Chapter 33

Pan watched as the adventurer parties probed around his new floor. They had been forced to go around through the hall that led them back to the first-floor boss room to enter the floor from the beginning. From there, they mapped out the large river system he had created, at least as much as they safely could. The main body of the river was safe enough, but the areas around the small streams and creeks grew deadlier the further they explored, forcing many to turn back before they ever reached the reward chest at the back. The few parties that did reach them were rewarded with coins, potions, and even a few enchanted items.

This discovery prompted many to rush through to the end to report back to the town under them. A few enchanted items in the proper hands could greatly increase their chances of survival. Pan laughed, they were excited over his scraps, and he wondered what they’d think about his real treasures. His current alchemical experiments revolved around creating a resist magic potion, in light of recent events. He had gotten a reasonably powerful version created, but more importantly had finally reached the adept rank in alchemy, gaining access to the skill’s perk tree.

The perk tree was initially useless upon its unlock at skill level fifty, but with each subsequent level up he received a number of points to buy perks with based on his talent rank. Below average received five points on each level up, average received ten, above average got fifteen, and genius gained twenty. The points could only be spent on perks in the skill they were earned with, so perk acquisitions had to be carefully considered. Unique perks could be earned by individuals who met certain criteria. Luckily for Pan, his unique status as a dungeon was enough to qualify him as a genius alchemist, and he was certain he would have a few unique perks available as he gained access to more of the perk tree.

He had so far reached level fifty-two in alchemy, and had put his perk points into the first perk, Improved Potions, which cost five, ten, and then fifteen points per level, and gained him an additional five percent potion strength per level. He had ten points left over, and had to decide which of the next two available perks, Improved Duration I or Improved Rank I, he would buy. Improved duration added an additional five percent to duration per level and improved rank gave him a two and a half percent chance to rank up the potion per level.They were each ten points, but he finally decided on Improved Rank.

As it was, his resist magic potion could nullify eighteen percent of magical damage for forty seconds. It was a powerful potion, but against an army of mages, it was practically useless. It might turn the tables in a battle against one, but against any truly powerful spells, it was no better than clothes. Nevertheless, the adventurers who received his experimental rejects were excited, and challenged more of the dangerous areas in search of treasure. Despite all Pan’s effort in creating a system that allowed people to explore without getting weighed down by loot, there was still something about opening a chest at the end of a long and arduous battle that enthused the adventurers. If only they knew what rewards awaited them on the fifth floor.

Faltrar had just received word that the diplomatic envoy to Rivan had made it to the capital, and was currently awaiting a meeting with the king and his court. They had been given a way to connect to the mage relay, but they were unable to do anything other than send reports. Hopefully, they would be allowed to construct an embassy, and install a proper communication station there. Sighing, he steeled himself for the trickle of reports that would come in over the following days. He did not think the king would receive the news and demands for independence well, but hopefully, the mages had a sufficiently large stick to threaten them with.

It didn’t matter. The future was theirs, and the king couldn’t do anything about it now, no matter how hard he tried. There was a chance that he would attack, but Faltrar was fully confident in their ability to defend their city from the king's army. Besides, he was wrapped up in internal power struggles with the aristocracy, which should keep him busy, and afraid of sending his military too far from the capital. The nobles would surely be afraid to give the king any military aid, and may even attempt to usurp his throne if he sent his army out. No, they were safe for now, and the king would need more time to prepare a counterattack, time the mages could use to solidify their position.

The other unknown was The Kingdom of Geran to the north, who should be receiving an envoy within the next few days. He was hoping that he could gain their support as a way to weaken Rivan. As it was, they were a collection of mages claiming to be an independent city-state, but not yet acknowledged as independent by the kingdom they had carved their land out of. Their political situation was still tenuous, and they teetered on the edge of war. All the more reason to finally burn the tumor festering in the heart of their city to ashes. It would be better to limit their fighting to the one front that was their impermeable walls.

It had been a few days, almost a week, and that should greatly weaken any survivors in the dungeon. The contingent of mages that guarded the entrance was growing bored. It was time to gather a solid war band and begin the assault. The goal was to gather information and inflict damage to their numbers and morale.

“Victor,” he called, waiting for the man to enter his office.

“Yes archmage?” Came the response as his trusted aide opened the door.

“Go with plan alpha, It’s time we begin to remove this festering wound from our city.”

“Yes. I’ll send out the orders immediately.”

Battle Mage James was gathered outside the dungeon with six of his comrades. They were sent to determine the strength of the remaining defenders hiding in their midst. To assist in the task were twenty mercenaries to hold the front lines, a handful of healers to support them, and a dozen support casters to add to the group’s firepower. He found himself looking at the assortment of people selected for the task, assessing them, and tuning out the words of Victor who was briefing them. He quickly snapped his attention back to the man in time to catch the final portion of his speech.

“...and remember, limiting casualties is your number one priority. One of your lives are worth far more than a few of theirs. Time is on our side, so all you need to do is keep up the pressure. Now get to it, you’re all dismissed.”

He sighed at that. There were seven highly trained battle mages sent to accomplish the task, each one bringing an inconceivable amount of arcane firepower. They were more than a match for a few mundanes, especially those trapped in a dungeon and beset by the monsters within. Starvation, dehydration, fatigue, and sleep deprivation would have already done a number on those people. Dungeons were known to be the most inhospitable places in the world, more so than any barren desert or arctic glacier.

The first inkling of doubt seeped into his mind when he saw the first floor. It wasn’t a lifeless warren of stone tunnels and damp passages. No, it was a vibrant and well-lit jungle, full of warmth and life. Intellectually, he had known that the dungeon was different, but all the stories about its life and energy hadn’t prepared him for this. He had known, but now he knew. This was a place that was incredibly conducive to life, and if it was all like this, starvation and dehydration would be the least of the survivor’s worries.

He hoped that there wasn’t enough food to support the hundreds that had fled. He hoped that anything in here was inedible. He hoped that their only food source was monster flesh. But at every juncture, his hopes were dashed. They would be facing fed and hydrated people in close quarters. Now he knew why their leaders hadn’t spread word about this dungeon. It was all part of their propaganda campaign to keep the noncombatants happy. This extermination would be long and difficult, which was why they couldn’t let up the pressure now, or ever. This was why they couldn't’ lose a man. James found himself really wishing he had paid attention to the briefing, nobody else seemed surprised by what they saw, or the implications of it.

He swore under his breath a few times, then vigilantly swept his eyes around the twisting tunnels and caves. Up ahead, the mercenaries were having a good time walking all over the large ants and spiders that guarded the first floor. Nothing needed his less than delicate attention so far, but he couldn't help the restless feeling that preceded action. He knew that there’d be action today, and prepared himself for it mentally. He’d probably take a life today, and no matter how many times he was forced to do so he couldn’t shake the feelings that came with it. Despite this, doubt never entered his mind. He was on the right path. A path that would lead him and his people to a better future. If he had to kill, so be it.

His chance came an hour later when they had reached the second floor. The whole thing was a massive river, with beautiful beaches alongside it. The adventurers they came across were walking along one of the tributaries, seemingly excited about a recent acquisition. They barely had time to draw their weapons as they came around the corner, their boisterous behavior announcing them to the waiting warband. Their faces paled, but were immediately blackened when a torrent of flames and arcane energy tore them to bits, reducing them to a pile of ash and smoldering scraps of equipment.

One of the mercenaries let out a strangled cry, upset over the loss of loot, but the mages paid him no mind. They were on a mission. A mission to kill everyone in the dungeon. They could get their loot later, once the dungeon was cleared of hostile people. James couldn’t wait for that day. He had heard that this dungeon would one day be the richest in the kingdom, and a skilled mage like him could make a fortune off it.

They continued on, passing the burning embers of the forest behind the adventurers. He coughed when he sucked in a breath of the acrid smoke, still unnerved by the stench of burning human. No matter how many fights he was in or how many creatures he burned, human always had a distinct odor. Maybe it was mental, but the smell made him want to vomit like no other just the same.

They explored further, and came across another party, and allowed the mercenaries to kill them for the loot. Despite their initial success, and the ease with which they had penetrated the dungeon, he still couldn't fight the budding nervousness in his chest. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being baited, strung along by some greater force. The deeper they went, the more the feeling built. Something was going to happen, and probably soon.

The hammer didn’t fall when they reached the end of the second floor, nor when they reached the halfway point. At least the dungeon’s hammer didn’t. They had picked off a few groups, bringing their total body count to around twenty-five or so, but it seemed that they had unknowingly let one escape. As the party meandered through the dense forests of the second floor, the attack came.

It started with a wave of arrows, something James had learned to hate. The battle for the city had taught him just how deadly mundanes with ranged weapons could be, and within the confines of this forest of giants, they proved to be just as effective. Although the shields were up, they were targeted with the brutal efficiency of a well-practiced attack, sending powered arrows at selected targets. The massed damage temporarily overwhelmed their shields, and he watched helplessly as two healers died while one was severely injured. Only one was left uninjured, and he was hurrying in an attempt to save the other.

He gritted his teeth and prepared for the counterattack, drawing on his mana to charge a powerful fireball attack. He still hadn’t seen the enemies, but the trajectory of the arrows told him it came from the trees. Scanning the canopy, he finally found a target just as he finished the spell. He had decided to launch a powerful initial attack in a vicious attempt at shock and awe. It worked, and the massive conflagration in the canopy elicited a series of screams. The large area of effect spell he had cast took its toll on him, but the attackers paid a much heavier price. Around a dozen charred bodies rained from the trees high above, and the attacks of his equals added to it. But yet more arrows came, and took more of their supporting members.

“Fall back,” James cried. There was no way that they’s attack with anything less than overwhelming force. Even now, a few of the shield casters had fallen, opening dangerous weak points in their formation. They had already lost ten men, three of them healers, far too high a cost. They needed to get out now and preserve as much of their force as they could. They were only the probing force, not intended to skirmish with the enemies.

The formation tightened around him, and he defended them with supporting fire in the form of massive gouts of flame that licked the canopy. Where he swept his blazing ropes of flame, archers ducked, buying his people time to huddle up and strengthen their magical shields. It drained him rapidly, but he was able to keep it up long enough for the group to begin their fighting retreat.

Now in the denser cluster, the shields were bordering on impenetrable, and very few arrows made it through. Those that did barely had enough energy to cut their targets. Their defense may have been much better, but it seriously handicapped their offense and mobility. They were backing away, slowly removing themselves from the firing lines of the archers, but the tight formation also hampered the mage's ability to cast anything other than basic spells. The more powerful spells, especially those requiring excessive somatic components, were unable to be cast, and he was reduced to throwing fire darts at his enemies. They were quick and accurate, but he could not cast them quick enough to equal his fireballs, or even flamethrower spells in damage.

But they were escaping. The archers could not easily move between trees to pursue them, and those that tried were targeted while the crossed the aerial gap high above the forest floor. Their wind mage ensured none ever reached anything but the forest floor. They seemed to have surprised the adventurers by retreating, and they were in a mad scramble to keep them in range. But unfortunately for them, the thick forest made any truly long shots impossible, and the mages had made it far enough away to change to a more mobile formation.

They made a hasty retreat back to the large crevices of the first half of the floor, carrying the wounded as best they could. Their healer was busy, and he showed his skill by making a few quick patch ups while running, allowing them to travel even faster. As he ran, another battle mage came over to him, a cocky fire mage named Roland.

“Why’d you call a retreat?” He asked, giving James a puzzled look that bordered on a condescending sneer, “we could have killed them all.”

He responded slowly, “they attacked us, and they were prepared. They wouldn’t do that if they weren’t confident. We could have killed them all, but they would have killed too many of us before we killed them all. We have already lost too many, so the mission is over.”

This seemed to cow the bloodthirsty mage slightly, especially when he realized that the loss of life might make their leaders consider the mission a failure. James sighed, the younger mages never looked at the bigger picture. A retreat here was better than a pyrrhic victory, since they needed to save every resource they could for the future.

They reached the crevices, but it didn’t go as expected. There was a contingent of adventurers blocking the way, situated a dozen or so feet back into the cave. They were already engaged with the mercenaries who had run out ahead, and had picked off a few isolated individuals. James swore, he hadn’t expected this. He had kept the mages together, but the infantry had been sent out to keep the way clear of monsters, giving their enemies the perfect opportunity to pick a few more off.

“We don’t have time for this,” James yelled to his fellow battle mages, “torch the fucking mundanes.”

They all looked at him wide eyed, but he paid them no mind as he was already preparing his spell. Within seconds, they were following his lead, and seconds later a massive volley of spells was released. The adventurers, momentarily distracted by the impressive light show in front of them, lost a few men as the mercenaries took advantage of the situation. Their elation over an easy victory was short lived, and magical energy tore through the battle lines, shredding friend and foe alike.

Torrential waves of flame cooked men in their armor, fanned by howling winds. Spikes of earth sprung from the ground, impaling anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire. Arcs of electricity danced across both sides, welding armor into solid pieces. Once the raging winds and flames settled down, all that was left was a field of petrified corpses, locked in place by the remnants of their armor.

“Move out,” called James, and the mages left.

Pan was actually stunned by the callous actions of the mages. To think he had almost been one of them. They had killed their own allies just to retreat faster, an act which had probably saved their lives. But that didn’t excuse what they did. The adventurer force following them had been similarly horrified when they realized the story the blackened statues told. Most spat on the ground and cursed the mages for their disgraceful conduct. It was amazing how a sense of superiority could make a group act. They considered themselves to be better, and so were willing to commit atrocious acts in the name of furthering their group. They wouldn't have done the same if those in front of them were mages. But as much as he wanted to smite that group, he couldn’t. It just wasn’t part of his plan. Part of him wished that they had managed to unleash the spores, but their magical attacks hadn't been large enough for that.

Still, the battle told him much. He now knew that his humans could defend the caves, although at a heavy cost. The mages now had the intel they had gathered, which told them nothing about Pan’s ability to fight them, and would likewise be much more confident when attacking with a larger force. If Pan could lure them into a much larger attack, then sufficiently bloody their noses, they would be forced to leave him alone for awhile. Time was on his side far more than it was on theirs, so he needed to grab as much of it as he could.

Dungeon Menu

Level: 14

Type: Sentient Dungeon

Name: Pending

Titles: None

Mana: 31,242/500,000 (+1000)

Mana Regeneration: 12,000/day (+100,000 from people, approximately)

Soul Energy: 1.1/500

Rooms: 181

Floors: 5

Animals: 100,000+

Plants: 100,000+

Monsters: 41,099

Skills: [Dungeon Menu], [Dungeon Manipulation], [Dungeon Absorption], [Dungeon Creation: Level 12], [Dungeon Expansion], [Dungeon Summon], [Targeted Evolution], [Monster Imbuement], [Dungeon Map], [Name Bestowal], [Drop Assignment], [Floor Creation], [Environmental Manipulation], [Dungeon Soul Trap], [Alchemy: Lvl 52], [Enchanting: Lvl 44], [Dungeon Ore Vein], [Mental Communication]

Dungeon Points:472

Achievements: Evolver, Legend Slayer, Boundless, Adept Dungeon

Perks:

Alchemy: 5 points

Improved Potions III: Potions are 15% stronger

Improved Rank I: 2.5% chance to increase potion quality