In the deeper floors of the dungeon, the air grew thick with the scent of decay and ancient magic. Rustic buildings surrounded by a massive marble wall ford a sprawling city in the plains of the underworld. The oppressive, stagnant air was a stark contrast to the purposeful, silent rhythm of its inhabitants.
In the city wall’s columns, six large black statues of a robed figure holding a scythe and a book stood watch. These imposing sentinels, carved from so unknown obsidian stone, seed to embody the city’s dual nature: Thanatos, the master of death, yet also a keeper of knowledge and a steward of the dead. The city itself was illuminated by artificial sunlight, with skeletal trees and mutated plants growing in designated parks. Mutated insects and wildlife scurried about, their movents a silent, unsettling ballet. Vampires, skeletons, ghouls, wraiths, and zombies walked through the streets, going about their daily routines with a chilling, purposeful silence, experiencing a strange existence, being alive while also being dead. The only sounds were the faint, muted clatter of bone and the soft rustle of aged cloth.
Undead knights in purple capes and purple-black armor marched through the streets in perfect, unceasing rhythm. There were also inquisitors dressed in ornate uniforms, thed with black and red with gold stripes and red capes. The red symbolized their connection to the blood of the living, a macabre reminder of their purpose, while the gold represented the authority of the Grand Inquisitor.
In the center of the city stood a massive structure with tall spires—the church of Thanatos. A decorated office on the highest floor of the church, a stocky zombie sat in a chair, overlooking the buildings below. He was dressed in an ornate uniform with a monocle on his left eye.
A knock ca at the door, and he said, "Co in," in a relaxed and lazy manner, as if it were a daily routine.
A female ghoul, dressed in a white uniform with red stripes, entered. She said, "Senior Inquisitor Francis, reports ca in from the lower layers."
"Ahhhh... Alina," Francis said in a flirtatious manner. "You’re looking good in your field inquisitor uniform today." He stared at her with a thirsty look and licked his lips.
Alina remained as calm and professional as ever, her voice a dry, rasping whisper. "It’s still the sa as the day you promoted , Senior Inquisitor."
"I know, right?" Francis said. "I can’t handle you working hard out there, while those pesky interrogator companions of yours mingle around you. You belong here with ." He said it again in a flirty manner, as if he owned her.
Alina, holding an envelope, said, "This ca from the Grand Inquisitor Maniya herself."
Francis’s expression changed, surprised. A spark of genuine concern flickered in his eye socket. "Oh..." He took the letter and read it. Then, shocked, he exclaid, "WHAT!!!? The Duumvari twins are dead?!" He read on, the parchnt trembling in his skeletal hand.
Alina was also surprised and replied, "But that’s impossible. No one could match the Duumvari twin’s combat tactics. Their synergy was legendary."
After he finished reading, Francis said, his lazy deanor completely gone, "Apparently, the Grand Inquisitor has tasked you and two other field inquisitors to investigate what happened to the twins. If the exiled one has managed to defeat both of them, then we might be in serious trouble. You, Carlos, and Julia are to investigate and, if possible, take down 66th Legion Commander Eoghan Dullahan. He’s a sword master. He’s a living legend exiled there for a reason, and if the corruption has finally taken ahold of his mind, you must imdiately at all cost, take him down. You will take 30 interrogators with you."
Alina nodded without question, her face a mask of resolute focus, and turned to leave. Francis then said, "Oh, and Alina, remind Carlos and Julia about your mission, and have them replace their station with another field inquisitors." Alina nodded, giving him a glance before leaving.
Francis sighed, leaning back in his chair. "What could have caused the 66th ziggurat node to be disconnected? Did Eoghan finally go insane? He’s too proud to fall to a simple enemy. Whatever it is, I feel like this isn’t going to go well. Not just for them, but for all of us."
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On the 7th floor, another week passed, and the construction had finally been finished. The 5th floor, the corporate office was completed, a gleaming new hub of bureaucracy and planning. It comprised five distinct departnts, each with its own dedicated office and purpose.
Three departnts were responsible for all the essential paperwork of the company, managing the complex web of marketing, accounting, and administration. The other two departnts under their wing were the Departnt of Defense Industry (Diddy or DDI), which oversaw the production and sales of weaponry, and the Strategic Resource Procurent Agency (Serpa), a departnt solely dedicated to the acquisition of rare and vital materials from all over the Spinebride region and beyond.
The 6th floor was a temporary distribution center, a bustling hive of activity. This was a stopgap asure, as Eddie was yet to fix the mana distribution module for the 8th floor, where they were supposed to be assigned. Once that was operational, the entire logistics chain would beco far more efficient.
The 7th floor, where the main industrial zones were relocated, was in full swing. The newly built talworks foundry, cartridge works, powder mill, gun works arsenal, and stockmaker’s workshop were finally built. The air was filled with the rhythmic clang of hamrs and the hiss of cooling tal, a symphony of nascent industry.
But despite these large, dedicated factories, there were only four workers each. A testant to the project’s early stage, the rest of the newly summoned skeletons were reassigned to fill the critical roles of the new corporate office departnts, SERPA and DDI, with only five workers each. The remaining 15 skeletons were reassigned to the barracks, where they would be trained for future security roles, awaiting the next stage of developnt.
Karl, sitting in his office, was greeted by Leo. "My lord, the construction of the 5th, 6th, and 7th floors have been finished. The builders are now constructing the transformation tombs in the Monitoring and Security Wing on the 10th floor."
Karl, reviewing the report accounting had submitted, said, "What about Eddie? Has he finally completed building the new core for the Cerberus units?"
"He’s nearly there, my lord," Leo replied. "According to him, it took longer than usual because there were missing components and materials needed to rebuild the core. He’s had to improvise using so of the raw minerals from the mines, which has proven to be a delicate process."
"Well, let him take his ti," Karl said. "We don’t want a rushed core. We won’t be able to handle the damage if the core exploded because of a half-assed construction. Safety before speed, always."
Changing the subject, Leo said, "The papermill has also finished production of the first batch of paper."
Karl’s face lit up. "Ahhh, finally! Let see."
Leo smiled as he handed him the paper. Karl inspected it and smiled. "Wow, although it’s not as white, this is very convenient! It’s a fundantal step. The written word is a powerful tool for control and a prerequisite for any advanced bureaucracy."
"Yes, my lord," Leo said. "I have also built an additional two lumber yards and an additional papermill to expand the production of paper. The demand for docuntation and records market demand for paper will skyrocket on the first week."
"Yes, please do so," Karl replied. "Paper will be crucial not just for us but for the entire region’s developnt. It’s light, and it’s a universal need."
"The folks in the lumber yard have also designed a saw mill machine," Leo added.
"Oh? They have?" Karl said, surprised. "Let take a look."
Leo nodded. "Yes, my lord. It’s quite a marvel. Dolrik has been overseeing it."
Karl reviewed their blueprints and diagrams, a genuine glint of excitent in his eyes. "Hmm... this needs a few improvents, but they basically created a simple DC motor. It’s a huge leap forward. Have Dolrik and his apprentices redesign this DC motor using shocksteel and copper. If we’re gonna produce a lot of things, we’re gonna need machines. We can’t rely solely on manual labor, not for the next phase of industrialization."
Leo nodded. He then said, "Also, Ossario requested a proper sewing machine and assistants for the luxury leatherworks and clothing. He ntioned the current thod of hand-stitching is far too slow for the quality he wants to achieve."
"Alright," Karl said. "Have the blacksmiths design and make a pedal sewing machine. It’s just gears and a belt. It will drastically increase his output." He paused. "Also, speaking of belts, how is the rubber workshop faring? I know there are alternatives to coagulating latex without formic acid, but I simply forgot."
"Not to worry, my lord," Leo said. "Smoking and gentle heating the latex overnight will coagulate it into rubber. Currently, they have made 50 sheets of raw rubber. They’re experinting with different levels of heat to achieve varying consistencies."
"What about strengthening it?" Karl asked. "We currently have no petroleum."
"We have used soots, my lord," Leo replied. "The forges have many soots to scrape. We can use them to strengthen the rubbers and increase durability, as well as for ink. It’s a surprisingly effective additive."
"Alright," Karl said. "Since the 9th floor has many of those trees we can use to collect latex, remind the lumberjacks not to cut the section where latex is collected. Also, I think they already know the process of thinning the forest to ensure we don’t deplete our resources."
Leo nodded. "Yes, my lord."
"Anyway, what’s Dolrik doing now?" Karl asked.
"He’s assisting the blacksmiths with the transmission system, specifically the gearbox," Leo said. "He believes a proper gearbox is essential for any engine, providing variable power output."
Karl’s eyes widened. "Have they completed the engine?"
Leo smiled. "Yes, my lord. They have. They would like your assessnt personally. It’s quite a sight to behold."
"Alright, I’m excited to see what this elental engine looks like," Karl said. He stood up, his impatience growing. "Let’s go."
Karl and Leo then stepped outside his office. While walking toward the foundry, Karl asked, "Have you notified our custors that we are closing for five days?"
"Yes, my lord," Leo replied. "We are closing three days from now."
"Good," Karl said. "That way, I can begin connecting the three floors as soon as possible and also, so that the builders and architects can begin constructing and renovating the necro market. We’ll be able to create a proper, multi-level marketplace."
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