Designing a map for a game can be a colossal time sink—spending one or two years on it isn't unusual.
Wade didn't have that kind of time.
Instead, he resorted to a crude, quick method: stitched-together design.
After a short but intense round of brainstorming, the new version of Sein Dungeon was born.
Upper Layer – a grim fusion of Farron Keep and Blighttown.
Adventurers slog through poisonous swamps, their boots hissing with each step, while foul vapors curl upward. To reach the fortress, they must light three flame altars scattered across the mire. Only then can they challenge the gatekeepers—the Twin Gargoyles.
[Gargoyle (Native Monster)]
[Energy Required: 120]
[HP: C | Strength: D+ | Intelligence: E | Endurance: D | Speed: D-]
[Overall Combat Rating: D]
Defeat them, and players descend into Blighttown—a crumbling cliffside slum clinging to the edge of a poisoned abyss.
Here, Wade had poured in every devious idea he could think of. Traps from all three layers overlapped, turning exploration into a death march.
There was no boss here—only "surprises" deadlier than any boss.
He Estimated death rate in the upper layer: about 50%.
Middle Layer – a strange blend of Pokémon, Undead Burg, and The Great Hollow.
At its heart lay a decaying undead town crawling with zombies and twisted beasts, surrounded by a dense forest of towering, ancient trees. Waist-high grass concealed creatures that appeared at random—his "Pokémon."
With no budget left for a boss, Wade sealed the town's exit with a colossal stone gate that laughed at brute force. The only way to open it: defeat two elite monsters in separate regions and claim their keys.
Beyond the gate loomed The Great Hollow—a yawning shaft nearly a thousand meters deep, threaded with massive, intertwining branches. Adventurers would have to platform across them, knowing one slip meant death. Only the survivors reached the Lower Layer.
Lower Layer – an unholy mashup of Souls-like underground designs: the drowned ruins of New Londo, the twisting catacombs of Elden Ring, and claustrophobic mines dug into the bones of the earth.
Here awaited the final boss: the Crucible Knight, a C-rank monster and the most powerful unit Wade could currently field.
Defeating it unlocked a teleport gate, returning players to the upper level and freedom.
Wade also borrowed Aldwin's trademark cruelty—placing over a dozen complex puzzles and traps before the hidden Lord's Chamber, each guarded by monsters. Even he felt his own design was nauseatingly brutal.
But at least it made him feel safe.
He scattered unique rewards throughout the map, certain these exclusive Dungeon items would lure adventurers in droves.
[Lord Interface]
[Wade / Aldwin]
[HP: E+ | Strength: E | Intelligence: E+ | Endurance: E | Speed: E]
[Overall Combat Rating: E]
[Can upgrade using Energy]
Wade stared at his own stats for a long time before deciding not to spend a single point.
Better to hide more monsters than waste resources upgrading himself.
He grinned faintly. Spend where it makes you happy.
"My personal strength doesn't matter. I have the Mimicry ability."
As a Level-2 Lord, he had unlocked Mimicry—allowing him to change appearance and voice, and even transform into any monster he could summon for half the usual mental energy cost.
A Crucible Knight required 800 to summon.
Becoming one himself cost just 400.
The catch? Each transformation lasted only 24 hours. Once reverted, unused time could be saved for later.
"This is good enough. No way I can make it perfect in one go."
With final adjustments complete, Wade exhaled deeply and slumped onto the altar in his Lord's Room. The chamber was empty but for the altar itself—featureless, almost ceremonial.
While idly tracing its surface, his fingers found a small groove at the base. It looked… familiar.
Recognition hit—the Lord's Ring!
He slid the ring into place and gave it a twist. The altar shuddered.
[Insufficient Authority]
The sound died away.
Wade sighed—he'd need to raise his Lord level to unlock whatever it was hiding.
"Teleport. Upper Entrance."
Darkness greeted him. Far ahead, a fortress loomed beyond the trees, its silhouette ghostly in the dim light. Beneath his feet, a swamp of bubbling green and sickly yellow poison frothed, stinking of rot and decay.
Most people would go mad just standing here. Wade smiled.
"This… is way more awe-inspiring than the miniature model."
Standing inside the map he'd crafted with his own hands sent a warm rush through him. It was a dream made real.
As he explored, flaws emerged—details that no model could reveal.
"This cliff should be higher. Hide two goblins under it, then bait the undead—no, the adventurers—with a glowing white object on the edge."
DONG… DONG…
The toll of a bell pulled him from his work.
He closed the construction interface with mild regret. Once the dungeon opened for real, the terrain would be locked. Only monster placement could be changed.
"Well… let's see what today's earnings look like."
.
..
...
Meanwhile, in Bedford City
Built beside Sein Dungeon, the city thrived on the dreams of would-be adventurers.
Sein Dungeon had always been the training ground for novices—simple, forgiving, and satisfying to clear. For weaker veterans, it was a safe fallback when tougher dungeons crushed them.
It had been a sanctuary.
Now, that safety was gone.
The Adventurer's Guild was in uproar.
"Why… why did the mutation have to hit Sein of all places!?"
"Damn it! Now I can't clear anything—am I supposed to go back to farming!?"
While the slackers wailed, stronger adventurers were already forming parties. A mutation meant fresh opportunities: rare resources, undiscovered monsters, new maps. The Guild had posted high-paying investigation quests.
The bold were eager.
The cunning were already gone—teleport crystals in hand.
One such opportunist was Jack, a Bronze-rank adventurer.
"Heheh… good thing I brought plenty of cannon fodder. No matter how bad the traps are, I'll just send someone else through first."
By underhanded means, he'd gathered nine others. Whenever a trap or ambush struck, he sacrificed them without hesitation.
It worked. He cleared Farron Keep and barely scraped past the Gargoyles—becoming the first to reach Blighttown.
Out of fodder, he planned to stop there.
"I've got the layout memorized. Selling this intel will make me a fortune. Even if those nine find me later, it'll be worth it. And if someone hires me as a guide, I'll point out traps… for a price."
Before leaving, he gave the fortress another sweep. It was clearly built for the boss fight—empty but imposing.
Then he spotted it: a treasure chest tucked into a corner.
Inside, a rare purple light gleamed.
He pulled it free—and froze.
"…A Claymore?"
It was a plain, heavy sword, unremarkable except for its weight.
Jack's face darkened.
"All that trouble… for this? Stingy bastard of a dungeon."
Still, the craftsmanship was decent. It might fetch a decent price.
Then the strange sensation began.
The moment he gripped the sword with both hands, knowledge bloomed in his mind. His body moved on instinct—leaping, rolling mid-air, then bringing the blade down in a crushing arc.
The ground shook. A deep gouge marked the impact.
"Wh… what the hell?"
His breath caught.
"I… I did that? Is this… a combat skill?"
Combat skills were refined techniques forged through relentless training. Even the simplest took years. Only a rare few ever mastered them.
Jack had no talent and less discipline. His skills were lockpicking and barely passable stealth.
Yet here he stood, with the knowledge of a technique called Lion Claw burned into his mind—and he'd used it flawlessly.
A weapon that could grant combat skills.
No training.
No talent.
Just two hands.
Jack's whole body trembled.
"A treasure… a treasure! I've never heard of a weapon like this!"
"I'm gonna be rich."
From his crystal ball, Wade watched—and smiled.
"It worked. Weapons with innate skills really are rare here."
"And once word spreads… they'll flood in. Debt-free, here I come."
[Claymore]
[Skill: Lion Claw]
[Rating: E]
[Energy Cost Per Unit: 10]
(*****)
If you'd like to read 20 chapters ahead, please consider joining my Patreon: patreon.com/ANeet. Your support means a lot. Thank you!