I felt groggy—very groggy—but it wasn’t the kind of grogginess one would commonly be familiar with. It was different; that much I could tell. Yet, despite its strangeness, the sensation felt oddly familiar to me, like walking down a hallway in your own home—a feeling you wouldn’t know how to describe, but you’d recognize it instantly.
I fought down that feeling, but it was a struggle to keep my eyes open. Through the blurry veil, my gaze darted around, trying to make sense of where I was, why my vision was so impaired, and who it was that was holding me. I had no answers to these basic questions—a situation that would typically be unsettling. But instead, I found myself calm, as if I innately knew there was nothing to fear.
As I strained to understand, I heard a voice. No, it wasn’t a voice in the conventional sense—it didn’t come as sound. Instead, it came as a message, read directly by my mind. And this voice didn’t surprise me. Hearing it didn’t feel foreign; it was my voice—Arianna’s voice. But as I listened to the words spoken by that voice, I understood something.
This is wrong. This couldn’t be my voice. For as the voice said, I was no longer Arianna. Today, Queen Arianna of the Talulah Dynasty was dead. And I, as the voice declared, was born anew.
In an instant, the memories flooded back to me. As they did, clarity settled in my vision, allowing me to see who was holding me. It was a silver-haired elven girl—none other than Dungeon Master 06—whose red, watery eyes stared down at me. Standing beside her were two more of my fellow Dungeon Masters—Dungeon Master 07 and Dungeon Master 11.
"Can you..." Goblin asked, his fingers trembling as he held onto me. "Ma’am, can you hear me? Can I even still call you that? This feels wrong, seeing you like this," he lamented, clearly overwhelmed. This prompted Lucius to lean in and take me into his arms instead.
At that moment, the voice once again echoed in my head. It was still that of Arianna, even though I realized it shouldn’t be anymore.
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Echo-32: Then you may call her by her new name, Dungeon Master 06.
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"New name..." Goblin echoed.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
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Echo-32: Yes. She wanted me to name her, and I shall... She will be known to the world as Theta.
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Upon hearing that name, it all seemed to fall into place. A newfound clarity engulfed me. That’s right. I’m not Arianna anymore. Even though my mind—the voice of my consciousness—still whispered otherwise, I knew the truth. I, Dungeon Master 08, am now Theta.
***
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[Theta’s Interface]
Name: Theta
Level: ???
Race: Elf
Class: N/A
Title: Sigil Wielder
Experience: 0 / 450
[Status]
- H.P: 2 / 2
- M.P: 4 / 4
- S.P: 1 / 1
- Fatigue Percentage: 26%
- Defense: N/A
- Offense: N/A
[Attributes]
Vitality: 1
Resilience: 1
Agility: 1
Affinity: 1
Perception: 1
Mysticism: 1
[Affiliation]
Ancestral Tree: Obsidial Tree
Family: ???
[Affinity]
Affinity Points Attributable: 3
- Elemental Affinity:
- Darkness: Available [Ancestral Manifested]
- Artistic Affinity:
None
- Arcane Affinity:
Conjuration: [Ancestral Manifested]
- Nature Affinity:
None
- Spiritual Affinity:
Summoning: Available [Ancestral Manifested]
Necromancy: Available [Invest Affinity Points]
Shadowmancy: Available [Ancestral Manifested]
[Skills]
Memorial Magic: Levl
Minor Necrosis: Level 1
Spirit Sense: Level 1
Life Tap: Level 1
Innate Necromancy: Level 1
[Ability]
Elven Lore: Unlocked
Undeath’s Whisper: Unlocked
Necromancer Boon: Unlocked
Spawn: Unlocked
---