I found Builder lecturing the four new Builder Caste Imps resting near the river with the six new Miner Caste Imps. They were all eating fish they speared with arrow-tipped tails and ate raw.
"I understand you all want to rest and start your work in the morning, but excavating a tunnel and mining the resources of the Dungeon cannot be delayed. The Boss will be furious if he catches you..." Builder warned, and I interrupted from behind.
"You all had a few hours to relax up here. It's time to get to work! Follow me to the second Level," I ordered the Miner and Builder Imps. They followed Builder and me as we headed to the gate connected to the Level below.
"Thanks, Boss! The new Imps weren't informed about the hierarchy or given orders like the first group who came yesterday morning," the Builder pointed out.
"My bad, I got distracted! Did Rachel tell you about my plan to make a tunnel to the abandoned Gemstone Mine to our West?" I asked.
"When I went to give her the details I collected through my cartography skills to expand the 3D map, she shared all your new plans with me. She suggested I create a tunnel from the west side of the 2nd Level. However, if we had a complete map of the Overworld, it would help me know how far I have to tunnel and make adjustments to the direction towards the mine," Builder informed.
A map? Wait!
Damn it! I forgot to buy the High Ranked Map from Whiterock! And I was supposed to exchange the Wicken translation book for the other Four Kingdom Languages!
[I witnessed Amon swapping the Wicken Translation Book for the Four Kingdoms translation books on the surveillance system while you got all the imps to sign the Dungeon Minion Contract. Shame, I lost the chance to scan the language]
"Boss? You alright?" Builder asked as I had zoned out.
"Oh, sorry? How far did you get with the new tunnel?" I asked.
"It takes two hours to tunnel 100 meters after I got the Tunneler and excavation skills. I worked for six hours since sunset, so 300 meters. But I doubt the help of these four Builder Caste Imps will increase the speed since they won't be able to keep up with my pace," Builder pointed out.
I waited until we reached the Stone Deposit to share my new plan. When we arrived, I found Miner working with two new Golem Miners and one Miner Imp mining away at the Stone.
[At Clay Rank, all Golems will share the same body design. However, based on the Soul used to create the Golem, the body design will reflect its past vessel as it ranks up]
"Miner Golems out, Miner Imps in!" I ordered.
The new Miner Imps joined the one already inside, and the Golems exited to join me.
I immediately explained to Builder and Miner the need for Mana Crystals to convert all the Imp Caste Miners and Builders into Golems. I shared my plan to acquire the Mana Crystal from the Imp lair beneath the Obelisk in the nearby Ruins.
"Are you sure about this, Boss? Mining is pretty noisy. It might alert the Humans," The Builder Golem warned.
"I'd rather take that risk than wait a few days to get the Mana Crystals from within the Dungeon's resources," I replied, and I noticed Timun approaching our group.
"The Alpine Hills in the 6th Level of the Dungeon is perfect for Dwarves. Not to mention, being close to Iron Deposits will help our Smithy," Timun announced.
"It's Great to hear that you found a place you like. My Builder Golem wants to know the distance to the Gemstone Mine from here." I asked Timun.
To my surprise, Timun pulled a Map from his storage ring and offered it to my Builder, Golem. The writing is in Dwarven, but the Interface translated it for me.
[Map of Arya - Overworld Edition - Gold Rank - Created by Rodimus Hindgar]
"This was among the precious items I took from Hindgar's Treasury before escaping the Underworld, which means it's written in Dwarven. So I must translate it for your Builder," explained Timun.
"No need. I learned your language when I summoned Harkin, and my Minions learned it automatically," I revealed.
"Oh? I didn't know you could learn it without killing a Dwarf." Timun replied in surprise, which means it wasn't mentioned in any Dwarven literature. I was about to answer, but the Builder interrupted.
"Great! The Gemstone Mine is directly 20 KM West. So I don't need to adjust the direction of the tunnel. But there are two Stone Mountains in the way," the Builder pointed out.
"Stone Mountains? Can you dig through them or under them?" I asked.
"The Miner Golems are better suited to help me Tunnel through them," the Builder suggested.
"10,000 Stones per day wasn't enough anyway. We'll get all the Stones we need to build more Golems or any construction project. But I wonder if Mana Crystals are inside them," Miner wondered.
"We will find out soon! Builder, take the Builder Caste Imps and continue with the Tunnel excavation. While I take the Miner Golems to the Ruin," I instructed.
"Why are you going to the Ruin again?" Timun asked, and I explained my plan.
"The Obelisks in the Underworld also produced a few hundred Mana Crystals around them, but the quantity was too insignificant for a treasury Minister like myself to bother with then. We reserved it for needy individuals in our communities. As for using the two bugs for transportation, since this short expedition benefits both of us, I'll provide Mana to the Bugs because I doubt your Golems and Imps can spare any at Clay Rank," Timun declared.
Timun is a Gold Rank, so he has Mana to spare. He placed his hands on the heads of the Beetle and Scorpion Bugs for several seconds. Both Bugs jumped off my Golem body and started growing until they reached the size of African elephants. Since I didn't feed them any Ingots, their carapaces are made of Chitin. But it looks strong enough to support the weight of a Golem.
"These two will maintain this size for up to six hours if they don't use any skills that use up Mana. I advise against letting the Beetle fly as it will create too much noise and wind. Instead, have them crawl slowly to avoid damaging the trees or raising a dust cloud." Timun instructed.
"How can I make them go where I want them to?" I asked.
"As their Master, you just have to communicate the direction you want them to go mentally, and they will follow it without hesitation," Timun instructed.
"Got it! Thanks, Timun. Miner Golems, take the Beetle. I'll take the Scorpion," I instructed and mentally ordered the Giant bugs to get to the first floor of the Dungeon. They moved quickly because of it, and their extra legs helped boost their speed.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
On the way, I passed by the Oak and Pine forest, being cleared by over two hundred Warrior Imps supervised by Toru. They were using Weapons made of Mana to cut down the trees. I saw 10 Tree Trunks being debarked by claw and piled up by the ones who can't create Mana weapons.
A minute later, we were rushing towards Harkin and the Human Imps, who were surprised by the appearance of the Giant Bugs. But they looked relieved when they saw me riding the Giant Scorpion and the Miner Golems riding the Ginat Beetle behind me.
"Lord! Where did you tame these Bugs?" Valgrind asked.
"I bought them from Timun in Rodwin," I replied, explaining their special growth ability based on Mana and how Timun obtained them.
"Seems Timun gained a useful Class. You will be glad to know that all Twenty Human Imps have unlocked the Warrior Class." Harkin declared with some pride in his voice.
"That is great! But I would be grateful if you could get on this Scorpion. We are going to the Ruin to get Mana Crystals." I ordered, and Harkin obeyed without question.
"Sir Harkin! What would you like us to do now?" Valgrind asked.
"Just unlocking the Warrior Class isn't enough. Form into two groups of 10 and use the Shield Wall Formation I taught you against each other until it becomes second nature to fight as one unit. Then take turns fighting each other or do a battle royale to decide who is the best Warrior among you," Harkin instructed.
The Human Imps acknowledged Harkin by banging their wooden swords against their wooden shields. They formed two Shield Walls, which reminded me of the Viking TV show I had binged before the War. I then commanded the Bugs to exit the Dungeon. Upon stepping outside, I noticed that the stars and moon were obscured by clouds, making it difficult to see. However, I was relieved that the bugs could comprehend my instructions by giving them a mental image of the Obelisk we had previously passed through. But I also added a mental command not to make noise or move too fast.
The Giant bugs dropped their speed drastically and seemed to know which direction to go even without being able to see the path. Within a few minutes, we encountered a pack of 12 Dire Wolves surrounding Nazrat's Dark Fae Bear. They were larger than normal wolves, and their size was as big as a Horse. I used the IInterface and discovered they are all Dire Wolves. I was about to order the Scorpion to attack them, but the Dark Fae Bear summoned 2 Clones, which surprised the pack and broke the encirclement. I looked for Nazrat and saw him nearby, biting the neck of the Alpha of the Pack, which was nearly his size. Nazrat noticed me, dropped the large corpse and ran to the right side of my Scorpion.
"High Chief! Why are you out here?" He asked, and I explained my plan.
"I will join you!" Nazrat declared.
"No! Protect the Hunter Imps and make sure they deliver the meat to the rest of the Imps." I ordered, and Nazrat reluctantly nodded before chasing after the remaining Wolves that decided to retreat after the death of their leader.
I noticed arrows of light blue light sail through the gaps between the trees and finish off the Dire Wolves. It was the work of Lock-On's Mana Arrows. One of the Spider Monkeys dragged over a chest with his tail and came over to store the Alpha Wolf Corpse away before going after the rest of its fallen pack.
[That is good to hear]
"Those two Imps are quite powerful for Stone and Clay Ranks." Harkin pointed out.
"I have an eye for those with rare skills," I reply.
It took us fifteen minutes to get to the Ruins. Thankfully, there were no further encounters or signs of Humans in the area. Harkin and I saw the mound of dead Imps being feasted on by Crows and Vultures. But I noticed something different about it. Half of the corpses were missing, including Brock's Imp brother.
Were they all eaten by the Animals? The ones that remained were bodies that were missing limbs or had been beheaded or bisected in half. Then I saw bloody footprints on the ground leading into the Ruin entrances into the Imp Lair below.
"A Necromancer must have turned them into the Undead!" Harkin warned.
"Damn! Then, they must be down below. I have to abort this expedition." I declare.
"No! When a Necromancer summons an undead, it always starts as a Clay Rank. Golems are immune to infections caused by the Undead claws and bites because of our rock bodies. The two of us should be able to handle them if we work together. The Miners can provide backup if we get overwhelmed," Harkin pointed out.
"What about the Necromancer who summoned them?" I ask.
"From what I can tell, this Necromancer is a low Ranker who used all their Mana to turn a few thousand corpses into an Undead army. Sleep is the only solution to restore his Mana Pool unless he carries around a barrel of Mana Potion or Pills." Harkin replied.
"You can tell the Necromancer's Rank? How?" I ask.
"During my time working with low-ranking Necromancers, us Combat Dwarves would often be hired as their bodyguards through the Adventurer's Guild. Most Human Adventurers were too creeped out to work at night and be in the presence of a Necromancer. However, Dwarves were often willing to take on these jobs since the Necromancers paid a large amount of gold for company and protection. But as soon as they gained enough undead creatures to protect them, they would stop hiring Dwarves. This one has a Dwarf over there!" Harkin explained and pointed to a Dwarf who came out of the passage to the Imp Lair. Suddenly, the Dwarf started groaning and walking like a zombie from 'The Walking Dead' show, and that's when I realized that it was a Zombie charging at us with its fangs and claws ready.
I readied my Sword and Shield, and even the Scorpion prepared to deal with it. But, when the Dwarf Zombie got within ten feet of us, Harkin threw his sword and impaled it to the ground. He then threw his stone shield like a disc to squash the skull. Suddenly, I see two plus signs over Harkin's Golem's head. Harkin had leveled up twice from that kill.
"The zombie bit him. Necromancers don't control their summons well," Harkin said before I received a message from Rachel.
[Zombies must be classified as Monsters in the creature category to reward 1000 EXP]
[I would advise caution and recommend you continue to ride the Giant Scorpion for safety]
"Alright, Harkin! You convinced me! But let's ride the Giant Scorpion and kill whatever manages to climb its back to get to us." I suggest.
"Are you sure? Its massive claws and stinger would be able to keep the majority at bay. But I doubt its Chitin armor will be able to hold out against the disease that the Undead spread through their claws and bites. So you will have to pay the price with this mount." Harkin warned.
"Then I will just have to turn its Carapace into metal." I reasoned.
"Huh? How?" Harkin asked, and I mentally commanded the Giant Scorpion to feast on all the Iron weapons among the Imp corpses till it had enough to gain an Iron carapace. Since the Imps were made of meat, it also satisfied its hunger. The Giant Beetle ate the Iron equipment and gained the same armor. After that, it went over to a wild patch of grass to eat.
I realized these two haven't eaten anything since I bought them yesterday. They must be famished.
"Let's wait until the Beetle is full on grass," I order.
"What just happened?" Harkin asked.
I explained, "These two can eat any metal Ingot and gain its properties for their carapaces for a day. I wasn't sure if they could get the same from eating equipment."
"I never heard of Giant Metal Bugs like that. I wonder how powerful they would become if they ate Mithril ingots," Harkin wondered.
"Where would we get that? From a Mithril mine?" I asked.
"Not a mine. Like the Metal Bugs of Cheran, there used to be Mutant Turtle Monsters in the Underworld with Mithril shells. But they were hunted to near extinction by Dwarves because of it. We melted their shells into ingots to make our weapons and armor for our close combat warriors," Harkin explained.
"Do you know where to find these Mithril Ingots?" I asked.
"You can't melt Mithril with a regular furnace. Only the Dwarven capitals have advanced smithies with a magical furnace for that purpose. Chingar would have stored some in Hindgar's Capitol to create Automatons." Harkin explained.
[We could smith high-quality Knight equipment by substituting Iron or Steel with Mithril. But you will need a Smith who has an advanced knowledge of working with that metal]
[She might be able to work it if her Metal Knowledge reaches a high Rank, but that will take a long time]
"Is there a Dwarf you know who can work with Mithril," I ask.
"Trevathan was a Warrior and Hindgar's best Blacksmith who made Mithril equipment. However, he had to restart from scratch after he became Clay Rank. Trevathan continued working as a smith for the Falar King's Smithy even after we were released from servitude since they have a Magical Furnace." Harkin suggested.
"Then that means he will be among the Dwarves coming to the Dungeon from Falar?" I ask.
"I doubt it! Timun and Trevathan were on bad terms the last time I saw them together. I doubt he would recognize Timun as his Primarch and accept the invite. Maybe another Dwarf who took up the Smith profession might be able to work with Mithril," Harkin revealed.
I guess I can't expect luck to always be on my side. I don't think it will be cheap to have Timun's Dwarves produce equipment for my Minions.
"That's fine! I will raise an Imp from the Smith caste to learn it." I inform Harkin.
"What about a Magical Furnace?" Harkin asks.
"I have a blueprint for it. I will get the materials needed to build it soon," I inform.
Harkin expresses surprise, "Where did you get the blueprint?"
I answer, "It was hidden in the Vault within the Dungeon."
Harkin responds, "Then the last Dungeon Lord must have stolen it from a Treasury of a Dwarf Kingdom. Well, at least it will be of good use now. Ah! Your Giant Metal Beetle seems satisfied. Let's get in there and get those Mana Crystals!"
"Yes, but what should we do if we encounter the Necromancer?" I ask.
"We fight and kill him! What else should we do?" Harkin answered bluntly.
"Sorry, I expect a tough fight with just two of us," I explain.
"It ain't just two! The Metal Bugs can fight by our side. If we crush all the weak Undead, we will be strong enough to take on a Low-Rank Necromancer." Harkin replied.