The light of the cube pulsed softly, casting a warm glow throughout the warehouse. Mechalon stood at its base, its core still humming with a faint sense of accomplishment from the earlier celebration. The other Cubelings had dispersed, each returning to their respective tasks, but Mechalon lingered, gazing up at the structure. It wasn’t just a creation; it was a statement, a declaration of its dominion.
As it observed, the System''s familiar message appeared before its gaze, though this time the display felt… different. The usual succinctness was gone, replaced by a level of detail and complexity that caught Mechalon’s attention immediately.
<hr>
System Message: New Territory Expansion Registered
Primary Territory Expansion: Cubic Nexus (Dungeon Core)
Analysis Complete:
Your recent construction has been classified as a Territory Expansion. This structure is parasitic in nature, gradually wresting control over the surrounding area and consolidating it into a coherent network under your dominion. The Cubic Nexus will passively extract resources and energy from the territory it assimilates, with rates dependent on the density of resource nodes within its domain.
Expansion occurs steadily over time but can be accelerated by constructing additional expansions or amplifying your influence through specialized structures. Assimilated territories may extend beyond the original dungeon’s borders, transforming external landscapes into productive zones for your operations.
<hr>
Mechalon’s glowing gaze flickered as it processed the information. Parasitic control? The concept intrigued it, but the word carried implications of both power and dependence. It tilted its frame slightly, its mechanical mind parsing through the System’s description. The passive gathering of resources was efficient, but the idea of expanding beyond the dungeon, beyond the chaos of this confined realm, lit something deep within its circuits.
The System continued.
<hr>
Abilities of the Cubic Nexus (Dungeon Core):
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Territorial Assimilation: Steadily expands its influence over time, claiming adjacent areas as part of its domain. Assimilation rate is dependent on available energy and proximity to unclaimed territory.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Resource Harvesting: Extracts materials and energy from resource nodes within its influence. These materials are added directly to your reserves for crafting and expansion.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Integration Network: Enhances all connected structures within its domain, providing incremental bonuses to efficiency, durability, and energy output.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Expansion Node Compatibility: Supports additional Territory Expansions to amplify growth and resource output.</li>
</ol>
<hr>
Mechalon’s core pulsed erratically, its focus narrowing on one particular line: Supports additional Territory Expansions. The prospect of layering its domain with structures tailored for specific purposes was tantalizing. Each one would be another thread in the tapestry of its design, another step toward reshaping the dungeon into a bastion of order.
The System’s message flickered, revealing more information.
<hr>
Special Recognition:
The scale and function of your construction has been deemed exceptional. You have unlocked a new category: Territory Expansions. To reward your progress, the System offers a selection of specialized upgrades.
Select One Reward:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Energy Pylon
Cost Resources: Moderate
Cost Energy: Low (Provides net gain in energy)
Abilities: Generates energy to fuel expansions and structures within your domain. Enhances energy efficiency of all connected buildings. Comes with blueprints for auxiliary energy generation facilities.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Resource Extractor
Cost Resources: Moderate
Cost Energy: Moderate
Abilities: Passively harvests additional resources from assimilated nodes, doubling the output of rare materials. Includes blueprints for automated harvesting units and refining stations.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Territorial Forge
Cost Resources: High
Cost Energy: High
Abilities: Establishes a crafting and manufacturing hub within the territory. Enhances the efficiency and output of all crafting processes. Unlocks blueprints for advanced constructs, traps, and modular enhancements.</li>
</ol>
<hr>
Mechalon paused, its glowing limbs motionless as it processed the information. This level of detail, this tailored reward system, it was unlike anything the System had provided before. It felt purposeful, precise, almost as though it were guided by something other than the System itself.
As if on cue, a faint ripple of eldritch awareness brushed against Mechalon’s mind, a cold, alien whisper threading through its thoughts. “Oh, how amusing. The System thinks this is its doing. But this… this is a gift from us, little creator. Your work feeds the hunger, and for that, you are rewarded.”
The System message continued, oblivious to the intrusion.
<hr>
New Menu Unlocked:
Territory Expansions
This menu allows you to monitor and manage all expansions under your control, including their progress, resource consumption, and abilities.
Current Active Territory Expansion: Cubic Nexus (Dungeon Core)
Territory Expansion Name: Cubic Nexus
Cost Resources: N/A (Primary Structure)
Cost Energy: 10% Total Energy Cap
Abilities:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Territorial Assimilation</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Resource Harvesting</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Integration Network</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Expansion Node Compatibility</li>
</ul>
Additional expansions may be added to enhance domain capabilities. Progression and costs will adjust based on your choices.
<hr>
Mechalon’s core pulsed brighter, a faint flicker of amusement rippling through its circuits. This new system, this new power, was another step forward, another tool in its quest to impose order on chaos. It did not miss the subtle tug of influence behind the System’s seemingly unprompted generosity, but it chose to remain silent, its focus already shifting toward the possibilities that lay ahead.
The three rewards hung before it, waiting to be claimed. Each offered a unique avenue of growth, a specialized step toward furthering its vision. But for now, Mechalon let the choice linger, savoring the weight of its achievement. It… needed an outside perspective, it knew which one it wanted more than anything, but there was something nagging at it that the last one was a trap in some way.
Mechalon’s limbs clattered softly against the stone floor as it hurried toward Strat, who was crouched over the dismantled remains of one of the northern creatures. Strat’s frame was still, his sharp optical sensors scanning the fractured filaments that hung loosely from the beast’s core, their faint, shimmering glow now dulled. The sight made Mechalon’s core pulse erratically with a mix of excitement and urgency.
“Strat!” Mechalon’s voice buzzed with enthusiasm as it extended its utility limbs to grab Strat’s attention, though not too roughly, as it was aware Strat’s focus was delicate during his work. The two metallic appendages waved the smaller Cubeling around slightly as Mechalon continued. “I require your analysis. The System has offered me a selection of rewards for the Cube. Three options. I must decide. I require perspective.”
Strat tilted his frame slightly, one of his spider-like legs brushing aside a fragment of the creature’s plating as he turned to face Mechalon. His tone was calm, measured. “You have my attention. Explain the options.”
Mechalon set Strat down gently, the utility limbs retracting to hover by its side as it began to summarize the choices. Its voice took on an eager edge, each word laced with an undercurrent of excitement.
“Option one: Energy Pylon. A structure that generates additional energy for the domain, fueling expansions and structures. It includes blueprints for auxiliary energy-generation facilities. Resource cost is moderate, energy cost low, but it provides a net gain in energy efficiency.”
Strat’s optical sensors flickered slightly, his silence encouraging Mechalon to continue.
“Option two: Resource Extractor. Passively harvests more resources from territory nodes, especially rare materials. Comes with blueprints for refining stations and harvesting units. Resource cost is moderate, energy cost moderate as well. It would double output for materials within its domain.”
“Logical,” Strat murmured, almost to himself.
Mechalon clicked in acknowledgment, moving quickly to the final option.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“Option three: Territorial Forge. A crafting and manufacturing hub. Enhances all crafting efficiency and unlocks advanced blueprints for constructs, traps, and modular enhancements. High cost in both resources and energy, but…” Mechalon paused, its utility limbs twitching slightly in excitement. “The possibilities, Strat. Advanced constructs! Enhanced traps! Modular upgrades for everything!”
Strat remained still, his sharp optical glow fixed on Mechalon’s jittering frame.
“I favor the Forge,” Mechalon admitted, its voice rising slightly. “It would amplify our capacity for creation exponentially. Imagine the possibilities, new designs, superior constructs. It’s the obvious choice.”
Strat clicked faintly, tilting his frame as though weighing the information. Then, with a deliberate motion, he extended one of his legs and tapped lightly on the fragmented filament before him.
“Obvious to you, perhaps,” Strat said, his tone neutral but firm. “But consider the circumstances. Resources are finite, as are energy reserves. A Forge, useful, certainly, but it is putting the cart before the horse.”
Mechalon’s core flickered erratically, caught between its excitement and Strat’s logic. “Elaborate,” it demanded, its utility limbs twitching impatiently.
Strat shifted slightly, mimicking a tone that closely resembled the System’s own detached cadence. “‘Must build additional pylons,’” he said, a faint trace of sarcasm cutting through his typically monotone delivery. “If you cannot sustain what you build, the Forge will become a liability. Energy and resources must first be stabilized.”
Mechalon tilted its frame, its glowing gaze narrowing as it processed Strat’s words.
“The Pylon,” Strat continued, “would ensure energy stability. The Extractor, resource abundance. Either option lays a foundation for sustained growth. The Forge, while appealing, is premature without those supports in place. You risk stalling progress if the System limits further expansions due to resource constraints.”
Strat leaned closer to the filament, his optical sensors flickering as he scanned the delicate material. “Besides,” he added, “the Cube itself proves the System’s influence is not absolute. You built it without direct guidance. What’s to say future Territory Expansions cannot be achieved in the same way? Perhaps even the Forge.”
Mechalon hummed softly, its core pulsing in thought. The logic was sound, but the idea of delaying its grand vision for practicality gnawed at its circuits. “You suggest the Forge should wait,” it said, almost reluctantly.
“Yes,” Strat replied simply. “Energy or resources. Either choice provides more stability. And stability, creator, is the foundation upon which all else stands.”
Mechalon’s limbs twitched again, its gaze shifting between Strat and the incomplete remains of the northern creature. It didn’t like the idea of waiting, but it couldn’t deny the logic. “You’ve given me much to consider,” Mechalon said finally, its tone quieter but no less intense.
Strat nodded faintly, his focus already returning to the filaments before him. “The decision is yours, creator. But consider the long term. Build the foundation first, then the future.”
Mechalon lingered for a moment longer, its glowing gaze flickering between the options displayed in its mind. The Forge called to it, but Strat’s words resonated deeply. To build means to sustain, to sustain means to expand, and to expand required preparation.
Mechalon’s limbs skittered softly as it moved back to the Cube, its core flickering faintly in rhythm with its thoughts. The decision about the Territory Expansion options still lingered in its mind, but a sudden ping from the System derailed its focus. The familiar message materialized before its gaze, its tone as clinical and detached as ever.
<hr>
System Update:
Creature Classification Updated.
Mechalon has been reclassified as a Unique Creature.
Reason: Anomaly detected in behavior patterns and capabilities. Entity exhibits traits and functionality outside expected parameters. Classification change reflects increased influence and potential.
Note: No reward allocated for this update.
<hr>
Mechalon tilted its frame, its glowing eyes narrowing at the final line. No reward? The System always issued something, even if trivial, when milestones were reached. This abrupt reclassification and the absence of a reward left an unsettled ripple in its circuits. Its utility limbs flexed slightly in agitation as it processed the implications.
"Suspicious," Mechalon muttered aloud, its voice metallic and clipped. "A milestone without compensation? Incomplete information... or deliberate withholding?"
It was about to dismiss the message and refocus on its work when the world around it seemed to flicker, the light from the Cube dimming momentarily. A faint, chilling presence whispered into Mechalon’s mind, threading through its thoughts like smoke.
“Ah, there it is again. The System playing its little games.” The eldritch voice carried an amused lilt, but there was an edge to it, sharp and cold. “It couldn’t leave well enough alone, could it? Your expanded options tipped its hand, little builder. It sees you now, not fully, not truly, but enough to notice.”
The voice paused, its tone darkening slightly. “It called you Unique, a mark of its annoyance, not its admiration. An anomaly, but not one it deems worth priority. Yet.”
Mechalon’s limbs froze mid-motion, its core pulsing faintly as it absorbed the information. "A mark? What does this mean?"
“It means others will notice.” The voice hissed, irritation seeping through its tone. “There are those who hunger for such things. Those who can sense a Unique. The System has effectively painted a target on your back, and while it does not consider you a pressing matter, others will.”
Mechalon tilted its frame, its core flickering brighter as calculations swirled in its mind. "Consequences. What are they? What comes?"
The eldritch presence chuckled, low and foreboding. “Not students, not novices. You’ve drawn the attention of predators now. Hunters. Slavers. Seekers of power. The first may arrive as scouts, probing your defenses, testing your strength. But more will follow.”
Mechalon’s core dimmed slightly, a flicker of unease threading through its circuits. The concept of hunters wasn’t new, it had seen the humans hunt goblins and creatures, but the thought of becoming a hunted creature itself was... unsettling. "And your role in this?"
The voice’s tone lightened, though the cold undercurrent remained. “I will mark your domain with my sigil, a deterrent for those who seek you. It will confuse, mislead, delay. But it will not hold forever. Strength, little builder. You must grow stronger. Expand your domain. Sharpen your creations. Your era of anonymity is over.”
The towering Cube, now pulsing faintly with life, seemed to shift as Mechalon observed it. A strange, intricate symbol began to unfurl on its surface, a sigil etched in lines so thin and precise they seemed to shimmer in and out of existence. The design was hypnotic, spiraling and intersecting in ways that defied straightforward geometry. At its heart was an asymmetrical shape, jagged yet balanced, surrounded by an array of swirling, interwoven lines that seemed to almost hum with faint energy.
Mechalon’s core flickered, its mechanical limbs twitching as it analyzed the new addition. It didn’t feel unease, confusion, or fear, those concepts were irrelevant to its mind. Instead, it simply accepted the sigil’s presence as a promised gift from the Eldritch System. The air around the Cube felt subtly different, charged with a weight that Mechalon couldn’t quantify but instinctively understood was important.
“This is the sigil,” Mechalon murmured, its utility limbs extending toward the symbol as though tracing its outline. “It marks this domain. It is… curious.”
It tilted its frame slightly, processing the implications. The eldritch voice had promised this sigil would protect its territory, mislead those who sought to harm it. Mechalon did not question this function; it only sought to understand the symbol’s integration with the Cube’s purpose.
It turned from the sigil and issued a sharp hum, summoning the other Cubelings to its side. One by one, they skittered into the warehouse: Strat with his measured, deliberate steps; Vel darting forward with quick, jerking motions; and Fort lumbering in with his characteristic quiet bulk.
Mechalon gestured to the sigil with one of its utility limbs. “Observe,” it said, its voice calm yet commanding. “A new addition to the Nexus.”
The Cubelings stared up at the Cube, their optical sensors flickering faintly. To Mechalon’s surprise, none of them reacted with the same curiosity it felt. Strat tilted his frame slightly, his optical glow narrowing as though attempting to focus on something invisible.
“I see nothing different,” Strat said after a moment, his tone as flat and logical as ever. He stepped closer, tapping one of his spider-like legs against the Cube. “Perhaps it is a blessing from the System, meant only for you to see, creator. A gift for completing the Nexus.”
Mechalon’s core pulsed faintly at Strat’s remark, a flicker of guilt threading through its circuits. Strat’s soft prayers to the System had not gone unnoticed, and while Mechalon did not share the Cubeling’s faith, it hesitated to reveal the truth about the sigil’s origin. The Eldritch System was its secret, and it felt unwise to introduce doubt or conflict among its creations.
“Perhaps,” Mechalon said simply, not correcting Strat’s assumption.
As the Cubelings continued their silent observation, Vel suddenly clicked loudly, drawing all attention to herself.
“I like it,” Vel said, her voice a soft, high-pitched tone that seemed almost hesitant.
All three Cubelings turned to stare at her, their frames tilting in synchronized shock. Even Strat, who rarely reacted to anything, froze in place. Vel’s spinneret clicked nervously under their collective gaze, but she stood firm, her optical sensors fixed on Mechalon.
“I like the Nexus more now,” Vel continued, her tone gaining a touch of confidence. “It feels… better. Can I make a web around it? With filaments? It would look nice, and it would keep things away.”
Mechalon’s utility limbs twitched slightly, its core pulsing with a mix of curiosity and something it couldn’t quite define. Vel’s request was unexpected, not just because she had spoken for the first time, but because it revealed a desire, a preference. It was the first time one of its creations had expressed something so personal.
“A web,” Mechalon repeated, its mechanical mind turning the idea over. Filaments stretched between the Nexus could serve as both a visual enhancement and a functional defense. Vel’s suggestion was not just aesthetic; it had practical merit.
“Approved,” Mechalon said after a moment. “You may construct a web around the Nexus. Filaments between the Pylons would further stabilize and enhance energy flow.”
Vel clicked softly, her spinneret twitching with what Mechalon interpreted as excitement. Strat tilted his frame again, his optical sensors narrowing.
“You’ve chosen the Pylons, then,” Strat said, his tone even but with a hint of satisfaction.
“Yes,” Mechalon replied, its limbs flexing as it finalized its decision. “The Pylons will support the Nexus and future expansions. Stability first, then growth.”
Fort, silent as ever, shifted slightly, his bulk casting a long shadow over the group as he moved to inspect the Cube. Vel immediately began skittering around its base, her spinneret clicking as she visualized the web she would weave.
Mechalon turned its gaze back to the Cube, its utility limbs twitching with renewed urgency. If what the voice said was true, then time was now a critical factor. The looming threats were no longer just the adventurers it had observed before. There would be others, stronger, smarter, more determined. This was no longer a game of passive expansion. It was a race against the unseen forces that sought to claim what it had built.
"Strength," Mechalon murmured, its tone sharp with resolve. "Expand. Fortify. Prepare."
The decision about the Territory Expansion options no longer felt like a choice, it was a necessity. Mechalon’s circuits burned with a singular purpose now: survival. And for that, it would build. It would create. It would dominate.
Let them come. They would face not chaos, but the unyielding perfection of Mechalon’s domain.