《Waking Dungeon Name Pending》 Waking up .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. ??? ??? .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. It began with a pinprick. An awareness that burned like a bright lantern. Though this alone was not enough to wake it from the pleasant dreams it found itself in. No, it was much more. Searing pain that shot through its entrance and shook the core awake. The cavern trembled as its dormant senses exerted themselves sending more pain from the state of disrepair it left itself in. Most importantly, the tidal wave that was its damaged core. Surrounded by remains of its monsters and enemies alike, their bones long turned to dust through the passage of time. Cracks ran through its once pristine core, pieces craved out of its body, the fragments still scattered on the core room''s floor. A hundred floors it was reduced to but it was all worth it. It was still alive. Now gnats were at its doorsteps again craving up its insides like they own the place. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Anger flooded the damaged core. Never again. NEVER again. NEVER AGAIN. NEVER AGAIN. More pain as the cracks grew, but it''ll live, anything is worth it to make sure the gnats don''t live to tell the tale. Mana flooded its caverns as it collapsed its entrance, it could always make another. More pain but their screams numbed it, perhaps even delighted it if it was in a better state. Their wills pinned and slowly being crushed under their own, their minds and souls bent and stretched to near their breaking point as their own flesh bubbled and threatened to consume them. "ENOUGH." The core shook slightly, the voice of the mother. A forgotten memory presented itself. Ah yes, a taboo it has almost broken and one it cannot risk breaking if it wanted to live. It retreated its aura, the gnats unconscious but not quite dead. Drowsiness hit it once more. Perhaps it should sleep more. Anger reared its head once more. No. They must pay. But its body refused. It is far too damaged to be abused like it was in its prime. It has lost much. Too much. Its floors, its magic, most of its core, templates, and most importantly, its monsters. Defenseless. But it is still alive. And for now, it must rest, or risk dying form a injury it barely survived. The gnats will escape, but it matters not. Because all that cross it shall be dead anyways. It mattered not if it was a group of individuals or a entire civilization. It is so before and it shall be so now. To ash and dust. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The twentieth cycle of the fifth gift. Second day of the twelfth segment. Pirate ship Dedede .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Waddles was an ordinary man with ordinary powers, seeking to be a pirate for not only better pay and freedom from imperial laws, but for adventures as well. Well, he got one and a half of those things, the choice closed some doors while opening others. As the novelty of the situation faded, all he was left with was just the bland and bitter taste of ash and dust. Being an ordinary man, caught in extraordinary circumstances, he must do the unbelievably stupid if he wished to thrive, no, not even that, surivive. Yes, that''s it. This is what he must do if he wishes to live the life he wants. ¡°Are you done yet?¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing, boy?¡± Waddles snapped his head around, swiveling almost a hundred and eighty degrees. ¡°What did you think mana artificing was? I wiggle my fingers a bit and smash my hammer and boom! Magic!¡± Org scratched the back of his head in confusion ¡°Uh¡­ yes? Me dunno. Me just here because da boss told me to tell you to hurry up.¡± ¡°Well, tell her that I am doing my best!¡± Waddles said with spiteful emphasis on ¡®doing my best¡¯ part. He would much rather his artifact constructs NOT explode in the middle of their operation, or even worse, stop working during a critical moment. At least the former could be used as a bomb that takes him out, safe form whatever horrors the enemy is going to inflict on him. ¡°Me dunno magic man, da boss seems really mad.¡± ¡°If the boss is so insistent, then tell to do it herself!¡± Slamming his fist into the table, he heard something click. Looking at each other, both Org and Waddle had one thought in mind. ¡°Well, Shiiiiii-¡° A small boom can be heard on the ship, followed by smoke as Waddles and Org ran out the workshop and closed the door, coughing. ¡°Oh. Hi Boss!¡± Org waved his hand enthusiastically. Wait. Boss? Waddles¡¯s face paled, raising his head, he put on his best attempt at a friendly innocent smile. ¡°Heya boss. I didn¡¯t see you there.¡± ¡°Pretty brave of you back there, would you like to repeat what you said in there for me?¡± Bullets came off him as his heart sank. ¡°Uhh.. What do you want, do you mean? I didn¡¯t say anything. Right Org?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The boss tilted her head, turning it towards the gorilla of a man. Waddles followed, slightly shaking his head as he did so while the Boss stared at him with the might of a million suns. Org being the obvious brick he is, responded. ¡°Said what?¡± The boss rolled her eyes. ¡°Get up there, the captain is calling,¡± her steps echoing in her wake. Waddles had a filling he is going to get a tongue lashing when she gets around to it. ¡°Come on, boy. Let''s go see the captain.¡± ¡°But me thook you weren''t dun.¡± ¡°No point now, it¡¯s all ash and dust. Might as well get it over with.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sometimes Waddles wondered how they were both students of mana, but at last, mana is a physical art, and demands naught of the user¡¯s intellect, only their ability to channel it. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Second day of awakening ???? .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The gnats didn¡¯t learn, in fact it seems they have replaced their brains with vapour, encroaching deeper into its territory. If the core hadn¡¯t been blinded by anger, it would have realized the gnats had no choice, seeing the only way out they knew of is blocked, collapsed by a presumed ascendent. Its earlier display of power had broken the engine of the ship they arrived in as well as the various mana artifacts they used for daily operations. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Its hostile mana prevented the majority of the repair their sole artificer attempted. Some of the constructs even blew up in their face, leaving only ash and dust. What to do. What to do. What¡¯s left of its domain was naught but ash and dust, but there was not much it could do. Not with its damaged core and memories. But a day is more than enough for it to remember how to claim a creature for its own. The first floor repopulated with a random assortment of mutated anemones, corals, starfish, crabs, urchins, and other creatures that lived in the nearby reef and tidal pools. The more sessile creatures were used as traps or decoration in the knee high water. Others such as the crabs, lobsters, octopus were used as its guardians. Mutated into true monsters. All given sapience, even if it couldn¡¯t truly afford to do so, nor does it have any readily accessible memory to give them to capitalize on their intelligence but old habits die hard. The new monsters, barely given a day to get used to their new forms and sapience, were crushed gnats when they met. How dare they. It wasn¡¯t even finished fixing up its floors. Malevolent intent flooded into the Caverns once more. But the pirates weren''t deterred, instead they pressed on. Afterall, trapped with no way out, choice was not a luxury they could afford. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The twentieth cycle of the fifth gift. Third day of the twelfth segment. Unknown Cavern of an unknown Ascended. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. High level monsters. Great. More signs of a high level ascended, though Waddles couldn¡¯t help but feel something off about the cavern¡¯s arrangement. As well as the nature of the monsters they were putting down. Dungeonsque. Traps and decoration that fit the tastes of an ancient dungeon more than it did any individual of the sapients. Of course, Waddles himself only knew of the current iteration of ¡®humanity¡¯. Another scream as another giant lobster was put down. It¡¯s beady eyes staring at him, as if it was asking why, almost as if it was sapient. Waddles shuddered, it can¡¯t be a dungeon, the contents didn¡¯t match. No dungeons would let their interior be so¡­ disorderly and runned down. Still, there was an eerie sense of organization. Suddenly their captain stopped, putting their hands up without speaking. Waddles read his hand as they moved through the signs. Quiet. Settlement. Ahead. City? There was a settlement here? Waddles moved closer, peeking over the Captain¡¯s shoulder. Walls, windows, doors, roads. It wasn¡¯t just a settlement. It was a goddamn city. Buildings so tall they once scraped the skies. Cracked and broken roads so wide, that Waddles couldn¡¯t imagine the tariffic that once flowed through it. How many people did they have traveling through here? Why are there metal cages everywhere? Wouldn¡¯t they just get in the way of the people walking down it? It seems that they also had¡­wheels? Then where does a horse slot in? Or are they all powered by artifacts? Waddle¡¯s head hurt just attempting to ponder the logistics and terrible city design. No, it can¡¯t be, surely a civilization of such achievement couldn¡¯t be this stupid right? Surely such an enlightened civilization would be above the bullshit politics that plague the Imperial right? Waddles shook his head of such delusions. Of course not, how could they? They were an enlightened civilization in iterations before them. They must have had a reason beyond his comprehension. As they made their way through the ruined ¡®settlement¡¯, incomprehensible city design aside, it''s hard to not be impressed by the marvels of engineering they have achieved, all done with minimal, even no mana materials at all. How? Waddles could feel his education as an archeologist itching at the thought of exploring the ruins, oh, the secrets it must hold, at last, he chose the life of a pirate, to free himself from Imperial restrictions, only to find he can hardly find time for his passion. At least the pay is good even if it is inconsistent. Crack! Another giant lobster fell to Org¡¯s fists. ¡°Wooooohooooo! Org feels good!¡± The Captain smacked the giant and slammed a finger to his lips. Quiet. ¡°Oh. -Org crouched, lowering his head and whispered- Sorry.¡± Captain only smacked his forehead and waved Org away. Go. ¡°O¡ª¡° Waddles silently sighed, covered Org¡¯s mouth, and signed back. Okay. Okay. With emphasis. Waddles can feel his hand vibrate as Org finally figured out what he did wrong and signed as well. Okay. It was going to be a long day. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Fifth day of awakening ???? .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The core crackled, it was its finest work yet. At least what it thinks is the finest work. It had finally remembered how to fuse creatures together. Granted, the first few attempts ended up as misshapen meatballs crying for their creator to end their miserable existence but those didn¡¯t count. So first try! A mixture of a moth, centipede, and a spider that it found in other areas of the cave systems, their size amplified to monstrous proportions, its shell much harder than steel, legs tapered off into impossibly sharp tips ready to stab anything they got close. A robust core supports the half exotic, half chemical life form, given sapience once again. Though its mana capacity is great, due to its creator¡¯s shoddy memory, it was not imbued with any techniques or skills. The best it can do is blindly infuse its attacks and body with mana. In short, the core was high on the act of creating monsters, each successful addition numbed its pain and replaced it with euphoria. Something it very much welcomed as even attempting to see inside itself was painful for the damaged core. It basked in the feeling as its newest creation wandered around, confused about its purpose and the broken core. ¡°Protect¡± it impressed upon its creation. ¡°Protect what?¡± ¡°Me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Creator.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡­ And another day passed as the gnats got closer. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The twentieth cycle of the fifth gift. Tenth day of the twelfth segment. Unknown Cavern of an unknown Ascended. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. At this point, that was an understatement. Waddles didn¡¯t even know what the hell was chasing after them and he did care to know. As they delved deeper into the cave system, they found various amalgamations littered all over the place. Most were dealt with easily, as their questioning eyes stared back as they fell one by one. What kind of experiments was the ascended conducting down here? Then they stumbled upon the biggest gem they¡¯ve seen and attempted to mine it. What happened next was a haze but now they had this giant amalgamation that looks like what happens when you cross attached moth antennae to a furry tarantula and give it as many legs and segments as a centipede. It¡¯s fuzz was so sharp even Org doesn¡¯t dare to punch it again after the first time. ¡°Argus! Do you see an exit yet?¡± The boss yelled at the captain between her breaths. If. Knew. Why. Here. Still. Can¡¯t. See. Not. There. If I knew, why would I still be here? My ability can¡¯t see what is not there. The boss growled, ¡°Then in the name of the Silver mother, find it already?!?!!!¡± Not. Magic. Eliza. ¡°YOU DID NOT USE MY NAME YOU MUTE CREEPER!¡± So. What. Kill. Me. Eliza. Question. The Boss threw herself at the Captain¡¯s direction, the Captain screaming his silent scream as they tumbled across the cavern floor. Org being the good boy he is, picked them up wordlessly and continued running. Waddles groaned. He was not built for this, but he supposed he finally got the adventure he wanted. ¡°When. I. Get. Back. Remind. Me. To. Get. In. Shape. Boy.¡± Waddles huffed. ¡°Okay.¡± Org said with a deadpan face Wait. See. Exit. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING THEN?!?!! GET US THERE BEFORE WE DIE YOU MUTE DUMBASS!!!!¡± The Captain only showed off his middle finger to the boss followed by her name. ¡°WHY YOU LITTLE.¡± And the fight was rekindled once more. Wiping Brow .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twentieth cycle of the fifth gift Fourteenth day of the twelve segment ??? .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The fire crackled on the shores of the island, as far as the crew could get away from the caverns without drowning themselves in the water. Its beaches made of white sand, tiny glass beads. Though surrounded by water not made of the substance that filled the broken seas, it was all undrinkable, like all water in the broken seas unless surrounded by glass, touched by the sea water outside. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Waddles, -Reina creased her brow- this sounds like a terrible idea.¡± ¡°Of course! Do you think I don¡¯t know that,¡ª oof.¡± Tony extracted his elbow from Waddle¡¯s deflated form. ¡°Stop moving.¡± ¡°Uhhhhh- Doc? Me think da bandages broke again.¡± ¡°Sorry, Doc.¡± Waddles managed to gasp out only to be elbowed again. Tony sighed. ¡°I thought I told BOTH of you to stop moving.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Waddles managed to croak out ¡°But it so hard to move Doc!.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point,Org.¡± ¡°Giant Lobster! Fresh off the fire! Lightly seasoned with salt!¡± ¡°Ramsey, how did you get¡­. Never mind.¡± ¡°Yohohohoho! A piping hot meal! Such a treat!¡± Heh. Heh. Stupid. ¡°Glad someone appreciates my craft.¡± ¡°Shut it, Argus.¡± But. No. Mouth! Ha. Ha. The Captain paused for a moment before continuing. Eliza. ¡°Why! You mute little¡ª!¡± ¡°Brooks! The Boss and the captain are fighting again!¡± ¡°Yohohohoho! It will be my pleasure to break it up, my lady!¡± Brooks dropped his meal and bowed before doing as he said. ¡°No¡­ there¡¯s not enough. Scrap.¡± Franky mumbled to himself. ¡°Here¡¯s the last bottle of cola, Franky. Lobster if you want it.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Franky looked up from his sand doodles. ¡°Thanks Ramsey.¡± ¡°You can thank me by finishing your plate.¡± ¡°Will do, Ramsey. Will do.¡± Tonight they rest, tomorrow they shall see if they still live. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Fifteenth day since awakening ??? .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The core was MAD. Angry at the gnats? Yes, but not MAD. That was a feeling that the core only reserved for itself. A feeling that always was accompanied with soft notes of humiliation. To be nearly done in by a group of measly, stupid gnats with vapour for brains. What else can it feel? It could have done better. And the gnats had the gall to invade its territory again. Eight. The core is sure one of them was the one responsible for the regular disappearance of its children. It¡¯s creation. Behold! Its newest creation! Traps! Rather, it remembered how to create and operate the older traps it used to deploy. Two problems. One, it¡¯s crippled. Two, it lacks understanding. Imagine giving a layman the blueprint of a skyscraper, detailing how to create each of the crucial structures to allow it to stand, but no notes or description on what it is, what it does, and what each component does. You lack the materials and manpower to make the skyscraper but you do have enough to make a small house. Which is what the core has the capacity to and wants to build but it remembers none of the knowledge of how and why. Only the blueprints for traps beyond its current understanding. Even the system, the gift given to all beings the Mother considered living, cannot help the core due to its lack of perception and recognition. Its status is still there, the core is just incapable of accessing it due to the lack of memory of its existence. Even if it did, it can¡¯t use its functions, as again, it¡¯s based on its ability to recognize and perceive the object of its skill¡¯s effect. Essentially, to acquire a skill, one must first, recognize an action as a skill. Then, learn to perceive and quantize its effects, traits, and qualities. In effect, one¡¯s proficiency determines the effect of the strength of one¡¯s skills, not the other way around. So even if one someone somehow obtained a high level skill, they are unable to use it unless they are capable of the feat without system assistance in the first place. It is not as if there is no reason to use the system however, as reliance on system function was not what the mother designed it for. Rather the system is designed for the self-directed growth of her children. All beings that the Mother considers living. Karma and Experience can be earned and monitored, then directed towards the growth of the user¡¯s own design. Regardless of talent, as long as one is willing to stake their lives for the sake of growth, as long as effort is put in regardless of rewards, knowledge shall be given as long as one can recognize and perceive, and one is given the tools to reshape themselves as they wish. The system shall do its best to accommodate without crippling the user. Lacking time, and blind, the core burned a little bit more of itself to build the trap. If the new monsters don¡¯t do themselves in, it would have to burn even its name to activate the trap. It must live. No matter the cost. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twentieth cycle of the fifth gift Twentieth day of the twelve segment Imperial ship, Elfilin. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The broken seas, nobody knows who or what made it this way but it is without a doubt one of the things the inhabitants of Elysium learn to avoid on the world of Dirtwater. Known to be more desolate and boring, save for the worms, than the driest of desert. It took generations of trial and error to make a hull that wouldn¡¯t be eviscerated by the sea, generations more to make one that would also float within its waters, and even more to create a ship that can sail on outside waters as well. And these pirates are claiming they managed to build a ship capable of navigating the broken seas. A ship, mind you, that is the fruit of the Imperial¡¯s best and brightest shipwrights. Morgan groaned. He was seriously considering believing them seeing how they just randomly teleport onto the ship if not for the sheer stupidity that followed. He could even hear the jaws of his crew drop after the¡­ thing that came out of their mouth. ¡°Alright. -Morgan cut them off- Enough of your¡­brain rot. I don¡¯t need it competing with the Imperial bureaucracy.¡± One of the pirates snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, boy? Part of the reason I became a pirate in the first place.¡± ¡°Yohohoho! Quite right. They¡¯re a buzzkill.¡± ¡°Wait, you too, boy?¡± ¡°Yohohoho, quite right! You know what they do to artists, am I right?¡± ¡°Ahhhhhh. I remember.¡± Morgan groaned again. He didn¡¯t expect to agree with these¡­ things of all¡­ things. ¡°Quiet The eight of you are in custody for infiltrating the Imperial fleet¡ª¡± ¡°Eight? There¡¯s nine of us,¡± their navigator said. ¡°Reina, he¡¯s probably just high on Imperial powder.¡± ¡°Ohhh, right, right, right. All on the path of ascension within the Imperial blah blah blah. Carry on.¡± Morgan growled. ¡°Do NOT insult me by likening the medicine of the Imperial to mere drugs.¡± Of all things, Morgan did not expect the look of pity from the doctor. He¡¯s prepared for the usual laughter when he demanded their respect, but not pity. ¡°So you truly believe it, don¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Believe. What?¡± ¡°I see. Words will not convince you.¡± The next thing Morgan knew, everything turned black. Denial. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twentieth cycle of the fifth gift Twenty fifth day of the twelve segment Pirate Bay .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. ¡°Mmmmmm yeah. A little more. Yes, just a little more. Don¡¯t stop¡ª¡° ¡°Boss! Boss!¡± A nameless minion slammed open the door, Jack, their boss, hands quaking as his card tower collapsed. ¡°Nooooooooooo!!!!!! My lady! Come back!¡± His body collapsed onto the table as he swept cards towards him, tears streaming down his face. ¡°Ummm boss? We have a situation here.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Jack pointed to the door. ¡°But boss!¡± ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°GET OUT!¡± ¡°BUT BOSS!¡± The nameless minion suddenly found themselves in the air, back against the wall as Jack¡¯s face approached their ear. His voice as quiet as a feather, Jack spoke, ¡°You better have a good reason for not following my words, nameless minion¡­ what''s your number?¡± ¡°Three¡­Hun¡ª¡° the minion managed to choke out. ¡°Yes! Minion number three.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡° the nameless minion found themselves slammed into the wall again. ¡°Did I ask?¡± ¡°N-n-nooo-Ack!¡± The nameless minion managed to sputter out before Jack tightened his grip. ¡°Twenty words or less. Then I decide whether to kill or not.¡± ¡°Imperial. War. Ship. Sir.¡± The minion felt themselves on the floor gasping for air. ¡°Polyps. -Jack¡¯s hands moving through the clutter on his desk, looking for something- Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier!¡± ¡°I tried. But--¡° ¡°Up up!¡± The nameless minion promptly shut their mouth. ¡°Good¡­ now help me find my coat and hate. We have an Imperial fleet to loot.¡± .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twentieth cycle of the fifth gift Twenty fifth day of the twelve segment Imperial ship, Elfilin .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Shit. Shit. Shit. Whose idea was it to man a thirty man ship with nine people with the rest of the Imperial fleet hot after their tail? Oh right, all of them. To be honest, they have survived through worse but that didn¡¯t mean they had to like it. ¡°Pull!¡± And so Waddles pulled with all his strength. ¡°More!¡± ¡°I¡¯M TRYING BOY! !¡± Waddles yelled back. Brace. For. Impact. ¡°BRACE FOR IMPACT!¡± and the ship shook. ¡°FRANKY! DAMAGE!¡± ¡°Nothing sustainable so far. But the mana concentration seems to be getting low.¡± ¡°WADDLES!¡± ¡°JUST FEED IT SOME AETHER CRYSTALS OR SOMETHING. SHIT.¡± The rope slipped, rather, he lost his footing as the ship shook again and slid around the deck. ¡°WHAT WAS THAT! Reina exclaimed. ¡°I believe that was the Pirate Bay.¡± ¡°I KNOW, YOU SNEAK FOOT COOK! I MEANT WHY?¡± ¡°Boss! A little help here? Girl? Anybody?¡± Look. Ship. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°We¡¯re screwed aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°SHUT UP YOU QUACK DOCTOR!¡± ¡°THIS IS JACK SPARROW, PATRON OF THE PIRATE BAY. STATE YOUR BUSINESS IMPERIAL. Wait a second¡­Argus? What are you and your crew doing on an Imperial warship?¡± Argus pointed toward the Imperial fleet behind them. Lost. Ship. Stole. One. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nevermind that. I don¡¯t care about how, what are you willing to pay?¡± This. Ship. For. Safety. And. Trip. Broken. Seas. ¡°Are you serious?¡± If. Ship. You. Need. We. Build. One. ¡°Wait. Wait. Wait. How did you get your hands on this information?¡± Argus turned to look at his crewmates. Particularly, Reina, then Waddles, Franky, and Brooks. Each of them shook their heads. Am. I. Obliged. Question. ¡°Kekekekeke.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes turned into crescent moons. ¡°I suppose not. Very well. Let them in.¡± .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twenty one days since awakening. ??? .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. How. How? How?! The core was still short circuiting itself as it attempted to comb through the events of the past few days. Nevertheless, it burned its name, as well as the outer layers of its core, the damaged parts all cut and liquidated back into mana to power the teleportation trap. The great core now reduced to a barely shining pebble. Oh, how low has it fallen. At least before it had an air of dignity, records of its age and the battles it fought and survived. Now, it was no different than a newborn save for its memories. The loss hurt the core more than the injuries it had healed. Deciding there was nothing it could learn from the past few days, it decided to cut its losses and move on before it wastes even more of its dwindling brainpower. ¡ºNew dungeon detected. Would you like to select your starting creature?¡» What? It can¡¯t be. No no no no. This can¡¯t be happening. ¡ºNew dungeon detected. Would you like to select your starting creature?¡» Its core dimmed as it did the equivalent of curling up into a ball and crying. ¡ºNew dungeon detected.¡» Shut up. ¡ºNew dungeon detected.¡» Shut up. ¡ºNew dungeon¡­ .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twentieth cycle of the fifth gift Ninth day of the thirteenth segment Pirate ship, Karl Marx *cue Soviet music* .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. ¡°I gotta say, I¡¯m impressed.¡± Of. Course. What. You. Take. Mine. Crew. For. Question. ¡°Kekekeke. Of course, but you can never set your expectations too low when it comes to you and your crew.¡± Despite the hack job, sail did the Karl Max did, its hull withstanding initial tests, the components for which were made from materials salvaged from what was left of the Imperial fleet that chased after them, as well as some of Jack''s own personal wealth. ¡°But I gotta say, the mana consumption is a bit steep.¡± It. Is. Given. Lack. Of. Time. And. Equipment. Ergo. Shortcuts. Forced. To. Work. But. Terrible. Efficacy. ¡°Right, to be expected of a hack job by a small group of certified crazies and idiots. I didn¡¯t even believe you of all people were capable of imitating Imperial ships to such an extent. I fully expected you to fail but this is even better than what I dared to hope for. ¡± ¡­ ¡°Kekekekeke? Speechless? It¡¯s quite surprising you and your motley crew were able to deliver on your promise in such a timely manner, a mere sixteen days! If I had known I would have pushed for more but a vow is a vow. I shall permit you to sail the Karl Marx to retrieve your ship.¡± All. We. Did. Was. Copy. Imperial. Work. ¡°Kekekekeke. And you think reverse engineering the work of the best and brightest of the Imperial is easy? Kekekekekekeke. What a joke. Their predecessors must be rolling in their graves knowing their work has been cracked by some bumbling idiots that even the focus of the demons fail to define or subsume. ¡± We. Are. Right. Here. ¡°Kekeke. I know.¡± .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twenty five days since awakening ??? .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. ¡ºNew dungeon detected. Please select a starting creature.¡» ¡°Fine. If it will shut you up.¡± The core finally responded to the prompt¡­ ¡ºChemical- life expressed through the the interaction of chemical properties and interaction of different mundane materials. Though some are not possible unless under specific conditions, Paracausal forces such Aether, Void, Sol, and Pale does wonders to alleviate such limitations. Though in doing so, creates Chemical-Exotic hybrids. A midpoint between stability and adaptability. Ascension condition: achieve 100% Mana saturation.¡» ¡ºMechanical- life expressed through mechanical motions and interactions of different mundane materials. Form so stable it is impossible to occur naturally but nevertheless still capable of propagation and mutation at a slower rate. Due to their nature, they have trouble wielding the paracausal, often using proxies to do so for them. Mana saturation means nothing to them. Ascension condition: achieve Level 6 Mana Integration.¡» ¡ºExotic- life expressed through more exotic materials. Paracausal by nature, their form consists of a core and flesh bound by paracausal forces. Though highly adaptable, their form is extremely unstable, requiring a constant stream of energy to sustain itself. Though beings made of plasma without invoking paracausal powers are possible under specific conditions not found on any world but in the space between. However, the system will still grant them such powers for it to exist within the conditions demanded of it. Ascension condition: Ascend the heavens through violence, and achieve stability of form. ¡» ¡ºInformation- life expressed through packets of information. Descendants of the logic plagues of iterations prior, the most successful branch of these strange and immaterial life forms are known as dream demons. Though able to house themselves within containers to enact change upon the physical world, they have no bodies of their own. Ascension condition: Grant thyself physical form, the information of your being made manifest and written into the Orders of the Void and the Flow of Aether.¡» ¡­with a definite no. ¡º¡­¡» ¡°¡­¡± ¡ºNew dungeon detect¡ª¡» No. ¡ºThe system would like to reward you with the title: Ancient Newborn in Denial. Do you recognize it? ¡» No. Not a newborn. ¡ºWhat difference does your age make if your ability is only at the level of a newborn?¡» ¡°¡­¡± ¡ºThe system would like to reward you with the title: Ancient Newborn in Denial. Do you recognize it? ¡» No. ¡º Mother is taken notice of your temper tantrum. Mother would like to gift you a new Name. Do you recognize it?¡» No. It already had a perfectly good name it fully intended to reclaim and make the world recognize. ¡°Very well.¡± Then silence. ¡ºName: N/A (burned) Species: Great (former) Dungeon High Core (not infant) Information/Exotic hybrid. Templates | Traps | Environment | Decor ¡» Perfect. Just how it liked it. Even if it was empty for now. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twentieth cycle of the fifth gift Ninth day of the thirteenth segment Imperial Prison .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The metal cuffs bit her flesh once more, marking the passing of the five hundredth day. Almost a full cycle. But it is not as if she wasted her time here, her powers growing despite the Imperial¡¯s best efforts. As it turns out, if you can endure the isolation and stave off the insanity that follows, the Imperial prisons were quite a place for meditation and introspection. Both a necessity to direct one¡¯s growth towards ascension. But today isn¡¯t the time for that. She could taste it. Disturbances in the Aether as light poured in from the opened door, its hinges creaked from a combination of rust and stress as her restraints broke one by one. The physicality of her body, the flexibility of mind, the songs of her heart, and the weight of her soul. It¡¯s all there, the simple taste of freedom. She already knew what they would be asking of her, despite their best efforts. But still, she asked. ¡°So you¡¯re finally letting me out, huh? What is the Imperial asking of me this time, I wonder?¡± ¡°Shut your mouth, wretch. The Imperial calls you.¡± The traitor only presents a cold smile in response to the harsh but empty words, her voice infused with an odd sense of humor. ¡°Oh don¡¯t be so stiff, Morgan. It¡¯s not everyday you come to visit me in this dank dark room. Stay awhile, have some tea.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No response. ¡°No? That¡¯s a shame. I suppose I shall save the tea for later then. -her chains rattled as she moved into a more comfortable position, now that she is able- Now, would you be a dear and open these cuffs for me? They are getting quite uncomfortable after wearing them for such a long time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No response? A pity. I thought you would finally grow out of this phase and finally keep me company, at least for a while. -her smile faded, as she took on a more serious tone- So, speak and waste your time no further. As usual, count this towards my contract. If I find a single hair out of place on my daughter, consider the Imperial dead in the water.¡± An empty cell, without light, without furnishings. The only source of sustenance being the dark water that flows down its walls feeding the moss and fungus that grow along the slow drips like trees by a river. Morgan found himself sitting on the wet floor, his legs trembling, and unable to get another word in before she left. His thoughts leaked as his voice echoed. ¡°Patron of the Imperial, for all your strength and our treatment, what still compels you to protect us? When given freedom, why do you still return?¡± Busy .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Thirty days since awakening. Unnamed dungeon .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. The cavern trembled as it collapsed, the rocks starved of mana and died, rotting off in the core¡¯s eyes. Tendrils snapped as the mana it embedded into its flesh was exhausted without its name, its claim holding it. Despite the situation, the core refused to let it go, which, ironically, made maintaining its remaining territory worse. The best the core could do as it was pushed back was to control the collapse, hoping the Void would do its job without losing anything until the remains can be reclaimed. Just like this, one by one, its remaining floors fell, each containing the ruins of civilizations that had attempted to tame and control, failing that fight to destroy it. All swallowed as a monument to their hubris, claimed by the dungeon as both a trophy and an environment for its floors. Of course it was that infamy that led the last civilization to nearly kill it. When your name is well known and many want to kill you, no matter how little, records will be left behind. As information builds up, coming up with effective methods to kill a dungeon becomes much easier. Such as ways of separating the core of a dungeon from its body, dragging it to the surface to be dealt with by standing army. In the end the core was left with only one floor, not even an eighth of its previous size. Though much manageable, the core still found it a significant drain, with the high numbers of monsters too advanced for its current size feeding off the mana supply to maintain themselves in the smaller territory. Nevertheless, the core refused to cull their numbers. After all, they were all its children, creations made on its whims. They shouldn¡¯t be punished for the core''s own aptitude for they didn¡¯t ask for such gifts from the core. The core hummed as mana gathered within itself. It must grow quickly. There is much to do before more gnats come. Forcing a mote of it to its surface, it crystallized. Perfect. It remembers. Time to do that again. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twentieth cycle of the fifth gift Fifteenth day of the thirteenth segment Pirate ship Karl Marx *cue Soviet music* .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Waddles pulled one of Jack¡¯s men off the helm, dropping the body onto the deck as Org took back control. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, boy! We¡¯ll run out of mana before we even cross half that distance!¡± The man spat on Waddles¡¯s boots, ¡°I have a name ya know, and it¡¯s John.¡± ¡°I can call you whatever I want, boy. I¡¯m asking why were you trying to get us killed?¡± ¡°On what basis?¡± ¡°Arrrggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! -Waddles picked up John by his collar, his words forced out of his clenched teeth softly but with immense intensity- This is the fifth time you¡¯ve done this and this is the fifth time I have to fix your mess, boy. Our shipwright might be happy to wipe your ass but I certainly am not. Do you understand?¡± Waddles only got a face of spittle for his trouble, which earned John a deck plastered onto his face. ¡°Tony! -Waddles scraped the spittle off his face, searching his pockets for a work towel.- Check on this nameless minion and make it an example to the rest of Jack¡¯s men.¡± Waddles walked off to check the hull, grumbling on the way. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Reina.¡± Eliza snapped her fingers. Reina looked up from her map, ¡°Yes boss? What did I do wrong?¡± ¡°Just wondering when we will get to the ascended¡¯s cave.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Uhhhh¡­ -Reina looked back down, flipping through her maps- In¡­ huh¡­I had to replot our course to compensate for the weaker hull, so about two sets if the weather permits it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not weaker, girl! We¡¯re running out bringof mana faster!¡± ¡°Same difference! Aren¡¯t you supposed to be fixing the ship with Franky?¡± ¡°We ain¡¯t fixing anything!¡± ¡°Technically it¡¯s maintenance.¡± ¡°GET BACK TO WORK YOU IMBECILES!¡± ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± ¡°Sure Boss.¡± ¡°Ugh. Reina, -Eliza held onto the bridge of her nose- keep doing what you¡¯re doing. I¡¯m joining Argus, Brooks, and Gordon. I have a few nameless minions to chew out.¡± .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Forty days since awakening. Unnamed Dungeon .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. There are multiple ways of claiming territory, all of them will involve imbedding the core¡¯s processed mana into the surrounding material, breathing life into it and making it into flesh. In theory it was possible to claim the open skies as one¡¯s domain if one was willing to constantly spend a nearly limitless amount of mana reinforcing one¡¯s claim, the reasons for this are twofold and not relevant to the core. All it needs to know is enclose the space away from the sunlight and extreme heat. Though the extreme heat is more of a nuisance it need not pay attention to compared to the wall that was sunlight. Tendrils bore into the stone as opposed to the ping of mana young cores usually sent out. More mana was stripped from the liquid sand that surrounds its sea of saltwater. Remnants of a former continent that the dungeon will restore if it wishes to expand further once it has restored its former floors. ¡ºName: N/A (burned) Species: Juvenile Dungeon High Core Information/Exotic hybrid. Capacity: 89% Templates | Traps | Environment | Decor >New title available.¡» The core looked at its current status, now calmer, it had taken the chance to adjust it, even if it hurt its pride to ditch the word Great but the word seeing word Former hurt worse. The core then proceeded to sink the entire island, flooding the caverns. Motes of Aether were gathered and compressed until it ignited, forming a miniature sun that ate and tore at the dungeon with its Aetheric light. Bearing the pain, the core strengthened its grip on its creation and plunged the sun as deep as it could, the pain lessening as the Void neutralized the Aether the sun is emitting. Checking the sun wasn¡¯t extinguished. It sighed in relief. Then it started pouring the mana sands it had drained down into the Void, toward the star. Gather. Compress. Ignite. Descend. Sand. Gather. Compress. Ignite. Descend. Sand. Slowly the core built up a supply of void-touched glass. The forging method, admittedly quite dangerous and finicky but it worked and what it remembers. The core looked at the mana coral decor. ¡°Soon. My lovelies, soon.¡± The core thought. Once its preparations are complete, it shall be beautiful. .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twentieth cycle of the fifth gift Third day of the fourteenth segment Pirate ship Karl Marx *cue Soviet music* .¡¤:*¡§? ?¡§*:¡¤. Twenty days, two sets and a half has passed. Jack¡¯s men, despite Eliza¡¯s best efforts, were as rebellious as ever. In fact, they got even more rebellious in more numbers as the days went on. Standing on the Quarterdeck, Eliza called. ¡°REINA! ARE WE THERE YET?!?!!¡± ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW BOSS! BUT WE SHOULD BE WITHIN A DAY OR LESS.¡± ¡°ARGUS!!! YOU SEE ANYTHING!?!¡± Argus waved his hands wildly in an exaggerated manner from the crow¡¯s nest. Not. Yet. Wait. See. Something. ¡°ALRIGHT WADDLES. FRANKY. HOW IS THE SHIP HOLDING UP!?!?!!¡± Franky looked up from the display, ¡°MANA LEVELS ACCEPTABLE BOSS!¡± ¡°ORG! JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU¡¯RE DOING.¡± Org saluted with his right arm, his left on the helm. ¡°YES, BOSS!¡± Eliza. Question. ¡°HEY WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT USING MY NAME??¡± Serious. Look. Eliza raised an eyebrow and turned her face towards the direction Argus was pointing. ¡°REINA!!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Reina tilted her head. ¡°Are you sure you got the directions right?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­ yes?¡± Reina said, unsure of herself. ¡°Pretty sure. I checked the course at every opportunity.¡± Eliza leaned in and pointed towards the object in the distance. ¡°Then what is that?¡± The ship suddenly shook. ¡°GODDAMNIT WHAT WENT WRONG THIS TIME?!?!!¡± Eliza drew her sword, her other hand on the pistol on her belt. ¡°I¡¯m already on my way.¡± Franky ran over to the side of the ship and looked down. ¡°Uh.¡± No. Attack. ¡°It¡¯s sand, we got beached.¡± Reina¡®s face scrunched up in confusion. ¡°That couldn¡¯t be possible, we haven''t even hit any normal water.¡± ¡°HOW?!?!!¡± Franky shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, I''m not a manalogist.¡± Everyone turned their heads to Waddles. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t you have an explanation or solution to our problem?¡± Waddles crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s just what the ¡®water¡¯ of the broken seas look like when drained -then a realization hit him- wait a fucking moment. The sand is supposed to sink to the bottom due to the properties of the broken seas. How the hell is there a drained sand pile here?¡° ¡°That is what we are asking you.¡± ¡°Hell if I know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fine. Franky, come here. We¡¯ll jerry rig a solution somehow.¡± Waddles and Franky left, heading below deck to discuss their plans. Night fell as Reina took out her maps and instruments. Checking her positions again and again as she stared at the vault of glass in the distance, an inner light illuminating the night around it. Check it once more. She was sure. They are at the right place.