Kael Veritas made his choice.
[Affinity Selected: Nullsteel]
The system did not respond with triumphant fanfare or divine revelation. Instead, Kael felt the cold clarity of his decision echo through the obsidian matrix of his core. Data—no, mana—rearranged itself along predetermined vectors, cascading silently through the walls of the Core Room. The system pulsed once, its glow shifting to a cold argent, like molten steel cooling into form.
He felt it viscerally: precision, logic, symmetry. Nullsteel was not a theme; it was a philosophy.
Efficient. Brutal. Scalable.
The system responded.
[Quest Complete: Heart of the Dungeon]
[Reward Unlocked: Monster Generation Subsystem]
[New Quest: Construct Your First Room]
Objective: Construct one additional room connected to the Core.
Reward: Unlock initial Nullsteel Entities. Gain 1 Trap Node.
Kael wasted no time.
He focused his will on the surrounding stone, his mana flowing through it like signal current. He visualized a corridor branching west—an antechamber, rectangular and utilitarian. Ten feet wide, twenty long. Ceiling at eight feet. The floor sloped imperceptibly downward, allowing fluids to drain into a trench he carved along the edges. It was clinical, almost surgical.
[Room Construction Initiated: "Antechamber Alpha"]
[Material Absorbed: 4,200 lbs of Obsidian-Rich Igneous Rock]
The walls smoothed under his will, then hardened. His mana molded the space, not by reshaping it with strength, but by aligning each stone’s internal latticework. A form of molecular suggestion—primitive compared to nanotech, but elegant.
As the chamber locked into place, the system pulsed again.
[Room Constructed. Core Integrity +10%]
[New Subsystems Online: Nullsteel Entity Forge, Trap Node Alpha]
[Entity Slots Available: 3]
[Available Nullsteel Entities: Select One to Manifest]
He scanned the interface that appeared before his mind’s eye. Rows of potential designs—fragments of code and flesh—awaited deployment.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Nullsteel Entity Templates (Tier 1):
1. Skitterbit – Small, insectoid constructs with scalpel limbs and monomolecular mandibles. Operate in swarms. Excellent for bleed tactics and sensor disruption.
2. Hollowframe – Bipedal humanoids of reinforced steel-carbon weave. Slow, but with high durability. Programmed with pack behavior and calculated aggression.
3. Spikecoil – Coiled serpentine units with internal rail-driven spines. Can lash targets with harpoons or anchor themselves as environmental hazards.
4. Fragment Drone – Floating spheres with anti-personnel shrapnel cores. Detonate on proximity or when destroyed, causing chain reactions.
Kael selected Hollowframe. It reminded him of early A-series exo-chassis—hulking shells of armor, built not to think but to endure.
[Entity Selected: Hollowframe]
[Spawning Room Designated: Antechamber Alpha]
[Units Spawned: 1/3]
In the center of the new room, a rippling pool of silver light formed—a creation node forged by the system’s will. From it, a metallic skeleton rose slowly, limbs assembling from liquid alloy, hardening midair. Its face was a featureless slab, its hands oversized and blunt. A dull red glow flickered in its chest—a simple core, powered by the same mana Kael now manipulated.
The creature turned, stood silent, and locked into position, awaiting commands.
Good. Stationary sentry protocol for now. Hostiles will come eventually.
The system shifted again.
[Trap Node Alpha Available]
[Nullsteel Trap Templates (Tier 1): Select One]
1. Iron Tripwire – A taut steel wire set inches above the ground. When tripped, triggers connected trap mechanisms like falling rock or dart launchers.
2. Weighted Spike Plate – A floor tile rigged to slam upward when stepped on, driving a sharpened iron spike into the target.
3. Shard Dispenser – Concealed slit in the wall ejects razor-sharp steel shards at shin height upon activation.
Kael chose the Weighted Spike Plate, aligning with Hollowframe’s slow, staggered offensive. Let speed be punished.
[Trap Node Installed. Location: Center Pathway]
The first room was complete.
Simple. Efficient. Deadly.
Kael examined his work—an antechamber of silent judgment. One entrance, one exit. One sentry. One trap. A warning to whatever dares crawl in from the deep.
But the system pulsed again—another prompt, but this one different.
[New Quest: Make Surface Connection]
Objective: Tunnel a path to the surface to allow system calibration and potential challenger access.
Reward: Access to Dungeon Ecosystem Tier I (flora/fauna interaction subsystem).
Kael scowled. A dungeon... required intruders?
He didn’t know who or what might exist on this world. But clearly, the system needed engagement to evolve.
He turned his focus upward and began to shape his mana, carving with intent rather than fury. The stone was dense—he logged it as iron-rich basalt—and it resisted him. But inch by inch, he began the work.
[Material Acquisition]
Iron-Rich Basalt: 1,250 lbs
Copper Ore: 300 lbs
Titanium Shard: 50 lbs
Magnesium Powder: 175 lbs
Granite Stone: 850 lbs
More materials for the core. More mana for growth.
And more pieces to a puzzle he did not yet understand.
[To Be Continued…]