CONQUEST: The Dungeon Core Gambit Book One Read online

  What about you? You hinted that you could leave the dungeon.

  The helper nodded. "I am autonomous and therefore, I can function independently even outside the dungeon. However, I am considered a 'spirit' and my ability to physically affect the world beyond your dungeon will be quite limited," she pointed out.

  If you're a spirit, isn't that a good thing? Creatures can't attack you.

  Jessica shook her head. "While it's true that I'm immune to normal physical attacks, I can still be harmed by enchanted weapons and magic spells."

  In addition to creating my own minions, can I somehow arrange for beasts or monsters to protect the dungeon?

  "Sure. You can befriend any living creature which enters your dungeon. You unlock this ability at Level 3. However, the number of friends you may have is limited by your dungeon core level. Oh, and the same limitation applies to the number of minions you may have."

  Ouch.

  "Indeed," the helper nodded sympathetically. "Until your dungeon level is quite advanced, you will need to rely on wall placement and traps to protect yourself."

  When can I build traps?

  "When you reach Level 4."

  Dungeon creation is very time consuming, isn't it?

  "Yup!"

  Markos checked his UI and saw that he currently had 46 mana. I think I'll just take a nap. Please start converting the raw material when I have 101 mana.

  "Aye-aye, sir!" Jessica saluted.

  Again, Markos wished he had eyes. His mind turned blank and he soon fell asleep.

  Chapter 3

  Adjusting to a New Life

  The dungeon core awoke. To his surprise, there was a LOT of empty space around him now. However, he felt his core was still embedded in the rocks, untouched. Jessica!

  Displaying an unexpected burst of speed, the small faery zoomed right up to him. "You called, master?" The helper offered a mischievous smile and a curtsy.

  How long was I asleep?

  "Maybe ten hours?"

  What! You should have woke me up!

  "But master! You never asked me to! And I didn't want to upset you by disturbing your sleep." Jessica looked down timidly at her forefingers, which were touching lightly. She didn't want to upset him. A dungeon core and a dungeon faery had a harmonious relationship similar to a marriage. She was making too many mistakes already!

  Markos sighed. I apologize. I should have asked you to set an alarm for me. Anyway, please give me an update.

  "Aye-aye, sir!" Jessica saluted and opened the UI. It showed:

  Name: Markos Turloch

  Class: Dungeon Core, Level 2

  Experience: 1,000/3,000

  Helper: Jessica, Dungeon Faery

  Health: 600/600

  Mana: 145/600

  Domain: 1,000 square feet, 1,000 units available

  Minions: 0/1

  Keeper Abilities: Convert raw materials, Create walls

  "Congratulations on reaching Level 2!" The faery clapped her hands enthusiastically.

  Markos reviewed the screen carefully. The dungeon core took note of "0/1" next to Minions. What does the "1" to the right of "Minions" mean?

  "You get one minion for every two Levels you possess. Because you reached Level 2, you can create and control 1 minion. But since minions can cost a lot of mana to create, I suggest that you delay creating a minion for now."

  Markos looked at his paltry 600 mana pool and agreed. Why do I need 2,000 experience points to reach Level 3?

  "Because the Gods believe you should overcome greater challenges to advance further," Jessica replied.

  Markos rolled his eyes metaphysically. He did not encounter any Gods when his soul left Earth and arrived in this new world, whatever it was called. Frankly, he was chagrined at learning the existence of Gods here. But this was a line of inquiry for another day. So if I understand your rationale correctly, I will need 3,000 XP to reach Level 4 and then 4,000 XP to hit Level 5?

  "Correct!" Jessica nodded happily. "Master, you are so smart!" she praised him.

  The dungeon core was worried. He was still defenseless and a sitting duck if anyone discovered his core. Markos was hoping level advancement would be easy. Apparently, the Gods of this world had a different philosophy. But he had no time to worry about the unfairness of the advancement system. Instead, he had to focus on what he could do to defend himself. Can I use the 1,000 units of raw material to build my dungeon right now?

  "You sure can!" his helper nodded enthusiastically. She was dying to create something with the raw material. She held her hands together. "Should we start building the walls now?" she asked.

  Before I give you the order, I have a few questions. How do I decide where to put up the walls? And how do I change the dungeon if I don't like it?

  His faery nodded. "These are very good questions, master. Normally, I would create the design and submit it to you for approval via our mental link. You can then review my design and offer any revisions you like. Once the walls are built, you can deconstruct them back into raw materials at any time and then make another dungeon."

  Does it cost mana to deconstruct a wall?

  "Yes, it does. Initially, it would cost 1 mana to deconstruct 1 square foot of a wall. But as your level increases, the cost will be reduced."

  But the penalty for making a bad dungeon is still too high! Right now, my limited mana pool is turning into a bottleneck in creating my dungeon.

  "Master, you can convert your health into mana on a 1-to-1 basis."

  Markos wished he could facepalm. You didn't tell me this before!

  "Oops! I forgot!" The faery hit herself on the head.

  What's the rate of health regeneration?

  "Like mana, it's also 1 health per minute."

  How fast can I create my dungeon?

  "It's instantaneous," she smiled.

  Seriously?

  "Yup!" Jessica nodded.

  Wow! That's good to know. So I could basically bank my raw materials and simply create walls whenever intruders appear. I could even make the wall appear on top of the intruders and kill them!

  Jessica shook her head. "No. The location where you create a dungeon wall cannot be occupied by a living creature. The Gods have forbidden this."

  Damn it! Markos wished he had a human body so that he could slam a fist on the table. Or at least snap his fingers. He looked at his UI again. The first thing he needed to do was to increase his mana pool. At this juncture, there was no getting around exchanging health for mana. But he needed to ask something related first. Will I feel pain if I convert my health to mana?

  The helper gave the core an apologetic look. "I don't know, master."

  Markos did a metaphysical eye roll. Let's just do it. Please convert 200 health.

  "Yes, sir!" the faery saluted.

  Markos immediately felt a pounding headache. Fortunately, the pain was tolerable. Seeing the question on Jessica's face, the dungeon core responded. Yes, it hurts.

  "Sorry."

  It's fine. I want to create a wall to protect my core and block it from view. But I also want to spend only the minimal amount of raw materials in doing so. What do you suggest?

  Jessica tilted her head from side to side. "Hmm. Probably the most basic thing you could do is to create a thick wall directly in front of you. I think six feet should cover your core nicely."

  If I do that, wouldn't my eyesight be blocked?

  The faery giggled. "I'm sorry, master. I didn't mean to laugh at you. Since you are a dungeon core, you don't have eyes to see anything. Instead, you see through the detection of life energy. So you can still see perfectly fine even with a wall in front of your core."

  Life energy? What if an undead appears in my dungeon? How will I detect it?

  "Undead carry un-life energy, which you can still detect just fine," she reassured him.

  Okay. Please go ahead and create a six feet wall in front of me. After that, I want you to continue converting the rocks into the raw materials in al
lotments of 100 units. Also, whenever my health is completely regenerated, I want you to convert 200 health to mana. Hopefully, I will be asleep when that happens and I won't feel the pain again. If any creature invades my dungeon, please wake me up immediately. Should I repeat my order?

  "Not necessary, master!" Jessica saluted. The faery flew away.

  Alone again, Markos took another nap.

  Chapter 4

  Cheater

  Markos regained his consciousness and uttered one word mentally: Jessica!

  The summoned faery's wings fluttered like a butterfly. She passed through the stone wall and appeared before the dungeon core. "Yes, master?"

  How long did I sleep?

  The helper touched her chin with a finger. "Maybe 30 hours?"

  What! Why didn't you wake me?

  "Master, your specific instruction was to wake you immediately if any creature invades your dungeon. Fortunately, that hasn't happened yet and I decided to let you sleep longer," she explained.

  Biting back his retort, Markos summoned the UI to get an update:

  Name: Markos Turloch

  Class: Dungeon Core, Level 3

  Experience: 4,630/6,000

  Helper: Jessica, Dungeon Faery

  Health: 600/800

  Mana: 545/800

  Domain: 4,600 square feet, 4,584 units available

  Minions: 0/1

  Keeper Abilities: Convert raw materials,

  Create walls, Befriend creatures

  Markos tried to scratch the back of his head but remembered that he no longer had limbs. While he was pleased that he had gained a level during his sleep, he was also disappointed at the fact that it took him 30 hours to do. There had to be a way to increase his dungeon level faster! Markos pushed the thought aside and focused on something else. Can you explain why I have 4,630 XP right now?

  "Certainly," Jessica nodded. "When you fell asleep, you had 1,000 XP. You gained 30 XP from creating six square feet of wall, or 5 XP per unit of a wall created. You were asleep for 30 hours. That generated 1,800 each in mana and health. I used them to convert 3,600 units of raw materials and that resulted in 3,600 XP. And this was enough to advance to Level 3. Congratulations!" The faery applauded.

  The dungeon core listened carefully to the explanation. Something she mentioned caught his attention! Hold on a moment. I get 5 XP for every square foot of wall I create?

  "That's correct!" the helper nodded enthusiastically.

  HAHAHAHAHAHA! The dungeon core started laughing like a maniac. This was fantastic! The former human smelled a cheat in the system! With great effort, Markos suppressed his laughter. Do I gain any experience from the deconstruction of a wall?

  "Nope," Jessica shook her head.

  No matter. Markos realized that by continuously converting his surroundings into raw materials and then building walls, he could easily gain experience and increase his level. The only bottleneck was his mana pool. Is there another source of energy I could use besides my health or mana to power my dungeon keeper abilities?

  "Sure!" the faery nodded. "If there is a lava flow or geothermal heating vent or underground stream nearby, you could tap into it for energy in place of mana."

  Is there anything like that nearby?

  The helper closed her eyes for a moment and then reopened them. "Not that I could tell," Jessica replied with a soft shake of her head.

  We've been digging our surroundings for the raw materials. Have we been digging laterally on the same plane?

  "Yes," she nodded.

  Okay, change of plans. Please dig vertically. Straight down. We may have better luck in finding a geothermal heat vent or a lava flow in that direction.

  Jessica tilted her head. "Master, if we do that then we won't be able to reach the surface."

  Markos took note of the fact that she was disagreeing with him for the first time. He decided that it was critical for the two of them to reach an agreement on this matter and thus, he took the time to explain his thinking to her. I understand that you want to reach the surface and explore the world above us. But I think it's dangerous to do so when I'm still defenseless right now. I can build walls and befriend some creatures. But against high-level adventurers, that won't be enough to protect me. Am I correct?

  The faery sighed. "Yes, master."

  If I can tap into another energy source, then I could increase my level so that I could create a strong enough dungeon to protect myself. Until that occurs, it would be dangerous for me to connect to the surface.

  "I suppose you're right, master." The dungeon helper tried to set aside her disagreement. She was anxious to reach the surface and discover new wonders. However, the master's decision was the right one. His safety was the top priority!

  Thank you, Jessica.

  * * *

  It took a full ten days of digging but finally, the dungeon core tapped into a geothermal heat vent. The hot air began to fill the tunnels.

  Markos expended 10 units of raw materials to create a thick wall over the vent as a stopper. YES! He screamed with delight when he was able to utilize the heat energy to create the wall.

  "You did it, master!" Jessica danced in the air to celebrate the remarkable achievement.

  The dungeon core checked his UI:

  Name: Markos Turloch

  Class: Dungeon Core, Level 9

  Experience: 36,280/45,000

  Helper: Jessica, Dungeon Faery

  Health: 3,900/4,100

  Mana: 3,845/4,100

  Domain: 6,257 square feet, 36,584 units available

  Minions: 0/4

  Keeper Abilities: Convert raw materials,

  Create walls, Befriend creatures,

  Create traps, Create minions,

  Analyze, Heal others,

  Unchosen elemental affinity (Primary),

  Unchosen elemental affinity (Secondary),

  Hivemind (0/4)

  Wow! I didn't realize I had gained so much experience from digging!

  "Me neither," Jessica giggled. "We've been fortunate that we haven't encountered any Underdark races like the drow and the gray dwarves."

  Markos filed the comment into a mental folder. He would have to revisit a discussion of the subterranean races in the near future. For now, he needed to focus on something more immediate. Jessica, I would like to move my dungeon core and have it rest on top of the geothermal heat vent. And then we'll build the dungeon levels on top of me. This way, my dungeon core will be extremely well protected.

  "Aye-aye, master!" the faery saluted. She dissolved the rocks holding the dungeon core in place. Once the large diamond landed on the ground, she carefully dissolved the ground underneath the core to gently lower the invaluable relic. Then she tilted the dissolution of the remaining rocks so that the dungeon core will slide onto the wall which was serving as a cap over the heat vent.

  Markos watched patiently until she finished this task. Nicely done! Now, please form a chamber to surround me.

  The helper quickly carried out his order. Tapping into the vent for energy for the first time, she created a dome that was ten feet thick on all sides and spent 34 units of raw material to make it. Jessica flew through the thick dome and fluttered in front of the dungeon core. "What next?"

  Suddenly, a large worm burrowed into the chamber! It wiggled back and forth in the open space but made no move toward the exposed dungeon core. The worm was easily 10 feet long. It had a black, metallic hide that appeared to be impenetrable. The front end of the worm was a sharp point, perfect for drilling through rocks. Fine bristles lined the head. It opened its mouth, revealing several rows of teeth.

  What's that?

  "You can use the Analyze ability on it," Jessica replied while staring at the worm with great interest. It was her first encounter with a living creature and she was becoming more and more excited!

  Markos stared at the worm and information appeared on a screen before him: "Analysis complete: Giant Nematode. Disposition: Curious. Befriendable? Yes." Sho
uld I try to befriend it?

  "Try it," the helper encouraged him.

  Here goes nothing. The dungeon core concentrated on befriending the giant worm. To his chagrin, the Befriend ability drained 1,000 mana! Markos immediately tapped into the heat vent beneath him to refill his mana pool.

  The Giant Nematode stopped moving.

  "Befriended: Giant Nematode, Level 6. +500 XP." YES!

  Jessica clapped her hands. "What should we do with your new friend, master?"

  Markos thought for a moment. She could stay here as my companion and bodyguard.

  "She?" the faery asked.

  Yes. My friend is female. She said she noticed my presence and was drawn to me.

  "I see," Jessica nodded. A part of her felt uneasy at this revelation. As a dungeon helper, she had a direct connection with his mind. She saw how much he doted on her as a daughter. She worried that the worm would compete with the faery for his affection. Be that as it may, there was nothing that the jealous faery could do about it. "Even creatures can sense your greatness from afar!" Jessica proclaimed with false enthusiasm to hide her uneasiness with the appearance of his new friend.

  But it's also dangerous if my dungeon core can be sensed from a distance.

  "That's true," the helper agreed. "Since you're sitting on top of that vent right now, if anyone shows up and tries to take you, you can simply dissolve the cap and drop into the vent to escape," Jessica pointed out. "Think of it as your escape hatch," she joked.

  True. But it would very difficult to retrieve my dungeon core because not many creatures could survive inside the heat vent and pull me out of it.

  Jessica pointed at my companion. "She could."

  Markos imagined the giant worm burrowing into the vent and retrieving his core with her teeth. Hopefully, she won't ever need to do that.

  Chapter 5

  Affinities & Abilities

  Markos pulled out his UI again to review his current status. I see that I have gained new abilities. Can you explain what is meant by 'Unchosen elemental affinity' and 'Hivemind?'"

  "Certainly, master!" Jessica saluted. She landed on the nematode's head.