------------- Dungeon Frog Room -------------

'You don't need to do the dings anymore unless I'm not paying attention, you know. Whenever you get stuff researched, just say that line. I really don't need half as many messages as you think I do.'

[Research completed: Sandbox]

'Nice. Hey, can I queue up stuff? Like tag a bunch of things to do in order? Actually, yeah. Do that. And give me a list that I can click or something. With the times for stuff listed! Then I can just get a bunch of stuff without having to pay attention really. Kind of. Right? Right.'

He looked at the muddy pit in front of him, and though it took a lot of work to make, it really wasn't actually interesting. He tried to take in a deep breath, but he decided his lungs weren't as full as they could be after making all the water. Still, it felt good. 'Alright, let's get something to look at. Like an ant colony. But frogs. If this world doesn't have any ants, I'm gonna be pissed. Anyway...'

A frog appeared in the room, sitting on the ledge next to where the dungeon was standing. 'Okay I can tell that took mana, so let's see about this one.' He had intended to spawn one frog egg, but apparently that wasn't how it worked. Instead, it was a bunch of frog eggs just like the batch he found that appeared.

[Spawner activated: Frog]

[Option not available.]

'What option isn't available?' There was no response. 'Okay fine, be like that. I got shit to do anyway.'

He went into the Storage room and exhaled, thinking of the "Sandbox" he had finally made after far too much effort, in his opinion. As soon as it solidified, he moved it just a little so it was against the wall right next to the thwomp.

[Special Construction detected. Choose resource to store.]

'Dirt! All the dirt. Whenever I get more dirt from digging, make it pile up here! If it doesn't fit, then just use that wind to make the dirt go away, and swirl around or something, waiting until there is room to fit more dirt here. Like in one of those games I saw someone play where you pile infinite logs. Like you can see one, two, three in a triangle, then infinite but it doesn't take up space. Do that! That's what this is! Make it work and I can build forever!'

[Dirt Sandbox Activated]

Whatever gave him the messages didn't react or respond. Somebody did though. What else responded, was the "Dirt Sandbox". Dirt started to pile up in between the four placed boards, becoming a nearly perfect pyramid in only a moment.

------------- Dungeon Entrance -------------

The older scout shivered. The younger scout glanced over at him, and could see the hairs on the back of the man's neck stand up.

The man straightened himself into perfect posture instead of his lazy half-slouch he was in only a moment before.

"What's wrong?", the younger scout asked him.

"Go get the captain. Now!"

"But it's supposed to be two-", the older scout cut off the younger.

"Now!" His face was red.

The young man ran off as he was told the second time. He didn't want to see how angry the old man could get if he was told a third time.

Running with all his might, he barely remembered to breathe until he got into the Guild.

------------- Bogsreach Exterminators Guild -------------

"I," the younger scout started to say in ragged breaths. "He", he tried to say again, failing.

"Catch your breath, Pale." Captain Sylde was sitting on a poorly repaired stool next to a pot filled with what was dry grass from the area, smoldering from the fire having gone out only recently.

A few moments later, he said what he had been trying to. "Something happened in the dungeon. Something big. We didn't look at what it was yet. I came to get you."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"You mean Lawg sent you to get everyone. Alright, we'll head out as soon as Caelum gets back."

"Until I get back for what?" The merchant exterminator came from around the open door holding a freshly emptied chamber pot.

"Looks like the dungeon did something, or is doing something. Let's go."

The three of them headed out, and after two buildings were passed on the way to the dungeon, the captain turned around. "No scouting ahead, any of you. Especially you, Branch."

Caelum and Pale looked at the back of their group, seeing the rogue. "I didn't do anything."

Sylde nodded. "Good, then you have enough strength to get back to town. Find out if they've made any progress with anything, and give them an update yourself."

Branch turned around and started jogging in the opposite direction the rest of the group was going.

------------- Dungeon Core Room -------------

He wasted no time at all scratching and scooping out dirt, hoping the cramped feeling would go away, but it didn't work entirely, even with the room now its proper squared-off shape. In one corner, at least, with the wall now a nice landmark to base the other wall on.

Remembering that he wasn't actually researching anything, he went back to the cave mouth. 'Oh that looks SO much better! I can actually see everything in here. Who knows, I might even make this room look like a room and not just a cave.' He was talking to himself of course, but stopped when he saw something so much easier than before.

He walked over to it while thinking of something. 'You know, I should get you out of here and put you in the Secret Research-' he thought the word 'research' at the same time he touched the treasure chest in order to move it to the other room.

[Tutorial Construction discovered: Treasure Chest]

[Start tutorial?]

------------- Dungeon Entrance -------------

The three men met up with the guard. "Lawg, what happened?", the captain asked.

The older scout turned around, no longer facing the cave's entrance. "I don't know. Whatever it is, something is different in there."

It was getting dark out, and each of them could smell ozone.

Captain Sylde reassumed his captain stance. "Let's take a look then. Weapons and torches ready!"

The four men lit their own torches, and drew whatever weapons they were best with, mostly spears and knives. Cautiously, they entered.

"This place is a lot cleaner than it was before. I don't even have to climb over anything. The dungeon found a forge?" Pale asked aloud, but not to anyone in particular.

"And a firepit. I don't see any scampers, but it looks like one made a hole in this wall here", Caelum added.

"A church pew and an awning I wouldn't mind making use of myself with as much as I stand outside", Lawg grumbled loud enough that Sylde could hear him, rather intentionally.

"A couple support beams and doors are over here. Alright, there isn't any treasure or resources here. Everyone, to the monster!", the party's leader commanded.

They looked at the thwomp, and it looked angrily at them. The lights from the fires on their torches flickered over the creature, giving everyone the illusion that it was moving.

------------- Dungeon Storage -------------

He had that 'people glaring at the back of your head' feeling again, and it was pretty bad! Not the worst he'd ever felt it, but it was definitely there! 'I am a dungeon. I have an armed monster and a shield monster that instakills. I'm gonna find out who you are and what you want! Zombie! Stay behind me!'

He pumped up the chest he didn't have, leaving the chest he did have in the Secret Research room where he had placed it after cancelling the tutorial and starting the research. Why would he need a tutorial now? He already knew everything.

------------- Thwomp's Perspective -------------

Invaders present. Can get angry. Four. Very angry! Action? Glare.

Dungeon Core's self-image approaching. Hover higher to get out of the way for image to pass.

------------- Dungeon Cave Mouth -------------

"It's raising! It can move!", Pale yelled in excitement.

There was no denying it now. The earlier reports were now confirmed. A giant monster made of solid rock that could fly was staring hatefully at them- until it passed over the doorway, leaving the room beyond partially visible in the firelight.

As soon as the monster was out of the way, it slammed itself down in an instant, making a heavy sound, expectedly like a rock falling from a great height. A height much higher than it fell from. None of the exterminators had any illusions of what they just witnessed. This wasn't a rock falling. This was a rock attacking. Just no one was in range.

"Back!", the captain shouted. "Back, back! Everyone, evacuate! One at a time, go!"

The four men were out of the dark, dry dungeon, and into the dark, rainy bog.

------------- Dungeon Storage -------------

'Oh shit, four of them!?' He jumped back, getting away from the thwomp so it would slam back down and keep the small men, wielding weapons and fire, standing in formation and ready to lunge, from entering.

[Research complete: Treasure Chest]

'Alright, well that's super not what I need right now, is it? Or maybe it is? If I got paid, I'd leave. Then I'd come back to get paid again. Shit, this is going to be a normal thing, isn't it?'

The things in the Storage room were safe, at least for now, and the dungeon knew it. So why research more stuff that was protected? Why not research more stuff that was still in the cave mouth? Once the men were gone, he came back out. 'Okay I'll just say to stay outside. That's why this is next!'

He touched the "Rickety Awning", and sent it to Research. 'Did the queue function work? Please tell me it did.' He touched the "Unstable Support Termite Nest" next, then the "Coal Forge" and "Moldy Pew". He tried to look at a status somewhere, but instead of finding it, it found him. He saw the following list:

[ Trap: Rickety Awning. Status: Researching. Time remaining: 3 hours 59 minutes 08 seconds

Special Construction: Unstable Support Termite Nest. Status: Queued. Time remaining: 7 hours

Construction: Coal Forge. Status: Queued. Time remaining: 24 hours

Resource: Moldy Pew. Status: Queued. Time remaining: 5 hours ]