Chapter Forty-One: The Day of the Great Construction's Commencement

For now, Jen chose not to concern himself with the issues between the Black Onyx Stone Fortress and the Brandon Stone Fortress. The reason he had Verna deliver the serpent captain’s magical weapon to Kadek was precisely for this effect.

Although he had only exchanged a few words with this gray dwarf governor, Jen already understood Kadek’s character to some extent: cunning, sly, greedy, fond of showing off, and always possessing a touch of cleverness. He was certain that, upon receiving those magical weapons, Kadek would never hide them away; instead, he would display them for all to see, indulging his vanity. As expected, the acquisition of those two magical weapons delighted Kadek so much he wished he could start a museum and exhibit them daily. Even if he didn't go that far, he placed them in the main hall for everyone to admire.

This meant that information about these magical weapons would inevitably reach the Black Onyx Stone Fortress. In the Underdark, every faction had their own spies planted among rivals or bribed insiders to gather intelligence—such things were commonplace. If the Black Onyx Stone Fortress lacked even this basic ability, they could never have survived wedged between the three great subterranean powers.

As for any developments at Brandon Stone Fortress, Jen felt no anxiety. In truth, his request that Verna take up station at the Black Stone Watchtower was not intended as punishment. Within the dungeon system, every building needed a permanent unit for its function. The Xenomorphs had been sent out by Jen to search for the exact location of the portal, undead were tasked with guarding the dungeon, Enoya, as his lieutenant, was occupied with myriad responsibilities, Bix was constantly tunneling with the goblins, and as for Elise—her unit had to fulfill the role of “prison,” so the only one left was Verna.

Moreover, the Black Stone Watchtower played a crucial role in Jen’s dungeon. With a unit stationed there, the tower enhanced the dungeon’s scouting range by fifteen—meaning anything within a fifteen hundred meter radius outside the dungeon could be detected and monitored. Therefore, if the Brandon Stone Fortress made any moves, Jen would be notified by the system at once, never left in the dark.

Thus, assigning Verna to guard the Black Stone Watchtower was not a petty act of malice, but a necessity. Yet this highlighted the difference between game and reality. In the game, deploying a unit was as simple as dragging a mouse cursor. Reality, of course, had no such conveniences, and Verna’s reaction served as a reminder to Jen. While her reluctance was partly due to her unwillingness to serve as his subordinate, the others were likewise not game-designed AI. Enoya aside, even Bix likely had her own opinions; if pushed too far, they would resist.

Clearly, future developments and construction would require careful consideration of these complications.

Fortunately, the buildings Jen needed to construct at present had no such requirements.

“Clang-clang… Clang-clang… Clang-clang…”

Rhythmic hammering echoed nearby. Looking toward the source, Jen saw the goblins wielding their mining picks, striking the stone walls. Their movements seemed minimal, yet before long, the sound of crashing stone filled the air as large chunks of rock broke apart and tumbled to the ground. Another goblin, chattering noisily, would then scurry over to clear the debris away.

“Over there—yes, that’s the spot… Hey, don’t dig there, stop! Yes! Mind the load-bearing…”

Not far behind the goblins, Bix held a blueprint, comparing its contents while gesturing and barking orders. As a gnome, Bix’s influence was limited; within the dungeon system, she could only command these few goblins—thanks to their status as system-generated derivatives, entirely obedient to Jen’s directions. Thus, whoever Jen ordered them to obey, they would, even if it were a pig. So Bix could direct them freely.

It had to be admitted, gnomish engineering was first-rate. Jen considered himself a seasoned player, well-versed in dungeon construction and excavation, yet when he saw Bix’s blueprints, he was utterly baffled—like a child reading a university thesis, it was all incomprehensible jargon. No surprise there: players’ knowledge of dungeons was limited to optimizing efficiency and maximizing lethality—systemic data. Reality, however, demanded mastery of load-bearing and fundamental excavation, which players naturally lacked. Otherwise, Jen wouldn’t have nearly buried himself during his first attempt.

Under Bix’s guidance, the goblins’ pace in expanding the space increased notably. Soon, what was once the size of a guest room grew several times larger, now roughly the scale of a courtyard. Bix cleverly used hard granite as pillars to expand the space below, making any future endeavors much easier for Jen.

Once everything was finished, Bix let out a satisfied sigh, scanning her work and nodding approvingly. Unlike Verna and Elise, Bix had fully adapted to life in the dungeon. To her, this place was far superior to Gnome City. Here, she could act according to her own ideas, free from reprimands, and even direct others to follow her plans. In Gnome City, only respected elders had such authority; as an adolescent gnome, what could she possibly hope to achieve there?

Still, Bix knew her master was not a tolerant man, so she completed every task Jen assigned with utmost diligence, striving for perfection.

In the process, Bix discovered she had made considerable progress herself. Previously, she possessed some talent, but was too young, flighty, and playful to apply herself earnestly. After Jen captured her and brought her to the dungeon, living under the constant threat of “survival or death, that is the question,” Bix was forced to study her previously neglected lessons with care—terrified that if she angered Jen, he might cook and eat her, a prospect too dreadful to imagine.

This “survival pressure” spurred Bix’s advancements in gnomish engineering, allowing her to progress by leaps and bounds. Now, her abilities were nearly on par with an ordinary gnome elder.

“Reporting, Master—all preparations are complete.”

“Good. I know. Stand behind me.”

“Yes.”

Hearing Jen’s command, Bix nodded obediently, stepping behind him and watching the empty room with wide, curious eyes. This was not her first time witnessing her master’s techniques: despite the bare space, he could transform it with a mere gesture into a fully furnished structure—tables, chairs, benches, every detail complete. At first, Bix had been quite astonished, but after seeing it several times, she grew accustomed. Still, Jen’s methods intrigued her; each time he created something she had never seen before, opening her eyes to new possibilities—a rare opportunity for her.

Jen paid little mind to Bix’s curiosity. A gnome’s inquisitiveness was no harm to him. He merely focused his attention on the space before him. Soon, as his thoughts moved, the system prompts appeared once more.

[Summoning crystal detected. Space expansion complete. Upgrade to Dark Sanctuary?]

[Blueprint: Dark Sanctuary (here lies eternal darkness, here stands the evil temple—offer your sacrifice, open the gates to other worlds, let the guardians of death descend, celebrate your greatness and glory)—Unlock: Large-scale Summoning]

Large-scale Summoning.

Jen sighed. He had not intended to unlock large-scale summoning so soon; after all, the creatures produced by it were voracious, consuming far more than he could afford with his current resources. His original plan was to gradually nurture small groups of summoned creatures, creating a self-sufficient cycle before activating large-scale summoning. But the appearance of the human patrol forced him to accelerate; those adventurers who ventured into the Underdark were formidable, and Jen urgently needed powerful forces to establish dominance. Enoya was competent enough, but only above average. Elise was strong, but her status as a prisoner meant Jen lacked confidence in her obedience until “rehabilitation” was complete. Verna’s strength was similar to Enoya’s, but her attitude made it clear she would be of little help.

Thus, unlocking large-scale summoning to call forth a powerful creature had become a pressing necessity. He had looted enough caravans to supply his needs for the time being—as long as the creature was not an insatiable glutton.

“Upgrade to Dark Sanctuary.”

With this decision in mind, Jen forced a wry smile and spoke in a low voice.

[Upgrading to Dark Sanctuary. Cost: Ore (500), Mercury (500), Gems (500), Crystal (500), Money (9000). Please confirm.]

Confirm.

With Jen’s mental command, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.

The three summoning crystals in the center began to tremble. A pitch-black magic circle formed atop them, expanding as it rotated. Suddenly, the circle contracted and pulsed, then exploded outward, enveloping the entire room in darkness.

“Ah!”

Bix gasped in amazement. She watched as the magic circle swept through, shrouding everything in black, as if a cloth had been laid over all surfaces—floor, walls, ceiling—obscuring the boundaries to the point that up, down, left, and right were indistinguishable. Within the darkness, she saw something moving, slow but unwavering. The roar of thunder echoed in her ears, and the space before her seemed to shift, rearrange, as if the room had been divided into dozens of segments, each being rebuilt like blocks, assembled into a new form.

“Boom!”

After an indeterminate interval, a thunderous sound shook the floor. The darkness receded like a tide, revealing the previously hidden scene.

“Wow…”

Bix stared in awe, hands covering her mouth, unable to believe her eyes.

The space before her had transformed entirely. The three summoning crystals were gone, replaced by a grand and imposing altar. The entire room was adorned in black obsidian—from the vaulted stone columns lining the sides to the flooring beneath, all radiating an aura of mystery and unfathomable depth.

But most striking was the central altar: a basin the size of a swimming pool, filled with shimmering, magic-infused water. At its center, massive stone hands were joined together. Behind them, on the wall, was a hexagram, encircled by two rings—one inside, one outside—framing the star and lending the sanctuary an even darker, more enigmatic air.

“Whew…”

Jen nodded in satisfaction, gritting his teeth and rubbing his hands unconsciously.

Now, it was time to see how his luck would serve him!