I watched my Specter Reaver's H.P. deplete further and further alongside that of the barbarian. It was a race to the finish, and the outcome remained uncertain. At least until it no longer was. A dot disappeared from my interface, promptly followed by a system notification.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
System Notification:
Spawn: Spectral Reaver Level 1
Health: 0%
Status: Defeated
_____________________________
_____________________________
[Spectral Reaver (Patrolling Spawn), Level 1, slain by Verdenkind, knight, Level 1]
_____________________________
It was with sadness and bitterness that I saw the notification showing how my brave Specter Reaver was defeated by the invader knight. Naturally, I was angry. After all that death was the equivalent of a 0.35 G.P down the drain. But as I watched another dot disappearing from the map, promptly followed by a second notification, a smile appeared on my inexistent face.
_____________________________
[Spectral Reaver (Patrolling Spawn), Level 1, has slain Verdenkind Intruder, Barbarian, Level 1]
_____________________________
"Eat that! Hahaha." Sure, I had lost a Specter Reaver, but in its death, it had also dragged one of the invaders along. So it was worth it. The stats were speaking for themselves, so I felt it appropriate to rejoice over it. But not for long, for there was still another invader left for me to defeat, and only one Spectral Reaver remained to do so.
Much to my surprise, I, who was expecting a battle to the death that would once again cost me another spawn, what happened next wasn't the knight attacking the sole remaining patrolling Specter Reaver. Instead, the red dot representing the invader was distancing itself from the blue dot representing my spawn. "This dude... he's running away."
_____________________________
[???'s Interface]
System Notification:
Spawn: Spectral Reaver Level 1
Health: 11%
Status: In Combat
『Expand』
_____________________________
Even though everything was hinting at its death at the hands of the knight, had the latter be braver and bolder by choosing to engage in battle to the death against the sole remaining spectral reaver, it seemed that my spawns had, at the cost of one of them, successfully driven the remaining invader away.
I didn’t know if it was trying to avenge his friend or perhaps just him doing his thing; nevermind, it's most likely just the latter, but the blue dot representing my last Spectral Reaver standing gave chase to the knight. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, but quickly put an end to it, removing the aggro focus from the knight, allowing me to watch as the red dot retreated from where it came from, only to completely vanish from the map.
"Hahaha. Yeah, that’s it. Run, you coward. Hahaha!" I screamed euphoric on top of my nonexistent lungs as a notification rolled out in front of me.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
System Notification Intrusion Report:
Invasion successfully repelled, G.P and domain secured, all interfaces are now available.
_____________________________
***
It took me some time, how much time, once again I couldn't tell, to gather myself and finally come to realize what I had just done. "Verdenkind, that was really a human, wasn't it? Meaning that I, while not with my own two hands, indirectly just killed a human being—and I rejoiced over the fact that I managed to pull that off," In that moment, I didn't feel the normal reaction one would expect. Instead of fear or distress, I was simply baffled. The average person should feel remorse, guilt, or at least something, but all I felt was a sense of accomplishment.
It was bizarre, I knew I should be concerned, but I wasn't. This wasn't my first kill, and I was all too familiar with the consequences. In the world I came from, such deeds would undoubtedly lead me to hell. Just thinking about that place sent a shiver down my nonexistent spine.
In that moment, my primary emotion wasn't remorse or fear; it was distress over the impending consequences for my actions, in other words: being sent back to “that” place. But as I recalled the words I exchanged with Mighty K.R.U.L, my initial reaction overtook any hint of distress and even less fear, replacing them with a sense of satisfaction over the reward I received for successfully repelling the invasion of my domain.
***
Floating in front of me was yet another screen, within which was displayed a holographic projection of what clearly looked like a man, or perhaps the right word was "caveman." He was tall, with black hair, and had a Caucasian appearance. He had no hair on his head, giving him a bald look that didn't quite match his otherwise youthful features.
Floating alongside the hologram of the youthful yet barbaric-looking man was a club that appeared to be made of wood. Beside the club, just like beside the man, were the options [harvest]. The "harvest" option displayed the following values:
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Name: Frank
Level: 1
Race: Verdenkind
Class: Barbarian
Harvest [0.63 GP]
???
[Rename]
Harvest [0.0007 GP]
Store
Harvest All Now [0.63]
Harvest Later [0.63]
Exit
_____________________________
I looked at the hologram of the barbarian. "0.63 GP, huh? That's about half of what was promised to me in that earlier notification. Tsk, shame I couldn't take down that other knight, but good thing he left though. No doubt he would have floored that Specter reaver."
As I glanced at the item beside the barbarian’s hologram, I fell silent for a moment before voicing, “That’s just How was this supposed to work?
For a moment, I pondered why there was a GP value assigned to this shabby-looking club. It appeared like the most random, basic wooden club one could find in the woods.
As I contemplated the odd reward, a strange thought crossed my mind. Did the system value a barbarian, in terms of G.P, as being equivalent to 900 of these clubs? I wasn't entirely sure how the metrics in this world worked or how they calculated these values. It left me wondering if 900 clubs was a significant fortune in this context or merely a paltry sum. Without knowing the true value of a club in this world, it was challenging to make any sense of it.
“Ah, this all makes me miss the hard-earned gauvre clicking in my hand and the sweet smell of Marquise notes neatly lined in my pocket. Those were the good old days," I muttered, lost in the nostalgia of my former life. But then, I abruptly snapped back to my senses. "Wait, what am I even thinking? Gauvre and Marquise? Those are from Earth, not this world. There was no going back to the old days, no matter how much I longed for them. It was time to focus on the present and figure out how to thrive in this new world as this mysterious existence.
Seeing that there wasn't much that could be done with this interface, I did the only thing I was given the option to do: harvest. A notification promptly followed.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
System Notification:
Harvest Successful.
+0.63 G.P earned.
_____________________________
I watched as the holographic image of the barbaric-looking man disappeared, leaving me with just the wooden club.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
System Notification:
Harvest Successful.
+0.63 G.P earned.
Name: ???
Entity: Dungeon Core
Designation: Dungeon Master
Status: Idle
[ Ressource ]
- Raw Manacyte (R.M): 3▲ / 3▲
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
- Mana Available (M.A): 1081 / 1126▲
- Godhood Potential (G.P) Earned: 87.62 GP
_____________________________
"Well, isn't this something?" I murmured to myself, a smile metaphorically forming on my face. 0.63 GP was half of what I was initially promised, but it more than covered the cost of losing a Level 1 Specter Reaver, which cost me 0.35 GP, almost the equivalent value of two Specter Reavers. "Not bad at all, truly not bad at all." It almost made me wish they would come to attack again. But then, as I had that thought, I was reminded of something. "What am I thinking? Of course they'll come back. There’s no doubt about that. No time to waste. I must prepare myself for the next invasion."
With a renewed sense of purpose, I decided to delve back into the interface. Instinctively, I wanted to head straight for the spawnable entities section of the interface to better layer up the placement of my spawns or perhaps even acquire some more to replace the one I lost, but as I was about to, I realized that I still had a club to either store or harvest.
----------------------------------------
After harvesting what I believed needed harvesting, I decided to explore the options available to me. It turned out that I could store items, like the club I chose not to harvest, within my Dungeon Master Core Function interface. The club was now neatly stored in the Resource Management section, ready to be harvested, spawned inside the dungeon, or even stored within my spawns.
_____________________________
[ Dungeon Master Core Function ]
Resource Management
???
Harvest [0.0007 GP]
Spawn
Assign storage to Spawn
『Expand』
_____________________________
The logic behind storing a club inside one of my spectral reavers was beyond me, but I had learned that this world operated by its own rules and that questioning its “intricacies” was a fruitless endeavor.
“It is what it is.” Those were the best way to describe the circumstance I was in.
I had no choice but to accept that it was what it was, and my role was to adapt to it as best I could.
Firmly believing that another invasion was imminent, I set to work preparing my defenses. I acquired new spawns, carefully assigning them more strategic behaviors to make sure they were ready for whatever threat might come their way.
I also strategically positioned them within the dungeon, ensuring they were in the best possible locations to intercept and fend off intruders.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawnable Entities
Spawns
Spectral Reaver Level 02 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 02 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 02 [En Guarde: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 02 [En Guarde: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 03 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 03 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 03 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 03 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 03 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 03 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 05 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
Spectral Reaver Level 05 [Patrolling: Change Behavior]
_____________________________
Naturally one thing I also did was leveling my spectral Reaver up, I knew that I needed to make my Spectral Reavers stronger if I wanted to stand a chance against any future invasions.
The previous invasion had shown me that my spawn was no match for Level 1 Verdenkind invaders, especially the knight. So, without hesitation, I invested a significant portion of my previous GP into leveling up my Spectral Reavers, pushing the average level to level 3, and some even to level 5. It was a substantial commitment, but I believed it was necessary.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Name: ???
Entity: Dungeon Core
Designation: Dungeon Master
Status: Idle
[ Ressource ]
- Raw Manacyte (R.M): 3▲ / 3▲
- Mana Available (M.A): 1078 / 1189▲
- Godhood Potential (G.P) Earned: 64.7 GP
_____________________________
As I watched the GP counter decrease, I couldn't help but think about my life back on Earth. I'd always known I should invest in something, start a business, and stop the life I was leading. But I guess I'd grown complacent, content with what I was paid for with that life, and perhaps also because I’d grown somewhat addicted to the adrenaline that usually comes along.
Now it's too late to change that. But while I couldn't do that, in this new world, I had the opportunity to make smarter choices. Leveling up my spawns felt like a good beginning. Especially I, upon the defeat of my one Specter Reaver, discovered that death didn't actually mean that the G.P. I'd invested actually went to waste; it was still there. As I went to check the "spawn" of the system, I was met with a pleasant surprise: the sight of my spectral reaver popping up on the map after a brief clock down. Seeing this I no longer hesitated, I simply had no reason to.
***
With my preparations complete, I settled in to wait for the inevitable invasion. Time seemed to flow strangely in this dungeon world, and I found myself neither growing bored nor impatient. I was simply focused on the task at hand, waiting patiently for the next challenge.
As I continued to wait, I periodically checked my main interface, hoping to see some indication of an impending invasion. It didn’t so instead I was greeted with the no-longer surprising sight of my Mana Available (M.A) being higher than the last time I checked it out.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Name: ???
Entity: Dungeon Core
Designation: Dungeon Master
Status: Idle
[ Ressource ]
- Raw Manacyte (R.M): 5▲ / 5▲
- Mana Available (M.A): 2008 / 2119▲
- Godhood Potential (G.P) Earned: 64.7 GP
_____________________________
With my Raw Manacyte (R.M) reaching a value of 5, I could feel the weight of each one of them inside me. It was an odd sensation, but it indicated that I was amassing resources at a good pace. This also meant that it might be time to consider expanding the dungeon size in the near future.
However, my primary focus remained on increasing my Godhood Potential (G.P). I had a strong desire to accumulate more G.P, and that inner drive was pushing me to take on any invaders that came my way, for that was the only valid way I was aware of to acquire more of it.
***
So once again, I waited. I waited patiently. Then, one day, it finally happened. A greatly expected and at the same time impromptu notification appeared in front of me.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Name: ???
Entity: Dungeon Core
Designation: Dungeon Master
Status: Invaded
_____________________________
“Hahaha, finally!”
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
System Notification:
[ ??? Dungeon Domain invaded by Verdenkind, Knight, Level 3 ]
Name: Armand
Level: 3
Race: Verdenkind
Class: Knight
Title: Undead Slayer
Experience: 63 / 675
[Status]
- H.P: 86 / 100
- M.P: 30 / 30
- S.P: 115 / 150
- Fatigue: 18%
- Defense: 42
- Offense: 56
[Skills]
- Swordsmanship: Level 2
- Shield Mastery: Level 1
[Abilities]
Valiant Charge
Feral Strike
[ ??? Dungeon Domain invaded by Verdenkind, Knight, Level 2 ]
Name: Fred
Level: 2
Race: Verdenkind
Class: Knight
Title:
Experience: 37 / 250
[Status]
- H.P: 15 / 15
- M.P: 5/5
- S.P: 26 / 30
- Fatigue: 19%
- Defense: 10
- Offense: 45
[Skills]
- Swordsmanship: Level 2
- Shield Mastery: Level 1
[Abilities]
Valiant Charge
『Expand』
[ ??? Dungeon Domain invaded by Verdenkind, Knight, Level 2 ]
Name: Alain
Level: 2
Race: Verdenkind
Class: Knight
Title:
Experience: 41 / 100
[Status]
- H.P: 15 / 15
- M.P: 5/5
- S.P: 24 / 30
- Fatigue: 14%
- Defense: 10
- Offense: 25
[Skills]
- Swordsmanship: Level 1
- Shield Mastery: Level 1
[Abilities]
Valiant Charge
『Expand』
[ ??? Dungeon Domain invaded by Verdenkind, Knight, Level 1 ]
Name: Timmie
Level: 1
Race: Verdenkind
Class: Knight
Title:
Experience: 67 / 100
[Status]
- H.P: 13 / 15
- M.P: 5/5
- S.P: 25 / 30
- Fatigue: 12%
- Defense: 10
- Offense: 25
[Skills]
- Swordsmanship: Level 1
- Shield Mastery: Level 1
[Abilities]
Valiant Charge
『Expand』
[ ??? Dungeon Domain invaded by Verdenkind, Barbarian, Level 1 ]
Name: Fran
Level: 1
Race: Verdenkind
Class: Barbarian
Title:
Experience: 78 / 100
[Status]
- H.P: 10 / 12
- M.P: 7/7
- S.P: 16 / 20
- Fatigue: 21%
- Defense: 15
- Offense: 30
[Skills]
- Two-Handed Weaponry: Level 1
- Berserker Rage: Level 1
[Abilities]
Bloodlust
『Expand』
_____________________________
“Eh?”