Chapter 8: Minions

“Finally!” Brent exclaimed, his excitement palpable. If he had a body, he’d be jumping up and down with joy. “What minion should we make first?”

Emil smiled at Brent’s genuine enthusiasm as he stepped forward to assist. “Most of the time, the specific choice of minion isn’t crucial. Usually, you’ll just create them to fill out the ranks of your dungeon's defense. However, there are a few key exceptions: boss minions, mini-boss minions, and the most important one of all—your first minion, or what we call your Core Minion.”

Brent tilted his non-existent head, curiosity piqued. “Why does the first minion get a special title? Why is it so important?”

Emil nodded, his tone taking on a more serious note. “The Core Minion is crucial because it's the one you form a special bond with. This bond allows it to assist in developing the rest of the dungeon alongside you.”

Brent frowned slightly, confusion creeping in. “I thought I was the one setting up the dungeon?”

“You are,” Emil clarified, “but the first minion is unique. It’s the one that helps with all the dungeon upkeep. The System automatically designates the Core Minion to be your right hand. It guides and instructs the other minions on your behalf, manages dungeon construction and repairs, assists with defense, and oversees the usage of resources. In essence, it plays a vital role in the continued growth and evolution of your dungeon.”

Brent blinked, the weight of the explanation sinking in. “Wow... that’s a lot of responsibility to throw onto one minion,” he said, feeling a bit of nervousness creep in as the gravity of the decision settled over him.

“It can seem that way,” Emil acknowledged, “but remember, dungeon minions are created for the sole purpose of serving the dungeon. They’re built for the work, so they won’t complain or hesitate when it comes to fulfilling their role.”

Brent chuckled nervously. “So, I really need to put some serious thought into this one, huh? No pressure or anything,” he added, trying to keep the mood light despite his growing anxiety.

“Actually,” Emil replied with a completely straight face, “there’s a lot of pressure.”

Brent let out a small laugh, shaking his non-existent head again. “That was sarcasm, bud.”

Emil blinked, momentarily thrown off. “Oh. I see. Sorry, I’m still working on that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Brent said, amused. “You’re going to get a lot more of that in the future, so just be ready.”

“I’ll try to be,” Emil said, his tone apologetic. “It’s not exactly my strong suit.”

“Alright, let’s see what kind of minions I’ve got to work with,” Brent said, steering them back on track.

Brent pulled up his interface, navigating to the minions tab. His eyes scanned the screen as a fairly long list of potential minions appeared before him. Sixteen different options were displayed, each with their own unique attributes and descriptions. Intrigued, he focused on one of the minions, and a detailed description popped up, offering insights into the creature’s abilities and role within the dungeon.

Stone Runner

 Description: Agile creatures made of living stone. They move quickly through tight spaces, patrolling corridors and secret passages. Their bodies can absorb impacts, making them ideal for guarding high-speed sections of the dungeon.

 Ability: Can trigger traps without taking damage, helping maintain the dungeon’s race-like flow.

"So cool. I wonder what the others are like?" Brent wondered aloud. He began to look at the descriptions for each of the others as well.

Gearhound

 Description: Mechanical canine-like creatures with gears and metal plating. Fast and relentless, they chase down adventurers who try to speed through sections of the dungeon.

 Ability: Can increase speed when near mechanical traps, serving as enforcers for timed challenges.

Trapvine Creeper

 Description: Mechanical plant creatures that grow along the walls and floors of the dungeon. They can extend their vines to ensnare adventurers and redirect them into traps or block shortcuts.

 Ability: Regenerate and grow rapidly, making them excellent for continuously changing obstacles in the dungeon.

Clockwork Sentinel

 Description: Humanoid machines powered by intricate clockwork mechanisms. They serve as gatekeepers and can open or close parts of the dungeon depending on the adventurers' progress.

 Ability: Can alter the dungeon layout by locking or unlocking doors, creating new obstacles or shortcuts based on time.

Arcane Spark

 Description: Small, floating orbs of magical energy that dart around the dungeon. They can disrupt spells or abilities used by adventurers, making spellcasters’ progress more difficult.

 Ability: Can drain magical energy or interrupt spell-casting, forcing adventurers to rely on physical skills.

Mechanical Mimic

 Description: A deceptive, clockwork creature that blends seamlessly into the dungeon's mechanical environment. The Mechanical Mimic disguises itself as various mechanical objects such as gears, levers, control panels, or moving platforms. Made of metal, gears, and pistons, its true form is a metallic beast with jagged teeth, sharp limbs, and glowing eyes that only reveal themselves once it’s been triggered by unsuspecting adventurers.

 Ability: Can disguise itself as any non-living object in the dungeon, absorb and adapt to the property of nearby traps or mechanical devices, repair itself, and explode when near defeat.

Rustwing Gargoyle

 Description: Winged stone creatures that perch on dungeon walls and ceilings. They swoop down on unsuspecting adventurers, harrying them as they try to navigate obstacles.

 Ability: Can turn parts of their bodies to rust, temporarily disabling adventurers' weapons and armor.

Thundertreader

 Description: Large mechanical spiders that create electrical fields around them as they crawl across the dungeon’s walls and ceilings.

 Ability: Can release electric pulses that stun adventurers who get too close, forcing them to time their movements carefully.

Obsidian Sludge

 Description: Dark, slow-moving creatures made of molten obsidian. They leave behind a trail of burning lava, forcing adventurers to race ahead or risk getting caught in their path.

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 Ability: Can harden into defensive forms to block paths or slow adventurers down, adding an environmental hazard.

Ironclad Beetle

 Description: Heavily armored insects that patrol dungeon halls. Their thick exoskeletons make them nearly indestructible, acting as moving walls that adventurers must avoid or work around.

 Ability: Can anchor themselves to the floor, becoming immovable obstacles that adventurers must bypass.

Etherwisps

 Description: Ghostly figures that phase in and out of reality, haunting specific sections of the dungeon. They can pass through walls, appearing unexpectedly in front of adventurers.

 Ability: Can siphon life energy from adventurers, weakening them over time.

Copperclaw Raptors

 Description: Agile, velociraptor-like machines with copper-plated claws. They are swift and capable of hunting in packs, making them ideal for ambushes and chases.

 Ability: Their claws can short-circuit mechanical traps, triggering or disabling them to disrupt adventurers.

Magma Elemental

 Description: Fiery creatures born from the molten core of the dungeon. They can traverse through lava flows or molten sections, creating unpredictable hazards.

 Ability: Can reshape parts of the dungeon by forming lava pools, forcing adventurers to find new routes or risk damage.

Chain Golem

 Description: Golems with long, chain-covered arms, designed to grab and pull adventurers toward them. They’re used to maintain control over certain key points in the dungeon.

 Ability: Can manipulate mechanical components of the dungeon, such as moving platforms or raising walls, to trap or redirect adventurers.

Iron Golem

 Description: Golems made from the strongest form of hardened iron imaginable, with bodies nearly impervious to damage and strength far surpassing normal human abilities, these creatures are a staple in any mechanical dungeon.

 Ability: Useful as a base unit for fighting intruders, defending treasure, and building new components of the dungeons, these creatures use their hard bodies to their advantage in almost any situation to ensure the job gets done.

Mirror Phantoms

 Description: Illusionary creatures that mimic the appearance of adventurers themselves. These minions confuse adventurers by creating mirrored versions of their party.

 Ability: Can create false copies of adventurers to lead them into traps or drain their resources.

“This is a lot of options to choose from. How am I supposed to know which one to pick for my Core Minion?” Brent asked, scanning the list with a growing sense of indecision.

“A lot of these choices wouldn’t make a good Core Minion,” Emil replied calmly. “You’ll want a minion that embodies your essence in this dungeon—something that can handle the tasks you’ll need them for and represent your will here.”

“That helps a little, but which ones are the best fit for that?” Brent asked, feeling slightly more focused but still overwhelmed by the sheer number of possibilities.

“I’d advise choosing a golem, a gargoyle, or a sentinel,” Emil suggested, his tone decisive. “Those have the higher intelligence needed to manage the tasks you’ll be assigning—construction, repairs, guiding the other minions, and defending the dungeon.”

Brent’s mind wandered to some of the bigger, more imposing minions on the list. “What about setting one of the boss minions as the Core Minion? Wouldn’t a larger creature be better suited to directing others?”

Emil shook his head. “Boss minions are too focused on their specific role. They’re bound to their rooms and can’t leave to help with other tasks. Your Core Minion needs to be able to move throughout the entire dungeon, managing its upkeep and defense. It’s more about versatility than raw power.”

Brent mulled over the options Emil had recommended. He was grateful for the advice—without Emil’s help, he knew he’d be floundering, possibly making choices that could set him back. In the few moments of calm that followed, Brent felt his nerves settle, and something clicked inside him. It was subtle, like a small tug at the back of his mind, guiding him toward a choice.

He focused on the list again, eyes drifting to the Iron Golem. It stood out in a way that felt... right. Brent glanced at Emil, who was patiently waiting, and everything suddenly made sense. This was the same pull he had felt during the reincarnation process—the call of the past, guiding him once again.

“That’s it!” Brent exclaimed, so abruptly that Emil flinched slightly at the outburst.

“Oh? You’ve made your choice?” Emil asked, his surprise evident.

“I have,” Brent confirmed, a sense of certainty settling over him.

Without hesitation, Brent selected the Iron Golem from the list and confirmed it as his first minion. Immediately, he felt a surge of energy leave him as a swirl of glowing light formed in front of him, just beside Emil. This time, the light was much larger than when Emil had been summoned. It spiraled upward, at least six feet tall, coalescing into a powerful, imposing figure.

The golem's form slowly took shape, with a solid, rounded iron body and limbs that exuded raw strength. Its arms and legs were thick and robust, built for heavy tasks, and its blocky head gleamed in the faint glow of the room. As the swirling light solidified, glowing purple eyes and a mouth lit up, identical to Emil’s but somehow more intense.

The Iron Golem stood silently for a moment, staring ahead as if coming to terms with its newfound existence. Then, with a faint hum of energy, it began to move. The golem flexed its limbs, testing their range, and turned its head from side to side, examining the dungeon around it.

“I live to serve you, my master,” the golem said in a deep, robotic voice, the sound reverberating through the room as it completed its transformation.

“Iron Golem—an excellent choice for a Core Minion, Brent,” Emil said approvingly, his eyes glowing brighter as he nodded in approval.

“This is incredible! Now we can really get things done,” Brent said, his excitement growing by the second. “But... doesn’t he need a name?”

Emil raised a brow. “Not really. Minions don’t need names. They’re here to do what they’re told—there’s not even a field for a name.”

Brent chuckled, shaking his head. “I can’t just call him ‘Iron Golem.’ There are going to be more of them eventually, right? He’s got to be special. Hmm... what to name him...”

Emil rolled his eyes, though a hint of amusement crept into his tone. “If you really want to give him a name, go ahead, though it’s not exactly necessary.”

Brent’s mind wandered back to Earth. “On Earth, iron was represented by the symbol Fe. I think it stood for Ferrium... or Ferrum, maybe? Something like that. How about Ferron?”

He looked up at the golem, feeling a surge of satisfaction. “Yeah, that sounds perfect. I’ll name you Ferron.”

Just as the words left Brent’s mouth, the Iron Golem began to glow with a strange light. The soft glow intensified rapidly, lifting the golem off the ground slightly as the brightness grew almost blinding. Emil shielded his eyes from the light, blinking against its intensity.

With a final burst of radiance, Ferron dropped back to the ground with a heavy thud, his massive body sending a tremor through the floor. As Emil cautiously uncovered his eyes, he noticed something different. Ferron’s glowing purple eyes and mouth had shifted to a deep azure, and the runes etched into his iron body had transformed into something new—something more intricate and powerful.

Ferron lifted his hands and examined them as if seeing them for the first time. He took a few steps, his movements smoother, and then turned to face Brent’s core.

“I... I feel different,” Ferron said, his voice now almost human in its tone. “Thank you for giving me a name, Master.”

Ferron bowed low, a gesture of deep respect, but Brent quickly cut in, embarrassed by the formality.

“Oh, come on, none of that ‘Master’ stuff,” Brent said, his voice flustered. “My name’s Brent. No need to be so formal—we’re going to be working together, after all.”

Ferron straightened and nodded. “Very well, Brent. I am grateful for the gift.”

As soon as Ferron finished speaking, a notification appeared in Brent’s vision.

“Whoa! I leveled up from that!” Brent said, his excitement building as his core glowed even brighter from the newfound energy.

Emil blinked, trying to comprehend what had just happened. “I... I don’t know what to say.”

“What? Has no one ever named their minions before?” Brent asked, glancing at his companion.

“Not in my experience,” Emil admitted, still processing. “Like I said, there’s not even an option to name them in the interface. Most Dungeon Cores treat minions as expendable, so they don’t bother.”

Brent chuckled softly. “Well, that’s a shame. Everyone deserves a name. Calling them all ‘minion’ would get confusing fast.”

Emil shook his head, a mixture of disbelief and admiration in his tone. “You never cease to amaze me, Brent.”