The days passed by quickly since our tests with Lyra, the builders and Adventurers came like she said and started to set up a large perimeter around the dungeon entrance, as of now they just mark and dig up the ground and set up stakes to build a skeleton frame that they would work from.

As I look at the builders I noticed that some of them had animal-like ears and tails adorning their head and behind respectively, one of the builders had brown bear ears, a short puffy tail and the person himself was huge in stature with burly hair covering most of his body making him look like a lumberjack who let their chest hair get out of control.

In contrast to the large bear man the person he was talking to was much shorter than an average person and sported a set of grey disk-like mouse ears that twitched every now and then at the noises that came from the construction site, looking lower down they had a long tail that has a thin layer of fur on it that gave off a kind aura of furriness as opposed to the aura of fluffiness that the bear man’s puffy tail gave off.

I spent some time staring at them for a while out of interest and to make sure that the ears and tails were real, taking notice of every flick of the tail and twitch of the ear until they finished their conversation and got back to work.

Following the duo as they got back to work digging up the dirt with their shovels I notice just how weird the surrounding area is, I always had my attention on the dungeon and never took notice of the surface until, at first glance the surrounding landscape seems just like a normal plains area but it’s what’s underneath that is out of the ordinary, the dirt is not the type of healthy brown color one would expect the dirt to be instead it was a sickly shade of dark red.

I called this substance dirt but in reality it would be more apt to call it mud for the sloppy almost viscous consistency it had, this was strange as when I was digging underground I could swear that the dirt was normal, being brown and crumbly, so it wasn’t that this red mud was the norm, or at least I hope not.

Deciding that I should ask about the red mud at a later date, I set my sights underground, continuing work on the dungeon that I left unfinished, the digging for the third floor was more or less done so it was time to start furnishing it. I chose magical woods once again to save on points.

The all so familiar light shines and fades, showing me a familiar looking scenery, I don’t stop to admire the scenery as this is not the scene I plan on creating, I start to mold the floor into what I had in mind by first purchasing the disorienting fog enhancement for the floor.

I was expecting the bright light to obscure my vision but contrary to my expectations, a dense fog starts to sweep across the floor blanketing it and obscuring my view to the point I can only make out the faint silhouettes of trees in front of me.

Now to pull the entire scene together I purchase the day/night enhancement that was unlocked when I ranked up, as when I was reading through the enhancement details I noticed that along with having a day and night cycle I can also make the time period permanent meaning that I can make the time permanently day or night, dawn or dusk.

To fulfill my vision for this floor I make it permanently midnight, the darkness quickly grows and blankets the landscape accompanied by the shine of the moonlight, the shadows once small and peaceful in the daylight now aggressively grows large and nefarious in the moonlight, trees obscured by the fog now look like monsters and the safety one would feel from the sunlight is replaced by the ominous glow of the moonlight.

Satisfied by the landscape that I created I now move on to populating it with creatures, while waiting for my dungeon points to restore I decide to just observe Red, ever since her interactions with the bandits I notice that her eyes now shift back and forth ever so often, as if she’s surveying the landscape before her eyes go dull and return back to their normal state when nobody is interacting with her, mulling over this weird occurrence I decided to call Alice over to talk with Red.

The result was nothing, Alice noticing what I was trying to test reminded me about my Lore creature mastery (fairytale) skill description that states that it “allows user to summon creatures from fairy tales cost DP, and give them sentience”, while yes I do remember that part it’s just when Red was summoned she completely had no sentience so I just assumed that event summons and creature summons were different.

“the sentience of a wolf is different from the sentience of a person” Alice spouts out in a matter of fact kind of tone, which makes a lot of sense, as to why the wolves are acting like wolves right off the bat and why Red just sits there like a doll only now showing some sign of sentience.

“Excuse me, Curator, can I go back to the library now? Lyra and I were in the middle of a conversation, she is very knowledgeable about this world and it’s stories”, Alice asks me with a bored expression in which I give her my consent, looking at Alice’s shrinking figure as she walks back to the library I can only take notice at how she’s grown as a personality since I first met her.

Left alone I go back to finishing the third floor, going back to the moonlit room I start thinking what creatures I could summon, well first I start off with summoning wolves and fairies to populate the floor, thinking and mulling about what type of creatures I wanted on this floor, I decided on folklore partially because I wanted to try out my new skill and also because I just felt that it would fit.

So starting off with the main creature line up I decided to use the bogey beasts, boggarts, and dokkaebi from British, English and Korean folklore lore respectively, for ambient creatures I summon up fireflies, owls, moths, and rabbits.

I begin with summoning all the bogey beasts I can with 1000 DP, what comes from this is a group of large black spirits emerging from the ground and solidifying to form the shape a large dog with large fangs that its mouth can barely contain, the bogey beast could actually be mistaken for a large wolf with piercing red eyes and black mist emanating from their body, seeing the cost for summoning them I start to understand why folklore’s needed to be locked until rank 2.

Name: ???

Type: phantom/folktale

Race: undead

Skill: curse; rank 3,

Curse;

A common skill found on ethereal undead creatures, this skill allows the user to inflict targets with a wide verity aliments and curses.

Rank1:

Skills unlocked: curse of dullness (low).

Rank2:

Skills unlocked: curse of paralyzes (low).

Rank3:

Skills unlocked: enhance curse (low, passive).

I release the pack of dogs into the wilds, as they run into the woods all they leave behind is a trail of black smoke and red flashes.

Moving on, I start to summon a group of the boggarts, 1000 DP worth for a matter of fact, upon summoning them I met with the sight of small of a group of small clammy goblin-like creatures, which I have to say after seeing the bogey beast, boggarts look a little lacking in comparison.

Name: ???

Type: fairy/folktale

Race: Ogre

Skill: transform; rank 2, stealth rank 1

Transform;

This skill allows the user to transform into any form they desire, beware as you may become anything, you might lose yourself in the progress.

Rank1:

Skills unlocked: partial mimic (low).

Rank2:

Skills unlocked: transform (low).

Stealth;

Allows the user to hide their presence from others.

Rank1:

Skills unlocked: shallow presence (low, passive).

Releasing them to their own devices I look in wonder as they transform their hands into sharp scoop like claws and burrow away.

Lastly would be the heavy hitters, the dokkaebi, for these creatures I need to use all 1500 of my DP since they’re so expensive to summon I need this amount to get even three of them, once I summon them they arrive with a large *thud*.

As the dust clears all I see is a huge rock, a broom and a bloodied sword in place of the creatures I summoned, knowing what was coming I wait a moment and before long the items start to shake as flesh seemingly surge from the inanimate objects forming into limbs and in time a torso, before long they’ve grown into large humanoid men with fearsome faces and bulging muscles that let them crush even boulders.

Even though the other summons had little to no physical difference with others of its race, the Dokkaebi, however, were immediately differentiable from each other, the one which came from the boulder had bigger muscles and skin that was grey and rugged, the one that was born from the broom had one leg which had muscle beyond belief that each step it took would leave an imprint in the ground it hopped on, of course after a while the floor of the dungeon would regenerate itself to its former state and the dokkaebi that came from the bloodied sword had only one eye making it look like a cyclops and it sported a large iron club in its right hand.

Name: ???

Type: great goblin/folktale

Race: Goblin

Skill: giant strength; rank 4, grappler; rank 3

Giant strength;

This skill grants the user the strength of a giant, the power to move the unmovable.

Rank1:

Skills unlocked: increased strength (low, passive).

Rank2:

Skills unlocked: compressed muscle (low, passive).

Rank3:

Skills unlocked: bulk up (low).

Rank 4:

Skills unlocked: increased strength (mid, passive).

Grappler;

Allows the user the skills to grab onto opponents and throw them or take them down.

Rank1:

Skills unlocked: grip strength (low, passive).

Rank2:

Skills unlocked: tackle (low).

Rank3:

Skills unlocked: reversal (low).

In accordance to their appearances, the dokkaebi that was created from the boulder had rock skin; rank 1 and the dokkaebi that had the club had magical club mastery; rank 1, in addition to the skills they already had.

Dismissing them, they stomp off into the deep into the woods.

After that, I summon the fireflies, owls, moths and rabbits, about 500 DP worth, and release them into the wild.

Upon finishing I remember something I wanted to test something so I call all combative creatures to come to my location, at that moment a loud rumbling like an earthquake comes from the woods as all my creatures start to converge on my location, the wolves, bogey beasts, boggart, and dokkaebi stand in front of me waiting for my instructions.

I remember last time when the fairies stood me up by making traps that were more effective than my wolves, how Keith’s group was honestly having a cake walk with the wolves, in comparison to how much of a hard time they had in the fairies woods. It lights a competitive flame in me, regardless of how petty this may be I want to be the one who stands them up next time.

“Okay everyone it’s time for formation boot camp 101 with the Curator!” I shouted at them like I was a strict guard captain, even though they would listen to me regardless I felt like this was fitting.

Over a long period of time I start having them move with each other and using their abilities so that they would get used to one another, “okay maggots now you, you, you and you group up!”, I was starting to get a little too much into the role of the strict guard captain training his troops, but I disregard this thought as it was a little too amusing for me to want to stop.

As I ordered one of each race in a group, so now the groups are comprised of a wolf, bogey beast, boggart, and dokkaebi and since there were only three dokkaebi there were some groups that had two bogey beasts, boggart or so forth.

“Now than non-lethal combat everyone!” the moment I finish my sentence all the groups charged at each other, at first they would just attack others by themselves using their own strengths but over the course of time they started to synergize their moves with each other, covering for each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Bogey beasts started staying in the back debuffing enemies, rather than charging blindly, while dokkaebi attacked making full use of their powerful builds, wolves, and boggart using their superior mobility to skirt around their foes striking at their blind spots and so forth.

After a long time of training the creatures I decided that the third floor was ready and moved my dungeon heart room to the third floor and since I found out I couldn’t make bosses all willy-nilly the hard way, more or less I was trying to designate a dokkaebi as a boss for a few hours before giving up, so I also moved the encounter with Red to the third floor and in their place I placed a normal stone staircase at the end of the second floor that leads to the third floor.

Deciding that the second floor was now a bit lonely and empty I start to brain storm what encounter to put there in Red’s absence, one story comes to my mind when I think about a story to replace little red riding hood, immediately I purchase the event encounter for the three little pig.

Once I purchase the event three small pigs standing on their hind legs, three houses and a wolf similar to the Big Bad Wolf from Red’s story appeared in the center of the second floor, as the story described the three houses are made of straws, sticks, and bricks respectively, the pigs with little hairs on their chins can be defined as “adorable” and the wolf looks intimidating though it doesn’t give off the same aura of power that the Big Bad Wolf had when he became a boss.

Name: ???

Type: big bad wolf/ fairy tale

Race: Wolf

Skill: lung capacity; rank 2, wolves’ instinct; rank 2

Lung capacity;

Grants user a larger lung capacity so they may take in more air.

Rank1:

Skills unlocked: increased capacity (low, passive).

Rank2:

Skills unlocked: air shot (low).

Everything was pretty similar to the big bad wolf from Red’s story but that was within expectation since they’re both the same race and play the same type of role in the stories they appear in.

“FINALLY FINISHED!” Honestly, I was caught up with building the third floor and training the creatures that I lost track of time and with Alice not always with me anymore I completely forgot all about what was happening above ground.

“How long was I gone?” I could only stare with rounded eyes as the entire town was more or less completed.

There was a giant wall of wood around the perimeter of my dungeon and the town, several wooden buildings had been erected and there were several times more people that I don’t remember seeing before I started my dungeon building fiasco.

I found Alice in the library like usual and asked her what had happened in my absence, apparently I was working on the dungeon for at least three weeks, in that time more builders and adventurers had arrived and construction was in full swing, now am no expert but it seems that construction for this town was going at a faster than normal.

“This location and dungeon seem to be important to the A.A according to Lyra.” Alice answers me, as apparently Lyra had told her in one of their chats that my appearance is important for the higher-ups at the Adventurers Association, Alice then adds that “this is most likely due to political reasons”.

Well, I’ve never been one for political struggles let’s just hope that it doesn’t concern us at the very least.

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(Newly built Adventurers association hall, branch chiefs office, Lyra POV)

I lazily stare out the window looking at the builders run back and forth working their little buns off, bored as I had nothing to do, I toy with the idea of visiting adorable little Alice again to better our relationship.

“Mam there’s a letter for you!” suddenly a runner screaming at the top of his lungs as he charges into my office letter in hand, “remember to knock first you dunce!” I shout back even louder than the runner as I reach for a random item on my desk and throw at him, *thwack* “A lady needs her PRIVACY!” I end my sentence by punctuating privacy and kick him out of my office.

Looking at the letter I start to understand as to why the runner was in such a rush, it was from the higher-ups at the adventurer’s association main building, quickly I open and read through the letter knowing it had to be about my promotion.

“What! I was assured the position of branch chief!” I screamed in shock, the position that was guaranteed to be mine was now suddenly contested for by someone in the same generation as me.

Looking through the letter again as slowly and methodically as possible I try to look at the name of my challenger, to my dismay and confusion there was no name and when trying to think about who it could be no names come to mind, as to who could contest me for the position branch chief.

The letter added that this so-called challenger would be arriving soon and that it would be here in this town they would figure out who would be branch chief, never had a situation like this had happened before, usually branch chiefs would be trained in advance to prepare for the appearances of mana dungeons or in the case a current branch chief is killed or retires.

The only one who should be qualified enough for the position is me, Management, negotiations, foreign affairs, combat training, accounting and so much more, I had gone through all the required training and came out on top of everyone else, but not once had I heard that there was someone in the same generation who even matched me in terms of abilities.

This situation was abnormal, to say the least.