When his mana reset, he’d been able to complete his long tunnel. It was no longer a 44 cubic meter by 1 cubic meter tunnel to nowhere, it was now a 44 cubic meter by 3 cubic meter tunnel to nowhere. A big difference, he thought mockingly.

‘What am I doing?’ he thought. ‘When all else fails, make a list’. It was a strategy that had ruled his old life and seemed to be making its way into this one. He called up his old list and looked it over.

Baxter happy Light Space to run Things to chew on Things to make him happy Life as a dungeon Dungeon points Loot Monsters Me happy and connected My mom and stepfamily

Well, he thought, pretty much done the whole Baxter happy thing. He’s got light, the whole outdoors to run in, rats to chew on, all that makes him happy. I’ll keep watch, but I can keep digging and not have to worry about him for a while. ‘Do guns still work? Can my dog get shot?’ he wondered. They better not shoot him. So, talk to Baxter about humans should be on the list.

He wasn’t sure how big Bob wants him to get, but one 44 meter long tunnel won’t cut it. He thought he’d got a handle on monsters with his new skill, coupled with Baxter’s ability to bring them to him. Baxter brings them and he’d absorb them. ‘Or maybe they’ll field of dreams on me,’ he thought. ‘Don’t dungeons attract monsters?’ he thought and then tabled it.

‘Loot, that’s a skill I need to get,’ he thought. It might be two skills, ‘Material Patterns’ and ‘Create Loot’. ‘Right now I think the only loot I could create is blocks of sandstone,’ he laughed. He pictured the poor adventurer part battling a dragon only to receive a bunch of bricks at the end. ‘Well,’ he thought, ‘there would have to be a lot of bricks, a dragon’s worth. You could build the Pyramid of Cheops out of the pile.’

Once again he felt like he was on the edge of a racial imperative. Something about loot and how it had to match the effort that the adventurers put in.

‘I guess no bad checks here,’ he thought. ‘Somehow I get the feeling that it’s almost like a contract: You fight and win, I reward. You die, you reward,’ with the adventurer’s being you in that statement. That made it interesting as far as building the dungeon went, have to budget my mana for both loot and monsters. He also wondered about the last half of that statement. ‘Why monsters? Why did dungeons want beings, especially humans to die in them?’ Something else to think about. Judging by the stirrings he felt inside, it was also close to a racial imperative too.

“Bob,” he said. “It would have been nice for you to tell me a little more about what dungeons are for, what they want, what they need before you made me one, you know?”

He waited, but Bob didn’t respond.

“Typical,” he said, following that up with a silent thought of ‘you’re an asshole Bob!’ then went back to working on his list.

He wondered at the ease he felt calling it up. He thought his mind felt a lot sharper than it felt as a human. For instance, his ability to plan, to make lists, to remember the lists, all seemed greater. His ability to visualize things also was greater. He could remember the rat and its body. He could focus in on a part of it and study it in detail. He could picture his hallway and then grow it in any direction he wanted. ‘As much,’ he thought, ‘as he wanted’. All this was new. A little disturbing too. He felt like he could create worlds in his mind now. His thoughts could be enough for him to exist on. He could literally live in his head. He wondered if that was the fate of most dungeons after a while, big catatonic holes in the ground spewing mana into the world.

“Stay Gold ponyboy!’ he thought.

‘So new list’, he thought. He made it up again, seeing it clearly in his head. His new ability to visualize and superior memory coming in handy. He also added some things to it and changed and dropped some of the previous items on the list. He also called up his other list, dungeon imperatives, or things he may or may not have figured out about his new container, his body.

New Life Goals (as a dungeon)

Keep Baxter happy Talk to Baxter about humans, about monsters. Life as a dungeon Keep digging ‘til Bob says it’s enough Dungeon points (??) Loot (make some) Monsters (get some) Figure out how not to become a murder pit Me happy and connected My mom and stepfamily Figure out what being a dungeon means. Figure out the changes to the world.

Dungeon Imperatives

Must have dungeon entrance at surface. (proven) Rooms must be connected for skills to work. (proven) Blood hunger (unproven but suspected) Even exchange (unproven but suspected)

This was what he called the risk/reward aspect of loot and monsters. He suspected there was something that forced a balance. He also wondered if this had another impact. Remembering how difficult it was for him to leave that extra .25 cubic meter of tunnel, he wondered if dungeons were somehow completionists, for lack of a better word. They wanted everything, needed everything to balance. Start a task, finish a task. Start a fight, finish a fight. If there was something in him driving him on to always win or at least come to a complete resolution, it was going to make getting along with others a little bit difficult. Life was about compromise. It appears that dungeons weren’t.

Bounds are clearly defined (unproven but suspected)

This had to do with the fact that his perception ended 20 meters over his head at the surface. He didn’t know why, but it had to be some kind of rule. He needed to figure that out. Already he could feel a compulsion to do so forming.

‘Crap,’ he thought. ‘Who’d of ever thought that a second life as a dungeon would be so fraught with insecurities?’ Then he laughed at himself.

‘Ok,’ he thought. ‘Is there anything on those two lists that he can get done now? Of course, digging, but anything else?’

Going over the list he was able to eliminate working on the first two items. Dog is asleep; Bob’s not talking; dungeon points! That I can investigate. He called his status screen up.

Doing good.

Name

??

Level

03

Race

Dungeon (Human Variant)

Available Points

9

Mana

310

Age

0 years.

Titles

None

Dungeon Points

10

Intelligence

15+

Wisdom

16+

Luck

17+

The first thing he noticed was his name was still blank. He still had no thoughts on what he was going to call himself, so he left it alone. The second thing that he noticed was his level had grown from zero to three and that the experience points section had changed to Available Points. He wasn’t sure what it meant if he could no longer see his experience points. So yet another mystery. ‘Fuck Bob,’ he may have muttered. But there on the base of the second column was ‘Dungeon Points 10’, just like he remembered.

He focused on them and the idea of spending them, really giving it his all. And got rewarded.

His perception of the dungeon faded and he appeared in a car lot. The cars weren’t visible, more conceptual. He just felt like he was on a car lot and facing him over the hood of one of these cars that he couldn’t really perceive was a salesman with a blue and white seersucker suit on and a glowing golden name tag that spelled out the name, “Bob.”

It was odd. He had this perception of a young, ginger male with a huge smile on his face, but at the same time, he couldn’t actually see one. There was just a presence like last time when he was in the Bobs' office.

“Bob?” he asked.

All across the lot where they were standing and dealing with their own customers, presences looked up and smiled at him.

“Yes,” they all answered, but somehow the one closest to him took over the connection.

“Here to spend some dungeon points, are you?” the presence asked.

“I guess,” said Jake.

“Don’t sound too positive there, little buddy,” said the presence in front of him.

“Yes,” Jake said, injecting some enthusiasm into his voice. “I’m here to spend some dungeon points.”

“Well, alright,” said Bob. “What do you want to buy today?”

Jake was not happy. He had been shanghaied from his dungeon and now he was being asked to spend points. Points of which he had no idea of their relative value. And while not being offered a list of available goods.

“Complete control of this universe!” he said.

“Ha, ha, good one,” said the Bob facing him. “Not enough points.”

This surprised Jake. It wasn’t off the table, he just didn’t have enough currency.

“How much?” he asked.

“100 Billion,” answered Bob. “Next answer costs you a point. First one’s free.”

Jake was a little bit brought down by that. It was a long way from 10, no 9 points to 100 Billion.

“Did you just charge me a point?” he asked furiously, and saw or felt the Bob in front of him start to raise his eyebrows and answer.

“Wait, wait,” he cried. “Don’t want the answer. Don’t need it.”

He felt more than perceived Bob’s smile and what was almost like a pat on the back.

“I would like the ability to make loot,” Jake said.

“Good selection,” said Bob. “That’s a tough skill to get on your own.” And a blue menu appeared in front of Jake.

Experience gained.

Skill Gained.

Loot Creation

Elemental Sphere: All

Rank: Bronze

Level: 1

Range: Within dungeon bounds

Damage: na

Cool Down: na

Duration: Permanent

SP: 25 per loot level created. Special abilities +.

Ability to create monster’s loot from raw mana. Loot may be usable by monster. Special abilities, enchantments, blessings, curses, etc. may cost cost extra. No previous crafting skills required. However, skills may reduce the loot’s cost.

Loot levels:

Bronze

Copper

Iron

Silver / Wrought Iron

Electrum

Gold / Steel

Platinum

Mithril

Orichalcum

Adamantine

Unobtanium

Jake called up his Status screen again.

Doing good.

Name

??

Level

03

Race

Dungeon (Human Variant)

Available Points

9

Mana

310

Age

0 years.

Titles

None

Dungeon Points

5

Intelligence

15+

Wisdom

16+

Luck

17+

‘Wow,’ he thought. ‘I bought one thing and it cost me five points.’

“Almost right there, little buddy,” Bob answered. “You only spent four. It cost you one to come here. That one’s free.”

“Hmm!” said Jake. Thinking about what he could buy soon with his remaining points. He had a feeling that time here was measured in points.

“Right again, little buddy,” Bob answered his unasked question again. “Another minute and another two points. No charge”

“Shit,” he thought. “What do I need? What can I buy? A soul pattern? Another skill? What skill? What pattern? Shiiit!” He could almost hear the countdown timer. He racked his brain, until he remembered his monsters couldn't leave the confines of his dungeon. He wanted to see out. He needed information about the outside world. He shouted, “I want the Dungeon Scout ability.”

There was a pause and then the Bob dealing with him said, “Good choice and by limiting it to scouts you have enough points. Good luck to you dungeon!” and then Bob seemed to wave his or its hand again and Jake was conscious of his dungeon again. Nothing seemed to have changed there, Baxter was still sleeping, so he opened the notification he’d received.

Good choice little buddy. Knowledge is power. And you can’t have too much of either. But it’s a skill, not an ability. You didn’t have the points for an ability.

Skill Gained.

Dungeon Scout

Elemental Sphere: All

Rank: Bronze

Level: 1

Range: Within dungeon bounds; however, may exceed bounds.

Damage: na

Cool Down: na

Duration: Permanent

SP: 25 per level of scout created. Special abilities +.

Ability to create monsters or animals able to scout the surrounding area from raw mana. Special abilities, enchantments, blessings, curses, etc. may cost cost extra. Soul pattern of monster or animal required. Creature may scout only, defend only. Creature will not initiate hostilities and the first response of the creature will be always be flight.

The skills he’d purchased made him happy. The loot skill bypassed one of his serious lacks, his almost total inability to craft something. He was another Clive. He’d always wished that he’d taken after his stepdad Randy who was a welder and a pipefitter and could build almost anything, repair anything. He just figured his general ineptness was genetic and let it go. He didn’t care about the extra cost that the skill might add. He didn’t mind paying more for quality and it overcame one of his serious limitations. Also, the dungeon scout skill was going to come in very handy also. He loved Baxter. But trying to figure out reconnaissance information from two-word answers was going to drive both of them insane.

He tried to sum up what he’d gotten from the last experience. Dungeon Store? Dungeon Car Lot? They didn’t have a list of skills or things that you could buy, but also didn’t seem to have a limit either. There was a one dungeon point cost to get in and that only lasted you, he tried to think about how long he’d been in there and guessed five minutes. You asked a Bob and if you had enough points to buy what you wanted, you got it. Information cost, too. So, don’t ask questions. He wondered if the first question was always free? Could he use that next time?

He wondered if he could buy soul patterns there and, if so, how much they would cost? Are dragon’s capable of being a dungeon monster? Are dragon’s sapient? Are sapients by definition capable of being a monster? Questions, questions. But it would be very cool to have a dragon boss! How did he earn more dungeon points? Evidently not from leveling because he’d got three levels and no more points. Oh, and the Bobs would decide how to fulfill your request. He’d asked for an ability, they’d given him a skill. Something else to keep in mind.

Just because you asked for it, doesn’t mean you’ll get it. ‘About par for the course for dealing with divinities,’ he thought, recollecting all the prayers he’d had go unanswered when he was still human.

‘So new list then,’ he thought.

New Life Goals (as a dungeon)

Reconnaissance Keep Baxter happy Talk to Baxter about humans, about monsters. Life as a dungeon Keep digging ‘til Bob says it’s enough Dungeon points (??) Loot (make some) Monsters (get some) Figure out how not to become a murder pit Me happy and connected My mom and stepfamily Figure out what being a dungeon means. Figure out the changes to the world.

‘Alright’, he thought. ‘Need to siphon some mana, create a rat and send it out to see the world. I need to figure out where I’m at. I don’t think I’m still up in New York. I think that New York rocks are mostly limestone and granite. I’m dealing with sandstone. Unless the worlds changed, I’ve moved. Need to find out where!’