Eddie 'Bones' Malone, now somewhat accustomed to his role as a skeleton dungeon master, dedicated his time to planning and expanding his bizarre domain. Remembering the Dungeon Management 101 tutorial, he decided to dive back into it, hoping to glean more insights on how to effectively run his dungeon.
[Tutorial Series: Advanced Dungeon Management]
As he engaged with the tutorial, Eddie learned about various functionalities he hadn't known before. One feature allowed him to channel energy from the dungeon core to heal his skeleton minions. "Handy," he thought, watching as minor cracks and damages in a skeleton soldier's bones mended before his eyes.
Another part of the tutorial covered trap resetting and maintenance. Eddie realized that his traps could be reused, provided he reset them manually or set up an automatic reset mechanism, which cost extra credits.
During the tutorial, Eddie also received an overview of his current dungeon layout. The dungeon was a linear progression from the entrance to the core room, with a total of five rooms now, each serving a different purpose. The first room was an entryway, filled with basic traps to give adventurers a 'warm welcome'. The next three rooms varied in their hazards, featuring a mix of Skeleton Soldiers, Archers, and the new jungle-themed traps. The fifth room, where the dungeon core was located, was the most heavily guarded, both by his skeletal minions and the most intricate traps he could afford.
Throughout the tutorial, Eddie kept a keen eye on his credits. After spending on a few more traps and the additional room, he was down to a modest sum.
[Current Credits: 275 Credits]
However, as he completed the final section of the tutorial, a pleasant surprise awaited him.
[System Notification: Congratulations on Completing Advanced Dungeon Management! Here's a Reward: 500 Credits. Good Luck on Your Dungeon Journey!]
"Never been good at studying, but I gotta say, I like this kind of reward," Eddie chuckled, pleased with the unexpected bonus.
With the tutorial completed and his knowledge significantly expanded, Eddie felt more in control and ready to take on whatever challenges came next. His dungeon, though modest compared to the grand lairs he'd heard about in legends, was shaping up to be quite the formidable fortress.
Eddie stood in the core room of his dungeon, now better informed and slightly wealthier in dungeon currency. The additional credits brought his balance up to a respectable 775, giving him a bit more flexibility in planning his next moves.
"Now, what to do with these extra credits..." he pondered. The options were tempting – more traps, additional skeleton upgrades, maybe even saving up for a major enhancement. Eddie knew he had to be strategic. A good dungeon master, as he was quickly learning, thought two steps ahead.
He decided to invest in upgrading his traps first. The jungle environment provided unique opportunities for camouflage and surprise elements. With careful selection, Eddie purchased a couple of camouflaged pitfall traps and a set of poison dart traps, perfectly blending with the rainforest theme.
[Purchase: Camouflaged Pitfall Trap - 100 Credits Each, Poison Dart Trap - 75 Credits Each]
With his remaining credits, Eddie contemplated upgrading his skeleton soldiers. "These guys could use a bit more... oomph," he mused. But then he had another idea.
"Maybe I should save up. There's a lot more to this dungeon master gig than I thought. Who knows what I might need in the future?" he reasoned.
His decision made, Eddie set out to personally oversee the installation of the new traps. As he navigated through his dungeon, he couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. The once bare and dreary corridors now thrived with life – albeit a deadly, undead kind of life.
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
As he was setting up the final poison dart trap, a sudden commotion at the entrance of the dungeon caught his attention. Eddie paused, his skeletal senses on high alert.
The sounds of cautious footsteps and hushed voices grew louder. His hollow eye sockets narrowed as he recognized the type of intruders – low-level thugs, much like he used to be.
"Rollin' up in my hood, tryna take my goodies, huh?" Eddie muttered under his breath, annoyance evident in his raspy tone. "Think they can just waltz into Eddie's place and grab what they want? Not on my watch."
He watched as the small band of would-be adventurers cautiously entered the first room. They were poorly equipped, carrying makeshift weapons and wearing mismatched armor. Eddie could almost smell the overconfidence and bravado that he remembered so well from his previous life.
"Time to teach these punks a lesson in dungeon etiquette," Eddie said, a wicked grin forming on his skull.
He quietly moved to a vantage point where he could observe the intruders without being seen. The first trap was just ahead of them – one of the camouflaged pitfalls he had recently installed.
The leader of the group, a burly man with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward, his eyes scanning the room. He was inches away from the pitfall trap. Eddie held his breath, anticipation building in his bones.
Suddenly, the floor gave way under the burly man, and he plummeted with a surprised yelp. The rest of the group jumped back, their faces a mix of shock and fear.
"That's right, welcome to The Forsaken Crypt," Eddie whispered gleefully. "Lesson one: always watch your step."
The remaining thugs hesitated, murmuring among themselves. They seemed to realize that this dungeon wasn't going to be the easy loot-fest they had anticipated.
Eddie decided it was time to up the ante. He signaled to a couple of his skeleton archers, positioned in the shadows. On his command, they let loose a volley of arrows, causing the intruders to scramble for cover.
"Lesson two," Eddie called out, his voice echoing through the corridors, "expect the unexpected!"
The thugs, now visibly shaken, were trying to regroup, but Eddie wasn't about to let up. He wanted to make sure they understood that this dungeon was his territory, and trespassers would not be tolerated.
As the intruders cautiously advanced, evading traps and skeletons, Eddie watched with a mixture of pride and amusement. His dungeon was holding up well, and these low-level thugs were getting a crash course in dungeon diving.
Finally, as the intruders neared the final room, Eddie decided it was time for a personal appearance. He stepped out from the shadows, his skeletal form illuminated by the dim light of the torches.
"Lesson three," Eddie said, his voice booming, "respect the dungeon master's domain."
The thugs, now facing the imposing figure of Eddie, knew they were outmatched. With fear in their eyes, they turned and fled, scrambling over each other in their haste to escape.
Eddie watched them go, a satisfied chuckle resonating through his bones. "That's right, run! Tell your friends about Eddie's Crypt. Let 'em know there's a new master in town."
As the sounds of the fleeing intruders faded, Eddie stood tall in his dungeon. He had successfully defended his domain, and he felt a rush of exhilaration. He was no longer just a skeleton; he was a dungeon master, and this was his kingdom.
In the aftermath of the hasty retreat by the would-be intruders, Eddie was basking in the glow of his victory when a system notification popped up, interrupting his moment of triumph.
[System Notification: Partial Success Detected. Rewards: 60% - Reason: 3/3 Intruders Escaped]
Eddie's triumphant stance faltered as he read the message. "Partial success? But I scared 'em off good!" he protested to the empty air, his bony hands thrown up in exasperation.
He grumbled under his breath. "So what, I gotta trap 'em all inside to get full credit? They ran away like scared rats! Ain't that a win?"
Despite his frustration, the message made it clear. While he had successfully defended his dungeon, the system expected more – capturing or defeating the intruders, perhaps. Eddie realized this was another learning curve in his role as a dungeon master.
He sighed, the sound echoing hollowly. "Alright, system, I get it. No more Mr. Nice Skeleton. Next time, no one's getting out so easily."
Despite the slight disappointment, Eddie couldn't deny the thrill of the encounter. His traps had worked, his skeletons had performed admirably, and, most importantly, he had protected his domain.
He decided to focus on the positives. "Got to take the wins where you can," he mused. "And hey, 60% reward ain't too shabby."
The system deposited the reward credits into his account, bringing his balance up. It wasn't as much as a full victory would have garnered, but it was something.
[Current Credits: 775 + 60% Reward = 875 Credits]
Eddie perked up a bit at his new total. "Not too bad, Bones, not too bad. Time to plan for the next round."
With a renewed sense of purpose, Eddie began to walk back to the core room. He was already thinking about how to improve his defenses, maybe add a few more surprises for any future adventurers brave – or foolish – enough to enter his domain.
"Next time," Eddie vowed, "they won't be so lucky."