The thief was startled by the sudden sound of the door slamming shut. He immediately stood up and rushed to it, trying to pull it with all his strength—but it didn't budge an inch.
"Damn... what kind of place did I get myself into?" he muttered, looking around with a mix of tension and despair.
That's when he noticed the rusted symbols on the walls, the torches that lit themselves, and the unmistakable smell of mold and death.
"A-a dungeon...?" his expression paled instantly.
Swallowing hard, he tried to stay calm.
"It's fine... it's just an old dungeon. I just have to stay here until a group of adventurers shows up and opens the entrance again. Handling one or two monsters won't be a problem."
He stepped back, trying to find a safe spot to lean against—but eyes were watching him from the shadows.
He walked a few cautious steps until he sat beside a large fallen pillar in the center of the room. Next to him lay the silent remains of an old skeleton.
"Well, buddy... guess you weren't so lucky," the thief said with a nervous chuckle as he stared at the scattered bones.
He looked away for a moment, scanning the surroundings. It was silent... too silent. When he looked back at the skeleton, he froze.
The skull was now facing directly at him.
"W-wait... you weren't looking at me before," the thief murmured, his skin turning pale.
Before he could stand, the skeleton moved with surprising speed, grabbing his arms with a dry snap.
"AAAAAAH!" the thief screamed in panic.
He struggled and twisted, but the cold, firm grip of the undead creature was too strong. Desperate, he pulled out his dagger and began stabbing the skeleton's arm repeatedly, cracking the bones until he finally broke free.
Stumbling back, he ran at full speed, only to stop when he saw the skeleton slowly rising. Even with only one arm, the creature bent down and picked up a rusty sword from the ground.
"Damn... cursed thing," the thief growled through gritted teeth, sweating cold as he ran back to the dungeon entrance.
He shoved the door. Tried turning the handle. Pulled on it. Nothing.
The door wouldn't open.
"Shit... I'm trapped..."
He had no choice—but to stay and face the inevitable.
Turning slowly around, he saw the skeleton approaching with dragging steps. Behind it, another one emerged from the deeper shadows.
"Two skeletons..." the thief thought, swallowing hard.
Then came the sound.
A deep, guttural moan echoed through the dungeon walls, followed by a putrid stench that invaded his nostrils.
"No... don't tell me there are zombies too," he muttered as the sounds multiplied around him.
From one side, the skeletons advanced. From the other, trembling, rotting figures emerged from the darkness—the zombies were coming.
"Shit... I'm surrounded. No choice left... I'll have to fight," the thief thought, clearly panicking.
Up above, Noah watched the scene like he was watching a movie.
"Yes, my minions! Shine! Show your power!" he thought excitedly, a victorious smile on his face. Finally, his creatures would have the chance to prove themselves.
But then suddenly—crack!
A dry, grotesque sound echoed.
The demonic rat emerged from the shadows behind the thief and sank its fangs into his leg. The bone snapped like a twig.
"AAAAARGHHH!!!" the scream of pain tore through the silence of the dungeon, even making the skeletons and zombies stop for a moment and look toward him.
The two skeletons glanced at each other. If they had expressions, they would've looked confused.
"Is that rat trying to steal our glory?"
On the ground, the thief screamed, swinging his dagger desperately at the rat, but the pain was overwhelming. His senses were scrambled, his breathing erratic, his muscles trembling.
The rat bit again, this time into his side. Blood sprayed, and the thief, now in shock, could barely resist.
When he finally stopped fighting, the rat grabbed his mangled leg and began dragging him easily toward a hole dug into the dungeon wall.
The thief slowly disappeared into the darkness, his muffled groans echoing one last time.
Up above, Noah watched wide-eyed.
"I... created a monster."
[Congratulations, host. Your defenses were a success and your Core remains intact.][Reward: 50 Soul Essences][Deaths: 1 | Reward: 10 Soul Essences]
Noah stared at the system interface with a goofy smile. He was thrilled with the rewards.
"Finally! Things are starting to look up," he murmured, excited.
But then he frowned when he saw the death reward.
"Only 10 Essences? For the thief's death?" he asked, confused. "Seriously, a whole life is only worth that much?"
[Soul Essences are calculated based on the level of the adventurers who enter your dungeon. The stronger they are, the more Essences are granted.]
"Oh... I see. So it's more worth it to lure in powerful people, not just anyone," Noah scratched his chin. "That also means I'll need even more dangerous creatures in the future."
He looked at the interface, then at the silent dungeon below.
"Well, with 60 Essences now... I think I can play a little."
Noah opened the system interface. His eyes were immediately drawn to something that had caught his attention for a while: the [Expand Dungeon] option.
Cost: 30 Soul Essences
"Not that expensive..."
Curious, Noah tapped the option and asked:
"System, how does this [Expand Dungeon] thing work?"
[You may describe the new room however you like. As long as it stays within current energy and influence parameters, it will be created automatically. If you go beyond the limits, an additional proportional cost will be applied.]
"And how will I know if I'm going too far?"
[You'll be notified.]
"Great. Then... I want it now."
Without thinking much, Noah confirmed the purchase. The interface flashed, and like with monster creation, a new tab opened asking for a detailed description of the new environment.
He took a deep breath and typed:
A dark and gloomy corridor, with damp stone walls, slightly narrow but long. It is approximately forty meters long and three meters wide. Small torches flicker at intervals, emitting a cold, ethereal flame. The floor is uneven, with a few intentionally deep cracks. It leads from the entrance to the first combat room.
As soon as he confirmed, the dungeon began to vibrate.
The two existing rooms shifted, as if a giant was rearranging them. The dungeon's structure reorganized itself with deep creaks and crushed rocks. Noah watched it all from the Core Room, enchanted by the spectacle.
A few seconds later, it was done.
The dungeon entrance now opened into a long, shadowy corridor that stretched forty meters toward the room where his monsters dwelled. Right after that was the Core Chamber.
He smiled.
"Perfect... now they won't reach my monsters right away. They'll have to walk first. And feel the pressure."
Noah looked at his remaining essence balance: 30.
"Time to save up... and plan the next steps."
The Ninja Squirrel was the first to dash through the new corridor, driven purely by curiosity. He leapt from side to side with his quick ninja tricks—rolling, flipping, vanishing in the torchlight shadows and reappearing elsewhere with dramatic flair.
Then, he turned to Noah and gave him a thumbs-up.
Noah, watching the scene, wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
"This creature definitely has more personality than most people..." he muttered, shaking his head with a smile.
Soon after, the other monsters began to approach as well, drawn by the activity. Even the skeletons, usually stiff, stretched their bones to take a peek. The Demonic Rat emerged from a side crevice, sniffing the new environment as if searching for a spot to dig.
It was strange, but comforting. Seeing his creatures develop their own behaviors and quirks made Noah feel a little less alone in that underground world.
The Ninja Squirrel then ran back to him and began acting something out.
He made theatrical gestures, mimicking an adventurer walking down the corridor, then pretended to step on something, stumble, and die dramatically with his tongue out.
Noah raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Huh...? You want me to... set a trap?"
The squirrel crossed his arms and gave him a look that said, "Obviously." Then he rolled his eyes and repeated the scene—this time pointing insistently at the floor, like saying, "Here. Trap. Got it now?"
Noah laughed.
"Alright, alright! I got it! You want me to place traps in the corridor! Good idea."
The squirrel struck a victory pose and vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only a faint swirl of wind.