《Dungeon of the Dark Wilds》 Vol.1-Prologue: Valen ran through the forests, his dark green cloak and brown robes flapping wildly due to his speed. He was cursing under his breath as he felt his already tight grip on his staff tighten further, making him glad he had very low Strength, or he probably would have snapped the wood staff in half. "You can''t get away, Traitor!" A voice screamed at him, as a bolt shot past his head. "You''ll pay for what you did!" "I didn''t do anything!" Valen leaped over a tree root, spinning as he did so. He pointed his staff at one of the four figures, two who have cloaked similarly too him, and two wearing dark leather and carrying crossbows and daggers. He aimed at the figure who had just fired. "[Blooming Lance]!" A bolt of green energy shot from the head of his staff. Going at a speed faster than any normal bolt, and slightly homing in on its intended target, the bolt slammed into the man''s chest. Thorny vines and brightly colored flowers erupted from his chest, all coated in fresh blood, and wrapped around him. He became trapped in a cocoon and fell, the vines stabbing into and rooting into the soil beneath him. Sweat bedded Valen''s forehead as he hoped that the others would try to save the man, which was actually rather possibly. The Tier 6 spell, [Blooming Lance], was widely considered to be the least damaging of all the "Lance" spells. That didn''t make it any less costly though, and Valen could feel the effects of the Mana Fatigue already kicking in. "You bastard!" The other figure screamed as he fired his own bolt, but it missed. And, unfortunately for Valen, none of them many any move to halt their chase. "Dammit," Valen muttered, and that was when the ground below him erupted. Sharp, giant thorns erupted upwards, several grazing him and tearing his robe and cloak to tattered. The problem, though, was definitely the one that went through his ankle and tore a massive hole that pretty much destroyed his Achille''s heel. Screaming in pain, Valen collapsed. He struggled to rise, putting a hand over the remains of his left foot and weakly muttered, "[Regentre Wounds], [Nature Reinforcment]." The spells took effect, and the pain faded mostly and Valen was able to stand, though he had to lean on his staff for support and could no longer run. The tallest of the three figures, and the one who had no doubt cast the [Thorn Mine], walked forward. He was an aged old man, which would cause most o wonder how he had kept up with Valen, who was only twenty-eight.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Valen smirked. "Archdruid Volo, please forgive me. My ankle is rather numb at the moment, so this lowly adept cannot bow." The other druid, an Adept much like Valen, stepped forward. Her red hair seemed to match the fire in her eyes perfectly. "How dare you try to make a joke in your situation, you damn traitor." Valen just chuckled. "Hello, Kathrine, it''s good to see that even in light of current events, you are no less of a bitch than you were the day we met seventeen years ago." He had to stop himself from bursting out laughing as a somewhat hurt expression fluttered across her angry features. The truth was that they had been rather close friends, almost like siblings. It was why his betrayal, and that comment, stung her so badly. "Have you really been deceiving us all this, Valen?" Archdruid Volo muttered as he stared into Valen''s eyes, trying to discern what had happened to his most promising student. "Have you always been a wolf in sheep''s clothing?" "Wolf in sheep''s clothing?" Valen actually laughed this time. "As I said, I didn''t do anything, Master." "Don''t try to bluff me, boy," Volo growled. "We found the maps, we checked the site. Where is it? You should know it is forbidden magic of the highest degree!" Valen sneered. "You asked me the day we met, the day you took me as your apprentice, what I would do to fulfill my dream! Have you really forgotten my answer? What, going senile?" "No, I remember. You told me you would do anything." The aged man''s features softened. "I had hoped that during your years as my apprentice, you would change. I had hoped the happiness around you would cause you to forget your blood-soaked dream-" "Forget? FORGET?" Valen hissed. "I won''t EVER forget, nor will I EVER forgive! I will have my revenge on those bastards! No matter the cost!" Kathrine''s angry turned to pity, and Volo sighed softly as he spoke. "Yes, I see that now. I see I failed." Then, a determined look entered his eyes, "but even though I failed you, that doesn''t mean and can let you walk away with that! It''s too dangerous Valen! You risk your very soul!" "A risk I gladly take, Master," Valen spat the word, "if it means I will have the power to finally take my revenge!" Valen pulled out a gleaming dagger with a silver crossguard and handle, and a pure black blade that looked as if it were made of obsidian. In the hilt of the blade was small purple stone. Valen raised the blade. "NO! VALEN! DON"T!!!" Kathrine screamed. "VALEN! STOP!" Archdruid Volo shouted as he lunged forward toward Valen. It was the other guard who acted first, however, firing his crossbow, which went through Valen''s throat. With a grin and gurgling laugh, Valen plunged the dagger into his heart. Darkness exploded from Valen, knocking the other three back. The skin on Valen''s body, as well as his clothing, all turned black as ink and then seemed to liquify, forming a sludgy puddle. The purple stone turned clear as a gemstone, and a whirlpool of whitish-blue light erupted in the center of the stone, and then, with a bright flash, it vanished. And the dagger, its blade now white as an angel''s feathers, fell to the ground. Vol.1-Chapter 1: Valen awoke to the sense that he had no senses. He couldn''t feel anything, smell anything, taste anything, hear anything, or even see anything. Everything was just an empty darkness, a void of nothingness that surrounded him. Valen squirmed in the void, desperately trying to figure out what to do. He felt... contained, and he hated the feeling. After a moment that to him felt like a year, he finally made a discovery. He pushed against the invisible walls around him, and something appeared in his mind; like a sort of literal mental picture.
Do you wish to expand your Influence by 1 yard at the cost of 100 Mana?
Valen recognized this sort of messages; he had gotten them all the time during his training, every living thing did. However, he had no idea what it meant by "Influence," and he wasn''t comfortable with spending Mana on something he didn''t know, especially until he knew how much Mana he had. So, to try and find that out, Valen focused on two words: [Personal Status]
Personal Status: Name: Valen Cross Race: Dungeon-Infant Level: 1
Stats: Mana: 500/500(Reg.:0p/hr) Influence: 0 yards Strength: 1 Magic: 1 Willpower: 1
Affinities: Fire: 10 Water: 10 Earth: 10 Air: 10 Dark: 10 Light: 10 Nature: 50
Skills: [Druidism-Apprentice Lv.1], [Corruption-Lv.1], [Dominate-Lv.1]
Traits: [Higher Being], [Master of Hivemind]
So, it worked, Valen thought. The dagger had been said to possess the ability to cause a mortal to ascend to a higher being. While Valen had admittedly thought that meant he would become a Deity or powerful Demon or something along those lines, that was, apparently, not the case. Instead, it had turned him into a Dungeon. As he looked over his Status, he was surprised to see the [Druidism] Skill. He was pretty sure that was because he had originally been a Druid, though he had been an [Adept Lv.20], so he had apparently been reset in that area. His Stats were also very different, and oddly enough, Influence was actually measured in yards. What worried him, however, was that his Mana Regeneration was at zero, so he wouldn''t gain any Mana he spent. Still, he had to do something. So, he went back to the spread Influence option and confirmed it:
Influence has been increased by 1 yard at the cost of 100 Mana. Max Mana has gone from 500 to 600 Mana Reg. has gone from 0p/hr to 1p/hr.
A strange sensation came over Valen. Suddenly, it felt as if he could "feel" everything a yard from the walls around him. It wasn''t the same as touch, nor any of the other sense Valen remembered. Whatever it was, through it, Valen could tell that he was a small purple gemstone only a few inches in diameter, and he could feel that he was buried in what was basically hard mud on almost all sides, with a small part of him sticking out from the surface. The air above him felt damp and filthy, suggesting he was in a cavern far from the light of day. As for where the Mana was coming from, it seemed like he was naturally absorbing it from the land around him, instead of naturally producing it himself. This suggested that the more his Influencegrew, the more Mana he would gain and be able to have. However, Valen''s excitement at such a prospect quickly perished when he tried to expand his Influence again.
Do you wish to expand your Influence by 1 yard at the cost of 250 Mana?
So, it looked like it would cost more and more Mana with each expansion. Valen accepted, then sighed as the confirmation message came up:
Influence has been increased by 1 yard at the cost of 250 Mana.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Max Mana has gone from 600 to 850 Mana Reg. has gone from 1p/hr to 3p/hr.
So, well it looked like his maximum Mana would always increase by the cost, and that his Mana Regeneration would also go up a bit more each time, 3 Mana an hour wasn''t exactly fast. In fact, no amount of Mana per hour would ever be fast. Sure enough, he lacked the Mana to expand his Influence any further. So, he just waited. Thankfully, he didn''t have hunger or thirst to worry about. However, unfortunately, he also couldn''t sleep. The closed he got was a sort of hibernation/meditation that made time seem to pass right by him.
Finally, after what most likely had been months, or maybe even a year or two, something different happened as Valen purchased his tenth foot of Influence:
Influence has been increased by 1 yard at the cost of 2,500 Mana. Max Mana has gone from 4,800 to 7,300 Mana Reg. has gone from 16p/hr to 21p/hr.
Congratulations! You''ve fulfilled the Level Up Requirments and reached Level 2! You''ve gained 1 Stats Point! You''ve gained 10 Dungeon Points! You''ve gained the Skills: [Create Plant-Lv.1], [Create Wildlifel-Lv.1], [Create Monster-Lv.1]!
You stupid fucking idiot! Valen internally screamed at himself. He hadn''t checked the Level up requirements! Before, when he had been human, it had mostly been something like: get this much experience. However, there were sometimes unique ones! The main one was that before a person could reach Level 2, they had to be a certain age(13 for humans) and then in order to get past Level 10, you first had to get a Class! He had been so enamored with his current form, he had completely forgotten to see what requirements a being like a Dungeon would need to Level Up! Of course it wouldn''t be anything like a human''s! How the hell could I overlook that? Dammit! Valen grumbled again as he focused on bringing up the requirements list:
Requirments to reach Level 3: 1. Increase Influence to 100 yards 2. Have over 1000 Minor Plants 3. Have over 100 Minor Wildlife 4. Have over 50 Minor Monsters 5. Have a Boss Monster
1-100 yards? Are you fucking serious? How old are the Dungeons in this world? Centuries? Valen thought as he thought of how long it took him to get to ten yards. There had to be a way to increase his Mana Reg. beyond just increasing his Influence. As Valen thought on it, he decided to look at what he should spend his Stat point on. First, however, he looked at what his three Stats actually did:
Stats: Strength: Each point increases the Stats of all Monsters, Plants, and Animals the Dungeon controls by 10% Magic: Each point gives the Dungeon new Spells and Magic Types. Willpower: Each point increases a Dungeons mental powers, extending the range beyond the Dungeon its creatures will remain connected to it by 100 yards and increasing the Dungeons ability to Corrupt the minds of others
Valen looked over his Stats as he considered his options. When he actually had Monsters and other things, Strength would be a necessity. However, until he had them, it was pointless. Willpower was in the same boat, so, he put the point in Magic. No, he didn''t put the point in because he was giddy at the idea of new Spells and Magic Types to play with; that would be childish.
Magic increased to 2 New Skill learned: [Enchanting-Apprentice Lv.1] New Spells learned: [Tier 1 Enchantment]
Enchanting? Valen had been hoping for something a little more flashy and, well, combat oriented. But, he guessed Dungeons didn''t tend to fight directly. However, he then remembered the three new Skills he had gotten from Leveling up. He opened the Skill, [Create Plants-Lv.1], and would have gasped if he had lungs. Or a mouth.
Create Plants: Level: 1 Allows one to create Plants that have either been purchased in the store at the cost of Dungeon points, unlocked by Leveling this Skill up, or Plants that have been absorbed or evolved. Created Plants give the Dungeon a small Mana tax every hour. Current Plants: Troll Root: Basic Herb used in basic healing potions. Cost: 198 Mana Mage Flower: Herb used in basic mana potions. Cost: 198 Mana Maria''s Tear: Herb that, when consumed, reduces fertility in women. Cost: 198 Mana
Valen looked over the three herbs. They were all basic, making him groan as he wondered what the cost of the better Plants would be. He briefly wondered why he started out with "Maria''s Tear," but then he realized that as a Dungeon he would get visited by Adventures, who could be "adventurous" in quite a few ways. So, he guessed a herb like Maria''s Tear was rather... required, to put it lightly, in a Dungeon. The bizarre cost of "198" was somewhat confusing to Valen, but then he realized in an instant why it was the way it was:
Druidism: Rank: Apprentice Level: 1 - Reduces cost of creating plants by 1% - Increases growth cycle of plants in Dungeon by 1%
The Skill was, quite simply, completely different from when he had been human. Valen was shocked at this, though a part of his brain asked him why he was so surprised. So, focusing his magic, Valen activated his Skill [Create Plant] and created a Maria''s Tear a foot from his core. It was a small flower with many stems that had bright white bulbous flowers. He focused on it, causing its Status to appear:
Maria''s Tear: A basic herb that when consumed will reduce the fertility of women. Can also be used in potions, which will have similar effects. Upkeep Status: 1 p/hr Mana Tax: +5 Sunlight Substitute: -2 Water Substitute: -1 Fertile Soil Substitute: -1
Huh? Vol.1-Chapter 2: Huh? Valen stared at the message. The fact that he got one extra point of Mana Regeneration was honestly amazing considering how small the plant was. However, it looked like a lot of the Mana was being taken up to allow the plant to grow in such an inhospitable place. But, if he could fix the substitute problems, then he would be getting five extra Mana every hour, instead of only one. But, how? As Valen wondered these, he looked through his Skills. He eventually came to the skill [Corruption], and a Spell he gained from it:
Transform Corrupted Territory: Cost: 100 Mana per yard Range: Within Influence Effect: Transforms the land, changing the properties to the Dungeon''s desires.
This solved one of the issues. Using it, he was able to change the ground from hard stony mud to fertile soil. Unfortunately, he couldn''t control how wet the ground was, so he couldn''t solve the water issue with this spell. Still, he found it took a really long time to do this. So, he ended up spawning a couple dozen more plants which considerably raised his Mana Reg., though he discovered something interesting well doing this. The plants all gave him all of the Mana in one big pool every hour, which he guessed was why it was called a "Mana Tax." He made a note in the future that he would have to be careful as if expended all the Mana he would have to wait for the next "payday" of Mana. He found that he currently didn''t have anything which would allow him to solve the water or sunlight issue. So, he searched through the [Skill Store], which was a sort of internal store that allowed one to purchase new skills at the cost of Skill Points, though in Valen''s case it was apparently Dungeon Points. And, to his relief, he found one almost immediately:
Create Manastone: Cost: 5 Dungeon Points Level: 1 Allows one to create minor Manastones. These Manastones can be used to regulate the environment, be used as rare rewards, or used in crafting to create powerful Armaments. Current Stones: Minor Firestone: Releases heat passively. Cost: 600 Mana Minor Waterstone: Releases water, hydrating soil. Cost: 600 Mana Minor Earthstone: Causes lesser metal ores to natural form nearby. Cost: 600 Mana Minor Airstone: Purifies the air of impurities. Cost: 600 Mana Minor Darkstone: Negatively affects one''s mental health. Effects vary from each individual. Cost: 600 Mana Minor Lightstone: Shines with bright natural light that is equivalent to sunlight. Cost: 600 Mana
The Manastones solved the other two issues, and would definitely solve future ones. While Valen did groan at the cost of the stones, he knew it was worth it. He created a Lightstone in the ceiling of the cave, which unlike the floor he had hardened in firm mud, as he didn''t know how deep down he was and how much support he would need. It shone down on the plants, eliminating the Sunlight Substitute. Then, he created a couple Waterstones, which dampened the soil. It took a little work to make sure they wouldn''t over saturate the soil, but he eventually figured it out. Now getting a lot more Mana that before, he was able to extend his Influence to thirty yards in less than a month, while creating more plants along the way. He formed new tunnels and caverns, while also following the natural ones. He finally reached the surface and was surprised to find he was apparently located at the base of a small mountain with a forest outside him. Now that Valen had found the surface, he decided it was time to see if he could create any monsters. However, he was a surprised when he opened the [Create Monsters] Skill and found he had to make a choice.
Create Monsters: Level: 1 Create monsters who are subservient to the Dungeon. They are connected to the Dungeon Hive Mind and will follow all orders given by Dungeon. They give no Mana Tax but will give you the Mana they get from kills to the Dungeon and only absorb Soul Energy. Can be created, or can breed to save Mana. Will be reincarnated, keeping their previous memories, allowing them to grow steadily stronger. Current Monster Races: None(Choose FIrst Two Monster Races)
The lack of a Mana Tax was unfortunate, but the fact they could breed and save him Mana was nice. Valen wondered what it meant by "Race," but he found out when he was given his options.
Race: Starting Species: Lore: Pros/Cons
Blackbloods Snotling, Goblin, Ork The most common adversaries of the so-called "Blessed" Races; countless different species who are all identified by the color of their blood. Blackbloods are known for their brutish intellect, immense physical abilities, and their lack of magic. They are also known for working well in groups and for being able to adapt to new threats. + Strong and numerous + Work well in groups - Low Magic ability - Very dumb
Beastkin Kobold, Cat Sith, Usagi, Kitsunichi Living in packs in the wilds are these somewhat strange beings. They appear as a hybrid of humans and animals and are most noted for the massive difference in both appearance and abilities of the male and females of their species. Males look like animals with humanoid skeletons, and have a lot of strength and endurance; were as females appear mostly human except for having several animal traits, and have a lot of magic ability. + Very diverse, with many Species and many Evolutions + Most human-like, capable of speaking Trader''s Common - Diversity between Males and Females makes it easy to focus on big threats - Bloodlust and lust often consume them, causing them to go berserk
Daemons Undecided Imp The daemons of Lower Plains are known for their cruelty. Although they normally lack any loyalty, those created by a Dungeon are subservient and loyal. They have powerful Magic but are very weak to Celestial Magic. + Most powerful Magic + Highest Intelligence - Vulnerable to Celestial Magic and Prayers - Very weak start
Constructs Clay Golem, Slime, Mana Spirit Constructs are any being made of Magic. The most common are Slimes and Spirits, but Golems are also notable beings. Constructs do not breed in the traditional sense, but instead, they are able to split apart once they''ve consumed enough Mana. They are also known for being highly adapted to specific areas. + Countless Species, each highly adapted to an environment + Costly, but powerful - Vulnerabilities vary but are normally extreme - In order to duplicate, Mana must be sacrificed
Valen read through each of them and ended up deciding less on what he wanted and more on what he didn''t want. Valen was, despite his desire for vengeance, a Druid. As such, he wanted to make a Dungeon that focused on Nature. Due to this, the Blackbloods, who he remembered being smelly brutes who lived in the deserts and plains, were out. The Beastkin was an obvious choice, as they were like animals and would make good defenders and caretakers for his Dungeon. Daemons used a lot of fire, so they were out, which left Constructs. Valen didn''t really know that much about any of them, though he had once seen an inactive Iron Golem, and he knew that Bubble Slimes were known to infest sewer systems. Now, when he looked at the [Create Monster] Skill, he could now select either [Beastkin] or [Constructs], which each opened different windows:
Beastkin: Stats/Info: Cost:
Kobold(M): Level:10 Affinity: Earth Health:250 Stamina:300 Mana:150 Vitality:12 Endurance:14 Speed:10 Strength:11 Magic:4 Toughness:13 Resistance:3 Racial Traits: [Tough Hide], [Pack Sense] Available Classes: Warrior, Defender, Barbarian, Archer, Chieftain The weakest of the canine Beastkin. They are small and are rather weak when compared to other species, however, they breed very quickly and work the best in groups.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Somewhat unique to the canine types, males are weaker than the females and there are typically far more of them than. This results in the males being far more aggressive than the other species, as they eager to prove themselves to the females. 500
Kobold(F): Level:15 Affinity: Earth Health:200 Stamina:200 Mana:375 Vitality:10 Endurance:9 Speed:12 Strength:7 Magic:21 Toughness:10 Resistance:16 Racial Traits: [Pack Sense], [Cute] Available Classes: Shaman, Priestess, Tamer, Alchemist The weakest of the canine Beastkin. They are small and are rather weak when compared to other species, however, they breed very quickly and work the best in groups. Somewhat unique to the canine types, females are stronger than males. In hunting parts, there is normally only female and several males. In the battles, she acts as a support caster and a healer and then chooses the one she is most impressed with and takes them as a mate. Do this cycle, two-thirds of the females are normally with child, whereas the other third are in the hunting parties looking for a mate. 1,000
Cat Sith(M): Level:20 Affinity: Dark Health:875 Stamina:1,000 Mana:450 Vitality:21 Endurance:19 Speed:30 Strength:20 Magic:14 Toughness:25 Resistance:25 Racial Traits: [Tough Hide], [Dense Muscles], [Shadowstep] Available Classes: Samurai, Assasin The weakest of feline types of Beastkin. Fast and strong, they are able to teleport through shadows and are difficult to fight in the dark. Despite being the weakest type of felines, they are still able to easily overpower people who are the same level as them. Like most Beastkin, males are very rare but also far stronger. They typically remain in a den with several females, who handle hunting and attacking. The only time they are seen is when a lair is attacked. The male will typically sacrifice themselves so his mates and daughters can escape. 3,500
Cat Sith(F): Level:15 Affinity: Dark Health:500 Stamina:700 Mana:1,000 Vitality:18 Endurance:15 Speed:27 Strength:10 Magic:18 Toughness:20 Resistance:20 Racial Traits: [Dense Muscles], [Shadowstep], [Alluring] Available Classes: Shademancer, Witch, Alchemist The weakest of feline types of Beastkin. Fast and strong, they are able to teleport through shadows and are difficult to fight in the dark. Despite being the weakest type of felines, they are still able to easily overpower people who are the same level as them. Typical of most Beastkin, the females massively outnumber the males. Females will typically wonder until they find an available mate, and will then either act as a mother or a huntress. Also, well still weaker than the males, they are notably stronger than most other types of Beastkin. They are also known for their lack of differentiating lust and bloodlust. 2,750
Usagi(M): Level:20 Affinity: Wind Health:750 Stamina:1,200 Mana:600 Vitality:20 Endurance:20 Speed:33 Strength:18 Magic:12 Toughness:20 Resistance:25 Racial Traits: [Tough Hide], [Dense Muscles], [Wind Step] Available Classes: Swordsmaster, Spellblade The weakest of the rabbit Beastkin, who are considered the weakest of the Beastkin. Known for being rather dense and for being more cowardly than bloodthirsty, seeing them in groups is as rare as a dwarf who is capable of catching them. Well, males are typically rarer, they are more common than in other types. Until other types of Beastkin, rabbit types don''t form permanent communities and don''t remain with each other. If a male and female happen to each other, and there is a shelter of some form nearby, they will remain together until the children are born, and then separate. 3,500
Usagi(F): Level:10 Affinity: Wind Health:200 Stamina:300 Mana:300 Vitality:10 Endurance:15 Speed:17 Strength:3 Magic:10 Toughness:6 Resistance:9 Racial Traits: [Wind Step], [Cute] Available Classes: Windmancer, Cleric The weakest of the rabbit Beastkin, who are considered the weakest of the Beastkin. Known for being rather dense and for being more cowardly than bloodthirsty, seeing them in groups is as rare as a dwarf who is capable of catching them. Although females are more common than males, it is not to the same degree as with other types. Most females are Windmancers, and will attack from a distance until they run out of Mana, and will then retreat until they find somewhere to rest and recover. 750
Kitsunichi(M): Level:30 Affinity: Light Health:1,750 Stamina:1,250 Mana:1,250 Vitality:28 Endurance:30 Speed:32 Strength:26 Magic:24 Toughness:30 Resistance: 38 Racial Traits: [Tough Hide], [Mana Core], [Mana Shield] Available Classes: Spellsword, Spellknight Well, they are weakest of the fox type of Beastkin, they are still far stronger than other types of Beastmen. For a fox type, the number of tails represents their power. they are known for their skill with magic as well as their sharp intellect. Of all Beastkin, male fox types are extremely rare. Unlike other types of Beastkin, the males possess both great strengths as well as powerful magic. They typically act as lords, conscripting weaker creatures to act as servants well taking several mates to live alongside them in their domain. 7,500
Kitsunichi(F): Level:20 Affinity: Light Health:650 Stamina:1,000 Mana:1,500 Vitality:18 Endurance:22 Speed:24 Strength:12 Magic:20 Toughness:21 Resistance:26 Racial Traits: [Mana Core], [Alluring] Available Classes: Priestess, Dancer, Tamer, Sorcerer Well, they are weakest of the fox type of Beastkin, they are still far stronger than other types of Beastmen. For a fox type, the number of tails represents their power. they are known for their skill with magic as well as their sharp intellect. Females are notable for their mischievous personalities and their love of sowing seeds of deceit and conflict. However, they are the most human-like and are one of the few types who are known to fall in love with members of the "blessed" races, though this Beastkin tends to dress themselves in illusions to hide their true form. They are also known for their love of independence, and will typically only accept a mate if they beat them in a duel. 3,500
Valen was surprised by the number of options. When it had said that there was a massive difference between male Beastkin and female Beastkin, he had expected them to be that different. He was also a little shocked at the cost. Well, he could easily afford enough of them, he realized he would have to constantly make new ones, and that he wouldn''t get much back from them. He also noted how their stats were far closer to what he remembered from his previous life. After going over them and making a few mental notes, he looked through the [Constructs]:
Constructs: Stats/Info: Cost:
Clay Golem Level:15 Affinity: Earth Health:1,000 Stamina:400 Mana:0 Vitality:0 Endurance:25 Speed:5 Strength:35 Magic:0 Toughness:35 Resistance:50 Racial Traits: [Statue], [Clay Body], [Resistant to Pirece], [Resistant to Magic], [Vunrable to Blunt] Available Classes: Warrior, Defender, Barbarian, Knight The most basic of Golems, these beings appear as Knights made of clay. They are slow and easy to avoid but are very difficult to kill and very difficult to survive a hit from. Well, most people first assume that golems would be more vulnerable to magic than physical weapons, but in truth, they are nearly impossible to defeat with magic due to their high Resistance and their [Resistant to Magic] Trait, which reduces incoming Magic damage by 50%. 2,250
Slime(Small) Level:5 Affinity: None Health:100 Stamina:50 Mana:125 Vitality:3 Endurance:4 Speed:4 Strength:3 Magic:5 Toughness:2 Resistance:5 Racial Traits: [Semi-Lquid Body], [Mana Body] Skills: [Natural Magic:Acid-Lv.1] Newly born formed slimes lack any affinity and appear purple in color. They normally evolve quickly, but well in this state they lack any resistance and all magic is equally effective against them. There Mana Body Trait makes them somewhat difficult to beat, and the Medium and Large types are capable of launching [Acid Sprays] and [Acid Javlins]. 100
Slime(Medium) Level:10 Affinity: None Health:300 Stamina:175 Mana:450 Vitality:9 Endurance:11 Speed:11 Strength:10 Magic:14 Toughness:8 Resistance:18 Racial Traits: [Semi-Lquid Body], [Mana Body], [Split: Slime(Small)X3] Skills: [Natural Magic:Acid-Lv.3] Newly formed slimes lack any affinity and appear purple in color. They normally evolve quickly, but well in this state they lack any resistance and all magic is equally effective against them. There Mana Body Trait makes them somewhat difficult to beat, and the Medium and Large types are capable of launching [Acid Sprays] and [Acid Javlins]. 550
Slime(Large) Level:15 Affinity: None Health:650 Stamina:275 Mana:875 Vitality:14 Endurance:18 Speed:17 Strength:16 Magic: Toughness:13 Resistance:23 Racial Traits: [Semi-Lquid Body], [Mana Body], [Split: Slime(Medium)X2] Skills: [Natural Magic:Acid-Lv.5] Newly formed slimes lack any affinity and appear purple in color. They normally evolve quickly, but well in this state they lack any resistance and all magic is equally effective against them. There Mana Body Trait makes them somewhat difficult to beat, and the Medium and Large types are capable of launching [Acid Sprays] and [Acid Javlins]. 2,000
Mana Spirit(Lesser) Level:10 Affinity: None Health:250 Stamina:0 Mana:600 Vitality:10 Endurance:0 Speed:4 Strength:0 Magic:24 Toughness:0 Resistance:14 Racial Traits: [Incorpral Body], [Mana Body], [Vunrable to Magic] Skills: [Natural Magic:Elementism-Lv.3] Newly formed Spirits lack any affinity, and as such are able to use weak spells from each of the four main elements. They normally quickly evolve into one. Due to their incorporeal state, physical weapons do not harm them. However, due to the [Vunrable to Magic] Trait, it doesn''t take many Spells or enchanted blades to disperse them. 400
Mana Spirit(Greater) Level:20 Affinity: None Health:750 Stamina:0 Mana:1,250 Vitality:23 Endurance:0 Speed:8 Strength:0 Magic:37 Toughness:0 Resistance:27 Racial Traits: [Incorpral Body], [Mana Body], [Vunrable to Magic] [Split: Spirit(Lesser)X2) Skills: [Natural Magic:Elementism-Lv.7] Newly formed Spirits lack any affinity, and as such are able to use weak spells from each of the four main elements. They normally quickly evolve into one. Due to their incorporeal state, physical weapons do not harm them. However, due to the [Vunrable to Magic] Trait, it doesn''t take many Spells or enchanted blades to disperse them. 2,500
From what Valen could tell, Constructs were the sort of Monsters who were very easy to kill one way, but nearly impossible to kill any other way. After making sure he had enough Mana, Valen made sure he ha enough space, and made his first Monster: Vol.1-Chapter 3: [Create Monster: Kobold Cheftain] Purple Mana condensed into particles that floated in the air and began to swirl in a vortex, spiraling into the ground. Th earth turned black and began to bulge, veins erupting across the earth. The earth popped like a swelling cyst, dark purple fluid, like oil mixed with wine, spilled out as a hand erupted and a thing pulled itself from the wound. The creature shook itself as it slowly stood, revealing a small dog-like humanoid that was covered in brown fur and had yellow eyes. That is probably the most disgusting thing I have ever seen, Valen thought, happy he no longer had a physical stomach. More Mana condensed onto the newly born Monster. It formed a simple bronze chest plate and other bits of armor. A bone-like necklace formed, and finally, a massive battle-ax with a bronze blade. The kobold turned towards the area were Valen''s Core was buried, and kneeled, his tail wagging behind him. He opened his jaws, revealing sharp fangs, and a husky, growly voice emerged from his throat; "Greetings, Master." Greetings, Servant, Valen sent his thoughts along the connection that had formed between their minds. It wasn''t a bond but was instead like a leash that wrapped around the kobold''s mind. The kobold bowed his head. "What are your orders, Master?" For now, wait, Valen responded, I will be making your pack. The kobold nodded obediently and then moved to a wall to clear space. Valen proceeded to make five of each class, with exception of the Chieftain Class. He also formed a hidden cavern that was large enough for the pack to safely stay in. His plan was for most of them to stay in the cavern well a few of them formed groups which would patrol the Dungeon and challenge invaders. That, however, could wait until he had been discovered and he had actually finished his first floor. For now, he would be giving them a different objective. Go out into the world, Valen commanded, and bring me back things. "What sort of things, Master?" The Chieftain said nervously. Anything, Valen responded, plants, animals, artifacts. Bring me back everything you find. However, if you run across a village or something, don''t attack it. Divided into four groups, the kobolds departed. He could feel them from quite a distance, but the farther they went, the more it strained the leash. The only thing Valen could do after a certain point was send a compulsion to return to the Dungeon. As they left, Valen mentally cracked his knuckles. It was time to get to work...
Erick drew back his bow, reading the arrow. The deer bent its neck down, and Erick softly muttered; "[Vital Shot]." A red aura engulfed the entire arrow, and Erick let it fly. The arrow went into the deer''s neck, and a fountain of crimson blood erupted from the wound and splattered across the ground. The deer swayed as the fountain slowed, then fell over. "Great shot, brother!" A voice called out from behind him. Erick turned to see his twin, Brian, run up behind him. He also carried a bow and wore almost identical equipment to Erick. "Though I really wish you wouldn''t use that Art, it leaves such a mess." "It saves us the trouble of bleeding the damn thing," Erick retorted, "and its better than that Art you always use!" "Hmph!" Brian drew an arrow and aimed at a nearby tree. "[Wind Piercing Arrow]." A green aura wrapped around the arrow, and when he let it fly, the air seemed to distort as it was torn open. In an instant, the arrow had gone from the bow into the trunk of a tree. Where it hit, the wood exploded as the arrow passed through it, leaving a massive hole in the top of the trunk and several branches came crashing down. "Great, if you want to join the militia, brother," Erick said as he flinched backward as the branches crashed against the forest floor. "But it doesn''t exactly leave much meat to collect." "You''ll thank me if we ever come across a bear or wolf." "A bear or wolf?" Erick laughed. "Brother, both the Rangers and the Elves both clearly outline were it''s safe to hunt. The worst predator we''ll ever come across out here is a Dire Stag, and the chances of that are pretty much zero-" "Brother, look!" Brian suddenly shouted, drawing another arrow as a look of fear came into his eyes. "What?" Erick turned, and to his surprise, saw a little girl in the distance. Confused, he muttered softly, "What''s a little girl doing all the way out here?" Brian drew his bow back, and when Erick stared at him, he whispered, "Brother, that isn''t a little girl. Look at her!" With a frown, Erick did so. Her attire was admittedly somewhat strange. She wore a series of loose, wide maroon sashes made of a simple fabric, which were wrapped around her chest and waist, along with her arms and legs. She carried a wooden staff with a deer skull at the top surrounded by brightly colored feathers and several bones attached to small strings hanging from the antlers. "A Shaman? But she looks too young to have a Class..." A still very confused Erick said mostly to himself as he found his eyes traveling up her very messy dark brown hair, which was down to her knees. And atop her head was... "Huh?" Erick rubbed his eyes, then squinted at what he was seeing. Atop her head was a pair of large, floppy ears like those of a bloodhound. They blended in with her hair, which was why he hadn''t initially seen them. Now that he had seen them though, he saw that she had several other nonhuman features. Her nails were sharp claws, and a long tail covered in brown fur stuck out from the mass of her hair. Her wrists were covered in fluffy white hair, and her lower arms were covered in shorter brown fur. Under the wraps, Erick could see that her thighs and waist were also covered in brown fur. Her pale bare skin was covered in intricate black marks. "A Beastkin..." Erick realized as he also drew an arrow. "A Monster," Brian muttered, the fear clear in voice. "What is a Monster like a Beastkin doing in this woods? How did it sneak past the Rangers and the Elves?" "I don''t know, but we need to get out of here and warn someone." "Maybe we should try to kill it?" Brian suggested despite the fear in his voice. "How stupid are you? We''re Hunters! We aren''t equipped to fight Monsters." Erick hissed. "There''s only one! If we both use our Arts-" "Against a Monster?" Erick shook his head. "We might be able to injure it, but what if we don''t Break its Hp?" "Then we use them again-" Brian began to say when a voice loudly interrupted him. "Hello, Misters, whatcha doing?" Erick and Brian both jumped. They didn''t know when, but the Beastkin had closed the distance and was now less than fifty feet from them. She was staring at them with wide eyes while leaning into her staff. She can talk, Erick thought. He was somewhat relieved, hoping he might be able to avoid a fight. Monsters, even sentient ones, tended to attack on sight. Since she wasn''t, he was hoping she wasn''t hostile. "Hunting," Erick answered, lowering his bow and ignoring his brother''s glare. The Beastkin''s eyes wandered over to the deer, and Erick felt a chill run down his spine as she made her way over, crossing the distance in only a few seconds despite her seemingly leisurely pace. "Well, you certainly made a mess, Mister." The Beastkin said as knelt dipped a hand in the blood. "Seems like you wasted the best part, too." "Well, people don''t normally do anything with the blood," Erick said, trying to keep calm. "If you don''t mind me asking, what''s one of the Beastkin doing all the way out here?" "Master wants us to gather stuff for him." She responded, cocking her head to the side as she stared at her blood-soaked hand with a curious and fascinated expression on her face. "Master...?" Erick frowned. "Do you mean the leader of your pack?" "No, not the Chieftain." The Beastkin shook her head like it was obvious. "Master." "Ri-right." Erick mind was whirling. So not only were there more of them, they apparently had a "Master" of some sort. A more powerful Monster, most likely, though Erick wondered what sort of Monster it was; and how such a creature slipped past the Rangers and the Elves. "What sort of stuff does he want?"Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Anything, really," She responded, still staring at her hand and only seeming to be paying half attention to the conversation. "The only thing he said we couldn''t do was attack a village." Erick was initially relieved, but then he realized that perhaps this "Master" simply didn''t want to be discovered yet. "Hey, Mister?" The Beastkin looked away from her hand, looking back at Erick and staring him in the eyes with an unreadable expression. Erick forced himself to meet her gaze, trying to ignore how her eyes looked more like those of feral beast than those of a person. "You said your hunting, right?" "Y-yes," Erick answered. "So you''re from a village?" She asked, when he nodded, "Is it nearby, Mister?" "Sort of, it''s-" "Brother!" Brian shouted, snapping him out of the trance he had been in. The Beastkin''s eyes shifted to Brian, causing him to tense up. Then, she looked back to her hand. "You know, Master said we weren''t supposed to attack any villages. But, what about people from a village? Oh, Master, what are we supposed to do?" "We?" Erick whispered softly, too softly for Brian to hear him, as another, far deeper chill ran up his spine. He felt his eyes glance around as a feeling of paranoia erupted in his chest and throat. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest when he saw a movement, but it was quickly replaced by relief as he saw it was just a leaf that had fallen out of a tree and he let out a sigh. But then, his entire body froze. Slowly, he looked up, into the tops of the trees. Through the dense leaves, he could clearly see a pair of bright yellow eyes, filled with feral hunger. "Brother!" He tried to shout, but his throat had closed up as if his entire body had become petrified. "Brother!" Brian, however, didn''t hear him. His entire body was shaking as he stared at the still crouched Beastkin, who was still staring at her hand. Then, she bent her head down and opened her mouth, letting her tongue run up her hand as she lapped up the blood. Brian closed his eyes, then opened them as a sense of determination entered them and his entire body stilled. "[Wind Piercing Arrow]!" "Don''t!" Erick finally managed to shout, but it was too late. The arrow flew, but before it could hit the Beastkin, it connected with something else. "What?" Brian let out a shocked cry. A purple and gold bubble had appeared out of seemingly nowhere and surrounded the Beastkin. The arrow had connected with the bubble, causing ripples and cracks to appear as the Art and the Spell reacted with each other. More cracks appeared, and the bubble shattered and then dissolved, but the Beastkin had already moved out of the way; the arrow shooting into the corpse and causing it to explode in a shower of dirt, grass, blood, and chunks of flesh and bone. "Oi, Mister, that wasn''t very nice," The Beastkin pouted, "although I suppose it settles what to do with you." A flicker of purple light caught Erick''s attention, and he turned and shoved his brother, causing him to stumble back. "Look out!" An arrow covered in a red and purple aura shot from the trees and grazed Erick''s leg. "Ah!" "Brother!" Brian screamed, eyes now looking to the trees as several figures leaped from them. Two of them looked similar to the first one. One, however, was blonde and had white sashes without the tattoos, and carried nothing. The other had dark green hair/fur, also lacked any tattoos, and her sashes were a dark grey with several bright green symbols on them, and she carried a metal staff with several strange marks etched into the bronze. The rest looked completely different. Their entire bodies were covered in thick fur, and their heads were completely canine. A far more wild and savage aura radiated from them. Erick winced as he felt his Hp deplete. Thankfully it didn''t break, and he felt the graze heal. He could tell he had lost about a fifth of it. "Brother, run," Erick muttered as he drew an arrow. "What? I won''t leave you!" Brian shouted. "[Hardened Shot]." Erick shot an arrow at the Beastkin with the bow, which sank into its shoulder. The Monster let out a loud yelp as it was knocked to the floor. "We can''t both outrun them, and we sure as hell can''t fight them! You need to warn the Rangers!" A conflicted look flashed across Brian''s face, and he closed his eyes as a tear ran down his face. "[Fleet Foot]." A blue aura wrapped around his lower legs, and he took off as fast as a deer. "Oh, don''t run off, Mister, the fun''s just starting!" The Shaman Beastkin pouted as she pointed her staff towards the fleeing Brian. "[Spirit Bolt]!" A ball of white light with a faint purple tint formed above the staff, the shot towards Brian like a spear. It was a simple Tier 1 spell, but Erick knew that against a mere Hunter, it would deal massive damage. Erick desperately threw himself in front of the spell, which stabbed into his chest. It caused no physical damage, but a sense of fatigue overwhelmed Erick and he realized the spell had broken his Health. "Dammit," Erick muttered as the strength left his muscles and began to collapse. The Archer Beastkin''s Hp finished healing the arrow wound, and with a dark growl, it fired another arrow. The arrow sailed through the air, not even with an Art attached, and plunged uninterrupted into Erick''s chest. As a crimson flower quickly bloomed across Erick''s chest, he coughed blood and fell. "Oh, the other one got away!" The Shaman Beastkin whined as she stood over the fallen Erick, the light quickly fading from his eyes as his lifeblood soaked into the soil below him. "I hope Master doesn''t scold us for letting one get away." She looked down at the dying Erick. Then, she knelt down, placing a hand against his throat. With a quick motion, she broke his neck and ended him. One of the male Beastkin approached, his mouth opening. Before he could do anything, however, the Shaman Beastkin smacked him on the head, causing him to yelp in surprise. "We need to bring the corpse back to Master! Not eat it!" "Sorry." The male''s voice was deeper and sounded more like he was growling the words instead of speaking them. The male grabbed one of Erick''s ankles and began to drag the corpse back in the direction of the Dungeon with rest of them in tow. The Shaman Beastkin had a bit of a spring in her step, and she had begun to softly hum to herself.
The Chieftain ran through the forest as fast as a large dog, the others following close behind him. They had already retrieved various plants and animals, but they all felt like they needed something more. This was especially true for the Chieftain, who would feel like a failure if he didn''t bring something special back. "Chieftain, look!" A defender shouted, drawing everyone''s attention. He pointed to a cave, and at first, the Chieftain was confused to what the defender was so excited about, but then he saw it. Monsters were beings formed of Demonic Energy, a corrupted form of Mana that somewhat resembled the Soul Energy that plants, animals, and most of all, the Blessed Races were filled with. Monsters didn''t need to eat and were instead draw to Mana and Soul Energy, which they would consume to grow stronger. As such, all Monsters could "see" high concentrations of Mana and Soul Energy. And that was what the Chieftain was seeing. The cave entrance was like a burning star of Soul Energy and Mana. They all raced for it, the Chieftain wondering where it all was coming from. When they entered, a look of puzzlement and confusion came over them all. There wasn''t anything in the cave, which the Chieftain knew shouldn''t be possible. Well there were places that had a lot of natural Mana and Soul Energy, such as Ley Lines, this little cave couldn''t be one. The Chieftain walked ahead, looking at the muddy soil that was the cave floor. After a few seconds, he slowly knelt and then plunged his hand into the loose soil below him. The loose soil was blown away in a shower that made the Chieftain want to cough, but he refrained from it as he stared at the object that his claws were wrapped around. It was a seed of some sort. It was silver in color, and it was where all the Mana and Soul Energy was coming from. "What is it?" A priestess asked as all the other Kobolds gathered around, trying to get a look at the strange seed. "I have no idea," the Chieftain answered. Then, he smiled. "But I know Master will want it, and that''s good enough for me."
It was three days later that the first group returned. They hadn''t brought back anything special, just basic plants, herbs, and animals. Still, it would be helpful as he continued his work. Valen had drastically increased in Influence, well beyond the Requirement for Leveling Up. He had spent a lot of time molding the mountain into a labyrinth of tunnels, which would make up his first floor. Well he had many plans for these tunnels, his only enacted a few of them for now. He populated the start of it with mainly Small Slimes, along with a couple of Medium Slimes lurking at the dead ends as a bit of a nasty surprise. Eventually, it changed to there being mostly Medium Slimes and Lesser Spirits, with a few female Usagi patroling the tunnels in pairs. Similar to the beginning, a Large Slime awaited at the dead ends, and at one, a Greater Spirit waited. Near the end, Valen planned for there to be Kobolds patroling in hunting parties. Valen already had his Boss Room built, but he was waiting for the Boss to return. He also had various other ideas, but he first needed to see what rest of the groups brought him. Two days after the first group returned, the second one did. They brought mostly the same things as the first one did, but they had brought a few other things as well. It was until an entire week later that, much to Valen''s surprise, both remaining parties returned at the same time. The one that instantly drew his attention was a kobold who was dragging a human corpse behind him. Before he could ask where they had gotten such a thing, however, an alert appeared:
Acceptable Avatar located! Bring to Dungeon Heart to Bond with!
What is this? An Avatar? Valen looked at the message with a confused expression, looking to the source of the alert. For a moment, he wondered if it was the corpse, but it wasn''t. It was a small, strange seed that the Chieftain was carrying. Chieftain, bring that seed to my Heart Chamber, Valen ordered, then directed his will towards the one with the corpse, and you, bring the corpse here as well. Valen absorbed the rest of it. Again, there were many duplicates, along with a couple different things as well. Valen chuckled to himself as he watched the Chieftain race for the Heart Chamber, and excited expression on his face as his tail wagged furiously. When he arrived, Valen had him come closer, and place the seed over his Heart Crystal.
Do you wish to Bond with [Divine Seed] and take the Avatar [Divine Tree]?
Sure, why not? Valen answered, and the Divine Seed sank into the floor and pressed up against his Heart Crystal, then slowly sank into and merged with it. Power instantly erupted in Valen as white roots erupted from the within the crystal, passing through it somehow without causing any damage. They formed a complex maze beneath him, and Valen knew instantly that nothing would be able to uproot this tree. They then began to swell and grow bigger, and as they did, Valen noted black veins that bulged and squirmed underneath the surface of the white rootlike worms. A trunk erupted from the top the crystal, also causing no damage, rapidly growing and expanding as it shot upwards through the dirt. The Chieftain yelped, leaping back as the tree continued growing unabated. The bark was also a silvery white, and also had bulging black veins that looked almost like veins. As branches umbrellaed outwards, small black thorns that looked to almost be made of crystal erupted along the veins, causing a black, ink-like fluid to begin running down the trees side as it grew. Golden leaves with red splashes on them like blood grew from the branches along with beautiful white flowers that had black pollen within them. Due to how relatively small the Heart Chamber was, the branches stabbed into the sides, and as they sank into the soil, changed into more twisting roots. When the tree finished growing, a new message appeared;
Bond Complete, Avatar: [Divine Tree] Acquired! Max Mana increased by 100,000! Mana Reg. increased by 1,000! Skill, [Druidism] has gone from Apprentice to Adept! New plants and animals unlocked! Title: [Dungeon of Corruption] Acquired!