I did as he said, managing to get to a shop right before its owner closed up. Between the undead and Gunzi, I had about a Silver and a half, or 150 Coppers. I bought all of the water and dried and salted food I could afford. I hardly had time to get them into my Inventory before the world went black.
◆◆◆
"Ugh. That bastard really knows his way around a bottle of chloroform." I said. The joke wasn't funny, and there was probably nobody around to hear it, but it helped take the edge off of my fear. I opened my eyes to a dungeon similar to the first, only much cleaner. The stones in the wall were slightly less rough, and it was considerably less damp, but it was just as poorly lit. Obviously, I charged through the door and into the next room, Magic Missiles and Bone Breaker at the ready.
At least two score of Level 10-15 Decaying Zombies met my charge. I launched my Missiles as fast as I could, and cracked the nearest Zombie over the head. Rotten brain matter sprayed all over, but I ignored it. Two other Zombies died before I had to fall back. My Exp skyrocketed. These were the first monsters I'd fought that were at least my level or higher, and the bonuses were obvious.
The room was spacious enough that I could avoid most of the slow moving undead. I shot Magic Missiles indiscriminately into the crowd, aiming for eyes and other weak points. When my Mana ran out, I started cracking more skulls. The Zombies were slow, but there were a lot of them and they hit like trucks. I wouldn't have been able to clear them all without the benefit of a Level Up's healing.
My constant use of Magic Missile brought its Level to 9, much higher than I expected. With my new Level I dumped all 16 points into Constitution (Apparently, every 10 levels I earn I'm allowed one more point per level). I figure if I get all of my stats, or at least the most important ones, to 100, I'll be powerful and well rounded. I harvested as many bones from the Zombie corpses as I could, and stuck them into my inventory. I had a plan for them, but I would need access to a shop first, or at least something to make cord.
My progress through this dungeon was much slower. The enemies' levels grew from room to room, faster than I could catch up. This dungeon was also much, much larger than the first. I ended up dropping the bones from the first Zombies in exchange for the much stronger ones from later zombies. I had to stop when my weight limit was reached, but figured I had plenty anyway. The boss gave me a bit of trouble, but its crude iron helmet was worth it.
The exit to this dungeon brought me right to the bottom of a massive, 100 foot cliff. A forest surrounded me, but there was an unnatural ring around the dungeon's exit that was clear of trees. Well, it was more of a semi circle because of its proximity to the cliff but close enough. The closest trees were about 40 feet away. The trees were about 10 feet shorter than that distance, meaning even the tallest of them would miss the dungeon if they fell.
Well, it's as good of a place as any. I made the short walk to the trees and began to gather any plant that seemed tough enough to make string, even just a small length of it. I quickly got to work, but it wasn't until well into the night that I finished my project. If not for my recent Level Ups from the dungeon, and my now 107 Con, it would have taken a lot longer. The 100 Con bonus was a simple bonus to Health regen and Health cap, along with a general increase to the toughness of my skin. As anyone that's spent any amount of time in the woods can testify, that was an invaluable asset.
I sat back, eyeing the four ribs bones I had strung together. That counted as a shield right? Now all I needed to do was practice with it somehow, and I would earn Bone Shield Proficiency, which would let me use magic to modify my armor. I knew this method wouldn't work for metals, or at least it wouldn't until higher levels, but my Bone Breaker was already proving to be a pretty devastating weapon. Now, there was only one thing left to do. Time to grind!
Chapter 2
Bone Pick Modification (Newbie, doubles as a Basic Ability)-
By guiding Mana between two or more Picks to establish a link and syncing them together, they can be fused. Mana per Minute is 50 - [Int or Wis (whichever is greater)/100]. With each 20 levels of Modification (Newbie), the strength gained by each fusing grows. Delay between casts is 1 min - [Int or Wis (whichever is greater)/100]. Increases tool strength by 25% of the tool fused, but increases in proportion to Int and Spell level. Higher levels will allow the caster to shape the tool for a greatly increased Mana cost.
(Note. This cannot be used to significantly increase the sharpness of your weapon or repair anything other than minor damage at this Level, but your skill in other Bone Manipulations allows greater control over your tool's enhancement.)
Finally! It had taken a few weeks, but my troubles had paid off. My days of grinding were for the sole purpose of crafting and gaining proficiencies in the most god awfully basic bone armor, tools, and weapons I could possibly make. They didn't have to be anything special, because when I earned my first proficiency I could just upgrade them provided I had enough bone.
Under normal circumstances the bone would have been an issue, but the dungeon respawned and changed every 24 hours at random. If the dungeon hadn't been cleared, though, it would take an entire week to reset. The Level of enemies varied, but they were always some form of Zombie or Skeleton. If there was ever a dungeon Level that I couldn't conquer, I just went to work with a non-combat weapon for a while.
I was enforcing Bone Breaker when an idea hit me. If I can do this with tools, can I do this with buildings too? Even if it doesn't work, it's worth a shot. With nothing better to do, I set about making my first "wall", which was little more than a large shield.
It took a few days, but I managed to make enough "walls" to count for the Bone Wall Proficiency, but it was so worth it. Between my Bone Pick and the ability to make buildings, I was quickly advancing in both my house and Levels. My Humanity was only 35 now, which was coincidentally also my Level.
I didn't have a door yet, but it could wait. For now, I just leaned a half made Bone Wall that I had leaned against the doorway. I strode down the dungeon stairs confidently, fairly sure that I could take whatever the dungeon threw at me. As expected, I trounced all of the Skeletons that got in my way and harvested their bones on the way out.
A popup appeared when I finished off the boss. When I went to check it, I noticed an entirely new tab had been created. Confused but pleasantly surprised, I opened it.
Property-
Dungeon Ownership x1 (small)-
Your consistent conquering of this dungeon has made its residents swear fealty to you. The size and power up the dungeon will increase passively over time. It can be actively upgraded through Mana usage. Any foe that dies in your Dungeon will transfer its Exp to your Dungeon.
Dungeon Workers x3 (Small)-
These Workers live to do nothing more than expand your dungeon. The more you Level, the more powerful your Workers become.
No freaking way! Let's see what these guys can do! "Hey! Worker dudes, I need you!" I called to the room, which had little more than the dead skeleton bodies. Three humanoids appeared, each slightly higher than my hip. Their skin was a dark, bluish gray, the same color of my Dungeon's walls, but their eyes were pure white.
"First order of business, let's clean this place up! Nobody likes a damp dungeon, especially the monsters." Over the past weeks I'd noticed that many of the Zombies, whether they were Decaying Undead or not, had fungal growths that severely limited their strength. It's what allowed me to kill them even when they were a higher level than I was.
I stopped the Workers before they could leave. "You guys have your own tools right?" They nodded. "Okay, two of you work on cleaning out this mold and one of you follow me." I quickly exited my dungeon with one of the little guys in tow. "Do you know how to use an axe?" I couldn't see it nod, but I felt its affirmation. "Do you have one of your own?" Another yes. These guys were awesome!
I spent the rest of the day chopping wood with the little fellow. He was considerably weaker than I was, but worked with a nearly unlimited supply of ener
gy. By the time it became too dark for me to work, we had felled and chopped up three decent sized trees. I had the other two Workers join the first, and made the whole group start dragging it into the dungeon.
They made small piles in each room, which I lit on fire with my level 29 Magic Missile. Then, when the room was mostly dry, I had them start cleaning again. Before long the spores were cleared out and I had myself a proper man's Dungeon.
"You guys need a break?" I asked. All three of my Workers shook their heads in eerie symmetry. "Oookay then. You guys want to start smoothing out some of these walls while I catch a few hours of sleep?" They nodded. I left, my body aching and tired, to my House of Bone. It was only one story for now, and all I had for a bed was a small layer of fronds that I had to frequently change out. It didn't matter. It was a while before I finally fell asleep, ideas for the future running through my head.
I woke up to one of my Workers staring at me. It was trying to let me know that they'd done all they could for the Dungeon at their Level. I was anxious to see how well they did, but other things occupied my mind as I rubbed my sore back. "Could you strip the wood down enough to make a bed frame?" It nodded. "Awesome! Get on that right away, please." The Worker scurried off to follow my commands. I called the other two to my side as I entered the Dungeon. "If I start another fire, can you two cure my hides for me?" They nodded, and I dropped the Gunzi hides I had collected over the past few weeks from my Inventory.
Woah. They did all of this in just one night? The walls were mostly smooth, and as spotless as I could hope and more, given the material. A tab for the Dungeon popped up, and I opened it.
Dungeon Level-
Your Dungeon Level increases over time, through Mana donations, and with every sentient being it kills. Higher Levels give access to more numerous and more powerful Workers, and Monsters. Additionally, Monsters can be given equipment to augment their strength.
Dungeon Level- 3
Monster Level Min- 3
Monster Level Max- 30
Monster Capacity Min- 5 (Per room after reset.)
Monster Capacity Max- 50 (Per room after reset.)
Dungeon Experience- 17/1502
Dungeon Power- 2000
Permanent Residents-
Permanent Residents can be anything from particularly strong monsters, slaves, and contracted warriors, to a Summoned Creature and other familiars. Your connection to the Dungeon allows you to summon creatures of a Level up to 10 times that of the Dungeon. From there, it is the Owner's responsibility to Level the Summoned Creature.
(Note. Workers do not count as Residents.)
Dungeon Owner- Donovan Hawthorne
Summoned Creature-
None
(Note- The attributes of your Summoned Creature will affect the attributes of your Dungeon. Multiple Summoned Creatures with conflicting Attributes will make the Dungeon neutral. Those with complementing Attributes will either blend or form a new Attribute. For example, earth and air will cancel out, whereas earth and water may make nature.)
Dungeon Inventory-
Your Workers can hold 200 pounds of raw materials per level. Additionally, they can create storage rooms similar to a person's Inventory. Your Dungeon's current Inventory is as follows;
Rough Wood- 36 lbs.
Refined Wood- 11 lbs.
Rough Stone- 138 lbs.
Rough Copper- 44 lbs.
Rough Iron- 9 lbs.
Fungal Spores- .5 lbs. (contained)
Mage Fire Torches- 60
1500 Exp to level up my Dungeon? That's reasonable. There was also something in there about a Summoned Creature? I'll ask one of the Workers about it.
I was given a few abilities, as well. They let me transfer half of all of the Exp I gain into the Dungeon and the other half into my Summoned Creature. I felt like it was worth it, even if I didn't gain any Exp. Well, I would still gain half until I Summoned something. Which wouldn't be long if I could do anything about it.
One of the workers tugged on my sleeve. I hadn't heard it walk up to me. For all I knew, it could have just appeared there. It led me to the last room of the Dungeon. The Boss Room. There was a pedestal there that was usually occupied by an Elite Monster. The little Worker sat me down on it, and closed my eyes. I felt a sucking noise, like when something was moved to my Inventory. Only it was bringing me somewhere else, not moving something else.
My stomach twisted itself into knots, and I fought back the urge to retch. I could hear movement, so I pulled out Bone Breaker and forced my eyes open. Holy mother of God. They're everywhere.
Hundreds of monsters roamed aimlessly, as if blind. They ran into each other and tumbled into enormous tangles of flesh and limbs. Undead, Elementals, Lizard-Things, and so many more. I could get up to a level 30. I had no idea whether that was a high level or not, but I would rather pick a monster because of how it could benefit me, not by level. This was going to be one of the most important choices of my entire Dungeoning career- I needed to think this one over big time.
So, how did I want to do this? I could always go for a big ol' basher, but I needed an advisor as well. Preferably a magic user, but someone that could take a hit or two. Maybe an enchanter? No, not enough offensive power. What was the opposite of a Paladin? Like a Dark Knight or something? That'd be badass.
With a thought I called the most powerful one I could to my side. It stood slightly taller than the others, and moved with a fluid grace that I didn't expect from a matte black, 6' 6" suit of nightmarish armor. It took me a bit to figure out how to pull up its stat sheet, but I managed.
Doom Knight- Large, resilient tanks with decent magical capabilities. Slightly more agile than its Holy counterpart. Possesses part of an ancient tyrant's soul.
Level- 24
Health- 6550
Mana- 1500
Strength- 850
Endurance- 900
Condition- 850
Dexterity- 400
Perception- 450
Intelligence- 550
Wisdom- 400
Luck- 50
Humanity- 1
Alignment- Dark
Inventory- Greatsword of Darkness, Dark Warrior Soul Base x15
Spells- Dark Bolt, Shadow Walk, Terror, Desecrate Soul
Abilities- Intimidation, Stoic Calm, Military Mind, Sociopath, Painless, Sleepless, Adviser, Numerous Weapon Proficiency, Numerous Armor Proficiency
Engage Battle?
This dude was a total badass, with stats that didn't line up with his Level, and I was pretty sure I'd have to fight him to win him to my side. My Humanity would probably drop even further, but my consistent desecration of Zombie corpses was doing a good job of that anyway. My Alignment was still None, so I figured it didn't matter who I picked in regards to that. Also, the Adviser Ability really drew me in. Oh, and did I mention that he was a total badass? I initiated the battle.
Any creature besides me and the Knight were violently pushed backward, creating a circular arena that was about 60 feet across. "BEGIN!" An ethereal voice boomed from above us. The Knight didn't hesitate. It ran at me, sword poised to strike. I dodged the blow right before it hit me, not wanting to test my skeletal armor against such a powerful adversary.
I rolled forward under a horizontal swing and ended up behind the Knight. I quickly plunged Bone Piercer, an upgraded version of my original bone dagger, into the back of its right knee. Its leg faltered slightly, but other than that minor motion nothing seemed to happen. The stat screen never told me its Defense. Even with my Bone Piercer doing 240-600, damage the thing barely flinched.
Lord of Creation Page 3