《Blink, A Dungeon Core Story Unlike Any Other (Because it's terrible beyond belief)》


 Prologue.

    Burieddeep within the earth was an orb. It was the size of a large grapefruit and glowed with a shining brilliance as if a ball of molten lead. It was a dungeon core, but unlike any other before it. It was ancient even by the standards of other well-established dungeons, those which predates even humanity itself. You see, most cores were merely the size of a marble and glowed with a faint light similar to a firefly or a small candle. Rarely did they grow much larger, and those that did owe it to either extraordinary circumstances or outside interference.


    A dungeon core was a strange existence, more like a basic artificial intelligence or plant than a true sentient being. Nobody was sure exactly how or why they came to be, but most either tied it to the Gods or some glitch in the workings of the universe. All attempts to study them rarely offered any results on their workings, but they have come to a few findings.


    A dungeon core can form in any matter of location, from on top of mountains, deep within the oceans, and even within the skies. There have even been recorded instances of old abandoned castles or someone''s bathroom spontaneously turning into a dungeon! Although they didn''t just pop up out of nowhere. Once a core is formed, it slowly gathers the ambient energy in the air to nurture it''s growth and determines its future path.


    The type and amount of energy it gathers during this point is of critical importance, for it will decide on the future dungeon''s potential and intelligence. This period of time for gathering ranges from a week to two months, rarely will there be outliers. The longest period ever observed in history was 6 months, but that was because of an experiment on how far humans could prolong it and took massive amounts of effort and resources. It has never been duplicated since.


    The more it absorbs the more powerful and smart it will be for a lack of a better word. Even then, that is merely potential, and few reached theirs before destruction came. So why doesn''t every dungeon core suppress their growth you might ask? It''s simple really. They can''t. They lack both the mental capacity and ability to do so. Their minds are even lower than an insect at that stage in their life and they can''t stop their growth. Forming a dungeon for them is as much a physical evolution as it is mental. A caterpillar can''t simply decidenot to form a cocoon, it is instinct, deeply ingrained within them.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    So how was it that this particular core has managed to grow so large and powerful? How was it that a core so utterly ancient could still be in its infancy? Because the circumstances of this core were beyond extraordinary. If others knew of it and the statistical near impossibility of it they would no doubt proclaim divine intervention, although the deities would deny their involvement with certainty.


    This core was born under Mount Salarimortis. A monument of legend. It was immensein size, tales were told of how it was actually a pillar made to hold up the heavens and if one were to climb its peak they could enter the divine kingdoms. It was so saturated with pure magic that no normal life could survive within a hundred miles of it, only the strongest of beasts dared claim it''s surroundings as their homes.


    It was a place positively teeming with life, but there were no dungeons in its vicinity, simply because it was impossible for one to form or survive in the area. Rather it was supposed to be impossible. While normally high mana concentration was a great place for a core to grow, the energy near Mt. Salarimortis was too powerful, too dense, tooheavy.


    It would crush any core which tried to absorb it. Like a child trying to use a firetruck''s hose to quench its thirst.But there was a more accurate example. Imagine now, a power cord that is charging a phone. If one were to overheat it then it would become damaged.


    If one were to plug it into an outlet with too strong of a voltage it would obviously become damaged. In extreme circumstances, the heat might even wrap or melt the wires.


    Now imagine this new scenario, what if there was something that kept the wires in the same shape? Perhaps thin tubes of non-conductive material which covered each individual strange of metal that made up a wire?


    Even if all the wires melted, they would be forced to retain their shapes and maintain conduct to transfer electricity.


    For a Dungeon to form, the core must release its pent-up energy in a certain unique pattern before creating a shell for itself. However, this couldn''t be done in an area with such high magical pressure and chaotic energies. In fact, the external energies rushing in and suffocating the core prevented it from releasingany energy, it could no longer do so than a man in a straightjacket could use his arms.


    Quite a predicament out resident core is in, no? In other worlds, perhaps this extraordinary hiccup of nature would''ve remained an unknown feat, a small footnote in history left forgotten. A mere gem only soothing to eyes. In this, one, however, it shall becomeLegend.


    Don''t blink now, or else you might miss it~

 The Birth of a Hero? None of my Business! Im just a rock leave me alone!

    Today was a very very strange day if you were to ask anyone. For while it was the middle of the night, the skies burned with a goldenhue as it the first light of dawn had arrived. All across the world of Yougusta, it''s radiance banished the dark. If one was to look at the world from above they would see a miraculous sight. The great tower of heaven, the legendary Mount Salarimortis was glowing with the intensity of a small star. A heavy blanket of clouds covered the sky trapping all the light within, the roaring of all manner of beasts echoed in the distance.


    This was an event rarely record within history, one which marked the end of an era and the birth of a hero. A champion that waschosen by fate itself.


    But that is another''s tale for another time. No, our tale did not take us to a small village where a poor couple was blessed with a peerlessly talented child. Our tale starts from even more humble beginnings. For with the shift in magic and pressure a small stone was released from its confines. All the Elemental Spirits gathered around the base of the mountain the ground shook and shifted with their dance.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The wind howled as it slowly coalesced into tiny humanoids, sparks ignited itself and burst into small laughing girls, and little people formed out of the ground and mountainside itself. They sang and played in celebration of this most wondrous event, but little did a young Earth Elemental realize that in its excitement, it had inadvertently set in motion events that would change the face of Yougusta forever.


    Our tale began with a mud-covered stone that rolled down the mountainside and fell into the great Dividing River which split the continent. For days it was carried by the river''s powerful torrents before it got carried out to sea and washed up on an island''s shore.


    It wasa nameless island, too insignificant to even be marked on most maps. No humans have been on the island in decades as it had no appeal to them. The land wasn''t suitable for farming and it had almost no natural resources besides timber. Worst yet, it was full of dangerous beasts who''s corpses only provided poor material. Their only strong point their powerful breedingcapability and ability to survive in the harsh environment.

 Chapter 1: Ora...? Whats this? Wait... Im being kidnapped? Help I need an Adult!

    On the sandy beach of the island, the glowing Dungeon core slowly awakened. It had spent countless years suppressed under the mountain that it didn''t know how to react to its newfound freedom. Normal logic would dictate that it formed its dungeon, but its unique circumstances made that impossible.


    What was a dungeon core to do without a dungeon?!


    How was it supposed to form monsters and provide shelter and opportunities to adventurer and brave monsters now?!


    It couldn''t attract humans without amazing treasures as rewards, nor could it protect and support monsters who obeys it.


    A troubling dilemma for sure. And so it sat and thought long and hard about these issues. It didn''t need to eat, nor sleep, merely breathing in the ambient mana was more than enough to sustain it''s minimal energy usage, although it wouldn''t truly gain anymore because of the low quality here compared to its birthplace.


    Days flew pass, and seasons came and gone, yet still, it sat motionless in contemplation.


    By the time it made a breakthrough it was coated in moss, looking like a green furry ball.


    ''If I can''t make a dungeon with my magic, I''ll simply build one! If I can''t make treasures, I''ll just go get some!''


    It was a naive and simple thought process, but that was because regardless of it''s vast potential and relative intelligence for a Dungeon Core, it had never been outside nor interacted with anyone. It''s development severely stunted left it at the level of a, particularly slow child.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    After all, potential unrealized is the same as no potential at all in practice. It''ll take time for it to catch up to its peers.


    It couldn''t accomplish it''s newly established goals sitting on a beach. It had to find a way to move. Normally this would be impossible, as Cores never left their dungeon unless destroyed. They didn''t leave their base. Or rather, they couldn''t. However, this one was not bounded by the conventional shackles and limitations of its species. It HAD no dungeon.


    Normally Core''s simply spawned or lured monsters into their dungeon and then controlled them.


    A mobile dungeon? Preposterous! A concept that if it was known to the world would''ve caused mass hysteriaon the level of the revival of the Demon King. But our little core knew not of this.


    It would''ve spent another long session of thinking on how to travel when something else entered the beach.


    A short creature covered in fur. It had the head of a dog, yet resembled a man in build. If it wasn''t for the fact that it was only 4 feet tall, many would mistaken it for a fearsome Tier 3 monster that could wipe out a party of experienced adventurers, the Werewolf.


    Instead, it was only a Tier 0 Kobold that even a farmer could fight off. The dog-likemonster had wandered out from the jungle. It was picking up berries from a nearby bush when a glowing light grabbed its attention. The light blinked on and off with a beautiful radiance. It didn''t know what it was, but surely such an interesting rock was better than some boring berries?


    It had decided to drop the current task to bring back the treasure it had found to its packmates. Maybe the chief will reward it for its clever found and reward it!


    The beast firmly grasps the shining rock in itsmouth and ran off on all fours within the woods.


    And so our Core''s journey began, kidnapped by a monster and covered in saliva. What does the future hold for our unlikely protagonist?