Chapter 3: Wood You Believe It?

Karl walked back through the main hall of the first level, his skeletal feet making soft clicks on the stone. A sudden chime, barely audible, echoed in his non-existent ears. A System notification popped up in his vision, shimmering with a faint purple light. [ Dungeon Fully Explored! ] [ Dungeon Map Unlocked! ] An additional UI element, a small, glowing map icon, appeared beside his profile. He mentally tapped it. Instantly, a full, spinning 360-degree 3D model of the dungeon materialized before him, hovering in the air. Every twist and turn, every damp stone corridor, every coffin-filled room, was laid bare. He even saw the subtle glow of the hidden core, a tiny beacon in its secret niche. A faint, almost imperceptible nod of his skull acknowledged the convenience. The map extended beyond the dungeon walls, showing the dense forest stretching below the mountain, a green carpet under a grey sky. The rest of the world, however, remained shrouded in a thick, swirling "fog of war," a stark reminder of the vast, unexplored unknown. Karl’s gaze drifted to the forest. His thoughts immediately turned to the Lumber Yard. He tried to drag the transparent outline of the building onto the forest, but a red "X" mark flashed, and a small, greyed-out icon appeared: "Locked: Cannot build outside dungeon." A flicker of consideration passed through his empty eye sockets. Inside, then. He mentally tapped the hammer icon in his UI. A list of starter buildings appeared. He selected "Lumber Yard." A transparent outline of the building materialized, following his head movement. He shifted his head, the outline moving with him. When he found a suitable spot, a green checkmark solidified, confirming the placement. If he moved it to an invalid spot, the red X returned. The interface was surprisingly intuitive. Canvas Section 2: Resource Gathering & Shop DiscoveryScene Title: Skeletons and the Shop’s Call Karl moved towards a large, empty room on the far side of the first level, the chosen spot for the Lumber Yard. As he entered, a detailed panel for the building appeared in his vision. [ Starter Lumber Yard – Basic Build Requirements ] [ Type: Manual ] [ Core Link: Yes ] [ Build Time: ~3 min(Manual) ] [ Output: Basic Wood Logs ] [ Builders Assigned: 0/5 ] [ Resource Gatherers Assigned: 0/10 ] [ Raw Resource Requirements: ] [ 20x Wood Logs ] [ 10x Rough Stone ] [ 5x Bones ] "Workers," Karl thought, his gaze lingering on the "Assigned" lines. "This is where the skeletons come to play." He gripped the broken Lich Staff. A familiar purple glow pulsed from his hand as he instinctively summoned 10 skeletons. A faint, icy chill spread through his ethereal form as 100 mana drained from him, a momentary stiffness in his bony frame. He mentally assigned 5 skeletons as "builders," pointing them towards the transparent outline of the Lumber Yard. They stood there, rattling their bones, doing nothing. Karl’s skull tilted slightly. "Right. Builders needed materials." He reassigned them, along with the other 5, to "resource gatherers." Another panel popped up: [ Choose Zone. ] He opened the map and mentally designated the forest outside as the gathering zone. The skeletons, now all assigned to gather, clattered off towards the dungeon entrance. He then mentally assigned the entire dungeon as a zone for them to find bones and stones. Other skeletons immediately began to move through the dungeon’s dark hallways, their bony fingers scraping against walls, searching. A faint, dry smile stretched across Karl’s skull. This was it. The beginning. A fleeting image of his old office, the hum of computers, the endless spreadsheets, flashed in his mind. If all of this was just a dream, he might as well make it the most profitable one. A panel appeared shortly after, a soft ding accompanying it. [ Resource Gatherers: Forest Zone(No Tools to collect Lumber) ] Karl’s jawbones tightened. "Of course it needs tools," he muttered, the sound a dry whisper in the silent dungeon. He looked around the empty room, then back at the System panel, a hint of frustration in the set of his skull. Where would he even find tools in this dead place? Suddenly, a small, glowing icon pulsed near the message. [ Tip: Use Shop to Buy starter tools. ] The System highlighted the shop icon, a small shopping cart, right beside the hammer icon. "Yep," Karl affirmed, a new idea forming. He mentally tapped it, a spark of curiosity igniting in his empty eye sockets. What kind of inventory did a System shop even carry? The extensive System Shop Interface materialized before Karl, filling his vision with glowing text and intricate menus. He scrolled through categories: Blueprints, Structures, Upgrades, Tools, Missions, Specials. ???? SYSTEM SHOP — NecroNet Interface v1.3 User: Karl Leech Currency: 1,000 NP Core Status: Empty Magic Charge Region Link: Ancient Dungeon - District 7A ???? BLUEPRINTS – Tier 2 (Available for Purchase) Timber Mill – 120 NP Converts raw logs into processed lumber. Essential for upgrading structures. Ore Refinery – 150 NP Turns basic ore into usable metal. Required for advanced tools and armor. Industrial Workshop – 180 NP Unlocks gear and armor crafting. Supports queuing for efficient production. Inn & Tavern Complex – 200 NP Boosts core mana recovery. Generates passive energy from staying visitors. Trade Outpost – 220 NP Enables auto-trade with nearby settlements. Opens resource exchange interface. Tech Workshop – 250 NP Crafts magical devices, tools, and early magi-tech equipment. ????️ STRUCTURE PACKAGES – Tier 2 Construction Kits Modular Lumber Facility – 180 NP Upgrade from basic woodcutter. Works faster with better storage. Reinforced Mining Shaft – 160 NP Safer, more productive mine layout. Allows more metal node extraction. Advanced Fabrication Unit – 200 NP Multi-purpose station for producing gear, tools, and minor machinery. Merchant Plaza – 240 NP Attracts traders and sells stored items. Enables local dungeon economy. Visitor Quarters – 220 NP Increases guest time spent inside the dungeon, improving mana recovery. ???? STARTER TOOLS & UTILITY ITEMS Iron Pickaxe – 10 NP Basic mining tool. Good for early resource gathering (50-use durability). Woodcutter’s Saw – 12 NP Improves wood harvesting speed from nearby trees. Work Hauler Kit – 25 NP Lightweight backpack and strap set. Boosts carrying capacity. Foreman’s Cap – 50 NP Assign to a worker unit. Increases their task speed by 10%. ???? SYSTEM UPGRADES Mill Efficiency Boost – 60 NP Upgrades Timber Mill output by 15%. Automated Haul Routes – 75 NP Establishes transport lanes between structures. Speeds up logistics. Multi-Task Workforce Protocol – 100 NP Allows skeletons to queue and complete multiple tasks per command. Core Stabilizer Module – 200 NP Reduces rate of magic depletion in Dungeon Core by 20%. Extra Production Line (Workshop) – 90 NP Unlocks a second crafting slot in the Industrial Workshop. ???? AVAILABLE MISSIONS "Deliver 10 Lumber Units" – Reward: 60 NP Requires active Timber Mill. Time: 1 hour. "Fulfill Basic Armor Order" – Reward: 120 NP Requires Industrial Workshop. Time: 2 hours. "Scout Trade Route" – Reward: 80 NP Instant mission. Requires any scout unit. "Host 5 Visitors (Passive Core Energy Boost)" – Reward: 90 NP + mana Requires Inn & Tavern Complex. Time: 4 hours. ???? SPECIAL OFFERS Skilled Worker Pack (x5 units) – 80 NP Adds 5 specialized workers to your labor pool. Core Energy Capsule (Single Use) – 30 NP Recharges Dungeon Core by 5%. Map Expansion Token – 100 NP Unlocks 1 additional grid zone for construction and exploration. ???? CURRENT CART: Empty [Confirm Purchase] [Cancel All] "It’s quite f***ing extensive," Karl muttered, a dry whisper escaping his bony lips. His eye sockets lingered on the "Blueprints" and "Structures" sections, then scrolled down to "Upgrades." A low, satisfied hum vibrated through his skeletal frame. This wasn’t just a shop; it was a catalog for a burgeoning empire. For now, he focused on the immediate. He mentally added 4 Woodcutter’s Saws to his cart (12 NP each, total 48 NP). A quick mental tap on "Confirm Purchase," and 48 NP vanished from his 1000 NP balance. Four woodcutter’s saws materialized on the ground in front of him with a faint shimmer, glinting dully in the torchlight. Karl tilted his skull, observing them. Pretty magical, he thought, a flicker of genuine wonder in his empty eye sockets. How was this even possible? His engineering mind, accustomed to schematics and physical manufacturing, grappled with the sheer impossibility of it. He recalled his resource gatherers. Moments later, the clatter of bone announced their return from the forest. As they entered the room, Karl mentally pictured them using the tools. Without hesitation, the skeletons stooped, picked up the saws, their bony fingers wrapping around the handles, and turned, heading back towards the forest. No questions, no complaints, just immediate, unthinking obedience. Karl’s skull tilted back slightly, a dry, almost silent chuckle escaping him. The convenience of mental commands, the telepathy with his minions—it was a far cry from the endless meetings and corporate politics of his past life. A grand vision, shimmering like gold, began to form in his mind: an office, not of steel and glass, but of polished obsidian, filled with the glint of countless gold coins. He saw himself, a Lich of immense power, perhaps even with a living, breathing harem (definitely not skeletons), watching kingdoms rise and fall, their fates dictated by the products his dungeon churned out. Or perhaps, a more peaceful route, a trade empire built on necromantic efficiency. The thought was a strange, ambitious blend of his old corporate drive and his new, undead reality. What kind of empire would he truly build here?