"[Dungeon Genesis]"
Verc muttered that, and as soon as he did— WHOOOOSH—!!!
The winds around him turned violent. It was as if the very air had been waiting for his command to go berserk. A massive, invisible pressure exploded outward from Verc’s body, spinning in a tight circle that quickly expanded.
The blue-green leaves of the giant trees at the edge of the clearing were ripped from their branches, caught in the sudden localized hurricane.
It was like the area around Verc started to vibrate, making everything nearby shake with a frequency that felt like it was breaking the laws of physics. The stone beneath his boots hummed, and the heavy atmosphere of the Cursed Forest was pushed back, replaced by the raw, crackling energy of a skill that shouldn’t belong to a mere person.
And not long after that— GRRRRR!!!
The ground started shaking!
It wasn’t just a small tremor. It felt like the entire center of the forest was being moved by a giant hand!
The dark, flat stone floor that Verc had fought so hard to clear began to buckle and groan. Deep cracks, much larger than the ones from the battle with the giant, began to spider-web out from where Verc stood.
"?!!"
Tatum and the others were alerted instantly. Their vampiric instincts, already on edge from the fight, screamed at them that something dangerous was happening.
Instinctively— BAM!
They kicked backwards, their boots pushing off the vibrating stone with enough force to leave craters. They didn’t just run for themselves; they moved as a unit. They brought Onyx and Bong with them, of course.
In the chaos, Neit didn’t even hesitate. He reached out and literally picked up the whole horse, Bong, hoisting the animal over his shoulders as he leaped back toward the safety of the treeline.
It was weird seeing Neit pick up a whole horse like it was a sack of grain, especially since Bong was a sturdy animal, but nobody really said anything about it in this situation. They were too focused on the man at the center of the storm.
"URGH!!!"
Verc.
... ... ...
... ... ...
A few moments after the group managed to get away to a safe distance, a huge amount of mana erupted from Verc’s body.
SWOOOOSH—!!!
It wasn’t a gentle release. It was a violent, white-hot explosion of pure magical energy. The mana didn’t just dissipate into the air; it behaved like it had a mind of its own. It surged downward, planting itself firmly into the ground exactly where Verc was standing.
"UGH...!"
Verc felt it immediately. He let out a low, pained grunt, his brow furrowed as he felt his mana reserves being ripped out of him. It was a physical sensation, like his very blood was being drained through his feet. He felt a sudden, sharp hollowness in his chest.
He frowned, struggling to keep his eyes open as the sheer volume of power leaving his body made his head spin. If he wasn’t already, his skin would have gone completely pale.
Even with his increased endurance from the giant’s blood, he felt like he was being pushed to the brink of total collapse.
’I need to focus...’
Verc thought, his teeth gritted together.
’Imagine it. It’s not just a house. It’s a fortress. A home.’
He began to visualize the shape of the structure he wanted. He didn’t want anything too crazy or overly grand. He didn’t have the energy for towers or intricate carvings right now. He just wanted something solid. Something that said "keep out."
And so... Verc imagined a castle.
Then he summoned one!
GRRRRRR— WHOOOOOSH!!!
Slowly, the mana that had planted itself in the ground began to take form. It pulled minerals from the earth and condensed the mana into physical matter. Gray stone blocks, thick and heavy, started to rise from the cracks in the clearing!
They didn’t just appear; they grew, clicking together like the pieces of a giant puzzle!
A small castle began to take shape. It wasn’t grand or flashy because it was made entirely of cold, dark stone, but it was sturdy. It had thick outer walls, two modest circular towers at the front corners, and a heavy iron-wood gate that looked like it could withstand a battering ram. It was a real castle, inside and outside, a functional piece of architecture birthed from nothing but mana and imagination!
Seeing that appear out of nowhere in the middle of a forest that had been empty just minutes ago, the seven were shocked. They stood at the edge of the trees, their mouths hanging open. They couldn’t believe their eyes.
"Is... is he a god?"
Maya whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and worship.
Once again, what they thought of Verc just became even higher. To them, he had already proven he was a monster in combat, but this was different. This was creation. This was the power to change the world itself.
*****
Anyway... the castle was fully summoned not long.
And Verc—
"Huff... Huff... Haaaaah...."
He was ver exhausted after doing that.
Even though it was small compared to royal palaces, the act of bringing it into existence had drained every single drop of his stamina and mana. The dark scales on his skin faded away, and his sword felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.
He felt dizzy, the world tilting on its axis. He could barely move his legs, which felt like they were made of jelly. He swayed on the spot, his vision blurring as the adrenaline finally left his system.
As he was struggling to keep his balance and falling toward the hard stone—
TAP!
Tatum and the others appeared. They moved with a speed that was almost a blur, arriving just in time to support him.
"Lord Verc! We’ve got you!"
Tatum’s voice sounded like it was coming from underwater.
Verc felt hands on his shoulders and arms, holding him upright. He looked at the faces of the others, blinking slowly as he recognized them through the fog in his mind. He saw Jed’s worried expression and Neit’s look of pure concern.
"I... I did it."
Verc muttered, his voice barely a rasp.
He looked at the others, making sure they were all there and safe. He felt a small sense of relief that the castle was standing.
"Thanks..."
He said, leaning his weight into them.
"I’ll... leave the rest to you guys for now."
And before the others could even respond or ask him what they should do next... he lost consciousness. His head slumped forward, and his body went limp in their arms.
... ... ...
... ... ...
*****
"Huh...?"
Verc didn’t know how much time had passed.
Time was a strange thing when you were a vampire, and even stranger when you were recovering from a total mana drain. It felt like he had been floating in a dark, silent ocean for a few minutes, but it could have been hours or days.
As soon as he regained his consciousness, he didn’t jump up. He just lay there for a second, feeling the weight of his own body again. He opened his eyes, and what greeted him was a stone ceiling. It was high and arched, built with the same gray stone he had visualized. It looked exactly like a castle ceiling.
"So it wasn’t a dream, huh..."
Verc mumbled to himself.
His voice was dry, but the dizziness was gone. He felt a bit stiff, but the hollow feeling in his chest had been replaced by a slow, steady trickle of mana returning to his core.
Now that what he did finally registered to him, he finally realized how amazing it was. He had actually summoned a castle from nothing. He had used a skill and changed the landscape of the Cursed Forest forever.
He looked around the room. It seemed like he was in a pretty spacious area, likely what was intended to be the master bedroom of the keep. The walls were thick and solid, keeping out the noise of the forest.
He was lying down in the sleeping bag he always had with him. Someone must have brought it in and made sure he was comfortable. Beside him, he heard a soft rustling sound.
-Arf!
Onyx was sleeping right next to his head. The puppy also woke up when Verc moved, his small ears perking up instantly. Onyx let out a tiny, happy yip and scrambled over to Verc’s hand, licking his fingers with an enthusiastic tongue.
"Hey, buddy."
Verc said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
He reached out and patted the pup’s head, feeling the soft fur. It was a nice way to wake up after a near-death experience by mana exhaustion. Verc sat up slowly, stretching his arms and hearing his joints pop. He felt much better than he had expected.
Verc picked Onyx up, tucking the small dog under his arm, and stood up. He walked toward the heavy wooden door of the room and pushed it open. He wanted to see the fruits of his skill.
... ... ...
Verc stepped out into the hallway, looking around at the structure he had created.
"..."
He walked through the corridors, checking the different rooms and the main hall. The stairs were perfectly shaped, the walls were straight, and the layout was exactly as he had imagined it. From the outside, it probably looked like a formidable small fortress.
But upon looking around at the actual living spaces—
"This looks like shit."
He muttered that under his breath.
Though the castle was fairly big and the exterior was good, the interior was depressing. It was just stone. Stone floors, stone walls, stone ceilings. There was no furniture, no decorations, no carpets, and nothing to make it look like a place where people actually lived. It felt more like a very expensive cave than a castle. It was empty and incredibly boring.
’It’s just a shell.’
Verc thought, sighing.
The gray stone reflected the dim light from the small windows, making the whole place look gloomy and cold. There wasn’t even a chair to sit on or a table to eat at.
"We need to design this place."
Verc said to himself, his mind already starting to run through a list of things they needed. They couldn’t just live in a stone box forever. They needed wood, fabric, light sources, and everything else that turned a building into a home.
With that thought in mind— he started looking for the others. He could hear some muffled voices coming from the floor below, along with the sound of someone moving things around.