Cameron
Archie …
I failed. Maybe, he wasn't sentient, but I had considered him a friend. He died right in front of me. Worse yet, he died protecting me.
Not again!
I lamented what had just happened. The invaders were weak and should have been easy to repel, but the cost was too high. What could I have done differently?
I shouldn't have wasted so much mana making decorative carvings!
I should never have let my mana dip so low for anything that wasn't crucial. I had wasted that mana, and as a result, my friend had paid the price. It was a price that shouldn't have been paid.
He died for me. Why? Why has this happened again?
Mute as I found myself, my mind filled with screams. Events came flashing back to me. My best friend was beside me. She made a joke, and we both laughed uproariously. We were walking down the street, heading back to her place after our celebratory graduation dinner.
Honk! Honk!
Two loud, elongated honks sounded from behind us. I saw Mel turn her head back to look, and I made to do the same. As soon as I saw the semi-truck barreling off the street toward us, I felt force being applied to my side. I whipped my head back around just in time to see a frantic look in my friend's eyes as she shoved me out of the way. Then, metal filled my vision and pain my body.
No. Not again.
Why had it happened again? I could never bring myself to move forward after that, yet now, it had happened again. How was I supposed to move forward now? I wanted to lock myself up in my dark room again and drown out reality. I wanted to absorb myself in fictional words and stories, to pretend to be the cool characters I played in games. I wanted to do anything that could let me forget the cruel and unforgiving reality I existed in.
Melanie, why'd you have to be the one to die? You gave me the opportunity to live, but I only squandered it. I can't do this. I'm not strong enough to face reality alone.
It was never the legs that I had lost in that accident that stopped me from moving forward. It was never my disability that held me down. That was just the excuse I had used. I couldn't handle living after that. I couldn't force myself to move forward. I couldn't get by without a shoulder to lean on and a friend to encourage me. I couldn't get past the thought that forced itself into the forefront of my mind anytime I tried to make progress: It should have been me.
She was gone, and why? Because the steering randomly went out on a truck? I was left broken and alone for such an absurd reason? Now, what? I started opening up. I started to care again. Then, my silly little forest goblin died. Why? Because a bunch of greedy people wanted to take my life? Why couldn't they have, and left that poor, innocent little guy alone to carve his wood in peace? It wasn't fair.
No, it's my fault. I could have done more, but I didn't. Now what? What is even the point in all of this?
“Shh, it's going to be okay.”
No, it isn't! Nothing's okay!
I mentally yelled that before I even internalized who that voice had come from.
“It's all going to be okay. You're not alone.”
The gentle and soothing tone was enough to make me start paying attention to my surroundings again. Directly in my field of vision was a small face and a pair of arms wrapped around me. Also, barely in my field of vision, I saw two heads. The body they were attached to was gently wrapped around my core.
Fabian, … Vie, … Pee, … thank you.
I didn't pay attention to the passing of time in that state. I didn't know how long I had been freaking out, and I didn't know how long I just existed there, taking comfort in the presence of the three. I just knew it had to have been a long while.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Fabian eventually asked once I had calmed down some.
Instead of answering, I sent him my recent log of messages from the system.
I haven't gone through them yet.
“That's a lot.”
Yeah.
“This is why you shouldn't get attached to your monsters unless you've already awakened them.”
How am I supposed to not get attached? I'm locked up here in a cave by myself. They are all I have.
My fairy grimaced.
“I know. It's my fault. I played a part in you being brought here, and I left you on your own for nearly a week after. I didn't even press the issue of forming a bond out of fear of experiencing the pain from it breaking again. If I had at least done that much, you wouldn't have been left completely alone.”
No, I don't want the bond.
“I see.”
I could feel the hurt my words did to him, and I regretted my callous response immediately.
I don't want the bond in general. It has nothing to do with you personally.
“Okay. It isn't normal for a Dungeon Fairy to not bond with their core, but I'll respect your choice. If that is how it's going to be, though, we need to make sure I'm always around to help you, or we need to awaken a monster for you as soon as possible. Then, you can safely get attached. That being said, you really need to look at unawakend monsters as nothing but tools. They are only bundles of instincts, and if you keep getting attached, it will only serve to hurt you.”
I looked to my snake, two heads looking back at my core in concern, and I couldn't fully accept my fairy's words.
“We'll awaken them. Don't worry. If you don't want to lose them, put your efforts into making sure they survive until you reach level five. With all those kills and achievements, you should be able to reach level four and have a good start toward level five already. Then, even if you don't want to survive for yourself, you'll be able to survive for them instead. Once they're awakened, as long as you live, so will they.”
His words brought me more comfort than he probably realized. I could work with that. I could press on if it was for the sake of making sure I never lost anyone I cared about ever again. I collected myself and pushed forward. I did it for Vie and Pee.
After taking a moment to calm myself, I skimmed through the rewards my new achievements granted me. Then, I brought up a menu.
[Experience to next level: 11,621 / 9,000
Level up?
Yes / No]
I hesitated for a moment, realizing I hadn't changed my focus. Then, deciding that leaving it on Monster Upgrades seemed right, I confirmed my selection.
[Please select a perk.]
[Monster Upgrade: Volatile Trentis
Description: Trentis and their evolutions explode upon death.
Effect: Trentis and their evolutions explode upon death dealing a base physical damage of between 0.1 x (Max Health) and 0.5 x (Max Health) within 5 feet. More damage is done closer to the center of the explosion.]
[Trap Upgrade: Rolling Boulder Trap
Effect: The trap gains 1 level.]
[Monster Upgrade: Shadow Caster
Description: Your Shadow Viper (Level 3) gains shadow magic spells.
Effect: Your Shadow Viper (Level 3) gains access to three spells of the shadow element that suit it.]
It wasn't even a choice in my eyes. The first option might have actually been good, but after what had just happened, even the thought of taking it was sickening. The second option improved the trap I had unlocked from one of my new achievements. It was good; it would certainly help to protect myself, but the third choice aligned with my resolve too perfectly to pass it up. Even if it meant that I'd lose its effect if Vie and Pee died, that was only another reason to make sure they survived until I awakened them.
I sent the third option to Fabian and thought, I'm choosing this one.
“As much as I don't like this kind of perk, go for it.”
I made my selection and opened the information on the new spells.
[Spell: Shadow Surge
Cost: 40 MP
Description: You sink into the shadows before re-emerging a distance away.
Effect: You sink into the shadows and move through them a distance of up to 5 + 0.1 x (SOUL) feet. You can only move where there are shadows, and your control over your movement is dependent on your (WILL). If you are forced out of the shadows, you become dazed for 1 second.]
[Spell: Shadow Enhancement
Cost: 2 MP/second
Cooldown: 5 seconds
Description: You coat a weapon or body part in shadows, causing it to do additional damage.
Effect: You coat a weapon you continue to maintain physical contact with or a body part in shadow magic. Attacks with whatever has been enhanced deal an additional base magic damage of 1 + 0.2 x (SOUL). For every 100 points of (WILL), you can coat an additional weapon or body part for an increased spell cost.]
[Spell: Shadow Blast
Cost: 30 MP
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Description: You release a blast of shadow magic.
Effect: You release a blast of shadow magic in a 5 foot wave that travels for 15 feet. It deals a base magic damage of 5 + (SOUL) and pushes whatever it hits backwards with force dependent on (WILL).]
My Dungeon as a whole might have been lacking, but my faithful two-headed snake was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. That made me feel better about the prospect of keeping it alive. I decided to allocate their eight unassigned stat points to increase those odds further, but I quickly ran into a problem. Their magical stats, in the split state they were in, had to be upgraded separately. I couldn't waste the points in the short-term to upgrade those stats for both of them, so I decided to put six points in vitality, and two points in Pee's soul. With that done, my mind turned to the more pressing issue.
Fabe, I'm starting to see the problems you warned me about. The majority of my growth so far has been through achievements, but that won't last forever, will it? Adventurers seem to give a lot of experience, but even if I could do so reliably, I don't want to go out of my way to kill them. My monsters don't drop enough experience on death because they are low leveled, and I can't afford to level them up. Are there any other ways to get experience fast?
I knew I needed to get my act together. I had been thinking about the defense of my Dungeon all wrong. I had been trying to make it as strong as it could be, but I wasn't thinking about how I would gain the experience I would need to get to that point. In the long run, I still thought my choices would be the best way to protect myself, but I was quickly coming to terms with the fact that they had stunted my growth. It wouldn't matter how strong I would be at a high level if I couldn't make it to that level in the first place. I needed a solid plan.
“There really isn't a substitute for experience gained through combat between your monsters and delvers. At level twenty-five, you will be able to unlock a new trait, and if you pick the right one, you might be able to cover your current weaknesses, but that is still a long way off.
“The only other ways for you to gain experience are through achievements, which you have already been racking up, and titles. Your Summoned Hero title has been giving you an extra twenty percent experience gain, and that is about the best you'll find. Maybe one or two could, in the right situation, be a little stronger, but overall, you've already got the best. That was the whole point of the Hero summoning.”
Great.
Continuing to grow would not be easy, and if I didn't want a repeat of that last raid, I needed to get a lot more power, and I needed to get it fast. As far as I was concerned, there was one way to fuel that growth, and even if it wasn't sustainable, I was going to take it.
Okay, I need you to tell me about any and all achievements that you know the unlock conditions for.
As my assistant began a long, boring lecture, I brought up the recent System logs one more time to go over in detail now that I had gotten a hold of myself.
[An Orc Builder (Level 4) has died in your Dungeon! 480 experience gained.]
[Achievement gained: It's a Trap!]
[Achievement: It's a Trap!
Description: You have killed an individual with a trap.
Reward: You have gained 600 experience!]
[Achievement gained: Dungeon Ingenuity!]
[Achievement: Dungeon Ingenuity
Description: You have killed an individual with a trap you built and activated on your own.
Reward: It has been unlocked as a trap for you!]
[Rolling Boulder Trap
Level: 1
Cost: 5 DP
Description: A massive round boulder that rolls down a set path.
Effect: When something not from the Dungeon walks over the designated location, the boulder will start rolling down its set path. If it hits, it will deal a base damage of 50 x level and send whatever it hits flying.]
[Your Rolling Boulder Trap has killed a Beastkin Hunter (Level 5)! 600 experience gained.]
[Achievement gained: Two Birds With One Stone!]
[Achievement: Two Birds With One Stone
Description: You have killed two individuals with a single trap.
Reward: You have gained 1,200 experience!]
[Your Rolling Boulder Trap has killed a Human Woodcutter (Level 4)! 480 experience gained.]
[Achievement gained: Sitting Ducks!]
[Achievement: Sitting Ducks
Description: You have killed three individuals with a single trap.
Reward: The trap has been upgraded!]
[Achievement gained: Try it Again!]
[Achievement: Try it Again
Description: An individual has triggered the same type of trap twice within a minute.
Reward: You have gained 240 experience!]
[Your Trenti (Level 1) was slain! 5 experience gained.]
[Your Trenti (Dead) has killed an Orc Woodcutter (Level 4)! 480 experience gained.]
[Error, could not add experience to Trenti (Dead). 400 experience has been added to your general Trenti experience pool.]
[Achievement gained: First Kill!]
[Achievement: First Kill
Description: One of your monsters has killed an individual.
Reward: You have gained 600 experience!]
[Achievement gained: Outleveled Not Outmatched!]
[Achievement: Outleveled Not Outmatched
Description: One of your monsters has killed an individual of a higher level.
Reward: The monster's experience gain is increased by +10%! Error, the monster is dead. The reward will be applied to the next monster of that species you summon.]
[Achievement gained: Magic!]
[Achievement: Magic
Description: One of your monsters has killed an individual with magic.
Reward: The monster species and its evolutions have gained +1 to SOUL!]
[Achievement gained: From the Dead!]
[Achievement: From the Dead
Description: One of your monsters has killed an individual with a DOT effect after it died.
Reward: The next monster of that species that you summon will gain one basic ability native to Spectral type monsters that suits it!]
[Achievement gained: Too Close for Comfort!]
[Achievement: Too Close for Comfort
Description: An individual was killed within 5 feet of your core.
Reward: All monsters gain +1 to every stat!]
[Your Shadow Viper (Level 1) has killed a Beastkin Hunter (Level 4)! 480 experience gained.]
[Your Shadow Viper (Level 1) has gained 400 experience!]
[Your Shadow Viper (Level 1) has gained a level!]
[Achievement gained: A Slow Death!]
[Achievement: A Slow Death
Description: One of your monsters has killed an individual with poison.
Reward: The monster species and its evolutions have gained +1 to VIT!]
[Achievement gained: Effective!]
[Achievement: Effective
Description: An individual has died in your Dungeon while under the effect of a total of three status ailments inflicted by your Dungeon.
Reward: All status ailments inflicted by your Dungeon gain +5% effectiveness!]
[Your Shadow Viper (Level 2) has killed a Beastkin Woodworker (Level 3)! 360 experience gained.]
[Your Shadow Viper (Level 2) has gained 300 experience!]
[Your Shadow Viper (Level 2) has gained a level!]
[Achievement gained: Double Kill!]
[Achievement: Double Kill
Description: One of your monsters has killed two individuals within the same combat.
Reward: The monster has gained +1 to every stat!]
[An Orc Tanner (Level 7) has died in your Dungeon! 168 experience gained.]
[Achievement gained: Infighting!]
[Achievement: Infighting
Description: A member of the mortal races has killed another member of the mortal races within your Dungeon.
Reward: You have gained 1,200 experience!]
[Shadow Viper
Level: 3
Cost: 22 DP
Health: 20 (35)
Stamina: 15 (30)
Mana: 90 (120), 110 (140)
Stats: FORT 4 (7), VIT 14 (18), STR 8 (11), END 3 (6), SOUL 9 (12), SOUL 11 (14), MIND 4 (7), MIND 4 (7), WILL 8 (11), WILL 8 (11), COM 12 (15), COM 12 (15) DEX 13 (16), AGI 16 (19)
Skills: None
Abilities: Viper Venom, Shadow Cloak, Necrotic Venom, Mutant Surge
Spells: Shadow Surge, Shadow Enhancement, Shadow Blast
Description: A monster that, to some degree, is different from the rest of it's species. A slightly magical snake that can innately draw on shadow magic to hide itself. It is quick and nimble, but it's physical capabilities aren't far above that of a mundane viper's.
Upgrades: Professional Amateur (+1 to every stat), A Walk in the Park (+5% to DEX and WILL), Aspect of the Crypt Spider (Necrotic Venom), Two Heads are Better Than One (Mutant Surge), Too Close for Comfort (+1 to every stat), A Slow Death (+1 to VIT), Double Kill (+1 to every stat), Shadow Caster (Shadow Surge, Shadow Enhancement, Shadow Blast)]