CONQUEST: The Dungeon Core Gambit Book One

by Antony W. F. Chow

  The giant worm was coiled up like a snake around the protective dome. She ignored the faery.

  "This world has four major affinities: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. Earth and Wind are diametrical pairs along with Fire and Water. If you choose an affinity, you gain a bonus for using that element. But you'll be more vulnerable to elemental damage from the opposite element," Jessica lectured.

  If I choose Fire as my primary affinity, then I can't choose Water for my secondary affinity?

  "Correct."

  But I'm free to choose Wind or Earth for the secondary affinity?

  "Yes."

  What's the most beneficial primary affinity to choose?

  Jessica tilted her head. "All affinities have their own benefits. But ideally, you should choose an affinity which is in harmony with your dungeon core's environment. For instance, if your core is located underwater, then I would suggest Water as your primary affinity because you could then tap into the water as energy to fuel your Water-based Works."

  Hold on. What's a 'Work?'

  "Work is an action that bends your environment to your will. It is completely different from the magic spells that the humans and other races can cast. Magic is a separate system altogether and you, as a dungeon core, lack the ability to cast magic spells. Now, regarding an elemental work, here's an example: you are currently deep underground. You can reshape the rocks into anything you want through an Earth Work. And if you tap into the geothermal vent under you, then you won't need to spend any of your personal mana to create the Earth Work."

  Wow! That sounds quite useful. Can I reshape the rocks into anything?

  "Yup!" the faery nodded. "You could create statues, sculptures, anything earth-related through an Earth Work."

  Since I'm buried deep underground, it would be best if I choose Earth as my primary affinity?

  "That's my recommendation, master," Jessica agreed.

  What about my secondary affinity?

  "I would recommend Fire because you're sitting on top of a heat vent. You could tap into the heat and make something burn," the helper suggested.

  That sounds reasonable. Okay, I'll go with your recommendations.

  "Thank you, master." Jessica grabbed the edge of her olive dress and curtsied.

  Now tell me what Hivemind does.

  "Do you remember me saying that you can take control of a minion that you create?"

  Yes.

  "Hivemind is what allows you to exert control without embedding a portion of your dungeon core into the minion's body," she explained.

  So I can now send a minion out of the dungeon and still control it?

  Jessica shook her head. "You need to embed a portion of your core and turn the minion into a puppet in order to do so. Hivemind allows you to partition your mind to control multiple minions simultaneously. Without this ability, you could only control one minion at a time. With Hivemind, you can control several minions at the same time to act separately from one another. You see that number '4' next to 'Hivemind' on your status screen? That means you can control 4 minions right now."

  How can I split a portion of my dungeon core? Do I cut a piece of it off? Will it hurt?

  The faery giggled. "That sounds quite painful if you physically cut your core. But thankfully, you won't need to do that. At Level 10, you gain the ability to 'Split core.' When you use this ability, you choose how much health and mana to apportion to the split. Your primary core will be reduced by the exact same amount."

  Ouch.

  Jessica nodded sympathetically. "It's a double-edged sword, master. You want to split as much of your health and mana as possible into the second core so that it could survive on its own. But that would, in turn, weaken your primary core and make you more vulnerable. This is partially why the Split core ability can be unlocked only when you reach Level 10. At that point, you will have enough health and mana to afford a split."

  I'm only about 8,000 XP away from reaching Level 10. I want to start constructing my dungeon and kill two birds with one stone. What kind of design do you recommend?

  The faery considered the question. "You have 36,000 units of raw materials on hand. Your domain is only slightly more than a mile, though, because you had asked me to focus on digging vertically instead of horizontally. The size of your domain is measured horizontally."

  Is that strange?

  Jessica made a face. "Yes! The strength of a dungeon is measured by the domain it covers. Since you hold only one mile of your domain, you're considered a 'baby dungeon.'"

  Markos laughed. I guess even in this new world, there is a pecking order.

  "Indeed," she nodded. "But getting back to your original question, I would simply create another layer to surround your core for now."

  Wouldn't the dungeon need a path connecting directly to my dungeon core in order for me to retain control as the dungeon keeper?

  "No," the faery shook her head. "Access to your core isn't necessary until you have minions and wish to turn them into puppets by inserting secondary cores into their bodies. Otherwise, you can supervise the construction and maintenance of your dungeon through me. And since I'm a spirit, I can fly through walls to reach you if you require my personal presence."

  Good point. Please go ahead and build another layer to surround me. But make sure there's enough room for my pet Nematode to roam if she wants to.

  "Aye-aye, master!" Jessica saluted with a grin. Considering that the worm was 10 feet long and needed plenty of wiggle room (pun intended), the helper decided to make the inner diameter 100 feet wide. She wanted to spend no more than 1,000 units on the outer dome. She settled on making the outer layer 30 feet thick and expended approximately 950 units.

  Markos observed the creation of the outer dome and approved of his helper's work. He saw that there was more than ample space for his pet to roam freely. However, he gained only 4,750 XP from its construction and the dungeon core was still at Level 9.

  As if she had read his mind, Jessica expanded upward and outward with the conversion of the rocks into raw materials. She utilized the dungeon core's unlimited access to the geothermal energy and processed the conversion in allotments of 1,000 units. When the dungeon core broke Level 10, she paused in her work. "You have reached Level 10, master," Jessica announced with a flourish and a curtsy.

  YES!

  Chapter 6

  Minions & Allies

  Markos was glad he had put off his nap. He was truly excited to reach Level 10! The dungeon core pulled up his UI to confirm his advancement:

  Name: Markos Turloch

  Class: Dungeon Core, Level 10

  Experience: 45,530/55,000

  Helper: Jessica, Dungeon Faery

  Health: 5,000/5,000

  Mana: 5,000/5,000

  Domain: 15,698 square feet, 38,634 units available

  Minions: 0/5

  Allies: 1 (Giant Nematode, Level 6)

  Keeper Abilities: Convert raw materials,

  Create walls, Befriend creatures,

  Create traps, Create minions,

  Analyze, Heal others,

  Earth affinity (Primary),

  Fire affinity (Secondary),

  Hivemind (0/5), Split core (0)

  Markos was happy with what he saw on the screen. He was ready for a new challenge. You know what? I think I could afford the mana to create minions now. How do I create one? And what do they look like?

  "Minions are considered extensions of the Dungeon Keeper. To create a minion, you have to transfer a portion of your health and mana to it."

  Markos was alarmed. So, if I want a minion with 1,000 health, I have to transfer the same amount of health to it?

  "Correct," Jessica nodded. "However, you can regenerate the amount of health you transferred over to the minion. It's not a permanent loss."

  There's no way to regenerate my health faster? By, say, tapping into the heat vent?

  "I'm afraid not, master. The geothermal energy supplements mana. To regenerate your heal
th, you need healing magic which you don't have access to."

  Suddenly, the two heard a sound coming from the tunnels above.

  Go investigate!

  "On it!" Jessica replied and flew upward.

  The dungeon core concentrated and saw through his faery's eyes. He was astonished by how fast she flew.

  Within a few minutes, she located the source of the disturbance: giant ants! The helper rubbed her hands. "Master, please try to Befriend them," she requested politely.

  How? I'm buried under two domes, remember?

  Jessica rolled her eyes. "I'm your Dungeon Helper. You can exercise your powers through me," she explained.

  Oh! That changes everything.

  "I'll approach the soldier ant slowly and you use your Befriend ability on it."

  Okay! The dungeon core concentrated and sent a soothing message to the nearest giant ant. Will you be my friend?

  The dark compound lenses of the ant's black eyes looked around. Its antennas swayed back and forth excitedly. While it couldn't see anything, it felt the presence of something powerful. It recognized the scent of the entity which the Queen had warned about. But she left explicit instructions in case any ant in the Colony made contact with the entity. Thus, the soldier ant simply followed orders. Will you extend your friendship to my Colony, Great Dungeon?

  Yes. "Befriended: Giant Soldier Ant, Level 4. +100 XP." Markos was surprised by the intelligence of the soldier ant. He didn't think the ant would know immediately that Markos was a dungeon core. Yes, I extend my friendship to your colony and no harm will come to them.

  Clack-clack! The giant ant's mandibles clicked together. Please follow me and meet my Queen. She will confirm your friendship with her Colony.

  Since Jessica was visible only to the dungeon core, the soldier ant was addressing the core directly. The giant ant turned around and entered its nest.

  Jessica followed closely. She flew through a series of large tunnels and passed by many worker ants. She saw at least 100 workers and 2 dozen soldiers. Finally, she was led to a large chamber with an oversized ant in the center of the room. She realized she was in the presence of the Queen Ant.

  The soldier ant communicated with his queen through pheromones. Welcome to my colony, Great Dungeon. The soldier translated for his queen because she could not communicate with the dungeon core directly.

  Thank you for your invitation, Markos replied.

  My soldier tells me that you wish to extend your friendship to my Colony.

  That's correct. My domain includes your nest. I wish to offer you my friendship and my protection.

  What do you require in return as a tribute in exchange for your protection?

  If you can spare some workers and soldiers, that would be greatly appreciated.

  We are a small Colony. I'm afraid we can't spare any worker or soldier at the moment.

  Markos took a moment to think about what he should ask for. He was fine with not getting any spare ants from her. But he could not extend his protection for free. He had to get something of value in return. Otherwise, the subterranean co-inhabitants will dismiss him as a lightweight and perhaps, even launch attacks against him. That he could not permit, even if it meant bloodshed in order to bend them to his will.

  Suddenly, he had an idea. That's fine. Will you provide information instead?

  The queen ant was intrigued. She was afraid that the Great Dungeon would be angered by her refusal to contribute ants to the dungeon and attack her Colony. What kind of information do you seek?

  Please tell me about the land above us. What environment is it? A forest? A swamp? A human habitat?

  Clack-clack. You have never visited the surface before?

  No. Like your Colony, I am also young. I would appreciate the opportunity for us to grow together in prosperity and power.

  The land directly above my Colony is part of the wilderness. The nearest human habitat is a humble village about two miles to the west. Humans regularly enter the land above us to hunt and gather. There are also roaming bands of goblins and orcs in addition to wild animals.

  Markos was glad to receive this important information. Thank you, Great Queen. Your information is very useful. Our friendship is confirmed. I will ensure that my dungeon will bypass your Colony.

  "Friendship with Giant Ant changed to friendship with Giant Queen Ant, Level 10. +500 XP."

  The queen ant nodded.

  Jessica flew out of the nest.

  Chapter 7

  Building a Dungeon

  Please come back to my chamber. Let's digest the information we just received from the Queen and plot our next steps.

  The helper obeyed and flew back to the inner chamber of the dungeon core. "Here I am, master!" Jessica said cheerfully. She gave a polite curtsy to the large diamond.

  We're very close to reaching the surface. I think it's time to start building a dungeon.

  "Very good, master!" The faery rubbed her hands with gleeful anticipation. She was dying to build a fantastic dungeon and watch invaders fall into various diabolical traps she set up! Muahahahaha!

  Markos politely kept silent even though he had read her thoughts. Let's lay out my priorities for the dungeon. For now, I want to create a simple dungeon with maybe two or three levels. No more than a Level 5 dungeon because I don't want people to know my true dungeon level. Nor do I wish to allow visitors to gain access to my true dungeon core. So, I need to create a fake core and leave it in the dungeon. In addition to traps, I want to use the dungeon as a place to practice controlling my minions. It's going to be weird controlling several minions simultaneously but I think it's important for me to get used to it. So, here's my question: is this doable with the raw materials and mana I have on hand?

  Jessica laughed out loud. "Sorry, master. You currently have over 38,000 units of raw materials on hand. More importantly, the heat vent you're sitting on top of provides you with unlimited energy to build your dungeon. You could build any dungeon you want, within reason. And if you dislike your initial designs, you could easily deconstruct and rebuild as frequently as you want. Now, I admit that you might not be able to have as many minions in your dungeon as you prefer. But for the sort of beginner dungeon that you're describing to me, the usual practice is to have one minion as the floor boss guarding the exit. You could rely on traps to offer a decent challenge to the adventurers," she explained.

  In that case, I want to set another floor above my outer chamber. Please make it 100 feet thick. That should make it impossible for an adventurer to detect my true dungeon core.

  "Probably the most complicated task will be splitting your core into two pieces and bringing the lesser piece to the proper location. If the Queen Ant had been willing to supply you with a worker or two as a tribute, it would have been easy to perform this task. Since I'm a spirit, I can't physically move your core."

  I will look for something else to befriend. Maybe an animal of some sort? In the meantime, I want you to start building my dungeon.

  "Aye-aye, master!" the faery saluted and flew out of the inner chamber. She spent 5,000 units to create a thick floor over the outer chamber. Then she created a three-floor dungeon. The first floor was a simple maze with a bunch of traps: swinging guillotines, a giant rolling boulder, collapsing ceilings, and collapsing floors with razor-sharp stone spikes at the bottom of the pits.

  Since the dungeon keeper's primary affinity was Earth, Jessica was able to use the element as well. Thus, it was child's play to reshape the earth as she pleased.

  The theme for the second floor was all about the heat. Jessica created a valve tapping into the heat vent. She released enough heat to turn up the temperature of the entire floor. To prevent the heat from escaping, the faery created a thick door at the entrance of the second floor.

  The heat caused condensation of moisture on the ceiling and made the ground slippery. The dungeon helper took advantage of this by making a long, winding narrow path, just one foot wide, with stone spikes arisin
g from a thirty feet drop on either side of the path. Of course, the humidity of the floor created a fog which further reduced visibility for visitors.

  Along the walls were air vents that released bursts of superheated air at random intervals. Thus, a slow and unlucky adventurer could be blown off the path and suffer a gruesome death by impalement.

  At the very end of the pathway was a platform with an exit guarded by a minion. Jessica fluttered in the air for a moment as she pondered what sort of minion to put here. She decided to place a minor fire elemental. However, she couldn't summon it on her own. "Master, can you summon a Minor Fire Elemental at my location? I want this as the Level 2 Boss," she explained.

  Markos had watched the entire dungeon creation through Jessica's eyes with great interest. So far, she had spent 14,300 units of raw materials to create the two floors plus the heat valve, which was a surprise to him. Including the 5,000 units spent on the thick floor separating his chamber from the dungeon, Markos received a total of 96,500 XP. However, the dungeon core didn't expect her to seek his aid. He quickly cleared his mind and answered. How do I summon it?

  "Imagine a small ball of fire in your mind. Once you feel your mana being drained, send it to my location."

  The dungeon core did as requested. Markos felt a drain of 500 mana and health. He quickly sent the ball of fire to his helper. "Minion created: Minor Fire Elemental. 500 Health, 500 Mana. +1,000 XP."

  The minor fire elemental appeared in front of Jessica. The creature innately sensed the link between the spirit and the summoner. Thus, the elemental did not attack the faery.

  "Thank you, master!"

  My pleasure.

  "Since I have your attention now, I need you to split your dungeon core and create a small, weak version of yourself."

  How do I do that?

  Jessica took a deep breath. "I need you to visualize your entire core in your mind. Then visualize your core being split into two parts. Put a portion of your health and mana into the second core. The same amount will be deducted from your primary core, though. But the second core will remain a part of you through your Hivemind ability," she explained.