Tiny Dungeon

This was taking forever.

Valterra had been “breathing” for the better part of half a day and had only found how deep the basement was.

Spoiler alert! It was really really deep.

On the other hand, the Core had discovered that if he went about claiming the stone rather than simply breathing Aether into the air he could get about much quicker. By using the stone he had previously claimed and breathing directly from that spot he could claim more stone even faster. He had to pause now and again to get used to his larger dungeon body but it was easier this time since he was simply claiming more territory in one direction rather than having it balloon outwards every which way.

Once again he found that the more territory he claimed, the more Aether he drew in from the outside to join the vortex above his pedestal column, but that was all to the good as far as he was concerned since he needed the Aether to claim more stone. So he continued doggedly claiming more and more stone from the basement floor, walls, and ceiling.

A couple days later he felt his mind sag in relief.

He had done it, namely, he had claimed all the stone a few inches deep surrounding the entirety of the basement. It was obscenely long and convoluted going ever deeper down into the earth. It even had side passages full of stuff, stuff that would be ruined if he just simply poured water on all of it.

So, even though it had taken still more time, he had sealed off some of the more interesting places, meaning to come back to them later. He also felt bloated, a torrent of Aether now flooding through his first rooms and joining the raging storm against his pedestal column. He was a little oblivious to everything right now.

Towards the end there he thought he heard squeaks coming from some high wooden contraptions he hadn’t claimed. Valterra really couldn’t be bothered to check. He had to act on this Aether because not even his column was keeping up with it. Looking inward he reached towards the next thing he needed, his Authority of the basic elements.

Valterra had been thinking long and hard about how to fill up his new room with the water needed for his Schema when he remembered his name had properties he hadn’t explored yet. This Authority thing took some figuring out but if you changed Aether in subtle ways and then matched frequencies with an element’s natural authority to burn, or be wet, and so on then you could simply summon the element out of thin air.

Or Aether rather.

Learning how to summon elements while also claiming stone had been a stretch but he had done it. Now he just had to get rid of all this Aether.

Summoning the frequency he wanted, Valterra began to feed the Aether into it until water began to drip steadily out. Having another idea to make it go faster, he pushed the majority of his Aether storm out into the basement and then synchronized it with the Authority of water. Almost immediately water began to gush forth in thousands of droplets that began to rain down.

Pleased with this development, Vaterra locked it into place before beginning to harden the bottom and the walls of his new giant floor. It would take awhile but already he felt less bloated as the stream of incoming Aether coalesced around his pedestal before being funneled off to fuel his contained miniature weather pattern.

He left the basement after he had finished hardening what he needed to before turning his attention to his wider dungeon body. It seemed he had been out of it because what he found was a strange kind of turf war.

Over the last few days as Valterra had worked on his newest floor, the new territory he had claimed above ground had become a bedlam of chaos. Other than the third floor which had set boundaries and a set guardian, this land was wild and yet Aether-rich. It had also been claimed by a dungeon which meant that everything within that space became more and more magical despite not having the dungeon's full attention or having the boundary of a floor.

Thus it became prime real estate for various creatures, with different varieties of insects, arachnids, and rodents fighting over territory. They all sought that most precious of resources…Aether.

As Valterra swept his attention over the carnage he mentally berated himself. He could have been collecting Schema or using his extra Aether to claim more creatures.

Strictly speaking, Valterra, while intelligent and full of downloaded instinct and knowledge, was like a child in many ways. He had spent the last few days claiming a massive space for one Schema after all. In this moment, as he fumed at the missed opportunity he lashed out in the only way he knew how.

He summoned his Aether reserves and called forth his Authority over the elements. Bolts of fire, rent earth, and biting winds rippled through the new territory causing the denizens to run for cover.

The display helped calm the Core even as he realized it hadn’t accomplished anything. His tantrum had amounted to little more than a new interesting rock feature, some scorched grass, and a new haircut for a tiny rodent. Valterra looked at his territory before sighing internally and getting to work.

Within the span of a few moments, he had claimed the spoils from several conflicts, much to the chagrin of the victors who had returned after his display only to find their prize taken. With the corpses came the knowledge of their bodies, their makeup, and how Aether could be used to give them life once more.

Valterra finally let go of the last vestiges of his anger as the Schemas settled into his soul, already picking through them to see what new defenders his little dungeon would have. At least he had gotten something out of this mess, though he promised himself he wouldn’t shirk making the most out of this new playground of his.

End of Chapter Notifications:

New Schemas Acquired!

Phoenix Cockroach (Common)

A particularly tenacious example of the species, this cockroach tends to inject its victims with a concoction of fluids that causes their internals to liquefy into a superheated mixture. Its name comes from the fact that females will inject their offspring along with the fluids making the creature a source of sustenance for the newborns. The appearance of the babies breaking free is often characterized by a sudden flash of light and heat, hence the name. Despite this, they aren’t much more dangerous than other pests and often prefer to avoid the taller races and their dwellings.

As the first Dungeon to use such a creature as a Dungeon Monster, you will be able to freely create and modify its Evolutionary Paths.

Warning! May have unforeseen consequences.

Jeweled Skitterer (Common)

A common sight in places with a higher than normal Aether content, these insects survive by creating a carbon-based carapace that looks remarkably like jewels from a distance. Often used as a pet by nobles because of their remarkable beauty they are also raised and slaughtered as a means to produce fake jewelry. Passed over as a Dungeon Monster, since they aren’t remarkably formidable, perhaps against creatures its size it will have the chance to shine.

As the first Dungeon to use such a creature as a Dungeon Monster, you will be able to freely create and modify its Evolutionary Paths.

Warning! May have unforeseen consequences.

Wolf Spider (No Rarity)

A hunting spider, this arachnid doesn’t weave webs. Instead, it chooses to chase down its prey or leap out in an ambush. Despite its name, it doesn’t roam in packs and is a solitary hunter. Despite its mundane nature, it is a fearsome predator and worthy of any Dungeon tiny enough to make use of it.

As the first Dungeon to use such a creature as a Dungeon Monster, you will be able to freely create and modify its Evolutionary Paths.

Warning! May have unforeseen consequences.