New floor(1)

Talk - " "

Think + abilities/passives names - [ ]

System - ( )

Author thought - [[ ]]

Action - * *

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"This is our new home?" Dhu exclaimed, his voice trembling with discomfort as he shivered in the cold. Fortunately, Alex was able to manipulate his fire mana inside his body, generating warmth within his own body. With some ease, he channeled the flames within him, transforming himself into a portable heater to provide much-needed warmth for both Kali and Dhu amidst the chilly environment.

Well, Kali had thick clothes and was wrapped up in a blanket by Alex when they entered the second floor. Dhu can only bury himself into Alex's fur to stay warm.

"Mmh, don't worry Dhu. I just wanted to check something real quick, let's head back upstairs. That'll be where our new home is." After making sure that his dungeon mobs have returned back to the second floor safe and sound. Alex brought both children back to the first floor.

"What? The first floor sucks. It's too dark to see anything and it's just a normal ca..." Dhu was about to finish complaining about why the first floor sucked ass, only to swallow his words as he felt the sun's warmth shining brightly down on him. 

That's right, Alex used his new dungeon template and replaced the old, small, boring, and smelly cave into a massive bogland that spread as far as his eyes could see. 

The thing about this bogland, that set it apart from what Alex was familiar with, was the presence of new species and hazards that had been introduced to the environment. Unlike the boglands of Earth, this one had more unique and unforeseen dangers.

What truly excited Alex was the discovery of an 'intelligent' species inhabiting the bogland: the lizardmen. These creatures possessed intelligence comparable to that of an average adult human and exhibited remarkable diversity in both form and function. Some lizardmen were clearly more powerful, as they had impressive physical strength, while others demonstrated intellect surpassing that of the typical person. 

Even though the lizardmen are intelligent, they lack formal knowledge and education. Most of them can barely read, write, or perform simple math. Without a teacher to guide them, they struggle to fully unlock their intellectual potential.

However, those who are proficient in reading, writing, and basic arithmetic are often considered the smartest among them. These individuals typically hold important roles within their society, such as shamans, certain craftsmen, and herbalists, where their skills are essential. Still, Alex plans to change that with the help of Ethan and maybe Akitaru in the future.

Now, some of the lizardmen exhibited traits from species both familiar and unfamiliar to Alex, yet they predominantly retained their reptilian characteristics. Despite the diversity among them, with at least three distinct types of lizardmen, they all coexisted within the forested regions of the bogland. Their homes were mostly constructed from wood and mud. However, some lived in treehouses high above the ground, while others chose to dwell in subterranean abodes.

The most distinct types of lizardmen, or "reptile men," though Alex preferred the term lizardmen as it rolled off the tongue better, were those resembling crocodiles, snakes, and traditional lizards. While there were other variations, the majority fell into one of these three categories. The crocodile-like lizardmen were robust and powerful, the snake-like ones were more agile and stealthy, and the lizard-like individuals exhibited a range of traits in between. Despite their differences, they all shared common reptilian features.

The more crocodile-like lizardmen were notably buff and tall, exhibiting a range of dark green, dark blue, and brown hues. The males, in particular, were impressively muscular, averaging around 6'5" (2 meters) in height. Their tough scales covered their bodies from head to tail, providing formidable protection. These scales also appeared on parts of their arms and legs, although their undersides were scaleless and surprisingly smooth, while their hands and feet were webbed. Their heads bore a striking resemblance to that of a crocodile.

The female croc lizardmen, while slightly shorter than the males, still stood at an impressive average height of 6 feet (1.8 meters). They shared similar coloration with the males, ranging from dark green to dark blue and brown. Although they were a bit more slender, they retained a muscular build compared to other lizardmen. The primary distinction lay in their clearly defined female body types, but aside from these differences, they were nearly identical to their male counterparts in terms of physical attributes but had a big difference in terms of strength. The croc lizardmen were clearly the warriors.

Of course, there were exceptions to these general categories. Alex encountered a particularly striking example: a female crocodile-like Lizardfolk, who stood at an impressive 7 feet tall (2.13 meters). Despite her towering height and great strength, she maintained a surprisingly slender build. 

Now for the snake-like lizardmen. Their coloration was incredibly diverse, spanning hues such as blue, black, green, white, red, yellow, and many others. The average height for males was around 5'6" (1.67 meters), while females stood at approximately 5'10" (1.77 meters). Both genders were notably slender, but the most striking difference between them and their lizard and crocodile counterparts was the absence of legs. Instead, more than half of their bodies extended into a snake-like tail, giving them a unique and serpentine appearance.

Their backs were covered in scales that extended to their hands, and their snake-like heads were similarly shielded. While their entire bodies were scaled, the scales were thinner on their undersides, providing a subtle contrast in texture. However, a unique trait of the snake-like lizardmen was their potent venom, which they could inject into their targets. The composition and effects of their venom varied depending on the specific snake species they resembled, making each individual's venom distinct. Something that Alex plans to gather.

So if a person is lucky, they can get a quick and painless death, and if someone is very unlucky, they can slowly bleed out of every hole they have in their body and pray that something else kills them faster.

Now for the actual lizard... lizardmen, the males average 5'8" (1.72 meters) while the females were surprisingly at 5'3" (1.6 meters). With most of their body covered in scales, they were the most humanoid-looking species in Alex's dungeon. Of course, their heads were actual lizard heads but other than that, there wasn't much of a difference between them and humans.

These were the individuals Alex, Kali, and Dhu encountered as they strolled through the lizardman village of Itza. However, as Alex walked around, observing the villagers, he noticed that everyone he passed, regardless of age or gender, would bow their heads in respect before continuing with their activities. This gesture of reverence was consistent, showing the high regard in which Alex was held by the community.

Although this made Alex a bit uncomfortable, he chose to ignore the feeling and continued walking toward the center of Itza, where the dungeon floor boss, who also served as the chief of the lizardmen, resided. It didn't take long for him to reach the door of a massive hut, constructed simply from mud and bark.

However, just as Alex was about to knock on the hut's wooden door, it opened before he could. Standing before him was a small, fully cyan blue dino boy, about 4 feet (1.22 meters) tall, with a single red tribal marking on his chest. The boy quickly bowed and nervously said,

"Greetings, master. My mother... is preparing a feast for us..." The boy quickly stood straight back up and looked up to Alex. "My fath..." 

A massive white-clawed hand reached around the boy's head and 'gently' lifted him up while tossing him aside 'carefully'. 

Standing at the same size and build as Alex, yet towering at around 10 feet (3 meters), the dungeon boss of this floor was an imposing figure. His body was fully white with red streaks, adorned with occasional black spikes and tough scales that covered him from head to toe, and had traits of dinosaurs. As Alex entered, the massive figure went down on his knees and bowed, placing his head on the floor in a gesture of deep respect and submission.

"Master, my name is Orlu, and I want to thank you for saving my people and allowing us to live in this new prosperous land. Your wish is my command, and I shall protect your home as long as I live! I shall devour and cut down any foe that dares to intrude in your home!" Orlu, the dungeon boss of the first floor, declared earnestly, keeping his head bowed to the floor in a gesture of unwavering loyalty and devotion.

As Orlu kept his head bowed to the floor, Alex took a closer look at his formidable form. Orlu's body resembled that of an Indominus rex, complete with small quills on the back of his head. However, he also displayed traits of a triceratops, particularly on his head. He had a large crest with two prominent horns, and a smaller horn tipped his nose.

[[ Search up Gor-Rok from (Total War: Warhammer), I based Orlu on him ]]

"Stand, you don't need to bow whenever you see me. Here, you can just call me Alex instead of Master" Alex said, extending his hand toward Orlu. Though his head was a skull and couldn't form a traditional smile, he opened his mouth slightly in a friendly gesture, whatever that meant.

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Thanks for reading, the next chapter may either be focused on our new floor or a check-up on our summons. 

Comment on any mistakes or changes I should make.