After levelling up, I resume my digging towards the side of the mountain.

When a couple of hours have passed, I finally break through and with a slight puff, a bunch of snow falls into my tunnel.

I have dug another 17 metres which netted me a nice 3145 mana.

This time, I use more than half of it to infuse and claim the full 20 meters of corridor.

With my core room finally connected to the outside by a proper corridor and nut some small chute, I take the time to study my stat screen.

Name: Unnamed dungeon Level: 1 Location: Dragon mountains Dungeon companion: WIKI, the endless tome Mana: 1295 mana Mana collection: 0,0050 mana per second Mana needed for next level: 100 000 mana Integrity of the core: 100% Chosen dungeon monsters: Animals special achievements: *First dungeon with an artificial core Titles: Inventor Learned skills: Mana senses Numbers of floors: 1 floor Inhabitants: 1

So far, I'm not unhappy with my stat screen. Although I only have one inhabitant so far, this will change in a bit.

And I might need to see if I can find a way to change my name. After all, unnamed dungeon is just lame.

It also seems that the amount I passively gain doubled, meaning that instead of 9 mana per hour, I will gain 18 mana or 432 mana per day. That means that ever 25 hours, I can spawn another snow leopard.

Also, the amount of mana needed for my second level has increased by a hundredfold. If I were to try to gain that mana solely by digging out diorite rock, I would need around 2700 cubic metre of diorite.

To put this into perspective, it would mean I needed to, for example, dig a corridor that is 1 kilometre long, 1 metre wide and 2,7 metres high. Or if I were to used the same dimensions from my existing corridor, it would have to be around 540 metres long. The time required to dig all this would take many days and would take all of my concentration.

If something were to happen while my mind was elsewhere, I would, in the best case, be too late to react.

In the worst case, I wouldn't notice anything and be destroyed or even worse, enslaved.

Therefore, I really need my own monster and traps to protect me. I do wonder though if there is a way to split up my mind so I can be at two places at once. Or if there is a way to automate the digging, to tell my mana what to do and let it do it on its own.

I wonder, is there a way to create my own spell or alter an existing spell to do my digging for me while still giving me the mana? Food for thoughts, but for later.

After all, it's time to create my first monsters.

Gathering a 1000 points worth of mana, I force it out of my core in two separate 'heaps' and mentally give each heap the command to become a snow leopard. I also make sure to include that one of them needs to be male and the other female.

The heaps of mana flare up, revealing themselves to even those without a mana sight. Not that there's anyone around, but for me and WIKI, to witness it. The mana just keeps glowing brighter until with a pop, it disperses. In their stead stand two snow leopards. Both are large, regal and proud looking cats with a white/ greyish fur with speckled black dots.

They turn towards me as one and bow their head.

"Hey WIKI, I wonder. Do I need to feed them or can they somehow sustain themselves?"

"That is the wonder of a dungeon monster, master. They don't really require much maintenance. They are sustained by the mana you emit and don't really need any sustenance. This doesn't take away though that they are still animals and that they as such enjoy doing what a regular one from their species would do. Such as hunting, eating, sleeping and mating."

"I see, does that mean they will occasionally wander off, to look for something to hunt?"

"As they are now, they won't be able to just wander off, as you call it. They are unable to leave your dungeon. This also means that, unless you upgrade them with a monster core, they are unable to hunt outside of your dungeon."

"A monster core you say? How would one go about creating such a thing?"

"One would be able to create a monster core in a dungeon monster by gathering one's mana, directing it into the chest area of said monster and condensing it while willing it to become a monster core. The newly formed monster core would thus then act as a link between the monster's master and the monster itself, thereby sustaining the monster with the much-needed mana"

"Thanks, WIKI"

"My pleasure master"

With that little problem solved, I can focus on other things. Such as on the two big cats that have been respectfully bowing their head towards me while I was talking to WIKI.

With a tentative caress, I mentally reach out to their minds and connect with them long enough to give them their instructions.

Protect me at all cost.

Take no unnecessary risks when they can be avoided. Keep each other company. Hunt together to take down any foe that threatens what is yours or mine. Mate with each other when both of you feel attracted to each other.

Grow strong and prosper and in doing so, you make me strong and prosperous as well.

With these commands imprinted unto their minds, I mentally wave them off. With a lot of curiosity, they start wandering around the room and the corridor, exploring their new home. When they reach the entrance, they both just look disdainfully outside before gouging the walls of the entrance, marking this as their territory.

With that taken care of, I turn my attention towards the second part of defending myself. My remaining 295 mana will need to be enough for now to create at least some traps in this small dungeon of mine.

With a mental command, I bring up the mana requirements for my traps.

Traps: Mana requirement: Pitfall trap: 120 mana Rockfall trap 150 mana Sheet of ice 5 mana per square meter

By now, enough time has passed for me to have collected an additional 18 mana passively.

Which means that I can create a pitfall trap that spans the entire width of the corridor and is a meter long and line the entire corridor with a sheet of ice as well.

I gather the required amount of mana and mentally give the command to make it so.

The mana speeds of to coat the entire hallway and becomes visible again.

The ice is formed first since it barely required any mana while the pitfall trap takes a bit longer since a hole has to be dug. Oddly enough, I'm not getting any mana from the hole that is being dug. When the mana is finally finished, I'm totally not impressed. Oh sure, the ice is just awesome, it's so clear that, unless you know it's there, you would never be able to spot it. But the pitfall trap..., it's just a hole in the ground with a rough and uneven floor and smooth walls to make it harder to climb out of. I could have done the same without the need to invest mana and I even would have gained mana instead. Which raises another question that I need to ask my companion.

"Hey wiki, is there a reason why one would use the default traps? wouldn't it be more beneficial to just create them yourself?"

"It would indeed be more beneficial master, but there's something you need to keep in mind. Most newborn dungeons don't have the same luxuries that you have. They are barely sophont as it is and don't have access to the higher thinking that is needed to create their own traps. Therefore, when they want to create traps, they need to pick one from those that are given to them. This is where a sentient dungeon such as yourself gets a huge advantage over other dungeons."

"Thank you WIKI for your explanation, appreciate it."

"I live to serve, master"

Seeing as I'm considered to be a young dungeon, I don't feel very safe yet. So far, I only have one room and a corridor that is barely trapped. And my two snow leopards take up my core room. I'm pretty sure that it would be a bad idea if I created more monsters while I still only have one room. Too many and it would get crowded in here.

As such, I know what my next goal has to be. I need to create some more rooms and corridors, populate them and line them with traps to reach a modicum of safety.