{ATTENTION: ELDRITCH MONOLITH CONSTRUCTED BY {REDACTED}}

{ATTENTION: E’MIERON THE BLOODLESS HAS BEEN SUMMONED}

{ATTENTION: {EXPUNGED} HAS GRANTED YOU A BOON}

Vorinus was extremely confused, as the giant portal opened up in the Rakahn tunnel, and a tendril deposited a…suitcase?

A Monolith had been built, and 'E’Mieron' had been summoned? Why should it care?

The suitcase was clearly the ‘Boon’, but Vorinus didn’t know how to use it. Thus, it was examined closely. The leathery material was resistant to absorption, but an awed Rakahn could open it perfectly fine.

Inside, a few syringes, and a writhing grub. These quickly fell prey to Vorinus’ hungry mana.

{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: MUTAGENIC SYMBIOTE}

{NEW ITEM ACQUIRED: BASIC GENEMOD KIT}

{NEW ITEM ACQUIRED: BASIC FLESH GRAFT KIT}

{NEW ITEM ACQUIRED: BASIC HYPERCANCER KIT}

Vorinus stared blankly for a few moments, analyzing the new data.

The Symbiote was a ‘living’ object of fleshy tendrils, like an Assimilator, but could be infused with actual mobs to grant ‘special abilities’. Vorinus needed to revive the testing rooms.

The Genemod Kit was another object, capable of modifying a creature’s attributes…after it was created? How was that useful? Then again, the Hivemind claimed it was loot for adventurers…

The Flesh Graft Kit was yet another object, allowing limbs and other organs to be grafted onto mobs, or adventurers, Vorinus supposed. More useful than the Genemods.

The Hypercancer Kit was far more intriguing. Vorinus could utilize it to seed its Dungeon full of fleshy growths. Tendrils, bulbs, and veins. All cancerous, and slowly growing. Adventurers could use it, but it wasn’t helpful to them. Apparently, it wasn’t very expensive, mana wise.

Excited, Vorinus began to alter the Rakahn cavern. First, pools of liquid created from Assimilator blood were pitted throughout the floor, and filled with Mutagenic Symbiotes. If adventurers didn’t die from the Rakahn, they would get their reward. Thinking of the Symbiotes, Vorinus began seeding them in random Rakahn variants.

Most of them collapsed to the floor, tendrils bursting from their chests, and ulcerous growths consuming their bodies. They didn’t survive very long after that.

One however…a Twisted, was able to survive the infusion. The Rakahn already had many tentacles, and instead of alien tendrils growing, ones of the same work began to pierce the skin, and it shrieked in rapture. New eyes formed in the places where no tentacle appeared. Its very skin became foggy and ethereal. Vorinus knew it had made something very, very wrong.

{RAKAHN TWISTED BLUEPRINT MODIFIED: RAKAHN PROPHET}

This emissary of the ‘Lord of the Cosmos Below’ is a silent sentinel of it’s Lord’s holy places, striking with shadowy tendrils to tear the very soul out of attackers. It has ascended beyond mortality through the Holiest Gift, and can now see into other planes, and cast dark sorceries that defy imagination. Rumors that it was Core-spawned have been censored by Rakahn Seers.

In the depths of the Rakahn cavern, Vorinus constructed a huge temple, taking inspiration from the Hivemind’s flowery description, and covered the dark stone in shining sigils of mana crystal. Towering silver gates (Silver extracted from recently uncovered rock) stood in the middle of this temple front, leading to a large room. There, a large circle of symbols traced using Corespawned blood, and Vorinus began creating a suitable boss for it.

Selecting a Hypercancer Kit, Vorinus conjured a large mass of dripping, pulsing tissue at the top of the large chamber, limp tendrils lazily trailing across the floor with acidic barbs. While they weren’t a mob, Vorinus could tell that a bit of mana could change that.

It was done.

An infusion of mana caused the mass to swell, and quiver, additional tendrils slip from the main bulk, and blinking yellow eyes emerged from the body of the horror. At last, a gaping maw of shattered, serrated teeth split the new creature. It was a boss. It was its boss.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

{NEW DUNGEON BOSS: WARDEN OF THE COSMOS BELOW}

A strange monstrosity supposedly born from the Lord of the Cosmos Below’s interaction with the world. A massive creature of tumorous flesh, it drags prey to its gaping maw above, or into the volatile ritual circle in its domain. The Warden’s heart is essential in stabilizing the ritual, and thus its tendrils are worshipped as representing the connection to the Cosmos Below.

Embarrassed that it hadn’t thought of that, Vorinus added a heart to the Warden, and made the ritual an unstable vortex of Antimana in the center. Vorinus decided to stop expansion for now. The ‘Cosmos Below’ could come later. Remembering even more, Vorinus placed a few Fleshgraft and Genemod Kits as loot.

Returning to the main cavern, Vorinus analyzed the architecture, and made a few more houses and vital structures.

A herd of Hylogo in an enclosed area waited for adventurers to get close, before they broke the weak mushroom fence, and trampled them.

Rakahn Warriors and Scouts trained in a large arena-like barracks, where they actually gained passive mana. Perhaps they would evolve, given time. A Seer served as a general for them, keeping them in constant pain and suffering. Vorinus chuckled. It seemed familiar. A crystalline spear-key was set in the middle, to access the temple.

A hall for the Artisans allowed them to craft whatever they wanted, and they did in fact create a variety of useful weapons and armor. Vorinus let them think they were doing something meaningful, but absorbed the designs and updated every Rakahn’s armaments. They also argued and debated ‘the nature of Our Lord in the Cosmic Depths of the Great Beyond’. Vorinus listened when it got bored. The spear-key for this one was embedded in the roof.

The Twisted were placed in strange catacombs beneath the ground, where they were locked in gilded cells. Their minds long gone, they angrily snarled and hissed at their imprisonment. Loot was placed in the cells, and Rakahn Warriors served as rudimentary guards. Some had keys, and allowed crafty adventurers to access the Twisted. Once again, a Seer ruled this group. The moans and howls of the poor Twisted were relaxing in a different way. The spear-key was wielded by the Seer in the area. Suddenly, it became an item.

{NEW ITEM ACQUIRED: CRYSTALLINE TEMPLE SPEAR-KEY}

A ancient weapon utilized by the Rakahn Seers to protect the Temple of the Cosmos Below from intruders. Made of a material born of the Lord of the Cosmos Below itself, they can pierce any material besides Temple Stone. Three of them are said to open the Argentine Gates.

Once it was done, Vorinus commanded the Rakahn to patrol these areas, and even change shifts between runs from adventurers. Satisfied, Vorinus took a break.

Perhaps some filthy adventurers would actually come in today. The Guild had to have finished setting up by now.

To make sure, Vorinus had another axolotl peek out the entrance. The construction had settled down, and a curious stand was placed just before the stairs. A bored-looking attendant was talking to the first adventurers in a long line. Papers were signed, and the party moved toward Vorinus’ Dungeon.

The axolotl ducked back in, and Vorinus finished up its experiments.

The Monk and Mage. What could be born from that?

An animal wandered into the kill hole-a snake.

It was killed, and Vorinus remembered the other animal it had harvested. The deer.

{NEW BLUEPRINT ACQUIRED: KRYSSCALE SNAKE}

{BLUEPRINT RETRIEVED FROM ARCHIVE: MOUNTAIN DEER

Vorinus began to consider the ‘Cosmos Below’ again. The Adventurers would want a complete experience…

Vorinus remembered the adventurers, and watched as they cautiously skirted the axolotl pool. Perhaps they had been warned? Regardless, the Fanged Axolotls darted out, and began to tear into the lesser armored party members. Arms severed. Blood spilled.

But they were crushed by maces and sliced by swords. The Psychic Axolotls tried to follow, but the adventurers weren’t fooled, and killed them.

The party moved on to the crayfish caverns, struggling to gain a foothold in the area. Swarms of them pierced the defenses of the party. None of the tanks were unharmed.

At last, the Queen arrived. Shrieking in fury at her slain children, she covered the entire party, trapping them. With a mental order, the crayfish massed into a huge wave, overwhelming the defenses, and shattering the ranks.

Both tanks were grievously wounded from a variety of gaping wounds, and a mage was almost fatally injured. A white-robed figure clutched a pendant tightly.

It glowed brightly, and they faded from the Dungeon.

Vorinus was extremely angry. Hissing in fury, it turned towards other experiments.

First, the fusion of the Dwarven Mage, with a Krysscale Snake. The resulting abomination was a crystalline creature with shining facets. The upper torso was a crystal replica of a dwarf, while the lower half was a long serpentine tail. It cast extremely powerful spells through the use of hypercharged crystal shards.

{DWARVEN MAGE + KRYSSCALE SNAKE BLUEPRINTS FUSED: STUNTED JEWELED NAGA}

Satisfied for now, and rage forgotten, Vorinus began to experiment with the Elven Monk. Fused with the Assimilator, a curious creature was born.

Smooth black carapace, beady red eyes, and a gaping maw of acidic tendrils. It was a oddly humanoid form, despite this, and was capable of enhancing its body through mana use. It could still assimilate prey, but was much more useful as an offensive unit. Its muscular mass was tripled, and a huge array of tentacles adorned the back. With a single flick, it could break a neck, if enhanced through its own mana.

{ELVEN MONK + ASSIMILATOR BLUEPRINTS FUSED: ASSIMILATOR BRUTE}

Vorinus’ anger was long forgotten, along with its mana. Now, it decided to take a long rest…