Preparation Against The Boss 2

(2 weeks later)

Kaio's POV

Since I became a dungeon core, my perception of time has been pretty messed up. It wasn't that it was much better when I was human, but now it's definitely gotten worse. Sometimes a day can feel like it took months, while others go by in the blink of an eye.

That was the case for these past 2 weeks. I just checked the second floor and it felt like months had already flown by.

Even so, there were still some changes. For example, I revamped the second floor by adding another zombie spawner, as well as more insects to give the environment a more creepy feel, and I remodeled the city's layout.

Now I'm sure people will have at least a few days of restless sleep, not to mention nightmares, the first few times they go there. Ha!

In addition, we've also made good progress on the first floor. More groups have found the status boards and identification crystals. Our little genius Cali, being true to her ideals and principles, spread the news about the "tomes" to the people, as a result many more people have shown up to test their skills and see what my dungeon is like so far.

Including non-combatants like craftsmen or builders, although they only stay in the starting area and nearby resource areas and end up not going very deep. A negative development, but one that I had already expected in a way, was regarding the Identity Desk at the entrance (remember the one with the crystal ball).

As expected, it was a success, the problem is that it was too big a success, causing the line of both challengers and civilians, showing up to do just a check, to become so long that it disturbed the flow of people coming and going from my dungeon.

And as if that weren't enough, since the crystal ball can partially show someone's "crimes", there has been talk of using the entrance as a court to make judgments. Honestly, it wouldn't be a bad idea at all in terms of legal practice, but I'm sure it wouldn't be good for me in terms of people coming and going.

Wouldn't that be almost the same idea as the Minotaur's labyrinth where the condemned were thrown to the monster?, with the difference that I have several types of monsters and an environment with animals and plants that would allow for relatively easy survival for those who knew the paths of the forest, at least for a while, but you get my point.

Other than that, I want people who committed crimes to show up, so I can kill them without any guilt and get a good amount of DP and EP. Not that I have much to spend now that both floors are done but nobody has shown up on the 2nd floor yet, but it's never a bad thing to have a reserve in the bank for when you need it, right?

Well, getting back to the point, things have been both busy and monotonous, people showing up and having a bit of an adventure, even more people making a bit of a ruckus at the entrance and a semi-constant flow of serious challengers, of which I've only killed about 8 so far, but I've injured several others considerably, and yes, the ones I did kill definitely deserved it. They did a few things that really pissed me off, even though in the "grand scheme of things" they were essentially trivial so I won't explain.

And obviously the biggest change this week was Connor and his group of friends, they made a sort of alliance with some other groups of the higher level challengers that showed up.

Consisting of wandering knights without affiliation with any order, also mercenaries who work as bandits in times of desperation (but according to the analysis of the jar they didn't kill many and never crossed unforgivable lines, so I didn't finish them off at the first opportunity that came along, which was several), as well as supposed alchemists and masters of cure-all herbs (the typical charlatans of the Middle Ages who killed more than they saved). Even a traveling entertainment troupe that rarely appeared came to see if the stories about my dungeon (which would still be kind of me, but, heeerrrr..., it's a bit complicated when thought of in this context) were true.

A traveling troupe would essentially be the circus here, with knife dancers, clowns, body artists (which to me would be a mix of Cirque du Solei and Cobra Kai), beast tamers and even low-level magicians, lower even than the two that I've been expressing. And why mention the entrance of a literal circus into the dungeon? Simply because they are good, like really good, Connor's group level of good, which makes me believe that at least one of them must have the "protagonist halo" as well.

To give you an idea of what I mean, the first time the 2 groups from the circus entered, with only vague information about the monsters (they were still deciphering and organizing the information on the entrance panels), they also had the misfortune of encountering mounted goblins, as well as boars and slimes. I don't even know why the boars were doing this in this area, but sometimes it happens. And even though it was the group's first encounter, they managed to win without taking much damage, just like Connor's group.

And I'll repeat this again, but mounted goblins are not weak. In the failed attempt at 200, about 3 average knights (equivalent to levels 15-30) faced 2 common level 10 hunter goblins and 1 mounted level 5, 2 of them were seriously injured and one died.

These were quite experienced knights and they still lost, did they just underestimate the enemy? In part yes, but even that wouldn't be enough for this result if they were (as they were) minimally good. So yes, the mounted goblins are strong and the fact that both Connor's group and the circus group won shows that they are natural fighters in one way or another.

I ended up getting a little off topic. Anyway, Connor's group made an alliance with these groups and for the past week they've been hunting together when they enter the dungeon, focusing mainly on herb nodes, food and a little on metals, avoiding unnecessary fights and occasionally, under Connor's leadership, going near the goblin village. Taking into account this pattern of behavior, plus the obvious improvement in the weapons and armor of everyone involved (I'm sure a good part of the money for this came from Anna's family, all hail to the power of money!!), I think it's fair to imagine that they would be prepared for a raid on the village.

In part, I'm happy to see these groups taking so much initiative and dedicating themselves to achieving the goal of defeating an enemy. But on the other hand, I'm a little sad about the possibility of losing Grumpy, even if only temporarily, and the entire "society" that he involuntarily created.

Being quite honest, I wish I could transfer everyone from the goblin village to the surface and see if they could manage on their own with Grumpy as their leader, wouldn't it be interesting to see that, a group of goblins are transported to a fantasy world where their species doesn't exist and under the leadership of a proud leader they set out to explore, devour and conquer their place in this new world.

'Sounds like a novel synopsis, huh, Sys?'

[Indeed, although it's impossible for Grumpy to leave permanently, it would be possible for him to leave with the entire village to the surface during a Stampede and establish a village there.]

'Wait, seriously?!'

[Yes, but since they wouldn't be connected to you, in this case the dungeon, they wouldn't be able to respawn and would die permanently, with the exception of Grumpy. But he would have all his memories of his time on the surface erased and you wouldn't be able to designate a new floor boss until he voted, either willingly or by dying.]

Wow!!!, I didn't expect that, like my monsters could survive out there, I already knew that I still have a mission that involves destroying a group of mages and I'll need to use the Stampede for that, but that my floor bosses could leave, I didn't know, I had no idea, that's not how it usually works in stories.

'And the memories being destroyed would be so much so that he wouldn't want to leave and leave me hanging at all times, besides serving as a way to protect him from the pain of permanently losing his clanmates?'

[Correct]

Huh, interesting... but I think it's better not to tell Grumpy about it, considering his belligerent and curious nature. He would definitely want to experience the outside world without initially caring about the risks, which would sadden me a lot in many ways.

Oh, that's right.

'Hey Sys, what's the limit on the first floor again?'

[The limit on people on the floor at the same time, or the limit on groups at the same time?]

'The limit on groups at the same time.'

[10 groups can be on the first floor at the same time, each group having a maximum of 5 people.]

So 50 in total, hmm hmm.

'Do you think these numbers will be enough to defeat Grumpy and his goblins? Not to mention the hobgoblins and variants that we didn't even expect to appear?'

[Considering that Connor is helping to formulate the plans and that the others take him seriously... It will be possible to win. Even if at a certain cost.]

'Why didn't I like the way you said that?'

[Losses are always inevitable in conflicts, the question is how to mitigate them, using numbers or strategy, as was the case last time.]

'True (⁠￣⁠ヘ⁠￣⁠) .... Wouldn't it be better to increase the number of simultaneous groups so they can put some cannon fodder?'

[:⁠-⁠\]

[I know you hold Connor in high esteem, however as the core and responsible for the dungeon it is not wise to put those feelings before your duty.]

'I know, I know, but still...'

[I understand]

Of course I know Sys understands, after all he is still a part of me, but it doesn't make the potential losses any less unpleasant to bear, I can only hope they have a very good strategy for the next attack.