The mousegirl really likes my mimicking dragonet it seems. I giggled a bit. While I didn't expect her to give that reaction, I can understand it. I love that dragonet too! Mousegirl even pouted a bit when the dragonet disappeared from her arms!

A puzzle was attempted!

You have gained 10 EXP.

First of Your Kind rewards you 2 EXP.

Experiencing Peace rewards you 12 EXP.

First of Your Kind rewards you 3 EXP.

Creature Designer rewards you 2 EXP.

This time I didn't feel the need to check my Status right away. Now is the moment of truth. They are about to enter my Core Room!

I waited nervously for several minutes before the catboy finally touched my Fake Core. The 'Rewarding Fake Core' Rule activated, and rewards appeared: a +1 Charisma banjo for the foxboy, a color-changing dragon leather cape for the catboy, a color-changing dragon leather body armor for the mousegirl, a +1 Intelligence dragon amulet for the wolfgirl. What the rhinogirl and bearboy had gotten was more interesting to me though.

Rhinogirl's item looked like a small cone made of the color-changing leather but my Dungeon instincts told me its purpose: To make it look like her horn was whole again. She was meant to place the cone on her broken horn, and it would glue itself to it while changing color and shape. It would end up looking like her horn was back but a simple knock to the face would make it fall off.

Bearboy's items… No. Beardad. He's now beardad. Beardad had gotten two dragonet plushies which informed me that he was a loving dad. These plushies would become actual dragonets for 1 minute should their owner ever get in danger. Dragonets might not be super strong or anything but a surprise flame to the face will distract most things long enough for the child to get help or run for it.

The Party - especially mousegirl and beardad - looked happy with their items but hadn't yet touched them. Instead they had started talking. As no one was looking at my Fake Core or trying to find the real one I concluded that they really were no threat to me. They are likely talking about their new items and what they're gonna do with them… Yet I don't know that.

Status, please.

Personal Status Level: 1 EXP needed for level up: 155/200 Mana payment needed for level up: 0/100 Mana: 57.5/100 Mana regeneration: 15 per hour Floors: 1/1 Allowed number of sapients in each Floor: 6 Floor Details Achievements Mission Dungeon Rules

While I'm slowly getting closer to those 95 mana, I still need to wait another… 2.5 hours! There is no way they're going to be talking about their new items for that long!

… Guess I'm not gonna be able to know what people are saying next time either…

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

It took the Party 17 minutes to touch their items and disappear from my Dungeon.

Your 1st Floor has been emptied of sapients. Do you wish to close your Dungeon for up to a day before opening again?

Yes/No

… Yes! That's perfect!

How long will your Dungeon be closed for?

Pick a time between 1 minute to 24 hours.

Hmm… I want at least 2 hours 13 minutes, but would it be a good idea to wait longer? It would be nice to be able to level up as soon as I have the EXP for it. Which would take another 6 hours and 40 minutes. Becoming a Dungeon Core had made me really good at basic math. While it took this Party 3 hours 36 minutes to leave my Dungeon, the next one will probably be much quicker as it will have the knowledge of this Party. Some things get a randomized placement each run but it's not gonna slow them down much…

Okay I'll expect the next Party to only take an hour but for my EXP to be maxed after 15 minutes. That means I have to add another 5 hours 55 minutes to my previous 2:13.

My Dungeon will be closed for 8 hours and 8 minutes!

Timer set to 8 hours and 8 minutes.

Do you wish for this time to be the standard time closed? You can manually change it again later.

Yes/No

Cool, but no thank you. Probably later though.

… Wait, can I make it, so I close at sundown and open at sunrise each day?

Do you wish to change the current timer of 8 hours and 8 minutes to 6 hours 32 minutes?

Yes/No

I'll take that as a 'yes it's possible'. But no, that's too short a break. Let's keep it as is and do a day/night cycle from tomorrow.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Nerok noticed the 1st Party spawning beside the Portal and gave them a once over. They didn't look hurt at all or even the least bit exhausted. Odd. Their backpacks had been of the big kind and looked overly full. That's odd too. The 30-35 monsters a Dungeon starts with wouldn't have dropped that much loot. The Party wore new green boots, helmets and shields too. Unlike Nalir's black cape and Zaktak's body armor these weren't unique and thus had to be normal loot drops. Something is clearly up with this Dungeon. But I think it might be a good difference.

Before talking to the 1st Party Nerok needed to know how long they had to talk before sending the next Party in. The old ursakin put his hand to the now fully stone Portal.

The Dungeon Portal will open again in 8 hours and 8 minutes.

6 can enter the Dungeon at a time.

Tomorrow morning then. The 1st Party started opening their backpacks and showing the Tribe what they had gotten.

It might be a very good difference indeed…

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

New Dungeon Rule:

Universal Translation: Everyone will understand all spoken language.

There was only a minute left on the timer so I was waiting excitedly. What type of Party will I get this time? One with higher or lower karma levels? Maybe the same one again? Will they also all be level 9+? Will they try to attack my dragonets? Are they all gonna be different types of beast-

The timer had run out and a new Party had entered my Dungeon. Unlike the previous Party this one noticed that the three bushes in The Great Tree Room were berry bushes. Gooseberry, cranberry, and cloudberry bushes to be exact. I hadn't wanted to use the same berry bushes as in The Berry Forest after all.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Turns out: It's mostly not all that interesting to listen to people you can't talk back to. Maybe it was in part because this Party said less and already knew 90% of my tricks…

Again they were level 9+ beastkin of the mouse, cat, bear, wolf, rhinoceros, and fox types. They didn't try to attack my dragonets and they had started out with karma levels between 70% and 84%. So nice people but not quite as nice as the first set.

Experiencing Peace rewards you 10 EXP.

First of Your Kind rewards you 2 EXP.

Creature Designer rewards you 1 EXP.

Personal Status Level: 1 EXP needed for level up: 207/200 Mana payment needed for level up: 0/100 Mana: 99.75/100 Mana regeneration: 15 per hour Floors: 1/1 Allowed number of sapients in each Floor: 6 Floor Details Achievements Mission Dungeon Rules

I had enough EXP now as they had just completed The Great Pond Room, but I still had to wait another minute before I had enough mana. Luckily it seemed like any extra EXP would simply be saved till later.

While the Party collected their loot, I got to finally level up.

You have leveled up! You are now level 2! Bìxié pattern obtained. You can now create creatures of level 2.

Nice! A new creature! Status first!

Personal Status Level: 2 EXP needed for level up: 7/300 Mana payment needed for level up: 0/150 Mana: 0/150 Mana regeneration: 22.5 per hour Floors: 1/1 Allowed number of sapients in each Floor: 6 Floor Details Achievements Mission Dungeon Rules

I can make a dragonet per hour now?! Awesome! Now tell me about bìxiés.

Bìxiés are the females of the species pixiu. While both genders have the body of a lion, the head of a dragon and feathered wings, the male only has one deerlike horn while the female has two. Pixius have traded half of their Charisma for an innate passive Skill. Bìxiés have a natural aura that compels those with a karma level of 25% or lower away from them. Should those beings go near them anyway, the bìxiés will attack them. As they are karma creatures they will otherwise mirror how sapients treat them back at them. Their diet mainly consists of small to medium sized creatures.

I get the feeling bìxiés were karma creatures before I made the Dungeon Rule on it… Does that mean I got bìxiés because I made the Rule? Or would I have gotten them now anyway?

The Classes of sapients as well as Dungeon Cores' level up creature patterns are given based on one's actions and personality. The Classes of Dungeon creatures with the ability to tier up get chosen by their Dungeon Core.

Huh… Okay then. Wonder what I'll get next time.

The Hidden Tunnel wasn't hidden when you knew where it was, and they went through The Trap Corridor just as quickly. While the foxgirl picked a couple of mangoes the Party had apparently been told by 'Chief Nerok' to focus on berries. They even had several jars to put the berries in so they wouldn't get squashed.

While it's annoying to see my Dungeon get finished so quickly, I also didn't build it to stop people from entering my Core Room. I made it to kill bad guys, yes. But more importantly to support the good guys. That's why I made The Orchard and The Berry Forest after all! I give bad people bad luck and good people good luck. Uh! And I love seeing my Dungeon help people become better people! Already half the Party had had their karma levels raised by 1%. And of course! Faster out means faster in means faster EXP. Can't forget that part! That does mean I'm definitely gonna do a day/night cycle so my mana can keep up though.

The Party pointed out the mimicking dragonet in its rock form but simply walked past it.

They left without looking closely at their items. Chief Nerok likely wanted more people in as soon as possible.

Your 1st Floor has been emptied of sapients. Do you wish to close your Dungeon for up to a day before opening again?

Yes/No

Yes, please.

How long will your Dungeon be closed for?

Pick a time between 1 minute to 24 hours.

2 hours, please. Make it the standard unless the sun has gone down. Then I'll be closed until dawn.

Standard timer set to 2 hours if the sun is up and until dawn if the sun is down.

Current timer set to 2 hours.

Good. Show me my status, then.

Personal Status Level: 2 EXP needed for level up: 110/300 Mana payment needed for level up: 0/150 Mana: 16.25/150 Mana regeneration: 22.5 per hour Floors: 1/1 Allowed number of sapients in each Floor: 6 Floor Details Achievements Mission Dungeon Rules

I forgot to ask earlier but how much does bìxiés cost?

Creatures

Creatures give you a little EXP when killed and can kill sapients which earns you much more EXP.

Karmic dragonet: 13.5 mana + 4.75 mana Bìxié: 18 mana + 9 mana Karmic mimicking dragonet: 27 mana + 13.5 mana

Wait a minute! When did my creatures get this cheap?

Karma creatures are cheaper than other creatures due to their mostly docile nature and because said nature helps Dungeon Cores achieve their mission without unnecessary bloodshed. The Achievement 'Creature Designer (I)' gives you a 5% discount on the base cost of creatures. The Achievement 'Dungeon God' gives you a 5% mana discount on all creations.

Clearly, I should have made the karma Rule earlier then. It's clearly the one with the biggest effect on this.

This might be stupid, but I want my mimics to be the highest possible level on the Floor they're on. So, make my karmic mimicking dragonet level 2! The system didn't give a pop up for it, but I could feel that the mimicking dragonet was now stronger, faster and its mimicking was even better. That and I had lost 13.5 mana.

And then we wait for more mana. I actually think the smartest move here is to first use my mana for leveling up as I'll then get faster regeneration. Yeah, I'll do that. And during the night when I can't level up due to lack of EXP I'll instead catch up on making more and stronger creatures.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

The 2nd Party - who called themselves 'The Hunting Party' as they knew each other from having hunted food together - came out of the Dungeon not quite an hour after they had entered. And like the previous Party they looked completely unharmed.

Blessed be this kind Dungeon! Nerok thought to himself before putting his hand on the stone Portal to see the new cooldown.

The Dungeon Portal will open again in 2 hours.

The standard timer has been set to 2 hours if the sun is up and until dawn if the sun is down.

6 can enter the Dungeon at a time.

Uhh… So the Dungeon wants sleep? Or maybe it wants us to sleep regularly…? Regardless of what was actually true, Nerok turned around and walked toward the center of camp. He then got people's attention and informed the Tribe that the kind Dungeon had once again thought of them by having its schedule fit theirs. The thought of having a monster spawning Dungeon cater to their needs raised the Tribe's morale even more than Nerok had expected. The Tribe started partying with the two Parties that had been in the Dungeon being the guests of honor.

The people start partying when I bring them good news. He! Sometimes, it's pretty sweet to be Chief… Nerok thought with a smile before shaking his head. The bitter part comes when I break this party up in two hours so we can get back to work!

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

The 3rd Party had just freed the fake dragonet in The Room of Kindness. The beargirl - mamabear? Perhaps. But how would I know? - had been the one to free the dragonet. As she did her karma level rose from 70% to 71%.

New Achievement: Making the World a Better Place (I): You have made the people around you into better versions of themselves, thus making the world a better place. Keep doing it. Condition: You have successfully made the karma levels of other people rise 10 times in net total. Reward: 110% Charisma. You now earn 50 EXP per karma level you rise in others in net total. This is retroactive. [You do not have a Charisma Score. 110% Charisma changed to 10% discount on karma creatures.] You already have 5 Achievements active. Pick one to turn passive. Passive Achievements give only half the rewards. You can only change your decision when you earn an Achievement. Careful Preparation (I): Reward: An extra 5% mana regeneration and the Ability to use the next mana payment for level ups as a Mana Bank. Creature Designer (I): Reward: Creatures have a 5% discount on their base cost. Creatures earn you 110% EXP. Dungeon God: Reward: The Ability to make Dungeon Rules and a 5% mana discount on all creations. First of Your Kind: Reward: 120% EXP gain: 5 years left. 120% levels worth of creatures per Floor and the Ability to give all your creatures 200% Constitution on command: 75 years left Karma's a Bitch: Reward: A Karma Aura in grayscale will appear around sapients inside your Dungeon. The darker the aura the worse karma the sapient has. Unlocks the Ability to have your creatures and traps target sapients based on their Karma Aura. 110% damage dealt to people with a Karma Aura of 25% or lower. Making the World a Better Place (I): Reward: 10% discount on karma creatures. You now earn 50 EXP per karma level you rise in others in net total. This is retroactive.

Well, that’s annoying… Oh! And they're all so useful! Okay there is no obvious pick. So hmm… I’ll do the exclusion method! Okay what do I absolutely have to have? I’m a draconic karma Dungeon. That’s my thing. So I have to keep Karma's a Bitch and Making the World a Better Place. The reward from Careful Preparation is too good to give up! Faster mana would always be my thing. The 120% levels worth of creatures per Floor I’m already using, and I don’t want to… erase any creatures. So I’ll keep First of Your Kind as well. The EXP gain from that one is really nice too.

Hmmm… System? If I were to turn Dungeon God passive would I still be able to make Rules? And what would happen to the ones I’ve already made?

When an Achievement is passive its rewards are halved and rounded up to the nearest whole number. Abilities given by an Achievement can not be halved and will instead be kept by the Achievement holder even if the Achievement is made passive. Abilities with cooldowns will get double the cooldown if the responsible Achievement becomes passive.

Then half the rewards of Dungeon God simply means that the 5% mana discount on all creations becomes a 3% discount. That’s not a big difference. Halving Creature Designer would make a bigger difference then. So I’ll turn Dungeon God passive.

Dungeon God (Passive): Reward: The Ability to make Dungeon Rules and a 3% mana discount on all creations. Making the World a Better Place rewards you 500 EXP.

Nice! Still need more mana before I can level up though.