[D'sP] The Lizards And The Insects - Chapter 472

Doyle, ‘It kind of feels odd that I suspect the best place to put a bear would actually be one of the earliest floors. Without being too tough, a bear is basically a furry tank and would act as a pseudo boss of sorts.’

Ally nods, ‘Yeah, it would have been amazing if we had gotten a brown bear as an option instead of an assassin vine. Nothing against the vines, they’ve killed a few people here and there, but a bear would have pulled its weight and then some.’

Doyle, ‘Well, it wasn’t offered, so for the moment I have to figure things out with it.’

Ally, ‘Don’t feel you have to squeeze one in. There have been dungeons focused entirely on a single monster and its variants. Not like the dungeon wasn’t getting other patterns or some such.’

Doyle, ‘Well, it might have been that way. After all, I don’t see any reason you couldn’t have a path that removes all other monster patterns in exchange for making the patterns you keep stronger. It would be like a smith who forsakes crafting anything besides a specific type of sword. Very specialized, but while narrow, the depth would be astounding.’

Ally, ‘I guess that could be an option. We just don’t really have a way to check.’

Doyle, ‘Blarg, maybe I’ll get a Path that adjusts my patterns as well.’

Ally tilts her head, ‘How so? You’ve got the normal set up and all.’

Doyle pulls up two patterns.

{

Horned Lizard lv13

Insects lv23

}

Doyle, ‘First we have horned lizards. I technically use them, but they’re just set dressing. Not monsters or what have you. Even horned rabbits are more important, what with the special qualities their horn can take on. 

‘Though I think I’ve seen some out in the forest. Speaking of, before I go on, do horned rabbits tend to hang out around the Fae? It feels like the kind of critter you’d see in a Fae forest.’

Ally shakes her head, ‘No, rabbits with a single alicorn are not Fae in nature. Though there are Fae horned rabbits. You’d know them as Jackalopes.’

Doyle sighs, ‘And my country was the epicenter for jackalope tall tales. I’m sure that means Nothing At All.

‘Anyway, after the horned Lizard we have a pattern for all insects. Used to be prey insects, but now it covers even the insects that hunt, sans ants as they have their own pattern.

‘If I want stick bugs in a forest? Easy. Some scarabs in a desert zone? Why not! But if I want a salamander in the forest? Too bad, all you get is the horned lizards in your desert.’

Ally nods, ‘I can see that, but wouldn’t it be a disadvantage? After all, you’re getting pattern adjustment points for new patterns like you just got for the bear pattern.’

Doyle shakes his core, ‘I’m actually not losing anything. You’re remembering the path effect wrong. I only get the points if the new pattern counts as a monster. So while I did get 20 for the bear, I wouldn’t get anything for a salamander unless you mean the fire elemental.’

Ally, ‘Which means most of what will be coming through the forest gate is going to be so much dross for you. Not even improving your skills as they will be low-level critters.’

Doyle nods, ‘Exactly.’

Ally shrugs, ‘Well, since you’ve come out and said what you want, as long as you work towards it? Chances are you’ll get something that will work. Maybe not how you want it to, but similar.’

Doyle, ‘If it was that easy, why aren’t I getting a lot of “all monsters gain five strength a level” paths?’

Ally, ‘Caveat, and the fact this is a niche thing that doesn’t actively alter your power means it won’t be hard to actualize.’

Doyle sighs, ‘Fair enough.’

Ally, ‘Oh, and while not all that is applicable for our situation, by getting paths that affect how the status panel works makes it so that those upgrades remain even if you leave the system.’

Doyle, ‘Why wouldn’t that be applicable to us? Seems useful when as a portal dungeon, I could easily end up connected to another universe without a system.’

Ally, ‘Because you are a portal dungeon, you would retain a shard of the system even if you are disconnected from it. After all, you aren’t a regular dungeon existing within the universe. Entering your dungeon is technically an act of entering a sub-dimension.

‘So half on your side with just how dungeons work and half on the system design side, you copy the system of any universe you’re attached to. Otherwise, when people entered, they’d lose connection to the system.

‘Oh, and just to note. Even if you end up hosting a copy of another system by connecting to a new universe, that doesn’t change the system you personally run on. You just keep chugging along with the first system you came across. It would take a True Immortal to alter things for you. Which most don’t bother with as whatever system a dungeon is running on doesn’t really matter for those delving it.’

Doyle, ‘Well, that’s one way to make it work, I guess. Good thing I don’t mind the system. Though wouldn’t any other system I connect to be mostly the same? After all, souls seem pretty universal for this section of the known multiverse and all the system is doing is organizing how it grows.’

Ally shakes her head, ‘There are so many different ways to organize the growth of a soul and so much of it is mix and match. Drill down into it enough and you’ll see the parts. We’re dealing with a system with a primary focus on paths and a secondary focus on skills.

‘However, there is nothing to prevent a class-based system or a skill-focused one. Honestly, the options are endless once you start mixing and matching stuff.’

Doyle, ‘Meh, that’s all heady intellectual stuff, but right now I should probably focus on what is happening. For instance, a bird just flew into the dungeon. How is that going to work?’

Ally pulls up a view following said bird. ‘Huh, that’s just a robin? Doesn’t even have much Mana in it.’

Doyle, ‘I know!’

Ally shakes her head, ‘It will probably just, oh wait, there it goes. Yeah, as I was going to say, stuff like that will half the time act like the first squirrel and leave immediately.’

Doyle sighs, ‘That will be so distracting.’

Ally laughs, ‘Fair enough. Though you’re just going to have to get used to it. With a portal out in the wild, you’re going to get the normal dungeon experience. Admittedly, commonly delved dungeons don’t tend to have quite as many interruptions from wildlife, even if they aren’t in the middle of a town. Beasts just aren’t a fan of hanging around locations that adventurers frequent as doing so tends to be fatal.’

Doyle, ‘Speaking of beasts, seeing the bear get through my floors brought something to mind. I’m supposed to always have a path to my core, but I doubt the bear was going to be able to climb up the one hanging vine section of floor eight. How does that work? Because if I remember correctly, I can’t technically have the core accessible simply by having a tiny hole connecting it to the outside.’

Ally, ‘The conditions required will be based on what’s around. A system will have hard and fast rules, but even in a place without a system, dungeons will have some restrictions.

‘I looked it up at some point and there isn’t really a good answer for how it works? Though scholars guess that it is based on the first bits of cruft a newborn dungeon consumes, which will have not only fragments of what creatures are local, but also a general feel for the universe it is in as a whole.

‘So a dungeon in this universe, but located on a planet of aquatic people will need a waterway connecting the outside and the core. Though with some considerations for human shaped and sized beings, even if the local sapients are all whale analogs.’

Doyle, ‘But what about me? My core was formed in Flisle’s dungeon.’

Ally, ‘And you think you took in even a tiny bit of cruft? No, that only happened when you finally got attached to your original universe once again. Though I can see what you’re saying and yes, it is possible to mess up a dungeon like that. It can even happen by accident.

‘If sapients only half a meter tall inhabited a planet, only for them to die out and a normal group of humans to find the place? That dungeon is going to be nearly impossible for said humans to delve.

‘Nature isn’t perfect. Though systems will try and moderate the imperfections when it comes to key players like dungeons. The tiny dungeon example wouldn’t happen in this universe, because the system would make sure to emphasize the size requirements for generic humanity.

‘That dungeon would still likely be odd for a normal human to delve. There is nothing to stop the dungeon from creating a place sized for beings that are half a meter tall, even if it has to also make sure something two meters tall can get around.’

Doyle turns his core a bit before he catches himself. ‘Dangit, more wildlife. This time it didn’t even take a step past the entrance. Just poked in and then retreated.’

Ally laughed, ‘Don’t worry, even with adventurers constantly tromping around, it will slow down. After all, there are only so many critters around, and eventually enough of them will have come in for them to stop being curious.’

Doyle grumbles, ‘Until spring comes around.’

Ally shrugs, ‘Life happens. Just have to make sure you don’t react overly much when the Fae inevitably poke their heads into things. We tend to ignore dungeons as it isn’t fun to poke something that won’t react. You though? Well, you’re awakened and so can react.’

Doyle sighs, ‘Simply more reasons to never communicate with outsiders. You just know it would get back to the Fae if I did anything like that.’

Ally nods, ‘I have to admit, you aren’t wrong about that. The Fae would find out and chances are, they would pester you, at least for a little bit.’

Doyle, ‘Couldn’t you do something about it?’

Ally shrugs, ‘Yes, but no? Many of the lowest tier Fae aren’t exactly all there mentally. I could easily tell them to leave us alone, only for them to forget. Besides, a good prank would be to not tell any Fae new to the area about not bugging us. It's better just not to let them know.’

Doyle, ‘Oh, another bird. I kind of wish I could station one of my hexku in the first room. They would be able to grab these interruptions. Maybe a kobold mage?’

Ally ignores him for the moment, instead watching the bird fly around.

Unlike the last one, it doesn’t just circle the entrance room and leave, it flies deeper into the dungeon. Though the second room proves a little much for the animal.

While the goats don’t manage to hit said bird. Once it is in the room with them, the goats all begin to jump at it in an attempt to headbutt the bird to death. Not happy with this turn of events, the bird beats a hasty retreat out of the dungeon.

Ally, ‘Well, even the mages might not be able to handle things. For something like that, you’re going to need something with an area of effect. Single target attacks will likely only work if the bird ends up landing on something. The monsters on the first floor are simply too low level to hit a tiny bird flying around.

‘Though consider this. You’re actually really lucky. Your dungeon senses are ignoring all the bugs coming in! Just consider how annoying it would be to end up focused on every single fly that comes through the portal? Admittedly, most insects will tend to avoid the portal, but some will still stumble in.’

Overestimated - Chapter 471

Three Bears - Chapter 473