On the northwest border of the Lanxi Kingdom, a plain stretched across the intersection of forests and hills.
Deep underground.
In a dim space, a silver-white orb floated above a stone pedestal.
The orb rotated slowly and irregularly, as if it possessed a mind of its own.
The orb did indeed possess intelligence.
Dalun Li had transmigrated to this godforsaken place in the blink of an eye, inheriting the general knowledge of this world.
This was a world similar to the ancient West, but unlike that world, this one contained things known as "dungeons."
Dungeons held vast amounts of treasure, resources, and even otherworldly power.
This bestowed supernatural powers upon humanity, leading them down a path entirely different from that of Earth.
And he had transmigrated into a dungeon.
The entire dungeon could be considered a part of his body.
However, there was no use complaining about it now.
As a dungeon, Dalun Li could absorb the power of the earth veins to strengthen himself.
[Name] Dalun Li
[Form] Dungeon
[Floor] 1 (Lv.1)
[Special Floor] None
[Treasure] None
[Magic Plant] Mandragora Seeds * 10 (Ginseng - Modified)
[Treasure Power] Level 1 (Earth Vein Power +1/day)
[Earth Vein Power] 10 (Used to create new floors, special potions, modify monsters...)
[Earth Vein Power Required for Next Floor] 10
[Talents] Monster Creation (Gold Talent: Consume power and materials to create monsters), Flesh Absorption (Purple Talent: Can absorb and digest all flesh within the dungeon)
[Warning] The dungeon will manifest in one hour. Please be prepared. If the core is destroyed, you will die.
"I guess I can't escape this fate after all."
Dalun Li had been here for ten days and had long since prepared himself mentally.
Whether he lived or died would depend on this moment.
In this world, dungeons were incredibly precious resources. All human adventurers aimed to conquer and seize control of them as their ultimate goal.
The moment he became a dungeon, an irreconcilable conflict with humanity was predestined.
Currently, the dungeon only had one floor.
The entire dungeon core—his core—could only be placed on the first floor.
However, with the Earth Vein Power accumulated over ten days, he could now create a new floor.
Floors were the core of Dalun Li's power.
The more floors he had, the higher his level and the stronger his power would become.
"Floor, create!"
As the ten points of accumulated Earth Vein Power were consumed, the dungeon began to tremble.
The dim first floor began to grow spaces and passages connecting to a second floor.
The second floor of the dungeon rapidly expanded from the chaotic void.
Dalun Li concentrated, creating a large number of false passages on the first floor to mislead intruders.
'Adventurers, don't blame me for being underhanded.'
The silver-white dungeon core, along with its pedestal, transferred to the second floor.
[Earth Vein Power Required for Next Floor] 20
With the creation of the second floor, Dalun Li could clearly feel his power increasing.
But he didn't have the slightest intention of fighting.
He was the ultimate boss of this dungeon; there was no reason for the ultimate boss to do the dirty work.
Besides, with his current strength, the risk was simply too high.
Seeing that the time for the dungeon's opening was drawing near...
"I'll just have to use some slightly more underhanded methods."
Dalun Li took out his only treasure.
Mandragora Seeds * 10 (Ginseng - Modified).
These mandragoras had transmigrated along with him. Back home, they were called ginseng, and they wouldn't have minded the name.
But now that they were "abroad," they had to go by their foreign name: Mandragora.
Treasures could increase the efficiency of Dalun Li's Earth Vein Power absorption.
The more treasures he had, the higher the efficiency.
These ten mandragora seeds were currently Dalun Li's entire fortune.
Dalun Li took a deep breath, setting one seed aside to save.
Then, he focused all his strength on the remaining nine mandragora seeds.
"Monster Creation!"
As a silver glow was infused into the mandragora seeds, they began to twist.
Roots quickly broke through the seed coats, growing at a rapid pace.
Stems and leaves sprouted simultaneously, swaying as they reached upward.
Soon, nine precious, high-grade mandragoras appeared before Dalun Li.
They looked no different from genuine mandragoras.
[Name] Dalun Li's Mandragora
[Level] Lv.2
[Skills] Camouflage Lv.2, Growth Lv.1, Leaf Needle Lv.1, Minor Poison
[Description] Monster servants created by the unknown entity Dalun Li. Indistinguishable from real mandragoras, but ferociously carnivorous. Though they are fakes, their medicinal efficacy is even stronger than the real thing.
"I did it!"
Dalun Li watched the nine monsters he had created with excitement, feeling more satisfied the more he looked at them.
The mandragora monsters seemed to sense their master, affectionately stretching their leaves as if seeking more favor.
However, their intelligence was low; they could only express primitive emotions.
Still, for an ambush, it was enough!
Sensing that time was almost up, Dalun Li endured the exhaustion of his depleted power and teleported the mandragoras to various locations on the first floor.
At the same time, he fine-tuned the structure of the first floor so that these mandragoras wouldn't look out of place.
"My little darlings, it's up to you now."
Dalun Li settled onto his pedestal, recovering his strength while keeping his gaze fixed on the first floor, quietly waiting for his guests to arrive.
Meanwhile, in the outside world...
With a thunderous roar, a hemispherical stone-brick structure over a hundred meters in diameter burst from the ground.
On one side of the building, two rugged stone pillars rose up, supporting a stone gateway.
The violent tremors caused nearby residents and adventurers to turn their eyes toward the center of the disturbance.
In the castle, the local lord, Fenris Grey, was also startled by the vibration and looked toward the unknown source in disbelief.
His heart pounded wildly.
Could this commotion mean a new dungeon had appeared? And right in his border territory!
If he could seize control of this dungeon...
"Send men to the center of the tremors to investigate immediately, then report back to me."
"Yes, my lord."
"Wait, take more men with you!"
"Yes, sir."
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