Year 336 Post-Collision – Day 101
Sunny was hunched over a desk in the Lord's Hall, surrounded by every book on dungeons Elena could find in Blackshore's tiny library, when the Archive chimed.
[AUTO-ANALYZER: DETECTING INFORMATION GAP]
[YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF DUNGEON MECHANICS: INCOMPLETE]
[CROSS-REFERENCING MEDIA CATALOG WITH OBSERVED REALITY...]
[DISCREPANCY FOUND]
[YOU'VE BEEN THINKING OF DUNGEONS TOO SIMPLISTICALLY]
"What do you mean?" Sunny asked aloud.
[EXPLANATION: YOU'VE BEEN TREATING ALL DUNGEONS AS IDENTICAL]
[MAGI-STYLE DJINN DUNGEONS = ONE TYPE]
[BUT THIS WORLD HAS: MULTIPLE DUNGEON VARIATIONS]
[EACH WITH DIFFERENT RULES, REWARDS, REQUIREMENTS]
[THE NORTHWEST DUNGEON IS DJINN-TYPE]
[BUT THERE ARE OTHERS]
[YOU NEED COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING]
Sunny sat back, frustrated. He'd been so focused on the one dungeon he could see that he hadn't thought about dungeon diversity. In his Media Catalog, different series had different dungeon systems—why would this world be any different?
"Show me everything," Sunny said. "Every dungeon type this world has. Every variation. I need to understand what I'm actually dealing with."
The Archive pulled from his memories—every anime, manga, light novel, game that featured dungeons. Then it started organizing them into categories that matched observable reality in this post-Collision world.
[ACCESSING MEDIA CATALOG...]
[CROSS-REFERENCING: OBSERVED WORLD MECHANICS]
[GENERATING: COMPREHENSIVE DUNGEON TAXONOMY]
[THIS IS COMPLEX]
[PREPARING FULL ANALYSIS...]
DUNGEON TYPES OF THE POST-COLLISION WORLD
[CATEGORY 1: DJINN DUNGEONS (MAGI-STYLE)]
SOURCE: "Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic"
STRUCTURE:
Created by Djinn (reality-warping entities of immense power) 40-80 floors typically Each floor tests specific qualities (courage, wisdom, strength, morality, etc.) Final floor contains the Djinn themselves
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONQUEST:
Must clear ALL floors sequentially Must prove worthy to the Djinn (not just strong, but worthy) Tests are personalized to challenger Can take years to complete
REWARDS:
Metal Vessel: Physical object containing Djinn's power Djinn Equip: Transformation ability using Djinn's power Household Vessel Rights: Can grant Djinn power to loyal followers Sovereignty: Legitimate rulership acknowledged by world's power structure Rukh Manipulation: (If applicable in this world)
DJINN EQUIP MECHANICS:
User merges consciousness with Djinn Physical transformation (full body or partial) Access to Djinn's elemental/conceptual power Duration: Limited by magoi/magicules (typically 10-30 minutes) Full Equip: Complete transformation, maximum power, extreme drain Weapon Equip: Transform weapon only, moderate power, less drain Household Equip: Servants use borrowed Djinn power
METAL VESSEL TYPES:
Weapons (swords, spears, bows) Jewelry (rings, necklaces, crowns) Tools (staffs, mirrors, books) Household items (rarely)
NORTHWEST DUNGEON CLASSIFICATION: DJINN-TYPE
Estimated 47 floors Djinn type: Pressure/Abyss/Depths (predicted) Perfect synergy with Sunny's Abyssal Sovereignty Conquest timeline: 4-6 months minimum
[CATEGORY 2: GATE DUNGEONS (SOLO LEVELING STYLE)]
SOURCE: "Solo Leveling" + Similar Hunter Systems
STRUCTURE:
Spontaneous reality rifts Not permanent structures—appear and disappear 1-20 floors typically (smaller than Djinn dungeons) Contain monsters, treasures, mana stones
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONQUEST:
Defeat boss monster Complete in time limit (gates close after hours/days) Rank-appropriate power (E-S rank gates)
REWARDS:
Mana stones (raw magical power) Equipment drops (weapons, armor) Skill books (rare) Experience/growth (kills make you stronger) Gate core (if completely cleared)
NO DJINN EQUIP EQUIVALENT
Instead: System-based growth Leveling mechanics Stat allocation Achievement rewards
PREVALENCE IN THIS WORLD: COMMON
Rift zones probably spawn these Crossroads surge was gate-dungeon-adjacent Temporary, renewable resources
[CATEGORY 3: TOWER DUNGEONS (TOWER OF GOD STYLE)]
SOURCE: "Tower of God" + Various Climbing Series
STRUCTURE:
Single massive tower Hundreds or thousands of floors Each floor = independent world/test Progressive difficulty Social ecosystem (climbers form communities)
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONQUEST:
Climb floor by floor Pass administrator tests Form contracts/alliances Years to decades to complete
REWARDS:
Power growth through climbing Contracts with administrators Shinsu manipulation (or equivalent) Wishes granted at top Irregular status (if applicable)
NO METAL VESSELS
Instead: Contracts, Ignition Weapons, Administrator Blessings
PREVALENCE IN THIS WORLD: RARE
Possibly 1-3 exist globally Not in local region
[CATEGORY 4: DUNGEON CORE SYSTEMS (LitRPG/DUNGEON BORN)]
SOURCE: Various LitRPG, "Dungeon Core" Novels
STRUCTURE:
Living dungeon with sentient core Grows and evolves based on kills Adapts to challengers Can negotiate with core
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONQUEST:
Defeat core guardian OR negotiate with dungeon core directly OR become dungeon master (rare)
REWARDS:
Dungeon mastery (control the dungeon) Core absorption (gain dungeon's accumulated power) Monster taming rights Automatic resource generation
NO DJINN EQUIP
Instead: Dungeon Lord status Monster command Terrain manipulation Respawn mechanics
PREVALENCE IN THIS WORLD: UNCOMMON
Organic dungeons exist Can be "tamed" rather than conquered
[CATEGORY 5: POCKET DIMENSION DUNGEONS (VARIOUS)]
SOURCE: Xianxia, Cultivation Novels
STRUCTURE:
Self-contained pocket realities Often created by dead cultivators/mages Contain inheritance, treasures, trials Time dilation possible
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONQUEST:
Meet entry conditions (usually bloodline/affinity) Pass trials Claim inheritance
REWARDS:
Cultivation techniques Ancient treasures Bloodline awakening Time-accelerated training
NO DJINN EQUIP
Instead: Inherited techniques, sealed powers, ancient artifacts
PREVALENCE IN THIS WORLD: RARE
Legacy dungeons from pre-Collision
[CATEGORY 6: LABYRINTH DUNGEONS (DANMACHI STYLE)]
SOURCE: "Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon"
STRUCTURE:
Single enormous underground labyrinth Spawns monsters continuously Different zones/depths Living ecosystem Gods/Administrators manage it
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONQUEST:
Reach deepest floor Defeat floor bosses Survive increasingly dangerous depths
REWARDS:
Experience (kills = growth) Drop items (magic stones, equipment) Skill development Falna (blessing) upgrades
NO DJINN EQUIP
Instead: God blessings, Status updates, Skill development
PREVALENCE IN THIS WORLD: UNKNOWN
Would be massive regional feature if present
[CATEGORY 7: RAID DUNGEONS (MMO STYLE)]
SOURCE: Various Game-Based Isekai
STRUCTURE:
Designed for group challenges Mechanics-heavy (puzzles, coordination requirements) Instanced or persistent Boss encounters with specific strategies
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONQUEST:
Party of 5-40 people (dungeon dependent) Role coordination (tank, DPS, healer, support) Mechanic mastery Equipment checks
REWARDS:
Loot drops (RNG-based) Achievements Party-wide buffs First clear bonuses
NO DJINN EQUIP
Instead: Equipment sets, Achievement titles, Party synergies
PREVALENCE IN THIS WORLD: COMMON IN AREAS WITH ADVENTURER GUILDS
[AUTO-ANALYZER: SUMMARY]
YOUR TARGET: NORTHWEST DUNGEON
CLASSIFICATION: DJINN-TYPE (MAGI SYSTEM)
THIS MEANS:
1. FULL FLOOR-BY-FLOOR CONQUEST REQUIRED
Can't skip floors Each floor will test you differently Must prove worthiness, not just strength
2. METAL VESSEL IS THE REWARD
Physical object containing Djinn's power Likely sword, ring, or crown given your sovereignty focus
3. DJINN EQUIP CAPABILITY
Full transformation: Body merge with Djinn power Weapon equip: Transform metal vessel only Household equip: Grant power to named servants (YOUR ANTS)
4. POLITICAL LEGITIMACY
Dungeon capturers are RECOGNIZED POWERS Djinn Lords have authority similar to royalty Coalition/Castor would be FORCED to acknowledge you
5. POWER SCALING
Djinn equip typically puts users at A-rank or higher Even partial equip is B-rank minimum You'd jump from C-rank to A-rank instantly (when equipped)
Sunny absorbed all of this, then pulled out a specific tome from the stack—a Magi manga volume he'd been studying from his Media Catalog memory.
The page showed Alibaba Saluja using Djinn Equip for the first time. The transformation. The overwhelming power. The way the metal vessel—his sword—became part of him, extending his will into reality-altering flames.
"Archive," Sunny said slowly. "If I conquer the Northwest Dungeon and gain a metal vessel... can I give household vessels to my named ants? Let them use the Djinn equip through me?"
[ANALYZING HOUSEHOLD VESSEL MECHANICS...]
[CROSS-REFERENCING: NAMED SERVANT BONDS + DJINN SYSTEM]
[RESULT: YES]
[YOUR NAMED ANTS ALREADY HAVE: LOYALTY BONDS, SOVEREIGNTY CONNECTION, SHARED CONSCIOUSNESS NETWORK]
[THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HOUSEHOLD VESSELS REQUIRE]
[IF YOU BECOME DUNGEON CAPTURER:]
[- BURGUNDY COULD USE HOUSEHOLD VESSEL = DJINN EQUIP]
[- ALL 17 QUEENS COULD USE HOUSEHOLD VESSELS = PARTIAL EQUIP]
[- SELECT NAMED ANTS COULD RECEIVE LESSER VESSELS]
[IMAGINE: BURGUNDY WITH DJINN EQUIP]
[IMAGINE: 17 QUEENS WITH HOUSEHOLD POWER]
[YOUR ANT ARMY WOULD BECOME: DJINN HOUSEHOLD FORCE]
[UNPRECEDENTED]
[TERRIFYING]
[PERFECT]
Sunny leaned back in his chair, mind racing. He'd been thinking of dungeon conquest as personal power gain. But if he could extend the Djinn's power through household vessels to his ants...
His five-thousand-strong army could become five thousand Djinn-powered soldiers.
No. Not all five thousand. But the named ones. Burgundy and the queens at minimum. Forty-seven household vessels for his original ants. Seventeen for the queens.
Sixty-four Djinn-empowered commanders leading a massive conventional force.
"That would make Blackshore..." Sunny trailed off.
[A LEGITIMATE MILITARY SUPERPOWER]
[NOT JUST 'WEIRD KID WITH ANTS']
[BUT 'DJINN LORD WITH HOUSEHOLD ARMY']
[SAME TIER AS DEMON LORDS, DJINN KINGS, MAJOR NATIONS]
[THIS IS THE GOAL]
[THIS IS WHAT DUNGEON CONQUEST MEANS]
Sunny stood and walked to the window. The Northwest Dungeon was visible in the distance—that twisted tower of impossible architecture and purple-black energy.
Forty-seven floors. Probably six months of fighting and trials. Each floor testing different aspects of his character, his power, his worthiness.
But at the end: a metal vessel. Djinn equip. The ability to transform into something that could rewrite local reality. And household vessels for every single one of his named servants.
"Elena!" Sunny called.
The Chancellor appeared from another room. "What?"
"Change of plans. The Coalition conference is in 18 days. I need you to prepare something specific."
"What?"
"A presentation on dungeon types. What makes Djinn dungeons special. Why conquering one matters politically. I need the Coalition to understand that when I go into that tower, I'm not just leveling up—I'm pursuing legitimate sovereignty."
Elena's eyes widened. "You're going to announce your intention to challenge it?"
"No. I'm going to make them want me to challenge it. Make them see that having a Djinn Lord in the Coalition strengthens them. Make it their idea to support my attempt."
[AUTO-ANALYZER: POLITICAL STRATEGY ASSESSMENT]
[THIS IS BRILLIANT]
[INSTEAD OF: 'KID WANTS TO DO DANGEROUS THING']
[FRAME AS: 'COALITION GAINS DJINN LORD ALLY']
[THEY'LL PROVIDE RESOURCES, INFORMATION, SUPPORT]
[MAYBE EVEN ALLIES FOR EARLY FLOORS]
[SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 73%]
Elena smiled slowly. "You're learning politics. I'll have materials ready in three days. But Sunny—you need to understand what you're actually committing to. Djinn dungeons aren't just difficult. They're personal. They test who you are at your core. Can you handle that?"
Sunny looked at the manga page again. Alibaba transforming. The Djinn Amon testing him. The trials of worthiness.
"I'm claimed by a Leviathan who drowned me repeatedly because I stole from her," Sunny said. "I've died once already. I've built a kingdom from nothing. I think I can handle some personal trials."
"Your confidence is either inspiring or suicidal."
"Why not both?"
[ACCURATE SELF-ASSESSMENT]
[NOW: PREPARE FOR COALITION CONFERENCE]
[OBJECTIVE: GAIN SUPPORT FOR DUNGEON ATTEMPT]
[SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: ESTABLISH BLACKSHORE AS FUTURE DJINN LORD TERRITORY]
[TIMELINE: 18 DAYS TO CONFERENCE]
[THEN: 120-180 DAYS TO CONQUER DUNGEON]
[THEN: EVERYTHING CHANGES]
Day 102 – Deep Study
Sunny spent the next day completely absorbed in studying Magi mechanics, rewatching his memories of the anime, analyzing how metal vessels worked, how Djinn equip functioned, what household vessels could do.
The Auto-Analyzer processed everything, cross-referencing with observed reality in this world, calculating probabilities and mechanics.
KEY FINDINGS:
METAL VESSEL REQUIREMENTS:
Must be object of significance (weapon, jewelry, heirloom) Djinn bonds vessel to user during conquest Cannot be stolen or used by others (soul-bound) User must have compatible nature with Djinn
DJINN EQUIP LIMITATIONS:
Massive magicule drain (200-500 units per minute) Mental strain (shared consciousness with Djinn) Time limit (10-30 minutes typically for new users) Cooldown period after use Requires practice to master
HOUSEHOLD VESSEL MECHANICS:
Must have loyalty bond with dungeon capturer Vessels are lesser versions of main metal vessel Power scales with user's own capabilities Limited duration (shorter than main equip) Number of household vessels = dungeon capturer's magicule capacity / 100
That last point made Sunny pause.
His current magicule capacity: 1,847.
Potential household vessels: 18.
"Archive, if I increase my capacity to, say, 5,000... that's 50 household vessels?"
[CORRECT]
[MORE CAPACITY = MORE HOUSEHOLD VESSELS]
[THIS IS creates STRATEGIC PRIORITY]
[BEFORE DUNGEON CONQUEST: MAXIMIZE MAGICULE CAPACITY]
[CURRENT: 1,847 (18 VESSELS)]
[TARGET: 5,000 (50 VESSELS)]
[THAT WOULD LET YOU EQUIP:]
[- ALL 47 ORIGINAL NAMED ANTS]
[- PLUS 3 ADDITIONAL (FUTURE NAMINGS)]
[YOUR ENTIRE COMMAND STRUCTURE = DJINN-POWERED]
"How long to reach 5,000 capacity?"
[CALCULATING...]
[CURRENT GROWTH RATE: +73 PASSIVE, +150-200 COMBAT AVERAGE]
[TOTAL: ~250/MONTH]
[NEED: +3,153 CAPACITY]
[TIME: 12-13 MONTHS]
[TOO SLOW]
[ALTERNATIVE: CONSUME HIGH-MAGICULE ENTITIES]
[HUNT C-RANK OR HIGHER MONSTERS]
[EACH C-RANK KILL: +30-80 CAPACITY GAIN]
[NEED ~50 C-RANK KILLS]
[TIME: 3-4 MONTHS OF INTENSIVE HUNTING]
[THIS IS FASTER]
[ALSO: TERRIFYING]
Sunny made a note: Before dungeon attempt, hunt C-rank monsters systematically. Boost capacity to 5,000 minimum. Maximum household vessels for maximum ant army devastation.
It was a plan. Insane, ambitious, probably survivable.
Standard Sunny behavior.
Day 103 – Burgundy's Question
That evening, Burgundy found Sunny on the north wall, staring at the dungeon as usual.
"My Lord, may I ask what you were studying so intently?"
"Djinn dungeons. Metal vessels. Household vessel mechanics." Sunny turned to his commander. "Burgundy, if I conquer that tower, I can grant you power. Real power. Djinn equip that would let you transform, use reality-altering abilities, become stronger than you've ever imagined."
Burgundy was silent for a long moment. "You would share the dungeon's reward with us? Your servants?"
"You're not just servants. You're my generals. My family. My kingdom's foundation." Sunny gestured at the distant tower. "If I do this alone, I become one powerful individual. If I share it through household vessels, we become an army that can't be stopped. The choice is obvious."
"This is... unprecedented, my Lord. Most conquerors hoard their power."
"I'm not most conquerors. I'm a weird kid who names ants and builds impossible things." Sunny smiled. "Besides, imagine Reaper with Djinn equip. She'd be unstoppable. Or Inferno commanding her swarm with Djinn fire. Or you coordinating the entire army with Djinn-enhanced intelligence."
"That would be... formidable."
"That would be terrifying. Which is the point. Blackshore doesn't survive by being normal. We survive by being so weird and powerful that nobody wants to test us."
Burgundy's mandibles clicked with what Sunny had learned was ant-laughter. "You have a gift for strategy, my Lord. Both military and political. Very well. The ants will support your dungeon attempt. We shall ensure you survive long enough to grant us these household vessels. Enlightened self-interest."
"The best kind of interest."
They stood together, Lord and General, human and ant, looking at the tower that would either make them legends or kill them trying.
Six months.
Maybe five if the hunting went well.
Then everything would change.
Again.
[END CHAPTER 23]
[DUNGEON TAXONOMY: ESTABLISHED]
[DJINN MECHANICS: UNDERSTOOD]
[HOUSEHOLD VESSEL STRATEGY: PLANNED]
[TARGET MAGICULE CAPACITY: 5,000]
[CURRENT: 1,847]
[HUNTING REQUIREMENT: ~50 C-RANK MONSTERS]
[TIMELINE: 3-4 MONTHS PREP + 2-3 MONTHS DUNGEON]
[TOTAL: 5-7 MONTHS TO DJINN LORD STATUS]
[COALITION CONFERENCE: 18 DAYS]
[OBJECTIVE: GAIN SUPPORT FOR ATTEMPT]
[NEXT: POLITICAL MANEUVERING AND POWER GRINDING]