Slime hutches aren’t just invaluable for potion making, you’d be surprised how many uppity nobles want their chillin to grow up to be ((MONSTER_TAMERS)). Suppose they hope it’ll give them an edge when the Catacomb bursts. Ah well. Who am I to crush the dreams of a parent about to go off ta war?
-Ali’Ileanvera, ((MONSTER_TAMER))
A few weeks had past since the Raid, and life in the Crypt returned to normal. With the upper levels repaired, and Sanctuary’s expansion completed everything was quiet. Sanctuary was watching Runt hunt the Tusnaj Boar on floor thirty-two. He used to go with the rest of the Goblin Tribe, but since he had joined Sanctuary’s domain, he was no longer considered a part of the tribe. Something that Sanctuary couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty about.
It didn’t seem to bother Runt, however.
He gripped his dagger as he crouched in one of the lichen covered bone-trees. Unlike the trees Sanctuary had built in Floor-Eight, these had a canopy made of sharp needles. Runt watched his prey. The deep red boar snuffling at one of the Tusnaj mushrooms that they so loved to eat.
The boar weren’t considered monsters, but rather Node-Spawn. Sanctuary didn’t quite understand the difference, but Monsters were encouraged to kill Node-Spawn. Perhaps, if only to give them something to do, and lower ((MANA)) upkeep.
Runt leaped down from his perch. It would’ve been impossible to spear a boar with his knife, so he found an alternate method. Using the speed from his fall, he drove his blade into the neck of the animal. It squealed once, before going limp. Runt sheathed his dagger and grabbed the boar by its tusks. Grunting as he tugged it toward the exit and back toward her ((SANCTUM)).
CONGRATULATIONS! YOUR RETAINER ‘RUNT’ HAS LEVELED UP! LV 34 -> LV 35
STATUS:
Name: Runt
Mantra: The big fight, the small take.
LV: 35
EXP 0/35,000
Gender: Male
Affinities: Stealth
Class: Retainer
Race: Feral Goblin
Tethered: N/A
Traits: Dungeon-Touched, Dungeon-Born.
Blessings: Blessing of Catacomb, Blessing of Sanctuary
Curses: Smallheart
Titles: Runt, Underdog
Notoriety: 0
Fame: 0
Infamy: 0
Kills: 12
INT: 11 (+1)
SOUL: 9(+2)
WILL: 11(+1)
MAG: 7 (+1)
STR: 10 (+0)
DEF: 10 (+0)
CONS: 11 (+1)
3 attribute points available
Secondary class available
Sanctuary hummed, and opened the secondary class page.
SECONDARY CLASS REQUIREMENTS…
1X AFFINITY
10 ATTRIBUTE POINTS IN 1X STAT
35X LEVELS
AVAILABLE CLASSES:
ROGUE (Common)
ASSASSIN (Uncommon)
SPY (Rare)
SCHOLAR (Common)
DIPLOMATE (Uncommon)
PUGILIST (Common)
FIGHTER (Common)
DAGGER WIELDER (Uncommon)
SPEAR WIELDER (Uncommon)
TANK (Common)
SHIELD BEARER (Uncommon)
GOBLIN COMMANDER (Rare)
GOBLIN ALCHEMIST (Rare)
GOBLIN CHIEF (Rare)
MILK (Hidden)
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Sanctuary lowered her ((GAZE)), there were far too many options. She turned away from the box, deciding to come back to it later. Then she turned back to attributes. She put all three into magic.
INT: 11 (+1)
SOUL: 9(+2)
WILL: 11(+1)
MAG: 10 (+1)
STR: 10 (+0)
DEF: 10 (+0)
CONS: 11 (+1)
Then few other classes popped up on the other tab.
MAGE (common)
STEALTH MAGE (Uncommon)
GOBLIN MAGE (RARE)
Her ((GAZE)) dimmed and she shut the box. That was something to deal with later. MUCH later, preferably. Sanctuary closed the boxes and watched as Runt tugged the boar carcass toward the nearest shortcut. Goblins under father’s control were able to lift them on their shoulders, and Sanctuary thought of her pitiful zero strength and a despondent buzz. Monsters under father’s control instantly got plus twenty-three strength. It wasn’t so obvious with Lurker, but still, it had to have affected him somehow.
She really was weak, wasn’t she? If she wanted Runt and Lurker to be stronger, she would need to grow stronger as well. Even though father would protect her, she couldn’t rely on him for everything. Sanctuary warped to father’s ((GAZE)), she was about to ask how she could level in between Raids, but then she blinked.
The Entrance door was open.
Catacomb stared at the pale void that blocked their view of the outside world. Sanctuary floated beside him, silent.
Then a small object flew into the first floor. It clattered onto the ground. Sanctuary floated back a few paces, despite the fact that she was yards away. The heavy doors slammed shut. The sound reverberating throughout the cavern.
Catacomb floated closer to the object. Then he made a confused humming sound.
“…Tis… a tome of some kind.” Father said, “Thy may come closer, daughter.”
Sanctuary zipped over to where Catacomb floated. It was a small leatherbound booklet, tied together with twine. Scratched onto the cover was a single word.
SANCTUARY
Her ((GAZE)) flashed. “Father? I do not understand.”
“Neither do I.” father said,
He lifted the book into the air with ((MANA)) and carefully flipped through the pages. It was filled with detailed illustrations of plants and monsters, followed by words in a clear and large print.
“What doest it read?” Sanctuary asked,
“I do not know.” Catacomb said, “The mortals hath been careful to prevent me from learning their words. It appears that they do not extend that to thee.”
“There art many pictures.” Sanctuary said,
“Aye.” Father said, he duplicated the book and gifted the extra copy to Sanctuary. “Lets see if we canst figure the purpose of this… gift.”
“Okay!” Sanctuary said, warping to her ((SANCTUM)). She began to pour over the tome with glee. It floated beside her ((CORE)). Complex drawings of trees, flowers and mushrooms caught her ((GAZE)). Certain animals appeared as well. There was a fox, but unlike father’s it had horns, and only one tail. There was a horse that had three horns, each on its forehead. A snake with a ‘C’ shape on its head.
She turned the page and squealed aloud.
What was that!? It was… adorable! And square! Like her! She was square! It had eyes! It was a square with eyes! Father didn’t have any monsters like that in his domain. She needed one. Needed. It was the perfect monster.
Runt dragged the boar into Sanctuary’s domain, he dropped it into his room and practically collapsed onto his bed. He was fully ready to sleep, and to deal with the Tusnaj in an hour, or ten. It wasn’t like not cutting it now would make it any less poisonous. When his Lady appeared in the room. A thin sheet of aluminum with a picture of a cube and words he didn’t understand appeared in his lap.
Runt had a feeling that this was going to be a long, long day.
STATUS:
Name: Catacomb
Mantra: Death comes to those who enter here
LV: 273
EXP 88,329/980,000,000
Gender: Male
Affinities: Bone, Ice, Mana… EXPAND?
Class: Scourge (Uncommon), Commander (Uncommon)
Race: Undefined
Nodes: Creeping Lilly LV 49, Basic Necromantic LV 90, Tusnaj Mushroom LV 21… EXPAND?
Spawners: Feral Goblin LV 60, Basic Necromantic LV 84, Crypt Bat LV 152…EXPAND?
Retainers: Necrodragon 1 (LV 100)
Bosses: Necrodragon 2 (LV 87) Necrodragon 3 (LV 87) Necrodragon 4 (LV 87) … EXPAND?
Tethers: N/A
Traits: Desecrator, Ouroboros, Violent… EXPAND?
Blessings: Blessing of Bastion, Fruitful and Multiply
Curses: Murderer, Odysseus, Vampire
Titles: Son of Bastion, Line Ender (LEX), Terror of Ridoum (XII)
Notoriety: 800,932,033
Fame: 33
Infamy: 800,932,000
Kills: 30,983,231
INT: 117
SOUL: 117
WILL: 117
MAG: 117
STR: 117
DEF: 117
CONS: 117
STATUS:
Name: Sanctuary
Mantra: N/A
LV: 2
EXP 50,000/150,00
Gender: Female
Affinities:
Class: none
Race: Undefined
Nodes: N/A
Spawners: N/A
Retainers: Runt
Tethers: Xliminavera
Traits: Reserved
Blessings: Blessing of Bastion
Curses: N/A
Titles: Daughter of Catacomb
Notoriety: 2
Fame: 2
Infamy: 0
Kills: 0
INT: 6
SOUL: 10
WILL: 5
MAG: 5
STR: 0
DEF: 0
CONS: 5
STATUS:
Name: Runt
Mantra: The big fight, the small take.
LV: 35
EXP 0/35,000
Gender: Male
Affinities: Stealth
Class: Retainer
Race: Feral Goblin
Tethered: N/A
Traits: Dungeon-Touched, Dungeon-Born.
Blessings: Blessing of Catacomb, Blessing of Sanctuary
Curses: Smallheart
Titles: Runt, Underdog
Notoriety: 0
Fame: 0
Infamy: 0
Kills: 12
INT: 11 (+1)
SOUL: 9(+2)
WILL: 11(+1)
MAG: 10 (+1)
STR: 10 (+0)
DEF: 10 (+0)
CONS: 11 (+1)
What class should Runt get?
