[A/N: If you haven't already, please go check out Chrysalis by RhinoZ on Royal Road that gave me some inspiration when I was writing this chapter]

[A/N: Also note that this chapter is subject to change]

"So let me get this straight. I am dead?" Asked a strange glowing orb of rainbow energy in front of a massive white light.

[Correct]

"How?" The Orb asked.

[Suicide via saving a Child with no future from a Truck Dimension Transporter that would have reincarnated him into another world where he would have eventually failed to kill the Demon King]

"..." The Orb floated there silently.

"So, I either float here for all eternity until I eventually go insane...or I can sign some kind of contract with you?"

[Correct]

"What does this contract entail, and what do I get out of it?"

[First and foremost, if you accept the Contract, you will be granted the option of Reincarnation and multiple wishes of your choosing after a full thousand years of service to the System. Secondly, you will be given a free choice in regards to your race, destination, and family for your Reincarnation and perhaps even more if you provide more than what was expected to the System]

[As for what your Contract entails, you will be given the job of being a Multiversal System Dungeon Core, your main objective will be to grow and spread across the Multiverse. While you will not be given a System Companion, a data pack of information will be given instead to answer most questions you may or may not have. Due to your employment in the System, you will be given more options for growth than your peers and given several benefits that will assist you in your growth and expansion]

"That's...a lot to process."

[We have all the time in this Universe]

"..."

After an unknown amount of time passed, the two floated silently in the white void until the Orb of light decided to finally speak.

"I...accept."

And in a flash of bright light, both disappeared, and darkness flooded the once bright void.

After the flash of light, Jack found himself in a strange state of existence in an enclosed simple stone room that was perfectly smoothed, making the room seem somehow natural, but nothing was natural about this situation.

Floating at the center of the room above a Pedestal of smooth stone was a glowing white Crystal.

Jack knew he was that Crystal, or more accurately, that he was the Dungeon Core that floated at the center of the room.

As Jack quickly adjusted to his new situation, information flooded his mind.

Name: Jack Stalk

Dungeon Name: Unnamed

Titles: [Contracted Dungeon] Race: Dungeon Core Gender: None Type: Multiversal System Dungeon Core Level: 1

EXP: 0/100

Floors: None

Monsters: None

Mana: 50/50 (15 Per Day) Abilities: Dungeon Manipulation, Rule Creation, Spawn, Observe, Claim Territory, and Monster Domination Unlocked Themes(Ruined City, Spacestation, Graveyard, etc.): None Achievement: None Patrons: The System Description: A Contracted Human Soul of the System given the form of that of a Dungeon Core

As Jack started processing the information he got from the System, the Data Packet the System promised soon arrived.

Deciding to test it, Jack thought, 'What should I do first?'

[Reviewing Inquiry...done]

[Four recommendations found]

[1st: Nothing until you have gained complete control of your new body and abilities]

[2nd: Begin using your Mana to dig a pathway to the surface]

[3rd: Using your Mana, create your first Dungeon Monster to assist you in reaching the surface]

[4th: All of the above]

"Hmmm...and how do I create a Dungeon Monster or Manipulate my Mana?"

[Reviewing Inquiry...done]

[Imprinting appropriate knowledge]

And just within the span of a single moment, Jack was assaulted with a colossal headache.

When his headache finally calmed down, Jack knew the basics of Manipulating Mana and Spawning Dungeon Monsters.

And while Jack was annoyed about how basic the information was, he at least now knew how to Manipulate Mana and create monsters.

Flexing his will, the Mana inside his core began flooding out and into the open space before his core.

The Mana slowly formed the shape of an unknown creature before blood, muscles, flesh, organs, and bones began to rapidly grow and appear within the shape that made the creature.

However, due to Jack's fluctuating will, the Monster's limbs, joints, and organs began to twist. So instead of a Molerat that Jack was trying to get, he ended up with an abomination that didn't even remotely resemble that of a Molerat...

The creature had multiple eyes in all the wrong spots, strange human-like arms that lay on its back, jagged teeth that were seemed to make a horrifying mouth that resembled that of a Sarlacc Mouth from Star Wars, and deformed limbs that would make it difficult for the creature to walk, and long jagged claws that made it even more uncomfortable for the horrifying creature to walk.

[ Congratulations! You have earned the Frankenstein's Monster Achievement! ]

[ Frankenstein's Monster (Achievement) - You have created your first ever Abomination! +25 EXP, +5 SP, and Abomination Type Monsters will be 15% cheaper to create, and Abomination Type Monsters will have a passive Fear Effect on Dungeon Delvers that scales with the Monster's Strength, Appearance, and Atmosphere(Like a foggy graveyard in the middle of the night)! ]

If Jack wasn't a Dungeon Core and still human, he did not doubt that he would have thrown up from looking at the disgusting slimy creature he created.

And upon gazing at the creature, one of Jack's skills activated.

Name: None Titles: None Race: Unnamed Gender: None Type: Abomination Element: Earth Level: 1 EXP: 0

Health Points: 520/520 (58.0 Per Hour)

Mana Points: 7/7 (2 Per Hour) Stamina Points: 360/360 (16 Per Hour)

- Stats -

[A/N: Average Stat for a MODERN day human is 10 and 15+ for mind related stats]

Strength: 8 Perception: 14 Vitality: 16 Endurance: 18 Agility: 6 Intelligence: 2 Wisdom: 1 Charisma: -25 Abilities/Skills: Fear Aura Lvl 1, Digging Lvl 1, Serrated Bite Lvl 1 Traits: Enhanced Senses, Tremor Sense, Sharp Claws, Strong Grip, Dark Vision Description: Created in the Unnamed Dungeon, this Monster's intended purpose was that of Digging and Tunneling for the Dungeon, but due to a mishap in the creation process, this Abomination was created. With 5 Eyes adorning this Monster's head, it can see almost everything around itself, and due to how the Eyes were designed, it has natural dark vision, allowing the Monster to see even in places with no light. On this Monster's back lay three humanoid arms that hold four fingers each. Due to the way the muscles were formed at the base of the three arms and along the arms themselves, the arms have complete coordinated movement, and the muscles within the arms allow for Grappling a target or prey with greater strength. Underneath this Monster lay five legs of varying lengths adorned with sharp claws that can be used to Dig or attack an unsuspecting intruder. Below each leg on the feet are pads that, while not intentionally designed, can sense the slightest of tremors around the Monster, giving it yet another sense it can use to hunt or fight against its prey. Due to the shape of this Monster's legs, it will have great difficulty moving with its legs. Due to the nature of this Monster, it naturally has a Fear Aura.

"...What in the hell did I create?" Jack asked himself as he looked over the Monster.

[ Would you like to name the species of your Monster for it being the First of its Kind? ]

"Da'gba."

[ Your Monster [Unnamed] has received the [Progenitor] Title! ]

[ Congratulations! Due to creating an entirely new species, you have gained the Achievement: Mad Scientist! ]

[ Mad Scientist (Achievement) - Not many Dungeon Cores can say that they have created a new species, and even fewer can say that their creation survived through the creation process. Progenitor Type Monsters gain +5 to all stats, Progenitor Type Monsters gain 25% more Experience, +15 SP, and +25 EXP ]

"What's SP?"

[Reviewing Inquiry...done]

[ System Points or SP for short can be used in the System Shop to purchase Items, Treasures, Ore, Monster Templates, and much more, SP can also be traded for with EXP, 10 EXP = 1 SP]

"So I can trade for more points using EXP? How do I get EXP, and how do my Monsters get EXP?"

[Reviewing Inquiry...done]

[Regarding your first inquiry, EXP can be mainly obtained in the following ways: Slaying Delvers, Letting Delvers roam your floors for a period of time, completing achievements, and Saeonic Energy harvesting, more ways of obtaining EXP will be hidden unless revealed(Aka, I can't think of other ways)]

[In regards to your second question, you will have to discover that yourself]

"And what's Saeonic Energy?"

[Saeonic Energy is the energy created when an entity seeks the pleasures of the Flesh, Soul, and Mind and can be harvested by the Dungeon or Dungeon Monsters]

"Wait...I can get exp from people having sex in...me?" Jack asked awkwardly.

[Correct, although the Dungeon itself can harvest this energy themselves if they so wish]

"Are there any Dungeons that mainly focus on...collecting Saeonic Energy?"

[A Very small percentage of Dungeons do focus mainly on Saeonic Energy, typically with those Dungeons being Reincarnators or Contracted such as yourself]

"That's...interesting? How does that even work? How is a Dungeon supposed to have sex with a Delver? Do they make some kind of tentacle hentai monster and control it somehow? Can Dungeons make themselves Avatars that we can control?"

[Reviwing Inquiry...done]

[Inquiry Denied]

"Denied? On what grounds?"

[Reviewing Inquiry...done]

[Inquiry Denied]

"..."

Not wanting to worsen his growing Headache, Jack opened his status screen and found that his Mana went from 50 to 15, meaning it cost 35 Mana to create the Abomination walking around Jack's core.

Not wanting to waste more time, Jack ordered the creature to start digging a tunnel at an angle towards the surface with its claws.

In the meantime, while the Monster was put to work, Jack also began helping by forming a pickaxe made of Mana and began mining alongside the Monster.

"Is there a way to increase my Mana and Mana Regeneration?"

[Reviewing Inquiry...done]

[There are three possible ways to increase your Mana Capacity]

[1st: Leveling Up and increasing your Mana Capacity naturally)

[2nd: Creating Mana Storage Devices and connecting them to your Dungeon Core]

[3rd: Modifying your Core to be capable of holding more Mana, WARNING: DO NOT MODIFY YOUR CORE, THIS WILL LEAD TO CORE INSTABILITY, CORRUPTION, AND LIKELY SELF-DESTRUCTION TO DUNGEON AND LAND AROUND IT]

[Four ways of increasing Mana Regeneration have been found]

[1st: Leveling Up will naturally increase your Mana Regeneration]

[2nd: Increasing Dungeon Size will increase Mana Regeneration]

[3rd: Creating Mana Harvesting Devices and connecting them to your Dungeon Core]

[4th: Modifying your Core to be capable of regenerating more Mana, WARNING: DO NOT MODIFY YOUR CORE, THIS WILL LEAD TO CORE INSTABILITY, CORRUPTION, AND LIKELY SELF-DESTRUCTION TO DUNGEON AND LAND AROUND IT]

"Yeesh, I get it. I won't Modify my core, not like I know how to anyway."

Even as hours passed of Jack and his Monster working, Jack was surprised that he didn't feel an ounce of boredom, which he was thankful for this tedious task of constant mining.

About an hour into the mining session, Jack's Mana ran dry, leaving him with nothing to do besides watching his Monster whack away at the stone with its sharp claws.

Jack was thankful that all of the debris from the Minning seemed to be absorbed by the Dungeon and could be used whenever required.

And since it's mostly stone that Jack has to go through, Jack assumes that it will take a long time till he reaches the surface.

At least Jack and his Monster had managed to dig our 25 meters of stone before Jack ran out of Mana and the Monster its stamina.

Once again, Jack was happy that he couldn't get bored.

Its been nearly 12 hours since Jack arrived in this world, and Jack has regenerated nearly 7 MP, but due to the nearly 50 meters of stone he has dug, he has noticed that his Regeneration was almost 15.5 Per Day. Perhaps he gains 0.1 MP Per day for every 10 Meters he expands the Dungeon?

Jack could tell this seemed the case, which meant he had an even bigger reason for expanding the Dungeon as wide as he possibly could.

At the current moment, Jack's Da'gba was sleeping after a hard day's work, mainly because Jack found that its Stamina cap was being lowered with all the work it was doing and could only be restored to full once it had a good night's rest.

And since Jack felt it would be faster if he just created another Monster to help Dig, he was stuck with doing nothing but staring at the Da'gba or somewhere else in the Dungeon.

"Is there anything you can tell me about the surface?" Jack asked, curious about the world he would find once he breached the surface.

[Reviewing Inquriy]

[Your Core currently resides underneath the Terrain of the Inbetween, a Dimension that lays between all Dimensions, Universes, and Multiverses. The Inbetween is a Dimension of unfathomable size and is home to Denizens from countless Worlds and Dimension and is home to lost civilizations, ruins, and much more, including other Dungeon Cores]

[Other Cores describe the Inbetween as 'Verry Messy' due to everything that ends up in this Dimension, ranging from Pristine Buildings to crashed starships and even entire Civilizations]

"So there is a chance I will find something like Kingdoms and Space-faring Civilizations on the Surface? How the hell are my Monsters supposed to survive against Guns or whatever crazy advanced bullshit the Aliens have?" Jack asked.

[More than likely, they will not, hence why most Dungeons develop and evolve monsters specifically to counter these weapons]

[Although some System Contracted Cores do set up Rules against the use of this weaponry, which, while not removing the Weapons, will apply a Debuff or Punishment on the Rule breakers]

"Well, that's good to know, at least."

"Hm...I just had a thought, since we can create Monsters, can Dungeons make Humanoids like Humans, Elves, Dwarves, etc.?"

[Reveiwing Inquiry...done]

[Inquiry Denied]

"So it may be possible? Good to know."

Just when Jack was about to stop asking questions because he ran out of them, he thought of another question.

"Can Dungeon Cores be destroyed?"

[Reviewing Inquiry...done]

[Dungeon Cores can be destroyed, enslaved, corrupted, and even moved]

"That's...worrying."

"Is it possible to hide my core?" Jack asked.

[A/N: I'll stop with the reviewing inquiry XD]

[Your Core Room must be connected to the Dungeon]

"Does that mean I can hide the entrance to my core room with some kind of illusion or wall?"

In response, the System said nothing.

"So it is possible?"

At least Jack now had another way of keeping himself, his core, safe from harm.

A full 24 hours soon passed, and now Jack's Mana regenerated at a rate of 17.2 per Day, which that his mana regeneration did, in fact, increase by 0.1 for every 10 meters he expanded his Dungeon.

It also means that the tunnel Jack and his Monster were digging to the surface was at a length of 220 meters(721 Feet).

Jack's Mana was currently sitting at a nice 15.5 points.

And while Jack could wait until he had enough Mana to create another Da'gba, but to be frank, Jack did not want to add more to his first Monster's race.

Besides, at the current moment, Jack wanted to focus on quantity instead of quality.

So Jack thought of an animal, or more accurately, an insect from Earth that was not only great at digging but veterans of war, Ants.

Surely it was possible to create Monster ants as large as Dogs?

Luckily in Jack's life on Earth, he was a pretty big nerd. He knew a lot and knew enough about Ants to accurately create them from scratch, including what Organs he would need to create and their proper placing.

"Hey, system, is it possible to get assistance in creating a Monster?"

[There are two ways of creating a Dungeon Monster, Semi-Manual Creation and Manual Creation]

[All non-system dungeons use Semi-Manual Creation when creating their dungeons, while System Dungeons have the option of customizing and designing a monster]

"What's Semi-Manual Creation?"

[A Core would think of a Monster, supply mana, and the Monster would be created from that Image]

"Is there a downside to this?"

[Customization]

"So doing Manual Creation, I could add whatever I want to a Monster so long as I had mana?"

[Correct, so long as it doesn't break any of the Rules of Reality]

"I see...then I guess I will go with Manual then."

But just to make sure that nothing went wrong, Jack waited another day until his Mana was at 40 points.

The Da'gba continued to dig towards the surface, increasing the length of the tunnel by another 100 meters, and was currently sleeping next to the core after working so hard for the past two days. It was no wonder the Monster was exhausted.

Jack also noticed that the Monster's claws were ground down. The fact that it was stone it was digging through is a wonder its claws lasted as long as they did.

Luckily, Jack found he could simply restore the claws for barely any mana.

Continuing to let the Monster sleep, Jack began the creation process for this Monster Ant he wanted to make.

It was crucial that he not lose focus or let his mind wander. Just a few details wrong, and everything that made an Ant an Ant could disappear or perhaps even make it to where it was utterly useless.

So the Mana began to be drawn from Jack's core and form a shape in the air.

Starting with the Ant's thorax, Jack began by giving the Ant two hearts, two stomachs, a brain, antennae, mandibles, a nervous system, eyes, a rectum, and various other organs and nerves that would connect everything.

Once he had the base of the Ant built, he began strengthening everything on the ant and adding some details.

He strengthened and sharpened the ant's mandibles before adding the exact internal mechanism that Trap Jaw ants had, then went on to improve the brain to allow for more cognitive function, added an acid gland and spray gland on the Ant's abdomen, added the same Tremor sensing pads the Da'gba had on its feet, and as a final touch, made sure its legs and other senses were honed and enhanced to allow for movement on walls, and even the ceiling due to its increased weight.

And just before finalizing the creation process, he changed the ant's color to black, added a red skull-like pattern on its body, and added some red to other parts of its body.

And finalizing the creation process, Jack noticed he didn't consider one thing...how much this would cost...

Very quickly did his Mana drain out of his core before he noticed that he ran out before he could finish the creation process, and with no more mana in the core to supply the creation process, the drain started harming the core itself and he blacked out.

[ Congratulations! You have gained the Achievement: Overachiever! ]

[ Overachiever (Achievement) - You have reached for perfection in the creation of one of your Monsters and have gone far beyond your limits, +25 EXP, +5 SP, and Dungeon Monsters gain +5% EXP ]

An entire day passed before Jack awoke from overexerting himself.

And what he found surprised him, sleeping by his core was his new Monster and the Da'gba.

But that's not what surprised Jack. No, it was the fact that his Mana Regeneration was now 22.8, and a notification from the System appeared before him!

[ Congratulations! Your Dungeon has reached the surface and can be delved! +5 Mana Regeneration Per Day ]

It seems that his Dungeon Core appeared almost 300(280 to be exact) meters below the surface!

[ You have now reached the surface and can be delved by the Inhabitants of the Inbetween, the System suggested you begin construction of your first ten floors, create enticing loot or treasure, and inhabit your Dungeon with more Monsters! Remember, it's not just Delvers you have to worry about, but also other Dungeons as well! ]

"I have to worry about other Dungeons as well? Does that mean Dungeon Monsters can leave the Dungeon?"

[Dungeon Monsters are completely capable of leaving the Dungeon but will be weakened and have their level reduced while outside their home Dungeon unless they are a Named Monster, only when a Dungeon Break occurs can all the monsters in the Dungeon leave with their full strength and levels]

"Named Monster?" Jack asked.

[Names hold power, and named Monsters are no different]

[At your current level, you can have 3 Named Monsters]

"I see."

[Would you like to name the species of your second Monster?]

"Sure, call its species the Widow Ant, and in the meantime, let's have a look at its status."

Name: None Titles: None Race: Widow Ant Gender: Female Type: Giant Insect, Progenitor Element: Earth, Fire, Death Level: 1 EXP: 0

Health Points: 525/525 (67.5 Per Hour)

Mana Points: 60/60 (20 Per Hour) Stamina Points: 800/800 (22.5 Per Hour)

- Stats -

[A/N: Average Stat for a MODERN day human is 10 and 15+ for mind related stats]

Strength: 15 (+5) Perception: 25 (+5) Vitality: 15 (+5) Endurance: 20 (+5) Dexterity: 10 (+5) Intelligence: 10 (+5) Wisdom: 10 (+5) Charisma: 5 (+5) Abilities/Skills: Powerful Chomp Lvl 1, Acid Shot Lvl 1, Digging Lvl 1, and Grip Lvl 1 Traits: Enhanced Senses, Tremor Sense, Trap-Jaw Mandibles, Hardened Exo-skeleton, Pheromone Language Gland, Acid Gland Description: Created in the Unnamed Dungeon, This Widow Ant was created in the Image of a Fearsome Monster of Death that would pose a significant challenge against those that would wish harm against the Dungeon Core, and as it is the first of its species, it bears the Title of a Progenitor.

"Such BS! How come they regenerate Mana so quickly?!"

[Quality, only True-Divine level entities can manipulate Mana as pure as that of a Dungeon, and even then, only with great effort]

"So the reason they regenerate mana so quickly is because of the difference in Quality?"

[Mostly correct]

"What would happen if I reduced the quality of my Mana to increase the regeneration speed?"

[Your core would more than likely degrade and self-destruct]

"Are Dungeon cores fragile or something? What's with everything seemingly going to cause me to self-destruct?"

In response, the System said nothing, leaving Jack annoyed.

With the surface now available to him and a new task to start building up his Dungeon, Jack got to work, or more accurately, Jack's monsters got to work on digging out the first floor.

Speaking of which, he named his two monsters.

The Da'gba Jack named Nadir, and for the Widow Ant, he named Vesh.

As for what Jack planned on doing with the tunnel that led straight from the entrance to the surface to his core, Jack, with the help of the System, moved his core to the first floor and encased it into a stone wall.

Luckily now that the first floor was so close to the surface, it was mostly dirt and stone that Jack's monsters had to dig through, significantly increasing the progress they dug out the first floor.

And while Jack did not know what kind of design he wanted to go with for the first floor, he felt it was better just to expand the first floor as much as possible until he did come up with a design.

"Is there any limit to the creation of my floors, monsters, and dungeon?"

[System Dungeon Cores have great freedom when it comes to their Dungeons, and unless the Dungeon attempts to break a Universal Rule, the System will not interfere]

"So I can essentially do whatever I want so long as I don't break one of these 'Universal Rule' thingamajiggy?"

The System stayed silent.

"Then I guess that means there should be no problem with me using my resources to recreate some things I remember from my world?"