Dungeon of Pride, Laplace



The presence of these elite individuals not only strengthened the empire's military capabilities but also contributed to its political and economic might.

The reason why Simon recalled all this information at this moment was because he remembered learning about the Kingdom of Eldoria. Being one of the few First Grade countries in the North-Western region of the Central Continent, the Kingdom of Eldoria was a powerful and influential kingdom that could match the Sanguine Empire in terms of strength and resources.

With a considerable number of Rankers among its adventurers, the kingdom's power and influence in the region were not to be underestimated.

The fact that his dungeon, Dungeon Laplace, had caught the attention of a First Grade country was a concerning matter for Simon. The reason for that was because dungeon Laplace was still not ready to face them yet.

Simon didn't know what kind of influence the guild named Blades of Ascension possessed back in their kingdom, but if they had a few rankers in their midst, it would be quite troublesome if they were to set their sights on his dungeon.

The Blades of Ascension was the guild currently leading the exploration right now with them having reached the 71st floor. However, they have yet to show any adventurers whose strength has reached the Rankers realm.

"Are they scouting the dungeon and testing the waters" Simon wondered. He had already experienced the might of the rankers before when they came to conquer the dungeon while hiding within the coalition of the top five guilds of the Ellesmere kingdom.

Davis Hall, an officer and a powerful Ranker of the Adventurer's Association had proven to be a formidable adversary. Exercising his powerful holy magic and peculiar magical apparatuses like the Floor buster, he had destroyed numerous floors and nearly brought his dungeon down.

He was also the person who pushed Simon to the brink of death. Although it was partly his own fault for recklessly diving towards the spatial storm, he couldn't have allowed that person to get away.

And so, as a result for putting his life on the line, he was nearly killed and was in a comatose state for a couple of months.

Then there was another ranker named Edgar who had infiltrated his dungeon without even getting caught by the surveillance system of his dungeon, He had completely eluded their senses without even them being aware of it, a feat that was both impressive and alarming.

If not because the latter willingly revealed themselves when he attacked the Floor Buster, Simon wouldn't even be aware of their presence.

Then there were also those skills they mastered and refined over a long period of time specifically to conquer the dungeon.

His experience with the rankers, allowed Simon to learn that they were a crafty and powerful bunch of fellows with a lot of tricky skills that couldn't be underestimated. He needed to be cautious and prepared for dealing with them.

It was for this reason that when Simon heard that the guild Blades of Ascension was from the kingdom of Eldoria, he was inwardly a little concerned.

"I guess I will go and give that little fellow a visit. Let's see what he is up to" On top of all the things, now that even a First Grade country eyeing dungeon Laplace, Simon couldn't sit still. He needed to strengthen both himself and his dungeon as fast as possible.

And so while thinking that, Simon teleported to one of the special floors and lifeblood of the dungeon Laplace.

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The industrial floor also known as the [Workshop], was a sight to behold. The moment Simon stepped foot into this floor, he was greeted by a powerful heat assaulting his whole body. The entire floor was covered in a red hue, a result of the intense heat released by the numerous volcanic mountains scattered across the area.

The volcanic terrain flowing with lava, was both awe-inspiring and a testament to Wisp's power who designed this floor.

"It looks like the floor had changed quite a bit since the last time I visited it" Simon remarked observing the place.

The [Workshop] had not only expanded in area, but had also become a lot more organised with lines of railways crisscrossing the area, transporting carts filled with various materials and components.

Factories of all shapes and sizes lined the floor, each dedicated to mass-producing Andromedas, the war machines that were the speciality of this floor. The factories hummed with activity as various robotic and mechanical noises continuously came from inside them.

If one glanced inside these factories, one could witness the intricacies of the manufacturing process. Robotic hands expertly crafted each part, while assembly lines efficiently put them together to create the final product.

Then there were also special rooms designed meticulously for testing out new weapons and their firepower, ensuring that the Andromedas produced here were equipped with the latest and most powerful weaponry.

Each factory was producing and researching a different part and component of the Andromedas. The rail lines connected all of these factories and carts moved back and forth on them, transporting parts from one factory to another, ensuring a smooth and efficient production process.

It was not only the factories that caught one's attention here, the iron smelting smitheries located at the mouth of the volcanic mountains was tirelessly smelting various kinds of minerals and ores, providing a constant supply of raw materials for the production of the Warmachines.

And then there was of course the Andomedas, the war machines that was the speciality of this floor, being mass produced here.

As soon as they came out from the factory, some of them were deployed in the distance, mining ores from the numerous quarries that dotted the floor.

Some were dedicated to the testing fields where new Andromedas were put through rigorous trials and evaluations. It was a place for fine-tuning and perfecting the creations, ensuring that each Andromeda met the highest standards of quality and functionality.

Then there were Andromedas who were deployed to the areas designated for scrap disposal, where any defective or obsolete components were discarded. These areas were efficiently managed to ensure that waste was minimized, and any reusable materials were recycled for future use.

Looking at these mechanical beings working tirelessly, and ensuring a smooth and steady flowing network, Simon was reminded of the game [Rise of the Demolishers], the project he worked on the most after Laplace. 

In that game too, in the beginning stages when the artificial superintelligence ook over, the heart of the empire that controlled and produced these powerful war machines looked something like this.

Simon could see a striking resemblance between the industrial marvel that was the [Workshop] floor and the empire that controlled the war machines.

It was an awe-inspiring sight, the seamless integration of various systems and processes, the rhythmic movements of the warmachines, the mesmerising spectacle of all these factories and the organised flow of materials and resources, all made the [Workshop] floor a true testament to his skills as both a game developer and a Dungeon Master.

"Emilia, I wish I could show this scene to you"

As Simon stood there marvelling at the sight, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of nostalgia. If Emilia was here, she would have definitely been awe struck at the sight after all, the project that was her masterpiece, was becoming a reality inside his dungeon.

Unfortunately, she was no longer with him. That said, even though she was no longer physically present, her memory and influence still lingered inside his mind. He knew that she would have been proud of what he had accomplished inside his Dungeon Laplace.

Having been lost in his thoughts, Simon quickly snapped out of those memories and focused on the task at hand. He was here to meet Prime.

After learning about the latter's ability from the person himself, Simon allowed Prime to live on this floor.

"Where exactly did this guy make his home?" Simon spat in frustration having been unable to find the Lumynar even after searching for a while.

The [Dungeon] option of his [Main Menu] which showed him a three dimensional structure and layout of every floor and dungeon, showed him that Prime was here somewhere. However, he was unable to pinpoint where exactly this guy was.

[Beep-Beep-Boop] While he was having trouble locating Prime, Wisp approached him. [Beep-Beep-Boop] As usual it talked in its unique sonar noise.

"Yeah, it's good to see you again. I see that you have made quite some progress with the floor. I'm grateful for your efforts" Simon spoke linking his hand with the ball of light.

Others might not be able to understand what Wisp said, however, Simon who had created a spiritual link with the Null Elemental, understood them as if they were actual words.

Not only that, but as the link grew stronger every second, he could understand even the subtle feelings and emotions it displayed.

Sentient Spiritual Entity, it was just like Irene had told him, this thing was a full fledged living entity even though it looked like a ball of light.

[Beep-Boop-Ping] The Wisp once again made some sonar noise saying that it was only doing its duty. Nevertheless, Simon was very grateful to it.

Looking at the development that his [Workshop] floor had gone through in this short period of time, which was otherwise impossible through normal means, he was finally able to realise the extra-ordinary being that wisp was and how blessed and lucky he was to have summoned it.

The Null Elemental read his intention to protect the dungeon and thus it created all of these solely because it wanted to help Simon.