{The dungeon core}
That was interesting. That scouting group was probably a high ranking one. Reaching the 3rd evolution even, maybe even higher. That would mean that they are over lvl 60 far above the average lvl of this floor. Surprisingly they stayed away from the firebeetles. The skink-kin one Vinella did say that the air is more reactive and then throwing a fireball that exploded very big. The fire from that blast was even burning in the pouring rain.
Ah what it might be are the placed oxygen source crystals. Now that I think of it some of my pyromaniac clutch sisters did say that fire burns hotter and stronger when there is fresh air. And fire doesn’t burn in bad air. The air you can’t breath or you will fall asleep permanently. Well it makes the firebeetles a bit more scary while I do think that they would be able to fight a few and win. Sadly I couldn’t see them fight. But while they where near the quartz vein I did notice that my reverence of size was a bit off. I thought I made the max a half a meter but they grew ten times the size that.
Now let’s incorporate the new flora I got and use the traits on my other lifeforms. I began by modifying the ferns. They don’t need [lesser cold resistance] so that gets replaced by [lesser gigantism] making the ferns grow over 2 meters tall. Then I placed them all over the floor except near the lake where the ferns died because of the heat.
While having normal large ferns is nice having a few special ones is even better. So I made a few ferns blue in colour and removed the [minor resilience] for [lesser electro-synthesis]. Now in the fern filled moss field there are crackling plant that emit electric discharges form time to time. I also placed some of the ferns in the lower lake in the rootgrove. The ones I placed where mostly the electric versions creating a even more colourfull forest. Green, blue, brown and the rainbow colours of the cavefibians.
About electricity, the lightning skyalgae are getting large enough to start producing the first lighting strikes. Most of them are just arching towards the roof hitting the source crystals there. The skyalgae didn’t need any changes. Using [lesser gigantism] on the algae wouldn’t really work for if they became 50% bigger they would still be very tiny. Although it would make the lighting production bigger, but alas I would either need to use mana to sustain them or they wouldn’t float in the air. While it would be funny to electrically charge the lower lake I will probably not use it until later floors.
Now [lesser buoyant] (air) tinkering with this trait shall be fun. The possibilities of this trait are very fun. I began by creating a few firebeetles with this trait in stead of the [heat resistance] trait. The bugs won’t need it since they will be floating around in the air decently far away from the burning lake. The newly created bugs started to float until they were a kilometer high. They were just floating in the air unable to move much. Now lets mutate their wings back. Trough a few iterations where a few flew into the walls, floor and roof a new flying firebeetle got created. I moved them to the cliff where they will float around the waterfall of the cliff. I made them so that they won’t attack adventures when they are climbing down the cliff, but they will attack any other flying creature. Now what would happen if someone where to just jump off it. That person if they survived crashing into water at that speed would probably still be flamed unless they are in the waterfall.
Then the lower lake rootgrove. I created a version with [lesser buoyant] (air) instead of [photosynthesis]. I placed them at the top of the already living rootgrove. Making it so that the normal rootgrove could grow even higher by fusing with the floating ones. And the floating ones didn’t need to eat because they get the food from the normal ones. The floating rootgrove did have white leaves since it didn’t have [photosynthesis]. A peculiar sight that is. I made more rootgrove letting them grow even higher. After I was done creating more the rootgrove forest wat over 500 meters tall. A thick branching maze of roots. For I found it funny that someone might jump down the entire cliff a 800 meter wide gap that tapered off downstream was created without any rootgrove. I made the Water there deeper 40 meters to be exact. And to make it ever better I made a few oxygen producing source crystals embedded at the bottom. Making it so a lot of bubbles where in that gap breaking the fall even more.
After all of that a day has passed. I peaked outside my entrance to see where the expedition is. And they were there near the bottom of the valley. It seems that they created a camp of sorts. It is reasonable to assume that this is going the be a outpost. For traders to come by and adventures to rest. While I think after a good road is build this outpost wouldn’t really become big. It is only a 6 hour walk to the dungeon then. Without a road a day or 2. But 6 hours isn’t that much I think. I traveled 7 hours to go to the mine where quartz crystals where when I still was a kobold. The adventurers guild always brings some interesting creatures and flora to dungeons. Some of the traders at my old warren said that in one case a guild master brought a life 5th evolution drake into a dungeon. For the chance that the dungeons spawned more. So that the guild master could fight more of them!
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The other two guilds also bring some flora and fauna. The research guild mostly brings rare and almost extinct flora and fauna. To preserve those and study them in the dungeon, although most of those do get mutated by dungeons. Most dungeons don’t have a sapient as the core after all.
And then we have the acquisition guild. Where the most greedy of them are. Just like the other two they also give flora and fauna, but these lifeforms have a lot of value. They sometimes even force a dungeon to create those things. Luckily the adventurers guild most of the time steps in if they start doing that. I won’t really have problems with that guild the fire-red kelp, crystals and ores shall satiate them. Maybe even too much.
{the adventurers guild tent}
The admiral looks at the four people in front of him, the scouting group.
“So, what did you guys find and what lvl Is this dungeon?”
Ichthy grabbing his book opening it and showing it to the Admiral’
“Heres a map of what we discovered so far. The dungeon was far bigger than any of us thought it would be.”
“I have drawn every creature and plant as well, just rough sketches”
The Admiral picks the book up and takes his time looking at the map an the drawn flora and fauna.
“Why is there a giant kobold statue near the entrance and why is it over 500 meters tall”
Vinella sits a bit more upright now in a dry robe.
“I suspect that the cores intelligence is a kobold. Only those of draconic descent would build a statue of themselves this early. Pride and all.” “Or the core just got bored”
The admiral closes the book and pushes it back towards Ichthy.
“So, we have a sapient dungeon at our hands. That’s good. So long nobody pisses them off.”
“But back to my question, Giri what level would you put this floor at?”
“well Admiral the floor would be mid to high 0 rank, but with the environment without good prepared equipment I would put it at low tier 1. Ones that had time to learn and adapt after their first evolution.”
“That pretty high Giri, for the 1st floor of a dungeon. And I have read as well that you didn’t fight one of the creatures right? The firebeetles?”
“Yes that’s true, we didn’t fight those because we didn’t had any fire resistance clothes or potions. And fire burned stronger than normal. Ichthy you did you put that in the book right?” Ichthy nods.
“Well the acquisition guild and potion guild will both be happy about this. More for them to sell fire proof clothes and fire resistance potions.” Sayed the Admiral with a hearty laugh.
“Now then Ichthy ones you go the research guild make a copy of what you’ve found an give a copy to me and the acquisition guild master. That’s all go take a break and don’t forget to visit the healers for hidden damage.”
The four of them got out of the tent and either went to their tent of guild to either rest or relay information. The Admiral then asked for the other two guild master to come to his tent. The research guild master came immediately, but the acquisition guild master came what later.
“Ah were alle here now, let me explain what the scouting team has found. “
The admiral first tells them that the dungeon is over 5 kilometers wide possibly taler than wide and an unknown amount of depth. The acquisition guild master laughed when he heard about the giant kobold statue that had horns made of pure lapis lazuli. Then he talked about the flora found in the dungeon. The peculiar size of everything got the purple kobold interested even more when the admiral spoke about the blue glowing moss on the roof of the dungeon. When the Admiral spoke of the fire-red kelp the orange cat-kin didn’t respond for he already knew of it. The scouting team had indeed sold it to the acquisition guild after all.
Then unto the creatures all three of them agreed that the glowing snake wouldn’t be brought outside for the lingering radiation might bring problems. The non glowing version was allowed. Both the kobold and kat-kin were upset that there was no samples form the firebeetles. Then he began to speak of the minerals and ores found in the dungeon both surprise to learn that this dungeon already had source crystals.
“That’s good to hear that this dungeon already has source crystals there could be more ore/mineral deposits. Although if any is found past the cliff the logistics to get it back would be difficult. Even the large quartz crystals will be annoying to move can’t bring weak people they might die by monster while transporting it,” The cat-kin said thinking very hard.
“Now since I have filled you in what are your guild going to bring into the dungeon. The adventurers guild is bringing ironwood seeds, a lesser drakeling and a frost shrimp freshly caught”
“The research guild will be bringing a old skeleton that looks like an old ancestor to birds but without wings. The guild will also bring greater marsh leeches, the draining of the marsh is limiting their living area.”
“The acquisition guild shall bring metal-flowers, water-hyacinths, fire-roses and a basalt badger. Hopefully giving us the resources to make fire resistant clothes and the roses hopefully have a higher fire affinity than the kelp.”
The guild masters exchanged some pleasantries and information and then left to their own tents again.
what lenght chapters is good?
