Katia is simultaneously happy and sad to see her favorite trio leave the dungeon after several days inside. Their friend Kevin stabilized, so they decided to return home with plenty of supplies in tow. To Katia's surprise, they stopped to thank the statue of Katia in the entry chamber!

Of course Katia appreciates their visits, but being unable to modify her dungeon for several days felt like torture. Now that they're gone she throws herself into action by manifesting multiple rooms at once.

"Hopefully nobody dies in this section of the dungeon..."

Katia creates four chambers connected by a central corridor. Wooden planks piece together into flooring while limestone piles up into walls. She's only ready to implement the challenges once the torches are burning and the doors have been installed.

The first room is dedicated to the basics of survival. Information on first aid is displayed alongside shelves of bandages free for the taking. Troublesome parasites and diseases are described on another wooden board. For each of these problems there's a solution listed along with complications that might occur. The room is arranged kind of like a museum with little statues made from copper providing visual aid, the exhibits guiding delvers to the next chamber after they're done checking out the educational exhibits.

"hehe... I feel like a middle school teacher."

The second room is focused on teaching the delvers how to fight Dire Rats. There's an array of wooden signs describing how to deal with the oversized rodents as well as basic information like their name and default behavior. Several Dire Rats will roam around a fenced in portion of the chamber while only attacking those that have entered the pen.

"Hopefully this prevents casualties."

The third room is meant to be a gym. There are parkour platforms as well as bars and beams to move around on. Everything is cushioned by soft moss, and wooden supports make for a sturdy jungle gym.

"This should be suitable, but maybe I'll have to expand it later?"

The fourth and final chamber serves as a guide to Katia's own dungeon. There are small practice puzzles which give delvers an idea of what to expect below, and there's also a section talking about the rules of the dungeon which can keep a delver safe from the dungeon goddess' wrath.

"Kind of deceptive, but it's funny so I think it's worth it!"

Some small changes here and there perfect the tutorial section of Katia's dungeon. She likes the feeling of an interactive museum, and feels proud of what she's created.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Quest Complete: Tutorial Dungeon

Material 'Silver' Unlocked!

Katia would be positively beaming if she still had a face with which to do so. She takes advantage of the new material by replacing some of the bronze exhibits and statues with silver, albeit she keeps the base of her entry chamber statue bronze.

~

Quiet coughing and muffled voices serve as ambiance for Kevin's team as they walk through Subway Town's single crowded thoroughfare. Kevin scans the sides of the makeshift street. The number of displaced people wasting away here in Subway Town is appalling for someone from a much more lively close knit community.

The three of them don't exchange words out here on the street, but they do exchange looks as a means of communication. Kevin slows his pace when he spots a ramshackle building marked with a well made wooden sign.

Barry's Trade Goods

Simon exchanges a glance with Kevin, and Carrie gives Simon a look. The three of them move in sync toward the store, and none of the countless strangers milling about the city bother with them as they enter.

The interior of the store contrasts sharply with the exterior; Clean tidy shelves lined with various goods are accompanied by calming ambient music. Simon's eyes widen a little as he fails to find the source of the music, but he contains himself for the sake of his party.

Kevin guides them over to the counter, where another patron is already engaged in heated debate with the stocky man behind the counter. Carrie can't help but snort at the sight of the man's shiny bald head poking out from a ring of brown hair.

"What do you mean rubbish?!" The angry customer shouts.

"I said your gear is trash, buddy. I don't trade in cheap plastic." The man replies dismissively.

This gets the patron's face to redden like a tomato, and he slams his fist on the counter between the two of them before spitting out his next words venomously.

"Cheap plastic? How about I fucking gut you with this cheap plastic-" The customer starts to threaten.

The man behind the counter, who is likely named Barry, places his calloused hands on the counter while giving the man a cheeky smirk. The unruly man flinches suddenly as an invisible force pushes him down the aisle. The pained grunts coming from the man fade as he's turned and booted out the door as if hit by a truck. Kevin's group looks back to Barry with newfound respect. Carrie keeps her mouth firmly shut.

"So what can I interest you three in?" Barry asks with an ominous grin.

Kevin clears his throat softly, and steps up to the counter with his back straight. The other two hand back while keeping their hands to themselves. Simon sticks his nose into his notes, and Carrie just stares up at the ceiling.

"W-Well, me and my friends were hoping we could trade something we got out of a dungeon for some new equipment..." Kevin awkwardly explains.

Barry holds his hand up with a frown on his bearded face. He lets out a long sigh, and shakes his head as if having heard enough.

"I'm sorry bud, but I can't take any nonsense you got out of those." Barry says solemnly.

"But-" Kevin tries to retort.

"No butts, asses, or cabooses." Barry cuts him off.

Kevin hesitates to push any further considering what he saw just before walking up to Barry's counter, but he doesn't get a choice when Carrie stomps forward and hefts about twenty wedges of cheese onto the counter with a glare on her face.

"There, that worth your time?" She asks pointedly.

Barry's looks unimpressed at first, but as he inspects the cheese with an unseen skill he finds himself gawking at the authenticity. He picks one up and bites it, savoring the flavor.

"Alright, I'm listening." Barry says as he chews.