*Ding!*
Requirements meet. New race is acquired!You have successfully created S-Fly race from Spy Flies
Once the mana left me, hundreds of spy flies that were clinging to me began to shed their skins.
*Ding!*
With your intervention, {Spy Flies} have evolved into {S-Flies}.
Earlier, I had realized that my map expansion had stagnated for a while. When I looked for the cause, it turned out most of the spy flies had gone and the survivors were all in bad condition.
Of course, it was obvious when I thought about it. The mana in the air and foods outside the dungeon weren’t as thick as inside, thus led to their malnutrition and death.
I then called all the spy flies back to the first room and had them perch on me. Since they were all lacking mana, I decided to upgrade them simultaneously rather than one and wait the rest to follow. It cost me quite a bit but not too much. I wouldn’t worry with the current income rate from the mana-suckers and the coming soon adventurers.
Feeling their cores, their images came to my mind. First, I added the microphone function by enhancing their hearing. After that, I made the whole body able to absorb mana from their surrounding air. It should be enough to sustain their own life when they were far from the dungeon.
I named the new race s-flies, with the ‘s’ stood for satellite, surveillance, spy or something similar. I then overwrote the previous spy flies with the new race, that way the flies would be able to evolve directly into s-flies than the defect spy flies.
While they were evolving, I opened the map in our link. From where the adventurers came, I estimated the locations of the three closest towns and marked them. I ordered my new race to split and go to the directions, with the majority to [Firzoa] where father was last seen.
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My live wasn’t in immediate danger now after I formed the contract with Fantastica, thus locating and saving father were my priorities. No matter what, I had no intention to let my benefactor suffered or be killed.
When I thought of it, Fantastica’s network was very efficient. It was barely three days since Alv left. If I counted the time she need to go to [Rahziel] and then to [Jowsar], it should be less than a day since she issued the search order. Yet, their first messenger had already been here. But still, I couldn’t leave everything to their hand without doing anything.
(Oh right, how are they doing? It has been hours since they went inside.)
After the s-flies left, I returned to the dungeon view and found my guests just turning back from a dead end. I decided to follow them for a while.
Overall, they were making a steady progress. Even though I had arranged my creatures to group like an army and employ tactics like pincer attack, wave attack and others making use of the terrain, they were no match for a B-rank party after all. The many dead ends were the only thing that delayed them.
However, where they headed next was the most dangerous room in the floor, after the boss room. There were thirty-one rooms in total minus the empty first room and four unavailable rooms which were being used to nurture creatures like lizards and snakes. The next room was marking half way of level one, the unlucky thirteenth room.
(This should be interesting.)
“Be careful, something is different with this room,” Crystela warned her party.
(Uh, how did she know?)
With Crystela leading in front, followed by Orga the axe-warrior, Gora the swordsman in the back, and the rest in between Orga and Gora, the seven of them moved with careful into the room. Until the mind-disturber trap activated when they passed the middle.
“Argh, this cursed headache again!” Orga groaned.
“
“Incoming bats,” Gara said while releasing his own arrows. Most were avoided, though. It was never easy to hit a bat, especially when you couldn’t even focus due to disorientation feeling.
*Screeeeech*
The bats’s sound added salt to their headache and forced them to speak loudly when talking to each other.
“G- guys, a big wave is coming,” Sid gulped as he saw golems and wolves were charging, followed by packs of rats and their fierce cousins.
“
“I know.
Although the spears killed quite a number of creatures, the golems in front absorbed most of the damages with their high durability. They continue their charging once the stun effect subsided.
“Tch.
The golems had arrived, with their rock fists they smashed the ice walls into pieces, allowing the rest to breach forward.
“OOORYAAAA!” Orga shouted as he was slashing his battle-axe towards one of the golems, which parried it with its arm. “ROAAAAR,” it returned to his face.
The morphers’ hands became high-pressure water cannons that put the incoming wave at bay, including the golems. Their elemental advantage made the golems’ toughness less effective.
Nevertheless, numbers was on my side. Four morphers couldn’t keep every creatures in check. A wolf managed to bite Tsalja’s leg before Gora cut its head. A great bat also able to land a scratch Linia’s neck before Crystela’s shield bashed it. Everyone started to accumulate bruises and cuts.
“
Yet, for every one they had killed, ten would come to replace. Although they managed to hold back so far, it was only a matter of time until I gained victory.
At least that was what I believed, until Tsalja used her big spell. The four morphers turned into a big wave that wiped the field. “
(That’s… a cheating, right? Uh, she did say about all high-ranked elemental-mages are using wide area devastating magic, though. I guess she isn't an exception, is she?)
“You guys okay? Gather here, I’ll heal you all at once…
Meanwhile, Tsalja took out a mana restoration potion and drank it, a proof that
(Anyway, I guess that concludes the battle.)
I decided my maze wouldn’t be able to keep them reaching the last room in the end. Until they met the level boss, the fighter golem Rowd, the battles would be uninteresting. Therefore, I moved my attention to other place, catching a glimpse of the adventurers slaughtering my frozen creatures.
My first destination was one of the four enclosed room. Although it was enclosed, they were still connected to the other rooms through the cracks and gaps behind the wall. Small creatures wouldn’t have problem coming in and out of the rooms.
It was the room where the lizards, my future dragons, had their nest. I specifically designed the room to have higher temperature than the rest, with several never-goes-out bale fires in it, to increase the race’s affinity with fire element.
The lizards had multiplied in numbers because I always turned the growth and breeding frenzy. They also had increased in size, about thrice their original size. I stayed for a while to watch several lizards hunting the insects and small animals.
What particularly interested me was the lizard that used a small rock to crack a snail’s shell open, before dragging the poor creature out from its broken home.
(Ah, did it learn the trick by itself? Is it a common knowledge among them?)
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I followed other lizards to find the answer, yet it turned out they mostly ignored the snails. I also realized the fact that they were very individual creatures. Several had fallen victims to a wandering rat, which shouldn't happen if they had band together.
Through
The next destination was the room of the snakes. In contrast with the lizards’ room, this one had lower temperature and a river crossing to raise their affinity with water element. Eastern dragon gods in my previous life were always related to rain and sea, after all.
Like the lizards, the snakes also had increased in numbers and size. However, I couldn’t find any improvement to do with them. They were already effective and efficient as they were, in my opinion.
Thus, I changed my attention again to other creatures. It was then I realized that I had gotten a new race from the frogs, called big-eaters. They opened their big mouth and sucked everything inside. Only small things, though.
Still, I didn’t see how they could be useful against the adventurers. Nevertheless, their hunting method should allow them to accumulate mana faster, so I probably could hope for something in the future.
Next one was the golem. I went “Woaah,” when I first saw the little golems. Well, I did make them a nest before and they were under category of biological, so I should have expected them to have children. It still surprised me when they did, though.
Other creatures didn’t have noticeable changes. However, for the first time I dove through underground where the gi-ants made their hole. It was a maze by itself. At the end of the long tunnel there was an existence called queen gi-ant.
(Queen..?)
Of course, I knew some insects like ants and bees had their queen, but the terminology queen should have different meaning in a dungeon. To confirm, I opened the description of the skill that mentioned the queen.
I focused on the word Queens and got further explanation.
QueensA special existence second only to dungeon master in the dungeon hierarchy. They are able to create and manipulate core of monsters under their influence.
Queens can be differentiate into Prime Queens and Race Queens depend on their influential sphere.
(Oh, race queens? I suppose the queen gi-ant is a race queen, then?)
I brought my consciousness closer to the queen. If a worker and a soldier gi-ant had about ten and twenty centimeters long body respectively, this queen had at least fifty centimeters long one. Several antennas on its head looked like a crown.
‘Hello,’ I called through our link.
‘Masssteeer…,’ it replied. It wasn’t exactly a word, but somehow I understood what it said.
‘How are you and your ants doing?’ I asked.
‘We, well...,’ it answered
‘Good to know. So, I will be straight to the point. Can you use
‘…’
‘Hmm? What’s that?’
‘… Cannot…’
‘You can’t?’ I confused. ‘Aren’t you a race queen?’
‘With masssteerrr… permission...’
*Ding!*
Queen Gi-Ant asks your permission to become a race queen.
Do you want to promote her?
Yes
No
(You mean, you’re not a race queen? I see, so they’re two separate beings, after all. Well, I guess there is no harm to get a queen, is there? No, wait.)
I was about to answer with yes when a disturbing thought suddenly came to my mind.
‘If I promote you, will you able to use dungeon mana as you like?’ I asked.
‘Only if… massteeer… permit,’ she answered.
‘… Alright. But never use the dungeon mana without my consent, understand?’
‘Yesss… masssteerr…’
With that, I agreed and confirmed her promotion. She would be the queen for the ants and their evolution branches. ‘Good luck with your new job,’ I told.
She was bowing deeply as I left her chamber. I was sure I would get new races from the queen gi-ants very soon and, hopefully, a performance increase from her race as a whole too.
My consciousness flew to the door of the last room, where the adventurers had assembled and a new battle was about to break.
Dungeon OverviewDungeon TypeCaveLevels1Rooms31Biological Types30Non-biological Types4Drops Types18Dungeon Skills5Titles1Mana Points6,149
Biological TypesPlants (2)#N/AFerns, MossesAnimals (17)#N/AAnts, Bats, Centipedes, Cockroaches, Flies, Frogs, Lizards, Monkeys, Mosquitoes, Moths, Rats, Snails, Snakes, Spiders, Tigers, Wildcats, WolvesMonsters (11)#N/A
Ants
Bats
Flies
Frogs
Golems
Mosquitoes
Rats
Snails
SpidersGolems
Gi-Ants
Great Bats
S-Flies
Poison-spitter Frogs, Big-eaters
Fighter Golems
Mana-suckers
Fierce Rats
Rock-shelled Snails
Lesser Tyrantulas
Non-biological TypesTraps (3)Arrow Traps, Mind-disturber Traps, PitfallsOthers (1)Stone Pedestals
Drops TypesWeapons (1)Wind-attributed BroadswordsEquipments (4)Basic Tunics, Basic Trousers, Basic Male-underwears, Traveler BootsBody Parts (12)Antennas, Claws, Fangs, Furs, Legs, Meats, Scales, Shells, Silk Threads, Skins, Tails, WingsOthers (1)Gold Coins
Dungeon Skills
TitlesPet Dungeon of FantasticaA dungeon that allows itself to be a pet of the Adventurer Guild Fantastica.