Chapter 107: Monster Control 2

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Monster Control 2

Arin turned the first possibility green. The crystal dropped, centring neatly in his palm before an agonizing jolt of mana shot through his arm, sending sparks of fire dancing across the surface of the core. Arin choked in surprise as his new possession pulsed. Cracks in the crystal glowed white-hot, and Arin could feel the entire chamber around him flow past inside his skull.

All the corridors, doorways and traps that had been emptied of their occupants not ten minutes ago were mapped within his mind. The damage to the mana lines running beneath the floorboards were added to the mix, as was every other detail he had not truly seen before. Everything about the ruin was familiar now, and yet at the back of his skull, it all felt impossibly distant at the same time. Arene’s voice wove through the sensation. "Don’t fight the synchronization," she said.

"Easier said than done!" Arin shouted. "Let your newly acquired authority make the connection," Arene instructed. Arin closed his eyes, willing himself to not push against the sensation, and everything changed. Instead of trying to pull the dungeon into his senses, it was happening the other way, and rather than rejecting the sensation suddenly, Arin was recognizing it. The core pulsed twice more before everything else faded away.

Arin opened his eyes. The crystal was still in his possession, and the glowing cracks across its surface had stopped. There was another popup in front of his eyes.

[Dungeon Core acquired.]

[Abandoned Dungeon Ownership transferred.]

[Secondary Dungeon Cores registered.]

Rayan stared. "You now own this place?" he asked. Arin looked around at the ruined throne room. "I think so," he said. Arene corrected him. "You do," she said. Arin couldn’t help a small smile at that.

Another window opened. [Pocket Dungeon] [Authority requirement fulfilled]. Arin’s smile vanished as he read the next line before Arene’s laughter. "No Way!" he exclaimed. "Yes," the System said.

[Pocket Dungeon activation available.]

[Dungeon Create Functions unlocked.]

[Dungeon Construction: Limited Access granted.]

[Monster Management: Limited Access enhanced.]

[Core Management: Limited Access granted.]

Arin turned to stare at the others. The other three could not see the windows, but judging by the look on his face, none of them wanted to ask what was happening. Saira crossed her arms. "So, what now?" she asked. "My Pocket Dungeon," Arin said, almost sighing at the thought of it. Ayan turned to face him. "It became available?" he asked. "Fully," Arin said. His fingers twitched with the urge to reach for the first creation window that had just appeared.

Adnan was smiling. "That’s what you’ve been talking about since the road?" he asked. "The very same one," Arin replied. "Wait, what Pocket Dungeon?" Rayan asked, looking between Arin and Ayan. "It’s... a long story," Arin stalled, knowing exactly how the next response would be. Which, as expected, was Tara’s amusement. "Oh it is?" she asked.

Arin turned his attention back to the System.

[Available Basic Monster Categories

[Beast] [Humanoid] [Insect] [Slime][Undead] [Artificial]

Arin stared down the first word before smirking. "Slime," he said. Arene immediately replied. "Don’t decide something just because it happened to sound amusing," she said. "I haven’t decided anything yet," Arin teased. "You’re the one who said it just because it amuses you," Arene said. Arene suddenly sounded exasperated. "You said the word with unnecessary exuberance," she said. "I laughed!" Arin defended.

Saira moved closer. "So, what is it you can now do?" she asked. "I can create monsters," Arin said. The room went quiet. Then, "You can what?" Dev asked, lowering his blade. "Create them," Arin repeated. Nisha looked genuinely stunned. "From absolutely nothing?" she asked. "Apparently not, but the mana and core energy helps," Arin said. Rayan turned to face him. "Dungeon Masters can normally do that kind of thing, can they?" he asked. Arin nodded. "It seems that way," he said.

Tara looked him over. "Does that mean you’re finally going to make monsters for yourself?" she asked. "Exactly," Arin said, sounding far happier than he expected himself to feel. "That’s an unsettling smile, Arin," Saira said with a small, thoughtful smile. Arin shook his head. "I’m finally getting to the fun part of being a Dungeon Master," he said. "Actually, that is a little worrying," Saira admitted.

Arin focused back on the open window as another set of panels appeared. His grin widened at the words.

[First Monster Creation Bonus Available.]

[Initial creation cost reduced.]

[Created monster will receive Founder Trait.]

Arin frowned. "Founder Trait?" he asked. Arene explained. "The first monster you create will receive a stronger bond with you and your Pocket Dungeon than any other created monster. What that means for the subject may very well depend on what it is," she said. Arin suddenly had a lot more to think about than he did before.

His creation would be important. It would be his first, after all, and the first of many, if the Pocket Dungeon actually took off in the way he hoped. It would grow, most likely. That meant the first monster it knew would most likely be around for a while. Arin didn’t want to waste his first experience at this on something he would only use once.

Rayan noticed his expression. "You’re already thinking about which one to make?" he asked. "This one’s important," Arin stated before tapping the category list again. "Important why?" Rayan asked. "Because it’s going to be the first my dungeon ever sees," Arin said. Tara was the one who moved closer this time. "So make something you want to keep around," she said. Arin turned this time, meeting her eyes. "Exactly," he said. Arene added, "She understands faster than you." "I was paying attention," Arin argued, tapping the word Beast again.

Lists of names appeared under each category when he focused on them. Beast offered variations on wolves, horned rabbits, cave hounds and several animals he did not recognize. Humanoid had goblins, kobolds and simple servants listed. Insect included giant beetles, dungeon spiders and several burrowing insects. Slimes had a few elemental varieties, but most types were currently locked away. Undead offered more choices than the insects, but most were weak variations on standard monsters. Artificial creatures included fairly basic stone golems.

Arin crossed his arms. "I can tell I’m overthinking this," he said. Saira looked genuinely surprised. "You’re trying to name a monster?" she asked. "First creations are important," Arin argued. "According to who?" Saira asked. "According to me," Arin said. He turned to Ayan. "We should leave before we waste more time here. The rest of this place is still recovering," he said. Ayan was the one who nodded. "That’s true. We fought enough for one day," he said. That didn’t stop him from watching the open System interface.

Arin suddenly had to take a breath. The words in the middle of the open window shimmered as he stared at them.

[Monster Creation Available.]

[Founder Creation Bonus Active.]

[Would you like to create your first monster?]

[Yes / No.]

Arin slowly smiled. "Yeah," he said. Arene blinked. "Have you decided?" she asked. "Nope," Arin said, turning back to the list. "I’m still thinking," he said. Arene’s silence on the matter was enough of an answer for anyone, really. "Now I get to pick," Arin said happily as another System window opened in the ruins of the throne room.

For something it had never seen. For its first ever monster.