Completion and a Prelude

Surveying my dungeon, I could find several deficiencies. But more importantly, I could feel the beginnings of pride in what I’d created. A number of powerful creatures called my dungeon home. And, in my eyes at least, it was beautiful.

But unfortunately, my enjoyment of the view could only last so long. About as long as it took to regenerate a significant portion of my mana in fact. Once I had recovered from the massive expenditures I’d used to create and darken the second floor, I set about fixing those deficiencies I’d found.

The first thing I had to do was to finish the second floor. I’d more than once thought about how my surprisingly high number of powerful creatures would probably identity me as a dungeon. I could only assume that the first group of Delvers who found me didn’t realize it because Leira and Kyr were on the second floor at the time. Either way, I wanted to finish the second floor and continue building down.

I could feel that there was a way to strengthen my Named, and even Unnamed, creatures by giving them a set territory. As things stood then, none of them were somewhere I considered to be a good final home for them. Not the Gladiator Skorpion, not Leira, and certainly not Kyr or Huntress.

But I did want to know just what way they would gain in power. And that led me to my first change. I spent a short time drawing Earth mana from the emerald once more, needing it to mold my addition to the second floor.

With intense focus, I used the concentrated and dense mana to cut and shape the stone into what I wanted. Forming a large ovular cavern on the last stretch of the second floor’s exit. I made sure that anything passing through the second floor would only be able to find this new cavern once they were already on the right path to the exit. Once it was formed, I made sure to flood it with even more haze, creating a dense cloud that would be cripplingly difficult to see through.

With that done, I ran a few tests. Using Leira to help, I began testing how the Gladiator Skorpion’s senses worked. Tapping her claws on stone tested its hearing and ability to sense vibration. Of course, her movement tested its vision. Strangely enough though, I discovered that the small hairs that protruded from its tail allowed it to sense shifting air close to it. With that, it was able to detect Leira moving behind it even when she was quiet and barely applying weight to the ground.

The end results were rather promising. To me anyways, Leira and the Skorpion were rather confused. It seemed that the Skorpion hardly relied on sight at all. Instead, it relied mostly on detecting vibrations, sounds, and movement in the air. All the while I’d been testing it, I had been hoping for this. With it confirmed, I quickly gave the Skorpion new instructions.

I wanted the first floor to appear as natural as possible. But I had no idea if Gladiator Skorpions existed beyond my own. Thus, I didn’t want it on the first floor. Instead, I gave it instructions to take up residence in the final cavern of the second floor.

If Delvers made it through the second floor, I wanted the Skorpion to be what greeted them at the end. After getting used to the light haze that dominated the twisting tunnels, and adjusting to the tight corridors, this is what would find them. A large, open chamber filled with a chokingly thick cloud of Dark mana, and a Gladiator Skorpion that could detect and fight them without relying on sight at all.

Almost as soon as the Gladiator reached the chamber, I felt something almost click.

Do you wish to appoint “Gladiator Skorpion - Unnamed” as the Floor Boss of the Second Floor?

This appointment comes with both benefit and detriment. Should you choose to accept, “Gladiator Skorpion - Unnamed” will not evolve further. In exchange, you will be able to grant it a boon to enhance it so long as it is on its floor.

Do you wish to appoint “Gladiator Skorpion - Unnamed” as the Floor Boss of the Second Floor?

Taking in the new information, I was torn. The fact that going through with the appointment removed any chance at further evolution made it a far more difficult decision than I’d thought it would be. As things stood, evolution had been the largest source of my creatures' power. On the other hand, I could also feel that within my evolved creatures, they were a long way from a second one. As such, I couldn’t rely on it too heavily.

While evolution is definitely a great source of improvement and power, I was also starting to realize the benefit of deriving my dungeon’s strength from multiple sources. If I can strengthen my dungeon through evolution, naming, and this new source as well, then it might very well be worth it…

What made my decision in the end, was that while it would prevent further evolution, it would not prevent Naming in the future. Thinking of that, I almost made my decision. At the last second, I held back. Before I confirmed it, I wanted to do what I could to maybe enhance my potential options. During evolution I’d noticed that circumstances and what a creature does can change their options, so the same might be true for this as well.

Using the remaining mana I had from after creating the new cavern, I began to populate the second floor. In the five hubs, Giant Bats began to take form. Perches and nesting grounds forming in the stalactites and ceiling. In the tunnels, Rock Skorpions appeared, creating a constant hazard on the grounds.

I’d built small holes and water spots throughout the second floor. Around these, Bluecaps and Stone-Tailed Rats appeared, as a more consistent food source for the Skorpions. In the hazy tunnels, Stonecloak Lashers became the dominant predators. Their innate ability to sense creatures out of sight and beyond most creatures senses letting them hunt almost with impunity.

Slowly, as I expended mana again and again, the tunnels came to life. Mana-vision easily saw through the mist-like Dark mana, but any creature relying on sight would see only vague forms and figures moving. Finally, I finished populating the labyrinthine tunnels.

Only then, did I accept the appointment.

“Gladiator Skorpion - Unnamed” has become the Floor Boss of the Second Floor!

Please Select the Boon it shall receive on the Second Floor!

Strength Unknown : This Floor Boss is far stronger than it would first appear. With enhanced strength, its strikes become far more dangerous and far more difficult to deflect or block.

Speed Unknown : This Floor Boss is far faster than it would first appear. With enhanced speed, its strikes become far faster and far more difficult to dodge or avoid.

Resilience Unknown : This Floor Boss is far more resilient that it would first appear. With enhanced resilience, it becomes far more difficult to damage or injure, allowing it to survive powerful strikes.

Intelligence Unknown : This Floor Boss is far more intelligent than you would first assume. It’s enhanced intelligence allows it to plan and strategize more effectively.

Sensate : The Floor Boss has more attuned and sensitive senses. With these enhanced senses it may plan ambushes or surprise attacks, taking advantage of its early detection.

Looking through the available options, I could only see the one that was obviously influenced by the second floor itself. The Sensate option was likely there to allow a creature that couldn’t otherwise see become an effective fighter. Unfortunately, I had already dealt with that issue.

Instead, I could easily assume that the other four choices were some kind of default options. Each improved an aspect of the Skorpion, so long as it remained on the second floor. Looking them over, I also inspected the Skorpion at the same time.

It was a large, heavy-set fighter. I was suddenly happy that it had sparred with Leira before, since it gave me a better idea on how it fought. It utilized its weight, strength, and senses to fight. I almost immediately crossed out the enhancement for strength, given that it already seemed to have plenty.

As for speed, it didn’t seem to have much at first glance. It’s legs and pincers were powerful, but somewhat slow. It’s stinger however, could slam forwards far faster, giving it a surprisingly fast attack every couple of seconds Or as fast as it could pull it back and attack again, in any case. Because of its stinger, I reluctantly ruled out the speed enhancement.

Coming down to resilience against intelligence, I made the decision rather easily. There wouldn’t be much intelligence required for the kind of fight it would be having. In a room where its enemies would probably be hindered by the difficulty in seeing, the fight wouldn’t need a smart combatant. So instead, I chose the resilience enhancement.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, I could feel the ambient mana that permeated through the dungeon drain and filter into its carapace for a few seconds. Once it was finished, I could feel the way the absorbed mana was interacting with the ambient mana to always strengthen and harden its carapace.

Just the sheer amount of mana flowing through its carapace made me wonder if Leira’s claws could damage it or not. Which was no small feat, since she hadn't found anything yet that she couldn’t claw to ribbons.

Nonetheless, I could see the Skorpion shudder for a moment. Before it seemed to adjust to the new feelings, its senses looking at the second floor with a new perspective. On that floor, it reigned supreme.

Pulling my attention away from the Skorpion’s mind, I felt a message cross my own thoughts again.

Your Second Floor is complete!

You may begin your second Descent!

City of Derien, Adventuring Guild

The Adventuring Guild was filled with low murmurs and the occasional laugh. The large common room that served as a tavern for their members being constantly filled with idle chatter, juicy gossip, and the tales of adventuring.

Talric didn’t care much for that however. At six foot four, Talric didn’t have to care for much at all in fact. Especially when his thick leather armor and large greatsword were taken into account. An almost permanent scowl was fixed across his face, hard grey eyes sweeping across the room. “Just as raucous as ever.. Let’s just find a job and get out of here..”

He spoke softly, his head tilted down. Standing beside him, was a shorter woman, but still tall by most other comparisons. Her hair was pulled into a severe style, a spiked chain wound through it to give a nasty time to anyone who tried to use it to their advantage. She carried a shield on one arm, and two wands on her belt. Much thinner leather armor covered her almost entirely, only her head and hands uncovered.

She rolled her eyes at the broad shouldered man she stood beside, “One of these times I’m going to get you over your fear of crowds.

A glare from Talric stabbed into her, “Styria, annoyance is not fear. Crowds annoy me, they don't scare me.” All he earned was another roll of the eyes before she began walking over to the board where open requests were posted. Holding in grumbles, Talric followed after.

When he got there, she was already scanning over the different posts. She was shifting between the public and guild posted sections, looking for something both in their rank and hopefully more interesting than their last three jobs.

She leaned back towards talric after a moment, “There’s one for looking into the disappearance of a small group beneath the Joristal Mountain?” Talric thought for a moment, before nodding. It did sound like it would be more interesting than the extermination missions they’d been going on for dire wolves.

Just as Styria’s hand was about to touch the notice, it was plucked away by a hand reaching up and beneath hers. A low growl sounded out of Talric as he followed the hand back to its owner.

Standing a ways away from them, was a dwarf. He’d quickly moved back for a moment and was holding out both hands in a ‘wait’ gesture. Seeing the notice in one of those hands just made Talric glare at the dwarf all the more.

The gray skin and dark brown eyes, combined with the heavy set of the dwarves body spoke to him being of one of the mountainous lineages. With his hands held up, he quickly spoke, “Now now, wait a moment! I have a proposal, but if you say no then you can have this back with no problems, alright?”

Talric simply growled, “No. Now hand it over.”

The dwarf let out an exasperated sigh while looking at the tall man, before turning to Styria. “Look, I’m an adventurer myself, D-Rank personally, same as you. I’ve even been in a dungeon once! One of the ones who went missing on this is my younger brother.”

Styria’s harsh expression softened slightly, the information even making Talric back off slightly.

“How about we three go after this together? My brother wasn’t stupid, both you and I would stand a better chance at doing this together, yeah?”

Talric glared at the dwarf for a long moment, before turning to look at Styria. She looked up at him before shrugging and nodding slightly. With a restrained, but still heavy sigh, Talric nodded slowly as well. Turning to face the dwarf who was looking between them, he asked, “Alright, what’s your name?”

The dwarf smiled before straightening up, “Felix; Felix StoneEar at your service!”

The War-Room; Verendell, Capital of the Merfolk Nation of Ceritev

General Isentress was floating idly beside a projected map of the Nierese Ocean. The illusion magic allowed her to view it in the full three dimensions. Despite her reputation as unflappable, she was glaring at the map and the plethora of black and red dots scattered throughout it.

The black represented areas where there was no sighting and no reports of any Kraken activity, and the red were spots where they’d disproven reports. General Isentress had been training soldiers constantly, pounding discipline, training, and fearlessness into them, all to hunt and slay the Kraken threat.

And they couldn’t find it.

She resisted the urge to slam her scaled fist against the enchanted map table. The door creaked open and her head snapped to it. A Captain was leaning in, his tail fins keeping station without entering the room. His greener scales were mostly hidden behind the dark blue armor that was customary. After she dismissed his salute, her jaw clenched as she realized he wasn’t meeting her eyes.

“General, the report in the Uisentral Canyon area was recently disproved. It was just a large Giant Squid.”

She let out a long lungful of water. The Captain was flinching away slightly, before her cold tone sliced through him. “You may go, Captain.”

The door shut, and General Isentress very calmly changed one of the last yellow dots to red. Her eyes rose up once more, staring intently at the last two yellow dots. “Where are you, you monstrous abomination?”

And before she could get any angrier staring at the map, she flicked her tail and sent herself towards one of the doors leading out. Perhaps some time spent sparring with the officers would help her practice as well as calm down.