The Spellsword moved slowly, pushing open the ornate door to the Decoy Treasure Room. Ethan watched, riveted, his heart pounding in his ears. There was no glory to be had in this room-it was designed to snap the spirits of an adventurer.
The room sparkled with illusory riches, while gleaming piles of gold coins, luminous gems, and magical weapons were cast all over the floor, under the soft light of magical chandeliers. On the far side of the room, a huge golden coffer gleamed with energy; its lid was partly open to allure the would-be thief.
The Spellsword froze, their battle-weary body sagging with the sight. The flicker of greed passed over their face, their eyes locked onto the chest.
Ethan smirked. "Hook, line, and sinker."
As the adventurer stepped deeper, the magic of the room began to take effect. A faint humming noise filled the air, louder with each step. Ethan could see the Spellsword's aura dimming further, vitality sapping out of them the more they remained.
Deceitful Treasure Room Effect: Drain of Greed. The stats of adventurers are reduced by 5% every 10 seconds.
The adventurer visibly felt that something was off and just looked around. They had their blade up for defense. For just a moment, the illusion of treasure faltered.
But the chest was too tempting.
The Spellsword's lips arced into a defiant grin. "If this is your last trick, dungeon, it's not enough.
They lunged forward, their hand gripping the edge of the chest.
Ethan activated the trap.
The golden chest exploded outward, transforming into a monstrous mimic. Its jagged teeth snapped at the Spellsword, and tentacle-like appendages shot out, wrapping around their limbs.
The adventurer roared, slashing at the mimic with their sword. The blade carved deep into the creature's flesh, but the mimic held fast, its teeth sinking into the Spellsword's shoulder.
Ethan leaned forward, clenching his fists. "Come on, just finish them!"
The mimic was becoming increasingly frenzied in its attacks, but the Spellsword showed resilience. Crying out loud with their last bit of strength, they called forth Flame Slash in a final desperate attack.
The mimic screeched as flames engulfed it, the form collapsing into ash and fading into the ether of the dungeon.
The Spellsword stumbled, landing on one knee. Their health was critically low, their aura little more than a flicker.
Ethan swore under his breath. "They're still alive?"
But the adventurer wasn't rejoicing. They were panting heavily, their strength all but sapped. Ethan could see the faint shimmer of the Greed's Drain effect yet working, chipping away at the last vestiges of their vitality.
The adventurer forced themselves to their feet, limping toward the exit. They were done fighting, and Ethan could feel it—they weren't aiming for victory anymore. They were trying to escape.
"Oh no, you don't," Ethan growled.
The dungeon responded to his will. The walls of the Decoy Treasure Room began to close in, the ceiling lowering ominously. A new notification appeared in Ethan's vision.
Emergency Mechanism: Collapsing Room Activated.
The Spellsword froze as the room violently shook. Pieces of ceiling began to fall, crashing down around them. Their means of escape was blocked as the entrance crumbled into rubble.
Ethan smiled smugly. "Let's see how you blink out of this."
The adventurer looked upward, his expression hardened. He readied his sword and launched his ability once more.
But Ethan was prepared.
The energy of the dungeon surged into the room and disrupted the adventurer's casting. A pulse of anti-magic radiated from the collapsing walls, nullifying attempts to Blink away in that instant.
The Spellsword's face contorted in frustration as they realized their options were gone. They let out one last defiant cry, raising their sword and charging toward the falling debris to swing wildly in a desperate attempt to carve a way out.
The room gave one last shudder, and then. silence.
Ethan exhaled; the tension in his shoulders finally dissipated. The icon representing the adventurer on the map flickered once and then disappeared.
Notification: Adventurer Eliminated. First Assault Successfully Defended.
The system chimed merrily.
*Rewards Gained:
50 Core Energy
Gacha Spin x1
Attribute Boost: Strength +5, Defense +5, Energy Capacity +5.*
He leaned back and exhaled loudly. "That was way too close."
The blueprint of the dungeon shimmered, expanding slightly as his upgrades kicked in. His Core Energy reserves were replenished, and his stats now read:
Dungeon Core Status Update:
Strength: 45 → 50
Defense: 42 → 47
Energy Capacity: 120 → 125
But before he could celebrate, a new notification appeared-this one in ominous red text.
Warning: Adventurer Guild Alert Raised. Dungeon Threat Level Increased. Prepare for retaliation.
Ethan groaned, rubbing his temples. "Of course there's a guild."
The system rang again, this time with a tutorial tone.
New Feature Unlocked: Dungeon Core Reinforcements.
Elite Gacha Pool Available: Higher chance to summon rare monsters and traps.
Dungeon Fortress Mode Unlocked: Activate to fortify dungeon defenses against advanced threats.
Ethan grinned despite the warning. "They're going to send stronger enemies? Fine. Let's see how they like what I'm about to build."
The dungeon was growing, and so was Ethan. If the guild wanted a war, he was ready to play his role as the ultimate Dungeon Maker.