The Dungeon Without a System
Chapter 52

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The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea

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When I started thinking about what creature would be best suited for the Ninth Floor boss, I kept coming back to the same answer. A Scorpan. I'd considered using another monster, such as the Vultures or Sunlions. However, I wasn't sure how to improve them for the role beyond 'larger and tougher.' Thus, using my most intelligent and versatile monsters makes the most sense.

The next thing to do was observe the village and their daily lives. I'd previously just picked a monster at random to make the boss, but this time I wanted to be a bit more selective. Over the next two days, I watched them closely without interfering. It warmed my non-existent heart to see the little scorplings interact with their parents. Within a few days, all the eggs had hatched, and the little scamps quickly proved extremely curious. Thankfully their instincts pushed them to remain near their mother.

For this reason, I rejected picking a female as the boss. They seemed to place great importance on raising their scorplings, and making a female the boss would... most likely remove them from the 'dating pool.' They would be much larger than their potential partners, but I believe they'll be put on a pedestal, regarded as a 'prophet' of my 'faith.'

That point was clear in my mind as I watched the village 'guards' train in the early hours of the third morning of my observation. Whoever I picked would become revered among the Scorpans, whatever I wanted. As with Mushu, and to a lesser extent Tear, they would become a leader among their species.

One good thing about my dungeon sapients is that there was no corruption or greed in their minds. The intrinsic loyalty all of my monsters feel towards me, and each other makes them inherently selfless. If given a choice between saving their own lives or dying in the line of duty, they'd throw themselves at the enemy a hundred percent of the time in my defense.

Honestly, it was pretty hard to pick out any one Scorpan Guard that was 'more suited' to ruling than the others. Physically, when I raised them from the crabs they had been, I varied their forms very little. Some were squatter, others taller. Some were broader, and others slighter. All had the same level of physical strength and speed. The most variation came in their coloration, in both the iridescent portions and overall shade.

Experience-wise, they were also equal. The Scorpan Guards had all been training to fight in these bodies since they'd gained them, and with their non-standard bodies, the memories of fighting with spears I'd gained from dead guilders weren't as helpful as they could have been. This was new territory, and they were inventing a fighting style tailor-made to their forms.

In that regard, there was one who seemed more adept. He had been nominated the Guard 'Captain' by his fellows and seemed to refine their emerging style every day. The others listened intently and followed his movements during their training. Another thing was that he lacked a mate. The odd number of Scorpans left him without a romantic partner, but he didn't seem to mind. It left more time for training.

Yes, I think he will do nicely. Once their daily training was done and they had dispersed to their posts, I reached out to the captain.

I have chosen you to become the boss of this floor, Strikes-The-Air. Do you accept? The Scorpan seemed to vibrate in place, excitement and devotion evident in his mind. He bowed his head, spread his arms and pincers wide, and lowered his abdomen to the sand.

Creator! I accept your gracious blessing! Strikes declared. With that I started immediately, knowing this would take a while.

First, I needed something to work with. I flooded his body with mana, filling it to capacity. Next was the physical changes. I began with a general enlargement, making him half again the size of the largest Scorpan in the village. Next, I adjusted his carapace and increased its strength, toughness, and coverage. In the end, his carapace was thicker and gained the metallic sheen of freshly polished armor.

Having used a lot of mana, I filled his body up again.

Next came his natural weapons. His armor was tough enough not to need a shield, so I sharpened both of his pincers to a razor edge. Suddenly struck by inspiration, I generated a small node of neural tissue at the base of each limb with a specific purpose in mind. Each would act as mini-brains dedicated to the movement of their assigned limbs.

Hopefully, they will allow for a faster reaction time.

Back to weapons! Next was the tail and stinger. I increased its striking speed and strength, added a half-dozen separate venom glands, and added various hooks and barbs along its length. I also made them more flexible and capable of twisting. It should be able to strike down at his sides and even behind him.

Then I made another, completely identical, tail. It attached at the end of his abdomen, right alongside the original.

Only one part of his body was left to work on; the humanoid upper body. As it was mostly for show, the upper body would act as his 'weak spot.' It was less armored than his scorpion body but retained great flexibility and strength. The arms and hands I adjusted for more finesse to better strike and swing with his weapon.

At the top of his head, I grew a crown of spikes. They were larger above his forehead and decreased in size until they met at the back of his head.

I pulled back from my new boss and looked him over while he stood from his long-held bow and tested his new body.

After a few seconds, Strikes became aware that the entire village had gathered around him in a circle. They had remained a respectful distance back and 'kneeled' in silence when they realized what was happening.

All at once, wholly unplanned and unpracticed, the Scorpans began chanting.

"PRAISE THE CREATOR! PRAISE HIS PROPHET! PRAISE THE SCORPAN KING!"

"PRAISE"

"PRAISE"

"PRAISE"

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Throne Room, The King's Roost, Phenoc Kingdom

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Kenias Phenoc, King of the Phenoc Kingdom, ate his meal slowly and deliberately. He was seated at the high table upon a raised dais in the Great Dining Hall of his castle. At his left were his wife and daughters; Queen Annah, 1st Princess Alene, and 2nd Princess Amice. To his right was his Heir and two other sons; Crown Prince Isaad, 2nd Prince Keven, and 3rd Prince Denace.

At either side of his family sat his closest and most trusted retainers. Below them on the main floor sat a myriad of smaller tables, laid with lower quality dinnerware than those his family used. Still, they were pricier than anyone less than a noble could afford.

The meal Kenias was savoring could be considered his kingdom in miniature. The finest bread, baked from the highest quality grain. The salad greens were grown on Kenias' own farms, located just outside town. The veal he was eating had been slaughtered that morning, and he could practically feel the animal's mana on his tongue.

The royal family ate quietly, speaking little amongst themselves, while the diners below created a pleasant din of conversation. When the servants collected their empty dishes, Kenias waved one close. "What is for the second course today?" He asked.

The servant, bowed at the waist as he was, spoke loud enough for the entire high table to hear. "Today, the cook has prepared a meal from ingredients collected as tax from Medea Island; Your Majesty,"

Kenias frowned as he dismissed the servant with a wave. Medea Island? He didn't recognize the name.

"Ah! I've heard of that little island." His Chamberlain, Barnart Etton, announced to the table. "Yes, their tax arrived just this morning. As expected of an island, the majority was seafood, but as a dungeon town, there was significant coinage there as well."

"A dungeon town, on an island?" Queen Annah said, sounding politely incredulous.

"Just so, your Highness." Barnart continued with a polite bow of the head. "Discovered a few months ago. Count Medean of Port Laviet was the first made aware and moved quickly to claim the land. He installed his son as the island's lord, who promptly named it in his father's honor." He stopped speaking as the servants returned with the next course; a seafood platter arranged around a steak-sized portion of white flesh.

"It's Crab!" The 2nd Prince announced, having sampled the strange meat eagerly.

"Crab?" The 1st Princess questioned before taking a bite of her own. "It is! But where is the shell? Isn't crab normally boiled in its shell and served just so?"

"That, Your Highnesses, is the meat of a dungeon monster. The dungeon's first floor is full of giant crabs. Indeed they are of such great number that when their palatability was discovered, some of the weaker local guilders began delving its first floor solely to collect the crab's corpses to sell. They are so large, you see, that the pincers alone are the size of the 3rd Prince!"

Kenias cut a piece of the steak, observing that it indeed shared the look of crab meat, despite the difference in cooking method. He took a bite and chewed slowly, tasting the meat. He could easily believe it came from a dungeon monster; It was rich in mana, a strange mix of fire and water that lent it a cool spiciness.

Talk of Medea Island dominated the rest of the meal. Each of his councilors weighed in with the knowledge they had. High Marshal Jonn raised concerns over the island's location on the Kalenic Sea and its value as a staging post for a potential invasion. Kenias listened carefully to that conversation, taking note of the most crucial points.

A messenger approached his throne with a bow, as they were finishing dessert. "The Grand Duke Plasied has arrived at the castle, Your Majesty. He has requested an audience at your earliest convenience." Kenias raised an eyebrow at the news and dismissed the messenger with a wave.

Plasied, one of his most powerful vassels, had traveled all the way to his liege's castle?

Kenias wondered what was so important that he couldn't have just sent a hawk.

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The Dungeon, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea

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After his... coronation? I suppose that's what it was.

After his coronation as the Scorpan King, I led Strikes-The-Air and the half-dozen he took to be his personal guards to their new home. The Scorpan Village was about three-quarters of the way down the canyon, and the entrance to the half-carved boss arena lay just before my Core Room.

While I originally planned to have delvers scale the canyon wall at the other end, I decided It made more sense for the exit to lay at the end of the 'natural' formation.

Strikes and his guard made noises of awe as they watched me carve a castle out of the canyon wall. Unlike the European-style castle on the Fifth, this one was more Arabic in construction. The entrance still lacked a door, but I would add one soon. Beyond was what could only be described as a throne room. High-ceilinged and quite deep, the arching roof was held up by two rows of columns leading towards a large throne, designed to be as comfortable to Scorpan physiology as I could make it.

This would be the boss arena. I can see it now; the delvers pushing open the doors and needing to fight through the six guards before reaching their King, who would stand dramatically from his throne and rush to engage the interlopers!

I led the new King to a side door that would remain shut to all but a living Scorpan. Beyond was his rooms and quarters for his guards. They were mostly bare for now, but I'm sure they'll fill it up with time. The King and his guards each received a Respawn Crystal, and it was the work of minutes to hook them up correctly.

The next thing would be to get Tear down here, to measure them up for armor and weapons. While I was all for encouraging trade among my sentient monsters, I wouldn't make my bosses pay for their own armaments.

Opposite the door to the private rooms was one which led to my Core Room. As per usual, the manastream that flowed throughout my dungeon was directed through a vent above the door. When I move, I'll leave the room the same, I think. I'm sure the Scorpans will find a use for it later, maybe as a temple.

But enough of that for now!

I have the itch to dig. To Build. To carve grand vistas and create thriving ecosystems!

It's time to begin construction of the Tenth floor.

And I have so many ideas!

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© Max Porteous, 2022

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