Ethan, completely unaware that some random hunter had just stumbled upon his dungeon, was busy.
“Alright, Chip, tell me this doesn’t look amazing.”
Before him stood the grand—well, functional—entrance to his dungeon. He had shaped the stone into a proper archway, reinforcing it with thick, metallic veins to make it look more imposing. He had even added a pair of false doors to create the illusion of a proper entrance. In reality, they were just heavy slabs of metal set into grooves, more for aesthetic than function. The actual pathway into the dungeon was a sloping descent leading into the twisting tunnels beyond.
Chip pulsed noncommittally. “It’s… decent.”
Ethan’s core dimmed. “Just decent?”
“Well, considering your first attempt looked like a collapsed sinkhole, I’d call this an improvement.”
Ethan ignored the insult, focusing on his new notification.
Dungeon Tier Up!
Congratulations! Your dungeon has reached Tier 1.
His core pulsed in surprise. “Wait, I leveled up? But I didn’t even kill anything besides that wolf.”
Chip flickered. “Yeah, about that. Killing things isn’t the only way dungeons tier up. It’s just the fastest for most.”
Ethan hummed. “So what did it?”
“You actually built something. Traps, rooms, proper structure. The dungeon system rewards progress, not just murder. If a dungeon’s only method of growing was through mindless slaughter, you’d have a lot of stupid, short-lived dungeons.”
Ethan considered that. It made sense. If dungeons could only grow by throwing wave after wave of disposable monsters at intruders, most would never get past their first real invasion. His tier up meant he was on the right track.
He heard the familiar and checked his System Notification,
Dungeon Tier Up!
Your dungeon has reached Tier 1.
Upgrades Unlocked:
– Domain Expansion (15m → 50m radius)
– New Blueprints Unlocked:
Basic Mana Conduit Simple Trap Mechanisms Dungeon Core Reinforcement I
Additional Benefits:
– Passive Mana Regeneration Rate Improved.
Ethan froze as the wave of information flooded his mind.
Then, after a long pause, he let out an incredulous pulse. “Okay. That’s… actually a lot.”
Chip flickered beside him, pulsing smugly. “Told you dungeons don’t have to rely on murder. Progress pays off.”
Ethan quickly pulled up his full status. It had been a while since he’d taken a proper look, and with the tier-up, things had definitely changed.
- Type:
- Affinities- Primary - Metal(Mechanical); Secondary - N/A
- Tier:
- Core Integrity:
- Mana:
- Domain Size:
- Constructs Controlled:
- Active Constructs:
- Combat Strider Golem (x2)
- Omni Strider Mk I (x1)
- Improved Scavenger Golem (x3)
- Combat Strider Golem (x2)
- Active Constructs:
Ethan took a long moment to process all of it.
First, the mana increase. He had double the reserves now, which meant he could build and maintain more constructs without immediately running himself dry. Even better, his mana regen had increased. Three mana per minute wasn’t great, but it was better than the pathetic trickle he’d had before.
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Second, the domain expansion.
His territory had more than tripled. That meant way more space to build proper dungeon rooms and pathways. Before, he had been forced to cram everything into a relatively small area, but now? Now he had actual room to work with.
And then there were the blueprints.
The Mana Conduit immediately caught his attention. If he understood it correctly, it would let him direct mana through his structures, meaning he could potentially distribute power efficiently instead of just throwing raw energy at everything. That alone could revolutionize his constructs and dungeon functions.
Ethan stared at the blueprint list, then frowned. “Wait a minute… didn’t I already make traps?”
Chip pulsed in amusement. “You did. But that’s because you’re not a normal dungeon.”
Ethan narrowed his metaphorical eyes. “Explain.”
Chip flickered. “Most dungeons—instinctual dungeons—can’t make complex mechanisms. Some can, but it’s rare. The system doesn’t just hand out trap blueprints to most dungeons because they wouldn’t know how to use them. They rely on brute force—throwing waves of monsters at intruders and relying on natural cave formations to slow them down.”
Ethan mulled that over. “But I’m different.”
“You’re different,” Chip confirmed. “You think like a craftsman, not a beast. So instead of ‘figure it out yourself,’ the system just recognized what you were already doing and gave you a more efficient way to do it.”
Ethan let that sink in. The system wasn’t just rewarding him for growing stronger—it was adjusting to how he built his dungeon.
And that meant he could push it even further.
A slow pulse of excitement ran through his core. “Alright,” he said. “Let’s get to work.”
_____________________________
A few days passed in a blur of construction, refinement, and meticulous testing.
Ethan’s dungeon had finally begun to feel like a real, structured entity rather than just a glorified hole in the ground. The entrance chamber was fortified, his fallback core chamber remained well-hidden, and his golems were patrolling in proper formations rather than aimlessly wandering.
The Scavenger Golems had proven invaluable for expanding and refining the dungeon, carving out new tunnels, reinforcing weak sections, and even salvaging metal veins for future projects. Meanwhile, the Combat and Omni-Striders maintained regular patrols, responding to potential threats with precision.
Ethan watched through their shared vision, observing their efficiency. The Omni-Striders were proving their worth—not only did they handle combat nearly as well as the dedicated Combat Striders, but their integrated scanners allowed them to notice potential threats far faster. If not for the energy cost, he’d consider replacing the Combat Striders entirely.
For now, though, everything was running smoothly.
Which, naturally, meant something was about to go horribly wrong.
__
Ryn’s hands were clammy as he stood before the town elders, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadn't expected to be here so soon after his discovery, but a new dungeon? That was the kind of thing that could change everything.
“I swear on my life,” he said, keeping his voice steady. “It’s real. A brand-new dungeon, untouched, out in the wilds past the northern ridge.”
That got their attention. The elders, seated around the heavy oak table, stopped their quiet discussions and turned to face him fully.
Elder Harlan, the eldest and most pragmatic of the group, narrowed his eyes. “Describe it.”
Ryn swallowed. “I—I didn’t go inside. But the entrance is unnatural. A perfect tunnel, carved clean into the rock. It wasn’t there before.”
“That could be anything,” one of the elders muttered. “A collapsed cavern, an old ruin—”
“There were constructs.”
Silence.
Ryn continued before they could dismiss him. “Machines. Not animals, not monsters—actual metal creatures patrolling the entrance.”
That sent murmurs through the room.
“Construct-based dungeons are rare,” Elder Harlan muttered, rubbing his chin. “And if it’s new… that means the core is still weak.”
That made some of the elders sit up straighter.
New dungeons were unpredictable, but they were also opportunities. If they were lucky, this dungeon could become an asset. A resource. If it was stable enough, the Adventurers’ Guild would want to use it—turn it into a training ground, bringing in fresh coin and commerce. And more importantly, the town would be the ones in charge of managing access.
But there was another possibility.
Elder Marta, one of the more conservative voices among them, leaned forward. “We should report this to the Guild immediately. Before something… dangerous develops inside.”
“The Guild will take control if we’re not careful,” another elder countered. “If we handle this right, we could negotiate terms. Ensure we aren’t left out of the profits.”
Ryn listened, hiding his impatience. He knew they’d debate this for hours.
But there was another side to it. One they hadn’t mentioned yet.
The Church.
Dungeons were unnatural things, according to them. They tolerated the ones under Guild supervision, but a new, uncontrolled dungeon? They’d see it as a blight to be purged. If word reached them too soon, there wouldn’t be negotiations—just a cleansing.
He wasn’t the only one who realized this.
“The Church can’t be the first to hear of this,” Harlan said firmly. “They’d destroy it before we even had a chance to assess its value.”
That much was agreed upon. But what came next…
Ryn could feel the tension in the room. A few of the younger hunters—his peers—had their own thoughts.
A new dungeon meant a young core. And young cores? They were priceless. Nobles, researchers, even the black market—everyone wanted them. If someone could capture it before the Guild stepped in…
They’d be set for life.
Ryn kept his expression neutral.
They had a small window before the Guild arrived. And if they moved fast, there was a chance—just a chance—that they could take it for themselves.