Awareness slowly came back to me as the energy of my rank increase crystallised around me. Literally, the power wrapped around my crystal and forced me to grow. Not by a lot, I was only going from the lowest rank to the second lowest, so the power increase wasn’t massive. I only grew about an inch in diameter.

  Congratulations. You have increased your core rank to E.

  You may now construct two additional floors.

  You may now create E-ranked cores to summon monsters and mobs for your dungeon.

  You may now unlock E-ranked upgrades for your core and dungeon.

  New mob patterns granted:

  Slimes

  Lesser Elemental

  Lesser Golem

  New beast patterns have been unlocked for both haven and dungeon creation.

  I quickly looked over the patterns for the elementals and golems, not impressed with them but then again, they were the lowest forms of these creatures. The golems of this rank could only be made of the most basic materials, which were limited to compacted dirt and weak stone. Their movements were basic and slow, their defences and attack power limited due to low quality material base. Also, they could only be created to the size of a goblin child...a whopping two feet tall.

  The elementals were tiny things, looking like whisps made of their respective element. Barely larger than a bottle fly, the creatures could only move about at the same pace. Their abilities were limited by the small stores of energy they could hold. They were able to perform magic of their element, but they also could barely hold enough mana for three of the most basic spells.

  As I was about to peruse the slime pattern, I was broken away from my thoughts by a gravelly voice.

  “Chieftan, it is a great relief to see you have awakened from your slumber.” Orthrok stated from his kneeled position before me. “I have stood vigil during these last three days and am pleased to report that there have been no more intrusions into your domain.”

  “Orthrok, I am happy to hear that things have remained peaceful. How have the surviving beasts been doing?” I grimaced as I quickly realised a big issue. “I... may have forgotten to build dens for them all.”

  “Not to worry Chieftan.” He raised his head to look at my core directly. “They have been patrolling outside and hunting in the surrounding wilderness.”

  I blew out a sigh of relief. As natural beasts and not mobs, they had to eat, drink and sleep as any other would. The only things that were available for hunting in my dungeon were my mobs, and with the beasts having sworn their loyalty to me they wouldn’t fight without my order to do so.

  “Chieftan,” Orthrok began, “I wished to inquire about something.” He looked almost...abashed wasn’t quite the right word but he definitely seemed hesitant.

  “What do you want to talk about Orthrok?” I gently asked. “There is no need for hesitancy when talking to me.” I mentally smiled his way.

  “I do not understand something that my status is showing me.” His words practically flew out of him.

  “Oh?” I was quite curious about that. “I thought the status sheets were quite intuitive?”

  “Navigating it is, but understanding what it is trying to tell me is not, my Chief.”

  This didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Everything that I have found through my own status was easy to understand. The submenus for my patterns were easy to navigate, showing the associated costs for each clearly. My level was clearly displayed, and my core rank and progression was...wait a minute.

  “What exactly is your status telling you?”

  “There is something blinking next to my species, I do not know what the shape is called. When I inspect the shape, a new line appears stating that a species advancement is available due to my core rank increase.”

  “That sounds like it is fairly easy to understand.” I briefly thought how to phrase my next statement. “What is it that you don’t understand about what that means, Orthrok?”

  “The progression that my status is trying to inform me of. While it does not obscure information itself, it also does not offer any explanations as to what it entails.” His brow furrowed as he continued. “I would ask that you please explain the progression in as much detail as you can, Chieftan.”

  I took a few moments to gather my thoughts before giving him the information the Gods had given me, but in a much less chaotic manner than they had done.

  “The main difference, as I understand it, between your level and your core rank is what they do to your body.” He looked at me in a very confused manner, almost like a cat actually. “When you level up you gain increases to your different stats as well as free points to improve the stats that you want, right?” He nodded sharply at me. “Well, what those stats actually do for you isn’t necessarily improving those aspects of yourself.” His eyes went blank at that. “Heh, sorry about that.” I chuckled at myself for that. “Let me use an example. With a higher strength stat, you can use more power from your muscles, lift heavier objects and hit harder. How it does this, isn’t by giving you more or bigger muscles. It lets you get more use out of what you already have rather than improving or refining those aspects of yourself. So, if two monsters have an equal strength stat of say, 20, but if one of those monsters was a basic goblin and the other was something like a minotaur, the minotaur would be the stronger monster as they are the ones with stronger muscles to begin with.

  “Your core rank, however, will refine and improve your body. As your core gets stronger, your body will get stronger. As I understand it, your core improvements will refine your body in different ways depending on your type of evolution. For evolutions that are physical in nature, your body will be refined in ways that match that evolution as they can and do vary. Using your own evolution of knight as an example, your bones will be heavily reinforced to reduce the chances of breaking, and your muscles will be reinforced for endurance, strength and durability rather than explosive power. In the case of a magical evolution, it will favour increasing the processing speed, information retention and mana pool of the monster instead of their bodies.

  “Once you have increased the strength of your core it will improve a rank. That will be what grants the improvements and refinement. As a result, your stats will mean more per point than they did at the previous rank. At this stage, monsters and beasts may also advance their species to one of a higher rank their current one. I don’t know everything this entails, as there are many different monster species out there, but what I do know is that the higher ranked species of those in the evolutionary line are always stronger than those lower ranked, even at the same level and core rank with the exact same stats, variation and evolution.”

  Orthrok looked at me in mild astonishment and gently shook his head as he appeared to be suffering from information overload. His eyes vacant and jaw hanging open, and I could have sworn I saw smoke coming out from underneath his helmet.

  “I... believe I understand now Chieftan. Thank you.” With that stated he began to change.

  His body grew slightly, leaving him at 6ft exactly. His body grew more defined. His muscles didn’t grow in size but definition, making them stand out without being massive. His skin grew to a duskier shade of grey, further reinforcing the appearance of being hewn from granite. His bones became even denser to the point that I thought they were made of granite. His ligaments grew in elasticity for quicker reflexes.

  New monster pattern unlocked. High-Goblin

  It wasn’t just Orthrok, however, that had gotten an upgrade. His equipment had grown alongside of him. The bear hide armour grew thicker without restricting his movements. The gauntlets grew a set of bone claws on the back of them, a second set grew along the greaves while bear fur began lining the inside of them. The pauldrons had fangs lining them and grew rather thick. The fangs on his bear head helmet grew sharper and longer, looking as if they could now be used to block incoming blows. The axe grew more refined, the steel of a higher quality. The edge grew even sharper, looking like it could sever flesh and bone with ease. The top of the axe grew a small spike on top that could be used for piercing attacks. The oak grew sturdier and stronger, with several steel bands wrapped around the handle. The kite shield grew even thicker and denser, small studs grew along the outside edge that could either catch small strikes or be used for blunt impacts. Not only did it get reinforced material, but it also slightly glowed with power.

  “Uh...what’s up with your gear Orthrok? It almost seems to have evolved with you.” I questioned him with the mental equivalent of a raised eyebrow.

  “You were not aware, Chieftan?” He quirked an eyebrow at me in return. “When you bestowed this equipment unto me, it bonded to me as unique growth equipment.”

  I gave him an incredulous stare, which meant I focused my perception on him. I couldn’t think of any reply to that, so I inspected his gear instead.

  Champions Great Shield. Growth/Unique. E-Rank

  This shield was forged for the champion Orthrok by the Monster Haven dungeon to shield and protect all he holds dear. This shield will grow along with its user.

  Current abilities:

  Lesser force repulsion.

  Lesser self repair

  This shield emits a small amount of force mana to divert and repel strikes. It will also slowly repair itself over time when in the presence of ambient mana or through an injection of mana from the user.

  Champions Great Axe. Growth/Unique. E-Ranked

  This great axe was forged for the champion Orthrok by the Monster Haven dungeon to strike down all those that would oppose him. This axe will grow along with its user.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Current abilities:

  Keen edge

  Lesser self repair

  This axe will always retain its edge with no maintenance or sharpening required. It will slowly repair itself when in the presence of ambient mana or through an injection of mana from the user.

  Champions Bear Hide Regalia. Growth/Unique. E-Ranked

  This full set of bear hide armour was created for the champion Orthrok by the Monster Haven dungeon to protect him from all harm. This armour will grow along with its user.

  Current abilities:

  Bears intimidation

  Natural Weapons

  Lesser self repair

  By channelling mana into the helmet of the regalia, a bear's roar will be emitted with the chance to cause the intimidation status effect on those weaker than the wearer. Claws can be extended from the gauntlets to be used as weapons. This set will slowly repair itself when in the presence of ambient mana or through an injection of mana from the wearer.

  ‘Holy shit...’ I thought to myself. ‘That gear is crazy fucking OP. I feel like I just gave new players from my old tabletop days magic gear that makes everything I throw at them a breeze. No way I can leave him as a boss of the first floor...he’ll kill every one of the initial challengers and will only get stronger as I do. I know I can’t back away from killing those that dive my dungeon, but if nobody can ever get past him then there isn’t any point to this either.’

  “Orthrok,” He gave me his immediate attention, “I am sorry to say this, but you will have to step down from your position in the boss squad on the first floor.”

  “Chief!” He recoiled as if he’d been struck. “I have done nothing but stand guard and destroy those who would slay you! Why would you-”

  “Take it easy there. This is not a punishment.” I was quick to reassure him before he got even more heated, “It is not that I do not trust you or believe you unworthy of such a position. You are now simply too strong for that role.” His tensed shoulders relaxed, and his jaw unclenched. “I will soon be creating a second and third floor and will have you act as the final boss for the second until you gain enough strength to be the third-floor final boss.” I sent him a small smirk, “If you kill everyone who strives to challenge my dungeon on the first floor, nobody will ever come back.”

  He hung his head in shame and went to one knee. “Chieftan, I have done you a disservice with my hasty words and can only beg forgiveness.” He slowly raised his head to meet my core. “Even so, you honour me with a greater position within your domain. I swear to live up to the great expectations and trust you have placed upon me, my Chief.” He stood and saluted with fist to heart.

  “I know you will not fail to live up them my champion. After your performance against those bandits, I have no doubts as to your capabilities and prowess in battle.”

  He gave another sharp salute, his eyes wet with emotion. “For now, I need you to standby and guard my core. I need to begin carving out the second floor and will need your protection while I’m busy.” Orthrok gave a sharp nod and turned to defend the entrance to my core.

  I gave a quick look over my first floor and realised that while the bare bones were done and populated, there was nothing else here at all. That was kind of depressing, as I had always prided myself on creating fun and full maps during my tabletop days.

  The first thing I did was raise a monolith in the middle of the first room. I felt that expecting people who dived to automatically know that you had to fight through all four wings before being able to challenge the boss was unreasonable.

  I carved out a brief welcome and description onto the monolith.

  Welcome to the Monster Haven dungeon. You will face challenges throughout and be rewarded for defeating those set before you. Beware, if you face what is prepared unaware, you will lose your life. To progress forward, you must brave the four warrens of each tribe that has settled here. The Goblins, the Lizard Folk, the Gnolls, and the Kobolds. Strive to slay the four that protect the keys, and you will earn the chance to face their chiefs. Treasure and glory await those brave enough to face the challenges set before you.

  Once that was done, I cast my gaze over to the goblin wing. I added grasses and shrubs to give the green little guys a chance to hide and surprise their opponents. The ground went from bare stone to lose dirt with various small mounds to create tripping hazards. While I didn’t want to create any serious traps on this first floor, I wasn’t going to give them a free pass to just waltz up and kill my mobs.

  The lizard folk wing I turned humid with muddy flooring. The F-Ranked lizard folk pattern of this floor strived in swampy environments, so I strived to emulate what of that I could for their wing without turning it all into a massive swamp. No where near enough space for that on the first floor, plus it seemed a little unfair to throw what I hoped would be lower-level delvers at a full-on swamp.

  The gnolls wing became dry and arid, dust and sand blowing around in a gentle breeze that carried a deserts heat. They favoured the same kind of land that their hyena counterparts did, so creating a small pseudo savannah type wing seemed the most appropriate. Short, dry grass was lightly scattered about.

  The kobolds wing took a completely different approach. I turned down the light to a bare minimum, only belatedly realising that with my environmental controls of my dungeon I could do that. I made the floor rocky with occasional stalagmite and stalactite to create obstacles while giving the kobolds some limited protection.

  With the wings fully furnished, I moved on to my entrance. The beam of light that had driven me out of expanding my influence in the first place shone through a cave mouth. ‘If only I had been paying more attention to what that meant instead of getting caught up in the excitement of having my own dungeon...’ It was a bad habit of mine that apparently had carried over to my new self. I would get caught up with something that excited or intrigued me, and I would forget about the world around me for long periods of time. It was a great thing when planning for something for the kids I was helping out at the centre I volunteered at, but not so much for my old job.

  Entrances for dungeons were always something that I had found fun to design. It would help to set the theme for what my players could expect to encounter on their dives, and the speculation and excitement that always rose from that would make all the effort worthwhile.

  The main issue with my dungeon, however, was that it wasn’t individually themed. It was a place where one could find all manner of environments and monsters to fight, so trying to find something that would work thematically would be kind of impossible. I mulled over several ideas for a few minutes before inspiration struck me. Skulls were always a popular entrance design in the various media back from my old world, and I had the perfect one in mind.

  The greatest challenge my dungeon could provide, and most likely always would, was Orthrok. Since his core growth was tied to my own, he would constantly be getting stronger over time with me. With that in mind, I modeled the cave entrance after his helmet, a foreboding bear skull with open jaws, sharp fangs and piercing eyes that seemed to stare straight into your soul.

  “This must be the dungeon that the Gods spread that announcement about.” A voice broke me out of my contemplation a few hours later as I was working through several ideas and plans for the second floor.

  “I should bloody well hope so, you giant oaf.” A second, much more feminine voice spoke up next. “How many other caves out there are shaped like a fucking bear ready to swallow someone?”

  “Would you two please shut up already?” A tired and drawn-out voice asked. “You two have been going at each other since we left three weeks ago.”

  Six people stepped into my boundary, and I got a good look at the various races the Gods informed me about. The one in the lead was the one who spoke up first. He stood at an impressive 6ft 4 inches tall and was carrying a massive tower shield. A short hammer, or at least short in his hands, was slung in a loop on his hip. He wore a set of steel scalemail armour, and his clear that he maintained it well. He was also clearly not a human, as evidenced by the horn growing from the centre of his forehead.

  He was one the beast blooded, a race of humanoids that had various mammalian animalistic traits that varied in intensity based on how strong their blood was. This guy was clearly heavily Rhino blooded. His skin was grey and leathery, almost acting as a suit of natural armour for him. The horn protruding from his head was long and sharp and a rather beautiful ivory. He was also strikingly bald with several scars covering both his head and face.

  The second member of the team was the one who had called him a giant oaf. She was a dwarf in a mixture of natural hides, furs and green robes. She carried a staff made of birch wood with a green gem embedded at the top in a natural looking twist of branches. It was almost as tall as she was at four and a half foot tall. Her bright red hair was braided behind her back, and she sported a short red beard with little in the way of decoration.

  The tired looking man was an elf, wearing light leather armour and carrying a dark elm longbow, a full quiver of arrows on his right hip. Dark eyes and tan skin lead to believe he was a wood elf of some variety, with closely cropped dark brown hair.

  The next two members of the party were both humans, one man and one woman. They shared enough traits; green eyes, slim jawlines and rugged noses, that I knew they had to be closely related. The man carried a bastard sword across his back and wore a set of studded medium grade leather amour. The woman was equipped with two short swords and a lighter set of leather armour to provide greater mobility.

  The fifth member was a surprise. I hadn’t expected to find a gnome running with a delving party. He stood only three foot tall and was covered in black leather armour, with a hood and lower face covering included. Two daggers sat at his hips, with a backup pair crossed over his lower back. A bandolier of throwing knives covering his chest, showing that his role was that of an assassin, stealth and critical strikes for rapid kills.

  The final member of the party another beast blooded. She was clearly heavily blooded, as she was covered in fur and sported a slight muzzle with sharp teeth showing in her slightly manic grin. Heavy muscles covered her tall frame and stood around five foot ten. Claws sported the ends of her fingers and toes, and she wore little more than a breast wrapping and leather skirt. A huge and dangerous looking great axe was slung across her back.

  As they stepped up to the monolith and read the warning I had laid out for them, excitement bubbled up in my core. My first real dungeon divers. I couldn’t wait to see how they did.