Homestead Survival

<Dungeon: The Royal Crypts of Karzun, Floor 1, A+ -- S->
[Theo and Julia]

Theo held the Dungeon Invader Tags. "How do we use these?"

Julia was about to respond when their question was answered by both of them receiving a message.

>Private Message: Enabling Dungeon Communication
>Dungeon Communication: Connected to Dungeon Core A7-D9F5-SP, known as The Royal Crypts of Karzun
>Dungeon Communication: Connected to System User: Theo Sorrenson
>Dungeon Communication: Connected to System User: Julia Brahmin
>Dungeon Communication: Users Theo and Julia hold two Dungeon Invader Tags
>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: What would you ask?

Theo and Julia looked at each other. Julia spoke. "How do we respond?"

They both jumped when the Dungeon responded.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: Simply speak. The Dungeon is me. I am the Dungeon. I see and hear all.

"Okay," Julia said, clearly not enjoying the idea of being watched.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: What would you ask?

"We want to take the body of the Boss with us." Theo said, "And I we can't get it to go into our pouches."

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: Evaluating. Please wait

Theo and Julia waited in silence for a few minutes, and then began to chat idly. Nearly fifteen minutes later, they finally got a response.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: Evaluation Complete. Solution - modify the Runesewn Pouches you have to not be limited by volume of storage and matter compression. Limit Raw Materials storage by slots rather than other options.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: Problem - Your Runesewn Pouches are System Admin altered. Permission required. Querying System.

>Dungeon Communication: Connected to System Administrator Argo
>Dungeon Communication: Relaying Query...
>Dungeon Communication: Awaiting response...

"I didn't want to bother Argo," Theo muttered.

"I hope he isn't upset," Julia said. They were both surprised when the Dungeon added to their muttered comments.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: In the 2,714 years that I have been in existence, Lord Argo has been reasonable and very hard to upset. The fact that you are acquainted enough to refer to him as Argo bodes well for you.

>Dungeon Communication: Response Received

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: Analyzing response...

Several more minutes passed.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: Offer - In exchange for both of your Dungeon Invader Tags, a sacrifice of 9 days off your remaining time, and a restriction from progressing further than the second floor of the Dungeon, Lord Argo has authorized me to make the following changes.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: User Theo Sorrenson will have the following changes made to his Runesewn Pouch. -2 Quick Access Space Slots. Loose current Raw Materials Storage. +20 Raw Materials Storage Slots. These slots can only hold one item, but they add no weight, and they can hold any one item so long as it is a Mana Classified item and has the designator of 'Raw Materials'. No changes to your General Storage Slots.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: User Julia Brahmin will have the following changes made to her Runesewn Pouch. +5 Quick Access Space Slots. Loose Current Raw Materials Storage. General Storage Space Slots Doubled.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: Lord Argo informed me that, unfortunately, there would be no negotiations. If you do not accept this offer, you will lose your Dungeon Invader Tags and gain nothing.

"Will we lose anything in the pouches?" Theo asked.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: Negative. All goods will be placed into their respective slots.

Theo looked at Julia, "You okay with that?"

Julia nodded. "I wasn't really going to be able to use the Raw Materials storage on this thing anyway."

"Okay," Theo said, "We will take the deal, Crypt Keeper."

Julia chuckled at his joke.

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: ... Crypt Keeper?

"Sorry," Theo said, hoping he hadn't offended the dungeon core. "He is a fictional character with an amusing voice that tells scary stories in a crypt. I just thought it was fitting, as you are literally a crypt."

>DC_A7-D9F5-SP: I see... One moment, please.
>Dungeon Communication: Disconnected from Dungeon Core A7-D9F5-SP, known as The Royal Crypts of Karzun
>Dungeon Communication: Connected to Dungeon Core A7-D9F5-SP, known as Crypt Keeper
>DC_Crypt-Keeper: I found your moniker amusing. Now, do you accept the offer?

"Did you change your name?" Theo asked. Mildly panicked. He wondered if Patriarch Karzun would crush him like a bug for fucking up their family crypt cum dungeon.

Stolen novel; please report.

>DC_Crypt-Keeper: Only as it is displayed in the Dungeon Communication system. I am first and foremost, a proud contractor of the Karzun Family tasked with protecting their dead and their unborn. Now, do you accept the offer?

Theo sighed with huge relief. "Okay. Good. And yes, we accept."

>DC_Crypt-Keeper: Processing Changes.

Purple tendrils of pure mana rose from the floor and touched their Runesewn Pouches. A massive wash of power flooded through them, and the tendrils retracted.

>DC_Crypt-Keeper: The changes have been made. Thank you for slaying the invaders.
>Dungeon Communication: Disconnected from Dungeon Core A7-D9F5-SP, known as Crypt Keeper**
>Dungeon Communication: Disconnected from System User: Theo Sorrenson
>Dungeon Communication: disconnected from System User: Julia Brahmin
>Private Message: Disabling Dungeon Communication

Theo and Julia looked at each other. Theo spoke first, "More than 2700 years..."

"Wow." Julia said, "And we will have dungeons on Earth is what all of this seems to be suggesting."

"Can you imagine if we are around in two thousand years..." Theo said, his voice trailing off.

"We still don't know how the stats and the stat gains will affect us." Julia agreed. "Hell, there might be an item that grants some kind of pseudo-immortality."

Theo was silent for a moment and then shook his head. "Think about it later, let's get this loaded up and get rolling. We have less time, and now one more floor to clear."

Theo walked over and placed the boss's corpse in one of his new Raw Materials Slots.

"Alright, we still have to go to the end of the hallway and then check out the last branch of the intersection before we go to the second floor," Julia said, looking around the massive hallway, admiring the egg in front of them.

"Well then, let's go," Theo said with a smile.

Theo and Julia walked at a steady pace down the massive hallway. This one was twice as wide as the initial hallway they had walked down. They also encountered another massive egg every twenty minutes of walking.

They began counting the eggs.

After more than three hours, they had counted eleven eggs and finally come upon something that resembled an intersection. On either side of the hallway, a massive door stood. They approached the one to the right of the direction they were traveling and identified it.

"This is floor three," Theo said, and Julia nodded. They walked across the massive hallway and identified that door.

"And floor four," Julia said, "do we keep going?"

"I mean, we are limited to floors one and two, so I would imagine we should milk them for all they are worth," Theo said.

"Alright," Julia said, and they set off walking again.

After another hour and three more eggs, the hallway turned left. They walked another thirty minutes and encountered one more egg. When Julia gestured ahead, "Look,"

Theo looked and saw two level six Runstone Golems standing against a wall that terminated the hallway. "You want to fight them?"

"I mean like you said, milk it for all it's worth, right?" Julia said, bringing out her Glimmer Branch.

"True," Theo said, and prepared for combat.

Theo stepped forward at the same time that Julia laid a ring of Ward runes around herself. The wards now shimmered with more energy thanks to Runecarver's Touch. Text appeared over the heads of the Golems.

{Runestone Golem, Level 06, S-}
{Runestone Golem, Level 06, S-}

Theo jogged forward and Taunted them. Then walked back to where he was in a better range of Julia and her skills. The Golems lumbered after him. Finally, he turned and faced them. Forming his Master Tool into a heavy hammer.

He activated Penitent Strike and let them beat on him for ten seconds. He felt Blooded Soil take effect almost immediately. Five stacks of Retaliate is what he saved up, but when he swung his hammer at the leftmost Golem, its head shattered.

He felt Julia activate her healing, and was thankful, because even though he had a bunch of damage mitigation, getting hit in the gut by a stone fist still hurt.

He activated Penitent Strike and let the Golem wail on him, accumulating three stacks of Retaliate, before launching the hammer. It was knocked back, and Julia rushed forward to lay a ring of Ward runes around it. The Golem slammed into the wards, taking a burst of damage that knocked it back into the runes behind it, damaging it again, and pushing it forward in a very pinball-like motion.

It was met by Theo swinging his hammer as hard as he could. With a crack, the hammer split its head, and it was slain.

Theo scooped up the coinage that dropped, passing Julia seventy-one Silver and fifty-three copper, before placing both Golems in his Raw Materials Storage.

"Alright," Theo said, after taking a drink from his water skin and putting it away."Good to go?"

"Yep!" Julia said excitedly, "back to the unexplored intersection!"

Theo chuckled, and they started the long, multi-hour walk back to the intersection.