"So, I need two paths leading from the safe zone… and three total paths leading to the final zone," Kaiden murmured as he eyed the interface.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Considering I can start with only two, that last requirement must kick in once the dungeon expands. Otherwise, I'd be forced to start with 3 paths right out of the gate."

The play was obvious.

One true path.

One fake path.

That way, invaders would waste time and resources exploring a dead end, while he spent his precious DMP as efficiently as possible.

He set to work, tracing a tunnel route outward from the safe zone. The abyssal terrain responded to his will with stone shifting, black ridges forming, and tunnels taking shape akin to wax hardening in reverse. He made the false path first, extending it for only a few meters before ending it in a solid wall.

But before he could confirm the creation, the interface flashed red.

[Error: Pathway cannot be blocked.]

[Primary pathways must remain open and continuous until they reach a zone of significance.]

"… Damn it," Kaiden groaned. But, truth be told, he already expected this. Being forced to have a pathway just to close it off after a few steps made little sense.

One had to keep in mind that dungeons were under strict rules, at least that seemed to be the case. However, Kaiden couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he increased the dungeon's tier from low.

A question for a later date.

"So no cheap tricks, huh?"

He stared at the glowing error message for a few seconds before exhaling through his nose. Fine. If he couldn't block it, maybe he could twist it.

No one said the path had to be horizontal.

A slow, devious grin crept across his face.

"Let's see how far I can bend the rules."

The view sank downward as he willed the tunnel to plunge steeply beneath the cavern floor. The abyssal rock twisted, coiling into a downward spiral. The smooth slope soon turned treacherous, studded with uneven ridges and sudden drops that would send any careless explorer tumbling into darkness.

Kaiden worked like a man possessed. Every few meters, he inserted another cruel design: a sudden narrowing, a slippery incline, a fully vertical shaft that forced descent without return unless one came truly prepared. Considering that normal climbing gear couldn't bite into the abyssal rock, he imagined climbing back from this incredibly long hole wouldn't be easy for anyone.

He shaped jagged ledges and vertical holes, then widened them just enough to be technically passable.

He wasn't carving a pathway; he was designing a deathtrap disguised as one.

Minutes passed before he realized he'd reached the end of his purchased terrain. Each km² of the abyssal cavern cost 600 DMP. If he wanted to expand further, he had to purchase another km².

He frowned, debating what to do. Then a devilish grin materialized on his face. "Let's turn the heat up, shall we?"

Opening the landscape menu, Kaiden scrolled until he found what he was looking for.

[Magma Vein Expanse] – 600 DMP/km²

His grin widened. "Perfect."

He confirmed the purchase.

[Remaining Dungeon Master Points: 8800.]

Considering Calypso's demons likely no longer exist, just like the rest of her dungeon, Kaiden theorized they became his DMP so that the new master of the dungeon could invest however he liked - meaning he had to retain points for monsters as well.

But that would come later. First, this.

A deep rumble vibrated through the cavern as the ground below split apart. Liquid fire rushed upward, and veins of molten orange bore its head. The long chamber he'd designed - the entire sloped death tunnel - began to fill with magma, bubbling and hissing as it claimed every pit and crevice.

But Kaiden didn't let it rise all the way to the surface.

He clenched his fist, focusing on the flow. The molten tide halted just below a jagged slope halfway through the tunnel. There, it pooled in the form of searing death, hidden from sight by a thin crust of blackened rock.

To an untrained eye, it would look like the tunnel simply descended into shadow. No glow, no obvious heat shimmer until it was far too late.

He grinned to himself. "Can't give the game away too early."

If the magma reached the surface, any half-decent invader would mark the route as 'avoid at all costs' and never set foot inside. But this way?

This way, some poor bastard might jump down expecting a hidden passage, only to meet an instant end.

Kaiden inspected the scene from above, watching traces of steam escape from narrow fissures along the slope. It looked natural. Perfectly deceiving.

"This…" he muttered with a grin, "… will kill so many people."

He loved it.

But it wasn't enough.

Kaiden opened the Dungeon Master interface and switched to the [Creatures] tab.

The screen shifted, revealing a new menu lined with small, pulsing icons. These were monsters available for summoning.

[Common Creatures]

The first entries were painfully basic, the kind of monsters most people who would dare invade his dungeon would laugh out of existence.

[Direwolf] – Level 12 – 1 DMP each

Savage pack hunters. Effective in groups.

[Goblin Raider] – Level 9 – 1 DMP each

Primitive humanoids driven by hunger and greed.

[Bone Serpent] – Level 18 – 2 DMP each

Reanimated skeletal snake.

[Venomfly] – Level 6 – 1 DMP for 3

Winged insect, mildly poisonous. Mostly annoying.

Kaiden smiled dryly. If he populated his domain with these, the world would laugh at him as the nasty invaders streamed down into his dungeon.

They were all generic, the kind of mobs that spawned in the shallows of any low-tier dungeon. No wonder they were cheap; there wasn't a single one above level 40, and the most expensive cost barely 10 DMP.

Calypso's demons had been horribly threatening and deadly, abyssal creatures that emanated malice and cruelty. These? They looked like placeholders.

Kaiden theorized that these so-called [Common Creatures] were available to all dungeon masters, no matter the theme they selected for their dungeon.

He scrolled down, searching for his abyssal horrors, until something made him stop.

A single, unassuming entry caught his eye.

[Slime] – Level 1 – 1 DMP for 10

Description: A semi-sentient blob of viscous fluid. Harmless unless provoked. Dissolves organic material slowly. Often found near moist areas.

Kaiden's lips parted, then curled into a slow, wicked grin.

"Ten of them for one DMP, huh?" he mused. "I might as well try that."

Sure, the description was pathetic, but Kaiden's mind wasn't exactly pure. He'd seen enough questionable content on the internet to know exactly how this could get entertaining.

"Alright, you little blobs," he said, tapping the confirm button with his mind. "Welcome to the team."

The ground pulsed with dull light, and ten small, jelly-like creatures materialized on the dark slope. They wobbled in place, jiggling with every movement, leaving behind a faint translucent trail wherever they slithered.

Kaiden crouched, watching one of them slide forward. The rock shimmered with a wet sheen. Then another followed, and another.

Within seconds, the entire slope gleamed with a slimy, borderline invisible coating.

Kaiden's grin turned manic.

He took a step forward to test it and immediately lost his footing.

His leg shot out from under him, and he went sliding down the slick abyssal stone right toward the awaiting pool of lava down below.

The slimes, utterly unbothered, jiggled in greeting.

But Kaiden was in control. He focused his will, and a faint aura surrounded him as his privilege kicked in, letting him float while the initial setup of his dungeon was undergoing. He didn't believe he could continue floating like this once the creation period ended.

He looked down at the glistening slope with satisfaction.

Now he couldn't wait to watch the stream of the first daring invader. But alas, he still had to finish the dungeon.

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