There is No Epic Loot Here, Only Puns

24: Unruli

Delta hummed as she waited for the return of Ruli. The moss really was a nice touch, her once drab tunnels now felt really pretty. Delta had only left the mudroom and the boss room untouched. Delta felt that the mudroom was too exciting for the moss twinkling above and Fran had requested he keep his dark ceiling.

Delta wondered if the goblin would like something more interesting? Some statues? Some thorns around the edge of the room?

She would have to ask him soon but first she sent Hob and Gob back out to gather more things as they seemed eager to get back to work for her. Delta was pleased that they were happy to work so much. She eyed Waddles who slapped the Steeltail fish back into the water as it tried to playful smack Waddles.

The duck seemed happy in its alcove, using dried out tangleweeds as bedding. He didn't seem to want anything or if he did he wasn't being too obvious about it. The pond rippled and Delta pulled a thought out of her head about a fishing pole.

One could say she almost fished it out her mind! Delta snorted and spoke aloud to Nu.

"Can we make fishing rods or poles?" she asked and Nu took a moment to think.

Hm, not to the standard to actually take any pressure. This menu lacks the method on making a proper rod or how to use what materials we have as a line. Silver web may work but I do not know about hooks, reels, lures, bait... We need a template to work on. I'd learn nothing from watching your creation breaking over and over. I doubt you have the mana to waste so easily.

Nu was right. After the moss and the fish upgrade... she had dropped from 86 mana to 26 mana. Not a huge problem since Ruli would be back soon and her presence in the dungeon would help replenish that along with what Hob and Gob would bring back. Still, she had 26 mana to use..

Delta pondered what to do since her own knowledge on fishing was rather lacking and she didn't want to murder anyone for the simple act of getting it easy.

After all, she was a pacifish!

Delta left the pond room trying to contain her laughter as she wiped imaginary tears away. She passed Cois who was dripping with mud as he stalked into the Pond room with a grumble. Delta smiled and then her mind pointed something out.

Delta hadn't told Cois about the Steeltail! She turned but Cois yelped and there was a lot splashing and quacking.

Delta backed away and quickly fled down the tunnel before she risked getting involved. She hid in the Core room to think up her next plan of action.

Rare fish would encourage people to come and spend some time to get it. Free mana and everyone had a good time!

So what was her dungeon missing? It had decent doors, entertainment, Mr Mushy, glowymoss, mushrooms everywhere, a boss...

God, she sounded like the first forest dungeon of a video game. Still.. sorta the tutorial but also the part where people could grind. Delta didn't want to be the boring forest dungeon! There was always a little maze or collecting fruit to shrink or grow plants to get around...

Her mushrooms were big enough! Delta heistated and knew that most of her upgrades for the dungeon were nature based and Mrs Dabberghast had only giving her more reason to grow that way.

It was really nice of Mrs Dabberghast to help her like that and Delta hoped she would come back soon. The woman's words were alluring. Cheery, but mysterious.

Delta focused and thought hard. More monsters were an option but without a way to respawn them, Delta would just worry over them if more spiders came or people who weren't so nice. Delta wasn't holding her breath on a being on some magic land of nice people.

Delta didn't even know the level of technology this world had. Fireguns, swords, and magic... It felt off and Delta wasn't going to risk a poor Mushy to another fire gun wielding farmer. So, looking at what was left, she looked at her mana purchases.

Menu

Delta whistled at the list, how much this once tiny list had grown, and at how scary that this list was still a tiny microorganism compared to some dungeons out there. Well, one step at a time. Epic dungeons didn't form in a day.

Especially when they had sworn off DP filled humans for light snacks. Delta guessed eating the occasional animal-like monster wouldn't be too bad. There was no reasoning with them, what else could she do?

Enslave them? Banish them? Force them to grow a conscience? Delta didn't know and until she had some answer, she wasn't going to stress over it. If they ran, Delta would let them go within reason. If they fought to the death then... Delta would deal.

It was bad enough her own spiders terrified her... having huge versions come hissing into the dungeon was making Delta all too happy to to have Mr Mushy escort them back out. Delta shivered at the memory of the drooling fangs and quickly banished the thought.

Back to the manner in the menu, she had a lot of options but struggled to justify them.

She could make loot for her monsters to drop but that was like asking people not to shoot you and then painting a giant target on your back. If people thought her monsters gave amazing things, they would kill them. It was the simple fact of going to a dungeon or being an adventurer.

Holding a finger to Cois, she saw a menu appear.