“[Poker], is it a good class?” I asked. I doubted classes as strong as mine are common but poking at stuff didn’t sound strong.

“Eh.” Mudthorn wiggled a hand and glanced at it, her, new spear. She introduced herself as a daughter even if I couldn’t tell even by voice. “Not good stat, but good skill. Easy to learn. I’m level two now!”

The way she said it with such pride made me appraise her more. She was probably level one just earlier today but even now I felt like I could destroy her with ease, or about as much ease as it would take to kill Chion.

“So someone can learn it easy. How? What’s a good skill?” I could’ve been less direct but I was tired after still not having slept. “Why go [Poker] if it has bad stats and one good skill?”

Mudthorn eyed me, probably wondering if I would uphold my end of the deal. At least that would be what I would think in her situation. “Gain two skill when get class. You know? [Poker] gets [Pierce], very strong skill. Only [Poker] don’t give vitality so very weak. Good for young goblins.”

That made sense and felt why I could beat her. If we traded attacks I would automatically win with my [Tough Scales] and higher vitality. “Only for young goblins?”

“Good to survive first months. After that young goblin have learned skills and change class. But good classes need Chief permission.” She leaned in and looked around suspiciously. “Chief is weak in Redroots Tribe. Recently took [Shaman] class, very good class.”

I nodded like I knew what she was talking about. “How did he get such a class? How do you even get a class? Dungeon’s way is weird, I must buy it from dungeon, it’s really expensive.”

“Buy? Expensive?” asked Mudthorn. I had a goblin word for it but she must not know it.

“Takes lots of power, very hard to get more power,” I stated simply.

“Oh. Getting class like [Poker] easy. Do things like class a lot and get it. For [Poker] just poke things. Wall, ground, frogs.” Mudthorn glanced back at the tree she stabbed with [Pierce]. “Trees. Good classes harder because need more things learned. Mother said Chief was [Dabbler], bad magic class but was high level before change.”

Thank the dungeon I had an amazing class then because starting over sounded miserable. Well, she did say you only lose class skills but keep anything you learn naturally.

“You gain skills same way then? Practice one thing a lot?” I asked as I got up and went over to the core. Mudthorn had earned her armor pieces and I had barely recovered enough for two pieces.

“Yes, no, hmm.” Mudthorn got up and held her spear while thinking. “Very good skills I don’t know, maybe like good class. Only skill I have not from class is [Keen Hearing], but not get just from listening. I think got from wanting to listen.”

A tunic and cap made of hide similar, but not the same, as Chion’s appeared in claw and I tossed them at Mudthorn. She had watched with interest and surprise before grinning like a loon. It probably seemed like a good deal for both of us.

So for skills, and my guess for higher tier classes too, was that intent mattered just as the actions and practice to get it. That changed things a little bit and explained why Chion couldn’t learn [Claw Techniques]. He didn’t want to while I did when I fought for my life.

It cost a single spirit point to grant a class to a creature, but they could learn it if they were shown how. Yet even that might fail because they have to want it. Only the dungeon’s way lets me force it. Making Chion a [Trapper] was probably a good idea in the end, but I was definitely going to save spirit points for rarer classes.

“All you want for this?” asked Mudthorn as she was slipping on the tunic. It had two loops for her to put her spear through so she did and snugly put the cap on her head. Where Chion’s had holes for his horns hers had holes for her long ears. “Maybe I bring back more stuff I get more armor?”

“Kekeke, maybe if it’s better stuff? Rocks and dead small animals are too easy.” I motioned at the chest. “If you want you can still take. I don’t want you in my dungeon but I can’t open the dumb chest myself.”

“Maybe later? Been gone long time, tribe might worry.” She grimaced and spat. “Also maybe not, just weak goblin [Poker] go missing.”

Sounded like she had a hard time. With the important information talked about I didn’t have much to do until my mana recovered so we chatted about nonsense. Mudthorn was barely a month old and was aiming to get the [Impaler] class her mother had, a decent class and an older goblin’s next rise from [Poker].

She didn’t know of any goblin that had ever hit over level twenty because they would get better classes around ten or so and change. Usually they died before getting their levels back but the few were very powerful. Also people gained skills every five levels and a special thing at ten although Mudthorn didn’t know what it was.

Mudthorn was good conversation and was really interesting with her life outside the dungeon. It wasn’t something incredible but I listened while we talked for a few hours before she had to leave or risk being eaten by large predators. It was actually why she hid in my dungeon before. Luckily nothing chased her in here!

I grinned and waved as she left feeling refreshed spiritually even if I was exhausted. My mana was come back a little bit which meant that both me and the core had enough for at least one kobold each. I picked up the dumb thing and trudged back to the .

Everyone was lightly sparring with Chion watching from his nest. I nodded to him and he ignored me even though he clearly saw my nod. When I changed course toward him he stiffened and nodded rapidly. Good.

With two more white lights and twenty mana gone a pair of kobolds, one male and one female but both with shorter and slim builds, formed. I didn’t have the mana nor the care to make them nests.

“You two won’t revive so don’t die until I wake up,” I told them before walking over to my nest and collapsing in it. Mine and Chion’s were close enough that I could stretch and touch the edge of his nest. “Order them or whatever. Gain classes by practice for specific role.”

Before Chion could answer I had closed my eyes and passed out. Nothing save an intruder could prevent my sleep and maybe not even then.

————————————

Something heavy fell on top of me. The fact that it was breathing and frantically scrambling to get off me was good. It meant that I could be the one to end its breathing. Considering how rested I felt it the whole night had likely passed so I couldn't use that excuse to ignore whichever panicking kobold pulled itself off of me.

I cracked an eye open to see five onlookers with various expressions that all denoted some fear, Chion backing away slowly toward the fox room, and a single terrified kobold quivering barely two steps from me. Said kobold was the small female one Chion had been training. Our eyes met and she tried to escape but my claw was quicker and grabbed her ankle. Oh, she struggled but a newborn couldn't contest me so quickly.

She tried to speak but her voice locked in her throat as I sat up and stretched. What to do, what to do. The urge to kill the slightly-prettier kobold was high but since she would revive it was pretty pointless. To punish her, and then Chion for allowing it to happen, was good but I was still tired. It was honestly unfortunate to find out I was a rather happy kobold when waking up.

The tears in her eyes did irk me though so I got up and began dragging her behind me as I went to the core room to buy me breakfast. Chion had a very particular look like he was relieved that I had chosen a sacrifice that wasn't him. Kekeke, I changed coursed and sprinted at him, dropping the female and jumped to dropkick Chion in the chest.

I landed ungracefully on my back but felt good since Chion flew all the way to the wall. "Next time don't ruin my sleep!"

"But Master, lair too small for training," he pleaded as he rubbed his chest.

The lair was actually getting crowded now that there were eight of us, at least it was too small to also use it as a training room. Nobody used the fox den to train because the Matriarch always wanted to play too and she was too strong.

"Fine, I'll make the east room a training room after I eat." I got up and grabbed the female kobold by the ankle again and resumed dragging her. It was half punishment and half for my amusement. Naturally I wasn't entirely cruel because I shared some of my morning berries with her. Share some meat? Please ask an older and richer [Dungeon Master].

I ate while browsing through the interface seeing what I could use for a training room. A couple weapons would be needed along with a rack to hold them. We could leave them on the floor but that seemed tasteless. What else did training rooms have? Did they need wood target dummies when they themselves would work? Oh, maybe for bow and arrows! I eyed the list... maybe one or two wouldn't hurt. It definitely wasn't because I was interested, only that some fun would keep dumb kobolds from doing even dumber things for their fun.

Alright it was... where did that female go? I grabbed the cube-core and headed to the east room, passing through the lair and looking for my escaped victim. Sneaky, that one, to be able to wiggle out of my grasp without me realizing it. I'd leave her alone as reward for escaping. Before I forgot I made two grass nests and assigned the two kobolds I summoned last night to them. Now they could die in peace.

The east room was plain like all the other rooms. I felt like it would be too small for what I wanted but I had already created it. There wasn't a choice under the so I assumed it was unlocked later in my skill or there was no undoing rooms.

First was checking my mana. I was at thirty-four and the dungeon had fourteen after the grass nests, so with recovering three an hour each I manage fifty or sixty mana across the morning. Was it enough? A small shelf, a cheap table with four stools and grass mat was fifteen mana total. Kekeke, I was so nice to put a large woven grass mat in the middle of the room. It looked nice and was soft to stand on.

I bought one dagger, one sword and one bow, all wood of course, along with two quivers of arrows for thirty-two mana. The bow and arrows cost the most, with the dumb quivers only holding ten arrows that respawned either once a day or once a delve. Already I was feeling faint after using so much mana so quickly so I arranged the room with the table and stools off near the entrance and the shelf holding the weapons on the far wall. All it was missing was some wooden targets to use the weapons against. Thankfully the dungeon naturally repaired all furniture and weapons inside it so I never had to worry about broken things.

The kobolds went quiet as I went through on my way to the fox den with the two newest ones confused about why everyone was fearful. Still no sign of that sneaky female although Chion had a weird expression. No matter, I wanted to toy with the fox cubs while I waited for mana.

I froze a single step out of the lair. How did I take suddenly gaining this skill? Enjoy it because I loved skills and stats? Hate it because it said I'm scary to my minions? Kekeke, of course I loved it. Be frightened, dumb kobolds, of my wrath and terror! I felt that unlike my other skills I could activate this one by using mana.

The memory of the fox cub appearing like a monster out of my nightmares came to me and I hesitated. Maybe I wouldn't use it on my minions all the time. Maybe. I would try.

I spent the next five hours enjoying the warmth of the sun that filtered into the and practicing my [Mana Manipulation] as normal. There was a vague feeling like it was about to hit a limit, probably a level up, so I was feeling excited about it. Should skills level so quickly normally? Mudthorn did say that she was a month old and just hit level two, although she was probably born as a baby. Dungeon creatures were summoned as new adults so maybe it was normal?

When I once again passed through the lair everyone had vanished except Chion who was lazing about in his nest. "Where is all the minions?"

He waved a claw with no strength. "Dead. Most, small female somewhere, maybe trap hallway."

I paused. "Dead?"

"Leveled [Dagger Techniques] and [Light Step] to two. Got excited," he said sheepishly.

"Keke, any of the new minions get a class yet?"

"No? All say they feel something, but nothing yet."

So I still had useless minions that couldn't even beat dumb fox cubs. I wandered back to the training room in progress to spend the thirty mana I had. It was becoming a pain to have to sort through the lists over and over to look for the exact things I wanted. Turned out that and were tools instead of furniture. It made sense but as tools that cost five mana each. I set two of each up on the opposite walls so that any kobold using a bow wouldn't shoot someone practicing a sword in the head. Although... no, think of the future me that would have to listen to complaints.

All that was missing was something for the table.

>Wood Ball - 1 MP

- Used for many things like catching, throwing or being chewed on.

>Bone Dice - 3 MP

- A set of four small cubes with numbers on them. Used in many games or for chewing.

>Slate and Discs - 5 MP

- A wooden square board with small grooves that comes with twenty small stone discs, ten white and ten gray.

>Wood Swing - 5 MP

- A wood board supported by two thin grass ropes.

> Darts and Board - 20 MP

- Six darts tipped with crude iron and a wooden board with colored areas from flower dyes.

There were a couple more like blocks and a wooden throwing disc that said it could be chewed on. What was with toys and chewing? Ah, maybe it was added because of the foxes. That sounded fun so I bought one of those, a set of dice and the weird slate and disc thing. I kept the ball for myself and put the others on the table. I honestly had no idea what to use the things for but I would let the minions figure it out. Use it as a test to see which ones were smarter.

As I picked up the core I saw a message on it that I didn't open.

Hmm?

>Kobold Training Area - 25 MP / 1 Spirit

- A room to train newborn kobolds in various ways allowing them to learn classes or skills quicker. Allows one assigned kobold to gain the [Trainer] class.

You could unlock room upgrades like this!? Ah, everything was falling into place. Skills, classes, the dumb core interface; I was beginning to understand the importance of intent and appearance. I sat still and waited while counting the seconds until I had enough mana to upgrade the room.

Six more, then four more, then two more. Minutes away from using my last spirit point on a room that my minions will never appreciate me for, but I didn't care about that. I wanted powerful minions! Not one day had passed that I didn't remember the fear of the fox cub's first invasion or watching all my minions be slaughtered by the adult fox and barely saved by my traps. I knew that the foxes weren't strong here, that there were monsters far beyond a classless fox or kobold.

I tapped the upgrade and held the white light in my claw. This would be an important turning point for my dungeon, the point of when every kobold would have a basic class!

The light was killed as the tore through my mind and the teleported back to its pedestal in its room.

I got up and clenched my bone knife so hard the handle cracked.

“Chion, invaders!” I yelled and stormed back into the lair. Every kobold was there on their nests gazing around in confusion except my chief minion who was ordering the sneaky female.

“Go check entrance,” he said before addressing me. “Kill or talk, Master?”

If it wasn't my single friendly goblin, and maybe even then, they are going to get such a stabbing. “Kill, no questions.”

“Chief, Master,” the sneaky female said after coming back from the entrance. “Green short things, many!”

So many stabbings.