by Iliev, Neven
“Glad to be of help.”
The former mimic had more or less known about her exploits since it had been tracking things remotely through both its familiars and the Surveillance Net. It had also managed to acquire the Butcher of Termites Perk in the meantime, meaning its familiars had slain over five thousand of the things since yesterday. Its Warlock Job Levels had barely progressed though. Not only were these opponents far too weak, but killing them by proxy while it was far away meant that whatever little XP it had gotten was greatly diminished. Thinking back on the big boom at Monotal, it probably would have gotten a lot more Levels if it was closer to the explosion. Then again, there was a good chance it wouldn’t have survived the event if it had done that. All in all, it thought it had handled that situation in the best way possible.
“Milord, forgive mine manners, but what is this accursed being thou had brought into the Dryad’s Domain?”
The dryad pointed rudely at the gnome-shaped golem, clearly disapproving of her being here.
“I’m with Boxxy. Got a problem with that?” Fizzy shot back with equal hostility.
“Thou art tainted with foul magic, and do not belong in this sacred place.”
It would seem the dryad was able to sense the curse permeating through the golem’s body. It wasn’t just the shut-in tree lady that took offense to Fizzy’s condition. Her circumstances had naturally caused quite a stir among the adventurer community, as it was an extremely curious and exceptional case. The golem herself was actually a bit worried that people who didn’t know how to mind their business would forcefully try to dispel the curse from her. However, she later found out that the curse was so deeply ingrained within her body, that it would be impossible to remove it through conventional means. Her transformation had also been quite permanent and irreversible. Not even separating her cursed gauntlet from the rest of her would not to return her to the flesh she so willingly and eagerly threw away.
This was good news for the former gnome. Because while she liked her steel body, she absolutely loved her new-and-improved mithril self. The Rank Up had finished attuning her enlightened mind to her monstrous body, and in doing so allowed her to gain full control of her instincts and urges. In essence, this meant she no longer involuntarily stripped. She still took off her clothes in public sometimes, but that was a result of her own conscious decision, rather than some strange reflex. This change also meant she became considerably more aggressive, especially towards people who looked down on her.
“We’ll see how sacred it is when I whittle it down to a stick and shove it up your ass!”
“Thou shalt regret-”
“That’s enough!”
Boxxy’s commanding, ear-piercing shout caused both monsters to immediately cease their petty squabble. It made it blatantly clear to both women that it would not tolerate this sort of pointless squabbling.
“Fizzy, you’re technically an intruder here, so don’t antagonize my dungeon master.”
“Yes, Boxxy. Sorry, Boxxy.”
“And Ambrosia, this is Fizzy. She is one of my servants, so you will treat and address her with the same respect you show me. Are we clear?”
“Yes, milord. This one apologizes for her rude words. Milady, Fizzy.”
The dryad gave a deep and respectful bow, as if her snide attitude were a fleeting dream.
“Doth milord and milady have any other use of me?”
“Not right now.”
“Uhm… No, I’m good…”
“Then I shall return to attending to milord’s other servants.”
The plant-lady disappeared into the ground with another polite bow.
“Wow!” exclaimed Fizzy. “So, this is what a core does to people, huh?”
“Pretty much,” Boxxy confirmed nonchalantly.
A dungeon core did not control the mind of monsters bound to its service, not really. What it did was twist their instincts and perceptions so that those creatures would revere the dungeon itself to the point of fanaticism. as the dungeon owner, Boxxy would therefore be considered an absolute and infallible being whose words and wishes were treated as law by those in the core’s service. Conversely, any ‘outsiders’ would be treated as unforgivable enemies. The shapeshifting chest had experienced this enthrallment firsthand, so it knew just how potent it was.
That said, it was rather surprising just how quickly this ancient-yet-naive dryad became ensnared by it. She almost instantly recognized Boxxy as the supreme authority within her own body and never questioned a single thing that it or its familiars did. This was good, because the doppelganger honestly couldn’t trust her, nor did it want to be on hostile terms with her. Although the dungeon core’s Basic Appraisal of the dryad was unable to discern her Skills and Attributes, what it did reveal still told a rather terrifying story.
According to the Job List on her Status, Ambrosia was a Level 50 Primordial Spirit, Level 50 Plant Spirit, Level 100 Dryad and Level 100 Hamadryad. Over thirty thousand years old and with a staggering total Level of 300, she had clearly reached the zenith of her evolutionary path. Most terrifying of all was her literally infinite HP. Her womanly body was not only ageless, but outright indestructible so long as her tree was in good health and she remained in close proximity to it. And yet, despite all that, she was strangely powerless in the face of some termites. It would seem even Ambrosia, a being that could rightfully be called a demigod, had some things she could not deal with. A harsh truth that applied to all things, probably even the actual Gods themselves.
As for Boxxy, its biggest concern at the moment was to check on the dungeon.
“Dungeon Management.”
[Dungeon Management]
[Core ID # PT-5484-BM]
Active (Dryad’s Domain)
Owned by Boxxy T. Morningwood
Managed by Ambrosia
96% Integrity
20,000/20,000 MP (+0/sec)
[Basic Functions]
Dungeon Expansion – Active
Item Allocation – Disabled
Mana Collection – Active
Monster Spawner – Disabled
Surveillance Net – Active
[Advanced Features]
Guardian Assignment – Ready
Nexus Access – Ready
Prison Management – Ready
Terrain Sculpting – Ready
Trap Construction – Ready
Not much had changed since yesterday, other than the Integrity had improved a little and the Mana Collection had auto-regulated itself to prevent the core from overloading. The dungeon’s ever-expanding sphere of influence had at one point allowed the core to absorb nearly 120 MP per second from the surrounding area. Although that seemed a lot, it really wasn’t in relation to how much upkeep the various modules and functions required.
Regulating the Monster Spawner, for example, would demand a minimum of 30 MP per second in order to perform its function to the fullest. It wasn’t needed at that time, though. Nor was it likely to be needed in the future. After all, the only monsters that could appear within this tree’s inner environment were weak, low-Level fodder at best. Things like goblins, trolls, kobolds, gnolls, spiders, serpents, slimes, and so on. Having a dryad as a dungeon master also allowed the creation of some more advanced monster types, such as select species of sentient plants and giant insects. The problem was that none of these were shiny, tasty, or even remotely useful.
Long story short, the Monster Spawner was far too costly for how little benefit it offered Boxxy. The Surveillance Net wasn’t necessarily all that useful either, but at least it had a had an almost insignificant upkeep. The Dungeon Expansion and Mana Collection functions, on the other hand, were quite vital to the dungeon’s operations. Their menus were mainly used for regulating them, rather than turning them off or on.
However, it was the dungeon’s Advanced Features that were the most taxing ones. For instance, Terrain Sculpting and Nexus Access could, in theory, completely drain the core’s MP reserves in a matte
r of seconds. Each trap, guardian or prisoner being cared for by the core’s other Advanced Features would demand a sizeable upkeep of their own. That was why Boxxy had to make sure this didn’t strain this place too hard. Not because it was worried about draining the place, but because it was wary of infuriating the ‘landlady.’
Even if the brainwashing on Ambrosia appeared to be working as intended, it didn’t want to push its luck and deprive her of too much sustenance. A monster driven to starvation would definitely try to break free from its dungeon, as not even the core could completely suppress its survival instincts. It was precisely what led to Boxxy breaking free of its own birthplace, after all. The shapeshifter therefore decided its dungeon would only take as much as was necessary, lest the dryad suddenly decide her new ‘residents’ were actually parasites.
And there were certain things that Boxxy planned to do with this dungeon, starting with providing Fizzy with both a place to stay and a way for her to move around.
“Terrain Sculpting!” it chanted.
Countless bright blue lines suddenly appeared on the wooden surface of the surrounding cavern, almost as if someone had covered the walls and floor with a net of light. It was something only the one actively using the Terrain Sculpting tool could see, so golem’s only reaction was a mildly puzzled look at Boxxy. The shapeshifter ignored her and walked over to a good-looking spot in the ground and made a gesture with a tentacle, as if lifting something off the ground. Part of the intangible wire mesh suddenly jumped in response, which was PASSIVE followed by creaking and rumbling sounds as the wooden surface twisted itself to conform to the new shape. It took only a second to form a gigantic pillar of wood that was over 15 meters tall.
“Whoa! That’s pretty cool!” Fizzy exclaimed as she watched the bark twist and deform.
Boxxy turned its attention towards the shiny paladin and realized that the mesh of illusory lines was tinged red rather than blue. It would appear that the dungeon core was unwilling to perform terrain changes if there was an intruder within ten meters, probably as some sort of failsafe mechanism. That crystal ball had a lot of those to make sure that the one using it didn’t accidentally cause a calamity. In fact, it seemed practically impossible for the ex-mimic to overload the core with mana even if it wanted to. The God of Causality must have had some deeper understanding of this enigmatic mechanism to be able to bypass all those safety measures.
“Fizzy, stand back,” it ordered, “I have to build a thing.”
“Y-yes, Boxxy. Whatever you say, Boxxy!”
The offending golem walked further away, allowing Boxxy to finish. It extended the wooden pillar further upward, steadily draining away thousands of the core’s MP reserves. The Mana Collection automatically kicked into high gear and began replenishing them at a rate of 135.6 MP per second. Branch-like platforms grew out of the impossibly tall wooden pillar, attaching it to the surrounding caves, plateaus and walls. These would serve to keep it from collapsing under its own weight, and to provide access to those parts of the dungeon. The massive wooden pole was then steadily turned into a grand circular staircase. Boxxy and Fizzy started climbing it as the monster made adjustments as it saw fit.
[Ambrosia: Milord! What art thou doing down there?!]
A message from the dryad suddenly popped into the shapeshifter’s consciousness. This was a communication function of the Surveillance Net that allowed notable individuals within the dungeon to exchange messages in the form of text. It wasn’t quite as convenient as the telepathic link between a Warlock and their familiar, but it was very useful nonetheless. It seemed to consume a negligible amount of MP and, as far Boxxy could tell, had infinite range. The monster briefly wondered why the dryad used this instead of showing up in person, but it didn’t really matter much.
[Boxxy: I’m just making your insides a bit more accessible. Is it unpleasant?]
[Ambrosia: Nay, though it doth tickle verily!]
[Boxxy: I’ll be done soon, so please bear with it.]
[Ambrosia: Understood, milord.]
Boxxy kept climbing the ever-growing staircase until it reached the platform where the dungeon core was. It was a long one-hundred-and-twenty-meter climb, although neither Boxxy nor Fizzy were tired in the slightest by the time they reached the top. A monster’s endurance really was on a different level, though the golem still grumbled about climbing stairs. Even if painfully long staircases didn’t exhaust her as they once did, it was still a huge waste of time. She was going to suggest some kind of elevator, but her thoughts got derailed when she noticed the reactivated dungeon core dangling in the air.
“Oh, so this is where you put the core,” she remarked curiously. “Gotta say, it’s a lot brighter than I was expecting.”
The yellow crystal ball bathed the surroundings in a bright light, almost as if it were a miniature sun. She had spotted the glow from the base of the impossibly tall chamber since it was the only source of light, but seeing it up close was really something else. It was also a very welcome sight. Fizzy’s eyes were incapable of piercing darkness, so she had to rely on a lantern to find her way through those sewers. If she was going to spend considerable time in here, having this miniature sun on hand would be most welcome.
Boxxy was an even bigger fan of it. Not only did the dungeon core shine its favorite color, but it also made Fizzy’s mithril frame practically dazzle and sparkle. It wanted to lick and touch her all over, wrap itself around her and keep her to itself for all eternity. Well, it would get plenty of chance to worship her shininess in the future, so it withheld itself and turned its attention to the scene developing directly underneath the dungeon core.
Although Kora and Xera were busy performing lewd acts as expected, it would appear they had mixed things up for once. The succubus was currently suspended in mid-air, with numerous thorny vines wrapped tight around her arms and legs. They gagged her mouth, preventing her throaty moans of pleasure from escaping her lips as the barbed tendrils ripped and tore through her flesh. It was a blatant and shameless recreation of Boxxy’s ‘shapeshifting practice’ from awhile back, and Xera was enjoying every moment of it. Kora, on the other hand, had taken a far more direct approach and was sitting off to the side, with her legs spread wide and all four of her hands forcing Ambrosia’s face into her crotch.
“What are those two idiots doing?!” Fizzy practically screamed.
“That’s what I would like to know,” Boxxy echoed.
That said, the shapeshifter had a pretty good idea as to what was going on. Since its familiars were extensions of its magic power, the dungeon core recognized them as co-owners, of a sort. This allowed them access to all of the core’s functions, although Boxxy had forbidden them from doing so without permission. It also meant that the dungeon master—in this case Ambrosia—would willingly and eagerly obey any order they gave. In this case, it was quite clear they had told the dryad to ‘attend’ to their ‘needs.’
“Oh! Hey, squirt! Hey, boss!” Kora waved in between thrusts. “I’m just breaking in the new girl’s throat!”
“Yeah! I can see that! But why?!” the golem shouted.
“Well, she doesn’t have anything between her legs, so I can’t do much else. She’s surprisingly good at it though, so I can’t really complain. Swallows like a champ, too!”
“Ugh, forget I asked,” Fizzy scowled. “You meatbags are still as repulsive as ever.”
The golem didn’t really care for the lewd acts, mostly because they reminded her of unpleasant memories she was trying desperately to bury under a mountain of blood and praise. Boxxy, on the other hand, was largely indifferent since its sex drive was as non-existent as ever. Although it did learn to find some pleasure in the act recently, eating tasty things or playing with shiny things were far more enjoyable.
Still, Boxxy disliked what it was seeing because of what it considered to be two very good reasons. The first was that it was unlikely for a ‘non-breeder’ like Ambrosia to appreciate the demeaning manner in which Arms wa
s treating her, and would most likely not have agreed if not for the core’s influence. It still wasn’t clear how firm the dungeon’s hold on the dryad’s mind was, so this ran the risk of triggering some sort of rebellious thoughts that Boxxy really did not want to deal with. Snack’s antics were arguably more acceptable since she put Ambrosia in the dominant position, but the shapeshifter didn’t want to take any chances.
The second and more infuriating reason it saw this debauchery as a bad idea was that its familiars had acted behind its back, without its knowledge or consent, and it really didn’t like that. Arms and Snack were therefore ordered to stop what they were doing and use their authority within the dungeon to set up an Artificer’s workshop for Fizzy. The golem would direct them what tools, devices, machinery and equipment she’d need, and the demons would conjure the necessary items through the dungeon core. Materials would still need to be brought in from the outside though, as objects conjured through magic would disappear after a time and were unsuitable for training Jobs and Skills to the next Level.
While the others were doing that, Boxxy took a moment to call in for a consultation.
1-800-7355-9687-7685
*Ring-ring… Ring-ring*
*Click*
“Hello. You have reached Demons ‘R’ Us,” a familiar voice was heard. “What can I do for you today, Boxxy?”
“Hey, Carl. I have a question about my contracts, and how they interact with dungeon cores.”
“Alright, let’s hear it.”
“So, I’ve gained control of a dungeon as its owner, but I don’t like those two idiots having the same privileges as me. Can I somehow limit their access to its functions?”
“You can always order them not to.”
“Well, yes, but I have to do that every time I resummon them. I want to permanently limit their authority.”
“Sorry, buddy, no can do. The only way that would work was if you contracted them through the dungeon core. But, since you did that with your Warlock Job, that pact is the only one they will respect.”
