I have to admit I was a little anxious. Well, that was normal.
I had done everything within my reach regarding the creation and distribution of the first floor. Though small, they would quickly discover it was a dangerous labyrinth.
The group that entered consisted of five people.
The first was a tall man in the prime of his adulthood. From his clothes, he was clearly an adventurer, hunter, cultivator... I still don't know what terminology they use to refer to themselves. For now, let's call them hunters. From his weapons, it was clear he was a warrior confident in his physical strength and body.
The second was a thin man with a stealthy appearance who scrutinized the shadows. He held two daggers in his hands, as well as a crossbow ready to use. He was a rogue.
The third member was a girl dressed as a nun or priestess. From her age, it was easy to tell she was in her mid-twenties. Her role was clear: she was the group's healer.
The fourth member was a warrior wielding a spiked ball. I think it was called a morning star or something. For now, I'll call them Warrior One and Warrior Two.
Finally, the fifth member wore dark-colored robes. She was undoubtedly a mage.
Since the group had already advanced a few meters into the tunnels, I decided it was time to see how my spawns performed. Mentally, I gave them the order to prepare for battle, which excited them enormously.
Not even a minute passed before the first horde of goblins appeared before the group.
The goblins, wasting no time, charged forward against the group, going directly for the mage and the priestess.
Quickly, Warrior One swung his sword, cutting the first goblin in half with a single motion. Two other goblins charged forward, but the rogue moved swiftly, slitting their throats.
With that, the mage looked at the remaining goblins, raised her staff, and fired a fireball that incinerated the rest.
Well, the result was just as I expected.
The goblins didn't even put up a fight against this group. From their cooperation and teamwork, they must have been party companions for some time to be so coordinated. This gave me an idea.
While the next horde of goblins advanced toward a larger space, I focused on the boss room, on Ravenous. I thought about what to do to strengthen him.
Looking at Ravenous, I focused on his core. It was about ten centimeters in size and glowed, though not as intensely as the hunters'. The best I could do was simply strengthen Ravenous's body.
As an orc, he was about three times stronger than a normal human, but that wouldn't be enough for this group.
I needed an upgrade.
Now, how was I supposed to do that? Maybe by injecting mana directly into his core and editing his body?
I tried that.
I guided some of the ambient mana I was passively absorbing and injected it into Ravenous.
The process was, so to speak, strange. I could feel Ravenous's body, as well as his physiology and his mana core.
Alright, now let's begin the editing.
To buy more time, I summoned more goblins to start overwhelming them with numbers while I finished working on Ravenous.
Simultaneously, while working on Ravenous, I focused on the hunters to study them and gather information.
---
"Another group!" Kael shouted as his daggers danced in the darkness, cutting down two more goblins trying to flank them.
The second horde had been more numerous than the first. About fifteen goblins had emerged from the shadows, some armed with small daggers, others with rudimentary bows. Arrows whistled in the gloom, one of them grazing Markus's shoulder—the silent warrior didn't even flinch.
"This is ridiculous" Kai snorted, cleaving a goblin with a horizontal slash. "They're just goblins."
"Too many goblins" Lyra corrected, firing another projectile that incinerated three creatures trying to surround them. "And they're better organized than in the first wave."
Elena finished murmuring a prayer, and a golden light covered Markus's shoulder, closing the superficial wound.
"I'm not complaining" the warrior said in his deep, measured voice. "But Kael's right. There are more."
Three minutes passed before the third horde appeared. This time there were twenty, and some wore rudimentary protection: cured hides, small wooden shields. The arrows came first, an uncoordinated but annoying rain that forced the group to cluster behind Kai and Markus's shields.
"They're learning" Kael murmured, his eyes scanning the shadows. "Damn it, they're learning."
—Don't talk nonsense —Kai growled as he charged at the goblins—. They're rank one monsters. They don't have learning ability.
—And yet —Lyra intervened, launching another spell—, these don't act like wild goblins. They use formations. They protect their archers. They delay their attack until we're distracted.
Elena nodded gravely.
"It's the dungeon. Dungeons learn from invaders. And adapt their monsters to them" she explained hurriedly.
The group exchanged worried glances as the fourth horde began to arrive.
---
Two hours passed.
Or two and a half. It was hard to measure time in the perpetual gloom of the dungeon.
The sixth horde had been the worst.
Nearly forty goblins, some with improved leather armor, others with weapons the first ones didn't have: short swords stolen from previous corpses, metal shields, even a couple with daggers that had belonged to some unfortunate soul.
Kael had an ugly gash on his left arm. Markus was bleeding from three arrow wounds, though none were deep. Kai had spent two mana potions so Lyra could keep casting spells, and Elena was visibly exhausted from channeling so much healing.
"Halt" Kai said, raising his fist. "They've stopped."
Silence settled in the cavern. Only the group's ragged breathing broke the stillness.
"How many hordes have there been?" Lyra asked, leaning on her staff.
—Six —Kael replied, looking at his wounded arm—. Six hordes. And each time stronger. Smarter.
"It's not possible" Kai shook his head, but his voice lacked conviction. "Goblins don't..."
—Look around you —Elena interrupted softly.
The torches they had placed on the walls partially illuminated the cavern where they had fought.
The walls showed ancient carvings, kneeling figures before a dark silhouette descending from the sky. Some murals were destroyed, as if someone had attacked them with fury. Stone fused with worn bricks, evidence of an ancient construction devoured by natural rock.
—This isn't a new dungeon —Lyra said quietly—. Look at these carvings. This is decades old, perhaps centuries.
—But the mana absorption... —Kael began.
—It could have been dormant —Elena suggested—. Perhaps it was hibernating for many years until it recently awakened and is beginning to reactivate its functions.
Markus, who had remained silent as always, pointed with his massive weapon toward a detail on the wall. A rune, barely visible among the cracks.
—What's that? —Kai asked.
Lyra approached and squinted. Her lips murmured inaudible words as she activated some detection spell.
Her face wrinkled when she couldn't discover anything from the carving on the wall.
—I don't know, maybe they're parts of some ancient language —she replied, not very sure.
Silence filled the space again. No one said what they were all thinking: if the goblins on the first floor were learning so fast, what kind of creatures awaited them further ahead?
—Let's rest two minutes —Kai finally ordered—. Drink water, check your weapons. Then we continue.
—Are you sure we want to continue? —Kael asked bluntly—. We could go back, report the discovery...
—And lose the chance to claim the discovery? —Kai shook his head firmly—. No. We continue to the end of the first floor. We assess the boss. If it's too dangerous, we retreat. But we need to know what's there.
No one argued. They drank water, bandaged wounds, checked weapons. The two minutes flew by.
And then, from the tunnel ahead of them, sounds began to arrive. Footsteps. Many footsteps.
—Prepare yourselves —Kai said, gripping his sword.
The seventh horde emerged from the darkness. Fifty goblins, maybe more. Armed, organized, with a look in their yellow eyes that the first ones didn't have: intelligence.
The battle was brutal.
Kael had to use his crossbow a dozen times. Lyra exhausted almost all her mana launching fireballs in rapid succession. Markus and Kai formed an impenetrable wall while Elena healed without rest, her eyes glassy from exhaustion.
When the last goblin fell, the group was at their limit.
—I can't... anymore —Lyra panted, leaning against the wall.
—Me neither —Elena admitted, sinking to the ground—. My mana is almost depleted.
Kai looked at his team. They were wrecked. But they were also alive. And the tunnel ahead of them continued.
—One last effort —he said with determination—. We reach the boss, we see it, and if it's too much, we retreat. Everyone agree?
Four tired nods.
They advanced.
The tunnel gradually widened until it became a passage about three meters wide and two high. The walls continued to show carvings, but these were different: battle scenes, monsters of all kinds fighting human figures, and in the center of each carving, a dark silhouette watching from above.
—What do you think that figure appearing in all the murals is? —Elena asked curiously.
—I don't know, but it must be important —Lyra replied. As a mage, she had to study a lot about history, as well as elements and magic. Her interest as a researcher began to awaken for these ruins.
Finally, the group continued advancing for a few moments until they saw the end of the passage.
The passage ended abruptly.
Before them, two enormous rock doors stood imposingly, at least five meters high.
They were covered in intricate carvings: a corpulent man in armor with a crown on his head reaching out toward a shining star. Around him, tiny figures of monsters fought in a chaotic scene. Carved blood, broken bodies, victory and defeat intertwined.
—Without a doubt, it's impressive —Kael whispered.
—It's scary —Elena corrected.
Kai approached the doors, examining the edges for some mechanism.
—I don't see how to open...
A deep, grave sound interrupted him. Stone against stone.
The doors began to slowly open inward, revealing a space beyond. The faint light from the crystals on the walls barely illuminated what was inside: a huge circular room, at least fifteen meters in diameter, with stone columns supporting a vaulted ceiling. At the back, on an elevated platform, a throne of rock and bones.
And on that throne, a figure waited.
It was large. Very large. Dark green skin, almost black in that light. Prominent tusks protruding from beneath its upper lip. Simple but functional armor covered its torso and shoulders, and in its right hand rested a double-edged battle axe, the metal weakly gleaming with reddish reflections.
The orc looked at them.
And smiled.
—Oh, shit —Kael said.
The rock doors closed behind them with a boom that echoed throughout the room.