I reached level 19+ later the same day the merchants had been by. Now I needed to have killed 50 bad people to tier up. While it seemed like a lot to me, I also found it alright that I wouldn't level up again for a while. I still had plenty of Floors to complete after all. And while 50 people seemed like a lot to me, to other Dungeons this was likely a small number.

During that same night I finally got the next Creature Designer tier up. I had made sure to design and spawn new kinds of creatures to my Dungeon. Just a single one here and there. And now it had paid off!

Achievement tier up: Creature Designer (III): All Dungeon Cores design traps and puzzles. Some design their own creatures as well. You are now one of them. Condition: Design 20 creatures and spawn them. It does not matter if the designed creatures already existed or if it's completely new designs. Reward: Creatures have a 10% discount on their base cost. Creatures earn you 115% EXP. You have gotten an Achievement tier up while having 2 passive Achievements. Do you wish to change which Achievements are passive?

No. I like it as it is.

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4 days had passed since the merchants had left. Now knowing they would be regularly visited by merchants, the Parties had started to collect 1st tier BO’s - but as a tertiary priority as food was more important and metal more immediately useful - so they could use them to sell or trade with. ‘Parties’ in plural. The bidaily visits had doubled as the Tribe's 3 level 19+'s - this including the Chief himself - had begun going through the Dungeon bidaily as well, often accompanied by some of the oldest of the Tribe.

While all the other creatures of a Dungeon had a chance to drop BO's of the Floor's tier, all Bosses had a chance to drop BO's of the tier of the next Floor. This had made it attractive for the 3 beastkin who had been stuck at level 19+ most of their lives, as they had been used to grind for 2nd tier BO's by the elves.

The Chief always stopped to greet and pet the kirin Boss. Probably hoping to befriend it. Not a bad idea. It will warn you of bad guys by attacking them and likely makes for a good steed. Not normally super powerful, though.

Speaking of people trying to befriend my creatures, I had finally solved the mystery!

During one of Vanek's visits the small dumb mimic had complained that most people didn't seem to like it much due to it's child-like speech pattern. The three exceptions being the Chief, Vanek and me. The mimic added that, whenever it entered an unfinished Floor - as it could only enter Floors with enough available creature levels - it would be looked down on by any kobolds and even the smarter mimic.

Just as I was about to discipline the culprits for making my precious treasure feel bad, Vanek spoke up:

"I know how you feel. I might not be looked down on for my speech pattern but…" The mouseboy gave a slow, deep sigh. "I'm a really shy person… and when… when I try to befriend someone… or just gain someone's attention… they… they overlook me…"

Vanek started sniffing and his eyes slowly filled with tears. The treasure chest mimic skittered toward him and gave him a short-armed hug which the mouseboy returned with his slightly longer arms.

"I don't think they mean to!" Vanek howled. "I'm just… I'm just so… so small and shy… and meek… and… and… mouse-like!"

The mouseboy had been sobbing and sniffing throughout the sentence, only to end it in a loud cry. The last word had been spoken like it was a curse. Like everything wrong in his life came from him being a muskin. Probably a thought originating from his time as a slave. It's clearly giving him a very low self esteem.

As I was watching the two lonely beings bond I found the answer to my query.

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Nerok’s Party’s last visit on the day before had resulted in a pair - as all the loot was doubled - of 2nd tier BO's. One was given to Nerok - as he's the Chief - giving him the new Class of 'Bard'. Not really what I was expecting… The other was given to Molgroor, the older rhinoman who had ventured out to see if the elves were gone. Molgroor was given the Messenger Class. That's a thing? Okay…

If it makes him happy, I guess… And it had.

In Emerald's Party Morghar, Taozcec and Emerald herself had reached level 19+ as well, with the rest of the Party close behind. Just like the Chief's Party they had also gotten a pair of 2nd tier BO's, which was given to Morghar and Taozcec. Morghar became a Fighter, while Taozcec got the Leader Class I had expected the Chief to get.

System? Why did Taozcec get the Leader Class when Nerok didn't?

The sapients get 3rd tier Classes based on their previous Class and whether their personality and actions depict them as best suited for a peaceful or adventurous lifestyle.

A sapient with the Charisma Class will at the 3rd tier get the Bard Class, if deemed best suited for a peaceful lifestyle, or the Leader Class, if deemed best suited for an adventurous lifestyle.

Uh! So, Taozcec wants adventure while Nerok wants peace and quiet! Yeah, I can see that!

The day ended and I took a look at my stats. Status, please!

Personal Status Level: 19+ Needed number of killed sapients with karma levels of 25% or lower: 13/50 EXP: 41,125 Next mana payment for level up: 0/6,750 Mana: 391.25/1,500 Mana regeneration: 525 per hour Floors: 5/10 Allowed number of sapients in each Floor: 6 Floor Details Achievements Mission Dungeon Rules

And the 6th Floor Details too, please!

Floor Details for the 6th Floor

600/828 levels worth of creatures

0/4 puzzles

0/40 traps

Creatures Puzzles Traps

Looking good!

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The Rule ‘Lifelong Friends’ has gone into effect. Kirin level 10 is now your friend and will soon no longer be a Dungeon creature. Due to both beings having similar Achievements, kirin level 10's 'Boss' Achievement will become 'Chief's Steed' rather than being completely lost. Kirin level 10 is unable to pick a name or gender for themself. As their next of kin it falls to you to pick a name and gender for them.

Nerok gave his steed a soft smile. "Your name is Lionheart."

The kirin grew a bit in size in response to his new gender and his lion's mane grew thicker.

Lionheart is no longer a Dungeon creature. Lionheart Kirin Level 10

"Welcome to Chiefdom, my noble steed." Nerok added with a grin.

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The selected karmic kobold has gotten the Achievement 'Small Clan Leader'. Small Clan Leader: You are the leader of a Small Clan. Condition: Be the leader of a Clan with 8 to 14 members. Reward: 1+ to your Charisma. Your Clan has a tendency to follow your command.

Huh… I had informed the kobolds of my new puzzle room of their duties and - as I wanted them to feel more like a real group - told them to pick a leader amongst them. The room had 12 level 12 kobolds in it. There was at least one kobold of each 2nd tier Class with the Charisma and Intelligence Classes being represented only once each. As such, I had expected the Charisma Class kobold to be chosen as the leader, only for an Awareness Class to be selected! The kobolds had discussed what a leader would have to do in a fight and who would be able to do that best. The conclusion was that a leader should direct their men and to do that well one needed a high awareness of the battlefield, opponents, and allies. High Intelligence would be useful in making the right decisions, but without first having the right information, which a high Awareness would give, it couldn't be properly used.

As the 12 kobolds saw no reason why they shouldn't follow the chosen leader they saw no reason why high Charisma would be needed for the leader. The Charisma Class instead became the… social front? of the group, with orders to foster good relations with others.

Why didn't I assign a leader to The Kobold Fortress when it gives the kobold an Achievement?

… Right. Back then I didn't know it was an option.

I then told the Kobold's of The Kobold Fortress and The Kobold Training Camp to choose a leader each. The 4 kobolds in The 2nd Memory Lane were too few to get an Achievement for their leader and didn't have any need for one.

The 10 kobolds of The Kobold Training Camp quickly picked a spear-bearing kobold amongst them.

The selected karmic kobold has gotten the Achievement 'Small Clan Leader'. Small Clan Leader: You are the leader of a Small Clan. Condition: Be the leader of a Clan with 8 to 14 members. Reward: 1+ to your Charisma. Your Clan has a tendency to follow your command.

The Kobold Fortress group included the kobolds of The Watchtower Crossroad and The Yak Pasture and thus it told them some time before they decided on a leader. As the majority of the 28 kobolds carried a crossbow, it came as a bit of a surprise when a sword-bearer was selected as the leader.

The selected karmic kobold has gotten the Achievement 'Large Clan Leader'. Large Clan Leader: You are the leader of a Big Clan. Condition: Be the leader of a Clan with 25 to 49 members. Reward: 3+ to your Charisma. Your Clan has a tendency to follow your command.

On second thought… I do believe this was the kobold who always took charge when the Tribe came to visit. I guess my kobold took the natural choice after all!

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53 minutes after dawn, a couple of days after Lionheart had been named, I finished the 6th Floor. I was both satisfied with it and not. The puzzles I had made I really loved! I think the puzzles will be really hard for most people to solve, yet the solution will be obvious to the Tribe!

However, exactly what I was dissatisfied with I couldn’t tell. Maybe I should try to separate the different types of creatures into different rooms? Hmm… Guess I’ll try that out on this next Floor.

As the 1st Floor of the 2nd tier was finished the metal loot drops of the 1st tier was halved. What? Why?

All other tiers than the Dungeon's current tier gives out half the amount of metal loot rounding up and without going down a Dungeon metal number. This is to encourage sapients to go deeper into the Dungeon.

Okay… I'm not gonna mess with it then…

On the first 5 Floors every kind of creature had a chance of dropping either a 1st tier rare loot drop or a rare drop specific to that kind of creature. On Floors 6-10 the system was much the same but with the 1st tier rare loot drop instead being 2nd tier rare loot drops. Like with a Dungeon's level up creature pattern the items in the rare loot drops collections would fit the Dungeon's personality and behavior. I was a mostly peaceful Dungeon and I had just healed a whole Tribe for no gain. So, my 2nd tier rare loot drop options being a multivitamin herb, healing paste, burn paste and a vial of weak antivenom made a decent amount of sense. One could see these as being somewhat weak options but they were just what my Tribe needed.

Speaking of: Vanek had successfully befriended the mimic. Unlike a mimicking dragonet, mimics were smart enough to give themselves a gender and name. The small dumb mimic quickly decided it wanted to be male like Vanek, but had problems chosing a good name. The mouseboy was quick to help and suggested the name Champ. Both as it was a shortening of 'champion' and as a reference to 'his big gaping mouth'.

Champ loved his new name!

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Like I expected, the Tribe had no real problems solving my puzzles. Even the scary looking one. They actually trust me enough to walk through fire for me! The thought made me happy, and I mentally laughed.

As I now had a 2nd tier Floor the two Parties had no problem getting their 2nd tier Breakthrough Orbs.

By now the rest of Emerald's Party had gotten ready to tier up. Zaktak insisted Emerald should be the 1st to tier up. I had a 2nd tier Floor now and thus 2nd tier BO's would no longer be super hard to come by, so the rest agreed.

Rather than becoming a whole new kind of dragon like I had expected, Emerald and Sprout simply grew a bit larger, and their age tier changed from 'fledgling' to 'young'.

Huh… Must be due to forest dragons being 'true dragons' and having mana in their blood already.

Other than that, Thenac became a Scout, Zaktak a Tank, Nalir a Monk and Begdar a Mage.

Uhh! Another Mage! A nice one this time! I can't wait to see what spells she'll use! And what my 'Wonky Magic' Rule will turn them into!

When the glow around Begdar disappeared, Nalir approached her and gave his mate a celebratory kiss. Uhhhh! Kisses! You go girl!

The 3rd consistent member of Nerok's Party was an older catman by the name of Gazkak, who ended up getting the Crafter Class. Clearly a lover, not a fighter, that one.

Champ and Vanek had joined Emerald's Party for a run and Champ had evolved from being a 'karmic small dumb mimic' to a 'karmic dumb mimic'. Which really just meant he could mimic bigger things now.

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Life is good. Chief Nerok thought with a smile. No one here is a slave anymore, the Dungeon protects us from the elves and provides for us. It was kind enough to warn me of Vanek's low self esteem centered around his race and species! It didn't have to do that! It even went so far as to heal our bodies!

Nerok was taking a walk through the tent-'village' with Lionheart by his side. The Chief's Steed wasn't yet strong enough to carry an adult ursakin around - kirins weren't built for that after all -, so Nerok intended to help Emerald's Party mine the Dungeon for a while, to help Lionheart level up and get stronger. Till then, they would simply walk side by side.

One of the Dungeon's kobolds had informed the Tribe that the elves had only been doing a scouting mission and would likely be back at some point. As such, they had decided not to build permanent homes, so they quickly could pack up and stay in the Dungeon. This meant the Tribe had to focus extra on getting wood for fires and fur from wild creatures or leather from the Dungeon for clothes, so the Tribe could keep warm in the coming winter. However, with the exception of rhinokin, all beastkin could handle the cold rather well, so Nerok wasn't too worried about winter.

As for the elves, even with faster long-distance transportation like horses it would take about 6 weeks before the elves would return, from the time they left. Likely more, as they would need to report what they found and then put a new group together.

So while Nerok knew the Tribe wasn't permanently safe just yet, they were temporarily.

And Nerok wanted to enjoy that.

Venek has Champ now and with the Tribe being aware of his feelings, he has bounced back up! Nerok continued in his thoughts. And let's not forget Lionheart! The Chief gave his Steed a grin and a clap on his long neck.

Minzca and Megthiz will give birth any day now! Bringing even more joy to the Tribe! Merchants have put us on their route, so trade is guaranteed. And the Dungeon has already given us access to 2nd tier Orbs!

The Chief took a deep breath and stopped to feel his body. It felt so young! 10 years! I have another 10 years!

Nerok continued his walk but he knew he - as the Chief - had other things he needed to give his attention. So he ended his train of thought with prayers to both his main and local gods.

Praise be the System for providing for our Tribe by giving us this Dungeon!

Praise be the Dungeon of Karma for all it has done for our Tribe and all it will do!