Obu looked on as Cheep-Cheep received his just rewards and breathed easier when the Rank Up healed his internal wounds. She then accepted the System’s prompt to release the Experience produced by the little Muskeeran’s challenge. The ensuing light show only lasted a short time and then there was only the dripping cavern and Cheep-Cheep’s unconscious form.
Turning from the brave little creature, Obu read the words that blazed across her Core and despite herself, she giggled with glee.
[Breaking Through] - Completed
Type: Rank Up, Repeatable
Description: You are on the cusp of advancement to the next Rank. As a Dungeon Core, there are a few ways to achieve this advancement.
Your options are:
* Purify a source of corruption nearby.
* Draw corruption from a nearby leyline.
* Help a challenger achieve their Rank Up by providing a suitable challenge. You have succeeded in helping challenger Rank Up. Congratulations!
* [Reward: Ascension to Rank F(3)]
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
* You meet the requirements for Ascending to Rank F(3)!
* Would you like to Ascend? (Yes/No)
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
* You have Ascended to Rank F(3)
* Monster Spawners may now be upgraded to produce F(3) Monsters.
* Due to the Cornerstone, Jack of All Stones, you receive no additional rewards from this Rank Up
Despite the lack of additional rewards, Obu couldn’t help but be excited. With Cheep-Cheep’s victory, she was now able to grow beyond her limits and though he had received the lion’s share of Experience, there was a lot to go around. She let the System messages dissipate but only so that she could pull up the previous prompt.
Analyzing…Challengers Detected…Commencing Dungeon Run
Challengers:
Cheep-Cheep: Rank F(3), Level 14, Hunter Gatherer
Good Luck, Dungeon Core!
Room 3: 10 F(2) Defenders & 1 F(2) Miniboss Vanquished…Generating Rewards…Rewards Generated
Room 3: 1 Trap Survived…Generating Rewards…Rewards Generated
Room 3 Challenge Completed…Generating Rewards…Rewards Generated
A total of 5600 Experience has been generated. The Reward has been divided in the following ways:
1120 Experience is awarded to the Dungeon, The Obulwaag, for offering the Challenge.
4480 Experience has been divided among the participating Challengers.
Would you like to distribute the rewards?
Yes/No
She had obviously accepted and Cheep-Cheep had received his reward already. His Rank Up must have been System administered since he wasn’t able to accept the prompt himself. As for Obu, she felt the waiting Experience rush into her like a flood and she knew that her gemstone would be shining like the sun for a few moments.
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
* You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 11!
* You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 12!
Acting quickly, Obu pulled up her System Report to gaze at her attributes. What she found did not disappoint.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
The Obulwaag
Race:
Dungeon Core
Chosen Name:
Obu
Bond:
Dug Shardaal (Non-System Entity)
Cornerstone:
Jack of All Stones
Rank: F(3)
Level: 10
Experience: 1660/600
Core Attributes
Rooted: 4 (+)
Measures the Core’s overall capability of digging deeper and expanding its Dungeon.
Empowered: 3 (+)
Measures the Core’s direct power in regard to its Monsters, Traps, and Environment.
United: 3 (+)
Measures the Core’s ability to better coordinate its Dungeon’s defenses.
Transformed: 4 (+)
Measures the Core’s ability to modify its Dungeon in all aspects.
With two levels worth of attributes to spend she quickly slotted one each into Empowered and United, taking her time to get as much out of the Experiences as she could. Then it was time to create. She didn’t want to rush but at the same time, she knew what awaited her once she finished her quest for creating a new room and furnished it with creatures and traps.
With the Experience she would get from the quest’s completion she would be able to reach level 13 and with that level came the last point she needed. The point that would push her Rooted attribute to 5 and give her access to the final Room she needed to finish her First Floor. The excitement that coursed through her Core made it hard to concentrate.
Still, she did her due diligence because anything less would be noticed by her father and she could hear his voice in her head from back when he had complained about other shamaans skipping corners in their spellcraft. So despite herself, she slowed down and made sure to craft a well-made Room. This one would have Rank F(3) creatures in it so she wanted it to feel different from the others, more sequential.
The Room was roughly 60 goblin feet wide, 80 goblin feet long, and 40 goblin feet high, looking more like a square than the others had been. In the middle, she made a deep pool and made the whole thing a Cavern Trap which ended up consuming all of her trap points for the Room but that was fine. Its depth was important since it was the main room feature.
Next, she dug through her memories of her father’s adventures, searching for what she needed. When she found it she got to work fashioning rickety scaffolding to large stalagmites jutting up from the ground. These were connected to a crevice carved at the back of the Room where the next stone doorway waited.
She had the crevice continue off to the side where she made a little cave separate from the larger cavern. It was here that she put her monster spawners. Only goblinoid ones this time since she had a certain idea in mind for her final room and the monsters within. She set them to Rank F(3) and began to finish the Room while they did their work.
She set up torches along the rickety scaffolding and attempted to light them with the Waag her father had gifted her with. The torches lit with a woosh of flame and green light but she knew immediately that it wasn’t quite right. Just like her goblinoid creatures, there was a hint of the real thing but it lacked substance.
Still, the flames gave the ambiance she wanted and they weren’t completely fake so she allowed herself to be content with the process of growing. Turning to the Room at large she swept her Dungeon gaze around to make sure it looked right. She was rather pleased with the overall effect.
Green light reflected off the deep pool in the center of the room but the way the doorway was set up allowed challengers only a glimpse of the pool but without sight of the scaffolding. It would be only after they investigated the pool that they would see the broad scope. They would need to either climb the scaffolding or attempt to scale the slick cavern walls but either way it would be a proper challenge.
Once on top, they would have to watch out so that they wouldn’t fall into the too-deep pond. Obu hummed as she looked over everything. She felt the System notify her of the returning quest and her fulfillment of requirements but she tuned it out. She didn’t want the distractions right now but at least she was sure that she would have the right amount of Experience to finish her First Floor.
A sound made her look up and she watched as her first Rank F(3) goblinoid took a step along the crevice she had made for them. The sight stunned her for a moment and she broke out into a fit of delighted giggles as she opened her notifications at last.
New Quest Given!
[Building Plans]
Type: Chain, Repeatable
Step 1: Build a new Room [Completed - Reward +100 Xp]
Step 2: Furnish your Room [Completed - Reward +100 XP]
Step 3 (Hidden): Give your Room a Theme [Completed - Reward (Adjusted Monstrous Framework)]
Description: Furnish your room with the following to complete it:
* Monster Spawner 2 / 2
* Traps 2 / 2 Large Trap 1 / 1
Congratulations Dungeon Core!
* You have enough Xp to ascend to Level 13!
Obu turned to behold the System’s gift for her creativity. It was still a Git, still ugly, and still stupid. But the crude iron pickax that it held in its large hands told a different story. She looked at its name and laughed again, delighted that the System would work with her in her endeavor to craft a meaningful and interesting Dungeon challenge.
The Git, though slightly more intelligent than his lower kin, did nothing more than pick his nose while his creator giggled overhead. He didn’t know much about living as he had only been alive for a few minutes but he knew that if he didn’t find somethin to dig up soon he would have to face the foreman and no Git wanted that. He looked around but found nothing to dig up so he went back to picking his nose. What’s a poor Git Miner F(3) to do, eh?