Chapter 50: Dungeon Core and Suit Upgrade

Chapter 50: Dungeon Core and Suit Upgrade Karl paced the -4th floor, the deepest part of his dungeon "Well, to be honest, dungeon-wise," Karl muttered to himself, his skeletal jaw working, a dry, clicking sound echoing in the quiet chamber. "I’m gonna need a centralized system that uses dungeon mana to refill the elemental stones throughout the dungeon itself. That way, controls are centralized into one system, rather than constantly replacing the elemental stones. Like switching light stones just because they’ve run out of mana. To be honest, it’s too inefficient and consumes a lot of time. It’s a waste of manpower." He ran a bony hand over his skull, a gesture of exasperation. He stopped pacing again, his gaze falling back to the schematic of his elemental engine. The control problem was still a wall, a gaping hole in his brilliant design. He needed something to connect everything, to make it all flow, to give him precise command over the raw elemental power. Then, a thought, a sudden, sharp idea, clicked into place. It was so obvious, so perfectly aligned with the dungeon’s nature, a solution hidden in plain sight. A slow, calculating smirk began to spread across his skeletal face. Just as the thought solidified, the System responded with a familiar chime. [ You have created a custom blueprint! ] ????️ [Structure Blueprint: Arcstone Network Infrastructure] Type: Dungeon Core Upgrade + Infrastructure Expansion Unlock Requirement: Elemental Infusion Crucible (Upgraded) Dungeon Mana Core (Must be activated) ???? UPGRADE: ???? Dungeon Mana Core – Arcstone Network IntegrationWhat this does: Transforms your Dungeon Mana Core into a "Mana Brainstem Node", giving it the ability to power and direct Arcstone-enabled systems. ???? ARCSTONE NETWORK — OVERVIEWThe Arcstone Network is a logic-powered mana infrastructure using Arcstones as control nodes, capacitors, and transmission relays. No runes. No wands. All mechanical/magical fusion. ???? CORE FUNCTIONS of ARCSTONES (once network is active): ???? Mana Capacitor: Absorbs excess dungeon mana and stores it ???? Signal Node: Can receive and send trigger signals to elemental stones ???? Logic Gate: Emits behavior patterns (Ping, Pulse, Delay, Sync) to trigger other stones ???? Control Relay: Powers appliances, tools, or furniture fitted with compatible elemental stones ???? Autonomous Execution: Triggers patterns based on time, pressure, mana flow, or physical movement (sensor integration blueprint required) ???? TO CRAFT ARCSTONES: ???? Upgrade: Elemental Infusion Crucible – Arcstone Synthesis Module Cost: 480 NP → Adds convergence ring, fusion chamber, containment seals → Enables multi-elemental fusion to craft Arcstones ???? ARCSTONE NETWORK STRUCTURE COMPONENTS: ???? 1. Arcstone Relay Pillars Small pedestal-like structures Must be installed every 15–20m Houses a single Arcstone Acts as a signal repeater and micro-capacitor ???? 2. Arcstone Control Node Terminal A central panel with no runes; uses engraved stone-dials Configures logic behaviors for surrounding Arcstones Uses Arcstone Logic Chips (stone-carved, manually tuned) → Allows pattern sequencing: Burst, Delay, Hold, Trigger-on-Touch, Proximity Field, etc. ???? 3. Arc-Integrated Appliance Frames Furniture or machines with built-in elemental stones Can be activated via Arcstone pulses → E.g., Lamps, Stoves, Bellows, Doors, Conveyor Tools Add-on Kits Cost: 35–80 NP per frame type ????‍???? REQUIRED SPECIALIST WORKFORCE: ☠️ Arcstone Synthesizer Skeleton → Created via Elemental Artisan upgrade → Crafts Arcstones and maintains signal health ☠️ Arc-Tuner Skeleton → New Role → Tunes Logic Chips and configures physical Arcstone terminals → Maintains and aligns dungeon mana frequency for Arc-Network Skeleton Pack Unlock Cost: 180 NP (Includes 2 Licenses) ???? RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS TO BUILD CORE SYSTEM: Raw Mana Stone x1 (per Arcstone) Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Amber, Stone Elemental Stones x1 each (per Arcstone) Mana Quartz Alloy (from metallurgy) x1 Carved Signal Stone Frame (from Stonecutting House) x1 Infusion Clamp Toolkits (for skeletons) ] [ You earned +1200 NP ] Karl’s eyes widened. He was genuinely shocked by the enormous amount of NP the System had just granted for his idea. Then, a dry, rattling laugh erupted from his throat, echoing off the dungeon walls. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he cackled, throwing his head back. "Of course! Of course, it’s an upgrade! The dungeon is so grateful to me that it gave me 1200 NP! KYAHAHAHAHAH!" His laughter was a mixture of triumph and glee. He calmed down, a thoughtful hum replacing his mirth. "It would make sense, though," he mused, tapping a bony finger on the blueprint. "The dungeon’s mana network is so disorganized that its entire mana is contained in the dungeon itself rather than stored into something efficient. It’s like a brain without a nervous system, just a big, pulsing lump of energy." He gestured vaguely towards the ceiling. "But then again, this is only the upper levels of this whole deep, extensive network of a dungeon. Who knows what lies on floor -5 to -101? Since the original mana system of the dungeon is broken, the elevator egress platform is also broken. Hence, I could only stare down at this deep shithole of a pit, wondering what treasures or horrors lurk below." He walked back inside the core room. "But with this Arcstone Network, the Dungeon Core room will finally get a proper upgrade. It’ll transform into a ’Mana Brainstem Node.’ Hopefully, it’ll reduce the dungeon mana upkeep, as well as efficiently flow mana into the directing systems. This new structure is basically a wireless electrical system, except it’s magic. No more fumbling with individual stones or manual mana transfers." His mind raced, connecting the dots at a dizzying speed. "With it, I can use its blueprint to create a compact conductor board for the vehicle. That way, using logic, I can create a loop flow for the engine’s elemental stones. The Arcstone will act as the central control, constantly feeding mana and sending precise signals. Then all I have to worry about now is the rest of the vehicle system: the gearbox, the controls, the steering, the actual battery using the Arcstone, and then I have to make an entire cold container for the food or otherwise other stuff. Basically, I’m creating an entire truck, But if I have to make a truck, I have to use an existing design model back on earth and for that, I have to use the model for an FH16. Sorry, Volvo." He paused, considering the terrain, a frown creasing his skeletal brow. "Still, I can expand the engine later on, though the real quick problem after that, is there’s barely any roads for an entire truck to go down the mountain. Maybe a Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma pickup truck model. A pickup truck seems more plausible at the moment for the rough terrain, something rugged and reliable." He sighed, the logistical challenges piling up like a mountain of paperwork. "But then again, to even make a fleet of them, I have to expand the metallurgy center, like the entire -3rd floor expansion. I can move the barracks to the -4th floor, near the mines, and remove the crypts. That would free up space. Not to mention, it would take a lot of steel, which means more iron ores. I already am barely keeping up with the orders as it is, with the current demands from the market." Karl looked up and slumped his shoulders, a gesture of profound weariness. "Ahhhh... logistics is a pure headache. I even thought this whole dungeon could be self-sufficient." He sighed again, a long, drawn-out hiss of air. "I’ll just task the manager to make a supply deal with the merchants for wool and iron ores. We need external resources if we’re going to scale this." He paused, a new thought flickering in his mind, like a distant light stone. "Wait a minute," he mused, tapping his chin. "I remembered something. Maybe I’ll find some information about the mana stones. Every wildlife we’ve hunted and butchered for food has mana stones in them, which is what I already used to convert into elemental stones and integrate them into my existing industrial stations. But my question is, what did the beastkins do to their raw mana stones? Do they just discard them? Maybe they have magic too, and I just didn’t know." He thought for a second, then waved his hand dismissively. "Ehhh... I’ll just ask the beastkins about it later. Too many problems right now, too many immediate fires to put out." Karl then walked towards the upper floors, his thoughts already shifting to the next task. "Okay, let’s upgrade the Elemental Infusion Crucible," he muttered to himself. "Apparently, it needs to be upgraded for the elemental artisans to even have the licenses to control the fusion of elements to make a single Arcstone." He knew he needed a lot of Arcstones for the relays and other components of the network. "To make all the Arcstones I need, I require six elemental stones per Arcstone, which means a hell lot more raw mana stones. That’s something we don’t have in abundance right now." He sighed. "But enough for one upgrade and testing, perhaps." Arriving at the industrial level, it was busy as always. The rhythmic banging of anvils from the metallurgy center filled the air. Three new industrial stations were now working hard: the Spindle House, which washed wool, dried it out, and wove it into fabric for the recently built Atelier Station and a station responsible for making papers from wood. As Karl walked past the Atelier, his doom found him. A skeleton tailor, sharp and impeccably dressed, stood over a kobold model. This was Ossario. During the summoning of this skeleton tailor, Karl remembered someone from Earth, before he inevitably died. They had been in Italy with his boss for a meeting, and being a "poor bastard" in a ragged old suit, his boss had detoured them to a well-known designer named Maestro Ossario. A man with a flair for drama and fashion. Karl still remembered how meticulous his tailor was about the suit he picked. Thus, the entire personality of Maestro Ossario was perfectly copied into that skeleton. Ever since then, the skeleton called himself Ossario. He was the one who designed the suits everyone at the commerce floor wore, including the Manager’s. Basically, everyone had no power over Ossario when it came to clothing and what they wore. Since Karl was basically wearing a tattered robe, enjoying his lich roleplay, he had been avoiding Ossario. He wasn’t going to show himself to the beastkins, so he didn’t need a suit. But more specifically, he didn’t like wearing suits. Ossario was currently working on Misha, a kobold, one of his "snatched models" from the hunters’ group. Misha stood patiently, dressed in a half-finished suit. "Bene, now that is a cuff, sì?" Ossario declared, his synthesized voice holding a distinct, theatrical Italian lilt. He adjusted the fabric on Misha’s wrist with bony, precise fingers. "Clean. Sharp. Like a blade of style." He paused, turning slightly, his masked head cocking. "...Aspetta. Che—? Che cos’è—?" His gaze swept across the bustling workshop, then landed on Karl, who had just tried to sneak past. Karl already slumped when their eyes met, knowing this was going to take a lot more than excuses. "CARLO!" Ossario bellowed, his voice echoing through the industrial hall, making the anvils seem to pause their banging. "Oh no..." Karl muttered, a hollow groan. "Do my orbital sockets deceive me," Ossario mocked, gliding towards Karl, "or is my lord and master, ruler of this majestic dungeon, dressed like a mummified bread sack?! again?!" He gestured dramatically at Karl’s tattered robe. "I was just checking the lower floor’s—" Karl tried to explain, raising a bony hand. "Basta! Enough!" Ossario cut him off, his voice rising. "You look like you were evicted from a haunted soup kitchen!" He sniffed disdainfully, though he had no nose. "It’s my ’working robe.’ It’s broken in." Karl offered weakly. "Broken in?!" Ossario shrieked, his skeletal hands flying up in exasperation. "It’s broken down, broken apart, and broken my heart! This hem—mamma mia—this hem is so burnt, it could be served as a pizza crust!" "It has character," Karl added, trying to sound defiant. "Character?! You are the face of this operation! The sovereign of structure! The architect of afterlives! And you dress like a sleepy witch who got lost at a garage sale! You are an insult to all that is stylish and undead!" Ossario ranted, his voice growing louder. Misha, dressed in her suit, slowly sneaked away, unnoticed by the enraged tailor. "You assigned me to design uniforms for your company!" Ossario continued, his voice laced with betrayal. "And yet you, the pinnacle, the spine of this glorious corpse of an empire, wear this... this insulto a la moda! An insult to fashion!" "I didn’t think anyone really noticed," Karl mumbled, shrinking slightly. "Didn’t notice?!" Ossario’s voice was a theatrical whisper, full of mock horror. "My lord, when you enter a room, people should weep from elegance! You should inspire terror and awe — not pity and a lint roller!" He spun around, spotting Rook, a combat skeleton, following Karl from a distance. "You! Tell him!" Rook, startled, raised his shoulders, unsure what to say. "Uh... it’s got kind of a... vintage death cult vibe?" "Vintage—?!?" Ossario shrieked, pointing a bony finger at Rook. "OUT. Does everyone not know fashion these days?!" He waved Rook away, then turned back to Karl, his voice softening, but no less firm. "Carlo, my dear rotting miracle... you will come with me. You will wear the suit I made for you — the one I stitched by candlelight from fine silk and siren thread. And if you do not..." Ossario leaned in, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "I swear on my grandmother’s ghost and my shears — I will leave this dungeon. I will move to the nearest town. And I will personally dress your enemies in better clothes than you. I will make them look so magnificent, so utterly divine, that your very reputation will crumble into dust from sheer sartorial envy!" Karl surrendered, grumbling. "Fine. One suit. No cravat." He knew when he was beaten. Ossario was a force of nature, even in death. Ossario smiled, a triumphant, almost predatory gleam in his masked eyes. "Bene. No cravat. But the shoes are handmade by yours truly, made of the finest material. You’ll glide like death itself, a shadow of pure elegance." Karl muttered under his breath, "Eight hours of prison time, here we go." He knew Ossario’s "fitting" process was a meticulous, agonizing ordeal, but the alternative was far worse: a fashion-forward enemy.