"The Monsters of the dungeon are, as a whole, an interesting phenomenon. Between the Wolf Dragons of the first Strata or the Sky Sharks of the fifth, the abilities these creatures possess are as extraordinary as they are dangerous.
As far as examples go, these two species are on completely different spectrums, I will admit. But the one thing all of the strongest monsters have in common is their core. The monster core has been an integral part of society since it was first discovered; Heating applications, light sources, mage focuses, and enchanting are just a few things that can be done with them.
There are even rumors of a great blacksmith In one of the rural provinces who use cores in their smithing to forge armor the likes that have never been seen before—quite a remarkable feat.
Oh my, I seem to be rambling yet again. Well, anyway, your assignment today is to provide a detailed explanation of the way cores are formed and their uses. Hop to it, class!"
An excerpt from the great scholar Harold Holt's class, "Dungeon Basics."
--------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, Aria, you should dig yourself a den! It'll be fun, they said. You'll get more experience, they said. Yeah, that was a fucking lie.
Digging sucks. It sucks so much. The soil gets in between and inside the crevices of my claws, making them filthy, and I've spent more time pushing dirt out of my workspace than digging the past three hours. Still, I'm at least getting some good experience for my Dig skill, being able to level it up twice since I started. My paws ache as the skill guides me in digging out my little hovel. As much as I despise doing this, I know it's needed. There's no place in this labyrinth that's safe for me, so I'll need to make a place of my own.
I continued digging for another two hours, packing the dirt and ensuring I had a way to close off the entrance while I slept. It isn't much of a door, more like a compressed dirt slab I can put over the entrance. By the time I was done, I was utterly exhausted and almost collapsed into a puddle. The only reason it took so long is my damn need for things to be near perfect. I had to fix the entrance four times alone because I didn't like the shape of the arch! Nonetheless, I'm pleased with how it turned out in the end. It's smaller than I would like, but it's my little den. My territory. I wonder if this is how it feels to own a house.
I putter around my brand new space, smoothing spots that need it and generally tidying up and making it comfortable; I even got myself a little sleeping area carved into the wall. All the while, I use my Hearing to keep tabs on anything that wanders into my territory. I hear a few monsters fighting in the distant tunnels, but they're far enough away that I don't think they'll bother me, which is good because I desperately need sleep. My mind is foggy, and my body is sluggish, but I'm not stupid enough to sleep without ensuring I'm as safe as possible. After thirty minutes of intent listening, my efforts are rewarded with a skill level, and I finally feel safe enough to rest.
I slide my makeshift door over my den entrance, plunging the room into darkness. Luckily, even without the blue veins providing light, my eyes can see in the dark. It's honestly quite cozy in here. With any luck, I won't need to worry about a monster stumbling upon me. I did my best to flatten out the dirt I didn't use to hide my work, but it wasn't the best.
I walk to my sleeping spot and lie down, letting my body finally relax. The dirt is hard and cold, and I shiver in the dark, but I'm grateful for it. Being cold means I'm alive and happy to be alive. It doesn't take long for me to fall asleep, my consciousness slipping into the void. Sweet inky blackness envelopes me as I drift along, flashes of fighting and bloodshed showing in my mind. Images of Sebastian, my loveable scaled loaf, float between the mix as I dream.
I wake several hours later with a clear mind and an eased soul. Sleep was just what I needed, and even though I'm sad it wasn't all a dream, I'm ready to face the new day. Well, what I assume is day. I can't tell while underground. Wait, is this underground? Maybe this planet doesn't have a habitable surface like Earth, but rather, vast subterranean ecosystems support life. There was a dinosaur game I liked that had you survive in a place like that.
Amused by my rambling, I take a moment to organize myself. My broken ribs have fully healed from my fight yesterday, albeit with some soreness, but that should go away with time. I pick some leftover dirt from between my claws and turn my ears up to check my surroundings. Luckily, even with my den closed off, I can hear outside just fine. My ears swivel as they pick up everything they can; dust falling from the ceiling, monsters fighting in distant tunnels, the roars of monsters fighting in tunnels. You know, all the fun stuff.
In fact, it seems the fighting has only gotten closer since I've been asleep. I'm tempted to go and scout things out and see if I can pick a few monsters off, but I have something I need to deal with first.
Opening up my status, I flip to my mutation page. I only have a couple of points to spend, but I'd like to do this and check out the evolution menu before I go out and fight again. I think it'll help me tremendously in the long run.
I could upgrade a lot of things. My Ears, Eyes, and Decay Stinger are on my priority list, so I'll narrow it down from there. Since my Ears have been so beneficial, I think I'll take them to +2 no matter what else I choose. That will cost three Biomass, so I have four left. With that, I could upgrade four different body parts or take my Stinger to +2 and my Ears to +3, which I think is the better option. Higher numbers mean a better effect, after all.
[Would you like to upgrade Ears to +3 and Decay Stinger to +2 for seven Biomass?]
Why yes, yes, I would.
That same itch crawls over and inside my body as it begins to change, making me fidget. It's pretty irritating having your body parts grow into new and better forms, like the feeling of your arm falling asleep, but then constantly itching whenever you gain feeling again.
I feel my Ears stretch and thicken as they develop, my ear canals catching even more sound, redirecting it to enhanced eardrums. The dark scales that were just concentrated on the tips of my Ears now spread down the edges and stop at the base. It's good to note that my body isn't entirely covered in scales; most of it is exposed skin and smaller microscales. The larger scales are mostly centralized around essential areas—my chest, head, spine, and tail and wrapped around my legs like organic greeves.
My Stinger is an interesting body part to have mutated. Besides the barb growing larger and sharper, I can feel my venom gland expanding, filling with the ink-like substance. The unique launching mechanisms mutate alongside it, becoming more robust and sensitive.
By the time I was done mutating, there were dozens of claw marks inside my den because I just couldn't stay still. The itch was horrendous! But it was worth it. I'm glad I decided to double down and go with higher-level mutations instead of mutating everything once.
Already I can hear with much more clarity than before. I hear the gnashing of teeth and claws cutting while the monsters fight. It's disorienting. I know they aren't, but it almost sounds like they're right next to me. Eh, I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Moving forward, my Ears and Stinger will probably be what I max out on first. Like my level, I'm sure they will be something to do when they reach +5, but that is a bit of a ways off. For now, I think it would be good to go out and hunt. I'm getting quite hungry. Maybe I can get some hearts to eat.
...That sounds so much more morbid than I thought it would. What am I, the witch of the woods?
Besides the need for food, I want to test my theory that I can upgrade my mutations when they get to +5, so I'll need a lot of Biomass. And it's more efficient to get the Biomass now since it apparently becomes harder to get Biomsss when I evolve. I'm not sure what that means, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
As it stands, I'll need 9 for my Ears and 12 for my Stinger. If I can get, say, one Dragon Wolf Cub a day, I should be able to max out at least my Ears in around three days since an entire body tends to give four Biomass.
Happy with my plan, I make my way over to the dirt slab I've covered my den with and realize something different with the lighting. It's much brighter in here than before. I look around and see that the veins in the outside tunnel have started to grow into my space. There aren't many, but I can see them moving and expanding.
...Creepy.
I don't feel good about these veins growing into my den. It feels...very wrong, and I'm not sure why.
I shrug as I push the slab to the side and shower my den in bright blue light. The light is much, much brighter than before, and I have to squint to even see anything. Why is it so bright?
My eyes slowly adjust to the light, and as I stick my head out of my den, I'm almost blasted in the face by a Dragon Wolf tail. I quickly pull my head in just as the club-like tail shoots by me and impacts against the wall.
What in the fuck is going on?! The tunnel is absolutely packed with monsters! Not good. This is not good! I just made this den, damnit! I don't want to die yet!
Filled with rage, I stab out at the offending tail. Even with the sturdy scales, my stinger acts like a hypodermic needle and quickly pushes through to the soft flesh underneath.
It doesn't take much venom to weaken the monster, and I have much more control since mutating my Stinger, so I can regulate how much I use.
The cub howls as the Decay takes effect. Black bumps develop over its body, but not at quite the prolific rate as before. Since the venom will propagate in the blood of the monster, I'm sure if I gave it the time, it would completely cover the monster in explosive boils, but I don't have any plans to let this bastard live after he tried to invade my home.
Like lighting, I lash out with my tail again but using the side this time. I smash it on the side of the head, sending it spiraling into the tunnel wall. Between the venom in its blood and the hearty smack it just took, the monster is barely conscious as I pounce on it, my claws cutting deep into its back.
It tries to sink its teeth into me, but it's too weak to penetrate the scales on my leg, and it only leaves minor blemishes on them. I rip into the monster with my claws and teeth, using my paws to dig into its back before reaching its spine and snapping it. Immediately it goes limp, and the system echoes in my head to confirm that it's dead.
I push away the notifications as I focus on the rest of the tunnel. It's absolute chaos as monsters do bloody battles all over to try and come out on top.
I hear scuttling behind me and duck as a centipede barb slams into the ground. The arthipod hisses as its attack fails to hit home and retreats as I turn on it, my body arched and Stinger positioned fiercely. Another one of the horrible monsters flank the first centipede, claws and mandibles clacking angrily.
This is going to be a rough day.