《Ancient Mana Dungeon Core.》Chapter 4: discovery, (not much “banter” in this chapter to be honest).

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(Young Human Adventurer POV)

2 minutes later

I walked through the forest eager to get home to my family to tell them the great news!

“Hmm? What’s this?” I said in surprise I stopped in front of a wall of see-through jade, I did not remember seeing this before. I sniffed it and caught the whiff of magic that is commonly associated with baby dungeons.

I was immediately on guard and remembered what Instructor Keen Bow said;

“Bone Fingers! Listen up! This can save your life! When finding a baby dungeon there are three telltale signs of what a dungeon will hold and it will state it’s potential as well! Sign number one: is the dungeon gel see-through? If it is there's a chance it is an older one, however if you can smell the magic coming off it then it is a true newborn and probably will have a bizarre awakening time; which means less than the average five weeks.

Sign number two requires the Adventurer incense that most smart Adventurers carry; place it about two feet away from the gel then ignite it and step away and observe the gel, it should behave one of three ways: one: if it just shines like normal polished gemstones it means that it is a less social dungeon and generally keeps to itself also the monsters from the dungeon will generally have tough hides and resistances to a lot of substances it also means the gel is as hard as the hardest of ores so don’t even bother with trying to mine it by the time you manage to put a single scratch in it you’ll have one foot in the grave also there are likely to be minerals or metals in there.

If the top portion flattens out in an effort to shade the fire made by the incense it means that the dungeon will be trap oriented and have a lot of hidden spaces and compartments; beware every corner because chances are that there is a trap aimed, and armed, there; if you get a piece of this type of dungeon gel depending on how much mana you put into it it will tend to grow rare and valuable magic: herbs, spices, or crops like a seed, alternatively it can be used in fertilizer, they are known as the most friendly dungeons and often have ‘safe havens’ in them which makes any dungeon like this well beloved by adventurers; it is a well known fact that they are kind as well, however should one offend them they are liable to turn incredibly ruthless to that particular individual unless he or she apologised with sincerity for plant oriented dungeons can sense emotions.

If it reaches out a tendril of itself it is a creature oriented dungeon, normally a dungeon creature can evolve after it lives a certain period but dungeons that are creature oriented have a bit of a different rule, if they live long enough or gain enough experience they will evolve thus leading dungeons with this alignment tend to be extremely ruthless and determinedly cold or just and honorable, unless you give them a reason they will spare you, but will make you earn passage through them and will fight tooth and nail to survive if they feel that they have been threatened. Also while the tendril is reaching the incense and ‘swallows’ it will then turn different colors other than jade depending on which type of mana it has the greatest affinity for; red for fire, blue for water, if it stays green it means that it has a strong nature mana affinity or poison affinity if it turns dark green, and so on and so forth. dungeons of this alignment often have the animals drop loot and food or meat.

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Sign three; this is one of the most important signs, so pay close attention!: first wait, because after three minutes exposure the gel will change color if it stays green it means that the dungeon is of a low threat level and several parent adventurers often bring their kids there, if it turns yellow it means that some caution is necessary but don’t be too wary, if it turns red it means that it is super dangerous and is not to be taken lightly multiple hunters who are known as the best of the best of the best go missing in action if they take one step in the wrong direction inside of these dungeons. If it turns black; run and notify the guild at once; tell them: ‘Code- BlackGate’ they’ll know what that means, that being said never, never give a false alarm unless you wish to be hanged or burned at the stake!”

“What happens if there are multiple signs for step two?” I remember asking my professor with a worried tone.

“It means that they have some or all of the benefits of each of them”. My teacher said in what I later learned was a flippant tone.

“How can I gauge what a plant or rock oriented dungeon’s mana type is?” I asked my teacher after I got his response.

“Good question!” My mentor, noticing my eagerness for answers then continued tiredly, “However we will cover that never for it is impossible to know until you see their monsters”

I then took out one of the three dungeon incense parcels measured two feet from the gel and lit the parcel after I did the changes were immediate it started shining like a gem and the top part deformed an formed an overhang over the incense and part of it snaked out and ate the incense and shone in a weird hue that I have never seen before, i then waited for two minutes and it turned black. I leapt up like something bit my but and ran very very fast.

I pulled out my teleport scroll and I waited until I was in range. I used it, once I did that, found myself back in town, “popped another one did ya?!” said an old man incredulously looking at me in obvious amusement. He was Mr. Galven, a somewhat cantankerous old man who was incharge of the teleportation circle at the adventurer guild I just left.

“No *pant pant* I *huff* actually found trouble this time.” I said gasping for breath. I tried to stand and walked tiredly to the main counter.

As I tried to catch my breath I leaned forward on the chair to lean on and catch my breath a bit more. I saw the counter lady and smiled. She was one of the most senior people here as I recovered my breath. I went closer to her. In as grim a voice as possible i said to her, “Code-BlackGate.”

After I said that it went dead quiet shortly followed by the thunking sound of wooden mugs as some accidentally dropped it I saw the senior lady turn pale as did Mr. Galven. She pulled a crystal ball out from the desk and set it on the countertop, she then said to me, “Place your hand on the crystal ball and say that the code you just mentioned applies.”

I nodded my head and immediately said “the Codeword applies.” immediately the crystal ball turned green.

“Confirmation acknowledged,” she said in a shaky and rather quiet tone of voice.

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She then said to me, “Would you like to go yourself or leave directions and instructions.”

“Go myself,” I said after considering for a few seconds, “I can tell them about it and some of my observations of it.”

“You are not going in yourself?” she said with some surprise.

“I’m not strong enough, I am probably not going to get any benefits out of it due to that fact.” i said, “The best I can do is give directions and descriptions.”

“Well, you think you can guide us to the dungeon now?” she said with raised eyebrows.

"Sure but we have to wait for it to be born before invading." I said.

The room went silent again.

“You mean to tell me that the dungeon hasn’t even been born yet but it is still Code: BlackGate?!” said one of the patrons, I nodded my head, still not getting the implications of what the man said.

The room was quiet, dead quiet, at last i stirred and uncomfortably, “What? W-was it something I said” I said stuttering with nerves.

“Kid, you remember the stories of the drowsy dungeon war?” asked another patron.

“Yeah, why?” I ask in confusion.

“It’s a little known fact, but that dungeon was also born a black dungeon, but they let it grow after birth.” said the patron in a voice of dread.

“What other things did it have,” said the patron who spoke first, “mana type, alignment, and all that.”

“Well…” I said trying to remember “it was a mixture between all three alignments, and as for the mana type, I don’t know, I’ve never heard of it. Or seen it before, also the gel is clear and I could smell the mana though so according to what my teacher said it will open up in less than five weeks.”

“Guide us to it.” Said yet another patron who had one of the most impressive sets of armor I had ever seen.

I nodded, but asked for a horse because I am slow.

They nodded and I got to ride on one of the scouts horses, I gave them directions to it as we rode and once we got there I pointed the cave out on the cliffside, not that it needed to be, it was fairly obvious where it was, the dull grey stone made the jade colored dungeon gel look highly out of place. “There it is, the dungeon I told you about!” I shouted to get myself heard over the hoof beats that I was sure could be heard from the city many miles away.

“Halt!” shouted the very well armed man and all the horses checked themselves and pretty much every one dismounted one of the flanking guards and their charge approached the gel the man was old and had a long white beard, he was the dungeon master of our city he started chanting a spell for a few minutes when he was finished he touched a palm to the gel and bowed his head, I wonder what he is thinking.

(Dungeon Master POV.)

Once I got the news I got up and left, while leaving a short message to the core of which I oversee to which i got the reply

‘Return soon my friend, and if the chosen one is there, wait until he’s born to get him and make him visit us. If it is not the chosen one, destroy it and give it to me, I'll give it to him for him to keep.

I know not what my dungeon wants with them, but I know that it has its reasons, I know not what the drowsy dungeon will do with them if it is not the one, but that is also unimportant.

I rode to the newly discovered dungeon with an anxious heart, let this be the one; I beseech the heavens, I had heard from my core that we could recieve material rewards, Heavens knows we need it after last year's drought.

Once I arrived with the rest of the adventurer guild behind me I dismounted, as did my guards, I approached the door and spoke the identifying spell and let my consciousness seep into it.

I fell mentally into the dungeon’s mind space and got a shock, I saw a human soul and a dungeon core fusing and I saw some golden divine energy flickering into both figures and shards as well as four shards of another soul inside the core, the shards emitting the chosen one’s aura, I looked back along my mental tether to find the way out i looked and found the tether I slowly walked out, pondering what to say to the rest of my companions, I stopped; it felt like something very ancient and powerful was aware of my presence.

The system greets the dungeon master of the last civilization dungeon core

‘What!? The system myth is real?!’

Yes, the system has noticed your plight; thus the system suggests you say the following:

“It is the one, I must commune with the drowsy dungeon for further instructions. In the meantime keep watch on the dungeon, it will open in about two weeks and it won’t dungeon break immediately after either, you shall have enough time to send a signal to the others to let them know when to send the troops to conquer this dungeon and send the core to the drowsy dungeon.”

You will then try to go to the drowsy dungeon but your core will teleport you back to it instead and trap you inside it’s core room. You will protest vehemently because you know what will happen if you do not keep your word.

You will then be forced to change your orders due to your core’s mind control ability that it did not tell you it had, & when the system wakes the user up the system's host shall free you, as for how the future is uncertain about it.

But…

No time. Ejecting you now. And for goodness sake stick to the script.

And before i could voice my disbelief that my dungeon core would hide something so sacrilegious, so horrible! I was whisked away and fell into my body again.

I turned around following the ‘script’ as the system called it to the best of my memory which I thankfully could remember word for word.

“It is the one, I must commune with the drowsy dungeon for further instructions. In the meantime keep watch on the dungeon, it will open in about two weeks and it won’t dungeon break immediately after either, you shall have enough time to send a signal to the others to let them know when to send the troops to conquer this dungeon and send the core to the drowsy dungeon.” I said to the troops, “Mr. Rys, you decide who stays.”

I then walked off in the direction of the drowsy dungeon. Only to be teleported into the core-room of my city.

“What is the meaning of this.” I said, indignantly, “We have to notify the drowsy dungeon of the chosen one’s appearance!”

‘There has been a change of plans,’ my dungeon core said cooly, ‘we have found a dungeon which I can control, I can get crown from the drowsy dungeon I now have a method of combating the usurper and reclaiming my rightful place as King- no- God of the dungeons! I should thank you my puppet’

After the words my core said I lost control of my body but i still could see i thought when the system said mind control i thought it would manipulate my mind but it just manipulated my body.

Well that is how mind control works when the system is protecting you.

!! you are here? How, why?!

To make sure you stick to the script, and as for the how, a copy of me followed you into your body.

‘Status’ I said mentally

I am afraid that is not possible as you are not a user yet, you will become a user after you have been freed from your core’s ambitions due to host 0’s actions.

‘So what now?’ I asked the system.

Now, We wait for two weeks, the system recommends that you do not fall asleep outside of the hours where your body sleeps as there is a 90% chance of becoming a vegetable without the system being able to correct it.

Oh, very well, it looks like my body is going to sleep, so i mentally closed my eyes and mentally thought of nothing and after a while i remembered no more.

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