It would seem that the expedition will take some days before they reach me. The main group that I mean. There is a high chance they will send a recon unit for scouting. Well then lets prepare for their arrival. Let’s see what for new mutations my plant have gotten and time for me to create more “dangerous” creatures.
Level 5
Species: cave root-grove
Mana: 0/0 Regen: 4 mana per/h
Species traits [minor gigantism], [photosynthesis], [rock digging]
Most of the root-grove that grows near the entrance just have the [minor gigantism] trait. And the ones that did evolve there upgraded their [rock digging] to [greater rock digging].
[greater rock digging]
This trait gives the ability to increase the effectiveness of digging into rock greatly.
+50% rock digging
Another trait added to the library. The [greater rock digging] lets the root-grove dig itself deeper into the walls and limb even higher on the walls. Some of them are even over 500 meter up on the wall. At the bottom of the waterfall in the lower lake an entirely new root-grove has sprouted.
Level 6
Species: swamp root-grove
Mana: 0/0 Regen: 4 mana per/h
Species traits [minor gigantism], [photosynthesis], [insoculation]
[insoculation]
This trait gives the ability to share nutrients between the same species via permanent bonding.
+25% nutrients sharing
That’s an interesting trait. The root-cave in the lower lake are indeed fused together, creating a giant forest of branches that you can follow with no end. Except for some branches sticking upward. The ground beneath the lake is still stone. It makes it so that adventurers aren’t slowed down much minus the many branches. By creating many patches of moss where they can’t live and then killing the moss. A layer of dead plant matter is created on the bottom of the lake. It muddies the water as well. Before that it was a crystal clear water. Very beautiful but not much of an obstacle.
The Rainbow cavefibian are happier thanks to the decomposing plant matter. The ones that got covered by the moss not so much. But looking at them I see that they have grown much bigger than I last checked.
Level 6
Species: Rainbow cavefibian
Mana: 12/12 Regen: 4 mana per/h
Species traits: [amphibian], [rainbow skin], [lesser gigantism]
[lesser gigantism]:
This trait increases the size of this lifeform.
+50% size, +50% mana, +50% mana regen, +50% health, +75% metabolism usage, -15%
movement
Some of them even have the [lesser gigantism] trait, the direct upgrade of [minor gigantism]. I immediately apply it to every possible lifeform in my floor that has the lesser version. Now even though these rainbow cavefibians are now over 1,5 meters long, they don’t pose much of a threat.
I gave them claws and sharp teeth. Before I gave them teeth they didn’t have any. They just ate moss by sucking it off the ground. Then I made it so that the base size and with the trait that they grow up to around 2 meters long and half a meter high. Sadly I cannot make the base size too big without traits. Making creatures too big without the trait makes them overheat too much and their internals too weak. I tried making one really big over 6 meters. The creatures started overheating until its heart failed. It couldn’t move either too. I would need better trait or better creature patterns to increase the size. The possibility of new creature types can randomly occur with my high mutation chance and the lightonium. For that to occur life needs to reproduce naturally so it will take time for that to occur.
Then I focused on the [rainbow skin] trait. [rainbow skin] on its own is pretty lack luster for combat but looks very beautiful. I started tweaking the trait and by chance I found one variation that could work.
[flashing rainbow skin]
This trait gives a flashing rainbow skin, flashing blinding light of all sorts of colours.
+25% find mate, -30% camouflage, +50% brightness
The skin of the cavefibian now shines even brightly now. If you look form the top of the cliff through the steam you can see flashes of bright colour down below. This trait should give them an advantage on unsuspecting adventurers. This should be enough for now in the lower lake the adventurers will take a long time before they can go down the cliff.
Now unto the last 2 the snakerat and snakemoss. These two shall become very stealthy in the moss. The only change I see in them is that the snakemoss has taken more visual traits of the radicave moss. Now let’s chance the obvious trait first in the snakerat.
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Level 5
Species: snakerat
Mana: 12/12 Regen: 3 mana per/h
Species traits [symbiosis] (snakemoss), [lesser gigantism], [cave vision]
The snakerat was now over 3 meters long and 20 centimeter thick after increasing the base size with the trait. Its nubby feet given sharp ends for it needs to use it. I increased the size of the mouth and placed serated teeth in it. Before the change didn’t had any teeth since it never had to feed, just drink trough their small mouth. The trait [cave vision] wouldn’t really help them anymore for they live now in a very large cave. I know of some underground snakes that use tremors and some others have the ability to see heat. The heat one can be useful but most of them would be living on the higher part of the floor where there is a lot of heat.
Let’s try to get both. At first I tried to get a trait that detects tremors and movement. And after a few minor mistakes that didn’t cost the lives of those snakerats I created a snakerat without eyes that has the [lesser tremor sense] trait.
[lesser tremor sense]
This trait gives the ability to detect tremors form a distance and know where they are.
+50% tremor detection, +25% tremor detection range
After a few attempts to get the heat version this time without snakerat death I created one that still has eyes and the [minor heat vision].
[minor heat vision]
This trait gives the ability to see heat at a distance
+25% heat vision, +12% heat vision range
This trait is less effective than the [lesser tremor sense], but didn’t come at the cost of the snakerats eyes. Now that I upgraded the snakerat it’s the snakemoss’s turn.
Level 2
Species: snakemoss
Mana: 0/0 Regen: 1 mana per/h
Species traits [symbiosis] (snakerat), [extremely slow metabolism], [photosynthesis]
I didn’t need to change the [extremely slow metabolism] into [lesser gigantism] because the snakerat already had it. The snakerat itself is a bit slow even without the [lesser gigantism] slowing it down. Lest make it so that they don’t need move fast by giving the snakemoss the ability to blend in with the radiacave moss. so I started making the snakemoss look even more like radiacave moss. After a few unfortunate accidents with the glowing radiacave I got what I wanted and more. One of the snakemoss got a trait called [lesser natural stealth] and another got [lesser radioactive boost].
[lesser natural stealth]
This trait give the ability to blend in more in a natural environment.
+50% natural stealth, -15% presence (natural)
[lesser radioactive boost] (active trait)
This trait give the ability to use radiation to boost the user at cost
+50% strength, +25% movement, +12% radiation resistance
The [lesser natural stealth] was the thing I was aiming for. Sneaky giant snakes. I do wonder what my creatures taste like, not including the radioactive ones for those could kill me. Maybe later I get a trait that lets me feel more I hope. The firebeetles would totally be spicy, but their resistance to fire would mean that they would be very difficult to cook. Anyway enough dawdling.
The [lesser radioactive boost] is one of the rarer traits that have a (active) state. For this trait it makes sense. The snakerats that use it for too long begin to “cook” themselfs form the inside out. If they keep going they start to burn as well and then they die. Even if they use it for a shorter amount of time the radiations damages them. The snakemoss on the snakerat begins to glow blue if they activate it. Otherwise the moss is an off green like colour. Totally the opposite of what I wanted but a good mutation nonetheless.
I begin to place the [lesser tremor sense] versions with both types of snakemoss on the higher side of the floor. And all 4 versions after the lower lake. After the lower lake the temperature is more stable. The temperature of the floor is around 35°C on the higher part and drops to 25°C after the lower lake. The boiling lake generates enough steam that it practically permanently rains on the lower lake and boiling lake.
The temperature and humidity is another thing to slow down the adventurers. The lake is slowly starting to decrease in size. Let’s create a giant water source crystal on the roof for water to stream down to the boiling lake. I should also make this water near boiling for.
Now that the dangers are created lets create treasures. While the glowing radiacavemoss and fire-red kelp are very good treasures. I think that there needs to be more treasures that need mining. So I can see how people mine and suffer like I did. So let’s see what I can create. Let’s put some quartz source crystals a kilometer in the floor. It’s not worth much but can be used for some magic. I think that the shamans use them for temporary mana storage. Because they kept asking for more, like they would break or something. Now let’s be devious and put a big gold source crystal all the way on the roof just after the cliff. If they can see it through the steam, climb there, brave the lightonium and bring it back then they deserve it.
And then lets create a space behind the waterfall in the middle of the fall. The entrance to the space is only 1 meter wide and the space itself is 5 by 6 by 10 meters big. In that space I created a few small gem source crystals. Emerald, ruby and my favourite lapis lazuli. The small size means it will take some time to grow and regrow if they are found.
Then I added some copper, iron and magnesium ore veins. These I scattered all around the cliff decently big but not too big so they regrow fully once a week or so. And then finally I placed a large iron ore source crystals 2 kilometres past the lower lake. The vein created a place where the radiacave moss grew slower or didn’t. This may cause some mutations later.
Now now now what shall add more. Adding traps would be a bit overkill and useless with this much open space. Also the high temperature, humidity, boiling water, and cliff would be hazardous enough. Oh! I have an idea. Let’s add a giant statue of myself near the entrance with horns of lapis lazuli! That will be a good addition to the dungeon. Bigger than the biggest dragon.
{The scouting team}
A group of 4 people a male fox-kin wearing safari clothes and a pair of round glasses, a female skink-kin draped in a dark purple robe, a quarter-dragon in minimal clothes with two giant claymores and a small blue male felinid carrying a big backpack probably filled with books.
The fox-kin looks around “ah the fresh smell of mountains always good on the body” The felinid responses “what you are smelling is probably the droppings of a lure-vulture. It smell nice to attract creatures who then might eat it and die from eating it.” The fox-kin visibly retches “ah can’t be all good can it the fresh smell of the mountain”
The skink-kin stops and points toward a now very visible very large hole “there, is that what we are looking for? A giant hole that might be the entrance to the dungeon.” The quarter-dragon looks at the hole “that might be it yeah”
The four of them go to the giant hole in the side of the mountain. “can’t believe we didn’t see this kilometres away” the fox-kin says looking into the dungeon entrance. “let’s go in, Vinella can you cast slowfall on us these steps are mighty tall.” The Fox-kin says to the skink-kin. “yes I can do that, but it won’t last long” the four of them descend into the dungeon and the first thing they see is a giant kobold statue.
The map of the first part of the 1st floor
