Chapter 28: Playing Sim City

Karl stood before the Dungeon Core, the holographic panel still displaying the daunting list of critical components needing repair. His skeletal brow furrowed, a silent gesture of concentration. How could I even begin to access these levels, these abstract 'Level -99' and 'Level 101' components? It felt like trying to fix a supercomputer with a hammer.

Just as he was racking his brains, the panel flickered, displaying a new message:

[ Power Injection Detected on Floor Level -4 ]

[ New Owner Detected ]

[ Authorization parameters modified ]

[ Auth: Needed ]

[ Standalone Sub-Core Level 4 Rune Script Modifications ]

[ Purpose: In order for the Levels 1 to -4 to fully function, Sub Core Routine Rune inscriptions must be modified to act independently. Cut off from the Core Levels ]

[ Authorize? (Consumes 300 Dungeon Mana) ]

[ Yes ] [ No ]

Karl stared at the prompt in disbelief.

This feels like a fucking computer intelligence, a sentient program within the dungeon itself. What in the world is this dungeon? And what power-hungry modifications needed that consumes 300 mana?! I'm not that rich! He glanced at the remaining magic stones, his gaze falling on the scattered pile. He counted them quickly: 34 magic stones. Barely enough to cover the cost. He slumped, a dry, rattling sigh escaping him, but curiosity, that insatiable drive for knowledge and control, got the better of him. He tapped "Yes" on the panel.

[ Scanning... ]

The core pulsed, a faint, emerald light washing over him. It scanned him for a quick second, a silent, intrusive probe into his very essence. Then, the panel shifted.

[ Authorization Received ]

Instantly, the runes etched into the Dungeon Core itself, previously dull, flared to life, glowing with a brilliant golden light. Some of the existing inscriptions shimmered, then dissolved, replaced by new, intricate runes that Karl didn't understand. The air crackled with raw, contained power.

[ Modifications finished. ]

[ List of Available Functions: Level 1 to Level -4 ]

[ 1. Automated Defense System Level 1 - Built-in Defense Systems: Defense Golems with custom models and behavior will spawn and annihilate unauthorized Intruders. (Modifications Available on Dungeon Edit Function) ]

[ 2. Automated Sub Core Mana Network Organization ]

[ 3. Level 1 Traps ]

[ 4. Automated Floor Movement - Maze Level 1 (Modifications Available on Dungeon Edit Function) ]

[ 5. Level 1 Axe Trap (Malfunction) (Modifications Available on Dungeon Edit Function) ]

[ 6. Atmospheric Mana Particle Regulator ]

[ 7. Dungeon Edit (Level 1 to Level -4) ]

[ Activation Requirements: ]

[ 15 - 21 Dungeon Mana Per Day ]

[ Activate? ]

[ Yes ] [ No ]

Karl's skeletal jaw stretched into a wide, triumphant smile. So there was a reason it consumed that much mana! Automated defenses, mana organization, traps, even floor movement! And the Dungeon Edit function! As long as that Dungeon Edit was available, this was a worthwhile investment. He didn't hesitate. He pressed "Yes."

[ Initiating... ]

A low hum began to vibrate through the floor, a deep, resonant thrum that permeated the entire dungeon. All floors, from the deepest available floor where they were, to the main level where the canteen and industrial zones were located, lit up. The walls pulsed with glowing circuit lines, tracing intricate patterns across every surface, like veins of pure energy.

On Level 1, the kobold hunters—Misha, Monique, Aisha, Nona, and Lisa—who were just returning from a successful hunt, stopped dead in their tracks. Their fur bristled, and their eyes widened as the walls around them began to glow. The three kobold cleaners and the kobold children, who had been playing a game of tag near the guest rooms, gasped, their small voices hushed in awe and fear as the very stone around them pulsed with light. Even the skeletons, who usually remained impassive, paused their tasks, their empty eye sockets seeming to track the glowing lines. A collective, almost imperceptible sigh emanated from them through the Lich-Network Uplink. It must be their lord's plan again, they thought, a shared, weary resignation.

Hoping it isn't about world-destroying visions their lord sometimes thinks about.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the glowing slowly faded, leaving the stone walls dark once more, but now imbued with a subtle, lingering warmth.

Back in the core room, the holographic panel shimmered.

[ Activation Complete ] [ Priority Task: Accumulate 1,000 Dungeon Mana to Unlock Levels -5 to -10 ]

Karl sighed, a dry, rattling sound. Where the fuck do I get that many magic stones anyway? The forest doesn't have unlimited animals to get the magic stones from. Maybe I'll just ask Orkesh. Maybe the magic stones are for sale on the market.

Then the panel on the core changed, displaying a new menu:

[ Dungeon Menu: ] [ 1. Dungeon Information ] [ 2. Dungeon Edit ]

He tapped on "Dungeon Edit" right away, a thrill of anticipation running through him. The panel changed again, showing a hierarchical list of accessible levels:

[ Dungeon Edit ] [ Level 1 ] [ Level 2 ] [ Level 3 ] [ Level 4 ]

He stared at it, a sudden realization dawning. The System from the dungeon and his own personal System were different, other than the holographic panel. The UI in his own vision, his personal interface, was still there, and at that very moment, a new notification appeared:

[ Congratulations! You activated the Dungeon ] [ Rewards Gained: +1000 NP ] [ Unlocked: Dungeon Edit ]

Karl wondered what the difference was between his own System's Dungeon Edit and the dungeon's System itself. Perhaps one is a direct interface with the core, and the other is a personal, portable tool. He decided to test his own. He tapped on "Dungeon Edit" on his personal System.

What appeared was the familiar 3D map of the dungeon, encompassing Levels 1 to -4. Below the map, two distinct selections glowed:

[ Organize Levels: 50 Dungeon Mana ] [ Modify Defense Models: 65 Dungeon Mana ]

Having only 200 Dungeon Mana left, and 34 magic stone reserves, he tapped on "Organize Levels." His goal was to relocate the industrial zones and living employee quarters from Level 1 to Level -2, freeing up the entire main floor for commerce.

The 3D map appeared again, but this time, all levels from 1 to -4 showed a glowing [+] on each side, hinting that the levels could be expanded. He pressed a [+] on Level 1, only for a prompt to disappoint him again:

[ Consume 50 Dungeon Mana? ]

He slumped. Too much. I need to be efficient. He tried on Level -2, where the simple traps like tripwire arrows, spiked pits, and the maze trap were located. He selected the maze trap, and mentally commanded, "Remove." To his surprise, a new notification appeared:

[ +15 Dungeon Mana ] [ Recycled ]

Oh! So I can recycle old structures for mana! He pressed the [+] beside Level -2. This time, the prompt was different:

[ Consume +10 Dungeon Mana? ]

He mentally tapped "Yes." On the core's panel, the holographic display changed:

[ Expanding Level -2 ]

A deep, guttural rumble resonated through the entire dungeon, a low growl that vibrated through the very stone. The walls of Level -2 visibly stretched, expanding outwards, new sections of raw earth and stone forming before his mental eye.

Karl's skeletal jaw stretched into a wide, triumphant grin. Oh! So that's how it is! The dungeon system is a type of system that's already ingrained into the dungeon itself, a direct, physical interface. While my own System was the more mysterious one, a personal, portable tool that allowed him to conveniently use the Dungeon Edit wherever he went, without going back to the core room. He pressed [+] again on Level -2, watching the mana cost. This time it consumed +20 Dungeon Mana. So it increases as you expand, he noted, a cold calculation. After expanding four more times, Level -2 was now equally as big as Level 1.

He smirked. Time to play Sim City. With a mental swipe, he selected all the rooms on Level 1 that belonged to the industrial zone and living employees' quarters: the Metallurgy Center, the Workshop, the Tannery, the Distribution Center, the Living Employees Quarters, the room where the Auto-Architectorium was, and the room where the Lumber Yard was. He dragged them, with a single mental command, to Level -2.

Inside the Metallurgy Center, the blacksmith skeletons, mid-swing, suddenly stumbled as their entire room lurched, a sickening sensation of dislocation. Tools clattered, ingots rolled. Everything was chaotic for a moment, then stabilized. The lead blacksmith skeleton, its empty eye sockets wide, looked around in shock. They were on the floor below where they had been.

It then witnessed something even more absurd: the entire room, just moments ago filled with the familiar clang of hammers, suddenly phased through the wall and was placed directly opposite theirs. What came out was the Artisan Center, its faint scent of wood and leather now mingling with the metallic tang of the forge. The Artisan skeleton, mid-lecture to its trainees, had been caught mid-sentence, its bony jaw still open in a silent scream of surprise.

The living employees' quarters, with the adult kobolds and three children who were hanging out inside, also experienced the same dizzying transition, their startled cries echoing as their room shifted.

Karl, oblivious to the minor chaos he had caused, continued his work. Every room was now neatly arranged on Level -2, a perfect, efficient layout.

On Level 1, the kobold hunters—Misha, Monique, Aisha, Nona, and Lisa—who had just returned from their hunt, witnessed something truly crazy. The entire floor, save for the canteen, the guest rooms, and the trading area, and the slaughterhouse, began to move.

Sections of walls magically disappeared, new corridors appeared elsewhere, entire rooms shifted and rearranged. Everything was moving at a crazy rate, a silent, impossible ballet of stone and space. Minutes later, the entire Level 1 was now expansive, a vast, open space. You could see the entire room, stretching far into the distance, ending at a large, newly formed door guarded by two silent, cloaked skeletons.

Meanwhile, back in his office, Karl stretched his bony hands, a dry, satisfied sigh escaping him. "Ahhhh… that's satisfying. I can't wait to play it again." he said, completely oblivious to what had just happened to the floors above, and the dizzying experience of his employees.

On Level 1, Misha, the lead kobold hunter, looked at her bewildered companions. "Let's go, guys," she said, her voice strained. "I've seen enough craziness in one day."

"Yeah, I agree," Lisa muttered, her fur still bristling.

Nona, clutching her bow, whispered, "We're just hungry, right? It's just an illusion, right?" Her eyes darted nervously at the newly formed, impossibly vast space around them.