Would you like to spend 7,500 DP to unlock the fifth floor?
Yes
No
Another increase, but Veronica couldn't do anything about it, so she could only select the [Yes] option. As much as it pained her to spend so many dungeon points on any one thing, it wouldn't help her to forever remain a four floor dungeon.
Please select a new floor theme:
Haunted Mansion (Mimics)
Caves (Direwolves)
Graveyard (Ghouls)
The choices were both exciting and disappointing at the same time. It was nice to see she'd be unlocking some new [Monsters] with this floor, but the choices suggested she wasn't gaining that much of an advantage either. How many more floors would it take before she got something truly powerful? Ghouls were an automatic no since she really didn't want to get stuck with another open floor like her swamp. As for the wolves, they weren't bad, but mimics were just the far more interesting option. They'd certainly be better for catching adventurers off guard.
After making her choice, she pulled up her [Monsters] menu to see what else she may have unlocked.
Summonable Monster Options:
Mana Cost:
Info:
Gargoyles
15 MP
Magic stone statue with no special features. Has poor defense and low combat damage, but is capable of evolving.
Mimics
50 MP
Prefers to live in a suitable environment where it can camouflage itself. Does moderate combat damage, but lacks intelligence. Can only evolve into forms that replicate inanimate objects.
Summonable Monster Options:
Evolution Cost:
Info:
Blind Gargoyles
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.
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.
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.
Winged Monstrosity Gargoyles
40 DP & 30 MP
Requires a gargoyle to evolve. Unlike normal gargoyles, this variation has wings and sharp claws made of iron that allow it to deal a greater amount of damage. However, due to its weight, it cannot sustain flight for long. Due to being composed of stone, its defenses are still lacking. Only comes in one size, incapable of evolving.
Marble Guardians
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.
Contractable Monster Options:
Mana Cost:
Info:
Will-O'-Wisp
20 MP
Requires a dark environment to live in before you can form a contract. Does no combat damage, but can add ambiance and lure unsuspecting adventurers into [Traps].
Goblins
30 MP
Refuses to live anywhere they aren't surrounded by their own kind. Does moderate combat damage, but can obtain classes that give them unique and powerful abilities. However, their weak bodies and lack of intelligence limits their growth potential. Capable of evolving.
Brownies
50 MP
Strictly prefers the indoors. Refuses to engage in combat and has a tendency to show kindness to others. Primarily functions as a worker-type [Monster]. Incapable of evolving.
Kuo-Toa (Fishmen)
60 MP
Requires an environment with water. Does moderate combat damage, but can obtain classes that give them unique and powerful abilities. Only moderately more intelligent than their lower-ranking [Monster] counterparts, the goblins.
Domvoys
100 MP
Strictly prefers the indoors. Has limited combat ability and refuses to work for anyone they consider evil. Primarily functions as a worker-type [Monster] with a preference for kitchen work. Incapable of evolving.
Contractable Monster Options:
Evolution Cost:
Info:
Water Elementalist Goblins
75 DP
Requires a goblin to evolve. Grants the water elementalist class and basic skills for the class. Dungeon entities are incapable of leveling up. Incapable of evolving further.
Ranger Goblins
75 DP
Requires a goblin to evolve. Grants the ranger class and basic skills for the class. Dungeon entities are incapable of leveling up. Incapable of evolving further.
That was a relief! At least, she had unlocked two new dungeon [Monsters] and one new tavern [Monster]. The kuo-toa would have to wait until the sixth floor to be used. She could technically use them on this floor, if she wanted, just like she could use the gargoyles on any floor and the goblins on any floor after the second. However, she much preferred to focus on one type of [Monster] with each floor. It would ensure that the adventurers had no clue what the next floor would have and she wouldn't get distracted trying to figure out which to use for the newest boss [Monster]. Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't change her mind later on, if that's what she wanted.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Of course, the biggest win was unlocking the domvoys. Since they had a preference for kitchen work, they would likely already have a lot of the basic knowledge and skills needed to prepare her taverns' dishes, so she'd just need to teach them the specific recipes. With any luck, she'd be able to get a whole team of them ready to serve guests by the time she received new patrons, not that she was certain that would ever happen…
Please select a new skill:
Skill Name:
Info:
Guest Profiling
Displays a list of non-dungeon entities currently in the dungeon alongside their classification, classes, rank, location, temperament, and hospitality preferences.
Tranquil Retreat
This crowd-control skill turns the tavern side of the dungeon into a non-combat area with a non-stressful, relaxing environment. Non-dungeon entities who violate the non-combat rule will be banned from the premises permanently.
Surveillance
Allows the Dungeon Master to view all areas of the dungeon as if they were looking through a window into the room. Rooms that have been rented out for private use are off-limits to maintain guests' privacy.
Forecasting
System prompts will be delivered to the Dungeon Master at set intervals displaying relevant information about events outside of the dungeon so that they can plan ahead for the resulting effect on the tavern's traffic.
Previously, she had obtained the [Staff Elevator], [Master Key], and [Housekeeping] skills. Some of them had already proved to be quite useful while the [Housekeeping] skill she had only been able to use once or twice. It required mana to cast and could only clean a single room at a time. Considering she would only receive 63 MP worth of regeneration each day, now that she had unlocked the fifth floor and had a total of 250 for her mana cap, it wasn't easy to waste mana so easily. If adventurers were still visiting the dungeon, she wouldn't even have to think about spending her mana, but it would be wasteful as things currently stand.
Most of the new skills weren't bad options, but Veronica couldn't help but feel choosing the [Guest Profiling] option was the best choice. The dungeon giving her goosebumps every time someone got too close to the dungeon core room was great and all, but it didn't tell her enough. The [Guest Profiling] skill would, at least, tell her who was in her dungeon, how much of a threat they were, and their temperament would be a gauge for how hostile they were. With the ability to tell where in exactly in the dungeon they were, she'd also be able to better strategize how to deal with them before they could reach the dungeon core. Perhaps choosing the [Surveillance] skill next would be ideal as well for the additional security?
The only other thing left to check was the new [Traps] she had unlocked.
Available Traps:
Name:
Mana Cost:
Info:
Tripwire
10 MP
Can be used with other [Trap] types. Trips enemies.
Itching Powder Wall [Trap]
10 MP
Releases a cloud of itching powder when enemies walk past it causing itchiness and discomfort.
Snare
10 MP
A rope that tightens and lifts unsuspecting non-dungeon entities into the air.
(Weak) Push Wall [Trap]
20 MP
Can be used to push non-dungeon entities into other areas of the dungeon, but is so weak that a moderately strong individual can easily resist its strength.
(Weak) Rolling Boulder
25 MP
A small boulder that is launched in a straight path from a wall when triggered. Easily crumbles and can be easily dodged due to slow momentum.
Briar Patch
25 MP
A bush with thorns that is itchy and painful, but does minimal damage.
Deep Pitfall (3-Units Drop)
50 MP
A camouflaged hole in the ground that is 3-Units deep. Just enough of a fall to be capable of fracturing an un-awakened non-dungeon entity's spine.
Rolling Boulder
50 MP
A large boulder that is launched in a straight path from a wall when triggered. Denser and faster than the weak version.
Brimstone Floor [Trap]
50 MP
A path of fiery coals that can easily cause burns and set things on fire, but gives off a sulfur smell that makes it easy to identify.
Unlockable Traps
It would seem she had been given a brimstone floor [Trap] and a rolling boulder as freebies this time around. They weren't bad, but she also wasn't sure when she'd be using them. Adding [Traps] to her dungeon just for the fun of it wasn't a good way to ensure they'd be effective. It was far better to put them in a suitable environment where they'd blend in and could catch adventurers off guard. Next, she checked the new unlockable [Trap] options.
Unlockable Trap Options:
Name:
Mana Cost:
Unlock Cost:
Pitfall (1-Unit Drop)
20 MP
40 DP
Small Wooden Barricade
20 MP
40 DP
Tar Floor [Trap]
25 MP
50 DP
(Weak) Flip [Trap]
25 MP
50 DP
Snow Cannon
25 MP
50 DP
Large Wooden Barricade
30 MP
60 DP
Slide Floor Trap
40 MP
80 DP
(Weak) Giant Flip Trap
50 MP
100 DP
(Weak) Giant Push Wall Trap
50 MP
100 DP
Deep Pitfall (3-Units Drop)
50 MP
100 DP
Snow Blower
125 MP
250 DP
Steam Vent
125 MP
250 DP
Poison Darts
150 MP
300 DP
Snow cannons, snow blowers, steam vents, and poison darts were all much more powerful than anything else she had unlocked previously. Most of them would blend in well with a number of room types as well. Still, they weren't strictly necessary for building her dungeon floors, so she'd likely wait to add them in until she had more plentiful resources. Unlocking more floors and putting space between her and any potential enemies she might run into in the future was her number one priority. She had no doubt that someone like Bo would power through [Traps] and challenges alike, but forcing them to walk through floors and floors of obstacles would still slow them down all the same.
With all of that taken care of, it was finally time to start working on setting up the floor itself. The dungeon would mirror the first and third floor's setup since it was an odd floor number. 402 DP was spent on researching new room sizes. The inn rooms would come in two sizes on this floor: 18-Units by 36-Units and 10-Units by 15-Units. She planned to have eight of the larger rooms and six of the smaller ones. It wasn't necessary to have a ton of rooms since fewer and fewer individuals would make it to the newest floors the higher she built her tower of a dungeon.
All of the inn rooms were built for a single individual. However, the large inn rooms had a bedroom with a sitting area, a bathroom, and an open floor plan kitchen and living room. Well, the living room ended up having a pool table placed in it alongside some armchairs and plants, so it was more of an area for people to hang out than it was your traditional living room space.
Meanwhile, the smaller inn rooms were studio apartment style with both a kitchen and bedroom shoved into the same space. That was why she made sure to include two separate bathroom areas. They didn't have anywhere to bathe, but then being cheap tended to mean you had to make sacrifices. It was already good enough that she was supplying a space for them to use the bathroom for free. Even those who didn't have a room could use those spaces.
The reception on this floor would be one of the largest she had built yet at 36-Units by 18-Units. It was quite extravagant with all of the fireplaces, rugs, and sitting areas. However, from what Veronica had heard, it wasn't uncommon for large groups of twenty-plus to traverse a dungeon together when they wanted to go past the tenth floor. She didn't have space to house so many people on this floor, but she may as well have a space for them to gather. It was good that she'd be able to get patrons for the taverns on upper floors, but she also didn't want such large groups traveling through her dungeon. It was hardly good news for her and she was afraid of just how much harm they could cause her, even if it was a good business opportunity.
The rest of the floor was made up of a combo cleaning closet and laundromat, a combo gym and spa, a tavern, a kitchen, and three rentable shops. Despite shoving so many accommodations into the same rooms, she made sure to splash out on decorations. 354 DP was spent to research luxury French furniture in a blue and red color scheme. Brand new potted jasmine plants, armchairs, sofas, barrel desk chairs, dining room chairs, barstools, desks, armoires, rugs, quilts, and marble and glass muse-themed end tables combined to give the floor a high-class atmosphere. It felt like she was in a five-star hotel or something with how big of a difference the furniture made. The best part was that she was still sitting at 309,578 dungeon points.