed a bright purple-blue just like his normal ones but then it began to grow larger and shine brighter. Razum felt reverberations through his mycelium and realized that he was likely making a good deal of noise as well. It didn¡¯t take long for other noises to join his. Most likely other goblinoids. The spore began to pulse rhythmically on the stalk and he caught it awkwardly in his left hand even as the glow faded. The Sporeheart continued to thump sending pulses of intent and Aether outward. Moving as quickly as he could Razum placed the heart inside the hole he had made with his spike right arm. As it was introduced to the material, the Sporeheart flashed brightly once more before it exploded into motion. Razum watched in awe as the goblinoid¡¯s body writhed in place. Mycelium burst from the Sporeheart and fungal growths sprouted from the hole in its chest, carving its way in an outward arc away from the body and claiming the upper shoulder of its back. More growths burst from various places on its body before it seemed to calm. Its eyes flared with a brilliant purple-blue flame before fading into an eerie glow of the same color. It shuddered and then rose to its feet in a lurching awkward motion, a low reverberation emanating from its throat. Just in time for a small group of its former kin to come howling around the corner. Razum, only slightly panicking since he didn¡¯t really have the bodily functions to experience such an emotion, tried to mind-spike them and when that didn¡¯t do much of anything, since he hadn¡¯t ambushed them with mind-opening spores, he did what any mushroom man might do and planted himself. His monster did the exact opposite. It howled in a weird bass tone and threw itself at the goblinoids. What followed was a bloody dance of brutality. The monstrous goblinoid tore into its former kin with a glee that was disturbing as it used its changed body as a battering ram to bowl over the charging creatures. It rose fast, awkward but fast, and lunged for a downed opponent with a hand suddenly transformed. Fingernails now more like claws, the creature ripped and tore at the body below it, rending terrible wounds into its flesh. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It only switched targets when it was attacked from the side, bowled over itself by the force of numbers as three goblinoids tackled it. The growths on its body shone and its eyes glimmered as jagged knifelike growths erupted from the fungal protrusions emanating from its heart. Those growths dug into the creature''s opponents and they hissed in pain, withdrawing. They had done some damage, however, as Razum noticed that his monster had difficulty rising from the wounds it had been dealt. It growled low and deep before glaring at the circling goblinoids with a fury that Razum found remarkable. He noted it for later even as his mind worked to generate some kind of plan. The goblinoids, for whatever reason, were content to ignore him in favor of his monstrous child. Looking at its natural weaponry and slavering jaws Razum could perhaps forgive them for overlooking him. It would be to their detriment, however. He began by activating his spores, spreading them out like a glittering cloud. Doing so allowed him to wield his mind magic more sparingly but also more strategically. When one of the enemies attacked his monster he would twist its perception so that it either missed or the monster was able to dodge. Breathing them in proved unavoidable to the enemy and it wasn¡¯t long before the remaining goblinoids were hacking and coughing. In a bizarre turn of events, as the cloud spread out it seemed as though his monster was empowered by them as it moved more easily and less awkwardly. While the remaining enemies were distracted it rushed forward and collapsed upon them with its claws rending and tearing. It didn¡¯t take long for them to fall and soon enough his monstrous child was warbling its victory into the dank cavern. Razum watched in silence as the growths present on the creature rippled as if alive. He was surprised when the System manifested a prompt within his main Mental Matrix and he pulled his attention from the sliver of mind that remained with his fruiting body. It was a strange sensation to have a mind in two separate places and yet be functionally the same. Perhaps this was the Boon called Divergent Overmind. With his curiosity sated and the danger to his fruiting body resolved he felt free to engage his main mind to the task of solving the issue. He quickly reached the conclusion that the Boon was indeed the catalyst behind his split mind and that his Mental Matrix had split to continue oversight of his Fruiting Body. It was intensely interesting as whatever had caused the split continued to cut off his tiny sliver of consciousness from his main mind and though he could hop between the two as easily as breathing he could not control both at the same time. He was about to conduct more tests when he felt the System buzz insistently. ¡®Ah, right.¡¯ Razum thought, remembering the reason he had withdrawn back to his main mind.
The Growth has been detected¡­Analyzing¡­ Title granted by The Maker¡¯s Decree¡­Accepted¡­ Congratulations Razum! You have successfully created a Fungal Monstrosity. As the creator of this Monstrosity, you may rename it at any time.
Razum let the information pass over him but didn¡¯t name the creature right away. If his father was to be believed names had power and he wasn¡¯t sure about naming an experiment that he might not keep. Regardless, as he passed over the initial System message, more letters began to scroll across his mind.
Congratulations Razum! You have entered a Dungeon Challenge! Due to the Dungeon Core being asleep, the System will automatically release rewards for completed steps.
  • Your party has defeated Grungy Git F(1) x5!
Calculating Experience¡­Titles Acknowledged! The 800 Xp generated during the challenge becomes 1600 Xp due to the Title -> Progenitor Due to Title -> Umbral Host, 800 Xp has been reserved for Ten¡¯Telo as per the covenant Congratulations Razum!
  • You have received 800 Xp!
As a sapient being with a Monstrous creation you may divide this Experience as you see fit. Do you wish for -> Fungal Monstrosity -> to receive Xp? Yes/No
Razum hopped back into the Dungeon to observe his creature. He found it spreading mycelium over the goblinoid corpses in order to break them down for sustenance. It was an ugly thing but effective. It was also an experiment and Razum didn¡¯t think he wanted to be spending his Experience frivolously. His sister Obu had told him how she got a random choice after gaining five levels because she didn¡¯t choose a Cornerstone for herself beforehand. He didn¡¯t think that would be effective for him. He wasn¡¯t a Dungeon Core and he didn¡¯t have a Cornerstone. Instead, he had a space for a class, a space that was currently empty. Razum had a feeling that he really needed to wait for his father to teach him before he went ahead and spent Experience like his sister had. It had obviously worked for her but such an approach would not work for himself. That being said, he would keep his Experience for himself. His experiment had done well but he saw no reason to increase its power when there would be better opportunities down the road. So he shrugged his fruiting body and hopped back over to his main mind. He clicked No on his System message and watched new letters spring to life.
Congratulations Razum!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 1!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 2!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 3!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 4!
Razum felt excitement wash through him, a feeling that was mirrored by Ten¡¯Telo through their connection. He didn¡¯t know exactly what the symbiote would use the experience for but he figured it would know better than him what it needed to focus on to grow. As for himself, he knew that he would need to spend Experience somehow but couldn¡¯t find any System prompts like his sister said there would be. Perhaps this too was another difference between A Dungeon Core and a Sapient creature. He prodded his creature to exit back the way he had come. It obeyed, though it hissed at having to leave behind its meal. He had them exit at the same time and felt a measure of relief when his two minds reconnected seamlessly. He would need to practice dividing his mind so that it wouldn¡¯t trip him up later. Perhaps he would get to the point of truly doing two or three things at once. The monster he swiftly brought to heal in order to keep it from wandering around.
Congratulations Razum! You have entered a Dungeon Challenge! Due to the Dungeon Core being asleep, the System will automatically release rewards for completed steps.
  • Room 1 Challenge Partially Completed!
Calculating Experience¡­Titles Acknowledged! The 320 Xp generated during the challenge becomes 640 Xp due to the Title -> Progenitor Due to Title -> Umbral Host, 320 Xp has been reserved for Ten¡¯Telo as per the covenant Congratulations Razum!
  • You have received 320 Xp!
As a sapient being with a Monstrous creation you may divide this Experience as you see fit. Do you wish for -> Fungal Monstrosity -> to receive Xp? Yes/No
Razum¡¯s awareness homed in on the information hanging in his mind. He chose once more to accept the Experience from completing the Challenge though it was interesting that the System called it a partial completion. He would have to ask his sister why that was.
Congratulations Razum!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 5!
Warning! You have reached the Level Cap for Rank F(1)! To begin advancement to Rank F(2) please ascend to Level 5 immediately to receive your Advancement Quest! Any further Experience gains will be banked until after your Advancement Quest has been completed.
Razum controlled his fruiting body to begin moving even as he processed the System message. Ten¡¯Telo sent him feelings of satisfaction and he figured the Symbiote had reached the same threshold as he had and was ready to Rank up. He sent feelings of patience down their connection along with a sense of greater connection between them. He wanted them to spend their Experience together in order to create a greater sense of Symbiosis. Ten¡¯Telo¡¯s reply was one of begrudging acceptance. The covenant was clear that they would grow together and the Symbiote would do nothing to compromise their path to greatness. That greatness would be achieved was honestly not a consideration to Razum. He was the son of the greatest Shamaan to walk the face of another plane of existence. Potential was something he carried as an inheritance. All he had to do was not squander it. Chapter 25 - Dug the Professor Dug stared at the creature standing before him, assessing it with darting eyes and a hand stroking his beard. He could feel Razum¡¯s great mind at work through the bond they shared as well as the spores present in the air and thus could feel his son¡¯s great anxiety. He sighed and felt the anxiety spike in intensity. His son had told him all about his accidental stumbling into his sister¡¯s Dungeon and the ensuing combat that took place. Then there was the issue of the ¡®Experiment¡¯ before him. It was an atrocious Working, merely a corpse given new life through neural spore enhancement. It wasn¡¯t that difficult to accomplish given the right spores and environment. Even easier if the spores took over a freshly killed creature. Controlled the right way these creatures were useful fodder and a good way to test various fungal infusions that affected flesh. Dug had used them frequently when he had been an adventurer, back when his friends had known him as a druid with no knowledge of his true power. He had been young then, freshly elevated to his status as Shamaan. His eyes grew fond as he remembered the town of Greengale in the far north and the adventures he had shared there. He shook his head to dispel the fond memories and returned his mind to examining the creature before him. The issue with it was that it wasn¡¯t made through careful spore application but rather in an explosive and chaotic fashion. This ¡®Sporeheart¡¯ that his son had access to was filled with a latent subconscious, one driven to consume and grow. Had it not been thoroughly chained by the System, Dug would have obliterated it and left no trace. Such a thing was a plague that spread without care for the damage it did to the natural world. For all of the danger that it represented unchained, he could see the potential of the power now that it was bound by The Maker. By The Maker¡¯s decree, it was his son¡¯s to use but Dug would not stand for further sloppy work. He would need to teach his son spore mastery quickly, the ways of weaving Aether and spore together to produce carefully guided results, and how to transform, carefully, material prepared for the insurgence of fungi. ¡°Dis beez poor work,¡± Dug said as he stepped forward to poke and prod at the creature, disregarding its hissing bass screeches. He felt his son¡¯s disappointment but also a sense of acceptance and agreement. Good, his son had already known that his creature wouldn¡¯t be accepted. ¡°Notta perfig, bud notta bad fer an espirament. Uze must learn lots. Learn tah uze dis powah beddah. Isa teacha you. Teacha uze dah way of spore and Waag.¡± Reaching into the folds of his robe he brought forth the shard of condensed Waaglight. ¡°Dis beez your heritance. Dah Waag beez yours by birdright.¡± He put it back before placing his warty hand on his son¡¯s sporecap. ¡°First doh, weesa will talk on fungee. Only aftah yousa learn dah ways of dah Sporemeistahs will yousa learn of dah Waag.¡± Feeling his son¡¯s acceptance he gestured for him to follow as he led the way to the fungal garden. It took a bit as his son still moved his fruiting body awkwardly. To be honest it didn¡¯t really matter as the fungal garden was the place where Razum¡¯s main mind dwelled, among his vast network of mycelium. Razum had inherited the work of Dug¡¯s hands as he had cultivated Razum to be the overmind of his garden and even after being raised to Sapience he still had that power. Dug could feel it even as he ambled beside the moving sporecap. It was strange to be so aware of his son¡¯s presence in the metaphysical as opposed to interacting with a physical body. Razum¡¯s fruiting body almost acted as an avatar for his prodigious mind and Dug chuckled at the thought, aware that many mages sought for such a power as it would allow them to explore the world without risking their often frail bodies. It pleased him immensely to know his son would not have that limitation. His only limitation would be the vastness of his mind and the length of his mycelium network. As they walked, Dug checked in on his garden, stopping here and there to commune with each one. Their minds were simple things and many of them weren¡¯t even sentient, but long exposure to Razum¡¯s former self had brought them a measure of existence not often seen in fungi. Many of them now sported levels and descriptions within the System and though Dug scoffed internally, he begrudgingly admitted that seeing the gradual rise in levels was helpful. They allowed him to see the gradual growth of many of his mushrooms and furthermore allowed him to see the variants and standouts among them without having to resort to extensive magic use. Razum seemed content to watch him work and eventually, they made it to Dug¡¯s destination which was, of course, his magnum opus, The Tome of Spores. He placed his hand lovingly on the cover and turned to Razum. ¡°Yousa know what dis beez?¡± At Razum¡¯s nod, he continued. ¡°Den foh dah next twee days, yousa gonna learn dis book, inside an¡¯ out. When dat beez done, den weez can work on dah sporecraftie.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. So saying, he turned away and let Razum approach the book. He waited until Razum began using his fruiting body to turn the pages. Then, he turned around, planning on taking a long nap. He was brought up short, however, by his son¡¯s voice. ¡°Uhh, father?¡± He turned to find the Tome of Spores glowing brightly before flaring with brilliance. When the glow faded, Razum¡¯s fruiting body was still and Dug could sense that his son was startled and overwhelmed by a rush of information. He began to stump back over to check on his son when a notification appeared in front of him.
Tome of Spores: Secondary Feature (Skill Book) has been activated. Due to the Blood Covenant between Dug Shardaal and Razum, Tome of Spores: Secondary Feature (Skill Book) has gifted Razum with the Skill -> Knowledge 3 (Fungal). Due to Race: Overmind Sporecap (Awakened), Knowledge 3 (Fungal) has evolved to -> Knowledge 5 (Fungal) Full Sapience detected at F(1). No class chosen or Experience spent. No Skill Slot is available for Knowledge 5 (Fungal). Not enough Experience to receive the Skill -> Knowledge 5 (Fungal). Error!
Dug felt the System begin to search for answers to resolve the problem. He snorted in exasperation before slapping the remainder of his pooled experience into the System¡¯s control. ¡°Jus¡¯ give et to ¡®im!¡± The System shuddered for a moment before responding.
Sub-Administrator protocol recognized. Skill -> Knowledge 5 (Fungal) given to Razum as a Free Skill. ¡°Thank you for taking care of the issue, even if your solution was to throw your own valuable Experience at it. As you didn¡¯t know about your book¡¯s hidden feature this was a fine outcome. Let me give you a quick run-through of how Experience works for Sapients like your son so that you can avoid further errors. As I mentioned before they can utilize it to grow stronger. Normally, this happens in a gradual way as they learn and seek new avenues to power. Classes and the Skill Slots they give are the framework Experience operates on. Your son¡¯s quick growth is abnormal in that he has managed to accrue plenty of Experience by using natural Boons without actually choosing a Class and opening Skill Slots. This must be rectified quickly or more of these errors will occur. I would recommend teaching him slowly and methodically so that he can spend his accumulated Experience and rise in Rank. Everything else will come with time.¡±
  • The Administrator
Dug snorted again but took the time to read through the scrolling words. As much as he didn¡¯t like it, the Administrator knew everything about the System he had made. It would be the height of foolishness to disregard his words and when it came to his children Dug would be anything but foolish. He nodded as he got to the end. He had an idea of what had happened. Whatever this Skill Book feature of his Tome of Spores was it had tried to give his son a Skill that he didn¡¯t have the ability to obtain. He could sense through the bond they shared that his son was overwhelmed by the amount of information he had received. He sighed in frustration. His goal had been to introduce everything slowly and instead, his book had gained System powers without him seeing it. The fact that it could confer all of the knowledge hidden within was an amazing feature but obviously dangerous. The Tome of Spores held centuries of his personal study and knowledge of fungal formations and growing patterns. To have all of that shoved into your mind¡­Dug shuddered, trying to imagine it. He walked over to his son¡¯s body and placed his hand on it, letting his senses dive deeper than he had since his son had reached Sapience. He found his son¡¯s mind swimming in new information and though powerful his mind was floundering in trying to categorize everything. Dug stepped in utilizing decades of experience to help put things where they needed to be. The two quickly entered a kind of psychological teaching session. No words were shared but their minds were closely connected enough that words were unnecessary. Dug helped his son form connections and understanding beyond what the System had given him and through it all he could sense the System attempting to help in its own way. By the end, everything was where it was supposed to be and his son had recovered sufficiently to pilot his fruiting body once more. Dug pulled out of the bond and rubbed his son¡¯s sporecap affectionately. ¡°Dat beez well done Razum. Sorry yousa had tah deal wid dat. Didn¡¯t know dah bookie would do dat to yah. Yousa feel beddah now?¡± Razum¡¯s voice was tired but relieved. ¡°Yes father, I am well. That was¡­intense.¡± Dug chuckled at his son¡¯s succinct explanation. ¡°Yes et was but now yousa ¡®ave everyting uze need in order to become a Sporemeistah in trude.¡± He brought his hand up and with just pure Aether-manipulation activated some spores he held lightly. They ¡°woke up¡± and began growing a mycelium network right there on his hand utilizing the Aether he was feeding it. He felt his son¡¯s attention lock on the demonstration and he saw the sensory stalks of his son¡¯s mycelium twinge as they began picking up what he was doing. He pointed with his other hand and began his teaching. He would go slow as the Administrator had told him to and in time he had no doubt that his son would be one of the most fearsome mages on this plane. Chapter 26 - Obu Wakes Up & Cheep Cheep Begins His Quest Consciousness returned to Obu slowly as she recovered from the large amount of Experience she had gained and spent all at once. She yawned like only a Dungeon could, which consisted of a particularly large influx of Aether rushing in from the world outside to bathe her gemstone body. As she came to she was surprised to find notifications from the System running across her Core.
Analyzing¡­Challengers Detected¡­Commencing Dungeon Run Challengers: Razum: Rank F(1), Level 0, Classless Good Luck, Dungeon Core! Notice! Due to the Dungeon Core being asleep, the System will automatically release rewards for completed steps.
With shock and worry mounting, Obu quickly moved on and breathed a sigh of relief when she found the notifications that her brother had succeeded in surviving her Dungeon. Not only had he survived he had partially succeeded in challenging her First Room. There had only been five of her Gits and he hadn¡¯t found any of the traps but she was still proud of him. The fact that he had done so while Classless was little more than astounding, especially since she would rather think of her brother as impressive than her Dungeon as lacking. She felt at the bond with her father and followed the connection to find him patiently teaching Razum the ways of spores and fungi. They were both hunched, bending over a particular specimen and Dug was coaxing it to give forth its spores by supplying it with Aether. Razum watched intently before copying the technique on a similar, separate sporecap nearby. Obu smiled to herself in her own way before returning to her Dungeon without disturbing them. She would make sure that the next time her brother decided to delve into her Dungeon there would be a proper challenge in place. First, though, she checked the System for any Quests she had missed due to her slumber. She wasn¡¯t surprised to find one, along with a note from the Administrator.
New Quest Given! [Breaking Through] Type: Rank Up, Repeatable Description: You are on the cusp of advancement to the next Rank. As a Dungeon Core, there are a few ways to achieve this advancement. Your options are:
  • Purify a source of corruption nearby.
  • Draw corruption from a nearby leyline.
  • Help a challenger achieve their Rank Up by providing a suitable challenge.
¡°I have taken the liberty of offering a Rank Up Quest on your behalf to one of the Muskeera who delved into your Dungeon the first time. You should prepare to receive him, I believe he is making his way to you.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
  • Administrator
Obu hummed at that information, dismissing the notification and moving to examine her Dungeon. Her First and Second Rooms and found them recovering but not fully recovered. The First Room in particular was not prepared to receive Delvers. She pinged the System on the contents of the Muskeeran¡¯s quest. While it didn¡¯t send her a complete copy of the Muskeeran¡¯s Quest, it did provide her with the requirements. Armed with that information she let her presence wash through her Dungeon preparing her creatures for the coming encounter. Her Mini-Boss in particular perked up and began growling in anticipation. She left her Dungeon Monsters to prepare before letting her presence drift out to where her main Core lay propped against Dug¡¯s massive bed. It wasn¡¯t long after that she sensed the Muskeeran, Cheep-Cheep, enter her Awareness. POV Cheep-Cheep Cheep-Cheep considered himself a decently courageous Muskeeran but he couldn¡¯t help his eyes from flicking to one shadow or another as he made his way deeper into the domain of the green one and his children. He had finally given up waiting to be summoned and instead snuck out of the camp by himself. Having told any who asked that he was out ¡°hunting,¡± meant that he wouldn¡¯t be missed for a couple of hours. The fact that he had gone alone would end up raising some speculation which was something he had wanted to avoid but he couldn¡¯t take a hunting group where he needed to go and his mixed party would have raised even more questions. So here he was, skulking through the green one¡¯s den, trying to remember the way to the Dunn-Junn, when a young female voice echoed in his ear. ¡°Welcome Cheep-Cheep! Pleased to meet you!¡± This caused his fur to stand on end and his body to leap sky-high. There was a feminine giggle before a trail of lights appeared in front of him. They hung in the air effortlessly and seemed to shimmer with colors Cheep-Cheep had never seen before. He reached a hand out and felt nothing as his hand passed through the lights. The voice returned, and though the excitement was still there it was now gentle and coaxing. ¡°Follow the light, Cheep-Cheep. It will take you where you need to go.¡± Tentatively he did as the voice commanded, following the lights until he reached a familiar yawning doorway. Words flashed in his vision confirming what he already knew. This was the place he had been looking for, the place where he would either succeed in defeating the third room or die trying. He passed through the inky blackness and into the place beyond. He thought he heard words echo before he did so but his mind couldn¡¯t hold onto them. ¡°Good Luck.¡± POV Obu The Dungeon Core watched as the Muskeera entered her halls and once again wished him good luck, though he could no longer hear her. This challenge would be his and his alone though she could help him along in other ways. With her first two Rooms still recovering from the previous Dungeon runs she felt it was alright to expedite the Muskeeran¡¯s Quest. She ordered her few respawned creatures to give him a wide birth, not hiding but rather making it clear that he was able to pass. She also kept up the stream of light that led him through her first two Rooms until he ended up before the entrance to her Third Room. It was there that he hesitated, clearly gathering his courage to confront the test before him. His pawed hands clasped his spear fiercely and his breaths came fast. She was about to try something to get him moving when he took another deep breath and stepped into the dark tunnel that led to the Third Floor. He made his way slowly along the dark corridor with its ups, downs, and slick surfaces. It didn¡¯t take long for him to travel the distance to the Third Room and that was interesting in and of itself. Now that she was looking closer, she could see a soft sheen of Aether every time he came upon a particularly difficult piece of terrain. His paws seemed to stick despite the slickness of various surfaces and his leg muscles compensated for any awkwardness of movement. This Muskeeran seemed to have some tricks. She hoped they would be enough to keep him alive. Chapter 27 - Cheep-Cheep’s Challenge When the stone doors opened Cheep-Cheep expected another dark cave but was surprised to find the trail of lights still active and proceeding deeper. He followed but cautiously, unwilling to put his fate completely in the dancing lights. That decision was soon proven wise as some of the green-skinned cave dwellers came screeching from the darkness. These were slightly more muscular than those in the first room and although their eyes still lacked true intelligence their bodies moved with savage purpose. Cheep-Cheep knew how to deal with savagery, however. He darted to the side, away from the trail of lights, and pressed Aether into one of his Instinct-Gifts, the abilities given by the Life-Words. The life-giving energy flooded his body with speed and power, a gift that he hadn¡¯t wished to use in the presence of others in case they told the chief of it later. He darted around a towering spear of rock only to leap up and back. One pawed hand grasped the top of the spire and with a wrench of empowered muscles, he twisted around it to land behind the group on soft-furred backpaws. His spear then went to work and he downed two with careful thrusts before the others knew of the danger. He wounded one more before they completed their turning and so he faced off against two and a half, as the other was limping. He wouldn¡¯t be able to pull off the stunt again as despite their savagery they weren¡¯t completely without instinct themselves. His spear darted back and forth to hold them off until another of his Instinct-Gifts flared white-hot like the Far-Light in the sky. He went flat to the ground, feeling rather than hearing the swoop of an aerial menace. He rolled, his empowered muscles screaming in protest as he twisted unnaturally to escape the probing stone knives of the savage green ones. As he rose he looked up to find one of the feathery furred bird things from the second room coming back around for another dive. With a click of his tongue, Cheep-Cheep darted off into the black. He would hunt everything that stood before him and his vengeance and he would do it on his own terms. POV Obu The Dungeon Core watched as the little Muskeeran systematically tore through her creatures with abilities she hadn¡¯t known he possessed. Had he hidden them on purpose? Perhaps he hadn¡¯t wished his companions to know but that begged the question of why. Not that it mattered much to her. It was better this way. If he succeeded in his quest it would mean a Rank Up for him and a Rank Up for her. Not to mention that both of them would receive quite a deposit of Experience. Already he had accrued over a thousand from her defeated creatures. Obu monitored his condition and wasn¡¯t surprised when he began to flag. His Aether levels had dropped from consistent use of his abilities and he hadn¡¯t been able to rest to replenish them. That being said, by the time he finally had to stop he had hunted the majority of her creatures within her Third Room. He had also found the arena where her miniboss stalked and was currently resting some distance away but close enough that he could see the pacing form of her powerful minion. The remainder of her creatures had retreated to their spawners and she found that to be a System enforced instinct. When she queried the System as to its purpose it stated that as Rooms got bigger and Floors grew larger, the amount of creatures that needed to be defeated in order for challengers to move on fluctuated. This only applied to challengers, however, as invaders would find the entire Dungeon against them if they made the attempt. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. It didn¡¯t take long for Cheep-Cheep to begin to move once more. His Aether had refilled to about halfway which he evidently believed to be enough. She didn¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t wait further but suspected it had something to do with the reason why he hid his powers in the first place. Perhaps he wanted to finish as quickly as possible so that others wouldn¡¯t miss him. As he stepped onto the rough stone that formed the floor of the arena her creature¡¯s gaze snapped up to meet his. Its goblinoid mouth opened and nonsensical chatter emanated from it. Cheep-Cheep didn¡¯t shy away from the guttural sound and readied his spear with a focused expression. Obu sunk her awareness to surround them. She didn¡¯t want to miss anything. POV Cheep-Cheep A nervous energy pervaded Cheep-Cheep¡¯s body as he fought to keep his breath steady. He had faced numerous creatures in the last few hours and the stress of battle had sunk a weariness into his bones that would require extensive rest. Before him stood the last barrier to that rest. Taller than its kin and built with lean muscle that screamed, ¡°Predator,¡± the creature eyed him hungrily. There was an increase of intelligence in that gaze that was more terrifying than the strength of its body. Their gazes remained locked for a half breath more and then they flew towards each other. It was fast and powerful but Cheep-Cheep was a hunter well used to keeping threats at bay. He flooded his body with Aether to keep up with its speed and his muscles responded to his demands with a strength born from Aetheric desperation. He knew now that he didn¡¯t have the ability to maintain his empowerment for terribly long but he hoped that it would be enough. Savage claws tried to rip him apart but the stone tip of his spear kept the creature at bay even as it hissed and spat at him, growling in its guttural tongue. Cheep-Cheep darted to the left before over-empowering his limbs, limbs that creaked at the stress, turning the quick motion into a feint that left the creature wide open. Cheep-Cheep¡¯s eyes flashed as his second Instinct-Gift activated, his spear flashing forward in a blur. There was a scream of pain and a blur of motion. Then Cheep-Cheep was flying through the air, his mind fuzzy with pain and confusion. Cold water roused him as he landed in one of the pools. The water closed over him as the puddle was revealed to be far deeper than what it seemed. He managed to reach the surface, despite his pain, and gasped as his head breached the water. There was a low growl and he looked up to see a much-changed creature prowling toward him. Feathery fur like the aerial predators and beaked maw that let out a bass hiss as their gazes locked. Gone was the intelligence, replaced with a greater savagery. His spear remained embedded in the creature¡¯s torso, the deathblow prevented by some power beyond his knowledge. But the trap below him and the creature¡¯s new lack of intelligence sparked something in Cheep-Cheep¡¯s mind. He bit off his scream of pain as he forced himself up and out of the pool. Something internal had been broken but he had no time to check the wound he had received as the creature lunged toward him with all the speed of a deadly predator. What it received was trickery. Cheep-Cheep drew up the meager reserves of Aether he had remaining and ducked under its wild grasping claws and plunging beak, grabbing his spear and twisting. The pain was unfathomable and his jaw opened in a hiss of pain as he felt bones creak like they shouldn¡¯t but Aether kept him moving past physical limits. It was enough. The creature was thrown into the trapped pool and its hissing growl became a panicked one as its beaked face filled with water. It struggled to swim and as Cheep-Cheep suspected its feathers weren¡¯t the same as the feathered creatures that swam on the river and lake nearby that repelled water. These feathers soaked up water until they became heavy and they dragged the creature below into the dark. Cheep-Cheep collapsed, his breaths becoming wet as something scraped his insides. He knew then that he was dying. He had done his best but the quest had been too much for him. His eyes filled with tears at the thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to avenge his brother after all. His eyes darkened and it grew ever harder to breathe until he struggled just to gasp another breath. And then there was a rush of something beyond him. He screamed as his insides realigned, bones snapping back into place and bloody fluid was expelled from his lungs. He passed out even as light descended upon his limp form. Experience rushed to fill him and even unconscious he groaned as it seared itself into his psyche. Then the light lifted and he drifted fully into that deep unconsciousness that only comes to the truly weary. Chapter 28 - Obu’s Reward & Expansion Obu looked on as Cheep-Cheep received his just rewards and breathed easier when the Rank Up healed his internal wounds. She then accepted the System¡¯s prompt to release the Experience produced by the little Muskeeran¡¯s challenge. The ensuing light show only lasted a short time and then there was only the dripping cavern and Cheep-Cheep¡¯s unconscious form. Turning from the brave little creature, Obu read the words that blazed across her Core and despite herself, she giggled with glee.
[Breaking Through] - Completed Type: Rank Up, Repeatable Description: You are on the cusp of advancement to the next Rank. As a Dungeon Core, there are a few ways to achieve this advancement. Your options are:
  • Purify a source of corruption nearby.
  • Draw corruption from a nearby leyline.
  • Help a challenger achieve their Rank Up by providing a suitable challenge. You have succeeded in helping challenger Rank Up. Congratulations!
    • [Reward: Ascension to Rank F(3)]
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You meet the requirements for Ascending to Rank F(3)!
    • Would you like to Ascend? (Yes/No)
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have Ascended to Rank F(3)
    • Monster Spawners may now be upgraded to produce F(3) Monsters.
  • Due to the Cornerstone, Jack of All Stones, you receive no additional rewards from this Rank Up
Despite the lack of additional rewards, Obu couldn¡¯t help but be excited. With Cheep-Cheep¡¯s victory, she was now able to grow beyond her limits and though he had received the lion¡¯s share of Experience, there was a lot to go around. She let the System messages dissipate but only so that she could pull up the previous prompt.
Analyzing¡­Challengers Detected¡­Commencing Dungeon Run Challengers: Cheep-Cheep: Rank F(3), Level 14, Hunter Gatherer Good Luck, Dungeon Core! Room 3: 10 F(2) Defenders & 1 F(2) Miniboss Vanquished¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated Room 3: 1 Trap Survived¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated Room 3 Challenge Completed¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated A total of 5600 Experience has been generated. The Reward has been divided in the following ways: 1120 Experience is awarded to the Dungeon, The Obulwaag, for offering the Challenge. 4480 Experience has been divided among the participating Challengers. Would you like to distribute the rewards? Yes/No
She had obviously accepted and Cheep-Cheep had received his reward already. His Rank Up must have been System administered since he wasn¡¯t able to accept the prompt himself. As for Obu, she felt the waiting Experience rush into her like a flood and she knew that her gemstone would be shining like the sun for a few moments.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 11!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 12!
Acting quickly, Obu pulled up her System Report to gaze at her attributes. What she found did not disappoint. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
The Obulwaag
Race: Dungeon Core
Chosen Name: Obu
Bond: Dug Shardaal (Non-System Entity)
Cornerstone: Jack of All Stones
Rank: F(3) Level: 10 Experience: 1660/600
Core Attributes
Rooted: 4 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s overall capability of digging deeper and expanding its Dungeon.
Empowered: 3 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s direct power in regard to its Monsters, Traps, and Environment.
United: 3 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s ability to better coordinate its Dungeon¡¯s defenses.
Transformed: 4 (+) Measures the Core¡¯s ability to modify its Dungeon in all aspects.
With two levels worth of attributes to spend she quickly slotted one each into Empowered and United, taking her time to get as much out of the Experiences as she could. Then it was time to create. She didn¡¯t want to rush but at the same time, she knew what awaited her once she finished her quest for creating a new room and furnished it with creatures and traps. With the Experience she would get from the quest¡¯s completion she would be able to reach level 13 and with that level came the last point she needed. The point that would push her Rooted attribute to 5 and give her access to the final Room she needed to finish her First Floor. The excitement that coursed through her Core made it hard to concentrate. Still, she did her due diligence because anything less would be noticed by her father and she could hear his voice in her head from back when he had complained about other shamaans skipping corners in their spellcraft. So despite herself, she slowed down and made sure to craft a well-made Room. This one would have Rank F(3) creatures in it so she wanted it to feel different from the others, more sequential. The Room was roughly 60 goblin feet wide, 80 goblin feet long, and 40 goblin feet high, looking more like a square than the others had been. In the middle, she made a deep pool and made the whole thing a Cavern Trap which ended up consuming all of her trap points for the Room but that was fine. Its depth was important since it was the main room feature. Next, she dug through her memories of her father¡¯s adventures, searching for what she needed. When she found it she got to work fashioning rickety scaffolding to large stalagmites jutting up from the ground. These were connected to a crevice carved at the back of the Room where the next stone doorway waited. She had the crevice continue off to the side where she made a little cave separate from the larger cavern. It was here that she put her monster spawners. Only goblinoid ones this time since she had a certain idea in mind for her final room and the monsters within. She set them to Rank F(3) and began to finish the Room while they did their work. She set up torches along the rickety scaffolding and attempted to light them with the Waag her father had gifted her with. The torches lit with a woosh of flame and green light but she knew immediately that it wasn¡¯t quite right. Just like her goblinoid creatures, there was a hint of the real thing but it lacked substance. Still, the flames gave the ambiance she wanted and they weren¡¯t completely fake so she allowed herself to be content with the process of growing. Turning to the Room at large she swept her Dungeon gaze around to make sure it looked right. She was rather pleased with the overall effect. Green light reflected off the deep pool in the center of the room but the way the doorway was set up allowed challengers only a glimpse of the pool but without sight of the scaffolding. It would be only after they investigated the pool that they would see the broad scope. They would need to either climb the scaffolding or attempt to scale the slick cavern walls but either way it would be a proper challenge. Once on top, they would have to watch out so that they wouldn¡¯t fall into the too-deep pond. Obu hummed as she looked over everything. She felt the System notify her of the returning quest and her fulfillment of requirements but she tuned it out. She didn¡¯t want the distractions right now but at least she was sure that she would have the right amount of Experience to finish her First Floor. A sound made her look up and she watched as her first Rank F(3) goblinoid took a step along the crevice she had made for them. The sight stunned her for a moment and she broke out into a fit of delighted giggles as she opened her notifications at last.
New Quest Given! [Building Plans] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Build a new Room [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Furnish your Room [Completed - Reward +100 XP] Step 3 (Hidden): Give your Room a Theme [Completed - Reward (Adjusted Monstrous Framework)] Description: Furnish your room with the following to complete it:
  • Monster Spawner 2 / 2
  • Traps 2 / 2 Large Trap 1 / 1
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 13!
Obu turned to behold the System¡¯s gift for her creativity. It was still a Git, still ugly, and still stupid. But the crude iron pickax that it held in its large hands told a different story. She looked at its name and laughed again, delighted that the System would work with her in her endeavor to craft a meaningful and interesting Dungeon challenge. The Git, though slightly more intelligent than his lower kin, did nothing more than pick his nose while his creator giggled overhead. He didn¡¯t know much about living as he had only been alive for a few minutes but he knew that if he didn¡¯t find somethin to dig up soon he would have to face the foreman and no Git wanted that. He looked around but found nothing to dig up so he went back to picking his nose. What¡¯s a poor Git Miner F(3) to do, eh? Chapter 29 - Dug Checks In ¡°Now den. Yousa practice lots whiles I goes an checks on Obu.¡± Razum¡¯s sporecap nodded but the mind behind it was intensely focused, like a well-honed blade. Dug grunted an encouragement before leaving the garden behind. Dug and Razum had been training for some time with the former helping the latter to first categorize his new academic knowledge of spores before introducing the various applications of that knowledge. According to Razum, the ¡°Experience¡± he had gained from his excursion into Obu¡¯s Dungeon allowed him to go from the theoretical to the applicable far quicker than Dug thought possible. It could just be talent and certainly some of that seemed to apply but it was far more likely in Dug¡¯s mind that it was more of the System¡¯s tomfoolery. That vein of thought was what had led Dug to teach more holistically than normal. Usually, he would teach the same subject until it was mastered but in this case, he chose to diversify. He had taught Razum the beginnings of sporecraft, before turning to simple Aether manipulation, and finally, to the calling forth and cultivation of the Waag. Such a balanced approach would hopefully make the most of the odd situation and Dug was determined that his son would have the greatest of foundations upon which to stand. Still, after a whole day spent training his son, who seemed to soak up teaching like a sponge did water, it was time to check on his other child. He had felt the bond between them flex and when he had checked he had found that her Rank had increased. This interested him and so as he made his way out of his fungal garden he angled his path so that it led to the entrance of Obu¡¯s Dungeon. Peeking his head inside inquisitively he shrugged and upon seeing that there wasn¡¯t a message or notification, continued on his way. He didn¡¯t know exactly why entering Obu¡¯s Dungeon functioned differently for him than for Razum or the Muskeera and Talpi but he suspected it either had something to do with the fact that he shared a bond with his daughter or that he had never been integrated. As he stumped his way through the different Rooms and the tunnels connecting them he made a note of the differences between the first time he had been here and the current Dungeon. Obu seemed to be progressing rapidly which was good. Razum and Obu both seemed to have aspects that gave them more strength than their Rank would reflect and those strengths helped them advance quickly. Dug trudged past the Second Room without stopping as the Owlbats in there were similar to the ones he had fought outside though smaller and less powerful. He did stop in the Third Room however as the increased Rank of the Gits there gave him hope for the future. The presence of the Waag was stronger within them and their blood sang a little sweeter than it had previously. He stumbled upon the unconscious form of Cheep-Cheep in his meanderings but the small creature needed no healing so Dug simply passed him by considering the respawning monsters seemed to be paying him no heed. The ¡°Miniboss¡± was interesting. Dug spent a few minutes poking and prodding the newly respawned creature despite its protests at the treatment. It was a little more intelligent and its blood was almost to true bloodline levels but it was still weak, like watered-down Gobbo Grog¡ªstill a failure but very close to success. Eventually, Dug released the Gitboss and it retreated into the darkness yowling in its gutteral half-language. Cackling to himself Dug continued to the next Room where he had to stop and stare. There was Waag in this Room, he could feel it in his bones. As he made his way further in he could even see the reflections of the dancing flames in the large pool of water that dominated the center of the cavern. There on the other side of the pool from the entrance was a goblin mineshaft. To Dug it was a familiar sight and he knew that Obu must have used her memories of their travels together to recreate the place. He stood and watched the flickering flames, centering himself to continue. Pride flared deep within his chest for the Waag was genuine. It was weak, gasping and sputtering like it could go out at any moment, but it was a true expression. He made his way over and then climbed the rickety scaffolding until he was face to face with the flame. The fire was pleasant to the touch and it warmed his heart that even here on another world, the Waag lived on. Dug was old and he didn¡¯t know how long he had left. There would come a day when he would face the Maker¡¯s judgment and it soothed his spirit to know that the Waag would be passed on through his children. They would shake the foundations of this world and its System. There would be time for dying later. Until then, he had work to do. Turning from the flame, Dug made to head deeper only to pause at the sight of movement further in. His eyes made out the frame of another Git and he sighed. He still made his way over expecting disappointment but the reality was quite surprising. He found a true Git. It was picking its nose and its eyes were rather dull but its bloodline was pure. It was still the lowest of the low and most likely dumb as a bag of bricks but it showed promise. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. The creature itself was Rank F(3) and like all of his daughter¡¯s monsters it acted like it was at the maximum level for its Rank, not that he knew exactly what that meant. With Rank F(3) being the threshold for a true Git, Dug had to wonder what the threshold for a true goblin would be. Still, the fact that there was a pure bloodline of any goblinoid in a realm that had never before seen them was a cause for celebration. Dug almost let out an actual whoop but composed himself and settled for a celebratory bonk on the Git¡¯s head with his staff. He left it there rubbing its head in confusion as he made his way to the next Room. It was here that he felt his daughter¡¯s presence industriously working away and he wasn¡¯t disappointed by what he found. Even as he watched stone was devoured, moved, and restored as a long cavern chamber took shape. The sheer Aetheric might at work was astonishing. She continued on for quite some time, completely absorbed in her work, and gradually a large central cavern with branching mine shafts and scaffolding took shape. Dug found a place to sit even as wooden carts began appearing in the central chamber filled with rough iron ore. Sleeping births were carved into some of the side passages and within them Dug was sure Obu would hide her spawners. Perhaps she did it so that it would seem as though the monsters had just awoken from sleep for their shifts. Regardless it wasn¡¯t long before he had confirmation as a Git Miner stumbled bleary-eyed from one of the side tunnels. Its rusted pickaxe was held loosely as it yawned loudly. It was joined by another and Dug watched as the cavern came to life. It was fascinating and even more so when a ripple passed through the place, disturbing the Aether. The pulse smoothed out irregularities and filled the cavern by making everything seem more real. Dug had been doing homework of his own and he was getting better at recognizing the System¡¯s touch on the world. This newest wonder seemed in tune with what he had discovered. He got up and moved to where his daughter¡¯s presence had paused. He gave her the mental approximation of a poke and was gratified when her presence jumped in surprise. ¡°Dad! What are you doing here?¡± The surprise in her voice confirmed just how focused she had been on crafting this final room. Dug smiled up at where he believed she was looking at him and addressed her question. ¡°Isa jus¡¯ checking in. Razum beez doing well and jus¡¯ needs more practice soes Isa figured I wud check on yous.¡± ¡°Oh, okay! Well I¡¯m doing great! I finally got enough of my Rooted Attribute to finish the Floor!¡± Her excitement was palpable and Dug grinned as he pointedly took in the Room she had made. ¡°Et beez lookin good! Whatta youz put in dis one den? Isa saw dah minibossa yousa put in dah turd room. Yousa get anyting special in dis one?¡± It was a question he¡¯d had since leaving the fourth room. While he was excited that his daughter had a pure goblinoid he was more excited to see what the future would hold. His daughter didn¡¯t disappoint. ¡°Yeah! I have a boss spawner that I can put down to finish this room but I¡¯m a little torn. I had wanted to split it up so that I would have a Gitboss with an animal companion, one of the Owlbats but enhanced. I don¡¯t think that will work yet, though. I kind of want the Owlbat to be big enough for the Gitboss to ride and for that, I definitely need a bigger space.¡± Dug nodded his head at her words. He didn¡¯t know much about what she was talking about but he wanted to support her. So he pulled from his memories of his youth when he had lived in a mine similar to this one. ¡°Hows about a Foreman? Most of dee mines isa been in ¡®ad some bossa in charge of da mining.¡± He proposed simply. From the way his daughter agreed immediately she must have been having similar thoughts. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to give up my original idea so quickly,¡± she said to his questioning look. ¡°I knew it would fit better thematically but I wanted to stay true to my original vision if I could.¡± ¡°Dat makes sense,¡± Dug acknowledged. ¡°Den get to et. Looka forward to seein dah monsta.¡± Obu didn¡¯t disappoint and in the back of the cave she carved out another chamber with some rough finery. He didn¡¯t know how she did it but she was able to craft rough sleeping quarters with the hide of a large Owlbat as a covering. From there she added a wooden chest and other accessories that really completed the savage look of a Foreman¡¯s abode. Then, with a flash of Aetheric light, the bed had an occupant. Dug shuffled forward as the Git sat up, his Sub-Administrator privileges burning across his irises like fire. Gitboss Foreman - F(3) [Boss]* Psuedo-Class: Mine Bossa Dug grunted, half in celebration and half in surprise. He could feel the bloodline on the Gitboss and it was distinctly more goblin-like in nature than the other Rank F(3)s around it. It wasn¡¯t any more pure but it had a quality to it that the others lacked. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Obu was able to reach the next tier of gobbo kind when she herself reached the next Rank, whenever that was. As for Obu, he could feel her excitement through the bond and he knew where it was pointed. Her boss had a Pseudo-class and even though Dug only knew so much even he was aware of just how much of a difference classes made to those who got them. Having spent the last day or so teaching Razum what he could, he knew that power could be found in the System¡¯s Skills but Classes seemed to offer something more. Regardless, his daughter was happy, and therefore, so was Dug. ¡°Dis beez nice! Anyting Isa can do tah ¡®elp?¡± Chapter 30 - Dug & Obu Build Magical Traps There was a moment of silence as his daughter processed his question. ¡°Well¡­¡± his daughter said, drawing out the word. ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t have any plans for traps in this room. Maybe you could teach me how to make magical traps now like we talked about before?¡± Dug immediately nodded. He had forgotten about that conversation in all the hullabaloo of discovering the two small races that made their home in these mountains. After that he had gone through the process of raising Razum to sapience and the ensuing days since had pushed the promise from his mind. He was more than ready to do so now. ¡°Dis beez a ting I can do. Yousa already haves dah most ¡®portent part already dones.¡± ¡°I do?¡± Obu asked. ¡°Yes yes. Yousa ¡®ave summoned dah Waag. Notta powerful, notta yet, but et beez dah firstest ting needed.¡± Dug drew on his power and a finger length of green flame sprung to life in front of him. He waited and at a little mental prompting, Obu summoned her own flame, causing it to hover parallel to his own. He opened his mind to his daughter for the next few moments, showing the basics of communing with the flame. Many of his kin made a show of controlling the Waag, manipulating it into feats of prowess and showboating. That was the reason they never went further. One of the Waag¡¯s major aspects was Freedom and Freedom refused to be chained. A goblin Shamaan had to listen to the Waag, had to divine how the flame wished to move, and then move with it. In the process, they could take the lead at times, and in others, they let the flame lead. It was a sacred dance and only by partnering could you really appreciate it. So, he began showing Obu the first steps of the dance. One of the reasons her first attempt at summoning the Waag was so weak was because she had forced her will upon the flame. He could feel her chagrin through their bond but let her push through it on her own. He could only set his children on the path, not lead them the whole way. If he did that then the triumph would be his, not theirs. Once the first steps had been shown, he let himself dive into the flame, letting Obu watch through their bond. He slipped into the fire¡¯s embrace easily, his mind dancing even as his mouth muttered words of power. They were requests, hints to the Waag about where he wanted to lead, and suggestions on how its power would best be spent. He went slow, intent on offering his daughter a glimpse into how the dynamic worked. The Waag didn¡¯t disappoint. It probed the suggestions, filled the words of power, and ultimately agreed to his leading. Aether flowed out of his body, eyes flaring with green flame as sigils scorched themselves onto one of the four main pillars that extended upwards to meet the ceiling. The sigils glowed for a moment more before the light faded to a dimness that made it hard to perceive in the general light of the cavern. Dug leaned in studying the work before nodding, satisfied. He turned to Obu and waited for her to ask him any questions she might have. Instead, he watched gobsmacked as runes of fire were carved into the floor at the center of the cavern. He had heard no words of power nor felt the flame dance in tune with another. It was only after the runes activated with a flash of green flame that he felt the aftereffects of the dance his daughter must have shared. Truly his daughter was uniquely gifted in the ways and touch of Aether. To have the Waag respond so quickly and easily while retaining the privacy of the dance was something even he aspired to do better at. Indeed, with the aftereffects of the dance so present in his mind because of their bond, he had learned some nuance not yet known to him. He stomped his feet and cackled loudly in the goblin manner of applause. Obu¡¯s crystal flushed a deeper color and her voice broke through his celebration. ¡°I guess I did a good job?¡± Dug guffawed at the question before turning to survey the runic carving. Despite the quality of the dance, the carving itself was substandard but the power present was leagues beyond what it should have been. ¡°Dis beez good work. Much beddah den dah torchies.¡± He pointed to various parts of the carving to make his next point. ¡°Yousa still ¡®ave much tah learn doh, ¡®specially bout runeys an¡¯ ¡®ow tah carve em. Dese spots ¡®ere beez too deep,¡± He said pointing to a particular spot, ¡°and dis one beez too shallow.¡± He continued to point out discrepancies, patiently teaching his daughter how to better form runes so the Waag would be held better. By the time they were finished, the cavern was filled with the ringing sounds of pickaxes on stone. It seemed that the Gitboss Foreman was putting his minions to use despite the fact that there wasn¡¯t anything to mine. Dug shrugged. If he had to guess, it probably had something to do with ingrained instincts from the system. ¡°Isa leave it tah youz den. Practice beez all yousa need now.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± His daughter asked, a hint of uneasiness in her tone. ¡°Yes I beez. Yousa will do fine. Iffa I do it for youz den youz will notta learn for yourselffy.¡± With that he patted the gemstone that technically contained her soul and began stumbling away. ¡°Iffa someting goes wrong jus¡¯ hollah.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. POV Obu Obu watched her father stump away with equal measures of fond amusement and anxiety. Her father¡¯s perspective on life was decidedly laid back. While he cared immensely for her and her brother it was the goblin way to let children find their own way. Personal achievements were terribly important and they could not be given by others. They were the way through which goblins found their place in society. Goblin society was a meritocracy and those with the greatest achievements helped lead the tribe. Her memories were foggy the further back she went. Those first few years in the goblin caves of Dug¡¯s apprenticeship were the foggiest but she remembered the basics of how the mines were run. There was a boss whose achievements in battle and mining both were great enough to elevate him in the minds of the goblins around him. The Shamaan Dug had apprenticed under likewise had his own achievements solving disputes and putting spiritual matters to rest, enough that he was given a voice in the larger tribe. That was the way of it. The more skilled and accomplished you were the more weight your voice held. It made sense, then, for her father to teach them in the goblin way. He gave direction and then let them make their own way so that the achievement would be their own. So, despite her misgivings she got to work filling one of her trap slots with a magical effect as the Waag allowed. She could feel the dance that her father had spoken of. The Waag was almost alive in a way. It was still formed out of Aether but there was a history and presence that was introduced that shifted the feel of the magic entirely. It felt similar to her memories. Like a deep river of emotion and memory, Waag contained every practitioner that had ever partnered with it stretching back to the first Shamaan. At the same time, it was just another affinity of Aether itself. Deep and immovable at times, malleable at others. The dance was learning when to push and when to let go. To Obu it was simple to feel the nuance as in tune with Aether as she was. Finding suitable vessels for the Waag was the difficult part. She called and the Waag answered, coursing through her as she put a leading foot out. She wanted a runic formation on one of the fake mining carts that would release a gout of flame if someone came too close. The Waag refused to take the shape. Obu felt the resistance as a guttering of the flame within and she went back and forth until she figured out why. Simply put, the Waag wanted a more interesting function. Obu shifted to fiery chains that would bind an individual until they either escaped or died and the Waag flatly refused. She shifted to a fiery whip that would distract and chase people around and the Waag seemed¡­amused. Eventually, they settled on a whimsical rat made of fire that would be summoned and connected to a leash of flame. The rat would then chase around and distract whoever had triggered the trap until it was dispelled or ran out of magic. She then added two other more mundane cavern traps to complete the requirements for the room. Obu confirmed the room as completed and the System blared at her.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have completed the Quest [Building Plans] as shown below!
  • You have completed the Quest [Preparing the Floor] as shown below!
[Building Plans] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Build a new Room [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Furnish your Room [Completed +100 Xp] Step 3 (Hidden): Give your Room a Theme [Completed - Reward (Adjusted Boss Framework)] Description: Furnish your room with the following to complete it:
  • Boss Spawner 1 / 1
  • Monster Spawner 2 / 2
  • Traps 2 / 2 + 1 Arcane Trap
[Preparing the Floor] Type: Chain, Repeatable Step 1: Choose an Environment for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Choose a Monster Type for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 3: Choose a Trap Type for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 4: Complete the Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 13!
  • For completing Quests you have been rewarded 700 Xp!
    • 100 Xp from the Completion of [Building Plans]
    • 600 Xp from the Completion of [Preparing the Floor]
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 14!
Obu cheered as she read the System notifications. She had done it! She had finally finished her First Floor. Not only that but with the additional levels she had gained she would even be able to begin building her Second Floor once she assigned her attributes. As she had that thought, however, she paused and hummed to herself in consideration. Perhaps it would be better to wait until she reached Rank E. That way her Dungeon could proceed in a measured manner. It would mean that she would need much more Experience to fuel further levels but that wasn¡¯t a huge issue. There was also the fact that she wanted to reach further Ranks in order to receive new features from her Cornerstone. Once she reached Rank F(4) she would get more and perhaps have further options for the next Floor. For that to happen she would need Delvers to run her Dungeon and her newly finished First Floor. It would also help her iron out any kinks remaining as she wasn¡¯t naive enough to believe she had done everything right the first time. Still, she could dream and plan until others arrived. Perhaps Razum would be finished with his training soon and would be willing to brave her Dungeon again. Obu settled herself and sent her senses spiraling throughout her finished caverns. Plans upon plans for the future Floor spun through her mind as she contemplated what would come next. Chapter 31 - Razum Gains A Class
Congratulations Razum!
  • You have finished the Quest [Classable] as shown below!
[Classable] Type: Chain, Unique
  • Note: All Xp utilized, Skills achieved, and Abilities manifested are sealed within this Unique Quest until a Class is realized. Experiment but know that any Skills and Abilities unrelated to your eventual Class will be lost and the Experience wasted.
Step 1: Utilize Experience in Learning [Completed] Step 2: Achieve Rank 1 in a Skill [Completed]
  • Hidden Objective: Achieve a higher Rank [Completed] x5
  • Hidden Objective: Utilize Xp to establish a Free Skill [Completed]
Step 3: Manifest an Ability [Completed] Step 4: Call Forth Your Core
  • Plant a Seed [Vision Finalized]
  • Water the Seed [Beginning Skills & Abilities Realized]
  • The Seed has Sprouted - The Maker Be With You
Reward:
  • You have Ascended to Rank F(2)
  • The Class, Mycelial Scion (Unique), has been granted
    • Class Attribute gains are retroactively granted as free points. See Status for further information.
Razum couldn¡¯t help but groan as something within him was stretched to its limits. It had all started when his father had first begun teaching him and he had used enough Experience to reach his first level. Immediately, he was bombarded with choices as to what Class he wanted to take. Apparently, simply having any Skill at 5 was enough to give him almost any scholarly Class he wanted. There were even plenty of Classes specialized in combat but none of them quite fit. There was a fungal class but many of the perks, skills, and abilities were entry level designed to grant connection with fungi, something Razum had no need of. When he had fervently denied picking a Class, the System offered him the [Classable] Quest. Its Unique tag had stuck out to Razum like a bright ray of sunshine in a dark hole. All of this he had explained away to his father as System shenanigans and they had gotten back into the lessons. Razum gradually spent his Experience as the opportunity arose, and he got better at knowing when and where the Experience was being spent. With Step 1 completed and Step 2 completed before the Quest even started, Razum was relieved when his father switched gears to a more holistic and practical approach geared more toward application. His powerful mind had no trouble manifesting his first ability, which was as natural as breathing. [Spore Cloud], as the name suggested, was the ability to call forth a cloud of spores. Riveting. Despite the unoriginal naming of the System, Razum was nonetheless impressed by the function if not the name. Skills and Abilities seemed fundamentally linked and Razum had felt it when his [Knowledge 5 (Fungal)] had meshed with his [Sporecraft 1] to manifest a cloud of Spores that could not have been naturally occurring. His father had certainly been impressed, though Razum had noted that there had been no surprise in Dug¡¯s features. Evidently, there was yet more for his father to teach him and Razum was excited to plumb the depths of his father¡¯s experience. They moved on to other lessons, though Dug had made sure to stress the primacy of Sporecraft to Razum and Razum, of course, had agreed wholeheartedly. From there it had been simple to achieve the Skill [Aether Manipulation 1] and from there he had been able to mesh it with [Sporecraft 1] to manifest [Aetheric Cultivation] which was the process of infusing plants or fungi with Aether. It was fascinating. It allowed Razum a level of control that he had been missing and his father had to mentally drag him away from experimenting with it. Then, however, things got more difficult. Step 3 was done for the Quest but Dug had one last lesson. Cultivating the Waag. After teaching him the basics of the idea he had left to check on Obu and Razum had been left to the ¡°Sacred Dance¡± as his father had called it. The problem was that Razum was extremely logical and the Waag was anything but. It cavorted and played tricks. It didn¡¯t want to sit still and move in orderly patterns. It took Razum a long time, to his mind, to finally reach a kind of understanding. His mind went back to before when he had been a simpler creature. He had lived in harmony with the other fungi in the garden. Sometimes he would take and sometimes he would give, but the garden as a whole, thrived. That was something the Waag could relate to, something that Razum and the ancestral will of goblin freedom shared. It didn¡¯t take long after that for Razum to manifest his first Waag ability. It didn¡¯t come from a Skill, though [Aether Manipulation 1] seemed to help. The Waag simply allowed him to use it, flowing from his connection to his father and settling somewhere in his Spark. There was a push and pull to it that was both aggravating and soothing in equal measure. It was in the midst of this revelation that he stumbled onto Step 4 of his Quest and the Calling Forth of his Core began. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Something had shifted fundamentally as he had gone through the process of spending Experience and unlocking new skills and abilities. When asked by the System, ¡°What is your Core?¡± he already had an answer. He was his father¡¯s son. He was a fungal cultivator, of himself and others, a lover of knowledge and information, and he was part of a greater whole, the Waag, and his own mycelial network. It was a solid foundation and the System seemed to agree. Now, he was left gasping as the process was finalized. The System had used his vision of himself as a platform upon which to build a unique class for him and him alone. He severely doubted that any other creature in this world had the same set of circumstances that he did which would allow them to receive the same class. He had felt it as the System took his class and revealed the furthest reaches that such a path might take him. It was all a fog now but he had seen such beauty and wonder as to make his mind lose coherency. As it was he was left in a state of recovering ecstasy as he filtered through the System messages. His mental gaze locked on the name of his new class in order to center himself. Mycelial Scion. That certainly sounded like him. Within him he felt Ten¡¯Telo shudder as it queried him on what had happened. Ten¡¯Telo wasn¡¯t Sapient so it didn¡¯t have a class and grew entirely separately from how Razum did. He didn¡¯t know the specifics but he did his best to address his symbiote¡¯s confusion and subconscious wonder. He communicated through a flood of emotions and impressions, feeling the symbiote¡¯s acceptance as it reached a suitable level of acceptance if not understanding. With a flicker of intent, he brought up his main information now with all of his additional gains.
Razum
Race: Overmind Sporecap (Awakened)
Chosen Name: None
Bond: Dug Shardaal (Blood Covenant), Ten¡¯Telo (Familiar Covenant)
Class: Mycelial Scion
Rank: F(2) Level: 5 Experience: 120/400
Main Attributes Strength: 4 [10] (F) + Dexterity: 3 [12] (F) + Constitution: 20 [25] (E - Tempered [Copper]) Intelligence: 28 (E - Tempered [Copper]) Wisdom: 16 (F) + Charisma: 17 (F) + Spark: 6 (F) + Free Points: 35
Titles Father of Monsters Progenitor Umbral Host (New - Familiar Bond) Boons Divergent Overmind Nutrient Synthesis Umbral Spore Generation (Upgraded from Spore Generation) Umbral Infused Fruiting Body (Upgraded from Durable Fruiting Body) Sensory Mycelium Mindbender Experienced Potential Hive Lord Sporecap Locomotion Malleable Sporecap Umbral Fleshcraft (New - Familiar Bond) Symbiote Fragmentation (New - Familiar Bond) Class Mycelial Scion (Unique) Description Only possible in those who have a near-perfect view of their identity, a Scion embodies clarity of purpose and the talent to make it a reality. You have chosen the way of Spore and Mycelium. Your very nature calls to this discipline while your mind ever reaches for more. This is only a foundation. Climb Razum. Climb as high as your Core allows. Class Perks Scion Mycelial Conduits Waag-Touched Class Skill Slots [Knowledge 5 (Fungal)] - Free Slot [Aether Manipulation 1] [Sporecraft 1] [Empty] [Empty] Class Abilities Spore Cloud Aetheric Cultivation Flicker of Waag
Razum blinked at the description of his class and blinked again at all of the attribute points he had gained. He knew he really needed to go through all of his boons and titles in order to learn what they all did but he figured he still had time. Right now, all he wanted to do was recover from the experience of gaining a class and then maybe spend some attribute points. Maybe he could visit his sister, though he didn¡¯t know if he could visit without being considered a challenger of her Dungeon. Maybe he could ask. He shrugged his fruiting body and began his slow meandering path out of the Fungal garden. He would ask. Update and News Heyo Gobbos! This is just an update to let you know about some things. First of all, I have been let go from my job which sucks, to be honest. They are in the process of moving their business to a new place and the township is dragging its feet on the permits. That being said, it has allowed me the time to do what I have wanted to do for a long time which is catch up on writing and creating a Patreon level for Dug & Obu. That would be the big announcement! There is now a Patreon Level for Dug & Obu! Right now there is only a single chapter up but I am hoping to get it up to five chapters ahead by the end of this week. By then if my work doesn''t contact me then I may need to start looking for work. If you want to support me during this time, however, and place a responsibility on me to write more Dug & Obu then consider supporting me on Patreon. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Anyway, that is it. Rest assured that Patreon is essentially going to become a much-needed Backlog and chapters will still be released on Royal Road for free. It''s just that Patreon will be receiving them first. Thank you to all of you who have commented and have enjoyed this story. Chapter 32 - Cheep-Cheep Bides His Time Cheep-Cheep awoke to the sound of dripping water and the feeling of damp fur. His mind struggled to grasp where he was before he became aware of just how different he was. The young Muskeeran was struck by the strength that seemed to vibrate within his bones and sinews. He leaped to his feet, noting how easy the motion was, before the memories came back in a flash and he whimpered at the remembered pain. Death had come for him and he had dodged its cold breath by the smallest of margins. He had been both predator and prey in the moment but he had come out as the victor. At least that was his thought before he heard a growl from behind. He whirled, fearing what he would see, and had it immediately confirmed. There, as if it had never drowned in that pool, was the green-skinned creature he had fought. Cheep-Cheep stared in shock before his eyes took in the minute differences in form the creature sported. He relaxed as the creature simply readied itself for battle. There was no hint of recognition in its gaze, nor was there the heat of revenge that Cheep-Cheep would have recognized lay within his own eyes when he let it show. The Muskeeran dismissed the creature from his mind as he took in the cavern around him. With a flash of apprehension, he wondered just how long he had been gone from the dens of his people. As if reading his mind, the being over this place began to speak in her voice that rumbled through his being with an echo of power. ¡°Hello Cheep-Cheep, did you enjoy your nap?¡± The girlish voice giggled the humor a stark contrast to the power her voice represented. ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping for some time, though perhaps not as long as you might be thinking. About half the day roughly.¡± Cheep-Cheep sighed in relief. He might have a chance of flying under the radar if he acted right. He had meant to actually hunt something in order to make his story more believable but maybe he could slink in without anyone else noticing. He chirruped a question and the voice giggled again. ¡°Oh, I would say you succeeded. Do you not feel your new rank?¡± The Muskeeran certainly did. He flexed his paws again and at mental prod, the squiggles of self-awareness came to the forefront of his vision. He didn¡¯t understand much but he knew what some of the numbers meant and he could tell they had gone up, including the most important one. Now he was a Rank 4 being like the chieftain. His revenge was close to being fulfilled. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He thanked the voice before leaving the cavernous, monster-filled, labyrinth. She received the thanks with humor before lighting his way out. Soon Cheep-Cheep was breaking into the light where he was confronted by a disconcerting sight. Waiting in the clearing before the entrance to the cave was the team of individuals that had gone in with him before. Meek-Fee saw him first and chirruped a greeting in their language and the others perked up as he came out. Chi-Chala came up to him and sniffed before clicking her tongue in approval. ¡°So. It be true. You like chief now.¡± Cheep-Cheep wanted to deny it but he couldn¡¯t. They had already seen the truth before he could act to cover it up. Not only that but they had seen the cavern¡¯s power already, and had Experienced it. They knew. He sagged expecting the worst but was caught off guard by Chi-Chala and Meek-Fee¡¯s sniggering. ¡°You think we want chief to rule long-time? It be time for somethin new. We comin'' to new time an¡¯ new time need new chief.¡± The fervor in Meek-Fee¡¯s eyes as he squeaked his words, threw Cheep-Cheep off. Chi-Chala¡¯s eyes were less so but she nodded agreement regardless. Cheep-Cheep turned his gaze to the Talpi, to which Dorn shrugged. ¡°We¡­care not. Do what will. So long as¡­cavern¡­remain for all.¡± And Cheep-Cheep understood. The Talpi wanted to remain included in the cavern runs. If the current chief discovered the power right under his nose he might use his personal might to force a positive outcome for his tribe to the detriment of the Talpi who had lost their chief to the green one. Chi-Chala then turned and jogged to a stunted tree that grew along the edge of the clearing. She returned with a carcass that she threw to Cheep-Cheep. ¡°For you. Not good to come back with paws that lack,¡± she chirruped as he caught the burden in surprise. He thanked her but she shook her head and looked at him with eyes that were fierce. ¡°Be good chief after you win.¡± Cheep-Cheep took in the group and nodded, feeling an entirely different burden fall on his shoulders. It had come about sooner than he thought but here were supporters for his cause. He had expected that he would have to find them after he had carried out his revenge. With supporters already in place things would be both easier and harder. To them, he was already chief, and expected him to fulfill the role. He nodded, accepting the burden as his mind began making plans. His rank up had increased his mental capacity, though he was only subconsciously aware of it. Now operating more like a fully Sapient creature, his intelligence was being utilized in ways he had never contemplated before. To him, it was simply what being chief meant. He settled down with his new supporters to plan, first how to get him into camp without suspicion and then looking to the future. They would need to hunt in the caverns again, perhaps numerous times before he could take his revenge. The chief was still more Experienced than him with years of hunts under his pelt, with numerous Instinct-Gifts that would help him survive. Cheep-Cheep knew he would have received more as well and would need time to acclimate. Soon, though. Soon he would be ready. Chapter 33 - Dug Discovers Something As Dug traveled he considered the past few weeks, if it even had been a few weeks. The passage of time was always a dubious concept when you lived underground and especially when you were old. He was now a father to not one but two children and even he was surprised by the depth of feeling that accompanied that reality. The joy of teaching his daughter and son was only eclipsed by the joy of seeing them thrive. In fact, the only reason he left them was because his spores had alerted him to something concerning. The spores he had dumped into the river were a rather unique creation of his. He called them Rivermind Sporecaps and they were useful in that they spread along the river and retained a connection to a main terminal sporecap which Dug could then use to communicate roughly with the network. He had already been to the terminal sporecap, something he did after leaving Obu to her task. Now, he was en route down the river where one of the minor sporecaps had sent a distress signal. It could be nothing as occasionally the sporecaps would be found and nibbled on by wildlife. This one, however, had been sending its signal for some time which was troubling, as it meant something else was going on. When Dug eventually arrived he found that his suspicions were confirmed but not in the way he had expected. His mushroom had been captured by a kind of slime and was slowly being dissolved. What set him on edge was the color of the slime, black and oozing miasma. He grunted in displeasure and activated his new powers.
Corrupted Ooze (D11 - Lvl 54)
Immediately, the System responded with a message.
¡°I was afraid of this. The people of this world have destroyed the purifying forces that normally would have kept the corruption at bay and now these ¡®things¡¯ have become a more prevalent sight. If you could destroy it and any others you find I would be most appreciative.¡±
  • The Administrator
Dug snorted at the message, for once completely agreeing with the Administrator. People tended to create more problems than they solved, especially when they attempted to take divine matters into their own hands. Whatever guardians the Maker had set in place over this realm had been betrayed by the mortals who grasped for power beyond their control. That was the reason why Dug took steps to remain submitted to the Waag rather than give in to the allure of power. Looking again at the ooze before him he sighed and stoked the flame within himself. He communed, requesting a subaspect of the Waag. Freedom was, by its definition, requiring Purity. Could you be free if you were tainted by something that took control of you? Freedom requires purity of purpose and a pure spirit, heart, mind, and body. Dug let the Aspect of Purity infuse the flames he let spill from his mouth. It washed over the ooze with a crackle and Dug watched as the emerald flames ate away at the black miasma. The ooze squirmed in pain as its very being was eaten away until all that was left was a concentrated orb of slime. Dug walked over and picked up the blob. To his surprise, he could see hints of green within its depths, and not a hint of corruption remained. Intrigued he activated his Sub-Administrator powers and looked at the creature in his hands.
Pure-Touched Slimeling (F2 - Lvl 10)
¡°Eh,¡± Dug grunted, first in surprise and then in consideration. ¡°Yousa may beez dah perfec¡¯ gift for Obu,¡± he declared with satisfaction before putting the slimeling on his shoulder. The creature seemed to wobble before settling into place. It didn¡¯t, or more likely couldn¡¯t, communicate but it seemed happy enough to remain in place. Dug then set off into the woods with the slimeling wobbling with each step. He didn¡¯t yet consider his task finished yet. The Corrupted Ooze had to come from somewhere and Dug wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until he found where. Luckily for him, the path was simple enough as the ooze had left a thick trail of miasmic goop as it traveled. Dug cleaned that up as he traveled, even letting the little slimeling down once or twice once he figured out it liked eating the corrupted ooze. It couldn¡¯t eat a lot but Dug wasn¡¯t bothered. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The simple fact that it could eat corruption made it even more imperative that his daughter receive the creature. Having such a creature in her Dungeon as a monster would be important to protect her from this corruption. His flames left a scorched but purified section of forest as he followed the trail. It led deep into the forest before turning back toward the mountains. He continued until he reached the source. Darkness stretched before him, the yawning cave entrance seeming to repel the light. Dug simply belched fire into it, drawing on Obu¡¯s staff. She would notice the drain and would investigate but he needed the extra oomph. It was a good thing he did as the roar of flame mixed with eerie howls of pain. He pushed, his eyes flickering before igniting into green flame. He gave himself over to the flames, hands bursting into bonfires as he began entering the cavern. Twisted creatures cavorted as the miasma was purified from their bodies. Some of them were too far gone, bodies too twisted and strange to survive once the taint had been excised. Others passed through the flame intact but diminished, they slumped exhausted. Many were forest denizens who had become corrupted. Still others were oozes, concentrated corruption that had gained some measure of autonomy. Those all became Pure-Touched Slimelings. The last creature to be purified was a huge beast with the antlers and body of a stag but the muzzle of some wolf or bear. Its fur was wispy, forming tendrils of corruption that lashed out at the flame consuming it. It roared and Dug drew deep on his reserves, though he was nowhere near depleted. The System flickered at the edge of his vision telling him what it was that he faced. Adreus, The Wolven Stag Corrupted Forest Lord (A22 - Lvl 107) Dug grunted at the information, his heart clenching at the thought of any Awakened creature being possessed by such darkness. ¡°Be pury-fied den,¡± he whispered and drove the creature back. Concentrated bursts of fire met its tendrils and waves cut off its escape deeper into the cave System. Dug lassoed the creature¡¯s legs and antlers with whips made of purifying flame, pulling mightily to bring it low. It fell with a thump that shook the cave, still struggling to escape. Dug, breathing deeply, finally approached the great beast and looked into its pained eyes. Placing a hand upon its massive head he could sense the truth lying below the surface. The great creature could sense its freedom was at hand and was struggling to break free from the inside. Dug grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s get yousa outta der.¡± With a flex of willpower and a request from the Waag that it was all too eager to accept, Dug flooded the creature¡¯s Aether conduits with his power. The corruption within the creature roared, and the body bucked against its bonds with a surge of strength. It was futile. Dug excised the corruption like a surgeon, deftly wielding the Waag like a scalpel. Such control was normally quite difficult but the Waag could sense the importance of the task at hand and let him lead the dance this time. Dug¡¯s eyes blazed as he sought out every single drop of corruption and purged it. When he was done, the massive creature was much reduced. The corruption had added power and mass but now it was gone. The old goblin stepped back, feeling the age in his bones, but invigorated in spirit. Such battles reminded him again of his adventuring youth, saving the downtrodden and helpless. It was a good feeling, made even better as the creature raised its head to regard Dug with golden eyes. ¡°I thank you, pure one, for your aid,¡± its voice, at once regal and exhausted, rang in his mind. ¡°Yousa welcome, Adreus,¡± Dug said simply turning to survey the result of his work. The flames had mostly petered out, revealing the limp forms of tired forest creatures and little slimelings. Many of the creatures now sported green tinges to their eyes, horns, or fur, touched by the purity of the flame. Dug grunted in appreciation before turning to behold the Wolven Stag as it slowly stood on weak legs. ¡°¡®ow did yousa come to beez in dis state?¡± Dug asked while observing the cave. There was a deeper section yet, his experience in the mines of his old home letting know instinctively. ¡°This place used to be a holy sanctuary for us creatures. An old druid lived here, serving the god of Wild Places. The druid disappeared one day and upon coming to this place in search of him I instead found corruption lying in wait. I¡­did not win.¡± Dug nodded sympathetically. The genuine pain present in the stag¡¯s voice let him know that he had not succumbed easily. It also answered some of his questions. An old priest of one of the gods had been here. Perhaps he had left after the god had fallen and the divinity in this place had gone bad. Worse was the thought that the druid had been corrupted by the fall of his god and had cultivated it. Either way, he would need to determine which it was and The Administrator seemed to agree.
¡°I know you don¡¯t receive the Quests the System gives so consider this a standing request. Your flames seem to be oddly competent at purifying this corruption. I would consider it a favor owed if you would see to its end wherever you find it. Also, you will find a gift of Experience waiting in your Sub-Administrator bank for your help in what you have done so far.¡±
  • The Administrator
Dug grinned, that was something he could do. Which was when he finally noticed the connection with his daughter pulsing. ¡°Dad!¡± He winced as the loud thought entered his head. ¡°What have you been up to?!¡± He sighed and began explaining his most recent adventure to calm his worried daughter. Chapter 34 - Obu Gets More Monsters
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You received the following Frameworks via Absorption:
    • Pure-Touched Slimeling (Purified Ooze Variant)
Obu looked over her new monster and nearly squealed in pleasure again but from the way her father had winced the first time she had done it she tried to curb her excitement. It was so cute! Even her father, with his penchant for loving all things ugly, had to concede that the slimelings were a unique brand of jiggly condensed cuteness. She was almost mollified enough that she could forgive her father for wandering off and getting himself into danger without telling her. The knowledge that he was perhaps the strongest wielder of magic in this new realm wasn¡¯t enough to completely overpower her concern for him. He was old, at least in goblin years, though she could tell he had been revitalized in the last week or so. That didn¡¯t mean he could just run around getting into fights! She caught herself before she began ranting again. Instead, she turned her attention to the cavern that her father had discovered. It was a fascinating place, natural, yet not in other ways. Now purified by her father¡¯s flames the inherent power of the place was waking up. There was actually a hole drilled straight up providing natural light into a central space of dirt. She could see the remnants of plants, now burnt to ash as most of them could not handle being purified. She let her power wash over the space even as her father helped to herd the animals back outside with the Forest Lord¡¯s help. She put their conversation out of her mind as she found a bright and shining spec within the loam. There, in the center of the patch of dirt, was a seed. On instinct, obeying her nature, she flooded the seed with Aether. Almost immediately, it sprouted and she received a System message.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You received the following Frameworks via Absorption:
    • Purified Thalvyran Maple (Psuedo-Divine Maple Variant)
¡°Interesting, I did not think there were any of the old nature god¡¯s trees left. Treasure this gift, Dungeon Core. You will not find many things like it in this world but perhaps there are more hidden in the filth of corruption. I would caution you against spawning any more. I doubt you have the Aether or Potential to do so. However, that being said¡­¡±
  • The Administrator
Congratulations Dungeon Core! New Quest Given! [Cultivate The Divine] Type: Chain, Unique, Ongoing Step 1: Claim the area around the Purified Thalvyran Maple Step 2: Protect the Purified Thalvyran Maple from further corruption (Ongoing) Step 3: Purge the remaining corruption from the area (Ongoing)
Obu looked over the message incredulously. That little sprout was some pseudo-divine tree. Apparently, it was some leftover aspect of some divinity that fell to the corruption before being purified. Now she had a quest to protect the growing tree and even claim the area around it for her Dungeon. She sighed, she would need her father¡¯s help for this. ¡°Dad? I need your help with something.¡± Almost immediately, her father turned his attention to her and she felt his attention like a ray of sunshine. His obvious care for her shone clearly through their bond. ¡°What yousa need den Obu?¡± When she told him he simply nodded and began to stump his way back into the cavern from where he had been directing the newly released animals back into the forest. The slimelings had remained in the cavern, wandering aimlessly around, and he had to move some of them out of his way with his staff as he made his way to the spot she directed him to. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°¡®Ere den?¡± He asked, pointing to the wall on the other side of the patch of dirt. She gave her ascent and he carefully pried one of her subgems off her staff and placed it into the stone, commanding the stone to part for him as he did so. It still felt uncomfortable but it would be necessary to make sure this place remained under her control. She would need to be nearby to make changes but it stabilized the area so that it didn¡¯t disappear once her father took her somewhere else.
Congratulations Dungeon Core! New Quest Given! [Creating a Hidden Floor] Type: Chain, Unique Note: Hidden Floors are separate from the main Dungeon but still connected in some way. Hidden Floors may only contain a number of Rooms equal to the Dungeons Alphabetical Rank. Current Rooms allowed = 1 Step 1: Choose an Environment for your Floor Step 2: Choose a Monster Type for your Floor Step 3: Choose a Trap Type for your Floor Step 4: Complete the Central Room [Cultivate The Divine] Type: Chain, Unique, Ongoing Step 1: Claim the area around the Purified Thalvyran Maple [Completed - Reward +200 Xp] Step 2: Protect the Purified Thalvyran Maple from further corruption (Ongoing) Step 3: Purge the remaining corruption from the area (Ongoing)
If Obu could have blinked then she would have at the newest Quest. She could have a Hidden Floor?! Completely separate from the rest of her Dungeon?! That was great! Her Core thrummed with excitement, enough that Dug looked up at her quizzically. She was much to engrossed though to give him much more than, ¡°I got a Quest!¡± which he seemed to accept with equanimity. Having a Hidden Floor took so much of the pressure off of her to experiment. In fact, she could do so now with this first Room. She breathed in deeply before sending it out in an explosion of Aether. The wave coated the walls and she began to consume. She ate away at the walls of the central cavern till it formed a rough circle some 300 goblin feet wide and some 150 goblin feet tall until the stone formed a dome with the original hole in the center that continued for some distance. She kept stone pillars to help support the stone above since the hole itself was actually quite large. She would need to protect that rather obvious entrance into her supposedly hidden Floor but she could determine how to do so later. After finishing with the room¡¯s dimensions, she expanded the dirt circle by eating away at the stone of the floor and then replacing it with rich loam which was actually just a whole lot of ground-up earth and minerals. She made sure to make a note of the earth¡¯s exact composition because if it was suitable for a pseudo-divine tree it was most likely suitable for any other plants she encountered. With that done she began to plant the various vegetation she had found outside, creating a rough interpretation of what she had seen outside. When she was done, she accepted it and watched as the System helped tweak it into the Temperate Forest Biome she had received when she had Ranked up to F(2). After that, choosing a Monster Type was easy as the Slimelings were already present and accounted for. They happily slid their way into the forest of still-growing trees as the Aether-infused vegetation exploded with growth. She chose Environmental Traps immediately and designated two of the trees currently growing to be partially weak so that if someone walked nearby they would fall toward them. When she came out of her creative fugue she found Dug staring at the cavern-turned-forest in irritated awe. ¡°Dat notta fair,¡± he said simply and she burst into giggles even as she heard the ping of the System tell her she had completed Steps 1 through 4 of her Quest. She was distracted from looking at it though by a voice addressing her from her old Dungeon. ¡°Hey, dad? Can you take care of things here for a little bit? I think Razum wants to talk. Dug just waved dismissively, though Obu could sense he was happy that his children wished to talk with each other. ¡°Yes, yes, isa can do dats. Go an¡¯ ¡®ave fun wid your bruddah.¡± She sent him a mental hug and transferred her conscious attention to her main Dungeon where her brother was waiting. She wondered what he wanted to talk about. End of Chapter System Messages:
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have completed the Quest [Creating a Hidden Floor] as shown below!
[Creating a Hidden Floor] Type: Chain, Unique Note: Hidden Floors are separate from the main Dungeon but still connected in some way. Hidden Floors may only contain a number of Rooms equal to the Dungeons Alphabetical Rank. Current Rooms allowed = 1 Step 1: Choose an Environment for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 2: Choose a Monster Type for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 3: Choose a Trap Type for your Floor [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Step 4: Complete the Central Room [Completed - Reward +100 Xp] Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 15!
Warning! Dungeon Core has reached the Level Cap for Rank F(3)! To begin advancement to Rank F(4) please ascend to Level 15 immediately!
  • For completing Quests you have been rewarded 400 Xp!
    • 400 Xp from the Completion of [Creating a Hidden Floor]
  • Error! Experience Acquisition will be put on hold until the Dungeon Core Ascends to the next Rank.
Chapter 35 - Interlude: The Radiant Rangers It had been a long hard slog to climb through the hinterlands in order to climb into The Teeth. The Radiant Rangers were D-Rank but the monsters of The Teeth live in the most competitive state that a natural creature could survive in. That natural competition, in such an Aether-rich area, had produced some of the most powerful natural creatures you could find. Only inside established Dungeons could you find monsters more powerful but they didn¡¯t usually have the cunning that was inherent in any creature that had survived to such high levels as was seen in The Teeth. It was from one such battle with a large D-Rank Pack of Wolfbears, that they managed to reach their target valley. Exhausted and bloody from their trials, they looked at the verdant landscape with gratitude to The Light in their hearts. The Sun Engine glittered overhead, its rays glimmering off of the large lake that sat at the bottom of the valley. A river gushed forth from the woods at the lake¡¯s edge and the men¡¯s hearts were gladdened by the sight of running water. Immediately they set off, pushing their exhaustion back for the moment, in order to reach the moving water. They managed it swiftly and finally, their disciplined composure broke. Some of the men dove for the lake to wash the blood away in the shallows while still others sought out the river for clean drinking water. They remained cautious, they were in The Teeth still after all, but for the most part, they relaxed. Gerald was the one who was affected the most. His mind had been focused intently on following the threads and now it reeled from overtaxation. He hadn¡¯t thought it would take so long to get here and had used the ability far more than he should have. His brain felt like it would split in two. He groaned even as went to the river¡¯s edge and dunked his head in, letting the cool mountain water take the edge off his pounding skull. As he hauled his head out of the water he heard Desmond shouting orders, though they were more like reminders. ¡°Alright, you lollygaggin anklebiters, enough of that! Remember the company motto! What do we hate?!¡± ¡°SOAP!¡± The company raggedly called out, Gerald joining in even though it sent a dart of pain through his skull. ¡°And what do we love?!¡± ¡°A jolly good SCRAP!¡± ¡°Then get to it company!¡± Gerald groaned as he sat up before getting to his feet to do his part. SCRAP stood for Scout, Camp, Resupply, Attune, and Plan, usually in that order. First was scouting, where men specializing in stealth and/or perception abilities were sent out to scout the surrounding land for either their target or to gather geographical information. After the scouts returned with more information Camp had to be set up, usually something temporary since they were often on the move. Next was Resupplying from the surrounding woodland and checking to make sure everything was topped up and hadn¡¯t been tampered with. Attuning happened during downtime and was set aside for the rangers to consult the System on their gains or to Attune to any new magical items or abilities. Planning was the last step where the most senior rangers gathered together to go over the scouting reports and to assign watches for the evening while planning for any future engagements. SOAP, a joke made so long ago no one knew exactly how it had started, stood for Stupid Overly-Asinine Procedures. Simple was best as far as the Radiant Rangers were concerned. It also made for an outstanding company motto and inside joke all rolled up into one. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Gerald was on Resupply so he made his way to where the current serving Quartermaster had begun taking stock. The man saw him coming and waved him off. ¡°You¡¯re good here Gerald, we can cover you. Go nurse that head of yours. I¡¯m sure it''s pounding like crazy and we¡¯ll need you to guide us once the company is fully recovered. Gerald gave him a nod of gratitude and moved on, finding a thick tree trunk to place his back against. To his sense of time, he had only been resting for a short while before the scouts returned and they were moving. Near the bottom of a rocky crag that stretched further north up the valley, there were a series of caves. The scouts had entered and there had been no sign of it being a den so the company was moving in. Gerald stumbled inside and fell in with the rest of the company as dinner was prepared and the lights were lit. Apparently, the caves went some distance down and some of the scouts left to make sure there was nothing of interest deeper in. The rest of the company dived into the food, eating with gusto. Gerald, however, lingered near the cave entrance. His head throbbed and he preferred the cool breeze to the dank cavern interior. Someone brought him food but through the pain of his headache, he didn¡¯t really remember who it was. He ended up pitching his hammock near the entrance rather than sleeping inside. Perhaps that was why when the first battle cries rang out he had more time than most to respond than the others. He rolled out of his hammock with all of the agility his D-Rank physique granted him before grabbing his sword and bow from where he had laid them. Racing to the entrance he didn¡¯t quite know what to make of the melee. Locked in combat with the company was a nightmarish horde of creatures, oozing with foulness. Even as Gerald leaped forward to assist, one of his brothers fell to the onslaught and was dragged deeper into the blackness of the caves, roaring bloody murder as he was. Headache blessedly absent, Gerald was brought to a swift halt by Desmond¡¯s roar deeper in the cave. ¡°Gerald don¡¯t! Leave lad, continue the mission! Find the shard! There¡¯s nothing to be done.¡± Gerald froze as commanded with his feet still outside the cavern proper. He could see where Desmond fought, his eyes blazing and his sword alight with radiance. He caught Gerald¡¯s eyes and the man motioned with his head downward. Gerald cursed and leaped back as a black oily tentacle whipped up from the ground seeking to entangle him. Looking closer, he could see that every brother was locked in a fight to break free from the ooze and filth while also battling twisted creatures out of nightmares. Desmond gave him a crazed grin when next he locked eyes with the man. ¡°Was here the whole time just waiting for the sun to go down! Quite the nasty surprise when the scouts returned and activated the damn thing! Get out, Gerald! Go find the shard of sunlight. We break free and join you when we¡¯re done here.¡± Gerald hesitated only a moment more before his training kicked in and darted away up the valley, engaging his ability to follow the threads. Even as he did so he heard a roar from behind him as the company thundered out their motto. The flash of activated abilities lit up the night in its wake. ¡°What do we hate?!¡± ¡°SOAP!¡± ¡°And what do we love?!¡± ¡°A jolly good SCRAP!¡± ¡°Hit ''em hard boys,¡± Gerald muttered as he sped away from his brothers, hoping against hope to find some solution before they succumbed completely to whatever foulness dwelt below. Chapter 36 - Razum’s First ‘Official’ Dungeon Run ¡°Hey Razum! You wanted to talk?¡± His sister¡¯s voice ringing through his head had Razum perking up, his fruiting body coming to attention as his willpower flooded it with his intent. ¡°Yes I did,¡± he said simply. ¡°I just finished gaining my class and¡­¡± ¡°And you want to try it out in my Dungeon?! That sounds amazing! What kind of class did you get?¡± Razum let the rest of his statement, that he had been looking to rest, fall to the wayside. He wasn¡¯t really annoyed by his sister speaking over him though he thought it could be considered rude. Her obvious enthusiasm for learning about his new class made it easy to forgive her. ¡°It is called Mycelial Scion. I got it from a Unique Quest.¡± ¡°Ooh! I got a Unique Quest too! I have to protect some seed that a god left behind when he fell.¡± Razum paused at that, his mind constricting to boost his processing speed. He knew from his father that at least the sun god had been slain as evidenced by the shard of sunlight that Dug kept with him at all times. Now apparently his sister had obtained something similar. Then he shrugged using his fruiting body. It didn¡¯t really matter in the long run. ¡°Anyway! Mycelial Scion huh? What does it do for you? I don¡¯t actually know how anyone else proceeds through the Ranks. I assign my Attribute points and Experience growth that way. How do you do it?¡± Razum took a moment to sort through his sister¡¯s chatter. She always spoke so fast that he had to consistently keep his mind compressed to boost his thoughts to keep up. ¡°From what I can glean, I gain a certain number of Attribute points per level, and in order to gain levels I have to utilize Experience to gain Skills and Abilities. They may have levels too so I will most likely have to either expand my knowledge of the Skills or combine them in interesting ways to produce more Abilities.¡± ¡°Fascinating!¡± Obu¡¯s voice was full of wonder and Razum smiled internally to hear it. His sister¡¯s enthusiasm made things brighter despite the darkness of the cave. ¡°So do you want to come in and try it out?¡± Razum thought about it for a moment before shrugging his fruiting body. He had wanted to rest but perhaps this would serve as an excellent standard to gauge his growth going forward. ¡°Sure,¡± he said simply before moving to enter the Dungeon proper. Right as he was about to do so the System began scrolling words across his mental vision. By his sister¡¯s accompanying gasp, she must have received one too.
Congratulations Razum! New Quest Given! [Ranking Up] Type: Repeatable, Rank-Up Specific Description: You are on the cusp of advancement. To advance complete the First Room of the local Dungeon alone and without assistance. Boons and Titles may be used as normal, however, rewards will differ based on how many are used. Boons and Titles necessary to complete the Quest, such as natural Boons and Titles, are excused. Class Skills and Abilities suffer no penalties. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Razum hummed mentally to himself as he looked over the Quest¡¯s information. He felt at it and understood instinctively that he could lock his Titles and Boons to keep him from using them accidentally. He nodded his sporecap contemplatively. He moved to lock the ones that he had no immediate need of. Luckily most of them were simply natural so he had no need to lock them. He didn¡¯t know how his Symbiosis with Ten¡¯Telo would factor in but he figured it counted as natural at this point. Regardless, he could feel from his bond that the Symbiote felt eager to begin. Perhaps it had its own way of advancing. ¡°Hey Razum, sorry for keeping you waiting! I had to take care of a few things. You can start whenever you want.¡± Razum looked up at his sister¡¯s voice and nodded. He had been busy too but he didn¡¯t think it needed to be said and his sister¡¯s attention had already shifted. He expanded his Mycelium Network into Obu¡¯s Dungeon, gathering a more sizable portion of his brain power than he had the time before to lock into place around his fruiting body. Then he stepped inside. Almost immediately he began producing glowing spores. Each one glowed a purplish blue and was carried softly on the currents of Aether. These were his natural spores rather than ones crafted by a Skill or Ability though he did give them a push outward using [Aether Manipulation 1]. He didn¡¯t know if the creatures of this place would notice right away or not but his goal was to create a web through which he could affect their mental state. He knew there would be quite a few monsters and while he wasn¡¯t sure of the numbers, he was quite sure they would be able to force a retreat from his through force of numbers. Above all, Razum wanted to do this without the aid of The Growth. While it would be important for him to cultivate that particular Boon in the future, he wanted to see just how far he had come on his own merit. He expanded his mind, using the spores in the air as nodes to ping off of and keep his thoughts stable and connected. It wouldn¡¯t do for his mental state to become fractured and disjointed. As it was he could sense around five minds in the general vicinity and though they were on edge because of the lights he could sense they didn¡¯t see much danger in them. He would show them why that wasn¡¯t the case. Manipulating a mind was difficult. Full control was impossible in most cases unless the target submitted completely to the process, which was something most creatures instinctively couldn¡¯t do. Even when Razum was a more powerful, though simpler, mind he couldn¡¯t force the other mushrooms to obey him by sending him all their nutrients, thus depriving and killing them. What he could do was manipulate and cultivate them. They wanted to grow and needed a variety of nutrients to do so. So he would offer them Aether in exchange for the nutrients they had which would hold them over till he traded with other shrooms in the garden for the nutrients others needed and the cycle would continue. The benefit was that the Aether he gave them had a strong Mind Affinity so over time it got easier as their ¡°minds¡± got bigger. These monsters already had minds of their own so the manipulation would be both harder and easier. Harder because their minds had never encountered his Aether before and therefore weren''t as malleable and easier because the Mind Aether he was using had something tangible to effect. The task was made easier still by the fact that his targets weren¡¯t the sharpest of minds. Thus, it was relatively easy to foster a fascination within them for the floating lights that were his spores. After that, it was a simple matter to draw one away from the group and toward the entrance where Razum stood ready and waiting. The entrancement broke as soon as Razum sprung his trap but by then it was too late. A [Spore Cloud] of various respiratory inhibiting spores hit the creature right in the face and its surprised roar turned into a spluttering coughing/wheezing fit immediately. Razum checked to make sure, but none of his other targets had broken free because of the noise, though he noticed that now others had entered his awareness and were moving cautiously. He grunted mentally before shaping the right arm of his body into a viscous spike. He slammed it into the coughing goblinoid¡¯s throat, ignoring the spray of blood that followed as his mind worked to ensnare the new monsters. It was hard to juggle so many awarenesses but he was determined. He would win this challenge flawlessly and reach ever higher. He was the greatest example of his father¡¯s fungle cultivation and he would show this world that his father¡¯s title of Sporemeister was justified. Slowly, he expanded his Mycelial Network outward across the stone and his fruiting body followed, moving soundlessly through the shimmering light of his spores. Chapter 37 - Razum’s First ‘Official’ Dungeon Run (Part 2) POV Obu Obu watched as her brother systematically tore through her First Room. She wasn¡¯t upset by this in the least. The fact that her brother was powerful for his level and Rank was only a good thing in her mind. It stung a little that her creatures were so susceptible to his mind powers but then again they were only F(1) creatures. Technically, Razum was too but to compare them was a lesson in folly. Razum was a carefully cultivated mushroom brought to the heights of power for his kind and then raised to Sapience. Despite his loss of Rank, he kept much of what had made him such a powerful specimen within the Fungal Garden of their father. In fact, he was clearly handicapping himself as she saw no usage of the fungal powers that could bring the fallen back to life to serve him in cutting down her creatures. She felt proud and excited at the same time. As he grew in power he would in turn challenge her Dungeon, pushing her to innovate. While she couldn¡¯t make things too difficult, she would be able to further design her Dungeon in ways that encouraged growth. The Experience that Razum generated would push him and her to new heights and the cycle would continue. Her thoughts returned to the System and its messages as Razum lured another Git away from the main group. She wanted to mentally kick herself as she remembered the message.
Attention Dungeon Core! Dungeon Core has reached the Level Cap for Rank F(3)! To begin advancement to Rank F(4) please ascend to Level 15 immediately! Any future Experience will be banked until the next Rank is achieved. However, only the Experience necessary to Ascend to the following level can be retained. The System recommends spending your Experience immediately. Experience has been spent. Local Rank Up Quest has been issued nearby. New Quest Recieved! [Breaking Through] Type: Rank Up, Repeatable Description: You are on the cusp of advancement to the next Rank. As a Dungeon Core, there are a few ways to achieve this advancement. Your options are:
  • Purify a source of corruption nearby.
  • Draw corruption from a nearby leyline.
  • Help a challenger achieve their Rank Up by providing a suitable challenge.
She had almost let Razum into her Dungeon and wasted an opportunity for growth. Now that she knew what the corruption looked like she knew she couldn¡¯t afford to do such a thing. She needed a powerful Dungeon in order to combat the corruption directly. Her father had purified one source of corruption but the Administrator had all but confirmed that there were others nearby and they would be seeking her new tree. She would need to work quickly to bring her monsters up to speed and her focus would need to be on the Slimelings. She had some ideas on that front but her goblins weren¡¯t suited for purification. They might have a touch of the Waag but none of them could wield the sacred flame themselves and therefore wouldn¡¯t be much help beyond fodder to throw at the enemy. The slimelings were already touching upon the concept of Purity and would be a prime defense against corruption. Now that she had their framework her mind buzzed with the possibilities they represented. She would wait to implement her plans until she was Rank E though, which meant she needed her brother to succeed in his Quest. Turning her attention back to the challenge she watched as Razum calmly finished off her remaining monsters. There was a scary moment when a stalactite trap was triggered, falling toward her brother with an inevitability that had Obu doubting whether or not Razum could get out of the way in time. Despite the lack of speed that his fruiting body normally displayed, apparently, it didn¡¯t accurately describe how quickly he could move if he needed to. He barely avoided the trap, the stone shattering into shards that flew in all directions. Some of them struck Razum but he seemed to shrug them off with equanimity. The real danger came from the effect it had on the remaining Gits as the loud noise broke them free from the hold Razum had on their minds. The three remaining Gits howled in rage, shaking off the fog, before racing toward Razum like dogs on the hunt. Razum recovered quickly enough from what she could see, readying his body to face the incoming charge. Obu had a front-row seat to the moment her brother truly let loose. Right as her monsters passed some imaginary boundary, a green flicker of fire leaped from over Razums right shoulder and struck the lead Git in the face. The sudden attack had it screeching in pain, causing it to flail around as it tried to put out a flame that had already dissipated. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Its flailing caught the side of one of its companions, causing it to collapse in a crumpled heap wheezing for breath. The final remaining Git continued on but was met with a cloud of spores and a blade fashioned from Razum¡¯s own flesh. The blade gleamed with Aether and it was obvious to her senses that it had been formed quickly. That didn¡¯t keep it from performing its function of ending the git''s life. Razum wasted no time in moving over to the gits on the floor. His body¡¯s flesh rippled and shifted as his hands were reshaped. He grasped both creatures and lifted them bodily from the ground which had Obu¡¯s eyes widening in shock. When in the world did he get so strong? With a heave, Razum launched a git across the cavern, where it slid over the damp ground until meeting the second of her traps. With a half-gargled screech, the git struggled to swim before sinking like a stone. From Razum¡¯s stillness, she interpreted that his activation of the trap had not been his intent but most likely to separate his opponents while he dealt with the other. His stillness was an opening that her git made use of, its stone dagger flashing down to strike Razum on his cap. Obu winced, expecting to see Razum with a wicked gash but when she checked there was nothing but a small abrasion. It was like his sporecap was made of stone and the dagger had scuffed some of it. Obu stared in shock and it seemed Razum shared some incredulity. A hand came up to feel at the mark even as the git winded up for another strike. Razum didn¡¯t let it finish, slamming the creature into the ground with a crack of flesh striking stone. The git didn¡¯t get back up. Obu was drawn away from her staring by a System notification.
Analyzing¡­Challengers Detected¡­Commencing Dungeon Run Challengers: Razum: Rank F(1), Level 5, Mycelial Scion Good Luck, Dungeon Core! Room 1: 10 F(1) Defenders Vanquished¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated Room 1: 2 Traps Survived¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated Room 1 Challenge Completed¡­Generating Rewards¡­Rewards Generated A total of 3200 Experience has been generated. The Reward has been divided in the following ways: 640 Experience is awarded to the Dungeon, The Obulwaag, for offering the Challenge. 2560 Experience has been divided among the participating Challengers. Would you like to distribute the rewards? Yes/No
Obu paused just long enough to make sure Razum had accepted his Ascension to Rank F(2) before she released the rest of his rewards. She didn¡¯t want him to lose his hard won Experience after all. Once she had done that, she turned back to her status as new messages began scrolling.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have completed the Quest [Breaking Through] as shown below!
[Breaking Through] - Completed Type: Rank Up, Repeatable Description: You are on the cusp of advancement to the next Rank. As a Dungeon Core, there are a few ways to achieve this advancement. Your options are:
  • Purify a source of corruption nearby.
  • Draw corruption from a nearby leyline.
  • Help a challenger achieve their Rank Up by providing a suitable challenge. You have succeeded in in helping challenger Rank Up. Congratulations!
    • [Reward: Ascension to Rank F(4)]
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You meet the requirements for Ascending to Rank F(4)!
    • Would you like to Ascend? (Yes/No)
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
  • You have Ascended to Rank F(4)
    • Monster Spawners may now be upgraded to produce F(4) Monsters.
  • Due to the Cornerstone, Jack of All Stones, you receive these additional rewards!
Rewards for Ranking Up:
  • Slimeling Spawner (Assembled from collected Frameworks)
  • Leaf-Covered Pit (Variant of Forest Traps)
  • Aspect of Purity has been adsorbed and may now be utilized.
  • Aspect of Waag has been analyzed and a deeper understanding has been achieved.
She let the feeling of Ascending wash over her before reading over the rewards for Ranking Up. While she had claimed the slimelings her father had purified, she hadn¡¯t possessed an actual spawner for them so she was particularly pleased by that development. The Leaf-Covered Pit was simple but would definitely fit within her Hidden Floor. She had no idea what an Aspect was but she didn¡¯t have to wait for long to find out. A presence descended on her but from within which was the strangest thing to experience. It was a warm presence, fatherly and protective, and yet also motherly and comforting. Then it departed, as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a sense of cleanliness. It wasn¡¯t sterile like something had been scoured. Whatever the aspect was it was a number of things all rolled up into one. It was a heavy weight being removed, it was light chasing the darkness away, and it was a storm washing away the filth. All of this and more was left behind for Obu to process and she instinctively knew she could impart the feeling upon her monsters. At the same time, the flame of Waag that lay within her flared to life in response to the new Aspect she possessed, resonating with the ideas it expressed. Obu let all of these things wash over her and through her before turning her attention to her Dungeon. Razum was still there, probably processing his own gains and Obu figured she would leave him be. Instead of sticking around she let her mind transfer to her Hidden Floor where her father was still stumping around. She found him poking one of the slimelings, watching it jiggle back and forth. She giggled internally and left him to his fun, moving to place a slimeling spawner by the divine seed that had sprouted. Two spawners later she felt better about the defense of her Hidden Floor but she also wanted something more. The Slimelings were great but there was something else she had been given some time ago. Her father had used it to raise Razum to sapience and now Obu figured it was her turn. She pulled back from her Dungeon, sinking into the depths of her mind, plans for a new creature circling within. Chapter 38 - Razum’s Growth
Congratulations Razum!
  • You have finished the Quest [Ranking Up] as shown below!
[Ranking Up] Type: Repeatable, Advancement Quest Description: You are on the cusp of advancement. To advance complete the First Room of the local Dungeon alone and without assistance. Boons and Titles may be used as normal, however, rewards will differ based on how many are used. Boons and Titles necessary to complete the Quest, such as natural Boons and Titles, are excused. Class Skills and Abilities suffer no penalties.
  • Reward (Maximum): Rank F(2), System Token x5, Attribute Points x10
Congratulations Razum!
  • You meet the requirements for Ascending to Rank F(2)!
    • Would you like to Ascend? (Yes/No)
Congratulations Razum!
  • You have Ascended to Rank F(2)
  • Your Class: Mycelial Scion, receives the following improvements:
    • Skill Points x5
    • +1 Additional Skill Slot
  • You have gained the Skill [Mycelial Fleshcraft 1]
    • [Mycelial Fleshcraft 1] has become [Mycelial Fleshcraft 2] due to existing Boons
  • You have gained the Ability [Combat Fleshcraft]
Razum looked tiredly at the System notifications even as he exited his sister''s Dungeon and made his way back to his garden. From the way his rewards sat heavy on his soul, he figured he did pretty well on his [Ranking Up] Quest. He had no idea what a System Token was but five of them plus ten free Attribute Points was obviously the max someone could get. As he made his way, his body slowly shifted back to normal as he made use of his new skill. It had come to him in a moment of inspiration while he had been fighting. To be fair, he had already had the foundations for the skill. In fact, he could have done the same thing with a combination of Boons, it just would have been slower. [Mycelial Fleshcraft] took hints from the Boons Umbral Infused Fruiting Body, Sensory Mycelium, Sporecap Locomotion, Malleable Sporecap, and Umbral Fleshcraft. The skill itself was just a simplified confluence of all of those streams of knowledge. He didn¡¯t know exactly when he had got it but had felt the difference when he had been forced to move quickly. His sister''s trap had been an unwelcome surprise and he had been forced to spend some of his Attribute Points to increase his Strength and Dexterity. He looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them, feeling the almost unnatural vitality giving life to his pseudo-musculature. His new skill was fascinating to use but the ability had been a bit of a shock. He had wanted to move quicker and so unconsciously combined [Aether Manipulation 1] and [Mycelial Feshcraft 2] together. The ensuing ability not only allowed for explosive growth at the cost of Aether but it also was extremely malleable to the point that he had been able to reshape his hand into a blade within a matter of moments. His body had also shifted, the internal musculature changing to better produce explosive power at the cost of energy. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. It was only now that he was recovering that his body was returning to its pre-combat condition and the strain on his Aether reserves was diminishing. The changes left him tired and drained, his mind weary and his fruiting body aching. Still, he was triumphant, and completing his Quest wasn¡¯t even the full extent of his rewards.
Congratulations Razum! You have entered a Dungeon Challenge!
  • Your party has defeated Grungy Git F(1) x10!
  • Your party has survived Dungeon Traps x2!
  • Room 1 Challenge Completed!
Calculating Experience¡­Titles Acknowledged! The 2560 Xp generated during the challenge becomes 5120 Xp due to the Title -> Progenitor Due to Title -> Umbral Host, 2560 Xp has been reserved for Ten¡¯Telo as per the covenant Congratulations Razum!
  • You have received 2560 Xp!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 6!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 7!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 8!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 9!
  • You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 10!
Warning! You have reached the Level Cap for Rank F(2)! To begin advancement to Rank F(3) please ascend to Level 10 immediately to receive your Advancement Quest! Any further Experience gains will be banked until after your Advancement Quest has been completed.
Razum¡¯s mind froze as he considered the magnitude of his rewards. The implications astounded him. If this was how Dungeons worked all over this plane of existence then his father¡¯s insistence on Obu being able to defend herself was well placed. The Overmind Sporecap¡¯s mind whirled as he attempted to piece together the response a nation or people might have to his sister¡¯s existence. One response would be to somehow find a way of controlling the Dungeon so that its challenges were simple and direct. He didn¡¯t know exactly how the System controlled how much Xp was given for the challenges but perhaps it was a fixed amount. The second response, if the Dungeon couldn¡¯t be controlled, would be monopolization. Only that country or people would have access and they would use it to empower their warriors and help them Ascend the Ranks. The third response would be destruction. If it couldn¡¯t be controlled or monopolized and if an agreement couldn¡¯t be reached then the Dungeon would need to be destroyed. It was only simple deduction. Such a magnifier of personal power could engender no other responses unless the truly pure of heart discovered the Dungeon. All of this meant his sister would be in grave danger if discovered. Not that Papa Dug would ever let anything happen to her but the danger would certainly increase. Razum pondered the situation further even as he entered his garden. One thing he realized quickly is that few other people would be able to do as he had done. For one thing, he didn¡¯t know if there were many Sapients who began as the lowest Rank possible. If he had to guess based on the data provided by the Muskeera and Talpi, true Sapience would probably begin at the start of Rank E or toward the middle. That meant that not many people would receive such a Quest to enter a Dungeon to Rank Up. He would have to ask the Muskeera and Talpi how their people did it before Obu arrived. Secondly, he wasn¡¯t sure how many would try to complete the room¡¯s challenge completely. From the Quest¡¯s details, you just had to complete the room which he assumed was just reaching the end. Some combat would probably be required to make it but you certainly wouldn¡¯t have to fight every Git to reach the end. The only reason Razum could was that he was blessed with perhaps the best background you could ever have. He wouldn¡¯t have even died if his fruiting body had been destroyed. It would have been painful and he would have failed in his Quest but his true body was the Mind Matrix of mycelium below the surface of the fungal garden. He wasn¡¯t sure what would have happened had he failed his Quest but he was certain there would be another path forward. Basically, to those who prepared well and spent their Experience wisely, Dungeons were the epitome of progress. You go in for your Ranking Up Quest and come out with rewards and the Experience needed to progress to the next Rank. Then you use the Experience gained to bolster your foundation of Skills and Abilities before doing it all over again. Also, while he had received that specific Quest, he imagined that there would be others that would allow for a Rank Up. For them, the Dungeons offered a way to gain the Experience needed to reach the pre-requisite level, before heading off on whatever Quest they had. He had sensed more than seen the party of Muskeera and Talpi as they challenged Obu¡¯s Dungeon. He imagined that parties like them were more of the norm. It would take a true monster to solo entire Dungeons. The mushroom paused as that thought struck him. I guess I am that monster now, he mused to himself. As he made his way further into the garden to find a spot to plant himself he pondered how he would utilize his wellspring of Experience. Perhaps some experiments were in order. Chapter 39 - Obu Receives More Guests
Analyzing¡­Challengers Detected¡­Commencing Dungeon Run Challengers: Cheep-Cheep: Rank F(4), Level 19, Hunter Gatherer Chi-Chala: Rank F(3), Level 14, Hunter Gatherer Meek-Fee: Rank F(3), Level 13, Hunter Gatherer Dorn Heavyclaw: Rank F(3), Level 13, Tunnel Dweller Mita Heavyclaw: Rank F(3), Level 12, Tunnel Dweller Good Luck, Dungeon Core!
The System notification brought Obu out of her planning session, which was being held within the confines of her gemstone body. She left her half-finished schematics behind as she moved her awareness to her Dungeon. It had been a day or so since Razum had left and through the bond they shared with their father she could feel he was hard at work, his massive mind churning away. When she arrived, she found Cheep-Cheep and his crew had returned but she couldn¡¯t help but be concerned for the little creature. He had received a simply massive influx of Experience after his victory, enough that he should be well on his way to level twenty. He didn¡¯t need to run the Dungeon with his pals and the excess Experience might hurt him. So, as she let them feel her presence by summoning lights, she began the process of speaking when Cheep-Cheep spoke up before she could get a word out. ¡°Hey-Hey Dunn-Junn. Can they hunt?¡± He pointed to the rest of his pals and she sighed in relief that he wasn¡¯t including himself in their number. She also thanked whatever magic was at work that let her communicate with them and be understood in turn. ¡°Sure, that is fine Cheep-Cheep. It is a pleasure to meet you all finally! Well, officially that is.¡± From the way the little things jumped at her voice, it seemed as though she had startled them, similar to what happened when she spoke to Cheep-Cheep the first time. They calmed down even as Cheep-Cheep gave them a wave and stepped back outside the Dungeon, heading off to who-knows-where. Left with the four others she spoke again. ¡°Now then, I think you all should reach the next threshold by completing the first two rooms so attempt to do that and we will see where you all stand.¡± She pulsed her lights once before letting them fade. Checking to make sure her two rooms were functioning properly and had all of their monsters accounted for, she let the group continue while letting her presence fade. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. She didn¡¯t feel the need to stick around so she went back to designing her newest monster. The System acted as her note-taker, compiling her thoughts into a more ordered mess. Her slimes were the focus of her thoughts. She didn¡¯t know if slimes had ever reached sapience before but the Framework hadn¡¯t directly excluded them so it must be possible. Now she just needed to figure out a way to fit the Slimeling Framework she had within the Sapient Framework. She sunk her mind into it letting everything else fall away. POV Cheep-Cheep Leaving his supporters to run the Dunn-Junn while he went about his own business, Cheep-Cheep headed out and away from the green one¡¯s den. He had been working on incorporating his new Instinct-Gifts into his hunts and he needed a quiet place to solidify the remainder of his gains. He traveled quickly into the forest until he arrived at the spot he had been going to train at for the last few days. The sound of rushing water filled his ears as he gazed upon a scene of natural beauty. The very same waterfall that Dug had discovered some time ago maintained its crashing course down the side of the mountain until it slammed into the pool below. Cheep-Cheep had taken to training here, the sound of the water helping to keep him focused as well as drown out any noise he might have made that would have drawn the attention of other hunters. He scurried his up onto the slick rocks activating one of his newer gifts to cling to its slick surface. He made his way carefully to where a portion of the waterfall broke off to form its own deluge. It was here that he planned on surpassing his limits and finally reaching the next stage. He kept a firm hold on his active gift, feeling his way carefully until all that filled his vision was rushing water. He steeled his mind and then stepped into the crushing power of falling water. Immediately, every other sensation was washed away by the freezing pain that accompanied his decision. Had he not already accustomed himself to the pool below he would have lost control of his gift and plunged back into it like the first time he had tried this. As it was he could barely hold his concentration as the water beat upon his head, shoulders, and back. He stood firm, refusing to yield, even as his body was bruised by the power present. He focused his energy and that other, nameless, potential and pushed it to his skin and from there to his fur. He held it there, feeling his way to something new, drowning in the sensations. A trial by fire was what the tall folk would have called it, not like Cheep-Cheep knew that. His Experience and will mixed with his internal Aether to form what he knew to be an Instinct-Gift but what they would have called an Ability. Gradually it took shape within his subconscious before manifesting in an outward expression of power. Cheep-Cheep felt the shift as the pain receded to a dull ache. Looking around he could see that his Aether now formed a protective barrier at the surface of his skin that shed the water around him and protected him from the cold. He whooped with glee, knowing that this meant he was now level 20 and able to climb even higher. His whoop turned into a startled squawk of panic as his Aether bottomed out and he lost both of the gifts he had been using at once. He slipped and the water slammed him into the rocks before washing him into the pool. The cold water shocked his senses but it wasn¡¯t so bad after having gotten used to it. He swam to shore before looking up at the Life-Words that flashed across his vision. He had succeeded and the ensuing Quest was all that he had imagined it would be. Flopping onto the ground, the little Muskeeran giggled with glee, knowing that his revenge was close at hand. Chapter 40 - Interlude: A Ranger In Need Gerald dove for the ground as the paw, bigger than his entire torso, hurtled over his head to smash into the truck of a tree. The tree, a decent-sized oak of some kind, groaned as it began to list to one side. The creature snarled as it recovered, only to find its prey darting away again. Gerald didn¡¯t give it a second glance which was the height of foolishness but he didn¡¯t have time to waste in a battle he couldn¡¯t win in the first place. The creature, a high-level D-Rank he hadn¡¯t taken the time to identify, let out a roar that tapered off into a high-pitched warble. It sounded eerily like the creature was laughing at him, reminiscent of the hyenas of the plains to the south but this was no hyena. For one, it was massive standing almost eight feet at the shoulders with said shoulders being wide and bulky. There was an ape-like bent to its front and back paws which ended in wickedly sharp claws. Its hyena-like jaws connected to a stocky neck, culminating in a hump toward the shoulder blades. Basically, it was terrifying and Gerald had to use every trick in his book to get away from it only for it to find him again with unerring accuracy. ¡°I bet it¡¯s called something stupid like a Hyerilla,¡± he muttered under his breath before saving the rest for running. He heard it crashing after him and groaned while once again activating his stealth ability [One With Nature]. He heard the beast stop and sighed in momentary relief as he had the last few times. Usually, a perfect means of breezing through a forest without detection it didn¡¯t take long for him to hear the sound of pursuit starting up again and he groaned. [Second Wind] activated as soon as he could spare the Aether for it and he felt his lungs ease as the ability took the strain. He took off through the undergrowth but could sense his time was running out. He had been gassed before the beast had shown up and it was only by skill and a good amount of luck that he had managed to keep a couple of steps ahead of excruciating death via hyena-gorilla hybrid. He juked between trees, hoping that they would slow down the massive beast behind him and he managed to succeed for a good distance but ultimately he hit an open stretch and the game was up. He put on a last burst of speed, trying to get clear before the beast caught up but it wasn¡¯t to be. There was a snarl and then his body was moving, reacting at the speed of subconscious thought. [Predator¡¯s Instincts] had him darting under another striking paw but numerous previous activations had slowed the ability and the meaty appendage clipped him. Flight. Short, temporary, and, ultimately, painful. Gerald felt something crunch as he struck a tree and bounced off. He rolled with the impact and popped up to his feet but the motion was slower than he would¡¯ve liked. His back ached and that wasn¡¯t good but he could feel his tempered Constitution begin to go to work. The ranger let out a snarl of his own as the beast turned to face him, that laughing roar already bubbling from its throat. Gerald grimaced as he unsheathed his duel daggers. With his back being messed up there was no way he would be able to draw his bow with any power. As the creature began to charge Gerald went through his options before settling on one that might give him a shot at survival. To be honest he should have attempted this a while ago but he had thought he could evade and continue his mission without having to resort to combat. He darted forward, his tempered dexterity giving his feet wings. Ducking under a wild haymaker of a swipe his daggers darted for the beast¡¯s back left leg digging in before being ripped out by the speed of his passage. The creature roared and spun, moving with a speed that belied its heavy frame. Gerald attempted a dodging motion but his back twinched painfully and he only managed a deflection rather than a complete miss. The deflection sent him careening across the short clearing, bruised and battered. He found his feet even as the beast snarled and charged in its weird shuffling gait. That didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t fast, however. Gerald swayed to the side as it tried to spear his torso with the claws of one paw. He had to duck under a bite as its jaws snapped forward and he stifled a scream as his back clenched and spasmed. His constitution wasn¡¯t keeping up which meant that something was seriously messed up.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The young ranger clenched his teeth against the pain and let out his own roar of defiance slamming one of his daggers up into the bottom of the creature¡¯s jaw. Tearing it free as the creature attempted to retaliate, he launched himself to the side calling on his Aether. One of his daggers glowed with blood-red light even as he stabbed down and to the side, rending the beast¡¯s back leg. It roared and spun, backhanding him across the clearing. Gerald¡¯s eyes blinked in confusion as his body pinballed off the ground and into the trunk of a tree. As darkness closed in on the periphery of his vision he saw the beast limping toward him with red energy rippling off its fur. ¡°Huh,¡± he mumbled, ¡°shoulda known it had some kinda¡­ rage¡­ ability.¡± As he faded from consciousness, he could''ve sworn he heard another person chuckle nearby. Sometime later¡­ Death was strangely pleasant. It had been cold at first which made a certain kind of sense but then there had been a brilliant flash of heat that reminded him of the Sun Engine for some reason. Perhaps his soul had risen to take its place as fuel for its charge across the sky. The warmth was soothing, liberating almost. He let the heat wash over him, content in the fact that he had made it to the place where only Archons were allowed. He breathed deeply of the hot air and smoke¡­smoke¡­breathing. Gerald snapped upright, eyes blinking rapidly against the glare of green light. His ears rang and his muscles ached all over, especially his back but he was surprised to find that it no longer pained him as much. As his eyes adjusted he found himself staring into the greenest eyes he had ever seen set in the face of the ugliest creature he had ever seen. He wasn¡¯t proud of the way he practically screamed and flinched away from the visage before him. His mortification was only made worse at the way the creature began cackling madly, falling back and rolling around on the ground in his evident glee. Gerald watched the creature do so in fascinated disgust, a fact the creature seemed to register as it hopped up and once more got in his face. The ranger had to hold his breath as the ugly thing let out a snort of air that would have made Bert Stonejaw¡¯s morning breath a thing of beauty. ¡°Whatta you do ¡®ere den tall-folk?¡± Gerald blinked and then blinked again at the heavily accented words. It wasn¡¯t an accent he had ever heard before and though he understood them he was flummoxed by the context. It was as if he had stumbled onto an old man¡¯s front lawn and was being confronted by a crotchety elder. As he took in the creature before him he realized that it might not have been far from the truth. The figure was short, perhaps three feet tall at the most, and had a thick bushy beard with all manner of things sprouting from it. Pointed jagged ears jutted out behind it and large hands and feet were prominent. Then there were those eyes, piercing green and flickering as if alive with inner fire. Gerald had to turn away but when he did so he was confronted by the roaring green inferno that had been the giant hyena ape thing that had attacked him. A snort sounded and Gerald turned to behold the little green man glaring at him with utter disdain. There was a snap from two long slender fingers and suddenly the eerily green fire winked out, leaving a steaming, sizzling corpse. The creature turned, ignoring Gerald¡¯s incredulous stare, and went to a nearby boulder where a staff leaned against it. That was the moment that Gerald subconsciously activated [Sun¡¯s Weaving Threads] and the world exploded into threads of glowing yellows, oranges, and burnished reds. The young man gasped at the sudden confluence of threads as he hadn¡¯t before seen such a blazing array. Then his heart nearly stopped as he took in the short green figure who had now picked up his staff, one that blazed with inner fire. The threads didn¡¯t just connect to the little figure, they practically draped themselves over him like the cloak of a king. When the figure¡¯s eyes met Gerald¡¯s they held the knowing look that he had seen in the eyes of his teachers when they suspected he had finally grasped what they had been speaking on. Its eyes flashed green and the threads shuddered, wrapping around the creature even tighter. Threads were everywhere and Gerald had to turn off the skill in order to keep his sight and he still had to blink rapidly to banish the spots that had formed. When he finally recovered he found the creature staring him in the eyes again, too close for comfort. Now though, Gerald was unable to look away. The little green man hummed to himself before returning to a more respectable distance. ¡°So. Yousa come at last den. Isa been waitin.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Gerald gasped, shuddering again in remembrance of what he saw. A pearly white smile that was almost scarily juxtaposed with the ugliness of its bearer appeared through the beard. ¡°My name beez Dug. Dug Shardaal, Sporemeistah of dah Git Bog.¡± Chapter 41 - The Valley Comes Under Attack Deep beneath the craggy peaks of The Teeth, an old malice stirred. For decades it had festered and crept along, claiming territory even as it sunk its teeth into the bones of the earth and the Aetheric Leyline below. The tunnels and halls of its domain were choked with the lifeblood of its existence, a miasma foul and twisting. What it had been once, it didn¡¯t know except that it had been a vessel, a vessel that carried immense power. But whatever the vessel had been used for before it was now a corrupted container. The power within had curdled like sour milk and all manner of foulness now spilled forth. It wasn¡¯t alive, not really, but it did have a semblance of being despite its fallen state. Recently a part of itself had been severed and violently. It didn¡¯t feel pain but whatever had done the severing had burned, burned in a way that spoke to something lost. The old malice didn¡¯t have thoughts or a mind. It was a concept and an aspect twisted by fallenness and abandonment into something near the opposite of what it had once stood for. The vessel of the old god of nature Thalvar stirred as it subconsciously stretched toward that painful touch. It wasn¡¯t aware enough to know what it had lost but the power spoke to it nonetheless. Unthinking and uncaring, the black fingers of its corruptive tide began to seek out the source of the burning. Whether it sought to corrupt further or simply achieve full absolution there was no sign. The result was clear, however. The valley where Dug¡¯s home had arrived came under attack. It started simple enough. The many cave systems dotting the valley were consumed easily and many were the unfortunate creatures that fell to corruption. One of those locations had fought back and while at first the corruption was satisfied, the meal did not have the same flavor nor burned as fiercely. So it continued its search by sending out its fingers to prod and push. The result on the forest and streams was immediate. Animals darted for cover and birds took to the sky as corruption spilled forth. From the mouths of caves came oozing manifestations and interspersed among them were animals and other beings. Like spilled ink on a white page, the corruption began its inexorable spread. The trees darkened and the earth bubbled, hissing as the oozes led the way, perverting the ground for their brethren to travel upon. The sun engine overhead burned at them but it was a largely artificial kind of divinity and it wasn¡¯t what they sought anyway. They stayed clear of running water but consumed all they touched. That is until they met resistance. The first encounter was with a small creature, a squirrel. It was caught but those creatures that encountered it burned. It radiated the same kind of power that had lured the old malice into action, albeit to a lesser extent. This was not what it sought but it was evidence so it consumed the thing and went on. Even as it did so the squirrel¡¯s corpse remained, incorruptible even in death. POV Dug Shardaal The human shifted as Dug gave his name and the old goblin watched him carefully. He knew what the young man represented and despite that, he had saved him from certain death. He could have let him die but Dug wasn¡¯t cruel and it was a cruel thing to watch a brave man die when he had the power to save him. Still, caution would be prudent here.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Tall-folk were many things but being kindly disposed to the ugly things of the world was not something he had come to expect from them. Then there was the subdued religious heraldry that the young man wore, a cog-like gear set in a shining sun rising from a verdant green plain. If the tall-folk hadn¡¯t come for the shard of sunlight he would eat his beard. So, he repeated his question from before with a little more insistence. ¡°Whatta you do ¡®ere den tall-folk? Come-Come now, speak den.¡± The young man gulped and spoke from where he still sat. ¡°I came seeking an artifact that had been lost here in the mountains. It was in the care of an adventurer.¡± ¡°Youz came alone?¡± Dug said, cocking an eyebrow at the brazen nature of the man¡¯s answer to his question. Perhaps he had overestimated the importance of the gem but he knew he hadn¡¯t. There had to be more going on. The man¡¯s wild flight through the forest had a larger story. The widening of the man¡¯s eyes seemed to confirm his suspicions, as did the next words out of his mouth. ¡°No, no there¡¯s a whole company of us. Bloody fool, how could you forget such a thing,¡± he said, with the last comment obviously aimed at himself. He leapt to his feet turning wildly back the way he came. He whipped back around in the next instant his eyes flashing once more with the golden light that had convinced Dug that he saw more than he let on. The boy seemed to gather himself before bowing his head in Dug¡¯s direction. ¡°Sir, please, I know you must have some connection with the sun, the threads don¡¯t lie, and my company needs help. I may already be too late. I must find the artifact and I believe you know where it is.¡± Dug wanted to cackle at the image of the young man almost bowing to him. It was a rare thing to be sure, having one of the tall folk bow to him, and he wanted to savor the moment. But the serious panic and terror in his voice was enough to cut through the humor of the situation. ¡°Whatta you all get into den?¡± He asked seriously even as he cast his senses outward in an old druid trick that he had picked up while masquerading as one. There. On the wind was a foulness that hadn¡¯t been there a day ago. It came blowing up from the south and through the valley. He could still hear wildlife but as his senses expanded he met with the sounds of fleeing animals and terror. ¡°Please, sir! The artifact, where is it?¡± The boy¡¯s voice was insistent, unaware of the wider concerns of the forest. Dug held up a hand before kneeling and placing his palm on the forest floor. He sent his senses down and connected to a mycelial network nearby before feeding it the Aether it needed to grow and connect to another nearby. Painstakingly he created a web of information that spread outward down the valley under the ground until it found what he expected. The corruption had found another place to seep from only this time it wasn¡¯t content to remain within a cave. No, this time it was attacking and taking ground. Dug grunted before reaching for the Waag, slipping the fragment of Waaglight from his satchel. He heard the young man gasp before he let the Waag shift and flow through him, into the network. The Aether flooded through him and he drew on both the crystal and his daughter to fuel the work. Power flooded into the mycelial network, shining brightly enough to be seen through the earth. As it reached the end the result was felt even so far up the valley where he now knelt. There was a mighty FWHUMP as the part of the network closest to the corruption ignited into a wall of flame driving back the encroaching foulness. For a moment, before that part of the network fully burnt away, he could sense the corruption¡¯s response and it did nothing to reassure him. The corruption attacked the flames, Oozes attempting to put them out and failing to do so. Twisted creatures dived into it only to flinch back as the fire peeled away the darkness holding onto them. Dug humphed to himself, putting the gem of Waaglight back into his satchel and rising from where he had knelt. The young man was staring southward, his strange eyes still staring at something only he could see. ¡°How did you¡­¡± he started to say before Dug interrupted him. ¡°Notta important now. Youz can come or stay bud isa need tah go.¡± Startled the man turned even as Dug began stumping off. ¡°Wait! What do you mean? You have to help my company! And what did you do to that Sun Core!¡± Chapter 42 - Dug Prepares For War (Part 1) Almost immediately after beginning to stump off, Dug had turned around to fetch the corpse of the creature he had slain. It had an uncanny resemblance to the creatures known as gnolls from his home plane. While he had no desire for Obu to recreate those horrid creatures he couldn¡¯t help but admit that they were terrifying fighters and his daughter needed every defender she could get. Whether or not she chose to raise this hyena-gorilla hybrid to sapience was up to her but he had a feeling she would. She was there for most of his encounters with the gnolls and her inherited memories ran deep. Even if she did not choose to use the beast it would still be a powerful creature to face. The reason he was now dragging the corpse through the forest was because his daughter was deep in thought. He didn¡¯t want to interrupt her thinking session so he would take care to preserve the beast until she was ready to claim it. He and his tagalong moved swiftly through the forest, even with the addition of the big beastie. After all, it wasn¡¯t hard for Dug to infuse his musculature and bones with Waag which made the dragging of the corpse a simple prospect. They made good time, though the tagalong¡¯s inquisitiveness made the journey anything but peaceful for the old goblin. ¡°Hey old timer, I don¡¯t mean to interrupt your silent brooding but could you explain why you have the Sun Core that looks like it''s been dunked in poison? And could you possibly explain why we are headed away from my companions and leaving them TO DIE?!¡± Dug grunted. It hadn¡¯t taken long for the young man to lose his sense of awe and respect. His voice was tinged with anger and the last was yelled loud enough to scare birds from the trees nearby. Stopping and turning Dug looked up into the red face of the panting and angry two-legs. ¡°Yousa¡¯s panions beez gone, not dedded. Isa will take care of dem. Now shut youz trap an follow Dug.¡± He turned back and continued on his way, leaving the young man to follow or not as he wished. It didn¡¯t take long for the man¡¯s longer strides to catch back up and he settled into sullen silence. But it didn¡¯t last for long. ¡°And the Sun Core? Last time I checked it was in the chest of Toliaro, the Son of Sunlight. Why do you have it and not him?¡± Dug stopped again and again looked up into the man¡¯s face. There was apprehension there that let Dug know he suspected the outcome of Dug¡¯s meeting with Toliaro. Dug turned and once again began stumping off. ¡°Isa came to dis world by axeedent. Met dis man uze speak of hunting someting. Told him tah leave but den he attack. Didn¡¯t know Dug also uze dah great Ever-fire. Took what he threw an threw it back. Notta much left when he hit dah ground. Took dah shiny from him aftah. Had no need fah it anymore aftah all.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You¡­you killed him?¡± The tagalong¡¯s voice was tinted with horror and there was a pause before he spoke again and this time the horror was mixed with understanding. ¡°You¡¯re one of them.¡± The venom in the last word made Dug sigh. He turned to find the man¡¯s eyes filled with equal parts anger and despair. ¡°Yes-yes, isa not part of dah sysitem dat youz are. Notta need it and isa will be chained by nuttink.¡± He said the last part firmly and his eyes ignited at the fervor of his spirit. The man sucked in a breath and froze at the sight. Dug just snorted and began walking again. After a time he heard the lad¡¯s footfalls sound behind him and he readied himself for a verbal confrontation that never happened. The tagalong remained silent for the remainder of the journey which didn¡¯t end up being that much longer. Before long they had broken into a more open expanse of ground and they were greeted by the sight of Talpi and Muskeera working industriously around the cliff face that housed his home. The little creatures froze at the sight of Dug but squeaked in terror at the sight of the human and fled in all directions. Dug sighed at the cacophony before bringing his hands together in a great clap, manipulating the Aether in the air to carry the sound. The little beasts froze, some midrun which caused them to sprawl face down in the dirt as their momentum carried them forward. ¡°Dis here beez my guest so youz gotta nottink tah fear. Be about youz day. Go on, git!¡± Those final few words he said with a bit of umph and the creatures found their feet worked quite well. They were no longer running around in a panic but they still shot fearful glances at his tall tagalong. Turning to the human, Dug found him staring at the little beasts with what looked like awe. ¡°What are they?¡± He asked, looking to Dug when he didn¡¯t answer right away. Dug sighed, looking at the hustle and bustle around him. ¡°Dey¡¯s beez my daughtah¡¯s pets. Notta very smartish, notta yet, but deys gettink der. Maybees be notta pets sooner den later. Kept demselves real dumb-dumb wid fightin and such but dey all peaceful-like now.¡± He motioned for the young human to follow him and he began dragging the hyena-like beast to the cliff face. Only waiting for the human to catch up, the old goblin flooded the earth around them with Aether before lifting a large section of the rock. Connected to the side of the cliff face they rose into the air like one of the magical platforms he had seen once in a dwarven city. That had been an adventure but he had gained all sorts of interesting ideas on how to use Aether and magic. Still hadn¡¯t been much fun being chased around by burly little men and their magical repeating bolt throwers. When they reached the top, he made immediately for the cave entrance set into the mountain. It was only once he had gotten there that he realized he hadn¡¯t heard the human¡¯s footsteps following him. He turned to see him kneeling in front of the shining man¡¯s corpse. There was a kind of agony on the man¡¯s face, akin to that of a man seeing a source of salvation only to realize it was a false hope. Dug sighed and continued into his home. The man would either hate him or recognize the fallacy of doing so. Either way, Dug had much bigger concerns at the moment. He needed to prepare for war. Chapter 43 - Razum Builds His Strength Razum¡¯s entire mind thrummed as it expanded and contracted as he needed it too. Bunches of mycelial threads split off to form complex mini-minds that performed minor tasks before relaxing back into the greater whole. Mind-attributed Aether flowed along the connections like they were normal Aetheric Conduits, spreading power the entire length of the connection. Razum¡¯s experiments had born fruit. There were six of him now, five little clone bodies perhaps a third of his main fruiting body¡¯s height. While weak they were considerably faster, as he had designed them to be when utilizing his newest Ability. [Mycelial Clone (Lesser)] was a Tier 2 Ability and it had been a surprise when he had stumbled upon the fact that those existed. The flexibility of the System continued to surprise him, acting in ways that were structured and ordered yet providing the tools necessary for holistic growth. He had suspected, of course, that his current abilities would be capable of growth but the truth was even greater than that. He had spent his time in the garden shoring up his foundations, quickly raising the skills [Aether Manipulation 1] and [Sporecraft 1] to their second levels. It hadn¡¯t taken many experiments after that to realize that his abilities could be combined in much the same way to reach a higher threshold of power. That threshold was represented by [Spore Cloud] being combined with [Aetheric Cultivation] to produce the Tier 2 Ability [Spore Implantation]. The Ability let him infuse spores onto, and then into, a target via physical contact. Powerful when combined with the sheer variety of spores he had access to. [Waag-Burst] was next, though it was a bit strange. It also used [Spore Cloud] but it seemed like the spore aspect of the ability died when the Waag was introduced. Instead, it became more like a small explosion that popped into emerald existence whenever he used it. It had a decent range and by the size of the little craters he had left pockmarked around the garden¡¯s walls, it would be a good increase to his combat capabilities. Those experiments had another purpose which was of course to suck up the rest of his Experience and bring his level up. Upon crafting [Mycelial Clone (Lesser)], which was actually a combination of his three spore and mycelium-related skills, he had reached level ten. Now he was utilizing his newest ability to bring monsters to life. His father had cultivated the garden with a truly dizzying array of fungi that occupied a massive underground cavern. The fact that all of it had been brought to this plane of existence along with his father proved how much of his own personal power Dug had infused into each organism. Now, Razum was experimenting with a few select fungi he had collected from the wider garden. There were three, to be exact. The first was a Ruby Sporecap, a mushroom with a vibrant red cap and pale stalk. Its mycelium network was particularly suited to extracting nutrients from blood and similar fluids making them a common sight after battles or in the forest from hunts. The second was from another section of the garden, where glittery spores lit up a deeply shadowed section. Glimmerhoods were fungi that liked the deep dark of tunnels and cave systems. The dwarves of his father¡¯s old world had cultivated them, often attaching still-living stalks to their helmets or garments before heading into their mines. The third and final fungus was rather large. It was literally called a Goliath Arbor for its massive size and thick stalk, akin to a small tree as a matter of fact. Its spores were large as well, around the size of an acorn, and were utilized by a peculiar tribe of sapient squirrels as foodstuffs. The spores by themselves were completely harmless and they produced enough of them that they were never in danger of not spreading. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. These three were the focus of his experiments and so far the results were promising. His mini selves were scurrying to and fro making sure that each specimen was remaining stable, his [Divergent Mind] fully capable of piloting each body and giving them separate tasks. Finally, he was going to make use of his Title, [Father of Monsters], and the first of his children was ready for him to begin. Before him, the body of a bipedal creature was laid out. All of it was Mycelial Fleshcraft, carefully constructed and kept alive through [Aetheric Cultivation]. The form it took was rather like his own fruiting body as he had shaped it. This creature however wouldn¡¯t need mycelium to move. Off to the side, where it had been discarded, was the corpse of his old experiment. Razum hadn¡¯t felt any kinship with the monster since from the get-go it had been more of an accidental thing and not something he would willingly call his child. It had provided him with an excellent lesson in extremely basic bipedal anatomy as well as how mycelium could be used to approximate the same structures. If he had had any Experience left he probably would have gotten another skill but as it was he didn¡¯t mind. His first child, therefore, would possess the ability to walk without needing an established mycelium network, unlike his own fruiting body. He had destroyed the previous Sporeheart with Waag and now was in the process of making a new one. A singular stalk descended from his gills and he clasped the spore as soon as it was finished growing. Immediately he poured Mind attributed Aether into it as it underwent its transformation into a Sporeheart. He had no idea whether or not his actions would have any effect on the intelligence of the creature but he would see soon. Along with his own Aether, he let Ten¡¯Telo inject a portion of his growing shadowy mass into the creation. He had promised the Umbral Parasite the opportunity to spread and grow and it seemed proper that it would join him in his task of creating progeny. The organism was already helping keep the body properly aligned and was empowering the musculature of the child with its tendrils. The new heart pumped vigorously and Razum nodded to himself as he sensed the different attributed Aether being internalized and released with each contraction. Carefully, he placed the heart within his child¡¯s chest and then brought his entire mind to bear. His clones slumped over as he brought the majority of his mind back from controlling them. The massive network of mycelium under the garden contracted as his Mental Matrix sought to bring order to chaos. As soon as the Sporeheart hit the chest cavity of the child it began to explode in chaotic growth without rhyme or reason except consumption. Razum¡¯s great mind changed the equation. His fungal skills thrummed as he utilized his knowledge. His Aether bled from him as he used [Aetheric Cultivation] to its maximum. The Growth was forced to yield to the [Father of Monsters]. The chest cavity was closed as mycelial flesh roiled into place. Thick armor-like growths sprouted from the shoulders and stomach. The cap grew short sensory stalks that would hang and flow in the wind. Muscles bulged as the Growth flowed through predetermined channels created for that purpose. It wasn¡¯t perfect and it wasn¡¯t a person. The Growth could be directed but even carefully controlled chaos will find a way. The fingers became daggerlike, incapable of any other work than killing. The mouthlike slit became more cavernous with jagged growths appearing as teeth to rip and tear despite needing no such assistance. The internal mycelium network, reinforced by Ten¡¯Telo¡¯s child, held strong and firm. Whatever came in the future, Razum had prepared his first monstrous progeny to succeed. Black pitiless eyes opened and blinked even as a rough snarl broke free from its horrid mouth. Its red cap rustled as it looked around. Razum slumped, tired from the creation process, and felt the connection to his child snap into place. It flinched and turned to him and Razum was gratified to see greater intelligence in those pits than had been in his first experiment. The experiment had worked. If he had to guess, the creature standing before him was as smart as a canine or feline. That meant it was teachable. I am your father. You are Sangori, First of my Children. Now sit and watch. It took the weight of his mind on the bond but Razum got his point across and his commands were headed. Sangori didn¡¯t quite sit as his body wasn¡¯t quite made for it but his eyes followed Razum as he crouched low to the ground. His slimelike saliva dripped to the floor, his hunger ever-present. Present but caged as his father brought his fellow monstrous siblings to life. Chapter 44 - Obu Attempts a Sapient Framework Everything was ready to go, and Obu looked at the finished product with pride. It had been hard to get the Slimeling Framework to work with her plan, but the end result was just about what she wanted. The Sapient Framework she had been gifted had provided the majority of what she needed, but it was only that. It was the scaffolding that allowed her to build something new. She quickly discovered that Slimelings would never have become sapient without her intervention. They had little to no brain or anything resembling it. Their impulses were driven by their Aether Conduits, and thus, they were more like funnels through which their particular aspect or affinity affected the world at large. Her Pure-Touched Slimelings would hunger for corruption or a similar substance, such as disease or infection. Without such sustenance, they wouldn¡¯t grow, only subsisting off of the Aether in the atmosphere. Other slimelings would hunt for whatever their conduits hungered for. Such were the limits of their ¡®brains.¡¯ Thus, slimelings were little more than pests and free Experience to those able to hunt them. From the way the System referred to them, they weren¡¯t terribly effective. Obu, therefore, sought to change that opinion in true Gobbo fashion. She had started her self-imposed goal because she had wanted to make use of the Pure Aspect of her Slimelings. Now, she wanted to finish it to show the System that even small slimelings could rise to the occasion if given the chance. She started by creating a core of incredibly detailed crystalline latticework. Her children would be similar to her in that regard. The crystal would act as a brain, heart, and Aetheric center all in one. The latter ingredient made everything work. It was the same reason she was able to be sapient herself, after all. Aether. The Maker¡¯s Breath. The new sapient slime would be able to breathe via its Aether Conduits, drawing in the life-giving substance and housing it within its core where the Aether would be purified by its aspect. After, the Aether would be drawn into separate chambers, one for the mind and one for the heart. The mind would house all of the Aether necessary for cognitive function, and it was robust enough, in theory, to house the System and its workings. The heart held the outgoing Aether Conduits needed to direct Aether outward into the sapient slimes'' bodies. The body was where the majority of the difficulty came into play. Slimelings had no bone structure or musculature. Strictly speaking, they didn¡¯t need any. They moved via a sort of oozing motion, where they sludged part of their body forward in whatever direction they wanted to go and then sucked the rest of their body into following. It all worked off of Aether or rather relaxing and firming their Conduits. That wouldn¡¯t work if Obu wanted true defenders for her dungeon. The solution was hardly simple. Creating anatomy from scratch, no matter how simple, was an exercise in futility. If Obu had been any other entity, she probably would have given up. She wasn¡¯t any other entity, however. She was a Dungeon Core and one blessed by a System that gave enough hints that she got a working anatomy in time. However, quite a bit came from her memories of life with her father before becoming sapient herself. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Essentially, she borrowed inspiration from her father¡¯s conversations with elementals and other such spirits. By melding her slime sapient¡¯s Spark with its very body, using the core as a focus, she could give it full control of every part of itself. The default appearance of her children would be that of a small child-like body wrapped around the core, but it would be capable of shifting its shape at will. The core itself would be a major weak point since it contained the entirety of the slime¡¯s life, but there was very little she could do to change that. Her children would need to adapt in order to survive. Providentially, the System would provide the means like it had with her brother. Then again, there was also the small matter of whether the Maker would even approve of what she had created. Gazing at the Framework, she didn¡¯t think there was much to disapprove of, but she wasn¡¯t the supreme creator of all there was and would ever be. Obu hummed to herself. Sitting around worrying wasn¡¯t getting her any closer to having another set of sapient defenders. It took her a few moments to still her mind before she activated the ritual. When she unleashed the ritual, she didn¡¯t have a specific specimen in mind; there was only the Framework of her new sapient and the heady mix of excitement and anxiety that came with it. Unlike her father¡¯s ritual, where he had been seeking to transform a high-rank entity and raise it to sapience, Obu sought to create something new. Her slimelings didn¡¯t have a core, and their Sparks weren¡¯t developed enough to embody the concepts she was trying to bring to life. She was truly attempting the improbable. A presence descended even as she funneled yet more Aether into the ritual. It was fatherly in one way but ancient and unknowable in another. The voice that spoke was great and terrible, but there was no denying its warmth or the love that bled forth from each word spoken. ¡°Ah, Daughter of Flame, this is a good attempt. I accept this first creation in the spirit with which it was created. No longer simply touched by Purity, these creatures shall embody it. Pure of purpose, they shall be as inflexible with their pursuit of knowledge and belief as they are flexible with their bodies. Fiercely loyal, fiercely dependant on their guiding light, I entrust this new race into your hands. Give them a Name.¡± Obu had to force herself to speak as the presence waited patiently. It was just about too much to take in, but luckily, she had already prepared a name, and she thought it was rather good. ¡°Slymenentals as a race, Purons as a people.¡± ¡°So let it be,¡± The Maker intoned, and the ritual ended in a blaze of glorious light that left Obu gasping for Aether. She came out of the ritual with the innate understanding that it had taken longer to complete than her perception of the event would lead her to believe. As she reacclimated to sensing the entirety of her Dungeon body, there were multiple dings that accompanied System messages. As if playing catch up after the ritual, several messages were now ready for her to peruse. Obu ignored them for now, noticing that her father had returned from his foray into the wilderness. Not only that, but her brother Razum was with him, showing off three creatures that were very clearly fungal in nature. As much as she wanted to dive into a conversation with her family, she had yet to actually go over, much less summon, her newest creations. Therefore, she turned to the System messages, which were awaiting her opening. Bracing herself, she did just that. Chapter 45 - Obu’s Gains
Congratulations, Dungeon Core! You have created a race never before seen on the face of Aldem. The Maker has approved this Race for Sapience, and as such, they will be blessed with the System from their inception. However, due to being a Dungeon¡¯s creation, they will experience life differently from other sapient creatures. Unlike the vast majority of life outside the limits of your Dungeon¡¯s domain, creatures within your domain operate at the highest limits of their Rank, regardless of Experience. In fact, most of these creatures will never gain Experience properly as a result of occupying these limits. Sapient creatures, however, operate slightly differently. As they reach the requisite Rank where Sapience is possible, as decided by their Framework or Spawner location, they begin to accumulate Experience of their own. Although they will never receive a Class from the System, these creatures are able to spend their Experience to gain Titles and Boons beyond what you ordinarily would expect. This includes Boss and Mini Boss Titles, which come with their own Spawners. They may also bank the Experience for when you Ascend, thus allowing them to travel deeper into your domain and make a new Spawner for themselves, making way for new members to be spawned from the spawners they vacate. Bosses or Mini Bosses that do this do not lose their Titles but instead gain the Boon: Roaming, which allows them to attach themselves to a Floor which acts as their Spawner. In this way, sapient Dungeon Monsters spread and grow. They may also leave your Dungeon, but while outside, they are cut off from their Spawner, which brings them back to life indefinitely, albeit slowly. Any member of a race you create may choose to sever the connection between you voluntarily, but only in specific circumstances. Treat them well, and your races will have no reason or cause to leave, outside the outliers that occasionally crop up.
  • You have received the following Frameworks via Creation:
    • Slymenental (Subrace - Puron)
  • You have received the following by the Maker¡¯s Decree:
    • Slymenental (Puron) Spawner
That was a lot. Obu looked at the screen pensively, making sure to read it multiple times to glean its meaning. In truth, it only communicated what she had known for some time: She would have to grow, delving deeper and deeper into the earth to create environments and ecosystems necessary for her creatures to grow. This was something she had already wanted to do, mainly because it was a part of her nature but also because of the goblinoid spawner she already possessed. They were just now coming into sapience, the Gits too stupid to really be called such, and she suspected that the System had determined that true sapience for goblin kind would be reached at Rank E. That being said, she was well on her way to reaching Rank E, and her new children would help with that. She turned her attention outward only for the System to bring up older unread notifications. The first was simply the confirmation of the challenge that Cheep-Cheep¡¯s friends had accepted. They had already left and had only delved into her first two rooms as they had the last time. Without Cheep-Cheep with them, she figured that was a wise decision. They had triggered the traps as well, which meant that they had achieved the full Experience, and the System had given out the rewards in her place when she had been in the midst of her ritual. She had received a further 1360 Experience for their efforts, which, combined with Razum¡¯s Ascendancy Challenge, brought her current Experience total to 2020 Experience. Before checking the next notification, she decided to spend that Experience on United and Rooted, respectively. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. As the rush from those Experiences faded, she turned to the next message in line and found her gaze frozen on the message.
New Emergency Quest Given! [Corrupted Invasion] Type: Emergency, Unique Description: Corrupted creatures are invading the valley in which you have made your home. It will stop at nothing until it has consumed all life and twisted it to suit its foul instincts. Drive the Corruption away and purify the valley from its touch. Reward: Based on Participation ¡°I knew the corruption had grown, but I didn¡¯t think it had the strength to do this. The Teeth are too far away for my agents to get there quickly enough to matter, so I must rely on your family to get this done. The rewards will be worth it.¡±
  • The Administrator
Obu quickly closed the notification after accepting the quest and moved her awareness to her father and Razum, who were still in the garden. ¡°Dad, Razum! Did you guys get the quest about the Corrupted Invasion?!¡± Her dad looked a little irritated at the news but not surprised while Razum dipped the stalk of his body, causing the cap to bob in the approximation of a nod. ¡°I did,¡± he said, his gaze locking on where her Awareness floated. ¡°I have been discussing the situation with father and showing him my recently crafted children.¡± Obu let herself be distracted by those words, taking in the three mushrooms that stood behind Razum¡¯s fruiting body, though calling them mushrooms was a stretch. The first was a short, cruel figure with a red cap and pale stalk that ended in two thick legs. Brutish arms ending in dagger-like fingers draped low to the ground. It drooled hungrily and looked around like an attack dog on a leash. The second figure pulsed with bioluminescence, the light glimmering along the edge of its hood. While the light was pretty, what it revealed was less so. A gaping maw of jagged teeth set in a thick short stalk so that it appeared more mouth than body, long arms and legs to propel itself forward, and thick mycelial tendrils that dragged behind its body like the train of a robe. The third figure was massive. Taller than her father and Razum by almost three, the mushroom towered over the assembled company. Its bell-shaped cap hung partially over its face. Two large eyes flitted from figure to figure, and a mouth of sharp teeth spread in a perpetual smile. Its limbs were thick, with huge and stubby legs and long arms, one ending in jagged claws and the other slightly longer yet club-like in appearance. Her gaze sharpened as she activated the System. In order, the monsters¡¯ names, Ranks, and levels, appeared over their heads: Sangori, The Firstborn [Rank F(1) - Level 1], Glimbi, The Secondborn [Rank F(1) - Level 1], and Gol, The Thirdborn [Rank F(1) - Level 1]. If she could have blinked, she would have. ¡°Your children, huh? That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s¡­that¡¯s awesome!¡± Obu was elated, of course. How could she be anything else? Her brother¡¯s children were horrifying, of course, but one must remember that Obu was the daughter of a goblin. Ugly was par for the course, and since her children could be considered monsters as well, even that part didn¡¯t bother her. ¡°I made children, too!¡± She gushed, manifesting a rough image out of Aether of what her children would look like. ¡°Maybe we can have them get together later.¡± Razum¡¯s nod was quick and sure, a sign of his approval and excitement for the plan. Their father, however, got them back on track. ¡°Whiles Ima pleased dat youz are creatin an¡¯ growin, der beez corruptions a¡¯comin. Weesa gotta take care of dat first.¡± ¡°Right, yes, of course.¡± Obu couldn¡¯t blush, and she was grateful for it as she realized she had gotten distracted from the danger at hand. She had a quest, and the rewards depended on her participation in the emergency. ¡°Hey, Dad? Since you probably didn¡¯t get the quest, the administrator said that we won¡¯t get any help with it since all of its agents are elsewhere. Her father scoffed even as he turned and began stomping back towards the entrance that led out into the world. ¡°Dis beez someting ize suspected. Would notta relied on dat one anyways.¡± Obu just sighed in exasperation as she followed her father with her awareness. His character was well known to her, and thus, his penchant for not relying on random strangers was no surprise. As they exited, she found the preserved corpse of some kind of hyena creature. She absorbed it immediately, knowing that her father had probably meant it for her. His accompanying smirk confirmed the fact. The Dungeon Core ignored the System notification that came afterward. She would look at the Framework when their home wasn¡¯t under attack. She followed her father with her gaze as he made his way to a figure kneeling beside the corpse of the adventurer who had tried to kill him when he had first arrived. As they began talking, she focused on the distant feeling of her Hidden Floor and felt the connection. She breathed deeply and sent the Aether flooding through the connection, along with a piece of her Awareness. In doing so, she was able to replace one of the Pure-Touched Slimeling Spawners with a Puron Spawner. As she let the connection fade and retracted her Awareness, she heard the man speak up, his voice tinged with disbelief. ¡°What do you mean that Dungeon Core is your daughter?!¡± Chapter 46 - The Corruption Hungers & A Ranger Finds His Fire Black oozes hissed and boiled under the onslaught of green flames even as they sought to drown the fire under the weight of their bodies. Twisted creatures howled as they attempted to breach the blazing emerald wall. Regardless of what it tried, the corruption was unable to quench the flames fully, only providing breaches through which its corrupted fingers could move further into the valley. It did this slowly but was consumed with the need to extinguish the flames. Again, the corrupted vessel cared not for itself. The flames provided sweet agony, a cleansing that angered it even as it spoke to a deep brokenness. Creatures it threw into the fire were changed as well, oftentimes turning around, reinforcing the wall of cleansing flame, diving into it to nip at its fingers without caring about the ensuing damage. Still, while the flames held on it didn¡¯t remain that way forever. Like a rising tide overcoming a strongly built sandcastle, the last of the flames eventually guttered out. The corruption once again began stretching out its fingers. The animals that had been cleansed fought its progression but there was only so much they could do to halt its advance. The corruption hungered and would not stop until the source of the flames was converted or its many fingers were obliterated.
¡°What do you mean that Dungeon Core is your daughter?!¡± Gerald stared at the old green creature in shock. A goblin was what he had called himself, and one from another world if the System identified him correctly. There wasn¡¯t an error like in the stories, but the System still identified this ¡°Dug¡± as a non-system Entity. The ¡°goblin¡± had walked out of his cave and Gerald had seen the gemstone sitting upon his staff gleam with inner light before the large hyena-gorilla had faded into motes of light and was sucked into its depths. Being a D-Rank adventurer and Ranger, Gerald had seen such displays before and knew immediately what the gemstone was. When he confronted Dug about it, the old goblin introduced the stone as his daughter, Obu, which prompted his outburst. ¡°Yes-Yes, my daughtah she beez. Why youz hollerin atta me?¡± The goblin¡¯s gruff voice was cutting in a way he hadn¡¯t used before, and Gerald had to force himself to breathe. Then his eyes picked up movement at the cave entrance, and he rose to his feet, tensing as other figures moved into the mountaintop clearing. The first was a small, slow-moving mushroom, but it was followed by three of the most cruel-looking monstrosities he had ever experienced, and he had seen a lot of monsters. His heart only marginally stopped hammering once he noticed their Ranks and levels, but the fact that they had system-registered Names sought to steal his calm. Dug had noticed his attention and pointed to the more normal-looking mushroom out in front. ¡°Dat beez my son, Razum, and dose be his childrens. Ignore dem, deys ¡®ere tah ¡®elp.¡± Then, as if he hadn¡¯t dumped that massive mess onto his brain, he turned and pointed down the mountainside and toward the valley. ¡°Youz got bigga tings tah worry about.¡± Despite himself, Gerald tore his eyes away from the approaching monsters and looked where Dug was pointing. What he saw chilled him. There was a very evident taint to the land, starting near the beginning of the valley and spreading foul tendrils up toward the mountainside. He gulped audibly before he felt the stirrings of anger. His fellow Rangers were down there somewhere, most likely corrupted by whatever filth was tainting the valley. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± He had to ask the question. Gerald knew he didn¡¯t have the ability to halt such a large corruption. Dug just scoffed. ¡°Protect meesa home. Dat whatta Ima do.¡± His eerie, vibrant eyes locked onto Gerald¡¯s, and the man had to hold back a shiver at the intensity. ¡°Whatta you gonna do, eh? Yousa gonna just trust in me and mine tah do dah fightin, or are yousa gonna fight fah whats yours.¡± Gerald was a little stunned at the blunt statement, and his eyes tightened as his resolve firmed. Dug seemed to see his determination and gave him a firm nod. ¡°Den come an see whatta we ¡®ave planned.¡± The whole group descended the mountainside until they arrived at the primitive hovels and dens of the little creatures that had been scurrying about constantly since he and Dug had come up from the valley. Gerald had met their kind before, or at least beings of a similar state. They were often used as servants or, in some other cases, bred for hunting or war. They weren¡¯t quite sapient and were never allowed to grow to a point where they would be, having rituals placed upon the entire bloodline that redirected any growth of intelligence toward more ¡°useful¡± traits. It was a barbaric practice and one that Gerald didn¡¯t approve of, but it was how the current mortal races kept their power intact. Entire wars were fought via proxy using the creatures they had bred for that purpose. After all, low-level classers could only do so much against a couple of thousand such creatures. It was better for them to focus on growing to a point where they could actually contribute in a larger way versus dying on a battlefield. Even then, only C and B Rankers fought in wars. A Rankers were elite assets, used sparingly, and demigod-like S Rankers were utilized even more sparingly to hunt rogue monsters that no other could or deal with similar level threats. That was what Toliaro had been up to when he had encountered Dug. Hunting The Hidden, an A-Rank monster that was categorized as an S-Rank potential threat. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. As Gerald stood looking at all the scurrying little monsters, he had to force his anger at the situation down. Dug had defended himself from an attack and had obeyed the first law of nature: personal survival. Anger served no purpose and wouldn¡¯t serve his mission. There would be the opportunity for reparation later, after his fellow Rangers were saved. Dug captured his attention as he pounded his staff on the ground. Deep reverberations like those of a massive drum rang forth, and Gerald saw the little creatures freeze at the sound and look to where it had come from. He, too, looked at the goblin, wondering what he was up to. He didn¡¯t have to wait long. The goblin raised his right hand and tossed something into the air. Sparkling motes of light seemed to float on the air before Dug snapped his fingers, and the lights blazed, zipping about until the whole area was saturated in a purplish-blue haze. Startled, Gerald half-drew his sword as images and impressions flooded into his mind. Foreign thoughts bombarded his awareness, and he shuddered at the sudden influx of information. A hand clamped down on his sword and shoved it back into its sheath. Gerald flinched at the sudden contact but realized simultaneously that there was no silence within his mind. He looked down and met the burning green eyes of Dug Shardaal and couldn¡¯t stop a reflexive breath at the power present in his gaze. The goblin released his hold and lowered his arm from where it gripped Gerald¡¯s. The end of his staff thumped on the ground once more, and Gerald watched as the land shifted and roiled, forming a sloping depression in the ground. Around the edge rose earthen drums, and beside each one stood a goblin formed from stone. Another boom rang out, and a tree splintered into pieces, the lumber drifting on currents of magic to rest in the center of the depression. With a whoosh of displaced air, emerald flames leaped to the pyre, sending tendrils of heat and fire up into the sky. No words were spoken, but Gerald still gathered meaning, fed directly into his mind via whatever Dug had released into the air. With a boom, one of the stone goblins moved, striking an earthen drum, the sound somehow rattling Gerald¡¯s bones. The stone goblins moved slowly from drum to drum, sometimes striking the center and sometimes the sides, in a foreign rhythm that held deep significance. The Dum-Dum. That was what this ritual was called, and Gerald could find no sense of superiority within himself to scoff at the name. The fire called to him in a way he had never experienced before. He was no priest of the sun, no acolyte of sunlight, but he knew what he felt, and because of the meaning beaming straight into his skull, he also knew what to do. His sword was forgotten, laid to the side along with his shirt and leather jerkin. He moved into the depression, finding Dug already there, eyes blazing green and green flesh glistening with sweat. The old goblin had stripped down to only a loincloth, and Gerald knew why as soon as he stepped nearer to the flame. Heat roiled forth from its emerald depths, and the ranger tasted a glimpse of a sun unchained. This was no engine, running on borrowed power. This was the might of a true sun, free and full of life-giving heat and light. It burned into him even as he obeyed his borrowed instincts and joined Dug in dancing around the flame, cavorting as the flames flickered around them. A distant part of his mind noticed that the little creatures were doing the same, that their shadows had joined his. Gerald ignored it all as the joy of the sun filled him, as it had only ever done once before, back when he was a boy. His mother had brought him to the temple of the sun, and the priest had prayed a benediction over him. The prayer and the man¡¯s kind smile had been a light during a dark time. He had forgotten what the sun felt like since then. The Dum-Dum rekindled those memories and ignited something deep within him. His eyes snapped open as his innate ability manifested. He could barely keep them open, but what he saw mesmerized him. Tendrils of sunlight exploded from the bonfire to wrap around individuals dancing. Like a warm caress, the light touched them, and as it did so, little flames flickered to life above their heads. He blinked, and the little flames disappeared along with his power. Only now, as he began to come to his senses, did he realize the System was going mad with notifications. He stumbled out of the circle of earthen drums and collapsed by his gear. Released from the fervor of the Dum-Dum, Gerald gasped for air, his body slick with sweat. The heat hadn¡¯t left him. It coursed through his veins like the breath of a forge¡¯s bellows. He could see his veins, standing out green against his skin as if the fire had infected his blood. The System demanded his attention, and he pulled up the latest notification, the sight of which had him laughing hysterically. It really was too much.
Non-System Ritual Detected! Sub-Administrator Privileges Detected! Integrating Ritual! Congratulations, Gerald Astoh! You have participated in a ritual: The Dum-Dum Integrated Effects are as follows: Gift of the Emerald Sun - You have received a blessing from the Avatar of a Wild Sun, a natural aspect of divinity. While this blessing is in effect, you receive the following effects:
  • Stats have been increased as if by a full tempering
  • The Status Effect, Corruption, will be resisted if its Rank & Level is less than the Avatar¡¯s
  • All active abilities will be affected by the effect: Sun-Touched
You have received the Boon: Waag-Touched (Temporary) Waag-Touched (Temporary): Due to being invited to and engaging in a sacred ritual of goblin kind, you have been touched by their most sacred energy. The Waag, the last gift of a dying sun god, has put its mark upon you. As a member of one of the tall races, this mark can only be temporary, but while it lasts, you can touch upon the wild energies of the Waag and participate in the sacred dance. Do not squander this sacred gift.