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**Dungeon system: The Thousand Realms**
**Owner:** Knox Light
**Level:** 3 (50/600)
**Mana:** 1000/1000
**DP:** 200 (Dungeon Points)
**Protectors:** 13
**Intruders:** 1
**Abilities:** Mana Manipulation, Vassal Creation, Dungeon Shaping, Weaken Willpower
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Knox snapped awake the instant an invader's foot crossed the threshold of his entrance room. The faint vibration rippled through the stone straight to his core—and yeah, it pissed him off.
Not *that* much, though. He'd been napping way too long anyway; the intruder was basically doing him a favor.
He shifted his focus to the entrance and froze. Standing there, bold as anything, was a kobold… fully clothed. Not the usual ragged, half-starved scavenger—this one actually looked put-together.
Knox's thoughts churned.
*"It seems that they've finally grown some courage and decided to invade, huh."*
A spark of dark delight lit inside him. More prisoners were always welcome, and kobolds? They flipped so easily. A few broken wills and he could swell the village population overnight.
He decided his people deserved a warning. Let them gear up before claws met scales.
Switching views to floor one, he found the kobold family gathered around the pond for lunch. Sunlight filtered through cracks high above, glittering on the water. Lily sat cradling two tiny, squirming newborn boys—both already hissing softly, tiny claws flexing.
Knox blinked (metaphorically).
*"Aren't they kobolds? Why are they breeding like rabbits?"*
Pride warmed his core despite himself—the village was thriving—but the intruder came first.
He pushed his voice into their minds, deep and rumbling like distant thunder:
"My kin, we have invaders. Ready yourselves for battle.
For those not fighting—find somewhere safe to hide."
Short. Clear. His kobolds had bled enough times by now; they didn't need poetry.
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Draco, Cabbage, Sage, and Hollyhock scrambled. They snatched the biggest, knottiest twigs within reach and crammed every pouch full of river-smoothed throwing stones.
Feet pounding, they raced toward the entrance floor. The tunnels were second nature now; they hit the bottom of the long incline in record time.
Hollyhock's tail swished excitedly behind her. In her bright, sweet voice she chirped:
"So guys, what do you guys want to do?"
Draco didn't hesitate. Voice hard, shoulders squared:
"We will go on the offensive this time."
He immediately started up the incline, moving like he owned the slope.
Sage stared after him, jaw slack.
"Wow… the boss is such a beast."
The other three hurried to follow. The climb felt strangely light today—almost as if the stone itself gave them purchase. (Sage knew exactly why, but watching Draco power up without even breathing hard still left him stunned.)
At the crest they spotted him instantly: the intruder kobold, head swiveling, greedy little eyes scanning every corner like he was already dividing up their home as plunder.
Sage's blood boiled. No one looked at *their* place like that.
He whipped a stone forward with a snarl. It cut the air straight toward the stranger's face.
This kobold was no pushover. He jerked his head aside at the last second—stone cracked harmlessly against the wall behind him.
Now fully alert, the invader backed up a step, pupils shrinking with sudden nerves.
Then he threw his snout skyward and howled in the old tongue:
"Gruh guhh gruuey!"
Four more kobolds burst through the entrance tunnel—unarmed, but all wearing mismatched scraps of cloth. Reinforcements. The scout had called the pack.
Draco's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Alright everyone, stick tightly together. We fight them as one group."
No arguments. The three kobolds pressed in close around him.
Sage, Cabbage, and Hollyhock formed a rough semicircle at Draco's back—clumsy, but determined.
They advanced inch by inch, lobbing stones in a steady rhythm. The invaders snarled and dodged, then charged with bared teeth and wild eyes.
One wasn't fast enough. Cabbage—sneaky, quiet Cabbage—waited for the perfect angle and whipped a rock that slammed square into the kobold's ribs with a meaty thud.
The invader dropped to one knee, clutching his side, breath rattling wetly. He wasn't getting back up.
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Four against three now. Advantage: home team.
Rocks kept flying. Small cuts opened on arms, shoulders, cheeks. The invaders hissed in pain but kept coming.
Draco had enough of games. He exploded forward and planted a brutal kick dead-center in the nearest kobold's chest.
The invader sailed backward, crashing hard. Before he could even gasp, Draco was on him—twig raised high, brought down like an executioner's axe. Skull split. Lights out. Forever.
A trickle of XP warmed Draco's core. He ignored it. His tribesmen were still in danger.
Across the chamber Cabbage wrestled messily with one of the last two. Hollyhock and Sage had the other cornered—tag-teaming, darting in and out, wearing the invader down with relentless jabs and thrown stones. They were winning.
Draco pivoted to help Cabbage. He hurled his twig like a javelin.
Cabbage snatched it out of the air, flashed a huge, toothy grin at Draco.
"Are you ready for this?"
Draco smirked and gave one sharp nod.
Cabbage charged—swung the stick down with everything he had…
…and missed completely.
The overcommitted swing left him wide open. The enemy kobold sprang back, then snapped a vicious upward kick—straight into Cabbage's crotch.
Cabbage lifted off the ground an inch, eyes bulging, then collapsed into a fetal ball, wailing in a high, broken voice as nausea crashed through him.
Draco stared for half a heartbeat, honestly disappointed. He'd thought Cabbage was about to pull off something epic.
Annoyance surged. He lunged, fist snapping out in a clean arc—connected perfectly with the kobold's jaw.
The invader flew sideways, hit the floor limp, unconscious before he landed.
Draco walked over to the whimpering Cabbage and crouched beside him.
"And what have we learned?"
Cabbage, still curled tight and miserable, croaked the expected answer:
"Don't be overconfident?"
Draco threw his head back and laughed—big, booming, bouncing off every wall.
"No… Next time protect your gems!"
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Thank you for reading. I'll see you in the next one.