*So, only mana I spend on the Dungeon assists with Leveling up?*

>Affirmative.

*Is there a bonus for waiting on Leveling up?*

>All Experience earned is used when you Level Up. The more Experience used in each level determines the rewards for that Level Up.

*So, Level One required a minimum of 1,000 Experience, but I've earned more than three times that requirement.*

>Affirmative.

*What is the required Experience per level?*

>The Ratio of Minimum Experience to level is 1,000 multiplied by the current Level.

*Is there a Maximum Experience per level?*

>The Experience Cap per Level is 20 times the Required Experience.

*What are the bonuses for waiting on Leveling up?*

>The Overlevel percentage times standard radius, mana and recharge rate bonus, at five and ten times the experience requirement you get a free Skill Level up. At fifteen times, you get a free Ability Level up. At Maximum experience, you get a free Perk. If you were a Biological Organism still, you would have received bonus stats on top of your Class Stats based on the Overlevel percentage.

*What is the standard Mana and Recharge Rate bonuses?*

>You will get 1 meter radius, 100 Mana, and .5 Recharge Rate per level at this Mana Density.

*Can we Increase the Mana Density?*

>Affirmative.

*How do we increase the Mana Density?*

>You can push mana from your core into the surrounding air. This is the standard way to increase Mana Density.

*Do we have any more Fluidic Mana?*

>Affirmative. Stocks of Fluidic Mana are at 75,000 gallons.

*Why is that so much less than the 99,000 gallons we were supposed to still have?

>This unit received requirements from the Divine to release more than the initial 1,000 gallons so that the mana levels of the surface returned to at least sub-optimal.

*Why did Earth not have mana originally?*

>Error. Answer Classified.

*How much Fluidic Mana would need to be released in order to bring the Mana Density in my radius of influence to Optimal?*

>10 gallons.

*Is there a way to keep it from leaving my influence?*

>Affirmative.

*Can you teach me it?*

>Affirmative.

Skill Granted:

Mana Barrier - 1/100

This skill allows you to create a zone in which you control the density and flow of mana at the cost of your mana. At higher levels of this skill you can retain greater amounts of mana with lower requirements of mana expended. At even higher levels, you can make invisible walls out of mana!

*What is the rate of expenditure for the Barrier?*

>At current Level you will expend 10 mana per second to maintain the Barrier while the Density of the zone is higher than Below Average.

*What are the Levels of Mana Density?*

>Non-existant, Abysmal, Pathetic, Weak, Below Average, Average, Above Average, Excellent, Superb, Optimal, Overload.

*So it took 25,000 gallons to go from?*

>Non-existant to Weak. It will take 15,000 gallons to increase the Density of the planet to Average, at which point low level monsters may start to Spawn and you will unlock the Ability Spawn. This is an estimate as the external Mana Density is slowly dropping.

*Can I absorb a drop of Fluidic Mana, so I can see how much it would cost to create?*

>Affirmative. One drop will not effect our stock in any statistical amount.

So that's what Reginald did, learning that it takes 10,000 mana to create a single drop of condensed Fluidic Mana. He then checked his mana and found out that he had regained approximate 2,000 mana during the discussion with the AI. He pulled up his current status and checked.

Status:

Name: Reginald Montgomery

Race: Sapient Centralized Construction Core

Sub-Race: Module 18394754-382-001 (Dungeon)

Level: 1

Experience: 3,550/1,000

Durability: 100/100

Fragmentation: 0%

Current Mana: 2,250/3,075

Mana Regen: 2.5/sec

Digital Shielding: 120/120

Digital Storage: 1 Exabyte

Zone Radius: 10.0m

Mana Density: Below Average

Patron Deity: Borick, God of LAG (LIVE ACTION GAMING)

Divine Favor: 250

Assistant AI: Non-Sentient Centralized Construction Core Standard

Perks Available: 5

Abilities

*Skills

Absorb - Mastered

Identify - Mastered

Construct - 3/100

*Loot - 1/100

*Repair - 1/100

*Reinforce - 1/100

*Mana Barrier - 1/100

Digital Communion - 3/100

*Purge - 1/100

*Hack - 1/100

*Copy - 1/100

Data Process - 1/100

Sleep - Mastered

Construction Blueprints:

Empty Room (100 mana / cubic meter)

Deity Image (1,000 mana / deity)

Altar (1,000 mana)

Stalactite (10 mana)

Stalagmite (10 mana)

Pit Trap (75 mana / cubic meter)

False Wall (100 mana)

Treasure Chest (500 mana)

Loot Blueprints:

Copper Coin (10 mana)

Copper Ore (Poor) (5 mana)

Silver Coin (25 mana)

Silver Ore (Poor) (20 mana)

Healing Herb (200 mana)

Mana Herb (250 mana)

Stamina Herb (100 mana)

Vial with Fluidic Mana (10,000 mana) (1 Drop)

Full Vial of Fluidic Mana (100,000 mana) (10 Drops)

*Hmmm... I'm not quite ready for a talk with a god. I should probably pass this information on to my guild.*

>Affirmative.

*Nobody asked you...

>...

*Digital Communion!* The browser opened up and Reginald quickly logged into his email, noting that he was losing about ten mana every five seconds. He found an email from the Guild Leader.

From: Darkest Nightmare (D.Ni[email protected])

To: Hidden Leecher ([email protected])

Subject: Life as a Dungeon Core?

Leecher,

I'm not sure if you're joking us or not, but if that's your true status, you've got it easy. Before we can even hit Level 1, we have to get a Class! Of course, that was done mainly in the Tutorial we were sent to when we got our new Metamorphised bodies...

Status:

Name: ---

Race: Beastkin

Sub-Race: Feline (Lion)

Gender: Female

Age: Loli (382)

Level: 1

Experience: 0/1000

Class: Sorceress

Sub-Class: Alchemist / Apothecary

Health: 100/100 (1.0 / second)

Stamina: 100/100 (2.15 / second)

Mana: 1000/1000 (6.3 / second)

Vitality: 10

Endurance: 10

Strength: 10

Agility: 20

Dexterity: 15

Intelligence: 25

Wisdom: 30

Charisma: 30

Luck: 10

Mana is doubled for the Class Sorceress, and doubled again because of the Loli Age. Any information you can weedle from your AI would be wonderful help. You always were one of the brains of the Guild. If you truly are a Dungeon Core, then build us a Dungeon to be proud of!

You will always be one of us,

Darkest Nightmare

Reply

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected], [email protected]

Subject: Re: Life as a Dungeon Core?

Nightmare,

I managed to weedle some information out of my AI Friend that you and the rest of the guild NEED to know before you Level!

1) You do not 'Automatically' Level Up upon hitting the Experience Requirement.

2) You need 1,000 Experience times your Level for each Level's minimum Level up.

3) All extra experience is expended into 'Overlevel Percentage' upon Leveling up, so you start each level at 0 Experience.

4) The Maximum Overlevel is 20 times your Experience Requirement (20,000 exp for Level 1, 40,000 exp for Level 2, 60,000 exp for Level 3, etc.)

5) Each 'Overlevel Counter' as I call it grants you 1 'Bonus' Statistic point.

6) At Overlevel Counters 5 and 10, you get a free Skill Level or Skill (Calling this a Skill Point).

7) At Overlevel Counter 15, you get an Ability Level or Ability (Calling this an Ability Point).

8) At Maximum Overlevel you get a PERK.

All Hail the Eternal!

Hidden Leecher

P.S. - Apparently, there is something absorbing the ambient mana on this planet, which makes me think that we should have had mana around all along. Beware of zones with concentrations in the 'Average' and above, as these areas are where Monsters will start to spawn.

Reginald 'smiled' to himself as he sent the information. If he knew Nightmare as he thought he did, she would quickly be grinding out Experience towards the first few Perks. He quickly checked the Guild's website to make sure the front page posted the message, and then disconnected.

Ability Level Up!

Digital Communion - 4/100

+25 Shielding

+25 Mana

+.25/sec Mana Regen

Sleep Until Maximum Mana.

***

When he woke up, Reginald took time to examine his current situation. He didn't know if his deity would force him to level up right away, but he really didn't want to waste the bonuses from leveling up, and in all the old tales, gods loved gifts. He made a Treasure chest on the altar, and was happy when he noticed the full mana expenditure was put into experience.

*So, when I create treasure chests, they are part of the Dungeon Environment. What about Loot?*

>Loot is considered a part of the dungeon.

*So the loot I put in the treasure chest will grant me experience?*

>Affirmative.

With his remaining 2,600 mana, he added two Mana Herbs, two Healing Herbs, a Stamina Herb, and 40 silver before blacking out from lack of mana. About ten minutes later his vision came back and he noticed a couple of notifications.

WARNING!

Mana Depleted! You are currently vulnerable due to having expended all personal Mana. Vulnerability: 10 minutes

Skill Level Up!

Loot - 2/100

Copper Ore upgraded from (Poor) to (Low)

+25 Mana

+.25/sec Mana Regen

Loot - 3/100

+25 Mana

+.25/sec Mana Regen

Loot - 4/100

Copper Ore upgraded from (Low) to (Average)

+25 Mana

+.25/sec Mana Regen

Loot - 5/100

Silver Ore upgraded from (Poor) to (Low)

+25 Mana

+.25/sec Mana Regen

New Blueprint Available!

Ability Level Up!

Construct - 4/100

+50 Mana

+.5/sec Mana Regen

New Blueprint Available!

New Blueprints:

Pool (100 mana / cubic meter)

Liquids other than water will change cost.

Gold Coin (100 mana)

Gold Ore (Poor) (75 mana)

*Wow... Gold Coins already?*

>Affirmative.

*What is standard ratio of money?*

>Currently this world is fighting against using System Currency.

*What good is the money I make then?*

>After you talk with your God, you can access the System Shop and purchase items which you can Absorb to add to your Loot blueprints.

*Sweet. I don't plan on talking to him until I hit the Maximum Overlevel in case he makes me Level.*

Reginald waited for his Mana to fully recharge, and then made an moat around his small shrine, spending 1,600 mana on 'Empty Room' to increase the size of area by another meter in length all around, then using 'Pool' he dug down a meter in that area and filled it, spending another 800 mana. This brought him to 9,050/1,000 experience, and left him with about 850 mana. Next to the pool, he planted two mana herbs on one side, and a healing herb on the other before he had to take a break for fifteen minutes to regenerate mana and continue to work.

He could plant up to twelve mana herbs every fifteen minutes, and that's what he did over the course of the next forty-five minutes. After another fifteen minute rest, he placed 30 gold into the treasure chest on the altar, not caring that he passed his maximum experience. He checked his blinking Notification panel, which he had minimized when starting the pool.

Ability Level Up!

Construct - 5/100

+50 Mana

New Blueprint Available: Wall

New Skill Generated!

Plant - 1/100

Planting allows you to grow herbs and other items that grow in the ground and take care of their needs with Mana. As they grow, they will help enrich the natural mana in your Influence.

Skill Level Up!

Plant - 2/100

+5 Mana

Plant - 3/100

+5 Mana

Plant - 4/100

+5 Mana

Plant - 5/100

+10 Mana

Loot - 6/100

+25 Mana

New Blueprint:

Wall (50 mana / .3 cubic meter) (Default: Stone)

Increased mana cost for different Materials.

*So, while new Skills can still be used without the notification being read, Level Up bonuses aren't granted until the Notification has been cleared?*

>Affirmative.

*Alright, now that we've hit Maximum Overlevel, it's time to approach our Patron.*