บท 10: Griffin Defense [Part 1]

"It Looks like we have 2 minotaurs and 3 griffins heading towards the dungeon! We have about 5 minutes before they arrive but I'll start preparing our defenses!", Orai said.

From what I read in the Encyclopedia, Minotaurs were monsters with Superhuman Strength, Speed, and Agility. They can use the pair of giant horns on their head to ram into anything they encounter. Their ability to reason was also based on their rank, meaning that the stronger minotaurs were capable of more rational thought. This allowed a tribe of wild minotaurs to stay together, as the leader of the tribe was usually the strongest and smartest in the group. Judging from the map on the screen, it seemed that the minotaurs were running from the Griffins. They would most likely attempt to stay in the dungeon for temporary shelter, but it would be better to kill them while they are here.

From what I read, we can build and customize our own monsters once we get enough materials. When I spoke with Orai and Briggs earlier, they told me that each dungeon master was born with a specialization in one of three branches. The branches of specialization are Summoner, Magician, and Warrior. As you would expect, dungeon masters can't just watch intruders defeat their dungeons from the control room. Thus, the God Of War decided that Dungeon Masters can actively defend their dungeons if needed. However, similar to the core, if the dungeon master dies then the core dies as well. Luckily, I was given the summoner specialization, which means that I can start crafting monsters earlier than the other branches.

This is also why Dungeon Battles were so popular in D2. It wasn't just about the mobs of each individual dungeon going against each other. It was most likely a one-on-one with the other dungeon master and their own specialization. Dungeon battles took place in the Hidarus Coliseum on the Island Of Titans, which was the larger of the two islands connected to D2. The entrances of the dungeons would be linked on either side of the battleground, while the dungeon masters would fight in the area inbetween. I didn't get any more information from Orai but I kept it in mind.

I also read about the Griffins, which are said to be one of the more dangerous monsters in Orune. For one, the lowest level griffin seen in the wild was a B-rank, which is a rank higher than most other creatures. They could also come in a variety of magic types, making an already dangerous creature even more so. The fact that minotaurs were running from the Griffins made me wonder what rank they were.

"Do you have a projected rank on the creatures? If minotaurs are smart enough to get away from the Griffins, they must be at a decent rank", Briggs said.

"Hmm. They're starting to get in range. Let's see...Ok. It looks like the Minotaurs are both B+ while the Griffins are an A and a B+. I'm hoping the system is wrong about this information. I mean, can we defend against four highly ranked Minotaurs and Griffins?", Orai said.

"Judging from the map, it looks like the third Griffin is a child. Its rank is indeterminate at the moment but it's clear that it'll grow up like it's parents. The male Griffin is probably an A rank while the Female is a B+. I think we should try capturing that Young Griffin for the dungeon lads! We can speed its growth with the dungeon's domestication system!", Briggs said smiling.

"We don't even have enough firepower to take on this many hostiles! How are we going to capture their child?!", Orai said.

"Calm down, lad. Did you forget you have Bose and me? I hunted monsters when I was working as an architect for a different dungeon. I wouldn't call myself an expert hunter but I know a thing or two! Bose was a combat Golem before I made him into my helper! He's also an A+ after all! Hahaha!", Briggs said.

"If we are going with that plan then I'll spend the DP I was saving for the prefabs and buy some more mobs. When Orai and I checked earlier today, I was DM 1 and DL 10. Since we are earning 300 DP/day, it should be fine to spend some DP on the new mobs that I unlocked", I said.

When I was reading the encyclopedia earlier, I went through the entire mob section and favorited the ones that I wanted to use. From my Favorites, this was the total list of mobs that I had access to after reaching DL 5 and 10:

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(R) Slimes [10 DP]

(R) Elemental Spirits [15 DP]

(R) Golems [20 DP]

(I) Slimes [20 DP]

(I) Elementals [25 DP]

(I) Golems [30 DP]

(L) Orc [15 DP]

(L) Cyclops [20 DP]

(L) Giant Centipede [15 DP]

(L) Giant Spider [20 DP]

(L) Giant Serpent [25 DP]

(L) Young Cerberus [35 DP]

(L) Lich [20 DP]

(L) Vampire [20 DP]

(L) Skeleton Warrior [12 DP]

(L) Skeleton Archer [12 DP]

(L) Skeleton Mage [12 DP]

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When I read the Encyclopedia, I was given a table of information regarding what each title meant:

Lesser (C)

Regular (C+)

Improved (B)

Improved+ (B+)

Greater (A)

Greater+ (A+)

Mythic (S)

Mythic+ (S+)

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I already had Golems, Slimes, and Elementals so I decided to pick something new. I had 150 DP to spend and the knowledge of the Encyclopedia to support my decision. I picked the following mobs for our defense against the hostiles:

Orcs [15 DP] x 5

Giant Serpent [25 DP]

Lich [20 DP]

Young Cerberus [35 DP]

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Once I completed my order, 4 magic circles appeared around the main room of the dungeon. Similar to my first order, they began to instantly appear in the room. The orcs were around 7'5" while the lich was 6'1". Meanwhile, Young Cerberus stood at around 20 feet tall. Luckily, the room was 50 x 50 x 50 so the ceiling was tall enough to accommodate his height. I read that the (Improved) Cerberus was 40 feet tall so this room should serve me well in the future. Since the 5 minutes had passed, the minotaurs were closing in on the Dungeon's entrance. Bose teleported down to the main room while I was picking out my new mobs. He was currently in his golden paladin armor and had his weapon of choice: A matte-black, Axe-Greatsword.

"That's a pretty nice weapon, Briggs! Did you make that for him?", I said.

"I had a friend make it for me! I can't make weapons as good as I can make armor. As it pertains to your choices of mobs, I'm impressed. This should improve the effectiveness of 'Constrictor'. Our chances of getting that Griffin has improved", Briggs said.

"Amazing! I always wanted to see Young Cerberus! He's cute and terrifying at the same time. However, it looks like the minotaurs are about to reach us", Orai said.

"Tell Young Cerberus to prepare for contact", I said smiling.

As the doors of the dungeon burst open, I couldn't contain my smile.

What was better? The 400 DP that I could gain from the minotaurs or the 1000 DP I could gain from the Griffins?

Either way, I was sure of one thing:

I'm capturing that young Griffin. No matter the cost.