“I will not be the failing you, my Core, this I am the promising you!” the kobold squeaked with excitement and determination, one fist curled and held to her chest as she looked towards the ceiling. While the voice of the Dungeon Core seemed to emanate from everywhere around her, it only felt right to look up while communicating with it.

The Dungeon Core was her creator, her god, and it deserved her utmost respect, no matter how strange the Core might be.

Taking in a deep breath of the sweet, damp smell of the clay that made up the current section of the dungeon, the kobold took her first steps towards leaving it for the first time. Her Core had given her instructions to follow, and even though she was the first and only kobold the Dungeon Core had created so far, she wanted to prove to it that she was also the best.

With her thin chest puffed out with pride, the kobold hopped down the short drop into the tunnel that would take her to the exit, her tail twitching back and forth slightly with barely restrained glee. She marched with her head held as high as she could, mouth parted slightly to display her rows of sharp teeth in a show of happiness.

She was on a mission and she would prove herself worthy. The Dungeon Core would know that it was in the safest of claws, and the future kobolds it created would sing her praises for generations to come. They would need to be made first, of course, and the Core would need to be convinced that she was deserving of a name, but the kobold was sure she could explain why she needed one. It seemed fairly reasonable.

“Careful, watch your step! I’m just ahead!”

Her ears twitched and lifted at the sound of the Core’s voice. While at this stage the Dungeon Core shouldn’t even be capable of speech, this one seemed very different, and its voice was surprisingly lovely. It was rich but slightly raspy at the same time, pleasant on the ears, and with a clear personality to it. The [Dungeon Knowledge] which dwelt within her told her that it shouldn’t be possible, that the Dungeon Core was much too young, and yet…

The kobold looked down the passage, following the soft red glow, one foot still paused midstep as her yellow eyes fixated on the round little orb that lay on the ground as if it were a common pebble. The voice that came from the Core was oddly suited to the ruby coloured jewel.

She felt her heart clench at the sight of it laying there. This was wrong, this was all so very wrong. Here was her creator, her god, her precious and only Dungeon Core… And it sat like discarded trash in the dirt. She swallowed hard, pushing down cries of protest, as she slowly approached the warm glow of the Core.

“Oh… Core… What horrible thing did this?” she whispered, squeaky voice as soft as she could make it. She bent then, carefully gathering the Dungeon Core into the palms of her scaly hands.

She held it as if it might shatter at the slightest pressure, looking at her own reflection in the shiny surface of the shimmering gem. The Dungeon Core remained quiet, but the kobold could feel its presence all the same. With the Core clutched gently in her claws they were connected, able to feel what each other felt. She could sense the turmoil that swirled within the mind that occupied the stone, how confused and concerned it was, and how it could also sense what she was feeling.

In the depths of the orb, where light seemed to flicker and dance, the kobold could almost see the way things were supposed to be. If her [Dungeon Knowledge] was correct, a Dungeon Core was normally much larger than this, something impossible for a mere kobold to hold in the palms of its hands. The Core should be sitting in an alcove, or on a simple pedestal of some sort. The older the Dungeon Core the more elaborately it would be enshrined, but never would it be found just laying on the ground the way this one was.

“I woke up like this…”

Though the Core was incapable of shouting or whispering, its voice always at the same volume, the kobold could hear how very quiet it was trying to be. She could hear the shame, heavy and rough, in its tone. Through her it knew that it was wrong, that to be found the way it was was the equivalent of finding a holy sword being used as a toothpick by a giant.

It was blasphemy. Worse than blasphemy, really. The situation was like finding a god clothed in rags, abandoned in a gutter, forgotten and alone.

The kobold closed her padded fingers around the orb, bringing it to her chest as she took a shaky breath in through her nose. She wouldn’t cry, she refused. She needed to be strong for her Dungeon Core, it needed her to be able to manage at least that much. The Core didn’t know how very wrong its existence was, that it was supposed to be enshrined and worshipped by its monsters, or that it should be at least ten times its current size and floating above the dirt.

There was something broken about this Dungeon Core, but it was hers all the same, and she would protect it with her life.

“Do not be the worrying, Core. I will be the taking you the deeper in, putting you up high. If the badgers are the waking and the exploring, they will not be the finding you,” determination filled her voice once more, though it wavered slightly, as she turned back into the depths of the dungeon to the room she was created in.

There was a long moment of silence from the Dungeon Core, which could still feel the things that moved through the kobold’s heart due to their current connection, but then it spoke once more, voice warm with a surprising amount of affection.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

The kobold nodded firmly, not trusting her voice if she were to speak. To be thanked by the Core for such a simple act of service was flustering beyond any degree that she could express, and she felt heat spread through her face and chest. She didn’t deserve any praise for what she considered to be the absolute bare minimum, and yet she was receiving it anyway. It didn't make any sense to her.

She climbed back up into the room, still holding the Core carefully against her chest, and moved to the opposite end. The kobold shifted her grasp so that the Dungeon Core was cradled in one arm, freeing up a hand, and then used it to begin digging a small hole into the wall.

[Mining] was a specialty of kobolds, so it was rather easy to dig despite the thick and sticky clay that made up the walls in this section of the dungeon. Her sharp claws made quick work of the clay, pulling out several large chunks until there was an alcove that was large enough to fit the Dungeon Core within, extra room around it for when it needed to be moved. She made the hole high up, close to the ceiling, so that even if the badgers stood on their hind legs they would have trouble reaching it.

With her task done the kobold shook her hand, trying to rid it of the clay, and then set the Dungeon Core gently into the new space. “There, Core is being the safe now, yes?” the kobold chirped, cheerful sounding despite the worry that clawed at the inside of her chest. The soft red glow of the Core brightened a bit more, casting shades of rose across the room, making the dungeon feel warmer somehow.

“Safe and sound. Good luck building the door.”

The kobold felt a trembling in her chest once more from how kind the Core was, but she pushed it down, instead nodding firmly and flashing a wide grin towards the Dungeon Core itself now that it was within eyesight. “Kobolds are experts at the building things, so Core is being much the lucky.”

The Dungeon Core flashed a bit brighter, the glow indicating that it was apparently pleased with the response, though it didn’t say anything in return.

She turned her back on the Dungeon Core, giving it one last look over her shoulder to ensure that it wasn’t going to somehow roll itself out of the freshly dug alcove, and then the kobold headed out on her journey once more.

This time there were no interruptions from the Core, just a sort of watchful silence, as she moved along the tunnel. It wasn’t very long at all yet, being narrow enough that only a single kobold could walk down it at a time, but the dungeon also wasn’t very old. The room that she had been summoned into was fairly small as well, made in all directions to the exact dimensions of a large kobold.

It was obvious that the Dungeon Core had been building itself only to hold its largest current inhabitant, and the kobold was satisfied with that for now. The Core was at a disadvantage, smaller than it should have been and with less knowledge and skills, so the last thing it needed was to build itself so that its natural prey could come crawling inside before it was able to defend itself.

The kobold let out a soft puff of air, steeling herself and focusing on the current mission first. She could tell the Dungeon Core all about what dungeons were normally built for later, for now the only thing that should matter was getting that door made.

The hole ahead was very small, small enough that she would need to wriggle on her belly to reach the outside. Even if the Core hadn’t told her that she needed to go right the kobold would have known. Her eyes were sensitive to light, so the glow of the morning sun was all too obvious as it shone down into the earth. Plus the badgers were extremely noisy.

Going outside was probably going to give her a bit of a headache, but she was willing to suffer if it meant that her Core was protected and safe.

Before she could even begin she needed to use her fangs and claws to snap away the roots that obscured most of the hole, but once that was done she braced her hands on the sides of it, pulling herself up and into the much smaller tunnel. She squirmed and wiggled, moving along on her hands and toes in a way that, despite her appearance, was closer to that of a cat worming its way through a narrow space than a lizard. It didn’t take her long to reach the exit, her crocodilian body squeezing out of the darkness and into the light of the world above.

It was bright, oh so bright, but the sight of the world was breathtaking despite how painful it was to look at. For a moment all the kobold could do was sit in the grass and stare, her mouth slightly open as she took it all in.

The dungeon was set into a hillside, leaving the kobold with a clear view of the land that stretched out before it. The hill had a slope, dotted with the occasional rock and bush, until it reached a flatter area. This grassy plain rolled along, trees and bushes emerging here and there from it, until it stopped at a wooden fence that separated what seemed to be a farm from the rest of the world.

From where the kobold sat she could see the distant shapes of a house and a barn, a taller silo and a few other smaller buildings in the area as well. There were empty fields ringing the farm, also surrounded by fences, and then what seemed to be a road that disappeared into a forest. If she squinted, which she needed to do anyway to be able to see in the bright light, she could make out several swirling spires of smoke in the distance.

There was a village out there it seemed, hidden just behind the ridge of trees. If she were to set out for it now she would probably reach it within a few hours, with time enough to look around before heading back to the dungeon before nightfall.

She wasn’t actually going to travel to the village, of course, but knowing it was that close left a heavy feeling in her gut.

This was both good and bad for the Dungeon Core. Being near to civilization meant plenty of resources that they might not otherwise have access to, plus species capable of building were the main prey that dungeons fed upon. When the Core was strong enough and the dungeon the appropriate size it would be much easier to lure in prey to feed off of since they were so close. Those kinds of species tended to explore their surroundings, and who could resist a mysterious hole in the ground?

The problem was that prey tended to be very unpredictable, especially when it was unknown what kind of civilized species the dungeon was near to. Their prey could decide they didn’t like the idea of having a dungeon so close by and make for the Core immediately with the intent of shattering it. This meant that the Dungeon Core would need to build itself up in a way to be pleasing to its prey before then, to make it easier to convince them that it was better left to its own devices.

If the dungeon were more of a benefit than a hindrance, most civilized races would easily forgive a few deaths here and there. That was just the way most of them were. Greed often outweighed common sense, so if the Dungeon Core could provide them with resources they couldn’t get anywhere else then they would willingly risk their lives to go after them. It would be a win-win for both sides, with the Core able to feast enough to provide its prey with more and more resources, inviting them to forgive it in order to have access.

These were all things that the kobold knew to be true, gained from her [Dungeon Knowledge] skill, as well as the basic knowledge of her people’s culture and history that she had been granted.

She got up from the grass and dusted herself off with a heavy sigh. Things seemed as if they were going to be a lot more difficult than she wanted them to be thanks to the close proximity of the village, but she could figure out a way to spin things so they would work out. She was clever and smart, and though the Core was young the kobold could tell that it also had a wicked mind made for scheming. Together the two of them could bend the situation to their favour.

She turned her gaze from the civilized lands and to the woods that sat atop the hill. Though the trees at the top were sparse, they soon grouped together so tightly and densely that she couldn’t see anything through them, keeping the forest’s depths a secret to her. If the kobold followed the treeline with her eyes to her left she could see that it swept around, parting around the grassy plain, before joining the forest that hid the settlement from her eyes.

Looking to the right revealed a similar sight, though there was a river that poured out from a gap in the trees and snaked across the land before disappearing back into the woodland again. Being near a river was always beneficial, and the kobold found herself already longing to go splashing about in the cold water. A bath would be a good reward for all the hard work she was going to be doing.

It looked as if the nearby village was the only sign of civilization around, and that was good. If they were careful and played things safely then there would be nothing to worry about. The farm was nearby, but the air was still crisp with the chill of the fading winter, so it wasn’t time for any planting or trading to be done. There was no reason to believe that anyone would venture out here for some time yet, and with the entrance of the dungeon appearing to simply be a badger sett? Who would go looking to explore it?

A smile back on her face now, the kobold began to pick her way along the edge of the forest as she slowly moved across the hillside. The Core had requested material to build a door, yes, but it had also asked for a survey of the outside world. The kobold believed that she could easily do both if she began her exploration. Her claws might have been sharp, but it would still be difficult to gather wood directly from the forest, so fallen branches were her best bet for now. If she searched then she might find a few vines clinging to the trees as well.

They couldn’t simply stack the wood atop itself, they would need to bind it together in such a way that it became a solid piece in order to make the door. Hadn’t that been what the so-called Inner Voice had told the Core?

The kobold’s steps faltered slightly at the thought of the mysterious voice. Was there really another entity inside the Dungeon Core? She couldn’t be sure of the answer, after all, the Core was obviously not right. It had Awoken far too soon, and it felt more alive somehow than it should’ve even when it did properly Awaken. Everything concerning the Core seemed off, almost out of order.

It was far too small to even be active, and at this stage it should be a mindless entity concerned only with feeding and expanding. It was too close to the surface, meaning it had emerged long before it should have, and instead of summoning monsters to immediately kill the badgers for food it had instead wanted to protect them. The Dungeon Core should have been months away from learning to communicate, let alone have an actual personality. The inside of the dungeon was all the proof that the kobold needed of how young it was.

The Dungeon Core hadn’t consumed enough lives to have anything other than basic instincts, so what had happened? Why had it Awakened, despite everything pointing to the fact that it shouldn’t even exist?

The kobold shook her head, orange-tipped ears flopping about as she did so. It was no use worrying about any of it, not when there was nothing that could be done. If anything, she should be counting this all as a blessing. Her Core was alive and Awake, and it seemed to be kind. It cared about the badgers, and it seemed to care about her as well. With a Core like that as her leader she was sure to get a name if she just asked for one.

There was a slight skip to the kobold’s step as she considered the idea of being named, and a giggle left her as she bounded over a squared-off boulder, the moss soft beneath her feet. Once she completed her survey and brought the materials for the door the kobold would come back for that moss. The more the Dungeon Core devoured the better it could make itself, which was all the better for its chances of survival.

The ground was becoming rockier as she walked along, stones jutting out of the soil in lumps and bumps. It didn’t take the kobold long to realize that the boulders and rocks weren’t square in shape because of nature, instead they had been touched by the hands of an industrial species, purposefully shaped for a reason. The boulders weren’t there by mistake, but because they were the remains of a structure.

It was hard to understand what she was looking at at first due to the forest and how time had eroded things, but eventually the kobold began to recognize that she was looking at what was left of a wall, spread across the hillside from where something in the distant past had destroyed it.

Ridged brow pulled low with concern, the kobold began to follow the old wall into the forest.

What had happened in this place to cause such a large structure to fall apart and become abandoned? Had there been a war of some kind? If so, it had been long enough ago that there were no remains to be seen, no weapons or armor to speak of hiding in the shadows of the forest. There were just the mossy stones, disappearing into the sparse trees of the forest which seemed to have had a difficult time reclaiming the land in the immediate area.

The kobold continued along, climbing over rocks and roots, until it seemed as if the forest suddenly fell away to reveal the shape of a building. It was ruined now, of course, and covered in vines, but it was obvious what it had once been.

There had been a castle here, once upon a time, and the wall that she had been following must have been the wall that surrounded its lands. It didn’t seem as if it were the castle of a king, it was much too small for that, but the remains of the building indicated that it must have been rather lavish all the same. The forest must have begun as either hunting grounds or an orchard, and then after the castle fell it spread from there.

The main building itself, where people would have lived, was mostly intact, though one wall was completely collapsed to show the insides, and the kobold could see that aside from the wear and tear of time it looked fairly sheltered inside. It had probably been picked over by scavengers, leaving nothing worthwhile to collect, but when the Dungeon Core was strong enough this area could make an interesting place to dig towards.

Ruins were hard to resist for those who liked to explore, after all. It would make a good entrance when the dungeon was large enough to welcome prey inside of itself.

Narrow trails, likely from deer and other animals, wove through the denser woods to the mostly clear area where the castle ruins lay. When the weather was warmer the kobold could imagine that it would become a place rich in food for the creatures that made their home in the forest, which meant that it would also be a good place for her to gather things for the Dungeon Core to eat. Hopefully, by the time the seasons changed she would have other kobolds to hunt with, making things go much easier and faster.

She closed her eyes, sniffing at the air. It was fresh and sweet here, not as clean as the air of the dungeon itself, but there was no taint from the more civilized species in the area. If they ever ventured out this far then it had been a long time since they had done so, long enough for the weather to have erased all traces of them.

Satisfied with her survey, and with a grin hanging on her face, the kobold turned away from the ruins to follow the wall back the way she had come. There were more than enough vines and branches on the walk back to construct a small door from, and it would probably only take a couple of trips to bring in the material needed.

The Dungeon Core would be pleased with her, and she couldn’t stop her tail from wiggling in excitement at that knowledge. “I will be the having a name,” she sang to herself in her happiness, practically skipping through the trees.