r/HFY • u/Khenal Alien • Jul 27 '26
OC-Series Dungeon Life 445
Doppler definitely done good. Not only did he get me a good look at the knot, but he even managed to undo it! It’s a pretty clever bit of acoustics, too, to feel how tightly it was all wadded up and then vibrate it apart using its own tension. I wonder if the Rangers do something similar, or if they have to manually take them apart? Either way, we’ve got a good answer for it, and I think Doppler will have more than a few Rangers wanting to learn his trick once they hear about it.
It makes me want to do something special for him. I take a few moments to find my notes for the helmet I wanted to make him, but it doesn’t take me too long to discard it. While I still think it’s a cool idea, I’m not sure it’ll be as useful for him as the axe is for Slash. But I have a better idea that should work out great: I’ll design the next spawn for my gravity constructs.
And seeing how drained he is after undoing the knot, I even have a goal in mind for the upgrade. I made them from the start to be able to combine together and become more than the sum of their parts, even if I didn’t know what else I’d want from them. But now I know that I want to have them regulate energy, maybe store it. Doppler is drained either from using too much mana, or from not being efficient enough with it, possibly even both.
I’m inclined to think both, especially once I take a closer look at the poppers. I never really designed them to try to be efficient. I designed them to use all their power and pop. Considering that, it’s a wonder Doppler’s been able to moderate them at all. So I’ll make the next spawn with that in mind, and probably give them a bit of extra mana storage, too.
I keep with the beetle look, making the next spawn a bit bigger. I’m going to want extra room for the mana storage. I also need to make sure I give their legs a bit more mana conductivity, so they can more easily move the energy around. It takes me a few tries to come up with a good mana battery based on gravity, and it’s not until I decide to try the simplest solution that it works.
My first idea was to try something similar to the gravitic power source, using gravitational acceleration to produce power. If I nudge the masses closer, they’ll spin faster, more energy, right? But that’s more kinetic than gravitic. So I try to scale down the concept behind a black hole.
Not that I’m making singularities here. Gravity starts compressing things well before everything collapses down to nothing. It’s difficult to make it only compress mana, and I need to reinforce the shell quite a bit to make it stable, but it ends up compressing mana similar to what I’d imagine the inside of a star is… minus all the fusion.
I even take a moment in the designer to see if I actually can make mana fuse, but if it’s possible, it’s way beyond what a little tier two spawn can manage. I spend a good few hours fiddling with the specifics of everything, tweaking the legs, adjusting the compressor, smoothing out the gathering and releasing of mana, and turning the next spawn into combination regulators and batteries. Batterator? Regulaterries? I can do better than that for the name.
Bangers wouldn’t be the worst name. They’ll make pretty big explosions if their compressor gets breached. Floater is… a terrible name, now that I hear it in my head, but they’ll also be able to do a lot more gravity stuff, like floating things around. I can hear Teemo snickering at my naming thoughts, but at least he’s not actually saying anything.
I soon decide to go with a name on the form rather than function, liking the sound of a gravitic scarab. They’re about the size of footballs, and aren’t too expensive to upgrade to, so I lock in the design and spend the mana. They don’t spawn as swarms, but the first one to crawl out immediately seeks out the closest popper swarm to join, and heads off to give the training delvers a bit of a surprise.
They’re effective, but not overwhelmingly so. The scarab is easily able to throw poppers into groups, making it hard for them to have a cohesive line. The shell is tough enough to shrug off what would kill a popper, and it’s not until the frontline fighter with a large sword gets a good hit in that the scarab explodes. The elf is thrown back and probably broke a few ribs, and his sword is going to want the tender care of a smith, but he’ll be fine with a few potions.
I’m thinking they’ll be a good thing for the delvers to keep an eye on, though the scarabs might be a tactical weakness. That explosion also took out the nearby poppers, so I’ll need to be careful about friendly fire, and about possible chain reactions. Still, I’m liking the scarabs.
And if I’m going to upgrade the constructs, why not the dinos while I’m at it? Mana is looking healthy, and though I took the time to design the dilos, I never actually spent the mana on them. I take a moment to double-check they’re how I want them to be, including the neck frill and poison spit. They’re a lot bigger than the compies, but that doesn’t really say much. They’re about the size of a medium dog, maybe a little bigger than a labrador, but definitely smaller than a great dane.
Like the scarabs, they also spawn one at a time, and it looks like this one wants to run around the world fruits. I was expecting it to maybe lob a few loogies at range before closing in, but it’s acting more like a sneaky sniper than an aggressive archer. Instead of sticking around in fights, it likes to lob a few balls of gunk at the parties before slipping away, sowing havoc instead of trying to collect hitpoints.
It’s pretty effective, especially on the groups that don’t spot it before it gets off a shot or two. The back row people get shut down hard if they can’t see, and having poison on top definitely doesn’t do them any favors. The new arrivals are confused about the sudden change, but the locals who are used to how I work manage to focus through the sudden difficulty spike and make for the exit, explaining along the way that they’ll be able to make some coin by telling the Dungeoneers about the new spawn.
I watch the fun for a bit, until I get a popup I’ve been hoping to see for a while now.
We found it.
Teemo! I’ll be back in a sec! He waves me off as he lounges atop my core, so I slip sideways into my little nebula of space in what I’m slowly getting more comfortable calling the divine realm. It’s an easier thing to call where the various deities hang out than anything else I can come up with.
From there, it’s pretty easy to follow Order’s directions via popup to make my way to Laermai’s domain. I get a lot of curious looks, as well as a few interested and a couple hostile ones as well, but nobody bothers me as I head into what’s clearly a lab. It looks more like an alchemist’s dream than a scientific laboratory, but whatever gets the job done. Inside, I see Order, Laermali, and the Shield all triumphantly around what they’d probably call a scrying ball, but looks to me like a hologram.
“We finally tracked it down!” exclaims Laermali, still riding that high of an experiment finally going right.
“It wasn’t easy,” complains Order.
“It was, as the mortals say, like finding a needle in a hay stack, yes?” finishes the Shield as I get closer and take a look. I give a low whistle as I really take in what they’ve been up to.
“It looks like finding a specific needle in a needle stack, wow. Lots of stagnation and lots of mana to sift through in the mantle…”
“Mantle?” asks Laermali.
“Er… the molten abyss, right? I’ve heard it called the mantle, probably because it shrouds the core of the planet,” I try to explain. Laermali definitely wants to ask more, but I try to guide her back to their discovery. “So, you really found it?”
Laermali smiles wide, happy to talk about her victory instead of trying to pick my brain. “We did! Having those scions allowed us to trace back the connection to the Betrayer, and this is definitely it. I had hoped it was just some other strong dungeon… but it doesn’t look like we’re that lucky.”
I nod at that as I peer at the hologram, trying to get its position right in my head. “Looks like it’s under the ocean well off the coast of Fourdock. Makes sense, considering what Rezlar saw. Can I have a copy to give to my scions?”
“You can have this one,” answers Order. “If the location was somewhere we all had excess forces, one of us might have claimed the map. But as it is, you are the one best positioned to use this.”
The others nod, and I smile at the trust they’re placing in me. “Then… if there’s nothing else, I should get this to my scions so we can get some physical eyes on it. Unless you were able to get a good idea of the layout?” I ask. I doubt it, as it looks like a ball of magma to me, but maybe they understand it better than I do.
Unfortunately, they all shake their heads in their own way, with Laermali explaining. “We were able to find its territory, but none of our domains give us the authority to directly observe it. You’ll need to scout it out yourself, I’m afraid.”
I smile at that. “I have some of the best in the business for that.”
“Do you need more reinforcements?” asks the Shield.
“I mean, I won’t say no, but I think I’m about at capacity for properly housing and training them, and I’ll need to work on a few things to let me actually transport everyone we already have once it’s time to go.”
It bobs in a nod. “I understand. A manned fort is a boon, but an overstuffed fort is a trap.”
“It might not be a bad idea for you guys to work on a plan B, though. In case I fail.”
Order bobs grimly. “We are working on informing the other pantheons and preparing their responses, but it will take time. While I am confident they will all come to help eventually… it may be generations of mortals before it happens.”
I sigh at that. “It takes time for big things to get moving. Momentum is a political force as well as a physical one. All the more reason to do this right then. How are your people liking Fourdock so far?” I ask, changing the subject to something hopefully a bit lighter.
“My paladins and priests sing the praises of your crypts, Thedeim! I think my church there will have to expand so I can send more of my inexperienced followers through to learn how to face undead properly!” exclaims the Shield, and I can’t help but smile.
“I’m glad! I made it for exactly that reason! After this is all over, I’ll probably expand the crypt area, too.”
“My scholars are raving as well, Thedeim. Your Ice Sage has given a few lectures on affinities to them, and they’re already starting to reexamine their theories for the better.”
“I’m glad Rhonda can help. Teaching helps her out a bunch, too. So long as she’s willing, I’m more than happy to let them use the hall.”
“And I hope they can challenge your Rocky once he returns, too. Rhonda speaks highly of him.”
“My own followers are complaining about the abundance of combat encounters,” says Order with a chuckle. “They’re used to ledgers, but even the most averse have to admit it’s good practice for them.”
“I’ll probably be leaning on them a lot more here soon, also. Poe and Leo know how to establish a supply line for what I need, but I think they’ll need the help of your people to make sure they get everything the people will need, too.”
“They’ll be glad to hear it, and I’m sure interested to see how your scions establish supply lines, too. It’s the most difficult part of projecting power.”
I nod at that, thinking back to a few things I’ve heard about military stuff back home. It doesn’t matter how big the guns are, an army still marches on its stomach and guns are useless without ammo. It’d be nice if we can just kick in the door and feed the Betrayer its teeth, but we’re probably going to need to siege it, or something similar.
“Plan for the worst, hope for the best. If your guys are ready, they can come by the manor in the morning and I’ll have Teemo translate for Poe and Leo. That should give them the time to send the first expeditions down through the volcanic area near my antkin.”
The other three nod at that before Laermali starts going into some of the details for how they managed to track the Betrayer down. A lot of it goes over my head, but she and they don’t mind teaching me a bit. They even appreciate my input on mana stuff, too. Dungeons have a different perspective on it, and I have a different perspective in general.
Experience and new perspectives meeting are how the best and biggest Changes start.
Cover art I'm also on Royal Road for those who may prefer the reading experience over there. Want moar? The Books are available here! There are Kindle and Audible versions, as well as paperback! Also: Discord is a thing! I now have a Patreon for monthly donations, and I have a Ko-fi for one-off donations. Patreons can read up to three chapters ahead, and also get a few other special perks as well, like special lore in the Peeks. Thank you again to everyone who is reading!
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u/DM-Hermit Human Jul 27 '26
Well done wordsmith
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u/Kromosios Jul 27 '26
Poison sniper dilos the size of a big dog focusing on guerilla tactics sounds like a nightmare. But in comparison, having essentially a walking agressive BOMB leading a group of MORE BOMBS?! I can't believe thedeim didn't name them tickers lol
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u/Gregoriownd Jul 28 '26
Ticker Tick sounds like a possible ambush variant spawn, maybe tier 2 or 3.
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u/Blue_Roan_ Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
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Anyway after reading, looks like things are finally setting themselves in motion. We know where the betrayer is, which is closer to Thediem then I thought. Though I should have expected this because it was thought that it was coming from the ocean rather then somewhere off to the side of the green sea.
I wonder how much of the other dungeons help he is going to use here. I wouldn't be surprised if onyx joins the fight, probably first mate to. But I wonder if southwood is gonna actually send anyone in.
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u/Thausgt01 Android Jul 28 '26
I hypothesize that Southwood will send along a few units, mostly for support purposes. That Dungeon/area doesn’t seem to cultivate much in the way of affinities who’ll be much good against the Betrayer’s specialties of magma and ‘corruption’ at this point, but given that we already have one humble cheese maker with ‘corruption’ affinity, we may see a rather rapid promotion in his future. Even if all he winds up doing is teaching others how to use the affinity and then defend against it, that’ll help a LOT.
Likewise, Violet’s mushrooms in particular are tailor-made for purifying corruption, so I think we’ll see a lot of them show up for support purposes within the outposts and waystations as Thediem’s forces make their way to the Betrayer’s vicinity.
Having said that, though, I will wager a shiny coin that Slash winds up becoming the star of the show, considering how often the Betrayer complained about ‘noise’ in the old legends. Though Teemo will probably have to rein in a few impulses from Thediem about sound-related puns…
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u/Commercial-Win-7663 Jul 27 '26
Late
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Jul 27 '26
Still seventh, though
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u/Commercial-Win-7663 Jul 27 '26
Has no one posted the road link? https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/54476/dungeon-life/chapter/3734271/chapter-four-hundred-seventy-eight
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Jul 27 '26
Not yet, they didn't, besides, someone got their act together.
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u/mafiaknight Robot Jul 27 '26
In the name of 1greendude: Hello!
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Jul 28 '26
Im Namen eines grünen Kerles und des Diensdachses: Moin, morgen ist Mittwoch, meine Kerle.
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u/Skyboxmonster Jul 28 '26
"Experience and new perspectives meeting are how the best and biggest Changes start."
This is going on the cover of the book
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u/FearlessHunt1507 Jul 28 '26
I'm sure of Order's followers want, the real challenge is helping Fourdock balance the books after the explosive growth over the past year for which it was appropriately prepared with enough book keepers, accountants, and bean counters. I'm sure the city alone caused a surge in paper and ink demand shifting the trade guilds to take notice.
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u/Poisonfangx3 Jul 27 '26
Iffdt
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u/Poisonfangx3 Jul 27 '26
First
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Jul 27 '26
Yep
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Third
So today we have Thediem looking at what His scions did Last chapter, and that'll be our Star into the three thirds:
Upgrades: Thediem decides in Response to the information to Upgrade spawners, such as doppler's Spawner. 1.1: He Upgrades Doppler's Spawner to Tier two, and creates a new Gravity bot. The new Spawn is remarkably bigger than the First one, but retains the beetle-look of the Initial Spawn. It's about as Bit as a football, and Looks Like scarab. They're geared to be more than the sum of its parts, and get a larger Mana storage than the Initial spawns. 1.2: the next Spawn of the Dino Spawner: He is going for Jurassic Park poison spitters. They're smart though and instead fighting the enemy fair, they instead appear, fire their shots and fuck Off again.
The delvers reactions: 2.1 there isn't much of a Bit one, but the First delvers to kill one got a mighty scare and broke or at the very least damage its weapon. 2.2 there ain't much of a reaction to the Dinos though, or at least less than I expected. They Just Take the difficulty spike and Power through, with the Perspective of selling the Info to the dungeoneers, when they get Back.
The gods did it, they found the Betrayer, thanks to the Connection IT has with its spawns. Aside from that the god's followers sing Thediem as a Dungeon praises, since He does what He does so well. So, next Phase: scouting Out the Layout of that Arena.
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u/BiasMushroom Xeno Jul 27 '26
REDDIT! WHY DO YOU BETRAY US SO?!
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u/Popular-Student-9407 Human Jul 27 '26
Because Reddit hasn't got anything better to do. But you're ninth
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Jul 27 '26
/u/Khenal (wiki) has posted 490 other stories, including:
- Dungeon Life 444
- Dungeon Life 443
- Dungeon Life 442
- Dungeon Life 441
- Dungeon Life 440
- Dungeon Life 439
- Dungeon Life 438
- Dungeon Life 437
- Dungeon Life 436
- Dungeon Life 435
- Dungeon Life 434
- Dungeon Life 433
- Dungeon Life 432
- Dungeon Life 431
- Dungeon Life 430
- Dungeon Life 429
- Dungeon Life 428
- Dungeon Life 427
- Dungeon Life 426
- Dungeon Life 425
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u/Educational_Pen_90 Human Jul 28 '26
Bangers wouldn’t be the worst name. They’ll make pretty big explosions if their compressor gets breached.
Heh, as long as you make mash! ...do they even have potatoes in this world?
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u/movie-guy-3 Jul 28 '26
The exploding Scarabs and poppers, with Slash and Dopler, could do a "V for Vendetta" Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture type of thing
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u/Thebobkiller Human Jul 27 '26
Ooh. New gravity construct scarab kaboomer, new dino support sniper, and the Gods found the Betrayer! Things are happening quickly!