Back in the depths of The Forsaken Crypt, Eddie 'Bones' Malone was knee-deep in his latest project – upgrading his dungeon. With his newfound credits and a high threat level to contend with, he was determined to make some impactful changes.
"Alright, first up, a new trap," Eddie declared, selecting a trap from the dungeon core's menu. "The 'Spike Surprise' sounds fun!"
He followed the on-screen instructions, which seemed straightforward enough. However, as soon as he activated the trap, a set of spikes shot out unexpectedly, embedding themselves into the skull of Fred.
"Whoa, Fred! Sorry, buddy!" Eddie exclaimed, rushing over to the skewered skeleton. He quickly dislodged the spikes and, with a sheepish grin, polished Fred's skull with his fist. "We square now, yea?"
Fred, being a skeleton, offered no response, but Eddie took the silence as forgiveness.
"Note to self: double-check trap directions next time," Eddie mumbled, moving on to his next task.
Feeling a bit more cautious but still enthusiastic, Eddie decided to add a new room to the dungeon. "Let's see, how about something... unexpected?"
He scrolled through the options and selected 'Mystical Chamber'. However, in his excitement, Eddie didn't notice he had actually chosen 'Mystical Beach'. The dungeon rumbled as the new room materialized.
Eddie walked into the new chamber and stopped dead in his tracks. Instead of a dark, ominous room filled with arcane energy, he found himself standing on a sandy beach, complete with a gently lapping ocean, a sunlit sky, and palm trees.
"What in the...?" Eddie was flabbergasted. He picked up a handful of sand, letting it run through his bony fingers. "A beach? Inside my dungeon?"
He looked around at the bizarre scene, his mind racing. "Well, this was not the plan, but hey, it's kinda nice, right? Maybe the adventurers will be too busy sunbathing to bother with the rest of the dungeon!"
Eddie couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. He plopped down on the sand, contemplating his 'Mystical Beach'. "I guess every dungeon master needs a place to relax. Might as well enjoy it."
Just then, a couple of his skeleton soldiers wandered in, their bones clacking in the quiet beach ambiance. They seemed as perplexed as Eddie was, looking around in confusion.
"Welcome to the beach, boys!" Eddie called out, waving a hand. "Grab a spot in the sun – or, well, the magical sun, I guess."
As the skeletons awkwardly positioned themselves on the sand, Eddie lay back, looking up at the artificial sky. "Not what I planned, but it'll do. The Forsaken Crypt just got a little more... spooky.”
After a moment of enjoying the whimsical beach scene, Eddie 'Bones' Malone's sense of responsibility kicked in. He sat up, looking at the skeletons lounging awkwardly on the sand.
"Alright, you bag o' bones, back to work!" he shouted, clapping his hands together. "Can't have you slackers sunbathing on the job. Gotta show 'em who's the tough boss around here."
The skeletons, though lacking any real sense of relaxation, promptly got up and shuffled out of the 'Mystical Beach,' resuming their posts throughout the dungeon.
Eddie brushed the sand off his bones and stood up. "Time to get serious," he muttered to himself. "Can't let my guard down, even if I do have a beach in my dungeon."
As he was about to leave the room, a loud, jarring alert echoed through the dungeon, followed by a system notification:
[System Alert: Dungeon Raid in Progress! Intruders Detected at the Main Entrance.]
Eddie's eye sockets widened. "A raid? Now? But I just got the beach set up!" His earlier relaxed demeanor vanished, replaced by a rush of adrenaline.
He had recently splurged on an expensive dungeon alarm system, a purchase he had initially regretted, considering it overpriced. Now, as the alert blared, he felt a begrudging gratitude for the investment.
"Alright, Eddie, showtime," he said, steeling himself. He hurried out of the beach room, making his way toward the entrance.
As he moved through the corridors, Eddie thought about the intruders. "Last time, it was just a few low-level thugs. But what if it's someone tougher this time? Gotta be prepared for anything."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
He reached the entrance just in time to see the first of the intruders cautiously stepping into the dungeon. They were better equipped than the last group, their armor polished and weapons gleaming in the torchlight.
Eddie ducked behind a corner, peering out to assess the situation. "Looks like we've got some serious adventurers this time," he whispered to himself. "Time to put my 'Intimidating Presence' to the test."
The intruders moved forward, unaware of the skeleton dungeon master watching them. Eddie took a deep, unnecessary breath, preparing to confront them.
"This is it, Bones. Time to defend your crypt," he said, stepping out from his hiding spot, ready to face the new challengers head-on.
Eddie stepped into the dim light of the entrance hall, his bones rattling with a mix of excitement and nerves. The group of adventurers, upon seeing the skeletal figure emerge, immediately tensed, weapons at the ready.
"Welcome to The Forsaken Crypt!" Eddie announced, trying to infuse his voice with as much 'Intimidating Presence' as possible. "I'm Eddie, your host and dungeon master. Prepare for a challenge!"
The adventurers looked at each other, confusion apparent in their expressions. The leader, a tall woman clad in shining armor, stepped forward. "A talking skeleton? This must be some kind of trick," she said warily.
Eddie couldn't help but feel a bit deflated. "Hey, I'm more than just a talking skeleton! I'm the master of this place," he retorted, slightly miffed.
The adventurers cautiously advanced, clearly unsure of how to proceed. Eddie, seizing the moment, decided to activate one of his traps. With a quick gesture, a net shot out from the wall, aiming to ensnare the group.
However, the adventurers were quicker than he anticipated. They easily dodged the trap, and the net ended up capturing nothing but air. One of the adventurers, a rogue with quick reflexes, even managed to cut the net to pieces before it could reset.
"Okay, so you're quick," Eddie said, trying to hide his disappointment. "But let's see how you handle this!"
He clapped his hands, and a horde of his skeleton soldiers emerged from hidden doors, armed with rusty swords and shields. The adventurers braced themselves, and a battle ensued.
Eddie watched from a safe distance, occasionally trying to direct his minions, but the skeletons were not the most strategic of fighters. The adventurers, skilled and coordinated, fought with precision and teamwork, slowly but steadily overcoming the skeletal horde.
"Come on, guys! Put some backbone into it!" Eddie cheered, though it was clear the battle was not in his favor.
As the last of his skeletons clattered to the ground, the adventurers turned their attention towards Eddie. He swallowed nervously – an odd sensation without a throat.
"Alright, you got me. Good job, I guess," Eddie conceded, lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender. "So, what now? You gonna take me down?"
The leader of the adventurers stepped forward. "We're here to assess the threat of this dungeon. You're not what we expected, skeleton."
Eddie shrugged, a clinking sound accompanying the movement. "Yeah, I get that a lot. So, assessment over? Can I go back to managing my dungeon in peace?"
As the leader of the adventurers confronted Eddie, a flicker of a smile crossed his skeletal face, a sly glint in his eye sockets. He had anticipated this moment, and despite his outwardly casual demeanor, Eddie had a trick up his sleeve.
----------------------------------------
Flashback: Earlier that Day
Before the adventurers arrived, Eddie was tinkering around in the dungeon core, pondering over his defenses. "Those guild folks will be expecting the usual skeleton shenanigans," he mused. "But what if I surprise them with something... unexpected?"
His gaze landed on an obscure option in the dungeon core: 'Holographic Illusion.' It was a feature he hadn't used before, mainly because he never really understood it. But now, an idea sparked in his mind.
"If I can't beat 'em with brawn, maybe I can outwit 'em," Eddie thought. He spent some time setting up the illusion, programming it to create a false image of himself and his skeleton army.
----------------------------------------
Back to the Present
As the adventurers focused on Eddie, he gave them a toothy grin. "You know, I've always enjoyed a good game of misdirection," he said cryptically.
Suddenly, the dungeon hall was filled with the sound of rattling bones and clanking armor. From every shadow, dozens of skeleton warriors appeared, surrounding the adventurers on all sides. The adventurers spun around, weapons ready, facing the overwhelming horde.
But Eddie wasn't done. With a dramatic flourish, he vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing behind the adventurers. "Surprise!" he exclaimed.
The leader of the adventurers, realizing something was amiss, swung her sword through one of the skeleton warriors, only to find her blade passing right through it. "Illusions!" she cursed.
The real Eddie, meanwhile, had activated the real trap – a concealed pitfall in the center of the room. As the adventurers were distracted by the illusions, the floor beneath them gave way, and they tumbled into a spike pit below.
"Gotcha!" Eddie exclaimed, unable to hide his glee. "Introducing Eddie's Holographic Hoax – patent pending!"
As the adventurers fell into the spikes, Eddie couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. He had outwitted a group of seasoned adventurers, using his wits rather than brute force.
A sense of accomplishment washed over Eddie. He had successfully defended his dungeon using his cunning, a feat that seemed to impress even the seasoned adventurers.
Just then, a system notification popped up, breaking through Eddie's triumphant reverie.
[System Notification: Enemies Defeated! High-Level Threat Neutralized. Reward: +3000 Credits.]
Eddie's jaw, if it could have, would have dropped. "Whoa, that's a lot of credits! Talk about a bonus!"
He quickly checked his credit balance, his eye sockets widening at the substantial number displayed. The reward was indeed much larger than anything he had received before, a reflection of the higher risk and challenge he had just faced.
"Looks like outsmarting tough adventurers pays off big time," Eddie mused, already thinking about how he could use his newfound wealth to make even more elaborate upgrades to The Forsaken Crypt. But he couldn't help but wonder to himself, 'Why ain't none of these fools got wallets?'