Dungeon’s Path Strong Because He Believes So – Chapter 276

Doyle of course was watching as they fumbled around. More to the point, he made sure to ask Ally, 'Will them ssing around with spatial magic cause any problems?'

Ally shrugs, 'Could it? Sure, anything possible with the right set up. Will? Almost certainly not.

'A big part of my assurance cos from the difference between your power and their magic. It is a little hard to package the concepts down into a few terms, but your abilities basically count as being a part of the landscape. That's why you get to also have location paths. You are a location, similar to how the planet they live on gently warps space with its mass.

'In fact, fooling around with spatial magic while in your territory is for the best. Now, being in your territory won’t stop fatal consequences from catching up to the caster. However, similar to how your territory stopped the fairy ring, your territory will dampen any spatial magic that escapes. So, instead of soone managing to turn everyone in the town inside out, only they suffer that fate and maybe any nearby helpers.'

Doyle nods, 'Fair enough. Though wouldn't the whole dampening thing make it harder for them in general? Sa as what happened with the fairy ring?'

Ally, 'The fairy ring didn't work because while those fairies are called Fae, they're more like balls of fae attuned fluff. It is like how your world had so much trouble deciding if viruses were living or not.

'For any creature with an actual status, your territory can't stop them as it is. Sure, you can set rules in your dungeon to prevent stuff, but that is different. At most your territory might shorten the distance a spell can travel when disconnected from the caster.'

Doyle, 'Fair enough, now onto sothing else. I've had so idle chatter with her, but you've been the one talking to her the most. How do you feel the kobold boss is doing ntally?'

Ally shrugs, 'It is kind of hard to judge those sorts of things with dungeon monsters. After all, if she was a normal kobold, she would be insane by now. To die and revive, sotis multiple tis in a day? Normal beings aren't really set up for it.

'As a dungeon monster though, from the very start she has had certain revelations about reality that most lack. Stuff like being able to process pain as a signal and not sothing traumatic. She doesn't feel the sword chopping her arm off and lose herself over what that ans to most beings on a primal level.

'After all, most humans would first have the idea that they just lost their arm permanently, hit them. Even if intellectually they know their healer can regrow the arm from nothing if needed or they have enough regeneration going on that it will grow back naturally. Sapient dungeon monsters on the other hand will instead have the idea that nothing done to them physically matters at the core of their beings.'

Doyle, 'I hadn't even considered that. Well, I guess that isn't entirely true. I had thought about it a little with the normal monsters, but figured it was brainwashing or so such.'

Ally shakes her head, 'Many people co to that conclusion. It is sort of unavoidable with how much control a dungeon has over its normal monsters. Though even that isn't really mind control. Well, at least it isn't if you don't consider programming a bot mind control.

'Anyway, the kobold boss and the myconid boss aren't going to see all that much emotional developnt, as it were, until you get them nas. If you get them nas.

'Even dungeons who have that ability already don't use it on every boss. Sotis you need an animal boss or a mindless undead boss. Not to say that naming stuff magically makes them into people.

'Give your kobold enough ti and she will beco a full fledged person and not just so caricature or trope. Though that isn't really fair, I guess. They aren't really less people now? It is just that they're more on the level of young children except without most of the childishness.'

Doyle sighs, 'I had noticed that. Though I have to ask, why would using the naming function change that?'

Ally shrugs, 'Asks the person with a skill based around concepts. While there isn't anything like the whole "true na" magic your world played around with for a bit. Having a na or knowing soone's na does have so power to it. As an example, it is a lot harder to put a curse on soone if you don't know their na.

'Though for normal beings outside of a dungeon, nas are a lot more loose and personal. Knowing a person's given na ans nothing if they don't accept that na. Also, people aren't restricted to a single na.

'That last one tends to trip people up who are trying to avoid curses or similar. If you use sothing as your na and accept it, the na works just as well as the na they use normally. So soone trying to hide their identity by giving a na like "John Smith" will be out of luck if they use it enough that they accept being called by it.

'This is why anonymous groups end up with everyone being called sothing really edgy. Stuff like "The Dark Lord" or "Savior". By having a generic enough na that in their language can't be a na, they automatically distances themselves from the moniker. Your world's superhero genre has a bunch of good examples of this sort of naming sche.'

Doyle nods, 'That makes so sense. Now why do I need sothing special to na my monsters and why would it make my bosses more mature?'

Ally coughs, 'Sorry, got a little carried away. Nas are a bit important to the Fae so I know a good bit about the subject. Anyway, the reason as a dungeon you need sothing special to na your monsters is because they are designed to inherently not maintain an identity.

'It's not "the goat in the first room", it is "there is a goat in the first room". This is more obvious for you since you're farming the replacents instead of spawning them in. However, it even goes as far as the bosses themselves.

'Though I must admit, you've sort of broken that with the kobold. Normally the boss would spawn in with all kinds of minor differences. Stuff like being a different shade of color, random spike patterns, you na it. You, on the other hand, have gone and made the kobold boss an individual.

'However, you're still fighting against the natural state of a dungeon. The na function is sothing that normally only develops in a dungeon once the people delving it have put enough conceptual reinforcent behind so monster's identity. Doing so actually diverts so of the world energy towards the feature until it naturally unlocks and then gets applied to the monsters.'

Doyle nods again, 'That does make so sense. Though I guess I will have to be careful about monsters gaining nas naturally. Still doesn't explain what is up with the bosses though!'

Ally smiles awkwardly, 'There, erm. There just isn't really a good explanation? Like, I have the info right from the system that nas stabilize a sapient dungeon monster's personality. It just doesn't explain why.'

Doyle rolls to the side, 'Fair enough, though you don't have to give the run around. We've been getting along pretty well as of late, though in a more hands off sort of way. I understand you don't know everything. On the other hand, I also know so stuff of my own, so don't be afraid to ask if you have questions.

'For instance, with this particular bit. If I had to guess what is happening, while the souls and mories are the sa, the brain or equivalent is likely in just as much flux as stuff like coloration. So like a kid, their mind is always changing. Adding a na sounds like it stabilizes their form and thus their mind.'

Ally nods, 'That would make so sense.'

Doyle laughs, 'Though it is only a guess. Could also be that the na gives them a concept to build upon outside of "dungeon monster". Not really much idea of stable person behind that title.

'Anyway, since we are on the topic of bosses, what is taking Ace and company so long in getting to my second boss? They had gotten so far and yet suddenly seed to stall out.'

Ally shrugs, 'You gave them a spook with those psychic sunflowers of yours. If I'm not judging things too badly, Jim's team should be able to make it to the boss and Ace's team can at least make it to the boss floor.

'As it is though, they've decided to improve their foundation, going for more of a pyramid of power instead of a tower. Oh, and your world is stupid amounts of psychically charged. Like, generally to have this many talents develop requires a race devoted to psychic power.'

Doyle tilts to the side, 'What do you an?'

Ally laughs, 'I think your world's variety of human all have the potential to develop psychic powers. Of course not everyone will, but even those who don't will develop psychic ntal defenses. Do you know how hard that is?

'Most people have to settle for magic based defenses or similar. Not that the power used to make the defense makes it any stronger or weaker in theory. However, psychic power is its own resource. That ans a mage with psychic mind shielding can throw around fireballs until they're empty and still be protected.

'So yeah, both Ace and Jim have developed such a defense and others will likely gain it soon enough. Also, one of the other core mbers, Dan, has already developed a psychic power. That of a self buff.

'It is the really annoying type as well. He doesn't just give a flat bonus to his Strength or so such. No, the more he believes in a certain aspect of himself, the more that aspect is buffed. So seeing as he decided on the na "Dan TheMan" I'm predicting he will be a bit of a powerhouse.'

Doyle nods, 'A buff based on how much they believe in themselves could be really dangerous. And I'm assuming this also cos with quite a sturdy ntal defense as well?'

Ally, 'Eh, in a sense? The more he develops a persona, the more solid that persona will beco. So say he decides to play the role of so honorable muscle man. The more into the role he gets, the harder it will be for soone to try and alter that.

'A good example of this is soone trying to trick him with illusions. Soone tries to make a friend look like an enemy? Dan the honorable would never attack a friend and so he is going to see through the illusion on "instinct" alone.'

Doyle, 'So on the other hand, if he decided he was a muscle brain, it would instead make him weaker to those types of manipulations?'

Ally, 'Very much so. However, Ace seems to have sussed out Dan's power and given him guidance on the matter. Not directly of course, since that type of power also suffers from major performance anxiety. The whole "Am I really this good" thought worm, except by doubting yourself with that power, you are literally weakening yourself.

'Instead, Ace has basically written up a face powerset for the guy and convinced him of it. Honestly it is a brilliant piece of brainwashing. By convincing Dan that he knew what he was talking about, Ace was able to reinforce Dan's belief in him.

'Though Ace is still taking it slow. He basically wrote up a pretty nice slow growth talent and convinced Dan that it was what he had. Give the kid a few thousand years and he'll be able to punch out a good after out thinking them.

'I of course suspect this will only be able to work for a relatively short period of ti. After all, for all the behind the scenes evil planning Ace has done. He is overall a decent person. So, instead of convincing Dan he was a muscle brain and Ace knew best, he instilled Dan with a belief that he was also growing ntally and spiritually.'