Before Ata and her friends entered Gem’s dungeon, he’d leveled up twice more just from the sheer number of adventures who roamed his halls.

Congratulations! Through grit and determination you’ve earned enough experience to gain Tin Six.

Upgrade Point Earned! New Mob Unlocked: Trapdoor Creeper New Feature Unlocked: Quest Creation

Congratulations! Through grit and determination you’ve earned enough experience to gain Tin Seven.

Upgrade Point Earned! New Alteration Unlocked: Staircases New Room Unlocked: Clothier

He found that adventurers respected the lights on his front door that told them if the dungeon was available or not. They didn’t push or try to enter anyway. Just stood around, chatting, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Upon gaining Tin Seven, Gem immediately swapped out his makeshift staircase for an actual one. It was just in time, too, as Shriek finally woke from his slumber and was excited to join the other Plantlings in Gem’s dungeon.

Before opening his doors, however, Gem examined the other things he had earned with the increased experience.

The Trapdoor Creeper was both lovely and disturbing to behold. About twice the size of Chesu, the mob was entirely made of vines. Thicker, darker vines made up the creature’s body and it was dotted with tiny yellow flowers that had thin petals. It had eight legs, each made of vine tendrils that ended in sharp points.

Trapdoor Creeper

5 Command Points

Trap Mob

A nightmare made real. Can hide almost perfectly in any foliage. Will lunge to attack and drag its prey back to its hiding spot.

Gem wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to use the Trapdoor Creeper, but it sounded like an excellent alternative to creating deadly traps. This would give the adventurers a chance to fight back, but still provide them with a nasty surprise.

After a moment of hemming and hawing, Gem summoned one. He had plenty of command to spare, and he wanted to see it in action. He had it settle among the trees in his second room. Instead of giving it free reign to attack any adventurer that crossed its path, he specifically told it to defend the trap room it was stationed in front of.

Shriek seemed to be quite the fan of the Trapdoor Creeper. The Plantling was small enough it could sit on the creature’s back and ride it.

Something about the way the Trapdoor Creeper moved made Gem’s core wish it could shudder. The legs were swift and skittering, with mobility far beyond what seemed possible. It was agile, too. The organic arrangement of its vines made it almost vanish into the tree it took residence in.

Only the little yellow flowers gave it away.

It would be a nasty surprise for whomever approached that trap room.

After it was settled, Gem glanced at both his new Feature and Room, but decided both required too much concentration for the small amount of time he had between adventurer visits.

Quest Creation was interesting, and something he wanted to explore as soon as Chesu was awake. He liked the idea of giving the adventurers additional ways to earn experience, especially because he could potentially force them to interact with things they otherwise wouldn’t, like his trap rooms.

The Clothier was another building, like the Forge and Tanner. Gem didn’t really have a reason to build it just yet, since he wasn’t interested in making clothes for his Plantlings. Perhaps there was another reason to make it, but he’d wait for Chesu to help him figure it out.

Gem thought to Shriek directly.

“Which trap rooms are open?”

Gem didn’t have to check. He’d arranged his rooms in the twenty-third position, meaning the falling trap, spikes, lava, and water rooms were all open. The Plantling room was closed this time around. He conveyed that information to the Plantling, who tapped a vine-constructed digit against his petals.

“I’d rather the Plantling room be open,” he said with that sound like branches on a window. “Debut run and all.”

“Please. I’ve got a very fun idea.”

Gem didn’t ask. Instead, he swapped over to the eleventh position, meaning his falling trap, spikes, and Plantling room were open, and the others were closed. Which was fine to him—Gem wasn’t a big fan of the water room anymore and had been trying to think of ways to re-do it.

While Shriek got settled, Gem opened his gates once more.

###

Gem watched, engrossed, as Ata and her friends sped through the regular mobs of Gem’s first floor. It was obvious they’d increased in rank since the last time they were here, most likely because of the increase in experience that Gem’s buff gave.

The adventurers moved with a clinical speed, one that spoke of planning and forethought. There was an efficiency to the way they moved through the rooms.

Gem was impressed.

This group had been the most organized and cooperative party of delvers that he’d seen so far, but having a few dungeon runs under their belt meant they were a precise machine. No time was wasted, and no more resources used than absolutely needed.

When they’d finished the last pack of mobs before the Boss Room, they sat down to rest and recover mana. Gem could practically feel Shriek’s anxiety.

Gem thought to the pacing Plantling.

“Is it that your trap rooms are too well hidden?”

Gem sent him a shrugging core. It was a little haphazard and visually awkward, but the moving image got the point across.

“You’re improving. With the pictures. That almost looks right.”

Gem tried to ignore the burst of pride that followed the Plantling’s compliment.

Shriek shrugged. “Just an observation.”

A commotion among the adventurers drew Gem’s attention. Ata was standing very close to Baldur, a finger pressed against the center of his cloth-bound chest.

“—and that’s final!”

The Druid sighed and batted her hand away. “Ata. We’ve talked about this. Everyone agreed. Getting the first clear is the most important thing. We can satisfy your lust for danger after we kill Magi.”

“But I wanna explore,” she said, her voice taking on a high-pitched whine even as she deflated inwards. “I bet there’s hidden loot! We haven’t seen much in the way of weapons and armor yet; what if they’re hiding in those rooms people have been talking about?”

“The rooms with all the traps?” Helgi asked, shaking his head. “The ones no one can make it across without getting lots of injuries?”

Ata rolled her eyes. “If you thought Amber or Denit were worth the cost of the daggers on their hips, you would have partied up with them instead of me.”

“There was also Mark,” Poulsen said in a tired tone. “No one’s seen him or the folks he grouped up with. Tabeth is a really good Swashbuckler.”

“Mark is—was, whatever—an idiot. A dumb dirtworlder with feces for brains.”

“Did you figure that out before or after you slept with him?”

Baldur’s words were playful, but Ata looked like she’d been slapped. She sputtered a few times, trying to find words enough to defend herself, but apparently couldn’t. “Yeah, well…” Ata trailed off, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Now, Baldur, that’s not nice.” Sakir’s motherly tone held an edge that made the giant Druid wince. “You can be jealous of her ex-lovers all you want, but one should never throw insults around about past conquests.”

“Thanks, Sakir.” Ata’s shoulder still drooped. “But, I guess you guys are right. We don’t know what danger there is. But… could we just check out one or two on the way out? We can rest after the boss and everything.”

Baldur looked to his other companions, ignoring the hopeful and comically pouting Rogue. Each gave a tiny nod or shrug, which prompted the Druid to sigh. “Fine. On the way out. As a treat.”

Gem thought to the Plantling.

“That’s fine,” Shriek said with an indigent shake of his petals. “I can be patient. Just hope that lumbering Cicadossum saves some for me.”