Chương 206: Reborn as the Dragon — Chapter 206 - Dark Forge

The human players had come in numbers. Su Nian had sent only a handful of elite monsters to meet them. But between clever use of traps, the maze's natural geography, and a good eye for terrain, the entire attacking force had been nearly wiped out. The only survivors were the captives his monster leaders had been specifically ordered to keep alive. [Congratulations on repelling a human invasion. You have killed 2, 172 humans and earned System Points. Your Legend Rating and your dungeon's Legend Rating have increased by (3, 652). Current Legend Rating: Chieftain. New building unlocked: Dark Forge.]"Well, well. Not bad~" Su Nian grinned, showing far too many teeth. He'd assumed raising the Legend Rating would be a grind. Apparently not. One wave of players, and he'd already hit the first tier. And unlocked a new building while he was at it. Honestly? Pretty great.

"System-chan, give me the full list of Legend Ratings. Say it out loud. Let me enjoy it~" He was sprawled on his throne, a small warmth tucked in his arms. He couldn't actually cross his legs, dragon anatomy being what it was, but the thought was there. [Legend Ratings, from lowest to highest: Chieftain, Overlord, City-Slayer, Calamity, Epic, World-Ender, Star-Shatterer.] [The next tier, Overlord, requires 50, 000 Legend Points. Each subsequent tier requires ten times the previous. Increasing Legend Rating will raise Exposure Level, but the Exposure increase applies to the dungeon as a whole. Gained Exposure is split evenly between the host and subordinate monsters, which significantly reduces the likelihood of the host being flagged as a World BOSS.] [Please continue raising your Legend Rating. Legend Rating governs dungeon upgrades and new building unlocks.] The system hadn't spelled out the specific rewards at each tier. It didn't need to. Those escalating requirements said everything.

Expensive doesn't always mean good. But cheap never means good, either. Su Nian wasn't worried about stalling out on Legend Rating. As it climbed, his dungeon would light up on more and more player maps. More players would come. More players would die. He just had to wait, and occasionally stir the pot himself. The captives would take a little longer to arrive. He redirected his attention to the newly unlocked building.

[Dark Forge] Within this small forge lives a group of Gray Dwarves and Goblins, captured and bound to serve the Dark Monarch. They are masters of smithing and invention. Provide sufficient food and necessary materials, and they will produce powerful standardized equipment. (The host may submit blueprints to have specific designs manufactured.) Now that was something. Like a pillow materializing the moment you close your eyes.

If anyone asked what the Dragon's Nest was running shortest on, the answer was equipment, no contest. His monsters had looted a decent pile off dead players and human soldiers, but none of it fit. The bigger his monsters grew, the more absurd the problem became. Gray Wolf's full suit of chainmail now hung off him like a sloppy half-apron. Equipment had been Su Nian's persistent headache since the beginning. Sure, the monsters right now could walk through gods and Buddhas alike.

But strip away the raw power and they were still flesh and blood, just tougher than average. He'd kept that irritating wretch Medraco around for one reason: the guns on his back. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"System-chan, I'm going to count to three. I want the Dark Forge standing in front of me by the time I'm done." He rubbed his dragon claws together, a dry scraping sound rising between them. The excitement was barely containable. Anna, nestled against him, had no idea what was going on. What has big brother so wound up? Did he see something in the maze just now and now he can't help himself? If that's it... should I play coy? Or go along with it? Or maybe be the one to start...

Dragon babies are off the table, but other things aren't. Her thoughts spiraled cheerfully into increasingly rosy territory. Her face had gone warm without her noticing. Her eyes were soft and hazy, brimming with something too tender to name, her small body melting further into the black dragon's side. The picture she made was utterly wasted. Su Nian was deep in combat.

"Fifty thousand System Points to build one forge? Why don't you just rob someone? Every other system hands things out for free. You're over here squeezing me dry every single day. I can't do this host thing anymore. Someone else can have it!" He flung his limbs wide and went completely limp. Full strike. The system developed what could only be described as a migraine. But it had no recourse. Times had changed. Hosts were increasingly feral.

They chanted my fate is my own and if the system so much as hinted at consequences, they'd threaten to off themselves on the spot. Life was not easy for a system these days. [Dear host, the system's pricing structure is fair and reasonable. The points cover forge construction and worker recruitment. Only a negligible amount is used to maintain the system's own operation.]"WHAT?!" Su Nian's internal scream rattled his skull.

"Greedy System-san. You're using an entire point — a full point — to keep yourself running? Here's my counter-offer: 0. 001 points. That's my final position. Don't push me." Silence. A new line appeared in the Developer's Guide in very small text: [To all future systems: never enter a contract with dragonkind. Do not cut costs by skipping the self-destruct module. If you find yourself in an untenable situation, trigger it immediately. Remember this. Remember.] After an extended and undignified negotiation, the system capitulated, agreeing to produce the first one hundred pieces of standardized equipment at no charge in exchange for the construction rights to the forge. A cyberpunk-style structure materialized near the Dark Monarch's palace, solid and gleaming. Su Nian's requirement. A forge was real heavy industry, it belonged at the heart of the nation, where he could keep eyes on it at all times.

"System-san, how do I actually make equipment? And where are the Gray Dwarves? The Goblins? I don't see anyone." He stood beside the forge. It was a full two sizes shorter than him. He was already impatient to produce something. The system responded with static. [Insufficient energy. Self-recovering. (Auto-reply)]"Seriously. I ask you to make a hundred pieces for free and you crash? That's what breaks you?" Su Nian let his inner capitalist dragon show without a trace of shame. The door to the forge swung open.

A shuffling procession of Gray Dwarves and Goblins emerged, every one of them trembling slightly.

"Great Dark Monarch. We are the workers of the forge, here to manufacture equipment in your service. Do you have tasks to assign?" An old Gray Dwarf had stepped to the front. His beard nearly brushed the ground. He was shaking badly enough that Su Nian half-expected the next sound to be the old man simply folding over and calling it a life.

"Why do you call me Dark Monarch?" The title was attached to his dungeon, technically accurate. But he personally had nothing to do with any Dark Monarch. Whoever had originally held that title could stay buried in whatever hole they'd crawled out of.

"As the master of the dungeon, regardless of who you are — even if you were a Goblin, we must address you as Dark Monarch. It is the custom." The old dwarf answered plainly. His frail body, somehow, seemed to bow a little lower just from the effort. Su Nian got the distinct impression he was bullying a grandfather. He pressed his lips together. The atmosphere had gotten uncomfortable enough. He moved on.

"The first hundred pieces are free of labor costs. I assume you've been informed." He paused.

"I want to forge a longsword. Tell me what materials you need and I'll source them." The old dwarf looked up. His eyes were clouded, and it was hard to tell how much he could actually see. He considered for a moment, then spoke.

"Any ore can be used to forge a longsword. The grade of the finished sword depends on both the material and the forge's current equipment."

"Your equipment, as it stands, can produce up to Master-grade."

"But if the equipment, the fire, and the materials are all the finest available..." He paused. The old dwarf's hunched spine slowly straightened. The rheumy fog cleared from his eyes in an instant, and what replaced it was sharp and bright, like starlight burning clean through cloud. He met the black dragon's gaze directly. A vast pressure rolled off him without warning. Quiet as a mountain. Immovable as a peak.

"Then I can forge you a divine artifact." ➤ Next: This is the European Emperor