《My own Crafted Dungeon [Dungeon Core LitRPG]》 Enter, the Dungeon The eclipse shone outside my window, illuminating my meager dinner with its harsh light. I sighed at the microwaved pile of calories, purchased using the crumbs of my thankless paycheck from a shouty boss, and ate away. Halfway through Mimi the dark little floof hopped on my lap, her smoker''s meow pausing my annoyance. Annoyance at my job. Annoyance at my singleness. Annoyance at the useless meat between my legs. My sole escape from it all was an ancient edition of a decade-and-a-half old game, modified so heavily it obscured the original look and felt like olives on the pizza that vanished down my throat. "c''mon Mimi, let''s improve the mob farm" I uselessly invited, picking up the little black blob in my arms. Her paws crossed happily, blissfully unaware of my life''s grind, and she stared at my oversized screen. She knew only that interesting shapes appeared whenever I was here, and not about the escape they meant. The launcher opened. The world was selected. Familiar machine noises played as they loyally ground up ores into more metal than I could conceivably need. Mana sloshed around, shooting through sparks and condensing into pools. Monsters died en masse, spawned in boxes of dark stone and funneled into a diamond-toothed grinder. Cables hummed with power trying to fuel it all, and in the basement a reactor rumbled, turning ingots of draconic power into human-usable, electrical power. And I was home, in my maximalist mess of power. Smiling for the first time that day (not counting the facade i put on for my boss), I set to work optimizing the flow of monsters into their loot-producing death. New spawners joined the ranks of their brethren, monsters inside pacified with a golden apple to the cage. The night stretched on as I routed the influx of goods. Enchantment fodder, Titled gear, flesh and bones for the undeath generator. Due to my... dereference for waste, everything was given a use, no matter how inefficient. All while the eclipse set, moon catching up with the sun and turning the world a weird shade of blue-grey. At half past midnight, I took a break to shower. The warm water was supposed to lull me to sleep, especially if I didn''t look down too much, but all my mind could do was wander my castle of dark stone and blue wood. plot out where and how to grow it. The mystical farm could always be extended downwards, and the resulting replacement of the stirling dynamo room below was hardly a loss. I could always place it near the reactor as power flowed up that cable anyway, but then I''d need to rebalance cables again to ensure power was evenly splitting... My thoughts ran as the hot water did, trailing off at the same time and leaving me to speedrun soaping under the chilling spray. I trudged to my room, little cat nowhere to be found, and almost fell into bed. I was determined to get this one solution made before I slept, Sunday lunch rush tomorrow be damned. Catching myself on the chair I spun it around, not caring how the towel fell off in the process. I wasn''t skilled at many things, and damn it i wanted to be good at something before being yelled at for not being good enough. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. My mind was a hazy blur of speed as I told my storage system how to make the components. Grey essence harvested from hundreds to thousands of monsters, set to craft itself up the colourwheel from grey to blue to gold. The essence wasted no time as it slid down the chute to the infusion pedestal, four nether and four dragon scales stars ready to channel their power into the essence. "Awakened!" I quietly celebrated, yawning at the mass-produced endgame material as it flowed into my linked crafting pouch. It, dirt, and a hoe was all I needed, steam dynamos swept aside with an overpowered pickaxe to make room for another layer of farm. I placed down the first few blocks, checked my inventory for more, and felt the agonizing slowness of the process set in. "I''m going to start this farm, if it''s the last thing i..." I felt my eyelids grow heavier. Shaking myself awake. Trying to ignore how eight minutes had passed while I zoned out. But I had eight times eight awakened farmland in my inventory. I started to place them all around this new room, going back to repeat the process for seeds of all the good stuff. Seeds, diamonds, emeralds, gold- all to make dungeon loot seeds. I closed my eyes, letting myself rest, just for another ten minutes, while everything crafted itself into place And woke up half an hour later, having to wiggle my mouse and enter my password again. All the loot seeds were in my hand. All I had to do was plant them. One at a time. Let them grow... I needed a distraction while my plants grew rare enchantment books and customized items. A real fight. Stabbing monsters with my sword customized to hell and back would be a good pastime. I touched the teleportation obelisk and warped hundreds of blocks and a dimension away, growl of zombies music to my ears. I swung, alerting the horde, and with half a brain of power clicked on every blocky undead. Drops magnetized to my inventory, dumped into storage, but i hardly cared. Within minutes, I emptied the large fighting chamber. took a second to look around at the dimly-lit stone walls. And took a breath in satisfaction. When I opened my eyes, my vision was sharper. Clearer. No longer warped by glasses. The feeling of tiredness had escaped me, allowing me to plan with barely any inhibition. "I must have hit fullscreen while I was sleeping" I rationalized, clock no longer visible at the bottom corner of my vision. When I looked there, all I saw was more cave. More stone floor from every angle. I flexed a finger to move; nothing. I tried to stand, to pry myself away from this excess immersion; nothing. I tried to open my mouth, to call out, nothing. "What am I..." I lamented, fearing I had become a block in my own game.
Greetings, Dungeon #395
I gasped surprise, as I was no mere block. I was a Dungeon. Discovering myself A status screen sprang into my mind with an alerting ping, displaying in the same purple hue as my identification window.
Dungeon #395
Level 0 / 1
EXP 0 / 5
Expand Status Window by trial and error
It was... far more minimalist than I thought, to the point of being insulting. "A level cap of one? And I don''t even have enough numbers to write home about, huh?" I interrogated. The system gave me no reward for judging it. Who would have thought? To take my mind off the numerical insults, I looked around my chamber of dark stone, noticing it was far smaller than the one I had come from. And, most likely thanks to no longer having eyes of flesh and blood, sharper. Blocks comprised its every surface in a perfect meter-cube grid, edges between them invisible but clearly known. I swept my vision around, measuring the chamber, and found it... wanting. 5 blocks wide, 7 long, 3 tall, with ragged edges. Some blocks were missing, others merely thrown on, giving an appearance of roundness within the squares. My mind recalled a single concept fit for this sort of thing. Stoneblock. Yet every problem with it I had melted away when I mentally swept over my own needs. No work tomorrow, no hunger or thirst, no need to look in a mirror for any reason. I had nothing but time, and a novel game-ish system to interact with. And who knows, I could discover something useful. At least a way to change my name. I was done being a number. "Ping!" The system chimed. "Discovered stat: Identity. Choose Name?" "Scarlet" I thought loudly back. "Scarlet Brimstone." This wasn''t the first time I chose this name, and it wouldn''t be the last. Mood sunnier, I began to work. If all I had were cubes, I''d at least want to make something nice to look at out of the cubes. I focused my desires on that closest, most extraneous block, and with all the willpower I could muster, bored into it. I had no teeth to grit, no arms to flex, no eyes to close sharply, but those desires had not vacated me yet as I mentally drilled away. And... nothing. The block still stuck out of the wall as if it owned the place. If i didn''t have the power to shape my own home, what could I even do? An unknown amount of time passed in thought as I simmered at the status screen. And then, I began counting free spaces. Having no better options, I simply started sweeping across individual layers. The bottom was fairly flat, and the top only bore a few holes, but the middle is where I got stuck. My i moved my focus block by block, trying to triangulate it with the divots in the sides, but their uneven width made me lose track time and time again. I needed a new plan. I mentally spread my focus over an area. Five by seven for the floor, times three for the height of my chamber. And while I could feel my mind strain, the result at least nested within it. "Skill learned: Selection. +1 EXP" I felt a release of pressure as lines faintly glowed around the area of my choosing. I no longer had to math while aiming a crosshair I could hardly see. I simply counted the blocks sticking into this square of cyan lines, counted the spaces that could stick out, subtracted them, and found the area which I occupied. A hundred blocks, even. "Core Attribute unlocked: Area. +2 EXP" The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Pleased with how quickly I was advancing, I tightened my selection to myself. And while I could only look outwards from myself, my mind was inundated with understanding. I knew I wasn''t human anymore, but my lack of anything close still sent a chill through me. I beheld a smooth, 8-sided shape, like two pyramids pressed together. My... skin? glass? membrane? was translucent grey, making me think of sunglasses. Inside, a cyan fluid faintly rippled, but thoughts on it seemed to fuzz out like spikes of visual static. Not having the patience to break into my own anatomy, I looked outwards again. Towards the walls. Let my mind laze across them until I was alerted with another systemic chime. "Skill learned: Patience. +1 EXP" I jumped- as best as I could for an immobile d8. I could feel my form spin, floating in the air, yet strangely full of potential. If focusing too small wasn''t going to do anything, I was going to do the opposite. Focus big. Expand my selection out as far as it had been before, and push harder on the boundaries. My sight grew. My vision swelled. My awareness expanded. "Skill learned: Observation. +1 EXP" Dungeon: Scarlet Brimstone has risen to level 1. Perk point acquired. Maximum evolution reached. Begin Evolution Selection.
Wood-tier Evolution Selection
Common: Mineshaft Common: Desert well Common: Monster Room
Dig a path to the treasures of the earth. Enables blocks: Oak plank, treasure chest, rail. Enables actions: Prospect, break block (stone), illuminate Grants perk: tunneler. time and force cost of breaking stone is divided by three, but is unmodified for all other blocks EXP gains: tiny when breaking blocks, medium when donating ore, large when donating rare ore Supply water to those who travel the wastes Enables blocks: Water, sandstone slab Enables actions: Attract, hydrate, break block (basic) Grants perk: heat gather. recharge from ambient heat EXP gains: Small when a day passes, large when a creature drinks from you. Spawn monsters with rapidity and strength. Enables blocks: Mossy cobblestone Enables actions: Spawn monster (chosen from skeleton, zombie, or spider), break block (wood) Grants skill: Teamwork. Monsters attacking the same target work slightly better EXP gains: Tiny when one of your monsters dies. Small when one of your monsters kills a creature. Large when you kill an invading sentient.
I stopped to ponder my choices. A shame they were all wood tier, but whatever I was looked even worse. The mineshaft was the most straightforward one. I could sit here, accumulating ore an EXP and storing it away for whoever comes to find me. I guess I was in a desert? That would explain the well. Less so for how creatures would find me, as I was locked in As for dungeon... That drew me in the most. I didn''t want to wait or donate, I wanted to rule over something for once. So without hesitation I picked Monster Room. And began to black out. My status window (before the blackout):
Scarlet Brimstone
Core Attributes Skills
Level 1 / 1 Selection 1/10
EXP MAX Patience 1/10
Perk points 1 Observation 1/10
Area 100 Blocks
Expand Status Window by trial and error
First perk The world swam. Light greys, dark greys, and the soft-lit blue of stone blurred together for a well-deserved sleep. Rather than the standard loss of control one feels right before sleep rips them from life, I felt... Blissful. Peaceful. "Is this what it''s like to have no obligations?" I remember thinking, a question that drew itself out over what might have been an hour I awoke again, feeling... larger. Feeling more. The walls had smoothed out, seeming to go as far back as they could before cragging themselves over with cobblestone. Looking downwards, I saw my floor was mossed over, this plant-covered cobblestone interspersed in equal density with the standard stone plus some more creeping up the first block of the walls. I swept over myself with Selection, counting the discrete jumps in area. Five blocks left to right, Six blocks front to back, Four blocks top to bottom, totaling to a hundred and twenty. Definitely more. "Skill: Selection has risen to level 2." The system chimed, reminding me of the numbers I liked raising a bit too much. I willed my status into existence, happily surprised at it''s expansion.
Scarlet Brimstone, Monster room
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Level 1 / 4 Selection 2/10 Spawn monster (Choose)
EXP 0 / 7 Observation 1/10 Conjure block 10-10 mana
Mana 18 / 120 Patience 1/10 Break block 1-5 mana
Mana gain 26 / hour Place block 1 mana
Perk Points 1
Expand Status Window by trial and error
The mana stat interested me most. It replaced my old ''area'' stat, and was suspiciously similar in magnitude. Judging by the mana gain stat, It didn''t even take me an hour to rank up like this. Not like it mattered, as I wasn''t exactly getting hungry, tired, or behind on rent. However, I had two choices on opposite corners of the status screen. One perk point and one spawnable monster. Deciding I knew how monsters operated already, I zeroed in on the perk selection
Perk Selection
Generic Perks
Mana Crystals Block Breaker Farmer
Gain action: Plant mana crystal (100 MP) A mana crystal gains 1 level per day, and generates 1 MP/hour per tier Mana crystals store mana equal to their tier squared Action: Break block rises by 1 tier Action: Break block costs 1 less mana (actions worth 0 mana do not grant EXP) Action: Break block takes 25% less time Gain block: Dirt Gain action: Seed prospect (summons a random seed) Gain action: Harvest Gain monster: Worm (tills land and speeds crops)
Monster room Perks
Well-Armed Swarm Ambusher
Your monsters automatically pick up weapons and armor Your monsters gain increased proficiency with their equipment 5% chance for a monster to spawn with random equipment, of a tier up to yours (95% chance to lose this equipment on death) Your monsters will be reluctant to fight without equipment Spawn monster has halved cooldown Spawn monster has -5 MP cost Monsters over your limit have halved penalties Your monsters are 25% less effective Your monsters will prefer hiding in the dark Your monsters deal up to 100% extra damage if attacking from behind Your monsters deal up to 50% extra damage if attacking from the dark Your monsters will flee from intense light
I hadn''t expected such a rich set, and mulled over the options for a while. I knew a hidden message when I saw one, and this was clearly it. The system, conscious or not, was asking me "Hey scarlet, what kind of dungeon do you want to be?" And I knew I had one chance to answer. Mana crystals I hoped to come back to later as I had much to spend mana on, albeit needed protectors of it more. Block breaker would be good for increasing my size, which all I knew felt good to have and increase my capacity of a resource. And farmer looked like a joke- I had no one to feed and no water to grow crops with. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. As such, I turned to the monster room perks. The ones that made me more dangerous. The ones with meat on their bones. And quickly, I noticed they all had some form of disadvantage. Well-armed seemed to be the weakest in both directions, only having a 1 in 20 chance to do anything until I could find some equipment. Ambusher seemed to be the middle of the road, as it would allow for nightly raids and reward smart building... unless invaders brought light strong enough to scare the defenses. And swarm was the most punishing, allowing me to grow and replenish my stock of monsters quickly in exchange for individual weakness. The only synergies I could even see were well-armed + ambusher, though dubiously if equipment mostly meant armor; and mana crystals + swarm to facilitate the quicker spawning. Block breaker was only tangentially useful, and farmer looked like a trap I chose well-armed. I didn''t know how tier worked, and was feeling adventurous with random equipment. As I focused my desire on it, the option glowed, shook, and took over the page, and while everything else disappeared Well-Armed compressed itself, sliding into a new list near the bottom. Right. My other choice. Monsters. I focused on summoning one, and a screen of Halloween-pumpkin orange emerged instead
Monster Summoning Selection
Skeleton Zombie Spider
Bone soldiers, determined to fight again Hungry dead, animated by magic. Wildlife unusually attuned with poison.
Attack: D Defense: C Attack: C Defense: D Attack: E Defense: F
Speed: C Mind: D Speed: E Mind: F Speed: D Mind: E
Special: Steady aim, weapon proficiency Special: Endurance, zombie curse Special: Poison bite, wall climb
30 MP 20 MP 15 MP
Steady aim: Increases accuracy by 1% for every second the user stands still and aims at the same target Weapon proficiency: 20% Increased accuracy, damage, critical chance, and critical effect of all held weapons Endurance: Debilitating effects have their power and duration reduced by 25% Zombie curse: When the zombie kills a humanoid, 10% Chance it rises as an allied zombie Poison bite: Deals a flat amount of damage over 7 seconds Wall climb: Can move at half speed up walls
It presented three options, two extremes and a balance by their mana costs. Skeletons were objectively cooler than zombies, but somewhat pricey- and had no guarantee of acquiring any weapons to make use of their steady aim or proficiency. Despite being the best option for my build, they were the worst option for me as a being. Spiders seemed like they''d synergize well... with an option I didn''t even choose. I mentally slapped myself for assuming, promising to search harder next time i had multiple choices at once-- if there was a next time. In spirit of that, I poured over each passive''s description. Steady aim was only useful with a bow, and Weapon proficiency further underscored the gap between those who could find equipment and those who couldn''t. Poison bite and wall climb seemed to compliment the spider''s hunting style, where it only needed enough attacking power to land a bite and retreat to higher ground for another ambush. Zombies seemed alluring after I read their passive however. It was dicey, just like anything truly good, but served as a way to replenish my monster count without me having to spend mana on a compromise. I wrapped my will around the middle option, and my generic Spawn Monster action changed. Spawn Zombie, 20 mana. Just enough to try it. "And now to make some... sword zombies" I thought, looking at my mana balance. the total had risen to 21 in the minutes I spent considering, enough to summon my first. I focused my will on a point near the front of the dungeon. Dark intentions pooled together, swirling like water down a drain. I felt myself feel faint, light, ready to pass out again, but did the one thing I knew how to do from work and bared it. My mana ticked down with every passing second; sixteen, eleven, seven, four, two, one; until it solidified into my first soldier. I felt like I was looking at a magic eye. Not in terms of what I saw being incomprehensible, but in terms of how I saw two things at once. Looking at it as if I was a human, I saw a mere blocky green creature in blue clothing holding a pixelated stick in one of his forward-pointed arms. But looking at it as a dungeon, I saw a lurching, hunched-forward, decaying man; mercifully unable to smell like anything as I left my nose in my old world. His clothing was ragged, but still very much clothing, and one of his arms ended in a claw of almost-unnatural size. The other was broken off, leaving only a sharp, jagged length of bone that ended just before the elbow. Not only was he unarmed, but under-armed. I tried not to mourn for the bad roll, and admired my creation all the same. I had created life (or the distinct opposite), and should be proud. Until then, I considered my options. My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Monster room
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Level 1 / 4 Selection 2/10 Spawn Zombie 20 mana
EXP 0 / 7 Observation 1/10 Conjure block 10-10 mana
Mana 1 / 120 Patience 1/10 Break block 1-5 mana
Mana gain 26 / hour Place block 1 mana
Perk Points 0
Perks: Well-armed.
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Monsters: 1x one-armed zombie
Mana management The one-armed, stick-bearing zombie shambled around the room, devoid of enrichment. At the end of its walks it turned in random directions as if lost in thought, never dropping it''s stick, so loyally grasped... "Break that block" I ordered, lining up a selection. The zombie turned on a dime and began bashing uncoordinatedly at the cyan square outline on the wall, cracks slowly beginning to form. Lacking the mana to help it at this point, I instead turned my attention smaller, sharper. first to the 2x2x2 cube that contained both zombie and stone, then to the zombie''s head and torso, then smaller still. As I did, an orb? cube? solidified into view in the zombie''s torso. My focus shook from tightness, like a muscle at full power. Though seemed to relax as I heard the oh so wonderful chime. Skill: Selection has risen to level 2. The orb became clearer and more stable. Enough to focus on, and conjure another status window for my efforts.
Zombie
Hungry dead, animated by magic. 20/20 HP 3/3 MP
Attack: C Defense: D Equipment Stick
Speed: E Mind: F Effects: One arm
Special: Endurance, zombie curse Dungeon Scarlet Brimstone
The status window was rotten-meat grey, and I could have sworn it stank. Which was weird, I thought, considering it was the first smell I had smelled since my arrival. A few minutes later, the cobblestone lay broken, vanished without a trace. The zombie worked quickly for real life standards but slow for game ones, but pointing it around and watching it work was better than staring at my mana count like a hawk. It had ticked up to five, still at 26 an hour, when I focused. My will thinned. Sharpened. Poked towards the mossy stone. It cycled. Sharpened again. Dug bit by bit. My will against the cube of rock mirrored me against the world. Under-armed to deal with the problem yet too stubborn to let that stop me. I was going to- tiktiktiktiktik-kohh. Over the past half-minute, all my mana disassembled the block into a small spinning cube, drawn towards my core and absorbed. My status window grew, new line near the bottom showing me I in fact still had this mossy cobblestone, but another change caught my eye.
Mana gain 25 / hour
"Am I leaking?" I thought. I wasn''t leaking very fast, and was still getting a zombie-traversable view into the world. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Until something in my mind fell into place. "Extend this tunnel." I ordered the single-armed zombie. It turned with duty, and shambled towards the hole in the stone I made. It raised it''s stick, slamming the end of it down like an icepick. I turned my attention elsewhere, Observation stretching just past my own edges as my zombie worked. My mana ticked up as the minutes blurred together, tunnel three blocks long when I heard the notification. Skill: Observation has risen to level 2. I felt a vibrating sensation like overly loud bass from ahead, along the walls leading to where my zombie dug. Twinge of panic rising, I reached out to order it back to where i could at least see. It stumble-ran in, look of fear mistakable on it''s face. I somehow felt a draft, knowing I wasn''t alone in here. A large pink nose poked it''s way into my field of observation, plan forming when I remembered how blind they were. "Hold it back I''m doing something smart" I ordered. The zombie who really needed a name threw itself forward, stick locking with the mouth of the mole like a dog playing tug of war. Skill Acquired: Command Yeah thanks system chime. I focused my own will, with more difficulty this time, on digging out the cobblestone block right behind the zombie to make a crude tripping hazard. And as if on cue, the mole wrenched it''s way past, knocking the zombie to the wall with a crack. I focused my Observation on it, seeing the push alone knocked off a fifth of it''s life and the staggered condition explain the sudden pause in movement. "Right here ya big bastard!" I yelled at the mole, hoping it would fall for my trap. It''s nose seemed to straighten, path moving for me when it slipped, teetering on the edge of the improvised pit. "Bash it." I ordered the zombie. It was already advancing on the mole, and raised its arm and a half up in a comedic gesture of imminent violence. The mole regained it''s footing, only to be thudded from behind by the zombie''s forearm. The mole officially lost balance, slamming to the side of the floor and trying to turn around when it took a stick stab from the side. The mole lashed out with it''s large, metallic claws, twisting it''s body and striking my zombie down his stomach and one leg with a triple-row slash. The zombie, undeterred, fell in a plunging stab towards the mole, stick striking in deep enough for me to want to close my eyes. A single bite finished off the mole, as my zombie slowly pulled itself from the pit i dug. Your zombie has slain: Giant mole. +16 EXP. Level has risen to 2. New block available for selection. Level has risen to 3. Perk point gained. I shouted in victory at the jump in power. My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Monster room
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Level 3 / 4 Observation 2/10 Spawn Zombie 20 mana
EXP 16 / 27 Patience 2/10 Conjure block 10-10 mana
Mana 5 / 120 Selection 2/10 Break block 1-5 mana
Mana gain 25 / hour Command 1/10 Place block 1 mana
Perk Points 1
Perks: Well-armed.
Inventory: 1x mossy cobblestone
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Monsters: 1x one-armed zombie
Spreading out I had not one but two choices to make, intoxicating high of the jump in power leaving my mind to race. It was like leapfrogging from wooden tools to diamond, but in my jump seeing how much far higher there was to climb.
Perk Selection
Generic Perks
Signposting Healer Mana compression
Can place signs within (100*tier cubed) blocks of yourself directing people to you Signs are translated into the local language Placing a sign costs 1 mana for every hundred blocks away it is placed, rounded up. Can spend 1 mana to heal 3 hit points to a creature in your Dungeon, once per minute Healing instead damages undead Can compress 30 mana into block form Can turn blocks into 10 mana
Zombie Perks
My mood soured as I read over the generic perks. Was this a joke? The extra attention from Signposting wasn''t even something I was sure I wanted, Healer was a flat-out negative option with my one choice of monster, and Mana compression needed me to generate mana at speed worth giving a damn about? I tried to take a second to breathe, to regulate my emotions, but couldn''t. I felt the memories of my heart try to beat I felt my lungs try to feel air I felt trapped I- A loud curse echoed through my moss stone walls. My single-armed zombie looked right at me, shrugged, and went back to milling around. I''d command him later. After I looked at the rest of what I could choose from. I focused my attention, scanning across the second half
Perk Selection
Generic Perks
Zombie Perks
Rage Dead Nerves Blackening Magic
Zombies gain a small amount of strength Zombie claw and weapon attacks hit harder Zombies will pursue any nearby enemy, regardless of command Zombies gain another level of endurance, reducing debilitating effects and their duration to half power Zombies lose a considerable amount of dexterity Zombies gain the Shadowbolt spell (1 MP, 1d4+1 damage, 30 block range, stops healing) Zombies lose some strength and a bit of endurance
Rage sounded awesome! I wouldn''t have to order my zombies around, and they''d be able to bruteforce their way through most early invaders before taking any real damage. And would be better to get my soldiers feeling something than have them just shamble around. I almost wrapped my will around it, but stopped myself. Remembering how much I had kicked myself for not picking stuff that synergized, I looked at the block selection
Block Selection
Generic Blocks
Wood Sandstone Clay
Low toughness, flammable 10 mp to conjure Below-average toughness 15 mp to conjure Low toughness. Slows beings slightly 5 mp to conjure
Trap Blocks
Deadfall Wall Spike Cobwebs
Drops a block from it''s inventory, dealing damage based on it''s weight. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. destroys the block if it hits, places it otherwise Costs 1 mana to re-arm, cannot me re-armed while enemies remain Stabs from a wall, dealing direct damage Costs 10 mana to place and 5 mana to stab, retracts after use Slows down all who pass, friend or foe Destroyed by swords. Drops string on breakage Costs 5 mana to place
The generic blocks looked awful. I was never one to build art within the game, and the abundant stone was as tough as I needed it to be. Trap blocks on the other hand, would make it much easier to eliminate any invaders. Especially if they were smarter than that mole. A stone block to the head was nothing to mess with, and a wall spike could take out weapon arms. Cobwebs would screw with enemy footing I guess? Until I looked back at several features of myself. I would only gain the levels I loved so much by having my monsters kill things, not my traps. And it would suck to have to make sure my traps were working hard enough to count, but not so hard they''d deny me that precious EXP. And that''s where I found the synergy. I could slow enemies down with cobwebs while my zombies wore them down with shadowbolts. Any that survived would still have to deal with them in melee, not to mention the added range. Cobwebs and Blackening magic, here I come! I tried not to think about how I was ripping off a dark magic spider, and looked at my activity currency. Ability fuel. Mana. It had restored even more during my selection and outburst. And saw a faint dark glow to my zombie''s eyes, replacing the dull yellow from before. 7/120. I needed to get more patient, or failing that a way to do something actively. I broke some of the cobblestone on my floor, replacing it with the moss stone from my inventory, and my mana gain ticked up by one, back to 26 an hour. I felt gears turn in my head, as my exposure to the world hadn''t risen. Was it the moss stone? Why was it of all things magic-absorbent? I looked around the opening the mole came from, shifting my Observation field towards the opening in my wall. I saw my back wall slide out of my vision, leaving me feeling unprotected. vulnerable. gross. like the back of my pants had split open. I tried to focus on what was ahead as opposed to what was behind. As my cube of vision moved forward, the front edge swallowed a ton of air. I could feel it, more than i could see it, my vision of surfaces and creatures absent; i took it for granted within the confines of my own volume. The stone and air ahead seemed first random. but as I focused within I could see a round tunnel, two blocks wide in all directions and curving upwards in a wide arc after a short diagonal shaft to the tunnel I had dug. I shifted my vision upwards with considerable force. The tunnel itself curved around in nearly a full circle, widening outwards to a larger cavern. And just as importantly, A way out. Skill: Observation has risen to level 3. I wove together a command for my zombie. "Go up the ramp and kill any living creature you come across." Skill: Command has risen to level 2. The zombie trudged away, former joke weapon of a stick looking more like a rod or short staff for conducting it''s new spell. I couldn''t see what happen, but I felt a disruption in the flow of mana to my sides. No doubt it was casting something. Your zombie has slain: Bat. +1 EXP. After some delay, I felt the same small disruption from a bit higher. Your zombie has slain: Giant rat. +3 EXP. Another delay. Another rise. Another notification. My single soldier reached the edge of my cube of influence, and all I could do was hope. Your zombie has slain: Bat. +1 EXP. I mentally cheered it on. This zombie was rising up in the world, and was going to take me with- Your zombie has slain: Human. +5 EXP. I tried to gulp. Messing with humans this early was a death sentence. Your zombie has died: +1 EXP. I knew I was in some level of trouble. The best I could hope for was to not be looted while I was out. "But I didn''t have much choice, did I?" I thought as the world began to spin, blur, and blacken. Dungeon: Scarlet Brimstone has risen to level 4. Perk point acquired. Maximum level reached. Begin Evolution Selection. My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Monster room
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Level 4 / 4 Observation 3/10 Spawn Zombie 20 mana
EXP MAX Command 2/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana
Mana 5 / 120 Patience 2/10 Break block 1-5 mana
Mana gain 26 / hour Selection 2/10 Place block 1 mana
Perk Points 1
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie)
Inventory: 1x mossy cobblestone
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Monsters: 1x one-armed zombie
Bonus chapter: Brightmoss Jasper was a human living in a town named Brightmoss. It was, at least to the common observer, a large town, but it was far closer to multiple small towns thrashing against eachother like predatory fish bound in wire. The Terryns to which he belonged to competed fiercely against the Granites, the Masons, the Pebbletons, and now the Geode alliance made up of scattered travelers who failed to fit in with any of the four main families, now common enough to act as their own. All four families had their own resources, of course. The Granite couple, the founders, were leaders in principle, but even with their administrative skill that rule was slipping. The head of the Mason family owned the luckiest quarry shaft in all of Brightmoss, keeping it stocked with sturdy stone and fresh iron for every sort of tool. The Pebbletons knew the secrets of a pure node in the nearby forest, preserving it and sharing in it''s power. And the Terryns were the fighters, with a lock on the nearby mole cave. The original family head was a knight for the snow baron, this majesty diluted too heavily in the day-to-day gamesmanship with the lowborn culture of Brightmoss. Jasper himself was best described as an old man in a young man''s body. Physically he was unimportant, majestic in his movements and respectable until his high-pitched voice slipped out of his mouth. Mentally he was cynical even by Terryn standards, quick to act but slow to move. And that''s what he struggled to do, on his day to do "live training." Monster caves were not an uncommon occurrence across all corners of the land. Managed well, they carried a symbiotic relationship with humans, serving as a source of meat, bones, hides, and most importantly training. Live training. Managed poorly... they would either be overhunted and depleted, or fed fresh recruits and snowball into wiping out a nearby town unless a stronger force intervened. And as anyone with a head for politics knew, owing enough favors to a military force that can eclipse yours in strength is a ticket to the graveyard. "Rose, It''s time for our live training." Jasper called through the house, lifting his greatsword of bone off the wall. He did not have to call far when his younger, more energetic sister bounded through the door. "I''m ready!" she sang, sword and shield excitedly hanging at her sides. Rose had just reached adulthood, but was a little sister to him and they both knew it, and this was made all the more obvious by her boundless energy. Jasper sighed and trudged across the road to an alchemist household. "Oliver? It''s cousin jasper. We''re ready to take you mushroom-hunting." A shorter human walked out, nearly half of Jasper''s age and carrying multiple large bags. Jasper muttered something about ''the youth'' that Oliver didn''t even listen to, younger human''s words speeding up as he and Rose discussed alchemy, bugs, and other nonsense. Jasper began to zone out and walk through the paths out of Brightmoss along a route he knew well. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Do you think we''ll find a dungeon?" She asked, snapping the older-than-his-years guard out of his trance. Jasper stood upright midstep, nearly tripping into a short tree. "We''re not important enough to get a dungeon, and I''d rather keep it way. They''re nasty buggers." Jasper corrected. Rose looked visibly deflated, head hanging. Jasper paid her rejected look no mind, reaching the mouth of Talpi cave. Giant moles were common there, and their parts had a handful of uses. Bats were even more so, but any deliver found them too small and annoying to be of any use. "Stay sharp. The bats are scared of us, but it''s the moles who are the real problem." Oliver took a stone out of his pouch and shook it, casting a pale yellow light on the rough cavefloor. And as luck would have it, several mushrooms of brown and red. Oliver sliced them off the ground, careful to leave the stalks behind, and moved forward. deeper. narrower into the cave mouth. A single large mole emerged from a tunnel on the wall, and jasper entered a fighting stance. "I''ll look big. go for the legs." He curtly ordered, every drop of fatigue overwritten by fighting focus. The mole snuffled forward, until jasper rapped his gauntlet against the metal side of his blade. Predictably, it advanced, lumbering on it''s claws towards the distraction. It swiped once, strength of it''s digging claw almost knocking Jasper''s greatsword aside, twice at nothing as he repositioned, and was going in for a third before Rose aimed a reverse-gripped stab to the mole''s back. It roared and lashed out, causing both fighters to jump back. While Rose lost her footing, Jasper maintained it, lifting his greatsword over his head and with a levering slash, crashing it down on the mole. The rock under him felt like it shook a little, as the sword had split clean through. Oliver crouched over the mole, carefully cutting away useful strips of meat and hide for his larger bags "That''s odd" Jasper noticed, slowing his pace. "The bats aren''t as loud this week." He defensively raised his sword, listening while Rose ventured forward. Until a short, twisted staff illuminated itself purple from the darkness. Jasper ran forward, drawing his blade expertly and intercepting a bolt of hungry black light. That bolt, he recognized, was corrosion magic. It began to eat away at the blade, spreading over and vaporizing the bone from the middle. As he stared in bewilderment and dread, that gave the zombie enough time to line up a cleaner shot. It scraped past his arm, leaving a nasty black withermark, and struck a familiar alchemist. Oliver slumped over, pool of red forming at the edge of his dropped glowing stone. Rose wasted no time, dashing towards the zombie mage. Jasper tried to heft his blade again, too used to it''s heavy weight and falling off-balance, flexing of his upper arm, causing a nauseating smell. The zombie was about to fire another shadowbolt, when a shield crashed down on it''s head. A sword stabbed it center of mass, and finished with a roundslash spraying zombie goo and thud of it''s second death "No one takes my friends away from me!" Rose shouted, voice quivering with a stop to the ex-zombie to make her point. "No one!" Jasper cursed aloud, turning Oliver onto his front and grimacing at the wound. "This is evil magic. We''ll need to call the paladins." Rose''s eyes widened. "I''d be excited to meet them, but if they even get mentioned it usually means you guys are in over your heads." "Not to mention how weak it''ll make us look" jasper agreed in sadness. Together, they carried oliver outside, and took turns silently shoveling dirt with the ruined greatsword until there was enough to bury. While his pack wasn''t full, it was the heaviest it had ever been. Dark magic Dungeon: Scarlet Brimstone has risen to level 4. Perk point acquired. Maximum evolution reached. My last thoughts before evolution were ones of sadness at my single zombie''s death before the blackout. Begin Evolution Selection. as usual, the trio of options swam across my vision, green screen in an otherwise dark mass of nothing
Stone-tier Evolution Selection
Zombie cave (common) Gauntlet (Uncommon) Forge (Unommon) Blood altar (Rare)
Overwhelm foes with a torrent of flesh. Enables block: Rotten flesh Enables monster spawn: Zombie wolf, Zombie horse, or Orc zombie Grants perk: Zombie adept. All zombies get a small boost to all stats, Cost of "Summon zombie" reduced by 4 mana "Endurance" and "Zombie curse" rise by one level. Zombie curse has two chances to activate, and if it activates both times empowers the new zombie. EXP gains: Tiny when one of your zombies dies. Small when one of your zombies kills a creature. Large when one of your zombies kills a sentient. Doubled if zombie curse activates Wear down foes with a barrage of traps Enables NPC spawn: Tinkerer (Goblin, gnome, or kobold) Enables block: Trap (chosen from sawblade, arrow dispenser, or floor spikes) Enables block: Random trap (stone) Grants perk: Trap adept. Your traps deal increased damage. Traps costs 1 less mana to re-arm, traps that cost no mana to re-arm will do so automatically EXP gains: Tiny when one of your traps hits something, large when a one of your traps kills something Arm your monsters with the finest quality gear Enables NPC spawn: Blacksmith (orc, dwarf, or treant) Enables action: Forge equipment (wood) Enables blocks: Anvil, weaponcrafting table, furnace Grants perk: Well-armed II, doubling the chance to spawn with equipment, it''s bonus, and chance to keep the item on death Monsters you summon will repair their own gear, and may improve it beyond it''s base form EXP gains: Tiny when a monster uses it''s weapon to critically hit or score a kill, medium when a monster repairs or improves it''s equipment Perform dark magic to diminish and destroy. Upgrades core to blood altar. Consume blood and life force to gain mana. Gain more when this life force is willingly given Enables action: drain blood, infuse equipment, dark deal Enables blocks: Stone Brick, 2x rune (wood), each chosen from a random selection of three Enables monster spawn: Imp, random dark monster (wood), EXP gains: Constant when blood is turned to mana. Small when one of your monsters kills a creature. Massive when you tempt a sentient creature to your will
Source: Zombie summon Source: Cobweb trap Source: Well-Armed perk Source: ''Darkening magic'' perk
The source row was new. I guess now that the system had something to work off, it was telling me which of my choices granted these options? Zombie room looked gross. I didn''t want to rely on these monsters any more than I had to. Gauntlet and forge looked cool, and I would have had a hard time choosing from them until I saw the final branch. Who gives a damn how every solitary protagonist and their sister had this, Cliches were cliche for a reason. And many such rationalizations gunning it for raw power. I had monsters to drain, humans to make deals with, and so many delicious options. It didn''t grant me a perk, but the other bonuses were far too great to pass up Something in the fourth option cracked and shattered, shards stabbing themselves into my very being. I screamed; world scraping, grinding, crunching itself into place. And weakly, dizzily, I looked around. My walls converted from cobblestone to smoother, more refined stone. I felt a jump in size again, counting my edges with Selection. 7x7 ceiling, 7x5 walls, 1x1x1 self- Wait what? I focused my observation on myself from above, full picture visible. I was no longer a eight-sided glass dice, not to the naked eye. The construct registering as me was instead a stone basin, with a polished silver bowl and four crimson struts. The floor was sloped upwards, alternating between this grey brick and a newer one I couldn''t identify until it reached this basin. In the four corners of the ceiling, glowstone shone downwards, illuminating my slope. I could feel a comforting warmth from them, the first time I had felt either since my shower as a human, and knew right away I was supposed to protect these things. And so, I summoned up by status window.
Scarlet Brimstone, Blood altar.
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 60 / 60 Observation 3/10 Infuse equipment 50 mana Spawn Monster 20 mana
Mana 3 / 200 Command 2/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
Mana gain 40 / Hour Patience 2/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 0/8
EXP 0 / 55 Selection 2/10 Place block Drain blood Effect rune x0 (Choose)
Level 1 / 9 Inscription 0/10 Dark deal Support rune x0 (Choose)
Perk Points 1
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10)
Monsters: None Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
It had grown more than I had! My old skills, blocks, and summons remained, interwoven with my new ones for a prospect that oozed evil. Literally in the case of that dark slime. I always thought slimes were cute, and slime girls even more so- Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. But that wasn''t why i was here. I had two runes and a perk to choose from,
Perk Selection
Magic Perks
Arcane Tutor Desperate draw Enchanted gift
Learn 2 basic spells and one wood-tier spell Your monsters increase their mind stat by 1 Your monsters spawn with a random selection of spells, scaling with their mind stat Increase the rate at which you absorb mana by 1% for every 1% missing mana When you spend mana and conjure gear, every 5 points spent has a 5% chance to enchant it
Evil Perks
Blood magic Spreading curse Serrated gear
Can spend life force instead of mana on actions Regain life force at the same rate as mana or at the same proportion, whichever is less When one of your monsters kills something, Zombie curse activates at one-third the likelihood of the best value among your zombies All weapons you conjure or create gain the serrated property (doubled likelihood to cause a bleeding wound, but armor is 50% more protective against these weapons)
So many good choices! Unlike the trap-bearing options from before, i could see myself working with all of these. I guessed it was because I had made enough choices so that the perk generator actually knew what I wanted, or failing that it was a string of lucky options. Weirdly, nothing even mentioned runes. Time to look at those...
Rune Selection
Effect Runes
Thirst Ignition Force
Your spells drain mana from foes, scaling with the damage they deal Your spells heat foes up, increasing chance to burn with mana spent Your spells knock enemies away, force scaling with mana spent
Support Runes
Capacity Speed Range
Increases mana storage by 5% (10) Increases actions per hour by 20% Increases range of all actions by 10%
And... wow. No mana generation rune, but these were a wide selection. Effect runes looked like they solely benefitted spellcasters, but any dungeon could enjoy support runes. Did I even have spells? I looked over my status window again. "Cantrips" was a term i knew all too well as a kind of spell, and I had three. Place block couldn''t do damage, and dark deal was far from an attack, but my eyes fell on one. Drain blood. It already synergized well with runes of thirst, even more so if I found a way to deal more damage with magic. I was barely using my capacity and was limited in rate by mana, not speed. Range it was. Followed by Thirst. The perk choice was more difficult. I already had a strategy forming of increasing my range as far as possible and sniping much as possible with blood drain. I wanted to do something for my monsters, protect them so they could protect me. Since when did I care this much? Blood Magic and Desperate Draw were right out. They helped me in ways that were, albeit useful, boring. Spreading curse and Enchanted gift were made what I was already doing better, but Arcane Tutor and Serrated Gear were the real game-changers. More magic meant more options, and I was a big fan of all my monsters having a way to drain blood. I thought back to my original zombie. it could cast a shadowbolt, but didn''t drain any mana away from me in the process. It''s status screen even displayed 3 mana, before it walked out of my range of vision. Would monsters only regain their own mana if they had blood dra- Wait a second What was drained was blood. And the only one who could convert it was me. My will submerged Arcane Tutor, glowing on it until it burst into a swarm of butterflies that flew towards my basin and melted within, raw knowledge filling my mind. Spell acquired: Poison Spray Spell acquired: Tremor Stomp Spell acquired: Corrosive shot Poison spray looked like a basic attack, and corrosive shot a more advanced one. Tremor stomp made me question how I could as I was short on legs, until I thrust my will at the ground on one of the sides of my realm. I''d blink if i could at the impact. It felt like a heavy invisi-bowling ball fell on that corner, every square inch of that corner of my perception field shaking. "Note to self, do not do that indoors." I commented, waiting for my headache to fall And as I did, my mana rose. I felt better about this whole thing, no longer lacking toys to play with. Skill: patience has risen to level 3. Bonus mana regeneration applied. I greedily checked my status again, seeing the uptick in skill- and more importantly, in mana gain. It had shot from 40 to 50 per hour, meaning almost a mana per minute. And I was determined to push it even higher. I broke a stone brick in the back corner of my wall, willing part of myself into the hole it left behind. An older, more vital part.
Mana gain 51 / Hour
The mossy cobblestone was working exactly as intended. Three more blocks got replaced with moss stone in a straight line, before I felt hostility. My systems locked up, and I knew this only meant one thing. An Invader My Status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Blood altar.
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 60 / 60 Observation 3/10 Infuse equipment 50 mana Spawn Monster 20 mana
Mana 0 / 200 Patience 3/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
Mana gain 55 / Hour Command 2/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana
EXP 0 / 55 Selection 2/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 0/8
Level 1 / 9 Inscription 0/10 Place block Drain blood Thirst rune x0 20 mana
Perk Points 0 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Range rune x0 10 mana
Dark deal
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10)
Monsters: None Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Dark attempts Jasper and Rose returned to their home, the former steeling his resolve while the latter paced. "I''m going to tell our family''s head alone. No sense dragging you into this." "Jasper? You can''t do this to yourself!" Rose protested. "They always punish people harder when they''re alone, and your sword-arm keeps us fed and housed" Rose pleaded. "I''m not making the world a better place stagnating like this. Use what I''ve trained you and fight off all the evil. Or at least the kind that wants to eat us." Jasper sighed, donning his long green terryn guard''s coat. He left with little fanfare, to cross the right-angled pathways of gravel and efficient square homes to the largest, fanciest one. To the Terryn family head, Kira. Despite the impressiveness of her home, the shortness of the door forced the despondent guard to bow his head upon entry. Most likely to prepare him for the humbling he was about to receive. Kira''s majestic white hair was the most striking part about her, taking the place of a crown when none were allowed in Brightmoss. Her words were impressive and commanding, which made them weigh him down even more. Compared to hers, Jasper''s voice didn''t hold a candle. Yet he was charged to enlighten. "Esteemed house-leader Kira." Jasper greeted. "Rose, Oliver, I suffered a casualty in Talpi cave" "If I understand this correctly:" Kira summarized after a pause. "You failed. Both to protect Oliver and to teach Rose anything." "That I did." Jasper quietly agreed, head down. After a tense few seconds of silence, he cleared his throat with a deep breath and glared determinedly towards her, reciting words he had saved up for such an occasion. "I have failed in my duties as a Terryn, and seek your corrective wisdom." He recited through clenched teeth. Kira''s dominating smile widened under her topaz-yellow eyes. "We''ve heard enough. Guards, take him-" But like a tree in a hurry, Jasper''s coat fell from his shoulders. He grasped his blighted arm just under the greying, lifting the lifeless limb to her face. "And I''ve got the scars to prove it." "What is-" Kira''s voice plunged into worry, eyes widening as all pretense of authority dried up. "See something you fear?" Jasper taunted, letting his arm swing. "There''s a threat to all of us in that mole cave, and punishing me won''t do mud to protect your Family." "this is Insolence." Kira waveringly stated. "Throw him-" "I''ll tell you nothing in the dungeons. Let me walk free, and you get to keep ruling. Deal?" Kira sighed in acceptance, eyes mostly-closed. "Very well then. Tell me of this threat." Elsewhere, Rose had seen her brother''s stubbornness before. She knew she couldn''t stop him. So she''d stop the source of the problem instead. She waited until Jasper left, counted eight eights to a hundred, and dashed off towards Talpi cave, sword and shield in hand. She knew what she''d do- She''d stab every single undead in it''s stupid decaying face. Even in the hour or two she was back in Brightmoss, the air seemed a lot more... alive. Where once it was stale from bad circulation, Rose could feel a lot more movement from within. Enough to raise every hair on her body and accelerate her mind to form quicker plans of action. bash more undead back to the earth from which they rose. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The crossbow bolt of a message shot through the dark towards her mind. Rose could only recognize something move, but heard a fried, feminine-approaching voice if it was dunked in molasses.
Trade offer
You receive I receive
No aggression from undead. No aggression from you.
Rose was baffled by this signpost. It took up a solid space in her mind, blocking out surrounding thoughts like a perfect sheet of obsidian. "Are you threatening me?" She challenged, stopping in her tracks and looking around the dark. The glowing stone she had lifted off Oliver was showing no one, friend or foe, and strangely no giant moles that usually made this place their home.
Trade offer
You receive I receive
More trades, No aggression from undead. No aggression from you. (say "I accept" to accept)
Clearly, the box was directing a message at her. A lone zombie had killed her cousin and put her brother out of commission, and her mind was plagued by a trickle of oily doubt. Hand being forced, Rose sighed. "I accept."
Trade offer
You receive I receive
Slime ally (very fun) Your compliance
Rose wanted to object, wanted to lash out, but something in her mind dulled this desire. She did, after all, agree to this. She walked deeper in, drawn by that same dark hook in her mind towards the source of the trades. What she saw would have disgusted her, if not for how welcoming it seemed. The desire to climb up the slope in the center, to bathe in the basin- Rose slapped herself. At least she would, had another message not enter her mind
Trade offer
You receive I receive
Bound sword Bound shield Patience Blood
Power. Plain and simple. Something the terryn family knew well. Even without knowing what bound equipment was, the thought of using it spread across her mind like a cloud of smoke. "I accept." A crimson bolt shot from the basin, boring it''s way into Rose''s shoulder. and even more disturbingly, she felt her own life force embodied in the same red liquid drain out through her shoulder, filling the basin with a vivid fizzing liquid. This liquid power coalesced- tarnishing from cyan, to grey, to black, to stygian, into a dark blob. it bore two round eyes and a smaller round mouth, features aligning to point towards Rose. She felt a similar presence shoot towards it like a javelin, but was unable to hear it. To her, the slime grew friendlier, rubbing up against her side like a cat. Rose hugged the slime, resting against the wall while she recovered from the drain of life. And little did she know, giving the Dungeon time to work. Back in Brightmoss, Kira gasped in horror at jasper''s words of spellcasting undead and their flesh-corroding magic. "As much as I loathe to say it, we aren''t strong enough to deal with this. I will give you the honor of carrying your words to the Paladins of Snowbaron." "How fast do you want them?" Jasper challenged. "Before or after my arm rots off?" "And tranquil. She''ll get you there in two days." Before jasper knew it, his legs were on either side of the thick neck of a large bird bred as a steed, one good arm clutching the reigns. "Let''s go Tranquil, to Snowbaron." Dark work If I had a fist, it would pump in victory. So instead I compensated by a Tremor Stomp to the cave ceiling nearby. I could not believe how I kept my composure throughout that exchange. The display of power was so forceful that the system took notice, and granted me the fuel for the second half. Skill: Command has risen to level 3. Can now assign monsters as allies. The bluff about having any zombies to call off, the foot-in-the-door practice with the slime ally, and now the fuel to test out infusion weapons. Despite having a clear explanation of how I worked, I had no explanation of my new spells. And of course was hoping that Drain Blood didn''t kill my new... test subject. Above all of those, however, was Dark Deal. As it only cost one mana, on par with a basic attack or a placing a block, I knew it couldn''t be too harmful. But instead of doing anything directly, it opened a dark trade window. I used to see these all the time in MMO''s, and this barebones one fit the bill. When she accepted, I felt my mind shift. Felt a nagging, tugging, wrenching desire to satisfy conditions of the deal. Just as her behavior changed from this tandem mind control. I only had a quarter of the mana I needed for a thirst rune, so decided to stretch my observation upwards to the tunnel My field moved first quickly, then slowly, as if drawn by a rubber band. It swooped past the mole-tunnel up, past several smaller tunnels, and into the wider cave mouth. Diagonal light flowed in from an unknown sun, casting actual brightness on... moles and mushrooms. I strained to hold myself in the position, using this improvised nature for documentary as a distraction One was eating the other, and no prizes for guessing which. And as I watched them for a while, I felt a sudden loosening of the tension. Skill: Observation has risen to level 4. I dragged my field of perception back, seeing I had timed my mana delay perfectly. Twenty was just enough, and I went to inscribing. It was like carving with a sentient chisel. I couldn''t tell you what the rune looked like from the beginning, but I could tell you where to stab next. every focus of my will on the slatestone was marked. Guided. Preordained. Skill: Inscription has risen to level 1. ...Yet still looked shoddy. It was literally my first rune so I couldn''t expect much, but I knew I could make something that a rune that looked halfway between a stickfigure black hole and a metal album cover. When I had more mana I''d try again, but something else caught my attention. Specifically, the dark slime happily hopping beside my first warlock. I focused on it, converging the edges of my vision to extract information
Dark Slime
Abyssal sludge 10/10 HP 10/10 MP
Attack: E Defense: E Equipment None
Speed: F Mind: D+ Effects None
Spells: None Owner Rose Terryn
Special: None Dungeon Scarlet Brimstone
This was just insulting to the poor slime. No special properties and a description that sounded like what an angry nerd would call anyone he didn''t like. As I looked, two new fields caught my eye. Spells and owner. Assuming this was honest, I sent her another Dark Deal.
Trade offer
You receive I receive
A greeting from me (Hi Rose! Just checking if this works) A wave of the arm
Rose jolted upright and waved her arm, saying something I seemed to lack the ability to hear. She said something to her dark slime soon after and started to get going, so I knew I had to move fast. To analyze her sword and shield.
Iron short sword
Attack damage 1d6 Durability 210/250 Attack speed 20
Skill: Selection has risen to level 3. Can now identify runes on Selected items. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Iron Shield
Defense value 2 Durability 52/250
Weight 3 Runes None
This was... somewhat helpful. Attack damage, attack speed, defense value, and weight had no units, but those values were suspiciously familiar. The runes however caught most of my attention. Were runes that important to the system they''d be showed alongside the damage, speed, and literal hit points of a piece of gear? Or were they the only important secondary effect the system was letting me see? The reasons didn''t matter as much as what I could do. I didn''t think I could stall her for an hour, so reluctantly had to let her leave. But not before hurling one final Dark Deal at her from below. It arced through the air, striking the back of Rose''s mind with unerring accuracy
Trade offer
You receive I receive
The bound equipment tomorrow Silence about our deals
I could feel Rose''s acceptance run back through the mental harpoon-connection, and was satisfied. Skill: Patronage has risen to level 2. Rose''s shadow flickered into view, leaving for a second time as she want back to wherever she lived. A place with more humans, and also defenses. I had killed one them via zombie not even two hours ago, and I needed to buy myself time to raise my defenses. If a short sword would do 3 or 4 damage every time it hit me, plus any sort of bonus from strength, then I''d fall down in an estimated ten hits. Even if I could kill them in one hit, it would take only four or five guys with basic blades to empty my life force. Of course, they could only hit me if they could reach me. For a while, I rested. Built up mana. And of course, planned out how to best defend my fragile core. My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Blood altar.
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 60 / 60 Observation 4/10 Infuse equipment 50 mana Spawn Monster 20 mana
Mana 20 / 200 Patience 3/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
Mana gain 55 / Hour Command 3/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana
EXP 0 / 55 Selection 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 1/8
Level 1 / 9 Patronage 2/10 Place block Drain blood Thirst rune x1 20 mana
Perk Points 0 Inscription 1/10 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Range rune x0 10 mana
Dark deal
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10)
Monsters: None Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Monster time The evening bled into night, And I regenerated mana. 58 of it to be exact, in the hour-and-a-bit between phases of the day. The slow darkening was easy to feel when I had a view of my entire self at once, plus a generous chunk of the outside. Runes looked like they stacked but not with themselves. And I had already filled one slot with a rune, though lacked the means to make more-- the runes I had were going to be the runes I had. I needed practice. I tried to engrave another thirst rune on some of the expendable stone bricks that comprised my walls. I focused my will, channeling it into a thin, hot, sharp- Not even finished with the first mana brushstroke, the stone brick melted into useless slag and faded away. It was time to scrap that idea for now. At least until I could find something more durable. My monsters had atrocious defense, but they were my defenses. And if night was coming soon, I knew I needed them. Having enough mana to make a big play, i decided to chance it on a lone imp. Instead of mana coalescing, it slit a hole in the air, levering it open and drawing a small red creature out and knocking it onto it''s tail. It sported a small set of horns, and while no equipment, the set of claws on it''s hands could open wounds just as well "Ey, boss?" he asked, accent oddly cute for a mischievous little bastard. My understanding of it''s language took me aback, and I was about to speak but remembered the only way I could.
Trade offer
You receive I receive
A warm welcome (hi! it''s Scarlet, your new boss) The terms of your service.
The imp''s little face lit up as I examined it. "Ooh, a dark-dealin'' dungeon? These are the terms of my deal. I want a soul-draining knife, twenty mana an hour, and some satandamn respect. got it, sugar-tits?" A drain blood bolt flew towards the imp''s arm. it tried to dodge with a wingflap, but the crimson bolt pierced it''s wing. It screamed in pain and indignance, some of it''s dark, rich blood draining back to me
Trade offer
You receive I receive
Continued existence in this plane. As many cool fights as you can survive Continued ownership of the rest of your hit points Blood. Kills. Some satandamn respect Something I can call you
"I yield, I yield" the imp pleaded, putting his sharp-ended arms up to either side of his head. "I''ll go and kill some things. I''ll expire kinda fast unless I get some mana though, can I at least have some of that?" I sighed.
Trade offer
You receive I receive
5 mana per hour Agreement to do your duty
"Wow, five whole mana per hour." the imp snarked. "I accept, not like i''m getting any thinner over here."
Imp
Mischievous creature imported right from the nether 19/25HP 50/50MP
Attack: C Defense: C Equipment None
Speed: B Mind: B+ Effects None
Spells: Fire jet, Greater Drain blood, Poison spray, Acid shot, Annoy Summoner Scarlet Brimstone
Special: None Dungeon Scarlet Brimstone
I set my first imp out to grind, and looked over at my mana count of thirty. While I had enough for another imp, and could definitely do something about the mana problem, I decided to create a few practice slimes. The first and last were normal, dark masses of sludge, and promptly set to support my main imp. And just as importantly, their commands included the act of ferrying kills back to me. Skill: Command has risen to level 4 The middle slime however, was different. It''s membrane was dark purple in hue rather than pure black, and seemed stickier than normal. I narrowed my selection over the creature, and examined it.
Purple Slime
Toxic sludge 10/10 HP 10/10 MP
Attack: D Defense: E Equipment None
Speed: F Mind: E+ Effects None
Spells: Poison spray Dungeon Scarlet Brimstone
Special: Toxic buildup
I knew slimes were magical creature in nature, but this one seemed defined by it''s singular spell. Poison was versatile, but in such a gamified system most likely translated to damage per second and none of the stackable effects I loved so much. I too sent it out, and already saw my forward troop find something big to start fighting. "It''s showtime you digging piecea shit" he challenged a giant mole, magically induced anger pointed from his outstretched middle claw. steam practically emerged from the mole''s ears as it barreled towards the imp, anger transcending the language barrier and sending the mole crashing right into the realm of tactical mistakes. He dodged at the last second, scoring a claw swipe at the imp''s side for good measure and doubling over to laugh as it crashed into a wall headfirst. The mole struggled to right itself, barely getting a chance as my two dark slimes hopped across the floor and dissolved away at the mole''s upper arms. limbs flailed, barely a threat as the mole''s weapons fell off one at a time, and the imp slashed at it''s neck for good measure. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Your imp has slain: Giant mole. +5 EXP. "Boss lady needs blood. Keep''er upright!" he ordered, two slimes carrying the mole on it''s back as to not spill any of the precious liquid. They worked together ponderously, hoisting the mole onto eachother and splashing the head into my basin. While I had sips before, this was far closer to a gulp. The mole''s blood went down like lemonade on a hot day, and for seconds my mana surged, up from 3 to 28. While the mole was dead, it remained. A drained sack of skin, covered in hide and just as importantly, six metal claws. Knowing I lacked the precision to do this alone, I sent another Dark Deal to the imp in the middle of a fight against another mole.
Trade offer
You receive I receive
An infused polearm Branches Dissection Crafting of polearms (more is better)
Thirty seconds of fighting later, both my imp and system responded. "You''ve got yourself a deal, lady!" he shouted, echoing through the tunnel. Your imp has slain: Giant mole. +5 EXP. It was so easy for me to snowball out of control. The system mentioned a command limit, and pissing off people with enough power I knew was going to get me in trouble. Even so, I was only capable of dealing with giant moles through tactics and physics, and would be flattened if anything stronger reared it''s ugly head. I saw my imp sprint from the cave and with a running start awkwardly fly over some zombies, all while the slimes brought their mole back. I drained it, mana shooting up to just over 50, and set the corpse and it''s six metal claws aside. Barely a minute later, my imp arrived with a fatigued look on his face, but was smiling from ear to ear. His wing looked torn, a few scales broken, but he couldn''t happier as he dropped some branches at my base and got to work. The trio of slimes blobbed around, imp selecting the largest, sharpest claw and scraping away meat from leather. Having nothing to but wait for weird-magic and weapon-making, I asked a question.
Trade offer
You receive I receive
A chance to infodump Knowledge of infused polearms
"Infused weapons are great! they kick ass more than the regular junk. We use''em all the time in the nether, because gold''s weak. Most of tha big bosses put a sorta tax on their weapons, so a kill from one of their weapons counts as half a kill for you and half a kill for them. But if you can kill three times as many suckers, it all works out." the imp explained as he tied fangs to branches, tightening them with a bit of fire magic and moving on. Exactly what I wanted to hear. Of course there was a bit of me going into every infused weapon, strengthening them beyond what wood, fangs, and leather could provide "All done! one infused polearm, boss lady!" I tightened my selection to observe his work, and noted the craftship to be... expected.
Moleclaw spear
Attack damage 1d8 Durability 125/125
Attack speed 11 Runes None
Special: Increased range
I gestured with a line of engraving past the other materials, leaving a mark on my stonebrick floor. "Fine fine, I''ll get to the rest." he agreed, tying spear after spear together and looking more and more tired. I however, was focused on my will on the spear. not to pierce through it as I would with engraving, but to fill it. embody it. Just as I embodied this basin, this spear would be a natural extension of my body. Strands of magic lashed out from my core and bound the improvised spear like spiderwebs, suspending it from the walls by the corners. More magic pulsed through these strands, fusing and shaping the spear. Skill acquired: Enchantment The spear slowly floated down as I exhausted my mana supply yet again, made much more impressive than before. The whole of the spear had darkened over, branch straightened and unified into a real weapon''s grip, and the leather-claw construction at the head seeming more like a fang from living flesh.
Scarlet Thirsting spear
Attack damage 1d8 Durability 400/400
Attack speed 11 Runes Thirst
Wounding time 10 seconds Wounding damage 1d4
Special: Increased range, wounding, lifedrain (wood)
Skill: Inscription has risen to level 2 "Can I- pant go home and rest? This mana you''re givin'' me isn''t enough to stay bound here, and i''m runnin'' on- woah!" The imp started to protest. He marveled at the slowly-falling spear, landing with a soft thud on the ground. "This is mine, right? I''ll make some more right away!" I was content to rest, recharge, and infuse more. All practice for rose''s new sword and shield. Until I heard a system notification, and felt my stomach drop. Shut up about how I no longer had one
Warning
You have offended dungeon: Ferrous Hill Prepare your defenses.
My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Blood altar.
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 60 / 60 Observation 4/10 Infuse equipment 50 mana Spawn Monster 20 mana
Mana 28 / 200 Command 4/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
Mana gain 50 / Hour Patience 3/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana
EXP 5 / 55 Selection 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 1/8
Level 1 / 9 Inscription 2/10 Place block Drain blood Thirst rune x1 20 mana
Level 1 / 9 Patronage 2/10 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Range rune x0 10 mana
Perk Points 0 Enchantment 1/10 Dark deal
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10)
Monsters: Imp, Dark slime x3, purple slime Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Enemies: Ferrous Hill
You want moles "Well shit" I cursed aloud, words echoing through the room. I needed mana, monsters, equipment... "Damn, you can talk?" Interjected the imp. "Yeah I can. Haven''t done so since... a while ago" I admitted "Thought you could only so from dark dealin''. too much of that melts the mind." Not hesitating to ask whose mind it melted, I pressed with my main issue. "We''ve got an actual enemy on our hands, and we''re barely strong enough to deal with one mole on our own, let alone-" "We''ve got these." The imp interrupted, waving the thirsting spear. "More than enough to kill with a good stab, i''ll get a decent meal and you''ll get more power." I had seen how this imp fought, and it was definitely tactical. Cunning, even. But one being could only do so much alone "Do you have any allies?" "I''ve got a squad all right. Irnuuth, Thoguzod, Rorthrezol, and Zylthor, all imps. Our boss is a demon named zirzemoth, and he reports to a big toothy bastard named rargrareg." I paused, feeling my head smoke at the information. I was already bad with names, and these sounded like they''d tie my old tongue in knots just trying to say. But this imp continued "Julgas and Jorzmor run the place, but i know there''s someone above them. Probably not one of the big seven yet, and I can''t tell which it would even be. And i''m Mazrar. Feel like I should tell all of that, since you actually seem to care about your subjects." "So many names... Mazrar was it?" I commented, giving my voice a dizzy spin. "That''s me! You said you were scarlet, right? If we''re callin'' eachother by names, not numbers." he said with disdain. "Thanks for the info, Maz. Is there someone you want brought here first?" "Let me back home. I''ll tell my squad, and we''ll get reaaal close together. In an hour or so, summon me back and i''ll bring''em along. Just make sure you''ve got the mana for all of us!" I pulsed in acceptance, releasing my mental grip on Mazrar. He seemed to rapidly sink into the earth, last sight of the imp being the curved fang of a spearhead. It lingered in my perception, and my mind snapped to lock onto it. My mind pulsed, dozen strands of mana lashing out to stabilize a connection, and... Skill: Observation has risen to level 5. Learned: Split sight. It somehow locked. External to my perception field I saw a small sphere centered around the head of the infused polearm, hazy image of Mazrar flying between crimson-brick buildings. I left it in the back pocket of my perception, and focused around with marvel at how much I could now see. Jumps in level were incremental, but the fifth level specifically was a huge jump over 4. Where I could fit my walls and some of the tunnel around comfortably in my sight before, now I felt small in comparison to just how far I could zoom out. And if I had this perception earlier, I would have seen how screwed I was. The tunnels branching out from the main cave weren''t random dead-ends, they lead to somewhere larger. stronger. deeper. And obviously, angrier at having someone on it''s doorstep. This wasn''t a decoration of war, it was an announcement of pest control. Unfortunately for you, I knew how to be the biggest pest there was. I sent another Dark Deal towards the obvious Dungeon.
Trade offer
I receive You receive
Attack moles at my doorstep? A wound for every block of ground you take. (this is a threat)
Where Rose and Mazrar would simply accept or decline these deals, The message I recieved from Ferrous Hill was long, angry, and familiar. A roar resounded through my walls, unrefined mass of sonic energy captured within my realm of three-dimensional space.
Response
What the dirt did you just mudding say about me you little worm? I''ll have you know i graduated top of my class in the navy moles, and have been involved in numerous...
...Why was this mole-themed dungeon performing a riff of the fucking navy seals copypasta? Why did this mole-themed dungeon even know the navy seals copypasta? Was it of all things the universal constant rather than literally anything- "Wait a second..." I said to no one. I couldn''t understand Rose''s language, but she could definitely understood my deals. The armwave at the end even confirmed it. This world had some level of translation going on, and chose a large, angry, and most importantly stupid way to express it. Qualities that seemed to match the mole dungeon to a T. I finished consuming the mole''s mad message, and looked on it in amazement. A hundred and seventy five mana. This Dungeon was either too dumb to hold onto it''s mana, or too busy flexing on me to care. If it could throw almost as much at me in one message as I could conjure with my entire core, it had mana to spare. But I was going to make that mistake it''s last. Another moleclaw spear Mazrar made floated under the power of my mana. I let it trickle in slowly rather than quickly, careful not to spill any, and etched a range rune into the flattest point of the blade I could find.
Draining ghost javelin
Attack damage 1d8 Durability 150/150
Attack speed 11 Runes Range
Special: Increased range, Phantom throw, +d4 life on hit
Generic infusion bled into the weapon, mixing and binding to the rune''s written magic. The spear thinned, shortened, but condensed, slashing head reformed into a sharp point. The back sported small flight fins, throwing purpose clear. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Having some inscription practice, I carved runes on my slate base. Memories of drawing on myself with marker took place, but my hand was guided by intention. guided by will. Range rune carved. Free spaces: 6/8 Thirst rune carved. Free spaces: 5/8 Range rune carved. Free spaces: 4/8 Skill: Inscription has risen to level 3. Learned rune: Efficiency. Learned: Rune analysis. The cost flattened me. 100 mana just to analyze a rune? The system must be joking. I stopped, lining up another thirst rune for carving. This could mean anything, but almost always meant something useful- from decreased cost to increased speed to a flat-out boost at whatever the thing was already good at. I took a gamble and tried it on another moleclaw spear, inscribing and infusing in the same stroke of my mana brush Skill: Enchantment has risen to level 2. One more level and I''d have a new passive skill.
Moleclaw glaive
Attack damage 2d6 Durability 175/175
Attack speed 18 Runes Efficiency
Special: Greatly Increased range
While not as flashy as the other polearms, this one was clearly a good deal in all respects. Efficiency powered it up across the board, and between a near-doubling in damage and speed I doubted this specimen even needed any side effects. I could feel myself try to breathe heavily, substituting it with pushing mana in and out of my walls. The moles were still coming, but now I was armed to deal with it. I told gave my duo of dark slimes a command. "Dark slimes, take an infused spear and stab any mole who gets close." I ordered, following it up with telling the purple to simply poison spray things. "And all of you, bring any kills to the basin" All three of my slimes jumped up and down, armed better than they should have any right to be. They absorbed their spears off to the side, holding them like a human soldier would hold a weapon under their arm, and waited for a tense few minutes But none of us had to wait long. My status window
Scarlet Brimstone, Blood altar.
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 60 / 60 Observation 5/10 Rune analysis 100 mana Infuse equipment 50 mana
Mana 17 / 200 Command 4/10 Spawn Monster 20 mana Conjure block 5-10 mana
Mana gain 55 / Hour Inscription 3/10 Break block 1-5 mana Corrosive shot 3 mana
EXP 5 / 55 Patience 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 1/8
Level 1 / 9 Selection 3/10 Place block Drain blood Efficiency rune x0 40 mana
Level 1 / 9 Enchantment 2/10 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Thirst rune x2 20 mana
Perk Points 0 Patronage 2/10 Dark deal Range rune x2 10 mana
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10)
Monsters: Dark slime x3, purple slime Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Enemies: Ferrous Hill
You got moles When I saw something big approach my wall, I prepared a Corrosive Shot, to soften up and target-mark the unlucky bastard that would come through. Right on cue, the wall burst open, absolute chonk of a mole throwing gravel across my floor, further scattering it with a roar from its tall ugly four-toothed mouth. Common slimes would have been scared by the power difference, but they were my slimes. A spray of poison coated the inside of it''s mouth, staining teeth green and leaving a delightful croaking noise, right before a rod of acid shot right from my core into it''s forehead. A horrible sizzling noise spread, mole thrashing it''s claws wildly when my two dark slimes got their rears in gear. The closet one stabbed a swiping arm with it''s efficient polearm, while the further one launched a phantom javelin for the exposed bone. The javelin broke under it''s own speed, but a satisfying crack emerged from the mole''s head. With a single swipe, the thrower died. But as it''s javelin clattered to the floor I wasn''t even sad, I was ecstatic. So much EXP and mana could come from this big one that I might be able to level up right here, and lots of blood to drain from it''s corpse. With a single swipe from it''s weakened other arm, the dark slime with the efficient polearm was knocked back. I saw blood fall from the wound, so I cast the most logical choice on it. A crimson, Blood-Draining bolt curved towards the wound, already practiced from use on Rose and Mazrar. The mole didn''t even try to bat it away, instead lunging to sink it''s teeth into my poison slime. I marveled at the stupidity, ordering my slime to jump deeper in when the bolt struck. The mole''s entire arm deflated noticably. A stretched basketball-sized orb of blood slipped from the wound to my basin, filling me with speed. my mana had gone up by 14, feeling of a power high spreading across my entire thought-form. But not before the purple slime slipped down the mole''s throat like evil honey, inspiring it to hack and cough rather than do anything remotely useful. I ordered the other dark slime to seize the moment, stabbing and slashing at the barely-defended underbelly. it spread it''s base, absorbing the crimson lifeforce and slowly diluting it''s darkened hue. Skill: Command has risen to level 5. Learned action: Promote monster general I wasn''t sure what species that slime was becoming, but I knew for a fact it was becoming a good candidate for what was about to happen. The mole recovered just enough to swing it''s one good claw in a frenzy. The dark slime continued treating it''s underbelly like bubblewrap, and no doubt the purple slime was sacrificing itself to turn the mole''s insides to something unrecognizable, so all that left was me. Oh crap. A giant mole claw struck my stone basin, iron claws rending and cracking my very vessel Core damaged! -24 HP And for the first time since my arrival, I screamed in pain. I fired off another corrosive shot, mana leaking out my sides too much to fully cast the spell, but i had a weakspot. The sizzling on the mole''s head got worse. wounds overtook it. So I went in for the kill A simple Drain Blood sailed right through the skullhole, parching it''s brain. You have slain: Mole tunnelblazer. +25 EXP Literally five times that of a standard giant mole. "Eat it!" I droned, victory no doubt witnessed by the mole dungeon. "Big one, keep your meal..." I said groggily, spawning a few more slimes. A deep brown tremor slime with clods of earth and stone embedded in it''s body, a deep red slime with a familiar thirst, and another vanilla dark slime. I felt exhausted in both body and mind, but clearly hungry for more. I flexed my selection skills, checking each new being. The dark slime was as expected, but the brown, red, and big red ones were new...
Tremor slime
Terrestrial mud 15/15 HP 10/12 MP
Attack: E Defense: D Equipment Moleclaw glaive
Speed: F Mind: E+ Effects None
Spells: Tremor Stomp Commander Large Sanguine slime
Special: Armor (3) Dungeon Scarlet Brimstone
omg a real frontline? My favorite! after seeing how quickly the mole shredded my dark slime, something that would last more than two hits would be useful
Sanguine slime
Orb of life essence 10/10 HP 12/12 MP
Attack: D Defense: E Equipment None
Speed: F Mind: E+ Effects None
Spells: Drain blood Commander Large Sanguine slime
Special: Weak lifedrain Dungeon Scarlet Brimstone
What I expected. These sanguine slimes had a way to restore health, the earth one had a way to preserve it, but the dark slime had nothing, so it received the honor of the ghost javelin
Large Sanguine slime (commander)
Large orb of life essence 15/15 HP 20/20 MP
Attack: C Defense: D Equipment None
Speed: E Mind: D+ Effects This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. None
Spells: None Commander None
Special: Lifedrain Dungeon Scarlet Brimstone
Army: Dark slime, sanguine slime, tremor slime
Now this is where the big power started. I lost out in a ton of life force, but in doing so made a new being. I was rising in the world, and I knew it. I focused outwards, watching for mole attention. and sure enough, a handful more dug through the stone towards my tunnels as fast as a person could powerwalk. I positioned my slime commander for a counter-ambush, slimes waiting behind it with weapons drawn. At least, I tried to. The moles spread out, angles varying as they dug towards my core. They burst through the walls as one in the greatest act of coordination I had seen from the mole dungeon yet. as the six moles bored through my walls- two through the sides, two through the front, one through the back, and one through the bottom, I was ready. The large sanguine slime flexed it''s might, absorbing one slime whole and body-blocking another. Your large sanguine slime has slain: Attack mole. +7 EXP The smaller one seemed to be following it''s big cousin, tackling and draining another thinner, sharper mole. Your sanguine slime has slain: Attack mole. +5 EXP The dark slime tried to throw a spirit javelin and failed, and the earth slime was putting it''s armor to good use against the claws of a fifth mole, but mole number six charged right for me. It tanked my blood drain from point blank, but seemed to be slowed from swinging it''s claws at me. I cried out in pain as a tenth of my life force fell to a single strike, and noticed something odd as it was winding up for a second. The small sanguine slime showed empathy. Founded certainly not out of me it launched itself towards the mole, knocking it forward into my basin and allowing me to drain every part of it Your sanguine slime has slain: Attack mole. +4 EXP I was getting back in business. Two polearm strikes punctuated that, a point-blank polearm and an unusually un-sluggish glaive chop. Your tremor slime has slain: Attack mole. +5 EXP Your dark slime has slain: Attack mole. +2 EXP The last mole tried to run for help. I conjured up a Blood Drain, willing the bolt around the corner and striking home if the pained noise was any indication. A crimson orb floated it''s way back to me, almost intercepted by the blood slime, but settled in my basin. You have slain: scout mole. +9 EXP. Congratulations! Scarlet Brimstone, Blood altar has risen to level 5. I felt myself grow. Not larger, but... more. The thrill of power rushed through me once again, healing over and toughening my basin of a vessel. That is, until a choice hit.
Choose blood altar specialization.
Runic blood altar Dark command altar Black magic altar Blood crucible
Permanently increase rune capacity by 25% Learn 2 new runes, each chosen from a list of 3 Raise the level of Inscription by 1 without altering levelling speed Mana cost to summon demons reduced by one-third Life force converts to one-third more mana Raise the level of Patronage by 1 without altering levelling speed Learn one spell of the iron tier, chosen from a list of 3 Learn 2 random spells of the stone tier Learn the advanced skill: spellcraft Equipment you create is 10% stronger in all respects Reduce cost of Infuse equipment by one-third Raise the level of enchantment by 1 without altering levelling speed
All four looked similar. a passive buff, a passive buff or some new options, and a skill headstart. I didn''t know how much of a wall existed at various levels, but the jump from 5 to 6 seemed large. The real question was what kind of power I wanted now, and what kind of power I wanted most. Runes scaled better, but I could not afford to stop and engrave when a giant mole was pissed off at me. Black magic would let me make more kinds of slimes, and cast spells at my... frankly limited angle. Spellcraft called out to me. It could be only spellcasting, but it could be literally creating new spells from nothing- which I could use to solve all the problems. Dark command looked like a grab bag, which I almost chose for the upcoming imp squad, but remembered that their mana wages were unaffected. And while I was getting most of my mana from absorbed monsters, I was using most of it on equipment to kill them in the first place. Focusing my will, I chose.
Blood crucible
My basin reformed, deeper and thicker-walled. Cracked stone became dented iron. And equipment became easier. I sensed a break in the action. Sensed Mazrar''s proximity to other imps. And guided my spell to summon him. "Eyy scarlet, i''m back! And I brought my squad! Irnuuth, Thoguzod, Rorthrezol, meet your new boss. She''s way more fun than our ''fficial one" Mazrar greeted, gesturing to his allies. Irnuuth was smaller, but two more were cartoonish mini-hulks of imps, upper halves larger than their lower ones. I got right to business, adopting a fake-ass official tone. "My pay is five mana each, and I offer my loyal subjects infused weapons to keep after their first mission" The two big ones fistbumped. "Sold." They said, staggered. "Our enemy''s a mole dungeon, and already tunneling towards us. I hired you four for a counter-attack, you''re going to go in there, look for anything big and magical, and fuckin'' steal it." "Looks fun. Do we get to choose our weapon?" Rorthrezol asked. "From my limited supply. Now go before the moles eat you too." I joked, the four imps running mischievously forward I took the time to look at my specialty notification. And what I saw floored me. Skill: Enchantment has risen to 2+1/10. Learned: Focused infusion (120 mana) I could now choose how I enchanted. My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Blood crucible.
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 55 / 90 Command 5/10 Rune analysis 100 mana Focused infusion 80 mana
Mana 10 / 200 Observation 5/10 Infuse equipment 33 mana Spawn Monster 20 mana
Mana gain 35 / Hour Enchantment 2+1/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
EXP 58 / 72 Inscription 3/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana Promote monster general
Level 6 / 9 Patience 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 1/8
Selection 3/10 Place block Drain blood Efficiency rune x0 40 mana
Perk Points 0 Patronage 2/10 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Thirst rune x2 20 mana
Dark deal Range rune x2 10 mana
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10)
Monsters: Dark slime x2, earth slime, Large Sanguine slime, imp x4 Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Enemies: Ferrous Hill
Moles want you I focused my Split Sight on Mazrar and company, watching them poke around the tunnels with surprising speed. They trash-talked like midschoolers but actually intelligent, coming up with new insults for the mole dungeon every minute. But unlike midschoolers, they bore impressive coordination when they blundered into another mole tunnelblazer. Mazrar served as the bait, jumping back and flapping his wings to stay in the air over it''s swinging claws. Thoguzod and Rorthrezol slammed into it''s arms, holding them down like wrestlers and slashing with claws of their own. And all the while Irnuuth chanted. At first, the sole result was dotting the cave walls with a scattering of dark holes. They widened, progressing into almost-mouths, and shot out a harpoon of a tentacle each when the mole was so focused on attacking it couldn''t block a thrown paper bag; or dodge it''s way out of one. They speared and skewered from every side, mole''s deathfrenzy kicking in to no effect on the imp squad. As it''s movements slowed, mazrar stepped in and skewered the imp with his bound spear. "More mana for boss lady." He justified, only slightly interrupted by the system notification Your imp has slain: Mole tunnelblazer. +10 EXP. Life force drained. +47 mana As this was playing out, I noticed movement in my main vision. a squad of human-proportioned moles with picks and hammers rounded the corner, closing in on my base like the imps I had sent. Not wanting to be outdone, I ordered my slimes to defend- big red first, everything else to support it. The large sanguine slime took up just about the entire tunnel, absorbed several hammerblows effortlessly, and shot it''s smaller cousin towards the one with a pickaxe. The slime sailed through the air, dissolving the mole-miner with skill Your slime has slain: talpid miner. +1 EXP The mole dungeon must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel if these chumps are all it can throw at me. I had a bad feeling about something, but was too focused on the two fronts of this war to focus on what. Instead, I focused on the big slime absorb the impact of a moleman''s mining hammer, bending back and springing forward to slam down on the mole. It was disarmed, knocked down, and the large sanguine slime extended a pseudopod to absorb it''s broken form- Until a flash of blue cut it off. a tall, brave-looking talpid stood between ally and enemy, shield raised and sword poised to strike. Thick red fluid oozed from the wound, big slime re-aligning itself to let it''s backup back it up. The talpid ducked it''s long neck behind it''s shield, still knocked off-balance by the javelin strike from my dark slime. The earth slime charged forward, leaping down with a polearm swing, met for it''s troubles with a step too close for comfort and a stab to it''s core with unusual ease. I gasped at the efficiency, realizing what I was looking at. The earth slime slunk away, leap enough to give my poison slime an opening to spray. The green gas wafted around the shield and inspired a coughing fit, slowing the sword-talpid just enough for the sanguine slime to regain it''s position and form a striking pseudopod, launching from it''s chest and draining a bit of life. The swordsman (or woman) stepped back to regain it''s footing, and I urged my slimes on the offensive. Another javelin was a mere distraction, to get it''s shield high as I ordered the red boss to go low- And get stabbed deep by that diamond blade. The big red slime was leaking fast, but I ordered it onwards. Ordered it not to slow down. Ordered it to drown the invader in it''s blood. And that it did. The sword sunk deeper in as the crimson slime grasped onto the wielder''s arm. It uselessly bashed with it''s shield, and I knew I had already won. Over the last minute, poison sprayed upwards, filling the top half of the tunnel. My slime was winning the tug of war over the molefolk''s arm, advancing more and more every second as purple gas filled it''s lungs. "Eat it and heal." I ordered the big slime. It pulled harder, absorbing the mole in one gulp and dissolving into it with speed. "But bring me back it''s sword" The molefolk''s eyes snapped open, and while it might have been my imagination glowed red. Lost fur knit back together over exposed muscle, and every now-protected muscle thrashed. That sword of diamond pierced right through the slime''s side and slashed, more and more red liquid pouring out. The earth slime rushed forward, safety protocols be damned, and stabbed for the center of mass. It''s glaive struck true, dancing through the uncoordinated sword slashes and leaving more and more wounds to contend with. Between the two sources of damage, the sanguine slime couldn''t keep up, slumping over one final time. Your Large Sanguine slime (commander) has been slain. The molefolk burst out, leaving it''s sword behind to scratch and bite at my tankiest slime. Armor tried and failed to absorb clawstrikes, poison filled it''s already-ragged lungs, and javelin shots scattered. But faster than my tremor slime''s health was fading was the attacker''s speed. Every clawswipe got slower and slower, more and more labored, until it fell-nearly dead. Fully dead with a glaive stab to the torso Your Tremor slime has slain: Talpid Hero. +20 EXP. That was... less than the payout I had been hoping for. The tunnelblazer was worth 25, but this hero only 20? It''s sword was doing most of the work, but still- this laid out just how powerful good equipment was. A better weapon or armor than the enemy was good in games, but a game breaker in real life; and the fighting logic of this world was as close to realism as a world full of zombies, slimes, and demons could get. And unfortunately for the world? ''good equipment'' was where I was specializing. Level has risen to 6. 1 perk point gained. Good to have I remember when I was tripping over these left and right. I ordered three things brought back. The hero, their sword, and my old ally''s essence. The hero itself was drained for blood and left as slimefood, shared as a meal of victory and mourning. Life force absorbed. +22 mana The sword got my examination, in methods we knew well.
Diamond Longsword
Attack damage 2d8 Durability 1221/1500
Attack speed 16 Runes None
Special: None
True to known rules, diamond equipment kicked ass. The durability was monstrous, and the damage and speed could be compared to the moleclaw glaive. Lack of specials was merely annoying, but it was a good template to work from- and maybe I could focus on my upcoming enchantment on getting it any special traits. I stopped in realization. If diamond was a tier above iron, and I had elevated an iron-quality spear to diamond-level stats, what on earth would I be able to turn this beautiful thing into? The small sanguine slime ballooned in size trying to carry all the liquid, and I feared it would burst on the way back to dump blood into my metal form. It leaned over my rim with a precarious balance, and dropped it''s present all at once to splash against the walls. Life force absorbed. +67 mana The world seemed vibrant. I felt full. And more than anything else, I felt creative. Not wanting to waste the diamond sword on a bad idea, I summoned a new slime, sickly green and corroding the air, and ordered it around a spare spear. Not wanting to splurge too hard, I carved a range rune into it''s side, letting the slime fill in the cracks, and then began to enchant. No focus, I simply wanted to see what would happen. Mana flowed from my core, many strands lifting the spear and slime into the air. They glowed as one, acidic slime dissolving the spear''s bindings and then bound by magic to act as a new set.
Moleclaw Acidglaive
Attack damage 1d12 Durability 250/250
Acid damage 1d8 Self-repair 3/hour
Attack speed 20 Runes Range
Special: Increased range II, flexibility
53 mana was all it took to elevate a fresh acid slime and scavenged spear into this disgustingly strong hybrid. I could still detect bits of the slime''s mind, but they were even duller than before, even more subdued. The spear itself was brighter, reminding me of toxic animals-- a limegreen head retained most of its sharpness, despite being translucent. It tipped a shaft that was both flexible yet durable, self-repair saying in numbers what words failed to and spelling an end to equipment maintenance for wise wielders. I liked my slimes, but this was power hour. And I was about to power up.
Perk selection
Slime perks Itemcraft perks Mana perks
Split: Can pay 5 mana to split a slime into two (both halves will need to eat and regrow) Mana replication: Can pay mana to copy unmodified gear Glowstone proficiency: Learn block: Glowstone. Glowstone absorbs 13 mana rather than 10
Sleeds: Slimes will carry other monsters into battle, granting a fraction of their stats and skill Well-crafted: Quality bonus to all items you create Essence of the tunnels: Can count unworked stone as part of your dungeon, increasing mana storage
Hoplites: Slimes gain two levels of well-armed, and always start with gear Staves: Can conjure staves, allowing their holder to cast your spells Mana slimes: Increase slimes'' mana regeneration and allow you to absorb their mana
Goo Grimoire: Slimes always begin with at least one spell Willing hybrids: Slimes keep more of their intelligence when fused into a weapon Rune Enchanting: Enchantment increases the effect of inscribed runes
The choices were staggering. Where I had been presented with merely six to choose from, this gave me a full dozen. and seeing as "more options" wasn''t an option, I chose what would help with my current plans. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Well-crafted: Quality bonus to all items you create
I gave my surviving sanguine slime that diamond sword, then told it to wrap around the blade. The slime shook it''s core no. Taken aback, I offered a dark deal only to be rejected. Anger beginning to rise, I wove together a command. spelled out in no uncertain terms how little it''s life meant, and how it''s home was on the blade, and how it will follow my orders, slime thoughts be damned Looking more defeated than it''s big cousin, the slime obeyed. I looked at the blade, and etched a rune into the thin edge. The diamond chipped away, re-absorbed by the sanguine slime for safekeeping, and in it''s place left magic of thirst. Another rune joined near the tip, one of range, and left me with just enough mana for the big finish. "Focused enchantment." I ordered. The sword and slime began to melt together, becoming longer. Wider. More integrated. Where dark red slime engulfed sharp cyan stone, I saw oddly pretty purple material that I wasn''t sure how to identify. A window of the same hue emerged, looking like a cross between an item''s statline and my own status window.
Focus enchanting: Diamond Longsword + sanguine slime
Damage Speed Durability Range Lifedrain Self-repair Magic Darkness
2d8 16 444/600 Melee 0 0/hour None None
0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1
Rolls: D, D, D, C, C, B, B, S. Skill bonus: B, A, A
This is where the real toolbox opened up. "Focused enchanting" was an understatement, and made the mana cost of over twice a regular enchant well worth it. The base skill granted me around 8 slots for these abstract rolls, and my own enchanting skill bumped that up 3 more. And while it might have been the excess media, I was an absolute sucker for S-rank anything. the +1 beside each number was odd, but I figured it was my new perk and left it alone. The mid-tier stats were left to bolster self-repair speed and the durability to keep up with said speed, more important numbers left elsewhere. Even with bad material I saw a respectable rise, and I could only expect better with good material. The B''s stung the core stats- damage, range, and speed. Weapons were meant to inflict damage and damage per second, and this new project was no exception. Magic and darkness went together like fries and gravy. They got my A-ranks. While magic climbed in moon phases from new -> waning -> crescent -> waxing, darkness took it''s own path upwards. Shaded, Creeping, Climbing, and finally Tenebrous. Temptation spiked to see how high I could raise it, but the S from lifedrain would not budge. D: 25%. C: 60%. B: 75%. A: 100%. S: 120%
Diamond swordstaff
Damage Speed Durability Range Lifedrain Self-repair Magic Darkness
2d8 16 444/600 Melee 0 0/hour None None
B +1 C +1 C +1 B +1 S +1 B +1 A +1 A +1
3d10 25 838/1000 Long 2d6 10/hour Waxing Tenebrous
My loyal earth slime, going from looking scared to scavenging for grounded nutrients, received a ping. Within minutes, it received a customized blade and instructions to where to use it. The slime took off with purpose, Diamond swordstaff gripped in it''s side like a charging knight My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Blood crucible.
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 55 / 90 Command 5/10 Rune analysis 100 mana Focused infusion 80 mana
Mana 4 / 200 Observation 5/10 Infuse equipment 33 mana Spawn Monster 20 mana
Mana gain 55 / Hour Enchantment 2+1/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
Mana wages 20 / Hour Inscription 3/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana Promote monster general
EXP 89 / 91 Patience 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 1/8
Level 6 / 9 Selection 3/10 Place block Drain blood Efficiency rune x0 40 mana
Perk points 1 Patronage 2/10 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Thirst rune x2 20 mana
Dark deal Range rune x2 10 mana
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10)
Monsters: Dark slime x2, earth slime, imp x4 Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic), Well-crafted (itemcraft)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Enemies: Ferrous Hill
Moles got mole Skill: Enchantment has risen to level 3+1 No surprise I just got a level off of that, it was draining as heck. My nameless tremor slime began it''s long, boring crawl up the freshly-dug mole tunnels. My sight was split only two ways, but my objectives to watch counted three. I could feel myself get better at observation as I flicked between observations: of the imps in their raid, the slime in it''s charge to the front lines, and my own weakly-defended core; always excluding one. The two dark slimes left behind to defend couldn''t do much on their own, and I couldn''t give them more allies. not until- Your tremor slime has slain: Talpid. +2 EXP. That was efficient beyond belief. I wasn''t even aware of the Talpid in question until my tremor slime folded it like laundry. Absorbed life force converted to 6 mana. That new lifedrain wasn''t screwing around either, talpids were kind of anemic compared to their larger, fatter cousins Level has risen to 7. New block available for selection. Barely what I needed, but I checked anyway.
Block Selection
Generic Blocks
Torch Iron fence Grass
Lights the way. 1 mp Keeps invaders out while allowing vision. 5 mp Sometimes summons peaceful monsters using a bit of mana. 25 mp
Machine Blocks
Grindstone Furnace Piston
Repairs items of similar materials. 40 mp Turns fuel and ores into ingots. 10 mp Pushes the block in front of it. 20 mp to conjure, 1 to extend/retract
Grass, grass all the way. I could actually feed my monsters now, and make myself look less intimidating. I saw my mana roll over to 10, and gambled on another slime. dull hope filled my core, turning into... A boring dark slime. "Can''t win ''em all" I verbally shrugged. The four imps made progress, outmaneuvering a crude deadfall trap with an obvious rope and covering some ground between them and the moledungeon core. Until, that is, something swooped down from an unusually high ceiling and lifted Rorthrezol in it''s claws. I wrenched my vision upwards, towards the upper limit of it''s range, mind straining with a feeling that tended to signal for a levelup. All I got was a haunting message, and single limb falling from the ceiling Imp x1 has been slain. The other three cursed and braced for the next charge. Thoguzod crossed his wide arms, Mazrar pointed his Scarlet Thirsting spear upwards against whatever had swooped down at them, and Irnuuth placed his hands together to channel demonic power. "The things I do for a bound weapon..." The imp mage snarked. A single dark hole opened on the wall, swarm of dark specks flying out and upwards towards the hiding foe. A screech rang out through my hearing, and I could see dark wings flap as it descended from the ceiling. A single earth slime tirelessly charged up to it''s allies, diamond swordspear glinting in the low light of the mole dungeon. "A courier? Why thank you." Observed Irnuuth, placing his hand on the spear''s shaft to draw it from the slime, but getting sharply counterpulled towards the gravely mass. He fell forward, no doubt scraping himself on the sharp rocks, when I sent an order to both of them. "Whatever that thing is, lure it into the hallway so it can''t fly" The monster pvp ceased. A large creature landed, two large teeth bared in the face of prey. It crawled forward on it''s two legs and two wing-legs, wrinkly black skin sending a ripple of disgust through me. Irnuuth, having given up on a new weapon, shot dark spikes from nowhere towards it''s eyeless face, luring it to fight on the imp squad''s terms. Thoguzod tanked an advancing wing slash, throwing a punch towards the giant molebat''s mouth and nearly losing a hand to the counter-bite. Mazrar gasped, moment of clarity hitting him "Lure it onto the trap." "And use that slime as bait." Irnuuth agreed. It only cost me ten mana, but he knew what he was doing. "Well-played" I sent him in a mental message The three imps scrambled back, earth slime moving as if through water to join it''s allies. The disgusting hybrid shrieked and charged, wings strong enough to barrel it down the hallway like a bullet, when something tripped it. With just about the last of his mana, Irnuuth cast a familiar portal spell. One of the mole''s back legs landed in it, and the portal chomped down on it with sharp teeth. The molebat struggled, roared again, and did the only thing it knew to do. Pull harder. With a sickening rending noise, the leg tore away. I could feel myself ready to spill my mana at the sight, dungeonborne awareness sparing me no detail, but the lack of balance slowed it. Just enough for it to make an imbalanced swipe at the battered Thoguzod, knocking him aside and opening a jagged-looking wound. And Mazrar to cut the rope. With a grinding sound, A massive block of stone fell from it''s awkward perch. The molebat couldn''t react fast enough, failing to dodge the massive block. With a terrible sound, it crushed the beast''s back half. i could feel my core pale, unfocused slashes from the front half getting weaker and weaker as life force gushed out onto the floor behind. "Give the mage your weapon." I ordered the earth slime. It seemed to sigh, slumping towards Irnuuth and stabbing towards him, back-first. The weakened Irnuuth''s smile grew three sizes. He lurched towards our dying enemy, palm on the back end of the diamond swordstaff, and stabbed towards the molebat''s head. The spear swooped low, piercing through the tough flesh as if it was closer to wood, and falling forward to drag the blade through the beast''s brain. Your imp has slain: Mole wyvern. +54 EXP. Absorbed life force converted to 162 mana. Level has risen to 8. Perk point gained Level has risen to 9. Evolution blocked (Cannot evolve while fighting another dungeon) I was nearly full on mana, but the evolution block concerned me. I didn''t want to waste any more EXP, but how would I register as not-fighting long enough to pacify this dungeon and evolve? As if in consolation, the earth slime was gorging itself on both stone and mole-wyvern meat. I let my allies eat and rest, and summoned up a perk window.
Unified Perk selection
Arcane blacksmith Monster slaying Command
Increases chances of A-rank equipment from 10% to 25% Gain block: Magmana (300 MP) Your monsters deal increased damage to monsters larger than themselves Gain block: Meat lure (30 MP to summon, 70 to load with meat) Monster generals have greater effect Gain block: Banner (100 mp)
These were... all good. I''d be happy if even one of them fell into my lap, but three? I was almost regretting how I''d have to leave two behind. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Irnuuth was practising with his new swordstaff, and I knew that Thoguzod was left out. So, I sent him a message. "Rip out the hardest bones and arrange them in the shape of a hammer." I instructed. Thoguzod bore a look of confusion, until he realized why he was doing it; and nearly tripled his speed, piling up long or wide bones near the long, intimidating skull. A chunk of rock sat within the skull like the wyvern mole''s brain, giving the protohammer some much-needed weight I knew I was an Arcane Blacksmith already, but this was a commitment to it. The perk shattered into sixty-four molten pieces, pouring into my metal core and reinforcing it with skilled power. I directed my conjurations near the dead molvern and summoned a slime. Normal. Another. Normal. A third. Poison but not my goal. A fourth, normal. A fifth, bloody... I could use this. I ordered the blood slime to hold the blueprints of a hammer together. It clung to the head, barely able to extend itself over the shaft, so I sent a neutral, dark slime over to help it out. I ordered the earth slime return home, and that the free dark slimes accept it as their general, to better protect myself from any sneaking threats. Really, I wanted to avoid the earth slime seeing me turning it''s siblings into weapon parts. On the broad skull of the slime hammer, I focused raw power. Starting to carve an efficiency rune on the forehead of the skull, and then another on the back, balancing whatever this weapon had in store.
Focus enchanting: Bone great hammer + sanguine slime + dark slime
Damage Speed Durability Range Lifedrain Self-repair Impact Efficiency
1d8 6 683/700 Melee 1 5/hour 3 +2
0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2
Rolls: D, C, C, B, B, B, S, S Skill bonus: D, B, B, A
Two whole s-ranks? you''re so kind, miss system! My tendrils of magic rearranged within, melting the slimes together into molten binding and hardening the two of them into some sort of durable resin to hold the hammer together. The slime tightened, colour draining, as I slotted ranks into their relevant positions. Surprise surprise, Efficiency got the first S. boosted by two runes and a generalist perk, this new hammer would know no weakness. I saw the bonus for everything else surge upwards, a good trade for a good roll. Damage got the second S, and impact got the A, B-ranks falling everywhere else.
+4 Bone Hammer
Damage Speed Durability Range Lifedrain Self-repair Impact Efficiency
1d8 6 683/700 Melee 1 5/hour 3 +2
S +4 B +4 B +4 B +4 B +4 B +4 A +4 S +2
4d7 13 1250/1250 Long melee 3 11/hour 8 +4
The name sounded boring, but it was clear to see this was another marvel of magical engineering. "All yours. Just keep fighting for me." I offered Thoguzod, who picked up the bone hammer and swung it around with pride. His backswing struck the stone wall, mana-toughened bone cracking it with ease. "Old boss never gave us the good stuff. ''s time we leave him." Thoguzod recommended. "A wise idea. I can actually cast spells with this mana income." Irnuuth agreed, tapping his spear on the ground "Get back to work." I instructed, mana supply tanked. I watched them advance forward, needing to carve a new range rune just to keep up. The levelup brought me a bit of joy, a bit of power, but not nearly as much as the next mole wyvern fight. Irnuuth got the drop on it, gesturing with his new staff and summoning dark tentacles to bind one of it''s wings to the ground. I saw replenished mana flow right from him, saw the wyvern trying and failing to take off, and taking a charging hammerstrike to the head for it''s troubles. I didn''t exactly know what "impact" meant when I chose it, but a strike reverberated through it''s entire body like a thunderclap. Your imp has slain: Mole wyvern. +51 EXP. Life force converted to mana, +102 MP Seeing my supply of mana pingpong up and down so quickly made me think I needed to hold more, but I had larger problems. Such as the giant, winged, scaled, mole-headed being slowly focusing it''s trio of eyes on my imps. My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Blood crucible.
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 77 / 120 Command 5/10 Rune analysis 100 mana Focused infusion 80 mana
Mana 112 / 200 Observation 5/10 Infuse equipment 33 mana Spawn Monster 20 mana
Mana gain 55 / Hour Inscription 4/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
Mana wages 15 / Hour Enchantment 3+1/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana Promote monster general
EXP 196 / 135 Patience 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 5/8
Level 9 / 9 Selection 3/10 Place block Drain blood Efficiency rune x0 40 mana
Perk points 0 Patronage 2/10 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Thirst rune x2 20 mana
Dark deal Range rune x3 10 mana
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10), Grass (25)
Monsters: Dark slime x4, large earth slime, poison slime, imp x3 Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic), Well-crafted (itemcraft)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Enemies: Ferrous Hill
Moles got you I knew I had to intervene, and I got right to work by spiking and rolling mana together. The neutral cyan became a lime-green of my own with the power of my angry, clingy thoughts, arrow of acid solidifying in my managrasp. I shot it off without a word, Arrow weaving through my perception towards the moledragon. The trio of imps spread out as the mole dragon spread it''s wings. a green hue glistened along it''s black scales, leaking orb of fire welling up in the dragon''s mouth. Without even rising up it shot the flame towards Mazrar, the imp dodging to the side and extending his wings to glide. The lime green... molefire clung to the stone wall, burning away at the stone with hungry digging force. My attention meanwhile was on forging another acid arrow, pouring out my mana for an extra chance at victory. This made too much sense. Moles liked to dig, so of course everything about this creature would be centered around digging. It''s wings looked more like muscly arms, and the claws that tipped every limb it had menaced in the pale light. Looking closer on it, I recognized this light. The core of this mole was within reach, and the only thing standing in our way... was a fucking mole dragon. Moles weren''t even that scary- "Where did it go?" I questioned, moledragon parting the ground and sinking in like a mouse in a tub of peanut butter. "Fly!" I ordered my imps in desperation. "Don''t let it catch you!" All three took off, flapping quickly when the moledragon breached the surface. It slammed a claw on the ground, pushing off into the air to chase after Irnuuth. He laughed calmly, pointing with his swordstaff, and I could see half his mana drop with one gesture. That gesture however was all he needed, as even I could recognize where it was going. The moledragon''s snapping head slid right through a portal back to the nether, crashing into and shattering a wall of soft rocks. It wrenched aside, portal digging into it''s long neck before stretching too thin and destabilizing-- but giving mazrar enough time to strike. My first bound weapon but far from my worst one, scraping on the moledragon''s wing with force. Thoguzod grunted a battlecry, pulling his hammer back to impact the moledragon''s back leg. It swung through the air, but missed wildly as the moledragon regained it''s senses. The monster swung it''s tail, stabbing through Mazrar with all too clean of a hit. "That''s it for me boss" he croaked, redscaled form dissolving into hellbound smoke. All I had was my fighter and my mage, and I was determined to make them count. Irnuuth was on the defensive, wings beating fast in his string of dodges towards the ceiling. With Thoguzod waiting on the ground like a batter and Irnuuth unable to attack, I made my move. Under my will, the first corrosive shot struck the wide flank of the dragon, distracting it to breathe a wave of green molefire at the next spell. My acid arrow mostly held together, rod of corrosive gunk splashing onto the dragon''s portal wound. It roared loudly, pain registering, and fell to the floor. Thoguzod almost fell from the dragon''s impact, but threw his body forward for an impact of his own. The hammer sailed through the air, striking the acid-weakened scales with a satisfying crack. The dragon sunk into the ground like a crocodile, protecting it''s side as another acid arrow splashed against merely the stone, and lashed out a wing slam at Thoguzod. he braced for impact, ground under him cracking along with some part of his imp anatomy. Irnuuth gestured downward, summoning a larger cloud of dark bees to annoy the moledragon, but plunged halfway to the ground as his wings began to give out from the strain. "I need more magic, mistress." He pleaded, making my ego twitch. "Sending you a refill, get in there" Skill: Patronage has risen to level 3. Learned: Mana skim. I''d have to investigate that later. Reluctantly I took a break from acid arrows that the dragon knew how to counter, blowing raw mana out of my core in a cyan bubble and making it float towards Irnuuth. Thoguzod ducked out of the way of another wingstrike, parried a claw swipe with a satisfying crack, and bit towards the imp warrior with it''s excessively long teeth. They dug into his sides, brave trooper of an imp bashing from this awkward angle while Irnuuth uselessly stabbed at the dragon''s flank. I needed to get out there. To intervene. To actulally fucking move instead of living out my days as a mana crucibl- I felt a lurching feeling as I was pulled out of my own basin. No skin to bristle, no bones to ache, no muscles to flex, the raw essence of Scarlet sailed towards the moledungeon core. I grabbed towards the mana orb, reaching the mole dungeon in seconds and basketballing it towards Irnuuth. He gasped, looking at me in awe, and I noticed the dungeon''s light clash from green to half that and half red. Irnuuth jumped back, spinning his staff through the air. Dark spikes hung in the air around him, shooting as one in time to dodge a lance of molefire. The spikes wove through the air, aiming for the trio eyes of the moledragon. I willed my manipulation into a fingergun, spending dwindling mana on a corrosive shot just above. The dragon roared and reared back in pain, my acid magic eating into it''s one good eye and the reinforced skull behind. I turned aside, letting Irnuuth dispatch the blind dragon on his terms, and gathered all my mana together. He flew upwards, landing on the dragon''s snout and sending a black beam from his spear. It bore into the dragon''s face, amplified by dangerous levels and leaving a dark mark from out the other side. Your imp has slain: Moledragon. +150 EXP That was fucking it. Actual power exerted on the world. I felt my nonexistant stomach pang in hunger, memories of this power forcing the acid arrow together as I poured more and more magic into it, aimed for my foe- My spell never went off. A massive green silhouette of a mole burst from the crystal dungeon core, jumpscaring me into dropping my spell. Whatever I was doing, I was no longer alone, and it knew it. The mole opened it''s mouth, and swallowed my essence in one gulp. Everything went black with a hint of green. "Is this how it feels... to be broken down for mana?" I thought, feeling a sudden looseness at the edges of my consciousness. It was just like the last seconds before falling asleep, rather than the painful dissolution I expected. No two ways about it, the mole was eating me. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. So I was going to taste disgusting. Be as bitter as the world told me I was for not taking their shit. It ate from the outside in, so I was going to armor myself in disgusting thoughts. Image issues from the body I no longer piloted bubbled through my essence to the outside, poisoning my skin. Emotional distance layered over it, creating space like a camera zooming out. Arguments spiked outwards, animosity intertwined with my desperation to win. My life was on the line. I was worth nothing if I succumbed, and everything if I defended it. Cheap therapy knockoff words fell off like dead skin. I felt my hand, or memories of it clasp around hilts. Of blades glowing crimson, pulsing orange with my desire to prove myself. Blades of my desire to live stabbed and slashed into the mole''s innermost ego, showering me in viridian blood that melted in the fires of my vengeance. I needed hotter than fire. I needed lava. The forge of my desires cracked open under me, bubbling heat of every whim: love, warmth, and to eat something decent for once- burned the mole alive. I pointed defiantly to the heavens, stomping my foot on defiance, and a geyser of my victory shot upwards. It screamed, writhed, and descended all around me, melting in crucible of my determination. You have slain: Ferrous Hill. +300 EXP. "Screw you, mole master!" I taunted from the collapsing dungeon expanse. You have slain your first Dungeon! Bonus skill level acquired I knew I wanted that to put it towards one of the fives, to get over that wall. Or enchantment, but I''d figure that out later You are no longer fighting a dungeon. Commencing evolution. EXP: 636/135. Evolution threshold exceeded by: 371%. Evolution selection greatly enhanced. ha ha! I wasn''t wasting all that EXP after all, I was hoarding it. And about to cash in. About to be something that would rock the world. My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, ???
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 77 / 120 Command 5/10 Rune analysis 100 mana Focused infusion 80 mana
Mana 32 / 200 Observation 5/10 Infuse equipment 33 mana Spawn Monster 20 mana
Mana gain 55 / Hour Inscription 4/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
Mana wages 5 / Hour Enchantment 3+1/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana Promote monster general
EXP 636 / 135 Patience 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 5/8
Level 9 / 9 Patronage 3/10 Place block Drain blood Efficiency rune x0 40 mana
Perk points 0 Selection 3/10 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Thirst rune x2 20 mana
Bonus levels 1 Dark deal Range rune x3 10 mana
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10), Grass (25)
Monsters: Dark slime x4, large earth slime, poison slime, imp x3 Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic), Well-crafted (itemcraft), Arcane blacksmith (itemcraft)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Imps Mazrar recoalesced in his safe-ware-house, lingering pain mirroring the stab from the moledragon''s tail. "We can''t die die up there but it still hurts like aether." He dryly commented, leaning on a box marked "envy bombs" "You said it." Rorthrezol agreed, circling his arm with a hand on where it had been severed. Thoguzod dropped a minute later, covered in cracks and scrapes but barely showing it. "I lived, gits" he boasted, raising his hammer high. "And our mage friend?" Mazrar asked with a faint shudder "He stayed. Said somethin'' about good mana. I got bored" Thoguzod answered, scratching the side of his head. "We did good, let''s tell the small boss" "That''s ''im all right. Got his head in the blue clouds" Rorthrezol laughed calmly, making a spinning gesture near his forehead. Even as they all laughed about their absent ally, A twinge of worry ran through Mazrar''s side. The imp mage was creepy from his casting to his chuckling, but none of his allies could deny how useful he was. The imp trio gathered themselves and trooped out of their safehouse, blended into the wall of bleached-red rock. Thoguzod''s arms flexed on the stone slab that served as a door, Mazrar and Rorthrezol ducking their heads to slip out the 3-foot hole in the wall. After all 3 imps were out it slid back into place with a scraping thud, leaving sulfur dust wooshing past the imps as they overlooked their town. "Race you to ol'' zir''s!" "No fair, you''ve got wings!" Shouted Rorthrezol, but Thoguzod was already off, shortness of his legs barely a hinderance as he threw himself over a rocky ledge. he sailed through the air, scraping his upper arm on the cobbles below and breaking into a laugh. Mazrar however had him beat, wings giving him a clear advantage as he sailed down the hill, bunnyhopped off branches of bloodwood, and landed like a superhero in front of the dark metal door. He braced himself, grip on the knob tight, and pushed it open with considerable force. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Who''s- oh, it''s your four." Sighed a tall, dark-scaled demon, horns curling back around his head. A smaller, still darkscaled imp seemed to be meditating off to the side, waving a greeting to Mazrar. "Zir and Zyl! buddies! didja miss your numba one agent?" Mazrar gestured outwards in a display of mock welcoming. Zirzemoth sighed, leaning forward. "Back to delay another payment?" He ordered, eyes narrowing- until they saw the spear of crimson and black in mazrar''s hands. The cocky imp flourished, exaggerated gesture towards a polished black hexagon of a gem on his boss''s desk "Nope! This boy''s back to pay it all off. I got your mana riight here. Check your kill crysta." Zirzemoth turned his ashy-coloured eyes towards the gem, sitting on a stand of thin gold struts. creatures flashed past- a mole, a talpid, another mole; and with them, identifiers. a quick-changing one of name of the imp who had felled the beast, and a merely pulsing one indicating that imp''s crew. And of course, all signs pointed to mazrar and company''s victory "Tell me how you idiots did this." Zirzemoth demanded. His outer shell of command was slipping, revealing the first hint of fear in his voice as the kill feed rose up the ranks, ending on the moledragon''s ugly face. Mazrar began to explain something, when Zirzemoth cut him off. "Correction, tell me why you idiots did this." "We found a cool dungeon lady. Offered us those bound weapons you dangled infront of our faces for weeks. So, we helped her bump off a ton of mol-" "That mole dungeon was his personal project." Zirzemoth hissed. "Rargrareg is going to kill you with his own four hands." "Woah woah woah, ''s not like we started it!" Mazar protested, arms raised innocently. "Miss dungeon boss told us to. And she''s pretty persuasive." "It''ll cost me my rank, but you''ve brought in enough souls for me to go solo. As you four are officially unemployed, I suggest you start running..." Zirzemoth advised with odd sanity. "You wanna come with us?" Mazrar offered sarcastically. "The new boss is cool, plus i''d hate to see one like you get chewed up down here" "I''ll consider it. Julgas and Jorzmor are fairly lax about treatment, but this will work in my favor if I break contract with them first." Zirzemoth explained, evil gleam flashing in his eye. "And it means I get to keep my contract with you." Mazrar sighed as he realized what this meant. "You''ll be getting the souls i catch and a share of the mana I harvest." He droned. "Hope Scarlet treats ya better than you treated me." "You''re coming with me to J and J''s. and then, you''re going to let her summon you and bring me along with you. Got it?" Zirzemoth ordered, wicked grin plastering itself on his crocodilian head. Mazrar sighed. "Really screwed the gehena on this one, but I got it." Build-A-Bastion My consciousness plunged into a dark sea, falling as deep asleep as I would if some sort of no-sleep-curse was finally over. The same black void was still there, but smack in the middle of it sat a glowing grey and white building, low and flat. It''s second floor was even worse to look at, a boring grey replaced with a garish yellow. And just out of reach, a pleasant shade of cyan. I floated closer, saw more words enter my view. "Iron tier EXP mall" Of course it was a shopping mall. I rarely went as a teen, but I was kind of happy it was stereotyping me like this? I couldn''t set foot inside, but I floated in, willing myself forward to see dozens of shops, each stocking dozens of products. Coins floated beside me, visible with my classic dungeon senses- 6 silver, 36 copper, and of course, 0 gold. Skill: Observation has risen to level 6 ...So I could level up in here. I didn''t know how much mana I had or the consequences of running out, but nothing registered as a threat. The closer I drew, the more I could intuitively understand what I was being offered. EXP was always raw power in games that I played, and getting enough of it got you new stuff, but this was more direct. More literal. Somewhat unwisely, I spent my free level. Skill: Observation has risen to level 6+1. Gained action: Create sight crystal (30 MP) I almost jumped for joy. Between slipping out of my core and casting spells from that range, I could double my vision radius and prepare-. A thought jolted through me. If these sight crystals could move, I could send one with Mazrar to get a view of his home. Or simply view the same sights from angles I was used to, instead of dungeonsense and it''s weird "every angle at once" view. Thoughts of summoning a slime, or weapon, around one floated through my mind as I floated inwards, distracted by the literal sale of power. The largest booth sat, no loomed over, images of varying locales placed like tourist destinations. Forested dungeons full of vines, submerged beach dungeons lined with crabs, mineshafts bearing the ghost of miners past... Looking closer, I could see the effects on all of these. They would not stand up to my selective eye!
Forest grove Beach cave Haunted mineshaft
Enables monster spawn: Wolf [stone+], Treant [iron] Enables block: Sapling [basic], Greatwood Sapling [iron-] Enables action: Fertilize tree [stone] Increases mana gain by up to 100% when the sun is out [iron] EXP gains: Tiny when a tree grows by one block [wood+], scaling when chopped down [wood+] Enables monster spawn: Crab [wood+], Sharkling [iron] Enables block: Sand [basic] Grants spell: Water bolt [wood], Sand shot [wood], Watercrash [stone+] Tides push invaders in random directions [iron+] EXP gains: Tiny when high tide [wood+], Tiny when low tide [wood+], Moderate when adventurers drop treasure [stone], Enables monster spawn: Zombie [stone] Enables block: Minecart [stone], railtrack [wood+] Enables action: Summon pickaxe (stone) [iron-] Grants perk: Block breaker III [iron+] When a humanoid dies within this dungeon, it rises as a ghost [stone]. Ghosts can mine [stone] EXP gains: Scaling when ore is found [iron-]
Cost: 125 EXP Cost: 125 EXP Cost: 125 EXP
This was a fair amount to take in, but the format was familiar. If i climbed up to iron as a normal dungeon, I''d probably see this as my selection. Nothing fancy existed here, but I did like the idea of tides interfering with invaders while my imps flew above them. The whole system to resist numbering, but I could feel the weight of each new block, trait, or action; and going up by a tier seemed to multiply the cost by three. I did some mental math, and it seemed to add up. Basic perks were the lightest, tripling it to wood, then stone, then iron gave it a cost of around 30. I didn''t know how far up or down a plus or minus meant, but assumed it was around equal. two or three iron perks and some stone ones to fill in the gaps made it make sense cost-wise I floated past the stall, not ready to commit to anything as simplistic and cheap as what I observed. I had almost four times the threshold, 636 out of 135. If i was a normal dungeon, I''d be paying almost all of my hoarded EXP for one of these options, plus a ten points worth of party favor. I floated around it and scanned the stalls on this iron tier. Perks of old and new popped up in stalls conforming to each category; generic, monster room, zombie, slime, trap, magic, evil, slime, itemcraft, mana, and several others i hadn''t yet seen. It was all enough to make a head spin, but I didn''t need a head anymore. New selections of monster, block, action, and spell sat between the perk shops, pulling my mind in all sorts of new directions. "The big question is, what do I want?" I asked no one. I was quite frankly crap at longterm goals, but I was good at optimizing builds. The challenge came from the freeform nature of the ''game'' I was playing, gathering options as I floated through the halls... Until I saw stairs up to the gold tier. Garish sure, but stronger. You could flat-out buy free levels, starting at 100 EXP The gold tier was opulent. Yellow windows with white text were hard to read, but their effects were jaw-dropping. Stronger monsters, rarer blocks, and more interesting perks made themselves available to display, even the stock choices being interesting. All hovered around 325 EXP, capable of knocking out half my stock.
Dwarven Forge Fire elemental cage Hell Slice
Monster spawn: Dwarf [stone+] Block: Ore crucible [Iron+] Action: Forge item [Iron] Reshapes core into an anvil. All items forged on the anvil gain a quality bonus [Gold] Perks: Quality up II [Iron], Durability up III [iron], Serration I [Iron] EXP gain: Small whenever an item is forged upon you [Stone] Monster spawn: Elemental [Gold] Spells: Light [basic], Ignite [wood], Spread flame [stone], Hearthfire [stone] Reshapes core into a cage. When a fire elemental is within cage, turns ambient mana and fuel such as wood or stone to EXP [Iron] Perk: Fire Affinity II [Gold+]. Increases effect and cost-efficiency of all fire-elemental blocks, actions, and features by 20%. EXP gain: Small Whenever fuel burns in your elemental [Gold] Monster spawn: Brute imp [Stone+] Imp mage [Iron-], Lesser demon [Iron] Block: Netherrack [Wood], Nether brick [Stone], Soul sand [Iron], Glowstone [Gold], Obsidian [Gold] Reshapes core into a demonic altar, allowing souls to be converted into mana and EXP [Iron+]
Cost: 300 EXP Cost: 325 EXP Cost: 350 EXP
(Author''s note: image darkened for readability. Imagine this as a garish gold colour) I saw potential in all of this. And went to work picking and choosing. I zipped around the gold and iron floors, picking up traits of my choice left and right. EXP: 636 The very first thing I grabbed was a perk. Fire Affinity I [Iron+, 50]. If cost-efficiency worked how I thought it did, this would make my remaining EXP count for more than it should. EXP: 586 When Fire affinity burned it''s way onto my status window, i felt energized. Celebrated. Alive. The desire to let out an evil laugh filled me, brimming over the top and echoing through the garish halls. Dark Affinity I [Iron+, 50] joined soon after, leaving me feeling the opposite- cloaked, mysterious, and the rewarding kind of hungry. EXP: 536 Of course, I still needed itemcraft. Hoping it wasn''t a bad idea, I promised myself this would be the last affinity perk... Metal Affinity I [Iron+, 50]. EXP: 486 When I grabbed it, I felt a sense of endurance. stability. Eternality, as no amount of time would truly end me. The metal affinity perk slotted right in with the other two, bringing up a new dialog. Compatible perks Detected. Combine Fire, Dark, and Metal affinity into Hellblade affinity I [Gold+]? I accepted fast, feeling the three perks together. Emotions of ambition, stealth, and stability fused together, as their perks Hellblade affinity I [Gold+] Increases effect and cost-efficiency of all blocks, actions, and features attuned to fire, dark, or metal by 10% each. Effect increased to 25% for two categories, or 40% for all three. This would be huge in my coming adventures. I roamed, seeking perks that would line up with my new brand. Well-armed counted as a metal perk, and an unusually cheap one at that "Guess that explains how early i got it, and the penalties for being unarmed." With Well-armed being literally my first perk as I entered wood-tier, it made sense to buff up to where I was. I focused on the perk, and a wall of tier levels unfolded like a map The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Well-armed [Wood] Well-armed II [Stone] Well-armed III [Iron] Well-armed IV [Gold] Well-armed V [Diamond]
Your monsters automatically pick up weapons and armor Your monsters gain increased proficiency with their equipment, scaling with tier
5% chance for a monster to spawn with random equipment, of a tier up to yours (5% chance to keep this equipment on death) 10% chance for a monster to spawn with random equipment, of a tier up to yours (10% chance to keep this equipment on death) 20% chance for a monster to spawn with random equipment, of a tier up to yours (20% chance to keep this equipment on death) 40% chance for a monster to spawn with random equipment, of a tier up to yours (35% chance to keep this equipment on death) 80% chance for a monster to spawn with random equipment, of a tier up to yours (60% chance to keep this equipment on death)
Your monsters will be reluctant to fight without equipment, effort needed for unarmed fighting scaling with tier
0 EXP 6 EXP 25 EXP 88 EXP 270 EXP
I noted the uptick per tier. The chance to spawn with equipment was straightforward, doubling with every step. The chance to keep still increased, albeit not as hard as the chance, and the cost... almost-tripled? 0 -> 6 was an infinite increase, so how could... I mentally slapped myself. It cost me nothing because I already had Well-armed I. Following my math from earlier smoothed it out- tripling the cost of a perk doubled the effects. I chose the iron version, two steps up and unlikely to break the bank. EXP: 461 I spent more and more. Assorted fire spells, glowstone as a block, The basic set of perks from dwarven forge, and screw it, a fire elemental. My core didn''t need to change as it still functioned, life force transmuted to mana, but a good 50 EXP went to improving the conversion ratio. With just over a hundred left, I floated past a more hidden shop on the gold floor. "Monster creation" it read, sporting many bins of tiny blocks reminding me of my childhood filled with lego. And I was going to cash in. I pulled up to the workbench, material choices arranging themselves with ease. I let my mind get to work, starting with a fire elemental cage to act as the core. This wasn''t going to be biological at all, as the size I was going for required way too much food. Stone was too weak, Iron was too heavy, Diamond was too expensive, so I looked in the hellish box. I began with eight legs, four to a side and neither overly long nor short. Nether brick served the balance of my desires, cored by blazing bronze struts. I smashed up a block of obsidian, sticking the sharpest shards on the outer legs of my satanic spider. The chassis in the middle was hollow, like a hose or gunbarrel, and this structure was vital for my next plan. On it''s back half I built and re-built an abdomen to hold magic, and on it''s back I began the column. Reminiscent to a smokestack or a camel hump, this oubliette served one purpose: mana gathering. The head was last, focusing glass modeled to look like as a giant eye. I finalized my creation, 107 EXP down the drain, and beheld it''s statblock in all it''s number-crunchy glory
Monster Creation: Hell Forge [Gold]
A golem made of crimson bricks, tapped with a smoke-column. A hellish forge rests within, steel bars holding an elemental of fire and pain. Beings dropped into the column are consumed, souls rendered into mana. Adept spellcasters, hellflames conjure shards of hell into ocular beams. Older, more powerful Hellforges are larger, and can store more mana for this signature spell. Hell forges are slow, balance on their 8 legs required. However, few tier-appropriate blades can crack their brick scales.
100/100 HP (+1/hour) 10 Armor 100/100 MP (+10/hour) Elements: Fire, Dark, Metal
Strength: B Weapon skill: C Defense: S Evasion: F
Speed: C Intelligence: D Perception: D Magic: S
Specials: Soul processing, Self-repair, armored Cost: 321 MP
Soul processing: Deals damage over time to all beings inside the creature based on the magic stat. Generates mana scaling with damage dealt Self-repair: Slowly heals the hellfire forge, scaling with defense. Magic hastens this repair, but drains mana while in use Armored: Ignores damage per hit proportional to defense stat Spells: Ocular beam
My last few dozen EXP were spent on rune capacity and a rune that made half the burn damage from my spells cause bleeding, perfect to synergize with both. New skills, new runes, and many perk choices lined the mall, but I had spent all my EXP. In the time I had lingered here, I knew I generated enough mana. So, wedged between some shelves, I left a Sight crystal. My status window: (Intentionally not hidden as I worked hard on it)
Scarlet Brimstone, Hell Forge [Iron]
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 77 / 120 Observation 6+1/10 Rune analysis 100 mana Focused infusion 80 mana
Mana 0 / 200 Command 5/10 Flame Whirl 45 mana Infuse equipment 33 mana
Mana gain 55 / Hour Inscription 4/10 Ignite 23 mana Heat ray 25 mana
Mana wages 5 / Hour Enchantment 3+1/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
EXP 0 / 160 Patience 3/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana Promote monster general
Level 9 / 16 Patronage 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 0/24
Perk points 0 Selection 3/10 Place block Drain blood Blood-boiling rune x0 73 mana
Bonus levels 0 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Efficiency rune x0 40 mana
Dark deal Flameshot Thirst rune x0 18 mana
Ignition snap Oil drip Range rune x0 10 mana
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Hell forge (321) Fire elemental (90), Imp (21), Zombie (18), Dark slime (9) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10), Grass (25), Sight crystal (30)
Monsters: Dark slime x4, large earth slime, poison slime, imp x3 Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic), Well-crafted (itemcraft), Arcane blacksmith (itemcraft), Hellblade affinity (meta), Quality up II (itemcraft), Durability up III (itemcraft), Serration I (itemcraft)
Expand Status Window by trial and error
Dungeoncraft I My mind booted back up, from my old dungeon room. Four glowstone glowed above me, but my walls bore numerous puncture wounds where moles chewed through the stones. Night still loomed on the open-air side of my observations, and I knew I had lots of time before upholding my end of my first large deal. I promised a bound sword and shield, and I was going to deliver by morning. While I thought, I let time flow forward, only stopping every 90 mana to line my ceiling with more glowstone, raising count from 4 to 6. My mana gain rose, from 55 to 69 (nice) to 82. The shadows cast by the moon shortened, only interrupted by the jerky, sped-up movements of wildlife outside. A system chime disrupted my slumber, sending my perception of time crashing to a halt Skill: Paitence has risen to level 4 Not even half an hour after, one of my dark slimes ventured too close to the zombies outside, and got mauled in a flash. Claws sunk into malleable flesh, teeth tore at membranes, and the pulsing slime core withered and died from another ripping into the opposite side. I gathered up the rest to stand guard, and in my vigilant state realized how exhausting having to watch over all my monsters would be. I needed to make a space for my slimes to roam, all while confounding Invaders. I needed to be a dungeon. And thankfully, I spent my days raiding a ton of dungeons First order of business was planning out a route. I ordered my poison slime to wander through the hill and spray a thin line of poison behind it, specifically telling it not to step on any thing it made. The purple creature looked all too eager, painting a thin line across the many blocks of my dungeon like a roadline. Setting my mind to slow down again, I watch the slime venture. It slid aimlessly through the moledug battleground, charting a course that was by all counts inefficient- but a space-filling curve was what I wanted. The slowness of the slime combined with the indirectness of it''s path made almost hour to chart a course, and round it out on the return trip. My core chamber was looking sturdier and brighter, it''s count of hellborne manarock risen to 8. I had... maybe four hours until the night was over, and I was going to make them count. I looked over the route my slime took again, mentally wandering down it and placing a stone brick in the way of each hole or sidepath. I looked back over, visualization of the intended dungeon path all the easier... Skill discovered: Architecture. I mentally celebrated. An hour''s work to get a single skill was fairly normal, and every odd level seemed to bring something. Between patience''s mana boost, observation''s split sight, and inscription''s rune fuckery, I wondered what something as benign as "Architecture" would become. The night''s darkness seemed less so, light from the sky going from black to the darkest orange imaginable. I counted up the tunnel''s twists and turns, and an idea formed. I lacked traps, but I had slimes. And sometimes, slimes had magic. I let my mana half-fill over the next hour, culminating twelve-drawing slimes like a shameless gacha player. I didn''t even look at them as the growing pile of blobs formed from mana until I ran out, the slimes sorting themselves into colours with ease. Four standard black slimes which would likely find their homes as weapon materials, another of each of my old set-- one earth, one blood, one acid, two poison. What caught my eye most however were the fire slimes. Two looked similar, but one spilled light out of it''s membranes, whirling firestorm within. I ordered the fire, poison, and sanguine slimes to take up space in an alcove near the front of the cavern, and began to fill out the low wall. Mana conjured sturdy-ish stone blocks into place, slimes lining up behind them like a firing squad. Just for fun, I poked a zombie with tremor stomp. It sped up it''s shamble towards the wide opening, beelining towards my core chamber and missing the alcove entirely. I sighed, thankful my corps of dark and earth slimes were behind to clean up the mess, kicking things off with a corrosive shot to the zombie''s mouth and letting the other slimes knock it down and out. This dungeon needed funneling. I moved my sight out to the enterance and looked inwards, noting the handful of gaps in the slowly-brightening wall. Over the next hour I patched three up, found the last one went somewhere unrelated, and annoyed a zombie again. It charged right through my door, hit by a spectacular barrage of spells from my slimes. Poison doused it from afar, A spray of acid dissolved at it''s clothing, and finally a beam of fire lanced through it''s front. It struck the center of mass and spread, zombie burned through in seconds before the spellcasting slime flopped to the floor in depletion. My slimes didn''t exactly have ammunition, but they had a point. Anything harder to replace; from resources to creatures, needed to be placed away from the enterance. My mind subdivided the hill into three levels: highest floor, rejects from trying to get good random luck. Middle floor, standard foes. Lowest floor, customized works of art. Skill: Architecture has risen to level 2 The system voice congratulated me with another level, and the curiosity of what was in store at third level. I ordered the easier ranged slimes to remain in their alcove and shored up the wall for good measure, capping it off at the ceiling to prevent climbers from cresting the wall, and filled in most of the gaps with stone. the one-block hole fit nothing but my ranged slimes (three poison and an acid), primed to sicken and corrode anything that passed by. Turning my sights upwards, I saw the ceiling. Making use of another alcove, I broke through some blocks to make a path to a murderhole in the ceiling and ordered the dark slimes through, alcove itself stationing some the earth and sanguine slimes. I told my biggest earth slime to stand guard, be the wall that stops Invaders, that sort of thing. My final trio of fire slimes got stationed to a new alcove. Two moved with ease, the final one dragging it''s gastropod. As I finalized the room, the system rewarded me again Skill: Command has risen to level 6. Realizing how slowly my fire slime was moving, I broke a block in the floor of their alcove. If glowstone helped me recharge mana, imagine what it could do to my slimes. Minutes phased through, slime seeming to deflate less, until I placed the block in the center of the fire slime clubhouse. The half-depleted one clung to it, drawing mana out, when I heard the system chime again. Skill: Architecture has risen to level 3. Gain structure: Monster nest (Chosen) My jaw could have hit the floor. "You mean all this time I could just have automated the damn thing?"
Choose Monster Nest
Slime pit Zombie husk Nether portal Elemental bonfire
Summons one dark slime per hour 5% chance per hour to spawn 2d6 dark slimes instead A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Costs 90 mana, Consumes 5 mana per hour Summons 1 zombie per hour Can be overcharged with 120 mana or the equivalent amount of meat, tripling spawn rate for the next half-day Costs 180 mana, Consumes 10 mana/hour Costs 300 mana Remains open, draining 20 mana per hour Allows communication with the nether. Removes the cost of summoning imps Costs 900 mana Summons a small fire elemental every 15 minutes, which will attempt to gain fuel Burns up 90 mana per hour when not fueled
Slimepit. Slimepit all the way. It satisfied my gambling desires, had the smallest costs, and slimes were cute! I chose it, marveling at the squish and bounce of the slimes as they waited. Granted, I didn''t even want to think about the unwieldly costs of the hellforge nest. As the dawn cracked, I scraped together enough mana to place the slime pit. I almost chose just outside my core chamber, when an absolutely absurd idea struck. I aimed break block upwards, chipping away at the ceiling past my glowstone. If some glowstone could recharge my slimes, what would a lot of glowstone do the nest? As the sun rose, I had enough mana to place it again. And place, I did. My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Hell Forge [Iron]
Core Attributes Skills Actions
Life force 120 / 120 Observation 6+1/10 Rune analysis 100 mana Focused infusion 80 mana
Mana 12 / 200 Command 6/10 Flame Whirl 45 mana Infuse equipment 33 mana
Mana gain 110 / Hour Inscription 4/10 Ignite 23 mana Heat ray 23 mana
Mana wages 10 / Hour Patience 4/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana
EXP 0 / 160 Enchantment 3+1/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana Promote monster general
Level 9 / 16 Patronage 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 0/24
Perk points 0 Selection 3/10 Place block Drain blood Blood-boiling rune x0 73 mana
Bonus levels 0 Architecture 2/10 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Efficiency rune x0 40 mana
Nests Dark deal Flameshot Thirst rune x0 18 mana
1x Dark Slime Ignition snap Oil drip Range rune x0 10 mana
Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks
Hell forge (321) Fire elemental (90), Imp (21), Zombie (18), Dark slime (9) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10), Grass (25), Sight crystal (30), Glowstone (90)
Free monsters: imp Inventory: empty
Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic), Well-crafted (itemcraft), Arcane blacksmith (itemcraft), Hellblade affinity (meta), Quality up II (itemcraft), Durability up III (itemcraft), Serration I (itemcraft)
Layout
Arrow slit: 3x poison slime, acid slime Murder hole: dark slime x4 earth slime, large earth slime, fire, sanguine slime Slime Lavalamp: fire slime x2, firestorm slime
Slime pit Core chamber (8 glowstone)
Roses second Delve Rose awakened early, sleep fading quickly from her eyes. Her slime soon joined her, curled up on her torso like a cat. She wasted no time on breakfast, connection to the dungeon entity lingering. It had been the source of many things- the slime, the promise of bound weapon, and if she could expand her deal to the rest of her town; a better source of power than the moles ever provided. She started into a run, but seeing the slime''s slow speed she sighed. Having more energy than patience, Rose bent down and slid her shield under the slime. Leaning back to keep balance, Rose started into a quick walk, one wobbly step after another. The slime seemed to happily bounce up and down, though Rose didn''t stop to question why that registered as happiness. The last of the nightguards had few questions. She remembered her brother''s rank, and gambled on it insulating her from any difficult questions. At least, until she left the gate. "Care to explain what that is?" asked one of the main hunters, eyebrow raised "A peaceful slime. It followed me home, I''m returning it to it''s home" Rose half-lied. The hunter rolled his eyes, not wanting to interfere with the ''quirky schemes'' of the Terryn. Rose adjusted her arms, breath starting to intensify in her early-morning haul. She smelled the freshness of the hour, where monsters would retreat or burn up under the sun''s rise. The Dark Deal lingered in her mind, drawing her closer to our protagonist of a dungeon. When rose arrived at the dungeon''s mouth, she almost dropped her darkslime. The whole structure looked fortified and intimidating, stone bricks walling off the side entrances like a winemaker''s funnel. Rose drew her sword and shield, adjusting her slime downward. It bounced and squished beside her, ready to tackle any foe. And a foe she found, in the form of an ambushing purple cousin of her ally. It hissed in the air like a snake, bouncing up and down in a display of power. Rose brought her shield up, jet of toxic purple spraying the solid wooden front before Rose ran it through with a stab of her short sword. It was too busy posturing to dodge, and that mistake cost the slime it''s life. The dark slime wasted no time, stretching out. subsuming it''s much-younger sibling and compressing down, venting noxious purple gas into the air. She noticed it was a bit larger in every dimension, powered up by it''s foe and now meal "Someone needs to learn some table manners" Rose joked, kneeling down and hugging the slime. She rounded the corner, and kept her shield high as a massive earth slime slid from the entryway into a side path. Rose was about to make the dangerous sprint forward, when she heard a squishing sound from above. Four dark slimes jumped from the ceiling infront of her, blocking her path. Already invested, Rose knew she had to act fast. Before they could coordinate, She slashed downward into one, cleaving the front of it''s membrane apart. Another jumped right into her shield with a satisfying thunk, but another luckier one landed on her sword-arm and began to consume, dissolving the outer layer of her clothing before working on the outer layer of her skin. Meanwhile, the last slime was too busy tangling with hers, making a dark orb of swirling conflict as the two slimes tried to eat eachother. Rose threw her shield at the stunned slime, switched swordarms, and stabbed at the slime on her own arm. it made no effort to dodge or block, seeming to press closer to her as it died- Too close rose realized, as she felt her own sword cut into her raw flesh. The swordswoman howeled in pain, taking her anger out by stomping on her shield. It squished the slime underneath, pressure on the metal studs rupturing the slime''s membrane and spilling it''s liquid. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Blood seeming to dissolve from her wound rather than drip, rose looked to her side. Her own slime seemed victorious, happily bouncing towards her and letting them continue. Rose felt weaker as the wound on her arm persisted, robotic walk drawing her closer to a familiar core. Familiar intelligence. Guided by dark magic, Rose knelt before the steps up to the dungeon core, placing her sword and shield just before the metal basin. The two of them lifted off the ground as if by ropes, hanging in the air with tautness. Magic flowed from the core into each, strengthening every aspect. Where there was once chipped iron, instead remained dark shiny material, glimmering like her slime in the eight glowstone lights.
Dungeon: Scarlet Btimstone has offered her role as your patron
Accept?
"I accept" Rose breathed out, picking up her new sword and shield. Within her mind''s eye, she saw something new.
Rose Terryn, human [Basic]
Ubiquitous creature of the material realm Skills Stats 3/5 HP
Attack: C+ Defense: C Sword proficiency 4 3/3 MP 7/100 EXP
Speed: B- Mind: D Shield proficiency 3 Equipment Bound shortsword, Bound shield
Spells: None Endurance 2 Effects None
Special: None Patron Scarlet Brimstone
Rose gasped. The numbers and letters within bared her soul, quantifying everything this world deemed important. The utter smallness of the numbers brought a sense of inadequacy, until a message from all around spoke to comfort her "Yeah, being low level sucks. I can help train you if you''re willing to keep strong humans away." Rose looked around, but already knew the source of the noise "Scarlet?" "The very one!" The dungeon responded with a flex of her verbal arms. Rose slowly stood up, weapons in hand. "You already gave it a good testrun, but the real enemies are outside. That dark slime''s one of mine, and he can help you fight and get stronger. Kill''em with that sword I gave you, and both of us get stronger." Rose nodded her head. "I will. For you, mistress Scarlet." She promised. "Oh yeah, and tell me what you get for raising those skill levels." Scarlet added with little fanfare, but Rose was already off to serve. Im not dead [Announcement] Good morning, all, and happy new year''s eve I have completed my move out of my parents'' house, where i was being given so much heck that creativity became difficult. I''m free now. And while my desire to write about this particular dungeon has faded, my desire to write is stronger than before. Expect a new story before friday! here''s to a good 2025 <3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.