Chương 66: Anti Exploit Engineering. Part Two - The Beating Stick.

Part Two - The Beating Stick.

Thompson. Please, can you hire some adventurers to plumb the lower levels? I need category 2 magical materials to start on the mana sewer and several intact cores. We can't postpone that and if you keep letting those buffoons make foundations, I'll need to rip them all up to lay drain channels. Setting up buildings every which way is madness! Really, I get that people are excited to start building but without a proper plan they are going to make mistakes. They have already made mistakes.

Did you see the newest hovel they've started making? Its 20 stories tall! 20 stories of unenforced hopes and dreams that will collapse at the first monster attack. We haven't even cleaned out the valley yet – I saw a hulking furry beast wander past the camp with a giant silver weapon earlier today. Can you hire some adventurers to either drive off or kill everything higher than category 2 or danger level 1? I won't be camping beside stuff that wants to eat me I won't stand for it.

While I'm already writing this I'll mention some less immediately important but valid grievances. As the highest leveled craftsmen in this generously called "town" I'm used to a higher level of convivence. Now listen. I'm not some spoilt noble who wants gilded and luxurious accommodations, but I refuse to continue relieving myself in the woods and won't stand for the charred monster meat adventurers have been passing off as food. I heard the dungeon has started making toilets can you believe that?

The dungeon has better living conditions than this "town"! Either hire a proper [Waste Craftsmen] or get me some void aspected materials and let me brute force the issue with a general purpose waste annihilator. We also need a [Chef] or [Innkeeper] or really anyone who knows what spices are and is willing to make actual food. I'm sorry if I'm coming off as rude and demanding but I'm slowly losing my sanity dealing with these people and conditions. I became a [Sewermaster] not an adventurer for a reason.

Complaint form issued to preliminary mayor Jay Thompson 2000AS. Okay. It's all well and good to bribe adventurers… but that doesn't change the fact that I've been annoyed by the over-levelled rampaging about my newbie floors. I've done my nice and peaceful solution and I think it's working. Now to solidify this state with my more antagonistic solution. How could I go about either punishing adventurers for escort quests? Or at the very least challenge them? That's what I have to figure out.

I mean punishing adventurers is easy enough. I could do something like how FED has set up stronger monsters that attack if something he's against – like smashing lots of vases in a row – happens. I think however… I think I would prefer a punishment that's closer to simply matching their strength. … I think a good enough plan would be to forcefully bring them to a place that better suites them. Transportation could be done with a giant shrunk pit that sucks them down all the way to a lower floor.

Two bonuses with the shrinking idea. First off it will feel faster and help suppress them because it's more under my control if shrunk this way… secondly the main way I'm thinking of pulling them down will be by placing lots of alternating gravity pushing and pulling materials. If I make it inside of the shrunk area it will be cheaper and require less "higher mana materials" to make the walls. Now I could try putting them outside the area – but I think they lose potency while passing into the shrunk zone.

Easy enough to start. One last thing I can't forget… I have to catch them nicely at the bottom. Some gravity pushing up to make them lighter and then a pool of water? Bunch of squishy items? That should work. Beginning his design, Innearth built his shafts directly in all the choke points adventurers needed to pass between the surface and the forest portal.

First off, he planned out where each would go mentally fighting for space and building the majority of the middle before opening the ends so no one would notice his in construction attraction. They have to pass through the maze… ah slag. I'm going have to reroute some paths to get a clear passage down. I want to bring most of the groups to the crystal caverns – but that's close enough to the forest portal they can just turn around and get back up quickly….

I should really be sending them down to the ice caves as a true balancing… but I don't want this to be a speed run to the end of my dungeon… I could also of course make multiple chutes to both, but it's already going to take me ages to get these done. A 5-floor drop is only 130m on average if I pick these 3 spots and that's already going take me over a week to set up. Even if I have help. Innearth called his burrowers up from the frontier to help create the passageways.

A faint rumbling filled many of his floors as the burrowers manipulated stone into their endless void gullets – and dislodged chunks of rocks that fell below them smashing into the walls occasionally as they fell down. Vertical shafts were hard to make for the worms, but they managed it somehow with awkward spirals and zags along with frequent stone manipulation. As Innearth watched the passages form, he was strangely reminded of the steam spike shooting mollusks in the crystal caverns.

The way they had been built into the crystal and then stone floor... Wild thought... how big of a plant can I make? And is making a whole pit cheating? Is it like giving life to a hallway? Is this some sort of hack? Innearth: Anyone give life to a hallway before? ZeMadDoctor: Can't say I have. That's an intriguing idea. Amy: … technically I've made my hallways living because the life mana is easier for my influence to pass through. So my dungeon flesh is stone with liquid veins of water and life mana.

Amy: I've actually tried giving life to the walls but it's less effective than just pumping life mana through them because I can't claim them afterwards. If you want to make a hallway a trap your better off setting up a dozen separate traps beside each other making a single big one. That kind of nerfs its precision and... well the larger it is the higher a drain it takes. Might need to be put on a lower floor. Innearth: fair enough.... well technically the pit is a trap. I'll see what happens when I get there....

I guess thinking about it a bit more using Amy's experience and what I hope to achieve from this trap – I'm better off just making it a claimed trap and hooking up system events to deal with the level problem. I can't see how a living trap could understand and suck up high levelled people passing for the first time with escorts… something to think about however in terms of making a living hallway. To add onto the todo pile as an experiment. Do do todo.

After one pit was made with the combined effort of his four borrowers, they split up to work on the next two and Innearth began putting in the work himself to actually make the trap. Innearth pulled the passage inwards vertically and held it till the drop was steady. 133m became close to 20m and Innearth was ready to start working with gravity. The top of the pit had the gravity suppressing materials placed on them and then a second layer of artificial gravity on top to try and mask his sucking pit.

All across the inside Innearth began laying thick angled plates of inverted gravity covered in thin plates of normal gravity. The larger plates would pull them down while the thin covering had a smaller range but increased effectiveness – hopefully keeping anyone who fell stuck in the middle of the shaft and pushing anyone who attempted to climb it off. Innearth then began laying directionless kinetic coverings on everything.

The walls seemed to vibrate slightly – quickly becoming frictionless and contesting the more solid portion it was attached to. Unable to shake the world the inner ring slowly solidified into a hazy case with the vibrations seeming to exit the material to exist in the space right above it. Now all he had to do was continue doing this all the way down and repeat on the other shafts. Care was taken to try and compress everything and make sure the walls were strong enough to handle damage.

Innearth made sure to insulate sections that passed by his other passages with nullstone and started planning out the bottom. … A few days into this endeavour and a group comprising of several bulky hooded figures had claimed his reward at the end of the ice caverns. Innearth took that to mean he was running out of time – for while his group of adventurers that actually delved his dungeon had grown a large group was already turning back to escort quests. Innearth was really beginning to hate those quests.

Stewing as he watched an adventurer over level 130 kick a lesser snake through the weaker upper floor wall then lead their group through an "unofficial shortcut" it took Innearth a moment to realize someone was trying to contact him.

"Ilmenite is insufferable as the only one of us that has gained the booze system. Please let me make a tier 8 weapon with you as well. I've tried pouring everything I had into the materials you've provided us – but the best I've made is still not good enough... I used up all the X crystals in the workshop making an item and all that is left are scraps. Please. Look at this failure and tell me what I'm doing wrong." Steve pushed at Innearth frustration leaking through his mental words. Staff of the archmage.

Tier 7 magic focus. Description: Made with 333 separate magical crystals this staff can significantly enhance spells related to: Water, Fire, Life, Death, Kinetic, Mental, Light, and Void related mana types. Increase is related to several factors but is estimated to be between 50% and 100%. Additionally, all spells no matter their affinity cast using this staff as a focus have an additional increase in effect by 20% while taking 10% less time with the same amount of mana.

Durability 500/1 [Sage's wisdom] 3 spells may be stored and pulled out to quick cast in an emergency.... hey this is pretty good – it's 2 tiers lower than the collab item Ilm made, but it's obviously something a mage would like a lot more than a spear. I can't tell how good the percentage increases are because I haven't made many magic items, but it sounds good?

"It's awful. I used the entire stock of X crystals and only got that much. Did you know true adult dwarves should be able to make masterwork items out of nothing but some plain metal? I'm a failure. Let me help you make something – anything. The very fact that you compared it to Ilmenites stupid cheating item proves how worthless it is." Steve said desperately. You know what. I just finished my last bounty quest... I'll make a new one for levels 30-50 and set it to the end of the deprivation floor okay?

This item is great. Your donation is going live in… I think I'll push it out in a week since the last quest ended. I'm really appreciative! Innearth said while trying to calm his son down. And okay. Regarding you helping… Well right now I'm trying to kill the escort quests by dropping overkilling kill joys to the crystal caverns. You could maybe help design the entrances, but I've already mostly had that figured out.

Simple really, I was planning on latches that swing down and up with kinetic mana and then I'd cover the whole thing in null stone and place it in a rough area. Also make a with a really small seam to hide it.... so you could help me hide the entrances and I'd actually appreciate that… but it wouldn't help you reach your goal of making a masterwork item. Innearth mused.

"... I don't want to distract you, but can we make a bounty item then? Anything else you want help with?" Steve asked a faint whine to his tone. Innearth thought for a bit to himself – but vocally – his dungeon monsters could still hear him through their connection. Well, I immediately jumped to pit traps. I didn't want to just send strong monsters at them in the lower floors right. I wanted to figure out how to get them lower down so they can fight the stronger monsters themselves.

Do you have any item ideas that would help with this goal?

"Well... why don't you make a door to head up that needs a key that's found low down in the dungeon? Then they would be forced to delve down lower before heading back? Alternatively could you not make a second path on the way up that was harder. One that portal people had to go through to reach the surface?" Steve asked his tone shifting and calming down as he tried to prove himself.... kinda of a neat plan but doesn't work for my use case.

I only want to make escort quests worse, not break retreating or set up some manual blocking that feels like I'm picking and choosing who can pass. I want it to feel natural. I could make one-way doors but that would break retreating which feels wrong somehow.

"What about picking on an escorted non adventurer? Make them fight somehow without help?" Steve offered.... that's an idea. I can make a passage or group of passages that can only be passed through by one person at a time. Force each and every person who goes through to challenge themselves instead of relying on their teammates…

"Well I can help set that up... do you think an item to separate adventurers would reach masterwork?" Steve asked his tone indicating he didn't think it would. What's the best challenge for a solo adventurer? I don't want to completely prevent lopsided groups from passing by making something impossible for a regular adventurer to pass. And I think the best way of setting this up would be to combine it with your other idea. Force escorts to pass through alone without bodyguards…

and then make an item located in the deep that allows them to pass unmolested. That way either the weaker escort has to prove themselves worthy or the escorting adventurers have to pass down to my ice caverns or something if they want to bring escorts through. OH! Obviously the tokens can be single use. Have anything to add to this?

"A manual token system… to disable the challenge for a single person? That could be a good currency. I think I can definitely set that up. Not sure if it would reach masterwork either…" Steve offered once more. Okay. Listen, you have a specific goal in mind and a specific reward you want from it so I get wanting to reach masterwork… but you shouldn't aim just for having as high a tier as possible.

When making monsters most of my designs are using lower-tiered cores intelligently instead of one big higher-tiered core. It makes more efficient monsters that cost less and can use skills or spells sooner. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"… it's really weird to think that I was created like an item. Anyways yes yes, the effect is more important than the random tier the system supplies, I get it." Steve sighed. It feels weird to give advice like I'm some sage but here's how I see it. Sometimes focusing on one aspect can be beneficial. It can definitely increase your skills and can make something really strong in that one aspect. Sometimes trying to do a lot is good as well making an item that performs multiple similar functions can be good.

For your last item… well your staff tries to help nearly every type of mana you knew how to add and its an amazing item that can be used by a lot of different mages. But… Most mages won't be able to use that many mana aspects so it will almost be wasteful to include them. Like, imagine if you focused on making a staff that increased just fire magic. Only certain mages that used fire magic would be able to use it but I'm sure you could have increased the effect from 50-100% plus 20% to 200% even higher. I think…

I think that's why the item is rated lower. Because it's too general and not specialized enough to be strong.

"… so less would have been more for this" Steve pondered Innearth's words. I can't promise that but that's my guess at least. Now multiple things that work well together are obviously better combined. Like all the stuff I want for this escort filter, all serve the same purpose so they might as well all be included in the same working. That way, as a spell "the intent" of all the separate pieces will combine together and enhance each other slightly.

I know the meaning you have matters less with runes, but I'll be working on it as well and the end result will be a ritual… those are more fluid than other spells.

"… you're kind of being contradictory. Do one thing – no, do all the things. I think I get it though. Do all the things this needs to do and don't add more capabilities just because we can. I'll start designing a token system" Steve finished and returned to the side room that was considered his workshop a hopeful expression on his face. Innearth had already done quite a bit of work on his pits and didn't want to toss them out now… but this new plan excited him more.

The amount of effort mana and attention he left creating his punish pits was minuscule as he turned to this new undertaking. I want something… I want something that's able to challenge everyone equally. I want to separate out adventurers and make sure only one can pass at a time… and I want to allow it to be disabled by the tokens. Challenge everyone equally… Should I figure out how to make a monster that adapts to whoever enters the passage? That could be fun but I'm not really sure how to start with it…

I could make a passage that gives different challenges? Maybe it moves back and forth to different environments based on who enters it? … but then again maybe that's too basic while also being too convoluted. If it's a single passage it will take a while for a group to pass through – I want a full group of like 5 adventurers to be able to go through simultaneously. I set up multiple passageways that challenge people in different ways? Set up a door that's a shield for something really tough.

A sword for something that attacks in strong ways and a wand for something that uses magic? Or does it make more sense to set those labels for the adventurer not the challenge. Have the shield be for something that will attack in strong ways and must be tanked? Innearth started to design the challenge beside his passageways hoping to reroute to them when they were done. He came up with several blueprints swapping between different ideas while continuing to work...

finally ending with a set of hallways that filtered adventurers themselves. The top was filled with acidic void liquid to drop on cheaters while the passage had a great deal of effort to filter adventurers out before it reached that point. Mental mana worked to try and convince people not to enter in groups. The entrance was small and had an air lock of sorts that only opened if one person was inside. An event and quest popup were even made to drive home the point. Quest!

Complete the trial using your own ability to progress through the dungeon! Goal: The passage of trials must be faced alone. This passage was created long ago as a way to challenge young recruits in the age of S o r c e r y. The space it is in is not one that likes being interfered in - nor can help be passed to those who attempt it. Alternative option: Use a [Trial Token] to bypass the challenge. [Trial Token] will be consumed to disable the passage. Tokens are found with increasing probability on lower floors.

Reward: Permanent nontransferable passage for yourself. Adventurers would get a title Innearth decided to leave visible as a badge of honour "[Completed the Trial of the Crossroads]". This would let adventurers retreat through the passage if they had already beaten it once. Next he worked on making the passage itself as strong as possible. Layering the walls in several different materials Steve finished the token design – along with a little slot that fitted into the wall.

After setting the token system up they turned to adding runes to the length of the entire hallway. Steve made Innearth pause in each layer of metal, or crystal, or stone as he sketched large but detailed symbols down its length. Turning to observe his tokens, Innearth saw the complex framework that made each small coin a [Trial Token] – essentially hundreds of looping swirls of mana that twisted in a slowly moving three-dimensional shape. They are obviously very complicated but don't look like much do they.

Can I decorate them? If I'm making this a permanent addition to my dungeon, I want to do it right.

"Sure, as long as you don't damage the token you should be fine." Steve responded reaching up and attempting to draw on the ceiling. Nodding in thanks as Innearth made a stepping stool for him Steve continued.

"I've been thinking about how you can design the challenge itself. When I finish this, I want to help make a monster". … sure. That's something you can help with. Innearth turned to stare at the tokens before coming across an idea. Each token was surrounded in dense crystal and shaped into various monster figurines. Snakes, spiders, bats, turtles, snowmen. Innearth worked his way though every regular monster in his dungeon crafting incredibly detailed aesthetics' for the tokens.

As a bonus the crystal seemed to warp the inner token itself slightly without damaging it. Without looking at the mana the tokens were simple metal chips and the crystals surrounding them should be misty clear but when combined the mana construct seemed to reflect and bounce about the crystal. First the complex shape was almost hidden becoming nearly impossible to observe with the radiation around them and then the figurines started to glow softly with a mundane but ethereal light.

Too dim to be useful in the dark they were mostly just "pretty". Innearth stared at them a bit before turning to the group. Innearth: Hey. Look at my trial tokens. @Fated Eternal Design. What do you think? Fated Eternal Design: YO. That's what I'm talking bout. Wanna share how you made them? It would be the perfect key to unlock the portal to your dungeon. Oh by the way take a end point to my dungeon. Doc finished helping me set it up. Innearth: Colab with steve… heavily dependant upon crystal mana for the visual.

Honestly don't think you could recreate them but here. Have a few of them I'm planning on reusing them everytime someone uses one and I'm fine giving you a few… you'll probably make a better story for them anyways. Fated Eternal Design: Nice. Amy: Those are pretty. Can I have one too? Innearth: … They are a somewhat limited supply and depend on someone else to make so I don't want to give them out endlessly… but sure. You can have a single one. Amy: It can keep lil sss' company! Innearth: hmm?

Amy: Send me it and I'll show you! Innearth gifted Amy a snake token and watched as she set up a stream a moment later. In a cut off portion of Amy's dungeon a crystal room glowed. The old crystal snake Innearth had given her was surprisingly still alive and surrounded by thousands of living crystals she had collected from where they had dropped way back when his bat had died in her dungeon.

In the middle a pool of water sat beside a ball and small obstacle course of vines and small mouse-like monsters that hid from the snake circling their room. It appeared Amy had managed to cross breed or at least magically combine some of the living crystals with other plants and coral crystal lined the walls along with sharp-looking crystalline grass and veins with faint crystal buds. In the center, a small pedestal sat and on top of the pedestal the snake token was placed lovingly.

Surrounding the token was a protective bubble of water that sat in the air and beside it lay a single word written in dungeon script. Friends. Innearth: … wow Ame's. That's… Abe: … I see what you mean about no longer being your best friend. I think it's Amy that's taken the spot not doc though. Sky's above I need to step up my game. Don't worry bro. I'll figure out a good present. Making you a friendship shrine isn't really my thing but I'll think of something. Oh Hey! I'm also done setting up my containment area.

Connect to my dungeon I want to share some Orcs! Innearth: Ayy! You know I was joking that time right? You're still my best friend. Abe: Yes yes. Await your gift, I'll regain your best friendship yet.

"So here's what I'm thinking for the challenge monster" Steve spoke to Innearth at this time – causing him to split off attention once more to focus on the trials.

"I want to use these runes here and see what happens when you meld it with these…" Steve started explaining his plan. Listening and providing input, Innearth started understanding his idea – prototyping the monster that would become the base of this challenge. … The group of adventurers moved down with the practiced ease of those who had done this several times already. Three short-haired women with pointed ears and what any sapient would call beautiful faces topped heavily scarred and calloused bodies.

Between them were two craftsmen one who wore a black apron and carried a frying pan defensively the other a giant lightened backpack. They stopped at the unfamiliar obstacle before them and stared at the popup that appeared stating the terms to continue. Immediately the furthest adventurer started cursing wildly swatting the quest notification aside. Turning to the wall she punched as hard as she could the enhanced wall barely gaining a crack to her anger.

Turning to the others the oldest-looking half-elf spoke for a moment then walked forward into the airlock runes spiralling around as the door appeared to materialize behind her sealing her in. A moment later she walked out into the hallway behind it. This hallway's inside was completely surrounded by crystals but less in a "crystalline" way like the crystal caverns. Instead of a natural multifaceted affair, the hallway was completely smooth.

The walls appeared to be polished to a single murky blue slightly reflective sheen and were perfectly straight. Halfway down the hallway a crystal golem stood strong. Their frame was like a skeleton covered in runes. Runes that quickly began drawing liquid crystal up from the ground as the adventurer stepped forward. The liquid was rapidly moulded about until a nearly perfect "completely blue copy of the adventurer" stood in front of them.

Liquid pooled out and created a copy of the long dirk and short crossbow strapped to the adventurer's arm shortly after – the liquid resonating and gaining colour as mana swirled up from the ground to shape the form. Quest Update: [Trial of the mirror] Goal: Defeat or bypass your strengthened double to complete the trial. Reward: Permanent nontransferable passage for yourself. I'm having way too much fun with [customization]... maybe I should tone it down a bit...

Deciding to try and get a head start, the woman dashed forward. A faint green tattoo on her leg lit up as her speed doubled and her dirk shot towards the golem's face beginning the fight. A blue tattoo appeared on the golem's leg and they quickly appeared to accelerate as well – ducking down and shooting out a bolt of liquid crystal shaped into an arrow that bent light about it to look like the real thing.

Seeming to sway as she jumped sideways, the adventurer kicked off the wall moving behind their copy in a single motion – swiping sideways with her knife as she went. A brief wooden scar appeared on the golem's back even as their leg pulsed and helped them spin with unnaturally quick speed to face the attacker once more. Silently swiping their crystal dirk they used the same skill to slash at the adventurer as she danced backwards.

Even as flowers bloomed on the golem's back, appearing to suck life out of them to survive – weakening the artificial creature quickly. Turning even as they were hit and running for the door at the far end, the adventurer ripped the yellow plant that briefly bloomed out of their forearm and flung it forwards – simultaneously they shot a bolt at their doppelganger. As the bolt passed through the flower it seemed to absorb it, tinting itself yellow as it accelerated.

It moved from a "really fast" projectile to "faster than Innearth could follow" appearing to almost teleport between the flower and the golem's shoulder a yellow afterimage left in its wake. This strike was followed by a massive cracking noise as the liquid crystal comprising its shoulder was shattered and then sprayed at the wall – illusion magic making it seem like blood. Reaching the door behind them she stood breathing heavily and watched as she was let through.

Her shoulders relaxed slightly as the door materialized behind her and blocked off the golem from view. Upon exiting the trial she paused before turning around and walking back through – her new [Completed the Trial of the Crossroads] title appearing in her status and activating the disabling functions. The adventurer passed the powered-down golem – staring at it slightly cautiously as she moved around it and exited to the side with her group once more.

After reconvening she seemed to be explaining the challenge and stating the two non-adventurers wouldn't be able to beat the strong golem. Despite her best efforts the chef seemed to cheer up at her words – arguing back at her before turning to enter the passage himself the bag-carrying craftsman trying to pull him back but being repulsed by the mind mana. This time the chef walked into the hallway confidently despite his rather weak-looking build.

He held his frying pan out like a bat as he advanced – watching the golem match him completely maintaining the same crystalline version of the frying pan and recreating even his apron. Yelling slightly the chef ran forwards and swung clumsily catching the golem in the side of the head and flinging them into the wall even as the golem clumsily swiped at him in turn. Not pausing to continue fighting, the chef ran towards the exit. The whole process was done in less exchanges than the adventurer…

but took more time as his running was much much slower than hers had been. The only thing keeping the golem from catching up was how slow it moved as well after mimicking the courageous chef – chasing him down the hall, pan raised above their head in a silent war cry. Turning frantically as they reached the far end the chef swung one last time deflecting the strike at their back right before the door closed behind them.

Reaching the other side, the chef waited before he was joined by the original elf who smiled at him in a wide manner and clapped him on the back with one arm – the other making a thumbs up as she congratulated him. On the other side of the passage, the group tried to convince the bagged craftsmen to pass through – yelling at him as he cowered and finally walked towards the hallway. Stepping into the passage the craftsmen looked like he was about to faint while facing the blank faced copy of themselves.

The golem promptly ran forwards and punched the man in the face – the damage breaking the lower levelled man's nose despite being thrown relatively weakly. Crying the man held his hands above his face as blow upon blow rained down on him. His bag fell as he crawled towards the entrance once more hands shaking. Jumping up and coming down hard on the craftsmen's back the construct continued its purpose in beating the man by kicking their side again and again.

The golem only let up as the man passed through the original door – tears streaming down their face their bag abandoned. Innearth watched this undertaking in silence satisfied they had escaped with their life but equally glad his point had been made. If you aren't willing to even try to fight you shouldn't be taking up the valuable time of those nice adventurers who do.

Looting the bag behind him to finish the process, Innearth began looking at all the items in his "loot inventory" even as a second adventurer made her way into the room to check if the craftsmen's belongings were left behind. Shaking her head slightly the adventurer completed her own trial – her skills letting boxing gloves of vines appear around her arms to match the crown of flowers that appeared on her head.

Ducking in and out the adventurer used complicated footwork the golem had trouble copying to "shadow box" and repeatedly beat resonating blasts of mana into the creature's limbs. After a dozen hits the golem fell and melted into the floor as the crystal flesh was reclaimed. Turning to the far end they moved purposefully to meet with the chef and eldest. As they exited the room and began talking to the two who passed first, Innearth carefully lowered a new copy golem into the room behind her resetting the trial.

After coming to an agreement, the two adventurers bumped first their chests and then their fists before the two who passed first continued up Innearth's dungeon. Returning to the other side the heavy-hitting adventurer rejoined a sobbing craftsman being treated with glowing life mana running down and into a locket-shaped device. He had long since been healed of any injuries he faced in the trial – but continued to cry and refused to attempt it again.

Sighing the heavy hitter moved forward and picked the man up – cradling him like an unwanted baby while the healing half-elf prepared a wand and took the lead. Retreating the pair made their way back to the portal not caring to wait for their sister and trusting her to catch up later. They had passed through the magma halls multiple times before after all. I'm pretty happy with this setup. They should be able to spread the word and will know to bring tokens if they want to let someone like that bag boy pass.

The challenge room had nearly every part of it linked. The golem itself was a strong avatar for the challenge but the majority of the strength of the trial was actually set up in the room itself. The monster's circuit had been embedded in the wall and linked to the golem's frame along with the runework and door/token setup. In many ways, the whole hallway could be considered the monster whose purpose was to weed out the weak.

Despite being a monster, this passageway had also counted as a masterwork item for the dwarf's purposes and Steve had happily gone to show off his new alcohol trading capabilities. Innearth was going to wait till they had shown off before asking them to come back and make more passageways – his goal was 5 identical halls that could be crossed simultaneously and his work had already been mostly done on that. I think this should be enough for a culture shift to happen in terms of the escort quests.

I guess I should finish off the pit traps as well now... Next, I'm going to work on my next floors! That sounds way more fun than finishing the pits. Oh I should make more high levelled rewards it's about time to set up the staff – I need to consider what the next reward is. So much to do!