<----------Orion's PoV---------->
So it turns out I was dungeon-ing wrong. Apparently, System has a manual on "Proper Dungeon Etiquette". Yeah, not kidding. It's 68,932,451 pages long. At least, the English version is.
Apparently, normal Dungeon Cores only interact with their master or owner. For everything else, they use their system to generate announcements, clues, instructions and the like.
Well, I doubt I would ever be so "blessed" as to be bound into literal slavery for the natural life of a hairless ape. So that's something I don't plan on changing.
Second, Dungeon's apparently are supposed to be long, crawling passageways interspersed with rooms of monsters, resources, and treasures.
It's an interesting idea. Since I created Sylph and the Miner, I had plenty of room, energy, materials and biomass to expand into a "Dungeon Crawl" style dungeon. Long, dimly lit or darkened passageways, filled with monsters of compatible types, all looking to eat the unwary adventurer who dared delve within? Be a good way to keep people out of my nice house.
They even have floors. Each floor is supposed to be themed. The undead! The beasts! The demons! Except I don't have any of that. I've got a few wild animals and some basic goblins. oh and all the harmless plant life you can imagine. Even Porky is just a wild boar with some goblin, fox and rabbit mixed in (Don't ask why rabbit. It's a long story involving a bet with a wisp drunk on fermented berries).
And then there was Ariel. According to the rules, Ariel should Not be welcome as a guest in my home. I should make her delve, risk the traps and creatures, and then send her on her way. The only people allowed to live in the Dungeon were it's master, it's employees, and it's spawned creatures. Anyone else? Do everything you can to drive them out.
There was a loophole. Certain people could be "rewarded" with entrance tokens that took them to the nearest safe room. But those kinds of treasures took actual energy to make, energy I would lose forever! Maybe I should hire her, pro temp, and just ignore the rules.
I guess it was time to figure out how to create a Dungeon no one could make it past without maiming and or death. Oh, or Gareth. He should've been here a week ago already. Wonder what's keeping him?
-
"System, how can I expand my biomass blueprints?"
Right. That useless stick. Technically, I was limitless in my growth. I could learn and make anything without penalty. But I have to figure things out on my own. Wanna forge a sword? Assimilate the original, it's components, and the materials those components are made of. Even steel is a complex item. Steel is made from Iron and coal or another carbon. Iron is smelted from iron ore. Coal is compressed plant and animal tissue, degraded over time by heat and pressure. No Iron ore, or Iron, no steel.
And worse? Anything even slightly magical. Mithril, enchanted metals of any kind really, and I needed the metal, and the knowledge of the enchantments and spells used to make it.
The best I could do right now were simple items like bowstrings, linen and raw minerals Miner found in the earth. Oh, and brass. Thanks Martin, for walking me through it.
-
"I have a job for you."
Ariel turned to the area the voice came from. "Hmmm?"
"A real job. I have a problem. I need lifers. Smiths, tanners, enchanters, fletchers, weavers, herdsmen, farmers, if it's a lifestyle class I have never met, I need them here. Now."
Ariel's eyes widened as she frantically pulled out a piece of parchment and started writing. "Ok, but I can't really help with that. I'm a Healer myself. I've shown you the basic remedies and cures I know, but unless I get into combat with a party, my base combat level will remain at 1. Healer's have almost no offensive power until higher levels."
"How do you level up a combat class? Killing?" Made sense to me. It's how I gained energy the most.
"N-no. By fighting. Using your abilities in combat. Otherwise the cow herder would be beyond everyone else in combat level after a few seasons."
"Time to train then. Follow Porky. Oh, and sign this contract. Makes you my employee, pro temp. I can fire you at any point if I don't like the work, and you can quit whenever. Go train. If I'm going to keep you as a pet, we might as well make it official."
<----------Ariel's PoV---------->
Say what you like, I know Orion is a good guy. He never floods the region with his creations, or spawns deadly creatures at the entrance to the Dungeon. He took me in and cared for me when I needed it.
Sure he's a grouch, and he calls me, Me, a house pet, but there's always food, and he has been helping me grow stronger. Since I've been in the Dungeon, I've gained so much medicine experience I am more qualified than the physician who lives back home!
Lived. Lived back home. I have to remind myself of that every now and again. I can go hours, or sometimes even days without remembering it, and then I slip, and it all floods back.
Well, training doesn't sound too bad, right? Just chase some small rabbits, a snake or two? Shouldn't be too hard.
-
"Creator of the world, I call upon you for - hoof <*thud*>"
"Would you like to try chanting your spell again, Miss Ariel? I am certain it was a good one." Sylph's wisp fluttered around her, using basic nature magic to restore her vitality and stamina. "You might want to roll now. There's another large rock-" <*thunk*> "- nevermind. I see you've decided to train your blunt resistance instead."
Ariel, covered in dirt, bruises and several large rocks, lay panting on the ground. THIS is training? What kind of sadistic, twisted, psychopathic Dungeon Core has a group of 6, 6!, bloody goblins throwing rocks at you and calls it training?!?!?!
"Miss Ariel, as you are aware, you cannot exit the ring until a creature dies. I can keep healing your wounds, but eventually, I will run out of mana, and you will have to hide. The experience of death is not pleasant, I can assure you."
'Ok, I need a strategy. The second I begin chanting, they swarm. They're spread out, and as soon as I approach one, the others begin throwing stones. Think, Ariel, think!'
"Sylph, can you distract them? I need three seconds."
"Three seconds? I am a non-combatant, Miss Ariel. They don't acknowledge my presence. What would you suggest I do?"
Ariel smiled a dark smile, "Repeat after me, 'Gthar Ktchebek Mohlikta Fu Ogre'."
"Well, alright, if you insist." The wisp floated a short distance awar, cleared his throat and in a loud booming voice, "
The arena went silent for a moment.
<*Thunk*><*Whap*><*Clang*> "Ahhh! What did I say?"
-
I collapsed onto the table in the living area. Every. Hurts. So sore. So tired. But I killed a Goblin. One. Then the rest refocused on me, and it was time to run.
I think I'm just going to take a nap here for a bit.