“What do you mean this is not a real dungeon?! …… I don’t get it….. Don’t I get to work here?! I thought Xiao Qing said that I’m the new Dungeon Keeper here!”

I protested, turning to give a wide-eyed look at XQ, wondering whether I had heard wrong.

XQ looked sheepishly at me. “About that, that was not exactly a lie. You see, that’s part of the orientation programme… We DK’s from nearby Dungeons get to size the newbie up by showing them a scary dungeon, telling it its theirs and hope they’ll try to stick to the end. That’s why the Infected Ones are kind of overpowered for Beginners. However, as Senior DK’s, we’ll get to protect the newbie. That’ll show our good sides and strengthen our bonds exponentially! This will only work if the newbie thinks that he is in deep stress and think that he is in charge.”

……

Boss (through spider minion): “The main idea is to get new DK’s to be extremely scared of this dungeon. We observe how they react when they are scared to test their ability to work under pressure. We’ll also grade them based on their skills to tackle sticky situations, under our supervision of course... So, it is necessary to tell you that this is your Dungeon to see how you deal with it. After that, we’ll tell them the truth that this is not the dungeon they’re supposed to be in charge of. Assigning them to work at any other Dungeons will seem like a better deal.”

Brenton: “We also want to maintain the number of beasts in the Dungeon. By telling it that this is yours, you are forced to retain from killing the creatures even if they are attacking you… Most importantly, we also want to know whether they love wild magical creatures, even if they are hostile towards DK’s at first. Most beasts in Dungeons aren’t friendly with DK’s first time after all. Some DK candidates cannot deal with wild animals; others hate certain beasts... ”

“…… I get your intention to test me… (Even if it felt like bullying…) But what do you mean this is not a real Dungeon?!”

Justina chimed in, “Like the Boss said, this is not a regular dungeon. This… is only a Bonus Dungeon. It was designed to provide an easy way to find bountiful loot. It is planned to be open at specific times throughout the year, especially when the Dungeon is overpopulated or when the number of players drop.

“Loot? What kind of loot?”

Boss: “Oh, there are lots, mostly materials for clothes. As you know silkworms spin silk when they are ready for transformation to form pupae. They can be harvested to be sold to merchants and tailors to be used to make high quality clothes. The only catch is you need to try to sneak around the guards on the ground, the Infected Ones, and find a few silk cocoons. The silkworms here can grow this big because of magic from trees and they produce silk with higher luster and also better physical and magic defensive abilities.”

XQ: “Besides silk, this dungeon also provides good food material. Do you know that the silkworm pupae in the silk cocoons are high quality food with good medicinal properties and are extremely nutritious? Moreover, the Cordyceps in the Infected Ones are extra bonus material that can be dried, cooked and eaten to boost health points, resilience and regen stats for a long period of time!”

Justina: “Don’t forget that silkworms are also quite easily captured and tamed as Pets. Their final stage of metamorphosis results in them changing into silkmoths. That’s what makes them so much wanted for both their looks as well as they have good potential as nice pets and battle partners! Besides being cute and beautiful, they become much stronger and faster by gaining flying abilities. There are also some rare special silkworms with Air or Light Elemental bodies. Although it isn’t easily spotted from normal ones since it rarely shows its skills unless greatly threatened. However, silkmoths die quickly after mating, so meeting one is extremely rare… There’s a myth that says silkmoths that do not mate will live longer though. Overall, keeping a silkworm as a pet is a bonus! It doesn’t really need much care and usually doesn’t cause any kind of trouble.”

XQ: “Well, I wouldn’t say that... Keeping a silkworm as a Pet is not entirely problem free… As you might have guessed, silkworm pets have one major disadvantage, that is the need to provide it with large amounts of food. The silkworms need to eat a lot of mulberry leaves before changing. They’ll starve to death in a few days if not fed. Breeding them until they are fully mature before the dungeon is closed again is most probably impossible…”

Boss: “The act of taking them away from their natural habitats has its consequences though. Even if there are no food sources available, there are special places to keep them like a nursery or a hibernation chamber at a high price. Special pet food especially made for silkworms are available in stores but they worth a fortune. In short, you can say that this Bonus Dungeon is reserved for times of need, when the number of players stopped growing or start to dwindle! It is also a good way to get players spend money to buy necessary equipment! Nobody could possibly keep enough money for raising a silkworm pet, so that's when real cash is involved. It is a way for the developers to get back what they had invested.”

Justina: “Since it is a Bonus Dungeon, when the time is up (usually two weeks), the main entrance becomes covered in thick snow as hard as ice, becoming invisible to Adventurers and prevents them from entering. We all managed to enter from the main entrance because we know where it is from the maps provided by Boss and Björn had cleared it for us in advance.”

Björn: “It is probably covered by snow again... No worries, I’ll clear the entrance again when we can leave.”

Boss: “So, as you see, this dungeon is only used as a reserve. Also, to us Dungeon Keepers, it also had other purpose of existence.”

 “What other uses?”

The Boss replied in a somewhat heavier tone: “If any DK’s were lazy and didn’t take good care of their Dungeon, they’ll get sent here for a sentenced period of time. This place is suited for treating sloths because everything is so slow-paced that even the laziest of DK’s will be bored to death. If any DK break any rules, they’ll be arrested by other DK’s and sent here to get the taste of being forcefully sapped by the Infected ones as a form of torture. That said it was never done before since no DK had broken the rules yet. That being said, I personally doubt that it will ever be used to punish DK's but that’s still early to say though. You never know what might happen in times to come... Especially in times of lawlessness as this... I hope not... ...... Anyways, this place is used mostly by us DK's as an orientation program site!”

....... This is unbelievable!

This place is kind of like a detention room for DK's? From its description, it reminds me a cold palace (冷宫) in Chinese history during Ancient Imperial times, where concubines who had lost the Emperor's favor or had done things that are deserving of punishment were banished. It represents a place of negligence, isolation and punishment… Otherwise it is a free all-you-can-eat buffet opened once in a blue moon for adventurers… It's kind of gloomy and depressing to think that such a beautiful place as this is only useful like a storeroom, or much like a deserted garden...

“Even so, why can’t I take charge of this dungeon? And what do you mean to say it’s not a real dungeon?”

Boss: “Well, you can, but it still won’t be considered your main job… Dungeon Keepers are usually assigned to regular dungeons. The reason it’s not considered a real Dungeon is that it is very underdeveloped and located quite far from human towns. It’s only good line of defenses at present are the ones you encountered. Those Infected Ones are actually the only guards of this dungeon that can make up a good fight…”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Brenton: “No offense, but normally silkworms are just weaklings to defend any intruders of their own… It’s impossible to make up any sort of challenge…”

“What did you say?! All living things are made to survive, no matter how hard their surroundings can be, even if they are just bugs! The harder the environment is, the more they bounce back! They can fight, they just don’t prefer to.”

“Hey, I believe so that small animals are capable of attacking too… But just take a step back and think for a second… Have you ever seen a silkworm fight another animal?” Brenton decided to scoop a hot coal onto my lap, again…

……Damn it!! I know he’ll  …… I hate to admit it but…… He’s right! Again! Big bully!

“…… No… I can’t say I have… But that doesn’t mean they won’t put up a fight when needed, right?”

Brenton scoffed “…… Wow! Do you hear yourself? That’s really stretching it, don’t you think? I give up… Why don’t you guys talk to him and tell him bugs are weak?”

Justina: “I won’t say all bugs are weak… My buddy here is a ferocious killer, no less… But he’s a carnivore… Every herbivorous bug can fend themselves in some way or other… That is, except for silkworms… For your information, silkworms are one of the most successfully domesticated animals and they are as harmless as flies to humans!”

Brenton: “Ermm… Sorry to budge in again but they’re even more harmless than flies, flies can cause more damage by carrying germs. On top of that, they can see all around and can fly fast. At least they can annoy the hell out of people if people want to kill them… Silkworms can’t even run fast… They have no jaws, no claws, no poisonous hair, no spikes, no stings… They won’t last a second if faced with human adventurers… They’ll be squished within seconds. It’s best they stay hidden and out of reach in the trees.”

…… I’m lost for words… It’s true… Silkworms are weak… I may have really been stretching it.

XQ whispered to me “Come on… You don’t want to stay here… There are many other good Dungeons that suit you better… The nearest one to here is a lake with all types of water birds that are beautiful and magnificient…”

“I can’t… I made a promise to myself that I’ll help my buddy and her kind. ”

“That’s way out of your capabilities… It’s not anyone’s fault… It’s just nature… You just have to accept it… It’s no one fault that the strings of fate had been tied.”

“Wait a minute!! That’s it! They can produce silk string right? I know that they are not as strong as spider silk but they can be used as wrapping things up right?”

Brenton looked like he’s taken the last straw… “You just don’t know when to give up, do you? That’s it, I’m out of here.” He just jogged off away from our group, probably to find Scamp, his buddy squirrel.

I can tell that he thinks that I’m crazy… However, I continued excitedly, without being affected by his rudeness. “Don’t you think it’s possible, Boss? I’m not just making up things or saying nonsense. Your minions are masters of silk string spinning! You must know a lot about string as form of defense!”

Boss: “Sigh… Yes… Silkworms and spiders are both are able to produce silk string…”

Boss pauses for a moment before he continued his sharing.

"However, silkworms never use its silk in fighting enemies. Unlike the spider that can produce silk to spin webs for catching prey, the silkworm will usually only use its silk when it is time to metamorphose as a barrier to keep enemies out during the period it is unable to defend themselves. There are still many major differences between spiders and silkworms… Spiders line their silk with glue that can remain sticky for a long time to catch prey whereas silkworm silk are only sticky upon leaving their silk glands. Besides, spiders are equipped with not only silk, they also have venomous fangs with toxins to immobilize and break down prey. Also, spiders are designed to be the ultimate predators, they are built extremely dexterous and agile to hunt down prey… It also has long legs to wrap silk around prey, that really seals the deal… Also, their spinnerets are located at their abdomen, meaning they can leap from high places and still dangle by the thread by its back feet. Silkworms are just too slow and too “herbivorous” to cause any threat to others. They can’t even shoot their silk like some spiders… ”

Yes, I know a thing or two about silkworms and spiders, but thanks for reminding me. 

Boss: "Spiders are commonly thought to be weaklings in fantasy worlds. When I came in, I showed the management what a misconception that was! Spiders are master killers and if all animals were the same size, spiders would have been the top of any food chain with no fail! Haha...!! Even the Lord of the Rings movie got it wrong! One single dose of toxin cocktail with neurotoxins and tissue destroying poison from its venomous bite from a common garden spider a tenth of a grown man's size would have killed anyone it had bitten! One injection from its twin fangs into Frodo's bloodstream should have ended his life immediately, no second chances. Not to mention it's sheer size. If it were accurate, Frodo should have just died a horrible death instantly in that gigantic spider's lair... Have your ever seen a spider bite a midget and that midget comes back to life? No!! He would have looked worse than the victims in the Anaconda movie! It's funny that this misconception will lead many adventurers into their own doom!"

Wow!! That's right, I never thought that spiders could be so difficult to deal with if they were gigantic! 

"..... Wow! Does that mean Boss' Dungeon is one of the most difficult to challenge?"

Justina: "That's right! Boss is the strongest DK around this region... He is specialises in information gathering, analysis of data and setting up traps with the help of his spider minions. He is ranked top because of his intelligence and good intuition to make the best plan out of available information." 

Boss: "Just observe a spider and how it catches prey and you will learn a few crucial tactics to overcome your enemy and win a battle. A Dungeon Keeper can make your arena be an extension of your body like a weapon! Be like lightning, swiftly strike and finish them off! "

Hmmm... Yes... His description on the spider's tactics are very accurate. If I were to conclude my comparison these two creatures, I would say these two creatures would represent two different elements. No doubt, spiders are like lightning, with its rapid movement fall upon the prey before it can act, immobilizing and then causing massive damage. Silkworms are just air, not even like earth with sturdier defensive material, just stagnant air, maybe like vapor… The only parts that move slightly fast are its jaws when eating… The differences are so big, they can never stand on equal ground.

Is this it? Do I have to give up? Is this situation hopeless?

No, I promised! I believe there is still hope… Even by a single thread, I will continue to cling on!

“Give me a few days! I’ll try to think about something. No, I will come up with a plan that makes this dungeon qualified to be taken care of! I promise!”

Ssssssigh… It wasn’t me who sighed... For some reason, I was really pumped! No, those the sighs escaping from the mouths of my fellow DK’s. I think in some way, I had let them down. But, I am keeping my word and I’m going to make this dungeon significant!

“Boss, can you let me work in this Dungeon? Please~~?”

The minion spider looked at me blankly. It didn’t move for quite a while…

Finally, the Boss answered: “Fine! I’ll give you a week to come up with something that can make this dungeon more challenging! By the end of the period, it will be open to parties that reach here and it should be able to withstand their attacks up to a certain level.”

“Ok, cool!”

“However, I’ll not let you have this chance so easily! Do you know how long I’ve worked to analyse you and to find you a suitable dungeon? You should have been assigned to the beautiful Lake Dungeon which is actually quite close to here. Such a shame, there are many magnificent birds and fishes to take care of. If you choose to work here, I would have management problems... (I should have quickly ticked one major task off my list with hundreds of things to do, this is troublesome...) Therefore, there’ll be a punishment if you were to fail, since I predict there will be too many casualties from the silkworms. I will personally see to the punishment and choose a least preferable dungeon for you to work in. This may be the last choice most people would want to work in, however there are still options that you will not like so much, such as the gloomy swamp or poison marsh area. Meanwhile, you should carry out some tasks in the Lake Dungeon starting tomorrow! Do you understand?”

He’s right… These places don’t sound nice, I shuddered from the thought. It could be a place infested with giant mosquitos and such… This is a tough bet, with large consequences… This may be harder than I thought!

Then he continued to lecture me on all the things that a DK need to do... My head is quite about too full for the day and before I knew it, I fell asleep... And then, I woke up on my bed at home...