SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Magic Stones are located.

Absorbing Magic Stones: Complete.

Setting Dungeon Type as...: "Desert Cave".

Please select the Dungeon's "Dungeon Theme", its "Main Attribute", the members of the "Common Monster Line", and its first "Specialized Monster Line".

Come on, Garami. The System Message won't change until you do something, so start acting! If Alf and the other members of "Team: Destroy the Sun!!!" find out you're denying them time in the shade just to stare into space, they will get your hide for it!

Okay, it's time to calm down. This isn't the end of the world. It's just some mystery stuff that the System sometimes loves to throw at you. No biggie. Just take it from the start and review every bit of info here...

A "Dungeon Type" refers to what Dungeon we're talking about. It could be a Dungeon located in some ruins, in a forest, an underwater Dungeon, blah-blah-blah, yadda-yadda-yadda...

In my case, I got a "cave in the middle of the desert"..., yeah, I still don't get it. Why is that any different from your plain old caves? Let's call for an expert about this.

"*Glugg, glugg, glugg*...ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?" - Bloom

"Can you even die without me kicking the bucket?" - Garami

After emptying a large bottle of water on top of the overheated fairy guide, Bloom finally snapped her eyes wide open. I brought her up to speed on what was going on.

"Meaning...Master wants to know the difference between a Cave and a Desert Cave Dungeon?" - Bloom

"You still out of it or something? But yes, that's the gist of things." - Garami

"*Yawn*, there are no big differences. If I had to say, it would be that traps are easier to generate in a Desert Cave than in a normal Cave?" - Bloom

"Why traps?" - Garami

"Maybe due to Pyramid-type Dungeons are required to be in the desert as well?" - Bloom

Just because of that? Maybe a "Forest Cave" would have more vegetation then? Now that I think about it, an "Undersea Cave" would be kinder for marine life than the usual type... But then again, maybe a normal Cave Dungeon would be easier to manage since it doesn't have any of those special traits added to itself.

Whatever the case, seeing that this place is good for a trap-themed Dungeon is making my heart beat louder. I'm a trap user myself, so it pleases me to see my Dungeon taking after me, circumstances be damned.

"In that case, let's pick the Dungeon Theme with the Desert Cave's traits in mind~." - Garami

A Dungeon Theme is, to put it as simply as possible, the overall aesthetics of the Dungeon. It adds new traits to the Dungeon while unlocking new treasures, traps, other facilities, and least of all, Dungeon Monsters.

According to the manuals I've studied back in Velantas, the Themes a Dungeon can have are decided based on the Dungeon Master, the area the Dungeon is created in, the Magic Stones used, and of course, the Dungeon Core's traits. Therefore, the options available to me are...

Available Dungeon Themes: Endless Desert: Everlasting fields, tunnels, and/or buildings filled with sand cover your view. Creatures of the desert take residence in these dead dunes. Do you have enough water with you to try and explore these infinite sandbanks? Or will your corpse end up as another bucket of dust? Waterfall Tunnels: An underground lake, river, and of course, a waterfall. This strange, humid land underneath the surface acts as a ridicule to the thirsting masses above. Fishes, eels, and other underwater creatures live here, despite being caved in by rocks and dirt. Now, shall you liberate the land and create an oasis of peace and prosperity? Or turn into fish food as the drought continues? Netherworld Royal: A royal castle, filled with the legions of the netherworld. Demons, monsters, and the undead. They all will greet you oh so "friendly". Can you reach the king of this wretched area? Or rot in the prison cell in the cellar? Sinful Ruins: The final remains of what used to be a city that fulfilled the pleasures and unholy desires of men and beast alike. Demons and vile creatures lurk behind every corner even to this day, when there is no one left to feed upon. While lurking through the remains of a splendid former civilization, can you hope to score gold? Or score yourself a coffin? Or maybe even assist in resurrecting the city? Creepy Tomb: A massive mausoleum where the dead have risen the flag of rebellion against the living. The undead and their allies roam through these grave-filled areas. Is your quest to defend the living, or are you simply a fool who has one leg already in your grave? You could even be aspiring to take command of this army for yourself. Dark Cavern: The caves of absolute darkness. Creatures that are unseen by the sun prey on the fools who enter their domain. Now, are you a fool, or a hunter? Tenebrous Ritual: The ritual grounds for calling on the great gods and demons of darkness. Ritualists and their creatures will prevent your intrusion into their rituals. So, will you end up as an offering? Or will you face the great summoned beast?

"Master!! I have no idea what they are trying to say here!!" - Bloom

"Then use the cheat code, aka the Kigal-Note." - Garami

"I tried, but the information is locked out for me! The Dungeons' innermost secrets are governed by the God Chaos!" - Bloom

Tch. There was something like that when I read about that god. I did a quick, yet thorough, study regarding the divinities in this world after getting dumped with this Apostle gig.

Still, this is troublesome. Did Chaos purposely make the Kigal-Note incapable of obtaining the deeper files regarding Dungeons just cause Bloom, or rather, the [Gamemaster] skill is connected to his better half, the Goddess Order? ...It sounds plausible, knowing that guy.

Chaos' bullying shouldn't extend to the Dungeon creation screens (I hope), so these weird, Chuunibyo-like "descriptions" must be Chaos' attempt at being "cool". Just what I needed...

Mmm, the first line seems to be referring to the Dungeon itself. Probably how the theme would affect the Dungeon it is used in. The second line... This must be referring to what monsters can appear in the Dungeon if that theme is used. As for the final one, it seems to just be a warning given by Chaos. Probably nothing important, just the god of Chuuni trying to be cool.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Okay, I think I know what to NOT use among these options. Starting from these Waterfall Tunnels." - Garami

"Really? I think they fit perfectly for the plan of creating an oasis." - Bloom

"Can't you read? This theme got to be based on the Water-Knot!" - Garami

"O-ohh. Now that you mention it..." - Bloom

Or it could be that the original Dungeon that was altered into the Water-Knot I know used to have "Waterfall Tunnels" as its theme. No matter the case, it's too close to that ****ing snake's creation, so I wouldn't choose it even if it was the only option available to me.

"The next we can cross off the list would be...Creepy Tomb and Dark Cavern. They do sound good for scaring away invaders...but can a Dungeon grow without any opposition?" - Garami

"Probably not. And for the same reason, I suspect we should remove Tenebrous Ritual." - Bloom

"It does have that 'evil' flavor to it. I figured we could use it to summon succubi or something to lure people..." - Garami

"Why would they go all the way into the desert just for some pretty ladies? Oh, and speaking of deserts, the Endless one seems like it would clash with Master's ideals." - Bloom

"That's putting it lightly. Meaning we are left with...Netherworld Royal and Sinful Ruins." - Garami

Both of them sound like nasty places to live in, but compared to the ones before, they're the lesser evils...I think. Speaking of "evils", this "Netherworld Royal" theme, ain't it...?

"Hey, Bloom? Don't you think this one here sounds vaguely familiar?" - Garami

"...Now I see what you mean. It feels like it could be connected to the Dungeon-parts of Tir na Nog." - Bloom

"In that case, we're not using this." - Garami

"Because of Revi?" - Bloom

"A good leader makes sure not to put their subordinates under mental press or have them relive their traumas." - Garami

"Yes, yes, Master softie-heart." - Bloom

G-grr... I hate it when I can't give a witty comeback...

"*Cough*, though thanks to this, it became crystal clear what theme we will use for the Dungeon." - Garami

"Are you sure? You are talking about ruins here." - Bloom

"Ruins, sure, but at the end of the description, it says 'Or maybe even assist in resurrecting the city?'." - Garami

"Oh! Do you think it is possible to resurrect the ancient civilization that this theme is based on?" - Bloom

"If there ever existed something like that, then probably, yes. But my point is that it should at least be possible to provide some relief to desert travelers. If we can get those old shops and facilities running again." - Garami

"That sounds like a pain. Isn't there a theme with buildings that are not destroyed?" - Bloom

"Not for us, my lazy little fairy." - Garami

While sharing the pain of future, exhausting hours of restoration work with Bloom, I chose "Sinful Ruins" as my Dungeon's theme. The next screen that appeared after that showed me a list of the 10 primary attributes. The lack of Order and Chaos doesn't come as a surprise. A Dungeon's attributes tell what items and monsters that can be generated in that place. Seeing as there are no Order or Chaos attribute monsters or items out there, the World System administrators must have purposely made those two attributes inaccessible to Dungeons as well.

These primary attributes will act as the "main" attribute of the Dungeon. One can also take up to 11 composition attributes, such as Poison or Crystal, giving the Dungeon a total of 12 different attributes. I don't know why it is limited to just 1 primary attribute. Maybe it is to prevent some idiot from trying to create an "ultimate Dungeon" based on the Ultimate Gods? If there existed such a complete moron, they're probably long gone by now. By divine punishment.

Anyway, several attributes here are grayed out. I probably didn't qualify for them, considering the attributes in question are Fire, Ice, Metal, and Life. Earth and Wind (which are components of the Sand attribute) + Death are probably here due to the desert environment outside the cave. Water...must be from Glavras again. It would be perfect for the Dungeon, but I don't want to have anything more to do with him than I already do.

Light and Darkness might come from me..., but Light might also be from the desert...! Let's go with Darkness. Having a dark place to rest from the scorching sun could also be a way to tempt the invaders from sparing the Dungeon if they ever reach the Core. And while I'm a little afraid to think about it, there is a certain Ultimate Goddess who (more than) might be dissatisfied if I choose any other attribute...

Okay, I'm almost done. Now I have to choose the monsters of the "common monster line".

Some context: the 12 attributes of a Dungeon can be used on different floors with different categories of monsters. Up to 4 categories of monsters can be used, and each category can have up to 3 attributes at most. The floors will also take on some traits from the attribute where these "Monster Lines" are used.

HOWEVER!! There is a 13th Monster Line, which is the "Common Monster Line" that they are asking about. Unlike the other 12, this one is not connected to any attributes or any specific monster species. Instead, you could call it a "non-attribute Line", or perhaps a "normal-type Line". It consists of monsters that are typical of a Dungeon. Such as Goblins, or Goblins, or Goblins..., or Goblins...

"Aren't there too many Goblin options here?" I asked while scrolling down the hologram-like screen showing all the available monsters I could choose from. I did study a ton regarding Dungeons and their ecology, but this is too stupid. All they are missing are the attribute-based variations of Goblins, such as the Redcap species of the Blood attribute.

And that is when the list only shows you the monsters up to their E-rank evolution stage! Spawned monsters can go all the way up to C-rank, though you have to go deeper into the Dungeon if you want to see higher-ranked monsters. The number and quality of the spawned Dungeon monsters that defend the Dungeon increases when you go further into the Dungeon, but it seems a newbie-Dungeon, one that will only have 1 floor, might only reach the E-ranks.

"Master, how about the Goblin Leader?" - Bloom

"Why that one?" - Garami

"We did see how efficient the Feral-version was on Iron Isle. Plus, these Goblins are non-Ferals." - Bloom

"Hmm, then we perhaps could use them as commanders for the monsters on the Common Line floors." - Garami

"In that case, how about some wolves? Even non-Goblin Riders could need a ride." - Bloom

"Good call. I saw some Diredogs on the list. They would be a strong addition to the team... Speaking of 'strong', what are these [Strength] and [Knowledge] markings added at the end of each species?" - Garami

The Goblin Leader had a [Knowledge] behind its name while the Diredog has [Strength] behind it. There's also a [Magic] sign behind races that seem strong with magic, such as the Goblin Shaman, and a [Stealth] mark behind sneaky creatures such as the Goblin Thief. ...Dammit! I've got goblins on my brain now...

"Maybe they designate what class line that they are strong with?" - Bloom

"In that case, the [Strenght] would be Warrior-line classes, [Magic] equals Mage-line, and [Stealth] for Scouts. But [Knowledge] feels out of place." - Garami

"Why? Isn't it representing the Crafter-line?" - Bloom

"Then explain why the Goblin Leader has it while the Goblin Smith has [Strength]." - Garami

".........I've got nothing." - Bloom

Tch. Maybe these are Dungeon-related classifications of sorts? Whatever the case, the Common Line isn't exactly looking like it would be the strongest card in the Dungeon's deck anyway. Let's use it to experiment and gather data for when I choose the monsters of the other Monster Lines.

"'Kay, then the next member could be... They have Dark Elves as an option!?" - Garami

"Wow. There's even Dwarves here too." - Bloom

Maybe because we got an underground-based Dungeon-type, these two came up as "monster" options? Despite not being all that "monstrous". Now that I think about it, Goblins can technically also be considered a "humanoid species". It's probably only Humans, who have no connection to locations and are the most favored species by Chaos' direct opposite, the goddess Order, who can't be used as a combat force for a Dungeon. They're not on my list, at least. Not even the Feral-variant, but I can't see any Ferals at all anyway.

Ignoring that, I decided to include the [Knowledge] specialist Dark Elf. It's not like I'm hoping for any raunchy events happening in the Dungeon! Honest! ...Wait. These guys will be on the "monster" side. DAMMIT!!

*Sigh*. For the last two monsters..., let's go with Giant Bats. They're registered as [Stealth] and would fit the caves to the tee. For the last option..., hey. They got Killer Rabbits! Small, two-legged rabbits armed to the teeth with knives! Pure, cuddly killing machines! I remember even designing a species or two back in Limbo that's based on bunnies. Plus they remind me of Mira and that is good enough of a reason in my eyes.

And that is all, folks! We have all 5 members of the Common Line, ready and waiting! The next and final step is to choose the first specialized Monster Line. Several options are available to me, mostly thanks to the Magic Stones I used to create the Dungeon. Hmm...

"It has to be the Demon Line." - Garami

"Why so?" - Bloom

"Demon plus the Darkness attribute could mean I can populate the Dungeon with more Kur Kigals in the future." - Garami

"Will that not just reveal Master's identity as someone connected to the world?" - Bloom

"Probably, but we can go with the excuse that I'm staying close to the Dungeon to research the Dungeon-versions." - Garami

But to be honest, as an artist, I want the world to know more about my creations, aka the Kur Kigals. If it comes back to bite me...THEN WHATEVER!!

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

"Dungeon Theme" is set as [Sinful Ruins].

"Main Attribute" is set as [Darkness].

"Common Monster Line" has been decided. The Monsters chosen are "Goblin Leader", "Diredog", "Dark Elf", "Giant Bat", and "Killer Rabbit".

"Specialized Monster Line" is set as "Demon".

Are these options correct?

Y/N

The only correct answer here is "yes"~. Let's hope it won't explode on me.

Despite my anxiety, nothing like that happened when I pushed the button. The world just started to rumble. This cave won't collapse on top of us, will it!?

Luckily, the shakes ended a few moments after they'd started. Only some specks of dust had fallen from the ceiling. I picked off Bloom who had taken cover inside my hood and looked around.

The previous dirty, brown rock walls had changed into a jet-black material like matte onyx. The room where the Dungeon Core, now placed on a pedestal made out of a sharp crystal-like substance, looks like a hall from some abandoned nightclub that had been integrated into the dark cave. The place is large enough to easily welcome a party of adventurers for a final battle. All it needs is a Dungeon Boss...and hopefully, a barrier to protect the Core. Let's look into that later...

I was about to go out to see the rest of the Dungeon when another System Message appeared in front of me. I had been anticipating the first half of it, but the second half came as a surprise.

SYSTEM MESSAGE:

Dungeon settings have been completed. You can name your Dungeon now.

Acquired title: [Dungeon Master].

Conditions cleared! Congratulations on obtaining the "Demon Lord's Starting Pack"!

...Is the World System trying to make me the last boss of something?