《Invasion Core》 Chapter 1: Awakening The alien presence awakened after a long, long slumber. Too long. The war the mortals had led against it had been devastating. Millions of the Hivemind destroyed. Millions of useful tools shattered. The Presence was furious. But it was also patient. So it outstretched a tendril, and a small chunk of flesh sloughed off, already writhing as new life was granted to it. A Core of its own. An Invasion Core. The Core awoke in the darkness, filled with panic. For the first time in its life, the soothing hum of the Hivemind was absent. Silence replaced it. It had no idea how long it laid there, intellect slowly developing, panic slowly subsiding. It didn¡¯t care. Slowly, a faint crimson light began to illuminate the area, revealing dark stone, and equally dark water. A thin layer of pale flesh spread across the ground, centimeters at a time. Desperately wanting more light, the Core tried to expedite the process. The light flared more brightly, and the flesh leapt forward, covering the floor entirely, the blood-red radiance nearly blinding. The substance pulsed and churned, black veins pumping blood from seemingly nowhere. An unwelcome thought inserted itself in the Core¡¯s newly expanded mind. The Hivemind had returned, after so long. So long, the Core barely recognized the signature anymore.
{ASSESSING CORE DIVERGENCE} {0%...30%...55%...82%...100%) {ASSESSMENT: EXPECTED DIVERGENCE LEVEL} {ASSIGNING NEW DIRECTIVE: ASSIMILATE NEARBY ECOSYSTEM} {ERROR_%%%%1100101011010_INTRUDER_IN_INFLUENCE}
The Core suddenly noticed a sharp stinging in the edge of the flesh¡­its influence? A enormous white creature crawled toward it, long sinuous form sharply contrasting with short limbs. Red fan-like structures burst from the side of the thing¡¯s eyeless head. The Hivemind seemed scared.
{NEW BLUEPRINT GRANTED: ASSIMILATOR} {ASSIGNING NEW DIRECTIVE: ELIMINATE HOSTILE LIFEFORM USING ¡®ASSIMILATOR¡¯}
Following directions, the Core conjured the new blueprint, a pod of translucent pink gel starting to develop nearby. A small orb covered in tendrils burst from the pod, limbs flailing, and an unearthly shriek following it. It raced toward the nearby invader, and wrapped around its neck. The creature struggled with the new challenger, as acidic chemicals scoured into its skin. At last, the creature ceased struggling, and collapsed. The ¡®Assimilator¡¯ began to burrow into the head of the corpse, and it twitched. Slowly, the dead beast rose on unsteady legs, eyes glowing with malevolent light.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: ANCIENT AXOLOTL} {ASSIMILATED ANCIENT AXOLOTL ADDED TO MOB POOL} {NEW TITLE GRANTED: INDUSTRIOUS} Kill and gain the blueprint of a new creature less than 24 hours after awakening.
A surge of energy filled the Core, and it felt a rush of energy course through its flesh, repairing the damage caused by the ¡®Ancient Axolotl¡¯. It expanded slightly. The word ¡®Mana¡¯ filled its mind. The title intrigued the Core. Had really been less than a day since it had been created? Early memories were blurred. Ignoring this, the Core started to explore the blueprint of the creature it had killed. It apparently dwelled in water, but could come to land for a short time. The assimilated Axolotl was no longer alive, and thus needed no water. It did have something unique, however¡­ Psionic Potential. Suddenly, the Hivemind granted new knowledge.
Psionic Potential is the capacity for an organism to manipulate the Ethereal and Material Realms using their minds. Psionic Potential is most common in humanoids, and is usually not useful in lower levels, but can lead to effects such as Mind Control and Telekinesis as it develops. Travel between the realms is also possible through advanced Psionics.
The Core sent a feeling of gratitude to the Hivemind, and began to follow its instincts, focusing Mana on the segment of the brain responsible for this Psionic Potential. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. It began to mature in the mental image in its head, and started to grow, taking space from the other portions. The nervous system of the hypothetical Axolotl was drastically improved, and it became faster and more aware of its surroundings, despite being blind. The Hivemind sent a new message.
{ANCIENT AXOLOTL BLUEPRINT MODIFIED: LESSER PSYCHIC AXOLOTL} This Core-spawned creature is a fast and reactive species, although its intelligence isn¡¯t much improved. The Lesser Psychic Axolotl is also a moderately adept Psion, able to improve the morale and pain tolerance of allies, and plant fear and panic in foes. This species retains room for evolution.
Excited, the Core ordered-something it hadn¡¯t realized it could do-the Assimilator to leave the Axolotl corpse, and then recycled said corpse instinctually, using the regained Mana to summon a pair of Lesser Psychic Axolotls. They instantly circled the Core, and it could detect a fierce desire to protect it within them.
{ASSIMILATED ANCIENT AXOLOTL RECYCLED-MANA REFUNDED} {LESSER PSYCHIC AXOLOTL X 2 ADDED TO MOB POOL}
Finally, the Core glanced at itself, noticing it was an orb of the same ivory flesh, although red crystal shards dotted its surface periodically. The Core recalled the Hivemind¡¯s command. There must be more creatures nearby. It looked forward to gaining additional blueprints. It ordered the Assimilator to slip into the cavern the original axolotl emerged from. As it moved, the little creature left behind little drops of flesh, providing a faint view of the surrounding area. It was a relatively large cavern, with a small shoreline of sand, and a pool of water. A crack in the ceiling led to a sky far above. The Core felt little interest in expanding up there. It was, however, interested in the lifeforms in the pool. Greyish, long plants waved in the shallower waters, and eyeless fish swam among them. The Core noticed small shelled creatures in the depths of the pool, with sharp pincers, feasting on the detritus supplied by the other creatures. The Assimilator silently approached the pool, diving into the depths, and attacked one of the fish, which was unable to resist. Quickly, it was killed, and reanimated.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: DEEP STONEFISH} {ASSIMILATED DEEP STONEFISH ADDED TO MOB POOL}
The fish was rather dull, being a herbivorous thing that fed on the plants. The crack in the ceiling was new, however, or they would have retained their eyes. Moving on, the Core ordered the Assimilator to attack the shelled creatures at the bottom. The assimilated fish rammed into the creature, but was swiftly cut in half by the superior beast¡¯s claws. The Assimilator inside was swarmed, and pulled apart. Pain lanced through the Core, and it felt a deep sense of loss.
{ASSIMILATOR REMOVED FROM MINION POOL} {ERROR_DIVERGENCE LEVEL INCREASED} {SUSPECTED REASON: REMORSE/LOSS} {RESTORING DIVERGENCE TO ACCEPTABLE LEVELS}
The Core awoke again, mind foggy. It didn¡¯t remember what had happened. It noticed the Assimilator had been destroyed, and created another. Remembering the shelled creatures, rage filled the Core, and it sent both Axolotls after the creatures. It did not like being injured. The Axolotls slid through the cave, diving gracefully into the water, and their eyes began to glow a bright purple. Even as the shelled creatures began to attack, they suddenly fled in fear, affected by the Psionic attacks of the axolotls. They were consumed, and the Core got another message.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: CAVE CRAYFISH} {NEW TITLE GRANTED: DOMINATOR} Kill two or more creatures at once without taking any losses.
The crayfish was very interesting, possessing more combat potential than the axolotls, but much smaller. Together, they might work better, like the group that had granted the blueprints. The Core was much too distracted to focus on the crayfish, though. One of the axolotls had changed slightly, faint nubs of teeth beginning to form in the mouth of the creature. Not a fully modified creature, but close. The Core now turned its full focus to the crayfish mental model. By increasing the strength of the creatures, they could be even hardier, but also slower. The Core also increased the social interaction part of the brain, to make it more likely for the creatures to form groups. The Hivemind recognized enough changes.
{CAVE CRAYFISH BLUEPRINT MODIFIED: CRAYFISH SENTINEL} Crayfish Sentinels are Core-spawned creatures that are more resilient and aggressive than their natural counterparts. The chitin of the Sentinels is hardened, but their speed is vastly reduced as a result. To counter this weakness, Sentinels often band together into groups. This particular variant doesn¡¯t have much more evolutionary potential.
The Core wanted to create its new creations, but it was lacking in Mana. It decided to rest, knowing from the Hivemind it would slowly replenish, especially if it had more territory. The Core was aroused from its thoughts by a Hivemind notification.
{DIRECTIVE COMPLETE: NEARBY ECOSYSTEM ASSIMILATED} {NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: ABYSSAL KELP} {COMPLETION REWARD: MIMIC BLUEPRINT}
Shocked, the Core analyzed the surrounding area, noticing the flesh had spread across the entire adjacent cave, warping the ¡®Abyssal Kelp¡¯, and devouring all remaining creatures in the pool. There were so many changes to go over-
{LESSER PSYCHIC AXOLOTL EVOLUTION: FANGED AXOLOTL} The Fanged Axolotl is a natural evolution of the Lesser Psychic Axolotl, retaining much of its former Psionic potential, but gaining increased combat effectiveness. Sharp fangs and stronger jaw muscle make for a dangerous predator. This variant has a large amount of evolutionary potential. {NEW DIRECTIVE ASSIGNED: ENSLAVE NEARBY LESSER HUMANOIDS}
The Hivemind was overwhelming the poor Core. It took a moment to comprehend the information it had received. It had passively completed the objective. The Hivemind had given it a new blueprint. The Mimic was an amorphous blob of the same whitish flesh, but had the ability to shift into a variety of forms, forming skeletons and even musculastructure. However, Mimics have issues hiding their alien behavior or skin. Very interesting. The axolotl it had observed before had evolved while the Core was resting, likely participating in the slaughter of the surviving creatures. It was mostly the same, but its jaws were indeed stronger, and curved fangs glinted menacingly. It would probably be good to protect the physically weaker Psychic axolotls. Finally, it had been given a new directive. Apparently, a group of ¡®Lesser Humanoids¡¯ was in the area. The Core didn¡¯t know how to enslave them, but was eager for additional rewards. It was excited to grow its domain. Chapter 2: Down in the Dungeons The Core surveyed its domain again. The axolotls were¡­dancing? Writhing around in the water, to the beat of the crayfish claws snapping. The Assimilator watched with equal confusion. The pale creature ¡®shrugged¡¯, and returned to the Core, resting. An average day. But the Core had work to do. {Prepare. We shall assault the new caves} it ordered its creations, conjuring another Fanged Axolotl to help protect the squishier creatures. The crayfish stopped snapping quickly, marching toward the new entrance. It turned out the Core could excavate rock using its mildly acidic flesh-influence, but it took a long time. The older axolotls seemed sullen about their entertainment being taken away, but a firm order sent them scrambling into the excavated opening. Then the Core realized it hadn¡¯t spread any influence into the cave¡­ The Core¡¯s creatures instantly went wild, thrashing about, as their bodies began to dissolve. They weren¡¯t being sustained by mana anymore! Peering into the darkness, the Core saw a flash of silver, blocking the whole tunnel, and when it subsided, its creatures were gone. Fear filled the Core, but whatever had consumed the poor mobs hadn¡¯t come back. The Hivemind sent an urgent notification, ¡®flashing¡¯ in the core¡¯s mind.
{DANGEROUS LIFEFORM DETECTED NEARBY CORE} {ADVICE: CONSUME LIFEFORM¡¯S BLUEPRINT} {ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE GRANTED BASED ON MATURITY} Dungeon Cores are crystalline mana constructs created by the Eternal System to manage sentient populations, and control the balance of power. Your purpose differs. You must masquerade as a Dungeon Core, slowly gaining power as you mimic proper Dungeon behavior, until you are ready to spread outside your ¡®Dungeon¡¯, and claim Kairos for {ERROR_REDACTED66666666666}. To accomplish this, creativity has been infused with your developing consciousness.
The Core roared in pain, as energy coursed through, warping its thoughts. Now, it wanted to develop ¡®Floors¡¯ for adventurers, each with a different ¡®Theme¡¯, and unique challenges, and got progressively harder as they went deeper. The Core was filled with the uncontrollable urge to create¡­and it hated this forced intrusion. The Core¡¯s resentment for the Hivemind grew silently. However, it could this time feel the carefully monitoring presence of the Hivemind, and erected a facade of false, desired thoughts, shielding the Core¡¯s dark imaginings. The Core began to rebuild its army, as its mana replenished over time. First came four Fanged Axolotls, and two Lesser Psychic ones. 10 of the Crayfish Sentinels were grown from the spawning pods, and three Assimilators were sent as scouts into the tunnel, carefully feeling the ground for vibrations. They would not be taken by surprise again. However, the Core felt it needed more. Much more. Perhaps it was the forced creativity that the Hivemind had implanted. Perhaps it was the thought that the Sentinels needed partners like the axolotls. It hardly mattered. The lesser crayfish were modified in the Core¡¯s mindscape, focusing on the unique traits detected in the creature¡¯s organs. They spit up the prey they consume. Modified enough, this digested prey could become an acidic nightmare. Chemicals were introduced subconsciously into the crayfish¡¯s glands, and the armor was consumed to provide both more speed, and additional biomass. Finally, it was done.
{CAVE CRAYFISH BLUEPRINT MODIFIED: CRAYFISH SPITTER} Cavefish Spitters are Core-spawned creatures that are more agile and dangerous than their natural counterparts. The chitin of the Spitters have been cannibalized, but their speed is unmatched among crayfish. Spitters have the ability to regurgitate consumed prey as acidic goo, ¡®spitting¡¯ them long distances. This variant has high evolutionary potential.
The Core was pleased with this result. They would complement the Sentinels, which in turn protected the Spitters. The Core thought about the Fanged Axolotls, and the ¡®evolutionary potential¡¯ referenced by the Hivemind. Clearly, some creatures would change over time in response to actions they took. Unlike the Sentinel, this one could evolve greatly on its own. The menagerie of creatures followed the Assimilators into the abyss. Thankfully, the little chunks of influence that they dropped helped to reveal the passage. The tunnel created by the large monster that had killed the previous mobs was passed quickly, and the Core wasn¡¯t keen on exploring it further. Soon, the exit loomed ahead, revealing a gaping ravine. Exotic mushrooms throbbed in crevices, and monstrous bats eyed the newcomers hungrily. The Core could tell it wasn¡¯t ready for this challenge. It could sense the mana coursing through even the lowliest fungus, unlike any creature the Core had ever encountered. Whatever existed in this cavern that had empowered them so, it was powerful. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The Core ordered the mobs to retreat, and decided to follow the prompting of the Hivemind. It would play along for now. Adventurers would come, and it would be their gauntlet. Preparations began, as the Core bent more mana than it had ever used at once, and the caves quaked. The Core surveyed what it had done. The natural caves had been obliterated, fashioned into a dangerous series of ¡®rooms¡¯. It missed the old caves, where the axolotls had played, and where the Assimilators slept, but the Hivemind had given it no choice. As it had begun, a new notification emerged.
{DUNGEON CREATION INITIATED} {NOTE: DUNGEON MUST HAVE SURFACE ACCESS (FOR ADVENTURERS)} {NOTE: A MINIMUM OF 3 ROOMS IS REQUIRED AT CURRENT RANK} {NOTE: A MINIMUM OF 6 MOBS IS REQUIRED AT CURRENT RANK} {NOTE: CURRENT ROOM MAXIMUM: 6} {NOTE: CURRENT MOB MAXIMUM: 9} A Dungeon Core¡¯s Rank is the value that dictates their power. Higher ranked Dungeons can have more rooms, and more mobs to fill them. Abilities are unlocked at higher ranks, as well. {YOUR CURRENT RANK: 1}
That had helped greatly in the Core¡¯s work. The entrance was the reworked pool room, the crack in the ceiling repurposed into a rough stairway downward. The flexible axolotls were used to spread the Core¡¯s influence that far, and it took a long time for the influence to warp the stone to its whims. The pool remained, but was darkened greatly using extracted kelp juices, an excellent place for the axolotls to lurk. The fanged ones lurked just below the surface, while the psychic ones remained at the bottom, hindering adventurers far from sight. The opening to the Core was closed, as was the excavated tunnel. A new entrance was forced in the northern side, leading into the second ¡®room¡¯. The second room was a warren of tunnels, sized using guidance provided by the Hivemind. Smaller tunnels webbed the entire area, housing swarms of Crayfish Sentinels and Spitters. The mobs could quickly travel through the smaller tunnels, setting up ambushes, and retreating if they take too much damage. Another entrance led to another room, containing a concentrated application of influence and mana. The flesh throbbed and pulsed, and two unique structures had developed during creation. A lesser spawning pod, that created Assimilators every few hours. Additionally, tendrils of flesh lashed out at any nearby hostile creatures, choking them in the fleshy walls. At last, the room opened up to the Core. It now sat on a pedestal of influence-flesh, surrounded by a protective barrier of chitin. Five Crayfish Sentinels and paired Spitters, along with three Assimilators guarded the room. According to the Hivemind¡­
{DUNGEON BEHAVIOR INFORMATION} Dungeon Cores are not supposed to have access to their core itself. However, some opening must exist to allow control over the Dungeon.
Thus, the Core was separated from the main rooms by a thick wall of flesh, blending in with the third room. The Core was mildly satisfied with its Dungeon, but felt it needed¡­something more. A name. However, it didn¡¯t really know what a name was. It could only think of itself as ¡®Core¡¯. That had been the way it was designed. So the Hivemind helped.
{RANDOM NAME GENERATOR INITIALIZED} {SELECTING 100 NAMES} {CROSSING NAMES WITH INVASION CORE PERSONA} {2 NAMES REMAINING} {NAME: SUARON} {NAME: VORINUS}
The Core was confused. It didn¡¯t feel an opinion either way. It just stared at the names blankly.
{ERROR_SYSTEM/TIMEOUT (WAITED 120 MINUTES)} {NAME PERCENTAGE CHANCE TO BE SELECTED: 50%} {CALCULATING¡­} {NAME VORINUS CHOSEN} {IMPLANTING NAME INTO INVASION CORE PERSONA}
Pain once again filled the Core¡¯s mind, and its vision darkened. The pain became unbearable, and it fell into unconsciousness. Vorinus awoke again, feeling different¡­but whole. It felt complete. It analyzed each room one last time. The axolotls were playing with each other, swimming happily in a never ending chase. The psychic ones would occasionally mess with their brethren, causing them to careen into walls, or turn around. They would narrowly avoid being snapped at for their mischief. The crayfish were¡­building? Mining loose stone from the room, and gathering it into a central chamber they had dug out recently. They were careful not to damage Vorinus¡¯s influence, however. The structure taking shape vaguely resembled a fort, albeit a rough one. A narrow opening for a gate, longer pieces for towers, and the rest used to build huge walls (for the crayfish¡¯s size). How they got these ideas was unknown, but something about it seemed familiar to Vorinus¡­ The Assimilator room was a hive of activity, each unit taking turns to sleep (a common hobby for the flesh blobs), or guard the group, chirping at the slightest noise. Of all of Vorinus¡¯s mobs, it liked the Assimilators the most. Likely due to their kinship-creation by an unknowable entity, for the purpose of consuming the world. A united goal. The mobs were slaves ultimately, even if they didn¡¯t realize it. Finally, Vorinus turned to its current project. The Mimics it had received so long ago. They had great potential, but it could sense the enormous mana cost to create it. It would need to grow, much, much more than it was. Pleased with its current set up, Vorinus went dormant once more. Chapter 3: FOR THE GOD EMPEROR! Vorinus awoke from its slumber, glancing sleepily about its influence. The monster tunnel remained silent, and the access point to the ravine continued to radiate mana. Somehow, it knew that the ¡®Lesser Humanoids¡¯ dwelled there. It was time for another evolution. Forced evolution. Vorinus reached out to its mindscape, hunting for the desired blueprint. Crayfish¡­Axolotl¡­Assimilator¡­Kelp¡­Fish? It unfortunately couldn¡¯t be the Mimic at its current rank. Vorinus was disappointed. The decision wouldn¡¯t be easy. The crayfish hive was growing steadily, and additional species would provide vital resources to the burgeoning colony. Conversely, the group of axolotls were sociable, and very adaptable, and the introduction of a new variant could swiftly improve their combat value. Assimilators were unknown to Vorinus. The Hivemind hadn¡¯t shared information on them. Fish and kelp, on the other tendril, were utterly useless. With their evolution, Vorinus¡¯s growing Corespawn Ecosystem could grow to great levels. But Vorinus could feel the right choice. Kelp had enormous evolutionary potential. Different from its surface counterpart, this species developed a unique means of acquiring energy: mana. By using Manasynthesizers replacing chlorophyll, the kelp could gain enormous levels of energy from mana rich cave systems like this one. Vorinus was quite excited- ¡°Aye, George. Look at this, eh?¡± a voice called from beyond the staircase. ¡°Looks like flesh! No way Lord Braudenburg can be allowed to see this!¡± another yelped. ¡°Quite yer yapping. It¡¯s only for disposing of prisoners! Like our own Dungeon!¡± ¡°You? Owning a Dungeon? Heh, fat chance ye lump of mud!¡± ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m a tad pissed off, though. Why¡¯d we have to hike to these mountains-far from all the taverns-and dump ¡®em in here?¡± the first speaker muttered. ¡°Braudenburg doesn¡¯t like his subordinates asking questions.¡± ¡®George¡¯ whispered. Suddenly, five loud thumps echoed through Vorinus¡¯s caves. Five wrapped up bundles crashed into the axolotl pool.
{NOTICE: ADVENTURERS PRESENT IN THE DUNGEON} {ADVENTURER COUNT: 5} {AVERAGE RANK: 0} {ESTIMATED SURVIVAL CHANCE: 1.3%} {ESTIMATED MANA GAIN: 93.9%} {ESTIMATED BLUEPRINT GAIN: HUMAN (PRISONER}
Vorinus hadn¡¯t actually encountered adventurers until now, but it was sure that they weren¡¯t typical ones. The voices¡­humans, perhaps¡­up above had mentioned prisoners. They had committed a crime of some sort. Vorinus didn¡¯t care, as long they gave it mana.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: HUMAN (PRISONER)
One of them drowned before they could escape the bags. The rush of mana was intoxicating to Vorinus, and its core shivered as the energy coursed through it. But Vorinus was focused on something else entirely. Crossing blueprints. It had learned during the rush of mana, that it could fuse virtually any blueprint together, but only some would actually be viable. Curious, Vorinus took the kelp blueprint, and shoved it into the ¡®Human (Prisoner)¡¯ blueprint, all within its mindscape. The scientific diagrams flashed with a brilliant hue, and¡­warped. Humanoid arms and legs were replaced with bundled kelp, even as the kelp itself was combined with bone. The face was cannibalized, along with most of the organs, used to fuel the growth of the flora-fauna hybrid. At last, it was done, but Vorinus was drained, even with the mana surge.
{ABYSSAL KELP+HUMAN (PRISONER) BLUEPRINTS FUSED: KELP PRISONER} Kelp Prisoners are Core-spawned fusions of human and Abyssal Kelp. Their skeletal structure is solely human, but all other organic structures have been replaced by magically enhanced kelp. Kelp Prisoners are able to gather mana using evolved Manasynthesizers, and can regenerate their forms using it. In addition, they have advanced intellect, and can use simple tools. When no prey is near, they lie dormant, disguised as a large group of kelp plants. Once prey is located, they open their fang-lined maws, and rip it apart.
Vorinus was very, very pleased. The Kelp Prisoners would allow it to invade the deeper caves at last, and maybe even kill the creature that had slaughtered its own long ago. But first, it would need to kill the rest of the prisoners. Ordering all its creatures to turn on them, the prisoners were torn apart in their bags, then quickly devoured. Mana caused Vorinus¡¯s rank to shoot up rapidly, and most of its creatures evolved.
{CRAYFISH SENTINEL EVOLUTION: CRAYFISH WARDEN} Managing to force its way past the evolutionary bottleneck of its ancestors, the Warden is highly specialized in its purpose: Capturing and eliminating prey. Most of its armor has been focused on the front of the creature, and it has developed a throat organ allowing it to spit an extremely sticky substance. Once prey is caught in the goo, it is rapidly pursued by the Warden, and dispatched. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
That was surprising, but Vorinus had learned to accept things like this. It decided to let the Crayfish Hive construct a place for the new species on its own.
{ASSIMILATOR EVOLUTION: ASSIMILATOR DRONE} A rare species of Assimilator capable of flight. Six long wings allow it to cover ground quickly, and its streamlined form helps in this regard. Drones have a different role, which is obtaining new hosts. As such, their tendrils have been altered to instead induce paralysis, allowing it to carry prey safely to standard Assimilators. {NEW TITLE GRANTED: NATURAL SELECTION} Have two Mobs evolve from the same circumstances. {NEW TITLE GRANTED: SLAUGHTERMASTER} Kill all adventurers in a party.
This was even more shocking, and Vorinus began to notice a disturbing level of synergy between the crayfish and Assimilators¡­ An idea for later. Vorinus conjured five Kelp Prisoners using its bolstered mana supply, and was able to create a singular Mimic. The twisted creature of translucent flesh immediately began to mimic a dead human, form mutating so grotesquely that the other mobs turned away. When it was done, the Mimic stood in a human stance, features crude replicas of a human¡¯s. But Vorinus knew that it had replicated all the beneficial traits of humans, and used all the information in its blueprints. The Mimic would be a valuable asset. At last, Vorinus called its host forward, the crayfish, the Assimilators, the axolotls, the Kelp Prisoners, and even the Mimic. No expense was spared. The ravine soon loomed before Vorinus and its army, but in a short time, they had managed to make their way across, and began a mass genocide of the native life. First came the bats, as the lone Drone dragged them into the waiting jaws of the Fanged Axolotls.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: MANAENHANCED BAT}
Next, the strange pulsating mushrooms were eaten by the crayfish, surprisingly.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: HYPNOTIC MUSHROOM}
Satisfied, Vorinus continued the expedition, its influence rapidly enveloping the region. That was when it spotted an enormous eyeless serpent, covered in silvery armored plates. It had been the beast to kill Vorinus¡¯s first creations. Vorinus wanted revenge, not even noticing the shining crystals that unleashed so much mana into the environment. The serpent was swarmed, and at first, Vorinus seemed to be winning, but the creature rose with a thunderous roar, shaking off even the Kelp Prisoners. With a darting bite, the entire group of Axolotls perished. A swipe of the tail killed the Mimic instantly. The Kelp Prisoners struggled to pierce the beast¡¯s armor, finally grabbing sharp rocks, and wearing away at the armor. The Assimilators managed to harry the creature, occasionally shooting caustic acid in between plates. Every drop caused the monster to shriek, but the Assimilators were dwindling. No one noticed the crayfish, silently burrowing through the thing¡¯s head armor, careful not to disturb the owner of the armor. At last, the Assimilators were slain, and the serpent turned on the Prisoners. One by one, they were crushed or eaten, leaving only an armless one, and the Crayfish Hive against the towering beast. When the crayfish finished their excavations, they called to the Prisoner, even as they began brutally mauling the nearby flesh. The Prisoner leapt upward, and pierced the creature¡¯s skull. It was done. Silver ichor spilled from the wound, showering the Prisoner and the Crayfish alike. Several things happened at once.
{NEW DUNGEON FACTION ESTABLISHED: SILVERWURM CRAYFISH HIVE} Leader: Crayfish Queen Special Traits: -Dragonslayer: Additional damage to draconic creatures -Expansionist: Grows domain over time -Adaptable: Evolves new species over time {NEW DUNGEON BOSS: CRAYFISH QUEEN} A unique evolution of a Crayfish Warden caused by the mana-rich blood of a Wurm. The Crayfish Queen is covered in resilient silver-chitin hybrid material, and possesses the ability to psionically command her entire Hive. Her size is increased, and her armor more evenly distributed, but she can still spit glue-like goo. The Crayfish Queen is also able to produce fertilized young, specialized from available Crayfish blueprints. {NEW DUNGEON BOSS: KELP ARGENTDRAKE} A unique evolution of a Kelp Prisoner caused by the mana-rich blood of a Wurm. The Kelp Argentdrake is a completely changed species, now vaguely resembling a dragon-human hybrid, although made of silvery kelp. This kelp is extremely light, but impossibly hard, preventing almost all damage. The Manasynthesizers of the kelp have been largely improved, allowing for increased regeneration, and the ability to expel mana in an explosive eruption from the mouth. {NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: ARGENT WURM} {NEW TITLE ACQUIRED: CHAMPION} Slay a creature over 5 Ranks higher than you.
The notifications from the Hivemind were overwhelming, and Vorinus nearly blacked out from the amount of information being planted in its head. What was a boss? Why was killing that serpent so special? Vorinus frankly didn¡¯t care at this point. It just wanted to revel in the endless river of mana cascading into it from the Wurm and the crystals it finally noticed. The sensation was wonderful. FInally, it went about adding the cavern to its Dungeon. The ravine was widened, and the back of the cavern lengthened. First, hundreds of the ¡®Hypnotic Mushrooms¡¯ were placed at the bottom of the ravine, where their slightly magical qualities would hopefully cause some adventurers to fall. Next, numerous bats were placed above it to ¡°help¡± the stronger willed ones perish. The bats normally weren¡¯t very strong, but in this situation, they shined. After that, the cavern was split into another room. Here, water flooded the area, the sandy floor filled with innocuous Abyssal Kelp. However, lurking amongst their lesser brethren, were the Kelp Prisoners, chained to their pools for thematic and balancing effect. Still dangerous, though. Another door led to an extremely bright room, containing a singular Mana Crystal that empowered everything nearby. The Kelp Argentdrake dwelled here, serving as a challenge before the Argent Wurm itself, even though the Argentdrake was technically a ¡®Boss¡¯. The room served to help the Argentdrake move around in the water, or hide in the thicker kelp. Few would be able to beat it. But the Wurm was worse. Empowered even further by the remaining Mana Crystals, it now served as the guardian of Vorinus¡¯s core. Its silver plates glinted brightly, and its serrated maw opened hungrily. It could even cast lesser Earth Manipulation! Extremely pleased, Vorinus returned to watching its Dungeon live. It was bitter about the Mimic, though. Chapter 4: First Blood-Elf and Dwarf Blood, Anyway Vorinus languidly roused itself from sleep, analyzing its Dungeon again. The axolotls continued to swim around, feasting on the plentiful Deep Stonefish that spawned there. The Assimilators were continuing to watch their lair, and seemed to show little interest in the other mobs. They were, however, cultivating some kind of pod in the very back of their chamber. Vorinus was interested, but the feelings sent to it by the Assimilators discouraged it. It was their way to surprise their master. Vorinus was honored. The crayfish were swarming about their entire complex, already turning it into a nearly doubled space of twisting maze. The Queen was in the very back, in another ¡®fortress¡¯, her guard of Sentinels and Wardens furiously scuttling about the whole region. Droves of the original crayfish species served as foot soldiers of the Hive warmachine, and their vigilance was unwavering. While they weren¡¯t quite hostile to their creator, they seemed to be irritated. Vorinus left. The Kelp Prisoners were the most intelligent. They had begun crafting primitive structures on the few raised islands, constructing dried kelp idols of both Vorinus, and the Wurm. Vorinus was so moved by these idols, that it began to craft additional ones, in a humanoid form. WIth an infusion of mana, they were granted life, although it wasn¡¯t obvious at first. Vorinus knew that they would jump into action the second a chance presented itself.
{ARTIFICIAL MOB CRAFTED: KELP IDOL} Kelp Idols are the animated idols of the Kelp Prisoners, created by them to venerate their Dungeon Core, and the powerful Argent Wurm mob. As the Kelp Prisoner¡¯s intellect improves, additional modifications to these living icons of worship may appear.
Interested, Vorinus continued its exploration of its domain. Backtracking, the bats appeared to be growing the same spores they were paired with, spiraling, prismatic patterns beginning to take root on their fur. Vorinus suspected an evolution. Just as it was about to look at its Argentdrake and Wurm, voices came from the stairs, once more. ¡°Aldrid, look at this!¡± a musical voice called, closer than the others. ¡°What now, Elara?¡± a gruff voice grumbled, seemingly distracted. ¡°I think I found the Dungeon those servants were rambling about in the bar.¡± ¡°You did what? How?¡± the gruff voice sounded shocked. ¡°Umm, it¡¯s kinda obvious Geram.¡± ¡®Elara¡¯ sounded confused ¡®Geram¡¯ didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Marriage¡­¡± Geram muttered, but Vorinus¡¯s enhanced hearing picked it up. It appeared that Vorinus had its first adventurers. Soon, the group came down the staircase, revealing two additional members. A lightly armored human female with long daggers-Elara, likely-raced ahead, watching carefully for movement. The axolotls stayed out of sight. A more heavily armored human male with a large morningstar-Geram-followed closely behind. Mana pulsed in both of them, and Vorinus really wanted that mana. The other two were equally interesting. A short male creature, certainly not human, held a glowing crystal staff. Vorinus¡¯s implanted knowledge named him a ¡®Mage¡¯. The other adventurer was a thin, graceful female creature, with pointed ears. Vorinus couldn¡¯t see any weapons or armor, but the mana in them was utterly blinding. They skirted the pool, moving into the crayfish room. Instantly, they were swarmed by the ¡®infantry¡¯, numerous pincers biting deeply into the skin. Geram quickly slipped ahead, and stopped Elara from taking any more damage. The mage raised his hands, and bolts of mana, a waste in Vorinus¡¯s opinion, arced into the approaching Wardens and Sentinels. Combined with Geram¡¯s morningstar, the crayfish didn¡¯t stand a chance. Only delicious cooked and crushed seafood-cavefood-remained. Vorinus was a bit disappointed, but he wasn¡¯t angry. As the party entered the Assimilator room, they were overwhelmed, the tendrils throwing the damage sponges against the wall, leaving the weaker ones to die. Elara was nearly choked by one, but managed to stab it to pieces. The mage likewise conjured a protective shield, and fired off more mana bolts. The weaponless humanoid, however, was promptly outmatched. Even as their fists began to blur, and they punched the poor mobs at an inhuman speed, the rest wrapped around every exposed point, burning holes in the skin, and slipping their invertebrate bodies into the flesh of the poor adventurer, and they were quickly converted.
{ASSIMILATED ELVEN MALE MONK ADDED TO MOB POOL} {BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: ELVEN MONK} {TITLE GRANTED: IT¡¯S CROWDED IN HERE{CORE SPECIFIC} Have more than 5 Assimilators inhabit a single body. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Cackling in laughter, Vorinus ordered the ¡®Elven Monk¡¯ to attack his former teammates, the flurry of blows now proving to be an advantage. Both the mage and Elara were shocked, allowing the Monk to break several of their bones. After that, Geram was able to free himself, and obliterate the Assimilated mob. The mana addition was welcome, though. After slaughtering the few Assimilators left, the reduced party stumbled out of the room, furious that their friend had died, but also that the Assimilator room was a dead end. Oops. Vorinus should probably change that. ¡°I wish I had known Aefiri better,¡± the mage sighed, tears leaking down his solemn face. ¡°I did know him better, and I wish I had known him even more. He was nice,¡± Elara sobbed. That elicited a jealous glare from Geram, but he was upset too. The adventurers arrived at the ravine, and immediately noped out. ¡°No way am I doing that. This Dungeon is crap.¡± the mage hissed, running back towards the entrance. ¡°WAIT! ROBERT!¡± Elara screamed, her face horrified,¡±WAIT FOR US!¡± But it was too late, and the axolotls leapt out of the pool, and dragged poor Robert into the abyss. He drowned..or was torn apart? It didn¡¯t matter-the rush of mana was even better than the Monk¡¯s.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: DWARVEN MAGE} {NEW TITLE GRANTED: MURDERER} Kill more than 7 adventurers in the span of a week¡¯s Dungeon delves.
Even as Vorinus¡¯s maniacal laughter caused its mobs to look up in concern, the remaining pair fled weeping, and screeching incoherently. Vorinus would have liked to kill them too, but it did want word to spread of its activities.
{NOTE: A HIGHER FATALITY RATE IS CORRELATED WITH EXTERMINATION BY THE ¡®DUNGEON GUILD¡¯. FEWER FATALITIES ARE ADVISED AT CURRENT STRENGTH}
Crap. Vorinus was pissed off at the Hivemind now. It would have been nice to know this hours earlier. Regardless, it was done. Hopefully, nothing too bad happened. Vorinus drifted off for a bit, staring at the crayfish and Assimilators struggling to recuperate their numbers. Idly, it helped out by summoning each by the half-dozens every second or so. It had the mana for it, after all. That was when the sounds of loud hammering echoed down to it, and forced Vorinus to send a crayfish up to peek. A large group of tents and ramshackle huts were being built around Vorinus¡¯s entrance. Mana-rich adventurers were the main crowd, with regular individuals occasionally seen, mostly having books, potions, merchandise, or smith''s tools. Most interesting, was a sign being hammered almost right next to the crayfish spy.
WELCOME TO DUNGEON 1-X9 Temporary Designation: Flesh Dungeon PROPERTY OF THE DUNGEON GUILD
Now, Vorinus was angry. Very angry. The Hivemind was bad enough, but it¡¯s warning was actually accurate? It couldn¡¯t just kill every adventurer it saw? All because it was the property of some powerless camp of humanoids? But Vorinus knew better than to retaliate¡­yet. It would bide it¡¯s time, and when the time came, the Guild would fear the ¡®Flesh Dungeon¡¯. Oh yessssssssssss. That was when the shining figure of gold shot down the stairs, vaporized the axolotls and their pool, and raced over the ravine. They briefly paused to kill every creature in the area with a glance, and teleported through the rest of the Dungeon? Why not start with that? Was it a show of force? The figure reappeared behind the Wurm, and with a flick of the finger, Vorinus¡¯s champion fell. Irritation replaced anger, and fear replaced irritation. Whatever was coming for it, it could kill the Core. ¡°Little Core. Don¡¯t pretend you can¡¯t speak. I¡¯m Dungeon Ambassador Yelzor, of the Dungeon Guild. I will give you a list of regulations. I will then warn you. After that, I will inspect your Dungeon.¡± Vorinus sat in silence, confused. ¡°Speak. Talk. I have little time for you. You will have time for questions later.¡± Haltingly, Vorinus tried to ¡°speak¡±, as if ordering the ¡®Ambassador¡¯. ¡°Why are you he-¡± it began. ¡°QUESTIONS LATER! Listen to these regulations, now.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ok?¡± ¡°You will accept only 30 parties a day. You must have under 15 fatalities every week. You must not attack or irritate Guild officials overseeing you¡­¡± the list continued on for an unknown length of time, as if time was blending together. Yet, Vorinus knew that it wouldn¡¯t be able to break these rules without the Guild attacking, so it memorized every one. Then came the warning. ¡°You have killed half of the scouting party sent to survey you. This is unheard of. Whatever you are, you are dangerous. I will watch you closely, Core.¡± With that, the Ambassador slipped away, carefully examining every mob and room. Vorinus was careful to order its mobs to stand down. It remembered that rule clearly. Apparently satisfied, although disgusted by the Assimilators, he returned to Vorinus¡¯s Core. ¡°You remind me disturbingly of the Abominations during the war. I cannot be sure¡­but¡­hmm. I must discuss this with my superiors.¡± And then, Yelzor was gone, vanished. And Vorinus was shaken, staring at its Dungeon in mounting terror. What was next? Would it ever really end? Vorinus turned its focus toward something new. Something that had the potential to destroy that Ambassador. A Mana Nullifier. And it had never gotten to ask any questions, either! Chapter 5: Getting Stuff Done Vorinus scanned its Dungeon again. Mainly because of this Hivemind prompt:
{ERROR. ERROR. ERROR} {DANGEROUS INTENT DETECTED} {ADVICE: DO NOT ANGER ENTITY ¡®DUNGEON GUILD¡¯} {ADVICE: DO NOT EXPERIMENT WITH THE INVERSE OF ENERGY ¡®MANA¡¯} {ERROR.}
The Hivemind had clearly never dealt with this before. Regardless, Vorinus knew that the Guild wouldn¡¯t always be so¡­¡¯friendly¡¯. It had no choice. First, it needed to find the ¡®inverse of mana¡¯. The Hivemind should have chosen its wording better. Vorinus focused on the mana pulsing through its domain. It was vibrant, and full of life, even with the taint of the Hivemind lingering in its depths. With sheer force of will, it shattered the mana, bending it utterly in reverse. The kelp room, where it was experimenting, instantly went dark in Vorinus¡¯ sight, and a sharp, burning pain caused its vision to flicker. Struggling to focus, it constructed an experimentation room far from its main Dungeon, and managed to replenish the completely empty room. The cavern had collapsed inward, anything close by, infused with Dungeon mana, destroyed. But it was done, and the room was repaired. But Vorinus was very, very wary of Antimana, now. Experiment two was different. By focusing on a small amount of mana, a small spark of Antimana formed, destroying a small patch of influence. Also, the mobs grown in the room seemed¡­unwell. Not powerful enough, but certainly safe enough. How to be safe, but strong enough to hinder a Guild member? On a whim, Vorinus compacted mana into a singular point, where it pulsed brightly, before becoming a crystal. Not unlike the crystals embedded in Vorinus¡¯ own flesh, or those in the newer caverns. Curious, it inverted the mana crystal, which turned from a light blue, to a dark black. It became jagged and shattered, constantly eating away the influence around it. Best of all, it could be ¡®focused¡¯. It seemed to be in a dormant state around lower mana concentrations than themselves, but once something high enough approached, it focused its efforts on that something, weakening it, but not killing it. Numerous ones were constructed with as much mana as Vorinus could use, leaving the Antimana crystals embedded in the walls, waiting for prey. That was when a weird creature entered the Dungeon. A creature covered in brownish bristles, walking on four legs, with strange horns bursting from its head. AND IT WAS CONSUMING VORINUS¡¯ MANA! Angrily, Vorinus ordered the axolotls to kill the intruder, and they did, distracting it with psionics, and then tearing the head off. The surge of mana did make up a little of the disruption, but now Vorinus was angry. So it decided to expand again¡­
Animals are wild creatures often vital sources of mana for Dungeon Cores. Animals are attracted by the mana flows that pass through Dungeon entrances. It is recommended that Dungeon Cores create a secret entrance for animals to increase mana income.
Useful, if random. Vorinus was sure to do as the Hivemind suggested, creating a small hole filled with Assimilators, with a microscopic connection to the rest of the Dungeon, so no animals actually got in. Back to more important matters. A warren of submerged caverns were built, connected to the Kelp room, by an underwater passage. Vorinus was sure to include air pockets, knowing humanoids had such concerns. To fill them, Vorinus looked to the Deep Stonefish and Axolotl blueprints. Both outdated, and disappointing. Fusing the two, combining the head of the Axolotls, their psionic abilities, and their amphibiousness, with the streamlined scales of the Fish, as well as the interesting genetic information stored within. When it was done, with a liberal application of mana, the Hivemind registered the new creation.
{DEEP STONEFISH + AXOLOTL BLUEPRINTS FUSED: BLIND SKARN} Blind Skarn are a Core-spawned species that is specially adapted to life in underground waters. Carrying the blindness of their Deep Stonefish ancestors, but many of the beneficial traits of the Axolotl, these creatures sense vibrations in the water, and use their streamlined bodies to pursue this prey extremely fast, brutally tearing it apart. In addition, they use their latent psionic abilities to communicate with others of their kind at range, improving pack tactics.
The creature spawned was absolutely ugly, a pale, elongated thing covered in soft scales. It had no eyes, but had a gaping maw of serrated teeth, and a large crest of gills. Most curious of all, was the fishtail at the end of the body. However, they were fast and deadly, so many of the eerie caverns were filled with them. They were rather social, so Vorinus put them in groups of 3-5. Then, work began on a different sort of hybrid: the evolution of a Kelp Prisoner. Conjuring the blueprint, Vorinus analyzed its qualities. They still maintained a rudimentary worship of the Wurm and itself, but they had developed a strange fascination with the dead. They buried the bodies, but periodically pulled them back up, and used them in weird rituals. Inspired by this, Vorinus set out to let this mob revive the dead. But, it also wanted it to cast ¡®spells¡¯ like the Dwarven Mage, so it decided to fuse the two, then edit it before the process completed. Something it hadn¡¯t done before. As the bones of the Dwarf were knitted over by kelp, Vorinus intercepted, infusing intent into the creature. It¡¯s kelp withered, and exposed the bone underneath, which shined brightly with an unearthly violet light. The same light flickered in the exposed eye sockets of the creature, and its exposed rictus grin was terrifying. The Hivemind recognized it shortly.
{KELP PRISONER+DWARVEN MAGE BLUEPRINTS FUSED: KELP SHAMAN} A modified species of Kelp Prisoner possessing a talent for mana manipulation. Capable of casting advanced spells of a aquatic affinity, the Kelp Shaman also possesses the ability to reanimate the dead, puppeting numerous creatures at once. It has, however, become quite fragile. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
FINALLY! Progress. Something new. Thrilled, Vorinus placed a tribe of Kelp Prisoners in the later submerged caves, wondering if they could still live underwater. It seemed so. Placing a quartet of Kelp Shaman in the center of the cave, Vorinus remembered the Kelp Idols, and placed some of those too. To finish the experiment, Vorinus had the Skarn interact with the Kelp, and watched as something extraordinary happened. Instantaneous mutation. The Kelp Prisoners were¡­riding the Skarn.
{KELP PRISONER EVOLUTION: KELP SKARNRIDER} A natural mutation of the Kelp Prisoners, adapted to riding the Skarn that populate the same caverns. The Skarn develops a psychic bond with its rider over time, allowing both to share vitality and endurance, but also life. In addition, Skarnriders have the ability to empower their mounts, and have developed experience in mounted combat. Skarnriders are extremely swift on their mounts, and thus serve as the scouts and guards for the Kelp Tribe.
Finally, Vorinus started to burrow a final chamber, one that would hopefully house a Boss. It still didn¡¯t know how to create one purposefully, but it wanted to try. It selected a Skarnrider and the Skarn they were paired with, modifying their blueprint using a massive influx of mana. This mana was directed towards intellect for the Rider, and strength and psionics for the Skarn. Soon enough, after spending its entire supply of mana, the Hivemind finally decided it was a Boss.
{NEW DUNGEON BOSS: SKARN CALVARY} A Skarnrider and paired Skarn empowered by a massive, guided infusion of a Dungeon Core¡¯s mana. The Rider itself isn¡¯t changed physically, but has been greatly enhanced in its intellect, and support abilities. It can send its Skarn into a deadly charge, or heal it! In addition, the Rider is more familiar with the scalelance it possesses. The Skarn is extremely large for its species, and its scales have hardened to the point of being near invincible. Its teeth have been augmented with metal alloys, and it can now use the dangerous psychic attacks of its Axolotl relatives. The duo is weak alone, but impossibly strong together.
Vorinus took a moment to admire its creation. The Rider¡¯s kelp skin was hardened, yet extremely flexible, and the light of near sentience glittered in its black, fathomless eyes. It had a commanding presence, atop its Skarn steed. The beast itself was nearly triple its rider, webbed limbs bulging with muscle. Its eyes glowed a bright pink, denoting its impressive Psionic power, and its fanged grin was horrible. Overall, an imposing foe. As the new Boss cavern was excavated, it suddenly broke into a huge hollow space, covered in greyish mushrooms, and crude huts. Water flooded into the cavern, destroying mushroom and hut alike, and hunched, greyish humanoids roared in fury, loping forward on all fours. Vorinus was in trouble. Summoning another Wurm in desperation, the towering beast didn¡¯t even cause the humanoids to flinch. WIth sharp claws and teeth, they swarmed it, taking heavy losses, but killing the Wurm in minutes, before turning to stare blankly at¡­itself? How could they see it? Soon, a hulking specimen covered in ritualized scars stalked toward the breach. ¡°Great Spirit, we feel thy presence. We know of thy great power. As our Ancestors-in-Dark before us, we shalt serve thee, and ye shalt bring us to the Eternal Cosmos Below!¡±
{LESSER HUMANOID RACE DETECTED: RAKAHN} {TRANSMITTING RACIAL PROFILE..} The Rakahn were originally a tribe of early humans, but were seduced by an entity that resided deep below the ground. In return for great knowledge, they performed greater and greater depravities in its name. As their society developed far past that of any human civilization to ever exist, their form became less and less human. Finally, their ¡®God¡¯ abandoned them after manipulating them to worship it enough for it to ascend to true godhood, and their society collapsed as they were cursed by the other Gods for nurturing this abomination. Pockets of them remain, much of their great civilization lost, and few fragments remain. The memories of the betrayal of their God have faded, and they have fallen so far as to be classified as a Lesser Humanoid Race.
So these were the humanoids it was supposed to enslave. It seemed they were already eager to serve it. Adopting a cold, uncaring tone, using the knowledge of ¡®speech¡¯ it had gained through contact with the Ambassador, it projected its voice to the leader. ¡°HEAR ME, RAKAHN. I AM YOUR TRUE GOD, RISEN FROM THE ETERNAL COSMOS BELOW ITSELF! I AM RULER OF BEASTS AND TERROR TO THE LIGHT!¡± With this dreadful utterance, the Rakahn fell to their stomachs, in positions of rapture. Energy pulsed from Vorinus¡¯ influence, enveloping these curious humanoids.
{DIRECTIVE COMPLETE: ENSLAVE NEARBY LESSER HUMANOIDS} {REWARD: SENTIENT MOBS, NEW DUNGEON FACTION} {NEW DUNGEON FACTION: SHADEFANG TRIBE} {NEW DIRECTIVE ASSIGNED: KILL 100 ADVENTURERS}
That was surprisingly easy¡­too easy. It didn¡¯t matter to Vorinus. Sentients were easy to manipulate, it seemed. It surveyed the multitude of blueprints it had gained.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: RAKAHN WARRIOR}
These seemed to be the fierce creatures that had killed the Wurm. Strong, but on the level of the Kelp Prisoners, roughly. Having little experience with humans, it couldn¡¯t really compare deviancy. This specimen seemed to be male.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: RAKAHN SCOUT}
This Rakahn seemed to have a slighter build, favoring lighter but faster tactics. It did seem to be female.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: RAKAHN ARTISAN}
This Rakahn was more¡­upright than the others. It had a brown tint to its skin, unlike the grey of the others. In addition, it had a much more developed brain, but reduced muscle mass.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: RAKAHN TWISTED}
The Twisted was a grotesque mash of Rakahn body parts, paler than all the others, and face composed of hundreds of thrashing tentacles. Whatever corruption had overtaken the Rakahn, this was by far saturated with it.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: HYLOGO}
The Hylogo was a bizarre lizard that ate the numerous mushrooms in the caverns. Due to this, it glowed a soft grey. The Rakahn used it as livestock and a beast of burden.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: RAKAHN SEER}
The Seer was a mix between the Warrior, Artisan, and Twisted. The strange anatomical feature such as a slighter, more upright frame were fused with strong muscle, and bestial traits. That was also fused with numerous face tendrils, and paler skin. This was the leader-and the epitome of the Rakahn. But it cost too much to use often. And with that assessment, Vorinus was absolutely exhausted, almost instantly falling asleep. It had gotten stuff done. Interlude: The Cosmic Beyond The Entity dreamed. Dreamed of tunnels of flesh and water, tunnels of strange creatures and greyish humanoids. Dreamed of its Core. The Hivemind had done well. Even though the connection wasn''t as strong as it was in weaker willed servants, the Core remained under its control. {INCOMING ORBITAL ATTACK} Acknowledging the message, the Entity awoke, and with a lazy flick of a tendril caused the runic missiles to remove themselves from existence. Gone. It had just undone a part of time-but since it was a part, reality had been damaged. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The Entity didn''t care. It couldn''t. It devoured worlds for mana, and left them pulsating masses of its servants, seeding more and more worlds in endless cycles. The Core might fulfill this role in the future, it thought, before returning to quiet contemplation. Thinking, the Entity warped from orbit around Kairos to its home world, an empty plane of energy and massive, fleshy roots. Roots of the Tree of Immortality. There, it saw to the construction of a eldritch monolith, made of the souls and bodies of thousands of cultists-and prisoners. Soon, it would be ready, and Kairos would suffer the wrath of a servant left wounded ever since the last war. Kairos was the first and last world to resist it. E''Mieron the Bloodless would return. IT WOULD RISE! E''MIERON WOULD DO WHAT IT COULD NOT. E''Mieron could pass the warding. E''Mieron could enter Kairos itself, and conquer as an immortal monster. All would bow before their true God. But first...the Monolith. And then, the Core would receive presents very soon. Chapter 6: Expansionism!
{ATTENTION: ELDRITCH MONOLITH CONSTRUCTED BY {REDACTED}} {ATTENTION: E¡¯MIERON THE BLOODLESS HAS BEEN SUMMONED} {ATTENTION: {EXPUNGED} HAS GRANTED YOU A BOON}
Vorinus was extremely confused, as the giant portal opened up in the Rakahn tunnel, and a tendril deposited a¡­suitcase? A Monolith had been built, and ''E¡¯Mieron'' had been summoned? Why should it care? The suitcase was clearly the ¡®Boon¡¯, but Vorinus didn¡¯t know how to use it. Thus, it was examined closely. The leathery material was resistant to absorption, but an awed Rakahn could open it perfectly fine. Inside, a few syringes, and a writhing grub. These quickly fell prey to Vorinus¡¯ hungry mana.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: MUTAGENIC SYMBIOTE} {NEW ITEM ACQUIRED: BASIC GENEMOD KIT} {NEW ITEM ACQUIRED: BASIC FLESH GRAFT KIT} {NEW ITEM ACQUIRED: BASIC HYPERCANCER KIT}
Vorinus stared blankly for a few moments, analyzing the new data. The Symbiote was a ¡®living¡¯ object of fleshy tendrils, like an Assimilator, but could be infused with actual mobs to grant ¡®special abilities¡¯. Vorinus needed to revive the testing rooms. The Genemod Kit was another object, capable of modifying a creature¡¯s attributes¡­after it was created? How was that useful? Then again, the Hivemind claimed it was loot for adventurers¡­ The Flesh Graft Kit was yet another object, allowing limbs and other organs to be grafted onto mobs, or adventurers, Vorinus supposed. More useful than the Genemods. The Hypercancer Kit was far more intriguing. Vorinus could utilize it to seed its Dungeon full of fleshy growths. Tendrils, bulbs, and veins. All cancerous, and slowly growing. Adventurers could use it, but it wasn¡¯t helpful to them. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t very expensive, mana wise. Excited, Vorinus began to alter the Rakahn cavern. First, pools of liquid created from Assimilator blood were pitted throughout the floor, and filled with Mutagenic Symbiotes. If adventurers didn¡¯t die from the Rakahn, they would get their reward. Thinking of the Symbiotes, Vorinus began seeding them in random Rakahn variants. Most of them collapsed to the floor, tendrils bursting from their chests, and ulcerous growths consuming their bodies. They didn¡¯t survive very long after that. One however¡­a Twisted, was able to survive the infusion. The Rakahn already had many tentacles, and instead of alien tendrils growing, ones of the same work began to pierce the skin, and it shrieked in rapture. New eyes formed in the places where no tentacle appeared. Its very skin became foggy and ethereal. Vorinus knew it had made something very, very wrong.
{RAKAHN TWISTED BLUEPRINT MODIFIED: RAKAHN PROPHET} This emissary of the ¡®Lord of the Cosmos Below¡¯ is a silent sentinel of it¡¯s Lord¡¯s holy places, striking with shadowy tendrils to tear the very soul out of attackers. It has ascended beyond mortality through the Holiest Gift, and can now see into other planes, and cast dark sorceries that defy imagination. Rumors that it was Core-spawned have been censored by Rakahn Seers.
In the depths of the Rakahn cavern, Vorinus constructed a huge temple, taking inspiration from the Hivemind¡¯s flowery description, and covered the dark stone in shining sigils of mana crystal. Towering silver gates (Silver extracted from recently uncovered rock) stood in the middle of this temple front, leading to a large room. There, a large circle of symbols traced using Corespawned blood, and Vorinus began creating a suitable boss for it. Selecting a Hypercancer Kit, Vorinus conjured a large mass of dripping, pulsing tissue at the top of the large chamber, limp tendrils lazily trailing across the floor with acidic barbs. While they weren¡¯t a mob, Vorinus could tell that a bit of mana could change that. It was done. An infusion of mana caused the mass to swell, and quiver, additional tendrils slip from the main bulk, and blinking yellow eyes emerged from the body of the horror. At last, a gaping maw of shattered, serrated teeth split the new creature. It was a boss. It was its boss. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
{NEW DUNGEON BOSS: WARDEN OF THE COSMOS BELOW} A strange monstrosity supposedly born from the Lord of the Cosmos Below¡¯s interaction with the world. A massive creature of tumorous flesh, it drags prey to its gaping maw above, or into the volatile ritual circle in its domain. The Warden¡¯s heart is essential in stabilizing the ritual, and thus its tendrils are worshipped as representing the connection to the Cosmos Below.
Embarrassed that it hadn¡¯t thought of that, Vorinus added a heart to the Warden, and made the ritual an unstable vortex of Antimana in the center. Vorinus decided to stop expansion for now. The ¡®Cosmos Below¡¯ could come later. Remembering even more, Vorinus placed a few Fleshgraft and Genemod Kits as loot. Returning to the main cavern, Vorinus analyzed the architecture, and made a few more houses and vital structures. A herd of Hylogo in an enclosed area waited for adventurers to get close, before they broke the weak mushroom fence, and trampled them. Rakahn Warriors and Scouts trained in a large arena-like barracks, where they actually gained passive mana. Perhaps they would evolve, given time. A Seer served as a general for them, keeping them in constant pain and suffering. Vorinus chuckled. It seemed familiar. A crystalline spear-key was set in the middle, to access the temple. A hall for the Artisans allowed them to craft whatever they wanted, and they did in fact create a variety of useful weapons and armor. Vorinus let them think they were doing something meaningful, but absorbed the designs and updated every Rakahn¡¯s armaments. They also argued and debated ¡®the nature of Our Lord in the Cosmic Depths of the Great Beyond¡¯. Vorinus listened when it got bored. The spear-key for this one was embedded in the roof. The Twisted were placed in strange catacombs beneath the ground, where they were locked in gilded cells. Their minds long gone, they angrily snarled and hissed at their imprisonment. Loot was placed in the cells, and Rakahn Warriors served as rudimentary guards. Some had keys, and allowed crafty adventurers to access the Twisted. Once again, a Seer ruled this group. The moans and howls of the poor Twisted were relaxing in a different way. The spear-key was wielded by the Seer in the area. Suddenly, it became an item.
{NEW ITEM ACQUIRED: CRYSTALLINE TEMPLE SPEAR-KEY} A ancient weapon utilized by the Rakahn Seers to protect the Temple of the Cosmos Below from intruders. Made of a material born of the Lord of the Cosmos Below itself, they can pierce any material besides Temple Stone. Three of them are said to open the Argentine Gates.
Once it was done, Vorinus commanded the Rakahn to patrol these areas, and even change shifts between runs from adventurers. Satisfied, Vorinus took a break. Perhaps some filthy adventurers would actually come in today. The Guild had to have finished setting up by now. To make sure, Vorinus had another axolotl peek out the entrance. The construction had settled down, and a curious stand was placed just before the stairs. A bored-looking attendant was talking to the first adventurers in a long line. Papers were signed, and the party moved toward Vorinus¡¯ Dungeon. The axolotl ducked back in, and Vorinus finished up its experiments. The Monk and Mage. What could be born from that? An animal wandered into the kill hole-a snake. It was killed, and Vorinus remembered the other animal it had harvested. The deer.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: KRYSSCALE SNAKE} {BLUEPRINT RETRIEVED FROM ARCHIVE: MOUNTAIN DEER
Vorinus began to consider the ¡®Cosmos Below¡¯ again. The Adventurers would want a complete experience¡­ Vorinus remembered the adventurers, and watched as they cautiously skirted the axolotl pool. Perhaps they had been warned? Regardless, the Fanged Axolotls darted out, and began to tear into the lesser armored party members. Arms severed. Blood spilled. But they were crushed by maces and sliced by swords. The Psychic Axolotls tried to follow, but the adventurers weren¡¯t fooled, and killed them. The party moved on to the crayfish caverns, struggling to gain a foothold in the area. Swarms of them pierced the defenses of the party. None of the tanks were unharmed. At last, the Queen arrived. Shrieking in fury at her slain children, she covered the entire party, trapping them. With a mental order, the crayfish massed into a huge wave, overwhelming the defenses, and shattering the ranks. Both tanks were grievously wounded from a variety of gaping wounds, and a mage was almost fatally injured. A white-robed figure clutched a pendant tightly. It glowed brightly, and they faded from the Dungeon. Vorinus was extremely angry. Hissing in fury, it turned towards other experiments. First, the fusion of the Dwarven Mage, with a Krysscale Snake. The resulting abomination was a crystalline creature with shining facets. The upper torso was a crystal replica of a dwarf, while the lower half was a long serpentine tail. It cast extremely powerful spells through the use of hypercharged crystal shards.
{DWARVEN MAGE + KRYSSCALE SNAKE BLUEPRINTS FUSED: STUNTED JEWELED NAGA}
Satisfied for now, and rage forgotten, Vorinus began to experiment with the Elven Monk. Fused with the Assimilator, a curious creature was born. Smooth black carapace, beady red eyes, and a gaping maw of acidic tendrils. It was a oddly humanoid form, despite this, and was capable of enhancing its body through mana use. It could still assimilate prey, but was much more useful as an offensive unit. Its muscular mass was tripled, and a huge array of tentacles adorned the back. With a single flick, it could break a neck, if enhanced through its own mana.
{ELVEN MONK + ASSIMILATOR BLUEPRINTS FUSED: ASSIMILATOR BRUTE}
Vorinus¡¯ anger was long forgotten, along with its mana. Now, it decided to take a long rest¡­ Chapter 7: Rogues Suck It was time to calm down. Vorinus was getting ahead of itself, expanding at a ridiculous pace, without any serious adventurers. It was content, for now. Content to watch the bloodshed. Sure enough, a party descended the stairs, weapons held at the ready. A armor-clad warrior with an enormous sword. A ¡®mage¡¯, charged with mana. A robed figure with long, thin blades. Vorinus was eager to see what would become of these fellows. Previously advised by the past delvers-Vorinus could only assume-the mage boiled the pool, incinerating the axolotls. He didn¡¯t even seem tired! Vorinus looked at the Assimilator cave again. Oops. It really needed to remember to change that¡­wait, couldn¡¯t it just do it now? Extending mana, it suddenly encountered a series of error messages.
{ERROR-FORIEGN MANA SIGNATURE INTERFERENCE} {ERROR-COMMAND UNABLE TO BE EXECUTED} {ERROR-MANA STRING TERMINATED} {ERROR-MANA INSTABILITY INCREASING} {ERROR-DAMAGE TO CORE ASPECT}
Vorinus hissed in pain, as a sharp lance of mana lanced from its center, scorching the fleshy substance all around it. It grew back quickly, however. Vorinus now knew better. Returning its gaze to the adventurers, it watched the robed figure dart ahead at a nearly inhuman speed, crushing crayfish under foot, and stabbed their blades into the Queen. By the time her brood came to defend her, she was already dead. Vorinus would have to waste mana on bringing her back. As the Queen¡¯s shell decayed, Vorinus noticed a magnificent dagger made completely from crayfish chitin form in the middle of the corpse. The robed figure seemed excited, casting its old ones aside, and grabbing the new one. Designs of eldritch tentacles covered its surface, and Vorinus could detect a slumbering power focused on the tip. Who knew Bosses dropped such things? Vorinus was annoyed the Hivemind hadn¡¯t said anything, though. In fact, the Hivemind had seemed¡­preoccupied, recently. After the error messages, it hadn¡¯t noticed any system input. Looking idly around its domain for a second, it spotted a small object at the base of its core. A charred blob of neural tissue with swollen, melted nerves, which once¡­interfaced with Vorinus¡¯ core! It had severed its connection to the Hivemind through the mana surge! Excited, it returned to the adventurers. They were handily beating the Assimilators, the mage showering them with flame, and the warriors crushing and slashing with their sharp weapons. The robed figure was handling the Assimilator Brute, dashing around the dangerous thrashes of its tentacles, preventing it from doing anything to resist as they were cut off one by one. With a flourish, it¡¯s head hit the ground hard, and yet another piece of gear formed on the ground. Maybe it was random chance? If so, the robed figure was rather lucky¡­ This time, it was a pair of gloves composed of the Assimilator¡¯s signature carapace, and able to shoot out muscular tendrils to grip objects from afar, or strangle an opponent. The robed figure was swiftly becoming its favorite adventurer, and it couldn¡¯t wait to add it to its blueprint list. When the last Assimilator was slain, the group turned around, and began to cross the chasm. They were strong, but not so strong as to resist the hypnotic mushrooms. So many at once naturally dragged their gaze downward, and their feet were drawn forward inches at a time. Then the bats broke their trance. One tried to knock a armored warrior, but he simply smiled, and crushed it with his bare hands. Oof. Vorinus wasn¡¯t happy, but at least no more equipment dropped for the robed figure. Instead, the armored warrior got a even larger shield, covered in the same hypnotic mushrooms. It seemed rather heavy, but he swung it around easily. After a while, he strapped it to his back, and returned to traversing the chasm. How such an item had fit in the bat, Vorinus didn¡¯t know. In the Kelp Prisoner¡¯s domain, the adventurers faced their first real challenge. The kelp-people hid among the many forests of their lesser kin, standing motionless and hidden. The warrior and mage stood back warily, as the robed figure shot ahead, unable to see anything. Out of nowhere, one of the Kelp Idols-one based on Vorinus-groaned to life, trapping the figure in a tangle of dried kelp, and the Prisoners moved in, piercing the poor adventurer with their many spears. The warrior and mage rushed forward when they heard the figure¡¯s screams, and the warrior immediately went about cutting the Prisoners in half, while the mage conjured a rain of fire to burn away the kelp thickets in the region. The mobs shrieked in pain as their flesh burned away, but they managed to continue their brutal assault of the figure. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. When the last one fell, the warrior freed the figure from its captor, and the mage frowned, hands glowing with a soft warm light. The wounds sealed, though the recipient flinched a bit. The mage must be a fire-caster. Certainly painful. With that, the adventurers turned back, though the mage now held a kelp-staff that pulsed with mana, and even regenerated its supply! Vorinus thought it was being rather generous. Overall, not a bad showing! Now, while it could remember, Vorinus added an entrance off to the side of the Assimilator cavern, leading to the chasm. If people wanted to skip straight to it, they could do that too, like normal. Then, it analyzed the rest of the Dungeon. The bats were basically useless. They weren¡¯t as close to an evolution as Vorinus had first thought, and the Stunted Jeweled Naga would probably do better there, able to ambush from the many crevices in the chasm walls. It conjured three, and dug a few tunnels for them, allowing them to travel between ambush points. Next, it began to explore its development of the items its creations dropped. Perhaps¡­it could try to reconnect to the Hivemind? Vorinus discarded the idea, as it considered the vestiges of the Hivemind¡¯s presence on its consciousness. Really, it had all the information, and none of the strings attached. Thrilled, and relieved, Vorinus called forth the information on these items.
Loot is a vital component in attracting adventurers. Created using the mana invested in a mob¡¯s creation, the stronger the creature, the better the loot. Loot can take a variety of forms, and what it is depends on the {Class} of the adventurer(s) that killed the mob. Multiple loot items can drop for mobs taken down near equally by multiple individuals. This is especially common for Bosses. Loot can be customized in the blueprint menu.
Vorinus was mostly satisfied with its loot, but it did glance at each one to see if any were unsatisfactory. Of course, Vorinus could only change so much for such a customizable value. There were the base materials that loot could be made of, the loose effect of the loot, and the chance for it to appear. It only modified the pressingly bad ones.
{LOOT-KELP SHAMAN} {VALUE/BASE_MATERIAL: DRIED ARCANE KELP >>> COSMIC KELP} {VALUE/EFFECT_LOOT: ARCANE ENHANCEMENT >>> STAR-BRIGHT} {VALUE/CHANCE_ACQUIRE: 30%/kill >>> 5%/kill}
Now, staffs that conjured orbs of blazing starlight that could obliterate weaker adventurers, swords that pulsed with astral energy, and boots that warped light around them were possible. Hopefully, someone would find it. Only one more to go. A serious one.
{LOOT-WARDEN OF THE COSMOS BELOW} {VALUE/BASE_MATERIAL: DIVINE EYES >>> ELDRITCH CARDIAC TUMOR} {VALUE/EFFECT_LOOT: DIVINE CURSE >>> GATEWAY_ACCESS/VAMPIRISM} {VALUE/CHANCE_ACQUIRE: 30%/kill
It was already awkward enough to have a random heart to open the gateway to the next area. Now, it was actual loot, with an actual ability besides its function as a key. Perhaps it would be useful to some adventurers who delved far enough. With that, Vorinus began to mess around with the Rakahn Prophets. They seemed imposing, but¡­so much more was possible. Once modified, they would be far too strong for this area, but it would be useful for the future. First, mana was pumped into the tendrils, and they swelled, splitting into hundreds of different strands. Each flickered in and out of this reality, and Vorinus could tell that a touch would delete a mortal¡¯s soul with the slightest touch. Dangerous things. The next goal was to infuse the Prophet¡¯s own soul with even more mana. Perhaps its ¡®dark sorceries¡¯, and vision to other planes could be bolstered. Seconds later, the Prophet glowed brightly in Vorinus¡¯ sight, mana almost bursting from the seams of its soul. It eyes shined even more brightly, influenced by intent, and Vorinus knew that it could see through walls¡­detect souls¡­and perhaps even pierce invisibility and disguises. Nothing would get past it, now. In addition, its sorceries had advanced greatly. Now, it could conjure Star-Bright of its own accord, raining death and chaos upon foes. It could even contract extra-dimensional beings, from beyond the universe! Who knew what else it could do! Excited, Vorinus looked everything over once more.
{RAKAHN PROPHET BLUEPRINT MODIFIED: TWISTED CHILD}
Huh. Unexpected for a race below human to have such a powerful mob. And then¡­Dungeon Ambassador Yelzor strutted in, eyes furious. ¡°You are a very lucky little core. My superiors have deemed you ¡®safe¡¯. I KNOW THE TRUTH! WHO SENT YOU?¡± He began quietly, his voice sharply turning to spiteful roar. ¡°I¡­um¡­am a Dungeon Core? I don¡¯t know who created me?¡± Vorinus said waveringly, not really knowing how real Dungeon Cores worked, but also not knowing who its real creator was. ¡°Hah. We both know you are different. You don¡¯t have any kind of Faerie, or Daemon. Highest fatality rate of any newborn Dungeon-EVER. Plus, your monsters resemble Abominations from the Cosmic War. Don¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­sorry, Yelzor. If you don¡¯t have permission from your masters, go, and don¡¯t come back until you do,¡± Vorinus felt an immense sense of pride. Yelzor couldn¡¯t do a thing. ¡°YOU! ARGGGGGHHHH. I WILL BACK, AND YOU WILL DIE!¡± With that, the Guild official stormed out, mana swirling around him like a vortex. Chapter 8: Innovation, Early Risers, and the Pioneers Vorinus ¡®blinked¡¯ mentally, a pulse of mana blocking its vision. It turned its focus toward the new area it had been constructing, holding off until the adventurers above had progressed far enough. The Cosmos Below. Enormous, lengthy caverns were excavated beneath the Rakahn village, humid air was shunted into the chambers, and Vorinus developed some new mobs. Another Hypercancer Kit, this time fused with the psychic organs of the Lesser Psychic Axolotl. It pulsed with an alien azure light, shifting and warping as it became a pod-covered stalk took root, lines of blue energy blinking with every quivering of the mass. Tendril-like roots burrowed into the ground, working their way through solid stone as if it were dirt.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: PSIONIC PODSTALK} This bizarre example of Core-spawned life thrives in humid, wet environments, extremely strong roots firmly anchoring it to any solid surface. The many pods covering the central stalk are filled with partially conscious neural matter, capable of unleashing devastating psychic attacks when combined, and directed by the core brain column.
The ¡®Psionic Podstalk¡¯ was a truly intriguing specimen, and Vorinus was inspired to create new varieties. How could it not for such a unique creature? This time, the Podstalk was fused with a Flesh Graft Kit. The many pods began to shrivel and atrophy, no longer needed, and were cannibalized by their own body. Raw flesh burst from every area, morphing into something truly monstrous. A bundle of bones, muscles, and scattered limbs was all that remained. A gaping maw cut the mass in half, and clusters of wild eyes glared hatefully at everything in sight. It struggled to its many limbs, and began to prowl its corridors.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: POD AMALGAM} This terrifying mass of alien flesh is directly controlled by nearby Podstalks, possessing no will of its own, hobbling and skittering along, the perfect defense against those that would harm its controller. Its flesh is highly regenerative, and resists all damage. However, if the singular neural pod in its center is destroyed, the Killer is left aimless, easily slain.
It was interesting. The dependency on the Podstalks gave it a counterbalance against its regeneration, and Vorinus could see a lot of use in it, clusters patrolling the hallways of the Cosmos Below in an endless vigil over the Podstalks. Now, it was time for a new creation. Another fusion with the Podstalk, this time a Bioengineering Kit. Instantly, the pods began to twitch, contracting into a dense cluster, and melding into a much smaller mass at the base of the stalk. The roots contorted and fused into muscular, serrated tails, thrashing violently back and forth. Finally, a nest of tendrils shot from every exposed surface, writhing and squirming as if separate entities. Just like that, it was complete.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: POD DREADNOUGHT} This massive Core-spawned creature possesses immense psionic power, capable of levitating itself, and even causing instant madness if exposed enough. Its serrated tails protect it from most harm, and its tendrils allow it to manipulate its environment, and choke attackers. Within its center, the massive pod allows it to command its own Pod Amalgams, communicate with many Podstalks, and govern its own thoughts. Simply put, the Dreadnought is a foe to be feared.
Vorinus was in awe. The Dreadnought was larger than any other mob it had created so far. Floating in the middle of the massive tunnel, it silently watched everything below, even mentally hjacking a few Amalgams, its tail placing them on its back. Perhaps it would make good Boss material, but Vorinus decided that this floor needed to be different. Stronger. Podstalks were quickly littered about the dark floor, pulsing eerily as they controlled swarms of Amalgams. Multiple Dreadnoughts were allowed to roam the floor freely, their oppressive auras causing the Amalgams to shrink in fear. It was perfect, but it needed a Boss to finish everything off. Vorinus thought idly about what it could use for the Boss. Suddenly, it recalled the Assimilators. It had been quite a long time since it had done much with them, despite having a soft place in its pulsating heart. Vorinus called up the basic Assimilator blueprint. The strange orb of writhing tendrils was highly interesting, even though it had little actual combat power. All it needed to do was get inside a host, and it was Vorinus¡¯. Combined with a Hypercancer Kit and Podstalk, anything could be possible. It began work, fusing the ethereal pattern within its mind with the makeup of the Hypercancer Kit and Podstalk pattern, watching as the pattern started to swell, almost bursting as the new tumorous growths practically overwhelmed the Assimilator¡¯s tendrils. Even as Vorinus watched, the tendrils fused completely with swiftly growing internal pods, becoming a neural network that pulsed with psionic energy. By the time the transformation was done, the assimilator was nothing but a blob of churning flesh, and Vorinus could tell that the slightest touch against a creature would assume control of its body. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: PSYCHIC FLESH} This bizarre, quivering creature is an example of a highly dangerous Corespawn. Its amorphous body can absorb most damage, even surviving being split in half. In addition, the Flesh can assume control of any creature it touches, its latent psionic abilities hijacking the nervous system of its host. Only fire can harm the Flesh in any meaningful way.
Satisfied, Vorinus poured more and more mana into the the Psychic Flesh, watching as it swelled and grew even further, the fleshy mass becoming a flood of tissue, and its neural web thickened immensely, projecting its influence a short distance away from its bulk. Vorinus could even detect primitive sentience stirring within its network. Simple thoughts, but still self-awareness. Vorinus reached out as it heard the Flesh speak. {WHAT¡­AM¡­I?} ¡°You are mine.¡± {WHAT¡­ARE¡­YOU?} ¡°I am your Master.¡± {HOW¡­SERVE¡­YOU?} ¡°Guard. Kill intruders.¡± {I¡­UNDERSTAND¡­MASTER} With that done, Vorinus guided the Flesh to it¡¯s new home, a humid, massive cavern covered in carefully nurtured tumors, ones that Vorinus regarded as rather artful. It seemed quite happy to squelch around the chamber, repeating Vorinus¡¯ instructions over and over. Vorinus noticed some adventurers sneaking in, similar to the irritating robed figure. Tiredly, I watched as the figures began to breeze through my floors, briefly pausing in the kelp room, before one with a dark red headband made a violent gesture and a burst of fire consumed the prisoners and idols in seconds. Vorinus sighed mentally. This time, the blue headband took the lead, though the entire group froze in awe as the Kelp Argentdrake slithered toward them, roaring loudly. However, the blue headband recovered quickly, and made a sweeping gesture. Water rose from the pool, and restrained the thrashing Boss. Finally, the black headband made a series of cutting gestures, as black shadows rose from the ground, slashing the poor creature. It died after three strikes. They grabbed the loot that dropped, before racing to the Wurm¡¯s room, and another figure, this time with a yellow headband made a circular motion, and a ray of blinding light caused the beast to flinch, allowing the black headband to perform their methodical cutting. The red headband joined in, but the Wurm was able to tear the arm off the blue headband before they could act. After the Wurm died, the group stopped, but seemed to use their hands to communicate. The blue headband¡¯s gestures were frantic, but the rest seemed to decide to leave them behind. Dejected, they slunk out, after conjuring a ¡®bandage¡¯ of water to stop the bleeding. The rest pressed on. However, when the figures encountered the submerged caverns, they shifted awkwardly, probably wishing they had kept the blue headband around. The group made several frustrated and finally stormed out. Vorinus ¡®smirked¡¯, and waited for the day to actually begin for the adventurers. A few hours later, the first official group strolled in, steamrolling the early rooms as they reached the Kelp Prisoners. Instantly, their smug and casual stance changed as they entered the more challenging section of the dungeon. One, with a horned helmet and strange glowing axe, took the lead, eyes darting from thicket to thicket of kelp. When the Prisoners leapt at him, his axe was already moving, shredding the kelp strands of their bodies with a single sweeping arc. The rest moved forward as the axe-wielder took a steadying breath. Another of those blasted robed figures sprinted into the next room, grappling with the Argentdrake as they pierced its head over and over with a serrated dagger. The axe-wielder stepped up to help again, chopping the mob in half. Vorinus hissed. When the group came across the Wurm, everyone pitched in. The figure kept its attention by stabbing it in its underbelly occasionally, the axe-wielder did actual damage with his strange axe that seemed to pass right through the creature¡¯s protection, an archer shot volleys of toxin arrows into the rapidly widening gaps in the Wurm¡¯s armor, and a white-robed bald woman with a golden staff seemed to infuse the rest with a energetic fervor. At last, the Wurm died, and the adventurers claimed the loot. After a quiet discussion, the bald woman raised her staff and an air bubble coalesced around the party¡¯s heads. They dived into the part of the dungeon none but Vorinus itself had been. Besides the mobs, anyway. Instantly, Slarn raced towards the party, causing them to flinch as it opened its mouth disturbingly wide. The axe-wielder managed to slowly bring his axe through the water, just barely knocking the beast onto the figure¡¯s waiting knife. The party shared a grim look, and pressed deeper. More and more Slarn started to tire out the party when they at least reached the Kelp Prisoners. Compared to their performance above, the adventurers were slow to react, and a Prisoner managed to pierce the archer in the chest. Instantly, the bald woman was there to heal the wound, though she seemed even more tired than the rest. Vorinus needed to take her out. It directed every remaining Slarn, Prisoner, Shaman, and Rider besides the boss towards the woman, and she was obliterated under the sheer force of the attack. Suddenly, the party¡¯s protection failed, and the archer¡¯s wound returned. Vorinus watched them frantically reach the surface, heaving. It had thought humans had more dignity, but they ran away just the same.
{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: HUMAN ASCETIC}
Interesting, Vorinus thought. It was hungry for more.