– Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Setting Moon, Day 20 –

Samuel waited until everyone had moved past the passage door and into the second half of the room.

“Before we go on, why are you all here? We have already covered that what you will find in a dungeon is inevitable death, but what is it that you seek?”

Samuel was looking at Jorgen.

“Riches, d’uh,” declared Alrik. Jorgen frowned but nodded.

“And adventure,” added Miguel. That earned nods of approval from Calam and Gellath.

Samuel waited for the others. He moved his gaze from person to person.

“Same,” said Florine.

“I am intrigued by the dungeon creatures and their uses to my magic,” said Siling.

“I… I don’t know,” replied Terry honestly.

“Haven’t thought about it,” admitted Elena.

“Reasons as good or bad as any other,” commented Samuel. “Aside from inevitable death, you will most certainly encounter creatures more varied than in other places. That is actually— No, let us leave that for later. Riches? Certainly, there are those. Follow!”

When they walked into the next room, they were faced with spells flying at them.

Samuel erased the spells and cast a Paralyze spell of his own.

“These are slimes. Slimes are the most common example of dungeon-native creatures. They are similar to aspect beings, but there is the noticeable difference of the core. They are grouped among the natives instead of the assimilated, because slimes have never been encountered outside a dungeon.”

“These are your riches.” Samuel cast a spell that Terry could not identify. Afterwards, the gooey substance of the slimes oozed to the ground while the cores remained floating in the air.

“Aside from special encounters, the most valuable items in a dungeon are the mana cores. Unfortunately for you, shattering the core is frequently the easiest way to defeat the creatures. Core fragments can still be sold. However, their value is vastly diminished. If you want to collect the cores, you will first have to become capable enough.”

“What about the dungeon core itself?” asked Jorgen.

“That would be valuable indeed, but…” Samuel shook his head.

“Not gonna happen,” finished Verecund. “A mature dungeon doesn’t have its core exposed.”

“Exactly,” said Samuel. He considered his next words. “In comparison, there are not that many dungeons in Arcana. The dungeon density in other empires is much higher. Most of the known dungeons are outside the barrier.”

Without being aware of it, Samuel traced his burn marks with his fingers.

“When my accepted brother and I did dungeon work, we went to every known dungeon in Arcana. Afterwards, we left Arcana and continued our travels outside the barrier. Overall more than a thousand different dungeons, but not a single dungeon core in sight. Only a recently formed dungeon will have its core located inside the last room. A mature dungeon has its core sunk far into the stone it controls.

“For snatching up a dungeon core, the dungeon would have to be discovered soon after its formation. The window of opportunity for laying your eyes on a dungeon core is very limited. In recent years, there were several new dungeons discovered in Arcana. Statistically, those were already outliers and none of them was discovered early enough for the dungeon core to still be exposed.

“The cores are so valuable because of the sheer infinite number of uses for them. Most prominently in crafting – both items as well as consumables. It pays to know which core will be worth what to whom, but that goes well beyond an introduction course.”

Samuel separated the cores into two groups. One of them floated to Brynn and the other floated to Bjorln.

“Thanks, my life,” exclaimed Brynn with a smile. Bjorln nodded at Samuel.

“Those at your level would generally pick one of three options. Sell to a reseller like a general merchant or the Guardians. Use the core to fulfill mission requirements. Or put the item up for auction at the Guild or one of the merchant houses. That being said, the cores of these low-rank creatures would never get you into an auction.

“The deeper you go, the higher the level of the creatures will become. Another topic to revisit later. For now, you ought to keep in mind that this is a rule of thumb and not an iron-clad rule.”

“How is the rank of a dungeon—” Lori started a question, but Alrik talked over her.

“Where do we learn the details of selling—” Alrik’s mouth continued to move, but no sound escaped from his lips.

Samuel had cast a silencing spell. He scowled at Alrik.

“I will listen to all your questions. However, I expect the same from all of you. I will not tolerate questions being interrupted.”

Samuel moved his eyes from Alrik to Lori. “Please finish your question.”

“It-it’s alright. Nevermind.”

A hint of disappointment flashed across Samuel’s eyes.

“Ugh…” Isille cringed in discomfort.

“Well, that takes me back to my time as a teenager,” whispered Brynn to Isille.

“Gah, tell me about it.” Isille whispered back. “She is making me remember things I tried very hard to forget.”

“Take some solace in the fact that Lori takes after you. She is a smart girl. She’ll figure it out. Eventually.”

“Eventually, huh? Hah…” Isille frowned and shook her head. “Is this like karmic punishment or something? You know, when I was young I was offended at the idea of becoming like Ma. Now, here I am – worrying about the prospect of my daughter becoming like me back then.”

Brynn chuckled. “Sometimes, fate has a sense of irony.”

Samuel waited a moment in the hopes that Florine would reconsider. He decided against unmuting Alrik immediately.

“Does anyone have a question regarding the rank of dungeons?”

“How is the rank determined?” asked Terry. He had caught the question from Lori and was curious about the answer.

“After a dungeon has been discovered, an initial estimation is done by considering the mana concentration and the degree of mana suppression. Afterwards, they do a pioneer mission – usually in collaboration with the Guild.”

“The Guild? I thought the Guardians are responsible for dungeons?” asked Elena.

“We are,” replied Verecund. “However, the common saying is correct. The Guardians are a profession, the Guild is an obsession.

“In the Guardians, you will find experts on any dungeon we manage, but that expertise is mostly a matter of depth, not of breadth. The average Guardian works in proximity to their own place of residence and over time becomes intimately familiar with the area and its dungeons. In contrast, facing an unknown dungeon requires broad experience, versatility, and combat strength.

“While we do have experts among the Guardians, they may not be focused on dungeon work. Assigning a dungeon run to a Guardian expert that specializes in corrupted culling is not the best use of their strengths. Also…”

Verecund seemed as if he had more to say, but his voice trailed off into silence.

“The death of a Guild expert is less of a hit to the Guardians.” Samuel chose to finish the thought. “It is preferable to hire outside help for the initial exploration and assessment, because generally, that run is the most dangerous. Again, not an iron-clad rule.”

Samuel dispelled his Silence spell and looked at Alrik. “Other questions?”

“Hmph. Yeah, I have a question. Where do we learn the intricacies of selling cores?”

“The information on the cores themselves is mostly public. I could prepare a reading list, but I am sure the Guardians already have one of their own.” Samuel looked at Verecund.

“Yes,” concurred Verecund. “As always, you can approach the orientation instructor and he will point you to the right advisors. There is a standard list of material. However…” One corner of Verecund’s lips curled upwards.

“Selling the core is a different matter,” continued Samuel. “Just because you know a core’s worth does not mean you will find someone willing to pay the price. Building the proper connections requires time. Follow!”

They walked along a narrow corridor.

“Note the stones providing illumination along the walls. Convenient, aren’t they? One has to wonder at their origins… later. For now, be aware that not every area will be that convenient.”

Samuel raised his left fist at head level. “Halt here. As soon as we turn the corner, there will be another attack. Keep your distance and pay attention.”

Samuel walked forward and then there were stones flying at him. They were blocked by Samuel’s barrier spell.

“The critters you can see in the back are the second class of dungeon natives, the dungeon constructs.”

“Aren’t those goblins?” asked Calam with astonishment.

“I thought goblins went extinct eras ago?” added Gellath.

“They did,” said Samuel. “These are not goblins.” He tilted his head. A moment later, one of the creatures was floating towards them.

“Note first the core with mana sight. So either a dungeon native or an assimilated being. Is anyone of you capable of life sense?”

“I am,” replied Siling.

“Really? Neat,” exclaimed Miguel in excitement. He whispered to Jorg. “I like this group.”

“What do you sense?”

“…nothing?”

“Exactly, nothing at all. This creature is a form of unlife. That rules out goblins. Without life sense to rely on, it is still possible to give an approximate estimate by considering the eyes. However, the most definitive way…”

Mana flared up and the creature was cut into several parts.

“…is to verify if the creature bleeds or has any detectable organs. It does not. Inside, you will either find a perfectly uniform mush or a few layers of different materials. Dungeon constructs are similar to the constructs any other mana user might create. Hence, the name.

“In the past, they were sometimes referred to as dungeon elementals – a reference to similarities shared with the elementals among the aspect beings. However, that term is moving out of use. Rightfully so, I might add. Elementals do not come with mana line carvings or rune inscriptions.”

“What?” Lori piped up. “They are inscribed with runes?”

“Not these in front of you, no. Otherwise, this dungeon would not have its current threat classification. However, for every non-inscribed dungeon construct, you should expect at least one inscribed variant to exist. It depends on the dungeon, really.”

“Legends say that our own rune inscription system has actually been derived from these dungeon constructs,” said Brynn.

“A theory that crosses disciplines and for which I am eternally grateful,” said Samuel.

“The feeling is mutual.” Brynn beamed at him.

“Nevertheless,” continued Samuel, “The theory is not uncontested. Beneath it lies a broader question on the nature of dungeons which we will leave for later. Follow.”

They proceeded forward and Samuel gave explanations. He pointed out the relevant markers for detecting a dungeon trap, how to notice an ambush, as well as useful spells or items for navigating across the area.

“Notice anything different about the walls?” prompted Samuel.

“The lights are moving,” offered Terry.

“The lights are alive,” added Siling.

Samuel smiled at them. “Life sense still active?”

Siling nodded in response.

“A good habit to get into, especially in dungeons. Alright everyone, be warned that your field of vision is going to become slightly darker.”

Samuel cast a spell that seemed to form a layer of thin shadow. Afterwards, one of the wall lights started to float towards them.

Suddenly, the creature emitted a bright flash. They could see how the room behind the shadow layer brightened up intensely.

“Does anyone recognize this creature?”

Reflexively, Terry was looking at Siling.

“A flash gecko, a light-aspected mana corrupted,” answered Siling. As always, Terry was impressed with her knowledge on magical beings.

“Absolutely correct,” acknowledged Samuel. “Except for one minor detail. This is not a mere mana corrupted anymore.”

“Ah,” exclaimed Siling. “It has a core.”

“Precisely.” The gecko was cut in half by a spell. Soon afterwards, the gecko vanished. A core remained.

“This flash gecko has been assimilated by the dungeon. There are three known possibilities for an assimilated creature to appear in a dungeon. First is that a dungeon seeker has spent sufficient time in a dungeon to fall under the dungeon’s influence. Second is that the dungeon has used its assimilated to breed and the creature was born in the dungeon. Third is that the creature was created by the dungeon from a mana core.

“Just like a dungeon native, a dungeon-assimilated creature will always leave behind its core after death. Other parts of the body may be left behind as well – most commonly stomach contents as well as teeth, scales, bones, parts like that. In contrast, soft tissue nearly always gets absorbed by the dungeon. If you are looking for those, you need to go hunting outside.

“Do not make the mistake and equate the dungeon assimilated with the mana-corrupted original. While the abilities tend to be the same, the core is troublesome and there may be other mutations besides.

“It has been accepted in the field that the core allows the dungeon to influence the creatures. The level of influence differs between dungeon-native and dungeon-assimilated beings. Additionally, it varies depending on the core itself. You will face something more than just the sum of individual creatures. Think of a dungeon as a hostile party – fully capable of creating specialized roles and coordinating members.”

“A theory that had first been put forth by Instructor Samuel,” interjected Verecund. Respect was evident on his face.

Samuel nodded.

“The good news is that just like the levels of the individual creatures, the group coordination starts at its lowest and increases progressively. Take note of that pattern. We will revisit it later.”

Samuel was about to continue when he noticed the look on Terry’s face.

“Terry? Something on your mind?”

“This…” Terry tried to order his thoughts. “Influencing minds sounds like the hive of the deathblood plague.”

Samuel felt a flash of pride for his former student.

“An open debate in the field is the question if dungeon assimilation ought to be classified as a mana curse. One missing link touches on one of the challenges we talked about before. It is unknown how a dungeon begins to form and this stage is difficult to research.

“One theory is that the core of a dungeon assimilated can be germinated in some way. However, there is no evidence to corroborate this theory yet. In fact, no creature with a mana core has ever been seen wandering outside a dungeon.

Samuel moved his gaze away from Terry and looked over the whole group. “The takeaway here is that all dungeon creatures have the means to conspire against you. They have the means to expedite your inevitable death.”

“Tse.” Alrik scowled. He had lost his temper. “You go on and on about our inevitable deaths. If dungeons are so horrible, then why have you visited over a thousand of them?”

Samuel examined the dwarf calmly. “Because just like you, we were young and arrogant. We believed that what does not kill us makes us stronger. We did not know any better.”

Alrik exhaled a derisive snort.

Samuel moved his gaze along the dungeon wall. “I was intrigued by the endless mysteries. Whenever I had found an answer to one of my questions about dungeons, I had already collected countless more questions. Studying dungeons was my dream.

“My brother was hoping to find a way to go against his aspect impairment and to modify his magic to something more in line with his dream of becoming a healer. If that did not work out, then the profits would at least pay for some substitute items.”

A few sympathetic sighs escaped from the group. It was rare to find an aspect-impaired person that did not have similar ideas at some point.

Bjorln looked at the ground and tried to push away the memories – not the right time and place.

“And of course, we enjoyed the thrill of adventure. One thousand one hundred and twenty-seven dungeons. Plenty of riches and excitement. It wasn’t worth it.” Samuel shook his head.

“Tse.” Alrik rolled his eyes.

“Look at me,” commanded Samuel. His eyes were completely bloodshot. “It wasn’t worth it.” He stared into Alrik’s eyes. “Not a day goes by that I do not curse my past self. My dream is dead and all I wish is that it had died sooner so that my whaka might have lived.”

Terry felt incredibly guilty at being there – there inside a dungeon. Even Alrik was stunned into silence by that outburst.

“Once, I believed in the mantra that what does not kill me, makes me stronger. Now, I know better. What does not kill you may still leave you crippled and broken inside.”

Samuel looked at the dungeon ceiling. A tear rolled down his face undisturbed.

“Hah…” Samuel clenched his fists. “Change of schedule.”

Samuel moved his gaze towards Elena, whose stomach twisted into a knot when she saw his eyes on her.

“The reason that dungeon work is different is that nothing can safeguard you against death here. Yes, you may overestimate your abilities and take on a hunt you should not have. Yes, you may run into unexpected trouble. No, that is not what I am referring to.

“If you have hunted a thousand shadow panthers, then the next of similar rank is unlikely to kill you. If you have hunted a high rank, then a low rank is unlikely to kill you. There is an element of predictability.

“Yes, there are risks in a hunt. Yes, there is uncertainty. No, that is not like a dungeon. Outside, your missions will be more or less predictable. Your mission will not deviate much from the missions of those before. Risks, uncertainty, all the variance exists within a narrow spectrum. Information, preparation, strength, and experience are sufficient safeguards. Dungeons are different.

“Whaka Olgorn and I were arrogant, but we were never reckless. Over the years, the highest ranked dungeons we cleared were ranked S+. By contrast, the dungeon that even after more than a decade has me waking up crying and screaming, the dungeon that will forever haunt me with the memory of seeing my brother bursting himself into flames, of my brother sacrificing his life to save mine, of my brother vanishing into nothingness… That dungeon was ranked B− and it was a dungeon that we had cleared three times before.”

Samuel looked back at the dungeon wall. His breathing was heavy. He rubbed the burn marks on his arm. Brynn quietly moved over to his side.

Verecund thought he would add some comments so that Samuel would have time to regain his composure. “Dungeon creatures can mutate, learn, and adapt. A dungeon can evolve, grow stronger, and change structure.”

“Yes, it can,” agreed Samuel. He shook his head. “But that wasn’t it.”

Verecund was perplexed. His mind raced for other explanations. “Wait, the tear in The Realm’s First Line of Defense? That was a first-person account? That was your first-person— Cursed Wastes, that’s…” He gulped and looked absolutely horrified.

Samuel took a deep breath. “That brings us to the main question: What is a dungeon?”

“An organism?” offered Jorgen.

“What is the objective of that organism?”

“To kill?” suggested Elena.

“If it wanted to, it could kill you at any time,” refuted Samuel. “It does not.”

“To lure living beings inside?” proposed Siling.

“It could use its minions to capture instead or it could limit itself to breeding assimilated. It does not.”

“Defend its core?” proposed Calam.

“From the creatures it has deliberately lured inside? It could simply close off the dungeon and collapse the entrance room. Instead of placing the weakest creatures at the entrance, it could use the strongest. It does not.”

“If there was no benefit to people, wouldn’t the dungeon get destroyed?” asked Terry.

“It is near impossible to destroy a mature dungeon. It can move its core freely and near instantaneously through the area under its control. It can block your senses from detecting it. Even a magic sovereign would find it difficult to destroy a mature dungeon.”

“Then, what is the answer?” demanded Alrik. He was getting impatient and did not care for guessing games.

Samuel waited if anyone else had another idea to offer.

“Let me recap and see if anything stands out to you. First, the strongest creatures are placed further down. Second, it lures dungeon seekers inside but does not kill them outright. Instead, it sends progressively stronger creatures at them.”

Again, Samuel waited.

“Ugh.” Alrik was not happy with yet another round of guesswork.

“That second one…” Terry mumbled to himself.

“Terry?”

“Facing progressively stronger creatures…” Terry furrowed his brow. “That sounds like training.”

“Why would it train its enemy?” questioned Calam.

“Or its food?” added Siling.

“What makes you think the dungeon considers you its enemy?” queried Samuel. ”Maybe a different angle – if you were a troop commander, where would you deploy your strongest and respectively weakest soldiers?”

“The strongest at the most important position,” replied Miguel.

“Right, at the place with something to protect,” agreed Gellath.

“But we have already established that the core does not really need protection,” reminded Jorg.

“Strongest in the front, weakest in the back,” said Elena. “Or weakest in the middle if there are multiple fronts.”

“A reasonable proposal,” commented Samuel. “Let’s go with that. If you look at the dungeon from that perspective, what can you infer?”

“That the front is… down?” offered Jorg tentatively. “And back is at the entrance?”

“No middle.” Elena pointed out.

“No middle would mean no enemy at the entrance,” added Terry. “So we are not considered an enemy?”

“Congratulations, you have arrived at the prevailing theory and current consensus among dungeon researchers,” praised Samuel.

Samuel allowed them a moment to consider further implications before he continued.

“The real enemy is what the dungeon is shielding us from. That enemy is why death is inevitable in dungeon work. Hope that you will never encounter it.”

Samuel’s eyes lost focus and his look became distant. He sighed.

“The first sign is a dungeon lock-down. The space gets sealed. Dimensional spells stop working. Your Recall scroll simply crumbles into dust. There are dungeon creatures with the ability to seal space as well, but if the whole dungeon gets sealed, you should prepare to run for your lives.

“The second sign is that the dungeon starts paying less attention to you. Things go silent around you. If you are lucky, that is all you will notice and things will return to normal after a while. However, if you are unlucky, then the dungeon goes mad. All its creatures rush in the same direction. They will not go out of their way to attack you, but they will rip you apart if you stand in their way. And then…

“You may see it.”

Terry felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the intense thousand-yard stare in Samuel’s eyes.

“A tear in the veil. A tear in the fabric that separates the realms. Through it are stepping creatures you have never seen before. Hellspawn. Their magic looks wrong. Their mana flow looks wrong. They wield abilities you have never even heard of. They use unfamiliar magic systems. They rely on unfamiliar mana aspects. Then suddenly…” Samuel’s lip trembled and he gripped his own arm tightly. “Hell is all around you. An army of dungeon creatures warring against an army of hellspawn. No path to escape.”

A heavy silence fell upon the group.

Samuel forced himself to establish eye contact with the young generation. “A dungeon’s threat rank does not account for veil tears. No amount of strength, no amount of experience or of preparation can assure your safety against a mad dungeon and whatever may step through those tears. If you keep entering dungeons, then death is only a matter of time.”

***

A few days after their introduction class, the groups of Terry, Florine, and Jorgen met up again for their examination in dungeon work.

“Congratulations on passing,” said Isille. Her tone did not sound very celebratory.

“The next advanced class will be chosen by us. Prepare to go bounty hunting.”

“Why bounty hunting?” asked Terry.

“No.”

“No?”

“No, there won’t be further explanations from us this time. I want to see what you pick up in the regular introduction class. I want to see what you can figure out without us holding your hands or pointing out the main challenges.”

“Oh? Then there won’t be any family trips this time?” jeered Florine. “Such a pity.” Her voice was oozing with sarcasm.

Isille’s eye twitched slightly, but she controlled herself. “That’s right. No family trip.”

She established eye contact with her daughter. “Only me.”

“What?!”

“I will be one of the main examiners.”

“…” While Florine felt like objecting, she knew that bounty hunting was once her mother’s specialty. This was not the first time Isille acted as an examiner. As such, Florine saw no grounds to argue.

“Multiple examiners?” asked Jorgen.

“Bounty hunting is not like a routine corrupted culling. Arcana as a whole is very safe and we like to keep it that way. Normally, bandits and criminals are quickly taken care of. Normal action will be intentionally delayed for the sake of you getting the chance at an examination.

“Personnel will have to prevent the group from causing harm without putting them down. They also have to be careful to not raise their suspicions. That is a drain on resources and one that must not be prolonged unnecessarily. If the examinees fail to accomplish their objective, then the examiners will make sure that none of the targets escape or cause further harm. There will be two main examiners and in addition a few observing examiners who will maintain distance.”

***