Chapter 25: Minion Mayhem

"Now that the new rooms are in place, we need to make sure we have the right minions to complement them," Emil announced, adopting his typical instructor’s pose: hands clasped behind his back, head slightly tilted as if he were about to deliver a lecture to an inattentive student.

Brent let out a sigh. "Let me guess, this is about another hidden part of the System that you haven’t mentioned until now?"

Emil's posture stiffened ever so slightly, as though he was prepared for this reaction. "Yes, actually. We’ve been using the basic minions the System provides so far because they were simple and effective, but with the new illusion-based room, I think it’s time to explore the Dungeon Minion Creation process."

"Hold up. There's a whole creation process for making custom minions?" Brent blurted out, his core pulsing with sudden excitement. "Why am I just hearing about this now?"

Emil paused for dramatic effect, but his attempt at a poker face crumbled under Brent’s intense gaze. "Because it’s a rather lengthy and resource-intensive process. We were, if you recall, under quite the time crunch when we first started building this dungeon. It made sense to use the default options while establishing the foundation."

Brent rolled his eyes—or would have, if he had actual eyes. "Right. But think of all the amazing, terrifying, and totally unique minions we could’ve had from the start! I mean, who wouldn’t want to be greeted by a laser-shooting porcupine-bear hybrid in the first room?"

Emil’s metal eyelids actually flickered in what could be interpreted as a blink. "Let me clarify: you’re not literally creating minions from your imagination. It’s not as simple as snapping your metaphorical fingers and having an all-powerful, indestructible monster appear. The System provides you with parameters. You give it traits, themes, and roles, and it generates options that fit the criteria within its boundaries of balance."

"So, it’s like AI?" Brent asked.

Emil stared blankly. "AI?"

"Artificial Intelligence," Brent explained, chuckling at the oddness of having to explain Earth’s tech concepts to a dungeon core system. "Back on Earth, we had these programs that would respond to questions or prompts by generating answers, images, or other outputs. It was a tool where you could nudge things in a certain direction, but the results weren’t always exactly what you imagined. You know, like trying to get a toddler to paint inside the lines."

"Ah," Emil said, nodding slowly as if he had just been asked to ponder the meaning of existence. "So, this minion creation process is a bit like that, though with far fewer toddlers and a bit more focus on lethal efficiency. Just remember, these custom minions cost twice as much DP as standard ones. And they can't be used for mini-bosses or bosses, so no using this to create a boss-level abomination with three heads and fire-breathing nostrils."

Brent’s metaphorical shoulders sagged. "Dang. I was already picturing a multi-headed boss for the next expansion."

Emil gave a small metallic shrug. "Checks and balances, Brent. Besides, part of the fun is seeing how the adventurers adapt to each new challenge. Now, why don’t we give it a try? Go ahead and pull up the Create-A-Minion menu."

With a hint of anticipation, Brent focused on his menus, navigating to the Minion section. After a moment of searching, he spotted a tab labeled "Create-A-Minion," glowing softly as if it were beckoning him to unlock its secrets. "Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here."

The screen that appeared was a detailed interface, divided into multiple categories: Size, Mobility, Abilities, Elemental Affinities, and more. Each category had sliders, dropdown menus, and even a small description box for him to enter the minion’s core personality traits.

"Okay, let’s start with the size," Brent muttered, scanning the options. "Do we want something big and intimidating or small and sneaky?"

"I’d suggest starting small. Something more akin to a harasser—quick and able to create chaos in the illusion room," Emil advised. "Think of it as the dungeon equivalent of a mosquito at a barbecue. Annoying, unpredictable, and just dangerous enough to ruin someone's day."

"Gotcha," Brent said, setting the size slider to "small." As he did, the System showed a vague, swirling form in the shape of a small, humanoid creature. "Let’s add some speed, then. Maybe make it nimble enough to weave through traps as well?"

"Speed it is," Emil replied. "We could enhance its evasion, making it harder for adventurers to hit. I recommend incorporating some teleportation abilities too—nothing too advanced, but just enough to keep them off balance."

"Ooh, I like that. Maybe it could leave behind a trail of illusions when it teleports, so the adventurers never know which one is the real target," Brent suggested, excitement building in his voice.

"Yes! Now you’re thinking like a dungeon," Emil said, unable to hide his own enthusiasm.

Brent adjusted the mobility slider, adding a subcategory for teleportation. The vague form on the screen flickered, now showing three translucent versions of itself as if it were in the middle of a teleportation trick. "Alright, now for the elemental affinity… Hmm. Let’s make it shadow-based. That fits perfectly with the illusion room’s dark, twisting corridors."

"Excellent choice," Emil said approvingly. "Shadow affinity will allow it to blend with the shadows, making it harder to spot and more dangerous in dimly lit areas."

Brent selected the Shadow affinity, watching as the minion’s form darkened and became more fluid, its edges barely discernible against the background. "It’s shaping up nicely. Now for abilities… Let’s give it a confusion-inducing scream or something like that. You know, a sound that messes with the adventurers’ senses and makes it harder for them to focus."

Emil nodded again. "The System should allow for something along those lines. Just remember, the more complex the abilities, the more DP it’ll cost. Keep it balanced."

"I know, I know. Can’t have it going all supernova on the adventurers, as fun as that would be," Brent said, chuckling to himself.

As he tweaked the final settings and set the minion’s core traits—deceptive, agile, and opportunistic—the System generated a confirmation message:

Minion Created: Shadow Trickster

Shadow Trickster

 Description: The Shadow Trickster is a small, nimble humanoid creature cloaked in darkness, perfectly suited for confusion-based tactics in illusion-heavy areas. With its deceptive form and shadow-based abilities, this minion thrives in low-light environments, harassing adventurers with misdirection and sudden attacks. Its presence adds an unpredictable and eerie element to the dungeon, making it a formidable opponent for unprepared adventurers.

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 Abilities:

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o Shadow Step: Instantly teleports a short distance, leaving behind multiple illusionary copies that vanish after a brief delay, creating confusion about its true location.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

o Whispers of Chaos: Emits a piercing, disorienting shriek that distorts the senses of nearby adventurers, inducing temporary confusion and making it difficult for them to focus on attacks or abilities.

o Veil of Shadows: Blends into the darkness, becoming nearly invisible when not actively moving. This makes it harder to detect in dimly lit areas, allowing for surprise attacks.

o Flickering Assault: Strikes with quick, darting attacks that deal moderate damage but have a high chance to evade counterattacks, making it difficult to hit during close combat.

 Role: Harasser / Disruptor

 Elemental Affinity: Shadow

 Strengths: High evasion, fast movement, excels in creating confusion among enemies.

 Weaknesses: Low health and defense, highly vulnerable to light-based attacks or abilities that reveal hidden creatures.

"Shadow Trickster, huh?" Brent said, reading the name. "I like it. Has a nice ring to it."

"And it fits the theme perfectly," Emil added.

Brent leaned back—at least, in his mind’s eye—satisfied with the new addition. "This is going to be so much fun to watch. Adventurers won't know what hit them."

"Indeed. But remember, this is just the beginning," Emil warned. "The adventurers will adapt. We need to keep thinking ahead, or we risk becoming predictable."

"Fair point," Brent said, grinning with renewed determination. "But for now, let’s enjoy the chaos we’re about to unleash."

Brent selected the "Create" button at the bottom of the screen and watched his DP drain away. Instantly, swirls of dark, smoky lights began to dance in the Core Room. Shadows twisted and shifted, forming a vortex that pulsed with a deep, ominous energy. The swirling mass grew darker, absorbing what little light the room offered, creating an effect like the world's blackest paint—similar to the ultra-dark pigments Brent remembered from online videos on Earth.

Brent's excitement built as the entity began to take shape. The swirling shadows condensed into a solid form: a small, black-metallic creature with a strange, almost liquid sheen to its surface. The minion's outer layer seemed to drink in the surrounding light, leaving the creature partially shrouded, as if hiding from the very reality of the Core Room.

It stood hunched, with slightly shorter legs than Brent expected, its long arms nearly brushing the floor. At the end of each arm were three wickedly sharp claws, each looking more than capable of slicing through armor. Its head stretched wide, extending beyond its narrow shoulders, giving it an unsettling, uncanny appearance. Two large, eerie red eyes dominated its face, glowing faintly like embers in a firepit.

"Whoa…" Brent whispered, leaning closer with wide eyes. "It’s like someone mixed a panther, a shadow, and a can of black paint into one creepy little package."

"I must admit," Emil said, folding his metallic arms across his chest, "it does possess a certain... chilling aesthetic. It's perfect for the illusion room."

Brent nodded, transfixed by the minion. But as moments passed and the creature remained utterly motionless, his initial awe started to wear off.

"Shouldn’t it be… I don’t know… doing something?" Brent asked, a hint of disappointment creeping into his voice.

Emil raised an eyebrow. "What exactly do you expect it to do? Break into interpretive dance? You haven’t given it any instructions yet."

"I mean, I just thought it’d, you know, move a little. Maybe try to hide, take in its surroundings, steal everyone's left shoe....just something,” Brent replied, frustration edging into his tone.

Emil looked baffled. "Why would it steal your left shoe? How would that even help in a dungeon setting?"

"Never mind," Brent sighed, remembering they would never get his movie references. "I think I know what’s missing." He paused dramatically. "It needs a name."

Emil face-palmed with a groan. "Oh no, not this again."

Brent ignored Emil and focused intently on the minion. "You need a name to unlock your full potential," he said, as if delivering some sage wisdom. "Let’s call you… Shadow."

As soon as the name left Brent’s metaphorical lips, the minion’s form was lifted slightly off the ground. A dark aura enveloped it, and a dim, violet light pulsed from its body before bursting outward like a shadowy shockwave. The minion landed softly, and Brent squinted, waiting to see what would change.

But as the aura faded, the creature’s eyes remained the same faint red color.

"Huh. That’s weird," Brent mused. "Every other minion’s eyes changed color when I named them."

The creature blinked for the first time, its eerie, oversized eyes flickering with life as it looked around the room before settling its gaze on Brent.

"M-Master?" it rasped, its voice a guttural whisper that echoed in the chamber.

Brent groaned and threw up his hands. "Oh, for the love of… Brent! Call me Brent."

The minion stared blankly for a moment, seemingly processing the information.

"B-Brent?" it finally repeated, still uncertain, but clearly trying its best.

Emil shook his head, trying not to laugh. "I’m beginning to think you have a thing for correcting minions' vocabulary. It’s practically a ritual at this point."

Brent grinned. "Well, it’s character-building. And besides, they need to know who’s really in charge. The cool kind of boss, not the boring 'master' type."

Shadow nodded slowly, as if pondering the wisdom of Brent's words. "Cool… Brent," it murmured.

"See, it’s learning," Brent said with a smirk. "Now, Shadow, your job is to cause chaos in the illusion room. Confuse, mislead, and keep the adventurers guessing. Got it?"

Shadow’s eyes flickered with what could almost be described as enthusiasm. "Y-Yes… Brent. I will be… confusing."

"Excellent!" Brent said, clapping his hands together. "Now, let’s see if you can actually live up to that name. We’ve got adventurers to baffle, shoes to metaphorically steal, and mischief to spread!"

As Brent finished giving orders, Emil couldn’t help but roll his eyes. "You really do have the strangest managerial style. But… it seems to work."

Brent laughed. "Why, thank you, Emil. Now, let’s get back to work. We have an illusion room to make unforgettable, and Shadow here is just the beginning."

Shadow’s sinister grin widened ever so slightly as it melted into the shadows of the Core Room, waiting for its instructions.