Dungeon Master of Gods

Chapter 6: Siege

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Exhaustion weighed on my shoulders. My body and mind demanded rest, but the dungeon never slept. The floating tiles of light that represented my control interface flickered softly in the air, projecting the entire structure of my domain. After hours of planning and tweaking, I could finally call it a functioning dungeon. Two floors, interconnected rooms, strategically placed traps, and a hidden core within a trap room.

It wasn't perfect protection, but it was deceptive enough to delay intruders. To defend it, I had placed a [level 2 Shadowstalker] as a mini-boss, assigning it its own room. This creature was an amalgam of living shadows, able to move undetected in the dim light and strike with sharp claws before its victims could react.

I sighed and closed the interface. I needed to clear my mind.

My consciousness slipped back into the real world. I found myself standing in my living room, pacing in circles as my mind remained stuck on the dungeon blueprints. I couldn't allow myself to become obsessed to the point of neglecting my daily life. There were exams, papers due, and my part-time job that was demanding more and more hours.

I plopped down in my desk chair and opened a notebook, dividing the page into three sections:

[Dungeon: Fortify defenses, optimize dungeon energy (ED) collection, and expand.

University: Submit papers, prepare for exams, and don't miss key classes.

Work: Complete the required hours without interfering with anything else.]

I took a deep breath. The key was balance. If I neglected my real-world life, I would lose everything, including the dungeon.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to relax... until an urgent notification popped up on my interface.

[Surface Scan: Group of intruders detected]

My eyes snapped open.

As I entered the dungeon view, the surface image showed me a dozen figures approaching. They moved cautiously, their shadows dancing in the moonlight. They were adventurers.

My first real attack was about to begin.

"Fi, tell me I have options," I said, feeling tension creep up my spine.

The entity's honeyed voice echoed in my mind.

"Relax, kid. You don't need to rush out to meet them. Remember: this is your dungeon. As long as the core isn't destroyed, you control the battlefield."

"Can I transport to the core?"

"Of course. As long as you're in the real world, you can come and go as you please. But if you die inside… you know what happens."

I gulped. Death in the dungeon meant disappearance.

There was no time to waste.

I executed the teleport command, and in the blink of an eye, my consciousness sank into the abyss.

When my eyes opened again, I was in the core of the dungeon. Around me, the room pulsed with a dark glow, the heart of my domain beating as if it sensed the impending threat.

I opened the map and watched the intruders advance. They moved in formation, exploring cautiously. They were no beginners. Their equipment gleamed in the dim light, indicating that they were at least intermediate-level adventurers.

"If you've come in a group, it means you've already heard of this dungeon…"

I had to stop them before they became a bigger problem.

The adventurers descended through the main entrance, where the first set of traps awaited them:

A pit system with mini steel golems.

One of them, a burly warrior in plate armor, stepped onto the activating slab. Immediately, the ground opened beneath his feet.

"Watch out!" one of his companions shouted.

The warrior tried to jump back, but the mechanism was too fast. He fell, hitting the bottom of the pit with a metallic crash. Before he could react, the mini steel golems emerged from the shadows and attacked him with their sharp limbs.

"Shit! Get him out of there!"

The group sprang into action. An archer fired arrows at the golems, trying to distract them, while a mage reached out and cast a levitation spell to pull him out of the pit.

I couldn't help but click my tongue. They were organized and efficient.

The adventurers not only quickly rescued him, but also deactivated the trap with magic, ensuring that no one else would fall for it.

"Don't underestimate this place," the wounded warrior growled, holding his side.

At least the golems managed to damage him before they took him out.

But this was just the beginning.

Next phase.

I activated the automatic doors and redirected their route to the ambush room.

The room plunged into darkness. The walls, covered in a shadowy miasma, absorbed any light from their torches.

"Something's not right…"

Inhuman whispers filtered through the shadows. A chill ran down the adventurers' spines as they felt the first movements.

The Shadow Goblins had awakened.

Small red-eyed silhouettes slipped through the shadows, surrounding the group. They moved quickly, appearing and disappearing before they could react.

"They're stalking us!"

The archer tried to shoot, but a black claw emerged from the darkness and tore at his arm, making him drop his bow.

"Agh!"

The Shadow Goblins attacked en masse. Small red-eyed silhouettes slipped quickly, cutting through flesh and disappearing before they could counterattack.

"Group up!"

The warriors formed a defensive wall, protecting the mages. A spell of light momentarily dispelled the darkness, revealing the creatures.

But just when they thought they had the upper hand...

The Shadow Stalker descended from the ceiling.

The creature, an amalgam of shadows with obsidian claws, emerged behind the group. Its first victim was the support mage.

In the blink of an eye, its claw pierced his chest. A gasp. Blood gushing from his lips.

"Rashid!"

The mage's body fell lifeless.

The archer, his arm still wounded, loosed an arrow infused with light. The Stalker growled and vanished into the shadows before the projectile reached him.

The room became an inferno.

Goblins attacked from the corners. The Lurker emerged and disappeared, taking lives without warning.

From the safety of the core, I watched intently. Every second they spent fighting, the dungeon absorbed their energy, transforming it into more ED for me.

I didn't need to eliminate them all. I just needed to weaken them enough to make them flee in fear... or turn them into the first corpses of my army.

The siege had begun.