by Drew Jager
He had started running around the room, trying to show the Creator his distinct lack of power. How pathetic he was, and how he wished to grow.
Bless me with strength, Great One! Make me powerful enough to guard our home, and protect everyone in it!
The Creator answered his plea, and he felt the full brunt of their presence fall directly on him. It made him feel suffocated, but he hardly noticed. He was too busy basking in the ecstasy of the attention.
The gaze of the Great One forced him to cease moving, and he was left paralyzed. He continued to scream for the power to protect his home, and the Creator responded with a war cry of his own. Not a few moments later, he felt a shiver run down his spine.
Chime
Congratulations!
You have earned the right to Evolve, and become more than what you once were. Your Crawl and Herald have deemed you worthy of being the first Evolution of the First Floor, promoting you to the status of Mini-Boss, granting you greater power than all but that of the Floor Boss.
Your past experiences, and devotion to growing stronger, have Influenced your Evolution.
Protect your Dungeon, Monster, and prove yourself worthy of these gifts.
A sharp pain exploded throughout his body, and he felt himself being torn apart. He let out an involuntary hiss, and his voice sounded different, deeper. It sounded stronger.
Yes... YES.
Suddenly, his vision was blocked by a burst of mana. Golden-green light covered his eyes, and the pain began to subside as quickly as it had come. The Creators mana washed over the wounds, making him feel healthier. Stronger.
His senses felt heightened, and the clarity and detail he saw amazed him. How could there be such a disparity between his old self, and the new?
He tried moving forward, and found the size of his body had more than tripled. He was now nearly 10ft long, and as thick as one of the trees of Grizzly's room. His scales shimmered in the soft light of the room, a dark shade of green that let him meld into his surroundings.
He didn't have time to ponder these new changes, as the old room he was in no longer existed.
Instead, he found himself in a room nearly twice the size of the Flower room. Stalactites the size of a Two-legs hung from the ceiling, dripping water into small pools below. The original vines of the room had grown until they were as large as he was. They linked the walls, and ceiling, creating a labyrinth of vines.
The floor was now covered in pools of water in various sizes, some of them even connected underground back into one another. The walls were now coated in Copper Ore, and small pockets of a shiny substance he assumed was Silver. Small gems were peaking out of the ore, glittering in the soft light.
The Creators previous light would have been dull compared to what he was in now. The mana lights spread across the walls were partly covered by vines, creating large swathes of shadows in parts of the room.
Where there was no water, there was knee high grass. It wasn't the yellow-green of Grizzly's room. Instead a rich, full green that reminded him of the leaves on Sol.
He felt like he had been transported into a jungle, and he was the King.
Small insects buzzed near flowers, and around the vines hanging from the ceiling. Small bushes and trees were placed sparingly around the room, creating natural walls. He could see how simple it would be to set up an ambush on unsuspecting Two-legs who were trying to mine the Ore.
I am unworthy. He thought. I will do everything I can to prove myself of this gift. I will become the best Monster in the Dungeon.
What more could he say? His Creator had noticed him, and rewarded him beyond his imagination.
He knew, from experience, he could not cry. The emotions he felt, staring out at his new room, humbled him thoroughly.
The Sun appeared from the connecting tunnel, a soft golden light shining over his new kingdom. The Moon's presence descended on him, and he felt the excitment radiating from him. The Creators seemed pleased.
I'm the best. He whispered to himself.
Chapter 18 - Lurking Paperwork
* * *
The second day of Dungeon Dives.
Will watched in satisfaction as the first group of Adventurers entered his new Ore room, and looked around in wonder. Though, he now figured that name was a bit out of date.
How about... Snake room? No. Jungle room? Too on the nose.
He hadn't been very creative in the naming of his other rooms. He shot a momentary glance at his Flower room, and cringed inwardly. It was too late now though, so he would live with his choices.
Ah, whatever, the Adventurers can name it for me.
Thinking of names, he felt a brief moment of panic. "Bel! Did we ever name the Lurker? Do we have to name him?" He yelled towards her.
He had startled her while she was eavesdropping on the Adventurers, and she let out a squeak. "Stop that! I can hear you, without you yelling, Rockhead!"
She collected herself, then continued. "We can name him, but we don't have to. It's similar to how Sol was. They don't need a name, but I'm sure they would appreciate it. Did you have one in mind?"
"Well... no."
"Why not wait to see what the Adventurers name him? Two-legs have been known to have good ideas in the past, as crazy as it sounds.
He mentally shrugged. If the Two-legs could think of something good, then he had no qualms about stealing their ideas for his own. He turned his attention back to the upgraded Ore room, and listened in on the Adventurers conversation.
"...different than what we were told. Why is there a fucking jungle in here? All the other groups reported a small room with grass. Maybe we should just cut out losses, and come back another day." The man with his gut peaking out of his armor grumbled.
"I see Copper, as well as some Silver farther in. The objective hasn't changed, we promised the Smith some materials, so, let's get to work." A short one said. He recognized it as a Dwarf, but this one had no fur on their face. So, he assumed it was a female.
Makes sense to me.
The Dwarf, now determined to be female, moved further into the room. Her three companions followed behind; weapons drawn. He watched in fascination as the Dwarf, along with a bizarrely dressed Human, pulled out pickaxes. The strangely dressed Two-legs was wearing a large fur coat that covered their entire body. It made them look more like a Beast, than a Human.
Soon, the Dungeon was ringing with the sound of their strikes against the stone, creating a melody that echoed throughout the rooms.
Chunks of Ore flew off the walls after every swing, and it unnerved him how easily the Two-legs were breaking apart his Dungeon. Bel assured him this was normal, though. According to her, the Two-legs had skills that let them accomplish these strange feats. He imagined it was similar to how his Levels worked.
Just looking at the group, and the two members who were very clearly unprepared for a fight, made Will feel guilty. If only a little. He didn't want his new Mini-Boss to slaughter a helpless group of Two-legs, at least not this time. So, he turned his attention towards the Lurker. In the time it took for the Adventurers to start mining, his Mini-Boss was already waiting above them. The sight of the 10ft long snake poised to strike the unsuspecting Two-legs was intimidating, he was tempted to let him attack just to see how he he fared.
The light of the room refracted off of his scales, blending him into the vines it rested upon. He felt a surge of pride at how easily his Mini-Boss could have devastated the group of Adventurers, and the determination he saw in the Lurkers golden eyes. They weren't as striking as Grizzly's, but still showed unnatural intelligence. With a heavy heart, he focused his attention to the new Mini-Boss.
"Lurker. Don't attack any Two-legs that come to mine in the Dungeon. Unless they attempt to leave the room to progress further in the Dungeon, leave them in peace while they gather the ore. If you feel like you are in danger, you may attack. If not, don't fight." Before the Monsters evolution, he would have been skeptical that the Serpent would underst
and. Now, though, he knew the Lurker would obey his orders to the letter.
A small nod, followed by a low hiss, and he started moving further into the room. Sadly, the Adventurers noticed the movement. The Lurker didn't even look down as he slithered from one vine to the other, moving from tree to tree across the room. All four watched quietly as a beast capable of swallowing them whole abandoned its hiding place above them.
The Two-legs with the protruding gut made an audible gulp, and tightened his grip on the weapon in his hand.
"Why don't you two pick up the pace..." He whispered to the miners.
Both nodded furiously, and began striking the stone with renewed vigor. In their mad scramble to be done as quickly as possible, one of the Miners uncovered a small gem.
The small Ruby couldn't have been larger than the fingernail of one of the Humans, but all four cheered at the find. Their earlier fear was washed away by what Will considered, at best, an interestingly colored rock.
Bel just giggled at them from her spot in the room. She was invisible to the Adventurers, but she could see them just fine. Laying on her back on the top of a fallen leaf, she floated across the pools of water in the room, relaxing.
"Why are they so excited?" He asked her.
She closed her eyes, relaxing in the warm light of the room, and shrugged. "To the Two-legs, the shinier the better. I think they can make some fancy Utility Items with them, but a gem of that quality wouldn't make anything very powerful. I think they just like collecting them to show off."
Two-legs are so weird. Why would they bother showing off their wealth, when he could just make more for them? With a thought, he could make more money than most of the Adventurers had ever seen in their whole life. He would never do that, but he could if he wanted.
I could probably trap a few of them with piles of money... Save that idea for later.
During his free time, he enjoyed implementing whatever ideas he had come up with over the course of the week. The Antique Shop was well under way, but he knew he needed to wait until the Adventurers had grown stronger.
If he started implementing everything he had in mind, he knew most of the Adventurers that came into his Dungeon would never leave. So he would hold back, for now.
Another shiver ran throughout the Dungeon, and he was surprised to see another group of Adventurers.
"Why are two groups in here? That disgusting Human specifically said he would send one group at a time." He berated himself for ever trusting the word of a Two-legs.
"Don't worry Sweetheart, this is normal. There's no reason for that group to wait a few hours for the people that are mining to finish. So, they are going to go past them, and attempt to complete the Dungeon. I don't recognize who this Party is, so it must be their first Dungeon Dive. How unfortunate, for them." She smirked. He understood why.
His excitement was growing, as he felt no reason to keep the Lurker at bay for this next group. He settled in for what was shaping to be a very entertaining day. He sent one final command to the Monster before watching the spectacle.
"Lurker, make us proud!" He shouted, and the Mini-Boss seemed to shiver in anticipation.
* * *
Inside the Guild Officer's room of the Adventuring Guild Outpost in town.
Brian stared at the lone paper sitting on his desk, and heaved a sigh of relief. It was the last document relating to the death of Tannar, and then he would finally be free.
For the last twenty-four hours, he had been doing nothing but paperwork. He had only left once, and it was to go home and sleep. At least, until that idiotic fight broke out. He had been ready to bar both groups from ever setting foot in the Dungeon, but he knew that would have been foolish.
If he ostracized a large group of Nobles, and one of the strongest Parties, it would only come back to haunt him. So, he let them off with a hefty fine. It probably wouldn't take much to repair the damage in the road, thanks to Joy, but they didn't need to know that.
Putting his signature on the final document, he leaned back with a sigh. The chair under him groaned from the pressure, and he cracked a small smile.
It would take something drastic to ruin his mood, now that he was finally free.
"Sir, something drastic has happened in the Dungeon." Alvin, his assistant, says after entering the room.
He was a small Elven child, and served him in ways similar to a secretary.
He shot a glare towards the kid, but the Elf didn't even flinch. Most children ran the moment Brian looked at them, but Alvin couldn't have cared less.
"Dammit." He grumbled to himself.
"Go ahead, report." He said with a dismissive hand wave.
What the hell did this Dungeon do now? He thought bitterly. If he found out another Elf noble died trying to play Hero, he was going to level the building.
"Sir. The first room has changed structure, and is now believed to be the home of a Mini-Boss. Several Parties have entered the Dungeon today, and most were unable to progress past the first room. Those that did defeat the Mini-Boss sustained wounds serious enough to force them to return." Alvin looked to him, and he motioned for him to continue.
"The groups that have gone in to mine Ore have all reported leaving without being attacked. It is believed that the Monster only strikes if a Party attempts to enter the connecting tunnel to the next room." He finished with a small nod to show he was done speaking.
Always so proper. This kid needs to learn to be... a kid.
"What changes occurred, exactly?" He asked, steepling his fingers under his chin.
"The room has transformed into a miniature forest, similar to that of the Kallin Jungle in the East. The Mini-Boss is a large snake, inspections by the Adventurers revealed it to be a Devious Lurker. It has proven to be very formidable, and possesses unique strategies when fighting."
That Serpent evolved, huh?
He remembered all too well how close that Monster had come to landing a hit on him. It would have done negligible damage, but the idea of being caught unaware by a first floor Monster was shameful.
He thought back to the Serpent, then to his Quest, and felt his hopes rise. He furiously crushed them back down, it wouldn't do to get impatient. He would wait, and see. If the Lurker progressed far enough, he may have to pay the Monster a visit.
Alvin gazed at him, his azure eyes unblinking as he waited for the next order.
"Stop staring, kid. Go outside, and play with the other children. When I need you, I will call." He said, pointing towards the door in the back of the room.
A small nod, and the Elven child left the room.
Once he was sure the kid had left, he slammed his fist into the wall besides him. Recently placed bricks crumbled under his fist, and he now had a small window facing the outside street. Some of the townsfolk looked up at him, but quickly shuffled away after seeing the look in his eyes.
He knew exactly what this development in the Dungeon meant.
More. Fucking. Paperwork.
Closing his eyes, he exhaled through his nose. Before he could start taking the statements of the Adventurers who fought the Lurker, he had a letter to send. The Guildmaster would want to know about this Dungeon, and its unusually quick growth.
His final thoughts before going back to work were of his family. His wife was probably relaxing in their house, working on some new recipe for him to try. His daughter, well, she was probably drunk by now.
One last sigh, and he started writing.
Chapter 19 - Verne
* * *
In the Crawl room.
Will watched his Herald curiously, as she scolded Sol.
The Bound Monster had tried to attack a group of Adventurers in the Jungle room, or the old Ore room.
That's right, it's called the Jungle room now. His naming system might be basic, but it was the best he could do. Don't judge him.
Sol had snuck past every other Monster undetected, and made his way to the front of the Dungeon. Luckily, the Lurker spotted him
tip-toeing into the room.
It had been hilarious when the Mini-Boss dragged the flailing tree back to Grizzly's room in his jaws. Bel didn't find it funny at all, but that was just how she was. He wouldn't have it any other way, though.
Now that the Lurker was a Mini-Boss, he had decided his new Monster looked lonely. He had taken the time to dig out small tunnels around the Jungle room that linked into the other Serpent tunnels.
His Mini-Boss used these tunnels, and had paraded the poor Treant throughout the entire Dungeon on his way to deliver him to Bel.