《Scale Dungeon》 Chapter 1 - The Beginning With a sudden jolt I become aware of my surroundings. But there are none. All I can see is blackness. I move my hand to wave it in front of my face, but I realized i dont have one. Have one what? What is a hand? Wait.... Who am I? I ponder..... no, I can''t remember who I am. We''ll at least I know what I am....I forgot that too. Something is wrong. I try to think about remaining calm. I remember that meditating is a way to keep calm. Why do I know about meditating if I can''t remember who or what I am. Something is wrong with me. As i sit and meditate, i try to calm myself by counting numbers. Slowly trying to calm down. Counting? How can i count? And i remember, Mathematics. I know Mathematics. Multiplication, division, addition, subtraction. Derivatives, Algebra, Trigonometry. I remember it all, but how did i learn it? Did i just know it from the beginning? That''s illogical. Illogical. I remember something new. A memory of something more. A passion, a past time. Something that gives me pride. What is this memory? Its a memory of languages. Languages not based on sentence structure, a new terminology, but on logic. C++, Java, Python, Ruby, COBOL, C#, SQL. I try harder to remember, what are all these languages for.......Programming. Yes. I remember now, programming, i have such strong memories of programming. Time has passed. I''m unsure how long it has been. I have remembered new terms. Day and night, weeks and months, years, memories of biology and chemistry, psychology and geology, and religion. My memories are a fount of knowledge. As I sit here in the blackness, I think therefore I am. And then there is light.
You are Finally Here
What is this. What is going on. Who said that. I try to perceive anything here, but there is only the light, the glorious light, piercing the darkness.
In this place there is only you and I
How did he hear me? i haven''t said anything. I can''t say anything.
I can read your thoughts
The voice, it sounds humorous. Is something funny? Wait, that means that you are the light?
Yes
What did you mean when you said "You are Finally Here", have you been waiting for me? I have been here waiting for something to happen.
Yes, we were waiting for you to finally form your own consciousness. It wasn''t until then that I could show myself to you. If I tried to earlier then you would have been wiped away completely
Who are you?
I am known by many names. The All Father, The First, The Original, The Center of the Universe. But if you are looking for something to refer to me as, than you can call me CotU
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
I am here to give you a choice. You must choose. However if you like I can answer any questions you might have first. I find that choices are easier made after questions
How gracious of you, I suppose. First, why can i remember all sorts of information, but can''t remember who or what I am.
That is because currently you are just an information body, or a soul if you would prefer. You died and I have a personal preference that when all souls die they keep their knowledge about their world, but no knowledge of who or what they are. Essentially i have wiped that information and you will never get it back. There reason for this is that it keeps things more interesting. Now every choice you make will be truly yours, not what someone has told you.
Well that was a little more than i asked, but also answered all my other questions as well. Now what are my choices?
Your choices involve your reincarnation, now you are already going to become a Dungeon Master. The choice involves when your dungeon is going to begin
Like now or later?
Close but not quite. Your dungeon can be created in a world that is just beginning, or your dungeon can be created in a world that has already stabilized.
Wow that''s quite a difference is when. From what I remember the time the planet I was born on was ~4.6 billion years old. Does that mean i would have 4.6 billion years of time difference to work on my dungeon?
Essentially, yes
Then I choose the world that is just beginning.
I had hoped you would choose that one.
If that''s what you wanted, couldn''t you just force me to pick it?
That was never an option. Free will is something i grant to all my creations.
Now, enter the light and start your new life as a Dungeon Master
Chapter 2 - Meeting the Group With a sudden jolt I become aware of my surroundings. But this time they exist. I see a white obstruction with a small light glowing in the center of it. The obstruction spreads out about from the light and ends where another obstruction meets it in a right angle. I see. I''m in a room. I follow one of the walls with my vision and realize that I can move. Then comes the feeling. At first I did not realize what it was because I went without for so long in that black space. Now I realize I''m laying down on a soft but comforting surface with my head elevated. I try to move away from the surface. I am unable to move towards the ceiling, so I move towards a wall, with a roll no less. I fall and hit the floor. It seems that the surface I was on is actually a bed. More importantly I feel pain. I look at where the pain is coming from and I see what can only by my body. It feels familiar, like I''ve always had one. I stand up and get a better look around. The room is a perfect cube with each dimension set at 8 ft. There is the bed that I was laying on in one corner up against the wall. on the opposite wall, across from the bed seems to be a L shaped corner desk with a chair. On the wall opposite the wall that had the desk and bed lies a door. The door looks to be made of a dark wood. On either side of the door lies a single chest. I walk over to the left chest and open it. Hmmmm its empty, I wonder about the other one. I move across the door to the second chest and open it. This one is empty too. Man I was hoping to have at least a whip to start off with, maybe some chains even. This Dungeon Master business might be harder than i thought... Well theres only one last thing to check. I square up with the door, reaching out with a hand and firmly grasp the handle. Looking around I see the hinges on this side so, with purpose, I slowly pull the door open. And get a face full of Confetti. "Surprise!" I stand rooted to the spot in shock. What''s going on what''s happening? This is outside my expectations. I can''t even. "Hahahahaha, you should see your face right now its priceless."(Voice1) "Thats the best expression I''ve seen yet." (Voice2) "To think that I could''ve looked like that when I first arrived..."(Voice3) "Now now everyone lets all give him some space. Now I know you have some questions, but for now let us introduce ourselves and then I will explain whats going on. My name is Selena, and I am the Goddess of Birth, Evolution, and Death."(Selena) This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It seems like the God known as Selena is in charge. She seems to be tall, taller than I at least, I''ll estimate around 6 ft with a bright white aura, but i can''t seem to see any features. In fact the other three beings are similar. They each are about the same height as I, around 5 ft 6 in, and each have an aura of light around them. The first one to speak, the one that fell on the floor, has a dark brown aura. The second one gasping while holding his knees has a light orange, almost pink aura. The third has a pale green aura. "Hahahahaha, excellent excellent. My name is Hadvir. You can tell its me because of my brown aura." (Voice 1) "Its nice to meet you, I hope we get along. My name is Alexander, or Alex for short. My aura is the orange one."(Voice2) "Its a-, a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sabrina."(Voice3) "Now we four have introduced ourselves, but there exists a fifth hiding somewhere. He''s a little off, he''s not bad by any means, just a little misunderstood. His name is Sebastian and he can be distinguished by his violet aura. How about you , whats your name mister red aura?"(Selena) Red aura? I guess that''s me. My name huh, i don''t even remember-. Wait I REMEMBER! "Its nice to meet you all as well, My name is Azazel."(Azazel) "Well Azazel, everyone, lets all go to the meeting room. I''ll send Sebastian a message to let him know to meet us there."(Selena) Selena walked away along with everyone else. I followed without much fuss. A meeting room huh? I wonder where exactly I am and when exactly I will start my dungeon management. Now that I get a good look these halls all have that same white look to them with lights evenly spaced. It gives it a very pure look to it. Eventually Selena got to an unmarked door and went in, followed by everyone else. Inside the room was a large circular table with six executive chairs surrounding it. The chairs were each a color. Starting with the chair that Selena took, the colors are white, violet, brown, pink, pale green, and ending in red. Hodvir took the brown chair. Alex took the pink chair. Sabrina took the pale green chair. Noticing the pattern, I took the red chair. As I was sitting down a violet aura entered the room and sat down in the violet chair. "Excellent, now that all the Dungeon Masters have assembled, I can now explain what you are expected to do."(Selena) Chapter 3 - Discussion "Now you have all heard that you are going to be Dungeon Masters from my Father already so now I''m going to explaing about what that job entails."(Selena) "Wait wait wait wait, YOU''RE THE ALL FATHER''S DAUGHTER?"(Hodvir) "Yea, I get that a lot. Actually every planet has one of his children running it as the God of Birth, Evolution and Death. Then he goes around and tries to find a few souls that would work for Dungeon Masters and puts them in the Child''s world. Moving on. We are currently in what is called God''s Chapel which is located in God''s Domain, think of it as a higher plane of existence that mortals will rarely be able to reach. From this higher plane of existence we will be able to interact with the denizens in the world below us. Our current plan is to choose locations of where each of you will start your dungeons. We will start with the first arrival Sebastian and end with our final arrival Azazel. Please look around for the location that you will find most suitable for your dungeon."(Selena) At this time something a screen rises out of the table in front of use along with a keyboard and mouse. Man that''s some high tech stuff right there As i was ruminating about how the screen popped out of the table, Sebastian looked quite peeved. "I don''t care where it is as long as it has the highest mana concentration on the planet!"(Sebastian) Mana? Hah what a noob. Everyone knows that mana and magic doesn''t exist. "Well that''s easy enough, the location with the highest mana concentration is right on this land mass."(Selena) Selena then point out a spur of land towards the south of the map. "Well then that''s where I''m going to start."(Sebastian) "*Sigh* That''s what I was hoping for."(Hodvir) ....What "Well Hodvir if that''s what you are looking for, the second highest location with mana concentration is located in this small mountain range."(Selena) "Thanks Selena, that''s where I''ll start then."(Hodvir) ....wait....is this really happening "Okay since I''m up next, I found this area with a decent concentration of mana and hills, i want to start here."(Alex) "Alright Alexander that seems to be a good place, plenty of expansion available. Next up is Sabrina."(Selena) If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Well I uh, I would like to start here."(Sabrina) Sabrina then indicates a location on the map with relatively flat land. "Excellent choice Sabrina, that area has the third highest mana concentration of the continent."(Selena) "Tha-Thank you"(Sabrina) Are these people all serious? Everyone is looking at me. Magic can''t exist. Better ask. "Why does there exist a mana concentration option when mana doesn''t exist?"(Azazel) And then the room erupts into laughter. "As expected of the DM that took so long to get here. He doesn''t even understand the basics of magic. Allow the gracious I to explain to you plebeian. Magic is the building blocks of life. Everything that exists has magic in it. Somethings have more, some has less, but its all there. Mana concentration is how much and how fast magic is able to be collected in the area. "(Sebastian) At this revelation, everyone around the table begins to nod their head in agreement. "Further more, mana is what is used to improve and grow the dungeon. As such dungeons with higher a concentration of mana will have a much greater chance of succeeding." More nods around the table. "This is all the free information that I will be giving you. However if you swear allegiance to me, I will take you under my wing."(Sebastian) Wow this changes everything. I guess this isn''t a pleasure dungeon after all. It seems like a fantasy dungeon. I wonder what the purpose is. "Selena, what exactly is the purpose of a Dungeon?"(Azazel) "Well, Azazel, generally the purpose of Dungeons is to hold artifacts of great power from the gods, however you five are unique. You will be creation dungeons. Your duty will be to introduce monsters and races to live in your dungeon and conquer other dungeons. As well as to explore the world."(Selena) I see. In that case its time to go big or go home. With a few billion years, i can choose someplace interesting, and with evolution i can make sure it gets there. I grab the computer and start looking for the perfect location. Thanks to Geology and Biology i know how the planet evolves and how life evolves. All the other dungeons may have mana concentration, but I have science. Chapter 4 - The Location "With all this new information, give me some time please to decide where I want to go please."(Azazel) "Sure Azazel, take all the time you need."(Selena) The area I seek needs to be a geothermal hotspot, needs to be underwater, be a mountain, and have magma in the center. Yes, I''m looking for an underwater volcano. I''m aware that life was formed in the oceans from single celled organisms that were formed from replicators, as such i want as much of this possible genetic material that I can get my figurative hands on, hence being underwater. The volcano, with most likely some prodding will eventually grow out of the ocean at which point I will get my own land mass as well as a symbol of power. Furthermore, it goes well with the creatures I want to inhabit my dungeon, as well as the creatures I want to explore this world. I''ve found two areas that look very promising and I can''t decide which to get. The first is east of the Landmass the other 4 dungeons are, the other is far to the north. Maybe Selena can help me decide. "Selena, I''ve found two locations that are suitable for my dungeon, but I would like you advice on which one to choice. The First is this location here to the east, the second is this location far to the north."(Azazel) "Well first off Azazel, I wouldn''t recommend an underwater dungeon, as they are much more difficult to manage. The location in the east is closer to the other dungeons, so you would be able to interact with them easier, however the location to the north has almost as high a mana concentration as Sabrina''s starting location."(Selena) "Well Selena, thanks for the advice. I would like to have my dungeon start in the northern location. I''m not certain how magic works, but I feel it''s better to have something and not use it than to need something and not have it."(Azazel) "Well then, since everyone has finished choosing the starting location for their dungeon I will now go over how you will interact with your dungeons. First off I am now activating your Personal Dungeon Interaction devices in your rooms. They will be sitting at your desks when you get back. All interactions with your dungeons will be done through your PDI, and there will be a tutorial on how to use it when you first access it. Every 10000 years we will have a meeting in this room to discuss how each of your dungeons are progressing. For the DM who has the greatest progress between meetings there will be bonuses, so try your best. Also if for any reason you decided to take a break from your Dungeon Master duties, you can either use your bed to sleep for any length of time, or you can exit God''s Chapel and use any of the other facilities in God''s domain."(Selena) This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Well than, I shall begin my mana crystal mines to jump start my Dungeon."(Sebastian) Sebastian gets up to leave and everyone else begins to follow him. I stop by Selena with a question. "Selena, one last question before I begin. What are mana crystals, how do I make them and what are they used for?"(Azazel) "Well thats technically three questions, but I will answer them anyway. Mana crystals are exactly what they sound like, crystalized mana. They are made by concentrating mana into an incredibly small point until it becomes solid at which point it eventually starts to grow, this process is significantly faster in areas that have a high mana concentration. They can be used for a variety of uses, but are generally used for either evolution in monsters or a form of energy. There are even ways for creatures to process mana crystals into pills to permanently increase a mana pool. This of course is also true for dungeons."(Selena) "Wow, no wonder everyone was looking for areas with a high concentration of mana. Thanks for the help, I will be on my way."(Azazel) I leave Selena and the room and head down the hall to my room. When I arrive and open the door I immedietely notice the difference. Just like Selena mentioned, there is now a screen, keyboard, and a mouse on the table. I enter my room and close the door. I wonder if i have to eat anything to survive. Getting to the table I sit down. And look at the screen. Looking at the keyboard, it looks just like I remember it being with a few buttons that I don''t remember ever seeing on a keyboard. I look for a power button briefly, but I can''t find it, so i double tap the space button on the keyboard. The computer wakes up.
Greetings Dungeon Master, I am your Personal Dungeon Interaction device would you like to Start the tutorial?
Yes
No
I mouse over to the Yes button. It''s time to begin. Chapter 5 - The Tutorial
Welcome to the Tutorial
Would you like the in-depth tutorial or would you like a cursory tutorial?
In-depthCursory
Hmmmm, thats a good choice. The in-depth tutorial will probably help me manage my dungeon better, but will most likely put me behind the others since they all seem to know what they are doing.The cursory tutorial will start me off at a similar time to them, but I will probably have to figure out more as I go along. I feel pretty confident in my ability to adapt, so I will go with the cursory tutorial. I mouse over to the cursory option and click
If you choose the Cursory tutorial, you will be unable to use the Immersive Dungeon Master Manager, would you like to continue?
YesNo
Immersive Dungeon Master Manager? Sounds super complicated. Nope. I mouse over to the yes option and click.
We will now begin the Cursory Tutorial. Please pay attenetion, there might questions at the end.
I see whoever made this software has a sense of humor As I watch the screen a 3D model of the underwater Volcano appears in view. I noticed in the corner of the screen a square button with a door flashing on it. When I clicked on it a window appeared.
This is the door icon, use this to create an opening that will allow creatures to travel around your dungeon. Also door icons can be positioned to form a staircase to the next floor of your dungeon. Now choose a location for your dungeon entrance.
When I moved the mouse to the volcano,an upside down semicircle that looked like an entryway to a cave on a mountain appeared. As I moved the potential opening around I decided that I would put the entryway near the bottom of the volcano to allow growth without worrying to much about hitting the lava. As I clicked the rock of the volcano molded around to form the entryway. Another button appeared and began flashing. This button had what looked like a 3D cube that only has the edges colored. I moved the mouse over and clicked it.
This is the space icon. When used it allows the Dungeon Master to map out an area to be removed. A space can only be used next to an opening, or another space so plan accordingly. Please map out your first room.
I moved the mouse over to the entrance. From there I clicked and dragged a line the width of the entrance, then moved about 10 ft long and about 10 ft high, same has the height of the entryway. They area that I had mapped out disappeared.
As this was the first room that you made, the tutorial supplied you with the mana required to build it and the opening. Future space must be mined out with mana supplied by the dungeon. You can see your mana in the top right corner of the screen and is shown by a blue bar. For more specific measurements in mana click the flashing button to its left.
At this point a flashing button appeared with the shape of a Dungeon Master appeared. So, I clicked it and a Status screen appeared.
Dungeon Master:Azazel
Dungeon Name:
Mana600
Mana Regeneration:60/year
Current Entrances to the Dungeon:1
Current rooms1
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Hmm I see that I am set to the Dungeon Master, that''s good. Also it looks like there can be multiple entrances to a dungeon, that''s good to know as well. Six hundred mana sounds like a lot, but I haven''t ever used it before so I''m honestly not sure how much a lot is. It looks like the current mana regenderation is 10 percent per year of the total mana which is simple enough. And current rooms is pretty basic. As I close the Status screen, another window pops up.
Please note that the Status screen is constantly refreshing, and that whenever something happens in or to your dungeon, it will be updated on the Status screen.
Snazzy A new button appears to the side of the screen, under the space button.
This button that has just appeared is the Creature Creation button. Unfortunetely, you have yet to unlock any creatures yet, hence this button is currently unavailable.
Can''t have it too easy I suppose. I closed the window and another window and button appeared. This button, under the Creature Creation button showed a purple crystal with a green sparkle on the side.
This next button is the Mana button. The mana button is used to manipulate mana in the dungeon. Due to starting in an area that has a higher concentration of mana than the baseline of the world, you are starting out with 500 total mana with 50 mana regeneration per year. Because you have a room, you gain an additional 100 total mana and 10 mana regeneration per year. Additional rooms will grant additional total mana and mana regeneration. Please click the Mana button now for available abilities.
Finally, the exciting part. I eagerly click the button. And some windows appear on the screen.
Create Mana Crystal
Mana Cost:500
Description:
Creates an area of intense mana concentration the size of a needle point. Due to the mana concentration in the area, for a small crystal to form, it will take roughly 300 years. This process will speed up with more mana crystals in the
Control Simple Creature
Mana Cost:10/creature
Description:
Allows the user to control simple creatures.
Neat, if spartan.
As the Dungeon Master is just beginning, many abilities are currently unavailable. These are the only abilities granted by the system to all current Dungeon Masters. For more abilities, you must meet certain conditions.
I see, this way I have enough to start with, and I have abilities to work towards. This keeps getting better and better.
This concludes the Cursory tutorial, you are now free to begin customizing your Dungeon.
Leaning forward in the chair. It''s time to get started. Chapter 6 - Starting Out With a click, I maneuvered the camera in the center of the first room, about head high, of my dungeon and looked around. Let''s see, except for one wall, which had the entrance, the other 5 sides were perfectly smooth, unnaturally so. Considering it was mined out with magic, it made sense though. First things first, let''s try and expand the dungeon. The more mana I can get, the faster I can expand; and the more I expand, the more mana I get. Just like Warcraft.....Warcraft? Oh yea, that old time strategy game. More came out after it, but nothing really beats the classics. OK, enough reminiscing, getting back on track. With a click on the Space button, my view gets put out of the room and back into the planning stage. Quickly, yet carefully, I click the point of the first room''s wall directly across from the entrance, move my mouse across the width, and click at the corner. Next I drag my mouse to the top corner of the height and click again. Finally I move the mouse the same length back as both of the height and width to make another square room right behind the first one. As I click the final point, a 3D outline of the room I want appears with a prompt:
Are you sure you want to make this change?
YesNo
It''s nice that I don''t have to worry about a missed click. I move the mouse over to the yes button and with a click the changes to a dungeon become reality. I watch as the entire cube evaporates and the water from the ocean rushes into the free space. Glancing up, I notice that a small chunk of the mana bar is missing. Excited about the increase in mana I quickly pull up the Dungeon Status.
Dungeon Master:Azazel
Dungeon Name:
Mana550/600
Mana Regeneration:60/year
Current Entrances to the Dungeon:1
Current rooms1
So it looks like a new room costs about 50 mana. That sounds a bit reasonable. 50 mana now for an extra 100 mana later along with an increase in mana regen. That''s a pretty nice return. However I am a concerned about why neither the total mana nor the mana regen increased. Closing the Dungeon Status, I look back at my dungeon and immediately notice the problem. I still only have one room! My single room is now 10 ft wide, 10 ft high, and 20 ft long. Why did this happen this way... according to the instructions, I just need to add another room next to it. Then add a doorway......Of course. Since there is no doorway, the machine had no way to notice that this was supposed to be a new room, and just added the new space to the pre-existing room. Excited to try again, I quickly click on the Door button and position a door across from the entrance. This time instead of the half-moon entry way the opening is smaller, like a circle that is resting on the ground. A familiar window pops up.
Are you sure you want to make this change?
YesNo
I move the mouse over to the yes. As the opening disappears, i notice that there seems to be a 6 in barrier around the side of wall that it is placed on. It matches the wall''s height and width, but only extends about 6 in. So this must be how I am able to make rooms. I can now connect the new room to the barrier''s corners and go from there. I immediately click the space icon and create a new room right next to the barrier. Same size, a cube of 10 ft.
Are you sure you want to make this change?
YesNo
Hurriedly I click yes. I watch in rapt attention as the area designated evaporates and water rushes into the room. I watch closely at the opening and notice that it''s still there. I look once more at the Dungeon Status, excitement mounting.
Dungeon Master:Azazel
Dungeon Name:
Mana490/700
Mana Regeneration:70/year
Current Entrances to the Dungeon:1
Current rooms1
"Woot Woot!"(Azazel) That seems to have done the trick. It''s always exciting, when something works out how I envision. Also it seems that I am 10 mana less, than the 50 for the room. That must be how much it takes to create an opening. Excellent now it''s time to increase the rooms. I quickly clicked on the door button again. Facing away from the entrance to the Dungeon, I oriented the screen to face the left wall. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Time for an experiment. I oriented the first door about 4 ft to the left of the center of the wall. And excavated an opening. Then i watched as a door barrier stretched along the entire wall, and connected to the already existing door barrier towards my first door barrier. Next I clicked the door icon again and attempted to add a second door to that 20 ft long wall, just 4 ft to the right of the center. It worked like a charm. I now have two doors on the same wall that are using the same door barrier. Time to move to phase 2 With a click to the space icon, I then slowly start to shape a 10 ft cube room behind the leftmost doorway. This time however I started with the height at the top leftmost corner and dragged the mouse downwards towards the bottom left corner, then the length going away from me, however when I got to the width instead of moving it all the way right to a complete 10 ft, I stopped it a few inches away.
Are you sure you want to make this change?
YesNo
With a quick click, the room began evaporating. Next I hurried towards the right door and started again. First the door icon, then the top right corner, followed by the bottom right corner, next a 10 ft length, and then moving leftwards stopping just shy of a 10 ft width. With the room outlined, a new prompt appeared.
Detected user trying to make a wall between rooms. Would you like to normalize walls between them and continue with changes?
YesNo
YES With a quick click I watch the changes effect the Dungeon. Both rooms formed into a 10 ft cube, then a wall formed between them directly between the two rooms effectively splitting them. The wall was 6 in in width and took 3 in off each room. Then a new icon appeared.
Congratulations, due to experimentation, you have completed the requirements to unlock the wall icon. Using this icon allows the user to build Walls between rooms. No longer will you have to worry about rooms connecting. With this handy tool, you will be able to separate rooms built, or to be built. Please note that this ability only works between two rooms that have been joined. You will be unable to build a wall the separates a single room into two. However, due to the nature of the Dungeon this ability will cost no mana.
Now we''re talking. Quickly I separate the long room into two separate rooms. Sure enough a wall forms between them taking 3 inches off each room. Next I add a doorway to the new wall. I have enough mana for two more rooms, so facing the new door I quickly add rooms on the right side that mirrors the left side. Let''s see how this dungeon looks now. [ ]-[ ]-[ ] | [ ]-[ ]-[ ] | [ ] I built 6 rooms with 6 doorways, so that''s 360 mana out of my 600 starting mana. That means I have 240 mana left with which to make rooms. Well then, let''s make another four. [ ]-[E]-[ ] | [ ]-[ ]-[ ]-[ ]-[ ] | [ ]-[ ]-[ ] Finally I exhausted all my mana. Let''s see how much the Dungeon has grown. I open the Dungeon Status.
Dungeon Master:Azazel
Dungeon Name:
Mana0000/1600
Mana Regeneration:160/year
Current Entrances to the Dungeon:1
Current rooms11
Not bad for my first time. With a mana regen that is in the years I think I''ll try out my bed''s function. I''ll sleep until I''m full of mana, then i will keep building. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author''s Note: Okay peeps, I''m not a fan of author''s notes, so I''ll try and keep this short. For this story, there will be a Science VS Magic theme. Unfortunately, as far as I''m concerned, there is nothing scientific about a Dungeon. Dungeons are all magic. I don''t want to share too much and spill the beans, but the science part will be all about evolution as well as biology, mathematics, and programming (not in that order). This part has been slow, but I feel like it''s needed so that it gives a glimpse about the nitty gritty bits of creating a dungeon. TSG Chapter 7 - Simple Creatures I awake with a yawn and a stretch. Blinking my eyes sleepily, I look around. My room is exactly as I remember it. I sit up and glance over to look at the computer. There is a light flashing on the screen. I wonder what''s up. Moving over to the desk, I sit down in the chair and examine the blinking window.
Your mana is fully charged.
Looks like the bed worked. I promptly close the window and examine the dungeon. [ ]-[E]-[ ] | [ ]-[ ]-[ ]-[ ]-[ ] | [ ]-[ ]-[ ] The volcano is going to be growing upwards, SO I should be prepared for when it erupts. It will eventually cover up the entrance as it erupts, so i should be prepared for outwards expansion as well as inner expansion. Also I shouldn''t interrupt the flow of lava until I have the volcano reach my desired height and width. I tap my chin with my finger as I think about the future. Oh well, that''s something that I can deal with when it happens. For now I should focus on creating a bunch of rooms on this bottom floor. I begin to manipulate the Personal Dungeon Interaction device and start making more rooms. Let''s see, before I get into a building frenzy, let me check to see how large the magma channel is for this volcano. After a few minutes of prospecting the volcano I am so lucky I ran out of mana when I did. If I made any more rooms towards the center of the volcano, I would have been at risk for having the lava vent into my dungeon. Currently this volcano has a diameter of 60 yards. It has a magma channel of 20 yards, which is huge for this size of volcano. Thankfully that means it will grow quickly, but I won''t have much to do until it starts erupting. Also with a magma channel of 20 yards, I am allowing a 10 yard buffer area around it in all directions to help keep the magma flowing upwards and not outwards. This means that I stopped just right to keep the dungeon uniform. Now, it probably wouldn''t matter too much if I went a few feet into the buffer zone, but realistically speaking, I want to keep the dungeon as uniform as possible. With my new found knowledge I quickly began making rooms around the buffer zone until I was out of mana. I also added a few more doors between rooms. I don''t need them to get around, but I''m sure whatever starts to inhabit my dungeon will. . . . After I finish adding them in, this is what it looks like: Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. [ ]-[ ]- [ ]- [E]- [ ]- [ ]- [ ]-[ ]-[ ] | | [ ]-[ ]-[ ]- [ ]- [ ]- [ ]- [ ]- [ ]-[ ]-[ ] | | [ ]-[ ]-[ ]-[ ]- [ ]- [ ]- [ ]- [ ]- [ ]- [ ]-[ ] | [ ]-[ ]-[ ] (B) (B) (B) (B) (B) (B) (B) (B) | [ ]-[ ]-[ ] (B) {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} (B) | [ ] (B) {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} (B) (B) {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} (B) (B) {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} (B) (B) {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} (B) (B) {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} {M} (B) (B) (B) (B) (B) (B) (B) (B) (B) I can''t believe that I lucked out in having such great volcano. I just made an additional 26 rooms and two extra doors between them. That means that I spent 1,580 mana, and I have 20 mana left out of the 1600 I started with. Now I am no longer able to build any more rooms until I rest. Actually this gives me a good chance to try another ability. Life on earth appeared at the 3.8 billion mark, so I have some time until that time period hits, but it''s generally a good idea to get used to abilities before you need them so here goes.
Control Simple Creature
Mana Cost:10/creature
Description:
Allows the user to control simple creatures.
I activate the power.
Please select the Simple creature you wish to control.
"AHHHHHH! MY EYES!"(Azazel) The screen practically shook with a blinding light.
1. Prokaryotic Cell 2. Volcano
It''s TOO SOON! A VOLCANO? WHAT''S GOING ON? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author Says: Expect the next chapter to be three times as long, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I needed a chapter to push the story along the path I envisioned. I didn''t want to go back and change the beginning of the story and if the story kept going the way it was going, it was heading off the deep end. Chapter 8 - A Surprising Discovery It''s time to get some get some answers. I know from my own world that it was created 4.6 billion years from "Modern Day" and according to the Biology I remember it was 750 million years later that cells first formed. Either I slept for 750 million years , or I''m starting 750 million years sooner than I thought.I thought while I lean back in my desk chair. I have been acting on assumptions since I got here. That is an all-around terrible idea, and I can''t help but kick myself over this. I should have asked all my questions and got all my answers before I started. Now, while we are all just beginning it''s time to go get some answers, and I know just who to go ask. But first I have to find them. Standing up I take a quick stretch. Looking around the room I think about fixing my appearance. But I''m just a shape of light so I shrug and leave the room. I''m still in the hallway from the beginning. I''ve already gone Left, it leads to the Meeting room lets go right this time. I start walking, examining the white washed walls. They don''t have any texture to them like some fancy walls have, instead they are smooth. They just seem to go forever, and then I get to a door. The first door I have come across. Let''s see where this leads. . . . . . I knock again and wait. . . . . . . I try the door knob. Locked. Must be "In Use". At least they could have some sort half-circle sign if the room is available or being used. I keep walking down the endless hallway. I wonder what the other facilities that Selena mentioned were. The way she said it was very open ended, like it was up for debate or something. I wonder if they have a garden or something here. The thought had no sooner crossed my mind when I reached a new door. This one however had a plaque on it.
Recreational Park
Neato Not even bothering to knock, I firmly grasp the handle, push the door open, and step out into ~A Whole New World~... Well that was weird, but apt. I think as I look around the clearing. In awe I take a few steps forward and look around. It looks like I''m in the center of a clearing as I turn around I see fruit trees, flowering trees, deciduous trees, and coniferous trees. And that¡¯s just one side. The clearing is massive, in fact I should probably start calling it a small plains it¡¯s so large. It looks like next to the trees there is a garden. I hurry over to take a look. The garden, if I can call it that, has every type of flower, vegetable, and fruit that I can remember, and then some that I can''t. These seem to be some sort of magical variety. Neato. I turn towards the side across from the trees. Bushes as far as the eye can see. It seems like this room has all sorts of plant life. Let''s see what hides behind the door. I slowly turn and my mouth drops. I see the door. But behind it is just a mass of indiscernible fog. I walk up to the fog, stand even with the door and stick my hand in. My hand seems to push the fog forward, so I take a step and look towards the doorThat''s weird, I definitely just took a step towards the fog, but I''m still even with the door. I took another step while looking at the door.I definitely felt myself moving, but I''m still even with the door. This must be some weird magic phenomenon, I want to find out how it works, but first I need to talk to Selena. I slowly walk back to the door and leave the Recreational Park, closing the door behind me. With a hop in my step I begin walking down the hallway again. A short forever and my mind starts to wander. I wonder when I will arrive at Selena''s office. No sooner than the thought crossed my mind, then I came upon a door. It was like it just appeared out of nowhere. Examining the door I see that it has a white nameplate on it along with the name Selena. Well let''s hope that she''s in. I thought as I grasped the door knob twisted it and pushed it open. The First thing I noticed was Selena standing tall and looking down at Alexander who was in the "orz" position. The second thing I noticed was the riding crop in Selena''s hand and the chains on Alexander''s wrists and ankles. The Third thing I noticed was that they were both wearing leather bodysuits. "..."(Azazel) "..."(Selena) "..."(Alexander) I slowly close the door. Was not expecting that. I waited a few minutes staring at the door, shifting from side to side awkwardly. Finally gathering my courage, I decided to knock on the door. "Come in."(Selena) I slowly open the door expecting the worst. Selena''s office has two chairs immediately in front of the door, most likely for guests. In front of the guest chair is a nice wooden executive desk, of a type of wood I have never seen before. It looks like the pale wood of birch, but the grains have a type a pattern to them that I have never seen before. Behind the desk is a tall backed executive chair, upon which Selena is sitting while wearing a white dress. In the two back corners are two bushes I remember seeing back in the Recreational Park, but don''t know the name of. Frowning, I once more look around the room and don''t see Alexander anywhere, but there aren''t any doors leading to any other room. I once more look at the desk, then at Selena. "What can I help you with Azazel?"(Selena) It seems like she''s going to sweep what I just witnessed under the rug, which I am perfectly fine with...for now. Now to ask about the things in my Dungeon. "Well Selena, I have some questions about certain things that I need answers for before I continue working."(Azazel) Selena blushes a little, then glances down towards the desk. "We-well, ask and if I am able; I will answer them."(Selena) "Well my first question, is how long has this world been in existence?"(Azazel) "What do you mean?"(Selena) "Well, for how long has the planet that we are making dungeons on been a planet?"(Azazel) If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Do you mean how long has it been since my Father created this world from nothing?"(Selena) ".....Yes."(Azazel) "My Father created the world from nothing a little more than a thousand years ago. During the majority of that time I was preparing the world for the Dungeon Masters that would populate it."(Selena) "What do you mean by "prepare the world" shouldn''t the world already be ready as soon as CotU created the planet?"(Azazel) "Well I have to decide what creatures will be able to be summoned and created by the Dungeon Masters right?"(Selena) "Summoned? Created? What are you talking about?"(Azazel) "Well if have enough mana, you are able to create creatures from nothing; however such creatures are generally inferior and unable to reproduce. Summoned Creatures take a permanent decrease of mana to summon, but are generally superior to created creatures and are able to reproduce. However the caveat for summoning creatures is that you really don''t know what quality you are going to get, and there is no way to get your mana back from the summoning ritual."(Selena) "What about evolution? Can I use evolution to populate my Dungeon?"(Azazel) As I say dungeon, I see Selena blush a little, but she quickly recovers. "Well wouldn''t you need monsters first before you evolve them into the next tier?"(Selena) "Tiers? I mean taking a species and through either natural selection, gene therapy, or some other process, and turning it into a whole new species."(Azazel) "I have never heard of such a system before. Generally after a monster reaches a certain level, they are able to evolve into the next tier of monster and start over from level 1."(Selena) "Why would a monster want to evolve to another monster type if it evolved over time to suit a specific habitat and ecosystem? It doesn''t make any sense."(Azazel) "Well first off, generally speaking, the next tier monster is much stronger than an original tier monster, so many monsters wish to rank up. Also a lot of dungeons become attached to certain creatures, so they want them to become as strong as possible so they don''t die. Hence the evolving aspect. As far as evolution goes, it sounds much faster to just get a monster to a certain level and evolve it to the next tier monster than to slowly change an already existing monster into another."(Selena) That seems so wrong, but I can''t deny that it sounds effective. "The only problem I see is that by using the evolving ability, monsters with undesirable traits have a better chance at evolving than evolution allows. Just to clarify, will I be able to use evolution if I so choose in my Dungeon?"(Azazel) "You can do whatever you want inside your dungeon. You are the Master after all."(Selena) "Just to clarify for this line of questioning, I am able to control something call a "Prokaryotic Cell", was that something that you added to the world for use to use?"(Azazel) "I did add it, but it was actually something my father asked me to add. He didn''t tell me the reason though."(Selena) Thank CotU for that. "Ok, my next question. Why am I able to interact with a Volcano?"(Azazel) "Obviously because its spirit developed sentience from all the mana surrounding it."(Selena) Ugh "Does that mean that anything can develop sentience, as long as enough mana is provided?"(Azazel) "The short answer is yes. However it really depends on what you are trying to give sentience to and its general quality. I''m not sure if you have noticed yet, but the volcano you chose has one of the greatest chances for growth due to how it was made. As such it was much easier for it to gain sentience. A rock, for instance would take a long time and a huge amount of mana to give sentience to."(Selena) "Well this conversation was enlightening, thank you for answering my questions Selena."(Azazel) "It''s my pleasure."(Selena) As she says this her expression darkens just a tad, but lightens up instantly. If I was feeling a little dark after all the revelations I just got I wouldn''t have noticed it. Yet I did, so as I knocked on the center of her desk, right above where she has her legs stored, I say "Good bye to you Selena and play safe." I start walking back the way I came. Man I need a drink. A door I didn''t remember passing appears on my right. This one doesn''t have a nameplate on it; instead, deeply etched into the wood is the word BAR. With nothing to lose I grasped the handle, twisted it, and remembered what happened last time I opened without knocking. I release my hand and take a deep breath. I knock loudly, grasped the door knob, twisted it, and opened the door. What I saw was a high class bar. The floor was a black carpet, the walls had red drapes hanging on them. There were couches and tables distributed evenly around the room and there was a full U-shaped bar in the center. Walking up to the bar I see a sign that says, "Serve Yourself". Shrugging I walk around the bar looking for glasses and alcohol. I easily find a crystal glass, but I only find one bottle of booze. How weird. This place comes with a super classy bar setting, but only has one liquor. It better be good or this place will be a huge joke. I carefully grab the bottle and examine it. The bottle is clear so I can see the liquid inside. The liquid was very clear and looked like the purest Vodka I have ever seen. I give it a quick shake and no bubbles form. Now I know this is good stuff. I quickly pull the cork out and set the bottle on the counter. Next I take my hand and gently waft the fumes towards me. The fumes smell like a sea of flowers in full bloom. Excited a poor a small bit in my glass. I slowly put down the bottle and pick up the glass bringing it to my lips. Taking a deep breath I once more smell the flowers and take a sip. Flavor bursts in my mouth. Every part of my tongue explodes in delight. As I swallow I feel the liquor rush towards my stomach and fill my very being with a pleasant sensation. I quickly finish my glass. With every sip I take I get the same feeling. No wonder there is only this one bottle of alcohol. I don''t think any other alcohol will be able to measure up. I grab both the bottle and my cup and slowly walk towards the exit. It''s time to head back to my room. I grasp the door knob, twisted it, and open the door right into my room. I step inside in shock, letting the door close behind me. Chapter 9- Boss *Gulp* I take another swig from the bottle of the flowery clear liquid as I lay on my bed relaxing. Man what an eye opener. To think that I only need to think of a place and open a door to get there. How exciting. Now I don''t have to worry about walking forever down that long dull white hall. *Gulp* Another swig. It''s time to get back down to business. I still have some mana left before it take my nap. I get up from the bed and sway as I walk towards my workstation. Flopping on the chair, it squeals in protest at the sudden weight. I slowly lean forward to the Personal Dungeon Interaction device and grab the mouse. With my free hand I bring the bottle of clear liquid to my lips. *Gulp* As I place the bottle on the table, my vision slowly dims and I drift off into senseless oblivion. ************************************************************ If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.*Thump Thump Thump* "......o"(?) *Thump Thump Thump* ".....oss......te"(?) *Thump Thump Thump* I blink my eyes blearily. "Wa......ts........ting"(?) I sit up and look around, cracking my neck in the process. I''m sitting at my desk. Theres a giant drool stain covering the majority of the desk, centered around where my head was. Well that''s unfortunate, I wonder how long I slept *Thump Thump Thump* I hear the noise again. "Hey Boss, if you don''t get up now you won''t have time to make it to the Meeting!"(?) Weird, I''ve never heard such a young voice. Maybe its a new Dungeon Master. Better open the door and see what he wants. I stand up and take a step, but I stumble as my legs lock up. I hit the floor with an oompf and my breath is knocked out of me. The fall didn''t really hurt; it was more of a surprise. "Boss? Are you okay Boss?"(?) I ignore the voice for now as i slowly work my tense muscles. They are quickly loosened so I stand up and briskly walk over to the door. I firmly grasp the handle, and stop. Releasing the door, I take a quick breath. Let''s see who this guy knocking on my door is. I firmly grasp the handle, push the door open, and step out into what looks to be a living room. Plush couches, a side bar, a table with chairs. There''s even an area with a cooking station. And then my eyes fall on the young sounding one who was knocking on my door. What stands before me is a typical soulless red headed step child. A young boy with black eyes, red hair, pale skin and immaculately groomed. I can say with great certainty that I have never seen this room or this young boy before. Looking at my expression he immediately kneels on the floor. "This one greets the Boss and wishes his thanks for being birthed."(?) My mouth dries instantly. "Uh, what?"(Azazel) Oh All-Father what have I done?