Chapter 104: Windows Update
Three days later, Karl had accumulated a small fortune. He looked at his panel, the number glowing with a cold, digital promise. [ NP: 7,019 ]. Karl muttered, "This should be enough... I guess." He had been ruthless in his pricing and product output, pushing his craftsmen to their limits to generate the Necro Points needed for this critical phase of development. The marketplace was bustling, and the numbers on his screen were a testament to his ambition.
Leo stepped up behind him, his skeletal posture rigid and formal. "My lord, we have begun constructing the Office floor. We and the others had a meeting to discuss the safest location for the mass transformation."
"Yeah?" Karl asked, intrigued. He hadn’t given the matter much thought yet, his mind consumed with logistics.
"We decided it would be best if it would be on the tenth floor. The Gatekeeper would be more than enough to protect us." Leo explained.
Karl’s brow furrowed, a flicker of suspicion in his golden eyes. "But we don’t know if there are malfunctioning hostile security systems, like the Cerberus unit we first encountered." The memory of the monstrous canine was still fresh, its surprising ferocity a lesson in caution. The thought of facing another rogue security system during a vulnerable transformation was unsettling.
"That’s why I inquired with the Gatekeeper about it," Leo replied, his tone steady and reassuring.
"And what did he say?"
"He said that as soon as you entered your name in the admin system, he had already transferred the ownership of the floors to you." The Gatekeeper, it seemed, had already anticipated Karl’s need for control.
Karl’s eye sockets widened in genuine surprise. "Wait, really? I didn’t know he could do that." He had assumed the system was purely transactional, not capable of such administrative functions. This revelation changed everything about his plans for the lower floors.
Leo nodded, his skull tilting slightly. "Yes, my lord. I also inquired if there were any Cerberus units we could use. They would make excellent guardians for the newly expanded industrial floors."
"And?" Karl leaned in, his curiosity piqued. The idea of having Cerberus units as his personal guard was a tantalizing prospect.
"He said there are currently ten Cerberus units offline."
"That many?!" Karl was genuinely shocked. He had assumed the one they fought was the only one in the dungeon. The sheer number hinted at a far larger, more complex security force than he had ever imagined.
"Apparently so, my lord," Leo said, "but he said these units have degraded cores and haven’t been used in a long time. They are essentially inert."
Karl’s mind began to race, an idea forming with blinding speed. The solution to his Cerberus problem was right in front of him. "Wait... the researchers haven’t dismantled the core yet, right? We destroyed one Cerberus unit with its core intact. It’s still being studied, correct?"
"Yes, my lord," Leo confirmed. "Dolrik and the researchers have just begun analyzing the materials and components of the Cerberus corpse. They are still trying to understand its power source and how it integrates with its mechanical body."
Karl smiled, a wide, triumphant grin. "What if we use that core and replace the degraded cores in one of the Cerberus units? It’s a gamble, but if it works, we would have a powerful ally."
Leo thought for a moment, weighing the idea. "That could work, my lord, but how would we install it? The systems are complex, and we lack the technical expertise to integrate such a powerful core without risking a catastrophic failure." The research team was still in its infancy, their knowledge of this alien technology limited.
Karl’s grin widened, a cold certainty in his voice. "Well, we just have to take a gamble and trust that there’s no risk of danger and besides It’s easy if you just install the ’wires’ in their right position. But I also think they are magnetic, which will simplify the process. Take Rook and a team of his best men with the core to the tenth floor. I’ll be there as soon as I finish placing these new blueprints and moving the other structures to this floor."
"By your will, my lord," Leo said, turning to leave. He paused and took one last look at the ziggurat, a hint of concern in his voice. "My lord, what about the utility elevator inside the ziggurat? Won’t the Inquisition from the Underworld use them to access our floors? They could bypass all of our defenses and reach the upper levels without us knowing."
Karl smacked his forehead. "Oh, shit, right. I’ll take a look at it later. Maybe it’s not part of the core systems and the Gatekeeper can re-route it to serve my purpose." He made a mental note to investigate the elevator controls as soon as he had a moment.
Leo’s concern was more pronounced now. "Shall I assign someone to look after you, my lord? There are many dangers in the lower floors that even you may not be prepared for."
Karl scoffed, a flicker of amusement in his empty sockets. "Who do you think I am, Leo? Haha. Thanks for your concern, but it’s fine. Everyone’s busy at the moment. I can just summon the Corpse King if problems arise." It was a risk, but it was a risk he was willing to take. His time was valuable, and he was the only one who could manage this final phase of construction.
Leo smiled. "Alright, my lord. I will proceed as you have commanded."
Karl returned to his desk and opened the system. He selected the Structures tab, then chose the blueprint for the Metalworks Foundry.
[Blueprint: Metalworks Foundry]Cost: 1,200 NP │ Upkeep: 20 Mana/day
Functions: A heavy metallurgical facility that smelts iron, copper, lead, and zinc into usable ingots. It can alloy brass for cartridges, forge basic steels, and integrate elemental stones to produce advanced steels and hybrid alloys. The foundry also handles the casting of large industrial parts such as receivers, bolts, and hammers, forming the backbone of mechanized production.
Materials Required(Shop): [+] - (Tap Here to Expand) Total NP Cost: 600
Tools Required (Shop): [+] - (Tap Here to Expand) Total NP Cost: 1,260
[ BUILD ] │ [ CANCEL ]
The blueprint’s outlines appeared in the room, twice as large as the current foundry. He looked at the NP cost for the tools, his shoulders slumping. "The cost for the materials and tools is also twice as large," he muttered. He pressed Expand for the materials. "No problem there, I already have most of them. As for the tools, I’ll just task the blacksmiths to make some of them."
He moved to the next structure, the centerpiece of his vision.
[Blueprint: Gun Works] (Arsenal / Machine Factory) Upkeep: 45 Dungeon Mana/day
Functions: An elemental-integrated arsenal that transforms refined ingots into precision firearm components. Shock Stone presses forge barrels, Wind Stone lathes bore and rifle them, and Earth Stone mills cut receivers and bolts. Fire Stone furnaces handle heat treatment, while Water Stone buffers polish and finish each part. Final rifle assembly and test-firing are carried out within the factory, ensuring every weapon meets battlefield standards.
Materials Required(Shop): [+] - (Tap Here to Expand) Total NP Cost: 670
Tools Required (Shop): [+] - (Tap Here to Expand) Total NP Cost: 2,145
[ BUILD ] │ [ CANCEL ]
Karl placed the outline beside the foundry, a single unit of purpose. He observed the massive blueprint, a complex network of machines and assembly lines. "Hmm... not bad at all," he thought.
Then his eyes fell on the NP cost. "Whaaaatt?!!" he moaned, slumping in his chair, almost in tears. "The NP cost just fucking hurts my eyes, even though I have no eyes. Yohohohoho."
He knew these were machines he couldn’t have his own men build. The quality of his future weapons depended on them. The risk was too great. Dolrik and his blacksmith team had yet to finish the first engine. A machine this large would be too much. He exhaled slowly. "I have to depend on the system for this." He then placed the next blueprints for the Powder Mill, Cartridge Works, and Stockmaker’s Workshop.
After finishing, he opened the dungeon edit system. "I already moved the barracks to the ninth floor," he said to himself. "All that’s left is the entire industrial area from the second floor to the opposite side."
He stretched his fingers, a grin spreading across his face. "Alright." He tapped the structures and dragged them toward the new industrial area. The rooms materialized, placing them next to each other. "Now," he declared, "the entire industrial floor, both non-military and arms-focused, is dedicated to this floor."
After he finished placing the outlines, his eye sockets focused on the ziggurat. As he walked toward it, ideas formed in his mind. The structure was a testament to ancient, unknown technology, its surface humming with a deep, resonant power. Hmm... I could use this ziggurat to my advantage. Since it generates dark mana, maybe I can have the research team develop a machine that converts mana to dark mana, creating a sustainable power source. He didn’t even have to finish the thought. The system, as if reading his very intent, popped up again.
[ You have created a custom structure! ]
[Blueprint: Dark Mana Condenser]
Upkeep: 80 Dungeon Mana/day
Functions: A volatile conversion facility that compresses raw mana into concentrated Dark Mana. Elemental stones and necrotic arrays gather ambient mana into a single point before crushing it into dense cores, no larger than a fist. The smaller the sphere, the greater the purity and potency of the Dark Mana produced. Failure to maintain compression results in catastrophic backlash: small lapses trigger localized explosions, while near-atomic collapse can unleash devastation rivaling an atomic explosion. The cores produced would act as a perfect form of portable power, a kind of necrotic battery to fuel his advanced machinery on the go.
Materials Required(Shop): [+] - (Tap Here to Expand)
Total NP Cost: 4,000
Tools Required (Shop): [+] - (Tap Here to Expand)
Total NP Cost: 8,260
[ You have earned +3500 NP! ]
Karl’s eye sockets widened as he looked at the NP rewards. "Wooooooowww!! That’s a big boy NP!" he exclaimed.