Valknar

Chapter 74

This year's winter was harsh in the mountains. The ice and snow seemed endless, and the freezing wind howled through the mountain valleys, bringing day-long blizzards. Many wondered if Strumass the God of sky and weather was angry. People, animals, and monsters huddled down and waited. The only exceptions were those tough enough or desperate enough to keep moving.

The twisted fell into both categorisations.

As endless as winter seemed it gave way in time to spring.

The seaso...

Chapter 73

Reality shifted and warped as I left the internal Core view, returning to the outside world.

I dismissed the alert notifications straight away and opened my status screen.

Name Bhaldor

Essence 77%

Race Dungeon Core

CP 0(575) 6.3 phr

Level 5

Corruption 0%

Floors 5

Health 100%

“Looking better.”

I have been waiting for my next level for the last few weeks, so I have taken more time from experimenting to concentra...

Capter 72

Elain had managed to avoid the reception for the Dwarven emissary that had arrived today. Albrot was unhappy until she showed him the message she had just received, and he told her to deal with it as fast as possible. Guild rules were clear, and he asked her no more until this situation was resolved. She had only heard rumours of these orders she had just given out.

Several days before, Gran and his team had returned from completing a job in the Skaald lands and were looking for a well-...

Chapter 71

The return of the team Tutanus had taken into the Dungeon on the surface had no effect apart from adding another shadow-infused boar hide to the market. In private with the elves, there was chaos that had not been seen since the folly. The once serene and harmonious elven community was now a place of tension and uncertainty. The number of messages being sent and received started attracting the attention of others.

For ten days, message traffic was almost continuous, a secret exchange th...

Chapter 70

Another day has arrived. The dawn light was now touching the tower.

The adventurers were expected to arrive at any moment. Meanwhile, I was painstakingly grinding up my essence count, inching it up to 45%.

“This is taking forever!”

There had not been any deaths which would have accelerated my essence gathering. The adventurers were getting better and running the first few floors. The weaker ones were avoiding the last two. The third was challenging enough for most.

Chapter 69

Ranus stood on one of the town's docks. It was empty, as he had reserved it for today's guests. Albrot from the Adventurer’s Guild was standing with him. The other docks were a hive of activity, but he had seen the looks they were getting from the population. They sensed something was going to happen today. There was a growing group of onlookers seeking to know what was happening.

Despite the creaking wood beneath him, Ranus was reassured by the dock's solid structure. Yet, a sense of...

Chapter 68

The last few days had been tense around the town. The population is understandably on edge.

Ranus, with his characteristic precision, ensured that his instructions were meticulously carried out. The adventurers, who had been involved in killing the twisted beasts, were thoroughly checked and found to be free of whatever had affected poor Benard. That did not stop the local rumour mill. He felt that he had spent the last few days just containing it.

They had taken many precautions ...

Chapter 67

As the seasons shifted from summer to autumn, my experiments continued to bear fruit. Each day brought new discoveries and advancements while adventurers bravely tested their mettle against the challenges of my Dungeon.

The death toll went up and down, with new groups suffering the highest losses. The elves and several other groups were making regular visits. Gran and his team showed up several times but disappeared on another job.

My essence count was going up and the sixth floor...

Chapter 66

The snake needed 2 CP to be created. So, it was cheap, at least.

I looked over the snake’s character sheet. It was not very interesting or strong. It was an excellent possible basis for a future minion for a floor. It had some sharp fangs, but that was it, no venom or armour. 

“What will I do with you?”

The night had passed and the adventurers were back with the dawn. I had been thinking about this all night. It had merged with other thoughts I had been having for...

Chapter 65

Sliva’Elania Fellonia, child of the Lands of Starlight, wondered what she had done to anger the Gods to demand such a cruel punishment.

The message scroll she had been using to contact her home nation was in her hands. They had been communicating for the last few days. The request for information and her thoughts had been relentless, but for the previous day, there was silence. Then, the final message arrived, informing her of her people's decision.

Her team had been politely av...

Chapter 64

“Well, that was interesting.”

The elves had just left the Dungeon and it was resetting. My focus was with Larry in the rafters again. The resetting was automated and did not need my full attention. He had just returned from hiding in another part of the building to his favourite spot.

“The two teams who have cleared the fifth suffer similar injuries in the same rooms.”

Larry was uninterested, but I was really talking to myself anyway.

“I would have thought th...

Chapter 63

The floor boss was dead.

Sliva looked over her party. Noting the heavy breath and signs of injuries.

The Dungeon had mercilessly pushed them far beyond what she would have anticipated for this floor.

“How is everyone?” She spoke, attracting everyone's attention.

Her team was battered. The floor boss had been much tougher than they expected. The giant spider was smarter and had used its abilities to great effect. Elron was still covered in webbing that he was trying...

Chapter 62

The sun is yet to rise.

Sliva and her group were in front of the Dungeon's surface building. They were armed and ready to go. The guild flunky that would record their entrance was standing in a shoddily built shelter.

Sliva looked over her team.

Elron was testing his bow. Dayo was standing stoically, shield strapped to his arm and sword still in its sheath. Asta stood with her eyes closed, reciting spell meditations under her breath. Halo, the thief, was silent as always. Sh...

Chapter 61

Elain was thinking the Gods were laughing at her.

Not one or two, but a group of them. That was the only thing she could think of to explain the last few days.

Just yesterday, Elain had emerged from the treacherous fifth floor of the Dungeon, her mind still reeling from the encounter. Little did she know, a group of mysterious elves had already set foot in the town, their presence shrouded in rumour and intrigue.

If they were adventurers, they would soon make their presence ...

Chapter 60

Shadow Vale was a growing town.

The population and boundaries of the town were expanding nearly daily, a testament to the allure of Shadow Vale. People were coming from all over the continent, embarking on a journey of adventure and discovery. They started from the nearest parts, mainly the Riverlands. People with dark hair and eyes. Their olive-coloured skin that is not used to the harsher climate of the mountains.

Following suit, the Skaald arrived soon after. Hailing from their...

Chapter 59

Elian’s day had not ended with her return from mapping the new fifth floor in the Dungeon.

She had returned weary from her exploration and had just managed to freshen up when the messenger arrived. The news of the resource node change hit her like a blow. She had been so engrossed in her work, compiling notes on the new floor, that she hadn't anticipated this. The resource node on the first floor had been changed from copper to tin.

The miners were… unhappy, which was not even...

Chapter 58

Danrum had a sheet of vellum before him. He looked up from it and began.

“The town has sufficient watchman numbers at the moment. This will change soon due to the continuing expansion and limited budget available.”

Ranus knew this was going to happen. Money was flowing in but slowly and not in significant amounts. Most of the land parcels were sold, giving him some capital to lean on. Taxes are not collected until the summer solstice, which is still too many weeks away.

...

Chapter 57

Authors note - I have found myself with a bit more spare time over the next few weeks (maybe months). With this extra time, I am going to try for two chapter releases a week. Pateron will have its Saturday with Royal Road on Sunday, but now I will add Wednesday to the mix. Royal Road will be at noon GMT as the Sunday release. This might not last and if any changes happen, I will let you all know.

Tobar and Gran led the way. The others information behind them. Elian was able to ge...

Chapter 56

It took several minutes for Kimor to recover and explain what had happened.

“As soon as I opened the chest, I heard a soft click. That is when I knew the trap was triggered, and my [Sense of Danger] told me to move. So, I moved.”

As she said this, she looked at the platform. Tobar and Nilus were to see if they could get to the crushed chest. Gran had thought it a fool's errand, but Nilus hoped whatever was in the chest had survived. The impacts of the weights had cracked the p...

Chapter 55

Elian was in her office, feeling more like it was a prison these days.

The day had started early, as always. She needed to be on hand if anything happened that fell within her realm of responsibility.

She glanced at the day crustal on her desk. The first team was in the Dungeon close to finishing and the second would follow as soon as the Dungeon recovered. She was slowly working her way through the never-ending paperwork her position needed her to deal with.

No matter how h...

Chapter 54

Another short corridor was now added to my Dungeon. Room 5E soon followed. A rectangular room as all were on this floor so far. It was facing west.

I stopped to take stock. It was approaching morning and my CP was running low.

“I have time to finish this room and another before opening.”

With the dawn approaching and my CP dwindling, I knew I had to act swiftly. Extending my aura into the west, I began to shape a corridor and another room. A worm was assigned to 5E, but ...

Chapter 53

“EErrrww.”

I came back to awareness. Levelling was such an unpleasant thing. It's not as bad as dealing with corruption, but it is bad.

It takes a few minutes to collect myself, but the excitement soon kicks in.

“Level five, baby!”

Looking around, I see Larry and Puck in my core room. They both come here when I am levelling. Was it to be present or to protect me in my vulnerable state? I was unsure.

It's time to deal with the notifications and status shee...

Chapter 52

Authors Note - The chapter is late due to technical issues.

“Come on! Someone use more skills or spells… even die in a stupid way, please!”

The last few weeks have been a gruelling test of patience as my essence count crawled up at a snail's pace. Skills and spells were being used, but their effects were so minimal that I could barely discern any improvement in the essence generated. It was a slow, agonising process, with the promise of progress always just out of rea...

Chapter 51

“I am so fucked! So completely and utterly fucked!”

I was in a bit of a meltdown combined with an anxiety attack. My Core had been found! The thing I had spent these last few years avoiding had happened.

“What the hell am I going to do now?”

The man Doltum had said they would not tell anyone of his location by his reaction and the other they were not expecting me!

They had all viewed my Core and then departed the Dungeon in utter silence. That was a far cry fro...

Chapter 50

I do not need to be here.

She thought this as she watched Doltum and Seela discuss the copper vein in the wall. The last group she had sent through had detailed the only change to the Dungeon: the addition of glowing blue moss to the first three floors. It was a well-known fact that most Dungeons made minor changes to their floors as time passed.

Her presence here was partly to witness a Dimond-tier Adventurer in action. This was a rare opportunity that she had seized. Doltum was ...

Chapter 49

“Tripwires. Tripwires. Tripwires. What can I do with them?”

Over the last few nights, I had been consumed by my experiments with traps and finally, a new door of possibilities opened. Could I fashion a tripwire from what I had on hand? The answer was a resounding yes!

Spider silk was the answer. It was stronger than I thought and I could produce it.

It did not take me long to create a basic wire. Sure, it would snap with enough pressure, but it was strong enough to trip ...

Chapter 48 (1/4 today)

My essence was 65%. The fight against the fourth-floor guardian gave me the most of today's 5% increase. The miners had just finished for the day and the sun had set, allowing me to focus on my projects into the night. My CP count dropped, but I finished it before it ran out.

The mana stones were made, but even after several nights of experiments, I failed to improve them. I still had other projects to work on, and the next was fast approaching. I needed to get ready.

Floor five.<...

Chapter 47

Ranus was again in Comus’s laboratory. This time, the body of a massive boar was on the table. It bore the scars of a brutal death and was cut open. Its organs were scattered around in jars with different liquids. Comus was wearing an apron that was covered in blood. Ranus thought he looked more like a butcher than an alchemist. He was even more excited than usual.

“It is just incredible!” He said, waving his arms at the corpse. “I have identified at least three separate parts o...

Chapter 46

Comus was in his laboratory with Ranus and Elain again. He had been there for nearly an hour, pointing out things of interest on the corpse of the second-level boss that they had acquired for him.

“So, the body possesses a few things that can be used for alchemy?” Elain was getting tired, and Comus did have a habit of losing himself in his work.

“Yes... nothing major or world-changing, but some interesting potions can be made from it.” Her question had thrown him off his c...

Chapter 45

My Dungeon was resetting now that it was empty of visitors. After the last group got mauled, I wasn't sure I would get any more today. It was going to take a few minutes to be fully restored. I made sure the (former?) slave was removed by Larry chasing her out.

I was returning my attention to the bodies left behind.

“Looting time!”

I loved this part of being a Dungeon. I was hardly using anything I had acquired right now, but I was a hoarder by nature—four bodies, plen...