Winter swept through the valley, announced by five straight days of blizzards that stopped anyone from coming to the Dungeon. That was a shame, as things were coming close to level seven. Late autumn had seen another uptick of deaths as the greedy tried for the sixth-floor Guardian.
"5% that it! That's all I need!"
The first adventurers were coming in for the day, and I waited. Near the end of the day, the fourth group went to the sixth. They were well-armed and looked competent. I watched them get slaughtered as they had overestimated their skills and paid for it. As the last essence rush faded, I got the message I was waiting for.
"Here we go!"
## ## ## ## ##
"Eeewrrr"
I come back to awareness feeling like shit. I focused and got to business.
"Status screen. Bhaldor. Open"
Name
Bhaldor
Essence
0%
Race
Dungeon Core
CP
175(925) 8.3 phr
Level
7
Corruption
0%
Floors
7
Health
100%
Skills:
Mana Manipulation: 3 - 10%
Core Refining – 18%
Mana Sight: 8 – 12%
Aura Manipulation: 8 - 45%
Herb Lore: 2 – 0%
Spell Casting: 1 – 0%
Alchemy: 1 – 0%
Enchanting: 3 – 23%
Perks/Restrictions:
Godless
Affintyless (++ ERROR! ++)
Companionless
Limitless Monsters/Traps
Core Refinement max – 92%
Spell Casting (++ ERROR! ++)
Mana Stored
Illusion – 80(80) / 0.01 phr.
Shadow – 80(80) / 1.1 phr.
Light – 80(80)/ 0.1 phr.
Earth – 80(80)/ 0.5 phr.
Ice – 80(80)/ 0.012phr
"Time to get to work."
First, I check the Dungeon. Larry and Puck are sitting in my Core room on the same floor. As soon as they realised I was aware again, they returned to their different hangouts. The rest of the Dungeon was in order. Outside, it was dark and snowing, which meant I had time to work.
I pushed my aura down into the ground and began claiming more ground. It did not take long, and by dawn, I had the territory I planned on. I opened the Dungeon and went back to work. Some poor smuck was sent down to check if the stairs were now going deeper, but he went back and reported that they were not yet.
I started by creating the space for my new Core room. Once I was done, I focused on the next phase. I went west to create a large room. I worked to create columns and made the room wide and long. The doorway to this room was far more extensive than the normal ones I make. I then decorated the room, making it into a faux lord hall. I placed crossed swords under a round shield on the wall. The quality was poor, and they were there for show. Happy with them, I created five more sets, placing three sets on the north and south walls.
I need light, but not blue moss, here! I created iron torch holders at set intervals on the walls and columns. Torches were next, and I Puck to light them using a striker I had gained from a pack of dead adventurers. It took time, but he finally got them all burning. This gave the room a warm orange glow but with flickering shadows. I shifted around a few torches until I got the desired lighting level. It cost me 3 CPs to keep them going.
At the far western end of the room, I had carved out a half circle and planned to place a throne before it. It had not been made yet, as I had not matched it to the single minion/guardian that would occupy this floor.
I waited for my CP to regenerate for the rest of the day. Two hours after dark, I went back to work.
"It's Ogre time!"
I opened the screen and looked at the numbers on it. This would be hard, but I was preparing myself for the challenge ahead. What I was planning was going to be complicated at best. This will be my greatest creation to date.
The wind vortex began to form, and the mote of light started to dance in the dust. It had started, and I focused my will, holding the design in my mind. Demi-human was a minion type I had never created, and it taxed me like never before.
I start to see the outline of the Ogre begin to form, and I see lines from the wire design fade. Looking into the minion forming, I reach out and add more to it. Piece by piece, I add more to the creation before me. The strain in my mind increases as I inject more into the design.
My head was in pain as the form got more solid, and I struggled to hold it. It almost slips out of my focus. I mentally grit my teeth and dig in to see it through. The pressure was ever-building, and I nearly screamed as if it was not a type of pain that was seemingly unending.
Suddenly, it ends with a thunderous bang.
The pressure disappears, and I mentally stagger free from the struggle of creating the Ogre. I look now at what exists in my Dungeon. Several prompts opened before me.
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Alert!
A new minion had been created.
This is a new type of Ogre that has never existed before…. An Ogre of Stone and Shadow has been created.
This is a demi-human and requires a name.
Please name your minion.
"Krag."
The name is acknowledged, and I moved to the next prompt.
Alert!
An Ogre of Stone and Shadow named Krag has been created.
This is a demi-human and can be the Guardian of this floor.
Do you wish this minion to become the floor Guardian?
"Yes."
I ignored the loot prompt and the others as I needed to see what I had created.
The Ogre is big! Fare taller and broader than any man. He stands at eight feet and is almost as broad. His arms are thick with muscle, while his legs are shorter than expected but as packed with muscle. His face was all out of proportion, with smaller eyes and an oversized mouth, nose and ears. His forehead is more prominent, giving him a look that screams a lack of intelligence. It was then I realised he was naked.
"Krag cold. Krag needs to be warm." The Ogre walked over to the nearest torch and started warming himself.
"Ok, you can talk! Let's get you fitted out."
"Krag needs weapon and armour." Krag agreed.
Phase three of the plan will now start. In my experimentation with shields, I discovered that I had the same problem with armour. I could not just upgrade a set I already had but had to create my own. Well, as I was no armour but had their designs, I made a suit that I could best describe as patchwork armour. I created it around Krag, encasing him and giving him more protection. When it was finished, I looked it over.
It looked terrible.
The suit consists of a mix of leather, padded cloth, and a plate. A few shield sections were added to strengthen parts. I only hoped it would hold together during combat.
"Krag, walk around. Let me see you move in the armour."
The Ogre obliged and walked around. I was forced to make a few adjustments to the armour, but it seemed to be working. I finished the throne in the room, and Krag sat on it. He was facing the open doorway to the east, where the stairs would be.
"Krag happy. Feel warm. Need weapons." His voice was deep and came out as a rumble. I had managed to get his head into a rough helmet with a T-shaped visor.
"There are next."
Now that I had his dimensions, I created a door and turned it into a shield by attaching handles to one side. Krag lifted it and held it. He seemed happy, so I moved on. His weapon was a bit harder, but I had been experimenting. I created a long-handle mace. The shaft was a wooden beam that I had rounded, and the head was an octogen-shaped length of iron. Each side had three metal studs in it, as the same found in the door. I had opted against spikes as they could get tangled in armour or bodies. I had Krag take several test swings and was thankful I had made the ceiling so high in the room.
Krag returned to the throne and leaned the shield on one side and the mace on the other. Both were close to hand, and he could quickly arm himself.
"Krag happy. Need to kill soon." He rumbled.
"That's Good to know. I'll need to finish this room, and then you'll have adventurers coming to fight you."
Krag looked around and then spoke. "Krag like more moss."
"Eh?... You would?"
"Yes. Moss on the ground. Me like."
"…. Ok."
I still had some CP available and went about giving him what he wanted. It cost me nothing in the long run as the moss would grow naturally in the Dungeons environment. I was the standard green type that I found groping in the tower. In the half circle, I created a raised circular area filled with dirt and made damp with water. Krag had gotten up and walked around the throne as it blocked the view of what I was doing. I opened my lists and created the draw for the floor a solitary…
Moonlight Rose.
The flower grew fast before our eyes. The green sprout appeared and was soon five inches tall, with a few leaves sorting with thorns along the stem. The flower head opened, revealing a flower with white/silvery petals. It was very striking.
"What this?" Krag asked, confused.
"This will make more come to fight you."
"That good." He went back to his throne.
Looking around the room, I was happy with what I had done. Now, I need to do the final few things, and then I will bring down my core room. The entranceway has two large doors. They were big enough for Krag to exit the room. If my Core is threatened, then he can come to my defence. Once finished, it's time to check his sheet, assign the loot and pay the price.
"Status sheet. Krag. Open."
Name
Krag – 7th Floor Guardian
Level/Class
Floor 7 Boss
Race
Ogre of Stone and Shadow
Essence
0%
Health
500/500
Mana
80/80
Stamina
500/500
Corruption
0%
STR
27
27 Damage Base
DEX
12
AGL
12
END
50
-8 Damage
VIT
50
+15% Poison Resistance
PER
10
INT
8
WIL
9
LUCK
8
Skills:
Smash: 1 – 0% (+ 20 Damage) Cost: 20 Stamina
Charge: 1 – 0% (12 meters. END + 6 impact damage) Cost: 10 Samina.
Spells:
Shadow Arms – Cost: 10 Mana (Duration: 45 seconds)
Harden – Cost 10 Mana (Duration: 30 seconds)
Equipment:
Patch Work Armour – -10 Dam. Quality – Poor. Durability 15/15
Heavy Mace – STR + 10 Dam. Quality – Good. Durability 25/25
Perks/Restrictions:
Tough Hide: - 7 Dam from attacks.
Easily Confused (-15 % Resistance to Illusion Magic).
"Bloody hell!"
He was a tanking beast! Looking at his stat lines, I was worried. Had I gone overboard?
I moved on to the following prompt: the loot. I was unhappy with the table, so I made a few changes.
Loot Assignment.
The following rewards will be generated randomly after killing the 7th Floor Guardian.
Cythian Silver coins x60 (Chance – 40%)
Cythian Silver coins x80 (Chance – 40%)
Cythian Gold coins X1 (Chance – 15%)
Cythian Gold coins X3 (Chance – 5%)
The odds and types of rewards have been set manually, but this will add 1 CP to the overall support cost of the room respawn.
Do you wish to accept the rewards: Yes or No?
"Yes."
The final thing was the cost. Once I added the Ogre, moss, flower, etc., it came to 90 CP, 5 Earth, and 5 Shadow Mana units. It was not as expensive as I feared, but I still groaned at the cost. I had just enough CP left to lower the Core room to the new floor. The stairs were connected, and everything was ready.
It was close to dawn, and I went around my new floor, making a few small changes to a few things. Puck and Larry came down to have a look around. Krag ran them off in short order.
"Not a sociable one. Good to know."
Looking across the room from the doors, I saw that it looked good, and I was happy.
Krag… Well, Krag looked a bit bored on his throne and was picking his nose.
## ## ## ## ##
"Guild Leader! The Seventh floor is open!" The call came from Runner, who had just barrelled into the Guild Building. She was walking up the stairs as he arrived. This caused a ripple of excitement through the room as every adventurer present heard it, and the room was packed even this early. Elian looked at the room, picked out Nimora, and nodded to her.
Her team was soon out the door, followed by several others who were interested in seeing the group enter the Dungeon. This would throw the schedule off for the next few days, but her staff were ready for it. Elain continued up to her office to find Albrot already there.
"That's fast for this Dungeon." He said, not bothering with any form of greeting.
"Yes, it's normally several more days until the new floor opens." She agreed. After hanging up her winter coat, she sat around her desk. Albrot was standing by the small fireplace in the office. The window shutters were firmly closed.
"I wonder what they will find?" He mused.
Elain knew he was not asking the question, as this Dungeon was full of surprises. They were still recovering from the rash of deaths and team wipes from so many trying the sixth floor. The realisation of the information about the sixth boss value and the silver vein had seen far too many dead. It had been one of the bloodiest times recorded so far. She silently prayed that this floor would not be the source of another wave of deaths.
"Nimora and her team are a solid Bronze-ranked group. We are now getting other similar teams arising from the ones here or arriving." She looked over those numbers as the velum sheet was on her desk.
"I should not be surprised. Overall, the groups working toward their Path Steps are progressing extremely well. The Guild is surprised at the number of individuals and groups getting promoted with this Dungeon. It had balanced out the ones recently lost."
Elain only grunted. Adventuring was a dangerous occupation that quickly took care of the foolish and greedy. They both knew luck played an important role, and that was why Rickle regularly prayed to Deity.
They continued talking over little things until a receptionist crashed through the door.
"Nimora's team has retreated from the Dungeon with heavy losses!"
Elain jumped to her feet. "By the Gods, we need to find out what happened!"
The three rushed from the office into the chaos in the Guild's main room. Word had spread.