The portcullis blocking the dungeon’s entrance was lowered silently and vanished into the ground below the entry hall. No openings or indications that a gate had ever been there were left behind.

On the dungeon lawn was a woman heavily limping while half carrying, half dragging another. She was bloody, muddy and looked crazed. Her teeth bared and eyes wide and wild. Her clothes and armor were in tatters, one shoe was missing and it looked like a chunk of her hair had been shorn. The woman she was carrying didn’t look any better. A patch of her hair was plastered to her scalp with drying blood and she was completely limp.

The dungeon watched as they ran into its entry. In her haste she missed the steps that led from the opening down to the hall. After crashing with a shout the woman and her burden just lay there panting for several seconds before she forced herself to her knees and checked over her companion.

“Remina. Remina, please be ok.” She sobbed as she tried to wipe dirt from the woman’s face with her filthy shaking hands. “Just… Just hold on.” She begged.

She started to chant but fumbled her words again and again as her body was still shaking and she was racked with sobs. Finally she completed the chant: Healing Song she called at the end. A soft warm glow surrounded the both of them and their bleeding stopped, for the most part.

The spell wasn’t active for long and as soon as it ended the woman collapsed. She wasn’t unconscious but so exhausted she couldn’t move another muscle. She lay there waiting, trying to regain her strength while silent tears of horror and hopelessness leaked from her eyes.

She didn’t know what happened or where she was. Well other than obviously in the gods forsaken dungeon that they were foolishly searching for. Why didn’t she listen to Remina? She’d wanted to go to the nearest town, find a map or information. But nooooo, she had to let dreams of wandering wild new places and those idiot boys talking about the fame and fortune they would get for discovering a dungeon in human territory. Her and Remina had enough fame and fortune to last them the rest of their very long lives but they had gotten her blood roaring for adventure. To be so young and reckless again.

Remina had always urged her to learn more healing magic. But she’d never listened. Never understood her little sister’s worries. Now here they were in an unknown dungeon. A baby dungeon! That had no hope of fending off that…. monster chasing them. And all she had was one healing spell that recovered less than 10% of her health and had an hour long cooldown.

Not caring if she was heard or not, Hashira let out a wail and broke into racking sobs. Her beloved sister was probably dying and they were going to be devoured by the baby dungeon or that thing.

As she was beginning to calm a mist floated into the dungeon. It had a very light purple tinge. She felt her throat nearly close in panic.

“Dungeon, I don’t know what you can do but I beg you. Please save my sister. I’ll do anything. Give anything, including my life for her. She… She doesn’t deserve to die like this.” Hashira pleaded as more tears ran from her eyes. All hope extinguished.

PPPPPPPP *Dungeon Core POV* PPPPPPPP

Looking at the women that had entered my dungeon I didn’t know what to make of them. One was crazed and sobbing and the other was on death’s doorstep.

“They don’t look like the others that have entered.” I questioned Arizo.

“Their long ears and taupe skin mean they are wood elves. A species that is usually haughty and aloof. Whatever they are running from must have scared the wits out of them.” The little fairy answered.

“Do you think it was one of those homunculus? Or a Dryad? You mentioned that elves refuse to attack them.”

“Possibly. What are you going to do?”

“Hummm. I don’t know. If they want to sit and wait in our entrance then that’s fine by me. They aren’t bothering anything. I have more work to do on the 3rd floor.”

Arizo nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on them.”

With that settled I turned my attention to the 3rd floor. In the room where adventures enter I placed a wooden platform, as a grand stage for them to start the floor. Behind that stage I placed a large poison ivy bush with a small chest hidden in it.

In each of the corners of the room I placed scruffy juniper berry bushes. Down the hall I placed a cluster of different colored yarrows, a small budding pear tree and then a clump of lilac bonnets. Right across from where the mushrooms sat there was another hall. At the end of that hall was a small loop.

On the far side of the loop I placed a pair of wood ferns and a patch of athelas. Inside that patch I also placed several skull cap mushrooms and one skull cap fungaloid. As I placed it, there was the option to change the size. This one I kept the same small size of the surrounding mushrooms. It had 10 cute squinty eyes around it’s bell. Behind and under the angry mushroom, I hid another chest.

Before I could continue down the main hall I was interrupted by one of the elves addressing me.

“Dungeon, I don’t know what you can do but I beg you. Please save my sister. I’ll do anything. Give anything, including my life for her. She… She doesn’t deserve to die like this.” The conscious elf pleaded.

You have received a prayer from a being of lower ascension.

Would you like to answer?

“Arizo?” I called tuning into the core room and entrance.

She looked at the prompt that I all but shoved in her face. “I have heard of this before. A prayer is different from just asking questions or talking to you. They give you the power to do something. To interact directly with a sentient being. I don’t think you can speak to them though.”

Nodding, I selected the prompt with my mind and answered the prayer. As soon as I did I was able to see the health and mana levels of both women, along with a list of ailments(?). Not being sure, I asked Arizo.

“What are these?” I showed her what I was now seeing.

“Those are called status effects. Hashira, the elf that prayed to you, is terrified, exhausted and dazed. The other is unconscious, poisoned, exhausted and charmed. And looking at their health both are in need of urgent healing. Now that you know that, what are you going to do?” She seemed curious but not invested in these people’s lives.

“They asked for help and I will give it. Who knows what I’ll get in return.” I replied. Turning from her I called Jack and Ferryman to come pick up the ladies.

While they were traveling I made another archway across the hall from the safe room on the second floor.

When she could hear the pair of golems coming the elf looked frantically back and forth from the hall to the entrance. As though she couldn’t decide which was the greater threat.

Before my constructs reached the main hall something else entered my territory.

“What is that?” As it was outside the dungeon it was blurry but I could tell it was about the size of Le’Ly. “It doesn’t feel right.”

Arizo and Una looked at the image I was showing but neither seemed to be able to identify it.

“Whatever it is, I don't like it.” Arizo had a slight tremor in her voice.

“Una go to the arch and prepare the kobolds for an attack.”

She nodded and headed off.

When the 2nd floor arch lit up the elf tried to move and cover the other. But Una didn’t even glance at them.

The elf was starting to hyperventilate when the golems came into the entrance hall. The thing approaching was also almost to my entrance.

Jack, being the more comical looking, I had him go pick up the unconscious elf. The other one watched as she was taken down the hall to the arch marked with 4 hashes. Not looking away even while the Ferryman picked her up and followed.

PPPPPP *Elf POV* PPPPP

Hashira didn’t know what to think when the strange robed golem placed her on a bed in a warm cozy room. The clay one, that looked like a child drew a skeleton in a suit, lit the fireplace before it exited the room.

Remina was lying on a round table and the one that had carried her moved to the other bed and ripped a piece of the hide blanket off. It then dunked the rag into a barrel and began wiping down her sister.

She was so confused. Constructs like this ‘Ferryman’ had no mind or will of their own, so all this care and gentleness was coming from the dungeon core. Feeling the heat of the fire and seeing that her sister was being cared for, Hashira succumbed to her exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.

PPPPPP *Dungeon Core POV* PPPPPP

Only a small portion of my mind was needed to care for the elves and the rest was focused on the creature entering my dungeon.

As soon as it crossed my threshold a bright red warning appeared.

CAUTION!

EXTRA PLANAR ENTITY!

CORE AND HELPER WEAK TO ALL ATTACKS WHILE INVADER REMAINS!

“Arizo, what’s going on?”

The thing was small but didn’t look childlike in any way. Though it was vaguely human looking. It’s skin was bone white, transparent in places. Strange muscles and organs could be seen through the skin. On its back was a pair of vestigial, misshapen wings and coming out it’s forehead were a pair of glossy, ebony colored horns. It’s long nails and pointed teeth were the same glossy black.

“It’s an Imp!” She shouted in fear.

The thing… imp seemed to look straight through my entire dungeon and fix it’s eyes on me.

“What is an imp exactly?” My voice was a bit shaky.

“They are one of the lowest ranking extra planar species. But since they are extra planar they can harm me and much of your defence is useless against their attacks.” She was shaking and clung to my core.

“What about our attacks on it?” My anger at this thing scaring Arizo overwhelmed my instinctual fear.

“Anything with dungeon mana will harm it but they do 1/3 the damage. Unless they are Undead. They do 2/3 damage.”

“And I have one undead.” My voice was hard and determined. “That thing will not harm you.” I declared.

“Curious.” The imp spoke. It’s words were sweet and melodic. “I never thought I’d see a dungeon in this place. You must be very young.” It said descending the steps and laying a hand on one of my walls.

Nothing about it seemed all that frightening. If it wasn’t for Arizo, that warning and this small nagging fear and distrust I would have thought the thing creepy but harmless. While It spoke and I was examining it I had all my chickens and bats descend to the 3rd floor though the archway in the resting room on the 1st floor. On the 2nd floor I created 16 Shadows and sent them up the stairs to evenly split and man the bat room and chicken room. I could make more than that for the 1st floor but I wanted the extra mana on hand incase I needed it for something bigger on the 3rd floor.

“Little dungeon.” It crooned in it’s enchanting voice. “I’m sure by now your little friend has told you all about me. How I’m a fiend that will gobble them up.” The imp smiled, though it was more a baring of teeth. “But I’d never dream of hurting a young dungeon. No, no, no.” It tisked. “I can help you.”

I was very curious but not trusting. I just continued to watch it as it doodled patterns over my wall with it’s ebony nails.

“Haven’t I already given you a nice welcome gift?” It’s smile somehow grew more sinister and beguiling. “2 Elvish Maidens well over level 100 each. I could bring you so many more.”

“How can we hope to face something that nearly killed a level 100 adventurer!?!” Arizo was in a state.

“ARIZO!!” I shouted with a thread of anger in my tone.

She looked at me, shaking with tears in her eyes.

“That… nobody, never said it injured them. Only that it herded them here. I will NOT let it hurt you. If I have to collapse this dungeon or force you to leave this plane. NOTHING is hurting what’s MINE!” I forcibly declared. The power of my declaration moved through the dungeon energizing all my creations and raising their fighting spirit.

My kobolds cheered in their ready room before Una had them take places around the dim first room. They were all declaring to spill the blood of all comers. My vicious little dragons. I let them feel my pride which raised them nearly to a fever pitch.

To see what the thing would do I had Jack go back to the 1st floor through the arch.

“Smart little dungeon.” The imp looked the large clay skeleton up and down. “And original.” One of it’s eyebrow ridges raised.

It circled Jack slowly. Jack’s head turned all the way around to keep his eyes on it. I knew it was just for dramatics because I wasn’t seeing through Jack’s eyes and he didn’t see out of them either. “All I want is to place an egg in your core room. Just a single egg from my plane. It won’t even take up much space.”

“Don’t. Please.” Arizo begged. She had been bolstered by my declaration but was still terrified of this thing

I didn’t answer her and just had Jack tilt his head to one side as if curious.

The imp laughed and it was a sweet tinkling sound that I wanted to hear again. “I’ll give you a few days to think it over.” With another smile that was more a baring of teeth and a wave the imp left my dungeon.

There was no actual sound but I had the feeling of breaking glass inside my mind. Then an outpouring of rage and fear. The flashing notification vanished as the imp left.

“That little shit!!” I roared.

I turned my mind from that and used my rage to dig out several cubes down where I planned to place the 4th floor. Slamming way too much mana into the process causing minor rumbles to be felt in the upper floors. They were all airless vacuums right now but I just wanted to cause destruction. Once I had calmed slightly my consciousness and focus returned to Arizo and the core room.

She was still shaking and crying. I made another shadow inside the protection the outsiders had placed and had it hold and cuddle her as I wanted to. Then I tried my best to wrap her in comfort and assurance.

She snuggled into the shadow’s arms. We stayed like that until she calmed. As I waited and comforted her, my own emotions settled. Though my little dragons were still hyped and itching for a fight. Even the little goblin looked blood thirsty.

“Go out and hunt.” I ordered all of them. “See if you can find any more elves or other humanoids and bring them back. If you see that thing. Kill it.” I showed them an image of the imp to reinforce just what I meant.

They cheered and began jogging to the exit.

“Are you feeling better?” I asked after Arizo relaxed into the shadow’s arms.

She nodded and yawned.

“Can you explain why you were so terrified?” I spoke gently.

“Imps are a type of demon, from the demon plane. They want to take over this plane and kill or convert anything that could stop them.” she explained.

“And a dungeon might be a threat.”

“Yes. Having an ascension level allows you to do more damage to extra planar creatures. Now that I’m calm.” She turned and sat on the shadow’s hands leaning back on its body. “Being at the second ascension level means you would do even more damage. They also can’t spawn on this plane. I’m not sure why. But if you let it leave an egg here then a young demon would spawn and be close enough to take you over.”

“So it wouldn’t bring an imp egg or something weak, but some high level demon that would feed on my mana then hatch and turn on me to control my core as a launching point for taking over this world.”

“Exactly.” Arizo responded.

“I think Una was right.”

Arizo looked at me questioningly.

“You need training to defend yourself. I’m keeping this shadow here. You said an undead can do harm to extra planar creatures. That includes you. Knowing how to defend yourself or learning some kind of magic will make creatures like that thing less scary.”

She looked down to her lap thinking over it. I could feel that she was nervous. “I… do you think I can?”

“You can do anything you set your mind to and I will do as much as I can to help you.” I promised.

A light flush filled her cheeks and she flew over to me hugging my core. “I’m going to meditate first.” She flew up to her hammock and turned her fell into a meditative state.

“You can explore this room and floor all you like. I’m going to place all those shadows I made on the empty rooms I made for the 4th floor until I have a place for them.”

It just stared at me. It’s mind was different to every other creature I had made. It wasn’t really child-like or simple, nor was it complex in the same way as the kobolds.

There was a whisper of a groan from the shadow. It was an eerie sound that I just knew would freak out most living creatures. But I also understood that it was asking about Arizo.

“She will be fine.” I reassured. “She is tough and has lived much longer than the rest of us. We will be here when she needs us.”

It nodded without nodding, much like I do. Then it floated around the room being completely unaffected by the barrier as I hoped. I watched for a bit as it inspected everything about the room before turning my attention to the front hall where Jack was still standing.

I cut a large slab out of the wall where the imp had touched and had Jack drag it as far outside my dungeon as he could before letting him return to the bat room. That done I split my attention between moving the shadows, getting the 1st floor back in order and looking over the elves.

Hashira, the elf that had been conscious now had; asleep, dazed and frightened as her status effects. Her health was also rising. Though I couldn’t see the numbers, her health bar was almost 1/4th filled. The other one, Remina, still had; unconscious, poisoned, exhausted and charmed. But her health was stable though not rising.

I flipped through all my items and had all of the ones that mentioned healing appear in the puzzle over the fireplace. Ferryman ‘solved’ the puzzles to get all the items and I started having them experiment.

Leaving just a trickle of my mind to cover these tasks I turned the rest of my attention to the unfinished 3rd floor.