Chapter 26: Spiky Goat Helmets – Chapter 26

Doyle checks his status, ‘Okay, I have 3 path points left and I know what I want next. Goat supremacy only needs 20 points so I won’t get anything for it but might as well throw them in. [System, put 3 points into goat supremacy]’

{3 Points applied to Goat Supremacy}

‘That taken care of we have a few things to go over now. Most important is that completing the 2nd dungeon core path gave me 9 more floors. How does that work? I felt something form in my mind when I got it but haven’t poked it yet. Also, you probably have some points so we should check what you have available as well. After all, you’ve been tutoring me a good bit.’ Ally puts her hand on her chin, ‘true. I might have gotten enough for something. Let’s take a look, shall we? [System, show me and Doyle my paths].’

{Points: 10

Class: Dungeon Companion II 10/10

Completed: Fae Magic I 10/10

Started [1/3]: Autumn’s Jester 3/100

Available: Dungeon Companion III 10/100, True Dungeon Companion I 0/1, Royal Tutor 0/25, Fae Magic II 0/50, Dungeon Fae Legacy I 0/120}

Both her eyes go wide, ‘well my luck has definitely taken a turn for the better since I met you. Look at that, I got an upgraded version of my class and I plan to take it. Besides that there is a legacy path. Going to throw at least one point in that. I guess this is a good learning opportunity for you. Legacy paths are unique stuff. When someone dies if they do it right they can leave behind an echo of them in the system. Because it is related to the soul only one person can have it at a time and if they complete it, the legacy is gone from the system forever. So yeah, [System, put 1 point in true dungeon companion 1 and 1 point in dungeon fae legacy 1]. I will just keep the spare points for now.’

{1 Point Applied to True Dungeon Companion I…

1/1 - Path Complete, You have earned +2 Destiny, +2 Karma, +2 Luck, +1 Luck/Level, Soul Sight lv0

1 Point Applied to Dungeon Fae Legacy}

‘Well, what do you know! Got a skill out of it. I don’t know how useful being able to see souls will be but there it is. Presumably it will be useful as it was the starting skill for the class. Though now I do have two of three slots taken up. Guess that means I need more skills to level.’ Doyle nods his core, ‘sooo, with that new skill of yours, what do I look like?’

Ally takes a look at him with glowing eyes and shrugs. ‘You look like you always do, a sphere of crystal.’ Doyle tilts to the side, ‘you checked my soul with the skill right? Because until recently I was a human. While I don’t know much about souls, there is enough fiction that has it at least humanoid shaped.’

Ally looks up sharply and whispers, “[Soul Sight]”. Her eyes glow again and she gets right up close to his core. ‘You’re right. Souls should match the shape of your body you were born in. I guess the ritual does more than we thought. Not sure what it means. Few people get close enough to a ritual created core to have info on this. But hey, the skill is now level 1, so that’s a thing.’

Doyle floats down and dims, ‘Yeah, not much we can do about it. So what do we do now?’ Ally gestures at the walls, ‘use up your world energy. Remember that giant overflow you had? It all gets pumped back to you. That means you should keep the tank empty cause you will get a refill. Maybe fill in all the spare space you have with rock? I know we talked about that at some point but never got around to it.’

‘Though I just realized we sort of glossed over your previous questions and something else important. Let’s start with your kobolds. That path gave your kobolds, not just you, stats per level. All your kobolds are getting more agility and wisdom as they increase in level and any sentient ones also get karma. This is how your monsters can get stronger with levels. Even if they don’t have paths, your own paths can buff them. This makes your goat's path so much more important than before.’

Normally Doyle’s core has a bit of a wobble like a person’s chest moving as they breathe. This little fact he missed stills his movement entirely. ‘Oh wow. I need more skills as well. Though I don’t know where to begin with dungeon skills. The ones I already have are very broad, seemingly they cover everything.’

Ally shrugs, ‘There is more out there to being a dungeon than you can do at the moment. Though the combo of control and rule can be somewhat omnipotent. That isn’t a bad thing because when you do get more specific skills they can level up together. Don’t worry about overlap because it will all work out.’

‘Now for your other question on the floors. First of all, don’t worry about it holding you back. This one it is nine floors, next 90, and so on. What you feel in your mind is a data packet like with the monsters. Difference is instead of some foreign experiences, this is pure dungeon. Not even a conscious one but one of the dumb dungeons without a mind yet. All automatic responses. It won’t blast you out. Like waking up from a dream instead of a sledgehammer to the skull.’ Doyle pokes it and Ally grimaces as she feels pain through the soul link. She laughs weakly, ‘I could be wrong?’

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She was. Now the pain wasn’t as bad as the monster info was. Still not a fun time though. It also didn’t last as long and Doyle’s mind cleared up after only a couple of minutes. Ally rubs the back of her head, ‘so yeah. What did you learn?’

Doyle’s core wobbles as he recovers. ‘Guess what? Same old song and dance. I know I complained about you constantly bringing up the fact that I was a void dungeon but this is a major difference. In other dungeons the concept of floors is more literal. A cave dungeon goes downward, a tower dungeon builds upward, however as a void dungeon I go inward. My next floor forms where the current floors core room is. Some dimensional shenanigans go on with that because it isn’t just a portal to the next floor. That floor is literally contained entirely within the core room. All that pain was from an absolute beastly amount of math being crammed into my head.’

‘I can understand why Flisle took so long to get to 7 floors without a system to help. Even with the instincts for making a new floor. The concept of putting a bigger box into a smaller one without damaging either takes a bit to wrap your head around. Not that I have. I am going to slide by on system based training wheels for a long while.’

Ally nods, ‘well thats. Well yeah. Space based magic does tend to be limited to the truly powerful or those with an inborn ability. You would fall under that second one. Even without the systems help you would have gotten around to it within an eon or two. Yes, space magic without the system is something you learn in geological time spans.’

‘You basically have to be immortal to learn it. The system shortcuts it by doing the math behind the scene. Even then space mages under the system can’t truly use its strong points. For instance, it sounds like you are basically turning your core room into a bag of holding or storage ring. Except of course at a much higher level. Cause, you know, you apparently will be doing this recursively? If you do this for every floor, then you are making a storage device within a storage device.’

‘Now you can put a bag within a bag and unlike some of your worlds fiction. However there is a catch. Well, normally there is a catch as you apparently break that rule. Space becomes less stable inside storage devices that are inside another. This means if you put nine bags of holding inside a tenth one you’re all right. Stack them though and things get a little chancy. You might just get a tear in a dimensions fabric, sucking everything within a decent distance into the void.’

Doyle tilts to the side, ‘you bring up storage devices but also mention space magic being uber rare. How does that work? On one hand, the idea of the classic bag of holding being a thing pleases me. On the other, no there isn’t another side to it. If I wasn’t basically already one I would want one.’

Ally puts up a single finger and shakes it at Doyle. ‘You forget the whole system assist thing didn’t you? That would explain it easily enough. But yeah, storage devices are semi-common. To actually learn space magic is an arduous task. To use predetermined runes and enchantments is a different story. Bags are the most common though most limited. Instead of creating space it just stretches it.’

‘Now while it is interesting to go over this with you we have other matters to attend to. For instance, can you start on your next floor right away or does the system have some sort of limit? Once again most of our knowledge on how the system does dungeons comes from transplants and not natives.’ Ally goes quiet and looked expectantly at Doyle.

‘Let me check real quick’, and Doyle tries to form his next floor. Tries being the operative word as a system message pops up instead of a new floor. ‘Nope, can’t make my next floor yet. Apparently we don’t count as having opened up yet and the system restricts you to only making the first floor before then.’

Ally leans back, ‘huh, I guess with the system some dungeons could keep building even without opening. That rule would limit any runaway dungeons. Though it means that wherever we end up, we need to rush it. As we are, there will probably be a group or two who could kill us. You haven’t even managed to advance the levels of your monsters. I guess just spend your world energy for now.’

‘Maybe equip your goats with something? Not as a permanent thing but just so we have a little more defense for the first few runs. Even if the groups that come along are stronger than any we have seen they shouldn’t complete the floor in one go. The threat of actual death tends to hold back people. In fact, there is a good chance that most groups might turn away even before they enter that large goat room at the end there.’

Doyle’s core dims as he concentrates on the suggestion. After some thought he had an idea that might work so he brought it up to Ally. ‘Hey, the goats aren’t really able to wear most of the armor or use weapons but I thought of a possibility. A helmet with metal horn guards should improve a goats attack potential. In fact, for the two goats under the leader some spikes might not be out of place.’

Ally nods, ‘that is a good idea. Their horns might be sturdy but it is a relatively blunt affair. Likely for the best on the first floor and the helmets would let you keep the same type of goats while adding better offense. Though helmets are still armor as well so it isn’t like you’re ignoring their defense either. Yeah, I think it could work out real well. [System, what’s the cost of goat helmets with bronze horn covers and what if you add spikes to them?]’

{Leather helmet with Bronze(9:1 copper tin ratio) horn covers: 3, 15, 3000

Leather helmet with Bronze(9:1 copper tin ratio) horn covers studded with spikes: 4, 20, 4000}

Doyle brightens at the sight of the cost. ‘That is well within reason, likely because of my connection with goats. They might cost more than the regular armor but less than most bronze items. Plus I don’t need to make them loot unless some horned races show up.  I think we can throw the first version on the five goats in that large room and the second version on the leader’s goats. Really, I could give all my goats helmets but that would be excessive. Just the final few is enough for now.’