TtOW! - Chapter 10: Like, How Do Dungeons Work, Anyways?

Rattingtale scratched his whiskers.  His kept glancing at the spider-thing but it was making no move towards him.  He shook his head and turned his attention back to the cyborg.

“Ok, so, let me help-assist you managing the dungeon, yes yes!  Then then, I can keep an eye on things while you grow-train, yes yes?”

Lilussees tilted her head at that.

“Ehhhh, you’re, like, keeping this dungeon?  I’m like, a new dungeon, in a place without any people, or something.  So like, why would you bother?”

“S-Shut up you stupid spider-thing!  It doesn’t concern you!”

“Helpful Explanation: These units were seeking a safe location to take shelter from wandering hostiles.  There are hostile forces in the area this unit cannot contend with.  Friendly Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third proposed a dungeon would provide reasonable shelter.”

Rattingtale slapped a paw on his face as the weird man-thing spilled the beans.  Lilussees tilted her head.

“Eh…that’s like, kind of dumb, though?”

Rattingtale clenched his teeth.

“Dumb?!  How dare you?!  I’m His Royal Majesty, the Great-High King of all the land, yes yes!  You will give-show me proper respect!”

“Like, why though?  Aren’t you, like, a subordinate of the human, or something?”

“You…”

“Well, whatever, I don’t really care.  But like, monsters are attracted to dungeons when they find them, you know?  It’s like, a monster or something, right?  So, like, it’s kind of bad to hide in a dungeon, you know?  Especially a new dungeon that’s like, too weak to stop something stronger than you, boss.”

“D-Don’t listen to her, boss-queen!  Clearly this spider-thing is trying to trick-deceive you!  You should kill-slay her at once, yes yes!

“Suspicious Query: That information conflicts with prior information from friendly Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third.  Can friendly Lilussees elaborate on her reasoning?”

“So, like, monsters like to eat magic cores, yeah?  And like, dungeon cores are kind of, the biggest magic cores, or something.  So, like, if a wandering monster finds a dungeon, it, like, normally tries to break into it, or something.”

NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye flickered and spun as she cross-referenced that claim against the information from the system and her own observations.

“Analysis: This unit has personally observed the use of mana cores and dungeon cores as a means of growth.  Therefore, friendly Lilussees’s claim determined as highly probable.  Can friendly Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third provide clarification on competing claim.”

Rattingtale trembled slightly.  That stupid spider-thing!

“I…um…that is…I, uh, didn’t know that?”

“For real?  And you like, wanted to manage a dungeon or something when you, like, didn’t know the basics?”

“S-Shut up!”

Rattingtale just shut the hatch, curling up into the compartment and muttering to himself.  NSLICE-00P turned her attention to the spider instead.

“Query: Does friendly Lilussees have a recommendation on current course of action?”

“Me?  Um, like, I’d say just absorb my dungeon and move on.  Like, if there’s some big monster in the area, we should, like, not stay in the area.”

“Affirmative.”

NSLICE-00P confirmed her decision and the group was sent back to the forest.

[You have absorbed a dungeon core (Spider Tree)!]

[Gained 6 Personal perk points and 6 Dungeon perk points!]

[Gained Dungeon Affinity: Arachnid (minimum)!]

Lilussees proceeded to crawl up NSLICE-00P, resting on her other shoulder.

“So like, we should get going.  Like, which way is your dungeon, boss?”

“Answer: Here.”

Lilussees tilted her head.

“Huh?  Like, what do you mean?  I, like, don’t know of any other dungeons nearby.”

NSLICE-00P pointed towards the glowing core in her chest.

“Explanation: It appears this unit’s cybernetic components have been converted into a dungeon.  This unit has a dungeon built into her body.”

Rattingtale jumped at that, peeking back out of the hatch and muttering to himself.

“Wait, seriously?!  Her dungeon core…was right there the whole time?!”

Lilussees tilted her head, rubbing a mandible with one of her front legs.

“Wait, like, for real?  How does that, like, work?  Where are your rooms and stuff?”

“Answer: This unit does not have rooms.  The rooms tab appears to be locked.”

Lilussees idly moved her mandibles around as she processed that.

“Wait, seriously?  Then how do you like, absorb mana and stuff?”

“Requesting Elaboration: What does friendly Lilussees mean by absorbing mana?”

Lilussees stared at her for a second before continuing.

“Like, what do you mean by that?  That’s like…the whole point of the dungeon, or something?  How do you like, grow and stuff?”

“Answer: This unit’s growth is the result of terminating hostiles.”

“Oh.  Yeah, I guess that works too but that’s like, so much work, you know?”

“Query: Does friendly Lilussees know an alternative method of growth?”

Lilussees sighed.  This seemed to be getting complicated.

“Um, yeah, so, like, it goes something like this.  Dungeons, like, absorb mana from stuff, or something?  That’s like, why you want a big dungeon, cause, like, the more rooms you have, the faster you grow and the more mana you have?  And like, when something comes into your dungeon, you like, start absorbing mana from them, or something?  So like, you don’t even need to kill them.”

“Follow-up Query: Is this method possible without rooms?”

“That’s why I’m, like, confused.  I’ve never heard of a dungeon without rooms, you know?  So I, like, can’t even imagine what’s going on.  Um, like, do you have something else instead?”

“Affirmative.”

NSLICE-00P reviewed her status, specifically the perk section of her Dungeon Management status for this particular entry:

[Human-Dungeon Hybrid: Enables Implants Tab, Enables unique dungeon-combat skills. Enables direct manipulation of dungeon mana.  Grants +100 HP. Rooms tab locked. Exterior locked.]

As the same entry that locked the Rooms tab enabled the Implants tab, it was reasonable to assume Implants were intended as a replacement for the functions provided by rooms.

So NSLICE-00P dove into the Implants tab, searching for capabilities similar to what Lilussees had described.

[Implants]

• [New Implant]
  • [New Implant Slot: Adds additional slots for implants.  Grants +5 HP, +5 Dungeon MP.  Costs 3 points.]
  • (…)
  • [Dungeon Field Generator: Surrounding area counts as dungeon territory.  Enables mana absorption within area of effect.  Costs 5 points.  Mana Upkeep: 5]
  • (continued…)
• [Upgrade Implants]

There, she found something.

“Update: This unit has located an implant that seems to provide mana absorption capabilities.  Does friendly Lilussees recommend purchasing?”

“Um, yeah.  That’s like, a super important part of growing your dungeon, or something?”

“Affirmative.”

[You have unlocked an additional Implant Slot!  Max HP and Mana increased!]

[You have unlocked the Dungeon Field Generator implant!]

NSLICE-00P purchased the implant and an additional slot to install it.  She felt mana swirl within her body, creating a new compartment within her.  Strangely, this did not seem to increase her overall size, as the compartment somehow didn’t take up space within her physical body.  In fact, her regular sensors couldn’t even detect said compartment, it was only because it was connected to her internal reporting logs that she even knew it was there.

In fact, it was very similar to when she approached a dungeon, and couldn’t detect what was inside it.

However, the device was there, and began to boot up.  This component did not simply take electricity, but rather NSLICE-00P recorded her mana flowing into the device as well, reducing the overall pool available to her.

Suddenly the device emitted a wave of mana, expanding out in a sphere.  It grew to a radius of ten meters, and then stopped.  NSLICE-00P noticed her perceptions expanding along with the field, the system providing significantly more intel on everything within range of the mana field.

And…

She logged mana streaming from the surrounding area, particularly the plants, into her core.  Her status indicated a slow increase in Dungeon XP.

“Status Update: This unit is now absorbing mana from the surrounding area.”

“For real?  That’s good.”

“Gratitude: This unit thanks friendly Lilussees for her insight.  Does she have any further insights to share?”

“Um, like, so like, you don’t have a dungeon, right?  Like, an actual physical location?”

“Negative.”

“Then like, best thing to do is keep moving and hunting weaker stuff, or something?  Like, best way to stay safe is just to become stronger, or something?  I guess that’s if you, like, have a way to avoid the big bad monster or whatever.”

“Affirmative.  Explanation: This unit is equipped with advanced sensors to track incoming hostiles, and repulsors to enable quick relocation.”

“Then like, let’s go hunting, or something?”

“Affirmative.”

“Right.  Then, like, I’m kind of tired from all that talking.  Do you, like, have another of those hiding places the snack is using?”

“Affirmative.”

A second empty compartment opened on NSLICE-00P’s back.  Lilussees crawled inside.

“‘Kay, goodnight then.  Like, try not to die until I wake up.”

Lilussees rotated around a couple times inside the compartment, checking it out.  It was a bit cramped and cold compared to her old home, but she could take steps to alleviate that.

More importantly, it was safe.

Apparently much safer.

And best of all…

She didn’t need to work to protect it!

And so Lilussees decided to prepare for her new job as someone else’s subordinate by taking a nap.

Author’s Note:

There we go, we finally got some to teach 00P some dungeon mechanics who isn’t a skav…err actual rat.

Because trusting the spider dungeon master is definitely a much better idea!

Anyways!

Has NSLICE-00P chosen the right subordinate to trust?  Can Rattingtale adjust his plans to this serious setback?  Can Lilussees make her new home comfy?  Tune in next time, to find out!