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The Dungeon, Medea Island

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I watched for a time as the Scorpans settled into their new home. I was pretty proud of the work I'd done on them, to be honest. Crabs, while a well-designed animal, aren't exactly equipped to become a tool-using species. The creatures I'd transformed them into were what I would call Scorpion-Centaurs. The shape of their lower body heavily resembles a Scorpion while retaining the general look and feel of their carapace from their time as crabs. Their legs are still well-armored, and I made sure to keep that in mind across the rest of their bodies.

Their humanoid upper bodies are obvious weak points, with thinner armor for some flexibility and freedom of movement. Therefore, all their vital organs were in their lower bodies, behind the thickest part of the carapace. The upper bodies were mostly muscle, nerves, and the extended esophagus that went down to their stomachs. Breathing had been taken up by several valves peeking out from behind armored plates. One valve in the esophagus let it connect to the lungs, but it was closed by default rather than open like humans.

While I could have just slapped a human upper body on their old crab shape, it would have looked out of place. I could have given them smaller arms for manipulating things, but even then, the environment they are meant to occupy isn't exactly friendly to aquatic or semi-aquatic species. Scorpions, however, are very much in-theme. I'd also given them a few adaptions to help them survive in a desert, such as water retention, storage, and a layer under their carapace which should keep them from cooking themselves out under the intense heat of the mana-star.

The humanoid part I designed carefully. Their carapace was shaped to follow the muscle groups expected, with a six-pack, pectorals, back muscles, and biceps being the most recognizable. The females didn't have breasts since that's a mammal thing. Crabs don't give birth to live young; they lay eggs. Crabs aren't helpless at birth; they're fully capable, miniature versions.

Well, at least my crabs are. Wild crabs do their own thing. Wild scorpions also do their own thing. My new Scorpans, however, reproduce how I want them to. Not in the insane numbers of crabs and not live births as scorpions do.

They lay eggs in clutches of three to five. The scorplings have thinner, soft shells and, like real scorpions, will have the instinct to ride on their mother's back until it hardens. I don't see a need to make them mature in a few days, so I'll give them a month until they reach the 'young adult' phase and another to fully mature. With three completely unexplored floors between them and the adventurers, I feel I can give them time to grow.

After some time testing their new bodies, the Scorpans explored the back of the overhang, quickly locating the hidden doors. Behind them are caverns not unlike the one used by the Drake-kin, though obviously with larger doorways and rooms to accommodate their larger size. After choosing their homes, they all gathered around the central fire pit to... pray to me.

I mean, I'm not surprised. I knew they were very religious, even as barely intelligent crabs on the first floor. Of course, the Kobolds, Snowbolds, and Drake-kin are also religious, but they aren't as... zealous or as fervent about it. I'm still not comfortable with the worship. Yes, I could be considered their god, but I know I'm not one. I'm just a dungeon. Then again, they don't call me a god, just their 'Creator.'

Urgh. I'm going to have to get used to it sooner or later. It's not like they're going to just... stop worshiping me.

Right! Focusing on something else... uh... Filling out the rest of the desert, yes.

So, I've gotten to what I would consider the basic level. The desert is alive with wildlife, with the larger animals having mana cores but not explicitly being 'monsters.' They're more environmental hazards. If someone can reach this floor, they would not be threatened by a few mostly-normal animals.

Some might gain enough mana and strength to become a kind of miniboss, or they might evolve into their own type of monster. I'm not going to interfere too much there, only enough to ensure they retain a breeding population. The Vultures... There's a decent number of them spread throughout the floor now. I'll keep most of them as normal animals with cores, but I'll manually elevate this flock of five.

Larger, sharper beaks and claws, and more powerful wings at the minimum. I already gave the species wind magic, so I'll pump up their cores and give them more magic to work with. You know what? I'll make their feathers sharp, like a bootleg Stymphalian bird. You know what? Why not. Rigid, bordering-metallic feathers and enormous wings to support the weight. The ability to 'shoot' feathers from their wings, which they can aim and manipulate mid-flight with their wind magic. Also, I'll give them regeneration focused on growing replacement feathers exceptionally quickly.

Stymphalian Vultures, complete. Hmm. Mostly. I think a quick color change to distinguish them is appropriate here. Largely bronze-brown fathers, while the feathers that can be shot are more silvery.

That's the skies taken care of. Now, for the desert. I've contemplated a sand-worm monster, but the sand layer here is too shallow to support them. Perhaps a more stationary Sarlacc pit? Yes, giant, mostly-stationary monsters. Unlike a Sarlacc from Tatooine, mine will disguise their mouths. To the uninformed, they will look like a valley or pit between a few dunes. I don't really have an appropriate monster here. The only sessile animals in nature are aquatic, like barnacles or mussels.

I could make a sessile monster, but I'm not sure which animal would be the most appropriate to modify... I'll need to think about this.

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Count Medean's Mansion, Medea Island

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Layla Losat accepted the glass of wine from the server with a nod and let her attention sweep over the other guests. She had been invited to another of Medean's parties. This party had been thrown to celebrate the official betrothal of the Count. Layla hadn't met the girl yet, but she had been kept close to the count for most of the night. The girl, Haylae Kolchiss, had a core, as most of the gathered nobles here did. Like most of these soft nobles, it was small and untrained, but a core nonetheless.

Medean's core was typical of a Silver that had delved safe dungeons for a few years, then quietly retired. The only ones with similar cores were closest retainers; his steward, master-at-arms, and court mage. The remains of his old party, most likely. Count Kolchiss was here as well and had a core bordering on Gold. She knew he had not chosen to retire but had been young, and it would not do for the region's lord to constantly risk their lives.

Sometimes, Layla wondered what others saw, where she could only see the flows and eddies of mana. She'd been told that particular objects were specific colors but had no reference. For example, this wine was, supposedly, a 'red' wine. Though that was its name, the colors could range from crimson to deep purple. She had no clue what they looked like, just what others had described.

Layla saw the motes of mana caught up in the glass, in the vague shape of a wine glass. She saw the mana in the wine swirl, the tiny remnants of the life mana used to accelerate and enhance the growth of the grapes. The water mana from the water used to dilute the wine, to ensure that they could not become drunk too quickly. The mana veins in her hand clenched around the glass, her skin a transparent film containing the raw power within.

She raised the glass to her lips and took a long sip. She let the wine swirl across her taste buds, appreciating the work and effort that went into brewing such a sweet blend.

"Ah, Guildmistress! I believe you have yet to be introduced to my betrothed?" Medean called as he approached. She turned, wearing a small smile.

"Indeed, I have not. A pleasure, Lady Haylae. I am Layla Losat., the Guildmistress of the local guild," she stated with a nod to the relatively short woman. "I hope you have enjoyed your time on the island so far?" She received a polite nod in return.

"I have, Guildmistress. It is beautiful here, and the town is quite charming. You are responsible for the Island's dungeon, yes?" Layla nodded, perhaps a touch too curtly.

"I wouldn't say responsible. It is Wild and answers to no one. I manage the entrance, collect and distribute knowledge of what the Guilders discover down there, and oversee the inspection of items and goods brought up before they reach the market. Wouldn't do for a previously thought harmless trinket to trigger in such a large crowd now, would it." Not that she had identified anything like that. The mandarins did have a very mild addictive quality, but no more than a dozen other mana-charged foods found throughout the Kingdom did.

"It must be hard work, keeping the peace among the guilders." Lady Haylae inquired. Layla let out a soft sigh and shook her head.

"In the early weeks, yes. Not so much anymore. The more aggressive Guilders, pursuing the bounty on the dungeon, are an almost extinct breed," Layla admitted. "It's tragic that so many have been lost, of course. The remaining Guilders are more patient and understand that surviving the dungeon is more important than petty rivalries." Haylae looked intrigued and opened her mouth to continue the conversation. She was interrupted by her betrothed.

"Ah, we've taken up enough of your time, Guildmistress. If you wouldn't mind, perhaps you could come by for dinner another evening. Haylae has been quite interested in the dungeon, and I'm sure she would appreciate some time to talk to you one-on-one. However, we do have duties right now as the hosts. If you will excuse us." He gave a polite nod, echoed by a reluctant Haylae, who let herself be led away and introduced to another noble.

Layla took another sip of her wine. She had already written off telling Medean everything she'd learned of the dungeon. He didn't need to know, after all. The girl, though... Layla resolved to recheck her background. There was a chance she was a spy for someone. A slight chance, but still a chance. If she wasn't... Layla wouldn't mind a confidant.

Friends were hard to come by in her line of work.

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The Dungeon, Medea Island

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After a few hours of tweaking the desert floor, I decided to take a break. I hadn't been doing anything important, mostly adjusting the river in the canyon. Speeding it up in parts, filling the bottom with razor-sharp spikes, and populating it with various kinds of fish.

I swept my evaluating gaze upward, passing over the untested floors for now. The 'Hero' party was down a few members from their earlier delves, though I don't remember any more of them dying. Had some decided to leave? Of their own accord?! Incredible. It looks like at least some of them have a smidgen of self-preservation. They were again throwing themselves at the Mushroom Forest, fighting off the Shambling Fungi as they searched fruitlessly for the floor's exit. The exit wasn't out there, after all.

They've explored roughly half of the forest from what I've seen. The question is, once they've fully explored the forest, will they keep looking there; an example of the sunk-cost fallacy. Or, will they use their supposedly superior experience and intelligence and realize the exit must be in the castle?

Who knows.

Moving up, Isid's party is pushing through the Rats. Since I know they don't want to kill me, I've decided to go easier on them. To that end, the waves of rats are no longer nigh unending. They still encounter swarms, but they're of a manageable number. I give them... half an hour to make it to the exit. Thanks to the 'Heroes,' they already know where the exit is and have been pushing in that direction pretty well.

A little further up, I found Haythem's party prepping for an attempt at Mushu. They weren't alone, of course. The three of them wouldn't have been enough, and they knew that. They'd paired up with another party at a roughly-similar level. Potentially the next group to reach Platinum? Actually, was this the Cliché Quartet!? Wow, I'd forgotten about these guys. They were among the first parties to delve me. Back before the bounty had been issued and treasure-hungry guilders flooded my dungeon.

The Mage wore a more intricate and reinforced robe, covered in arcane symbols and glowing runes. She carried a metal staff not made of Mithril or Moonsilver, but perhaps another mana-reactive metal I was unaware of. Her bushy black hair occasionally arced with electricity. The Knight was resplendent in his improved suit of armor, and his sword held an unearthly glow. His kite shield looked sturdy and strong.

A sturdier and higher-quality version had replaced the Rogue's old short bow, and she posessed a quiver of unique-looking arrows. Her armor looked new. I think that's Kobold Leather, actually. Her daggers hadn't been neglected either. The Cleric's Morningstar was much the same, though it possessed a similar glow to Knight's sword. His robes were also of higher quality, though less overtly magical like Mage's.

After a quick discussion with Haythem and his companions, they slid down the passage to Mushu's arena.

I settled in to observe the fight, eager to see what would happen. They have no escape plan since Teleport Crystals no longer work in my dungeon. Therefore, they must be confident they can beat him. With the seven of them... They might be enough. Against guilders who know all of Mushu's tricks, with him having never fought them before...

It's undoubtedly going to be interesting.

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