"So what do I do next?" Allen enquires on Walter, the dungeon core a.i on what to do next from here.

Walter: Do you see the Dungeon Points displayed at the bottom on your Dungeon Screen, yes? DP Remaining: 100 (223) DP

"Yeah," Allen responded as he scrolls down to the bottom of the dungeon screen.

There he found the objective of what Walter, the dungeon a.i is talking about. So he nodded his head in compliance, whilst giving a thumbs up, implying that 'he found it.'

Walter: DP is short for Dungeon Points. They are the indispensable currency used in the necessary vital functions of a dungeon.

So like how to modify and expand your dungeon rooms, build dungeon floors, and summon monsters, etc.

Walter: So you get what I'm saying right?

"Yeah, I sort of getting whatever you are saying," Allen said as he strokes his nonexistent beard. "This is kind of like a tower defense game. Don't you think so Walter?"

Walter: Yeah...

Walter, the dungeon core a.i gave Allen a short reply.

"Come to think of it, doesn't this remind you of the dungeon core genre that used to be quite popular, a couple of years back?" Allen asked Walter a question, whilst reminiscing of the golden age of dungeon core novels.

Walter: Oh, yeah. I remembered that... Those were the days.

Walter, the dungeon a.i continued the conversation.

"You know what? What kick-started my interest in dungeon core novels was the novel 'Mystery of the Dungeon' written by (VRDraco) Nathan Valerio." Allen started reminiscing on the good old times.

He suggested a novel written by one of the best authors on Royalroad and his most favorite web author of all time.

Walter: Well, that is too bad. The author of the story gave up on it a long time ago. His only reason and explanation for dropping it was because he runs out of ideas and doesn't know how to continue on the story from there.

Walter, the dungeon core a.i stated. Both he and Allen, both shared the same memories, as they were once the same person.

So their experience and personal opinions will always be on the same wavelength.

"Yeah... I know." Allen said so slightly depressed. "Maybe he got bored with writing the story you know. People tend to lose motivation in things they already have done so before."

Walter: I guess so.

Walter, the dungeon core a.i gave a short response, as he agrees with whatever Allen is saying.

"The spark of a writer's passion vanished as they once had, the more the story progresses, the complexity of the story plot will only make it even more problematic..."

Allen stated, "Think of the plot. All the recycled materials. And what is canon and what is not canon."

"All of this is starting to hurt my head." Allen said, "Thank god, I'm not an author then." He heaved a sigh of relief as he calms himself.

Allen took a small breather before they start commencing the first objective.

"Now that is all said and done with. I'm guessing the first thing we should do is summon some monsters to protect our dungeon core right?" He asked Walter, the dungeon core a.i.

Walter: Although, the monsters within a dungeon are essential for the protection of the dungeon core crystal itself.

At this moment there is no threat, so we could take our time slowly build and construct the dungeon floor.

"What?" Allen said so visibly confused.

Walter: You should have seen the interior of our dungeon cave room, right? There is no exit or entrance to our dungeon.

"Come to think of it. Now that you are pointing it out to me. There is no exit to this cave." Allen said, with a worried look, as he saw no openings within the cave he's in.

Walter: The reason as to why there is no entrance to our cave room and the dungeon is because we are slightly under level and are stuck in the infancy stage.

"Infancy stage?" Allen asked Walter, the dungeon core a.i with a look of confusion.

He couldn't make heads or tails over whatever he just said.

Walter: The infancy stage is just a countermeasure to prevent early sentient dungeon from awakening and killing themselves by accident.

It's like a newborn infant, weak and fragile. You are vulnerable to the outside world and its many dangers. Danger constantly looming just around every corridor.

"That sort of made sense," Allen said as he came to a reasonable understanding from Walter's explanation.

Walter: During the infancy stage, you are encouraged to steadily build up your arsenal of monsters and set up traps in preparation for your day of awakening.

You must reach the bare minimum of dungeon rank x in order to have access to the outside world.

Walter, the dungeon core a.i carefully explains the details to Allen, as he starts settling up his dungeon.

Walter: In order to increase your dungeon rank evaluation from z- to x. You must think about the biodiversity of the monsters living withinside your dungeon; the food chain, replenishable food source, and a habitable area where the monster can breed and grow.

The higher the rank and strength of the monsters living withinside your dungeon, the more your dungeon rank evaluation you will gain.

Sentient and humanoid type monsters will give you the most points and achievements towards your dungeon rank evaluation.

"I see..." Allen said.

Once, Allen has finished checking his status screen. He then closes down the status screen, thereby returning back to the dungeon interface menu.

He then selects the summon option of the dungeon interface, which takes him to the summoning screen.

Please choose your desired starting monster race. Goblins Beast Slime Insects Elementals Faeries Undeads Imps ❕ System Notification

Warning: The choice you pick as your starting monster race will become permanent on the monster summoning list.

The other monster races will be locked until the host has either unlocked the monster's evolutionary line or captured a live specimen of that particular monster race.

"So what type of monster do you think I should go with?" Allen asked Walter, the dungeon core a.i for his opinion.

Walter: Well, definitely not the Undead option, neither the Goblin race is a good choice.

Walter, the dungeon core a.i immediately rejected the Goblin and Undead option.

Allen stroke his nonexistent beard, and showed interest in why Walter rejected the two options so adamantly, "Why so? Can you please explain this to me."

Walter, the dungeon core a.i was obviously created by the dungeon system. So he obviously has access to some knowledge that Allen himself doesn't know off.

Walter: Well, to answer your inquiry... Goblins are a primitive race; the size of an average child, with the intelligence of an early prime ape. They breed rather quickly and are dumb as heck.

The best they could do alone was wield a stick or branch as a club to use as a weapon.

These creatures are the starting mob in which beginner's adventurers would always hunt for experience points.

They are so fucking common and plentiful within this world. I'm sure that we can easily find and capture a live goblin specimen in a nearby forest once we emerged on the surface.

Walter, the dungeon core a.i gave a detailed explanation of why you should not pick the Goblin race as your starting monster option.

Allen was certainly a bit surprised at what he heard, he nevertheless agrees with Walter's points of view. "I see, and certainly agree with your point of view, but don't you despise the Goblin race as a bit too much." He tries to reason with Walter.

Walter: Well, have you read the Goblin Slayer manga or watched the anime...

Allen was about to say something, but he immediately gave up, "..."

"You got me there, dude."

Walter: Moving onto the Undead option. Even if you do not choose the Undead option, it doesn't technically mean that you can't summon any Undeads.

Walter, the dungeon core a.i suggested an idea that has Allen rather perplexed, as he couldn't get his head over it. "What do you mean that you can summon an Undead without technically picking the Undead option?"

Walter: It's very simple. By choosing the Undead option, you can directly summon an undead skeleton/zombie from the summoning tier list, without the need of a medium, in expense for some DP.

However, with the second option, you can convert a corpse, preferably a human adventurer into an Undead monster, but it would cost a considerable more amount of MP/DP than usual when compared to one in the summoning list.

At the same time, depending on the quality of the corpse, if that particular individual was of a high caliber or a very experienced adventurer whilst it was still alive. You may be able to unlock Undead skeleton mages or even skeleton warriors, and such.

Allen was certainly startled at what he just heard, "That is amazing, Walter. I didn't know you know such information."

Walter: Well, Allen these sorts of things are only the basics. So all sentient dungeons already have access to this sort of information from the moment they are born.

Walter, the dungeon core a.i proclaimed.

Allen shrugged off the idea of picking either the goblin or undead race as his starting option.

He lay back on the ground, staring at the cave ceiling, "Should I pick the beast race or maybe the insect race... there is also the slime one as an option."

Walter: Well, I don't know. I'm only a dungeon core a.i that is designed to help and aid you. Not make a decision for you... You are the Dungeon Lord, so you must make the final decision.

Walter, the dungeon core a.i decided to give Allen the final decision. He gets to decide on what the dungeon primary starting race will be.

Allen reached his hand out towards the cave ceiling, "There is also the faeries and imps options as well. From the name that was given it's not even that hard to guess what kind of creatures these two are."

Allen thought hardly to himself for a minute, "And lastly is the elemental race. An elemental being which is composed in an element of nature itself."

"Elemental spirit."

Allen thought on the elements of nature itself, 'Fire, water, earth, wind, light, and dark.'

Walter: Hmmm...

Allen suddenly jolts back into reality, as he exclaimed, "That's it. Elemental Spirits. I choose the elemental race."

The dungeon system immediately recognizes Allen's choice, as a blue notification screen then appears in front of him. The summoning list of the now unlocked summoning option is accessible.

❕ System Notification [You have chosen the Elemental race as your starting choice of monster selection.] Please choose an element in which you would like your dungeon to specialize in. Fire Water Earth Wind Lightning Light (Holy) Darkness

Allen thought for a second, before he finally decided, "Since we are in a cave, and there is plenty of rock and earth around. So I have to pick the earth element."

Walter: Interesting! How expected of me.

Allen then presses on the earth element selection, and the current blue screen then lights up; vanishes into bluish white particles, then replaced with a new screen.

❕ System Notification [You have chosen the Earth element as your elemental selection.] ❕ System Notification [You have unlocked Lesser Earth Rock Elemental on your monster summoning list.] ❕ System Notification [You have unlocked Lesser Earth Sand Elemental on your monster summoning list.]