Chapter 130 Dungeon Core: “The Eternal Training Ground” (Patreon)

My sub-dungeons didn’t have cores, but I could always sense them growing a little bit stronger as creatures constantly delved into them. I could, of course, make them deeper anytime I wanted to, but I was quite curious to see how they would upgrade themselves. The first one to reach this point was in the Ant world.

I could feel it getting close to a point similar to when I felt that I was ready for a breakthrough. Then it happened. That must’ve been the shaking I have heard adventurers speak of whenever I enter the breakthrough. It was incredibly fascinating to see how the dungeon was wrapped up and the mana sort of compressed. They didn’t, however, have a mind of their own, so I was wondering what would happen.

The answer came just a moment later when I felt a tugging. Fortunately, it seems that when my sub-dungeons advanced, I was able to fully control what would happen. Even better was that I could still function and control the rest of my dungeon. It only took a minuscule part of my mind to control the sub-dungeon's breakthrough.

It was truly amazing to see and observe how a dungeon breakthrough happened. During the next month, I was able to observe two more.

The way those dungeons shook, I think if I could observe a few more, I could learn how to not do it myself or purposely do it. That could come in handy down the line. What I also wanted to see was if I could somehow fix me not being connected to my dungeon during the breakthrough.

This would take some time, but I also kinda wanted to test this right away. That meant that I should push back my breakthrough for the time being. I didn’t want to mess up my dungeon room schedule. So, should I open up the 23rd-floor dungeon rooms?

After thinking a bit I came up with a game plan. Spend some time learning about how a dungeon advanced, then actually advance, focus on making the 24th-floor dungeon rooms, and still be able to open them on schedule.

The playroom would need to be left for later, but currently, I didn’t have any pressing projects. Yes, I kind of like this idea. Still, I should, just in case, push back the opening of the 23rd floor about a year or two.

Yes, I like this plan. During the meantime, while I was waiting for the sub-dungeon to advance, I focused on optimizing my existing dungeon and fixing small mistakes that weren't that important to fix but were still on the list of things to eventually fix.

It was truly a pleasant time. It kind of felt like a vacation, and I think I might need a few of these every hundred years or so. Now, I was starting to understand some of the adventurers who spoke of needing a vacation and not overdoing delving, otherwise, you could burn out.

Now, I was completely certain that my core could never burn, but I have also never seen an adventurer actually burn because they pushed too hard.

Wait, that was their figure of speech. Damn it, I thought that I was good now and that I wouldn’t fall into that trap, but it seems like sometimes it might still happen.

Early on, it caused quite a few moments of confusion when I didn’t understand what adventurers were talking about as they use their weird examples of things that could never happen.

During this time, I want to give a few of the more promising patterns new chances in trying to survive in some of the playrooms. Sometimes the patterns just didn't get lucky. They had everything they needed to succeed, but simply luck wasn’t with them at that time, and so their particular patterns failed to survive in some of the crucibles of the more dangerous playrooms.

In the bug room, for example, during the second wave when I gave some of the patterns a second chance, most didn't survive, but some did. A perfect example was an evolution of the ladybug. I didn’t know why they called them that, but the red and black spotted carapace that protected their wings was quite mesmerizing.

When I first opened the bug playroom, they died off quite soon. However, during the second wave, they were able to not just survive but thrive. Now, they owned a part of the playroom where they were the supreme leaders. They weren’t a unique case, but I have learned that it's harder for patterns to survive when there is already a full ecosystem waiting to use them as food.

Time went on, and I was slowly getting a better understanding of a dungeon breakthrough. Then, something amazing happened. One of the ant expeditions finally decided to dig into the mountain to see if they could find any metal.

They did, and then they started to mine out the vein. They continued to get deeper into the mountain, and I couldn’t keep my excitement in check as they got ever closer to the symbiotic plant and fungus combination I made.

When some of the miners broke apart a piece of the wall and blue light shined behind it, they immediately escaped. Still, I was beyond excited as I knew that they would return, this time with champions. Only a few hours later, an expedition was gathered and sent into the deepest part of the mine.

They were incredibly cautious, but slowly the two miners they brought with them broke apart the wall, revealing a small cavernous space filled with blue light but also a sweet smell, and of course, the new species of plant and fungus living together. Then, I needed to dial back my excitement a bit because I knew what would follow.  Months of testing every facet of this new discovery.

Still, it was at least magnificent to watch the information spread as more was discovered about what they found deep in the mine. Of course, when they found out how useful these plants could be, they immediately started to figure out how they could cultivate them so they could get the new source of sugar and nutrients.

When the news properly spread about how useful this new discovery could be, many more mines were opened into the mountains, and they just kept finding more and more. Eventually, someone found a larger cavern filled not just with the blue sugar plants, as they were calling them, but an entire living ecosystem.

What followed was some of the more impressive champions coming to this floor who could truly sense deep into the earth. When they reported back about what was inside the mountain, madness followed.

This time, not just properly prepared expeditions to form nations headed downwards towards the new floor, but many hopefuls hoping to find and harvest a lot of blue sugar that was currently worth quite a lot.

It was a dangerous job, but masses of small groups of perhaps 5 to 20 ants, having sold their current belongings, headed downwards hoping to find a large deposit of blue sugar to sell for quite the profit, or return with the blue sugar to their colony to be celebrated.

The sugar not only tasted incredible, but the amount of energy and nutrients inside of it meant it was an incredible food for any champion who was constantly fighting, or any queen preparing to produce a lot of eggs.

To the new nations of the 21st playroom, blue sugar meant that they could expand ever faster. I would have never expected something like this, but it was incredible to watch while at the same time learning more about dungeon breakthroughs.

It was a relaxing time and something that allowed me to work on a few other projects as well. It was still too soon for the labyrinth project. However, hopefully, it won’t take too long before I can start it.