Chapter 2: One after another
I had no idea what I was doing, but I reached out toward the text, mentally confirming the command.
The air shimmered, and in front of me, a puddle of goo appeared—a small, wobbly creature with eyes that were far too large for its body.
"A slime?" I muttered.
"You've got to be kidding me."
But there wasn't time to question it.
From the mouth of the cave, I heard footsteps, multiple sets, echoing off the walls.
The adventurers were coming.
The footsteps grew louder, and I froze.
Three shadows appeared at the mouth of the cave, each one carrying weapons that gleamed in the dim light.
Adventurers looked like the typical party you'd find in an RPG: a swordsman in heavy armor, a mage in flowing robes, and a ranger with a bow slung across her back.
I swallowed hard, my mind racing.
How was I supposed to stop them with just a slime?
[Warning: Adventurer Party Strength Exceeds Dungeon Level.]
The voice in my head wasn't helping. I had to think fast.
The only "defense" I had was that slimy puddle wobbling next to me, and the adventurers were already closing in.
"Alright, slime," I muttered.
"It's all or nothing."
The adventurers stepped into the cave, and the swordsman raised his blade.
"Simple dungeon. Easy coin."
The slime sloshed forward, its gelatinous body making a squelching noise as it moved.
The adventurers barely gave it a second glance.
"Really? A slime?" the ranger scoffed, drawing her bow.
"I've seen tougher monsters in my grandma's garden."
She loosed an arrow, and it pierced the slime's body.
For a moment, it wobbled and then collapsed into a pile of goo.
"Well, that was pathetic," the mage chuckled.
I clenched my fists, my heart pounding.
This was it. I was going to die in this cave, and my life as a Dungeon Architect was going to be over before it even started.
[Dungeon Core at Risk. Take immediate action.]
But then something strange happened. As the slime's remains seeped into the ground, the blue light of the Dungeon Core flickered, and I felt a surge of energy.
[Slime absorbed. Dungeon Mana increased.]
Mana? My mind latched onto the word.
Maybe I didn't have to fight these adventurers with just monsters. Maybe the dungeon itself could be my weapon.
[New Commands Available: Create Trap (Pitfall)]- Cost: 15 Mana.
I didn't hesitate. I reached out mentally, focusing on the ground beneath the adventurers' feet.
The air shimmered, and the earth began to shift.
The swordsman took a step forward, and the ground collapsed beneath him.
He let out a startled yell as he fell into the pit I'd just created.
"What the?!"
The mage backed up, eyes wide.
The ranger turned, her bow drawn, but before she could fire, the slime reformed, larger and more aggressive than before.
It launched itself at her, wrapping its gooey body around her legs.
"Get it off me!" she screamed, struggling to pull free.
The mage began to chant, summoning a fireball in his hand.
But before he could release it, I triggered another command.
[Command: Create Trap (Spike Pit) - Cost: 20 Mana.
The ground in front of the mage cracked open and sharpened spikes shot up from the earth.
The mage's spell fizzled out as he stumbled backward, eyes wide with terror.
"What kind of dungeon is this?!"
I didn't give him time to figure it out. The traps were draining my mana fast, but I couldn't stop now.
I needed to finish them before they regrouped.
[Command: Summon Basic Monster (Slime)] - Cost: 10 Mana.
Another slime appeared, this one larger than the last.
It oozed toward the mage, its body shimmering with the faint glow of the Dungeon Core's energy.
The ranger finally broke free of the first slime, but she was too late.
The second one was on her, and the pitfall trap had taken care of the swordsman.
With a scream, the mage tried to flee, but he didn't make it far before the spikes claimed him.
The dungeon was silent again. I stood there, my heart racing, breathing hard.
I had done it. I had defended the dungeon, but it didn't feel like a victory. It felt like survival.
[Congratulations. Adventurer Party Defeated.]
The text appeared again, and I could feel the mana returning to the core.
But something else appeared alongside it.
[Loot Available: Adventurer Gear and Dungeon Resources.]
Loot? I looked around at the adventurers' bodies.
Their weapons and gear were glowing faintly like they were part of the system now.
I wanted to walk over to the fallen swordsman but then i hesitated for a moment before turning around to look at where I was.
Just a second ago, it was as though I was present and part of the fight, but now that I look closely, I don't know where I am.
The small orb that was in front of me was the only source of light I could navigate with and even then, I did not feel as though I was in any danger.
Soon enough though...
[Loot: Steel Longsword. Dungeon Resource Gained.]
I watched the gear again as though It was in front of me.
It all felt weird but I tried not to panic.
As I touched the gear, it vanished, absorbed by the dungeon.
The same thing happened with the ranger's bow and the mage's staff.
Their equipment was sucked into the core, and I felt another surge of energy.
[Dungeon Rank increase. New Commands Unlocked.]
Before I could celebrate, another notification appeared.
[Warning: Stronger Adventurers Approaching. Prepare Defenses.]
I cursed under my breath. There was no time to rest.
I had defended the dungeon once, but it was just the beginning.
More adventurers were coming, and I wouldn't want to be caught unprepared or in a bad position again.
I looked around at the empty cave, my mind racing. I needed to build better defenses.
I needed stronger monsters.
But most of all, I needed to figure out what in the name of god is happening here
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