The air in the dungeon hummed with the faint, rhythmic thwack-thwack of hammers. Builders, now equipped with the tools Karl had just purchased, were already clattering at the transparent outline of the Builder's Yard. Karl watched his NP balance, a phantom ache in his chest, as the numbers flickered lower with each purchase. Just as he thought he might catch a breath, a sharp ping echoed in his mind.
[ Builder's Yard: Nails has run out. ]
[ Specialized Builder has no hammer and saw. ]
A dry, rasping sound, somewhere between a sigh and a groan, escaped Karl's bony throat. Just my luck. Always something. Didn't I just buy tools? This is going to drain me dry faster than a corporate audit. His skeletal hand clenched, a faint click of bone against bone. He weakly opened the shop interface again, leaning heavily against the cold stone wall. He bought the additional nails, hammers, and saws needed, the NP counter dropping further.
Just squeeze me dry, he cried internally, a silent lament. It's even worse than mugging me! This is the real cost of doing business, apparently, even in some random dungeon.
Meanwhile, the haulers, now equipped with backpacks and wheelbarrows, moved with surprising speed. They brought in rough stones, dark lumps of coal, glinting iron ore, and freshly cut lumber. They dumped it all into the designated "temporary storage zone," a square marked by faint lines on the floor, where piles grew haphazardly, a chaotic jumble of raw materials.
Karl's gaze drifted to the Lumber Yard. Two skeletons, process workers, stood beside rough-hewn logs, their movements slow and deliberate as they began to saw. The output counter above the building barely budged. One plank per hour? This won't do. Efficiency. Always efficiency. We need to scale this up, fast. The initial inefficiencies grated on his corporate sensibilities.
Three hours later, a triumphant chime echoed through the dungeon. A new notification flared in Karl's vision.
[ Basic Blacksmith and Forge has been successfully constructed. +30NP ]
Karl pushed himself off the wall, a rare surge of satisfaction flowing through his ethereal form. He moved towards the newly built forge, its stone walls solid, its central hearth a dark, gaping maw. The NP expenditure hadn't been wasted.
Finally, a win! This is where the real money-making begins. Time to overwork this specific workshop and get my NP back, and then some.
He approached the forge, running a bony finger along its rough stone walls. The central hearth, built of dark, fire-resistant clay, looked sturdy. Racks of newly materialized tools hung on the walls – two heavy blacksmith's hammers, their heads gleaming, and two pairs of long tongs. A crude bellows sat beside the hearth, its leather folds looking surprisingly robust. He picked up one of the hammers, testing its weight. It felt solid, balanced. Good craftsmanship, for a System-generated item. He set it back down. This was a proper setup.
He glanced at the Lumber Yard's output. Only 3 planks had been produced. Still too slow. That's a bottleneck waiting to happen. Must address that soon.
He reassigned the idle specialized blacksmith from its temporary room on the top floor, and summoned one more basic skeleton, assigning both to the forge. The specialized blacksmith moved with a confident, purposeful stride, its bony fingers already flexing as if anticipating the heat of the metal.
Karl assigned the forge to refine iron ores, using coal as fuel. The assistant skeleton immediately clattered towards the temporary storage zone. Karl watched, a dry, exasperated sigh escaping him. The skeleton moved slowly, sifting through the mixed piles of stones, ores, and coals, its movements hesitant as it searched for the correct materials. It took a significant amount of time to gather what was needed.
This is chaos. Utter, unmitigated chaos. My logistics background is screaming. His "temporary storage zone," which was "just a square line with pile of rocks and wood," was a bottleneck waiting to strangle his entire operation.
Karl's skeletal fingers twitched. He couldn't stand the disarray. He mentally opened the structures list and tapped [ Storage & Sorting Hub ].
[ Passive building: auto-sorts, stores, and tags all gathered materials ]
[ Lets you prioritize supply chains: armor, weapons, traps, trade ]
[ Adds: Dungeon Inventory UI ]
Yes! This is exactly what I need. Automated sorting. No more sifting through piles of junk. This will boost efficiency tenfold. An outline of the Storage & Sorting Hub appeared, hovering over the temporary storage zone. He pressed the checkmark.
The builders, already familiar with the drill, quickly got to work. They took tools from their racks, along with nails and measuring tapes, and began to lay out the foundations. They moved unbothered by the piles of stones, ores, and coals obstructing their path, simply building around and over the chaos.
As the builders started their work, the dungeon hummed with increasing activity. The lumberjacks outside continued their relentless work, the distant thwack-thwack a constant rhythm. The forge, now tended by the specialized blacksmith, began to glow, its fire igniting with a faint roar. The miners below continuously mined, their picks scraping against rock. And the haulers continued delivering more piled, unsorted "shit" into the temporary storage zone, adding to the growing mountain of raw materials.
Karl surveyed the scene, a dry, satisfied smile stretching across his skull. It was beginning to take shape. This was it. The first true steps towards a functional, automated industrial complex. It was crude, yes, but the foundation is undeniably there.
Five hours later, as the dungeon's perpetual twilight deepened, a chime announced:
[ Storage and Sorting Hub has finished construction. +35 NP ]
As soon as the notification cleared, a faint, ethereal shimmer rippled through the temporary storage zone. The chaotic piles of items began to move, as if by an invisible hand. Coals flowed into large, newly materialized barrels. Ores, rocks, and lumber shifted, neatly organizing themselves into designated, labeled piles within the new structure. Karl watched, genuinely amazed. It was indeed automatic.
Magnificent! Just like a well-oiled machine. This is the kind of automation I can get behind.
Now, it was time for the haulers to have a proper station. Karl mentally opened the structure list and tapped [ Hauler's Station ]. The full description appeared, detailing its functions and starter equipment.
And the final piece of the initial logistics puzzle. A dedicated hub for transport. No more aimless wandering. This will streamline everything. He found an ideal location, a room right beside the newly built Storage and Sorting Hub, ensuring seamless integration. He pressed the checkmark, and the outline is placed. The builders, without needing a command, immediately started their work.
Karl sighed, a dry, resigned sound. He opened the shop again. More nails. Of course. Always more nails. At this rate, I'll be buying shares in a nail factory. He purchased another batch, his NP balance dipping further.
The rhythmic clatter of construction, the distant hum of the forge, the constant thwack-thwack from the forest – it was all progress, but to Karl, it was also mind-numbingly dull. He was relieved he couldn't be tired or sleep or hungry, but he was "so f***ing bored."
Hours. Just hours of watching skeletons clatter about. This is less 'tycoon' and more 'very slow, very dusty observation deck.' I need a distraction.
He sat leaning against a cold stone wall, watching the blacksmith skeleton pour molten ore into a clay mold for an ingot. A thought crossed his mind. He had a specialized artisan. Could he make it craft something? Something... less industrial. Something to engage his own strategic mind. Chess.
Chess. Yes. A game of strategy. Something to engage the mind. And test the limits of this 'Artisan' minion.
He mentally ordered the artisan minion to craft a chess board. The artisan, which had been idly standing by, tilted its skull, its empty eye sockets seeming to blink. A moment later, a notification appeared.
[ Artisan Lacks Tools. ]
Of course. Tools. Always tools. Did I expect them to carve with their bare bones? Karl sighed, a dry, exasperated sound. He browsed the shop, his gaze sweeping over the categories until a glowing "Special" caught his eye.
[ Special: Artisan's Tool Pack ]
[ Tier: Standard Craftsman Kit ]
[ Cost: 120 NP(Discounted 60% Off)]
[ Category: Crafting & Workshop Tools ]
[ 📦 Description: ]
[ A bundled set of hand-forged tools used by trained craftsmen across villages and cities. Essential for blacksmiths, woodworkers, leatherworkers, and builders operating with manual labor in a pre-industrial setting. Durable and dependable. ]
[ 🔨 Contents: ]
[ Iron Hammer – For striking metal, shaping components, or setting nails. ]
[ Hand Chisel (Set of 3) – Fine carving for wood and stone detailing. ]
[ Stitched Leather Tool Pouch – Sturdy, oil-treated, fits all included tools. ]
[ Awl & Stitching Kit – For piercing and sewing leather or fabric. ]
[ Whetstone – Keeps blades and chisels razor-sharp. ]
[ Measuring Rope & Wooden Calipers – For sizing and proportions. ]
[ Carpenter's Square & Marking Chalk – For precise jointing and layout. ]
A discount! Now that's what I like to see. This pack has everything. Perfect for getting the artisan started without breaking the bank… any further. He quickly bought it. A large, sturdy leather bag, filled with the clink of metal and wood, materialized in front of him.
The artisan, without a command, immediately took it, its bony fingers surprisingly nimble as it adjusted the pouch. It then walked over to the newly sorted lumber pile in the Storage Hub, grabbed a piece of wood, and settled itself in a quiet corner. Its head tilted slightly, and it began to carve, a faint, almost imperceptible hum emanating from its bony frame.
Karl found it weird. He sat directly in front of the artisan, his empty eye sockets staring intently. The artisan skeleton, seemingly feeling the pressure of Karl's intense gaze, continued working, but after a moment, it subtly shifted its position, moving away slightly, as if uncomfortable.
Karl was taken aback. It was the first time seeing a skeleton so alive yet so dead, cause its undead but its not also dead. Did it… feel my gaze? That's unsettling. Or perhaps, just a quirk of its programming. The thought lingered, a new layer of mystery added to his undead workforce.