《Hybrid Dungeon Core》 The Swamp [1] Deep within a swamp is a ruin. A crumbling set of pillars and archways, standing among long dead snags. The fetid waters of the swamp hide most of these ruins. Vines and moss cover what the water doesn''t. It is a subtle thing, this ruin. There is just one thing about this ruin that is not subtle: The unconscious girl laying face down in the mud, her nudity a bizarre contrast to the ruin''s quiet camouflage. The girl stirs, pulling herself up from the ground. "GUH!" The girl exclaims. She looks around, her dark hair swishing this way and that. There is no glimmer of recognition in her eyes. Her pupils shrink as she feels the wind on her bare body. She shrieks in dismay. "What the fuck?!" The sudden noise sets several birds in flight. They depart, hoping to relocate someplace quieter. The girl doesn''t notice the birds. She''s too busy attempting to cover her nether regions with her muddy hands. Where am I, and why am I naked?! The girl looks ready to shout and cry at the same time. She doesn''t do either, instead opting to survey her surroundings. Her bare feet leave shallow footprints in the mud as she approaches the edge of the ruin. Betwixt the overgrown stone columns she can see a vast expanse of swampland. She frowns, turning her head away from the ruin''s exterior. In the center of the ruin is a conspicuous pedestal. Resting atop that pedestal is a gemstone. It''s clear, like a diamond. The girl approaches. What''s a big diamond doing here? There''s no hesitation in the girl as she reaches for the gemstone. When her finger makes contact with the gem something strange happens. She feels immense vertigo, and her perspective shifts dramatically. She can see her body standing beside the pedestal. She can see the pedestal holding the gemstone aloft. She can see the stone pillars beneath the water. She can even see the fish swimming through the flooded portions of the ruin. Everything all at once. What the fuck?! The girl''s mind struggles to parse the information. She focuses on trying to ignore most of the information. Limiting her sight helps alleviate the headache, and she relaxes somewhat. Am I having an out of body experience? Returning to her body is the first thing the girl tries. She pushes her focus into her still standing body, and feels that nauseating bout of vertigo return. When the nausea fades she''s leaning against the stone pedestal for support. The gemstone remains on the pedestal. "Haha... Freaky." A particularly loud mosquito flies over to the girl, catching her attention. She grimaces as the tiny pest attempts to land on her bare skin. It surely seeks to steal her blood and leave a nasty welt in the process. The girl swipes at it in retaliation, managing to swat it right out of the air. With the death of the mosquito comes an alien sensation. The girl''s eyes move to look at the gemstone. She felt something move into it, as if it was a part of her body. The best comparison she can make is the feeling of cold water going down your esophagus and into your tummy. Curiosity drives the girl to approach the pedestal once more. She can feel it. It''s like sensing where your limbs are, except that''s no limb. She tilts her head as she looks at the shiny gem. Is this diamond a part of me? With that thought in mind she reaches out and places her hand atop the gemstone. The vertigo isn''t as bad this time. She doesn''t let the stimulation overwhelm her either. She can see herself standing beside the pedestal. She can feel she is both the gemstone and the human girl. If the diamond is me, then maybe this ruin is too? The girl pushes her mind toward one of the stone pillars experimentally. She fails to connect with the stone, instead pushing it with her mind. Surprise plays across her face as she realizes what she''s just done. To an outside observer it would appear the stone pillars are moving all by themselves. The girl knows better, as she is shifting the old pillars around with her thoughts. Her face is split by a wide smile as she uses her newfound ability with childlike wonderment. "This is awesome! I''m like a... an earth bender or something!" The girl''s giddy exclamation comes from her human mouth, an eerie thing to view from outside her body. Her mind is floating freely, yet her human body reacts as if she''s still in it. She''s glad her eyelids remain shut. Seeing herself staring at nothing like a zombie would be creepy.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. A droplet of water hits her nose. She watches in fascination as the droplet slides down and drips off the tip of her chin, all from a third person perspective. Then another droplet appears, and another. It''s beginning to rain. The girl looks up--still outside her body--and marvels at the dark clouds rolling overhead. A dark curtain of water is approaching the ruin. The girl''s expression shifts to reflect fear as she realizes how intense the coming storm is. Shit, maybe I can make a shelter? Stone hits stone, cracks forming in both pillars as they fall against each other. Another pillar falls beside the first two. Finally a fourth pillar falls atop the third. All of this done by the disembodied girl. The girl flies back into her body, repossessing it. She scurries over to the improvised shelter. The toppled stone pillars provide meager protection from the elements. Rain pours down upon the swamp. Sheets of water splash the rock shelter the girl hides within, drenching the ground around her. She shivers as wind and water work together to chill her. Hardly any time passes before water begins to lap at her feet. She glances down to see the ruin is being flooded. The murky waters of the swamp surrounding her island are rising with the rain. She curses under her breath. "Damn it..." The water level is rising fast. The girl stands up, stepping out into the pouring rain. The water laps at her ankles as she marches toward the gemstone. Wind buffets her naked body, ripping away the warmth from her flesh. She places her hand atop the gemstone. Droplets of water run down the sides of both the pedestal and the girl''s bare body. She switches perspectives, floating above the pedestal. The rain is overwhelming to her senses. I just need to move the water away! The girl pushes at the rising water with her mind, yet it is hopeless. Every swell of water she moves aside is replaced by a flow of fresh water. The flood is up to her knees now, and rising fast. She can feel her human body growing dangerously cold. "Argh!" She shouts into the storm. As her human body yells in frustration she tries again to remove the water. This time the water disappears, as if swallowed by something unseen. The girl is stunned into silence as she feels her gemstone fill with energy--the same energy the mosquito''s death produced. Hardly believing her eyes, the girl tries to replicate it. She removes water in a spherical area where her mind is focusing. The intangible energy flows to her gemstone again. A relieved smile works its way onto her face as she starts countering the flood. I suppose I''m not just an earth bender, am I? The girl smiles as she continues to beat back the rain. She takes great care not to swallow up the fish swimming in the deeper waters, only removing what is necessary. She''s no eco terrorist. Rain and wind slow their assault. The flooding is no longer a threat, yet the girl remains a soaked shivering mess. She sneezes. "Achoo!" She repossesses her body, wiping her nose with the back of her wrist. Her legs feel like blocks of ice. She can''t stop herself from shivering violently. The flood may be gone, but the damage it dealt to her body is not. The girl shuffles away from the pedestal in search of firewood. Her eyes trace the branches of a gnarled tree growing on the edge of the ruin. Several small sticks lie at the foot of the tree. She bends over to grab one, yet recoils when she finds it soaked through. Of course... Everything here is going to be too damp to burn. Shivering, the girl returns to the pedestal. She places her hand atop the gemstone once more. Hardly any vertigo touches her mind as she finds herself floating outside her body. She has an idea. There''s no way to be sure it will work, but she has no choice. Without heat she will die to hypothermia. Okay... Just make something, instead of destroying it. The girl focuses on a spot near her body, and bright orange flames burst into existence. Shock and excitement color her face as she watches the flames dance in the air. Then, just as fast as they started, the flames stop. Shit... Okay, no fuel means no fire. Rather than gathering firewood with her hands, the girl uses her mind to pull apart the tree. Several sturdy branches come apart as if broken by large invisible hands. The girl floats them over, dropping them unceremoniously. With a little focus and the intent to create fire, a new orange flame is born. This time the hot burst of fire manages to dry out and light the branches. The girl smiles as the twigs and branches catch fire, burning steadily. "First earth bending, then water, now fire? It''s like I''m the avatar!" The girl exclaims. Repossessing her body, the girl takes a seat by the fire. It''s warmth is enough to ease her shivering. It will take time for the rain to pass and her body to dry out. She waits. ~ The overcast sky is lit by an orange setting sun. Croaking frogs sing from places unseen, their voices forming a disorganized chorus. The water flows down, draining from loamy soil to rivers and bogs. A twig snaps beneath the foot of a child: A little boy with dark hair. Wet earth shifts beneath the boy''s feet as he trudges through the swamp. Small scrapes and cuts adorn the boy''s body. Suspiciously purple and green discoloration accompanies many of these small wounds. The boy''s eyes aren''t focused on the world around him. His mind is elsewhere, even as he puts one scraped up foot in front of the other. The mud and clay sticking to his feet hinder his limping movements. His wandering takes him to the edge of a river. The boy''s sluggish steps bring him down the river''s muddy bank. His toe catches on a rock, tripping him. The boy falls belly down into the river''s fast flowing waters. His eyes widen as the cold rushing water wakes him from his stupor. He struggles to surface, kicking his arms and legs. "Gh-Buh- H-Help!" Forgetting he is all alone out here in the deep swamp, he calls out for help. Help that most certainly won''t be coming. His body drifts with the current, his legs smacking into wood and stone alike. His lungs burn as water fills them with each sputtering breath he takes. Splash! An errant piece of driftwood falls into the current. The boy is so busy sputtering for oxygen that he doesn''t notice the floating branch. It floats on a direct collision course-- Thump! The hard waterlogged branch swings around to hit the boy on the temple. One final gasp for air is all he gets before his world goes dark, leaving him at the mercy of the current. The Boy [2] The girl rubs her hands together in an attempt to warm them. She finds mud and detritus staining her palms, much to her displeasure. She stands from the fire. The crackling of the flames recedes as she walks to the pedestal. Atop it sits her gemstone. Touching her gemstone with her finger, the girl depossesses her body. A brief bout of vertigo leaves her consciousness floating outside her body. She floats herself over to an empty spot near the edge of the ruin. Using her mind--and the energy built up inside her gemstone--she creates a stone basin. The stone basin rises up from the floor, fused with the ruin''s foundation. The girl exchanges more energy from her gemstone to create water. The basin catches this clean water, splashing softly. Satisfied, the girl repossesses her body. She wastes no time approaching the water filled basin. She dunks her dirty hands into the water, rinsing them clean. The clear water turns cloudy as she finishes ''washing'' her hands. If only I had some soap. Unfortunately for the girl, soap isn''t something she knows how to make. Her eyes narrow at the dirty water filling the basin. Plumbing isn''t in her wheelhouse either. The girl lifts her gaze from the basin to see something floating toward her ruin. She bristles fearfully, thinking it to be an alligator. The dark shape floats closer. She struggles to identify it for a moment--then she recognizes what it is. "W-What the fuck?" Floating in the water is a body. Cuts and bruises cover the thing, and poorly made clothing preserves its modesty. The girl pales as the body floats right up against the side of her ruin. Upon shaking legs, the girl stumbles over to the pedestal. She grabs her gemstone. Once outside her body, she floats over to take a closer look at the body. It''s a little boy. His heart is still beating. H-He''s alive!? The girl--still floating outside her body--grabs the boy and pulls him from the water. She places his unconscious form onto the floor beside the fire. The inside of his body is a mess. She can see splinters piercing his skin, and a lethal amount of water filling his lungs. I''m sorry for doing this without your permission, but I need to save you! With a sorrowful expression on her face, the girl removes the water from the boy''s lungs. It''s nerve wracking to watch as the water flooding his airway is removed. She''s terrified she''ll accidentally mess up his body, but such a disaster does not come to pass. The boy is breathing now. His chest rises and falls rhythmically, air flowing in to fill his lungs. The girl relaxes slightly upon seeing him stabilize. However, there are still a plethora of problems plaguing the little boy''s body. Removing the splinters, rocks, and dirt from the boy''s body comes first. The girl converts these foreign materials into energy which fills her gemstone. This leaves several wounds open, oozing blood and puss. Fortunately, the boy''s clothing is made of cloth which can serve as bandages. Using some of her gemstone''s energy--and the boy''s clothes as a reference--the girl creates cloth bandages which wrap tightly around the boy''s wounds. She frowns upon realizing she''s left the poor boy lying on the cold damp stone floor. It only takes her a few moments to think of a solution. She''ll make him a comfy cot to sleep on! Using the tree growing on the ruin as an example, she creates a wooden frame. The frame is reminiscent of a table, except it lacks a surface. Instead the top of the frame is filled with a cloth sheet. She ensures the cloth is bound to the frame in several places as she creates it. Finally, it''s time to relocate the patient. The girl uses her mind to lift the unconscious boy into the air. She gently moves his sleeping form onto the cot, and promptly creates a blanket above him. The blanket gently drapes itself over the sleeping boy as it falls. Seeing the boy sleeping safely on the cot, wrapped in bandages, brings happy tears to the girls eyes. Grumble. The girl blushes upon hearing her stomach growl; It''s somehow more embarrassing when heard from outside her body. She glances around the ruin for a source of food. The only thing that catches her eye are the fish swimming in the water surrounding the ruin. A school of sunfish flit in and out of sight. The girl''s stomach aches as she watches the fish swim so close to her ruin. She reaches out with her mind, trying to scoop the fish up out of the water. Unexpectedly, the fish are unaffected by her intentions. Is it because they''re conscious?Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The girl frowns in dissatisfaction. She can''t just scoop up the fish, but maybe she can trap them? The girl creates a stone wall around the fish. She has to put it a few meters away for it to work, as the fish''s presence disrupts her abilities. She doesn''t have a clue as to why that is. Now I have to actually catch them. Hopefully this is as easy as it looks in the movies. With a surge of energy from her gemstone, the girl creates a wooden spear. It clatters harmlessly to the ground. The girl repossesses her body, and picks up the wooden spear. Its not too heavy for her, and the wood feels durable. Satisfied, the girl carries the spear over to her impromptu fish enclosure. The sunfish are still grouped together. She carefully inches up to the edge of the water. The glimmering scales beneath the water catch her eye, and she holds her breath. Splash! The girl''s wooden spear breaks the surface of the water. She pulls the spear up out of the pool eagerly, yet no fish lies upon the shaft. Well, it''s not like I expected to get it on the first try. Once the water''s surface has stilled, the girl strikes again. The fish swim away upon sensing the impending danger. The girl retracts the spear from the churning water, coming up empty. "Third times the charm?" ~ Moonlight reflects off the surface of the water, making it difficult to see beneath the surface. With a half-hearted jab, the girl stabs her wooden spear into the water. She raises the spear from the water with no fanfare. She expects nothing. Contrary to expectation, there is a fish neatly impaled upon her spear. The girl is shocked upon seeing her own success. She actually managed to catch one! The girl jumps up and down in celebration of her feat. She doesn''t care that she''s naked in a swamp, because she finally caught a fish! Which means she can remedy that ache in her belly. Finally. The girl carefully places the freshly stabbed fish on the basin where she washed her hands. She sets the spear aside, leaning against a stone pillar. She walks to the pedestal. Placing her hand atop her gemstone, she depossesses her body. Floating freely, she can see the motionless fish lying where she left it. Now that it''s dead she can freely manipulate it''s corpse and the surrounding area. Using a smidge of energy from within her gemstone, she creates a wooden spit situated over her dwindling fire. The girl adds some extra firewood while she''s at it, using the un-burnt sticks lying around as a reference. Satisfied with her cooking setup, the girl repossesses her body. First, she walks over and grabs ahold of the dead fish. She carries it to the spit, carefully stabbing the wooden skewer through the fish''s body, longways. She winces at the sight. Hopefully this thing tastes better than it looks. The girl sets the fish over the fire, the wooden poles keeping the skewer just above the flames. She''s turning the spit when she catches the first whiff of fish cooking over the fire. To her starved body, it smells far more appetizing than fast food! The fish''s skin gradually browns with the heat of the fire. Once cooked, the skewered sunfish is promptly wrested from the spit. The girl wastes no time in getting up close and going in for a bite. She quickly regrets this--as the fish is still piping hot--and reluctantly holds the fish at arms length. She waits. Some time later, the girl takes a tentative sniff. The fish isn''t radiating heat like it was earlier. She carefully parts her lips, and takes a bite. She''s greeted by a delicious taste and the crunch of tiny fishbones. She spits the fish out of her mouth, disgust coloring her face white. "Yuck! I forgot to take the stupid bones out!" The girl is pouting now. She carefully holds the skewer with one hand, and picks at the fish with the other. Her fingers pull chunks of meat off the cooked sunfish. Each scrap of food is stuffed into her mouth whilst bones and undesirables are tossed aside. Satiated, the girl smacks her lips. They feel dry to the touch. The girl moves to the pedestal without a second thought--the water left in the basin is likely full of microbes and parasites. She makes contact with her gemstone, depossessing her body. I could put fresh water in the basin... Actually, I''d prefer putting some water in a cup. The girl turns a trickle of energy to create a simple wooden cup. The wood is based off the nearby tree, and it''s modeled to resemble the modern drinking vessels from her memories. She also empties the dirty water from her basin, cleaning the stone basin before refilling it with fresh water. Once back inside her body, she hurries over to the basin. She eagerly snatches the wooden cup from the edge of the stone basin. Licking her lips, she dips the wooden cup into the water to fill it. She then raises the cup to her lips, and drinks. Gulp, gulp, gulp. The girl downs the entire cup full of water in one go. She burps awkwardly, a blush rising to warm her cheeks. Thankfully nobody is around to hear it. Still feeling rather parched, the girl fills the cup with water once more. She''s careful not to chug the whole thing at once as she drinks. Her thirst is quenched upon emptying the cup. Naturally, the girl places her wooden cup back atop the stone basin''s rim. Her eyelids droop. Ah, I knew I was forgetting something. The girl blinks away the siren song of sleep. She isn''t too keen on sleeping on the ground, much less without a roof to protect her. The sleeping boy catches her eye. The cot she made for him certainly looks more comfortable than stone brick. The girl grabs her gemstone once more, leaving her body. This time she pictures what she wants in her head prior to building it. She doesn''t want to sleep under the stars, nor does she want to let a bunch of mosquitos eat her alive. In her mind''s eye, the girl pictures a simple square building made of stone. The roof would be a square pyramid shape, with a small chimney at the top to let smoke out. She starts building. The energy within her gemstone dwindles rapidly as she creates four stone walls, filling the gaps between the pillars at the edge of the ruin. Once the walls are up, she starts the roof. Slanted portions of stone meld into one another to create the top of a hollow pyramid. At the tip, she leaves a round hole. A little more stone atop this hole serves as a chimney. A bout of dizziness assaults the girl''s mind. "Woah... Guess I overdid it?" After resting for a few minutes, the girl creates a perfect copy of the boy''s cot. It makes her feel light headed. One look at her gemstone reveals it''s been depleted of energy. The girl frowns, repossessing her body. She still feels weak even when flesh and blood. A few unsteady steps lead the girl to her cot. She climbs into it without a moment wasted, and the tension leaves her body all at once. The first day spent in an unfamiliar place exhausted the girl more than she realized. She falls asleep to the crackling sounds of the fire. The Witch [3] Cattails rustle slightly as something moves between them. The faint hiss of the culprit reveals it to be a snake, one as black as night. Its beady eyes stare up at the blue sky overhead, whilst its sensitive nose tracks the scent of nearby prey. It slithers up from the riverbank and through a tangle of tree roots. A small rodent rests atop a knot in the bark of a tree. Its front paws work to clean its soft brown fur, ridding itself of smells that may lead predators to it. The creature''s ears twitch constantly in an effort to pick up any sound that may alert it to danger. What this rodent doesn''t see, is the black snake currently staring directly at it. The black serpent tenses its muscles silently as it studies its prey. Rodents like these are easily scared off, so it must be patient. No sudden movements until it is too late. The snake readies for a lethal strike-- Thump. The rodent scurries off into a nearby hole, too small for the snake. The snake is agitated by this. Another thump follows the first, and the snake turns its head to see what''s causing the fuss. Standing above the snake is a truly monstrous being. A human. "Go on. Shoo," The old woman says. She watches the black snake slither away with a subtle smirk on her wrinkled face. After the snake disappears from sight she raises her cane, and continues walking. The occasional thump of her wooden cane hitting the earth spooks the wildlife. She pays it no mind. Ambling along at a snail''s pace, the old woman takes appreciative looks at the surrounding wilderness. Her hands trace the bark of ancient trees like a mother caressing her child''s face. The old woman easily navigates the difficult terrain, as if having practiced this same walk many times before. She stops suddenly. The old woman''s dark eyes flicker to look up at the sky. She eyes the remnants of clouds blowing overhead, and her nose twitches. She taps her cane on the ground three times, and clicks her tongue. The old woman voices her thoughts. "Something''s different today, isn''t it?" A gentle breeze blows through the swamp, ruffling the old woman''s brown robes. Her eyes narrow as she looks in the direction of the wind. She sniffs the air, resembling a predator hunting down prey. The woman flashes a sinister smile, murmuring to herself. "Oh yes, very different. I smell a dungeon." ~ Faint birdsong rouses the girl from her slumber. She stretches out on her cot, yawning languidly. When she rolls over only to fall onto the hard stone floor, she realizes she''s not in her old bed. Shock and despair war for control of the girl''s face. "Damn it, I was having such a good dream!" The girl curses. The girl stands. She can hardly see her surroundings, as the fire has long since burnt out. The only light filters in through the chimney overhead. Approaching the water basin, the girl splashes her face with the clean water. She stares intently at her reflection in the water. She''s a mess. The tangles in her hair alone make her look like a wild beast, not to mention her state of undress. Her reflection distorts as the water in the basin ripples. "Hm?" The girl vocalizes. The ripples stop. She furrows her brow in confusion, wondering if she was just imagining things. Thump! An audible thumping sound catches the girl off guard. She whips her head around to look toward the source of the sound. It''s the bare stone wall of her shelter. She approaches the wall tentatively, her eyes squinting at something on the wall. A tiny crack in the stone. Huh. Did I not build this place properly? Another loud thump scares the girl half to death, sending her stumbling back a few steps. The tiny crack in the stone has grown into a spiderweb of hairline fractures. Wide eyed, the girl watches in horror as the wall is broken apart by another impact. Huge chunks of stone break apart to let the sunlight in. Dust and debris cause the girl to choke. Another rumbling impact sends the girl falling flat on her ass. Slithering in through the massive hole in the shelter wall is a green vine, as thick as a tree trunk. The girl''s eyes struggle to adjust as the bright light illuminates the shelter interior. She can make out several unnaturally large vines, each one pulling stone debris into the water outside. "You''re not what I was expecting, girl," Someone clucks. The girl''s eyes finally adjust to the light, giving her a good look at the one responsible for this destruction. Standing atop a massive vine is an old woman shrouded by an assortment of brown robes. Several writhing vines hover around her like an extra set of limbs.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The shock wears off, and the girl''s face begins to redden. "Y-You destroyed my house!" The girl shouts. A brief silence ensues. The two women size each other up, as if trying to discern the character of the other. Finally, the old woman''s face is split with a wide smile. She cackles at the girl. "Haha! That I did, girly!" The old woman''s light tone catches the girl off guard. The girl balls her fists, glaring at the old woman. If it wasn''t for the presence of those oversized vines the girl would be giving this old hag a piece of her mind. Instead, the girl clears her throat before speaking as politely as she can manage. "Do you mind telling me why you destroyed my house?" The old lady smirks at the girl''s question. The large vine the old woman stands upon carries her to the hole in the wall. The girl scrambles to her feet as the old woman steps into her shelter. The old lady gives the room a once over before clearing her throat. "What?" The girl asks incredulously. The old woman rolls her eyes. She raises her wooden cane with one hand, pointing it at the sleeping boy. The girl quickly finds her voice as she explains his presence. "Oh- He floated here yesterday, and I couldn''t let him die, so I patched him up!" The old woman tilts her head at the girl''s story. The way her eyes flicker between the girl and the boy makes her distrust obvious. The girl throws her hands up in defeat. "Look, I don''t know what to tell you!" The girl whines. "Well you could start by explaining why you''re naked." The old woman interjects. Turning red, the girl hurriedly covers her nether regions with her hands. "I-I woke up like this!" Clicking her tongue in disapproval, the old woman pulls one of her many brown robes off her own back and tosses it to the girl. The girl catches it mid air, gratefully slipping it over her bare body. The old woman waits for the girl to calm down before continuing her questioning. "So, now that you''re decent, mind telling me what you''re doing with that dungeon core?" The old woman''s cane points at the gemstone atop the pedestal. The girl glances over at her gemstone, her eyebrows raising as she looks back at the old woman. She asks what feels like a stupid question. "What''s a dungeon core?" "Hah? You mean you don''t even know what it is, and you''re sleeping next to it?" The old woman questions incredulously. The girl feels heat rising to her cheeks as the old woman speaks. From the sound of it, her gemstone is something dangerous. The girl swallows her pride, asking another question. "Are these uh, dungeon cores, dangerous?" The old woman laughs. It starts as a chuckle, and gradually grows. The girl watches awkwardly as the old woman hunches over, slapping her knee whilst guffawing. Finally the old woman stops her chortling to reply. "They''re arguably the most dangerous thing in the realm! Haha, is it dangerous? That''s a new one..." "Really? But it''s super helpful, and I doubt I''d be alive without it," The girl replies earnestly. That wipes the amused look right off the old woman''s face. She looks between the girl and the core suspiciously. Her next question is spoken cautiously. "By any chance... did it make you?" There''s a chilling pause. The girl and old woman lock eyes for a fleeting moment. The girl''s confused look of disbelief breaks the moment. "What? No, my parents made me, obviously." "...Just checking. Can you explain how it helped you, dear?" "Well I used it to create this house, push back flood waters, and start a fire. It''s just super handy for everything." The old woman stares at the girl as if she''s grown a second head. The girl laughs nervously, her voice unsteady as she questions the old woman''s expression. "What''s the matter? Did I say something strange?" "You spoke as if the core is a tool, not a being." "Well... I think of it like I do my arm, it''s just a part of me, I guess?" The old woman shakes her head in disbelief. She walks toward the pedestal, her cane thumping along the stone steadily. Upon reaching the dungeon core, the old woman whispers something. "Greetings, dungeon core." The girl''s eyes widen in shock as she hears the old woman''s voice inside her head. She voices her curiosity eagerly. "How did you do that?!" Hearing the sudden exclamation, the old woman turns to regard the girl with a puzzled expression. She replies to the girl''s question with a question of her own. "Do what?" "You spoke inside my head!" The old woman''s jaw drops. She turns away from the girl to look at the dungeon core. Then back at the girl. An incredulous smile splits the old woman''s face as she reveals the truth. "I spoke telepathically to the dungeon core." The girl shuffles awkwardly, not sure what to tell the old woman. She''s pretty sure the dungeon core is part of her. Will the old woman try to harm her once she figures that out? The old woman''s face softens as she speaks. "Ah, I see." "S-See what?" "I should have noticed it sooner. Your soul is housed in both the dungeon core and your human body," The old woman explains. The lack of surprise from the girl gives the old woman pause. She purses her lips in thought. "You already knew." "I had a hunch!" The girl raises her hands in surrender. "Haha, clever girl... most wouldn''t take too kindly to a hybrid such as yourself." "Hybrid? Are there others like me?" Hope leaks into the girl''s voice. "Not to my knowledge. You''re the first human dungeon core hybrid I''ve heard of, and likely the only one in the world." The girl''s face falls upon hearing the bad news. She is a unique existence, and one most people will react negatively to. The old woman pats the girl comfortingly on the shoulder, a surprisingly tender gesture. When the girl speaks, her voice comes out as a whisper. "What am I meant to do?" "You''ll do what all dungeon cores do, you''ll survive." "Dungeon cores... What exactly is a dungeon core?" The old woman chuckles, her expression growing wistful as she looks over at the girl''s core. "That''s a long story. You should take a seat, child." Dungeon Core [4] The sun sits high in the cloudy sky. Beneath it lies a swamp, populated by a variety of plants and animals. In the center of an aquatic swamp region sits a stone building. One wall is broken apart, leaving a hole with which to peek inside. Within the building is an old woman, a girl, and a sleeping boy. The old woman is explaining something to the girl. "Dungeon cores are sentient crystals which have evolved to shape their surroundings. They often build dungeons to house themselves, hence the name ''dungeon core.''" "Why don''t they just seal themselves in stone? It would be a lot safer than a dungeon." "Well, they did that at first. Fortune seekers would hunt them, using tools to dig right to the core. This almost always resulted in the core''s death." The girl goes quiet at that. The old woman quickly fills the silence. "Fortunately for the cores, they adapted. Instead of hiding away, they provided valuable resources to those that sought them." "Wait, then why are they making dungeons now?" The old woman chuckles, her words laced with bitterness. "One day you''ll learn just how cruel humanity can be, child. The generous cores of old lacked protection, therefore humans easily culled them when they desired their crystalline body." The girl pales. The old woman continues. "The surviving cores did not take any chances after that. They set up gauntlets, guarding themselves from the humans. This inevitably led to more dungeon core deaths. Humanity felt outraged when their resource providing possessions rebelled against them." "Are dungeon cores... sentient?" The old woman nods slowly. "That''s horrible! They were enslaving the poor cores!" The girl shouts. "Indeed. Human greed knows no bounds. Thankfully, the dungeon cores of today have struck a balance with humanity." The girl''s face lights up at that. She''s paying even closer attention now. The old woman smiles at that, finishing her explanation. "Dungeon cores provide valuable treasures which humans covet, yet they place these treasures beyond a gauntlet of traps and monsters. The core gets protection and sustenance whilst the delvers get glory and wealth." "Delvers?" "Yes, delvers. They''re humans skilled in delving into dungeons to extract treasure." The girl purses her lips. Considering what she''s just learned, she will likely be expected to build a dungeon of her own. One with ways to fend off invaders, and treasure to be pulled from its depths. The girl is stricken with a mixture of fear and excitement at the prospect. "This is a lot to take in..." The girl sighs. "Indeed. I trust you''ll get a handle on it in time, dear." The old woman gives the girl a comforting pat on the back, a gesture reminiscent of a grandmother comforting her grandchild. "Any ideas on what kind of dungeon you''ll build?" The girl looks past the old woman to eye the surrounding swamp. She smiles a little as inspiration comes to her. The girl turns to regard the old woman once more, her tone lighter. "I don''t suppose you''ve ever seen an Indiana Jones movie?" "Can''t say that I have." "Well... I''ll be taking inspiration from the franchise." The old woman nods without understanding the girl''s words. She turns suddenly, looking out at the swamp. The girl watches the old woman walk toward the break in the wall. The old woman takes long strides, her cane thumping against the stone floor. The girl calls out to the old woman, her voice laced with anxiety. "Where are you going?" "Out. There''s something I must do, and I''ve been putting it off for too long." Without breaking stride, the old woman steps out through the gap in the wall and onto a waiting vine. The massive green appendage lifts the old woman like a living elevator, helping her move over the water without getting wet. The girl hurries over to the hole in the wall. She shouts her plea to the departing old woman. "Please come back to visit!" The girl watches the old woman wave her cane in acknowledgement of her request. The girl flinches when several giant green vines uncoil themselves from her house''s exterior. These slithering vines retreat from sight, likely following the old woman. I never got her name... ~ Wiping sweat from her brow, the girl surveys her handiwork. An immense stone pyramid, with a fifty meter by fifty meter square base. Hours spent converting water and earth into mana, then converting that mana into stone. Currently the stone pyramid is smooth and featureless. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Hm. Needs some big flat steps. Stairs, too." The girl carves away at the stone with mana. The smooth straight slopes of the pyramid are quickly chiseled into square blocky tiers, each one roughly five meters deep and tall. She adds four sets of functional stairs leading up all four sides of the pyramid. These steps are made purposefully uneven, their non uniform construction making the climb more inconvenient for any would-be robbers. Needs more detail. A chip in the stone here, a crack in the rock there. The girl attempts to make her swamp pyramid look more natural. After chipping away at the task for several minutes, the girl finally gives up on doing things manually. Instead, she creates a meter wide rock above the pyramid. The huge stone falls after being brought into existence, degrading the pyramid''s sharp edges as it tumbles down into the water. Giggling, the girl creates a whole quartet of boulders to weather her pyramid. Thump. Thump. Splash! Each boulder rolls down the pyramid on a unique path of destruction, leaving plenty of marks to give the pyramid an aged look. The girl removes the submerged boulders before promptly creating a new batch at the top of the pyramid. She watches with childlike glee as the large rocks bounce down her pyramid and into the water. The sun is a little lower in the sky when she finally stops throwing boulders at her pyramid. While she appreciates the weathered look her pyramid is sporting, she doesn''t approve of all the loose debris lying around her pyramid. No ancient temple would still have so many pebbles on its exposed surfaces. To remedy this problem she employs water. An immense deluge appears above the pyramid as per the girl''s mental orders, washing away small rocks and debris. The whole structure glistens in the afternoon sun as the water drains into the surrounding wilderness. Taking another look at her handiwork, the girl frowns. She thought this was everything, yet she can''t shake the feeling there''s something missing from her pyramid. The girl''s eyes wander from her pyramid to it''s surroundings. Murky swamp water. Oversaturated loamy soil. Gnarled looming trees. The girl stops, her gaze resting upon some vines hanging from a tree. The girl slaps her fist atop her open palm, exclaiming her epiphany. "That''s it! Vines!" Riding the high of her realization, the girl thoughtless glances at a nearby vine before attempting to replicate it onto her pyramid. An abundance of mana drains from her core. She starts, her eyebrows raising as the vine consumes more than twice as much mana as the stone did. "Wait a minute... I made life?!" The girl shivers at the implications of what she''s done. She unknowingly crossed a line, and it didn''t even strain her! It simultaneously imbues the girl with a sense of pride and fear. After all, if she''s capable of replicating plants, then why not animals? People, even? Let''s just cross that bridge when we get to it... Pushing that aside, the girl decides its high time she adds an entrance to her pyramid. She moves above the tip of the pyramid. Using a surge of mana, she flattens the tip of the pyramid into a platform. She carves a massive stone door into the platform, a two meter by two meter slab of rock. Beneath the door she carves a staircase. She ends the staircase three meters down--roughly a story of a modern building. The girl carves a square corridor along the interior perimeter of her pyramid. This tunnel starts at the staircase, and spirals down the pyramid. She ensures the floor of the corridor is at a consistent incline. She finishes the basic layout of the dungeon by ending the corridor with a spacious chamber. "Okay, now for the fun part!" A manic grin spreads across the girl''s face as she carves pit into the floor of the corridor. At the bottom of this hallway spanning pit, she creates an array of stone spikes. She tests the effectiveness of the pit by dropping a ball of dirt into it. The results are... messy. The girl removes the soil from her pitfall trap. She considers the trap a success, and duplicates the same design throughout the corridor. Hopefully these plainly visible spike pits will serve as an effective deterrent. Now that the stick is in place, it''s time for the carrot. Deep beneath the earth, far below the girl''s core, she can sense something shiny. She examines the pretty mineral before duplicating a chunk of it atop her pyramid. Seeing it in the light, she can say with certainty that its gold! Real gold, too, not pyrite. The girl creates a plain looking stone vase, carving an alcove into the side of the corridor for it to fill. Inside this vase she places several gold coins. Each coin is marked with a pyramid on one side, and an alligator''s head on the other. More alcoves are carved into the walls of the winding corridor, each one at an even distance from the others. Inside, she places random assortments of vases. The vases come in several shapes: tall, squat, tiny, and large. Inside theses vases she places more of the golden coins. She is careful to put larger sums of money in the deeper vases, and lesser sums in the shallower ones. Inspiration strikes. She knows what kind of treasure she can put at the end of her dungeon. The girl floats down into bottom of her pyramid. She enters the large chamber at the bottom, and creates an intricate stone pedestal. Atop this pedestal she places a watermelon sized lump of gold. She carves, expending a trickle of mana as she turns the lump of gold into a proper idol. It resembles an alligator standing on two legs, it''s round shape giving it a chubby appearance. What a wonderful treasure! I''m sure delvers will adore you! ~ The trilling of birds mingles with the croaking of frogs. A man walks through the swamp, his leather boots keeping the mud off his clothes. His keen eye continuously scans his surroundings. A short sword hangs off his belt, it''s scabbard slapping against his thigh softly as he walks. He steps out from behind the trees to look across the slough. His eyes widen slightly as he looks beyond the snags to see an imposing structure. Partially surrounded by water, the massive building is nothing like he''s ever seen. "Oi! What''re you standing around for, Carter?" The shout of his friend shakes Carter from his reverie. He turns, giving the armored man a wide smile as he gestures over his shoulder. "I found our dungeon, my friend." The armored man approaches with a raised eyebrow. His jaw drops when he sees the massive structure looming over the slough. It''s thrice as high as the nearby trees, and comprised entirely of a dark grey stone. "By the gods, what madness is this?" "I''ve no idea, Hugo. It''s nothing like the tomb back home." The two men stand there for several moments, appreciating the view of the overgrown pyramid. Their remaining party members join them. The priestess is quick to comment on the strangeness of the structure before them, her voice like the ringing of a clear bell. "It''s beautiful, in a way. Reminds me of the cathedral back home." "Does it? Feels a lot more ominous to me," Replies the party''s mage. The priestess nods, her golden locks bouncing with the motion. "That''s true. I can sense the dungeon''s domain, and it''s... terrifying." The four stare quietly at the pyramid a bit longer before Carter starts walking. The man leads the group around the edge of the slough, eyeing the pyramid when he''s not busy watching his footing. Upon reaching the edge of the pyramid, Carter puts his hand up to signal the party to stop. They quietly wait as Carter approaches the pyramid''s steps cautiously. He scans the ground with his eyes, searching for anything amiss. He finds nothing, and tells his party as such. "It''s not trapped. We should be safe to climb it." Hugo chuckles lowly, amused by the situation. "Never thought I''d have to climb so many stairs to get into a dungeon! Hah!" "Neither did I, my friend." Entering The Pyramid Carter ascends the pyramid with careful steps. His armored friend Hugo leaps up several steps at a time, a strategy that promptly throws the large man onto his face. Carter lets out a little laughter before he can stop himself, earning him a deathly glare from Hugo. "Hardy har har, laugh it up!" Hugo fumes. "Sorry, sorry! I couldn''t help it, honest." Carter offers an apologetic hand. Hugo begrudgingly takes it, rising to his feet with Carter''s help. The two men enjoy ribbing one another like this from time to time. The peak of the pyramid''s first visitor, Carter, is underwhelmed by what he sees. A flat platform with a square chunk of it cut suspiciously. No fancy altars or statues. No runes or ancient pictograms. "Well this is disappointing," Amy remarks. "Took the words right out of my mouth," Carter agrees. The four of them mill about the top of the pyramid, scanning for anything of note. Carter finds the view from here most striking. It gives him a most striking vantage point. He can see a distant fishing village nestled between the trees, one which he makes a mental note to visit later. Carter is brought out of his thoughts by Hugo. "Now don''t blame me if I''m wrong, but I think this here is meant to be our entrance." "Really? And how do you suppose we open it?" Asks the party''s priestess. "Why, with brute force!" Hugo squats down low to the floor, jamming his armored hands into the narrow crack surrounding the stone slab. He squeezes as tightly as he can, and begins to lift with all his might. The man''s face reddens with exertion. His eyes bulge as he groans aloud. "Damn it!" Hugo swears, his arms shaking as he releases the stone. He failed to budge the stone. The party''s mage, Amy, steps forward with a confident expression. "Leave it me, big guy." "How in the blazes is a wee lass like you--" Amy turns her palms up to face the sky before throwing her arms up into the air. Mana bends to her will, creating a massive cascade of purple crystals which grow in the cracks between the slab and the pyramid. Hugo''s words die in his throat as several amethyst growth send the stone slab he couldn''t lift flying up into the air. The massive slab of stone lands with a resounding crack, tumbling down into the water below with a splash. "That''s how." Says Amy, smirking. Hugo looks a tad embarrassed as he stares at the submerged stone resting at the foot of the pyramid. Amy and the priestess huddle around the entrance to the dungeon, peering down the newly revealed stone staircase. Carter slaps Hugo upon the back, comforting the man with a few words. "It''s alright my friend. You just lacked the leverage necessary to lift it." "...Aye." "Now, what say we delve a dungeon?" Hugo''s expression softens at the mention of their delve. He turns to face the exposed staircase, his wounded pride forgotten. It''s a spiral staircase, leading down into darkness. Carter pulls a pre-made torch from his pack, lighting it with a firestarter. "I''ll lead the way with Hugo right behind me, you two take the rear like usual." The rest of the party nods their assent. Carter leads the way, holding the burning torch aloft. Hugo follows behind him, his heavy steps echoing down into the pyramid''s interior. Amy and the priestess stick close to one another at the back of the group, their pace dictated by Carter''s. Down they go, several meters beneath the stone. There is no sunlight within the pyramid. The flickering orange flame of Carter''s torch is the only thing illuminating their path. Carter steps out of the staircase and into a corridor. His three allies follow suit, their nerves taut as they look into the darkness. Carter does a quick head count before moving forward. "One, two, three... okay. Stick close everyone." They descend deeper into the pyramid, walking carefully down the slightly inclined passage. It''s not long before Carter gestures for the group to stop. They wait silently for their leader to make the call. Carter scans the floor of the tunnel carefully for several seconds. Once satisfied with his inspection, he turns to address his party. "There''s a pit full of spikes just ahead. It''s roughly two meters long, so we should be able to jump it." The group nods in understanding. Carter takes a few cautious steps forward, stopping at the edge of the pit. He holds the torch high so as to illuminate the spike filled pitfall. Carter gestures for Hugo to step forward. The heavily armored man does as such, his footfalls echoing down the passage. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Mary, get ready in case we need some healing," Carter orders. Mary, the party''s priestess, steps forward with a silver rosary in hand. Hugo takes a step back from the edge of the pit, getting a running start before leaping across the pit. The clang of Hugo''s steel boots hitting the opposite edge of the gap rings like a gong. He stumbles a few steps further before coming to a stop. He turns to wave across the gap. "It''s plenty clear over here!" Amy steps up next, her eyes flickering from the pit to Hugo on the other side. She breaks into a sprint. Hugo steps aside as Amy jumps clear across the pitfall, easily landing on the other side. "Alright, Mary. Your turn." Mary hesitantly approaches the edge of the pitfall. She takes a deep breath, and starts to rush clumsily toward the edge of the pit. She loses her nerve at the last moment, panicking, flailing her arms to stop herself. Carter grabs the back of her robe, helping her right herself. "You got this, Mary!" Amy shouts encouragingly. Mary looks up, exchanging a smile with Amy. She takes a step backwards. Finally, she takes a running leap across the spike pit. Amy catches her, beaming at the priestess'' performance. "I did it!" Mary squeaks. "Yes, yes you did." Amy laughs. Carter looks across the pit to see Hugo ready to catch the torch. Carter tosses the torch end over end, neatly passing it to Hugo. Hugo holds the torch steady to provide light for Carter. Carter crosses the gap with a deft leap, landing on his feet. Hugo is quick to pass Carter his torch. "Let''s go." The party of four delves deeper, Carter leading the way with his eyes scanning the edges of the torchlight. They walk for several minutes before Carter halts. "There''s something ahead. I can''t tell if its a trap, but stay on high alert." Hugo raises his hammer. Amy''s hands twitch, eager to cast. Mary just looks queasy. Carter takes a few silent steps forward before recognizing an alcove carved into the wall. Two stone urns occupy the alcove. Carter is cautious, approaching and carefully prodding the urns with the tip of his drawn sword. When nothing of note happens, Carter relaxes. "It looks safe. Two urns, could contain something dangerous. Get ready, Mary." Mary clutches her rosary tightly. Carter sheaths his sword, and passes the torch to Hugo. He carefully grabs ahold of an urn. It rattles as he lifts it. Turning the urn over, Carter catches the urns sole content. A golden coin. "What is it?" Hugo asks. "It''s a coin. I think it might be made of... gold?" "What?! Let me see!" Amy interjects. On a whim, Carter flips the coin into the air. All four of them watch the glimmering coin turn end over end. An alligator''s face on one side--The pyramid they''re within on the other. Amy catches it before it can hit the floor. "It''s... actually made of gold!" The excitement pushes Carter to inspect the other urn. He grabs it whilst the others are distracted by the gold coin. Turning it over, he catches a pair of coins identical to the first. He turns to address his party, finding them engrossed in a conversation regarding dungeon cores. "I''m not sure the nearest city lord would take kindly to that, Amy..." Hugo grumbles. "Confound the city lord! This dungeon spits out ancient gold coins, who cares about the rules when we could be getting far more valuable treasures?" "Amy, what''re you suggesting?" Carter interrupts. "I''m suggesting we keep this place to ourselves." "No. We play by the rules, Amy." "But think of the opportunity we''d be passing up!" "We''re not bandits. We''re delvers." Amy''s expression darkens upon hearing Carter''s words. She takes a deep breath, and nods her understanding. Carter''s watchful gaze shifts from the party''s mage to the coins in his hand. The others all perk up upon seeing two more valuable coins. "We''ve acquired three coins. I say we delve deeper in search of a fourth coin, to make things even between the four of us." "Aye, I can get behind that!" "Sure." "I''ll do my best not to slow us down." Getting affirmative answers from all of his teammates, Carter turns to lead the way, reclaiming his torch from Hugo. He passes the two coins in his hand to Hugo and Mary. This way he''s the only one without treasure, ensuring some fairness between leader and company. "Stay close. We have yet to see any monsters, and I would bet my britches there''s at least one lurking somewhere down here." Amy snorts in amusement. When no further comments arrive from the peanut gallery, Carter starts his march. The torchlight flickers eerily as the group creeps deeper. The constant spiraling of the passage is unsettling. To Carter it seems as if they''re climbing down the esophagus of a great snake. Torchlight illuminates a pit full of spikes. This one looks identical to the last, right down to the arrangement of the spikes. Carter signals for the group to stop, and the party repeats the same procedure they followed to pass the first pitfall trap. Once on the other side, the group is greeted by an alcove filled with urns. Amy nearly lunges upon the treasure laden vessels before Carter grabs her by the back of her collar. She yelps in agitation, her face twisting with anger. "Let go you damn control freak!" "Calm down. We need to check for traps." A venomous retort rests upon Amy''s lips, yet she doesn''t let it slip from her mouth. Mary is looking fearfully at her. Shame and guilt douse the fire in Amy. She lets Carter pull her away from the urns, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Better. I''ll check them each like before. Hugo?" Hugo offers an open hand. Carter passes him the torch to free up both hands. He turns to the alcove, his eyes scanning the three urns. One is squat and wide. Another tall and skinny. The third is unremarkable. Carter picks up the squat urn, hearing coins rattling inside. He turns it over, dumping four coins into his open palm with a series of clinks. The other''s eyes all widen at the quantity of gold. "Well then... this is, fortunate." Carter murmurs stiffly. Carter passes out the coins, keeping one for himself. He turns back to the urns. Taking the skinny one in hand, he pours it out into his hand. Two coins fall into his palm this time. Rather than passing them out now, he takes the third urn--the unremarkable one--and adds its contents to what''s in his hand. Three more coins fall from the urn to join the first two, making five. The group''s expressions shift between excitement, fear, and disbelief. Once split evenly amongst them, each party member has three gold coins in their possession. Despite being an unrecognized currency, they''re immensely valuable for their material and rarity. "I think it''s safe to say we''re mighty rich, ain''t we?" "Y-Yes... I could afford to buy the abbey back home with this much!" "Really? That feels like an exaggeration, Mary..." Amy comments suspiciously. Mary blushes at Amy''s accusation. Truthfully Mary has no idea how much it would cost to buy the abbey back home. She''s just a priestess, after all. "We can talk about what we''ll do with the money later, for now we should leave the dungeon." The team reigns in their enthusiasm. Their leader is right, they''re still in a dungeon. It''s best not to count your chickens before they hatch. Making Off Like Bandits [6] The flickering torchlight guides the party back up the winding tunnel. Each step is more grueling than the last, the shallow incline is surprisingly tiring to ascend. Hugo is breathing heavily by the time they reach the last obstacle, a pit trap near the pyramid''s entrance. "We''ll do it just like we did the last one. Hugo?" "Aye." Hugo walks up to the edge of the spike filled pit. He takes a step back before running forward to gain some speed. He leaps. Unfortunately Hugo underestimated how far he had to go. His jump''s speed and height are lacking, sending him straight down into the trap. His armor clangs against the stone lip of the pit as he falls. "Hugo!" Carter shouts. Mary is trembling as the sight of Hugo plummeting into the pit replays in her mind. Amy wears a dark expression, saying nothing. Carter approaches the edge of the pit. He holds the torch aloft, assessing the situation. "I''m fine! Think I broke my armor, though!" Hugo shouts. The tension lessens as Hugo reassures them of his health. Carter can see Hugo is laying on the stone spikes, with several of the spikes broken beneath his weight. The back of his armor is dented in several places. "Can you move?" Asks Carter. Hugo sits up, wincing at the painful sensation. "Yeah, but it fucking hurts." Carter breaths a sigh of relief. He pulls a bundle of rope from his bag, uncoiling it and lowering one end down to Hugo. He passes the other end to his two party members. The three of them brace themselves in preparation of Hugo''s weight. "Ya ready up there?" "We''re ready! Climb up!" Hugo climbs the rope with his jaw clenched. The pain threatens to escape through his mouth, but he resists the urge to vocalize. Sweat drips down Hugo''s forehead as he climbs over the edge of the pit. Finally on safe ground, he collapses onto his stomach. Mary is quick to kneel beside him in order to tend his wounds. "Thank goodness you''re safe..." Mary murmurs. Hugo grunts in reply, not moving from his position on the floor. Mary raises her rosary. The tunnel fills with a brilliant white light originating from Mary''s rosary. The abrasions on Hugo''s back knit themselves back together over the course of several minutes. Mary looks satisfied as the light fades, leaving Hugo fully healed. "All done, big guy." "Thank you kindly, lass." Hugo finally gets up off the floor, standing on his own two feet. He looks over at the pit of spikes warily. He moves several paces back from the edge. Mary interrupts him, voicing her concerns. "Must you go first? What if you fall again?" "I won''t. Got too relaxed last time, won''t happen again." Mary pouts. She doesn''t stop Hugo as he sprints forward. He leaps, clearing the hole. He grunts with exertion upon landing on the other side of the trap. Turning around, he gives the rest of his party a thumbs up. "Told ya I would do it properly this time!" "Ideally you''d do it properly the first time, friend." Carter chuckles, tossing his torch across the pit. Hugo picks it up to illuminate the corridor for Carter. Moving cautiously, Carter crosses the gap with a running jump. Hugo grunts in mock dissatisfaction, as if hoping for Carter to fall. "Don''t be like that, you''d cry if I fell in." "Nay, I''m not like our lass." Amy takes a running start before cleanly leaping across the gap. When she lands, she gives Hugo the stink eye. Her voice is laced with venom as she speaks. "Your party has two ''lasses'' you big oaf." Hugo clears his throat, apologizing with reddened cheeks. "Sorry, lass." Mary is the last to cross. She looks even more nervous than she did the first time they crossed a spike it. Hugo''s fall shook Mary up more than anyone. Her steps are unsteady as she shuffles toward the edge of the pit. "I-I can''t!" Whimpers Mary. The rest of the party looks both disappointed and concerned upon hearing Mary''s words. Carter offers moral support, standing at the edge of the trap with his arms extended. "I''ll catch you! All you have to do is jump, like you''re crossing a stream." Mary nods at Carter''s words. She clings to the assurance mentally, taking a few steps back before sprinting at the hole. Once at the edge she leaps. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Gotcha!" Carter manages to catch Mary in his arms, the blonde woman bursting into tears upon realizing she made it. Carter gently pats the woman''s back. Amy''s brows furrow. Hugo looks away. "It''s alright, Mary. We''re almost out. Just a few more steps and you''ll be out." "I-I know! I''m just so relieved everyone made it!" Mary sniffs. Carter and Mary separate. The priestess wipes her nose with a handkerchief provided by Hugo, her eyes puffy and red. Carter takes the torch back from Hugo, and they ascend the final stretch of the corridor. The stairs are just as they left them. Single file, the party climbs them out of the pyramid. Sunlight warms Carter''s face as he steps out onto the peak of the pyramid. The familiar sounds of the swamp are music to his ears. His party steps out after him, one by one. "I am so happy to see the sun again!" Hugo remarks. "Really? It wasn''t even that bad, friend," Carter replies. "You didn''t fall into any damn trap, chucklenut!" Carter laughs at Hugo''s retort. The two men enjoy the fresh air, the view of the swamp below surprisingly beautiful as the sun nears the horizon. Behind the two men, Amy comforts Mary. The blonde woman''s difficulty delving worries Amy especially. Having known each other since childhood, they''re remarkably close. "It will be okay, Mary." "B-But something could go wrong!" "I... I can''t deny that, but we''re delvers. It comes with the territory." "What if we quit?" Amy looks surprised. She gives Mary a concerned look before responding. "Do you want to quit?" Mary hesitates, her expression growing complicated as she considers what to say. Being a delver is fraught with danger. Every time you enter a dungeon you accept the risk of death. Mary has been to dungeons several times, and they''re always fraught with danger. They often fuel her nightmares: whirring blades, huge skewers, swinging axes. It''s all so much for Mary, and yet it''s the career she chose. "Could we? I don''t know if I''d want to go back to the abbey..." "Well we do have quite the sum of gold now. Maybe even enough for a little vacation?" Carter and Hugo join in on the conversation. Hugo gently gives Mary a pat on the shoulder, his gloved hand lightly making contact as he speaks in his usual gruff tone. "Aye, any good city lord will buy this off us for a hefty sum." "Really? How much do you think?" Mary asks. "Oh, can''t say for sure, but it''d probably be about thirty crown." "THAT MUCH?!" Amy shouts. "A-Aye... They could make around two crown with each of these er, dungeon coins, so I imagine they''d compensate us for them very well." "He''s right. We should be able to take plenty of time off after we trade these in to a city lord." The group''s excitement is palpable now. Carter is quick to interrupt the brewing conversation, his hand raised to gesture for the party to listen. "We can celebrate once we''ve secured the gold. For now, we must make haste." "Pah, but I''m mighty tired!" Hugo complains. "You can camp out in the swamp if you like. I''m sure the mosquitos will welcome you, friend." Hugo''s complexion pales as he imagines the mosquito population targeting him in his sleep. Oh he can feel the itchiness of such a scenario, all those horrible welts! Hugo is first to begin marching down the pyramid. Carter laughs, following after him. Amy and Mary share an amused smile as they move down the pyramid. ~ High above the clouds lies the edge of the world. Here, where the planet''s atmosphere kisses the endless void, something is coming. The vaguely spherical chunk of rock is floating ever nearer. Like a ship lost at sea, it drifts closer and closer to the planet''s boundary. Finally a tipping point is reached. The rock moves faster, picking up speed as it becomes a meteorite. Grey rock turns orange from the heat of entering the atmosphere. Fire blazes along the exterior of the meteor. It plummets through the upper atmosphere like a stone sinking into water. Moments later, the meteor breaks through the cloud layer. The aerated moisture does little to cool the meteor in its descent. The clouds part to reveal the interloper, its fiery appearance a beacon in the evening sky. The sun is setting, yet this meteor does its best to compete in terms of splendor. Several eyes watch the meteor with wonder. It is a rare sight, one worth watching. One familiar old woman watches the meteor with a serious expression. She follows the trajectory of the falling meteorite, tracing its path through the sky. Massive vines rise from the earth around her. The soil is displaced as the vines carry the woman toward the meteor at high speed. Roots and branches snap all around the old woman as she charges toward the meteor''s predicted site of impact. Seconds later, the meteor hits the spot the old woman expected. She''s not too far now, her robes billowing in the wind as plant life propels her forward. Several trees tear themselves apart to let her pass, whilst others turn themselves into helpful limbs meant to push her forward. She ignores the path of devastation she creates. The only thing in her mind is the smoke rising from the crater ahead. The old woman reaches the impact site before anyone else can consider looking for it. Her dark eyes search the crater. Smoke rises from a chunk of rock sitting amid mulched forest. She lowers herself to the ground, releasing a phlegm laden cough into the crook of her arm. Glittering crystals from the void fill the meteorite. Strange crystals one cannot find in this realm are embedded into the space rock''s surface. The old woman wastes no time in forcing nearby plants to pry some of the dark purple crystals free. Another cough. The old woman hunches over, dark blood splattering onto the churned soil beneath her feet. Her expression turns grave as she wipes the blood from her lips. Her vines finally finish breaking apart the meteor. She collects the chunks of foreign crystal into a small pouch, hidden beneath her many robes. The old woman turns on her heel. An assortment of hulking vines and roots move with her mana, guided by her will. She rides the immense vines up and out of the crater, leaving the smoking meteor behind. She travels at high speed once more, following her trail of destruction back from whence she came. Several minutes go by. She manages to reach her destination in less than an hour: an overgrown house situated between three massive cypress trees. She wills some of the vines covering her front door aside. Inside, moss blankets the floor like carpet. Bioluminescent fungus lines the walls, corralled by thin green vines. The old woman''s steps are silent upon the mossy floor. She stumbles into her kitchen, blood splattering onto the moss as she hacks out a rather violent cough. The old woman''s hands are shaking. She pulls out a mortar and pestle from within her cupboard. With a great deal of trembling, the old woman fills the mortar with otherworldly crystals. No strength lies in the old woman''s arms. Instead, she relies on manipulating the wooden pestle with her magic. The pestle is living, its internals a hodge-podge of plant life. The old woman wills the pestle to work. The hard wooden pestle grinds against the dark purple crystals. The old woman feels faint as she works with her mana. Blood is leaking from her nose. Purple glittering powder fills the mortar. The old woman realizes she''s finished grinding the crystals, and quickly brings the mortar up to her lips. Brilliantly glittering crystal dust pours down the old woman''s throat, her eyes watering as she feels the hard sand-like material score her throat. A few gulps of water later, the old woman is stable. For now.