Okay. Sorry I made another story without finishing the others. I have a Writer's Block... and I know that's a terrible excuse so I won't add into it anymore.
All I can say is that, I am very sorry.
Anyway, let's get to this story.
This one came to my mind while thinking about some of my ideas. Having read some Isekai and some other LitRPG fantasy webnovels, I think I wanted to try my hand in it.
And now, this idea won't leave my mind after that thought came to me.
This story's idea is "What if a Dungeon only have puzzles inside it?"
There will be no monsters, and nothing dangerous. Even if there is something that looks dangerous, it won't harm any of it's "Intruders".
So I get to it, and I have a fun writing this one. I can't stop writing this at all...
So I will try and pull up chapters occasionally until the ideas that doesn't come anymore. Which means, I am not sure if this will be updated in the future.
By the way, if you are looking for any professionally made stories, this is not it. Despite writing for a long time, I am a slow learner. I can't easily improve even if I force it. I also won't force myself to dedicate my time all on my writing because this is just a hobby, not a work.
So I hope you understand.
Well then, let's start the story then.
Waking up as a dungeon with no memories of herself, and nothing other than the knowledge of it's duty is something surprising. Trying to become a killzone for any fools who dares enters is just disgusting.
She really didn't know who she is other than she knows she's a girl, and she definitely isn't a dungeon before this. Whatever happened, she is now this small little unassuming cave.
Killing any life seems to be something she truly detests. Like, she really hates doing it. She don't know why though.
Then there is this mysterious panel on her vision. Despite having no eyes, she can still see it in her vision like it was in front of her.
She really didn't know what's with these things. She have this instinctive knowledge about the operation of her dungeons, but she doesn't know about her Unique Abilities.
So about Dungeons. Dungeons are this sentient environments that manages the World's Leylines. Which means, they are essential to maintain the balance of this world.
Due to being important, they have a lot of authorities within them. One of it is creating their own world within their interiors. These were useful when taking care of the Intruders.
A Dungeon's heart is the Dungeon Core. It is the floating orb within the dungeon that acts at it's center. If it was destroyed, everything within the dungeon will become inactive, and monsters within it won't respawn anymore.
There are four options to operate the dungeon. These are Rooms, Minions, Facilities, and Objects. To operate this, she needs Dungeon Points (DP). Dungeon Points can be acquired by either the following factors.
The strength of each intruders, the length of the dungeon, rooms and it's functions, and some facilities or objects that can produce magical powers.
As for the four options...
[Rooms] is for creating an area within the dungeon, which varies from a single unassuming 5m² empty room up to a large scale environment. The DP cost is dependent on the length of the environment and other factors.
[Minions] is for creating units. This varies from simple insects up to the strongest dragons.
[Facilities] is a mechanism or a vital part within the dungeon that is beneficial by either the intruders or the dungeon itself. This varies from a Monster Spawner, a Healing Fountain, Teleportation Circles, Traps, etc.
[Objects] are all material things ranging from food to weapon and even herbs and a lot more.
Then about the abilities.
These are the skills that can be acquired from an individual through many requirements or factors. So long as the World's System acknowledges it, the ability will be registered within an individual's status and they will be able to use it.
She is surprised, because while Dungeon Cores have the capability to have Abilities, they should have an Avatar first. An Avatar can be created through the Minions options.
The thing is, she didn't have an Avatar, yet she already have an Ability. The more surprising thing is the Unique Ability.
A Unique Ability is something that is very rare on this world. This can be also called as the outliers, or anomalies within the World's Systems. Being an anomaly, of course an agent of the World like her wasn't supposed to have it.
But it is there in her status, and has been acknowledge by her status.
[Language Comprehension] is self explanatory, so it didn't need any explanation.
The other three are not, and she is surprised and confused at the same time when she reads the description of these Skills.
[Eihort ~ God of Labyrinth] (Phantasmal Grade)
The Laws of the Dungeons imposed by the World is completely ineffective to you. Reject every laws within the Dungeon.
She can't understand. What's with those descriptions!?
Even when she tries to think of it's description, she can't help but throw her hands at it. She really can't understand what her Unique Abilities can do.
She at least understood one of it, but she thinks she can't really leave this place without having an Avatar.
Those are from yesterday, today she have decided about what to do.
As a Dungeon, she have to create a defense to protect her Dungeon Core while at the same time, give some rewards so the people comes back. If they come back, she will acquire more DP which will give her more options within her Dungeon.
But she didn't want that. So she decided to do something else.
"Why not block off the room to my Dungeon Core?"
While thinking like that, she was already operating her status and picking the Room functions.
Then she created another room within her and move her core within it. After that, she blocks it with the Dungeon Walls.
She half expected for it not to work. Though she is surprised to see it blocked without being rejected.
It costs most of her DP. Creating a room already costs her 100 DP, and the walls are 10 DP. Currently, she only have 14 DP left. By creating a new room, she has expanded her dungeon for a bit, and that room increases her DP income by one.
After that, it's time for her to wait it out. A few days have passed.
There are still no visitors within her dungeon. Well, it didn't have any Dungeon Cores because it is hidden behind the Dungeon Walls.
She have only seen some crickets and other insects crawling through that room and on one occasion, a Horned Rabbit stayed for a few hours within before leaving.
"I didn't thought this will be so boring."
Despite being a sentient cave, it seems like she still have her emotions. She can still feel bored after all.
She have a few DP, which she can use to create other rooms. Though that would be a bad idea if she wanted to be as unremarkable as possible. She wanted to he safe after all.
But she is very fed up looking at the dull walls and the glowing form of her core. She wanted to meet someone, maybe even see people once in awhile.
She didn't want to kill people, but what if she made a harmless dungeon.
They can't possible get inside her Dungeon Core. The Dungeon Walls are an impassable obstacle and is indestructible. Nothing in this world can destroy it. Even if it breaks, it will quickly recover to it's normal state.
Having thought of that, an idea came to her.
"If I just wanted to attract people, why don't I make it a puzzle!"
Excitement welled within her as her imagination works. She can already envision it, a lot of people moving through her dungeon and solving the puzzles within.
They won't even have to fear of being killed, because she will make sure that they won't.
In excitement, she quickly created a lot of paths in her Dungeon. This will be her first puzzle with them.
A maze.
Creating a 1m path only costs her 10 DP. So she decided to create a lot of paths. Of course, she will limit it and turn it into a rectangular box of maze. The starting point will be the room that she will create besides the first room.
Then, she just have to make paths everytime she have enough DP, until she managed to fill the 120x60 m² of area with paths. In the middle of it will be a room which will be the finish line.
Of course, it will be very depressing if the people who tried their hardest solving her puzzle only see an empty room when they get to the finish line. She needs to create a reward too.
That will be very expensive, but she didn't care. She wanted the people visiting her to be satisfied. Also, if they stay for at least an hour, her DP will increase so she can create more rewards for them.
With those thoughts in her mind, she begins creating her own Maze.
Her maze is progressing smoothly. She have created enough paths to be considered a maze. She calls this area as the Maze Area.
The Maze Area is a 120x60 m² rectangular area full of paths. In the middle of it is a room that acts as the finish line.
Outside the entrance, she have used the Territory Expansion. Territory Expansion is on the Room options. This option enables her to turn unoccupied areas besides her to be her own. It costs 50 DP per square meters.
After taking 5 m² of area outside her entrance, she have created two signs in it. One is a pointer pointing on the entrance of the dungeon and besides it is a sign with an image of a treasure chest.
As to why she picks image, it is because she didn't know the language of this world. She didn't know if they will understand some of the language that she knows, and she didn't want the people to ignore it. So she uses one of the universal language that most intelligent races can use, an image.
Anyway, she still have some DP left after taking care of all of this. Anytime she made some expansion in her Dungeon, her DP Income increases.
Now, she only needs to create some finishing touches.
"I need some light sources. It would be bad if they can't see anything. This is still the first stage, so I shouldn't make it unforgiving!"
With those thoughts, she made a torch stand (10 DP) every 5 meters on the path. Then she put two pairs of torch stands both on outside and inside the finish line. The total costs is 14,440 DP.
Then she stops, her mind wandering about the rewards.
"If it's like this, I think people would like magic items, or gold coins?"
Based on the World itself, humans and other invaders seems to like hoarding treasures. This is why, despite the danger of a Dungeon, they still kept going inside it. It's all about the reward that they took the risk.
She looks at the Facilities to see if there are anything in there that will create items repeatedly. She knows she can't maintain making some treasures if she manually does it.
There are some options within it. There is the Random Chest Generator, which costs 1,000 DP at minimum. In this cost, it will only create scraps like a chest with a single bronze coin or some scraps of metal. Increasing the DP Cost, the chest it will generate will raise in quality, and also in quantity. The area in which it influence is also included on it's total cost.
Random Chest Generator will generate chest every hour. It's like a Monster Spawner but for chests only.
She browses through her Facility option and see that there are specific chest generators. There is the Random Coin Generator, Random Weapon Generator, and a lot more. Most of it are like the Random Chest Generator, but the chest it will appear in there is guaranteed to be whatever it entails, unlike the Random Chest Generator which is obviously random.
"Okay. People loves money, I think?"
With those thoughts, she picks the Random Coin Generator and used up 10,000 DP for it. The area of influence is the finish line, which is just a simple room without anything with it.
Now she only have 2,104 DP. She looks at her maze and feels something is missing in it. Narrowing her gaze, she glances through every inch of her maze before a realization hits her.
"What if someone finishes it!?" She exclaims in horror.
If someone finishes her Maze, those people might make a map to come back. Having a map, they won't have to think where to go again and just move straight to the finish line.
And if those people shares it to the others, then the maze will be useless. She might as well make a straight path if they'll just know where the finish line is!
"No. I have to think! It would be unfair if they can just go to the finish line just because of a map!"
She browses through the options and felt her hopes falling. She can see some promising options, but those are too expensive.
For example, Moving Corridors is a moving path. It will change position from one place to another. Though this one already cost 10,000 DP for a single meter of it.
She can't afford it. Also, it will mess up the arrangement of the paths in her Maze Area. It might even block the passage to the exit.
"I wonder what I should do?" While feeling depressed, her eyes turned to her Unique Abilities. "I wonder if one of these can help me?" Without care, she decided to use one of it and see what it does.
[Sandalphon ~ The Seraph of Throne] has been activated.
She blinks her eyes in curiosity as the ability activates, her senses expanded all over her dungeon. She instinctively knows how this ability works after activating it.
"Amazing!" She exclaims in excitement. If she have eyes, it would be shining brightly.
She pointed at the Maze Area and imposed her rule in there.
"I want this to change everytime someone get to the Finish Line."
The whole Maze Area shines brightly, and she feels within her that something fundamental just changed. Being the Dungeon itself, she managed to quickly understand what those changes are.
"It really happens....!?" Her eyes widened in surprise.
The laws that she imposed in her Maze Area succeeds. Also, it didn't costs any DP.
She just now understands how broken is her Unique Abilities. It helps her greatly with anything she wants.
Her imagination suddenly works into overdrive as excitement blooms within her. She can feel a lot of possibilities with this ability.
"I have to make more changes then!"
With that, she made more rules in her dungeon.
She added a new rule that no one can get inside the room where her Dungeon Core is located. Even when she put a Dungeon Wall to block everyone, she wanted to do this much so she will feel more safe.
Then she imposed a rule on the finish line. Only a single chest can be opened by a single group. After that, they will be teleported back to the entrance.
Then, she changes the law once more so that every day, the Maze Area will change it's paths, turning it into a completely different maze. Of course, it is only limited to the Maze Area, so it won't change anything outside of it.
She is very amazed about her Unique Abilities. It is too flexible that it even knows what she truly desires when using it.
She also imposes a law in her dungeon, forbidding death within her walls.
First and foremost, she hated killing. It is why she is not making any death traps or monsters within.
She tries messing with the laws of her status itself, though it seems like this one is impossible. The only thing she can influence are her territory, not really herself.
"I'm the Dungeon itself though?"
Even with that flimsy excuse, she can't use her cheat abilities in her status. She shrugs her nonexistent shoulders and decided to be just satisfied.
"Being greedy is bad!" She nodded to herself.
Now, it is just a matter of waiting. She hopes there are people out there who finds her dungeon. She really wants to meet someone!
She finally learns what her cheat abilities can do!
