After learning about the Dungeon Level Orbs, I surrendered my hold over the Warrior Golem and withdrew my consciousness back into the Dungeon core.
"FREEDOM!" Warrior yells out.
"Do you always have to yell?" Builder.
"YES!" Warrior.
"Our Lord did us a service by possessing him till now," Miner commented.
As the Golems chat, I focus on my new task.
"How do I absorb the orbs?" I ask the AI.
[Initiating download of Dungeon Level Orbs]
The orbs begin to glow with different colors, their radiance growing brighter until they suddenly break apart into a flurry of tiny sparks. These sparks move in perfect harmony, as if they were choreographed by a masterful conductor, and merge with my soul. The sparks then form nine rings that orbit my dungeon core.
[Establishing connections with the Dungeon Levels]
The rings break away from me to form a 3D map of the nine levels of the Dungeon above the Inner sanctum. Screens around the Map display a detailed view of each level from above. The biomes correspond to the Builder Golem's layout. However, what concerns me is that they are devoid of any living creatures except for the first level, which has animals that look very similar to those on Earth.
"The twins of the orbs are on the ceiling of each level?" I ask.
"They are used as artificial sources of light, providing life to the plants on the floors and function as a surveillance system," Builder commented.
"How did you find the orbs and know what their twins do?" I asked Builder.
"My 'Repairman' Skill highlighted the artificial sun as a transmitter disconnected from the Dungeon Core. It instructed us to re-establish the connection and pointed towards the orbs hidden in each level, describing them as the receivers." Builder explained.
"Wait! I am getting data on every resource node in the Dungeon," I inform.
"Really? Can you show it to us, my Lord?" Miner requested.
"Interface! Open Dungeon Resource List!" I ordered.
One of the screens displayed the contents of the resource nodes.
[Stone Quarry:
9000/10000 Pieces of Stone
18/20 Pieces of Mana Crystal]
[Trees
250/250 Oak Trees
250/250 Pine Trees]
[Claypit
10000/10000 Buckets of Clay]
[Sandpit
10000/10000 Bags of Sand]
[Salt Rock deposit
5000/5000 Salt Bricks]
[Granite Deposit
1000/1000 Blocks of Granite
20/20 Raw Spahire stones
10/10 Pieces of Mana Crystal]
[Marble Deposit
1000/1000 Blocks of Marble
20/20 Raw Emerald stones
10/10 Pieces of Mana Crystal]
[Red Sandstone Deposit
1000/1000 Blocks of Red Sandstone
20/20 Raw Ruby stones
10/10 Pieces of Mana Crystal]
[Limestone Deposit
1000/1000 Blocks of Limestone
20/20 Raw Amber Stones
10/10 Pieces of Mana Crystal]
[Coal Deposit
10000/10000 Lumps of Coal
5/5 Raw Diamonds]
[Copper Ore Deposit
800/800 Ores of Copper]
[Iron ore Deposit
400/400 Ores of Iron]
[Silver ore Deposit
200/200 Ores of Silver]
[Gold ore Deposit
50/50 Ores of Gold]
"Sixty Mana Crystals! We can create six new Golems in a single day! We can extract them all before the reset if we have more Miner Golems." Miner pointed out.
"We will need Miner Souls to create Miner Golems." I point out.
"That is true. Maybe Builder can scout the area outside the Dungeon and find us some Miners." Miner suggested.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"I WILL GO!" Warrior yelled.
"No! Stay where you are, Warrior! Builder can map the area, and it will prove useful to us even if he can't find any Miners." I reasoned.
"UNDERSTOOD!" Warrior yelled.
"Should I go now?" Builder asked.
"No, I think you should get to Stone Rank, and maybe then you will have a bigger body and better stats to explore outside." I reason.
"Hmm... My 'Labourer' Skill should be able to gain me EXP if I help Miner store the Stone and Mana Crystals he mines and bring them down to the 9th level to store in the Vault." Builder suggested.
"That will do," I reply.
"My Lord, shall I resume mining the Stone Deposit?" Miner asked.
"Mine the remaining deposits with Mana Crystals once the Stone Deposit is finished. Builder, go with him and follow your idea. Warrior, please ensure their safety while they work."
"I MUST REMAIN!" Warrior yelled.
"Miner, didn't you say any intruder has to cross through each level to get to this level?" I ask.
"Yes, my Lord. But if they happen to speak past us, we wouldn't know that you are in danger." Miner reasoned.
"AI, is there no way for me to communicate with my Golems from afar?" I ask the AI.
[It will be available at a higher rank]
"Does the Dungeon not have a loudspeaker system or some kind of alarm?" I enquired.
[No, but you can turn off the light at any level]
Oh yeah, the artificial suns are under my control now.
"Well then, if the lights go out, there is trouble, and you should all return to my side," I instruct my Golems.
"UNDERSTOOD!" Warrior yells.
"Yes, my Lord." Miner.
"Fine." Builder.
After the trio leaves, I take in the beautiful scenery of each level. My attention is monopolized by the Earth-like animal life grazing the grasslands and drinking from the river on the first level.
"Where is the river coming from?" I ask the AI.
[The Dungeon has inbuilt Water Elemental Cores to create a continuous stream of fresh water]
"I see. Does it have any other built-in Elemental Cores?" I ask.
[They are responsible for the diverse biomes, and the air has to come from somewhere]
"Right!" I reply.
I spent four hours observing each level through the Map and the screens. I also answered the AI's questions about my experience with Earth's biomes. I humbly explained that my knowledge was limited to a cement city and a bunker. However, I experienced them through VR games and seen numerous documentaries that helped me identify their unique features.
I couldn't help but wonder why animals were only present on the first Level of the Dungeon. Were they supposed to be food for my minions? But Golems don't need to eat anything, and maybe it's a default feature for all the Dungeons. Perhaps they could be farmed for EXP? No! The Interface stated that animals could not reward my Golems with experience points.
I shake away those thoughts and focus on the animals located on the first level. I see several plant-eating animals, such as bison, elk, rams, horses, cows, goats, rabbits, and boars. The river is home to various types of fish, while the tall grasses provide a hiding place for land-based birds like quail, ducks, chickens, and turkeys.
However, I noticed no other types of insects except honey bees. I couldn't find flying birds, lizards, or snakes. I wonder where the large predators are that would typically keep the population of plant eaters under control.
This lack of balance in the ecosystem is quite concerning, so I checked all animal descriptions for clues. They all had the tag 'Dungeon Intruder' in their descriptions. It seems odd because if they were put here by the Demon King, they wouldn't be considered intruders.
"Why are all the wildlife tagged as Intruders?" I ask the AI.
[They are not lifeforms created by the Dungeon]
"Right! The Dungeon resource list didn't mention them. Someone must have brought them in through a Dungeon Gate," I reasoned.
Suddenly, three men enter the Dungeon on the first level and begin to look around for trouble. I can control the surveillance system to zoom in to examine their faces. I ordered the Interface to reveal their status windows.
[Name: Dale Falar (Dungeon Intruder)
Race: Human
Age: 17
Title: The King's Lucky Bastard, The Black Flame Bastard
Class: Black Flame Mage (Pyromancy Mage + Shadowmancy Mage)
Bloodline Curse: Black Phoenix (Awakened) (AI Note: The Interface has detected a curse on this one, but I can't explain what it does)
Rank: Clay Lv 8
Skills: Black Flame Armor (Clay), Black Flame Wings (Clay), Flight (Clay), Black Flame Crows (Clay)
Language Skills: Falaran]
Dale has a slightly chubby build, short black hair, and light brown skin. Despite his plain peasant attire, something about him intrigued me. I fought the urge to delve deeper into his abilities and instead shifted my focus to the man beside him.
[Name: Phil Sin (Dungeon Intruder)
Race: ???
Age: ???
Title: Mad Man, Doom's Day Preacher, ???
Class: ???
Rank: Lv ???
Skills: ???
Language Skills: Falaran]
Phil is a middle-aged man with a bald head and a fair complexion. He is dressed in pristine white robes, similar to high-ranking priests. The robes are neatly ironed, and the fabric seems high quality. Phil carries himself with a certain air of confidence, and his demeanor suggests that he is someone of importance. However, his details are marred by an excessive use of question marks, which is quite perplexing.
"What is wrong with that Priest's status?" I ask the AI.
[I do not know for sure, but it could be that a deity is shielding him through a blessing]
"Wait... Don't tell me he is some hero out to defeat the Demon King and his forces," I asked.
I read and played this kind of character too many times.
[A Hero would indeed be blessed against the Demon King]
"Great! It hasn't been a day since I was reborn, and someone blessed by a God has entered my Dungeon," I complained.
I then focused my attention on the third Human intruder. His spiky brown hair seemed to defy gravity, and his skin was a warm bronze color that hinted at a life spent outdoors. His armor was high-quality leather that fit snugly to his muscular frame. Two Bone Daggers hung at his waist, their sharp edges glinting in the light. He held a Golden bow in his left hand, its intricate design and polished finish revealing its value.
[Name: Brock (Dungeon Intruder)
Race: Human
Age: 25
Title: Boner Brock
Class: Rogue (Combat Class: Daggers and Bow), Gambler (Non-Combat Class), Human Stud (Non-Combat Class) (AI Note: It seems Humans can gain Combat Class & Non-Combat Class, gain skills and EXP for both)
Rank: Stone Lv 20
Skills: Bowman (Stone), Slash (Stone), Stab (Stone), Hunter's Eye (Stone), Lockpicker (Stone), Dodge (Stone), Pickpocket (Stone), Seduction (Stone), Gambler's Eye (Stone), High Fertility (Stone)
Language Skills: Falaran]
I can't find the right words to describe these strange skills and inappropriate titles. However, a dirty thought crossed my mind, bringing me joy.
My Monster Breeding Farm needs the Soul of a Breeder, and this one certainly qualifies.