《Mystery of the Dungeon》Chapter 15 Port Village Negotiation
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Grant PoV
I don’t know if someone can sweat buckets but I know what kind of situation would make them do so.
In my shaking hands was a document I truly dreaded to have read. It was a report for me by the guild management agency that the kingdom managed. Not only that, in my left hand there was one from the adventurers guild.
The one from the kingdom showed the disbanding documents for the Dungeon Research Guild. It would have seemed ok if it was only this. The members were old so it was bound to be disbanded as the members would want to live their lives in peace.
What made me sweat buckets was the other document.
It was a report by the adventurers guild as well as a request directly to me to investigate the dungeon which has stopped opening.
I knew something was up since Rey said the dungeon wasn’t aggressive with elves. I just didn’t know what but now I can guess. He had something to do with the appearance of the dungeon. Not just him, the whole guild.
I recounted everything I knew about the guild. They researched and dived head first into all kinds of dungeons. 20 years ago what they released stopped until a few years later. 10 years ago the first guildmaster died but there was a large increase in information about dungeons that was released after that.
It continued for 6 years where we found and destroyed a dungeon until now.
I really can’t believe my own sanity for thinking this but considering the knowledge and magical expertise inside that guild. I can’t help but think they created the dungeon.
Along their entire history as a guild. Only 4 members died and it was in these last 10 years.
The first guild master and the Ghost Assassin Philip Shin, the greatest weapon master of the guild Helen Beatrix, the dungeon monster researcher and strategist Dalson McGahren and the first guild master’s son Combat Genius Mavis Shin.
All of them were large members but they died. If I go with the idea that they created a dungeon then an equal payment must be paid which was their lives.
It’s possible it’s even an unknown kind of dungeon considering the strange portals they made to open the dungeon. If something else was unique about it then the guild vanishing could be linked with the dungeon.
I instantly call Julius.
Grant: ‘Julius, go and fetch the head of the assassins group. I need to speak with him about important matters. Say it’s level 5 and he needs to come NOW’
The boy paled but saluted before running out as fast as possible. I need to get the assassins and intelligence corp on the move. This dungeon isn’t something that can be left loose. If the guild is helping build the dungeon then things will only get harder from here on out.
I felt a sudden rage and punched down on my desk leaving it in a pile of scraps while breathing heavily.
Grant: ‘I will find them and I will destroy them. For causing trouble and for doing such a stupid thing like this.’
Milliana PoV
Wow, it was so amazing. Mavis and his monsters are just too strong.
Because I was now connected to the dungeon I knew what he knew. It was a link between all the monsters.
I still need to teach goblins and Kobolds the knowledge they gained from me so they can understand it and train them but now it was easier because they understood human language and could more or less speak it now. Those that couldn't used the hive link.
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During the battle, even the goblins were sent to attack.
They were commanded by Dalson from inside the dungeon who can see the movements in life force and magic power. Because of his commands, the goblins remained in the upper two floors fighting other goblins and hobgoblins while the other monsters went down to the lower floors.
I was told to remain in behind because I wasn't strong enough yet. I didn't mind, I was still training and the only thing that changed after I became a witch was that I gained a larger magic power reserve and I gained some magic affinity.
I've been with the Dungeon research guild and all the ex slaves training my magic so that I can protect myself.
I think in strength I might be a match for a hobgoblin if I can keep them at a distance. I would lose though since my casting time is slow.
Oh I forgot, I got the goblin shamans staff as a gift. Staffs are a mage's best friend since they help channel magic power and decrease casting time.
The better the wand or staff the fast the spell casting.
It’s one of the reasons mages do hunts for dungeon hearts. They are the best gems for a staff but they need high class wood found in magical tree monsters call Treants.
A single Treants branch can go for as much as 400 gold coins.
The currency of our world is divided by several metal coins. From lowest to highest it’s; copper, iron, silver and gold, then there are plates. An iron plate cost 10,000 gold, a silver plate is 100,000 gold, and a gold plate is 1,000,000 gold coins.
These plates are only used by huge traders who trade in bulk and by nations for transactions.
The transition from one coin type to the next is 100 coins makes 1 of the next kind.
Here inside Mavis, the monster tribes, the humans, beastmen and guild do trade based on goods trading.
It’s still too early to get much substantial stuff but animal and puppet monster goods trade is large between us.
Kobold and goblins aren't too smart to do equal trade but to them a slab of dungeon lizard meat equals 3 gremlin’s claws or something like that.
It’s things like this that are traded, all based on negotiating.
At the moment I was with Sir Reylin and some warrior. He was angry and annoyed because Mavis challenged, fought and won against another dungeon and remodeled the third floor without saying a word to him. Now Mavis was sleeping from the fatigue so he wouldn't even hear Sir Reylin’s complaints.
He was mapping out the third floor so they could navigate through it more efficiently and possibly make it better.
I already knew the layout because of the link and even floor 1’s new layout but they never asked.
Still they were also going because they wanted to check out the small forest rooms made in the third floor for breeding bugs and prey.
The reason was because there was supposed to be herbs and medical plants growing in them. The bugs are also different so they want to collect samples to see what they hold.
We encountered several variants of lizardlings. Several had developed spit based attacks. Some were acid while others poison.
The poison was really deadly for their rank and if we were hit head on, a simple antidote potion wasn't going to help for long.
In these rooms some of the bird offspring the guild brough had nests in them. The huge forest on the fifth floor had the largest bug population, it wouldn’t be long before the birds were captured but it seems they are taking longer because they eat less than the other creatures and are more skittish so they run even with food in front of them.
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It was through them that we discovered the most shocking bug.
Worms were below ground. It wasn’t something anyone bought but they were here. It was one of the food sources the birds at from since most were small birds.
The carnivorous birds remained in the fifth floor forest because they have better hunting and space to fly but these small forests are perfect for the smaller birds.
The worms and alongside them dung beetles ate up decomposing foliage or dung from the bigger creatures since it wasn’t something the dungeon registered.
We gathered some worms and brought it back to the fifth floor and released them there as well before spreading out and searching to see if there wasn’t already some.
It was strange we didn’t find any but with those we released they would soon populate the forest cleaning it up since it's the biggest area with animals and monsters.
I was kind of worried though. The dungeon was raided and beat when there were humans inside. Mavis scared them out while making portals into our dungeon but straight into one that led outside. I wonder what their reaction to it is.
I really hope Mavis wakes up soon. If not we will have to intervene as his representatives and I don’t know how they will take it when they find out we live inside peacefully.
Village Chief PoV
Ah, to think there was a real Rift Dungeon out there. And now it's at our doorstep.
I wonder if its true that they are peaceful as long as you speak and negotiate with them.
When we went to see the dungeon, the old opening was a simple rock face completely closed. I went to make sure and I did feel the presence of something in the area. I have always been sensitive to a few supernatural things.
Still I am but a simple man.
All I have is an old book on them.
I was rereading that old book while sitting in my old animal fur couch. It is called "Rift" and tells the legend of these dungeons.
Roaming labyrinths that can be as peaceful as a child but if threatened too greatly will attack with a wrath as great as the gods.
There are several ways that the book described this dungeon coming into existence. One was a hero who loved traversing dungeons but never conquering them cursed at the gods for hurting his friends and family.
The all cursed him and removed all his hero like powers. The gods of darkness liked him and gave him a blessing and turned his body into a weak cave which soon grew to the size of the greatest dungeon because of his knowledge of them.
In another story a man asks the gods to hide him from those who wish to kill him and allow him to grow strong to fight back. This time the man was turned by the gods of light into a dungeon which grew by killing evil men and simply punishing those greedy.
From these there is the story of dungeons mating and forming new dungeons from the mixing of their Magic power forming a new dungeon heart.
In all of them the same thing remains the same. The dungeon is peaceful until given a reason to attack. I planned to make sure it had no reason to do so.
We were lucky to encounter a spiritualist in a town about a weeks distance away and he has accepted the request.
If all goes well we can speak with it if it hold any form of intelligence that normal dungeons lack.
Mavis PoV
So good to get rest and sleep. Don't ask how dungeons sleep, I just did.
Hmm damn someone is probing me so I can talk. DAMN IT! Can't you let a dungeon sleep once in a while.
Damn now it’s from the inside. Now both of the continuously poke my half asleep mind.
After a while I get so fed up I link with every probing mind.
Mavis: "SHUT UP WHILE I'M SLEEPING DAMN IT~!!!"
I'm forced to get up and I look at where the probes came from.
First was Rey and the elves plus dad and Helen. The remaining one came from outside. When I looked I saw a group of fishermen with spears and on the ground, startled, was a human male dressed in a green robe and with several magic gems that enhance the spiritual sensitivity of the wearer.
Rey: "Finally awake I see. Damn it Mavis why did you do so much stuff without consulting us first."
Mavis: "I'm not a child, I can decide how I grow myself. Anyway, get to the front of the dungeon. We have guests, the village called a spiritualist."
Rey: "Why should I deal with him. You want to decide everything you do it."
Mavis: "I'm going to sleep more. You deal with it since you woke me up."
Cutting my links which we talked through I return to my dungeon heart and let my mind fade back to the dreams.
Rey PoV
Rey: 'THAT IDIOT I SWEAR I WILL BEAT HIM TO A PULP WHEN I GET A CHANCE!!'
Dalson: "Calm down Reylin, I think he deserves his first real sleep. Haven't felt him sleep since I was remade. Let him rest."
Rey: 'It’s been a fucking week and after we are able to wake him up he simply tells me to go check on the people outside. Grraah.'
Phil: "You really should go. It’s a spiritualist with some guards. If one of us appears then it will cause trouble."
Rey: 'Tcsh, fine. Guys get some warriors. I don't know what the villagers want so we will go armed.'
On my call several of our humans members get up and start putting on their armor.
The sealed off rooms were completely safe from the monsters outside. It was made with a metal door and a seal engraved on it that repels monsters except those we want to bring in.
The cave was made with Mavis choosing a Ruins layout so it had stone corridors with several metal torches which held crystals like those hanging on the ceiling of the forest room down here.
It had room for all 85 members of the guild, one with each room but the 25 married couples share one.
There was a large tavern meeting hall as the first room and several storage rooms for food and produces we have gathered. Lastly was a large training area and sparring arena so the boys have something besides hunting the dungeon monsters to do.
10 of the humans and 3 other elves come with me and we enter the empty training hall before opening a portal outside.
We shock the fishermen and they raise the spears up ready to attack.
Rey: 'Calm down you young brats. I'm not in the best of moods. First off my name is Reylin. I'll represent the lazy ass dungeon that doesn't want to answer a call himself.'
Several of the men almost break out laughing but hold back. The spiritualist was the first to get over the surprise.
Spiritualist: 'You are elves? What are you doing inside a dungeon?'
Rey: 'Living inside it, what else. The dungeon spirit isn't aggressive towards us and let us stay.'
He looked behind me and into the room.
Spiritualist: 'That doesn't look like a cave, where is this?'
Rey: 'The fifth floor, in a base that lazy ass built for us before he came to this area.'
Fisherman: 'So it really is a Rift Dungeon?!'
Rey: 'A what?
We looked confused at them and they look a bit startled that we didn't know.
Spiritualist: 'The village chief of Nepot has a book known as "Rift" which speaks of great dungeons that exist in a separate plane even away from the eyes of the gods.'
I was really intrigued and wanted to get my hands on that book.
Everyone moved back a bit seeing my hunger for that knowledge.
Rey: 'I think it’s best we head to the village so we can speak calmly.'
Fishermen: 'We aren't letting you near our village since we know you’re dungeon dwellers.'
Rey: 'Then do you want to come into our base. It’s completely safe from the monsters.'
They all tense up and frown as they look at the empty training room.
Spiritualist: 'It is better back at the village. You aren't monsters I know that. An elf from the eastern forest is the feelings I get from you. You are a trustworthy man.'
I nod and we exit the dungeon letting it close behind us and follow the fishermen back to their village.
The village is shockingly close to the dungeon. There was a dirt path to the dungeon which seems to be cared for.
Rey: 'Is there a reason why there is such a good path to the dungeon?'
Fishermen: 'Most of our villages produces up until now were goblin race based. Those who could gather trolls blood brought in the most money.'
I see many of them frown as they heard the man answer.
I could guess why. We removed their best source of income by bringing a much more dangerous dungeon and getting rid of theirs.
We would need open trade with the village for them to survive. We can open up floors 1 and 2 for their needs but lower floor monsters we would be hard pressed to allow since they are intelligent. Quality goods like troll blood would need to be carefully harvested from the troll alive and we would need to repay with MP.
I still wonder, which goblins turn into what. If gremlins can become trolls then we wouldn't think twice to set up the beasts for hunting but Ogres we know for a fact they are smart.
As we neared the village we saw the southern sea. This is a pioneer zone which several kingdoms are trying to lay claim. Because of this, villages with unique products are the ones that survive. It wouldn't be a joke to say that nearly all villages are built near 2 important things.
The first is a freshwater source. This village, though at the sea cost, possesses several rivers near by which have a primitive aqueduct that brings water to the village.
The second was a dungeon. Dungeon products were a necessity since back in the center are where most of the capitals are the dungeons are destroyed for safety
The village itself is half on land and half over the water. It has from 30 to 40 wooden houses, 6 large warehouses, a small wooden shipyard, and about 6 piers where several dozen small sail ships bring back sea life.
A few larger ships even bring back sea monsters which hatches an idea and makes a grin appear.
Most of the houses are wooden and the roads out of dirt. Around the village was a sturdy built 5 meter high wood wall which made a semi circle around the part of the village on land. An above average frontier human village if I ever saw any.
The area around the village was plains with tall grass growing. I could see many livestock running about. Unlike Kelion, Nepot was a haven away from the hustle and bustle of a large capital.
I was rather happy for the chance because of my races love for nature. I also liked the forest in the fifth floor because monsters were calmer in there and even less aggressive where it seemed like a normal animal once it was full.
We enter the village which was had guards that made Grants men look like kids.
Most were in their late forties but their physique was in its top shape. The young men who were walking around with fish on their back weren’t so bad themselves. All had well developed muscles from the grueling work and fishing as well as their hunts in the dungeon. If I had to say it, the men and women in this village could all easily be C rank adventures. They were all that strong.
I could very well see that the ideas I was having would work out all too well for both sides.
We reach an older wooden hut near the center of the village at the edge between the water and the land.
An elderly man sat on a chair with a smile. He was tan and had a wooden cane in his right hand. His arms were large but shriveled from the age. I could tell the old man could definitely pack a punch even in his current age. He wasn’t some simple fishermen to be playing around with. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. All the men from the guild felt it.
The old man was releasing pressure that would have made a lesser man drop to his knees.
Spiritualist: ‘Greetings village chief. We met these men who came out of the dungeon. They say they were on the fifth floor.’
Rey: ‘Greetings, I am Reylin Woods, we recently entered the dungeon just before it changed location. Your men told me something interesting about the dungeon.’
Chief: ‘Ah, the Rift Dungeons, right. Is the one you live in one of those?’
Rey: ‘I don’t know, I’ve never heard of a Rift dungeon before. Not in all my guilds years of research of dungeons.’
Chief: ‘Guild? Which would that be?’
Rey: ‘The Dungeon Research Guild.’
In moments all the fishermen moved back and straightened up as if in front of nobles.
Chief: ‘Hoho so we have some famous adventures here. Not only that the most famous dungeon divers. I can understand why you would live in such a strange dungeon. Well for the information you want it’s right here.’
He pulled out a huge encyclopedia like book and put it on his lap.
Chief: ‘We have something you want but we also need something.’
Rey: ‘Let me guess. You want dungeon products.’
Chief: ‘Of course. Your dungeon took one of our best source of income.’
Rey: ‘Do you have an ink well and a pen.’
The chief gestures for one of the boys and he quickly runs off and returns. I take them and pull out a book to use as a writing board.
What I list on the paper are all the animals and mindless monsters we have. As well as the flora products we possess.
Rey: ‘These are all the monsters which the dungeon would allow you to kill and harvest. They aren’t like the other dungeons, the bodies are reabsorbed but sometimes they leave behind parts of the body. The dungeon we destroyed gave the knowledge of its races to our own and soon the goblins would be able to become said races. Once we can determine which ones can be hunted or can’t we can set up the dungeon to be harvested.’
The old man took the paper and looked. I added all the parts each monster dropped and about a fifth of the ways to use the parts but I added the kinds of stuff they are used for.
Fangs and claws as well as flora are all alchemy ingredients. Meat is food source and bones can be turned into fertilizer if mixed right.
Skins can make leather.
The variety was much better than before and couldn’t be compared. Most of the goods would also be higher quality since our dungeon had much more MP in it. That also meant that the monsters were stronger since we made them survive by hunting and not by feeding them MP like all other dungeons do.
Rey: ‘I would guess that you might only be allowed down to the third floor where several forest rooms are set up but let me tell you, the dungeon is hard and the monsters are smarter than normal. We can remove a large number but we ask that you don’t go down from the floor the dungeon decides.’
Chief: ‘Has it said anything yet?’
I frown and veins appear on my forehead.
Rey: ‘No! The lazy bastard sent me here because he was asleep and we woke him along with the spiritualist. He sent me and went back to sleep.’
There was a moment of silence in the area before one by one the fishermen slowly lost it and started laughing.
After a while the chief got a hold of himself.
Chief: ‘Ah, I’m liking him already. Fine you can take the book and once you set up a safer area for my boys to hunt these beasts then we will start entering.’
Rey: ‘One more thing.’
Everyone looked my way after hearing me.
Rey: ‘You guys fish and hunt sea monsters right?’
Chief: ‘Fish yes, hunting is on rare occasions.’
Rey: ‘Well then can you trade live fish with us after we are ready. With enough time we can breed fish monsters inside the dungeon.’
In moments the old frail man was up on his feet and in front of me shaking my hand. In his eyes i could see a shine of excitement.
I looked around and saw the same thing in all of them.
Chief: ‘If you can breed us a hefty challenge then we will help out as best we can. It’s been a long time since we all fought something worth our time. Hehehe.’
Rey: These men have fighter mentality. Should have started with this then if i knew the were like this. ‘Its a deal then. We will return and see if the dungeon has any more demands and start to set things up.’
Chief: ‘Good, we will be awaiting that time. Oh one more thing. What is the name of the dungeon. I’m sure it’s much too smart to simply be called dungeon.’
Rey: ‘...Mavis. He calls himself Mavis.’
I take the book and we are led back to the dungeon where we enter and seal ourselves. I instantly start poking at Mavis’s mind and piss him off for all the trouble he caused me.
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Dungeon Name:Mavis ShinDungeon rankVDungeon TypeLabyrinthMagic Power17650Number of levels5Number of Rooms120Number of Biologicals2088*Number of Native Species*24Number of Non-Biologicals186Number of Drops80Dungeon skills3
Food source
Moss eater bugs (fly, beetle, bee)
Bug eater (bat, rat, lizard)Animals
Wild cat
Wild dog
Mongrel
Lizardling
Tiger
Rabbit
Bird
Bear
Wolf
RaptorMonstersTier 1
7-color Bat
Man eater bat
Aggressive Rat
Green Goblin
Stupid Goblin
Dungeon Raptor
SkeletonTier 2
Feral Rat
Vampire Bat
Saber Tooth Wild Cat
Dungeon Lizard
Devil Hound
Hobgoblin
Gremlin
KoboldTier 3
Feral Marsupial Rat
Saber Tooth Ape Tiger
Death Bat
Ogre
Troll
Orc
Goblin Shaman[tr]Tier 5
Witch
Beast man (Wolf)
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