I woke up in a cold sweat, a nightmare of humans killing us in a raid. I hate them, they destroyed our old tribe, completely destroyed. I was lucky enough to take a shamanic ritual book when I ran off, that combined with my training as an apprentice shaman let get to the level of a rank 1 shaman over the last year.
We arrived at a dungeon still in the tutorial fase and waited for it to awaken, it should've opened up an entrance recently but hasn't. Leading me to trying to communicate with the dungeon, no matter how small the chance at success.
Miraculously it answer, and in suprisingly coherent words too. It was stated that young dungeons would rarely even give off a feeling or emotion in response to communication, it even talked as if hiding from something. I had no idea what it was, but it wanted my wand, and it was of no use to the humans scouted out to be coming here in the next day or two.
I walked out of my tent, I walked out towards the fire. Passing my lesser bretheren along the way, they were idiots, but they were my species's idiots. They weren't lazy and did their jobs fearlessly so I liked them, they were also too stupid to know what the weird walking stick inside the campfire was.
I recognized the crystal of my old wand inside it, it was the creation of a rank 7 shaman. Only the crystal, the wand wood was from a big stick I found when I was young. It had better magic conductivity than a normal piece of wood.
That twisted metal staff was a wand! I recognized it as iron made, but it was with a light blue tint signature of mana born iron, it wasn't much. But mana born iron was still desired by a rank 13 shaman, no matter the strength. There was a core on it, that wasn't super rare. but still for wealthy or courageous shamans, that bought them or dared to enter one of the great dungeons in search of one.
I excitedly walked forward and picked up the wand stabbed into the campfire and the ground beneath it.
[baby shaman's first staff
A wand created by an abberant dungeon with unfamiliar tools, outfitted with a tier 1 monster core and a shamanistic ritualist stone, it is made of mana born iron made of pure mana and 'plant time air' mana because it was there. It is a version made because the creator couldn't use a certain element fast enough for their time frame. -made by the dungeon 'Chaotic miniture-worlds'
Effects; Able to store 24 mp that can be manually filled and passivelly fills at a rate of 1mp/h, increases fluidity of all mana passed through it by 5% time mana with an additional 5% air mana an additional 5% and an extra 5% with plant mana (Stackable), increases the strength of all rank 2 spells (And below) by 3% if cast through it.]
A smile appeared on his face, that old wand was trash in comparison to this. It wasn't world breaking, but would make a difference. It even said the dungeon was unfamiliar with what it was doing, it could improve it even more.
I thought of all the things I could do with it if I was a higher rank shaman, I would be able to do shamanic imprints that do all sorts of wonders. I also liked the twisting of the staff, though, what was a staff? It was big, is that it? A wand is small, a staff is large?
It doesn't matter, I was completely focused on the [magic bolt] I had cast in my excitement, it was slightly stronger than usual. Though the size of the staff was irritating to 'draw' the spell into the air, which was how shamans casted spells.
I casted [magic bolt] which was a circle with a rhomb in the middle, it was simple and cheap, the signifying spell that you broke through the barrier between a normal goblin and had your foot in the shallow end of shamanism, meaning that you're an apprentice.
I had a strange thought, I drew [magic bolt] onto the core. It made the hardest process so much easier, keeping the mana still. Mana was known as the most chaotic and natural force in the world, meaning it didn't like being kept in a single place perfectly. Even someones mana pool was a circle made of mana swirling a lot.
I then started another celebration in my exuberance, the ancestors were right!
In the middle of our festivities, I felt a connection being made to my mind. Something sounding like words and sentences came over extremely heavy static, I knew this. It was what was discribed by the ancestors if you succeeded the 'dungeon relay ritual' but did it badly, the dungeon was trying to communicate with me!
This was unprecidented, it was always the goblin initiating the ritual! "sttttssss- Ser- tssss- ya- tstst- over."
I had no idea what the great dungeon said, the connection was cut right after. This was weird, and it kept being weird.
Around the day the connection kept being made at random and being cut, this happened over 2 days until a good connection was held for a few seconds "Finally! It worked! That translation part of the spell is so annoying to make! I'll get used to it. Quick update, I'm making some things that I don't want or need, so I'll leave it in the campfire over night. oh an- tsssssststs."
Over the next few days weapons just appeared in the dead campfire while nobody was looking, all of them with weird names.
[Hob Gob Rob
Created by an abberant dungeon with unfamiliar tools out of pure boredom, given away to, by the creators words, 'Some goblin tribe'. A rusty short sword that mysteriously stays in a perpetual state of rust no matter what, on it's hilt is a stone that can store mana. -created by the dungeon 'Chaotic miniture-worlds'
Effects; stores a max of 46 mp that can be filled manually, any wound touched by the blade increases the speed of rot and infection by 50% at a cost of 0.1 mp per use, the wielder has an increased chance to find wealth by 1% when robbing or raiding, Attack +4]
[Viva La Goblin!
A locket made by an abberant goblin as a joke but made with devotion in a time when opressed by humans, this locket holds the pure concept of freedom and liberty. The goblin who holds this locket is a bringer of freedom through revolt, the locket took on the hate against humanity from it's creator -found at the dungeon 'Chaotic miniture-worlds'
Requirement; be a goblin or one of the goblin sub-species
Effects; While under opression gain a +10 to all base stats, give mental clarity, increase learning speed by 30% and double the chance at fortuitous encounters, when in a state on the line between life and death while fighting a human the locket will do 'something']
[Goblar's gift
An ancient ring made in a rush by a goblin scholar for the future generations in preperation for the collapse of high-goblin-society while in the middle of the 'great sapient crusade' caused by all churches together causing humanity to attack goblins till the point of tribalism. -found in the dungeon 'Chaotic miniture-worlds'
Requirement; be a goblin or one of the goblin sub-species
Effects; +5 to max mp, +1 mp/h]
All great artifacts, for me. I'm sure higher class shamans had better at their disposal, but to a small rank one shaman like him, it was unbelieveable.
I was happy, with this the hunt would be more bountiful for a while at least, until we had over hunted the animal population. Then we'll need to start animal husbandry, the pains of being the leader...
{View point change! Human- artificer- rakas}
"Rakas!" My soon to be abandoned male comrade yelled "Hurry up! It's a new dungeon, don't you know it's free money!" His girlfriend (Lover) beside him agreed with him "Yea! come on Rakas!"
I gritted my teeth 'Can't you see I'm making my magnum opus while still an adventurer woman! This is why I'm abandoning you and entering into a contract with that dungeon!' I yelled in my heart. But I didn't all of this, With a warm smile I said "Okay, the old shouldn't slow the youngin's."
Under my fake smile while I was cleaning up my supplies, a storm went of in my mind 'I hate this party, the only reason I'm here and at such a low alphabetical rank is since I saw through my connections that you would get the next dungeon seeker quest. Your entire party doesn't even have a good synergy between members, I wouldn't be surprise if you died to a small goblin tribe with a shaman in it.'
The only reason I stopped was because my creation was done, though it was made of only attributeless high mana born steel, it was still a treasure to most adventurers.
[Adventurer's bounty
A bracelet made by the artificer Rakas, formed from mana born steel without affinity he was able to shift the mana inside it to a purpose that all adventurers would agree was worth while.
Effect; increase loot drop rate by 15%]
'It was worth every sleepless night.' I felt so gratified, I put on my new bracelet while listening to the system giving a few skill levels. I dismissed them since I predicted them long before, I hid adventurer's bounty under my sleeve and traveled along with the crew of 5 other adventurers.
After a few hours I felt something off, I knew the feeling and paused for a moment. None of the others noticed it, we've already entered the dungeon's infuence. This isn't some normal dungeon, most are afraid of the stuff above ground and at most make a building or something.
I began walking again like nothing happened and secretly used an artifact, but before I finished I already heard the voice of the dungeon "Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3. hopefully this works, the translation is so annoying! Uhh, please comfirm success of mind-link."
I knew what this was, I was going to make it myself when I got inside of the dungeon's influence, it seems making that artifact wasn't neccesary. It's good to know that a month of work was for nothing, but it was best to respond through my mind 'Mind-link comfirmed, dungeon.'
"Really?" The dungeon sounded happy "I finally conquered the translation magic! Haha! That's good." The dungeon stopped for a second as if finding the words for what it wanted to say "You must be wondering why I'm talking to you, right? Well you seemed to realize that you entered my influence and didn't notify you little friends, you seem to be on good terms. But I know that look, you're faking it for your own plans. You'll throw them away the moment you don't need them, you may even hate them." The crystal condensed of mana said confidently.
I needed to keep in friendly relations with this dungeon, and it relieved me to see that the dungeon didn't despise humans. That happens sometimes, and it would be a huge road block. It also didn't seem to hate me because I wasn't loyal to my comrades, some do but this one didn't 'That is correct dungeon' I told it in a calm tone, I needed to stay calm, as long as I act calm it'll be easier to be calm 'I came here to make a contract with you, you see we humans have limited resources at one moment. And one person, or at least me, can't use high quality materials to make our creations. But it's different for dungeons, they have great materials.'
I encouraged myself, I was doing great with my pitch, but I needed to finish it off with a bang 'But dungeons don't know how enchant or artifice, you also not know much of the surface. Although I am old and close to my death, I can help you with the creation of weapons.' At the end I could not contain myself completely and let slip small wisps of excitement, the dungeon seemed to pick up on it.
"Interesting, sure. Let's give your little contract a shot," The dungeon said with amusement "Why not? It'll be interesting I guess, it'll fill the void."
[You have been noticed to wish to sign a dungeon contract, do you wish to offer a dungeon contract to the dungeon 'Chaotic miniture-worlds'? Y/N]
Yes, yes I do system.
-Written in the 31st of august, 2022.