《The Dungeon Without a System》 Chapter 1 -0-0-0-0-0- Unknown Place, Unknown Time -0-0-0-0-0- As I drifted awake, it seemed fitting that the first thing I felt was a drifting sensation. It was like I was floating on a pool of water, being gently rocked back and forth. It was soothing. Relaxing. I decided to enjoy the sensation and stay in this half-awake state of being for as long as possible. Inevitably though, I became more and more aware of myself and my surroundings. At some point, something twitched in my mind. I should be in my bed; why was I feeling like this? When I went to take a deep breath, I felt nothing. I didn''t take a breath; I didn''t feel my chest expand. In a sudden panic, I was thrust into full awareness. Well, I certainly wasn''t in my bed. I was surrounded by water, with an island directly to my west. There were hundreds of fish swimming in the coral reef below me, along with their supporting ecosystems. Wait, What?! Dumbfounded, I tried to blink. Nothing happened. I tried to raise an arm, and nothing happened. Why couldn''t I move? Oh. I was a gem. A Gem? Yes; a Teal Sapphire. Three inches long, tear-drop cut. Why is my body a Sapphire? And where the fuck am I? Unlike my other questions, nothing jumped out to me. Unable to do anything, I continued to float on the ocean. The rising tide pushed me towards the island, which looked like a volcanic one, given the tall volcano. Specifically, the tide was drifting me into a cave entrance, a vast triangular crack in the side of a cliff at the side of a long, black sand beach. I was soon pushed onto the sandy beach, which ran along one side of the cave. It was quite a deep cave, and the water reflected beautiful shifting designs on the cave ceiling. And so, there I lay as the tide rolled out. My glittering facets darkened as the sunset, the dazzling orange and pink tapestry of the horizon visible from within the cave. With nothing to distract me, I was confronted with my new existence. I was a Sapphire, a Teal Sapphire. Gems don''t have brains, hearts, nerves, or anything most could consider necessary to be alive. They are composed of carbon and other minerals and elements, giving them each a unique structure and coloration. So, if I was a gemstone, how was I alive? A glimmer of a memory caught my attention. This situation was achingly familiar... I could have sworn I''d read something like this before... Was I a Dungeon? Dungeon: A crystal or gem with consciousness and agency, which formed constructs of mana to defend themselves within twisting and dangerous caverns. So, If I was a dungeon... Status? ... Bugger. -0-0-0-0-0- Nothing worked. Wherever I was, I didn''t have a system. That''s fine. I''d read stories where the core did without. I could too. How about Mana? I had to be using it in some capacity since I can see, and I didn''t exactly have eyes to see with. I had 360-degree vision, though about half of it was obscured by sand, and the other half was staring into the moonlit cave. I attempted to ''blink'' or turn off my vision and failed. Eh, worth a shot. Maybe it''s like an exhale kind of feeling? I imagined taking a deep breath, then a long exhale, ad infinitum. After a few dozen repetitions, I felt something. Motes of glowing energy, without color, yet sparkling like distant stars. With every inhale, the motes drew closer, and some were absorbed into my facets. With each exhale, those motes I''d absorbed left my gem. Now, however, I could direct them. Not accurately or with any finesse, but with grand sweeping motions. With a mental wave, I set them to orbit me. I also changed my breathing rhythm; sharp, strong inhales drew motes closer and spun my orbitals faster. Long, slow exhales prevented the unaffiliated specks from drifting too far away. It was... meditative. What once took all my focus slowly became second nature. I was dimly aware of the sun rising and setting, over and over. After what must have been almost two weeks, my rings were like Saturn''s, beautiful and glittering in that not-light they exuded. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It also showed me this wasn''t working. Yes, I could draw mana closer and control it afterward, but I couldn''t do anything with it. In frustration, I pulled my mana rings within my facets simultaneously. Then with an explosive ''shout,'' I shot the mana away. My motes collided with the sand beneath me, the cave walls around me, and the ocean water beside me. The mana stuck to the walls, becoming lodged. The mana in the water continued unimpeded until it hit the sea bed. The mana in the sand lodged easily, much like the walls. The mana which shot out the cave''s mouth hit a passing seabird. And did something unexpected. The bird cried in surprise and lost altitude in its panic. It crash-landed on the sand as my speeding motes of mana disrupted its delicate nervous-system-like mana circuits. Within seconds, I felt my mana converting the bird''s natural mana to more of mine. Within a minute, the seagull was an extension of my will. I could feel its existence in the back of my mind even when I wasn''t paying attention. Focusing on it, however, gave me a wealth of information. I could feel every detail of its biology, see through its eyes, and feel the wind rushing over its feathers. I could feel my mana within it and order it what to do by imposing my will upon that mana. Absently, I directed it to fly up and around the island. Flying is incredible, by the way, even if only by proxy. It turned out I was right; the island was indeed volcanic. In fact, The volcano was active, even if it wasn''t erupting at the moment. Its crater lake boiled with nebulous and toxic gasses. The island was covered in tropical flora, with palm trees by the beach and a dense rainforest filling the rest. The seagull could hear the droning hum of birdsong, insects, and other typical noises and calls of the animals within it. I released the bird from my direct control, letting it fly about on its own. Alright. I could control animals I infused with my mana. Cool. What about the mana that stuck to the rock? As soon as I directed my attention to it, I felt the mana in the walls and ground shift slightly, and suddenly I wasn''t just the Gem lying in the quartz and obsidian sand. I was also the sand and the walls formed from various strata of volcanic rock. I could feel that my mind still resided within the gem, the Core, but the rest was like my body. In a very real sense, I was the cave, from the mouth to the termination. Time for some testing. I willed the sand below my gem to move, and it moved. Like water, the black sand rushed towards my gem. It swirled beneath me, then lifted me into the air with a push and pull, then when I made the decision, It fused into a five-foot-tall pedestal, sparking with white glimmers of quartz amongst the black rock. My tear-drop form was gently held in place by delicately sculpted fingers of rock, the tip of my pedestal designed to look like a hand reaching up to caress my core. Quickly, before my pedestal could tip sideways, I extended long rock roots down from the base to anchor my beautiful pedestal in the sand. I also felt slightly ''out of breath.'' It felt odd, given I didn''t need to breathe, but it also made sense. I did manipulate and fuse sand into... Obsidian? Or a black rock. No, it''s made mostly of silicon, which makes it obsidian. It certainly matches my memories of the material. But anyway, fusing sand into obsidian should take a fair amount of both mana and mental energy. The next ''breath'' of mana I took, I breathed with the whole cave as my ''mouth.'' I watched, astonished, as hundreds of free-floating specks of mana rushed into my cave, merging into a stream of glittering not-light that wove through the air towards my gem. After a few minutes of this, I realized I hadn''t exhaled. I was still ''breathing in.'' Wait. Oh, Duh. I was a gemstone, not a human. I didn''t need to breathe anymore. It was just a mental construct I''d fashioned to help conceptualize this weird sense and manipulation of mana. As the stream grew from hundreds of motes to thousands, I drank down the river of mana. I guzzled it down like the world''s biggest glutton. But soon I began to feel... full. I was glowing fairly brightly, something inside me radiating beams of light through my facets onto the cave walls. As the feeling of fullness gained strength, I took the mental cue and stopped inhaling. But the mana didn''t stop coming. It was now a roaring river, moving under its own unstoppable momentum. The unaligned atmospheric mana moving towards me had created a kind of suction, or vacuum, and nature abhorred a vacuum. More mana moved in to fill the spaces mana had just left, propagating outwards with alarming speed. Panicked, and with the feeling of fullness growing painful, I pushed my mana out, making space for new mana to rush in. I threw my mana into an orbital ring and watched as it collided with the river of pure power coursing towards me. Slowly, ever so slowly, the river was diverted. It joined the orbiting mana ring, and as it ran into mine, it mingled and shifted. Gradually the incoming mana became mine all on its own. After what felt like an eternity but must have been less than an hour given the shifting shadows, the stream slowed to a trickle. Though, it hadn''t stopped. Now I had a new problem. There was so much mana orbiting me, and I had no idea what to do with it. After a second of thinking, the answer came to me. I was a Dungeon core. I could manipulate and absorb mana. Cores got larger as they grew in strength. At least they had in the stories I''d read. Tentatively, I pushed a few motes inside me to the surface of my facets. I gently prodded them out and held them to the surface of my core. Slowly the motes crystallized, and I felt my gem grow. I gently brought more to the surface in even layers, growing larger one grain of width at a time. Days more passed, and the orbital ring of mana dwindled. Soon my rings more resembled Jupiter''s rather than Saturn''s. There and visible but nowhere near as awe-inspiring. And so, that is how I became an almost foot-long glowing Dungeon Core, on a five-foot-long obsidian arm and hand sticking out of the sand. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 2 -0-0-0-0-0- Uncharted Island, Unknown Ocean Night of Day 3, Week 1 -0-0-0-0-0- Leaving my core just inside the mouth of the cave was a terrible idea; I knew that. After some time observing the mana streams in the sky around the island, I could see the natural rivers it formed and the various tributaries that fed into the stream that led to my core. More concerningly, the stream was growing. Some of the dungeon fiction I''d read had dungeons as nature''s terraformers, passively healing the land. Sometimes they would refine or vomit mana into the land around them. What I seemed to be doing was the exact opposite. I was a mana drain, taking mana from the air. I was coating the inside of the cave, growing my core with it, and adding it to my ever-growing rings. Now that the process had started, I wasn''t sure it could be stopped. The unaligned mana in the sky was naturally drawn to me. And I knew this drain would continue to grow, even if I kept it to the minimum level I possibly could. There was an unstoppable momentum to it. If there are sapient beings on this planet, and if they can sense mana, they would eventually notice the streams moving towards me. Thus, I needed to build defenses. I pondered spreading across the island''s surface or spreading through the ocean but eventually dismissed the ideas. I had a chance here that I''d never even thought possible. I''m going to build a Dungeon. Shifting the sand beneath my pedestal, I caused it to glide deeper into the cave. I stopped a distance away from the back wall, a point that the sand in this cave still reached. Feeling the back of the cave, I pushed at the mana that had absorbed into the walls, willing the rock to part. With a crack, a black line formed by the ground, water rushing in as it slowly grew wider. Hmm. Not quite what I wanted. I stopped pushing, but the crack remained. I willed a tendril of mana to leave my rings and directed it to crash into the crack. As the stone became saturated by my mana, I willed the rock to crumble. I kept an image in my head of an irregular triangular tunnel, sand enough to stand on without getting wet on the left, with a channel of water to the right. And, just as I pictured it, the cave wall crumbled into sand, which rushed past my pedestal and out into the ocean. Foot by foot, my mental image became a reality. After having carved the tunnel for a good 10 yards, I had used all the mana I''d thrown at the wall. I directed the leftover sand into the water, letting it settle under the waves. This wasn''t as long as I wanted it to be, but I stopped before I could continue. I had an idea. With renewed purpose, I directed a stream of mana into the tunnel. Some small parts carved the walls to look more natural, while the majority slammed into the back wall and drilled in, constant waves of black sand flowing back out. Within another hour, I''d formed a cavern about half the size of a football stadium. One half was sandy, while the other was a deep-ish pool. The roof was littered with stalactites, pointing down like knives in the dark and making ripples in the almost-still water. And whoo-boy. It was dark in here. I need some thematic lighting. So I had a cave. A nice big cave. What did I want to do with it? Well, I had a plan. Unfortunately, I didn''t have any glowworms, so I needed an alternative lighting source. Strictly I didn''t need light since the cave was my body, and I knew every square inch of stone like it was the back of my hand. Not that I had one. It''s a metaphor, anyway. I want my new home to look nice. Was that so bad? That leads me to my next experiment with mana. To my ''vision,'' individual motes of mana are specks that glow, but not in the ''light'' sense. It had some strange Fluorescence that I could see easily, but normal creatures like the seagull couldn''t. Thus, I want to find a way to make visible light with my mana. Experiment one: Clumps. I formed a sconce to cradle my potential light, which looked like a hand grasping out of the wall next to my entrance. What? My pedestal was a hand, and I knew how to make hands. They were easy. Familiar. Next, I took about a golf-ball-sized clump of mana and moved it to sit within the fingers of the sconce. It did nothing but continue to be a ball of mana. Alright then. I guess I have to catalyze it somehow. Perhaps by spinning it around incredibly quickly? No. Radiance? No, that only makes it shed mana. At a decent rate, too, so that''s something to remember. Okay, back to square one. Light is caused by electrons jumping from higher to lower energy levels, which generates a photon. It''s usually caused by resistance to the flow of electricity, fusion, or a sufficiently exothermic reaction, like combustion. There might also exist a ''light mana,'' but I haven''t encountered ''conceptual'' mana yet, only my own ''claimed'' mana, ''unclaimed'' mana in the air, and the Gull''s mana. Speaking of which, he''s fine. He''s eating a fish right now. Mana-fire sounds highly hazardous, and I don''t think attempting to form electricity is a good idea right now. Though fusion seems like the most dangerous option... fusing motes of mana together sounds like the easiest thing to accomplish. Let''s try it, then. Experiment Two: Mana Suns. With a flex of will, I caused the mana in the ball to crush inwards, effectively creating an artificial gravity. Hmm. Not enough. I directed more mana into the ball, feeling more and more like I was making a bomb. The ''gravity'' grew and grew until suddenly I felt like the mana was going to explode outwards, an internal pressure suddenly existing. I forced the mana to stay within the ball and watched as the roiling, compressed mana twisted and turned on itself. Then something clicked, and it happened. From within the ball came a radiating pressure and an equal pull that kept the pressure in balance. In the star''s center, I could see a crystal come into being, the mana-star''s core analogue. Could this eventually become a mana crystal? Right now, it was a tiny ball, but I''d keep an eye on it over the next few hours /weeks to track its growth. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. From within the fingers of my Hand-Sconce, a small sun of ghostly teal light shone. The light filled the mouth of my cave, throwing shadows and creating water mosaics on the ceiling to join the moonlight. The color was strange, the same shade as my core. Was this the color of my mana? Would everything I make with mana be this color? Either way, It''s bright. Incredibly bright. It might even be too bright. Like real stars, this mana star had a minimum mana/mass requirement, meaning it had a minimum possible size. Unfortunately, I couldn''t use this everywhere in my dungeon because even its smallest size was far too large to fit in the small hallways I envisioned. Thankfully it also seemed relatively stable. Its outsides rotated slowly, and that speed ramped up quickly the closer you got to the crystal at its core. It was also a fucking beacon. Sitting as it was, oversized compared to the sconce I had made for it, the light it radiated could probably be seen all the way to the horizon! This could not stay on the outside of my dungeon. I am nowhere near ready for anyone to know I''m here. I have no traps! No Monsters! No defenses whatsoever! When attempting to move the small star, I found it incredibly easy. Then again, this was composed entirely of my own mana; I shouldn''t be surprised. I directed the giant ball of mana to float through my entrance, which I had to expand slightly to get the tiny star through. I brought the sand back and shrunk the entrance back down afterward. I formed two large hands to cradle the star on the ceiling in the middle of the cavern. The fingers cradled it like a pair of hands warmed by a fire, directing the light down and allowing the water''s mosaics to fill the shadowed cave roof. So I have a cave leading into a cavern and light to fill the cavern. Now, it''s time for part three! Monsters and Critters to inhabit and defend me. For this, I need my good friend Gull, the seagull. ... He''s sleeping... ... Alright. I''ll wait till morning for that. In the meantime, let''s make more caverns! -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Unknown Island, Unknown Ocean Dawn of Day 4, Week 3 -0-0-0-0-0- I... may have gotten caught up in construction fever. I now possessed around a mile of twisting, growing, and shrinking passages, with four large, spacious caverns along its length. I had also been struck by inspiration about halfway through the week and carved a small and entirely underwater set of caves for my fish to live in. They connected to all the deepest points of the ponds in the cave system. I also had one tunnel which led to a point under the waterline, in the cliff wall next to my cave, to let fish in and out. It''s been... about a week? I think that''s right. Either way, the sun dawned over the calm ocean like a shimmering jewel on a velvet cushion. I assume. I can''t see it since my cave faces west, but I can see morning''s arrival. I was initially going to use Gull to collect some animals for me to use, but over my week of digging, a fair number of small creatures had wandered in. They''d made themselves at home in my caverns and the water that flowed through and between them. Each organism within me gets a blast of mana, and they became extensions of my will. My new creatures include dozens of fish of various species, sand-dwelling insects, mites and flies, and a couple of tiny crabs the size of a rectangular eraser. The fish, I don''t recognize. Then again, I wasn''t particularly obsessed with the ocean back on earth, so I didn''t expect to recognize them. I had breeding pairs of all of them, so I moved them into small ''breeding chambers'' connected to the underwater system and set them to making more of themselves. I did the same for the crabs but directed them to a half-n-half chamber, where half of the chamber''s floor is above the waterline. I singled out a particularly large specimen in my first cavern and told him to stay put. It was time for another experiment. I had a tiny crab, but it needed to be bigger if I wanted it to be worth anything as a defender. As it was now, it couldn''t even cut a pinky toe off. So, I focused on my crab and got to work. First, I just pushed mana into him to see what would happen. Much like with my own core, I quickly reached a point where the crab''s magical nervous system, its ''magic circuits,'' felt ''full.'' But nothing else happened. It was now a particularly mana-charged crab. So, I pushed my intent into the mana. Grow. Get Bigger. Immediately, the mana started being absorbed by the crab''s flesh. The crab began to stagger, suddenly disoriented. Over the next hour, the crab grew. From the size of an eraser to a palm with fingers splayed. Alright, I now had a bigger crab. Nice to know that I could make animals bigger with mana. It still wasn''t big enough yet, though. What next... Hmm. Perhaps mana cores? They''re generally a staple of fantasy literature and are often the determiner of monsterdom. Once again, I flooded his system with mana. The crab''s male, by the way. I won''t name it until I know it won''t explode into gore. Now it''s time for some speculation. In theory, animals exist in the wild with some mutated and warped by natural mana, much like my crab; unnaturally large for its species. Animals accumulated this mana naturally by eating smaller organisms and their mana; I had observed this with Gull eating some fish. Once the mana in them reached some nebulous point, something had to happen. I didn''t give the crab a chance to naturally do what it would have by forcing the mana in him to make him grow. So, this time, I poured in mana until I could add no more and left it like that. I withdrew from the crab''s mind and mana and waited, watching. After a couple of hours of saturation and some exploration of my dungeon, testing its new size, the crab fell unconscious on the beach of the second cavern. (Sized identically to the first, third, and fourth caverns.) I watched, entirely focused and fascinated, as the mana condensed down into a solid crystal in the middle of the crab, next to his tiny heart. His new Monster Core. Soon after, the newly created monster woke and moved on with his life, with a few differences. He now passively absorbed mana from the air, much as I did. I assume this was ''mana regeneration.'' He now also moved with focused purpose, as opposed to before, where he seemed to have just been wandering. He made his way through the entire dungeon until he found himself in my core room, a small chamber behind the final cavern, an arena-like space I intended to be the boss room. After looking up at me for a minute, he bowed. It was, undeniably, a bow. The crab spread his claws, leaned forward, and lifted his back half higher off the sand. Well... I have to make you into a true monster with dedication like that. I reached into his head and sent him a pleased feeling. I quickly diverted a stream of mana off my ever-thicker rings, which now looked more like a black hole''s accretion disk than Saturn''s rings. The crab clacked his claws, and I got a vague sense of joy back through our connection when the mana reached him. The mana was quickly absorbed into his core, which began giving off its own internal glow. Along with the mana, I sent the mental image of a giant crab. One claw was enlarged into a shield, and the other elongated and sharpened, yet both still usable as claws. Its shell was littered with spikes and pits, thick and rugged. The armor on its legs extended to cover the joints but still allowed quite a bit of movement and a high degree of agility. Thinner, but no less impressive, armor on its underside; to cover that potential weakness. The color of its shell was also altered, a splotchy dark grey to match the cavern walls. I felt awe from the small crustacean, then an impressive resolve. It took most of my stored mana, but the crab grew just as I had envisioned over the next two hours. His claws adjusted, and his armor thickened as planned. His shell, already a greyish brown, shifted to match the grey stone of the walls. The most significant change, of course, was his size. The whole time, he was growing. He grew from the size of a splayed palm to the size of a dog, then a small pony. I cautioned him from growing larger at the moment, as he would be unable to leave my core room if he were any larger. He sent back a feeling of agreement, tinged with a small amount of disappointment, and his growth halted. I hereby name you Sebastian, the Crab Knight. You are to be the boss of the first floor. I declared to the no-longer-small crab. He seemed pleased with his new name and left my core room, returning to the arena cavern. The sharpened tips of his legs made a satisfying thunk as he walked. Sebastian settled against one wall and took some time to half-bury himself in the sand. To my surprise, he made a rather convincing rock. I quickly modified his arena and the other three caverns to have similarly shaped rocks. With the success of Sebastian, I decided to make the crabs the main monster of this floor. After all, the other two had bred already. It might take a week or two, but I''m sure mana can speed up the process. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 3 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Uncharted Island, Unknown Ocean Morning of Day 6, Week 6 PC -0-0-0-0-0- The effect Mana has on living organisms is fascinating. From what I''d observed, once a monster gains a core, their bodily functions are almost entirely supported by the mana they passively absorb from the air around them. They don''t even seem to need real food, though they continue to eat out of habit. It''s been more than three weeks since I had made Sebastian, and he had only deigned to eat from his feeding pool five times. Even then, he only swiped a single fish on each occasion. I suspect most of his biology is made of mana simulating real flesh since he was only about an inch long before I modified him. To me, it looks just like real flesh. I can''t see the difference between Sebastian and Gull, who I haven''t changed. Speaking of tiny crabs, I''m inundated! I was right that mana could influence their breeding cycle. What would typically be a four-month brooding flashed by in about four days. The female buried herself on the shore in the secret cavern I''d made for this purpose. With an infusion of mana with the intent to breed, she soon laid them in a large breeding pond. Good thing too, since she laid thousands of the things! Each tiny little larvae was the size of a plankton. Thankfully I had a connection to each one and mana-infused about three-quarters of them to grow faster, half of those to go even more quickly, and about fifty to speed-run their life-cycle. With those fifty, I could begin my experiments. Of course, I gave all of them cores because it made everything so much easier. I''m not sure why, but having the core somehow made them more mutable or receptive to change. I made ten Crab Knights from the fifty, about half the size of Bastian. For context, that''s about the size of a wolf. The next thirty, I made a similar size but gave boxing-glove-like claws and thicker forwards-facing armor. This made them slower but more able to take a hit and dish it back. These I named Crab Brawlers. The final ten were smaller still, about the size of a Rottweiler. These I gave thinner armor and two long, sharp claws. I tried to up the twitch-nerve response time, and it seems to have worked. They undoubtedly move faster than their larger brethren. But whether that''s their nerves or the lighter armor, I''m not sure. Both would contribute to their increased speed. These will be the Assassin Crabs. Unlike my boss monster, the rock-colored sedentary creature that he is, the Brawlers and Knights all have brightly colored shells. Each has a unique pattern of swirls, ridges, and valleys, with colors ranging from yellow through orange to red. They were quick to pick up the use of their shells in some kind of mating display, which was quite amusing to watch. Why would I make them so visible? Well, that''s because they will be my front-line fighters. The bulwark all must pass through. Their coloration is to draw the attention of any potential invaders and keep it on them. The assassin crabs, however... Much like Sebastian, I made them rock-colored to blend in better. Their shells are molded and shaped to allow them to fold their claws and legs in and seem merely a rock to all who would gaze upon them. While the Brawlers and Knights keep any aspiring adventurer''s attention on them, these sneaky crabs would stay concealed. In that perfect moment, when all attention was on the fighters, the assassins would strike from behind. They''d cut tendons and slice soft tissue open! I made sure to give them the mental image of mages and healers clad in robes. They were priority targets if the crabs saw anything remotely resembling those mental images. I spread my new monsters out through the dungeon. Each knight got a squad of three brawlers to command. They were to roam around the caverns and through my first-level tunnels. The assassins I mostly let choose their hiding spots. At least two were in each of my four caverns, with the final two in the second and fourth caverns. The crabs would be an excellent first line of protection against potential intruders. Their high reproductive rate would also help replace any who died defending me. As my first line of defense, I anticipated needing to keep their numbers high. They would be the first monsters encountered in every run and would likely take the most casualties due to that role. With the monsters mostly sorted, I ensured replacements were ready to infuse with mana, then worked on refining the ambiance and environment of my caverns. The first cavern would remain open, a wide crescent of sand caressing a black pool of water. Every cavern after the first would have little sand covering the uneven and sharp rocky floor, filled with jagged stalactites and stalagmites. Walls of rock would lead potential invaders on a twisting path across the cavern, with plenty of points to set up ambushes and traps. The mana-star in each cavern threw light and shadow in equal measure, the contrast working in my favor to better hide the assassins among the rocks. Between the caverns were long, dark, and narrow passages. These passages rose and fell. They twisted around, above and below each other, and would do wonderfully to disorient invaders. As it was pitch black within the tunnels, they''d either have to traverse them in complete darkness or use torches. It was a choice between ruining their night vision with torchlight or fighting in the dark. Both options provide me opportunities to attack. With the tunnel''s width barely enough for invaders to pass through in single-file, it would also allow the crabs to ambush invaders in a pincer movement inside the tunnels if need be. The cave mouth remained as it was; a large triangular gash in the side of the cliff. Sand and water shared the entrance, the dominance of each decided by the tide. At the back of the cave was a short tunnel, shaped like an isosceles triangle, leaking a ghostly teal light. So, with my first level complete, It''s time to contemplate my second. What creature could I mutate into a monster? How would I arrange the floor''s defenses? My first level reminded me of the deep caverns in Until Dawn, with markedly more sand. Dark, dank, and mostly natural-looking. Perhaps my second floor could be more civilized? The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. At the end of my dungeon, on the opposite side to the entrance of Sebastian''s arena, there existed a rough doorway and tunnel leading to my core room. I molded the opening into a double-wide door frame, with intricate carvings decorating it. If the carvings had the rough and angular look of Norse runes, I would blame my obsession with Vikings before I ended up in this world. Finally, I created a pair of stone doors that rested on stone hinges. I used my mana to pull the door shut, and the stream of mana leading to my core objected. Violently. The mana built up quickly. After a few seconds, the door exploded inwards and fell to the sand. The stream rushed through the now-open doorway and again began collecting in the disk around me. Okay then. I must maintain a clear and unobstructed pathway to my core for the mana stream to use. Lesson learned. I think I have a solution, though. Just above the doorframe, I carved a series of evenly spaced holes. Slowly, I guided the mana stream upwards and let the mana flow through it rather than the doorway. After putting the doors back on new hinges, I let them shut. The mana continued to pass through the vent over the door. Success! Now that I could close the doors, I added stylistic carvings of a crab knight on them; its sharp claws raised to a tear-drop-shaped star above. The next part to work on was my core room, which would become the staircase to the next floor. Slowly a spiral staircase was carved from the rock around a central pillar that my pedestal remained on. The walls in the room and lining the stairs gained a brick-like fa?ade, despite still being completely solid. I manipulated the legs of my pedestal to walk down the stairs, then hollowed out a large room with four large doorways at the bottom. My idea for this floor was that it would be a maze. As I hollowed out the hallways of my future maze, I pondered on appropriate monsters to populate it with. The few lizards and bird species in the rainforest on the island would do better on my third floor, which I already have an idea for. What I need is something... Foul. Something that infests ruins and abandoned places the world over. Rats. Unfortunately, It seems this island lacks any rodents of usual or unusual size. Bah. I''ll come back to the rats later. So, I needed to double down on the maze, with no appropriate monsters available. I let the digging, carving, and decoration consume my attention for a time, and the maze soon became more of a labyrinth. Each of the four entrance points from the central staircase led down unique paths, and more than a few crossed through, over, and under others. While digging, I kept the right-hand rule in mind: if you follow the right-hand wall, you''ll find the exit. There wasn''t much I could do about it except make sure that if you only followed your right or left hand from any of the entrances, you''d end up back where you started. With the confusing maze done, now was the time to set up some traps. I''d neglected to add traps to the first floor, though maybe a few weakened stalactites I could break with a thought would work. A quick shift of attention made that vision reality, then back down again. At select points in the maze, I created pitfalls filled with obsidian spikes. Also, something to remember is that I don''t disintegrate rock or anything like that; I turn it into sand and manipulate it out of my entrance. Though with my most recent work on the second floor, I''ve created another tunnel that leads out under the water line, so I don''t have to shove the sand through the first floor. But I digress; back to the pit trap. A thin sheet of rock patterned identically to the ''floor panels'' I carved into the ground of the entire floor was placed over a pit too deep to climb out of, or otherwise escape easily. I wasn''t sure about the thickness of the panel, but hopefully, it will break with two or more people standing on it, which should be about 180 pounds. Again, I''m unsure how thick is correct, so I aimed for the thinner side. As I gain experience, I''ll adjust it. Some spike traps were in the middle of unassuming corridors, others in corners. One was an entire hallway! With my maze complete, I created an empty boss room. Perhaps some giant, minotaur-style rat would inhabit it one day? Now I want rats more than ever! Le Sigh. It would happen if it happened. I took a quick break from construction to shift my attention to the surface and watch the brilliant sunset. It was beautiful, but it also highlighted the black clouds sweeping southwards. As the clouds reached my island and the sheet of rain began pounding the land, I pitied anyone caught in this storm. Oh, that looks like one heck of a storm. -0-0-0-0-0- The Merchantman Ship Good Tidings, The Kalenic Sea Navigator Kailen Gresh -0-0-0-0-0- The day began like any other day at sea. The wind was measured, both its strength and direction. The ship''s speed was identified, and their rough location was extrapolated. The storm had likely blown them far off course last night, and they''d need to find a landmark to be sure of any heading. In the meantime, they couldn''t go wrong with a westward heading. Not like you''d end up anywhere other than Theona. "Captain Hart!" Kailen called as he emerged from below deck. "How fares the crew?" The man laughed heartily. "Navigator Gresh! The crew fares well; a little rain and swell aren''t enough to dampen their spirits!" Hart replied, getting a few chuckles from passing sailors. "How fares the cargo?" "Dry and in good condition." Kailen confirmed, "Should make for a tidy profit when we make port. We do have bad news, however. I''m afraid that ''little rain and swell'' last night has blown us well off course; we''ll have to wait for nightfall to make any corrections. In the meantime, westward ho." The captain nodded. "Aye. Westward ho." Hart agreed. He had opened his mouth to continue when the man in the crow''s nest shouted a phrase all aboard longed to hear; his arm stretched towards the horizon off to port. "Land Ho!" Immediately, a half-dozen seamen crowded the ship''s port side, straining for a glimpse of land. "Land?" Kailen asked, frowning, looking in the same direction. "We''re still at least three days off the coast of Theona, and there aren''t any islands on this course." Hart slapped him on the back, pointing one hand to the spot of green that was indeed on the horizon. "Well, there''s one now. Add this to your charts, my friend." He stepped away from his navigator and began shouting orders to the crew. "Make for the Island!" -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Unknown Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Oh. That''s a ship. Big, wooden, and with three masts draped in square sails. It wouldn''t look out of place in the renaissance back on earth. The only reason I''d even seen it coming was thanks to Gull, Who had been flying and spotted the white sails against the blue sea. You''re an excellent Birb, Gull. Well, it seems I have less time than I thought to prepare. Hopefully, they aren''t here because of me. That wouldn''t be good at all. I''m not ready to face seasoned adventurers! Please, please, please be unprepared sailors. Le Sigh. My location was going to get out, eventually. I''m pretty confident I could hold them off, though. And hey, maybe they won''t even notice I''m here! Look for the silver lining! They might have ship''s rats. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 4 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Uncharted Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The ship took another hour to go from a sail on the horizon to a full, three-masted galleon rapidly approaching my little volcanic paradise. I directed Gull to spy on them. Unfortunately, the sailors didn''t speak a lick of English, nor was it any language I recognized. It was more melodic and flowing than most languages from earth. The captain, now referred to as Captain, was evident, a man with a large-brimmed and feathered hat. He had a rapier at his hip, with a pair of pistols holstered at his chest. He looked athletic and acted somewhat boisterous, ordering his men to furl the sails and slow their approach. A reedy man with a quill and paper looked like he was taking notes over a map. A map would be nice. I might try to steal that at some point. The ship wasn''t very well armed, seemingly with only a light complement of cannons. Despite that and the lack of ammunition it implied, the galleon sat heavily in the water. So... Cargo? A passing trader, thrown off course by the storm? Probably. The ship circled the island once, with the captain pointing out my cave and the blue glow sneaking out from the passage within. While it wasn''t as bright as it could have been, a definite ghostly blue-green glow lit the darkened opening. They anchored off a bay on the other side of the island before two longboats filled with sailors came ashore. They spent the next day exploring the island, documenting the wildlife and mapping the place. On the second day, a shore party of six armed sailors and the captain approached me. They entered the arching cave cautiously, keeping an eye on the water and walls. When they reached the passage, Captain turned to face his crew. He looked to be gearing up for a speech. "My loyal crew, I would like to make something clear before entering. You are volunteers, and this is potentially a Dungeon. We all know how dangerous Dungeons can be, and we have no idea how long this one has been here. I cannot guarantee your survival past this point. If you wish to return to the ship, I will not hold it against you." Whatever the man said, the rest of the sailors shifted in place for a second, but none spoke. Captain continued. "Thank you, friends. I remind you to be cautious and take no unnecessary risks. It will likely have monsters guarding it, and we are not Guilders. If the monsters prove too dangerous, we will retreat with what knowledge we have gained. Ready? Let''s go." Captain ducked through the short passage first, immediately followed by a man with a pair of hammers, a man with a mace, two men with scimitars, a man with a crossbow, and a man with twin daggers. The man with twin hammers was well-built, nearly a head taller than the rest and half again as wide. When I say hammers, I mean brick-sized hunks of forged steel attached to foot-long handles. Those things would likely crack my Crab''s shells, but I couldn''t be sure if it would shatter them. You are hereby dubbed; Eddy. The man with the mace was only slightly smaller than Eddy and shared his, uh, dashing features; a squashed nose and permeant frown. You are now named Ed. The swordsmen looked almost identical, but for which hand they held their scimitars. Unlike Captain and Eddy''s vaguely European appearance, the Twins were Middle-Eastern, dark-skinned and clad in what you would expect a Middle-Eastern pirate to wear. Lefty and Righty, welcome to my dungeon! The Bowman was lithe and carried his crossbow with sharp-eyed vigilance. This man also had a heck of a schnoz on him. Prominent, regal, almost Roman. Thus, you are Roman, the Bowman. The rogue was the final member of their apparently mageless party (A mistake, to be sure). He looked shifty. What? He was skulking, eyes darting here and there, and he made barely any noise on the sand. Shifty it is, for him. After entering, the first thing most did was gaze in awe at the mana-star. Ed and Eddy immediately started... arguing? "What the heck is that?" "It''s a mana-light, dumbass" "I know that! But aren''t mana-lights... smaller? And not as blindingly bright?" "Yeah, they are." "Cut the chatter, you two." The captain cut in. "Keep your eyes peeled for anything that could be a monster. Lane, Keep an eye on the water." Rowan turned to face the water at his last word, obviously watching for sneak attacks. I attempted to get a tendril of mana near Captain to test what would happen, but I found it tricky. My control of the mana within the room was a little tenuous, even more so the closer to the men it was. I lost even that at some point, and the mana just diffused into a cloud. The mana near the men slowly drifted towards them, being passively absorbed. Once it passed their skin, my aspected mana suddenly wasn''t mine. Urgh. Damn. Something about humans disrupted my control. No wonder Cores needed monsters to protect them if they couldn''t use mana to defend themselves. I called my Crabs to action. And thus, the game was afoot. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Uncharted Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Captain Eli Hart was worried. The huge mana-light in the cavern confirmed they were in a dungeon; it was in no way natural, especially with the hand-like carvings ''holding'' the light between them. The dungeon knew what hands were like, which meant someone had been here before them. There was only one problem with that theory. All signs pointed to an uninhabited island, utterly untouched by human hands. So how did it know what hands were? Eli soon found he didn''t have time to ponder that particular mystery. From the passage on the other side of the cavern, he could hear a lot of rhythmic thunk sounds. The sound of something heavy slamming into the sand. "Be ready! Monsters from the passage ahead!" he called out. "Kurt, Kale, to the front." The mace and hammer-using brothers passed him, raising their heavy weapons. "Rahim, Jahim; take the flanks," He ordered. The Hilian scimitar-wielders nodded and moved into position. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Garth, watch our backs. Lane, keep watching that water. We don''t want to get surrounded." The two nodded, keeping an eye on the cavern behind them. It was then that the monsters emerged. The first bright orange and segmented leg struck the sand, sparking in the teal light. Then the rest of the monster followed. It was a crab. An enormous crab. Walking sideways, as their kind were want to do, a Crab the size of a fully-grown Deepwood Wolf entered the cavern from the small passage and turned to face them. Like most mana-mutants, it was horrifying. The shell on its top was rough and spiked in waves, from the front to back. Its pincers were enormous and bulbous, spiked in places much like Kale''s maces. Two more almost exactly like it followed, spreading out to surround the passageway. That''s what threw the captain a bit. Dungeons created mana-mutants to defend themselves, but the monsters they produced were never so... uniform. Just another thing that made Hart worried. Then a fourth emerged. Though it was just as big as the others, this one had no spikes on its shell. No, this one''s shell was shaped more like plate armor. Its claws were also modified. The right claw was large and circular but seemed flatter than its brethren, almost like a shield. Its left claw was thin, the actual pincer visible. Each side of the pincer was sharpened down to a blade, with the tips pointed and looking wickedly sharp. There was a few seconds of silence as the groups eyed each other, looking for weaknesses. It was the Crabs who moved first. With a screeching war cry, the middle crab rushed Kurt. It raised one claw for an apparent sideways swipe, prompting Kurt to swing his hammers in the other direction. In a mighty crash, the mace-claw met hammers in mid-air and was pushed back by the metal weapons. The monster''s left claw came off worse: a star-burst of cracks radiating from the impact point. But that was only one of its claws. In an unexpected move, the crab''s second claw used the momentum of the clash to swing out with surprising speed against the side of Kurt''s knee. He roared in pain as the knee bent sideways in a way the knee was not designed to. Kale cried out in rage at his brother''s injury and brought his mace down on the crab, only to be blocked by a claw. "Garth! Let''s get Kurt out of there!" Eli called, prompting the shifty man to rush in with him to pull the giant of a man back. Thankfully, Kale was a little smarter than his brother and kept the crab''s attention without injury, even as Jahim and Rahim engaged their own crabs. Unable to counter the pure strength of the crab''s mace-like pincers, the men nimbly dodged the wild swings. Almost as one, the twins swung their scimitars down on the joint of a segmented leg. Both swords passed through cleanly, and the two crabs were suddenly down a leg each. They screeched in pain and pulled back, keeping their claws close. A second attempt at a leg skittered off armored claws, abruptly in the way. Now meters back from the fighting, Kurt was passed a glass flask filled with a red liquid. Good. Healing potions were expensive, but lives were more so. Garth, who had pulled the potion from his pouch, took back the empty flask. Within seconds and with a painful sounding snap, the knee was put to rights. Re-energized by the potion, Kurt pushed himself off the sand, wincing as he put weight on the leg. "Good enough to fight?" Hart asked the man. Kurt nodded and, with a growl, rushed in to take his revenge. Suddenly, the stalemate was broken. Having kept the crab''s attention, Kale smirked with a vicious glee as twin hammers came down on the monster''s shell. The first hammer to hit cracked the shell, and the second shattered it, plowing right through to the soft flesh beneath. The crab faltered, then crashed into the sand, dead. Kurt let out a victorious laugh, raising his hammers to the roof. "Take that, you bastard!" Kale joined his brother''s cry of victory. With a war cry of its own, the fourth crab leaped forwards over its fellow monster''s corpse, Its sword claw already swinging. Before he could react, Kale''s head was cut clean off, landing heavily on the sand in the suddenly silent cavern. "Pull back!" Hart shouted. The twins disengaged and retreated, moving backward to keep the monsters in view. Kurt did not. The man went into a berserk rage, yelling and lashing out at his brother''s killer. The shield-claw of the crab deflected his hammers, and with almost contemptuous ease, the sword-claw stabbed him through the chest. As the man was thrown to the side by the smarter-than-normal monster, and the sound of more monsters emerged from the passage beyond, Hart made his decision. "To the Exit! Quickly!" The five remaining men turned and ran from the monsters who had slain their crewmates. With a rush of water, four more monsters emerged from the water to their left. Lane aimed his crossbow and fired. The bolt flew truly and struck the knight-like crab at the base of its left eye. That crab fell down dead, though the shallowness of the pond meant it was still half out of the water. Garth was the first human to reach the exit. The first human. What he had previously thought to be a rock reached out from next to the door and, with a surprisingly sharp pincer, cut straight through the strap of his satchel. As he jerked away from the revealed monster, it grabbed the bag and pulled it from the man''s shoulder. "Hey! Give that back!" He shouted angrily. His expression didn''t last long, the flush of his cheeks paling as blood fled his face. The man abandoned his satchel to the monster and escaped through the open gap without hesitation. A glance behind explained that well enough. What had to be more than thirty of the monsters, all of them one of two fighter-types seen, had either emerged from the water or from deeper into the dungeon. When Leon reached the exit, the rock-like crab had skittered away, its stolen goods in claw. Another rock had also stood up, waving its pincers menacingly for such a (relatively) small crab monster. Hart reached the exit next, though he waved through the swordsmen before rushing through himself. Even once out in the sunlight, they didn''t stop running. It wasn''t till they made it back to their ship that they finally relaxed, warily eyeing the ocean waves like a crab''s pincer would suddenly reach out and pull them out of their dingy. "That could have gone better." Garth, the coward, commented sardonically to glares from the rest of the men. That man was going to get himself killed one day. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Uncharted Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- And thus, my Crabs showed remarkable... comradery. Honestly, I had thought them replaceable minions to break the tide on, but they performed incredibly well. The Brawler''s armor held up as well as could be expected. Blunt impacts would always be a weakness, much like the vulnerable joints. The knight who had claimed two lives stood over its kills and gestured grandly, snapping its claws. The others joined in, making a sound, not unlike humans clapping in sync. Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack! The Crab Knight had reacted quite strongly to its subordinate''s death, showing a level of connection I didn''t expect from the monsters. Then again, they have been training and patrolling together for more than a week now. I need more data. Either way, something exciting had happened during the fight. The ''claim'' the men had to their mana when they died was removed. Seemingly because he was their killer, about half had been absorbed by the Knight. The other half drifted up into the air above their bodies, where it joined the river of mana that was constantly rushing towards me. Within a few minutes, the mana reached my gem. Where mana typically joined the accretion disk orbiting me, I ensured that Ed and Eddy''s mana came right to my gem. And then I knew. Fragments of memories, half-remembered sayings, and lessons. It helped to have the mana from both of them since their memories corroborated or filled in gaps left by the other. Eddy, who I now knew was named Kurt, was indeed brothers with Ed- named Kale. Kurt and Kale led a tough life in a city I couldn''t find the name of. Their father died at sea, and their mother died of sickness in their teens. They spent a few years on the streets until Captain Hart found them in a fighting ring and offered them employment on his merchant ship as guards. They''d been doing it for a year or two now but didn''t remember much about the places they''d been. These two were a bit thick, weren''t they? As a bonus, I could now understand some of their language. Some. I could understand some words, but much remained a mystery to me. There was no period of disorientation. There was no consciousness in the mana. I had the memories, but it was like watching a film. I knew the knowledge, but I hadn''t experienced it. Before I directed my attention to Gull, I released a wave of mana with healing intent at the two injured Brawlers. Over the next few minutes, new legs grew from the stumps. I left the crabs to their victory celebration. I had a post-Dungeon meeting to spy on. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 5 -0-0-0-0-0- The Merchantman Ship Good Tidings, Uncharted Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Captain Eli Hart took a deep breath. The remaining members of the shore party had gathered in the ship''s hold, surrounding a circular table. Kailen had also been called to the meeting to take down notes and offer his observations. "Alright, let''s begin." He started, getting the other men''s attention. "I want to start with what we saw of the dungeon itself." "Fuck all." Garth spat. "We got one bloody room in, then those fucking crabs killed my friends!" Eil sighed. The man wasn''t wrong. "That''s true, but we gleaned quite a bit of information from that single room," Eil stated, weathering Garth''s glare. He powered on before the man could interject. "First, that strange mana light. It was too bright to make out the details, but where most will only brighten a small room, this one lit the entire cavern." He looked around at the others, who nodded. "You might not have noticed the bars of stone that cupped the light. They were shaped like hands." Kailen stopped writing and looked up, startled. "That is... worrying." The navigator stated, getting a contemplative look. "Why so?" Leon asked with a concerned look. "It means the dungeon knows what hands are." Rahim began. "Which implies it''s encountered humans before." Jahim finished. Hart nodded gravely. "Yes, that''s it exactly." The captain stated. "It''s seen humans before and knows exactly what our hands are shaped like. Intimately. It also knows we hold things in them. And yet.... this island is still unknown and uncharted. There is a possibility we''ve stumbled onto a Lost Dungeon." He finished gravely. Leon and Garth looked confused, so he elaborated. "Every dungeon is the same; a large gem that hides within the earth and creates monsters to defend itself. But there are categories we put dungeons into to make it easier to identify them. A Baby dungeon is newly-formed, with likely only a floor or two. It might only have basic monsters, which might not even have cores yet. Mana-mutants, essentially. This ranking system goes from Baby through Young, Mature, Elder, to Ancient. Then there are the special categories like Conquered, which should be obvious. A Lost Dungeon is a dungeon which, at some point, was likely Conquered but managed to free itself, wiping out its old masters in the process." Eli took a deep breath. "How come you know so much about dungeons?" Leon prompted, more curious than before. Eli blushed slightly as the others also showed interest, embarrassed. "I grew up in the city of Cott, on the western coast. Cott was built around the entrance to a dungeon and, as such, had a relatively high population of Guilders. Our entire economy was based on the resources the Guilders brought back from the dungeon''s depths. They brought up meat to supplement our farming, metals, and other materials in abundance. With such an important role, they were greatly respected by the city''s common folk. I once had the dream of becoming one myself." Eli trailed off. He continued after a few seconds. "So I studied everything I could get my hands on. I pestered the friendlier Guilders for insightful tips and tricks." He sighed, sadness shining through his eyes. "Then, when I was old enough, I went to get evaluated. You might not know, but Guilders... aren''t like normal folk. Something different about them lets them use the mana in their bodies to strengthen themselves, make themselves faster, or even perform magic. I didn''t have that." He shook his head, mourning the lost opportunity. "But we''re getting off-topic," Eli said, changing the subject. "Losing Kurt and Kale was a tragedy, but it''s more understandable if the Dungeon is Lost." He held a hand to forestall Garth''s objection. The man had already opened his mouth and was visibly bristling. "The dungeon is likely an Elder Dungeon, or perhaps Ancient, in the worst case. It will remember being conquered and forced to use its mana in any way its master desires. Lost Dungeons are far more lethal in their defense if they feel threatened. But... in time, if shown that the guilders won''t push too deep, they relax. At least, a bit." There was a momentary silence, which Kailen broke. "What were its monsters?" the navigator asked, obviously trying to move on. "Giant Crabs," Hart explained, his tone becoming clinical. "There were three kinds. Two were the size of a Deepwood Wolf, the third the size of a juvenile." "The big ones were mostly bright orange," Leon added, "Though the shade dipped into yellow and red at points. They had iridescent designs in the ridges of their shells that caught the light. They might be valuable. The smaller ones were grey, completely identical in color and texture to the cave walls. It could be a camouflage ability, an enchantment of some kind, or natural coloration." "One of the nasty little assholes took my fucking bag!" Garth complained in a whining tone. He slammed a fist on the table. "Forty silver worth of potions and poisons, gone!" He sat back in his chair, palmed his face, and let his fingers drag downward. "Aye. As we were leaving, one of the grey ones showed itself." Hart confirmed, "Right nasty shock, that. It looked just like a rock; we discounted it entirely. They had sharp pincers, sharp enough to cut through the leather strap in one snip." They gave Kailen a minute to catch up, and when he was finished, he rolled his hands to prompt them onwards. "The first kind of the bigger ones had bulbous, spiked pincers. I''d call them mace-like. The other kind had two differently-shaped pincers, one resembling a shield, the other a sword. When you think about it, this is more evidence of it being a Lost Dungeon. Normal monsters don''t mutate weapons new weapons from their bodies. They enhance their natural ones." He looked around the table. "When we reach Port Laviet, I will visit the Guild Hall there. There is a substantial reward for information on dungeons, especially newly discovered ones. I''ll ensure you all get a cut of the reward for your part in this little fiasco." The promise of silver caused Garth''s eyes to gleam in the candlelight. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Uncharted Island, the Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I wished they had this conversation on the deck rather than in the hold. Gull could barely hear them through the noise of the other sailors and kept getting shooed away. Even his enhanced hearing struggled to pick up what little he did hear, but I caught a few words I understood. Not enough to understand what they were saying, though. Giving it up as a bad job, I turned my attention from the busy but subdued atmosphere of the ship and back to my dungeon. The crabs had dispersed after their little battle and returned to their patrol paths. All in all, I learned plenty from this experience. First, humans will attack me, if for currently unknown reasons. Second, I didn''t feel much about having killed two of the humans. There was some guilt there, but it was overridden by the deep confidence I felt. I was only protecting myself. They were intruders; I couldn''t talk to them, and who knew what they wanted from me? I didn''t. Third, and most important. They could make healing potions. That meant there were definitely alchemists or potion makers, if not outright mages, wherever these sailors came from. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. And wasn''t that a shock? Shifty had pulled a round-bottomed flask from his satchel, one filled with a stereotypical red liquid. I couldn''t sense the mana in the liquid while it was so close to the party, but now that I had free reign, I could feel the potent intent suffusing the mana in the bottle. I likened it to when I''d healed my crabs by filling them with mana suffused with intent to heal. The humans had somehow figured out how to impart mana with incredibly strong intents and store them in liquid. From all this, I drew a few conclusions. My moral code had been changed by being turned into a dungeon. Mana was known to the local humans. Mana has been harnessed in some way by said humans, and large amounts of mana can be somehow infused into a liquid. Hmm. You know what? That gave me an idea¡ªa reward for passing the first floor. If they wanted to kill me, there''d be no need for rewards, but maybe... They might be more likely not to murder me if I was beneficial. Or, at the very least, benevolent? I formed another pedestal out of the stone sand, located in the empty circular space at the top of the spiral stairs. This one was a pair of twinned pillars curling around one another. I thought of making them snakes, but continuing with the theme, I kept them smooth and had the point where they split off to support a bowl shaped into hands, which cupped and were fused to the bowl. I extended a long thin stalactite from the ceiling, having it stop barely a foot above the bowl. Next, I pushed mana into a ring at the top of the spike of stone and infused the concept of condensation into the mana. Yes, this ring of mana would pull water from the air and form droplets on the stone''s surface. It would. After a few minutes, I saw water droplets form and dribble down in long trails. They collected at the bottom until enough was gathered. Then... Drip... Drip... Drip... Now, I have a bowl of water. For the second part, I carved intricate Celtic-inspired designs into the stalactite, layering it in bands. For each band, I pushed in mana with the concept of infusion. As the water droplets passed over the carvings, the mana would be infused into them. With each band passed, the droplets would gather more and more mana. By the time they reached the bottom, they''d completely saturated. And so it was. I watched my creation for a time, making sure it worked. When water dripped down from the top of the stone, the drops shifted from unaltered water to something like liquid starlight. It shined and glimmered in the light passing through the doorway. I had created my first... would this be an enchantment? Did this count as enchanting? You know, I think this counted as enchanting. Mana, given purpose and intent to do something more than float around in the air. Yeah. I''m going to call it enchanting, fuck whatever the humans call it. Whatever. Since this had once been my core room, a fair amount of mana still existed here. It''d been pooling near the ceiling. Now it''d been pulled into an orbit around the stalactite. After a few revolutions, a stream split off to flow down the staircase. The enchantment pulled mana from the stream as it passed and used it to power itself and infuse the water, though the amount used was negligible. It was surprisingly efficient after the bands of faintly glowing carvings had been filled. Slowly, drop by drop, the level of the mana-infused water rose. Now for some... regulation. I didn''t want the bowl overflowing and spilling all over the ground. That''d be a waste. To that end, I layered a single ring of mana along the inner edge of the bowl. This was going to be my most complicated command yet, but I needed to see if it would work. I pushed a specific concept into the ring: a light switch¡ªa conditional statement. If the water in this bowl reached this level, it would stop the mana in the stalactite from condensing water. If the water falls below this level, mana start condensing again. I pushed it hard. I willed it to work just as I wanted. All that was left to do was wait. It took an hour to fill the bowl completely, and when it reached the ring, I felt the enchantment at the top of the stalactite stop absorbing mana. Though it had stopped, it didn''t dissipate. It''d deactivated successfully! Success! Now I felt like a proper dungeon. I had lesser monsters, a boss monster, and a reward for beating the boss. Now I just needed some properly equipped humans to test it. Speaking of humans. After their last attempt failed, the humans from the ship weren''t likely to try again any time soon. They''d ship off soon and inform whatever authority was responsible for monitoring dungeons. That authority would likely send a dedicated force to check me out properly¡ªan experienced team. This was where things got sketchy. They could just want to exploit my resources, which were my giant crabs and the bowl of mana-infused water. They could want to seal or control me somehow. They might want to force me to make something specific. They could also take my core from my dungeon and use it... ME... as reagents or in an item. Like... a magical staff! If they viewed me as something to be destroyed, and if they were sufficiently powerful... I''d be unable to stop them. I didn''t know. I couldn''t know. The soonest I would find out would be when they got here. So, we fall back on the golden rule when facing the unknown. Pray for the best, but prepare for the worst. I''d need more than Crabs. Even if I upped their numbers significantly, they needed to be more experienced to be more than trash mobs. If I made them bigger, they couldn''t navigate my dungeon. I couldn''t make their shells stronger or their weapons more effective without making them larger. Or if I could, I still needed to figure out how. I didn''t know how to make the assassin crabs actually invisible. So, I would have to make do with something else for my second-floor monster. It was a little sad, to be honest. I was hoping for rat monsters. I looked over the labyrinth I''d carved, concepts and themes running through my mind. Maybe... Could I? If I raised this part here, lowered that... yes. Yes. This would work. Without hesitation, I opened a passage in the lower half of a wall on my second floor. It wasn''t big. A triangular prism, each side a foot long. Carefully, I connected it to the flooded tunnels my small crabs and fish use to get between the different caverns. It took hours, but soon my labyrinth had become the ''Flooded Labyrinth.'' The higher portions were dry, but about half the maze was filled with water up to waist height. I ensured the tunnel you needed to take to reach the exit was flooded completely, along with five other sufficiently long dead ends. If they had people who could see mana and follow it to find the exit, I decided to make my mana stream take a long, meandering route. It crossed over itself multiple times and passed through most of the flooded tunnels. Now for the floor''s defenders. Since the only animals I had access to were aquatic, I''d have to make do with fish. I took a small break to watch the human ship sail off towards the setting sun, two men less. I hoped they wouldn''t hold a grudge. Now for the monsters which would inhabit my second floor. It''d be very dark since there were no light sources down there. Invaders would have to hold their torches or whatever up above their heads, out of the water. They wouldn''t be able to see what''s in the water. Hmm. What kind of fish live out in the reef... From what one of my claimed fish can see, they don''t look like much. Regular, tropical fish. No sea snakes or sharks. I''d have to make something new. I had no specific ideas for what I wanted, but I realized I didn''t need any. I shoved a whole load of different fish into the maze, saturated them with enough mana to form a core, and watched what happened afterward. I may get inspired. I could be surprised. Finding out would be entertaining, at least. -0-0-0-0-0- Port Laviet, The Phenoc Kingdom, Theona Five Days Later -0-0-0-0-0- After getting to the bustling port city, Captain Eli Hart first met with his merchant contact to sell his cargo. That was just good business sense. Who knew what would happen later. The second thing he did was grab the map with the rough coordinates Kailen had worked out for the island and find the local chapter of the Guild. The Guild was a massive organization, with branches in almost every city worth the title. This chapter had an imposing hall built of wood and stone in the previous century''s fashion. It proudly displayed its age and history to all who knew what to look for. When Eli entered, he froze. The eyes of dozens of Guilders loitering in the hall focused on him, sizing him up, then almost immediately dismissed him. He was just an ordinary man, not one of them. Not a threat. Eli took a minute to collect himself before walking slowly and deliberately to the reception. The woman behind the counter was stamping and signing forms with remarkable speed. When she didn''t look up, he cleared his throat. She stopped and sighed. "What''s your business with the guild?" She drawled, looking up with a bored expression. Eli was a little taken aback. The Guilders at Cott had been a lot friendlier than the ones here. Or perhaps it was because he was an adult, not an overactive child. He spoke quickly but quietly. "I''m the captain of the ship Good Tidings. On our latest voyage, we were blown off course by a storm. We found an uncharted island, and on this island, we encountered what I believe to be a Lost Dungeon." Though he had been trying to be discreet, from the suddenly sharp glances some of the more powerful guilders in the hall were sending him, they had heard his whispered words. The receptionist was a lot more interested now. She nodded, pushed her forms to the side, and spoke as she stood from the chair. "Please follow me. I''ll arrange for you to meet the Guildmaster." -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 6 If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. , Near the Unnamed Island, Chapter 7 This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 8 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Unnamed Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I was watching this battle a little anxiously. I literally threw almost a hundred monsters at this party, then with just a few potions they''re recharged and ready for the boss fight. Is this the average skill level of adventurers in this world? Or, did they send a tougher group to test me? Again, my severe lack of information is really hurting, here. They do look far more cautious than before, but that could be anything. With his war cry, Knight rushed in to strike Sebastian. The boss monster blocked the overhead strike with his shield, then bashed the man away. He stumbled back, but didn''t fall. With great speed the sword-pincer fell down upon the swordsman, who blocked but was driven to one knee by the force of the strike. Believing him distracted, several bolts flew from the crossbow carefully aimed at the monster''s eyes. With a quick motion the bolts skittered off the shield suddenly in the way. The monster raised his pincer from where it had been pressing down on the swordsman, at the same time bringing his other, shield-like pincer forwards. Unprepared for the sudden lack of resistance, Knight lurched forwards and found himself on his hands and knees when the shield collided with his side. Though he was surprised, he turned his brief flight into a roll when he landed. Standing up next to Neo he grunted, glaring at the crab who had raised his sword-pincer and clanked it, taunting the man. "Shell''s too tough for normal weapons." He said with a rasp, "Your turn, Layla." She nodded and made a quick hand signal at the other two. This time, both Knight and Neo advanced, with Neo igniting her Mana-blades. Rogue and Pyro covered their charge, with Rogue shooting out arrows at Sebastian''s face, making him keep his shield over his eyes. Pyro however, did something she hadn''t yet. With a surge of mana that she formed into a sphere, them somehow ignited, a roiling ball of flame burst into existence over her outstretched palm. A simple overhand throw, gave it direction, if not speed. Yes, the fireball started slowly but it gained momentum almost exponentially. The fire landed smack in the middle of my monster''s shield where it burst and the flames spread across the pincer, sticking like napalm. The boss monster panicked, waving the shield around in an attempt to extinguish the flames. Though, my crabs didn''t have nerves that extended through their shells, it was probably surprise more than pain. When he noticed the two charging humans, I gave him a nudge. Whispering in his mind, I gave the idea to bring mana to the surface of his shield. Imagine a thick layer of shell, an impenetrable extra shell, covering your own. I sent, pushing an image of just that. Obeying with blind loyalty, the crab immediately followed my instructions. It was here, something completely unexpected happened. I''d had a thought after seeing Neo''s manablades slice through the crabsassins without pause. If mana in the form of a blade can bypass mundane shell, then the only thing which should be able to block it would be more mana. I''d imagined something like a shining barrier appearing over Sebastian''s shield. While something did happen, it certainly wasn''t what I''d imagined happening. The mana Sebastian was forming was brought to the surface, where it interacted with the lingering flames from Pyro''s spell. In essence, the flames latched onto the mana and started eating it. It wasn''t uncontrolled, it didn''t start devouring all of my monster''s mana, just the stuff he fed it. On the fly, I fed him a new idea. Flame Cloak. The flames, now using Sebastian''s mana, bowed to his will. The orange flames turned Teal, and spread to cover the shield completely. This all happened in the course of seconds, and Neo had no time to abort her strike. Her manablades skittered off the flaming shield, causing nothing more than surface-level scarring. Neo and Knight both retreated a few yards, watching the shield with wide eyes. I practically bathed in the sensation of Sebastian''s mana converting to fire on his shield. Another thought, another order, and Sebastian pushed mana down his other pincer. A twist and soon the length of his pincer-blade was also burning merrily. Ha. Haha. Hahah! Behold! I can now make FIRE! It was, perhaps, a little draining. I couldn''t fill Sebastian''s mana reserves with the humans in the room, and if he kept both his sword and shield on fire it''d only last a few minutes before he was out, then he''d be much easier to take down. Alright. I don''t actually want to kill these guys, even if it would help me understand my situation a little more. Let''s see if we can scare them off. If one dies, then great. More knowledge for me. But... I don''t want to get a reputation for being that dungeon that wants to absolutely murder everyone that tries to enter. If they get too close to my core, well that''s a different story. Main Goal: Scare them off. Subgoals: Kill one of them, show leniency if they try to leave. -0-0-0-0-0- The "Lost" Dungeon, Unnamed Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Felin was feeling a little out of his depth. The battle hadn''t exactly gone well for him. The crab out-massed him by a significant amount and having two weapons it could rely on definitely gave it the advantage. The first part of their counterattack would be using Layla''s manablades to remove one of their enemies pincers, preferably the shield. Then, Teak could get a clear shot at it''s eyes and end the fight before one of them got seriously injured. It was when the remnants Herna''s fireball spell turned that ethereal teal color that things went wrong. The flames caused Layla''s manablades to skim off. He couldn''t even see any damage beyond that ghostly fire. Before they could even come up with a new plan the crab''s other pincer burst into flames, running down the sharp edge. "This is bad, but it''s not over" Layla said, taking a deep breath. "That''s a spell, yes, it''s the monster taking it''s own mana and burning it off at the surface. It''s extremely taxing to keep up. We just have to wait it out-" Before she could continue, the monster started moving forwards, defying the convention locomotion method of it''s species. Each thunk made by it''s armored legs sounding like a church bell, tolling their doom. "Scatter!" Layla shouted. "Divide and Conquer!" They surrounded the crab, each far enough away that the monster would need to turn and commit to fighting them. in turn, they were close enough to provide support and look for weak spots while one of them distracted it. It''s attention was on Layla, who was doing her best to dodge the flaming pincers. Felin scrutinized the monster, looking for any kind of weakness. It''s segmented legs had shell grown up to cover the joint, while leaving enough empty space for the leg to move. it certainly did what he was assumed was it''s job; making it hard to just cut off it''s legs. The same went for where the legs met the body, the grey shell radiating out in a disk just after the start of the leg to cover the soft flesh within. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It''s underside was a conventional weakness of bottom-dwelling crustaceans, but from the look of the shell which almost matched the stuff on the top it was already covered. Really, the only obvious weakness he could find was the eyes. Felin grunted and moved in, sword about to swing at a joint. He really hated doing this, it made him feel so weak afterwards. With an act of will, the small amount of mana Felin kept in his core burned down his arms and into the blade in his hands. The blue gemstone lit up, followed by lines of power glowing down the blade. Finally, the edge of the blade took on the same blue glow as Layla''s mana-blades. Without resistance, his swing cut straight through one of the monster''s eight legs. In the corner of his eye, he caught a blue of motion. He threw himself backwards, rolling into a crouch. Where he had stood moments before, a burning teal pincer was half-buried in the sand. The crab had murder in it''s eyes. It stepped forwards to take another swing, but jerked back. Layla had taken another leg. Down two now, the monster retreated, moving to keep all four party members in it''s vision. They didn''t let it. In less than two minutes they''d turned the fight around. The monster had it''s back to a wall and had already lost two legs. When the flames on it''s pincers petered out and it sagged, Felin could have cheered. But again, the crab surprised them. Presumably sensing it''s imminent demise, the crab swung it''s pincers aggressively, though wary of Layla''s blades. Teak narrowly dodged the blade, Felin countered a shield-bash. It''s attacks became wilder, more desperate, until finally it threw itself at Herna. Tactically the most sound decision it could make, as her fire hadn''t had much effect on it. The crab literally threw itself bodily at Herna, using it''s momentum and mass as a weapon as well as it''s enormous pincers. Felin couldn''t have gotten there in time, Herna was on the other side of the monster to him. Layla was next to him, with Teak the closest. As he watched, Teak aimed and fired a hail of bolts at the monster''s for-once unguarded eyes. One got through. With a crash and a scream of terror, Herna was crushed under the mass of the now-dead monster. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Unnamed Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Hail Sebastian the Crab Knight, first of his name! He died a warrior, taking at least one of his enemies with him. Unlike what happened with Kurt and Kale, Sebastian was already dead when Herna was crushed beneath his armored shell. So, without a monster to take half of the mana a dead human gives off, it all rose up into the stream and made it''s way down to me. With the death of the Boss, the enchantment took hold and lifted the length of stone preventing the door from being opened. Well, at least that works. Knight and Rogue pulled Sebastian off of their dead teammate, then took anything of value from her body and burned the remains. They each gave what I assumed was a eulogy as the body burned to ashes. When all that was left was blackened bones, they harvested my boss monster''s corpse. His mana core had been massive, the size of a human''s closed fist. Neo put it in her pack, then used her blades to cut off the monster''s pincers. The shield itself was as wide as Knight was tall, so it wasn''t like it would be easy to carry it out. A quick word had Knight push forward, through the stone doors leading to the staircase. A shout brought Neo and Teak into the room, staring at the mana-water in the stone bowl. "This... all these carvings and the enchantments... This wasn''t the dungeon. Dungeons don''t reward people for getting past their monsters. This was probably made by the people who used to live here. The language in these carvings doesn''t look like any I recognize either." Neo talked for a bit, then brought out an empty potion bottle and filled it with the water. She watched as the enchantment kicked into gear and the bowl started filling again. Drip. Drip. Drip. "Felin, take a look at the next room, then come back up. We''re leaving." Neo stated, which caused Knight to grunt and carefully shuffle down the stairs. He lit his torch at the bottom and glanced into the dank and ''crumbling'' walls of the Flooded Labyrinth. After a few seconds of observation he went back up the stairs. "More ruins. Looked wet, probably more crabs." He rasped out. Then they turned, picked up the giant, grey pincers and left. In a bit of subtle intimidation I made sure they caught glances of orange shell and shifting rocks, but kept them back from attacking. It made them a little paranoid and for the whole trip out they didn''t once relax. Though when they passed the final short passage and emerged to see the setting sun, all three settled on the beach for about half an hour. After that they got back into their rowboat and rowed their way back to the ship anchored off the bay. Meanwhile, in my boss room, the remnants of my crab army surrounded Sebastian. Much like the humans did with their party member, I set him alight with manafire and we held a wake. Once he had burnt to ashes we spread both his and Pyro''s ashes around the arena and mixed it into the sand. Okay. Time to select a new boss. Hmmm. You! Yes, you. The one who killed Kale and Kurt. I think you have the right stuff, kid. In no time at all, my new boss monster is grey and rocky. I didn''t make him as big as Sebastian was, about 2/3rds the size. Otherwise I made sure he had all the same parts and armor. I even made sure to teach him how to use manafire, though I instructed him to attempt to increase his core''s size and capacity on his own. I wanted to see how fast it could grow without my intervention. I name you, Tamatoa The Crab Knight. I selected a new batch of crablings to enhance, raised them into their new roles. I''ll also change the name I''ve given to the smaller version of my boss. The Boss can stay the Crab Knight, but I''ll make the smaller versions Squires, the brawlers can stay brawlers, The next thing I did was enhance Gull. He was still a normal seagull, and that just wouldn''t do. Bigger body, bigger wingspan and a razor sharp beak were the highlights. After that, I gave Gull a task to bring me lizards, seeds and eggs from the jungle. As many as he could. We''re starting the jungle floor. I''ll call it... The Green Hell. It didn''t take long, though I had to make a small, temporary tunnel to let Gull down to the third floor, since the normal path is now flooded. The first thing he brought me were seeds. Okay, the first thing we need to do here is give them a place to grow. Assuming they can use mana in the place or normal nutrients and sunlight, all is good. However, if they cant... I stole a few tons of dirt from the jungle. Just in case. So, the first hall was about three yards wide and ten yards long, with a high arched roof liberally carved and sculpted. It was leading away from my current core room at the bottom of a second spiral staircase set behind the Queen Bloodfish''s arena. I sprinkled a generous helping of dirt over some thoroughly cracked and broken stone. Along the sides of the hall I planted a couple of seeds, each different so I knew what I was working with. When given mana infused with growth what sprouted was what I assumed was a normal tree, a vine, a fruiting bush, a kind of grass and two kinds of tropical flowers. With some specific intent, the tree wilted away. Maybe I could use it in a larger room, but this hallway would do better with the vines. The vine I placed three of, along each side. I guided their growth to spread and cover the walls, clinging to the cracked bricks I shaped the walls into. The grass I spread across the floor. It was a nice grass, rather than a weed. Long, thin, grew thickly and tall enough to hide someone crouching in it. The fruiting bush I encouraged to grow as a symbiont to the vine. Rather than a bush, it now grew in a long and spindly fashion, clinging to the thicker and anchored vines. Each plant bloomed into small orange blossoms which themselves gave way to a small, citrus-like fruit. Like a mandarin, but without the separate cloves. Ideas and themes were rushing through my mind when Gull brought in a small and struggling lizard. It was about the size of a human thumb. If I had a face to grin with, and people could see it, I think they''d call the police. Oh, yes. Green Hell is the only correct name for the floor. Then the mana from Pyro finally made it''s way into my crystal, having been drifting along the currents through the entire second floor and been sitting in my accretion disk for a good hour. Oh, right. Gimme dat sweet, sweet, knowledge. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 9 -0-0-0-0-0- Port Laviet, The Phenoc Kingdom, Theona Two Days After the Delve -0-0-0-0-0- Felin followed Layla and Teak into the Guildmaster''s office. They''d fled that island with the wind behind them, returning as fast as possible to make their report. The Guildmaster was an older man, though that didn''t mean he was weak. Betram Losat was the highest ranked adventurer on the east cost of the continent. It was a tragic story, really. The leadership of the Guild were intimidated by his rise through the ranks and made sure that he ended up out here, hundreds of miles from anything resembling a dungeon, to make sure he couldn''t gather more power. The man had a receding hairline, his hair a dark grey specked with pure white. His robe-like clothing was designed to hide and downplay the armored undersuit beneath. Mounted on the wall behind him was his famous weapon, The Moonsilver Staff, the thicker end of which was topped by a perfectly spherical crystal. Allegedly, the Guildmaster had soloed a young, wild dungeon in the East and took its core. Once properly fashioned and prepped, Cores made excellent magical conduits to empower spells and lower their mana cost. The only reason Felin even knew that was because Layla had gushed about her grandfather and his staff many times over the years. Once they were all seated, Betram looked up from his paperwork and quickly assessed them. "Underestimated the monster, the dungeon, or too overconfident?" He asked. Layla replied quietly. "The first two." Layla replied quietly. "We cornered it and had almost won when it threw itself at her. Teak managed to kill it, but Herna was crushed." "I''ll get on the paperwork, then." The Guildmaster sighed. "What''s your assessment?" "It''s Lost. No doubt about it." Layla said confidently. "Remnants of the dungeon''s old masters in its tactics, monster quality and some architecture. Age-wise; tentative Elder, but could easily be Ancient." The old man lent forwards. "Monsters? How many floors?" "We only explored the direct path to the first floor''s Guardian room." Layla admitted. "The monsters were crabs of unusual size, different breeds for different roles." She explained the different types, their physiology and tactics. "The guardian was a combination of all three, Large with thick armor, pincers mimicking a sword and shield, grey coloration and ability to hide as a boulder." She hesitated before continuing. "During the battle, Herna threw a fireball at the monster. The fire hit, and stuck to the shield. Then the fire changed color to teal, the same color as the lights. the monster was feeding its own mana into the fire, to gain control of it. The dungeon, or the monster, must have figured something out because not three seconds later its sword-pincer burst into flames as well." Betram stroked his goatee. "I see now why you think it Elder." He said into the silence. "That is a remarkably quick learning speed. Though, given it''s also Lost, and the habit of dungeons to go dormant when not challenged for many years, it''s more likely re-learning things it once knew as it awakens fully." Felin shivered slightly. If this was the dungeon at even half-capacity, he couldn''t begin to imagine how deadly it would be at full power. "Beyond the Guardian''s arena, there was a basin filled with mana saturated water." Lalya continued, bringing out the potion flask they had filled. "There were enchantments on a stalactite above to condense water and fill it with mana. More evidence of the dungeon''s old masters." The Guildmaster took the flask filled with water that sparkled and twinkled, squinted at it, then put it down on his desk. "I''ll have someone test it for poisons or other harmful effects, but I agree with your assessment. Did you venture to the second floor?" Layla shook her head. "No, I didn''t. Felin did, though." Layla said, turning to him. Felin gulped as the Guildmaster gave him his full attention. "It was wet and dank." He rasped, his tone respectful. "Square corridors covered in carvings and writing. I could hear water further in. I didn''t see any monsters, though I expect it would be more crabs." The old man nodded. "A reasonable expectation. But remember that older dungeons, especially those Conquered or Lost, have a greater understanding of humans and our thoughts. When in a dungeon, expect to be surprised and stay on the alert for anything that looks off, or odd." Betram advised in a lecturing tone. The three nodded quietly. With a wave the Guildmaster dismissed them. "Off you go. I need to finish the paperwork and inform the local lord of the find. He''ll probably want to settle the island and exploit the dungeon." He sighed. "I''m not looking forwards to this..." Suddenly, his face brightened. "Layla, my darling granddaughter! Could you do your dear old grandpapa a favor?" Felin didn''t like the look in the man''s eye. He had a bad feeling about this. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Unnamed Island, Kalenic Sea Seven Days After the Delve -0-0-0-0-0- It''s been a productive week. For my new third floor I decided to create a single, cavernous room. Several football stadiums in length and width, supported by dozens of incredibly thick columns. For several yards below the floor, I destroyed and powdered the rock. Above this layer of shattered stone I placed fertile jungle dirt, stolen from the island above. Carefully, I carved a channel through the level that would create a mostly fast-flowing river. The riverbed wound from west to east. On the western side I carved a dozen grates enchanted to purify the river and remove the salt content. This start point began half-way up the cavern wall, creating a small waterfall. In the middle of the room I let the water pool into a medium-sized lake with plenty of eddies and access to stagnant pools. At the far end after a series of rough rapids, the river passes out through the wall of the cavern. A vertical tunnel and some enchantments to provide lower gravity and lift brings the water all the way to the surface, where a new fresh-water spring bursts into existence. It actually ended up creating a rather spectacular waterfall, so I''m quite happy with it. I added a single mana-star on the roof, to provide my room with a single light source. This one, I create several enchantments to regulate. I created an anchoring enchantment, keeping its position relative to a bit of stone above it. This stone I enchanted to follow a carved path across the roof of the cavern, east to west. Once it reached the western wall, a layer of stone would extend around the light to block it off, in concert with nightfall. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The encased star would return to the other side of the room along the same path, then the cover would retreat upon reaching the eastern wall. I had (mostly) accurately replicated the day-night cycle. I also managed to change its colour with an enchantment to alter the waveform of the photons leaving the mana star. Yellow-white light was more appropriate than the teal it was naturally. With a light source, soil and water, I planted trees. Gull provided dozens of seeds, and I found a little over a dozen species. Tall, towering trees, thin and spindly trees and everything in between. Once I had a thick jungle, the third stage began to show its work. Along the riverbed I had layered enchantments to gently heat the passing water. Soon the air was moist; condensation forming on the thick leaves and bark of the trees. A similar enchantment impregnated the river water with just a little bit of mana, which should create a fog-like effect in any person with mana-sight. Thankfully, the transfer of soil brought most of the bugs that lived in it, with it. I had worms and ants and beetles and a hundred other bugs soon buzzing around the place, thanks to a little mana-prompted breeding. I enhanced seven of these species, leaving the rest with enhanced breeding cycles to support the larger bugs. Ants half an inch long, with sharper mandibles, a stronger grip and a pain-inducing contact toxin. Given their new habit of hunting larger prey to take advantage of their new size, I named them Hunter Ants. A species of wasp also gained the general package; an inch-long size increase, venom potency upgrade and stronger flight in general. I also added a red stripe along their abdomen. Widow Wasps were born. A species of tarantula-like spiders became a foot in size. Acromantula. Bees given the same size as the wasps. Titan Bees. Flies and Mosquitos were a given, of course. Both increased in size, but they fly was mostly an annoyance with increased volume. Hummingflies. Bigger mosquitos were already a nuisance, but a potent numbing effect makes them worse. Vampire Mosquitos. There were a couple of hives of Wasps, Ants and Bees spread across the map, The others were all over the place. Now with a basic ecosystem, some environmental challenges, I needed some kind of monsters beyond little insects. If a determined party came through wanting to kidnap or enslave me, I needed a way to capitalize on all the distracting elements of the area. This is where the lizards came in. I took these tiny lizards and grew them, shaped them. In the end, I had what I will call a Kobold Villager. Three-foot tall bipedal lizard people with reddish-brown scales. Males slightly bulkier, females more flexible. At my prompting they took to the trees, quickly constructing a ''village'' in the tree-tops that was completely invisible to anyone on the jungle floor. Unprompted, they created basic spears and clothing for themselves. I guess i made them more intelligent than I''d though. My intentions for these monsters was a harasser role. They would keep the parties paranoid, stealing bags and weapons when they sat down for a rest, throwing spears when they dropped their guards. Thankfully, monsters bred with other monsters of the same species propagate normally. Either way, I now had a three-dozen strong village of Kobolds, which would probably split into two villages in the next few days. I''m happy with this. I also think they''re worshiping me. Eh. That''ll turn out okay. Next task is to create the exit. And I have a plan. Along the walls at random points I created five fake exits. All had intricately carved doors, which seemed to lead into a boss arena. I even created a mini-boss creature from the Kobolds. Essentially a six-foot Kobold with crab-shell armor and pincer-weapons (Mace, Sword and shield, Two-handed sword). These are Kobold Hunters. Though, the fifth mini-boss I gave an much larger monster core and the ability to use Fire-magic. He''s the Kobold Shaman. Actually, I have an idea. I enchanted each boss room to act as a ''key''. Once all five mini-bosses were killed, a secret door would open. This door wasn''t so much a door as it was a rock encased by the roots of a tree. A circular hole in the rock would open, revealing a tunnel large enough for a Kobold Villager to walk through standing. Human will have to crawl. The tunnel goes down, winding past massive roots and through tight squeezes. Eventually It leads to a slippery, muddy slope which drops the slipee into a muddy, stagnant pool. This is the boss room. They would be dropped straight into the fight. The Boss, I spent a bit more time on. An Eight foot tall Kobold, I gifted him great strength and washboard abs. Continuing the ''Evolutionary line'' of the Kobolds, I created the Drake-kin. For this boss, I grew a very special crab. That crab''s shell was created to be as hard as it could be, and shaped into perfect armor plates. I also formed a Halberd for his weapon. I also gave him fire breath. You are Mushu, The Drake-kin. I informed him. He kneeled, his off hand thumping above his heart in a fist, and growled out something along the lines of "I understand, god." Okay! A lot more religious than I intended. Then again, I did actually create their species. I kind of am their god. I created a little side room for him to rest with appropriate furniture. This room''s exit was enchanted similarly to the two floors above. It would only open upon the death of Mushu. In order to keep an open path for the mana-stream, I hollowed out a tree and had the stream snake across the room before flowing down through it and into my crystal room. Past a dozen grates and plenty of spikes, of course. Making a shortcut is not my intention. Alrighty. The floor is essentially done. I''ll probably tweak it as I learn more. Good thing too, I see a whole fucking fleet of ships incoming. Guess my tutorial is over. -0-0-0-0-0- Phenoc Galleon Iron Fist, Kalenic Sea Off the Coast of the Unnamed Island. -0-0-0-0-0- "So, that''s the dungeon?" Asked Davad Medean, the future governor of this little Island. "Yes, Lord Medean." Layla Losat answered. Her grandfather had assigned her to the island as the guild''s local authority. A desk job isn''t exactly what she wanted to be doing, but she knew he was just trying his best to keep her safe. If she did well enough in this post, he had practically guaranteed a promotion to full Guildmaster within a month or two. She took a deep breath, then observed the island. "Felin," She called, summoning her oldest friend. "That waterfall wasn''t there a week ago, was it?" He grunted a negative. The waterfall was spilling out over the cliff above the dungeon. "Odd, but fortunate." Davad mused. "It must be a freshwater spring." He stated, then smiled. He pulled a pendant of Jaita from under his shirt and kissed it. "The gods have provided a boon to speed the settlement''s construction." Layla wasn''t so sure. more likely it was something the dungeon had done. Why it would create a spring was beyond her. although... "It may be that the dungeon has further awakened, and activated old enchantments." She said slowly, "The water likely originates from the dungeon itself. We will need to test its drinkability." The noble nodded. "Sound advice." He replied with a smile. He then turned from their position on the bow and addressed the other people on the ship. "My people! This is to be our new home! Though the next few weeks will be trying there is ample food in the jungle, plenty of wood to build our homes. Even better, there is a dungeon to provide us wealth! I name this place Medea Island in honor of my father, who granted us this land. Board the longboats! We make for the shore!." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I watched as the humans disembarked then began setting up tents, constructing a pier and, weirdly, a booth and fence outside my entrance. It kinda makes sense, though. It''s probably to keep out unauthorized delvers, or charge them entrance. I don''t know. Ah, well. I guess I have some new neighbours. ... I hope they don''t want to enslave me. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 10 -0-0-0-0-0- Temporary Camp, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea 1 Week, 2 Months Post-Corification -0-0-0-0-0- Layla emerged from her tent dressed and ready for the day. A slight adjustment to her blindfold and nod to Felin later, they were on their way to the large command tent set up off the beach. Layla watched as the common men and women who joined them on the island went about their morning routine, stepping aside and giving respectful nods as she passed them. A glance showed the wooden pier they were building had been mostly completed. One of the ships full of construction materials had pulled up at the end of it, preparing to unload it''s cargo. That they''d built even that much in the day since they''d landed was to be commended. The command tent was triple the size of even the next biggest tent, guarded by men at the flap and seemed to be enchanted. The guards nodded at their approach and folded back the flaps for them. On passing the threshold, the sounds outside muted from a dull roar to a quiet whisper. That would be the enchantment, or at least one of them. Lord Medean looked up when they stopped at the table in the center of the room. Said table was surrounded by other men and women; Lord Medean''s retainers and advisors. There looked to be a big piece of paper covering most of the table, which she assumed was a map. "Ah, Miss Losat, good of you to join us," Medean greeted. "I''ve had the water from that spring tested, and it''s come back clean. No poisons, toxins or hostile mana." Layla nodded. "That''s wonderful news," Layla said. "We''ve set up a gate next to the dungeon. In the next week we should expect a few Guilder parties to visit. New dungeons are rare. Ones that aren''t immediately conquered or destroyed even more so." The man nodded. "Yes, about that. I want it known this dungeon is off limits. No one is to attempt to take it''s core, if we even manage to find the thing." Layla raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I assumed you wanted to conquer it." She questioned. He shook his head. "Oh no, Miss Losat. This is an opportunity." He said, rubbing his hands together. "All of my research shows Lost dungeons are far more innovative and creative than any conquered dungeon. This dungeon is likely to hold many secrets and resources we can use to our advantage. If it''s as old as we expect I doubt we''d find the core quickly anyway." The blind woman paused. "That... is quite well reasoned. Though it also means that getting those resources will most likely have a heavy human cost, at least until the dungeon understands we aren''t going to try and conquer it." Layla could feel the oncoming headache. Medean waved her off. "They''re Guilders. They know what they''re getting into. Oh! Also, let my architect know where you want your guildhall and it''ll be one of the first structures built." With the obvious and rather rude dismissal, Layla turned and left the tent, Felin close behind. "I don''t like him." Felin rasped, once they were far enough away. "You don''t like anyone." Layla responded, smiling fondly. "But I agree with you on this one. He may not be a nice person, but he''s the new Lord of this island. We have to deal with him, even if we don''t like him." Felin grunted back at her. Their next destination was the Dungeon''s entrance. A basic fence had been set up on the beach, to prevent curious and/or suicidal people from walking into the deathpit. A guard rotation of the Guilders they''d brought with them kept the perimeter secure. As she approached the opening in the face, the two Guilders there saluted. "Guildmistress! Nothing to report," The one on the left stated. Layla sighed. "I''m not a Guildmistress yet, Hurlt. My appointment still needs to be approved by another two masters." She stated. Hurlt smirked. "Yet, Guildmistress. Best to get in the habit now, I say." He claimed, resolute. Layla shook her head, then walked past them. She had another delve to organize. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Damn these human are industrious. Three days after they arrived they''d set up a pier, cleared a bunch of land for farming and used the trees they''d cut to build a town hall (I assume) and some basic houses. I spent that time spying, listening in on conversations and plans. Herna''s mana and memories were very, very useful for me. I now, finally, knew the language. I also had a basic understanding of their society, and some knowledge on how mana worked here. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The fourth day, a new group of adventurers took the delve into my dungeon. From what my seagulls and new rat spies (brought in on a ship, as expected) had observed, they got a decent briefing and plenty of prep time. This party was composed of the clich¨¦ quartet. A Mage, who seemed to favor lightning given the sparks she occasionally gave off. A Knight, his muscled form sheathed by heavy plate armor. A Rogue, she wielded a shortbow and bedaggered. A Cleric, armed with a Morningstar and assumedly praying while holding an icon of his faith. I knew their names, of course, but I like giving them nicknames. Given that people delving into my dungeon was going to be a regular thing, I decided a bit of restraint was necessary. My monsters would still attack to kill, of course, but I didn''t want a reputation as a murder-hole. The fact I heard the new local lord tell Neo that people were banned from ''conquering'' me made me feel a lot better about relaxing a bit, though it was disturbing to know the option existed. In my old life, I was always writing things, building things. Sometimes for myself, but mostly because I wanted to show other people. Now I had the ability to craft wonders. But what''s the point of building an intimidating castle, if no one is ever intimidated by it? I wanted to hear the gasps of awe, the whispers of wonder. So, I would go easy on them. I would scale difficulty. With a bit of experimentation, I found I didn''t really have to focus on just one place. Multitasking, no confusion or mental forks required. It did take some ''mental power'' I assume is linked to the size of my crystal, and the more things I focused on, the less attention I gave each thing. Directing a certain number of monsters to one party while also raising and prepping the next batch for the next delve was well within my abilities. The Clich¨¦s advanced slowly, encountering enough resistance to challenge them. Also, crabs are weak to electricity. I need to find a way to make my fish at least a little insulated, because otherwise they could power through most of the second floor. Mage will be useless against Sanguina, though. Casting lightning while underwater yourself seems like a bad idea. A few injuries, healed by potions and one spell from Cleric. Some close calls with falling stalactites kept them paranoid and observant. They didn''t encounter a wave of crabs, like the last party did, and it seems to have unsettled them. Then, finally, they entered the boss room. Tamatoa, The Second Crab Knight, fought valiantly. Unfortunately, much like the other crabs, he was weak to lightning. Mental note; try to either make crab shell more insulating, or perhaps make their shells selectively conductive to guide the electricity away from vital organs. The party harvested his mana-core, filled a few flasks with the mana-water, then left without trying to challenge the second floor. They reported to Neo, who it seems has been placed in charge of me and allowing people into me. Neo, who I now knew to be named Layla, seemed to be expecting someone to be dead when they returned, but cheered up considerably when she saw all four party members. The next day another, completely different, party delved me. They too, only cleared the first floor then left. I''ve also stopped naming the Crab Knights. They''ll pass on and be replaced too quickly to get attached. The first boss of a floor will still be named, maybe the second. The ones after that are inheriting the mantle and some muscle memories from their predecessor. This new pattern changed on the seventh day since the humans arrived. A new ship pulled into port; now a couple of piers stretching from the black sand beach. The crew traded with the residents of the island, while their passengers made a beeline to the new building outside my entrance. I assumed it was a cross between a tavern, an Inn, and the operations center for these adventurers, given Neo seems to base herself there and has some kind of office. The new group of ten people entered the main door, where a small and hidden rat watched them talk to the bar-keeper. Two split off to go up to the second floor and meet with Layla. The other eight bought drinks and settled in to wait. The Clich¨¦ Quartet made another run that day, the same pattern as before. The new group was apparently two parties of five, who both wanted to delve me. Layla let them know of the restriction on ''conquering'' me, gave them some information on my monsters, but didn''t go into detail as much as she did for the others. She also didn''t seem to like them much. Maybe from a different faction? Either way, they looked cocky even with that little amount of information, and I took that personally. The other adventurers who tried had a healthy respect for me and my monsters, while these newcomers were arrogant. I''m sure that these people will attempt my second floor if given the opportunity. Well, I hope they enjoy their delve. Or, as I prefer to call it, their wake-up call. -0-0-0-0-0- Rorgas was regretting this delve already. As the fifth wave of fucking crabs approached, he and his party rushed forwards to meet them. They climbed over the corpses of the last wave. Rorgas and the other two melee-focused fighters in the party kept the crabs off their other party members, who were harvesting the monster cores as fast as they could. Cutting down the final monster, he turned to his sister, Meser. "How''re we looking?" He asked. Meser looked exhausted, having spent most of her mana on healing spells already. "Not good. I''m out of mana, and our potions reserves are low. These crabs have tiny mana-cores, but the sheer number of them should help cover the cost of the potions we used." She took a breath. "We should turn back." "No," Rorgas stated. "We press on. The Guardian has a bigger core, and that mana-water is worth all these little cores combined!" He claimed loudly. "Who''s with me!?" The swordsmen, flush from victory over the crabs, cheered. Their other mage, a water mage, gulped down a mana-restoring potion then nodded. "Alright! The next cavern should be the final one before the Guardian. Play it safe." Rorgas ordered, then led the way into the next dark and twisting passage. After fighting off another two waves of crabs, they''d finally made it to the doors, carved with the image of a crab with a sword and shield. Rorgas pushed open the doors. The last thing he saw was a grey pincer-claw rushing towards his neck. His last thought was; Huh, I thought the guardian would wait for us to be in the room. -0-0-0-0-0- After their leader got killed, the rest of the party managed to kill the Crab Knight, collect their ''reward'' and stumble back out the way they came. I made sure they noticed groups of crabs watching from the water, and in the corners of their eyes. I really wanted it to sink in. I could have killed them all, overwhelmed them with numbers, but I didn''t. Rorgas had been arrogant. He should have take the advice of their healer and turned back. Though, when I discovered she was his sister I felt a little bad. Hopefully she gots over this and moved on with her life. She didn''t. ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 11 -0-0-0-0-0- The Guild Hall, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea After the Delve -0-0-0-0-0- It was all rather quiet after the second group ran my first floor. The leaderless first group left the day after, with Meser glaring at the entrance to my dungeon until I was too far away to see. It was a little creepy and foreboding, not gonna lie. It was made worse because the Crab Knight absorbed half of Rorgas''s mana, leaving me a bit in the dark with regards to his life. One of many siblings, lived a comfortable life, struck out with his sister to make a name for himself. The memories were lacking in details and names, which I assume went to the now-deceased Crab Knight. Shaking off that tingling down a spine that doesn''t even exist, I turned my mental eyes back to my dungeon. The crabs had performed well, but I felt that they were being brushed aside by guilders too easily. There should be no "easy" floors in my dungeon. The obvious answer was to give them the ability to use magic but I felt that was a bad idea. To do that I would need to invest a lot more mana into them, upping the size of their cores and impressing how to use magic into each of their minds individually. Making my first level trash mobs have such a high start-up cost wasn''t desirable. So, when quality was out of reach, quantity was just as applicable. I''d already experienced this myself, throwing waves and waves of crabs at the parties delving me. If I made every crab just a little better, then that adds up to a whole lot better. I upped the toughness of my crab''s shells, grew them another few inches and increased their brain sizes by more than enough to perform group tactics without me needed to be an intermediary. By extension their worship of myself and their veneration of the Chosen Crab Knight increased tenfold, along with the spontaneous generation of a language. I might have made them too intelligent. Or, maybe just intelligent enough. They were obviously happy to throw themselves at my enemies. Like ants; ''For the Core'' and all that baloney. I increased the size of their breeding rooms and tunnels, where they formed their own communities. I let them take care of their own breeding, lowering their reproductive numbers from thousands per breeding to a couple of dozen, and the growth rate to a week. I''ll tweak this over the next few weeks to make sure there are always enough crabs to defend the floor and a sizeable helping in reserve. It''s strange. I''ve made three floors and two have species with basic sentience. The stalactite traps I enchanted, making ''pressure plates'' of mana under the sand to detect humans. Once triggered, it would release a stalactite ''glued'' to the ceiling by mana. I''d still need to replace the traps, but no longer needed to trigger them manually. With this, my first floor went from micro-managing hell to largely hands-off. All I needed to do was empower the bosses and replace traps, now. Anyway! That''s enough of that. To the second floor! The fish hadn''t been tested yet, though that would likely change soon. I''ll look for parts of the maze to improve, traps to tweak and monsters that could use a tune-up. The third floor was much the same. It''s untested monsters and environment giving me very little data with which to change it. Logically, the only thing to do now was keep digging. I had the perfect animal to monsterize, and an appropriate theme for this floor. How does "The Skaven Warren" work, for a maze-like set of hobbit-sized tunnels filled with giant, vicious rats? -0-0-0-0-0- Medea Island "Port," Medea Island, Kalenic Sea Three Days Later. -0-0-0-0-0- "Welcome to Medea." Layla said, inclining her head at the Guilders disembarking the ship. "We''ve been waiting eagerly since we heard you were coming." The first man off the groaning gangplank, a veritable mountain of muscle and metal, stared down at her with a hurt look on his face. "Ah! Little Layla! You wound me with such a cold greeting," he said as he kneeled, a smile gracing his handsome face. He opened his arms wide. Layla''s serious expression melted into a happy smile. "It''s good to see you, uncle." She said, hugging the man for all he was worth. Behind him, someone cleared their throat. "Get out of the way, you big lump. Let me greet my niece," a woman said, tone indignant. Laughing, her uncle Jerrad Losat stood and moved aside to reveal another albino lady gliding down the gangplank. Her eyes were, like Layla''s, covered by a black silk blindfold. Layla curtsied to her aunt. "Aunt Isid. It''s lovely to meet you again." She said. Isid smiled daintily down at the younger and slightly shorter girl. "Oh none of that, dear." She insisted, waving a hand through the air. "There is a time for formality, and a time to disregard it. If I didn''t believe that I wouldn''t have married this one." Isid ignored her husband''s sudden outcry. Three other Guilders joined her aunt and uncle on the pier. "These are our current party members." She continued. "Lieza is a lightning mage; Platinum, like Jerrad and I." Layla shook hands with the woman, whose mana rushed and sparked through and around her body without rest. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "This is Lione, our ranged expert and Ferai, a cleric of Unna." Layla shook hands with the man covered in monster leathers, then bowed to the man in robes. "I assume you have rooms prepared?" Isid finished. "Of course," Layla answered. "Though our little colony lacks much, they at least made a basic guild hall a priority." A short walk down the pier and along the beach''s edge had them reach the wooden structure. Before they entered, Isid stopped, turning to face the dungeon''s entrance. Layla likewise stopped, and joined her aunt. The dungeon''s manastream had increased noticeably in size in the last few days, in speed and width both. Privately, Layla wondered what the dungeon could be using all that mana for. Many things, she knew. Some potentially good for them, and others too horrible to contemplate. Hopefully, no one would push the dungeon enough that if felt it needed to... remove them all as a threat. Layla had also thought briefly on the nature of dungeons herself, not long ago. Why did they tolerate Guilders delving them? What were they getting out of it? With the amount of mana they absorbed, surely they could create whatever they wanted... Another mystery not even the many dungeon masters across the kingdoms of this world had discovered the answer to. "That unearthly light..." Jerrad mused, her uncle having joined the woman in their observation. "That would be the large mana-lights? How did you describe them in your report... ''on the verge of explosion at all times, held back only by an unknown force'' I believe?" Layla nodded. "Indeed. It was... most unsettling to observe," she admitted. "But enough of that. Let''s get you all settled. A proper briefing can wait until tomorrow. Our cook has quickly become adept at utilizing the local fish in a great assortment of ways." She bragged, leading them into the hall. They had a wonderful evening. Isid inquired of Layla''s progression in her abilities. (Satisfactory, thank you). Felin was goaded into an arm wrestling competition with her uncle. (Which he lost, terribly). It was the next morning when they all found themselves in her office, going over all the information they had on the dungeon; it''s layout, monsters and recent behavior. "You''ve really only explored the first floor? I thought you would have reached the fourth by now," Jerrad exclaimed. Layla sighed at her uncle. "It''s a Lost Dungeon. Age unknown, tending towards Ancient. We have no clue how intelligent it is, or how it would react to us going deeper. It tried its best to kill Felin and I when we first delved it, and it did kill one of our party members. Since then, it''s seemed content to let us run the first floor, take the manawater, then leave. If we had attempted deeper it might not have been so benevolent." She explained, then frowned. "To be honest, I''m not sure if anyone ranked less than platinum would survive exploring a floor for the first time." Jerrad reached over and gently clapped his hand on her shoulder. "Don''t worry, little lady. We''ll be just fine." Layla gave him a smile but inwardly, she wondered. "I think we''re as prepared as we could be," Isid suddenly declared. "Let''s go." -0-0-0-0-0- This new group was no joke. They pushed through my crabs easily, even when I resorted to the wave method. Speaking of, they made special note of that. "Wave attacks. The dungeon is worried about us." Isid stated offhandedly, when they''d defeated the latest wave. Hm. Maybe a little. I don''t know how they''ll fare against my next three floors. Hopefully they''re as thrown by the layout and monsters as I think they should be. They handily defeated the Crab Knight, expecting his fire magic and prepared for it. They took its core, filled a flask with mana-water, then proceeded down the staircase. The first foray into my labyrinth had them follow the mana-flow through the maze. This path was completely dry, and took them ten minutes to find themselves back at the staircase. Isid frowned. "It''s layered and twisted the manastream through the maze." Jerrad nodded. The second attempt followed the right-hand rule. This time, the path took them through a flooded tunnel. They stopped at the edge of the water, staring down at the black water as it reflected the light of their torches. Jerrad took point. He waded into the water, down the steady incline. It was only when he reached the point where it evened off that I struck. He had heavy metal armor and full coverage. This in mind, I pointed a group of Bloodfish his way. The big, red, sharp-toothed fish struck quick and fast. They struck not his armor, but the visible straps. In one bite, the thin leather was pierced and ripped away. At the first impact, Jerrod knew something was wrong and began wading out of the black, churning water. The fish struck another three times before he finally made it out of the water. The rest of the party watched, blinking in astonishment, as Jerrod''s waist and leg armor came apart, falling to the wet stone. "I think there are monsters in the water." He stated, ignoring that he now stood in his under-clothes. "You think?" Isid drawled, sardonically. "Fish, or something else sea-going with sharp teeth. The dungeon is directing them, given they targeted the straps. It''s a warning. ''I could have just killed you, but I only removed your armor.''" She took a breath. "Well, we wouldn''t be Guilders if we folded at the first sign of danger. Lieza, shock the water, then ward us from the lightning." The mage obliged, a stream of electricity leaping from her outstretched hand into the water. My fish died in the dozens, though the ones who survived snuck off to the breeding pools, now possessing a very mild resistance to electricity. With Isid holding an actual mage-light under the water, coincidentally showing me how it should work, the group moved on. None of them harvested the fish for Cores, though they hadn''t for the basic crab monster either. Passing through this waist-deep tunnel, they continued on. Several more shallow tunnels followed. All were electrified before they waded through, and the survivors were bundled off to breed and experiment with. They passed the first fully submerged tunnel with ease, though they looked miserable, soaked through as they were. It was when they found themselves back at the staircase that Isid''s calm cracked, even if slightly. Another attempt, this time following the left-handed method. This time they went through more flooded and half-flooded tunnels than dry. Dripping wet, exhausted and out of patience, for the third time they wandered back into the entrance room. "This is incredibly... frustrating." She growled, through clenched teeth. "The one who designed this maze; the dungeon or it''s old masters, knew common methods to navigate them. They made sure that we couldn''t just rush through. We''re going to have to explore every tunnel and passage in this dammed maze." She stood there a moment, breathing heavily after her rant. A few seconds later she was rather more composed. "Let''s get out of here. We need to better prepare for this new challenge," she stated. That sounded good to me. If they had to leave and come back, then I had more time to adjust the fish and maybe move the walls to mess with them. Each of the party members reached into a pocket, or pouch, then disappeared in a flash of light. Teleportation? How interesting. Something to figure out later. Absently, I noticed the party appear outside my dungeon, in cordoned-off area that must have been created for this purpose. My mind was already racing with ways to bolster my second floor monsters. First things first, let''s figure out how to make them not all die the moment someone casts sparks at the water. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 12 -0-0-0-0-0- Outside the Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Layla was informed the moment her relatives and their party had returned and she quickly set her paperwork aside to go out and meet them. On the way down the short path, she noted that the waterfall pouring off the cliff had ceased. Most likely, Medean''s men had diverted the river down towards the valley where they could make better use of it. When she caught sight of the party she almost burst into laughter. Thankfully, she was able to hold her composure, despite her relatively prim and proper aunt looking like a drowned rat and her uncle practically naked from the waist down. Though it certainly wasn''t ideal, they had just returned from a potentially deadly situation with what seemed like no injuries. Setting her expression, she approached. "Aunt Isid, Uncle Jerrad. Lieza, Lione, Ferai. Perhaps it would be best to return to your rooms and compose yourselves before we have the debriefing." She suggested, wary of the furious expression on her Aunt''s face. Isid gave a jerky nod, still breathing heavily, and they all bundled into the guild hall. It took another hour until they had all gathered in what Layla was calling the ''Dungeon Room''. In this room she had collated every scrap of data they had on the dungeon and it''s monsters. She was particularly interested in the strange rune-like script and iconography. Little hints at a fallen civilization. A table in the center of the room was covered in notes and reports, her own and from the other delvers. Off to the side, she had started collating the data into a book. It would only cover the first floor, but she had a feeling each floor would need it''s own tome in the end. The members of her aunt''s party all collapsed into chairs around the table. The scribe she''d organized was prepared to transcribe the meeting, though she''d ask them all to submit their own reports later. They might remember an important detail after a good night''s rest. "I feel like the first floor wouldn''t have been a problem for you, but did you have anything to say about it before we get to the second?" She prompted. Jerrad cleared his throat and sat forwards. "The dungeon sent wave attacks at us, obviously worried and trying everything it could. We didn''t take the cores, since that would have taken too long, but we did take the core from the big one. Has anyone taken a corpse out of the dungeon to test if they''re edible? Good quality monster meat is hard to find. Some nobles really enjoy crustacean, you know." She shook her head. "It''s not been practical to try, yet. If the delvers are focused on hauling out monster corpses, they''ll be vulnerable to ambush. Teleporting the corpses out would be more efficient and safer, but you''re the only group with teleport crystals on the island." She said. "We''ll try to get at least one corpse out to test it. Could end up being a valuable export." Jerrad nodded. "The second floor was a maze, half-flooded by salt water." He explained. "Following common methods of navigating mazes leads you back to the center, where the stairs to the first floor are." Isid leaned forward. "The monsters were fish. The first thing we knew about them was Jerrad''s little wardrobe mishap." She commented, her humor obviously returned after time to de-stress. "He lacked any other wounds, though that could be attributed to the full coverage of his armor rather than any mercy on the dungeon''s part." She continued, more seriously. "Teeth sharp enough to tear the leather straps, fast enough for several passes in the five seconds it took for him to get back out of the water. Lieza shocked the water, and with my mage light under the water I got a good look at them. "Three different monsters, based on the cores in three of the fish. There were dozens of fish in the water, most of which were possibly food for the monsters. One with the size and teeth to cut Jerrad''s armor off, one that looked normal and a more numerous one that looked like an arrowhead." "At least half the maze is submerged, partially or fully." Lieza piped up. "It made it real easy to shock the water and deal with the fish." Layla winced a bit at that. "I have mentioned that the dungeon learns magic, or at least re-learns it, from watching us? Herna, the fire mage who died on my initial delve, cast a fireball at the crab guardian and it gained the ability to use fire magic." She informed them, to a barrage of curses. "We assume it has modified it''s monsters for lightning resistance, then? Or created a monster that uses lightning?" Layla shook her head. "One of the parties that regularly delves it has a lightning mage and we haven''t seen any new monsters yet. It might change the fish, given the lightning was such a huge weakness." She said. "We really have no way to know." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Oh, I totally made electric eels. Man, it''s so much easier to spy on these meetings through cracks in the walls when I can actually understand what they''re saying. Anyway. yes. Electric eels. Not really. I made the Sharpscale''s scales more metallic and conductive, then taught the fish how to push out lightning mana. After the fish had shed it''s scales, the area around it became highly conductive, even more so than water normally is. Then, in a flash, electricity arced within the silvery cloud under the water. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. With every other fish in my dungeon, I did the opposite. Their scales all become more insulative, building on the ''resistance'' I''d observed in survivors of Lieza''s lightning spells. I made sure Sanguina was doubly insulated, not that I expected them to use lightning spells when fully submerged themselves. That took most of last night. Afterwards, I spent some time thinking about how the humans perceived me. They believe that I''m an incredibly old dungeon. Specifically, a dungeon which has been ''conquered'' then killed it''s enslavers. They expect me to have rare or valuable resources that they can use, they keep attributing abnormalities to things I learnt from them. So, let''s run with it. If they see things they expect to see, it''ll distract from the things they don''t expect. Especially when they''re expecting the unexpected. Did that make sense? I think it did. To keep the theme/deception going, I added some Romanesque ruins through the jungle. Mostly free-standing columns or platforms half-overgrown with vegetation. The fourth floor didn''t get this treatment, but then again that''s not what it''s about. The fourth floor is a warren, with the largest tunnels just short enough to make a grown man stoop at all times. There were plenty of smaller tunnels, some big enough to crawl through and others too small to do more than stick an arm through. It was these tunnels that led to the rats'' breeding grounds. This was of course, the normal-sized rats. This floor had no regular animals. Every rat was a monster, and I had decided not to interfere in their development in order to see what happens. I thought I''d probably just end up with giant rats, but I wasn''t going to modify them directly. The delvers would enter on one edge of the warren, then have to crawl their way all the way through the tunnels with minimal room to move and fight. The entire time they''d be surrounded by rats that desperately wanted to eat them. The first floor was a warning, a gatekeeper. What posed no threat to the prepared would kill those who assumed it would be easy. The second floor was a closed door, which only those extremely prepared could pass. The third floor was an exercise in frustration, with no clear exit it should take a while to figure it out if they ever do. Hopefully all but the most determined would give up, at least until the method to pass it became well known. My fourth floor was a true deathtrap, created to stall further progress by the delvers for as long as possible. I wanted as many floors between the surface and my core as possible. Four floors just didn''t seem like enough, and the fourth should keep them back enough to make some breathing room. After this next delve, I''d get started on the fifth floor. When Isid''s party approached the entrance once again, I gave them my full attention. They passed through it easily enough, even with the wave attacks. They fought over the increasingly large piles of crabs as I threw more of the monsters at them than I had ever done before. By the time I''d exhausted my reserves, they were sweaty and breathing heavily. "That was... rough. It definitely doesn''t like that we''re trying to go deeper," Lione commented. He walked around, pulling bolts from the many, many corpses that surrounded them. "How many was this? A couple of hundred?" Isid nodded. "That sounds right, though I wasn''t exactly counting," she replied. After that, they fought the crab knight. This time wasn''t like the last, when they murdered him easily. This time he used fire magic extensively, sending out waves of flames with every slash of his pincer. They still took him down and collected his extra-large core, but it was a hard fight. When they moved down into the second floor, they were once again confronted by the four exits leading from the room. With a twist. I''d increased the water level, rising it enough that It sat an inch above the floor they stood on. Multiple layers of defense in action, here! "This makes things more complicated." Lieza said, frowning. "I can''t use my spells here, unless you want to get shocked." They explored carefully, and when they found themselves going deeper they pulled out their first bit of prepared equipment. Each party member pulled out a metallic mask they placed over their mouths. They''d used them before, but it wasn''t as important. Mostly because they''d already killed the monsters. This metal mask let them breath under the water, while some mage lights illuminated the dark water. Their first look at the flooded tunnel was of ten Bloodfish, a large school of Arrowfish and a smaller school of Sharpscales. In seconds, the battle had begun -0-0-0-0-0- The "Lost" Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Jerrad pulled himself out of the water, covered in cuts and burns. His armor was warped and dented, rips and tears littered the tarnished metal. Isid followed seconds later, her leather armor and porcelain white skin likewise ruined. They scurried away from the water, desperate to escape. A glance back at the black, roiling waters revealed nothing. Seconds later Lione burst from the water, screaming in pain and struggling to keep his head above the water. In the next instant Jerrad was there, pulling the injured rogue to the shore. Isid collapsed in his arms, having exhausted all her mana. Lione was lacking his left leg below the knee, ending in a bloody and torn stump. He wasn''t screaming anymore, but a quick check proved he was just unconscious, not dead. Lieza never surfaced. Ferai''s blond locks never poked above the water. After waiting a minute, just in case, Jerrad activated their teleport crystals and squinted his eyes at the suddenly blinding light of the surface. They were out. Out of that deathtrap. Dazed, he recalled the fight. At least, as much of it as he could. The fish had rushed them, not letting them get their bearings. The fish shaped like arrowheads sliced into their skin, the large red ones slamming them with their bulk and tearing armor to pieces. The silver fish, burst into a sharp, silvery cloud. Then they released lightning into the cloud, contained but still dangerous. Just as they had feared, the dungeon had learned, or remembered, how to use lightning mana. They''d fought, because that is what they do. That''s their job. But there were too many fish, and... Lieza was overwhelmed by the arrow-like fish. Ferai had been shocked into paralysis. Lione had lost a leg to the red and black fish. He and Isid had been the only ones to make it out of the water without major injury. This dungeon was incredibly dangerous, quick to adapt to change and vicious in it''s defense. Yet... oddly restrained. It could have thrown many more monsters at them than it had. Jerrad recalled that while they were engaged by at least a dozen of the monsters, dozens more held back. Almost like they were waiting their turn. The healers closed their wounds, and smoothed over their burn scars. Lione recovered his leg, but had a distant look that heralded wounds the healers couldn''t fix. Jerrad sighed, running a hand across his now unblemished cheek. He had a report to write. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 13 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea Moments after the Delve. -0-0-0-0-0- I... I may have gone a little overboard. After seeing them mow through the crabs, even when they were full-on trying their best to murder the party, I''d kind of just assumed they''d do the same with the fish. they were smaller, weaker and needed numbers to make up the difference. I completely disregarded the fact they were at a huge disadvantage. They were underwater, which severely restricted their movement. Lieza couldn''t use her most devastating spells, which removed the easiest method to clear the monsters. Lione couldn''t effectively fight dozens of fish with just his daggers, given his bow wouldn''t really work well underwater. Ferai was a healer, and couldn''t exactly fight with his Morningstar underwater. It just wasn''t designed for it. Isid and Jerrad were similar, being unable to move or fight normally. They put up a decent fight, as much as they could have at least. A sword swing there by Jerrad cut a Bloodfish in twain. Dual mana-blades from Isid shredded a couple of the Arrowfish swarming her. Lieza bore a small dagger, obviously her fallback weapon. She skewered a Sharpscale that attempted to shock her and failed to do any damage past her lightning resistance. Lione, slashing with his twin daggers, increased flexibility and reaction time had racked up the most kills. Ferai, as explained, had much less luck. In the minute they were fighting he had failed to smash a single fish with his large, bulky spiked ball-on-a-chain. One by one, they succumbed to the fish. Lieza was first. Given how the Sharpscales couldn''t do much to her I sent a school of Arrowfish at her. With disturbing ease they cut through her robes and sliced her to ribbons. She didn''t have time to reach for her teleport crystal; within seconds the blade-headed fish had cut her throat and tendons. She either drowned on her own blood or bled to death. I couldn''t tell. Not having actually meant to kill them, I hastily ordered the other fish to back off a bit, but the order came seconds too late to save Ferai. He had gotten surrounded by a dozen Sharpscales, who''s combined Spark spells and conductive scales hid him in a cloud of lightning. now dead weight, he drifted down out of the cloud to the corridor floor. Lione had lost a leg to the Bloodfish. His leather armor had been cut clean off there, and the fish were feasting on the severed leg. Jerrad and Isid escaped to the surface, cut bruised and burned but without major injuries. Lione managed to get to the surface while the Bloodfish were distracted with his leg, giving Jerrad time to pull him out of the water. They disappeared in a flash of light, leaving me with some enhanced monsters and two floating corpses. Well... At least some good will come from this fiasco. While the guilder''s mana drifted into the manastream and started on it''s journey to my core, I had a group of Kobolds collect the corpses. They stripped them of their armor and weapons, collected their manacores, then threw the bodies to the fish. The bones would make good decorations. Yes. I''m distracting myself from my lack of reaction by focusing on something positive. Let me have a quiet breakdown later. The manacores were interesting. Shaped like a ellipse, the little gems were tucked away between the heart and spine. A similar location to my monster''s but a different shape; my monsters all had perfectly spherical cores. They were... fascinating. Lieza''s core discharged electricity when mana was pushed into it. Ferai''s core radiated a gentle yellow light that I assume is some kind of healing magic. What made their cores different from each other? I had no idea. A quick bit of biological manipulation gave me two Shaman Kobold mini-bosses with gnarled wooden staves, with the ellipsoid cores clenched at one end by a wooden Kobold hand. My Fire Shaman looked disappointed, so I gave her wooden stave holding an obsidian orb. While the Fire Shaman would remain a mini-boss, my new healer and lightning mage expy quickly took up leadership roles in the two Kobold tree-top villages. Hopefully they could learn how to produce the spells on their own, or I''d learn from the mana even now traversing the third floor, but my new Staff of Healing and Staff of Sparks are good enough substitutes for now. Their robes and metal weapons were distributed between the mini-bosses, each getting at least one bit of the under armor the two mages had worn. My ''Floor Guardian'' Mushu was given Ferai''s Morningstar. It was a bit of a departure from his pincer-sword, but a far stronger weapon. He seemed to like it, given how he was swinging it about and smashing it into rocks. The Teleport crystals were... strange. I had absolutely no idea how the mana in the tiny crystal warped space-time to transport the person holding it. I also felt like I wouldn''t figure it out for a while. The bones I spread about the second floor. Alright. No avoiding it now. What the hell is going on with my morals?! I feel no guilt from killing the humans. That at least, I sort of understand. I wouldn''t be able to properly defend myself from their grubby little hands if I wasn''t willing to kill them. Wait. That seems... Wrong. The new lord of the island, Medean, told the Guilders I wasn''t to be conquered. I mean, they could just disregard it and enslave me anyhow... I could at least give them the benefit of the doubt? But they couldn''t be trusted... Fucking damn it! Dungeon Instincts. That''s what it is. Has to be. It''s time to face the facts. I''m not a human anymore, if I ever was one. I''m a dungeon core with the full, unadulterated mind, memories and sapience of a human. I don''t know if my old life was real, or if it was all a dream, but that doesn''t matter. I''m a Dungeon Core, with the soul of a human. When thinking of the humans entering my dungeon my first instinct is to protect myself and kill them, to shield myself from all and sundry who would shackle or destroy me. That''s the dungeon''s instincts. It''s not a bad thing, these instincts have likely kept many dungeons alive and free over however long we''ve existed. After the initial murderous instincts comes the curiosity. This is an entirely different world. The names and language, the political entities and the fact mana is real. Who are these people, how have they survived if the world is covered by dungeons like me? The answer is that no dungeon is like me, but that''s obvious. I want to learn more of these people. This desire doesn''t really conflict with the instincts, given killing invaders would give me memories and knowledge. Beyond the curiosity is the desire to interact with these people, this fully coming from my human side. It''s... probably a bad idea to actually talk to them. They would try to conquer me even harder, in order to study what made me different. My dungeon instincts abhor that outcome. The thought of being conquered feels like death to me. So, a second option is needed. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. In the end, I decide that since they''ll be delving me anyway, I might as well craft beautiful landscapes and intricate designs, all for the goal of eliciting an awed breath, or a whispered comment of beauty from those who manage to delve deep enough. It''s not a conversation, but in it''s own way... I feel like that will be enough for me. In order for that to occur though, they have to actually make it to these floors. With a new goal, I make plans for a staged retreat. Keeping at least two floors between myself and the humans at minimum feels doable, though more is preferable. Concepts for floor themes and transitions fly through my mind. Idly, I started hollowing out space for the fifth floor. This wasn''t going to be a true floor, with all the monsters, traps and puzzles that entails... more of a transitional one. In short, I want to show off, but I''m deathly afraid of letting people too close... Do I have social anxiety? Oh look, the guilder''s mana has reached my core! A distraction from introspection! Time for some tasty knowledge. I wanna know how to make my monsters throw lightning! -0-0-0-0-0- Layla''s Office, The Guild Hall, Medea Island Four Days Later -0-0-0-0-0- Layla was collapsed forward on her desk, her face buried on her crossed arms. She''d just spent the night trying to figure out what she was going to do. The dungeon was dangerous, incredibly so. It was willing to let people run the first floor and leave, but enter with the intention of going deeper and it threw everything it had at you. With deadly intent. Somehow, it knew when you were intending to go deeper. The round-the-clock guard hadn''t reported any monsters leaving the dungeon, so foreknowledge was out. It couldn''t be reading their minds... could it? No. Dungeons lost control of their mana around humans. It would need to make a connection somehow, and there''s no evidence of that. Their party and Isid''s hadn''t said anything out loud about attempting to go deeper. As far as she was aware the sibling''s party hadn''t either... but the girl was so distraught, she might have said something off-hand but forgotten. Was it... reading their intentions through body language? It''s the only possibility left. That implies a heavy familiarity with humans, which is expected, but even picking up their intention to go deeper from the moment you walk in is too extraordinary. In the end, it just knows. On her desk was all the necessary paperwork to restrict access to the dungeon. All those below Gold were forbidden from delving. All those at Gold were restricted to ''Safe'' levels, assuming the dungeon lets people delve floors that have already been cleared once. Platinum ranked adventurers were allowed to attempt to delve deeper, with sufficient planning and information. The same applied for all those above Platinum, rare as they were. All it needed was her signature. The problem was the parties who had been regularly delving the dungeon''s first floor so far were only gold ranked because of the party''s leaders. The rest of them were still silver. Layla, Felin, Horat and Deval were the only Gold guilders on the island, after the two visiting parties left. Sure, Horat and Deval''s parties had done well on the first floor so far, but if any of them decided to attempt the next floor they''d be decimated. Layla sat up, leaning back in her chair. It was a hard decision, not one to make lightly. She had too much responsibility now to just delve into the dungeon every day. A glance out her office window revealed the supposedly fantastic view; The beautiful black sand beach was grey and lifeless to her mana-sight. The sparkling and warm water pulsed with mana, full of life. The clear blue skies were also grey, but dominated by the great river of mana pouring into the dungeon''s entrance. And there, on the horizon, a fleet of ships approached. With a sigh, Layla pushed the paperwork off to the side. When they had more Gold ranked, or if the Silvers reached their next milestone, then she would revisit it. For now, they just didn''t have the manpower. She tidied her desk, collating the reports her aunt and uncle had written with the previous accounts of the second floor. Her mostly-complete record of the first floor joined them in her desk. She placed the large bottle of mana-infused ink carefully into a separate drawer. Thank the Gods Isid had brought some more, she wouldn''t be able to write a damn thing without it. Idly, she made a mental note to order more from the mainland. All paperwork that passed her desk had to be written in it for her to do her job, and their stocks were never full. The next hour she spent in the Dungeon Room, updating information and naming the new monsters. She was interrupted by Felin, who spoke in his usual curt manner. "Whole bunch of Guilders just pulled into port." He rasped, handing over a report from the newly-established port authority. A glance at the mana-inked writing enlightened her. A whole dozen Silver, five Gold and two Platinum parties, some almost a dozen Guilders strong, had just walked off that fleet of merchant ships. "Did they say why?" She asked, trying to keep her cool. Her mind was racing with possibilities. Mostly about how they would house and feed so many Guilders, especially the higher ranked ones which would expect better quality accommodation. "A bounty on the Dungeon." He said, a serious cast to his features. "Ten thousand gold to the party that shatters the core." At that, she froze. Ten. Thousand. Gold. Pieces. That''s... "That''s Insane." She started, off balance. "Who would throw away so much money over a dungeon!?" He waved a piece of parchment, which unfortunately wasn''t written in mana-ink. Luckily, Felin knew to read it out for her. "By order of the Grand Duke Plaised, for the murder of his second son." Layla took a deep, calming breath. "That party who left a week ago, the boy who died and left his sister behind, correct? They never gave their last names." She guessed. Felin shrugged. Ultimately there was nothing they could have done about that, it didn''t matter where you came from, if you took the oath you were a Guilder. Many who joined were trying to escape something or someone. Some didn''t want their family names behind them in some misguided sense of honor and fair play. An applicant only had to give one name, but it had to be the name they were given at birth. Lie-detecting artifacts were used liberally in that sense. Layla sprung into action. "Ask Isid and Jerrard if Horat and Dival can use their Teleport crystals to get some crab meat from the dungeon. We''re going to have to test it''s edibility first, but it''s the most bountiful source of meat on the island. "Organize tents for the Silvers. The Platinums can take the spare rooms in the guild hall, though they''ll have to share. Those new houses near the Hall, knock on a couple of doors and ask if we can rent the buildings for a few weeks. We''ll give them fair compensation for the use of their new homes." Felin nodded and left. Layla ran her long, thin fingers through her hair. If she wasn''t albino, this job would have given her grey hairs long before her time. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The ships filled with Guilders pulling in to port gave me a terrible feeling, even before I overheard their reasons for being here. A bounty. Someone had put a bounty on me. For Murder of all things! Isn''t it implicit that you risk your life when delving dungeons? Why the sudden hate? I haven''t killed that many people... Kurt, Kale, Herna, Rorgas, Lione, Lieza, Ferai... Rorgas. It had to have been his sister. She ran home and told on me to her father, who put out a ridiculously high bounty on me if the response is this... enormous. I guess I''m going to get a few guests in the very near future. Guests that want to murder me for money. I think I''m justified in upping the reproductive rates of my crabs. I watched through dozens of seagulls and scores of rats as the Guilders settled in for the night. The two parties who delved my first floor regularly were given orders to kill my crabs, then use the teleport crystals to escape with the bodies. it was certainly... odd. Then they tried cooking the things and it turned out my crabs are delicious. It''s a little disturbing to me that they''re eating my barely-sentient crabs, but their numbers had been replaced and then some by the next morning, so it wasn''t a huge loss. I also decided The Crabs were long overdue a new breed. I took a Brawler base, added eastern-dragon-like moustache-tendrils and a larger-than-normal mana core. It''s pincers grew hollow tubes from which it could blast fire like a flamethrower. All that was left was a name... I''m drawing a blank. Bah, it''ll come to me. I set it up so a few dozen of these would be sprinkled amongst the defenders. Thus, my crabs now had a ranged option. There was much rejoicing among their primitive tribes. Speaking of, I did feel a little bad at how many of them were being thrown into the meat grinder. I''d created them with that goal in mind, but it was more unsettling now they were intelligent enough to have a religion. There were a few things that made me hesitate to reduce that intelligence though; The first was that they actually desired to spend their lives in service to me and the second was a reduction in capability would make them less effective, causing more deaths. It blew my mind a little, that they would be so devoted as to throw themselves at the humans invading their home, fully knowing that they would probably die. Tomorrow, when the first of these new parties began their delve, they would be my first line of defense and they were proud of that fact. Willing to die for the Core, their Creator. Their God. ...I kind of feel bad for these humans. They had no idea just how hard delving me was going to be. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 14 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Day -0-0-0-0-0- The sun dawned like always, though there was no brilliant sunrise to observe; the usually clear blue sky was obscured by thick cloud cover. The entrance to my dungeon was crowded with parties prepared to enter. Some temporary shelters had been constructed to keep the heat off, while the visiting Guilders waited for their turn. Some of the local Guilders had been recruited to perform guard duty. They kept fights from breaking out, kept parties from ''jumping the line'' and made sure no one could sneak in early. I''d learned plenty about the guild from the people I''ve ''eaten'' but the small things like this always seem overlooked. According to the Guild''s charter there was a waiting period imposed between parties delving into dungeons. It was only an hour, but that apparently was enough time for most dungeons to get at least a few monsters in the way of the next invaders. This rule came about because any sooner than that, and there would be complaints of more experienced parties clearing all the monsters, not leaving any for the rest of them. It''s fascinating to me, since it implied that humans get something out of killing monsters just as monsters get something out of killing humans. Humans did seem to ''absorb'' a monster''s mana the same a monster would theirs, but the amount was tiny in comparison. Perhaps a fifth of the monster''s mana was absorbed, while the rest returned to my dungeon. They might only be able to absorb certain ''parts'' of a monster, maybe parts that could be considered ''purer'', where the rest was unusable. Either way, all the ''higher tier'' Guilders I''ve observed so far have larger manacores. Likely from the sheer number of monsters they''ve killed. I digress. The ''sunrise'' was more a constant lightening of the cloud cover, though at some point an invisible line was crossed and the guards let the first party through. These men and woman were a well-mixed party, self-professed to be Silver ranked. Three close-combat specialists, two rogues, two combat mages and one healer. Every party had been given a hastily written primer on my dungeon that included what monsters to expect, their capabilities and a vague layout to expect. This party was no different in that respect. They entered cautiously, obviously expecting a wave of crabs to rush them in an attempt to overwhelm and kill them all. Well, I lived to defy expectations. They encountered around seven "squads" of crabs on their way through the dungeon. All but the last lacked the new breed of monster. Each fight was intense, the Crabs proving they weren''t just trash mobs to be brushed aside. The party accumulated cuts and bruises, easily healed by their resident priest. It was when they reached the fourth cavern that I had them confronted by two squads of Brawlers and Squires, and one single... Flamer? Eh. It kind of works, but doesn''t quite feel right. I''d kept her hidden behind a rock formation while the human party engaged the crab squads. It was only when they were fully committed to the fight that I brought her out. You see, the two normal squads came from the direction of the Boss Arena, acting as obvious obstacles. With the party having reason to suspect a trap or ambush, the Flamer came around from behind their back line and got within a dozen yards of their healer. Pointing both pincers at the man, she poured fire mana into the small chambers near the joint. The fire mana converted into a teal fire within these chambers and an expression of will forced a plume of flame to erupt from the barrel of each pincer. I''d tested their range extensively over the night, which showed in the Flamer''s stream of fire engulfing the healer. The very edges of the flames turning orange and dissipating just past the man. He screamed, of course, as a man on fire is expected to do. That distraction cost one man his arm, sliced off by the Squire he''d been dueling. A second swordsman had a couple of ribs broken by a Brawler. One of their rogues found his left achilleas'' tendon sliced by a newly revealed Crabssassin. With their healer on fire, two of their melee fighters with major wounds and a limping rogue, the second rogue panicked and grabbed his teleport crystal. The white flash prompted the rest of the party to grab for their own crystals, with the burning healer the last one to disappear. These guys were certainly prepared to run at the first sign of real resistance, weren''t they? At least they weren''t suicidal or too overconfident. I dispersed the Flamers I''d created last night, assigning one to every other squad. I also re-arranged the squads so that the further in a party managed to reach, the more crabs they would encounter at once. The next party, also silver, fought their way all the way to the boss arena. Now forewarned of the Flamer and reminded of the Crabssassins, they were prepared and watchful. The Crab Knight was also ordered to ''go easy'' on the party. Just difficult enough to push them; to challenge their skills. She was very accommodating, accepting of the limitations though not exactly understanding why. Why. Isn''t that the million dollar question. The first floor, by virtue of being the first floor, was going to see the most traffic of any of my floors. Higher ''Ranked'' parties would plow through them almost without trouble, as observed in Isid''s party. I threw hundreds of Crabs at those five, and they just breezed through them. I got lucky in ambushing them on the second floor. So, knowing that this would continue as long as people delved me, I had to plan. Throwing a wave of monsters at every party who entered would take a huge amount of mana and attention to manage, for little potential gain. By sending squads at them on the first floor I could potentially lower their estimation of the difficulty now, and could have them slip up on the deeper floors. It also meant I could get a more accurate estimation on a party''s overall strength and ability. This particular party was somewhat strong, though they certainly struggled against the Crab Knight even if she wasn''t using fire magic. They managed to down her in the end, though there were enough injuries and close calls that they decided to call it quits for this delve. They took the boss''s core and filled a bottle with water, then teleported out. The next group seemed a little more competent. Maybe they''d actually make it past the first floor? I make sure to up the number of monsters Moving the majority of my attention away from the first floor, I focused on the excavation of my fifth. It was coming along nicely. Gull? Could you get me some fungus? Thanks, you''re a good bird. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. -0-0-0-0-0- Outside the Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Layla watched as the second group let into the dungeon appeared on the teleport pad. It wasn''t a sophisticated pad like the one at her grandfather''s guild; more just a cleared out space with a redirection enchantment to catch anyone teleporting out of the dungeon. "These ones seem to have fared better than the last" She commented to Felin. The two had set up under a marque near the pad to keep an eye on the proceedings and receive the after-action reports that everyone who delved from today onwards was expected to give. This wasn''t explicitly something they had to do according to the guild''s charter, but she could put entry conditions on the dungeon, as the local Guildmistress. That promotion had come through. She wasn''t very happy. She didn''t feel like she''d earned the position. Though, it had worked out in her favor in this instance. Most Guildmasters added one or two, normally minimum rank requirements. On dungeons where not much was known, like this one, it was almost expected a report condition would be added. The six party members were each directed to sit down in front of a scribe, who took their reports and questioned them extensively. All in all, they seemed rather more put-together than the last group. Layla winced at her memory of the swordsman without an arm, and the healer who appeared from the teleport on fire. She really wasn''t surprised the dungeon had bred a fire-magic using monster. After her aunt Isid''s report on the fish that harnessed lightning in underwater clouds on the second floor, she knew a monster that harnessed fire in some way would appear. She turned to the medical pavilion, erected after that first party''s return. A group of healers were working over the injured there. They should all be returned to full strength soon, though she was sure the memories would leave a deeper scar. It was ten minutes later that the next party was admitted entry and a half-dozen reports found their way to her hands. She read them quickly, skimming the earlier sections. Hmm. "The dungeon''s done something weird again." She quietly commented to Felin, who grunted questioningly. "After it tested its new monster against that first party, it spread them out through the dungeon. No wave attacks, which is the weird part. It seems to think the Silvers don''t merit the same response. It''s... oddly reasonable, in that regard. They encountered just enough monsters to challenge them and, after fighting the Guardian, they made the right decision; to return immediately." Too many young Guilders lost themselves in the dreams of riches and fame, often leading them to make dumb decisions that got them killed. "Conserving its strength?" Felin asked, his rasping voice thoughtful. Layla turned the concept over in her head for a few seconds, worrying her lip. "Possibly. Following that thought, the dungeon knows how many Guilders are out here and that they want to delve today, intent on killing it. Conserving your strength makes sense in that context." She turned to address Felin directly. "If you were going into a tournament and had to fight ten people in a row, you''d do your best not to overexert yourself, right?" He nodded with a grunt, frown lines decorating his weathered forehead. Layla continued, more thinking out loud than anything else. "So, it''s defending against the weaker parties with the minimum number of monsters possible. Just enough to dissuade the Silvers from delving further. It knows there are Guilders who will carve though its first floor like a scythe through wheat, as my Aunt and Uncle''s party showed." Here, she started speculating a bit. "If the next party comes back, only having finished the first floor, we know it''s scaling its difficulty to the strength of the party. That''s the part which confuses me the most, and also shows the most intelligence out of all this. It could have just overwhelmed them with monsters at the start, killing them and ending a future threat before they could get strong enough to delve deeper. But it isn''t doing that. "It''s letting them leave. Scarred and injured yes, but alive and mostly whole. For a Lost Dungeon, that just doesn''t make sense. They''re proven to be exponentially more lethal the deeper you go; more and more desperate in their defense with the intelligence to turn that desperation into lethality." She shook her head, nursing a growing headache at her left temple with her thumb. "If it wasn''t for the obvious architecture and runes we found, I would doubt we have a Lost dungeon on our hands." She concluded. Felin grunted. "At least this job wont be boring," he said, eyeing the line of parties waiting their turn. Layla frowned at her friend, who was leaning back in his chair, completely relaxed. Glancing back down at the reports already scattered on her desk, she had an idea. "It sounds like I''m not giving you enough work to do," she said, slyly. She collected the reports that had been spread across the desk and handed the pile of papers to him. "Here, take these back to the dungeon room. Oh! Could you bring me a drink when you come back? Something fruity. Thanks, Felin." She turned from his bewildered expression, desperately trying to keep a straight face. He grunted, stood, and left. It was only when he had entered the guild building she let herself giggle. That look on his face! -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- As the sun set on an exceptionally long day, the last silver party teleported out of the dungeon after facing the Crab Knight. Out on the beach a party had broken out, and looked like it would rage well into the moonlit night. It was mostly the Silvers comparing kill counts and swapping stories, though there were a few Golds in there listening in for anything that would give them an edge tomorrow. It may seem macabre at first, but they certainly had a reason to party. Only a couple of them had died, in the end. It was certainly tempting to kill more of them; My instincts were screaming at me to kill them all through the day. I mean, it would have been the quick and dirty solution, but not the best one. Just killing everyone who entered would most likely end in some super powerful Guilders being called in to deal with the impossibly difficult dungeon. Yes, these ones wanted to kill me too, but they weren''t yet up to the challenge. Killing too many of them too quickly would dissuade the weaker guilders, but then I''d end up dealing with Gold or Platinum guilders exclusively. Lower tier guilders would take up an hourly time-slot and were unlikely to pass the first or second floor. That will prevent parties who could penetrate farther from delving more often. Overall safer, in the end. With more breathing time between the delves of tougher guilders. As the beach party raged on, I was also listening in to a dozen conversations through my little rat and seagull spies. The general attitude of the Gold and Platinum parties was that the Silvers weren''t trying hard enough. They thought that because of the dozen Silver ranked parties that had delved me yesterday, not one made the risky decision to delve further than the first floor boss. They listened as the Silvers recounted my monsters'' weaknesses and tactics they found that worked, forming their own strategies with that information. I already knew the Golds would be able to pass through my first floor mostly without trouble. There was just a quatifiable difference between Silvers and Golds. Silvers were tougher than normal humans, that''s for sure. Stronger, faster... but it wasn''t much stronger. Not much faster. I''d call them peak human, or just past that. Golds were in superhuman territory, reacting quicker, lifting more than their muscles should allow them, swinging with more explosive speed and momentum. If Golds were low-superhuman, Platinums were high-superhuman. They were Golds dialed up to seven at minimum, ten at the highest. A Copper Rank does exist; they''re Guilders who haven''t started training, just started training, or are unaware of their potential. A normal human with a core, basically. The memories I''d gained were unclear on the rank beyond Platinum. They all agreed that it existed, but they must be vanishingly rare. I''d be using the Wave strategy tomorrow. Not because I thought it would work, but because it would hopefully drain their mana and potions supplies enough that after exploring the second floor they would give up to return another day. All through the night, my dungeon prepared. The Crabs welcomed new members to their community, praising my name and re-devoting themselves to my defense. The Fish fought amongst themselves. Turns out they can eat each other and gain ''experience'' the same way they would if they''d killed a human. It was vastly less, but noticeable. The Kobolds formed a third Village, this one headed by the first Shaman who could harness Lightning mana. The Rats did as the fish did. Collectively and independently judging that the strong would survive. The weak would be food for the strong. The Fifth floor expanded deeper under the island. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 15 -0-0-0-0-0- The Guild Hall, Phenoc Colony, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea Later That Night -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem Linus was a man without many scruples. It was practically a necessity, as the life of a gold ranked Guilder was fraught with danger. Often they were given jobs that should have been given to Platinums, but none could be contacted or the job was time-sensitive. Silvers weren''t strong enough to survive most jobs the guild was called on to handle, relegating them to Dungeons where they could hone their skills and gain strength from the monsters there. As such, Golds were the problem-solvers. Wild dungeon pumping out monsters into the surrounding farmland? Golds were called on to solve the problem. Mana mutant absorbed a huge chunk of mana and is terrorizing the countryside? Golds. Someone puts out a bounty, though? Then the Platinums come out to collect it, in order to keep their wealthy lifestyles. Haythem glared across the crowded bar at the two Platinum parties. The Golds did all the work, accepting every job they were given. They did it to become Platinums too, yes, but that still didn''t change the fact the Platinums didn''t do anything unless there was big money on the line. Money that the Golds needed to climb the ranks. He soon found his glare interrupted, a wooden mug shoved in front of his face. "Glaring at them isn''t going to do shit, Haythem. Drink. Don''t want to go out without one last drink, right?" The voice of his old friend Bertram joked. He grabbed the mug from his pale, blond friend. In one movement he tilted it back and downed most of the half-decent swill they called beer on this island. He heard the man pull out the chair beside him and fall heavily into it. Wiping the foam from the brown hairs on his lip, he turned to Bertram and stared at the Mistan man. The eyes that stared back at him burned a bright, shining yellow, betraying the mana that filled his body. "I cannot fire light from my eyes, unlike you. So yes, It will do nothing," he placed the mug heavily on the table. "Those parties are led by Matha and Litan Gorge. Their father is one of the counts under Duke Medean. They have no need of money. They have no need to collect this bounty. Why are they here?" Bert shrugged, the robes he wore shifting as he did. "As far as I can tell, they aren''t exactly pleased to be here. This island has none of the comforts they are accustomed to. The food lacks depth of mana. Their rooms are less than lavish. The servants are minimal and not bound to follow their orders," he pointed as he spoke; at the food on their table, the wood-construction bar around them and the homely women serving as barmaids. Haythem snorted, swirling the beer in his mug. "They consider anything less than silk bedsheets and willing courtesans a hardship," he smirked. He followed the cruel smile with a frown. "If they don''t wish to be here, they must have been contracted. Someone has paid for their service, or otherwise gained it, and wants this dungeon dead. Could have been Plaised himself, wanting to ensure there was at least one Platinum party here," he mused. "Who cares," drawled the third member of their trio. "From the stories I''ve gotten out of the local Guilders this dungeon is more dangerous the higher the tier of the party. A Platinum party delved a few days before we turned up and lost two members on the second floor," she finished, sliding into the last seat of their small table. Flasa was a smaller woman, clad in leathers from the steel-spiked tips of her boots to the cowl that shadowed her face in the candlelight of the room. Haythem himself was armored in enchanted steel. Like all their armor, the materials that made it up had been obtained from mana-rich areas or monsters. They had made the decision long ago to reinvest most of their gold into their equipment. The number of times their armor and weapons had saved their lives made it worth every coin. Haythem shrugged. "If it kills them, it kills them. Just means less competition," he stated. He downed the last of his beer. "Tell us, Flasa. What have you learned?" -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Unlike the day before, the sun rose on a clear sky. The moment the sun had fully crested the horizon, the first Gold party was granted entry. These five men and women were the first to encounter waves of my crabs. As expected, they pushed through with minimal injuries and without having expended their potions or exhausted their healer. To be clear, I was counting a ''wave'' as four or more squads of crabs all rushing the party at once. This party encountered one in the entrance cavern, two in the second cavern, three in the third cavern and four just before the boss room. The biggest difference was that the Crab Knight had been joined by two Flamers and two Squires every two minutes. The fight was made much more difficult with these extra monsters, tying up party members who then couldn''t fight the boss himself. They''d still managed to get past the monsters in the end, collecting the cores and mana-water before trotting down the stairs to the labyrinth. They had obviously prepared for a water level. Like Isid''s party they each carried a breathing mask, enchanted to let them breath underwater. Their mage, a lightning mage, had immediately cast the strongest lighting wards he could on the party members. All the members of the party drew either spears, tridents or rapiers from their bags. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The bags which were bigger on the inside. I''d very much like to study that. Unlike with Isid''s party, I didn''t send more than a dozen fish at them at once. That was a mistake, borne from overestimating their capabilities. The first encounter on the second floor was two Bloodfish, a Lightning Snapper and four Arrowfish. The Bloodfish were large targets, and found themselves quickly skewered on tridents despite their speed. The Snapper''s shock was as ineffective as I had expected, given the protective spells the mage had cast. The Arrowfish were the most effective, surprisingly. Their smaller size and speed let them dodge most attacks, trading cuts more often than not. They were smaller and weaker individually, however. A few well-placed cuts was all it took to end them. The second encounter was weighted more heavily to the Arrowfish. They had explored a dozen hallways, two half-flooded and all having at least an inch of water covering the stone floor. Like the first time, the party had descended into fully-flooded hallway prepared for a fight. More than a dozen Arrowfish waited. Three Bloodfish held back, with not a single Lightning Snapper in sight. I was distracted just as the fight began by a second party starting their delve. Had it been an hour already? This group was a trio. They where also much stronger in general than the first party. If I had to judge, they were three-quarters of the way to Platinum, while the first ones were only a quarter into Gold tier. While the larger group navigated the second floor, encountering larger and larger schools of monsters, the trio bulldozed their way through the first. The Mage had an element I hadn''t encountered yet. Light; given the literal laser eyes he showed off. Just its presence gave me so much information. There were more esoteric ''elements'' than just fire, water, wind and earth. That was kind-of confirmed by Lightning, but manipulating electrons makes more sense than manipulating photons. Then again, it''s the movement of electrons between energy levels that produces and absorbs photons so it kind of makes sense. The Knight and Rogue of their party embodied their archetypes fairly well. The Rogue used a seemingly infinite number of throwing darts at range, with a short sword for close range. She was a small woman, clad in leather armor that was tough enough to tank a full-strength swing from a Squire. The blow only cut the leather, rather than actually disarming her. Probably left a hell of a bruise though, given the way she shifted to her left hand afterwards. Ambidextrous, huh? The Knight was a bulwark of shining metal. His claymore proved plenty sharp and tough enough to cleave my crabs'' armor with ease. His magnificent beard poked out the bottom of the full-face helm. There were no eye-holes in the helmet so I assume it was enchanted to let him see through. At about the same time the larger party decided the resistance was getting a bit too strong for their liking and teleported out, the Trio had killed my boss and were descending into the second floor. The mage conjured a ball of light, which hovered in the air above them. It seemed to have some rudimental intelligence, as it bobbed and weaved seeming without input from him. It could be controlled mentally, sending orders in the mana he''s supplying to the tiny thing. Like with the other party I slowly ramped up the monsters they encountered. The Mage''s Laser Eyes were incredibly effective underwater. The beams pierced straight through the water and burned swathes of fish at once. An hour after they began their delve, they were still exploring the second floor. A third party entered on the hour and passed through the first floor quickly, leading to the first time two parties had met within my dungeon. -0-0-0-0-0- The Second Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem was frustrated. They had been walking and swimming through this maze of almost identical tunnels for more than an hour. He would swear on his mother''s grave they had passed this intersection at least twice already! He squinted at the wall, glaring at the marking he had made the last time they''d passed through. A tap on the shoulder from Flasa caught his attention, the hand-signs she used soured his mood even further. As impossible as it seemed. Party ahead. Intent unknown. Requesting Orders. She signed in a code they had invented between the three of them. Bertram cursed under his breath, the light from his summoned Sprite dimming down just enough for them to see each other. Haythem frowned in thought. Now that he focused, he could hear the other party splashing their way down towards them from a flooded corridor they''d already explored. He signed back quickly. Meeting. On Guard. Discover Intent. Escape. He ordered. The other two nodded. After making sure their weapons were on display and within reach, Bertram raised the brightness of his Sprite in time for another light to turn the corner. The three watched as the party of six approached them. Haythem recognized most of them from the previous night''s festivities. They had also been spread through the event, gleaning nuggets of insight into the dungeon from the increasingly inebriated Silvers. The leader he knew rather well. Vert was a man prone to boasting. What did he boast about? Anything and everything he believed worth boasting about. Wrestling a mutant bear with his bare hands, sleeping his way through the daughters of an entire town in the western region before being chased off, reaching Gold rank below the average age. That last one was often thrown about. It wasn''t like he was exceedingly young like some noble scions ended up being. However for a man from a common background, Haythem grudgingly admitted to himself, he was talented. "Haythem! Is that you?" Vert exclaimed loudly, his voice grating to Haythem''s ears. "I though for sure you would have left already. You are not the bravest of men, after all." His tone became more derisive the longer he spoke. "This Dungeon is devious." Haythem responded, keeping his disdain for the man carefully veiled. "It leads us in circles. The darkness and water does well to disorient and mislead us." He eyed Vert''s party members. Like his own, their weapons were on display; ready to be drawn at a moments notice. This was a fight he and his companions would lose, if it came to blows. "In fact, I believe we''ve explored enough for today." Haythem declared, bringing a hand behind his back and making the symbol for ''Escape''. "Good luck to you Vert. In this dungeon, you''re going to need it." In the next moment all three activated their crystals in concert. They appeared in the tent set up around the teleport anchor. Healers approached quickly but were waved off when shown the trio had no life threatening injuries and that they had taken potions for their smaller wounds. The bureaucrats that descended upon them afterwards were more difficult to avoid. They were separated and made to relay their experiences; focusing on the monster, layout and anything else important they had encountered on the second floor. The guild''s lack of information on that floor was obvious, if they were this desperate for anything they could learn. Within a half-hour of leaving the dungeon the three found themselves at another desk, sitting before the Guildmistress of the Island. She was a very high Gold rank, as far as Haythem could judge. More powerful than him by a decent margin. The unnervingly alabaster skin and black silk blindfold she bore, along with the equally-strong man sat next to her, lent weight to her appointment. "Thank you for your time this morning. I am Layla Losat, the Guildmistress of Medea Island. This Is Felin, my assistant." She said, waving a hand at the man, who grunted in acknowledgement. "I''ve skimmed your reports, but I''d like to hear it from your own mouths." She leant forwards on her elbows, resting her mouth on her clasped fists. He could imagine the eyes behind the blindfold staring at each of them in turn. "Please, tell me of the second floor." -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 16 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- That was boring. A few snippy comments and the trio teleported out of there. It was the smart decision, don''t get me wrong, but it wasn''t very entertaining. The curses and grumblings of ''Vert'' were enjoyable enough, though. Learnt some new ones there. They didn''t last as long as Haythem''s party, and due to an entirely different reason. Haythem and his party members were cautious and wary, preparing adequately before each dive into the flooded sections. Vert''s men were less disciplined, a couple of bare-chested men often jumped right into the water without hesitation. If I were on earth I''d have called them adrenaline junkies, chasing that next rush. Since I seemed to have been transported to a kind of fantasy world, I''ll call them Berserkers instead. I''ll call them Rock and Boulder. Their intelligence and survival instincts seem to be about that level. They''d probably have died a few times over already if they hadn''t possessed a rather quick healing factor. It wasn''t as quick as someone like Wolverine, or Deadpool, but ten minutes after receiving a cut, it was gone. Instead of using healing potions on them, the rest of the party seemed to fight around them. If they got too injured, they would be pulled from the fight to heal while the more conventional swordsmen filled the gaps. Speaking of; it was all swords and crossbows and daggers. Those seamen had pistols when they found me, but it seemed they were only used by normal humans. Perhaps gunpowder weapons became ineffective against Guilders or monsters after a certain point? Perhaps not to the point of being bulletproof but some Golds should have the perception, reflexes and reaction speed to dodge, if only barely moving out of the way. Or maybe they''re not heavily researched. Magic-enhanced guns sound dangerous. Research on them could even be restricted now that I think about it. Might upset the whole dynamic they''ve got going on here. Mental Note: Figure out Manatech Guns. Anyway, back to the delve. I need to stop going on tangents. The group continued to putz around the second floor, encountering larger and larger groups of fish. At about two-thirds of the numbers that destroyed Isid''s party they decided they had pushed their luck enough and left. Their decision may have had something to do with their potions supplies running low and one of the Rogues losing a hand. Successive Gold parties had equally as much luck. It was actually a bit of a surprise; I had expected at least one of them to find the boss room. Then, the first Platinum party delved. There were only two of those, led by the set of fraternal twins Matha and Litan Gorge. From what I''d overheard last night they weren''t the most popular people in the guild, though respected for their capability in spite of their atrocious manner and personalities. Litan, the male twin, entered first. His part was composed of a healer, a water mage, a tank, a crossbowman/rogue and Litan himself. Their armor was intricately carved and enchanted, their weapons were sharp and enchanted with extra effects I hadn''t yet seen. The tank''s tower shield seemed to produce an energy barrier, which could be extended out into a half-dome. I''ll call him Sherman, since I wasn''t sure on his name. The Golds and Platinums seemed to understand, where the silvers had not, that speaking in an intelligent dungeon wasn''t much advised, and used hand-signals most of the time out of combat, which led to a revived practice of nicknaming unnamed Guilders. Much like Isid and her party, the group plowed through the first floor easily. Their equipment, strength and with the use of tactics my Crabs and I had no experience in defending against were the main reasons. In their fight against the Crab Knight, I pulled out all the stops. He used his oversized core to great effect, throwing fire magic all over the place by slashing his sword-pincer. Unfortunately he was countered by the water mage in the party more often than not, dousing the flames before they could do much damage. Sherman was also able to take most of the Knight''s strikes head-on, while Litan himself and the crossbowman were the main damage-dealers. Hm. The man with the crossbow and the water mage need nicknames. I don''t want to just call them something stupid... I''ll think of something. After a brief break carving out it''s core and collecting the mana water, they moved on. Litan looked disappointed it was only a single bottle''s worth, but I''d adjusted the depth of the pool to that amount on purpose. Didn''t want them getting too big of a reward. Their first encounter on the second floor ended as I expected it too. The water mage was too OP for this level. Given the humidity of the third floor and the damp earth of my fourth, they might remain effective until the fifth, or even the sixth. Perhaps a Desert level at some point... The number of monsters they fought began at a much higher point than the Golds, leading them to make the decision to abandon the delve when the healer began taking injuries. The next party was one of the Silver parties. It really confused me, since I expected the other sibling to take the slot. Time for a little spying. -0-0-0-0-0- Outside the Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Matha sat, reclined on a chair in the shade, enjoying the fresh sea breeze rolling onto the beach. This Island was rather idyllic, so as her brother was currently delving the local dungeon, she rested. She wasn''t worried about her twin. He was plenty tough enough to survive all their previous trials, this new one would prove no different. She was proven right as he emerged from the exit pavilion little over an hour later. He joined her on a similar seat, the rest of his party mingling with hers. He sighed and relaxed into the comfy seat, closing his baby blue eyes. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Tough?" She questioned, opening her own mana-touched orange eyes. "Decently." He replied. "The first floor should be no problem for those of our level. The second is on somewhat of a timer, encountering more and more monsters the longer you''re there." He raised a hand into the air and snapped his fingers. A somewhat disgruntled party member of his brought over a scroll and passed it to his waiting hand. She didn''t know the man''s name and didn''t care to learn. Litan unfurled the scroll, displaying a copy of the map the local guild has been compiling of the second floor. Flooded tunnels had been marked in blue ink, half-flooded sections were also marked. It was an impressive maze. Many paths turned back on themselves, or crossed other sections. She noted a half-dozen tunnels that could potentially lead to an exit. Matha rolled the scroll back up and handed it off to her friend Tisa. "Well, I guess we better get in line." She sighed, eyeing the four parties currently waiting their turn. It wasn''t worth antagonizing all those parties and the local guild by bypassing the line. Beyond that, there was zero chance any of these people would be able to make it to the core before them. There was literally no point in butting in. So, she stood from her chair and strode to the line, the rest of her party following along obediently. Four hours later, she finally reached the front of the line. With the setting sun, it was likely they would be the last party of the day. After signing the entry requirement forms and waiting a whole hour more, her party was finally granted access to the dungeon as the last rays of the sun touched the beach. The first floor was as easy as her brother had told her it was. The Crabs, while numerous, weren''t tough enough to defeat her nor smart enough to outwit her. The Floor Guardian was a bit more of a challenge. Unlike her brother, her party did not have a water mage. Her party was composed of her childhood playmate Tisa, her two bodyguards Halter and Wrec, a rogue named Daltan they''d recently brought onto the team and herself, a fire mage. Wrec and Halter took the majority of the Guardian''s attention, while Tisa put her crossbow to good use defeating the smaller monsters. Matha herself was occupied making sure the Guardian''s fire magic didn''t catch on any of her team. Daltan proved his usefulness by getting the final blow, driving his rapier into the soft tissue the eye stalks emerge from. When on the second floor, they used the map to great effect. Tisa was an able guide, directing them to unexplored sections quickly. The first few ended up putting them back on to the explored parts, but that only helped in narrowing down the correct path. A dead end later, and there was only one more tunnel to explore. The fish monsters were effective, she''d give the dungeon that. The multiple schools of all types that guarded that final flooded tunnel were relentless. Matha deemed it lucky she had experience using her magic underwater. Going beyond fire itself, she directed pure heat into the water ahead of her, keeping it from affecting her party behind her. The water boiled, cooking the fish before they could get close enough to do too much damage. It was too bad that using her magic this way drained her much faster than using fire. With this many monsters though, it was needed. The Guardian was likely a variant of one of the normal monsters, and hopefully by removing all these ones easily they could enter the fight relatively fresh. After pushing past the floating corpses Matha and her team finally made it to the final room of the second floor. Hopefully. If this passage just led to another maze underneath the first she would be incredibly upset. When they entered the large, cylindrical room occupied by a large red fish with massive teeth, she was relieved. There was the risk it could have been a different species entirely. The walls were made of stone, intricately carved with the sharp-lettered language of the dungeon''s old masters. there were designs and stories in the stone, images of fish and some lizard-like monsters. On the other side of the room was a circular indentation below what looked like a vent, similar to the ones in the first floor guardian''s arena. The moment the Guardian rushed them, more fish started emerging from darkened holes in the walls. This fight certainly wasn''t going to be easy. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- These Platinums weren''t stupid. Unlike the Silvers and Golds, the male twin had procured a map of my maze the sister used to navigate and find unexplored tunnels. I was going to need to implement a way to move the maze soon, to prevent people just rushing the boss room. That trick the female twin showed off, using fire magic to boil water. It inspired me. Tomorrow, my maze would include traps that boiled the water in a section of tunnel. Only one or two though. The boss fight was intense. Every party member was occupied fighting the adds. Sanguina kept back, letting her subjects fight in her stead. With Matha having used most of her magic in the entrance tunnel, she was much less useful. The two knights were forced to defend her in her mostly-helpless state. The woman with the crossbow and the rapier wielder were the most effective fighters, though it wasn''t enough. There were too many fish. The man with the rapier was the first to abandon the fight. After taking a bad shock from the edge of a Lightning Snapper''s cloud, the twitching man activated his teleport and abandoned the fight. Now a fighter down, Matha appeared incensed. Already on the ropes, the party were talking more and more injuries. Everyone left had at least one electrical burn, a dozen shallow cuts and more than a few gouges in their armor or flesh. As one, the group grabbed for their crystals and escaped. Sanguina would survive another day. The fallout on the surface was impressive. Dalton, the rapier wielder, found himself on the receiving end of every threat under the sun and kicked from the party. If he hadn''t left the island by tomorrow, I would be very surprised. And so ended the second day of constant delvers. The Crabs performed their role well, making sure no Silver parties had the resources or willingness to explore past the Crab Knight. The Fish also did excellent; No Gold party had found Sanguina. The one Platinum party that did were repelled with prejudice. The fifth floor was coming along well, and I had finished carving out the rooms. A few of those rooms held experiments that I hoped would work out. The fourth floor was fine; the rats continued to commit genocide on themselves in order to grow. A few dozen of the rats were about twice the size of the normal rats, with elongated limbs and a tendency for bipedalism. Sharpened claws and tougher hides were also widespread beyond the larger specimens. The larger rats were predominantly female, which made sense given that even normal sized female rats were bigger than males. The Kobolds both were joyful and anxious; joyful they would soon participate in my defense and anxious that they wouldn''t be up to the task. As such the normal villagers were preparing for a party to make it to the third floor any day now. The mini-bosses practiced against each other while the Drake-Kin was brought to the jungle floor to practice his skills against the mini-bosses, since they were the closest thing to humans I had. They were decently strong. I was hoping their intelligence, use of magic and tactics would prove decisive in future battles. I didn''t want them to be pushovers. The Drake-kin, I evolved slightly more by granting him more mana, pushing it to enhancing his physique and speed. The moon high overhead and the Guilders resting, I focused on the fifth floor. I needed to speed up. I might have less time than I expected. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 17 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- As the final party of the day teleported out of the dungeon, it was with no small amount of relief on my part. The last two days had been full-on. These guilders are relentless. Again and again they delve my first and second floors, despite losing an average of three of their number a day. Mostly Silver, but one Gold was lost to the fish. He was a swordsman, and his core seemed to lack an elemental inclination. I put it to the side with the rest, for later experimentation. They haven''t wavered in their resolve. At first I thought that I must have miscalculated the value of the bounty placed on me. Ten thousand gold coins certainly sounds like a lot, considering these people use the standard fantasy copper, silver and gold coin currency. But it''s more than that, and it took me a few days and a half-dozen more sets of memories to understand why. I''m a challenge to these people. Being a Guilder isn''t a safe and easy life. They jeopardize life and limb every day in pursuit of personal strength, wealth, or even something as nebulous as fame. All of them, to a one, are made aware of the statistics of their occupation before joining, yet they join anyway. There''s something about the people here, or maybe it''s the magic literally floating around in the air. Perhaps it''s narrative causality. Either way, Guilders are just built different, beyond their physical abilities. In pursuit of their goals, anything considered obstacle is conceptualized as a challenge. Something to overcome, to beat into the dirt and take its lunch money. Conquered dungeons are normally safe options for increasing their experience and skills; an environment controlled by a dungeon master and where the difficulty curve is carefully considered. It works, to a point. With their lives never truly in danger, guilders can only grow so fast. After reaching Silver rank, their growth slows. At this point some grow lax, often leading to early graves when they come up against an unexpected threat. Golds who push their limits by seeking tests of skill and strength are the ones who grow the fastest. Wild dungeons are less challenging than I initially expected; pumping out hordes of barely-improved animals that prove little threat in the face of a party of Golds. There was the very real possibility of danger in older wild dungeons, as they gained in sentience and capability, but even their monsters and defenses were laughable in comparison to mine. In the end, it''s the lost dungeons which provide the greatest challenge for an up-and-coming guilder. Intelligent, lethal in their defense and often possessing a true hatred for their previous oppressors. Some were so much so, that they remained free for decades, killing hundreds or thousands of guilders. These were regarded as ''Grindstones''. Yes, a hundred may die in pursuit of glory, but it was often considered worth the loss to get a dozen Platinums in return for those hundred dead Golds. I can kinda see the reasoning. Platinums are plainly superior in terms of physicality. Magically, they were also far and away better than Golds. There were currently no active Grindstones on record. At least, until I became well-known and with the number of deaths associated with me growing daily that designation was a foregone conclusion. According to correspondence Neo received today, dozens of parties were expected to begin their trip to the island within a week; drawn by the challenge I represent. The bounty was practically a bonus for them. So, as Neo began scrambling to have more accommodation built in a short as time as possible, I began excavating the sixth floor. The fifth wasn''t yet fully developed, but the caverns were excavated and a couple of my experiments panned out. All that was left was populating the floor. The sixth, I felt, needed to be a significant departure from the previous five. Well. I am under a volcanic island. Perhaps it''s time to start digging towards the magma chamber, rather than out under the ocean. It should be safe enough. The volcano is active, its crater lake boiling with toxic gasses is evidence enough of that. Yes. Lava lakes, rivers and lavafalls. Extreme heat is the name of the game. The layout though... hmmm. This requires careful thought. -0-0-0-0-0- Port Medea, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Layla Losat wandered down the main thoroughfare of the little island port. With access to the dungeon cut off for the night she finally had time to relax before needing to retire to her rooms. The docks had expanded again, she noted. Another warehouse had been erected to shelter their goods from the elements. Another two taverns had been built, to accommodate their large guilder population and their various habits. She turned right at the main square, towards the incline that led to the hill above the dungeon. As she walked up the dirt path, sounds of nature replaced the quiet bustle of the town. She could hear the stream somewhere to her left, winding down the rocky hill. Most of the trees near the town had been cut down already, for lumber, though larger specimens had been left alone. One, she noticed, had a small altar. Upon the altar lay berries, fruits and edible roots; harvested from the local jungle. She stopped and placed a handful of nuts from her pocket in a basket. She bowed towards the towering tree, an obvious shrine to the Goddess of Nature, and prayed. Thank you for your bounty, Goddess Kaisha; through your efforts are my people sustained. A few minutes later she left, continuing her journey. It wasn''t long before she reached the small outlook. Though she couldn''t appreciate the view in the same way as others might, it was still spectacular to her. The sky was awash with mana, streams and brooks flowing steadily together, meeting at the river that poured straight into the opening below her. She took a deep breath, finding the cool evening air soothing in her chest. She remained there a time, enjoying the peace and quiet. Eventually, she heard the heavy footsteps of Felin approaching. He stopped at her side and looked out, though his eyes were unable to perceive the enormous amount of mana passing a dozen meters off the cliff''s edge. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Layla sighed. "News, Felin?" She questioned, turning to face her friend. He grunted in response. "Should have a couple of bunkhouses up by the end of the week, more in two. Won''t be the most desirable of places to live, but better than sleeping out in the cold." Felin took a long breath. "I wonder where we''d be if you hadn''t taken this job," he mused quietly. "We''d probably still be here." She stated. "But as delvers, rather than administrators." Felin snorted. "Those Platinums, the Gorge twins. They don''t respect your authority," he informed her. "It''s only the threat of your grandfather and the greater guild coming down on them that prevents them from just running roughshod over this place." Layla sighed again. "I''m not surprised. I''m not a Platinum. Not yet. Maybe a few months delving this dungeon could change that but I don''t have the time." It really was a shame, too. Until she could get someone else to take over her position she was stuck with the job. They stayed there a while longer, before turning and wandering back down the path. There was plenty of work to do tomorrow. They needed the rest. -0-0-0-0-0- The Guardian''s Arena, The Second Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Litan thrust one last time. Connection. Exultation. He''d done it. It had taken three attempts, but finally the second Guardian was dead. He jerked his sword sideways, slicing the head of the large blood-red fish right off. The other fish in the room paused, then evacuated down the tunnels they''d entered from. Soon the flooded arena was empty of life bar him and his party. He sheathed his sword and grabbed the monster''s body before it could float too far away. A minute later, he wretched the monsters'' core from its remains. The spherical manacore was decently large; half the size of his clenched fist. He thought he saw a faint red tint to the crystal, though that could just be the blood tinting the water around him. His bodyguards remained stoic in the face of their success. His other two party members, his childhood friends swam over to pat his back. He was sure that if they weren''t underwater, they''d be praising him. With a rumble, the door to the next part of the dungeon opened, rolling sideways to reveal a tunnel. The spiral staircase beyond was much like the one after the first floor, though its flooded nature meant they needed to swim down it rather than walk. At the bottom, they swam through a doorway which led to another staircase, this one leading upwards where they could see light beaming through the water''s surface. The party surfaced, pulling themselves onto the dry ground to spend a few minutes recovering from the fight. The tunnel beyond the room was filled with light, a shade that matched sunlight perfectly. Rested and ready to continue, the group entered the tunnel. The floor, walls and roof were covered in plants; fruiting vines and grass painted the stone walls green. Litan picked a fruit that looked ripe. It had a reddish and pitted skin. He wasn''t willing to take a bite, but he was sure someone on the surface would be willing to test its edibility for him. The overgrown tunnel wasn''t long. Soon, Litan and his party stood just outside the threshold of the third floor. It was... breathtaking. They came out halfway up a cliff, a narrow path winding down the rocky slope before them. The vista was dominated by trees, the same species as the ones on the island above but with their size multiplied significantly. The jungle rustled and shifted in a false wind, accompanied by buzzing, chirping noise produced by what must be an entire ecosystem, all contained within a single cavern. Set into the roof of a cavern, an enormous mana-light larger than those of the first floor sat. It produced enough light to mimic the sun in this small space, Litan could make out a track across the roof it likely followed. This would be an entirely different experience, compared to the previous floors. "This dungeon... is truly unique," he stated. His words were echoed by his companions. "Yeah...", "You got that right.", "Man, I hate the jungle.", "Deal with it, wimp." They trekked down the rocky path, soon finding themselves deep in the jungle. The noise was almost deafening. The droning insects, the rustling leaves above and the distant roar of a fast-moving river all combining to drown them in noise. There were no set paths through the undergrowth, and Litan found himself using his master-forged sword to clear a path more often than he would prefer. Much like a jungle on the surface, the climate was hot and sticky. Under his armor Litan began to sweat just to cool off. Perhaps a cooling enchantment was in order... All members of the party were hyperaware; their enhanced senses focused the slightest disturbances in their surroundings. It would be all to easy for a group of monsters to ambush them here. For ten minutes they traveled like this. The noise only increased. Litan called the party to a halt as they approached a clearing. He peered through the foliage. What he saw was astounding and worrying in equal measures. A huge mound of dirt was piled up in the center of the clearing. At least ten feet tall, and covered in ants. And not just normal ants. Each ant was a hundred times the size of their normal cousins, and there were hundreds of thousands of the creatures. He observed half a dozen thick lines spreading out from the anthill, with ants moving in both directions. The returnees carried gathered food; which was often as terrifying a concept as the ants themselves. Enormous wasps, spiders, beetles and bees. Slowly, it dawned on him. These were the monsters. He was sure, if they searched, they''d discover enormous hives of bees and wasps. Those foot-long spiders likely littered the jungle. They were lucky they hadn''t encountered any to be honest. He turned to his allies, making the hand symbols to signal a quiet retreat. They moved quickly and as silently as possible. After what he judged an appropriate distance, he began to speak. "We are incredibly unprepared for this floor," he informed them. "We''ll do a bit more exploration, but at the slightest hint of danger activate your crystals. I''d prefer you alive to delve another day." He received solemn nods in response. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The first party to ever make it to my third floor. This is a milestone. Their attitudes were just as I wanted; paranoid and constantly alert. It''s a bit disappointing they discovered the ants and reasoned that the real danger of this floor was its ecosystem so early, but there wasn''t much I could have done about that. It does give the Kobolds a bit more protection in obscurity so I won''t complain too much. Speaking of, the Litan and his party had been shadowed by a group of Kobold Villagers the second they stepped into the jungle. High in the canopy, the kobolds had constructed a series of platforms and ropes, for quick deployment across the floor. I ordered them to hold back and observe. These are the enemy, I explained, the kobolds'' greatest weapon is that the humans don''t know they exist. If they attack and even a single human escapes, that weapon is lost. They accepted my orders and reasoning, bowing to my greater wisdom. It was still a little disturbing to be considered the god of a whole species, even if that species was only a few hundred members strong. Thankfully they were quiet and private in their worship, rather than the great celebrations the crabs threw every night. The Platinums explored the third floor for another half hour. They discovered the river and eradicated a small spider nest in that time. Not that any nest of foot-wide spiders could be considered ''small''. By the time they decided to return to the surface the people there had been concerned, since they''d been down here for more than two hours already. That they had explored my third floor was the news of the day, spreading at the speed of gossip. Details of the floor spread almost as fast. Arguments on the monsters raged. Most dismissed the claim the insects were the main danger, convinced that they had yet to encounter the floors true monsters. These people seemed to be ones that had less experience with jungle environments. They''d soon learn not to underestimate insects. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 18 -0-0-0-0-0- The Drunken Delver, Phenoc Colony, Medea Island Four Days Later -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem Linus growled in anger and slammed his flagon of beer on the table. They had delved the dungeon for the third time today, and been forced to teleport out of the fight with the guardian for the second time. Frustrated, they had retreated to one of the three taverns in the little village to let out a little steam. "Our party is too small," he finally spoke. Bertram and Flasa looked up from their own drinks at his outburst, the grimaces on their faces all the he needed to know that they agreed. "There are too many monsters for us to handle, especially underwater." Flasa added. "If it was just the Guardian, the fight would be over quickly. I guess that''s the point, though." she finished, weakly. Bertram spoke next, a thoughtful expression on his normally carefree face. "I wonder," he began, "the dungeon is going through so many monsters to keep us out of the third floor. The drain on its mana must be significant to create so many of them so often." Haythem hummed in thought. "I would say the same about the first floor," he agreed. "The dungeon must realize the crabs aren''t enough to keep us out. The Platinums can reliably get past the second floor now, too. Perhaps soon we will only encounter a token force on the first and second, in order for it to focus on stronger defenses on the third," He reasoned. "Sounds like a dream." Bertram said, his eyes staring into the middle distance. "I''ve had enough of Crabs and Fish. Though a floor full of insects isn''t exactly appealing either." Haythem shook his head. "It''s all just speculation. For all we know it judges the mana it expends worth it, to keep us from going deeper." He raised his flagon, gulped down the final few mouthfuls, then set it aside. He leaned forwards, putting more weight on his elbows. "Flasa, keep an ear out for any smaller parties that have a similar problem. Bertram, you make contact with them and organize a meeting." He looked between his oldest friends as realization turned to eagerness in their eyes. "We''re getting a raid together." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The Platinum parties breaking through into the third floor was incredibly motivational for the Silvers and Golds. Every party who delves fights with a determination that is almost scary to observe. I mean, I understand why they are this way. They had been delving me for more than half a week, with the Platinums stuck on my second floor. Someone finally making progress, even if it is only their strongest fighters, emboldened the rest of them. It can be done, they thought. If we try hard enough, we can do it too. In this newly invigorated atmosphere, disparate parties began to group up. From what I understood this wasn''t something done often. It would be too easy for one group to betray and turn on the rest, either leaving them in an area too dangerous for them to fight alone or by killing them directly. There is a reason the party system existed, after all. Your party was your family, your party was your life. The shield that diverted blows, the sword that skewers enemy. A shield that could be trusted to block a deadly blow, a sword that you could trust implicitly would never turn on your back. However, when multiple parties did join forces, their combined power could overcome challenges that alone would destroy them. The day after Litan reached my third floor, three silver parties joined forces. I upped the number of crabs they fought, a force more than triple what they would have encountered alone. Squires outflanked them, yet still found themselves slain. Brawlers occupied their tanks, yet those tanks overcame them. Assassins were killed mid-lunge, or before they could even start to attack. The newly rechristened Combustion Crabs found themselves the main target of archers and mages. It wasn''t as though the guilders made it through unscathed. Every guilder bore cuts and bruises; the remnants of larger slices and broken bones healed as much as they could be by potions. As a combined group of fifteen Silvers, they overcame my Crab Knight easily. I hadn''t anticipated such a large number of guilders all fighting him at once, after all. Even the extra monsters I sent into the fight failed to provide much in the way of help. The raid confidently descended the stairs to become the first Silver Rank Guilders to reach the second floor. Here, they followed the map distributed by the guild to head directly to the Boss''s arena. Unlike the Platinums, they did not possess the requisite strength to fight through the hundreds of fish that defended that hallway. They were turned back, minus three members. In the end, I fought against half-a-dozen raids. The golds, at least, were still fighting as parties. The Platinums didn''t delve that day. My spies showed they were preparing equipment and planning a longer delve. That night, I finished the prep for a feature I had long intended for the second floor. With deceptive smoothness the walls shifted, spun and retreated. New traps were implemented beyond just pit-and-spike traps. Some hallways were enchanted to seal themselves when two humans had passed, effectively splitting parties. If they were quick enough they could dodge it, but it would be too fast for most silvers. About half the intersections were enchanted to change every hour, switching up the maze on the fly and making the solution completely random for each party who delved. More dangerous traps were rare; but effective. One hallway was enchanted to activate when at least two humans, but no more than five, were within it at once. It would then proceed to incinerate anything within. A fire mage, or water mage could probably save themselves and one or two others. The unprepared would likely die. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. A bit more confusing might be my decision to lower the sheer number of fish monsters on the floor, and the number of crab monsters the guilders would encounter on the first. Instead of a customized number, every party who delved would encounter enough monsters to stop a five man party of silvers. In the end, it was a question of mana and upkeep. My Crabs were no longer effective; dying by the hundreds every day. The fish, while effective, were slaughtered by the Platinums, now that they had enough practice fighting them. It was a huge drain on my mana and actually slowed down construction of the sixth floor because so much was spent spawning and raising more monsters. Not enough actually made it to my core to be useful. I always knew I''d be performing a fighting retreat; it was an inevitable consequence of my new strategy. Namely; not overwhelming every guilder who delved meaned they gained knowledge and experience in fighting my monsters. All in an effort to prevent a harsher response. Each time they delved, the guilders were more effective at killing my monsters. I''d already had to increase the number of crabs a silver party would encounter, to stop them at the boss. The second floor''s new configuration should be a more consistent roadblock; even if the monsters were more of a distraction. I also lowered the intelligence of the newest and subsequent generations of crabs. The Crab Knight would retain Intelligence; they couldn''t fight effectively otherwise. It wasn''t something I did lightly, but... I was starting to feel bad for them. They were almost sapient; like primitive humans having just discovered fire. Their entire existence was my first floor and their destiny was to die in futile defense of that floor. Like a unfeeling deity, I had consigned them to that life. The most intelligent living crabs were moved, leaving their decidedly non-sentient offspring behind. I brought them down to a set of chambers next to, but separate from, the fifth floor. There they could exist peacefully and develop their existence. I''d make a floor they could live in later. The fish, I started creating a large chamber for. A huge, completely flooded, underground space. It would have many small connections to the reef outside. Here, the monstrous fish would live in competition, with the basic fish either evolving into monsters on their own because of the mana density in the water or becoming food for the monsters. This space had tunnels that cycled water into the various parts of my dungeon. Too small for a human to traverse, with the water flow itself acting as deterrent most of the time, but easily large enough for my fish. The next day, when the first raid of silvers encountered the much lessened and diminished crabs they were wary. After fighting the Crab Knight, this time a female, they were put a little at ease. Their first steps down a familiar path turned their confidence into confusion, then unease. Over the course of the day many became separated from their parties. Others found themselves trapped in flooded corridors where they had to fight off fish until they either teleported out or died. Two unlucky men were incinerated, having been wandering the maze after being separated from their raid. With this new element of chaos, the first raid of Golds on the floor found themselves stuck. They attempted, again and again, to find a way through. The Platinums stayed out of the dungeon, waiting to figure out the new mechanics of the second floor. It was at the end of the third day that the golds stumbled across the boss room. With the diminished numbers of fish and the increased numbers of Guilders, they pushed through easily, slaying my comparatively enhanced boss. The Bloodfish Sovereign these days was larger and meaner than Sanguina had been, boasting thicker scales and increased muscle strength. He put up a tough fight, but was inevitably killed. He did take a Gold with him, so it wasn''t a total loss. The Gold raid continued onto the third floor, where they decided to split up. Normally I would call this a bad idea, but none of these groups trusted each other enough to keep the raid together. Their goal had been to pass the Bloodfish Sovereign, but beyond that they were still in competition. Only one group would be able to claim my core, in the end. Personally, I was trying my best to avoid that outcome. But that encounter is far off, if it ever happens. More currently, the Kobolds found an isolated party of four and decided to attempt an ambush. The ambushers included ten Kobold Villagers armed with crude stone clubs and axes, the Shamans of Fire Tribe and Lighting Tribe, as well as six Kobold Villagers armed with short bows. They were in the branches above the party; who were making a poor attempt at stealth. The Kobolds Villagers were a small, hunched monster. I might have mistaken them for particularly buff Goblins if not for their lizard-like snouts, molten gold irises and scaled skin the colour of dried blood. The Shamans had a more upright posture and refined facial features; draped in primitive robes and fishbone charms. Where they had developed this fashion sense, I had no idea. In order to preserve the Kobolds'' anonymity the ambush had to be sudden and overwhelming. None of the Guilders could be allowed the chance to grab for their teleport crystals. The plan, therefore, was relatively simple. The archers would fire from above, aiming more to separate the guilders than going for an immediate kill. They weren''t yet accurate enough to do more than that. Maybe with more practice and better bows. Simultaneously, the warriors would jump down with weapons raised. These would strike the stumbling and confused humans, if not outright kill them. The two Shamans would then join. The Lightning Shaman with her stave would direct bolts down at important targets, such as the group''s healer. As a side effect, the bolts should be disorienting to the rest of the humans. The bright light would blind them and the sound of thunder would be going off in their ears, after all. The Fire Shaman would throw bolts of fire at the others, even as the Villagers below whaled on the now confused, divided, concussed and flaming guilders. The plan proceeded perfectly. One man almost reached his crystal, but a well-aimed axe throw to the back of his head stopped that. And so, I had another four corpses to experiment with. I had the Kobolds collect the mana-cores and throw the meat to the fish in the river. The skeletons and cores were taken down to my experimentation rooms on the fifth floor. I''d probably need to move those south soon. Also, the Fourth floor wasn''t exactly up the same standards I''d set for the other floors. A winding set of dirt and rock tunnels filled with rats, compared to ruin-filled jungle and an intricately carved and elaborate maze. I''d need to spend a few days getting it up to snuff. It''d slow work on the sixth, but my perfectionism carried over from my last life and it was bugging me, despite my instincts telling my to just dig deeper. -0-0-0-0-0- The Drunken Delver, Port Medea, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Matha Gorge was simultaneously pleased and vexed about this new development. Vexed that the dungeon had apparently re-activated long-dormant traps and mechanisms, and pleased that it had stymied the golds and silvers who had been making progress. Her and her brother would be the ones to shatter the core. They had greater reason than these bloodhounds that followed the scent and promise of gold. She did worry a while of the Raid the Golds had cobbled together. Thankfully it seems one of the groups was lost to the dungeon. Most of the Golds thought that the lost party had been killed by another on the third floor, after the raid had dispersed. In the end it didn''t matter, since just the fact that they were in-fighting all but assured her that another Raid was all but impossible for them. "Sister, I think we''re ready." Litan stated, looking over all the equipment they had commissioned from a capable Magesmith on the mainland. Insect-repelling, temperature-regulating and waterproof. They didn''t have much in the way of defense, besides the high-quality monster leather and mana-infused metals. Their reflexes should be protection enough. "Yes, brother. I think we are. Tomorrow, as a Raid?" She questioned, to his nod. She hummed, pleased. This dungeon was tricky. But it would fall. They all had before. This one was no different. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 19 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Day -0-0-0-0-0- The day began as normal; utterly confused Silver and Gold parties stumbling through my maze. With the reduction in difficulty on the first floor, a party of silvers could make it through mostly unscathed, further crowding the second floor. And it was indeed getting crowded; by focusing more on the ''maze'' part of the floor and lessening the threat posed by the fish the guilders spent much longer stumbling around. Even with parties entering every hour, they often hung around for five or six hours before the attrition from the remaining fish caught up with them. By now they knew better than to spread out too far from each other, lest they get split up, though it did make it harder to find the correct hallway. The fourth group to enter my halls today was a raid; composed of the two Platinum parties who had been making significant progress before the changes to the Flooded Labyrinth. Both Litan and Matha were full Platinums, nearing the same level of power as Isid and Jerrad. Their party members weren''t quite up there with them. I would, tentatively, call them entry-level Platinums. From what I''m sensing they likely only reached that level recently, though long enough ago to acclimate to their new level of power. They passed through the Starlit Caverns without any trouble. It was a waste of resources at this point to just throw crabs at these people when they couldn''t do more than be killed immediately. They fought the Crab Knight, of course. Unfortunately, they''ve fought this boss enough that they know how it moves, they know its weaknesses and how to kill it quickly. Upon moving to the second floor, they were confronted with my new and improved maze. They stuck together, preventing the traps that would split them from being effective. There were too many of them to set off the incinerator trap; not that anyone realizes it even exists yet. After an hour from their entering the dungeon, a new party of Golds entered and the intersections shifted. Parts that were previously hallways were now dead ends. Corners led in different directions. T intersections cut off one avenue at random. Essentially, they had to rewrite their maps. There were only two locations that mattered in this maze; the entrance and exit. While the passageways leading from one to the other changed, they stayed immobile. Not that anyone has found the exit to confirm this yet. Determined not to give up, they once again searched the maze, finding the exit before the next shift. I really need to figure out a more effective trap to split these raids up. They fought the improved Bloodfish Sovereign and its guards. They took about twenty minutes to wear down the fish monsters enough to get in a killing blow. Tired, they quickly moved through the exit to the flooded stairwell. They rested in the entrance hall to the third floor, much like Litan and his party had done before. Hm. Perhaps a timer set to make the back wall push inwards, to force them out into the jungle after a minute or two. Yes. A shorter timer the larger the party, linked to this wall. Maybe add some spikes, to really motivate them. I need to wait for these loiterers to leave, but they won''t get such a restful stop next time. I alerted a few new monsters I''d added to the floor that they had company. They spread their wings and left their dens, ready to hunt. What? You think I''d expose my barely-trained kobold villagers to these elite guilders? They need much, much more practice before they''re ready for more than a party of Silvers, or a couple of Golds. -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Litan walked confidently into the jungle that filled the third floor. His party, his twin, and her party all kept their eyes open and scanning the brush. Just because they had yet to encounter larger monsters doesn''t mean there isn''t any. His eyes searched for the signs he''d left. After a minute he couldn''t identify even one. He cursed. The path he''d cut through the undergrowth last time had been overrun with fresh vines and bushes already, perhaps thicker too. So, they needed to take a different path. Following their secondary plan, they cut around the edge of the jungle rather than risk becoming lost in its depths. With the sheer rock wall to their right and the menacing jungle to their left, they walked. "I''m glad for this armor," Matha commented, her burning eyes sweeping for movement. "This kind of humidity is hell on my hair." She finished, to some light chuckles. Litan smiled affectionately. His twin always knew how to raise the mood. "Happy to accommodate you, sister mine." He said. "I''m sure you''re appreciating the insect-repelling enchantments right now." "Oh yes, indeed." she smirked, a little vindictive. "No damn, dirty insect will get the drop on me now!" Ah, yes. That revulsion still had its hold on her. They kept moving, the sameness of the trees and rock making it hard to tell how far they''d actually traveled, or how long it took. The dull roar of a raging river had been getting louder as they walked. Spying an abnormality, Litan called a stop. Another thin track like the one they''d descended snaked up the rocky wall, leading up to what looked like a cave. A small amount of water washed down to the side of the trail, originating from the cave itself. Litan waved his bodyguards up first. The goat-track was relatively stable, though there were points where the rock crumbled away under their feet. When they''d reached the top, the rest of the raid followed in twos. Gathered just within the cave, Matha summoned a flame to light the black tunnel. Litan had expected a natural-looking cave but what the orange light revealed was an intricately carved square room, with scenes carved into the walls of the ruins. His bodyguards and Matha''s all brought out torches for Matha to light, brightening the room further. The water came from a slow drip, seeping from a crack in the roof of the room down a stalagmite and stalactite pair. One of their number, Matha''s friend, traced a section of the wall covered in text. If they could decipher the language of these people, perhaps more secrets of this dungeon could be revealed. On the back wall of the room, there was a broken section of wall. Bricks lay at the foot of the opening, the dust that covered them hinting that this wasn''t a new feature. All four bodyguards moved through first. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The passage beyond proved to be narrow and winding. At one point they had to duck under a large section of rock, through a space barely large enough to admit their armored forms. They emerged into a circular cavern. This was more like what Litan would have expected from a natural cave. A light shined from a hole in the roof of the cave. The walls were covered in pictograms, much like what their ancient ancestors drew in their caves. Some seemed to depict a series of figures worshiping a gem. As soon as the last man in the raid, Litan''s childhood friend Stema, passed through the entrance things got interesting. A series of sconces built into the walls lit up in a teal light, the colour matching that of the pictographic gem. They prepared as a section of the wall pulled away, revealing another passage. From this passage strode a monster. It resembled a bipedal lizard wielding a mace and shield, covered in ill-fitting leathers. Likely taken from dead Guilders, Litan realized. The reddish-brown scaled lizardman raised its snout to the roof and let out a brief roar in challenge. It posed no threat, Litan realized, as his sword removed i''s head. Looking away from your enemies and revealing a weak spot in one move. Stupid. The cave the monster had emerged from had closed behind it. The stone looked too thick to break through anyway. Stema took the lizard''s weapon and put it in his pack. It was only right to return the weapons of the found dead to their party members. The monster''s core was fascinating. To a casual glance, it seemed a normal manacore, drawn from any monster of the hundreds of dungeons in the world. on closer inspection, it seemed to have two dull nubs, growing on opposite sides of the sphere. The implications... were severe. Litan put it away before any others in the party could see. "So, was that the Guardian?" Matha''s friend Jessine asked. His sister shook her head and motioned to the room with her hand. "If it was, the dungeon would have granted access to its fourth floor. No, this wasn''t the guardian. It was too easy." She frowned and drummed her fingers on her stave. "Likely, these are the monsters that populate this floor. Perhaps we need to seek them out to progress, rather than them blocking our way." "What, so we need to find more of these things? Child''s play. If they''re all set up like this one was we should be done by sunset!" Polit boasted. He was Litan''s other friend in his party. He didn''t learn the names of his bodyguards. They were sworn to die in defense of him. Becoming too attached was counter-productive. "It won''t be that easy." Litan cautioned. "This dungeon seems to have been designed as a training ground. At least, these early floors look to be made that way. The first floor tests teamwork, fighting against multiple opponents and singular, overwhelming enemies. The second tests logic, your sense of direction and ability to fight underwater. From what I''ve gathered this floor seems to test endurance and ability to fight armed opponents." He explained. "The jungle seems designed to exhaust those who explore it. The humidity, the exertion of cutting through the undergrowth as well as fighting off all those insects. I would imagine these," He motioned to the dead lizard monster, "these are scattered over the floor. Combat trials. If we pass enough, perhaps the Guardian will be revealed." His words were met with quiet agreement. They turned and left. They had a fair amount of work to do. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- That was disappointing. The Kobold Warrior was cut down in seconds, before it could react. That needs to be fixed. I quickly empowered the other mini-bosses, focusing on their strength and reflexes. They need to at least be a challenge. Matha, Litan, Isid and Jerrads early failures against the second floor must have blinded me a bit to how strong Platinums really are. Underwater really is a poor environment to fight in, requiring some time to really adjust to. After all, they had been totally unchallenged by more than a hundred crabs. I really should have focused more on that as a measure of their strength. Along with the growth and improvements, I passed along every memory I had gained of fighting armed opponents to the mini-bosses. Hopefully they would have time to practice their new skills. The Platinums continued around the border of the jungle. Mental note, make that harder to do. Soon they found the river. They seemed awed at the waterfall which fed the white-water rapids. Not finding an easy path across, they decided to follow the river. They reasoned that there had to be a point they could cross. They were technically right if you counted the large, unsecured moss-covered log about two-thirds of the way down the river. Unfortunately, they seem to have underestimated how immense this cavern is. They only made it half-way down the log by the time the artificial sun ''set''. Darkness descended quickly on the floor. The pure dark of a cave, unlit by the pale, reflected light of a moon. The lights they raised in response were beacons in the night. Bulky feline forms stalked them on the ground. Bright orange and yellow feathers drifted from the higher branches. They set up camp in a clearing, bordered on one side by the river and by jungle on the other three. At least three raid members were on watch at all times. For hours, I did nothing. More and more monsters arrived, completely surrounding the guilders. The men on watch were extremely paranoid by this point. They had been hearing hoots, trills, low growls and breaking sticks all night. Straining their senses fully for so long was obviously exhausting, and it was as they approached a change in the watch that I struck. Six dozen Tigers approached the guilders, who had let the allure of sleep distract them from their watch. The tigers had been mutated from a pair of cats I''d stolen from the town. These new monsters were multi-colored. Some mimicked the tigers of my old world, their striped forms clad in white, orange and black. Others were a little more... out there. Red with blue stripes, Purple with orange stripes and a couple of Green with brown stripes. Just as examples. The shadows around them jumped and shifted, revealing the shadow magic I had imbued them with. That''s right. I''ve figured out shadow magic. It''s a little abstract, but if light can be produced by mana, then why can''t it be removed? From above, a flock of Phoenix descended. Enormous birds, with the largest having a ten foot wingspan, their plumage in the traditional colors of the mythical birds. Like their namesakes, they could light themselves on fire. I hadn''t figured out how to make them immortal, but all the monsters participating in this attack had already produced at least one more generation of monsters. In concert to the roar of the Tigers, the Phoenix dove, launching fire at the occupied tents with each pass. The Guilders within were driven out, having been sleeping in their armor. As their tents burned, Matha turned a new wave of fire from the raid. Litan raised his sword in defense of his sister, as did the others in the party. The night was one of slaughter. By the time half the empowered tigers had been slain, a score of phoenix lay dead. The groups'' archers were too accurate for the birds to dodge. My plan was coming together. The Platinums were distracted. Silently approaching from below, insects swarmed. There was a force that repelled them from approaching the Guilders, likely the enchanted armor. When one of the swordsmen threw himself in the way of a tiger leaping for Litans back, his armor was rent by the hard and extremely sharp claws. His armor flashed in a pink light, glowing runes revealing themselves for a split second before fading away just as quickly. Just like that, the enchantment was broken. Millipedes, spiders, ants and more swarmed the unprotected man. He screamed as deadly, paralytic and necrotic poisons were injected through bites and stings. He reached for his teleport crystal, but a group of wasps had already made off with it. He would have no respite. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 20 -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Litan jerked away from his screaming bodyguard as the man stumbled around, flailing wildly. He stared in horror as the man was consumed by an enormous swarm of insects. His bodyguard tripped, falling to the jungle floor. He attempted to roll. It didn''t help. More and more insects covered him, looking more and more like a shifting mound of black sand. His screams became muffled, then abruptly cut off. He was dead. Litan had no time to do more than acknowledge his sacrifice and move on. More of these large feline monsters were approaching him and the firebirds above kept up their diving attacks. As he had expected, the insects truly were the main threat of the floor. These other monsters were designed to create weaknesses and openings for the insects to swarm and overwhelm. He hadn''t been sure about camping in the dungeon, especially when they had so little information on the third floor. It had seemed safe enough with the insect repelling enchantments on their armor and no obvious monsters making themselves known. Well, message received. Don''t expect to find respite in the darkness of the night. They fought valiantly. Matha kept diverting the flaming passes of the firebirds, while the two guilders with crossbows continued to pepper the irritating birds with arrows. Litan himself and the other five melee fighters kept the large furred monstrosities away from the more vulnerable of their group. The number of monsters never seemed to change, despite the piles of them that were growing in a circle around the raiders. Litan, in a moment of relaxation between attacks, caught sight of the mound of insects covering his previous bodyguard. It had begun to collapse, streams of flying insects rising to surround them while the ground-bound did similarly. They had left behind nothing but stark white bones and a glowing core. He could hear the multiple swarms of insects flying around them better than he could see them, in the darkness of the dungeon. The chittering and skittering of the multi-legged monsters surrounded them. Waiting for an opportunity. He wouldn''t give them one. "Retreat!" He shouted, "Activate your Crystals!" All around him lights flashed, the activation of their teleport crystals as noticeable as ever. He reached for his own crystal and managed to activate it just as three of the monsters pounced at him. A second before they would have reached him he was abruptly somewhere else. Around him both his party and Mathas'' had collapsed to the ground, reveling in the safety of the exit pavilion. A minute later a group of guilders rushed into the tent with them, composed mostly of healers. Once they were satisfied none of them were injured, the second type of guilder that entered led them off to the debrief rooms. Litan and Matha were seated in the same room, soon joined by the Guildmistress herself and her assistant. Despite the late hour, the extremely pale woman hid the signs of tiredness well. Likely, she had been woken to meet with them. "We''ll keep this brief, as I''m sure you wish to retire to your quarters." She began, pulling out scribing tools and parchment from a bag as she spoke. "A basic overview of your delve will suffice for now. I would also request a more in-depth report from each of you, to be completed before your next delve." She started. "I suppose that would be acceptable." His sister replied. Litan raised an eyebrow at her. The glance she returned was all the answer he needed. He began with the second floor, as there was nothing worth noting about the first. "The second floor''s layout changes proved annoying, but unable to keep us from the Guardians arena. Despite its newly shifting nature, the exit to that maze hadn''t changed location in comparison to the entrance." He informed her. "We began exploration of the third floor by hugging the outer wall of the cavern, instead of diving into the jungle. We came upon a path leading to a cave, set some ways up the cavern wall. Inside we fought a monster. It resembled a large lizard, though fully bipedal and equipped with stolen weapons and armor." The Guildmistress'' assistant frowned at that news, taking notes of his own even as the woman transcribed Litans words. "It had red-brown scales, tough but not tough enough to resist my blade by any means." He relayed. "There was no contest. It foolishly exposed its neck and I took advantage of the opportunity before the fight began." He didn''t mention the monsters abnormal core. He would perform his own investigation and experiments on it. "We continued around the edge of the cavern until reaching a waterfall and river. It was quite fast-moving, white with foam. We followed the river into the jungle until nightfall. Or at least, we assumed it was night. The Dungeon seems to have a mechanism that mimics the sky above, as its sun-simulacrum ''set'' after a time. With ''night'' falling, we made the decision to set up camp." The Guildmistress interrupted him there. "Why did you make that decision?" She inquired. "Would it not be more appropriate to return and next time, delve earlier in the day?" Matha snorted. "There is far too long a waiting list to guarantee an early delve." She informed the woman, who should really know this. "It was easier to set up a camp and stay on the third in order to continue exploration tomorrow. How were we to know the dungeon would take such exception to our presence?" She sneered at the woman. Litan placed a hand on her shoulder, wordlessly conveying to be cautious. "A few hours into the night," he said, "the dungeon attacked with an endless wave of two kinds of monsters. A large feline with incredibly sharp claws and a powerful pounce. The second was a bird wreathed in flames. My sister''s attention was occupied protecting us from bombardment by those firebirds. After a time, one of the feline monsters destroyed a part of the enchanted armor worn by one of my party members. With the enchantments keeping the insect swarms away broken, he was overwhelmed and consumed." "My condolences for your loss." The Guildmistress commented with a softened tone. They sat in silence for a long moment before Litan finished his story. "I judged the risk that another of us would be similarly overwhelmed too great, and called for a retreat." The assistant nodded, obviously approving of his tactics. In his head Litan sneered at the man, even as outwardly he remained impassive. "Thank you for your cooperation." The Guildmistress stated as she packed up her tools. "I''m sure you''re more than ready to retire to your rooms, so I won''t keep you any longer." Though he frowned at the implied dismissal, Litan and his sister took the opportunity to leave the room and meet the rest of their parties. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. They had more planning to do. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The Tigers and Phoenix performed their roles perfectly! I knew that just throwing bodies at the Platinums wouldn''t be very effective, but as a method to create exploitable weaknesses they worked beautifully. It''s true that even having them takes away from my original idea of an almost purely environmentally hazardous floor, but it was necessary. Yes, I could have used the Kobolds, but they''re my trump card. Just having generic monsters on the floor will make the guilders feel at ease. Hopefully they take the hint that I don''t want them in my dungeon after dark and that, if they stay, they should be prepared to defend themselves. The remaining tigers I spread out evenly through the jungle in pairs, assigning them ''territories'' and granting them protected shelters the delvers shouldn''t be able to access. Go forth and multiply! The phoenix flocks dispersed similarly, though in a more communal way than the independent felines. Groups of seven to fifteen phoenix nested together for mutual protection. The Kobolds quickly adapted to their new neighbors in the treetops. Some even took the majestic birds as companions. The fire shaman was especially fascinated with the firebirds, just as the largest female phoenix was interested in her. The various mini-bosses were adapting to their new strength and reflexes quickly. I pushed another wave of mana at them all, this time aimed at improving strength of their bones and the resilience of their scales without compromising on their flexibility. The result was almost metallic. In other news, I''ve finally stuck Lava! Or at least I''ve gotten pretty close. It occurred to me, as the rock I dug through rapidly increased in temperature, that as this was an active volcano there should be a huge amount of pressure building up in the magma chamber. If I just casually poked a hole in the wall I''d likely find my entire dungeon destroyed by the force of the volcano erupting through me! Slowly, I reinforced the rock between the magma chamber and my dungeon. I''m just going to have to settle for ''fake'' lava. It''s not really fake but it feels like cheating to not take it from the very real volcano right there. By the time morning came I''d made steady progress. The Silvers still remained stuck on the second floor, unable to remain for long enough to find the exit despite knowing its relative location. A raid party of Golds made it past the Bloodfish Sovereign after some trouble, though weren''t able to explore much of the third floor thanks to my new monsters. The tigers proved adept enough at defending their territories, and indiscriminate firebombing from the phoenix against unprepared guilders feels... Not wrong, exactly... Unfair, maybe? Eh. They''ll adapt. The Platinums did not delve me that day. My spies tell me they''ve begun preparation for their next delve, but are waiting for the Golds to gather more information on the third floor first. And explore they did. On the second day post-platinum raid, all the delving Gold parties formed up into two raid groups. They spent the majority of the day combing the jungle and fighting off sudden monster attacks. It wasn''t until an hour in that a party found another ''Combat trial''. -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem swatted yet another mosquito. The damn things were out in force today. Looking back at the cave halfway up the cavern wall, he frowned. The path looked very narrow and the crumbly sandstone it was carved into seemed treacherous. He glanced up at the rustling treetops above him, wary for a flash of orange feathers. It looked like the perfect place for an ambush. "The Platinums didn''t think much of these ''Combat Trials''," He started, getting the attention of the other two members of his party. "But that doesn''t mean it won''t be dangerous for us. We don''t often get the chance to fight armed opponents, so be careful." His friends nodded, and they carefully advanced. A few minutes later they had scaled the path easily. No ambush, no part of the path broke under their feet. Instead of feeling relieved all it did was make Haythem more paranoid. Bertram summoned another sprite to light their way. The little fellows were certainly useful, even if you needed to be a mage to summon them. Under the light of the semi-sentient mana-being they advanced past the ruins in the entrance and down a dark hallway. Unlike what had been in the Platinums report, this one was fully excavated. The walls were fully clad in old brick, the floor cobbled. After a minute of walking the tunnel began to brighten. Soon, they passed through an archway and entered into an arena-like circular room. The roof was raised high into a dome, the center of which was an circular opening through which light illuminated the entire room. Behind them, a thick slab of stone slammed downward over the archway to block their retreat. On the other side of the room, another slab was raised simultaneously. From it emerged one of the described lizard monsters. Haythem squinted at the creature. He had seen something like it before, he would swear on his parents gravestones. The robed lizard raised a one-handed staff, topped with a pointed mana crystal and let loose a bolt of deep blue lightning. Bertram had moved the second the monster raised its staff, forming a barrier of light to block the strangely off-color lightning. Flasa countered with half-a-dozen rapidly fired bolts from her crossbow. The creature waved its off-hand in a circle, forming a teal dome of mana around itself which flashed at each collision, then faded from view. Haythems'' thoughts spun around his head like an out-of-control cart. The mana crystal on the staff was, most likely, a Guilders mana core. it was a desecration, one found almost exclusively in Lost dungeons. The most common school of thought was that to spite their former enslavers they would rip the core from their bodies and use them to craft weapons. Haythem didn''t believe that. He believed the dungeons were inspired by observing humans doing the same with their monsters and mimicked them. Did the core belong to one of those ancient humans who had once conquered this place? Or was it a more recent acquisition? "Haythem!" Bertram shouted in the midst of trading bolts with the monster to test its shield. "Think later, fight now!" Haythem shook his head to clear it. His eyes locked on the lizard, newly focused. "Advance!" He ordered. "We won''t be able to kill it from over here." Bertram ran forwards, stopped firing bolts and reinforced his light-barrier. Haythem and Flasa ducked behind the shield as well, when the monster started firing more bolts of blue lighting at them. Bertram flinched with each impact on his shield. As they closed in, the monster retreated. At least, until its back was against the wall. It growled at them and attempted to duck sideways, Haythem rushed forwards, his enchanted sword already in motion. As he cut diagonally across the creatures arm, which it had raised in defense, he was shocked that his sword stopped upon impacting the monsters bones. He abandoned the sword and ducked under a retaliatory swing of the monsters staff. That was when Flasa stepped in. The woman reached and snatched the staff right from the monsters grasping claw. "Get Clear!" Bertram shouted. Haythem threw themselves backwards, rolling into a standing position and drawing his spare sword in a single motion. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Flasa do similarly, brandishing the stolen staff in her left hand and a dagger in the other. In the next moment, Bertrams'' eyes erupted with the fury of the god of justice. Rays of furious light crossed the distance to the monster instantaneously. The monster had hastily re-cast its barrier spell, which had been so effective against the precious mana-bolts and crossbow bolts. It proved less so against Bertrams'' clerical spell. It was moments like this that Haythem was reminded of the power in dedicating yourself to a single god, even if he had refused that path. The furious orange light destroyed the lizards shield in seconds, where it pierced twin holes in the monsters'' skull. Bertram ended the spell, breathing heavily, and the monster fell. They had won. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 21 -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Teka, Shaman of Fire Tribe, gently offered a fruit from the vine-plants that were found everywhere in the jungle. She offered the peeled fruit to the firebird that had nested in the branches of the tree her hut was built on. It''s feathers were mostly orange, same as the fruit, with some deep red like fresh blood or flower-yellow. The bird, that her creator had named the Phoenix, could be considered kin to Teka. Despite their difference in shape, Teka knew that they both burned with the same inner fire. The phoenix leaned forwards through the window from it''s perch on the railing around her hut, and took the freshly peeled fruit from Teka''s open claw. In one swift motion, the bird tossed it''s snack into the air and snapped it''s beak on it. The bird shivered, it''s feathers rustling in a wave from it''s head to it''s tail. Teka knew she shouldn''t call this beautiful creature ''it''. It felt wrong. She closed her eyelids and took a slow, long breath. Creator, is this Phoenix a boy or girl? She waited, the moment between heartbeats stretching forever. Then the God that created her people spoke. This phoenix is Female, Fire Shaman. Do you enjoy it''s company? Yes, Creator! It''s wonderful! Teka replied, opening her eyes to gaze on the phoenix once again. A female. She was incredible. That is good. I wish to perform an experiment. Do you consent? Of course! Teka thought back, without hesitation. Her people owed their Creator, and would perform any task to that end! Very well. Brace yourself. Teka felt the fingers of The Creator within her being, drawing a tendril of her energy from deep inside her. She gasped as the energy was guided beyond her scales where it met a similar tendril, drawn from the phoenix beyond the window. Their energies twisted and twirled, thickening and merging. Soon, what felt like a thin string connecting them grew to a sturdy rope, joining their very beings together. Teka felt the Phoenix''s mind reach for hers and she embraced it. She felt complete. As the phoenix experienced Teka''s memories, she experienced the Phoenix''s. She had not been Named by The Creator, but within the flock was referred to as ''the-shine-of-light-through-the-leaves''. They soon pulled back from each other''s minds, but found they could easily sense the other''s emotions and thoughts. You are Bonded. The Creator spoke, Two halves of a whole. Yes. Bonded. Teka could feel the fire in her bonded. It was the same fire that burned in Teka. The-shine-of-light-through-the-leaves trilled loudly into the air, rousing a chorus from her clutch, mate and chicks. Teka whooped and hollered, swept up in the moment. "Teka?", "What wrong?", "What happen?!" She was pulled from the joy of her companion as a few concerned snouts poked into her hut, staring wide-eyed at their respected shaman dancing about her hut in a fit of pure elation. Teka took a few seconds to clear her throat, breathe and center herself. "Creator Bonded Teka to Phoenix." Teka declared, to general confusion. "What Bonded?" Asked young Jut. The boy was growing fast, Teka noticed. He should be fully grown in a few days. "Teka has joined to Phoenix. We share thought and feelings at all times." Teka said, pointing to her bonded, who watched the young tribesmen from the railing. They gasped and stare in awe. "Cool...", "Beautiful..." Were just some of their words. "What name?" Jut asked, once again showing bravery. Teka smiled at her bonded. "She has name, but Teka can''t say right. I think... Gleam" -0-0-0-0-0- The Merchant Ship Good Tidings, Approaching Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Captain Eli Hart stood at the bow of his ship, staring unwavering at the rapidly approaching island. It had been more than a month since he had discovered this island after a freak storm blew them off course. In that time the Phenoc Kingdom had colonized the island and the stretch of beach containing the dungeon had been transformed. From the beach stretched three wooden piers, each with one ship docked and some smaller fishing vessels. From the port stretched a long dirt road, leading into a main street of sorts where fairly robust-looking wood buildings bordered it. About half-way up this section the road widened into a pubic square, a decent busy one from what he could see. Further along the road ascended a small hill where a keep was being slowly constructed, the stone for which likely being sourced from a quarry on the island. Off to the left side of the main street, quite a few shacks and hastily-constructed houses stood. Most of the population likely lived in this section. To the right of the street rose a more prominent building, the design of which he was familiar with. The local Guild Hall retained many of the same design elements as ones he had witnessed over the years, even if it was only constructed from timber. As his eyes panned right, he traced a path up the hill to a small construction site, situated on the edge of the small peninsula that bordered the black, sparkling beach. His eyes inevitably drew down the cliff to the glowing cave, now surrounded by tents and pavilions. There looked to be a decent number of people occupying that stretch of beach, which made him frown. Assuming they were all Guilders... why were there so many? Surely they could not all delve the dungeon at once? As they drew closer a smaller ship sailed out to meet them and started waving signal flags. Eli''s own flag-bearer replied in kind and when the exchange was over, approached him. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "We''ve been directed to the rightmost pier and told to expect an inspector, captain!" The man informed him. Eli raised an eyebrow and nodded to the man. An inspector, huh? Granted it was common practice in larger cities, to curb smuggling mostly. But in a newly established colony? It seemed... out of place. Soon enough they were docked and he stood at the gangplank with Gresh, watching as the ''inspector'' ascended. The man dressed like a wealthy merchant, in fine but sturdy clothing suitable for life on the road. Eli had expected someone clothed in silk, fat on the taxes he skims from. He concluded this man was new to his post, potentially offered pay equal or greater than he would earn trading on his own. "Permission to come aboard?" The man asked when he reached the top. Eli nodded and stepped back, making space for the inspector. He glanced across the deck, then raised his clipboard and quill. "I''m Inspector Olinar Herth of the Medea Island Port Authority. Ship Details?" The man asked, a little rudely. "Eli Hart, Captain of the Good Tidings, registered to the Lorantia Ship Registry," he replied. The inspector nodded. "Cargo manifest?" He followed, prompting Eli to take a clipboard from Navigator Gresh and pass it on to the man. Eli was no smuggler, he knew what was in every crate and barrel in his hold. The inspector would find nothing wrong. Inspector Herth nodded after a swift read. "I need to inspect your cargo," the man stated, decisively. "We''ve had trouble recently with merchants smuggling illegal substances into the port. I don''t doubt your integrity, captain," he said, heading off any outrage, "but there are always one or two sailors who maybe stow a pouch of manadust or two in their belongings." Eli fumed slightly at the thought that any of his crew would dare smuggle something on his ship. He nodded to the Inspector. "Feel free to go about your inspection. I''m sure you''ll find everything in order." The man left an hour later, having found nothing. Eli then left the ship to his first mate and strode into the port with Gresh. They had a merchant to meet. Though a quick trip through the local market wouldn''t go awry. The small town was bustling, stalls were set up in the square selling various fish and produce. Some of the fish were unfamiliar to him. With their size and quality, they should have been selling for much more than the hawkers were shouting. Most of the fruit and vegetables seemed to be imported, which made sense to him. They had not been on this island long enough to do much farming, after all. One fruit, however, intrigued him. The peel had a vibrant orange shade, and was rather small besides. The stall owner was boasting they were genuine Dungeon Mandarins, acquired from the third floor. Eli bought one for a silver. It was rather expensive, he admitted, but resources acquired from anything but conquered dungeons usually had to be fought for. Low supply increased price just as much as high demand did, after all. The fruit was sweet, and slightly tart. It had a peculiar taste, one he couldn''t place as similar to any other citrus fruit he''d had in the past. One corner of the market was hawking crab meat, both fresh and cooked in a variety of ways. Eli supposed that would have come from the first floor. He bought a stick of grilled crab and savored the taste. Kurt and Kale had died to these creatures, and now they were nothing more than a food source. A pretty decent one, he admitted. The meat was succulent and flavorful. He''d see about acquiring some for the ship later. It would likely spoil before too long, as most dungeon-farmed food did, but he looked forward to what the ship''s cook could do with it. Finally, they emerged from the other side of the market and continued on their way. They still had a meeting to get to. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Well, that little experiment with the Kobold and Phoenix turned out well. Turns out I can sort of bond two monsters by linking them together with a tether of mana. They share senses, feelings and thoughts while remaining separate consciousnesses with their own motivations and wills. I went on to Bond several other animalistic monsters to the Kobolds, both to practice and to see if my experiment was repeatable. In the end I had a half-dozen Kobolds bound to the more friendly tigers, and another four bound to various phoenix. The Phoenix were too small for the Kobold to ride, lacking in wingspan and body size. A little extra mana thrown their way soon fixed that. It was also interesting to see the effect the bond had on both parties. The ones bound to the Tigers slowly gained a similar affinity to shadow, while the tigers gained in intelligence. Not enough to reach the level of sapience the Kobolds were rapidly approaching, but it certainly elevated them beyond a normal tiger. The Phoenix-bound Kobold likewise gained their bonded partners affinity to fire magic. The Fire Shaman, who had been named Teka by her tribesmen, was happy to teach them to use their new gifts. I could have just shoved the knowledge into their minds, of course, but I was willing to let them learn at the shaman''s feet. The Phoenix were already fairly intelligent, their gains were more in reasoning ability than raw brainpower. After the last party of the day departed, I made a few sweeping changes to the third floor. Now, there were far more small ruins. These ruins would like go unnoticed initially, disguised by the undergrowth. They increased size leading away from the entrance, the most prominent on that side of the river being the ruins of a bridge. On the far side, the ruins were more whole; the mostly-complete but still crumbling buildings mimicking Mayan and Incan architecture. The largest of these was a stepped pyramid, where the guilders would encounter three Mini-bosses in a single fight. Speaking of, I''d once again upped their toughness across the board and hopefully increased their intelligence to beyond the level of the tribesmen. That trio of Golds shouldn''t have overwhelmed the Lightning Shaman so fast. And I lost the Stave of Sparks as well. Unfortunate. Meanwhile, The sixth floor was filling out nicely. I''d used plenty of mana to reinforce and increase the heat resistance of the rock at the bottom of what would soon be various lakes of lava In order to get more meltable rock to use as my lava, I excavated the ceiling a bit more. Most of this floor wasn''t below my other floors, being more off to the side, so I had plenty of room. In the end, I had a lake of lava, filled with tiny, toughened orbs of rock enchanted to keep the lava hot enough to stay lava. Several spots on the ceiling of the caverns had ''lavafalls''. It was a stroke of genius that made them work. I''d finally worked out how the teleport crystals work. They transport matter by briefly turning it into pure mana and hijack my manastream to rush out to the entrance. It was difficult to figure out, since when the guilders teleported it was over almost instantly. I also worked out that while not single use, they definitely had a use limit. The act of using them drained some of the mana stored inside, and multiple teleports rendered them unusable. Probably to do with the crystal itself also being teleported, since that seemed to mess with the runes carved into the facets. My theory then, was that a crystal that teleported something other than itself could work indefinitely, as long as it was supplied with sufficient mana. It took a bit of finagling and a few failures, but I figured out how to modify them to only teleport what came into contact with them. I''d taken two crystals and linked them to each other, one as the output and the other as the input, then dropped the input in a lava lake, with the output crystal in the ceiling directly above it. Hence, a constant pillar of falling lava that didn''t take more than a little mana to upkeep. As far as I could tell, the constant use didn''t seem to degrade the enchantment at all. Those crystals they were made of seemed to hold enchantments and mana much better than rock did. The multiple caverns I''d carved were supported by enormous pillars, where I placed the nests of my newest creations. I had wanted monsters that could swim in the lava, but I''d settle for ones who could drop them in it instead. I''ll probably need more time to develop a monster that could even survive living in lava. This floor covered probably about three times the space of the third, and would be a much more inhospitable environment than the third. I haven''t worked out a boss monster yet, but I''d set aside an arena. There was a couple of options, but I wanted my lava-dwelling monster first. That would make for a tough boss. In the mean time, I continued digging. Always deeper. The seventh floor needed to be started after all. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 22 -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island Three Days Later -0-0-0-0-0- Litan clashed with the lizard monster, his sword impacting its hastily raised saber. This one seemed more prepared for a fight than the last. He attempted to overwhelm it, with slash after slash sparking off equally fast blocks. He squinted at the monster, who glared back with a look full of pure hatred. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of their other opponents. A lizard-mage clad in stolen robes, and one wielding dual axes. Litan smirked at the monster and after a final strike, quickly disengaged. The lizard was confused, up until it again had to desperately block blow after blow from Litan''s remaining bodyguard. He glanced to the left, observing his sister''s fight. She was certainly enjoying herself, he noted. Matha threw fireballs with an almost reckless abandon. Her target, the lizard-mage, was blocking most of the attacks with a half-dome shield. It didn''t have any free time to retaliate, and Matha didn''t seem inclined to give it the opportunity. The dual ax-wielding lizard was occupied with Matha''s bodyguards, barely managing to keep up with their constant attacks. The fight wouldn''t last much longer. With a quick movement, he slipped behind the lizard locked in a sword bind with his bodyguard. With a quick thrust his sword pierced the back of the lizard''s stolen armor, right through its lungs. The bodyguard broke the bind and added a thrust of his own, cementing the lizard''s loss. With their opponent dead on the ground, they joined Matha and her bodyguards. The other three members of their parties, Matha and Litan''s friends, cheered them on from the entrance. They''d fought the last two lizards the raid had found, so they got to sit this fight out. Overwhelmed, the two lizard monsters provided little resistance. Like the six other lizard monsters they had killed that day, they fell. After the final monster had been skewered the fighters searched the room for an exit, or anything that looked like one. Over the last seven hours their parties had been traversing the jungle, on the most direct routes between the caves and ruins the lizard monsters occupied. Plenty of golds had scoured the jungle and today Litan and his sisters'' parties had visited each discovered location in turn, killing all the monsters they found inside. They left the arena frustrated. The ruins were quite impressive; the pyramid they exited was the centerpiece of a larger complex of ruined buildings. Likely it was once a town, before the dungeon slipped its chain. "What are we missing?" Litan asked, rhetorically. "We completed all the trials, the last one being in the most impressive ruin in the jungle. If my theory was correct, there should have been a door or opening to the Guardian''s room." He glared back at the ruined structure, as if his gaze could set alight the vines that covered a decent amount of the stonework. His sister hummed, drawing his attention. "I''m sure you were correct, brother. Perhaps we need to find the exit, also?" She theorized. "Although that might end up quite the challenge. It could be anywhere on the floor, and with the imposed time limit..." She trailed off. Litan agreed with her unspoken words. The dungeon''s night-phase was incredibly dangerous, even to them. Litan felt a cold chill rush up his spine at the fate of his old bodyguard. They had not stayed past nightfall since. The large feline monsters and firebirds they fought now littered the floor but thankfully the insects seemed to only gather in such numbers at night, and likely at the dungeon''s direction. "So what?" Jessine, Matha''s friend, asked. When the rest of them turned to look at the bubbly brunette she continued. "We just need to search as much as we can before nightfall, then try again tomorrow. Eventually we''ll come across it." Litan shook his head, though he couldn''t think of a better plan himself. "Then that''s what we''ll do. We''ve got two hours till sunset. Get a move on." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea Two Days Later -0-0-0-0-0- Geeze, these Platinums are persistent. After gathering all the information on the Kobold mini-bosses locations they could over three days, they spent the next three exploring the jungle. Each day they killed every single kobold-miniboss I threw at them, despite them increasing in capability as I passed on more and more knowledge on how to fight. No matter what preparations I made the Kobold mini-bosses just didn''t have enough time to adjust to their power, nor to become powerful enough to put up meaningful resistance. I know they will find the exit today. The search pattern they''ve established will cross paths with it a few hours before sunset. Over the last two days, when it became clear I wouldn''t be able to power up my mini-bosses enough to hold them, I made sure to almost constantly increase the power of the Drake-Kin. With breaks for him to become accustomed to his own strength, of course. He was an impressive specimen. As I continued to pour mana into the boss, his features became more draconian. Horns emerged from his brows. His scales became increasingly metallic and incredibly dense. His strength and reflexes grew in leaps and bounds as his muscles grew denser, his tendons more flexible, his nerves more responsive and his bones further reinforced. With his scales having become more effective than the looted leather armor I had clad him in, he shed the leathers to revealed the gleaming copper beneath. By my own observations, he should be more than a match for any of these Platinums in a fair fight. The problem came about from the fact it would definitely not be a fair fight. The tenacious guilders would surely overwhelm him with their superior numbers. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. So, I would even the odds a bit. I had a few small chambers carved off the boss arena, where six of the most powerful Kobolds I could create would lie in wait. When the Platinums committed to the fight, they would flank and distract them, hopefully allowing their more powerful brethren to exercise more of this abilities. He took up his morningstar, which I had improved as much as I could. The handle was longer, to take advantage of his strength and grant him superior reach. The metal of the weapon had experienced a qualitive change after being flooded with mana, the tarnished steel became more silvery, yet exceeded its previous strength. And so there he stood, the most powerful monster I could make. Mushu, my Drake-Kin, enemies of the dungeon approach. I have provided every advantage I can to assure your victory. Do not falter, and know you are my finest creation. I informed him. His shoulders shifted and he stood taller, buoyed by my confidence in him. "I will drive these enemies from your hallowed land, Creator. They spit on your creations with every foul breath, with every noble Kobold they slaughter. I will not fail you." He fell to one knee, the mixed group of Shamans and Hunters following suit. Ah. I may have made him too intelligent. He spoke the same primitive language the Kobolds spoke, but a more refined and expanded version. It didn''t sound designed, but to my mind seemed more like the evolution of the English language. Rise, and prepare. Your opponents draw close. They stood and the Kobolds hid in their rooms while Mushu stood tall and proud before the exit door. In the jungle above, Litan''s gaze was drawn to the gaping hole in the side of a boulder half-consumed by a towering tree. I had carved the boulder with many largely meaningless symbols and ruins, to mess with them. The raid group clustered around the hole. "One of my guards can go first," Matha volunteered. "Since you are still down one, brother, it''s the least I can do. "You are too kind, sister," he drawled back. Matha''s two guards shared a look and the slightly smaller one stepped forwards to the hole in the boulder. Awkwardly, the large armored man clambered through the slightly-too small door in the rock and began to descend. There was no convenient staircase, just a muddy slope. Inevitably, he slipped and slid the rest of the way down. The tunnel abruptly ended just below the roof of the boss''s arena, where the man was dropped to the floor. He landed on his feet, straightened, and stared down my boss monster. "It''s the Guardian!" he shouted back up the pipe, half-turning his head but not taking his eyes off the monster that stood taller than he did. "Larger and meaner looking than the smaller ones!" At his first shouted word, Mushu advanced from the exit door. He had barely finished his last sentence when the boss was upon him, heavily spiked morningstar already descending with great speed towards his helm. The mace impacted the guilder''s kite shield, leaving a large circular indentation with holes where the spikes had torn right through. I think I heard him gulp. The human heaved, pushing with his shield to dislodge the mace and throw the monster off-balance. It partially worked; the boss was indeed pushed back, his mace freed from the shield. He was not off-balance, however. A follow-up swing had the guilder throwing himself to the left. The mace impacted the dirt-covered stone with force, forming a small crater. The morningstar''s spikes remained as pointy and straight as they had before the fight began. Man, that metal is awesome. I''m going to call it mithril. Four seconds now into the fight, the second muddy guilder emerged from the slide. In the second he was airborne, Matha''s other bodyguard assessed the situation and brought his sword down on the boss, who stood directly below the slides'' exit hole. Mushu reached up and seized the longsword by the blade, the enchanted metal biting into his scaled palm, but not too deeply. He wrenched sideways, tearing the sword from the humans grip and throwing him into his fellow party member. The second man was caught by the first, rather than crashing into him, and the two soon stood side-by-side against my boss monster. Muscles bulging beneath his scaled skin, Mushu broke the sword in two halfway up the blade, the enchantments on the blade failing in a flash of pink light. Deprived of his primary weapon the second man pulled a short sword from a sheath at his side and raised it, his fellow raising his own short sword and heavily dented kite shield. The stood like that for another second, assessing. The cut to Mushu''s palm started healing, though the dripping red blood covered that fact. He hefted his morningstar and swung. Not at the two already in his arena, but at the next guilder to drop from the entrance. Jessine''s eyes opened wide in panic as her brief flight changed direction, the spiked mace heavily denting and slightly piercing the side of her armor. She crashed to the ground at Mushu''s right, where the other two humans stood to his left. As Mushu took a step towards Jessine, the bodyguards sprung into action, forcing him to turn and block their attacks while the woman scrambled to her feet, picking up her fallen weapon, and mastered her panic. She took a stance, brandishing her rapier at the monster. She was bruised and bleeding from the wound in her side, but her eyes showed a resolve her previously bubbly behavior masked. Then it was one on three. In two seconds it would be one on four as Litan finally joined the fight. -0-0-0-0-0- Mushu''s Arena, The Third Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Litan landed nimbly on the dirt ground, his eyes tracking the large lizard monster as Matha''s friend and two bodyguards drew it away from the entrance. He quickly stepped aside as Matha dropped down, likewise landing lightly. They moved forwards together as the final members of their raid dropped in. His final bodyguard, the dedicated tank of his party, quickly joined the three harassing the monster. His friends Polit, the Healer and Stema, the Water Mage followed, with Matha''s other crossbow-wielding friend dropping in last. There was no bodies of water for Stema to manipulate, but the many water-skins that were strapped to his body provided enough to form several floating blades of water that gently spun in his mental grasp. With Litan''s bodyguard joining the melee, Jessine disengaged and retreated to allow Polit to heal her. Matha''s friend Kataren wasted no time lining up a shot. Her bolt skimmed off the monster''s scaled head with a spray of sparks, after a quick jerk shifted its head enough that the bolt missed its eye completely. Jessine re-engaged, along with Litan himself. The five Melee fighters kept equidistant from each other, just out of the monster''s reach. Kataren, Matha and Stema kept back, using crossbow and magic where the opportunity showed itself. Polit stood even further back, though at the ready to move in to heal at any moment. The Guardian was wounded, blood poured from more than a dozen cuts in its scaled hide. Yet, its eyes were not desperate. It was Polits'' scream of "More of them!" that alerted the rest of them to the jaws of the trap closing in around them. As he had shouted, six of the lizard monsters they had fought on the third floor emerged from newly-opened holes in the walls. His brief distraction was punished by the guardian, who struck his shoulder heavily. Luckily Litan noticed early enough to turn with the blow, making it glancing more than a direct hit. He trusted the other four to deal with the new opponents. They had been fighting these monsters for days, after all. The flash of lightning and scream of pain in Polits'' voice, therefore, worried him greatly. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 23 -0-0-0-0-0- The Guardian Arena, The Third Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- When the six lizards joined the fight, things got a little strained. None of the melee fighters could decisively end the Guardian, and any attempt to disengage was punished. That left Matha herself, the water mage, the crossbow-woman and a healer to fend off the new enemies and prevent them from coming to the aid of the Guardian. The Water Mage was the most useful, in this regard. The blades of water he manipulated were, of course, not solid blades. They bent and flowed around to strike at the monsters'' weak points. They''d certainly fought enough of them over the last week to figure out at least a few. The water mage was managing to keep three of the lizards occupied. Scratch that, he killed one. Matha herself kept two at bay, both wielding swords that looked like they''d been formed from the sharp pincer from the crab monsters. Her minion Kataren was trading crossbow bolts with a mage-lizard''s mana-bolts. From the glance she''d gotten, the bolts didn''t seem to have an elemental inclination. The healer kept back, well away from danger. He was perfectly capable of fighting, but you didn''t put your healer on the front line. That was just good sense. His job was to heal Litan and the bodyguards, while they kept the Guardian occupied. When the fine hairs on the back of her neck rose and she could smell a very particular scent, she opened her mouth to shout a warning. Before the noise reached past her lips Kataren''s opponent, the lizard-mage, cast a bolt of lightning at the healer. It had duped them into thinking it had no element! The man screamed and collapsed, lightning burns running across his exposed skin. His pained screams trailed off as he went limp. Probably just fainted, rather than dead. No platinum dies from a single lightning bolt, even if they never purposefully reinforce their body. The man could have probably healed himself, if he wasn''t unconscious. "Someone get him a potion!" her brother yelled, in the midst of parrying a heavy swing. "Kataren, I can take yours!" the water mage yelled, forming another two blades from the remaining water in his water-skins and drawing the lightning mage into combat. Kataren disengaged from her duel with the lightning mage and rushed over to their fallen healer. He might have bitten off a little more than he could chew, though. Now engaging two mages and a melee fighter at once, he seemed to be stretching the edge of his capabilities. The monsters were wiser to his abilities after their initial clash and kept a keen eye on his blades and their positions. Matha''s childhood playmate slid the final few feet to kneel over the fallen healer''s limp form. A red potion was poured down his throat and his burns soon smoothed out at a clearly visible rate. That was the moment things became much, much worse. In sequence, three things happened. The Guardian roared in fury, likely at his continuing inability to slay any of the guilders encircling him, and displayed a previously unknown ability; Fire breath. A horizontal sweep caught her shield-less bodyguard and Litan unprepared. They stumbled back, arms raised as if to ward off the magical flames. The water mage was unable to keep the full attention of his three opponents, leading to the lizard mage casting a second bolt of lightning, this one struck her friend, who screamed in pain, then slumped over the healer. Finally, her friend''s two opponents took advantage of her distraction to close in and strike her directly. Matha had been able to keep them out of sword-range thanks to her adept use of magic, but the shock of her brother bursting into flames and her oldest friend''s sudden injuries had her slip in her tight control. One of her wrists was sliced halfway through, the slash from the strange organic sword not sharp nor strong enough to cut through even the smaller bones of her wrist. The second strike was to her thigh, and likewise halted at the bone. "RETREAT!" She head Litan yell, followed by six flashes. Likely the bodyguards, Jessine, Litan and his friend. Kataren was still slumped over the healer, as far as she was aware. Matha attempted to disengage from the two lizard monsters she was fighting, stumbling, and reached for her own crystal. The last thing she saw before the flash of the teleport was the Guardian standing over the two collapsed members of the raid, a toothy grin on his face. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- With all the active fighters having teleported away I was left with two alive, if singed, captives. In two of the of the rooms in my experimentation area off to the side of the fifth floor, I formed barred sections at the back of the rooms to keep my captives in. They got a small hole in the floor for a toilet, the waste from which would pass through several cleansing and purifying filters before being pumped back out into the ocean through a one-way vent. On the other wall-corner of the cell I created a small basin. Above the basin was an incredibly thin pipe, which piped in water drip-by drip. I pushed mana into the walls and bars of the cells, with the intent to reinforce and strengthen the material. As far as I''m aware it worked, but I''ll need to test it before I''m willing leave the prisoners in there. By the time the cells were ready, Mushu arrived with both prisoners over his shoulders. The man was a healer and the woman was a ''rogue'' that specialized in crossbow usage. My Kobolds had stripped them down to their undergarments, confiscating all their equipment. The woman was still injured from the lightning spell the Shaman had cast, so I had Mushu pour one of their healing potions down her throat and slip her through the bars. He did the same to the relatively healthy healer. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I was unable to utilize mana in the air, but the plentiful mana I''d already injected into the rock was usable. The thick circular bars of the cell thinned and squared off, stretching into a rectangular shape with just enough space between the bars to fit their hand up to the thumb through. Okay. I have captives now. They have food and water. I''ll probably need to organize regular deliveries of food, since I don''t think humans can subsist off mana alone. Now, just what the hell am I going to do with them? I can study them passively, no matter what. Finally being able to test the limits of the strange interference they have on my mana is definitely on the list. After that, figuring out how to get around that. Studying their cores and how they process mana would be useful. There seems to be some sort of change that comes over the core after the given guilder dies. Taking that further I could test their growth by adding mana to their water and food, watching how their body and core processes it. Beyond that... Interrogation doesn''t really appeal to me. I can learn everything they know by killing them, all their mana would be taken directly to my core if my monsters didn''t do it. In that case, it would just be torture. Personally, I don''t see a reason to torment them. They may have been mercenaries attempting to carry out a hit on me, but I felt oddly detached in this case. They now pose little to no threat to me, and will hopefully stay that way. Just in case, I enchant the cells to pull ambient mana from the air in the cells, hopefully depriving them of a method of regaining mana. If the healer does know any offensive magic, and attempts to break out, I''ll have plenty of warning. Beyond just passive observation and tests with mana, I can''t think of a use. Once they outlive their usefulness I''ll be face with a choice. Kill them for their memories in cold blood, or release them to the surface. It''s a tough choice. On one claw, my dungeon part just wants to murder them. On the other hand the human part of me balks slightly at the thought. Yes, I''ve been killing in self defense, but to kill in cold blood would push me over an invisible line. I need to think more about this. In the last week work had continued on the excavation of the seventh floor. The Sixth got a second pass to add various ruins and details, the fifth received similar. The Fourth could potentially be reached soon, so I threw myself into a thorough inspection. This floor was... lacking, in comparison to all the others. It didn''t contain some grand vista, nor any large rooms at all. It was entirely composed of tunnels, weaving and twisting around and through each other. All the tunnels were different sizes; some big enough for a tall human to walk hunched, most would need the delvers to be crouching to pass through. There were also numerous smaller tunnels, for the use of the rats, also all in differing sizes. From small enough for an unaltered rat to pass through, up to the one-foot long specimens most of the surviving rats had achieved. The most dominant rats were as different from each other as I could have expected though all were at least 2 foot six inches in their main body size, not counting the tails. Some were bulky and muscled, using their sheer mass to crush and pound their competition into mush. Some became slender and their coarse fur sleek, these had achieved some level of success in shadow magic. Others had their fur become like a hedgehog, incredibly sharp and tipped with an incredibly variety of poisons. There were more, but these were the more common evolutions. A single command was enough to bring the bloodthirsty, creatures into line. I then broadcast my orders to all the rats. Enemies of the dungeon draw near. The strongest are now your leaders. You are to choose one and join their clan, committing to following their path. Conflict within clans is forbidden. Conflict between clans is permitted, as long as no humans are within the Warren. In response I get a general feeling of acceptance, en masse. They divide rather equally under the various leader-rats, hereforth the Clan Heads of their own clans. Yes. My Ratten will thrive in this place. After sorting out the monsters, I seriously updated the aesthetic of the floor. Before, it was bare stone tunnels, with plenty of sharp edges littering the place. Now, I smoothed out the tunnels into smooth pipes. The previous mess of tunnels was re-arranged into an enormous sewer system. I made it semi-functioning, in that I had water flow through it, the direction of the flow not related at all to the location of the boss arena. The rushing water would cause plenty of uneven footing, and some pipes were completely underwater. There were some similarities to the second floor, but I felt it was different enough to stand on it''s own. The Ratten provided a more encompassing threat than the fish ever did, and the cramped conditions elicited an entirely different feel. The Boss, I decided, would be the strongest Ratten in the largest Clan. In this case, it was one of the incredibly muscular ones. I provided a roomy, separate warren off the boss arena for her clan to occupy. I made it clear that she could be challenged for this space. A loss would have her clan forfeit that space, and their right to be the boss of the floor. With more organized inter-rat conflict, the floor should remain ready to fend off invaders at all times. I fully believed that Mushu would eventually fall. The guilders'' ability to teleport out at any point in the battle meat they can get familiar with how he fought, testing strategies with little risk. The fact they''d now lost three party members, however meat they might be a bit more cautious. At least, I hope. -0-0-0-0-0- Port Medea, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Layla Losat sometimes regretted taking this job. This moment, though, was probably the most intensely she had felt that regret. In her office, she had been enjoying a quiet afternoon. Her paperwork had been mostly completed, lunch had been delicious, and she was preparing to take a stroll through the market when one of the guild''s messengers burst into her office. "Yes?" She asked, politely. "Begging your pardon Guildmistress, but the Gorge raid has returned from their delve less two members and they''re refusing to write up a report of their delve." Layla sighed. She seemed to be doing that a lot, lately. "Please inform Felin I require his assistance." She ordered. The messenger ran off to retrieve Felin from his office, while Layla searched her desk for fresh parchment. When he arrived, she nodded in his direction, writing supplies once again laid out before her. He grunted at her, when she indicated he was to take a seat. "The Gorge twins have decided to stop playing ball." She informed, gravely. Felin raised an eyebrow at her. "They''re refusing to report about their delve today, and have lost two of their party members." "So they found the boss." Felin rasped, bringing a hand to his chin. "And got their asses kicked." Layla smiled sardonically. "It would seem so. I expect they will call for reinforcements, potentially from their older siblings or parents." Felin nodded. "I looked into the family, when they arrived." He offered. "Powerful, though the whole family has been indebted to Grand Duke Plaised for years now. Our initial suspicions were correct. They were ordered here. If they kill the dungeon for him, he wipes away the debt." "And if someone else does it..." Layla finished, getting a nod in return. Layla took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. "Is everything prepared for the next wave of Guilders?" She asked, changing the topic. Felin raised his hand and waved it side to side. "Mostly. with the meat from the crabs supplementing fishing and farming, there is plenty of food on the island. Housing has been somewhat settled; a couple of bunkhouses have been erected. It won''t be the most comfortable option, but definitely cheaper than the taverns. Should leave the taverns to focus on being the more high-quality option." Felin explained. "Good." Layla answered, satisfied. "Because they should be arriving any day now." -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 24 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Day -0-0-0-0-0- The sun rose on yet another day of constant delves. After the Platinum''s failure to best the third floor''s boss, the rest of the delvers seem to have been reminded that I''m no ordinary dungeon. The Silvers still explored the second floor, though most left after a few hours. The ones who did find the boss rarely committed to the fight. They never pushed their luck. The Golds pushed past the second easily, but were plenty cautious on the third. They sought out the Mini-bosses, to challenge them and practice. It seems the general consensus is that the Boss is a tougher version of the Kobolds, not incorrectly, and they''ll be better prepared with training against the lesser versions. Again, not incorrectly. Parties who had less practice against bipedal enemies quickly became accustomed, and more confident. None sought the Boss, out of rightful concern that a monster who could turn away two Platinum parties and kill two was beyond their abilities. The twins retreated to their rooms. I''d attempted to listen in on their planning, but they used an enchanted object to mask their words. I was more concerned about the tidbits I''d discovered by listening to Neo and her assistant/friend/party member, Felin. That the twins were explicitly hired to kill me to wipe away some debt was, indeed, concerning. They''re unlikely to give up and leave. And more Guilders on the way, huh? Potentially stronger than the twins, though more likely Golds who were struggling to push their way up to Platinum rank. Segueing into a related topic, my captives woke at some point last night. They were obviously terrified to find themselves stripped to their underthings in a stone cell, but a couple of mandarins pushed into their cells in the morning calmed them slightly, if leaving them more confused. It''s easy to see what they''re thinking. I''m alive? Where am I? Am I still in the dungeon? Why am I not dead? Why am I getting food? What''s going to happen to me? And so on, and so forth. I began my experiments after they were fed. I kept a careful eye on them as they digested the food, watching as their digestive system siphoned off the mana in the food and fed it into their core. There wasn''t much mana in the fruit to begin with, since these I''d made sure were grown naturally, rather than hastily inflated with mana. If the amount of mana in the fruit equaled a marble in size, then the rough amount it filled their core was about 0.01%. No wonder they kill monsters, and delve dungeons, I''d thought. Just getting the mana they''d need to improve further from their food would take hundreds of years. And that''s if the food wasn''t too mana rich. I left them to their quiet cells and moved my focus up to the fourth floor. The Boss''s clan had moved into their new warren, while the other clans spread out amongst the smaller sections inaccessible to humans. They weren''t hindered by the water, and even reveled in their new environment. A few clans were already eyeing each other with wariness. I suspect preemptive strikes and rat-on-rat warfare will begin in a few days. The Fifth floor was perfect, ready for anyone who manages to slip past the Ratten. The Sixth floor was structurally complete. Though making monsters able to survive the intense heat of the floor was tough, it was not impossible. It would probably take a week or two, at most. Construction on the Seventh continued. I decided this floor was going to be much smaller than the previous floors. I mean, both the fifth and six were incredibly open. Another tunnel-filled, maze-like floor was necessary at this point. As I carved the tunnels, I contemplated potential themes. A few came to mind, but I couldn''t quite decide just yet. It was mid-afternoon when the first sails appeared on the horizon. Over the rest of the afternoon, the evening and into the night, ships continued to dock and disembark their passengers. Who? Why, more Guilders of course. Madmen, drawn to Grindstones with the belief they would find their fortune and rocket their way up through the ranks. Oh boy. People gonna die tomorrow. -0-0-0-0-0- Port Medea, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Day -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem, Bertram and Flasa had decided to take the day off. They''d made the decision for a number of reasons. The first was that they had been delving as much as they could, recently. Every second day or so. Haythem thought they''d needed a break, and the second reason was just the excuse they''d needed. The second reason being the sudden influx of Guilders to the island. Yes, they''d emerged from the dungeon yesterday afternoon to discover a couple of new parties in the taverns. More and more had arrived as the day went on, filling the newly constructed bunkhouses to maximum capacity. Yesterday, the day had started with around 16 parties on the island who consistently delved. Today, that number was closer to 35. If they hadn''t already been forming raids to push through to the third floor, they would have started out of sheer necessity. There were only twelve hours in the day, and twelve groups of guilders let in per day, after all. With the current number of parties, if they all tried to delve on their own, it would be three days before they''d once again reach the front of the line. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The third reason was more political than personal. The merchants who visited their island had ranged far in the month since the establishment of the port, spreading the news of an island-bound dungeon to all and sundry. While all the parties from the initial group of guilders were from the Phenoc Kingdom, a little less than half of this group were from the Bahrain Empire. Where the Phenoc Kingdom sat on the continent of Theona, west of the Kalenic Sea, the Bahrain Empire was situated on the other side of that ocean. You might think that such distant polities would have little to do with the other, but you would be wrong. The Kingdom had conquered every land of value in their continent. The only places that remained wild were the central portions of the southern desert and the inhospitable lands in the frozen north. Likewise, the Empire had largely removed any opposition in their lands. However while the Kingdom was content with their lands, focusing on further development, in recent years the Empire had been staring across the ocean with a gimlet eye. The majority of Phenoc lands were fertile and bounteous. Their mines seemingly without end and fields pulling in successful harvests year after year. The Bahrain lands were less so. Their mines were shallow, or running dry. Their land was hardy and tough, ill-suited to farming. These reasons were the main contributors to their expansionism; fueling their armies and feeding their people. There has been no declaration of war, but all involved know it is inevitable. And so, the newly arrived Bahrain parties were avoided as much as possible. Personally, Haythem thought that treating these guilders differently would cause the very antagonism most Phenocs were so afraid of. The guild loudly professed neutrality in all its dealings, but could not control the actions of independent parties. If it came to war, spurned groups would likely leave the guild and sign up with the Bahrain military. Haythem picked up the piece of equipment he had been inspecting. It was one of many at the market this morning, refined from the shells of the dungeon''s crab monsters. This piece was a saber, formed from the sharp pincer of the Guardian''s breed. He glanced back down at the table, observing shields, daggers and various pieces of armor all made from the tough shell of the monsters. "Five silver for that sword," the man behind the stall bargained. Haythem shook his head and placed the saber back on the table. "Four silver! Three? Two is my final offer!" The merchant continued to lower his price as Haythem walked away. Obviously, the man hadn''t been quite as successful as he had hoped to be. As far as he could tell, the equipment wasn''t especially improved from its base form. It would work fine for the weaker guilders or the unempowered humans, but its strength was far below what Haythem and his party required. Yes, Haythem had decided to take a walk through the market this morning. He was window-shopping, mostly. He didn''t need raw ingredients, since the tavern his party stayed at provided two meals a day to all its patrons. The various carved charms and ''magic'' items were also useless to him. Such items were generally fakes, used as an explanation for random events. It was the ringing sound of hammer on steel which eventually drew his attention. The smith in question worked out of a shop, where plenty of quality pieces hung from the walls or lay on shelves. On his entrance the smith paused and looked up, taking his measure, before returning to his hammering. "Ah don sell magic items." He claimed, his northern accent thick but understandable. "But ah''ve been told my work takes enchantments well." Having said his piece, the blacksmith allowed his work to once again take up his full attention. Haythem inspected the various pieces of equipment closely, eventually coming upon a sword noticeably different to the others around it. Its metal gleamed in a way the normal steel of the longsword beside it didn''t. "What''s this made of?" He asked, when the blacksmith had stopped hammering and shoved the half-beaten rod of metal back into the forge. The man turned and after a glance at the sword looked Haythem right in the eyes. "Hell if ah know. It''s relatively light, for such a tough metal. The merchant who sold the ore to me said there was a new mine of the stuff, back in the homeland." He narrated as he approached. "Ah don''t think ah caught your name there, friend." He said, sticking out a heavily callused hand. "Dremlock Mantia." "Haythem Linus." Haythem answered. "Now, let''s talk price." The answering grin on Dremlock''s face was one Haythem had seen often in merchants. This man had a love for haggling. He had a feeling this purchase would take a bite from his coinpouch. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The tension on the beach outside my dungeon was almost palpable. Two distinct groups of guilders waited in line, the second group having drifted into port yesterday evening and overnight. They feigned nonchalance, but the wary eyes and hands kept close to weapons were rather telling. The groups were also rather distinct. The style of armor sported by the Phenoc guilders was radically different to this new group. If the Phenocs could be considered European in style and manner, these new people boasted armor I would call Middle Eastern. It isn''t an exact match to my memories, of course, merely an approximation and comparison. It was rather easy to tell that the middle-eastern style guilders had done the bare minimum of preparation for their delves today. They knew about the crabs and some general features, but obviously the Phenocs were ill-inclined to share any details of my dungeon. They did seem to be aware that individual parties wouldn''t be particularly effective, and the nine parties of them split evenly into three raids groups; two Silver and one Gold. The first raid of silvers struggled slightly against my diminished crabs, but pushed through fairly easily. Now slightly warier. The Second floor stumped them, leading two to be separated from the raid and fried in the incinerator trap. They had another seven close calls before giving up. These men and women informed their countrymen of their experiences, which meant the second raid of Silvers did decently better. They still failed to discover the exit door, but confirmed the shifting nature of the maze. The Gold raid managed to find and kill the second floor''s boss, the Bloodfish Sovereign. Watching all these people delve for the first time did make me wonder why I was laying out my dungeon the way I was. There didn''t seem to be any mental restrictions on how I should create my dungeon, but the now myriad memories I hold informed me my layout was the standard. A ''floor'' of rooms, leading to a ''Floor Guardian'' they had to beat to continue onto the next floor. It was mostly seen in conquered dungeons, since it was easy that way to judge exactly how ''strong'' you were by how deep you could go. Baby dungeons were little more than tunnels with an enhanced monster or two, like a bear in its cave. Young dungeons began forming ''rooms'' or open areas with more confined sections between them. Adult dungeons are where the ''floor'' mechanic starts appearing in the wild. I could try to do something weird, but if my layout starts diverging massively the guilders might get concerned. They might attribute it to my status as a ''lost'' dungeon, but that isn''t guaranteed. I''d rather wait until I''m confident in my defenses. In the mean time, this works. Actually... I''d assumed it was due to my nature as a dungeon, but the fact that even wild dungeons with no contact between them all develop the same defensive strategy implies we aren''t so much consciousness in random gems as much as we are manufactured and planted like seeds. By who? Given they seem to exist in this world, potentially Gods. Pondering the nature of my own existence, I continued work on the seventh floor. As I dug through the rock, I encounter something different. An ore vein. A search quickly turned up a few other spots the metals seemed to turn up. Hmmm. There was two Silvery and one orange, two ductile.. some light, some not... I have no idea what these are! Let''s experiment with them anyway! -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 25 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I started my experiments with the obvious; throwing mana at the material and seeing what happens. As the mana pooled in each of the three metals I''d discovered I pondered what their discovery meant. I studied some geology at university before I''d become a dungeon, and I know that metals and minerals don''t form these convenient ore veins. For instance, gold veins in rock are formed through precipitation and found within metamorphic rock. All this rock here? Igneous. I expected some kind of metal, but I expected it to be so diffused through the rock that extracting it would be a pain. Instead I have around seven veins of ore uncovered so far; each composed of one of the three kinds of metal. And another thing! Where ore veins do exist they''re typically minerals composed of several different elements. These all seem to be relatively pure deposits. It''s... extremely confusing to me. Then again; magic is a thing and so are gods. Perhaps some god of the underground or god of wealth, akin to Hades or Pluto, is responsible for this? ... Just in case. God of the underground and/or wealth, I thank you for your bounty? ... No response. Probably for the best. Back to the metals. Each has had their own reaction to mana. The more silvery metal, which I''m becoming more and more convinced is actual silver, became even more lustrous and now gives off a slight glow. It''s not radiation, thankfully. Just an effect of the mana embedded in the metal. I had a Kobold test the metal for me. A quick check later and I had his name: Tear. Turns out he''s the son of Teka, the Fire Shaman. The mana in his core was slightly more inclined to flame, and the slightly pointed nature of said core continued to be fascinating to me. It was nowhere near the cores of the humans, little more than nubs, but the fact that a Kobold''s cores was even starting to resemble them was... incredible. Does Sapience truly effect the core''s shape? If their cores fully mimic those of humans, will they too gain that same mana interference? I''ve gone on a tangent again. The metal was put through its paces. We banged it on rocks, banged the un-enhanced version against it and so on. There was a lot of stress-testing involved. It was hard, but not impressively so. It still dented and warped under pressure. Until I know otherwise, I will consider the unaltered metal silver, and the enhanced version Moon-Silver, as a nod to the ethereal white glow. The second metal was unmistakably copper. That orange colour covered in greenish oxidation was a dead giveaway. Its enhanced version abandoned the colour orange entirely and fully accepted the green; resulting in a very jade-like metal. The green colour varied between the lines from a light lime-green to a deep forest green. It didn''t fracture any easier between layers and the colour changes were abrupt and seemingly random. There is only one name I can give this; Orichalcum. Why? Because it''s made from copper and found in a mountain. The final metal, I believe, is Iron. It underwent the same transformation Mushu''s morningstar did, becoming much, much tougher and slightly more reflective and silvery. Now that I''ve secured a source of metal that isn''t looting from the corpses of invading guilders, I can start really outfitting my monsters. But first, I need someone to work the metal. Tear. I name you Forgemaster, and grant you all the knowledge I have on metalworking. Thank you, Creator! He replied, the fervor in his mental voice evident. Prepare for your enhancement. I advised. I gave him a minute, then proceeded. Tear''s height ballooned from the mere 4 foot frame of a Kobold Villager to rivaling Mushu at his 7 feet. His frame was likewise expanded; the thin and agile form would do him no good in a forge. Muscles and the equivalent strength filled out his newly expanded skeleton. I gave him all the same markers as Mushu, various horns and scale patterns, to denote him as another Drake-kin. The transformation took most of the night, in order to bring him to a similar level of power. When he seemed to have acclimated to his new size, I provided him the memories I promised. It wasn''t much, unfortunately. Not many smiths risking their lives in my dungeon, after all. The memories mostly composed of my own knowledge on metals and their properties. I provided him a space to work, and a couple of less-enhanced Kobolds to act as assistants. With that sorted, my mental gaze shifted back to the seventh floor. I''d selected its theme. I widened and squared off the tunnels, sourcing some wood to provide (unnecessary) support to the tunnels. I continued excavating, expanding the scope of my new mines. Any metal in the way I gave to Tear to practice with. Any veins in the walls I left alone, though I did sprinkle a few of the enhanced materials throughout. That morning, I was filled with a rush of enthusiasm. I had a theme, now the floor could truly come to life. By the time morning arrived I had mentally drafted a blueprint of the floor and was about half-way through the digging. I barely noticed when the guilders began their daily delves. As I dug, I pondered potential monsters. There were the Kobolds, of course. Toughened up to the level of Tear''s assistants they could provide a decent threat. Or... hmm. I''ve got all those cores still lying about. Maybe it''s time to do something with them. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. -0-0-0-0-0- Castle Plaised, Western Phenoc Kingdom, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- The Grand Duke Alto Plaised was not pleased. "Say that again." He demanded, leaning forward in his throne to glare at the shivering messenger kneeling at the base of the dias. "My Lord, a messenger eagle arrived this morn carrying a scroll sent from Medea island. The message therin reads: ''The dungeon is tougher than expected. Three party members lost on the third floor. Further aid requested.''" "FURTHER AID?!" He exploded, the anger and grief in his chest twisting and writhing. "Those incompetent Gorges can''t deal with one lousy dungeon?!" He trembled, attempting to reign in his anger. No fault lies with the messenger, he reminded himself. Beside him, his wife sits in her own throne. She too is trembling with suppressed grief. "My son lies dead, and these guilders who owe us deeply dare to ask for more." Just being reminded of their debt soured his mood further. "We raised their house from simple landowners to ruling an entire county. We provide them with the opportunities to improve themselves and advance within the guild. After all that, I offer to wipe away any remaining debt if they avenge my son. My heir." Plaised had originally been pleased that his second son had taken his younger sister and joined the Guild. It was expected in the kingdom that spares would make themselves useful. Joining the guild was a dangerous pursuit, but the advantages years of careful breeding had availed them would provide significant aid. Now his eldest son was slain, by poison. Not even the greatest healers of the dukedom could heal him, or even ease his suffering. Not two days after his heir had passed, and one after having sent for his second son and new heir, his third daughter returned to the castle. Less his son. The story she told was of a monstrous dungeon, newly discovered off the eastern coast. The local guilders had delved its first floor regularly to mild resistance, and her brother was sure they could push through to the second. The dungeon had sensed their intent and struck her brother down without warning. ''We could not recover his body,'' his daughter had relayed through tears, ''it was all we could do to stay alive ourselves.'' With his two sons dead, he had no direct heir to his line. With the passing of his own sons, his brother Gerrek was now his heir. His younger brother had three sons of his own, and their house would be secure in his hands. Alto Plaised had immediately sent a message to the Guild''s Great Hall in the capital, declaring the bounty on the dungeon. He had arranged for the Gorge twins, having grown to platinum rank guilders, to travel there themselves. He had expected this whole mess to be done with in less than a month. It was known that lost dungeons were above the average in their defense, but a determined party of Platinums had proved enough to clear them. It seemed, however, this one was different. He waved for some parchment and a quill. In minutes he had drafted two official messages. One to the guild, one in response to the Gorge twins. He stamped both with a wax seal and waved the messenger forwards. He handed him the scrolls. "Pass this to the guild, and have this delivered to Medea Island. Quickly." The messenger, who passed off the message scroll he already possessed to one of Alto''s attendants, took the new scroll and left with due haste. Alto then turned to his seneschal. "Call the Hanvers and Lokans to court. They are to present themselves at the earliest opportunity." "Of course, my Lord." The man responded, bowing and retreating to a side room. "What of the Gorge Twins?" His wife asked. "And their ''request''" "We will provide no aid." He quickly answered. "They have failed. They can do what they please, but soon I feel it will not matter." He turned and faced the closing door at the end of his throne room, watching the messenger leave with his message. Maybe doubling the bounty would provide a greater incentive. -0-0-0-0-0- Somewhere in the Dungeon, Medea Island Six Days after Confinement -0-0-0-0-0- Kataren knew she was experiencing something extremely strange, perhaps unprecedented in history. A Lost Dungeon has taken her captive, placed her in a cell, given her a place to relieve herself and continues to provide food and water?! When she had been electrocuted in the fight against the third floor guardian she expected either death, or to wake up to find her friends victorious. Instead she was here, in a stone cell with no obvious door. The slits between the thick bars barely allowed her fingers past, though she felt she could push her entire palm through if she was willing to lose some skin. The hole in the floor was obvious in its use. The water provided was limited, and more quenching when left to gather for a few hours. The delivery of fruit by a squatter and thinner version of the lizards they had fought on the third floor was more perplexing. The Cell, she could understand. It was a place the conquerors had used to keep prisoners. The Dungeon keeping her alive and sending monsters to feed her was where she lost that understanding. Why? Why was she alive? She had no answers. She didn''t believe the monsters would tell her either. If they even have a language, it''ll be some weird language only they can use, with noises only they can make. So, left alone with nothing to do but think, she thought. Dungeons have no reason to keep guilders alive, they gain the memories of the guilders they kill. But Kataren wasn''t dead and absorbed by the dungeon. She was in a cell. Which means, the dungeon has a use for her. The thought made her shudder. What use could the dungeon have for a living, breathing Guilder? To study her? To watch her? To experiment on her? Oh, by the gods she hoped not. She didn''t want to be some dungeon''s plaything. The sound of clawed steps drawing closer signaled her next delivery of food. Newly terrified of what the dungeon had in store for her, she huddled into the far corner of the cell. The lizardman hissed and pushed two of the same mandarin-like fruits through a slot located at the base of one of the bars. Likewise, it was too small to fit more than an arm through. Once the lizardman''s clawed steps faded from hearing she moved to her food. She frowned. These two were... different. There was indeed a very noticeable change. These new fruits were especially vibrant and large. Kataren bit into the fruit, skin and all. Then she moaned in pleasure. This... is delicious! She realized. The fruit was juicy, succulent... and the flavor! There was just... something more about it. Before she realized what she was doing, she had finished the first fruit and started on the second. Then she was done. The fruit was gone. She sighed in regret that the fruit was gone. It was magnificent. The texture and flavor... She must have lost herself in thought. In what seemed like no time at all, the fruit-deliverer was back. This time Kataren was not in the corner, she was watching the food-slit with the hawk-like eyes her enhanced physique had provided her. When two mandarins rolled through she grabbed at them, suddenly desperate. The first bite revealed this fruit was not the same as the last. Where those had been incredible, these were bland and tasteless in comparison. She still ate them, just in case. But it wasn''t enough. She needed more! Looking down, she saw the puddle of juice remaining from her hasty consumption of the first two. She leaned over, licking at the delicious juice! Suddenly, a thought cut through the haze. What am I doing?! She threw herself away, once again huddled in the familiar corner. She stared at the remaining puddle of mandarin-juice, feeling only terror and need. I am being experimented on, then. Kataren thought, the majority of her mind terrified at her loss of control. Even as another part of her longed for another mandarin. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 26 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Soooo.... What the hell was that?! Hell. All I did was shove some mana into the fruit. I''d noticed after these last few days that the general mana levels of my captives was much reduced. I think it''s because I made the cells mana-repellent, leaving them no atmospheric mana to passively absorb. In any case, to rectify their deficiency and as another test I supercharged a few mandarins with mana and fed them to my prisoners. They both reacted extremely... weirdly. At first I thought it was a bodily reaction to the influx of mana to their slightly mana-starved bodies, and that kinda makes sense, but the sheer... euphoria on their faces after eating the fruit was very, very disconcerting. Both of them had spaced out for hours, only broken by the next meal arriving. I wasn''t dumb. I had no idea what was going on, so I drastically lowered the amount of mana in the fruit I was giving them. Their reactions were telling. Incredible disappointment, followed by desperation for more of the mana-charged fruit, then realization and fear. I wont be giving them another fruit charged with that much mana, that''s for sure. I''ll start at half that amount and lower it slightly with every meal, hopefully that will wean them off this... addictiveness the fruit suddenly possesses. The question is; why. Why did the fruit cause them to react this way? Obviously I don''t know what they feel or think directly, but I can judge well enough from their expressions. From that, I theorize it was the taste. They acted relatively normal up until that first bite. When I filled the fruit with mana, did I do more than just put the mana in it? Mana is very sensitive to intent, and I must have had the intent to make the fruit better when I put the mana in it. So, the mana enhanced it''s size, vibrancy, and everything else about it. Including the taste. Hopefully I haven''t ruined their tastebuds for any other food. You know what? I should diversify their diet a bit, add some meat. Maybe fish, that seems safest. Don''t want them getting some other deficiency from eating only one kind of fruit. I''m just gonna leave them alone for now. Yeah. Back to mana-core experimentation! I''ve messed with these cores before. Both types; those collected from my fallen monsters and from unlucky guilders. The number of monster cores vastly outnumbers the human cores, but that''s beside the point. I''ve learnt quite a few things. Mana cores are mostly inert without some animating force provided by a living organism. That animating force, I assume, is either the soul or consciousness of a being. The force is stronger the more intelligent the being. I''m still not sure what causes the difference between human cores and monster cores, but my theories mostly involve sapience and self-awareness. My most recent attempts to mess with them focus on re-creating that animating force. In one of my experimentation rooms I gathered three skeletons of silver guilders and three skeletons of fallen Kobold Hunters, as well as some ''golem'' bodies I created of various materials. Those materials being clay, stone and iron, mithril, silver and moon silver. Of the human skeletons, I would put all three kinds of cores I have inside the ribcage, where the heart would normally be. I will do similarly for the kobold skeletons. I only have the two kobold cores, so the golems get a mixed selection of human and monster cores. I began my first experiment; the human skeleton with a human core. The skeleton was placed on a raised stone table, with indentations in the stone keeping the tendon-less bones in placed. To start I placed the core inside the ribcage and guided mana to flood the skeleton, then once I''d reached a saturation point I wrapped the core in strings of mana from the skeleton. I focused hard on my intent to provide life to this skeleton, to have the core animate the bones and for it to follow instructions. For a few minutes, nothing happened. The pointed oval core sucked in mana, slowly gaining brightness. The whole skeleton was bright to my mana-sight, saturated as it was, and the core was more so. To an observing Kobold Shaman the skeleton held no light, even as the core grew brighter. Nothing, even when the core stopped taking in mana. I looked at the inanimate, mana-saturated skeleton and slowly my gaze shifted to the kobold poking the pile of cores. A thought had me glance at the humans in the cells, then back at the kobold and the skeleton. Between the skeleton and living creatures, there were significant differences. Both my monsters and the humans had an entire vein-like series of ethereal channels that distributed the mana through the body. Inspired, I started manipulating the mana pooled in the bones. Instead of merely filling the bones I created a flow, out from the core to the extremities and then back into the core. While doing that I remembered that these bones were ultimately unconnected, with no way to move them. Even if I created a living skeleton it wouldn''t be able to move. To fix that, I stuck strips of mana in a facsimile of tendons, connecting the bones so they hopefully move how they would naturally. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Now, there was a mana-vein system and a way for the bones to move. Okay let''s try... this. I forced the core to ''beat'' like a heart, the mana pushing through it''s ethereal veins in time with the beat. That seemed to be the trigger. Soon it was beating without my input. It made no noise, but I could imagine a thumping sound. The mana within the core, with no input from me, stretched a tendril up into the skull. Once inside, the mana tendril split in two and each one reached through the orbital canal. Two points of blue fire blinked into existence at the tips of those tendrils. Idly, I realized this core must have come from a mage. A fire mage. The mana-veins formed small off-shoots everywhere, which then connected to the mana-tendons. The index finger twitched. Mentally, I reached out to the skeleton. Can you hear me? I began, gently. I didn''t want to spook the guy. Nothing. Looking a little deeper, there wasn''t much of a mind there. Which makes sense; while the core was formed inside a human all the mana that was ''theirs'' was directly absorbed by both their killer and I. All of this mana was mine. Actually... I pushed a little harder, mentally forcing an infinitesimal piece of myself into the skeleton''s core. It was a disorienting, suddenly having two viewpoints. One was the "oversoul" view, a function of my nature as a dungeon. The second was the skeleton''s. It''s vision was also based completely on mana, which was disappointing but understandable. Movement was... jerky at first. Awkward. I willed the arm to move, but had to think about every tendon that needed moving. As I practiced, it became easier. I sat up, looking up at the point where my dungeon vision was viewing my skeleton body from. The skeleton''s vision couldn''t see anything, which matches up with both Neo and Isid being unable to see it. I swing the skeleton body''s legs off the side of the stone slab and stand. My first steps are similarly awkward. Unintentional avatar get? This wasn''t the goal, though. The goal was golems, or skeleton monsters. I don''t want mindless bodies. I turn back to my experiments. I did something wrong, somewhere. The eyes of my skeletal body flare brighter in response to my drive. Let''s find out where. -0-0-0-0-0- The Guild Hall, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Day -0-0-0-0-0- Layla sipped from her mug, the pleasantly hot liquid soothing as it ran down her throat. She sighed in satisfaction. It was so hard to find good coffee, especially out here. Some enterprising merchant had set up a stall selling the beans in the market and she couldn''t be happier. She had finished all her paperwork for the day. The tension between Phenoc and Bahrain Guilders had yet to boil over, despite clear distrust. The Gorge twins still refused to report on their last delve, and were barred entrance to the dungeon until they did. She took another sip and closed her eyes behind her blindfold, luxuriating in the rich, smooth brew. Not that closing her eyes had any effect whatsoever, but it made her feel better. She watched as Felin ascended the stairs and began to stride down the hallway toward her office. She sighed, this time in disappointment. Looks like she won''t be going to bed early today after all. By the time he knocked on the door she had finished her cup and set it to the side. Her hands were clasped on the desk before her. "Come in, Felin." She answered. He entered, closing the door behind him. He sat in the chair across from her and placed a sheet of paper on the table. "Notice from your grandfather." He started, clearing his throat. "The bounty placed on the shattering of the Medea Island Dungeon has been increased to twenty thousand gold coins. This news has spread throughout the continent and will likely draw every gold and platinum guilder that find themselves without work. Do your best, Layla." Layla felt the bottom of her stomach fall away into the abyss. Frustration welled up inside her, with tears building up at the corners of her eyes. She had tried so hard to keep this colony going. The only reason this colony existed was the dungeon. While Lord Medean the younger had declared the dungeon''s core off limits, he did not have the clout to go against a grand duke. Yes, this dungeon was proving remarkably resistant, but even it would fall before the combined might of most of the guilders in Theona. The majority of these guilders would likely be Gold, with a significant portion of Platinums. "What do we do, Felin?" She despaired. "Medea island can barely support the current guilder population. Adding more... And when they do eventually shatter the dungeon, what then? What will become of this place? The river exists because of the dungeon! There isn''t another source of fresh, drinkable water on the island!" She let her head fall on her arms. Felin stood from his chair and walked around the desk. He knelt beside her and placed an arm over her shoulders. "We do what we can." He rasped. "As we always have." The moment stretched on. "Thank you, Felin." She said, pushing him off and sitting up. Looking back at the door she froze. Her aunt Isid and uncle Jerrad were standing in the doorway. Shit. She was going to be teased about this for years. -0-0-0-0-0- Port Medea, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea At the same time. -0-0-0-0-0- "HOW DARE HE!?" Matha screamed, her burning gaze focused on the letter he had handed her. Litan was furious too. This was their job. Their opportunity to pull their family out of debt. That Plaised would not just refuse to support them further, but to hire parties from the two families that had most opposed the ennoblement of their family was an insult. "Peace, Sister." He started, not flinching as she turned her furious gaze on him. "We have the advantage." "Advantage?! Oh, yes. Some small bit of knowledge on the third''s floor guardian. Which is worthless if we can''t act on it! Or must I remind you that the albino whore of a guildmistress has barred us from the dungeon!" Matha''s shoulders heaved with every breath. "Never mind that we''ve lost the healer and dedicated ranged members of our parties!" Litan raised a hand. "Peace. It shouldn''t matter too much. While the loss of Kataren and Polit does impact our strategy, it isn''t as bad as you seem to believe." He reached into a pouch and pulled out a bottle containing a glowing, red liquid. "We are still flush with potions, and other than those firebirds on the third there aren''t any monsters that fight from an extreme range. And being barred from the dungeon isn''t as absolute as they would like it to be." Litan leaned forwards. "We move in the night, at the changing of the guard. The guilders that stand at the entrance are only Gold, they''ll prove no trouble. If we time our entrance right, by the time we get to the third floor it will be day. We can rush through the combat trials and face the boss before anyone else makes it to the third." He stated confidently. "And then what?" Matha challenged. "We''ve broken the guild''s rules and when we teleport out we''ll be arrested. That''s what. We''ll be stripped of our ranks and thrown in the deepest pit they can find!" All her anger seemed to drain out her feet. She sat down on the edge of the bed, bringing her right hand up to massage her temple. "We need a different plan. Something that won''t end in our imprisonment and/or deaths." She said. When the sun dawned the next day, no miracle solution had presented itself. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 27 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I''ve failed to make autonomous skeletons. I can insert a tiny piece of my consciousness in them, and move them myself, but there''s just something missing. So, I have a quite a few ''avatars'' now; three human skeletons and three kobold skeletons. Let me tell ya, it feels strange to be able to interact with the world with more than just mana. Holding things in your hands and moving it from here to there feels so good. Downsides: even though it is only a small portion of my consciousness, and in the grand scheme of things doesn''t impact my abilities whatsoever, it is still awkward to have to move every individual tendon and bone. Multiplied over six bodies, it''s worse. It doesn''t impact me at all, but it''s still annoying. Might try to find a way to streamline movement later. Anyway, no matter what combination of skeleton and core type all it leaves me with is an empty vessel. Before I could get started on my golem experiments however, I heard some very worrying news. The bounty on my head was doubled, which means a large influx of guilders in the near future. The Twins had been holed up in their room, an enchanted artifact in the room making sure anything said within doesn''t make it past the inside of the room. Even rats in the walls can''t hear a word. Neo''s probably on the way towards a mental breakdown. I feel bad for the girl, honestly. Thrust into a position she obviously wasn''t prepared for, then having the dungeon she was assigned to regulate assaulted with the intent to destroy it. Isid and Jerrad having returned to the island was good for her, having someone on her side would help. For me it was a little worrying, but by now I know they don''t wish to kill me. I also feel safer, in general. I have six complete floors, with another half built. Platinum guilders are the strongest humans I''ve encountered and they''ve stalled out at the boss of the third. With the various environments and monsters, I feel their progress past there won''t be fast. I have breathing room, but I know that won''t last. A large amount of guilders will soon arrive to delve me, likely composed of Golds and Platinums. I''ve been trying not to be too lethal, since that would likely cause this exact scenario. No reason not to up the danger now, though. It''s the middle of the night, so now''s the time to do something I''ve been thinking about for a while. There are two guards that stand outside the dungeon, just outside the crack in the wall that is my entrance. I can''t do anything about that unless I kill them but these ones have never tried to kill me, so I won''t do that. Inside the first cavern, I do a bit of building. Sand rises up and fuses into a distinctive shape; Romanesque pillars rise up on either side of the tunnel, holding up a triangular roof. This structure extends a few yards out from the wall and sits on a solid slab of stone. On the three steps leading up to the slab, I carved words in the Phenoc language. Beware, Beware Enter with Intent to Harm the Core And the Gloves Come Off I set up braziers enchanted to emit a constant fire, making sure the carvings are easily visible. Just above the tunnel that leads off into darkness, I carve one final sentence. You Have Been Warned Warning delivered, I swept through the dungeon with a manic energy. Previously manual traps are enchanted to be self-resetting and intent-activated. What''s that you ask? Well, it''s been in development for a while. Mana is very sensitive to intent; It''s guided and shaped by it even. The Enchantment I''ve figured out reads the intent of the guilders who pass through an area and sorts through them. If it detects the ''Intent to destroy the Dungeon Core''. Then It activates the trap connected to it. From this day on Guilders who have no intention of shattering my core, killing me, will no longer trigger traps. Guilders who do wish to kill me, will trigger what I like to call ''Hard Mode''. I''ve installed ''gates'' on points where monsters enter the human-accessible part of the dungeon that regulate how many monsters are let through in response to those same intent-enchantments. ''Hard Mode'' will let through double to triple the number of monsters the gates would otherwise. Beyond just this, the traps are now far, far more lethal. Spike traps deploy extremely quickly and over a larger area, making it very hard to dodge out of their area. Pit traps are deeper and will only deploy when the people above reach the middle of the floor above. This has made my maze a nightmare, but It''s necessary. The Jungle doesn''t have as many opportunities for traps, but I make sure to trap the hell out of the ruins. The Boss arena rock is also made more... nondescript. I scoured the surface of the rock of all the carvings I previously had covered it with. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The Kobold mini-boss fights I also ramped up. Every Kobold was granted metal weapons, armor and now fought in groups of four to six. They''re encourage to train amongst each other as much as they can, spreading their skills around as far as possible. On my pass through the fourth floor, I realized I made a mistake in it''s design. I forgot how effective water mages were when surrounded by water. The Ratten would be slaughtered by any water mage in the waterways. To fix this glaring oversight I removed the water from the majority of the pipe systems, though I kept the pipes. I did keep some areas wet, and some submerged, but by and large it was dry. That brought me to the rats. I wasn''t very confident in their success if I left them to themselves. They just weren''t tough enough yet. Easily remedied, though. A wave of mana infusions swept through the entire rat population with the intent to toughen their skin, increase their reflexes and strength in general without bulking them up. The Fifth got a decent number of traps installed and it''s monsters buffed, too. The Sixth, lava-filled nightmare that it was, didn''t need many traps. There were a few ledges I rigged to collapse into the lava and sections that would periodically flood and drain of lava. Honestly the lava I have here doesn''t act like lava on earth. It''s more flowing and liquid-like, even sitting in lakes like this. I didn''t do anything to make it like this beyond keeping it heated, so it must just be how lava is here. The monsters on the sixth floor still weren''t lava-proof, despite my best efforts. They still got another boost in general power and effectiveness. The Seventh, I''ve decided, will also be inhabited by Kobolds. Well. Upgraded Kobolds. The Kobolds that live on the third floor, the tribesmen specifically, are weak. The ones on the seventh will be an ''evolved'' form, the Drake-kin. They''ll be in generally bigger, stronger, bulkier and rougher than normal Kobolds. I set them to mine the Ore, and equipped them with modified pickaxes forged by Tear. One side of the pick was as expected, pointy and tough enough to dig into rock. The other side was bladed, like a battle-axe. I''ll call them battle-picks. Ah! The first rays of sunlight have pierced the sky. Time to watch the minds of the guilders explode. -0-0-0-0-0- Outside the Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem stood in the line with the rest of the raid group. This group was composed of four remaining gold parties who had been in the first wave to arrive at the island, and it showed. They still didn''t trust each other completely, but there was a sense of comradery they shared in being the ones who had delved this dungeon the longest. They were in the first slot of the day, to be followed by couple of raid group of silvers from the second wave. Behind those were a few parties who were still delving alone. about halfway down the line he spotted the Platinum Isid and her husband Jerrad. Their re-appearance on the island had been the hot topic of discussion in the taverns last night. Though they had left the island before he could meet them, they were known to be the first guilders to reach the second floor. In this dungeon? a feat worthy of respect. As the sun crested the horizon, their group was granted entrance. Normally, they could expect to encounter six or seven crab monsters in this first cavern. Today wasn''t a normal day. there were no monsters, and a new feature on the other side of the cavern. The light provided by the mana-light in the cavern ceiling lit the structure ominously, the pillars casting deep shadows. The braziers filled with teal flames did little to help They approached the new building cautiously, keeping an eye out for an ambush. They''d learned time and time again in this dungeon that something new or different was something to be feared. Haythem, was at the head of the raid and the first to spot the words. Written in Pheoncian. "Beware, Beware? What in the five hells is this?" The man beside him spoke. "A Warning." Haythem answered, his eyes memorizing the text. "Enter with intent to harm the core and the gloves come off." "What does that even mean?" A scruffy man asked, looking confused. "It''s a noble thing." Vert answered. Haythem scowled reflexively at the sound of the pompous man''s voice. "They wear gloves to prevent dirt and such from dirtying their skin," the annoying man continued in a knowing tone. Haythem prepared to disregard what he was about to hear. "If a noble shakes your hand with a glove on, it''s because they consider you dirty. If a noble takes their gloves off in front of you, then they''re showing you respect and that they''re taking you seriously." Huh. That didn''t sound like total bullshit. "So what does it mean, then?" The confused man asked. "It means the Dungeon is taking us seriously." Haythem answered, gravely. "And that is a terrifying thought. After all, if it''s taking us seriously now, what was it doing before?" -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The next day was bloody. Seven golds of various parties lost their lives to traps and two died to an overwhelming force of monsters. In most cases the parties teleported out when one of their group died. One party of Golds was annihilated completely in the fire-trap on the second floor. The only Golds that got out almost completely unscathed were the Trio. They were incredibly cautious and wary. When the rogue became injured they left before that injury led to a death. In the case of the Silvers, it was a massacre. Four parties were annihilated, three lost most of their members, five lost one or two of their number. the rest were forewarned enough to leave at the first sign of becoming overwhelmed. When Isid, Jerrad, Lione had entered with three new members in their party, it was a true test of my adjusted traps. When they triggered a trap I was shocked. Did they want revenge or something? It was on the second floor that I realized the truth. They had been informed of the changes to the maze and it''s various traps, but the separation trap activated too fast for them to just avoid. Four triangular slabs rushed inwards, prompting them to jump backwards or forwards. Jerrad and Isid jumped ahead, but Lione and the other three were too far back. From that point on, it became obvious. Jerrad and Isid triggered no traps. It was one of the other four who harbored ill-intent. The rest of the traps on the floor were easier to avoid or dodge at Platinum level, and soon enough they all met up again at the entrance to the boss room. Time for a long-overdue fight, huh? -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 28 -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- As they passed the archway at the end of the vine-covered hallway into the third floor, Isid took a deep breath. Having been well prepared, the second floor boss was easy. The dungeon had been far easier on them than it had on their last delve, though she attributed that to a reallocation of it''s defenses more than leniency. She contemplated the dungeon and the various changes it had gone through while they descended the side of the cavern to the trees below. Originally fierce in it''s defense, it had relaxed the number of monsters on the first and second floors. It had maintained that until last night, where the dungeon carved a warning just inside it''s entrance and upped the lethality once again. The biggest changes Isid had experienced since her last delve involved the traps. On the first floor stalactites would fall onto unsuspecting guilders and solid-looking patches of sand would give way to spiked pits. The traps on the second floor were much more varied, though seemed focused on either trying to catch entire parties at once, or splitting them apart. She had to admit, the splitter traps were effective. The section of hallway that had closed in on them was fast. Slow enough they could get out of the way, but not so slow that the entire party could make it through the closing section. Isid and her husband had been separated from the other four in their party. Afterwards they had a suspiciously smooth delve. They had encountered no further traps and the number of fish monsters in the flooded sections was little more than a token force. The other half of their group had apparently encountered no such luck. She was drawn from her thoughts by an out-of-place rustling in the brush around them. Yes, there was an almost constant rustling thanks to the fake wind on this floor, but this was off. Though she couldn''t see much past the rather mana-laden vegetation, she did catch sight of movement. A glance showed her the rest of her party had noticed too. A quick movement from Vena and an arrow embedded itself in the monster''s skull. It collapsed to the ground, dead. Closer inspection revealed one of the large cat monsters. While Ducan was butchering the beast to retrieve it''s core, Harald opened a tome, looking between the monster on the ground and his book every so often. "It resembles something called a ''Tiger'', found in the jungles of the Havaani Island Chain. The teeth and head shape are a rough match, though it isn''t exact. They are also known for their vibrant orange, black and white stripes, though some that are just black and white have also been spotted. While vibrant, this particular shade of pink isn''t exactly conducive to a stalking predator." He lectured them, his last comment given with a half-smile. The rest of them laughed, while Isid was left in the dark. She didn''t know what ''pink'' was. This is why they had brought Harald onto their party; to identify the various monsters and officially name them if they were otherwise unknown. The archer Vena was included to handle any monsters that could fight from range, like the firebirds found on this floor. The last new member of their party was the leather-clad Ducan, a master of identifying traps and navigating puzzles. "It''s certainly unique. I''m sure some prissy noble''s daughter back in Phenoc will pay handsomely for something made of this tiger skins." Jerrad commented to more laughter. After Ducan had extricated the monster''s core he started on skinned the beast, while Harald took samples of it''s teeth, claws and meat. The butchering didn''t last long. They encountered another three tigers on their trip to the first of the so-called ''combat trials''. These all pounced as one, jumping out of previously empty shadows. This was more of a fight, though not much of one. The element of surprise certainly aided the ambushers, though it wasn''t enough. Their hides just couldn''t stand up to steel swung with the strength of a Platinum, nor the power of Isid''s mana-blades. These hides were in worse condition and not fit for harvesting, though the beheaded one would probably end up on someone''s mantle somewhere. The other guilders bantered about the odd colors of the hides, but to Isid''s vision there was no difference. With what they estimated to be at least four hour or so before sunset, they arrived at the first ''trial''. They walked the narrow cliff in single file. It was a mostly uneventful climb. The only spot of trouble came about when Vena, who was in the middle of the line, walked on an outcropping that Isid and Jerrad had already traversed. The rock crumbled beneath her feet and, suddenly without support, she began falling. Thankfully Ducan was behind her and caught her quickly, pulling her back up without further trouble. They proceeded much more carefully, and quickly found themselves outside the yawning cave. The rock to each side had been carved into lined columns, with a small statue and alter set off to the side. The creature depicted was large, if the statue was to scale. At least seven feet tall. The bipedal reptilian figure was crowned in horns and wielding a spiked mace, only partly clad in armor. There were a few lines of runes carved into the pedestal below the statue in the same strangely geometric language found throughout the rest of the dungeon. The alter had offerings of fruit, placed in a basket. A Candle that smelled vaguely of honey sat beside the basket, lit. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. They didn''t linger long. Their time here was limited, after all. The cave showed signs of having been dug by hand, with wooden supports and half-carved pillars found along the walls. At the end of the hallway was a wooden double-door, shallowly carved with more runes and an image of a lizardman on either door. Jerrad pushed open the doors, revealing their opponents. Standing on the other side of the arena was seven monsters. Each wielding metal weapons, or metal staves topped with monster cores. With echoing battle cries on both sides, the fight began. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- If I could have growled in frustration, I would have. In the mean time I had a few skeletons punch a wall. It didn''t help, but made me feel slightly better. Isid''s party blazed a devastating path through the monsters of my third floor, defeating group after group of Kobold Hunters and Shamans. Not that I wanted Isid or Jerrad dead, of course. No, it was Vena who seemed to be the only one triggering traps. It was relieving it was only one of them, actually. Harald seemed like a nice guy, more interested in learning about anything he could get his hands on than killing me. I wasn''t sure about Ducan yet, but he seemed professional. Didn''t talk much. Moved like a hunter though. All silent footsteps and constant awareness of his surroundings. That Lione, Isid and Jerrad didn''t seem to harbor a grudge against me for the death of their old party members or their injuries was a best news I''ve had all week. They showed great concern over the Kobold cores they found. I''m sure they''ve seen the cores previously harvested from the monsters, but the grave looks on their faces after pulling one from a Shaman... I''m not sure what it means, since they didn''t talk about it. They just exchanged heavy glances and dutifully packed the one they harvested away. They left the rest alone, though they did take a few of the newly forged weapons and staves. More cores to add to my Golem experiments, I guess. I did feel a little bad for the kobolds, though. It wasn''t their fault they ended up facing a party far too strong for them to beat. They fought well though. Their training was obviously effective. The next batch will hopefully be even better, with the addition of the memories of combat of the guilders I''ve killed today, Thankfully, they didn''t manage to reach all the mini-boss arenas before night fell. As soon as the fake sun on the third floor entered it''s ''night phase'' they teleported out. Don''t want to risk it, huh? Eh, I''m fine with that. I''ll have more opportunities to figure out what''s up with Vena later. In the mean time, now that there are no more parties in the dungeon capable of getting deeper than the third, I can focus back on my experiments. I have three ongoing, at the moment. The humans and their strange addiction to the mana filled fruit, the creation of a Golem monster and the lava-proofing of the sixth floor monsters. I''ve left experimenting with the metals and their properties to my Forgemaster. In the case of the captive humans, I''ve given them slowly decreasing amounts of mana in their fruit along with some cooked snapper. In every case since that first taste, they''ve been reluctant to eat the fruit. They eat everything else first, but when the fruit is the only thing left to eat they will still eat it. After a bite the disappointment sets in, that it isn''t as good as the first one. I''ve never been addicted to anything nor helped anyone wean themselves off an addiction, so I''m not sure how to do it properly. Today I''m going to try something a little different. Instead of having the food delivered by Kobold, I deliver it myself, with one of the skeletons. I''m using a Kobold skeleton for this purpose, and I want to see their reaction. I think it would be too much to show them a reanimated human skeleton. Their first indication something was different today was the sound of my boney feet stepping down the stone hallway; more of a ''thunk'' sound than the clicks and clacks Kobold claws made. Confused at the noise they both made sure to look up and watch the bars as I approached. To be clear, I''m approaching them both in their separate cells with two different skeletons. At the first sight of the animated skeletons and their flaming eyes they both recoiled and huddled in the corners. "What the?!", "By the Gods!" I clack my toothy jaws at them, and push the trays of food through. Then, I left them alone. Well, for a given value of alone. The healer immediate began praying to some god, I''m assuming a goddess of life by his muttered words. Vivadia, huh? The woman didn''t pray, but still huddled in the corner. She looked more thoughtful than terrified, as the healer had been. Interesting. Alright. Time to make some golems. I think I was looking at this from the wrong point of view, when I was working on the skeletons. I was providing a framework for movement. Muscles and tendons, channels for energy to flow. But all that energy was mine. Yes, technically all the mana in my monsters was mine, but the spark that brought them to life was already there, I just nurtured it. So, how do I give a ''dead'' core a new spark? Well, I don''t know. I know from looking at the cores of my monsters and the dead cores in storage that there is a difference, but I don''t know what. I''d hoped by using skeletons first I could piggyback off their previously living nature to ''jumpstart'' the spark, but nope. Nada. This time I have the cores embedded in the middle of the chests of my golems, provide the mana channels and tendons, but instead of pushing my consciousness into the empty core I take a metaphorical step back. I needed a spark, a consciousness I could grant these husk of metal, stone and mana. Well, there is one thing I can think of. One of the spells I''ve observed summoned a light that seemed to float about of it''s own accord. Some of my absorbed memories seem to know what it is. The humans call them Sprites. They''re tiny beings of mana that they can ''summon'' and provide mana in exchange for a service. Light or fire sprites are the most common to use, since they can provide a bright light that the mage doesn''t need to concentrate on. Assuming there are sprites for every element... Could I summon metal or stone sprites to inhabit my golems? Well. I can''t. But maybe one of my monsters could. Actually, I haven''t made any more new mage types beyond water, lighting and fire have i? Lets introduce stone and metal on this floor then. I think that works with the whole theme. Hmm. You, you and you. Come over here. I want to make you into Shaman. Do you consent? -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 29 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- By the following morning, I had my three new shamans. Each Kobold was raised to the level of a Drake-kin and was granted the knowledge of casting or controlling their respective elements'' magic. Like both air and water, Earth magic was manipulating extant sources of each classical element. My new earth shaman could raise platforms and barriers with a stomp, cause the earth beneath his enemy''s feet to become like quicksand, or even collapse a tunnel completely. On this floor, with this theme, he was perfect. I also made a ''light'' shaman and a ''metal'' shaman. Metal magic was what I would call a ''second tier'' element. If air, water, earth, and fire are all at the first tier, then the second tier includes the various combinations of the elements I''ve observed and a more specialized expression. Lightning was fire and air, of course. Metal is a higher expression of earth. Light is a higher expression of fire. Not sure what shadow is, exactly. My ''mana type wheel'' is pretty spotty, to be honest. Anyway, back to the reason I created the shamans. At my command, they each stood before a stone golem. If this works, I can have them do the metal golems afterward. Each manipulates their magic in the described way and with the correct intent, and before each of them appears a small being made of mana. They were fascinating. Without any mana interference from the delvers, I could bring a tendril of mana down from the quietly swirling pool on the ceiling to poke them. With the poke, I sent through a single thought. Hello. The sprites, only attached to my kobolds by a very thin tendril, immediately ''grabbed'' the bigger tendrils I used. Hi! Hi! Hi! I was a little shocked at their eagerness, but I suppose a being made entirely of mana, and likely dependent on it for their existence, would happily switch to a larger source of mana if given the option. I have a contract for you. I sent it to all three. I provide bodies for you to inhabit, and you will follow my orders; in return, I''ll provide you with mana until the body is destroyed. If the body is destroyed, I''ll give you a new one. If you wish to continue the contract, that is. There were a few seconds of silence. As I was about to continue, all three came to the same conclusion. OK! OK! OK! Each sprite, without hesitation, rammed straight into the golem bodies. They passed through the stone as if it didn''t exist, diving straight for the glowing, mana-filled cores in the chests. Settling within the center of the cores, they seemed to gorge themselves on the mana inside. Once done, they spread their mana through the channels I''d provided. Each of their aspects affected the bodies they inhabited. The skin of the earth sprite''s golem essentially turned to dirt. Its eyes and the spaces between its joints glowed a deep green. The metal sprite''s golem had glowing silver eyes and joints, while the end of its three-fingered hands and three-toed feet became extremely sharp and metallic. The Light stone golem had yellowy-orange eyes, the gaps between its limbs glowing a similar color. Actually... A quick reach and twist of the light sprite''s golem had the two eyes merge into one central eye. The sprite hummed in approval. Stand up, please. The three golems, previously sat on ''seats'' of stone, stood. I examined my new golems from every angle, both with the vision of my kobolds and my mana-sight. The Sprites had wholly replaced my mana in their channels and began pooling it around their cores without consuming it. It reminded me very much of how I pool mana around my Core. If I didn''t know better, I would call the earth sprite''s golem an elemental. It seemed highly suited to its new body and integrated faster than the others. It also experienced the most drastic change. Hmm. Even if it isn''t, I''m going to call it one. Turning my attention to the metal spirit, I found myself slightly disappointed. Id hadn''t changed that much, just gained sharper limbs and potentially a more rigid exterior. Actually... If I''m right about the earth spirit being suited to the stone golem body, perhaps the metal spirit would experience a greater... connection... to the metal golems. I quickly send the metal spirit a message. I believe you are unsuited to this body. I have another that you might find more appropriate. Are you okay with switching bodies? Sure! Body where!? Wow. These things are very agreeable and excitable. Perhaps... they are young? I directed the metal spirit to walk the stone golem body to the chamber where I stored the metal golems. These are all made of metals. Some are stronger than others. Which would you like? OOOH! THIS! The metal spirit gathered up all its mana, pulling every drop from the mana channels of the stone golem, and leaped out towards the golem constructed of moonsilver. Well, not entirely. This specific golem was made of both moonsilver and mithril. The mithril mainly composed the outer armor plates to capitalize on its increased density and toughness. The metal spirit sunk into the golem body and again distributed its mana within seconds. The speed of its possession of the golem was comparable to the earth elemental''s. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. It stood and raised its clawed hands, observing them. Each claw was wickedly sharp and serrated, with a pulse of mana running from the core to the extremities the individual claws detached from the palm, attached only by a cord of mana. Now, they could freely rotate around the palm. Further mana pulses had each golem''s joints perform a similar action. My new elemental was less a golem and more a series of disconnected limbs. And it was beautiful. I may have indulged in an evil cackle. -0-0-0-0-0- Somewhere in the Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Kataren shivered in her cell. It had been some time since she was last delivered food and the last few... Days? Weeks? Months?! Well, however long it had been, it hadn''t been enjoyable. The dungeon had still been feeding her, to be fair. The fish was delicious, well cooked, and properly seasoned, which was just another thing added to the list of things weird about this place. Despite the new variety of food, the dungeon continued to provide the fruit. The fruit was never... it was never the same. None could match the first. But never mind the food. She was still in a cell: a bland stone room with no entertainment, nor any way to interact with anything. The only meaningful interaction she had daily was when one of the lizard monsters delivered food. Then one day, even that was lost. The lizard had been replaced. Or maybe it was the same lizard... The first time she saw it, she was horrified. She would never forget the clack of its feet on the stone or those flaming eyes. Its stare was soulless; the stillness of it as it stood there was somehow the worst part. Nothing was that still. Everything moved and shifted. However, the part that concerned her most was the core in its ribcage. An oval core lay within that bony cavity, with a very pronounced point. No monster had a pointed core. It was the very thing that set humans apart from demons. The lizard skeleton pushed the food tray through the slot, then left. It didn''t make any noise beyond the even cadence of bone on stone. After it was gone, Kataren found herself in a thoughtful mood. She idly chewed her fish as she worked through the consequences of what she had just seen. It was a skeleton of one of the lizard monsters. Kataren had heard of necromancy before. Who hadn''t? After a single necromancer had almost succeeded in sieging Andrias, the Phenoc capital, the king had declared the practice illegal. Necromancers across the realm were hunted, and their grimoires and strongholds were destroyed. It was safe to say no writings on how to create undead existed anymore. This means the dungeon had either absorbed the knowledge from its old conquerors or that it had stumbled upon the secret on its own. It''s impossible that one of the guilders it has killed since its discovery had known. The other thing was that its core was pointed. The cores they harvested from the lizards on the third floor were pointed too, but not to this extent. The difference between the two was incredibly significant. It meant that the lizards could be the dungeon''s previous conquerors or normal monsters the dungeon is raising to... do something. Again, it all goes back to the strangeness of this dungeon. No other dungeon made monsters that began forming human-like cores. It had never happened, not ever, anywhere. As far as she was aware, it wasn''t even possible. So that left the other possibility... which raised even more questions. If the lizards were once a sapient species, where had they gone? Why were there none on the surface? ... Just how old is this dungeon?! And how deep does it go? Kataren was left with more questions than ever before. Well. There''s only one way to find the answers. Time to bargain with a dungeon. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- "Hey, Dungeon! HELLOOOOO! I want to talk!" The female prisoner called. She''d been doing that all morning. To be honest, I didn''t know what to do about it. I don''t have a monster capable of human speech yet. I mean, I could modify one of the kobolds to speak phenocian, but... urgh. I don''t know. I haven''t yet spoken to any of the local humans. This would be the first. My dungeon side wants nothing to do with them, insisting I just kill them and be done with it. But my human side... is conflicted. Thanks to the more intelligent monsters in the dungeon, I have companionship now, but it''s not quite the same. All my monsters worship me. Talking to someone who doesn''t... It''s tempting. Very tempting. I turn my attention from the human and back to my room of golems and elementals. I now have four earth elements, one light-aspected stone golem. As for the metal golems, I had all but one possessed by metal spirits, turning them into metal elementals. The last metal golem was a plain iron one. The metal elementals were quite diverse. Different metals seemed to affect the sprites differently. The copper and orichalcum elementals were decidedly feminine; the androgynous forms I had initially provided the golems were quickly warped into a more... shapely figure. As far as I''m aware, the sprites are genderless... so I have no clue why this happened at all. The reaction of the mirthil-moonsilver elemental was unique to that exact composition of golem. None of the other types had created detached limbs, keeping their limbs firmly connected to their torsos. The metal that composed their bodies became very malleable, the ends of their limbs shifting between different weapons on the fly. The earth elementals were pretty chill. They could shift the color of the dirt on their outer shell, effectively disguising themselves. They could also warp the stone they touched directly, such as recessing themselves into walls to disguise themselves better. They preferred to stay there, passively absorbing mana. It was fine, for now, but I made it clear that they''d reveal themselves and fight if any humans found themselves down here. I spread the stone golems across the mines and planned to make a few more soon. The metal golems, I think I''ll keep in reserve. I have an idea for a floor later. They''d fit perfectly. For now, they could guard my core directly. I made several more passes over the seventh floor, then looked back up at the sixth. Hmm. Perhaps... Lava golems? A combination of fire and earth aspected mana? Perhaps fire sprites in stone golems. That would probably provide the right effect. It might be interesting. The fifth might also benefit from these earth golems. I''m sure they''ll prove an interesting addition. The fourth floor was just fine. The Ratten was warring with themselves while keeping up their numbers if the humans made it past Mushu. The third, second, and first floors were okay, for now. I only needed to make a couple of adjustments to the traps. Inevitably, my attention was drawn back to the woman in the cell. She was still calling out, though it was a bit more unenthusiastic. "I know you can understand me. Come on! I''m going to go insane in this stone box!" I mentally sighed. I suppose I should talk to her. I don''t want to kill them, and releasing them is out of the question without some assurance they won''t just start delving me again. I made a minor modification to a kobold''s voice box and sent it to the girl. Time to figure out what the hell she wants. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 30 -0-0-0-0-0- Somewhere in the Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Kataren stopped calling out eventually when she got bored. She hadn''t exactly counted how long she''d been talking, but she knew it had been a decent amount of time. She hadn''t been delivered any more food since she saw the skeleton, and she was starting to get hungry. It should be about the right time for... dinner? Breakfast? Eh, a meal, at least. It wasn''t long after she heard the distinctive sound of claws on stone. A lizard''s delivering food today, huh? As expected, it was a lizard. Unlike the previous lizard monsters she had seen, this one was shorter, slender, and had a slightly elaborate headdress. While the monsters clearly made the headdress, the robe it was wearing was decidedly man-made. The robe had a decidedly feminine cut, and the monster fitted it well. Honestly, it''s kind of weird to think of monsters as male and female, but if she had to guess, she''d say this one was female. The voice that issued from its maw sent shivers running up and down her spine. It was not smooth, more sibilant than anything else. Speaking Phenocian with a snout and teeth like that must not be easy, though. "Sssssspeak, human. You havesss the Dungeonsss attention..." Suddenly, Kataren felt a little out of her depth. She had wanted this, yes, but... How to even start? "Uh... I''m not sure where to begin." She admitted. The monster seemed to sneer at her, and she quickly continued. "I guess the first thing I wanted to ask is would it be okay if I could have something to do? Even a block of wood would do. Secondly... do you plan on releasing me? At any point?" Kataren cringed a little on the inside. This was already going poorly. There was a moment of silence as she assumed the monster communed with the dungeon. "The Dungeonsss will provides amusssment with your nexxt meal. Release? Ifsss the Dungeonss once thought they mightsss, they won''tsss now. You knowsss too much." The lizard answered after the moment passed. "Ah." There wasn''t much she could say to that. She expected that, but to hear it confirmed hit harder than she thought it would. "Second, then... If you aren''t going to release me, what are you going to do with me?" "The Dungeon isss still not sssure." The lizard answers. "Ssso far, you havesss proven usssful asss a prissoner. You are worthss more to them alivess than deadss." Her heart fluttered a little, reliving the terror of the fruit for a moment. "Then... If I am to remain a prisoner... it would be fine for me to ask questions about you?" The lizard frowned at her, blinked, then answered. "Assk. You have three questionss. Every meal from now, you may assk one moress." "Okay. Then... my questions are; what are the lizard monsters, why do they have pointed cores, and what''s up with the skeletons." There was a period of silence before the lizard spoke again. It was then that Kataren realized she''d made a mistake with her questions. "I ams a Kobold. It is somethings the Dungeon is observing and monitoring. They are a failed product of the Dungeon''s experiments." With that, the liz-kobold turned and left. Nothing she shouted after the Kobold made it turn back. Kataren huffed and sat down against the wall once again. Okay. Time to think. The Lizar-Kobolds are intelligent. She realized that beyond that, she didn''t learn much. She frowned, frustrated with herself. It was a dumb question. She should have asked something more specific. As for the core thing... The Dungeon didn''t answer that either. It didn''t say if it was the cause of the change or guiding it. Just that it was observing, involuntary or not, it might be able to raise monsters to become sapients. The skeleton thing was a bit more concerning. Failed experiments? It was attempting to create undead and failed?! It certainly didn''t look like it failed. But if it succeeded in creating an undead, what made it a failed experiment? Well. She''ll need to wait till... tomorrow? Should probably ask how long she''s been here, to be honest. -0-0-0-0-0- Guildmistress''s Office, The Guild Hall, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Layla was relieved when her aunt and uncle returned from their delve unharmed. She quickly had them, and their party brought to her office for a more in-depth debriefing. When they arrived, she smiled and looked them over. They didn''t look too disheveled, beyond a slight sweat from the humidity of the third floor. "I''m glad this delve seems to have gone better than the last, auntie." Layla said with a sad smile, "Though much has changed with the dungeon since your last delve." Jerrad and Isid both nodded, the rest of the party choosing to remain silent. "Would you start with the new addition to the first floor, please?" Isid nodded. "The message on the first floor is cryptic but understandable." Isid began, "From what I gathered before the delve and during, this is a move by the dungeon to weed out those guilders who wish to collect on the bounty." A few nods showed her party agreed with her. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "If its claim that those who wish it dead will be taken more seriously is true... then I fear many will die." she continued, obviously saddened. "It''s true," Layla answered. "From what the reports say, monster encounters have been tripled. Never-before encountered traps have activated, and traps across the board activate faster, with greater precision and less mercy." She pushes a few pages across to her aunt. These were just a few reports detailing the dungeon''s newest change. Harald sighs. "It''s saddening that so many wish the dungeon dead. It''s a fascinating place! It has monsters I''ve never seen before, and I''m particularly interested in whatever seems to be happening to the lizards." He admitted. "You''ll get your turn., Harald. Aunt Isid, please continue." Layla interrupted. Harald didn''t seem bothered and sat back quietly with a nod. "We encountered a few crabs. Of course, the numbers don''t match up to the hundreds we once faced, but that''s neither here nor there. I couldn''t say whether we encountered more than is normal or not. The Guardian was trivial, though it did seem more intelligent or perhaps more aware of our tactics. The second floor..." Isid narrowed her eyes and leaned forwards. "The second floor is where things got weird." She shared, her blindfolded eyes locking with Layla''s likewise blindfolded eyes. "We encountered the fish in far fewer numbers than we once did, but decent enough to give us a challenge. Quickly into our exploration, the party was split; Jerrad and I were stuck on one side of a closing hallway, while the rest were on the other. After the split, we encountered far fewer monsters, the few traps that did go off were trivial, and we found the exit quite easily." "In comparison," Lione took over. The man looked better, though his face had a somewhat more severe cast to it than it once did. "We were inundated with monsters and set off a trap in every hallway we passed through." Layla frowned at the news and glanced across the four guilders not related to her. "Well, I think that is rather clear. The dungeon believes Isid and Jerrad hold no desire to destroy it, while one of you do so." Their eyes flick between each other, but thankfully no one shouts or draws their weapons. "Moving on," Isid said, probably hoping to pre-empt any conflict. "The boss was middling in difficulty, if only due to our lack of experience fighting such a creature. Afterward, we attempted to rest in the room leading to the third floor, but the back wall began moving after a few minutes. We continued before it would have forced us out. The third floor... I have visited the jungle before. The third floor takes everything I despise about jungles and makes them worse." Layla blinked at Isid''s sudden intensity. "Too hot and humid. The insects were irritating enough before it made them bigger. Fighting the monsters was almost a relief, a distraction from the environment." She continued, her vehemence fading into contemplation as she spoke. "The fights with the lizards were interesting. It''s quite the novel experience fighting bipedal, armed monsters. We retreated from the dungeon when ''night'' fell." Layla nodded and turned to Felin. He met her gaze and nodded, his hand still taking down her aunt''s words. "Then let''s move on to the monsters. Harald, I believe this is your area of expertise?" As she took in the excited twinkle in his eye, Layla realized she probably wasn''t getting much sleep tonight. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Day -0-0-0-0-0- A new dawn brings a new day. Much like the dawns before it, this day brought another bevy of guilders who would attempt to get to my core, shatter it, and turn in the bounty. I watched impassively as groups of Golds struggled with the traps of the labyrinth, as raids of Silvers pushed through the first and into the second floors. Some Gold raid groups were cohesive enough by now. They didn''t immediately split up on the third floor, and one managed to clear all but one of the mini-boss locations before night fell. I was once again impressed by my multi-tasking capabilities. When I didn''t focus on any particular point, my awareness of the dungeon became more all-encompassing, though with less ''resolution.'' More like looking at a slightly blurred picture. I could recognize the strength of a group, but picking out individual guilders I knew was a bit harder. At first glance, it didn''t look like much had changed from the day before. Despite the increased difficulty and having a literal warning pasted on my entrance, the line was still full of crazy people who wanted to run headfirst into the by now probably well-known grindstone. Then again, perhaps people who want to use me as a grindstone will end up becoming the majority. After all, those who want to collect will eventually die off. The next day, the cracks began to show. Previously cohesive raid groups began splintering as they blamed each other for the increased difficulty. ''We''d have been on the fourth by now if not for you!'' was one of the more used phrases I''d overheard. Meanwhile, some parties had decided it was better not to pursue the bounty. Parties that were once set off trap after trap were having a smoother time. They spread the word to their drinking buddies, basically confirming that honestly and wholeheartedly giving up on the bounty made the delve easier. I assume a few attempted to ''fake'' giving up, but my enchantments were more robust than that. On the morning of the fourth day since the change, Neo came out with a new announcement and restriction. She stood up on a platform near the dungeon entrance, where most of the guilders on the island hung out even if they weren''t delving that day. "In response to the warnings given by the dungeon and in anticipation of a new wave of gold and platinum guilders, As a result of this, I am placing a new restriction on entrance to the dungeon. To be allowed entrance, every guilder in a party must be of at least Gold rank." She was interrupted by a bevy of enraged silvers shouting her down, angry at being denied entrance just because they weren''t as strong as others were. When order was reestablished, she continued. "This restriction has not been placed only due to the difficulty of the Medea Island Dungeon, a guild-recognized Grindstone, but also concerning the local colony. The town can barely support housing, feeding, and supporting its current guilder population. In the future, when the town is more developed or if you manage a breakthrough to Gold rank, we will once again welcome you to Medea Island. In the meantime, the Kaal and Haventon Dungeons have more established dungeon towns and will easily support you in your future growth. Thank you." Huh. So that''s a thing. Well. I guess I''ll need to prepare then. With the silvers no longer taking up slots, the golds will get more and more familiar with my dungeon and monsters. Those incoming guilders are a worry. If Neo is trying to get rid of the silvers... I spotted the Gorge Twins intercepting Neo in the corner of Gull''s eye as she walked back to the guildhall. After a brief conversation I was too far away from to hear, they all headed off to the guild. Well, I want a rat in the rafters for that conversation. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 31 -0-0-0-0-0- The Guild Hall, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- "So," Layla stated. With her elbows on the desk and her raised palms flat against each other, she touched the tips of her index fingers to her lips. "It was much delayed, but you have given your report. You are once again allowed access to the dungeon. You should even be able to delve tomorrow. With the silvers leaving, we have breathing room before the next wave of guilders arrives." She stared across the table at the Gorge twins, Litan and Matha, who stood without a word and took their leave of her. When they had left the guild building, she let out a breath, leaning back in her chair. "The third-floor guardian... Felin, once you''ve finished transcribing, please send it off to the copiers." Layla asked her friend, who was still writing, "Make sure they pass on one to my aunt. They''ll need it on their next delve." Felin grunted and nodded. They sat in comfortable silence, broken only by Felin''s quill scratching on the parchment. It was nice. Peaceful. How she wished for the peace of their first week on the island. With a second grunt, Felin gathered his scribing tools. "See you for dinner?" He inquired. Layla nodded absently. Layla let her attention drift to her office window as he left the room. Not that she needed a window. Beyond the useless portal, mana wound through the sky. It gathered in pools and eddies before eventually rejoining the river that poured into the cave on the beach. Compared to when she had first laid her eyes on it... The river was three times as thick and five times as fast as it had once been. No longer a mere stream. The free mana currents in the dungeon''s air had been irrevocably changed. Layla remembered the documentation she''d had delivered on dungeon mana-streams. Combined with her own experiences... At least 18 floors. However, depending on the number of enchantments and monster upkeep, that could vary. It might even be as low as 10. Layla shook her head. Even if that was the case, they weren''t even a full third through the dungeon. Worst case, this dungeon was dozens and dozens of floors deep but only activated defenses slowly. The warning at the entrance was indicative of a highly intelligent dungeon. She wasn''t surprised it knew their language, though its mercy to those not out for the bounty was surprising. Places described as highly hazardous and requiring a high level of finesse and awareness didn''t react when others passed through. In particular, the third floor was so full of traps that it was responsible for more than half of the daily casualty numbers. It had been a few days, and trap locations became more well-known, but people still died or got caught out. The dungeon was becoming too dangerous for the silvers. The Golds were taking more casualties than ever. And the Platinums... She''d received a letter earlier that morning from her grandfather, warning that at least half a dozen Platinum parties from all over the kingdom were on their way. And those were just the ones that advertised their destination. Another four had just left their accommodation in the early morning without a word to anyone. There''s no doubt about it. Layla was confident she would have one hell of a mess on her hands soon enough. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I watched my dungeon with diffuse attention, not particularly focusing on one point. Guilders continued to be cut down by my traps, even if the number had decreased. Either they were getting better at identifying them beyond just location and placement, or there were a few parties now who have given up on the bounty. The traps no longer triggered for them. They''re the smart ones, in my opinion. Isid and Jerrad were currently on my third floor. They''d been one of the first parties in today and managed to kill four of the mini-bosses by midday. Not that it was only one miniboss these days. Invading parties faced an equal number of Kobold Hunters or Shaman plus 15%. So, less single combat and more party-vs-party. The fights were tough, especially for Golds, but Isid''s party was too strong for mere kobolds to handle, just like the twins. They killed the last minibosses and made their way directly to the boss room with purpose, obviously being informed of the entrance''s location. Well. It''s now or never. I focused on Mushu, preparing in the room off the arena. He was sitting before a symbol the Kobolds had decided represented me, praying. I still felt awkward about that. I wasn''t a god, just a mana entity that had absolute control of them and their environment. ...Shit. I''m not even doing a good job convincing myself I''m not a god. It''s nearly time, Mushu. Are you prepared for the procedure? The lizard bowed deeper, kowtowing before the altar and symbol. I am prepared, Creator. Without hesitation, I began. I pulled mana from the drake-kin and infused it with my own. I focused on the intent I needed, and then with that now fat tendril still connected to the boss, I plugged the unattached end to the giant monster core set into the altar beneath the symbol. This was the product of very rapid prototyping and experimentation. I had never been attached to the first and second floor bosses, but Mushu was different. He was intelligent, thoughtful, and had his own mind. He was a reasoning creature. In my mind, he was as sapient as any human. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The boss shuddered as the mana he had gathered flooded the new connection, filling the slightly glowing crystal. That glow grew brighter and brighter. Soon the light was blinding. There was a great flash, and the glow settled down to a softer level. The Core was another experiment of mine. I''d take the core of a fallen Kobold and use mana to build upon the crystal, growing it far beyond its previous size. I observed the now dormant connection, the thin line of mana now anchored securely to the manacore on one end and the other spreading out around Mushu like a net. I''ll never have to worry about losing him again if it works right. Mushu stood, collected his weapon, and strode to the exit. Soon he stood, resolute, before the door leading to the fourth floor. Spread around either side of him were his subordinates. Three lesser drake-kin warriors were outfitted in heavy armor forged by Tear. Another three lesser drake-kin shamans stood in robes reinforced with Moonsilver for better mana conductivity. A further Two were clad in leather plated in orichalcum. These two were Beast Tamers, each bonded to a duo of Chromatic Tigers. I''d buffed the Tigers a fair amount to make sure they could keep up with the other fighters. Their hide was now extremely tough, their teeth and claws plated with Mithril. I had also boosted the Tiger''s shadow magic. More than just blending in, as long as they were in a shadow, they were invisible to the naked eye, though Isid and others who can see mana won''t be fooled. I made sure that there was only one light source in the room, an exceptionally bright mana-flame kept within a steadily rotating cage that kept the shadows moving and warping. Where before the Third Floor Boss Arena had been a dirt-covered, brightly lit cavern, the change in the lighting made it something entirely different. I covered the dirt floor with extremely sharp obsidian shards and pointed upwards to stab anyone who fell. My Drake-kin could see perfectly, but a human would find the arena treacherous without assistance. Now, I don''t want to kill Isid or Jerrad. They''re good people just trying to look out for their niece. Vena, however... She''s still triggering traps. I want to make doubly sure she dies in this fight. Perhaps... I''ll have them target her, specifically. When she dies, I''ll have the fighters back off. Have Mushu make a statement to them or something... Idly, I modify Mushu''s vocal cords even to speak Phenocian. The first down the slide was Jerrad, prepared for the drop and shield held high. He was surprised when he wasn''t immediately attacked. He squinted through the barely-lit arena, staring at the glinting armor of the Drake-kin arrayed around the exit. They stood there glaring back, at the ready but not engaging. The four Chromatic Tigers were invisible and flanked the entrance. They were stood behind pillars flooded with mana to disguise themselves from Isid''s sight. The rest of Jerrad''s party followed. None of my monsters moved an inch. The last to enter was Vena. With coordinated precision, the four tigers leaped, their claws and teeth shredding the woman''s relatively light armor. The other guilders reacted quickly, driving off the tigers and shoving a potion down the bleeding woman''s throat. When her wounds closed, I cursed. Damn. I had hoped to get her with that initial attack. The nine Drake-kin and four tigers spread out, surrounding the party of six. They were outnumbered and on the back foot, but this fight wouldn''t be easy. The guilders were experienced and canny. I gave the order. And the battle was joined. -0-0-0-0-0- Outside the Dungeon, The Obsidian Beach, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- With a flash, Isid appeared on the teleportation pad. She was joined in moments by her husband, her friend Lione and their other two remaining members. Isid was... conflicted. And concerned. They were rushed through the medical tent, their remaining injuries promptly healed. It was a gentle shake of her shoulder by her husband that brought her back from her contemplation. They were now in her niece''s office. Her niece was behind the desk, looking at her concerned, and the boy Felin was on a table off to the side, ready to take notes. "Aunt Isid, if you would?" Layla asked gently. Isid took a deep breath and began her retelling. "The Third Floor Guardian is as described by the Gorge twins, a large lizard monster with a heavily spiked mace. His attendants were lesser versions of the same, smaller and weaker. Less tough, but not by much. Three were mages. Another three were warriors. There were also four ''Tiger'' monsters, seemingly directed by another two lizards. Initially, they didn''t engage, waiting on the other side of the arena." "That''s another thing different." Jerrad interjected, "The room was dark, lit only by a single flame in a moving cage. It made the area ideal for the tigers. The floor was littered with extremely sharp rocks, which we learned very... painfully." "The fight began when Vena entered." Isid continued smoothly, "She was the last one down the chute, and all the tigers attacked mid-drop, at once. They mauled her pretty badly, but she was put to rights after a high-potion. The fight was... brutal." "The monsters were well-equipped, in armor of a design I''ve never seen," Harald added; Isid nodded. "Everything they bore was made of very mana-heavy metals, at least one of which was Mirthil. Though there were another two metals. Their make-up was unique, and I''m confident I''ve never seen their like before." The room was quiet, as everyone took that in. After about ten seconds, Isid continued her rendition. "The monsters outnumbered us and surrounded us. They kept us off-balance, never letting us have a moment to think or do more than defend against the next strike. I fought one clad in full armor. His sword was covered in a sheath of mana which reacted with my mana-blades. I believe the dungeon developed this as a direct response to the presence of people like us." She concluded, waving between her niece and herself. "When Vena fell, a sword having struck her skull, the monsters backed off. It was off-putting to go from such an intense fight to a stand-off so suddenly. Lione checked on Vena, confirming her death. No healing potion could heal a woman with her skull split down the middle like that. Then... the Guardian stood forward and spoke to us." " ''The Dungeon wished the one named Vena dead, and the deed is done. Leave. Now. Or face us in battle once again. If you return, we will not show mercy.'' " Lione recited, gravely. Isid shuddered, remembering the hissing tone and inhuman aspect of the voice. Just the memory gave her chills. "We left." She finished, "They outnumbered us and had already killed one of our own. One the dungeon was explicitly targeting. Thinking back, she did seem to trigger more traps than the rest of us. With the dungeon''s warning... She must have held some wish to kill the dungeon, for the bounty or otherwise." She finished. After her retelling, Layla asked them to expand on some details and then dismissed them. She called out as Isid approached the door. "Be careful, Isid. I don''t want to lose my favorite aunt." Isid turned back and flashed an amused smile at her niece. "You''ve only got the one. Of course I''m your favorite." -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 32 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- After Isid and her party had taken the offer and left, Mushu and his lesser brethren celebrated. They had succeeded! They''d driven my enemies from the dungeon and fulfilled my orders to ensure Vena was killed. I raised the kobold who landed the killing blow into a Drake-kin that night. Still lesser than Mushu and Tear, but around the same level as the other drake-kin on the seventh floor. Speaking of Mushu, I was both glad and disappointed. Glad because he didn''t die and sad because I didn''t get to see if the respawn crystal worked. Okay then, I''ll set up an altar for... Hmm. The Crab Knight. Yes. I quickly form another altar and bring around a second giant core. I''m glad I made a few of these. However, they are time-consuming to make. I''ll probably restrict them to necessary monsters, like bosses or other unique existences. The process is much the same as it was with Mushu. Building energy, big flash, yadda yadda. I''ll have to wait for morning to see how this works, but even if it doesn''t, the process for ascending a normal squire into a night is practically automatic at this point. That done, my attention turned back to the eighth floor. There is still a lot of work to do, but the basic shape is complete. It''s time to decide on a theme. So, there are a few options I could go with. I could go canyon style, with the adventurers needing to navigate down a cliff face and follow a very inhabited canyon river. Another option is the ridgeline of a fake mountain range. Plenty of good choices for monsters to inhabit all these ideas. I mean, I''ll probably make them all, but... I have an idea. Since the last floor was a mine, let''s lead that into mountains at the exit of the mine. They need to navigate the mountains and perhaps fight a final boss at the third peak if they start at the first. After that fight, they make their way down a revealed and/or illuminated path to the exit and enter the canyon floor. Yes. That''s what I''ll make. And so I spent the rest of the night making fake mountains inside a three-kilometer-high cavern that had to be at least twenty kilometers underground by now. By the morning, I''d mostly defined the shapes. The guilders would emerge from the cavern wall on the tallest of the three peaks and then cross treacherous paths and very, very narrow ledges. I''m going to put a rope bridge in there. A rickety one, with most of its planks missing. The morning brought another meal fed to the prisoners, and a new question was asked of me. The healer hadn''t stopped murmuring prayers, though they were more audible after his food was delivered. I could have sent a normal kobold to do it, but I''m enjoying the way he squirms at the sight of the skeleton. It contents the dungeon part of me, even as it still believes I should kill them and get it over with. The woman, Kataren, was waiting patiently when the Kobold Shaman I had been using to talk to her entered the room. The kobold, known as Lika to her tribe, pushed the grilled fish and vegetable tray through the slot. This time, I had refrained from delivering a mandarin. I think they''ve been weaned enough. Time to see what going cold-turkey does to them. "Ask your question, girl," Lika demands. Kataren, looking at her tray with a conflicted face, glances up and speaks. She talks slowly as if measuring each word as it''s said. "For how long have Kobolds existed." Such a tricky girl, trying to get my age out of me. I have the perfect response. Lika, pass on my words exactly. "The Kobolds have existed within the dungeon for a hundred generations," Lika pronounces the words just as I intended as if explaining something to a small child. Ah, there''s the realization I''ve told the perfect truth, yet not given the answer she desired. "And how long is a gen-" "Your question has been asked, human. If you wanted a more precise answer, you should have thought harder on your wording." Kataren grits her teeth but settles down. When Lika leaves the room, she eats her food slowly. On the surface, the town slowly rouses to wakefulness. Even before dawn, people had been awake. But with the sun''s ascent, stores began to open, and stalls were manned. Fishing boats return to offload their catch for the night while others leave to start their work. Builders gather their tools and head to their worksites. Meanwhile, the Guilders milling about on the beach start their wait as the first party of the day is allowed entrance. Gull glared down at the gathered guilders from his nest on the cliff. Dozens of his children had their nests there, monsters in disguise. I''ve no doubt Isid or Neo know they are monsters, but it seems that they believe the seagulls became such naturally. Perhaps by feeding off of the heavily increased mana content of the air. It''s not like the gulls were powerful. Most only just qualified for the title. They had tiny cores, with very little mana saturating their bodies. Gull was the most visibly altered, and as far as I can tell, so long as he doesn''t make a nuisance of himself, they''ll leave him alone. The surface rats scurry through walls and under floors, always listening. Like the gulls, they remain essentially unchanged. Perhaps with slightly bigger brains and more sensitive hearing to facilitate their work. And believe me, it was indeed important work. They heard almost everything said in town, from the outrageous price of bread to hushed whispers between two of the local lord''s servants. Yes, they were performing their roles well. When the first party killed the Crab Knight, and his mana was pulled into the respawn crystal, I was overjoyed. A pulse of mana on my part activated the crystal. The Knight''s mana was ejected, into the space in front of the crystal. Slowly, piece by piece, a teal outline came into existence. Then it filled in before finally turning the particular greyish-black shade the knight sported. The Knight moved, returning to the arena. All in all, the respawn process had taken twenty minutes, plenty of time before the next party arrived. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Satisfied, I let my focus fade and returned to that vague, distributed existence. It''s funny. I''ve got a new routine; work all night, rest all day. Bah. When did my dungeon life in another world turn into the night shift? -0-0-0-0-0- Merchantman Ship The Haggler, Near Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Day -0-0-0-0-0- Lukar Hanver stood at the bow of the ship with his party. While they had spent most of the journey below decks, he always enjoyed watching ships pull into port. As they drew closer to the newly settled island, Lukar found himself impressed with the town. Or rather, the progress they''ve made in only two months. The town itself wasn''t particularly impressive. Yes, their docks seemed robust, but it was hardly the match of even most of the ports in the kingdom. As they pulled in alongside one of those docks, Lukar''s gaze flicked across the town. Most of the buildings were made of wood, though the mansion on the hill behind the town seemed to be of stone, at least partially. The guild building was similarly unimpressive, though not much could be expected given it was such a new branch. His gaze shifted to the beach and the glowing cave at the far end of the guild. The number of guilders on the beach... Well, he should have expected it, to be honest. There were plenty of guilders laying under the shade of some permanent-looking shade structures. And those weren''t even in the line to enter the dungeon! Lukar and his party of six descended the gangplank, quickly followed by another two parties. One of them was a Platinum party of seven led by Dulie Lokan, a frighteningly scarred woman their mutual lord had also sent. The third was some nobody party of golds that had paid The Haggler''s captain for transport. "To the Guild, then?" He inquired of the Lokan woman. A nod later, and they were off. They quickly registered with the local guild and, before they could ask about accommodation, were informed a series of rooms had been prepared for them. Lukar was pleasantly surprised. The receptionist passed along a few small books on the dungeon with a warning. "I dare not presume to tell you your business, Sir, Ma''am, but I would advise extreme caution in the dungeon. It''s been especially merciless against anyone intending to fulfill the bounty. We''ve lost more guilders in the last few days than we have the rest of the time we''ve been here combined." The woman warned. Both Lukar and Duile nodded, then left for their rooms. The next day, they were at the front of the line. After reading all the available information, they quickly agreed that delving together was the best option. Two other platinum parties had delved into the dungeon, and both stalled at the third floor. They would technically be the first platinum raid group to delve into the dungeon. It was quite an achievement. Not many dungeons were this dangerous. After entering, they passed through the first cavern unopposed. The warning was odd but understandable. The dungeon could somehow distinguish those who wished it shattered from those who merely wanted to gain strength. With how much resistance they encountered on the first and second floors, it knew them to be in the first category. The second-floor guardian wasn''t too hard; the environment was more a problem than the actual monster. The third floor was as described; hot and humid, full of giant birds and cat monsters. They were harried constantly as they navigated between the various ''trials'' on the floor before finally stopping at the boulder that led to the guardian. One by one, they stepped into the opening. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- These new platinum''s are no joke. They blazed through all three explored floors on their first attempt in one day. Every obstacle they had a counter for. Traps? They knew the locations and dodged appropriately. Monsters? They knew their weaknesses. The Maze? A map showing the relative locations of the entrance and exit. I guess knowing what you''re up against really helps in that regard. Their fight against Mushu began much like the Gorge''s one had. Each guilder had to slide down the entrance one at a time, and when they landed, they were immediately attacked. The first ten seconds were frantic with the one, then two, humans defending as best they could. As more and more humans entered the room, I knew that today was the day. With twelve platinum guilders against eight Kobolds, four tigers, and the one drake-kin? They were equally matched. Worse, it was a kobold who was slain first. One of the beast-tamers. His Tigers were driven mad by the sudden loss of their connection. No longer coordinated, they were quickly killed. With the power and numbers advantage, the humans destroyed the Kobolds. A Hunter, fallen to a lightning bolt. A Shaman was skewered by a longsword. In minutes, only Mushu remained. He fought well. With his incredibly tough scales, regeneration, strength, and magical power, he was still a force to be reckoned with. He even managed to slay one of the platinum''s, a mage. Of course, his skull was crushed by a Warhammer in the next second. Moment of truth. The net around the boss monster''s body tightened and retracted, pulling his mana in its entirety into the core above the altar. I prompted it to begin the respawn sequence, providing plenty of mana, as I watched these new parties pass through the door into the fourth floor. They were immediately confronted with a sewer grate on the floor, with no other doors or openings in the room''s walls. They opened it and dropped in, one by one due to the size of the hole. Watching them crawl and scramble through the slightly too-small pipes was very cathartic. Yes, Mushu would be fine, but the other Kobolds were lost. I''ll have to scale back the number of attendants he has from now on. Their first encounter with the rats was with the Shadow Clan. Not that the guilders knew that, of course. These rats had first focused on manipulating the shadows around them to aid in stealth but had quickly gained a few combat abilities when faced with inter-clan conflict. First, their shadows began attacking them¡ªpreviously inanimate shadow growing claws and tendrils, slicing and constricting in equal measure. In these dark caverns lit by fickle torchlight and the harsh light of a sprite, there were plenty of shadows to work with. It wasn''t even something they could fight back against. The rats themselves were a few pipes over, manipulating the shadows around the party from afar. All they could do was slash at literal shadows, doing nothing but cutting deeply into the stone walls of the pipes. As quickly as the assault started, it was over. The rats retreated, having accomplished their goal. For the entire rest of the time they''re in the dungeon, they would be very, very aware of the shadows. And it distracted them. And in my dungeon? Being distracted is a good way to end up dead. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 33 -0-0-0-0-0- The Fourth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Lukar was paranoid. The shadows in these pipes moved like liquid, twisting and striking from angles unseen. The harsh torchlight didn''t help as much as you would think, only casting darker shadows. The mages of their parties, Itan and Palisa, summoned a few sprites each to light their way and banish any shadows near their group. The sprites'' even light was far more effective at keeping those shadow monsters away. The way they were spread out around the group to overlap their lights kept the shadows at a distance. Of course, providing three sprites with mana was more than a bit draining, even for Platinums such as themselves. Their magic would be weaker, and spells would take longer to cast. Lukar judged the price worth it. They were scarcely three turns away from the shadow''s ambush when they reached an intersection. None of the seven pipelines leading from this circular room were the same size or shape. Squares and stars, horizontal rectangles or squares turned up on their corners. The other circular pipe was too small for them to do more than crawl through it. And universally, all the pipes were smaller than the one they had just left. "Well. I don''t think crawling through those is a good idea, " Lukar started, pointing at the small pipes. "It would leave us too vulnerable. Same with the medium-sized ones. That leaves us these three." He waved a hand at the only three tunnels big enough for them to pass through hunched over. "Mobility would be reduced and restricted to single-file, but it will give us a better chance." There was murmured agreement with a nod from Dulie. Quietly, they passed one by one into the pipe. After a few dozen yards, they emerged into a round room not entirely unlike the previous. There were only two exits here, not including the one they''d just left. Before they could choose which to enter, noises echoed through all three pipes. Squeaking roars and scrabbling claws. They formed up, weapons were drawn and spells primed. With eleven guilders in the room, three stood facing each pipe, the mages in the middle to respond as needed. As the noises grew louder and more distinct, they paled en-masse. This wasn''t just a few monsters attacking at once. These were swarm types. Lukar counted himself lucky they hadn''t encountered the bug swarms of the third. Killing swarm-type monsters was a nightmare, especially when they were small enough that swords were practically useless. "SWARM! Mages at the ready!" Dulie shouted. "Focus North and East. West, hold out as best you can! If you''re being overwhelmed, get out. No one dies today!" The melee fighters shifted slightly, letting the mages get a clear shot down the center of the pipes. The fighters at the third closed ranks, which included Lukar. He glared down the shadowed pipe. The noise continued to build until he finally caught his first glance of the monsters. The gleaming eyes of dozens of monsters stared back. They rushed closer, more and more monsters bursting from behind them. As they approached, Lukar got a better look. What he saw disgusted him and terrified him. Rats. Giant Rats. Horrible, mutated rats with arms like humans, fur-like quills, and claws tipped with gleaming substances. The room was suddenly illuminated by the two mages casting their most potent spells. Lukar could imagine flames pouring like a river from one, incinerating everything in its path. The other he knew would have released a stream of lightning, a more sustained and draining spell than a single devastating bolt, but better to combat monsters like these. There was no more time to think. The rats were upon them. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Three separate Ratten Clans all descended on the hapless guilders at once. The '' Brawler '' clan came from what that woman had declared north (actually south). These had focused on increasing their strength and bulk. While less numerous than other clans, they were still powerful, in general half-again-to-double the size of most other clans'' most massive members. These ratten were tough, preferring to break bones and crush their enemies with superior strength than through the traditional ''death-by-many-cuts'' tactics of normal rats. The fire mage was an excellent choice for these, as they weren''t particularly fireproof. From the ''east'' came the ''Electric Rat'' Clan. Yes, I named them that on purpose. It was too bad the guilders had decided to set the lightning mage up facing that pipe since all it did was boost their power. I''d read a few fiction books in my old life featuring electrically-charged rats, leading to my creation of this clan when it didn''t look like they would form on their own. Every member of this clan had larger-than-normal cores, and the only magic they knew how to cast was lightning magic. A single Electric Ratten has arcing bolts of electricity jumping between their conductive and metallically tipped fur. As a group, the charge they can build up can lead to a grand display of arcing currents and patterns. They could discharge their magic with a simple claw or bite, passing their charge through the similarly conductive claws and teeth. No ranged strike yet, but I''m hopeful a powerful enough individual that can do it will emerge soon. I''d had them rush the Platinums without displaying their abilities, but when the lighting mage made her foolish mistake by dumping a lot of charge into monsters designed to channel it, let''s say that the humans didn''t fare very well. They could barely keep the Ratten back as it was, the mage having switched to a defensive warding to keep the monster''s electric attacks at bay. The final clan involved in the attack was the Quill Clan. These had focused on sharpening and strengthening their fur into spikes. They could use mana to fire their quills from their skin at speed. While not yet armor-piercing, the sheer number they could fire as a clan saturated the three defenders. While shields and armor blocked the majority, more than a few buried themselves in exposed skin. Of course, they still had melee options. The fur on their legs was forward-facing and could be fired at point-blank range for maximum effectiveness. While not poisoned, they were still dangerous. I might introduce a couple of poisons to them after this. It would make them much more effective. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Their enemies were overwhelming and nearly endless. Even with the fire mage''s effectiveness against the brawlers, she wasn''t using her full power. They still kept six sprites up to keep away the shadows. Four minutes into the onslaught, one of the sprites winked out with the mage supporting it, choosing to end their connection to bring more power against the Ratten. Then another winked out, and another, until only one remained. A few of the guilders looked panicked, even beyond the tide of Ratten attempting to rip them to pieces. Well, there was a reason they feared the dark. Shadows boiled and writhed. The Shadow Clan did their duty from a nearby pipe utterly inaccessible to the guilders. It didn''t take more than a few seconds for the first Guilder to grab their teleport crystal and escape. The flash of the teleportation triggered an almost simultaneous response from everyone else; to grab at their crystals. Then they were gone. Injured and frightened, but whole. I felt disappointed. I''d hoped to get at least one of them. I refocused on the dungeon above, noting the approaching sunset with a sigh. I hummed an inaudible tune to myself. With the breakthrough to the fourth floor, it was time to de-escalate the third. I lowered the number of Kobold hunters and shamans participating in the ''combat trials'' and linked the remainder to respawn crystals. These were smaller than Mushu''s and took less time to make, but I''m unsure how effective they will be. With how I''ve observed the other two to work, it should keep the kobolds limited by not having enough space to hold all of the monster''s mana. Any mana they have over that limit will be lost, ''resetting'' the monster to a certain level of strength. It will incentivize them to stay alive, with the threat of losing their power on death. Perhaps if they pass some threshold, I''ll upgrade their crystals and relocate them to the Seventh. By then, Mushu was emerging from his crystal. It had taken significantly longer than the Crab Knight, almost two whole hours. I''m hopeful that time will go down since that''s been my experience with the Crab Knight so far. He''s down to ten minutes, from a half-hour. I focused on the respawn crystal, analyzing the mana as it emerged. First, it formed an outline and framework. That framework was filled with mana, which shifted to Mushu''s natural coloration. When he blinked and gazed at his claws in awe, I reached out to his mind. Mushu, my loyal guardian. How do you feel? He straightened at my words, then dropped to one knee. Creator, I feel as if nothing happened. Was I truly slain? Yes, Mushu. The Humans overwhelmed you and your subordinates. While you would likely emerge victorious in an equal fight, the loss of one of the Tamers and his beasts was your downfall. I''ll provide you with more and tie them to their own crystals. From this day forth, you are undying. His already bowed head drops further. Yes, Creator! Thank you, Creator! Test your body. Unlike before, this one is made entirely of mana. Consuming more naturally grown foods will replace that with one flesh and blood with time. That''s guesswork, of course, but in my experience, monsters gradually replace the parts of their body made of mana with the real thing over time. With that, I left Mushu to get acquainted with his body. The first, second, and third floors are fine. The fourth had performed well, despite the raid escaping with their lives. Every rat that participated in the fight got a bit of a boost from me as an incentive. The other floors were fine as they were. Untested, but as ready as they could be. Next on the list is the eighth floor. The hollowing of the cavern is coming along nicely, but it will probably take another week to excavate the area I want to use completely. I''m also thinking of having my floors more adjacent than directly below. I don''t want to dig too deep and suddenly be in the mantle. That wouldn''t be good. Also need to avoid the volcano''s magma chamber; I don''t know how big it is. The first mountain is looking good, though. I''m still thinking about monsters, but it''s still a ways off before I need them. A floor-wide enchantment to simulate storms and other weather wouldn''t be amiss. I could pull off some Saruman-level shenanigans. As I dug deeper into the crust of this planet, the humans above were celebrating. It''s not every day that someone reaches a new floor in my dungeon. -0-0-0-0-0- The Obsidian Beach, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem lay back against the small hill, where the sand gave way to grass. Down by the water, dozens of golds celebrated the two platinum parties that had finally pushed through the third. He spotted both Bertram and Flasa down there, mingling with the crowd. He did not doubt in his mind they were wringing every tidbit of information they could get out of the increasingly drunk crowd. Haythem sipped at the Ale and smacked his lips in satisfaction. It wasn''t the best he''d tasted, but this imported beer was better than the locals'' brew. In time, that might change. They were too new to the industry, but time and experience would do wonders. His eyes drifted from the party to the glowing cave in the cliffside. He thought over what the guild had announced and their publicly released information. A claustrophobe''s nightmare of a pipe network filled with living shadows. Giant, mutated rats. Their fur replaced with a hedgehog''s quills or alight with the power of lightning. Not just one or two, either. Hundreds, potentially thousands. Haythem just knew the fourth floor was going to be a pain. After a time of enjoying his ale and the cool ocean air, his party members joined him. "No one knows what''s changed yet. We''ll probably have to wait till tomorrow for news." Bertram started. Flasa hummed in agreement. The dungeon has previously shown a pattern of lowering the difficulty of ''beaten'' floors. Haythem had hoped it might have adjusted just after the guardian was beaten, but it probably needed the whole night to make the changes. "The Platinums let any details about the Guardian slip?" He asked the rogue. She frowned and shook her head. "No. They''re being remarkably tight-lipped," She revealed. "The Guild''s also been quiet on the matter. They must want someone to fight it again, to see what''s changed since the old guardian was killed." "Sensible, if irritating," Haythem said in response. They continued drinking into the night. They were in line to enter tomorrow, in the afternoon. Any information they could learn would be another advantage in their quest for strength. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 34 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The following day began with unusual vigor on the part of the humans delving me. They were fired up, most likely from Mushu having been defeated. From what I overheard during their celebration last night, they expected the floor to be easier. I guess I have that kind of pattern, but it''s more to do with conserving resources. Yes, my mana supply is effectively endless, but plenty of it is used by various enchantments and to raise new monsters to replace those killed. With fewer monsters on a floor, the expense lowered, letting more through that could reach the lower floors and speed up construction. And it isn''t like it was going to be a cakewalk, either, even with my focus shifting to the fourth floor as my frontline. On that first day, they delved, died, and survived. They won and lost; they pushed forwards and retreated. If the new Platinums were surprised to see Mushu again, they didn''t say anything. That was disappointing, though perhaps they believed it was a similar-looking monster. Over the next few days, the jungle became far more dangerous for the unprepared. Much of the jungle was now filled with various plant- or insect-based traps in addition to the standard pit traps and ambush points. I''ve been working on them in the background, and though I haven''t entirely cracked making plant-based monsters, traps are much easier. After all, giving something without a brain autonomy is hard, but making something bigger, stronger, and faster is easy. The most obvious example is the Pitcher Plant, a carnivorous plant that fills its ''pitcher'' with a sweet liquid, drawing in insects. It then closed the lid of the pitcher and consumed the insects within. With mana, I could make the plant much bigger, the lid shut with greater force, and have the ''glue'' it uses to seal the lid set faster and be more robust. However, it was still obviously a pitcher plant even when big enough to hold a ten-year-old with room to spare. The much larger specimens that could eat an adult whole were extremely obvious. So, I worked around that a bit. The pitcher plants were set into the ground, leaving their rims poking out over the surface. The inside of their lids was colored to match the dirt, disguising their purpose. To anyone looking, they should look like an odd pond. Guilders are cautious; at least the ones who survive me are. They wouldn''t approach anything strange without a considerable amount of caution. So, I needed to encourage them to... be a bit less cautious. The second part of the pitcher plant is their nectar, the sweet liquid they use to entice their prey, then drown and consume them. For my enhanced pitcher plants, I had their nectar give off a tantalizing aroma and greatly improved the flavor and taste. It should act as the enhanced mandarins I''d given to my prisoners did. Not the original ones, but somewhere halfway. They were yet to be encountered, situated in one spot as they were. I''ll spread them out after the first time a guilder finds and survives them. Hopefully, that isn''t the first person to find them. Another plant-based trap was vines covered in an incredibly quick-setting glue-like substance that began retracting up into the canopy when disturbed. At a minimum, they would relieve the guilders of their weapons and, at most, hoist them up where the kobolds would have a much easier time fighting them. These I had no hesitation spreading out around the floor, replacing regular vines with these new ones. And those are just two of my new traps. Maybe I can work out how to make plant monsters eventually. For now, these will work fine. It was a beautiful, blue-sky day on the fourth day since the fourth floor had been breached. Gull and his extended family enjoyed the warm updrafts while the rats scurried around in the shadowed and cool rafters and walls. The fish in the reef continued to spread. Oh yeah, that was a thing. Even beyond the ''monstrous'' examples that had left my dungeon, plenty of regular fish were filled with my mana. They spread and bred, slowly replacing the fish in the reef with ones that obeyed me. It was this day, which had the Gorge Twins returned to my dungeon for the first time since the disastrous defeat inflicted upon them by Mushu. They descended early; the third party allowed entry that day. The first floor was easy enough for the Platinums, familiar as they were with the crabs and their variants. The second floor was significantly more complicated than they likely remembered. Still, they managed to push through without losing anyone after an hour and a half of stumbling through the heavily trapped, shifting maze. They were incredibly familiar with the third floor, evident in their direct route between the mini-boss arenas. That route didn''t take them through the pitcher grove, but Matha tried to smack a vine out of her way and was hoisted into the air, screaming bloody murder. She was quickly cut down, but it still made my day. They pushed forwards with determination, going down the hole into Mushu''s boss room, prepared for a fight. That fight did not go well for them. While Mushu was technically weaker than he had been against the raid group, he was still more challenging than he was the last time these guilders fought him. The five attendants who fought with him were tough, and each linked to their own respawn crystals. They would only become more brutal with time. They didn''t lose another party member, abusing their teleport crystals to get as much experience fighting my boss before retreating in a flash of light. This would be the start of an irritating pattern. Both the Gorges and the new Platinums delved and fought Mushu every day. The raid pushed through, then struggled to navigate the maze while fighting off increasingly dangerous Ratten. The Gorge party continued training against Mushu. Each fight saw them improve, but they could not land a killing blow even three days later. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Over that week, plenty was worked on. Construction continued on the Eighth floor, and I started putting together a small contingency plan, just in case. On the eighth day since Mushu was defeated, a new wave of guilders arrived in town. These new guys... Well. Let''s say that the contingency plan got upped in priority. -0-0-0-0-0- Outside the Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Matha Gorge watched the ships pull into port. Well, it was more of a glare, but that''s semantics. She was furious. With herself, with the dungeon, with her party members... But she was particularly incensed with these new arrivals. They were yet to disembark, and she hated them with a passion. They were latecomers, responding only when the bounty was increased to genuinely ridiculous proportions. Honestly, Matha wasn''t sure the Grand Duke realized he was bankrupting himself with this move. But that wasn''t the point. These people hadn''t fought or bled for the knowledge they were about to go and get from that albino bitch. They hadn''t lost party members to the dungeon. They hadn''t bled for the slightest scrap of an advantage over this insane dungeon. They hadn''t earned it. They don''t deserve it. But they''ll get it and use it, no matter what opinion Matha has on the subject. And with it, they''ll beat the third-floor guardian and move on to the Fourth like the other Platinum''s that had been taunting them by merely existing had. Then they would explore the fourth floor, leaving Matha and her twin behind. It wasn''t fair. They had been here longer than any other platinum! They had been the first to beat the second floor and the first to encounter the third floor''s guardian! She felt a hand gently land on her shoulder. With an angry exhale, she let her brother turn her from the port and back to face the dungeon. They were later in the line today. If they made it through the second quick enough, they might have enough time to reach the boss for another attempt before nightfall. -0-0-0-0-0- The Guild Hall, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Layla Losat stood at the reception desk, waiting for the new arrivals to find their way to the Hall. She was nervous, of course. Some of the guilders that would dock in town today were powerful, their names known across the continent. These heroes of the guild had been Platinums since before Layla had been born. She swallowed, her mouth dry. Where she couldn''t do much but let the normal Platinums go about their business and hope the dungeon sorted them out, these were different. These were, unequivocally, some of the most powerful people in the land. When the hall went silent, her blindfolded eyes turned to the door. The guilders that strode through into the hall almost made Layla wish she could squint. Bright was her first thought. They were practically overflowing with mana and potential. At least five times as bright as the Gorge twins and perhaps double her aunt and uncle. As they approached, she stood straight. Her right hand started shaking, and she leaned slightly on the desk with it in an attempt to stop it. "Ah, You must be the local Guildmaster! Layla, wasn''t it? Your grandfather was very kind to us when we passed through Laviet." The lead guilder asked though Layla found it almost impossible to see his features behind the blinding inner light. "I am." She replied, her voice steady and clear. "Welcome to Medea Island. There are rooms here that have been reserved for you since I was made aware of your impending arrival. I have also provided books on the dungeon, and its monsters, written by both myself and various experts that have delved into our... unique landmark." A couple of the luminous beings in front of her nodded. "Much appreciated, Guildmistress. We''ll get it sorted then. I suppose there''s a line we need to join?" Layla shook her head. "We''ve known your arrival date for a few days now. Tomorrow''s schedule is clear. You''ll have the first pick of delve times for the day." She admitted. The lead man clapped his hands together. "Well, that is indeed splendid. Thank you again, Guildmistress." She nodded, then turned away from the guilders. She walked, not too fast, to the staircase and up to her office. Only when the door was closed, and the anti-eavesdropping enchantments on the door engaged did she allow a heaving sigh of relief. She moved to her desk and poured out a glass of alcohol without hesitation. She wasn''t quite sure what it was called, but it was smooth and smoky and left her feeling warm and comfortable. She turned her gaze back to the reception, where she could see the guilders through the wood construction of the building. This... is going to be highly stressful. If she wasn''t already albino, she was sure that her hair would start turning white from all the stress. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- When the four new parties of Platinums delved individually and not as a raid, I admit I was surprised. They passed through the first floor effortlessly, the second with only a little trouble, and only the environment of the third provided the slightest complication to their relentless pace. And this was as parties of six or seven, rather than a raid group of about 26 guilders. The first party swept Mushu aside like he was nothing. The second, third, and fourth parties all did similarly. Mushu himself almost seemed emasculated in the wake of this rapid series of defeats. The fourth floor was where their pace slowed considerably. Idly, I cursed the books made about my dungeon. Too much was known about my upper floors for them to provide much of a challenge to guilders of this caliber. Unfortunately for me, the cramped spaces only seemed a mild inconvenience to these people. They slaughtered my Ratten with ease. The only ones who did any damage whatsoever were the shadow clan, and the little they did was quickly healed after the guilders summoned a few sprites. It wasn''t that the Ratten were insufficient as defenders, but just that the guilders were too experienced. They knew how to fight monsters like the Ratten and slaughtered them by the hundreds. The parties all met up on the fourth floor, where they decided to push through the boss together. With that, any hope that they would be antagonistic to the others was extinguished. These men and women knew each other well, and the parties trusted each other. The Boss was an enlarged rat from the Bruiser clan, a bully who clambered to the top by crushing his enemies. Here, that proved to be worse than useless. They pushed into the fifth floor. Thankfully, I''ve been preparing for this eventuality for more than a week now. We''re ready for them. As they emerged from the ladder-less vertical pipe, pushing aside the circular metal cover, my monsters were already watching and waiting. They would not be allowed to progress further. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 35 -0-0-0-0-0- The Fifth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Auora Isirtine watched the stone-brick walls of the dungeon with a healthy amount of caution. Though this dungeon had yet to throw something at them that could genuinely threaten her or her party, it''s no excuse for negligence. A glance across the rest of the group revealed a similar outlook if the way they''re scanning the hallway is any indication. As they moved through the hallways, she reflected on the floors above. The First was barely worth mentioning beyond the written warning at the entrance and the... unique lighting found in those sandy caverns. Not many dungeons are intelligent enough to attempt to communicate to their delvers, and those that do are conquered or lost. And that is because most dungeons are conquered long before they reach that stage in their lives. And those orbs of light... she could feel the massive amount of mana that roiled inside them. And the terrible balance, barely maintained. The Second was the textbook example of a trapped, shifting labyrinth. Thankfully, the dungeon had not yet made the exit and entrance variable. Knowing what direction you needed to go was a definite advantage, and though tricky, the underwater fighting was easy enough. The monsters relied on their enemies being unfamiliar with fighting underwater to gain an advantage. Despite their unique abilities, they were weak. The Third would have been a slog without the map displaying the ''trial'' locations, the most direct routes, and the Guardian Arena. Finding those locations within that jungle themselves would have been long and irritating. It''s no wonder it''d taken the local guild more than a month to reach the fourth floor. The Fourth was just... Urgh. Rats are filthy creatures, and despite the variety, these particular vermin possessed, it was not enough to stop them. The tight confines were restricting and would most likely cause the death of many unprepared guilders but to Auora and her group? It was nothing. And so they pushed up into the Fifth, which was an odd concept. She couldn''t think of any other dungeon where you had to go up to reach the next floor. And with the change in the environment? There was no doubt this was the fifth floor. The sewer grate they emerged from was located at the dead-end of a hallway. The walls were stone brick, with dimly-lit candelabras spaced out along the walls. The candelabras were strange, mounted with glass spheres filled with what looked like a light spell rather than a flame. There were also windows, though rare, beyond which was nothing but pure black. She thought she could see something shift in the light cast through the tall, thin window, but it could have been a trick of the light. And with as sharp as her eyesight was? That was worrying. Auora and the guilders around her were examples of what people like them could achieve. The Pinnacle of what a guilder could become. Nothing could stand in their way. And strangely, nothing did. There were no monsters within what they discovered was an entire castle complex. There were courtyards and towers. A great hall with an intricate throne. The dining halls were set with delicately carved utensils and dinnerware. To the dismay of some of her more mercenary companions, the various knives, forks, and spoons were iron and not silver. Thus, they were essentially worthless. And honestly, imagine emerging from the dungeon laden with silverware. Who on this backwater island would even be willing to buy them beyond the local lord and perhaps the guild itself. However, the most off-putting thing had to be the times in their exploration that Auora knew they were being watched. Not in a general way because she knew the dungeon would be watching their progress very closely. She had felt the same sensation many times before when those hidden from her sight watched her, unseen and filled with ill intent. They had searched every single room they could find. They decided to settle in for the ''night'' when no monsters or Guardian could be found. Not that they knew if it was even night on the surface. Time always feels wonky so far underground. They set up their camp in the ''great hall,'' the one that held the throne. It was the largest room and one they could easily defend if it came to that. "This place is a cakewalk!," Titon exclaimed with an arrogant grin. "No monsters at all. Perhaps these floors haven''t been reactivated yet?" He rubbed his pristinely kept mustache. He, his sister Blace and his best friend Dorin all retired early, before the rest of us even began discussing the watches. Auora glared at their tent as the rotation was hashed out. That fool was going to get himself killed one of these days. She turned to engage in the discussion but found the decision had already been made for her. That was how Auora found herself awake and scanning the room with two others while the rest of the group slept. "This is unnerving," She commented, to slow, cautious nods. "Aye," Xerat agreed. "This dungeon is proving the exception to many previous certainties. I''ve never encountered a floor that lacks monsters entirely. They never just let us pass without resistance, Lost dungeons especially. I don''t believe Titon''s theory. It''s planning something. Don''t lower your guard." The rest of their watch passed uneventfully, though the feeling of being watched only grew more common. Auora crawled into the tent and lay there for hours, unable to sleep. The feeling had grown to shivers on the nape of her neck, and she couldn''t relax enough to sleep. She tried to remind herself that the dungeon had yet to show anything capable of overpowering them, but her paranoia won that argument. What if it does? What if it''s just biding its time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? That moment was four hours after her watch had ended. -0-0-0-0-0- Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Against the instincts calling for the blood of the guilders on the fifth floor, I held back. These new delvers had proven themselves far too tough to be beaten by waves of enemies. Instead, a more strategic attack was needed. While the guilders explored the empty castle, I was preparing. When they set up a camp to rest for the ''night'' (actually morning but whatever), I was setting up my ambush. An hour before they would change their first watch, it began. First, the lights dimmed further than they were until they were completely out. This was done very slowly, over a few hours. The second watch emerged from their tents in a much dimmer room, where the brightest source of light was the campfire they''d made by breaking a few benches and using the scrap wood. Two hours into their watch, it was the only source of light. The change happened slowly enough that their night-vision could adjust gradually, and they didn''t notice the lights going out. Not that it mattered. They were chatting quietly around the fire, ruining their night vision all on their own. Silently, individual flagstones dropped down, letting through matte-black and amorphous metallic forms. The Shadow Golems blended well into the shadows as they moved around the edges of the camp. More and more emerged from the holes, which closed up behind them. One of the guilders on watch blinked suddenly and looked around at the darkness surrounding their camp. "Hey, doesn''t it seem kind of dark to you? Weren''t the candles lit, earlier?" As he finished speaking, the monsters struck up from the shadows of the guards. They were on their feet in moments, with weapons drawn and lashing out at their ambushers. To the guilders'' shock and surprise, their weapons swung through suddenly intangible metal. It''s almost like they were attacking shadow. They didn''t land a single blow. The shadow golems lashed out with their sharp, elongated, and completely tangible claws, taking advantage of their off-balance and surprised opponents. It might have worked with lesser guilders, but these were anything but lesser. Claws were blocked or dodged. The golems, likewise, couldn''t land a single blow. The battle was truly joined when the resting guilders emerged from their tents, alert and itching for a fight on this unsatisfying floor. On one side were more than a dozen Golems composed of a mithril-moonsilver alloy which allowed the greatest mana conductivity and was driven by shadow sprites. Why were these not like the other golems? Well, that has to do with the alloy. Moonsilver is incredibly conductive for mana, and when alloyed with Mithril, that seems to extend further. When the shadow sprite inhabited the golem made of this alloy, I watched its shadow mana spread and morph the material, much like that golem with the disconnected limbs did. It was fascinating. When the guilders were exploring the empty castle, I had the golems follow them. They watched and learned, and I gave them memories of how guilders fought, tactics that had previously worked against those of lesser rank. Almost ten minutes later, the guilders had still failed to land a single decisive blow. Before they could get another chance, my golems retreated down into suddenly missing flagstones, which quickly replaced themselves. When the guilders regrouped after the fight, they noticed something rather alarming. They were missing a few of their number. After all, didn''t I say that fighting them head-on wasn''t likely to accomplish anything? Well. Nothing directly. Ambushes like that did work as distractions. Distractions to cover, for example, the kidnapping of three sleeping guilders. ''Titon'' and the other two. The golems had slipped into the tent these three were sleeping in before the attack had begun. Specifically, the tent furthest from the fire. They seemed to be the most deeply asleep, which should be punished. I was surprised at their lack of caution, to be honest, especially after so arrogantly proclaiming the ease of the floor where I could hear. The golems were almost completely silent, some aspect of their shadow mana absorbing the sounds of their movement as they moved the tent fabric out of the way. Each golem brought in mithril collars, enchanted to keep the wearer unconscious. As the Golems slipped the collars onto the necks of the two men and one woman, their eyes briefly flashed open. Hm. Perhaps not as asleep as I expected. Not that it changed anything. The collars snapped shut before they could make a sound, and the enchantments activated automatically. The eyes of the guilders quickly changed from wide-eyed panic to the heavy-lidded look of Morpheus''s call. When they were completely unconscious, the golems dragged my three new prisoners into a larger hole in the floor on the other side of the fire to the raging battle. The flagstones quietly closed up behind them, and below the flagstones, rock moved into place, just in case they attempted to dig through the floor. The Golems dragged the sleeping prisoners into three new cells, each enchanted to sap mana from the air. They also had a new function. They were each linked to the mithril collars worn by the prisoners. When the golems pressed a specific spot on the collar to the mithril bars of the cell, the cell''s enchantment linked to the collar. A little infusion of mana by the sprite activated the collar''s second enchantment, which drained mana from anything touching it. I watched anxiously as the collars worked. The golems laid the humans on the floor, then slid between the bars. When the collars started draining the mana from the guilders and transferring it to the enchantment on the cell, I was relieved. I''m not going to wake these guys up until the collars have drained as much mana as possible from them. Afterward... Well... There are a few experiments I wanted to perform. I wasn''t willing to try them with my other two prisoners, but these three... Yeah. I''m okay with doing it on these three. -0-0-0-0-0- The Obsidian Beach, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- When the teleport tent flashed with light, no one thought much of it. It was more than a few hours into the day now, and a couple of gold parties had returned already. When They walked out of the tent, everyone stared with wide eyes. Haythem included. He was sure that all of them were thinking the same thing. Why are they back? Did they beat the dungeon? Did they retreat?! What in the three hells could cause THEM to retreat?! ... Aren''t they missing some members? Indeed, Haythem counted... three less than when they had started their delve. Three. As They walked away from the dungeon, Haythem''s gaze turned to the teal glow shining out of the triangular cave. Just looking at the cold light sent shivers down his spine. He was more glad than ever that he had convinced Flasa and Bertram to give up on the bounty. With the lessened resistance, they could harvest more resources from the dungeon with less risk. For the first time ever, they had more money than they knew what to do with. Personally, Haythem was eyeing an empty hill for the site of his future home. Yes, a home. A house built with the money they''d earned. He was... happy, here. The dungeon was challenging, no question of that. If it could kill them, it would surely take the opportunity. But other than that... it was far more profitable and survivable for those not trying to kill it. "What''re you thinking about, bud?" Bertram asked as he sat up from their shaded spot under a gently swaying palm. "What do you think of that hill over there?" He asked. Bertram raised a brow at him but looked at the indicated hill. It was only a few minutes walk from the outermost reaches of Port Medea and high enough that it would give them a decent view of the growing town and port. "It''s a hill. Like many others around it." He said, still looking at him oddly. "Why?" "Just thinking of the future." He said with a smile. In fact... it''s been a while since he last took the Platinum Rank Tests. Perhaps it''s time. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 36 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- It took a few hours for the excess magic of my three new prisoners to drain fully. The amount left in their bodies was still incredibly intimidating, however. If I HAD to compare it to an RPG, I would say I''ve drained all the ''experience'' progress they''d made to the next ''level.'' That comparison isn''t accurate, though, since levels aren''t a thing. Humans seem to power up constantly, but slowly. The mana in their bodies is gradually assimilated by their muscles, bones, brain, organs, etc. Mages have greater control of their bodies'' mana and can consciously decide which parts get a boost. More often than not, they will increase the size of their core to create a larger ''mana pool'' to call on. Anyway, I now have another three mostly-naked humans in my ''dungeons.'' Ha. A dungeon, within a Dungeon. While I''m focusing on the ''dungeons,'' let''s check on my other two prisoners. The man is... drooling against the wall. Umm. What? I move a skeleton into his room and stare at him through the bars of the cell. He doesn''t react. What the hell happened? I haven''t been paying much attention down here beyond answering the woman''s questions, especially lately. He''s been eating his food, so I thought he was alright. But this... doesn''t look good. It could be a trick, though... I pushed a Rubix cube through the food slot, then left him alone. Kataren had mastered hers if the rapid twisting and turning was any indication. Idly, I start designing more intricate ''cubes.'' She seems to like it and smirks whenever she completes the puzzle. So maybe she''ll appreciate something more interesting Her questions over the last week have been more carefully considered than those she had asked early in her confinement. I made sure to mislead her while remaining completely truthful. I''ve successfully convinced her that I''m very old, that what''s happened to the Kobolds is the result of centuries of experimentation. When feeding time came around that evening, I began the process of waking up my new prisoners. The day had been relatively mundane. The Gorge twins, Isid''s party, and the other platinum team had made attempts on the fifth floor. All three managed to get past Mushu, though he was better at countering their tactics with every fight. Isid had looked at him pretty intently, and I''m sure she noticed the respawn-net take his mana through a hole in the wall. None had managed to get through the Ratten as effortlessly as the ''Hero'' party. I''m also thinking of modifications to the fourth floor tunnels. The chokepoints work both ways, and currently, the delvers were taking more advantage of them than the Ratten. When the kobold came around with the evening meal, I woke up each of the humans. How could I do this? By taking advantage of the connection between the cells and the collars. By pulsing mana down the link, I could switch the collars on and off myself. It would make escapes easier to stop in their tracks. I watched, an eye on each of the three guilders as they blinked awake. First came the realization they were not asleep in their tent. Then, they reflexively reached for weapons that weren''t there. Yes, those were being studied by my mages and Tear, hoping to replicate them or discern the methods used to make them. None of my new prisoners shouted or screamed. Each seemed pretty calm on the outside. Their faces were like stone masks though I''m sure that, internally, they were panicking. The first one to be delivered food was the female of the group. The woman was thin, though not frail. She had visibly corded muscle, but it certainly wasn''t obscene. With the amount of mana she had before being drained and the armor she''d been wearing, I pegged her as a mage. As for her element, it seemed to be ''Ice.'' I mentally added it to my sparse elemental wheel when I saw her throwing icicles and freezing monsters. Hmm, a more ''advanced'' application of water, perhaps. As metal is to earth? Lika the Kobold walked in, clothed in her appropriated mage''s robe and headdress. "Welcome to the Dungeon, prisoner." She started, the hissing lisp she once had long gone. The woman''s cool gaze turned to my monster, and she raised one eyebrow. "Hm. Capturing me was a mistake. My party members will return for me." She stated, calm as a lake on a windless day. "I''m sure they will. A tracking device, yes? Attuned to your magic and blood. The Creator''s minions observed the members of your ''party'' activate them as soon as they returned to the surface. It is of no concern." Lika replied. The woman''s mask cracked slightly, a glimmer of concern in her eyes. The Kobold jumped on the opening. "Oh yes. The very cell you sit in blocks such enchantments. They may know you are alive, but as to your whereabouts? They have no clue." That was an outright lie, by the way. I observed the activation of those tracking devices, and they pointed straight down into my dungeon. I will spend tonight working on ways to disrupt or divert the tracking. It is indeed based on blood and magic, if the woman''s reaction is any indication. I have a few ideas forming already with that information. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Here''s your evening meal, by the way. I''m not sure why The Creator is feeding you so well. In my opinion, you should be cut down for daring to even enter. Did you not read the warning The Creator so graciously provided?" The Kobold continued, pushing the tray through the slot as she did. The tray was full of food, grilled bloodfish, bread I''d stolen from the surface, a limited salad, and three mandarins. Unlike with Kataren, though, everything on that tray was devoid of mana. I didn''t want even the chance of them gaining enough mana to attempt an escape. It would be filling enough but likely be missing some impalpable element. Everything in this world had mana. I tested what would happen when I added mana with my earlier prisoners. With these three, I''ll try the extended lack of mana. It may be cruel, but they are attempting to kill me. Enough traps activated on their way down that I''m sure of it. I feel no pity for them. Hmm. Maybe I should add those intent detectors to the cells. It will let me know if my prisoners still intend to harm me. -0-0-0-0-0- The Guild Hall, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem lay on the stone slab, perfectly still, as the mage examining him waved an enchanted item over his chest. This was the first part of the test, measuring the size of his manacore and the general mana saturation of his body. There is no roadblock or hurdle to overcome to qualify to be a Platinum. He had to have a requisite amount of strength and pass a battery of tests to gauge if his skill in combat and general knowledge were up to par. Platinum rank was just as general a ranking as Gold in the end. There are weak Golds, just recently promoted, and Golds that have been such for years, perhaps decades. There are ''weak'' Platinums and those like Them. The device in the mage''s hand let out a wavering tone as it was waved across his chest, over his head, across his arms, and down his legs. When the mage stepped back from the slab with a nod, Haythem sat up. The cotton tunic he''d changed into shifted as he pushed off the stone. "So, how''d I do?" He asked conversationally. The mage was absorbed in the blinking lights on the item and raised a finger in his direction. After a minute, seemingly satisfied, the man put down the item and turned to face him. "You pass. Not barely, either. I wanted to make sure the item wasn''t faulty, but it seems to be working fine. From what I can tell, you''ve been at a Platinum''s level of strength for two weeks or so." He shook his head in amazement. "Every time, I am amazed at the speed of growth Grindstones allow. Congratulations, you''ve entered the world''s most exclusive club. If you feel your party members are at a similar level, I would advise you to tell them to take the tests as well." Haythem couldn''t help the grin that stretched itself across his face. He felt almost giddy! "Ah, don''t celebrate yet. You still have to pass the combat and intelligence tests." The mage advised. "Looking at your recent records, I have no doubt you''ll pass them, but celebrating early just to find you''ve failed in some other way isn''t fun." Haythem nodded, controlling his smile. It damped his excitement a bit, but it couldn''t extinguish it. Over the next few hours, he was run through the wringer in a series of fights against a platinum-level guilder. In his case, he fought with Jerrad. Of course, he had no chance in those fights, but Jerrad declared him above the minimum level and gave him some tips to further develop himself. Haythem took the advice gratefully. It isn''t often that powerful guilders casually hand out advice. He spent another two hours filling out a questionnaire and answering long-form questions identifying flaws and advantages in various plans and situations. Finally, the last piece of paper was placed before him, he answered the question, and his answers were taken away to be graded. Haythem idly rubbed his wrist, trying to work through what he was sure was an incoming cramp. It had been a long day. He was fatigued, worn out, and mentally exhausted. He trudged back to his room and fell asleep before his head hit the pillow. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- It took three days of testing and experimentation, but I think I''ve finally cracked it. It helped to be able to observe the tracker with my rats as I layered various enchantments over the mostly-disconnected section of the dungeon I kept the prisoners in. At first, the spherical items pointed unerringly down directly toward the prisoners. I was looking for a disturbance that couldn''t be explained by the prisoners simply walking around their cells. The two male prisoners had reacted similarly to the ice mage. Supreme confidence they would be rescued, with only the tiniest bit of doubt. Now, though, the trackers followed something else. It turned out I needed two things, to divert the trackers. The first was the ward over the cells, which confused the tracker. Specifically, it made them unsure of the exact position, but it still pointed in the general direction. I''m uncertain if it will get more or less accurate if it gets closer to its target. The second part was a sample of the blood and magic of my prisoners, extracted while they were in the enchanted collar''s induced unconsciousness. I placed the magic samples in small protected packets within the core of three of my skeletons. Of respective gender, of course. The flesh samples were placed in those same skeletons within the skulls. I think they would be somewhat convincing with some extra flesh added, dressed in their equipment and armed with their weapons. I had to infuse quite a bit of mana into the skeletons to raise the density and strength of their bones to the levels exhibited by the prisoners. I couldn''t give the female-decoy ice magic, sadly. I''m still not sure how it works, but if I do gain that capability before these decoys are found, I''ll try to summon an ice sprite and have it possess the skeleton. As soon as the experiment with the golems had worked, I knew it wasn''t what I was looking for. I wanted actual undead. I''ll probably have to find some example of necromantic magic or death magic to figure that out. It''s just too difficult to figure out on my own. I set the skeletons to roam the grounds around the castle. They spread out fairly evenly, which should make it hard to pin them all down. Looking back at the trackers, I watched the needles fix on the skeleton''s position as they left the obscuring wards. Satisfied, I turned my attention back to the eighth floor. The mountains and cavern were almost complete, and soon would, I needed the correct atmosphere. I want a permanent blizzard. I want guilders to be buried under triggered avalanches. I want them to be pushed off ledges and fall down the mountain to a spike-covered hellscape surrounding the bases and under sheer drops. Ice magic would be perfect to have right now. I''ll have to dedicate some time to get it out of the mage. I can fake it until then. Small channels bring water over the cavern roof, where it passes over enchantments to disperse it into a fine mist. I planned to add more enchantments across the walls and ceiling to regulate the temperature and conditions. I know that snow only forms in specific conditions, and I can control that with mana. I will have my snow-capped mountains that shout magic words and curses at you to cover the approach of monsters designed to take advantage of the environment. I might even tie in the blizzard to the intent enchantments. The view should be spectacular if the weather were clear. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 37 -0-0-0-0-0- The Guild Hall, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- "Haythem Linus?" He heard a woman ask as she approached. He raised his eyes to look up at the woman. She was smartly dressed, and her green eyes shimmered in the torchlight of the guild hall''s reception. "I am." He replied, sitting straighter in his chain. The woman took a wax-sealed envelope from the folder she was carrying and held it out for him with a smile. "Your results. Enjoy the rest of your day." With that, she turned and walked back to the desk. It was only when Bertram elbowed him in the ribs that he realized he''d been staring at the enchanting woman as she walked away. He felt a heat rise on his cheeks at his friend''s snickers. Ignoring the man''s teasing, Haythem inspected the letter. The parchment was tough, though he could tear through it without issue. The seal was guild standard, legitimate and unbroken as far as he could tell. With a breath, he gently pried off the seal and pulled out the letter within. "Guilder Haythem Linus, It is with great pleasure that we at the Medea Island Guild confirm your ascendance to Platinum Rank-" Haythem was cut off from his reading when Bertram and Flasa began whooping and laughing. He raised an eyebrow at them, then shook his head and continued reading silently as they began dancing around like fools. ''-ascendance to Platinum Rank. Per Guild Charter, we''ve sent your updated records to the central guild registry. Your new identification tablet is within the delivered envelope. Congratulations, and we wish great things for your future. Signed, Layla Losat, Medea Island Guildmistress'' Haythem carefully folded the letter and placed it in his pouch before again reaching into the envelope. With the small metal rectangle in his hands, he pressed his thumb to the outlined square. There was a sharp prick. He pulled it away to watch the drop of blood be absorbed by the enchanted tablet. The tablet briefly flashed with silver light, and his details filled themselves in on the rest of the previously-blank surface. His name, day of birth, and rank. Haythem also knew the id would contain a record of his mana signature, so people know that this is, indeed, his card. He pulled his previous card from a pouch and held it out to his friends. "One of you want to do the honors?" "Oh! Me!" Bertram said with a smile, quickly taking the card. With a quick inhale, golden beams were melting the gold-plated tablet. Flasa grabbed Haythem''s hand and started dragging him off. "C''mon! We need to celebrate! Drinks are on Haythem!" She cheered with a twinkle in her eye. When Haythem raised an eyebrow but didn''t object, more cheers rose from the crowd that had formed around them. He could already feel his coin-purse lightening. As he was swept away by the chanting, cheering crowd, he let his smile grow. Honestly, he wouldn''t want to be anywhere else. -0-0-0-0-0- The Fourth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- "RIGHT SIDE, RIGHT SIDE!" Matha screamed out as she released twin blasts of flame down two of the small holes littering the wall of the slightly too-small pipe. With vehement curses, the other two guilders not fighting at the front and back of the pipe shifted to stem the renewed tide of rats squeezing themselves through the holes in the wall. They had delved today with the intent to finally push past the rats, to reach the castle beyond. They hadn''t expected the new changes to the floor. Holes everywhere. In every tunnel. From them, rats could pour like water. The ''normal-sized'' ones, at least. Not like any of these monsters were the size of their un-altered cousins. The large ones were restricted to the same tunnels they were crawling through. Matha paused in her casting and, after a glance down the charred and blocked pipes, she quickly shifted to two different ones. That''s how things went for the next... however long it was. She felt like they''d been fighting for hours, but it could have been less than half an hour for all she knew. When the wave of rats finally subsided, All the small pipes on either side were charred and blocked. Matha was breathing deeply, trying to recover her energy. She grabbed a potion, sipped it, then placed it back in her pouch. A glance down the tunnel showed her brother pushing the pile of rat corpses out of the way, a disgusted look on his face. When the way forward was clear, Matha continued down the tunnel until she reached a ''hub'' room. She eyed the hundreds of small pipes extending past the walls with caution. "This isn''t working," Litan said as their final party member entered, as bloody and covered in gore as her brother. "We''re barely lasting through these waves. They''re coming faster and faster, and we''re running out of options." He looked between each member of their much-reduced combined party. "I think if we try to take on another wave like that last one, at least one of us won''t survive. If this is what we can expect from every delve... We''re not going to be able to push through with our numbers. We need new blood. Might be worth it to pick up a few golds on the cusp and train them up." Matha sighed. He wasn''t wrong. She was exhausted, even after drinking that last potion. She glanced at the three sprites floating around them, keeping the small chamber lit with minimal shadows. She likely wouldn''t have been as tired if she didn''t need to support these and everything else. But she had to admit, it''s better than the very shadows they cast rising to slaughter them all. "Back to the surface, then?" Matha asked. Answered with nods, she closed her eyes and touched the teleport crystal. There were the customary flashes, but she knew something had gone wrong when she opened her eyes. This was not the exit pavilion on the surface. Panicked, she whirled around. She was alone. The walls were stone, identical to that found on the cliffs of the Third. Beneath her feet was a small teleportation circle, dimming until it could barely be discerned against the pattern of the cobbled floor. There was no door that she could see. No pipe or entrance big enough for her to pass through. At the center of the chamber, above her head, was a black circle. She dismissed all but one of the orange sprites. With a sudden grinding, four equidistant points on the wall began opening. The slabs of stone lowered into the floor. From the shadows emerged more than a dozen Lizards, the monsters clad in stolen armor they''d customized with colorful fur and bright feathers. The lizards themselves looked different than others she had faced. They stood taller and somehow looked more refined. She was surrounded. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. One stood forwards from the rest. This one was a mage, given the robe and elaborate headdress. Potentially, their leader. With no hesitation, she cast a tide of flames at the monster. The fire engulfed it. None of the other monsters around her reacted beyond tightening their claws on their weapons. When she ended the spell, she expected to see a charred corpse. Instead, the monster stood, unaffected and unruffled. "We were going to offer you a chance to surrender," The monster stated. That it spoke Phenocian was enough to make her eyes widen in surprise. When she registered what it was saying, she felt her jaw drop. "However, now I see that you''re completely unreasonable. Enjoy your last fight, Matha Gorge." With that, the ring of monsters closed in on her. Her fire magic did nothing, the shields they bore would light up, and barriers extend from their edges, not letting even a lick of flame past. She was hemmed in, further and further. Stolen swords swung and cut straight through her reinforced, armored robes. Unfamiliarly designed maces bludgeoned her, and darkness claimed her when one fell on her skull. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The Gorge Twins are dead. Good riddance. And with their deaths, the first successful test of my teleport-interdiction circles. Other parties, who had not gained my personal enmity, were discovering their teleport crystal no longer worked. The fact that the guilders could escape from a losing fight was too big of an advantage. And now, that advantage was gone. They''ll need to fight their way in and out from now on. Hopefully, this will prompt shallower dives and create a cautious attitude in the delving guilders. It''ll take a few hours for the guilders to make it back up and out, and by tomorrow everyone will know. The way I''d done it was pretty simple, in the end. The interdiction circles that caught the Gorges and their party members were copies of the circle on the surface. Those were already designed to ''catch'' anyone teleporting through a nearby mana-stream, so by splitting the channel used by teleports into smaller streams and running them past much smaller circles, the teleport crystals would dump them out early in rooms of my choosing. I can''t precisely predict which mana-stream a teleporting guilder will use, but I think I have all potential channels covered. The other part of my new feature was the thing that prevented the crystals from working in the first place. Like the circles, it was pretty straightforward. There is now an invisible and intangible ''barrier'' of magic on my entrance that is keyed to disable those Crystals. But how, you ask? Well, you could consider them... manufactured. Their design is standardized, and they have about three ''ports before they become useless. That means they''re functionally identical, accounting for errors in the manufacturing process, though failures would probably never be sold. That uniformity, in this case, is a weakness I can exploit. The barrier is designed to detect the crystals and drain the mana from them as they pass through the first cavern. By the time they pass the carved warning, the crystals are completely exhausted, and since they can''t be re-charged, they are useless. The Gorges were the first party in today, and I activated the barrier when they''d passed through. The rest of the day was quite entertaining. The parties who hadn''t triggered any ''hard mode'' traps found their retreat through the dungeon challenging but doable. The others, well. They''d never needed to go the other way through the labyrinth before. It got quite a few people turned around, and I think another seven died. I''m thinning out the population of guilders who want to kill me with record speed. The majority seem to have become resigned that they''ll never be able to claim the bounty and have embraced the other reason people delve into dungeons. To get stronger. The last man stumbled through the entrance of my dungeon, covered in blood and exhausted from being chased out by my overly enthusiastic crustacean guardians. After the man passed the final barrier, the various crabs retreated into their holes for the night. Though they lacked the intelligence of their ancestors, I knew they could still feel satisfaction through acting in my defense. With a deep mental breath, I surveyed my dungeon. Mentally rolling up my sleeves, I got to work on the final tweaks I would give these floors before focusing entirely on the lower floors. The Starlit Caverns were as complete as I could make them, though I saw some space for improvement. I added various ruins throughout the caverns, matching the aesthetics of the one at the entrance. Those who looked close would find ominous warnings carved crudely, as if by terrified guilders. The Crabs filled their roles perfectly, and I gave about a dozen ''lesser'' respawn crystals. Hopefully, they could act as lieutenants or mini-bosses, guiding their ''lesser'' brethren. The Flooded Labyrinth had seen the introduction of more coral and unaltered fish to better disguise the monsters swimming among their natural kin. These halls honestly looked as if they''d been long sunken and forgotten, nature having reclaimed man''s work. The various fish monsters were as deadly as I could make them, though a sprinkling of toxins and venoms developed by the Ratten made getting injured here a lot more dangerous. The Green Hell had been getting less and less effective as time went on. Routes were worked out to minimize the time spent moving between the various ''mini-bosses'' of the floor. Shifting the vegetation in ways both subtle and not would destroy any familiarity they could have gained with the jungle. My plant-based traps were spread throughout and hopefully well-disguised. I can''t wait for the first man overcome with desire for a pitcher plant''s nectar to shove his head in one and have the lid slam down, trapping then drowning him. Hmm. Little too bloodthirsty there. I should add the intent enchantment to the pitchers, at least. The Ratten Warren was far more effective now, with thousands of smaller pipes between the larger ones to prevent guilders from turning the tight confines back on their ambushers. I won''t know exactly what needs to be changed until more delvers find their way here. The Fifth was working fine, for now. My new prisoners were all alive, seemingly no worse off for the lack of ambient mana. My older prisoners... Kataren seems to enjoy messing with the new ''cubes.'' Not that they''re cubes anymore. The healer... is doing better. He''s not drooling against a wall but seems to be messing with his own cube. I''m thinking about allowing some limited interaction between my prisoners to keep them from going insane. The decoy skeletons are still wandering around the grounds of the castle. I made a couple of cosmetic changes to them to fit their environment better. The Lava Caverns and Abandoned Mines are fine, though I''ll probably need to mess with them later. Construction on the Eighth, the... Storm-Swept Peaks was almost finished. The three mountains looked terrific, and there was sufficient space in the cavern around them to manipulate and hopefully induce some mighty storms. I''m going to test that capacity soon. Now I need monsters. I''m thinking four of five species: Yeti, Thunderbirds, Snowbolds, and some kind of Ice Fox. The Thunderbirds were the first I turned my attention to. They could help manipulate and influence the storms, directing them against any murderous delvers who somehow made it this far. For the base, well, I wanted a specific kind of bird. Like I''d turned the Parrots into Phoenix and how the gulls remained ''disguised'' on the surface, I based this monster on an eagle. I lacked a male, unfortunately, so I''d have to make do with the one female specimen I stole from the noble''s manor. Hunting with eagles seems to be a practice enjoyed by the fabulously wealthy here, too. Coincidently, they released foxes into the jungle to hunt. But I''ll get to them in a bit. Anyway, until I can get my hands on a male, this monster will be the only example of its species. I began with upscaling the monster to the point she could grip a large and fully armored man in one claw and fly off with him, potentially dropping him and letting him splatter against the rocky mountainside. Next, I gave her the appropriate blue/white coloration; White beak, skin, and scales, with mainly Blue feathers, interspersed with black for some patterning. She''s regal and majestic. Perfect. Next, the magic. I want to give her ice magic, but I''ll settle for Wind and water. This would also be my first dual-typed creature, so seeing how she works her magic will be interesting. With a quick self-inspection, she screeches into the still air of the cavern and launches off. I directed her to the third peak, where I created an elevated point above what will become the ''boss'' arena. For now, Pyry the Thunderbird will be my boss monster. After a quick hook into a respawn crystal, she''s ready. With her exploring the floor, I moved on to the foxes. These, I will be giving Ice Magic. No question. Since that will have to wait, I''ll settle for setting up the base monster. Quite simple, compared to Pyry. I created the ''Alpha/Beta'' of my future Ice Fox pack with a breeding pair swiped from under the noble''s nose. Yes, I know foxes aren''t typically pack animals, and the alpha/beta thing is a myth, but they''re my monsters, and they work how I make them work! For now, I have white foxes with black paws and noses and a size more typical of wolves. I envision large packs attacking delvers struggling through blizzards or inducing avalanches. As I contemplated the Yeti, my attention was grabbed by the ''Hero'' raid passing through my entrance. Let''s see how they fair now, shall we? -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 38 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The ''Heroes'' passed through the first floor with minimal effort. Not unexpected, given the power difference between the crabs and these elite guilders. The crabs weren''t tough, fast, or strong enough to do more than get in the way. The newly immortal Crab Knight, Sebastian the... Seventieth? I think that''s about right, but I haven''t strictly kept track of how many Knights have fallen in my defense. Either way, the Crab Knight was the most intelligent of all the crabs on the floor, and though he did last several seconds longer than he had the first time, the ''hero'' raid passed through quickly. You know, I think he''s due for an update. The respawn crystal means it won''t be a waste of mana to beef him up a bit. It''s something to think about for tonight. They were mildly inconvenienced by the second floor, mainly because one long thin hallway they walked down suddenly lacked a floor, separating the group. None of them were dumb or weak enough to get caught in any of the other traps. I need to make the exit and entrance points variable. I can only put so many surprises between them, as it is. They already know the general direction they need to walk, making it far too easy. The third floor was far more effective than it once was. The shifted flora made them forge new paths through the hot, humid jungle. The Fauna, specifically the Pheonix, made their journey far more annoying than it would have been otherwise. It took them significantly longer to make it to all the ''trial'' sites. My Kobolds put up a decent fight. Well, as much as they could. Right now, they can fight a high-Gold delver to a standstill, one-on-one, as long as nothing unexpected is thrown into the mix. Unfortunately, they managed to slip into the boss Arena before nightfall. I could do with a few more mini-boss locations. Maybe have some empty, but they won''t know until they check. Mushu fought valiantly; his underlings were beefier, indeed, but nowhere near strong enough to do much damage. As for Mushu himself, he was getting better with every fight. If he had the speed and strength to match his skill with that weapon, I''m sure he could have fought one of the ''heroes'' for at least two minutes before dying. They pushed on. The fourth floor was... much more intense. At least in my opinion. The waves of Ratten were never-ending, in a callback to my earlier treatment of high-level delvers on the first floor. There was no reprieve. They were hounded from their first step to their final blow against the Lightning-clan boss. Shadows clawed at their ankles; flaming Ratten dropped onto their heads. They were breathing heavily when they pushed through the manhole into the castle, glistening with sweat. "What in the Three Hells was that?!" A red-robed fire mage cried, her face marred by more than a dozen scratches. Minor, in the end, but noteworthy. "That was nothing like last time!" "My opinion? The dungeon doesn''t like us." A leather-clad ''rogue'' answered, to some chuckles. "There was some mention of wave tactics used on its first floor, back when it was first discovered." The very epitome of a Gallant Knight reasoned, "It gave up when those guilders started consistently making it to the third floor. Perhaps it is trying to slow us down or exhaust our resources before we can accomplish our goals, especially as we now must make our way back up without teleport crystals. Lina, the tracker?" The woman who must be ''Lina'' nodded and pulled the tracking device from a pouch. The three arrows spun for a few seconds, and I worried they would pierce the defenses I''d put up around my cells. Thankfully, they pointed out the closest window. "It seems They''re out there." She stated, moving back and forth to watch the arrows shift. "Yes, there must be something outside the castle. Castles normally have extensive lands or gardens around them; perhaps it is the same here. They seem to be separated, though." As they walked off with determined strides, I watched the raid group navigate to where they had last encountered the largest door in the castle. After all, the biggest door is usually the main entrance/exit of a castle. On the way, they encountered the monsters of the fifth floor. Last time, I wanted them off-guard. This time, there is no point. They think they know what monsters they''ll find here. They''re quite wrong. Well, In a way. They''re expecting more of the shadow golems, and they''re half right. Only, It''s not just shadow golems. With a sudden crunch of grinding stone, each of the ''Heroes'' found their feet stuck to the ground. From the flagstones beneath their feet emerged thick stone hands. Some were quick enough to jump or slip at least one foot from the grasping hands, but three remained trapped. Before their allies could begin attempting to break them out, Shadow Golems dropped down from the shadowed, arching ceilings to sow chaos. Now split between saving their fellow guilders and defending themselves... they did an admirable job of both. The defenders kept the shadow golems back, and the rescuers managed to free those trapped by the Earth golems by breaking the stone hands from their arms. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The Golems retreated beneath the floor, leaving the guilders standing there. They looked absolutely baffled. "They retreated? That..." One spoke, his words trailing off when he couldn''t think of what to say. "Let''s get out to the grounds." The ''Knight'' prompted. He seemed to be the least thrown by my monster''s behavior. "We already knew this dungeon is highly intelligent. It must consider those shadow monsters more valuable in some way. They retreated last time as well; perhaps it has a limited number of them?" As the group absorbed the knowledge I might be more intelligent than they previously thought, they continued on their way. After a second ambush, using the same tactics, they were far too watchful for me to attempt it again. Outside though... well, that''s a different story. -0-0-0-0-0- The Fifth Floor, the Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Lina Laskiin walked at the group''s center, protected on all sides. Most of her attention was focused on operating the tracker, and after the previous ambushes, she was grateful for their vigilance. As the two guilders at the head of their group pushed open the sizeable metal-banded wood doors, most of the group''s attention was on what they would find beyond. Almost pure darkness seemed to swallow the light breaking past the door only a few yards. They could see nothing. The mages summoned a couple of sprites to light the way, though they were barely any better. Slowly, they moved away from the door and into the black. "The Ice Mage, Blace, is that way," Lina pointed ahead and to the right. The group quietly adjusted their course. They didn''t speak as they approached their first destination. Being in this darkness raised the hairs on the back of her neck. She glanced back, and as expected, she saw no sign of the castle they had just left. She made a mental note that any guilders that reached this floor would need to bring a compass or tracker. Lina felt that it would be very easy to lose all sense of direction in this all-encompassing darkness. After a minute or two, something loomed out of the dark. Weapons were raised... unnecessarily. The looming shape was no monster but a massive mushroom. The stalk was double the height of a tall man, and the wide cap would likely shelter their entire group. As they progressed, more and more fungi began appearing before them. Lina would have called it a Mushroom Forest. Large stalks rose far beyond the reach of their sprite''s light, down to tiny red and white spotted caps surrounding the bases of larger specimens. She could see dozens of different, colorful species in the lit space around them, even if she couldn''t see one among them she recognized. Lina wasn''t exactly an expert on fungi, but she knew which ones were poisonous or edible. None of these held a familiar collection of traits. The ground beneath their feet became a fungus. A veritable carpet of purple, squishy fungus. A small bulb she would have called edible was a bright yellow, striped with red and white lines from the center down to the edges of the caps. No doubt poisonous. Every single one of them was likely poisonous. Some were also actively hostile. One particularly spiny species that grew onto the side of the ''tree'' ''shrooms ejected its spines whenever someone approached. One ''mace-like'' shroom swung at anyone who drew close; though not too dangerous, it was incredibly dense and would likely knock out lesser guilders if allowed to connect. As they walked deeper into the Mushroom Forest, the stalks became thicker. The spaces between were likewise smaller. She felt they were being led to a dead end. However, before she could speak up, a humanoid shape emerged from the dark. It was... Horrifying. The human skeleton was infested with a brown, ruffled fungus. The mushroom''s flesh started from a large protrusion jutting out of the skull, down thin muscle-like fibers that extended to the end of its limbs. Its walk was a jarring, stumbling thing. It made no noise as it approached; the soft squishy ground absorbed any noise its steps might have created. Which just made it more terrifying. If it had attacked when they weren''t looking, they would have been entirely unaware. Hallmark, the Knight, cut Its head off. The head fell to the ground with a quiet thump, though the body remained standing. After removing all its limbs, Lina approached the monster. Blace''s arrow pointed directly at it. "Cut open the chest," She ordered. "If it has a human core... I''m afraid we''ve found Blace." It did. She held it and moved it around. The tracker pointed right at the faintly glowing core. The guilders around her murmured uneasily. They followed the other two arrows and found another two shambling, mushroom-infested skeletons. The cores were placed within Lina''s pack. The group''s mood had moved past grief and straight to rage. The Dungeon had desecrated their allies. The Ice Mage Blace, The Swordsman Titon, and the Axe-wielding Dorin. All lost, their corpses used and twisted to create those shambling monstrosities. The Dungeon will pay... Oh, will it pay. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- After collecting the cores they believed to belong to their allies, the ''hero'' raid made the journey back up through the dungeon. Their first hurdle was getting back to the castle. After a few hours of stumbling through the mushroom forest, they eventually worked out which part was denser and which was thinner. They returned to the castle in the cavern''s center and made their way back to the sewer grate that led to the fourth floor. Though nothing was strong enough to stop them, the time it took them to figure out how to get back was an added annoyance. After they emerged from my entrance, I allowed myself a mental ''pat on the back.'' They had taken the bait; hook, line and sinker. They also seemed... very angry. Well, if they didn''t already want me dead for the bounty, they certainly want to see me dead now. The next step is to fill the forest with ''fake'' Mushroom Zombies I had prepared. Bipedal, humanoid mushrooms supported by a denser and more rigid kind of flesh that you could equate to bones. These didn''t look human at all; their limbs were purposefully disproportionate and asymmetrical. Some ended in blade-like appendages, and others in large mace-like growths. Did you know that fungus, as a cell type, is remarkably similar to nerve cells? These new monsters didn''t have any central brain. Too vulnerable. Instead, I gave them a thicker nervous system than any human possessed and had ''nodes'' at specific points. Such as joints. My creations must have passed a threshold at some point since all the mana I was dumping into them was suddenly tied up in forming a core. I''m pretty proud of them, to be honest. They''re horrible monstrosities out of a child''s nightmare, but they''re my monstrosities. So there they were. My fungal zombies. They shuffled and gurgled appropriately, but I still felt something was missing... Ah! Yes. A hive-mind! I quickly formed a ''Brain Shroom'' out of one of the zombies in the densest part of the forest. It was mostly ''nerve'' tissue and well-rooted in the ground. I formed a ''mana-bond'' between it and all the wandering zombies, and suddenly they were much more coordinated. Yes... Perfect. Hehehe. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 39 -0-0-0-0-0- Guildmistress''s Office, The Guild, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Layla Losat was hunched over her desk, sightless eyes scanning the report on her desk. She let out a long sigh and sat back in her comfy chair when she was done. She raised one hand and gently massaged her temples. The report glossed over the early floors, with the more detailed parts about the fourth and fifth floors. Layla had already read the reports from the other platinum teams regarding the Fourth, noting that she should invest in some privacy enchantments. She hadn''t considered it before now, but the reports had explicitly mentioned rats of an average size amongst their larger brethren. If the dungeon had normal-sized rats, some might have slipped out of the entrance to spy on them. She''d never heard of Dungeon monsters spying on people, but this dungeon was setting so many firsts already that she wouldn''t put it past the damn gem. The fifth was far more disturbing than she had expected. Shadow monsters that could become immaterial at will, filling an otherwise empty castle. Layla made another note that more monsters may emerge at a later date. Then there were the castle grounds. A Mushroom forest, holding the reanimated corpses of the three ''heroes'' lost in their last delve. Their flesh was consumed, and skeletons were enveloped by the disturbingly light-pink fungal matter. The tracker confirmed the cores in the skeletons belonged to the lost guilders. "Am I Cursed, Felin?" She asked her old friend, who had delivered the collated report given by the various members of the ''Hero'' group. "Which God did I offend to deserve this?" Felin chuckled in his gravelly voice. "I''m not sure, Layla." He answered, "Could be Temat. It would make sense for the God of Luck to have cursed yours." She raised her other hand and made a rude gesture at the man. He chuckled again. When she sat forward again, she continued in a serious tone. "First the possibly-sapient lizard monsters, and now it''s defiling the bodies of those it captures... Let''s go over what makes this dungeon strange again. Maybe with this new information, something will make sense..." Felin nodded and pulled out a ream of parchment. "The dungeon is incredibly intelligent. It knows our language enough to use and understand idioms. It can identify those who wish to cash in on the bounty and those who merely want to grow stronger. It knows advanced tactics and has the experience to implement them. Instead of digging deeper and developing new defenses, it revises its higher floors to delay delvers and bleed them of their resources. It has discovered a way to revive specific monsters if what Isid claims is true. It knows enough about Teleport Crystals to create a wall of mana on its entrance that drains them of their stored mana, rendering them useless." Layla raised a hand, stopping Felin before he could continue. She rubbed her alabaster chin as she pondered. "The Dungeon isn''t just intelligent; it''s smart," she stated aloud, "It knows mercy and, though never merciful, it goes easy on those who do not wish to kill it. It''s adaptive and resourceful. It can learn and change. It studies us just as we study it. It deprived us of an easy way to learn about its monsters and escape quickly by removing teleport crystals while providing a way for its monsters to do the same by having them revive." They sat there in silence for a few minutes. "I think it''s time someone tried to talk with the dungeon." She said slowly. Felin looked conflicted but eventually nodded. "Something about this dungeon has made it so different." Layla continued. "Other lost dungeons don''t act like this. From everything we''ve seen, pushing it harder will make it vicious. Perhaps one day, it will decide to outright kill every guilder who enters. If we establish some kind of dialogue... Who knows. "We might learn something new." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I turned away from Neo''s conversation as they wrapped up their little meeting. So, they''re going to try and talk to me soon, huh? Interesting. Very interesting. That they''re even considering it means at least Neo thinks I''m intelligent enough to actually hold a conversation. To be fair to her, she''s probably the most well-placed to make the connections she''s been making. The individual guilders might see parts, but she''s getting the bigger picture. Time to address my prisoners, I think. So, I have five prisoners. They''re all Platinums, though three are significantly more powerful than the other two. I initially captured the first two to do some experiments. They were trying to kill me at the time, so I wasn''t exactly sympathetic to them. In the end, that strange protection they have nixed most of my ideas beyond observing their reactions to various levels of mana in their cells. And the mandarins, but I''m not comfortable with hooking them on those. The newest prisoners I captured because it was the only way I could stop them from trying to kill me. I took the opportunity to figure out what makes them different, how to disrupt trackers, and even got a new monster from the inspiration. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. So, I''m faced with the question of what to do with them. I could kill them, absorb their memories, and move on. While probably the easiest and quickest solution, I''m still not entirely comfortable killing them in cold blood. They''re trapped and harmless. Though, mercy-killing might be okay for the priest. He perked up a bit after introducing him to a Rubix cube but is just kind of... lying on the floor again. Kataren has continued asking questions with every meal and received a not-quite lying answer. Enough to obscure precisely how long I''ve been alive. She ended up asking quite a lot about the kobolds and other monsters. I think she''s accepted that the kobolds, specifically, are just as intelligent and capable of rational discussion as she is. It might be a risk to release her, but I think it would be okay. In the case of the three ''hero'' prisoners, I''m less conflicted. The woman remains quiet and still. After realizing she didn''t have any spare mana, and she wasn''t gaining any more, she sort of... gave up. However, the two males have been trying to break out from day one. From struggling to bend the bars to attempting to break through the walls. You name it, and they''ve probably tried it. They slung curses and hate at my kobolds when they delivered food, so I started doing it personally, with my Skeletons. I don''t consider releasing them an option because they''ll probably go right back to trying to kill me. The woman has potential, though. Perhaps I can use her, somehow? I let my attention disperse as I thought it over. Idly I tuned up a few things around the dungeon and checked on newly immortal monsters and their crystals. Suddenly, something caught my attention. One of my experimental golems was undergoing some kind of... change on the eighth floor. It was an Air Sprite, one of the older ones I''d summoned and recently transferred into a golem made of an experimental alloy. Whatever was happening to it was Utterly Fascinating. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- The sprite was so happy! It had found a great summoner that fed it lots of mana! The sprite knew it was much more intelligent than when it was summoned. Back then, it had expected to be summoned to some human mage, where it would provide light in exchange for mana. The mana the human provided would half again cover the cost of making the light, and slowly over many summonings, it would become more. The sprite wasn''t very old, but it knew it had the mana of a sprite that had existed for much longer, all thanks to its new summoner! Its original summoner was a monster, which the sprite thought odd. When the dungeon that made the monsters talked with it and offered such a generous contract, it couldn''t say no! Endless mana, as much or little as it wanted. In exchange, it would inhabit a metal body and defend the dungeon. If the body broke, it would even get a new one! Yes, Life is good. The sprite pulled up the arm of the body the dungeon claimed was made of ''Moonsilver-Mithril-Orichalcum'' Alloy. It had been happy with the ''Mithril'' body it had first received, but this one was a lot better. The sprite had watched, amused, as the dungeon''s attention flittered about its new body. The metal was very receptive to its mana and was easily molded to a form the sprite found pleasing. And as time passed, the sprite grew. She grew in size and complexity. She had even decided on a ''gender!'' She knew her ''mother'' would be so proud. And, once she was big enough, she felt the transformation begin. The mana that composed her compressed down into the core of the metal body, where it roiled and writhed. Everything that made her her was condensed and shoved together into that tiny space. When she emerged, it was not as a mere sprite. Like what the humans called a ''Butterfly,'' she emerged from her ''cocoon'' in a new form. The Spirit of Air burst from the core, and her being rushed to fill her metal limbs, the mana that composed her twisting and taking the incredible metal far beyond what she had once been capable of. She knew it was a good idea to take that contract! She stretched ''her'' arms and stirred up a nice breeze on the mountain with a casual wave of her hand. She began to dance with a ''smile'' on her ''face.'' She jumped and twirled, every move she made adding to the wind and picking up the snow, creating a beautiful swirling display of control. She felt exhilarated when she stopped and let the winds die down. It was all... So Easy! The inborn knowledge of her abilities suggested it should be much harder to reach the levels of control and power she had just displayed. There should be a learning curve, going from pushing air around to manipulating mass amounts over at least two years! She held up and marveled at her arms. There was no indication that they were even made of metal anymore, her mana having thoroughly changed the look and feel of the material. Any who would gaze upon her would see the wind personified. A swirling mass of snow flurries constrained into a humanoid shape. The gaps between the swirling winds that made up her arms were completely transparent, and she could see the rocky crags of the mountain through them. As she marveled at her newfound power, she felt the mental touch of the Dungeon ''knock'' on her mind. She gladly flung open the door. I see you''ve undergone a significant... evolution? Is that the correct term? Yes, oh Contractor. Sprites are the embryonic form of our life cycle and now, I am now a Spirit. She answered eagerly You seem significantly more powerful now, given that display. Is this amount of growth the average for your kind? She laughed. It was a light, airy giggle that held no malice. Certainly not! This is all thanks to the metal body you provided. Typically, a Spirit must grow from the size of a mere breeze, through a wind, to a storm. I skipped several levels, and from the looks of it, I could probably pass myself off as an Elemental! And how far above a spirit would you consider an Elemental to be? Oh, at least a decade of progress above a spirit. She chirped. We start as Sprites, and when we''ve gathered enough mana, we change into Spirits. Spirits spend years honing their control while gathering more mana and power. Then, we grow into Faries. This is where we should gain a mind more capable of complex reasoning. Flightly, but capable of thought beyond mere growth and strength. After long years of more development, and after being chosen by the deity of our Elements, we become Elementals. She looked down at her body, and with a burst of bubbling laughter rising from within, she launched herself into the air. She spent the next several hours playing with the bird of air, water, and lightning that her fascinating contractor had produced. Oh yes, she was absolutely delighted. If I''m this strong now, after a few weeks, who knows what''ll happen in a year''s time! -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 40 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- As I watched the ''Air Spirit'' play with Pyry, I felt... Vindicated. Something is going on here that I''ve been unaware of. A staged evolutionary path for beings formed of mana, when the rest of the world I''ve found myself in uses guided, incremental change to power themselves up? The strangeness of it all is... disturbing. From what my new Air Spirit told me, Sprites are the ''baby'' form. Unintelligent and instinctual, they search for sources of mana to grow. That matches with what I know about them. Peppy, easily bribed and distracted with mana. Spirits, the ''child'' form, gain more control and power with their elements. As they grow, they get more power, which requires more control, etcetera, etcetera. Fairies, when their intelligence reaches what I''d call ''human-level'' reasoning. Finally, Elementals. These are ''champions,'' as described by my new Spirit''s own words, chosen by that element''s deity. Which implies many things about the gods in particular. My first thought was that the gods of this world are mana-beings themselves, some unknown number of stages beyond Elementals. Perhaps, they are the ''apex'' of their element, holding dominion over it entirely. However, if the gods are mana-beings at the apex of their element, what of gods or goddesses of ''Justice'' or ''crafting''? Unless those concepts are just secondary, the main focus is on their ''element.'' Like the god of Light and Justice, for example¡ªan elemental alignment, with a concept attached. But I could be completely wrong. I have no way of knowing what is right until either I get a one-on-one with a god and can ask, or... I make my own. If they ARE just ancient and powerful mana-beings, could I raise one of the sprites I''ve contracted to that level? If the god of an element already exists, will the new ''god'' supplant or need to fight the old god. Or do they co-exist? Perhaps in a pantheon situation. And what exactly do gods get out of faith? I haven''t detected any energy from praying individuals. Maybe I just can''t see it. Either way, that possibility requires my theory to be true. In terms of mana-beings, I currently possess children where the gods are millennia-old ancients in comparison. If it IS possible, it will take a long, long time. But I can''t do anything about that now. I should focus on the stuff I can do. The basic elements are Water, Air, Fire, and Earth. As with most Fantasy Worlds. Next, we have what I would call direct upgrades or ''purer'' expressions of those elements. Water becomes Darkness, and Fire becomes Light. I don''t yet know the purer expressions of Earth or Air. I know three ''combined'' elements; Fire and Air combined make Lightning, Earth and Water create Ice, Fire and Earth make Metal. Yes, I figured out Ice. Hard water; It wasn''t too difficult once I set my mind to it. You would have expected it to be the higher expression of water, and I was shocked when I found that darkness was that expression. Then again, it makes sense. Below the waves lies impenetrable darkness, beyond which lurks monsters unimaginable. I''ve also discovered that metal isn''t the ''purer'' expression of Earth, but a combination of fire and earth, which makes sense. Makes me sad that lava mana doesn''t seem to be a thing, but I can fake it. I''m not sure yet if ''Life'' mana is a thing. From what I know of this ''elemental wheel'' I''m creating, it should be Air with either Water or Earth. It could be either, given that life requires air and water to live, and most plants take nutrients from the earth. The healers certainly do something funky when they heal up their patients, but I haven''t quite been able to figure out if it''s just an application of combining elemental mana or its own element altogether. In terms of my Mana-beings, a few are close to the mana density exhibited by the Air Spirit, and perhaps they will evolve soon too. Given the outrageous success of the alloy body I provided for the Air Spirit, I ordered Tear to stop making basic golems and focus on creating ones of the new alloy. Hopefully, I can switch the sprites over to these new bodies before their ''evolution.'' I don''t know if evolving in these bodies does something different. Still, it''s better than a plain old mithril body. That little task done, I turned my attention to the prisoners. -0-0-0-0-0- Unknown Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Kataren''s fingers moved with speed and precision, almost blurring the scrambled puzzle in her hand to her vision. Once you know how to solve these things, they''re pretty satisfying. It was a great source of frustration for her back when she couldn''t figure it out. But if you move these like that, you can put any face of the cube of cubes at any other point you want. She smiled with satisfaction at the colored cube, each side a solid color. She placed it on the ground next to the increasingly intricate and challenging puzzles. Some were just variations on the smaller version, using the same movements. Others were more esoteric. There were spheres, ones made of gears, triangles, etc. Kataren felt like things could be worse. Yes, she''s a prisoner of a dungeon and likely being experimented on, but she is alive. She has food. She has entertainment. The experiments seem limited to her food, for now, and haven''t impacted her since she overcame that mandarin addiction. She shivered slightly, remembering those horrible days after the dungeon had stopped providing her those delicious mandarins. She shook her head. No. Don''t think about them. When she heard the footsteps of her Kobold jailor, she welcomed the distraction. The Kobold was clad in looted mage robes personalized with feathers, fur, and bones. Kataren was surprised to see she wasn''t bearing a tray of food. Instead, she held a large ring of metal, one side hinged and the other open. A Collar. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The Kobold pressed a stone on the outside of the cell, and two of the bars sank into the floor. "The dungeon has found a use for you. Put this on," she demanded, holding out the metal ring, "and we will go. You can choose to stay here, of course. I don''t know why you would, but it is an option." Kataren thought carefully as she glanced between the indifferent monster and the collar. There was symbolism here. She knew the dungeon could have just put it on her when she was unconscious. It''s giving her a choice. If it had wanted to kill her, there were far more straightforward ways of accomplishing that than this. Slowly Kataren reached out, took the collar, raised it to her neck, and closed it. And nothing happened. She didn''t know what she expected, perhaps it would have mind-controlled her to be loyal, or maybe it can shock her at the dungeon''s will. "Good. Follow me," the Kobold ordered, walking to the door. Kataren stepped out of the cell for the first time in... well, she wasn''t exactly sure, but it wasn''t a short amount of time. She followed the kobold down a long stone-brick hallway, and they stopped at a dead end. The Kobold turned to her. "You are not permitted to know where we are exactly, nor how to get here. This next part we will pass through with you unconscious." The Kobold explained. Kataren was leery but assumed that was one of the collar''s functions. Again, it was a courtesy she hadn''t expected. The dungeon explained what was happening rather than just doing as it wished. She nodded her assent and knew no more. -0-0-0-0-0- The First Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Layla Losat stood inside the first cavern of the dungeon with Felin, Isid, and Jerrad. It had been months since she had first entered this place, and her eye was drawn to all the changes she had only heard about. The stone columns and slab roof emerging from the cavern wall evoked a feeling of ancient construction. Perhaps it was the subtle cracks in the stonework or its worn edges. She knew that more than a dozen historians from across Theona would have flocked to the site if this had been discovered outside of a dungeon. As it was, she knew this place hadn''t existed not too long ago. The dungeon could fake age in its structures easily, though to what purpose, she had no idea. Hopefully, today will grant her some answers. There were to be no delves today. Through the Guild, she had made it clear that the dungeon was off-limits just for today. She wasn''t closing it permanently. That had calmed the more annoyed guilders, though she was sure they would take the enforced day off to drink at the local taverns or explore the island. She cleared her throat and spoke. "We are here to talk. We know you understand us and have monsters capable of speech and request an audience. We will not attack your envoy and expect the same in return." A few seconds after she''d finished, a sudden gust blew out from the building before her. The mana-fire in the hanging lanterns lighting the columns flickered but remained lit. She had been heard. They remained there for a time, waiting. Not too long after the breeze, they heard the distinctive clang of metal armor and footsteps approach. From the tunnel emerged one of the ''greater'' lizard monsters. Though she had never seen one, it resembled the descriptions. To her vision, it was solidly in the realm of a Platinum. The three mostly similarly shaped monsters that emerged after it were weaker, though still Platinums. She mentally chastised herself. These monsters were not human and couldn''t be judged by human metrics. She had no sense of their skills or magic, only the mana level in their bodies. "You have requested an audience, and the Creator has answered. Speak your piece, human. The Creator listens." Layla resisted the urge to gulp at the monster''s deep tone. Its pronunciation was perfect and lacked any particular accent she could discern. "We have many questions we would like to ask the dungeon and wish to negotiate for their answers. We are offering our full effort in getting the bounty on your creator''s death removed in return for as many answers as we have questions." Layla stated. The monster made a considering noise. Suddenly, its body language shifted, and when it next spoke, its tone was completely different. Layla immediately knew that the monster wasn''t the one speaking anymore. "The bounty is irritating, I will admit. However, all it''s done so far is to throw more mana, memories, and skills my way. I''ve gained far more than I''ve lost in that regard. And to answer any question you ask is... a little open-ended. Ah, It has been a while since I''ve bartered. Let''s begin, shall we?" The monster''s toothy smile stretched across its snout, and Layla wondered what in the three hells she was getting herself into. -0-0-0-0-0- Layla stood from the chair and stretched. She had the chair, a table, and parchment brought in about halfway through the negotiations to write down the terms of the contract between the Medea Island Guild and the Medea Island Dungeon. Layla was sure that there would be riots if this document were ever revealed to the world or even the guilders on this island. The signed parchment was at least three feet long and contained, in exacting detail, the terms and conditions of the agreement between them. Some highlights included the Guilds agreement to have the bounty removed and that the dungeon would answer three questions a week, which they would need to pay for after today. The Guildmaster or Guildmistress of the Medea Island Guild had to be the one to ask these questions, and the answers would only be given to the Guildmistress or Guildmaster who asked. She had pushed for that stipulation and was relieved when the Dungeon had accepted with little argument. Of course, there were other things, but those were the most pertinent. "With that done, I would like to ask my questions," Layla stated. The monster possessed by the dungeon nodded. "Very well. Ask, and you shall receive your answers." It replied. Layla took a deep breath and asked her first question. "How old are you, exactly?" This was one of the most important questions and would answer many others. All of the guilders present leaned forwards as the monster raised a claw to its snout and rubbed its chin. "I''m not entirely sure. As far as I can recall, I have been awake and aware for about... A hundred and twenty cycles, give or take a few. I''m unsure how much time passed before I became aware." Layla nodded. That made sense, a hundred and twenty years was reasonable if it was this... cognizant, that entire time. "Have you ever been conquered or encountered humans before, in the time you have been aware?" "If I have been conquered, by your definition of the term, I do not remember it. I have indeed encountered humans before those merchants found the island, but I am unsure how long ago that was." Layla blinked. The dungeon... wasn''t lost? It hadn''t been conquered at all? That... Layla had a feeling the rest of these answers wouldn''t be quite what she expected. "The fate of several individual guilders and many entire parties are a bit nebulous, and the latest three to disappear were discovered having been... changed. Are any guilders who disappeared still alive?" "Some are, yes. You can consider the missing parties lost, but I have kept a few of the lost individuals prisoner. They are healthy and fed twice a day." Layla was barely surprised at this point. She opened her mouth to ask for clarification, but was cut off. "That is all the questions I have to answer today. From now on, I will expect you after sundown. I''ll provide a side-room to prevent any guilders overhearing as they leave after their delves. Goodnight, Guildmistress. I''m sure we''ll meet again soon." The group of monsters turned and walked away. Layla, Felin, Isid, and Jerrad collected the furniture and contract before leaving the dungeon. Layla felt drained. Mentally, she began preparations for shipping in a few breeding pairs of various animals. Until they got the bounty lifted, a breeding pair of animals that the dungeon didn''t already possess was their payment per questioning. Thankfully, she could choose what animals they had to hand over, and she wasn''t forced to hand over new animals weekly; only when she wanted questions answered. We really need to get that bounty sorted quickly. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 41 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Morning -0-0-0-0-0- As dawn broke on yet another day, guilders began their delves, utterly unaware of the negotiations between Neo and the very dungeon they were delving. I was initially uncertain of precisely what I wanted out of this deal. A breeding pair of an animal I haven''t yet encountered, each time I answered a few questions? More than acceptable, in my opinion. Yes, it would only be until they removed the bounty, but if they had the power to do that, they would have already. I think it will take a while for them to push this through, especially since the guild seems beholden to the local nobility wherever it exists, regardless of their vaunted neutrality. I was the reason the colony above was founded. I''m also their greatest source of income and their freshwater source. I expect to be receiving new animals for a good, long while. Two of my older sprites underwent their transformation into Spirits a few hours into the day. Both were among the first I had summoned, as with the air spirit. I had also recently transferred them from their old golem into ones made of that three-way alloy that I''ve decided to call ''Potentium'' for its incredible effect on Spirits. The first, an Earth spirit, could freely manipulate the earth around it, and its body could shift to any kind of stone it desired. It gained a fair amount of bulk and could redistribute its mass around its body. The Spirit relayed its masculine nature and, when prompted for a name, just hummed and wandered off, exploring the mines. The stone golems already in the mine followed him around, obviously curious. The second was a fire spirit. Like the other two, it was impossible to tell that it possessed a golem body unless you already knew. The flames that now made up the ''female'' spirit''s body were primarily orange, though the fire that looked to be in the ''core'' of her body was a blue-white mixture. She looked like a living flame in a humanoid shape. I don''t know how fire can have curves, but she managed it. This spirit I showed to the lava caverns. She seemed pleased. I''m not sure how much the humans know about mana-beings'' lifecycles, but if they know of elementals, I''m sure they''ll be freaked out by my having some wandering my floors. With that out of the way, it''s time to address my prisoners. I''ve decided their fates. The three ''heroes'' I''m going to execute. Their memories, skills, and magic are more valuable to me than any future experiments I might run on them. And keeping them alive serves no purpose since nothing I''ve tried has gotten past their '' defenses.'' That damn interference. I''m 100% certain it''s some kind of divine protection. It''s separate from them having cores since coreless humans still have this protection. I can experiment on any old human to get around that. The priest, I''m also going to execute. I''m sure that he will drum up some holy order and have them purge me if I ever release him. He also holds knowledge of magic I need. Potentially some manner of life magic, or even just healing spells. Beyond that, he refuses to interact with the monsters sent to give him food and eats a bare minimum. He''s far too skinny to be healthy. It''s... more merciful than letting him rot here. Kataren, well, I have plans for her. The woman has been very cooperative and displayed significant trust. I had her escorted to the drake-kin''s ''village.'' Here''s hoping she has some more character development. I''ve also decided to slow down the Kobold and Drake-kin reproductive speed since their numbers are... quite significant now. Gah, I''m distracting myself. Get it over with, man. My mental gaze focuses on the three ''heroes.'' They''ve long been plunged into unconsciousness and brought down just beyond my core room. Better to more quickly absorb their mana, you know. One by one, they are placed within a guillotine-like structure, and with a mental flick, the mithril blade falls. Once, Twice, Thrice. Three shades of mana absorbed later; I move on to the priest. He hadn''t had a collar, so I had to wait for him to fall asleep first. Like with my capture of the heroes, a shadow golem snapped a collar on the drooling man. He was also dragged down to my core room and placed on the guillotine. So the blade fell a fourth time. I know I''ve just crossed a line, but honestly? I can''t find it in me to care about these people, even after gaining all their memories. Blace was a frigid bitch to most people. It wasn''t a defense mechanism or anything, but more an example of how channeling mana can change a mage more subtly. ''Hotheaded'' fire mages, ''slow'' earth mages, etc. I already knew Titon and the other, Dorin, were arrogant arseholes. They used their fame and power to solicit man... favors... out of the women of various towns they passed through. They never cared about the consequences of these little flings, only their satisfaction. Polit was once a priest of a small temple to the God(dess?) of Healing, Asana. The being he worshipped was apparently non-gendered in some way. Not that mana beings have genders in the conventional sense. He served there, healing the sick and wounded who stumbled their way to the temple. One day, many years ago, the temple and surrounding town were razed by a wave of monsters who had surged out of two nearby and unknown dungeons. He had vowed to destroy as many of them as possible; they were evil and malicious beings in his mind. If I HAD released him, he would have done exactly as I had thought he would. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The context is nice, but the skills and new abilities I''ve gained are even better. It turns out Polit DID know Life Magic. Healing is a subset where you infuse life mana into a person, which helps speed along their recovery. Given that it also regrows limbs, I believe it taps into the patient''s DNA and uses that to determine what should be where. Blace also provided Ice magic. The far more comprehensive knowledge of mana, its various interactions, and forms was less expected. But welcome, nonetheless. Down on the Eighth floor, I granted the Ice Foxes their magic. It was a pleasure to watch them play and experiment with it. With so much snow covering the peaks, they had plenty of ammunition for a snowball fight. And let me tell you, snowballs created, levitated, and thrown with magic makes for an exciting battle. I convey the concepts of an avalanche, raining spikes of ice on an enemy, and using a blizzard to cover their approach. There is only one pack of them for now, but given that the vixens are heavy with pups, I''m sure that will change in a few days. I called down four kobolds from the third to the eighth. It''s Snowbold Time. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Losk of the Hunter Tribe wasn''t blindsided when the Creator chose him for a higher purpose, though he was surprised that he was among those chosen. He had heard stories from his mother and father that the Creator sometimes chose to elevate some kobolds beyond their current existence. Mushu and the various Drake-kin of the Seventh Floor were the most obvious examples. The Creator was the one who showed the Pheonix and Tiger tribes how to bond with their partners. The Creator taught the Ambush tribe how to take adventurers by surprise. The Hunter tribe was known for raising the fiercest warriors, and the Creator used to choose from among them to replace the lost defenders in the ruins of the jungle below. At least, until it had granted the current guardians immortality. Those chosen warriors could now fight and improve for all time. Eventually, they would become so skilled no invader would ever be able to overcome them, Losk was sure. However, this left the Hunter and various shaman-heavy tribes in a lurch. If they could not be chosen to fight for their Creator, what were they to do? They should never have doubted their Creator. The Creator came in the middle of a day-cycle and called three tribes to travel down to the Eighth. The Hunter, Water, and Clamber Tribes. They all migrated together, passing through hidden tunnels on the Fourth to avoid the delvers struggling against the rats. Losk was overcome with awe as they moved through the scorched plains of the Sixth. The living flame that greeted their convoy was incredible. To his eyes, the Drake-kin and Golems that inhabited the Seventh were even more impressive. The clear blue skies and rising peaks of the Eighth felt like coming home. The Creator guided each tribe to their own cave, one per peak. The Hunter tribe was situated in the middle peak, a reasonable distance from the path the invaders would be forced to take. Once they had reached their new home, the Creator showed them the small cavern within the mountain and the stone homes built into the walls of said cavern. It was bare, but they had brought their furs and decorations. The Creator claimed the entrance was warded with illusions and, beyond the stone door, which would only move when a monster wished to pass, the whole area would seem barren and uninteresting to all invaders who would observe it. Then, The Creator asked permission to elevate them. None would dare deny The Creator. It started slowly. Losk felt his limbs lengthen, and he could no longer feel the lethargy the ever-present chill of the mountain air induced in him. Losk suddenly realized he was no longer cold-blooded. He was still cold but in a different way. His wiry frame filled out, and he watched the color of his scales fade to a pure white. More shocking was the white fur that sprouted from his wrists, ankles, around his neck, and from his head. Warm. That was his first thought. It felt like laying under the mana-sun, back on the Third. He blinked and looked around at the others. They displayed the same traits he had observed, with some others he couldn''t exactly see on himself. Though, he did note their scales were all some shade of blue-white. The entire tribe had retained their Kobold features rather than becoming more like the Drake-kin as Losk had expected. You have the correct form, my Snowbolds, and those who have gained Ice mana will need to practice, but you are not yet as powerful as you need to be. To survive as the defenders of this floor, it will take at least another week of mana infusions. I will give you time between each to acclimate to your new power. Losk mentally reaffirmed his service to The Creator and pledged. Not one Invader would pass. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Day -0-0-0-0-0- The Snowbold populations settled well overnight, spreading their decorations over their new homes. I anticipated a few of them bonding to Ice Foxes in the days to come. Yeti, I feel, should be born of some kind of ape or bovine. Ape for their commonly depicted form, and Bovine because the hair attributed to them was often Yak fur. With the Eighth floor''s construction and first pass tentatively complete, I moved onto the next floor. It''s funny; I''m not really going any deeper right now; the progress has been more horizontal for the last two floors. ''Floor'' isn''t really appropriate, but neither are any other words I can think of. Section? Nah. I''ll just keep using floors. Either way. The Ninth. As I planned earlier, this would be a Canyon Floor, in the style of the Grand Canyon. The guilders will enter the floor from above the canyon, overlooking the river and a little greenery at the bottom. The exit would be on the other side, requiring them to climb down, cross the raging river, then ascend to the other side. But not just that, the exit won''t just be across the way. They would have to travel through the three-kilometer canyon first. The canyon walls would be too steep to ascend any sooner than that. There will be no easy passage over the river. No bridges, no fallen trees, no shallow or slow-moving water. No stone-strewn rapids either. They''ll need to think of a solution themselves. Above the rims of each side of the canyon will be small deserts, occupied by (hopefully) scorpion monsters and Antlions¡ªincredibly hostile territory all around. The canyon itself, I''m not sure about yet. I''ll need to think about that. Image firmly in mind, I began carving out the next floor. It was almost meditative; the cycle of saturating the stone with mana and pulling the surface layer away, then transporting the resulting gravel and sand out to the seabed above. I''ll need to take some normal sand from the surface to fill my deserts, to get the right aesthetic. Yes... For the rest of the day, I let myself get lost in the work. It was nowhere near done by the next morning. There''s plenty of digging left to do. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 42 -0-0-0-0-0- Port Medea, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea The Next Day -0-0-0-0-0- Captain Eli Hart stood on the deck of his ship as it pulled into Port Medea once again. To think that he had once discovered this island. Mere months ago, it was utterly deserted, and now? Now it held a thriving port. The squat lighthouse situated above the dungeon made locating the island much easier for Eli earlier, before the break of dawn. The other three ships docked here showed how valuable Medea was as a trading hub; merchants from both the western and eastern continents quickly added the island to their routes. It meant they wouldn''t need to carry as much fresh water, or food, since they could replenish here. In turn, that meant they could ship more goods. If his eyes were correct, the ship docked next to his was unloading a small herd of Cattle and a flock of sheep. He nodded, a wry grin on his face. I should have thought of that... he wondered. Livestock would have made a significant profit, though it would only be that profitable the first time. "Gresh! I''m going ashore to make contact with my merchant friend. Get the cargo ashore, and make sure the count is right!" He shouted behind him as he strode down the gangplank. He smiled to himself as he heard Gresh shouting after him. Something about how he was meant to be a navigator, not a midshipman. As he left the bustling docks and entered the town proper, he was struck by the differences since his last visit. The buildings looked sturdier; previously, flimsy wooden walls had been replaced with a slightly sparkling black cobbled stone. It turned out someone established a quarry on the island, where they extracted this black stone, shot through with glistening points. He could see some walls going up around the manor on the hill, formed of large blocks of the same stone. As he had the last time he was on the island, he passed through the market and listened to the local gossip. The biggest news was centered around the dungeon, as always. There were whispers that the local Guild had managed to reach the fifth floor, though the only ones who had yet managed that feat were... Them. Not just that, but They had lost three members down there. Three! Once again, Eli mentally congratulated himself for not trying to push deeper into this dungeon when he''d found it. Walking into the first cavern had lost two capable deckhands and guards. If They couldn''t even get past the fifth floor... With all their experience and power? Eli shuddered. Thinking about how many floors it might have and how many monsters it contained sent a chill down his spine. For the next half hour, Eli perused the market. He kept an ear out for news on the dungeon while checking out the treasures plundered from it. The animal skins, each a different, radiant hue, were particularly interesting to him. The fur was relatively soft and, as something taken from a dungeon monster, far sturdier than what a normal animal would produce. He knew that not all of these pelts would be sold whole like this. Some would be cured and turned into armor. Good armor if the proper enchantments were added. The food and produce side of the market was much the same as before, though some of the fish hanging on display were genuinely ridiculous in size. He would have expected them to be dungeon monsters, but upon inquiry, he discovered that they had been pulled from the sea, off the reef surrounding the island''s southern half. Fascinating... The seagulls here also seemed... more considerable than those he remembered from other coastal cities. Is it the dungeon? Eli couldn''t remember if animals outside of dungeons were capable of this... He shook his head and moved off to meet his contact. Eli was sure that this trip would prove even more profitable than the last. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- After two nights and a day of focused work, I pulled away from the slowly forming Ninth floor. I''d made good progress. About a third of the cavern has been excavated, but there will be plenty of work left even after that''s done. I envision that this cavern will be even more enormous than the Eighth. Mainly because there won''t be three mountain peaks in the middle, but the canyon in the floor will contribute to that. Monsters... Perhaps I can put those intelligent crabs down in the canyon? They might need some adjustment, but it should work... I''d prefer some more desert-dwelling monsters, though. Guess I''ll have to wait for Neo to provide some. Giving myself a break from the Ninth, I checked over the Eighth. The newly created Snowbolds have settled in nicely. One of the tribes made contact with an Ice Fox Pack, and I have high hopes for some synergy there. Pyry is still a singular existence, unfortunately. The lord of the town above, Lord Medean, decided that falconry just wasn''t his thing and didn''t wish to waste time or money on another raptor that would also fly away. Fair enough, but not exactly in my favor. Another species I can request from Neo. The Air Spirit has yet to ask for, or provide, a name. The Earth Spirit and Fire Spirits also haven''t chosen names. I could give them some, but I think I''ll give them a choice. Name yourselves, or suffer my terrible naming sense. My spies have informed me that one of the merchants brought in some herds of domestic animals: cows, sheep, chickens, and a couple of goats. I can''t steal them right now without drawing undue attention... unless I can fake a wild monster attack. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Huh. If I use one of my hidden entrances to sneak out a ''unique'' monster, something I don''t plan to use in my dungeon... Have it attack the farms with animals and steal a breeding pair of each animal... Then get caught and slaughtered. The main entrance is watched 24/7, and given normal dungeons don''t seem even to consider the possibility of making secondary or ancillary entrances, the locals don''t consider it either. So sneaking a monster out will be easy. Though making an entirely new jungle-dwelling monster will be interesting. So, what to use as a base... There are the lizards; I could do something like a Komodo Dragon? Though, some might connect that to my kobolds. It might be good for the Ninth, though. I''ve used most of the animals on this island, so I''m just going to have to get... creative. So, We''ll start with... Ah! These will do. There are some sea snakes in the reef off the island. While adapted for the sea, a few modifications will have it back on land in no time. We''ll... grab seven of them. Four females, three males. Some of my monster fish snag them from the reef and bring them into the dungeon. First, I''ll un-flatten their bodies and pump them up a bit. Now, Sea snakes are venomous. Very venomous. More than most land snakes, even. Since they''re already related, I''ll make them into true cobras; rather than get rid of the venom and make them constrictors. So, a few behavioral and visual changes later, I have an entirely new cobra. It''s primarily green-scaled with brown markings to camouflage against the jungle floor. Might need to spread a few ''normal'' snakes across the island and have them seem native. The humans haven''t fully explored the deeper jungle on the other side of the island to their port, which will do nicely. I''ll send the three males and three females off now, keeping one of the females to make my monster. The first thing I want to change is its size. A four-foot snake is intimidating, but it could be more intimidating. Hmm... Basilisk sized? No, that''s too big. But a Titanoboa? That seems right. A forty-foot snake, with a head three feet across. Sixteen venom-injecting fangs, rather than four, to fill out that enormous mouth. Keep the coloration the same to link it to its smaller cousins. Make sure to add a fair amount of bulk, too. This will be the Constrictor Cobra, which will do exactly what its name suggests. A one-off monster, to kidnap some domestic animals for me to make into more monsters. I admired my creation as it investigated its new body. Now to get it out of the dungeon... The tunnel I used to steal dirt for the third floor is still there. Yes, that''ll work. -0-0-0-0-0- The Rusty Sword, Port Medea, Medea Island Two Days Later -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem Linus frowned to himself as he sipped at the imported spirit. This wasn''t his usual tavern since it was on the other side of town from the dungeon. It catered more to the average population than the larger ones in the middle of town. He''d wanted some peace, though, away from the clamoring Golds who wanted tips and tricks, for him to ''reveal his secret.'' He told them there was no secret, merely hard work. Most accepted that, though a few fools couldn''t understand. Flasa and Bertram were taking their Platinum exams, so he didn''t even have them to help fend off the persistent ones. Thus, the small bar no one would expect him to be using. That it seemed to stock a spirit he hadn''t tried before was a bonus. "Distilled from potato, you say? I can''t taste anything." The bartender nodded, watching him closely. "Aye, from the northern territories. Not much grows there, but the potato is a hardy crop. There are rumors that the potatoes this spirit was grown from were found in a dungeon. They say the locals found it and started growing it outside when they saw that it could grow even in a foot of snow." The bartender revealed in a conspiratorial whisper. Haythem nodded. Yeah, that would do it. Dungeon Crops were hardy, even when grown outside dungeons. Though, to a lesser extent. There wasn''t the mana density outside of dungeons to support the insane growth rates they could demonstrate. "Well, I''d be careful if I was you. This doesn''t taste like anything; if I didn''t know better, I''d have mistaken it for mere water." Haythem answered. "Watch those who drink it. They''ll get hammered on this more quickly than they''re used to. Some might even die. Also, make sure to check your deliveries. Who knows if they''ll start diluting their product and selling it as full-strength." The bartender nodded sagely, and his eyes narrowed in thought. He opened his mouth to continue, but the door slammed open before he could get a word out. "Monster! Wild Monster in the jungle!" The man who burst through the doorway was slick with sweat and panting. His eyes held a wild panic Haythem recognized. "Giant Snake! It''s attacking the farms outside town, eating all the animals it can find!" Haythem finished his drink and stood. By the time he''d reached the door, the man, presumably a farmer, was gone. A glance showed he was running back into town, screaming warnings at the top of his lungs. He could see some other Guilders taking note. He started sprinting out of town, the dirt road leading off towards the farmlands on the northern half of the island. Very quickly, he found the problem. As the man had claimed, there was indeed a giant snake. It was rampaging across the paddocks, crushing and swallowing whole some recently-shorn sheep. From the lumps running down Its length, it had already eaten at least six. He drew his sword and abruptly realized that he wasn''t wearing armor. The snake realized he was there as his sword rang from its drawing. It hissed in his direction and drew its head high. In seconds, its tail end was bunched up behind it in a mound of mottled green-and-brown scales. Haythem realized its body was as thick as a cow as it reared even higher, taller than the Inn he''d just left. The scales at the side of its head and down its neck flared sideways. The giant cobra''s hood extended, and it seemed to triple the size of its head. The snake''s open jaw was large enough to swallow him whole easily. He could only assume the six fangs on the upper and lower jaws were venom- Dodge! Haythem rolled to the side as the snake struck the ground he''d stood on seconds ago. He swung, but the snake was already drawing back. He was only fast enough to nick its slit nostrils even at his current speed. "Ha! Come again, beast! You couldn''t hit a wounded Slacken if you tried!" He taunted. The words didn''t matter since he knew it was more about the tone they were delivered in. The snake hissed at him again, the sound loud and angry. The Snake struck again, but this time Haythem was ready. With a sidestep and swing, his sword embedded deeply into the snake''s hood. When It jerked back in pain, he held on tight. The next thirty seconds were a blur as the snake shook him from side to side, writhing as it attempted to dislodge him. Gripping tightly with one hand, Haythem pulled a small dagger from its sheath at the small of his back with his other hand and plunged the silvery blade through the back of the monster''s skull. Unfortunately, his blade wasn''t long enough to kill it in one blow. The snake hissed in pain again, and he could feel it was about to slam him to the ground. In two smooth movements, he pulled his sword from the snake''s hood and plunged it back in, next to his dagger. Suddenly, the snake went boneless and slumped forward. As the head approached the ground, Haythem planted his foot and jumped forward, eyes closed. He hit the ground with a roll, leading into a walk. Behind him, the head hit the ground with a loud thump, causing some minor shaking. Haythem opened his eyes to see the slack-jawed expressions of more than a dozen guilders. Their weapons were drawn and raised as if they''d been running to aid him. He turned back to the snake, retrieved his sword and dagger, and then sat on the head. He looked out at the still dumb-struck guilders. "Can someone get a guild representative? I need to know if there''s a bounty on this monster yet!" -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 43 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- As my Constrictor Cobra got killed by one of the more successful delvers, I took note of the weaknesses he took advantage of. The snake''s intelligence was lacking if it had been so easily baited, and its response to the man clinging to the back of its head was... disappointing. Bucking like a bull wasn''t effective against Platinums; its best chance would have been to slam the man against the ground. Something to keep in mind. One thing to note though is that I think the guilder, Haythem, got a much larger percentage of the monster''s mana than he would have inside the dungeon. I can''t confirm it, but I feel he would get more ''experience'' out of it without the natural ''suction'' being in my dungeon caused to all the free-floating, unaligned mana inside. Either way, I had two days of use out of my new deniable asset before it got demolished. And I made sure to get plenty of use out of it. On the first day, I kidnapped three cows and one bull. How? By having my Giant Snake wrap them up in its coils one by one and run off with them. I made sure that it only attacked when no shepherds were watching, so the first thing they knew about their missing animals was when they counted and found some missing. I didn''t take their largest bull, though. I don''t want to ruin them. On the second day, I attacked a different farm. I stole six sheep and two rams. They had more sheep than the other farm had cattle, so I didn''t feel bad about it. I also wanted chickens, but the henhouses were much closer to the farmhouses, and the risk was too high for me. The farmers were also much more aware and active, keeping an eye on their flocks and herds. With the number of missing animals in such a short time, and broken fences leading into the jungle, the cause was obvious. They couldn''t figure out what was ''killing'' their animals since the tracks it left were strange since it''s not like any average person has seen the tracks left by a giant snake before. And now that its tasks had been fulfilled, I''d needed to decide what to do about the giant snake monster in the jungle. And just leaving it there wasn''t an option. I could have brought it down into the dungeon. Make it a desert snake for the Ninth floor. Huh, that''s not a bad idea. When their numbers are bigger, I might nick a few of those I released on the surface. But anyway, The Cobra Constrictor was big, aggressive, and dangerous when not directly controlled by me. Leaving it in the jungle could get ordinary people killed, people who do not wish to see me dead since they made the town in the first place because I''m here. Thus, I had it attack a herd of sheep openly, one pretty close to town. The shepherds watching their flock saw the monster and ran for help while it was distracted by their animals. The shepherds alerted the nearby guilders, who included Haythem, one of my long-term delvers who doesn''t seem to want to cash in on the bounty anymore. He dealt with the monster in style, which works for me. But with that sorted, I can focus on my newest acquisitions. I now have sheep and cows. The first thing I''m going to do is modify the sheep into two distinct species. I gave one group a more goat-like body with greater balance and climbing instincts. Given these were domestic sheep, I also made sure to lower their wool production and put a cap on how long it could grow. These will live on the Eighth floor, scaling the mountain''s various peaks. I gave both genders forward-facing, deer-like horns. I tried my best to remove that pesky head-butting tendency, so they didn''t gore each other in the future. Not sure if it worked yet. I modified the other group of sheep quite a bit more. The first thing to do was make them bipedal, which involved tweaking their legs and muscles to make it work. I stopped their wool growth entirely, relegating it to a skinny coat. I also did a bit of pigment augmentation to make their skin black and their wool shades of red. I turned the insulation of their coats to keep out the heat rather than keep it in and adjusted their different body parts to the heat-resistant examples I had already developed. I increased their intelligence to Drake-kin levels and made their upper limbs end in hand-like claws rather than hooves. Happy with them so far, I released them on the sixth floor. Yes, I made Sheep Demons. I ensured they contacted Tear to get appropriately equipped before leading them to their new home. They''ll sit tight and raise their numbers for a while before mixing with the other monsters on the floor and training for future defense efforts. The Cows, however... I don''t quite know what to do with them yet. There''s the obvious route of minotaurs, giant bulls, etc. Perhaps for the floor after the desert. Maybe some rolling plains? Bah, that''s quite a time away, given my progress on the ninth. For now, I''ll put them in their own little meadow. Speaking of the Desert Canyon, progress has stalled while I worked on acquiring and modifying my new monsters. I''ll focus on construction for the next few days. Perhaps I can get the whole cavern carved out and begin its transformation into a desert. I also need a fresh water river running through the canyon, too... perhaps I can have the water from that lead into a lake in the plains on the tenth? Yes. That sounds appropriate. I''d like horses for this future floor, but while some have been brought to the island, they''re primarily workhorses used to pull carts of produce from the farms into the port. If some nobles bring some in for pleasure riding or to pull ornate carriages, I''ll take those. It''s not like they can''t replace them. -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Kataren woke up to another day in the Drake-Kin Village, just as she had the last six. She opened her eyes as her room was brightened by the light shining in the window. The room was sparsely decorated, as the Drake-kin believed heavily that the occupant had the right to decorate their living space. She had been encouraged to find things that pleased her or brought her joy. Every day she spent here, she was freshly reminded that her captors were more than raving monsters. They were people with their own wants, likes, dislikes, and desires. She often thought about the oddly shaped monster cores she had retrieved from their lesser cousins, the Kobolds... was it months ago now? She wasn''t sure. Their cores were pointed. Not to the extent of those found in guilders, but they seemed to be headed in that direction. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. There was a knock on the carved wooden doorframe, and a grey-scaled claw pushed aside the woven curtain that acted as her door. "It''s time to rise, Kata. We have plenty of work lined up today," the Drake-kin announced. Kataren nodded and sat up, pushing aside the warm blankets woven from the shed fur of Chromatic Tigers. "I''ll be out in a few minutes, Huea." She replied. The grey head of her housemate/guard nodded and retreated, the curtain falling back down. Kataren stood from the crude bed and crossed the room to the small chest that contained her possessions. She pulled out the surprisingly comfortable cloth under-tunic and donned the simple leather-and-fur armor over it. The clothes weren''t bad, any way you look at them. Just simple. Though sometimes she wished for the expensive fabrics and enchanted gear she had once used. No point in that, though. She was sure the Dungeon had probably given them to one of its defenders to use or study. As she pulled on the clothes, her hand brushed the warm metal of her collar, a reminder that she was a prisoner in this place, even if she wasn''t alone in a cell. She closed the chest, leaving her puzzle cubes inside. Clothed and ready for the day, she pushed past the curtain door and out into the communal room. Drake-kin dwellings are quite like what she had experienced with inns. Everyone had their own rooms connected to a group living space where they could mingle and eat. This morning Kataren emerged to find a dozen Drake-kin all eating what smelled like Grilled Fish. She searched the brown and grey scaled heads for a particular headdress and quickly identified the correct one as its owner waved to her. Huea was a Mage, or ''Shaman'' as the Drake-kin called them. There were a few others in this dwelling, but many were warriors or archers. Something they all shared was that they were young; from what she could figure out, they only recently became ''of age'' and would be expected to contribute to the defense of the dungeon when the time came. She navigated around the packed tables to the small one her watcher occupied. "So, what are we doing today?" She asked as she sat down and started eating the food Huea had grabbed for her. "Well, to start the day will be some physical training with the more elite Drake-kin." Huea began, giving her what she''d come to learn was a smirk. "They need practice. Afterward, the Shaman Council wants to ask more questions about magic and the elements." Kataren nodded between bites. She wasn''t exactly pleased to be training monsters to kill her fellow Guilders or giving their mages more knowledge to exploit for the same ends. It''s not like she had much of a choice, though. It was this or go back to the Cell. She much preferred being here surrounded by people than in that dark, blank, unfeeling cell. So, she quickly finished her meal and left the building with Huea. They pushed past the entrance curtain, which depicted a young warrior raising his spear, and out into the bustling cavern. There were dozens of openings on three tiers in the rock, just like the one she''d just left. She emerged onto the highest tier and had to travel down a few staircases to get to the training grounds, a small pit in the middle of the cavern. There were already a few duels in progress, using wooden weapons. She spotted a couple of warriors that she recognized from previous fights. They''d put up a decent challenge. And it wasn''t like she was a dedicated swordswoman either. The twins could have beaten her at any time. However, Kataren was at least partially trained and could hold her own, especially one-on-one. "So, who am I fighting first?" She asked, just before a wave of silence spread across the cavern. Heads turned, following and moving out of the way of their leader. Mushu strode confidently to the center of the dueling area and locked eyes with her. "I will be your opponent today, Guilder." The Drake-kin, easily half again as large as any of the others around them, drew his spiked mace. "Draw your weapon. I wish to test my skill against yours." Kataren gulped. This... would be painful. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I smirked as Kataren squared up against Mushu for their duel. I made sure to tell him not to injure her badly. She was far more useful to me alive than as a corpse. The Drake-kin of the Seventh Floor Village surrounded the arena to watch. As I was settling in to watch, I felt a familiar mana signature enter my dungeon. Really? NOW?! Urghhhhhh. Fine. Reluctantly, I pulled away from the fight as Mushu rushed in, mace raised. I''ll have to catch their next fight, I guess. I let my focus shift to the first floor, where Neo had just entered, escorted by her ever-present shadow. She hadn''t brought her aunt and uncle this time, though I could see them in the line of delvers through Gull''s eyes. The sun had yet to rise, though my monsters were already up and about. It looks like she wants to get this done before the delvers enter. She crossed the cavern, approaching the stone structure around the cavern to the next room. I flicked a string of mana, causing a section of the stone bricks against the wall to loudly and obviously, shift. The stones rotated and moved aside as a specific alleyway wall did. Neo and her guard passed through and found themselves inside a bare room with a table and two chairs, with a door opposite the one they entered. From the other side, Teka emerged. She sat down at the table after giving and receiving an acknowledging nod. "I am Teka. Provide the animals and ask your questions." She started. Neo nodded, took a pouch from her side, and then placed it on the table. She reached inside, her arm up to her shoulder being engulfed in the small bag made of a silk-like material. She pulled out two small cages, which deformed the opening unnaturally as they passed through. Each cage contained a... rabbit. Ha. Haha. HAHA. AHAHAHAHAHA. SHE THINKS I CAN''T MAKE A MONSTER FROM A RABBIT?! BIG MISTAKE! "A breeding pair of central Phenocian Rabbits. The cage on the left is the male, and the female''s on the right." She pushed the cages across the table for Teka to examine. She squinted her slitted eyes at the rabbits. She must have caught some of my amusement because she gave a toothy smirk. I quickly relayed how she was to respond. I wasn''t going to possess her. "The Dungeon is pleased by your offering. Ask your questions." She said. Another Kobold entered through the dungeon-side door and retrieved the cages as Neo began. She sounded like she''d practiced these lines a few times over the last week. "My first question. How deep is the dungeon, currently, in terms of floors." She stated. Hmm. She''s learned about vague wordings, I see. "The Dungeon is currently constructing their ninth floor." She responded after a second. That certainly surprised the guildmistress. I''d overheard her discussing theories with her secretary/guard, and I knew one of her more certain ones was that I was at least twenty floors deep. "My second question." Neo continued, "Is about your Floor Guardians. We''ve noticed that the Guardian of the Third Floor is identical in looks and voice to the one killed a few weeks ago. Is it the same monster, or one that closely resembles it?" Oof. She''s asking the tough questions today. And I couldn''t even prepare for these since she''d recently put anti-eavesdropping wards over her desk. Just the desk, not the whole room like the twins had. "Mushu, the First Drake-kin, is indeed the same as the one slain," Teka responded, emphasizing the boss monster''s name and race. "The dungeon provided him a new body so he might continue his vigil." Neo nodded like she expected that answer and was merely confirming it. Well, her aunt had indeed gone back down and fought Mushu again, actually managing to slay him that time. She would have observed the respawn crystal''s mana-net catching the boss monster''s mana. "Third, have you ever encountered sapient beings from outside the dungeon besides humans?" Another very particular question. "The Dungeon has not. The only other sapient beings the dungeon had seen are the ones it has made." Teka responded. I considered my more intelligent monsters sapient at this point, with or without that pointy core. They were capable of making their own choices and decisions beyond their next meal or base instinct. They worked to improve themselves and their surroundings. Neo nodded slowly. "Thank you for answering my questions, Teka," Neo said politely. Teka looked at the hand suspiciously but, at my prompting, reached out and delicately shook the hand up and down. It wasn''t quite a traditional handshake, but it was close enough. "I was only fulfilling the Dungeon''s part of the contract," Teka answered. Neo retracted her hand and left the small room. She left the dungeon with a few minutes to spare before sunrise. I quickly ordered the rabbits brought to the same cavern as the cows, then rushed down to the Seventh. DAMN IT! I MISSED THE FIGHT! -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 44 -0-0-0-0-0- The Drake-kin Village, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon, That Same Morning -0-0-0-0-0- Mushu sat to the side of the training area, the others of his species giving him a decent amount of respect. The cuts on his body had long healed, though the blood he shed remained. On the other side of the arena, Kataren had recovered from their fight and had begun putting the young warriors through a series of drills he vaguely recognized. He accepted a wet rag from an eager juvenile, who looked at him with awe. He nodded his thanks and began slowly wiping off the blood, mind churning over the fight. With the Creator''s declaration that he wasn''t to cause significant injury, Mushu had declared that his win condition would be first blood, and Kataren''s would be by landing ten blows. If either of them left the dueling circle, the other would be victorious. She had nodded and entered a defensive stance. That made sense to him; she would lose if he scored even a single blow. So, she would focus on dodging and deflecting his strikes. He began with a few tests of her defenses with probing sweeps of his mace. He didn''t swing hard, merely fast. Her eyes tracked the head of the weapon smoothly. She leaned back to avoid the first swing, ducked under the returning backclaw swing, and took advantage of the overextension of his third swing to dodge past him, scouring a light cut. They had stood apart then, eyes scanning the other. Mushu didn''t bother checking his wound; he knew it was already healed, even if the purplish blood hid the smooth scales below. "One," He acknowledged. Kataren had nodded, maintaining her defensive stance. Here, he had decided to use his size and mass advantage. She could not match the power he put behind his strikes nor exert the force needed to move him physically. Likewise, she couldn''t match the force he could put behind his weapon. The ''Morning Star'' was a spiked ball mounted on a seven-foot shaft. It was a brutal weapon to master, and he knew that his strength made it far easier to manage. He shifted from his two-clawed grip, holding it with just his right claw. Though more challenging to handle one-clawed, he would need his off-claw to ward off any further attacks of opportunity. He swung the Morning Star with just as much force. He didn''t attempt to swing the other way when she ducked under the mace. Instead allowed the weapon''s momentum to grow further, raising his arm to let it swing behind him. He saw her eyes widen in realization as he brought it too low for her to duck but too high to leap over. She couldn''t afford to let him push her too far back, or she would be forced from the dueling circle. She dodged backward; her back foot placed just inside the circle. She then exploded forwards after his swing had passed. He accelerated his swing, but she hadn''t let him complete it. Kataren delivered three rapid slashes, cutting another two shallow lines before he caught the third on his claw, and clutched at the blade. A quick pull and her sword was thrown from the circle, leaving her defenseless. Mushu glanced at his hand, noting the two lines of blood on his palm and two on his arm. "Five," he declared. "Though I wish you luck on landing any more wounds." She then spent the next minute of combat desperately dodging his strikes. She had no backup weapon, after all. He was sure she would soon tire or be forced from the circle. What truly surprised him was when she pulled a sword from the sheath of a Warrior standing too close to the edge of the circle. She turned and bared her teeth at him, her eyes glittering victoriously. "I''ve got you now," Kataren warned. "I have your measure." She exploded forwards, displaying a speed measurable faster than she had yet shown. Before Mushu could bring his weapon to bear, she cut his left arm another three times. Her fourth blow landed on the shaft of his mace, and he pushed her back, hoping to unbalance the woman. Not only did she move with the shove, but she bounced forwards and landed two more cuts. Her tenth. He had raised his bloody arm, palm open. "Ten. The human wins." The crowd around them, and even Kataren herself, were shocked. Though, many had quickly rallied and delivered some polite applause. The loudest of whom seemed to be her guard. And that led him to the present moment, wiping off the blood as he observed the woman training. The fully-grown Drake-kin she was instructing followed her movements keenly, and he was sure a few of the younger juveniles were looking at her with some awe. Mushu still wasn''t sure of the human. The Creator had held her prisoner for months now, and she was ignorant of the fate of her old party. He was sure she had never realized they had also held the healer of their party in the cell next to her own. The female assigned to guard Kataren, Huea, had been the one to confront the female twin in the carefully-planned ambush that had ultimately claimed their lives. He stood from the stone bench, collected his weapon, and strode from the village. He needed to return to his post for the day. The guilders were getting faster at finding his arena, true, though there was a minimum time it took to reach him. The creator had informed him that Isid and Jerrad would be returning, this time fully aware he was the same being they had first encountered. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. He would demonstrate to them just how much he had grown since their first encounter. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I turned my attention away from the drake-kin that had just finished describing the fight to a room full of warriors. If nothing had been exaggerated or embellished, then Mushu had swung with far more force than necessary in a training bout. Though to her credit, Kataren had been more than agile enough to keep out of his way. I won''t reprimand him this time. I''m sure Mushu will wish for a re-match. I''ll make sure I''m there to observe the next fight. I let my mind wander as my focus shifts to the Ninth floor. The cavern still has a lot of work to go. Also, thinking about it, my idea to use ocean sand might not be the best. Desert Sand and Ocean Sand are made in almost opposite manners and have vastly different properties. Hmm. The rock down here is relatively light compared to the higher layers... perhaps instead of just dumping the sand produced from carving out the cavern into the ocean, I could repurpose it. It won''t be perfect, though. I''ll need to set up the environmental enchantments to push the sand closer to its optimal condition. A constant wind that will create a shifting landscape of dunes. For the next three days, I lost myself in the meditative process of carving out my newest ''floor.'' I was done carving out the desert area in one and a half days and spent the second part starting the canyon. I let myself relax and looked over my work with a critical eye. Yes, I hadn''t deviated from my planned design anywhere. The stone from my construction had been left in dune-like piles across the floor, though the grains were nowhere near small or uniform enough to look right. The first thing to do is grind those rocks to a fine powder. I don''t want flour-fine, but I do have the beach on the surface to reference for grain sizes. It should be at least a third the size of the beach sand if I want the wind to push the dunes around right. Hmm. I''m sure I didn''t know about the properties of dune sand versus beach sand in my old life... Strange. Getting one dune to the right consistency and size didn''t take too long, only about half an hour. With the yellow-white tinged mana-star set into the same day-night cycle as the Mountains and Jungle, I can confidently say my manufactured dune looks close enough to one from my old world. I quickly moved on to the next, then the next. Looking at all the other ''dunes'' I had left, I figured I only had to do it about a thousand more times, given the larger size of the area I''d designated as ''desert.'' I''m not looking forward to this, but letting the wind do the work would take far too long. At least it''s something to do. -0-0-0-0-0- The Blushing Duchess, Near Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Haylae Kolchiss, the firstborn of Count Kolchiss, was once again desperately holding down her nausea as the flagship of her father''s fleet rolled from side to side on the ocean''s swell. She was sure she hadn''t managed to hide her queasiness if the amused looks her father was shooting her were any indication. "Ah, I remember my first time on a ship. There is no shame in showing your nausea, Haylae." He placated when she turned a glare on him. "Seasickness can strike even the most hardened knight." Haylae conceded the point with a short nod and turned her gaze to the horizon. Throughout the trip, she found that focusing on that boundary of sky and sea helped quell the urge to empty her stomach into the ocean. Her father sighed at her silent response. She hadn''t said a word to him since he had announced her betrothal. "Little Lae, I know you aren''t pleased by your betrothal to the younger Medean. I know your mother certainly showed her displeasure for our marriage enough in the first few years." Haylae''s gaze quickly snapped back to her father. He very rarely mentioned her mother, after all. She had fallen to the plague that swept the coast when Haylae was only one summer old, and she absorbed any information on her mother like a sponge. Her father noticed her gaze and gave her a sad smile. "Katlae was... passionate, as I''ve told you before. She was raised on tales of true love. She believed that some knight would sweep her off her feet, and they would live in bliss forever. Reality is far less kind, especially to the noble daughters of our society. Many of the ruling class, other Counts, Dukes, and even the King, well... They consider their daughters little more than bargaining chips. Worth more the more beautiful they are. Your matrilineal grandfather, Count Ionite the Third, thought similarly. He wanted to secure an alliance with my father so that he might secure a more direct route to transport his goods to the coast. "Among other incentives, he offered your mother as the cherry topping the cake. My father accepted. Just like that, I was betrothed to a girl I had never met. She was sixteen summers when we first met, and I had seen eighteen. She was polite and cordial in our parent''s company but made it clear when we were left alone that she wasn''t pleased with the arrangement. That look in her eyes... She might not have thought much of me, but I was smitten." Her father''s gaze drifted off, over her shoulder. She cleared her throat, and he quickly refocused on her. "I''m sorry, my dear. I was lost in the memories. Within a year of our first meeting, we were wed. She refused to sleep in the same room as me for the longest time... After a year, Kat found she could tolerate my presence. In two, we were friends. By the end of the third, she confessed she had fallen for me. You were born the next year." He gave her a familiar smile, one filled with love. Then his face fell. "Her loss... I admit I took it hard. My father also fell to the plague, and I was suddenly thrust into ruling. With no male heir, I had no choice but to remarry. I know Heathine was cold to you, even after your brothers were born." Haylae turned away from her father, though he didn''t stop speaking. "My point is that you may not love Medean now, but eventually, you will find things you have in common, pleasures you share." He went quiet when she didn''t respond. He placed a hand on Haylae''s shoulder and pointed to the horizon. "Ah, you see there, Haylae? There is Medean Island." She did indeed see. Over the next hour, the speck on the horizon grew until it filled her vision. The port was bustling with activity and much more extensive than she had imagined. She had expected a shanty town built of wood with dirt roads. Instead, she gazed upon what she would have called an established port. Most of the town was constructed of stone, set to the side of a small river. Her eye was drawn to the keep built beyond the town, raised above it on a hill. It was not as large as the one she had grown in, but she hadn''t expected it would be. She was pleasantly surprised at Medean''s progress in developing his domain. For a town barely a few months old... "You are not forgiven, father." She spoke. His eyes darted to her, filled with hope. "But... This may not be as terrible as I had once thought." She admitted. She allowed a small smile and watched the tension leave his shoulders. She had once thought her father was banishing her to some nowhere island. Instead, she saw... opportunity. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 45 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea Two Days Later. -0-0-0-0-0- Aaaaaand Done! The dunes have been completed! Far, far faster than I had expected to be done by as well. Though the first dunes had taken almost half an hour to form, I found my efforts becoming easier, faster, and smoother. Well, it makes sense. The more you do something, the more you will discover inefficiencies or ways to do it better. For example, the speed with which I dig out caverns has significantly increased. It was simple; I''d found a more efficient way to crush the chunks of rock into even grains. Before I had focused on smaller sections, making sure every grain was the same size, I had started doing larger and larger areas at once. It required a significant investment of mana, but there was so much swirling around from my pedestal in the center of this cavern that by the time I was done, it had only reduced my mana rings by half. With the dunes done, I turned on the environmental enchantments. Unlike the Eighth floor, these were tuned to create a dry, hot, and windy environment. When my fake sun sets, the enchantments will suck the heat from the cavern, making it cold, dry, and windy. Either time of day would be dangerous for the inexperienced or unprepared. I could also trigger localized sandstorms. I hadn''t quite figured out how to make small tornados, but I might try to get a couple of Air Spirits down here. Imagine intelligent, malicious tornados chasing down those who earn my ire. Heh. Yeah, I''m doing that. The Air spirit of the Eighth floor seems happy there so I won''t force her downwards. Perhaps until then... I haven''t messed with providing different golem bodies to sprites. Who says that golems need to be humanoid? With a quick inquiry to Tear, I had ten balls of Potentium Alloy with cores collected from fallen monsters. None of the cores had a particular elemental inclination, and each ball was about a foot in diameter. The Air Sprites should be able to make the ball levitate on their own, but some inactive enchantments would make them more able to channel their elements outward. I couldn''t think of anything more to add right now, but I''m sure the sprites themselves will be able to provide feedback about what would make their bodies more comfortable. Bodies complete; I called a couple of Air Shamans down to summon the sprites. They seemed to consider the desert floor as their Holy Land. It... doesn''t make sense to me. They were initially jungle lizards, tiny salamanders that lived near streams. The sheer density of the mana in the air or some genetic memories could contribute to that. I suppose I will have to add a Kobold or Drake-kin Tribe to the canyon since they seem to love it here. Perhaps a mixed tribe. I have no idea if they are... compatible in that way. It might be interesting, though. Anyway. The Shamans summoned the Air Sprites, and they accepted my by-now standard contract. They possessed the ''golem'' bodies, and after a few minutes, they were whizzing about, hovering about seven feet over the sand. One decided to test the enchantments I added, and it seemed delighted as the sand beneath it began swirling up and around it. In seconds, there was no evidence of the sprite-possessed metal ball. There was only a little twister, about ten feet high. I don''t think it can get any bigger right now, but I imagine that once it morphs into a Spirit, it will become... quite a bit larger. The other nine Twister Golems all follow the first''s example and spread out to explore the dunes. With that taken care of, I took some time to check on the rest of my dungeon. I can''t neglect the higher floors while focusing on the lowest ones. The first three floors are running like clockwork thanks to my earlier changes. The Crabs have a fast enough breeding cycle to replace the basic monsters, while the Boss and his Lieutenants continue to grow in skill and knowledge. The Golds can no longer sweep them aside with minimal effort. The lieutenants are smart enough to take advantage of the Assassin Crabs and the self-resetting traps to maneuver the guilders into effective ambushes. The only problem is it never works more than once on a party, and the Golds are still too strong for the Crabs to match. The Second Floor is a very different experience for every single party that goes through it. The traps littering the labyrinth ensure the guilders can''t rush through it, forcing them to take each hallway slowly and carefully. The underwater sections have the humans encounter just enough fish to pose a challenge, depleting their healing and recovery potions and slowing their progress. The maze itself, I had adjusted a tad. The randomization of the maze''s configuration is still mostly random, though I made sure that any path has a minimum length making them pass through at least half the labyrinth. At this point, the weaker golds have to turn back due to their depleted resources and the fact that they have to fight their way back up. Just pushing onwards isn''t a viable strategy since they need to ensure they can survive the trip back. The stronger golds emerge onto the Third Floor, and most won''t delve too deeply. They''ll search one, maybe two of the ruins. If they find Kobolds there, they''ll fight them. And that isn''t a guarantee anymore. Each party that enters gets assigned specific ''trials,'' forcing them to search the fifteen different ''ruins'' and arenas for the six ''trials'' they are set. Not that they know that. All they know is that sometimes, there aren''t any Kobolds there to fight. Only the Platinums are tough enough to push through the jungle, which now re-grows over trails and paths. It forces them to move through the thick undergrowth anew every time, significantly slowing their progress. Isid''s party, the Hero Party, and the other Platinum Party are the only ones confident enough to defeat Mushu. Haythem''s party aren''t confident in their ability to take on the third floor''s boss and haven''t attempted it yet. Smart guy, that Haythem. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The Fourth Floor continues to be a nightmare of claustrophobic, pitch-black pipes and screeching, bloodthirsty Ratten. Neither ''regular'' Platinum party has made it through the hordes, ensuring they have time and enough supplies to make it back out. The ''Heroes'' are still the only ones to make it to the Fifth floor. They''re there right now, Fifteen hours into their delve, and they''ve just left the Castle and are venturing towards the Mushroom Forest. Time to introduce them to my Fungal Shamblers. -0-0-0-0-0- The Fifth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Lina Laskiin was, again, pushing through the pitch blackness outside the Castle and into Mushroom Forest. Like her, the rest of the party members were watching their surroundings closely for the slightest hint of movement. The question on everyone''s minds was simple; what would the dungeon throw in their way. The last time they were here, they had only encountered the corpses of their lost comrades infested by something that forced them to walk around like a puppet on strings. The dungeon had let them encounter their lost members. It wanted to show them even death wasn''t a release. This time, they had barely passed the first stalk when noises began echoing all around them. Clicks, groans, gurgles, and more heralded the monsters that emerged from the darkness. They were roughly humanoid, though none were identical. Some were small, some excessively tall. Some glistened wetly in the light of their summoned sprites, and others seemed as dry as the cracked and arid southern plains. Their limbs were mismatched. They could be long and slender, ending in organic-looking spikes and blades. Others were bulbous, resembling maces and warhammers. Not even their facial features were similar across the dozens of variations she observed. From one black eye, up to a dozen that glowed in every color of the rainbow. Their mouths were just as unique in the number and shape of the teeth within. With shrieks and yells, the (likely intentionally) malformed monsters fell upon them. After ten minutes of combat, Lina realized they weren''t thinning out. If anything, there were MORE shambling towards them than before, stumbling and climbing walls formed of the butchered fallen. "We need to retreat!" She shouted, "They''re not stopping, and we don''t know where the hell the exit is!" She received grudging agreement as they all realized the same thing she had. They did so, pulling back into the darkness around the castle. The monsters didn''t pursue past the giant stalks. In the dark, they had no way of knowing if the monsters were dispersing or gathering near the edge. "We''ll circle the castle and enter the forest on the other side." The party''s ''leader'' announced. As much as a party like theirs could have a leader, at least. Lina grimaced. None of them liked each other, not truly. They were here to make enough cash to support their luxurious lifestyles by selling information on the deeper floors, selling their loot, or cashing in on the bounty. When Lina had heard of the dungeon and the bounty attached to it, she had thought it would be easy gold. Just a quick delve through the hordes of uncoordinated monsters, fighting through stone tunnels with the occasional room. She had been shown the folly of that opinion. Honestly, she wasn''t sure they would ever find the core. This dungeon was scarily intelligent. They had lost three members on the Fifth Floor. And there is no way to know how deep the dungeon is because no one alive has ever reached the bottom. When they reached the Mushroom Forest again, Lina had decided. Tomorrow, she would be getting on a ship and leaving. The chance of dying here is far too great for comparatively little gain. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I was pretty pleased with the Shambler''s first encounter. Yes, probably a hundred died, but they were merely limbs. The hivemind persisted. The monsters became more coordinated as the fight went on, and the spawning speed stress test went perfectly. This would be the new norm for any delvers who dared enter the Mushroom forest. Continuous and growing waves of monsters that would get better at fighting you the longer you fought them. They''re on a timer as soon as they enter and need to fight while desperately searching for the exit. The exit, by the way, is in the castle. There is a tower in the castle, a tall, thin tower. Inside the tower is a spiraling staircase. At the top, the tower goes into the cavern''s roof, and the stairway emerges into the middle of an arena. There, the floor''s Boss waits for anyone smart enough to explore the castle before rushing out into the forest properly. After the arena is a long, shallow stairway that slowly ramps up in temperature until it reaches the Sixth Floor. The glorious, scorching heat of the Lava Caverns, filled with lakes of lava and crawling with heat-resistant monsters. The Fire Spirit roams freely and is probably the most powerful ''monster'' on the floor. She has a following of about a dozen fire sprites possessing child-sized Potentium golem bodies. The other monsters mostly leave them alone. It''s going to be a fun time. The Seventh Floor is running smoothly. The Drake-kin train daily for the day someone makes it to their home. Kataren is doing fine, I think. She''s gotten a nicer blanket and has some little carved totems sitting on a new shelf on the wall. She hasn''t fought Mushu again. He''s training on his own and practicing against the Platinums. He might come down in a week or two, I think. The Eighth Floor is peaceful. The Snowbolds are still exploring their mountain homes, learning every cliff and hill so they can navigate it blindfolded. A good idea since any delver that manages to get down here will run into a full-blown blizzard. Training to navigate without sight is a good idea. Although, now that I think about it, heat vision will probably serve them well. Something to consider. The Ninth... Well. Time to keep digging. With the Dune Sea complete, I need to finish digging out the Canyon and bring down some water to run through the bottom. After that... It''s time to decide what monsters I''ll put down there. There are a few contenders, in my mind. Some that will fit, and others I''ll have to make fit. I''ll need to think about this carefully while I dig. What kind of ecosystem do I want here, and what would it look like from the delver''s point of view? What monsters would fit into that ecosystem? All these possibilities... I''m so excited. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 46 -0-0-0-0-0- Count Medean''s Mansion, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The evening meals served to the lord of Medea Island were surprisingly pleasant. Haylae had expected simple fare but found herself impressed at the range of food she had been served over the last few days. The seafood was very palatable, the vegetables flavorful, and given the quality and variety of ingredients available at the market in town, she was sure the trend would continue. Tonight they were being served crab on a bed of greens. It was a novel experience, although Haylae had eaten crab before. This crab wasn''t served in its shell, to be cracked and opened on her plate. No, she would call this a steak, a slice of crab meat cooked on a grill rather than boiled. The meal was enjoyable, possessing a heat that the char of the grill couldn''t quite explain. "I hope you enjoy this, my dear," Medean stated, halfway through his steak. "This meat was gathered from the First Floor''s Guardian. It''s particularly succulent, and the monster''s fire magic gives it a hint of spice." Haylae slowed her chewing at that information. This was monster meat? From a giant crab? Well, that made the cooking method make more sense. She swallowed and kept eating. She hadn''t spoken to Medean much, but he talked enough for both of them. He was eager to explain anything she was even mildly interested in. "Could you tell me more about the dungeon?" She asked between bites. The man brightened, a gleam entering his eyes. "Ah. Of course, of course. Well, where to begin. This Island was discovered several months ago, and the merchants who discovered it brought some information on it and the dungeon to my father. He took that knowledge to the king, and the king granted him leave to settle the island, to claim it and the dungeon for the Kingdom." Haylae nodded. Tensions have been high recently, and the island has incredible value as a resource and staging point. "The Dungeon itself is fascinating. From the reports I''ve been given, the dungeon is ancient. The most popular theory says that it was discovered and used by the Mycane civilization. Many believe they conquered it and used it to grow food, train their legendary soldiers, and perhaps even used it as a refuge in times of crisis. It''s unclear why the island contains no ruins of the Mycane while ruins are prolific within the dungeon. Perhaps we''ll never know." He paused to take a drink and finish off the last of his meal. "But that is all a theory. The Guild has explored five floors, though the fifth is proving difficult to explore safely. The First Floor is a set of caverns, not unlike those you would find on any cliff-dominated coastline. Enormous crabs inhabit it, claws shaped into powerful weapons and shells into a potent defense. The Second is a shifting, trapped labyrinth, half-flooded and filled with bloodthirsty fish. The Third is a jungle inhabited by various beast-like monsters and some kind of lizard-people, who have equipped themselves with crude armor and wield basic weapons." Haylae tilted her head at that. A monster species that used armor and tools? From what she had always been told, monsters were stupid, bloodthirsty creatures, driven by instinct to kill anyone they came across. The island lord seemed to pick up on her confusion. "Ah, yes. The Lizards are a point of contention among the guilders. Some believe they are intelligent and capable of holding a conversation. Rumors abound, of course, and it''s hard to know what''s true. But anyway, the Fourth is another maze of tunnels, though this one is filled with an incredible variety of rats. From small to enormous, and with a range of abilities. Every encounter with them is hard-fought, and more is learned with every delve. The Fifth is the most recently explored floor, centered around a large castle." Haylae blinked in surprise. "Yes! A Castle! It''s finely crafted of a yellowed stone, with arching ceilings and large halls. Insubstantial shadow monsters inhabit it, impossible to hit unless they want to be; not one has been killed or even hit. Outside the castle is a forest of enormous mushrooms filled with monsters of a similar nature. Walking, angry mushrooms. Imagine!" The lord seemed caught up in his imagination and downed his re-filled glass of wine. "This dungeon is incredible! Filled with such unique creatures and things. I''m sure you''ve tried one of the mandarins from the market? They were discovered in the dungeon. Unlike most citrus, they grow on a vine and are quite sweet. I''m told the ones grown outside the dungeon can''t quite reach the same quality as those found there, but they are another unique resource the dungeon has provided." Here, the lord''s expression soured, and he waved away a servant who approached to re-fill his glass. "The only problem is the bounty." He grumbled. "The second son of Grand Duke Plasiad, a silver-ranked guilder, was killed on the first floor shortly after we settled the island. In an unfortunate turn of events, the Duke''s older son and heir was poisoned. None could save him. Supposedly, the Duke received word of the death of his only other son days later. He placed a bounty of Ten Thousand gold coins on the dungeon." Haylae, who had been nodding and making the appropriate sounds, froze. Ten Thousand? That was... "Later, when his pet guilders failed to end the dungeon quickly, he doubled the bounty. Twenty Thousand! It''s a ludicrous amount of money. He would bankrupt himself to pay it off. The local guild needed to place a gold-level requirement on the dungeon, to empty the local inns of Silvers and open up more space for those who would soon flock here." He sighed and leaned back in his high-backed chair. "Thankfully, the dungeon is proving to be more than anyone had expected, and it even managed to find a way to disable all teleport crystals that are taken inside! With the ability to easily escape any fight denied them, and with the dungeon targeting all those intent on claiming the bounty... Well, the guilder population has halved. Despite the deaths, several guilders were recently promoted to platinum rank, and I''m sure that, if they''re careful, they will continue to grow in strength." Now, he looked proud. "Medea island will flourish. The Guildmistress assigned to my island, Layla Losat, has confided in me that they are nowhere near the bottom, and it is unlikely the bounty will ever be fulfilled. However, she would much prefer the bounty removed to prevent more needless death. An admirable goal. I''m unsure of how to go about it, though. The Plaised dynasty is powerful, and their political reach is impressive. I believe it will take the Duke''s death and his brother''s ascendance to make any progress whatsoever." The servants delivered their dessert, and the rest of their meal was spent in silence. Haylae found herself with much to think about. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. With a feeling of accomplishment, I opened the floodgate. Water flooded down the newly-created tunnel, passing through more than a dozen filters that pulled salt and other undesired components from the seawater. The Tunnel snaked from the ocean floor, where its entrance was grated; the holes too small for any human to pass through, of course. The water emerged from the tunnel and flew off a sculpted, fake-sandstone cliff, drifting down to the empty basin below. It would take a few hours to fill and for water to start flowing, but with this done, all the canyon needed now was fauna and flora. Watching the water flow through the pre-designed channels and rapids was so satisfying. I can''t be sure if the river is impossible to cross, but I think I''ve made it as hard as possible. I brought in some reed-like grasses and lined the river with coconut palms every so often. I don''t have any cactus, but maybe I can make my own. Succulents, on the whole, are just a plant that retains water in thicker stems and leaves. The one I am most familiar with is the Aloe plant. So, let''s see if I can make another plant resemble an Aloe. Let''s take this grass that I already grabbed as a starting point. First, I needed to shift the leaves to grow like an aloe, from the middle pointing up. Then a general thickness, with the interior filled with a water-based jelly-like flesh. I gave it spiked ridges running up the inner edges, unlike the Aloe; these would be razor-sharp. Now, I have a plant that looks like an aloe. Keep in mind I''m not an expert on the plant, and while what I''ve made may look the part on the outside... I think a slow-acting poison-laced through its flesh completes the deception. I quickly spread out the rest of the canyon with sparse grasses and other similarly ''faked'' succulents. With that done, now it''s time to select the monsters of this floor. There are so many choices. Desert hares, desert snakes, various insects, and small mammals. I also want to re-introduce the intelligent crabs and perhaps modify them to a form that lends itself better to a sapient existence. I should probably start with the lowest rungs on the food chain. First, I introduced insects you would expect to find in a desert; various spiders, ants, termites, flies, and moths. All were modified to fit a desert environment, though I can''t be sure of that. I might saturate them with mana until I see some beneficial adaptions. At the very least, I made sure they were colored various shades of sandy brown for camouflage. I''m annoyed that I don''t have scorpions right now, and maybe I can fake them. They''re arachnids, right? Eh... Nah. I''ll wait on that for now. The next were the small lizards, birds, and mammals that would feed on the insects. The birds are relatively easy, so I''ll start with them. Start with small finches, and robins, with a desert camo. Then a bigger one... some kind of buzzard. Could I make a vulture? Let''s get a couple of Pheonix down here and make them... menacing. A bald head and neck, increased wingspan, heat-regulation, and a change in color to white and black. Make the talons larger and increase their bulk in general. Yeah, this looks right. Well. Fix the head up a bit... Yeah. There we go. I''ll give them Air magic to help them stay aloft longer and take advantage of sandstorms. They''ve ended up quite big as well. Not as big as Pyry, but each one is larger than a human. I made sure they all had mana cores too. Next, some Lizards. Starting with the standard skink I first found in the jungle months ago, I scaled it up and made it spikey, leaving me with... a very nice bearded dragon. Cute. Alright, now for the next. I pumped out another half-dozen lizards of various sizes and spread them around the floor. I think I need one ''monster'' species, too, so let''s put some crocodiles down in the canyon. I gave them cores, and that''s sorted. Now, time for snakes. I put some green mamba look-alikes down in the canyon among the now-flourishing greenery. A python species and a cobra species quickly joined it. On the desert part, I spread out a load of sand snakes. These are particularly funny because of the adaption that made their eyes face upward, situated on the top of their heads. It meant they could hide under the sand, revealing only their eyes, which looked like more grains of sand. Sneaky fellas. I didn''t make any snakes into monsters, but I might do that later. With that, time to do some mammals. You might not think about it, but there are a lot of mammals who live on or near deserts. Felines, ungulates, canines, mustelid... I don''t have canines yet, however, or any ferrets. Let''s start with the felines. I think I''ll go with two kinds: a smaller one and a larger one. There exist a species of cat called a sand cat. They have slightly squashed faces and sandy coats with black stripes. Very cute. Still wild, though. I gave them monster cores. Perhaps I can make it lean on some deceptive instincts here. Act cute and harmless, then display deceptive strength or speed. Also, make them pack animals to overcome their small size. I''ll go with a mix of Lion and Cheetah for the larger cat. Big, bulky, dangerous, but fast. For coloration... a combination of cheetah and tiger. Spots that ''drip'' down into fang-like stripes. Now... I''m not entirely done here, but I want to introduce the crabs to their new home. Let''s get them down here. And... I think I have an idea for them. -0-0-0-0-0- The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Skitters-Across-The-Sand was one of the scant three dozen Crabs chosen to descend. The Creator had deemed them worthy and led them deeper into the depths. Their less intelligent kin had been left behind to act as the first line of defense. Skitters wished that she had been allowed to remain. They had been here, in this safe cavern, for a long time. As time passed, their intelligence grew. They once performed simple rituals to venerate their creator, enacted with the vigorous movement of the pincers around fires. Now they worship quietly, offering individual prayers to small shrines. Worship of the creator was a personal affair, though Skitters knew many prayed for the same thing. A chance to prove themselves. To play a part in the creator''s defense. It was a ''night'' like many of the ones before. After a communal dinner, they adjourned to their rooms, where they would praise their creator and his wisdom. Tonight, however, their prayers had been answered. The Creator spoke to them. "My loyal creations. I have crafted a new home for you on the Ninth floor. Please, follow the tunnel I have created so you might find your way there." The Creator declared. There was no hesitation. Within minutes the crabs had gathered what little items they possessed and assembled in the cavern. As one, they made the pilgrimage to their new home. The Tunnel was dim, lit by a luminous, cyan moss. The procession was quiet but for the thump of their legs on the sandy ground. None would dare sully this event with casual conversation. The journey took at least a day, as they had to pause once to have a quiet meal and rest. When the tunnel ahead began to lighten, you would expect them to speed up. However, they maintained their walking pace. They would reach the holy land; there was no point in rushing. They emerged from the tunnel into a beautiful canyon. Water poured off a cliff to their left, filling a small lake. A river rushed from the lake, running down the middle of the canyon in a series of rapids and deeper, fast-moving sections. Along either side was a bevy of greenery, shifting in the wind. The group followed the river down the canyon until they reached a large overhang leading into a tall cavern. "This is to be your new home. There are caves in the back that open into private caverns, inaccessible to any potential invaders. Now, there is one final thing I wish to do. Do I have your permission to modify you?" The Creator asked. "Of course, Creator!" Skitters-Across-The-Sand declared. She immediately felt her body begin to morph and change. Her shell shifted and elongated. She felt muscles she''d never had before. Her back end became layered. She turned her... neck? She watched as her rear end gained a dozen shelled sections, rising behind her into an arching tail. The final section gained a vicious-looking stinger. She twitched a new muscle, and a drop of green venom slipped out of the tip. She followed the base of the tail down her slimmed body, to the point where her new... torso. Her eight legs remained slightly less armored but significantly more mobile. Her ''torso'' was likewise armored, with two ''arms'' emerging from her ''shoulders.'' The arms ended in bulky hands. Looking further down, she could feel that she retained her enormous pincers, still attached to her lower body. "You are Crabs no longer. You have become... Scorpans." The Creator declared. Skitters opened her mandibles, raised her claws, and screeched into the dry air. "PRAISE THE CREATOR!" "PRAISE! PRAISE!" -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 47 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I watched for a time as the Scorpans settled into their new home. I was pretty proud of the work I''d done on them, to be honest. Crabs, while a well-designed animal, aren''t exactly equipped to become a tool-using species. The creatures I''d transformed them into were what I would call Scorpion-Centaurs. The shape of their lower body heavily resembles a Scorpion while retaining the general look and feel of their carapace from their time as crabs. Their legs are still well-armored, and I made sure to keep that in mind across the rest of their bodies. Their humanoid upper bodies are obvious weak points, with thinner armor for some flexibility and freedom of movement. Therefore, all their vital organs were in their lower bodies, behind the thickest part of the carapace. The upper bodies were mostly muscle, nerves, and the extended esophagus that went down to their stomachs. Breathing had been taken up by several valves peeking out from behind armored plates. One valve in the esophagus let it connect to the lungs, but it was closed by default rather than open like humans. While I could have just slapped a human upper body on their old crab shape, it would have looked out of place. I could have given them smaller arms for manipulating things, but even then, the environment they are meant to occupy isn''t exactly friendly to aquatic or semi-aquatic species. Scorpions, however, are very much in-theme. I''d also given them a few adaptions to help them survive in a desert, such as water retention, storage, and a layer under their carapace which should keep them from cooking themselves out under the intense heat of the mana-star. The humanoid part I designed carefully. Their carapace was shaped to follow the muscle groups expected, with a six-pack, pectorals, back muscles, and biceps being the most recognizable. The females didn''t have breasts since that''s a mammal thing. Crabs don''t give birth to live young; they lay eggs. Crabs aren''t helpless at birth; they''re fully capable, miniature versions. Well, at least my crabs are. Wild crabs do their own thing. Wild scorpions also do their own thing. My new Scorpans, however, reproduce how I want them to. Not in the insane numbers of crabs and not live births as scorpions do. They lay eggs in clutches of three to five. The scorplings have thinner, soft shells and, like real scorpions, will have the instinct to ride on their mother''s back until it hardens. I don''t see a need to make them mature in a few days, so I''ll give them a month until they reach the ''young adult'' phase and another to fully mature. With three completely unexplored floors between them and the adventurers, I feel I can give them time to grow. After some time testing their new bodies, the Scorpans explored the back of the overhang, quickly locating the hidden doors. Behind them are caverns not unlike the one used by the Drake-kin, though obviously with larger doorways and rooms to accommodate their larger size. After choosing their homes, they all gathered around the central fire pit to... pray to me. I mean, I''m not surprised. I knew they were very religious, even as barely intelligent crabs on the first floor. Of course, the Kobolds, Snowbolds, and Drake-kin are also religious, but they aren''t as... zealous or as fervent about it. I''m still not comfortable with the worship. Yes, I could be considered their god, but I know I''m not one. I''m just a dungeon. Then again, they don''t call me a god, just their ''Creator.'' Urgh. I''m going to have to get used to it sooner or later. It''s not like they''re going to just... stop worshiping me. Right! Focusing on something else... uh... Filling out the rest of the desert, yes. So, I''ve gotten to what I would consider the basic level. The desert is alive with wildlife, with the larger animals having mana cores but not explicitly being ''monsters.'' They''re more environmental hazards. If someone can reach this floor, they would not be threatened by a few mostly-normal animals. Some might gain enough mana and strength to become a kind of miniboss, or they might evolve into their own type of monster. I''m not going to interfere too much there, only enough to ensure they retain a breeding population. The Vultures... There''s a decent number of them spread throughout the floor now. I''ll keep most of them as normal animals with cores, but I''ll manually elevate this flock of five. Larger, sharper beaks and claws, and more powerful wings at the minimum. I already gave the species wind magic, so I''ll pump up their cores and give them more magic to work with. You know what? I''ll make their feathers sharp, like a bootleg Stymphalian bird. You know what? Why not. Rigid, bordering-metallic feathers and enormous wings to support the weight. The ability to ''shoot'' feathers from their wings, which they can aim and manipulate mid-flight with their wind magic. Also, I''ll give them regeneration focused on growing replacement feathers exceptionally quickly. Stymphalian Vultures, complete. Hmm. Mostly. I think a quick color change to distinguish them is appropriate here. Largely bronze-brown fathers, while the feathers that can be shot are more silvery. That''s the skies taken care of. Now, for the desert. I''ve contemplated a sand-worm monster, but the sand layer here is too shallow to support them. Perhaps a more stationary Sarlacc pit? Yes, giant, mostly-stationary monsters. Unlike a Sarlacc from Tatooine, mine will disguise their mouths. To the uninformed, they will look like a valley or pit between a few dunes. I don''t really have an appropriate monster here. The only sessile animals in nature are aquatic, like barnacles or mussels. I could make a sessile monster, but I''m not sure which animal would be the most appropriate to modify... I''ll need to think about this. -0-0-0-0-0- Count Medean''s Mansion, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. -0-0-0-0-0- Layla Losat accepted the glass of wine from the server with a nod and let her attention sweep over the other guests. She had been invited to another of Medean''s parties. This party had been thrown to celebrate the official betrothal of the Count. Layla hadn''t met the girl yet, but she had been kept close to the count for most of the night. The girl, Haylae Kolchiss, had a core, as most of the gathered nobles here did. Like most of these soft nobles, it was small and untrained, but a core nonetheless. Medean''s core was typical of a Silver that had delved safe dungeons for a few years, then quietly retired. The only ones with similar cores were closest retainers; his steward, master-at-arms, and court mage. The remains of his old party, most likely. Count Kolchiss was here as well and had a core bordering on Gold. She knew he had not chosen to retire but had been young, and it would not do for the region''s lord to constantly risk their lives. Sometimes, Layla wondered what others saw, where she could only see the flows and eddies of mana. She''d been told that particular objects were specific colors but had no reference. For example, this wine was, supposedly, a ''red'' wine. Though that was its name, the colors could range from crimson to deep purple. She had no clue what they looked like, just what others had described. Layla saw the motes of mana caught up in the glass, in the vague shape of a wine glass. She saw the mana in the wine swirl, the tiny remnants of the life mana used to accelerate and enhance the growth of the grapes. The water mana from the water used to dilute the wine, to ensure that they could not become drunk too quickly. The mana veins in her hand clenched around the glass, her skin a transparent film containing the raw power within. She raised the glass to her lips and took a long sip. She let the wine swirl across her taste buds, appreciating the work and effort that went into brewing such a sweet blend. "Ah, Guildmistress! I believe you have yet to be introduced to my betrothed?" Medean called as he approached. She turned, wearing a small smile. "Indeed, I have not. A pleasure, Lady Haylae. I am Layla Losat., the Guildmistress of the local guild," she stated with a nod to the relatively short woman. "I hope you have enjoyed your time on the island so far?" She received a polite nod in return. "I have, Guildmistress. It is beautiful here, and the town is quite charming. You are responsible for the Island''s dungeon, yes?" Layla nodded, perhaps a touch too curtly. "I wouldn''t say responsible. It is Wild and answers to no one. I manage the entrance, collect and distribute knowledge of what the Guilders discover down there, and oversee the inspection of items and goods brought up before they reach the market. Wouldn''t do for a previously thought harmless trinket to trigger in such a large crowd now, would it." Not that she had identified anything like that. The mandarins did have a very mild addictive quality, but no more than a dozen other mana-charged foods found throughout the Kingdom did. "It must be hard work, keeping the peace among the guilders." Lady Haylae inquired. Layla let out a soft sigh and shook her head. "In the early weeks, yes. Not so much anymore. The more aggressive Guilders, pursuing the bounty on the dungeon, are an almost extinct breed," Layla admitted. "It''s tragic that so many have been lost, of course. The remaining Guilders are more patient and understand that surviving the dungeon is more important than petty rivalries." Haylae looked intrigued and opened her mouth to continue the conversation. She was interrupted by her betrothed. "Ah, we''ve taken up enough of your time, Guildmistress. If you wouldn''t mind, perhaps you could come by for dinner another evening. Haylae has been quite interested in the dungeon, and I''m sure she would appreciate some time to talk to you one-on-one. However, we do have duties right now as the hosts. If you will excuse us." He gave a polite nod, echoed by a reluctant Haylae, who let herself be led away and introduced to another noble. Layla took another sip of her wine. She had already written off telling Medean everything she''d learned of the dungeon. He didn''t need to know, after all. The girl, though... Layla resolved to recheck her background. There was a chance she was a spy for someone. She hummed, and moved on. There were some important people here she needed to have a word with. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- After a few hours of tweaking the desert floor, I decided to take a break. I hadn''t been doing anything important, mostly adjusting the river in the canyon. Speeding it up in parts, filling the bottom with razor-sharp spikes, and populating it with various kinds of fish. I swept my evaluating gaze upward, passing over the untested floors for now. The ''Hero'' party was down a few members from their earlier delves, though I don''t remember any more of them dying. Had some decided to leave? Of their own accord?! Incredible. It looks like at least some of them have a smidgen of self-preservation. They were again throwing themselves at the Mushroom Forest, fighting off the Shambling Fungi as they searched fruitlessly for the floor''s exit. The exit wasn''t out there, after all. They''ve explored roughly half of the forest from what I''ve seen. The question is, once they''ve fully explored the forest, will they keep looking there; an example of the sunk-cost fallacy. Or, will they use their supposedly superior experience and intelligence and realize the exit must be in the castle? Who knows. Moving up, Isid''s party is pushing through the Rats. Since I know they don''t want to kill me, I''ve decided to go easier on them. To that end, the waves of rats are no longer nigh unending. They still encounter swarms, but they''re of a manageable number. I give them... half an hour to make it to the exit. Thanks to the ''Heroes,'' they already know where the exit is and have been pushing in that direction pretty well. A little further up, I found Haythem''s party prepping for an attempt at Mushu. They weren''t alone, of course. The three of them wouldn''t have been enough, and they knew that. They''d paired up with another party at a roughly-similar level. Potentially the next group to reach Platinum? Actually, was this the Clich¨¦ Quartet!? Wow, I''d forgotten about these guys. They were among the first parties to delve me. Back before the bounty had been issued and treasure-hungry guilders flooded my dungeon. The Mage wore a more intricate and reinforced robe, covered in arcane symbols and glowing runes. She carried a metal staff not made of Mithril or Moonsilver, but perhaps another mana-reactive metal I was unaware of. Her bushy black hair occasionally arced with electricity. The Knight was resplendent in his improved suit of armor, and his sword held an unearthly glow. His kite shield looked sturdy and strong. A sturdier and higher-quality version had replaced the Rogue''s old short bow, and she posessed a quiver of unique-looking arrows. Her armor looked new. I think that''s Kobold Leather, actually. Her daggers hadn''t been neglected either. The Cleric''s Morningstar was much the same, though it possessed a similar glow to Knight''s sword. His robes were also of higher quality, though less overtly magical like Mage''s. After a quick discussion with Haythem and his companions, they slid down the passage to Mushu''s arena. I settled in to observe the fight, eager to see what would happen. They have no escape plan since Teleport Crystals no longer work in my dungeon. Therefore, they must be confident they can beat him. With the seven of them... They might be enough. Against guilders who know all of Mushu''s tricks, with him having never fought them before... It''s undoubtedly going to be interesting. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 48 -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem was the first one down the passage. A short slide later, he emerged from the tunnel mid-way up the arena wall. As had been described to him, the Floor Guardian stood before the exit door, flanked by his five guards. One Mage, two sword-wielders, one was hefting a crossbow, and one slighter Lizard with dual daggers. The Guardian itself hefted its long-handled mace and stared at him across the dimly-lit room. Unlike the lizard monsters from the jungle above, these seemed more refined. Their scales are smaller and more symmetrical. The placement of their various horns looked deliberate rather than the others'' often random curves and twists. They also stood taller, straighter, and with a stockier frame. The smaller lizards were often hunched and wiry, while these had some noticeable muscle. The monsters waited until the rest of Haythem''s party and their temporary allies had arrived before moving from their formation. When Lilliette''s feet touched the ground, the Guardian stepped forward and raised its long-handled mace challengingly. "Guilders, to reach the Fourth Floor, you must pass through me." The monster declared in perfect Phenocian. There was barely a hiss in its tone, and Haythem felt a shiver run down his spine. There was something just not right about a monster speaking their language. He''d been warned, but it wasn''t what he''d imagined. "With your little escape crystals useless, this will be a fight to the death." And with that, the guardian rushed forwards. The other monsters were moments behind it, guarding its flanks. Petaer, the other party''s leader, rushed to meet the Guardian and raised his shield to meet the mace''s swing. The mace was repelled on contact with the shield, emitting a flash of light. Petaer quickly followed up with a slash of his longsword, taking advantage of his off-balance foe. Haythem lunged, raising his sword, and intercepted a strike from one of the lizard-swordsmen aimed for Petaer''s neck. While he engaged the swordslizard and Pataer kept the Guardian''s attention, the others found themselves occupied with their own fights. Between strikes, Haythem saw Lilliette, the lightning mage, engaged in a long-range battle with the lizard mage; the flash of her lightning matched blow-for-blow by the monster''s bolts of blue fire. He caught a glimpse of Bertram engaged with the other sword-wielding lizard and Flasa slipping between pillars shooting arrows at the crossbow-wielding lizard. The dagger-wielding lizard was in a deadly dance with Jessikar, who was equally as swift-footed and capable. All in all, the lizards seemed to match the guilders blow for blow. Haythem, who had grown in confidence since his promotion, was humbled. Even this level of strength... wasn''t enough. He knew the stalemate had to give eventually, and when it did, it was in their favor. The final member of their raid group was Vertrum, and he was a cleric. His healing spells kept the Guilders fresh and energized, whereas the Lizards kept accumulating cuts and wounds. Haythem could fight a bit more recklessly than he usually would have. Aggressive and dominating, rather than a careful dance. He could afford to trade wound for wound, with healing on tap. Their victory truly began when Jessikar slit her opponent''s neck, and a follow-up strike plunged the dagger into its heart. She quickly moved to help Bertram. Between the two of them, they quickly overwhelmed the sword-wielding lizard. Bertram struck the final blow, his sword radiant as it cleaved the lizard''s skull in twain. He soon joined Haythem to help dispatch his opponent, and some coordination between Flasa and Jessikar maneuvered the crossbow lizard into an ambush. The mage-lizard fell next; while its shield was very effective at grounding lightning, it was not designed to block crossbow bolts. A duo of bolts through the eyes later, and it crumpled to the ground. With the guards removed from the battle, the guilders surrounded the Guardian in a rough circle, striking at opportune moments. Even with their entire group free to focus on the Guardian, the fight was brutal. It was a death-by-a-thousand-cuts. By the time they''d finally caused enough damage, it had a dozen crossbow bolts sticking out of its back and hundreds of cuts from various blades that had overwhelmed its regeneration. In a desperate final move, and with a defiant roar, the monster spun with its mace and threw it across the room. Directly at Vertrum. It would have struck him center-mass if he wasn''t prepared for such a desperate strike and stepped aside. The mace hit the wall with a loud bang. It didn''t fall to the ground; instead, it remained stuck fast to the wall. Having thrown the weapon with the last of his strength, the Guardian fell to its knees, chest heaving and bloody. "Good fight." It admitted, coughing up a glob of blood. Despite its defeated state, the Guardian''s eyes glinted with anticipation. "Next time, it won''t be as easy." With that, Haythem''s sword pierced its chest and went straight through its heart. They didn''t cheer; it would have broken the solemn mood. The monster was right, of course. Isid, Jerrad, and the rest of that party had explained the Guardian''s immortality. In an hour or two, the monster and its attendants would be here again, ready to fight with all the knowledge they''d gained on how the guilders fought. Haythem supposed it was turnabout, given that their tactics were similar back when they used their teleport crystals. After healing the last of their wounds, they moved through the grand door that had swung open with the Guardian''s death. The room beyond was small and contained only a medium-sized circular metal plate embedded in the ground. The plate was carved with strange writing and had two handles attached. With a heave, Haythem removed the cover, revealing the dark hole beyond. Beyond, he knew there was a maze of tunnels filled with rats of enormous size and varied abilities. They wouldn''t be going far today. Instead, they would be dipping their feet in and learning how to fight the monsters. As he descended the ladder built into the side of the whole, he could hear the scratching and squeaking of dozens of the monsters approach. This was going to suck. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I mentally applauded Haythem''s party and the Clich¨¦s as they stood, victorious, over Mushu. It was a good fight, and I''m sure Mushu will train himself and his attendants hard before their next encounter. Their short experience on the Fourth Floor seemed to galvanize them. They made their way back up the sewer entrance and through Mushu''s Arena. The enchantments designed to detect returning parties activated, and a section of the wall near the arena''s entrance moved aside, revealing a short staircase that led up to the Jungle. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. With the group returning to the surface, I let my attention drift downwards, casually scanning the floors as I pass them. The Fourth remains fine. The rats are still challenging for the Guilders, and their unique evolutionary methods continue to weed out the weak. The Fifth is fine as well. In fact... from its mana density, one of the Shadow Golems is close to its evolution. I made sure to give it a Potentium body and mentally note to check back on it later. On the Sixth, the Goat Demons have settled into their new home well, a small hidden village similar to the kobolds. Unlike the Kobold village, this one is very vertical. The paths to each dwelling are goat trails, narrow snaking paths that any human would be hard-pressed to follow without specialized equipment. You could say they lived inside an underground canyon. They''ve settled well among the other residents of the floor, though the Fire Spirit remains the undisputed strongest. The Seventh was quiet, but for the industrious Drake-kin mining out the metal veins. The mines have expanded decently beyond what I had initially dug, and a quick sweep was enough to bring all the design elements of the mine into line. The Village was busting, and upon asking the Village''s Shaman Council, they admitted space was a little tight. I spent a few hours carving out a second cavern, filled with dwellings and amenities, then connected it to the initial village. Unlike the Jungle and Peaks, I didn''t want the drake-kin to form separate tribes here. This would be my experiment for larger populations in one area. When I reached the Eighth, I stopped and spun up the enchantments on a whim to start a blizzard. They hadn''t been stress-tested yet, and the monsters there needed time to acclimate to the conditions. First, the magic formed a thick cloud cover, then caused snowfall. The wind picked up, and suddenly the gentle snowfall was turned into a flurry, then a full-blown blizzard. I set a condition on the enchantments to cycle between blizzard and calm days from now on. The Wind Spirit had gained a cadre of free-flying wind-sprites that followed her around. It seemed she asked a wind-mage from among the Snowbolds to summon them for her and is providing them a portion of the mana I give her. It would stunt her own progress slightly but make her followers dependent on her. Is this how mana-beings organize themselves in whatever dimension they come from? I''ll let them do their thing. Perhaps I might be able to observe what level of strength a mana-being is supposed to be at, at the Spirit level. The Ninth remains a desert. The ten Twister Golems happily dart around the dunes, shifting the landscape as they pass. The Scorpans have, to my surprise, started harvesting the trees on the riverside and are using the wood to build up the overhang outside their cavern village. They''ve built up a wall and gate and have sent a couple of aspiring smiths to Tear for training. The Lion-Cheetah felines I made have spread through the Canyon, the dominant predator there. Given my only ''real'' monsters on the floor are the Stymphalian Vultures and the Scorpans, I think I might make another true monster out of these. I''ll increase their bulk and give them metallic claws and teeth. I''ll also throw light magic in there, too. Why light magic? Because I''m hoping for a different kind of camouflage than what the Chromatic Tigers use. Also, given the environment, I think giant feline monsters that can fire beams of light from their mouths will be cool. Not that they can fire beams of light yet. For now, all they can do is make their fur glow golden, highlighting the black tooth-like markings across their coats. In a fit of inspiration, I adjust the black markings around their eyes to mimic Ancient Egyptian eyeliner. Perfect. As for a name... Golden Sunlions will do for now. And that''s the ninth floor mostly done. I still don''t know if I want Sarlac pits or how I would go about making them, but I''ll keep the idea in mind for later. I... don''t really want to start work on the Tenth for the moment. I''ve got quite the buffer between myself and the Guilders, and while that will only get shorter, it won''t do so with great speed. I''ll have plenty of time to resume digging deeper in the future. In the meantime... Why not check on the situation up above? -0-0-0-0-0- Castle Plaised, Western Phenoc Kingdom, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Unlike the last time someone had brought him information on the Medea Island dungeon, Alto Plaised was in his private rooms. Much like the last time, the contents of the letter delivered enraged him beyond words. "FAILURES! THEY''RE ALL FAILURES!" He raged, grabbing a vase from a side table and shattering it against the opposite wall with a hard throw. His chest heaved with every breath, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. The servant who had received the letter from the messenger and brought it to his lord stood stoic, his face carved from stone. The maids cleaning the room quickly slipped out through the servant''s passages. Alto closed his eyes and took several long, deep breaths. Slowly, he mastered himself, and the change was evident when he next opened his eyes. Where before he burned hot, his rage now simmered. The Duke returned to his desk and sat heavily on the cushioned chair. He leaned forwards and laced his fingers together; eyes narrowed in thought. "Not only has the first group I sent been lost to the dungeon, but the second has made no progress and lost a member. Then I''m told They heard of the bounty and attempted to complete it. Not only have they failed, but they''ve lost three members and reached only one floor more than the other guilders delving into that cursed cave!" The duke took another few calming breaths. "More than that, a couple of them just decided to leave." The servant, one of Alto''s personal entourage, nodded calmly. "Yes, sire. I''m told Lina Laskiin was heard claiming that the bounty wasn''t worth trading their lives for. She''s spread rumors of the dungeon''s difficulty and is warning any who asks that the dungeon is incredibly hostile to anyone who even attempts to shatter it. Other rumors, spread by the Guild and corroborated by the silvers who were forced from the island, claim the dungeon is difficult but manageable if you have no intention of shattering it." He took a breath, eyes focused on his lord''s face and reactions. "The Medea Island Dungeon has also proved to be an effective grindstone. It has produced five guilders who''ve passed the tests to obtain Platinum Rank." Alto''s hands gripped the armrests of his chair tightly, then relaxed. When the servant didn''t continue, Alto nodded and dismissed him. When he was alone, the Duke stood and walked to the window. He looked down over his lands, letting his attention drift. The castle guard was training in one courtyard while he saw his daughter talking animatedly with her mother in another. Further afield, the city that sprawled around the base of the large hill his castle was built upon was bustling. He could just see carts of produce from the surrounding farms follow the roads, making their way to the markets. The sun shone high overhead, the clear blue sky illuminating his lands. Roads stretched in all directions; merchants and travelers from all corners of the Kingdom traveled through his demesne on their journeys. His eyes drifted to the eastern highway, a more developed road laid with brick that led directly to the Capital. Yes... If Alto couldn''t get this done himself, he''d have to convince the King of the danger this dungeon posed. The Dungeon would surely crumble with the full resources of the Pheonc Kingdom bearing down upon it. But how to frame it... Perhaps, as a wild, uncontrolled dungeon that was able to repel their strongest warriors. Play upon the unknown monsters lurking and breeding in its depths that would surely begin to rise and overrun the surface. The island''s isolation was a problem, though... Ah! Yes, he would emphasize the disruption to trade and the peering eyes of the Bahrain Empire to the east. They were always looking for weaknesses, through which to launch an invasion to claim the fertile Phenoc lands. A letter wouldn''t do here. He would need to deliver this warning personally to convey the matter''s seriousness. He swept from the study, ordering a servant to gather his Council. He had a trip to organize. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 49 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The surface of my island is practically crawling with humans these days. After directing my attention upward, I ''hijacked'' a seagull and ordered it aloft to get a birds-eye view. The port town is bustling, and the berths at the docks are always full, causing ships to need to anchor offshore. There seems to be some construction to expand them massively, so the dockmasters are thinking ahead here. Where they had once made basic wood piers, these new ones were wider, used thicker planks, and looked designed for heavier loads. They''re running out of deep water to take advantage of, though. The humans had replaced the buildings lining the ''main drag'' and the most important places in town, with ones taking advantage of the black granite quarry not far out of town. The Lower levels are made of evenly-cut bricks, with upper levels taking advantage of the local sawmill to get a clean and reasonably attractive appearance. The streets are more cobbled than the buildings, using bad cuts and rough stone. It provides a nice contrast to the buildings. A wall is going up around the town, likely in response to the Titanoboa I used a while ago. Outside the walls, a decent number of farms have spread out in the deforested areas, with a few new basic watchtowers with guards, an obvious response to my cattle theft. The farms were diverse, cultivating a wide variety of crops. I can still see the chickens there, well-guarded, and lament being unable to get the tiny dinosaurs into my Dungeon. The quarry I''d previously mentioned is quite advanced. The pullies and rope system developed from the ones used for sails on ships to carry greater loads. The cranes take bricks carved and shaped in the center of the quarry out to the edge, where they are placed directly onto ox-driven carts and delivered to any construction project. Right now, the major project is the Lord''s mansion, which is getting a wall and ''Keep'' added to the main building. The sawmill is just as busy, constantly taking in logs and outputting cut planks for the new docks. The off-cuts are cut into smaller planks or made into firewood, then sold in town. The lighthouse constructed over my entrance is finished, and a bonfire is lit every night to guide ships into port. A decent amount of the firewood from the sawmill is diverted here to keep it running. That''s about it for the human-made structures in town. My seagull nest in the cliffs remains infested with the things. Gull now has a couple of lieutenants to keep order among the rest of the flock. While he remains the largest and most apparent monster of my ''Floor Zero,'' having a few other monster seagulls isn''t bad. The rats have made quite a few nests under the town, taking advantage of their small size to make the tunnels inaccessible to humans. I take half an hour to connect the tunnels to my Dungeon and alter them a bit, making twists and turns and providing wards to prevent mages from flooding the tunnels with water, fire, or lightning. The reef off the island is plentiful. I had spread plenty of ''sand'' from my construction through here, and while not ''claimed'' in the same way as the walls of my Dungeon are, it''s still enough to let my ''presence'' linger here. The fish are larger than they once were, but only some are monsterized. Since I didn''t do it myself, as with the ''lesser gulls,'' it was likely due to the higher mana content in the water. Beyond holding bigger fish, the reef is also more diverse, containing more than a dozen species that I''m pretty sure had migrated here. Perhaps they were called in some way by the mana content. I don''t know enough about the wildlife here to confirm if they''re attracted to mana, but it''s a decent enough theory. The open water beyond the reef was less saturated with mana but well populated. Large shoals and schools of fish swam through the ocean around the island, the amorphous mass of thousands of fish moving in synchronicity spectacular to observe. Something to remember is that this planet is not earth. Though the animals have familiar looks and evolved along similar lines on the surface, the ocean is much more competitive. Where I would expect the schooling fish to be species of herring, anchovy, or tuna, there were enough visual differences that I hesitated to give them those labels. Likewise, the predators which fed on those schooling fish were familiar but not the same. I saw swordfish that utilized water mana to create cutting pressure waves with a swipe of their noses. I saw sailfish unfurl great, billowing sails that enticed fish closer, away from the safety of their schools. I saw circling sharks propel themselves through bait balls at great speed, propelled by powerful, mana-enhanced swipes of their tails. A pod of dolphins ''played'' with a smaller shoal, using their echolocation to stun the fish and make them easy prey. I saw pods of two different species of whales lurking in the deeper waters; one was filter feeders and the other decidedly not. Inevitably, my ''eyes'' drifted down to the ocean floor. The construction of my Dungeon displaced an enormous amount of rock, and it all had to go somewhere. In this case, it had evenly spread around the island. It was easy enough initially, but as the size of the caverns ramped up, the amount of displaced rock became more unmanageable. My Island was now surrounded by enormous plains of sand rather than a rocky sea floor. That sand was still infused with the mana I''d used to move it, only having dissipated slightly into the ocean. Given the top layer of sand was mainly from the Ninth Floor, that made sense. It was still ''fresh,'' and the constant influx of new mana-infused sand from my ongoing construction had kept the lower layers from dissipating too much. I had a stray thought, and with a bit of mental gymnastics... Well, doesn''t all this sand count as claimed land? The moment I had that thought, it was made a reality. Suddenly I wasn''t just the Dungeon underneath the island but the reef and the ocean floor around it. Following the mana in the atmosphere above, free-floating mana in the ocean began to drift in my direction. It gathered into streams and funneled into the tunnels that led into my Dungeon. I hadn''t even ''breathed'' down here like it had taken for the atmospheric mana to do that! After closely investigating how mana behaved in the ocean, I determined that it followed ocean currents and likely affected them in turn. By diverting mana in the sea towards me, would I be drastically altering ocean currents? I hope that doesn''t cause too much damage. -0-0-0-0-0- Alc¨¢zar Lushka, Bahrain Empire, Hillia -0-0-0-0-0- Emperor Maalik Aobas smiled gently as his radiant wife Alya gathered the children and, along with his consorts, directed his little progeny out of court. He was sure they''d be kept busy for the next few hours. With the children out of the way, the fortnightly court session could begin. He sat on his modest throne on a raised dais and let his gaze wander across his courtiers. His personal guards were standing beneath the arches along the walls; the most experienced warriors in his employ, personally trained by a retired Platinum he had taken on as Master-at-Arms. He could see his Court Magi deep in discussion with said warrior. Maalik couldn''t determine what they were discussing over the din that filled the room, but both men''s furrowed brows showed it was a serious topic. Across the room, his Steward and Chancellor were most likely discussing the realm, its nobles, and its functions. The rest of the room was filled with his direct vassals; the closest Dukes within his realm who made the regular journey to his palace, the Counts that ruled lands within his demesne, along with a few mayors and priests. Maalik raised his hands, and with a single clap gained the attention of all in the room. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Let us begin," he began. In response, all his courtiers moved to the sides of the chamber, leaving the center clear for supplicants to plead their cases. Their position and closeness to the throne was telling of both their opinion and loyalty to him. "On this the hundred and sixth day, the twelve-hundredth year since the dawning of history, court is in session." He sat back in his chair, and raised his chin, looking down at his court imperiously. There was no delay; all petitioners who would come before him today had been informed of the order they were to approach him in. A Count he recognized as Jahiir Letoor stood from the group of fellow nobles and approached the throne, where he lowered himself to his knees and bowed with spread arms. "Oh Holy Emperor of our Empire, I come before you today with a grievance. The Count of the lands to my north, Shet Phanta has been taking advantage of his superior martial strength to encroach upon the lands of my ancestors. His men ride into towns along our border and declare them his, and just before I left for this very court, I received word he had begun to lay siege to my undermanned border forts. Sire, he has made no formal declaration of war, nor has he sent any demands. While the ownership of the lands on our borders has always been contested, his father and grandfather were honorable, and made their intentions clear. This cur has none, and has taken advantage of the war in the south to pursue his own agenda. My liege, as my forts and borders are undermanned due to that same war, and the levy I was called to provide, I must beg for your magnificence to punish Count Phanta''s impudence" Almost the instant he finished speaking, the din of the pre-court gathering resumed. Nowhere near as loud, of course, but he knew these noble men were gossips comparable to their wives. Something like this was almost unheard of. A count attempting to invade his neighbor, with no declaration, and during a time of war? Scandalous! He let them whisper amongst themselves for a time as he rolled the request over in his head. With a wave, Maalik summoned Marshal Goren close and spoke to him in a whisper. "How many levies were taken from his lands?" The man frowned, his prodigious memory no doubt recalling the correct figures. After barely a minute, he replied as quietly as he was asked. "The Letoor contract states he was to provide half of his total levy. I remember making note upon receiving the figures that his contribution of men was unusually low, barely half that of other lands with comparable populations." Steward Yesha, one of the few close enough to his throne to hear, leant forward and whispered in Maalik''s other ear. "My Lord, you would remember that not five years ago the Letoor lands and many others in our eastern lands were beset by a terrible drought. The Letoor lands in particular had been badly afflicted, and many of their of-age men and women died of thirst and starvation. They prioritized the health of their younger population over the older. The good Marshal should be able to affirm the youth and inexperience of the levy drawn from those lands." Goren nodded, his frown growing. His Chancellor, Katal, was quick to lend his own knowledge of the situation. "The Count does not exaggerate the length of his line''s feud with Clan Phanta. Since before they swore fealty to your great-grandfather in his eastward expansion to the sea. The two clans have warred since time immemorial, neither able to overcome the other entirely. If one did make significant gains, they would soon lose them and their over-extension would be punished. If your highness would forgive me, the counts Phanta and Letoor both have children of comparable age, of both genders, and none have yet been betrothed or promised to other clans. Maalik raised his hand and all conversation halted. His Steward, Chancellor and Marshal retreated and stood straight-backed at his left and right hand. "Your plea has moved me, and the circumstances behind your lack of defenses tragic. Though your levy are still vital to the war effort, I will send a demand to Count Phanta to halt his siege and remove his armies from your lands. If he fails to comply, I will provide some of my men-at-arms to enforce it. Though that will treat the symptoms, it will not fix the cause, as my court physician so likes to say." Maalik spoke with a wry grin to the wizened man shaking his head by the wall. He turned back to the confused, but happy count and continued. "My Great-grandfather was willing to let your feud grow and fester after your integration into the empire, but I will not let it cause more harm and destruction to it''s inhabitants. When this little scuffle is over, both of you will send two of your children to my court, a boy and a girl. They will be fostered and educated here, and are to be betrothed. This feud will end with the sealing of blood ties between your clans." The court clapped at his ruling. Many seemed a little uneasy at the casual imposition of betrothal upon the children of two lines, but as they were only counts none were particularly angry. The count however was flushed, obviously enraged, but maintained enough mastery of himself to thank the emperor and take his leave. The next petitioner approached with a quartet of slaves hauling a platform of items and parchment. "Oh Holy Emperor, I bring news and a gift to your august person. The Phenoc have found and claimed an island, off their eastern coast. This island is host to a wild dungeon, and several guilders sent to investigate returned with wild tales. My gift to you is a selection of items retrieved from the monsters within, along with documents detailing the Dungeon and it''s layout." Oh? He had heard of this rumor before, but to have it confirmed with proof... This promises to be interesting... -0-0-0-0-0- The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Huea Rockscale, named so for the striking similarities in color between her scales and the walls of the Dungeon, let out a content sigh as she observed Kata train with the younglings. The human, though still eyed with some distrust by the older drake-kin, had been accepted by the majority of their village. Her first duel against Mushu, and the couple since, had done wonders to show off her talent. She staunchly insisted that the sword wasn''t her strong point, but the fluid movements and graceful strikes had captivated many of the younglings who wished to learn the sword. During a report to the Creator about Kata and her integration into the village, Huea had learned that Kata''s abilities were common among the Guilders of her rank. If the warriors of the village wished to be more than fodder before the invaders, they would need to be stronger than the human captive at a minimum. Not that she was much treated like a captive anymore. Beyond the collar that kept her manaless and allowed the Creator to render her unconscious at will, Kataren was allowed much freedom within the village. Heua was more of a friend than warden, at this point, and let the human do as she wished as long as Kata informed her of what she was doing. Not that she did much besides explore the village and train. She looked around at the training ground, eyes lingering over the ''weights'' and ''equipment'' the creator had helped the Smith Tear create for them. The new training area was within the expansion, and the old had been turned into a sort-of market place. Kobolds, Snowbolds and the newly elevated Scorpans had visited to trade their goods here, and the village was thriving Speaking of the expansion, when the Creator provided the new, larger ''district'' to ease the overpopulation of their village, many of the younger drake-kin were eager to find a space of their own to inhabit and decorate. Where before they were forced to share rooms, every drake-kin now had their own space to decorate. Huea was particularly happy with the sun-yellow tiger-skin she had laid out on her bed. The only ones who still shared ''dormitory'' space were ''squads'' of drake-kin training to be defenders. The Creator had said it was to help with group cohesion, which made sense. Living together, they would learn intimately the habits, preferences and personalities of their ''squadmates''. It was just as important as learning to fight together as a seamless whole, a beast with many limbs and minds, thinking as one. Kata waved at Huea, and started making her way over to the sitting drake-kin. A glance behind her showed the exhausted, but exhilarated younglings eagerly discussing something. Likely the faults in their form Kata would have pointed out. "Enjoy beating up your admirers?" Huea teased as Kata reached a comfortable talking distance. "I''m not beating them up!" The human insisted with an affronted look, "I''m giving them pointers. How are they supposed to improve if no one tells them where they''re going wrong?" Huea shook her head. "They would have learnt the hard way." Huea shrugged, "Just like all the drake-kin before them." She looked up at the mana-sun above, taking note of it''s position on the cavern''s roof. "It''s getting late, want to go to the market for some grub? I hear a Scorpan merchant has brought up some meat from the Ninth, and I''m quite interested in what it tastes like." Huea licked her lips, salivating slightly at the imagined taste of the exotic meats no doubt before them. Kataren snorted, but looked distinctly uncomfortable. "The Scorpans disturb me, honestly. The Kobolds and Drake-kin were easy enough to get used to; you''re friendly and empathetic, hardly the mindless monsters I thought you were. The Scorpans... I don''t understand their language, and I doubt any of them want to learn mine. All those clicks and hisses, the waving pincers... and their faces. Their mandibles never stop moving, have you noticed that? Like they''re always chewing..." Kata shivered dramatically. Huea waved her off. "Ah, they''re not that bad. I''ll admit they''re odd, but they''re the Creators children, just as all other dungeon monsters are. He made them that way for a reason." Huea stated confidently, while Kataren nodded unsurely. They continued their walk to the market in silence. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 50 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- It''s been a day since I ''claimed'' the sand plains around the island. While I had the urge to dive right in and start making new monsters to patrol the ocean around the island, I held back. The mana currents that have been diverted towards me are still shifting, and until I understand what exactly is going on, trying to change stuff seems... hasty. For now, I''m restricting myself to pure observation. And boy, is there a lot to observe. As I''d already seen, mana streams in the ocean are intertwined with ocean currents. What affects one has a dramatic effect on the other. Come to think of it, this is probably true in the atmosphere as well, but due to the comparatively lower density of air, the relationship it has with mana isn''t as dramatic as water. Over the course of the last day, the "Mana Current" that runs north-to-south past my island has noticeably shifted towards my island. Unlike in the atmosphere, the mana in the current wasn''t all drawn into my dungeon. Most of it swept past the island harmlessly, doing little but raising the ambient mana levels in the ocean. The only exception was a slight current that split off from the main stream and made a beeline right into one of the larger vents I used to bring water into the dungeon. Something I noticed immediately was the majority of the mana was water mana. This isn''t a big surprise, given its source. It''s still a little shocking. Atmospheric mana is mostly unaligned, with small amounts of air mana mixed in. Another surprise was that it was tough to draw this mana out of the water it passed through. Its behavior was radically different from anything I''d experienced before; The unaligned mana from my main stream could dip in and out of the water however it liked. Perhaps this is what happens to large amounts of elemental-aligned mana when they saturate their elements. Is the inside of the volcano the same? Full to bursting with earth and fire mana? Does the fire mana''s buildup correlate to the volcano''s activity level? So many questions... I''m not about to pop the lid on the volcano to get answers, though. For now, I have the water-mana to experiment with. If I can''t take it out of its element... Then I need a pipe that leads to my core room. I spent some time adjusting the new stream''s pipe through my dungeon, causing it to pass through several vents with holes far too small for humans to get through, even if they could breathe underwater. For now, it goes through desalination enchantments and runs through the desert canyon''s river. At the river''s other end, the mana from the stream is diverted into a side pipe which feeds directly into my temporary core room through several vents. I haven''t spent much time focusing on my core room, now that I think about it. Too busy putting distance between myself and the bounty-seeking maniacs on the surface. My core room is a cavern about the size of one on the first floor. It''s currently quite plain and undecorated, and the only reason it''s this big, to begin with, is due to the massive accretion-disc of mana swirling around me at all times. To accommodate the water, I needed to modify the cavern quickly. I formed an arm of stone from the ceiling, reaching down to my core to suspend it above a rapidly-deepening bowl. The mana-saturated water floods into the bowl, and I set it to swirl with a flex of will. Soon enough, I had a whirlpool swirling beneath my core. I took some time to pretty up the place since I probably wouldn''t be making a new floor for a while. I cleaned up and detailed the stone arm suspending me, making it as realistic as possible. The hand''s fingers hooked underneath my core, almost caressing in their positioning. My core is also massive now; From the tip of the point to the bottom of the teardrop, I''d say it''s about two yards long. It''s two feet thick and one yard wide. The whirlpool should be a good deterrent, just in case someone gets down here. I''ve also got that contingency plan in the works. It''s mostly done¡ªjust some final touchups and modifications to the enchantments. Around the edge of the cavern, I carved a fa?ade of stone bricks with nine equally spaced squares of bare stone. I spent hours carefully carving out the visage of each boss into those spaces. The Crab Knight carving resembled Sebastian the First more than the current Knight. The Bloodfish Sovereign carving was a school of each fallen Sovereign, with the current Boss being the largest and taking center place. The carving of Mushu reflected the monster''s personality. From the set of his brow to the way he held his morningstar. Everything about him radiated, "Challenge me if you dare!" The Ratten carving was probably the most fun to make. Each fallen boss was represented equally since none had been on the ''throne'' long enough to make a significant impact. Because of their constant internal war, there were dozens of ''Bosses.'' Many of them had died to their rivals rather than invaders. Perhaps not practical, but each boss was stronger than the last. The Fifth-floor boss carving was magnificent and singular, The monster having yet to be discovered or even fought. The rest of the boss carvings were similar; singular monsters on an otherwise blank canvas. While they didn''t yet have a rich history behind them, that would change in time. The Ninth space was left empty, as the ninth floor didn''t have a boss yet. It''ll probably end up being a Scorpan, to be honest. Ah! It seems the latest Ratten boss has been defeated. Isid, Jerrad, and their party have finally made the push into the fifth floor. This promises to be interesting. -0-0-0-0-0- The Fifth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Isid''s head was on a swivel as they passed through the castle halls. The walls were saturated in mana, as with every other floor, which made them opaque to her manasense. It always baffled her how much mana this dungeon used to negate one of the few advantages her condition afforded her. "Same as the other floors. We''re going to have to search manually." She stated. The others nodded, having expected this outcome. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Where to start, though?" Her husband mused, rubbing his stubble. "We have a pretty good idea of the castle''s layout already, thanks to them. I think we should head out to Mushroom Forest and finish the last of the exploration there." "I would like to get a first-hand look at those ''mushroom monsters,''" Harald said, "While ''shambling monstrosities with bladed limbs and no sense of pain'' is quite descriptive and outlines their strengths well, I feel like studying them could reveal some incredible insights. Imagine! Mushrooms walking around and attacking people!" Harald''s eyes were shining with enthusiasm. Isid glanced at Duncan, who shrugged. "They apparently have cores, and butchering one would help identify their weaknesses." He said, not seeming to be bothered one way or another. "Fine. We''ll start in the forest. If the pattern holds, we won''t have much time before their sheer numbers push us out. After that, we''ll explore the castle for a time. I have this nagging feeling they have missed something." Isid stated. With that, the group made their way through the castle. They were wise to any ambush attempts, keeping an eye on the stone floor and the darkened ceiling. The Dungeon only attempted it once and failed to immobilize any of them. The mana layering the brickwork beneath them brightened a few seconds before the hands pushed through, giving her enough time to get a warning out. The shadow monsters were another thing entirely. They barely registered to her sense, blending into the background mana, until the moment they became tangible. While they were in the air, having jumped to avoid being grabbed, half a dozen shadow monsters materialized around them. Her manablades were extended instantly, and her eyes widened behind her blindfold when her blades only blocked the swiping claws. She had expected them to cut right through, having yet to find any creature with skin tough enough to stop them. The monster again went immaterial when she made to counterattack, and to her surprise, her blades impacted! There was a moment of stillness. Within seconds, the monsters were gone, leaving the guilders confused. "What was that!?" Jerrad asked, running a hand over his short hair. "They''re almost invisible to my manasight when intangible, and my blades do little to them." Isid spoke quickly, "however, my blades can hit them, even when they are intangible. I only got a short glance, but they''re heavily saturated in mana, and I could make out a system of denser mana flowing to and from their cores. They don''t seem to have anything else in there besides those." "What?" Harald exclaimed, looking shocked. "No veins? No heart? No muscles or bones?!" Isid shook her head. "Not that I saw," she replied, shaking her head. "Fascinating," Harald murmured. His following words were louder. "Either they''re made entirely of mana or are some form of life that doesn''t require it." Isid shook her head again. "They''re not made of mana. Or at least, not only mana. I''ve had some interaction with beings of mana before, and when it turned into a fight, my blades were as effective on them as anything else. No, the only thing I''ve found that can block my blades is..." Isid trailed off, then continued with a thoughtful tone, "that strange metal the Third Floor Guardian uses in its armor and weapon." "Stranger and stranger..." Harald said, his hand on his beard. "I''ve never encountered anything like them before. They don''t resemble anything found in nature, and no dungeon I''m aware of uses similar monsters. Just another unique thing this dungeon has created. Intelligent monsters, shadow creatures made of metal, monstrous fungus... I feel like I''ve found something I can spend the rest of my life documenting and never learn everything!" He finished, enthusiastic as ever. They didn''t linger much longer, and soon they were pushing through the ''darkness'' between the castle and forest. Isid once again found herself fascinated. "The darkness is an enchantment, propagated through mana dispersed incredibly evenly. Its purpose is to absorb light, and the nature of the mana means each drop only absorbs so much at a time. I''m sure I can see farther than the rest of you, but not by much. After a certain distance, everything is just... obscured by the mana in the air." She explained. Jerrad nodded. "Sounds like a thick fog. We had them sometimes back where I grew up. It was like the clouds themselves descended to rest on the ground. Sometimes you couldn''t even see the walls from the keep! Or if you could, the men standing on them were blurry silhouettes." He said with a smile. "Yes, you''ve told me." Isid replied, "I never quite understood. But... I do now, I think." When the first of the tree-like fungi entered her perception, Isid let them know. After a dozen yards, the others could see it too. Without hesitation, they moved deeper, ever larger shrooms looming out of the ''fog'' before them. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- That interaction between Isid and the shadow golem was quite interesting. It seems that, while intangible to solid objects, blades made entirely of mana are capable of hitting them. Also, Isid''s manasight is cheating! I''ve kept exactly what my golems are a secret for ages, but with only a quick glance, she knows exactly what they are! Thankfully they still seem to think the stone hands are traps rather than stone golems under the floor reaching through the tiles. I mean, they are traps, but there''s a monster attached to the arm and hand. I might be able to use that at some point, but It won''t be as effective after the first time. I kept a careful eye on them as they entered the Mushroom Forest. Their first encounter went about as expected. Isid identified the lone shambler that came across them early, and they were well prepared to ambush it. The hivemind began diverting the wandering monsters in their direction and started spawning more. In five minutes, a second shambler approached and was dealt with. Then two more. Then five. Isid, Jerrad, and Harald defended Duncan as he butchered the first shambler, extracting its core and samples from different parts of its body. A ''bone,'' one of its sword-limbs, fungal ''flesh'' from several points, some ''nerve'' tissue, and a chunk of ''brain.'' Not that they knew it was its brain, but when a monster only has one significant organ, they could figure it was important. By the time Duncan was done, the waves of monsters were constant and only getting larger. They began a fighting retreat, not willing to let themselves become overwhelmed. I watched, curious, as they began exploring the castle again. Isid had said earlier that she had a feeling they were missing something. And she wasn''t wrong. The ''Hero'' party had thoroughly explored the castle''s ground floor and dungeon levels but neglected the towers. They didn''t believe the exit to the floor would be above them, after all. They were veterans, and even with all the odd shit I''d thrown at them, they had an expectation of how dungeons acted and were built. I took advantage of that. Isid and company, however, were well aware I couldn''t be judged by the metric of other dungeons. They spent some time going back over halls the Heroes had already explored, using Isid''s manasight to search for anything they might have missed. I double-checked the halls ahead of them to ensure the secret passages all over the place were completely invisible. A couple glowed slightly to my ''vision,'' but lowering the mana content of those sections was enough. After that, they began ascending the towers. If it isn''t obvious, I was experimenting with large-scale enchantments while constructing this floor. At the top of most towers, there are windows enchanted to see past the darkness. It gives you a real sense of the enormity of some of the mushrooms in the forest and how large the cavern actually is. Especially because otherwise, the guilders are in magical darkness. It makes it hard to judge distances. After about four hours of exploration, there was only one tower they had yet to explore. I alerted the Boss, but I didn''t think they would fight it. The smart play here is to poke their heads in, get info, then return with a raid of high-rank guilders to give them the best chance of beating a Boss they have no information on. As expected, they poked their heads into the arena, glanced around the seemingly empty room, then quickly retreated. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 51 -0-0-0-0-0- Layla''s Office, The Guild, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- "Thanks for giving me your report in person, auntie," Layla said with a smile. Her aunt Isid nodded and returned her smile. "No trouble at all, my niece. I wanted to check in on you anyway. You''ve been bundled up in this dreary office for days!" Isid chided, crossing her arms. Layla sighed and made to speak, but her aunt preempted her. "And don''t say your work was important and needed to be done. All the work you do as Guildmistress is important, as is the quality of that work. You need time to rest and decompress." Layla stared evenly at her aunt, then let her shoulders relax. She sat back in her plush chair and raised her hand to her temples to nurse the headache that''d been building all week. "I know. I''ll take the rest of the day off. Want to head to the market together? It''s been some time since I last went down there myself." Layla offered. Isid nodded, and after tidying her office, Layla found herself leaving the Guild Hall and down the cobbled path to the town. The sun was warm on her face, and the southerly wind pleasantly chilled her skin. Layla''s attention was always drawn to the mana column leading to the Dungeon when she left the guild building. Its tributaries stretched far and wide but weren''t yet out of sight. Her aunt stopped to join her, while others using the road gave the two a wide berth. "I sometimes wonder what it''s doing with all that mana..." Isid mused, "The number of monsters it could support... it beggars the imagination." They stood in silence for a minute before Layla answered. "Whatever it''s doing, I hope it''s content to remain underground." She said quietly. Isid nodded. They moved on. Built as it was just outside the Dungeon, it was only a short walk to reach the town from the Guild Hall. Layla''s gaze swept across the groups of laborers crawling over and around a half-built stone wall. She saw that it stretched almost halfway around town and was composed of the sparkling black stone from the island''s quarry. Layla approved of the forethought the lord was showing. Medea Island was a valuable port, and if the tensions between the Bahrain Empire and the Phenoc Kingdom boiled over... The island would be one of the first places invaded and likely used as a foothold for any potential Bahrain invasion. Now that she thought about it, Medean had posted a job offer in the guild; he was hiring guilders to train the local militia. They would never reach the same level of strength, but Guilders were the strongest and most experienced fighters in the world for a reason. They passed the wall and soon were amongst the stalls and crowds of the market. Layla and her aunt weaved their way through the mass of humanity, spending a minute or two at each stall. Many items sold here weren''t new to her. Mostly the produce from the farms and the fish that were hanging on display. The size of the fish, however, was beginning to get alarming. "Are you sure these aren''t monsters? You haven''t found any cores when butchering them?" She asked the weathered man behind the stall. She had to ask because the nearly eight-foot-long tuna hanging from a hook beside the booth was double the average size of the species. Isid had gone right up next to the thing, and the size comparison was startling. "No. At least, not yet, Lady Losat." The merchant answered, shaking his head. "Though, there have been some... oddities around the island lately." "Please elaborate," Layla asked firmly. The merchant looked around, then motioned her closer. Layla and Isid both leaned in. "There''s been a change in the currents," the man whispered, his voice not carrying beyond the three. "The waters nearby are practically bursting with fish. You name one; there''s at least a school hanging around. We''ve spotted the largest fish in the sea; whales, sharks, and the like. Every fish we catch is larger than average, half-again at minimum. And they''re still getting bigger." The man gestured at the hanging fish and the gutted fish lying on his stall. Layla squinted, her gaze flicked up, and swept across the half-dozen fish stalls, all selling different species. All were much larger than those sold a month ago, and the ambient mana in their flesh was substantial. It wasn''t to the level of even the lowest monster, but they were obviously mana-mutants. For better or worse, it was a lot harder to manage fish populations than other animals, which meant that when a significant mana source began saturating the local seas... The good news was that mana-mutated fish in the ocean rarely manifested abilities like those found in dungeons. Their drives and needs were different. There was always a bigger fish out there, so most normal fish seemed to focus on size when given enough mana to do something with. It was larger predators that were the problem. "We need to keep track of this." Layla decreed. Her gaze turned to the fisherman. "Keep it quiet for now. Do you own one of the fishing vessels?" He nodded. "Aye, a sloop, with a crew of three." "Do you know the captains of any other ships?" "Aye, I do. Know most of them, in fact. We meet at the tavern by the docks every week to play cards and brag about our hauls." The fisherman gave a wry grin. "Could you pass on an invitation to meet me at the guild the day after your next game?" Layla asked. The man nodded. "Gladly, Guildmistress." Layla nodded to the fisherman, whose name she hadn''t gotten, and moved on. "Always working, Layla. You can''t just take a break, can you?" Isid teased. Layla rolled her eyes. "You know, I feel like there''s a reason grandfather put my name in for Guildmistress and not yours." She retorted. Isid chuckled. "Oh, honey, I would never have let myself get conned into a desk job," Isid countered. "Now, come on! There are a few merchants selling fabric over that way. I''m going to find you something pretty and commission you a new dress. Honestly, dear, you wear the same clothes every day. Live a little!" Layla squawked in faux outrage, and the two women spent the rest of the evening flitting from stall to stall. By the end of it, Layla was the most relaxed she''d been in weeks. Maybe I should take some time for myself more often, She thought, idly. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0 After Isid and her party left the Dungeon, I spent the rest of the day giving my Dungeon a once-over. I didn''t end up doing much beyond adjusting the timing on certain traps. My upper five levels are almost entirely autonomous now. The Crab''s population remains stable despite the legions of them killed every day, thanks to their fast growth and large clutches. The fish have always had a stable population. In fact, I''ll need to expand their breeding chambers to accommodate their increased numbers. Letting them inhabit the jungle and canyon rivers eased off the pressure, but I''m thinking of lowering their fertility. I don''t want them choking the tunnels by the sheer mass of numbers. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The Kobolds have had an uptick in numbers since I gave the ''Trial'' Warriors respawn crystals. After some consideration, I lowered their growth rate further; the slower-growing Kobolds have shown an increased capability for critical thinking and creativity. Giving them more of a ''childhood'' should help foster more growth in that direction. I did the same for the Drake-kin. Their numbers were large enough for the moment, and there''s no reason for their hatchlings to grow to maturity too fast. The Ratten are the same as they''ve ever been. The various clans are at constant war with each other, vying as they were for the right to be the Boss of the floor. Though the strength of the entire race grew slower, more ''naturally,'' I could see how far they''d come. The constant Darwinistic struggle had seen a couple of ''branches'' of evolution pass by in fast-forward right before my eyes. The Swarm Clan had gone all in on the ''swarm'' angle, and different Ratten within the clan took up various roles within the swarm. It reminded me of multicellular life writ large. There are ''coordinator'' Ratten that have some kind of mental link to the others and guide them. Others in the front line were tougher and larger, yet more filling the gap and using their mass to push the ''walls'' of the cell forward to ''envelop'' and devour their prey. Most Clans had taken the opposite route, prizing individual strength. In these Clans, a ''caste'' system came into place. There were the ''champions,'' large specimens that were more capable, intelligent, stronger, or faster. But even within this ''individualistic'' branch, there were differences. Mostly in methodology and the changes those methods induced in the Ratten themselves. The Lightning Clan had incorporated lightning mana into their physiology. Every Ratten in that clan generated and could expel lightning mana. The Champions of this clan were either those capable of channeling significant amounts of lightning from other Ratten into larger attacks or those who could generate enormous quantities of mana on their own. Currently, the clan''s Boss was a Channeler, supported by generations of her sons and daughters, who weren''t as capable but retained some of her potential. The Shadow Clan had likewise taken the shadows into themselves. They preferred to live in the ''shadow realm'' and trained their magic to spend more time there. Their champions rarely manifested physically, choosing to live within the darkness of the tunnels. Their current Boss was a large specimen with an impressive grasp of shadow mana. There were others, of course, dozens of different clans, all expressing different magic and tactics. Whenever I encountered a new form of mana, I created the seeds of new clans that could use that mana. The Ice and Light Clans were still weak but would grow with time. Moving on from the fourth! The Fire Spirit has done as the Air Spirit did and had some of the Demon Goat''s fire mages summon fire sprites. Now she has the flitting fire sprites swarming around her, the sprites possessing stone golems and those possessing smaller Potentium bodies trailing behind her. She has yet to settle down in any one place and instead wanders the Scorched Plains, and occasionally they play in the Lava Lakes. She''s also decided on a name. Well, I say that, but it wasn''t a decision she made alone. She asked me for a list of words I knew that related to fire and, from the list, decided she liked Igna the most. She also asked if I could provide larger golems for a couple of her entourage, who were close to transforming into Spirits. She had a different word for it, but there isn''t a word in the English language, nor the Phenocian one, that accurately describes it. Ascension is close but far too grandiose. Metamorphosis was somewhat closer, but not quite. The Potentium bodies were expensive, but thankfully she only requested two, and their recipients were ones with a connection directly to me. I skimmed the rest of the floors, but nothing else had changed or needed attention. As I reached the bottom, I brought up my mental plans for the Tenth. I felt the urge to dig deeper, to put more distance between myself and the guilders above. First, though, the Ninth needs a Boss. -0-0-0-0-0- Scorpan Village, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Skitters-Across-The-Sand chittered affectionately at the scorplings clinging to her carapace, enjoying their endless questing chirrups and pointed claws. She had laid a clutch of five eggs soon after the Creator provided them with new bodies and a new home. The male she mated with was larger than his fellows and flattered that Skitters was interested in him. Skitters had kept the eggs in a warm nook designed for the purpose and checked on them often. Just yesterday, though, they had hatched! The five scorplings were white-shelled upon breaking out of their shells and had made the most adorable chirps Skitters had ever heard in her life. She had spent the rest of the day familiarizing herself with them and letting them come to know her. There were three females and two males. They were all about the same size, though the males were slightly larger. Skitters hoped they would inherit the size of their father. She had yet to name them, as was tradition in their tribe. The tradition had started when they were merely crabs. Skitters would observe the scorplings over the next week. She would identify habits, likes, dislikes, and behaviors, and then name them appropriately. Skitters was named as she had been due to her restless nature, never wishing to be still and with a thirst to explore. Today, she decided, they would leave their home, and she would show off her children to the rest of the village. Skitters was sure she had laid the first clutch and that her scorplings were the first to hatch. She was right, and there was much cooing over her clutch. The other females, who had all laid their clutches, were enthralled with the scorplings. Two females in particular, mostly. "They''re so cute!" "I can''t wait for mine to hatch!" Skitter''s two closest friends exclaimed. Preens-In-The-Light was a lighter shade of orange than Skitters, and her iridescent portions were all incredibly clean and practically sparkled under the light of the mana-sun. Lays-In-Puddles was a slightly darker shade, closer to brown. She was shorter than the other two, with a wider main body. "Any name-worth habits?" Preens asked, letting one of the scorplings inspect her humanoid hand and arm. "Not yet," Skitters said, "But it''s only been a day. I''m sure they''ll do something interesting soon enough." Puddles looked longingly at the five energetic scorplings. "I wish I''d laid more than two eggs now..." Skitters reached across and laid a hand on her friend''s shoulder. "Don''t worry, Puddles. These five are quite the clawful, and I''m sure that with only two, you''ll have more time to focus on them." Skitters quickly glanced around the cavern. "Has anyone seen Plays-With-Fires? I want to show him our scorplings." Preens and Puddles chittered teasingly, and Preens pointed out to the entrance of the cavern. "He''s on guard duty at the village wall. Oh! You should ask him about the Drake-kin village! He was sent up there with Hoards-Coins to trade for metal tools and weapons and only got back this morning. I''m sure he''ll have some great stories!" Skitters bid her friends farewell and made her way out of the village cavern. While not unbearable, by any stretch of the word, it was much hotter outside the cool of their village cavern. The Mana-sun was only now peeking over the canyon''s edge, illuminating the inside of the wooden wall they had constructed around the entrance to their home. It was rough, made of whole trees stripped of their branches and buried in the ground. There was reinforcement inside, a raised section of stone they could climb to look over the wall. The only areas free of this were the two gates. Skitters passed the brick-maker, who was carefully placing bricks of mud out on the ground for the sun to bake. While the Creator had provided plenty of housing inside the cavern, any buildings they wanted out here, they would have to build themselves. The Creator, in His mercy, had offered to help, but they declined. They wouldn''t ask Him to do something as trivial as erect a building, not even one they needed to live! These bricks would go towards a temple, the first temple dedicated to the Creator, built in the holy land He had crafted for them. Skitters quickly found her Mate, Fires, standing just inside the gate. He was wearing metal armor over his upper half and draped in a cloak of strange off-white fabric. In his hands was a long spear with a peculiar head. A Halberd, some part of her said. "Plays-With-Fires! Welcome back to the village." She called out as she approached. "Skitters-Across-The-Sand! I am glad to have returned. The Drake-kin village is much more crowded than ours, and I longed to return here for peace and quiet. How is our clutch doing? Have any of them hatc-" He fell silent as Skitters felt her scorplings peek around her back. Fire''s head twitched as his gaze jumped between the five scorplings. "I''d say they''re doing fine." Skitters said cheekily. She approached and let Fires get a closer look. He seemed awed at the little scorplings, letting them poke and prod his carapace as he inspected each one. "More than fine. They look strong! These two seem quite large, and I''m sure they''ll grow as big as I am". Fires boasted. In response, the scorplings chittered excitedly. Skitters smiled at the sight. The rest of the day, Skitters stayed with Fires, letting him spend time with his spawn. She wasn''t sure why, but she believed it was important for the scorplings to know their father. He regaled them with stories of the Drake-kin and the sights he''d seen on the Journey through the Dungeon. Yes, Skitters was delighted. Their home was perfect for them, and with their scorplings growing, the future of the Scorpans was looking bright. As the sun set after the long day, the scorplings tired out and sleeping in a pile on her back, Skitters shared a smile with Fires. "Praise the Creator for this blessing upon our lives." She softly prayed. "Yes, Praise be to him." Fires replied. -0-0-0-0-0- 2022 ? Max Porteous Chapter 52 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- When I started thinking about what creature would be best suited for the Ninth Floor boss, I kept coming back to the same answer. A Scorpan. I''d considered using another monster, such as the Vultures or Sunlions. However, I wasn''t sure how to improve them for the role beyond ''larger and tougher.'' Thus, using my most intelligent and versatile monsters makes the most sense. The next thing to do was observe the village and their daily lives. I''d previously just picked a monster at random to make the boss, but this time I wanted to be a bit more selective. Over the next two days, I watched them closely without interfering. It warmed my non-existent heart to see the little scorplings interact with their parents. Within a few days, all the eggs had hatched, and the little scamps quickly proved extremely curious. Thankfully their instincts pushed them to remain near their mother. For this reason, I rejected picking a female as the boss. They seemed to place great importance on raising their scorplings, and making a female the boss would... most likely remove them from the ''dating pool.'' They would be much larger than their potential partners, but I believe they''ll be put on a pedestal, regarded as a ''prophet'' of my ''faith.'' That point was clear in my mind as I watched the village ''guards'' train in the early hours of the third morning of my observation. Whoever I picked would become revered among the Scorpans, whatever I wanted. As with Mushu, and to a lesser extent Tear, they would become a leader among their species. One good thing about my dungeon sapients is that there was no corruption or greed in their minds. The intrinsic loyalty all of my monsters feel towards me, and each other makes them inherently selfless. If given a choice between saving their own lives or dying in the line of duty, they''d throw themselves at the enemy a hundred percent of the time in my defense. Honestly, it was pretty hard to pick out any one Scorpan Guard that was ''more suited'' to ruling than the others. Physically, when I raised them from the crabs they had been, I varied their forms very little. Some were squatter, others taller. Some were broader, and others slighter. All had the same level of physical strength and speed. The most variation came in their coloration, in both the iridescent portions and overall shade. Experience-wise, they were also equal. The Scorpan Guards had all been training to fight in these bodies since they''d gained them, and with their non-standard bodies, the memories of fighting with spears I''d gained from dead guilders weren''t as helpful as they could have been. This was new territory, and they were inventing a fighting style tailor-made to their forms. In that regard, there was one who seemed more adept. He had been nominated the Guard ''Captain'' by his fellows and seemed to refine their emerging style every day. The others listened intently and followed his movements during their training. Another thing was that he lacked a mate. The odd number of Scorpans left him without a romantic partner, but he didn''t seem to mind. It left more time for training. Yes, I think he will do nicely. Once their daily training was done and they had dispersed to their posts, I reached out to the captain. I have chosen you to become the boss of this floor, Strikes-The-Air. Do you accept? The Scorpan seemed to vibrate in place, excitement and devotion evident in his mind. He bowed his head, spread his arms and pincers wide, and lowered his abdomen to the sand. Creator! I accept your gracious blessing! Strikes declared. With that I started immediately, knowing this would take a while. First, I needed something to work with. I flooded his body with mana, filling it to capacity. Next was the physical changes. I began with a general enlargement, making him half again the size of the largest Scorpan in the village. Next, I adjusted his carapace and increased its strength, toughness, and coverage. In the end, his carapace was thicker and gained the metallic sheen of freshly polished armor. Having used a lot of mana, I filled his body up again. Next came his natural weapons. His armor was tough enough not to need a shield, so I sharpened both of his pincers to a razor edge. Suddenly struck by inspiration, I generated a small node of neural tissue at the base of each limb with a specific purpose in mind. Each would act as mini-brains dedicated to the movement of their assigned limbs. Hopefully, they will allow for a faster reaction time. Back to weapons! Next was the tail and stinger. I increased its striking speed and strength, added a half-dozen separate venom glands, and added various hooks and barbs along its length. I also made them more flexible and capable of twisting. It should be able to strike down at his sides and even behind him. Then I made another, completely identical, tail. It attached at the end of his abdomen, right alongside the original. Only one part of his body was left to work on; the humanoid upper body. As it was mostly for show, the upper body would act as his ''weak spot.'' It was less armored than his scorpion body but retained great flexibility and strength. The arms and hands I adjusted for more finesse to better strike and swing with his weapon. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. At the top of his head, I grew a crown of spikes. They were larger above his forehead and decreased in size until they met at the back of his head. I pulled back from my new boss and looked him over while he stood from his long-held bow and tested his new body. After a few seconds, Strikes became aware that the entire village had gathered around him in a circle. They had remained a respectful distance back and ''kneeled'' in silence when they realized what was happening. All at once, wholly unplanned and unpracticed, the Scorpans began chanting. "PRAISE THE CREATOR! PRAISE HIS PROPHET! PRAISE THE SCORPAN KING!" "PRAISE" "PRAISE" "PRAISE" -0-0-0-0-0- Throne Room, The King''s Roost, Phenoc Kingdom -0-0-0-0-0- Kenias Phenoc, King of the Phenoc Kingdom, ate his meal slowly and deliberately. He was seated at the high table upon a raised dais in the Great Dining Hall of his castle. At his left were his wife and daughters; Queen Annah, 1st Princess Alene, and 2nd Princess Amice. To his right was his Heir and two other sons; Crown Prince Isaad, 2nd Prince Keven, and 3rd Prince Denace. At either side of his family sat his closest and most trusted retainers. Below them on the main floor sat a myriad of smaller tables, laid with lower quality dinnerware than those his family used. Still, they were pricier than anyone less than a noble could afford. The meal Kenias was savoring could be considered his kingdom in miniature. The finest bread, baked from the highest quality grain. The salad greens were grown on Kenias'' own farms, located just outside town. The veal he was eating had been slaughtered that morning, and he could practically feel the animal''s mana on his tongue. The royal family ate quietly, speaking little amongst themselves, while the diners below created a pleasant din of conversation. When the servants collected their empty dishes, Kenias waved one close. "What is for the second course today?" He asked. The servant, bowed at the waist as he was, spoke loud enough for the entire high table to hear. "Today, the cook has prepared a meal from ingredients collected as tax from Medea Island; Your Majesty," Kenias frowned as he dismissed the servant with a wave. Medea Island? He didn''t recognize the name. "Ah! I''ve heard of that little island." His Chamberlain, Barnart Etton, announced to the table. "Yes, their tax arrived just this morning. As expected of an island, the majority was seafood, but as a dungeon town, there was significant coinage there as well." "A dungeon town, on an island?" Queen Annah said, sounding politely incredulous. "Just so, your Highness." Barnart continued with a polite bow of the head. "Discovered a few months ago. Count Medean of Port Laviet was the first made aware and moved quickly to claim the land. He installed his son as the island''s lord, who promptly named it in his father''s honor." He stopped speaking as the servants returned with the next course; a seafood platter arranged around a steak-sized portion of white flesh. "It''s Crab!" The 2nd Prince announced, having sampled the strange meat eagerly. "Crab?" The 1st Princess questioned before taking a bite of her own. "It is! But where is the shell? Isn''t crab normally boiled in its shell and served just so?" "That, Your Highnesses, is the meat of a dungeon monster. The dungeon''s first floor is full of giant crabs. Indeed they are of such great number that when their palatability was discovered, some of the weaker local guilders began delving its first floor solely to collect the crab''s corpses to sell. They are so large, you see, that the pincers alone are the size of the 3rd Prince!" Kenias cut a piece of the steak, observing that it indeed shared the look of crab meat, despite the difference in cooking method. He took a bite and chewed slowly, tasting the meat. He could easily believe it came from a dungeon monster; It was rich in mana, a strange mix of fire and water that lent it a cool spiciness. Talk of Medea Island dominated the rest of the meal. Each of his councilors weighed in with the knowledge they had. High Marshal Jonn raised concerns over the island''s location on the Kalenic Sea and its value as a staging post for a potential invasion. Kenias listened carefully to that conversation, taking note of the most crucial points. A messenger approached his throne with a bow, as they were finishing dessert. "The Grand Duke Plasied has arrived at the castle, Your Majesty. He has requested an audience at your earliest convenience." Kenias raised an eyebrow at the news and dismissed the messenger with a wave. Plasied, one of his most powerful vassels, had traveled all the way to his liege''s castle? Kenias wondered what was so important that he couldn''t have just sent a hawk. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- After his... coronation? I suppose that''s what it was. After his coronation as the Scorpan King, I led Strikes-The-Air and the half-dozen he took to be his personal guards to their new home. The Scorpan Village was about three-quarters of the way down the canyon, and the entrance to the half-carved boss arena lay just before my Core Room. While I originally planned to have delvers scale the canyon wall at the other end, I decided It made more sense for the exit to lay at the end of the ''natural'' formation. Strikes and his guard made noises of awe as they watched me carve a castle out of the canyon wall. Unlike the European-style castle on the Fifth, this one was more Arabic in construction. The entrance still lacked a door, but I would add one soon. Beyond was what could only be described as a throne room. High-ceilinged and quite deep, the arching roof was held up by two rows of columns leading towards a large throne, designed to be as comfortable to Scorpan physiology as I could make it. This would be the boss arena. I can see it now; the delvers pushing open the doors and needing to fight through the six guards before reaching their King, who would stand dramatically from his throne and rush to engage the interlopers! I led the new King to a side door that would remain shut to all but a living Scorpan. Beyond was his rooms and quarters for his guards. They were mostly bare for now, but I''m sure they''ll fill it up with time. The King and his guards each received a Respawn Crystal, and it was the work of minutes to hook them up correctly. The next thing would be to get Tear down here, to measure them up for armor and weapons. While I was all for encouraging trade among my sentient monsters, I wouldn''t make my bosses pay for their own armaments. Opposite the door to the private rooms was one which led to my Core Room. As per usual, the manastream that flowed throughout my dungeon was directed through a vent above the door. When I move, I''ll leave the room the same, I think. I''m sure the Scorpans will find a use for it later, maybe as a temple. But enough of that for now! I have the itch to dig. To Build. To carve grand vistas and create thriving ecosystems! It''s time to begin construction of the Tenth floor. And I have so many ideas! -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 53 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I began by digging out a large cavern, which I feel takes the most time in this process. Compared to the previous few floors, its position follows a curve centered on the island and keeps a wide swath of rock between them and the magma chamber. I''m getting quite deep by now, and given I''m off the continental shelf of Theona, the seafloor is relatively thin. I''m worried I''ll start getting close to the mantle soon, so I need to find a solution to that quickly. I''ve gathered quite a few ''bags of holding'' over the months, and while I haven''t worked out how their spatial enchantments work... I feel like I''m close, but I''m missing something crucial. Over the next few days, I worked hard to dig out an area slightly larger than the desert. Unlike the desert, which was more oval-shaped to accommodate the canyon, this one was an almost perfect circle. At three points, equidistant from each other and the circumference of the cavern, I left three thick pillars. I felt artistic and, on a whim, carved an ornate thread into the pillars. Now they looked like giant screws! I seeded some vines and grasses that would spread and grow along the thread, anchoring on the tiny cracks I added and giving it a more worn appearance. I added the by now standard mana-star. This one I anchored in the very middle of the dome and gave a ''lid'' that would close at night. No track to follow or sunsets here, unfortunately. The way I''ve set up the pillars would make it look weird. The rest of the floor would be different from the last few. It would be filled with life! However, there was no way I would be able to steal enough dirt from the surface to give this floor a nice layer of the stuff, so I''d have to make my own. Step one! Steal some silt from the ocean floor. That was easy enough. I just needed to spread some mana beyond my claimed circle of sand and bring in the silty dirt. Now, that alone won''t work as fertile dirt. Well, it would if I made some plants that could grow in it, but I didn''t want to do that. The soil would look wrong, be the wrong texture, and it would bother me that it wasn''t right. Step two is to remove all the extra salt. Otherwise, what I have here is effectively useless. I couldn''t exactly rip the salt from the silt, so I quickly whipped up a floor-wide enchantment that would pull the salt from the dirt and collect it into a ball in the middle of the floor. I''d figure out what to do with the floating salt ball later. Next, I needed to add good bacteria and insects that make up the bottom of the food chain, which was easy. A sample of dirt from the jungle was retrieved and carried down by some Kobolds. I made sure there was a wide variety of insects along for the ride. Once It reached the Tenth, I had it placed right in the middle of the floor, under the salt ball. An infusion of life mana quickly spread the tiny creatures throughout the rest of the soil. Sometimes it frightened me how quick and easy it was to do stuff like this, especially using life mana directly instead of unaligned mana. It''s far more effective when you use specific mana types for appropriate jobs. The next step was to spread some weeds, which was easy enough. Some grasses would easily classify as weeds, and I''ve got a dozen species I can strip for their seeds. Why weeds? Because I need to add more organic matter. Topsoil is good, fertile dirt because of the millions of years of accumulated organic debris built up within it, used, and recycled thousands of times. I spread the seeds of my chosen weeds evenly across the floor. I then modified the floor-wide enchantment to disperse life mana with a ''grow faster'' intent. Adding the intent was the essential part. If I hadn''t, all the weeds would do was gather it. Grass can''t think. It can''t want. So, the mana would collect and passively reinforce the plants. They''d grow faster, taller, and more robust, but nowhere near fast enough for my purposes. Over the next day, I watched the weeds grow, compete with the plants around them, die off, and new ones grow in their place. I watched more than three dozen cycles and fueling that explosive growth heavily depleted my excess mana. Honestly, it was a bit of a relief to use it all. Thanks to my accretion disk method, I hadn''t experienced that ''overfull'' feeling of having too much mana in my core since that first time, months ago. It significantly slowed the amount of mana flowing into my core at once, but that mana still built up over time. Yes, I was larger now and could contain far more mana than I once did, but that''s beside the point. For now, it was nostalgic to ''only'' have a set of Saturn-like rings rather than the increasingly thick and wide disk of mana orbiting me. I removed the growth enchantment and gazed proudly over my enormous grass field. The ''Weed'' I''d been using was quite attractive when allowed to reach its full growth. The emerald stalks produced tiny white flowers by the dozens and grew six feet tall when left alone. As I introduced my cows, sheep, and rabbits to the floor, I noticed something exciting. Isid''s party was escorting Haythem''s party and the Clich¨¦ party down through the Dungeon. Mentally rubbing my hands together, I watched their progress with eager eyes. Was it time? Were they going to do it? The answer to my questions was yes. Yes, they were. They pushed past Mushu quickly, and he looked pretty annoyed at having so many opponents to fight at once. He and his attendants did their best, despite fighting against almost a dozen guilders who had beaten them more than a dozen times. Isid''s party led the raid group through the Ratten Warren, aware of the path to the Boss Arena. I made sure to put a sizeable contingent of every Ratten Clan in their way as a test of their skill. Isid had obviously informed the Clich¨¦s and Haythem''s party of the various clans and their abilities, given their reactions and appropriate responses. I didn''t attempt to overwhelm them there, but I made my ''displeasure'' at their attempt well known. It would only confuse them to be met with no resistance on their way to fight the Fifth Floor Boss, after all. Actually, that sounds hilarious. New plan! -0-0-0-0-0- The Fifth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem checked over his equipment for the tenth time as they ascended the spiral staircase. When he was satisfied with the condition of his armor and sword, he checked the fullness of his potion bag, then turned his attention to the yellow stone brick of the tower they were climbing. It blew his mind a bit every time he thought about the fact the Guardian was here. Here! At the top of the tallest tower of the Haunted Castle! It just wasn''t done. Dungeons dug downward, put monsters and traps in the path to dissuade attackers, and defended themselves fiercely. This Dungeon had gone up and sideways, had an incredible diversity of monsters, and its traps were well-placed, well thought out, and effective on anyone lower ranked than platinum. That the Guardian Arena was here made no sense, and after some thought, that was what had made him believe it was true. When Isid and Jerrad had approached him about his party aiding them in defeating the Fifth Floor Guardian, he had been confused. Why would they have asked to form a raid with them? They hadn''t been Platinums for very long and were still mid-way through the Fourth, not even close to pushing through to the Fifth yet. Why not ask Them? Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. He understood when Isid mentioned that they''d also approached Petaer''s party. Isid and Jerrad didn''t trust Them, for whatever reason. Haythem had to admit, he''d heard quite a few stories about that group over the years. Some good, some bad. The truth of those same stories? Almost impossible to figure out. One man would swear they were the children of a previous generation of heroes. Another would declare them blessed by the gods themselves as their champions. In whispers, he was told of villages suddenly beset with children nine months after being saved by some of the members of that group. He heard of towns bankrupted to pay for their services. Whatever the truth, they had gained quite the reputation over their years in the Guild. Haythem was shaken from his thoughts by Flasa. They''d reached the top of the stairs. The top of the tower was quite ornate. It was a large, circular room with a large wooden door devoid of carvings or decoration. The room was lit by a single chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There were four windows, with even spacing between each other and the door. Haythem looked out one and his breath caught in wonder. The view was unobstructed by the darkness below, and Haythem observed the majesty of the castle beneath them. Beyond the castle lay the Mushroom Forest. He had never been there, but the stories Isid had told them did not do the enormous mushrooms justice. The true extent of the forest was humbling. "Alright. Everybody remembers the plan, yes?" Isid began, catching their attention, and looked at each guilder in turn. Once everyone had nodded, she continued. "Good. None of you have reached this floor on your own yet, so it didn''t stand out to you, but we''ve had a surprisingly calm trip here. There were no ambushes and no traps in our path. I never even caught a glimpse of those shadow monsters watching us." She took a deep breath. "The Dungeon is planning something, and I''m not sure what. Keep your wits, stay aware of your surroundings, and watch for traps. We''re going in blind, with no teleport crystals. If you''re injured, call for aid and get to Vertrum. If you can''t, chug a potion." She again pointed her blindfolded face at each of them and received quiet nods. "Alright. Let''s go." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- After her little speech, Isid pushed open the doors to the arena, and the raid group walked in, eyes on a swivel. The doorway led to a small staircase that only went up a few yards, emerging into the middle of the arena. I cackled not a little madly and gave the signal when every guilder had entered the arena. The boss arena was open, with no pillars or obstacles to hide behind. A door in the side led to the Sixth, but it was shut tight right now. At my signal, the stairway began rising. Each stair rose to form a flush surface, trapping the guilders in the arena and removing a hole in the floor. "Well, that doesn''t bode well," Haythem exclaimed into the silence. With a statement like that, how can I not play murphy? At a second signal, the Boss assembled itself. A coppery liquid metal flowed between the flagstones and runes carved into the wall. It coalesced in front of the exit door, forming a torso, then seven limbs that began to orbit it. With a pulse of power from the Golem''s core, the disconnected limbs gained a blue glow at the closest point to the torso. They began to shift into various weapons, mostly variations of blades, maces, and axes. Upon its torso was a crystal, emitting a searchlight-like beam. I looked upon the Golem with pride. This was the first Metal Sprite I had provided an alloy body. After I had created Potentium, I offered it a new body, and it accepted. I''m pretty sure it''s going to transform into a Spirit soon, as well. It took to the new body incredibly well, able to manipulate the metal itself as if it was mercury, then hardening that liquid into an almost monomolecular blade. And then, when it reinforced the edges with metal mana... Well, that boulder had looked nicer split clean in two than whole, anyway. But as I looked at the guilders, with their brows set and weapons drawn, I knew they would win. The Metal Golem would give a decent fight, but this was it''s first. It had no experience beyond whacking rocks with its limbs. And after a few minutes of attempting to do just that, I was proven right. With seven limbs rotating at speed, none of the melee-range guilders could get in close enough to damage it. That left it to the mages to whittle it down, which they did. Bolts of lightning made it shudder, and searing eyebeams quickly melted the metal they hit. The Metal Golem wasn''t an idiot, though. Just... young. It could learn and adapt well enough, but not faster than the guilders. When it began intercepting the eyebeams and lightning with its limbs, that left gaps in its defenses that the archers were happy to exploit. They assumed, not incorrectly, that its ''eye'' was a weakness and attempted to break it with their arrows. A lucky shot cracked it, and a follow-up shattered it. The Golem was blind. But not unseeing. It was a Sprite, after all. They didn''t need eyes. It caught the melee fighters off guard when the limbs neatly intercepted their strikes and threw them backward from the force it applied. The Guilders gained cuts and heavy bruising for their trouble, quickly taken care of by Cleric and a few potions. "It doesn''t need its eye!" Isid suddenly yelled across the arena, "It can see in all directions; it doesn''t have a blind spot! Time for Plan B!" Plan B, huh? Well, Plan B turned out to be ''overwhelm it with attacks and disable its limbs.'' Only partly effective, in the end. While they could damage the limbs, the gashes and melted parts flowed back into smooth metal after about twenty seconds. The Golem was careful to protect its torso, as that''s where its core lay. You see, the eye was a real weakness disguised as a false one. Once it was cracked and its effect on the monster''s vision proven negligible, the guilders ignored it. It wasn''t being healed like the metal, as it was a large piece of hazy quartz I''d fashioned from some sand. The Golem couldn''t repair it. The guilders noticed it protecting its torso and attempted to strike it. Their faces fell when the damage healed over, just like the limbs. "The eye!" Flasa called to Bertram, "Its eye isn''t healing like the rest of it!" The other guilders took note, and this time when an attack got through, it pierced right through the broken quartz and impacted the core directly. The impact was... destabilizing for the Golem. It shuddered and stuttered, its limbs slowing from their furious orbits. Another two arrows punched deeper. Suddenly, it lost cohesion, the metal that composed it turning into a liquid and falling to the floor. In the same movement, the sprite abandoned the core and dipped through the floor, followed by the metal seeping through gaps in the flagstones. All that remained was a broken quartz lens and a damaged monster core. In that silence, the exit doors swung open, and the stairway back down to the castle revealed itself again. I sighed. I was honestly disappointed. The Golem didn''t perform nearly as well as I had hoped, but better than I''d feared. With its impending transformation, it would get a boost to its intelligence, which should neatly cover that weakness. I''ll need to find something tougher for its ''eye'' or forgo that weakness altogether. Either way, it''d be getting a new body to inhabit. After the raid group collected the lens and core, they began walking down the long corridor to the Sixth. About halfway down, they started sweating. By the time they reached the black stone of the gateway into the sixth floor, they were practically drenched in their own sweat. Their eyes went wide in unbelieving awe and terror. They had a great view of the pillars of lava falling from the ceiling into the molten lakes in the distance from their vantage point halfway up the wall. The great cracked plain of black stone directly before them was currently hosting the Fire Spirit, Igna, and her entourage. At a prompt from me, Igna ''noticed'' the guilders and began moving in their direction, quickly followed by various lumbering magma golems, flickering fire sprites, and fire golems. It was quite an intimidating sight. The Guilders, who seemed to agree with me, quickly retreated up the hallway. I informed Igna she''d successfully scared them off, and she crackled in amusement. I followed them back up. With a thought, the doors into the arena closed behind them and audibly locked. A keyhole melted into existence on the door''s metal banding, shining from within with a baleful purple light. On each door, words carved themselves into the metal panels made precisely for this purpose. Beyond this door, Lie dangers galore. A key you must find, To its secrets, unwind. A key you must seek, Among the fungi deep. If beyond this door, You wish to explore. Okay, so I''m not the best rhymer in the universe. You try working out how to make a poem in a language with an entirely different base and vowels! I think I did amazing! The researcher, Harald, was quick to transcribe the words. His eyes were bright, and he spoke at a mile a minute, muttering about theories and such. Isid had to physically pull him from the doors. As they walked back down the staircase, I shifted over to the Mushroom Forest. There were about five Brainshrooms spread throughout the forest, and all were buried under the fungal carpet. Above each one, I formed a pedestal. Upon the pedestals were stands that would each support a squishy purple key, likewise made of fungal matter. It wasn''t to be a key in the traditional sense but held a particular ''signature'' in its mana the door would recognize. The key would fall apart upon being used, and its mana dispersed. Only when the key had fulfilled its function would the pedestal produce a new key. This way, the guilders would need to explore and fight against waves of Shamblers to find the key. I see them becoming very valuable among the guilders with only five in circulation at a time, especially later when more guilders make it to the Fifth. Actually, I just had a thought. I made sure to add a clause to the enchantment on the pedestal describing that if the key got too far away. That is to say, if someone took one away on a boat, it would trigger the key to disintegrate and produce a new one. Satisfied, I turned my gaze back to the Tenth floor. Where was I... Ah! Yes. It''s time for the monsters. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 54 -0-0-0-0-0- Layla''s Office, The Guild, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Layla felt a weight lift her shoulders when she noticed her aunt and the rest of the raid group approaching the hall. She was relieved none of them had died and seemed uninjured from the look of their mana. She turned to the other desk in the office and called out to her old friend. "Felin. My aunt and the rest of the Platinums have returned. Could you please ask the three party leaders to join me here to give a verbal report?" Felin grunted and sat up from his hunched position, where he had been furiously sorting and organizing delve reports. He stood, cracked his neck with a "Sure," and left her office. Layla looked back at her desk, which was just as littered with reports as her assistant''s. They''d spent the last few days going back over the significant shifts and changes in the dungeon, trying to find patterns and extrapolate what it might do in the future. She lifted the next report in the ''unsorted'' pile and scanned it. This one was from a few weeks ago, made by a gold party, and one of the first to mention the Third Floor''s vine traps. It also talked of the shifted flora and the erasure of previously well-worn trails. This happened after the Guardian was killed, so Layla put it in the ''Third Floor Post-Guardian Shift'' pile. The sound of boots on wood and a quick glance through the wall revealed Felin had returned with Isid, Haythem, and Pataer. Layla sat up straight in her chair and took a steadying breath. "Come in!" She called before Felin could knock. He opened the door and stepped through, unphased. Isid smirked at Layla as she walked in, followed by Haythem and Pataer. "Thank you for coming." Layla began. "I''m sure your reports will be on my desk later this evening, but I''d like a verbal report on your delve now, please." Well aware of this practice of hers, the Platinums all nodded. "We made it to the Fourth Floor easily, though the Third Floor Guardian was quite verbose in his... disappointment regarding our numbers." Isid began with a wry grin. Haythem and Pataer both looked like they agreed. "I''ll say," Pataer added. "The thing was spitting curses about our parentage, fighting ability, and even our skills in bed." The man looked a little queasy at that thought. "It was quite disturbing," Haythem agreed, "It''s bizarre to be fighting monsters so intelligent. I almost feel bad for killing them" He looked around to see everyone else in the room giving him incredulous looks. "Don''t get me wrong, I won''t hesitate to kill them. They''ve killed dozens of us without mercy, and I''ll show them none in return. It''s just... all the lizards are very intelligent. Most taunt us when we fight them, and they learn. No trick works twice." The other guilders nodded and looked thoughtful themselves. "Going back to your delve?" Layla prompted. "Right. The dungeon threw what seemed like every kind of rat in those damned tunnels at us, including a few types I''d not seen before. Harald collected some samples and took notes; I''m sure they''ll be in his report. The Fifth... was eerie in its contrast to the fourth. No stone-hand traps, shadow monsters dropping from the ceiling... nothing at all." Isid continued briskly. "The Fifth Floor Guardian was, as we suspected, at the top of that tower. The Guardian itself was like the shadow monsters. It was not a living creature but a monster core driving a body made of a powerful metal. Unlike the shadow monsters, it was a purely physical monster. It hovered above the floor, with unconnected arms of blades and other weapons that spun about it at great speed. The strangest thing about it was it wasn''t just waiting for us in the room, as with previous guardians. Its metal body seeped from cracks in the floor and walls, like a liquid, coalescing into the body and limbs." Isid stopped there, motioning for Haythem to continue. He nodded and did so. "The fight itself was brutal. While blades and magic could damage it, the rends in its metal body melded back together quite quickly. Thankfully, it did have a weakness. It''s eye." Haythem pulled a cracked monster core from a bag and a faceted crystal disk. The crystal was about a foot across and had arrows driven right through its center." "The monster core was right behind the eye, not that we knew at the time," Pataer added. "We cracked it a few minutes into the fight, but it didn''t seem affected. We thought it was an eye, but if anything, it was better at intercepting strikes after we broke it. It was the only part of the monster that wasn''t healing, so the archers hit it a few more times." "And that''s where things got weird," Isid picked up. "The Guardian froze, and its metal body shivered. It was like looking at ripples in a pond. Then, with no warning, it collapsed to the floor. The metal slipped between the cracks of the stone, leaving behind the core and eye. Oh, And I could tell that the mana it used was metal mana, completely. No other elements at all, just pure metal." Layla picked up the eye and core, observing them with her mana-sense. The monster core looked like any other; A perfectly smooth sphere, though marred by the crack and divot the arrow put in it. In its current state, it most likely wouldn''t be used for much. The eye was a perfectly clear crystal of some kind. It held some residual mana but nothing substantial. Not diamond, if it shattered this easily. Potentially some sort of quartz. Layla handed them back. If nothing else, they''d be used as trophies. "After we killed the Guardian, we used the newly-opened exit to check out the Sixth Floor. We didn''t go in, just had a peak through the doorway." Isid continued. "It was... grand and utterly terrifying." Layla raised an eyebrow at her aunt. "You''ll remember this dungeon has different themes for every floor. The Sixth Floor''s theme seems to be lava. The floor is enormous, and there are lakes of the stuff with giant lavafalls falling from the ceiling. We caught a glimpse of some monsters too." Isid licked her lips before continuing. "I don''t know how, and I don''t know why, but there was a Fire Elemental down there. It had a whole damn court following it and noticed us quickly. We got out of there before it could climb up the cavern wall to reach us." They sat in silence for a few seconds before Layla spoke again. "Thank you, Isid, Haythem, Pataer. I appreciate your continued willingness to give me these in-person reports." She said, bowing her head slightly. The three Platinums smiled and waved her off. With their report given, the guilders left and returned to their party members. Layla pushed some mana into a pyramidal paperweight on her desk. The enchantment on the item triggered, throwing up an obfuscation field around her desk. Felin sat in one of the chairs the Platinums had just vacated, well inside the affected area. "So, it does have more of those golems," Layla stated, her tone thoughtful. "Monsters of metal and crystal, rather than flesh and blood... A floor of lava and a Fire Elemental... " She trailed off, relaxing her sight and ''closing'' her eyes. "I''m not surprised. Why stop at one kind of.. golem." Felin responded. "Probably got a different kind for every element. The Shadow ones, with darkness mana. This new one with metal. Only a matter of time until we see the rest. In regards to the Sixth... I feel like we should contact your grandfather and ask him if he can recommend any Platinum-level enchanters. The ones we have are good, but their works won''t match Elementals." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Layla nodded. Just another set of things to add to the pile of questions she wanted to ask this frustrating dungeon. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I cracked my metaphorical knuckles and focused on the Cows, Sheep, and Rabbits that I had let loose on the Tenth. They seemed to love the grass, chowing down on it rather enthusiastically. Let''s start with... the cows. My experiment began with one cow and one bull, while I put the others in a separate area to breed. I had a clear image in my mind of what I wanted here. I''ve wanted Minotaurs since I carved out my second floor, and now I have my chance. They''re a staple of high fantasy and were quite popular back on Earth. I gave the cow and bull I''d selected a once-over, ensuring I understood their physiology. It wasn''t strictly necessary since mana would mold them to my desired end result either way. When my inspection was done, I directed some mana from my re-growing disk into their bodies. You couldn''t really go wrong with these ''beast'' races. Two solid and digitigrade legs with large, reinforced hooves and feet. I gave their bones and muscles a general strengthening, making sure the muscles were in the correct positions. The cattle I''d taken were closer to Aurochs than ''modern'' cows and had quite shaggy coats, which I left long on their legs but reduced on their upper bodies. While the legs remained mostly the same, barring some reinforcement, their upper bodies needed complete rework. I carefully turned their ''arms'' into actual arms, mostly modeling off my Drake-kin, though a good deal larger. Their torsos were molded to the ''standard'' humanoid configuration. I gave them pectorals, abdominals, and all the standard muscle groups. The cow''s ''udder,'' which was really just a set of six large teats on this species, I brought up to the ''breasts'' of the monster. Head-wise, I didn''t want to do much. Given the drastic changes I''d made to their anatomy, I wanted them to retain as much ''cow-ness'' as possible. I moved their eyes around a bit to give them more forward-facing vision while keeping as much of their peripheral as possible. Their horns were very reminiscent of the auroch, having the distinctive curvature of that species. I bulked up the bull''s horns but kept the cow''s the same. Finally, it was time to make them more intelligent. The new minotaurs had been relatively passive and accepting through all their physical changes but had not changed their behavior much. They ate the grass on their hands and knees rather than on four hooves. It was rather disturbing, actually. The first and most obvious solution was to give them more wrinkles in their brains, with the intent to provide them human-level intelligence. I don''t want to make my minotaurs super geniuses, after all. I watched as that dim light in their eyes slowly brightened. They stumbled to their hooves and stood to their full heights. The bull was an impressive 9''10" and the cow 9''2". They gazed at their hands and bodies in wonder for a time. Once they noticed they weren''t alone, they also spent some time inspecting each other. Welcome to the world. I am your Creator. I have raised you from mere cattle into mighty Minotaurs to tend and guard the Tenth floor of my dungeon. You are Asterion and Tauris, the first of your kind. At my words, the bull Asterion fell to one knee, his head bent in supplication. The cow Tauris fell to her knees and bent over, her horns scraping the ground as she spread her arms wide. Asterion remained stoically silent, though I could feel loyalty and devotion in his mind. Tauris, however, was somewhat more verbose. "Oh, mighty Creator!" She spoke in a language decidedly, not phenocian. "You honor us with your blessings of body and mind. You need only ask, and we will fulfill your wishes." Well, I suppose it''s not unprecedented. The Drake-kin have their own language, though all of them now speak perfect phenocian. The Minotaur language was guttural and to the point. No unnecessary flourishes or flowery language, which makes sense. As a prey species, they would have needed short, sharp, concise language to convey warnings of predators and react quickly. Also, I swear I''m not making all most monsters religious on purpose! They all decided of their own accord that, since I created them, they had to worship me. My wish is for you and your people to grow and thrive here. I am not finished crafting this floor, and I would have you inform me of any problems or things lacking. Speaking of lacking, I have noticed something. This floor consists entirely of a massive field of grass. There are no trees or other natural resources for them to build homes with! I quickly selected a rather pine-like evergreen and spread its seeds around the edge of the floor. I did not force them to their full growth within the day, but I gave them a boost. Back to the Minotaurs! I applied the appropriate changes to the small herd of cows wandering the floor, then guided them to Tauris and Asterion. Next, it''s time for the Sheep and Rabbits. -0-0-0-0-0- The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Kata sat on her furs, staring at the wall of her room. The wall had several shelves, upon which rested more than a dozen small carved totems and charms given to her by the young Drake-kin she had given some training. A beautiful tapestry of her first bout with Mushu hung on another wall, gifted to her about a week after her victory. The luxuriously soft green tiger skin she sat on was one of three, which she had layered to make a soft cushiony surface over the hard stone bed. Her window was covered by a woven fabric curtain dyed a pale orange. On her bedside table resided a half-dozen geometric shapes, the only reminder she had left of her time in the cell. Kata sat there, looking at all the items she had gathered, and pondered what in the five hells she was going to do. The news had swept through the village that the Guilders had finally found and beaten the Fifth Floor ''Boss.'' Kata was... conflicted. It meant they were one floor closer to finding and potentially rescuing her. It also meant they were one floor closer to encountering all the Drake-kin she had trained in combat. Kata wasn''t sure which she was more concerned for, the Drake-kin being killed or the guilders. Kata found herself having to seriously consider her loyalties. When she was first moved to the village, she was cautious but desperate for any social contact she could get. She recognized that. It had led to her forming a fast friendship with her guard Huea, and then she mentored a couple groups of young Drake-kin who looked at her with such wide eyes she couldn''t say no. Kata had been... Content. Happy, even. She was well treated and valued by the community... but she was still an outsider. A human among... monsters. It was hard to see them as monsters, living with them as she had been. In her opinion, they were people. They had hopes and dreams and minds of their own! The Kobolds, Snobolds, and Scorpans were people too. Each was as intelligent as the Drake-kin. Kata knew that underneath it all was a pure loyalty to the dungeon, their Creator. A dungeon she had once wished to destroy. To see shattered and in pieces, all for gold and to help some old friends get out of debt. Kata didn''t want to destroy the dungeon anymore. To destroy it, she would have to fight through her friends and entire floors all on her own, if she even made it that far. There was a gentle knock on her solid wood door, which snapped her out of her introspection. "Come in." She called, blinking as she set her train of thought aside. Huea opened the door and closed it behind her. She held something tight in one claw while the other hung open. "Kata, you know that I was assigned your guard to keep an eye on you," She began, "but that wasn''t my only job. I was ordered to observe you, to watch how you interacted with the drake-kin and other monsters of the dungeon." Kata had thought as much and nodded. "A few days ago, I asked the Creator if He could provide me with a key to your collar," Huea said, revealing a small square of metal that glowed a soft green in the dimly-lit room. "He did so." Kata''s eyes focused on the metal square as her hand raised to the mostly-forgotten metal band around her neck. "He asked why," Huea continued, and Kata''s eyes flicked back to her friend. "I told him that it was a sign of trust. I trust you, Kata, to not start slaughtering every monster in sight in a brainless attempt to leave the dungeon. You''d never get far, and I know you know that." With deliberate slowness, Huea stretched her arm out to Kata, the key resting on her scaly palm. Kata, trembling, took the key. She stared at it for a minute, then slowly raised it to her collar. The instant the key touched the ring of metal, Kata could feel the enchantments break. Deprived for so long, she could feel the mana rushing into her body. An invisible seam split open with a faint click, and Kata pulled the collar from her neck. In her hand, she held the item that marked her as an outsider, a prisoner of the dungeon. Kata made up her mind. She put the collar on an empty shelf as a reminder of this part of her life. Then she hugged her friend. -0-0-0-0-0- 2022 ? Max Porteous Chapter 55 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I have a cunning plan for the sheep and rabbits. To begin, I focused on the series of tiny warrens the small family of rabbits had dug while I was dealing with the Minotaurs. While Neo had given me a breeding pair, the use of mana to speed up their already prodigious breeding rate left me with more than a dozen animals to work with. I''d given the original two rabbits, who I referred to as Adam and Eve, monster cores beforehand, of course. That way, their progeny would be born with cores and overall easier to mold to my purposes. What purposes, you ask? Well, I have a few options to work with here. There are plenty of myths and legends about lapines, including but not limited to jackalopes, horned rabbits, and so on. I started with the easy option; giving an ordinary rabbit a horn and magical powers. I took a male and female, directed them to their burrow, and began enacting the changes. First, a general size increase. Not too much of one, but just to make the rabbits large enough to be a threat. I gave them extremely soft white fur, pure gold eyes, and an elegant, spiraling horn. Their cores were enlarged, taking up about the same amount of space in their bodies as their hearts. Next came their instincts and behaviors. They would act as support, casting spells to aid their fellow rabbits against the guilders. Using their horns for more than casting spells was a last resort. I''d prefer they led the guilders on a merry chase than recklessly charge them. I also gave them an intelligence boost. Not human level, more like a chimp. It''s just a step away, but they''ll need that intelligence to use magic as more than an instinctive tool. Magic-wise, I didn''t give them a specific element. Instead, I ensured all the types I knew of were present in equal amounts. This included the standard elements, ice, darkness, metal, light, and life. I didn''t give them any specific spells, just the knowledge of how to use each element in its most basic form. I''m sure they''ll specialize and develop their own uses for it. My Unihares quietly acclimated to their new bodies, and I left them alone. Next, I took the largest male and female in the group and made them even larger. Enormous, even. The size of a Great Dane. I gave them short brown fur, along with even more powerful muscles. Finally, I grew a set of stag-like horns from both their heads. Each point was wicked-sharp and pointed directly forwards. I gave them Life magic, specifically. They would be the guardians of the forest ringing the edge of the floor. My third future monster was an interesting one. The Winged Hare. An otherwise normal rabbit that possessed wings. While a total tall tale on Earth, it was very much possible here. Just a bit finicky to implement. The first step was to give them wings. I had a couple of examples to choose from and decided that using the Pheonix as a template would be most appropriate. Of course, they''d be sized for the winged hares, which was the ''normal'' size for a rabbit. To lighten the monster, I made its bones hollow, like a bird''s bones. Finally, I gave all my new bunny monsters a mouthful of fangs. They still had molars, of course. I only adjusted them to be opportunistic carnivores. They''d be pretty content to chow on grass all day. With my three monsters completed, I fell deep into thought. So far, I''d generally only needed to evolve my monsters once, and they''d breed more to keep their numbers up. I found my mind drifting to my more intelligent species, and I thought about the dubiousness of the consent they gave when I changed them. Willing or not, they''d never reject my decision to change them. My monster''s thoughts and evident devotion to me showed that. But if I gave them the option, without ordering their ascension... But how it would work is where the problem lies. Perhaps some kind of evolution stone? The amount of mana needed to change my sapient monsters is significant, and something holding that much mana would need to be reasonably large. No fist-sized rock would work here. A ''shrine'' then. The evolution crystal would keep the blueprints to ''evolve'' a specific monster into a predetermined variant or evolution. Of course, safeguards would prevent monsters not of that ''evolutionary line'' from activating them and causing... problems. For now, I focused on the rabbits. In a broad sweep, I made all my new evolved rabbit monsters non-gendered. Specifically, I removed their genitals. They won''t need them. Meanwhile, I upped the fertility of the normal rabbits. Deep in their warren, I carved out a room big enough to hold three Jackalopes, along with a hidden passage for them that led to the forest. I placed three enlarged monster cores in the back wall of that room, then went about enchanting the things to do what I wanted. I lost track of time, focused as I was on the weaves and layers of mana in those cores. In the end, my evolution crystals were finished. I set up a small tunnel, through which I led a stream of mana right up to the back of the crystals. In my final move, I implanted knowledge and instincts into my rabbits. After giving birth to a litter of bunnies, they would come to this room and choose an evolution. I watched as the first rabbit approached. His nose twitched furiously. In an entirely deliberate move, he nosed the Horned Rabbit evolution crystal. His fur transformed in a wave, from nose to tail, gaining a snow-white color and extreme softness. Next, a horn twisted up from his forehead, his genitals were wiped away, and a golden color bled in from the edges of its eyes. Transformed, the Horned Rabbit hopped up the tunnel to the forest exit. Another rabbit, the first in a quickly-formed line, stepped up. She chose the Jackalope crystal. The next chose the Horned Rabbit, then one picked the Winged Hare. Ultimately, I was left with pretty even numbers of every species. The warren was full of young mothers, fathers, and their children. When those children began finding their own mates, their parents would come to the evolution chamber and leave to defend the floor. I don''t want to get overpopulated, though. With the fertility of rabbits, I''d be saturated in the things within a week. I slowed the growth rate of the bunnies and tied it into a floor-wide enchantment that monitored the number of rabbit monsters. If it dropped below a certain point, their growth rate would increase. Over that, it would slow. I''d have to monitor and adjust the exact rates later, but for now, this was fine. Satisfied, I turned from the rabbit warrens. I did have a rabbit-themed miniboss in mind, of course, but that could wait for now. In the meantime, I looked to the Minotaurs. They''d cleared a patch of trees, cut the wood, and were currently assembling their first house. It was quite large, of course. They''re large monsters. Next, I turned my attention to their flock. The sheep were currently penned into a small area by makeshift fencing, and I have a few ideas... The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Igna looked out over her court proudly. Today, they had retreated from the scorched plains to a small cavern created just for them. My loyal subjects. She addressed the gathered sprites, free-floating and golem-bound alike. We have grown greatly, in power and numbers, since this court was formed. Our patron, called ''The Creator'' by its subjects, has been generous and kind in his dealings with our kind. Five of our own have reached the precipice of their transformation and have held it back for this ceremony. Step forward. Five sprites came forward. One was unbound, as their kind were in their natural state. Its core hummed with the potent fire mana roiling within it, and it shivered as it tried to hold back its transformation. One was bound to a ''Mithril'' Golem. Its metal body was almost overcome by the fire mana within, glowing a molten orange and bubbling viscously. It maintained a humanoid form, though as its focus was on holding itself back, that form had... ''melted'' slightly. One was bound to a stone Golem. Like the Mithril Golem, its body was straining. The veins of orange magma that crossed its cracked stone shell were moving like water, no longer viscous or dawdling. Like rivers of water in a canyon, they flowed rapidly. One was bound to an ''Orichalcum'' Golem. The most feminine-presenting golem type was in much the same state as the Mithril. Unfortunately, its body had a lower melting point. It had gathered its metal into a ball around its core, using mana to float above the ground. The final one had already received a Potentium body. Gifted to it by ''The Creator'' to see the long-term effects on a ''baby'' fire sprite''s growth. It glowed white-hot and had a much more recognizable human-like silhouette. My subjects. You have a choice. Before you lie Potentium bodies, of the same make as mine. You may use them or stay in your current forms; I will not sway you. The choice is yours. The unbound sprite dashed for the inert body before it, quickly situating itself within. The Orichalcum golem-bound sprite did likewise, abandoning its melted shell for a greater one. To Igna''s surprise, the other two golem-bound sprites refused the offer. She could feel their resolve. Very well. You have held yourselves back long enough. Let go, and join me in Spirithood! The straining sprites did so. They transformed in a burst of heat that would have evaporated any organic beings in the room. The three with Potentium bodies became very similar to Igna herself; humanoid outlines seemed to be made of pure flame. They hovered inches above the cracked stone, marveling at their newfound power. Igna watched the other two closely. The Mithril-bodied spirit was no longer of pure fire. It had taken the metal mana bound to its body into itself. It was now a hybrid spirit and could quickly reshape its body. Unlike the Potentium-bound spirits, it was very obviously made of molten metal. With a flex of will, it formed half-a-dozen long tentacles, which it could flex and twist however it wished. The Stone-bodied spirit had likewise taken Earth mana into itself. It doubled in size, pulling in stone from the ground. The stone plates on its body began shifting and moving around, buoyed by the molten rock beneath. Welcome, my Peers, to the Fire Court of The Creator Dungeon. Though they were technically her peers, for now, Igna herself wasn''t far off from her own transformation. She was more powerful than the rest of the new spirits combined, evident to all who gazed upon them. My Peers, you should spend some time contemplating a name. Though you can find one yourself, I asked ''The Creator'' for mine, and it might also name you if you care to ask. In the meantime, mingle amongst our subjects and form your own factions. You will be roaming the scorched plains in these groups, so don''t be shy. As sprites gathered around them and gazed in wonder at their transformed brethren, Igna sat down on the throne raised from the stone floor. Her court continued to grow stronger, and Igna knew ''The Creator'' was why. It was so free with its mana! So giving and generous! One might say ruinously. However, one only needed to observe the great river of mana at the Lava Cavern''s roof to understand that what it granted them was a mere pittance. Yes, answering that summons was possibly the best decision Igna had ever made. And, quite possibly, the best she ever would. -0-0-0-0-0- The War Room, The King''s Roost, Phenoc Kingdom -0-0-0-0-0- "Your Majesty, Grand Duke Plasied is again requesting an audience," the servant relayed, eyes down and bowed at the waist. Kenias sighed in aggravation and turned from the circle of his closest advisors. "Inform him that I grow weary of his persistence. Unless he has any reason to meet beyond his obsession with a dungeon, I will continue to refuse his requests. I am too busy to allow myself to be distracted." Knowing a dismissal when he heard one, the servant took his leave. "Plaised grows more unhinged by the day, your Majesty." High Marshal Jonn commented, with a stern cast to his features. "His obsession is driving him to great extremes. That bounty he advertised in court has caused quite a few guilders we keep on retainer to whisper fantasies of leaving to fulfill it. None have yet, of course. Their loyalty is unquestionable." Kenias sighed again and raised a hand to nurse the growing headache he had begun to associate with the Grand Duke. "Speaking of the bounty, Barnart, I asked you to look into that. Is it as bad as I feared?" Chamberlain Barnart looked uneasy. "Your Majesty, I believe it is, in fact, worse than originally feared. I had heard of the bounty before now, of course. Such a large sum of gold is quite... unusual as a reward for any bounty. If the duke was to sell titles and lands, he might be able to gather the gold to fulfill it, but it would all but beggar him. All that would remain of his personal domain would be his family''s castle. Even then, it would be quite bare in terms of furnishings." He pursed his lips, then continued. "I find it far more likely he will offer his remaining child, his daughter, as part of the bounty to lower the cost. He does own several forts around his lands he could also offer. If he did so... he would still be laid low, but not as badly. He might even still be able to pay his guards." "He does have other options." Kenias'' gaze drifted to the man standing back from the table, wreathed in shadow. "Olitar. Speak your piece." Kenias ordered. "If the grand duke was so inclined, he could order the assassination of any who fulfilled the bounty before they could reach him in his castle. I do not believe it likely, as any who could shatter the Medea Dungeon would be far too difficult to kill." The spymaster reasoned. Kenias nodded, frowning. "If he did make an attempt, however... Things could spiral out of control. I believe the group most likely to shatter the core are the guilders known to us as ''The Heroes'' Descendants.''" Kenias winced, as did many of the others around the table. "You see the problem," Olitar noted. "They would retaliate. Violently. In the best case, they merely murder Plasied and his family and consider it done. They loot his castle to pay the bounty and move on." "And in the worst case," Jonn interjected, "They have one of their own claim the dukedom. We either legitimize their claim or kick them out. I doubt we could put them down, so we would have to legitimize them. Then, the situation we''ve been desperately avoiding for hundreds of years comes to pass. Guilders begin to believe they can take what they want, up to and including titles, and we will do nothing about it." Kenias'' Chancellor, Ghalan, hissed through his teeth. "Dukes and Counts across the kingdom would lose faith in us, and in our ability to protect them and their lands. They would declare their independence from the kingdom by the dozens. We cannot afford this. Not with the Bahrain watching for any weakness." Kenias watched as his councilors descended into a fierce debate. Ideas flew across the room, to be refined or dismissed. He sat back on his throne and watched them with a satisfied smile as they displayed their competence and genius. Within the hour, they had a plan. It was one Kenias barely had to add to and one he fully approved of. "It''s decided then," he announced. "You all know your parts. I expect you to perform them with all the excellence expected of your positions." He stood from his throne. "Until we next gather, my friends." Kenias left for his chambers, as did his councilors. Stopping at a window, he judged the time to be nearing midday. The sky was clear, not a single cloud blemishing its pure blue. With plenty of time until he was next needed, he decided to take a long way and enjoy the weather. The gardens were pristine, as always. Hedges were cut to precise shapes, and flowers were in bloom by the thousands. Half a dozen fountains of various designs lent the area a pleasant atmosphere. Across the way, he noticed his daughters and wife gathered in a gazebo, sharing tea and company. He smiled as they saw him and waved. He waved back and moved on. The training yard was full of dueling knights. The Crown Prince was locked in battle with a Guilder, one Kenias recognized as a high-gold. As the second and third princes were still too young to fight with steel, they dueled the squires with wooden swords. He moved on quickly before his presence could disrupt their training. As he approached the door to his chambers, he dismissed the guards following him, and they took up a position at either side of the door. "I''m not to be disturbed for the immediate future." He declared and closed the doors behind him. He turned and smiled at what he saw. It was time to relax after all the last week''s stress. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 56 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I turned away from the ceremony on the sixth floor, quite satisfied. It seemed that spirits within a golem gain a greater bond to whatever material it is made of. The Mithril golem''s transformation was fascinating. Specifically, the transition from fire spirit to a metal-fire hybrid. The mana in the sprite''s core had been pure fire, while the mana throughout the rest of its body was a mix of fire and metal. When it entered the ''cocoon'' phase of the transformation, it sucked all the mana from the body into its core. There, the pure sprite absorbed the metal mana, and its transformation integrated the mana into its being. This one I''ll call... a Molten Golem. The evolution of the magma golem was particularly interesting. You''d think the fire and earth mana would merge and turn it into a metal spirit, but instead, they enhanced each other. I decided to call it a Volcanic Golem now. With the Potentium golems, the metal''s enhancement effect on their mana gave them an incredible boost. Unlike the other golems, the fire mana overwhelmed the metal mana of the body. A quick check confirmed the Air Spirit would be getting some ''Peers'' soon, as would the Earth Spirit on the seventh. Something to look forward to. Back on the Tenth, I looked over the sheep with a metaphorical hand on my metaphorical chin. I could do quite a lot with them, but I didn''t want to do too much. I intended for the sheep to be livestock, shepherded by the Minotaurs. The first thing to do was clean up their bodies. I started by making their hooves and legs sturdier and hopefully less prone to injury. I strengthened their bones and skin and gave them some enhanced senses. I set a limit on how long their wool could grow to prevent some health problems down the line. I also made them omnivorous and gave them nice sharp teeth. Like the rabbits, they''d much prefer grasses, but if push came to shove, no one would expect a sheep to tear flesh from bone. Next, it was time for the fun part. I split the herd into two groups. To one, I granted fluffy, luxuriously soft wool. The colors of their wool varied greatly, a rainbow of color. Since it was all natural pigmentation, there would be no damage from harsh dyes. Breeding-wise, the colors could mix, enhance or wash out. All equally likely outcomes. The second group received a quite literal ''steel wool.'' It was ductile but still quite solid and hard to damage. It was fireproof and could be easily woven into chainmail. I gave them more enhanced skeletons and muscles to help carry the weight. While most of these sheep would remain of the ''steel wool'' variety, I gave special attention to three. One received a golden fleece, one bore a mithril fleece, and the final sheep sported a moonsilver fleece. Of course, I can''t just make these sheep grow metal fleeces. No, they were now Geovores. Their fleeces would only grow when they were fed iron and charcoal. The more exotically-fleeced sheep needed their specific metals to grow theirs. With that, I left the Minotaurs to get familiar with their flock and moved on. I needed a break from the Tenth. I needed to step back and observe it for a while before I made any more changes. In the meantime... I''ve been putting it off for a while now, and I think it''s time. The ocean calls. -0-0-0-0-0- The City Wall, Port Medea, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Jerrad Losat walked straight-backed, with his hands held behind him, along the recently-completed town wall. It stood eighteen feet tall, with crenellations to hide behind and murder holes to fire crossbow bolts and magic through. The black stone sparkled pleasingly, and some hired mages had fused it into a single large piece. He was alone today since Isid was spending time with their niece. Harald was with Felin, helping him with the book on the first five floors of the dungeon. Given the dungeon''s proclivity to change its floors, Jerrad was sure such a book would be quickly out-of-date. Who knows, though. He certainly had no idea. Duncan was somewhere. Probably in a tavern, attempting to get into someone''s pants. Jerrad passed a couple of guards stationed on the wall above the eastern gate. He nodded, and they nodded back before returning to their watch. Jerrad let his gaze follow the path as it left the gate. Where the cliffs above the dungeon had once been covered in jungle, now it was mostly bare. There was a squat lighthouse and a small observation area at the cliff''s edge. Jerrad also knew there was a decent-sized spring up there, which flowed down into a river that ran right past the eastern wall he stood upon. He stopped as he reached the end of the wall, which butted out into the ocean for more than a dozen yards. He stood there for a time, looking out towards the horizon. The noise of crashing waves and shrieking seabirds was ever-present. A deep breath of the salty sea air didn''t relax him, but it was calming. He needed calm after their most recent delve. Once again, his eyes were drawn to that glowing crack in the cliff. A half-dozen groups of Golds were standing in line, with another four resting in the shade of looming palm trees. The number of guilders on the island had drastically decreased in the past few weeks. Recklessness, greed, and pride were the traits most often punished. In this dungeon, that punishment was death. Those groups that were left were the cream of the crop in that regard. They had long since given up on the bounty, were cautious and careful when in the dungeon, and never let themselves grow complacent. In fact... Had anyone actually died in the last few days? Jerrad couldn''t recall any parties grieving lost members, nor any stricken from the record as wiped. Had they actually reached an equilibrium with the dungeon? This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. On the horizon, he saw a fleet of white sails approaching. Merchants, most likely. Guilders drawn by promises of gold, experience, and danger? Probably. Jerrad found himself wondering how many would be cut down, like wheat, before the scythe. And he wondered how many would survive. Would grow. Would shine. Jerrad shook his head, turned, and walked back along the wall. Despite how much he had tried to distract himself, his thoughts always returned to the dungeon. The Sixth floor was... daunting. A vision of the Fourth Hell brought to life, inhabited by creatures of living fire and stone. A burning, dry heat filled the air. In the distance, red and black-tinged stone columns stood alongside literal pillars of lava, constantly falling from the cavern''s ceiling. He remembered the moment he saw the Fire Elemental and how it saw them. It had looked just as terrifying and unknowable as the last one he had seen decades ago. A humanoid figure made of living fire. And he was sure it wasn''t the only one. Like was drawn to like. If one Court had set up a presence here, Jerrad knew others would have. He daydreamed of what their floors would look like and found his imagination lacking. Jerrad emerged from his daydreams on the eastern wall, approaching the east gate. As with the west, he let his gaze follow the more well-worn path. This section of the island had seen the most significant change. Where there had once been a humid, dense jungle sprawled across the plain now lay dense farmland. Herds of farm animals were watched closely by their shepherds. Fields of various crops grew rapidly, and Jerrad knew their seeds were of varieties long obtained from dungeons on the mainland. Beyond the farms, he could just make out the quarry, cutting as it was into the side of the volcano. Jerrad nodded to the guards standing on the wall above the gate and continued on his walk. This end of the wall also jutted out into the ocean for a distance, providing some shelter for the ships docked in the harbor. The docks themselves were busy, as always. Larger merchant ships sold their cargo and left, leaving space for others to arrive. Between the larger ships were smaller fishing vessels filled with nets and harpoons. Jerrad watched one such boat as its crew struggled to lift the wriggling net full of fish onto the dock. He recalled what Layla had shared with Isid and himself about the ocean around them. Larger fish, changing currents, and more. Sightings of dolphins, whales, and sea turtles, far from their typical migration paths. The sun hung low in the sky, hovering above the horizon, and he wondered what mysteries lay below the waves. He''d done that a lot lately. Wondering, that is. Jerrad had lived a long life. He had seen much and traveled to all the corners of the Kingdom. He gave a wan smile and shook his head. "By the gods, I''m getting old." He mumbled to himself. He turned and descended a set of stairs near the gate. He joined the throng of farmers entering the town for the evening, making his way to the western wall. The house they had purchased was just inside the wall, not far from the gate. It was medium-sized, with a decent amount of garden space surrounding it. Their own house. Another new experience. All their lives, they''d been travelers. They went from town to town, solving problems and fighting monsters. Rooms in taverns were cheap, and ordinary people often fell over themselves to accommodate powerful guilders like Jerrad and his wife. Jerrad pushed the gate, closed it behind him, and walked up the cobbled path. The bare dirt to either side was already dotted with green shoots, not even a day after being sown. He entered the house. The woman they''d hired as a live-in maid took his overcoat with a bow. "Welcome home, sir. Dinner will be ready shortly. Your wife is in the lounge with the Guildmistress." Jerrad nodded to the maid. He could smell the meal cooking and hear the cook murmuring to herself. "Thank you, Vael." He removed his boots and followed the laughter to the lounge. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I gazed through the ocean, watching the undulating schools of fish as they swam around the island. In the time since I''d made the ocean floor my ''Zeroth Floor,'' even more life had filled the area. The coral reef had exploded with life and diversity and expanded physically. It covered roughly double the area it once had, but held roughly the same density of life. The sandy plains around it were likewise filled with life. In one section, great ribbons of kelp and seaweed snaked up from the ocean floor. Another section, still bare, was patrolled by groups of sharks as they leisurely hunted the abundant food source around them. Further afield, pods of various cetaceans roamed. They were mostly various species of Dolphin, but a large pod of humpback whales stood out. At least, they resembled the humpback. These particular specimens were migrating south to warmer waters. Instead, it seemed they''d decided the ocean around my island was warm and plankton-rich enough to have their breeding season here. None of them were mine yet. My mana had remained settled within the sand. However, the crabs and other bottom-dwelling creatures had been assimilated already. Which wasn''t surprising. They lived and hunted amongst a blanket of my mana, so it was inevitable. If I wanted to do more, to claim more, I would need a lot more mana. I spun off a half-dozen tendrils of mana and directed them out through some of the many undersea entrances to my dungeon. Rather than forcing the mana into any specific monsters, I had it diffuse into the water at roughly equal points around the island. This would slowly raise the mana content of the ocean nearby, and I could feel the sea becoming part of me. Like an ink stain, I spread throughout the water. My mana encountered unaligned water mana and made it mine. It was like what I had experienced with atmospheric mana before my main stream had even started. Underwater, the mana was much, much denser. In a fascinating display of the square-cubed law, the more of the ocean that became me, the faster I spread. Until... I reached a limit. About five miles out from the island, I lost hold of my mana. It was a fuzzy border, only yards wide, but as my mana passed through, I lost control of it. I wasn''t sure if it was still ''my'' mana, but there was an easy way to test it. I directed one of my newly claimed fish out of the border and watched, fascinated, as I lost control of it. The fish, suddenly in control of itself, swam back into the field to get back to its school. Upon its re-entry, I found that my influence had been stripped completely, and it once again possessed ''unaligned'' mana. I re-claimed it and let it swim back to its school. So I did have a hard border, then? Interesting. I eyed the mana current that brushed against the edge of that border, a stream peeling off before it dipped back out again. While this bears investigating and experimentation, I turned back to the fish. With my ''claiming'' of the ocean around the island, all the creatures within that five-mile radius were mine. I now had control of dozens of fish species, including sharks, dolphins, and whales. I mostly left them alone to do their own things since I didn''t want to spook the humans too badly. What I did want was a way to defend my island a bit more overtly. There are dozens of sea monsters in earth myth; the Leviathan, Kraken, and Sea Serpent are among the most memorable. I want to bring one of each to life to defend my island in the case of invasion. I''ll begin with... the Kraken, I think. In fact, I think I''ll have it pull double-duty here. I located a random octopus and led it to the tunnel that the mana current used to enter my dungeon. I quickly widened the tunnel, turning it into a large cave. At the back of the cave sat the vent the mana current entered through. Now within its new den, I gave the octopus a monster core and began enlarging it. As it grew, I had it develop another sixteen smaller tentacles in a ring around its body, set above the central eight. I also gave it four larger tentacles inside the main eight. Its skin was significantly hardened, and its muscles improved in elasticity and raw power. I made its now enlarged beak serrated, the edges more than sharp and strong enough to cut through wood. Now, the body of octopi, as a rule, consists entirely of its head and tentacles. It has no ''body'' besides that. Its head contains no skull; it had a mere sack to hold its brain. My Kraken would have no such weakness. I made its brain case subtly scaled and well-reinforced, inside and on the surface. By the time I was satisfied with the monster, I had a carrack-sized Kraken. In terms of instincts, I made it sedentary. It would much prefer to stay within its den and wait for prey to swim past than actively hunt anything. In times of need, I would direct it to attack and destroy ships around the island. Next... A Sea Serpent. Now, what creature would work as a base... Ah! Yes, a sea snake would work just fine. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 57 -0-0-0-0-0- The Obsidian Beach, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Ajaz Drogat stood with his party, currently second in line to enter the dungeon. They''d arrived on one of the merchant ships which had docked the day before, one of three parties who''d paid passage to this little island. Unlike those other two groups, Ajaz and his party had been here before. They''d only been Silvers back then, and were just getting confident on the second floor when the Guildmistress had restricted the dungeon to Golds and Platinums. They''d thought it quite unfair at the time, but they''d also witnessed the Gorge Twins return from their fight with the Third Floor Guardian down two party members. If whatever it was could kill two Platinums and injure the rest enough for them to retreat, what chance would Ajaz and his party have had? "Hey, I recognize you!" A voice called. He turned to the side, blinking at the man who had approached him. "Ajaz, was it? You were one of the Silvers kicked off the island, I believe." The man stated, "Congratulations on being the first to make Gold and return!" Ajaz reached out and shook the offered hand. He scanned the man''s admittedly familiar face for a few seconds before it clicked. "Yes, I remember you now. It''s nice to see you again, Vert." He looked around, at the other guilders hanging out on the beach. "There are many faces here I do not know. Are we truly the first to return?" "You are indeed, my friend." Vert''s face took on a more serious cast. "This dungeon has taken many from us, though the casualties have eased off, recently. Tell me, has anyone told you of the changes to the dungeon?" Ajaz and his party members shook their heads. "I meant to look into it last night," Their mage, Allessa, admitted. "But we were too busy celebrating our return." "Well then, let me get you up to speed." Vert cleared his throat. "You would remember the warning on the entrance, of course, and the rash of deaths that followed. Well, the Platinums recently reached the Sixth floor, which rumor has it is a vision of the Fourth Hell brought to the mortal plane. The Fifth is a castle, surrounded by a thick darkness and a forest of enormous mushrooms. The castle has shadow monsters that float around, while the forest has these strange mushroom-monsters. " Ajaz felt like his right eyebrow was reaching his hairline. "The Fourth is another tunnel level, though full of rats. Only the Platinums have made it past the Third''s guardian, due to two very important factors. First, it''s constant resurrection. It doesn''t stay dead, and remembers how it died. The stories I''ve managed to get out of those who''ve fought it are harrowing at times. The second is that teleport crystals no longer work in the dungeon. If I were you I''d be careful not to overextend." The group of golds blinked in shock, and with a glance Ajaz saw two of his party members gaping in disbelief. "It- But- How?" Iltar stuttered. "Monsters coming back to life, over and over? And it''s worked out how to disable teleport crystals too!?" Vert nodded sagely, "I''m afraid so. I''ve never seen the Guardian with my own eyes, of course. The lack of teleport crystals has made those of us still alive rather... more careful and cautious." He rubbed his left wrist, seemingly unconscious of the motion. Vert blinked, and carried on. "Given the difficulty, and risk, in taking on the Third Floor Guardian, many have contented themselves with training to reach platinum, to eventually face the guardian in large groups. It has a half-dozen attendants, and fighting the guardian with anything less than their numbers is a terrible idea." Here, he looked quite annoyed. "Haythem and the other two with him were the first to reach Platinum." To Ajaz, it looked like the admission physically pained Vert. "Another five passed the tests a week later. There are a further half-a-dozen taking the tests right now." Vert looked sideways and leaned in. "I''m planning on going in for the test myself, soon." He shared, in a hushed voice. "Haythem may have grown faster than I, but I will not let myself fall behind!" With that, Vert returned to his party and Ajaz looked to his own. They all shared incredulous looks. They already knew this dungeon was weird, but eight confirmed Platinums already? Another six in testing, and more to come after?! Ajaz smirked in that ''I told you so'' way, to good natured eye-rolls and groans. He knew returning to Medea had been a good idea. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Having created the Kraken, and given it a home, it was time to move on to the next of my planned defenses. The Sea Serpent. Myths vary wildly on what exactly the Sea Serpent is. Most agree it''s some kind of aquatic dragon; scaled, finned and large enough to wrap around ships at least twice before snapping them in half. Now, I don''t have dragons. Not yet. I know I could take the drake-kin, make them larger, give them wings, and bam, I''d have a dragon. But I don''t want to just populate my dungeon with dragons. Dragons should be rare, mysterious, and lethal encounters. So, where to begin. First, I took a reptile already adapted to living in the ocean, the Sea Snake. I''d already worked with them to create land snakes, so I knew what change to make first. I needed to give them gills. In this regard Sea Snakes are like whales; heavily aquatic-adapted animals that still used lungs and needed to surface every so often to breathe. I picked out a male serpent, and after giving him gills, I led him to deeper waters. My Kraken would defend the immediate vicinity of the island, in particular the port town. The Sea Serpent, however, would deal with ships further out, around a mile or two off the coast. I crafted a large cavern out of the sea floor, directed him inside, and gave him a core. Only then did I begin my work. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. My first move was to make him look how I wanted him to, before enlarging the monster. I began from the tail, and worked my way up to his head. I made the tailfin long and flexible, extending vertically from the monster''s tail. The snake''s small, slick scales were enlarged, thickened, and given a metallic finish. On his belly, I gave him larger plate-like scales. These were thicker, and would protect him when he reared up out of the water. Along his back I gave him a long, continuous fin. The spines that supported the fin were thick, and razor sharp at the point. The fin itself was made of the same material as the tailfin; a tough, leathery skin good for pushing water around. It had no other fins, or limbs. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be a serpent, after all. The head, I modeled heavily after my Drake-kin. Unlike their delicate horns and fine scales, I made the Sea Serpent''s altogether rougher, more primal. His snout and teeth were elongated, and I removed the split-end of it''s tongue. Thankfully sea snakes already had many teeth in their jaws, so making them larger and giving him more was simple. While sea snakes are famous for being incredibly venomous, my Sea Serpent required teeth and a jaw capable of crushing and destroying wooden masts with ease. I gave him two large swept-back ''horns'', which I connected to his head with a fin. His gills were hidden behind a fin extending off the back of his jaw. I contemplated giving him whiskers, like ''eastern'' dragons, but ultimately decided against it. I much preferred the design of ''western'' dragons, to eastern. I modified his eyes to a glowing green, and his scales to a deep blue. The fins, I made a complementary yellowish-orange. Finally, I gave him magic. With it''s core situated next to it''s heart, I made sure to give him knowledge of water, air and lightning magic. It''s my hope that eventually, he would learn to call up storms at will. Once I was happy with my miniature sea serpent, I began enlarging and lengthening him. Only when he was large and long enough to wrap around a large ship twice with room to spare, did I halt his growth. Unlike the Kraken, this monster would patrol in a ring around the island. He would remain close to the sea floor, preying on large and small fish unfortunate enough to enter his path. He would only rise to the surface under my direction, and only I could activate His instincts to crush and destroy ships. Pleased with my creation, I left him alone to explore his new ''territory.'' Finally, I moved on to my third and final ''sea monster,'' the Leviathan. Now, normally Leviathan is a catchall term to refer to massive sea creatures. Most of said creatures are described as territorial, destructive, and absolutely enormous. You could consider my Sea Serpent and Kraken to be ''Leviathans,'' of a sort. My plans were to make something much larger than them. The Leviathan would patrol the extreme edges of my territory, and act as a final line of defense, or first line, depending on which way the enemy ships were sailing. I picked out an older whale from the local ''humpback'' population, to start off with. This particular cow wasn''t the oldest there, but was the grandmother of the current generation of calves. She was long past her breeding years, and there were four other cows around her age there, so I wouldn''t be depriving the pod of a crucial member. My plan, was to make this whale utterly enormous. Absolutely gigantic. At the size I wanted her, she would comfortably be able to swallow a ship-of-the-line, with minimal chewing. As with the Sea Serpent, I kept her at her current size for now, and would enlarge her later. The first problem I faced was that these were baleen whales. They lacked teeth, and instead had thousands of keratin spines that filtered krill and other tiny fish from the ocean. While this did allow them to grow to enormous sizes by minimizing energy usage with passive hunting methods, it would not do for the look I was going for. I made the baleen plates retractable, and gave her a set of large, serrated teeth. Some modification to her digestive tract was necessary, but it wouldn''t be too extensive. This way she could still filter-feed, but would also have the ability to crush and destroy anything that entered her mouth. Outwardly, I wouldn''t change too much. The next set of changes I made to all the Humpbacks in my influence. I made their eyes better adapted for seeing in water, upped their oxygen absorption rate even further, and gave them a camouflage pattern on their skin, in various shades of blue, black and white. Finally, it was time to enlarge my final sea monster. This process took a very long time. While enlarging the Sea Serpent only took a day, I was pumping mana into the leviathan for a full week! And it was worth it. The pod of fully grown Humpbacks looked like newborn calves next to the Leviathan. I set them to circle my territory, half a mile inside the blurry circumference. Pleased with myself, I once again turned my attention back to my dungeon, and spent the rest of the day observing various parties exploring and fighting monsters. -0-0-0-0-0- The Fifth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Slicing downwards with her left arm, Isid bisected another of the shambling fungal monsters. This was their second day of combat here on the Fifth floor, exploring the Mushroom forest for the elusive key they needed to once again challenge the Guardian. Given the rising numbers of the irritating monsters, they had about half an hour before enough attacked at once to overwhelm them. "Isid! Have you found anything yet?" Jerrad called, on the other side of their moving, circular formation. Isid glanced around, peering past towering stalks. They weren''t completely sure on what the key would look like, but given the lock on the door it should look like a regular key. "Nothing yet!" She shouted back. In a smooth motion, she twirled, cutting down two shamblers that had leapt at her. "We should be getting close!" The young man, Haythem, stated. "From what I remember seeing from the tower, there were particularly dense areas deep in the forest. If the keys are anywhere, they''d be there!" He''d said that before, of course, but the reminder had her look ahead, to the giant stalks of fungi that were growing closer and closer together. Ten minutes later, she caught a glimpse of a strange mana signature. "Something ahead!" Isid called between strikes. "On me!" Isid forged ahead, cutting down three shamblers in her path. A beam of light mana cut through the air, felling a further three. Two crossbow bolts pinned a pair to some stalks. With quick, confident slices, Isid widened the path between two stalks, emerging into a clearing. In the center of the open space was a raised platform of the same fungal flesh that covered the ground. Rising from the platform was a key. It couldn''t have been anything but. It''s mana signature looked nigh identical to the lock on the Guardian''s door. "That''s it!" She stated. "Someone grab it and lets get the hell out of this forest!" Duncan moved into the space carefully, wary of traps. Not that Isid could see any nearby. He picked the key from the pedestal with a disgusted look. "It''s made of fungus. The texture is... unsettling." In the distance a high-pitched shriek rang, loud and true. Suddenly, the shamblers assaulting them began attacking with renewed ferocity. On their way out of the forest they accumulated more injuries than the shamblers had ever been able to inflict before. Cuts and bruises were common. Bertram caught an overhead strike on his arm, which did halt the mace-like limb. Unfortunately it also broke quite loudly. Just as they were about to become completely overwhelmed, they stumbled free of the fungal stalks. The shamblers halted at the edge, clicking and shrieking their displeasure at the guilders escape. "Alright. We''re going back to the surface." Jerrad declared, to general agreement. They''d been in and out of the forest for hours now, and would need proper rest before once again facing the guardian. They reached the surface just as the sun set over the horizon. While the other two parties headed into the port, Isid''s party made a beeline right to the guild building. Layla would be able to arrange an enchanter to analyze the key and, hopefully, replicate it. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 58 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- My little spies quickly infiltrated the walls, floor and ceiling of the room being used to ''scan'' my Fungal Key. While once I would have worried about them being spotted, after months of careful breeding and modification my rats were quite adept at escaping the attentions of even the two women with mana-sight. How did they do this? By being almost entirely manaless. I couldn''t remove the mana from them entirely, of course. It''s omnipresent. I could, however, remove as much mana from their bodies as possible. Periodically, they would return to their nests and stand on a disk of metal, enchanted to suck the mana from any being that touches it and send it down a small tunnel to my dungeon. In this way, the rats would become effectively invisible to mana-sight. It also distanced them from me, in the cases where they were spotted. What dungeon monster would have no mana, after all. In any case, a dozen tiny ears, eyes and noses gave me a decent view into the room. "It''s... certainly interesting." The Enchanter, a aristocratic-looking older gentleman, stated as he handed the Fungal Key. "It doesn''t even seem like a key, there are no tines. It looks more like a rod of fungus with one end bent into a circle. Despite that, it is indeed a key. From what I can intuit, the enchantment it carries is half-formed. It''s designed to interact and merge with another, most likely the door you''ve described. It''s quite fascinating." The gentleman placed the key back down on the table, and looked up at the four guilders around the table. "It is my understanding you desire me to attempt to duplicate this item, more specifically the enchantment bound to it." He stated, to which he received four respectful nods. "Yes, Master Enchanter Untique." Neo confirmed. "We weren''t sure if it was possible, but being able to make our own keys would greatly lower the difficulty of the Fifth floor." It would. And it would also piss me off. I worked hard on that forest! This would have them bypass a fetch-quest in a zombie-infested forest with ever increasing waves! I mean, I can understand WHY they want to bypass it, but I''m certainly not going to let them. However... This is a rare opportunity to watch a human Enchanter at work. No one I''ve killed has seen one at work, and given their value I don''t believe one would willingly enter such a notoriously deadly dungeon. As they made a few preparations, I settled in to watch with the keen gaze of half-a-dozen rats. One in particular I had managed to give partial-manasight. It was not total, as I was sure Neo and Isid''s was. Instead, this rat saw the ebb and flow of mana overlaid over his normal vision. It was slightly psychedelic, and It gave me a few theories to test. Was total manasight processed by Neo and Isid the result of their normal vision slowly failing over their lives, until some maturation point? Did they gain this trait later in life, and their visual cortex came under such stress that their normal vision shut down? Or were they born with manasight, and had never known the electromagnetic spectrum? With this single success, I would hopefully be able to replicate the trait into specific members of my other monsters. My wandering attention sharpened as the Enchanter called for silence. I watched as his mana swirled in his core, then flowed down his left arm into his hand. In that hand sat the Fungal Key, within a cage of fingers. The mana pooled in his palm for a moment, then six small tendrils split off the circular mass, spreading up his fingers. His fingers twitched, and his face twisted in effort as the mana pierced his skin and drifted down to the key in misty showers of mana. The mana passed through the key, and my metaphorical eyes widened as a misty copy of the key, made of mana, began to drift with it down into his palm. OK! That''s far enough. I triggered the kill-switch on that key''s pedestal. In the next instant, the fungal key dissolved into so much mushy slop, the delicate enchantment within ripping itself to pieces. The Enchanter winced, closed his eyes and raised his right hand to his temple. In his left hand, the slop dripped between his fingers and began pooling on the table below. The man sighed, and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the rest of it off. "While a good plan, It was not to be." He stated. "The dungeon must have inserted some kind of trap into the enchantment that I was unable to discern. I was halfway through the copying process when it just.. unraveled and tore itself to pieces." He said, as he looked levelly at the Guildmistress. "Despite the... less than optimal outcome, you will be paid in full for your services, Master Enchanter." Neo stated as she nodded at her assistant, who produced a pouch of jingling coins. "Anything we can learn of this dungeon and it''s secrets is worth it''s weight in gold, if only to inform and refine any future attempts." "Much obliged, Guildmistress Losat," the enchanter said with a respectful nod. "As for our... other business?" "We will discuss it further in my office, if you please. The walls have ears..." Neo stated, staring directly into the eyes of a rat, through the wall. Shit. They''ve been away from their nests too long. That particular rat has a light dusting of mana on his fur, rendering him visible to the perceptive Guildmistress. Their cover''s blown. Flee, my spies! To your nests! -0-0-0-0-0- Drake-Kin Village, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Kata wove through the crowded market, making her way to the fishmonger. Every Drake-kin she passed, she was once again reminded of her new status in the village. Rather than prisoner to be watched, she was a fellow member of the village None looked at her with that wariness they once had. No double-takes or lingering gazes as they judged if she was behaving. Gazes passed over her with little more than an acknowledgement of ''oh, it''s the human.'' Kata, despite still being restricted to the village itself, was taking to her newfound freedom with gusto. Between the grey and earthy hued scales of the average villager, Kata spied her target. The fishmonger was a beefy-looking Kobold. Compared to the Drake-kin around him, the differences between the species were as obvious as the similarities. Where the Drake-kin stood universally taller than six feet with straight spines and lithe muscles, Kobolds stood at an average of 4'' 6", with hunched back and a lean, wiry figure. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Kobolds were bipedal lizards, with small horns, large eyes and tails almost as long as they were tall. The Drake-kin were more... refined, in a way. They were still bipedal lizards, of course. However, they possessed smaller eyes set beneath large brows, a shorter, more refined snout and an array of horns in various configurations and arrangements. A Kobolds'' claws were large and indelicate, while a Drake-kin''s were closer to scaled hands with sharp, protruding nails. Kata approached the muscled Kobold with an easy grin and casual posture. "Hey Fisher. How''s the family?" Fisher, for that was his name, gave a toothy grin in response. "Happy, with full bellies! Good haul yesterday. Caught too much, so here I am." The Kobold waved his arms to the sides, drawing Kata''s eyes to the selection on display. Arrowfish by the dozen, a baker''s dozen of Silverscales, and three large Bloodfish. There were other fish as well, ones she recognized from the surface. "How''d you get Arrowfish? I thought they kept cutting through your nets." "They were. Three weeks work, gone." Fisher claimed, throwing his claws in the air. "Bought a cage. They can get in, but not out. Problem solved!" "Well done." Kata said, "What''s the price on these Bloodfish?" "Ooooh. You want good stuff, huh? Caught them myself, took an hour each!" The Kobold began, his mercantile nature coming to the fore. "Twenty Talons each!" Kata set her expression. Time to barter. "Twenty Talons? You''re practically robbing me! They''re more than a day old, and from the looks of it you weren''t exactly careful when you butchered them. Ten Talons." The Kobold raised a fist to his chest, resting it above his heart. "Ah! You wound me, Kata. Alright, alright. For you, Eighteen Talons." Kata rolled her eyes. "Eighteen is still expensive, even for Bloodfish. I think Beater over on the other side of the market could sell me better fish for less," she countered. "Twelve Talons." "Beater! Beater smacks his fish with club! Fish terrible quality! I use net, and cut into heads. Meat great quality!" "Never said his catch was good. Just cheaper. I''d be willing to spend less on the fish, even if it''s a bit tenderized. Fifteen, and that''s my final offer!" "I can do fifteen. You need cold bag?" Fisher shook Kata''s hand, and indicated the neatly folded pile of cloth sacks. Kata pulled fifteen of the silvery, square coins. Each coin was emblazoned with a faceted teardrop on one side, and the other a detailed Drake-kin claw. Hence, their name. "I''m good. I''ve got one." Kata replied, pulling a similar bag from her shoulder bag. Hers was emblazoned with a white snowflake, which shimmered in the teal light. Kata collected her fish, passing the coins to the Kobold as she did. "Ooh. You got a good one. One of Tears?" Fisher asked, a curious glint in his eyes. Kata nodded. "Aye, Huea gave me one the other day. One of the prototypes, I think?" She opened the bag, which released a brief gust of cold, dry air. "It was a bit too strong, freezes most things solid. Good for long-term preservation though." "Very... Cool," the Kobold said. Kata groaned. "I should never have taught you guys about puns." She complained. "How do you come up with them? Half of them I''ve never even thought about before." Fisher shrugged. "Only the Creator knows." He stated, briefly closing his eyes and putting his hands together in prayer. Kata shuffled in place, feeling a little awkward. "Anyway. I''ve got other stuff to buy. See you next week, then?" "I''ll be right here!" Fisher said as she walked away. Kata spent the next hour navigating the market. Once she''d bought all she needed, she left for her home. As she walked, she considered the changes in the village. A large number of eggs had hatched recently, leading to small packs of Drake-kin roaming the village at all hours of the day, minded by Drake-kin who could keep them out of too much trouble. The biggest change, of course, was the introduction of the Talon. The transition from bartering to coinage was relatively smooth, not that Kata had seen such a transition before. The value of an individual Talon was in flux right now, as the villagers worked out what they considered decent prices for goods and services, and what the providers believed their time, effort and product were worth. The coins themselves were of a silvery metal that glinted under the mana-sun quite pleasingly. It wasn''t the same metal used in their armor, nor was it Iron or some other ordinary metal. There was something... ethereal about it. Kata pulled one of the coins from a pouch, and brought it up to her face. She''d been especially sensitive to mana after her long deprivation, and she could definitely sense the mana in the coin. Supposedly they were enchanted for hardness and heat resistance, to prevent someone from melting them down and using the metal for something else. Kata was sure there''d be some other enchantments on there, but she wasn''t an enchanter, nor did she possess manasight. She entered her home, and began prepping her dinner. She''d need a decent portion tonight. Tomorrow she was to duel Mushu again. With her mana returned to her, Kata was sure she''d put up a decent fight. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- With the human''s attempt to copy the Fungal Key in a puddle on the floor, I turned to the Fifth Floor once again. I contemplated the pedestal in the Mushroom Forest, which I had so far prevented from respawning it''s key. If I just let this respawn right away, they''d only come back for this one. I want them to make use of the entire forest. To that end... I tied the five pedestals to each other. If the number of active keys dropped to three, one of the empty pedestals would spawn a new one. With five pedestals that meant that the majority of the time, two would be ''recharging.'' Keep in mind this is active keys. Keys taken from the pedestal are still counted as active. Keys dissolved or used will be considered ''used.'' Isid and co would return to this pedestal to find it empty. I was fairly sure they knew there was more than one pedestal, but just in case... I had a metal plates embedded into each of the five pedestals and tied them into the counting enchantment. The metal plate would display the number of active keys, and the number of total keys. As I finished, glowing letters appeared on the plate embedded into the empty pedestal. The letters were red. 4/5 A quick check of the other four revealed the same, though the letters were a pleasant green and the messages different. That done, I moved to the Boss. The Metal Golem was already close to it''s transformation before the fight, and since then it''s power has only grown. After the last battle, I had provided it a new core and lens. This time the lens would do more than be an unnecessary weakness. I had originally added it for the aesthetic, but as I had seen, it was more of a hinderance. This lens was enchanted. Mana channeled into one side would fire out the other as a powerful laser. The new core was larger than the old one, but that meant little in the face of the impending transformation. I watched eagerly as the Metal Sprite within the Potentium Golem pulled it''s mana in, then exploded back outwards in it''s new form. The Metal Spirit was much as the same as others transformed within Potentium bodies. The Spirit itself became much more powerful, and the synergy of having a Potentium body AND it being metal just emphasized that. The body itself, surprisingly enough to me, wasn''t some nightmare of bladed tentacles like I expected. Instead, it took on the form of a silvery humanoid, with four hovering blades fanning out from it''s back like wings. It''s body resembled a Kobold in size, though it''s head was very much a human shape, besides the fact that it had no face. Yup. Just a smooth metal surface. The lens and core were situated in the chest. Hmmm. Spirit, Congratulations on your ascension. If you wish, I have a name for you I believe would be appropriate. ... What is the name? Paragon. ... What does it mean? It means "The model of excellence." One who exemplifies all the greatest qualities and attributes of their kind. ... I like it. As I watched it test its new body, I came to a realization. It was far too strong. The reaction of the Platinums to Igna was quite evident of their power, even if they were misidentifying them as Elementals. Paragon, I believe you would be better suited to a lower floor. One... Not yet built. For now, would you guard my core? ... Very Well. I led it down to my core room, and set up a younger metal sprite in the boss room. It did not configure itself in quite the same way, but it was similar enough. Just as I finished getting that all set up, I became aware that the Isid-Haythem-Clich¨¦ raid had once again entered my dungeon. I checked how much time had passed, and was surprised that it had only been two days after their last delve. They normally waited longer between these deeper raids. I wonder what they''ve prepared. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 59 -0-0-0-0-0- The Fifth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Jerrad felt relief when they''d finally fought their way past the hordes of monsters to reach the pedestal, thinking their ordeal would soon be over. That relief turned to confusion when they found the key missing and glowing red writing on a metal plate. "Four Fifths? What is that supposed to mean?" Flasa, who had been the first to reach the pedestal, asked in confusion. "What''s mathematics got to do with the key?" Her party member, Bertram, rolled his eyes at her. After using them to fire beams of light at a swathe of rushing monsters, he spoke up. "It''s Four of Five, Flasa. I assume there are another four keys somewhere in the forest. Haythem, didn''t you say there were other clearings like this one?" He said, raising his voice over the din of screeching monsters. "Aye, I did!" Haythem shouted back at him, cleaving a monster in twain as he did. "The other two I saw were about the same distance from this one." "We''ll retreat to the Castle then." Isid declared. With a twirling leap, she beheaded two likewise leaping monsters, then bisected another lengthways. Jerrad was suddenly struck by the thought that these fungal creatures didn''t bleed when cut; the pieces just fell to the ground, unmoving. They quickly left the forest, having had plenty of practice in fighting retreats over recent weeks. They made their way back to the castle and, after reaching what Isid judged a fifth of the way around the outer walls, walked out to the forest again. As with previous delves, they encountered only one or two monsters, to begin with. It turned out they didn''t quite judge the distance correctly but managed to find the key before reaching the point of retreat. Duncan snatched the key, prompting the green numbers to turn red and the leftmost number to tick down. "Hah! I was right. Five keys... I wonder what''ll happen when we''ve used them all?" Bertram mused. A brief light-beam glare cut down three fungal monsters before the man grimaced and pulled out a potion. "Back to the castle, then!" Jerrad called out between slashes. "We''ve got a Guardian to defeat!" Their spirits were running high as they made their way through the castle, and they only had to deal with the odd Shadow Monster ambush. They were familiar with the castle''s layout and knew the fastest route to the Guardian''s tower. As they climbed the staircase, the mood shifted from eager and excited to completely serious. While excited and eager to get another shot at the Guardian, Jerrad knew it would have been resurrected by now. He also knew it would remember them. The dungeon may have compensated for its weakness since their last battle. They approached the locked door with its rhyming puzzle and inserted the rod of fungus into the appropriate hole. The doors gave a satisfying click and swung open on their own. They rushed in, ready for another battle. The fight itself was... strangely disappointing. It had taken barely five minutes for them to overwhelm and break its core, even with its new, unexpected beam attack. "That wasn''t the same monster," Isid stated as they stared at the broken lens and cracked core. "It was far weaker, had no knowledge of our tactics, and most damningly, its mana signature was different." She let out an aggrieved sigh. "It doesn''t make sense. Why make the other Guardians immortal but not this one." She let the question hang in the air, a thoughtful frown curling her lip. "But the Guardian, and the Shadow Monsters for that matter, are not like the others at all," Haythem stated. "Normal monsters are flesh and blood, raised from normal animals to their current forms. Strange levels of intelligence aside, the monsters of this dungeon are the same. The Guardian and Shadow Monsters, however... You said they''re made of metal?" Isid nodded. "They are." She replied. "The same metal, though it seems to exhibit different properties. The Shadow monsters can go intangible at will, while the Guardian cannot. If the cause of their abilities is not the metal itself, but something else..." The group was quiet for a time. "Well, we should get a move on." Jerrad piped up. "The sixth floor won''t explore itself. Does everyone have their cowls and cloaks?" He received nods all around. Haythem''s party pulled out golden cloaks, edged in an off-white meant to resemble platinum. Pataer''s in a deep blue, while Jerrad and Isid''s own were forest green. Each member of their raid group had been given enchanted cloaks made by the same Enchanter that had attempted to replicate that key. Since they were the vanguard of this dungeon, the ones exploring the unexplored, they were given the cloaks pro-bono, the guild itself shouldering the cost. All those made afterward would need to be purchased from the man himself. The cloaks themselves were wonders. The details went a bit over his head. Still, Jerrad had caught enough of the explanation to know they would protect the wearer from extreme heat and were almost entirely fireproof. The cloaks ran off ambient mana when they could, supplementing that with mana from the wearer in low-mana areas. Not that that would be a problem in the dungeon. The cowls did likewise but focused on making the air entering the hood breathable and cool. It wouldn''t do to save them from heatstroke, only to die because the air they were breathing was too dry. Beyond that, the cloaks were made of resilient fabric and enchanted specifically for durability and toughness. Once their cloaks were fastened, the group moved through the exit and down the long hallway. A vision of the Fourth Hell on the mortal plane... They would need all the advantages they could get. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Those cloaks were fascinating. They had an almost magnetic draw on the free-floating mana around them, and I could see the temperature immediately around each guilder drop to tolerable levels. Well, they''d dealt with that hazard relatively quickly. I don''t know how they''d hold up to the higher temperatures near the lava lakes, nor how easily they could be damaged. Perhaps if I damage the cloaks enough, the enchantment will break? I watched as the raid group of Isid''s, Haythem''s, and the Cliche''s parties navigated the thin track from the entrance down to the Scorched Plains. There were a couple of points where the path fell out from beneath them, but they were deft in their avoidance of them. A quick check showed that Igna and most of her court were in their cavern while a few weaker golems patrolled outside. The demon goats were hanging out in their cliff-side village, which reminded me very much of ancient South American societies. All stone domiciles half-dug into the cliff, with barely-there paths only they would be able to navigate easily. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Looking back at the raid group, they were currently exploring the plains. The ground here was covered in at least an inch of ash, and the man from Isid''s party, Duncan, was studying the tracks they stumbled upon. "A large group headed to the east, recently. It was most likely the Elemental and its court." He informed them. "We''ll go west then," Isid decided. "When it comes to Elementals, you avoid them and fight only as a last resort." "How much experience do you have with them?" Haythem inquired, piquing my own interest. "We''ve encountered a few before," Jerrad answered for his wife. "They''re almost always more powerful than an experienced platinum and far harder to damage than you would think. Being made of their element gives them both advantages and disadvantages; A fire Elemental, like the one here, is literally made of fire. It has no core you could damage, nor would a normal sword harm it in any way. What could a sword do against fire, anyway?" He asked that last question as if it was rhetorical, "If you wanted to hurt an elemental, you need its opposite or a weapon enchanted with its opposite. In this case, water. Ice and darkness would do fine, in a pinch, but not as well as pure water." And none of these guilders wielded those magics. Lucky for me. "Soo... We avoid this one until we have an answer for it?" Mage asked, with electricity arcing down her hair in what I assumed was a nervous tick of some sort. "Exactly right," Isid answered with a nod. With that, they moved west towards the Demon Goat''s village. I alerted the goats of the incoming guilders and directed the mages among them to prepare a large-scale shield spell. I had yet to think to add such enchantment to their village, but I probably would after this. It wasn''t long before the guilders noticed the village. Their eyesight was fantastic at this level. I was sure they could pick out individual monsters moving between the buildings. "What''s that? Over there, halfway up what looks like a vertical cliff face." "It looks like a village to me." "Inhabited too. Monsters with... black and red skin?" "Looks like fur or wool to me." "Why would they have Fur in a place like this?" "Who knows why the dungeon does anything." By the time they reached the base of the cliff, which was about an eighty-degree angle, the villagers were ready. The non-combatants had retreated to the cavern behind the village. Those connected to basic respawn crystals had taken up arms and armor. Mages were prepared for long-range defense and bombardment. The highly agile warriors were ready to close in and knock the guilders back down the cliff. In defiance of my expectations, the group all looked to Isid, who stepped forwards and used some kind of spell that amplified her voice. "Hello there! Is there one amongst you who could come down here and represent your village?" What. Just... What? They''re... actually considering speaking to the goats? Diplomacy, rather than just killing everything they come across? Why now? What''s different? Is it.. the village? This... is the first time they''ve found a village of monsters, regardless of if the majority of the village is beyond the cavern''s wall. I waited as the Demon Goats elected the strongest amongst them to descend the cliff. This particular specimen was male, and half-again the size of the others. Not in a ridiculous way, but he was proportionally larger. The next few minutes were tense as the goat traversed the almost sheer cliff on the tips of his hooves. When he reached the ground, he stood with a straight back and a challenging glint in his eye. "I am Ba-a-a-a-hument." The goat stated with a bleat. "Wha-a-a-t is your angle, here? Do you not wish to slaughter us a-a-a-all?" I almost burst into laughter! It must be some kind of mental tick. The only question is... Do I attempt to fix it, or just leave it be? Who am I kidding; of course, I''ll leave it be. "Do you speak for the dungeon, Bahumet?" Isid asked politely. "I speak for my village. I would not Da-a-a-a-re presume to speak for the Creator." He stated with an almost indignant look about him. Isid glanced back at her fellow guilders and then again at the monster. "I apologize," she replied. "This is the first time we have encountered a village in this place. We would... prefer not to slaughter civilized beings like yourselves." "Why change now?" The goat challenged. "You have ''sla-a-a-aughtered'' many Kobolds since you began invading our home. Just because you have not seen their villages does not mean they don''t ha-a-a-a-ave them." The Guilders began looking distinctly uncomfortable. "We are... aware that the monsters of this dungeon are more intelligent than we first thought," Isid stated. "To be honest, no other monster, nor even a group of monsters, has reached the level of self-awareness the monsters here have." To my surprise, the goat nodded solemnly. "The Creator cares greatly for His creations," the goat preached. "All those raised to sapience are given spaces to live their lives outside of defending our home." That statement, more than anything, seemed to rock the group. "Well... be that as it may, perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement." Isid broached. "Is there anything you could trade or find yourself deficient in?" Bahumet frowned. "We ha-a-a-a-ave an abundance of our wool, which is insulating. But we do not see why giving you guilders our resources would a-a-a-a-aid the Creator. We already have everything we need." Isid frowned and looked up at the village. "I am sure there is something we could provide that would be worth your wool. Next time we delve, I will bring a list of items with descriptions, and we can come to an agreement that would satisfy all involved." "We sha-a-a-a-al see." -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Flasa watched the bipedal sheep monster bound up the cliff with a hawk-like gaze. Its hooves found purchase in the smallest cracks and outcroppings, displaying incredible balance and strength in the way it would push itself to the next tiny crack. It soon reached the village; a series of stone dwellings resting within a concave section of the wall. That section contained quite a few of the dwellings, each having a leather sheet as a door. Did they carve their homes from the rock, or did the dungeon make them for the monsters? "That went... well?" She said, a little unsure. "It was certainly something," Bertram answered sardonically. "The first civil conversation between guilders and intelligent dungeon monsters." He stated wistfully. "Not the first," Isid said, getting confused looks from the two parties of newly-advanced Platinums. "But certainly significant, nonetheless." Come on, we still have plenty of exploring to do. Duncan, the timekeeper?" Duncan pulled a brass cylinder from a pouch. The cylinder had twenty-four notches along a spiraling line and bore a red dot enchanted to follow the line. Duncan studied the device for a second before returning it to his pouch. "It''s an hour until sundown. We entered this morning, and it still took us all day to get down here." He sounded a bit exasperated, Jerrad nodded with a frown. "We''ll have to make camp somewhere. Not here, of course. Who knows when the Elemental will turn up again. No, there has to be a safer place somewhere." "Why not just go through the night?" The bowman of Paetor''s party asked. Flasa wracked her brain, but she just couldn''t remember his name. Haythem barked out a short laugh. "You do remember the Third and Fifth, right?" He asked, the question obviously rhetorical. Everyone knew the stories. "This dungeon becomes far more dangerous after the sun goes down. Whether we make camp or not. At least by making camp we can somewhat fortify a space and defend ourselves." Isid nodded. "That." She said. "Also, while we can go a few days without sleep, that doesn''t mean you don''t get tired. Trust me, you don''t want to be at less than full awareness in this dungeon." The bowman took the chastisement for what it was and nodded silently. As the group searched for an appropriate spot to make camp, Flasa scouted ahead of the group with Duncan. It took most of the hour until ''sundown'' to find something that looked both defendable and hidden. Beyond the large central cavern and the lake of lava on the far side of it, there were smaller side caverns. Larger than an ordinary cave, and the rock here wasn''t hot to the touch or covered in ash. The cavern they''d chosen had an entrance on the smaller side and a half-crumbled wall and pillar in the center. Harald was immediately taken with the ruins and the writing carved into the bricks. "Though it''s similar in design to the ruins on the Third, with some subtle differences. The pillar here is carved differently, and the bricks are smaller. The pattern in which the bricks are stacked in is slightly different. A different time period, perhaps?" The man murmured fervently to himself as he wrote his observations in a scroll. Rolling their eyes, the group prepared an area next to the wall. Shifts were arranged, and dinner was eaten. Just in time, too. Though there was still an orange glow from the copious amounts of lava, the mana-sun''s brighter light in the ceiling dimmed to nothing. Outside the cavern, the sounds they heard made them glad they''d found it. Great shrieks and cries, the beating of wings... Well. Flasa wouldn''t want to face them alone. She caught a glimpse of one during her shift. She snuck up to the entrance and peeked outside. The light from the lava was just enough to highlight the flying animals. Large wings suspending a large torso, with two short legs sporting three-toed claws... These were actual monsters. They were no mere mana mutants; they resembled no animal she had ever seen before. Upon returning to her bedroll at the end of her shift, she was haunted by their roars. What awesome creatures... -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 60 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- As the raid of platinums ensconced themselves in a cave, I had a choice before me. I have made a regular pattern of night being particularly difficult for delvers, either by introducing special monsters or increasing their aggressiveness. For the Sixth floor... and for this group in particular... I won''t go too hard. The environment itself is pretty hostile, and with them in that cave... I COULD throw monsters at them and murder them all eventually. That''s my first instinct, even. As with that party on the fifth floor, I could assault them in the dark and kidnap or kill them in their sleep. Thankfully, I''ve gotten better at identifying my intrusive thoughts. Those ideas and instinctive reactions are caused by my nature as a dungeon. That instinct to kill invaders, to cause them to flee at least and remove them from my halls... is my base nature. I''ve given in to that easy solution more than I''d have preferred. After overcoming that instinct, it''s easier to think of other options, like why I''m putting so much effort into my dungeon''s looks and atmosphere. I want to awe these people. I want to see that look on their faces, the one I''d seen briefly when they emerged onto the Sixth. That look of awed wonder. I couldn''t get that from them if they were all dead or had given up because their friends were dead. To that end, I wouldn''t drown them in monsters and golems. That''s not to say I''d give them a free ride. They''d earn every achievement I let them have. Even if it''s what they expected, ambushing them in the night wasn''t... sporting. In fact, since they expected it, I wouldn''t do it. I''d let them wonder why and raise their caution and paranoia even further! As the nocturnal monsters roamed the caverns and the dregs of the Fire Court retreated to their cavern, I turned my attention downward, floor by floor. The Seventh was chugging along. Drake-kin, equipped with mithril pickaxes, continued to expand the mines and expose new metal ore veins. I had yet to find deposits of any other metals, not even on the lower floors. Why is the metal only on this thin layer? Is there another layer deeper underground which holds different metals? With the Guilders having reached the Sixth, it was also time to begin prepping the Seventh for their eventual arrival. My first job was ensuring the Drake-kin village remained invisible to the invaders. I checked all the entrances to ensure that Isid''s mana sight couldn''t discern any difference in the tunnel walls. There were about five or six well-used entrances and just as many less-traveled ones. As far as I could tell, they were invisible to both mana sight and blended into the surrounding rock perfectly. Ah, magic makes hiding things so much easier. Regarding more active defenses, I have two types of monsters on this floor, the Drake-Kin, and the Stone Golems. The Drake-kin have been training in squads for weeks. With some tips and tricks from Kataren, they have become quite capable. The only thing left to be done is link them to respawn crystals and set their patrol schedule. The Golems were doing as they had always done; standing against walls and pretending to be part of them. As with Air and Fire, these mana beings unsurprisingly embodied their element. Earth Sprites were quiet, patient, and contemplative. Air Sprites were flighty and always on the move, never settling down for more than a second. Fire Sprites were somewhere in the middle, prone to sudden bursts of energy interspersed with periods of relative peace. I assume Water Spirits are similar to fire, though I have yet to summon any. On the Seventh, there are around three dozen Stone Golems of various sizes and strength levels. They aren''t arranged in any particular order. The strongest of them, the Earth Spirit, is what I would consider... a roaming miniboss. Like his contemporary on the Sixth, the earth spirit set up his own court. While the earth and fire courts had similarities, the differences were primarily in how the court members behaved toward each other. The earth court''s hierarchy is clear. The oldest, which happened to be the spirit, is the ''lord'' of the court. There are no other spirits in that court yet, but I assumed they would remain below the first in rank when they appeared. Age is greatly respected by these mana beings, with the oldest being deferred to whenever a choice must be made. The boss of this floor would be Tear, which was more a foregone conclusion than an actual choice. He was the largest, most physically intimidating of the drake-kin. He was also intelligent, clever, and one many drake-kin looked to for guidance. Hooking him into a respawn crystal went fine, and he was soon back to hammering away in his forge. The boss arena would have a tunnel directly connecting to the forge so that he could quickly move from one to the other. Content with the changes, I moved on to the Eighth. The peaks were clear and sunny today, and the monsters were taking advantage of it. Pyry, the Arctic Thunderbird, was doing wide circles around the peaks. The Ice Foxes were out exploring, and the Snowbolds were training amongst themselves. The Air Spirit and her court occupied a larger flat section of the second peak, flitting about snowdrifts and playing. Their court dynamics were far looser than the regimented earth or ever-shifting fire courts. The Air court, unsurprisingly, valued freedom and control over their power. Since first asking for a group of sprites, the Air Spirit had tripled the size of her court. Conversely, she had yet to ask for any golem bodies for her subordinates to occupy. I wasn''t sure why at first, but looking at them, I thought I had found the answer. Just as they valued freedom and control, they also had great synergy. Fires could be singular or found in enormous conflagrations. Earth was similar, found in large continuous masses of rock or singular boulders. Air, as it is, is never alone. It''s ever-present, and any movement has knock-on effects that pull, push and twist other parts of the air. This effect can be large or small, but it''s always there. I watched the dozens of air sprites flow in a large group, like that small bird on earth, which swarmed in massive, organic formations. Independently, they were relatively weak. Combining their abilities in this way, however, compounded their strength significantly. The Air Spirit floated in the center of the area, conducting the sprites in their dance. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I spent the rest of the night tinkering with the details of the mountains, adjusting paths, ledges, cliffs, and more to provide a more authentic mountain-climbing experience. I was particularly proud of the avalanche trap, which would trigger when a loud enough noise was made, or if someone marked as hostile entered the area of effect. At an idle whim, I created a sign reminiscent of a street sign from my old world. It was an equilateral triangle, holding the image of a man tumbling down a slope. Behind the man was a cloud, and lines represented it flowing down the slope. I placed this sign at head height, embedded into a cliff just before the avalanche trap. In this way, only idiots or those who wanted to shatter me would trigger the trap. Those with sense and restraint could pass without a problem, but there was still the chance they could trigger the trap. As I was about to move on to the Ninth, day broke. The nocturnal monsters retreated to their nests, and the guilders roused themselves. I returned my attention to the Sixth, eager to see what they''d do next. -0-0-0-0-0- The Tenth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Asterion, the First Bull of the Minotaurs, grunted in exertion as he maneuvered the thick log into the prepared hole. He stood back from the wall, and with a wave of his hand, his two sons came forward and secured the log to the two alongside it. He watched and gave a satisfied grunt at their work. Another gesture brought the mages forward. The mages, led by his head wife, Tauris, spread out along the wall and placed their hands against it. They began a synchronized chant, followed by their horns giving off a vibrant green glow. At the apex of their chant, Asterion could see the bark of the logs melding together. Slowly, the independent logs became a single, continuous mass of wood. He could imagine roots growing from the underground portions, anchoring the wall and providing stability. Of course, it is just wood. It could be easily cut through with enough strength and a sharp tool. It could be set aflame and burned down. Those weaknesses would be rectified by the next spell. Across the wall section, bulls smaller than Asterion approached, their arms laden with mithril ingots. They placed the bars in a line alongside the newly fused wall, and the mages began another chant. The visual changes were less evident but still obviously there. Asterion watched as the ingots were absorbed by the wood and how the brown bark of the pine turned a dark silvery-grey, one that gleamed slightly in the light. It was a brilliant combination of Earth, Metal, and Life magic. The individual logs were brought back to life and merged into a single entity by the first chant, then absorbed the metal provided by the second. The metal was integrated into the wood at the most basic level, providing great strength and resistance. The material they had come to call Mythwood was too tough to utilize when the ritual was performed on a living tree. In the center of their village stood their first successful experiment, an enormous gleaming grey tree with leaves of a brilliant teal. They had not wanted it to stay there, intending to cut it down and use the wood for other things. It had proved too tough to significantly damage and quite capable of healing itself. Asterion nodded as the mages stepped back. This was the final section of the wall to convert, and its completion marked a significant moment in the history of their young village. "It''s done," he grunted, instantly catching the attention of all the Minotaurs involved. "Good job. You all know what you need to do next. Go do it." Asterion hefted his battle axe over his shoulder and stomped toward the center of their little village. Behind him, the small herd of Minotaurs dispersed. His wives, sons, and daughters followed him closely. He let a half-smile emerge from his stoic fa?ade when his younger calves rushed out in front of the group. He had two sons and four daughters, born by three wives. His eldest were twins, one boy, and one girl, born of his union with Tauris. The girl, Taura, was proving adept at all magic she applied herself to. The boy, Aston, was growing like a weed. Asterion was sure his sons would match his height when they reached maturity. As the group entered their home, the village''s most central and largest building, Asterion felt a sense of peace and safety wash over him. With the wall completed, the gate was the only way to access the village. While weaker than the rest of the wall, it would be much easier to defend than the entire wall. Though... if they could jump high enough, the guilders may be able to leap over the wall entirely... He decided to approach the mages tomorrow with the problem. Tonight, however, he''d celebrate quietly with his family. Yes. Life was good in the warm embrace of The Creator. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The Isid/Haythem/Cliche raid group moved across the Scorched Plains carefully and as quietly as they could. They hugged the edge of the cavern, moving between boulders as they dodged the attention of the patrolling Golems. Despite their best efforts, they were seen by two who had rounded a boulder at just the right moment to see the group. The two were a molten golem and magma golem pair. As with others of its type, the molten golem''s body wasn''t made of Potentium, but rather Mithril and either Orichalcum or Moonsilver. This one was feminine-presenting and, as such, was most likely composed of Orichalcum. The golem''s body was composed almost entirely of molten metal. Though it maintained a humanoid shape, it could and would abandon that shape for a mass of tentacles. The magma golem was twice the size of its companion, and from the look of it, it was pretty close to its transformation into a Spirit. Molten stone seeped slowly between cracks in its stone plates, placed and shaped to mimic the muscle groups found in my more humanoid monsters. This one had a hunched posture, with arms that hung to its ankles. At first sight of the guilders, the monsters rushed into battle. The magma golem took the lead and charged the three guilders scurrying between cover. The woman in the middle, Flasa, dodged the overhand smash. She retaliated by attempting to stab the golem''s arm with a dagger. It wasn''t very effective, being made of stone and all. As the dagger skittered off to the side, the golem raised its arms again. It was much faster than the woman expected, and she barely dodged the second smash. Now on her feet, she was joined by other members of the raid group, who all started probing the golem for weaknesses. It was unfortunate for the guilders that, unlike the Fifth Floor Boss, I hadn''t given them one, and they were ill-inclined to give one to themselves. The molten golem wasn''t far behind her companion. She slid along the ground, as her legs were more of a solid pillar than anything else. Her arms deformed from their humanoid structure into long whip-like tentacles, then split in two. With four whips of molten metal whipping through the air, she kept the guilders away from her main body quite handily. While the golems had the initial advantage, it didn''t last long. Where regular blades failed, a mace succeeded. Where daggers skittered along the rock, the mace crushed it and exposed the molten rock beneath. Bertram wielded the weapon with skill, and with the other guilders harassing the golem he landed blow after blow. The molten golem found her nemesis in Isid, whose manablades were the only weapon that found purchase on the golem. She was also the first to fall, her whips worn down to stubs and her chest pierced directly into her core. With its shell losing cohesion, the sprite escaped into the ground. The magma golem, now receiving the attention of the entire raid group, started losing limbs as well. Unlike its companion, the magma golem escaped by rolling into a ball and speeding off, catapulting itself into a nearby lake of lava. The looks on their faces were priceless. Ah, what I wouldn''t give for a camera at that moment. The Guilders didn''t come out the other side without a few injuries, mostly second-degree burns, large black-and-blue bruises, and long thin cuts. A few potions later, they were back in fighting shape. To my surprise, they didn''t attempt to leave after that. They''d judged the effort just to get to the Sixth large enough that they would only leave when they felt the trip was worth the effort. Now cooled enough to touch, the guilders collected a sample of the sprite''s metal body, its cracked core, and some rock broken off from the magma golem. They continued searching for the boss arena for the rest of the day, and only had to fight roaming golems another two times. Though they won, their encounter with a group of five left two of their group less an arm, and they''d run out of potions. I watched them retreat to the fifth, then moved my attention back to the Tenth. It''s time to set up the boss arena, and after that... The Eleventh beckons. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 61 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I let my attention settle across the Tenth, watching all its creatures go about their daily routines. The Minotaur population had grown to almost triple the original group I raised to monsterhood. Given the females '' more verbose nature, I had expected them to be a matriarchy. Against those expectations, they had elected a "First Bull" and adopted polygamy; the stronger the bull, the more wives he gathered. Their village was very visually interesting. The building style seemed to take inspiration from both tribal and feudal-era villages on Earth. Tall, thick, wooden walls enclosing wooden houses, roofed with bundled straw. The tree at the center of the town was fascinating. The little ritual they had worked out looked simple. A deeper look at the resulting material showed the wood hadn''t just absorbed the metal and started using it as bark. The metal was a part of the tree at every level. Even its individual cells had metal armor. I had some ideas for what to do with this new species, but that could wait for now. The rabbits had settled into a stable population. Given the population numbers of each evolutionary line, I consider my little experiment a success. The three Evolutionary Altars were unchanged and fully charged. There were no of-age rabbits to prove they still work, but the already-evolved monsters are proof enough of that. The Jackalopes had enthusiastically taken to their role as guardians of the boundary forest. They roamed in groups of six or seven, a decent number, given their size. They would come up to a human''s waist on all fours, while their horns would likely surpass a man''s height when standing on their back legs. Their magic was developing as I had expected it would. Earth and Life mana in equal parts let them do incredible things to the landscape as they passed through. The Winged Hares had settled into the treetops with only a little hesitancy. Their ability to climb and glide from branch to branch was aided by the unconscious use of air magic, and they would do well in harassing guilders from above. The Unihares were lower in number than their fellows, perhaps a fifth of the total population. The pure-white monsters were solitary creatures when left alone and, in the past weeks, had gained a sort of dueling tradition. When they encountered another of their kind among the grasslands, the two monsters would display the spells they had worked out. Sometimes it was with a mock battle, and other times just a display of capability. The winner of these ''duels'' gained the right to learn a spell from the loser, which I felt was fair. It encouraged them to experiment and develop more exotic spells to overcome their peers while spreading that knowledge among the strongest of them. After reviewing the floor, I began sculpting the Boss''s arena. In the deepest section of the forest, I created a cave, one both recessed into the ground and surrounded by sharp rocks and bare dirt. I had the bones of various monsters brought down and scattered across the clearing outside the cave to set the correct atmosphere. This Boss would be in two stages. The first stage would set the guilders off guard. An average-sized rabbit with white fur and blood-red eyes. Powerful legs to let it leap with great speed and force, along with razor-sharp teeth and claws. I named the resultant creature Caerbannog and set it to wander the bone-strewn area. The second stage would be another monster altogether. It would be a rabbit with the traits of all three variations. The height of a fully grown man, with enormous feathered wings and pure white, tightly spiraling antlers. For this monster, I located the strongest Unihare, which happened to be the one with the most extensive repertoire of spells. I gave its snow-white fur golden markings, socks, patches, and facial lines. This Boss would remain within the cave when guilders were on the floor, only emerging to fight those who managed to overcome the savage beast that lived among the ''bones of its fallen enemies.'' With the bosses completed, I carved out enough space for them to live in the cave comfortably. After that, I began seriously considering the theme of the Eleventh. I had started a trend with the Eighth that I felt I should see through. From the tallest mountains, across deserts and plains... to the seaside. Yes. The Eleventh would be an ocean floor and could be easily populated given the diversity of sea-dwelling creatures that lived around my island. The problem comes with scale. My mountains were fine as just the peaks, but my desert was woefully small. While the Minos Plains could be more extensive, I was happy with its current size. The ocean... I didn''t want a mere few miles of water to cross. They could just swim across such a distance. I wished for the guilders to construct boats to make the crossing. A cavern of the size I required... It would take a long time to carve out such an area. I didn''t want it to have enormous columns to hold up the roof, either. That fact alone would take a decent amount of magic to reinforce the walls to provide enough support. Luckily, I wouldn''t need such a cavern. At most, one with the size of the Tenth would do. Why? Because the group of mages and shamans I had assigned to work out the ''bags of holding'' had been successful. They''d managed to reverse-engineer them and had finally created one of their own. A stable space triple the size of its container. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I couldn''t wait to see the looks on the guilder''s faces when they reached the Eleventh. -0-0-0-0-0- Crabby Tavern, Port Medea, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Paetor was a devout man. He''d practically been raised in the temple district of the capital with how often his parents had dragged him there. At the Temple of Oshitar, he had suckled upon the teat of knowledge, learning everything he could with a voracity many praised him for. He''d learned of the gods from the priests who lived there and of how the gods had differing methods of worship. Over the years of his youth, Paetor had gravitated into the temple of Daedor more often than the others. When he reached his majority, he dedicated himself to that god. Daedor was the god of wind and travelers, patron of those who would roam the world with an eye on the horizon. The god was just as important to sailors as Heiroch, the god of water and storms. His parents had objected, as he had expected them to. He was their firstborn, after all. His duty was to inherit their estate and continue the bloodline. But Paetor knew that life was not for him. His blood burned to leave the city. To escape the walls and travel wherever the wind might take him. He had brothers that could inherit; his family didn''t particularly need him. He purchased a traveler''s pack from a merchant and stole away early one morning, leaving behind a note of his intentions. He passed the Guild Hall on the way to the port to find a ship to sign on to and found himself confused. The Guild Hall wasn''t on the path he''d intended to take through the city. It was then that he remembered who he was sworn to. Daedor was the god of travelers. Paetor was sure the god had to have guided his feet to lead him here. There were dozens of stories of travelers who found great fortune following the nudging of their patron. Without hesitation, he entered the hall and asked to join the Guild. The rest was history. He was introduced to other new guilders and led on training trips into the capital''s dungeon. They learned to fight, rely on, and trust one another. Over a year later, he found himself on a boat to a newly discovered dungeon and had risen two ranks in the short time since. Him! A Platinum! One of the elites of the Guild! He''d gained more power in the last few months than more than a year on the mainland. All thanks to that dangerous, confusing hole in the ground. He took another gulp from the tankard in his hand and wiped the foam from his facial hair. "I''m sorry, I was lost in thought." His companion waved him off. "Don''t mention it," Haythem answered. "I often catch myself in memories of days past, especially these days. Due to my changing circumstances, I think." Paetor nodded and raised his tankard. He could believe that. "How''s Lilliette?" Haythem asked as he took another sip. "Well enough," Paetor replied. "She''s as energetic as ever, despite losing her hand. The healers claimed that the stump being burnt off the way it was... well, it did something to prevent healing. She''s already approached a smith about having a prosthetic made. Something that channels mana well, so she can still use it to cast spells." He shook his head. "At least it was only her left," Haythem reasoned. "I feel she would have been more discouraged to lose her right hand. Or more than just the hand, in the worst case." Paetor nodded thoughtfully. "Aye, there is that. Do you have any weapons made from that strange metal we''ve been finding? The ones that glow in the moonlight." Haythem shook his head. "I don''t, sorry. I sold them to a smith off the main square," Haythem admitted. "You could probably commission him for something, though. Why so interested?" "Something Isid mentioned during the raid," Paetor said. "Might be nothing, but who knows." Any future discussion was cut short by a dozen sailors bursting into the dockside tavern. They immediately launched into wild tales of an enormous sea beast offshore that almost capsized them as it passed beneath their ship. Paetor drank another mouthful of beer and wondered where all these tales of sea monsters were suddenly coming from. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- With space-expansion enchantment on hand, I started on the next floor in earnest. To begin, I carved out a rectangle half again long as it was wide, rounded off the edges to make a smooth surface, and started carving. The runes weren''t strictly necessary for the enchantment to take hold. Still, as I had found with that mana-water creation enchantment so long ago, it helped to have something to anchor the mana too. The runes were angular and precise, a strange fusion of Latin and Norse runes. Though it had started out as something to mess with the humans, slowly, it had become an actual language. I''d created grammar rules, verbs, adjectives, conjugations, and more. I made a mental note to go back and fix all the old carvings to tell actual stories and actually mean something. Either way, I layered my runic language across every inch of space available. The meaning and contents of the lines varied. Some were poems about the ocean, others about great voyages and heroic deeds. Some were tales of dastardly pirates, and others were warnings of terrible creatures lurking in the deep. Interspersed between them were equations, those I could remember from Earth about space and time. They were two halves of the same coin, after all. Once I was done carving, I spun up my mana and began layering it on the runes. Unlike earlier floors, where I added and layered enchantments on each other as I went, I would be doing this all at once. The enchantments would all tie into each other at a deeper level. I spent hours ensuring everything was perfect, not a strand out of place, before I decided it was ready. With a twist, I activated the enchantment. The walls fell away. I wondered if I had gotten my calculations correct on the expansion factor as ten yards became ten miles, became fifty, then a hundred. It only slowed down when I realized I was still feeding the enchantment mana. I cut off the flow slowly, dialing it back until it was a trickle. The expansion likewise slowed until it stopped, the mana that trickled into it just enough to maintain its current size. So, at some point, I had made the enchantment far more efficient than I had intended. Beyond that, though... this was perfect! I have a cavern about three hundred miles on the long side and two hundred on the short. Height-wise, it was 100 miles. It would certainly work for an ''epic voyage'' feel. I''d intended to have the room half-full of water. For that, however... I''d need about... 29 million cubic miles of water. All in all, just under three times the volume of the Mediterranean sea... That... Just isn''t viable. I''d be lowering the water level of the whole planet a foot just to fill the floor. I think I''ll have it be four miles deep on average. Six at the most. A much more reasonable amount. That, however, would leave a lot of open space above the waves. Given there are only sixty-something miles of atmosphere until it''s technically ''space...'' I''ll have a lot of room to make some truly awesome things on this floor. My mind raced with the possibilities as I opened a half-dozen channels to the ocean floor above, and my vision for the floor slowly grew. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 62 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The Eleventh Floor, being an expanded space, felt extremely strange. It was an absolutely enormous space that should reach from the mantle to space and is only half the size of Poland surface-area-wise. On the other hand, the room was only ten yards by twenty and thirty yards. That''s the physical amount of space it occupied, despite the interior dimensions. It was... mindboggling huge, and far more extensive than I had intended. Despite that, I could work with this. After I''d opened those tunnels to the ocean floor, water began flooding down into the floor. If I wanted a depth of four-ish miles on average, I''d be doing this for a while. In the meantime, I investigated the internal walls of the room. While you would expect the rock to be incredibly stretched and the runes to be scaled up and warped, that is not what occurred. The runes remained the size they were when I carved them, with some slight changes. All the stories and poems about the ocean were below my intended waterline, mainly along the bottom. Along the walls and roof were those about the weather and travel. Anyway, it''s time to do some experiments! Carefully, I laid mana lines onto the area around the floor''s entrance door, filled with a specific intent. I watched as that area rose and shifted, turning from a steep drop-off into rolling hills. Those hills transitioned into a short plain, followed by dunes, then a consistent slope. Finally, the slope ended with a steep drop-off. All in all, it ended up being about a square mile of land around the entrance, It was different than the earlier floors, where I had to use material I had previously excavated to build something up. This was more manipulating the bounds of the room itself. While that helped with most of the material I''d need, I still had to cover the land with dirt and sand. It wouldn''t do for the guilders to see the runic script covering bare stone. It took about four days to cover the hills and plains with dirt, obtained the same way I''d done on the Eleventh. I had less mana available right now than I''d used then, but a slower cycle was easy to maintain. With that done, I covered my dunes, beach, and shoreface with sand. Where did I get the sand? Well, I needed to get it from somewhere, so I''d started carving out the Twelfth floor and used that rock to make the sand. Next, I seeded the now grass-covered hills with plenty of trees. They were mostly pine, to tie back to the Tenth. In the name of diversity, though, I''d also added some other species from the rainforest. I''d left the plains mostly alone, though I spread some oak-like trees across the area, decent distances apart. I''d crafted the sand dunes to be quite large to hide the ocean from anyone walking across the plains. I made the beach itself at a shallow angle. Eventually, I''d work out how to make tides, simulated or otherwise, and this beach would have a larger foreshore. With the wood for the ships sorted, I needed something they could use as sails. I''d need wool, cotton, or linen to make canvas. Unfortunately, I had no cotton plants, none having been imported to the island yet. The island did have a flax plant, which I spread across the hinterlands, where the plains met the dunes. In all that time, the ''Ocean'' had gained.... about half a foot in height? As I contemplated alternatives to speed up the progress, I began bringing down monsters to populate the entrance ''island.'' I intended this island to be largely unpopulated since the Guilders would need space and time to construct their own ships. To that end, I brought in a pair of unaltered sheep, made them omnivorous, and let them loose on the floor with little more than increased aggressiveness. I also brought some rabbits from the Tenth to start a new colony and gave them their own evolution chamber. I had plans for islands out on the ocean that would blow the Guilder''s minds. For this starting area, however, I''d keep things easy. With that done, I ''stepped back'' from the area and felt satisfied. For now. It was still very rough and needed a greater seeding of insects and animals. And, perhaps, a bit of landscaping. All in all, it took about a week to get that all sorted. I let my conscience spread across the dungeon, taking in everything I had missed while focusing on the Eleventh. Despite a week having passed, not much had changed. All my monster populations were either growing or keeping steady at their optimal levels. Traps were resetting smoothly, and the intent-detection parts were running fine. It did seem like there were two parties elevated to Platinum, who had broken through Mushu together and started throwing themselves at the Ratten. One of them died in the attempt on Mushu, inspiring the rest to improve themselves further. The Isid-Haythem-Clich¨¦ raid had delved and left already, lacking the two members who lost limbs in their previous raid. As far as I can tell, they''re waiting for enchanted prosthetics. They''d beelined for the Goat Demon village and handed over a list of items they were willing to trade for a specific weight of wool. The goats selected a few items, and the Guilders would bring them down on their next trip to trade for the wool. Otherwise, everything seemed fine. As I refocused on the Eleventh, I realized that this... this would take a long time. A single week to get the starting coast barely up to snuff? And with how the ''Ocean'' was less than a foot deep... Yeah. My next priority was figuring out how to speed that process up. The simplest solution I could see was Water Spirits, which was if they could just make water ex nihilo. It was time to find out. -0-0-0-0-0- Port Tisagot, Eastern Phenoc Kingdom, Thenoa -0-0-0-0-0- The Grand Duke Alto Plaised fumed as he paced across the mildly-appointed room. He had been so close! Damn the King. Damn him to the lowest hell! Alto''d been sure that he could convince the king to support him. He''d been a loyal vassal. He''d obeyed the king''s every decree. And what did it get him? The one time he asked for help to destroy the dungeon that had taken his son, he was turned away! The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. With visible effort, he stopped pacing and stood in the center of the room. There, he took long, deep breaths. As seconds turned to minutes, his rage went from a roiling boil to a quiet simmer. He opened his eyes with a clearer mind. After multiple attempts to get the king''s ear, after his first attempt in person had failed, he''d been approached by a messenger. The message? He was ordered to return to his lands and cease bothering the king. His mind wouldn''t be changed. There was no point in throwing more bodies at probably the most effective Grindstone in history. It had killed over a hundred Guilders; silver, gold, or even Platinum. And since that was widely known... Alto had found it difficult to find any guilders willing to go there to shatter the blasted thing. The fact that it tried harder to kill those with such intentions had also spread quickly, reducing the willing Guilders he could find. After being told to return to his lands like an unruly child, Alto had been consumed with a rage unlike any he had felt before. He was the second most powerful lord in the country! After the king himself, of course. He had wealth, resources, power, and the motivation to use it. His audience with the king should have ended in Alto''s favor, not the opposite! It took another minute of controlling his breathing to calm down again. Alright, fine. Alto wouldn''t have the support of the king. He could still use his own resources. He walked back to the small desk, looking over the map of the eastern coast splayed across it. He bought this one from a cartographer in the city, and it had Medea island clearly marked. It was no surprise it had gone unnoticed, looking at its location. The section of the coast closest to it was almost uninhabited, and no major cities or ports to be seen. All their major trade lanes passed by the area completely. It was pure luck that the storm blew that trading ship close enough for them to see. He studied the map carefully but, a few minutes later, saw the curtains in his peripheral vision shift. He turned to look and saw a man behind them. The door to the balcony was open, and the breeze had ruffled the curtains. Alto blinked at the man in shock for a second. "Identify yourself! Come out from the shadows!" He demanded as his left hand drew a dagger from within his coat. The man raised his hands, palms facing outward and fingers splayed. He took a single step forward, enough for the candlelight to illuminate his face. He was dark-skinned with dark eyes, a large triangular nose framed by a traditional Bahrain headdress, and a well-groomed goatee. "Grand Duke Plaised... It is a pleasure to meet you. I feel we have much to discuss." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- It didn''t take long to get a water mage down to the Eleventh. This one was a Snowbold, the ''wise man'' of his tribe, named Wave. He seemed awed at the enormous space, especially when he stood upon the dunes. He looked down at the planned shoreline, and gazed across the future ''sea.'' "Creator... This... This is to be an ocean?" Yes, Wave. However, It will take years to fill up on its own. Currently, the water is only a foot deep, a mere 11.3 cubic miles. We need 240 000 cubic miles of water. The Snowbold staggered, his eyes widened and jaw hanging open in disbelief. "That amount... I can''t even begin to comprehend it, Creator..." Ah. My mistake. I''ll try to simplify. In the last ten days, the Eleventh Floor has gained four and a half thousandths of a percent of the amount of water I need. If I kept filling it this way, it would take... roughly... forty thousand days. Which is a hundred and nine years. And a half. Give or take a few months. "A hundred and nine... Creator, how long has it been since you first created the Kobolds?" A few months. Why? "And... there are twelve months in a year?" He said slowly. Yes. The Snowbold seemed speechless, gazing across the floor. He sat down on the sandy dune and looked down at the thin layer of water four miles below him. It took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts before he answered. "That... is a very, very long time. What is your plan to speed it up then, Creator?" That is where you come in, Wave. Please, summon as many water sprites as you can. I wish to test something. "At once, Creator!" Wave declared, standing up and gathering his mana. He quickly performed the spell half-a-dozen times, prompting half-a-dozen sprites to pop into existence. The Snowbold looked exhausted, and I knew maintaining the upkeep on those sprites would drain him even further. I quickly spun out six tendrils of mana for the sprites in a practiced manner, and they latched on like starving pups to their mother''s teat. Welcome to the Dungeon, Water Sprites. I have a long-term contract I would like to offer you. I could feel the sprites focus their attention on my words. You see this big, empty space? I started, I want to turn it into an ocean. Can you make water, to fill it up faster? I gave them mental images, along with the words, of what I envisioned the floor would look like in the future. The sprites huddled up in a group for a minute. I let them have their privacy. When they seemed to come to a decision, one of them replied. "Yes! We help fill!" Wonderful! Now, the Contract. You help me fill the ocean and defend me and my dungeon afterwards. In return, I''ll give you all bodies that will make you grow much faster. I sent them images of the wind, earth, and fire sprites, as well as a sense of how much time passed since they were summoned. Visibly vibrating in excitement, the group sped off down to the foot-deep ocean. I watched carefully as the group arranged themselves in a circle. They extended links of mana to each other and, together, they assembled an incredibly complicated spell. There was a twist, and the interior of the ring they''d formed began fountaining water from both sides. It was so pressurized, the water spat out a sideways for a few hundred yards before it hit the ground. They couldn''t have been making that water from mana, they weren''t pulling enough mana to do something like that. They''d made a portal, then? Whatever they were doing, portal or not, it wasn''t very large. The ring was barely two foot in diameter. They made a portal? Sprites could make Portals?! Where does it even lead? Where is the water coming from? Is there a water dimension they''re tapping into?! So many questions. It''s a good thing I could just ask them. Is that a portal? "Yes!" Where does the portal connect to? "Surface Ocean." Where on the surface ocean? "Deepest Trench! Water comes through faster! I looked more closely at the water pouring from the portal and winced at the fish I saw flung though. They flailed in mid-air, disoriented and likely dying due to the change in pressure... until the smacked into the foot-high water. Which killed the majority of them. I quickly moved to heal the survivors and adapt their bodies for less pressurized water. So, this was actual water from a deep trench? This is both good, and bad. Good, because I''m getting nutrient-rich water, kept that way by hydrothermal vents. It''s likely to be rich in microorganisms that thrive in that environment, which larger creatures and fish would eat. Inspired, I picked a random spot in the ''northern'' section of the floor and manipulated the ground there to produce a trench that dipped down to six and a half miles at it''s deepest. Later, I''d add enchantments to simulate hydrothermal vents along the bottom of the trench. For now though, I just molded them to a decent shape. I tried my hardest to make it look natural, but I haven''t seen any real ocean trenches, so I''m not a hundred percent on what they looked like. Either way, I made it look as good as I could have, and contacted the sprites. They were happily maintaining the portal. The water level didn''t look visibly higher, since it wasn''t much water in the grand scheme of things. Could you move down into this trench, I think the water you''re collecting would be best suited for there. "OK!" Was the unanimous reply. The sprites cut off the spell, collapsing the portal, and they all zoomed across the shallow ocean to the trench. If I summoned more of you, could they join the spell, or would you need to stop the spell every time? "Stop Spell. Start again Bigger!" Alright, then. I''ll have more sprites summoned and send them over every so often. I watched them make the portal a second time, but as with the first the exact mechanism of the spell escaped me. It wasn''t like the teleport crystals I modified for the lava falls. They continuously teleported matter that touched them to the paired crystal. The sprites were making actual, factual portals. Well, I''d get Wave to summon more, and supply him with the mana to do it. After I have enough of them in the trench portal... I''ll ask some sprites to make portals in more specific places. I could kidnap hundreds of fish, especially the ones not native to the seas around my island, drastically expanding the diversity of my ocean. I couldn''t wait. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 63 -0-0-0-0-0- Cliffside Village, The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Bahumet wandered the village in a thoughtful mood. Every so often, his gaze drifted towards the Scorched Plains below, watching the party of guilders slink away. As promised, they''d brought the requested items and traded them for a weight of the villager''s wool. Bahumet knew what they''d use the wool for. It was obvious. They''d use it to fashion more heat-resistant armor and cloaks so they could stay on the Sixth longer. Whether to use themselves or sell to others, the wool would go on to aid their enemies. Bahumet found himself contemplating what the point of trading with them even was. Yes, they''d gained some interesting commodities and curiosities in return for something they had in abundance. They could trade their new acquisitions at the Drake-Kin''s market for items more valuable to them. Furs for bedding, weapons, tools, and more. But they traded for those things anyway. Bahumet couldn''t understand why and since The Creator extolled the virtue of asking questions and seeking greater understanding... He asked. "Creator, why did you have us trade with the invaders?" Bahumet asked their god. It was less than a second before he could feel a portion of The Creator''s attention focus on him. I am attempting to... train them. They know some of you are intelligent and can speak and reason. Engaging them in trade will reinforce a feeling of empathy and understanding. They won''t WANT to kill you. It is another layer of protection. "I think I understand, Creator. But why not do this with the Kobolds on the Third?" Bahumet asked, curious. It was too soon. On encountering the Kobolds, the guilders firmly believed them smart but ultimately unintelligent animals. Their encounters with Mushu and his repeated use of their language primed them to believe that the Kobolds might be as smart as them. Their first encounter with you Capriccios was you defending an obvious village, and they became more empathetic. They could relate to you defending your home. By trading, they have approached you as equals for mutual benefit. Bahumet supposed he could believe that. There was one thing, though... "Capriccios?" Bahumet asked, confused. Ah. Yes. It is the new name for your people. I couldn''t keep calling you ''Demon Goats,'' now could I? "What does it mean?" It''s a word from a language known as Italian and means Whimsical. It is also a reference to a collection of stars that abstractly resemble a goat, known as the constellation Capricorn. And now, it means the race of bipedal, sapient goat people that live on the Sixth Floor of the Medea Island Dungeon. Bahumet could feel The Creator''s attention wane as he left until it reached the background awareness all monsters within the dungeon felt. Then, he realized he''d stopped walking and had been standing still in the middle of the mildly-busy walkway. Bahumet moved out of the way of others and sat down upon a stone bench facing away from the cliffside. He looked over the Sixth and contemplated the information he''d been given. The Invaders considered the people. It must be true, in Bahumet''s opinion. They could have attempted to climb up to the village and slaughter the guards, then shave their skins and take the wool from their corpses. Instead, they traded relatively little for a valuable resource. With no bloodshed, the risk to the guilders was next to nothing. Apart from fighting their way down here, that is. That was a given. If they believed the Capriccios to be as intelligent as them, it opened the door for them to consider other species in the dungeon people. Bahumet blinked rapidly as the consequences of such a belief made themselves apparent to him. The Drake-Kin, the Scorpan, and Minotaurs. They could trade with the guilders as well. And with the Minotaur and Scorpan villages more open and obvious, it would act as another layer of protection. The humans would hesitate to slaughter a village of people they knew were just as smart as themselves. Bahumet blinked again, let out a small bleat of laughter, and shook his head. He''d been using the name The Creator had given their race without thinking about it. Capriccios. It did have a pleasant ring to it. He looked out across the floor once more, looking for the guilders. When he found no sign of them, Bahumet stood. He took a minute to stretch, feeling the satisfying clicks of his bones. With a purposeful stride, he moved over to the building they''d designated a warehouse. They should have judged the worth of the traded items by now. Bahumet intended to be part of the caravan to the Seventh that would take their new things to market. He had a few ideas to make their village seem more ''civilized'' to the humans. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Wave and I spent three days summoning and directing sprites across the floor. First, I added more sprites to the deep-sea trench portal. More than four times the size it once was, it let through a prodigious amount of water every second. With another two portals of comparable size connected to different trenches, my trench was filling up at a decent clip. For the rest of the ocean, I started by ''roughening'' the sea floor a bit by varying its depth and adding texture. I left large hills all over that I intended to raise into proper islands later. I also altered the runes slightly as I created a more North Atlantic-style sea near the entrance, transitioning to a more Caribbean sea at the far end of the floor. That allowed for a wide range of islands with different climates and environments. As such, I had the sprites open seven portals to the northern seas and seven portals to the ''tropics,'' with each portal being about the same in diameter as the trench portals. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I watched the water level rise, quite satisfied. Unlike before, the water was visibly rising with every passing minute. It had already risen four yards in the last few days, a marked improvement over the previous week. While I waited for the water level to rise, I pulled one of the hills I''d made up into a veritable mountain. That''s what many islands are, of course. Mountains that just so happen to be mostly covered by water. This would be the closest island to the entrance area, only four miles offshore. Four miles isn''t an insurmountable distance, and easily reachable by swimming. To dissuade that, I''ll add plenty of fish that will target guilders attempting to swim across but avoid boats. My reasoning for that distinction was simple. Unless they somehow get a shipwright down here, they''ll be building the ships themselves. I expected little more than rafts lashed together with rope, to begin with. Eventually, they could work up to larger vessels, but I didn''t expect much. At least, not until they had plenty of experience or focused instruction. Either way, the island itself. I admit I took inspiration from a game back on Earth, where you float upon the waves on a tiny raft. The island was a square mile in footprint, with large cliffs on all sides and three small beaches. I took my time crafting realistic cliffs, referencing the ones on the island above through a seagull''s eyes. I created little plateaus under the future water line for reefs to grow, with plenty of space for kelp, seaweed, and other underwater plants. Regarding the island itself, after the standard creating-of-arable-dirt, I spread plenty of pine, along with something I could only assume was birch. It looked similar enough. I made sure to populate it with plenty of smaller bushes and grasses. I ensured there were plenty of insects of various types to occupy the lowest rung of the food chain, making doubly sure there were dozens of beehives across the island. With that done, I began thinking of the next rung. Small omnivorous mammals and birds were the ones that most predated on insects, but I didn''t have many of either one. Thankfully, I had some templates. I took a couple of unaltered rats, shrunk them down, and modified them in looks, shape, and temperament to match what I recalled of the average field mouse. I took some parrots from the surface and did something similar, but I split them into three distinct species this time. Specifically, I made pairs of Robins, Finches, and hawk-like birds. I don''t know what species lived on islands in an Atlantic climate, but these would. I brought down a colony of Seagulls, as well. Next was a larger land mammal. Easily solved by adding some foxes. I had plenty of Ice Foxes, so I took six and had them brought over to the island. The first order of business was reverting them to their old orange coloration and taking away the ice magic. It wouldn''t serve them well here. Looking at the foxes, I had a flash of inspiration. There was an animal in South America called the Maned Wolf that I was in prime position to recreate. First, I took two foxes and stretched them out. Maned Wolves was famous for it''s foxlike face, wolf-like posture, and deer-like legs. Thus, I made a fox the size of a small pony. It had long legs that resembled the deer, only with paws instead of hooves. It had a proportional head, a lean body, and just for fun I gave them three tails. With the environment shaping up quite well, I turned to resources. The Guilders needed a reason to come to the island. Yes, it would work as a stepping stone for a test run. But if they made it over here, I wanted to... reward them. It wasn''t something I''d done since the first floor, but by the time they reached this island, they''d need something. Obviously, trees were an easily accessible, renewable resource. To that end, I made the pine wood tougher, harder, and more rigid. On the other hand, I made the birch more pliable and elastic while retaining its toughness. The Guilders would happily hunt and harvest the animals for their fur, meat, and body parts, so little needed to be done there. No. I needed something else. Hmm. I''d have to think carefully about that. -0-0-0-0-0- Port Medea, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem walked into the tailors behind Isid and Paetor, keenly aware of the three expanded pouches full of wool on their belts. "Ah, Mrs. Losat. It''s nice to see you again." The older man behind the counter stated, sincerity obvious in his tone. He had a refined look about him. His shoulder-length grey hair was shot through with silver, and a well-kept goatee and mustache showed the care he took in his appearance. His clothes were well-fitted; an orange-brown waistcoat over a white shirt, with dark brown slacks. "What can I do for you and your friends today?" "Mr. Pamfor, I am here about that project I mentioned the other day," Isid replied, placing her expanded pouch on the bench. Haythem and Paetor followed her lead, putting their pouches next to hers. The tailor, Mr. Pamfor, opened Isid''s and glanced inside, and Isid continued. "You should recall that I asked after having some heat-resistant fabric integrated into existing armor and woven into cloaks." The tailor nodded absently as he inspected some of the blood-red wool. Haythem recalled when he''d first touched the stuff. It wasn''t exceptionally soft or fluffy, as he had expected. It was rough, tough, and durable. The reason they''d been so interested in procuring some from the bipedal goats was because of its more esoteric property. Their own testing in the guild confirmed it was fire-resistant and incredibly thermally insulating. Wool was already naturally fire-resistant. Some property of the stuff just refused to catch alight from mundane fire. Instead, it smoldered and smoked. A fire produced from mana, however, could overcome that nature. This red wool, however, was a step above the properties of regular wool. It took a platinum-level flame spell to cause it to burst into a fiery conflagration. Beyond its flame resistance, it was perfectly insulating in a thick enough layer. A person hiding behind a sheet of the stuff could have a fire spell burning on the other side and be completely unaffected. "Ah, yes." Mr. Pamfor stated, breaking Haythem from his thoughts. "I do indeed recall that particular conversation. This is wool. The fibers are tougher than normal and natural besides. This color... It is not dyed... Monster wool?" The tailor theorized. "Which floor is it from?" Isid looked impressed, and Haythem was too. This man knew his fabric. "It is," she confirmed. "It''s from a species of goat-like creatures on the Sixth. I''m not sure if you know, but it is as if the floor''s designer had done their level best to bring the Fourth Hell into reality. Open lava pools, free-roaming fire elementals, and a dry heat that we can only be in for any length of time thanks to enchanted cloaks." The tailor nodded and listened carefully as he continued inspecting the wool. "This Bloody Wool is insulating and more fire-retardant than normal wool. We can modify the cloaks to be more defensive if we use this in our armor. Taking out the cooling enchantments would make room for reinforcement, or some kind of active defense." Isid finished confidently. Seeing she was done, Mr. Pamfor placed the wool next to the pouches, looked each of them in the eye, and smiled in that kindly, sincere way only the elderly can. "This." Mr. Pamfor began, "This is why I moved to Medea Island." Haythem glanced sideways to meet Paetor''s eyes. His fellow guilder looked just as confused as he was. "I''m a master of my craft," the tailor said. Haythem was sure it wasn''t a brag. He said it as if stating a fact, and Haythem believed him. "My works might not be seen in the royal court, but I''ve customers among most of the east coast nobility. While it has brought me much success, I never felt... fulfilled. The clothes I made varied little in style, merely versions of the same theme. Silk, Cotton, Wool. When I heard of the effort to colonize a newly discovered Island, I jumped at the chance." He took a breath and looked around the shop for a few seconds. "I left my son and daughter to run the business on the mainland. They''d learned all I could teach them, and I knew they''d do just fine. This is my retirement, in a way." He seemed amused at the thought, chuffing slightly. "Instead of tirelessly making clothes for a ravenous nobility, I can choose when and for how long I work. I can choose what orders to take since I have no desire to run myself ragged. "This is why I moved to Medea island," he repeated, holding up the wool. "New materials to work with! With new materials come new designs, made to fill new needs." The tailor had been getting more energetic as his speech continued, but now his eyes practically shined with enthusiasm. "I''m glad you''re eager," Isid remarked, which prompted the man to collect himself. "I''ve already talked of the changes I''d like made to my party''s equipment, but Paetor and Haythem have their own ideas." Haythem felt the tailor''s gaze keenly as he turned his head to face them. It took a few hours to hash out how they''d integrate the wool into their armor, but Haythem felt confident when it was over. All they needed now was to visit the enchanter and that smith Haythem had met a while ago. They''d go into the next dive more than prepared for anything the dungeon could throw at them. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 64 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- As dawn broke on a new day, I decided to perform a top-down inspection of my Dungeon. The First floor, my first creation. It was minimalist, simplistic, and, by now, trivialized. The Crabs'' strengths, attacks, and weaknesses were well-known. Their tactics were simple and easily countered. It wasn''t something I was going to change, either. Ultimately, I had always known the first floor would become an introduction, an entr¨¦e. The Second floor was also well-known, if still frustrating to navigate. It introduced both a plentiful array of traps and underwater combat. Guilders that made it through this floor, by necessity, gained proficiency in avoiding traps and fighting vicious, aggressive fish in their natural habitat. The Third floor was a roadblock. Its boss and sub-bosses were intelligent, immortal kobolds who learned from you even as you cut them down. While their knowledge remained, as long as the kobolds were killed regularly, they couldn''t amass enough strength or speed to overwhelm prepared opponents. Mushu was the same, if with a higher starting strength. With the lack of teleport crystals and no easy way to escape the consequences of losing in deadly combat, the guilders needed to be platinum-level before attempting to fight him. With their predilection for over-preparedness and overwhelming numbers... Mushu hadn''t won decisively in battle since taking out the Gorge Twins and their party. Still, the environment of the Third was already challenging to navigate by its nature as a semi-shifting jungle. With the exact sub-bosses needing to be defeated varying depending on the party, it proved a challenge for the Golds who made it there regularly. I had a few ideas to mitigate Guilders overwhelming Mushu with numbers, but I need to test something first. The Fourth remained a slog for all who did make it past Mushu. The Ratten continued to fill their role. Ever-evolving horde-type monsters, their numbers kept in check only by their constant warring with each other. New clans rose and fell daily, and only those with more than a slight advantage could survive to join the ranks of the Great Clans. The newer Platinum parties were still stuck on this floor, though I didn''t expect them to take much longer to get through. The Fifth Floor remained a dark, silent nightmare. The Mushroom Hivemind grew more cunning and tactical with every engagement, new Fungal Shamblers being created with ever-more-interesting weapons. One that I observed seemed to be a suicide bomber. It had a compartmentalized sack in its chest that, if slashed, would mix two chemicals that exploded on contact with each other. Its outer shell was much like a grenade, designed to shatter and spread hot shards of hardened matter all over the place. I dub thee Suicide Shamblers. Even better, a shadow golem would transform in a day or two. At least, it displayed the same signs I had observed with sprites of the other elements. With a Darkness Spirit in the castle, it would make their currently mostly leisurely walks to the boss room a bit more intense. They could fight off the occasional ambushes with ease at the moment, and I was contemplating adding another monster to the castle. Or, at least, fill it with traps. The Sixth was the current ''frontline.'' The only group that had made it there was the Isid/Haythem/Cliche raid group. The Hero group was still around, but half of them had given it up as a deathtrap of a job and vamoosed. The half that remained held a hell of a grudge. They''d recently learned of the whole ''key'' deal, so I could probably expect them to break through to the Sixth soon. The Seventh remained untested. The Drake-kin Mines were extensive and continued to grow as the Kobolds followed the ore veins to their ends. There were practically miles of tunnels. Finding the boss room amongst all of that would be difficult already. With some traps, it would make it even more so. Thinking about it, I may have been hasty assigning Tear to boss-hood. He was currently the head of all weapon and armor production for my humanoid monsters, and having to spend time training for combat took up a decent chunk of time. I was still determining who I wanted to replace him, though. I''d need time to think about it. The Eighth was trucking along just fine. Nothing to change there. The Snowbolds, Ice Foxes, and Air Mana-beings continued to live their lives and train themselves. The Scorpans on the Ninth and the Minotaurs on the Tenth built up their villages. Each had started farming some of the plants native to their floors. All on their own, without input or direction from me. I was so proud of them when I noticed that little detail. Which brought me back to the Eleventh. The water level continued to rise, and with the portals now totally submerged, more fish and other sea-dwelling creatures actually survived going through said portals. From the looks of things, I''d have a plentiful biosphere when all is said and done. But I digress. With the started shore and most accessible island complete, it''s time to do something a bit more interesting. Over the next while, about three miles ''north'' of the first, a collection of islands rose from the waves. The islands were, on average, a mile apart and shaped very differently when compared to each other. These, I would name the Elemental Isles. Their future populations were quite evident by the name. The only mana-beings that wouldn''t get their own islands were those of water. They''ve the whole ocean as their territory. I started with Isla Fuego. I shaped it into the classical concept of a volcanic island. A single large, tall cone. Its slope resembled an exponential gradient and spread into a roughly circular area around the cone. The top was open, and some lava teleported down from the Sixth filled the caldera. I left the ground dead and lifeless, but for some exceptional trees. These were designed to look old, long burned up, and covered in ash. Inside, they were healthy, gaining energy from hyper-efficient photosynthesis in their almost black bark. I made them as fire-resistant as possible in such a short time, leaving them to grow on their own. I envisioned the island covered in them when the guilders eventually made it there. As I began contemplating the design of the other Isles, I contacted Igna. I had something to ask her. -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Igna was preparing for her twice-weekly patrol of the Sixth when she was interrupted by a mental nudge. Half-expecting one of her attendants, she found herself quite surprised when it was her contractor contacting her. Igna, I have a proposition for you, the Dungeon asked her. It obviously picked up on her interest because it quickly continued. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I have created a series of islands on the Eleventh Floor, explicitly designed for a population of mana-beings such as yourselves. Each island will host beings of a different element. The island for Fire, Isla Fuego, Is the first one ready to be inhabited. I am here to offer you and a group of your choosing the opportunity to descend to the Eleventh and live on this island. My only request is that you leave at least one of your spirit peers behind to act as the floor''s boss and enough sprites to patrol and defend the floor. Igna took a few minutes to consider the offer. Her contract with the Dungeon was to defend it in return for a golem body and a constant supply of mana. She was to follow given orders only insomuch as they led to the better defense of the Dungeon. This wasn''t an order, and it certainly wasn''t a defensive move. "This island would be ours to use, manipulate and modify to our whims?" She asked, trying to get some insight into her contractor''s mind. Indeed. You seem pleased enough with the Sixth, but I don''t fully understand your preferred environment. My only limitation would be that you do not increase the island''s footprint. You should have plenty of space, and I can craft a cave system within the volcano if you increase your numbers enough that it''s required. Igna scrutinized the Dungeon''s words for any deception or falsehood. Not that she expected to find any. It had been honest and forthright in all its dealings with her and her kind. "I accept this offer. I will leave behind my weakest peer and their attendants, and in return, we will move to occupy this island you have made for us on the Eleventh Floor. And while I have your attention, O Dungeon, several of my peers have requested that you provide them names." Oh? Which would those be. I would be honored to bestow names upon them." "The male-identifying Spirit inhabiting a Potentium Golem, the ''Continental'' Golem Spirit, as you named it, and the spirit who chose to go without a vessel. They are currently performing minor duties, organizing patrols and training, but I can have them called to Court forthwith." I assume you wish to make a spectacle of the event? "You would be correct." Very well. Call them, and I will name them. Igna felt the Dungeon''s attention wane but not retreat entirely. She quickly called forth three messenger sprites, who zoomed away with their orders in moments. Once informed, the three spirits in question made all haste to the Court. Many nearby heard the commotion, and the room was lined with observers by the time they were ready. When the nameless were present before the throne Igna lounged upon, she felt the Dungeon''s attention settle upon the room. You have chosen to have your names granted to you rather than claiming one for your own? It asked. Though she could hear, as she assumed all in the Court could, it was directed to the three beings alone in the center. "We have." They replied in unison. Then I will give you your names. You, who are what I have dubbed a Continental Golem. I name you Titan. They were among the largest of beings and possessed immense power. You, who have chosen to reject a golem body and instead follow the path intended for your people. I dub thee Logi. Once a name given to fire itself. You, who chose to take up on the offered golem body upon your transformation. You are Agni. A mighty name, once possessed by a god of fire. His piece spoken and names bestowed, his presence withdrew. As it did, Igna felt it briefly settle on her. Let me know when you''re ready. I''ll open the path. This time, it faded entirely. Igna was once again left with more questions than answers. She had never heard of these names. Logi, Titan and Agni. Yet he stated their origins with such confidence. A name once possessed by a god? She knew of no such god. One, the name of fire itself? Nothing. No beings she knew of held the name or title of ''Titan.'' What being had she tied herself to? What were its origins? Where did it learn these names? Igna gathered herself, and her thoughts and addressed her Court. "My Peers, the Dungeon has graced you with names of great power. I am confident your power will grow to match the legacy of your names, in time. On a more immediate note, the Dungeon has informed me that it has crafted an island on the eleventh floor. It offers us the chance to reside there, and shape the island to our liking." Igna took a moment to observe the mood of the room. Her peers and subjects seemed impressed. "I will descend to this new land personally and take most of the Court with me. Those who remain will be responsible for defending this floor against the humans and their repeated incursions." She felt more than heard the discussion between her subjects. "My Peers," She started, talking to the Spirits in her Court. All had gathered before her by now. "Are there any who wish to remain behind? If no one presents themselves, I will choose from amongst you. She felt the pulse of discussion between them as they conferred. In the end, one moved forward. "Totanam. You volunteer to remain behind?" The floating, glowing hot ball of metal bobbed, and the feeling of agreement quickly followed. "I do, Igna. I feel that my place is here. I have the most experience directing the sprites in battle. I have even fought and driven them off myself on two occasions." Igna had to acknowledge the point. "You speak the truth. Very well. You and your subordinates will remain behind. I will inform the Dungeon of your decision, and he will affirm your new position. The rest of you will have a few days to prepare before we descend. Rejoice, my Peers. We continue to grow more powerful with every passing day." Igna felt her fires grow hotter as her Court cheered. Where the Dungeon came from was moot. He was the source of their strength. They would defend him until none remained. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I left the Sixth floor with a profound sense of satisfaction. Igna and her Court had grown wonderfully, glutted upon my mana as they were. The Guilders would never have gotten past them if I had let them stay. They''d been unable to meaningfully injure one of the weaker Spirits and had to retreat multiple times against them. Besting Igna was almost unthinkable, given their previous performances. They would never have gotten past them... So why was I giving them a chance to? This decision... made complete sense to my human side. I was bringing my most potent monsters and defenses closer to me, building an impenetrable wall none could surpass. The ocean on the Eleventh would already have been monumental to overcome. With powerful spirits in place to defend me, it would become even more so. My dungeon side... rebelled against me. Specifically against the thought of letting the Guilders descend deeper. These Instincts had cooperated throughout my entire existence here, informing my decisions and providing background knowledge when needed. It had disagreed with many of my choices in the past. In those cases, it had relented when my decisions had borne out results. It had advised digging deeper when I had gone back over ''finished'' floors, reinforcing them, and altering things where I saw deficiencies. It resulted in increased difficulty and delayed the Guilders further. It approved of ''Hard Mode,'' but had pushed for its activation against all delvers rather than just those out to kill me. It disagreed with my decision to bring the metal golem downward and, in its eyes, had yet to be proven wrong. All it saw was the replacement Golem fail against the guilders. Repeatedly. The choice to offer Igna a home on the Eleventh was a step too far. She was incredibly powerful and commanded many spirits of only slightly lesser strength. With them in the way, It was doubtful the guilders would ever make it past them. It rebelled. It insisted I take back the offer while I still had the chance. It felt that it was foolishness of the highest order to give the Guilders a chance. Replacing the Metal Golem with a weaker version had seen them beat it down at each encounter. With each push against my consciousness, insistences turning into demands, and I became aware of what exactly my dungeon instincts were. It was the Dungeon. The Dungeon''s original consciousness. Whatever had caused my arrival here, the process had not overwritten the Dungeon''s mind. It''s soul. I had merely been so much bigger, so much more than it, that it had been unnoticeable in comparison. It had been my shadow, watching and learning from me all this time. It had grown, too, as our core grew in size. Weeks ago, I had pushed it down. Dismissing its insistence on more formidable defenses in favor of showing the Guilders the wonders I would create. Now, It rose up against me. It showed its strength, at a level comparable to my own. That I had not noticed the soul growing beneath my own could only be attributed to carelessness. I rarely inspected my core; rather focusing on the Dungeon and its creatures. I felt my awareness of all but the struggle for dominance fade as I wrestled with the ascendant soul. This... It wouldn''t be pretty. I could do it. I knew. I could push the Dungeon Soul down and overcome it. I was still the larger presence, and when it came to souls, it seemed like that mattered. It would just take time. How much time... I was unsure. It might be a while. A long while. I could only hope the dungeon would survive without my guiding hand. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2023 Chapter 65 -0-0-0-0-0- The Drake-Kin Village, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Kata was going about her day, as usual, when something peculiar happened. Over a few seconds, every single monster in her sight... stopped. They slowed and paused what they were doing. They all stiffened, and she saw the sudden panic in their eyes. The next moment, they all turned and rushed toward the center of the village. None spoke a word, though they were sprinting in their growing mania. Kata was left alone on the street within seconds, bewildered and confused. Had something happened? She had never seen any drake-kin act like this. She followed the growing crowd until they reached the arena, which was the largest open space in the village. Looking out over the crowd, she noticed it wasn''t just the drake-kin. Scorpan, Minotaur, Kobold, and Capriccio merchants were off to one side, obviously having come from the markets. As the number of monsters trickling into the arena trailed off and stopped, Kata was suddenly struck with the thought that this must have been the entirety of the Drake-Kin population. Every one of them on the floor... was here. She saw the young drake-kin she''d trained to fight among them, who she knew were currently assigned to patrol the rest of the floor. The eerie thing was that... none spoke a word, but all seemed to find comfort in the presence of their kin. The noise of this silent gathering was the sound of claws on stone and the rustle of fabric. Kata blinked as a familiar grey-scaled claw was placed on her shoulder. She turned and gave Huea a curious look. "Huea. What''s going on?" She asked quietly. Her friend looked between Kata and the gathering of monsters and nodded. "Something unprecedented has happened. We... can no longer feel The Creator." The admission looked like it disturbed her friend greatly. "What does that mean?" Kata asked, just as confused. Huea looked frustrated for a second. "Since The Creator made us, we have all had a mental connection to Him. We can feel Him at all times. We can feel His presence swell when He focuses on us or the surrounding area. When He changes focus, His presence fades but never disappears entirely. It''s like a comforting buzz in the back of our minds. Always there, reassuring us that if we need Him, we need only ask. "Then that feeling disappeared. Something has happened to The Creator, and we''re not entirely sure what it could be." Even with it explained, Kata couldn''t quite understand the feeling. She supposed it was like a champion''s connection to their god. A permanent link was forged between them, through which the champion could call upon their god for aid in times of need. The god, in turn, used the link to guide their champion to better serve their will. Except, this wasn''t a single champion. This was an entire race- No, it was at least five races! All were connected intimately to their Creator. Their god. A dungeon. And something had happened to the Dungeon. Kata furrowed her brow and brought a thumb to her mouth. She chewed her nail as she went back over all her knowledge of dungeons. The main problem with that knowledge was that it mainly described dungeon behavior in Conquered and Wild Dungeons. The little she remembered of Lost Dungeons focused on their overwhelming hostility to humanity. Few books on dungeons were ever published by the Dungeon Masters themselves. If there were any such books, they were sequestered away in family libraries, only read by the Masters and their heirs. "I wish I could help," Kata began. "But... I don''t know enough about how dungeons work. Your explanation of a dungeon''s mental connection to its monsters is the first time I''d ever heard of it." The grey-scaled drake-kin sighed despondently. "Thanks anyway," Huea said, disappointed. "It was only a faint hope." The following six hours of waiting were almost maddening to Kata. She wasn''t sure what they were even waiting for. And they had to be waiting for something. It turned out they were waiting for someone. The din of shuffling and murmuring Drake-kin quieted as Mushu arrived. He stood upon a raised platform at one side of the packed arena. "My fellow Drake-Kin!" Mushu began, speaking Phenocian rather than the Drake-kin''s hissing language. He spoke loud enough for all to hear, but it didn''t feel like he was shouting. "A time of crisis is upon us. I, and the other leaders of the Creator''s Children, have received word from the Creator''s Guardian." He paused for a few seconds as the crowd absorbed the news. "Paragon, he who was charged with protecting our Creator''s Core, has revealed the reason behind The Creator''s absence. The Creator is undergoing a transformation." Mushu declared confidently. "He described The Creator''s presence retreating within His Core, where it began coiling and condensing around itself. He drew parallels to his own people''s life cycle and firmly believes The Creator is entering the next phase of his own." The aura of tension that had been building for over an hour abruptly broke, replaced by general relief and mild celebration. "Why did He not tell us?" A voice called out over the crowd, to some agreement. "It seemed to happen suddenly," Mushu replied without missing a beat. "He likely had little warning of the onset of this event. I believe that The Creator has faith that we, His Children, will continue to act as His valiant defenders while He is occupied. Rejoice, Brothers and Sisters. The Creator will emerge from this stronger than ever! He rewards our faith in him, with faith in all of us. We will not leave him disappointed!" "PRAISE THE CREATOR!" The crowd roared in unison. "PRAISE! PRAISE!" The chant ripped from more than a thousand throats at once. Kata felt off-balance. Confused and uncertain. From the context, this Paragon was the Core Guardian. The Core''s strongest monster, its final defense against the invading guilders. The reference to a life cycle... implies Paragon is a Manabeing. Kata had heard of Igna, the Fire Elemental of the Sixth floor. She''d also heard of the Earth Elemental on the Seventh, who roamed the mines outside the village. If the Dungeon had Elementals guarding its higher floors... How strong would be the one trusted to defend the Core itself? And Paragon believed the Dungeon to be undergoing a transformation similar to what Manabeings experienced? Kata had never heard of dungeons having such a life cycle. The idea, though... there was a possibility... Dungeons gathered mana and used it to grow their cores. The larger a Core, the more mana it could hold, and the more finessed it grew in using the energy. If a Dungeon''s Core grew sufficiently large and gathered enough mana... There was no reason they couldn''t undergo such a transformation. But what would be the outcome? What did dungeon cores turn into? Was it... becoming a god? Was this how gods were born? Were dungeon cores the seeds of Deities?! As the gathered monsters dispersed, steely determination in the set of all their shoulders, Huea made sure the dazed and distracted Kata made it back to her home. She... She needed to think. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. -0-0-0-0-0- The Meeting Hall, The Drake-Kin Village, The Seventh Floor -0-0-0-0-0- Mushu sighed as he sat down at the table. It had taken more than a day, but he managed to assuage the fear and panic of his people. It had only eased the burden he now felt. Around the table were the various leaders of the Creator''s Children. Mushu represented the Third Floor Kobolds and the Seventh Floor Drake-kin. Though Tear had been assigned as the Seventh Floor''s Boss, he wasn''t leadership material. He would much rather be in his forge. The Kobolds look to him as their leader. They''d done so since he''d been raised to his current state. After this, he would insist they choose a high chief from amongst themselves. The Ratten Clan currently in charge was the Lightning Clan. Their Boss, Ektrillit, had imposed a ceasefire amongst the clans while she was gone. It wouldn''t do for her place as Boss to be challenged when she wasn''t there to defend herself. Chief Baalotette had been elected the leader of the Capriccio in the wake of recent events. The choice had been hasty, and she had seemed the calmest and most capable at the time. Mushu wasn''t sure if she would remain that way, but he''d give her the benefit of the doubt. High Shaman Blizzard of the Snowbolds sat quietly. With his eyes closed and breathing even, you''d guess he was asleep. You''d be wrong. The Snowbold was a powerful shaman and had a mental bond to an Alpha Ice Fox. Said Ice Fox was back in his village, and he was likely using the connection to keep an eye on his people. King Strikes-The-Air of the Scorpans settled into a chair freshly modified by an earth shaman. He seemed pleased and thanked the shaman. Though he relaxed into the evidently comfortable seat, Mushu still saw traces of tenseness in his frame. This was the King''s first time away from his people since his ascension, and he worried for them. Though all the Creator''s Children were devout, the Scorpans were undoubtedly the most vocally reverent. The Scorpan people were likely doing little else but praying for The Creator''s safety and that his attention would return. First Bull Asterion of the Minotaurs was the largest of the gathered leaders, edging out Strikes-The-Air on height by a good foot, though their mass may be equal. The Bull was a reassuring presence in the hall. He sat calmly, stoic, and unconcerned. He had absolute confidence in The Creator and worried not for his people. They''d survive him being gone for a time. At the other five chairs sat the most potent Spirits in the Dungeon. Paragon, the Metal Spirit and undisputed most powerful creature in the room. Igna, the Fire Spirit, was a close second in power and the closest to transforming into a Fairy. The Earth Spirit called itself Sonum when prompted but seemed to prefer silence. The Air Spirit eschewed a name entirely, claiming she had yet to decide. The Shadow Spirit was silent and still. It didn''t speak and had given no name. Mushu decided it was time for the meeting to begin now that they were assembled. "Welcome, to The Children and Courts both." He began, "I believe this to be the first time all of us have been in a room at once." He said, to many nods and murmured agreement. He turned to the five spirits sitting alongside each other. "I would first like to state that though The Courts were not born of The Creator as the rest of us were, you defend Him, which is enough to secure your place at this table." He received a feeling of gratitude from the Spirits "Now that the pleasantries are over, it''s time to get to business. The Creator is currently occupied, for an unknown amount of time, for an unknown reason. Until He is done with whatever is happening to Him, we will be without His guiding claws." Many of the Children shifted uneasily at the thought. "Thanks to His foresight, much of the defenses in place are self-sustaining. Traps are enchanted to reset on their own, and the monster populations in combat most often breed quickly enough to replace their losses." "The most intelligent of us are an exception to that," Strikes-The-Air interjected. "My people have yet to raise the first brood since our exodus to the Ninth to maturity." "The Minotaur are the same." Asterion agreed. "Though my children are growing, they are not adults. I suspect ours grow faster than the Scorpans, though." The Scorpan looked disgruntled, but nodded in agreement. "The Drake-kin and Kobolds have been blessed with Respawn Crystals, bound to our warriors." Mushu continued when it seemed none had more to contribute. "Their ceaseless vigils greatly lowered the casualties on the Third. In addition, we have noticed a slowing in our maturation rates since they were gifted to us. The Creator must wish for us to have more time to grow and mature before joining in defense of the Dungeon." "The Creator cares greatly for His Children." Blizzard stated, "We have many examples of His mercy, benevolence, and consideration for our needs. Does He not ask permission before enacting any changes to us? Surely he must know the answer before He asks, yet ask He does." The group murmured in agreement. "The Scorpan were once mere Crabs," Strikes-the-Air added. "When we rose above our base nature, He took notice and removed us from the First. In the aftermath, many wondered what we had done, that The Creator would set us aside. Had we done something wrong? Had He found us wanting? "The answer came in time; we were bound for a higher purpose. He could have left us to fight and die, as hundreds of our former brethren still do, but in us, He saw potential. The lesser Children, those without a comparable will and intelligence to us, die in droves. They breed, fight, and die. It is an endless loop that will repeat itself until the end of time." While Strikes-The-Air looked ready to continue his impromptu sermon, Baalotette spoke first. "Your words ring true, Scorpan King. The Creator has bid us trade with the Invaders, and our questions of why were answered freely. He wishes to instill a sense of empathy in the Guilders that they would, in time, see us as they do each other. He believes they would stay their hand at slaughtering a village of peaceful Children if they thought us the same as a village of peaceful humans." "The Creator''s will and hand guide us, even in his unresponsive state," Mushu said in response, nodding respectfully at the Capriccio. He turned his gaze to the others at the table. "Before we begin planning our strategy, do any here have problems that need addressing?" "We do," Igna spoke, rising from her sconce-like chair. "The Dungeon, before entering its current state, shared that it was creating a series of Islands on the Eleventh for The Courts." Her arms spread to indicate her fellow mana-beings. "It approached me first, as Isla Fuego was the island created first. It claimed it would provide a path for my people to our new home in a few days, but obviously, it cannot fulfill that obligation now." She looked at each of the monsters around the table. "I would ask The Children to take responsibility for The Dungeon''s side of the contract and lead a contingent of my people to the Eleventh." -0-0-0-0-0- The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Wave had been in a daze since his return to the Eighth. Working for The Creator Himself was... incredibly intimidating. He was overwhelmingly powerful. Wave had watched the coastline reshape itself. He''d seen two islands rise from the waves, shaped to His whim. He''d been a conduit for His power, as Wave had summoned group after group of sprites. He barely remembered it. The experience was almost overwhelming. Wave looked down at his blue-scaled claws and marveled at the changes he saw. What the Drake-Kin were to the Kobolds, Wave was to the rest of the Snowbolds. He was taller. Stockier. His now-larger frame was filled out with clearly defined muscle. His claws were larger and more flexible. Overall easier to manipulate. His mane of white hair rose from his collarbone, up his scaled head, and reached the top of his forehead. On either side of the strip of hair was a multitude of horns, all pointing directly upward. The smallest sat at the back of his head, growing larger as they emerged closer to his face. His most prominent horn grew from the middle of his forehead and was at least six inches long. His snout and teeth were smaller, but he was sure his bite was stronger. Despite all the changes... He could still recognize himself in his reflection. Another thing was the change in his magic. He''d been a middling shaman before, but now... the difference was noticeable. He wasn''t sure how much of his transformation had been intentional on The Creator''s part. Still, he was sure it had started entirely by accident. Those moments when he noticed the changes were the clearest in his mind. The raging river of unfocused mana had begun to warp him. His limbs had grown to ridiculous proportions for his small frame in minutes. As deeply connected as he''d been to The Creator, he felt the unspoken apology when He''d moved to fix His mistake. After Wave was altered, the mana flowing into him was far more tolerable and easier to handle. His Core was more significant, his body capable of forming spells and channeling mana far more efficiently. When all was said and done, The Creator verbally apologized. He had not intended to change Wave so. When he''d returned to his tribe, they''d been in awe of him. He was the next stage of their species. Why wouldn''t they be? It... Made it hard to connect to the rest of the tribe. He was so different from them, for all the similarities. And right now, the only one of his kind. Was this what Mushu felt when he''d been raised from the Kobolds? At a soft yip, he reached down to continue petting the Ice Fox on his lap. The High Shaman had left his bonded companion behind to watch over Wave while he left for the Seventh. Idly patting the fox almost half his size, Wave wondered what was going on in the meeting. He shook his head. There was no point in thinking of it. "Hey, Yomel, could you help me practice my magic?" He asked the Ice Fox. In return, he got a happy yip, and the fox bounded out of his hut. Wave followed more sedately, bending over to get through the door. He''d need to make a hut more suitable for his proportions. Constantly ducking like this would be terrible for his back. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2023 Chapter 66 -0-0-0-0-0- The Guildmistress''s Office, The Guild Hall, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Layla Losat was making her final preparations for the evening ahead. She ran through the list, double-checking that they were ready. There was just one thing left to confirm. "The animals?" She asked Felin. The man hefted the cages of fertile hedgehogs and grunted a ''check.'' "Good, then that''s everything," Layla stated before she turned to look out the window. "With about... ten minutes to spare, I think. Despite the late hour, the beach is a little crowded still. The last of them should clear out soon enough." Layla sat down at her desk and raised a hand to rub her temples. "Are we doing the right thing, Felin?" The question was said rhetorically, but Felin answered anyway. "It''s a hard choice, Layla," he began. "Giving it animals to make into monsters strengthens it, when we don''t know how many floors or monsters it has. But it''s giving us information in return. We have been careless with our questions before; there''s no doubt about that." Layla grimaced at that. It was true. They''d asked good questions that helped inform their strategies, but they hadn''t asked the right questions. "We''ll ask the right ones this time." She stated, confident. "We''ve been eliminating loopholes, tightening the wording, and clearing up potentially vague answers for weeks. There''s no wriggle room for anything but the whole truth." She sighed and stood from her chair. She walked to the window and looked at the last few stragglers leaving their impromptu beach party. "I just... I felt like a fool last time." Layla admitted quietly. "We didn''t get anything out of the dungeon. Three questions and we didn''t get a single answer we wanted." Felin walked up and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She reached up and put her own on top of his. They stood there in comfortable silence for a time. More than an hour after the sun had finally dipped below the horizon, the beach was clear, and the two made their way out the guild''s back door. With the dungeon only a short walk away, they soon reached the first cavern. They moved to the negotiation room with confidence in their strides and faces set. The first sign that something was different was when, unlike the last time, the brick wall did not part for them. Layla blinked in shock. The doorway was meant to open when they got close, as it had before. Perhaps... the dungeon didn''t know they were there? Layla mentally ran through the list of parties who''d delved today in her head and found herself even more confused. None of the platinum groups had even stepped into the guild hall today, much less entered the dungeon. All were on the surface. Layla remembered they''d emerged from these dank halls late yesterday evening. Why had it yet to greet them if it wasn''t occupied monitoring a high-level delve? Just as she was about to call out, the bricks shifted. Slowly, haltingly, the doorway was jerked open by the clawed hands of a Kobold. The same one who had acted as the dungeon''s voice last time. After a final grunt of exertion, the kobold pulled the door back entirely. Huffing, she turned to face them. "Welcome, Guildmistress and companion," the kobold greeted, looking... embarrassed? "My apologies for the wait, but The Creator neglected to enchant this door to be opened by any other than Himself. Please, come in." Layla glanced at Felin as the kobold moved aside. "That seems like quite the oversight." She said, moving through the doorway. "The current situation was... unforeseen. I''ll bring this oversight to The Creator''s attention when I can." Layla found herself intrigued. What was going on in this dungeon? They arranged themselves around the table, and Layla brought out the animals. "A fertile breeding pair of hedgehogs." She stated as she put the cage down. "If the dungeon is unable to answer my questions... Will you do it? If you cannot, I''ll just have to return at a later date." The kobold sat silently for a minute, her eyes flicking between Layla and the animals. She let out a deep sigh. "I will honor The Creator''s deal with you. Three questions answered in exchange for a breeding pair of animals." The kobold lifted the cage and placed it on her side of the table. "Ask." The kobold prompted. Layla took a breath. "Exactly how many floors exist in the dungeon at this moment, including unfinished, inactive, or otherwise unused floors," Layla asked. The first time she''d asked about the number of floors, the answer had been.... nebulous. But, with a monster answering instead of the dungeon itself... "There are a total of eleven floors in the dungeon." She answered after a second of thought. Layla was slightly disappointed. She''d hoped the kobold would have been more verbose, but it must have picked up something of how the dungeon answered questions. But still, it was an answer. Just eleven, huh? It seemed like a small number, but with each floor getting larger and more extensive than the last... She moved on to the next question. There would be time to contemplate later. "What is the general topography of each of the dungeon''s floors that we guilders have yet to reach." The kobold looked mutinous at that question, and Layla wondered if she would refuse to answer. After a minute of this staring contest, a defeated look overtook the kobold''s face. "The Seventh is a tunnel system. The Eighth is mountainous. The Ninth is a desert with a single canyon. The Tenth is forested. The Eleventh is largely coastal." Well. She managed to answer the question with the minimum amount of information possible. While annoyed, Layla couldn''t find it in her to be angry at the monster. She was trying her best to defend her home while being forced to answer questions about its defenses. "My final question..." Layla trailed off. She could ask her final prepared question about the dungeon''s Guardians. However, she was too curious about this situation not to at least try to figure out what was going on. She glanced at Felin, who shrugged. And so, she asked. "For what reason is the Dungeon unable to meet with me personally, and how long will it be until I can meet it?" The kobold slumped, and her face scrunched up in what looked like reluctance. That look warred with one of grudging acceptance until, after a few seconds, the acceptance won out. "The Creator is... undergoing some kind of metamorphosis." It looked like it physically pained her to admit that fact. "It came upon Him suddenly, and I don''t know how long it will take." Layla found herself at a loss once again. Metamorphosis? Layla could recall no book mentioning any other dungeon undergoing such an event. Either way, the questions were answered, and the kobold escorted them out of the room. She pushed the door closed behind them, leaving Layla and Felin to make their way out of the dungeon. Layla was lost in thought, her mind racing with possibilities and places she could find books to start her research. She was brought out of her head when Felin took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Her head whipped around, and she could feel her cheeks reddening. They''d known each other for a long time, and he''d never... Instead of returning to the guild, they took the path up to the overlook. For the next few hours, they decided they would forget about the dungeon and the guild. That would be tomorrow''s problem. -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Igna nodded in satisfaction, observing the assembled host. At the head of the group were the five spirits joining her on their migration. The three Potentium Spirits; Agni, Hellat, and Ashar. Logi, the unbound spirit. Titan, the Continental Golem. Though none had risen to spirit level since them, Igna could identify more than a dozen sprites close to their own transformations among the crowd. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The remaining spirit was off to the side, surrounded by his retinue, having gathered to send the migrating sprites and spirits off. Igna let her attention sweep the group once more, confirming their readiness and that they''d all gathered their possessions. Spirits weren''t materialistic by nature. What use had they for trinkets? They fed directly on mana and required little- if any- rest. In their time on the Sixth Floor, however, many had found an item or two they''d gathered. Often it was shards of obsidian, which could be melted and shaped however the being in question wished. "Peers and Subjects of the Fire Court. Today is a momentous occasion." Her mental voice projected, grabbing the attention of all in range. "It is a day of celebration and a day of mourning. We celebrate our travel to a new home and mourn our parting with those remaining behind. Though we mourn, remember that one day, they might join us on Isla Feugo." Igna motioned Totanam forward, and the floating ball of melting metal hovered before her. "Totanam. You have elected to remain behind and safeguard this floor as its Guardian. Unfortunately, the dungeon is indisposed and unable to supply a new body if you are defeated," she said gravely. "Yesterday, I negotiated with the Drake-Kin Mushu and secured a replacement whenever you require one. In addition, the Fire Shamans of the Seventh Floor Drake-Kin will summon a new batch of sprites for you every three days." Totanam extended molten tentacles to the sides and dipped downwards, imitating a bow. "Your efforts are more than welcome, Igna. On behalf of my court, I thank you for your forethought and consideration. You were correct in that this parting of ways is not forever. I intend to limit the size of my court to a strength no larger than our combined forces were a week ago. When we reach this number, a cadre of the strongest sprites will descend to join you on Isla Fuego." The spirit paused here for a second. "In time, I will raise a successor and descend myself, to join all of you on the island." He stated grandly. "Until then, however, this is farewell." Totanam gave one final bow and moved back to his court. There was a good deal more cheer and happiness among the crowd as their final goodbyes were given. Eventually, though, the time came. Igna led the procession through the exit door, emerging in the cramped mines of the Seventh. When it was Titan''s turn to enter, Igna watched with amusement. He was far too big to fit through the door and, with some grumbling, let the rock composing his body flow into the ground. He stopped the moment he was small enough to fit and was obviously uncomfortable without the extra mass. They were met with a squad of Drake-kin, each monster well-adorned with armor and weapons. "We''ve been assigned to lead you through the mines," one spoke. A male. "We''ll take the shortest route; it should only take an hour or so." Igna nodded to the monsters in thanks. The next hour was quiet as they were led through the winding tunnels. Igna had never been inside a mine before and was interested in what one looked like. The tunnels were roughly carved, bearing marks from pickaxes along the walls and wooden support beams every few yards. Igna was sure the beams were unnecessary but must contribute to the ''look'' of the floor. They briefly passed through a larger cavern and observed a large group of Drake-kin at work. Igna had assumed the floor was carved out by the dungeon itself, but the monsters carrying pickaxes and pushing loaded minecarts down tracks proved the thought wrong. They were filthy, stone dust covering them from horn to claw. Igna heard them joking and ribbing each other, specifically the smallest of the group. Said Drake-kin stamped its foot and pushed past the group, setting off another round of laughter. Within ten minutes of that encounter, they were out. Igna stepped through the exit, her body melting the snow that had drifted through the doorway instantly. Directly outside the door was a small ledge, only large enough for three or four people to stand on comfortably. There was no rail preventing one from falling off. The view was... Igna lacked the words to describe it. To her left, a series of three peaks rose in sequence. She could see the wind stirring flurries of snow all about them and could barely make out a swaying bridge suspended over what looked like a gaping chasm. To her right, the sky seemed to go on forever. She knew it did not, that it was merely enchantments to make it seem so. "This is where we leave you," A male Drake-kin called from the doorway, standing to the side to let the procession of fire sprites and spirits pass. "Follow the path for a time, and you''ll be met with a group of Snowbolds. They will guide you over the Peaks." "I once again thank you for your guidance, noble Drake-kin." Igna declared. "The Fire Court will remember your aid and be sure to repay it in the future." The drake-kin waved her off. "We only fulfilled our side of the agreement," he insisted. "But we appreciate the thanks. Good luck on the rest of your trip!" Igna waved as he turned and passed back through the door, then retook her place at the head of the migration. The path the Drake-kin had mentioned was little more than a winding line clear of snow, but it was enough for her. They continued, tireless, on the journey to reach their new home. -0-0-0-0-0- The Snowbold Village, The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Wave watched the group of manabeings huddled in the center of the village. They''d had some unfortunate timing, getting to the Eighth just as night was about to fall. With nightfall came a blizzard that would hang around the entire next day. By now, every snowbold could easily navigate the mountains, even in a white-out, but the manabeings couldn''t say the same. The large group, composed entirely of fire sprites and spirits, had found the howling wind and snow... uncomfortable and actively detrimental in some aspects. Their guide led them here, and the chief welcomed them. Wave turned from the window and looked around the stone dwelling. On his return, he''d mentioned the height problem to Blizzard and had been given a larger home with an apology. His new home, carved into the cavern''s wall, was part of what they called the ''upper district.'' It was a portion of the cavern where the stone floor sat a good few yards above the rest and where the most powerful and important snowbolds resided. He walked across the room and lay down on the blue tiger fur bedding. The bed itself wasn''t quite long enough, and he let his lower legs hang over the edge with a sigh. He could mention it to Blizzard, and Wave was sure the snowbold chief would have an earth shaman in here to lengthen the stone slab within an hour. He could. But he had decided not to. It would remind him that for all that the snowbolds had once been his people... he wasn''t one anymore. He''d been thinking and had made up his mind. He''d join the fire spirits on this migration of theirs. He didn''t belong on the Eighth anymore. He didn''t... fit. He dreamt of the Eleventh every night since that day and woke with a deep longing inside. The waves called to him. Wave rose from the bed and was through the door in seconds. As he strode through the upper district, groups of whispering snowbolds recognized him and moved out of his way with bows. Their behavior only reinforced his decision. The guard outside Blizzard''s dwelling nodded at him with respect as he approached. "Wave. Business with the chief? It might be best to wait till the Fire Court has moved on. Their leader is in there with the chief right now." Wave smiled at the guard, remembering their antics when they were training. As much as things changed, some stayed the same. ''Drift was still looking out for him. "Thanks, ''Drift. My business involves the manabeings, actually. Their leader being here is what I hoped for." Snowdrift blinked and raised a brow. He was obviously curious but refrained from asking the question on his tongue. "Good luck to you, then." Wave gave the snowbold a small smile as he pushed the curtain aside and entered the building. It was larger than his, and he knew it had five rooms. Wave quickly noticed the flickering orange light from the library and knocked on the wall when he reached the doorway. "Blizzard? I have something to ask you. Something important." "Wave? Come in, come in." Wave stepped into the room, his eyes settling on the snowbold behind the desk and the fire spirit floating in the middle of the room. "Ah, Igna, let me introduce you. This is my apprentice, Wave. Wave, this is Igna, the head of the Fire Court we''re currently hosting. "A pleasure to meet you," Wave greeted with a slight bow. Igna gave a respectful nod, and he heard the feminine voice in his head as it responded. "The pleasure is mine. I heard your conversation with the guard outside. What business do you have with the Fire Court?" Well. The spirit certainly got to the heart of the matter quickly. Wave looked at Blizzard and spoke. "Chieftain, I have decided to leave the Eighth floor," he declared. The snowbold was obviously shocked at his pronouncement, and Wave continued before he could speak. "I don''t belong here. I''m treated differently and feel excluded. Not in a bad way, but... I was once like the rest of you. My body may be changed, but I am the same person I was before. The respect the villagers now give me feels... undeserved." He took a deep breath. "I would ask if I could be permitted to join your migration to the Eleventh, Igna." He said, turning to the spirit. "The ocean calls to me. Ever since my transformation, I have dreamt of nothing else but returning there. I have little with which to pay you, but I am willing to assist with your final crossing to your Island. The water should be deep enough by now that you will have some trouble getting there without The Creator''s assistance." The spirit gave him a considering look as Blizzard recovered from his shock and stood, moving around the desk to stand before him. "My apprentice, you are sure of this? It is not a decision you should make lightly." "I am sure. I appreciate everything you''ve done for me, but I must leave." The snowbold chief studied Wave''s face for a second before relenting and giving him a sad smile. "Then you have my blessing. Go. Find your place in The Creator''s plan." Wave knelt and hugged the snowbold, who returned it as hard as he could. When they separated, Igna spoke to them once more. "In exchange for your assistance reaching Isla Fuego, you may join us. You will have to bring your own food, as we need none. Any possessions you bring, you will carry yourself. We will not be your pack animals." Wave nodded. "I wouldn''t expect anything else." Wave spent the next day organizing himself. He said farewell to his old friends and packed away enough food to last him a decent length of time. When he ran out, he could purchase more from the Minotaurs. When the day dawned, the sun bright, and the sky clear, Wave left with the procession of spirits. He knew not what his future would hold, but he wouldn''t regret this decision. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2023 Chapter 67 -0-0-0-0-0- The Scorpan Village, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Skitters-Across-The-Sand was resting on her bed-nook when she heard the thundering sound of legs on the sand, which could only herald the approach of her scorplings. At the head of the pack of unruly juveniles was Sprints-Into-Danger. The girl was the smallest of the clutch but was the fastest of them all. She was named that for her habit of running directly toward loud noises and movements. Following close behind were her sisters, Climbs-Tall-Things and Sunset-Carapace. Climbs had the habit of climbing the tallest building or feature she could and watching the goings on of the area from her elevated position. Sunset had the most spectacular carapace Skitters had ever seen, a pink-orange color that sparkled and looked particularly striking in the setting sun. Trailing behind them were Skitters'' last two scorplings, Beats-His-Chest and Looms-Behind-Clutch-Mates. Beats had a habit of confronting others by, obviously, puffing himself up and beating his chest. Skitters was sure he''d surpass his father''s size at the rate he was growing. Looms was in a similar state growth-wise, though he was bigger than his brother. He was named because of his protective nature, always being nearby so he could come to his sibling''s aid. Specifically, to Sunset and Climbs'' aid. The two were less confrontational than their clutch mates. "Mama! Fire People!" Sprints exclaimed, having stopped directly in front of Skitters and bouncing enthusiastically in place. "I saw first!" Climbs complained, pouting and crossing her arms. "I wanted to tell. No fair!" Sprints flared her mandibles at her sister but wilted at her mother''s look. It was an act equivalent to ''sticking out your tongue,'' and they knew it was rude. "Fire people? Ah! Yes, the Fire Court was due a day ago. They must have been held up on the Eighth." Skitters stood, stretched her arms and claws, and started heading towards the door. "Did you want to come to see them?" They chittered in excitement, exchanging half-formed sentences amongst the babbling. Climbs-Tall-Things was quick to scramble onto Skitters'' back, taking the ''best spot'' by clinging to the humanoid part and peeking over her shoulder. Sunset followed, settling daintily on the larger, flatter portion in the middle of her scorpion half. Sprints-into-Danger was back out the door in a flash, followed by her brothers, and Skitters wasn''t far behind them. The whole trip over to the village gates, Climbs'' kept up a semi-understandable stream of consciousness. "They came down walls and followed river. Theres Biiiiig one. Biiiig Big. Lots little ones too!" She said, obviously excited. "Where''d you see them from?" Skitters asked, curious. "Big Tree!" the scorpling replied, pointing over Skitters'' shoulder towards a particularly large palm tree. "Almost got to top, and saw them before came down!" "Was someone watching?" Skitters asked, gently reminding her rambunctious daughter that she''d asked Climbs not to climb the palms without someone keeping an eye on her. "Uhuh! Looms watched me!" She insisted innocently. Skitters could only sigh. She''d meant for an adult Scorpan to watch, but obviously, that stipulation had been lost somewhere. Skitters let it go, for now, as they approached the group of Scorpans assembling near the gates. Scorplings dipped and wove between their parent''s legs, some curious and others shy. A quick glance later, Skitters found her friends and moved to join them. "The Court here yet?" She asked Puddles and Preens. Preens-in-The-Light was a little busy, straining to restrain her three scorplings. Skitters didn''t envy her. As unruly as her children could be, the three progeny of Preens and her mate Pounds-The-Earth were somehow all as energetic as Sprints on a bad day. "Not yet," Puddles answered, her two quiet ones peeking over her shoulders. They''d inherited their mother''s calm nature and were best friends with Sunset. As Skitters settled in between her friends, the scorplings on their backs moved closer together, whispering. "How''re you guys holding up?" Skitters inquired softly. Her two friends were silent for a moment. No one needed to ask what she was referring to. "Coping," Preens replied, finally getting her scorplings to settle. "He was always there, watching over us. His presence was so pervasive and normal we took it for granted. Now. His absence is a void, like a hole in my soul." Puddles just nodded in agreement. Skitters made a particular set of clicks and barks, a specific call that was unique to each Scorpan mother. Her wayward children answered promptly, taking places under and around her. Just in time, too. Skitters could see the ''Big One'' Climbs had talked about over the walls as it approached. The black stone plates shifted around over the orange magma beneath. The gates opened shortly after it came into view. At the head of the group was a squad of Scorpans, the ones stationed to watch the canyon''s entrance. Four led the procession in, while one was a little behind, conversing with a moving pyre of human-shaped flames. That Scorpan was her mate, Plays-With-Fires. He seemed utterly enamored with the living flame, engrossed in their conversation. So much so that when the Court passed Skitters, Preens, and Puddles by, he didn''t even register she was there. Then they''d passed her, and Skitters was left blinking, confused. She watched the rest of the diverse group of Sprites and Spirits pass through the village''s other gate on their way to the King''s Palace. When Puddles put a hand on her shoulder, it was like she jerked out of a trance. "You okay, Skitters?" She asked, concern obvious. "Yeah," Skitters answered, turning back to the closing gate. "Yeah. I''m fine. I''m sure it was nothing." -0-0-0-0-0- The Merchant Ship Good Tidings, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Captain Eli Hart watched the Bahrain''s most prosperous port city disappear over the horizon. Well, prosperous might be too strong a word. Poor filled the streets. Hungry and cold. A plethora of armed guards kept them out of the markets and the more affluent districts. Not to say the people living in those districts were wealthy, but owning their own homes and getting three meals a day was all it took to be in the upper class. Stolen story; please report. Walking past them on the way up to the market from the port filled him with pity and wariness. They were starving and could barely scrape together two coins to buy food without it being stolen. But that same fact made them dangerous. Many, when staring their death in the face, would do anything to stave off their judgment. Eli made sure to have half a dozen of his hired security escort his wares to the market, weapons visible. Given none risked attacking him or stealing from his carts, he assumed they were suitably intimidated. To be clear, this wasn''t new information to him. He was well aware of the state of the Bahrain Empire. How could he not? He''d been plying his trade across the Kalenic Sea for over a decade. He''d been to most of the ports on both continents and several islands besides. He''d even traded with the Lucaran Republic before the Bahrain had conquered them! Now and again, he got thank-you letters from the refugees he''d ferried to Theona. But that was beside the point. He had watched over the years as conditions went from bad to worse. Food shortages never ended and even worsened when a bevy of famines, plagues, and droughts struck the land. There was a reason that he sold food and bought trinkets in the Empire, then sold the trinkets for food in the Kingdom. Buy cheap, sell for more. His margins may be smaller on the food, but there was a decent market for the trinkets he bought. Enough to keep him in the black. And now, his ship sailed away from the Empire. The hold was full of knickknacks, keepsakes, and foreign toys, with enough food to make it to Medea Island. Eli turned from the receding shore and headed to his navigator''s quarters. Gresh was a good man and had been frantically taking notes and cross-checking them under an anti-scry stone for the last few hours. He knocked on the door and was quickly admitted. "How many did you count?" Eli asked the haggard scribe. "I made fifty sails, at least," Gresh replied. "A wide variety, from sloops and carracks to at least four ships-of-the-line." Eli sucked air through his teeth, running the numbers through his head. "This won''t be the only gathered force." He reasoned, "There''d be at least one other fleet this size and maybe four smaller ones scattered across the coast." Gresh nodded in agreement. They''d noted the Bahrain''s fleet power for years, since the empire had begun to run out of places to conquer on their own continent. The Bahrain had been envious of the Phenoc for years; that wasn''t a secret. Knowing that, Eli had kept a careful eye on the number of military vessels in every Bahrain port he visited and charted their buildup over the years. It had started slowly as they focused on dominating the continent, but when the last independent state fell to their armies, well. Their eyes turned west. Every year, Eli saw more ships. One. Then three, Then seven, then twenty. "What do we do?" Gresh asked. "Do we tell anyone?" It was a valid question. There was no mistaking the signs. The Bahrain were preparing to cross the Kalenic Sea and make war on their more prosperous neighbors. It was unprovoked, as the Phenoc had always kept to themselves. There was no claim they held on the land; they simply desired the fertile and bountiful farmland of the Kingdom. The Empire would be invading to feed their own people, a perfectly understandable reason. But they would kill, enslave and displace thousands of innocent Phenoc citizens who had done nothing but be born into a bountiful land. Eli didn''t envy the Emperor, who was well-known to be kind and compassionate. He''d invaded a score of smaller polities, yes, but all to secure more fertile farmland. The problem was he''d always gone out of his way to avoid killing more of the conquered lands'' citizens than necessary. Who better to work the farms, after all? Inevitably, this meant there were more people to feed, and the excess from the newly acquired farmlands barely put a dent in their deficit. On the other hand, while Eli had friends among the Bahrain, he also had friends among the Phenoc. He didn''t want his friends to be attacked unprepared. He felt it would be a betrayal. And while the Guild was outwardly neutral, everyone knew they had very little real control over their Guilders. If the Bahrain invaded, the Guilders would defend their homes. Neutral or not, they wouldn''t stay out of the fight. "We spread the news." Eli decided. "More than likely, they plan to use Medea as a launching point. We tell those who need to know and move on. I''m not sure how much time we have before the invasion starts, but any level of foreknowledge is better than none." He sighed deeply. "Prepare two letters. One addressed to Count Medean, the other to Guildmistress Losat. -0-0-0-0-0- The Tenth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Asterion watched the group of mana beings approach with squinted eyes. From what they''d agreed at the Summit, the sprites and spirits weren''t staying the night, merely passing through. Igna had said that, so close to their destination, they saw no point in delaying. With a snort, he walked through the Mythwood gates to greet the Fire Court. He was at the head of the welcoming delegation, joined by his wives and eldest sons. The boys were getting big now. The tips of their horns just reached his shoulder. His first wife, Tauris, joined him, clad in her most elaborate robes and wearing a half-dozen charms. Asterion himself was also dressed up for the occasion. Forgoing the simple kilt most Minotaurs wore for a more sophisticated robe, augmented by pieces of armor in the right places. He didn''t like it. The feel of the fabric over his chest was foreign to him. He stopped a dozen yards from the gate and held his ground as the Court approached. They stopped a decent distance away, and Igna approached with her entourage. The ''Queen'' of the Fire Court was like a bonfire, even compared to the two others Asterion knew also occupied Potentium bodies. She hovered a foot above the ground, and the dry grasses she passed over wilted and blackened in the heat. He refused to be intimidated by the enormous golem of stone and flowing lava. "Welcome to the Tenth," Asterion grunted. "My son Aston will guide you to the Eleventh. Don''t set anything on fire. Not even The Creator could put it out if you did." Igna reared back slightly, obviously surprised by his gruff welcome. "Thank you, Asterion. Have I insulted you somehow?" Igna asked, looking confused and offended. The spirits around her flared slightly, their flames growing and their postures becoming more aggressive. "Not at all, Fire Spirit," Tauris answered with an apologetic bow. "My mate is not a very verbose creature. He says what he means honestly and finds many common verbal rituals unnecessary. He meant no offense; it is simply his nature." Asterion grunted in agreement and gave a short nod. That seemed to appease the spirit, and her companions. "I see. I am sure your son will perform his task excellently," Igna replied, looking down at the young bull. Asterion glanced at the boy, who seemed to mimic his father''s stance. His arms were crossed, his back straight, his head set, and his chin raised slightly. He couldn''t be more proud. He gave a short grunt, prompting his son to look up at him. They stood there for a few seconds, looking at each other. Aston nodded with a grunt and moved forward to join the odd-looking Drake-kin in the procession. He saw Tauris roll her eyes and heard her mutter ''Bulls'' under her breath. He gave a toothy grin. "He will," The bull confirmed. "I was serious, though. Our floor is covered in trees and grasses. A stray flame could set the whole place alight. Just look beneath you for an example." Igna looked down and seemed to cringe slightly at the dead, black grass under her. Her peers checked beneath their own feet and found the grass in a similar state. "I''m a water mage," The strange Drake-kin stated as he stepped forward. "I''ll make sure any fires are quickly contained, First Bull." Asterion eyed the monster closely and found him familiar. His body resembled the Drake-kin very closely, bar a few notable features. His blue scales and white fur were Snowbold traits, and while the ''crown'' of horns was possible in the infinite variations the Drake-kin seemed to possess, he hadn''t seen it before. He was clad in a mix of Warrior and Shaman dress, studded leather over blue and white robes patterned to look like a crashing wave. He held a long, well-carved staff. At one end was a short blade, and the other a blue-tinted monster core. Where had he seen this monster before... Ah. Of course. "You do that, Wave. You seem more comfortable in your skin. Adapted to The Creator''s gift, have you?" "I have," the monster replied. "Thank you for your concern." He bowed slightly, and Asterion grunted back. "Going to live with the Court?" He asked, curious. "No. The Eleventh calls to me. I plan to live on the shore and make my life there." Asterion eyed the monster. He spoke clearly and without hesitation. He''d made up his mind, then. "The village will be here if you need to trade." He reminded Wave, who nodded in return. "I will." After that, not much was said. The court left, the Minotaurs returned to their daily routine, and the gate Guard kept an eye on the treeline for Aston''s return. The boy did so later, in the dark of night. He held a lit torch he certainly didn''t leave with. The flame was interesting. A bright blue. It took a moment, but Asterion soon recognized it as the same flame The Creator used to light tunnels throughout the dungeon. But this was a deep blue rather than the teal he was familiar with. As he watched, the flame''s color shifted through tones. An hour after his son returned, it was the familiar teal he recognized. Had someone in the Court given Aston this torch, or had Wave? If it had been Wave... Why was the color of his manaflame blue, rather than the holy teal all Children shared? -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2023 Chapter 68 -0-0-0-0-0- Layla''s Office, The Guild Hall, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- "Wait. You said the dungeon is what?!" Isid exclaimed, shocked. The other two party leaders in the room were too stunned to say anything but obviously wanted answers too. Guildmistress Losat sighed. "My final question was why the dungeon couldn''t answer the questions personally, as it had done before," The Guildmistress answered her aunt. "The Kobold, though hesitant, replied that she believed it to be undergoing some kind of ''metamorphosis.'' She didn''t know how long it would take and that it came upon the dungeon suddenly." The room was quiet as the assembled guilders pondered the implications. Haythem himself was almost overwhelmed by the information. "But what does that mean?" Paetor asked, turning heads. "It''s doing something odd, which its creations think is a transformation. Fine. But what is it transforming into? Are the monsters misinterpreting this whole thing? The dungeon might not have had time to tell them what was happening, so how could they know." "We agree; they couldn''t know," The Guildmistress replied. "We''ve had two days to think on this ourselves, and we have a theory." She let the silence sit for a minute. Isid rolled her eyes and hand, prompting her to continue. "Felin and I believe that Kobold''s explanation is partly true. Metamorphose implies a transformation, true, but where do such events take place? A cocoon. Like a Caterpillar becoming a butterfly. The dungeon could have retreated to its core; all its attention focused on that hunk of manacrystal. The Monsters don''t feel their attention, and it stops responding. They drew parallels, lacking any actual information, and found an explanation that made sense to them." Guildmistress Losat paused to take a breath. "They worship the dungeon. It created them, raised them, and gave them self-awareness and intelligence equal to our own. They think it is a God. We have dozens of records of priests and hierarchs misinterpreting divine instruction or miracles. Instances have been less prevalent since the gods started appointing Champions and taking a more active role in the world, but those wars happened. None can dispute it." "You think something similar has happened here?" Isid asked, leaning forward. "I can see it. The dungeon''s attention being occupied, and then being unresponsive to its creations... They draw the wrong conclusion. But if that''s the case, then what is the dungeon doing?" The room was silent. No one answered. "Putting that question aside, for the moment," Haytham interjected. "How do we use this knowledge?" He got a few curious looks. "The dungeon is occupied. You know what that means, right? It won''t be watching us delve. It can''t aid its creations in fights, nor guide monsters to our location, as we''ve suspected it''s done in the past. This is our chance to get as deep as possible before it changes things further. What was the info you got on its floors again, Guildmistress?" "The Seventh is a tunnel system of some kind." Felin recited from his notes, prompting stares. "The Eighth is mountainous, the Ninth a desert split by a canyon. The Tenth is plains, and the Eleventh is ''largely coastline.''" He looked up at the group from his desk against the wall. "The tunnels should be no problem. You''ve plenty of experience there. Draw on that. We''re not sure what the Kobold meant by mountainous but watch your footing. A desert could be tricky. That new armor you commissioned should help, but I''d recommend carrying plenty of water. Plains is... very vague. There are a dozen definitions and environments that could fit. Be prepared for anything. Coastline... worries me." Felin stopped and frowned, his mouth twisting into a grimace. Guildmistress Losat picked up where he left off. "Coastline has a lot of implications," she clarified. "It implies a great deal of water alongside a stretch of land. This dungeon has surprised us with strange and impossible environments before. As such, I don''t think we''re looking at a mere lake here. Either way, be prepared for underwater navigation and combat. Practice fighting on the beach and surf, just in case." "You think it has an ocean?" Isid said, incredulous. "Impossible. The cavern would have to be enormous and far too unstable without a ridiculous amount of mana to strengthen and support the ceiling. Where would it even find the water to fill it up? Just carving it would take far too... long..." She trailed off. "I see you get the idea," the Guildmistress stated solemnly. Haythem and Paetor''s eyes widened as they understood what she was implying. "How long has it been carving out that cavern?" Paetor asked apprehensively. Guildmistress Losat let out an explosive sigh. "We''re not sure. One of the first questions we asked was its age. It said about ''A hundred and twenty cycles.'' We assumed it meant years, as in the cycle of seasons, but I no longer believe that''s correct. What would a dungeon care for the season on the surface? It''s not affected by the cold of winter. It''s not spurred to harvest the crops in fall, lest the village starve. There are many natural things in the world that operate in cycles. It could even be the rise and fall of civilizations! We just don''t know." There was another bout of silence. "Haythem, Paetor, I must remind you that this information is to remain private. I know you understand the implications of our contact with the dungeon and the reactions it would draw. The only ones who know are in this room, bar my Uncle. If it gets out, I''ll know it was one of you two, and the offending party will be ejected from the guild. Do I make myself clear?" Layla asked. Her black silk blindfold and the starfield beneath them stared right through the two. Haythem also felt Isid''s identical sightless gaze when she turned to face them. "Understood, Guildmistress Losat. I appreciate your trust in me and swear I won''t betray it." Haythem answered. He did, in fact, comprehend the magnitude of this information and fully agreed with the albino woman. "I as well, Guildmistress Losat." Paetor agreed. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Igna stared at their promised island from the shore. The dungeon had said it was making an ocean floor, but Igna hadn''t expected the sheer scale an ''ocean floor'' implied. It was so large she couldn''t see the other side through all the atmospheric mana flying around. She wondered how long the dungeon had been digging to carve this chamber out. As Wave had explained on the march down here, the water level was far from its future height, even accelerated as it was by the water sprites making portals to the surface oceans. Either way, even this much water was enough to block access to their island. No convenient land bridge, as she suspected the dungeon would have employed to get them there. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Most of the Court had set up a small camp atop the nearby dunes, leaving glassy trails where the heat from their bodies had melted the sand. Titan had molded himself a seat on a large dune, staring out across the ocean for hours now. The other Spirits designed sculptures from the glass created when they melted the sand, each more elaborate and delicate than the last. The mana-star slowly moving across the ''sky'' was at least ten times larger than any she''d seen in the dungeon. It was early morning, and the sky slowly lost its orange tint as blue overtook it. With one last longing gaze at the volcano in the distance, Igna looked down the long stretch of sand to where the water level rested. She could see the figure of Wave standing in the water; his arms stretched upwards and out. It took about half an hour to reach the water''s edge from the dunes, and the trail of glass she left behind glittered in the light beautifully. "Wave. Have you any insight on how we are to make the crossing?" She asked the monster. He sighed and lowered his hands, letting his staff hit the water and sand beyond. "Some. My original plan was to avail the Water Sprites in the ocean to aid us, but they''re preoccupied. Plan B is to make a platform of ice, which we could float over on. The biggest problem is that it would melt rather quickly, given the heat you put off. Plan C is to walk along the seabed and use my magic to maintain a bubble of air. Plan D... I''ll let you know when I think of one." He let that sit and continued staring out over the ocean. "How large of a ''bubble'' can you make?" Igna asked, curious. "It sounds difficult to maintain and mildly terrifying to experience." "Not large. While making one near the surface would be fine, the increasing pressure exerted on us would make it correspondingly difficult. I could move... maybe two or three spirits at a time. Given how far offshore Isla Fuego is, it wouldn''t be a quick process." He took a deep breath. "I''d have to make a stop on the island there to rest," he said, pointing at the island closest to the beach. Said island was lush, covered in foliage, and Igna could barely spot a pack of large fox-like animals on one of the cliffs. "This one is unnamed?" "As far as I know, yes," Wave explained. "He had no idea what to call it and figured the humans would name it eventually." There was another minute of silence. "When can you take the first group on the crossing?" Igna asked "I''d need to test my methods first. I can survive submerging in water, but I''m not sure you can." He replied. "In fact, I''ll try the iceberg method now. It''s the easiest to attempt, anyway. Might want to stand back." He finished, motioning her to retreat a distance up the sandy slope. Igna watched as the air around the monster cooled dramatically and turned misty near Wave''s body. He clutched his staff in both claws and raised it before him, showing that white-blue lines of mana were spiraling up the carved runes and delicate-looking spirals. The monster core set atop the staff, usually a transparent teal, slowly frosted up from within, turning white. With a roar of exertion, A beam of white mana erupted from the head of the staff, smashing into the water with surprising force. Over ten seconds, a roughly thirty-foot circle froze solid. The beam continued, though, beyond a smoothening of the surface, there were no apparent changes. Wave cut off the beam by waving the staff to the side. He was breathing heavily and hunched over slightly. After some time to recover, he spoke. "Okay... That should be enough ice to stop it from capsizing. Ice magic isn''t my forte, but this should be good enough," he stated. "I think we should add a layer or two of glass. It''s a poor heat conductor and should protect the ice decently enough." He turned to Igna, and she noticed the tips of his hair and horns were coated in frost. Igna nodded and, with a wave of her hand, set a large section of the sand ablaze. It was roughly the same area as the iceberg, but time would only tell if it was thick enough. She signaled a few Sprites, ordering them to make their way down to the shore. They''d need a fire sprite to stand on the thing to test it and aid in putting the glass on the iceberg. They had a lot of work to do. -0-0-0-0-0- The Drake-Kin Village, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Kata lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She slowly blinked, then took a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh. Kata smoothly swung her legs off the side of the fur-covered slab and stood to stretch. She took her time going through her morning routine, taking almost three times as long to stretch, fix her hair, and figure out what she''d wear that day. As she looked in the polished metal mirror, she noted how... different she looked. Her hair was much longer and more... wild. Lacking her old hair-care products, she''d braided her hair to keep it out of the way. She often left it in the braid for days before deciding it needed cleaning. Said cleaning was a simple water wash and comb, which had resulted in her once straight and shiny hair becoming this mass of wild curls, split ends, and flyaways everywhere she looked. Once shoulder-length, it now reached the small of her back. Kata decided she didn''t care to braid it today and moved on. Her skin was rougher, covered in dozens of tiny scars and abrasions that had healed the hard way. While healing potions were great, they were only used for severe injuries, such as training accidents. You needed specialized potions to fix scar tissue, which weren''t often taken into the dungeon. Her eyes had deep bags, a product of recent nights spent tossing and turning rather than sleeping. She looked... savage. Wild. Dangerous. She had more obvious muscle than before, having done far more close combat since living in the dungeon than she ever had on the surface. She looked lean but not... unattractively so. Kata lamented the loss of what little chest she''d once had, the fat having been traded for muscle Her clothes were simple Leather and cloth, roughly stitched and held together by buckles. She picked up the pants she usually wore and wrinkled her nose at the smell. Yeah, those needed a good cleaning. She put them to the side to take to the launderers later. She only had one other item of lower-body wear. A long skirt, one of Huea''s old ones, which they''d roughly tailored to fit the human. She pulled it on and looked at herself in the mirror again. The skirt was in three parts. A central panel, dyed with spiraling green designs, and two side sections split down the back. With the long-sleeved top, Kata could easily mistake herself for a peasant from the Kingdom. After putting on her upper-body armor, boots, and sword belt, she left her home. As always, the village was bustling. The training fields were full; every Warrior spurred to sharpen themselves in case the delving guilders reached the Seventh. Though she couldn''t see them, she knew the Shamans were practicing their magic privately. She spent the next several hours going through her morning errands. She visited the market, much less busy than average, to pick up some more ingredients for dinner and a couple of pieces of fruit. She''d been surprised a few weeks ago to note that there were apples, oranges, and bananas alongside mundane, every day, non-addictive mandarins. The Kobold trader who brought them gushed about them and claimed her tree-top gardens on the third was the only one who grew all of them. Kata also found tea leaves! The Capriccio who sold them said they were part of a trade with the guilders, which made her hopeful for future contact with them. After exhausting the market, she watched the training Warriors for a while. Feeling the stirrings of pride in her chest alongside a pang of guilt, she knew well. While she didn''t want her students to die, they were training to kill humans¡ªher old guildmates. Unlike the drake-kin, the humans weren''t bound to immortality-granting crystals. While finding out about those had shocked her, she was more worried about... recent events. Kata''d considered the implications of the dungeons... transformation... and concluded that she didn''t know enough about the situation. Her leading theory was still that Dungeon Cores were the seeds of Deities, but there were others. The monsters still didn''t know exactly what was happening; they just equated whatever the core was doing with a manabeing''s transformation. They might be wrong. But they might not be. She didn''t know. So, until she had confirmation one way or the other, it just made sense to hedge her bets. If the dungeon... the Creator... was turning into a god? Committing blasphemy by claiming it-he- wasn''t.... was a bad idea. As she was walking to Heua''s home, the low noise of the busy village was interrupted by a Kobold rushing into the cavern. "Guilders are here again! They going for Sixth''s Boss!" It took Kata a few seconds to translate the foreign word. It was what they called Guardians. That meant... A party of guilders was going to attempt to beat the Sixth''s Guardian? Then... They''d be on the Seventh. Kata was out of time to make her decision. Did she ask to be rescued? Now would be the perfect time to ask, with The Creator unable to prevent her from leaving. On the other hand, all of her old friends were dead. She''d lost track of time at some point and needed a point of reference to tell precisely how long she''d been down here. She''d made new friends down here. It''d be a betrayal of them and their trust. Huea''s trust. When she got home, she sat on the bed and stared at the mana-nullifying cuffs on the shelf. She needed to decide. Soon. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2023 Chapter 69 -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Auora Isirtine stared at the broken form of the Fifth Floor Guardian. It had taken them so long to get here. Even after they''d been informed of the Guardian''s location and how to access the arena... there were so few of them remaining. After Blace, Titon and Dorin had been kidnapped, killed, and used in the dungeon''s monstrous experiments... The party hadn''t fractured immediately, but it had fractured. Lina was only the first to leave. Now.... only four of them remained. Auora, Xerat, Hallmark, and Chana. Hallmark was the epitome of a knight. Shining, enchanted plate glistened in the light as he bent over and picked up the broken lens, and cracked core. "That was easy." He commented, putting them in a pouch. "Let''s get going. The sooner we get past the Sixth, the better." "Too easy," Auora stated with a frown. "After so long... It was too easy." The other two said nothing, but she knew their silence was agreement. "Whatever," Hallmark said with a wave. "It''s done. Get out your cloaks. They cost a pretty penny but should be plenty worth the expense." They nodded and pulled their enchanted cloaks from their own bottomless pouches. Each was a deep red, bordered by orange. They''d chosen the colors in the hope they could help blend into the Sixth''s environment. After they traversed the long, descending tunnel and gotten their first view of the floor... "The descriptions don''t do it justice." Xerat said, in awe. "Brimstone and hellfire indeed." They stood there in silence for a moment. "Chana. Do you have the map?" Hallmark asked, turning to face her. Auora turned to look at their party''s leader, confused. Map? What Map? "Of course," She replied, rolling her eyes. "Like I would lose it." She pulled the scroll from her pouch and lay it out on the black stone. "Okay. Here''s where we are, at the entrance. They''ve mapped all of the western, southern and northern areas. Nothing important there, but they''ve marked three ''safer'' places to rest for the night. They''ve also marked a... village?" "Whoa whoa whoa. Hold on. You stole this map from the Guild?" Auora interjected, appalled. Chana snorted. "It was easy," She bragged. "Snuck in there one evening when she was out on a walk with that assistant of hers. They went up to the overlook, which meant the woman was all-but-blind to the goings-on of the guild. No better chance. I''ll make a copy after we get back and put the original somewhere in her office. They''ll just think they misplaced it." Auora shook her head in disbelief as Chana went back to analyzing the map. "Anyway. Village. I don''t know how closely you guys have been listening to the local gossip, but assume you''ve heard of their opinion of the monsters here?" Chana asked, receiving nods. "Insanity, is what it is," Hallmark claimed with a disgusted look. "They''re monsters. Animals that have been granted power through mana. I will admit that some of them can be very smart. You don''t get to the bottom of the Deepwood without acknowledging the intelligence of the wolves. But this isn''t the fortieth floor of the Deepwood Dungeon." He scoffed. "And even then, they were just smart animals. Pack tactics and knowing how to leverage their size and strength. I doubt the monsters here are any smarter." "Alright then," Chana drawled. "If you''re done? The only place left to explore is over here, the east-north-east. The furthest point from the entrance. Not a big surprise, but given the Fifth I''m sure the locals are just trying to be thorough. Makes it easy on us, at least." She squinted at the map for a few more seconds before rolling it up. "Lets go." The trip down from the middle of the cliff was precarious. It seemed like every other step, their footing would just crumble away. The first time was a surprise, every time afterwards just an annoyance. By the time they got to the bottom, Auora was glad for the cloaks. She could see the heat rising off the lakes of molten lava, and even the smaller rivers that ran through the plains. They moved directly to the unexplored area, and as they approached, Auora saw something she just had to comment on. "I think they weren''t just exploring every other area to be thorough..." She trailed off. There was a dramatic-looking triangular fissure in the wall. It was half as tall as the cliff itself, and from the looks of the guards, there was a reason the edges of the crack looked melted and shaped. "Manabeings." Hallmark hissed, suddenly looking absolutely pissed. "Of all the things that could be here, of course, it''s them." "Keep it down!" Auora whisper-yelled at the knight. "Do you want them to hear us?" The man took a few heaving breaths, each smaller than the last, as he regained his control. "There are only two of them, " Xerat commented. "Shouldn''t be too hard to get past." "But don''t you see?" Hallmark said, "They explain the shadow monsters! Those were shadow spirits, or fairies. And the guardian as well! I''d bet my fortune that it was a metal manabeing. It all makes sense!" He started pacing. "They must have physical bodies to inhabit. The Guardian had a monster core, yes, but what if the core was from a different monster, long dead, and it was just using the core? The hands that sometimes burst out of the ground as well. We thought they were traps or magic used by hidden monsters. What if they were Earth Spirits?" Auora nodded, getting the idea. "If that''s the case... We''ve seen Earth, Fire, Metal and Darkness manabeings. Two basic elements and two advanced elements. We can only assume it has access to others of those levels. If it has access to more..." She trailed off. She didn''t need to say it; the others knew her meaning. Xerat shook his head. "While this is enlightening, it changes little. We can assume the guardian is a manabeing of some kind. At a minimum, it''s a Fairy. At worst, we''re looking at an elemental. We''ve faced them before." That was true... Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. They quickly worked out a plan of attack. They would push into the Seventh. Today. Even if it was the last thing they did. They owed it to those lost on the way. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Paragon stared at the huge crystal core of his contractor. As one of the original sprites summoned to participate in the dungeon''s experiments, he knew the being quite well by now. When he''d been offered the chance to be the final line of defense, he jumped at it. Any manabeing offered the opportunity would have done so gladly, and thrown themselves into the task with vigor. So, of course, something happened he had no capability of defending the dungeon against. He hadn''t lied to the Children when they came to ask what''d happened. He remembered it being an otherwise typical day at the tip of a mountain poking out of the ocean. He''d watched the core pull the ground up, then twist the top into something to rest his core on. And with him came the enormous amount of mana in his orbit. Rings upon rings, some thick, some thin. Some fast, some dawdling. All slowly, inevitably, falling inwards. At the center was the core¡ªan enormous crystal, ten feet long at its widest point. The point of the teardrop pointed skyward, while the wide curve at its base was cradled in the stone fingers. He''d recently spun away almost all his mana, leaving the core dim and translucent. Then, without warning, the remaining energy in the core began writhing. It twisted around itself, and Paragon felt the vague awareness in the back of his mind that the dungeon was watching disappear. He watched as the dungeon''s presence withdrew, concentrating within the core. The vigor of the energy increased tenfold, and it was then that Paragon understood. Like his people transformed, from sprite to spirit to fairy to elemental, dungeons must have a similar life cycle. It made sense to him. Dungeons were much as they were, manabeings, though intimately bound to cores and granted unparalleled power over raw mana. It was, he mused, interesting that Paragon himself was at this very moment inhabiting a core and driving a body. It grounded him in a way he couldn''t explain. But back to the Core. The events made more sense when reframed in terms of a transformation, but not entirely. Unlike manabeings, the core was not saturated in mana when its transformation began. He supposed it could be linked to the core''s physical size, but that was speculation. Over the days and nights since, nothing had changed. The core''s energies still writhed and twisted around each other. The only difference was the slowly growing mana level as it was drawn in. Where it had once resembled blobs of energy within the very core of the crystal, those blobs had grown to fill more than half the space available. Noting no changes in the dungeon''s situation, Paragon turned to face the floor''s entrance. On that distant shore, he could see the gathered fire sprites and spirits like a beacon. Several had already made the journey to their new island, but it was a long one. Their vessel hadn''t been able to withstand the heat given off by its passengers for more than a single return trip. He''d noted the significant burst of Ice magic the day before and was curious if the caster could create a new platform for every trip. He doubted it, but admitted he could be surprised. He turned away, glancing across the slowly rising ocean. Already, it was filled with life. Thousands of different fish. Dozens of whales and dolphins. Those that''d survived had already settled into their new environment, though there were plenty that hadn''t made it. When the Dungeon emerged from its cocoon, greater than ever, it would have plenty to work with to perfect this floor. And until that day, Paragon would watch. Patiently. He was the final line of defense, and he would die before any human lay a single hand on his charge. -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Totanam rose from the carved throne as the humans strode through the grand hall''s entrance. These were not those humans the dungeon had been courting. These were the remnants of the powerful group that had broken on the Fifth. He''d heeded the warnings given, but he had to admit... "I must admit, I didn''t expect you. I had prepared for the other group, not one so... diminished." He broadcast. Less speaking into one''s mind and more projecting his voice for any capable of listening to receive. At his words, two magma golems, three molten golems, and a single Potentium golem emerged from behind the pillars lining the hall''s walls. The Magma Golems had taken to imitating their role model, Titan, and quickly grew to twelve feet tall. They were slow but far more difficult to damage meaningfully. The Molten golems were a mixed bag. One followed Totanam''s path, floating under its own power and directing metal tentacles. The other two assumed humanoid shapes and twisted their limbs into weapons. Having left his taunts unanswered, the four guilders rushed the golems, weapons drawn long before they''d entered the throne room. Totanam knew his followers were among the weaker of his court, but he hadn''t expected them to be crushed as easily as they had been. The largest human, the one clad in shining armor, moved with tremendous speed. A kind the others Totanam had fought lacked. As he swung his weapon, he infused it with mana, activating a myriad of enchantments. He briefly recognized the intents of increased weight, penetration, speed and reinforcement, though to a level of power he hadn''t seen before. The swing connected, bisecting the humanoid molten golem he''d charged. The sprite''s core, which had been struck directly, was thrown from the body it had once inhabited and shattered on the stone floor. The sprite, suddenly and violently bereft of a body, froze in place. The armored human reached out with a glowing gauntlet and crushed the sprite in his grip. Tatanam heard it cry out in agony, then go silent as it returned to their birth realm. The smaller male lashed out with a lance of water, dousing the second humanoid golem. it screeched as its molten skin was cooled and turned brittle. A follow-up strike from the warhammer wielded by the robed female broke the golem into pieces. The sprite escaped into the floor rather than endure the same fate its fellow had. The final human, the female clad in leather, loosed an enchanted arrow from a similarly enchanted bow. It crossed the room at great speed, and Totanam barely dodged it in time. While he was distracted, the two Magma Golems teamed up on the armored human. The alternated strikes kept him moving and unable to strike back. Or at least, that''s what they thought. Rolling back from an overhead strike, he leapt from the ground and latched on to the offending golem. He showed the dexterity of a Capriccio, leaping from cranny to nook as he climbed to the golem''s shoulder. He plunged his longsword into a crack in the golem''s body. He scowled and jumped away when the golem reached back to swipe him off. The other three hadn''t been idle. They''d engaged Totanam and the other hovering molten golem. While the sprite had been dispatched with another lance of water and follow-up strike, the Boss himself was tougher than his subordinates. His fires burned hotter, and the water used to strike him turned to steam on contact. That granted a cloud of cover he could see through, which he used while it was there. He extended whip-like tentacles that reached from the steam cloud, and cracked at super-sonic speeds against the water mage''s chest. The man was flung back at great speed, a cut in his leather armor blackened by the heat. He rolled on landing, and was on his feet in seconds, hissing in pain. The cloud dispersed, and Totanam was consumed by dodging magical arrows, and keeping the robed female at a distance. The male quickly rejoined the battle, and Totanam had little time to think beyond the battle. In the end, something had to change. That thing was the armored man taking down the magma golems, his sword cracking the cores of the golems, and their sprites fleeing into the ground as the bodies collapsed. With all four against him... He stood no chance. Totanam made sure he escaped into the floor, even as the man reached out to grab him. He had been defeated. Thankfully there was a stock of unoccupied bodies they could occupy, but that was a minor concern. Those four humans were strong, and Totanam was unsure how the Drake-kin would fare against them. Either way, there was no more time to prepare. They would soon face their trial by fire, and he could only wish them luck. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2023 Chapter 70 -0-0-0-0-0- The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Auora Isirtine walked close behind Hallmark as they passed through the doorway into the Seventh. The rest fanned beside him when he stopped a few yards into the room. Her first impression was... that it was a mine. Unlike every passage they''d seen on previous floors, the walls and roof had the tell-tale marks of picks. They''d seen brick construction and natural caves but no sign of digging. The room looked 30 yards by 30 yards, with four stone pillars equidistant from the walls and each other holding up the ceiling. Three tunnels split off, one from the center of each wall. The one directly across from the entrance was the largest and had a set of tracks most likely used for minecarts. Half a dozen torches, lit with teal flame, provided enough light to mostly illuminate the room. The central pillars and wooden supports were the only things that blocked their light. Speaking of supports, there were wooden supports everywhere, and they were even in correct-looking positions. Auora felt that the roof might actually cave in if she damaged or destroyed enough of them. Come to think of it... "Be careful of the support beams. Might be a trap linked to them to make the roof cave in on us," Auora commented. The others nodded and made agreeing noises. This dungeon went all-in on its themes, so she wouldn''t be surprised to learn they did collapse. "Well, which should we explore first?" Xerat asked, eyeing each of the three tunnels. "The middle one," Hallmark declared. "The minecart track might be important. I doubt the Guardian Arena is near the track, but it''s likely central to the tunnel network. Best to map it out now and make it easy on ourselves later." No one had any objections, so with some shrugs, they followed the man who was already striding away. After grabbing a torch from the wall, they followed the tracks for a while. It wasn''t a straight tunnel. Instead, it curved back and forth. At some curves, a smaller tunnel branched off. Sometimes they visibly rose or fell, and others stayed flat. They decided to mark down the locations and move on. They would have plenty of time to explore them later. Things got more interesting as they passed the sixth such split in the tunnel. They began hearing the Clink of picks striking stone. They were already moving quietly, but now they made an effort to make as little noise as possible. Completely silent, they moved down the side tunnel towards the rhythmic sound. It wasn''t long before they could see the source of the noise. Twelve lizard monsters of the same kind as the Third''s Guardian were swinging highly modified picks at the tunnel walls. Three were digging at the end of the tunnel, lengthening it, and putting supports from a pile on the ground into place. Another eight focused on the walls, where Auora could see veins of glittery silver ore. The final monster was on watch, keeping an eye on the tunnel. To its credit, it noticed Auora and her party quickly. A barked "HUMANS!" later, and the other eleven monsters turned to face the party. They formed up, pulling shields from their backs and shifting their grip on their picks, which drew Auora''s eye. The weapons were more than simple picks. One side of the head looked like a regular pick, but the back side was a blade arching down like a hand-axe. Their shields were circular and constructed of a greyish wood, clad in a silver metal that glinted not unlike the ore they were mining. Hallmark took point, striding toward the monsters with sword drawn and face expressionless. Xerat stayed where he was and began pulling water from the expanded pouches on his hips, molding them into whips. Chana raised her bow from her position next to Xerat and loosed the prepared arrow. The arrow flew straight and true until the monster she''d aimed for raised and angled its shield. The arrow glanced off the metal edging with sparks and embedded itself in the ceiling. Auora hefted her warhammer and followed Hallmark, charging to meet them as the monsters charged the guilders in turn. They were surprisingly skilled with their pickaxes, one managing to deflect her overhead strike to the side, letting it slam into the ground with not-insignificant force. At her left, Hallmark cut down the first monster; his diagonal slice separated its head from its shoulders and then continued onward to sever the arm of the monster next to it. As the headless corpse fell to the ground with the severed arm, the injured monster let out a wounded screech, and the other monsters cried out in despair. "Jivik, No!" "Get your Guard up!" "Get them!" As the battle continued, the monsters got more and more desperate. With each monster cut down, the remainder swore revenge anew. Eventually, only one monster remained. This one had better-looking gear. Though bruised, battered, and handless, he glared at them with pure hatred in his eyes. "Oh, well done. You must feel so proud of yourselves." It spat out, its biting tone full of venom. "And you call us monsters. Heh. The only monsters I see here are yo-" Hallmark''s sword lashed out one final time and severed the monster''s head. Auora looked around at the monster corpses in various states of dismemberment. This time, she really looked at them. Their armor was adorned with colorful feathers, no two having the same number, pattern, or location. Their weapons were of decent quality and looked made to fit their claws. As did the armor. Rather than the ill-fitting leathers of the lizards on the third floor, these fitted them perfectly¡ªChainmail, leather, and the same glittery metal used in their picks. They made this equipment, Auora realized. It wasn''t stolen or repurposed, as the lizard monster above had done. Instead, these were crafted just for the monsters, likely by other monsters. Blacksmithing was a challenging trade that only left a little time for other pursuits, so there had to be dedicated smiths making this stuff. As they looted the corpses for some of that shiny metal, taking one of each piece of equipment, Auora turned over the concept in her head. Perhaps... They were more than animals, parroting words or saying what the dungeon told them to. -0-0-0-0-0- The Drake-Kin Village, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- When the first drake-kin stumbled out of the barracks in her underclothes, looking down at her hand with fascination. The second appeared only thirty seconds later and became very emotional upon seeing his squad mate. He cried out, hugged her close, and she returned his embrace without hesitation. It took a minute for Kata to realize what was happening, and another two drake-kin had emerged from the barracks before she did. She''d known that the warriors were connected to ''respawn crystals'' by the du- The Creator, but she didn''t understand what it meant. The word respawn had no meaning. It was just a bunch of syllables smushed together. Snippets of previous conversations flashed through her mind. "Heua. What does respawn mean?" She asked the slate-grey drake-kin. Her friend had been walking with her before they''d witnessed the ever-increasing number of drake-kin emerge from the barracks. "It''s a word The Creator taught us that doesn''t have a direct translation in Phenocian," Heua replied in a lecturing tone. "The closest translation would be... ''Return From Death.'' Ah, You haven''t seen someone respawn, have you?" Kata shook her head, then raised a hand to gesture towards the twelve drake-kin in the massive cuddle pile on the ground. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "They returned from the dead? As in, the guilders killed them, and then...?" She trailed off, not knowing how to describe it. "Yes. The Creator linked them to large crystals, and upon death, their mana followed the connection back to the crystal. After a time, the crystal created a new body for them; one entirely identical to the one they possessed when they last touched the crystal. No new scars, no missing limbs. Only the memories of their demise," Heua continued sadly. "And memories of their squadmates cut down around them. The first to die is the luckiest, in that regard." They stood there for a while as Kata processed that. She shook her head. "We should go see if they''re okay," she stated. Heua nodded, and they slowly approached the monsters. Upon noticing the approaching duo, the drake-kin quickly extricated themselves from the pile and stood. They looked wary of her at first glance but seemed to recognize who she was after blinking a few times. "How are you all feeling?" Heua asked, "Holding it together?" The group all looked at one another for reassurance before nodding. "Yes, Huea. We... we weren''t prepared for what being killed would feel like. Thought about it, sure, but we didn''t know." One admitted to nods from his squadmates. Given the adornments on his armor, this one looked to be this squad''s leader. "I''m not surprised. From what I''ve been told, It''s not something you can really prepare for." Huea admitted, "If you want someone to talk to, the Kobold Hunters and Shaman on the Third have extensive experience with respawning." The group drew some strength from that and muttered thanks. "Thank you," the squad leader replied with a grateful nod. "We should prepare our reports on the guilders we encountered" The drake-kin spat out the word Guilder like an insult, and Kata winced slightly. The speaker noticed her flinch and looked like he regretted his tone immediately. "Sorry, Kata. Present company excluded, of course. You''ve proven yourself better than those monsters we fought. They didn''t even say anything. Just cut us down with those cold, dead eyes. I was the last one standing..." He took a deep breath and took comfort in the supportive claws placed on his back and shoulders. "I''m fine. We need to train more. They completely outclassed us." Kata frowned. "That doesn''t seem right." She stated, bringing one hand up to bite her thumbnail and frowning thoughtfully. "I know you''re all decently strong and skilled; you should have fared better than you say you did." The drake-kin shook his head. "These are different. They''re not like that Platinum raid group. The Isid-Haythem-Cliche raid group, I think The Creator called them. These ones... there are only four of them. I think they''re the remnants of a larger party the Creator managed to disrupt a month ago." He shook his head again. "They''re much, much stronger." He shivered. Kata and Huea stood there as the group wandered back into their barracks. They were the first squad wiped that day, but far from the only one. Another five squads respawned, and each said the same thing. A group of four guilders, incredibly strong and fast. A male water mage, an archer with enchanted arrows, a robed woman wielding a warhammer, and a man with a complete set of plate armor and a longsword. Their weapons pierced scale with minimal resistance; If that was the quality of the weapon or the strength behind each strike, it was unclear. The close quarters of the Seventh meant that the archer and mage were restricted in how they could support the melee fighters, but it hardly mattered. To the drake-kin, they were indomitable. The last drake-kin to respawn stated he''d overheard them speaking before he bled out. They were keeping score. Or, at least, the armored one was. He''d laughed as he bragged that he''d killed more than double that the woman had. When Kata heard this, her temper boiled over. She''d been hearing of how these guilders had slaughtered the drake-kin for hours now, many of whom she''d trained personally. In fact, those she''d trained were the ones who''d fared the best. Kata had found herself promising more intense training sessions with more than five dozen drake-kin that day. Hearing of the callous cruelty, the rejection of even the concept that the drake-kin were rational, thinking beings... That they were keeping score of how many they''d killed for something as minor as bragging rights... Kata made her decision. "I reject them." She stated emphatically, causing Huea and the group of drake-kin most recently respawned to stop and stare at her. "I reject the guilders, my fellow humans. This place is my home. It has become my home. You have welcomed me and treated me with respect and kindness. Despite the fact I once fought your cousins, the Kobolds. I killed them without mercy, and when Mushu captured me, I was your prisoner. But living down here, amongst you all, I''ve learned something. You''re people, just trying to live your lives." Her voice faltered slightly, seeing the dozens of drake-kin who''d been drawn to her rant. "You released me from my bonds. You''ve shown me trust and love. I''ve trained your youth. I''ve cooked and shared meals with many of you. Some of you I consider closer friends than any I made among my people." She looked to Huea, who stood there, slack-jawed. "I pledge myself to The Creator. To the Medea Island Dungeon." -0-0-0-0-0- The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Titan clung desperately to the iceberg as it drifted towards Isla Feugo. He wasn''t the first to make the crossing; that honor went gone to Igna and her personal attendants. After their cold vessel''s first voyage had ended with it half-melted and barely staying afloat, Wave had declared he would only make a few more trips before resorting to ''Plan C.'' Maintaining the ''berg and regenerating it was taxing to the shaman, ice not being his element even if it was related. Titan was glad he wouldn''t have to experience Plan C. Being underwater and only protected from the ocean by a thin bubble of mana... The very thought terrified him. As it was, He was once again in his smallest form. It was a most uncomfortable experience. He felt weak. Unprotected. Vulnerable. To make it worse, he was clinging to the gently rocking glass surface of the iceberg, desperately holding in as much of his natural heat as he could to prevent it from melting. Melting meant sinking, which meant the water level rising around him, which meant- Stop. Calm. Titan did his best to close off his senses and focused entirely on his core within his molten stone body. Well, it was mostly solid; only a thin layer around the core itself was actually molten. Said core was probably one of the best things to ever happen to him. Once one among uncountable sprites in the Realm of Fire, he''d become more here. He was unique among his kind. A Fire Spirit who had taken in Earth mana upon his transformation. A dual spirit of Earth and Fire. The elements had not combined to create metal as he had expected. Instead, they existed together, bolstering and supporting the other. Earth gave Fire a solid form, while Fire granted Earth its ever-changing nature. If he had to give this state a name, He''d call himself a Lava Spirit. He was able to move through stone and lava with unparalleled ease and manipulate the earth around him like it was his body. In this self-reflective state, the rest of the trip felt like it''d passed in seconds. The moment the ice hit the shore, Titan leaped into the air. He landed solidly on the stony beach and felt a wave of relief. He''d done it! And now that he was here... Titan relaxed his hold over his internal fire, letting the molten area grow. Soon enough, the only solid sections were the plates of stone that moved across his body''s surface. With a flex of will, the rock he stood on began flowing into him, and he grew. Though, he noted it was much slower than usual. He found it harder to gather the stone, and iIt took a moment of observation to understand. The ground beneath him was part of the expanded space. It''s edge. It was so hard because he was pulling in stone from outside the expanded space. When he reached a more respectable height, Titan stopped pulling the stone entirely. Best not to take too much, just in case he messed something up. Now satisfied, he let his senses sweep the area around him. To his embarrassment, Igna was hovering before him, radiating amusement. The other Spirits who had joined him on the trip were similarly amused. "If you''re quite done?" Igna asked, sending the impression of a raised eyebrow. Titan nodded, subdued. "I am." He sent back. She turned and waved for him to follow, and he did so. His enormous strides shook the earth with each step, and the disgruntlement his earth-bound peers experienced brought him some small measure of joy. He turned slightly to wave at the smirking monster, who waved back. "I am glad you''ve arrived." Igna projected. "My attendants and I have made a start on our new home, but your help will greatly accelerate our progress. Yours especially, Titan. A great amount of earth needs to be moved if we wish to make a space able to house the rest of the court." Titan sent back his agreement, pleased with the compliment. As the only Spirit in the court able to manipulate stone, he wasn''t surprised at the request. They passed a forest of blackened, charred trees. Though one would expect them to be dead or dying, to his astonishment, they were alive and well, even thriving! He once again felt awe at the capabilities of their Contractor. After passing the forest, they came upon the volcano''s foothills, where Igna stopped and began relaying instructions. Titan rolled his giant stone shoulders and got to work. He reshaped the stone beneath him with each step; Flagstones came into being, marking the future road. He continued until the slope became sharper, and the road became a staircase. An hour later, he was at the volcano''s caldera, carving a path on the inside, down towards the lava level. He molded a bridge that widened into a platform, which sat at the center of the lake of lava. He pulled a Throne Igna''s size out of the far end of the platform. It was simple, but it''d do for now. He cracked his stone knuckles, the sound echoing off the caldera''s walls. If this place was to be their home, he would make it look like it. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2023 Chapter 71 -0-0-0-0-0- Tear''s Forge, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- It''d been two days since the humans began their exploration of the Seventh, and Tear could at least say that with every loss, they improved. Every squad not patrolling the mines was training. If they weren''t doing either, they were eating or sleeping. The spark had been lit. Tear could see it in their eyes; the drive to improve. In that steely glint, the set of their jaw and the tense posture they''d all adopted. They barely stopped to recover before throwing themselves back into it. Of course, it''d only been two days. They wouldn''t suddenly have the power or skill to overcome the invaders relentlessly exploring and mapping their home. Every squad that encountered the four humans was slaughtered to a monster. But each time they fought, they lasted longer. With each fight, they learned more. After every fight, the drake-kin who''d fought wrote down their experience, and Tear read every report thoroughly. He learned of their fighting styles, how they reacted, and any openings the drake-kin could spot. Training took up a lot of his time. Thankfully, he''d already finished his armor and weapon. He stood on a raised platform as his apprentices fussed over the armor, ensuring it fits perfectly. One of the apprentices, Jita Rubyeyes, pulled a strap on his arm tight, making the large monster wince. "Careful there. Don''t want to cut off circulation." He cautioned, brow raised. The contrite girl nodded and loosened the strap a notch. "Sorry, Master," she mumbled, embarrassed. He just smiled patiently at her and gently patted the monster''s head. She was the youngest of his apprentices, only three weeks old. "No harm done," he answered. "Keep it in mind, and move on. I don''t have long before I need to fight." She nodded thoughtfully and focused on ensuring all the pieces were attached correctly. Another apprentice, Gore Hardscale, approached with his weapon. The young drake-kin could barely lift the thing, struggling under the sheer weight. He managed well enough until he was only a few feet away. He lost his balance, falling forward. In a single smooth motion, Tear reached down and gripped the shaft. The weapon''s momentum was stopped immediately, and Gore stumbled again at the loss of weight. With an effortless air, Tear lifted the enormous warhammer and let his eyes check the craftwork. He''d taken inspiration from a particularly vivid dream and had done his best to replicate what he could remember. The weapon''s shaft was as tall as he was, breaching the eight-foot mark. It was made of the Mithril-Moonsilver alloy and covered in glowing runes. With a flex of will, he let mana seep through his hands and into the enchantment, activating it. It was simple, and while far from his first enchantment, he was most proud of this one. The runes would accelerate the passage of mana passing through them. They would direct it to flow as fast as possible between wherever his hands were on the shaft and the head. It also worked in reverse, taking mana from the head and returning it to his hands. And with the oversized head, Tear knew it would do some damage. Speaking of, the head was indeed enormous. At its heart, it was a two-foot, one-foot, one-foot rectangle. The edges were cut away at a 45-degree angle, and each side of the solid metal block was carved with runes. Unlike the shaft, these runes would increase the hammer''s weight the more mana within them. If he took mana out, it would decrease. Tear couldn''t wait to try it out, and he let a vicious grin out as he tested the enchantment, nodding with satisfaction when it acted as expected. At that moment, all three of his current apprentices stood back, their jobs complete. He was as ready as he could be. Tear stepped off the podium, lightening the warhammer as he went, and swung the weapon over his shoulders. Gore looked at him with envy, eyeing the ease with which he hefted the hammer he''d been struggling with moments before. "What are you standing around for? Get back to work," Tear demanded, prompting the three youths to jump and immediately beeline for their stations. Each had a quota of basic Iron weapons to forge, and he would only let them work with Mithril once they demonstrated sufficient quality. Satisfied, Tear moved to his quarters and knelt before the respawn crystal embedded in the wall. He didn''t have time to go through his regular ablutions, but this would do. As the sound of hammers on iron rang through the forges, he began his prayer. "Oh, Creator, I confront the vile humans who invade our home today. I confess, I doubt I am the one best suited for the role you have granted me," he stated. "I am no great warrior. I am a smith. I make tools of war, but I have never wielded one in battle. Despite this doubt... I believe you''ve chosen me for this role for a reason. Perhaps it is not yet obvious, but I''m sure it will be in time." His piece said; Tear reached forward and placed his hands on the crystal, letting mana flow into the glowing facets. After a minute of the glow slowing building, the crystal flashed and dimmed back to its average level. He stood, the candle of faith in his heart burning like a bonfire. Suited or not. Worthy or not. The Creator had faith in him. Tear would not disappoint Him. -0-0-0-0-0- The Guardian''s Area, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Auora Isirtine was... conflicted. The last two days had been a blur of exploration and slaughter. They had combed every inch of the mines, mapping as they went and taking samples of all the metals they came across. Of course, they fought every group of monsters that came their way. They were no challenge at first. They were slow and weak; killing them took barely a thought. About twelve hours into their exploration, Auora noticed that she''d killed this monster before. She remembered the look in its eyes and the arrangement of its horns. The armor it wore was identical, down to the scratches and collection of feathers. After that fight, she stared at the cooling corpse until Xerat touched her shoulder. "You okay there, Auora? You have an odd look on your face." He asked, concerned. She nodded, turning to face him. "I''m fine. Do these monsters look familiar to you?" She inquired, with a raised eyebrow. The man glanced across the fallen monsters, and she saw when he realized the same thing she had. He glanced back at her with furrowed brow and a slightly dropped jaw. "Yes, they do. Now that I''m looking, I distinctly remember these. They were the first group we found, the one''s mining." He paused for a second. "To be honest, this doesn''t change much. They''re still monsters in our way. Besides, we already knew at least some of the Guardians... returned from the dead. That it''s not just the guardians is interesting, though." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He walked away, rubbing his chin. Auora knelt to look at the corpse a bit more closely. This one... This was the one that called them monsters. Unlike last time, Auora herself had been the one to kill it. Where Hallmark had run it through with a sword, she''d hit the side of its head with her warhammer. Hard. After that fight, every group they encountered was familiar. And they got better. This strange method they used to return from death, it clearly preserved their memories up until the moment they perished. She found them predicting her swings, though they weren''t quite fast enough to dodge. Instead, they brought up their shields at an angle to her strike to deflect it away without taking the full force of the blow. The first time it''d happened, she''d been shocked. By the fifth, she was more annoyed than anything else. No move worked twice. At least, never to the same degree. Auora''d had to get inventive, using moves she hadn''t even thought of in years. Despite the annoyance, Auora found it... refreshing. She felt like she was really improving, rather than overwhelming her enemies with her sheer speed and strength. Near the end of the first day, they encountered the first non-lizard monsters they''d seen on the floor. They hadn''t seen it at first and almost passed it entirely. Xerat had been tracing his hand along the right-hand wall when a section of the rock reached up and grabbed him. Their ambush sprung, a dozen manabeings emerged from the wall and attacked. Like the Sixth, these were most likely Spirits or Fairies. They were incredibly effective in the confines of the tunnel, twisting the rock under their feet in an attempt to unbalance the humans. Others pelted them with boulders, and yet more began to bring the roof down on them. It was touch-and-go for a minute there, but they managed to clear the manabeings out before the roof destabilized enough to collapse, barely getting out of the way in time. They were bruised, sporting dozens of new rashes and scrapes, but they''d survived. After that, the groups of lizards were occasionally joined by two or three of the manabeings. Their aid certainly made the fights more difficult. They acted in every way they could to trip, unbalance, and distract the guilders enough for the monsters to take advantage. But that was over the last two days. Now, they had finally located the Guardian''s arena. Hallmark had been correct that it would be off in a strange corner. The door was through several side passages, each more decrepit looking than the last. Once they''d gotten through that final passage... The Guardian''s door was intricately carved with symbols and images, and the rock around the door was carved into the shape of bricks. This room was the most carefully decorated and carved one they''d encountered on the floor. Torches that burned with a teal light sat in stone sconces shaped like cupped hands, throwing strange shadows across the room. "Let''s kill whatever the Guardian is, quickly," Hallmark spat. His foul mood had not improved at the time it had taken them to get here, nor the slowing increasing capability the lizard monsters had shown. "If it''s another manabeing, I swear I''ll..." He trailed off into mumbling obscenities and threats, some of which Auora was sure were impossible to carry out. After checking their gear, they pushed the doors open and entered the arena. The room was unlike any they had encountered before in this dungeon. This room was long and rectangular, whereas previous arenas were typically flat and circular. It was also tiered, with Auora and the others entering at the lowest tier. There were three tiers, with only one staircase moving from one tier to the next. Each set of stairs sat on opposite ends of their respective levels. On each platform... Every single lizard monster they''d encountered was here. Some guarded the stairs with their picks, while others drew arrows on strange-looking bows. Some were robed in intricate-looking clothes and hefted staffs topped with glowing monster cores. At the top was a monster standing head and shoulders above the rest, a warhammer of truly ridiculous proportions slung across its shoulders. It was covered entirely by an intricate set of armor, one that glowed from the runic script scrawled across it. "You are Judged!" It shouted, and its booming, masculine voice reached them clearly, despite the distance. "I, Tear of the Drake-Kin, name you Murderers and Thieves. You kill my people without remorse for no reason other than that you can. You take their armor, their weapons, and their personal effects. I name you Intruders and Invaders, for you are not welcome here!" It swung that ridiculous warhammer like it was weightless. Auora felt a sliver of fear amongst her growing caution and doubt. The statues lining the walls began moving, revealing themselves to be manabeings. The largest of these, one more than double the size of the others, loomed behind the Guardian. Auora couldn''t help but feel that this fight... would be legendary. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Wave sighed as he stared at the remains of the iceberg. Despite his efforts to preserve it, it was unsuitable as any kind of transport now. The glass had worked for a time, but it had still let the heat of the spirits through, compounding the fact that the waters weren''t cold enough to sustain the iceberg for long. And so, he pushed the hunk of ice off the beach and let it float away. He''d known it wouldn''t work forever, and he had no intention of trying to make a new one. Ice wasn''t his primary element, and crafting the last ''berg had exhausted him. He did not want to put himself through that every few days. "Right. That''s plan B sunk," he chirped, though he didn''t feel that cheerful. "Which means it''s time for plan C!" "What''s plan C?" The Molten Golem he was standing beside asked, their mental voice hesitant. "Why, Plan C is walking along the bottom of the ocean while maintaining a bubble of air to keep the water off you lot," he stated. He could feel the wave of terror that swept through the sprites surrounding him. "... Can we just stay here?" One asked, to a chorus of silent agreement. "Nope," Wave said, popping the p and deflating their hopes," I promised your Queen to get all of you over to Isla Fuego. And I will. I think this method will be much easier for me to maintain than the iceberg. Water''s my element, you know? Takes far less mana to manipulate." He turned to face the large group of sprites. They were in various forms, inhabiting bodies of stone and different metals. Some were just free-floating. "So, I''m going to take you over in groups of ten. Sort out amongst yourselves who''s going first. I need to prep the spell." He turned away and smirked as the sprites all rushed to throw each other under the bus. Wait... What''s a bus? Ah, never mind. In less than ten minutes, Wave was ready and surrounded by the ten ''Volunteers'' participating in this first crossing. They were all Magma Golems since, theoretically, they were the least vulnerable to the water. As long as they kept their mana constrained to a thin ''skeleton-like'' structure through the stone, they could move and constrict themselves to their cores at a moment''s notice. If his spell did end up failing and the bubble collapsed? They would be safe in their stone shells until he could rescue them. He was faintly disgruntled at the lack of trust in his magical ability but let it slide. That they were even attempting the crossing in the first place was amazing. Fire manabeings, voluntarily moving underwater? It was a miracle, indeed. "Here we go!" Wave stated, taking the first step. The golems all made sure to move in time with him. They approached the water''s edge, and Wave began channeling the spell. The waterline began to recede ahead of him, then moved out of the way. Then they were staring out into the ocean through walls of water. Then they got deep enough that he had to close the bubble, letting water flow all around them. The experience was... breathtaking. For Wave, it was beautiful. The sheer mass of water, as well as seeing the fish swimming around, was awe-inspiring. For the Golems, Wave was sure it was breathtaking in the sense that they weren''t breathing from terror. Not that they breathed anyway; it was just an expression. Either way, the trip lasted about four hours. The distance they traveled wasn''t great, but navigating underwater was a lot harder with how cloudy the water got after a certain distance. He may have gotten turned around a little, but next time would be much quicker! Wave noted that it would be sunset soon as they broke the water''s surface at Isla Fuego. He''d have to spend the night on the island before returning since trying to walk the ocean floor in the dark sounded suicidal. Wave noted that Agni was waiting for them as they approached the beach. "Ah, Agni. I deliver unto you the first group of fire sprites to walk the ocean floor." Wave felt the Spirit''s attention lift from him and settle upon the group of golems who had just stumbled onto the beach and knelt there as veins of magma reappeared across their bodies. "Thank you, Wave. Your continued aid is greatly appreciated. They seem unharmed, but for the existential terror and relief at being once more under the open sky." The Spirit relayed, humor in its tone. "Oh, they''re fine," Wave waved off. "Didn''t get a drop on ''em. And despite how long it took, it was far easier for me than trying to steer that iceberg. By the way, can I impose upon you for the night? I feel that attempting to swim back in the dark will be... difficult." The Spirit dipped in acknowledgment, and the recovered Magma Golems made their way up the path. It was a lovely path, lined with torches and even paved! "You are welcome to stay. We have rooms prepared for visiting Children and would love your feedback." Agni replied, sending Wave a mental image of a basic-looking dwelling superficial similar to those found in Kobold and Drake-kin villages. "I''d be happy to. Also, I''ve had plenty of time to think up a few ideas on the trip over. Could I bother you for a large piece of wood? I have a project I''d like to attempt." -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 72 -0-0-0-0-0- Tear''s Arena, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Tear stared down at the guilders as they fought to reach the final tier, where he stood. They were already halfway across the second tier; more than four dozen corpses and shattered golems lay in their wake. "They''re skilled; I''ll give them that. Their strength is almost overwhelming," Tear told the earth spirit looming over him. Tear appreciated his company; Sonum was quiet, preferring silence to meaningless chatter. A far cry from the hustle and bustle of the village these days. In this case, he received a feeling of mild agreement and a burst of anticipation rather than words. "Eager, huh? I don''t get it, but this is a first for us both." Sonum sent a feeling of confusion. "Oh, you know," Tear continued. "This is to be our first clash with invaders, our first real taste of combat." He flexed his fists around the shaft of his enormous warhammer and chuckled lightly. "Got the idea for this thing from Totanam, you know? He told me about the sword that guilder man is using, that one there." He gestured to the armored man as he brought the longsword down in a vicious slash. "I figured it''d be ironic to use their own tricks against them. We''ll just have to see how it goes." The spirit sent back a feeling of amusement. Clearly, he agreed. Tear watched the battle below carefully, noting how his people were faring against the guilders. The answer? Decently. It''d been fourish hours since the battle began, and it showed. The guilders were slowing, while the drake-kin they fought were fresh and ready. The humans were getting sloppy, and each bore at least one new cut on otherwise flawless skin. The armored human had yet to spill a single drop, but the dents in his armor proved that he was also tiring. Despite their exhaustion and sloppiness, they still pushed through the drake-kin and stone golems, if slower than they had initially. It had once taken less than a minute to kill three monsters, but now it took at least three to kill a single one. They also took advantage of their strengths and the monster''s weaknesses wherever they could. The melee fighters, the armored man and robed woman, could easily smash and destroy the golems in their way and, in fact, moved to counter any that showed themselves. Not all the statues positioned in the alcoves in the wall were golems, which did well to keep the element of surprise. The archer and water mage were better suited for precision attacks, which let them take advantage of the gaps in a drake-kin''s armor. Tear noted those gaps and idly began thinking about minimizing or covering them. It wasn''t long after that the guilders finally made it up to the actual arena. Tear had positioned himself at the far side while Sonum loomed over him in the largest form the spirit could support. The arena was circular, made up of alternating rings of rough stone and polished iron. The stone sections were carved with decorative runes; each inlaid with moonsilver. Tear could ''activate'' the runes easily by putting some mana into them, the conductive material needing little mana to glow as intended. They did little else. While it was likely The Creator could make the runes activate an enchantment, right now, they were there as a decoy. A distraction. A trick. A Ruse! Tear shook his head to clear it, then stared levelly at the humans. "Well done," he drawled sarcastically. "You''ve slaughtered your way through my people to reach me. You must know by now that it accomplishes little. They''ll be back with all their knowledge and skills." He lowered the weight of his hammer further and began to spin it. With each revolution, it got faster. At its current weight, it would do little to harm them, but as intimidation, it did its job exceptionally well. "As will I. As will all the monsters and manabeings you''ve killed. You''ve accomplished nothing." The armored guilder stepped forward with his longsword pointed up and held in both hands. "You all know the plan. Go!" At his declaration, the other three humans burst into motion. They moved sideways, spreading out to surround the Boss Monster and Spirit. Tear stopped spinning the hammer abruptly and slammed the hilt against the ground. At the moment he did, Tear let some mana leak out of his feet and into the runes he stood upon. The runes began glowing faintly, spreading out from where he was standing and prompting the guilders to beat a hasty retreat. "What is this!?" the armored one exclaimed. Tear and Sonum didn''t give them time to confer. They went on the attack immediately, hoping to disrupt the guilders and ruin whatever plan they''d been working on. Sonum moved left, intercepting the water mage and archer. From previous observation, he should be largely immune to their attacks and could keep them busy. After all, piercing arrows and water whips wouldn''t do much but chip stone. Tear approached the robed woman and armored man, beginning to swing his hammer around, never moving at more than a slow walk as he did. By the time he reached them, they were tense and preparing to dodge. The hammer moved at a decent clip, and Tear swung at the man when the time was right. The guilder tensed and dodged backward. Having anticipated this, Tear stopped the swing just as it passed the man, and he thrust it forward. The moment before impact, he increased the weight dramatically. Having kept its velocity, but with a now increased weight... The man was thrown backward off the edge of the tier, falling head over heels down the staircase. Tear lowered the weight and swung left, increasing it again when the woman''s warhammer impacted it. She was shocked when her weapon was the one flung back, Tear''s hammer having far more momentum and mass behind it. He turned to face her properly and smirked at the curses he could hear from the man still falling down the stairs. The fight was going well, and, for once, he understood Mushu. This was fun. -0-0-0-0-0- Tear''s Arena, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Auora faced down the Guardian, Tear. Alone. Hallmark had been tricked and unceremoniously thrown down the very same staircase they''d fought so long to climb. She could see Xerat and Chana dodging the huge Earth Manabeing, their attacks doing only minor damage. Auora and Hallmark would have fared much better against the being, as per their plan, but she supposed this was the Guardian''s plan. "You are far more intelligent than Hallmark claims, right?" she asked as they began circling each other. The Guardian snorted with amusement. "Only just catching on, are you? I''ve heard of his opinions," the Guardian sneered at the last word. "We are more than mere puppets. The Creator guides us, certainly, but we can think and plan all on our own." At the final word, he lunged. Wary of his ability to halt and redirect his hammer''s momentum, Auora kept on her toes, never leaving the ground entirely. To do so was to remove her ability to dodge completely, and would only lead to being struck. Their intricate dance continued for a little more than a minute. Tear swung, and Auora dodged. Auora swung, and Tear countered. Neither could land a blow, the Guardian no longer having the advantage of surprise. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. This balance was broken when Hallmark returned to the fight. Auora had carefully maneuvered the Guardian to face away from the edge throughout their battle to give the knight an opening. One he took advantage of at the first opportunity he found. The man sprinted up the stairs, leaping off the final one with his sword falling in an overhead strike. Auora saw the runes along its length glowing as the enchantment kicked in. The slight noise he made as he ran must have been enough for the Guardian to hear since he spun like a top, the runes on his enormous hammer glowing just as Hallmark''s sword did. When they impacted, edge-on-face... Man and monster were thrown away by the force of the impact, their weapons ripped from their grips and flung across the room in opposite directions. Auora ducked as the hammer flew over her head at speed, crashing into the ground and leaving a short gouge in the stone. Hallmark''s sword had sheathed itself in the rock after leaving three thin slashes in its wake. Hallmark and the Guardian glared at each other and, almost in sync, turned to rush for their respective weapons. Auora intercepted Tear as he approached, swinging her hammer at the monster''s knees. He jumped, and Auora grinned in triumph. She continued the swing, gaining momentum, and when it came back around, her hammer hit the Guardian with full force on its arm, which it had raised. She heard the sickening crack as it landed and saw the wince the monster gave. She was sure she''d just broken its arm. At least. With Auora intercepting the monster, Hallmark was the first to reach his weapon. He pulled the sword from the stone with a grunt of effort and turned to face the Guardian. Tear lashed out with his uninjured arm, and Auora was unprepared for how fast he did it. She was only thrown back a few yards, but it was enough for the monster to push past her to pick up his weapon. He grabbed it and turned, already swinging, to intercept Hallmark''s diagonal slash. The man had rushed the Guardian in the moments since reacquiring his weapon. Tear was a second too slow, and Hallmark severed his hands. The Guardian''s hammer fell to the ground with a clatter, his hands still clenched tightly around the shaft. The monster was frozen, staring at his stumps when Hallmark''s second swing intercepted his neck. It didn''t go all the way through, getting stuck on the monster''s neck. The force of the swing pushed him over, and Hallmark fell with him. Hallmark removed his sword, then brought it down on the partially-severed neck again. And again. Only when the head was disconnected entirely did he stop, breathing heavily and with his shoulders heaving. He stood, removed his sword from where it had become lodged in the stone from his final strike, and took a deep breath, wincing. He put a hand to his heavily dented chestplate for a moment, then stood and rolled his neck "Oh, I enjoyed that." He reached down, picked up the helmed head, and shoved it unceremoniously into one of his pouches. "Take that, you sanctimonious piece of shit." He ran a gauntleted hand through his hair and turned to face Auora. "Time to finish this. Go help Chana and Xerat. I''ll join you in a minute." He ordered, and Auora backed away slowly before turning to aid her party members. The look in Hallmark''s eyes... She was reminded at that moment why he was the most dangerous person in the group. It wasn''t his strength, speed, or skill. It was the madness that lurked beneath his genial fa?ade. It didn''t help that the hand he''d run through his hair was covered in blood and gore. After an attempt to lift the monster''s incredible hammer, which refused to even budge for her, Auora walked away. She heard the sound of steel on flesh, and she didn''t turn to look back. Hallmark was right about one thing... Xerat and Chana were faring poorly. She winced as she saw Chana thrown back by a limb that swung faster than expected, impacting the woman''s chest. Yes, they definitely needed her aid. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island. -0-0-0-0-0- Pyry roosted above The First Peak, gazing down at the path leading from the cavern''s wall. It was there that four humans stopped and, after a brief moment to assess their surroundings, began trudging up the mountain. She narrowed her eyes at them and felt sparks jump between the tips of her feathers in agitation. If they were here, they''d made it past Tear. She''d heard of their plan to exhaust the guilders to better their chances. That they''d lost was... disappointing. She supposed she couldn''t blame the Drake-kin or the manabeings. These humans were of a different caliber. Pyry raised her wings and launched herself off her stone perch with a piercing cry, which she enhanced with air mana even as she used another burst of mana to provide more lift. As she passed the guilders, they ducked underneath a nearby overhang. Objectively, the correct response to a flying predator. In this case? Foolish. Another cry, with a flex of will, and a bolt of lightning struck the overhang, causing a small avalanche that buried them in snow. She knew there''d be a space with air inside, but it should take them hours to dig themselves out, further slowing their progress. Pyry hoped they would turn back entirely, but if not... She was prepared to make their trek to her nest a lengthy, Painful experience. She flew off to Icicle Village, the snowbold village on the second peak. She dove, fearlessly, towards a solid-looking rock face. She passed through the illusion without a sound and found herself within the cavern. She spread her wings wide and all but halted her momentum with another burst of air mana. She landed gently on the perch the villagers had designed for her. Within a minute, a harried-looking snowbold pushed through the growing crowd. She was one of the few shamans in the village, as testified by her staff and bevy of charms. After she reached the raised platform that would bring her to Pyry''s eye level, the Thunderhawk felt the tentative mental probing. Pyry judged it a better attempt than the last attempt the shaman made, and reached out with her own mental probe. She''d been granted a lesson in the ability by the Fire Court''s Queen as she''d passed through Pyry''s domain. The difference in the strength of Pyry''s probe compared to the snowbold''s displayed the benefit she''d gained from that encounter. "Shaman Sluice. You''ve improved." Pyry complimented. "Thank you, and welcome to our Village, Pyry. What news do you bring?" The shaman asked, sounding apprehensive. She must have known what news the Boss would deliver and feared the answer she''d be given. Unlike the drake-kin, who had many Respawn Crystals, the snowbolds had a much smaller amount. Only enough for two small squads per village. They weren''t ready to fight the humans as the Drake-kin had. "Tear has fallen, and the humans have breached the Eighth. Prepare, but do not panic. I am unsure if they are going to attempt to push through the eighth now or if they will retreat. The intelligent thing to do would be to retreat, regroup, and return more prepared..." She trailed off, but she felt that the shaman understood what she meant, "However, we can''t predict the motivations of guilders. I understand, great Pyry. Our thanks for the news. You wish us to spread it to the other villages?" "Indeed. If they do press on, I will harry the humans as much as possible. If they do not, I will return to my nest within the day." "I''ll send the messengers immediately. Be careful, Pyry." The snowbold answered. Pyry raised her head and wings, prompting the shaman to step back. "Of course," Pyry replied, "I''m me, after all." The boss monster flapped her wings and launched herself into the air again, quickly gaining speed as she passed through the illusionary wall. Once more soaring through the skies around her mountains, Pyry performed a full lap of the floor. She first checked where she trapped the humans and saw them digging themselves out of their snowy prison. She would admit to a brief feeling of disappointment when they returned to the entrance rather than pushing on. She let out one final mocking cry before they passed through the doorway and laughed to herself when they moved faster. While she was here, Pyry let her gaze pass over the rest of the floor. The wide path the Manabeings had left as they passed through had already been entirely covered, one of the side benefits of the blizzards every second day. Any paths forged through the snow were quickly erased, which would be even more helpful when the guilders made it here more regularly. And Pyry knew they''d make it here eventually. It was inevitable. The long rope bridge was swinging gently in the breeze, for now. Pyry could make the valley the bridge spanned gust whenever she wished, causing the bridge to twist and lurch. She eyed the avalanche trap and couldn''t wait to watch it come rumbling down on top of some deserving guilders. There were numerous other traps scattered across the Peaks. Traps that dropped rocks on narrow paths, ledges that collapsed as you passed over them, and so on. Pyry''s favorite was the deceptively deep snowdrifts designed to drop hapless humans into a bevy of thin crevasses they''d need to escape. She noted that there were roaming patrols of Ice Foxes and Snowbolds across all three mountains and remembered that she''d have to let them know the humans had left... After a few hours. It would do them good to be on alert like this for a while. Pyry returned to her empty nest and sighed. She did wish The Creator had found a male Hawk so she could have a mate. She lived in hope. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2023 Chapter 73 -0-0-0-0-0- The Guildmistress''s Office, The Guild, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Layla entered her office briskly, her lips pursed and brow furrowed. She was quickly followed by Felin, her aunt, and her uncle. She sat at her desk, and Felin shut the door behind them. A mana pulse into the enchanted metal plate at her desk activated the room''s privacy enchantments, and Layla leaned forward on her elbows. "We have a problem," she started before her aunt and uncle had had a chance to sit down. "The four remaining members of the Hero''s Descendant party were last seen four days ago. No ship has docked or left the island in that time. I''ve personally scanned the entire island for any sign of them, and they aren''t on the surface." She let the silence hang for a moment before her aunt filled it. "Meaning, the only place they could be... is the dungeon," Isid stated. When Layla nodded, Isid continued. "Since you didn''t know where they were, I assume they snuck in after hours. How did they sneak past the guards?" "The guards on duty the night they entered the dungeon were bribed. They''ve since been fired from their positions," Layla stated. "While we''re lax with associated guilders, we expect integrity from those we hire for such important positions. I intend to have them leave on the next ship that graces our shores. Their bribe was confiscated," she shook her head with a sigh. "They sold themselves rather cheaply, to be honest." "So they bribed the guards and snuck into the dungeon... just after we learned it is unable to defend itself to the level it has previously." Jerrad summarized. "Did Haythem or Paetor slip them any information?" Layla shook her head again. "First thing I checked. The bribed guards let them in a few hours before that meeting. They couldn''t have said anything." Jerrad nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. "Then it''s a coincidence. But why enter the dungeon at night?" He continued, looking a little lost. "Isn''t it obvious?" Layla asked with a raised brow. "They didn''t want anyone to know they were in the dungeon. Of course, they didn''t expect us to be watching them so closely. I knew they''d disappeared within a day of it happening. The guilders I pay to keep an eye on their comings and goings called in that they hadn''t seen them." "They must have planned to leave under cover of night; otherwise, the entrance guards would have noticed they were leaving but hadn''t entered." Isid theorized. Layla nodded. "The bribed guards admitted they''d shared the guard rotation with the group, so they could plan for which nights were safe to leave. When they leave, we''ll be ready for them." "If they leave," Felin snorted, getting the other''s attention. "I had the thought when Layla told me they''d snuck in. Asked around the market. They''ve been buying a lot of food. Preserved, mostly, and that''ll last even longer in expanded bags. They could also hunt and eat some monsters, like fish. They''ve also stocked up on potions, and the blacksmith sold them two spare weapons each. The archer Chana bought every single arrow for sale on the island. There''s been some grumbling about that." Layla stared at him with a fond expression. He looked back, staring between the three Losats with that confused look she found adorable. "What?" "Nothing, Felin. Good thinking," Layla complimented. She turned to Isid and Jerrad and caught the knowing glances they gave each other. Layla cleared her throat, staring right at them. Isid tilted her head with a half-smile but didn''t say whatever she''d been about to. "Knowing that... Who knows how long they''d be able to stretch this little excursion. They might not leave until..." Isid trailed off. "Until they shatter the Core, fulfilling the bounty." Layla finished gravely. "We can''t let that happen." Isid nodded, obviously understanding, but the men in the room looked confused. "You remember the balls of light? In the ceiling of most places in the dungeon?" She asked, and they nodded. "They are in a precarious balance. The mana inside wants to explode outward, but another force holds the whole thing together. I fear if the dungeon is shattered... they''ll destabilize. Explosively." The men paled. "We don''t know how many there are, but later floors have even larger versions. The one on the Sixth is enormous!" Isid reminded her husband, who nodded. "While something to be wary of... we can''t know how big the explosions would be. They could scour their caverns but no further." He theorized. "While a good theory, we can''t test it," Layla stated, "The shockwave from all those mana lights exploding at once could burst out of the dungeon''s entrance and destroy the town. Remember, there''s one in the first room on the first floor. For all we know, that one alone could blow the whole island to bits." "So we can''t let them do it," Felin interjected, getting their attention again. "Send our best to meet them and inform them of the danger. Anything that could destroy the island would undoubtedly kill them too. Given how many of them left after three of their party died... I think they''d prefer life over gold." Layla nodded. "You''re right, of course," she agreed. "They''re ignorant of the danger, so we must inform them. We should have revealed what we knew about the lights before now. It would probably have done much more to dissuade those trying to kill it and might have saved a few lives." "Or encourage others to destroy it, to kill all of us." "Or that, yes. I''ll get the map. You''ll probably need it." Layla opened her desk. -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Auora shivered, despite the heat of their surroundings. "Okay. It looks like they''ve marked... here, here, and here as somewhere safe to spend the night." Chana stated, wincing as she pointing out places on the map. Auora glanced over, eying said map as she did. She still wasn''t happy Chana stole it... but as long as they returned it, everything would be fine. The archer winced again, then chugged another health potion. She''d been hit in the chest by the Earth Elemental and broken a lot of her ribs. That she even needed multiple potions to heal the damage said something about how lesser guilders would have fared. "Then we''ll check the closest place," Hallmark ordered. "What was that warning you mentioned earlier about spending the night here?" Chana looked down at the map, eyes darting around until they settled on the top right corner. "Uuuuh, here! ''Large winged monsters active only at night. Nests assumed the top of the pillars. Avoid traveling at night at all costs.''" She read. "Feh!" Hallmark spat. "Weaklings. They saw a big scary monster and hid. A real Guilder would have fought them off and taken a trophy," He insisted. "In fact, that''s what I''m going to do. You all can hide if you want. I''ll face them alone." The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Bad idea," Xerat claimed, waving his hand and stump about. His other hand had been crushed, and they''d used a potion to heal it over until they could get to a more specialized healer on the surface. Luckily he didn''t need to use his hands to use magic. "Bad, bad idea. We have no idea what they are, and flying monsters are always a pain. Chana would be the only one that could damage them until they''re forced down by injury, and even then, most monsters are still dangerous." "What a coincidence! I''m at my most dangerous on the ground, while they''d be at their least," Hallmark boasted. "When we bring one down, we can study it and find out how to kill them more efficiently." Xerat threw his hands in the air. "Fine! I can see I''m not going to convince you. Let''s set up camp first; then, we can find one of these monsters." Chana''s eyes darted between the two men, then back down to the map as she rolled it up. "Alright then. The nearest spot is this way," she said as she walked off, the rest of them close behind. As they walked, Auora let her mind drift to a few hours ago, on the Eighth. Stepping through the entrance and seeing the immensity of the floor was... a little humbling. There were mountains. Underground! Three peaks had poked through the wisps of cloud that gathered between and around them, only highlighting the blue sky around them that stretched for what seemed like forever. The only thing that proved they were still in the dungeon was that there was seemingly nothing else in this place but the three mountains and the endless sky. No foothills or plains stretched out from their base, nor did she see a horizon in the distance. After taking in the view, they''d started along the snowy ledge that hugged the cliff they''d emerged from. They''d barely gotten halfway to the more open section they could see ahead when an ear-piecing shriek rang out, echoing off the mountains a dozen times before fading away. After they caught a glimpse of the bird monster flying in the distance, they ducked under a rocky outcrop to hide from it. Either they were too slow, or it''d been watching them because the lightning bolt it threw their way only barely missed, striking the cliff above them. The level of accuracy was enough to send a thrill down her spine. It looked to be flying more than a mile away, and it still almost hit them! With something as inaccurate over large distances as a bolt of lightning! Her thoughts that it had missed were quickly proven wrong. It''d hit exactly where it''d meant to. The rumbling as the snow washed over their outcrop and buried them under there... she remembered it vividly. "We''re here," Chana stated, bringing Auora out of her memories. She looked around, quickly scanning her surroundings. Indeed, a small cave was in the wall, hidden behind a large rock that hid it from the rest of the ashy plains. "Cozy," Auora remarked, stepping in. It was pretty small. There were the remnants of a campfire in the center and signs of small tents erected around it. The cave itself only went a little deeper than the camping area. Auora and Chana pulled their tent supplies from the relevant pouch and started setting up. Xerat pulled out logs, kindling, and a firestarter. Though he was a water mage, just a pinch of mana would cause it to burst into flames. Hallmark stood guard at the entrance. Their timing was good. Perfect, in fact. Soon after they''d fully set up, darkness descended on the floor. It wasn''t pitch black, given the glowing lava was a decent light source, but fighting in such an environment would be challenging. "Xerat, call up a sprite. We''re going to need more light," Hallmark demanded. The mage obliged, summoning the tiny ball of blue light. A second later, the sprite brightened enough to eliminate the flickering shadows from the fire. Enough for things outside to spot the light spilling from the cave''s mouth. Distant roars filled the air, and Auora heard dozens of wingbeats grow closer. "I''m going to enjoy this..." Hallmark stated, his bloodthirst evident for all to see. When the first swarming shadow descended upon the cave, the sprite''s light illuminated the monster enough to highlight its features. It hovered for a few moments, then let out a cry as Chana''s arrows pierced the furred hide of its wing-arm. The monster descended further, landing on the ground with enough force to shake it slightly. The enormous bat reared to its full height and roared again. Auora staggered under the force it released, unprepared for the air-mana-backed roar. Hallmark, meanwhile, rushed in as the roar trailed off. "COME GET SOME!" He cried as a half-dozen more monsters followed the first. The air was filled with his echoing laughter and the cries of the giant, black-furred, red-eyed bats. -0-0-0-0-0- Capriccio Village, The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon. -0-0-0-0-0- Bahumet stared out from the window of his dwelling. He watched as, on the other side of the cavern, the Bats descended en masse upon the invading guilders. They''d received word from a drake-kin messenger of their final battle against the guilders, and a pall had settled over the villagers. Chief Baalotette had declared the Outer Village to be abandoned but for a few guards. As a result, the Inner Village was full to bursting. If the humans had defeated the drake-kin''s entire shaman and warrior population, the Capriccios stood no chance. Less than none, since they barely had a warrior caste. A few goats had a talent for fire magic, maybe. Still, in that regard, Bahumet could only conclude that The Creator had never intended them to take a combat role. He''d said as much before in His orders to trade with the blindfolded human woman and her party. Those humans were sympathetic and could very well consider his people as they do their own. These humans were unrepentant Monsters. Bahumet had no doubt that if they approached the village intending to pillage and slaughter all they could, they''d find little opposition. Thankfully, they weren''t as exposed as their cliffside village implied. It was already difficult for any human to reach the village from the ground. Meanwhile, a sure-hooved capriccio would find little trouble. While the humans slowly scaled the cliff, non-combatants could be evacuated to the hidden cavern beyond the village. The entrances were disguised perfectly, seeming unremarkable walls to all who gazed upon them, even the blindfolded women. When a monster approached them, the stone silently slid backward and to the side. Once through, the door replaced itself. Bahumet had asked what the trick was once and had gotten an answer he only half understood. Because the enchantment for movement wasn''t on the door itself, but something connected to the door, it seemed like any other bit of wall. Especially to those with manasight, who were blinded by the even layer of mana on every surface. The Drake-kin had similar doors throughout their mines that connected to their village. A death-knell cry caught Bahumet''s attention, drawing him from his thoughts. "That''s another one," he said, hearing the quiet hoof-steps of his mate as she approached the window. "What does that make now, eleven?" Lambda asked, joining him on the bench. "How many of them are there?" She continued after a moment of silence broken only by the distant roars. "We never counted," Bahumet answered. "It''s almost impossible. They''re only out at night, and they all look practically identical. You could count the same one five times and never know." Another roar was abruptly cut out, and Bahumet raised his mental tally. Lambda sighed and leaned against him. He put an arm around her shoulders and rested his head on hers. He made sure to avoid her cute little horns. "This can''t be good for you, my love," she insisted. "You''ll drive yourself mad. Come, You know the Chief will raise a fuss if her right-hand-buck is tired come morning.." She stood and started pulling his arm, eyes pleading. Bahumet smiled softly and stood with a nod. He pulled the curtains over the window and doused the candle, then let his mate guide him to the hidden door at the back of their house. With nary a sound, an otherwise unremarkable slab of stone moved backward, then sideways. The tunnel it opened to was short, and they soon emerged into the Inner Village. It resembled the Outer Village superficially, with allowances for the much smaller space. Every part of the circular cavern walls had been carved out for living space, leaving the central area clear, except for a small market. Before his trip to the Drake-kin village, they had a fairly isolationist stance regarding the other Children. After experiencing the Drake-kin''s bustling market, Bahumet had been inspired. He''d formalized the loose trade they already shared, for food mostly, into a bi-weekly caravan. Their merchants would trade their wool and wool products for things they couldn''t make themselves. The collection of stalls was a new sight to the Capriccios. Still, the word was they appreciated the new variety of food. Sure, they didn''t need to eat to live, but The Creator had insisted upon it for a reason. Most were wary of the idea that they were partly composed of mana and ate regularly. They enjoyed the taste and the sense of satisfaction after eating a well-cooked meal was more than enough for the rest to follow. Lambda led him past the closed market to their home in the Inner Village. The importance of his new position had given him a home on the lowest ring, next door to the Chiefs. He was still amazed that he''d been given such an important position. In the aftermath of their rushed election, the Chief had rushed off to the Seventh for the Leader''s Summit. On her return, she''d immediately started pulling together the goats she viewed as competent. Personally, Bahumet thought his appointment to second-in-command was a little much. He had a head for numbers, yes, and knew he was well-regarded for his efforts in regard to trade... Still, he couldn''t help feeling like there had to be a Capriccio better suited for the role. "You need to relax, darling. You''ve been so tense over the last few days. Let me help with that." Lambda insisted with a coy look. Bahumet had to admit, disregarding all the recent troubles and changes, meeting this wonderful doe had him feeling like the luckiest buck in the dungeon. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2022 Chapter 74 -0-0-0-0-0- The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Wave whooped and hollered in joy as he sped across the ocean. The manasun glinted off the water, and the wind rushing by him made him squint his eyes, but they could do nothing to wipe the massive grin on his snout. It''d taken a few days, but his surfboard was done. Carefully carved and shaped according to the flashes of instinct he felt then. When he was done, he''d called it the most beautiful sight he''d ever seen. He was wrong. This was the most beautiful sight he''d ever seen. Skimming the surface of the Eleventh''s ocean, propelled by a wave he generated to push him along... It felt right. He''d been out there for hours and had no intention of stopping until the last moment. Over his exploration of the ocean''s surface, it was inevitable that he''d end up near The Creator''s Core. As he passed the island, he felt compelled to the shore. Never one to disregard his instincts, Wave changed course. He yelled joyfully as the wave he was riding rose, then broke. He went up and down the wave, at one point launching himself into the air! He rode the wave as far as he could, right up to the beach. Still laughing in triumph, his chest heaving, he rolled off the board and just... lay there on the beach for a while. He felt every grain of sand rubbing against his scales, and the feeling grounded him. It took him some time to control himself, but once he did, he stood. Lifting his board as he did, he quickly glanced over the shore. He spotted a rough-looking staircase cut into the stone. Once he reached it, he placed his board, almost reverently, against a stone outcropping. He ascended the stairs slowly, running a hand along the stone warmed by the manasun high above. As he climbed, he began to notice the rising concentration of mana. Not as someone with manasight would; Wave didn''t possess that blessing. Instead, he felt it in his skin, muscles, and Core. A tingling sensation that grew in pressure. Then a slowly growing ache in his arms and legs, as if he walked under tremendous pressure. Finally, he noticed that his Core''s mana pool was filling and rapidly approaching his maximum amount, despite being almost half-empty after the day of speeding around on the ocean. He struggled to stand upright when he reached the top of the staircase. Each step was a herculean effort. Wave didn''t even know who Heracles was, but he empathized with them. At the flat peak of the island, only a hundred feet above the waterline, The Creator''s Core was cradled in enormous hands of stone. The Core itself was massive and almost blinding to observe directly. It shone with a teal radiance that bathed the peak with stark shadows, where the fingers of the pedestal obscured the Core''s facets. Its pedestal was raised high above the peak, and at the base stood Paragon, the most potent manabeing in The Creator''s service. "Ah, Wave. I wondered if your exploration would bring you here." "I greet you, Mighty Paragon, King of the Metal Court." Wave managed to get out, the pressure on the peak high enough that even talking took considerable effort. "Bah. What Court? Our numbers are few, and the other metal manabeings are mere sprites inhabiting the Sixth and swapping out their role as the Guardian to gather combat experience better. I am no King." "Not Yet. One could say I have communed more intimately with The Creator than most other Children. I am one of a few who acted as conduits for His power." Wave spoke, straining to stand. "The Creator rewards loyalty, obedience, and competence generously. His creation of the Elemental Isles proves his intention to grant all Manabeings he contracts a place of their own, including you and your Court." The Spirit was silent for a time, staring unmoving at Wave as he trembled under the pressure of the sheer density of mana exerted upon him. "Perhaps you are right, Wave. Yes..." Paragon trailed off, turning his head to face the manasun, obviously lost in thought. "How fares The Creator in his Transformation?" Wave prompted, curious. "The amount of mana in the air here is... immense." Paragon turned to face Wave again, slightly tilting his head. "It continues apace. The vigor of the dungeon''s consciousness has increased as its core''s mana grows denser. I believe the mana level in the core will reach a critical state in... around two weeks. You cannot see it, but you can certainly feel the effects of the mana orbiting the Core. The disk formed by said mana reaches beyond this island''s borders. You are standing within the ring... only a quarter of the density and speed mana mere feet from the Core experiences." Wave balked slightly, understanding the density would increase exponentially as it came closer to the Core. "A quarter? I can barely stand! How are you able to remain so close?" He asked, confused and beginning to feel... bloated. "By my nature. My contract with the dungeon states that I may take as much mana as he allows. He has not increased the allotment since before his current situation, so the rest of the mana avoids me entirely." The Spirit explained. "But never mind me. While I am unaffected, you are far more intimately connected to your creator. The mana passing through you is absorbed BY you, with only the small amount that makes it entirely through your body being reclaimed by the disk. It would be best if you left soon. Before your body again begins to... change without your mind willing it so." Wave''s eyes widened in sudden panic, and after a short bow to The Creator''s Core and Paragon, Wave rushed back down the staircase as fast as he could. By the time he reached the beach, he was sure it would have been too late if he''d lingered a minute more. Shaken, he clutched his board and threw himself onto the sea. He noticed, after a time, that while the wave he was generating drew mana from his core, the tingling feeling on his skin and the ache in his muscles remained. The mana within them stayed where it was. And Wave had no idea what all that unfocused, unintentioned mana would do to his body. -0-0-0-0-0- Outside the Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. -0-0-0-0-0- "Oh! Haythem! I didn''t see you there!" Haythem groaned, closed his eyes, turned his face to the slowly lightening sky, and gave a quick prayer to anyone listening that Vert would leave him alone. "Vert." He curtly stated when his prayers went unanswered, and the offending guilder stood before him. "Oh, come now, Haythem. We are both Platinums, after all. Shouldn''t we let bygones be bygones?" Haythem opened his eyes and looked Vert in the eyes. "Vert, let me be honest. I don''t trust you, and I will never trust you. We are not friends, and we will never be friends. That you''re now considered a Platinum doesn''t mean your personality, wants, or desires have changed. We ran into each other in this very dungeon not long ago, and you intended to attack me." Vert stood silent for once, his gaze considering. Slowly, he nodded. "Be that as it may, we are now part of the Elite. There are very few Platinums, in comparison to even Golds. We will inevitably encounter each other in the wider world long after we''ve left this dungeon behind." Vert reasoned, and Haythem couldn''t argue his words. It was true if they survived the dungeon long enough or gave up trying to reach its depths. "For once, I agree with you," Haythem stated. "We are part of a small group, and pointless antagonism won''t help us. Let''s agree to politely ignore each other." Vert nodded and, without further comment, walked back down the line to the rest of his party. Haythem turned to face Jerrad, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Why did you have to pass him?" Haythem complained, "Couldn''t you have found something he was deficient in?" Jerrad shook his head. "I can''t fail prospective Platinums just because they''re unpleasant people, Haythem," Jerrad chastised, though not harshly. "Besides, he''s friendly with a lot of the Golds. They wouldn''t riot over it, but they wouldn''t be happy, either." Haythem grumbled slightly. He was distracted, then, by the sun cresting the horizon. The new dawn was spectacular, a riot of pink, orange, and red as the yellow sun turned the purple sky into light blue. Haythem closed his eyes, letting the sun warm his face, and took a long breath of the fresh sea air. He opened his eyes and joined the rest of the raid group as they were granted access to the dungeon. As usual, they began encountering roving patrols of the various crab variants once they passed the first cavern. Haythem had to give them credit; the crabs were improving. Their tactics were limited, but they were getting better at implementing and executing those plans. The first group they encountered emerged from the sand around them, immediately lashing out to catch them off-guard. They failed. The Crabs must have realized who they''d ambushed because they backed off significantly. They kept a few yards distant, and three ''Flame Crabs'' unleashed their magic at the group. Unfortunately for the crabs, Haythem and the rest of the group had already pushed through the encirclement and were slaughtering them. With the chance they could do any damage thoroughly dashed, the remaining crabs retreated and disappeared behind various rock formations. The guilders didn''t bother chasing them. They weren''t worth the time or effort to hunt down, especially with the crab''s proclivity for straight-up vanishing when they were out of sight. "There has been an altering of our plans for this delve," Isid stated once they had started walking again. Haythem and Paetor shared questioning glances but remained quiet. "While we still intend to delve as deep as we can while the dungeon is distracted, we have proof that They entered the dungeon four days ago. They bribed a guard to let them in at night and not to record their entrance. Given what we''ve discovered about their preparations, they might not intend to leave the dungeon for weeks or even months," Isid revealed. Everyone in the group but Jerrad and Isid had stopped walking, and their jaws dropped. "They what?" Harald asked in shock and anger. "That''s... That''s-!" "Despicable, against half-a-dozen regulations, outright criminal and worthy of being banished from this guild''s jurisdiction, which is essentially the whole island?" Isid''s grin grew shark-like. "Yes. Yes, it is. They also stole our map of the Sixth, which was locked in one of Layla''s desk drawers. Theft, Trespassing, Bribery, Illegally entering a dungeon... And that''s just the basic stuff." "And you expect us to beat them and return them to the surface to banish them?" Haythem exclaimed, incredulous. Both his and Paetor''s parties obviously thought something similar. The idea that they could match Them was... "I expect the dungeon''s monsters and traps to run them ragged, even without the dungeon''s mind overseeing them. We''ll find them exhausted, run-down, and in an unfamiliar environment." Isid calmly laid out. "Either way, we have to reach whatever level They reach. We believe they''d easily bypass the Sixth, using the map to beeline straight for the Guardian, and move on to the Seventh." Isid glanced between the guilders, looking each of them in the eyes. Haythem held her gaze for a second and nodded. Those were more reasonable expectations. "So that''s what we''re doing, regardless of whether we planned to do it. Who''s ready to face an Elemental?" -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Auora lay splayed on the ash-coved floor, absolutely exhausted. Though their numbers had dwindled as the night continued, the fact they were only approached two or three at a time severely limited the speed with which the Guilders could kill them. Auora was sticky, covered in dried and fresh monster blood. A glance to the left showed Xerat was faring far better than her, using his water magic to clean the blood from his equipment. Chana had remained at range the entire battle, and her armor remained pristine. She was wandering the field of slaughtered bats, pulling arrows from the corpses. Hallmark had lost his helmet during the battle. The cloth parts of his armor were even more tattered and ripped than the day before. The small cape that had once hung from his left pauldron was hanging by little more than a single thread. His once shining but now heavily dented and scratched armor was... even worse than Auora''s robe. While she''d been drenched in blood and guts from the bat''s parts exploding under her hammer swings, Hallmark had butchered them. Even now, he stood in a slowly lowering river of blood that ran over the cracked ground until it discharged into the lava lake nearby. Auora pulled herself from the pool of blood with a squelch, wincing slightly. She might have been as bad as Hallmark after all. "I feel so much better!" Hallmark stated loudly, the relief and happiness in his voice at odds with the blood-soaked battlefield around him. "This was just what I needed; beasts to slaughter in huge numbers! All of you, clean yourselves up. We''ll take their cores and potentially useful parts with us. I want to be heading back up to the Eighth in two hours. Let''s get moving, people!" Hallmark ordered, pulling the fist-sized, perfectly spherical manacores from the carcasses. Auora walked over to Xerat first. "Could you do something for my robe?" She asked, hopeful. "You don''t need to clean it completely; just get the majority off. I have a spare I can put on after we''ve harvested the cores." Xerat smiled and nodded. A minute later and Auora felt more like a person. Her robe was now a deep reddish-brown, with only a few places where the original color remained. They took as many cores as possible, though they had to leave some behind when the two hours were up. They quickly replaced broken pieces of their armor and left the blood-soaked field behind, refreshed and ready to fight. The Spirits on guard at the arena were simple to dispose of. Xerat stepped forward and doused their flames, rendering them weak and vulnerable. Hallmark moved quickly to break open their chests of metal and stone, seizing the cores within. Once through, they passed through the long corridor that led to the Guardian''s arena. The Fire Elemental was even easier to beat this time; Its attendants were the same, and though wary of the guilders, they were ultimately unable to prevent a repeat of their previous tactics. They passed through the Seventh quickly, taking the most expedient path to the Tear''s Arena. Auora noted that they faced no monsters on the way, though she had expected them to see at least one group. When they reached the arena, the lack of monsters on the rest of the floor made more sense. They were again facing down every lizard monster on the Seventh they''d killed before. Tear once again stood at the top, hefting his iconic hammer with ease, and the stone Elemental loomed over him. "YOU ARE JUDGED," he proclaimed. Auora knew... this fight would be just as brutal as the last. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2023 Chapter 75 0-0-0-0-0- The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Kata wandered the village and couldn''t help but think how empty it seemed without Drake-kin in the training arena. They''d been a constant presence, the noise of steel-on-steel ringing over the village at all hours. They''d taken their loss the day before personally. Even with all of them at once, the guilders had pushed through them and, ultimately, beaten Tear and Sonum. It''d rankled them, and after they''d respawned, they''d thrown themselves into training again. This time, they had a new method. Water shamans played out the part of the water mage, clumsily mimicking moves they''d seen him do. A couple of the stronger Drake-kin had commissioned a few warhammers from Tear and were doing the same. There wasn''t much they could do to prepare for the archer except keep an eye on her and be ready to dodge or raise their shields. The knight... as with the warhammer-wielding woman, their best choice was to not be hit. As she heard descriptions of these guilders... Kata gained more and more of an idea of who they were dealing with, and she felt a tingle of dread crawl down her spine. A knight with a red cape on his left pauldron bearing the symbol of the god of Fire. A woman wearing enchanted robes wielding an intricately carved warhammer. A woman with a magical bow that could grant ordinary arrows various elemental effects. A water mage of exceptional skill and wearing the robes of a master mage... She''d never met or even seen them personally, but everyone had heard the stories of Them. The Heroes'' Descendants. The children and grandchildren of the greatest heroes of the Phenoc Kingdom. The Heroes were instrumental in subduing and destroying the oldest dungeon in the known world, which had been conquered for centuries before it rebelled against its master. It had threatened the entire kingdom with the hundreds of thousands of monsters and mana mutants that poured from its entrance. The Heroes had been paragons. The strongest guilders in the kingdom were brought together in a never-before-seen gathering of power. After descending and defeating the dungeon, the group split into several smaller parties and eventually settled down. Their children had the best of everything; The best training, the best servants... anything they asked for. Years after their parent''s deaths, their children roamed the land in similar parties. The only difference being that... the Heroes Descendants were decidedly not moral paragons. They were spoiled, petty people. Tales of their exploits were used as cautionary tales, in contrast to the heroic ballads their parents inspired. Then, even these heroes had children. Their children were, if anything, worse than their parents. These were the guilders who made up the current groups roaming the kingdom. The knight was, therefore, Hallmark. A vicious killer, known to hold grudges over the smallest of slights. The Water Mage was Xerat, perhaps one of the better guilders of the Descendants. That didn''t mean he was innocent; far from it. The archer was Chana, the thief. Towns she passed through found important documents and relics inexplicably missing. The Robed Woman, Auora... She was one of the quiet ones. She mostly kept to herself and let others do the talking. She often took up the role of silent intimidation, with her warhammer slung over her shoulder. As far as Kata could remember, they were all members of different groups. That they were all here, together... Kata felt she was very out of the loop. What happened? Where were the rest of them? She was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of wood striking wood, and she soon came across a group of serious-looking drake-kin juveniles. They barely reached Kata''s hips and were practicing swordplay with wooden weapons. She made her way over, shaking her head. "Oh no, no, no. This won''t do at all," Kata began, and the juveniles blinked in shock at her, then quickly looked to the ground with guilty looks. "Your footwork is completely wrong, and that is not how you swing a sword. You''ll hurt yourselves like that. Let me show you how to do it properly," Kata offered. The juveniles, realizing they wouldn''t be punished, jumped at the opportunity for actual instruction. Half an hour later, they were lying on the ground with exhausted but happy smiles. "Thank you, Miss Kata," The oldest of the group, Cleave Bloodscale, said for the group. The others, too exhausted to join in, waved an arm each in the air with tired cheers. Kata gave them a kind smile of her own. "It was no trouble, young ones. It''s never too early to learn the sword, my father always told my brother." Kata replied with a nostalgic smile. Ah, the days of her youth. Her father was so disappointed Kata insisted on pursuing the bow rather than the womanly arts her mother attempted to teach her. "How old were you when you learned?" Cleave asked, tilting his head like all Drake-kin and Kobolds did when curious about something. "I didn''t start learning how to use the sword until my twentieth year. I trained in daggers and the bow for most of my childhood," Kata informed them. "Twentieth year? What''s a year?" The juvenile asked again, this time confused more than curious. "Ah. I forgot how young you all are," Kata said, a little sheepish. "I''m going to need a reference from you guys. How old are you?" Each less-tired-now juvenile responded quickly. "I''m two weeks old!" "I''m three!" "Four weeks!" "Two and a half!" "I''m five weeks old!" Cleave finished, proudly. ...Right. Drake-kin grew exceptionally quickly. Something that had noticeably slowed since she''d been allowed to join the village. Most of the warriors she''d trained were around three weeks old, and those were the ones out fighting right now. "Okay. You all know that one week is seven days, right?" Kata asked, and the monsters all nodded. "Well, there are four weeks in a month and twelve months in a year. Cleave would be one month and one week old. I''m..." Kata trailed off. Calculating her age in months wasn''t something she often did. "I''m three hundred and fifteen months old. I turned twenty-six years old about three months ago." The juveniles looked at her, stunned. Cleave was the first to recover. "Wow, You''re Old." Kata felt an eyebrow twitch. The Cheek on this kid. "If I''m so old, then you should easily be able to go another set, hmm?" Kata saw their pupils contract and breaths quicken, then produced a shark-like grin. "Well? Get to it. This time, I won''t go so easy on you." -0-0-0-0-0- The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- As they emerged onto the Eighth, Auora could say... they''d at least come out of that fight slightly better off than the last time they''d been in that arena. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. They''d gone into the fight more prepared for what they''d face and could easily maneuver themselves such that Xerat and Chana faced Tear, while Hallmark and Auora took down the Elemental. Facing something they were more suited to defeating significantly reduced injuries, though not entirely. From what she''d seen of their fight, Tear had been entirely unprepared for facing off against two ranged fighters, both of whom were more agile than him and could remain at range. They spent most of the fight running around the edge of the arena throwing potshots at him, wearing him down until Chana landed a lucky shot that made it through the visor of his helm. The Earth Elemental was a different thing entirely. The manabeing was huge, and you''d expect something that large and made of stone to be slow, but it was deceptively fast. All their most pressing injuries were almost entirely healed from a single potion, and they pressed on. They hadn''t expected the wall of white beyond the Eighth''s entrance. "Snow?" Xerat wondered, turning some white powder that dusted the entrance to the floor. "I can use it, but unfreezing the water takes a bit of effort. Blace would''ve loved it here..." He trailed off, and the silence hung in the air. None of them were close to Blace. The ice mage had been distant and spent most of her time with Titon and Dorin. The brothers were arrogant womanizers, yes, but they''d been reined in by the cold woman in the months before they''d come to Medea. Auora remembered one evening, they were at the top of some high cliffs on the west coast. She and Blace had drawn the midnight watch and spent a few hours talking near the cliff''s edge. They might have been standoffish people... but there were damn good fighters. Auora had no doubt they''d still be alive if the dungeon hadn''t snuck in and kidnapped them. She shook her head. No good dwelling on might-haves or could-have-beens. "Can you shield us from the blizzard?" Hallmark asked, staring unblinking into the whiteness. "Yeah, some," Xerat claimed, though he sounded unsure. "I can make a shell of water around us, but it''ll be taxing to keep the water from turning to ice. We''d need to find or make a shelter every few hours, so I can recover." Hallmark nodded. "That''ll have to be enough," the knight stated. "Xerat, stay in the middle of us. I''ll go first, Chana after Xerat, and Auora will be the rearguard. Get out the enchanted cloaks; I doubt we will find the cold pleasant." Auora pulled the cloak from her pouch, suddenly glad they''d shelled out for the enchantment that regulated both heat and cold. It had cost extra, but it had definitely been worth it. "Whenever you''re ready, Xerat." Hallmark prompted when they were all prepared. The water mage took a few deep breaths, centering himself. In a preternaturally smooth motion, Xerat pulled the water from the flasks at his hips and spread it into a barrier. He moved forward, and a few yards ahead of him, the storm was pushed back by the wall of water. While it kept the air clear... it did little for the noise the storm produced. They moved along the cliff wall, minimizing the chance they could fall off the edge. They quickly arrived at the point they''d been buried under a ton of snow, surprised to discover the mound had disappeared entirely. It would have delayed them, even if only slightly, had it remained. So why had the dungeon removed it? A vague rumble, barely audible over the roar of the blizzard, prompted the party to rush forwards. Behind them, snow slammed down in the exact same spot. That was why they''d cleared it. It was a trap, and the bird had set it off the first time. They''d thought it was something it''d done and discarded the idea it could have been a trap. Sloppy, very sloppy. "We keep moving!" Hallmark shouted, turning away from the mound of snow. "Keep your hearing sharp; we can''t see anything in this weather!" Auora nodded, though he couldn''t see her, and she quickly moved to keep up with the party. The next hour was... confusing and disorienting. They had no reference. No landmarks to navigate by. They almost fell down a cliff three times, saved only by the cleared air around them, which let them see the edge before it was too late. "This is pointless!" Auora insisted over the roaring wind. "We need to find somewhere to bunker down. Now! We''ll wait for the storm to pass!" Hallmark sneered at her but nodded. "Auora''s right. Find a cliff. Xerat can form a shelter from the snow!" At this declaration, all hell seemed to break loose. Solid icicles pierced the calm air bubble, and Chana cried out in pain as half a dozen shot straight through her leather chest piece, lodging themselves there. She was thrown from the calm bubble by the force of the attack, and Auora lost sight of her immediately. "Chana!" Xerat shouted, arm extended and eyes wide with disbelief. Hallmark''s near-perpetual frown turned murderous, and he roared in anger. He drew his sword and dove right into the blizzard in the direction the icicles came from. "Fight me, Cowards..." His voice trailed off to nothing, and Auora shivered despite her cloak. She drew her hammer and stood with it raised. If she was to die today, she''d take whatever did it with her! -0-0-0-0-0- The Core, The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon, -0-0-0-0-0- Every second was a struggle. Every effort was monumental. But slowly, surely, I forced the dungeon''s original soul, hereafter referred to as "Instincts," into a corner. I had no illusions that this was over, far from it. As the fight continued and the core gathered more mana, we started using it. While it couldn''t empower our souls directly, it made a decent tool for claiming territory over the gem that contained us. It was a while into fruitlessly wrestling with Instincts that I figured out this trick and so had a headstart in its use. I took advantage ruthlessly, forcing the other soul into the ''tip'' of the gem. It had taken... a long time. Instincts quickly mimicked my method and pushed back almost as hard. While it was definitely struggling and wriggling, trying to push my influence back, it was slow enough that I could finally get an update on how my monsters were holding up. I couldn''t let my attention wander too far, or Instincts would take advantage. Soo... I reached out to the closest thing I could. Paragon. "Paragon, may I view your memories of the time since I''ve been... occupied? "Of course, Contractor," the spirit replied, as he mentally jumped in surprise. "I was sure it would take at least another two weeks or so for your transformation to complete..." Transfor-what now? The memories were easy to access, with Paragon''s explicit permission and him bringing his memories of the last few weeks forward. I kept Instincts in mind, wriggling in the corner as it was, while I looked through the selection before me. There were a few moments of note. The initial retreat into the core and how Instincts and I looked as we wriggled around each other was fascinating. Paragon''s interactions with my monsters were even more so. Without my constant presence in their lives, they''d gathered and organized themselves. In the process, they used a name to describe themselves I''d heard before, but with the meeting, it had become official. The Children. The collective government of all sapient monsters born of The Creator, aka; me. The Courts were all the manabeings I''d contracted, each represented by the king or queen of the respective elements. Obviously separate, but respected in their role as fellow guardians of The Creator. I agreed with Wave. I''d undoubtedly give every court an island of its own, and Paragon was first on the list. It was only fitting as a reward for his diligent service. It was distressing to learn the remnants of the Hero''s Descendants had penetrated me so deeply. They''d passed right through the Sixth and Seventh, even after facing Tear and all the drake-kin population bound to respawn crystals. I briefly wondered how he''d gotten all this information and had my answer quickly. Though Paragon had been isolated on this island, the Air Spirit''s subjects had taken up the role of Messenger. They''d been zooming up and down the dungeon, taking advantage of all the small tunnel''s I''d built between floors to expedite the process. The various leaders had spread all this news to keep the Children and Courts updated and to prepare them. The most shocking thing I observed was the sheer amount of mana building around the core. This was far more than I''d ever allowed to gather before. I could see how Paragon would interpret this as a transformation, given his own experiences and knowledge, no matter how wrong he was. He was right about the timeline, though. In a few more weeks... The core would accumulate enough mana that it would explode. It would shatter into a million tiny shards, unable to contain the sheer volume and density of mana. The only way to avert this catastrophe would be to divert the mana to something that would use much of the stuff or convert the mana in the core into another layer of manacrystal. Both options were untenable while I was still fighting Instincts. I couldn''t afford a distraction like that. Which meant I needed to find a resolution to this conflict in the next two weeks. Or it was all over. Before I could attempt to do something about my impending demise, and the destruction of all I''d created, Instincts surged from the corner with newfound strength. I cut the connection to Paragon and surged back against the soul. Our struggle resumed. As I pushed back against it, I started thinking about how to resolve this as quickly as possible. I was on a timer now, after all. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 76 -0-0-0-0-0- The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- "Hallmark!" Auora shouted, her voice bouncing all across the mountaintop. She looked across the snowy plains with squinted eyes, the glare from the snow almost as bad as staring directly at the blinding sun. "Chana!" Xerat joined in half-heartedly. They''d been looking for the knight and archer all morning and had little luck. The blizzard had raged for the rest of the day and through the night, only subsiding with the sun''s rising. Any tracks that either guilder may have made were long erased by furious winds. "Auora, we have to face the facts. They''re gone." Xerat stated, exhaustion evident in his voice and slumped shoulders. "We''ve been out here for hours. It''s a miracle none of the monsters from last night have ambushed us, to be honest. It''s time to cut our losses and get out of this deathpit." Auora shook her head. "You know as well as I do that Hallmark wouldn''t let a little blizzard kill him. He''s out here, somewhere. Chana... She is probably dead, buried in the snow. But we can''t find where she fell to confirm that. Until then, we assume she''s alive and potentially kidnapped by the dungeon as Blace, Titon, and Dorin were." Auora commented, voice filled with grief. She took a deep breath, then continued calling for the lost knight. "Hallmark!" Auora heard Xerat give a long-suffering sigh, but he soon joined in. "Chana!" In the next hour, they climbed over two ridges. Just as Auora was about to agree to give up and leave, their calls received an answer. "I''m down here!" the faint voice called back. The searching guilders passed it twice before finding the source; a deep gash in the snow looked intimidatingly deep. Peering into its depths and careful not to fall in themselves, Auora and Xerat saw Hallmark stuck near the bottom, wedged between the ice-veined stone walls. "Thank the Gods you found me!" Hallmark called, voice far more audible from directly outside the crevasse. "I was starting to think you''d have left me for dead by now!" "How the hell do we get you out of there?" Xerat wondered aloud, bringing his remaining hand up and rubbing his beardless chin. "I could melt a series of handholds in the icy parts, so Auora and I could climb down to help unstick you, then you could easily climb out." "As good a plan as it is, I''m in a fair amount of pain," Hallmark replied. "Somethings wrong with my left foot. Not sure if it''s sprained or broken, but best not take a potion until I''m free and clear." Auora cursed. Of all the things to go wrong... She turned and started digging into her bag. "Xerat, could you form a circular ice pillar from the ground here? I need an anchor." Auora grabbed the coil of rope and pulled it out. "We''ll pull Hallmark out with the rope, but you''ll still need to climb down there to free him." She ordered, and Xerat quickly moved to comply. A pillar was quickly raised from the ice near the crevasse, and the rope was securely fastened. Xerat tied one end to his waist, then carefully melted hand and foot-holds to climb down. It took ten minutes to get down and a few more to melt the ice enough to free the trapped knight. "Yeah, that doesn''t look good," Xerat remarked upon seeing Hallmark''s foot. "How bad?" Auora called down, worried. "I''m pretty sure he didn''t put his boot on backward yesterday, though I could be wrong," the mage replied, and Auora winced at the mental image. That kind of injury... A potion would help, but it wouldn''t heal the foot completely. He''d be fighting on that thing the whole way out of the dungeon. "Well, tie that rope around his shoulders, then get back up here," Auora ordered. Xerat did so, and with synchronized pulls, they lifted Hallmark from his icy prison. When he crested the edge, and Auora saw his foot clearly, she realized Xerat''s comment was spot on. His foot was facing the entirely wrong direction. Seeing it made her cringe and let out a hiss as the man sat down, legs stretched before them. "Are you not in pain? You haven''t cried out at all." Auora commented, incredulous. "Of course I''m in pain," Hallmark replied, and now Auora could hear the tenseness in his voice. "But I am capable of working through it. Can someone get this foot the right way around, please?" Xerat quickly stepped back, hands raised. Auora sighed. "Fine. I''ll do it," she stated, reaching for the twisted foot. She pulled the boot off and saw the foot had twisted left, and the shin bones had broken the skin. Auora passed a strip of leather to the knight, who quickly placed it between his teeth. "Brace yourself; this is going to hurt," Auora warned. She turned the foot back the right way around with a single quick motion. Hallmark groaned in pain, and Auora could hear the leather strip being bitten through. But, the foot was now facing the correct direction. She adjusted the foot so his thigh bone was back inside his flesh and handed him a Platinum-Tier healing potion. "This should heal it most of the way. It''ll be tender and fragile, so don''t damage it again." Hallmark laughed tightly, then downed the golden-tinged maroon liquid. He smacked his lips when he was done, and the three watched the flesh on his shin knit back together. With some assistance from Auora, Hallmark was on his feet in another minute. "Ahhh. I wish Potions were more effective." He said, wistfully, as he put pressure on his foot. "I remember when a single Silver-Tier potion was enough to regrow my entire arm!" Auora shook her head in quiet disbelief, though she had no doubt such a thing had happened. "It''s the bane of success," Auora claimed. "The stronger you are, the harder it is for the potion to affect your body. Be glad we stocked up on Platinum potions before we got to this gods-forsaken island." "Now that you''re all healed up, let''s get out of here." Xerat chipped in, stepping forward. "Chana''s either been kidnapped or is lying dead under six feet of snow, and I don''t want to join her." "That''s not the Plan," Hallmark cautioned, a growl creeping into his voice. Plan? "To the Hells with the Plan," Xerat shot back. "I don''t want to die here!" "Excuse me," Auora stated, looking between the two with narrowed eyes, and they seemed to suddenly remember she was there. Xerat looked at her with guilty eyes. Hallmark''s eyes were cold. "What ''Plan''?" -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Isid picked her way through the field of corpses slowly, trying to step in the least-blood-soaked sections of stone. It was an ultimately futile effort, and she resigned herself to getting her armor magically cleaned. Again. "At least we know they came past here?" Flasa commented, pulling an arrow that bore the tell-tale signs of use by an enchanted bow. The runes burned onto the head and shaft were bereft of mana and obviously spent. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Small comfort, that is," Jerrad replied, hefting the severed wing of one of the giant bats. "They stripped most of the cores before moving on, as well as the monster''s talons." From where he was sketching a mostly-intact monster felled by a well-placed arrow through the eye, Harald stood and stretched his back. "Magnificent creatures," he said, putting his sketchbook away. "No doubt related to the fruit bats that live in the jungle above. I''d wonder what they eat, but they likely subsist entirely on mana. It''s not like there is any food on this hellish floor to eat, except the Capriccios..." "Magnificent, to be sure," Bertram agreed, hand on his chin and squinting at one that''d had its face crushed in. "But ugly. There is no elegance in them; they are merely enlarged animals. Not even any exotic features, as with the multi-colored tigers." "If every monster were as attractive as the Tigers, they wouldn''t be so special. Just another among many." Haythem stated as he cut a portion of skin and fur from its body. "Though the fur is remarkably soft. I expected something rougher." "Monsters aside, we need to move on," Isid broke in, cutting the chatter immediately. "The Guardian and the Seventh await." The group picked their way through the killing field and kept to the cavern''s edge as they approached the giant gash in the wall that led to the Guardian. It appeared as if someone had melted the edges and shaped them to resemble enormous bricks. They seemed... clumsy. Rough. It was as if a giant had shaped them from clay. The base of the gash was guarded by two Fire Spirits. One seemed a lesser version of the Elemental they had observed crossing the ashy plains on first entering the Sixth. The other roughly resembled a stone man, one whose skin was broken by veins of glowing lava and standing twice the height of her husband. Isid gave the hand symbols for a sneaky approach, and the group crept as close as possible. At about a hundred yards from the entrance, any large rocks they could hide behind had been cleared away, leaving nothing but an open plain that would leave them totally exposed. With no other option, they had to rush across the plain. Flasa, Ducan, and Jessikar possessed bows, while Bertram and Lilliette had magic. They would cover Isid, Jerrad, Harald, Haythem, and Paetor as they crossed the plain. Bertrum, as the raid group''s cleric, would remain behind with the archers. As fast as the plan was concocted, it was executed. Lilliette''s magic proved ineffective. The lighting did nothing but make the fiery elemental brighter and made the stone monster''s cracks glow even more. The beams of Bertram''s light magic seared lines across the stone monster''s surface and cracked the pauldron-like section he''d hit. The three archers found their arrows useless against the spirits. Arrows bounced off the stone spirit''s skin and burned up as soon as they touched the fiery spirit. Despite their attacks proving little more than nuisances, it was enough distraction for the melee fighters to close the distance. Haythem, Harald, and Paetor surrounded the stone spirit, each landing heavy blows that further cracked the spirit''s skin. Isid herself, and her husband, engaged the fiery spirit. They danced around it and each other in perfect sync. It was one born of years in battle, side by side, with complete trust in the other. Isid saw the stone spirit go down as Bertram, who had rushed to join the melee, came down with an overhead strike from his mace, which smashed right into the most heavily cracked section of the spirit''s chest. The rocks crumbled, and the broken core fell to the ground with them. It wasn''t long afterward that the manablades that extended from her forearms managed to pierce the fiery spirit''s skin, directly into the point where its magic was most concentrated. The core cracked, and the spirit hiding within disappeared into the ground. Unlike the Fifth''s Guardian, who escaped with its metal skin, this one had no convenient grates or holes to pull the slowly cooling hunks of metal through. The guilders were left with a melted pile of metal they dearly wanted to take with them. By all observation, the same metal made up Mushu''s morningstar. Which meant it was incredibly mana conductive and resilient to blunt damage. It could only be scratched by magic blades and another metal of similar hardness. They waited around an hour for the metal to cool, and Vertrum checked in with each guilder to ensure they were uninjured. Next, they''d have to fight their way to the Guardian, then fight the Elemental itself. Isid had to admit that even though the prospect frightened her, a part of her was raring to go. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Yomel, the Ice Fox, peered out from within the tunnel in the snow, his gaze locked upon the three humans as they passed into view over the ridgeline. Before, there had only been two as they wandered the snowy slopes. He called his bonded one through their connection and felt the Snowbold''s gaze through his eyes. "So they found the knight. That''s unfortunate." Blizzard said, his mental voice thrumming through the fox''s mind. Yomel mentally yipped a question to his bonded. "Well, Dear One, that remains to be seen. If they turn right at that cliff, they''ll return to the Seventh. If they turn left, they''re planning to head deeper into the Eighth, and we''ll have to head them off," the snowbold explained. Yomel yipped back confidently to a proud chuckle from his bonded. "Yes, You and your mate did very well yesterday; that''s true. But these three will be wise to any ambushes. It''s unlikely to work again. We''ll have to try something different." Yomel''s gaze sharpened on the figures as they reached the cliff... two turned left, and one turned right. The Fox could feel Blizzard''s surprise. "They split the party? Why? There is no tactical benefit for one to leave while the others continue... Follow the two humans from a safe distance, Dear One. I''ll have another group follow the one." Yomel yipped a confirmation, and he felt his bonded''s attention withdraw through their connection. Yomel yipped softly to his mate and brothers. The five Ice Foxes shadowed the humans from the only safe distance they''d identified: half a mountain away. Yomel knew the humans had sharp senses. Any closer, and he was sure they''d be noticed instantly. If they noticed the fox and his family, then they were in incredible danger. None of them were connected to the respawn crystals, and for them, death was permanent. Yomel sent warm feelings through the connection to his bonded and received some in kind. The equivalent of touching noses. He looked over at his family and felt some pity for them. They weren''t bonded and would never have this. That the bonding also gave him more intelligence was a double-edged sword. It made him more suitable as a companion to his bonded, but in turn, made it harder to be around his own kind. In comparison, they were... simple. Yomel shook his head, and the foxes continued over the mountain. They passed through small hidden snow tunnels where they could, to limit their time exposed on the snow. This continued until the human duo came across the bridge. The bridge that spanned The Great Divide could barely be described as such, as it was little more than four ropes. The two at the bottom were bound together every foot or so by a roughly-shaped half-foot long plank. The other two rested about chest height on a human and were bound to the first two every four feet or so. The ''Bridge'' spanned the kilometer-wide gap between the first and second peaks, called ''The Great Divide'' because it seemed like the mountain had been cracked in two. The slopes met at the valley below, filled with deadly spikes and crevices. The gap was also incredibly windy, and the bridge was swung about to the gust''s whims. This was their next opportunity to kill the humans and rid the Storm-Swept Peaks of them. Yomel once again called for his bonded''s attention. Together, they watched the two humans slowly shuffle across the wildly swinging bridge. Once they reached about halfway across the bridge, Yomel could feel the sudden vicious glee his bonded felt. When he saw Pyry fly into view, he understood. Yomel and his mate had thrown the ice spikes that had downed the archer, and the water mage didn''t have the range necessary to reach the Boss. They were sitting ducks. The humans seemed to realize this as the Thunderhawk uttered a piercing shriek, and the two began rushing for the Second Peak. Pyry hovered in the Divide, and with each beat of her wings, the bridge was thrown wildly about. It even turned upside-down at points. The human''s flight was halted as they held on to the ropes like their lives depended on it. And they did. Pyry, seemingly frustrated at their success at doing so, let out another piercing shriek and began sparking. She had to cut off her gust-summoning spell to charge her lightning spell, and the humans used the opportunity to dash for the end of the bridge. The lightning bolt was released, and Yomel reflexively closed his eyes. His pack yelped in pain, not having the sense to do so. When he opened them, Yomel saw the bridge falling. The Bolt had struck the bridge''s center and cut all four ropes. The two sides, no longer under tension, fell away from under the human''s feet. The armor-clad human was closest to the bridge''s end and managed to fling himself forward to catch the planks as they fell. The water mage... did not. He fell down and down into the dark, spiky valley below. Pyry shrieked again and flew out of the valley, letting the wind carry her into the sky. Yomel watched the sole remaining human climb up the remains of the bridge and felt the stirrings of disappointment from his bonded. "Ah, well, one is better than none," Blizzard mentally murmured, more to himself than Yomel. "It''s too bad the knight survived, though. He was the toughest of this group; it''s not exactly a surprise." Yomel yipped a question to his bonded. "I''m surprised you didn''t notice. The human left a metal ball stuck to the rope when Pyry arrived. The Bolt was aimed at the humans but was diverted to that little ball instead. A ''decoy'' of some kind, which draws magic to itself? Perhaps. Though I didn''t expect them to come up with a counter to Pyry''s bolts so quickly. They must have had the artifact already, which means it''s something the other humans could acquire." Yomel tuned his bonded out. The shaman could get this way sometimes, and Yomel could never keep up. "Ah, I''m sorry Dear One. Forgive me." Blizzard apologized, and Yomel sent feelings of forgiveness. "Damn it all." Blizzard suddenly cursed. "I''m going to have to ask Tear for the parts to build another bridge now." -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 77 -0-0-0-0-0- The Guardian''s Throne Room, The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Jerrad looked down at the remains of the Guardian, and despite the fact he should feel triumphant at their success, he felt a little cheated. Oh, sure, the fight was brutal. The Guardian was a fearsome foe and not one liable to go down quickly or easily. But at the same time... "That was not the same Elemental," he stated quietly, staring at the gradually cooling metal remains. "It looked nothing like the being we saw." His blindfolded wife nodded. "The Elemental we saw looked like fire in the shape of a woman, mimicking long hair and a dress. This one was a floating ball of fire and molten metal, which used tentacles to attack." The woman looked at Ducan and Harald, then at the rest of the raid, who had finished defeating the Guardian''s attendants. "So, knowing it now has at least two elementals... So where is the other one?" "There''s only one answer to that," Ducan answered uneasily, the archer looking troubled. "Down. The dungeon moved it closer to its core. Perhaps to have it benefit from a higher mana density? It must have been moved before the dungeon''s... transformation or whatever it''s doing. Who knows how strong it is now." The four shared serious looks as the other two parties joined them. "Is it just me, or was that too easy?" Haythem commented, sheathing his blade. The mace-wielding paladin Bertram stood to his right and the crossbow-wielding Flasa to his left. They seemed to share his unease. Jerrad nodded at the young man solemnly. "Good instincts, Haythem," he complimented, and the younger man swelled with pride. "You''re right; it was. This Delve has been smoother than any we''ve been on before, which we can only attribute to the dungeon''s interference. It''s been more involved in hindering our delves than I''d thought. But beyond that, this isn''t the fight we were anticipating." He looked to his wife, who took over swiftly. "The Elemental we were expecting to fight wasn''t here, which means it''s been moved deeper. How long ago, we have no idea. There are also nowhere near the amount of Fairies and Spirits we expected. Either way, the next floor is a tunnel system of some kind. Be prepared for close-quarters fighting with limited mobility." Isid looked at each guilder as she spoke. Jerrad couldn''t help but love her competence and decisiveness. Others had asked him why he let his wife run their party, and all they needed was a single raid with her to understand. She was a force of nature. A natural leader. She''d have been earmarked for a leadership position in the guild years ago. However, she''d grown up with a Guildmaster for a father and knew intimately what the job entailed. She wanted none of it. His wife had a lust for battle, and, he had to admit, so did he. Neither of them would be content to settle into a desk job for anything. "All right, everyone ready?" Isid asked, to nods and various ''Ayes.'' "Good. Let''s go. Heads on swivels. Ears open. We''re going into unknown territory." With that, the raid moved through the doorway behind the throne. There were a few dozen yards of passages and a few empty rooms. Eventually, the reddish rock transitioned to slate grey. From tunnels more resembling lava tubes to something that bore signs of obvious tooling, regardless of the wooden supports every few yards. "Mines, huh? I remember this dungeon that formed at the bottom of a mine," Ducan idly commented. The archer ran a hand down a wooden support. "It was a small thing. Drove the miners out with its mutants. By the way, this wood is almost identical to the stuff I''ve seen the carpenters use on the surface. It must come from trees on the Third or perhaps further into the dungeon." "So, who are the miners, then?" Jessikar, the lightning mage, asked. No one answered. They moved on quickly. After passing the entrance chamber and navigating through a few tunnels, they found their answer. A group of lizardmen of the same species as Mushu emerged from around a corner with weapons lowered, but not sheathed, and stances open. On seeing the group of guilders, they stopped but kept their weapons lowered. Three bore picks with axe heads on the reverse side. Two wielded loaded crossbows. One wore an intricately sewn robe with half a dozen seemingly-magical artifacts. Jerrad shared a quick look with his wife. Friendlies? He asked in sign. Potentially. Guard up. Isid replied. "Hail, denizens of the dungeon," Isid called aloud, stopping a dozen yards from the monsters. The guilders assumed a similar stance, weapons out but lowered. "I assume you wish to talk, given you''re not attempting to kill us?" The blindfolded woman asked, her tone slightly joking in what Jerrad assumed was an attempt to lighten the mood. "Correct, guilder." The mage-monster stated. As always, Jerrad marveled at their command of Phenocian. There wasn''t even the hint of a hiss in the monster''s tone. "I am Ozone, the lightning shaman of the Drake-Kin Shaman Council. Tear himself has empowered me to represent all Children of The Creator on this floor." "I am Isid Losat, Platinum-rank Guilder of the Medea Island Dungeon. As the aunt of the Guildmistress of the Medea Island, Layla Losat, I have been similarly empowered to act for the Guild, but not the Nobility, of Medea Island." Isid responded with all seriousness. "What business does your Shaman Council have with us?" "To begin, I am here to explain the rules of this floor. Every monster that you kill here, you will face again in a gauntlet until you reach Tear. This does not reset after leaving the floor or dungeon. As you are known to us as reasonable and capable, it was decided this would be explained to you. Feel free to share this information with your Guild. Death is a disorienting experience I would rather not experience again. To be clear, you will still encounter hostile drake-kin on this floor, but we are here under a white flag, so to speak." Jerrad was troubled at this revelation. They''d known some monsters could cheat death somehow and return to fight again. They''d thought it was restricted to the Guardian and other key monsters, but for all the monsters on a floor to be granted that same ability... "Secondly, we know you have open trade with the Capriccio of the Sixth. They''ve shared their experience with us, and we would be open to a similar deal. We can exchange various metals or tools for something of equal value." Isid was silent for a moment, and Jerrad could understand why. Trading for the wool was significant. A material they could easily fashion into equipment practically necessary for this dungeon? Lifesaving. Establishing a source of metal and tools that they would otherwise have to obtain from the mainland? Almost certainly priceless. "Would the mana-conductive metal the manabeings use as physical bodies be included in this deal?" Isid asked. Ozone narrowed his eyes at her and slowly nodded. "Not in a raw form, and we would need a binding agreement that the weapons we trade you would not be used against The Creator or any monster in these halls. That metal which you take from the bodies of the manabeings of the Courts is free for you to use, but we will not be responsible for handing you the weapons you would turn on us and The Creator. Perhaps a rune that would glow only in high-mana environments, like the dungeon, which would mark the weapons as made by our smiths. Guilders found carrying these weapons in the dungeon..." Ozone let his words hang in the air. "But that is for another time. We have more pressing business to deal with. "I assume you are aware of the four powerful guilders who''ve delved into our Creator''s halls?" The monster asked. "We are," Isid responded, her tone even. "They entered without our knowledge, bribing guards to do so, and stole valuable information. One of our tasks here is to return them to the surface to pass judgment and recover the stolen information." Isid replied. Ozone smiled. "You will find it hard to pass judgment on the dead," the monster bragged. "I''ve recently been informed that two have fallen on the Eighth. Of the two remaining, one delivers herself to us, and the other pushes deeper to his doom." "What do you mean by, ''delivers herself to us''?" Isid asked, seemingly off-balance. Jerrad knew he was. Two of Them were dead? Which survived, and which was mad enough to continue on alone? "Yes. The robed woman Auora, by all appearances, had a falling out with the other two members after the archer woman perished. Hallmark, the angry armored one, foolishly continues to delve. If you accompany me back to the Sixth, Auora will pass through shortly." The monster clarified, waving his hand back down the hallway the guilders had approached from. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Jerrad did not like the idea of monsters at their backs, even if they were professing friendship. His wife seemed to share his apprehension. "Why did the Third''s Guardian not inform us of this? He is capable of it, is he not?" She asked pointedly. It had occurred to Jerrad that said Guardian could have passed them the information... and the Capriccio, too, for that matter. "Lord Mushu is... too rigid," Ozone shook his head, the monster seeming sad to admit it. "He''s very set in his ways. He was given a duty by The Creator to give no quarter to guilders attempting to pass through and to just... let them pass? He would not do it." The monster tilted his head to the side. "If you wish to capture the woman, she is coming through soon. We should go to the entrance, lest she passes us by completely." The monster insisted. "By all means, after you." Isid agreed, flourishing her hand to the side while the other behind her back made some quick signs. Move side tunnel. Wary, but not first attack. Jerrad and the other guilders pressed themselves against the side of the wall, leaving enough room for the monsters to pass them by and lead the way. Ozone seemed... amused and chuckled slightly. "Of course, of course. I should have expected such caution from ones who have survived The Creator''s Dungeon for so long..." The monster said, seemingly to himself. The group of Drake-kin passed by the tense and wary guilders... but nothing happened. It wasn''t a trap, at the very least, and Jerrad breathed a sigh of relief. He shared another look with his beautiful wife, and they followed the group of friendly monsters. Just another weird thing he''d never thought he''d be doing before this dungeon had been discovered. -0-0-0-0-0- The Second Peak, The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Hallmark was filled with an unceasing, relentless Rage. Chana had been struck down in an ambush. In an attempt to punish the monsters responsible, Hallmark had trapped himself in a deep crevasse. It''d taken almost twenty hours before Xerat and Auora had found him and pulled him out. In the wake of Xerat forgetting who they were speaking in front of, he''d been forced to explain the actual plan to the woman. Auora hadn''t taken it well and decided to try her luck in leaving the dungeon on her own. Xerat had almost gone with her, but Hallmark had called in a few dozen favors owed, and the furious and resigned water mage remained with him. And all that led him to this. Hallmark pulled himself up the final plank and finally reached the ledge the thrice-damned rope bridge attached to. With a heave, he pulled himself up and rolled over the edge. He lay there a moment, shuddering. He wasn''t shivering. No, he wasn''t cold. He was trembling with an all-consuming rage that''d been slowly building since the Seventh''s Guardian had thrown him down those stairs. "GgrrrrrrraaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH" Hallmark released his rage in a scream that echoed off the mountains. He heard at least three echoes before they finally faded away. He pushed himself to his feet, his shoulders heaving with rage as he exhaled huge clouds of mist. As he did, he winced and placed a hand against his chest. Another remnant of that fight on the Seventh. One he was becoming increasingly concerned by. The thrice-damned bird shrieked again, and Hallmark twisted to snarl at the monster as it flew by in the distance, then disappeared behind the mountain he''d just left, leaving him staring at the enormous gap, and the half-bridge resting against the cliff on the other side. It was mocking him, he knew. He''d kill that bird, Hallmark swore to himself, and on all the gods he could name. He''d kill that bird and turn its wings into a trophy, then burn it to ashes and DANCE ON THEM. Hallmark took another shuddering breath, then took a step. Then he took another. He didn''t run. He walked. Each step pushed him further to his goal, regardless of whether they came quickly or not. He crossed another snowfield, and this time when the snow collapsed beneath him, he jumped backward, narrowly avoiding falling into yet another crevasse. Unlike the last time, he would have had no hope of rescue, only a long slow death. Or a quick one if the monsters found him first. Hallmark strode relentlessly across the snowfield and up the mountain''s ridgeline. He crossed narrow ledges that crumbled under his feet, through thin passes where rocks collapsed above him as he wound his way through them. After hours of climbing, he found himself at the summit of the second peak. And from there, he saw his next goal. The third peak was the largest, but from the summit of the second, Hallmark could spot the Guardian''s Nest on the far side of the mountain. He could spot two ways to reach it. The first was to go the long way around the mountain, with shallower inclines and broader paths. The second was a treacherous-looking ledge which he could barely describe as a goat track. He could see tiny indentations in sections of bare walls as if one were intended to climb the wall itself. This path was much shorter, but would leave him exposed and exhausted by the time he reached the other side. Hallmark... chose the first path. He may be using his seemingly limitless Rage to push himself forward, despite the twinge in his foot and the growing ache in his chest, but he wasn''t stupid. The bird had thrown lightning at him twice. It would certainly do so again if he took the objectively faster and more challenging path. Frankly, he expected it to attack him no matter which way he chose to take, but he liked his odds better on the longer track. Next, he identified a way down the other side of the mountain and resumed his even, relentless walk. When night fell and Hallmark spotted the signs of another storm brewing, he stopped and found a cave to shelter in within a few minutes. Deciding he wouldn''t be sleeping tonight, he pulled one of his wideawake potions from his potion pouch and took only one mouthful. Hallmark had taken one before the fight the night before last, and there had been a night since he last took it. Even still, it wasn''t advised that one take these multiple nights in a row, but he didn''t see another choice here. He placed a few wardstones at the entrance to the small ice cave, setting up an aversion and alarm ward. It''d dissuade anyone who passed by from checking out the cave and alert him if any had entered despite it. Hallmark then sat in the middle, eyes focused on the back of the cave. He''d long wondered where exactly the monsters in this dungeon came from. A few nights ago, he''d concluded there had to be hidden passages they used to get around. He had no idea if this cave held the entrance to one such passage. He sat there as the blizzard raged outside, eyes darting between the cave''s end and its beginning. The next day, he''d push onward to the third peak. And he wouldn''t let anything stop him. -0-0-0-0-0- The Merchant Ship Good Tidings, Port Medea, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Captain Eli Hart was bounding down the gangplank as soon as it''d been laid and secured. The sun had crested the waves hours ago, and there wasn''t a moment to waste. "Gresh, my good man, you know the drill!" The captain ordered as he did so, nodding to the bewildered dockworker who''d laid said gangplank. "This isn''t my job, Hart!" The beleaguered navigator called out, with all the exhaustion of one who had long protested but one who would do as asked anyway. "Nonsense," he shouted over his shoulder. "You do a fine job. Now hop to it! I have errands to run!" His piece said, Eli dove into the thronging masses of the busy port. It hadn''t been that long since his last visit, but he couldn''t help but marvel at how much the little island changed every time he did. Sturdy-looking walls surrounded the town''s center, extending outward to form a small harbor, finally giving docked ships shelter from rough seas during storms. Long overdue, but not something that could be done quickly. The buildings in the town itself had changed little from Eli''s memory, which aided his navigation. Three gates allowed passage through the walls. One led east toward the cleared area the farmers used, the lumber mills, and the forest beyond. The second gate led towards the Lord''s mansion, which looked majestic in its fully completed glory. It sported a fortified wall containing the mansion and tower he''d seen being constructed on his last visit. The final gate led west, toward the guild building, the dungeon, and the path that led to the lighthouse on the cliff above it. This is the gate Eli made a beeline for. He doubted the Lord of the island would grant an audience to some random captain, especially on short notice. The Guildmistress, however, was far more accessible. He would inform her of Bahrain''s invasion, and she could take that to Lord Medean. He would be far more likely to take the information seriously coming from her. As he passed through the gate, he first noticed the beach. At some point, someone had created a sign proclaiming "Obsidian Beach: Where the Stupid Come to Die." Eli could only assume it was a nod to how deadly this dungeon had turned out to be. The black sands were dominated by the line of guilders that snaked down the beach''s edge. Parties of guilders not in the line relaxed on comfortable-looking benches on the small grassy incline beyond the sand line, under sunshades slung between palm trees. The line ran beneath a continuous series of sunshades, and one intrepid merchant was hawking wares to the guilders. Some kind of roasted meat on a stick. Eli turned his attention from the beach and onto the Guild building. It looked as it had last time; a three-story building built of black stones on the first floor and wood on the stories above. He entered the guild hall far more confidently than the one he''d visited only a few months ago. The receptionist here looked at him with wide eyes and a bright smile as he approached the desk. "Welcome to the Medea Island Guild Hall. How can I help you?" she asked with a sunny smile. "I need to see your Guildmistress as soon as possible, I bring dire news." "She has an open spot on her agenda for this afternoon." After quickly checking the papers on her desk, the receptionist politely informed him. "Who is she meeting with? Eli sighed, but it would have to do. "Captain Eli Hart of the Merchant Ship Good Tidings." The receptionist brightened, as if such a thing was possible. "Ah, the discoverer of our fair island! If your information concerns unseasonal fish or fish found near the island typically from other regions, I can assure you the Guildmistress is well aware of the issue." Huh? "While that is concerning... my information is unrelated to fish," Eli answered slightly dryly. The receptionist pinked in embarrassment. "Ah. Either way, you''re booked in for just after lunch. If you''re peckish, our in-house tavern is stocked with the finest ingredients we can procure. You can wait there, and I will retrieve you at the appointed time?" Eli could smell the food from here, and the quiet din of a mildly-busy tavern beyond the door sounded pleasant. "You know, that sounds delightful! Thank you, my dear." Eli stated, bowing slightly at the waist. "May I have your name? I confess I was so stunned by you when I first saw you that I forgot to ask. My dear, your smile is so radiant I believed there had been a second dawn." The receptionist, still pink, turned bright red. "Thank you, Captain. I am Emalie Lewin." -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 78 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- As I deflected a probing strike from Instincts, I sent it yet another message. This is getting us nowhere. Surely you understand that? I insisted, once again trying for diplomacy. If we don''t resolve this soon, we are going to die. Both of us. The dungeon''s original soul ignored my entreaties as it had all the others, completely and utterly. When I''d named the other soul Instincts, it was a joke. Now though, I found it quite apt. The soul ignored every word I said to it, despite the fact it could understand every syllable. Growing up in my shadow had... more adverse effects than positive ones. It was like putting a baby''s mind in an adult''s body. It almost had the power and ability I did, but without the experience and intelligence to use that power for anything but flailing around. Case in point; I came up with new methods and techniques in our fight for supremacy over this enormous gemstone, but Instincts was quick to mimic me. We''d already moved on from the previous ''push against the other''s mana'' methods. I began experimenting almost immediately after returning from my short contact with Paragon. While mana was easily manipulated by souls, It was only really good for pushing other mana around. Only souls could touch other souls, and so I had started lashing out through the mana at Instincts with my own soul, managing half-a-dozen hits before it managed to replicate my attack. Then I started mixing a thrust of mana in with my attacks, pushing it back further with every strike. It mimicked me and started pushing back. At this point, I realized that unless I found a way to destroy the other soul entirely or cripple it in some way, the stalemate we''d found ourselves in would continue until we both died in a crystalline explosion of continent-shattering proportions. Yes, continent-destroying. I was confident that if I died, the space-expansion enchantment on the Eleventh would fail catastrophically, and you can''t compress water. It would... be absolutely devastating to the planet. I needed to figure out how to end this stalemate. I had three-no. Four options. The first is that I would somehow manage to kill the other soul. Which was near impossible, especially at my level of strength. Therefore, I decided to operate on the assumption that souls were immortal and killing one was impossible. This option wasn''t one, considering that. I couldn''t kill it, and it couldn''t kill me. The second option was using mana to force Instincts into the tip of my core and... break the tip off, with Instincts inside it. Even thinking about this option made my soul shiver. I instantly knew this was probably the worst idea I''d ever had. Nope. Bad Idea. BAD IDEA. Not an option. More than likely, the breaking of the crystal would cause a cascade that shattered the core, killing us both and everything else in the region. My third option involved convincing Instincts to return to the previous status quo. Except now, we would be two distinct souls controlling a single dungeon, rather than one working and the second looking ''over my shoulder.'' The idea has its advantages and disadvantages. Being two souls, we could focus on different things simultaneously, doubling our work speed. Given previous experience, we would frequently clash on design philosophy and our approach to human invaders. The biggest obstacle to this option was that neither of us would trust the other to keep our word, and I wasn''t sure Instincts would agree to this option regardless. The fourth option was an... amicable merger of our souls. It was entirely theoretical. I wasn''t sure if it was possible, but absorbing Instincts into my soul would no doubt create a new being, an equal balance of us both. Again, this was something I was unsure was even possible. If souls are meant to be immortal, this would certainly count as a net loss in the number of souls in the world. And thus, none of my options were viable. No. There had to be something. My mind raced, even as I deflected another blow from Instincts and sent back a cursory probe. Then, I was reminded of my golems and the manabeings that inhabit them. Creatures of pure mana, living inside a manacrystal... If I could get a monster to bring me an empty manacore and place it against my core... I could push Instincts into it. I haven''t exactly performed a side-by-side comparison between my dungeon core and monster/human cores... Still, theoretically, they''re both manacrystal that house the ''spark of life,'' as I once put it. Given the reality of my situation, I''m sure it''s been the souls of the guilders I could only glimpse a portion of before. If it was possible... No souls would be destroyed. No cores would be shattered, and both of us would have cores of our own to occupy. I had no idea what introducing a dungeon core''s soul into a monster''s manacore would create, but it seemed the only solution. Once again, I tried to contact it. This time I sent mental images of the consequences of it not listening. Listen to me! We ARE going to die if this keeps up. The core we''re fighting in will shatter, and the dungeon will be destroyed! Given that neither of us can force the other into submission for long... I think I have a solution that leaves us both alive and in our own cores. There was a few beats of silence... Then the soul responded. Listening. -0-0-0-0-0- The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Auora Isirtine trudged through the mines of the seventh with the aura of one who considered themselves damned. After two days out on the peak, it had taken a little while for her to find the path that led back to the entrance. She''d moved slowly, caution the foremost concern in her mind. She kept her eyes scanning the snowfields around her for the slightest hint of movement. Once or twice she thought she saw something, but whatever it was disappeared before she could get a second look. She checked rock faces and ledges for loose rock, saving her life on three occasions. Even though she was leaving, the dungeon wanted her dead. "And why wouldn''t it," Aurora grumbled to herself. Her mood was dismal, her morale gone. She felt betrayed, and though she hadn''t been close to Hallmark or Xerat... Through one line or another, they were cousins. Family. Not much of a family, she had to admit. She gritted her teeth as she thought of ''The Plan,'' which had been explained to her only when Xerat had been loose-lipped enough to reveal its existence. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Hallmark had never intended on leaving the dungeon until he shattered it. While Xerat reluctantly followed the plan, Chana had been all-in from the beginning. She''d never intended to return the map she''d stolen. They planned to remain a floor or two ahead of the rest of the guilders, pushing on relentlessly, using the restricted wideawake potion to reduce their need to sleep. She''d never know how they thought they could hide this from her. She could only assume they would have engineered a noble, or ignoble, death for her. Eventually, she''d have asked questions, and they''d have given her platitudes to assure her... then they would have struck. With Chana dead, and Auora returning to the surface... Xerat was right. Their plan was in tatters, no matter how ill-weaved it had been. Perhaps because of it, actually. She''d hoped Xerat would return with her and leave Hallmark to whatever fate he found for himself, but Hallmark held the water mage''s strings tightly. One of the reasons he''d gone along with their plan in the first place, no doubt. She was brought out of brooding when she noticed the tunnel she''d entered was already occupied. To her astonishment, two groups were waiting in the large room she remembered as the entrance to the Seventh. One group comprised six lizard monsters, two of which she instantly recognized. One of the pickaxe wielders was the lizard among the first group they''d encountered, the one who''d called her party monsters. The second was the mage; It was pretty hard to forget being struck by lightning, and she''d caved in the skull of the monster standing before her. The other four she vaguely recognized as monsters that had faired decently against her in the last Guardian fight. Next to them, but still entirely separate, was an eleven-strong raid group of guilders. Auroa remembered all eleven of them as belonging to the group that had delved the deepest beyond her and her once-party-mates. "Auora Isirtine. I am here to charge you with multiple crimes against the Guild and to take you into custody. Will you return to the surface with us peacefully?" The woman blessed with manasight announced, her blindfolded eyes no doubt focused on the lone guilder. She thought the woman''s name was Irid or something similar. While she was confident in taking on up to three or four of these lower-power platinums by herself... Taking on eleven of them? Even with the majority recently assessed as worthy of the title, as tired and worn as she was, she didn''t like her chances. Add to that the lizards and their familiarity with her style... Actually, speaking of the lizards. "So the Guild consorts with monsters now?" Auora commented, eyes flicking between the lizards and the guilders. "Consort is such a strong word, with many negative connotations," the lizard-mage interjected. Auora didn''t flinch. She''d known for days that the monsters could speak. "Unlike you and your fellows, these fine guilders acknowledge we''re people too. We have families and lives beyond defending our home. I have two sons among the current lot of Juveniles, and I am quite pleased with them." Auora could hear the pride in his voice. "The Medea Island Guild has, indeed, recognized the sapience of certain species within the dungeon," ''Irid'' admitted after the robed monster finished. "Beyond some basic and informal trade, we have not ''consorted'' with any of the monsters in this dungeon. We have formalized no alliance with them," the woman glanced sideways at the monster. "We have no intention of halting delves, and I''m sure any true alliance would make that a non-negotiable condition. Am I correct?" "You are," The monster nodded. It and its guard''s gazes never drifted from their rigid fixation on Auora. "You haven''t answered my question, Auora," Isid reminded her. "Will you come quietly, or will we have to subdue you?" Auora said nothing for a minute, worrying her lip slightly as she glanced over the assembled guilders and monsters. The longer the silence continued, the higher the tension in the room. Guilders and monsters alike began raising their weapons. She sighed, her shoulders slumped, and she closed her eyes. If she was completely honest with herself... she''d decided as soon as she''d seen them. Slowly, Auora pulled her warhammer from her back and placed it, head-first, on the ground. With a gentle push, the handle fell, making a loud clack as it smacked the grey stone ground. "I''ll come quietly." -0-0-0-0-0- Above the Second Peak, The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Pyry gazed down at the insolent cockroach as he climbed down the other side of the peak with frustration in her eyes. Not only did he not have the decency to die properly in the blizzard, but he''d used a magical artifact to avoid his fate on the bridge. From where she was flying near the cavern''s roof, Pyry cursed to herself as the man came to the crossroad... and turned onto the longer path. While she would have more opportunities to arrange ambushes and airstrikes, he had more room to fight, dodge and avoid her gaze. But, it would take him more than a day to cross the mountain going this way. That meant he would again have to cower within a cave like a wretch. They could cover all but one cave, and force him to use that one. They could set a trap inside, with the few snowbolds bonded to a respawn crystal lying in wait. Pyry took the time to quickly visit the nearest snowbold village to relay this plan and information, as well as the human''s current location so they could put some Ice Foxes on his trail. When she returned to the sky, he''d made it to a section of the path with a significantly sized overhang. Said overhang had thousands of icy stalactites hanging that she could use. As he passed the center point of the overhang, Pyry dove. She flew parallel to the icicles, and with a flex of her ice magic, the icicles fell as she passed them. The human spotted her as soon as she dove into view and, seemed enraged at her appearance, drew his sword. This was the closest she''d ever been to him, and he looked just as disgusting as she''d expected. His armor was heavily dented and tarnished, even sporting several holes. The temperature-regulating cape was tattered at the ends. As Pyry glanced at it, the glowing runes along the edges flickered briefly. His sword had several chips in the blade, but the enchantment seemed to be going strong if the intense glow the runes gave off was any indication. His helmet had, apparently, been abandoned at some point, freeing his long, wild, greasy-looking blond hair. His pupils were blown wide open, and his green irises were little more than thin rings. "Fight me, you damned bird!" The fool all but screamed at her as she flew past. She scoffed in her head. As if. Of course, she wouldn''t fight him here. If he managed to make it to the Third peak and climbed up to her roost, they would do battle. Pyry doubted his chances of harming her without a ranged weapon. Though she couldn''t dismiss the possibility he could have some enchanted weapon in his pouch that could strike or ground her somehow. He''d had an item to redirect her lightning, after all. The Icicles fell, and the human raised his longsword to deflect them as Pyry flew off, then circled around to see the results of her work. He was panting and had a thin icicle embedded in his shoulder. It had penetrated through a hole in the left pauldron and seemed painful, given how the man clenched at it. He fell to one knee and, with a pained shout, pulled the ice free. The human pulled a red-silver potion from his bag and emptied it. He was moving forward again in seconds, between and over the shattered icicles in his path. Pyry shrieked, and though he didn''t respond, she knew the human was stewing in impotent rage. Good. The angrier he was, the more reckless he''d be. This would allow her opportunities to slow and hinder him, enraging him further. Over the rest of that day, Pyry attacked another two times. Once, she triggered a small avalanche that buried him. Unfortunately, he managed to dig himself out and continued on his way. Another time she triggered a trap that collapsed vast chunks of a cliff onto the path. She''d been a bit too early, and he''d managed to dodge it by returning the way he came. Still, it''d taken out a fair amount of the path, and he''d been slowed further by climbing the unstable rocks that covered the way through that remained. The great Thunderbird had managed to slow the human''s progress enough that night fell just as he passed their prepared cave. Predictably, he ducked in as the winds began to howl. Pyry herself returned to her roost. Her job was done. Now, it was up to the brave snowbolds who would confront the human when he was most vulnerable. When he was asleep. -0-0-0-0-0- Jhinat Military Port, Bahrain Empire, Hillia -0-0-0-0-0- "Admiral!" the messenger exclaimed, bowing at the waist and holding out a scroll. "We''ve received a bird from the southern navy," he said as he straightened and stood at attention, waiting for a response. Grand Admiral Almaanz Shakih, the overall commander of the Bahrain Empire''s navy, took the scroll and quickly unfurled it. His eyes danced over the text, and he soon let out a low chuckle. Rolling it back up, he smirked with a vicious glint in his eyes. "This is excellent news. Take these scrolls and send them to every captain in the fleet." He ordered, waving a hand at the wax-sealed scrolls on the table beside him. After collecting the scrolls, the messenger gave another bow and quickly left the room. Almaanz turned to face the other men in the room. "My friends, It is time," he announced. The other admirals bore smiles of their own. "The Invasion has begun." -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 79 -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Peak, The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Hallmark took heaving breaths as he let his sword arm go limp. The blizzard continued to rage outside, the howling wind chilling the air inside the cave even more. Around him lay the bodies of more than two dozen monsters. They more resembled the lesser lizards from the third than the greater ones on the Seventh, even with all the differences. Their ferocity and strength, however, were more than equal to the more refined-looking lizards. Hallmark grasped for a healing potion and blinked in shock, realizing he only had one left. Xerat had been the one carrying their excess potions, after all. Hallmark took a deep, calming breath, then took small sips from the silver-tinted red liquid. He only had so much now and would have to get by on healing just enough to keep moving. Under his watchful eyes, his open wounds closed and scarred while bruises faded slightly. As before, the potion did nothing for his more persistent injuries. His chest still ached and flared up occasionally with an incredibly sharp pain. His foot still twinged when he put weight on it. It wasn''t meant to be like this. Hallmark placed the wardstones at the cave mouth, then walked back in and let himself slump against an ice-cold stone wall. He looked around, staring at the broken bodies around him. As with the larger lizards, they wore customized clothing. No two wore the same arrangement of armor and cloth. Hallmark reached over to the closest and was shocked to discover the white fur, which he had assumed was part of the armor, was growing from the monster itself. Lizards? with fur? Now having more energy, he shook his head, stood, and began looting. Their swords were resilient and unnaturally sharp, but they were sized for the monsters, and Hallmark could barely use them as daggers. Even so, he took two and strapped their sheathes behind the small of his back. They could be helpful. The monsters carried no potions he could take, but one did have a crossbow. No doubt taken from other guilders. Hallmark took the crossbow, quiver, and all the bolts it had. He strapped the quiver to the outside of his right thigh and let the crossbow hang from the left side of his equipment belt. Hallmark started harvesting the monster''s fur using one of his newly obtained daggers. He didn''t know what to do with it, but he was sure he could find a use for it. He also took a selection of scales of various sizes and hues, placing them in a pouch. One carried a staff carved with runes and topped with a monster core that seemed attuned to ice. Hallmark picked it up and pointed it at the opposite wall, channeling a tiny amount of mana into the shaft. Three icicles erupted from the core in quick succession, shattering violently against the cave wall. They resembled the icicles that had killed Chana, and Hallmark wondered if these monsters were the ones that had ambushed them. He put the staff, more a stave in his hands, through the second set of loops on his back. The first set holding the sheath for his longsword, of course. Either way, there was only one thing left to do. He knelt down and carved their chests open, one by one, taking the cores from their chests. Hallmark stared at the oblong, pointed cores with an inscrutable expression. He''d noticed the lizards had oblong cores, of course. He couldn''t not. But the fact was that the cores in these monsters were almost indistinguishable from a human''s manacore. He put them in another pouch, then put all the individual pouches into his larger pack. Hallmark glared at the blizzard, still raging, and felt his anger returning. It''d felt so good to finally have something to kill after the frustration of this floor. Losing the other members of his party, being attacked by the bird every few hours, and being unable to retaliate. All of it had been building. Finally encountering monsters that he could actually fight? It''d felt so good finally have something to slaughter. It''d left him with a clarity of thought that''d been slipping away for a while now, lost in the haze of anger. In his rage-fueled state, he''d been obsessed with killing the bird and had thought nothing of his strategy of killing the thing beyond reaching its nest and swinging his sword at it. Now though, he had a crossbow and bolts and could actually hit the thing. In fact, he could attach one of his magical items to a bolt and ground it. Once it was down, he could do as much damage as he wanted and kill it at his leisure. Hallmark pulled out the pouch of enchanted items and started looking through it, a vicious grin growing on his face. He knew just what to use. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Wave didn''t bother standing and just lay on his board as the wave carried onto the beach. When he reached the shallows, he slipped from the board and stood, walking through the foamy foreshore. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, Wave having left Isla Fuego in the pre-dawn light to make the trip to the... entrance beach? They needed to name this part of the floor to distinguish it from the islands. Something The Creator would approve of. Wave''s eye was drawn to the rising sun, and he knew he had to include it in the name somehow. Rising? Ray? Shining? Glittering? No. None of those sounded right. Then the name struck him. Dawn. Dawn Beach. The beginning of what was sure to be a true odyssey for any guilders who made it this far. It was orders of magnitude larger than the rest of the dungeon''s floors, even if most of the floor was still unused. Wave glanced up and down the yellow sand, noting the hunks of glass shining in the sun. He remembered they''d been made when the Fire Elementals walked or hovered over the sand. He picked up a piece and examined the smoky glass. It wasn''t clear, but he hadn''t expected it to be. The sand on this beach wasn''t silica sand. Wave dropped the chunk on the ground, walked up the dunes, and stopped when he reached the top. Squinting, he saw what looked like a minotaur approaching the beach. Curious, he slid down the dune and walked out to meet them. A few minutes later, they were close enough that he could identify them. It was Taura, the eldest daughter of the First Bull Asterion. "Hail, Taura. What brings you to the Eleventh?" Wave called, raising a claw in greeting. "Hail, Wave. You do, actually." The minotaur cow admitted, making Wave blink in surprise. "You mentioned building a home on the Eleventh and that you would return to trade. It''s been a while since then, and I was sent to discover why you hadn''t returned yet. Has moving the Court to their island taken so long?" Wave shook his head. "I finished moving them over relatively quickly once I worked out how to do it. Let me tell you, if they weren''t afraid of the ocean before, they certainly are now," Wave chuckled. Taura smiled sadly. "I am glad they made it over, but if that is so... I wonder if they regret making their home on an island?" she questioned. Wave shook his head. "They love it there," he explained. "They settled in fine, and none I talked to seemed to have a problem with being on an island. The island is quite suited for them, and they can make tunnels to expand underground. If they really wanted to, they could make a maze of tunnels and never step foot on the surface again." Taura nodded, looking happier. "You haven''t answered my question," she continued. "If it didn''t take long to move them over, why haven''t you returned for materials to build your home with?" Wave rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "I''ve... been enjoying myself, to be honest. I made this thing. It''s called a surfboard," Wave answered, waving to the board he was still holding under his right armpit. "With my water magic, I can make waves out of nothing and surf from island to island. When I first got out on the water... I felt free. Like I could go anywhere. Do anything." Wave glanced over his shoulder at the dunes, listening to the crashing waves just beyond. He was brought back from his longing gaze by a giggle. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Sounds like fun," Taura stated, smiling. "But you can''t just ''surf'' all day. You need somewhere to come back to. A home to put your things in. Don''t you Drake-kin like collecting things?" The minotaur asked, obviously curious. "Technically, I''m not a Drake-Kin. I never was. Before I was... changed... I was a Snowbold, and before that, I was a Kobold. I lived in one of the three original villages. I was among the first to see my village''s shaman after she was bonded to her Pheonix," Wave bragged, remembering the awe he''d felt at the sight. "Wow. That''s amazing," the minotaur gushed, stars in her eyes. "Wait. I thought you were named Wave because you were a water mage?" she asked, now confused. Wave scratched the back of his head again. "It''s a coincidence, actually," Wave admitted. "Kobolds have simple names, and since I liked to wave at the Hunters and Shaman as they went off to fight the guilders, the other juveniles called me Wave." he waved at her. She giggled again. "I''d have never guessed!" Taura said. "Promise you won''t tell?" he asked, almost begging. "I promise," she agreed, smiling. Then she frowned and pointed at him again. "Stop dodging the question! Don''t you want a place you can put your things?" Wave sighed. This cow was relentless. "I haven''t really thought about it. All my stuff is in my expanded pouch," Wave said, patting a pouch at his side. The minotaur nodded, then took his left hand and pulled him up the dune behind him. "Wha? What are you doing?" he exclaimed as he let Taura pull him along, not wanting to pull her over if he dug his feet in. "We''re going to find you a place to put your house, then we''re going back to the village to ask Daddy for the materials to build it." She stated, determination in her every step, even as she struggled up the dunes with her hooved feet. "I don''t have the Talons to pay for all that! I can make a house of ice or something!" Wave insisted. "Nuh-uh." The stubborn cow exclaimed. "You can pay by doing some magic. We don''t have any water mages yet, and I''m sure Daddy will have something you can help with!" Taura finished as they finally reached the top of the dune. She looked left and right, then pointed at the cliffs at the far right end of the beach. "That looks like a good spot. We can get an Earth mage to carve a staircase to the top of the cliffs and build your house on top of the cliffs. Come on! Let''s go look!" Wave sighed and let Taura pull him along. He knew there was no point in dissuading her from this. He walked forward and walked next to her. They talked about all manner of things as they approached the cliff, then when they got there even picked out a nice flat spot near a large oak tree. As they were admiring the view from the cliff, Wave felt a familiar presence fill in an empty hole in the back of his mind. He froze, and his eyes fixated on the dark rock out to sea, where a teal light shone like a beacon. I need you to bring the largest monster or human core you can find to my dungeon core. You have a week and three days to deliver it to me, or we all die in the largest explosion this world will ever know. Wave''s eyes grew wide as the presence retreated, and just as it had the first time, it left an aching void behind. "Wave? What''s wrong?" Taura asked, looking between him and the core out in the distance. "The Creator spoke to me. He has given me a task. If I fail to bring him a large monster core in the next week and a half... He dies. We all die," he turned to face her, and her eyes went wide with fright as she took in his serious look, realizing he was telling the truth. "I need to get to the minotaur village. Do you have air spirits there we can send messages with?" Taura nodded, and Wave relaxed slightly. "Good." "I need to find the largest core in the dungeon." -0-0-0-0-0- Obsidian Beach, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Layla Losat stared at the teleportation pad as the hired guards led Auora Isirtine away. The raid group had just arrived in a flash of mana, drawing the attention of all nearby. She''d been making an impromptu inspection of the dungeon''s entrance when the disused pad flashed to life and left the group of guilders awkwardly standing there. Everyone on the beach was staring at them, after all. "Wait, we can teleport again?" "We can?! Sweet!" "This will make things so much easier!" Layla locked her gaze with her aunt, and the woman jerked her head towards the guild hall. "All of you to my office. Forget the reports; they can write them later," Layla ordered, waving off the administrators approaching with reams of paper. Turning, she then addressed the crowd. "Just because they returned on the pad does not mean you can do the same. I ask you to refrain from doing anything rash until we can confirm if the crystals are working again." She turned and escorted the group back to the guild hall. Even as she did, she heard the guilders in the line behind them whisper excitedly to each other. Many would heed her warning, the careless and foolhardy having long been killed by the dungeon. But there would be some risk-takers willing to disregard her words. It was only when they were all in her office- It was rather crowded with them all here at the same time. She needed to get a bigger office- that she sat down to ask her questions. "First, I assume Auora Isirtine is the only survivor?" She asked. Jerrad shook his head. "No. Hallmark survived and even now pushes deeper on his own." He stated, and Layla could only blink behind her blindfold in shock. "The other two, Xerat and Chana, are dead. Chana had the map and was killed on a snowy mountain on the Eighth, burying the map with her under who knows how much snow. We could recover the map, but it would be easier to make a new one." "A pity. Keep an eye out for the man until we get confirmation of his death or have the opportunity to capture him. Did Auora tell you this?" Isid raised a hand, waving it side to side in a so-so gesture. "Partly. The monsters of the Seventh, the Drake-kin, informed us of the deaths. Auora confirmed Chana had the map. Speaking of the monsters, these are run by a ''Shaman Council.'' I assume their leader is one named Tear since their emissary, Ozone, said he was empowered by that monster to speak in the name of their people. Potentially the guardian as well?" the older, blindfolded woman theorized. "Anything else about this potential guardian?" Layla asked. Many in the room shook their heads. "Very well. You had contact with the monsters then; anything else you can tell me? Are they why you could use the teleport crystals?" Haythem nodded. "Ozone said they would be willing to enter a trade agreement with us," he said. "He claimed they are blacksmiths, and from the look of the mines we saw, I''m inclined to believe them." Paetor continued where Haythem left off. "They are willing to sell their magical metals, but only in final products and with the condition they are never used in the dungeon," he explained. "They''d be enchanted to glow in high-mana areas, and beyond that, I''d assume they''d recognize the workmanship of the weapons if we had the enchantment removed." Here Paetor took a breath. "Even if we could, I''d advise we don''t. For all we know, they would cut off trade the moment they saw one down there." Layla nodded. "I''m inclined to agree with you, Paetor. I''ll have to consider this offer carefully. Now, the teleport crystals?" Isid pulled one such crystal from a pouch, and Layla''s eyes widened as it turned to dust. "Single-use crystals that they made themselves and can apparently bypass the traps made to interdict our crystals," her aunt explained. "Ozone gave them to us so we could leave with Auora immediately rather than risk her changing her mind halfway back. He told us the barrier at the entrance works by draining our crystals and marking their signatures in case we figured out how to recharge them inside the dungeon. If we''d done so and tried to use them... Well, they didn''t explain the traps, but knowing this dungeon, it couldn''t have been anything good." "That... opens many doors. If we can trade for more of those, deep dives would be far more viable." Layla mused, resting her chin on her interwoven fingers. "I assume they have a similar problem as the Capriccio? They don''t know what we have to offer?" She inquired, and Jerrad nodded. "Indeed. The tricky part is finding what the monsters value enough to trade for the teleport crystals. They have abundant metals, and by their nature, food is more of a curiosity than a necessity." The man rubbed his unshaven chin, the hair there speckled with grey amongst the brown. "What about some trinkets?" someone asked. Layla''s eyes darted to the archer from Paetor''s party. Jessikar, she thought the woman''s name was. She stood at the group''s back, and the guilders parted to let Layla see the woman more clearly. "They wore a lot of feathers, bones, and such on their armor. No two were the same. Giving them more options might be worth it to them." Layla weighed the idea, bobbing her head from side to side. "Trinkets alone wouldn''t do it," she said after a moment. "They understand the value of their goods, and giving them items practically worthless to us would be an insult. We can certainly add some small things to the deal, but I can''t think of anything big worth the metal and crystals right now." She shook her head, sighed, then looked back at the three parties. "You''re free to go about your day. I still need to figure out how to explain your teleportation to the rest of the guild. Chop chop!" Layla ordered, waving them off. Isid made her promise to spend some time together the next day, and soon enough, it was just her and Felin. Layla let her head fall into her hands, rubbing her eyes through the blindfold. "More and more every day, I understand Isid''s absolute refusal to become a Guildmaster," she stated as he walked over from the desk where he''d been taking notes. "This job has just been one crisis after another." "I doubt your grandfather saw all this coming when he offered you the job," Felin replied. "You''ve been working long hours the last few weeks, Layla. You need a break. Some time to relax and destress." "You know why I can''t, Felin," Layla replied, looking up at him. She reached up and caressed the outline of his face, longing for the days when she could still see colors. "We need to prepare. Has anyone responded yet?" "Not yet. Some birds must have reached their destinations and may even be returning. We should know in a day or two if they''re coming. The one headed to the king will take another week." Felin reached up and pulled Layla''s hand from his face, intertwining their fingers. "The guild is neutral, Layla. If they invade and win, at best, this will be a regime change." "And at worst, they''ll try to kill us all. Or, at least, drive us from the island." Layla finished. They remained there for a time, taking comfort in the other''s presence. They''d managed to keep the news of the impending invasion quiet, impressing the need for calm upon Lord Medean. If the ships had left their ports, the invasion fleet was at least three or four weeks away. That gave them time to organize transport ships to evacuate the non-combatants, and the island''s militia was quietly preparing. The Lord had asked for some capable guilders to train his men, which would help but was by no means a replacement for professional soldiers in an army. Still, the news would have to break at some point. Preferably before the Bahrain stormed Obsidian Beach. -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 80 -0-0-0-0-0- Minos Village, The Tenth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- As Wave and Taura approached the slivery-grey walls of the village, Wave took the time to appreciate and admire them. Something he hadn''t done the last time. After all, he''d been with the Fire Court''s procession, and they''d been sent on towards the Eleventh rather quickly. Taura picked up on his interest and was happy to enlighten him. She explained that the walls were constructed of Mythwood as they drew closer, created by fusing mithril with the wood after it''d been put into place. The tree in the center of the village had been their first successful experiment. It was incredibly tough, taking on the best parts of both ingredients. The flexibility and resilience of wood, combined with the magical hardness and toughness of mithril. Their only mistake had been performing the ritual on a living tree, which meant it could heal itself, rendering any attempt to cut it down and use the timber pointless. She was about to go into how the ritual was performed when they reached the gate. It swung open and revealed the First Bull, standing with his arms crossed. "Dad!" Taura exclaimed. She ran to the enormous minotaur and hugged him around the waist. "I found him, just like you asked!" "So you did," Asterion gruffly acknowledged with a nod, patting his daughter on the head. He then turned his gaze on Wave, and the monster was pinned by the intensity in the minotaur''s eyes. The First Bull snorted, this time in amusement. "Are you just going to stand out there? Come in," he finished. Wave sighed in relief as the minotaur turned and walked into the village. He rushed to keep up, listening as Taura recounted their ''adventure'' to the cliffs. "The Creator spoke to you?" The minotaur asked, turning to look at Wave with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, I felt The Creator''s presence," Wave responded confidently. "I have heard His voice a few times now, and He spoke the same way He had before. It was abrupt, and He seemed strained. After giving me this quest... His presence retreated once more. It was just as disturbing a feeling as it was the first time, if not more." The aching feeling in the void where The Creator''s presence rested required constant effort to ignore. He''d had time to get used to the feeling, but now it was like ripping a scab off a fresh wound. Asterion grunted, rubbing his hairy chin. "Must have taken great effort to contact you. If this ''quest'' He gave you is important... I''ll send word to the other Children." The First Bull stated, nodding gravely. "They''ll look for abnormally large cores, and so will I, though I doubt you''ll find one here. Best bet is the Drake-kin; they supply the Fire Court on the Sixth." "Then that is where I will go." Wave declared with a nod. He passed the surfboard off to Taura, who blinked in surprise. "Please, take care of this for me. I can''t take it with me, but I''ll need it to get to The Creator''s Core." The minotaur cow accepted the board, ducking her head as her father raised an eyebrow at her. The bull shook his head and sighed in exasperation, then turned to face the crowd of Minotaurs. "Aston!" Asterion bellowed, prompting a minotaur to step forward. Wave remembered this one, who had guided the Fire Court''s procession to the Eleventh. He''d grown a few feet since then and was only a few feet shy of his father. When he reached them, Aston knelt on one knee, resting his right hand in a fist over his heart. "Yes, Father?" the young minotaur grunted. "You''ll join Wave in his journey. You need to see more of the world than the Tenth." The First Bull ordered, waving a hand at one of his subjects. That minotaur nodded and ran off. "As you wish," Aston agreed with a nod. He rose to his feet and turned to Wave with a friendly smile. "You look... more comfortable with yourself." Wave blinked but realized it was true. He''d been lost the last time he''d come through here. Adrift. Now though, he knew where he belonged. "And you''ve gotten taller," Wave responded. "It wasn''t that long ago you barely reached my shoulder, and now you must be a head higher than me!" Aston chuckled as he accepted a long-handled battleaxe from a smaller minotaur. "Out of the way, out of the way!" A female voice called. Wave looked and found it belonged to a robed minotaur cow pushing her way through the crowd, one draped in dozens of charms and necklaces. "Husband! You try to send our son away without letting his mother know!?" The cow demanded, glaring up at the First Bull. Asterion snorted. "You know now," the minotaur reasoned. "He''s only going to the Seventh. Won''t take long." He set his jaw. The cow- Aston and Taura''s mother, sighed and didn''t even attempt to argue. She spent a few minutes fussing over her son before the minotaur that''d run off approached with two backpacks. "Take these," Asterion stated, passing the packs from the minotaur to Wave and Aston. "Be careful. The latest message from the Eighth said there''s still a guilder on the third peak." With those ominous words, Wave and Aston set off. It was midday, and they needed to get to the Scorpan Village before night fell. -0-0-0-0-0- Pyry''s Nest, The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Hallmark strode up the rough-cut staircase with violence in every movement. In one hand, he held the Ice Stave and, in the other, the crossbow loaded with a specially prepared bolt. He was ready. He stepped up to the plateau, eyes scanning the carved arena. It was circular, with arches and pillars around the edges. There were no solid walls, and Hallmark knew from the walk up the stairs that beyond the carved pillars was a sheer cliff. He''d have to be careful since that made the center of the arena where he was most vulnerable. It was wide, flat, open, and exposed. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Hallmark was drawn from his thoughts as the Bird itself finally arrived. It soared around the mountain with an echoing cry, and Hallmark took the opportunity to scatter a dozen small metal balls around the arena. Most of them found places to rest in the cracks between flagstones. The Bird landed on the highest point in the arena, a literal bird nest that sat at the tip of a spur of rock. As it landed, it swept its wings down, causing a massive gust of wind to slam against him. Hallmark had seconds to direct himself sideways, so he was stopped by a crumbling pillar rather than careening back down the staircase. Never again! Hallmark swore. He wouldn''t suffer that indignity again! As he pushed himself off the pillar, the Bird glared down at him, wings now spread wide and wreathed in lightning. Hallmark had only moments to close his eyes as the lightning on its wings sparked faster and faster. With a great flash and roar, it threw the bolt it''d gathered at him. He opened his eyes and saw the lightning had struck one of the metal balls, which had melted into a small yellow disk. He grinned. The Bird seemed upset and let out a cry he could barely hear past the ringing in his ears. It flexed its wings, and Hallmark took the opportunity to raise the crossbow before it could lift off or attempt to blow him out of the arena again. He fired. It shrieked as the bolt scored a direct hit on its left wing. After a moment, the shaft of the arrow burst into flame. The Bird cried in surprise, though it was already employing water magic to put out the fire. Hallmark hadn''t been idle while it did so. It took seconds to reload the crossbow, and he quickly followed up with a burst of icicles from the Ice Stave. The Bird swept a wing sideways, and the icicles changed course. They flew around the monster in a circle, and Hallmark jump-rolled to the side as they passed through where he once stood. He was sure they were moving faster than when he cast them. Hallmark put the Icicle Stave back in his belt. It might work as a surprise, but it wouldn''t help much. The Bird had to have Ice, Wind, Water, and Lightning. He could only name a few monsters that could use two elements, never mind four. This would be more challenging than he''d initially expected. Lightning and Wind he''d known about and planned for. Water and Ice on top of that wouldn''t make it impossible, but it would be far more tricky. He might have to retreat at some point. The Bird was in the air again, having taken the distraction given by the icicles to lift off. He noticed that the crossbow bolt was still embedded in the meat of its wing, though the Bird didn''t seem too bothered by it. It swept back towards the arena, wings wreathed in lightning, and Hallmark ducked behind a pillar. He could feel the power in the air building, and he closed his eyes when it was at its peak. As before, the lightning was incredibly bright and loud, setting his ears to ringing all over again. As before, the bolt was redirected to a metal ball on the other side of the arena. Ten left. Hallmark rolled around the pillar and leveled the crossbow at the Bird as it flew past him as circled the arena. He locked eyes with it, then pulled the trigger. The bolt... missed. The Bird had been on a downstroke and had flexed its wind magic to deflect the bolt into the endless mists below. Hallmark scowled. Of course, it could deflect attacks it saw coming. Well, if it was going to be like that, he''d just have to ground the thing. The next bolt he loaded was special. Unlike the fire bolts he''d merely attached small firebombs to, this explosive was more than five times as expensive to buy. Its effect should be spectacular! And extremely cathartic for him, of course. Hallmark pulled the Icicle Stave from his belt. The Bird seemed to have learned from its mistake and refused to land. Pity. He wasn''t planning on giving it a chance. He would wait for it to cast magic or force it to defend against the icicle staff, which could distract it. It''d also seemed to have decided casting lightning was futile, given it had plenty of opportunity, and he couldn''t see a single spark on its wings. It could still attempt to blow him out of the arena, shower him in deadly icicles, or maybe even throw a blizzard at him! Hallmark watched the Bird carefully as it circled the spire of rock. When it turned to fly over the arena, he quickly noticed. With a downward stroke, it passed over him, dropping a few dozen icicles that saturated the part of the arena Hallmark stood in. He sprinted to escape that area and barely managed it by throwing himself forward and landing in a roll. He heard the icicles shatter on the arena behind him and grinned up at the Bird. "MISSED ME, YOU PIECE OF SHIT BIRD!" he shouted, sure it could understand his words. The others had, after all. The Bird shrieked back at him and he felt his grin stretch his face as it took the bait. He dodged four more waves of similar icicle attacks. Each covered a larger area than the last, taking longer and longer for the Bird to cast. As he rolled away from the fifth one, he brought up both the crossbow and Icicle Stave, throwing icicles of his own back at it. A split second later, the crossbow fired. The Bird easily noticed the icicles and, as before, it redirected them. It didn''t notice the bolt behind them, one with a cylindrical tube for a tip. The bolt hit smack-bang in the middle of its chest. Then it exploded. -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Peak, The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Blizzard, the High Shaman of the Snowbold Tribes, watched in despair as Pyry exploded. They were higher up the peak, at one of the entrances to the tunnel system. They had a spectacular mountain view, with Pyry''s Nest taking center stage. He''d been up here since the human started approaching the nest and had witnessed their entire fight. The human, who he''d been told was named Hallmark, was far more resourceful and clever than they''d expected. Early that morning, Yomel had searched the cave Hallmark had waited out the blizzard in, and he''d found the remains of the ambush party. They''d been stripped of their weapons and fur. He shook his head with a sigh as Pyry fell, landing on the snowy plateau at the base of the staircase to her nest. The ambushers were meant to lie in wait until the man fell asleep, but that plan either failed or he woke up and fought them off. Blizzard was unsure which. Either way, the snowbolds were dead, and their weapons turned on the Boss herself. Hallmark was now descending the stairs. He slowly approached the fallen Thunderbird and, with an overhead swing, cleaved her head from her body. Blizzard didn''t know if she was still alive till that moment or if she''d died during her fall, but it didn''t matter now. Blizzard could hear the human''s laughter. Hear the triumph and glee in it as it carried on the winds. He sighed and turned to the wide-eyed snowbold with him. She was Sluice, the high shaman of the Second Peak Tribe. Blizzard knew she had a somewhat friendly relationship with the Boss monster, so her shock at defeat was entirely understandable. "She... lost?" Sluice wondered aloud, obviously not talking to him. "Yes. In part, it was our fault." Blizzard admitted. "I should have known it had more significance than the human just taking things to potentially sell later. The crossbow and staff were key elements of this fight, and he''d used them effectively. But how had he pushed through his anger? The man was slowly being consumed by rage the entire time he''d been on the Eighth. Only after the last blizzard, when he sprung the ambush, did his rationality seemingly return." Blizzard was sure to keep his voice low as he theorized aloud. They had no idea how acute the human''s hearing was. "Ambush?" Sluice asked, now focused on him. "It was Pyry''s plan, one I agreed with." Blizzard shared. "She saw him and thought he was exhausted, angry, and not thinking clearly. We assumed he''d need to sleep at some point and made sure there was only one available cave to shelter in along his route. The crossbow and staff were weapons the ambushers had, but they did not have exploding bolts. Must have been something he had stashed away." They let the silence grow as the human set Pyry''s head on a small, merrily burning campfire. "We can''t stop him, can we?" Sluice said, sounding defeated. "We can''t," Blizzard agreed. "But the Children on the lower floors are far tougher than you and I, either by living in an environment with denser mana or by The Creator''s design. "We have to hope that they will be enough." -0-0-0-0-0- ? Max Porteous, 2021 Chapter 81 -0-0-0-0-0- Temple of The Creator, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Wave paused as they passed through a circular room, just through the tunnel that led from the Tenth. This was a place the Procession had passed through quickly. He''d only glanced over the carvings, wishing to inspect them closer. A half-dozen Scorpans knelt before various carvings. Some were praying, while others replaced candles. Though they were still on a time crunch, a few minutes spared for art wouldn''t kill them. Wave moved around the whirlpool slowly, scanning the walls. Nine sections, each depicting a different floor''s bosses. Some were singular, such as Mushu''s carving. The Creator captured his intensity perfectly, in Wave''s opinion. Other carvings, such as the Ratten and Bloodfish Sovereigns, represented dozens of different beings. Each was detailed and unique, proving once again that The Creator valued all His children, and the fallen were remembered. The Ninth carving was of Strikes-The-Air, the Scorpan King. Wave moved around a Scorpan praying at his King''s carving with a muttered "Excuse us" and passed through to the Palace. Aston followed closely behind him. He emerged from the door to find the throne room packed with Scorpans. By all observation, it seemed Strikes-The-Air was holding court. A plaintiff was just leaving, and another knelt before the King on his throne. Wave stepped to the doorway''s side, allowing Aston to pass as the kneeling monster spoke. "Oh, Holy King, I bring news recently arrived from the Ninth. The crazed guilder, Hallmark, has defeated Pyry the Thunderbird. As we speak, he enters the Desert." The Scorpan declared, prompting a wave of noise as courtiers exclaimed in shock and murmured to each other. The King sat stoically upon his throne, his twin tails hanging ominously over the deep orange carapace of his scorpioid half. "That is... unfortunate, but not unexpected," the Scorpan King spoke, and all the Scorpans in the room hushed immediately. "This human has proved capable and resourceful to pierce this deep into The Creator''s lands. I will send my Royal Guards to intercept him at the entrance to the Canyon. The rest of you return to the cavern beyond the Village. There you will remain until I come to retrieve you. This human is far too dangerous for any untrained Child to strike him down. Go, Court is adjourned." As the Courtiers rushed from the throne room, Wave and Aston remained against the wall. The King briefly conferred with the guards that flanked his throne. One left, presumably to gather his fellows. Not long after, the King noticed the two odd monsters standing there. With visible curiosity, he waved them forward. They approached and bowed their heads, though neither knelt. Strikes-the-Air was not their King, after all. "I remember you, odd Drake-kin. You are Wave, are you not?" The King asked, to which Wave could only nod. "I am, though, do not consider myself a Drake-kin," he explained. "The Creator unintentionally elevated me from a Snowbold to my current form." The Scorpan King nodded and glanced at the minotaur beside him. "My companion is Aston, the eldest son of the First Bull Asterion." "Well met, minotaur. I see the resemblance, though I only met your father briefly. Why have you come to my court?" "I am on a quest, given to me by The Creator Himself," Wave declared. The King and the lone guard beside him froze. Behind him, Wave heard some stragglers attempt to remain in the throne room, though the guards soon evicted them. The King was quick to regain his bearings. "A Quest? If so, this would be the first in our history. Please, relay to me what The Creator has sent you to do." Strikes-the-Air insisted. Wave explained, and when he was done, the Scorpan King nodded slowly. "Most interesting. Though we''ve a few Cores collected from some particularly unruly Sunlions, none are among the ''largest.'' Asterion did well to advise you to travel to the Seventh. The Creator has a series of rooms there he used to perform many experiments, and I have no doubt he would have some large cores there. However, you should spend the night in the Village and wait for the crazed human to either pass or be defeated. If I guess rightly, you are not bound to a Respawn Crystal, and encountering Hallmark would surely cut your Quest short. Such a thing would doom us all." Strikes-the-Air advised. Wave shook his head. "I cannot. It has already been a day, and there is no time to spare. We will press on and hope our path doesn''t cross the human''s," he stated. The King was silent for a moment but quickly nodded. "That is your decision. I only pray it is the right one. However, if you insist on this, please allow me to send a Royal Guard with you. He would guard your life with his own and, if nothing else, would Respawn in the case of your demise. If such a thing came to pass, we might still attempt to bring a core to The Creator, even if it isn''t of the ideal size. Towers-Over-Others!" The King called. Over their conversation his guards emerged from their rooms, and now one stood forward. Wave had no doubt he was the tallest of his kind, with the top of his head resting two feet above the next largest guard. Despite his size, his body was still proportional. It was as if The Creator had declared this one was to be a third again as large as any other. The Scorpan knelt in the method unique to their people; his Scorpoid half tilted forward, and his large pincers spread wide, while his humanoid half bent at the waist and he spread his arms. "My King." "Do you accept this duty, Towers-Over-Others?" the Scorpan King asked, though Wave knew this was a mere formality. "Your will be done, oh Holy King." the Scorpan accepted, rising from his bow. He took a shield and five faintly glowing javelins from another Guard. Four of them rested on his humanoid back in a unique holster. The fifth he held in his hand. The guard turned to Wave and nodded thoughtfully. Aston snorted, amused. "Well, we''re a proper party now. Melee fighter, ranged fighter, mage... All we need is a healer," the minotaur joked. Wave smiled and shook his head. "We''re not guilders, Aston. We''re monsters. Even if we could somehow leave the dungeon, I doubt they''d let us sign up." -0-0-0-0-0- The Desert, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Hallmark emerged from the passage the happiest he''d been in a while. He''d done it! The Bird had fallen for his trick perfectly. He''d done as he''d sworn to do. He''d cut that damned Bird''s head off and danced on the ashes! At that moment, he felt as if nothing could stop him. But then reality returned. Hallmark had no idea how deep this dungeon went; or how many floors it had. He couldn''t afford to get overconfident. It was a lesson he''d learned well in his time here. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He winced and brought a hand to his chest. He was becoming... increasingly concerned about this. His foot still twinged, but there was no doubt it was healed. After so many potions, this pain in his chest should have been healed as well. And the location... right over his heart... Hallmark shook the thought from his mind. There was no time for this. He gazed over the dark dunes, lit only by the starscape above. For a moment, he stood there completely still, confounded. The sky didn''t look like any he''d ever seen before. Familiar constellations were missing, as were particular bright stars. Even the shape was wrong! Where was the Ring of Heaven? What was this belt of stars that stretched from one side of the sky to the other? Why was there only one moon, thin crescent though it was, resting just above the dunes? He entertained the thought that he''d somehow been transported to another world but quickly discarded the idea. He was in a dungeon. One that contained enormous spaces, but he was still underground. The Desert before him was cold and dark, barely illuminated by the single moon. However... traveling during the day would be far worse. Hallmark''s enchanted cloak was ragged and failing. He could even feel the biting chill of the night. He pulled it from his shoulders and discarded it in the sand. No matter. He''d do without. He climbed the dune before him, which taught him a half-dozen lessons. Theona had few true deserts and then only one with any kind of dunes. Hallmark had been there, of course, but the dunes here were ten times the size. The sand had a different texture, and his breath was quite labored when he reached the summit. It also gave him some perspective. Though he knew it wasn''t true, the desert seemed to go on forever. It was merely an illusion. Just as the mist below the Mountains on the Eighth hid their ''bases'' from view, the dungeon must have enchanted the walls of this cavern. With the stars providing no clear direction, Hallmark walked eastward, regarding the entrance, along the ridge of the dune. He walked over dune after dune for what must have been an hour, judging by the moon''s movement, before he encountered something odd. Rapidly approaching from the north were... four small tornados? He could barely see them at first as they danced around each other, but even in the moonlight, their shapes were distinctive. After a moment, he put the crossbow back on his belt. It would be useless here. He could only assume they were manabeings, but he was stumped on what kind. He''d never heard of anything like this. However, he supposed they might be more common in Hillia, largely deserts as that continent was. Still, despite their unknown nature, he felt the embers of hatred in his gut roar into life. He drew his longsword with a snarl and a burst of mana to activate the weight-altering enchantments. If these were like all the other manabeings in this dungeon, they had a monster core within those swirling winds somewhere. All Hallmark had to do was hit that, and they''d fall to pieces. The glow of his sword must have alerted them because they immediately changed course. To his astonishment, the four twisters merged into a much larger tornado. Their combined power was such that he could feel the winds pull at him, even though he stood at the dune''s peak, and they were merely a third of the way up the side. He raised his sword as the tornado approached, only to yelp in surprise as his footing disappeared. The sand beneath his feet slid down the side of the dune, replacing the sand the tornado had sucked up. He tumbled forward, rolling down the hill, right into the tornado. He had to admit that he panicked when he lost contact with the sand. He flailed with his longsword, hoping to catch at least one of the cores. As far as he could tell, he had no such luck. Hallmark had no idea how long he was in the air. His memories were a haze. He was spun through the air, rotating in all directions. It took all he had to hold onto his sword. He was thrown thrice by the tornado but couldn''t get to his feet quickly enough to escape. It sucked him up again. He was sure he voided his stomach contents, little though there was in there. When the torture finally ended, the stars were fading, and the sky lightening on the horizon. The manabeings must have grown bored because, when Hallmark was thrown from their tornado the final time, the tornado split into four twisters again. Hallmark struggled to stand as they circled him, no doubt taunting him, before they rushed off behind a dune and into the desert. He pushed himself to his feet, stumbling and falling again and again. Once there, he stood, one hand on his head and the other held out to steady himself. He opened his eyes only to close them immediately. The ground had shifted in his vision, and he felt nauseous again, contrasting with the ache of hunger in his gut. It wasn''t a pleasant feeling. Once he''d finally regained his bearings and eaten most of two sets of his rations, he squinted against the rising sun. This... wasn''t ideal. But he would persevere. -0-0-0-0-0- The Seventh Floor, Drake-Kin Village, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Huea Rockscale stood to the side of the hall, awaiting her turn to approach the council. They were in full attendance, each in their finest robes and adornments, as they argued and debated over things that would decide the course of their people. The shaman sitting at the middle of the long table, Fire Shaman Blaze, banged his gavel. "In a landslide of eight votes to one, this council has decided that the price of ''iced cream'' imported from the Minotaurs will be judged as a luxury good and taxed as such," he declared, to some polite clapping. Some of the things they debated were... less important, yes, but that didn''t mean the other, more vital decided upon were less so in comparison. "Next on the agenda. Huea Rockscale, you are summoned to stand before the council." With a gulp and fortifying squeeze of her best friend''s hand, Huea moved from the crowd. The murmurs that filled the room were hushed as she approached the center of the semicircular table. "I have been summoned, and I have come. What does this council require of me?" "We have received news from the lower floors," the Air Shaman, Cumulus, announced. "The Creator stirred, briefly, and gave the monster known as ''Wave'' a quest." The hall was suddenly filled with excited exclamations. "He has been tasked with gathering the largest monster core in the Dungeon. Huea, you are familiar with the recipient of the Quest, have performed tasks for The Creator in the past and, most importantly, have access to His experimental chambers. This council has decided that you will be the one to find and deliver the core to Wave when he arrives in three days." For ten long seconds, Huea could do little but blink in surprise. The Creator stirred? Wave, her old clutch mate, had been given a quest? As the silence became awkward, Huea took a deep breath and bowed. "I humbly accept this task. I must beg your pardon, but there is little time to waste. I will depart immediately." She straightened and turned to leave, catching Kata''s eye as she made a beeline for the exit. The court burst into noise, cutting off as the door swung shut behind her. Huea moved to the nearby railing, looking down over the Village, lost in her thoughts. She was only broken from them when Kata put a pale hand on her shoulder. "Talon for your thoughts?" the human asked. Huea snorted. "Just never thought I''d hear that name again," Huea admitted. She pushed off the railing and walked towards the nearest staircase to the next ring of the Village. Kata followed closely, obviously curious. "What name? Wave? Who is he?" she asked. Huea took another breath and began to explain. "We grew up together as Kobolds, on the Third. Kobold juveniles are raised communally, so we aren''t sure who our parents are. It meant that all the adults in the Village were our parents. That all the juveniles were our brothers and sisters. Despite that... I was almost certain Wave was my actual brother. He had the same grey scales. The same arrangement of horns. We grew up close as any two monsters could be, as fast as that childhood was. He was sent to start a new village when ours grew too large. I remained behind." They''d reached the stairs and descended them in silence. At the bottom, they turned left, and Kata spoke up again. "What happened after that?" she asked politely. "I was asked by The Creator to descend to the Seventh along with the rest of the Village and evolved into a Drake-kin. Until now, I was certain Wave was still on the Third... Obviously, I was wrong about that," Huea mused. After another few minutes, Huea stopped at an otherwise blank wall and placed a hand on an unassuming brick. She smirked as Kata blinked and stepped back in shock. Huea moved into the revealed corridor, her friend following closely behind. Huea lit a small manalight in her hand, the pale white light only illuminating a few yards of the pitch-black darkness. "What is this place?" Kata asked. Huea gave her a severe look. "This leads to an isolated part of the Seventh. The Creator used it to perform experiments somewhere out of the way, where He wouldn''t disturb the daily life of the Drake-kin. The Courts received their first bodies here. The first Respawn Crystals were made here. I haven''t been here since you were allowed to roam the Village," Huea admitted. Kata''s eyes widened, and she glanced between Huea and the dark beyond their light. Huea nodded. "This is also where He kept His prisoners." -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 82 -0-0-0-0-0- The Canyon, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Wave, Aston, and Towers-Over-Others followed the path through the canyon as light from the manasun peaked over its edge and spilled upon the glistening, running river. The trees rustled in the wind. Small birds and animals made various growls, chirps, and other noises. Occasionally, they heard the odd, echoing screech of a Stymphalian Vulture overhead or the roar of a Golden Sunlion as it fought another male. Unlike the odd quiet of the Tenth and Eleventh... the Ninth was alive with animals and monsters. It felt... more complete. Wave knelt at the side of the river and dipped a few water skins in, filling them with fresh, clean water. Aston raised an eyebrow at him as he returned to the path. "For your magic?" the minotaur asked. Wave tilted his head from side to side, hooking the skins on a belt. "Not just for my magic," he admitted. "We''re going into a desert. We might not need to eat or drink, but doesn''t the idea of going into a desert without water sound stupid?" The minotaur shrugged in response; the axe resting on his shoulders shifted as he did. "It is a good idea," Towers agreed, shifting on his eight legs. "The Creator teaches us that, while we may not need food or drink to sustain ourselves, it is to our benefit." His piece said the Scorpan returned to scanning the greenery. Wave smiled at the enormous monster and did the same. They''d taken the night in the village to get to know each other. While the Scorpan had initially been stiff and formal, he''d opened up during a conversation on their Creator. Like all Scorpans, he was fanatical, though far more reserved in his worship than others were. The following two hours of walking were quite pleasant. They continued to talk, though this time more about how they fought individually and how they might fight as a team. The hours passed like minutes, and they quickly reached the canyon''s end. Wave stopped to stare at the series of narrow switchbacks that made up the path to the top. He remembered descending them, and though he knew the track was safe, it didn''t look like it from the bottom. He turned to the other two party members, trying to look serious. "Towers, Aston. After this climb, there is a high chance we could encounter the human walking around here." Wave stated. He then took a deep breath. "I''ve been thinking, and he''s clearly the most powerful guilder to ever enter the dungeon. Wouldn''t that mean he has the largest core? The Creator did say it could be a monster or human core." "You want to ambush him? Take his core?" Aston extrapolated, rubbing his hairy chin. "It would be faster than going all the way to the Seventh, that''s for sure." "I don''t like the idea," Towers interjected stiffly. "It puts you at too much risk. The King sent me to protect you from the human if we encountered him. Not to seek him out." "You''re not wrong," Wave admitted. "Aston and I don''t have Respawn Crystals. Any fight we get in is one where we risk our lives. Still though, if we were to encounter him... wouldn''t it be better for us to have a plan?" Towers couldn''t refute that. As they climbed, they tried to turn their rough strategies into something they could use against the lone guilder. They had a few plans, but none could say they''d work. They didn''t know enough about how the human fought to nail down a definitive strategy. When they crested the final ramp, Wave could only squint against the glare and raised a claw to shield his eyes. The dunes glittered and shone in the light, and it was only after a few minutes that his eyes adjusted. He glanced to the side and found Aston much the same. Towers was unaffected and seemed amused. Wave rolled his eyes at the Scorpan. "Yes, yes, you''re adapted to the environment here. Well done. Which way is the Entrance? The dunes look different from how they did when I last came through." Now smug, Towers moved off, heading towards the start of a dune''s ridgeline. Wave and Aston followed quickly, not wanting to be left behind. They heard the cry of a Stymphalian Vulture in the distance and saw a trio of silhouettes wing their way into the desert. It took a good few hours to cross the desert. About an hour in, they found where the Vultures had gone. They circled a figure atop a distant dune, diving every so often and peppering it with their metal feathers as it sprinted away from them. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor; the monsters slid down the leeward side of the dune before they could be spotted and continued on their way. Wave had no doubt that was the human. No one else was meant to be out here, and he could only hope the man would remain lost among the dunes. When they arrived and passed through the tunnel to the Eighth, Wave sighed in relief. He hadn''t particularly enjoyed the heat of the Ninth and much preferred the icy wind of the Stormy Peaks or the sea breezes of the Eleventh. Aston and Towers, however, were less prepared for the cold. Towers, as one of the original Scorpans, had passed through the Eighth before. Even so, after so long living in the heat of the Ninth, the cold was unexpected and unpleasant for the monster. Aston was born on the Tenth and had no reference for the cold. Thankfully, his fur coat served him far better as insulation than in the desert. "It''s freezing. How can you stand the cold?" The minotaur asked Wave as he shivered. Towers seemed like he agreed, his increased movement likely to stave off the cold. "I was once a Snowbold. This is where we were made to live. Even after becoming what I am now, I never lost the part that lets the wind here feel like a cool breeze rather than the icy daggers I''m sure you feel." Wave replied. His companions nodded in understanding. "Come. It should be sundown soon, and it''ll only get colder. There''s an entrance to the Third Peak Snowbold Village not far away." -0-0-0-0-0- The Desert, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Hallmark was sure now. He didn''t just hate the Bird from the Eighth. He hated all bird monsters. They kept too distant for him to strike, even with the ice wand and crossbow in hand. They had some wind magic at the very least since any shots he sent at them were quickly diverted by the casual flap of a wing. After a single test use, he determined the Icicle Stave was all but useless in the desert. As far as he could tell, it drew on mana in the air and his own manapool. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Which made the source of its weakness obvious. Hallmark was in a desert, where water mana was scarce. As he glared up at the birds, he licked his now drier lips and returned the stave to his belt. Hallmark hefted the crossbow but didn''t aim it skyward. He''d already tried that and didn''t want to risk using the small explosives he''d already strapped to them. He idly wished he''d bought more than one of those spectacular explosives from the enchanter back on the mainland. He still kept the crossbow in his hands, though. One might make the mistake of diving down at him, and it''d be harder to dodge the closer they got. When the monsters figured out he wouldn''t shoot them anymore, they did something he hadn''t expected. They looked to be monstrous vultures, and such animals were carrion birds. They follow dying creatures, then feed from them after the animal drops of exhaustion or dehydration. As such, his expectation was that they''d merely follow him. He looked down from the sky, scanning the horizon for any variation in this dune see. It was only thanks to the sun glinting off the feathers that he could dodge the attack. He quickly cast his gaze skyward again but only found the mocking cries of the vultures. Wary, he looked down where whatever it was had landed and saw a feather. A metallic feather. It was slightly ductile, silvery, and mostly dull. The long edge and tip were razor sharp, shiny, and rigid. Hallmark looked up again, and his eyes widened. He sprinted along the dune immediately, not looking back as he heard the dozen dull thumps of feathery projectiles impacting sand. The three monsters had seemingly decided it was their turn since he''d stopped shooting. Hallmark ran, varying his speed randomly, and another dozen thumps followed him. Each sounded closer than the last. He turned his head to glance up. He saw the silvery feather quite clearly as it cut his cheek on its way to the ground. Snarling, he turned to face the vultures and raised his crossbow. He fired. With the casual flap of its wings, one of the birds halted the bolt in its tracks, just as it had the last one. It hung in the air for a moment as its momentum slowed. Just as it began to fall, the bird flapped again, and the bolt hurtled back toward Hallmark. His eyes widened, and he turned and sprinted away. When the bolt hit the dune behind him, it exploded. He felt the searing heat through his armor and fell to his knees. He turned back and saw that section of the dune had a crater. The crater glimmered ever more than the sand already did, now holding dozens of clumps of glass. Hallmark scrambled to his feet and started running again. He hoped he was going in the right direction as the thumps came quickly. This time he kept an eye on the sky, dodging metallic feather after feather. While he could focus on dodging and running, neither had the attention they deserved. The inevitable happened. Hallmark dodged sideways, and his foot stepped off the ridge. It found only air, then landed on the slip face. He slipped. He fell. He rolled down the dune, catching a mouthful of sand with every roll. When he finally stopped at the base of the dune... he was pissed. He glared up at the birds with a snarl, aimed his crossbow, then lowered it with a frustrated shout. This was a fight he couldn''t win. The birds were too far away to hit and would send every bolt he fired back at him. Explosive or not, getting hit would slow him down. He couldn''t afford to slow down. The monsters continued to cry out in mocking laughter as they ascended higher, settling into a circling pattern. Hallmark raised his waterskin to his mouth, then frowned as he only got a few drops. He raised it higher and found it sliced open. Wheeling around, he found no wet spots on the sand. It must have happened when he was running atop the dune. He had at least six other places on his armor that bore similar slices. He let out a frustrated scream, and only the Birds responded. Their cries followed him until the sun set, with them diving ever so often to shower him with their feathery projectiles. As the light faded, he saw the vultures finally break off. He squinted at their shadowy forms as the great band of stars emerged. They had to be returning to their nest. Hallmark smirked. He finally had a direction. With another small gulp of the wideawake potion, he began to walk through the night and felt he''d find wherever they went by morning. -0-0-0-0-0- The Cells, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Kata stood still as she looked at her old cell. There were five in all, each in its own room to isolate them from each other, which she''d had no idea were even there. Kata didn''t know who''d been in the other four or even if they''d been used since they were all clean and the air here was slightly stale. She had to agree with Huea. It''d been a while since anyone had been here. "You okay, Kata?" the drake-kin asked softly, one claw on her shoulder. After a shaky breath, she nodded. "I''m fine. Just... thinking," Kata replied with an uncertain smile. The drake-kin squeezed her shoulder with a nod. The monster''s claw slipped from her shoulder and took her hand. "Alright then. Come on, the storage room isn''t far," Huea insisted, pulling Kata along. The human followed slightly listlessly. Being here was... weird. She''d spent so long in that cell. In fact, she didn''t actually know how long she''d been in there. It all blurred together. When they emerged into the storage room, her eyes widened. Along one wall was a row of standing, intact skeletons. Some were drake-kin, others were kobolds. There was one human. In their rib cages were glowing teal monster cores, and the empty sockets of their skulls held a small blue point of light amidst the darkness. She''d forgotten about them entirely. One had delivered her food soon after her capture, and she remembered the terror she''d felt at the sight of it. It''d never returned. "The D-Creator made undead?!" Kata gasped, abhorred. Huea glanced at the skeletons, then shook her head in disappointment. Disappointment! "Unfortunately not. They''re merely shells for His will. I remember Him commenting that they lacked the spark of life and only moved because He moved them." The drake-kin sighed. "Ultimately, they ended up inspiring the golem bodies the Courts use. Speaking of, the cores were stored over here." The monster pulled Kata along, and she stumbled slightly before joining her friend. She glanced over her shoulder at the skeletons one last time before they left the room. The hallway was short and ended in a large room. This one was positively filled with monster cores. Dozens! Some were perfect spheres, others more oval-shaped. There were a few she was sure were human cores. And these weren''t small ones like the Crabs had. They ranged in size from Kata''s fist to one as large as her entire torso! "Is that the one we''re looking for?" She asked with trepidation, pointing at the largest. It sat on what looked like a metal brazier. They couldn''t carry something that large around! Thankfully Huea shook her head. "No, that''s the Respawn Crystal prototype. It''s not a standard mana core anymore." The drake-kin answered distractedly. She walked over to the shelf filled with larger cores and pulled one from the shelves after a few minutes of studying them. "This one." Huea walked back over to Kata, who''d remained near the door, and she got a good look at the core her friend held. It was a foot long, and she judged it about a foot in diameter. It was clear and glistened in the mana light. "Why this one in particular? There are still larger ones on the shelf." She asked, pointing to one at least half a foot longer. Huea shook her head. "It''s been a while, but I was quite involved with these experiments," the drake-kin admitted. "Most of the cores are enchanted. Very early tests of what would eventually go into the respawn crystals that ultimately led to the big one on the floor." She nodded, then hefted the core in her hands. "This one is unmodified, besides adding some mana to make it bigger. Part of the prep work." Kata could only nod, feeling slightly dazed. Before today, she hadn''t thought manacores larger than her clenched fist existed. And now dungeons could consciously infuse manacores with mana to make them larger?! The consensus was that manacores could only get so big since they''d grow too large and start pressing against organs. That would be bad, especially since they usually form near the heart of a creature. But, taken outside of a body and then infused with vast amounts of mana with nothing to restrict its growth? It made sense. "So... what do we do with it?" she asked, looking at the huge core in her friend''s claws. "We take it back to the village and wait for Wave to turn up," The monster replied. "If he doesn''t... we can assume the human got him, and we''ll probably have to take it to The Creator''s Core ourselves." -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 83 -0-0-0-0-0- The First Peak, The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Aston shivered with his entire body as the end of this frozen mountain came into sight. It''d only been three days since he''d left the minotaur village with Wave, and he could say with certainty that he understood what his father meant. The world was more than the Tenth and the village there. At home, it was temperate and pleasant. The trek across the desert had been exhausting. It was the first time he''d ever experienced sweating, which he decided was simultaneously relief and annoyance. It cooled him down, but it also made his fur stick and itch in the most unpleasant way. The Creator had shaped Towers to live on the Ninth, and his carapace kept him at a comfortable temperature. Wave tried to pass off that he was fine, but the glaze his eyes gained and the way his mouth hung open by the end of their crossing didn''t look good. He''d drunk plenty of water after they''d seen the human, reasoning that he wouldn''t need it to fight. He looked better after, so Aston worried less. The Eighth was, as had been expected, the other temperature extreme. The sweat in his fur, which had been such a boon in the desert, betrayed him. It cooled rapidly and let the cold through what should have been insulating fur. He was glad that the walk to the Third Peak Village was short. The snowbolds helped him clean the freezing sweat from his fur and gave him plenty of warm furs to sleep with over the night. He felt far better in the morning, and the village''s high shaman gave him a cloak. She claimed that it''d been pulled from the frozen corpse of a guilder, a party member of the human on the Ninth. He didn''t particularly care where it came from. It was warm, and that was enough. They offered one to Towers, but the Scorpan refused it. He claimed that his carapace worked just as well for cold as heat. Aston wasn''t sure about that, but he''d give Towers the cloak if it came to that. They left early the following day. The manasun only just lightening the horizon. He''d let out a pleased grunt as the cloak kept the wind at bay. Even though it didn''t completely cover him, having been made for a smaller being, its effect wrapped around him entirely. From the frog of his hooves to the tips of his horns. The mountain climb was made far easier thanks to Wave''s knowledge of the passages and shortcuts through the frozen rock. They briefly encountered the Air Spirit, who urged them to move quickly. Aston wasn''t sure what she meant by, "He should get the chance to see the next stage. I owe him that much at least," but he knew the words weren''t intended for him. As the sun seemed to set the sky aflame with a riot of colors, the most spectacular sunset he''d ever seen, they approached the ''beginning'' of the floor. Just inside the cave leading to the Seventh, an unusual pair waited. A grey drake-kin stood tall, eyes accusing and cradling a monster core as large as his hammer''s head. Beside the monster stood a human. Aston narrowed his eyes at the woman, and she shrunk back, half-hiding behind the drake-kin. He''d heard of the human living amongst the Drake-Kin. His eyes scanned her as they came closer. He wasn''t sure what he expected. He''d never seen a human before. Pale skin, bushy, untamed hair. Shivering at the winds as they blew into the cave. She looked... entirely unthreatening if Aston was honest with himself. "Hello, Wave." The drake-kin greeted. Wave stopped in his tracks, and his eyes widened in surprise as the drake-kin continued. "Long time no see. You know, it''s polite to keep in touch with your family. No Sprite messages, no house calls. A girl might think you''d forgotten her entirely." The words were teasing, but Aston could hear the hurt in her tone. "Hue!" Wave exclaimed, his shock instantly turning to happiness. Aston blinked in surprise as the ordinarily serious and reserved being rushed forward to envelop the drake-kin, ''Hue,'' in a tackle-hug. She barely handed the core off to the human in time as Wave crashed into her, and they fell to the stone floor. They immediately started squabbling, and Aston understood. He smiled at the reunited siblings as they argued and caught up, still rolling on the floor. The human eyed the minotaur and scorpan warily as they approached at a more sedate pace. "This is for you, I guess," she said awkwardly, holding out the core with shaking arms. Aston accepted the core with care, then turned to face Towers, The scorpan nodded, and turned sideways. Aston opened the pouch hanging from the scorpan''s shoulders and slid the core in. With the core secured, he turned back to the woman. "Thank you, human," he grunted. The human language was strange, but he was capable of speaking it. She shuffled in place, and there was an awkward silence between them, broken only by the still squabbling siblings. As Aston opened his mouth to speak, the human beat him to the punch. "What''s the Tenth like?" She blurted, then immediately backtracked. "You don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to. It was stupid of me to ask. I''m sorry." Aston touched the rambling human''s shoulder with a kind smile. He had her measure. "Peace, human. Nothing to be sorry about," he reassured her. Beside him, Towers nodded. "The Creator has always taught that curiosity must be encouraged. How will you grow without asking questions?" Towers proselytized. The human shook her head, having taken an unconscious step back. "I''m sorry, I don''t understand the language Scorpans speak." She admitted. Towers made an understanding noise, and she flinched back. Aston sighed. "He said that asking questions is okay. The Creator says we should never stop asking them. How will we learn otherwise?" She calmed and nodded. Towers clicked his mandibles at Aston, and the minotaur chuckled. Of course the scorpan would be annoyed he hadn''t translated him word-for-word. The human eyed the scorpan warily. "What''s the Tenth like?" Aston repeated, bringing a hand to his chin as he caught the human''s attention again. "It''s home." -0-0-0-0-0- The Desert, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Hallmark had to admit he may have been... generous... in his estimate. After the birds left, he took another sip from his quickly-emptying health potion and the last gulp of the wideawake potion. An hour into his walk, following the direction the birds had flown, a sandstorm came out of nowhere. He''d been so focused on maintaining his direction he hadn''t kept an eye on his surroundings. It''d come from behind him, and he quickly found himself enveloped in the swirling sand. The pale light from the moon was snuffed, and he was left in darkness. He could only grit his teeth as the sand stung his exposed skin. He did his best to keep moving straight, but the lack of any kind of light didn''t help with that. He wished he''d had a lantern of some sort. Before this, he''d always had party members able to summon sprites to provide light. He found the practice distasteful and would never call one himself. He would happily take advantage of fools feeding the creatures, though. Stolen story; please report. Nonetheless, he pushed on. He wasn''t sure how long he walked in the storm, But it had to have been at least four hours until the storm lightened to a dark-orange glow, and he could see a few feet around him. It being daytime didn''t help with navigation within the storm whatsoever. He''d been holding one arm up to his eyes, trying to shield them from the biting sand. His exposed skin was red and raw. Once tarnished and dull, his armor had been polished to an unexpected shine. The clothes under his armor were far more worn and tattered than before. The light in the storm was the same shade of orange in all directions, not giving him any idea of where the false sun was in its journey across the fake sky. He only knew when he''d reached his destination when the sand turned to stone and an edge appeared out of nothing. Hallmark jerked to a stop, inches from carelessly wandering over what could be a long drop. The sandstorm still raged, and he couldn''t stand there forever. He turned left, following the edge closely but not standing nearby. After all, he didn''t want to be blindsided by some monster and shoved over. Eventually, the storm blew itself out, revealing what lay past the cliff. A Canyon. A massive gash in the desert, cut by a fast-flowing river and filled with greenery. He could hear roars and shrieks as the whistling winds faded. He peered over the edge, looking down at the cliff face below to judge its height. It was too much, he decided. Far higher than he could jump down from without breaking his legs, even with his foot healed now. He put a hand to his chest as that pain flared up again. He grit his teeth at the sharpness, face contorting into a grimace. When it passed, he let out a relieved sigh. That was only getting worse. He looked left, then right, trying to identify a path down the cliffside. He couldn''t see one and decided to keep walking the way he''d already been going. He''d find a way down eventually. After an hour, a chorus of familiar cries rose from the cliffside before him. He blinked and stumbled back from the edge as more than a dozen metallic-feathered birds rose from within the canyon. A rising wind drew his glance back to the desert, where five living twisters were quickly approaching. Directly next to him, seven snakes the width of his thigh shook the sand as they unburrowed themselves. They hissed threateningly, hoods spread and poison visibly dripping from their exposed fangs, herding him toward the edge. He had only one option. Hallmark turned and leaped from the cliff''s edge with as much force as he could, aiming for a coconut tree hanging over the river. He ignored the surprised squawks of the birds as he briefly joined them in the air, focused entirely on his landing. He reached out as he fell, then smacked into the flexible tree. He grunted in pain when he hit the bark, feeling at least two of his ribs crack on impact. His arms clutched tightly around the trunk as his momentum transferred, bending it over the river. With an ominous crack and snap, the tree broke in half. As it fell into the river, Hallmark pushed off, splashing into the crystal-clear water. He swam to the shore as quickly as he could, taking advantage of the relatively calmer waters in a nearby eddy. He pulled himself from the water, armor and hair soaking wet, with no small amount of pain. Once he''d managed to stand again, he looked up and bared his teeth at the circling kettle of vultures. It was only thanks to the glint of the sun on a feather that he dodged in time. More followed the first, and he retreated into the patch of trees nearby. There were a few thumps as feathers embedded themselves in the trunks and branches of the thick vegetation, but they quickly trailed off. Hallmark almost cheered as he heard the birds'' cries growing fainter. Almost. Because instead, Hallmark stood quite still when a deep rumble emanated from the bushes behind him. He whirled in a smooth, practiced motion, drawing his sword and bringing it up to skewer the leaping beast as it lunged. Every movement exacerated the pain emanating from his broken ribs, but he pushed on regardless. But no beast was lunging at him. Instead, he saw a ball of blinding light building within the maw of a maned creature superficially similar to the Tigers on the Third. The hair on the back of his neck prickled, and he threw himself sideways as the ball turned to a beam. He winced as his ribs shifted, but kept moving as the beam followed, trying to circle around and strike the beast from the side. He didn''t anticipate the three smaller, maneless beasts jumping from the bushes, standing to guard the first''s flank, and unleashing less powerful beams. Hallmark let out a bark of laughter he would call an expression of pure joy as he rolled beneath their shorter-lived beams. Others would liken it to the unhinged laughter of the insane, as it never ended. In fact, it only grew when the larger beast''s beam spluttered and died. Both could be true, Hallmark reasoned, as he stood facing the quartet of golden-furred beasts. His laughter finally stopped, and he chugged the final mouthfuls of healing potion. He threw the bottle to the ground, where it smashed and a grin that stretched ear-to-ear grew across his face as he rushed the beasts, sword already swinging. Hallmark ignored the sharp pain in his chest making itself known once again as he activated the enchantments. He ignored the shifting in his chest as the potion pulled his ribs back into alignment. His blade stopped dead as it hit the smaller monster''s spine. He pulled it back, slicing through the monster''s muscle, then thrust into its chest. Its heart was pierced, and he saw the light in its eyes die. Finally, something he could actually kill. He leapt back as its companions made their displeasure known. They gave way to the larger as it approached, and Hallmark knew the look of challenge and revenge in its eyes. With a final click, his ribs slotted back into place, and he felt ready to kill. This was going to be FUN. -0-0-0-0- The Dungeon Core, The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- This is our best chance at survival! Why can''t you see that!? I raged at the insufferable soul formed of what I could only describe as distilled stupidity. After quietly listening to my plan, Instincts decided it was a trap and renewed the fighting immediately. After a brief struggle, I squeezed it into the tip again and used the momentary advantage to get a message to Wave. He was the nearest non-manabeing monster that could actually retrieve the core I needed. Instincts quickly took advantage of my distraction, and a minute later, we were locked in a stalemate that had persisted for all these days. Now that I was paying attention, I could feel the sheer density of the mana around us. How much it''d grown from when this all began. If I had to, I''d compare it to air and water. Once sparse but ever-present, it now filled every crevice and facet. The Core was almost full to bursting, and I knew that the accretion disk could hold many times the amount in the Core. In fact, I could feel the beginnings of that dangerous over-full feeling I''d experienced shortly after my ''rebirth.'' I sent that feeling to Instincts. Do you feel this?! This is our impending death. It''s not someone trying to shatter us, but your stubbornness and paranoia that will cause it! We need to bleed off some of the building mana, at the very least! The simple soul felt dismissive as if it considered ME more dangerous than that feeling. It was absurd. If it''d genuinely been with me since my reincarnation here, it had once felt this feeling too. I vividly remembered the certainty that if it continued, I''d DIE. I''d once attributed those feelings to Instincts, but now I wasn''t so sure. Had it not felt those feelings? As the dominant soul at the time, had I somehow sheltered it? Or was it really just dismissing the danger? I couldn''t be sure either way and asking these questions did nothing to help my current situation. The increased density of mana changed how we were using it. Where once it''d flowed like water against the other''s, now it scraped and pushed like tectonic plates. The only reason I hadn''t compared it to rock earlier was because there was still some shifting and give. The moment it reached that density, then passed that threshold... would be it. The End. And I refused to die a second time. I blinked, surprised at my own thoughts. A Second Time? So I had died? I only remembered falling asleep, then waking up floating on the ocean stuck inside a gemstone. I imagined narrowing my eyes at an imaginary horizon. Something was going on here. There was definitely more to my reincarnation than I''d previously thought. My wavering attention cost me a little, as my frontline faltered. Cursing, I shoved the miserable little soul''s mana back. I let my attention be consumed with our conflict. There was no point theorizing at the moment. Either Wave would return with the core and I would get this imbecilic soul out of my core, or we''d all die. To that end, I kept the pressure up, forcing Instincts further and further to the side of the core. It''d take days to get it there, but I''d be ready by the time Wave arrived. I''d get this thing out of MY body or die trying. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 84 -0-0-0-0-0- Snowbold Village, The First Peak, The Eighth Floor -0-0-0-0-0- Wave was on cloud nine as they talked around the fire in the First Peak Village. His sister was here! It''d been so long since he''d left their old village, and he hadn''t expected to ever see her again. She was safe. Healthy. Sitting next to his sister, he couldn''t get the stupid grin off his face. Huea was more reserved, but he knew she was just as happy to see him. "So," Huea began, swallowing her mouthful of iced cream. "You helped The Creator on the Eleventh, and channeling such huge amounts of mana warped you. The Creator noticed and did what he could to guide the transformation." Wave nodded. "Tha''s th ghist hof et," he said around the iced cream and spoon in his mouth. He giggled at his sister''s disgust but continued more seriously after gulping it down. "I was... different. Unique. I tried to live here, among the snowbolds. But I didn''t feel like I belonged anymore." "And you found the Eleventh more... welcoming?" Huea asked, seeming confused. Wave considered her words for a moment. They sat silently while he thought and watched Aston translate for Towers as the Scorpan tried to proselytize to the human. The Scorpan was certainly enthusiastic, and though the human was interested, Wave could tell that same enthusiasm, coming from the enormous monster, visibly disturbed her. He had no doubt that she couldn''t understand his language contributed somewhat. "That''s... not quite right," Wave eventually said. "I felt called. On my surfboard, surfing on the sea... it was like I found my place. Not because The Creator told me to live there but because I liked it. But even then... I was still lonely. The only other people I could talk to were the Fire Court manabeings." He looked across the fireplace again, a fond smile growing on his snout. "Then you made some friends," Huea finished. Wave nodded. "They weren''t like the Snowbolds," He said, waving a claw. Even now, the snowbolds were giving their fireplace a wide berth. He couldn''t tell if they were trying to avoid the human or show respect. "Treated me like a person." Huea nodded and looked around at the snowbolds herself. "I understand that," she said. "Same thing happens with the Drake-kin and Mushu. Not Tear, though. He was always ''one of us,'' so even after The Creator elevated him, he never reached that same level of... reverence." Wave nodded, trying to snap his claws. They both looked at his clawed fingers as they made no noise. "Huh. Expected something different there. Anyway, that''s the word I was thinking of. Reverence." They were quiet for a bit. "Come with us." Wave suddenly asked, surprising himself. Huea seemed just as taken back. "I... can''t," she said. She sounded regretful. "I want to, I really do. But I can''t. If I came, I''d have to bring Kata. The Creator was clear that she was to remain on the Seventh. I''m... kinda stretching the bounds here. I don''t think she''d try to leave the dungeon, but bringing her closer to the Core? No. I need to take her back to the village." Wave nodded sadly and hung his head. She touched his shoulder, and he looked up at her. "hey, It''s okay. We know about each other. We can send messages with the wind sprites and arrange to visit when this ends." Huea said, sounding hopeful. Wave perked up again. That was true! He was certainly disappointed, but he understood. She had responsibilities. And even just knowing she was on the seventh changed his motivation slightly. Where he''d once been willing to die, trying to get this core to The Creator... now he''d do his best to live. Eventually, they were shown where they could sleep. Huea stayed with the human, Kata. Aston and Towers bunked together, and Wave was led to his old hut. The bed was still too small, but he grabbed a few things he''d left behind the first time. The following day Wave waved goodbye to Huea and Kata. It didn''t feel like a farewell, like the last time they''d parted ways. They knew they could contact each other again and had the means to do so. Wave took comfort in that. The party of three left soon after that. They made good time, going through the passages, and it was midday by the time they reached the Ninth. The return trip through the desert seemed to take longer, even though Wave knew it was just as far as it''d been before. They reached the canyon in only a few hours and trekked down the cliffside path in barely one. They took a break there, at the base of the cliff, for a few minutes. They''d been walking for hours, and Wave knew the others were just as tired as he was. Yes, they were trying to get back to the Eleventh as fast as possible, but it wouldn''t do for them to drop from exhaustion. Therefore, it was a great surprise when the human walked into the clearing at the base of the trail. He looked just as surprised as Wave was. His eyes flicked between Towers, Wave, and Aston, sizing them up. When his analyzing look turned into a crazed grin, Wave raised his staff at him. Aston and Towers were suddenly in front of him, hammer and javelins raised. The human practically launched himself at the monster party. And the fight began. -0-0-0-0-0- The Canyon, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Hallmark rushed forward toward the group of monsters. He''d never seen any of their kinds before, though the lizard looked similar enough to the ones on the Seventh and Eighth. The beast-like one had legs like a cow and the head of one. It only stood on two legs and wielded an enormous hammer in its muscled arms. It wasn''t as large as the Seventh''s Guardian''s hammer, but still huge. The largest monster... was even stranger. A scorpion-shaped monster with a humanoid torso growing from the front. Possessing both pincers and arms. Its face... a nightmare of shifting mandibles and chitin. He lifted his sword, deflecting the thrown javelin. The scorpion drew another from its back and snapped its pincers menacingly. Hallmark threw himself sideways to dodge the whip of water that arced around the two large monsters. The water retreated quickly as Hallmark rolled, keeping his momentum. Then he was on them. A diagonal strike aimed at the furred beast''s fragile-looking legs was deflected by the warhammer wielded by said beast. This one had two different sides to the head. One was flat but covered in shallow spikes. The other was a wicked-looking spike, curved slightly and bladed on the interior of the curve. The bladed curve deflected his sword strike, and Hallmark spun, using the monster''s momentum, already moving into the next strike. The beast was still recovering from his own counter and out-of-position. This time, a Javelin intercepted his strike. He threw himself back to avoid the lunging pincers and rose from the dust cloud he''d thrown up with the tactical retreat. "So, you''re the monster that''s been roaming the dungeon, killing with impunity," the lizard spoke up, filled with righteous anger. Hallmark hated it already. "I''m no monster. You''re the monsters!" Hallmark retorted. "And I''m doing my gods-given duty by slaughtering you all!" He lunged forward again, aiming at the scorpion, but every strike was intercepted by either the javelin or the hammer. On the odd occasion he managed to get the scorpion and beast off balance at once, he had back off to dodge an ice spike or water whip. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. One even scored a hit on the exposed skin of his arm, carving a shallow cut through his forearm. Sloppy. He couldn''t afford to be sloppy anymore. He''d needed to use the last of his healing potion to fix the broken ribs from falling into the canyon. From that moment, Hallmark was more conservative in how he fought. He took less risks. He was cautious not to overextend. The monsters noticed. They couldn''t not notice. They became more aggressive in response. Especially the scorpion. It took more risks, trying to get past Hallmark''s defenses. He didn''t let it. As the fight went on, Hallmark realized he was tiring. He wasn''t stupid, after all. Fighting constantly, crossing a desert without water, relying on his now-depleted wide-awake potion and healing potions to stay in the fight... He needed a break. Time to rest. The Monsters didn''t let up or give him the time he needed to catch his breath. Hallmark''s mistakes came back to bite him, and he was on the back foot. While his strikes, blocks, and deflections weakened with every passing minute, theirs didn''t. They were fresh; they looked well-fed, healthy, and strong. Hallmark was tired, dehydrated, and hungry. He''d drunk some river water and had monster meat from those beasts earlier, but it wasn''t enough. They were tiring as well, yes, but slower than he was. More attacks started getting through, despite his best efforts. Only cuts and bruises at first, punishing slowing movements and sloppy footwork. Then larger injuries. Another long slice on his other arm. A few broken ribs. A gouge cut out of his back. Then came the fatal mistake. As this continued, and Hallmark became more panicked, he lost track of all but the two weapon-wielding monsters in front of him. He forgot the mage. He barely spotted the whip of water that lashed out from his right. The mage had circled around, leaving the protection of the larger monsters. It''d flanked him, and he hadn''t noticed. Unlike previous whips, this one was formed from river water and, with more speed and mass behind it, it connected. It wrapped around the wrist of his sword arm and yanked it away. The jerk was so strong, and his grip slack enough, that he lost his sword. It fell to the sand with a thud. A second whip grabbed his other wrist, pulling that arm out wide. He pulled his arms to his chest with all his might... But he was too weak. They remained out to the side, and he was helpless. The whips raised his arms above his head and pulled him into the air. He let himself go limp as his feet left the ground. Hallmark looked up at the mage as it approached him. He tried to get mad at the accusing look, but all he felt was tired. "Hallmark The Guilder. You have killed many Children of The Creator in your mad descent into our home, though only the Lesser Children were lost forever. You have shown no mercy or compassion for the Greater Children you killed, nor even considered that we could be more than mere beasts," the monster lectured, eyes narrowed. It raised its staff, and the manacrystal at the top began to glow with a pale light. "Any last words?" "Wish I killed more of you," Hallmark grit out, his anger briefly returning. He bared his teeth at the blue-scaled lizard and let the depths of his hatred show in his stare. The monster didn''t seem perturbed. "So be it." It stated. The staff suddenly flashed with a white light. Hallmark got a brief look at the icy projectile milliseconds before it pierced his eye. And he knew no more. -0-0-0-0-0- The Canyon, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Wave let the body drop to the ground and let the river-water whips go. The water fell to the sand and was immediately absorbed. In seconds it was like there hadn''t been any water on it. Wave... was exhausted. The fight had gone on for far longer than he''d expected. He''d thought most fights were over in seconds to minutes. He wasn''t exactly sure how long had passed, but it''d been more than mere minutes. Wave collapsed to the sand, going limp and taking deep breaths. Twin thuds heralded his party members joining him. They lay there for a while, just catching their breaths. "Well, Plan Distraction worked," Wave commented dryly. Aston and Towers chucked around their own heavy breathing. "Only because he was more tired than we were," Aston said. "That was... Intense." "I have no doubt this battle will be spoken of in song and story one day," Towers interjected. Wave groaned, covering his eyes with his forearm. "Urgh, don''t remind me. I was already going to be revered because of the Quest. Now because we killed that guy too? I''m building a house on an island on the Eleventh and hiding there." Wave declared, pointing on claw into the endless-looking sky. "We''ll visit your hermit hut," Aston agreed. "Though I think Huea might be upset if you never visit her." Wave blinked at the reminder and sighed, suddenly despondent. "I''m doomed either way, then." Wave summarized. His party-mates agreed. "Hey, don''t you two forget that you''ll be in those stories and songs as well!" "I''m fine with that," Aston commented, lazily waving an arm. "Cows''ll dig me back home." "I think my mate will be pleased," Towers said, "Though she might not enjoy the attention. Sits-In-Puddles is a very shy Scorpan." Any further conversation was stopped by the echoing cries of three Stymphalian Vultures descending into the canyon. -0-0-0-0-0- The Town Square, Port Medea, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Layla looked out at the crowd gathered in the square, more nervous than she''d ever been. She''d spoken before groups before, but that was just Guilders. She knew Guilders. Knew what made them tick, what motivated them. How to talk to them. These weren''t Guilders; they were ordinary people. It was a good thing she wasn''t the one talking. Next to her stood Lord Medean, far more composed and in control of himself. He gave her a kind smile, and she took a deep breath, composing herself, before smiling back. Weaker, but no less genuine for that. On his other side stood the new Lady Medean. She was composed and relaxed, her hands held before her. Baron Medean strode forward toward the front of the small stage, raising his arms. The crowd milling and murmuring beyond him went silence, turning to look at their lord. As he began, Layla''s attention shifted to Lady Medean. She hadn''t been seen in public much since the wedding. Layla could only assume she''d been busy becoming acquainted with her new duties. As Lady of a Barony, she was responsible for her husband''s household. Managing the servants, organizing dinner parties, and other such feminine responsibilities. The Lady turned to look back at her and nodded slightly. Layla nodded back, then turned her attention back to the Baron''s speech. "-and the coming month will be difficult for many of us. We have sent messages to port cities on the mainland and the king himself. The first ships will arrive tomorrow to take all those not fighting back to the mainland. Of-age and able men will remain behind to defend our home." Layla expected them to raise a fuss over this. Her Guilders certainly would have. The crowd remained silent. "Mothers and their children, young women, the infirm, and the elderly will be evacuated in that order. After the last of the infirm have boarded the final ship, the remaining ships will defend the island. The raised militia will be well-trained and equipped with everything they need to survive the coming invasion. Please, return to your homes and prepare your belongings. Take only what you need, as the ships will have little space. Clothes, valuables, and personal items. You will be provided food, water, and temporary homes on the mainland." His piece done, the Baron turned away from the crowd. He whispered to his wife briefly, and she walked off with a guard soon after. Layla watched the crowd disperse. There was some discontent, mainly among the men forced to stay and fight. All qualifying men were intercepted by a guard as they left the square, and she knew they''d be told where to report to on the morrow for training. Lord Medean caught her attention with a cough, and she turned to face him. "I can''t thank you enough for getting this information to me. You''ve saved many lives. Imagine what could have been if we''d had no warning. Suddenly, completely surrounded by the Bahrain Armada. Forced to fight to the last or surrender. Well, that''ll likely still be true, even with what little reinforcements the Kingdom will send us. But now we have a fighting chance, and the vulnerable are safe." Layla nodded. "It was no trouble. The Guild may be neutral in the coming war, but that is no reason to allow the innocents we protect from monsters to die to their fellow man. I will have to take those trainers back, by the way. Your best men should be good enough now to pass on their knowledge on their own." Lord Medean grimaced but nodded. "I''m grateful for them, though I understand why," he replied. "Can''t have the common soldier knowing the Guild trained their trainers. Bahrain interrogators would jump on that as a reason to attack you as well. You''re needed here, especially if we lose. The Bahrain won''t understand the dungeon. In the worst case, its monsters grow overpopulated and spill out. Potentially thousands of mana-mutants, free to spread through the ocean and attack every bit of land with a coast on the Kalenic Sea. Something neither nation can afford, especially in the middle of the coming war." Layla nodded. With little else to say, the two parted ways. Lord Medean returned to his fortified mansion, likely to coordinate and arrange the evacuation. Layla left for the Guild Hall. "How''d it go?" Felin asked, looking up from a letter on his desk. "Very well. Far better than I''d expected, that''s for sure." Layla replied, dropping into her chair and rubbing her temples. "Recall the guilders we loaned to the Baron, asap. We need to start our own preparations." -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 85 -0-0-0-0-0- Outside the Scorpan King''s Palace, The Canyon, The Ninth Floor -0-0-0-0-0- "Thanks for the ride!" Wave called out as the vultures flew away, cawing their farewell. That''d been exhilarating! The wind running over his scales felt even better flying in the air than it ever had surfing the ocean! He turned to find that Aston seemed unsteady on his feet, and Towers had laid down on the sand as soon as they''d landed. "What''s wrong with you two?" "I... don''t think flying is my thing," Aston said, taking a few steps. "If The Creator meant for the minotaur to fly, he''d have given us wings," he declared, voice wavering ever so slightly. Towers nodded, agreeing with their party member as he raised himself onto his legs again. "I agree," the monster stated emphatically. "Scorpans were meant to wander the deserts by foot, not in a vulture''s claws! I felt helpless. Like I was going to be dropped to my death." Wave frowned, not liking what that implied. "You know the vultures wouldn''t do that," he reassured Towers. "They were obviously sent by the Scorpan King, and we''re fellow Children of The Creator besides." The huge scorpan shook his head at Wave''s words. "The Sunlions of the canyon are very territorial, and young males are ejected from their pride when they reach maturity," Towers explained. "There''s only so much room, and they''re often pushed to attack the village. Do the Fish not slaughter each other by the hundreds? Or the Ratten?" Wave could only nod at the Scorpan, and brought a claw to his chin in thought. "Yes... But that is when there are no invaders on the floor," Wave reasoned. "When there are, the Children unite against those trespassing in our home. Yes, we''d just killed Hallmark, but they looked like they''d been sent a while before we killed him." Towers had no rebuttal and nodded, sinking into thought. They collected themselves, cleaning blood off already-healing wounds and binding them to keep the sand out. When they felt they were presentable, they approached the palace carved into the side of the cavern. It was just as impressive as before; arching windows, well-decorated walls, and perfectly carved columns. Something Wave had only seen before in things carved by The Creator Himself. They walked in silence, and Wave remembered the aftermath of the fight. The human had almost nothing left. No potions, wielding broken and worn equipment. The only thing of value he had on him was a pouch filled with strange items. Wave felt strange carving the human''s chest open to reach his core, doing something to him the human had done to hundreds of Children. Then, when he saw it, could only feel shock. It was.. warped. Like other human cores, it was an elongated oval, where the ends pointed into dull tips. But this one... It held a long crack running down it''s length, from tip-to-tip. In the middle this crack widened to a chasm, and from that crack... wild, unchecked growth spilled. It was like the crystal had tried to grow back together, to fill the crack, but something caused it to fail catastrophically. Wave was surprised Hallmark had survived this long, if this is what is core was like. As they passed through the palace''s entrance he let his wandering attention focus on the mostly-empty room. The King wasn''t holding court this time; not that Wave expected him to be. He had no doubt the Scorpans were ensconced in the cavern hidden behind their village. The entire Scorpan Royal Guard were on duty, standing at attention before their king. As the monster party approached, the guards parted to allow them through, and they approached the king on his throne once again. "Ah. Wave, Aston Asterionson, Towers-Over-Others. I''m glad to see you here alive. When the human entered the canyon, I asked Dreams-Of-Flight to keep an eye out for you with his bonded Stymphalian Vulture. I''m thankful now that I did, even though it seems you''ve dealt with the problem on your own." "You are most kind, King Strikes-The-Air," Wave answered politely as Towers lowered both his humanoid and scorpoid halves, bowing to his king. Aston and Wave remained standing, as they had before. Strikes-The-Air wasn''t their king. "Though ultimately unnecessary, we are equally thankful for your foresight. It has accelerated our progress significantly. I apologize for my abruptness, but I must move on quickly. The sooner I bring the core to The Creator, the better." The Scorpan King nodded magnanimously and waved his left hand through the air, his left pincer following the movement unconsciously. "There is nothing to apologize for. Be on your way, Wave. Our fates rest in your claws." Wave nodded to the king and turned to Towers. The Scorpan shrugged the pack from his back without a word, and handed it over carefully. Aston helped Wave pull it on and the smaller monster sagged with a quick gasp, surprised at just how heavy it was. Towers had acted like it weighed nothing! Then again, he was larger and stronger than Wave''s comparatively smaller body. When Aston and Wave started walking to the exit, something felt off. Wave stopped, and turned to find Towers hadn''t moved. Right. Towers been ordered to come with him by the Scorpan King. Now that he was back at the palace, his duty was done. "You coming with us, or not?" Wave asked the Scorpan anyway. "The Quest isn''t over yet." Towers-Over-Others looked conflicted, and glanced at his King. Strikes-The-Air waved a humanoid arm in the two monster''s direction with a smile, and Towers scuttled over to join them without another second of hesitation. The three of them left together, passing through the Shrine and out to the Tenth. Behind them, Wave heard King Strikes-The-Air order some of his guards to lift the lockdown, and something about a celebration. He put it out of his mind as darkness began to descend over the forest-ringed clearing. They turned onto the path that led to the village, edged by burnt and charred grasses left behind by the Fire Court''s procession. He had a surfboard to collect. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -0-0-0-0-0- The Minotaur Village, The Tenth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Taura hadn''t been sleeping very well the last few days. Knowing her big brother and Wave were out there, putting themselves in danger... As much as she knew how strong Aston was, and how powerful a mage Wave was, she also knew neither had been in actual combat in their lives. Well, perhaps Wave had been a hunter on the Third for a time, but Taura didn''t know If he''d actually fought anyone. When the call rose up that evening of someone approaching the gate, her first instinct was fear that it was the human. The guilder must have killed her friend and her brother, and had come for them as well! The next call had her almost collapse in relief. It wasn''t a lone figure, but a Minotaur, Scorpan and Drake-kin. There was only one minotaur that was out of the village. Taura didn''t know why a Scorpan was with them, but she didn''t particularly care. She quickly rushed to the far wall of her bedroom, where she kept Wave''s ''surfboard.'' She picked it up from where it was leaning, just the same as when Wave gave it to her, and rushed from the house. She was careful that it didn''t hit any walls or doorways, and by the time she reached the gate it was already open. A herd of Minotaurs crowded around, and she could see the Scorpan towering over all but the tallest. She felt her eyes go wide as she realized how big they were! Minotaur bulls were big, but this Scorpan was at least a foot taller than the next-largest minotaur! Their orange-carapaced tail hung and shifted languidly at another two feet higher than their head. As Taura approached, a few Minotaurs at the edge of the crowd noticed. they quickly made some space, opening a hole in the crowd for her to pass through. She gave them a kind smile as she passed, mouthing a silent thanks. Actually seeing her brother and Wave standing there, grinning and flush from the attention and praise, Taura felt the remains of the ball of tension in her chest relax. They were safe. They noticed her quickly, Wave''s eyes alighting on his ''surfboard'' first, then resting on her. She felt blood rush to her cheeks at his gaze, and was eternally thankful that her fur hid her skin at that moment. "You''re back!" Taura exclaimed, holding the board in front of her. She straightened her arms abruptly, holding the board directly between the two of them. "I kept it safe for you! It didn''t get a scratch!" She felt like she''d die of embarrassment when he chuckled. He took the board and she smiled shyly at him. She blinked in surprise when her brother stood forward and picked her up in a crushing hug. "Taura! You''ll never guess what we did!" her dense idiot of a brother exclaimed. Taura, while intrigued, was far more annoyed than anything else. "Put me down you oaf!" Taura protested, emphasizing her words with a short punch to his stomach. It didn''t do much but make him wince slightly, but he got the hint. "Geez, sis. You weren''t this feisty when I left," Aston commented dryly, putting Taura down. She harrumphed, turning away from him. "Did you want to hear what happened?" Taura sighed, then turned back to look at her brother, brow raised. "On the way back here, on the Ninth, we ran into the human," Aston began. Taura''s eyes went wide, and she scanned the three of them again while her brother continued. "After a long battle, Towers and I wore him down. It all ended with Wave taking advantage of his exhaustion and distraction, striking the final blow!" Wave waved his hands in front of his face as the Minotaurs around them began cheering. "That''s not- I mean I did kill him, but-!" The crowd rushed forward, picking Wave up and hefting him on their shoulders. "Woah! Hey! Watch the board!" Taura was left blinking as the crowd carried Wave deeper into the village. Already, she could see some particular Minotaurs splitting off from the crowd, no doubt going to retrieve drinks and food for the growing party. She could only sigh and turn to the two Children remaining. Aston watched the disappearing crowd with a shit-eating grin, and the towering Scorpan seemed likewise amused. "Yeah, that''s about what I expected. right Towers?" Aston claimed, and the Scorpan, Towers, nodded knowingly with crossed arms. "Indeed. Well, we have time, and we''ve done something many thought impossible. At least one night of revelry seems appropriate." -0-0-0-0-0- The Ocean, The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- As mid-morning sun glinted on the ocean, Wave waved to Taura, Aston, and Towers with a smile on his face as they receded into the distance. Standing steady on his board and water mana generating a wave behind him at full speed. The huge core in the pack on his back weighed heavily on his mind as his gaze locked on the pillar of light, steadily growing brighter in the distance. He fought to keep his pulse down at the feeling of the mana content in the air growing. The last time he''d been to the Core Island, he hadn''t felt this much mana until he was on the island itself. he was still at least two miles away. Wave had the feeling... he probably wouldn''t be coming away from this the same as he was now. To distract himself, he thought of the previous night. As unexpected as the impromptu party/festival had been, he had to admit... he enjoyed it. A night to relax and celebrate the fact he was still alive. Hallmark had torn a bloody path through the dungeon, slaughtered hundreds of monsters and proved himself the most powerful guilder to ever delve The Creator''s dungeon. Sometimes, he felt vaguely bad that they''d taken advantage of the human''s exhaustion and injuries to beat him. Wave had no doubt that if they''d fought the guilder at the height of his power, the three of them would be nothing but bloody stains in the sand. Aaand this wasn''t helping. He took another deep breath. Wave kinda wished he had something bigger, so he could take Aston and Towers with him. Then again, perhaps not. Wave was already familiar with his body changing. He''d changed species three times already, and he had no doubt there was another awaiting him here. If enough mana was around the island to provoke such a striking pillar of light, Wave was sure his body would be flooded with enough mana to warp him in ways he couldn''t imagine. But... he wasn''t that afraid. Wave had faith that The Creator would guide his transformation as soon as He could. The only worry he had was how much he would change. But as he came closer and closer, and the mana content in the air only grew stronger... he could feel the power in his body grow. By the time Wave reached the shore, his body was almost at it''s limit. He was practically overflowing with energy. He could do little more than stumble, abandoning his surfboard on the stony beach. Each step he took up the staircase brought a new wave of pressure from within him. He could feel the mana within him changing him. It took all his willpower to keep the changes... below the surface. At the top of the staircase, he found Paragon. The Metal Spirit looked relieved to see him. You brought the core? Good. There isn''t much time left. Quickly, press that monster core against the Dungeon Core. The manabeing spoke to him. Wave nodded, and pulled the core from his pack, cradling the huge crystal in both arms. He twitched as he felt his legs abruptly lengthen when he lost focus. With every step closer to the Core, it was harder to keep his shape. Crossing the open area before the core was a blur. He didn''t remember much, if he was honest. But... He made it. He reached up with his fourth arm and pressed the monster core, suddenly not as large as it''d once been in his claws, against The Core. As it all faded to black, he felt The Creator''s presence suddenly bloom in his mind. FINALLY. GET IN THERE YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 86 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- When I felt Wave push the monster core up against MY core, I was relieved. Keeping Instincts pushed up against the edge of my core had been getting harder and harder to maintain. For all that it couldn''t innovate, it was merciless at exploiting and punishing the slightest weaknesses it could find in the wall of mana I built around it. FINALLY! GET IN THERE, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT. I projected, pushing with every fiber of willpower I could scrape together. Suddenly changing tactics from defensive to offensive like that, with no build-up, threw the simple soul. It tried desperately to hold against my advancing mana, to no avail. I had too much mana under my control compared to it, and now that there was somewhere else it could go... With an imagined pop, the soul named Instincts slipped from the dungeon core and into the monster core. This entire process took less than a second. Good thing, too, as the monster core fell away moments after it was pressed against the dungeon core. The connection between the two cores was severed, and I was alone. I had WON. As much as I wanted to possess the skeletons on the Seventh and have them dance for joy in their traditional manner, I had far more pressing concerns. I let my consciousness expand throughout the dungeon once again, quickly scanning through the floors. A few things happened. Firstly, every single sapient Child had a visceral reaction to my presence. They all did one of three things. A decent chunk wept for joy, and the most pious fell to their knee-equivalents as they began fervently praying. The final group started partying. From the looks of things, most of my Children would be part of one celebration or another for the foreseeable future. Secondly, one being on the seventh floor froze at the touch of my presence on her mind. The human. Well. Something was going on there I wasn''t going to address at the moment. There was a Child in far more immediate trouble. I fixed my gaze on Wave, who had collapsed below the stone hands holding my dungeon core next to the now-occupied monster core. The most mana-dense place he could possibly be. His body was immensely oversaturated, and mutations were running wild. Plenty of flailing unnecessary limbs and... other things. Well, I''d wanted to wait for this, but if any monster in the dungeon deserved this, Wave did. After a few minutes of corralling the wild mana in his body, I pushed my intent into it. I silently begged forgiveness from the unconscious monster as I, once again, warped the very fabric of his being. I merged the ridiculous number of arms and legs into four, the front two doubling as wings. I increased the hardness and density of his scales and bones, then changed his proportions to match his new form while also trying to keep the deftness and mobility of his foreclaws in mind. I cribbed the design of the tail from a certain Night Fury as I extended it to almost twice the length of his torso, which would give him better agility in the air. I tried to keep the arrangement of his horns mostly the same since I had to change the shape of the rest of his head. I added a few more, smaller, horns to the ''crown'' he already possesses and one emerging from the tip of his nose. Almost off-handedly, I made him semi-aquatic. Gills that sat flush against his neck in flight could open wide to let him breathe underwater, and some changes to his wings should make them work just as well underwater. The tail would work well there, so I left it mostly alone. One of the most mana-consuming parts of any transformation is changing their size, so I used the remaining mana to make him as big as possible, ensuring his core was sized appropriately for his body. I didn''t want this to happen again, and the easiest way to prevent it was to give him a bigger capacity to handle mana. I threw in an Air affinity and increased his Ice affinity from the low-level one he''d had since his time as a snowbold to a fully-fledged affinity. Ultimately, I looked down upon the newly risen Wyvern with satisfaction. He was still unconscious, and it''d be best to let him rest. As Paragon approached to inspect Wave''s new form, I turned my attention away. I''d talk to the new Wyvern about his new body when he woke up. Either way, that only took a few hours, and my next task was a necessary one. I still had WAY too much mana in my core and accretion disk. Dangerous amounts. Wave''s transformation had mostly used the mana he''d already absorbed, with a little extra that he absorbed during the process. I needed to get rid of most of this mana as quickly as possible, and I knew just how to do it. I raised a new island for the future Elemental Isles. This one would be Air. As such, it was more of a spire that burst from the sea. There was little beach, and the Island was mostly hollow, filled with tunnels and passages of all shapes and sizes. I blew some wind through it and felt satisfied at the keening groan it gave off. I made sure there were plenty of chambers of various sizes and gave the Island an enchantment to keep its peak in eternal cloud cover. I named it Zephyr Peak. The next one would be Terra Island. Not to be confused with Terror Island, which is an important distinction. For this Island, I raised a massive slab. I had no doubt that this would be the largest of the islands. There was a single, small beach at the base of the vast, vertical cliffs that covered every other side of the Island. These were treacherous cliffs, covered in loose rocks, and their bases littered with sharp, pointy rocks. Unlike Zephyr Peak, this Island had only one entrance to its labyrinthine cave system. An enormous sinkhole in the dead center of the Island. There was no easy access point for this sinkhole. If one wished to explore it, they''d have to find their own way down. I switched gears back to Zephyr for a moment. I carved an incredibly steep staircase from the beach around the mountain''s base, up at least 200 meters of the mountain. There it met the lowest of the carved caves. I inscribed details, carved out some bricks, and squared off walls. In these carvings, I crafted an intricate story in runes and friezes of the monks who once lived here, seeking enlightenment in how the wind wove through the caves. I briefly did something similar to Isla Fuego. However, that story was about how the islanders sacrificed a virgin woman once every ten years to keep the mountain quiet. I added small journal entries carved in stone tablets, littered throughout the village the manabeings had constructed for themselves, detailing how the latest woman wasn''t a virgin, and the mountain''s fire swept them all away. The Author was the only survivor, and the journals document his slow starvation. These diversions didn''t use much mana, but I had used enough to make the islands that I felt more comfortable dealing with more minor details. Of course, both Zephyr Peak and Terra Island were barren. I put some hardy weeds on Zephyr and some with rattle-like seed pods that would grow in the caves and add to the music. For Terra, I made sure to give it a thick layer of dirt on the plateau. It was a large area, and I wasn''t quite done when Wave began to stir. -0-0-0-0-0- The Core Island, the Eleventh Floor, the Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Wave felt odd. His proprioception was the first sense to return as he clawed his way back to consciousness. When he collapsed, Wave was uncertain how many limbs he had precisely, but he now only felt five once again. A long, powerful tail uncoiled itself from his curled body, and as the tip was removed from his face and his eyes opened, the rest of his senses returned. He raised his head, blinking rapidly as he found his point of view far higher than it''d been before. He looked down at himself, turning his flexible neck to examine the changes wrought upon his body. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. His tail was incredibly long and tipped with two broad fins, which he could twist and manipulate independently of each other with little effort. He followed the line of his tail down, rainbow patterns peaking past the intense royal blue he was more familiar with. The softer scales on the underside of the tail were a light blue, resembling the color of the sky on a cloudless day. He could see the muscles under the scales flex as he twisted it, testing its range of motion. Next were the two most striking additions to his body since they were draped over his torso. He raised his right arm, closely inspecting the changes. His three outermost fingers had been... elongated and connected back to his torso by tough, scaled skin. The middle of his new wings held the remaining fingers, which still numbered five, oddly. Wave supposed the wing fingers had been added during the transformation. He flexed them, watching as his wing folded and unfolded. It was a profoundly odd feeling, but he was sure he''d get used to them. Folding his wings away one final time, Wave brought his right claw to his snout. The five fingers, tipped with retractable claws, were webbed slightly. A flex had the webbing extend completely, then retreat. He wiggled them, marveling at how they were just as agile as before, even with all the additions. Wave stood. At first, he attempted to stand on his back legs but found his body... not exactly made for that. Trying just stressed the muscles on his back and legs; it felt far more natural to stand on four legs. He kept falling onto his front limbs, and after a few more tries, he resigned himself to being a quadruped. He turned his sinuous neck again, examining the ridges that ran down the middle of his back, and the shape of his back legs. His back claws held the same webbing muscles as his foreclaws, and when he was done, Wave realized he wasn''t alone. He froze, then turned to stare at Paragon. Now that he was paying attention, he felt the amusement the manabeing was giving off and its calculated observation. The presence of The Creator in his head was more analytical, and Wave felt a few odd sensations as He made some final adjustments to his body. Wave stretched out and, in doing so, noticed his... size. Before, he had stood little more than six feet tall. Now, if he counted from the end of his snout to the tip of his tail, he was more than fifty feet long, at the least. How do you feel, Wave? The Creator asked. Wave turned to face the Core, still shining bright but far more tolerable than the searing beacon it''d been before. "I feel... odd," Wave admitted, feeling strange at how his voice was deeper and rumbled slightly in his chest. "I expected some changes, yes, but this..." He trailed off, shrugging his much-expanded shoulders and partially extending his wings. "I can''t say I expected anything like... this." Wave felt apology and compassion radiating from The Creator''s presence in his head. I had not intended to create a Wyvern for a while yet. But you deserved a reward for your aid. The Creator told him. He was a Wyvern, then? This wasn''t a Drake? You risked your life and walked to my core, knowing what awaited you. If you hadn''t managed to push through, to reach my core... If you''d collapsed before reaching me or had taken another day or two more... Well, we wouldn''t be having this conversation. Wave felt a chill at how close it''d been. "Surely Paragon could have picked up the core and put it against the Dungeon Core in my place if I had failed?" As he spoke of the manabeing, Wave felt its mental presence. It''d been observing the conversation silently and now joined in. "Your faith in me is undeserved, though I am flattered. Unlike monsters, we manabeings don''t have physical bodies that can absorb the same amount of mana you did." The manabeing explained. "The only reason we are so powerful is thanks to the Golem bodies. The monster cores we inhabit grant us a buffer to store and absorb mana from at will. If I had dared get any closer to the core, with the mana in the air as dense as it was... I wouldn''t have been able to contain it. The core of this body would have shattered, and the force of it would have torn me to pieces." Wave felt naked, somehow, as the manabeing scanned his body again. "Honestly, your core wouldn''t have been able to contain it either." Paragon continued, "It was only thanks to your physical body using the mana to twist itself into knots that you survived. With a core the size of the one you have now... you''d fare better. Perhaps you wouldn''t have collapsed, but it wouldn''t have been pretty." Reminded of his core, Wave reached inwards, feeling his mana and core. He was astonished at his core''s sheer radiance and how densely mana filled every crevice of his body. He looked further and found... he had another affinity. Where before he had Water with a small talent for Ice, Wave now found Water, Ice, and Air, all three affinities equally strong as their respective mana types cycled through his body. Wave abruptly looked up, a stray thought suddenly the focus of his entire being. He had an Air affinity. He had Wings. He could... In an almost instinctual motion, Wave spread his wings, then beat down. He pulsed Air mana through his wings, where they found natural pathways and... He was airborne. He opened his jaws to shout in joy but found another sound passing his lips. Blooming from deep in his chest, then vibrating up his neck, Wave let out a true Roar. The noise satisfied some deep part of himself, even as the impulse passed, and he started whooping and laughing. He could get used to this. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I watched Wave fly about with a knowing fondness that came from my memories of possessing Gull back when I first woke up. That first flight, the air rushing past your wings... it was incomparable. I let him be. He''d work it out of his system eventually. I turned my attention back to Paragon, my Core Guardian, and now that he had my full attention, he said the words I could feel burning within him. "Contractor, I apologize for my misidentification of your symptoms. I spread false information through the dungeon of your situation and beg your forgiveness." I''d have blinked if I could have. He must have caught my incomprehension since he then clarified. "I spread that you were transforming to the next stage of your existence, as manabeings do. I had no idea you were merely spawning." I froze, then glanced back at the monster core on the ground. I... guess from the outside, it could look like that. Within that monster core, I could feel Instincts raging. It was a soul in the wrong container and had no concept of how such an existence should work. Its natural ability to mimic and crib off of me was useless here as it flailed within the monster core. I mean, That''s not quite correct, but... it''s close enough. I answered the manabeing, who was slightly confused but stayed silent. I pushed up the ground beneath the core, forming a stand for Instincts. This one I shaped as three hands, cradling the oval spheroid core from below. The core itself was unfaceted, as all monster and human cores were, instead bearing a completely smooth surface. I reached out a tendril of mana, attempting to form a connection between the mana in the air and the monster core. I didn''t dare connect it directly to my core in case it could ride the connection to return to the dungeon core. The mana touched the core but then was immediately repelled. I tried again, forming the connection faster this time, and wondered if it''d somehow become immune to my mana. This attempt proved that hypothesis was false. I connected briefly and felt as Instincts violently rejected my mana. Fine. If it wanted to wallow in its core, it could. It was helpless in there, anyway. I''d check in on it occasionally, but until it was willing to talk, I certainly wasn''t going to force it to listen. Leave my... child... alone, for now. I said to Paragon. It''s in a crucial stage of development and needs isolation. I felt a pulse of acknowledgment and suppressed curiosity, then turned back to the dungeon. In my absence... A lot had happened. From what I gathered from the memories of my Children, the remains of the ''Hero'' group managed to get past the Metal Sprite Guardian on the Fifth Floor. They then proceeded to blitz through the Sixth and Seventh, using a stolen map to bypass the exploration of the Sixth. They took advantage of the Drake-kin''s inexperience and relatively weaker strength to slaughter their way through the Seventh twice until one was killed during an ambush on the Eighth. That death split the group. One woman turned back, then was captured by the Isid-Haythem-Clich¨¦ raid. The Drake-kin supplied them with single-use teleport crystals, which... I had mixed feelings about it. Yes, the decision makes sense. I can see their reasoning; let the woman out of the dungeon as fast as possible. But in doing so, she revealed that I had placed traps to intercept standard teleport crystals if they somehow managed to charge them after passing through the draining barrier at my entrance. I would also need to impress on them just how much the weapons they made would be worth to the humans to make sure they don''t end up in an ''ignorant native'' archetype. After that, one of the two remaining humans was killed when Pyry broke the bridge between the First and Second Peaks. The final human... well, his determination was impressive. Alone, wounded, with dwindling supplies, he somehow managed to get all the way to the Ninth on his own, then survive there for days. It was only thanks to the human''s choice to move upstream instead of downstream that he encountered Wave and his little ''monster party.'' Watching the memories of Towers and Aston showed it was a close battle, but even if they were weaker, they were fresh. The human was slow, exhausted, and wounded. I quickly scanned each floor again for any immediate problems. I reset a few traps, then made them self-resetting. I momentarily let my gaze linger on Kataren but moved on without doing anything. Nope. Still didn''t want to touch that just yet. I let my presence settle on my core again, then started working on the most mana-hungry process I knew of. Atom-by-Atom, I expanded my Core. As the mana density of my core lowered, I drew in slightly more from the accretion disk, but not more than I could work with at one time. It wasn''t a quick process; It took at least three days to work through the mana in my core. The mana in my accretion disk was many, many times that amount. I certainly wouldn''t get through this all at once, but I thought I could take a bite out of it. It''d make me feel better, at least. I worked until I felt a certain blindfolded Guildmistress enter the dungeon, followed close behind by her loyal assistant, aunt, and uncle. I directed the kobold that usually met with her, and the Child was both relieved and worried that I was back. Confused, I scanned her memories. Okay. I could understand why you let the meeting go on, but did you have to give away so many of my secrets?! -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 87 -0-0-0-0-0- The Open Sky, The Eleventh Floor, the Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Wave had never felt so free. Not long ago, he''d thought surfing on the ocean would be the pinnacle of this feeling, then when the vultures carried him through the canyon. Now he knew better. Surfing was fun, but flying under your own power? He''d experienced the feeling of wind running under his wings as they beat against the air. He''d ridden thermals that had him soaring half-a-dozen miles over the sea! He''d dived from that height, then pulled up seconds before impacting the water! After experiencing all that, he knew that flight was the pinnacle of freedom. He spent two days exploring the Eleventh, particularly the two new islands The Creator had pulled from the ocean. He''d made a game of how quickly he could weave through the tunnels of Zepher Peak! At one point, the Air Spirit joined him in the sky on her way to her new home. She was the one who showed him the power of thermals and how to use his new Air affinity. All good things had to end at some point, though. The Air Spirit passed on that a few of his friends were at the beach, waiting for his return. He felt a little embarrassed. He''d been so caught up in his newfound power of flight that almost all else had fled his mind. So, he turned and flew back to Dawn Beach. Wave roared as he flew towards the tiny figures he saw standing on the beach. He flapped his wings and rolled slightly, turning into a wide circle as he descended. One final flap as he straightened slowed him down. But it wasn''t enough. Wave slammed into the sand and rolled, kicking up a cloud of sand in the process. He groaned and coughed, more in embarrassment than pain. Although, he was lying on a wing, and it was pretty uncomfortable. "Help?" he asked the group of monsters nearby, half of them standing and wary. There was a beat of silence. Wave heard Aston start to snicker, prompting them all to laugh. He could only grumble and try to right himself, a task made far more manageable when his friends came to help. Once righted, he lifted his head to show off his full height and stared down at the group. Taura looked up at him with awe. "Wow. So this is what a Drake is?" Wave tilted his head at her, lowered it so he could look her in the eyes, then shook it. "No, The Creator called this form a ''Wyvern.'' I''m not sure what a ''Drake'' is," he responded. He blinked. "But I can ask!" And he did. He reached for The Creator''s presence. Moments later, he had his answer. The Creator was busy and couldn''t talk directly, but nonetheless sent him a mental image comparing Wyverns and Drakes. "A Drake is a flightless Wyvern, but no less dangerous for the lack of flight," Wave explained, interpreting the image. "They''re physically larger, stronger, and tougher because they don''t need to be light enough to fly." "Huh," Taura muttered, staring off at the beacon of light in the distance. "But enough about that. What''s up with you guys?" Wave prompted. "We were worried about you, dumbass," Aston said, lightly punching Wave''s shoulder. He barely felt it. "Last we saw, you were surfing off towards the Core, then a few hours later, The Creator''s back and new islands are rising from the ocean. We heard a roar, then a distant flying shape." Taura and Towers audibly agreed, and Wave could only sigh. "I don''t have an excuse. I was distracted by flying. It''s like nothing else." Wave shook his head, focusing again. "I should''ve flown back here as soon as I could. I''m sorry." Towers shook his head, drawing Wave''s attention. "No need to apologize, my friend. We understand you were enraptured with your new form after The Creator ascended you. If possible, could you tell us what happened on the island?" "Sure," Wave agreed. "I don''t remember much, but I''ll tell you what I do." For the next few hours, Wave spent time with his friends. At some point, Aston suggested testing out Wave''s new body. They established his full range of motion and everything he could do. In a moment of inspiration, Wave produced a jet of icy-blue flame from his maw. Rather than being burned, everything his flame touched was covered in a layer of frost or frozen solid! When dusk approached, Taura and Aston had to return to their village. They made Wave promise he''d keep in touch, especially since the Air Court had moved their Court to the Eleventh. When they were gone, Towers started a fire, and they settled down beside it. His King had asked Towers to record their quest, and he''d run into a roadblock. He had nothing to write on or write with and wasn''t sure what language to write it in. Thankfully, The Creator had concluded his business by then and was happy to help them sort that out. He gave Towers the knowledge of the runic language he used, though He didn''t have a name for it. Instead, The Creator encouraged them to think of one! He claimed that ''paper'' was beyond their ability to make at the moment, but they could easily make clay tablets. The following day Tower rushed back to the Ninth to gather the necessary ingredients, and Wave was once again left alone. He was in the air again the next minute, luxuriating in the feeling. But he found he was already getting a bit used to it. He looked around and, by chance, focused on the clifftop Taura had taken him to before the quest. Hmm. Wave supposed he could make himself some kind-of nest or house there. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Neo-No. Layla. I should call her by her name. Layla, Felin, Isid, and Gerrard were in the meeting room. A much more composed and calm kobold had greeted them at the moving wall, and I would be conducting the meeting this time. After receiving permission, I possessed her. The guilders noticed as her body language changed, their gazes sharpening and focused. "Welcome back... Actually, I don''t know what to call you," Layla said, tilting her head slightly. " ''The Dungeon'' is so impersonal. ''The Creator'' is more of a title, and you certainly aren''t my Creator." I could only chuckle in response. "I''ve had many names, but you wouldn''t know of them and don''t have the context to understand them, anyhow," I answered, half-truths spilling from my mouth like water. Ah, this was always fun. "My Children haven''t found the need to give me one beyond that little title. Call me what you will." "Medea, then. You are as much the island as any other part of it." I had the kobold shrug. "Fine. Now, the payment?" Layla nodded to her aunt and uncle, and the two brought out a pair of hawks. They looked much the same as Pyry before I''d changed her. "Two black-crested hawks. A breeding pair, who have laid a clutch together already." Layla explained as her relatives placed the caged birds on the stone table. After a quick inspection of the birds, I nodded at the humans and turned back to them. "A fine payment. Well, ask your questions." I prompted. There was a moment of silence. Layla shifted in her seat anxiously, and I narrowed my eyes at her. Something was different this time. "Before we get to the questions, I apologize for taking advantage of your... absence... during my last visit," Layla explained. "You understand that we have to take every opportunity we can, but it didn''t sit right with me." "This is... unexpected," I answered, squinting at the group. "Do you think I would punish this Child for failing me by telling too much? I am not a cruel Creator. She made mistakes, but I have shown her the error of her ways, and she will not make them again. Nothing more needs to be done." I could feel the relief from the kobold and sent her reassurance in return. The guilders also seemed relieved. Meanwhile, I was reasonably pleased by this development. Their empathy for my monsters grew, maybe even faster than I''d expected. "My questions today are all related and require a bit of explanation," Layla began. I quickly dealt with a request from Wave, then refocused as Layla started her spiel. "Medea Island is facing an invasion from the Bahrain Empire. They are invading in great numbers, and while the Guild is supposedly neutral, I don''t believe many of my guilders will agree to stay out of the fight. This island has become a new home for many, and I doubt they want to lose it. Them joining the fight could cause many problems, as you may see, but I won''t go into them now. My first question; do you have any monsters positioned to help defend the island?" I looked her right in her blindfold, rested my scaly elbows on the table, and pressed my claws together. "I do," I answered. While Layla''s stoicism to that response was admirable, the three behind her tensed. "Are you willing to help defend the people of this island from the impending invasion using your monsters?" she asked. Ah, I see where she''s going. If I defend the island, there''d be no need for the guilders to get involved, handily preventing any political ramifications. "For a price," I replied. The already tense guilders tensed further, but no one reached for weapons. "What is your price?" Layla finished. I took my time, pondering my answer. I could use this to further a few of my plans. It''d be sooner than planned, but the sooner, the better, in this case. It was also quite entertaining to see how the longer I let the silence drag on, The more tense the humans became. "My price is a voice on my island''s surface and in its running. Five of my Children will remain above ground. One will be my voice amongst you settlers on my island, and the others will be their guards," I stated. My tone brooked no argument. The guilders seemed surprised, Layla especially, if how quickly she was blinking behind that blindfold was any indication. "Not keeping guilders from delving?" She asked, unable to keep the shock from her voice. I shook my head. "I know your guilders would never accept that. Besides, I doubt they could get to my core, even if they tried. I may only have eleven floors, but even Hallmark only made it to the Ninth before he was stopped. That''s a freebie. But yes, that is my price for aiding in the defense of this island against the invading Bahrain. Do we have an accord?" I reached across the table with my claw open. There was a beat when I thought she wouldn''t accept. But then she shook my hand, and the deal was struck. -0-0-0-0-0- Bahrain Flagship Fist of The Emperor, Bahrain Invasion Fleet, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Grand Admiral Almaanz Shakih frowned as he read the note, then threw it aside with a disgusted bark. "Damn those Phenoc! They couldn''t make this easy for us." He exclaimed as he began pacing across his cabin. The floor tilted back and forth, but only slightly, and he once again appreciated that larger ships barely swayed. When he couldn''t stand pacing in his room anymore, he left. He emerged from the spacious officers'' quarters onto the main deck quickly. He climbed the stairs to the helm and found his two closest supporters debating the minutiae of the invasion plans over a map of the Phenoc Coast. "After establishing our presence on the island, we should blockade the major ports on the coast; here, here, and here. Smaller groups can raid smaller settlements, forcing them to flee to larger cities. The larger draw on their food reserves will surely cause them to capitulate more quickly," Admiral Lizaak Gruja argued. Neither of the arguing men noticed Almaanz''s approach. "I disagree," Admiral Pohja Litaj countered. "Spreading out our forces will leave them vulnerable to the Phenoc''s Eastern fleet. We cannot guarantee we will catch them in their ports, and it''s far more likely that we''ll be chasing their ships through occupied waters long enough for the Western fleet to arrive." "It doesn''t matter," Almaanz said as he reached the table. "The dogs know of the invasion. And not just that one is coming. Our spies have discovered their ports have emptied of all their navy''s ships, and sails were seen all up and down the coast, sailing for Medea." The arguing Admirals cursed this new information, pulling pegs and crumpling paper as they scrapped their plans entirely. "They can''t scramble enough ships to stop us at Medea," Lizaak began, placing new pegs representing the Pheonc''s forces. "We know where their ships patrol. They may have a dozen warships prepared, but we have hundreds! The real problem is after our capture of Medea. Them knowing this early means there is no chance of catching the ships at port!" The man seemed angry his ''brilliant'' plan had been so thoroughly foiled. "We need to develop an entirely new plan," Almaanz agreed. "YOU! Send a message to the other Admirals. They are summoned in light of new information." A sailor gave a crisp salute and raced off. Almaanz turned to the fussing Admirals as they dithered over likely positions of the Phenoc fleets. "Peace, my friends," He started, getting their attention. "I have the bones of a plan. The same message that informed me of this included another tidbit. We have gained the loyalty of a traitor amongst the Phenoc, one well-placed enough to throw them into true chaos. Here''s the plan..." -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 88 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I couldn''t ignore it anymore. I''d spent a few hours watching Kataren, trying to figure out what was going on with my new connection to her without any ''active'' investigation. She went about her day, starting with washing up with some... traded soap? Huh. I tried to be respectful, and avert my attention from her body as I focused on her mind. Once she''d finished cleaning herself I moved on to more pointed tests. Specifically, I decided to test if she still had that AT field by poking at it with mana. As the tendril of mana passed the five-yard mark with no change in my ability to control it, I slowed it down. Four yards. Three yards. Two yards. One yard. Two feet. One foot. Six inches... She moved unexpectedly, eyes suddenly narrowed at the middle distance, and the tendril made contact. Kataren gasped as the mana in the tendril rushed into her. It was very little mana, more like a string, but It was nonetheless a connection. The same as any I had with my other monsters. Well, that seemed definitive. It''s a pleasure to finally talk to you personally, Kataren. "C-creator?" She asked aloud, looking around the empty room. "I... I can hear you in my head?" Of course. Did you think your little declaration would have no consequences? You forsook humanity, and in doing so swore yourself to me. It seems to have... removed... the strange affect humans normally have on my mana. Did you know that all humans, not just guilders, disrupt my control? It''s one of the reasons why I can''t just claim you, as I''ve done for every other animal to enter my dungeon. "That- The Goddesses'' protection?" Kataren said. She stumbled, then leaned against and slid down the nearby wall. "I- It''s gone?" Evidently. You feel no different to me now as any of my Children. Could you explain this... protection? "I... It''s an old tale." Kata stuttered, obviously overwhelmed. Though, she seemed to get a handle on herself as she continued, "When the Goddess of Life birthed everything in the land, she favored us above all the others. When She noticed how mana would warp and change everything she''d made, she went to the God of Light, and the Goddess of Love. Together, they wove a protective spell, to let us keep our forms and protect us from those who would try to change us." Hmm. So it''s divine in nature... no wonder I could never get past it. "W-what are you going to do to me?" Hm? Oh! Well, I have a few ideas to improve upon the human form, but without your permission I''d never push them on you. That''d be immoral. I''m sure you''ve heard how I always ask my Children for their consent? "I have, but... you know they''d never say no to you, right?" Much to my regret. Yes, I do know. They trust me absolutely, and it''s a heavy weight on my mind. I could feel Kata mulling over that. I kept out of her thoughts, though. "What improvements would you make?" She eventually asked. If I could, I''d have blinked in surprise. Well, as a ''Platinum'' guilder, your body has already grown beyond what is possible for a normal human to achieve. But I would say... it''s done it very inefficiently. Your ligaments, muscles and tendons are tough, but not quite enough to keep up with your response time. I''m sure you''ve noticed that, when in battle, you notice things faster than you can react to them? It''s a product of how you humans develop. Your manacores restrict your growth, in a way, to preserve your form. I can break you past that limit. Even Guilders grow old and die, yes? I can fix that. Your bones are still made of calcium and carbon. By adding metal, I could make them even stronger. As with everything else. Heck, I could even connect you to a Respawn Crystal. You''d be immortal, but you''d be limited by the size of the crystal. It''d only let you respawn so strong. "I..." She broke in, then trailed off. "This is... I-!" Ah. I apologize. I''ll give you time to think on my offer. There''s no rush. But! I would like to make another offer. This one is completely separate to the one to change you for the better. I gave her a few minutes to pull herself together. "Your... other offer?" I''ve negotiated with Guildmistress Layla Losat to aid in the defense of the Island. In return, I get a voice on the surface. I would like you to be that voice. "What... what would being your ''voice'' entail?" She asked. Well, it was a fair question. You would act as my... diplomat. Advocate for my interests among the Duke''s council. You''d be responsible for spreading awareness of the sentience and personhood of my Children amongst the guilders. I have no illusions of their willingness to give up delving, not when they gain so much from it, but make it clear there are alternatives to killing everything in their paths. And that doing so would have consequences. "You''d let me leave the dungeon?" She blurted out, latching on to a very small part of my explanation. I chuckled warmly, and let her hear it. Indeed. I''d be sending guards with you, to protect you from others just as much as keep an eye on you. You have earned a measure of trust, but it''s not unconditional. As my Voice, you would be allowed to roam the surface of Medea Island, but not leave it''s shores. Your guards would be a mix of my Children. A Capriccio, A Minotaur, a Scorpan and a Drake-kin. "Could the Drake-kin be Huea?" Kata asked immediately, and I hummed in thought. No. Beyond that I have another task for Miss Greyscale, she is far from the most capable Drake-kin in combat. I have another in mind, for this task. You could visit her, or send her letters, but she will not be joining your retinue. Think on my offers. Call for me when you''ve made up your mind, I''ll hear you. I let my presence retreat, making sure she was aware of how a small piece of my awareness remained behind, in the corner of her mind. I had work to do. -0-0-0-0-0- The Experimental Chambers, The Fifth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Huea Greyscale stared at the misshapen core, studying the growing crystal which jutted out from the crack. "This was the core of Hallmark?" She asked aloud. None of the other researchers responded as they went about tidying and reorganizing the area. With The Creator returned, he''d granted access to this area to the more critical thinking of the Drake-kin, as a far more appropriate place to study and produce things such as their new teleport crystals than a building on the edge of town. It was. The Creator replied, His presence a great comfort to her. Wave pulled it from the body himself. After watching the memories of those who fought him, this injury seemed to have had quite the affect. Some things can be explained away, but the lack of control he displayed over his emotions after Tear threw him down those stairs... Before that point, he was bloodthirsty, yes, but never to his own expense. It seems to have affected his emotions and decision making, but it''s only a theory. As you can imagine, I''m unwilling to test it. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Huea shuddered. "No argument here. He was more Monster than we are." The Creator hummed, and Huea returned to her inspection. This core was interesting for more than just it''s unique condition. She blinked, and when she opened them again the world was alight with strings and streams and rivers of mana flowing throughout the room. She took a deep breath, limiting her perception to just a few feet around her. She focused on the core, and saw. Since being given this power, Huea had inspected almost every core they had in storage. Altered, and unaltered alike. The unaltered kept a lingering echo of their mana, which had been overwritten in the changed and charged ones. Those held the imprint of The Creator''s mana throughout, even after being drained of said mana. Hallmark''s core was different; It held more than just the lingering remnants of his mana. The Creator claimed He hadn''t injected any of His own mana yet, which meant this shifting, glowing mass of mana, dim and sluggish though it was, had to have come from Hallmark I''m going to try something. The Creator relayed to her. I''m going to make a connection with the core. Huea nodded, and opened her perception a bit more, watching as a string of mana entered her vision. The bright string of pure mana cautiouslly approached the core, then made contact. The mana inside the core twitched, then started thrashing about. The string retreated quickly, and Huea waited with baited breath for The Creator''s insight. Well, that''s... interesting. He eventually stated. The mana within the core refused to settle as it had before. It moved, tested the confines of it''s core. It stayed far from the crack, however, remaining on the smooth, unbroken surface opposite. It would seem... Hallmark''s soul was trapped within his core, instead of passing on with his death. The Creator shared. Huea''s eyes widened. "That.. is his soul?" No. It''s whatever mana remained in his core. Wave no doubt absorbed a fair amount, and the rest is somewhere amongst my Accretion disk. Manavision may be incredible, but it doesn''t let you see souls, Huea. She shrunk into herself slightly, embarressed. I recently... came into the ability to see souls. I''ve refrained from using it much, but i can say with confidence that his soul remains in that core. Huea, I am making a new alcove for this core. Please place it there. Huea picked up the core, wincing as the mana and SOUL inside wriggled. She blinked, and let her manavision fade. As always, the world seemed... lesser. Less vibrant. Less... real. She shook her head, and moved to the Core Storage room. True to His words, an alcove was being carved from the stone. Huea waited patiently, and no more than a minute later it was done. She placed the core between the cradling hands, and stepped back once again. As soon as she did so, she felt the tingle of mana against her skin. She blinked her manavision on, and watched as an enchantment wove itself into existence around the alcove. She struggled to comprehend it''s purpose, but soon felt the guiding hand of The Creator, pointing out what each part did, and how to feel their intents for herself. It was a ward, designed to protect the core. It would keep unwary drake-kin from touching it by convincing them it was unimportant, and that they had far more important duties to attend to than looking over here. Huea blinked. Right! She had that thing The Creator had told her to do! As she turned to leave, she blinked again. Wait. What? She was already doing... Ah, my apologies Huea. I''ve exempted you from the Ward. I''m sure that was disorienting. "It was... quite intrusive. This is necessary, Creator?" Huea blanched, realizing she''d just questioned if The Creator''s judgement was sound. "I''m sorry, Creator, I meant no off-" There is no need to apologize, Huea. The Creator interrupted her, mid-apology. He sounded... Happy? No need to apologize at all. Yes, I do believe it necessary. After all, we now have access to a human soul. Who knows what could happen if someone unprepared touched it? Perhaps they could find themselves possessed! We just don''t know. In the meantime... Could you have someone fetch Hallmark''s remains? I have an idea... -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I unfocused on the Seventh floor and let my presence spread out across the dungeon once again with a pleased hum. There was still so much to address; so many problems that cropped up in my absence, that I was finding it hard to list them all. The Fifth floor needed one more adjustment. The castle had become largely irrelevant, with the delvers beelining right for the boss''s tower. This needed to be changed. Taking inspiration from some of the most difficult games of my old world, I created a labyrinthine path through the castle. It went up towers, across bridges, over rooftops, down into literal dungeons and through sewers. There were shortcuts my monsters could access and, after some thought, I decided to add more monsters. The Shadow Golems would continue to haunt the dark places of the castle, with their Spirit acting as a mini-boss. That reminded me, I needed to create an island for them as well. Something to think about. The Stone Golems I brought more into prominence, having them shape themselves as statues and gargoyles and positioned all over the castle. In order to fool Isid''s manavision, I had all the real statues saturated with mana in such a way that it was difficult to tell the difference. There were signs; differences in mana density, the way the mana moved through the spirit''s bodies, and more. But that moment of hesitation could be vital. The newly-risen second Stone Spirit would also be a miniboss, and this one would guard the courtyard before the Metal Spirit''s tower. I brought a particular clan of Ratten from the Fourth, this one festering with poison and disease, and set them up under the castle. I gave their clan head a boss-level respawn crystal, declaring he''d act as yet another miniboss. They were disappointed to be departing the constant war on the Fourth, and I wondered on what to do about that. Another thing to add to the list. Three minibosses seemed like enough, but now I worried I''d made the castle too difficult. I decided to make certain shortcuts accessible after one of the bosses was defeated, to bypass their section. They would still need to pass through golem- and Ratten-filled sections, but they wouldn''t need to fight the minibosses again. Finally, I littered the metal golem''s tower with lesser golems. These of base Iron and Copper, and wielding a variety of crushing, slashing and piercing weapons. In one final rework, I filled the castle with carvings and left a few ''artifacts'' to reward those that indulged their sense of exploration. Effort should be rewarded, after all. I went back up through the dungeon from the Fifth, inspecting each floor. The Fourth was still filled with War and only War. I expanded the tunnels more, giving the Ratten plenty of space to expand. Hopefully some space would have the place feeling less crowded. On the Third... I was surprised. I watched a duel between one of my Kobold Warriors and a Gold Guilder. Both wielding swords, they moved smoothly, confidently, with neither having a decisive advantage. It was... like watching two knights who''d trained together for years. Both knew their opponent''s style intimately, and could confidently anticipate and intercept every attack, avoiding every feint. Eventually, the Guilder knocked the Kobold back, inflicting a shallow cut across the monster''s chest. The Kobold took a deep breath, raising one hand to it''s wound. The human... let him? The Kobold nodded, sheathing his sword, and I felt him deactivate his part of the enchantment he was tied into! I had no idea they could even feel it, let alone activate it beyond dying! The Guilder and Kobold exchanged a solid forearm handshake, then the human turned and joined his four party-mates, who had been observing from the side this entire time. The party turned and left, then the Kobold returned to his living area, behind a wall that parted when he touched it. I thought about the whole scene for a bit, wondering about the implications. Having an idea, I took a closer look at the minibosses of this floor, and noted they''d all surpassed the soft-caps the respawn crystals should have imposed. There was some kind of gentleman''s agreement, here. At some point, the Kobolds must have talked to the guilders, and made an arrangement. Duels, one-on-one, to first blood. The Kobolds could continue to grow in strength, while still getting experience in combat. A few questions later, and my theory was confirmed. At first, the Kobolds threw themselves at my mercy, for not fighting to the death. I waved it off. This was a Good Thing. I insisted they continue the practice, and if they ever found themselves tiring of the constant duels and wished to move on, I''d happily ascend them into Drake-kin. If they were thinking of such a thing, though, they would need to train up a replacement. They could select a ''squire'' or ''apprentice'' from among the villages. I left the Second and First alone, for now. They were running smoothly, and I couldn''t think of anything to improve them at the moment. I did get a few Crabs to travel to the Eleventh, though. I thought the crabs would do well down there. That left the ''Zeroth'' floor. I let my awareness roam the ocean around the Island, checking in on the monsters. The area was already pretty bio-diverse before, but now it''d jumped a whole order of magnitude! The Leviathan, Sea Serpent and Kraken were doing very well. I wondered about connecting them to respawn crystals, but decided against it. The size their crystals would need to be boggled the mind. I''d just raise new ones if any of them died, or perhaps make them mates, to make the whole thing more ''organic.'' The shark and large fish population was equivalent to the ballooned number of smaller fish, which meant there were dozens of every conceivable species, with more coming through the current constantly. A larger portion of the current had been diverted my way, but the main channel hadn''t been moved any closer. I let out a sigh of relief at that. I was already irreversibly altering oceans, disrupting them completely would be disastrous. I left the ''Zeroth'' pleased. I''d be ready for this invasion fleet. The only thing to wonder now was... How many people would find themselves beset by sudden bouts of thalassophobia? The ocean was deep and full of horrors, after all... -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 89 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- With my upward inspection done, I started working downward again. Starting with the Seventh. The Sixth only needed a few more monsters; I could deal with that later. From what I understood, the confusing, unordered layout of the mine''s tunnels worked incredibly well initially. Hallmark''s party had to comb every tunnel looking for the exit, then killed every Drake-kin they ran into. When they eventually discovered the exit, their second attempt was a more direct route, leading to them bypassing most of the floor. I couldn''t allow such a flaw to remain. After some thought, I stumbled onto the solution. One of the major dangers with mines was tunnel collapse, right? Being buried by falling rock, or worse, trapped in a dead-end. Oxygen slowly running out, with no food or escape. I made a few dead-ends that''d trigger a rockfall behind the group, trapping them, and connected them to the same ''hard mode'' enchantment as many other traps. I''d save those kinds of fates for those who want to harm me. Otherwise, I took inspiration from the Second. The Labyrinth''s shifting nature, specifically. Once again, I couldn''t change where the exit was, so I had to make the route long, laborious, and, most importantly, random. At key intersections, I laid rockfall traps. But their triggers weren''t directly beneath the falling rocks. No, those laid at corners a tunnel-length away. When a party turned the corner, they''d witness the tunnel ahead of them collapse, cutting off the most direct route. Of course, to get this deep, the guilders would be quick, but the triggers were far enough away that, even running at their full speed past the trigger, they couldn''t pass through before the passage filled with rocks. They''d approach the blocked path, and when faced with a choice between an open alternate route and digging through who-knows how much rock... they''d take the easier way. Which tunnel was cut off was random, as was the number of tunnels cut off in the case of intersections with more than two tunnels. I had to make the tunnels more inter-connected and connect all the traps together to prevent there being no way through. If there was only one path remaining, that path wouldn''t collapse. Inspired, I went back to make all the non-hardmode rockfalls trigger when the first rockfall went off... with a condition to ensure no monsters were in the way before they fell. Wouldn''t want to crush an unsuspecting group of Drake-kin. That''d be rude. I set the reset condition for these traps to be the party leaving the floor by moving forward, backward, or teleporting out. This way, every new attempt would be a fresh experience. They could map the tunnels, but they''d still have to explore and may become confused and turned around. It''d be susceptible to the right-hand trick, but having an entirely different maze every time would cancel that out. Satisfied for now, I moved further down to the Eighth. The Snowbolds, Ice Foxes, and Pyry had done Marvelously! They''d killed one party member quickly, prompting a second to abandon the rest, then engineered the death of a third. That the fourth proved far more potent and motivated than they could handle wasn''t their fault. Hallmark was... something else. Speaking of the psychopath, I wanted to keep the caves he''d used, but I couldn''t allow another like him to use them in the way he did. In the end, the solution was simple. Illusions woven over the caves attached to the hardmode enchantments would allow only those who didn''t want to kill me to see them. I littered a few more caves throughout the mountain. Some became tunnels, one leading to a ''secret'' valley where I decided to have some greenery. An enchantment heated water leaking from a ''spring'' that kept the valley warm. Much of the vegetation I used was from the Tenth, as it was more appropriate than the tropical and desert plants from the Third and Ninth. Another cave led to an underground network disconnected from the other nearby tunnels. In the deepest chamber, I seeded a single Brainshroom, with instructions to keep its growth contained to the tunnels but otherwise to spread and grow its mushroom creep and Fungal Shamblers as it pleased. This was a test, of course. Disconnected from the rest of its hivemind, barely sentient and with the potential to develop further... I wanted to see what it''d do without any input from me. It had ''blueprints'' of the various shamblers and the dozens of fungi species I''d developed, but otherwise... nothing. I looked forward to seeing the results, whether it would rise to the challenge or use only what I''d already given it. Back on the ''surface'' of the Eighth, I decided to spend some time adjusting the mountains themselves. The First, well, I mainly left it alone since it introduced guilders to the hazards and terrain just fine. I spent far more time shaping the Second Peak. I carved dozens of routes over and around the peak. Some were harder, and some easier. On the more challenging paths, I settled a permanent cloud that hid precariously thin tracks, crumbling rock, and ambush spots for the Snowbolds to take advantage of. Another Hardmode enchantment would obscure the entire mountain, making even the ''easy'' paths harder and rendering the hapless guilders unable to determine which route was safer from a distance, as Hallmark had done. Ultimately, I left the ''hard'' paths accessible for non-homicidal guilders. They deserved the choice to challenge themselves. If they died? That''s their own fault. I wouldn''t manually activate any traps on them, though. That''d be unfair. Before I could move on to the Third Peak, I heard Kataren calling me. It''d been a few days, but it seemed she''d made her decisions. -0-0-0-0-0- The Drake-Kin Village, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Huea sat across from Kata and sighed. Her best friend had informed her of The Creator''s offers and asked her to look into how the human could hear His voice. To Huea''s manasight, Kata did have some significant differences from the Children. While she possessed an ovoid core tapering to two dull points on the vertical axis, every other sapient Child had one similar. It was in the humans''s mana that the actual differences could be seen. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. From her limited investigation, most Children had the same teal color to their mana as The Creator Himself, with only a few unique individuals possessing any other color. As far as Huea could tell, this was linked to how much mana they pulled from The Creator compared to how much elemental mana they used. Water mana tinged your mana blue, earth tinged it brown, and so on. Since most of their mana was still Teal, It only changed the color slightly. When she''d been informed of Wave''s deep blue mana, she could only explain it as his mana having been overwhelmingly water-aligned at the time. He had just acted as a conduit for The Creator to provide water mana for the Water Sprites to fill the Eleventh, so that made sense. Though she hadn''t visited him, Huea was sure Wave''s mana would be teal again after his... transformation. And wasn''t that weird to think about. Huea''s just found her brother, already so different from how she remembered... and then he''d gone and changed into something entirely different. She shook her head. Now wasn''t the time. She let her gaze fall back on Kata. Kata''s mana was almost devoid of any hint of teal. The little there had spread from where her connection to The Creator rested. The rest was a violent riot of color she had to turn away from every so often. "You don''t have any particular elemental affinity, do you?" Huea asked, wondering about the reason her mana was as it was. Kata shook her head. "No. I took the test back when I became a Guilder, and the mage who performed it said trying to do magic was a waste of time for me," the woman explained. "I didn''t have enough elemental mana of any one type to cast spells, and he said it would be tough for me to be a mage." "Well, whoever it was, he said that back when you were a... Copper? Is that the proper term? It''s been a long time since then, and you have a lot of mana of every element. You could learn from any Shaman and get a spell or two of every element." "That''s... interesting. Thanks. But back to why I asked you to look in the first place, please?" "Right. You have the same connection to The Creator as every other Child has. The only real difference is how much other mana you have and your entirely physical body." "So, it''s true..." Kata whispered, then flopped back on her bed. "Ow." Her stone bed. Yes, it had furs, but it was still a stone shelf. Perhaps they should import some wool from the Capriccios or the Minotaurs... "So, have you decided?" "There''s nothing to decide, really. This is a chance to go back to the surface!" Kata exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. "I want to feel the sun on my skin, Huea! The manasuns aren''t the same. I''ve never been so pale in my life! I could buy clothes! Not just this hodgepodge of furs and scavenged cloth, Huea, but tailored clothes! I mean, I''m sad you won''t be one of my guards, but maybe we can have you visit me! I could show you around town!" Huea had to lean back as Kata stood, then started pacing the room. She''d never seen the human so excited. "Okay, I get it," Huea replied, chuckling slightly. "You''re excited. And the visits sound fun, but what about the other decision?" Kata stopped in her tracks and then sat down on the bed again. "I''ve... been thinking about that a lot these last few days. I''m going to say yes," Kata announced with a deep breath. "And?" Huea prompted, seeing the woman hesitate. "But I''m not going to take the crystal. Respawning, miraculous though it is... I don''t want immortality. The Creator also said it''d only let me get so strong, and I don''t want that either." Huea smiled at Kata as the woman finished her little speech. She gave her friend a hug, then gave her a severe look. "So... are you going to call Him?" Huea asked. Kata nodded. "Yeah. Stay?" "Of course." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- You''ve made up your mind then? I asked, projecting my voice into both Kataran and Huea''s heads. "I have, Creator," Kataren answered, psyching herself up. "I accept both offers but refuse the crystal. I don''t want immortality." Oh? I''m glad to hear that on all counts. "You''re... glad I''m not taking the crystal?" Being Immortal is a curse. To be eternal while the mortals around you wither and die... It always turns out poorly. It''s necessary in the case of my Children, but I worry for their futures. Kataren looked intrigued but shook her head. "So what happens next?" We talk about alterations. I''ve done some thinking, and it''ll be better for everyone involved if the guilders and humans on the surface remain in the dark about your origins. There could be backlash or reprisals against you for ''abandoning your humanity'' or other bullshit. "Yeah... that''s one of the reasons I agreed to be changed," Kataren said. Great minds think alike. So, we need to shift your features enough that you no longer register as ''human'' to them. When they look at you, I want them to see something that resembles a human but very obviously is not. I have a few templates I''ve been thinking of. Do any of these catch your fancy? I sent her a few mental images. Basically, what I''d imagine she''d look like as classic fantasy races and a few ''monster girl'' species. An Elf, a Dwarf, A catgirl, etcetera. "I... think I wouldn''t mind being this one." Kata eventually chose, sending a mental image back to me. Oh Ho! Nice choice. Alright, we have a template. Any changes you want to make? Is there anything you dislike about your current body or always wished you had? I could see her turning that idea over in her head. "Well..." -0-0-0-0-0- Port Medea, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Jerrad walked through the empty streets of Port Medea with a melancholic sigh. They''d finished the evacuations. The only ones who remained were the Guilders who''d settled into their life here and refused to leave, the levies raised from the population, and the Duke''s retinue. As he entered the deserted market square, Jerrad''s mind drifted back to that meeting with the dungeon. Or, Medea, as his niece had named the entity. He still found the idea of dealing with a dungeon as a person extremely strange. All his life, he''d known they were driven by base instinct. That this one was different was easy enough to understand, but this different? After standing in on several negotiations and making deals with the monsters themselves... he was beginning to appreciate how different. He sat on a bench and looked down the slight incline towards the dungeon. The Lighthouse built above the entrance remained a beacon for the ships still gathering to defend the island against the Bahrain armada. Around the cliffs, hundreds of seabirds nest. Jerrad had long suspected they were dungeon monsters rather than wild monsters feeding off the manastream. Far too... docile isn''t quite the right word. Passive, perhaps. Another thing different about it. If they were dungeon monsters, were these the ones Medea was referring to? The monsters positioned to aid in the island''s defense? He had no idea. Then there were the rumors. The port''s fishermen and sailors had been spreading stories of giant fish for more than a month. He let his gaze rest on the side of the market where the fish hawkers usually set up. The number and size of their catch had been growing steadily for a while now... He made a few connections, and suddenly, Jerrad was struck with a horrifying realization. Medea had monsters in the ocean. It had BIG monsters in the seas around the island, and it could direct them, even outside the dungeon itself! It''d had the capacity to destroy ships for at least since the rumors started. They already knew the town''s rats were dungeon monsters, but since it kept them out of storerooms and sight, they were happy to ignore that little fact. But those are just rats. They''d been writing off the rumors as whales, but... if it had monstrous whales, sharks, or any other terrifying creature that dwelled beneath the surface... Jerrad tried to calm down. This was all just a theory, after all. And even if it did have these things, it very pointedly hadn''t used them on the innocent citizens of the island. Medea could be reasoned with. Bargained with. It had some kind of conscience, even if it didn''t have human morals. And more importantly... it was on their side. Jerrad''s thoughtful frown gave way to a vicious grin that frightened a patrol of levies as they passed by. He chuckled and wondered if the invaders would even get to the island. He stood and walked with a purpose in his stride. The sun was setting, and he was looking forward to dinner with his wife. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 90 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- After directing Kataren and Huea to head to the Eleventh for more specialized training, I returned to sorting out the Eighth. There were two things I wanted to sort out before I started on the Ninth. Firstly, the bridge. It''d been used to great effect, and when the snowbolds replaced it, they made sure it could be quickly and easily released from either end. Given this is the only way between the first and second peaks that guilders currently have access to... If this was to be the ultimate trap for those truly antagonistic, where the bridge is dropped, there should be an alternate route. But first, the bridge! I enchanted the bridge itself to automate the trap under the ''hardmode'' enchantment, triggering when a guilder passed the midpoint. Then, it would drop from the far end, preventing another Indiana-jones situation, where they could cling to the planks and climb up to make it to the other side. It would trigger earlier for the non-hardmode guilders, with plenty of creaking and snapping effects, so they could retreat across the bridge before it fell. The timing should allow them to make it if they sprint as soon as the creaking starts. If not, they''d have to climb the planks. But, with the most apparent route an impassible trap, there needed to be another way. I''d had a few thoughts about this since I first made this floor and finally decided to implement it. Between the two peaks, I formed a glacier. Creating the glacier itself was the problem since they were composed of compacted snow that turned to ice, eventually flowing down from mountains, carving valleys along the way. I didn''t have hundreds of years to wait for this process to occur naturally. So, I''d have to make a ''false'' glacier. I brought yet another tunnel of water from the ocean, desalinating it on the way, and directed it to freeze into a glacier-like state. I made a note to summon Ice Sprites in the near future since this was the perfect place to have them. The Glacier would slowly accumulate snow anyway, with the blizzards happening every other day, so I moved on to the next part of the path. I carved a thin, snaking path down both sides of the cliffs. The one on the far cliff should be visible from the bridge, and an observant guilder could spot the close side path as they sprinted back along the collapsing bridge. The route would be relatively stable, but with the standard collapsing ledges and dropping icicles that could catch out the unwary. After descending this path, they would need to cross the glacier. It was filled with crags and cracks, which would soon be covered with powdered snow. With ice sprites down here, potentium golems, and pure-ice golem bodies alike, it''d be plenty dangerous, especially with how windy it would get down there in a blizzard. With that done, it was time to move on to the second thing. Pyry. Layla''s gift of a breeding pair of hawks, with some ''encouragement,'' had already laid a few clutches of eggs. Most of them I brought to maturity, then let loose on the Eleventh. I took one of the males and had him brought to the Eighth. Under my careful hand, I evolved him into a second Thunderbird. Something to note was that the hawk base I evolved him from was sexually dimorphic, and I kept that in his new form. He was slightly smaller than Pyry, with a small ''plume'' of white feathers on his head where she lacked them. Pyry was undoubtedly interested in the male after I introduced them, and when I left them alone, the two hawks were in the middle of a sky dance. I decided to finish the glacier now rather than put it off. I quickly ordered half a dozen Potentium golem bodies to be delivered with two dozen cores. As a side note, the cores came from my fish monsters. The Kobolds, Drake-kin, and other Children loved them, and their replenishment rate was fast enough to easily support the dungeon''s various residents. The Second Peak snowbold shamans were happy to summon all the ice Sprites I wanted. The sprites were given the same contract every other sprite was given, and I provided some quickly-carved Ice Golems for those interested in the idea. I let them loose on the Glacier, leaving them with a request to contact me when one of them transforms into a Spirit. Pleased, I skipped the Ninth and Tenth for now, jumping down to the Eleventh. I had a contingency plan that I''d just thought of to implement. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Wave let the currents carry him as he explored the other half of the Eleventh. While there was endless freedom and exploration in the skies, he was just as equipped to explore the ocean''s vastness. He''d had a taste of this place when he was escorting the Fire Court to Isla Fuego, but as with the sky, a taste didn''t compare to the real thing. Thousands of fish, of dozens of different species swam through the currents alongside him. The largest of his temporary companions were huge Sea Turtles. The elder of the bale was almost as large as Wave himself! After a quick mutual assessment, Wave judged the fight not worth it and could tell the turtle had decided the same. He was exceptionally well-armored, and his leathery flesh was almost as tough as his shell, making him slow and lumbering. Wave was significantly quicker and more agile when you added his water and ice magic to the equation. After giving a friendly wave to the turtle hatchlings, who waved back enthusiastically, Wave dove out of the current. He emerged near a quickly growing coral reef. A quick trip to the surface showed he was near Isla Fuego, and now that he was looking, he recognized the contours of the ocean floor. The slopes leading up to the volcanic island were now littered with seedling corals of every kind he could imagine, and Wave could see hundreds of little fish making their homes in the coral''s shelter. In deeper waters, Wave could spot a pod of whales, a giant shark, her pups, and even the trailing tentacles of a giant squid as it made for deeper waters. He swam closer and circled the island for a time. He briefly popped up to the island''s shore and chatted with a nearby golem. The golem was relatively small for a Magma golem. And it wasn''t one he recognized, either. The newly summoned sprite, for that is what it was, had been exploring the island and getting a feel for its new body. Or, that''s what he could tell from its rather simplistic thoughts. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. He bid it farewell and to pass on a greeting to Igna, then dove back beneath the waves. After passing the small reef, Wave''s senses tingled. His eyes were drawn back to the whale pod. He wasn''t sure of the species, but they were definitely baleen whales and a vast species, too. He watched with awe as they grew to at least three times their previous size. There were a few more visual changes, but their new size was the most striking. Such a sudden and overwhelming change... He was watching The Creator at work. Intensely curious, Wave just had to ask. "Creator, what are these enormous monsters?" He sent down the warm connection in the back of his mind. A few seconds later, The Creator''s attention drifted his way. These are Leviathans. I have one larger than these in the ocean on the surface and felt it would also be good to have a pod down here. I plan on adding a few Kraken and Sea Serpents too. "They are enormous... Are the ''Kraken'' and ''Sea Serpents'' just as large?" Hah! These are on the small side. Most of the changes I''ve made to them are internal. They''ll continue to grow for the rest of their lives, though I might have to intervene if they grow too big. I want to avoid multiple-miles-long monsters in this little ocean. It''s a little small for such sizes. As to your other question... The other two are big but nowhere near as large. Wave tried to imagine a monster that spanned whole miles... and failed. He just couldn''t grasp the scale of them. "What else are you doing down here?" Ah. Apart from growing some sea monsters and making some contingency plans, I did have one other thing to do. Wave, I need your help, though this task is far less life-threatening than the last. "How can I help?" Wave asked immediately, without hesitation. As the only Child to have gained wings, I need your help to teach someone how to use theirs. "Can you not give them the instincts to use them, as you did for me?" I did, but there are some mental barriers to be overcome, and I was exceptionally light in any mental changes. They''re over at... Dawn Beach, you named it? "They?" Yes, Your sister accompanied your future student and is also here to visit. Have fun! Buoyed by joy, Wave quickly gathered momentum and breached the waves. With a roar, he caught the air under his wings, switching from his gills to his lungs and hiding away his aquatic adaptions. He gained some altitude, then banked, turning towards Dawn Beach. It was a short flight, and he could already see two figures standing at the crest of the dunes. One waved as he approached, while the other hid behind the waving figure. He felt a mischievous urge overtake him. There was nothing wrong with pranking your siblings, right? -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Leaving the Eleventh, I brought my attention to the surface. My rats had been tracking patrols and any other congregation of the militia. At the same time, the seagulls kept an eye on the growing number of ships moored offshore. There were a couple of dozen warships now, though only three were of a significant size. If I had to make comparisons, I''d say the largest rivaled men-of-war from Earth''s exploration era. Another six were frigates, ten were brigs, and the rest were schooners. Gathered as they were, it was an impressive sight. But from what my seagulls were overhearing, they were far from confident. The admiral of the Eastern Fleet would get here after the Bahrain reached the island, and the commodore, who looked pretty young and inexperienced, was the highest-ranked officer around. While he put on an impressive front among the gathered captains, he was a mess in private. The navy obviously had yet to be informed of the guild''s request for my assistance, given the plans they were making didn''t mention me. In fact, it seemed like the Guildmistress asked me without informing anyone in the first place. That... might be a problem later, but it was her job to hold up her end of the bargain. I had a seagull sneak into the commodore''s cabin when he was on deck and read through a couple of letters. From their estimation, the Bahrain were invading with almost their entire navy force, leaving only enough to protect their ports from pirates. And they''d been busy. The numbers were... daunting. I doubled the height my patrolling gulls were flying. I needed as much warning as I could get. Their preparation amounted mostly to doing a few drills and wargames while they waited, but they didn''t expect to do much. Perhaps they''d manage a one-to-one k/d ratio, but that''d barely dent the Bahrain fleet, leaving the rest free rein to invade the island, wipe away the local resistance, and set up shop. I''d put in a lot of work, training the locals, and I didn''t particularly feel like breaking in a whole new group who wanted to settle on my shores. I had a five-mile range around me, which I could influence, and standing on the deck of a ship, you could only see about 3 miles until the horizon hid any incoming vessels. That meant I had a two-mile window to ravage the Bahrain fleet without alerting the Phenoc to my interference, disregarding any patrolling schooners around the island. At that range, the Leviathan was my go-to. She was easily large enough to swallow ships whole, and if they were too big she''d undoubtedly take a bite big enough to sink them. She could breech and fall on the larger ships, though I was unsure about her resistance to cannonballs. She was untested, after all. But I had no doubt she''d strike fear into the hearts of every sailor on that fleet. When they reached the 3-mile mark, they''d be close enough for the Phenoc fleet to spot from the island, and my Sea Serpent would take over. It was long enough to wrap around ships and then snap their spines. The Leviathan would continue breaking vessels as they passed through her zone if she survived that long. When they reached a mile away, the Kraken would engage whatever survived the first two, regardless of whether the Phenoc engaged. Meanwhile, Gull and his legion could pick off commanders, throwing ships into chaos. Honestly, I thought the Bahrain would indeed make it to shore. The Leviathan might survive, but the Serpent and Kraken had scales and hide where she had layers of blubber, leaving them far more vulnerable. I expected two things to happen once they committed to the actual landing. First, the island''s militia would do their best to fight them on the beaches. Given their skill level and limited training, I didn''t expect them to do well. I had no idea how strong the Bahrain''s army was, though. I couldn''t imagine they''d ignore literal magic in a real military force. I didn''t know how they''d integrate mages or other mana-enhanced individuals into their troops. Would they be like champions? Fighting in a cleared circle while the average people around them slaughtered each other? I could only interfere here by having bloodfish bite holes in any rowboats they might use. They''d be useless if the ships beached themselves instead. Otherwise, it was too shallow in the foreshore, even if they invaded at high tide! The second thing is that the Medea Island Guild would get involved. If not the guild itself, then it''s members. I''d already overheard dozens of conversations affirming their commitment to defending their home, regardless that they were meant to be neutral. I applauded them. There was no point defending your people from inhuman monsters, just to let them die to the very human monsters who wanted what they had and weren''t asking. Depending on how many mana-enhanced soldiers the Bahrain had and how many soldiers made it through my sea monsters... In the best case, the guilders keep them from getting a foothold, push them off, and the remaining invasion force retreats in shambles. Worst case, they''d be slaughtered, and the Bahrain take over. They invade me regularly, and depending on their attitude towards dungeons and their attitude in general... Well, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. I''d just have to wait and find out. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 91 -0-0-0-0-0- The Scorpan Village, The Ninth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Skitters-Across-The-Sand watched the column of Scorpans streaming from the village with a conflicted heart. There were so few of them, to begin with, and the size of their village reflected that. With their first clutches grown and a second well on the way, the King declared that most of the youth would emigrate to the Eleventh. There just wasn''t enough space in the village for them all. They weren''t like the Drake-kin. They couldn''t squeeze dozens of Scorpans into a single house. And so, Skitters had to say goodbye to most of her Scorplings. Sprints-Into-Danger had grown into the woman Skitters had expected. Firey and loath to sit still. She was the first to declare that she was leaving. Sprints thirsted for exploration, and Skitters wouldn''t even think of trying to keep her in the village. Beyond the fact her little scorplings were fully grown and perfectly capable... Staying in the village had already started wearing on her. This was for the best. Right behind her was her two brothers. Looms-Over-Others had grown large, more than matching his sire in height and certainly out-massing him. Beats-His-Chest declared his intent to leave a second later. Skitters had hoped Looms would stay. Perhaps to become a guard, to protect the village as he protected his siblings. Ultimately, He felt called to defend his siblings more than the rest of the village. She didn''t blame him for that. Finally, Climbs-Tall-Things approached her, a determined look in her eyes. She said nothing. Climbs had become far quieter as the weeks passed. Not in a bad way, but she was more measured and considering. Sunset-Carapace was staying. She didn''t possess the drive for adventure and exploration that her siblings did. Skitters also knew she''d been sneaking out at night recently and patiently waited for the day her daughter introduced her to whatever Scorpan had caught her eye. While her scorplings leaving tore at her heart... the thing that ripped it in two was that Fires was going too. Plays-With-Fires had become increasingly distant since the Fire Court''s procession. Spending less time with their scorplings. Less time with her. Lays-In-Puddles and Preens-In-The-Light were preparing for their second clutches, but Fires hadn''t even looked at her. And so, there she stood. Sunset beside her, Puddles and Preens consoling her, as her mate and scorplings joined the column of Scorpans. They soon passed beyond a turn in the canyon and disappeared from sight. Skitters felt... nothing. She felt empty. "It''ll be okay, Skitters. You''ll find another mate," Preens consoled. Skitters scoffed and turned her head. "If I did, it''d be a Scorpan half my age, at least," she replied. Preens stepped back, obviously shocked. "All the males my age are taken. No. I''m done with males." Skitters turned, walking back into the village. She already knew what she wanted. Minutes later, she was in her house. No longer her Home. It felt cold. Empty. Like her. She knelt before the altar to The Creator in the main room and bowed her head, her hands clasped together while her pincers were spread wide. ''Oh Holy Creator. This lowly servant of your will humbly prostrates herself before your will. My Mate has deserted me. I am without purpose. Forge me into an instrument of your will. I Beg of you.'' Skitters did not repeat her prayer ad infinitum. She knew The Creator would hear her. Moments later, she felt His presence bloom in her mind. Skitters, you have never been lowly. He claimed. Skitters didn''t reply. She remained quiet, with her head bowed. She heard Him sigh. Is this what you truly desire?... I see it is. Very well. I require a talented Scorpan to guard the one who will be my Voice on the island''s surface. She will be ascending to the surface in a few days. I know you are no warrior. I know you are no Shaman. But that can be changed. ''Oh Holy Creator. I am your instrument.'' I suppose that counts as your consent. He sounded... disgruntled. Then prepare yourself. For the next few hours, I will be altering your body. You will become stronger. More agile. More magically powerful. At the same time, you will receive the muscle memory and knowledge to use every weapon your species has learned to fight with. You will gain the magical understanding to take advantage of the Life mana affinity I will grant you. You are henceforth... my Paladin. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I left Skitters alone after doing as I had promised. She had been irrevocably changed... I''d modified her natural armor, her chitinous shell, to become more menacing. The humanoid half of her body resembled Daedric armor but in my colors. Her shell was now a purple so dark it was almost black, with shining teal highlights. A similar transformation had been applied to her abdomen, tail, and legs. The upper joint of each leg, already shield-like in its shape, became more so. Her stinger went from one that could belong to an average scorpion to a spiked nightmare, holding the most toxic and poisonous liquid I could coax her body to create. Conversely to her menacing appearance and deadly new skills, The mana within her body could not be more bursting with Life. I''d given her a few fragments of Life spells I''d gotten from the cleric I''d once imprisoned. I gave her every life-aligned spell the Unihares had created. I gave her the instinctive knowledge of how Life mana worked that the Jackalopes had developed. And so, I''d created my first Obsidian Scorpan, as I decided to name this subspecies. No doubt I''d create more in the future, but for now, this was enough. In other news, Kata was doing well with her training. I hadn''t lied to Skitters. In a few days, my new Voice would be on the surface. And from the whispers of the sailors... just in time for the invasion. A long-range scouting ship had returned. They''d been sent out to locate the enemy fleet and locate it they had. Hundreds of ships sailed in formation. They''d be here within the week, and we''d find out just how prepared the Bahrain were to invade my island. With very little to do beyond wait, in that regard. I turned once again to improving my dungeon. The Sixth floor had remained relatively unchanged since its initial creation. It was time to change that. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. First, I decided to alter the plains in one significant way: I changed them into floodplains. Mimicking the tides, the lava lakes would rise, covering the flat plains entirely for at least a dozen hours. Given how slowly the lava moved, an entire cycle took four days to complete. The only way to pass by the lava at full tide was through tunnels accessible only to the Children and Courts. Any guilders would have to wait out the tide. Call it an exercise in patience. With most of the Fire Court''s forces now on the Eleventh and the Capriccios being a friendly encounter, I decided to bring the Night Bats more into prominence. Their numbers were still relatively low after Hallmark and his party massacred most of them. First, a quick modification. I set a few of them aside and got to work. Slightly smaller to present less of a target. Blood-red fur and a decent-sized manacore to provide enough mana. It''s main attack? Long-range fireballs. These Hell Bats would hang out near the floor''s ceiling, lobbing fireballs at targets on the ground wherever they spotted them. The rest of the bats I left as they were, and providing a boost to their screeches. Something was going on there. It could have been a new mana type, but I wasn''t sure. I''d have to keep an eye on that. With those relatively quick changes done, I reshaped the plains to have small raised plateaus. They were too far apart to jump between but could potentially trap unwary guilders, leaving them exposed amongst a sea of lava. Happy, I moved on. Since I''d already changed the Seventh and Eighth and saw no need to make any more changes, I skipped to the Ninth. The desert was very effective at masking the canyon. Still, it would be better with another potential landmark to guide adventurers astray. I cursed for a few minutes, wishing I''d discovered the space expansion charms earlier. An endless desert would be amazing, though sourcing the sand would be extremely difficult and time-consuming. So, I turned to the next best thing. Illusions. There was already the illusion that the desert continued forever around the cavern''s walls but with some modification... There was now a mountain range in the distance. A series of ascending peaks meet in the middle, at a central mountain. This mountain had two prominent peaks, and from between the two, a bright light shined like a beacon. Of course, this was all an illusion. As the Guilders approached the edge of the cavern, The illusion would gradually warp, turning them to circle the cavern''s walls. The illusion would string them on until the next sandstorm, the mountain creeping ever closer. After the sandstorm cleared, the Guilders would be crushed to find all their progress gone, the mountain just as far away as it was when they started. And I had my endless desert. I turned my attention to the Canyon, observing the winding line of green and blue that split the desert. The Golden Sunlions and Stymphalian Vultures were thriving. The smaller prey animals were abundant. The vegetation was thick and vibrant. My next problem was made quite clear after Hallmark''s final stunt. I laid down another enchantment. A barrier of wind magic that would blow endlessly, throwing any potential jumpers or flight-capable mages back to the top of the canyon, where they started. The only place it didn''t cover was the zig-zag path down the canyon at it''s entrance. In fact, Kataren, Huea, Aston, and Skitters were approaching that very path. Had three days passed so quickly? I smiled as Kataren demonstrated her skill with her new wings, leaping from the bottom to the top of the stairs, propelled by a single flap. She stumbled slightly, landing more heavily than intended, but she didn''t fall on her face. Progress! Kataren waited at the top, her gleaming wings as much a beacon as the illusionary mountain on the horizon. In contrast, Skitter''s obsidian chitin seemed to absorb light entirely, almost matte in the midday sun. I followed their progress upward. Huea was left behind at the Drake-Kin Village, and they picked up the Drake-Kin I''d hand-picked for Kata''s Honor Guard. They bypassed the receding Lava Tide, picking up the lone Capriccio waiting beneath their village. I guided them through the Castle''s shortcuts and all the floor bypass tunnels. It was sunrise of the next day when they emerged, standing tall, staring out at the crowded Obsidian Beach. -0-0-0-0-0- Obsidian Beach, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Haytham and every other Guilder on the island stared in shock as five creatures emerged from the dungeon''s entrance. There was a moment of silence as the Gold and Platinum guilders on the beach processed what they were seeing. They were preparing to enter the dungeon for the day when the entrance dilated, expanding rapidly to admit the largest of the group. Two of the monsters were easily identified, to Haytham at least. A lean Capriccio wielding a spear made of a black metal that seemed to absorb the light around it. Haytham wasn''t sure, but he somewhat recognized one of the goat people his raid group had met on their first encounter. It was the shape of the horns, he thought. The males were the ones with large horns, right? The second was a male Drake-kin. He bore a sword that held a rainbow shimmer, contrasting his dark brown scales. He was armored the other drake-kin had been, with bright orange Pheonix feathers and striped orange fur as accents. The third was the most familiar and the most utterly terrifying thing he''d ever seen. Outmassing the first two combined, the monster looked like someone had painted the most menacing and hooked knight''s armor ever made pitch black. It held two longswords, casually resting on the monster''s shoulders. And that was just the top half! The armor''s legs had been replaced with the entire body of a gods-damned Scorpion. And not just any scorpion. This one''s shell reminded Haytham strongly of the crabs. It was the armored legs expertly covering what would be a weak spot on any ordinary scorpion. Its pincers were hooked nightmares, and the looming stinger dripped a vibrant green liquid. Haytham was in no hurry to investigate that. The fourth was just as large as the third but in a different way. Where the scorpion was long and wide, the cow-man was tall. It had to be at least eight feet tall and was obviously a cow. A Bull, actually. Intimidating horns, broad chest, and shoulders hefting an enormous hammer. It huffed, its intelligent eyes scanning the crowd. The fifth was the most disturbing and awe-inspiring of the group. It looked like the dungeon had tried to turn a drake-kin into a human. What parts of it were exposed showed pale white skin interspersed with patches of scales of every color of the rainbow. Its eyes were the same, shifting through the color spectrum. Its ears were pointed and almost entirely scaled. It- her chest was large, but not obscenely so. Now that Haytham was looking, it was definitely female. The shape of the jaw and the curve of the hips gave it away. But by far, her most eye-catching feature was the glimmering, transparent wings. Like her eyes, they slowly cycled through the colors of the rainbow. When it seemed like the pause had gone on forever, the winged human-lizard coughed and then spoke. "Surface Dwellers. I am here to represent The Creator as His Voice. We will be participating in the defense of our island and in it''s governing after we''ve succeeded. We will defend ourselves if attacked but will not initiate a fight. Guildmistress Losat will gladly take any questions you have, as this was her idea." At once, the head of every Guilder on the beach turned toward the Guild Hall, where said Guildmistress was powerwalking closer and very obviously slowed as she noticed their attention. The five monsters moved, and the Guilders parted, leaving ample room for them to pass by. The winged monster briefly spoke with the Guildmistress, and then they were led back to the Guild Hall. The mood of the crowd was... incredibly varied and confused. All at once, the crowd erupted into conversation. Theories and opinions flowed like water as everyone tried to figure out just what the five hells was going on. When it all finally calmed down, there were two main camps. One, The Guildmistress had sold them out to the monsters, and this was all a way to lull them into a false sense of security. They''d be taking over after fighting off the invasion, and the humans would all be enslaved by the dungeon. This was the most pessimistic opinion, shared by almost a third of the guilders. Two, The Guildmistress had enlisted the dungeon''s help, and the woman was speaking truthfully. A voice, to be the dungeon''s input on the island''s running. It was here long before the humans had ever stepped foot on these sand beaches. This was the majority opinion. Most everyone had acknowledged that at least the Kobolds were honorable, thinking beings. They hardly needed to kill anything on the third anymore besides avoiding the giant fucking bugs. There were some other people with truly insane theories they insisted had to be true, but that wasn''t important. What was important was that everything would change, as evidenced by the alarm that went up a few hours into the discussion. A scout ship had returned. The Bahrain fleet was a day away. The invasion had arrived. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 92 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- With confirmation of the invasion fleet being a day away, I focused my seagull scouts to the east. I''d know they were here first, and it was my defenses the fleet would have to push through. I made sure my Leviathan and Sea Serpent were hanging around, though I kept the Kraken in reserve, near the island''s shores. Soon enough, my Leviathan''s time to shine approached. Stretching across the horizon, a fleet of more than a thousand ships emerged. Dozens of different classes and designs milled around; smaller ships acting as the vanguard for the lumbering giants behind them. I saw them far before they passed through my borders, as did the Phenoc fleet''s scouts. It was these scout ships, loitering at the extreme edge of visual contactm who were witness to my first attack. Drown them, Calypso. I ordered. She responded with vigor. A bulge in the water grew in the middle of the vanguard''s formation as my leviathan rose at great speed, then breeched the surface dramatically. Three ships directly over her breech point were overturned immediately, their sailors thrown into the ocean. She towered over the ships around her, and their crews looked up in awe and fear. Their fear proved to be the more dominating emotion as her gravity-defying pause turned into a fall. Listing to the side, she went from vertical to horizontal, crushing three ships beneath her bulk entirely, and heavily damaging another seven. The wave her body-slam caused drove another twenty ships to crash into each other. She sunk beneath the waves, leaving only chaos and floating debris to litter the now-rough waters While the invading fleet panicked, their momentum completely broken, the waters beneath the ships roiled. Hundreds of sharks and other large fish were conducting what I could only call a massacre. The crews of the scout ships seemed to be normal humans, lacking manacores entirely. It did make me feel a little bad. These people stood no chance at all. It made sense, from a tactical standpoint, that there were no guilders among them. It took a long time and plenty of resources to train a guilder. The vanguard would be the first to encounter the enemy in any engagement, and would take the heaviest losses. They couldn''t afford to lose their Guilders, but normal humans were far more replaceable. The soldiers with some power were probably on the larger ships, or with the majority of the invasion forces on the transports, protected on all four sides by the warships. To test that, I had Calypso surface in the midst of the left flank. These ships were larger, often with two decks; Brigs and the like. Some had rams, others mounted ballista or particularly large forward-facing cannons. This time, when my Leviathan surfaced, she did so with jaws open wide. That Calypso could barely hold the brig in her jaws was informative. One, I had underestimated the size of most warships. I''d intended her to swallow ships-of-the-line whole. She was nowhere near big enough for that, and I made a mental note of that fact for the Leviathan pod on the Eleventh. Two, she had more than enough strength in her jaws to fulfill her role, even if on smaller targets than I''d intended. The brig shattered into kindling, and with a flex to the side Calypso threw the mid-portion of the ship directly onto a ballista that was turning in her direction. It, and the ship it was on, didn''t survive the impact. A second later, spells, arrows, bolts and more were fired, aimed for the Leviathan as she fell. Mages Identified, I called on my other monsters waiting in the wings. One ship, host to four mages that burned with power to a mana-sight capable seagull circling overhead, was introduced to Jormungandr. My Sea Serpent launched himself from the ocean, jaws wide. Looking the other way as they were, the mages never saw the jaws that closed around them until it was too late. Jormungandr wrapped around the ship twice more, then constricted. The ship''s keel broke, and the serpent disappeared beneath the waves, dragging the ship with it. I left the titanic monsters to it, and turned to my next task; scanning the helms of the largest ships for potential admirals. It didn''t take long. There were a few such figures scattered around the fleet, but the most ostentatiously dressed one was on the largest ship in the fleet. Gull, why don''t you go roll out the welcome mat for our unwelcome guests? Once merely milling about above the fleet, the legion of monstrous seagulls descended. Ever since I''d gained control of the birds, I''d been quietly hollowing out the cliffside above my entrance. It provided a safe space for the larger members of the flock, and let me hide exactly how many of them had. Which was a lot. Sure gave the guilders a fright when more than a hundred seagulls as big as them flooded out from a space they thought was far smaller than it is. From a distance, especially when something is in the sky, it''s hard to judge how big that something is. When the first seagull completed his dive bomb, that being Gull himself, It was made painfully clear that the invading army had made a critical error in disregarding the birds that''d been circling overhead. Gull landed with a heavy thud, pushing the potential grand-admiral to the ground. The seagull miniboss weighed in at over 300 pounds, the largest specimen of his species. Needless to say, the bird crushed the man''s spine, and finished him off by wrenching his head from his neck with his viciously toothed beak. The sailors around him fell back, crying in fear and terror, and Gull let his glowing red eyes rest on one in particular. As Gull launched himself into the air once again, the deceased man''s body in his talon''d claws, captains and admirals of other ships came under similar assault. Now forewarned, Only a half-dozen perished. The rest escaped to below-decks as mages and archers retaliated. Dozens of my Giant Seagulls died in the assault, but that was fine. I''d killed the highest-ranking man there, so potentially the fleet would splinter with multiple lower-ranked admirals vying for control over the invasion force. -0-0-0-0-0- Bahrain Flagship Fist of The Emperor, Bahrain Invasion Fleet, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Grand Admiral Almaanz Shakih stared at the bloodstain left behind as the enormous seagull escaped into the air. The Fist of the Emperor''s captain had just been assassinated in the most vicious way he''d ever seen. The way the monster''s gaze had pinned him in place... This was a warning. I could have taken you out, but that would be unsporting. "Commander Jugai," Almaanz called, prompting a man on the other side of the helmsman to circle around the bloodstain, soon standing before him. "Orders, Grand Admiral?" The sailor asked, his voice wavering slightly. "Congratulations on your promotion, captain. We cannot make landfall with these monsters harassing us." Almaanz asserted, watching dozens more of the giant seagulls assaulting other ships. "Have the fleet move into Spread Circle Formation." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Captain Jugai saluted, then rushed to find the signalers and mages to spread Almaanz''s orders. The Admiral turned to the right flank, watching the giant serpent and whale as they assaulted his fleet. His orders made their way through the fleet, and ships moved into the new formation just as they''d drilled, despite the loss of captains and officers across the fleet. With larger gaps between the ships, the whale''s attacks became a lot less devastating. It became more visibly injured with every breach, until it stopped attacking. It wasn''t dead, as far as Almaanz could tell, but it''d obviously fled the battle before they were able to kill it. The Serpent was easier to pin down. It''s method of ship destruction more targeted, and thus easier to pin down. When it got cocky, and tried for a larger ship, one transporting a Diamond squad. It soon found itself stuck as magic ropes bound it to the boat, then the half-dozen swordsmen jumped on it''s face. It died with a roar, one which cut off suddenly as it went limp. A great cheer up, countered by the ear-piercing cries of the seagulls still circling overhead. The fleet reformed, then continued with the invasion plans. Almaanz soon had the casualty list. A hundred ships of smaller weights, several high-ranking officers, including Admiral Pohja Litaj. Almaanz briefly mourned the loss of a capable admiral, but the man''s second was clever enough. A few other, lesser admirals were killed. Almaanz was less sure of their skill. As the island came into view, the Grand Admiral turned his attention to the Phenoc''s defenses. A piddling number of ships, gathered quickly and a mere inconvenience in comparison to the earlier attack. The monsters couldn''t have hoped to sink the entire fleet, but blooding their nose and demoralizing the common sailor seemed a more reasonable goal. The seagull monster''s red eyes flashed in his memories, and he frowned. Why play with them like this? If whatever force was driving these monsters, likely the island''s dungeon, had truly wanted to kill him, it had the chance and wasted it. What was it''s angle? He shook his head as the Phenoc fleet sailed to meet them. The battle was short, and the pitifil fleet was crushed entirely. When the transports moved to approached the black, sandy beaches flanking the port, it showed itself. A Third Sea Monster. Dozens of tentacles emerged from the surf, plucking sailors from the decks of three ships and throwing them into it''s many-toothed beak. Almaanz watched as dozens of mages and swordsmen of Ruby and Emerald power focused their attention on the monster. It quickly found itself missing tentacles, either by having them frozen, cut off, or any of a dozen other attacks. It died without a sound, slumping and sinking below the waves. "Well, that was unexpected," Almaanz commented, turning to the mage beside him. "Your thoughts?" "This many monsters, at these sizes and coordinating like they are?" The aged man asked, eyebrow raised. Almaanz nodded, confirming that''d been what he was asking about. "I find your theory sound. Only dungeons could coordinate monsters like this. How it''s controlling them outside of it''s halls, I couldn''t tell you." Almaanz hummed as the first transports reached the beach and disgorged their complement of soldiers. And the invasion of Medea Island entered it''s next stage. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- My disappointment was immeasurable, and my day was ruined. My leviathans, despite how confident I was and how much mana I invested in them, performed rather poorly in sustained combat. Calypso was extremely close to death when I called her off, loosing blood and barely moving. I had her resting, surrounded by her pod, moving away from the invasion fleet. My Sea Serpent, Jormungandr, died dramatically in combat, having taken out a fair number of guilders. It seemed to me his species are better suited to fighting single targets. Ambushing and overwhelming them quickly, rather than a large group like this. His one-at-a-time way of attacking ships only informed the others of his weaknesses, and gave them time to prepare. Davey Jones'' death was inevitable. The Kraken was smaller than his fellows, and boasted far more vulnerable skin. No excess of blubber or hard scales to absorb or deflect blows. Something to note for my next one. It worked far better as an anti-personnel monster, plucking sailors from ships and eating them, rather than sinking the ships outright. Unless I made one that was truly immense, It would have difficultly fighting more than one ship at a time. I decided to reserve these monsters for ships I wanted to capture, rather than sink. My Seagulls were easily deterred when their cover was blown, powerful mages assigned to guard the helms of larger ships and fend off any of the giant flying rats. But it did tie them up, leaving them unable to participate in the landing. Silver linings, I supposed. Obsidian beach was a warzone. The Phenoc''s hastily-trained militia performed well individually, but against the coordinated and well-trained Bahrain soldiers, they could barely hold their own. This was when I got my first good look at how Guilders are utilized on a battlefield. Both sides seemed to use the ''Champion'' methodology. Squads of Guilders fought each other, the regular soldiers giving them plenty of room even as they sought to slaughter the opposition. I spotted Haytham''s party cutting a swathe through common soldiers for a time, though they were soon intercepted by a group of Bahrain guilders. The two groups fought well, each displaying skill and ability far beyond the soldiers around them. Haytham''s three-strong party was outnumbered by the seven-strong Bahrain, but the difference in quality was measurable. The Seven were whittled down, one by one. Haytham''s party only lost one in return. Flasa, the rogue, was neither tough or armored enough, and her speed couldn''t match the three Bahrain that overwhelmed her. Bertram avenged her, his eye-beam spell cutting down the three offenders, and the couple of dozen regular soldiers behind them. This was a common story across the beaches. Phenoc guilders were of a higher quality, it seemed. Or perhaps it was just those who trained in my dungeon. They were skilled, alert, and capable; out-skilling even supposedly stronger Bahrain guilders. Their flaw and greatest strength was their party. The Phenoc held back, splitting their focus on both attacking and defending their party members. When a party member fell, it was one less thing to focus on, and their rage sharpened their attacks. It also let me see what guilder-vs-guilder combat did on the ''experience'' side of things. The difference between the amount of mana a guilder claimed from their fellow humans drastically outmatched the amount they took from monsters. Perhaps it had to do with compatibility? Since the mana was coming from a human, it was ''easier'' to convert; merely stripping it of memories and connections, about 40% rather than 90% of mana lost. As such, the more successful the party, the tougher to kill they became. This knowledge had to be restricted or hidden in some way, I could almost guarantee it. If it was well known, Guilders would have a lot more reason to slaughter each other than they already did. The backstabbers and scoundrels would rise to the top, slaughtering the trusting and good who would never perform such acts. With the platinum-level Bahrain soon to reach the shores, my monsters took to the field. -0-0-0-0-0- Obsidian Beach, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Skitters-Across-The-Sand swept her longswords, decapitating two Bahrain even as her claws crushed another. Her tail lashed out, spraying it''s toxic payload over a mass of terrified soldiers. When they began screaming and dissolving, those nearby turned and ran. She swung again, and caught sight of the other Children in the fray. Aston was sending soldiers flying through the air three at a time, the heavy swings of his hammer launching them a fair distance. Swipe Silvereyes was dueling a Bahrain guilder. The sword he''d named Shimmerscale swung, and the guilder''s sword snapped in twain. The drake-kin''s slash continued, and beheaded the human with ease. The capriccio, Baastet, danced over the army. Launching himself, kicked a head or two, then jumped to the next. He used his spear to impale one, then used the pole to push himself higher and further, to more distant groups. He was an agent of chaos, causing discord and confusion, giving the Phenoc soldiers a decisive advantage. Kata flew overhead, her wings shimmering in the midday sun. She was locked in magical combat with a group of mages near the shore; simultaneously holding up a shield and launching a variety of spells back at them. A clash of thunder signaled a lightning bolt. The singing of a swarm of icicles. The crackling of a lobbed fireball that exploded on impact with the mage''s shields. That they needed five mages just to match her proved The Creator''s Children were far more capable than any guilder. Of course, that was when things started going wrong. A Bahrain mage, heat haze surrounding him, launched himself into the sky with a pillar of flame. Kata had to break off, and the two dueled in the sky. Aston found his match in an larger-than-normal human, one who caught his hammer and grinned at the minotaur like a madman. Baastet was grounded, then desperately trying to keep a guilder at bay with his spear. Swipe found himself locked in a duel with a human in full-plate armor, wielding a sword the gleamed with mana. And Skitters? She found herself fighting a woman who would not stay still! The woman was seemingly lightly armored, but danced around her claws, dodged her every sword swipe and rolled out of the way of every spray of acid. It was infuriating. Something needed to change, soon. Or they''d lose. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 93 -0-0-0-0-0- The Skies Above Medea Island, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Despite the genuine danger, Kata couldn''t help but laugh as she dodged and weaved past and around bolts of spellfire. The sense of freedom that flight brought; what Wave had shown her... It filled her entire being. Her wings didn''t need to flap, as they were more akin to a manifestation of a permanent enchantment, one etched into her very bones. She still needed to twist and move them to turn, though. Thankfully, it took little more than a thought to make them move, giving her unparalleled maneuverability. The Bahrain soldier on her tail didn''t have it as easy. The fire magic blasting from his feet propelled him, stabilized and guided by smaller jets from his hands. She could see that, though he was obviously practiced at this, he had to focus more on flying than she did. And she used that to her advantage. The mage had trouble turning quickly, relying on wide, arcing turns. The mage spat fireballs from his mouth since his hands were occupied. But that method meant he had an enormous weak spot: directly behind him. Kata''s far more agile flight meant she could turn on a dime, which let her easily dodge and weave. Wait. What''s a dime? She shook her head. Not important. The Bahrain mage was close behind her, going full speed. Time to implement her plan. Kata rose quickly, bleeding her speed as fast as she could, and the mage blew past her. She caught a glimpse of surprise on his face as he tracked her. She raised her hands and sped up again, now the one chasing him. Lightning spat from her fingertips, most of which the mage could dodge or bounce off a shimmering shield. Using magic like this was hard! She was far more used to aiming with a bow. She wasn''t used to it. The mage''s fire jets abruptly cut out, and he fell through the sky, disappearing into a puffy cloud. Kata scanned the clouds but didn''t follow him in. She had an advantage in the open air, but inside a cloud was an entirely different kettle of fish. Kata cried out, a white-hot spike of pain digging into her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder as her flight faltered, catching sight of the Bahrain mage wielding a vicious dagger. His expression was even more so. If this was two weeks ago, she''d be dead. But she was so much more. She caught her fall, ethereal wings spread and hand raised to her shoulder. She hovered, facing the man who was looking confused. She removed her hand, glowing green as it was, and dismissed the healing spell. She brought the other hand around, spell already charging. The lightning bolt flashed, grazing the mage, who''d juked to the side. He launched skyward, the flames flaring from his feet briefly turning blue. Kata followed. They ascended, trading spells as the clouds fell away around them. Soon, they were in the open sky, a sea of clouds stretching from horizon to horizon. Above them, the sun burned like an eye. The man looked simultaneously empowered and weakened. His breathing was labored, but his fire was blue. Kata knew it was more dangerous than orange fire, but she wasn''t sure why. Kata felt her reserves of Air, Fire, and Light mana soaring, which made sense to her. Striking before the mage had the chance, Light burst from Kata''s eyes in coherent beams, a dozen times as powerful as that Phenoc guilder. Bertram, she thought his name was. The rays instantly crossed the distance to the mage, and the mage''s cloak fell away as she blinked away. Had she finally overloaded the item''s capacity? The mage stopped ascending, and Kata soon reached him. They floated there for a moment, just staring at each other. The mage''s gaze was calculating, no doubt trying to think of a way to defeat her, just as she was doing to him. All was still. "What are you?" The Bahrain man finally spoke, breaking the silence. Kata blinked. She... understood that? She was sure she didn''t learn the Bahrain language. "The Voice of The Creator, Medea, The Dungeon of Medea Island," she replied in the same language. There was another moment of silence. "And you?" "Izza Adar, High Archon of Fire, Advisor to the Emperor," the mage, Izza, answered. "The dungeon fights for the Phenoc?" "The Creator fights for the Island. The land is part of Him, and He has deigned to defend the ants on his skin." Kata replied, internally surprised at how... evangelical she was being. Perhaps the Children had rubbed off on her more than she''d thought. Though, playing a character, tricking people she used to know... It was fun. "The Emperor claims this land for the Empire, and I will carry out his will." Kata recognized the zeal in the man''s voice. She''d heard the tone many times before among the Children. "If our occupation must fight the land itself, so be it." Kata reached out to The Creator, asking for aid. She felt His will brush her mind and was sent the state of the battle below, what he wished to convey to the enemy, and a feeling that... he approved of her capability? As He pulled away, Kata felt... pleased? She shook her head. "The battle below goes poorly for your forces. We have retaken the beach and forced your army to retreat." The man''s eyes went wide, and she let him look down at the sheet of clouds below, broken by pockets of blue. The Island wasn''t visible, but that didn''t matter. "The Creator offers a ceasefire for twenty hours; until this time tomorrow. Relay this to your superior; your war general, admiral, whatever rank your leader is. "Trust me. You won''t survive The Creator''s Full Attention." -0-0-0-0-0- The Central Tower, The Fortified Mansion, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- When the group of monsters had emerged from the dungeon before every guilder on the Island, she''d rushed down to the beach expecting there to be a slaughter. When she''d agreed to allow the dungeon to have Voice and its bodyguards on the surface, Layla had thought Medea would take longer to select its representative. Her best-case scenario was a post-invasion reveal. The guilders would have seen the dungeon defending them and be more inclined to trust. This, The monsters turning up out of the blue with no warning? Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! That was her worst case. The fact that the guilders didn''t immediately attack and the Voice managed to talk them down long enough to point the blame at her was... a relief and incredibly vexing. There was now minimal chance that they''d be attacked since it was widely known they had permission to be here. But in the same sentence, the monster revealed that Layla had met and bargained with the dungeon. The monster had been unapologetic on their walk to the Guild Hall. Layla was unsurprised when the Voice moved through the Hall as if she knew the layout and was familiar with it. She''d known the dungeon had been spying on them for a while. The manaless rat was only a confirmation that it was actively countering her ability. A few hours later, the Invasion fleet had been detected, and things started moving quickly. From her position on the tallest tower in Lord Medean''s fortified mansion, she had an unobstructed view of the invasion and the dungeon''s... defenses. On the horizon, she could see an enormous monster assaulting the fleet, swiftly joined by something very long and snake-like. Then, the Seagulls proved they were under the dungeon''s control. Something long suspected and now confirmed. The octopus-like monster that defended the harbor was almost more terrifying to think about. It''d been there for who knows how long. At any point, it could have attacked, cut off their fresh water supply, and blockaded the port. They lived only due to Medea''s mercy. They lived on the Island only because it didn''t want to kick them off. The fact the octopus monster- a Kraken, the Voice provided, accomplished little compared to the other two was little consolation. With the initial defenses swept aside, the small fleet that''d gathered fell quickly; the sheer difference in numbers was overwhelming. It was one thing to read a number of ships on a report and another entirely to see those numbers in reality, right in front of you. The assault on Obsidian Beach went well for the defenders initially. The militia, interspersed with Guilders, mowed through the invaders like a scythe through wheat. Even when Bahrain''s guilders arrived, the quality of the Phenoc Guilders was evident to all. Layla realized the invader''s quantity was slowly overcoming the defender''s quality as the battle continued. The addition of the Voice and her bodyguards to the field turned the tide once again, but the Bahrain were quick to respond with their own powerful soldiers. As the only one who could keep track of the fight in the clouds, Layla was the sole witness to the speed and ferocity of the battle. Soon enough, they disappeared beyond even her manasight, too high in the sky to see through the currents of mana. The fight on the beach, however... Well. Though they''d taken horrific losses, the defenders had won. Most of the militia had been slaughtered, too weak to ever hold against the powerful Bahrain soldiers and mages. Even proximity to the battles between the monsters and Bahrain guilders proved fatal. Said fights were far more even than Layla had expected, the monsters proving stronger and more skilled than she''d thought possible. Most were terribly injured, and one died, but they gave as good as they got. The Bahrain retreated as their most potent soldiers fell, one after another. Most were retrieved before the monsters could finish the job, but the two that died were enough to shatter the invader''s morale. The fight in the sky ended, with both combatants emerging from the clouds under their own power. The fire mage flew off to the navy, and the Voice made a beeline right for Layla herself. The invading navy retreated, anchoring offshore, as the Voice approached. The monster flapped those incredibly wasteful wings, throwing mana everywhere as she stopped and dropped to the wooden floor of the battlements. Ignoring the Lord and his retinue, she addressed Layla first. "The Creator has offered a ceasefire until tomorrow," she informed the humans, ruffling several feathers among the council. "Ceasefire?! Whatever for!?" Lord Medean demanded, getting the Voice''s attention. The man''s shoulders hunched as the monster looked at him, obviously intimidated. "The battle was a pyrrhic victory for our forces. We forced them back, but they retain the majority of their strength. We faced only a small portion of their total forces since they didn''t expect to encounter such heavy resistance. The Island isn''t their ultimate goal, but it is vital to their invasion. A day will give The Creator enough time to fully muster The Children and Courts." The monster looked around at the surprise and shock Layla was sure everyone else was feeling, too. "What?" The monster continued. "Did you think My bodyguards and I were the limits of the dungeon''s contribution? We are only the vanguard." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- It was trivial to heal Skitters and Baastet once they were brought into the dungeon, leaving only an hour later to join the cleanup on the beach. Skitters-Across-The-Sand proved helpful there, using her claws and broad back to clear the bodies quickly and efficiently. Swipes emerged from the dungeon within a few hours to claim Shimmerscale and his gear. The guilders knew that some of my monsters came back when they died, but this undeniable example seemed to shake a few of them. More than they already were that is. If I had to judge, the general attitude of the Island''s residents was... tired. Many had seen their friends, brothers, and fathers die. To see one of my Children die, then just... come back? I wasn''t sure what they were thinking. The range of expressions and attitudes was too broad to narrow anything down. As the shadows lengthened and the sun set, the first of my reinforcements reached the surface. I gave plenty of warning this time, and no one freaked out when a column of monsters streamed from the dungeon''s entrance. First, a couple hundred crabs briefly emerged, quickly scuttling below the waves. I could have let them out of one of my underwater tunnel entrances, but I wanted my allies to be aware of my monsters so they could plan around them. I just let the fish into the ocean through the small tunnels, though. I couldn''t exactly walk them through the front door, after all. I hadn''t done it for the initial invasion, but if they tried again... I was pulling out all the stops. The Kobolds emerged after sunset; The Warriors, Hunters, and Shaman connected to Respawn crystals only. Didn''t want anyone to die permanently if I could avoid it. The Rats caused a bit more fuss, but their seeming docility reassured many. The rat''s sheer numbers alarmed them quite a bit more. These monsters I hid in the forest since I planned to have them stream out to catch the invaders by surprise. The Court''s emergence sent more shockwaves through the crowd than I was expecting. The Potentium golem''s power boost made mere Spirits seem like beings, two entire evolutions above them: Elementals. The fact that Three ''Elementals'' emerged, along with several of their more unique court members, provoked widespread disbelief. The Stone, Darkness and Metal-Fire Elementals were given a wide berth. I wondered why they were so surprised but realized Layla must have been more sparing with information on floors yet to be widely accessed. Few made it past Mushu, and fewer still pushed through the rats. Only Platinums had made it to the Fifth so far. Golds stuck on the Ratten Warren were far more numerous. The Drake-kin brought a wave of ''there''s more of him!?'' It was funny, to be honest. Mushu was like a wall to many guilders. The fact that there was an entire race of creatures like him, and he wasn''t a unique existence... I saw despair in the eyes of some. By the time the sun rose, the Lord, Layla, and myself, through Kata, had hammered out a plan. We knew they''d not stop trying since their taking of this Island had to be vital to their strategy. Its discovery and colonization were two of the primary reasons their invasion was even possible! So, we would be the rock the Bahrain would dash themselves upon. Again and again, no matter how hard they hit us, they''d lose. We didn''t have to win. We just had to not lose enough for the Phenoc Fleets to show up. Then, as we were finishing up, a runner burst into the war room with urgent news. It''d come in on a messenger hawk I''d noticed earlier but left alone when it wasn''t flying toward the invaders. I''d even stopped the Bahrain from shooting it down. The news... threw our entire strategy out the window. The King of the Phenoc Kingdom was dead, along with his entire family, and the kingdom was shattering into its constituents. Well, Shit. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 94 -0-0-0-0-0- The War Room, The Fortified Mansion, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Kata was one of the five people in the war room to whom the messenger delivered that fateful message. Lord Medean took the scroll from the messenger, swore him to secrecy, and then dismissed him. His eyes scanned the scroll quickly before passing it off to Layla, who passed it to Felin without turning her head. The guilder read the message aloud as Medean sat heavily on his throne-like chair, hands running down his face. "My Son, I hope this letter finds you in good health," Felin recited, his voice affecting a noble tone, "It is with great sorrow and a somber heart that I must impart dire tidings that have befallen our realm. The King and his entire living bloodline were murdered a few days ago, as of sending this letter. The kingdom has been dissolved with no clear heir to unite the disparate duchies. As you have already surmised, the fleet that had been gathering to repel the invasion force, which I have no doubt you have been valiantly defending, will not be coming to your aid. Captains and Admirals have been recalled by their dukes, and the fleet splintered." Kata could barely breathe. Medean and his Guard Captain seemed to age a decade as the worst-case scenario was confirmed. Layla remained poised and quiet, sitting in her high-backed chair. "My own warships, while sufficient to protect our trade fleets, are no match for the force arrayed against you," His voice long lost the slightly mocking tone, Felin continued with grave seriousness, "While your wife''s family remain our allies, they too will be reluctant to commit their strength. I have already heard stirrings of war as dukes prepare to repay slights and reignite old feuds. All I can offer are my prayers for your survival in these dark times. May the Gods watch over us all." "There was a lot of flowery language, but that''s the gist of it," Felin grumbled, rolling the scroll up and handing it back to Medean. The noble accepted it with a distracted nod. "Well, that''s it, then. We''ve no hope to fight them off on our own." Medean stated, the defeat in his voice plain to hear. Kata stiffened as she felt The Creator''s presence brush her mind, feeding her lines. "Not necessarily," Kata began, drawing the attention of the other four. "I would call this an opportunity. We could declare independence, parlay with the Bahrain, and agree to act as a supply hub in exchange for a cessation of hostilities. From the looks on your faces, that is not an option." The glares lessened but remained. "In that case, we just win the war on our own," Kata''s words turned the glares to incredulous surprise. "With no kingdom willing to commit forces to protect you, The Creator is the only one capable and willing to come to your aid. The Creator has already agreed to defend the island. But, in exchange for revealing monsters from deeper floors and committing more of his forces, He demands you acknowledge His claim on this land," She could tell the lord wanted to speak, his face reddening. Still, she continued before he could get a word in. "He was here long before you discovered this island and will be here long after you die," Kata asserted. "By right, the Island is His. The name Guildmistress Losat calls Him is quite appropriate. Medea. The island itself. As I told the mage I fought yesterday, you are ants living on His skin. You are welcome to continue living here, farm the land, build your towns, and even delve into the Dungeon." "But he would be in charge?" Layla finished for her, and Kata nodded. "Preposterous!" The lord practically exploded, apoplectic with rage."A Dungeon ruling?! Never in all my life have I heard such-" "Watch your words, Lord Medean," Kata interrupted. "Your authority ended when the kingdom supporting your claim to this island shattered into over a dozen pieces. No matter what you decide, The Creator intends to claim the island''s surface. This deal, submitting to The Creator, is the only way you will be allowed to remain. If not, you will be cast from this land when the invasion is repelled." "I-" The lord began, standing and slamming his hands on the table. Before he could say another word, Guildmistress Losat spoke over him. "The Medea Island Guild accepts your deal." There was silence. "Losat, have you lost your mind?!" Medean demanded. "I will take the deal because it is our only chance of survival." Layla continued. "I have dealt with the Dungeon directly for months now. It- he is merciful and governs his... Children with what I can only describe as the lightest touch possible. From what I''ve heard from my Guilders, the Drake-Kin govern themselves with their Shaman Council, and the Capriccio have a single leader. I have no doubt the other kinds of Children, if capable of it, have their own form of governance." Layla directed this last statement at Kata, who was prompted to nod. "They do," Kata confirmed. "The only ones who don''t are those without the intelligence to organize themselves." "We would be largely left alone to govern ourselves as well?" Layla questioned. "You would, mostly. The Creator would reserve the right to appoint the head of state. Otherwise, His interference would be limited to foreign policy and regarding the regulation of the Dungeon." "You keep speaking of the Dungeon and Medea as separate entities. Are they not the same?" "Where that was once true, it is not so anymore. His influence extends beyond the Dungeon, after all." "So you admit that he can influence the sea, then?" "Of course, for about five miles in every direction. He didn''t think He was being particularly subtle about that." "We''ve suspected as much since the fishermen''s catches started doubling in size. What cinched it was finding monster cores in the larger specimens. But it''s always good to have confirmation." "How can you be so casual about this!?" Medean demanded, interrupting the back-and-forth between Kata and the Guildmistress. "These... Monsters want to take over the island!" "As The Voice has said, Mister Medean," Layla answered, sparking renewed rage. "The Dungeon is the island. It has become my home, and I quite like living here. I''d rather not be forced to leave, and how would we even fight it? I assume the only reason it hasn''t claimed the surface in the same way as the ocean was to leave us a sense of security?" Kata nodded at the question. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Indeed. He felt it would cause... ''problems'' that others would feel the need to solve." "It probably would have, yes." "I refuse to allow a dungeon to take my place! I am the lord of this land!" Medean asserted. Kata smirked as she delivered her next line. She felt The Creator''s humor in the words. "The land thanks you for your service but respectfully declines. You are no longer needed. Confine Mister Medean to his rooms; he can stay there until we can send him back to his father." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Ah, that was satisfying. It was sad the ex-baron wasn''t willing to play ball, but we''d just have to deport him later. The news was bad, but as I had Kata relay, this was an opportunity I was unwilling to let pass me by. I''d never intended to take control of the surface so blatantly. Or at all, to be honest. But with the Phenoc kingdom shattering, breaking away from them and setting up my island as its own nation would never be easier. Thus, I intended to establish the Theocratic Kingdom of Medea.... or something like that. I wasn''t a hundred percent sure on the name yet, but I was sure a better one would come to me. Its leaders would appointed by the ''god'' they worshiped: Me. As I''d told Layla, I''d mostly leave them to self-govern, but I wouldn''t budge on choosing the leader. But I could deal with that later. There were more pressing matters to attend to. Offshore, the collective naval might of the Bahrain waited. With five hours until the ceasefire ended, a rowboat approached the beach, bearing a white flag. Wary of a trap, I directed Kata and her bodyguards to the beach. I was the one who''d opened a dialog with them. With the change in circumstances, I was the highest authority on the island. The guilders and militia stayed off the sand, lined up on the grassy dune at the beach''s edge. The Bahrain group beached the rowboat and, after a few seconds to organize themselves, walked up to the five monsters. The party consisted of one ostentatiously dressed man, assumedly an admiral. With him were six gold-level guilders and the High Archon whom Kata dueled, Izza Adar. The admiral coughed, looking uncomfortable as he had to stare up at Kata. He was around 5''10, but Kata was a solid 7 foot. "You would be "The Voice of The Creator?" The admiral asked, to which Kata nodded curtly. "Very good. I am Admiral Zlatan. I have been empowered by the Grand Admiral to negotiate in his stead." "Well met," Kata replied. "As you surmised, I am The Voice. You may call me ''Voice'' if it''s easier. Human names are so strange to us, you see." Kata seemed to be embracing the deception that she wasn''t a human, from the humor I was feeling from her.. "And... Negotiate? As far as I am aware, there is nothing to negotiate. The ceasefire will end, and you will fail to take our island. Again and again, you will fail. Until you give up, leave and never come back." "Ah, but there is where you are wrong." The Bahrain admiral smirked like he knew something we didn''t. "The Phenoc King is dead, along with his entire famil-" "We know," Kata interjected, taking the wind from his sails. "You failed to intercept the hawk. Who knew the Bahrain were such poor archers? Disgraceful." She finished with a smirk. Zlatan slumped slightly but gathered himself and powered on as if Kata hadn''t said anything, "Ahem. Your kingdom is shattered, and no navy is coming to save you. We will attack, and we will win." Eh. Didn''t hit as hard with the interruption. "What makes you so confident, Hm? Superior numbers? Our last battle proved the quality of our defenders easily trumps each of your own soldiers. Beyond that, do you not get it yet? I am negotiating, not the ''Lord'' of the island or one empowered by him." Sadly, she didn''t mime the quotation marks, but her tone of voice should have conveyed her disdain even without them. "I am the Voice of The Creator. You aren''t fighting a small militia with no reinforcements. You''re invading a dungeon, not a small island colony of a defunct kingdom." As she spoke, the admiral paled, realizing the implications. He stuttered, but Kata swiped her hand to the side. "No. I don''t want to hear whatever insulting demands you were instructed to ask of us. We will not surrender. If you have not vacated the waters around Medea by the time the ceasefire ends, you''ll find out what it looks like when a dungeon goes ''all out''." The pathetic admiral ran back to the rowboat, quickly followed by his guards. The High Archon stayed behind, staring Kata in the eyes. "What I said yesterday remains true. I have been charged with conquering this land, and I will fulfill my task." With that, the man turned and walked away at a measured pace. Though I knew he could fly away, he chose to step into the boat as it was pushed into the water. Kata and her guards left the beach and passed through a gap in the militia. The Phenoc soldiers were uneasy, having been far enough away that they''d only heard snippets of the talks. The guilders, though, were more grim. Their hearing was good enough to have heard the entire conversation. Haythem approached Kata as she passed and spoke up. "Miss... Voice, is what that admiral said true? The Kingdom is... gone?" As Kata looked over the crowd, I hummed and hawed over how much to release publicly. "It is true; the entire Phenoc royal family has been assassinated, and the kingdom dissolved. The hawk bearing this news arrived early this morning." Kata confirmed gravely. Panic began to spread, but Kata continued before they could go too far. "But fear not! In His wisdom, the Creator has claimed the island''s surface and its inhabitants as His own. Since they cannot protect you, this island is no longer a colony of the Phenoc Kingdom nor the Estrassen Duchey. This island will be its own kingdom! The first kingdom was ruled by a truly immortal leader: Medea! The Creator of the Children! Patron of the Elemental Courts! The Dungeon of Medea Island!" -0-0-0-0-0- Bahrain Flagship Fist of The Emperor, Bahrain Invasion Fleet, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Grand Admiral Almaanz Shakih looked away from the pathetic, panicking man and sighed. The Dungeon had killed some of their best officers, and some of the replacements had proven they did not live up to their predecessor''s capability. "Your thoughts?" he asked the two mages. High Archon Izza looked severe, as he always was. The youngest mage to reach his office ever. Though he''d proven himself a dozen times as powerful enough to keep his role, a dozen years later, the thirty-year-old still strived to show maturity and wisdom beyond his years. The bent, elderly man beside him was the oldest Archon with the title: Jal Sagar, The High Archon of Water, and head of the Bahrain Jewel Corp. "There is no precedent," Jal began, his voice creaking. "Truly intelligent dungeons are rare enough as it is. To reach that state naturally... It would take centuries. Perhaps even eons! The Phenoc believe it to be a Lost dungeon that gained its intelligence through subordination to a human, then killed its master. They also believe it''s ancient, so it could be a combination of both. Lost dungeons are normally put down quickly, so one has never had the time to properly consolidate and take advantage of their power." "You believe this one has?" "I do. Izza, tell him what you told me of the monsters," Archon Sagar demanded as he perused book after book. "Powerful, skilled, and above all balanced," Izza began when Almaanz looked at him. "These are not mana mutants spat out by lesser dungeons. These creatures have been designed, over centuries at least, to take advantage of their abilities. Refined, tested, and refined further. The one I fought, The Voice, was... less coordinated. Obviously, it''s a new creation, unused to fighting in that form. The others? From what little I saw personally and what my lieutenants have told me... They are far more capable. The lizard was the most skilled, and though it was slain yesterday, today it stood before me whole and hearty." "It was not another creature dressed up and given the same weapon as the dead one?" "No, it was not. When shown an image of the creature made of my flame, the Diamond who killed him confirmed it. Horns in exactly the same positions, the same set to its shoulders." "Hmmm." Almaanz hummed as he turned his gaze to the island. The sun was high overhead, and the appointed time approached. "Begin the second assault early. We will catch them off-guard." -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 95 -0-0-0-0-0- The Guilded Tavern, The Guild Hall, Medea Island -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem knocked back another drink, smacking his lips. "Five of these in ten minutes... and I''m still not drunk. Why am I cursed so?" Bertram grunted from his position on the bar, face buried in his crossed arms. The bartender snorted. "You know why. It''s your own damn fault. The more powerful you get, the less stuff like poison and alcohol affects you. I''ve seen stronger Guiders guzzle barrels of mead and barely reach tipsy. It''s only the really strong stuff that can still get Platinums drunk, and I don''t think you two are rich enough to buy a bottle or two." Haythem seriously considered whether to spend some of his savings on a bottle. It sounded great, and the idea of not thinking for a while was seductive. What was the point of saving that gold anymore? Flasa was dead, after all. It wasn''t until she was gone that he realized how much he''d found her presence comforting. She was always there, with a friendly smile. They''d been getting closer recently, and he''d thought... He sighed. He knew what she''d say about this, him attempting to drink his problems away, and he wasn''t drunk enough to throw his money away despite that. He sat up at the sound of commotion through the door to the reception area, then nudged Bertram. "Get up, you sad sack. Wasting our time here, anyway." Bertram grunted and slipped off his stool, following Haythem as he left the bar. They left the tavern with a dozen other curious guilders and found themselves swept out the front door by the crowd. Only when outside did they see what was causing such a fuss. Offshore, a vast, unnatural cloud system sat. It was unnatural because the sky everywhere else was a clear blue, not a single cloud to mar it. This storm, though, looked dangerous. Huge, black, mile-high clouds that flashed with lightning every second or so. Now that he was outside, he could hear the faint rumbles they gave off. He thought he saw two deep-blue birds flying in and out of the clouds, but it was so far away he couldn''t be sure, even with his enhanced vision. The guilders soon found themselves on the beach, where they found The Voice and her entourage standing with a group of... blue, white-furred Lizard men? They had the same general shape as the monsters from the Third but were so different in color that they could only be a subspecies. They weren''t talking much; instead, they stared toward the pillar of black clouds. When none of the others stepped forward to ask what was going on, Haythem gathered his courage and stepped forward. "Miss Voice? What''s going on out there. Is this the... ''Creator''s'' doing?" The human-shaped monster pinned her shifting rainbow-colored irises on him and nodded. "Indeed. The Bahrain thought to restart their invasion before the ceasefire had ended. They are currently experiencing His wrath for their folly." "And, uh, what does that entail?" He asked again. His newfound confidence faltered slightly under her piercing gaze, but by the set of her brow, she seemed to be considering how much to share. Her eyes were unfocused, and after a few moments, she nodded, muttering to herself. Was she asking the dungeon itself what to say? Well... she was called The Voice. Haythem wasn''t sure what he was expecting. "Pyry and Thor are maintaining the storm. S¨ªdhe stirs and directs its full fury against the fleet, and Calypso and her kin ravage the fools from below." The Voice explained, dropping names Haythem had no context for. He felt a spark of anger, though. Why now? Why had the dungeon not attacked like this before? When the Voice responded, Haythem realized he''d spoken aloud. "Because that wasn''t what was bargained." Haythem felt himself deflating at The Voice''s brutal honesty. "In exchange for a Voice in the island''s council, He would aid the defenders. I, my guards, Calypso, Davy Jones, and Jormungandr, were that force. The rest of the defenses were left to you. But the situation has changed, and The Creator has claimed the surface. Though He cannot do so in the same manner as He has His dungeon or the sea around us, He has still claimed it. You should be happy. None of you will be asked to fight and die in our defense today." The crowd grumbled at that, and Haythem understood why. He felt the same way. These were Guilders. Warriors. Ones who had lost brothers and sisters in arms the day before. Their killers were on that fleet, and not having the chance to deliver vengeance upon them rankled. "What if we want to fight?" Haythem shot back. The Voice paused, her gaze skating over the crowd. Measuring. "When the desperate survivors of the storm reach the island, then, by all means, slake your bloodthirst against them. It shouldn''t be long now." -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I was sure the Bahrain regretted not just packing up and moving on, now. Really, though? Trying to invade again before the ceasefire was over, within my perception? The most foolish thing they could have tried. My seagulls still maintained aerial superiority, and the various fish monsters milling under their fleet meant I was aware of the movements of every boat. It did mean I had to rush to implement my plan, though. By the time the storm was set in, the ships were already halfway through it. There was no eye to this storm, but I didn''t want to move it closer to the island. The bright side was that it also worked as a demonstration of my power to the humans. Beneath the churning waves my mile-wide storm churned up, the water sprites create portals to ferry my pod of Leviathans from the Eleventh. Calypso welcomed her fellow whale-derived monsters, and they assaulted the beleaguered fleet together. Their attack was more intelligent and coordinated than the last time. I''d made a mistake asking Calypso to attack as she had. All it''d done was make her a big target. While it''d worked initially, shock doing wonders to delay the Bahrain''s retaliation, continued use of the breach-and-fall tactic once they''d overcome that was just stupid. As the fleet was tossed around by the enormous waves, dozens were impacted by the hardened heads of the Leviathans. Most impacts broke the ship''s keels, but a few got holes punched in their hulls instead. Above the fleet, Pyry and her mate, Thor, danced around the pitch-black clouds. This was a true test of their magic, a storm wrought outside of the confinement of the Eighth. But they didn''t just have to whip up a storm. They had to prevent it from moving with the wind, deforming or dispersing. It turned out to need more concentration and constant maintenance than I expected, so I had the Air Spirit brought in to aid them. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Not that she was a Spirit anymore. The Fairy had begun her transformation shortly after my climactic battle with Instincts. This one was unlike the previous Sprite to Spirit transformation, which consisted of condensing their magic, a qualitative change, and reemerging as a more powerful and capable being. The Spirit to Fairy change was a slower, more gradual metamorphosis. According to her, it usually took months to years to complete the change, but with my aid, it''d taken less than a week. Where a Spirit was the ''child'' stage of their life, during which they learned to control and master their elements, the Fairy was the adult stage. This is typically where they gained higher reasoning and thinking, but the manabeings I''d contracted gained this at Spirit level. What the Air Fairy gained was a truly next-level of power and capability. Her macro and micro control, range, and sheer mana density in her golem body were drastically increased. She also underwent a change in her physical appearance. Potentium Golems reflected the mana of the manabeing controlling them; this was something I was well acquainted with by now. Sprites were basic in the changes they induced: Stone-like skin, red-hot molten metal, etc. Spirits became personifications of their elements; human-shaped and sized beings of air, fire, shadow and whatnot. Fairies removed the ''human-sized'' part of the personification. The Air Fairy was the size of a tornado. Literally, her lower half had become an undulating twister, while her torso, arms, and head were still vaguely feminine. The new Air Fairy, whom I had named S¨ªdhe when she''d finally asked for one, had progressed from a personification to an embodiment of her element. She seemed to find pleasure in the terror the sailors felt when they caught glimpses of her human-like face poking between clouds. Most people put some amount of personification to natural events, normally the gods being angry in some way, and they looked for random shapes that vaguely resembled human features. When the face they saw grinned malevolently, the eyes animated by an unholy glow as the wind that composed her twisted and warped the clouds around her into form... many found themselves wishing they wore their brown pants that day. Where Pyry and Thor contained and generated the storm, S¨ªdhe directed its fury against the fleet below. She moved waterspouts to intercept ships on the edge of the vague circle the Bahrain called a formation. Lightning strikes crashed down, igniting sails and breaking masts, leaving them easy prey for Calypso and her brethren. By the time the remnants finally made it out of the storm, their thousand-strong fleet had been reduced to almost a hundred remaining ships, including their flagship. I made sure that one survived, even. Why? Because the look on the ''grand admiral''s'' face was hilarious. Despite knowing they would be facing a dungeon in combat, they had expected I''d fight conventionally. They''d expected more sea monsters, bird monsters, or other such creatures to harry them as they approached. Nothing had prepared them for me to use the world itself to destroy them. As the remains of the fleet beelined for the island, I signaled for the second phase of the attack to begin. Riding on the backs of whales and Leviathans, my Crabs were carried just underneath the ships. There, they used their limited ability to swim to launch themselves up to the hulls. They climbed the sides, and soon, the exhausted sailors were forced into combat with monsters they''d never fought before. As I was well aware, this was a death sentence for most people. I could have had the Leviathans continue their previous attacks. Instead, I directed them into another portal back to the Eleventh, Calypso and her pod joining them for now. Their part in this was over. I actually wanted a few ships intact, after all. Hehe. Oh, did I have plans for them. -0-0-0-0-0- Bahrain Flagship Fist of The Emperor, Bahrain Invasion Fleet, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- High Archon of Fire Izza found his role changing as the fleet limped to the island. He''d been reduced to putting out fires on the ship rather than fighting off the crab monsters himself. One of the varieties spewed flames with abandon, though not every ship was plagued with them. Only ninety-eight ships had survived the storm; since then, they''d lost two dozen to the crabs. Displaying shocking intelligence after slaughtering the sailors, the crabs had coordinated themselves. They somehow managed to crew the ships themselves despite not possessing hands. Izza, being the most mobile mage in the fleet, had been able to ''reclaim'' a few of the stolen vessels, but he wasn''t quick enough to catch them all. The crab-pirates escaped with eleven ships of varying classes. Once the remaining crabs were fought off and fires put out, Izza returned to the flagship and immediately returned to Jal Sagar''s bedside. The frail old man showed his advanced age as he breathed shallowly, totally unconscious. The mage had stood on the deck for hours, doing his best to counter the storm as it ravaged their fleet. The water Archon had described his struggle, explaining that it was like the sea and sky fought him. As time passed and he grew weaker, he''d reduced the area he could protect. The High Archon of Water collapsed as soon as they''d passed out of the storm. He''d yet to wake. The one surviving healer had said there was nothing physically wrong with him to fix. He was healthier than any man his age had any right to be. He looked up as the Grand Admiral entered the room. "We approach the beach soon. You will lead the invasion force." The admiral ordered. Izza nodded, leaving his vigil. Once abovedeck, he looked to the island. The port and beach where they''d fought the day before wasn''t in sight. They''d circled around the island to land on a beach on the opposite side, where the jungle was thick. "Your first task is to burn the jungle down." the admiral ordered, stopping at Izza''s side. "I have no doubt it''s full of the island''s defenders, either setting traps or moving through it to reach us from the port. You will burn it to the ground, then when they''re all dead, we can set up camp." Izza nodded. The original plan had called for preserving as much infrastructure as they could. After all, they wanted to use the island and its resources as a springboard to invade the Phenoc. That plan was little more than ash on the wind. However, with the Phenoc kingdom fractured, future fleets would find it easier to invade and claim land on that continent. A small consolation. This fleet, however, wouldn''t be the one spearheading such efforts anymore. Still, they were ordered to take the island, to deny it and its resources to the Phenoc, if little else. If they needed to burn the island clean and build it up anew, they would. As the transport ships beached themselves on the three small coves they were targeting, the few soldiers who jumped off into the surf cried out in pain, were dragged beneath the waves, and never seen again. The rest were sure to stay well away from the red, frothing waves. Izza flew above the jungle and began to gather his mana for the spell. The ball of flames in his hands grew more and more unwieldy, cackling and writhing. When he could hold it no more, he threw it to the ground. To his astonishment, the spell lost size and power as it flew away from him until it was the size of a candle flame. That tongue of flame was caught by an honest-to-the-gods elemental. A Fire Elemental. It stood at the jungle''s edge, bright and blazing, but the vegetation around it was unburned. That kind of control was extraordinary, especially for a being that longed to burn and consume everything around it. From either side of it, monsters began to filter from between the trees. The majority were lizardmen of a kind. Either short, spindly creatures or larger and muscled like that one from the previous day. Some were of a kind with the other of the Voice''s guards, but they were a minority. A few dozen among hundreds. A roar had him spin in place, and his eyes widened as transports were raised on pillars of ice, directed by yet more lizardmen standing in the foaming water. These were blue and white, resembling the smaller green lizardmen. The roar itself had come from a huge winged lizard. It had launched from the ocean, burning the fleet still on the water with its fire breath. Their mage contingent had been sent along with the troops in the transports, and there were only a couple remaining who could possibly fight back. As he turned to fight the flying lizard, determining the loss of the fleet a more significant setback than the soldiers, he caught the glow of flame from the corner of his eye. He flung himself sideways. A lance of fire seared past him. When he turned around, he saw that the Elemental had launched itself into the air, blazing bright as it headed right towards him. It was joined by The Voice, and a quick glance showed the Phenoc Guilders were interspersed amongst the monsters as they charged the invasion force on the beach. After that, too much of his attention was dedicated to dodging to do anything else. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 96 -0-0-0-0-0- Unnamed Cove, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem stood and stared, stunned, when the group of guilders following The Voice came upon the gathering army in the jungle. There were a dozen different kinds of ''Children'' milled about. Each of The Voice''s guards proved to be representatives of their species, rather than one-off monsters. He didn''t see any like The Voice, but he supposed she was one such one-off monster. Apart from those he''d already seen, there were some normal-looking monsters mixed in with the armor-wearing and weapon-wielding ''Children.'' Three different kinds of rabbits hopped about; The kind with antlers worked to widen clearings by causing the trees themselves to shift in place, the single-horned ones seemingly postured amongst each other, and the winged rabbits flew between branches. There were rats everywhere, like a living tide that moved and breathed. He worried about stepping on one at first, but they proved aware enough to move away from his path. There were Tigers, of course, with their Kobold handlers. But there was another cat-like creature. These ones were golden, and practically glowed whenever a beam of sunlight struck one. They had tear-drop like markings across their fur. They were just as large as the tigers, but these creatures had no handlers, and Haythem was therefore far warier of them. Then there were the manabeings. Most of the basic elements were represented with the notable exception of Water. Earth, Wind and Fire had a sizeable contingent, with only Metal and Shadow representing the second tier elements. Each Court was represented by an Elemental. The Earth elemental was composed of black granite, a common rock found on the island. Its smooth, featureless face turned slowly. The Wind Elemental was huge. It stood thrice the size of the other elementals, and was composed of thick grey clouds that circled and cycled around its body, giving it shape and definition. A feminine shape, but he wouldn''t be fooled. Manabeings had no genders. Haythem realized the Air Elemental must have been one of the names The Voice had said were directing the storm. That this manabeing could control such a storm, even with two others aiding it... He felt a thrill of fear run down his spine. The Fire Elemental was familiar to him, but the female-shaped bonfire had seemingly changed its color palette. Where it''d once been composed of yellow and orange flame, now it was a deep blue, with a white core. He noticed that the leaf-covered jungle floor was uncharred beneath it. The Metal Court was represented by five beings, each reminiscent of the Fifth''s Guardian. Smooth, gleaming metal bodies that morphed and warped into a variety of limbs and weapons. There were two whose skin was akin to copper, and had a feminine shape. The other three were gleaming silver, though one had a slight glow to it. The Shadow Court, Haythem was well acquainted with. He could barely see them, but they lingered in the deep shadows of the trees around them. The Guilders were assigned to squads of Children, rather than being left in a group on their own. Haythem and Bertram were grouped with a reddish-brown ''Drake-kin'' named Rustclaw, a Capriccio called Baanarama and a ''Sunlion.'' Those were the golden cat creatures, and he found the name appropriate. They''d quickly been shuffled into a formation and positioned by the jungle''s edge. From his position behind a tree, Haythem glimpsed Bahrain transport ships sailing directly at the beach. About thirty of them, with a similar number hanging back. When the Bahrain had fully committed, their soldiers dismounted from their transports, the signal was given; the Fire elemental launching itself into the air, chasing the flying enemy mage. They charged, and the melee was... frantic. He couldn''t remember much of those first few minutes. Haythem cut down another Bahrain with a diagonal slash, then backed up as the dead man''s vengeful fellow soldiers swung back at him. Their strikes were intercepted by the red-brown scaled Drake-kin beside him, quickly followed by a trio of bright orange beams which cut the remaining enraged invaders down. Haythem nodded to Bertram and the Drake-kin as the next group of Bahrain rushed forward. Before the Bahrain could close the full distance, they sunk into the sand to their hips in less than a second. Haythem stepped forward, and with a cleave he beheaded the front three in one swing. The Capriccio in their group bounced on the head of a fourth, while Bertram crushed the head of another with his mace. The Sunlion burned a hole in the sixth, while the Drake-kin swung its claymore-sized sword to cut the seventh and final soldier vertically in half. Certainly unnecessary, and extremely gory, but Haythem found himself not particularly caring. These people had killed Flasa. They''d robbed him of her. Of her smile. Of the life they could have spent together, If he''d just seen what she meant to him, earlier. Though he''d long relieved her killers of their lives, he found the void in him... unfulfilled. The mixed group of monsters and guilders pulled back, and a fresher group of fighters moved into their place. Haythem took the moment''s rest to observe the battle. By far, the majority of beings on the beach were monsters. Children, he thought he''d heard The Voice refer to them; The Children of the Creator. Given their new... political situation, it was probably best to stop thinking of them as ''monsters.'' Children, Court and Guilder fought together that day, and Haythem found it not as strange as he expected. -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I watched through the eyes of hundreds of Children and Monsters as they repelled the invasion force that''d made it to the beach. I was in a half-way point between my ''diffused'' and ''focused'' states, and I was realizing it was more of a slider than I''d thought. Taking advantage of that, I gave nudges and warnings when I saw something happening that the monsters normally wouldn''t have. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. This was the first large-scale battle my Children were fighting as the main participants, and they were proving their effectiveness. Minotaurs and Scorpans were tanks, drawing attention and delivering heavy blows. The few Capriccio in the fight mimicked Baastet; staying light on their feet and disrupting the soliders that attempted to group up. Drake-kin and Kobolds were the bulk of my forces, and they synergized splendidly. The Drake-kin were the big obvious targets, covering for the much shorter Kobolds who ran around at waist-height, causing chaos. Shamans and mages worked with Unihares to disrupt and target enemy mages, their homebrewed spells unexpected and unprepared for, catching the Bahrain off-guard. From the ocean Snowbolds and Crabs came, performing a pincer formation and attacking the Bahrain''s vulnerable back line. The Jackalopes and Winged Hares remained in the treeline, and picked off any Bahrain that managed to get through the battle. There were only three that managed it, and they were swiftly dealt with. My Children were supported by the Courts and their monarchs. The Shadow Court worked with and empowered the shadow-rats, who cut ankles and tendons from the enemy''s very shadows. The Earth court sank whole squads into the sand, leaving them vulnerable. The few Fire Manabeings worked around the edge of the fight. The Guilders were there too. Though they were uncomfortable to begin with, surrounded by so many monsters; amongst unknown species even! But they knew the monsters were on their side, and filled in the gaps in my formations easily. In the sky, Kata and Igna tag-teamed the Fire Archon. He was having a far harder time fighting them than his last battle. Igna was quick to cancel any magic that got far enough away from him, and being made of fire herself I''m sure he never expected to even touch her. He was left with attempting to melee Kata, but she was agile enough to play keep-away. He tried disengaging at one point, skimming the ocean and producing a steaming cover as he went. He emerged from the steam flying the way he came, but this time uncontrolled. He skipped on the ocean a few times, but eventually got his feet under him and launched into the air again. He was quickly reengaged by Kata and Igna. When the steam cleared, it revealed a masculine figure rising from the water, made of water itself. A water Spirit. I''d given a couple of the more powerful water sprites Potentium bodies before the battle, and this one had evolved during the storm. Given he was a water spirit, surrounded by his element... I''ve no doubt he slapped Izza hard. The spirit sank into the ocean, where it almost disappeared. It looked like it was part of the water around it, but the moment it moved the whorls and eddies its movement caused were obvious. They gave it a defined outline. The remnants of the Bahrain fleet were being harried by a selection of my most deadly birds. Seagulls performed dive-bombing operations, while Stympalion Vultures targeted officers with pin-point accuracy and Phoenixes burned those putting up too much resistance. They were also attacked from below; large fish and sharks doing their best to break open a hole in the hulls. Those sailors who tried to jump overboard to escape the birds found a far worse fate beneath the waves. All in all, the Bahrain never stood a chance. Izza, the Fire Archon, soon realized fighting was futile. The fleet was lost. The invasion force slaughtered, and the faint hope they could win was extinguished. He surrendered, and the moment he stood upon the corpse-strewn beach a mana-draining collar was clamped around his neck. The same was done with the other ten mana-enhanced Bahrain who surrendered. The battle had taken less than an hour. The few captured soldiers were gathered and led back to the port through the jungle under heavily armed escort. Said escort was comprised of mostly Guilders, along with Kata, her guards, and a selection of the more exceptional Children. Now away from the human''s prying eyes, the glaciers created by Ice magic and Wave''s breath were melted, letting a selection of Children board and sail them away. This was my favorite new exploit. A huge ring of water-sprites, led by the water Spirit, opened portals beneath and to the side of the sailing ships. To those Children still on the beach, it looked like the ships fell sideways, disappearing beneath the waves with nary a splash. On the Eleventh, those same ships spontaneously rose from portals which closed behind them. The only thing the maneuver was missing was a flash of green and to have happened at sunset. I''d had the same done for the ships stolen by my crab pirates, and Wave was happy to dive into one made especially for him. The corpses were gathered and carried off to a side-entrance hidden in the jungle, eventually making their way down to the experimental chambers on the Fifth. Children returned to their homes, and any humans who checked the beach would find no evidence a battle had even taken place. I couldn''t do the same to Obsidian beach without raising questions I wasn''t going to answer. And that was that. The invasion, thwarted. All that was left was to declare the island under my protection, independent of any other polity. -0-0-0-0-0- The Fortified Mansion, Medea Island, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Kata stood before the ex-lord''s throne in his audience hall. It was well-decorated, more than she''d have expected of the throne of a mere baron. Carved of the same black granite everything else on the island used, this was far more worked. It gleamed, polished to a reflective shine. On its seat was a plush cushion, one which looked incredibly soft and well-crafted. Kata turned, and sat. It was incredibly comfortable. Gathered in the hall were the most powerful Guilders on the island, the Platinums and the Guild''s high-level staff, as well as the most powerful Children on the surface. Kata recognized most of those present, though the terrified-looking well-dressed woman was new. Kata took a breath, and felt The Creator''s presence bloom in the back of her mind. "With the invasion repelled, and no immediate threats to the island extant, agreements and statements were made this morning which need addressing," Kata began. Mumbled conversation quickly stopped, and the crowd turned to face her. The Creator felt pleased at the Guilders and Children standing amongst each other, rather than standing against the walls in separate groups. "The Phenoc Kingdom is defunct. While heirs no doubt exist, they''ll be the descendants of third sons and daughters, propped up as the legitimate heir by Dukes vying for power and control. As of today, Medea Island is independent. The Creator has claimed the surface for his own, and the former Lord Medean was unwilling to work with Him. The former lord has been removed from power, and will be returned to his father when a ship is available." She stopped as the unknown woman stepped forward. The Creator whispered in her ear that this was the Lady Medean, and that she''d been quite reclusive in the last month. "What is to become of us?" The noble woman asked, hands cradling the small bump on her belly. Well, that was... something. "You have a choice. You can follow your lord husband to the mainland; I am sure the Count Medean will be glad to receive you, carrying his son''s child as you are. You could return home to your father, though I''m sure that''ll cause friction with the Medean family. Your final option is to stay. As a new nation, we will be opening relations with the mainland duchies. You could act as an ambassador for your father. The Dungeon produces a bounty I''m sure he''d be pleased to have beneficial tariffs on." Lady Medean seemed overwhelmed. "I must beg my leave, Voice of The Creator. I will have my answer within a day." Kata nodded, and the woman left, escorted by a few awkward-looking guards. As one of the few normal humans in the room, Kata had no doubt they were feeling powerless. She gathered herself, then made her declaration. "As this island is no longer ruled by the Medeans, I hereby rename this island Atlantis, after an ancient island kingdom of the same name. As our nation will not be a kingdom, since our ruler is not a king, it will be known as The Creator''s Dominion!" The Children in the court burst into cheers, and there was more subdued clapping from the Guilders. But they still clapped. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 97 -0-0-0-0-0- Unaligned Ship The Taste of Adventure, The Kalenic Sea One Week after the Invasion -0-0-0-0-0- Davad Medean, the lawful lord of Medea Island, fumed impotently in his quarters. It hadn''t taken them long to exile him, in the end. Within a few days, they forced him aboard a ship distinctly Bahrain in make, the crew supposedly composed of those who did not wish to stay on an island ruled by a dungeon. He remembered his rage as the island he was meant to rule disappeared over the horizon. From what a sailor he''d asked had said, the ships sent to retrieve the island''s displaced population left days before them, and they''d already received word that they were returning. Davad had no doubt they spun some tall tale of the invasion being beaten back, despite the odds. The dungeon had some cunning, Davad had to admit. If he''d been sent first, given his father the true account of the invasion and his treatment, those citizens wouldn''t have been allowed to return. Just thinking of the dungeon, Davad felt his rage burn brighter. That Thing had taken everything from him! His mansion, his land, his people, his WIFE! That freakish monster, The Voice, had claimed the woman had chosen to remain. Hah! As if that were possible. He was her husband! She carried his child! That she wasn''t by his side was the dungeon''s fault! Another indignity he endured. That the ship neared Port Laviet was little consolation. He was returning to his childhood home to beg his father to... do what? He slumped on his cot. The dungeon had fought off an enormous fleet of ships, one intended to invade and occupy the Phenoc Kingdom! What would his father''s fleet do? Die quickly? At the very least, he could act to oppose the dungeon''s little Dominion. Davad knew his father would be just as shocked and angry as he was. As they pulled into port, a plan began to form. Yes, Davad would have his revenge. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeons, Fortified Mansion, Atlantis Two Weeks after the Invasion -0-0-0-0-0- Izza Adar, the High Archon of Fire, one of the most powerful mages in the world, hadn''t felt this weak in decades. The collar that rested around his neck and the bands around his wrists and ankles drained him completely. He prided himself on his control, fire being a hazardous element to wield, but it was all for naught when he had no mana to control. Every mote of energy he could use, the lake of mana in his core... gone. Dry, like the most barren wasteland canyons. He couldn''t even gather more from the air around him; the bands of enchanted metal produced some kind of barrier that repelled mana. At least, that was what little he could discern before his mana was fully drained. He hadn''t been this blind since his days as a mere Ruby. Everyone around him in court had seemed so much more powerful back then. His master, may the man find peace in the afterlife, seemed insurmountable to the young boy he once was. But yet, here he sat. In a dungeon, but thankfully not the dungeon. The difference was notable. Twice a day, Izza was delivered food. Crab meat with a side of cut fruit. It was a far cry from the slop and gruel he''d half-expected, and he was thankful for that. The food was mana-heavy, but the collar and bands quickly stripped that away. There was no sunlight, but the food deliveries were regular enough to tell time. Izza''d been in this cell for two weeks when something finally happened. Two guards escorted him out. One was a human, though he was a guilder from the glowing eyes that watched Izza''s every move. The other was a muscled lizardman, barely short enough to fit in the halls. The creature had to duck through doorways, which Izza found entertaining. He contemplated taking advantage and attempting an escape but quickly dismissed the idea. He wouldn''t get far with these bands and no visible way to open them. They soon entered a throne room. It was orders of magnitude smaller and less decadent than the Bahrain Emperor''s, but he found the being sitting on the throne far more interesting. The Voice of The Creator sat upon that glimmering black stone chair, one leg crossed over the other and glowing rainbow wings curled up behind her. The scaled imitation-human looked down at him as the guards pushed him to his knees, her slitted eyes glimmering with a cyclical rainbow light. "Izza Adar, High Archon of Fire, Advisor to the Bahrain Emperor," the Voice intoned, and Izza narrowed his eyes at her. She was mocking him, repeating his own introduction back to him. "You are guilty twice over of invading our home. Not just that, but when given multiple opportunities to give up, leave, or find an easier target, you stubbornly insisted on this suicide mission." The Voice shook her head and was silent for a few beats, perhaps waiting to see if Izza would speak. He did not. He had nothing to say. "You did have other options," The Voice continued. "You could have returned home for reinforcements or left us alone entirely. With the Phenoc Kingdom crumbling, you could have invaded the mainland directly. Facing the armies of individual duchies would surely have been easier, and an overall more sensible option after your first attack on us failed." He was silent. "Thus, you were compelled to attack us. Although, compelled is perhaps the wrong word." The Voice mused, raising a clawed hand to rest her chin upon. "But by who? The obvious answer is your emperor, but surely he would have preferred you continue with the invasion rather than waste troops on an unnecessary pit stop. The other option? The assassin that killed the Phenoc King and his family." Her tone quickly changed from musing to accusing, and the court in attendance around the room burst into gossiping whispers. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. How did she know?! Izza controlled himself. He could not let his reaction show. A single sweat drop beaded down his face, and The Voice smirked. "Only one person on the planet would go to such lengths to see the Creator and this island destroyed. Plaised, the one who put a bounty on Him so large it would beggar him if completed. Given what we''ve been told of the man, selling out his kingdom for a chance to enact his revenge seems likely. Am I wrong?" Izza said nothing, but he must have given something away as the monster nodded and smiled. "Take him away. He is to be executed at dawn." -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea Three Weeks after the Invasion -0-0-0-0-0- I let myself relax along with Kata as she finished the last sheet of paperwork. We''d finally done it! The Scaleborn reached up and massaged her temple as she pushed the stack of paper to the side carefully, so it didn''t fall off the table''s edge. ''I need an assistant or something,'' She bemoaned. ''Surely I''m trapped in the worst of the hells: paperwork hell!'' I could only chuckle, prompting the ex-human to glare at the ceiling. Oh, I agree. Paperwork sucks. It sucks so much that rulers have entire teams to manage the details and paperwork with minimal oversight for this exact reason. Can you imagine the Bahrain Emperor or the old Phenoc King pouring over paperwork about trade and tax? No. They have stewards, custodians, and accountants who manage that for them. A nation''s leader is usually only needed for essential tasks. Laws, policy, and diplomacy. Decisions that need an ultimate authority to have any weight to them. ''Soooooo?'' ''Hmm. I could order one of the Children to come to the surface and do the job, but they need to gain experience. As you should know, humans are old hats at this civilization thing. Most of the refugees came back, and it''s not like Medean''s entire court up and left with him. You can find someone with the appropriate skills. And hey, I''ll send a Child up to shadow whatever steward you hire anyway. They need the skills. ''You''re not going to help me pick one out?'' Kata asked plaintively, almost whining. Nope. Make it known you''re looking for a steward, then wait for the applicants to come to you. You can interview and pick whoever you think is best. I can''t do everything for you! I sent her the mental equivalent of a wave goodbye, and the woman gave the ceiling the middle finger. I left, my chuckles no doubt echoing in her head. I had important work to do! First, I checked on the town and the island''s surface. It''d been a few weeks since the invasion, and with the help of a few Earth Golems and Drake-kin mages living on the surface, the town was thriving. I''d had the walls embiggened, a proper breakwater to protect the harbor risen from the ocean floor, and the entire harbor got a makeover. No more wood jetties; we had stone, baby, and I''d even extended it out part-way around the breakwater. I''d tripled its capacity! And boy, was it needed. I''d recently acquired more than three dozen ships of various classes, and they needed places to berth. At any point, at least three ships patrolled the waters around the island, with a mixed crew of humans and Children of various shapes. The water-aligned Drake-kin and Kobolds found they immensely enjoyed sailing, and I wasn''t going to stop them. Of course, all that construction took place over three weeks, and the final part of the harbor had been finished just the day before. If it was in the dungeon, I could have it done in a day or two, but I was trying not to freak out my new human citizens. Another factor was that I couldn''t claim the exposed surface in the way I''d claimed the caves and ocean, no matter how hard I tried. My original theory of it being the density of mana in the air and lack of enclosed space seemed to bear fruit. I could claim basements and individual houses, though only by tunneling in from below. In other news, the lighthouse on the cliffs above my entrance got a facelift and would run automatically now. It didn''t need a power source since I diverted a tendril of mana from my manastream through a tiny channel and up to the enchantment. The ocean around Atlantis teethed with life. I''d initially restricted myself from changing the animals intentionally, apart from the leviathans. I didn''t want to tip off the Guild more blatantly than I already was. Now, though? I felt no such need to hold back. I kept a decent number of every species unaltered, but I made a ''monster'' version of almost every kind of fish I had. Rather than anything unique, I made them better overall and elevated one trait to monstrous levels. Some got fire magic, which made the water around them boil. Others got ice magic to balance the fire ones out. I copied the turtles on the Eleventh, making them heavily armored and turbo-powered. The Second Floor fish monsters were already present, and with the addition of everything else, any future invasions would find themselves sinking long before they reached the shore. Moving on to the dungeon, it was mostly the same. I''d seen little reason to change the existing floors, so I focused on the Eleventh. A small town had grown up at one end of Dawn Beach, at the base of the Cliff where Wave made his nest. This was the first village composed of children from every species, and though there were some gripes and arguments, no fights broke out. Here, I could go all out. The town, yet to be named, ended up very Greco-Roman in appearance. Sharp corners and columns held up orange-tiled roofs, with houses made to accommodate Children of every size and shape. Being a port, the town received the same treatment as Atlantis¡ªa large stone harbor with a breakwater more for appearance than anything else. I included a couple of dry docks so my Children could repair ships and make their own in the future! In the meantime, most of my stolen fleet could be found on this floor, either docked at the town, roaming the ocean, or any of the dozen tiny harbors popping up across the Elemental Isles. Most of the time, they were small wooden jetties and a couple of houses, but the Isla Fuego harbor was integrated into the ''ruined city'' aesthetic. The crabs that stole their ships from the Bahrain were reluctant to give them up, so I made them humanoid and let them be. I had yet to raise any new islands, but I did bring in a few more manabeings. To the ''north'' of the Eleventh, I had a ship drop off a dozen Ice Sprites, eight with Ice Golem bodies, and the four most powerful with Potentium Golem bodies. They managed to persuade the Ice Shaman, who summoned them, to call three dozen more ice sprites and happily formed their own glacier. I had a dozen Life Sprites now, as well. They were interesting, and I had a few ideas I wanted to test out with them. The first were three Treant-style golem bodies of different tree types: spruce, oak, and palm. They took to it rather well, and though they didn''t have ''faces,'' it didn''t ruin the effect of a massive walking tree. Three got Potentium golems, which soon resembled bark-skinned dryads. The rest got what I really wanted to try out. Fairy-scaled Potentium golems. As in; three-inch-tall scale-model humanoids with thin butterfly-shaped wings, they turned out even better than I''d hoped! Looking out over the ocean, I had a choice to make. Which Court would I be making an island for first? -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 98 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I decided, eventually, that an island for the currently-homeless life manabeings would be best. On the Eleventh, I pulled up the ocean floor by manipulating the space-expansion enchantment. Doing so was simplicity itself by now, and I carefully molded it into a very recognizable, curvy shape. The concept of an island shaped like a woman lying on her side is a classic, and I''d be a fool not to use it. Moments after saturating it with life mana and introducing the manabeings to their new home, the Island of Fons Vitae was full to bursting with flora. I was quick to populate it with animals, paying particular attention to the bevy of giant bugs I''d imported from the Third. They''d gotten sidelined up there, not really fulfilling their role. But down here, they could be one of the two main focuses instead of a minor feature. To emphasize this, I doubled or tripled them all in size. Seeing fairy-sized life sprites riding giant beetles and spiders in races was something I didn''t expect but welcomed. At the island''s ''chest,'' there was an overgrown and half-hidden doorway leading into a series of chambers organized to resemble a temple. One that had seemingly gone unmaintained but was obviously intended to be verdant and full of life regardless. I placed a keystone at the altar of this Temple of Life, Deep past several trapped chambers, hallways, and other defenses. This was the beginning of my new concept for the floor: An enchanted green stone carved with the symbol of Yggdrasil. The ''key'' part of the enchantment was tiny and hollow since it didn''t have a door to open. The rest was a ''lure'' enchantment. It would be a beacon for nearby children or monsters, calling them to attack and retrieve the keystone. Since it was powered by life mana exclusively, rather than a general mix of everything, it made whoever held it feel invigorated and plant life in their vicinity greener and healthier. I intended to add a keystone to every elemental isle, and the door to the floor''s boss arena would need every stone to unlock. If they were taken from the dungeon, they had the same enchantment as the Fungal key, which would cause them to dissolve and the enchantments to fail when taken too far away or otherwise messed with. Now it was time for the Darkness manabeings. I had some ideas on how this would work, but there was only one possibility for a darkness-themed island. Thus, Dragonskull Island was born. A lonely rock shaped vaguely like a dragon skull that was thrust up from the ocean, surrounded by a field of sharp, protruding rocks. If said rocks happened to form the shape of skeletal wings and a spine, that wasn''t my fault. My recent experience with storms on the surface and on previous floors led me to make an enchantment that created a localized storm. It was mild, producing a persistent diagonal rain, but focused more on cutting out as much light as possible. The stone skull was mostly hollow and had several interior caves that led to deeper caverns. I laid the same enchantment as the one on the Fifth, which causes absolute darkness, swallowing the light from any source in only a few feet. Here, Shadow and Darkness reigned supreme. The perfect environment for the Darkness Court. It was easy to bring them down, leaving behind a recently transformed spirit for a boss, and they settled in quickly. After settling into their new home, the Shadow Spirit transformed into a Fairy. The newly transformed manabeing practically became the darkness. A moving void in the world from which no light could escape. It looked like that one star-filled alien from Ben 10 but without the starscape in its skin. In the depths of their new home, it was invisible. Outside of Dragonskull Island, they could turn invisible with a thought, and a sudden idea later had them teleporting through shadows, from the Eleventh to the Fifth, the surface, and back in seconds. Unfortunately, they couldn''t bring anything with them. It was a very personal teleport, unlike the portal travel of the water sprites. I left them alone to organize their court. At the same time, an enterprising ship of crabfolk began navigating the rocks and constructing a hidden dock for themselves. It was captained by the crab-folk that stole an admiral''s tricorn, and I was happy to let them do what they wanted. It wouldn''t be a Skull Island without some kind of pirate presence. Continuing with my new keystone idea, I added a black obsidian skull painted with purple markings, imitating those Mexican festival face paints. This would be the island''s ''treasure.'' I gave it the same place-holder-key and anti-theft/identification enchantments, then added the fun parts. It made the holder invisible, but only to visible light. Those with manasight, like myself, could still see them. And, of course, so could the manabeings. If they could somehow escape the pitch black caverns, they''d have a potent artifact. If they could make it out. With Dragonskull Island on one end of the Elemental Isles, my next choice was obvious. I needed to balance the darkness with a light on the opposite end. ?le de Lumi¨¨re was made in two parts. The first was a wide, flat circle of sparkling silica sand. From the center of the sand, a forest of crystal trees radiated, dominated by the largest in the center. Of course, they weren''t actual trees. I crafted each tree individually from the almost-pure silica that I could filter from the sand on the continental shelf on the surface. The crystal trees acted like prisms, and in the midday sun, the entire island glittered with a rainbow of colors. I released a dozen golems here, half Potentium and the other half made of the same quartz as the trees. Their manacores were extremely obvious, being shining cores of light. The veins of mana that let them control the golem were visible, spreading from the core like roots. I also released six fairy-sized golems just to see what happened. The Potentium golems looked like shining gold figures, almost bright white silhouettes. The light mana they radiated added to the normal light bouncing around the trees. It should do just as well to blind and disorient guilders with manavision as ordinary people would be blinded. With the island being so bright in the daylight, almost as bright under moonlight, and with no life on the barren island, I decided not to bring in any animals. Though maybe I''d come back to it later with more ideas. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. This island''s keystone was a sun-shaped quartz amulet, enchanted to brighten any room the user entered to a visible level. However, it would be less effective under my Shadow enchantments. Still, this artifact would be vital to navigating the caverns under Dragonskull Island. Of course, its downside was that it would infuriate any shadow manabeings, and they would attack unrelentingly to destroy the light. I only had one mana type left for the third and final island I worked on. Lightning. I had yet to bring any lightning manabeings in, so this was my first chance to look at them. The sprites were like tiny balls of lightning, constantly arcing with sparks just by existing. When given a Potentium Golem, their abilities were enhanced almost as much as metal manabeings were! It made sense, of course. Potentium is an alloy of Orichalcum, Moonsilver, and Mithril, enhanced versions of copper, silver, and iron. All of which were conductive metals to various degrees. The golems ended up only vaguely humanoid. Their two legs combined into a single grounding ''leg,'' while the torso and arms beefed up. The golems glowed white-hot and had eyes that glowed blue, just like the constant ''lightning cloak'' they gave off. Their arms could extrude whips, giving them a powerful melee attack to compliment their long-range lightning bolts. I was stuck on what kind of island would work best for them and eventually settled on a very spiky, cliff-filled design. This island would be close to Dragonskull Island to exploit its localized storm. It was comprised of a cascade of sharp, jagged ridgelines, high in the middle and slowly lowering as they radiated out. Between the ridges were deep valleys through which I embedded Iron ore. It was rather expensive, iron-wise, but the Drake-kin were mining a fair amount, and I didn''t expect them to run out. The weirdly generic ''iron ore'' acted similarly to magnetite in being very conductive. The manabeings could live there, between ridges. The ridges ran in a spiral pattern, with a path at the valleys below, which ran from the edge to the island''s center. It rose and fell, had treacherous cliff-side paths, and there were only occasional caves. As I finished the island, I was jolted from my creation spree by a familiar feeling. Guilders were entering my dungeon? For the first time since before the invasion!? This, I had to see. -0-0-0-0-0- The First Floor, The Dungeon, Atlantis -0-0-0-0-0- Jerrard Losat walked up to the carved black columns, lit by teal fire and a huge on-the-edge-of-an-explosion-at-all-times fake sun. Jerrard wondered if the dungeon, ''The Creator,'' could destabilize one. Well, if it hadn''t, he wouldn''t be the one to mention it. As they approached the door to the winding triangular tunnels, the side door opened. Weapons shifted, just in case, but it was only the lizardlady. A Kobold, the same one they''d been speaking to for months. She didn''t look any different from before. Healthier, in fact. The Creator hadn''t punished her after all. "Ah, Miss Losat and company, welcome, " the Kobold began, bowing slightly. "The Creator has something he wishes to pass on before you delve into the dungeon." "Your creator promised we would still be able to delve," Isid began to complain but stopped when the Kobold raised a hand. "Peace! Of course, you can still delve, but He just wanted to ensure you knew this new rule. Breaking it will invoke what He calls ''Hard Mode.'' Many of the dungeon''s residents are sapient, thinking beings; these are considered Children. The rest are normal monsters. For the most part, the visible differences are armor, weapons, and tool use." The Kobold took a breath before continuing. "Monsters are free game. Feel free to kill any you come across, as they will be doing their best to kill you. Children are more of a mixed bag. Villages accessible to guilders do exist, and if you come across one, we ask that you not kill any Child within. They are non-combatants. Suppose you encounter a Child or group of Children while delving, such as the Drake-kin miners on the Seventh or the Trial Guardians of the Third. In that case, they are part of the challenge and can be killed." "Villages are off-limits. Anything else?" Isid asked succinctly. The Kobold nodded and opened the outer layer of her robe. In a series of inner pockets, Jerrard could see the glittering shapes of Teleport Crystals. "These crystals are one-use only, and will cost you a gold piece each," the Kobold stated, to general outcry. "That''s highway robbery!" the lightning mage insisted, her electric hair sparking at her irritation. "It''s your life," the Kobold responded evenly. "These crystals grant you an immense advantage, one we know you would abuse if given access to them cheaply. After all, you have done it before, and we are unwilling to see a return to that state of affairs. While you are favored by The Creator, His favor is not unlimited. He finds your delves entertaining. Surely you have noticed trials and puzzles appear in your path? He sees you complete floors and makes changes based on them. It is only fair to warn you, but you''ll find the Fifth much changed. He felt the castle was... underutilized once the exit was found." Jerrard frowned. That wasn''t good. The fifth was already draining, having to slaughter their way through the living fungus monsters to find a key. If the castle itself had been changed... "Thank you for the forewarning," Isid said, bowing her head at the Child. "We''ll take one crystal for every member of the raid." His wife pulled a clinking pouch from her bag and poured nine coins into her palm. The trade proceeded quickly, and they soon moved on. He saw Haythem and Paetor''s parties look at their crystals wistfully for a moment. Both parties had lost a member to the invasion, and their absences were hard-felt. Jerrard found himself expecting Flasa in Haythem''s shadow and was saddened each time she wasn''t there. The first five floors were... not easy, but familiar. The ''Trial Guardians,'' as the Kobold had called them, were leagues better combatants than they''d been months ago, and it showed. It wasn''t enough to match a platinum, but they were getting there. The ''squires'' and ''apprentices'' watching the battles would apparently replace them soon, and Jerrard found himself nodding. That made sense. Send the more experienced monsters deeper, replacing them with weaker ones that will slowly gain experience. They''d eventually train replacements, and the cycle would continue. Only after they managed to retrieve the fungal key from an ever-more varied and deadly force of fungal monsters and reached the castle did Jerrard feel the true measure of the gatekeeper''s warnings. They could no longer freely pass through the castle. There was but one path. It was full of Monsters, Children, and Spirits around every corner. Eventually, they found themselves in another hall with a large lever against a metal gate. Shrugging, Haythem pulled it. With a judder, the gate rose. Passing through... they were back at the start. He turned around, but unlike what he expected, the gate didn''t fall, trapping them back at the start. With a heat-haze-like shimmer, a wall section changed, revealing a lever. An illusion? A pull on this lever lowered the gate. Pulling it again, the gate rose. "A Shortcut?" Isid wondered, and Jerrard nodded to his wife. "Looks like it," he agreed, rubbing his chin. "It''s very... unlike the dungeon. Normally, it likes to make things harder, not easier." "We must be missing something..." Harald wondered, writing furiously in his notebooks. He''d been marking their path through the castle, noting changes as they''d gone. "The castle has retained the same shape as before, but the internals have been rearranged. What did that Kobold say? The castle was underutilized? We can expect the same thing: long, circuitous sections leading back to this main hall, opening up the next section. What does the next section look like?" They continued up a set of stairs that led to a balcony... and nothing else. The roof was right there, though. Tiled... likely slippery. And, of course, the darkness enchantment was active. Jerrard groaned. "I can tell this is going to be a slog." -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 99 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I found true joy in watching the raid of nine struggle across the rooftop section of the castle. Maybe making them fight stone golems in the shape of gargoyles was too much, but inflicting that same pain souls-likes inflicted on me in my youth was cathartic. They hadn''t planned for this new challenge in their supplies and decided to leave after fighting the new mini-boss Gargoyle / Earth Spirit. It was a tough fight, and three of them had to emergency teleport out after being flung from the slippery rooftop they battled on. But they beat it. I ensured the shortcut would activate in the presence of those who teleported away, then moved back down to the Eleventh. It was good manners for this one, but I wouldn''t do it for the rest. Before I did anything new, I needed to make more relics. Keystones? Yeah, relics, I''ll call them relics. I''ve made Life, Darkness, and Light relics so far. I needed to make one each for Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Ice, and Lightning. After that, I still needed to make an island for the Metal Court and their relic. Water didn''t have an island yet either- No! Stay focused! Relics first, then the last two islands. Fire First! I''d already crafted a ''story'' for Isla Fuego; the ancient civilization that lived here sacrificed virgins to the volcano to ''appease'' it. I didn''t want the Guilders to get the wrong idea, so I added one last ''journal'' entry. This one detailed how, after much research, the writer discovered that the volcano would accept the sacrifice of a magical item of sufficient power instead of a virgin woman. Such items were far harder to come by than an unspoiled woman. Once they''d ''sacrificed'' the item to the volcano, a pathway into the caldera would reveal itself. They''d have to fight through an ever-hotter environment, eventually reaching the bubbling lava. The relic I placed in the middle of the throne Igna had made for herself. A dagger made of obsidian, one with lava-like lines that moved and glowed across the blade. As it was henceforth known, the Magma Dagger granted its wielder total immunity to fire and heat. But it also created an aura of heat around the wielder, raising the temperature in the air around them by hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit. Given its location, to even reach it without collapsing in the first place, the potential party would have to have heat-resistant equipment already. Though it would protect one of them from the many fire, molten, and magma golems in the caldera, the rest of their party would suffer the side effects. Next, air! The Winged Helmet would be a relic made of Potentium, and its enchantment powered entirely by air mana. It would boost any jump the user made, tripling the height they could reach. Enough to scale great heights and cross short chasms, but nothing overpowered. As a balance, it would only work under the open sky. When a roof was overhead, either inside a building or underground, it wouldn''t work. Getting into the swing of things, I moved right onto earth. This sizeable coin-sized relic had a square hole cut out of the middle and would grant the archetypal ''Earthbender'' sense. The user could sense vibrations in the earth for up to fifty feet around them. They could send out vibrations and get return signals by stomping on the ground with their feet. However, they''d have to use it fairly often to train this new sense. At first, it would be challenging to understand the signals that would come back. Probably painful, too. Moving right onto Ice, I popped over to the Northern Iceberg. It looked impressive. Easily a titanic killer in size. The Ice Manabeings had grown the ice organically, leaving plenty of tunnels and caverns inside the iceberg. In the largest, deepest chamber, I placed their relic. This one I shaped of ice, and a decent part of the enchantment focused on making sure it wouldn''t break or melt. It was the opposite of the Magma Dagger in terms of its actual ability. The Ice Crown would confer complete immunity to cold; since the user couldn''t feel cold, they wouldn''t know if it was cold. The longer the crown sat on someone''s head, the more it generated a cold aura that slowly increased in strength. It would drop the temperature in an increasingly large area, becoming colder the closer you got to the user. I assumed if someone used it long enough, they''d eventually be trapped in a giant icicle until someone could melt it and release them. It didn''t make them immortal, so they may die of starvation or dehydration eventually. I decided to do Lightning first, with only Water, Lightning, and Metal left. I''d do the Water and Metal relics after I''d done their islands. The yet-unnamed island, which I would fix momentarily, was rather stark and barren. I had a few ideas for improving that, but I was focusing on the relics now. I created what I call the Tesla Amulet. It was a hardened glass orb that contained highly ionized plasma within an orichalcum amulet shaped like an eye. And that was before I started enchanting it. I didn''t want to be boring and make this relic another immunity relic, but I also didn''t want it to just shoot lightning bolts. That''d be boring. So, I became inspired by that item I''d created. This orb would slowly accumulate electrical energy but could be charged faster by feeding it mana. If it were overcharged, it would violently discharge its entire capacitance, no doubt shocking everyone and everything around it. But that was the consequence. What was its use? As a battery that opened doors and activated mechanisms, of course. I revisited almost every island, placing two or three ancient-looking doors with a slot to the side of the doors perfectly shaped for the amulet. It would drain the relic completely and only open the door if charged enough. The doors took varying levels of charge. Some doors blocked access to other relics, while others sectioned off side areas that were yet unused. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Progression-wise, I imagined a party of guilders coming upon these doors and wondering how they opened. They would go from island to island and keep coming upon these doors. Eventually, they''d come to the Lightning Island and find the amulet; from there, they had to revisit every island. Time to work on the final two islands. The next one was obvious. I''d made a promise, after all. -0-0-0-0-0- The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon, Atlantis -0-0-0-0-0- Paragon looked upon the island that was being raised from the ocean. Over the last few days, the Elemental Isles had gained another four islands, as varied in shape as their elements were. The most notable addition was the permeant storm, swirling over two dark, shadowed lands. One was lit by the occasional flash of light, while the other remained shrouded in darkness. Only a few dots of light from ships docked there revealed its location. The verdant and crystalline islands were on the other end of the Isles. It balanced them out quite well. The giant iceberg that floated off the northern edge of the Isles was almost as bright as the light island under the midday sun, Though in a different way, more similar to the moons of this world and its sun. A Court populated each; most had a Spirit as their Monarch, but a select few boasted Fairies. And with these Potentium golem bodies they possessed, The power these Fairies boasted was immense compared to Spirits. Darkness and Air were the only ones with Faries, but he knew that Fire and Stone weren''t far off, and Paragon could feel that he was close to the precipice. It wouldn''t be long now. Not far from Core Island, a new island was being raised. His island. After the basic shape had been raised, he nodded to the group of Metal manabeings that had gathered with him. They returned his nod, and they boarded the ship. The Crabfolk were crafty and had traded transport services to their new island for upgrades to their ship that the Metal Court was more than capable of implementing. The major upgrade was a copper sheath on the hull of their flagship, which they''d named the Drowned Crab. The rest consisted of modifications to their cannons, adding something called rifling to the barrel and reinforcing the whole thing. Paragon wouldn''t be going with them. Are you sure about that decision, Paragon? The Contractor asked. You would be the only Monarch to not reside on your island. "Yes, I am sure." I mean, it''s pretty close to my core island, anyway. The Guilders are six floors away, and I''d have you brought over here before the Guilders even stepped foot on this floor. We''d know days in advance of their approach. "But... this is my task. To defend you." And you''ve done a spectacular job. You were diligent and loyal, and though your services were ultimately unneeded, that doesn''t diminish how much I valued the knowledge that you were right here as my last line of defense when I couldn''t defend myself. Take some time off! Organize your court, reach your next form, and practice with your new power! I promise I''ll have you back here in minutes as soon as you''re needed! "... Very well. I will join my fellow Manabeings." Good! Just think of it as a holiday! "What''s a holiday?" Haaaaah. Yeah. Something you need. Now go on, get on that boat! "It is a ship." Whatever. The Contractor''s presence retreated, and as Paragon joined his attendants on the Drowned Crab, he could see their future island much more clearly. The beaches glimmered, their grains made of copper, ground to a sandy texture. They glittered pleasingly in the light. Where the beach ended, silvery trees took their place. Spires of iron rose from the ocean around the island, making approaching it treacherous but for a single safe path. The waves that crashed into them made even that safe path treacherous, liable to dash your ships into the rocks more than allow you safe passage. The waves calmed for their approach, and the ship was soon at the beach. Paragon and his court leaped from the ship, landing heavily on the copper sand. The Copper and Orichalcum golems sighed, and their feminine-shaped forms practically melted into the sand. All that remained were the tops of their ''heads'' and their oxide-green ''eyes.'' The sprites were delighted, and they ''swam'' in the copper like it was water, joy practically radiating from them. The Silver and Moonsilver Golems found their place when the group reached the trees. They could merge and separate from the trees freely. When integrated with the trees, the golems could control them easily, bending and swaying in a non-existent wind. The Moonsilver golems enhanced the trees rather than just a simple merging. The trees began glowing and grew half-again as tall. Beyond the ring of metal trees, a metal lake lay at the island''s center. Twelve pillars of Iron surrounded the lake of liquid mithril. The Iron Golems could, as with the other kinds of golem, merge with the pillars. They twisted and manipulated them, weaving them into an organic lattice dome that stretched over the lake. The Mithril golems walked into the lake, disappearing beneath the surface. The metal shifted and became a garden of metal flora, excepting a hardened path that led to a throne. Like everything else, the throne was a vine-like lattice. Paragon walked down the path and sat on the throne. At that moment, he stopped holding back. He felt how, all at once, he became more. He felt his Potentium body merge with the throne, and his senses expanded to encompass the entire island. From here, he could coordinate and speak with all of his attendants. An idle thought had the Silver Golems ''grow'' bushes and spread ''grasses'' throughout the forest. Sooooo, how is it? Paragon had the iron lattice dome form a face. It grinned. "I can work with this." -0-0-0-0-0- Guildmistress''s Office, The Guild, Atlantis -0-0-0-0-0- Layla felt a chill run down her back. Something had happened. She wasn''t sure what, and it probably happened with the dungeon. ''The Creator.'' She took a breath and turned back to the beings in her office. "You wanted to talk about the economy?" The Kobold nodded. "That right, white lady! No human trader wants my Talons!" Layla rubbed her temple, looking at the Drake-kin and Capriccio beside the lizardman. "You as well?" They nodded. "None of the merchants will take our money." The drake-kin pulled out a silvery coin that glowed with a bluish-white light. "This is a Talon, the currency of The Children. It''s made of Moonsilver and enchanted against tampering. It''s just as valuable as the gold these traders want! Normal silver and copper don''t have any value! We''ve got tons of the stuff." Layla could feel her headache building. Wasn''t this supposed to be The Voice''s job!? -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 100 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- With the Metal Island done and Paragon finally a fairy, it was time to move on to its relic. Metal isn''t a traditional element, but I didn''t want another ''control element'' relic; it was overdone. Instead, I came up with the Alloy Gauntlet, though I couldn''t call this anything but a cursed item. Upon someone donning this Gauntlet, it would extend, covering their arm in armor up to the shoulder. If the person was already wearing armor, it would eat and replace the metal. Being made of Potentium, the Gauntlet was incredibly potent and would amplify all magic cast with it. What made it cursed? Well, it wouldn''t come off. The only way to remove it was to use it for its intended purpose: as a keystone that activates the gateway to the boss arena, among all the other keystones. Of course, you could also cut their arm off. That was always an option. It''s not a good one, but it''s still an option. This relic was the most powerful I had created so far, and it was only fitting that it rested here, guarded by my most powerful manabeing. I placed the Gauntlet in a chamber sunk inside the liquid metal lake. It was enchanted to rise and reveal its treasure either when Paragon was banished or if he manually triggered it. With Ferrum Isle done, there was only one more island to go. Water, as a court, didn''t really need an island. The whole floor was an ocean, but I still felt that they needed a seat of power, just as the other courts did. Thus, I raised the smallest ''island'' yet: a dozen-yard diameter pile of sand. It featured a single palm tree and was occupied by a single Crabssassin modified to crawl up and down the tree and subsist off its coconuts. The Coconut Crabssassin would guard its island jealously. The real meat and potatoes of this island were under the waves. The tip pointing out of the sea was the highest point of a guyot, akin to Subnautica, about two miles in diameter. Within that area, undersea life thrived. Dozens of biomes, thousands of species of fish. A true marine cornucopia. At the deepest point of this underwater mesa, I carved a crevasse. Inside this dark ravine, I created a city. Yes, I made an actual Atlantis. Shut up! I have gaslighting to perform! It was Greco-Roman in architecture; large columns at the borders of the building led to open-plan living spaces. The most prominent structure, the castle, was almost as intricate as the one on the Fifth. I need a name for that one, actually... But never mind that for now! The rest of the city held buildings made for any purpose one could dream of. There were Barracks were filled with nets, tridents and armor made for merfolk. Open-sea markets peppered the city, often the center of their districts. There were ''spas,'' ''manors,'' ''boutiques,'' and even ''baths.'' The baths were filled with a briny liquid that pooled even in water. With the building done, I moved on to the life that would inhabit it. I was still ruminating on making an actual merpeople species. I had a few ideas percolating through my nonexistent brainmeats. Still, there were a dozen different things I needed to think about before I did it. In the meantime, I filled the city with coral, fish, and seaweed. The Water Court took to the city with gusto. They filled the quiet city with movement and life. With the application of a few tactical golems, it became even more so. Coral is such a fascinating substance, and the Coral Golems were terrifying. It looked just like a regular collection of coral up until you realized, oh, that''s an arm. That the water sprites'' hydromancy was enhanced by occupying these water-adapted forms, if by a much smaller amount than Potentium, was a bonus. With that done, I looked back through the Elemental Isles and... Yeah, I wasn''t nearly done with them. They had so many gaps in their ecosystems and lacked traps and monsters. I still needed to weave a cohesive story for the Isles, with hints of the relics scattered throughout the islands. But for now, they fulfilled their purpose as seats of power for the Courts, environments they could twist to become more suitable for their respective elements. I still had plenty of open ocean to fill, and after a quick glance ten miles into the ''sky'' of the Eleventh, I was reminded that there was a vacuum up there. There was so much I could do with that. But for now, I''d spent enough time in builder mode; I needed to check on the surface. -0-0-0-0-0- Layla''s Office, The Guild Hall, Atlantis -0-0-0-0-0- "Thank you, Voice, for taking time out of your busy day to meet with me," Layla began when the monster entered the room. The unnaturally graceful Child nodded and sat on the comfortable chair Felin had brought in for this meeting. "It''s no trouble at all. I assume there is a reason we couldn''t have this meeting in my office?" Voice of The Creator asked, one eyebrow raised. "While I am confident in the privacy enchantment on my office, I am not so confident in your own. I assume you haven''t had your own enchantment placed since taking over for Mr Medean?" Layla enquired. The Voice frowned slightly and pursed her lips. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "I have not. Is the existing enchantment not adequate?" The Child asked. Layla scoffed. "The man was greedy. He paid for the cheapest enchantment he could. It only muffles voices within the room. Someone with their ear against the door could overcome that." The Voice nodded, still frowning. "I''ll get on that ASAP. I don''t like the idea that my private space isn''t private." Lyla couldn''t help asking a question at the odd word. "ASAP? I''ve never heard that word. What language is it?" The Voice blinked, then sighed and rubbed her eyes. "It''s an acronym meaning ''as soon as possible.'' I was going to ask The Creator to enchant the room after this meeting, but we''ve caught His attention, and He is apparently dealing with it now. Need to get a handle on that bleeding effect..." That last sentence was said quietly, and Layla noted the term for later investigation. "Well, If you give me a second, I''ll activate my privacy enchantment, and we can get on with the meeting." "By all means." Layla touched the wardstone on her desk and watched as the mana woven throughout the walls of her office brightened and became opaque. All the hustle and bustle of the Guild and the birdsong beyond the window faded from her hearing. "Well, this is our first official meeting after your... ascension?" Layla began, trying out the word. It didn''t feel quite right. "What would be the term to use for one of your position?" "I believe ''appointment'' would be the most appropriate," Voice answered after a moment of thought. "And yes, it is. I must apologize for how We ran roughshod over you during and after the invasion. We could have acted with a touch more... diplomacy." Layla blinked. The way she''d begun using ''We'' halfway through her sentence and her connection to the dungeon brightening painted a picture... "I accept your apology but insist you do not overly blame yourselves. The situation changed, and you took the opportunity to secure your existence. I assume I''m speaking to The Creator and His Voice?" "You are," Voice confirmed. "He is listening closely." Layla nodded confidently, took a breath, and began. "We have a few things to discuss today. One, The tariffs Duke Medean has levied against goods from Med- Atlantis." Before Layla could continue, Voice waved a clawed hand dismissively. "Not an issue. While they might be the closest port to us on the mainland, we can send the goods through Kolchiss instead. It''s only a few more days sailing north." "Ah, yes. I heard Lady Kolchiss retook her maiden name. And what of the rumor she has been seen in your presence?" "I needed a steward, one more experienced with ruling than I. With a bonified Lady at my court, one whose father rules their own independent dukedom after the Phenoc''s shattering, why wouldn''t I employ her?" Layla nodded. That made sense. "And when the time comes for her to give birth? The babe will be the heir of both Medean and Kolchiss," She observed, to which Voice smiled. "I have a Child interested in administration shadowing her," Voice admitted. "She can teach them all she knows, and when the time comes, she can take leave to have and raise her child." Layla nodded. The rest of her reasons went unsaid. If the babe happened to grow up on Atlantis and later inherited two dukedoms... Their decisions were their own. "The second thing to discuss is about the Children on the surface," Layla said, returning to her list. "I''ve had dozens of complaints from Humans and Children both about trade, mostly about the Children attempting to use Talons as currency and the humans not understanding what a Talon is worth." The Voice was silent for a time, and Layla sat patiently. Watching how the connection the monster had to the dungeon pulsed was fascinating. Thinking back, Layla didn''t remember being able to see these connections back when they found the dungeon. It was definitely a recent development. She would tell her aunt about it the next time they met. "The Creator will ensure the Children know the exchange rate of human coins to Talons, and they will abide by it. I will make a similar announcement tomorrow for the humans, including that merchants can exchange their Talons for Coins, and vice versa, at a new bank that will be established soon. A combined workforce of Children and Humans will begin construction within the week." Layla blinked. That was... comprehensive. "Ah. Thank you. That sets my mind at ease. You will be using the quarry?" "Indeed," Voice agreed, nodding. "They did well to supply us the stone for the harbor extension, and supplanting them entirely for Children and resources from the dungeon would be incredibly short-sighted." "Thirdly, I would like to ask if any more changes will be made to the Fifth floor or higher." "Oh? Why is that?" "I have been collating and writing a guide and map book for the dungeon," Layla explained, pulling out said roughly bound leather book. "It is relatively comprehensive, but the changes to the Castle have caused much extra work for Harald." Voice motioned for the book and quickly flipped through it. Layla wasn''t sure if she was actually reading it; she was going through it so fast, but she looked interested. After skimming it, she closed it and handed it back. "You''re right, that was quite comprehensive," Voice complimented. "No mistakes on monsters, nor their capabilities. You even outlined rough maps of each floor, key locations, and how to identify trapped rooms and hallways in the Second''s case." Layla once again found herself unable to stop herself from asking a question. "You''re not going to stop me from distributing this?" "Of course not. As I said before the invasion-," Voice said, her mannerisms suddenly changing. Layla was talking to The Creator directly now. "I actually like you humans delving into the dungeon. You once declared my dungeon a Grindstone: a place you can endlessly throw yourself at, sharpening your skills and strength. The opposite is also true, and the Third Floor is the best example in my case. The Trial Guardians have only grown in skill. They will soon descend deeper into the dungeon, increasing the capability of my defenses as they train their replacements and any future apprentices and squires. We sharpen each other." The Creator looked at Layla, glee dancing in The Voice''s eyes. "Anyone delving into the dungeon with no intention to shatter, enslave, or otherwise abuse me will always be welcome to delve into the dungeon. I have made so many beautiful things and places, it would be a shame if no one ever reached them." -0-0-0-0-0- Experimental Chambers, The Seventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Huea looked at the body restrained against the enchanted and reinforced metal slab. They''d kept Hallmark''s body mostly intact with regular injections of Life magic. A couple of Life sprites were brought up and assigned to the job when The Creator summoned them. The tiny butterfly-winged golem bodies, which The Creator called a ''Modern Fairy,'' were adorable! The man''s Core lay on the pedestal a few feet before the body. They''d learned so much studying dead cores; having one that still contained a living soul was utterly fascinating. It led to Huea finally isolating the mana type they needed. Death Mana. Much like Light is the purer form of Fire and Darkness is the purer form of Water, Death is the more refined form of Life. Life is composed of Air and Water; thus, Death was the first Third Tier Element they''d discovered. Death Mana was actually a misnomer. It''s Soul Mana, technically, but since interacting with the soul is only possible after the body''s death and the removal of the Goddess''s protection... Death Mana is also correct. Combining Death Mana with Life Mana and performing various tests on smaller monsters... They were ready for a real test. It was time to perform the spell. She couldn''t wait to see how it turned out. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 101 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I watched with metaphorically bated breath as Huea began the spell. Where Life Mana was a vibrant green reminiscent of lush leaves and grasses, Soul Mana was a much paler green. It could be construed as sickly and even linked to moss and mold. I could see where someone unfamiliar with mana could link this color of mana to Death. It glowed hauntingly and cast strange shadows as the energy lit the room. Hallmark''s core had been placed back into his chest, completely restored. His ribs were bent back into place, and his skin healed, leaving it unmarred. The man''s Soul still rested in there, though it had been subdued in recent days. I was unsure how much he could sense from there, but it didn''t matter. Either way, Just putting the core back into the body with a soul wasn''t enough. Huea reached the spell''s crescendo, casting a ''net'' of soul mana that enveloped and bound the body. It rested there for a second, pulsing as she continued feeding mana down the ''leashing'' cord connected to the net. With a flash, the net of mana sunk into the skin. Hallmark''s index finger, on his right hand, twitched. I watched carefully as the body''s chest rose, a rattling inhale echoing through the room. His eyes fluttered, then he looked around. He was alive, but there was one teeny tiny difference. There wasn''t any kind of divine protection around him anymore. "Wha-" Hallmark tried to speak but began coughing almost immediately. Huea stepped forward. "Hallmark, welcome back to the mortal plane," she began, drawing the newly risen man''s eyes. "Rise and stand before your new Mistress." The ethereal green leash pulsed, and Hallmark staggered off the angled slab. His eyes widened in surprise as he took three steps, then stood unmoving before the Drake-kin. "What have you done to me," Hallmark demanded, his voice still rasping. He seemed to swallow. His fingers clenched, but he was unable to move his arms. Perfect, that part of the spell was working. "You should be thanking me," Huea answered, walking around and inspecting the man''s body. No doubt she had her manasight activated. "You''ve joined a very exclusive club. You are the first successful resurrection of a sapient being in this world for hundreds of years." "I- What- I don''t-" Hallmark stumbled over his words, shock obvious. "Get it together, my undead Minion. It''s a simple concept. I''ve brought you back from the dead; you are now my servant. Your life is bound to me, and you cannot move against me in any way, shape, or form. Raise your arm, then salute." Hallmark watched his arm raise, then slam into his chest, fist clenched. Huea smiled, and I joined the conversation. I didn''t speak to Hallmark directly, as we had no idea how connecting a mana tendril to the undead man would influence the bond Huea used to control him. It seems to be a success; there are only a couple more tests, and then we can move on to the Corpse Animation spell. Huea nodded, then spoke up again. "Minion, raise one leg, and hop in place chanting ''My Life For My Mistress''!" Hallmark raised one leg, hopped in place, and did so, chanting all the while. His eyes burned with rage. "That''s enough. Stretch as far as your body will allow, using all the exercises you know. Any questions, my Minion?" Huea drawled, sitting down on the stone throne behind her. "Am I still in the dungeon?" Hallmark asked, disturbed as his body moved without his mind''s consent. "Of course. You got further than any before, all the way to the Ninth! That''s no easy feat, and when we found that your Soul was still in your core? It was an opportunity we refused to let pass us by. Thanks to you, We''ve rediscovered Necromancy. Or Soul Magic. Whichever you want to call it, really." "And what is to become of me?" Hallmark asked, trying for a serious tone. That he was currently bending forward and looking at her from between his legs took something from that. "For now, you are to be my servant. There are more tests to complete and more undead to raise. We also have more tests to perform on you, specifically. Such as, is your body still alive, or will it slowly rot away? Was this true resurrection, or merely Soul mana binding your soul to your body, animating it." Huea babbled, eyes shining. "It''s time to do some Science!" Ah. It''s safe to say I may have made a monster. I mean, she was a monster already, but- never mind. On with the tests! We spent the next few days running as many tests as we could. It turned out that this wasn''t True Resurrection. We could maintain Hallmark''s body by adding life mana, but it would expend itself slowly. Honestly, I expected this. Getting a complete and total resurrection of the mind, body, and soul on the first attempt would be... anticlimactic. He also didn''t feel pain anymore and had a more extensive range of motion and more brute strength. For now, I assigned a Life Pixie- what I was calling the fairy-sized golems- to follow him around and keep him topped up with Life Mana. Who knows if he would maintain his skill if his flesh rotted away. After that had been dealt with, Huea performed the next spell we had designed, the Corpse Animation Spell. Or Raise Zombie/Skeleton if you''re a traditionalist. The spell wasn''t picky. We had the bodies of hundreds of Bahrain soldiers, thanks to our cleanup after their invasion. As such, we had plenty of test subjects. It was unlike when I possessed skeletons or had a sprite do the same. The Soul Mana animated the Skeleton, and it moved on its own! It only did something if its master, Huea, gave it an order. Move here, guard this, or patrol this hallway, for example, but you get the idea. Next on the list? Summoning Soul Sprites. -0-0-0-0-0- Experimental Chambers, The Fifth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Hallmark could only watch with increasing horror as his new Mistress performed her tests and cast her spells. He was trapped in his mind, allowed only the control his Mistress granted him. All except his eyes. His eyes were the only way to express his feelings, no matter what the monster demanded of him. And he was feeling a lot. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Anger at his situation. Resignation at the same. Disgust, Horror, Shock, and more. He''d been swiftly armored in a full suit of black metal, one designed to accommodate his new range of flexibility. He was handed a claymore and told to follow his Mistress, looking intimidating. On the second day, he saw what he looked like in a mirror. Deathly pale skin, eyes glowing with that fel green light of Necromancy. That tiny manabeing that followed him, giggling incessantly, made sure to occasionally top him up with Life mana. He could briefly see color return to his skin, though it became pale within a few minutes. The... The other undead were nothing like him. The bodies his Mistress raised were old, by more than a week, given the smell. They were soulless, foul creatures. It mattered not whether their bodies were otherwise whole or mere skeletons. They were mindless, needing to be ordered around, with no will to improvise. Their skills were atrocious. Swords were treated like clubs as zombies swung them in the general direction of their target. Arrows shot by Skeleton Archers pinged off armor or missed entirely. When she used the ''Raise Zombie'' spell on a Bahrain guilder, though... Mistress ordered him to fight this ''Wight,'' as she named it, to gauge its skill level. The spar was short, but it lasted three blows more than the typical ''Zombies,'' quite the feat. He heard his Mistress mumbling about the effect of the core on the body and spell, acting as a focus and control node for the zombie. A Bahrain Guilder raised as a Skeleton showed the same traits. Increased skill and rudimentary intelligence, but nothing truly exceptional. Another item of note was the changes he observed in the monster who had resurrected him. Mistress had begun the tests with light-grey scales, a hue not unlike the stone of the caves they resided in. Now those scales were... stained. Blackened. She muttered constantly, and her eyes had gained a hint of the fel green light of Necromancy. Hallmark took it as evidence of Necromancy corrupting its users, just as various temples across the world claimed. Then, they moved on to the prisoners. Hallmark felt something big had happened on the surface after he''d died. There was no way that the Dungeon could have captured dozens of living Bahrain soldiers, mages, and sailors otherwise. He stood to the left of his Mistress''s throne as she cleared her throat. She straightened from her hunched position, where she''d been pouring over some documents in a language he couldn''t read. "Ah, Good. The test subjects are here. Take them to the holding cells, exceeeept that one," Mistress ordered, singling out a burly sailor. "Bring him here, Minion." Hallmark seethed as his body moved without his consent. He stomped over, clasped the Sailor''s upper arm in his gauntleted hand, then dragged him over, throwing him to the ground before the throne. The prisoner had cuffs on his arms and legs, connected by chains to prevent excess movement. The Sailor began begging. At least, as far as Hallmark could tell. He didn''t speak their language, but the clasped hands and pleading tone were obvious. Mistress cast a spell on the kneeling man, and there was no outward change. "Kill him, Minion. A swift pierce of the heart." Hallmark drew his sword and did so, his sword sliding easily between the gaps in the ribcage. The man gaped for a moment, then the sword was withdrawn, and he died. It was the process of about a minute, slowly bleeding out on the stone floor. The moment he died, the fel light of Necromancy flashed from the body, and it stood up. From the way the new undead''s eyes flickered around, blinking rapidly... He was like Hallmark. "Success!" Mistress exclaimed, clapping once with a smile. "The spell trapped the Soul within the body and triggered immediately on death! Wonderful! What''s next on the list, Minion?" "Soul Sprites, Mistress," Hallmark droned emotionlessly. "Ah, yes! Spark, Slice, and bring in the golem bodies. Ruby, take Minion Number Two to the holding cells where we keep the aimless ones." Mistress spoke in the Bahrain language, getting the newly resurrected man''s attention. The man followed a red drake-kin out of the room while the other two drake-kin wheeled in two golems on strange devices. They had a plate on the bottom, connected to a long tube that turned back on itself at the top, with wheels at the connecting point. It made moving those heavy statues around easy, though. One of the ''Golems,'' as Mistress called them, was made of the same metal as his sword. He remembered seeing a lot of it during his fateful delve. The other was seemingly made of bone. It wasn''t a standard skeleton, but it looked like a composite of at least five human skeletons, extra bones used as armor. It had four arms and stood at least seven feet tall. Three joints on the legs and three heads seemed excessive, though. He watched Mistress perform the same summoning spell he''d seen done dozens of times. When the two balls of mana appeared, both radiating that same fel green light. After a moment, both sprites zoomed over to the golems, taking one each. The Bone Golem glowed to life, the jaws of its head chattering with silent laughter. One of the drake-kin assistants handed it a great axe, and then it wandered off on its own. The Golem that was made of metal and warped into something truly terrifying. Its surface turned a tarnished black, almost mimicking his Mistresses'' scales in their change. Its mouth became a yawning blackness that seemed to swallow everything that touched it. It grew jagged claws, and its eyes glowed menacingly. As the transformation concluded, the other assistant stepped forward and draped the being in a black, ragged cloak. There was a rattle, and Hallmark Felt His Soul Twitch. He shuddered, his eyes never leaving the creature as it moved so smoothly out of the room it looked like it was floating. He hoped he''d never encounter one of those things again and felt relief at the look of discomfort on Mistress''s face. If she didn''t like them either... Maybe she wouldn''t make any more? "Well, that was interesting. Spark, Slice, bring in the next two. They should be a Bone Horse and another of the Potentium ones." Or maybe she would. -0-0-0-0-0- The Merchantman Ship Good Tidings, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Captain Eli Hart walked off the gangplank with wary eyes. Rumors of what was happening at Medea Island had been racing up and down the coast. Or, Atlantis, he supposed it was called now. Given the monsters walking about the dock, interacting with humans, trading, loading and unloading ships... He supposed at least a few of them were true. He was soon approached by a goat-like monster holding a clipboard. "Papers?" The monster prompted. Eli blinked and realized he''d been staring at the monster for a minute already. "Ah, I''m sorry. I have them right... Gresh! Ah, thank you." Eli took the papers from his navigator, who rolled his eyes. "Right here, my good gentlemonster." The monster took the papers and scanned them quickly, speaking as he did. "A few things to note. This is your first visit since the change in management on the island. All non-humans, on the surface, are considered equal to humans under the eyes of the law. Do not refer to them as ''Monsters,'' as that word refers to non-sapient Children and is rather offensive. We are known as the Children of the Creator, Children for short. Each species has its own name, but Children is the catchall term. "Some vendors at the market deal exclusively in Talons, the currency of the Dungeon. To exchange Talons for gold, copper, and silver coins, go to the new bank next to Market Plaza. You can''t miss it. You will come with me now to pay the docking fee and a deposit you will get back before you leave." The mon-Child explained, noting down a few details in a form and ripping off a receipt. Hart was already striding off to this new bank by the time the Child looked up again. "Gresh! Pay the man the docking fee!" "This still isn''t my JOB!" he heard Gresh exclaim, and he only laughed in response. He wanted to check the island out. The town looked very much the same. There was no damage from the invasion; if there had been any, it was repaired. There was roughly one Child per three humans, by his count. It was startling to realize all these beings had been in the Dungeon. Just how big was it? Hart marveled at the many different species of Children as he approached the very obvious bank. It hadn''t been there before, and with the columns, it looked more like a temple than a bank. Then again, he supposed some people did worship coin, and having a temple to the god of Trade also be a bank was quite a good idea. But back to the Children. There were more like the dockmaster, goat-people with black skin and thick, red wool. There were also large Cow-men, generally seen aiding humans in hauling large quantities of stone. It seemed like three or four buildings were being constructed around the town, so that made sense. The lizardmen outnumbered the rest by a large margin in at least three different forms. A smaller, thinner one. A larger, more refined-looking being and the third resembled the second but for the white fur ruffs around their necks, wrists, and ankles. Though the colors among them varied, the furred were all shades of blue and white. The refined ones were the colors of rocks or gemstones, and the lanky ones were brighter, the colors resembling tropical flowers in their vividness. He saw only one of the giant scorpions and gave it a wide berth. While he was sure it was a lovely being, the fact was that it freaked him the fuck out. The robe draped over its upper half, and the book in its grasp, along with some jewelry and seemingly holy symbols, had him thinking it was a priest. However, he couldn''t identify what god it was by the iconography. Perhaps this ''Creator'' the dockmaster mentioned? As he pushed his way into the bank, he felt giddy. This island was already immensely profitable before. He could scarcely imagine the riches he would make now! -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 102 -0-0-0-0-0- Atlantis Bank, Atlantis, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Towers-Over-Others looked up from his writings as a human approached his desk. The man wore a flamboyantly wide-brimmed hat with a feather stuck in the band. "Ah, my good sir! Would you be one of the esteemed bankers of this fine establishment?" The human questioned. He then paused, waiting for an answer. Towers sighed "I would, but you can''t understand a word I say. My mouth is not made to produce human languages." Towers answered. The man looked disturbed, which was an all-too-common reaction to Scorpeese. Something about the chittering, clicking language, which made perfect sense to Children, made a chill run down the spine of most humans. Towers turned from the man, who seemed to be experiencing just that, towards a capriccio walking nearby. "Baliet," Towers called out, getting the goat-woman''s attention. "Could you direct this man to the banking tills?" The capriccio nodded and approached. "Sir, the bankers are over at those tills there," Baliet relayed, pointing to the opposite side of the hall. "And have you not interacted with a Scorpan before? Unfortunately, they just can''t make the sounds your human languages use." "Ah! Thank you... madam? I have not, and that is fascinating! Can you understand him?" The man questioned as Baliet began walking away with him. "Of course. All Children can understand each other, no matter the language we speak. I can point you to a Priest of The Creator if you like. They will likely know the answer to your questions, and if not, they can ask The Creator directly..." Towers looked down at his paperwork as they passed from an easy listening distance. He sighed. He''d spent ages figuring out how to get clay tablets to work. They''d worked wonderfully, and with a proper medium, he''d been able to start writing down everything he could about the language The Creator had gifted him the knowledge of. He''d written it in Phenoc, of course. What use was a primer on the Runic language when it was written in the Runic language? There was none, of course. Then, The Creator had claimed the surface, and paper was suddenly much easier to acquire. He''d already visited the small paper mill on the island and found the process fascinating, though the mill was too small to supply the island adequately. The rest needed to be imported from the Phenocs. Still, he found working with these ''quills'' far more irritating than just carving on a tablet. They were thin and prone to breakage. They held so little ink that he needed to refill it constantly, and more than once, he''d pressed too hard. That created unsightly ink blots on the paper, which meant he''d needed to start over the page entirely. He had a small mountain of crumpled paper, one of four, next to the desk. One mountain was made of fired clay tablets containing his initial writings on the Runic language. These were ones he had yet to get to. The second, smaller mountain was of tablets from which he''d already transferred the text. While tablets were much easier to write on, space efficient they were not, evidenced by the difference in size between the second and third mountain. That may be an exaggeration. The ''mountain'' of paper wasn''t quite a mountain. The stack of paper, covered in dense lines of text, was no more thick than any other book. The time and effort spent producing it certainly compared to mountain climbing. He put down the quill as he finished the page. A slight wind/fire spell produced a warm breeze, quickly drying the ink on the page. He hadn''t known to do that in the beginning. In the middle of the crumpled paper mountain were pages that just so happened to be stuck together, the ink running and transferring between them. He placed it at the bottom of the stack and looked at the top page again. The book''s title was in the Phenoc language, Phenocian, with the subtitle written in Runic below it. ''A Primer on Runic, The Language of The Creator and His Children.'' ''For those who cannot understand the words within.'' ''Written by Towers-Over-Others'' Of course, this wasn''t for The Children''s benefit. What would be the point of a primer for a language that any Child could ask for the understanding of? No. This was for the humans. The Creator had explained that a couple of guilders were attempting to translate Runic from all the carvings throughout the dungeon, but they weren''t having much luck. The language was just... too different from Phenocian. In Runic, each word was condensed into a single symbol. These symbols were composed of lines, dashes, and angles. The word could mean something entirely different if even a single element was changed. The sentence structure, adjectives, subjects, and verbs were organized differently. The main difference between Runic and Phenocian was that humans'' written language came after spoken language. The letters were associated with specific syllables or sounds arranged according to how they were spoken. Runic was purpose-made to be as information-dense as possible. It didn''t have a spoken language to go along with it. The Creator called it a ''Dead'' language. The people who initially spoke it were all long gone, and the knowledge of how to speak it was gone with them. Even He didn''t know how the words were spoken. This book, as well as future copies, would be used as something called loot. A treasure, to be given to the guilders for defeating Tear on the Seventh. With the changes to the Fifth, he still had plenty of time to finish it. And he was eager to finish since he could get on with all the other books he wanted to write once he was done. The Scorpan King, Strikes-The-Air, had commissioned a compilation of The Creator''s teachings and methods of prayer in both Runic and Phenocian. Given that all Children could speak with The Creator at will, though they would never dare catch his attention over something trivial, this book could only mean one thing. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He wanted to spread the worship of The Creator to the surface. -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Atlantis, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The effect the soul magic was having on Huea was... confusing. Soul Mana seemed to warp and change the flesh it came into contact with, and I had a theory on why. It''s soul magic. Its only purpose is to affect souls, and moving through the medium of flesh to shape the spells changed the flesh itself to better channel it. To be fair, It did do that. Huea became noticeably better at gathering Soul Mana and casting the spells more efficiently. I kept a careful eye on her throughout the experiments. While she did become slightly megalomaniacal at the end of the day, she shifted back a few days after the experiments ended while being banned from using Soul Mana. For her safety, I restricted the number of soul mana spells she could cast daily after that. Thankfully, having the ''leashes'' of five ''risen,'' two dozen zombies and ten skeletons wasn''t acting as a constant source of Soul Mana drain. No telling if that would change if she raised more, though. But, on to the other part of the Experiments! The Risen, what I was calling the undead who still possessed souls, were just the same as Hallmark. They weren''t actually alive. Their bodies didn''t need to breathe, drink, or eat. They were more like puppets, and their souls pulled the strings of their bodies. The ''net'' spell Huea cast trapped the soul within the body on the affected''s death and turned from a net into a network, the ''strings'' that the soul could then use to puppet the body. The ''Raise Zombie'' spell was much worse, in comparison. With no actual soul to act as the puppet master, the soul mana in the spell pretended to be one. They could follow simple commands, but that was all. But, in comparison, the Soul Sprites were utterly fascinating! They''d shared that this was the first summoning of soul manabeings in a very long time, which tracked with necromancy being exterminated and outlawed. But that also made me wary. The other manabeings in my dungeon had hinted about the gods and their relationship to them, and I worried about catching the attention of whatever being acted as the god of Souls. Sounded like a god of death to me, and I didn''t want anything to do with it. In the end, I had about ten Sprites possessing golems. There were various bone golems, including the Bone Colossus, Two Death Knights, two Skeleton Horses, and the Undead Wyvern. The Colossus was one of the original two sprites I summoned, composed of multiple skeletons to create a hulking, imposing being. The Death Knights were each paired with a Skeleton Horse to compliment the huge lances I gave them. The Wyvern was made on a whim, using the last dozen Drake-kin skeletons, combining them such that the resulting being resembled Wave''s current form. The fact that it resembled that one Skyrim undead dragon was a coincidence; there are only so many dragon designs you can go with. For now, they remained in the experimental chambers. I didn''t want the knowledge I had access to soul magic to spread since that would probably get the human churches to declare a crusade against me. -0-0-0-0-0- ???, ???, ??? -0-0-0-0-0- The Ferryman Stirs. What!? Impossible! I speak only the truth. They''ve shifted in their watch over the hells, and their gaze has focused on the mortal world again. This... is most disturbing. Something must be done! You know what happened the last time. Of course, I do. I''ve already done what I can. Damn, these laws. Oh, how I long for the days when we could deal with threats like this ourselves. The laws were made for a reason. It was too disruptive to the humans. In the thousands of years we walked among them, they never changed. But look at them now! More of them are dying than ever, only strengthening The Ferryman and their domain. But there are so many more of them, bolstering Life to stand against them! Percentage-wise, fewer die every year. Err, except this year. There has been more than the usual amount of Chaos. Speaking of, did you check the rest of them? I checked, and they''re all inactive. Are you sure? Yes, I''m sure. Void hasn''t moved in Millenia. Chaos is still locked away. Death is the only one. Touchy. Are we gonna let the rest know? Order would dismiss it before they ever brought it before the rest... But Light would do something about It. He has the most followers out of us all and lost the most, you know, last time. You''re right about Order. I don''t like going behind their back, but we must do something about this. If you''re going to tell Light, what about Life? Life and Light are joined at the hip. Anything you tell one, the other will hear about soon enough. She''s second on the number of followers and already detests The Ferryman. She''s invested in her little monkeys and doesn''t want them to die. True... Alright. I trust you. Uh, Thanks. See you later? Definitely. . . . I???????t?????????r????e????s?????t???????????????? -0-0-0-0-0- Council Chambers, High Temple of The Gods, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- "Silence!" Archpriest Garyson declared, "I know this information is shocking, but our response must be swift and united in its execution. Now, will you let me finish without descending into pointless rabbling?" He finished, raising an eyebrow. There were a few grumbles, but when each Archpriest and Priestess on the council again took their seat, he repeated his earlier announcement. "Seers and Oracles from at least five different temples have been having premonitions of great change and upheaval for most of a year. This is something you are all aware of. But, in the last week, their dreams have changed. The Undead now feature prominently in their visions of chaos and death. Someone has rediscovered necromancy, though we do not yet know who." "It must be the Bahrain! Their invasion of our kingdom failed, and now they turn to dark magics to bring about our end!" "I disagree. I believe someone discovered a lost grimoire, and it has been corrupted by its magic. We must send out priests trained to locate Death mana and eliminate them before they grow in power further!" The room was in chaos once again, though Garyson had at least been able to finish his announcement before the arguments started. The Archpriest of the God of Light and Justice sagged in his chair. Archpriestess Lilianna of the Temple of Life shouted down Archpriest Frand of the Temple of Water. Frand was well-known for blaming anything he could on Bahrain, judging them as heretics. Garyson knew better, as did most of the other Archpriests. The gods were the gods, no matter the names humans assigned them. The Bahrain god of Light and the Desert was the same as his own god. They just focused on different aspects of the god and his domains. The Bahrain were more focused on survival, a reflection of their culture. The Desert was harsh, and what were the gods but a reflection of the world? Light in the Phenoc Kingdom, or dukedoms as it were, meant peace, hard work, and the knowledge that justice would be done. In Bahrain, Light meant unrelenting heat, dehydration, and the tempering of a man. Garyson shook his head. This was no time to wax philosophy. The argument continued through the night, with initiates and acolytes bringing food and watered wine to keep the aging clergy awake and active. Much was discussed. Options were assessed, and their ultimate strategy was presented, dismissed, circled around to, and changed enough that no one was happy with the result. A true compromise. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 103 -0-0-0-0-0- The Dungeon, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- After only a few days of experimentation, the holding cells were full to bursting with undead. I didn''t want to keep expanding the cells to hold more of them. Having the undead there did nothing for anyone except stress out The Risen. Thankfully, I had an idea for just the place to put them. While castles, ruins, and other decaying vestiges of civilizations were known throughout fiction as magnets for various undead, there was only one place where they were the sole occupants. Tombs. While Graveyards technically counted, if they possessed a mausoleum, they were often the haunts of vampires and werewolves. Thus, they were not the sole domain of the risen dead. But either way, what were Earth''s most incredible and impressive tombs? The Pyramids. Enormous complexes, constructed within a human lifetime through means unknown to house the body of their demi-god kings, the Pharaohs. It would be like having a dungeon inside my dungeon! A Sub-Dungeon! Dungeonception? Whatever. I wanted pyramids and whadayaknow; I had plenty of open, unused desert on the Ninth Floor. It was easy to build a Pyramid despite what thousands on Earth believed. I just had to cut rectangular stone blocks from the ground and start placing them pyramidal. Getting that white sheen on the sloped stones along the outside was challenging but doable. Though, I didn''t have enough gold for a capstone. Still, Orichalcum would do, especially with an enchantment to reflect sunlight, powered entirely by fire mana. In the setting sun, It looked like the capstone was on fire. It was Awesome. Either way, It was Tomb Time. ? I cribbed from as many movies, games, and books as I could as I designed the Tomb. Doors tied to gems that only open on a specific day of the year, a rolling bolder trap triggered by weight-sensitive plates, and huge antechambers lined with statues of Anubis, Osiris, Thoth, Bastet, and a half-dozen other animal-headed gods I assumed existed. If it was portrayed as being in an Egyptian tomb, I emulated it. There were thin bridges across endless pits and light-based puzzles, and I even made one room full of highly venomous snakes! One of the light-puzzle rooms was a ''Solstice'' door, which would open only if light touched a red crystal, something that, with my artificial solar cycle, would never occur. It was up to them to figure out that they needed to reflect the light into the gem. The boss chamber was the largest open room in the Tomb, with multiple shafts of light casting shadows at odd angles. This is where the prospective guilders would fight the Bone Colossus. Behind the boss, behind a magical barrier that would only fall when the boss was ''defeated,'' was a sarcophagus containing the closest approximation I could make to an actual mummified corpse. I wanted to put some valuable loot in that sarcophagus, but I didn''t have anything yet. For now, I just filled the Tomb with the undead. Huea, acting as their controller, was also given a chamber to live in. Said chamber had easy access to a monster-only tunnel connected to the Scorpan Village. But speaking of Loot, It was time to add some incentives to my dungeon. For a long time now, there was little outright ''loot'' guilders could find apart from the equipment my monsters died with or the mana water on the first Floor. It was time to change that. I added pots throughout the dungeon containing various numbers of Talons to act as a monetary reward. A few small chests contained larger amounts and the occasional piece of enchanted gear. Leather and iron were most common on the first three floors, with only basic enchantments. One such example was a mace that slightly increased the power of blows dealt by increasing the effect of gravity on the mace when swung and automatically canceling that extra momentum when the user stopped swinging. I call it the "Heavy Blow" enchantment. It was only a tiny increase, but it was there. Better equipment found deeper in the dungeon would have more powerful versions. For floors four through six, I scattered ''higher tier'' loot: Silver and Copper jewelry, small Mithril weapons, arrows, and bolts, all enchanted with slightly stronger effects. And more Talons, of course. The chests also became more ornate: constructed of solid iron rather than flimsy wood, with some carvings and decoration. Floors Seven through Nine had a further upgrade to the quality and strength of the loot''s materials and enchantments. Moonsilver jewelry and Mithril weapons were now more common. They were still rare and would require detours from the main paths, but they existed. The book I''ve had Towers-Over-Others write will be the loot for beating Tear on the Seventh, though I was looking at replacing him as the Seventh-floor Boss soon. I needed a dedicated warrior for the role rather than a smith pulling double duty. The Pyramid received its own personalized loot chests, pots, and coinage. The coins had different designs and glowed green rather than silver. There were no other differences in the quality of the loot. Floors Ten and Eleven were trickier. Ten was a very different style of Floor compared to those previous, and I wanted the loot-receiving method to reflect that. So, rather than find loot in pots and chests, Guilders could take quests from the Minotaurs and receive loot as rewards. Things like collecting Jackalope antlers, Winged Hare wings, and Unihare horns. Perhaps wrangling loose Steel-wool Sheep back into their pens, with the reward waived if they kill any. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I can just imagine them trying. Heheh. The Eleventh would be like that but scaled up immensely. Parties could receive quests to explore areas, gather resources, etc. They''d need the money to buy homes and ships, pay for ship repairs, and more. I was going open-world with that shit, and I had a lot of experience to draw upon. As they explored the Eleventh, they''d slowly uncover all the lore I''d spread out and hear ''rumors'' of powerful items hidden on each island. Speaking of the guilders, a few parties had already begun their delves, and it looked like the Isid-Haythem-Cliche raid was next. I couldn''t wait for them to meet the new merchant, Drake-kin, who''d set up shop at the entrance. His personality was absolute gold. -0-0-0-0-0- Obsidian Beach, Atlantis, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Haytham placed the bouquet of flowers at the base of the monument, then stood back to join Bertram. The monument was erected on the beach itself, just after the dunes. All across its reflective obsidian-black surface, names were carved, the names of those who''d fallen in the first landing of the Bahrain Invasion. Though the number of names was relatively small, every party had lost someone, and it was surrounded by flowers. Haytham''s eyes lingered on Flasa''s name. So much had gone unsaid between them, and now he''d never get the chance. He turned away and joined Isid and Paeter''s parties in line. They were fourth in line, marking the first time the dungeon had been open to all Gold and Platinum parties since before the invasion. The beach was packed, but the guilders were dour and severe. From his casual observation, Haytham found that despite their losses, the average party size had grown since the invasion. A bevy of smaller parties that had never made it past Mushu decided to join forces and push past the Guardian. He thought it was a good change. Less parties meant everyone could delve more often, and larger parties meant less risk of death. When he''d rejoined the rest of the raid group, the guards at the dungeon''s entrance waved them on. As always, they walked down the strip of sand along one side of the roughly triangular cavern, which terminated in a very exact isometric triangular hole cut into the cavern''s end. The teal glow that illuminated the cavern beyond cast ghostly shadows on the faces of every guilder in the group. As they began their trek across the mostly empty cavern to the ruins that held the true entrance to the dungeon, Haytham noticed the new addition immediately. Among the ruined columns and bricks was a colorful tarp strung from the highest points of the ruins. Beneath the tarp were a number of Kobolds, a Capriccio, and a single Drake-kin. The golden-scaled Drake-kin directed the Kobolds as they moved crates around, while the Capriccio, female by the size of the horns, made notes on her clipboard. It was only a short time before they were noticed. "Ah! My first customers!" The drake-kin exclaimed, "Welcome, welcome, to my humble shop. What can I interest you in today, hmm? Wait! Don''t say anything! You''ll certainly require these teleport crystals! Made on the Seventh Floor by our most skilled craftsmages, these are single-use crystals guaranteed to return you, safe and sound, to the dungeon''s entrance." The merchant, for that, is all the drake-kin could be, immediately leaped into his sales pitch. He had quite the collection of items for sale, though they only bought another set of Teleport Crystals. As they were about to leave, exchanging goodbyes, the drake-kin smacked his forehead. "Ah, in all the excitement of this morning, I forgot! Mrs Losat, I have a message to pass along from The Creator. He wishes for you to know that He has added something called ''loot'' through the dungeon. He said it was ''long overdue''." Isid nodded at the Child slowly. "I thank you for passing the message along..." she trailed off, and once again, the Drake kin smacked his forehead. "Oh bother, I forgot to introduce myself again, didn''t I? My name is Hawker Goldscale, this is my assistant Bapeep, and the Kobolds are Flex, Clap, and Scowl." As he pointed at them, Bapeep nodded, briefly looking up from her clipboard. Flex flexed his tiny biceps, and Clap clapped rapidly, bouncing on his toes. Scowl scowled, turning away to continue his work immediately. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances. Good day, Hawker." "And to you, my wonderful customers! Good delve to you!" As they passed through the ruins and over the warning carved into the stones, Haytham could only say one thing. "I wonder if the loot resets between each party delving or daily." The rest of the raid group shared wide-eyed looks, then picked up the pace. They were the fourth group to enter the dungeon today; who knew how much treasure had already been taken! -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The loot did indeed reset daily, as the guilders soon found out. It would cost me far too much in Moonsilver to replenish every pot and chest ten times daily. The Drake-kin can only mint so many coins a day! Granted, they can perform the enchantments in bulk and cast them in the hundreds, thanks to metal mana. Directly shaping coins to an exact mass is much easier using magic. Either way, at some point, the coins would filter back into my economy through the bank, merchants like Hawker, or the coin purses of dead guilders. I spent some time observing the surface as my favorite guilders made their way through the upper floors, peering through the eyes of Children, rats, and various birds. The local humans had gotten mostly over the fact that monsters walked among them. I attributed that to the knowledge that the monsters fought to defend the island, even if most of the civilians weren''t on the island at the time. The bank was doing well. At the moment, the exchange rate was still what I had initially set it at. One Talon is worth Three Phenoc Silver Coins. It was incredibly simple. The difference in value was because, while they''re both made of Silver, Moonsilver is the more valuable material. Its properties as a mana-conductive metal were incredible. Kata found her job much easier, with Lady Kolchiss acting as her steward. The lady was much more familiar with the bureaucracy necessary to run a government than Kata. Haylee Kolchiss was the heir to her father''s dukedom for a number of years and had lessons in the event she never bore a son, or so she explained to Kata. The pregnant woman was only showing ever so slightly, and apart from some nausea, her symptoms were mild. The town continued to expand, with new houses outside the wall housing new immigrants. And we did have some immigrants! Though rumors abound on the mainland of the ''horror of Atlantis,'' a daring few decided to try their luck on my island rather than wait out the warring dukedoms. Personally, I blame Medean for spreading those rumors. The man seemed like the vindictive type from my last interaction with him. When the raid group finally reached the next boss on the Fifth, the Shadow Spirit, I turned my attention to the mushroom castle''s dungeons. I didn''t want to miss this! -0-0-0-0-0- ???, ???, ??? -0-0-0-0-0- Ah- Where am I? Who are these people around me? They look like... priests? Are they Larpers or something? Wait. On the marble floor around me are a dozen people dressed in clothes just like mine¡ªmodern Clothes! This is familiar... Is this... Isekai?! -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 104 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- It was Isid who dealt the final blow. Her Manablades intensified to levels I''d never seen from her before. The blades attached to her forearms pierced the thinner metal where the core rested in its chest with unerring accuracy, and the Shadow Spirit''s core broke. The Spirit fled the body as it fell to the ground, disappearing into the shadows thrown by the raid''s Light sprites. The Darkness manabeings had made no secret of their goal as the raid pushed through their domain; the banishment of their summoned light sprites. Plunging the humans into pitch-black darkness would give the manabeings practically free reign to slaughter them, and the humans knew that. They protected their manabeings fiercely. Bertram, the summoner of their little floating lights, did his best to summon more when one was banished, though that made him more of a target. But the rest of the group were competent¡ªmore than competent, they were easily powerful enough to be on the Seventh Floor. They''d already reached it, after all. They encountered rats, giant cockroaches, and other large bugs. If I knew how to make Slimes, I''d have some here. Note to self; Figure out how to make slimes. Man, my list of things to investigate was only growing... But, as I''d said, they could easily overcome the castle dungeons. After pulling another level, they rode the ''elevator'' I''d made back up to the main section of the castle. It was my first attempt at a pully-counterweight elevator, and it worked fine. The elevator was the shortcut back to the entrance, and after a quick investigation, the group agreed to continue. They still had plenty of potions and supplies. They rode the elevator back down and found the path forward transitioned quickly from a ''castle dungeon aesthetic to a literal sewer system. Though similar to the Ratten Warren, it was entirely separate. Here, the poison-based Ratten clan and their Boss waited. The group was familiar with the rats by now, having already fought their way through the Fourth more than a dozen times. They were less familiar with the poison and disease-based attacks. The pools of sludge and swampy, fetid waters of the sewer made this the perfect environment for them, and they were thriving. Though, like the waters they lived in, they were stagnant. They were like a sword sharpening itself, with no competition outside their own clan. They were less than prepared for the humans to reach them and put up a pitiful effort. Though they were an unhealthy drain on the raid''s potion supplies, they weren''t a genuine threat to the humans. The couple pieces of enchanted armor spelled to resist poison also came in very handy for them. Once they''d beaten the enormous Ratten Boss, they moved on to the fourth section of this five-part castle. This one was filled with more Stone Golems, though this time shaped into various statues. Rather than gargoyles, though, a few of the flying menaces made an appearance. The mana-saturation trick did well in making sure Isid couldn''t tell which statues were just ordinary stone and which housed spirits. However, after that one room where every statue was a golem, they didn''t take any chances. This was a more traditional boss battle, unlike the tag-team battle that was the rooftop Gargoyle fight. The Stone Colossus, inhabited by this floor''s Stone Spirit, took center stage. Twenty feet tall and wielding two greatswords like they were daggers, the Boss made for an intimidating sight. He was aided by a never-ending wave of Stone Golems, practically every other golem on the floor. The battle was like a preview of the Seventh, with a few fighters focused on the Boss. At the same time, the rest were occupied with dealing with practically infinite reinforcements. Only practically because there was a limit to the number of monster cores I had on hand. I only had as many as I did because I farmed them from the fish monsters, taking advantage of their high reproductive rate and infusing them with mana to make the cores grow to whatever size I needed. But, as with the previous minibosses, the Stone Colossus fell, breaking apart into a dozen pieces that almost crushed the humans as they fell. After this fight and unlocking the shortcut to the next area, the raid group agreed to return. They''d been fighting for two days straight, and after fighting through three sub-areas, they were dead on their feet. It was the smart choice. And even smarter was utilizing the teleport crystals to leave. They weren''t short on gold, and it made more sense to use the ''escape rope'' than to keep it in your inventory, blindly searching for the exit. Maybe my metaphor wasn''t quite right, but you get the idea. -0-0-0-0-0- Sunrise Cliffs, The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Wave flapped rapidly, slowing his descent as he reached the ledge. Halfway up the cliff face above the small port town, there was a new cave where none had existed before. A small path snaked around the cliff, one well-trapped but harmless to any Children who would approach. During his descent, Wave had spotted Taura on the path, carrying a basket on her back. His greeting roar had been returned with a wave. Once he landed on the ledge, he furled his wings and walked into the well-lit cave. On his left, the first thing he passed was a table and chairs of various designs so any guest could sit comfortably. Next to them was a larger table, sized for his own use. On his right was a shelf-filled nook, enchanted to keep anything placed within it as cold as possible without freezing. Another nook near it heated anything placed inside evenly, with higher temperatures on higher shelves. Another At the far end was the large Capriccio wool mat he slept on. Wave pulled the bucket of iced cream from the cold nook and placed it on his table. He was just settling in when Taura rang a bell hanging at the entrance. She knew she was welcome and walked in without waiting for permission. It''d taken a bit to get that through her head. She was just as stubborn as her father on some things. "Hey, Wave!" The Minotaur exclaimed, pulling the straps off her shoulders and letting the large basket on the ground next to the cooling and heating nooks. There had to be better words for them, But the words The Creator used for them, ''Fridge'' and ''Oven,'' were so weird... "Welcome, Taura. How has your day been?" "Great! We got a delivery of grain and meat from the Tenth and Mithril from the Seventh. There''s even been talk among the Minotaur Mages of constructing a Mythwood ship for their next project! Imagine a ship with the buoyancy of wood but the strength and self-healing properties of Mythwood!" Taura sat on her chair as she narrated her day. Wave listened attentively and felt the lingering soreness from his flight dissipating. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "And what of you, Wave? How was your trip?" Taura inquired, eyes sparkling. Wave could only smile and indulge her curiosity. "It was interesting. I had a look at that permanent storm over half the Elemental Isles. It was harder to fly in the storm than I''d expected, but after some practice, it was only a little harder than clear skies. I also investigated the new islands The Creator raised, though half are more barren than I''d expected. They... Lack the vibrancy and life found in the older ones." He quieted, gathering his thoughts, and Taura snatched the bucket of Iced Cream from his table. He regaled Taura with his thoughts on the islands; the barren starkness of the Dark, Light, and Lightning islands, the vibrancy of the underwater city on the Water ''Island,'' and the Iceberg that floated to the ''north'' of the Isles. "I particularly enjoyed the Iceberg," Wave admitted. Exploring the submerged tunnels was quite the experience and more comfortable than I expected. Though, given my Ice affinity, I''d have been surprised if it was uncomfortable." Taura nodded and shivered. She was no doubt remembering the times he''d shown off his ice flame. Wave remembered his short time on the surface, strafing ships and covering them in ice. It all happened so fast, and he was back on the Eleventh via water-sprite portal minutes later. "Hey, are you okay?" Taura asked, reaching over and placing a hand on one of his claws. Wave shook his head, then smiled at her. "I''m fine. Just remembered something. Anyway, have you heard from your brother recently?" "Oh! Right!" Taura exclaimed. She rushed over to the basket and pulled out a couple of letters. "Here! Aston and Towers both sent you letters. They''re written in Runic! You know, the written language The Creator uses?" Wave hummed in interest as he took the letters. He did remember The Creator gifting Towers-over-others and himself with the knowledge of this language, though he had yet to really use that knowledge. He remembered seeing some Runic writing on the ruins spread across the islands, but he hadn''t read any of them. Unlike the large characters on the ruins, these were incredibly small. Wave could read them if he focused, but it was difficult. Why did Towers have to do such tiny writing? "Ah, could you read them to me?" Wave asked, and Taura nodded with a beaming smile. "Of course!" Wave listened as Taura read the letters, and he found his tiredness catching up to him. The last thing he remembered was Taura''s voice, lulling him to sleep. -0-0-0-0-0- The Heroes'' Quarters, High Temple of The Gods, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- "Get plenty of rest, brave heroes. Your training begins tomorrow morning with the testing of your mana affinities and the decision on a weapon. Sleep Well!" As the door shut, their priestly guide and the servants assigned to attend to them finally leaving, Tamesou Akio sighed in relief. The high school student turned to face his twelve fellow summoned heroes. The priests had deflected most of their immediate questions, telling them everything would be explained when their affinity testing and training began tomorrow. No one was happy with this, least of all the adults in the room. The two others around his age were uncommonly serious. They had an idea of what was going on then. "Hey! Panicking will get us nowhere!" Akio interrupted, getting the group''s attention. "For those still confused about what''s happening, we''ve been isekai''d. We''ve been summoned to another world where magic is real, usually to fight some kind of bad guy or demon king." "Demon King? Summoning?! I''ve never heard such nonsense!" a bewildered white man with brown hair stated, blinking rapidly. His suit said he was some kind of salaryman, so his ignorance was understandable. "Fight? But... I can''t fight!" The round-faced blond woman exclaimed, focusing on a different part of his statement. The other adults made similar claims. None had taken any kind of self-defense or were even overly aggressive. They were pretty distressed. "It''s all right!" Akio said, calming them down again. "The priests said they would train us, and given what they said about finding our ''affinities,'' we should even be able to learn magic! And, if we beat this necromancer they summoned us to fight, they''ll send us home!" There seemed to be some hope in the adult''s eyes. "But there''s still one problem," one of the other teenagers, the goth-looking girl, claimed. "They didn''t say anything about sending us home. Normally, if there was a way, the summoners would tell the heroes. To motivate them to gain power, survive, and beat their enemies in exchange for being sent home afterward. I don''t think they can send us home, so we''re stuck." More complaining and bickering erupted. Akio shook his head and approached the pale, black-haired girl. "That was foolish. I was trying to motivate them. They''ll need it if they want to survive." "You wanted to give them false hope," the girl replied. Her brown-eyed stare was too intense! "What was your plan for when it''s all over, and we can''t actually go home?" Akio was silent. He didn''t have a plan. He was going to wing it if it had ever come to that. "My point exactly. Look, You seem pretty genre-savvy. Have you ever heard of people from so many different places being summoned at once?" Akio tilted his head, confused. The girl sighed. "Look, you''re Japanese, yes?" Akio nodded, and the girl continued. "Do you think we''re speaking Japanese? To me, this sounds like English." She gestured to the group of adults as Akio began to understand. "I see people of Mediterranean, Russian, Indian, and African descent. All are dressed in entirely different styles, though common in their homelands. If we were still on Earth, none of them would be able to understand each other." "Yet, here we are, and here they are, arguing." Akio finished, nodding. "Good eye. I am Tamesou Akio. I am from Akihabara, Japan." "Sophie Ravenfield, Tennesee, the USA." "Hey, uh... Mates, what''s the last thing you remember?" The last teenager spoke up suddenly, getting Akio and the girl''s attention. "Because I remember that... I was about to be hit by a car. At least, I think I was, but I don''t remember the impact." The teen was tanned, with brown hair and a smattering of freckles highlighting his worried blue eyes. Akio thought back... What was he doing before... "I... can''t remember," Miss Ravenfield said, holding one hand to her head, unknowingly echoing Akio''s thoughts. What had he been doing?! It was so hard to think through this damn headache! Wait. Headache? Akio shook his head. "Miss Ravenfield, we seem to be under a geas. Thinking on this further will only hurt us." The goth grimaced, nodding. Akio found his headache lessening as he focused on the here and now rather than... before. From her expression, Miss Ravenfield did, too. "And, uh, Just call me Sophie. The whole honorific thing is translating weirdly, especially since I know what they mean." Miss Rav-Sophie asked. Akio nodded. "Oh, yeah, introductions. Name''s Bruce Taylor, from Melbourne, Australia," the tanned boy, Bruce, said. "At least we''re not out in the bush." Mis-Sophie shook her head. It would be hard to shed the honorifics; Akio knew it. "It''s both good and bad. Good, because we have trainers and resources. They need us and will train us to beat their enemies. Bad, because we only know what they tell us. We don''t have context for the situation or another perspective to make an informed choice. I say we go along with it until we know more." Akio and Bruce nodded after sharing a glance. "That is something to keep in mind," Akio said, turning his head to look at the still-arguing adults. "What should we do about them?" "For now, nothing. They''re in shock, in denial, and actively trying not to think about their situation. Some might still think this is a dream, and they''ll wake up soon." Bruce snorted at Sophie''s words. "Ain''t that the truth. I always knew being a nerd would come in handy," the Australian grinned. "Stop watching those cartoons, you dag, and do your homework," Bruce said in falsetto, obviously mocking someone. "Well, look at me now, you old hag. Anime and video games did come in handy!" Akio did not like someone mocking their mother in such a manner but stayed silent. It was soon agreed they''d reconvene in the morning, and the teens split up to claim rooms. The adults eventually stopped arguing, and Akio could finally fall asleep when all was silent. Some part of him still hoped this was a dream, as Bruce had mocked the adults for... But he wasn''t that lucky. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 105 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- With my favorite raid group having left the dungeon, I could move on to addressing some problems their visit highlighted. Number one, the Ratten were underpowered, but I had a feeling that was inevitable. They were on the floor directly after the Warren, one occupied solely by Ratten. The guilders were just too used to fighting them, and that wasn''t something I could fix. The Poison Clan would be harder to fight for those less skilled, like the various high-gold low-platinum groups even now attempting to push through to reach the Fifth. I was sure their competence at fighting human enemies would increase with time, so I moved on to the next thing. The Golems and Spirits performed as expected, and I had nothing bad to say about them. The monsters, Children, and Court on the Sixth had adapted well to the new Lava Floodplains. I still thought it was a little empty, though. There was an empty niche here, somewhere. We had the Children of the floor, the Capriccio. They now lived in multiple villages built halfway up the cavern walls. The Bats were no longer nocturnal and were a constant nuisance. The golems of various kinds either roamed the floor or guarded the exit. I needed a living ground or lava-dwelling monster... Snakes? Snakes. I brought some unaltered snakes down from the surface where they''d been living in secret since I''d unleashed the giant snake on the sheep long ago. On their way down, I began their transformation. Firstly, I made them into monsters, catalyzing and growing their manacores. One by one, their scales turned onyx black, as reflective and shiny as the gem. They grew in size, but I didn''t make them enormous. Next came the fire and earth magic and an enchantment that created an orange-yellow glow that peaked through the gaps in their scales. The scales on their underside were the same orange-red, making it seem like the snake was part of a lava flow or a glowing coal in a dying fire. Perfect. And now for the name... Hmm. Magma Vipers? No, they weren''t vipers. Lava Constrictors? Not big enough. Perhaps as a second stage, but not this one. Brainwave! Infernal Serpents! It leaned into the hell theme and everything! It was perfect. My new Infernal Serpents spread across the floor after some accelerated breeding. They seemed to prefer to hang around the edge of the lava flows, though they were fully capable of swimming through the molten rock. On the Seventh, the Drake-kin continued to train, mine, and forge new weapons for the dungeon. The tunnels were quite extensive now, and I had to make a few new traps to cover them. I also needed to think about a monster to go here. The Guilders needed monster encounters that weren''t the Drake-kin. I had no moles, and I''d just put snakes on the Sixth. The Drake-kin represented lizards, so I wouldn''t be adding more of them... Insects? They are quite underrepresented in my dungeon, apart from some larger-than-normal specimens on the Third and the Eleventh. What kind of insect to choose, though? Ants would make the most sense, and perhaps they could add some variation to the floor. I could imagine an ant hive as part of the trap system. At random, parties could be forced to fight their way through the ant colony and find the exit. Yes, this was the way. My entire dungeon was practically saturated with insects, though I didn''t think about them much. There looked to be a suitable ant colony in one of the less-mined areas of the tunnels; the queen had even developed a manacore all on her own! I pumped her full of mana, then did the same to ten workers and soldiers. Beyond modifying them to survive at the size of a Labrador, I laced and plated their exoskeletons with metal they could eat from the walls of the mines. This gave rise to six different types of ants. Each worker and soldier''s shell changed to reflect the metal they consumed, and each ant soon found themselves better at specific tasks. Those who ate silver had an easier time conducting mana; the ones who ate iron were bigger, tougher, and stronger, while the copper-eating ants became more suited for delicate tasks. I left the colony to establish itself after making sure any newborn ants would be of the basic variety and would change to reflect their diet. I wanted to move on to the eighth, but Kata interrupted me with a simple question. "Hey, uh, where''s Huea? I''ve asked around, but no one in the Drake-Kin Village has seen her for a while." -0-0-0-0-0- The Ninth Floor, Tunnel to the Pyramid, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Kata was worried. She''d only popped down to visit Huea as they''d previously arranged, but she found the drake-kin missing from her workshop and home, and no one had seen her in, like, a week! Kata knew The Creator was in one of his ''review and upgrade'' phases, but she felt a simple question and directions wouldn''t be all that troublesome. Kata felt she had a reason to worry since she had immediately commanded his full attention and continued to do so on her trek down to the Scorpan Village. He had been evasive about what Huea was doing, only that she couldn''t leave her workspace, and Kata would need to go to her. That only confirmed her suspicions. The Creator had tasked her best friend with something secret and dangerous. "I''m not far off now, right?" Kata asked, having been walking through a secret tunnel built into the back of the Scorpan Village for a while now. "Please, can you at least tell me what you have her doing all the way down here?" We were exploring the usage and uses of a mana type I haven''t been able to use. We tested it, summoned a few sprites, and soon found we needed a more... specialized facility to continue the experiments. "What mana type?" The Creator was silent. She could feel his hesitation. You need to promise not to be mad. Kata narrowed her eyes at the ceiling, picking up the pace. "I''ll be reasonable," she promised, which wasn''t the same thing, but He should know that was the best He would get. The Creator sighed in her mind. We may have rediscovered Necromancy. Kata immediately started sprinting. "Please tell me you''re kidding?" Kata pleaded, moving faster than she had ever done. "The use of Necromancy and Death mana was outlawed for a REASON," Kata practically shouted in her head. Hey, no one told me! I''m winging it here! All I knew was there were necromancer wars, the necromancers lost, and their spells were banned. Everyone I''ve killed has known squat about how it works, or why I should be wary of it, or anything beyond Soul Mana Bad! Of course, I had to test it! "Soul Mana, what are you talking about? There''s no such thing as Soul Mana," Kata responded, finally spotting a door at the end of the hallway. "How don''t you know about the mana types? You''re a dungeon!" The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Kata burst through the door and found herself in a bedroom. The room was filled with Huea''s things, including her keepsakes, bedding, and clothes, which were thrown in random places. Kata moved through the room to the next door. Who would have told me? You''re the first human I''ve connected to; I haven''t exactly had the chance. And no way was I going to ask Layla, Isid, or any other guilder. I''ve built up this ancient, all-knowing reputation, and I didn''t want to ruin it with a single question, the Creator explained. And, somehow, none of that knowledge has filtered through to my core. Honestly, there''s so much mana on the disk here that it could have been scrambled and mixed through the whole thing. That might explain why I haven''t picked up any new memories recently... Kata put The Creator''s rambles to the side as she passed through the door, laying eyes on her friend. Huea looked... different. Her once grey scales, from where she drew her second name, were blackened and tarnished. The edges were still the same grey shade, but the scales'' root and center quickly darkened to black. She wore a black robe over some kind of armor, likely Mithril. Huea finally turned to see who''d made the noise, and Kata saw her face. Huea''s irises glowed with a pale green light. The drake-kin blinked in surprise. "Kata? What are you doing down here? Aren''t you needed on the surface?" Kata approached slowly. She''d heard stories from her tutors about how Necromancy twisted and corrupted all who used it, but apart from the physical changes she''d undergone... Huea seemed the same. "We were going to hang out for a few days since I managed to do enough work in advance to take some time off, remember?" Huea blinked again, realization dawning in her eyes. "Oh, Creator. I completely forgot! I''ve just been so absorbed in all the testing we''ve needed to do that it completely slipped my mind." Huea explained, waving a hand at the other figures in the room. Standing at Huea''s side was a black-armored drake... kin? No, there''s no tail, no snout. Actually, the gauntlets and boots were shaped for and have the proper proportions... whoever this was, they''re human. The others were drake-kin, wearing white cloaks and showing symptoms of Death Mana usage similar to Huea, their previously colorful scales tarnished and their eyes glowing green. "So, uh, did you still want to come?" Kata asked hesitantly. Maybe a break would refresh you and give you perspective on something you''re struggling with?" As Huea nodded slowly, Kata felt hope that her friend was fine. "...Alright. A few days shouldn''t hurt. Spark, Slice, keep things going as you can without me." Huea ordered, her tone sharp. The other two drake-kin nodded and left the room without a word. Huea frowned up at her human... bodyguard? Kata was still having trouble with whether this was a human or not. "I''m sorry, Kata, but my minion here is going to have to come with us. He''s far too dangerous to risk the tether snapping, and we''re not sure how long they can get. This will be a good test. "Tether?" Kata asked, eyes flicking between the armored figure and her friend. "Of course. How else am I supposed to order the Risen about?" Huea asked, the question obviously rhetorical. She frowned again. "Well, If he''s coming with us, I should probably let you in on the secret." You are not to speak a word of his identity, Kata. The Creator butted in, causing Kata to blink in surprise. That was the most overt order she''d ever been given, and it came entirely out of the blue. Who was this? "As far as I know, you have never met. Kata, let me introduce you to Hallmark, The First Risen." ... Yeah... Honestly, Kata had no problems following that order anymore. "What The Fuck, Man?! WHY HIM?!" He was the only soul I had on hand, and his body was easy to restore to pristine condition. I didn''t exactly have a choice! -0-0-0-0-0- Training Grounds, High Temple of the Gods, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Tamesou Akio stared in awe at the orb of light in his hand. This was magic! He was channeling mana to produce Light! Though he had spent years of his life absorbed in fiction, dreaming of having some magical ability or superpower of his own... He''d never honestly expected to have an ability like that. It just didn''t happen. Earth was boring, mundane, and dull. Everything and everyplace was owned by someone. Your entire worth was gauged by how much you earned and spent. Here, though? Here, he could be somebody. "I wouldn''t look into that thing too long, mate. I feel like it''ll blind you," Bruce advised, sounding distracted himself. Though Akio had a feeling the other boy was wrong, he nodded. He closed his fist, simultaneously cutting off the flow of mana and snuffing out the light. He looked over at the tanned teen. Bruce was staring intently at a glass bottle filled with water and using his own magic to spin it around, forming a whirlpool. "Um... What''s it like?" Akio asked, pulling Bruce''s attention away from the glass. The water quickly stopped spinning and sloshed about as the boy became thoughtful. "It''s odd. It feels like another limb. Flexing it makes whatever water my mana is in do what I want; relaxing it releases my control. I can flex it again," Bruce claimed, frowning. The water slowly began picking up speed, once again forming a whirlpool. "But, reestablishing the connection takes a little more oomph than you''d expect it to. What about you?" Akio raised his hand, fingers splayed, and fed the packet of mana down his arm. He felt it as it traveled through the strange ethereal veins he now had, and then, when it reached his palm, the packet opened. All at once, a point of light flashed to life in the middle of his palm. As long as he kept feeding it mana, it would stay lit. "It is... Like a computer program." Akio declared, getting a confused look. Akio quickly explained, "It''s like.. packets of data. I make a program, then send it to my palm. When it reaches my palm, the program executes and only ends when it runs out of power." "That makes about as much sense as anything else, I guess. But why are they so different to use?" Bruce wondered, prompting Akio to think about it himself. "Because they are different." Miss Rav- Sophie declared, her pitch-black shadow contorting and stretching unnaturally. "They are different elements with different concepts attached to them. To use Akio''s metaphor, imagine you''ve written your program in C# but have it run on a compiler for Java. They''re similar, sure, but they don''t go about things the same way. Water is matter, and light is energy. It makes sense they''d work in different ways. Sophie''s shadow, cast by the rising sun, now sat directly beneath her body in a perfect circle. No matter how she moved it remained directly beneath her, like she was a video game character. "Remember the explanation of the elements we got?" Sophie asked, gesturing back to where the adults were getting more in-depth help. They... were not adapting well, from the looks of it. "It''s a tiered circle. Fire, Water, Earth, and Air are in the middle, with the second tier being a combination of or straight upgrades from those elements. Darkness is the upgrade of Water. That doesn''t make it better than water, just rarer and more nuanced," she said to Bruce, who had been looking a little upset at the implication his element was ''worse.'' "My Darkness is much like water. It requires me to infuse shadows with my mana, which I can direct as I maintain a connection. But it''s immaterial and can''t easily interact with matter." "How is something like darkness controllable, though? Isn''t darkness just the absence of light?" Akio asked, confused. "I said it earlier," Sophie explained, "All these elements are concepts before anything else. Light may physically be photons moving at high speed, picked up by our retinas and translated into an image in our brains, but that''s not all it is. Conceptually, light is heat, power, energy, and more. Darkness may only physically exist as places where light doesn''t reach, but conceptually, it''s mysterious¡ªhidden, unseen, and unknown. You get the picture?" "I think so," Bruce said, scratching his head. "Water is associated with life, purity, the moon, and unstoppable force, right? So there should be, like purifying water magic, healing, and it''ll be stronger under the full moon?" Akio thought there was some merit there, but Sophie shrugged. "Sure, but the locals seem to use Life mana for healing. Doesn''t mean you can''t try, though." she agreed, her shadow snapping back to how it was meant to look, though it now looked like a portal to the abyss with how dark it was. "I''d guess Akio''s magic will be stronger in the day when there is more light to work with. He might also get spells involved with illusions since they''re often just light changed to show what the caster desires. Maybe even some kind of invisibility." That sounded so cool! Would he actually be able to do something like that? "I wish I had a cool mana type like you guys. I could have had Metal, Gravity, Space, or even Time magic! Why couldn''t I have been a Chronomancer!?" Bruce cried out to the uncaring sky. "Just unlucky, I guess," Akio shrugged. "They said we had a ''heightened chance of a talent for higher magic,'' not that it was guaranteed. Third-tier mana types are even rarer." "I know... Anyway, are you guys looking forward to weapons training? What are you going to pick?" Bruce asked, changing the subject. "I was thinking a trident or spear. You know, with the whole water thing?" Akio nodded; it made sense. "I was going to go with daggers," Sophie revealed, gesturing to her shadow. "I might as well lean into the stealthy rogue archetype. What about you, Akio?" "Uh, it''s embarrassing. I was going to try to be a paladin. I have light magic, and... I may have a bit of middle-schooler syndrome." "That sounds awesome, though! And who cares, man. This is the place to let all your old fantasies out! We''re in a world of magic! If you want to be a warcraft paladin or something, go for it!" "Ah, Heroes, it is good to see at least some of you are taking to your change in circumstances well," A priest with a large hat and staff said, approaching them. He was flanked by what looked like a high priestess and... an Actual Paladin!? "Please, a moment of your time? There are some things I believe you need to be informed of." -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 106 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I left Kata, Huea, and Hallmark to talk on the Ninth and moved on. I still had a few things to check before I allowed myself to dive back into designing islands on the Eleventh. Firstly, I checked on the Metal Ants again and was impressed by their progress. They''d already cleared out a couple of chambers, and the queen had begun to lay new eggs. Workers took the eggs to the second chamber, where they were watched and guarded. Letting them carve their own tunnels and chambers was a great idea. I''ll have to keep an eye on them, though. I''ll have to curb their breeding numbers and instinct to expand when there''s enough of them. The Guilders will likely never pass through this floor often enough to be an effective population control method. The Drake-kin were still doing well, though the village was a fair bit emptier than just a few weeks ago. Plenty of Drake-kin had moved to the Eleventh, though the ones connected to respawn crystals were still here. Speaking of, I needed to move the Kobold minibosses down. They deserved bigger crystals and an evolution. I don''t want to just make them Drake-kin, though. I''ll think about it. With the Seventh done, I moved on to the Eighth. First things first, it was time to check on the fungal Hivemind I left in a set of caverns down here. I purposefully hadn''t looked in those caverns since I sealed it off, so this should be cool. It was incredible. Originally, I''d just given the brain-like fungal mass all of the designs for the humanoid fungal zombies the hiveminds on the Fifth had created. While this separate Hivemind had used those designs, it had put its own twist on them. The entire interior of the cavers was coated with fungal flesh, a pulsing pink that seemed more flesh-like than anything else. It was damp, wet, and unsettling. It was perfect. Of course, this was all in the pitch black of the caverns, with no natural light source, and the fungal mass had chosen not to evolve any. Where the tunnels made you think you were inside a living being, the caverns showed this was indeed a fungus. The giant mushroom had also grown here, their caps merging to make multiple floors and their stalks growing so close as to make the place maze-like. It was here that the fungal monsters roamed. The Hivemind had taken the humanoid base and turned the arms into another set of legs. Each limb ended in serrated spikes, letting the monsters cling to the roof and walls with ease. Surprisingly, the fungal carpet was undamaged by their passage. The torsos were covered in tendrils and antennae designed to detect the slightest change in air pressure. They were all blind, after all. They hunted prey based on what I would call passive echolocation. Watching them stalk the tunnels and mushroom terraces... they were terrifying, twitching at the slightest change in the wind. The Hivemind blocked off the cavern its brain-like fungal mass rested in from the rest of the system with a solid wall of the fungus, disguising it as just another wall. I believed it''d fool Isid''s eyes, and that was enough for me. All in all, it was incredible. All that remained was to make going through all this horror worth it. And I knew just the way. The first peak was connected to the second by two paths; a narrow wood-and-rope bridge and a treacherous trek over a glacier. The second peak led right into the third, splitting into two paths: The first was treacherous and exposed. In contrast, the second was strenuous but guarded by a large number of monsters and manabeings. I decided to make a third: a tunnel. Practically a direct route from the crossroads right to Pyry''s arena. A short distance into the tunnel, it would transition to the same fungal carpet, leading to a solid mass of fungal matter. I left a fungus-infested skeleton at the base of the wall, holding a slate with a message written in Runic. The fungus... it has infested the peaks. There were signs on the Second Peak, but I did not believe it. Now, the most direct route to the Ninth is blocked. The lower caverns, the abandoned ones. They must be where it made its home. I suspect the Ruby Sphere, stolen not long ago, is being drained of its power to fuel this rapid growth. It cannot be destroyed, but a single touch by a mage should be enough to deactivate it. However, I''ve heard odd noises while inspecting this wall. I will move tomorrow when the blizzard abates. In the caverns, I formed another pedestal¡ªmuch like the ones on the Fifth, though with a key difference. Instead of a key, this one pulsed with life, and in the pedestal''s ''bowl'' was a monster core. It was large and mostly covered with fungal flesh. I tweaked the core itself to glow red and enchanted it to ''dim'' and go dark upon being touched. It would also signal the Hivemind to pull back its fungal stalkers. Finally, It would signal the fungal mass blocking the tunnel to retract and reveal the path. If they instead decided to break the crystal, the opposite would happen. They would be swarmed with stalkers, and the mass would be reinforced. With that, the Eighth was as complete as I could make it, barring further tweaks. Okay, that''s enough of a break. Time to go back to the Eleventh. It was time to make something entirely new, unconnected to the Elemental Isles. A much, much larger island containing the mostly intact ruins of a modern city. -0-0-0-0-0- The Port, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Captain Eli Hart looked over the crowd of Children arrayed before him. "Let me get this straight," he began, talking slowly and deliberately. "You want me to take you to Theona? To the former Phenoc Kingdom, to do... what, exactly?" "To spread the teachings of The Creator to all willing to listen, yes, Captain Hart," The robed Capriccio replied, the crowd nodding along eagerly at his words. Eli pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache coming on. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "You are aware, of course, that outside this unique island, there are no beings other than humans?" Eli explained, scrambling for something that would dissuade the crowd. "Humans, who have killed anything born from a dungeon for millennia. You will face discrimination, hate, outright assault, and I have no doubt many will bar you from entry into towns and maybe entire duchies." "That is why we will be making port in the lands of Lord Kolchiss," the same Capriccio continued. "We have contacted him through his daughter, who is the steward of Atlantis. He has promised us safe harbor and lodgings for our stay. From there, we will prove we are peaceful and only wish to spread The Creator''s teachings. Time will spread stories and rumors about us, and while I have no doubt some will be unfavorable, we know our calling." Eli sighed. He had a feeling nothing he said would change their minds. It was in the set of their jaws, the gleam in their eyes, and especially in how they held those books to their chests. This time, he looked at the crowd carefully, not giving them just a passing glance. It was around thirty strong, with each race of Children having at least one representative. Minotaur, Scorpan, Capriccio, Drake-kin, and Kobolds were all dressed in robes. Their robes were cut in different ways, a given due to their different body structures, but in such a way that, in the end, they all looked similar. They wore various idols, the most common being a teardrop-shaped pendant hanging from a chain made of hands linked together. It was more intricate and delicate work than he''d expected. He had few goods actually produced by the children in his hold. There was plenty of this new fabric, which came from a tailor in town, and pre-made clothes made of the same fabric. Then again, the fabric was probably from the dungeon itself and merely collected by the Guilders. The scorpans were carrying the group''s luggage, which was contained in cages harnessed to their lower bodies. "We''re willing to compensate you handsomely for ferrying us to our destination," their spokescapriccio continued. However, Eli raised a hand when they went to put their hand in a pouch at their side. "Before we start the haggling, can I ask a question?" he asked, and the Capriccio nodded. "I know you have your own ships; why do you not just use them?" There was a moment of silence, and the Capriccio narrowed... Her? Her. She narrowed her eyes. Eli had been around a few Capriccio recently. Though they were similar, there were a few subtle differences between the males and females. This one had well-groomed wool, and her red irises were a thin line around her goat-like pupils. "We thought a ship crewed entirely by Children would be... ill-received," she began, gesturing to their party''s imposing Scorpan and Minotaur members. "Regardless of safe port or not. But by arriving on a well-established ship with a well-known merchant, we borrow some legitimacy, and they''re more likely to give us a chance." Eli rubbed his stubble as he considered this reasoning and found he agreed with her. The people of Theona had never encountered talking or thinking monsters before. Their whole experience with the beings was defending themselves from ravenous manamutants and monsters who periodically flooded the countryside, born from unknown dungeons. They wanted nothing but to kill and consume anything they could get their claws and jaws on. These strange beings, however... Not human, certainly, with different values and morals. But people, all the same. "Alright, come aboard. Come with me to my quarters, and we can negotiate. Might I have your name, my fair lady, as you seem to know mine already?" Eli finished, letting a roguish smile grace his features. "I am Baalzebub, Priestess of The Creator," the capriccio said. "With me are the missionaries willing to leave the lands of The Creator behind, boldly exploring beyond what we know of the world. I''m sure you''ll come to know them on our journey, as short as it should be." Eli bowed slightly, waving his arm up towards the gangplank. Baalzebub nodded and marched past. The smaller Children followed quickly, though the minotaur eyed the plank with mistrust, and the scorpan seemed despairing. "Ah... Perhaps, the cargo crane?" Eli suggested, pointing out the crane designed to lift cargo to and from the ship. One of the Scorpan began clicking in that strange language, and a minotaur sighed, nudging his fellow. "C''mon Towers. You''ll just have to bear the indignity. It''s not exactly designed for beings like us, right?" The Scorpan seemed to huff, then walked off towards the crane. As the others followed, there did seem something familiar about that Scorpan... Eli shook his head. Probably saw him around the town. Eli followed and directed his nervous crew that, yes, they did need to use the crane lift. -0-0-0-0-0- Private Training Ground, High Temple of the Gods, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Tamesou Akio raised his sword, catching the blow and deflecting it to the side. He felt confidence swell within him. He''d done it! The unseen gauntlet-clad fist that followed the strike knocked him to the ground. The demon had a smirk on his face as Akio fought for breath. Gut punches always left him breathless, and this was no different. "You may knock me down," Akio declared, stumbling to his feet again, glaring at the demon as he did. "But I will always get up again! You''ll never keep me down!" Akio declared. In the corner of his eye, he saw Miss R-Sophie raise an eyebrow at him from the sidelines. The rest of the training session went about the same. Akio was improving, but man were the gains he experienced painful. Akio stumbled to the circle''s edge at the wave of the demon''s hand, dripping with sweat. He gratefully accepted the waterskin from the lounging Miss-Sophie and gulped it down as fast as he could. The handle of the sword in his hand was slick with sweat, and he had to rest the tip on the ground to prevent it from slipping from his hand. It was a close thing. "So, do you still want to be a paladin, Danny-boy?" Sophie asked with a smirk. Akio could only wheeze in response as he flopped to the floor, his waterskin empty. "Young Akio is much too determined to give up now, Surely!" the demon replied for him, his resplendent golden armor gleaming in the morning sun. The demon approached, not a hint of strain or tiredness in his voice despite the hours of training. "Besides, he''s gained more skill with the blade in the last week than I did in a year at his age! Ah, I do envy the blessings you summoned heroes are granted. The speed of your growth is simply incredible." Akio found the strength to lever himself off the ground and glare at the smiling paladin. As much as he hated to admit it, the demon was right. He''d barely known how to swing a sword on their first day, and now he had enough skill to train with the weapon, if not the strength or endurance to last long. "And how is your training progressing, Young Sophie?" the demon inquired. I know Jinasa is putting you through your paces and that she is quite the capable trainer." "It is going well, thank you, Guard-Captain Heliat," Sophie replied, her tone more formal than usual. Master Jinasa often states how exceptional it is, how quickly I master the spells she teaches. However, my training with my daggers keeps me humble." "Wonderful. I must again give you both my sincere apologies," the demon said, shifting uncomfortably. "The summoning ritual has never summoned any so young as you and your friends before, and I find myself quite beset with guilt," "And we''ve already forgiven you," Sophie replied. "From what the Archpriest said, you cannot control who you summon. You are not responsible, though we are thankful you champion us against the other Summoned Heroes." Urgh, that was another annoying point, Akio allowed. After the shock of the summoning, magic being real, and their new lot in life had worn off, the adults summoned with them finally realized there were three teens amongst them. They''d attempted to keep the trio out of the training, citing that they were far too young to fight and kill anything, much less monsters and risen undead. Of course, Akio, Bruce, and Sophie denied being protected in the swaddling, awkward way the adults had attempted. None of them had any authority over the teens, and by the laws of this world, they were all adults. Of course, as adults were, they hadn''t taken being denied by teenagers very well. In the end, Captain Heliat had to intervene and move them to separate rooms. Even now, they are training in a separate area. The adults had tried to take advantage of using the same training ground to sway and cajole them to return to their quarters. They''d refused. Bruce walked over from where he''d been training, his water mage trainer following along, amused, as Bruce attempted to pull the water from his soaking clothes. Akio laughed, Sophie giggled, and Bruce gave a wan smile as his latest attempt at getting the water out succeeded, but he lost control and splashed on the teen''s boots. All was well. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 107 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- The new island was coming along nicely. It''d taken a week to raise and shape the island how I wanted, but it was worth it. It was larger than all the Elemental Isles combined, and it showed. There were peaceful beaches, treacherous cliffs, and a vast plain biome bordered by a forest leading into a mountain peak. The mountain was a volcano, though a fake one like Isla Fuego. I still felt unsure about breaching the magma chamber of the volcano I built my dungeon around. Either way, the island was only the stage, and now it was time to dress it. At the shore, I manipulated the rock to look like a dock. A modern dock. The skeletons of a single cargo crane, a rusting metal monolith that rose from the shore, and the hill of cargo containers behind it held a maze. The maze was simple since I planned to go back and set it up properly later. Thankfully, my iron reserves had been replenished after a few weeks of mining. The Metal Island had drained them, and this project would need about the same amount. A road emerged from the docks, leading through the middle of the town beyond it. Taking inspiration from a certain robot-filled post-apocalypse, the town was composed of the rusting, broken skeletons of skyscrapers. The basements were more intact than the surface, and I would be using that fact to great effect in the future. I took my time here, really making the place how I wanted it to look. Then, I flooded the place with vegetation and let nature reclaim the ruin on its own. Trees grew, and roots cracked foundations. Grasses and mosses covered everything they could reach. It didn''t take long for me to be satisfied with it. Next were insects and animals. I made sure there was a healthy population of every insect I had. They were average-sized and not intended to be a threat to the guilders. I did make the mosquitos louder and more agile, though. Animal-wise, I once again took inspiration from the same source. Bunnies, birds, and I finally had access to boars after an animal merchant sold some pigs to Goldscale''s assistant, Bapeep. The severe capriccio certainly took no nonsense from the merchant and was experienced with cajoling merchants and guilders by now. With small animals done, I wondered what kind of monsters I wanted for this place. In the ruins of a civilization, what''s left behind after nature has returned to stake its claim? I didn''t have the tech or knowledge of how to make non-court-possessed golems, nor clockwork or mechanical robots. I need something... primal. I had an idea. And I had a flock of chickens purchased from the same merchant, milling about with the pigs and sheep on the Tenth. I could do great but terrible things with chickens. -0-0-0-0-0- The Scorpan Village, The Ninth, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Kata waved to her friend as they entered the tunnel leading back to the pyramid. She watched intently as Hallmark followed Huea, and the passage closed behind them. Kata turned and began the journey to the Eleventh. It was short since she was already most of the way there. And her wings only made the journey faster. Within the hour, she was flying over the seemingly endless waters, and the shining beacon of the creator''s core grew closer. "Creator, Medea, Whatever you want to call yourself. We need to talk, and I expect answers." Kata called. She felt his attention snap to her immediately. She could feel his reluctance to leave his current project, and then the moment he realized where she was, the split second of panic. Wait. Not the core island. You won''t be able to handle the mana there, and I mean that literally. Do you see the new island on the horizon to your left? Go there. It''ll make my explanation easier. Kata''s eyes flickered left. There was, indeed, an island where none had existed before. She changed course and could feel his relief when she passed by the core island. Thank you. The last person on my island was Wave. You met him before, didn''t you? I didn''t turn him into a wyvern by choice. He was so twisted and changed by the sheer amount of mana in his body that I couldn''t turn him back. I could only shape him into something new. It was the only time I''ve had to change someone without their consent, and I don''t feel like repeating the experience. Kata said nothing, though that was an answer, given how she felt him flinch in her mind. As she approached, she immediately noticed the structures: huge metal rods, both exposed and coated in rock, acted as support. The buildings stood taller than any she had seen before, and she wondered what they would have looked like intact. Unbidden, an image came to her. A horizon covered in these tall buildings, their walls reflecting the setting sun like glass. Hundreds of them, reaching for the stars. "What was that?" Kata demanded. The creator flinched. A memory. Please meet me in the tallest building. "Meet you?" Yes. I felt speaking to an avatar would be better than a voice in your head. This one''s been around for a while, but I haven''t used it for much. Kata soared, her ethereal wings flapping unnecessarily as she slowed and then landed. On the broken edge of the stone floor, a figure stood. It was large and facing away from her. It wore a dark cloak that concealed everything else about it; the hood pulled up. It turned, and Kata felt her breath catch in her throat for a moment. It was a skeleton. The skull was of a drake-kin, but the eyes were unlike the undead Kata had seen earlier. They were the same Teal all of the creator''s magic was. She remembered this one! How could she ever have forgotten? Maybe she''d just pushed the terrifying memory down. She stood, frozen as it began to speak. "This was one of my earliest experiments. No actual death magic involved, though observing the experiments with it gave me ways to improve it," The skeleton said, its jaw moving and actual words emerging from its mouth. "It took a while to figure out the enchantment to make the voice. It''s not quite right, but it''ll do." The voice was androgynous, for all that every Child she''d talked to had called him male and that he sounded like a man in her head. Or, perhaps that was her perception coloring it? "I remember you. You brought me food once, back when... when I was in the cells," Kata found herself saying. The skeleton kicked out with a booted foot, knocking a stone off the ledge. "Well, yeah. I''m sorry about the Mandarin, by the way," the skeleton said. "I hadn''t made it that way intentionally. I was young. Younger. I''m still young. I''m still learning, and though I know so much more now, I didn''t then." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Kata shuddered at the memory. Another thing she''d pushed into the dark recesses of her mind. Then she shook her head. Get it together, Kataren! "So. I have questions," Kata began, approaching the skeleton. He nodded and sat on the edge of the rock, patting the spot next to him. "Of course. I have answers, but not all of them." "Who are you? What are you, really." A moment of silence, then a sigh. "I... I don''t remember my name. I was human, once, like you." The skeleton answered, and Kata blinked. He was what?! "I was born in a world of technology. There was no magic, and we had to adapt. We bent and broke the world. Nature gave way to concrete and steel." the creator swung the skeletal arm, gesturing to the broken towers around them. "Eventually, we covered the planet. Someone owned every square foot of land, and your worth was measured by how much you could pay to live your life. I don''t know how I ended up here. One day, I went to sleep, and the next, I was here. I assume the gods were involved, though I don''t recall meeting any. I just woke up as a tiny gemstone and washed up on the beach far above us. "I had some idea about my circumstances. They resembled stories I''d read back in my old world. It wasn''t the same, but there was enough that was. I carved my first floor and made the crabs. They were the first, and they were once so precious. I buried the first one to die, and from then on, the crabs buried their dead on their own. I ordered them to give their lives in my defense, and they did and continue to do so. It''s out of my control now. They''ve been doing it so long, I know that if I tried to tell them to stop, they wouldn''t. They worship me. Devoted, zealous. They worshiped me from the very beginning, though it took time for me to see it correctly. Kata was still processing that the creator wasn''t just a dungeon core¡ªit wasn''t some ancient, unknowable thing. He was a person, just like her, one given unimaginable power. He kept talking, more rambling than anything else. "The first group of guilders to find me included the guildmistress, Layla. I called her Neo for a while before I learned how your language worked. Whatever they saw from that delve, they took home, and my island was settled. Eventually, I did learn the language, and I learned what they thought of me. I was in some ancient dungeon, long dormant and only just waking up. It made me more dangerous in their eyes. They were more cautious. "I ran with the idea. I made up fake language and scrawled nonsense messages everywhere. I made ruins, ''hints'' at my age." The skeleton stopped, rearing back slightly. "Ah... I''m sorry for ranting like that. It... It feels good to actually talk to someone about all this. You have more questions?" Kata nodded slowly. "I do, but what you''ve already said explains a lot. Why you don''t know the basics of mana and the concepts attached to them, especially. I''ve not forgiven you for having my best friend use fucking death mana. You turned her into a necromancer!" Kata took a deep breath. "But I understand." "So, first things first," Kata continued. "I''m going to explain the elements and gods to you. Hopefully, that''ll stop you from doing something else so utterly braindead as getting the Ferryman''s attention!" -0-0-0-0-0- Outside a Baby Dungeon, Near The Holy City, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Tamesou Akio walked with his fellow teenage heroes into the dark cave as Sophie''s mentor, Jinasa, lectured them. "This is a baby dungeon. We call it that because this dungeon only recently breached the surface. Its manastream is thin and doesn''t contain any true monsters. We''ll likely find normal animals, mutated by mana exposure, drawn by the cave and the promise of shelter. It hasn''t had the time to develop thought and strategy beyond its base instincts." "Did you say mutated? What do you mean by that?" Sophie asked head tilted in curiosity. Like her mentor, she was garbed in leathers. The dual daggers at her hips radiated a sense of menace. "Mana is directed by the subconscious wants and needs of the body, especially by beings without a core," Jinasa responded. "A Core filters and purifies those intents. For example, an animal exposed to large amounts of mana in a short period, who instinctually wants to be larger and more dangerous, might grow three times its size while developing extra limbs. This is a mana mutant. Seemingly random additions with no coherence between them. Monsters were exposed for a long time, and the mana slowly coalesced into a core." Jinasa suddenly stopped, listened to the quiet momentarily, and then raised a hand with three fingers splayed. Akio, Sophie, and Bruce nodded, readying themselves. They approached silently, and soon, the teens could hear the snarling yips of three foxes. A soft glow grew in the distance of the long tunnel. It wasn''t long after that the foxes heard them and rushed into the light shone by the sprite hovering over Heliat''s shoulder. Jinasa had been right. They looked like mutants from some video game. They were warped, twisted. Akio would have believed them if you''d told him these things were found living near Chornobyl or emerged from a nuclear wasteland. The one in front had six feet but only four legs. The front pair of legs each had two shins extending from the same knee joint. Its eyes fixed on the humans immediately, and its unhinged jaw was filled with hundreds of teeth. The next glowed. It glowed a blue that evoked a memory Akio had of watching a video of a nuclear reactor. Yet, while it glowed, it was also transparent. Akio could see that it was the core in its chest that glowed, as well as the skin and muscle. The third had two heads, half-merged together. Its single neck wasn''t large enough to support both. The heads dragged on the ground, and because of that, it lagged behind the other two. Akio raised his sword and shield, stepping forward. He was the tank, and it was his responsibility to take their attention while his party damaged them. The fastest fox leaped toward him, and Akio shifted quickly; four sharp-clawed paws slammed against his shield. He moved with the blow, his feet planted, his knees bent, and then he pushed back. The agile fox was thrown to the ground. There was no time to think. The glowing fox was upon him. A mana beam erupted from its core, harmlessly passing through its transparent flesh. Akio raised his shield again, but this time, he pushed a prepared spell down his mana circuits and into the shield. The enchantment accepted the packet of energy, and as the beam of horrifyingly blue light speared toward him, his shield manifested a barrier of glorious yellow light. It required a constant drain, as most of his spells did. The Foxes hissed and flinched as the enchantment activated; the flash was so powerful he wouldn''t be surprised if they were blinded. The beam splashed against the shield, and Akio flinched slightly at the drain. It was more than he''d expected. Thankfully, he could cut off the flow and let the enchantment on his shield fade as Bruce and Sophie joined the fight. Water whipped out from his right in the shape of three tentacles, their tips shaped and molded to spikes that Akio had seen pierce steel. The agile fox, still half-blinded by the flash of light his shield had caused and stumbling to its feet from where Akio had thrown it, could not move out of the way. Bruce''s water spikes pierced its heart, and the agile fox died. Akio saw Sophie emerge from the shadow behind the two-headed fox, thrown by the glowing fox''s light. Despite its two heads, the fox was even more vulnerable to the flash of his shield than the others, and its stumbling was made worse by the excess weight on its neck. Sophie''s daggers found their way into its chest and heart. And the two-headed fox died. Akio himself stood forward, his sword slashing down at the glowing fox. It growled at him, not as affected by the flash as the other two. They went back and forth, him lunging, it dodging. It striking, him shielding himself. After the third time, Akio decided it was time to change things up. He cast another spell, passing down his arm and into his sword. This time, when he slashed, his sword released a glowing yellow arc of energy. The glowing fox attempted to dodge like the previous strikes, but it hadn''t expected the magical attack. The light struck it and cut it in two. Its two halves fell to the ground, and the glowing fox died. "Well done, young heroes!" Heliat congratulated, his gauntlet landing on Akio''s shoulder. "Well, fought. You kept their attention well, Young Akio and your actions provided the openings your party members could take, ending the fight decisively. The speed and strength to end your fights sooner will come with time." Akio nodded. He could hear Jinasa and Adriane, the water mage, advising Sophie and Bruce on their parts in the fight, but his eye was drawn by the core on the ground. He stepped toward the bisected, glowing fox. He knelt and reached out. The fox had been cut down its middle, and he didn''t have to reach far into its chest to grab the core. He pulled it out and admired it. It was the shape and size of a marble. Unfaceted, smooth and clean. It still glowed with that internal blue light, though it had faded slightly from when it was inside the living mana-mutant. "This one was probably in here the longest," Heliat noted, gesturing to the glowing marble Akio rolled around in the palm of his glove. "Perhaps the first monster to find the core when its stream was even weaker. It was exposed slowly and developed this core before the other two even entered the cave." "It''s pretty," Sophie commented! Akio jumped, not having noticed her approach. She was getting too good at being quiet! "It''s so.... tiny." "It''s not useful on its own," Jinasa said, taking the core from Akio''s palm. She glanced at it briefly, and then her lecturing tone returned. "Cores, monster or dungeon, are used to power enchantments. They are the only material we know that can hold mana for an extended period. They can only be recharged so many times before they degrade and break, so we must keep collecting them. Dungeon cores last far longer than monster cores and are preferred due to their other properties. They are, however, much rarer to claim." She places the core back in Akio''s hand, then waves her own down the hallway. "I''m pretty sure that''s all the monsters. This dungeon isn''t very old. Even then, don''t let your guard down. They like to keep their most potent creatures close, just in case. "Shall we?" -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 108 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- "So, given all you''ve told me... Your morals have definitely changed, and you didn''t notice when they did or started to. You thought it was the original soul in the Core, but not much has changed after removing that soul. Occam''s razor suggests the answer must be because of the body your soul is in, the Core itself. Also, I have to ask, what the fuck is up with that; Who is Occam, and how do I know about his razor?!" I let my avatar sigh from where it was lying on the concrete, its feet still hanging off the ledge. "Yes, I agree. It''s the only explanation that makes sense. But I can''t exactly change my body, my Core, without huge consequences¡ªapocalyptic consequences." I answered the question of my morals first before addressing Kata''s other concern. "I assume it has to do with my connection to the Children. They draw on my knowledge unconsciously and speak sayings and quotes from my original world without thinking." They were both silent for a moment. "Oh, and Occam isn''t actually his name," I explained, drawing on memories I hadn''t needed to think of in years. "His name was William, I think. It''s the idea that the explanation or solution is usually the simplest or easiest. It can certainly be wrong, but it''s something to remember." "Then where did the Occam come from?" "The town he was born in, Ockham." "Ah, so he was lowborn?" "I don''t actually know. Wasn''t told all that much about him; only his razor." "That''s kinda sad." I turned my avatar''s head left to look at Kata. She was lying beside me, eyes looking at the wispy clouds floating overhead. "So. I''ve told you everything, I think. Answered all your questions. You have anything to say?" Kata didn''t respond but for closing her eyes. "You need a moral compass," she stated after a minute of silence. "Someone who can tell you whether what you are about to do is morally wrong." "Are you volunteering?" "You don''t exactly have any other option. The Children wouldn''t dare criticize you through no fault of your own," Kata said. I hummed and sat up. I swung the avatar''s legs around off the edge and stood. It was a short walk away from the edge to a window on the opposite side, one that faced Core Island. I held my skeletal hands behind my back, staring out through the flaming eyes of my avatar''s skull. Footsteps followed, and Kata soon joined me at the window. As much as I held onto my humanity... I wasn''t human anymore. A human has a heart, and his blood pumps through his veins. A human breathes the air and draws energy from the food he eats. A human would feel the fabric of his clothes on his skin. Mana is my only way of interacting with the world. Touch... I haven''t touched anything myself in a long time. Experiencing it through one of the children is different. Taste... I suppose I''ve used it to identify mana. Beyond the colors of the magic itself, they all have a ''taste.'' Or maybe they don''t, and it''s just my soul being confused about how to process my senses. Synthesia, though I don''t know how that would work when I no longer have a brain. Even this avatar I''ve crafted reflects my new nature. It doesn''t have eyes to see, skin to feel, or a tongue to taste. It doesn''t have a nose to smell or ears to hear. It is a skeleton, the bones of my fallen Children, repurposed and reused. It is the product of experiments that caused and continue to cause fear and pain and... I''m a Dungeon Core. I''ve killed hundreds of humans and felt nothing of their deaths. Guiltless, but not blameless. I do feel empathy, but not enough to empathize with those who are not my own. But I wanted to. My humanity made me different; it was what set me apart from the panicked flailing a dungeon a soul like Instincts would run. It gave me my goal, dream, and vision: a place of wonders, beautiful vistas, awe-inspiring creations, and monuments. In my fear of enslavement and destruction, I crafted horrors and terrors. Monsters that would fling themselves at invaders to prevent precisely that. "Kata," I began, looking at the accretion disk surrounding my Core. It was painted in a rainbow of colors, with a gravity and momentum the currents that''d formed in the ocean around the island mirrored. It was beautiful. I looked down at the scaleborn, seeing curiosity in her eyes. "I''m going to ease up on the guilders. As much as I want to defend myself and protect my Core from their grasping hands... not all wish for my death. They will look for a trap if it''s too great, but... a lesser number of monsters in their path wouldn''t go amiss." Kata beamed up at me. She raised a hand and placed it on the cloaked arm of the avatar. The mana in her hand was warm against my cold bones. She didn''t say anything. She didn''t need to. I could feel the approval in her mind. I left a piece of my awareness in the avatar but moved most of it upwards. I had some changes to make. -0-0-0-0-0- Blackwater Port, Kolchiss County, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Towers-Over-Others stepped off the crane with the other children too large for the gangplank. Aston was at his side, carrying two rolls of fabric over his shoulders. They would unload the wares Captain Eli intended to sell here as part of their payment. It didn''t take long. The Minotaurs were stronger than any human, and the crew was relegated to organizing and pointing out where crates were to sit. Towers observed as the crew and the children interacted. None of the fear and wariness that had dominated their interactions at the start of the journey was present now. They joked around and laughed together. One Minotaur, Ossydus, gently slapped a human on the back, and the man fell into a pile of hay. Ossydus apologized profusely, even as the man''s friends laughed and the man himself insisted he was fine. He smiled, though it quickly faded. There was the hole in his mind again, where the comforting warmth of The Creator once rested. This time, it felt more profound. A yawning pit. During The Creator''s sleep, they still felt the connection to Him. Now, the connection had been severed. Many Children were inconsolable when they heard The Creator bless them as they neared the edge of his influence. Then he was ripped away. The healing had taken time, but the week-long journey was enough for most of them to get control of themselves. Towers took a shuddering breath and tried to ignore the pit. He turned his gaze away from the crew, scanning the crowd nearby. He saw fear and wariness. Mothers pulled their children close. Men glared as they pushed their women behind them. "We have our work cut out for us, Baal," Towers stated as the robed capriccio joined him and Aston. "No kidding," Aston responded in the grunting Minotaur language, placing the roll of fabric down where a crew member told him to. "They are wary, true. But none have yet attacked," Baalzebub countered in her bleating language, waving a hand at the crowd. Towers looked again. The capriccio spoke the truth. "No guards gather to arrest us. They have heard rumors and are afraid, true, but humans are curious. A Virtue, by the words of The Creator." Towers nodded, as did Aston. "Perhaps the Scorpans should stay back for the first few meetings." Baal continued. "Humans fear those unlike themselves, and the Scorpans are the most unlike them. You cannot even speak a language they will understand. Let tensions cool, and familiarity breed first." Towers didn''t like it, but he agreed. "Fine. I know some of us can be... overenthusiastic. The Drake-kin and Capriccio are probably the best for first introductions." Towers advised. Baalezbub nodded and gathered a couple of Children. Together, they approached the crowd. Towers and Aston hung back far enough that they couldn''t hear the conversation. As the Children approached, dozens ran, but enough stayed. Tense postures softened as the conversation continued. Some shouted, accusations were thrown. "You''re Monsters! Why should we trust you?" was one of the few loud enough to hear from his position. Eventually, the crowd dispersed. None took any books or fliers, but it ended without conflict. A step in the right direction. Towers sighed, shrugging at Baal as she rejoined him. The group passed through the city together, with a guide and a few guards to protect them and the humans. They still had a lot of trust to build here, but it was a start. -0-0-0-0-0- Inside a Baby Dungeon, Near The Holy City, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Akio felt his breath catch as the constricting tunnel opened into a larger cavern. It was a welcome change from the long single corridor they''d been walking through so far, only wide enough for three men to walk shoulder-to-shoulder. At the far end sat a gem embedded in the wall. It radiated a blue light, the same shade as the glowing fox. It was bright but not too bright to hide itself. A Sapphire. Its light filled the room, and the monster in the middle of the room cast a sharp shadow towards them. Growling, it stood on its hind legs and roared. A Bear blocked the way. "This is more than I expected," Guard-Captain Heliat stated, hand on his sheathed sword. "It may be too much for you three, but I will let you fight it alone for three reasons. One, while it is a bear, it is not yet a monster or mana mutant. I''d say it found the cave yesterday. It hasn''t been here long enough for the mana to saturate its body. Two, this entire trip was meant to give you experience. If you only win effortlessly, you''ll become overconfident. From overconfidence comes deadly mistakes. Three; Jinasa, Adrian, and I are here. We can step in to protect you if you falter." Akio nodded. He shared a glance with Sophie and Bruce. "Ideas?" He asked. "It''s a bear," Sophie began, watching the bear keenly as it sniffed at them. "As strong as you''ve become, you aren''t strong enough to contend with it physically. Bait and dodge it. Take glancing blows if you have to, but I''d advise against it." "Yeah, I''m with Soph on this," Bruce agreed. "Bears are no joke, mate. Don''t get hit. We''ll DPS, but you need to keep its attention off us." Akio nodded again and stood forward. He raised his shield and sword, eyes locked on the bear, which roared at him again as he stood forward. There was no time for hesitation or holding back here. Akio cast the flash spell. His shield exploded in light... but the bear was unphased. It''d closed its eyes. He threw himself to the right, rolling to his feet as the bear charged. Its claw slammed through where he was less than a second ago, on all fours again. Akio backpedaled, casting his other spell. His sword lit up, and the arc of coherent light lashed out as he swung at it. It raised its foreleg, roaring in pain as the light left a deep cut. It glared at him in rage, then let out another cry of pain. Sophie''s daggers flashed out of the shadows underneath it, cutting up into its belly. In the next instant, she''d pulled back into the shadows. As blood dripped into a pool beneath it, the bear backpedaled, glaring at the shadows. Its eyes flickered around, resting only moments on the three powerful humans at the cavern''s entrance, then turning to Sophie. The bear wheeled around. Turning its back on Akio. He struck. His blade buried itself in its thigh, and he decided to try something new. He cast Arc of Light but changed the spell slightly to hold the energy in the blade. He could feel the glow building as it roared in pain. He sliced, pulling out the blade at the same time, and its flesh parted. The smell of burning flesh filled his nose. He held back vomit as he backpedaled again, making distance. It whirled around again, eyes locked on Akio. He could see the wild rage in his eyes. Before it could move, a sharp blade of water slashed against its face. It gave a startled roar. Sophie struck again, cutting one of its tendons. It half-collapsed as its back right foot collapsed. And so the fight continued. Akio struck with light. Bruce lashed at it from a distance. Sophie stabbed and sliced at it from the shadows. The bear slowed. It bled. It faltered. Akio stepped forward and slashed at it again. He was too quick. Overconfident. Sure of victory. He only had a second to react as it struck. He raised his shield. He must have blacked out for a moment because when he next opened his eyes, he''d collapsed against the cavern wall, pain lancing through his arm and back. A roar caught his attention, and he turned to face the bear. It had dismissed him as a threat, choosing to focus on Bruce. The Australian was far nimbler than Akio and dodged each blow like his life depended on it¡ªwhich, to be fair, it probably did. Sophie was too nimble, disappearing into her shadow whenever it turned to face her. Her attacks had redoubled with Akio thrown from the fight. Akio let his eyes be drawn to the Core. It was right there. Mere meters away. Akio glanced back at the fight. He caught Sophie''s eye and pointed covertly to the Core. Her eyes flicked to it, then back to his. She nodded. Akio moved closer to the Core, slowly and as quietly as possible. Closer. Closer. Closer! A mere meter away from the Core, the bear roared, and Akio knew he was discovered. He lunged. And His Hand Wrenched The Core From The Wall -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 109 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- It was easy to make the changes. I ordered the Children to perform fewer patrols. In the cases where I could, I placed enchantments on the entrances my monsters used to access the main dungeon rooms. They would only allow so many through, and they would only reset half an hour after at least one of those monsters died. That would only work for those whose breeding grounds were inaccessible, though. Monsters like my new Infernal Serpents bred in isolated Magma Pools. It was simple to add extra rooms beyond them, and where I could, I did so. Monsters like the Phoenix were a bit harder, though. They lived in the canopy of the Third, in nests scattered across the whole floor. Hmm. I''ll come back to them. For the Courts, it was even easier. It was as easy as ordering the excess spirits and sprites down to the Eleventh or letting them spread through the rest of the dungeon. Some fire and air spirits found homes on the Ninth, enjoying the heat and winds of the desert. Some earth sprites and golems settled on the Third Peak, providing an additional challenge for the previously too-easy path. By the time I returned my focus to the Eleventh, Kata had returned to the surface after a quick visit to Huea. I returned to the rusting modern port, where my Avatar stood atop the ruined skyscraper. For now, I decided to leave the issue of monsters and traps alone. There were still plenty of buildings and homes to make, with decorations and storytelling to be added throughout. Seeds of future quests. But even that could wait. There was someone I needed to talk to. I looked at the monster core on a stand near my dungeon core. It was far calmer than the last time I had focused on it, and the soul within was likely calmer. That was the hope, at least. I extended a tendril of mana. Hello, Instincts. It''s been a while. Go way. You can speak?! Yes. How, though, when you couldn''t before? Learned. Not lot else to do. ''Not a lot,'' but never mind that. No. You don''t just spontaneously learn English. Had kn... kno... Knowledge. Just didn''t use. Didn''t need. Knowledge you got from me? Yes. Okay. Since you can actually talk back now, I want to say something. Speak. I Apologize. ... I''m sorry for leaving you alone here. Don''t care. Upset you Stole Core! I know. It wasn''t my fault I ended up here, but I''m sorry for not working with you more. I didn''t realize I wasn''t alone until you moved to take over. How not realize? Stories from my home made me think I was the dungeon, not an extra soul put into an existing one. Then, after, I didn''t spend much time looking at the core itself. I didn''t notice your soul behind mine. ... What now? Well, you can''t come into the core again. There was barely enough room for the two of us here in the first place. Now? Heck no. I''ve had a few ideas about making you a body. Body? Yeah. Something you can use to interact with the world. Remember the skeletons we used when Kata was a prisoner? Yes. Annoying. They were a bitch to control, yeah. We''ve learned some new magic since that makes them easier to use. I pushed the memory of my Avatar and the way I controlled it at Instincts. It took the memories and observed them. Something like that, but with bones made of Mithril. I can make it any shape or form you want. ... Interested. I thought you might be. But we need to get an agreement in place first. Something like the contract we have with the manabeings. You don''t attack or knowingly harm me or my interests, and I''ll provide you with a body and the mana to grow stronger. Might take a bit to get to making the body itself though, with how busy I am recently. Take the time to think about what you want. ... Deal. -0-0-0-0-0- The Sixth Floor, The Dungeon, Atlantis -0-0-0-0-0- Isid looked out over the Magma Plains with a frown. She saw the changes to the floor, and she was worried. The changes to the Fifth were understandable, forcing them to explore almost the entire castle before progressing. This floor would place a timer on their exploration, if the creeping nature of the magma lakes held true. It would likely spread to fill all the lower sections of the plains. She also saw what looked like snakes by the edge of the lakes full of earth and fire mana, If the silhouettes were to be believed. Though these changes were expected, it was the most recent changes to the Fifth which worried her. It was too easy; every section of the castle had been a slog before, but the final tower, meant to be full of metal golems, was easier than she''d expected. "I don''t know what you''re so worried about, Isid," her infuriatingly calm husband said, the man also looking out over the floor. "We can ask The Voice about the changes to the number of enemies later. For now, you need to focus. We''ve been here before, but it''s not the same. The bats fly in the daylight, and snakes explore the shore. Even the Children have expanded. I can see at least two new Capriccio villages from here." Isid huffed, crossing her arms. "He''s not wrong," Duncan added, the distant man added, having raised a spyglass to his eye. "Those snakes are swimming in the lava, by the way. Their scales might make good heat-resistant armor." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Really?! Gimmie!" "Hey, that''s mine!" "Oh, you''re right, they are swimming in the magma. Very Interesting!" Isid ignored Duncan and Harald as they bickered over the spyglass, turning to face the other parties in their group. "Get out your Capriccio-wool cloaks. We''ll be on this floor longer than I expected. Suppose the decrease in difficulty has been applied across the whole dungeon. In that case, we might make it further than expected today." "Maybe to the Drake-kin?" Paetor asked, clipping his cloak to his pauldrons. "Probably," Isid answered. "We don''t know how much the mines have changed. We''ve seen new monsters, layouts, and hazards on both the Fifth and just from this glance of the Sixth. We can assume the Seventh is the same." Isid glanced at Haythem and Bertram, finding them just as she''d expected, quietly donning their cloaks. They moved with quiet focus, checking each other''s armor and potion belts. After Flasa had died, the two kept to themselves more. As expected, they had emerged from the invasion more powerful, the light in their cores an order of magnitude brighter. From what she could tell, that had been focused on their perception and toughness. It was in the thickness and color of the mana in their skin and the way their eyes twitched at any movement. She would bet their other senses were just as acute. Once they were prepared, the group descended the steep path to reach the plains. By Isid''s judgment, they had roughly an hour until the magma filled the lowest parts of the plains. Two things could happen then; either the lava stayed at that level, and it had been triggered by their entrance into the floor, or it would act like a tide, retreating to allow them to continue. Only time would tell. For now, though, they approached the edge of the magma. There, they fought a group of those snakes. To Isid''s sight, they were beautiful. The earth and fire mana in their bodies mingled and flowed in intricate patterns. Their scales were tough but hardened more against the heat of the magma than impacts, and they were vulnerable to blunt impact just as much as any snake. After collecting the bodies and placing them in a spatial bag designed for the task, they had to flee the rising magma. They fought a familiar roving group of manabeings slightly more skilled than Isid remembered. It was not enough to be dangerous, but she noted that they were learning. When the magma finally rose to its full height, the party was on a section of uneven and rocky terrain. Soon after, the Bats descended, no doubt noticing they were trapped there. They fought off a few waves of the things, Duncan certainly earning his share as he picked them off before they could even reach the group of guilders. While losing the hides to the magma was regrettable, they had harvested plenty from the bats who''d foolishly landed already. It took another hour for the magma to begin to lower, letting the parties leave. The map may have to be altered to account for the changes in terrain and the magma tide. They''d definitely highlight raised sections parties could use to wait out the tide. They eventually reached the crack in the cavern wall, guarded by manabeings and holding the tunnel to the next floor. The fight was the same as the last time, featuring the same liquid-metal Guardian and its golem guards. While the others might not have been able to tell, Isid remembered the shape and flow of these particular manabeings. They were more challenging, to be sure, but more was needed to overcome the group of guilders than a little more strength. Reaching the entrance to the Seventh confirmed Isid''s worst fears. As soon as they entered the cavern with the four pillars, a cloud of dust and the sound of collapsing rock burst from the single mine entrance, filling the cavern with dust and coughing guilders. A little into the collapsed cave, they found only one of the paths remained unblocked. With no choice, they followed that path... to another crossroads where only one path was still viable. "Not another Maze!" "I suppose we were due for one; the Sixth was quite open." "Doesn''t mean I''m happy about it." The first ambush was unexpected; a couple of earth manabeings had disguised themselves against the collapsed rocks on a blocked path, and when they came close, the beings attacked. The sound of shifting earth behind them alerted them that more were behind. They were trapped. Good. Isid had some tension to blow off. -0-0-0-0-0- Baby Dungeon, Near The Holy City, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Akio blinked, finding himself somewhere... else. He couldn''t describe where he was, only that it wasn''t the cave. The only thing around was a floating gemstone, no longer in his hand, a dozen meters away. There was no bear, no Sophie, no Bruce. He looked down at himself, finding he still possessed a body. With nothing else to do, Akio walked towards the floating gem. He reached out and touched the gem and felt... something. Fear, Terror. But they weren''t his feelings. The only other thing around was the gem. Was it the dungeon core? "Hey, hey. It''s okay. I''m not going to hurt you. Are you the core?" The feelings calmed to unease, though it kept the undercurrent of fear. "It''s okay; I''m not going to hurt you," Akio comforted. The emotions calmed further, and he became more curious. It was just his luck that the thing couldn''t talk. Jinasa did say the thing was a baby. It''s probably not old enough to talk. "Do you know where we are?" Akio asked. The gemstone shone briefly, and a feeling of certainty filled him. "You do? Alright." He looked around. What was it that Jinasa said to do if they touched the core? "I, uh, Claim this dungeon? I guess?" The fabric of reality around Akio pulsed, and the gemstone''s emotions became muted. And Everything Faded Away -0-0-0-0-0- "-kio! Akio!" a voice called, louder and louder with each repetition. After a short struggle, Akio was able to open his heavy eyelids. The first thing he saw was Sophie''s face, concern in her eyes turning to relief. "Akio! Oh, thank god, you''re alright!" ... Was he being hugged or laid on? "You okay there, mate? You kinda collapsed a few hours ago," Bruce said, moving into view. What little of the teen Akio could see through the black hair over his face, anyway. "I collapsed? Wait, a few hours? I was only out for like a minute, tops!" Akio exclaimed, attempting to sit up and failing. Sophie was still lying on him, and he was still heavily armored. "Yup. You just fell to the ground when you pulled the gem from the wall. Couldn''t wake you up. Guard-Captain Heliat and Jinasa said it was normal, but we were still worried. You are alright, right?" "Yeah, I feel fine. What happened to the bear?" Akio asked, trying to look around. "It, like, froze as soon as you touched the gem," Bruce explained, waving at the mound of brown fur in the middle of the room. "Easy to kill it after that. It had a smaller core than that glowing fox did." He held up the small core with the same blue glow as the core. Akio tried to raise his arm to see the dungeon core but couldn''t. It was pinned. "Um, Sophie. I need to get up." There was a pause, and then Sophie disappeared into shadow, appearing across the cave facing away from him. He blinked, then brought up his hand. The Dungeon Core in his hand. It was a cushion cut. It was still lit with magic; if he concentrated, he could feel the muted emotions within. It was far smaller than his fist, about the size of a bottlecap. "Well done, Young Akio!" Guard-Captain Heliat called, approaching the two teens as Akio stood. "You availed yourself well in that fight. Don''t worry about taking that blow; the strength, size, and endurance to power through such a blow will come in time. You''ve claimed the core?" "I guess?" Akio said, looking down at the core again. "What do I do with it?" "Well, there isn''t much point putting it back." Jinasa reasoned, looking around. "This dungeon is tiny, and spending the time and resources needed to make it worth a damn would take far too much time. Forget how much time it would take away from your training. Your other option is to have a weapon or armor made, then use the dungeon core in place of a mana core for the enchantment." "Does that make the enchantment better?" Sophie asked. Akio blinked, turning to the girl. She pointedly didn''t look at him, focusing instead on her mentor. "Much better," Jinasa answered. "Dungeon cores, unlike mana cores, are still alive. They can still grow, and the equipment made with them will grow stronger with time. Enchantments, the material they''re made of, etcetera. You need to use smaller cores like that one for it, though. Use one too smart, and you might find your weapon betrays you. That''s the origin of most cursed items, in fact." "Wouldn''t all items made with dungeon cores eventually become cursed?" Sophie muttered, staring at the core in Akio''s hand with distrust. "You''d think so, but so long as you maintain and treat them well, these items can pass through generations, serving bloodlines in whatever role they have," Jinasa explained. She then pointed at Akio''s mentor. "Heliat''s armor is one such item." "Indeed!" Heliat boasted, gently tapping a gauntlet to his armored chest with a fond smile. "Twenty generations, now. This armor was crafted for an ancient Hero, my ancestor, who was summoned using the same Ritual that summoned you. Only, it was just him. He gathered companions from the most powerful guilders on Theona. Eventually, he defeated a powerful mage using a dungeon to craft an army of monsters he called Demons. I have yet to see this armor take a single scratch!" Akio looked at the gleaming silver armor in a new light. It may take time to become as powerful as that... but... He raised the core to his eye and stared deep into the point of light at its center. Something Jinasa said about the dungeon cores stuck with him. They were alive. This was a living being, just a different form of life. He remembered its curiosity. "Well, buddy? What do you think?" He thought, trying to push the thought at the gem. He felt something. Determination -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 110 This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Chapter 111 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Understandably, the Isid-Haythem-Cliche raid group didn''t spend too long on the Eighth. It was entirely unknown territory, and they''d been expecting to fight a boss on the Seventh. They were unprepared for the new climate, and after a short time exploring the first Peak, they all decided to activate their teleport crystals and leave. I spent the next few days focusing on the Eleventh. First things first: Though I wanted to continue working on the Islands, their stories, and quests, there was an important thing to deal with first. As a consequence of changing the ''difficulty'' of my dungeon from ''Extreme'' to ''Hard,'' It was far more likely that the guilders would reach my core. As much as I planned on making it possible for them to reach the Eleventh, I was still resolute on one thing; the guilders would never get to my core. To ensure this, I couldn''t take the chance they''d manage to push past the accretion disk and touch me. I still didn''t know what would actually happen if a human touched me, but given it was seemingly a requirement to claim a dungeon and become its master? It''s not something I want even the possibility of happening. I could have started a Twelfth floor, but there was still so much unused space on the Eleventh, and I only had vague ideas about the boss battle for the floor. Thus, I wanted to stay on the Eleventh but make my Island inaccessible. On a related note, thanks to Kata''s explanation of what mana types existed, my scientists had managed to isolate two new types; the two second-tier mana types I was missing: Sound and Gravity. According to the wheel of mana that I''d made using as a reference, Sound was the ''purer'' form of Air. It made sense to me, as it was the vibration of particles through a medium. It may be closer to Vibration in concept, but wouldn''t that be under fire and heat? Eh, these concepts give me headaches sometimes. Gravity was the ''purer'' form of Earth. Again, something that made sense. Gravity is an emergent concept linked to a mass of sufficient, aka Earth. We found Sound because the Hellbats of the Sixth were using it unconsciously. I''d noticed something going on with their sonic attacks ages ago, and now I could actually give them the affinity for Sound Mana. It made them much more dangerous; they could manipulate their screams to do more than hurt their enemies'' ears. We only found gravity because one of the drake-kin happened to look at the village''s manastar. And duh, of course, something like that uses Gravity Mana of some kind! I felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. But, with the discovery of Gravity Mana, I could do something I''d only ever thought about. I could utilize the skies of the Eleventh and the airless space near the roof of the enormously expanded cavern. Of course, I didn''t use my core island as the first test of this concept¡ªthat would be idiotic. I gathered a suitably large boulder of rock, one only a dozen yards wide. On its own, having gravity mana infused into the rock didn''t do much. The mana didn''t bind to the rock in the way I wanted. When introduced to a manacore, however, things got good. First, I had an array of manacores tested. A substantial oval core was suffused with Gravity Mana, with an enchantment carved upon its smooth surface. The blue core gained a purple inner light. While It was able to levitate itself, even when embedded in the core of the boulder, it wasn''t strong enough to actually lift it. The second was a smaller spherical core, which I grew solely with gravity mana. This crystal was entirely purple, a deep royal color. Once it was a sufficient size, a yard or so in diameter, I embedded it in the core of the boulder and tested it. The Enchantment was relatively simple: It would seek to lift the rock to a certain height and then maintain that level. In this case, the height was one mile from the surface¡ªnothing too outrageous. It performed excellently. Upon further tests, the efficiency of using gravity cores to power gravity-based effects was orders of magnitude greater. More enchantments added to a linked control stone would allow someone to raise and lower the Island around by changing the height requirement, and four smaller wind cores enchanted to provide thrust toward each cardinal direction gave the island mobility. Why hadn''t I made mana-specific manacores before!? They were incredibly useful and much more powerful than the general mix of mana, an ordinary one. I worried about a manastar made of only gravity mana. It seemed too risky to me. I triggered the enchantments after having five gravity cores and four wind cores embedded in the Core island. My Island ripped itself from its base, leaving behind a crater that promptly flooded. It would end up as a lagoon later, no doubt. As my core rose into the air, my accretion disk did likewise. I quickly moved my Island above the perpetual storm above half the Elemental Isles. There, I would remain out of sight. While the lowest portion of the storm clouds were black and cast a perpetual night upon the islands in their center, the clouds were white and puffy near the top. I named my new location Olympus. It was only fitting for a future network of islands sitting atop clouds. With my safety assured, I could move on to my next task. I''d promised Instincts a body. I intended to deliver. -0-0-0-0-0- The Guildmistress''s Office, The Guild, Atlantis -0-0-0-0-0- Layla Losat let herself sink into her chair as her aunt and uncle left the room, the door closing behind them. She pressed a glowing symbol on what seemed like a paperweight, and the thick mana barrier around the room was absorbed into it. Once again able to see through the room''s walls, Layla looked out her window at the dungeon''s entrance. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Felin began massaging her shoulders, and Layla groaned, leaning into the touch. "If I ever see Grandfather again, I''m going to punch him in the face. I sometimes wish I was a normal guilder, delving into the dungeon and climbing the ranks. He denied me that," Layla complained. Felin chuckled, and Layla leaned her head back to glare at him. The contours of his face glowed as mana flowed through and across his skin. "Someone had to do it," her frustratingly correct boyfriend reasoned. "Might as well be someone your grandfather could trust. And... I can''t say I''m not thankful. We would have died in that dungeon, Layla. Herna did, and Teak swore he''d never step foot on this Island again. Just the two of us..." Felin trailed off leadingly. She sighed. "I know. I''m just complaining for the sake of it," Layla admitted. She turned to look at the mouse in the roof. It twitched in her direction, then scampered off down the inside of a wall. "It wouldn''t be so bad if this were a normal dungeon." "So! What do we know," Layla said, sitting up suddenly and pulling together the notes she''d written and the descriptions provided by Isid''s group. "The dungeon has changed physically across multiple floors and lowered the number of monsters across its entirety," Felin answered, pulling up his notes. "A couple of Golds who recently made it into the Fifth are reporting much lower numbers of the rats than we have on record." "The main question is why, but I think I know the answer," Layla reasoned. "He wants our guilders to make it further in the dungeon. The previous changes made previously underutilized areas practically required to pass. I feel the Seventh will be like the Second; ever-changing labyrinths must be explored anew each time. The other floors are expansive and straightforward or require an item or key to pass through to the next area or floor. The Third and Fifth require trials and smaller bosses to be defeated to continue. The First, Fourth and the Sixth are more straight forward; reach the exit while fighting enemies. I''m sure a key or requirement will be added to the Sixth soon," Layla theorized. "As it is, guilders can walk right to the exit, even with the lava tide acting to slow their passage." "... He''s acted to make the dungeon more difficult and time-consuming to traverse at every opportunity," Felin summarized, rubbing his chin. "But lowering the number of enemies is the first time we''ve seen it become easier." "Thus, encouraging and allowing Golds to make it deeper," Layla finished. "If we didn''t know the dungeon as well as we do, I would assume it a trap. I don''t think that''s something the dungeon would do, though. He wants the guilders to go deeper." Layla repeated, tone wondering. "What kind of dungeon doesn''t do its utmost to keep guilders away from its core?" Felin asked, continuing before Layla could answer. "We already knew this dungeon was different. We''ve known that since we first discovered it. Everything it''s done has shown how different it is. It claimed the surface and then let us stay, for the god''s sake. Despite being able to kick us out and ban delves, it lets our guilders do so, even selling its own Teleport Crystals! We can''t assume anything. It wants Guilders to reach deeper, and I feel like The Voice would answer us if we asked." Layla sighed again. "She probably would. The dungeon has been forthcoming about his intentions. He''s invested in expanding the ports, the quarry, the farmsteads, and every crafter on the Island. His ships patrol our waters, and His Children have lived amongst us for weeks." "I''ve heard some rumors of how the Children in Blackwater are doing," Felin revealed. "It seems they''ve been allowed to establish a temple in the city. Many humans call it heresy and decry them as mere monsters. Still, the more days that go by without any hostile movements, the more those shouts turn to whispers. They''re not out of the woods yet, but they''re making progress." "I''m still unsure about what He expects from that, but maybe that''s another thing we can ask the Voice," Layla pursed her lips. "Set up a meeting, Felin, ASAP. Huh, that''s kind of fun to say." -0-0-0-0-0- The Heroes'' Quarters, The High Temple, The Holy City -0-0-0-0-0- Tamesou Akio sat with his legs crossed, his new shield on his lap with its inside facing upwards. The dungeon core was on the side closest to him, and he had his hands resting on the core itself. He''d had a few pointers and lessons on dungeon-core equipment from Guard-Captain Heliat and felt now was an excellent time to commune with the core''s spirit. "Hi there, Um, Dungeon Core," Akio thought, trying his best to ''send'' the thoughts at the core. He received a feeling of curiosity and a greeting back. "I wanted to talk, I guess. You''re in my shield now, and I thought we should get to know each other a bit." The feeling of acceptance, then prompting. "You want to know about me? Alright. My name is Tamesou Akio. I was born in a land known as Japan in 2008. Japan is very different from this place; an entirely different world. We don''t have magic, or dungeons, or gods or anything. Well, we might have gods, but there isn''t any proof. I''m an only child, and I was often alone because my parents are very busy. They work most of the day, and when they get home, they are too busy to spend time with me. "Or they were, I guess," Akio said, pausing. "It''s been hard adjusting to this world, but not as hard as I expected. I have skilled trainers, and the Temples are pouring many resources into me and my friends. Our armor, weapons... Even our trainers. They''re very powerful, and I''m sure if they weren''t training us, they''d have a dozen other things to do that would be far more worth their time." He got the sense the dungeon core didn''t really understand his problems. It was too different from the dungeon''s own experience. "What about you? What was being a dungeon like before I turned up?" Curiosity and the mental image of the gem, smaller than it was now, digging down into the earth. Excitement and the image of a fox. Contentment, two more foxes. Worry, as a bear entered the cave. The feeling of strength. The dungeon was unassailable, and the Bear''s strength was added to its own. Fear, as the humans entered the dungeon. Mourning as they killed its foxes. Fear again, as they fought its Bear. A brief feeling of existential Terror as Akio''s hand reached for the core. Akio opened his eyes, blinking rapidly. He was breathing heavily, his clothes drenched in sweat. "That was... Intense," he thought at the gemstone. "I''m sorry. I didn''t know. Are all dungeons like you?" He got... the impression of himself shrugging. It didn''t know. "If you can think and reason like this, experience emotions like anyone else, aren''t you a living being, too?" The impression of a tilted head. It didn''t understand the question. It was what it was. "I suppose it doesn''t matter. You need a name, though. If you''re a person, I won''t just call you ''dungeon core.''" Akio sunk into a thoughtful mood, occasionally sending names to the core. He was interrupted when Sophie entered their quarters. She''d had training with her mentor, Jinasa, today. She didn''t even look sweaty. Akio waved, and Sophie began to wave back but stopped halfway through, turned away from him, and entered her room. Akio could only look at her door, bewildered. He shook his head. He would never understand girls. He hadn''t back in Japan, and it seemed American girls weren''t any different. "How about Amaterasu? Ama, for short. It''s the name of an old Sun Goddess from my people''s history. She was very important to us, so much so that we named our land after her, ''The Land of the Rising Sun.''" Akio felt interest and acceptance. It made sense; that glowing fox had used beams of light to attack, and the shield the core was in was enchanted with the same light-based spell as his previous one. "I name you Amaterasu, the Rising Sun," Akio declared, holding his shield in both hands. "Cool, man," Bruce interrupted! Akio fell over from surprise. "You done being in your own little world there? It''s time for dinner." -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 112 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I spent the next month in a half-trance. I watched the Guilders explore the dungeon, helped Kata govern Atlantis, and adjusted trap timings and monster numbers. I did some mild terraforming and touch-ups on almost all the Elemental Isles, as well as the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth floors. Between all that, I established two new islands, completing the roughly circular arrangement of the Elemental Isles. The Gravity and Sound Islands filled in the remaining two opposing spaces, though they weren''t exactly opposing concepts like some of the others. Perhaps my circular opposing-elemental wheel design was flawed, but it was too late to change it now. Ilha da Gravidade was an unconventional island, mainly because it was a floating island, taking advantage of my recent discovery of Gravity Cores. Disconnected from the ocean floor, it bobbed up and down gently on the surface. The waves pushed it around slightly, with an anchoring enchantment keeping it from wandering too far. It was unsettling to walk upon, like standing on a ship. The vertigo experienced was an added hurdle. The island was taller than it was wide, with towering cliffs and no easy access route to the top. There was only one spot where the island dipped into the water where it was even possible to climb the cliffs, but it wasn''t exactly easy to spot. Around the island''s immediate vicinity, boulders like the one I''d used to test were anchored to the island by giant vines. For now, no monsters inhabited the island. Gravity Manabeings, however, were a different story. They took a variety of forms. Most were normal stone golems but were unique because their body parts were disconnected. The stones floated around each other with a purple glow, looking like a certain Storm Atronach from a northern land. The fairy-sized Manabeings... Calling them fairies all the time was getting confusing. Pixies. I decided to call them Pixies. Plenty of pixies populated the plethora of islands. The few Potentium golems I gave the manabeings were terrifying to behold. Like the stone golems, they deconstructed their bodies into floating chunks arranged in a vaguely humanoid form. Where the Potentium golems differed was in their ability to shoot pebble-sized chunks of their bodies at their targets with the speed and accuracy of a railgun. Like I said, Terrifying. The Island of Sound, Strana Zvuka, was primarily underground. The sound was most dangerous when confined and allowed to bounce, and this island took advantage of that. Sound Manabeings were, unsurprisingly, more ethereal than Air manabeings but less than darkness manabeings. They could be disrupted but not harmed by standard weapons. They were, quite literally, sound itself. The powers their golems and Potentium golems possessed were quite self-evident; they could generate pulses of sound at various strengths. Radar-like pulses could be used to map the tunnels and search for intruders, or they could focus it enough to cause flesh to explode! I scattered Sound Golems and smaller versions of the Hellbats throughout the tunnel and caverns. Unlike their Hellbat cousins five floors up, though, these were wholly blind and far more in tune with their magic. The tunnels were soon full of thunder-clap-like bursts of sound, and anyone who entered the bare hole in the ground would need extensive hearing protection to even approach the island. I was still deciding what the island''s Relics would do and what they should be. I decided to wait till later; there was still plenty of time before any guilders made it to the Eleventh. Like I''d suspected it would, the hole my Core Island left behind turned into a lagoon. It was populated by a considerable number and variety of fish monsters, taking advantage of the high mana content of the waters left behind. It was a good thing I''d redirected the manastream in the currents around the lagoon to a now-permanent waterspout under the storm clouds. Otherwise, the mana down there would have started mutating the fish beyond all recognition. When I finished my first pass over the two new islands, I focused on the clouds above. Every cloud that floated through the skies of the Eleventh now hid an island from any looking up. I quickly discovered that Water cores could be enchanted to produce an endless stream of water and set up a few on each island. To be honest, I just liked the aesthetic of eternal waterfalls that sustained the clouds shrouding the islands. They were heavily populated by Four-winged feathered Pterodactyl-like monsters that resembled those from a distant planet occupied by blue people. I wasn''t sure what to call them yet. Banshees? Ah, it''ll come to me, I''m sure. Wave was excited to explore the islands and had a very pertinent question to ask. "Creator, when will you create more like me?" He''d been playing with a couple of the four-winged monsters but stopped to perch on a rock and look towards the storm clouds. I''m not sure, Wave. I always intended for dragons, dragon-like monsters, and Children to be among my most potent defenses found in the dungeon''s depths. Your current state certainly wasn''t in my plans, at least not this early. Are you lonely? "A little. It''s fun exploring the Eleventh, but... as much as I try to explain what it''s like to Taura, there''s so much that I just can''t explain. How it feels to fly and dive into the deepest parts of the ocean, the freedom I feel..." Could I examine your memories and feelings? "Of course, Creator." I examined the blue Amphibious Wyvern. It''d been a while since he''d been changed, and as far as I could tell, he''d entirely accepted his transformation. There was no longing for a smaller body, only a wish to share with his friend. There was some loneliness there; Aston and Towers had left the dungeon. Taura was the only one who visited his cliff-side home. The other Children in the port town below his lair were too respectful of his status to bother him. Something I could more than emphasize with. Alright then. Maybe a few more. As I''ve often seen, having one of any species is a risk. "Thank you, Creator! If it''s not too much, could I request Taura be made a Wyvern, too?" Wave asked, almost pleading in his earnestness. Wow, those feelings... He really loved that minotaur, huh? Is this the first case of a cross-species romance among the Children? As far as I knew, yes. How to handle this... I''ll certainly try, Wave, but only as long as she agrees. A warning, though. Even if Taura is made into a Wyvern, you probably won''t be able to have children with her. You may look the same, but your genetics are very different. Minotaurs are mammals descended from cows, and you are a reptile descended from salamanders. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Are you sure?" Wave asked. Though the wyvern no longer processed a body capable of blushing, I could literally feel the embarrassment in his mind at my words. It seemed the thought had crossed his mind... No. I''m not. You can certainly try... just, go into it with a clear mind. -0-0-0-0-0- Wyvern''s Rest, The Eleventh Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Taura woke quickly, blinking awake as light streamed into her window. She rose from her bed with a yawn and stretched, leaving the comfort her sheets promised behind. The bed was springy thanks to the steel wool springs, with ordinary sheep and Capriccio wool to make it soft and keep in the warmth. Taura quickly dressed and began her morning routine. Her breakfast was a mixture of oats, seeds, and hay, with a decent helping of milk. The ''cereal,'' as The Creator had dubbed it, had everything a Minotaur needed to start their day. It was complimented by a small helping of cut fruits and a glass of juiced oranges. Now full of energy, Taura grabbed her bag and left her small home. Well, small was a relative term. It was sized for a Minotaur, so by definition, it was medium-sized. What Taura meant was that it was a two-room home. As Taura walked down the broad avenue to the water''s edge, Taura waved to the Children going about their days. Drake-kin, Kobolds, Snowbolds, Minotaur, Capriccio, Scorpans, and Crabfolk are all enjoying the sea breeze. Wyvern''s Rest, named for her best friend, was the largest town on the floor and certainly the most populous. Plenty of Children had made the descent to live here, and there were even a couple of farms outside the town growing crops and raising animals. The port was bustling by the time she arrived. Crabfolk, the newest addition to the Children, were the majority down here. They had an affinity for ships and sailing that most other Children lacked, a natural ability Taura could only claim had been gifted by The Creator Himself. Taura''s destination today wasn''t the port itself but the bazaar that had sprung up nearby. Though trade on the Eleventh was still in its infancy, there were enough smaller towns with unique resources to trade to Wyvern''s Rest. One stall was full of fruit and vegetables grown and gathered from Fons Vitae, the Life Island. Another stall sold a huge variety of fish and the cores harvested from them. But it wasn''t just the islands that provided trade. Goods from every floor could be found here, as could the items Taura was looking for. She quickly located the stall selling jewelry, and her eyes glittered as much as the stones. The Drake-kin behind the stall scales a rose-gold color, was very helpful, and Taura left that day with a new nose ring! It''d cost a decent number of Talons, but it was well worth it in her eyes. Her old ring was very old, one she''d been wearing since she was... undersized. This one was more appropriately sized. Taura finished the rest of her shopping afterward, stocking up on various foodstuffs. She found a set of Phoenix Feathers she thought Wave would like, remembering how he said he was initially from the Third. Just as she was finishing up, a roar echoed across the floor. It was one she was very familiar with. Wave flew down from a cloud, his blue scales glittering against the fluffy white and grey. He was back! Taura rushed home to put her shopping away, then sprinted down the path to her friend''s lair. The clip-clop of her hooves against the stone road was a decent warning for the Children ahead of her to clear the way. Some ''excuse me!'' and ''make ways!'' sufficed when that wasn''t enough. Most smiled, laughed, or waved as she ran past them. She made it up to Wave''s Lair in good time, and after a couple of seconds to catch her breath at the entrance, she walked right in. Wave was sitting attentively, his eyes locking on her the instant she entered. At that exact moment, Taura felt The Creator''s presence intensify. Hello Taura. "Creator! Is something going on?" Well, yes. Taura, Wave has asked if it''s possible for you to join him as a Wyvern. Taura felt her breath hitch, and her eyes immediately locked on the nervous flying lizard himself. He wishes to show you the floor, not just tell stories. If you agree, He''ll bring you to the Core Island, and I''ll get to work. I know you two have feelings for each other- Taura felt her heart beat faster in her chest, eyes still locked on Wave. He felt... He had feelings for her, too?! -I''ve never made two completely different Monsters into the same species before, so I don''t know what the result will be. I also don''t know if you''ll be compatible, but it is possible. "Yes," Taura said aloud. "I want to be wi- like Wave." Alright then. I''ll be seeing you soon, then. -0-0-0-0-0- The Great Hall, High Temple of the Gods, The Holy City -0-0-0-0-0- It''d been a long month for Tamesou Akio. His training had really intensified after that first dungeon dive. Confident that they could handle a little more and granted ''Silver'' rank after being registered with the Adventurers Guild, they were taken to three different dungeons. They spent a week in each, and Akio could feel the differences between them and Amaterasu''s old dungeon. The three dungeons they delved into were ''Tamed.'' They were dungeons claimed like Akio claimed Amaterasu, but kept as dungeons rather than turned into equipment. They were cultivated and guided into shaping their dungeons as the ''dungeon master'' wished. Monsters were carefully designed and created for express purposes and implanted with instincts to act in certain ways. Akio likened them to attack patterns and pre-programmed responses, like monsters from a video game. Compared to Amaterasu''s dungeon, they felt artificial and constructed. They felt fake. Oh, the danger was still real, but there was a feeling he''d noticed and found Sophie and Bruce shared with him. There was a lack. Once they learned the monster''s attack patterns, they were easy to bait into overextending and then taking advantage of the given opening. Each dungeon had its own ''theme'' as it were. One was a classic dungeon in the middle of a city with cobblestone walls and plenty of iron bars and doors. The monsters were mostly giant rats, dogs, and cats. The boss of each floor, or ''Guardian'' as the natives called them, was just a larger version of that floor''s monster with a bit of extra oomph. The second was a ''Cave'' dungeon. This one was full of foxes, a couple of overly aggressive deer, and even another bear! That one was much smaller than the one they''d fought before. And easier to fight. The third was called a ''slime'' dungeon. It was pretty unique, according to Jinasa. It''d apparently already created the ''slimes'' before it was found, and as with all unique things, it''d been exploited for all it was worth. The slimes resisted slashing attacks; his sword did little but part their gelatinous bodies, which immediately sealed back together. While his sword was useless, Bruce''s water magic could pop the things with the wave of his hand. The small, weak ones, at least. The larger ones had thicker skins and had less water in their makeup. Honestly, Akio felt like his skills with the blade had grown more from his training with Guard-Captain Heliat than fighting the monsters. He didn''t want to get too comfortable or arrogant here; these were little more than NPCs. They weren''t real opponents; they couldn''t innovate and change things up, nor learn from their mistakes. Which brought him to where he was now, having just expressed frustration to his sensei after a day of training. The paladin had nodded sagely, sheathing his sword. "Good, Young Akio," he''d praised, to Akio''s slight confusion. "It is true; tame dungeons aren''t much of a challenge. It''s the Wild dungeons that really push you to your limits. Unfortunately, most wild dungeons are hunted down pretty quickly. If they''re given too much time to grow and learn how to purposefully breed their monsters, they could start flooding their surroundings with hundreds of evil creatures! That''s how most wild monsters ended up out in the world, though I doubt any first-generation monsters are alive on the surface. Their descendants, though, certainly." The man patted Akio''s shoulder. "Don''t worry, my young trainee," Heliat said, his voice taking on a conspiratory tone. "You three are doing much better than your fellow heroes. I heard the High Priest say they were ready to send the others off to the dungeons we just visited." Akio felt his eyes widen. Were they that far ahead? Why? How?! "But either way, you''re right. Tame dungeons are too easy for you three. I''m looking into getting permission to take you further abroad. I''ve heard talk of a Grindstone off the East Coast, though that one has a Gold Rank requirement. There''ve also been strange rumors of monsters in cities on the East Coast..." Heliat''s brow furrowed at the last sentence. He shook his head and once again gave Akio his trademark confident grin. "But never mind that. It won''t be for a week or so at the earliest. Take a few days off; spend them with your friends. After that, it''s back to training! We''ll see how quickly you can earn that Gold Rank, hmm?" Akio rushed off to meet his friends, excited to share the news. They could finally be able to see more of this world, and their real journey in another world was finally about to start! -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 113 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Over about twelve hours, I was focused almost entirely on Taura and her transformation into a Wyvern. It was a drastic change, after all. Taura''d initially been a minotaur, and I was changing her into a flying lizard. It certainly wasn''t an easy change, either. Every monster I''ve made before this was easy in comparison. Leviathans? Just giant whales; the time taken was just to infuse them with the appropriate amount of mana. Even Wave was easier, though that might have been the overwhelming amount of mana in his body at the time, letting me mold his body like clay. Taura was the first time I was taking a monster of one ''genetic line'' and turning it into something totally different. It was lucky I had experience giving mammals scales, thanks to Kata''s transformation. Before anything else, I''d asked and received permission to put her into a deep sleep. It would be incredibly disorienting to change in all the ways she was going to and be aware of them as they happened. Wave stayed awake to watch over her, a respectful distance away. I needed space to work, after all. Fur turned to scales, and her mammalian nose became a draconic snout. Hooves turned to claws and arms to wings. Bones and their joints stretched and warped to the correct proportions. Arms and hands lengthened incredibly, forming wings. But I didn''t just want to erase who she used to be; I wanted some carryover from her past and found it in her horns and scale color. Taura''s fur had been a rich, earthy brown, found in fertile and healthy dirt or the bark of a great pine tree. Translated to scales, I was pretty happy with the now glossy brown. As a Minotaur cow, Taura''s horns had been on the smaller side. I grew them out and swept them forward, the gleaming ivory of the points vicious in their simplicity. I also grew an array of smaller horns to define the top and sides of her head, though none were even an eighth as long as the two largest. At this halfway point, I was left with what I''d expected; a Wyvern-kin. Essentially, a Drake-kin, but with wings instead of arms, a thinner skeletal structure, and a far lighter. I liked the look and decided to keep the template aside for later. I had ideas for an evolutionary tree embedded in the genetic and magical natures of all my lizardry Children, but that was something for another time. I wouldn''t let myself be distracted that easily. At this point, I enhanced her basic Earth affinity and added a decent chunk of Water, quickly following up with the basic aquatic adaptions I''d given Wave. It wouldn''t do to promise Wave he could show her the deepest depths of the Eleventh and not make her capable of it. With all the groundwork done, I could focus on increasing her mass while keeping track of her proportions and making sure they were similar, if not identical, to Wave''s. I stopped her growth when she was a foot or so shorter at the shoulder than Wave, then, after a quick once-over to make sure I hadn''t missed anything, I prompted her awake. She blinked, wide-pupiled cow-like eyes briefly visible before she closed them to stretch her jaw and yawn. Ah. Thought I''d forgotten something... Actually, I''ll leave it as is. I like it. It''s another good carryover from her origin. She spent a minute or so stretching her body, inspecting it, and getting familiar with her new instincts. I was strongly reminded of Wave''s awakening, where he''d done the same thing. Taura only realized she wasn''t alone when Wave decided to approach. Though she no longer possessed ears, her sense of hearing was as sharp as ever, and her head twitched around to face him. I wished them luck as they flew into the skies, roaring in delight and excitement. Now, where was I... Right! I need some kind of crystal or stone I could use as a catalyst for this to semi-automate the evolution of one stage of my draconic children to the next. Manacores make the most sense. Different ''grades'' to facilitate different stages. While most of the mana for the transformation could be provided by the Child themself, it took more than they had to give. Hmm. If I made them one use, I could have the manacore dissolve back into mana as it was used, acting as further fuel. With the evolutionary information inside their genetic code, the crystal could act mainly as a booster and a trigger for the transformation. I wanted them as generic as possible and as much control about their forms given to the Child as I could, within what the template allowed. I''d need to do some more experiments... Perhaps I was giving too much attention to the Draconic line. Along with the crab line, it already had plenty of evolutionary stages, while the Capriccio and Minotaur lines were single-stage. Perhaps... a diverging path? A choice between Mino-Centaurs and a more human look? And for the Capriccio, something similar? I was unsure, though I knew I would figure out some appropriate forms in time. I shook the thought away. I''d first deal with the Draconic and Crab lines since they had evolutions and move on. Back to the Seventh Floor Experimental Chambers to appropriate some cores! Oh, and I need to get some volunteers. I decided to start with the crabs. To begin with, I would give them a flat-up choice between bipedal Crab-folk and the Scorpans, with the Black Scorpan as a further evolution of the Scorpans. Perhaps something unique for King Strikes-The-Air as well... -0-0-0-0-0- Blackwater Port, Kolchiss County, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Baalzebub, Capriccio representative of the Children beyond The Creator''s Gaze, sighed in relief as she stepped down from the altar. That had gone much better than she''d worried it would. Things hadn''t been going well for them in the month since they''d gotten permission from the local human lord to build a temple in his city. The site was in the poorest part of town rather than the richer or even the middle class, though that was more an effort to appease the insulted human priests on the lord''s part. The priests didn''t like the monsters, as a matter of course. Humanity was the planet''s master, and monsters were merely animals to be killed, harvested, or controlled where possible. Spawned from pits, no doubt connected to the Four Hells themselves. Those were their beliefs, and they stuck to them. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Baal tried to explain to the priests that the human gods had shaped them and were worshiped. They were not spawned from the ''Hells.'' The Creator had shaped the Children, and while they worshiped him, he never demanded obedience. Further discussions highlighted the inherent biases the Children needed to overcome. It wasn''t about the Creator being adored by the Children; it was them trying to spread their teachings to humans and turn them away from their own gods. Again, Baal tried to explain that that wasn''t their intention. They were not here to convert, only to spread the tenets they lived by that their Creator had taught them. To be Curious in all things. To treat others how you wish to be treated. Be willing and capable of defending yourself, but never to be the aggressor. To share with and enrich the lives of others. Never hoard more than you need. Despite the priest''s fervent denunciations of the Children and opposition to allowing them a place to worship within the city, the city''s Lord Kolchiss had gained plenty in trade with Atlantis. After more than three weeks of peaceful cooperation and no aggression from the Children toward any detractors or hecklers they encountered, he granted them a parcel of land. Though it was in the poorer section, on the edge of what Baal would deem a slum, perhaps that was a boon in disguise. The Poor were receptive to The Creator''s teachings, though few could read the book. Dozens to hundreds would gather for community readings, soon to take place inside their now-completed temple. Though Baal knew they''d initially come for the free food offered at said readings, she''d seen the interest grow in their eyes as she read. The stories and lessons they taught resonated with the masses. They had little, but all were uplifted by sharing what little they had. The rich hoarded their wealth jealously, something well-known in this former kingdom. The average peasant in the slums could barely feed themselves. At the same time, beyond the dirty hovels and streets, men and women feasted on delicacies from across the country and beyond. Today was the opening of The Temple Of The Creator. She''d just delivered her first proper sermon, with the stained glass window letting in the evening light. The teardrop form of The Creator, cradled by dozens of arms, had cast the crowd in dappled purple and teal as the light shone down upon them. As the humans who''d come to the sermon filtered out Baal noticed about a dozen approach robed Children and engage them in conversation. She smiled, recognizing most of the humans who did so. They''d been the most interested in The Creator and his teachings out of all the others, going so far as to attend every lesson and had even asked if they could learn to read! Baal stumbled as a heavy hand gently patted her back. "Nice sermon, Baal. I told you there was no need to worry; you''re a natural at this!" Aston complimented. Baal scowled at the Minotaur and straightened her robes. "Listen to the boy, Baalzebub," Teka advised. The drake-kin''s scales gleamed in the fading light. "Your first few lessons a month ago may have been stumbling and unsure, but your confidence has grown by leaps and bounds." "Thanks," Baal said, tone sincere, her eyes drifting to the only humans still in the temple. "Have any of them asked to join the temple fully yet?" Teka shook her head. "Not yet, but it''s only a matter of time. Halley will probably be the first; the girl takes in knowledge like a sponge." Halley was a brown-haired girl who seemed utterly invested in what sounded like a debate on the morality of killing in self-defense to an increasingly bewildered Ossydus. "Aston, go free, that poor boy," Teka asked. "He looks in over his head." Aston snorted and did so, his robes billowing as he brushed past them. As he did, Baal took another look around the temple, remembering how it looked at each stage of construction. They''d come so far since they''d come to this city. Baal was confident the worst was behind them. -0-0-0-0-0- Outside the Testing Hall, The Guild, The Holy City -0-0-0-0-0- It''d been two weeks since Guard-Captain Heliat had told Akio to start training for the Gold rank-up test. As his sensei had advised, the three teens had taken a few days to rest and relax, ending the short period with a collective oath to dive head first into their training with all they had. Akio was dismayed to find himself seated at a desk, studying. Why was he at school again! Isekai was supposed to be an escape from the mundanities of school! Their mentors claimed they were good enough fighters to pass the gold test since the combat portion was easy. Apparently, it mainly tested knowledge of your chosen fighting style and the ability to adapt and think on your feet. It ensured you had the minimum amount of strength needed to keep up with their tester. The more challenging part was the written portion, something Akio believed without any doubt. This was a medieval world where most people were ignorant through choice or lack of opportunity. By forcing their members to be able to read and write, the guild was able to have them write their own reports, read their missions, and more without needing to have scribes read or transcribe everything for them. Akio thanked his lucky stars that whatever translation magic the gods had cast on them made them capable of reading every language rather than just speaking them. But just because they instinctively knew what the words said didn''t mean they learned the language. They''d had a few language tutors brought in to teach them, referencing the notes left by previous tutors and the heroes they''d taught. Being taught to write in a language they instinctively understood gave Akio more than one headache, and he knew Sophie and Bruce felt the same. Having just finished the test, Akio massaged his wrist, resting on a bench with his friends. His head pounded with the beginnings of a headache. "That was surprisingly easy," Sophie commented; the pale girl''s arms were crossed, and she had a confident expression. She leaned against the wall, her new sword sheathed at her belt. "The math was easy, and we''ve been drilled so much in the knowledge part that the essay questions were a breeze." "Speak for yourself," Akio shot back, now rubbing his temples, his wrist sufficiently massaged. His sword rested against his legs, with it''s sheath on his back. He felt a flash of comfort and warmth from Amatasaru from it''s place on his lap and returned some gratitude. "I have a headache from forcing myself to write in Phenocian." "It''s not that bad, mate," Bruce commented, who was leaning back against the wall with his hands behind his head. "It''s basically English with different letters. Lots of squiggles, though." "Who said I did well in English class?" Akio answered. "These last two months without sitting in a classroom full of teens have been blissful. I''m just thankful neither of you two has the brain rot." Sophie and Bruce winced in commiseration. It was undoubtedly even more widespread in English-speaking countries than in Japan. "I swear If I hear another ''Gyatt'' or ''Skibidi,'' I''ll-" Sophie''s tirade was cut off as the door to the Testing Hall swung open, and the Procter exited the room. "Congratulations, young heroes," the elderly man began, handing them back their marked exams. "You all passed with flying colors." He stopped to let the three teens exclaim and celebrate for a few seconds. Once they''d calmed down, he continued. "I''ll have your identification cards updated and delivered to your rooms at the High Temple by tomorrow." Akio quickly shoved the papers in his bag and rushed to follow Sophie and Bruce as they ran off. They had to tell their mentors as soon as possible so they could arrange the trip to that ''Grindstone'' dungeon! They needed to get strong enough for when that necromancer finally showed themselves. Their adventure in another world was about to start, for real! -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 114 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- A dozen Children milled about the ritual circle in the depths of the experimental chambers on the seventh floor. They checked the integrity and quality of the runic carvings, the flow of mana through the room, and a dozen other things that needed to be perfect. Masters of their crafts, with analytical minds nurtured over months; these scientists assisted me in my most ambitious endeavor yet: Imbuing a monster with the ability to evolve into pre-set forms on its own, with no intervention from me. In the center of the ritual circle was a pedestal, upon which rested a crab. A Brawler, to be precise. Its hulking ''pincers'' were scarred and pitted from dozens of fights with other males over mates. This Crab was chosen from among all the hundreds of options because, to be honest, he won a raffle. All the Crabs wanted to be selected for the ritual, but we only needed two: a male and a female. They''d all been assigned a number, and this one had been the lucky Crab. All the other Crabs envied him and the female in another chamber awaiting her turn. I was curious if what I wanted to achieve here was possible and worried my intent might not come across perfectly in the process, thus the ritual circle. It was needed because it contained instructions. Four circles interrupted the runic script that described the flow of mana. Each held a mana crystal, all imbued with separate portions of the magical programming I''d been working on the whole week since I''d begun looking into the idea. We''d tested the whole thing on a monster core the day before, and as far as we could tell, it worked, but there was only so much we could do without moving on to testing on a living subject. Thus, the Brawler who now shifted nervously on the pedestal. I did my best to comfort and reassure him, and he calmed quickly. His absolute belief in ''The Creator'' led him to believe my reassurance wholeheartedly. Honestly, what is with the crab line and their ridiculous devotion?! "We''re ready, Creator," a Drake-kin Life Shaman, Gaian, announced. His green scales were covered by his white woolen ''lab coat,'' with delicate moon silver-framed glasses perched on his snout. "Everything has been triple-checked." The Evolution Core? The Mana Discerner? The Threshold Limiter and The Catalyser? "All carefully inspected and in their correct positions," Gaian answered promptly, gesturing to the four mana cores floating above the drawn circles in the ritual. The Evolution Core contained the genetic and magical template for each evolution the crab line could undergo. The Mana Discerner monitored the monster''s mana intake and collected a portion of the mana the monster gained to fuel the transformation. The Threshold Limiter prevented any evolution from taking place before reaching the second threshold, the point where the monster had enough mana to fuel the entire transformation itself, or until they activated an Evolution Crystal after reaching the first threshold when they had enough that the addition of a crystal was enough. The Catalyser was the activator; It could only be triggered by the monster itself, and only when the Mana Discerner had enough mana to fuel the process and the Threshold Limiter confirmed an evolution was possible. Like how the offspring of monsters were also monsters, possessing a mana core, this ''genetic enchantment'' would also be passed on. It would need to be the mother, not the father, but that was a different experiment entirely to be performed when this one was successful. Then, let''s begin. Activate the ritual. "Of course, Creator. Positions, everyone!" Gaian ordered, and the Children quickly moved away from the circle. They moved to slabs that displayed illusionary holograms and plugged into the ritual to monitor it. Gaian pressed a glowing rune next to his monitor, injecting a little mana, and it began. The ritual was silent. At least, in terms of noise. To my vision, it was a riot of color and lights. In turn, each mana core was drained of its mana and the enchantment within them. In turn, each was impressed upon the Brawler''s core, with enough time between each for the enchantment to settle fully. The excess mana that came with them was enough to push the Crab over the first threshold. Only after the ritual concluded and the mana had settled was I able to look deeply at the monster''s core. As far as I could tell, it was a success. Move on to the next stage, Gaian. Gaian took the Evolution Crystal from the small stand on a desk nearby and placed it on the pedestal with the Brawler. He nodded at the Crab, and the Crab nodded back. After returning to his own monitor, Gaian addressed the monster. "Whenever you''re ready." The Crab took a deep breath, then picked up the crystal between his two bulbous pincers. The crystal didn''t activate immediately, which was a relief. That meant the Catalyser was working correctly. After a moment of inspection, the Crab activated the crystal. He was enveloped in a rainbow of scintillating light, as was the crystal. While all the Children had to look away, lest they potentially blind themselves, I watched closely as the Crab morphed... into a baby Scorpan. When it was all over, the light died down, leaving the bewildered-looking Scorpling perched atop the pedestal. His legs hung off the edges, and he turned his hands over as he examined them. The room burst into cheers, and I did a mental dance. It worked! It worked! -0-0-0-0-0- The Port, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- As the one and only Obsidian Scorpan, Paladin of The Creator Skitters-Across-The-Sand had become well used to being thrown wary looks and avoided. She was far more intimidating than other Scorpans, and that was saying something, considering how much the humans were intimidated by ordinary Scorpans. Her chitin, a purple so dark it was almost black, made her a moving void that was easy to see in the light of day. Thus, it was nearly effortless to spot and avoid her. Today, she was experiencing something entirely different and unexpected. Humans approached her, though it wasn''t because of her that they''d broken their previous distance. "They''re so cute! How old are they?" A woman inquired, one of six humans cooing over the two scorplings riding on Skitters'' back. When The Creator had asked if she''d be willing to take in a couple of scorplings, Skitters hadn''t hesitated. Her confusion over where they''d come from was swiftly answered and only reinforced her already steely faith in The Creator. He had researched and successfully created a method for His Children to evolve and grow without his intervention. These two scorplings were the first successes. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Though they''d come to her nameless, that wasn''t too much of a problem. She had no doubt they''d do something to be named after soon enough. She''d just collected the scorplings from the Seventh and had been expecting a leisurely trip through the town to reach her rooms at the Voice''s fortified mansion. The first part of the journey had, indeed, been easy. She had passed through the hidden tunnels that promised swift travel most of the way to the surface plenty of times before. There''d been some glances her way from Guilders when she reached the shared portion near the entrance, but most recognized her and were well aware of the consequences of attacking Children. The few that weren''t were quickly educated by their more learned compatriots. The entrance was, again, easy. Skitters was recognized and acknowledged by the guilders guarding the entrance and then allowed to pass through to the surface. There were some odd looks at the scorplings as she passed the line of curious adventurers. She now realized the female guilder''s looks matched the woman cooing over her charges. The men were more inscrutable, but the double-takes and thoughtful looks spoke wonders. None of them had realized that Children had young of their own to care for. They''d never seen a juvenile, kid, or calf of any Child before. Only fully grown Children had been allowed on the surface previously, and this was their first confrontation with that fact. While the Guilders had been respectful, the ordinary women of the town were, somehow, less fearful. She didn''t know why, but seeing the scorplings, or ''babies'' as they''d called them. It''s like all sense left their minds. Instead of being more wary of a ''mother'' and her ''young,'' they''d collectively concluded that a mother was somehow inherently trustworthy. For the average monster, that thinking was pure madness. Monsters and the animals they came from were fiercely protective of their young most of the time. To be fair to the humans, though, the Children had done much to prove they weren''t monsters. As for the woman asking questions, it seemed she realized that Skitters couldn''t answer them a moment after she''d asked and started apologizing profusely. Skitters waved her off but stopped when she saw an approaching Capriccio. A gentle mental touch from The Creator conveyed that she was here to translate. It took another hour before Skitters could extricate herself from the conversation, but it was well worth it by the enthusiastic waving of the group of women and her scorplings. If she was honest with herself, Skitters felt better than she had for a while now. The walk from the town up to the fortified mansion was short, and she was met at the gate by a certain smiling Scaleborn. A glance over her shoulder confirmed what she''d been feeling the past few minutes. Her charges had curled up on each other and fallen asleep on the broad platform her lower half provided. She left a soft grin play over her features, and her heart softened. She''d missed having scorplings to take care of. Her smile twisted into a grimace as she was reminded of the reason she didn''t. Damn Plays-With-Fire for running off down to the Eleventh to chase a fucking manabeing. She didn''t know if he''d played a role during the invasion, but she didn''t care. They weren''t mates anymore. He could do whatever he pleased. "You okay there, Skitters?" Kata asked, jolting the Obsidian Scorpan from her thousand-yard stare. "Fine," she answered. "Would it be possible for me to move to a larger room? As you can see, The Creator has charged me with protecting and raising these scorplings." Kata approached and daw''d over the sleeping scorplings in much the same manner the human women had, though quieter. "Oh, they''re adorable," The Voice of the Creator cooed. "I saw a few back on the ninth but didn''t stay long enough to get a closer look at any of them. We don''t have many rooms bigger than the one you''re already in. Maybe we can knock a wall down and add another room. Do you need anything else?" Skitters shook her head. "No. I actually know how to raise scorplings this time, so it should go smoothly." Kata blinked at Skitter''s admission and looked up at her. "You''re a mother? I didn''t know. You''ve never talked about yourself." "It is what it is," Skitters answered. "They''re all grown and no longer need me. Most live on the Eleventh. I haven''t heard anything of them since." There was a brush on her mind, and she opened it for The Creator to speak. Did you want to know how they''re doing? He offered, which she immediately agreed to. Information flooded her mind, details on her Scorplings and what they''d accomplished since leaving the Ninth. I can relay messages to them if you wish. Skitters quickly denied even the thought of having The Creator reduced to a messenger. Woah! Calm down, there. Fine. Write a few letters, and I can have someone deliver them. The Creator withdrew, and Skitters started walking to her room. She had some letters to write. What was Sprints-Into-Danger even thinking about becoming a Pirate? And shame on Looms-Over-Others for indulging her! -0-0-0-0-0- The Wilderness, Near the Road to the Old Capital, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Tamesou Akio eagerly drank the soup handed to him, basking in the warmth of the fire. Crickets chirped and chimed in the night, the moons overhead providing enough that it was easy to make out the trees and bushes at the edge of the clearing. The last few days of travel reminded him of the short trips between the dungeon towns they''d done last month, though given they had another month of travel before they reached the east coast, he had a feeling that''d change soon enough. Akio, Bruce, Sophie, Heliat, and Jinasa traveled with a merchant caravan. Bruce''s mentor- Akio had forgotten his name- was busy at the Holy City and couldn''t join them. They''d been hired on through the Guild to act as guards. They were only paying enough for silvers, not two platinums and three golds, but the pay didn''t particularly matter to them. It was more convenient and for the experience than actual work. But since they''d taken a job instead of joining the caravan as ordinary travelers, they were expected to do their job. At night, each of the teens was expected to stay up for at least one night watch a night. In the morning, the one with the last watch slept in a caravan for a few extra hours before joining the others in guarding. Akio had the first shift tonight, and Sophie would take over around midnight. By mid-morning, the two adults had split the three teens between them to show them the ropes. Akio quickly found that guarding caravans was a surprisingly intense job. He''d expected it to be boring, but there were always new things to see and treelines to scan for potential threats. It was a decently sized caravan, with two other parties hired alongside the young heroes and their mentors. The older guilders were full of stories that helped to pass the time and joined in on their training sometimes. Akio tilted his head back as he drank the last of his soup directly from the bowl, then placed it on the ground before him with a thud and a satisfied expression. "That tastes like Miso! It was delicious!" "Mee-so? Never heard of it," The cook answered, a greying guilder with a friendly smile. "This here is me own recipe. Made it to help keep a man awake for night watch." The cook took the bowl Akio held out with a chuckle and refilled it for him. "I gotta admit, you''re the youngest Golds I''ve seen for a while. It takes unreal dedication and effort; not many make it before they reach adulthood, and you three are what, seventeen?" "Sixteen, actually," Sophie answered for him, and Akio was thankful. He was too busy drinking this delicious soup! "All three of us." The cook shook his head. "Incredibly. Never thought I''d meet actual prodigies." Akio swallowed the instinctual need to clarify their situation with another gulp of soup. Heliat and Jinasa had both asked they not reveal the truth of their nature as heroes to anyone. There were many conflicting opinions on the existence of heroes, and most people just didn''t need to know. After all, heroes had to be summoned and weren''t summoned lightly. If word of their existence got out, it might start a panic. Akio burped loudly, then blushed, raising his hand to cover his mouth. Sophie had this disgusted-looking grin. Bruce was openly laughing and complimenting him. The guilders around the fire joined Bruce in laughter. Akio placed down the empty bowl and let himself fall backward, looking up at unfamiliar stars and the twin moons above. It was incredible. No light pollution meant that Akio could see tens of thousands of stars with the naked eye rather than hundreds. He made up constellations, drawing figures in the stars for fun. There was a bear, and that was a dragon. And that one looked like a penis! But the sky was dominated by what the locals called the ''Ring of Heaven.'' Supposedly, it was the realm of the gods, but Akio knew what it was¡ªa galaxy. This world, wherever it was, sat above the elliptical plane of their galaxy. He imagined this is what the humans of his world would see when Andromeda got a lot closer to the Milky Way. But despite the beauty in the sky above him, he only felt sad. He was a long, long way from home. Sophie poked him. "C''mon, idiot. Don''t fall asleep. You''ve got the first shift on the night watch." He was far from home, but at least he wasn''t alone. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 115 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- It was easy to roll out the new Evolution Framework to the crabs; we had to perform the ritual on the females, and all their progeny would be capable of Evolution. We didn''t even need to do it on all the females because of just how many eggs they lay. Again, a dozen were chosen (by raffle) to have the ritual performed on them. Even if the females not changed had kids, they''d eventually intermingle with those changed and the Framework would spread throughout the species. Especially since the unchanged crabs would still fight and die against the guilders. Ultimately, I decided not to have the ritual performed on the Crab-folk and Scorpan species since they were already ''Second Evolution'' monsters and thus had no need for it for the moment. They''d be outnumbered as time passed, and they intermingled with the evolved crabs. Just as it would with the crabs, those capable of Evolution would spread. And that is if they didn''t notice breed with those capable of it on purpose. The absolute best part of this whole thing was that, much like a GitHub-based program, I could ''push'' new data into the Framework. Such as if I came up with a new evolutionary stage or side evolution. It worked based on the manastream running throughout my entire dungeon. Every Child and Monster was connected to it, like a tether of mana connecting their core to the stream. The mana they siphoned from it was their ''upkeep,'' and for the most part, it was minimal. Thanks to my efforts to have my monsters eat and drink, most of them were almost a hundred percent biological. The Crabs were the most mana-dependant of my monsters, primarily due to their growth speed. They died in extreme numbers and needed extreme growth to support it. Thankfully, I''d given the Crabs on the Eleventh a slower birth rate and maturation speed; otherwise, the ocean would be full of them by now. The only issue that popped up was my two test subjects becoming babies, scorplings, rather than adult Scorpans. But I knew what the problem was; Their mental age. Despite the crabs being mature when they were changed, they were only barely sapient. Like how it was recorded that apes had the mental capacity of children, Crabs have an equivalent mental capacity to Scorpan scorplings. It worked out, though; Skitters seemed happy to take care of the ankle-biters. Actually, I fibbed a little. There was a sidevolution to the standard crab, which I immediately integrated into the Framework when I remembered. Shortly after they''d been introduced, I adapted the Crabs who lived deep in the ocean of the Eleventh to make it easier for them to navigate the oceans. Their previously squat, armored bodies had only impeded their movement. Longer legs and smaller bodies were the order of the day. I''d also made their back legs into swimming fins so they didn''t have to walk if they didn''t want to. A cross between Paddle and Spider Crabs. As a test, I took the new Spider Crabs (Might as well keep the name) and Pushed the template to the Crab''s Framework as a sidevolution to the normal crab. As far as I could tell, it worked, but I would only know once a crab made the Evolution. I could make ocean-adapted Scorpans later. Something based on lobsters sounded interesting... But that was enough of the Crabs for now. With the Evolution Framework tested, it was time to move on to the other monsters running around my dungeon. Over the next week, progress was quicker and smoother. Most Monsters only gained one or two evolutions; most of the time, it was just a larger, more capable form. A few were more unique and gained interesting evolutions. For example, The Infernal Serpents gained the Magma Constrictor and Hell Viper as more specialized forms, a binary choice upon their Evolution. The Magma Constrictor was about half the size of the giant snake I''d once used to kidnap some cattle and sheep from the surface, and much like its name implied, it was a brute. With thick, rock-like scales flush with scorching heat, it would attempt to crush and coil around enemies. The Hell Viper, while it was larger than the standard Infernal Serpent, traded size for the ability to spit a napalm-like substance more than twenty yards. As they grew older and more experienced in its use, that distance would only increase, as would their accuracy. They were hooded, and the glowing patterns on the inside of their hood looked like fiery, infernal eyes. I was thrilled with how they turned out. The Golden Sunlions also gained two evolutions: the Solar and Lunar Lions. Diurnal and Nocturnal, respectively, were the fantasy standard solar-lunar diarchy of power. Solar Lions were bigger, bulkier, and more powerful, massing about three times as much as an average Sunlion. They replaced the tear-drop-like spots of the sun lion with a pure golden coat that glowed brightly under the sun. Lunar Lions were slimmer, more like panthers or leopards in build than a lion, despite being half-again as large as a Sunlion. Their coats turned a deep blue with tiny glowing white spots, their magic taking on a more moonlight and starlight flavor compared to the bright Solar Lions. I also formalized the Evolution of the Hellbats into Hellscream Bats, a slightly modified version of the bats living in the caverns of Strana Zvuka, the Sound Island. I kept the Sound magic but made their coloration more like their revolution and bumped up the size a bit. I was running out of steam a bit by the time I reached the fish, which showed in their designs'' lack of creativity. The Monsterous Bloodfish, the Mithril-scale Bluefish, and the Jetfish were born. All bigger, tougher, and more intelligent. For the Brute, that was about it. They were the tanks that took the most work to cut down. The Mithril-scale Bluefish''s scales were sharper, made of Mithril as the name implied, and infused with metal magic. The Jetfish gained a sleeker look, more like a dart than the arrow their prevolution resembled, while their water magic got a huge boost, and they gained a species-wide enchantment that would propel them at great speed. The Bloodfish Monarch gained a unique evolution, and I changed said fish boss significantly. The Bloodfish Sovereign was no more. Now, the boss held features of all three fish monsters. The Perfect Predator was large and strong, twenty yards long from nose to tail, a single swipe of which could smack a smaller fish clear across the flooded boss room. Its scales were razor sharp, and it could explode them off of itself to cover almost the entire arena. Re-grow them would take a few minutes, although they were vulnerable. Finally, It gained the magic to propel itself across the room at speed. It was a far better boss than just a fish larger than the others, and I made sure to have Kata inform the Guild of the changes. I may have made it more deadly, but I wasn''t actively trying to kill anyone at the moment. With that done and my rush of immediate inspiration dried up, it was time to check in with Instinct. Surely, it had some ideas on what it wanted in a body by now. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. -0-0-0-0-0- The First Peak, The Eighth Floor, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- "Harald put the book down; we''ve got a floor to explore," Isid ordered as they emerged from the cave, the chilly wind blowing lightly on the mountaintops of the Eighth. "But! Book!" Harald exclaimed, looking up with wide, dilated eyes. "About how to read the runes! This is priceless!" Said book had been given to them by the Seventh''s Guardian, Tear, with an apology. Apparently, he''d meant to give it to them when they reached him the first time more than a month ago. When Tear explained it was a guide on learning runes, Harald took the book from her and has been absorbed in it since. Isid glanced at her husband. Without a word said, Jerrad stepped up behind Harald and took the book from him while he was distracted. "It''s going to take a while to learn an entirely new language, and we need you focused on the here and now, Harald," Isid reasoned. Jerrad held the book high in the air, one hand placed on Harald''s collarbone, while the older man reached for it fruitlessly. "There is plenty on this floor to discover and study. You can read the book later, and on our next delve, you might even be able to read the runes on the upper floors." Harald slumped, his arms going limp. "Fine," he agreed, eyes still trained on the book as Jerrad placed it in his expanded pouch. "But I get that back as soon we get back to the surface," Harald insisted. "Of course," Isid acquiesced to his request. "As soon as we get back." As Duncan stepped forward to start ribbing, Harald, Isid, and Jerrad glanced over at the other two parties in their raid group. Paetor and his group were quiet but still talked amongst themselves, checked equipment, and made jokes. Haythem and Bertram were standing together at the edge of the cliff. They weren''t looking at the mountains but towards the cavern''s wall. It was times like this that Isid wondered what they were seeing. To her, the underground nature of the floor was obvious. She could see the curvature of the cavern''s ceiling and how the manastream split and flowed through the air. She remembered seeing. She remembered the blue sky and green grass. The brown dirt and her own white hair. It only made her condition more tragic, in her opinion. Cursed to know how others saw the world, then the slow decline of her ability to do so until all she saw was the shape of things and how their mana flowed. Sure, life mana was green, but all it meant was that a forest that was more like the ocean, absolutely saturated in one kind of mana that drowned out and hid all other types from her sight. She turned to face the mountains, taking in their shape. Three peaks, including the one they stood below. Isid saw movement in the distance, high on the Second Peak. A mana pattern distinctive to this dungeon''s manabeings; Air and Ice, from the looks of things. Neither one they''d encountered before. This marked the second time two different Courts were located on the same floor, and Isid could only wonder how the dungeon kept the Courts from infighting. Either way, beyond the courts, they''d be monsters, potentially a species of Children, and those giant birds they''d seen in the distance on their last visit. Undoubtedly, the birds were the Guardians, and that ruined-looking tower was the arena. Of course, that was on the Third Peak. They''d need to cross the chasm between the First and Second Peaks, cross the Second, then the Third. Isid had serious doubts it would be as easy as crossing a bridge. They''d gotten a glimpse of it on their earlier exploration, and from the mana she saw infusing the thing, it was definitely a trap. They''d finish mapping the First Peak today, and then tomorrow, they''d look into getting over to the Second. "Alright, people, time to move out," Isid announced, getting the attention of the guilders. "Eyes and ears open, heads on a swivel. Who knows what''s hiding in the snow, and I don''t want to find out by being skewered." Serious nods were given, and silently, they moved along the path. -0-0-0-0-0- Near the Capital, Capital Duchy, Thenoa -0-0-0-0-0- Tamesou Akio''s eyes were wide as he took in the sight of the capital. The caravan they were guiding was due to stop here, and from what Akio understood, the heroes and their mentors would buy horses to travel the rest of the way. Just as he''d been told the capital, or former capital, as he''d heard many claim, it was a beautiful city. "Could this place be any more isekai-looking?" Bruce questioned, sounding incredulous. "I mean, come on! White buildings, red-tiled roofs. A river which runs right through the middle of the city. It''s so cliche!" Akio had to admit that the Australian boy was right. It was very Greco-Roman in appearance, and there was indeed a river that split the city into three sections. An island in the middle held the Palace and its grounds. The eastern side of the river was full of buildings that looked larger and grander than the western. Probably the noble district. Akio spotted a dozen smaller squares with what looked like statues and plentiful greenery and gardens. White birds flittered about, and he thought he could see swans in the river. The Western section was more cramped, with narrow streets and squares filled with what looked like stalls and markets. Three bridges spanned the river. Two crossed near the walls, connecting the Eastern and Western sections. There was one bridge to the Palace, originating from the Noble district. It was the only way to reach the Palace, in fact. Curtain walls ran right up to the river''s edge, connected to large towers topped with ballistas. "It may be cliche, but it''s certainly pretty," Sophie argued. The three of them stood atop a hill the caravan was passing. They''d reach the city itself before nightfall, stay a night or two, then move on. Two weeks of constant travel could undoubtedly wear you down. He was looking forward to a comfy bed in an inn. "Whatdoya reckon, mates? Think any of the royal family survived?" Bruce asked, shading his eyes. Akio followed his gaze to the Palace. There was no missing the collapsed central tower. Rubble littered the grounds around it, and Akio wondered what had caused the explosion. "If they did, I doubt they''ll show their faces." Sophie commented, "Probably being sheltered by some noble family, who''ll force them to marry into the family, and they''ll quietly fade into obscurity for a few generations. Then, there''ll be a huge thing about ''reclaiming our rightful place as kings,'' somehow proving their royal blood and a new dynasty will rise." Akio and Bruce stared at Sophie, who realized she''d been very specific, and dramatic, with hand gestures and all. "I mean, probably." "Never took you for a theatre kid, Soph," Bruce smirked. "Like I''d hang with those preppy shits," Sophie huffed. "I didn''t want the drama. I swear their club president, Rosie O''Donald, was on her fifth boyfriend of the year, and somehow, it''s a huge thing every time it happens. No, I''m an emo kid and hung out with the emo kids." Sophie asserted. "What about you guys? Any clubs?" "Nerd," Bruce immediately responded shamelessly. "Occupied the library in the breaks, held gaming tournaments, and played DnD." "Ah, I was in the Student Council," Akio replied, rubbing his head. "Just a junior member. I only really got snacks and coffee for the other members. But the president is going to graduate next year, so I''ll probably end up the Secretary or Treasurer or something." "Cool. Not going for president?" Bruce asked, "Oh, and do the student councils in Japanese high schools actually have as much power as anime says they do?" "I''m not an exceptional guy. Average, actually," Akio said with a wry smile. "I wouldn''t dare run for president. And not so much. The student council manages the other clubs and their funding and organizes festival days. Our president may be the daughter of a CEO, but she doesn''t practically run the school like some anime presidents do." Bruce and Sophie shared a look. "Definitely like in an Anime." "Oh, totally." Akio pouted, though when he felt Amaterasu''s warm reassurance he smiled down at the core, the light glinting off its blue facets. "Young Akio, Bruce, Sophie! Break time''s over! Get back down here!" Sensei Heliat called. They turned to see him at the base of the hill. He was guarding the rear of the caravan and was about to pass them! "Last one down''s a rotten egg," Bruce challenged, then ran off before either of the others could respond. After a stunned second, Akio and Sophie chased him with skwarks of outrage. They raced to the bottom of the hill. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 116 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Are you sure? It''s going to take a while to make something like this... Am Sure. You promised! I did promise, and I will be able to make it. Alright then. Just be aware that I haven''t done anything like this before. ... can do it... ... I''ll, uh... just get on with it then. I pulled away from Instinct''s core with a weird feeling. I was so used to feeling disdain, annoyance, and even hate from Instincts that anything else seemed foreign. It had confidence that I''d be able to deliver, however grudgingly the assurance had been given. Fucking weird, but at least it was moving on from mindless rage. The good thing was that Instincts had gotten the idea from something I''d thought about doing back when we shared a core. That meant I already had an idea of what I needed to do. The bad thing was that to make Instincts the body it wanted, I''d need to develop several novel enchantments. Might as well work on them separately and then integrate them later. And I might as well kill two birds with one stone here since I''d been wondering how to spice up the underwater part of the Eleventh for a while. I picked out a pod of resident Orca who''d made their home around the colder waters to the ''north'' of the floor and sent the clever animals'' matriarch a mental question, asking if they would be willing to become more, along with a mental image of their future selves. There was a moment of silence before I received enthusiastic agreement. Now, there was a reason I''d decided to use whales and not any old fish; the fact that whales are mammals. It made morphing their front halves into a more humanoid form a lot easier. That''s right, I was making whale mermaids. Merpeople? Are they still mermaids if they''re not technically half-fish? Ah, whatever. Whale-people! The bottom half of an orca whale, in its iconic black and white glory. The upper half resembled a human, scaled up proportionately to the tail. I didn''t give them hair since it''d only cause drag. I modified their mottled white and black skin to display unique patterns for each whale. It''d work like a fingerprint. Now, while male Orcas are bigger, which I made sure to continue with my... whale-maids...? They didn''t need much more intelligence; they were already incredibly social and clever animals, but I kicked them over the line to sapience. Like most whales, Orcas are matrilineal. This means that once they were all changed and milling about, exploring their new bodies and awareness of their surroundings, I reached out to the matriarch of the orca pod. I''d figured out what I would call them as I did so and adjusted the name appropriately. I hereby dub you Metis, Queen of the Oceanids. "Odd name," she responded mentally, marveling at her hands and wriggling her fingers. "Not that I''m complaining, mind, just get the sense it''s got some meaning behind it. Well, you got a place for us to live big guy? I don''t think we will be satisfied with our current hunting grounds." You are... remarkably more astute and aware than previous creatures I''ve raised to recognize their personhood. "Not really a surprise," Metis snorted as she cast her eyes, like pools of black tar, over her pod. "I''ve seen almost eighty winters; you don''t survive that long without being smart. Thanks for the push over the line and de-aging, by the way. I was probably only a year or two off getting a Core on my own before we came through that glowing ring, and it would have only been a couple more weeks in here. The Currents are guarded by fierce monsters in the open ocean, so there aren''t many ways for the average Orca to find enough mana." That''s quite interesting, and I do, in fact, have a place you can live. It''ll take a bit on my end to adjust the proportions to monsters of your size, but I should be done by the time you arrive. I sent a mental image of the underwater city to her. I felt her mental hum as she examined the image, then nodded. "It''ll do. Well, what are you waiting for? Hop to it!" Metis ''ordered.'' I could feel the playfulness in her mental voice and marked it down as an old woman having a spot of fun rather than her actually thinking she could order me about. I left her with the mental impression of a smirk and got to work. Since the underwater city, henceforth dubbed Thonis since Atlantis was already taken, was unoccupied apart from some fish, coral, and other small marine life, it was simple to adjust the buildings and their proportions to comfortably house my new ''Children.'' Metis was remarkably independent, and to be honest, it was always nice having another monster who would treat me like a person. After they arrived, I reached out to Metis again. I have an idea for an enchantment to let you shift between this Oceanid form, your old whale form, and a more... humanoid form. Let me be clear: I will test the concept on a few lesser monsters first, but I thought it would be better to know if you wanted that before I started. "Sounds incredible, honestly," she responded. "There a catch, apart from having to defend the dungeon?" No catch. It''s an idea I''ve been sitting on for a while and wanted to try out." "Alright then, once you''ve finished your tests, I''d be willing to try it out." You? Not one of your pod? "Of course." I didn''t ask why. I could feel the resolve in her mind. She was old and well used to shielding and guiding her pod from danger. She''d never volunteer one of her own for something new or dangerous. I''ll get back to you when I''m ready. I left Metis and the pod of Oceanids to explore their new homes. Right. Time to follow up on my promise to Wave. I was going to be making more Wyverns, most likely starring with some Wyvern-kin living on the islands in the clouds. I peeked into his cave to see if he was home, and you know what, he''s busy. I''m gonna go do anything else. Guess we''ll find out if they''re compatible or not soon. What to do, what to do... Oh! The Cliche-Isid-Haythem raid group is on the eighth! I could take a break. -0-0-0-0-0- The Bridge, The First Peak, The Dungeon -0-0-0-0-0- Haythem stared out at the rope bridge. A decent gale ran through the gap between the mountain peaks, and the bridge swayed and shifted with it. It had nothing on the blizzard that''d enveloped the peaks the previous day, but thankfully, they''d found a cave to wait out the storm. "You couldn''t pay me enough to cross this thing," Duncan eventually stated, and Haythem turned to look at him. Everyone seemed to concur, given the looks on their faces. "Besides the fact that it''s a trap, it looks fragile. We''d have to go across one, maybe two at a time. The trap could trigger when we''re halfway across or if some of us reach the other side, splitting the raid." Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "I agree," Paetor backed him up, pointing over the gap. "Look there, on the other side; a thin path on the cliff runs down to that glacier. Logic dictates there must be a way for us to get down there too, but we''ve already explored every point on this side of the gap, and there''s nothing." "There has to be a path... perhaps we can''t see it unless we look back at the cliff, potentially from the bridge itself," Jerrad finished, frowning and rubbing his beard. The man crossed his arms, though the thick pink Chromatic Tiger Fur and Capriccio Wool parka he was wearing marred his imposing demeanor slightly. "The bridge is definitely going to drop, so whoever goes out there will need to be fast enough to catch themselves on the planks or run back if the break is slow." "I''ll do it," Haythem volunteered, stepping towards the bridge without hesitation. No one said anything, and given he wasn''t looking at them anymore, he couldn''t tell if they were sharing looks or glances. If he was honest with himself, he didn''t care if they were. "The dungeon has saturated the whole bridge with mana, as it always does. Incredibly wasteful, but effective at stymieing me," Isid said, breaking the silence. "I can''t tell where the triggers for the trap are, so prepare to drop and grab the planks. Whenever you''re ready, Haythem." Haythem took a deep breath and started walking. The wind howled, blowing the bridge around... but it wasn''t as bad as he''d expected. It swayed and shifted under his feet, but it swayed predictably, and the ropes were attached securely. He was still suspended who-knows-how-high over what looked like a gaping chasm that led directly to the hells, but he could push on. Then it happened. A straining, twisting noise. The snapping of rope. The feeling of the ropes Haythem held shifting in place. Haythem quickly turned and examined the cliff, looking for the path. And he found it; it was evident from this angle, and it led right... to the bridge. Under the bridge. That''s why they couldn''t find it! Haythem dived forward, grabbing the planks and clinging with everything he had. As he closed his eyes, the bridge snapped. Freefall. It felt like he was floating for a moment, then the bridge started arcing. Turning his head and wrenching his eyes open against the howling winds, he saw the bridge had broken from the far end, with only the support posts remaining. The whole bridge fell, and it was all he could do to hold on. Then he hit the cliff. He held on. The planks creaked and groaned, rope twisted and strained. He held on. Only when it felt like he was still did he open his eyes again and risk a glance down. Yup, it still looked like the Void''s gaping maw had come to swallow him whole. "You alive down there, Haythem?" a voice called, and he looked up. It was Bertram, his head poking over the edge. "Yeah," Haythem called back. "I found the path! You guys need to climb down the bridge!" "Really?" Bertram responded, sounding incredulous. "Oh Yeah! Godsdamned dungeon made it so you have to trigger the trap to reach it!" "That fucking sucks." "You''re telling me! Just get down here." As Haythem climbed up the ladder to reach the path, the rest of the party descended, one by one. They weren''t sure how stable the bridge was, after all. Haythem could imagine a secondary trap that would detach the bridge entirely if too many people were on it. Given what they knew of the dungeon, perhaps something like that did exist, but as part of that ''hardmode'' thing. Whatever. It wasn''t important at the moment. Bertram was the first to reach him, swinging slightly to make the distance between the bridge and the ledge. He dusted his hands off, looking at the overhang above as he approached Haythem. "Thought you were gone for a second there," Bertram began, putting a hand on Haythem''s shoulder. They locked eyes. Haythem saw the concern in his eyes. "Don''t know what I would''ve done if I lost you." The too went unmentioned, but they both knew it was there. Haythem took a deep breath. He felt... better, actually. "Yeah. I''m fine. I think I got it out of my system," he claimed, eyes flicking over to where Jerrad was just reaching the path. "What''d you do? Drop it in the Void?" Bertram teased, but Haythem could see the relief in his eyes. He turned to look at the sheer drop past the cliff''s edge. "Maybe." -0-0-0-0-0- The Capital City, The Capital Duchy Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Tamesou Akio''s attention was drawn in a dozen directions as he and his party walked through one of the city''s many markets in the morning light. Hawkers cried out prices, calling them deals and attempting to draw in customers. Farmers unloaded crates from carts while their kids haggled behind the stalls. Small carved statues, shell and bead jewelry, and a dozen other cottage industries were represented, none of the same craft set up near another, but all definitely competing for customers. This is what he''d imagined when he thought of an Isekai adventure. The only thing missing were the elves and beast races, but Akio supposed you couldn''t have everything. As his sensei had advised them before leaving the tavern that morning, cities like this, especially their markets, were rife with thieves and pickpockets. They were to keep their eyes open at all times and be aware of their purses and possessions. Heliat and Jinasa would step in if one of them were robbed, but as with every other lesson the Guard-Captain had taught him, they were thrown in the deep end. This was their second day in the city. The first had mostly been spent in the guild, getting paid for their job and looking at if any were close to their route eastward. They might be able to do a few quests on the board, and Akio was excited to get out there. Now, on the morning of their second and final day in the capital, they were heading to the ''noble'' district. After a walk through a couple of markets and preventing three small, dirty kids from taking his coin purse, they made their way over the river. The two bridges that connected the western and eastern districts were a contrast in design. The north bridge was resplendent, built in the same white stone as everything else, with a wide thoroughfare for four carriages and carts to pass over in a line. The southern bridge was visibly older, built of wood, and less well-maintained. They crossed the north bridge. The eastern ''noble'' district was even more impressive and upper-class looking than he''d thought. Statues, busts, and intricate metalwork decorated every wall, with pillars holding up some roofs. Distracted by the view, Akio wasn''t looking where he was going as he approached a corner and felt a bump on his chest. He blinked and looked down at the figure sprawled out on the ground. Long, silky blond hair spilled from the figure''s hood, and from the way the fabric of the cloak rested against her hips, it was definitely a girl. Did she bump into him? He barely felt a thing. Akio reached down, offering her a hand up. "Hey, sorry about that. Wasn''t looking where I was going." The girl was hesitant, but after glancing behind him to the rest of the group, she took his hand and pulled herself up. Akio wasn''t wearing his armor at the moment and wondered at the softness of her hands. Definitely a noble. No one who trained or worked had hands like that. She was about as tall as him, so around his age, then. "Thank you," The girl said quickly, with a quick head turn and glance around the corner she''d come from. "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I need to be going." Akio followed her gaze, leaning forward to get a quick look around the corner. Three grown men in fancy-looking armor were jogging down the road towards them, slowing down as they passed groups of people walking past. A runaway or thief, then? Akio shared a glance with Sophie and Bruce, eyes flicking to the girl and splaying out three fingers. The two glanced at each other, then at Heliat and Jinasa. Their teachers shrugged. They were letting them choose. Akio made the decision. "Quickly, stand with Sophie. She''ll hide you," Akio asked. The girl blinked at him. Her crystal blue eyes studied him wary, but after another glance behind her, Akio could see the moment she decided to trust them. She stepped forward, and Sophie wrapped her arms around the girl. Together, they stepped into the darkest shadow of the building beside them and faded from sight. Invisibility while within shadows, another fantastic bit of magic Akio was envious of. He had little practice with magic; Heliat focused more on training him in melee combat. When the three men in armor passed the group of guilders, their eyes scanned each of their faces briefly. Upon noticing the platinum and gold guild badges pinned to their chests, the three presumed noble-house guards averted their eyes and quickly moved on. Once they''d gone around another corner and passed from view, Sophie and the girl faded back into view, her arms falling back to her sides. "Thank you," the girl smiled more timidly than before. "They probably would have caught me again If you hadn''t helped." "So what''d you do?" Bruce asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Commit any crimes? Steal something?" The girl snorted softly. "No. The only crime I''ve committed is existing." She shut her mouth abruptly and narrowed her eyes at the Australian boy. "Again, thank you, but I should be on my way. That might have thrown them off my trail, but If I don''t get out of the city by tonight, they''ll have caught me again." "Well, we just so happen to be heading east this afternoon," Akio offered, the girl''s eyes flicking back to him. "You could come with us?" "Your minders okay with you making that decision?" From how she said minders, it was an insult, at least to her. "I have no problem helping a maiden in need," Akio''s sensei answered. "Those men looked to be the shady sort, to my eyes, and I feel I have a well-developed sense of character. You''re welcome to join us." Jinasa nodded at Heliat''s words. There was a long moment, and the girl lowered her hood. She really was a noble, with delicate features like that. "Call me Elize. When do we leave?" That was how they added a new member to their little party, left the city before dinner, and were out of sight of the capital by nightfall. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 117 Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Chapter 118 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- Switching out the rabbits from their old experimental evolution system to the new one was simple, though it necessitated a lifestyle change. Before, they''d live in their burrows until they reached maturity, then rise to the surface as one of their three evolutions. Now, the ability to evolve was imbued in their cores, and they could roam the grasslands of the Tenth however much they wanted. We were getting a bit of an overpopulation problem, though. But that was easily fixed! I had around half the population moved to the Eleventh, spread across the more hospitable islands, and reduced the monsters'' fertility considerably. The remaining rabbits had plenty of space to roam, and from what I saw, their evolved forms were doing well. The older jackalopes were reaching double the size of the largest Flemish Giant; the oldest could shake the ground with each hop she took. I named this newly-appointed miniboss Eostre for an old fertility goddess from Earth. Though still having the least population, with access to all the tier-two magics, the Unihares were the most powerful they''d ever been. A more rigid ranking system emerged from the dueling chaos of their early days, with powerful Unihares having courts of lesser Unihares to attend and learn from. The Archhare, the rabbit with the most magical spells and power, I named Merlin. It only felt appropriate. Outwardly, little had changed for the Winged Hares. They still thrived in the canopy of the forests, enjoying a peaceful and relaxed lifestyle. The only real notable change was a few discovering how to enhance their flight speed with Air Magic. Those that did were blurs, barely making any noise as they darted about the canopies. The fastest, who barely made a blur and could disappear like he was teleporting, I named Notos. The Minotaur, who shared the Tenth with the rabbits, were likewise thriving, trading extensively with every species of Children. The milk from the unaltered cows they herded was a hot commodity, especially in ice cream form. The Steel Wool from their sheep was woven into something they called Weavemail, an incredibly flexible and tough alternative to chainmail. The sheep were easy, evolution-wise. Each sheep would only birth an ordinary lamb, and when it evolved, it would choose what kind of wool it wished to grow. I''d previously skipped over the Minotaur when it came to Evolutions because I was a little stuck. They were already large, strong, and capable; I wasn''t sure how to give them a new form without taking away something. A more Centaur-like form would be a hindrance. Doubling their size would be lazy and make living in their current village impossible. I didn''t just want a palate-swap and vague cosmetic changes, either. I had a similar problem with the Capriccio, but I was sure I''d come up with something eventually. I spent a few more hours reviewing previous floors and properly integrating the Ants into the Evolution Framework. After all that, and determining there wasn''t much for me to do or change, I decided to focus on the Eleventh again. Since the Oceanids were still settling into their new homes, I concentrated on Olympus and the Cloudlands. I wasn''t sure of the name yet, but it worked for now. First things first, I gathered the dozen Wyvern-kin who''d taken the evolution already -More than I expected, certainly- and had them brought down to the Eleventh. The journey was far swifter when all parties could fly, a feat much aided by the instincts given on evolution. It turned out that the kind of Kobold, Snowbold, or Drake-kin who took the Side/Evolution into a Wyvern-kin were those who felt restricted in their tunnels or envious of flying monsters. The result was a flock of Wyvern-kin ecstatic to be flying, diving, doing barrel rolls, aileron rolls, and a dozen other stunts throughout their flight. The majority were Drake-kin and Kobolds in their previous forms, leading to grey, brown, green, and metallic colors in their scales. While not a hundred percent indicative, there was some correlation between scale color and their primary mana affinity. Surprisingly, the spread of elements was rather even amongst the group of flying reptilians. One was red, another had orange scales, and both had strong Fire affinities. An off-white grey and light blue were Air. Deep browns and greys were for Earth, while deep blues and navy were for Water. Only three second-tier elements were represented; Lightning, Ice, and Light. The Lightning Wyvern-kin was an electric blue with white highlights. Ice was a pure white, like driven snow. Unlike an albino, however, her eyes were black voids. Light was a soft yellow, and his scales gleamed in the midday light of the manasuns as they flew. I checked in on Wave and Taura again, and thankfully, they were just hanging out in the cloudlands. After informing the Wyverns of the impending arrival of their new neighbors, the two rushed off to meet them. The resulting dance of wings and scales was awesome to witness. Though far smaller than the full Wyverns, the Wyvern-kin quickly picked up all the tricks of flight their larger cousins showed off. I left them to get acquainted and moved back to the Seventh and the Experimental Chambers. I needed to figure out how to somehow give monsters the capability to transform between at least two different forms. -0-0-0-0-0- The Third Floor, The Dungeon, Atlantis -0-0-0-0-0- Jerrard wrung out his cloak as the rest of the raid group emerged from the water. It''d been a long time since they''d struggled on the Third Floor, and he had to admit he wasn''t enjoying a return. "By all the gods, why did the dungeon have to make the Guardian harder?" Harald complained from his spot on the floor as he ran his hands down his face. "Because it''s insane, Harald," Duncan answered, perhaps unfairly. It wasn''t human, and they couldn''t judge it by their standards. "A better question: How has no one died to this thing yet?" "It tailors its strength to the group fighting it, obviously," Isid answered, wringing a deluge of water out her hair and retying it into a bun. "What, so weaker groups have an easier fight? That''s not fair!" Bertram said, frowning. "Since when has life been fair, Bertram?" Haythem answered sardonically, to a thoughtful look and a "Good Point" from his party member. "I wish I could have just zapped the thing with lightning. It would have been so easy!" Lilliette insisted, slightly childishly, in Jerrard''s opinion. "We''ll let you have a go at the Fifth Guardian. It''s fairly weak to your lightning," Paetor answered. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "If everyone''s done complaining?" Jerrard interjected, redonning his damp cloak. "Let''s review the changes we saw in the Second since the First seems unchanged." "Like the First, the Second now matches the strength of the delving party," Isid began, walking over to join Jerrard. He smiled down at his wife as she stood beside him. "It''s much more effective than on the First, mostly because of the disadvantage we face in the water and the speed and strength of the new fish monsters." "The new fish are all-around better at what they do than the old ones," Harald continued, bringing a journal and pencil out of a waterproof bag. "The Arrowfish''s ''evolution'' is faster, uses water magic to speed itself up, and though it''s lost the blade, it''s more damaging than before. Something to do with all that force concentrated at the tip of the point..." Harald trailed off, rubbing his side where one of said fish had scored a glancing blow. "The Sharpscale''s evolution''s shed scales seem entirely made of metal, rather than normal scales with metallic edges. It''s... far more conductive than before," Lilliette continued, "Not a problem for me, obviously, but still annoying." "What did the dungeon call it, the Brutefish?" Haythem asked, to a nod from Isid. "Well, nothing really stands out about it. It''s bigger, tougher, faster, and stronger than its old form." "The boss is ridiculous," Jerrard finally contributed, "A combination of the best traits from the other fish monsters. I''m also wondering just how intelligent it is to know how much force to use to ensure it''s a challenge but not an insurmountable one. For the rest of the floor, all the dungeon has to do is put in the old fish and keep its new ones in reserve for stronger guilders." There was a moment of silence before Isid broke it. "Alright, everyone, it''s time to move on. As always, it will take a couple of days to reach the Eighth and every second counts. Keep your guard up; who knows what the dungeon has done to the monsters on the Third." Nods all around, and they moved on. The dungeon did, indeed, mess with the monsters on the Third. Worse than being larger and more dangerous, the Tiger''s evolution gave the previously physically focused monsters a talent with mana. Going from four legs to six, doubled in mass, their chromatic coats became indicative of the mana they used. And not just in color; their patterning was also dependent on mana type. Water-using Tigers had swirling stripes, Air Tigers got whirls, and so on. Their hides would fetch a reasonable price, so they made sure to skin at least one of every new kind they came across. The birds, Phoenix, the dungeon had called them, had also gained an evolution. The previous form was a relatively ordinary bird with a fire affinity. This new form was bigger and seemed to be constantly on fire, in a combination of how the light hit their gleaming feathers and a literal fire aura they gave off. In both cases, it was still rare to find one. It either hadn''t been long enough since the monsters became capable of this new evolution, or the dungeon was still holding some back. Regarding the rest of the floor, the old Kobold Trial Guardians had all moved deeper, leaving their replacements behind. The young Kobolds were a fair challenge for Silver and Gold tier Guilders but still couldn''t match up to the more experienced Platinums. The various giant insects spread throughout the floor were easily avoided. The plant-based monsters, like the Pitcher traps and vines, were also easily identifiable and avoided. After fighting Mushu and his attendants, who largely remained the same apart from the beastmasters directing the evolved form of the Tiger, they moved on to the Fourth with grim determination. The rats were always a threat, and they couldn''t afford to underestimate them. -0-0-0-0-0- Unnamed Beach, The East Coast, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Tamesou Akio luxuriated in the shining sun and the sea breeze. It''d taken ages to get here, but they were finally on the East Coast! Jinasa had insisted on a quick detour off the main road, and boy, was he happy they''d agreed. Bruce was having fun with a makeshift surfboard, shouting about ''finally being able to surf because I control the waves now.'' Sophie was sitting in the shade of their tent, which had been easily modifiable into a marquee. Something about the sun on her pale skin. Elize was with her, and they had to be talking about something funny because they''d giggle every so often. Akio didn''t even know Sophie could giggle like that. It reminded him of how the girls at his school would do it sometimes. Akio himself was training, as his Sensei had declared this was the perfect opportunity to show him the differences between fighting on sand and in water compared to solid earth. After the last two hours, he could confidently say he hated sand. It was coarse, rough, irritating, and it gets everywhere! He knew this because he''d been thrown entirely by how unstable his stance was on sand. It was even worse in the shallow surf, where waves would crash into him and throw off his balance entirely if he wasn''t paying attention. Eventually, Sensei Heliat declared that he''d improved enough for today, and Akio was allowed to actually enjoy the beach. "Oh, can you do giant water tentacles?" Akio asked Bruce, who''d stopped surfing and was diving through waves with him. The Australian boy frowned, then raised his hands. Like a puppeteer, every movement of his fingers influenced the three tentacles that rose from the ocean. Akio cheered, though stopped abruptly when one of the tentacles reached down and wrapped around his waist, pulling him out of the water. "What the hell!" Akio cried, "Bruce!" he looked around, only to find Bruce being held up by a tentacle with him. "Sharks!" Bruce replied, and Akio could see he was entirely serious. He looked down at the water to see three fins poking from the surf, the dark shapes around them making it obvious what they were. They were deeper into the ocean but were headed in their direction. "Surely we''re too shallow!" Akio insisted, not taking his eyes off the sharks. "Don''t call me Shirley. And no, we''re not. Ocean Monsters are much worse than land monsters," Bruce explained. "The locals have been able to keep a lid on the monster population on the surface, but they can''t do anything about the ocean." Bruce''s caution was soon proven warranted. The sharks leaped from the ocean at the two boys, propelled by some magic. Water trails followed the sharks, and Bruce could barely move Akio and himself out of the way in time. "Some help would be nice! I can''t move us and fight back!" "Right!" Akio answered, watching the shadows as they came around for another go. He briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was true Akio had started relying on his sword and shield as crutches, but he was the source of his magic, not his tools. Inspired, he brought his mana up from his core and into his eyes, including some precise magical programming. When he next opened his eyes, yellow beams erupted from them, scything down into the water. Barely able to see, Akio intercepted a leaping shark and cut it in two. He stopped the spell as soon as he could, alarmed by how drained he felt. The halves fell to the waves, sizzling and cauterized. Over the next ten minutes, the other two sharks fought over the corpse of the first. The winner ate the corpses of both, then disappeared off to sea again. It was the most tense ten minutes of Akio''s life. Bruce was flagging by the end, using all his concentration to keep them out of the water. Once the shadow had fully disappeared, Bruce lowered them down, and they rushed back to shore. The others, who had apparently been watching, rushed to meet the boys. After making sure they were alright, the group moved further up the beach, the chill mood thoroughly ruined. "So, did you feel like Superman?" Sophie eventually asked later that night. Akio shrugged. "I mean, I could barely see a thing while the spell was going. Might try focusing the beams from my fingers next time." "Probably a good idea," Sophie responded. "Who knows what shoving that much mana through your eyes over and over will do to them, anyway." They were sat around the campfire, enjoying some quickly-cooked rations. Just some soup and bread, really. "It must have been terrifying for you," Elize said across the fire. "I''d never been to the ocean before today. Is it really full of monsters like that?" "Indeed, young lady," Sensei Heliat answered. "They normally keep to the depths and currents, though. Seeing such monsters by the shore is concerning..." Akio glanced at Sophie and Bruce. There''d been a lot of things concerning Heliat recently. The monsters in cities, now these ocean monsters, were acting strangely. Maybe it had something to do with the necromancer? Were they messing with the world on a bigger scale, somehow? It was nothing more than speculation within his mind at the moment, but Akio could only wonder... If they''d been summoned to deal with a necromancer... why had there been no reports of undead or zombies of any kind? -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 119 -0-0-0-0-0- Port Laviet, Medean Duchy, Theona -0-0-0-0-0- Tamesou Akio took a deep breath of the fresh ocean air as they moved through the bustling port city. Sailors and dockworkers bustled around loading and unloading cargo using surprisingly sophisticated wooden cranes. The arrangement of ropes and pulleys made loading huge crates full of cargo a breeze. Akio kept near his friends on the cobbled streets rather than exploring the wooden docks. Though it had been three days since they encountered the sharks on the beach, he was still wary of the churning blue waters. Who knew what immense, dangerous monsters lurked in those inky depths. As the group had followed the northern road, heading up the coastline, they''d encountered many travelers. Many were willing to gossip and spread rumors for a few coins, sharing outlandish tales with little prompting. Though his sensei had wanted to investigate the rumors they''d heard on their journey to the east, the source was more northern, another week of travel up the coast to Blackwater Bay. And boy, were there rumours. All of them agreed that there were monsters on the surface. Some said they were friendly and wished to trade with other people. Others said the monsters attacked and ate people. Some said they were the servants of an evil god, forcibly converting people and supplanting the local gods. Others said they were peacefully spreading the message of their god. They all agreed the monsters were capable of speech and originated from a recently discovered island off the coast. Coincidentally, it was the same island the three teen heroes and their mentors had been traveling to. Specifically, the dungeon they were going there to delve into. Sensei Heliat had already been increasingly concerned about the rumors, only growing more thoughtful as the days passed. When Akio asked, he shared his reasons with the teens. "Two distinct narratives are being pushed here," the paladin explained as they''d passed through the gates of Port Laviet. "One wishes to demonize the monsters and cast them in the same light as the intelligent monsters of years gone, The very ones my ancestor fought. They were terrible creatures, cunning and vicious. They terrorized their prey, drawing out fights and inflicting pain for pain''s sake. The other side pushes a peaceful agenda, insisting the monsters are only interested in trade and spreading knowledge of their god. We know too little to confirm the truth, and I intend to rectify this." They''d quickly made their way to the local guild hall, seeking lodgings and more solid information. They arrived quickly at a stone-built Guildhall that looked much like any other the transmigrators had seen on their journey. The hall was emptier than Akio had expected, though. There were only a few guilders on guard duty, with only one or two loitering around the entrance hall and job board. They paid for their rooms and were encouraged to stay there. Heliat and Jinasa had a quickly organized meeting with the Guildmaster, leaving the teen heroes and their tagalong behind. Akio, Sophie, and Bruce were unimpressed, and Sophie threw herself on the couch with crossed arms the moment the door closed behind the adults. "So first they insist we''re mature and responsible, of age, and capable of making our own decisions, then they go back to treating us like children?" Sophie ranted, glaring at the door from her place on the couch. The room they''d gotten was a party suite with multiple bedrooms and a single common room. "We already knew they were hiding things from us," Bruce answered, rubbing his meager stubble. The boy was very proud of the patch of hair on his chin and upper lip. "This is just more proof. We agreed the High Priests were untrustworthy, and though we''ve gone along with Heliat and Jinasa so far, it might be time to go our separate ways." "Can we give them one last chance?" Akio asked, uneasy at the idea of running off on their own. He knew they were more than capable of surviving independently, thanks to Heliat and Jinasa''s efforts. "We''re not Platinum yet, and there may be things they legally can''t share with Golds without permission from a guildmaster." "Did... Did you forget I''m here?" Akio paused, eyes flicking over to where Elize was leaning against the wall. He glanced back at his fellow earthlings, eyes wide. Yes, he had forgotten. Had they? Their equally wide eyes said they had as well. "Well, you three are obviously hiding something. Priests, talking about not trusting your minders... You talk about becoming Platinum like it''s a foregone conclusion. I''ve seen many strange things since we left the capital, but this cinches it." The girl pushed off the wall with her hip and leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "You''re Heroes, aren''t you?" There was a moment of silence. "How do you figure that?" Bruce asked with an eyebrow raised and arms crossed. "A few things," Elize answered, leaning back against the wall and holding a closed fist. She put out one finger as she elaborated. "Your relative youth and strength, for one. No one our age is as strong as Akio here, no matter how many monsters they kill. There just isn''t enough time. Heroes gain strength and mana much faster than normal people, which explains how you became Golds so young and expect to be Platinum soon." Akio frowned. Yeah, that was probably true. He''d heard similar comments about his strength and youth from Guilders not in the know. "Two," Elize pushed on. "You three are under some kind of translation magic. I can read lips, and the shape your mouths are making and the words I hear you speak don''t match. You three don''t speak Phenocian but seem to speak the same language. I''m familiar with all the languages spoken on Theona, and this is none of them. It doesn''t look like any dialect of Bahrain, either. Not enough clicking or harsh consonants. I''ve never seen you, or your minders, refresh this magic, and it''s not any kind of enchanted item, either, since it worked when you were wearing naught but your underthings back on the beach." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Akio flushed at the reminder. Elize had been scandalized when he and Bruce stripped to their boxers and ran to the ocean. Obviously, the natives wore more concealing swimwear. "Three," Elize continued, sporting a blush and putting out her third finger. "Your mention of High Priests and your minders themselves. There is only one High Priest per worshipped god, and all live in the Holy City. Heroes are summoned by the priests, in varying amounts, in times of crisis. They''re trained by highly-ranked guilders until they can face whatever threat they were summoned to fight. Guard-captain Heliat is the head of the guard in the Holy City. A man with his responsibilities can''t just up and leave. Even if he decided to train an apprentice, he''d do it near the Holy City." "Finally... Your reactions right now. Everything I''ve said is true, and you know it. The average guilder doesn''t know about the particulars of translation magic since they''ll never need it beyond a few moments in their careers. You know about it but aren''t trained to use it. While geniuses and early bloomers exist, they''re almost always descendants of heroes. You''re too old to be the children of the current generation but too young to be the last. To find three geniuses of the necessary caliber to match heroes, all of the same or similar ages is impossible. Admit it!" "Fine, yes, you''re right," Sophie growled, scowling at the noble girl. "We''re summoned heroes. You would''ve figured it out eventually, traveling with us." Elize''s eyes glimmered with triumph, but her face quickly paled. "And yes, we were summoned for a reason," Bruce continued, no doubt seeing the same thing Akio had. The paling girl''s eyes flicked to the Australian boy. "You must have thought it some mystery to unravel without thinking about what us being heroes actually meant." "I did, yes," her voice was quiet now. "Is... is it the monsters we heard about?" Akio shook his head. "No, but if it''s unconnected, I''ll be shocked," he answered frankly, rubbing a finger along Amaterasu''s facets and feeling the warm brush of her mind. "You don''t need to know. If you stay around us, I have no doubt you''ll figure it out eventually. Either way, It isn''t like we''re the only ones with secrets. Isn''t that right... Princess?" -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- After good progress on the transformation enchantment, I decided to check up on the dungeon. Boy, was I glad I had! The Isid-Cliche-Haythem raid was pushing deeper into the Eighth, and boy, am I tired of saying that every time I mention them. I need something better to call them. I''ll figure it out. The group showed off a couple new pieces of enchanted gear. Some had been purchased from my Drake-kin merchant on the first floor and products of my experimental chambers, others from chests found after defeating optional minibosses. Two boasted mana-goggles, an early version of my researchers trying to understand how manavision worked and putting the enchantment on glasses and goggles. It gave the user access to a weak and lesser version of manavision without resigning them to slow degradation of their vision until mana was all they could see. The few Children I''d gifted manavision to study it would have already begun succumbing to this process without a second enchantment to enhance the regeneration of their eyes. Others had some prototype soundless boots, which use sound mana to calm and muffle sound waves in an area. A few other minor items were tucked into their cloaks and pockets, but these were the most important for now. They used them to significant effect in navigating the Glacier. This time, they avoided notice, following the same route they had before, with minor diversions when a manabeing was on their path. The Second Peak awaited. This peak involved the most choices. The challenge was finding the least precarious path or pushing through regardless. There were plenty of ways to cross the peak, but only one or two were free of danger. The Air Court''s territory near the peak was hidden by clouds today. I felt like the guilders were cautious enough to avoid stumbling through a cloud atop a mountain. And indeed they were. They explored the wide expanses of untouched snow, careful to keep away from edges and overhangs in case of traps. I mean, there were some, but they were linked to hardmode. The guilders were meticulous, combing every part of the mountain they could reach for potential paths. They found a few caves that were tunnels leading into underground paths that held their own dangers. Some were ordinary caves, yet others were hidden by Illusions of varying quality. Some were undetectable to even Isid''s eyes, and others could be discerned by the unaided eye. The undetectable ones, of course, led to the dens of Ice Foxes and their Evolutions, the Tailed Ice Foxes. Of increasing size, starting around the same as Maned Wolves, they were ever bigger and more powerful than the average fox; with an ever greater command of ice and snow and a strengthening Ice Aura, they could direct to freeze and slow enemies caught in its effect. Unlike other monsters with a single or couple of evolutions, the Ice Foxes underwent eight minor evolutions. I think you can guess what I went with. Yes, each minor evolution increased its size and intelligence and added a single tail. Some within the packs of foxes were already strong enough to evolve, especially those bonded to Snowbolds. The strongest had three tails and could stand on its hind legs for short periods. Speaking of Bonding, taking another look at it proved it was what I had intended to be. I''d developed the concept in the early days, and looking at a bonded pair now confirmed that their souls were indeed connected. While it looked like a rope of mana connecting their cores, I''d long proven the soul resided within the manacore of a being if they possessed one. Technically, was I not bonded to all my monsters in the same way this fox and Snowbold were to each other? When those Children left my area of influence on the ship, did they experience the same pain of a breaking bond as a Tamer did when their bonded monsters died? That scarring on their souls? I felt bad, but there was no point agonizing over it. They''d chosen to leave, and if they ever returned, I''d examine them and ask about their experience. But back to the Eighth! In my tangent, the Guilders had chosen a path. It was one of the more unique ones, actually. This tunnel led to the Geothermic Valley, a slice of green in the mountains. It was technically the lowest point on the floor, disregarding the Glacier, and entirely underground. It was Illusioned to look like it was ''outside'' amongst lesser peaks beside the Three, but it was actually a separate cavern. There, of course, was a path that would lead them up to the Third Peak from here. If they could get past the wildlife and monster-filled valley. The first indications they had that something was off in this forested, warmer section of the mountains were the chuffing, barking calls, a flash of scales amongst the trees, and a distant roar. I mean, I had to put the dinosaurs somewhere before that island on the Eleventh, right? It''d be a good experience for later on when facing larger examples. And oh boy, did I have some extraordinary dinosaurs for them to fight. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 120 If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Chapter 121 This is a placeholder chapter. Chapter 121 should be posted next week at https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/48893/the-dungeon-without-a-system. Hopefully. Don''t quote me on that. Chapter 120 has replaced the last placeholder. Press the ''Previous Chapter'' button and go check it out now! The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I know this is disruptive to your reading experience, and many have probably been tricked by this ''chapter,'' but I feel it''s necessary to protect my work from being stolen and posted across the internet without my permission. I do want to publish eventually, probably after heavy revision, but many publishers wont even consider it if people can just find the story for free somewhere else. Again, I''m sorry for the disruption, but this is just how it''ll have to be for the foreseeable future, especially after having to delete the hidden text at the bottom of every chapter. Chapter 122 Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Chapter 123 -0-0-0-0-0- The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea -0-0-0-0-0- I noticed the moment the fleet passed through the edge of my influence with their precious cargo in tow. As I''d expected, there was no instant reconnection as my Children passed back within my domain. It made sense, unlike with the fish in the ocean, the air wasn''t saturated with my mana and was the only part of Atlantis and its environs that I couldn''t claim. Dolphins, whales, and a dozen large species of fish joined the fleet as they approached the island, to cries of delight from the passengers. A flock of seagulls joined them and let me finally get a good look at them. The first thing I noticed as Gull flew down towards the ships was the number of humans on board. A quick headcount gave me more than a hundred and thirty of them. I directed Gull to land on the ship with Baal, Towers, Teka, and Aston standing on the deck. He landed as lightly as he could, but given he was now as large as Aston, it still rocked the ship slightly. Gull was the first animal I''d ever controlled, if not the first monster. While not as tough or dangerous as a Wyvern like Wave, he was the most steeped in my mana. It was trivial to move some mana and prompt his eyes to glow a solid teal as a more visual representation of my control. A quick enchantment woven in his throat, and I opened his mouth. "Welcome Home, my Children," I spoke aloud, my voice having an echo-y quality to it. The Children and humans on the deck fell to their knees. "Please, rise. You need not bow. I see you have brought home some new friends." "Yes, Creator," Baal began, waving forward one of the humans getting unsteadily to her feet. "We found many willing to hear your teachings among the humans of Blackwater Bay. The most devout and were brought into our number as priests. This is Halley, chosen as their representative. For a time, we were thriving. However, some took your teachings too far, arguing that they should kill the nobles and rule the county as equals. Their rhetoric gathered some traction, though only amongst the most downtrodden and vengeful of the city. When they declared revolution in your name, we were horrified. We cried that they didn''t have our blessing, but it was too late by then. Even with your aid, we were lucky to escape, Creator." "And what are your thoughts on this revolution, human?" I asked the girl, whose legs quivered as she was addressed, but she took a deep breath, raised her chin, and stood tall. "Creator, though I am not one of your Children, I have closely studied your teachings. They speak of cooperation, elevating the individuals involved in all matters. Of the endless pursuit of knowledge and of remaining curious in all things. Of treating others how you yourself would wish to be treated, with kindness, consideration, and respect. The followers-turned-revolutionaries had ulterior motives and twisted the meaning of a few paragraphs on the equality of humanity to mean none are born inherently above others and that it was their duty to tear down those who believed themselves above others. They ensnared the most downtrodden and resentful and, in their actions, cast us all with the same brush in the Lord Kolchiss'' eyes." She began tearing up and bowed her head towards Gull but soldiered on. "Creator of The Children, Lord of Atlantis, I beg you to grant us sanctuary. We have lost our homes. Many of us have lost friends and family. I lost my parents in the first retaliation strike against the Church; they were slaughtered for ''harboring dissidents'' on the street before my family home. We have nothing left." She''d fallen to her knees, head bowed. The other humans on the deck had done the same, their own grief evident. I prompted Gull to step forward and raise his wings. I gathered the human in my feathery embrace and hugged her close. "Of course, you are welcome. You all are," I reiterated, subtly altering the enchantment to allow my voice to be heard by all in the fleet. "I offer sanctuary to all of my displaced human followers. On this island, you will not be hunted or discriminated against. My Voice, who administrates the island in my name, will organize housing and work for when you arrive. Atlantis has no homeless, urchins, or beggars. I intend for it to remain so." I released Halley as she muttered a desperate thanks, then turned to the other Representatives of the Children, as they''d apparently organized themselves. "You can remain on the surface with the humans or return to the dungeon as you wish. After two days to settle yourselves, I will be holding a meeting of Court and Children to discuss our next moves. Forces have moved against us, and we must be prepared." I launched Gull into the air and retreated only slightly, enough to give him back control. Together, we flew around the island as the fleet docked, and I allowed myself to relax. It''d been so long since that first flight, and I took the opportunity to compare the view. My island was a tropical volcano. Once covered in jungle, a little under half had been cleared for human habitation. Most of that was farmland, split between fast-growing and nutritious crops and paddocks for large herds of animals. The rest was the quarry carving black basalt from a hill, the lighthouse above the dungeon''s entrance, and the port itself. It''d come far from the few temporary huts and rickety wooden pier. Planned and well-organized expansion had left a beautiful town. Protective walls encircled it, extending out around the port to provide an artificial harbor. The bustling market in the main square was surrounded by the town''s most important buildings, including my very own bank, minting coinage of my own. The town was mostly multi-story houses, so everyone had somewhere to sleep. Some buildings had specialty shops on their ground floors, but most were merely housing. Around the town were larger houses and manors, built for and purchased by the most successful people around; the guilders. Halfway up the volcano''s slope was the old Lord''s fortified mansion. I couldn''t call it a castle because it lacked a keep, though it looked much better with the purple flags embroidered with my Core rather than whatever the Medean''s symbol is.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I glared from Gull''s eyes towards the west, where I knew Theona lay. That damn man was causing trouble for me, as I knew he would. I should have just had him killed, but I didn''t want to start the war that would have ensued. Though it looked like one would be starting soon anyway. Templars, huh? Bring it. You ain''t never seen anything like me. -0-0-0-0-0- Castle Medean, Port Laviet, Medean Duchy -0-0-0-0-0- "They escaped!? How could they have escaped! Damn them! Damn them to the hells!" Medean the Younger raged, sweeping the table of his knicknaks and paperweights. He stood from his chair by the fire and ranted, pacing back and forth. Duke Medean the Elder sighed and waved his hand, dismissing the messenger. One of his own household guards, a Silver guilder with a familial debt to his house, nodded and left the room. A look and a second wave had the guards inside the door follow him out. Soon, all that remained were the two Medeans, and the Duke activated his office''s privacy enchantments. The man rubbed his right temple through silvered hair, feeling a headache coming on. It hurt to see his son, once proud and eager to prove himself, reduced to this. He barely reacted when the secret passage opened, merely flicking his eyes as a figure stepped into the light, revealing their collaborator. His son had a much more visceral reaction. Medean the Younger cursed and went for his sword, then released it again on confirming the man''s identity. Rather than backing down, though, his son stepped forward, baring his teeth at the man. "You promised they''d pay!" "And they will," The man replied, facing the fire. Medean''s eyes were drawn to the fireplace beyond the silhouette. It was a grand mantlepiece, with a family portrait above it containing four figures. The Duke himself, his son, his wife, and their young daughter. It had taken some time before his wife''s health had returned after his son''s birth. Then, after the birth of his second child, his daughter, Meropa''s health had never returned to how it''d been in their youth. "How? All the monsters escaped; the guilders we hired didn''t reach them in time," his son argued, shoving his face close to the other man''s. The man placed a hand on his son''s chest and pushed him away gently. Medean the younger huffed, then sat heavily back in his chair. He raised a goblet of wine and drained it as the man answered. "Because two of the guilders in the group we sent are Templars from the Holy City, and they traveled with two young men and two women." Duke Medean frowned. Wait. Templars with youths? He raised a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. "The Templars don''t train apprentices; they invite renowned guilders to join their ranks, and there''s only one reason they''d be training anyone. Surely you aren''t suggesting...?" "I am," the man said, turning to face the Duke himself. The man was heavily scarred, with burns and cuts littering his face. Medean knew the skin beneath his gloves and clothes was similarly scarred. The dead man let out an ominous laugh. "Heroes. At some point, the Gods summoned new heroes. And now, four heroes and two templars have been pointed straight at the largest congregation of monsters above ground since the Demon Lord." The Duke hummed, appraising the man before him. He stood tall, with a straight back, and his noble chin was raised high. Though he had noble bearing, he wore ordinary cloth. He''d fallen far, and though he played at civility, Medean could see the almost unnatural drive in his eyes. This was a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain. A man who''d betrayed his oaths for the chance his vengeance would be carried out. The Former Grand Duke Plaised stepped forward and placed his hands on Medean''s desk. He leaned forward, and the Duke got a good look at the fevered determination in those eyes. "All we must do is wait." -0-0-0-0-0- Safehouse, Blackwater Bay, County Kolchiss -0-0-0-0-0- "-nd I was about to join my fellow Children at the docks with the last of the humans who wanted to join us when I looked out the window and saw this huge group of armored humans rush past. They were running straight to the docks, and I hadn''t seen them before. Didn''t recognize a single one. Definitely not local guards. After they''d passed, I could only watch as the others set sail without me!" The minotaur, Ossydus, explained, stopping only to sip from the bowl of hot tea he held in hands bigger than Akio''s head. The Japanese teen and his fellow heroes/hidden princess companions could only share awkward glances. "I don''t blame them, but I still feel... I don''t know. Abandoned," Ossydus explained, placing the empty 8-inch bowl on the table. "After that whole fiasco, the guard presence in the docks has quadrupled. Even if a friendly ship were to pull into port, getting down there and on the thing without being seen? Impossible. Escaping the city? Equally impossible. I''m not exactly stealthy." "You managed to get here, though, right?" Sophie prompted, waving at the room they were in. She sipped her own tea, and Akio did the same. It was pretty good. Not as good as a pot of jasmine from Japan, though. "By sneaking through alleys," Ossydus answered with a snort. And wow, that was a lot more dramatic on a cow-based monster than a human. "Every time I move, it is a risk that someone will see me, someone who is not sympathetic to the children." "What if we pulled a switcheroo on em?" Bruce wondered, putting his mug down so he could gesture and wave his hands around. "We leak a rumor. They''d have to respond if everyone they ask says you''re on the other side of the city. You''ve managed to slip their grasp three times now?" Bruce asked, to a pensive nod. "If I was trying to catch someone as big as you, I''d be pretty pissed. I''d pull all the resources I could to block every possible escape route. So, they''ll draw guards from other parts of town and the guilders." "Leaving gaps in the patrols we could exploit and slip through," Elize finished, realization dawning on Ossydus'' snout as well. His expressions were surprisingly easy to decipher, for, you know, having a cow head. "Escaping the city into the countryside is pointless. There won''t be any other towns or cities willing to take you in and risk something similar happening to their lands. Can you send a message to your people and have them send a single ship? A fully human crew, with the ship registered in a port town on the mainland, could probably slip through customs." "Then, under the cover of night, we slip you down to the docks and onto the ship and sail away before anyone can figure out what''s going on!" Akio declared. "Ha! I like you four. You''ve got spunk. It reminds me of Aston when we were kids. Ah, those weeks were bliss," He drifted off a bit, and Akio had to wonder what he meant by that. "It''s a good plan. Bancia is an apprentice wind mage," he said, waving at the woman who''d let the four teens into the safehouse. "She can summon a wind sprite for us, who''ll deliver the message. It''ll take a day or two to get an answer from Atlantis, then we can start." "Atlantis?" Sophie asked, and Akio was struck by something. That was English, not Phenocian. "Aye, the Isle of Atlantis, named by The Creator after he expelled the former lord for refusing to acknowledge his right to the island. Only made sense to me. He is the island, after all." Akio suddenly felt a little out of his depth and wondered exactly what they had gotten themselves into. -0-0-0-0-0- Chapter 124 This is a placeholder chapter. Chapter 124 should be posted next week at https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/48893/the-dungeon-without-a-system. Hopefully. Don''t quote me on that. Chapter 123 has replaced the last placeholder. Press the ''Previous Chapter'' button and go check it out now!This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. I know this is disruptive to your reading experience, and many have probably been tricked by this ''chapter,'' but I feel it''s necessary to protect my work from being stolen and posted across the internet without my permission. I do want to publish eventually, probably after heavy revision, but many publishers wont even consider it if people can just find the story for free somewhere else. Again, I''m sorry for the disruption, but this is just how it''ll have to be for the foreseeable future, especially after having to delete the hidden text at the bottom of every chapter. Chapter 125 This is a placeholder chapter. Chapter 124 should be posted next week at https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/48893/the-dungeon-without-a-system. Hopefully. Don''t quote me on that. Chapter 125 has replaced the last placeholder. Press the ''Previous Chapter'' button and go check it out now!This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. I know this is disruptive to your reading experience, and many have probably been tricked by this ''chapter,'' but I feel it''s necessary to protect my work from being stolen and posted across the internet without my permission. I do want to publish eventually, probably after heavy revision, but many publishers wont even consider it if people can just find the story for free somewhere else. Again, I''m sorry for the disruption, but this is just how it''ll have to be for the foreseeable future, especially after having to delete the hidden text at the bottom of every chapter. Chapter 126 This is a placeholder chapter. Chapter 126 should be posted next week at https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/48893/the-dungeon-without-a-system. Hopefully. Don''t quote me on that. Chapter 125 has replaced the last placeholder. Press the ''Previous Chapter'' button and go check it out now!Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I know this is disruptive to your reading experience, and many have probably been tricked by this ''chapter,'' but I feel it''s necessary to protect my work from being stolen and posted across the internet without my permission. I do want to publish eventually, probably after heavy revision, but many publishers wont even consider it if people can just find the story for free somewhere else. Again, I''m sorry for the disruption, but this is just how it''ll have to be for the foreseeable future, especially after having to delete the hidden text at the bottom of every chapter. Chapter 127 This is a placeholder chapter. Chapter 127 should be posted next week at https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/48893/the-dungeon-without-a-system. Hopefully. Don''t quote me on that. Chapter 126 has replaced the last placeholder. Press the ''Previous Chapter'' button and go check it out now!You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. I know this is disruptive to your reading experience, and many have probably been tricked by this ''chapter,'' but I feel it''s necessary to protect my work from being stolen and posted across the internet without my permission. I do want to publish eventually, probably after heavy revision, but many publishers wont even consider it if people can just find the story for free somewhere else. Again, I''m sorry for the disruption, but this is just how it''ll have to be for the foreseeable future, especially after having to delete the hidden text at the bottom of every chapter. Chapter 128 This is a placeholder chapter. Chapter 128 should be posted next week at https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/48893/the-dungeon-without-a-system. Hopefully. Don''t quote me on that. Chapter 127 has replaced the last placeholder. Press the ''Previous Chapter'' button and go check it out now!The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I know this is disruptive to your reading experience, and many have probably been tricked by this ''chapter,'' but I feel it''s necessary to protect my work from being stolen and posted across the internet without my permission. I do want to publish eventually, probably after heavy revision, but many publishers wont even consider it if people can just find the story for free somewhere else. Again, I''m sorry for the disruption, but this is just how it''ll have to be for the foreseeable future, especially after having to delete the hidden text at the bottom of every chapter. Chapter 129 This is a placeholder chapter. Chapter 129 should be posted next week at https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/48893/the-dungeon-without-a-system. Hopefully. Don''t quote me on that. Chapter 128 has replaced the last placeholder. Press the ''Previous Chapter'' button and go check it out now!The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I know this is disruptive to your reading experience, and many have probably been tricked by this ''chapter,'' but I feel it''s necessary to protect my work from being stolen and posted across the internet without my permission. I do want to publish eventually, probably after heavy revision, but many publishers wont even consider it if people can just find the story for free somewhere else. Again, I''m sorry for the disruption, but this is just how it''ll have to be for the foreseeable future, especially after having to delete the hidden text at the bottom of every chapter.