Dungeon Configure: Book One Dark Exchange

by Troy Neenan

  It wasn't until his first wolf came in with a human leg in his mouth David had found out what happened.

  David was exhausted. His mitosis and artificial aging abilities took a lot out of the Dungeon Core. Fortunately, he could push the tiredness away by consuming large amounts of food but it was in no way a perfect system. The constant manufacture of pet monsters was also mentally demanding. He had a headache that reminded him of some of the worst days doing troubleshooting.

  He was tempted to just lay there in the van and sleep for a day, but Judith's murder spree had ruined that idea.

  David looked in the rear view mirror. He had lost a lot of weight and looked much healthier. It was all cosmetic, his body didn't actually have fat cells anymore, and in fact he was completely sure that he wasn't human anymore. His physical body was just a shell for his consciousness; the other cores had explained it to him. But he also had human traits.

  Normal cores didn't eat food but digested the ambient energy in the ground and air. As they grew older this energy just wasn't enough for them and they began to feed off the local wildlife. While they didn't have to kill, when something died in their domain they got a large burst of energy. It was debatable what this energy was but the other dungeons got a far off look in their eyes when they recalled the feeling.

  Nearly 80% of dungeons got addicted to this sensation and that was how the whole ugly cycle started. David had also learned how loot played in the game. Loot was very serious discussion when it came to dungeons.

  The trick was to never offer items that are too powerful. After all, handing out magic swords when you only had a bunch of squirrels in your dungeon was just stupid. As far as David could put it, loot was like setting cheese in an elaborate mouse trap.

  David shook his head. There were just so many facts that were floating around in his head; he needed to focus on his current situation.

  Keeping his eyes on the mirror David went to his Forge game and selected his Modify option. He selected the supply of Variant acid that he had milked from Judith and combined it with his face.

  When he opened his eyes his face looked nearly unrecognisable. There was no pain, the effect had been purely cosmetic, and also it was reversible. Now, not even David's own mother, let alone a jury, would recognise him.

  A sharp knock came to the van's door causing David to jump. Gritting his lips together so as not to swear, the Dungeon Core looked out his window to see Judith smiling up at him like pizza guy expecting a big tip.

  David physically shook from the amount of anger that was coursing through him. He opened the door, and after looking around for any snoops, hissed at the little girl, “What the hell are you doing?”

  Judith, her smile still bright, pointed at the house which now had its front door open.

  “What did you do?” David said to the girl and knew it was useless asking her. She was as mute as a stone.

  He got out of the car and stole one of the dead guy's tool belts and bags, he wanted to least appear to be just a guy answering another call about a broken pipe or sink. When he stepped into the house, the smell of fresh blood and shit smack into him like a high kick to the face. His expression twisted from anger to mild annoyance when he saw the four bodies on the ground.

  Three men and a forty something woman lay there in neat little rows. The men showed the obvious signs of being stabbed to death, one even having his throat slit. The woman had her hands and legs bound in duct tape; she stared at David with pleading eyes.

  Several thoughts ran through David's head. Screaming at Judith, running as far away from the scene as possible, setting the house on fire, of killing the little shit. Finally, he chose just to look at his creation and groan, “Why?”

  Judith pointed at the woman and then at herself as if it explained everything.

  Quest alert. Variety is the essence of life I.

  Create 5 Variants: 1/5 complete.

  Rewards: Mutation. 100 renown with Judith.

  Failure to accept: -100 renown with Judith.

  After what happened to the swarm golem, Dungeon David had done some research and found that he could allow another dungeon the guest privileges to his patents. They couldn't modify the Variants in any way while he lived but they could spawn them like a normal mob.

  So for now, Judith was still his best bodyguard and his worst headache.

  David's head slumped and he felt sick. Renown were like happy points out of city simulations. The more points the more your creatures were happy with you, meaning they would work much more efficiently. The problem was when negative renown occurred. When that happened there was a high chance that your minions would betray, leave, or possibly attack you, and David wasn't about to let that happen.

  He knelt down before the crying woman and David could see her mind working. Why was this happening, who are these people, why isn't he helping me?

  David placed his hand on the woman and activated his drug synthesis power. The woman’s eyes bulged at the unnecessary physical contact and then slowly lost consciousness.

  The Dungeon Core scowled at his creation, “Judith, this is wrong. You don't kill people,” he quickly added, “unless I tell you to. What happened if you got found out? What if they had a camera?” David knew that he should be expressing that she shouldn't kill people because it was not something that society saw as a positive thing, but he was just too bloody tired to care.

  Judith shrugged which caused David to want to strangle her. He couldn't leave her alone anymore, it was a mistake to give her to Kim, Judith was simply too dangerous. Now, he had to make more of her kind.

  David placed his hands on the woman's abdomen and concentrated. After experimenting on a few cats he had learned that he no longer needed to feed them his blood, he could simply transfer his essence through touch, though it required less energy it caused the chances of success to fall.

  What do you want to create? Your current choices are human, variant, goblin.

  David chose variant. He had only gotten the goblin schematic because the other dungeon had nothing else. True it had cost him the variant patent but the other dungeon had assured him that he would be getting the orc and ogre soon. Soon being a sketchy thing when dealing with a creature that lived for thousands of years.

  Mitosis unsuccessful.

  Mitosis unsuccessful.

  Mitosis successful.

  You have discovered a new negative mutation: Immune deficiency.

  Mitosis level 10. There is a 18% chance of a miscarriage. There is a 45% of a negative mutation occurring.

  For a second there, David had thought that the woman had a physical problem causing her to be sterile. He had learned through experimentation that the more times that he performed the mitosis skill the greater the chance of it becoming unsuccessful the next time. It was highly possible that he had been causing damage to the reproductive organs, but when that happened he just healed them with Forge.

  Using the two techniques, the Dungeon Core, in theory could make hundreds of copies of the same creature. The problem was that the rapid ageing caused the host's body to become over-taxed. Maybe it was possible to make dozens of Variants out of a single human woman, but that would take time and energy that the Dungeon Core didn't have at the moment.

  What startled him was when a new prompt that he had never seen before flashed across his vision.

  There was a burst of confetti followed by: You have gone from being a novice in Mitosis to becoming an initiate. You now have a 5% chance to create an extra clone and there is a 1% chance to get a positive mutation.

  Nice. David hadn't thought that his skills could evolve in such away. He was reminded of other LitRPGs that he had read before his transformation into a dungeon. Had his subconscious done this or were there actual game worlds out there in the multiverse and he was just leeching off them? Anything was possible, he supposed.

  With the woman now pregnant it came to the next part of the procedure. David kept his hand on the woman's stomach and
put another hand on someone who could have been her husband. The physical connection made her and then activated Forge game.

  He transferred the material from the husband into the new Variant. The man's skin became taut as his insides were liquefied and transferred to the new creature.

  You have cured Immune deficiency.

  The woman’s stomach grew as David used his Artificial Ageing power on the fetus. Thirty minutes was all it took for nine months to go by, but it still wasn't enough for David. This time he let go of the husband and just concentrated his efforts on the mother.

  After five minutes a bloody fist punctured the mummified woman's abdomen and David got a new prompt.

  Quest alert. Variety is the essence of life I.

  Create 5 Variants: 2/5 complete.

  Rewards: Mutation. 100 renown with Judith.

  Failure to accept: -100 renown with Judith.

  David looked at the new addition to his army. The girl was a little older than Judith, her mother having a bit more meat for the transfer. While Judith looked around about three years old, the new Variant appeared to be five, maybe six years of age.

  David let out a sigh at his success. His headache had gone from all-nighter to hangover on the pain meter. That little exercise had pushed him harder than the other animals had been. He looked to the side to see that while he had been creating her a sister, Judith had been entertaining herself by sawing off the limbs of the males with a large steak knife.

  Covered in blood, she grinned at her master as if she had just won a trophy. He looked at the mess around them and at the new girl. Once again, his latest creation had a striking resemblance to her dead mother. “I think it's time for a bath.”

  Ten minutes later and David admired his work. The bodies were gone and he had used his Forge game to replace the carpet. He'd destroyed and remade everything that Judith might have touched and stole a half-eaten pizza in the fridge. On the surface, it now looked as if the family had just disappeared.

  David went into the bathroom to dry his new daughters and deconstruct the bath and towels. The water he kept. Not only could forensics examine the pipe for traces of DNA, he could purify the water later for use. Water was going to be worth more than gold out in the bushland.

  After giving Judith the clothes from his storage he turned his attention to his latest addition. Her mother had had this Latino feel about her, a bit of a wog family. Not that David had a problem with that; one of his friends in school had taken to the lifestyle after that damn stupid movie came out. “Hmm.”

  Trying not to think about how creepy it was to put his hand on a kid in a towel, David activated his Artificial Ageing power, and used the girl’s family as the fuel for her next transformation.

  The Dungeon Core opened his eyes, and after shaking his head from the dizzy spell saw what he had created.

  His creation was approximately in her early twenties, or that was what she would appear to be to your average human. Her black hair was long and came down to her tight waist, a by-product of having never been to a hairdresser. She had the type of face that had never known zits or the sun's light, which she hadn't. Compared to her mother, the clone was definite improvement in the looks department.

  “I will call you, Olivia.” David said recalling seeing a bill on the fridge.

  Name: Olivia.

  Race: Variant.

  Faction: Dark Exchange.

  Job: none.

  In order to confuse the police further, David had Oliva steal all her mother's clothes, most were a terrible fit, the woman really should have gone on a diet. Hopefully the police will think that the woman left her family.

  David looked to the little mass murderer who looked at her new sister and then down at her own body. It was clear to David that she wanted an upgrade. “Did you touch anything else?”

  Judith looked to him and smiled.

  When David saw the six teenagers on the floor he nearly exploded. The only thing that held him back was that the sun was coming up and there was simply no more time. To his surprise, two of the girls were miraculously still alive, though from the way that their hands and feet had been hacked off that could quickly change.

  “Fucking hell.” David hissed, fearful that somebody would hear them. He was going to have to kill Judith after this; she was nothing but a monster. These people had done nothing to her, he assumed. She was completely out of control and he was sure that her murder spree was just starting. “Judith, you do not do this. You do not kill and torture people. Do you understand me?”

  Judith lowered her head.

  “Crap, now I need to clean this fucking mess up.” David moved to the first of the teenage girls. This one was lying on her back, like the others' her hands and feet had been removed.

  Judith must have found something extremely hot to cauterise the wounds, either that or she used her acid. In any case, how the girls hadn't died and instead drifted into a shock induced coma was a question on his mind.

  Not wanting them to feel any more pain, he dosed the survivors with a sedative. As much agony as the crazed psycho bitch put them through, their torment wasn't over.

  As he worked, Judith, being the elder sister gave Olivia the saw and taught her how to disassemble the bodies.

  David used Mitosis on the redhead and was awarded with a prompt.

  Mitosis successful.

  There was no indication of a negative mutation; his raising of the skill was already helping.

  David sighed and he placed his hands on the girl's forehead. He didn't want to do this. Despite evidence to the contrary he wasn't a murderer and had no plans to do anything to harm people. He was just a guy trying to live, he didn't want to die, but he also didn't want to go to jail. All he wanted to do at the moment was sit down and rest.

  He looked pityingly at the ginger girl below him. If he could, he would try to keep her alive, but he just didn't know how. He rubbed her head as if it would take the trauma of what happened to her away.

  What had she been thinking when Judith stabbed her. Had she been thinking about her friends or family? Would she have been a doctor or police officer when she grew up? David didn't know.

  A new dungeon power has been unlocked. Your knowledge of how the human brain works has caused your game Brain Scan to obtain a new feature. Mind Graft.

  Mind graft allows you to cut copy and paste the memories and knowledge of one person to another.

  David's jaw fell. He looked down at the girl below him and a thought came to him. He turned his head to see Olivia smiling as she cut through one of the teenage boy's legs. “Wait, new plan.”

  ***

  Chris woke up feeling like her head was stuffed with C4. “Ahhh. What the hell?” It took her a minute for things to get clear. She sat up feeling like utter shit only to discover several things wrong.

  One, she was in bed that she did not recognise. Two, she was in her underwear. Three, next to her, lying completely in the nude was her brother. Four, her phone was showing a girl who looked very much like her drinking, dancing, and then kissing her brother in a way that made Chris physically ill.

  Also, for some reason, her ankles and wrists hurt like a bitch.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Dust and stones flew up into the air as a convoy of trucks and cars beat the scrubland into submission. The leading truck was a monster of steel, an eighteen-wheeled devil, painted white and growling like it came from hell's dirty underbelly. Its great rubber tyres made a trail of dust that its followers were forced to drive through.

  As it reached what looked like the middle of nowhere, the semi-trailer turned a hard left, going off-road, if the word meant anything in the blazing wasteland.

  The magnificent metal beast allowed nothing to stand in its way. Where some pissy little German toy car, or an American van or jeep would give up and stall it drove and it drove hard eventually reaching its destination.

  The truck stopped in a desolate location. The only sign of life were a few trees,
deserted ant nests, and what appeared to be a cement shed.

  Kim stepped out of the truck and feeling the heat of the sun upon her unnatural skin. “Damn,” she said and turned into a colourful tornado. She reappeared wearing a one piece swimsuit and swung around a parasol. The pink haired cartoon stared at the stone box without hiding her disappointment. “Is that it?”

  David appeared and let out an old man groan as he stretched. He glanced at the shed and tried to identify what he felt. A pulsing, nauseating feeling had slowly been crawling over him the moment he got within twenty kilometres of this place and it had been getting stronger.

  The Dungeon Core bent over, finding it hard to breathe, either it was a sign that he was getting closer to an occupied dungeon or that it was possibly that the chicken that he had eaten earlier was trying to peck its way out of him. Maybe it was a bit of both. “That's it,” he said.

  Around the leading truck others of its kind began to take positions and young men and women began to exit out into the wasteland. Four of the trucks containing bulldozers and excavating equipment began to surround the little stone shed.

  One of the subcontractors that David had hired moved to him. Seeing his new boss doubled over he asked, “You okay there, Mister Mascoff?”

  “Just a bit car sick. How long until you can get this place sorted?” David asked.

  The surveyor examined the area that his new boss had paid him handsomely to develop. David had paid for honesty and he was going to get it, “It's going to be a bitch, but I've done worse. I'm not going to lie it could take eight months to flatten this hellhole. I'm not even going to tell you how long before this place is built.”

  He watched as several caravans began to arrange themselves into rows. Until the land could be straightened up the houses on wheels would be the only accommodation people could count on.

  Out here in the seventh layer of hell it was difficult to get a good workforce. On some days the heat was intense enough that labourers were only capable of working for two hours before packing up. A man could get out of his car and get back in carrying a carpet of flies on his back; there was also the problem with the wildlife. A snake bite or scorpion sting made lawsuits very serious.