FINAL CORE - Chapter 26 (Patreon)

What must life be like inside of a dungeon that finds itself in peaceful solitude?

I suppose it depends on your perspective.

From the perspective of the creatures which live inside of a dungeon, one might assume that they simply view this as a very mundane existence. In essence, it is likely to be the same as any person would feel, when alone in their family home.

However, the more popular dungeons of the world have thousands of unwelcome guests inside of them, consecutively, at all times. One must wonder, do the dungeons simply become accustomed to this being their way of life?

It would be as if the side walls of your home, from the prior example, were torn wide open and a busy shopping street was established to run straight through its midst.

Would you eventually adjust and adapt to the situation being what it is? Perhaps.

Although in all likelihood, you would still long for the days when your home was your own.

The monsters on the lowest floors of any popular dungeon will die essentially daily, by the hundreds, only to have been ‘respawned’, that is, reborn, replaced or reset, shortly thereafter.

— Are these the same monsters as before?

Or are these entirely new monsters with the same shape, mind and presence as their predecessors?

We simply can not say, as most monsters are simply non-communicative in any substantial way.

And so, we must ask, what is it exactly that a monster inside of a dungeon does all day?

Does it leisure around, enjoying the quiet? Do they stroll and read and play and dance, as some creatures, as goblins, would also do in the wild?

Or are they simply static entities, stuck in place like any other statue or trap, waiting to be triggered?

The field of dungeon-science is still very new and there is much left for us to learn. Adventurers have long since experienced how it is that dungeons work, but now it is up to us as researchers to understand how dungeons work.

~Transcript of professor Danube’s lecture on the magical sciences of dungeons

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{Cursed}(Unique)[Witch’s Sun-Dial]

A sun-dial is a time-telling device.

When placed in direct sunlight, the needle affixed to it will cast a shadow towards the current time of day.

‘Made by Witch Perchta’

Effect: When activated, freezes time in an area of 1x1x1m, originating out from the needle of the dial.

Cursed: The activated effect is canceled, if sunlight touches the dial.

Weight: 3.73kg

Value: ???

Isaiah stares at the gift in surprise.

This is not what it had expected from the witch. It was expecting Rorate to come back with a bunch of odd trinkets and talismans, or maybe the recipe for that hallucinogenic mushroom-brew. They could really use that here.

But this…

“I hope it’s not weird,” says Rorate, nervously. Isaiah looks towards her. “It was Red’s idea, actually.” She rubs her head. “…I wasn’t sure if you’d be offended.”

Isaiah looks at the woman and then back down towards the sun-dial.

— The ability to freeze time.

It’s almost absurd. What kind of power is this? Magical trinkets and tokens are one thing, but this is on a higher level. This is something almost cosmic.

…Is a witch a god?

Can a witch turn it back into a bird? Maybe it doesn’t even need to go up to the gods, if she can make things like this, then… couldn’t she also…

“- Thank you, Rorate,” says Isaiah. “I appreciate this a lot.”

Rorate sighs in relief, holding a hand against her chest as she exhales her tension. “I’m really glad,” she says. “I’ll go get the other anqas and take them to the city then, to trade for some alchemy glassware.”

Isaiah nods. “Rest first, Rorate,” it says. “And tread lightly. We have intruders in the tower.”

Rorate nods back. “I’ll be back soon.”

“I hope so,” says Isaiah, returning its gaze to the sun-dial.

This has… solved everything.

Sort of.

Well, not really.

With this, it has the potential to freeze its old mate, nest and eggs in time. Whatever that actually means. This is exactly the respite that it needed. With this… it can actually make it.

Isaiah was starting to give up hope.

Rorate and Red are both such useful creatures.

— This thought makes Isaiah pause for a time, as some old human instinct conflicts with its animal drive. ‘Creatures’? Is that all they are? Workers? Entities it shares a place with? Or are they, what Isaiah recalls from its human life as being dubbed ‘friends’?

Isaiah blinks, looking around the room.

Does it have friends?

It realizes that the concept is very alien to itself. Since the uthra arrived, it had treated them as disposable worker ants. Since Rorate arrived, it had treated her as a useful tool that allowed the tower to grow in power.

Perhaps it is time to rethink this way of life?

Floor six - Intruders Remaining: 03

The energy and intent of these efforts are more than what can be expected of simple laborers.

It runs a hand of the stone of the dial.

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“Black,” says Isaiah, hovering down to the graveyard. It looks around the area. It’s really starting to fill up.

“Hey,” says a voice from the side. Isaiah looks, seeing black digging out a new grave. “I think the golem on floor six is getting a new record.”

“It was a lucky combination of elements,” says Isaiah, watching the creature work. “How is the work?”

“Busy,” replies the uthra, wiping its forehead and then dragging over a human body. Isaiah recognizes it as the man who had struck his head against the fountain. “Really weird work for a dungeon, you know?” it asks. “Usually undead just kind of… stand up by themselves again,” explains Black. “Never had to bury them before to make ghosts.”

Isaiah watches as it pulls the man into the hole, covering him up with dirt. Isaiah bends down, grabbing a few fistfuls in two cupped hands and dropping them in as well. It is a pittance in comparison with the amount of dirt that the uthra is moving, but it felt like a nice thing to do.

“Dignity is important,” says Isaiah. It looks to the side, seeing a small dice, lying on the grass. It picks it up and then sets it onto the headstone. “We are not monsters.”

“I guess it’s relative,” replies Black. “Didn’t see anyone burying the dead monsters in my last dungeon,” it says. “The humans don’t care. Back in the Emerald-Heart, they just straight up squished a bunch of us,” says Black. “Right against the walls,” it explains, pressing a finger against a headstone.

“Were you with Red?” asks Isaiah.

Black nods. “Sure, a bunch of us were there at the Emerald. Red, me, Crystal. Pretty funky place. Really rare spawning zone,” it explains, looking around and then up towards the tower. An instant later, the level two uthra causes the next corpse to appear right next to itself, with its new resource teleportation ability.

The crushed human body, having been flattened by a giant, stone fist, grotesquely falls down on to the grass in a mangled heap.

“— The humans caught wind and they axed her off.”

Isaiah tilts its head. “’Her’?”

“The dungeon-core there,” explains Black, starting to bury the next body. “Emerald. Kinda weird, but not a bad one. I’ve seen worse,” it says. “Just born at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Black unceremoniously throws the corpse into the hole, dusting it hands. “That’s life though.”

Isaiah looks around at the graveyard that has gotten surprisingly large in a short amount of time.

“I suppose it is.”

“Anyway,” says Black. “It’s been pretty fun. But I’m not optimistic about your chances, honestly. Do me a favor and don’t send us in to die when you’re scrambling to stay alive.”

Isaiah looks at the uthra. “Why is that?”

“Because an inspection team going missing is just bad news. The second team will be here soon and when they see the state of things and piece together why the first one is missing…” It shakes its head. “A destruction-team isn’t just some random troop of nobodies like these guys,” says Black, summoning in another corpse from the intruding party. “These are professionals, high-leveled like you wouldn’t believe,” it explains, starting to bury the next person. “I’ve seen them. The Emerald-Heart’s schtick was that she exclusively used defensive and warding magic. Never saw anything like it,” says Black. “It was so strong that it even made it hard for us to move around,” explains the uthra. “But they just walked through it like it wasn’t even there.”

Isaiah nods, looking back up towards the tower.

As long as it is down here, the tower is weaker. It is likely sub-optimal for it to be down here. It should return to the roost, especially during highly defensive situations.

Floor seven - Intruders Remaining: 00

[The incursion is over!]

• Killed Intruders: 03
• Fled Intruders: 03
• Dungeon Casualties: 21
• Average Level: 17
• Difficulty: Deadly

+300 EXPERIENCE POINTS.

EXP: 397/750

Black sighs and looks at the ground.

Several more corpses appear, as does a new wisp.

It appears that the human incursion has failed and the survivors have fled for now.

Isaiah gazes towards the tower, watching as the giant bell strikes noon, ringing out all over the landscape.

Red water runs down the facade of the structure.

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[New Area Added]

Floor {19} - Challenge Room

The nineteenth floor of the tower dungeon. It is currently empty.

Capacity: 

• {40} Monster-Points
• 2 TRAPS

(The next sub-boss/challenge room will be available in {06} floors!)

(The next boss arena will be available in {01} floors.)

Isaiah stands on floor eleven, lifting its head towards the ceiling. The uthra are so fast at their work now that it can hardly keep up with the design of the floors. Not that anyone has gotten this far just yet. Floor seven appears to be the new record. But still, it’s only a matter of time now.

Floors one to ten were themed with holy water, before capping off with the boss.

Now, perhaps floors eleven to nineteen, being a new ‘segment’ could be somewhat different?

If they used water before, then why not another element now? Holy fire? Or maybe they can play into the holiness of nature? Something like divine spirits?

Hmm…

+*________________________________________________*+

Poll for this up in a minute