** ** ** Corrupt Dungeon Core ** ** **

“And how does that make you feel?” -Mysterious Journal

“If you ask me one more time how something makes me bloody feel I swear on my mother’s left nipple that I will find a way to desecrate your grave.”

“Why won’t you just listen?” -Mysterious Journal

Bastill had gained four levels after unlocking the useless Mysterious Journal ability including the level that gained him the new ability elite assign. He now sat at level eleven. The Mysterious Journal only ever wanted to talk about was his own past life or his future plans. He made it a habit to interrupt the man whenever he began to talk about himself. He had no desire to listening to some old king’s spirit.

What on earth would a blasted king know about dungeons? ‘Oh I used to read lots of books back in my day.’ For the love of my mother’s taint, I wish he would shut up.

When he began talking about the future, Bastill still did not care to really listen. In addition to wanting to talk about the future he also kept bringing up certain phrases such as: ‘Maybe you shouldn’t violently massacre the town nearby’ or ‘Why do you keep the stray dog around’ or his least favorite ‘how does that make you feel?’. He was serious about finding the old kings grave and desecrating it. However, the Mysterious Journal refused to give him his name.

“How long will you try to ignore me this time? You do realize I can’t go anywhere.” -Mysterious Journal

I will eventually get that name from him and then my new pets will personally go to his grave. What better then Zombies in a graveyard?

Glancing over to the mutt sleeping by his core he began his enjoyable habit of talking to someone who wouldn’t annoy him with dumb words unlike the Mysterious Journal. He preferred the Mutt’s mute acceptance then the insistent advice. He didn’t need advice, he had been doing great before hand and he would naturally continue to.

Can you believe this guy Mutt? Up on his throne thinking he knows more than us. I won’t let him come between us though. You he actually suggested killing you so that I could learn how to make you, but when it comes to humans it’s wrong. What a hypocrite, am I right Mutt?

The dog continued to sleep. He took this time to look over at his newest creation. His recently created zombies. They looked quite similar to the first human he had killed to learn it. The first had been a young strapping farm hand that his spiders had ensnared and brought to him. The difference in appearance was that the zombies’ eyes were completely black and unblinking. They also didn’t piss and shit themselves in the presence of the giant spiders. A very welcome difference that he valued.

I am just so done with things defecating in my core room.

The zombie’s hair was different than the original shit brown hair. It now was bleached a stark white that contrasted greatly with the eyes and complemented the pasty pale skin. He had also used the ability Skill Book Creation to give the zombies an edge. He had the following combat abilities: Sword Mastery, Spear Mastery, Bow Mastery, Small Blade Mastery, Axe Mastery, Unarmed Combat, Light Armor, Heavy Armor, Shield Mastery, Dual Wield.

He also had lesser abilities such as Observing, Sewing, Herb Gathering, Forestry, Tracking, Cooking, Traps, Alchemy, Herb Lore, Trade, Perception, Construction, General Magic, Stealth, Scribing, Riding, Masonry, Sculpting, Acrobatics, Ancient History, Hunting, Animal Handling, Farming, Artistry, Blacksmith, Folklore, Hide, Tailor, and Administration. He created a total of thirteen zombies that he would focus on. They were his elite zombies. He had an additional thirteen-hundred non-elite zombie underlings that he wasn’t focuses on.

The common zombies he had were gall given the following skills: Sword Mastery, Dual Wield, Shield Mastery, Unarmed Combat, Heavy Armor, Archery Mastery, Observing, Forestry, Tracking, Traps, Perception, Construction, General Magic, Stealth, Hide, Herb Gathering and Hunting. He put one of the elite zombies in charge of what they all did.

His plan on giving them so many skills was he wanted a versatile warrior. He thought he’d be disgusted by the zombies before creating them but he actually found them pleant to be around. They reminded him of himself. Their co nstant training and grinding of their skills. It was just like his past life. Currently no matter how much he personally attempted to sculpt he was having no luck which vexed him to no end.

By giving the zombie the Administration Skill, he was a lot more effective. Not to mention he imbued the Demon Heart catalyst into the elites which made them far more effective. Each had a varied and specific skill set. Unlike the versatile but abundant skills the common Zombies had ones had.

The thirteen-hundred common zombies were constantly practicing. He would occasionally check on were always rotating between Hunting/Herb Gathering/Trapping in the woods, to practicing with their bows, to participating in the coliseum. The hunting helped improve their Archery Mastery, Observing, Forestry, Tracking, Traps, Perception, Construction, General Magic, Stealth, Hide, Herb Gathering and Hunting skills. While the coliseum helped level their Sword Mastery, Dual Wield, Shield Mastery, Unarmed Combat, and Heavy Armor skills.

In the coliseum he had made his administrative elite reinforce the method of battle that he wished for. They would start off with two swords each and they would attack their opponent ferociously until they dropped their sword, or one was too injured to fight. If one sword was dropped, then they would grab their shields from their back and continue. Some fights ended with the zombies bare fisted and brawling each other.

There fervent fights were admirable. He also loved how they held the elites in veneration, giving them the respect, they deserved. His little Zombie civilization had formed its own customs of respect. He suspected they picked it up from the spiders tapping, but when being spoken to by an elite they would grab both swords in a reverse grip and thrust them tip down in the ground while kneeling. They would also join in the spider tapping in the coliseum when they watched a battle by alternated stabbing the earth.

Those spiders are a horrible influence, but I can’t be mad at the Zombies unique quirky customs.

Although they were fascinating to watch his favorites to watch were the thirteen elite zombies he had assigned. His thirteen generals were a master piece. Their eyes ended up being bright glowing red. With their levels ten level above the common zombies which all started at level ten.

The weapons they had weren’t great. He had managed to get the spiders to get some basic weapons dragged back from the village he had been attacking. Right now, the zombies weren’t too strong, but he knew they would only grow stronger the more they drilled their skills daily. They could also level up through hunting. For his elites he had one focused on organizing the lesser zombies, seven focusing on close combat, three focusing on becoming stealthy rangers, one focusing on healing and herbs, with the last focusing on building and sculpting. He had a love hate relationship with the sculpting elite. He loved the thought that he had a way to create new sculptures, but he wanted to do it himself.

Son of a bitch makes it look so easy doesn’t he. Hey Mutt, Sick him! Attack! Or roll over and let him rub your belly… Traitor.

He ignored the other generals as they honed their craft only focusing on the one sculpting. It was magnificent! He didn’t create beautiful creations, but he still was successful. That was the important part. He enviously watched the sculptor hoping to gleam insight. He constantly had the Zombie elite sculpting. The creations were in fact less then amazing. Looking at the skill level of the Sculptor’s skill it was currently at level seven in sculpting. He also would always create the same statue. It was a crudely made hand crafted from granite that appeared to be erupting from the ground.

Ha pathetic, apparently that the extent of your skill as soon as I figure out how to sculpt again I will show you what real sculpting is. Keeping making your shitty little hands. I wonder what the stats are. Lets see…

Sculpture Completed

Graveyard Hand Zombie Shrine

Effects- Zombies learn skills 5% faster. Within fifteen feet of the Sculpture.

Hmmm not bad, I can actually use this.

He had the zombie divide the coliseum into thirteen rings that were completely surrounded by the statues. The result was a stacked effect that gave the zombies in the ring an incredible learning rate. Three of the rings were completely dedicated to his elites and were constantly in use by the seven combat orientated elites.

There were always two one-on-one fights going on, with an additional two-on-one fight in progress. On the side lines was the herb and healing Focused elite that would be practicing medicine close by and healing up the others back to a combat ready condition. Currently the matches that were set up were an Elite Zombie Knight equipped with sword and shield against Elite Zombie Beserker that used an axe, and another Elite Zombie Knight against an Elite Zombie Vanguard with a Spear. The last elite battle going one was an Elite Zombie Beserker and Elite Zombie Vanguard teamed up against his favorite combatant the Elite Zombie Dualist.

The Elite Zombie Dualist was always thrilling to watch. He was always pared off against two opponents which cause him a harder battle and leveled up his skills at a faster rate. He would also face off against ten giant Furry Spiders. He wasn’t quite adept to take on any tougher spiders yet, but Bastill hoped he would turn into his most powerful combatant eventually.

He ended up creating a coliseum at each outpost for his spiders to compete at. Though they did still compete at the original occasionally facing off against Zombies. The zombies that ended up dying would be reported to Bastill so he could make new ones.

Leveling up to level elven had brought him three new abilities, which he decided to turn his focus onto. He didn’t earn any abilities, when he leveled up to eleven and on top of that his mana capacity which was at nine-hundred and fifty at level ten jumped all the way up to one-thousand-five-hundred and he had not gained any ability at level eleven., which concerned him.

He hoped that the levels didn’t continually disappoint him with no new abilities. He enjoyed getting new abilities. He currently had three newer abilities that he had yet to fully understand other than elite Creature Assign. That ability was pretty straight forward. The three abilities he had gained were Town Control, Elite Creature Assign, and Creatures Menu.

He had already used Elite Creature Assign on his thirteen Elite Zombies. It was quite a unique ability allowing the elite creatures the revive ability after twenty-four hours had passed from their death. This would allow them to continue gaining strength despite death. The only troublesome part was the time delay and it didn’t give them a superior boost besides the additional ten level boost.

The Creatures Menu he decided to finally try out today. He pulled it up and looked at the information on the screen.

Well this is actually quite helpful!

He decided to only look over his current Zombies Information by using the Creature Menu. It was quite impressive to view his creatures using the Menu

Creatures Menu

Elite Creature:

Elite Zombies Rangers: Average Level: 20 Average Skill Level: 7 Amount:3

Skills: Bow Mastery, Small Blade Mastery, Unarmed Combat, Light Armor, Traps, Forestry, Tracking, Perception, Dual Wield, Alchemy, Herb Lore, Acrobatics, Hunting, Animal Handling, General Magic, Stealth, Hide

Elite Zombie Healer: Level: 16 Average Skill Level: 5 Amount:1

Skills: Observing, Sewing, Cooking, Alchemy, Herb Lore, Perception, General Magic, Stealth, Hide

Elite Zombie Administrator: Level:16 Average Skill Level: 5 Amount:1

Skills: Trade, Perception, General Magic, Scribing, Ancient History, Folklore Administration.

Elite Zombie Artisan:Level: 16 Average Skill Level: 5 Amount:1

Skills: Observing, Sewing, Perception, Construction, General Magic, Scribing, Masonry, Sculpting, Ancient History, Artistry, Blacksmith, Folklore, Tailor

Elite Zombie Dualist: Average Level: 20 Average Skill Level: 12 Amount:1

Skills: Sword Mastery, Unarmed Combat, Heavy Armor, Dual Wield, Observing, Perception, General Magic, Stealth, Hide, Riding, Acrobatics

Elite Zombie Knight: Average Level: 20 Average Skill Level: 7 Amount:2

Skills: Sword Mastery, Unarmed Combat, Heavy Armor, Shield Mastery, Observing, Perception, General Magic, Stealth, Hide, Riding, Acrobatics

Elite Zombie Vanguard: Average Level:20 Average Skill Level:9 Amount:2

Skills: Spear Mastery, Unarmed Combat, Heavy Armor, Shield Mastery, Dual Wield, Observing, Perception, General Magic, Stealth, Hide, Riding, Acrobatics

Elite Zombie Berserker: Average Level:20 Average Skill Level:8 Amount:2

Skills: Axe Mastery, Unarmed Combat, Heavy Armor, Observing, Perception, General Magic, Stealth, Hide, Riding, Acrobatics

Common Creature:

Zombies: Average Level: 7 Average Skill Level: 2 Amount:13,000

Skills: Sword Mastery, Dual Wield, Shield Mastery, Unarmed Combat, Heavy Armor, Archery Mastery, Observing, Forestry, Tracking, Traps, Perception, Construction, General Magic, Stealth, Hide, Herb Gathering, and Hunting.

Well that really helps me come to grips with my attack force which brings me to my newest ability!

The last ability, Town Control, allowed him to ‘bring a town under the control of the dungeons influence’. He wasn’t one-hundred percent sure what that meant but he was extremely excited to find out. His little mutt finally awoke from its nap.

I see someone is excited to subjugate the human race, aren’t you? Yes you are! What a good little Mutt. Now roll over!

The dog in question, which couldn’t actually hear the dungeon cores rambling, looked around the dungeon before tuckering back down for a nap again.

That’s okay we will work on that one… Now NAP! That’s a good little Mutt!

Turning his attention back to the mission on hand. Reaching his conscience out to his star iron spire outposts he felt the reserve spiders he had. He awoke the beings within several spires and rallied his spiders to prepare for battle.

Now my little spidery fucks! It is time to capture the town for good!

“Bastill we have talked about this. If you continue to attack humans there will be severe consequences in the future. Just cut your ties off and abandon this project” -Mysterious Journal

GODDESS OF MERCY HOW DOES HE ALWAYS KNOW WHAT I AM DOING?!?!

“*SIGH* Bastill I am part of the dungeon now. Resulting in me knowing when your forces are moving. How long will you continue to ignore me?” -Mysterious Journal

“What do you want me to do then? Spend my days talking to you instead of growing stronger by any means necessary? I would like to use this lifetime to live a little longer then my last life and so far, I have less than five FUCKING YEARS LEFT. I swear to whatever cauliflower-eared god you pray to that I don’t have time for talking about the past and future. I have one blasting thing to do. That is to grow stronger, so I can survive. Once that is assured we can unite the world in bloody peace or whatever, but for now just fuck off. I don’t have time to dawdle about and play the ‘Tree Hugging Hippie Orgy’ game with a king.”

“Listen I understand you are scared and…”-Mysterious Journal

“I AM NOT FUCKING SCARED. Keep your chamber pot of a mouth closed. I am sick of all the shit you spew out each day. I am fine. If anything, I am pissed.”

“We can try talking about this later when you have calmed down a little more.” -Mysterious Journal

“Very unfucking likely I… WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THE GOD’S CONCUBINES IS HAPPENING IN THE TOWN?”

He had slacked off the attacks on the village recently when he focused on the zombie creation and now the town was a fortress. In the town he had surrounded by his army of spiders was stone walls and more than a thousand times more guards then he had ever encountered.

Just what on earth is happening?

“I know you won’t abandon the assault, but if you’d like military guidance I will help you in this endeavor.” -Mysterious Journal

“Shut UP!”

Giving it a slight bit of consideration, he realized that more battle advice would be quite helpful, but he was very reluctant to listen to the king. However, the fat remained he was no general and had next to no knowledge on the battlefield.

“Maybe, we will see what you have to offer.”

This must be the Guilds from other cities setting up some quest to vanquish the spiders and protect the village. I thought this would be a simple cleanup of the remaining two hundred or so citizens, but this is now a two-sided war.

“In this situation your spiders have advantage at night. Night will fall in two hours. Wait until then. I’d start with guerrilla tactics using the Concealed Giant Jumping Spider during the night to subdue the scouts and pared with the Scythe Legged Giant Huntsman Spider to charge in as vanguard charge deep into the enemy’s boundary. However, you only want to do charge in after the Concealed Giant Jumping Spiders have spent a good deal of time subduing those on watch. After the initial charge of the Scythe Legged Giant Huntsman Spiders you should send in some swarms of the lesser spiders. Use six Overlord Giant Fringed Spiders to control the three-hundred Concealed Giant Jumping Spiders and the three-hundred Scythed Legged Giant Huntsman Spiders. With the remaining ninety-four Overlord Giant Fringed Spiders you can control nine-thousand-four-hundred Furry Giant Spiders. I’d also pull your floor bosses back to protect your core. Also send in your combat orientated elites. You can always revive them later, however a real battle will be beneficial for them” -Mysterious Journal

“Hmmm I see your usefulness now. You should talk like this more often. I think we’d be good friends then.”

“I think that is my first compliment. I am only giving this information to you because if you didn’t have it your attack plan might result in a defeat or major loss in troops, which in turn will lead to our death. Yes, our death cause I’m stuck to a murder crazed Dungeon. Now the plan sounds flawless but plans always fall apart and it’s good to have back up plans. Plus, they are bound to have mages. Before we start the attack, we need to go over the attack strategies with the Overlord Giant Fringed Spiders so they can utilize their soldiers in the best way.” -Mysterious Journal

“Well let’s get to work then.”

He glanced at his stat menu as preparation for the war council.

Stat Menu

Level:11, Race: Dungeon Core, Name: Bastill

Characteristics

Mana Capacity: 600/1500, Mana Absorption: 3400/day, Creatures:50301, Miles(square):5, Outposts:25

Abilities

Skill Book Creation- Ability to Create skill books from the knowledge you have. Skills Available: Sword Mastery, Spear Mastery, Bow Mastery, Small Blade Mastery, Axe Mastery, Unarmed Combat, Light Armor, Heavy Armor, Shield Mastery, Dual Wield, Observing, Sewing, Herb Gathering, Forestry, Tracking, Cooking, Traps, Alchemy, Herb Lore, Trade, Perception, Construction, General Magic, Stealth, Scribing, Riding, Masonry, Sculpting, Acrobatics, Ancient History, Hunting, Animal Handling, Farming, Artistry, Blacksmith, Folklore, Hide, Tailor, and Administration.

Sacrifice- Sacrifice humans to any god of your choosing in your dungeon core room. Must be performed by a floor boss

Mysterious Journal- Unknown

Passive Mana Absorption- You no longer need to pull mana to you. It is now naturally drawn towards your core. Current rate 3400/Day. To increase grow stronger or larger.

Observe- Ability to see the level and vocation of other creatures, while seeing the whole stat menu of dungeon creatures.

Forced Evolution- Ability to see inject mana into a creature body part or characteristic, which will evolve the creature and raise its level and abilities.

Dissolve- Lets you dissolve matter and recreate learned matter with mana.

Mind Speak- More complex form of basic communication with lesser creatures.

Magic- Blood Magic

Corrupt Dungeon- Spread your awareness through expanding your creatures across the surface.

Town Control- Ability to bring a town under the control of the dungeons influence.

Elite Creature Assign- Able to give a creature an elite status. Allows them to revive after 24 hours.

Creatures Menu- Easier status display of the dungeon creatures.

Learned

Materials -1 cubic foot

Coal: 20, Dirt: .1, Agate:5, Star Iron:50, Quartz:5, Granite: .2, Marble:10,

Creatures

Insects- Common Spider:.1, Flea: .05, Tick: .05, Scorpion: .3, Pill Bug: .1, Beetle: .1, Butterfly: .1, Worm: .1

Animals-, Blue Bird:15, Common Gardner Snake:5, Lizard: 5, weasel: 12, Frog: 4, Rat: 8, Bat: 8

Created Beasts- Furry Giant Spider:70, Scythe Legged Giant Huntsman Spider:140, Concealed Giant Jumping Spider:120, Overlord Giant Fringed Spider:170, Zombie:80, Elite Zombie:100

Objects

Door:1, Leaf: .1, Bird Nest: 2, Flask: 5, Dog Shit: .5,

Weapons

High Steel Dagger: 20, Iron Spear:15, Iron Knife:5, Wood-Bound Kite Shield:10, Wooden-Round Buckler:5, Hunting Bow:10, Heavy Iron Amor Set:20, Light Leather Armor Set;15, Steel Broad-Sword:20, Steel Spear: 20

Fluid- Per Bottle

Fire water: 5

Catalysts

Mana Infused Iron

Demon Heart