[D'sP] You Can Close One - Chapter 467

Doyle sighs, ‘There is more to the whole “gain things” part than you're letting on? Although nice, the extra world energy doesn’t feel like a qualitative change. Yes, it is multiplicative in nature, but it should only grow linearly and likely not all that fast.

‘As maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think this second entrance is suddenly going to unlock my ability to place more. So, while doubling isn’t anything to sneeze at, any new entrances are only going to increase the multiplier by one and I’m not likely to suddenly get a ton of new entrances, anyway.’

Ally nods, ‘A good summary of that benefit. While powerful, limited. Nevermind the fact that you aren’t really set up to take advantage of it. From what I understand, there is the possibility for a dungeon to deviate from their general purpose and develop such that they create entire worlds like your planet used to be. The dungeon sucks in all of the natural magic to the point that the general populace forgets about it. Though of course naturally magical things don’t instantly lose their power or anything, so it is more like your planet’s folk tales where magic exists in the unseen corners and the occasional miracle does actually happen.’

Doyle, ‘But wouldn’t there be the actual dungeon still? A place people could enter and feel the magic? Get magical things?’

Ally shrugs, ‘More like die trying. Remember, things with less power have a harder time hurting stuff with more and denser power. Maybe a cult of hedge wizards set up around it and grab grass clippings from the first room. If they can manage even that. For the dungeon to get to that point? The difference between the dungeon’s power density and those from outside will be some absurd ratio.’

Doyle, ‘I still have a hard time with that. Though I’m guessing that’s because I haven’t really seen it in action. I only have stories of how it is affecting the pre-system towns and cities. Besides those very first attempts at gear way back when, anyone who makes it to this town has some levels under their belt.

‘And the items they bring? Either post-magic or actively being preserved like all those books they’ve scavenged. Though even then, they’ve been working on transcribing them and trading the originals for new.’

Ally shrugs, ‘Most people don’t experience it or when they do, they don’t realize it. For instance, if a low-level peasant tries to stab a high-level knight in full plate, what do you blame? Mana density or the fact that the knight has plate armor and a skill for wearing it.’

Doyle, ‘I’m guessing both. Now, since the increased world energy income is so droll, what’s so special about gaining more things?’

Ally shrugs, ‘Well, most obvious is you can now pull from two locations. Both as far as delvers and new patterns. Which is especially important for you since Ace locked down our main portal lickity split.

‘Though I expect the only true delvers, you’ll get for a while from the second portal will be the stuff like kobolds and goblins. Going by how the system usually operates, I’m assuming the second portal is in the middle of nowhere to make up for the fact that your first portal is so tightly controlled.

‘Most dungeon towns actually tend to be located slightly away from the dungeon they’re for. Partly because of caution. Though mostly because the entrance to a dungeon tends to be a part of a terrain feature like a giant tree in the middle of an old-growth forest or the side of a dangerous mountain. You know, places that aren’t the easiest to settle in.’

Doyle, ‘I’m getting the feeling that the answer for why the second portal is so good is simply because of the potential it provides. Not any concrete benefit.’

Ally shrugs, ‘Well, you aren’t wrong. Though I will add that the extra portal does open you up to some potentially life-saving options. For instance, you still have a path to your core if you close the portal in Wolf’s Rest. Or vice versa in case of some monster passing through that forest.’

Doyle, ‘There we go! That’s a really nice benefit there. Though how would that work for the people already inside?’

Ally, ‘They can always leave. While the portal vanishes, the position is maintained.’

Doyle, ‘Oh, right, that reminds me of a question I’ve had for a while. Obviously, I can’t block the way to my core, but what happens if an outside force tries to? Like, someone bricks up the portal or buried it under a ton of stone.’

Ally, ‘Or if an avalanche covers the portal, and so on and so forth. Yeah, that happens? Because it is outside of the dungeon, the material isn’t a part of you. Which results in the outpouring of power from your dungeon eating through it until there is once again, a connection to the outside. That doesn’t have to mean the surface. You could end up in some sort of underdark. All that matters is that your dungeon is open to an area with a large enough collection of sapients.

‘While normally accomplished by having an opening on the surface of a world, it isn’t always. Otherwise, space born dungeons wouldn’t survive. For them, it is based on there being enough traffic in the system capable of reaching them.

‘Such dungeons also tend to have the most elaborate entrances. Mimicking entire space stations and similar, just so that spaceships can dock on them. After all, it’s kind of hard for people to delve into a dungeon if it’s just a gate floating in a hard vacuum, yet too small to let a ship through. Though if the entrance ends up blasted away, the dungeon doesn’t have to replace it, since the dungeon is still technically accessible.’

Doyle, ‘Okay, so I have the second portal. Floor twenty is complete. My raid boss has settled down. What now? Do I need to do anything specific with the second portal or just let things happen?’

Ally, ‘Well, there isn’t anything new that needs doing. Critters, beasts, and monsters will enter of their own accord like the wolves did. If anything, even more often since we seem to be in the middle of a wilderness area. For the moment though? I suggest we watch how Jim reacts. We’ve been chatting for a while and it seems like someone has already reported that something strange has happened. IE, your second portal.’

The two turn their attention to the town where Jim is in his office receiving a report and asking questions. “What do you mean there’s another option that you can’t use?”

Across from him, a lady in bronze scale armor shrugs. “Exactly what I said. The indicator shows a second exit and when you try to leave the dungeon, you get an option screen like when entering. You know, except there’s only the one option.”

Jim places his hands flat on his desk and breathes out. “That is not the same as there being an option you can’t use. There isn’t a second option on leaving. You are assuming there should be one because you are now getting a choice screen with only one option. Well, and the fact our one magical bit of infrastructure, which we still don’t really have a clue how it works is saying there’s a second way into the dungeon.”

The lady shrugs again, “It is what it is. I’m just reporting what I saw as I was the first to notice. Speaking of which, I will get a pass to skip the line next time I go to the dungeon, right? After all, I basically lost my spot to report what happened.”

Jim narrows his eyes. He knows that since she is here alone, her team is still delving the dungeon at this very moment. And of course, a pass to skip the line would basically allow her entire team to do so as well. Still, first-hand reports of anything new in the dungeon is important. “I will give you a pass This time. It would have been better to get the report from your entire team.”

The lady nods and grabs the pass that Jim had just written up. Leaving right away so she wouldn’t get trapped in some kind of task or request.

Jim sighs and stands up, it was time to check on things personally. Leaving his office he nods to his aide, “Going to check on the dungeon. Something came up.”

They nod and note it down.

Once out on the streets, Jim sighs again. He’s been through a few aides at this point and none had lasted more than a week. Being an aide to the guild leader of an adventurers guild takes a certain type of person. A shame that everyone is still fresh faces to the whole “adventure” thing.

Jim had looked into things and it seemed a retired adventurer tended to work the best. They had the proper perspective, while not wanting to go out and get their hands dirty. Besides, the levels they gained from adventuring meant a longer life. Important when hiring those who actually retired. Though admittedly, you did sometimes get someone who retired because of some condition.

Jim’s thought on finding a long-term aide kept him distracted the entire walk and before he realized it, the portal was right in front of him. Off to the side, he could see all those in the dungeon and yep, a second way into the dungeon was displayed. Not where it was, simply that such a thing existed.

He waited for the next team in line to enter before entering the dungeon himself. This went normal enough. The options for the first, sixth, and eleventh floors popped up. Which since Jim wasn’t actually planning a delve, he picked the first floor.

And he ended up in the first room. Same as it ever was, including the exit portal. Of course, since there wasn’t a previous floor, it didn’t pop up the option to return to said non-existent floor. Except it also didn’t just kick him. 

Instead, it gave him the option of where to exit from. Sure, there was only the exit in town. Except, that was how the dungeon displayed the option to enter when you haven’t beaten any of the bosses. A choice with a single option.

Jim chose to exit and then entered again right away, heading to the eleventh floor. This time when exiting he gets the original option between heading back to the previous floor or leave. Then when leaving, gets a single choice of exits.

Jim shakes his head and goes over to Ace’s office. This was annoying for multiple reasons. Though to his great surprise, he sees the lady in bronze scale armor leaving. She doesn’t see him though, and so he takes a step back into an alcove, letting her pass without seeing him.

Jim, “Hey, Ace. I was coming over to tell you a thing, but it looks like someone beat me to it.”

Ace speaks up from his office, “Let him in!” And the secretary, which has been provided by the system does so.

Once inside, Jim shakes his head, “I’m jealous that the system is providing you help like that.”

Ace shrugs, “Well, maybe you should have become the leader of a force directly managed by the system. Anyway, I assume you’re here because of what that lady just reported?”

Jim nods, “Yep, after she reported it to me, I went and checked it myself. Anyway, what did she get out of you?”

Ace laughs, “Daring to double dip! Well, you can’t say she isn’t brave. She didn’t ask for much. Just a voucher to get in early when we sell our old loot.”

Jim sighs, “And she got a voucher to skip the dungeon line from me. I can’t blame her. Getting paid twice for the same work is always a goal when possible. Anyway, it sounds like we might have a slight security problem on our hands.”

Ace, “I am more worried about if the other side has the same recharge effect. Since you can’t leave through the mystery exit, anything over there can’t leave here. We just need to keep an eye on it.”

End Of A Joke - Chapter 466

Tree (Earth) - Chapter 468