“Fufufu! Hahaha!”

My laughter fills the laboratory as I make my epic laughing pose. I pull the lever. Lightning flows from the cable into the body resting on the operating table. The monster’s fingers twitch as it opens its eyes.

“The time has come! The time to take revenge upon the one who caused my suffering! Fufufu! Hahaha!”

Omg, you have no idea how awful that day was. That day… the day I went into the Mad Cultist’s church was like hell.

No, it was worse.

I’ve been in hell – not literally because it was inside the game, but I’ll count it anyway – and it was like a walk in your neighborhood park compared to dealing with those lunatics for a whole afternoon.

Their glistening eyes filled with madness. The outrageous passion for their so-called religion. Their obsession with my persona and copying everything I did…

Every time I recall it, it gives me the shivers.

Maybe somebody else would have enjoyed so much dedication to themselves, but I don’t. It was as if I were their god!

The trauma I got was so bad that I had to stay at home the following days, missing Monday’s classes. And it didn’t have anything to do with me wanting to skip class, I swear.

Well, you got me. Maybe a little. But I’m digressing.

The monster stands up. It stays immobile in front of me with a blank stare.

Why do all monsters look so stupid when doing nothing? I can’t understand. I know this one is quite intelligent because I’ve personally modified its AI to suit my needs, but it looks as stupid as a Stitched when standing like this.

I snap out of my thoughts and cackle maniacally.

“Fufufu! Hahaha! This is it! Now, everything’s ready for my revenge! I’ll bring you the worst experience you can imagine. Specially designed for you, my dear invader. You, who’s always showing off how strong you are. You, who proclaimed yourself the ‘The Mad Rat’s Lab all-knowing expert’. You, who weren’t there the ONE SINGLE TIME I NEEDED YOU!”

I’m sure we all know who I’m talking about, right? It’s that damned orc player.

If only he had come to my dungeon that day, I wouldn’t have had to suffer that much. It isn’t a sure fact, but I believe he could have beaten the Mad Cultists.

“Damn you, fucking orc player! I’ll make you as miserable as I! Fufufu! Hahaha!”

This is why I’m here right now, enjoying the birth of my newest creation. In fact, it’s the birth of my two newest creations, it’s just that since I only had one table to create them, the other one was created a long time ago.

Look, it’s standing there, staring at the wall with glazed eyes.

“Just you wait! My revenge will be LEGENDARY! Nothing will stand in the way of my beautiful, sweet revenge! And I repeat: NOTHING! Fufufu! Hahaha!”

*Piriring!* *Piriring!*

“Ah, yeah. I almost forgot…”

I was too busy planning my revenge, so I was ignoring the game notifications that have been ringing for a while. I open the game menu and see there are several messages from my dear little sister.

“What’s wrong with her…? ‘The dinner is ready’. ‘What are you doing that you aren’t coming?’ ‘If you don’t come right now, mom will get angry’. ‘Mom says that if you don’t come in five minutes she will cut your internet connection…’ Wait, what!? My internet connection!?”

I quickly check the timestamp of that message. It was four minutes ago.

“Shit, my whole vengeance plan is on the line!”

I start pulling at my hair with one hand while I open the dungeon menu to search for the logout button with the other.

“Tuesdays are when the orc player comes to my dungeon! If I waste this chance, I’ll have to wait until the next week! Who knows if I’ll be as angry as I am right now? I might not enjoy the vengeance as much as I would today!”

It’s been a while since the orc started coming weekly on Tuesdays. I don’t know if there’s a meaning behind it or not, but thanks to it, it’s easy to predict his actions.

Come on, game. Take me out of here. Quickly.

I know. I know what I said, but… huh, well… my revenge plans will have to wait a little longer.

 

---

 

“Aw, man, that was too close…”

When I got to the dining room, everybody was seated and waiting for me. My mother reprimanded me while Marta sent me a gleeful smile. She was hoping for me to be late and get punished.

I thought she might have put some trap on the way to make me waste time, but she didn’t. If mom got angry at both because of it, she might have been included in the internet ban too.

I’m sure it isn’t that she didn’t want to but that she didn’t dare to.

Anyway! All’s well that ends well. I’ll put an alarm next time.

“So… where was I?”

Ah, yes. Revenge. My revenge plans.

For starters, I put my two new monsters side by side. They’re strong, but they aren’t boss-level strong. Though coming from three units each makes them a force to reckon with.

Yes, you’re right.

They’re two Amalgalms, the humanoid units that use three other humanoids and get their innate skills. I won’t go into much detail now because you’ll soon see them in action, but there’s something I must tell you now.

Roleplay-wise, there’s been a thing that has been missing since the creation of my dungeon.

The Mad Rat’s Lab is a secret laboratory inside a cave system, that’s filled with monsters – monsters in the truest of senses, not as in ‘game enemies you must defeat’. The laboratory is owned by the Mad Rat, the mad scientist who fills it with its crazy experiments. So far it includes a few areas with some monsters and mushrooms, the rabbit zone, and then a few laboratory rooms.

All this is fine, but can you see what’s missing? Something indispensable. Something every secret laboratory must have both in fantasy and in real life.

Can you guess it? No? Then I’ll tell you right now.

What every secret laboratory must have is security. Security to prevent intruders from getting the stuff and data from inside… or to prevent the stuff inside from getting out. In my case both apply, but doubly so for the latter.

The two monsters I just created will be the first two members of the security squad. I like to call them The Hunters because they’ll hunt the players throughout the whole dungeon.

I haven’t decided how they will act in the future yet.

Maybe they’ll roam the dungeon randomly and chase the invaders after they see the first signs of defeated monsters. Maybe they’ll stand guard somewhere and start roaming the dungeon after an alarm detects the players. Who knows.

For now, I’ve only settled on two things.

The first is that they’ll be allowed anywhere inside the dungeon. Unlike every other single monster and boss, The Hunters can, and will, appear anywhere except for right next to the dungeon portal. So anywhere inside the actual dungeon.

Surprise ambush with the Goblimps? Check.

Playtime with some rabbits? Check.

In the middle of nowhere? Check.

When running away from The Tunnel’s Nightmare? Check.

In the middle of a boss fight? Hell, yes! Check!

The second is that they’ll give one hell of an awful experience to that damn traitor orc player today. And if I’m sure of one of the two, it’s the second.

They’re also perfect for the orc player.

He’s always complaining about how sneaky and gimmicky most of my monsters are and about how they don’t fight fair. Well, he won’t have anything to complain about the hunters. He wanted strong opponents, right? Then he can’t complain if he gets crushed by those monsters he wanted.

Since the two hunters are quite strong, I’ve created a new template for each one. This means the two come from different units, and have different skills. Though as I’ve said before, I won’t disclose them yet.

You’ll see them in action soon enough.

“Now there’s just one thing to do, my dear hunters! Let’s wait for our esteemed guest. We must make sure he has an unforgettable experience! Fufufu! Hahaha!”

The hunters follow after me as I walk to the secret room with the multiple screens. I sit on the comfy chair and start patting the Octocat.

By the way, it isn’t a coincidence I always have an Octocat near the chair. The Octocat is always here. It’s so I can copy the typical villain who observes the poor, innocent fools through the screen while laughing maniacally.

“Come on, orc player… I know you’re coming, so don’t make me wait for too long…”

I open the dungeon menu and go to the list of current invasions. Here, I soon hope to find the nickname ImAnOrc. When it pops up, it’ll mean the orc player came to my dungeon for one of his usual dungeon training seasons.

He usually comes to overcome his previous failures and create new ones. New failures, I mean. Then, he updates his little dungeon guide for the players who want to invade my dungeon.

“...I have an amazing present for you… Fufufu! Hahaha!”

The laughing shadow created by the screen’s light is projected on the other side. Don’t you think this setup is amazing? I’ll never get tired of this.

 

---

 

“Is this everything you got? Such a weakling! Huh, huh, huh!” I step on the Lab Assistant’s corpse as I flex my amazing muscles.

To think I struggled against this monster the first time I fought against it. It’s a stain on my orc pride, but it also proves my growth.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve come to this dungeon since the first time. I’ve reached the end a few times, but it isn’t enough. I can still grow stronger! I’ll train here until I’m able to crush everything in my way, like in all the other dungeons out there close to my level!

And then, I’ll recover my lost orc pride and show off to every player who ever came to this damned dungeon! Huh, huh, huh!

“I can feel it. Today, something great is going to happen.”

My muscles have been twitching nonstop since I took the first step into the cave. They’re telling me something. It must be today’s the day I clear this dungeon one more time, but this time, after defeating all the enemies inside.

Yes, it must be it.

But I don’t know why, I have this feeling of being observed. It started in the tunnel area. I feel someone looking at me, but every time I turn around, there’s nothing. How weird. Does it have to do with my muscles twitching?

“Let’s go, brothers!” I smack my chest. I then turn to my goblins and orcs and point at the door in front of us. “It’s time to crush some weakling’s skulls! Huh, huh, huh!”

I proudly walk to the door and pull the lever, revealing the scenery on the other side of the door. The usual laboratory meets me. But there’s no trace of the other Lab Assistant or those humanoid slimes that are always running around.

“Another change? Uh… I hate new stuff…” I scratch my head. “Is this what my muscles were warning me from…?”

The number one thing you need to worry about when inside this damn dungeon is unexpected, new or unknown stuff. Like new monsters, traps, or areas. Or changes in their behaviors and skills.

“This is bad…” I take a step back. Should I retreat? “No, I can’t surrender! I must go on until the end! For my orc pride! For all the players who rely on my guide!”

I stomp into the room, followed by my support mobs. Then the door closes behind me. This shouldn’t happen. It never happened before.

Silence ensues.

As I wait for what will happen, I feel a shiver run down my spine. Then, from everywhere and nowhere in particular at the same time, I hear someone laughing.

“Fufufu! Hahaha!”

“This laughter…!”

There’s only one player who can make me shiver like this with its laughter. This must mean he’s here.

“No, nonononono! Anything but this!”

The door that never opens until you kill the four running weaklings opens and a figure comes inside. There are two more that come after him, but my eyes are automatically drawn to the laughing man-rat.

“Fufufu! Hahaha! Welcome! Welcome to The Mad Rat’s Lab, my dear friend!” He opens his clawed arms wide. “I was waiting for you. I’ve prepared a huge surprise, you know? What do you say? Do you want to have some fun with me? Fufufu! Hahaha!”

I want to take back my words. The ABSOLUTELY WORST THING in this DAMNED DUNGEON isn’t to find something new. It’s when the EVIL MASTERMIND HIMSELF comes to greet you when bringing one of his newest creations.

It means the monsters you’re going to face are completely new.

It means you’re going to be a test subject for his evil, completely unpredictable plans.

It means you’re going to suffer… and then die.

“Noooooo! My muscles, you betrayed me once again!”

 

This day marked the beginning of the end. The end of relying on sheer luck to clear The Mad Rat’s Lab. After The Hunters were introduced into the dungeon, luck wasn’t enough to clear the dungeon as, sooner or later, the invaders would have to fight against them. They might be lucky to find them when there were no more monsters around, but this wouldn’t help those players if they weren’t strong enough.