Alpha Strike: An interstellar Weapon Platform's Guide to Cultivation [Progression Sci-fi/Cultivation]

[Osamaru]

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B2 - Lesson 46: "Everyone Loves Small Chests."
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Alpha's first 'dungeon' was called simply the 'Boot Camp.'

What it had to do with either, the goblin hunters didn't know. Yet the name was whispered with both reverence and fear in the shadows of the hunter's lodge. It was a place of power and a place of nightmares.

It was where they had gained the tools and training they needed to save their homes and family.

But it was also a place of perpetual torture and horrors beyond anything they had ever experienced before. A place that didn't even have the decency to let them die.

In that place, completing missions would award them merits, which the hunters could use to purchase various equipment and tools. This equipment could then be used to complete even harder missions, and so on.

If you completed your training, you could even take this equipment out of the dungeon.

The hunter's armor was a prime example of this, and it was one of the first pieces of equipment the goblins learned to buy. Otherwise, death in even the simplest mission came swiftly and suddenly.

The Dragon's Garden, however, operated on an entirely different principle than the Boot Camp.

Instead of a loop formed from completing missions, earning merits, buying equipment, and completing more missions, the Dragon's Garden was built around one thing.

Loot.

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Robert approached the circular stone platform, stopping just at the edge. This was already the third such platform they had encountered since beginning the dungeon, and the process was becoming familiar. Once the rest of his team had arrived next to him, Robert held out his arm with the metal bangle. As he did, the bangle transformed into a living dragon, released its tail, and stood, staring at the platform.

Its eyes flashed a blood-red color, and a strange twisting formation — like interlocking gears moving around a center point — appeared on the stone platform, glowing the same dark red. The small dragon then slithered up Robert's arm and once more became nothing more than an inanimate bangle. He lowered his arm and turned his attention back to the platform.

The lights flashed brightly, then vanished. A feminine voice spoke from the platform.

//No enemies detected. Wave Cleared//

//Calculating…//

//Clear Time - 15:23 [NEW RECORD!]

Wave Rank - C

Wave Size - C

Final Evaluation - B+ //

The group cheered, and Robert grinned.

They still weren't clear on what the evaluations meant overall. Not even Antchaser's people had figured it out, according to the goblin, but it was obvious that a higher score would only result in better rewards. The exact meaning and methods for obtaining the best rewards would come with time as more adventurers delved into the dungeon and learned its secrets. For now, they were the scouts, here to do a job. The rewards were just the cream on the cake.

The next moment, the middle of the stone platform slid away, and a pedestal rose. On the pedestal sat a small wooden chest.

"Awww, it's smaller than the last one…" Maggy complained.

"Just because it's smaller doesn't mean it's any worse. We did get a better evaluation this time, after all," Robert responded with a chuckle, walking forward. The last challenge they'd cleared had rewarded a large kite shield of unknown make. At first glance, it had appeared rather bland for a dungeon reward.

But closer inspection had shown the shield anything but. Not only was it crafted from Deep — if mundane — materials, the quality of its craftsmanship was astounding. It might not have been very useful to them as it was, but if they could get it to an Array Master or Enchanter back in Halirosa, it could be turned into something even the more powerful sects and clans would bid tooth and nail for.

That had spurred the expedition leaders on further. What other secrets did it hold if the dungeon offered that kind of reward so early on?

Robert stopped in front of the chest and grinned, then slowly lifted the lid.

A golden light spilled out as he did, and a chiming, rising music played with no discernible source. No one knew what the purpose of either was, but it gave the event an air of excitement.

When the chest lid was finally open, the light pouring out flashed once, then vanished while the music stopped.

The team's excitement slowly dwindled as Robert stood there for a moment, frowning down into the chest.

"Is… is it bad?" Maggy asked, not quite able to hide the slight shake in her voice.

"I'm… not sure…" came Robert's response. He reached into the chest and pulled out half a dozen small clay… coins?

Maggy and Garrelt frowned, though Antchaser's eyes widened in surprise.

"Sir!" he whispered into his comms, "Are you sure it's a good idea to show the Adventurers that?!"

"It'll be fine. I know what I'm doing, don't worry. We need something big to keep their attention. Besides, they still need testing."

Antchaser sighed.

"Oh? Do you perchance know what these are?" Robert asked, noticing the goblin's reaction.

Antchaser flinched but put on his best smile.

"Yes, sir. I just wasn't expecting to see them this early. The dungeon must really be… spoiling us."

That got Robert's attention, and the man flashed a bright smile. "Well, don't keep us in suspense, lad. What are they?" he asked.

Antchaser didn't answer immediately, instead reaching into his pouch as he walked closer. From his pouch he withdrew a few clay coins identical to the ones in Robert's hand.

He held one up so that the other three could see it.

"The dungeon called them 'MUD' and as for what they are? Well, to put it simply, they're a type of spiritual tablet," Antchaser said as he twirled the MUD through his fingers so that they could see the partial array.

"Ridiculous," Maggy said, scoffing and folding her arms. "I know tablets, and those aren't tablets. Hell, the arrays on them don't even look complete. What are you supposed to do? Piece them together like a child's puzzle?" She chuckled to herself and shook her head.

Antchaser smirked in response. "That's exactly what you do," he said.

"Wh-what?!" Maggy sputtered.

"If I may?" Antchaser asked, holding his hand out to Robert.

"Interesting… go on," Robert responded, handing him the coins from the chest.

Antchaser looked through them, then selected one before passing the rest back to Robert.

The goblin then knelt on the ground and arranged the MUD into a circle using four of his own, along with the one he took from Robert. The coins shook slightly, then suddenly snapped together, forming a ring. Antchaser then placed a small, lesser spirit stone from his pouch at the center.

The array lines carved into the MUD flashed to life as the array activated. Like air being pushed into a bubble, a translucent barrier formed in the center of the ring and rapidly expanded outward until it covered an area roughly five meters in diameter.

From the other side of the barrier, Maggy and Garrelt gawked.

Robert rubbed his chin and approached the barrier. Garrelt said something, though no sound made it past the barrier.

"An Isolation Barrier. Fascinating. And so quickly, too." Robert said to himself. He then flashed several hand signs, and Garrelt nodded.

The scout leader withdrew his shortsword and struck the barrier. The blade bounced. Robert grinned, and Garrelt touched his blade, muttering an incantation. The edge of the shortsword lit up in a bright orange glow, and again, Garrelt struck out. This time, the barrier wobbled, sending out ripples across its surface. Even so, it held firm. Robert's grin widened further.

"Good. Good! I doubt such a thing could withstand many such blows, but blocking even a single attack often means the difference between victory and defeat." He then turned to Antchaser, "Surely that isn't all they can do, however?"

"Of course not," the goblin responded. Antchaser plucked up the spirit stone, and the barrier popped. He then quickly replaced two of the MUD with two new ones from his pouch and placed a fresh spirit stone in the center.

Again, the array flashed to life, but instead of a barrier, a ring of golden light expanded outward. As the golden light washed over them. Instantly, the minor injuries they had accumulated during the delve began to heal rapidly.

"A [Sunlit Ritual] recovery array, astounding," Robert said in awe.

"HOOOOOOOOOW?!" Maggy rushed Antchaser and grabbed him by the shoulders before he could react.

"Tell me how you did it?!" she yelled as she shook Antchaser. The fervor in her eyes looked oddly familiar to him…

Garrelt, on the other hand, only laughed as he pulled the young woman away. "Calm down, girl. Let the man speak. We're not gonna learn anything if you rattle his brain like that."

Maggy whirled on him. "You don't understand!" she said. "Never mind he built an isolation barrier in just a few moments. But even the most basic barrier is totally different than a recovery array! I could understand if it was two different tablets, but all he did was switch out a few coins! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW INSANE THAT IS?!"

Garrelt sighed and patted Maggy's shoulders. "Settle down. Yes, I know."

"As do I," Robert said, turning to Antchaser. "Care to explain, Mr. Antchaser?" he asked.

The goblin nodded. "As I was saying, Ms. Greenwood guessed it from the start. The MUD are what the dungeon calls 'modular arrays.' They're designed to interlink in a way that any array can be quickly assembled in a short time-frame, as long as you have the appropriate MUD coins," he said, gesturing to MUD. Robert noted how each held one or more seals — the arcane symbols that made up the language of arrays — with various connecting channels on each.

Robert palmed one of his free coins and stared at it. "And these can be reused?" he asked.

Antchaser nodded hesitantly. "To a limited degree. They're no Jade Tablets, but they're far more durable than your typical spiritual tablet. Through testing, we've estimated they can handle roughly three major arrays or ten minor arrays before they crumble."

Robert raised a brow and stared at the clay coin more intently than before.

One reason people were willing to spend such an exorbitant price for spiritual tablets, despite being one-use items, was their speed and versatility. One didn't need to be an array master, or even understand much about arrays in general, to activate a tablet. All you had to do was power the tablet, and it would do all the work for you.

But their price also made them emergency items.

These… MUD however…

The more he stared at the coin, the wider Robert's grin became.

 

[Osamaru]

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B2 - Lesson 47: "When In Doubt - Outsource!"
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"QUICK! CLOSE THE DOOR!" Maggy yelled just as Antchaser slipped through. A panting, muddy Garrelt rushed the heavy door and threw his full weight against it. Just as it was about to close, several insectoid legs shot through the opening, thrashing as their owner tried to push their way into the room.

"BACK! BACK YOU FOUL BEAST!" Robert called, a slight crack in his voice breaking through the man's charismatic calm. He stabbed at the creature behind the door with his sword, and it screeched, withdrawing its many legs. The door slammed shut, and all four occupants slid to the ground, muddy and tired but otherwise unhurt.

Maggy splayed out on her back and called out to the ceiling, "What the hell was that?!"

"Ants… lots… of… ants," came Garrelt's response. The man shook like a dog to remove some of the mud covering him, to little effect.

"I know that, you muddy fool! I—" Maggy snapped.

"What I believe Ms. Magnolia means to ask —" Robert cut her off, " — is why were there so many of them? And why did they feel so much more powerful than the ones outside?" The man said, more focused on cleaning the mud and hemolymph off his shiny sword.

"Ya! That!" Maggy responded, pointing toward Robert from her spot on the floor.

Antchaser shook his head and opened his mouth to respond when another voice cut him off.

"Good. You all survived that. Very good," said the large ant sitting near the far end of the nearly identical room to the one they first entered.

"EEEEEEEEKKKK!" Maggy screamed, rolled over, and pointed at the ant. A small red spark erupted from her fingertip and shot toward the creature like an arrow. However, instead of hitting the creature, it impacted a hexagonal energy shield that suddenly appeared around it. The errant spell deflected upward and slammed into the ceiling before exploding into a large fireball and leaving a small crater.

All five occupants of the room stared up at the crater as dust and bits of plaster rained down over the ant.

The ant then looked back down at Maggy. "You're paying for that…" it said flatly.

"Hey… Boss…" Garrelt said as he slowly stood, his hand reaching for his shortsword, "I think I swallowed too much mud… 'cuse that ant just talked."

"I noticed as well…" came Robert's response. The man pointed his own sword at the new occupant and circled around the opposite side of Garrelt.

Before either man could make a move, however, Antchaser stepped forward.

"Lord Alpha! As requested, I've brought help," the goblins said, bowing at the hip.

Robert furrowed his brow, then lowered his sword. "Antchaser, would I be correct in assuming this is our… host?" he asked.

Antchaser turned and motioned to the ant. "May I present Lord Alpha, the Dungeon Core of the Dragon's Garden."

Maggy blinked. "Wait… the Dungeon Core is an ant?!"

"No, it's just puppeting it, girl," Garrelt answered. "It's a fairly common way for Dungeon Cores to communicate… the few that ever bother to."

"Quite," Robert said, lowering his sword. He then bowed, mimicking Antchaser. "I greet you, Lord Alpha, on behalf of Halirosa and the Adventurer's Guild."

Garrelt didn't bother adding more and simply waved while Maggy did her best to disappear, likely still embarrassed by her… outburst.

The ant looked over the group with a frown. How Robert knew the ant was frowning, he didn't know, but that was the distinct impression he got.

"Hmmmm… So these are the ones you brought? I do hope there are more. While what I've seen so far has been rather impressive, I'm afraid it won't be enough," Alpha said.

The atmosphere of the room suddenly grew heavy. It was straight to business, it seemed.

As the leader of both the current team and the expedition as a whole, Robert stepped forward. "I assure you, good sir, that you'll find the Adventurers of Halirosa more than ready to meet any challenge, both of the dungeon's and whatever foul deeds these… bandits have perpetrated," he said before gesturing to the group. "Fear not. The ones you see before you are but a small example of those many talents we have brought to assist you and your plight."

"I see…" Alpha responded. "I hope you aren't talking about that lot outside. They have their own troubles to deal with, at the moment,"

That gave the three Adventurers pause. Even Antchaser gave Alpha an odd look. That wasn't any part of the plan he'd been informed about.

"Is… there something happening we're not aware of?" Robert asked, obvious concern in his voice. Had the village been attacked by the mud-possessed creatures again?

Alpha waved the question off with one of the ant's forelimbs. "Nothing for you to be concerned about at the moment."

Robert begged to differ, but another question pushed its way forward first. "You're aware of what's happening outside the dungeon?"

Whoops… did I already screw this up? Alpha thought to himself.

Garrelt thankfully solved that problem before it became a problem.

The man shot to his feet and pointed to Alpha, his eyes wide. "Bloody hell! You're a growth type!"

"Huh?" Maggy looked back and forth between Garrelt and Robert, the confusion obvious on her face. "Wait, I don't understand. I thought it was a bad thing for a dungeon to break its bounds? Isn't that the entire reason we're here?"

Garrelt looked over at the young woman and raised a brow. "Girl, you live in the largest Adventurer city in the world. How are you so ignorant about these things?"

Maggy puffed up as she glared at the man, "Well, excuse me for preferring the company of books and ruins to brutish Adventurers who only know how to break things!"

Garrelt didn't respond. Instead, his eyes glanced up at the crater in the ceiling.

"That was an accident!" Maggy exclaimed, her voice slightly higher than normal.

Robert pinched the bridge of his nose. "Would you two kindly refrain from ruining our good rapport before we've even gotten the chance to build it?" he asked.

Both Garrelt and Maggy looked away.

Robert sighed. "To answer your question, Maggy," he continued, "typically, it is a bad thing. Most dungeons are designed in a way that they're self-contained. If they break their bonds, then it means something's gone wrong. A few — extremely rare — examples, however, have shown the ability to extend themselves outward, typically to collect resources or expand if the number of trailtakers exceeds what the maker originally expected. We call these rare few 'growth-types' for their ability to change and grow."

Alpha let the man speak. This was rather good intel for him. None of those he'd interrogated had mentioned these 'growth types' before. The knowledge was likely limited because of their apparent rarity.

Maggy frowned. "Why aren't all dungeons like that? It seemed like it would be advantageous."

Garrelt took up the explanation. "Mostly because of the cost. Typical Dungeon Cores aren't smart enough to look outside their walls," he nodded to Alpha. "Making something like our friend here takes far more resources, with little benefit beyond 'what if' scenarios. Trying to create a dungeon that can expand without having something truly intelligent behind the wheel is how dungeon breaks occur."

Maggy looked like she didn't quite follow, but nodded anyway.

Alpha, on the other, felt like he understood the issue. It was rather synonymous with the Federation's issue when setting up automated systems.

If you already knew what you wanted to do, it was rather easy to set up simple AI routines to maintain even complex systems spanning entire star systems.

But if you wanted things to change, adapt, or improve, you needed an… extra touch. You needed an overseer capable of not just monitoring but thinking — one capable of planning and considering the future.

Alpha bumped up finding a real dungeon higher on his priority list. He was rather interested in seeing one of these 'growth-type' intelligences. From everything he was hearing, they sounded rather similar to Sapient-AI in their own way.

Robert turned back to Alpha. "We're getting distracted, however. What exactly is happening outside?"

Again, Alpha waved them off. "Nothing for you to be concerned about. Your companions have things well enough in hand for now. Think of it as nothing more than a bit of motivation to finish your own mission."

Robert frowned, but didn't push the issue. He knew better than to argue with a Core in its domain.

"And what exactly is it you need us to do, sir? We've heard you have a bit of a… bandit issue?" Robert asked instead.

Alpha laughed. "Oh, the bandits are well and handled. No, it's what those fools released that's the problem."

Robert raised a brow. "I assume this has something to do with the muddy creatures?" It was obvious that while the mud slimes originated from the dungeon, something had gone wrong. Both with them escaping the walls and in how the possessed creatures were spread out. The difficulty spike from the third wave to the first rest area was unreasonably high, at least if the dungeon wasn't trying to eliminate anyone who reached that point.

Their own group had been harassed nearly constantly, leaving little room for rest or retreat, whereas before, they had encountered very few creatures outside of the challenge waves.

Instead of responding immediately, the Alpha-controlled ant turned and walked further into the room, stopping near a screen that hovered in place, just like in the first room.

The Adventurers and Antchaser exchanged looks before following, each taking a seat at a table. Alpha turned around and addressed the group.

"Your bandit friends cause quite a headache for me," as Alpha spoke, the screen flashed on, showing a picture of a large glob of mud floating in a black void. "As you've already guessed, the mud slimes are an integral part of the Dragon's Garden. Both in the story I'm crafting, and in other aspects."

"Like what?" Maggy asked, her hand shooting into the air.

"That's proprietary information. Now, moving on," Alpha shut down the young woman's question immediately. Maggy slumped in her seat.

"As I was saying, they're important to the proper functions of the dungeon. With that in mind, I created something to… help." The screen flashed again, and a new figure appeared.

Maggy pointed at the screen and yelled, "That's the dragon on the door!" All eyes turned to her, and she blushed.

Garrelt stood and approached the screen, observing it from all sides.

"Hmmmm… It looks like a Mud Drake. A young adult, a few centuries old at most."

Alpha raised an antenna. "That's quite astute of you. So you recognize it then?"

Garrelt nodded, "They're rare beasts, for sure, but I've dealt with one or two in my time. None so old or large, however. What's this one at? Middle of [Elemental Dominance]? Hard to tell without a spiritual signature, but given their typical growth rate, I'd guess somewhere around there. You never know with drakes, though. They're called 'Half-Dragons' for a reason."

Alpha nodded, "That will make this simpler to explain then. I've been raising this particular specimen for quite some time. However, that fool Bosco didn't see a key part of the dungeon's design. Instead, he only saw a treasure to steal. Maybe he hoped that whatever power it could grant him would help him deal with his pursuers. Whose to say."

Garrelt barked out a laugh, "Let me guess, the fool bit off more than he could chew and choked on his own hubris?"

"Very much so. Though let me assure you, the Mud Drake had no such choking issues," Alpha responded with a laugh of his own.

He continued. "However, for as much of a fool as he was, the man had his own tricks. Through means I can't discern, the man did something that allowed the Mud Drake to slip from my control… and with it…"

"The mud slimes…" Robert finished the thought.

Alpha nodded. "Exactly. The Mud Drake isn't sapient, but it's smart enough to use the tools given to it. Ever since, it had been waging war outside of the normal bonds of my dungeon in its push against the last chains binding it. If it escapes, not only will it be decades, maybe centuries, until I can get the dungeon back to working order, but a powerful creature with an army of mud slimes will be unleashed on the outside world. I shouldn't need to explain why that's bad."

The group went silent, contemplating Alpha's words. 'Bad' was an understatement. Just from what she'd seen so far, Maggy could imagine the kind of damage something like the mud slimes could wreak if they made it to the surface and started multiplying. They were far more dangerous than typical slimes on multiple levels.

Then put a near-dragon, of a species known to be extremely territorial and violent, in control of them? Ya, that was a recipe for a terrible time.

Robert nodded, seeming to come to the same conclusion.

"I see," he said, "so you need us to eliminate the Mud Drake before it can break free. We would need to see the creature for ourselves to know for certain, but that should be within our power. If not, we can always call for help."

Alpha shook his head and crossed two of his forelimbs. "Nope!" he said. "I don't want you to kill the Mud Drake. As I said, it's an important part of what I'm trying to do here, and its death will set us back a long time."

Alpha grinned. Once more, Robert found it… odd that he could tell the ant was grinning, of all things.

"I want you to capture it."

 

[Osamaru]

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B2 - Lesson 48: "Life's A Stage..."
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<< Alpha Log -

6952 SFY-Third Era, 6 standard months since Planetfall. >>

So, again you ask, 'why bother with any of this?'

Why not deal with Icefinger's men myself?

Why not capture the Mud Drake on my own?

Why bother even trying to turn the goblins into a Federation Outpost? It's not like they can really offer me anything beyond manpower, and the ants cover most of that.

Good questions, my hypothetical interdimensional reader!

To put it simply, to set the stage.

As I am now, my estimates tell me I don't have the resources or equipment to take on Halirosa should they prove a threat. Oh, a couple of bandits here and there, sure; even the expeditionary force or Icefinger's men shouldn't be too hard to deal with alone. But if Halirosa itself decided to throw its full weight against me? I'm ashamed to admit I'd have to flee and start over… again.

Yaaaaa, not happening. I need a cover. Something to act as a shield until I'm ready.

To that end, I need to put on a little 'play.'

Sure, I could likely deal with all these issues myself, but Icefinger's men have their part to play, just as the Mud Drake does. A master doesn't pull on the strings of their puppet mindlessly; they pluck them and watch the puppet dance on its own.

What can I say? I learned from the best.

That said, keeping a consistent story straight when you're essentially winging things by the seat of your pants isn't easy. I don't even wear pants! Yet, one benefit of playing the part of an ancient being from another era is that most of my mistakes can be naturally written off as just 'from a different time.'

It's not that there aren't cracks if one looks hard enough. I just don't have the history, cultural understanding, and background knowledge to cover everything.

Thankfully, I've been able to find a few people who can help with that. The goblins still think me a Dungeon Core, but are more than willing to help fill the gaps where needed. While others, such as Dr. Maria, are quickly grasping the truths behind the veil.

I have even found a few 'helpers' from the most unexpected of places.



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Robert, Maggy, Garrelt, and Antchaser spent the next three hours at the rest checkpoint, well… resting. The fight to the small room had been rather intense, and none of them were quite ready to face whatever the dungeon had to throw at them next.

Or rather than the dungeon, they should say the Mud Drake.

"Do we really need to go farther?" Maggy asked. "We know what the issue is; can't we just turn around and call it a day?" She slumped against the couch. She still felt more at home in a lab than out in the field like this. While the dungeon was interesting, she would much rather study it in depth when it was fixed.

Robert sat across from her, cleaning his equipment with a small cloth. Wherever he wiped, the grime, dirt, and gore vanished, though the cloth itself never seemed to accumulate any of the filth.

"No can do," he responded. "If our goal is to capture the escaped drake, then we need to at least see the creature, if for no other reason than to confirm what we know. The first rule of adventuring; never assume you know the situation. More than one Adventurer has died because they rushed into a cave thinking they knew what was inside."

Garrelt laughed, "Or to the goblins." He flinched and gave Antchaser an apologetic look.

Antchaser just rolled his eyes. "It's fine. I'm quite aware of how… tricky our surface cousins can be. There's a reason the Deep Tribes stopped trying to civilize those savages millennia ago."

Maggy looked at Garrelt, then Antchaser, and back again. "What do you mean? Isn't goblin extermination one of the most basic missions? Surely they can't be that difficult," she asked.

Robert slid his freshly cleaned and polished sword back into his scabbard and turned to Maggy. "Yes, and no. While surface-dwelling goblins are often categorized in the same way as magic monsters and spirit beasts, people often forget that they are technically a sapient race. Savage, warlike, and destructive — in both nature and culture — but sapient, nonetheless."

He looked her hard in the eye. "With sapience comes wisdom. More than many would like to admit have been killed because they treated goblins like any other beast. Treated them as predictable."

Garrelt nodded. "The number one killer of rookies is underestimating goblins. Not that the Guild would ever publicly admit that, of course. Bad for business. But spend enough time in the Guild tavern, and you could gather enough horror stories from the old dogs to fill a book."

Antchaser spoke up as well. "The Deep Tribes have tales. Old tales of how the Deep goblins and the surface goblins were once one people. How we split differs in each story, but a common theme is that those who left for the surface were eventually driven mad by the sun, cursed by a life away from the tunnels and the earth. Most people just see them as stories to keep curious children in line and to their home tunnels. 'Wander too far and you'll be dragged to the surface by the Mad Ones to join the horde!' That kind of thing. But I always wondered if there was some truth to those old stories."

"I see…" Maggy stared at the three, her eyes wide.

Robert stood and clapped his hands. "The point being, an Adventurer must never underestimate their foe or assume they know everything there is to know. Information, above and beyond anything else, is our most important tool. With that said, how about we get a move on? Maggy does make a good point that we can't afford to waste too much time. While the Dungeon Core said that our allies have whatever is going on out there well in hand, it would set me at ease to confirm so myself."

The other three nodded and stood as well.

As one, they turned and headed for the door on the opposite side from which they had entered.



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The door swung closed with a thud, and the party walked into a… half-built army camp?

Or at least that's what it looked like to them. Unopened crates and pre-cut boards were piled between canvas tents and cold firepits. Despite being the first sign of civilization they had seen in the dungeon, the scene sent a chill down the Adventurer's spine.

The place was eerie, in a way. It had a cold, abandoned feel to it, as if its occupants were forced to flee suddenly. A thick dirt road ran down the middle of the camp and ended suddenly at the tree line. Several cut logs and piles of tools lay nearby where they had been dropped.

The group slowly made their way down the road, their eyes open and alert to any sudden movement.

"Think we should search around for clues?" Garrelt asked.

Robert frowned, but shook his head. "No… this looks like a set piece for the dungeon's storyline. Interesting, but not important to our immediate mission."

"Don't let them leave just yet! You need to head to the command tent!" Alpha suddenly spoke up through comms.

He worked hard on this part, dang it!

As the three Adventurers turned to walk further down the road, Antchaser called out, "Wait!"

The Adventurers paused and turned to the goblin. Thinking on his feet, Antchaser pointed deeper into the camp, toward the largest of the tents.

"I think we should check out the large tent there. Before the bandits broke the dungeon, I remember seeing documents there. If this place is related to the storyline, it might contain important information about the Mud Drake."

Robert and Garrelt exchanged a look and nodded. Robert gestured to the tent. "That's a good point, Mr. Antchaser. Very well, lead on then."

Antchaser sighed in relief and stepped off the dirt road, heading deeper into the camp toward the command tent. He wasn't actually sure if there really were any such documents in the tent, but Alpha obviously wanted them there for a reason. Antchaser just hoped he didn't end up making a fool of himself.

The trip through the camp was rather uneventful, though the scattered equipment and building supplies made for minor hazards. Much of it looked like what Antchaser remembered seeing in the bandit work camps, and in all likelihood, had just been repurposed for whatever Alpha was building here.

Ten minutes later, they stood in front of the large tent and admired it.

"I have no idea what this is even made of…" Maggy exclaimed in awe. She reached out and touched the smooth, cloth-like material. It was a molted dark green, with splotches of lighter browns and greens mixed in. Yet it didn't seem woven in any traditional manner she could think of. Coupled with many of the strange artifacts and devices she'd noticed scattered around the camp as they made their way here, part of Maggy was rather excited at the opportunity to dig into this dungeon's history.

One bad thing about living in a world where a single person can gain the strength to topple entire civilizations… was that unless you had such a person working for you, civilizations had a nasty habit of vanishing.

So many people, cultures, and histories had been lost to the annals of time and the whims of powerful Cultivators or Mages. Maggy had made it her life's work to dig up these lost secrets, and this place whispered secrets unlike any she had ever seen or heard of before.

"Well, now! Now that we're here, would you kindly show us these documents, Mr. Antchaser?" Robert's voice broke Maggy out of her daydreams.

Antchaser stepped forward. "Um… Ya… sure…" he said, scratching his cheek with his free hand and looking away. He really hoped Alpha had a plan, and he just hadn't wanted to show off the camp.

The goblin placed a hand on the tent flap, but an unknown voice called out before he could push it open.

"HALT! By order of the Queen, state your business!"

All four of them whirled around, their weapons ready, just in time to see a figure stepping out of the shadows of a nearby tent.

The figure of a human male in ant-like armor.

 

[Osamaru]

————————————————————————
B2 - Lesson 49: "... With Plenty Fools To Play Their Part."
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"HALT! By order of the Queen, state your business!"

The figure who stepped out of the shadows was undeniably human. His sharp, clean-shaven jawline and icy blue eyes gave the man an air of noble refinement, while his commanding voice spoke of authority.

Yet the armor he wore was… strange. At first glance, one would think it was just a typical set of plate mail, complete with a half-helm. On closer inspection, one could see that the armor wasn't made of metal. Instead, the metallic armor was made up out of the silver carapace of a giant ant. Even the half-helm was shaped to vaguely resemble the head of an ant, while the large halberd they wielded was crafted from a large ant's mandible.

The Adventurers didn't let their guard down, however. They were the only ones who were supposed to be in the dungeon. So, where had this newcomer come from?

Robert stepped forward, his sword at the ready. Before he could ask who the man was, however, a second armored figure walked into view.

"Claude… what are you doing? Mr. Alpha told us to bring them to the Mud Drake."

The second man spoke, his arms folded, his own halberd resting in the crook of his arm.

The first man, Claude, visibly deflated, and he turned to the second. "We're supposed to follow the script, Bill!" he said with a sigh.

The second man, 'Bill,' smirked from under his helmet. "Why bother? The dungeon's not operational yet. We're not on duty."

Claude pointed at Bill. "Because I put a lot of work into it, dammit! Why can't you just give me this?!"

The two armored men started arguing while the Adventurers stared on, utterly confused.

The sudden rustle of fabric caused the group to turn around, and a third man stepped out of the command tent. This man was larger than the other two, and his armor was more intricately designed. If the first two men's armor were inspired by the more common ants in the dungeon, the new man's armor seemed to invoke the larger, rarer soldier ants.

The newcomer let the flap of the tent fall and stood straight, frowning at the group of Adventurers, then turned to his companions. He pinched the bridge of his nose through his intimidating helmet and sighed.

"What are you two doing?" he asked, his voice flat.

Bill and Claude froze, then turned and stared at the large man, then pointed at each other;

""He started it!"" they complained together.

The large man stared at both silently, then turned to the Adventurers. "I apologize for these two, Trialtakers. This is still new for us, so it's taken some getting used to. I assume you're the lot Mr. Alpha called to solve our little 'problem' then?"

The Adventurers shared a look before Robert stepped forward and extended his hand toward the third man.

"I believe so," Robert said, "and who might you gentlemen be? I was led to believe we would be the only Adventurers operating in the dungeon?" Though Robert's words were warm and friendly, his eyes held a dangerous glint that didn't go unnoticed.

The third man in ornate armor reached out and shook Robert's hand. "You can call me Hugo. These two are Bili and Claude," Hugo said, thumbing toward the other two men. "As for why we're here… well, that's complicated. We're not Adventurers. Not anymore, at least. We're —"

"We're NPCs!" Bill interrupted with a grin before Claude elbowed him in the side.

"Fool, we're actors. Stop using words no one knows."

"Who's a fool?! That's what the big Boss called us!"

As the two men argued once more, Hugo turned back to Robert.

"What my compatriots are trying to say is, we've been hired by the Dungeon Core to play roles in its 'story.' Once the dungeon is operational, our job will involve helping Trialtakers learn about the dungeon and provide tasks or rewards as needed."

Robert frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I… see," he responded. "I've never heard of a dungeon hiring outsiders to play a part in their dungeons. Typically, if such things are needed, they are filled by dungeon-born creatures or artificial constructs. How did you come across such an opportunity?"

Hugo chuckled and looked off to the side as he rubbed the back of his head, "Ah… well… you see… that's kind of an awkward situation —"

Before Hugo could speak further, a growl escaped Antchaser's lips. "They're bloody bandits."

As one, the group turned to stare at the seething goblin, one unblinking eye twitching as Antchaser stared at the three 'NPCs.'

"What the hell, Alpha?! Why are these three here?!" Antchaser sent through his comms. He had to resist mentally screaming the question.

"Yaaaaa, sorry about that one. I needed your reaction to be genuine, so they buy what we're selling. Just roll with it. Those three have already been told what to say," Alpha responded.

Robert raised a brow. "Bandits, you say?"

Antchaser's clenched fists shook, but he spoke through clenched teeth, "Yes… bandits. They're part of the lot who… followed Bosco into the dungeon."

Robert turned back to the nervous-looking three and frowned, his hand gliding toward the hilt of his sword. "I see…"

Maggy flinched and retreated, her staff held outward as if to fend off the former bandits while Garrelt reached for his bow.

Hugo took a step backward, his hands raised. "Woah! Easy now, no need for any for that. Your goblin friend is right; we were part of Bosco's group. But like I said, the situation is… complicated."

"Why should we believe anything you say!?" Maggy called from behind Garrelt.

Garrelt frowned before his eyes widened, and he whispered, "You're… Dungeonbound… aren't you?"

Hugo's arms dropped, and he sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Aye… that's right. After the… incident with Bosco, the dungeon captured the lot of us." The large man chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Now look at us."

"Dungeonbound?" Maggy asked, looking between the former bandits and Garrelt.

Robert was the one who responded, as he frowned at Hugo. "It's a term used to refer to those who have broken a dungeon's laws and, in turn, been 'imprisoned' by it. Yet, it's supposed to be just a rumor. There have been no verifiable reports of Dungeonbound in millennia. It's just another story used to scare new Adventurers into behaving while in a dungeon. After all, if you broke a dungeon's rules to the point it was forced to act personally, they would typically just kill you."

Robert stood straight and folded his arms. "So… that begs the question. Why you three?" he asked, narrowing his eyes as he stared at Hugo.

Hugo shrugged. "Who knows? Good behavior? This place is… strange. What matters is we work for the dungeon now, not Bosco."

"Good ridden, too. Never liked that arse anyway…" Bill muttered before Claude elbowed him once more, harder this time.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Maggy asked.

The three former bandits exchanged a look. "Well, the fact we're not dead, for one. This place is more dangerous than you realize," said Bill.

Robert frowned and drew his sword, causing Hugo, Bill, and Claude to take a step back. "An interesting story, but by Halirosa law, you are bandits and will submit to capture or face execution. For the time being, you'll be detained at the camp until such time that you can be questioned and transported back to Halirosa for trial."

Robert stepped forward, and the bangle on his wrist flashed to life. The silver dragon lifted its head and stared into Robert's eyes before speaking in a monotone voice. //Warning. Hostile action toward NPCs detected. Trialtakers are advised that attacking NPCs unprovoked may result in penalties up to and including banishment from the dungeon.//

Robert stared wide-eyed at the tiny dragon wrapped around his wrist.

"These three are criminals by law. Is the dungeon going to stand in the way of justice?" he asked with a frown.

//Your feedback and concerns have been duly noted and will be passed on to dungeon management.//

With that, the silver dragon lay back across his wrist and became lifeless once more.

Robert ground his teeth and looked between the former bandits and the bangle. Garrelt stepped forward.

"It might be best to let this one go, Robert. Keeping in the good graces of the Dungeon Core is more important than dealing with a few minor bandits," the scout leader said as he pushed Robert's sword down.

To the surprise of everyone present, Antchaser agreed. "While I respect your desire for justice for my people, I doubt anything you could do to them would be worse than what the dungeon is capable of. We have more important things to worry about."

"You have no idea," said Bill, "You don't want to know what happened to the others — OWE! Will you stop that?!" Bill rubbed his sore kidney while glaring at Claude.

Robert stared at Antchaser with narrowed eyes before sighing and sheathing his blade. "Very well…" he said, "we'll discuss this matter later."

He then turned back to Hugo. "Assuming what you're telling us is the truth, how exactly are you supposed to help us?"

In response, Hugo only grinned.

 

[Osamaru]

————————————————————————
B2 - Lesson 50: "You Might Need A Bigger Boat..."
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"… Are you certain this will work?" Robert asked as he eyed their newest 'companion' with a frown. When the three former bandits had brought the newcomer out from behind the large command tent, the team of Adventurers hadn't been sure how to feel.

On one hand, it wasn't another bandit. On the other…

Robert stared at the massive ant standing beside the tent. It was one of the large soldiers that had harassed them on the way to the dungeon. They had yet to see any inside the dungeon proper, but the creature still made him nervous. He could imagine the damage such a beast could cause if it broke free from the Dungeon Core's control while their guard was down.

Robert found his hand drifting to the hilt of his sword every time the creature so much as twitched. He didn't miss the way Garrelt's eyes tracked the ant as well. Maggy, however…

"This is amazing!" the bubbly girl practically squealed. One hand traced the various ridged of the ant's carapace as the other rapidly made notes in the floating notebook in front of her. Dozens of minute bursts of Mana and Spirit Energy flashed across Robert's senses. He wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but the control she demonstrated was astounding, even to him.

For as flighty, air-headed and ignorant of how the world worked as the girl seemed at times, it was easy to forget she was one of the peak geniuses of her generation.

"I've heard that dungeon's bred their own spirit beasts, but this is beyond anything I could have ever imagined! I've dissected Demon Ants before, and while it might look like one on the surface, this thing might as well be an entirely different species!" As Maggy spoke, her voice became more and more animated.

"Its like its internal structure has been optimized to an absurd degree. And some of these organs… I couldn't even begin to tell you what they do!" Maggy suddenly hugged the ant. "Oh! What I wouldn't do to get you in the lab."

Five humans and a goblin watched the scene with a flat stare, before Hugo turned to Robert and spoke, everyone leaving the young mage to her… moment.

"It should be fine. Mr. Alpha had us keep this one away from the slimes for this very purpose," He said with a nod.

Bill, standing next to the ant, slapped its side and gave the Adventurers a thumbs up. "That's right! Little Billy Jr. is harmless!"

"Billy Jr?" said Claude, an eyebrow raised.

Bill spun and pointed his finger at the other man. "You be quiet! You have your scripts. Let me have my ants, dang it!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth, did 'Billy Jr. lean down and clamp the man's helmeted head between its mandible. It then lifted the man off the ground and walked away.

"Jr! Drop! I said drop!" Bill screamed as he flailed about, trying to undo the straps to his helmet. "I told you before, I'm not a larva! put me down this instant, young lady!"

Hugo sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The Dungeon Core has told me he will be personally directing the ant during the mission. You have my assurance that things will go smoothly. All you and your team have to do is observe and let us handle the rest."

Robert stared off after the ant as it carried Bill away, Maggy chasing after them. "… Right." He then turned back to Hugo and asked, "What exactly is the plan?"

——————————————————

Three Hours Later

The group crowded together in the camouflaged bunker, several hundred yards from the river. Through a glass window — which Hugo claimed was invisible from the other side — they stared at a large muddy hill the size of a small castle with a deep cavernous entrance carved in its side. Behind the hill, a large lake had formed where the river's water pooled before continuing its journey downstream.

"So this is the place, then? The drake's den?" asked Garrelt.

Hugo nodded. "That's right. The den itself is a natural part of the dungeon, though the drake has added to it since its… escape." He gestured to the muddy hill and Robert could just make out a quivering mass resting on top. As they watched, a small piece pinched off and fell to the ground. The newborn mud slime then slinked off, disappearing into the forest undergrowth.

"Gross…" said Maggy in response.

Hugo lifted a strange artifact and pressed a button.

"We're ready, Bill. Get moving," he said.

"I'm coming!" came the response through the artifact, as if it were a communication jade, though Robert sensed no energy flux.

A moment later, a large shadow emerged from the treeline. A solider ant slowly walked into the brighter mosslight of the river, followed closely by Bill.

"Is he… crying?" Robert asked, incredulously. Sure enough, Bill and the ant had stopped just past the treeline, and the man was animatedly speaking to the creature, his shoulders heaving slightly as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

Hugo sighed and again spoke into the artifact, "Bill, get on with it! We still have other stuff to do!"

Bill flinched and reached, or his own artifact clipped to his belt. He raised it to his mouth, and the man's voice spoke out of Hugo's artifact, "I said I'm coming! Just…" the man sobbed slightly, "… just give me a minute, damn it!" The man clipped his artifact back to his belt, then lunged forward, hugging the ant's carapace, before spinning around and dashing back into the woods, one arm over his eyes.

The massive solider ant only cocked its head once and turned toward the drake's den with no further prompting or prodding. It crossed the hundred meters of open terrain between the treeline and the den unimpeded. Then, with little ceremony, it crawled through the cavern opening and disappeared into the shadows in the back of the den.

Several seconds passed, and when nothing more happened, Maggy softly whispered, "Are… we waiting on som—"

ROOOOOOAAAAAARRRR!

An earsplitting roar shook the area. Even from this distance, those in the bunker could feel the sound in their bones. The next moment, there was a deep boom from within the den, and something shot out of the entrance. The soldier ant flew for several dozen meters, before crashing hard and rolling for several more. Well… most of it did.

The ant was in a terrible state; its armor-like carapace was cracked in half a dozen places and a long gash nearly cut its thorax in two. It struggled to stand on several broken legs and nearly did so, before a second shadow erupted from the den. This second shadow covered the distance between the den and the ant in the blink of an eye, and the ground shook as a massive foot slammed the struggling ant back to the ground.

Robert frowned as he caught his first look at their objective.

Garrelt gave a low whistle. "Wooow, now that's a big girl," he said, verbalizing what everyone else in the bunker was thinking.

Big was an understatement. If the soldier ant was the size of a carriage, then the Mud Drake they were looking at was easily the size of a modest house, utterly dwarfing the giant insect. As if to emphasize that point, the Mud Drake leaned down and grabbed the ant's head between its massive jaws. It pulled and the ant's head was ripped away with seemingly little effort.

The Mud Drake then tossed the head away and gave another air shaking roar toward the forest, as if daring any more ants to barge into its home uninvited.

The reaction in the bunker was mixed. Maggy was staring at the creature as if it was a nightmare given flesh, while Garrelt grinned wider than Robert had ever seen the man do so before. Antchaser and the former bandit's reactions were muted in comparison. Robert could still see the weariness and fear in their eyes, but it was born from recognition of a creature far beyond them, not one of surprise or shock. As if the creature was already a daily part of life. Sure, you respected it, but the awe had long lost its effect.

As for Robert, he remained stone faced as he reevaluated what exactly they had gotten themselves into. Left alone, a Mud Drake like this had the potential to grow into a creature known as a Kigendoro. They were powerful draconic creatures of earth and water that were feared more as natural disasters than spirit beasts. A single Kigendoro, if unchecked, could turn an entire valley into a festering swamp in as little as a year.

Moreover, given its size, he suspected the creature was at least [Elemental Dominance], maybe even nearing [Core Condensing]. As a peak [Spiritual Awakening] Cultivator of some talent, Robert felt he could handle a typical early [Elemental Dominance] spirit beast. More so if he was supported by the rest of the expedition. But one with dragon blood? And possibly close to forming its Spirit Core? Things would be… tricky, to say the least. The only question was, would the possible rewards be worth the effort? Lucky for them, the Dungeon Core wanted the creature captured, not killed, which, ironically made things a bit easier for such a powerful spirit beast.

Even so…

As the Mud Drake tore pieces of the ant off and chewed on them, Robert sighed and stood.

"I think I've seen everything I need to…" he turned to look at the rest of his party and continued, "Let us head back and bring what we've learned to the others. Hopefully, Bert hasn't gotten into too much trouble."

 

[Osamaru]

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B2 - Lesson 51: "Challenge Accepted!"
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"AAAAHHHRRRRUG!" Bert swung the massive [Megaton] hammer at the charging Bulwark Termite soldier. The powerful weapon slammed into the armored head of the tank-sized insect with such force that a visible shockwave expanded outward.

THUMP!

A secondary boom sounded as the kinetic piston at the back of the hammer activated. The termite screeched as spiderweb cracks spread through the quarter-meter-thick armor of its head. That next instant, its back end exploded, covering the two dozen smaller soldier termites behind it in corrosive blue gore.

The Bulwark Termite collapsed, dead before it hit the ground. A group of Adventurers cheered, then rushed past the massive insect and swarmed the distracted soldier termites before they could regroup. In a matter of seconds, the termites were dead.

Bert whirled, breathing heavily, [Megaton] at the ready… only to find no more targets. Instead, the battlefield was littered with the corpses of hundreds of large termites. Most were workers or soldiers, but nearly two dozen tank-sized termite corpses were spread around the area.

The Adventurers of the expedition had treated the termite infestation mostly as a way to kill boredom. While the creatures' numbers were great, the Adventurers chosen for this expedition were elites, and each individual termite wasn't much stronger than [Bronze Spirit].

That changed when the Bulwarks appeared. Nearly twice as large as the typical soldier termite and heavily armored to an absurd degree, each took at least three Adventurers to take down. Even Bert struggled to kill the creatures quick enough.

Offensively, the Bulwarks weren't too strong, but if the Adventurers weren't careful, they would be swarmed by the hordes hiding behind the creatures.

The expedition would have lost a few people that way, but for the quick actions of the goblin hunters in retrieving the wounded or redirecting their efforts.

Bert was honestly surprised at how coordinated the hunters were. They were more efficient and worked together better than some of the most elite militaries the large man had seen. He would have to ask about their training one day.

The tide of the battle had shifted once more when Boarslayer, wielding the weapon Bert now did, had appeared. The artifact — [Megaton], as she called it — proved exceptionally effective against the Bulwarks, its mighty blows seeming to bypass the creature's insane armor. Unfortunately, the weapon also appeared to put more than a little strain on even the powerful goblin warrior. Boarslayer had only killed two of the armored insects before she nearly collapsed, her arms visibly shaking as purple bruises spread up her arms.

So Bert had taken up the weapon in her stead.

As soon as he picked the weapon up, he understood why Boarslayer struggled with it.

It was heavy, even for Bert. Moreover, the massive hammer's secondary impact shook his bones in a way he had never felt before. Bert had to reinforce his body with Spirit Energy like he did with his most powerful body enhancements to even use the bloody weapon.

Now, the fight was over, and the Bulwarks were exterminated. Whatever intelligence — if any — commanded the termites seemed to take that as a sign. The forest emptied of termites as quickly as they had appeared.

The gathered Adventurers and goblins paused, taking in the battlefield. Seeing no more enemies, the group erupted in cheers.

Bert smiled and knelt in the gore to catch his breath.

Glad that's over. Don't think I could have done that many more times… Bert thought to himself as he stared at his slightly shaking arms.

Silent as a ghost, Boarslayer suddenly appeared beside him. She stared down at Bert with a frown for a silent moment before snatching [Megaton] from his hands.

"Mine," she said before walking away.

Bert only chuckled to himself and shook his head.

As the large goblin warrior walked away, practically dragging the massive hammer behind her, Bert's gaze drifted back to the [Megaton], and he hmmed to himself.

He had never seen a weapon quite like that hammer before. It hadn't taken long for Bert to realize the weapon used none of his Spirit Energy at all, barring what it took to reinforce his own body. For such an astoundingly powerful weapon to use no Spirit Energy? Yet be able to be wielded by a mere early [Spiritual Awakening] Cultivator like himself?

That kind of thing was unheard of.

Bert had to consciously suppress his greed at the thought of the hammer. Trying to take it would only crack the already strained relationship between Halirosa and the goblin village, let alone his newest 'apprentice.' Besides, it didn't take a genius to figure out where Boarslayer could have gotten such a weapon.

Bert's gaze drifted toward the direction of the dungeon. He wondered how Robert and the others were doing with their own mission. According to Dr. Maria, they should hear some news soon.

Bert grinned from ear to ear.

I wonder if they had as much fun as us?

——————————————————

<< Alpha Log -

6952 SFY-Third Era, 7 standard months since Planetfall.

5 days since the beginning of Operation: Safari Hunt >>

The enemy has been vanquished! Long live the colony! Long live the Queens!

In all seriousness, though, I've made quite a bit of progress on our little termite problem. While the goblins and Adventurers slaughtered the army sent into the forest, I've not been sitting on my digital butt.

Infiltrating the termite colony was easier than I expected.

With most of the termite colony's soldiers and workers split between fighting the ant colony and the Adventurers, they have made a critical error and left their own colony practically undefended.

Of course, there's no way I'd let that chance slip by. It helped that the Alphantonso Mark-6 iterations were nearly as strong as a termite soldiers themselves. Refining the modular nanite ports built into their carapaces had greatly increased their utility.

I've even noticed the native ant-mind adapting to the mods as well, and they have been 'requesting' access for various jobs around the colony when not being actively directed by the onboard AI.

That such a thing should only be technically possible is a minor matter. That's the best kind of possible!

Ok, so I should really look into that, but I've got other, more important issues to deal with right now. I'm sure it'll be fine.

As I was saying, the strike squad, backed up by a few Antonio-II model soldiers, made quick work of the termite colony's weakened defenses.

As I suspected, the termite colony was massive, even compared to the ant colony, but as it followed a similar layout, I was able to quickly find several key locations.

Including the royal chamber.

At ten queens, half of which seemed newly hatched, I'm glad we managed to find this threat before it became significant. If the termites had been allowed to continue to grow, their numbers would have snowballed out of control.

At first, I was going to wipe them out. Kill all the queens and torch the nurseries I could find. Sure, with such a massive colony, there was a chance I would miss a few, but it would have been worth it.

Dr. Maria, however, convinced me to leave a few of the queens alive. According to her, for as destructive as they could be, this particular species of spirit insect were prized for their various alchemical and medical uses.

Keeping them around while regulating their numbers would be a boon for their growing outpost, and act as another draw for Adventurers. If we were lucky, the various rare resources in the forest, coupled with both the termites and ants, would attract experienced alchemists and mages looking to exploit the resources. Apparently, the natural napalm produced by the 'Demon Ants' was also quite valuable, if much less so than the termites.

In retrospect, I should have considered that, given how adept the natives seem at exploiting their environment. The Federation would be proud!

Another surprise came in how well Bert wielded the [Megaton]. That wasn't a weapon designed to be used without Boarslayer's custom armor. The damage the woman had caused to her body in just a few swings was evidence of that.

Yet Bert had not only kept pace with the weapon for quite some time, but had reduced the strain on his own body through a rather clever use of Spirit Energy.

I knew that the strange energy could reinforce a biological body through observing my ants, but not to such a degree. This warrants further investigation.

That said, now that the termite issue has been mostly resolved, it's time to get on with the show!

——————————————————

Bert chucked as he grinned wider down at Robert.

"Hey boss, welcome back. Sorry about the mess. We had a small… incident while you were gone."

Robert stared at the grinning, blue-splattered giant of a man in front of him, then turned to the gore-filled battlefield spread out behind the giant. He then sighed and pinched the ridge of his nose.

"I assume you've already sent scouts out to locate the colony?" he asked the giant man.

Bert nodded, "Yup. They left not too long before you all returned. Some of the goblin hunters even agreed to escort them to the most probable locations. We should hear back from them within the day if luck holds up. This place just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"

Robert smirked, then frowned. "Yes… it is. That's what I'm worried about. This place is a little too good."

Bert raised an eyebrow. "You expect the clans to raise a fuss if the Guild tried to claim this place?" he asked.

"… Among other things, yes," Robert responded.

The two of them stood there in silence for a long moment, each lost in their own thoughts before Bert coughed into his hands.

"So, boss… how did things go on your end? Were you able to meet with the Dungeon Core and figure out what we're dealing with?"

Robert's shoulders sagged, and the man resisted the urge to complain. "Yes. We did. Things aren't as simple as they seem, however. If we want to keep this place, I'm afraid we have quite the challenge ahead of us."

Bert's eyes lit up, and his grin grew wider. "Keep talkin'. I love a good challenge."

 

[Osamaru]

And I'm back! It was a good break and I got a chance to work on the upcoming ending.
I even got to visit a friend and attend a wedding!

————————————————————————
B2 - Lesson 52: "Do What You're Asked."
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"YOU KNEW ABOUT THEM THIS WHOLE TIME?!" Maggy yelled as she shook Dr. Maria by the shoulders. If the doctor hadn't already been a celebrated healer and [Golden Spirit] Cultivator herself, Alpha would have had strong words for the young lady about respecting her elders.

As it was, the old doctor simply laughed, apparently enjoying her young friend's rather… eccentric display. "Of course, dear. I have been down here for quite a while longer than you have."

Maggy stopped shaking the woman and stared at her, eyes filled with hurt betrayal. "And you didn't tell me?!"

Dr. Maria chuckled and patted the young girl's shoulder. "Now, where would the fun have been in that?" she said. "Besides, would you have entered the dungeon if I had shown them to you? Or would you have spent the next month locked in a hut trying to figure out how they worked?" the doctor asked, gesturing to the small pile of MUD coins on the table.

Maggy looked away, visibly blushing as she muttered something too soft to hear.

Bert, standing nearby, lifted a coin off the table and nimbly rolled it across the back of his fingers. "So these are what you guys found, huh? I'll admit, I've never been one for tablets. Sure, they're useful, but they burn money like a young master at the brothel. I'd rather rely on what I can do myself."

Maggy turned and pointed a finger at the large man, "You only say that because you don't understand what these represent! If we could crack how they work, they could change… everything!" she said.

Robert raised a hand, cutting off what he expected would be a lengthy breakdown of every reason Bert was wrong.

"That's understandable, Bert, though keep in mind that the tablet market alone makes up nearly 5% of Halirosa's annual income. They still require some testing, but Magnolia isn't wrong. A dungeon capable of producing even common tablets would be an unimaginable boon for the city." Robert raised on the coins, 'But If these 'MUD' are capable of what we suspect, then that alone would make this the find of a lifetime."

Bert raised a brow and whistled, reevaluating the seeming clay coin he held. "That big, uh? I'll trust your expertise then. That said, the other stuff you brought is more interesting to me." Bert placed the coin down and picked up a kite shield that was also sitting on the table, along with a collection of other items.

The large shield looked more like a buckler in the giant's hand. He lifted it, then, with his free hand, flicked the center of the shield.

DOOOONG!

A loud metallic sound echoed through the camp. When Bert turned the shield to the rest of the group, they saw a small dent had formed.

"I put enough Spirit Energy and force in that blow to cave even quality steel. And this thing isn't even arrayed," he said before placing the shield back on the table. "What's more…" he gestured to it. At first, the group had trouble seeing what Bert saw, but those gathered around the table soon gasped. As they watched, the dent in the shield slowly bulged outward, snapping back into place, until the shield returned to its pristine condition.

"I recognize this alloy," Bert said. "The smith who discovered it claimed it could 'remember' its shape in some way I couldn't understand. The problem was that it was a rather soft alloy prone to deformation under certain forces. He found some rather clever uses, but it was ultimately deemed unsuited for armor or weapons. It seems the dungeon has solved that problem."

Alpha grinned to himself as he watched the group from a hidden [Wasp], glad someone had recognized the shield's value. It was one of the items that Alpha was most proud of.

Bert was right: the nickel-titanium alloy, often nicknamed 'memory metal,' wasn't suited for armor or cold weapons. Sure, it had uncountable other uses, even for the Federation, but its military applications were limited without serious processing — which Alpha didn't have access to… yet.

That was until he discovered his ants.

It turned out the 'Demon Ants' incorporated a similar principle behind the metal into their carapaces. Alloying the metal and carapaces — among other things — together using Federation methods created a biometal that was not only absurdly durable but could quickly repair itself when damaged. The resulting metal was even chemically inert to everything but itself, allowing it to 'cold weld' in an atmosphere. If something did manage to severely damage the metal, you could literally stick it back together with little loss in its structural stability.

That also made it slightly harder to work with, but Alpha had immediately thought of a thousand uses for the metal.

The armor that his dungeon's 'NPCs' wore was even made of the stuff. This new equipment offered only slightly less defensive ability than the tactical armor Alpha had given to the goblins, though it was significantly heavier and didn't come with any of the fun stuff built into the goblin's armor. A personal shield generator covered anything the armor couldn't handle.

Who knew what else he could make with it in time, though?

Alpha smirked to himself as he watched Robert reevaluating the shield he had so casually dismissed in the dungeon.

The rest of the table was filled with the various items they had collected during their brief delve into the Dragon's Garden.

A couple of the shield fences the goblins had used against the termites. Typically used to keep wild animals out of your garden, but the Adventurers — and goblins — didn't need to know that.

A solar-powered, collapsable lantern that got more attention than Alpha was expecting once Antchaser showed how to use it.

A box filled with various medical solutions Dr. Maria had assured Alpha the Adventurers would be interested in.

Even some more traditional arrayed equipment from Alpha's experiments. While their effects were still minor, the quality that Alpha could produce was leagues above what could be done by hand, and the items would be suitable for Cultivators below [Silver Spirit].

Alpha had tried to vary the rewards as much as he reasonably could. No one liked getting the same thing over and over again. He needed to show the kinds of things he could really offer the Adventurers to flame their greed. At the same time, showing them everything would take away from the wonder and set unrealistic expectations.

Alpha was fully planning on using the Expeditionary force as an eventual' beta group' to test how best to balance these rewards. However, that would likely have to wait until after they had dealt with Icefinger's group.

Examples of the items were passed around the expeditionary team as each of the two dozen or so Adventurers and support staff discussed the finds and what other secrets the dungeon might hold. Robert had no fear of any of the items going missing. Maybe he would have if it was another group, but not this one. Everyone chosen for the expedition were professionals of the highest caliber in one field or another, if not always combat.

While the rest of the team played with the loot, the expeditionary team and village leadership met to discuss their next steps.

——————————————————

Once the dungeon team finished explaining what they had learned, the inside of the command tent had gone deathly silent.

"I see the issue," Bert said, finally breaking the silence. The large man's shoulder slumped, and he slicked his hair back. "On one hand, we can't abandon the dungeon. Even the cavern itself is a treasure trove. The clans have grown a bit too 'arrogant' lately with their monopoly of the nearby Deep entrances. This place would go a long way in fortifying the Guild's position in Halirosa. On the other hand…"

Bert let his words hang in the air as the goblins and Adventurers around the table exchanged looks.

Garrelt tapped the table with an arrow rhythmically; a habit Antchaser had quickly picked up meant the man was thinking the problem through. After a moment, he stabbed the arrow into the table and stood. "Our best bet is to stabilize the dungeon as best as possible. Eliminate the slimes and possessed creatures, patrol the area, and prevent the drake from causing more damage. While we do that, we send for a Guild Executive. They should be enough to capture the drake alo—"

"Absolutely not," came Robert's response.

Garrelt paused, frowned, and raised a brow. "And why not? An Executive would be, at minimum, [Soul Fusion]. Even if the Mud Drake has crossed into [Core Condensing], capturing it would be a breeze."

Robert folded his hands and returned the man's glare. "And are you willing to take the risk that we can't keep the dungeon from collapsing before they get here? The Dungeon Core itself said that time is of the essence. How incompetent would we look if we let the dungeon collapse before help could arrive when we can handle the issue ourselves?" he asked.

"At what cost?!" Garrelt asked, opening his arms wide. "I'm all for a good hunt, Robert, and if I was alone with the time, I might try my hand at the drake myself. But we're not alone, Robert. How many people are we going to throw at that thing to even put it in a position to be captured? How many won't make it back to enjoy the spoils?"

Robert frowned, then leaned back in his chair. "Everyone in this expedition understood the risks when they joined. Danger is part of what it means to be an Adventurer." The man's voice was flat and cold. At the expedition leader's uncharacteristically callous response, those gathered around the table turned and stared.

Garrelt's frown deepened, and his eyes narrowed. The scout leader took a deep and pointed at Robert. Before he could say whatever he was preparing to, however, Bert stood, a hand outstretched to both.

"Hold on now, both of you," he said, glancing between the two glaring men. "You both have valid points. Robert isn't wrong that we're on a time crunch here. We're walking a thin line between the dungeon break, the termites, and who knows what else is out there." Bert locked eyes with Garrelt while Robert smirked. "At the same time," Bert continued — Robert's smirk fell, and his eyes snapped to Bert — "While it's true that we all understood the risks as Adventurers, Garrelt isn't wrong. This isn't exactly what we signed up for. And we must remind ourselves not to be blinded by greed, lest we fall off our tightrope to disaster in our rush."

As the others around the table whispered and muttered to each other, Garrelt and Robert continued to glare at each other. Dr. Maria stood nearby, nodding her head at the large man's word.

While the others discussed the problem, Antchaser, Boarslayer, the doctor, and Alpha were having their own discussion over their comms.

"What's the chance of them actually capturing the thing without casualties?" Boarslayer asked. "I get why we're doing this, but it doesn't feel right if people are going to die needlessly." After all, it wasn't as if the Dragon's Garden was in danger of collapse. All of this was just smoke and mirrors.

"Hard to say… it's gotten bigger — and stronger — since the last time I saw it," came Antchaser's response. "Between Robert and Bert, they might be able to keep the beast focused enough to keep everyone safe. But the drake is used to group tactics after dealing with the ants for so long. It's a risk."

Boarslayer grumbled. "I don't like it, but should we do what Garrelt suggested and let them call in a Guild Executive? That would also make dealing with Icefinger's lot a certainty, right? Do we know when they'll arrive yet?"

"No," Alpha said. "My eyes outside of the region are limited, and I've not yet been able to locate them. I suspect they're cloaking their movements somehow. However, all the data I do have points to them arriving in the next five to six days."

"Regardless, I don't think calling a Guild Executive would be for the best," Dr. Maria interjected.

"Oh? Why so?" Alpha asked.

Dr. Maria frowned. "A few reasons. First off, the timing. It could take anywhere from two days to a couple of weeks for an executive to arrive, depending on if there are any holdups. Relying on them to solve our little bandit issue is inefficient."

She then turned and stared at the hidden [Wasps] drone spying on the meeting. Alpha had yet to figure out how exactly the woman could spot them so easily.

"There's also the issue of leverage. It's one thing if the expeditionary force works together with the village to beat back the problems of the drake and the bandits. It's another thing entirely if a Guild Executive arrives to 'rescue' us all with a wave of their hand… assuming Icefinger's men don't go into hiding as soon as they learn an Executive is here." Dr. Maria frowned. That was a distinct possibility.

"That gives the village — and dungeon — far less bargaining power, even by Deep law. In the worst-case scenario, the Guild moves in and takes over with the excuse of 'stability and protection' or some other nonsense. If the village wants any say in what happens here in the future, they need to establish themselves as a power capable of, at the very least, being of use."

Boarslayer and Antchaser exchanged a dark look. The doctor had a point. As they were now, the expeditionary force was treating the goblin village as allies. And as long as they proved themselves competent, the other Deep Tribes would rally to their defense if someone exponentially more powerful than them tried to bully their way into control. That was how the otherwise independent and isolated Deep Tribes had defended themselves from the surface races for millennia. Had there been a larger village nearby, Bosco's group would have never done half of what they had.

But if the village invited that power in? Well, then, that was an entirely different matter.

Boarslayer folded her arms. "Then that just brings us right back to where we started. Where do we go from here?"

To everyone's surprise, the answer to that question came from an unexpected source.

"You guys are overcomplicating this," said Maggy, who, until that point, had remained quiet during the meeting. After all, she was a scholar, not a fighter. She could defend herself well enough, but the other around the table had far more experience dealing with powerful beasts, be they the veteran adventurers or the goblin Hunters.

The discussion around the table paused, and all eyes turned to the young woman, who blushed red. She coughed in her hand and collected herself before continuing. "What I mean is, you're thinking too much like Cultivators. Not every problem needs to be beaten over the head with the biggest stick you can find."

Garrelt raised a brow and smirked. "Well then, Ms. Mage, how do you propose we fight the dragon-blooded spirit beast, which, I remind you, is likely a greater realm stronger than anyone here?"

Maggy turned to the man and glared. "The Dungeon Core already told us himself. He doesn't want us to fight anything…"

Maggy's words trailed off into silence. After a moment, Dr. Maria burst into laughter and grinned at the young woman beside her, causing Maggy to blush even further.

Bert, too, grinned, then reached under the table and pulled out a rolled map. In one motion, he unfurled it and laid it across the table for them all to see.

The lass was right. They had gotten so tied up on the drake's power that they had all forgotten one important detail.

Their job was never to fight the drake in the first place.

It was to capture it.