29th Day of the 31st Cycle of Luna

Dawn breaks at a certain camp out in the frontiers..

The expedition had setup camp for about 4 days after the encounter with the Imperials, though they need much more time to recuperate, time is of the essence. If they want to be the first to find the Relic that the Oracle has foretold to change the fortune of the kingdom, then they must put all haste into the expedition. But since there's always events that seems to impede them, Ser Price is gradually losing hope in this expedition. Prince Kymar on the other hand thinks that they are drawing closer.

They know now that the Empire has also sent and expeditionary force to search for the same Relic and auxiliary forces to hinder their advance. It seems their spies have gotten wind of it and send the information to the Empire. It's now not only a race for time but also a race against the Empire. The prince must succeed in this quest, or face the demise of their kingdom once and for all.

He sent scouts ahead to the marked locations. These were the ruins of some ancient civilization that have thrive for hundreds if not thousands of years until their decline into obscurity. Now there's not a single sentient beings that roam the Frontier... or so the continentals thought.

One of the scouting parties had returned. These were the ones assigned to the furthest northmost site.

"Report." ordered Sir Price upon their entry to the tent that serve as their temporary strategic building.

"Yes Sir! The Imperials were already there when we got there at the site. They've already set up camp around what seems to be a dungeon. They may have been there for quite some time now, maybe a week or two, sir!" reported the lead scout of the scouting party.

"Let us just pray that the relic isn't there and that they don't clear it fast enough for them to get a move on." chimed the prince after hearing the report. "Ser Price have the expedition ready to move out. We'll break camp. The scouts will stay here to reconnaissance the rest of the scouting party then follow us." he then ordered.

"As you will, Your Highness!" Sir Price and the lead scout saluted the prince then moved out. "MAKE READY TO DEPART! BREAK CAMP!!!" bellowed Sir Price.

Prince Kymar looked at the map for the last time, glaring at the site where the Imperials were spotted. He really hoped that there's nothing there that's worth their time. Wishing for a much needed delay for the Imperials. With the illusion weakening, he is sure that it's not only the empire that will come and try their fortunes in these frontiers. Lucky for Uttramar, they have already established 2 frontier towns and a city, Kadia. But they are still a cycle away from it. They must press on now that the Empire had the first dip into these unknowns. They must make haste.

The day started with a buzz, the wolves now fully healed, everything inside the mountain went on to perform their given duties. The pack went on to hunt some games and everything else that could be added to the blue prints.

Dungeon Overview

Name

Unknown Level 20 0% Health 10,000

Mana 4,000 Floors 1 of 4 Minions Biologicals Constructs 17 0

I checked "myself"? Anyway, I like what I'm seeing. I still have not the mind to make another floor, I'm just lazy I guess. 'I can name myself as I have discovered prior. But I don't really know, do I wanna name myself? Or let the adventurers do that?' Sometimes it was the adventurers that could discover a dungeon first that gets the privilege of naming a new dungeon. 'But some adventurers had a bad naming sense.. I think once I discover where I really am located maybe I will name myself.'

Anyways... I gave Isshin something to do. I asked him to get a branch about a meter and a half long.

'Ok, now you have to trim the branch a little. You will fashion it into a wooden sword. Make it a little bit curved.'

"By your will, Creator!" replied Isshin with purpose.

He trimmed it little by little into a bit of a curved sword, 'Yes just like a BOKKEN. He looks scary being naked and have a wooden sword. But you know what they say, "Always fear the naked dude." Really need to get him dressed somehow.

Acquire Blueprint: Wooden Sword

Pops up after Isshin finished making the Wooden Sword. Though it was a bit crude and rough around the edges, I still got the blue print. I checked the Wooden Sword in his hands.

Wooden Sword (Common)

4 - 6 Dmg

'Welp. Trash.' what did I expect? But that should do for now.

'You already have a good physique, you now just need to train how to wield a weapon. Start with the basic first, try swinging downward from overhead while stepping forward.' I instructed him and he did, although not perfect but it's a start. 'Good! Now repeat that movement a thousand times.' I don't think that's a bit harsh, right? He seems rather enthusiastic about it though.

While Isshin's swinging the wooden sword, the rat had returned from his ventures. It returned with a gang of it's own. It brought the whole colony with it. It also gained 6 level, seems like it beat up an alpha of these rats. And it did not alert me about an "Invasion". Seems like the SYSTEM recognized my minion as an overlord of this colony. Oh yeah, I have not yet checked it's stat ever since it became my minion, but by the looks of it, it seems to be a male. It dominated the previous alpha to take over the colony and brought it here.

'Now I have to make a room for them.' so I did exactly that. I'll build the room then get them all subjugated.

The room that I made for them is inaccessible by anyone or anything for that matter, except for them of course. It is about 3 meters above the hallway with only a ratholes connecting their room to the sides of the corridor. It is only 2 meters in height and 4 meters wide and 8 meters long. The ratholes that connects the hallway to their room spans the whole corridor on both sides. 'They will make a fine distractions that could nibble the unsuspecting.'

As for the hare... It did not bring any mates if it ever had one, but it brought some shiny gems. 'Seems like my little hare here is quite the treasure hunter.' What it brought me was what I already have, a few rubies. But I don't invalidate what it has done. I praise the both of them, my critters.

'I hope they bring me some insects and small plants to give a little life in this dungeon of mine.' surprisingly after almost 5 years, no insects nor smaller critter than the rat have lost their way here. Such a bummer. I would also want to have a flying creature as a minion so I can have eyes in the sky. 'Maybe I'll have Isshin capture some or get an egg for me later.'

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'Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.. there's nothing really for me to do, maybe I just just start with making the other floors? Haaaaaa... Do I dig up? Make a floor above this one? And what would I do with the upper floor if I ever did want to dig up?' I am contemplating whether go UP for now or start digging deep. I can dig upwards up to 4 more floors maybe, with the sheer size of this mountain that would be possible. Make the topmost castle like? I mean with the mana much more thicker in the air ,or Winds of Magic as I would like to call it, it would be much more interesting prospect.. The problem would be the protection from above. I could be exposed from dragon attacks and other airborne forces. Defensive measures would be taken much much much more carefully by then... But that would be an amazing challenge. And I could always retreat deep down, yeah? 'OK! It's been decided!' Up we go then, at least for now.

I am now ready to make an additional floor... the problem is I don't know how. The SYSTEM ain't helping at all.

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As I was wallowing in despair, suddenly comes a presence that did not alert the warning system. It came blazing and Isshin struck when the right moment arrived. He did not hit it. Or he did but it went through.

"HEEEEY! WHAT'S WITH THE HOSTILITY!?" protested a small annoying voice. "I COME IN PEACE AND YOU WANT ME IN PIECES!? HOW ABSURD!" continued the pesky voice.

'Ask it what it is and what it's doing here?' I told Isshin.

"Wha-" Isshin was about to ask it the question that I have for it when it interrupted Isshin.

"I can hear you, you know?"

'What?! No, I did not know. How am I supposed to know?' I rebuked

"You're supposed to know because I am your assistant, you know?!" It doubled down and chided.

'Oh reaaaally? An assistant? How come you're not here 5 years ago?!' I was furious with it that it curled up into a little ball and shrunk even more.

"Oh yeaaah, about that.. AM SOOOOOWWWWY PLEAAAATH! PLEATH UNDERSTAAAAND! I GOT LOST IN THE FOREST AND WAS TRAP INTO AN ILLUSION THAT SURROUNDS THIS WHOLE REGION!!" it cried as hard as it can. "I only got out about three days ago, you gotta understand me. I am but a helpless fairy. I will make sure to make up for it, I promise! PLEAAAAAAATH!?"

'What Illusion? My minions seems fine going around the forest.' I got curious about what this tiny being has just revealed.

"The whole region of Andora got encased in some mad mans last ditch of saving himself, he casted a strong illusion spell that cover the whole region. But something happened, the illusion is slowly being destroyed, from the inside of the region. Maybe it has something to do with you?" more information was spilled..

Yeah, I remember the name Andora, supposedly it was name after a derange wizard/necromancer named Andorr. Wanted by many kingdom and empires all around the continent, he escaped into the frontiers and then opened a box, Andor's Box, that put a cursed on some distant land on the frontier. Many adventurers tried their fortunes trying to seek this mad man and capture and bring to whoever gives the most rewards. But none of them ever returned to civilization, probably killed by monsters of the frontier or maybe got caught in the illusion.

'Maybe all the mana that I had harnessed, siphoned, was the illusion? Makes one wonder how powerful Andor really is.' I thought.

'Is this Andor still alive?' I asked the tiny being, a fairy as it claimed. I personally have not been fortunate as Azunai to have chance upon a fairy. But I have heard of these beings. Powerful Spiritualists could form contracts with such beings, making them even more powerful.

"Who knows? What's important is you, draining the Illusion it's powers. And thanks to you, I was able to escape the illusion. Thank you!" It happily, from what I can see, curtsied while saying it's thanks.

I was wondering why after just more than five years I still haven't been discovered. It's clear to me now. 'Thanks Andor, you mad man.' I was given a five year head start thanks to the mad man. 'I wish he's already dead. If not, he may prove to be a greater threat than the guilds that are the Domiterem Lacum and the Lacum Venetores.' A dungeon subjugated by a wizard or a necromancer is already bad for the surrounding kingdoms and empires, what would be the case for one powerful wizard/necromancer.

"But you don't have to worry about him that much, if he's ever still alive, it is believed even among the fairies that he himself got lost into his illusion curse and got trapped in his box. And it may still take a minimum of five years to 10 more years before you fully absorb the illusion. And who knows when he'll get out of his box, maybe in 5 years, 10 years maybe, or maybe not ever. Let's pray the latter. When you finally absorbe all of the magic of the illusion maybe you might be able to recreate the illusion itself. It would be the strongest defense then." the little fairy smiles as if it did not mess up 5 years ago. 'What a rollercoaster of it's emotions.'

"Of course we will not just wait in that 5 years, we will make your denizens strong to fend off any threats that comes knocking! :D"

'For the past five years, nothing has ever ventured inside when I tried to make openings on this mountain, not even ants got lost here. I got no minions to summon for five years. And when I finally summoned Isshin only then that I got minions.' I said condescendingly. I felt like I was robbed of something all this five years. But luckily, I think, or I'd like to think that I got the best of it, Isshin the First Born.

"Yeaaaaaah, this one is very very very different from any homunculus that I had already seen. Hmmm..." the fairy said while hovering to Isshin who has continued his sword swinging practice. "He looks like a construct if you don't try to inspect him a little closer. He looks perfectly human." it continued then "WOOOOOOOW! A LEGENDARY FIRST SUMMON? ARE YOU FOR REAL?! YOU MADE HIM BY YOURSELF?!" exclaimed the tiny creature that looks like jumping up in down in the air if it's even possible. "I think we have nothing to fear from this Andor Mad Man Bastard! We just gotta level him up more!"

'Suddenly it's a we? You have not even contributed. Haaaaa... anyways. Do you have anything to offer that helps us protect ME and this dungeon from such persons?' I asked the fairy whatever knowledge it has that could prove to be helpful. 'Anything that could help us if such time ever comes, when the time comes for a DUNGEON SIEGE?'