Author’s Note: SO the story is past 100 followers, and my wife texted me at work freaking out. For some reason I think she is into this more than her twitter account… and I am very concerned for all of your safety if that is the case. :-) But in all seriousness, thank you all for your support and reading my story. I plan for the first book to be around 200k word count. I do have a story arc ready and it will have a dungeon crawl with the Ziggurat. This will be the last emotional rollercoaster for the MC as now I have a way to gradually make him better. My biggest concern as an author was how to show gradual improvement of the MC without making it look weird at moments (Example: The MC starts off as a moron, but by the end of the story becomes a brilliant tactician without really any change). If everyone feels that this is too much of a mood swing I will go back and edit the previous chapters. Please leave comments and if you have any other suggestions on anything else let me know.
It had been two days, since Alistair choose to absorb Hardune’s dungeon. In that time, Alistair was constantly working. At first it had been easy for Alistair to use the excess mana from Hardune’s dungeon. He had focused on the foundation and instead of a flag stone wall with sharp edges and large gaps of mortar, Alistair channeled the mana in the fountain and replaced the flag stone with paver stones that size of his fist. Mortar that was two inches wide in some places was replaced with a small thin line that was less than quarter of an inch everywhere. It had taken Alistair most of the day, and Herma seemed to walk off with Callum after the first hour. The boss salamander that looked like a pixie began to work around the fountain turning the hard packed earth around it into stone. Of course, since Herma was no longer around, he decided to stop work on the fountain and work on expanding his territory. He was an hour into clearing the dead fall and foliage when he realized that it was part of Herma’s plan to do this very thing. He wanted to stop, but the fact was that it was giving him good experience points and when he walked up to the fountain, placing the leaves, twigs, grasses, and other foliage in it and turning his brush into liquid mana. Now with the influx of mana, Alistair started converting the thinly branched huts into log cabins as the picture came into his mind and began to build itself out in his pocket dimension. With all his work, his pocket dimension expanded, as well as, his dungeon.
While Alistair was working, he liked to watch over his dungeon by using his new skill. The blue mana window allow him to zoom around the dungeon. It seemed that the small outcropping of rock that held the summoning circle had changed as well. The outcropping now had several thin bridges arcing over the magma and depositing itself on the edge of the pools. As he chopped wood with an ax found in the carpenters hut, Alistair could see the dungeon expand as he had the window display such information in text. It was also a pleasure to see that as he expanded his dungeon’s perimeter, the elemental was pushed from his magma pool perch and forced by the tiny fire salamanders to the edge of the magma pools. It had been quite the battle, as soon as that imaginary line moved over the elemental, the three tiny salamanders joined together and jumped onto the elemental. Their bites were not very damaging, but their real advantage was that when one of them died the Summoning Circle would make a new one. Just as soon as the salamander appeared, it would hop off the outcropping and swim to the elemental through the magma to bite at it. It was annoying that they couldn’t kill the elemental, but they did get him to move off into a tunnel. From then on, Callum adjusted the amount of salamanders and fire wisps the circle would make to help fill the enlarged space. Strangely platforms on the Obsidian walk ways began to expand as Salamanders scurried over them. Fire wisps seeing the newly formed platforms began to spend time looking at them. As a consequence Fire Mana Stones began to grown all along the edges of the platforms, like crystal outcroppings. Causing Salamanders to rest near the stones, as they absorbed the fire mana for food.
As Alistair got back to work hacking at particularly nasty vine. A the golden prompt came back up. He had leveled once again from expanding his dungeon. Smiling Alistair looked down at the prompt.
Alistair was almost disappointed at the prompt. He knew from his previous life that every five levels usually brought something good. But since level 2 unlocked two new skills for him, he was hoping that it was different for a dungeon demon. Bringing up his soul page he looked at his current stats. He did his standard combat build, but something was feeling off about it. Herma had told him that Intelligent monsters were far more dangerous than Strength based ones. Even in his old life Alistair would devote a point to Wisdom and Intelligence every ten levels or so. Shaking his head, he placed 4 points into Intelligence and 4 points into Wisdom. Even if it was a stupid move on his part, he would at least get 2 more skill points per level. Looking at his skills he went ahead and bought the Mana Possession Skill and raised it by one level, while raising Summoning Mana Monster by one level as well. Taking one more look at his attributes, he shook his head thinking that this was a waste of points, but pressed Yes anyway.
Alistair fell to his knees, as what felt like a flaming spike pierced his brain. The flame was burning some of the fog away from his mind, as his thoughts began to feel clearer and move faster. Slowly the spike withdrew to leave in its place a deep sense of guilt. Closing his eyes he began to wonder why he felt so guilty. His thoughts began to seek out that feeling and he started to realize that it was attached to Herma. His mind began to work sorting through his emotions, connections between feelings, events in the past, and how he could have handled it differently came to him. For once he realized his error and that there was a way to correct this before it got out of hand even more. Picking up his axe and small bundle of foliage, Alistair began to move to the fountain to deposit his work. He began to realize that his skills hadn’t yet come to him, and as he watched his bundle dissolve into mana Alistair had the thought they were waiting till he finally acted on his new found wisdom. Going to Callum’s farm, he saw Callum and Herma inspecting the small rows of freshly tilled dirt. Herma’s face darken slightly as she saw Alistair, and he had enough guilt still left to look embarrassed. Herma told Callum to keep going for a moment as she walked off towards Alistair. As she approached, Herma gruffly asked, “What do you want?”
Taking a deep breath Alistair calmly spoke, “I am sorry for how I reacted to your plan to help me. I just recently leveled again, and in the moment I put all my points into Intelligence and Wisdom just to spite you and say it didn’t make a difference.” Herma began to turn around as he finished his last comment, so Alistair continued. “However, it did make a difference. The extra points gave me an epiphany about what happened between us. In my past life, I was used to being the one that made decisions, though in retrospect they weren’t very good ones. When you came out yelling at me, you were right about how I felt. I wanted the mana and a bigger place, and felt like I had to make that decision right then. In hindsight, I should have called you out and talked about it or kept it where it was. Instead I fell back on previous behavior and did the thing I wanted. So I choose to feel hurt and anger at what you said, and when you talked about me leveling, I choose to hear that you were trying to take over my own choices about who I am.”
Herma turned around shocked, “I would never force you to choose Attributes, and I was just trying to give you perceptive. Facing dangerous monsters means you are going to have to put Attributes into Dexterity, Wisdom, Intelligence, and even Charisma if you don’t want to fight them.” Alistair took it as a good sign that at least she was talking to him.
“I know… or I should say, I know that now. Herma, I know that you have probably lost trust in me...” Alistair said but was interrupted by Herma.
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“That’s not true. I trust you to complete the quest. Also, you haven’t demanded me to do work or teach Callum. I think that was because you were angry at me, and didn’t want to talk. However, you have respected my independence. Right now, I don’t like you, but this apology is slowly lowering my distaste for you.” Herma smiled slightly and Alistair smiled back.
“If you have a free moment I would like you to see me battle a Fire Beetle and perhaps we can talk about what I need to improve afterwards? Otherwise, if you are busy I thought I would start on making a cabin for you. It seems that I have cleared enough space for your own cabin now.” As Alistair said that the guilt had finally vanished and a new prompt came up.
Laughing Alistair showed the prompt to Herma, and she laughed as well. “It’s right, I did feel those things. Listen, let me give you the Spells that I have promised before you fight the fire beetle.” Herma went off into the scholar’s hut to get the spells. Alistair began to feel the new knowledge of his skills come in. Monster possession wasn’t just about taking over a creature’s body, he could also take a group of monsters over and have them follow basic commands; like run this direction or attack. The information that came with Summoning Mana Monster was about evolution and how mana, meat, and other environmental factors can influence evolution or he could force it. It also unlocked his ability to summon the Boss Salamander. As Alistair started review his skills it, a thought began to worm its way into his mind. Why couldn’t he possess the Boss Salamander and other tiny Salamanders and attack the elemental?
Herma came out of the hut carrying two folded sheets of cloth and a carved statuette. As Herma came closer, Alistair wanted to get her opinion. “Herma, I just received Mana Monster Possession this last level. As I am reviewing the skill, I started thinking about how I could use the Boss Salamander and other Tiny Salamanders to attack the elemental. Of course, I could be wrong.” Alistair started to take the statuette from her and saw that Herma smiled.
“Thanks, though next time you might want to offer your help with the heavy stuff a little sooner.” Herma said with a wink. “But, yes that was what I was going to discuss with you about your leveling. See most Dungeon Demons keep to their previous lives sins. You thought the only way to obtain a mana monster was defeating it in battle. That should be your last resort, after all you are not going to defeat me by yourself in three years. From what I have seen, Hardune believed in increasing his Charisma and Intelligence as he was a merchant in his previous life. His Intelligence helped him increase his mana reserves and understand how to do research faster. While his Charisma allowed him to intimidate monsters into submission. You were probably on the road of increasing your Strength and Constitution. Though this prolongs a fight and allows you to do more damage, we can’t really do research or pick your mind on how to improve the mana channels. It’s my belief that we should focus on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma for the early levels say up to 30, and then switch to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution for the mid-levels.”
Alistair held up his hand to interrupt Herma, “I think I see why, is it because by increasing my mind first we can accumulate skill points faster and help with building the town quickly through use of mana. Then when we reach the mid-levels we stop and increase our martial strength for an attack?”
Herma nodded, “Not bad, those are the broad strokes of my plan. By strengthening your mind, you will be able to push mana through the monsters you possess casting spells for them, as well as, strengthening their tactics. I figured level five to face the elemental because we would have expanded the dungeon large enough to gain enough monsters for a concentrated attack. Additionally, I think you realize that by increasing your wisdom you will be making less mistakes.”
Alistair thought about it for a moment and then spoke, “Not really, Intelligence, Wisdom and a little bit of Luck plays in any plan. Hopefully as I gain in the first two I will need less of the last.” Herma laughed at the joke and held up the first cloth. As Alistair took it into his hand he stared at the pattern. In the center was what looked like a glass vial filled with red liquid, it was the old standard healing potion, and with his new found intelligence realized that the spell was telling him what he could enchant with it. Around the center image of a potion, runes formed arcane script showing Alistair how to performed the spell. Yet again his new found intelligence showed him that there were breaks in the script that he could add runes to later to help it increase in potency. As the thought left him, a Prompt came up.
Alistair picked up the second spell and began to study it. The same feelings and thoughts came to him as he looked at the spell with a hide breast plate in the middle.
Alistair laughed at the joy of finally getting the spells and thinking about how much more powerful he would be in a fight. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him… these spells weren’t for him. They were meant to be pushed through his salamanders to fight the elemental. “Herma, I was so happy at the spell, because I thought I can really put up a good fight and kill the elemental. Then I realized that these spells are for my creatures not me, and that I need to stop myself from using that old way of thinking.”
Herma laughed and then nodded, “Aye, and perhaps if you don’t mind another suggestion. Instead of fighting the beetle, how about we try and force a submission from it. If it fails then you can battle it afterwards.”
Alistair nodded and looked down at the statuette. “It’s for when you win.” Herma said with a wink.
