บท 10: Rare Adventurers
The Shade Stalker, newly summoned, had melded into the shadows deeper in the dungeon, ready to strike.
But the Architect felt something was still missing.
Walking over to the core, he checked the status one last time before the battle.
[Dungeon Status:]
[Rank: D]
[Core Integrity: 80%]
[Mana Reserve: 25/500 MP]
[Guardian: Elite Shade (Active)]
[Creatures: Shade Stalker (Active)]
[Traps: Spiked Pit (Active), Poison Gas Chamber (Inactive)]
[Expansion Potential: Locked (Insufficient Mana)]
He did not have enough mana to activate the poison gas chamber, He weighed the decision carefully.
Then another notification appeared.
[Notification: Adventurers Approaching. Estimated Arrival: 15 minutes.]
He had no more time to deliberate. The Architect nodded to himself, deciding to save the mana for possible emergency use instead of the trap.
The Elite Shade and the Shade Stalker would need to handle this first wave.
He stepped back and let the dungeon do what it was built to do: defend.
The adventurers, five in total, appeared at the edge of the dungeon's perimeter.
Clad in weathered armor, they moved cautiously, eyes scanning the dark entrance ahead.
Leading the group was a warrior with a massive sword strapped to his back.
His face was set in a determined scowl.
"We've heard rumors of a powerful dungeon here, one that's just begun to stir," the warrior muttered to his companions.
"Stay alert."
Behind him, a mage flicked his fingers, conjuring a small flame to illuminate their path.
"This place feels… different. Like something's watching us."
The warrior nodded.
"That's what dungeons do. They watch, they wait, and then they kill."
The group cautiously entered, unaware of the traps and creatures that lay in wait.
The moment the adventurers crossed the dungeon's threshold, the Architect felt it, a subtle tug of awareness from the core.
He smirked, watching through the dungeon's perspective as they moved into the corridor.
Suddenly, the floor gave way beneath the two in the rear, dropping them into the spiked pit trap.
[Trap Activated: Spiked Pit Damage: 50% HP lost for each adventurer caught.] -15 mana
The screams of pain echoed through the halls as both adventurers were impaled on the sharp spikes below, leaving them severely wounded and trapped.
"Damn it!" the warrior growled, spinning around to see what had happened.
"Fall back!"
But before they could react, the Elite Shade appeared from the shadows, slashing at the nearest adventurer with deadly precision.
The blow hit hard, catching the warrior off guard.
His armor clanged loudly as he staggered back, but he managed to deflect the next attack with his sword.
[Notification: Damage dealt: 35% HP lost.]
The adventurer winced, gripping his sword tighter.
"There's something in the dark!" he yelled, slashing blindly at the shadows.
Meanwhile, the Shade Stalker had crept up behind the mage.
Silent and deadly, it made no sound as it prepared its strike.
[Creature Ability: Silent Strike Activated Damage: 40% HP lost to the mage.]
The mage crumpled, gasping for air as the Shade Stalker's blow took him down.
In seconds, chaos engulfed the adventurers.
The dungeon was a living, breathing trap, its creatures striking from the shadows with deadly accuracy.
The warrior turned, his eyes wide as his party was systematically torn apart.
"We need to retreat!" he shouted, but it was too late.
The Elite Shade lunged forward again, aiming for his chest.
With a final swing of his sword, the warrior deflected the attack and backed away, dragging the mage with him.
The two remaining adventurers staggered out of the dungeon entrance, barely holding themselves together.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the Architect felt their presence fade.
The battle was over, and his dungeon had won.
Back inside the dungeon, the Architect allowed himself a small grin.
The battle had gone exactly as he had planned.
While the adventurers had managed to escape, their wounds were severe, and they had gained nothing from their assault.
He called up the dungeon status screen again.
[Dungeon Status:]
[Rank: D]
[Core Integrity: 80%]
[Mana Reserve: 110/500 MP (Mana gained from slain adventurers)]
[Creatures: Shade Stalker (Active)]
[Guardian: Elite Shade (Active)]
[Traps: Spiked Pit (Resetting), Poison Gas Chamber (Inactive)]
[Expansion Potential: Locked (Insufficient Mana)]
The fight had been a success, and the dungeon's mana reserves had increased slightly due to the adventurers' defeat.
The Architect felt a sense of satisfaction but knew he couldn't let his guard down.
The adventurers would return, and next time they might come better prepared.
But for now, he had something more important to focus on, the mana surge still pulsing in the southern chamber.
He had barely tapped into its potential, and it could be the key to unlocking more powerful defenses.
His mind raced with possibilities.
Then, another notification appeared.
[Notification: Rare Adventurer Party Detected. Estimated Arrival: 24 hours.]
The Architect blinked.
Rare adventurers? That was new.
His dungeon had caught the attention of more skilled opponents already. But that wasn't all.
A final message appeared beneath the notification.
[Objective Update: Investigate the mana surge. Potential Dungeon Core Upgrade.]
The Architect's eyes narrowed.
A Dungeon Core upgrade? That could change everything.
The chaos within the dungeon continued as the adventurers scrambled to recover from the surprise ambush.
Blood dripped from the spikes below as the two adventurers trapped in the pit groaned in pain.
The remaining three stood their ground, disoriented but determined.
The Elite Shade circled the warrior, its form shifting in and out of the shadows, looking for an opening.
Meanwhile, the Shade Stalker loomed over the fallen mage, preparing for another strike to finish him off.
"Fall back to the entrance!" the warrior shouted, swinging his massive sword in wide arcs, trying to keep the Elite Shade at bay.
His voice carried a hint of panic now, as he realized they were outmatched.
[Notification: Adventurer's HP at 35%.]
"Hold on!" the rogue in the group yelled, dashing to the edge of the spiked pit.
He unsheathed a dagger and threw it toward the Shade Stalker, attempting to distract it from finishing the mage off.
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