STATUS

SKILLS

SPELLS

CREATURES

TERRAINS

UTILITIES

EFFECTS

HELP

Name

Dane Kain

Race

Dungeon Core

Sub-Type

Tyx Swarm

Class

Dungeon Master

Sub-Class

Hive Lord

Level

2

Experience

10/30

Health

9,000/9,000 +1,000 (9/s) +1

Mana

18,000/18,000 +2,000 (21/s) +2

Essence

9/150 (10/hr)

Physical Statistics

Power (POW)

9

Endurance (END)

13 +1

Durability (DUR)

9 +1

Dexterity (DEX)

15

Speed (SPD)

8

Finesse (FIN)

19 +2

Mental Statistics

Intelligence (INT)

18 +2

Wisdom (WIS)

21 +2

Genius (GEN)

9

Proficiency (PRO)

15 +2

Impulse (IMP)

8 +1

Charm (CHA)

5

Free Points

5

Achievement: Wise

Have total of 20 wisdom; halves all future wisdom gain; eidetic memory.

Skills unlocked:

Unending Swarm:

You no longer have to wait for your Tyx swarms numbers to recuperate naturally after their deaths. Instead, for half the creatures initial essence cost, return it to life.

Recyclable Hive:

You are able to make use of the corpses of your fallen. The bodies of any dead within your walls may be absorbed to generate essence.

‘Nice, only one more level up till utilities. Looks like my efforts with Pack Vipers paid off double, I wonder if the Reaver Representatives are considered to be allied with Samantha since they’re also members of the hive? Quite a nice exploit that is. I don’t know how efficient the ‘recyclable hive’ ability but if it gives me back even 25% that means whenever one of my Tyx die I can instantly respawn it for a quarter of its initial purchase cost so that’s insane. Also the ‘unending swarm’ ability seems to imply I can only resurrect my Tyx which does kinda suck but the recyclable hive might be useable even on non dungeon creates, it says ‘Any Dead’ after all. Though this does make the idea of long, drawn out, battles of attrition far more attractive. The wisdom title kinda sucks though, I guess that means pumping one of your stats up to ridiculous levels might be a bit more difficult than I expected. The eidetic memory bonus doesn’t help much either, I basically had that ability already . . . Wait does that mean my improved memory was caused by wisdom? Anyways I think putting free points into any stats about to hit 20 is just wasteful. However, the 2 points that pushed wisdom over the edge didn’t get halved so I ended up with 21, I think that might be worth taking advantage of. I’ll put one point into INT so I can make use of the excess. I think I’ll put the rest in charm since it seems the system encourages balanced stats, having one stat that’s literally a quarter of another doesn’t seem good . . . The hive updates however, those are what I feel most excited about in all honesty. It seems that having higher skilled members in the hive improves the performance of every member and it seems that the hive is a sentience of its own that’s able to learn based on those notifications rather than a sort of ‘collective will’. I am kinda worried about it going full skynet on me but my class is literally called ‘Hive Lord’ if I can’t control a hive mind then what’s even the point? Anyways! Let’s put that worrying thought that I’m able to do literally nothing about aside! All our creatures are officially on the board! This calls for celebration, and I have just the thing. Spells! Magic! I have 9SP that I never spent, I just have to do something with it. I should really wait until I get my next question first but that would mean I have to wait a whole day after discovery, no can do. Right! Time to take the plunge! Spell points menu:’

Spell Selection Menu!

Elemental

(Unlocked)

Conjuration

(Locked: 1SP)

Alteration

(Locked: 1SP)

Enchantment

(Locked: 1SP)

Divination

(Locked: 1SP)

‘Right, Looks like I can unlock all the spell classes eventually but for now I think I’ll stick with elemental’

Spell Selection Menu! Elemental

Upgrade Spells

New Spells

New Elements

New Skills

Fuse Spells

The upgrade spells section contained a single option labelled ‘basic spells’ which could be upgraded for a cost of 3SP. The ‘New Spells’ category presented me with 3 options, each also costing 3SP (I was beginning to sense a pattern), the options where: Basic Offence Spells; Basic Defence Spells; Basic Support Spells. I assumed that offence spells would be stuff similar to wind blade and fireball whereas defence spells would be stuff like ice wall. What I was less sure of was the ‘support’ category, would that mean spells like earth bind or the elemental charging spell? I would feel inclined to pick support if it was either but the uncertainty made me hesitant . . . I decided to put it off just in case there was a better option in one of the other categories. New elements gave me 4 options: metal, crystal, acid and darkness. Each costing, you guessed it, 3SP. I’m not even going to mention cost at this point.

Putting aside the edginess of ‘Darkness’ magic for a moment, I think it’s a good idea to take a guess at what the basic spell of each element would look like. Metal; I feel would have an offensive spell. Something high cost and high damage while still being single target, maybe a metal bolt being fired out at stupidly high speeds? Something in that category. Crystal; crystals in fantasy tend to have all sorts of weird uses like being mana batteries and stuff, maybe something associated with that? Though I feel that it’s more likely to just be something like a crystal shield for a basic spell. Acid is easy enough, you cover an area in it, the people there have a bad time. Not exactly rocket science. Darkness magic I think would be a sort of ‘debuff’ magic, maybe weakness or lethargy spells? Of all those, metal and darkness stick out the most but none of them feel worth it. None feel like they could be the game changers if it ever gets to a desperate situation. The new skills section was infuriatingly vague . . .

Elemental: New Skills (3SP)

Improved Efficiency

Elemental Fission

Elemental Substitution

Elemental Strike

Assimilate Elements

Enchant Element

None of the skills had accompanying explanations but if I where to take guesses ‘improved efficiency’ would make spells have a lower mana cost, ‘elemental fission’ should be the opposite of the fusion skill but I don’t actually know what that’d mean. Elemental substitution probably lets me do something like cast fireball but with water instead. The next three are a bit more confusing, elemental strike is probably some kind of generic attack, assimilate elements? Maybe I can absorb elements? Definitely a bit too vague for any accurate guesses. Enchant elements . . . Is that kinda like elemental weapon but more permanent? Or is it the element that I’m enchanting?

‘This is why descriptions are important! This system is infuriating at times . . . Oh well, not as if I can change it, might as well check the last tab’

The ‘Fuse Spells’ tab had nothing indicating a cost, only two slots for spells to be selected and one for am output. Specific spells, by the way, not categories like ‘basic’ but the individual spells like ‘Wind Blade’. However, even without it costing SP I was wary about it due to a single disclaimer, any spells used in fusion will be lost. I just seriously don’t want to give up any of my spells at the moment, maybe when I have like a thousand spells I’ll be more tempted but for now it just seems like a straight downgrade. So 9SP, 3 points a piece. That gives me 3 upgrades assuming the costs don’t increase but I feel like we can assume they will so let’s say I can only afford 2 upgrades. I feel like ‘support’ category spells are just objectively the most valuable as long as the work on my monsters, on that note: ‘Spencer, hold still a sec would you?’ just giving one word orders is possible but I feel the ether band thicken slightly with more proper sentences so I figure it’s worth it since it causes some form of improvement. After that I focus on Spencer and get ready to cast elemental charging, this is my first time using magic but if I hand things over to my instincts I’m able to let the mana shape itself sort of like the essence. This does beg the question, can I modify the spells like I do my creatures? I’ll have to experiment with that later for sure . . . Always more to do huh. Oh well if there’s improvements to be made it’s a sin not to make them, I’ll put that off as a future project for if I have free time.

Following the channeling process I seem first start the pool swirling in a vortex that pulls it up and in, creating an almost hourglass shape out of the surging tides. Within the pillar of energy the closer to the centre you get the stronger the pressure grows till the very core starts to form a strange oily substance which I give ‘colour’ to, this colour determines it element. I chose earth for the time being since it feels like it’ll be the least destructive in the case of this all going horribly wrong. Once this droplet has been stretched out into a long fibrous sinew I slowly start looping it round itself forming a tapestry as some strands split of and create intricate flowery patterns of their own. After the abstract, 3D sigil is fully shaped it crunches down on itself into a small orb which I can transport throughout myself using a network of ‘mana vessels’ that are far finer and more complex than those in my Reavers or Tunnellers. However, I also notice the mana weave, a complex spider web of mana that strings along my entire territory leading to every nook and cranny that I can use as a highway to eject the spell crystal anywhere I want. Sending it through the floor and into Spencer it gains a faint earthen glow as small particulates of dirt waft off it like smoke. Success! I’m not exactly willing to test how much it’s durability has increased but I’ve definitely succeeded with the spell.

So the decision is made, support spells. Maybe I could get darkness spells to up the psychological war fare factor? Some fatigue spells here and there, targeted on specific members so that they start to seem like a liability and cause party friction. Maybe the added shadows could be used to help the Stealth Reavers as well, I wonder if my knowledge contributes to the hive or not… I’ll just assume it doesn’t till I’m proven wrong. Hope for the best, anticipate the worst and all that. Any spare SP I have I’ll spend on unlocking the other branches, maybe divination? Though their still feels a bit of a waste… Conjuration is definitely interesting, if it allows me to literally conjure something out of nothing that would be wild. I don’t see why I couldn’t just leave those sorts of needs to the production utilities though, so that just leaves alteration and enchantment. Enchantment my elemental seems like it will cover on its own so I guess I’ll be taking alteration? That feels reasonable enough even if it’s just a mostly insignificant upgrade, it’s only to dump points in and since I don’t seem to be getting any extra SP from levelling there’s not much point in just hoarding them. Alright let’s go, support spells and darkness element unlock!

Do you wish to spend 7SP to unlock ‘New Spells: Basic Support’ and ‘New Elements: Darkness’?

‘Confirm’

Curse:

Cast time: 5s

A surge of darkness mana imbues itself in the target, weakening them considerably over time until they are able to purify themselves.

Mana cost: 10

Range: 1m

Shroud:

Cast time: 1s

A curtain of shadows covers an area 2m in diameter that can move very slowly and makes those covered in the shroud harder to detect.

Mana cost: 5/s

Range: 2m

Smoulder:

Cast time: 2s

Embers ignite on a target, slowly burning away at them and causing damage over time.

Mana cost: 20

Duration: 10s

Rejuvenate:

Cast time: 5s

You generate a flow of purifying water that can cleanse wounds and ailments while healing people slightly.

Mana cost: 10/s

Range: Touch

Haste:

Cast time: 10s

Imbuing an ally with the power of the wind they gain extreme swiftness and are able to glide with limited range.

Mana cost: 20

Duration : 1m

Barrier:

Cast time: 1s

A fragile barrier shining barrier able to block any single attack but will shatter immediately after stunning the protected for less than a second.

Mana cost: 30

Range: 1m

‘Wait… could I use barrier to stun enemies? It doesn’t say I’m not allowed to… and curse would be nasty as long as people don’t notice it, just have them spend their entire delve while weakened… at that point even if they notice they’re still fucked since it’ll have completely exhausted them. Nice. Smoulder and haste are pretty cool too, rejuvenate won’t get much use since my Tyx tend to die in one blow however my barriers could minimise that issue. Cast time is gonna be my main limiter instead of mana just based on my stats so the 1 second cast time is quite useful, haste could be pretty cool for my ambush Tyx. Shroud is obviously gonna be insane with the Reavers, I wonder what a mud rejuvenate would look like? Mixing the elements with these support skills is gonna be fun to experiment with. I suppose now the battle plan is to keep the invaders cursed 24/7 to exhaust their purification options and drain their stamina then when battle starts use shroud on the reavers, haste on the wolves and barriers on the Tyx. If I’ve got time then place barriers on the invaders and break them with wind blades’

After the quick replan it was time to unlock the alteration school, giving me another wave of notifications:

Mana Craft:

Imbue an item with your mana in order to change its shape and mold it to your will. Different materials will be harder to shape than others and things like the heat of a material can make it easier to shape as well. In addition more precise control may prove difficult.

Mutable Nature:

Your biology is volatile and easily manipulated, you can make permanent changes to your very nature in order to attain strength. Caution, however, must be advised. After all, every body has its own limit and finding yours isn’t a pleasurable experience.

Both abilities screamed potential to me even though they are completely useless for now at least, the sheer weight of my mana capacity might make me able to achieve some nasty things with mana craft however… the mutable nature is definitely cool sounding but I can’t exactly do much with it since I’m just a little sack of moisture sitting on a web hammock at the moment. Maybe I can use the alteration abilities on monsters I possess? I remember having that skill as one of the starter abilities as a Dungeon Master. Aside from that I’ll check the menu for alteration.

Spell Selection Menu! Alteration

Upgrade Spells

New Spells

New Mutations

New Skills

Fuse Spells

The ‘upgrade spells’ section was just completely blank, the New spells only had the ‘basic spells’ option, the new mutations and new skills menus where far more interesting however.

Alteration: New Skills (1SP)

Refine Material

Precise Shaping

Incite Growth

Degradation

Liquify

Overcharge

Alteration: New Mutations (1SP)

Accelerated Constitution

Limb Node

Leathery Hide

Venomous

Wrist Spines

Malleable Chitin

Disregarding the mutations, other than the fact the idea of ‘Limb nodes’ might explain why I could only give my tunnellers two spring loaded legs. The skills seem to be ‘refine material’ which should be to do with turning ores into more usable resources. ‘Degradation’ which I guess makes things rot? Something similar. ‘Precise shaping’ is probably a flat buff to mana craft. ‘Liquify’ I think is obvious enough. Incite growth probably just makes me able to artificially cause what happens when I first create plants. Overcharge though… I’ll just take a wild guess and say its probably a ‘Limit Break’ type of ability. The fact everything costs 1SP all but confirms the fact that the costs increase with each upgrade too, since we for 3 Skills and a spell pack with the elemental pack but only 2 Skills for alteration so if we say it also bought me a skill and spell pack for free then that means it costs one more SP after each upgrade… what interests me most is definitely degradation.

Degradation:

Age an item considerably, spending 1 mana per second for a 2x time increase on an item. Increase the factor of mana spent by 10 increases the time by a factor of 2. This only works if you are the only one holding the item and there is no mana presence in the item at all.