For the third floor challenges, Veronica decided to focus on things that would fit well with both the haunted catacombs and her gargoyles. She didn't always include her [Monsters] in her challenges, and it certainly wasn't necessary on this floor, but it was still good to explore new possibilities. Besides, she was bored and this was one of the few things she could justify spending her limited dungeon points on. Sure, she had plenty of them now, but the fact that she had already spent months taking care of the inn rooms without the dungeon core room unlocking or adventurers arriving suggested that things weren't going to get better any time soon.
Would you like to research gargoyles to create gargoyle evolution [Blind Gargoyle] for 250 DP?
Yes
No
Name:
Evolution Cost:
Info:
Blind Gargoyle
40 DP
Requires a gargoyle to evolve. In exchange for a lack of eyesight, this variety has enhanced hearing. Has poor defense and low combat damage, but is capable of evolving into larger sizes.
It was a bit counterintuitive to make a weaker version of her normal gargoyles. Veronica was well aware of this fact, but they were the best suited for her first challenge, which she had decided to call 'hide n' seek'. Essentially, adventurers would have to cross the room without alerting the gargoyles in order to unlock the door and receive the challenge reward. Failure would result in them being attacked and then they'd have to wait until the gargoyles respawned and restart the challenge from the beginning.
Of course, it would be too boring if she just left it at that. So, she spent an additional 32 DP to research stone brick stairs and 10 DP to research a wooden bridge. These were used to build a lowered sewer-like area where water would run through. The adventurers would have to walk down one set of stairs, cross the wooden bridge, and then walk up another set of stairs without making any sound. Besides that, she spent 20 MP for two tripwires. One she put at the entrance of the room while the other went at the top of the second set of stairs. She wasn't exactly going to take things easy on the adventurers. Maybe they'd be safer locked away in this room than in her presence anyway. She could already feel herself practically salivating at the idea of their blood running across her dungeon floors.
For the second challenge, she decided to go with 'forgotten souls' for the name. Of course, she also had to research another new set of gargoyles to use in the room, among other things.
Would you like to research gargoyles to create gargoyle evolution [Gargoyle Statues] for 250 DP?
Yes
No
Name:
Evolution Cost:
Info:
Gargoyle Statues
40 DP & 30 MP
Requires a gargoyle to evolve. After evolving to better resemble the mortal races, their intelligence had increased. Due to being composed of stone, its defenses are still lacking. Only comes in one size, incapable of evolving.
Would you like to spend 100 DP to research a Seraphina statue using the [Base Resource] stone?
Yes
No
Would you like to spend 100 DP to research an Elora statue using the [Base Resource] stone?
Yes
No
Would you like to spend 100 DP to research an Eldrin statue using the [Base Resource] stone?
Yes
No
Would you like to spend 100 DP to research a Mother statue using the [Base Resource] stone?
Yes
No
Would you like to spend 100 DP to research a Father statue using the [Base Resource] stone?
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Yes
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She also spent another 800 DP on researching nobleman, noblewoman, commoner man, commoner woman, mage man, mage woman, swordsman, and swordswoman statues. It was a bit much to spend this much on a single challenge, but Veronica was feeling a bit nostalgic. With how much time had likely already passed during her confinement, she had to wonder if she would even have a family to return to if she got to return to her home world. Even having the dungeon doors open again didn't seem like it would be a guarantee that she'd get to see the faces of those she had once been familiar with. Knowing everyone you had ever cared about could be dead was a good way to lose what little humanity you were holding onto. What did it all matter? The whole entire world outside of the dungeon could burn to the ground for all Veronica cared, it still wouldn't bring her loved ones back to her.
Filling in the challenge rooms would go much faster than taking care of the inn had, but it was still a lengthy process. The second challenge took 650 MP to add the basic statues and another 135 MP for the gargoyle statues. That alone required her to spend a month on it due to how slow mana was trickling in. In the end, though, she had another challenge ready to go. For this one, adventurers would have to destroy only the gargoyles.
Since the dungeon likely wouldn't consider it fair that they'd be locked in the room permanently, it was entirely possible it would let them leave through the door they arrived from, but not let them continue forward if they failed. If it was a higher floor, maybe it'd be fine with them starving to death for failing the first time around, but, clearly, Veronica and the dungeon core's sense of fairness wasn't the same. She wouldn't have ended up in this situation if the dungeon core cared more about her feelings than how useful she was, after all.
For the third challenge, she decided to go with something a bit more whimsical in nature. It wasn't her usual style, but then her feelings on matters had begun to be chaotic. Perhaps that was fitting considering she was now contracted to both the Goddess of Chaos and the Goddess of Hospitality. She hadn't bothered with building their temples yet or doing anything else for them yet, but it was still fitting that her own feelings were so chaotic.
Would you like to research gargoyles using [Base Resources] stone and wood to create gargoyle evolution [Gargoyle Bards] for 250 DP?
Yes
No
Name:
Evolution Cost:
Info:
Gargoyle Bards
40 DP & 30 MP
Requires a gargoyle to evolve. After evolving to better resemble the mortal races, their intelligence had increased. This variety has the ability to play a variety of musical instruments or sing. Due to being composed of stone, its defenses are still lacking. Only comes in one size, incapable of evolving.
After summoning three gargoyles and slowly getting them all evolved, Veronica ended up with a flutist, a harpist, and a singer. The instruments were primarily wooden in nature, which contrasted with the rest of the gargoyles that were made purely from magic stone. Impressively, the gargoyles could play their instruments perfectly. The singing gargoyle was a bit strange, though, as it didn't exactly sing in a language that she could understand, but in one that was strangely ethereal, yet archaic sounding. Still, it seemed to know a variety of songs and it was very relaxing to listen to them all play together.
She ended up spending 20 DP to research a large drum, which she placed in the middle of the room in front of the gargoyle bards. In order to complete the challenge, the adventurers would have to successfully play along with her gargoyles for an entire song. Considering not everyone was musically talented, it wasn't something that could be easily done. Even if someone did know what to do, it would be a good way to slow them down for a few minutes.
Each of the rooms required a reward, so Veronica ended up spending 20 DP each to research an inn room voucher, tavern voucher, and spa voucher with varying values. The inn rooms were set to be worth up to 150 DP, but could only be used once in a single room. The tavern voucher was worth 100 DP, which was enough for a full meal on her first few floors. Then, the spa voucher was only worth 60 DP, which was just enough for an hour's worth of massage from her brownies. Although, Veronica wasn't actually sure her brownies could keep time that accurately considering they didn't exactly have a watch or anything like that. Perhaps she'd have to look into investing in one when she started earning dungeon points again.
Another 900 DP to set the room's themes and lock the doors and 60 DP to set the challenge's rewards and she was done with the challenge rooms. That meant she only had to worry about the boss room now. Of course, she already knew what she wanted to build, so it was mostly just an issue of how long it would take to complete it.
The plan was to build a large throne room with marble pillars, standing torches, red romanian rugs, a marble throne, murals, a list of names, and guardian statues on either side of the throne. It was, perhaps, a bit telling of her own mental well-being that she wanted to spend so much time focusing on the deceased, but she didn't care. She needed to do something so she could start the process of moving on. There would be time for happier themes on future floors.
Would you like to research gargoyles to create gargoyle evolution [Marble Guardian] for 250 DP?
Yes
No
Name:
Evolution Cost:
Info:
Marble Guardian
40 DP & 30 MP
Requires a gargoyle to evolve. Unlike normal gargoyles, this variation is made from stone and wields a shield and spear. After evolving to better resemble the mortal races, their intelligence had increased. Due to being composed of stone, its defenses are still lacking. Only comes in one size, incapable of evolving.
Alongside this gargoyle, which would function as the boss [Monster], she also spent 100 DP to research an identical marble guardian statue. It would be difficult to tell them apart at first glace, which would give her boss [Monster] the element of surprise for its first attack. The other research costs ended up totaling 860 DP with the list of names on the wall being 60 DP and the two murals costing 300 DP each. Most of the names on the list weren't people she cared about, but she still managed to add sixty of them after racking her memory for every name she could think of from her old world and this one.
As for the murals, one was themed around the curse of immortality while the other was themed around grief. It was fitting for the room since it was supposed to give off the feeling of an eternal guardian who protects their master, only to be left alone to forever guard an empty throne. Of course, there were some tie-ins with her own feelings, but she had kept the arts as vague as she could. Honestly, her own art skills weren't good enough to do anything too fancy anyway. Simple sketches and her memories had been combined to make something far more impressive than her own skills could manage by the dungeon.
After the final 300 DP was spent to set the room as a boss room, locking the door and reinforcing the environment, she was left with 321,809 DP. She had no doubt that number would be much lower by the time she unlocked the fourth floor.