By the time Borin and S-01 had returned, Pip and Aelin had already made significant progress. The central chamber was now lined with reinforced walls, and the first of the automated turrets was operational, its multiple barrels scanning the area with a quiet hum. Pip was elbow-deep in the mobile defense unit, her face smudged with grease as she connected the final wires.

  “Perfect timing!” she called out as Borin and S-01 entered. “We’ve got the turrets up and running, but we need more scrap to finish the barriers and get this beauty online.” She patted the mobile defense unit affectionately.

  Borin dumped the scrap metal onto the floor with a clatter. “Hope this is enough. We cleared out what we could find.”

  Victor’s core pulsed with satisfaction as he observed the progress. “You’ve done well,” he said through S-01. “But we’re not done yet. We need to think about traps, hidden passages, and maybe even a few decoy cores to throw off any attackers.”

  Aelin nodded, her expression grim. “We’ll need to be smart about it. The Stormhammer Guild won’t fall for simple tricks. We’ll have to make sure every trap is well-hidden and every defense is perfectly placed.”

  As the group worked, the dungeon continued to evolve, its defenses growing stronger and more sophisticated with each passing hour. By the time they were done, the central chamber was a fortress, its walls lined with turrets and its corridors filled with deadly traps.

  Victor’s core pulsed with a sense of pride as he surveyed the upgrades. “You’ve done all you can for now,” he said through S-01. “But this is just the beginning. We’ll need to keep improving, keep adapting. The goblins and the Stormhammer Guild won’t stop coming, and neither will we.”

  With the materials they had gathered and the progress they had made, he knew it was time to take the next step. His core pulsed brighter, a deep, resonant hum filling the chamber as he began to channel his energy outward. The walls of the dungeon shuddered, the sound of grinding stone and shifting metal echoing through the corridors.

  “What’s happening?” Aelin asked, her hand instinctively going to her bow.

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  Pip’s eyes widened as she watched the walls expand, new corridors branching off from the central chamber. “He’s growing the dungeon,” she said, her voice filled with awe. “Victor’s increasing his size!”

  Borin grinned, hefting his hammer. “About time. We were starting to get a little cramped in here.”

  Victor’s core pulsed with amusement as the dungeon continued to expand. But this was no ordinary expansion. The air around them seemed to warp and shimmer, a faint, otherworldly glow emanating from the walls. The interior of the dungeon grew at an astonishing rate, new rooms and corridors forming faster than the eye could follow. Yet, from the outside, the dungeon’s exterior remained largely unchanged, its footprint barely shifting.

  “Spatial magic,” Pip whispered, her voice tinged with wonder. “Victor’s manipulating space itself to make the interior larger than the exterior. It’s… incredible.”

  Aelin’s sharp eyes scanned the new layout, her expression a mix of awe and caution. “This changes everything. We can have more space for defenses, traps, and supplies without drawing attention from the outside. The goblins and the Stormhammer Guild won’t know what hit them.”

  Borin chuckled, leaning on his hammer. “And more space means more room for traps. I like it.”

  Victor’s voice emanated from S-01, calm but filled with pride. “This is just the beginning. With more resources, we can continue to grow and improve. But for now, this should give us the space we need to prepare for whatever comes next.”

  Pip rushed over to one of the new rooms, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “This is perfect! I can set up a proper workshop here, with enough space to build and test new inventions. And look at these conduits—they’re already connected to the power grid!”

  Aelin nodded, her sharp eyes scanning the new layout. “The hidden passages will give us an advantage if we’re attacked. We can move around without being seen, and set up ambushes if necessary.”

  As the others began to explore the new additions, Victor’s core pulsed softly, a quiet reminder of the bond they had all forged—not just as allies, but as something more. A family, perhaps, bound together by shared purpose and unspoken trust. And for Victor, that was worth more than all the loot in the world.

  With the dungeon expanded and their defenses stronger than ever, the group knew that their greatest challenges were still ahead. But with Victor at their side, they were ready to face them. Together, they would continue to grow, adapt, and fight for a better future.