Chapter 15

  My dungeon system is continuing on schedule.

  Its now morning again. I had made it through the night! I survived.

  The hiding in spider holes at night strategy has been good to me.

  6 AM

  I took a quick clean up wash up in the brook. Feels nippy but the water is clean and cool.

  Wow. I love this brook. TO have a water source right by my house... I'm so lucky. It very good ice melt water from the mountain also.

  6:10 AM

  Dried up in front of a pre-lit fire that was burning in a pit outside the pithouse. Combed hair and brushed teeth. Feels good after warming up. Then washed my dishes in the brook.

  But I'm exhausted from the constant raids from last night. My legs and arms just feel sooo tired, and like its even hard to get up I'm so drained.

  I didn't get much sleep, maybe 3 or 4 hours? Its hard to sleep when I know goblin stealthers are all over the place. And I'd had to keep getting up and checking on the maze and places around it. Then go to hiding in between executing goblins caught in the magic vine trap spells. Sometimes I'd put more traps up because of fear of stealthers.

  I can't let this happen every day.

  I'm already close to half of the next level, just from the unending goblin waves of attackers. But I'm very exhausted also.

  In the night, I'd also managed to get 10 more improved trap hedges set up and 2 concealed trap hedges. (Almost a street by itself if you compare it to towns, although it wasn't straight.) I would wake up every 2 hours to set these up. And as usual I'm building them into green hedge walls that make up the maze, as well as traps.

  "Let's see, what should I add today..." I thought aloud.

  I grabbed my shovel and went to work.

  First, I used item create to create 4 motion sensor camera kits, that would normally come from a big box sto-...ah shit, I feel a headache coming on.

  I almost puked, as that was a strong headache.

  But the system hadn't banned electronics, as long as it wasn't like a nuclear rocket or clear foul play. I had to help with some of that and have an understanding of it though. Electric equipment powered by rechargeable batteries, as well as a solar battery recharge equipment kit was perfectly legal. Because it was pretty simple. This would help immensely.

  It costed me approximately 50 mana each for these (50 x 4, + 50 for the battery recharger) using the item create spell skill. They came in sets of 2 cameras per box also, with the connecting wires, as well as being wrapped in the plastic casting of the package that they were sold in. Almost like it came out of a...sh-it. Headache!

  Huh? I know what plastic is? I realized I did. I knew about a few other things like metals, aluminum, and electronics too.

  Oh right... where should I set them up. And I have to hide them in one of the permanent traps also. None of the wiring can be showing when the goblins arrive, or they'll be able to figure out something is there. (They won't understand what it is, but could still target it.)

  I began to work it out. It was actually kind of labor intensive to set these up because I had to do it in a way that would hide them well, and not show them. As long as nobody saw them, they'd never even guess what they were! And best of all spy and threat detection skills would likely not detect the motion sensor cameras. Goblins wouldn't understand what they were. And this was the point. They would help me try to catch their stealthers, when they thought they didn't need to be stealthed.

  Although I'd have to tie in the cameras to some kind of observation post, like a place that can't get rained on with a ... connection set up? Ugh... trying to remember what goes there...? But I can worry about that after I get the camera wiring in place. (I didn't want to be messing with having to change camera batterie several times a day either.)

  Part of me was curious also if the electronic cameras could see through the goblin stealth magic? It makes you curious doesn't it?

  We'll see...

  Although...technically right now they'd need a big long set of cables and other stuff to plug into a viewing device of some kind. (My memory is fuzzy about the name of this device but for some reason I'm picturing a plastic box with a screen that doesn't hang in the air, some kind of electric machine with a keyboard...)

  Ah! I need batteries! I remember that's what the little power box devices were. But then I had to think about what kind of batteries, and work it out in my head. It took awhile to remember that. And even then that only came because I had to think of what voltage to use on the cameras and the wires. That triggered me to remember batteries of that voltage.

  Batteries are pretty complex. I did manage to summon 1 set of a battery with its store conversion kit, the rechargeable quality type. But this can only have 2 sets of lights plugged in it. It cost me 150 mana for something complex, (and a renewable energy source) like a battery.

  This is a really big heavy battery also. The one it will be connected to... will be in a chain of wiring...? Yes that's right.

  Unfortunately this won't let me benefit much today, until night time. But now is the best time to set it up because the goblin waves of spies and attackers seem to come to a lull in the early hours of the morning around dawn.

  And...wow already its 8 AM, after I'd done working on that install and hiding the equipment in vegetation and bushes.

  I went back to check for more goblins with the binoculars over the cliff overlook. (But only after making sure no goblin stealthers were in the grass around me. I swung the shovel a few times in surprise shots but nothing. Guess they gave up. Their stealth hide skill is pretty good, so that worries me.)

  Hm...goblin camp is ...wow.

  There's now at least two hundred goblin warriors there. Looks like they are going to rush me soon. They really are trying to push forward. They had improved and built up their military camp. Its almost twice as big as before.

  Stolen story; please report.

  Shit...I'm going to have to hide some of this out probably.

  I need more maze work to be finished and for the maze to be really damn big if that many goblin warriors are coming up here! This is scary!

  I don't have enough hallways, dead ends, and alleys in the maze! I'd need more rooms also. And probably more hidey holes. I need to confuse them and keep them guessing also; you do that so they won't be confident, and keep them intimidated in fear. That makes them unwilling to just rush and burn the whole thing instantly.

  I hurried over to my spot and set up 6 improved camouflage traps in various places. I also used magic to grow the hedge walls up to cover that whole hallway also so you can't see it from outside. And its +1 hallway zone to my maze map. I also put up a bunch of non-camouflaged same trap hedges; 4 this time for now. Its basically another hallway.

  But that dropped my mana down to only bout 300 left. Its a sizeable investment.

  300 mana...is that enough if they come now?

  By now it looks like I've got an actual small maze with many halls and corridors! It isn't big, but its at least big enough to work. The hedge walls are sufficiently opaque with enough greenery to prevent spying into the maze from outside also. And they are tall enough. And eventually I'll start planting hedges way down going towards the narrow steep mountain side trail that comes up to this plateau, since its such a defensible position. (I'd have done this long before if it weren't for the giant hornets sizeable nest.) There's dozens of hidden root traps also, everywhere hidden.

  Any minute now the goblins are coming up this way with a sizeable force however.

  Do I have enough traps for 100 to 200 goblins?

  On paper I can hold maybe up to 3 goblins per trap. Over 3 than... it gets a bit dicey when they try to struggle and get out.

  This is... intimidating. To have that many come here...

  I might...but the question is, if there's that many they may just start ripping out the hedge traps through organization or cutting out their allies.

  But they do have a predatory system that could prey on weak goblins also, which works in my favor.

  Ah, yep sure enough, there's a scouting squad that's coming this way. They activated their stealth to avoid the giant hornets. (Dang it.) The stealth squad coming will really mess up me being ready to face the main force if I don't get rid of them quickly.

  I'll have to wait it out.

  ...

  "Up, here they come!" I watched as a big line of goblin invaders starts marching up the steep narrow mountain trail. Its a hard to navigate trail due to how step it is, until it levels off up here.

  I hurried to get as close to the giant hornet nest as I could...which is about a hundred feet away. Any closer and I believe they'll attack.

  The goblin lines started coming towards the nest which is right over the trail, dead center.

  As the line approached, I waited until the right moment.

  YES!

  I activated 2 traps in a row right in the middle of the trail! (-20 mana)(-20 mana). (I can choose when to activate them...)

  The giant hornets then mobilized, with droves of them pouring out of their nests to fight the goblins! This happened by accident but is helpful. But most of it is just that they believe the goblins to be free meat.

  Yes! Free troops!

  I then put down 2 more traps...

  !

  Huh? What's that? I had just gone around a corner in the edge of the maze when...

  Shit, that almost got me! I jumped back just as a blade slashed by my face.

  I then heard the goblin stealther cursing, who is now revealed!

  Shit...of course they would send in another group of the stealthers to protect their advancements! These had gone in ahead of time to try to get me from within and behind.

  I tried to pull back, but at the same time I'm being attacked from the opposite side also! There's now 3 stealthers immediately trying to attack me. I ducked and rolled while slamming out an improved trap!

  (I took -17 damage, -12 damage.)

  (I took -21 damage, -14 damage.)

  (I dodged the third stealth goblins strikes, barely.)

  My health bar dropped fast before I could get my kevlar shield up!

  The vines sprung up instantly with the trap set. But then the tentacles went out grabbing 4 stealthers around me! The fourth had been coming in behind me for a kill shot! Its an ambush attempt on my life!

  Wow, that was close.

  I'm saved by my massive trap system. But if I'd been even 2 seconds later, it might have gone differently. I still had to roll out of the way again to the right near one of the others!

  I retreated fast, unable to check how many goblins the giant hornet group is fighting and taking out. All I know is there's a huge mess of giant hornets and goblins fighting now, with the goblins unable to get past my traps. The hornets have sent out several charges. And some of the really big hornets,...wow, as I run away I saw glimpses of a new type of enlarged super size hornet soldier that's big enough to pick up goblins and drop them!

  I end up huffing from the strain of the forced run, as I stopped in the middle of the front gate of my maze.

  From here the stealthers won't dare to adv...

  Whoosh!

  Vines snapped out and ripped 2 goblin stealthers into the air, preventing them from attacking me!

  I took a few steps back and got my shield up. Who would have thought they'd be soo angry as to keep attacking, even risking their necks!

  The shield pings several times, then a few more as I blocked several stealther thrown knives at myself. I ended up hunkering behind it for a full minute, while slowly moving backwards. I can feel as I'm slowly moving back that the stealthers were opening up to move to my sides to try to get past the shield, which is why I moved backwards.

  The shield is good enough to stop them.

  Whew...

  The goblin wave momentarily withdrew ...for now. But they'll be back. For them to withdraw that fast, means that the main attack wasn't the stealthers, and that the frontal force of stealthers was just a distraction. To get ready for the main event. Now that its been foiled they'll look for an new opening.

  1 of the stealthers got out of the improved trap and escapped, but it looks like he had a hard time getting lose with a lot of goblin blood there. I can't chase him down because I don't know the true number of how many goblin stealthers are still out in the field. And leaving the walls of the maze is a mess.

  I finished off the other goblins already in traps.

  Whew...

  Tired...

  By now its already 9:30 AM.

  I'm expecting another wave soon. I'll have to get ready.

  Huh? What's that?

  I saw a flicker of movement near one of the stealthers's dissolving bodies, wrapped up in its coat.

  '?'

  What is that, I thought.

  At first, I thought one of the other stealthers was trying to loot one of the other goblin bodies with its stealth skill active.

  I charged forward and swung out with my blade, but it went through nothing.

  "Huh? What's going on?" I breathed out.

  It seems like no stealthers are here.

  I gingerly reached out to feel the dead goblin stealther's dark cloak...this is the thing that's moving!

  It feels warm? What the heck...?

  I felt around it...

  Something really small tried to squirm away from me. So I uncovered the cloak, opening it. And I'm shocked at what I find!

  There in a hidden pocket of the stealther's jacket is a bound captured naked fairy, straining at ropes constricting it! Bound in pain to the stealther! She was basically bound onto some kind of torture device.

  Its horrifying!

  I find that the the stealther's jacket has this hidden inside pocket where this fairy creature has been tortured, gagged, and bound in pain with her wings torn off to a narrow stick with her hands tied above her head. She has been a prisoner from some time and isn't even conscious. Its like a torture device with a live fairy in it, but its some kind of shaman magic device also.

  My gosh...who would do such a thing.

  The health bar of the fairy, is picked up by my system, and at 1/3 health.

  My gosh...

  I picked up the bound fairy carefully and put her inside my coat. I have to be careful because she's so wounded that I can't just rip her out of it without killing her. I'll have to look for a free moment try to look for how to help her.

  But now I have a new question...how many of the stealthers and shamans also had captured fairies?! Is this the source of their stealth magic? Goblins... probably don't have a lot of magic on their own. But if they could capture fairies... it would explain how they were so perfect at their stealther magic.

  And this must have been the telepathic cry for help that I'd heard several times over the last few days! I finally understood now what was happening! And ... I'd rescued her! Amazing.

  I roamed quickly moving around to check all the messed up gear from slain goblins. And I also had to check the stuff that I thought was trash yesterday to see if I missed anything.

  In my shock, I've discovered two fairies!

  Both are in tortured pain, bound up with torture devices, and unable to move or get away.

  ...

  +1 tortured fairy to save.

  +1 Actual finished maze to hide and live in!