Dungeon Growth Log, Volume 1: Dungeon Growth Log, #1

By ZenithNovels

[The first book in a series of seven books]

While others farm, she grows gnomes. While others fight monsters to level up and gain reputation, she levels up and nurtures monsters to build hatred. While others fall in love with heroes/sages/kings/demons... Well, do you want to fall in love with an illegal building?

Tasha crossed over to a different world, and she transformed into a half-dead dungeon.

Yes, like in a game where you raise a monster ecosystem, hide treasure chests, and wait for heroes to come and fight.

Four hundred years after the Plane War, space cracks severed the connections between the divine realm, abyss, and human realm. Dragons and elves had long left the continent, the legendary hero who could move mountains and seas had become a myth, and the anomalies and hybrids that remained in the human world had become outcasts. At the peak of the expansion of the human empire, an ancient dungeon that could possibly connect to the abyss and summon demons had awakened.

The story of crossing into a dungeon, creating a grey new world that accommodates all races, beliefs, and lifestyles, with a self-serving female lead who has her own set of principles. 

Management, upgrading, and an ensemble cast, with a focus on the plot, minimal emotions, the female lead transitioning later into human form, and the male lead being a demon who is dedicated to "digging pits" but ends up being persuaded by the female lead to advocate for world harmony. The protagonist is loyal to "golden thighs" and has self-created worldviews and societal progress, with accelerating gears; overall, it's a healing genre.
Content tags: soul switching, fantasy magic, otherworldly continent, strong female lead

Protagonist: Tasha ┃ Supporting characters: Many ┃ Others: dungeon, western fantasy, leveling up, construction

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: ZenithNovels
• Release date: Jul 31, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227525642

Book preview

Chapter 1: Turning Into a Building

Without a doubt, Tasha has crossed over.

Before her was a very dark hall, with no windows, and all four passages were blocked by collapsed rocks and soil. There were no candles lit inside, yet Tasha could see every corner and speck of dust in the shadows. She could even distinguish the colors of the floor tiles and could see everything in the hall clearly, including the parts buried under collapsed pillars.

There is a word not quite right in the above passage.

Before her.

There was nothing before her; Tasha stared at the hall for at least three to four minutes without feeling the need to blink. She couldn't feel her eyelids or eyeballs.

Exactly, her whole body felt nothing.

How did she see then?

Tasha had a strange feeling that in this hall, she seemed to have a God's eye view, as if playing a simulation of life without controlling the view like a computer. She had an all-knowing perspective but didn't know where she was observing from.

Tasha vividly remembered that she had died in a car accident, no grudges, just bad luck. In the final moments before death, she unfortunately saw her torso half a meter away, looking like a ghost with no chance of survival with modern technology. The current situation could possibly be explained only by pre-death hallucinations, alien abductions, or time travel, any of which were better than being a pile of flesh. Tasha briefly felt sad for some friends she may never see again, a cat, a dog, some fish in a tank, and some potted plants, and then she composed herself and focused on her current situation.

Tasha couldn't feel her body, but she could still see, not sure if she could hear as it was too quiet there. The only space she could perceive seemed to be this dusty hall, where she could faintly make out the elaborate decorations, although it looked like it had been ravaged by an earthquake and buried, in a terrible state.

The hall was very spacious, almost the size of a museum's main hall, with no decorations or furnishings, only a dried-up stone pool in the center, with a huge crack running through it. Several pillars lay on the ground, looking like they would shatter at the slightest touch. Fortunately, the thickest columns at the corners were mostly intact, probably preventing the hall from collapsing.

Tasha carefully searched the hall but found no bones, no living creatures, not even a single bug—thank goodness as she couldn't bear the thought of insects crawling on her new body. She felt like the hall was wrapped in a cocoon of earth and stone, cut off from the outside world, where nothing from outside could come in, and her perception couldn't go out.

Something shimmered at the bottom of the pool.

Looking back later, it wasn't a flash at all but a sensation designed to divert attention, like a whirlpool appearing at the bottom of the water, drawing you in. Tasha instinctively looked over and suddenly felt like she was stepping into emptiness, with the awareness that flooded the entire building concentrated into a stone at the pool's bottom.

This feeling was like being buried in a mudslide, everything was pitch-black in front of her. She couldn't move an inch, and a suffocating force seemed to come from all directions. She was shocked and suddenly struggled.

These were the longest few minutes Tasha had ever experienced. She felt like a snake trying to wake up from hibernation under the shadow of an eagle, summoning all her strength to control her disobedient body. Her soul fire burned fiercely with a strong will to survive. The light mist within the stones surged and broke through relentlessly, hitting the dark and hard prison walls around her until visible light seeped through. As she fought, the dust around the stones fell softly, turning the heavy black stones into a deep red color. A dazzling pomegranate seed grew among the dust, floating gently in the air.

Like a fool suddenly becoming smart, or a baby discovering their own feet, Tasha abruptly realized her existence. She could gradually manipulate her soul as she used to control her body - it seemed mysterious, but in reality, it was unexpectedly simple, like pouring water from one cup into another.

Turning within the gemstones, she saw four symbols surrounding the pool. Although they were abstract lines, she instantly grasped their symbolism: a flame, flowing water, earth, and air. They accurately occupied the directions of east, west, south, and north, mysteriously difficult to decipher, strange as if they were from another world. Just by gazing at them, Tasha's emotions surged. She felt a calling, a sense of belonging, as if she had found a guidepost in an endless maze. Holding her breath, Tasha stared at them, waiting.

And then...

And then, nothing.

The ruby's faint aura ascended about half a foot, silently stopping there. The surroundings remained silent, not a sound from any birds, and not a single candle was lit, like an opening scene animation paused at a glitch after just starting. Tasha awkwardly floated above the pool ruins of an abandoned building, completely unsure of what to do next.

Unfortunately, she suddenly felt hungry.

The hunger struck out of nowhere, and Tasha felt like she could eat a whole calf in an instant. She reached into her pockets, quickly realizing that both her hands and pockets were illusions, just like her blinking and breathing, giving her a sense of normalcy but serving no real purpose. Was this real? She didn't even have a stomach, so why was she so hungry?

Tasha imagined a big feast to trick her non-existent stomach, but it only made her even hungrier. She tried many ways, from praying to trying out different mystical methods from movies, books, and games, but none worked. Frustrated, Tasha resorted to banging on the barriers around her, even though it caused her pain.

A small crack appeared on the gemstone, followed by another. The cracks merged together, and a small piece of gravel-sized shard fell off, rolling onto the rune of Earth.

The tiny shard melted instantly, turning into a halo of light that merged into the rune. Tasha stopped and looked over to see the scene shining like gold. The earth rune, which had only grooves before, now emitted a bright red light, filling every corner of the groove from start to finish, bursting into a radiant amber light.

The light swept through every corner of the hall, followed by a thunderous sound. Tasha freed herself from the gemstone, and the previously unbreakable invisible barriers now allowed her to come and go freely. She could sense something within the golden light, an ancient presence, even though she had not seen it yet. With a sense of confidence as the protagonist, Tasha knew what creature it would be.

Should it be called a creature?

It had claws that occupied one-third of its body size, capable of turning the hardest rocks as soft as tofu. It had no flesh and blood, its being composed of elements, without distinction between flesh and bones. It roamed underground, with dark and narrow tunnels as its domain. Some vague broken knowledge appeared in Tasha's mind, not a premonition but a memory. At that moment, she realized clearly that she had summoned this being, paid a price to obtain its loyalty, making it the most faithful and reliable guardian, an extension of her body and consciousness. With her current condition, Tasha knew she could only do this once.

The golden light faded slowly, Tasha's breath quickened, and in her mind flashed countless legendary monsters, her anticipation and worries reaching the peak at that moment. The golden light dispersed! Standing on the earth rune was a, umm...

Indeed, it had claws, a sandy yellow body composed of elements. It was certainly unafraid of the dark, and with its small beady eyes, it didn't seem to rely on eyesight for survival. It had a pointed nose, and whiskers that now trembled in the air, sniffing around. Its body did not show the muscular strength of a fierce creature, nor the signs of agility; in fact, its body was... quite round.

In other words, it was chubby.

If it wasn't Tasha's only helper, she would say it's quite cute.

However, this is the only Guardian Tasha can get at the moment, which she hoped would be her savior in times of trouble.

Oh dear, Tasha thought despairingly, what good is a mole to me?!

——————————

The senior officers at the long table looked unhappy.

The device was still glowing, its red light glaring like the sun. None of the people present had ever seen it shine like this before, and if the prophecy was correct, perhaps it had never shone so brightly in four hundred years.

In every corner of the Aryan Empire, fortune tellers were considered corrupt, inhuman, and hybridized with demons, but in the center of the empire, some descendants of fortune tellers still made predictions for the upper class in exchange for the survival of their families, which was tacitly accepted among high-ranking officers. Just half a year ago, fortune tellers from various families had made similar prophecies one after another.

The prophecy said: an ancient dungeon that could connect to the abyss and summon great demons is about to awaken.

The torch-like object on the table is an Abyss Factor Tester, which can detect Abyss Factors within the empire, such as the awakening of Abyssal Descendants and the emergence of remaining wizards. In the prosperous era of the human empire Aryan, the only thing expected of it is absolute darkness, so that the officers who devote themselves to the prosperity of humanity no longer have to waste any energy on these trivial matters. But now it's glowing, so brightly that if it's not a dungeon awakening, then a great demon has already climbed to the surface.

Four hundred years after the abyss and the passage to the surface were cut off, that kind of situation would not happen again.

Finally, someone broke the silence.

There is no need to be afraid, the youngest officer spoke up. Hundreds of years ago, we could destroy countless dungeons, so we can certainly destroy this one now.

His statement gained quite a bit of agreement, but the officer with a goat-like beard sitting across from him frowned and countered, It's not the same as hundreds of years ago, General Shirel. Our city is spread far and wide. Have you thought about the damage that would be caused if we were to go to war with a dungeon?

Cities can be rebuilt, but evil cannot be tolerated! the young general retorted. Or has General Norman forgotten how to go to battle?

A wise person does not boast hastily. I believe General Shirel still needs more experience, the older man hinted.

I...

I'm glad to see you all are eager, but unfortunately, we don't have much time for quarreling.

A raised hand silenced Shirel's retort. The leader surveyed all the officers present until they all respectfully lowered their heads.

The devil and spirits have left long ago, who can create a new dungeon? Until it's fully restored, it's just a ruin left by the previous era. General Shirel, you won't give it a chance to restore, right? The leader nodded in the young officer's assurance, calmly concluding, Then, I hope this matter ends here.

The leader stood up, all the officers stood up. Aryan Lord lives on forever! Aryan Empire lasts forever! They praised in unison. After the ceremony, these elite members who held the lifeline of Aryan left the venue one by one.

Chapter 2: Who Is the Best at Digging Technology

The cute mole stood still, sniffing around with its big surprising claws and small nose. Its appearance reminded Tasha of an intern from last year who would stand still when she did something wrong, looking at people with innocent big eyes - which was also quite cute, but if you were unfortunate enough to be her boss and expected her to submit an urgent document, you would easily want to cook her.

Tasha was now thinking about how the mole would taste when braised.

She was even hungrier, all because of that mole, summoning it seemed to have drained her energy using some kind of principle. If Tasha was able to eat a whole calf before due to hunger, now she could eat both of its parents. If she still had a body, she would constantly be drooling with a screaming stomach, feeling like she was about to pass out... the last part could happen even without a body, Tasha's vision flickered like a broken light bulb. She feared that if she didn't eat soon, she would lose consciousness.

Will she be lucky enough to wake up a second time?

Tasha struggled to stay awake, not wanting to die of hunger just hours after waking up. She stared hard at the mole, hoping that staring would bring it back and fill her unknown stomach. Before evolving from someone who could eat raw worms to a meat-hungry zombie, the intense desire finally broke through a critical point.

The mole emitted a strange fluorescent glow, like a peeled onion exposing a tiny core among the layers of soil. As Tasha saw that core, she also connected to it.

That feeling was very strange. Tasha felt like she became a computer, with an extra processor in this moment. She could sense a faint consciousness, like a worker ant to its queen, obediently waiting for her command.

Give me food? Tasha cautiously ordered.

The motionless mole suddenly crawled up, hopping towards the collapsed tunnel. It lifted its upper body, two big claws swiftly digging the soil, as efficient as a saw cutting wood. Within a few seconds, there was a large hole in the tunnel, and Tasha realized where the dug-up soil and rocks went: they all disappeared into the mole's mouth.

Tasha widened her eyes, watching the tiny mole eat up a dark tunnel. The pitch-black tunnel did not bother her; her X-ray-like vision could see how the soil and rocks rearranged inside the mole's body, making its earth element-formed body more solid. It didn't make sense; how could that tiny body contain so much soil and rocks? Its claws were like a digger, and its plump body acted like a road roller, leaving a remarkably smooth passage as if it were a completed underground tunnel.

Originally, the tunnel was outside the building, beyond Tasha's perception range. But when the mole finished making the tunnel, it was like lighting a lamp in the mist, suddenly becoming perceptible. She didn't know where the tunnel led, but the mole seemed to have a navigation system, leading it to its designated destination.

With the final claw, what fell apart was not just soil and rocks.

A piece of blue mineral the size of half a mole's nail fell from the soil, bounced on the ground, making a clear tinkling sound. It was entirely gem blue, with flowing light that made it look between solid and liquid. It was quite beautiful, but it suddenly heightened Tasha's hunger, as if she saw a steaming basket of dumplings appear in the sky. The mole, seemingly influenced by its master's emotion, brightened its eyes and swallowed the Blue Ore whole.

Bang!

The mole shot out.

Every corner of this underground building oozes a spooky angry vibe, enough to scare a living mole to death. The mole-shaped earth creature didn't suffer much mentally, but its body went through a rough ride. It was caught in an indoor whirlwind: invisible hands lifted it up, threw it back into the hall, slammed it onto the ceiling, and then plummeted it back down, cracking the ground in several places.

Okay, at least I've gained a new ability now. After a minute of tossing things around, Tasha calmed down and amusingly thought on the verge of exhaustion and fainting. She realized the last time she was this impulsive was back in kindergarten, proving hunger truly is the enemy of reason.

The mole tumbled into a dried-up stone pool, feeling dizzy from the previous whirlwind, it puffed out a piece of ore with a loud 'puh'.

The blue ore fell directly to the bottom of the pool.

The stone pool was clearly dry, and the ore was solid, yet its fall resembled a drop of milk into a lake. The gem-blue light diffused as it landed, spreading from the tiny point to the entire stone pool, and even the whole building.

This saved Tasha from the brink of losing consciousness as the black mist that had loomed in her vision vanished, calming her invisible stomach. Busy as she had been in the past, she had even fantasized about pouring some sort of liquid nutrient directly into her stomach. Now, the effects of this piece of ore could rival a nutrient infusion, perhaps even better since it seeped directly into every cell of Tasha's body, without the need to chew or digest. The overwhelming hunger that clouded her judgment almost disappeared, and she immediately realized the power of the Blue Ore, effortlessly activating the mole again.

The Blue Ore eased her hunger, but one piece was clearly not enough.

The mole got up and quickly ran towards the tunnel it had just dug. This time, Tasha firmly controlled its mind, clearly conveying the message to return the Blue Ore to the pool. Under the strict supervision of the overseer, the mole no longer secretly consumed the ore; it stuffed what it dug up into its mouth and brought it back.

Clearly, this thing was not a mole, as moles don't have pouches like hamsters.

It dug forward all the way, stuffing seven or eight ore pieces found along the way into its cheek pouches, making its cheeks swell like pockets, and then brought them back in one breath. With just this one trip, the energy spent by the restless throwing mole was replenished at once. The mole's digging momentum did not decrease at all, repeatedly moving back and forth, pushing the excavation site far away to several halls near the stone pool. The digging and back-and-forth running cycles were getting longer and longer, Tasha thought for a moment and tried to push the energy towards the earth rune.

This time, there was no need to deplete that suspended red core, the energy in the Blue Ore took its place. Tasha could feel the gravitational pull coming from the rune, guiding her to manipulate the flowing energy within the building. It was truly miraculous. After only a short time with this building, she was starting to feel that many parts of her new body were more functional than a human body, as humans cannot control the flow of nutrients within their bodies using their minds.

The familiar feeling of hunger struck again, and the second mole appeared on the rune. Tasha connected to the second mole, giving the command to dig Blue Ore and bring it back to the stone pool, and the new mole immediately ran out.

She had worried before about whether controlling two moles would be chaotic, but when the second one appeared, she realized she didn't need to micromanage the process. The more Tasha could control her new body (or soul, who knows what to call it precisely now), the easier it became to manipulate. She just needed to make decisions, and the mole would comply. They