Things have changed drastically over the last week. It had all started when the anti-Thrall Spore potion was completed. It had taken just over 2 weeks for the medical marvel to make it to market, exorbitantly priced though they were. Being so in demand, only the already established adventuring parties could afford them in bulk. Not that I still get many of the village kids in the bog anymore. After the first week’s incredible death count all but the most stubborn youths have headed back home empty handed or pursued proper training. These days the death rate for the Mangle Bog is around 10% on a really bad day.
According to Mary’s report now that Irwin and the Swarming Slime are being regularly encountered they’ve caused quite the stir. Compared to the average first floor dungeon boss, usually just a bigger version of a standard floor monster, its both a difficult and rewarding fight. The Biting Brew market has quickly cemented itself as a staple of Brooksdam. Listening in on the 300 or more adventurers in the Save Point I learned the Biting Brew is on par with a C grade healing potion. They’re ranked F-S and the average family only ever buys D grade in an emergency. Any potion above a B grade is considered a miracle product so when compared to the expensive and rare herbs being fermented in bulk for 2-3 months by professionals, fighting a tough monster over and over is much more time efficient. This grinding has also given Irwin plenty of time to train intensively with the Swarming Slime. If he gets much stronger before the rookies come back I’ll need him to hold back. I make much more mana off the Teleporters now than I ever did from the bog’s victims after all.
Since the mushroom grove was breached the Save Point has been booked almost every night. I’ve actually had some fights break out over the limited number of rooms! Most visitors will Teleport out or in 2-3 times a week. For every time someone teleports I make the same amount of mana as if they’d died, not to mention the occasional creature payment. Adding in two floors being explored at the same time I’m making a considerable profit!
Adventurer’s reaction to the Save Point has been overwhelmingly positive. Listening in I’ve learned that all dungeons have safe zones but none like mine. All of the others are little more than areas monsters don’t spawn. Even something as simple as the main dining area is a godsend to the adventurers. It’s common practice for strong parties to delve for weeks at a time in deep dungeons, taking all their supplies into combat with them. Now that they could leave and return everyday without worry I doubt they’ll be eager to delve elsewhere. By simply giving the adventurers some quality of life improvements I’ve garnered an immense amount of good will and future business with them. In fact I’d done such a good job I’d pissed some people off.
Apparently in the areas monsters don’t spawn brave entrepreneurs are known for setting up stores aimed at adventurers. Some of the older dungeons even have small towns that exist entirely within these zones. It was these business owners that were very angry at me. Many had sacrificed a lot to come to Brooksdam and I’d just made those sacrifices mute. But while I feel for them I don’t plan on getting rid of the safe zone concept. The more services I provide the adventurers the greater my own profit margins.
Other than the angry businessmen and woman, some adventurers have been wanting for more recreational activities. Simple stuff like training halls, dissection tables outside the kitchen, or even some artisan tables are commonly overheard requests. Since providing these would only increase safe zone revenue I have no qualms working them into the next safe zone, for a fee of course.
One problem I hadn’t seen coming with the influx of guests, were the bathtubs. Somehow during the design process I’d forgotten that with my consciousness I can see everything going on within my dungeon. Now don’t call me a perv, because I genuinely hadn’t thought of this while building the floor, but it is really hard to block out all the bathing naked people. As a former human teenager I think the strength of my character is shining through when I keep myself busy on the 2nd safe zone instead of watching the women bathe.
Truly I am the perfect picture of a dungeon core gentleman.
I’d love to remedy the issue somehow but I can’t make any large scale edits while people are in the Save Point. Once over 10 people are in an area my skills are limited. Given just how popular the safe zone has been I doubt I’ll get my chance any time soon. The adventurers will just need to wait until the second safe zone for better amenities.
But before I get into the newest area of my dungeon the recent gossip Mary has brought me deserves some discussion. Mainly the king’s protection and the rumors about my abnormally high difficulty and potential master.
Beginning with the good news I’m not currently at risk of enslavement! King Rylen has outlawed capturing me until he selects a worthy dungeon master. The bureaucratic process should take a while and must be handled with the utmost care. If a wrong dungeon master was selected, or someone with less than noble interests tampered with the core so early on its life, the country could lose an invaluable resource. That said, when a proper master is selected the army will come down on me with all its got. Meaning I need to increase mana production and create an army even the royal knight captain couldn’t fight against.
Some people have been proposing the possibility that a mystery dungeon master is controlling me in the shadows. To the adventurers my complexity can only be explained through outside intervention. The logic of this world dictates that a dungeon core could only be so powerful and complex if a master was controlling it from just after its birth.
Alas, I’m but a human living his best life as a dungeon core.
I don’t have any plans to capitalize on these rumors but keeping tabs on my public perception may be essential moving forward. Until I believe I could deal with any consequences revealing my true nature seems a bad idea.
In the outside world, Brooksdam has been facing an unprecedented economic and population boom. Several researchers have been creating inventions out of my various monster parts and mushrooms. During her latest trip into town Mary bought me back a glowing bracelet made of Luminous Shrooms and had looked into ordering a cloak made of Volcanic Salamander ash. Personally I’m eager to see how they make use of the Tempest Hare’s conductive spikes.
Maybe I’ll give Mary a new shopping list for fun purchases... Irwin would look cute in a wizard’s cloak, and Mulan would probably like some personal items for her arena. A painting for the core room wall would also be nice... So much to do now that we can reach town!
Moving on, the adventurers have begun exploring the Smoldering Sequoia! And frankly they aren’t doing so... hot!
The first and most obvious hurdle the invaders came across was the intense heat permeating across the floor. Many of the first groups to enter had already owned heat resistance lotions or had spells to regulate temperature, but nowhere near enough to cross the entire forest unhindered. Orders were soon sent out and enough lotions are now being supplied to beat the heat. But the roaring flames still make traversing the forest dangerous since the potions can only stop heat up to a certain threshold. One can walk with relative ease across the forest floor but a full frontal blast from an Infernal Redwood would deal heavy damage.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
After a stable solution to the raging inferno was found, the forest’s denizens took up the slack. The Peryton herds sweep their territories at blistering speeds and engage any invaders they come across. Having trained against the Terracotta Golems my Perytons are more than comfortable when combatting human shaped foes and common party structures. With their powerful speed, horns, and hoofs, several tanks have been sent fleeing with dented hoofprints on their shields and chest plates.
While the majority have moved to the staircases and back half of the floor, several Coal Cats have made their presence known and feared. Seldom facing their targets head on the large black and red cats have learned to target healers and mages before engaging the frontlines. Due to their trickery and ambush techniques several parties have been wiped before they even realized what was happening.
A party’s tank and attackers would hear stifled screams from behind amidst the crackling woods. Turning they would find a dead priest in the mouth of a nightmarish black creature. Any rangers of attack mages would be killed moments later as 3 long scythe tipped tails slashed their necks, arms, or cut any other exposed ligaments. After rushing in to free their comrades, the Coal Cat would vanish in a cloud of pressurized steam and pick them off one by one.
I couldn’t be more pleased with their performance and they’ll only grow smarter with time.
Unexpectantly my Red Torpedo Fish have created an as of yet unbreeched wall at the stream. No party has figured out a safe way to cross and many decided to wait for a future solution to be found. Ice mages had tried freezing the water but the fish’s flaming skulls would melt them quickly in combination with the forest’s heat. One party had gathered enough earth mages to construct a bridge, but the former salmon had simply knocked any who crossed into the water for their siblings to finish off. Even flying across wasn’t a viable solution given my other defenders.
Both species of hawk have become monsters that instill fear in all who hear their telltale sounds. Word had spread quickly from those who survived their ill-fated encounters with the apex predators of the floor. The intricate differences between species aren’t fully understood yet but to the adventurers it hardly matters given both are death sentences.
Diving down onto unexpecting parties, the Honed Hawks have cut cleanly through entire men with their wings. Even when a ranger gives proper warning simple armor can’t defend against the hawk’s blades. In some cases the birds haven’t even been spotted before the party is killed by their dislodged feathers. Their training against the always shifting Mary had made them incredibly accurate snipers from above.
While the Honed Hawks are feared the Serrated Hawks are detested. The entire species has grown addicted to duels after Mulan rose through the ranks. In pursuit of training the avian warriors will chase off attacking Coal Cats and Perytons just to engage entire parties by themselves. This behavior has only been reinforced given not a single Serrated Hawk has been killed. Some have come close, leaving behind incredible battle scars along the birds already ghastly wings, but none have fallen despite their high encounter rate.
I call them detested because they would commonly let weaker party members go free after slaughtering their comrades. Apparently slaying the weak was “beneath them” and would only sully their honor. With how distinct their appearances are, bounties and names are being offered for specific hawks by the surviving adventurers. Such titles include “Magebane”,” Throatslicer”, “or even “The Gentleman”.
Apparently that last one decided he won’t kill woman.
My lovely monsters aren’t my only feared creations. The Burst Corn have been responsible for more than a few casualties. Before knowledge of the floor had spread, several unwary passerby had unwittingly grabbed the explosive cobs, only to be engulfed in flames and pierced with shrapnel. Now that people know about them most corn kills come from the chaos of fleeing a hawk, or the Burst Corn’s auto targeting. Recently Brooksdam chefs have requested adventurers safely extract the vegetables for culinary experimentation.
Suffice to say I’m pleased with my Smoldering Sequoia’s performance so far. It should keep me safe long enough to begin work on the 3rd floor. But before that, let me introduce my second safe zone Camp Core in traditional game show fashion!
After passing through the twin Infernal Redwood doors beyond the second floor guardian Mulan, the guest will find a sprawling camp ground! Multiple log cabins ranging in size from front to back lay amongst a forest of fragrant pine trees and calming brooks. Each cabin is spaced out in such a way that no other is visible from their interior windows. All while separated smooth gravel pathways and wooden signposts assure our visitors they are not alone.
Using the newest in mana stone technology the dungeon is capable of receiving mana directly from their visitors. Simply placing one’s palm onto the stones and sending mana through will act as payment for all available services! Namely the renting of various cabins and service stations!
Parties are of course free to sleep in the large clearings for free amongst our various clean campgrounds but for those seeking better comfort, multiple levels of cabins are available for rent!
Renting a cabin is simple! Each tier costs a certain number of mana points. The lowest begins at a reasonable 2,5000 per guest with a maximum occupancy of 4. After payment the cabin belongs to the renter for 1 weeks. If the tenant wishes to rent for longer they have until noon on the 7th day to pay the mana cost again. Of course a cabin could be rented by just one person! Simply buy out all empty spots and enjoy your solitude! If there is an available slot inside a cabin then the dungeon will allow anyone to purchase it. But never fear! The dungeon will not allow anyone who is not a renter to enter a cabin. Any who is caught even attempting to break in will be banned from Teleporters and all safe zones.
But what is different among the cabin tiers you ask?
The lowest tier cabin as mentioned previously fits 4 people. With an exterior entirely made of pinewood logs, and both a front and back porch the dungeon takes pride in Camp Core’s rustic atmosphere! For our guests pleasure several board games and rocking chairs have been provided for recreation. Walking through the wooden door one will enter the main room. Two couches seated around a fireplace behind a family dining table create a welcoming atmosphere. Off to the right lies a bedroom with 2 sets of bunkbeds. Unlike the Save Point the dungeon has provided proper wool mattresses and blankets. Even better, for the added fee of 100 mana, both [Lust] and [Recovery] effects are available for purchase, Along the boards of every bed is a privacy curtain and optional Luminous Shroom lamp for late night reading or meditation. Next to the bedroom door is the bathroom, which includes 1 bathtub, a working shower head, sink, and 1 toilet.
Tier 2 cabins cost 3,500 mana per guest and fit 6 people. Remarkable similar to the 1st tier cabins these simply have a layout of 3 bunkbeds instead of 2 and two bathrooms. The extra set of bunkbeds is in a different room, across the living room. Just in case a party has someone who wishes to sleep alone, or a party wishes to divide themselves by gender. The final difference is a large planning/mapping table on the back porch for late night strategy meetings.
Most expensive and of the highest quality are the tier 3 cabins. This tier has several different specialties including the Newlywed Cabin, the Spa Retreat, and the Fisherman’s Dream. Each of these has only 1 or 2 spots available so grab a spot quickly for only 4,000 mana per person.
Finally at tier 4 are the 2 cabin mansions at the back corners of Camp Core. Each is two stories tall containing full kitchens, fireplaces, dining rooms, walk in bonsai gardens, and large carpeted staircases leading to the second floor landings. Upstairs the guests will find wrap around balcony’s sporting rocking chairs around infinity pools. Opposite the balcony entrance is the master bedroom fitted with walk in closets and king beds.
When it comes to recreational activities the dungeon has provided a [Recovery] hot springs, one for both genders of course, an archery and ranged magic range fit with moving targets, wheel like stones that roll across a small rut at random intervals, a training facility fit for melee fighters with regenerating straw training dummies, a large outdoor pavilion fit with all the kitchen supplies from the first safe zone, a removed area with creature dismantling tools, a room with a rudimentary forge, another with leatherworking gear, and several piers with rentable fishing poles lined up along the brooks.
Ending our promotional tour I’d like to personally extend a welcoming hand to any adventurers who make it past Mulan! After your harrowing trip through the Smoldering Sequoia please come clear your minds and heal your wounds at Camp Core!