Skill: Enchantment has risen to level 3+1
No surprise I just got a level off of that, it was draining as heck.
My nameless tremor slime began it's long, boring crawl up the freshly-dug mole tunnels. My sight was split only two ways, but my objectives to watch counted three. I could feel myself get better at observation as I flicked between observations: of the imps in their raid, the slime in it's charge to the front lines, and my own weakly-defended core; always excluding one. The two dark slimes left behind to defend couldn't do much on their own, and I couldn't give them more allies. not until-
Your tremor slime has slain: Talpid. +2 EXP.
That was efficient beyond belief. I wasn't even aware of the Talpid in question until my tremor slime folded it like laundry.
Absorbed life force converted to 6 mana.
That new lifedrain wasn't screwing around either, talpids were kind of anemic compared to their larger, fatter cousins
Level has risen to 7. New block available for selection.
Barely what I needed, but I checked anyway.
Block Selection
Generic Blocks Torch Iron fence Grass
Lights the way. 1 mp
Keeps invaders out while allowing vision. 5 mp
Sometimes summons peaceful monsters using a bit of mana. 25 mp
Machine Blocks Grindstone Furnace Piston
Repairs items of similar materials. 40 mp
Turns fuel and ores into ingots. 10 mp Pushes the block in front of it. 20 mp to conjure, 1 to extend/retract
Grass, grass all the way. I could actually feed my monsters now, and make myself look less intimidating.
I saw my mana roll over to 10, and gambled on another slime. dull hope filled my core, turning into... A boring dark slime. "Can't win 'em all" I verbally shrugged.
The four imps made progress, outmaneuvering a crude deadfall trap with an obvious rope and covering some ground between them and the moledungeon core.
Until, that is, something swooped down from an unusually high ceiling and lifted Rorthrezol in it's claws. I wrenched my vision upwards, towards the upper limit of it's range, mind straining with a feeling that tended to signal for a levelup. All I got was a haunting message, and single limb falling from the ceiling
Imp x1 has been slain.
The other three cursed and braced for the next charge. Thoguzod crossed his wide arms, Mazrar pointed his Scarlet Thirsting spear upwards against whatever had swooped down at them, and Irnuuth placed his hands together to channel demonic power.
"The things I do for a bound weapon..." The imp mage snarked. A single dark hole opened on the wall, swarm of dark specks flying out and upwards towards the hiding foe. A screech rang out through my hearing, and I could see dark wings flap as it descended from the ceiling.
A single earth slime tirelessly charged up to it's allies, diamond swordspear glinting in the low light of the mole dungeon.
"A courier? Why thank you." Observed Irnuuth, placing his hand on the spear's shaft to draw it from the slime, but getting sharply counterpulled towards the gravely mass. He fell forward, no doubt scraping himself on the sharp rocks, when I sent an order to both of them.
"Whatever that thing is, lure it into the hallway so it can't fly"
The monster pvp ceased. A large creature landed, two large teeth bared in the face of prey. It crawled forward on it's two legs and two wing-legs, wrinkly black skin sending a ripple of disgust through me. Irnuuth, having given up on a new weapon, shot dark spikes from nowhere towards it's eyeless face, luring it to fight on the imp squad's terms. Thoguzod tanked an advancing wing slash, throwing a punch towards the giant molebat's mouth and nearly losing a hand to the counter-bite.
Mazrar gasped, moment of clarity hitting him "Lure it onto the trap."
"And use that slime as bait." Irnuuth agreed.
It only cost me ten mana, but he knew what he was doing. "Well-played" I sent him in a mental message
The three imps scrambled back, earth slime moving as if through water to join it's allies. The disgusting hybrid shrieked and charged, wings strong enough to barrel it down the hallway like a bullet, when something tripped it. With just about the last of his mana, Irnuuth cast a familiar portal spell. One of the mole's back legs landed in it, and the portal chomped down on it with sharp teeth. The molebat struggled, roared again, and did the only thing it knew to do.
Pull harder.
With a sickening rending noise, the leg tore away. I could feel myself ready to spill my mana at the sight, dungeonborne awareness sparing me no detail, but the lack of balance slowed it. Just enough for it to make an imbalanced swipe at the battered Thoguzod, knocking him aside and opening a jagged-looking wound.
And Mazrar to cut the rope.
With a grinding sound, A massive block of stone fell from it's awkward perch. The molebat couldn't react fast enough, failing to dodge the massive block. With a terrible sound, it crushed the beast's back half. i could feel my core pale, unfocused slashes from the front half getting weaker and weaker as life force gushed out onto the floor behind.
"Give the mage your weapon." I ordered the earth slime. It seemed to sigh, slumping towards Irnuuth and stabbing towards him, back-first.
The weakened Irnuuth's smile grew three sizes. He lurched towards our dying enemy, palm on the back end of the diamond swordstaff, and stabbed towards the molebat's head. The spear swooped low, piercing through the tough flesh as if it was closer to wood, and falling forward to drag the blade through the beast's brain.
Your imp has slain: Mole wyvern. +54 EXP.
Absorbed life force converted to 162 mana.
Level has risen to 8. Perk point gained
Level has risen to 9. Evolution blocked (Cannot evolve while fighting another dungeon)
I was nearly full on mana, but the evolution block concerned me. I didn't want to waste any more EXP, but how would I register as not-fighting long enough to pacify this dungeon and evolve?
As if in consolation, the earth slime was gorging itself on both stone and mole-wyvern meat. I let my allies eat and rest, and summoned up a perk window.
Unified Perk selection Arcane blacksmith Monster slaying Command
Increases chances of A-rank equipment from 10% to 25%
Gain block: Magmana (300 MP)
Your monsters deal increased damage to monsters larger than themselves
Gain block: Meat lure (30 MP to summon, 70 to load with meat)
Monster generals have greater effect
Gain block: Banner (100 mp)
These were... all good. I'd be happy if even one of them fell into my lap, but three? I was almost regretting how I'd have to leave two behind.
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Irnuuth was practising with his new swordstaff, and I knew that Thoguzod was left out. So, I sent him a message.
"Rip out the hardest bones and arrange them in the shape of a hammer." I instructed. Thoguzod bore a look of confusion, until he realized why he was doing it; and nearly tripled his speed, piling up long or wide bones near the long, intimidating skull. A chunk of rock sat within the skull like the wyvern mole's brain, giving the protohammer some much-needed weight
I knew I was an Arcane Blacksmith already, but this was a commitment to it. The perk shattered into sixty-four molten pieces, pouring into my metal core and reinforcing it with skilled power.
I directed my conjurations near the dead molvern and summoned a slime. Normal. Another. Normal. A third. Poison but not my goal. A fourth, normal. A fifth, bloody...
I could use this.
I ordered the blood slime to hold the blueprints of a hammer together. It clung to the head, barely able to extend itself over the shaft, so I sent a neutral, dark slime over to help it out. I ordered the earth slime return home, and that the free dark slimes accept it as their general, to better protect myself from any sneaking threats.
Really, I wanted to avoid the earth slime seeing me turning it's siblings into weapon parts.
On the broad skull of the slime hammer, I focused raw power. Starting to carve an efficiency rune on the forehead of the skull, and then another on the back, balancing whatever this weapon had in store.
Focus enchanting: Bone great hammer + sanguine slime + dark slime Damage Speed Durability Range Lifedrain Self-repair Impact Efficiency 1d8 6 683/700 Melee 1 5/hour 3 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2 0 +2
Rolls: D, C, C, B, B, B, S, S
Skill bonus: D, B, B, A
Two whole s-ranks? you're so kind, miss system!
My tendrils of magic rearranged within, melting the slimes together into molten binding and hardening the two of them into some sort of durable resin to hold the hammer together. The slime tightened, colour draining, as I slotted ranks into their relevant positions. Surprise surprise, Efficiency got the first S. boosted by two runes and a generalist perk, this new hammer would know no weakness. I saw the bonus for everything else surge upwards, a good trade for a good roll. Damage got the second S, and impact got the A, B-ranks falling everywhere else.
+4 Bone Hammer Damage Speed Durability Range Lifedrain Self-repair Impact Efficiency 1d8 6 683/700 Melee 1 5/hour 3 +2 S +4 B +4 B +4 B +4 B +4 B +4 A +4 S +2 4d7 13 1250/1250 Long melee 3 11/hour 8 +4
The name sounded boring, but it was clear to see this was another marvel of magical engineering.
"All yours. Just keep fighting for me." I offered Thoguzod, who picked up the bone hammer and swung it around with pride. His backswing struck the stone wall, mana-toughened bone cracking it with ease.
"Old boss never gave us the good stuff. 's time we leave him." Thoguzod recommended.
"A wise idea. I can actually cast spells with this mana income." Irnuuth agreed, tapping his spear on the ground
"Get back to work." I instructed, mana supply tanked.
I watched them advance forward, needing to carve a new range rune just to keep up. The levelup brought me a bit of joy, a bit of power, but not nearly as much as the next mole wyvern fight. Irnuuth got the drop on it, gesturing with his new staff and summoning dark tentacles to bind one of it's wings to the ground. I saw replenished mana flow right from him, saw the wyvern trying and failing to take off, and taking a charging hammerstrike to the head for it's troubles.
I didn't exactly know what "impact" meant when I chose it, but a strike reverberated through it's entire body like a thunderclap.
Your imp has slain: Mole wyvern. +51 EXP. Life force converted to mana, +102 MP
Seeing my supply of mana pingpong up and down so quickly made me think I needed to hold more, but I had larger problems.
Such as the giant, winged, scaled, mole-headed being slowly focusing it's trio of eyes on my imps.
My status window:
Scarlet Brimstone, Blood crucible. Core Attributes Skills Actions Life force 77 / 120 Command 5/10 Rune analysis 100 mana Focused infusion 80 mana Mana 112 / 200 Observation 5/10 Infuse equipment 33 mana Spawn Monster 20 mana Mana gain 55 / Hour Inscription 4/10 Conjure block 5-10 mana Break block 1-5 mana Mana wages 15 / Hour Enchantment 3+1/10 Corrosive shot 3 mana Promote monster general EXP 196 / 135 Patience 3/10 Cantrips (1 mana) Runes 5/8 Level 9 / 9 Selection 3/10 Place block Drain blood Efficiency rune x0 40 mana Perk points 0 Patronage 2/10 Poison Spray Tremor Stomp Thirst rune x2 20 mana Dark deal Range rune x3 10 mana Summon Monsters Conjure Blocks Spawn: Imp (30), Zombie (20), Dark slime (10) Stone brick (2), Cobweb (5), mossy cobblestone (10), Grass (25) Monsters: Dark slime x4, large earth slime, poison slime, imp x3 Inventory: empty Perks: Well-armed (monster), Blackening magic (zombie), Arcane tutor (magic), Well-crafted (itemcraft) Expand Status Window by trial and error Enemies: Ferrous Hill