Chapter 10

It had been three days since Frizzy and her clan came to move into the dungeon and Jack was humming a happy tune as he was making the finishing touches on the golem. Things have been moving smoothly as he made them some essential supplies like nails and planks of wood for them to start repairing their new homes. Jack did move his consciousness to peek at them as they worked. He never really paid much attention to how building construction work before, but from what he saw the gremlins were natural craftsmen. They were clever and when they stumbled upon a problem, they were quick cobbled a solution together. Might not have been pretty but it was sturdy and would last for a long time. When he made a loom for his budding community so they could start making cloths, they were kind enough to make him some cloths. It was a black suite with a white shirt and Jack had to admit it was much better than anything he could make. It was impractical for being a fabricator but he felt good all dressed up. At first, he wanted to wear it only when he was just relaxing or just lounging about. But the elders insisted that since he was master of the area then he should look the part so everyone knew his importance.

In the end it was just easier to just agree and to try not to have his new cloths damaged when he worked.

At the moment he was double checking each part of the golem, ensuring each script was set properly before completing the last inscription. Afterall, once the last script was placed to complete the circuit there was no changing it.

Just moments after making certain that he was happy with the arcane scripts, Frizzy had tugged on his jacket to attention. When he turned to face her, he found that Frizzy’s hair was a shaggy mess while she was dressed in a leather apron and gloves on top of her normal cloths. She had a blank expression and likely just stopped with her tinkering with the watch.

She had been making stride in taking the watch apart and organizing the parts as well as identifying what each one was for. Putting it back together on the other had had proven to be a much greater challenge to Jack’s apprentice.

“Teacher, can I barrow a hammer?” she asked, her expression neutral and her words casual.

“Sure. A half pound hammer or a full pound hammer?” Jack asked back.

“One pound please.” She asked before Jack walked over to the draw there the tool was stored then placed it in her hand. “Thank you.”

Jack watched her walk away for a moment before he went back to his own project. There was no point in asking her why she wanted the hammer since it was all part of the process to learning to become a fabricator. Sometimes it took unconventional methods to make something work. Sometimes it takes a whack to make something work or get something started. Jack wasn’t sure exactly why it worked but hey if it worked it worked. The only time something was stupid is if it didn’t work.

That was when he heard what he had been waiting the last few days for.

“Die you basted!” he heard Frizzy yell from across his tower along with a resounding CLANG.

Jack turned to see Frizzy using both hands to swing down on the anvil on the watch for a follow up attack. He waited and watched as the Frizzy continued to attack the offending watch until it was in many deformed pieces. Panting hard as she glared at the biggest pieces of the remaining watch. Once she caught her breath and seemed like she wouldn’t shatter his kneecaps, he approached.

“Hey there, feeling better?” he asked, keeping a fair distance.

“Yes…” she said as he dropped the hammer with a sigh. “Yeah, that was really frustrating. It felt like that thing hated me! I took that thing apart and put it back together a dozen time! How can it not work!” she said before picking up the hammer again and gave the pieces another good whack. “Now I feel better.”

“Welcome to Fabricating 101!” Jack laughed while Frizzy gave him another confused look. “First thing you should know, just because you can put something together doesn’t mean you know how it should work. Whenever you take something apart you are not familiar with, you should be asking what each part does. Make a blue print either in your head or on paper as you examine something.”

Frizzy grew thoughtful at that and considered his words while Jack had the ruined pieces reabsorbed the pieces. Making a new watch spawn on top of the anvil while she wasn’t paying attention to it.

“I think I understand teacher. But how can I understand how it works?” She asked.

“That is part of what it is to be a fabricator. When someone looks at something they just see what it does. We look deeper. We might make magic items and machines, but at the core we are problem solvers and inventers.” He lectured while pacing back and forth while Frizzy hung on his every word. “Now tell me, were any pieces missing?”

Frizzy thought for a moment before she shook her head.

“No, I made sure to put every part in a small dish so it couldn’t roll away.” She said as she started to think more deeply about it. “No… it didn’t look like it was missing anything either. Maybe a part was damaged?”

Jack would have been smiling from ear to ear at this line of thinking. It showed his apprentice was really thinking about it from multiple angles. Unfortunately, she was not going to like the answer when she finally got there.

“Could be.” Jack shrugged with his hands out to his sides. “Why don’t you check?”

“Because I smashed the watch.” Frizzy said as she looked at him with her arms crossed. “Even if find all the pieces, they would all be too damaged to find out which one was the problem.”

“Remember what is said? You can there is no time limit, you can break it or lose it. I can give you another.” Jack replied then pointed to the anvil.

When Frizzy found the watch waiting for her, she grumbled before snatching. Giving it the stink eye for a second before stuffing it into her pocket.

“For now, take a break. I want to show you something really exciting.” He said as motioned for her to follow him.

Dutifully Frizzy did just that. Following at his side while they got closer to the table that help up the golem. Her mood improving significantly as the approached the golem. Looking over the resting form that was waiting to be awakened as she stood on the stool to look it over. The awe in her eyes at the nearly completed arcane machine filled Jack with no small amount of pride.

The golem itself was a gray white humanoid in form. The design was made to mimic armor and built for a balanced warrior shape. Jack of course could have given it multiple limbs if he wanted or few hidden weapons but that would be unnecessary. Especially since extra limbs would get in the way and hidden weapons would make it needlessly complicated to build. Plus, with how strong it was going to be, there wasn’t going to be any need for any addons. The body was shaped to look like plane but sturdy armor. The head was of an angular shape and resembled a helmet. The body of it was made to be like that of a more athletic warrior so that it would be well balanced. Next to it was large flanged mace that would normally take two hands for any person to lift since it was so heavy. But it was just the right size for the golem.

Frizzy was practically bouncing as she looked over the nearly finished mechanical warrior. Taking a sniff here and there while drooling over it.

“The magic smells so strong teacher!” Frizzy beamed while looking over the golem. “It smells easily ten times stronger than anything I ever found before!.”

“Sorry to break it to you my blue bundle of energy and spite. But this big boy hasn’t been activated yet. No magic for you to sniff.” Jack said as he crossed his arms and leaned on the table. “Now that you brought it up, you are able to smell magic energies?”

She looked away from the golem to regard Jack’s question. Looking at him to let him know he had her attention even if her eyes kept flicking back to the golem.

“Yes. Every Gremlin can. My nose is a bit more sensitive than most.” She said as she kept glancing at the golem. “The best way I can describe it that the stronger the magic then the sweeter it smells.”

“Really?” Jack asked now very curious, also a little jealous but mostly curious. “Because I haven’t activated it yet. Is it only magic that you can smell or is it magic and magic conductivity?”

Frizzy stopped glancing at the golem at his question, considering his question with deeper contemplation. After a minute of letting her think, she finally shrugged her shoulders.

“I actually don’t know. I never really thought about it.” Frizzy answered. “What does that mean teacher?”

“It means we now have something to experiment with.” Jack said rubbing his hands together. “If we can figure out how that works then we can test to see what its limitations are. Once we do that, we can do some really fun stuff with it.”

“Really? Like what?” Frizzy asked, growing excited from his own excitement.

“For one, making way more powerful magic items since we we’d be able to actively measure how strong it is without ever turning it on if its magic conductivity. If it’s straight up magic then you’d be able to find resources all the better.” Jack answered.

“I am not sure what that means but it sounds good.” Frizzy, who was all smiles, said excitedly.

“Yes! But it’s not just good! It’s great!” Jack all but cheered before taking a metaphorical breath. “First before we do any of that we need to get big boy up and moving. Time for us to crack open a val-“

Jack froze when he picked up a presence in by his dungeon’s boarder to the south east. From what he could feel, it felt similar to the presence of when he first became aware of the gremlins. Only this presence felt stronger somehow.

“Teacher?” Frizzy asked, regaining Jack’s attention to find her with a worried expression. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah.” Jack said with only some concern. “Someone unfamiliar just came by and they seem to have a bigger presence then the gremlins you brought. I’m gonna check it out check it out real quick.”

Without wasting time, Jack sent his consciousness to the location that he felt the presence and found that there was actually a group of people there. There were five elves there and two very large orcs and the front and end of the group for a total of seven. The six that were present felt as if they had a minor presence but the one in the middle felt like a much larger presence. There was something off about that elf as he was half a head shorter than the other elves. His shoulders and chest were broader as well. A stark contrast their usual lithe body type. While two of the elves were carrying staves and the four had were carrying bucklers along with a saber. While the strange elf wore some kind of broken in half plate armor. Armor that his practiced eye picked up was repaired and patched dozens of times while armed with a bastard sword. The orcs armor was heavy full plate armor and carried iron shields along with an axe or a halberd. They were all a well-equipped group and experienced from how they carried themselves. Well, the strange elf and the two orcs seemed like they were pretty experiences based on what repairs he could see.

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What really separated them though was that he sensed their presence. Most of the elves felt similar to one another, while the orcs felt they had a much larger presence then most of the elves. The strange elf though had a much larger presence than all of them. Something in the back of his mind told him that that strange elf was the strongest of the group.

Not only that, they all seemed to be looking around in multiple direction. Searching for something as they walked further into his dungeon territory. From what he could see, they weren’t heading directly towards the old ruin town. Their path would however cut through from the south east to most western part of his territory. He doubted they would see the town but it would be close enough to get him concerned.

“Nothing can be fucking simple.” Jack groaned as he moved his consciousness back to his body.

“What is it teacher?” Frizzy asked, an edge in her voice that was worried yet at the same time angry. “Did something happen?”

“No, just something that is making have to change my priorities again… for what feels like the tenth fucking time.” Jack groaned while face palming then sliding his boney hand down his skull. “Gods above… why do you continue to piss on me and insist it’s rain?”

“I don’t know the full meaning but I feel like I agree.” Frizzy growled as she started to pace back and forth. “What is happening?”

Jack wasn’t sure when he was the who had to answer to her, but if she knew something that he didn’t then what did it matter.

“There is a group of seven total. Five elves and two orcs. The orcs seem stronger than most of the elves. There is one elf stronger than all of them. He’s weird for an elf though. Instead of lithe, he’s a bit shorter and built broad and strong. He’s also using a bastard sword instead of a finesse weapon.”

“That sounds like Faldor Silverroot.” Frizzy said in thought. “He’s always been an honorable adventurer. He has a good reputation, treats people fairly, from what I heard he’s a grade C5 at the adventuring guild. Rumor says he has a much higher level but chooses to stay in the C ranks.”

“Alright, so he’s not a bad guy than. Good to know now than to know about it later.” Jack said with relief. “Any idea why he would be bringing people in through this?”

Frizzy nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, he’s likely doing some kind of training with new adventurers. He always does that kind of thing. Sometimes he brings them for training in the ruins, other times he takes them hunting or herb gathering.”

“Alright, so no need to kill anyone then.” Jack sighed in relief.

Sure, he’d have to kill people as a dungeon. Something that he knew in his bones but that didn’t mean he had to look forward to it. It was the means for a dungeon to grow stronger and it was in his best interest to grow stronger. It wasn’t just him on the line anymore, now he also had his community of gremlins to think about.

“Still, this could be an opportunity for us.” Jack mused to himself as one of his boney fingers tapped his chin. “Frizzy, how trust worthy is the adventurer’s guild?”

“That’s…. not an easy question teacher.” Frizzy said reluctantly, moving to take a seat on the table’s edge with the golem. “It depends on who you are dealing with. There are a good honest people in the guild like Faldor Silverroot. Sadly, there are also people like those two who took my arm…” She said, her ears drooping.

“So, it’s a gamble…” Jack groaned then started to pace back and forth. “Gonna have to put it off… alright, can’t be helped. I’ll have to have some things set before we start enticing the guild.”

“Things like what, Teacher?” Frizzy asked, cocking her head to the side.

“For one, building up the dungeon and for that I need some references. We’ll need to make a quest to get some information.” Jack said while now pacing himself. “But how? We still don’t have proper paper or ink-“

Attention!

You are about to issue a quest to all available recipients!

Path Finder of the Deep

(Draft, pending Dungeon Master approval)

This Quest is issued by the Dungeon Master.

The Master of the Dungeon has issued a quest to bring information regarding other dungeons. The information the Dungeon Master wants is based on dungeon lay outs, mapping and the kind of dungeon they are. This quest is repeatable until the Dungeon Master closes it.

Quest Risk level: Low

Requirement to Quest Completion: Bring the information to the Dungeon Master or give it to a Dungeon Resident.

Quest Reward: (Pending)

Possible Reward Options:

Currency Value: 20 Silver coins per piece of information

Magic Item: Minor Utility Classification

Weapon: One random weapon of fine quality

Armor: one random armor piece of fine quality

Are there any adjustments you would like to make before finalizing the quest?

Yes/No

“You know what? Scratch that.” Jack said after reading the latest notification. His fingertips tapping together like a cliché villain while simultaneously resiting the urge to laugh like one. “I don’t think we’ll need write out quests anymore.”

“Teacher… Are you having another moment?” Frizzy asked, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

“Maybe.” Jack snickered than refocused himself. “I’ll make the quest than we can wake our new friend up.”

Going back to the notification Jack decided to make the quest reward the 20 silver coins her piece of information. It was fair for this kind of quest since it was only right to pay whoever got the information. Not only that, it just didn’t feel right to give anything else besides money for this kind of quest. after all, how was someone going to split items if there was a group of people. Not only that, he could just manifest items for his residents if they really need it. No, magic items or weapons and armor need to be more of a personal quest.

With the final touches made, Jake approved this quest and when asked if he wanted to send it out, he selected yes.

Attention!

You Created a World Quest!

Path Finder of the Deep

This Quest is issued by the Dungeon Master.

The Master of the Dungeon has issued a quest to bring information regarding other dungeons. The information the Dungeon Master wants is based on dungeon lay outs, mapping and the kind of dungeon they are. This quest is repeatable until the Dungeon Master closes it.

Quest Risk level: Low

Requirement to Quest Completion: Bring the information to the Dungeon Master or give it to a Dungeon Resident

Quest Reward: 20 Silver coins for each piece of information

“… mother fuckin, cross eyed, shit sniffer…” Jack said numbly.

“What happened now?” Frizzy asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeaaaaaaaaah, hehe. It’s actually pretty funny in way.” Jack said while not making eye contact with his apprentice. “Actually, its hilarious in a ‘try not to panic’ sort of way. That quest that I was making? Turns out it was set to become a world quest. We don’t even need tell the adventurer’s guild because they already know.”

Frizzy gave the most unamused stare Jack had ever gotten. Ever, of all time.

“Teacher. I am very mad at you. The good news is that I got the quest and it doesn’t say where our dungeon is. The bad news, I’m going to hit you. The very bad news is that everyone that got that quest is now going to look for this dungeon.” Frizzy signed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Well, if we are going to take a gamble. Then this might be the time.” Jack said, marching to the golem once more.

“What do you mean teacher?” Frizzy asked, her frustration forgotten for the moment.

“I mean if we are going to announce we exist, we might as well have a heavy hitter to greet them when some snot stain tries to make trouble.” Jack said with much more seriousness then Frizzy was used to hearing.

With a tool in hand and a flick of his wrist, Jack finished and connected the arcane script. Arcane energies gradually flowed into the crafted scripts and veins of the construct. The body gradually starting to radiate power while the hand twitched before grabbing the edge of the table to sit up on the table. Frizzy look on in awe at the feat of arcane craftsmanship. Jack however wasn’t done just yet. He meant what he said and now was the time to put one of his dungeon abilities to the test.

With the golem made he focused on his mob absorption ability on the golem. Willing the construct to be absorbed and after a minute of intense focus, visualizing the Golem becoming a part of his dungeon until a notification popped up.

Attention!

You have found a new potential Dungeon Mob

New mob type: Osteal Ferrum Golem

Wardens, shock troopers, warriors, guardians or aids and assistants. With immense strength, these golems can take on multiple roles and are tough enough to endure almost anything thrown at them.

Would you like to absorb this golem and have it as a dungeon mob option?

Yes/No

Not needing to think about it Jack selected yes. A second later Jack got another notification appeared.

Attention!

You have found a prime Dungeon Sentinel candidate!

Dungeon Sentinel

Dungeon Sentinels, unlike other dungeon mobs, are the wardens and keepers of dungeons. A Dungeon Sentinel is a more powerful version of a dungeon mob. Unlike a regular dungeon mob who will simply do as instructed by the Dungeon and or Dungeon Master in the most direct way possible. A Dungeon Sentinel not only do as instruct but also think on its own to accomplish its task in the most efficient way possible. While still being a dungeon mob, these mobs are unique in that they can think for themselves and even have their own personalities.

Dungeon Sentinel Candidate option:

Osteal Ferrum Golem

Create a Dungeon Sentinel?

Yes/No

Jack didn’t think twice as he selected yes. The stakes were high and he was not going to gamble the lives of his residents. He made a mistake with the quest. He should have known better when he saw that it would go to ‘all available recipients’ in the notification. Now everyone knew he existed. But he was not going to let his residents pay for his mistake.

He will not allow it.

Jack and Frizzy watched as air started twist and churn around the golem where it stood. The air moving as Jack could feel immense amounts of mana being pulled from his available pool. Funneling itself into the golem with bones and liquid metal forming a cocoon around the still figure. Frizzy who had been fascinated at first grew scared as she saw the bones and metal started to form. Moving to stand closer to Jack, positioning herself to stand partly behind him for safety while Jack continued to watch. Feeling her fear at the event before them, with magic and mana thumbing in the air, she clutched his pant leg as he placed a boney hand on her head to reassure her.

With the with the metal and bone cocoon slowly growing and swirling before them, Frizzy looked up to her Teacher with the same awe she had when she learned he was an ancient. Yet Jack didn’t look away from the event before them.

“Teacher?” Frizzy asked in a small voice, worried about what was happening.

“I promised you a home my apprentice. A home for you and your clan. When I made you all residents of my dungeon, I took the responsibility of claiming you as my people.” He told her as the cocoon grew larger as the swirling mass radiated that much more power. “I have lost a lot my memory. I barely remember who I am or was. But I do remember the feeling of losing my home, the feeling losing everything I loved, the feeling of helplessness, the feeling of being completely alone in this world.”

Jack’s tone was chillingly composed. The cocoon still fluctuating and as the power coming off it was growing stronger.

“Never again.” Jack said with finality. “I will not allow anyone who calls my dungeon home to go through that. Never. Again.”

Jack stayed in place, watching the cocoon as Frizzy clung to his side while staring at her teacher with far greater admiration. For an hour they stayed like this, waiting for the cocoon to take its next phase. Then it happened. The shell of the cocoon began to bubble and fizzle. Steadily shrinking in on itself with the bones turning to dust and the metal evaporating. Gradually taking the humanoid form until the last of the cocoon was gone to reveal the marvel that took the place of the golem Jake had made.

Standing at almost eight feet tall, with cloven armored feet, hands like clawed gauntlet with broad spikes along the forearms. Their head like a faceless angular helmet, a thick neck with broad shoulders with short spikes growing out of its pauldrons like shoulders. Their white armored body detailed with bronze filagree along parts of the joints. The figure before them radiated more than just power, authority was the only word that could justifiably be used to describe the Sentinel’s presence.

Jack watched resolutely while Frizzy breath caught in her throat at the sight of the newly born Dungeon Sentinel.

The Sentinel faced them directly before lowering itself down to one knee. With a close fist over the center of its chest and the other fist pressed to the ground, the sentinel bowed their head to Jack. Jack wasn’t sure why, but he knew that what was to come next needed to be treated with the upmost seriousness. This was a thinking being and they would needed to be treated as such.

“I am made, my general. Why was I made?” The Sentinel asked, their voice low and deep with no small amount of reverence.

“You were made to be my sword and my shield. To protect my lands and those who have been have made it their home. To aid me in my endeavors, and to destroy those who threaten us. You were made to be all these things and more. for these reasons, I name you Aegisthal.” Jack answered stepping closer to stand in front of his new sentinel, feeling a link in his mind that connected him to his new mob.

“What purpose would have of me, my general?” Aegisthal asked, their head still turned facing down while maintaining their pose.

“First, I would have you rise. You kneel to no one, not even to me.” Jack said and Aegis stood, his size and bulk allowing him to tower over Jack and Frizzy alike. Yet from within the link, Jack could sense Aegis’ respect for him grow along with a powerful need to obey Jack’s instructions. “My purpose for you. You are to aid me in my works. To safeguard my dungeon from those who wish to destroy it and to aid those who live in my dungeon. But most of all, you are to grow.”

“Understood, my general.” Aegis said with a closed fist to the center of his chest. “You will, shall be done. What task will you have of me, my general?” he asked, reaching for the heavy steel mace and picked it up with one hand.