Chương 39: A visitor.

No matter which Dungeon you're delving. As long as you've visited more than one, you're likely to have encountered a few dump rooms during your delves. Now dumping rooms aren't bathrooms. They're areas that Dungeons use to dump spare materials that they don't personally need but don't have a desire or way to destroy. A magical variant of stone, "Ice Granite" for example. Low level materials that might find their way into a monster but aren't particularly valuable for them.

If this concept sounds strange and you can't remember having seen one before let me give you another hint. Do mining rooms ring a bell? That's right. Some of these profitable lures for both adventurers and "workers with adventuring bodyguards" alike – are actually little more than quasi garbage/storage rooms! The main purpose for these rooms was for material removal without wasting the time they spent and to attract more adventurers.

They existed soley as a way to get rid of excess materials but have become so much more. Over the years these dumping rooms have evolved and many located deeper have actual expensive and rare materials specifically created as a reward for miners who delved that far.

"Dumping rooms" that contain Mythril. Vast rooms with hidden gems of power and bars of metal that could create a high levelled item without any skill. They started out as huge spaces with haphazard piles of materials strewn about. Now they are rooms defining a dungeon. Rooms with stories and themes and nuggets of rare material embedded in soft walls. Mining rooms started out as an afterthought but are here to stay. An excerpt from the textbook "On dungeons and how they have evolved over the years" By Colligan Ray.

It was a typical hour of a typical day in Innearth's life. The person who entered his influence did so without warning and Innearth nearly didn't notice that something was new. He could ignore the feeling of something entering his influence (it could just be another animal) but what he couldn't ignore was the system messages that popped up, one by one, a moment after their arrival Sapient system link established for the first time.

"Dungeon Enhancement" controls have been added. As a first-time setup, your current nameless dungeon is being populated with basic information.

"Bismuth" as the first finder has named you "Pit Stop". May your legacy live on Pit Stop! In the future your name may change based on other sapient input. Who knows what your eventual name may be! They were wide and stout. A creature with a large beard, leather clothing and brilliant brown-red boots. Innearth stared at the boots slightly in shock at his somewhat lackluster new name. He stared at the boots not because of the colour but the sheer complexity of constantly shifting mana he saw in them.

They were filled with more mana than a tier 2 core – yet didn't leak a single wisp. This man strolled through Innearth's massive halls with appreciation. Staring about with an appraising eye the creature constantly muttered stuff to himself and Innearth wished he could understand the strange mouth sounds sapient creatures used to communicate. Innearth: it's happening! Everyone I got an adventurer!! Amy: Congrats! It was bound to happen some time. Glad it happened soon for you. Abe: BROOOOO! LETS GOOOOOOO!

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE! Innearth: They have a beard so a man. Uh pretty tall. Based on your skin colour descriptions I think it's a human? There are no scales and the ears look normal. Oh! And he has really nice boots. As Innearth described the person wandering around his dungeon in a nonchalant manner, the "human" got attacked several times by lesser snakes.

Each time the man didn't seem to notice the snakes attacking from the side or behind, but as soon as they got within striking distance his boots would flash and the snake would die. Just like that. The snake would raise to strike and then fall with a faint heat wave of sorts rising above them. The man flinched when a snake appeared in front as if to strike and Innearth got confused. He... was afraid of the lesser crystal snake? But this is the beginner area and it's pretty obvious he's high level.

He hasn't even reacted before while killing anything so far… or did he not notice anything till now? The man walked forwards up to the dead snake and pulled a majestic looking knife out of his belt. The knife was little more than sharpened light. It actually looked plain and uninteresting if looked at "normally" but Innearth couldn't help but see just how much mana was contained within it. Shifting 3-dimensional runes were laid upon its whole length and with a single slash, the dead snake was skinned.

Standing up once more the man looked through the scales with an appreciative eye and then folded the skin into a square before they were stuffed into his belt carefully. His belt. Innearth hadn't noticed till now due to how brilliant the boots were, but the belt gave off a sense of weight. Staring at it in his mana sight gave nothing but faint wisps at the seems, but he could positively feel the weight of it pushing through his influence. Almost like the bag itself was bigger than the hall it was moving in.

Okay, so space mana? Pretty obvious. I wonder what else they have contained in there.... that's a moving space mana construct. How is it moving? All the stuff I've done with void mana has been pretty stationary... I think they are mostly relying on those boots. I wonder if they will start fighting for real once they get deeper! I'm excited to see what they can do when they aren't just automatically killing things. Innearth: This is nearly exactly what I was expecting!

Okay they are acting a bit strange now but really I can't be picky. Amy:"Acting a bit strange?" Innearth: They are sitting down in the middle of my dungeon and having a snack. Amy: Plenty of adventueres eat inside me. That's normal! Innearth: Okay, Just thought it was weird because they had so much of it. Amy: Anything else? Innearth: Yes they are carving something. Runes? They are carving runes into a rock. Oh now they are making gloves out of the snake skin they picked up? They have a lot of tools.

Abe: Brooo what's happening: D. I haven't had a single adventurer start crafting in me before. Lucky! Innearth: They finished their food and don't seem to like the gloves much. Just dropped it and have started heading deeper. Abe: MY GUY! Send me those gloves m8. I want to see. Innearth: … sure but send them back afterwards I want to make sure they are here by the time they get back in case they want them. … Abe: Bro… these are tiny. Innearth: huh? They are pretty big. Amy: Send me the gloves!

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Abe: How big is the adventuere? Innearth: uh… about 40-50cm? pretty tall. ZeMadDoctor: … someone should tell him. Abe: No don't. I want to see if he can figure it out himself. Innearth: Tell me what? Amy: These gloves are absolutely minuscule. Are you being delved by a child? Innearth: They have a beard! They aren't a child. Why? How big are your adventueres? Amy: … 3-4x that at least. Innearth: What?

You have 2 meter tall giants delving you? Don't they brush against your ceilings? Amy: most are closer to 1. 7m. A couple "elves" who've taken to delving me are 2. 2m… Listen Innearth. Are you being delved by a dwarf? Innearth returned to staring at his "human" Innearth: Maybe? Amy: How can you not tell? Are they not super short? Abe: How big are your hallways?. Innearth: Uh most are almost 2 meters tall and about 50cm wide. A few of my older hallways are still 1. 5m tall and 30cm wide. Amy: …

I don't mean to tell you how to design your dungeon but that's really cramped… Innearth: … you sure this isn't a human? Amy: Positive. I'm sorry. Amy sent back the gloves and Innearth placed them where he found them, slightly in shock. This… this is new information! Innearth: … assuming you are right how tall do you have your dungeon? Abe: LOL. I can't. give me a second. Amy: My hallways are 3-4 meters tall and 3-4 meters wide.

I want people to feel comfortable and be able to pass each other and fight without getting blocked by the walls. Innearth: … that's room sized I say. Abe: My "hallways" are less "hallways" and more just doors to new rooms. All my rooms bump up against each other and are 4 meters tall and 20-30m wide. Innearth: … I think I have to rip up half my dungeon guys. Amy: Well better you figured it now… even if it's a bit late. Did you never buy the adventure handbook?

It listed average sizes and good dimensions for hallways and rooms based on the different races who might delve you. Innearth: The maze. Dammit. What am I going to do with the maze. While Innearth lamented the work ahead of him he watched the dwarf continue its stroll through his beginner floors. This was exactly what he had wanted… but somehow it seemed lackluster.

The way his defenders died was not nearly as exciting as the fights with random animals and monsters he had had in the past and he was slightly resentful at the name he had been given. I'm not a pit stop. I'm the destination! Watching his normal snakes get slaughtered silently and skinned – the lesser snakes being ignored now – Innearth sighed and tried to find a positive. I think they are enjoying themselves? If they like the crystal snakeskin, I'm sure they will tell others about me.

I got one so it's only a matter of time before he tells others and I get some proper adventurers! The dwarf continued on its efficient culling of monsters, not once lifting a finger to fight before turning around after taking one look at the maze between his beginner area and the magma halls. Dammit. Is he going to leave before I get a proper fight?! That maze is great! Don't run away. Innearth frantically looked around trying to figure out how to lure the fake adventurer in deeper. Some quick rearranging!

I need to buy some time. Sending a "greater" snake from the crystal caverns up the snake way to his beginner area Innearth hoped they would buy enough time while he moved his boss around. Transferring his "sand bed" from the end of the maze to the start, took longer than he hoped; but the dwarf was now briskly strolling after the greater snake, who had started smoking as soon as it came close. There! One sand bed boss deposited right before the maze. One… dead greater snake destined to become a pair of boots.

The dwarf happily skinned the much larger snake and this time started ripping the body apart as well. Its bones were pulled up and twisted about in the air – a monocle had suddenly appeared in the dwarf's eye as they muttered furiously and licked the Kinetic crystals lining its ribs. Once more using the vibrant knife it had used to skin the snake the dwarf carefully extracted the mana circuit this snake had made along with the healing sacks.

The sacks were cut open and tasted then tossed while the circuit seemed to make the dwarf incredibly excited. Pulling out various vials hurriedly the dwarf applied a green jell cursing as a vial dropped and smashed below it. Wrapping the goo'd circuit up in a brown cloth-like leather, the dwarf stuffed it in his pouch – comically raising the whole package higher than him with a laboured motion and letting it slide down and disappear into its storage. … how big is that belt????

Looting nearly every single part of the snake except the muscles which were just dumped into the hall the dwarf placed all of them in his belt with varying degrees of care. Finishing up the dwarf turned once more before stopping. Taking a moment to look down the hall it had come the dwarf spied the new boss that had been shifted here for it. Curious the dwarf wandered over and seemed surprised when the flat boss pulled up into a lump.

The whole bed was smoking now, but unlike most of the monsters that the dwarf had slaughtered up till now, the boss wasn't vanquished easily. It rushed forward in a smooth motion to envelop and suffocate the arrogant dwarf who… let it? No, it couldn't move fast enough. Innearth watched as the invader was completely consumed with a conflicted feeling. I mean… I don't actually want to kill the dwarf; he's supposed to tell others of my dungeon! But he was kind of rude.

As Innearth debated the results he suddenly realized something was wrong. The sand bed was sandpapering away, and he couldn't see the dwarf but… he also couldn't see any sign that anything had happened. Not to be morbid but shouldn't there be some blood if it were working? Innearth watched in silence for another 30 seconds before a single small hand extended up out of the center, completely fine. It clutched a ball with several spinning gears linked to feathers and rods of hard light.

Orienting itself the ball seemed to shudder and then hoist a laughing dwarf up and to the side. Yes! The dwarf made it! Continuing to laugh the dwarf was carried to safety where it turned and waggled a single unharmed finger at the death trap behind it. Shaking itself with a couple hops, the dwarf pushed a handful of still alive boss sand into his pouch then fumbled around and pulled out a bottle. Okay. Is that going to do something to the boss?

Taking a deep swig of the bottle the dwarf turned and strolled away from the boss, every once in a while giggling slightly and shaking his head while talking to himself. … That's it? You're not fighting it? Okay then … Innearth was slightly glad for that. He wasn't sure what the dwarf that had thrown away such a nice glove would do with any of his tier 2/3 creations... and he felt like he didn't have to give any loot when they hadn't beaten the boss.

Walking back the dwarf noticed the glove he had made and got visibly annoyed. Pulling out a red ball the size of a pea, he tossed it on the glove. With a mechanical buzz and bright flash, the glove immediately went up in flames, vanishing a second or two later without a trace. Reaching down they picked up the still intact ball and continued on. I wish I didn't put it back. If he was just going to destroy it, I'd have rather kept it. Dammit.

Continuing on his way yet again, the dwarf wandered up and out of Innearth's dungeon – leaving just as abruptly as he had came. … I don't know what to do with this information. Dwarves are weird?... okay here's something. Besides all the stuff about sizing, I know I got one dwarf and will probably get more. Currently, the beginner area doesn't really have a theme... it's just the "beginner area" I think I'm going to theme it into something dwarves would like... a mine!...

currently, my inventory has tons and tons of silver from consuming the silver material... and I still have that silver flesh so I have essentially infinite silver to throw at this area. I christen this the silver mines! I'm not sure how much the dwarves that use such magical items would care for raw silver... so I'll try and infuse random chunks of silver with all the mana types I know! Hopefully the rest can get properties from the environmental mana.

With this plan to work towards Innearth checked the new controls he was given and did a double-take.... there was a lot. There were probably more options given by having a sapient creature delve him than there was for advancing to rank 3.

As a brief overview, there was a "dungeon quest system" along with triggers for: entering an area; saying something, or doing an action; placing, or taking an item; to any combination of the above; even the lack of an action or more vague "think in x way" type triggers were viable. There was a title system with both hidden and visible titles. These titles could be used as persistent markers – keeping track of progress in a quest after someone had left the dungeon or as a way of awarding someone for progress.

There was a zoning system where Innearth could use the system to mark off an area and give it specific system effects currently limited to being tied to the quest system or "notifying the area name" which Innearth assumed meant he could make a "now entering the crystal caverns" notice or similar. Finally, there was the loot system which was... also a lot. A lot of power in an already huge section of new panels not properly separated out for how much utility they gave.

First Innearth could place the items he had made into it and give triggers to automatically award them (beat the crystal bed boss get the crystal sword as an example). They were limited to mostly inert items (it didn't look like he could use the system to "gift" someone an already exploding bomb if they were "a demon" for example). These items were stored in system space – not Innearths Inventory.

In a sense, if he set to work assembly lining items and storing them, it was a way of getting rid of materials that didn't involve destroying them with void... it just took up more time and effort and mana... but he got a visible reward for doing so – potential loot vs nothing. There was also a specific function that this "loot system" offered. An "opt-in" system loot randomizer. Innearth selected his "Butcher knife" and watched as it changed to a generic "Tier 2 [swu pool -> loot value 275]" icon in his inventory.

He set a single "crazy ball mother" loose in the silver mine and gave it the Tier 2 loot drop. I still need to fix those, they kind of fall apart when their crazy balls die... I can't give them new ones with the built-in 2-way mental connections and even if I could do that, it's annoying to make small monsters all the time. I could probably ask Bose for help with mental mana but I kind of want to figure this out myself.

Trying to get another sense of the randomizer he also randomized the Tier 3 magma mace and attached it to death knight silver.

"Tier 3 [bwr pool -> loot value 402]" Well anyways. Regarding the new system panels, there are so many options both glaringly visible and that I can tell are hidden. I feel like the more I use some of these tools, the more they will offer... I don't even know what to play with first! I guess the best option is to work on fixing everything and try a few small scale uses of these... overuse sounds almost like I'm not designing my own dungeon anymore and just letting the system do it....

but they are there, so it would be silly not to try them out! With a plan in hand, Innearth started a long process of redesigning everything while continuing to expand.... Time passed....