Gamers of the Underworld

Inside the dark Dungeon, Brainiac stood at his workplace, which was an adjacent empty room next to the Blacksmith Shop.

The walls of the room were patched with stone bricks. Together with the floor tiles, the entire room was gray.

Like Brainiac’s mood.

There were some Goblins by his side and more outside his room.

They were all curious as this was the first time they encountered a Lich.

They maintained their curiosity about a new NPC.

Since the version 0.04 Update Log contained entries about Brainiac, the gamers wanted to try out the Brainiac’s Research and Failed Research missions.

Observant gamers could see that it was a plot! If not, why did the game producers do the upgrade? To tease gamers? Treat them like laboratory rats?

Impossible!

In the game “Dungeon: Eternal Kingdom”, NPCs were few and rare.

Besides Winterfell and the Dungeon Lord Experience Sharing Conference, the NPCs that the gamers encountered were few. Those that they talked to were Simba, Mufasa, Moroes, Little Fairy, and Sherlock.

With the arrival of Brainiac, it was like a man arriving on an all-female island.

Sherlock revived the dead gamers in front of Brainiac and brought the astonished Brainiac to tour the Dungeon. After introducing the buildings and future constructions, Sherlock led Brainiac to his own room. He reminded Brainiac to do his job well.

Then Sherlock left.

After being freed from Sherlock’s dominant aura, the unrestrained gamers flooded his room like a green tsunami.

They started their daily crazy chatting.

“It’s awesome, a Lich. I wonder if a Lich King exists.”

“Can I change my profession to Undead?”

“Why aren’t there any Plot Animations?”

“What’s that Brainiac’s Research? Do we have to spend money to participate? How do we accept the mission?”

“He’s not speaking. Is the mission about to be triggered?”

“Can I tap on his bones?”

“Better not, it looks like the Skeleton frame is scary. It’s even scarier when it’s not speaking.”

“Can I hack him?”

“Would you like to have some clay?”

“Do you have Magical Beast’s feces?”

“Is there a shop? Are you selling stuff? Are there any items in the luggage? What, I can’t touch the luggage?”

“Not speaking, he’s still not speaking…”

“The Game Master warned us not to hack him…”

…

The Goblins buzzed like bees swarming out from the nest, but Brainiac didn’t speak.

It wasn’t because he didn’t want to answer or that he wasn’t curious about the gamers, it was because he signed a term in the contract with Sherlock that prevented him from doing so.

“11. If there is no permission granted from Party A, Party B is not to engage in private conversations with the Dungeon citizens.”

Brainiac remained silent, and the Goblins lost their patience. They started chatting among themselves and gradually dispersed.

Occasionally, a few injured Goblins, who were laden with equipment, sought assistance from Brainiac.

Brainiac helped them to heal their wounds and revived the corpses.

The top student of Specter College, Brainiac, was able to do the job with ease.

Many Goblins that were injured were able to run around after being healed. Brainiac attributed that to their willpower.

After healing the Goblin corpses, they stood up and started running around. That baffled Brainiac as it was beyond his understanding.

How did the Goblins maintain their undying attribute?

In other words, why were their souls not retrieved by the Spirit World?

Brainiac frowned. His research of the Goblins had only started.

He took out a pen and some paper. Then he wrote:

“Eternal Kingdom Research, Day One:

1: The Goblins in Eternal Kingdom have a special undying attribute. After their death, as long as their corpses are healed, they will revive. It isn’t known whether this undying condition has a limitation. It could be an important research area.

2: The Goblins have extraordinary socializing. This kind of phenomenon has never been observed in previous studies of Goblin groups. Their activities include commerce, team forming, mutual help in the storage of personal items, taking care of injured comrades, and high division of labor in construction. Cultivating low intelligence Goblins to have such complex socializing skills is a future research topic.

3: Eternal Kingdom is using the Surface World’s coins for transactions. It seems like the Dungeon Lord is using the coins as one of the methods to motivate the Goblins. It shows that the Goblins lack common knowledge.

4: Eternal Kingdom seems very poor, but it’s not logical.

5: Some of the Goblins show chaotic and undisciplined behavior, as though they have a psychiatric illness. They tried to ransack my luggage in my presence, touch me, and even hack me. But there was a force that was stopping them. This confirms my suspicion that Lord Sherlock has done something to them and caused the side effects.

6: The feeling of being deceived gets more intense…”

…

Eternal Kingdom had a highly skilled Lich.

Besides making the gamers excited, the NPCs in Eternal Kingdom visited Brainiac and welcomed him. They were in the same boat.

Most of the inhabitants of the Dungeon were insane Goblins. Normal creatures like them were the minority. Little Fairy was not included.

Sherlock welcomed the interaction between his employees. However, Brainiac didn’t get along well with them.

When the gamers went offline during the night, Mufasa, Simba, and Moroes brought bags of clay and bottles of chrysanthemum beverages to visit Brainiac. Before long, they left with their bags of clay, and Simba left with a broken and half-filled bottle of chrysanthemum tea.

Sherlock was in the Dungeon Core when he heard Simba’s furious voice.

“It’s okay if he didn’t want to drink, but he scattered my chrysanthemum tea on the ground. He’s looking down on me! I hate this kind of highly educated Lich. I had good intentions to treat him to some chrysanthemum tea, but he’s looking down on me!”

Mufasa was consoling Simba, but Sherlock couldn’t figure out what he was saying.

Mufasa and Moroes dragged Simba away, and the scolding faded into the distance.

Brainiac stood alone in the entrance to his room and watched Simba and the group leave. After some time, he turned around silently and returned to his work.

“Seems like the Lich will need some time to assimilate in Eternal Kingdom. His skills are superb, though. His healing skills are merely a notch below Lord Sherlock’s.”

Bru observed that Sherlock had no reaction and continued speaking, “Lord Sherlock, before employing Brainiac, you purposely isolated him. I can understand that. However, since he has signed the contract, shouldn’t the Devil Lord show some concern?”

“The Lich only signed a year-long contract. After a year, if he hasn’t been influenced by you, could you bear to let him leave Eternal Kingdom? Didn’t you say Devils are manipulators of the heart? I think it’s time to manipulate his heart!”

“But Liches don’t have hearts,” Sherlock spread out his hands and said.

“You want me to manipulate a creature without a heart. That is making things difficult for me.”

“Lord Sherlock, if I had only known you for a day, I might have believed you,” Bru said, sighing helplessly.

“It seems like you already have a plan but are unwilling to share it with me. You have hurt the feelings of a loyal servant.”

“You’ve surprised me. A Dungeon Core can be sad?” Sherlock smiled and didn’t say anything.

Crimson flames flashed by, and a letter was spat out. Sherlock examined the letter and then burnt the letter to ash.

He grabbed his overcoat from the box and put it on. Then, he walked outside the Dungeon Core.

“Put aside the matters of Brainiac. Since he is already in Eternal Kingdom, there is nothing to worry about. His aim is research, and the gamers will provide this research opportunity for quite some time. Even if I don’t do anything, he will renew the contract with me after a year.” Sherlock smiled and walked towards the Teleport Portal.

“Lord Sherlock? That letter is bothersome,” Bru said as he watched Sherlock leave the Dungeon.

“Yes, indeed. I’m taking a walk outside.” Sherlock disappeared into the Teleport Portal.

“Take care of the Dungeon, Bru.”