Uno

Contrary to common belief dungeon cores aren’t all-knowing and all-seeing when it comes to their turf. Like I said before - I’m capable of bouncing mana around my tunnels and rooms which gives me the ability to see, give orders or make something out of thin air.

Why am I droning about it?

Well…

Right now I’m getting invaded.

And I was notified of this only because one of Lebirs retreated back to my territory after getting his shit kicked in.

Can you imagine it? These stupid things getting tactical?!

After seeing my minion moving back like a broken toy I made my mana bounce and ran (not a correct word, sue me!) towards the source of the commotion.

After a minute I was able to soak my surroundings.

It seemed like my Drones managed at last break down the wall of earth dividing my mini-dungeon from the large hall to the south. At first glance, I could see that not much remained there after years of disrepair.

Clearly, this room was part of some underground complex and my closest guess would be it was once a food hall, seeing long tables and a large number of chairs strewn around. Or rather their remains. There were also broken down tapestries, which seemed to depict some long lost heraldry - now brown and riddled with holes. There were also wooden poles with a metal part which seemed like something used to light up this dreary place.

This whole room was about four by nine meters with the ceiling as high as three in most places, which in turn put it on about one hundred cubic meters worth of space. There were also three doors visible from the entrance. One on the right and two on the left. Surprisingly my mana wasn’t able to flow into this place, kept back by some unseen force.

Former inhabitants of this room weren’t really in the mood to talk - they instead choose to trade blows with my minions. Lebirs were keeping guard over the new tunnel, smacking down anyone approaching with mirth I didn’t know they had in them. Lively for half undead half machine abominations. Ratlings, on the other hand, created small holes in the wall - high enough to shoot at average male height and pelted advancing enemies with their spears.

It wasn’t very effective though.

Mostly because our opposition was clearly undead - human skeletons clad in remains of armor, with empty eyes and jerky movements. They slowly shuffled towards my minions and entrance to the dungeon, while keeping absolute silence. It was creepy as fuck.

At least most of them were unarmed - using only their stretched hands as weapons. Just a few of them were sporting sword handles and small sticks which weren’t really that hard to repel anyway. Pretty much every single one of them had looks of military personnel and my Analyze confirmed it.

Waltzer Castle Skeleton

While no poor soul inhabits this husk it was once a part of humanity's greatest army, created to stop the northern beasts invasion. After unjust death, the accumulated resentment animated its bones and funneled rage towards any living being.

This undead is not intelligent and will move according to instinct - killing any living beings and devouring pure mana. It has a basic ability to use tools and as undead is an untiring abomination, destroyed on sight by most sentient races.

Due to accumulated damage, its threat rating has been lowered.

Threat level: E+

Even damaged they’re classified as E rank threat? What? My Lebirs are already putting them to the ground though… Easily at that.

Or are they?

Now that I’ve taken a closer look only a few of them stay down. The rest just falls, scrambles for a moment and tries to get back up…

At least my side doesn’t have stamina issues either, but in a fit of panic, I created three more Lebirs and ordered them to move towards the battle. In the meantime two of the doors in food hall open and even more undead pour in through them, joining the scuffle.

These ones look… different.

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I wonder - Analyze.

Waltzer Castle Civilian Skeleton

No soul inhabits this husk, but it was once one of the humans who sought shelter in the northern fortress. It was unjustly slain and forced to walk these halls for eternity. An accumulated resentment animated its bones and funneled rage towards any living being.

This undead is not intelligent and will move according to instinct - killing any living beings and devouring pure mana. As undead, it is an untiring abomination, destroyed on sight by most sentient races.

Due to accumulated damage, its threat rating has been lowered.

Threat level: E

Oh. Now I see the difference. These skeletons look like women, children and unarmed men - most of their flesh and clothes already have turned to dust, but their movements and sizes are easy enough to differentiate. It seems like I’ve stumbled on a site of a tragedy.

Ah.

But that’s irrelevant! If I don’t stop them then it will become a site of my tragedy!

For now, Lebirs are trading blows with armored skeletons. There are about twenty of them remaining, with about thirty civilians slowly advancing from behind.

How did they even fit in these halls?!

Stopping them by the entrance to my dungeon are two Lebirs with two more running (or rather quickly stumbling) as a backup from my core room. One of them is getting healed in my core room. I feel that I can create maybe two more, so without any further question, I do just that.

Ratlings aren’t really that useful in this situation, seeing as mostly only blunt force trauma is enough to keep enemies down, but I can squeeze one more, seeing as their overall cost is lower, raising their numbers to six.

Ah, but they can’t really keep shooting - their spear reserves are already near zero, so I herd them back to forge room in order to resupply.

As my attention goes back to the battle I see something jarring - new Lebirs are wrestling enemies with their bare hands!

You fools!

In anger, I intercept two of the newest ones and force them towards the forge. In there I order them to take only shields, as they’re too heavy to use in conjunction with metal clubs. I can’t really even call them shields - they’re just thick blocks of big iron with a handle hammered to the side.

And they’re square.

Shaking my non-existent head I force them back into the fight, commanding two unarmed fools to retreat and rearm.

In the meantime, most of the enemies already swarmed my defenders.

Not that it matters anyway - in an undead versus undead battle only total destruction matters. And that’s what happens.

One of the Lebirs is in the thick of it - swinging his mace and taking off heads with each move.

Until it overextends and gets tackled to the ground.

I guess most of living warriors would’ve panicked by now.

Or maybe when losing an arm.

And now a leg.

Oh, it still tries to swing the weapon, collapsing other enemies.

Aaaaaaaand no appendages are left.

Should I consider giving them mouths so they could bite their enemies? I wonder.

As I try to keep up with the fighting my remaining Lebirs regroup and start a charge - with shieldbearers at the front! It goes well - maybe even too well, as they’re now in the middle of skeletons and thinning down the crowd. I think my victory is now assured.

If not for small detail.

These undead don’t want to fight my warriors and a few of those who are closest to the dungeon entrance started walking inside.

It feels… gross.

All this decay and hatred - like somebody who's been dead for a month.

I guess that's how my body was reeking, eh?

No! It’s not the time, Uno! Focus!

How many are coming? Eight? Lebirs are too in the thick of things, but I can always order back my Ratlings. They move through their tunnels with uncanny speed, easily overtaking slow skeletons.

And then they shot a few of them down working in tandem with my traps.

Three down, five to go!

Damn, they’re already in Ratling Warrens - two of them get sniped by leg-gnawing rodents, but three remain still.

Shit.

Will I get eaten?

Shit, shit, shit.

And then I bounce back and see the most beautiful sight under the sun. Or dungeon core light, whatever.

The Lebir who was healing near me is still here! And it has its club!

I would kiss you if I could!

Attack!

I relay my orders and the only tactical Lebir in existence charges forward, taking one of the skeletons apart.

It then stops, bonking himself into a wall, but tries to continue the assault in a smooth motion.

His club cleanly takes out forward skeleton head and smashes it like a ball against the closest wall.

The third invader tries to ignore my minion and go for the core.

Lebir promptly catches it by its leg and jerks with enough strength to force the undead airborne!

With another jerk, it smashes the thing down!

And the undead is no more.

Haaaaaaah.

That was terrifying!

Positively terrifying!

I need to up my game.

These were just some skeletons.

What if something much stronger or more intelligent came?

I would be dead core, that’s what!