[D'sP] A One-Way Mirror - Chapter 295 (Patreon)

Ally had been carefully monitoring the town while Doyle focused on floor creation. Though as time went on, she was able to relax. While some claim that time can heal all wounds, Ally felt this might be one that stuck around for a good long while. However, Ace had kept Tess in the town and through great effort, lead her through the trauma.

At this point, Ally was actually more worried about the Barrais than Tess. Those two seemed to be working on something and she couldn’t figure out what it was. Quite the problem when you’re someone with as much experience as Ally. Sure, all the skills and levels had been reset, but it isn’t like there ever was a straightforward identification spell or ability. So having to go off memory isn’t exactly out of the ordinary for her.

Then Doyle interrupted her with news of the floor being done. On one hand, he had taken a while. Over a week had passed since he started. However, compared to some of the other floors, this was quite speedy and it isn’t like the floors would normally start taking less time to design.

Oh, and there was the fact that somehow fae magic got involved at some point because of their connection? That was a bit alarming, to say the least. Though even a cursory glance at it, showed the truth of the matter.

It was those lights. Somehow, Doyle had tapped into her side of things to form pseudo-fae of sorts. Not even as put together as the will-o’-the-wisp that had been trying to use the fairy ring.

The whole thing was honestly quite strange, which honestly was par for the course when it came to anything that touched the fae. Though there was one more detail, besides the fae-ish lights. While the actual floor wasn’t connected, it matched some areas she had heard about in the wilds of the fae realm.

Ally couldn’t help but shake her head. ‘So the lights are almost fae and I suspect you came close to another connection without realizing it.’

Doyle, ‘Connection?’

Ally nods, ‘Yeah, like what happened on the sixth floor when you got a little too orderly. Except here, you managed to make an area like something found in the fae wilds. Which I guess fits in with being a strange dungeon.

‘Honestly? I don’t know why it didn’t complete the connection. With your theme and the connection to me, you could have practically pulled some of the Wilds into your dungeon.’

Doyle shakes his core, ‘Knowing that, I suspect the exact opposite. Because this is so close, the two sides repelled each other. It didn’t need to overlay here because I was already doing a good enough job. Those will-o’-the-wisp are likely the only thing different enough that they got pulled over. Then I added the lesser shadow wolves, which probably broke the connection completely.’

Ally shakes her head, ‘You don’t know the fae wild. It is infectious on a memetic level. There is a reason sapient fae don’t normally live there.

‘A trip into the wilds is always a danger no matter how strong you are. Even deities with worshipers in multiple dimensions have fallen within. For the floor to be so similar would instead be an invitation for the wilds to change it.’

Doyle, ‘Well that’s disturbing. We should probably figure this out so I don’t have to worry every time I’m making a new floor.’

Ally sighs, ‘I’ll have to ask my mom about this. I’m just worried it was an action done by others that saved us. That connection, once acknowledged would become a debt.’

Doyle, ‘Nothing you can do about it.’

After that, Ally spends a few hours getting in contact with her mom and figuring things out. The actual situation isn’t too complicated, but they need to go through the various motions of court life so the help doesn’t end up with a cost tacked on. After all, they’re just trying to get a starting point for their specific situation.

While knowledge is power and something fae love trading in. This knowledge is a little too specific, on purpose. Ally didn’t grow up in a fae court for nothing.

Anyway, with those hours gainfully spent, Ally comes to Doyle with an answer. ‘You’re just weird.’

Doyle laughs, ‘Well, that’s fun. I don’t think it would prevent merging with the fae wilds, though.’

Ally shrugs, ‘Not unique, mind you, just weird. After getting the answer I looked into it a little and apparently this happens semi-often in this dimension. Though since this is talking about the dimension as a whole, semi-often still means pretty darn rare.

‘Anyway, it seems your dimension not only prefers humans, but it has a minor connection to the fae as well. Which, thinking about it now, would explain why my mother moved here specifically. After all, there are dimensions specifically focused on the Fae we could have gone to.’

Doyle rolls his core, ‘Let me guess, this is funner because there are humans to mess with and less other fae to get in the way?’

Ally nods, ‘That would be my guess. As for the original question of what happened? Your twelfth floor is now fairic mirror.

‘You can think of the gap between this floor and the fae realm like one of those one-way mirrors. So this terrain is able to mimic the look and feel without actually calling the location to here. You can see, but not touch. Also like a one-way mirror, those on the fae side thankfully can’t see us.’

Doyle, ‘I still don’t feel too good about this connection. Nothing against the fae realm, but I’m a free wheeling sort of dimension and don’t’ want to be held down by something like that.’

Ally, ‘Don’t worry, while we can’t be certain how long it will last. The fact you did hook into the fae wilds and not the more civilized sections of the fae realm means it won’t last too long. The wilds can’t help but change and once it does, the connection will be severed.’

Doyle sighs, ‘I assume there isn’t anyway to prevent this sort of nonsense going forward? The deeper the floor, the less it is supposed to be connected to the outside. To have a shortcut like that? Not exactly my idea of a good time.’

Ally rolls her eyes, ‘Well, you could stop copying places and concepts like order and the fae realm.’

Doyle, ‘I’m not exactly doing it on purpose.’

Ally, ‘Which is sort of a problem in and of itself. The way you ended up like this was because you lacked connections. How is it that you’re suddenly making them all over the place?’

Doyle rolls back, ‘I’ve seen more of the stats since then. It isn’t wrong to say that Karma is about connections. However, it is only about soul to soul connections. Even with my soul-less monsters, they are a part of me so technically it is a connection between my soul and also my soul.

‘This? This isn’t about Karma. If I had to apply this sort of thing to a stat, it would instead be Luck. Which, even before the system, I apparently had a pretty good luck score.’

Ally frowns, ‘Why would you say it was the realm of Luck? Karma is all about how deep your connection is to things in general. Sure, there is some aspect of the soul involved, but it can even mean the connection you have with a pet fish or a plant you’re raising.’

Doyle shakes his core, ‘Yes and no. Karma is about the depth of your connections, however without a soul on the other side to accept the connection, there is a limit to what it can do. Luck? Just a nonsense stat to begin with. Just look at that description!’

{Luck: A soul’s specialty is connections. The System restricts info on this stat for those with a soul stat total less than 1000. Even reality itself will bend for those connected to it but what about a dungeon who is their own reality? Dungeons must put up with invaders with luck stats of their own and the best counter is their own luck.}

Doyle causes the third sentence to highlight. ‘Even reality itself will bend for those connected to it! So while Karma might be about the depth of a connection, Luck just warps reality. And what does this sort of thing look like? Reality being warped. This is especially true since I’m a dungeon core.’

Ally’s frown deepens, ‘Huh.

‘I can see what you’re saying here. While it calls out the fact that you are your own reality, it doesn’t say you can’t be connected to others. So since I am connected to the fae realm and you are connected to me, I guess I can see how this might happen. But what about the order thing?’

Doyle tilts back, ‘No clue. If anything, I would think I would be connected more to chaos, what with my dungeon type and all. However, I’ve read a bit of mysticism about order, chaos, and whatnot. There is the concept of chaos giving birth to order and the reverse. Not that they are the same thing or anything, but that they can create each other.

‘Just look at humans. We can’t exist without some order so our bodies can exist and yet we cause chaos. At the same time, our bodies need chaos to breathe and such, yet we can create order. If I had to guess, by being so connected to chaos, my creation of order caused a stronger draw than would be normal.’

Ally nods, ‘I can see that. After all, having Order or Chaos manifest like it tried to is supposed to be very hard. Entire cultures have spent themselves on attempting such things. All misguided in their goals of course.

‘Though I suspect that will be the best we get for a while. Are you going to start on your next floor yet? Ace seems to have things in hand, but better safe than sorry.’

Doyle shakes his core, ‘I would if I could. Need that sapient sourced world energy to make a new floor. Too bad it doesn’t stockpile or else I would be good for a while. I guess I should probably focus on buying the monster naming thing at this point. It has sort of been just hanging there, slowly accruing points when I don’t need them.’

Ally, ‘Your kobold boss can certainly use a name at this point. I’ve been talking to her and while she is having a good time, it is all kind of stagnant.’

Doyle sighs, ‘I almost wish I had made her a roaming boss. Being just the fifth floor boss means stagnation of a pretty severe level for someone I put so much effort into.’

Ally nods, ‘I’m sure if you think about it and work with the idea enough, a path will come along that can help. You wouldn’t be the first dungeon to have bosses that repeat themselves. Though speaking of bosses, do you plan to put one on the 15th floor?’

Doyle laughs, ‘That is a good question. I’m honestly not sure right now. While they suffered for their hubris, it shouldn’t take long before the main teams can all beat the tenth floor. Now, bosses are impressive, but I feel it might be better to spend more on them than I am right now. There are so many interesting options if I don’t mind spending more boss slots on them.’

Ally, ‘Don’t forget that you have a decent quantity of them and your growth is only going to ever go slower. With the fact that people can skip to the floor after the last boss they beat, it might be a good idea to not have them spaced out too far. On one side, they’ll have a harder time getting through all the floors and on the other they’ll be able to jump so much farther ahead.’

Doyle, ‘I guess we’ll just have to figure it out when we get there.’

The Twelfth Floor - Chapter 294

Gathering Some Trash - Chapter 296