The Dungeon Inn - English

B02C33 - Border of growth

Sarah's construction of the castle walls reminded me that I should focus on expanding the labyrinth again. In addition to protecting myself, protecting the core was just as important because our lives were connected. There was just too much going on, so I postponed planning the third level and preferred to only expand the first and second occasionally.

Winfried soon drove Mia back into the house so that she didn't catch a cold and Albert didn't want to be left alone. So the house was quite full and I didn't want to leave Karl alone upstairs when I expanded the labyrinth with Sven. So I waited patiently for Sarah to return and only then went downstairs. As always, I also had a quick chat with Friedrich so that he didn't feel left behind.

The next morning I prepared the puddings for the day with Sarah and went into the depths in the evening when she was back. When I wanted to enter the new and first cave on the third level, the carrier skeleton stopped me.

"Why are you stopping me?"

The skeleton turned around and pointed into the lower cave. A summoning circle appeared and a human appeared. When he saw me, he wanted to get down on his knees to pay his respects. But while he was still moving, he suddenly grabbed his neck and gasped. His face turned blue and he fell dead.

"What was that?"

"Sir, it seems there is no air to breathe down there. I have heard of caves like these before. You can't usually see that this is the case and they are therefore very dangerous."

"So that's why the core doesn't want us to go there. Friedrich, what is the air like on your level? Have you already made a similar observation?"

"It has definitely gotten thinner over time. But it doesn't bother me. I mainly keep myself alive with mana and the snow areas are often very high up where the air is often thin. So it's not unusual or dangerous for me."

"It has increased? Maybe because I enlarged the dungeon?"

"I don't think that's the only reason. The entrance areas to the level have also become thinner, which cannot really be explained by an expansion in depth alone."

"Perhaps the house is to blame then. We have blocked the air flow inwards more than before. It will be particularly weak at night, when we lock Karl in the small camp. I hadn't even thought of that."

"That sounds like an explanation."

"So I should first restore the air flow before I complete the third level."

But I didn't know much about architecture in this regard. Especially if it was to work up to the third level, knowledge of it was necessary. I considered whether I should ask Hilda to summon an air fairy. However, the fairy would stay in the dungeon and loyalty was essential. A fairy summoned by the witches' circle would have to enter into a deal and that wasn't safe enough for me. But what other creatures were there that could control the air?

"Friedrich, do you know about magical creatures like Sarah?"

"Oh yes, I am one myself and have traveled through the forests for a long time. I know quite a few."

"What would you recommend if I want to control the flow of air?"

"Hmm, I don't think there are many. I would suggest a sylph."

"Sylph?"

"Correct. They are the elemental spirits or nymphs for air. You've probably heard of undines, who are associated with water."

"An elemental spirit sounds convincing. Should I know a little more about them before I summon one?"

"Hmm, they reflect their element, so those of the air are very free and a bit moody. Dealing with them can be either straightforward or difficult, depending on what they think of you."

"Then let's hope she doesn't become a problem."

I took the crystal and conveyed my wish to it. To be on the safe side, I emphasized the sylph's loyalty.

A summoning circle was formed and I felt the mana dwindle. Soon a slim, semi-transparent woman stood before me. Like Sarah, she had long white hair. But while Sarah's was more like snow and straight, this one was like clouds and slightly wavy. She wore a long white dress and white gloves. Her eyes were a mix of white and blue. Like a thin cloud covering the sky.

She looked at me and pointed her finger at me.

"I choose you!"

"Huh? I summoned you, not the other way around."

"Then it is sealed. We are connected forever from now on."

She beamed happily.

"That is what the summoning entails. Your name is Louv and you are responsible for the ventilation of the dungeon."

"Your name is Dear and your responsibility will be to be there for me."

"My name is Marco and I am the master of the dungeon."

"Then I am the manager of the dungeon."

"What makes you think that?"

"You said yourself that I should take care of the ventilation. I am as fast as the wind and can therefore transport information faster than anyone else."

"That is a good ability indeed."

"I am happy to be of exceptional use to you."

"Do you have any requests, to help you, to do your job better?"

I went through the levels with Louv and added small narrow cracks on the ceiling and floor to the other rooms for her. She would use them to create a steady flow of air. Unfortunately, this also required an inflow and outflow. For the outflow, we chose the fireplace in the dining room and the oven in the kitchen. This way, she could also stoke the fire at the same time if necessary. The inflow was more difficult. The trap door to the main cave was not sufficient, so we laid a channel to the kitchen. We would probably have the window open a lot there because of the heat generated when cooking. This should ensure there is enough air and if it also transports the heat downwards, we could create a more comfortable temperature for the other levels. Hilda in particular would benefit from this.

This secured the air supply in the dungeon and I had even found a better way to communicate.