Chapter 4: 3 – A Dungeon Is I

Maybe it was due to me wanting something akin to a significant other since me and my girlfriend split, maybe it was due to me being sexually frustrated since then made possibly even worse by my death, or maybe I just plain liked the theme. At that moment in time, I wasn’t quite certain why I was feeling inclined to pick the Dark Castle theme I just knew I did. So with only a brief moment of hesitation, I voiced my choice. “I choose the Dark Castle theme.” I told the voice.

A brief pause which I pictured was the voice nodding her head or freezing in shock. “Very well then.” The voice said before a ripple stretched across the void passing through me along the way. “It is done now, it is time to start building of the dungeon. First off let us look around us to see if we are clear.”

With that, the void snapped away as if it was an image projected on a blank wall suddenly turned off. Around us was a stretch of land where a wild forest and messy plains met. Looking down I saw a glowing rock which gave me a weird feeling of nausea looking at it. “Best not to look at it, that is where your ‘body’ is, currently your soul is being projected outside to look around.” The voice explained. “Looking at it will cause your soul to realize that it isn’t currently in your body and get confused thus causing that nausea you are feeling. It looks like the coast is clear so we should-”

Deciding to heed her advice I turned my head up and tried to scan the surrounding area to look for any wild animals or such. When I did so I noticed it wasn't a mere animal but a human seemingly resting behind a tree near us. “Is that a… Woman!?” I asked in shock as I tried to point toward where I saw the woman. The voice gasped in shock before looking to see what I was seeing.

“Oh dear, that would have been bad. If we started expanding the dungeon while she was in the vicinity it could have caused some unforeseen consequences.” The voice said in worry and disappointment at herself for not noticing it. “Glad you picked up on it, if I didn’t know any better I might have thought you had the Observe skill already.”

“Observe skill?” I asked inquisitively. To that she just laughed it off and told me to forget it for now. I continued asking questions concerned that this could mean the end of my second life before it began, “So how do we expand with her in this way then? Can we move her away from us?”

The voice giggled at my questions, apparently finding my worry funny. “No no, we can easily grow our dungeon; it would just mean we either have to grow away from her or push her away. People being near a growing dungeon is only a worry if we don’t notice them and accidentally build on top or around them.” The voice explained to me. “We can just move on and I will deal with her if she becomes a pressing issue.”

I sighed in relief at that but I still had another question. “What happens if she wakes up while we are growing? Couldn’t she easily get to the core and beat me without any issue?” I wondered if I could lose my first run so easily. I was now self-conscious of myself asking so many questions so I added at the end, “Sorry if I am asking too much I really appreciate your help, thank you.”

Somehow I could just feel a blush radiating off the voice as she next spoke. “No need for thanks, I am your Dungeon Helper after all.” She deflected my concerns and thanks. “As for your question, a dungeon when it is the size of a rock gives off a form of sleep gas that only stops when it has been formed. So she won’t wake up until we are ready for her.”

I nodded my head in understanding as she continued. “Now let’s actually get to that growing thing huh? First, we must actually make a Dungeon Core room where your Core will be stored.” She explained as the rock below us began to glow even bright until it was blinding to any normal eyes, which I was thankfully not equipped with at this time, as the rock seemed to unfurl itself as it grew into a large square room around where my soul was. It built around me and soon fully surrounded me with a dark brick square room.

I looked down again to where the rock that housed my Dungeon was a floating light, as I looked down at it I felt my soul being sucked into it before I was fully enveloped by it. Looking around I noticed that I was now the light itself, so this was my “Dungeon Core” it seemed. “Now the bare necessities are finished, we can actually make sure your ‘dungeon’ is more than just a room.” The voice spoke up again once I was finished being sucked into my Core. “Every Dungeon gets a few points of Mass, Mana, and DP when they start off so they can build themselves. First, let’s make a hallway so any adventurers don’t immediately win when they enter.”

It was like I was in a tutorial being taught how to play a game but I wasn’t about to complain about free growth. I did as my Dungeon Helper instructed me and expanded outwards about a hundred feet, or around half the length of a normal hotel hallway, as my Dungeon Core room was pushed away from where it was formerly buried. The hallway and my Dungeon Core room were currently barren so my Dungeon Helper decided to fill it up. “That’s great, but currently it feels so empty and there isn’t anything stopping an adventurer from just jogging through it without a care. Let us fill it with some monsters and a trap.”

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As she said a list of possible options appeared before stylized like it was a normal scroll from the medieval age. Looks like I had a bit more freedom to choose whatever than I did before so I scanned my options to see what interested me the most. They were pretty basic so I decided not to waste all my DP on the most expensive options and instead decided to spend most of it to get numerous of the cheapest monsters which happened to be Goblins. Using 40 of my 50 currently available DP I bought 8 goblins to guard the hallway.

With ten DP left I spent the rest of it on the cheapest trap as well which happened to be a spike pit that would cause any unperceptive adventurer to fall in and take some hefty damage to their health. I placed that nefarious trap right behind the goblin that was closest to the Dungeon Core room hoping to catch any victory high adventurer unaware. I then confirmed my purchases and all of my DP disappeared as my bought trap and monsters began appearing. First, the spike trap materialized as a 5x5 floor tile near the Dungeon Core room sunk as spikes appeared on the floor with a false covering over it. Then eight little goblins began growing with each one further and further away from the Dungeon Core room. I noted with slight confusion that it was obvious five of them were female and only three were male.

For now, they seemed to be asleep as they slumped against the wall closest to them and snored quite loudly. “Eight goblins and a spike trap huh? An oldie but goodie starting monsters and a trap, they are also positioned quite well, it seems you already got the hang of this my Dungeon.” The voice appraised my purchases and then praised me. “Now on to why I assume you picked this theme, your Dungeon Guardian. Dungeon Guardians, at least the first one, are always free so no need for any more DP to summon them.”

After she said that she began chanting a language unknown to mortals as a summoning circle appeared inside the Dungeon Core room. Finally, at the end of her chant, she spouted off in English, “Now, heed my call, and guard this dungeon! Arrive Busta the Dark Lady!” After her chant ended the woman I saw when I was given the options of my theme began rising seemingly out of nowhere in the middle of the circle. Eventually, after some time Busta arrived in all her glory.

A second passed before life seemed to appear behind her eyes. She scanned the room around her before finally landing on the light that was my Dungeon Core, though she smiled at it as she saw something else. "Hello my Lord, it has been too long. Though of course not in the best of circumstances I am glad we could meet again." She remarked as she stared longingly at me. "Damn those adventurers for weakening to such an extent, but do not fret for I will guard you until you regain enough of your strength to regain your form."

I raised a nonexistent eyebrow at her, it seems this is what the voice meant when she said "sees the Dungeon as her spouse". Better to play along at least for now I think. "Quite Busta my lady. I will appreciate any help you could give me." I told her as I played along I heard the voice giggle apparently finding the whole thing quite humorous. "For now, yes, I ask for you to guard my core until that moment comes for me to return to my previous strength."

Busta nodded along to my words apparently either unaware of the Dungeon Helper's presence or uncaring. "Of course, if any adventurer somehow makes it to this room I will guard you with my very life." She promises as she bowed to me which gave an ample view of her cleavage which I couldn't quite tell whether it was intentional or not. She returned to her natural posture before continuing on saying, "Afterwards we could resume our plans to conquer the very globe."

Before we could continue any further with that the voice of the Dungeon Guardian made herself known. "Sorry to intrude on such a lovely 'reunion' but that woman you noticed earlier? Well ever since the Dungeon unfurled itself from the rock the gas has stopped being emitted. Meaning there is a 99% chance that she will wake up and be the first adventurer to try and siege us." She warned us with the first hint of worry in her tone since I met her. Hearing that Busta rushed outside the DC room to speak to the guardians leaving me alone with the Dungeon Helper.

She continued explaining what a 'Siege' even is. "During a siege, you must defend during which you can't expand your dungeon at all leaving only your monsters, traps, and eventually your DG to handle the sieging adventurers. You can however support your minions in various ways such as buffing them, possessing them, or any number of things. However, if an adventurer reaches the end of your Dungeon not only must you reward them you will also lose DP in order to reward them, and falling into the red with DP will cause... Crippling penalties."

Nodding my nonexistent head in understanding I then voiced it. "Good luck then, since it is only a single nonexperienced adventurer you shouldn't need it. I gift it to you anyway." She said before suddenly she became silent. Somehow I just knew that right now I couldn't call her for any aid and knew for now at least I was alone. As Busta returned and smirked in complete confidence I waited for the adventurer to enter and begin my first defense.

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