Chapter 132: Where’d The Text Go – Chapter 132

Doyle leans his core back and hums to himself while considering how to select a path he can’t say the name of. This takes longer than he would be willing to admit, but eventually something clicks. While he can’t say the name of the path itself, maybe he can identify it by the paths around it. ‘[System, what is the path after All the Potions?]’

{[UNIQUE]}

It appears that will work. Though Doyle feels the method is a little clunky. He sighs to himself, ‘A working solution will always be better than an elegant failure. Still, I can’t really blame the system for this. Since it can’t handle the language, I’m honestly just surprised the System can display the word so well despite not being able to pack it full of all the meanings. The problem likely comes from the word it ends up meaning to me differs from what the system can understand from it.’

‘Right now, it would not be a problem for the system to figure out what I mean by context clues. On the other hand, that might always be the case and a general bit of careful planning is probably involved. Especially since each word can have so much meaning to it. Meh, [System, I want to put a point into the path after All the Potions and 5 points into the last path, but please repeat the chosen paths back to me and ask for confirmation first.]’

{1 point to [UNIQUE]

5 points to [TRINITY]

Confirm? Y/N}

Doyle nods, ‘Yes, that is correct. I confirm the point allocation.’

{1 point applied to [UNIQUE]

1/1 - Path complete, What happened to not caring? Before, the world could have burned down around you and your only worry would be if it would disrupt the release of the stories and webcomics you followed. In fact, have you read a single thing since you changed? What happened to telling people that you read to stay sane and not entirely meaning it as a joke? Where is your claim at being immortal and unique across the multiverse! Sure, your belief in magic was proven true but you’ve lost so much. Though here we are, talking to ourselves. Still doing that, might I add. Why? Because you’ve found yourself. It still hasn’t sunk in yet (I blame the goats) and I don’t know if we will remember this for long after reading it, but here we are. Oh, and of course the rewards, can’t forget that! You have earned +10 Willpower and +2 Willpower/Level, Substantial increase in soul density detected, More easily notice the limits placed on you by outside sources, First step on the path

5 points applied to [TRINITY]

Another step on the path}

Doyle’s core dims as he reads the rambling text and then goes absolutely dark at trinity. ‘I guess five points isn’t enough for trinity to go anywhere yet. And another step on the path? What path, because it isn’t one of the system’s paths. Of course I received them from putting points into intent based paths so maybe it has something to do with that. Whatever happened must have been extraordinarily special. Though the bit on unique was strange, what did it say again?’

And he looks back at the message for unique.

{1/1 - Path complete, You have earned +10 Destiny and +2 Destiny/Level, Substantial increase in soul density detected, More easily notice the limits placed on you by outside sources, First step on the path}

Doyle tilts back, ‘Soul density, limits, and stepping onto a path. The soul thing I can just drop for now. It is strange but I’ve also gained a bunch of points in my soul stats so that might be the reason. And of course the path I’ve already complained about so that leaves the limits. What does it mean by the limits placed on me by outside sources? Technically the growth of my dungeon is limited by the void which definitely isn’t mine and is literally outside. I have to assume it means something along the line of how I was stuck in the tutorial until I completed the thing. A bit odd, but I’m sure something strange will be revealed by it.’

Of course a prerequisite of noticing something is limiting him is to have that limit not also include limiting his ability to notice being alerted to its existence. Maybe with a bit more power he will be able to break the restrictions currently on him. But until then, things like the strange path text will have to remain forgotten. At least this time he actually got to read it.

Oblivious to what is likely causing someone a bad day, Doyle turns back to his dungeon. The boss is made, and the floor has been dug out so all that is left to do is wait. And of course if there is one thing being a dungeon core has done for him, it is improve his ability to wait. Dawn breaks, noon rolls around and off into the distance before finally Jim leads his team into the dungeon.

With Bill and Tess in front, the team walks through the first two floors. The third floor takes a bit longer because there is a new layout. Though today the path to the center is much shorter and skips all but one of the mining areas, so before long they are stood in front of the portal to the fourth floor.

Jim looks at the portal and sighs, “Well, it was inevitable they would show up, eventually. The second the wolves got into the dungeon at all we were doomed to face them repeatedly.”

Bill laughs, “They weren’t that hard to fight before and I’m sure we can manage it in here. Going by how Ace described their fight yesterday we just need to be careful of the adds!”

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Tess smacks her boyfriend on the back of the head, “Did you fall asleep part way through the briefing? Yes, the support that came in caused problems, but that wasn’t the real challenge.”

Jim nods, “More enemies doesn’t always make a fight harder. Rather, what was annoying about the fight the other team faced is how the wolves worked together. In fact, they seem to have better teamwork here than they did outside. Though that probably has more to do with the fact that they didn’t particularly care about us and were more focused on getting to the dungeon. Now, are there any other things that need to be said or are we ready to enter and find out if things are randomized with the wolves as well?”

No one else speaks up so the six of them enter the fourth floor. Jim then motions for everyone to stay still as he sneaks ahead. Though it doesn’t take long for him to return.

Jim smiles, “Okay, it looks like this floor isn’t randomizing itself on us.”

Jeremy sighs, “I don’t know if that is better or worse? The previous floor must have been random for a reason and to have this one not be random might mean a jump in difficulty. After all, who knows if the randomization took up some monster slots or some such.”

Jim shrugs, “Just being able to map out the area will be nice. Plus it isn’t like the third floor is completely random. The entrance and exit always seem to be in the same place. That and I think I’ve seen a few repeating rooms, so it is probably a bunch of pre-existing rooms being shuffled.”

Kelly nods, “It is either that or something similar. I’ve examined the records we are keeping for each time one of us founders is a part of a dive and there are definitely repeating elements. It will take some time before we can be fully certain, though. Plus there is nothing to stop the dungeon from adding new rooms and removing old ones.”

“Though I would like to note, while talking about this kind of thing is interesting we have something more important to be doing. Mainly fighting some wolves. At this point I doubt it will be a surprise attack with how much we are talking but maybe if we head out now they won’t be calling reinforcements before the fight starts.”

The rest of the group pauses when they realize that they have been talking aloud when right next to a bunch of wolves. After the embarrassment of making such a simple mistake passes, they move out.

Left around the corner and the group comes face to face with the three wolves they expected. As luck would have it, the mysterious behind-the-scenes interactions between the system and the dungeon rules mean that while the three wolves are expecting them, the wolves further in have not been alerted.

Jim starts the offensive with a shimmering arrow which flies towards the middle wolf. That wolf isn’t quite able to react to the attack, but the wolf on its left can and shoulder checks it out of the way. This, however, puts its right in the arrow's path. Though instead of being drilled through the eye, the wolf only suffers a hit to the front shoulder. Of course it isn’t just a simple arrow, so the wound is quite deep, the arrow having penetrated all the way to the fletching.

With that both sides charge, though the damaged wolf lags behind. Maybe not the best for the group as it gives the wolf enough time to howl for backup. Not that the help likely wasn’t going to arrive eventually, but this would definitely speed up the response time. Though with the warning from Ace’s group, the backup won’t be quick enough.

For most of the dungeon the founders have ended up holding back. Even when exploring the third floor for the first time, they took it slow and steady. A useful tactic when facing more predictable enemies. Even the kobolds on the earlier floors are relatively dense all things considered. About the only real challenge is the earth mages and even then they aren’t creative with their abilities.

While the kobolds would fight as a team, the wolves have experience with it. So much in fact that they have the skill teamwork. This makes them much more of a threat as they work together as one instead of as a bunch of individuals. Too bad for the wolves that humans can do the same, but better.

Humans don’t tend to get the teamwork skill all that often not because they have a problem with it. Rather, the teamwork skill is just plain harder for them as it represents the ability to work together without language. Teams that have been together long enough will eventually gain that sense of awareness for their fellow team members. But most groups are going to rely on verbal commands and hand signs. And how does this play out?

It starts with Jim calling out, “Melee, focus the far right wolf and leave the injured one to me! Kellinger, grease the tunnel then join the melee. Kelly, leave the current wolves to the others and be ready for the backup.”

Jim fires off another arrow, not specifically to injure the injured wolf, but rather to keep it away from the other two. All the while Tess and Bill tank the two uninjured wolves. With a quick call of ready from Jeremy, they both focus on the rightmost wolf. Tess swings her staff low, sweeping the wolf’s legs out from under it while Bill plays a quick beat on its head with skill empowered clubs.

As one, they jump away from the stunned wolf. Just in time for Kellinger’s second spell to come flying in between the two of them. Right before it hits the spell bursts apart into a sticky web that wraps around the wolf. Tess steps back in with her staff glowing bright. The group isn’t playing around and the far end of the staff sinks a good few inches into the wolf’s head. The wolf is lucky as the skill blossoms into its skull, killing it before most of the pain can filter into its groggy mind.