《Dungeon of the Stolen Soul》


 Prologue

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 One - Lucid Dreams

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    Welcome to Memmitia!


    Congratulations, the grand Neclord Grimsbane has infused your soul into a dungeon crystal. Well met, young dungeon. Upon first awareness, this message is presented to you. With the infusion by a sapient being of Memmitia with conditional provisions, you are offered to become a follower of Zadite, the God of Chaos and Carnage. Per regulations, as a sentient being, you are offered the choice to accept or decline such an offer. As a dungeon core, and newly born, such action may not be possible. As a result, Neclord Grimsbane has included this offering, at this time, a high-quality mana crystal has been generated before you. If you consume the mana crystal within the next day cycle, the action will be seen as acceptance of the offer and you will become a servant of the God, Zadite. Further details will be provided at that time. Good luck, young Core.


    For additional help, please request the help system.


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    Right. I had gone to bed. I had closed my eyes. I had opened my eyes and now I see a floating box with quite a load of text. Obviously, I''ve been playing too much again. Nothing like dreaming in quest, although, this dream certainly felt much different than usual. Perhaps, I am having a lucid dream? Yeah, must be.


    I don''t often have lucid dreams, but I''ve had them before, suddenly realizing you are in a dream, not liking what happened and then rewinding it to do it again, only to make changes as you go.... trippy, but cool as heck.


    Anyway, the floating box. Ok, yeah, I''m a dungeon core, sure, sounds cool. It hadn''t gone away yet. I read the text again and proceeded to snort, in my mind that is. My dream brain must think my sleeping brain is an idiot. Might as well start with, "hello moron, welcome to our trap..."


    "Sorry, I don''t take candy from strangers," I said or tried to say. It was like there was a very faint echo rattling in my head where I heard the words, but it wasn''t like I spoke with vocal cords and heard the sound with my ears. It was an odd sensation to me, oh right, I''m a rock. Wow, My dream brain is way more creative than my awake brain.


    I waited a minute, hummed a little under my non-existent breath, tried to look around, but the stupid visual box was right in my face. If I had a foot, I''d be tapping it about now.


    "Ok, dream brain, this is boring now. What time is it anyway?" I asked.


    I heard a little ping noise and to the upper left, in fairly small text appeared a clock.


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    The seconds ticked by while I watched, which for about 5 seconds was helpful and then I realized that watching the seconds was incredibly annoying.


    "Ugh, I don''t accept your stupid offer," I told the text, but nothing happened. If I had hands, I''d touch it. But I didn''t. I did try, if I had a face, I''d probably have looked like I needed to be in the restroom while I tried to squeeze invisible muscles to lift an invisible arm to smack the very visible and annoying window. It didn''t work. I then tried the force, but I seemed to lack the force as well.


    "Go away you crappy box!" I yelled. I heard myself much more clearly now. Hey, maybe I''m talking in my sleep. I should just wake myself up... how exactly do I do that? Hey?! Me?! Wake up!If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Ahhhhh, Help, Help! I''m in a nightmare, a nightmare of boredom, boooreee-"


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    Welcome to the help system.


    The help system is available for new dungeon cores without mentor support to safely begin their growth in Memmitia. What would you like help with?


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    Oh yeah, help system. "How do I get out of here?" My previous rant had been interrupted, but I quickly jumped on the chance, as weird as it was, to ask what I could.


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    Get Out? Query Updating... Relocation?


    To relocate your dungeon core requires a level of strength and power you currently do not possess. The alternative method of working with contracted dungeon minions is also unavailable to you as scans show none currently present.


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    "What? Relocation? No, I don''t want to relocate, I want to wake up. How do I wake up?"


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    Wake Up? Query Updating... Sleep Termination?


    As a dungeon core, sleep, as termed by other creatures of Memmitia is not required. During times of extreme mana exhaustion, upgrading, etc, a dungeon core may enter a state of stasis. This might be similar to a sleep state. During this period, there is little that can be done to alter the state and usually will remain until mana levels are at premium levels or alterations have completed.


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    I sighed. I counted to five. I sighed again. "How do I close the text window in front of me?"


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    One moment, help system is scanning...


    This is a nonstandard message that has been tampered with. This has been logged. This has interferred with standard start ups, compensation has been awarded.


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    In one blink, the window that had been tormenting me suddenly winked out of existence and I heard the word compensation. I grinned. Mmmmm, presents.


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    One token of dungeon assistance received. Would you like to use it now?


    Yes No


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    Yes! hahaha I had no idea what it would give me. But who doesn''t love free stuff and at this point, it had to be better than the help system. While I was only moderately aware of my surroundings, I really couldn''t see anything. It was dark. Apparently, I was glowing a little because there seemed to be some light coming off me, otherwise, there was a crystal off to the side, which was glowing as well, that must have been the mana crystal. And for some reason, I wanted to get closer to it and touch it, maybe lick it. Which, given that it was tied to some god of carnage, meant I needed to continue ignoring it.


    After a moment a new glow appeared in the darkness, it seemed to be spinning like a wheel and shifting colors. It made me think of a prize wheel and I wondered at the "random" bit of the token I had received. Just not a slime, or a rat, or anything gross, or slimy....


    The light swirled, collapsing into a pinprick of light before bursting out and resolving into an all-too-familiar shape.


    oh. my. god. It was beyond too cute. A majestic cat, long fur, streaks of silver and black on the back, with a white chest, a face with similar markings looked at me, while long whiskers twitched. Immediately, I thought of the Main Coon I''d had in my youth. If only I had arms to pet this giant pile of fluff.


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    Dungeon Assistant summoned.


    Name your summons?


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    "Muhahahah! I shall name you Snookums! Oh yes, Snookums you shall be!" I tried my best to cackle and gazed at my new weird dream pet.


    Its unblinking emerald eyes returned my look.


    "I don''t think so."

 Two - I Dream of Fluffy Butts

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    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


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    That was mine!