Cameron
As I played around with Monster Customization, I was getting a better feel for it. My understanding of biology was improving and I was getting the hang of performing minute modifications. From what I could tell, the smaller the scale of modifications I made, the more I could do before the cost outweighed the universal one DP discount that I received from the Every Shape and Size achievement. This allowed me to adjust my monsters more precisely, getting the most stat points in what I wanted as was possible.
Better yet, by learning the most optimal ways of modifying each part of my monsters, the benefits compounded. Adjusting their size, empowering their organs, imbuing them with mana, hardening their skin or scales, and even changing their colors, each type of modification was considered separate. That allowed me to cram over a level's worth of stats into each monster I summoned without adding to their cost. While they were still technically level one, their power was beginning to far surpass what their levels implied, and finally, I had reached a point where I felt satisfied with.
With my experimenting done at last, I directed my attention toward my elite Horned Draco. It would be the first monster to fully benefit from my work. I had already modified it in the same way as I had the rest of its species. I made it smaller, sacrificing power and survivablity for speed and flexibility. I strengthened and imbued mana into its fast-twitch muscle fibers, further enhancing its speed. I'd also hardened its scales.
Now, I added in the rest of the changes I believed would prove useful. I sharpened its claws. I shifted its color from a dusty brown to more of a green. That would hopefully allow it to blend in with the foliage better. Then, I stretched its soul out slightly, a process I didn't even begin to understand. It worked nonetheless, so I pointedly didn't question it, and finally, I added a couple of extra flaps to its tail that it could use as rudders to help steer its flight.
Once finished, I brought up the menu to look over my changes.
[Cost: 9 → 9 DP]
[Mana: 100 → 120 (140)]
[Stats: FORT 0 (2), VIT 2 (4), STR 3 → 4 (7), END 3 (5), SOUL 10 → 12 (14), MIND 4 (6), WILL 4 (6), COM 2 (4), DEX 24 → 25 (28), AGI 33 (35)]
I confirmed the alterations, and I was met with a new set of notifications that I had been waiting for expectantly.
[You have gained 700 experience for acquiring a new achievement!]
[Achievement gained: Optimal Customization!]
[Achievement: Optimal Customization
Description: You have customized a monster to have 10 extra stat points without spending any Dungeon Points to do so.
Reward: The cost of each individual customization is reduced by 1 DP!]
Finally!
I had spent days working on that, but it had been worth it. The reward was just as sweet as my fairy had promised it to be. With that achievement, I could effectively double the stats my monsters were passively gaining from Monster Customization and even upgrade my elites to some degree, cost free.
What did it matter if my monsters inherently cost more if I could upgrade them to a point where the price was worth it? Even better, while I had been struggling ever since I had been forced into my new life, I was finally reaching a point where I could call myself established. I did still have a long way to go, but as limited as I remained in many ways, my safety was no longer at the mercy of the average farmer and up to said farmer's incompetence. After all, even with group after group coming for my life, I was still standing.
In many ways, Monster Customization was what I had to thank for that. It was my chosen specialization, and it had proven my strongest tool so far, but I knew I had been neglecting the other things I had at my disposal, namely my traits.
I had hardly had any time to work on my terrain, leaving my Enhanced Environments trait largely unused. Having also just received two rewards that allowed for me to make my terrain deadlier, it was something I needed to rectify, and on top of that, I had only taken advantage of Aspect Extraction to supplement a few of my monsters' strengths. I hadn't even gotten any value out of the Necrotic Venom aspect I had given to Vie and Pee yet. That also needed to change.
The path forward now clear to me, I began switching gears. I needed to come up with the best ways to use what I had to the fullest, and the fastest way to figure those methods out would be to experiment until I got a fuller understanding of how they worked.
“Our queen.”
“Mother!”
My attention was ripped from my work as two mental voices that never seemed to fail to bring a smile to my nonexistent lips spoke up.
Vie, Pee, what is it?
As I turned my attention to the awakened monsters, I saw them approaching my core, and I felt a degree of apprehension emanating from them.
“Our queen, we wish to relieve you of some of your burdens.”
“What can we do to better support you mother?”
The question caught me off guard as it seemingly came from nowhere.
What do you mean? You're are already helping me so much. You're focusing on training and protecting us when bad people come to hurt us. That's more than enough. Don't worry about anything else. I'm just fortifying our defenses right now.
I caught a twinge of regret and frustration from them, but I couldn't even guess as to why that was. Then, Fabian flew into the room behind the pair. He landed beside my core and placed a hand on me. Then, after taking a moment to gather himself, he spoke.
“You are seriously going to run yourself into the ground at the rate you're going. I haven't seen you take so much as a single break in the past three days. Even if you are dead set on growing as fast as possible, relaxing for an hour or two in the middle of the night, when you don't have a single delver to worry about, isn't going to kill you. What's more, you aren't alone. Obviously there are things that your awakened monsters and I can't help with, but we are here to support you in whatever ways we can.”
Fabe, I appreciate it. I really do, but I don't have the time to waste. I've had ten groups come through here aiming for my life in the past few days. If I don't–
“How many of them got close to finishing you off?”
What?
“How many of those ten groups came close to succeeding?”
Well, that one group made it to the second Bloodthorn Vines.
“Yes, and they were quickly finished off by them. Your defenses are holding, and your growth is impressive. You're a point where you can slow down a little. Look, even Vie and Pee are worried about you.”
At his words, my gaze fell back upon my little guardians. They stared at me, heads tilted, but more importantly, their concern was radiating from them through our link. The realization hit me like brick. I was able to take a mental step back and look at what I'd been doing.
I had been so hyperfocused on ensuring our safety that I hadn't stopped to think or worry about anything else. I had allowed everything that wasn't directly tied to our immediate survival to fall into the background. I ignored Fabian as he repeatedly warned me that I was pushing myself too hard, I cast aside his concerns as I left him to sit around until I needed a question answered, and I had left Vie and Pee to mindlessly train nonstop for that entire period of time. I had been neglecting them. With that realization, I guiltily shoved my mental to-do list to the side.
Fine, I sighed, you're right, but I can only spare a few hours. I can't risk putting off my growth any longer than that. Also, sorry.
“Thank you.”
I took a glance at my mana pool, and it showed me that my reserves were nearly full. It was as good of a time as ever to finally get around to something I had been planning for a while. The feeling was bittersweet, but I summoned a block of wood.
“Uh, what is that?” my fairy asked in confusion.
It is what Archie had been working on before he died. I wanted to do something with these sooner, but I never got the chance. I figured that if I'm taking a break, I might as well make use of that time to finally put them to use.
I summoned another, and all three of my companions began to stare at the wooden cubes in confusion. It was clear by the look on Fabian's face that he was thinking I had lost my mind. Vie and Pee, on the other hand, just seemed confused.
Come here Trenti.
At my order, my guard approached, and with a few more mental commands. I had him lift the cubes and attach them where the grooves carved into them connected. Then, I summoned another and had him do the same.
“Cameron, what are you doing?”
What does it look I'm doing, I thought in playful tone, and with a chuckle, I continued, I'm playing with blocks.
“What?” he stared at me dumbly.
Before everything happened, I had Archie carve a diverse set of wooden building blocks. I figured that it couldn't be comfortable for you to keep laying on that pile of moss on the stone floor, so I had planned to make you a little house. We could even put it on top of my core, so you can maintain physical contact with it while inside. Now, come on and help! It's going to be yours, so the more input you give, the better it will turn out.
“You did that, for me?”
Of course. You've been helping me since I got here. Maybe things haven't been as smooth as they could have been, but still, I appreciate you, and this is the least I can do to show that.
A smile formed on his face, and after telling Vie and Pee to get back over here after they tried to slip away thinking there was nothing else for them to do, we spent the night working on Fabian's new residence. I didn't feel like it would be smart to spend all of my mana for the blocks in one go, but I summoned enough for us to make good progress, and as much as I hated to admit it, Fabian had been right. Spending a few hours working on something that our lives didn't depend on was enough to melt the overwhelming stress I had been feeling but hadn't been fully cognizant of away.
It was strange. In a way, we were effectively playing with children's toys, something that I wouldn't have so much as considered doing in my old life, yet it was the only truly fun and relaxing activity I had done since coming here. Then again, even back when I was wasting away in my old life, despite the momentary fun I had playing games and distracting myself through other means, I wasn't entirely sure when the last time I had so thoroughly enjoyed myself was. It was a much needed change of pace.
So, we played with blocks. We figured out the floor plan and assembled the foundation.
A nice rug wouldn't be such a bad thing to have now, now would it? I teased as we finished with that part of the construction.
“If I want something like that, I'll just weave together some dried grass or something. Besides, isn't the point of the large hole we're putting in the floor so I can still connect with you? A rug would entirely defeat the purpose.”
Yeah, but it's not just some rug we're talking about. It's a fancy rug.
“That doesn't make any difference. Now, stop going on about rugs before the System decides to offer you another as an option.”
But, I didn't get to choose it last time. What about my dreams of being the most lavishly decorated Dungeon in the world? Are you telling me to abandon them?
“Yes, I am.”
Aw. Actually, on that topic, I really do wish I had the time to decorate my Dungeon. It was so nice in the beginning when I had the time and mana to spare on carving aesthetically pleasing designs in the walls. It's too bad that ended up being a massive mana sink.
“I'm sure there are more efficient ways we can look into. For example, if you were to get a Trenti to carve some designs into rocks and absorb them, you could place them wherever you want and incorporate them into the walls.”
That would take time and resources to do, though. I don't like the idea of wasting either of those.
“Somewhere down the line, maybe?”
Yeah, that sounds nice.
In the end, we got a good start on the walls but not much further before morning began to draw near. With the agreement that we would all continue when got a chance, we began to prepare for the coming day, except for Fabian. He moved his makeshift bedding into the foundation of his house and took a nap. He was the only one of us that actively needed sleep, and regardless of whether or not it was any more comfortable than the floor, he was thrilled to have the start of home.