As we entered the large room, which was a little oversized for us, chandeliers and torches lit themselves in the room. It really didn't help to make our details but it did provide some needed depth. We approached the Throne where a 12 foot tall shadow sat.

"Ominous" I sarcastically whispered to Lluvia, she just gave a small chuckle.

"Who dares enter my domain." A deep resonating tone shot forth from the entity.

"O great the dungeon is being really dramatic, I hate these…" Lluvia whispered.

Root then took a step forward and proclaimed "It is me and mine who will conquer your lands." I could almost hear the eye roll as well.

"Then we shall fight." The hulking shadow visage stated and rose from its throne.

I ran identify on it.

Corrupted Shadow King Level ??

Then more figures started to approach from the shadows, one for each of us.

Corrupted Shadow Lord Level ??

I quickly scanned the room for anything else and finally came across something in the back corner on the Throne right side behind some sort of wooden table or desk.. I saw a small hunched figure watching, if I had not used my skill then it would have been easily overlooked and blended right into the shadows. I had a sneaking suspicion about something and would need to pay attention.

After the fight with the Shadow Lord and showing that I was quite useful in the maze I was actually kind of excited for the next fight.

I extended my new long sword, pressed some mana into my limbs and launched myself forward even faster than before. It took over 60 points of mana to do but I decapitated a Shadow creature with a single fast strike. I was also pretty sure that some of my mana had leached into the sword because of how accurately it had been.

"That was fucking impressive girl!" Turnip shouted at me.

I then turned around, pulled out my crossbow and fired two quick shots into the 'King' with small detonations. It didn't even stagger the entity unfortunately, it did technically injure. Everyone then just unloaded on all the other entities in the great hall.

It only took a few seconds for the rest of the group to take down all the creatures and the king but finally they all laid there dead.

"Well that was easy." I said and inwardly winced at the phrase.

The bodies then dissolved into smoke and slowly started to reform.

"Oh look there back!." I said, with a very wide shit eating grin on my face. My blood was singing and I managed to prove to myself that I could do this.

"Sounds like someone is enjoying an adrenaline high!" Turnip said laughing.

"Ugggg I really dislike the games the dungeon keeps playing on us." Lluvia said.

"Oh don't worry I got this one." I said as I pulled out both of my mana grenades. Then I lobbed both over to where the Shadow figure was hiding near the Throne. The explosion wasn't much but I don't think the entity was particularly tough.

Dungeon Cleared!

All adversaries with Shadow Court Dungeon Defeated.

All Bosses Defeated

Nicole Silberschmidt, MaxTinker, level 7 is awarded the Shadow Harlequin class.

All class slots filled.

Replace current class with Shadow Harlequin?

Replacing your current class will reset your level 0.

Congratulations, your MacTinker class has reached level 8!

Mana +5

Flexibility +5

You have gained: One Class Point

I held off doing anything after all of that.

"Wait… did you figure that out already?" Orlo asked.

"Maybe… I suspected it before the beginning of the fight." I said.

"Fuck me I hate infinite spawn conditions, also that was a good call on your part." Turnip asked.

"Can we keep her?" Lluvia asked.

"I'm more afraid that she won't want to keep us…" Root replied.

"Oh I got a new class and am level 8 now." I said to the group.

"How do I add the new class?" I then asked.

"You will want to wait until your first class gets to level 10, which will open up a second class slot for you." Iser said.

"Ah, two more levels not that bad. Oh anything drop?" I asked them and we searched the room.

We found two objects, a sash that dropped off the 'king' and a Scepter that came from the jester or I guess harlequin I killed.

Sash of the shadows, New Quality

Assists the user in blending into the shadows.

Shadow Harlequin's Scepter, New Quality

A tool to misdirect others.

I was given both items well because I had so little still at the moment and I was critical in the entire operation.

I tied the sash around my waist and it looked kind of cool, it was evaporating shadows, it still felt like cloth to me however. The scepter was made of silver and could be changed to a stick. Its materials were likely valuable. Apparently a very good hull from a new dungeon like this and for being so small.

That left one more thing for the group to show and discuss with me. The dungeon core.

We were greeted by two doors behind the Throne itself.

One of the doors led back to the entrance room, the second was supposed to lead to the core room but as we opened it we were greeted by a tangle of roots and vines.

“What the fuck is all of this?” Root said.

I was then greeted by a new notification.

Quest Update!

You have found the Evil Root. Destroy it to Cleanse the Land!

“Umm… I just got an update to my quest… I think we have to kill the root shit.” I said.

“Yeah ok… this is new… just to double check but no one else has seen this before correct?” Root asked, a chorus of negatives greeted his question.

“Fuck me… well lets get to hacking…” I said then I pulled out my knife and started to try and cut my way in.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Umm you never want to enter a core room, it is dangerous. However, for a few seconds it is generally okay but there are possible side effects.” Iser said, they seemed very nervous and sort of stumbled over the order of words.

“Ok, I still don't understand the danger but I suspect I would know better once I was inside.” I said, I was having a hell of a time cutting through the Root, the Dagger sword which I kept in dagger mode was sharp but it still had difficulty biting through the root material.

“Also I have this quest from the world? And you guys were the ones that told me how important these can be. Also can someone help me here a bit?” I asked.

It took quite a bit of effort just to open a large hole to squeeze through.

“Look poking around Core rooms is a very very bad idea. If you break the core it destroys the dungeon.” Turnip said.

“O fuck really? OK then I will not even try to touch the core. But I have to figure out this quest… so everyone hold tight.” I said.

Clearly everyone else was nervous with the idea of me going into a core room in a dungeon but the world told me to so… besides I was curious as all hell. Squeezing in I was then blasted with a rather large amount of energetic pressure. I felt very very tingly and wanted to move a lot. I took a look at my mana.

Mana 225/120

“Holy FUCK BEANS!” I said as I dived out of the room.

“Ok you guys could have told me I was going to get bombarded my well Mana I guess.” I said as I picked myself up.

“Sorry I keep forgetting you dont know all of the basics still.” Root said.

“Yes core room very dangerous, over saturation of mana has unpredictable side effects, you need to reduce.” Iser said, as there tone changed a bit and clipped a little.

“Ok I get what you mean.” I told them and picked up a rock, pumped it full of mana and threw across the Throne room chamber.

“Wait you understand me?” Iser asked.

“Yeah? Your speech has changed a little bit but it's not that far off.” I said.

“Umm are you too going to keep talking like that I can't understand a single thing you are saying.” Root said.

“Wait did we switch over to your native tongue again?” I asked, I only heard it the one time and it was organized a little bit differently then now.

“Yes… when I get nervous I sometimes slip up and its embarrassing with the difference in dialect I use when I do that… It is also not fully vocal either which is what surprised me the most when you responded.” Iser said.

“Oh I have no idea how that might work then.” I said.

“The easiest parallel I could give is it’s like your body language had an accent.” Iser continued.

“Right… well an interesting thing we can look into later and I am serious about that.” I told them.

During the conversation I had been filling and throwing more rocks. I had even blasted some of the stone floor and was pulling chunks out of that to empower.

“Ok that feels way more normal now. What now?” I told the group.

“We can leave, get you stronger and we can clean this up then?” Lluvia suggested.

I was starting to think down the same line when I got a new notification.

Quest Update!

You have found the Evil Root. You are too weak to Destroy the Evil Root. Break the Core and let the Root Starve.

“O fuck…. Umm none of you are going to like this… but the world just told me to break the core to starve the root.” I said my mouth going dry.

“Do WHAT now?” Root almost yelled. Everyone was starting to talk over everyone else.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” I telled and for a brief second I even felt a tiny trickle of mana enter into my voice. After a moment everyone stopped talking and was looking at me.

“So what are the penalties for breaking a core?” I asked the group in front of me.

“Umm it's almost always a capital offense to break a core.” Root said.

“Core breakers are also heavily hunted by other groups…” Turnip said with a tiny hint of something.

“Ok those sound like societal reasons not to break a core. But what happens when a core is broken.” I asked.

“A very complex set of events. Locally the dungeon dies and can no longer be used by anyone. Ley Lines also rearranged themselves due to the restructuring of the world's energy network. You also receive two General Skill points for breaking a Core.” Iser said.

“So the issue here is the Dungeon cannot be farmed.” I said.

“In essence… yes” Orlo finally chimed in.

“Ok… Look I would not be breaking the core under a normal situation but I think I have to because the world is telling me to.” I told the group.

Everyone looked honestly confused about the situation, on one hand breaking the core very bad, on the other hand ignoring the world, maybe even worse.

“Look if it helps we tell no one about this, this group's secret. I will also be the one to do the task as the world is apparently asking me. But these vines, these roots I can sort of feel them and they don't feel ‘right’.” I said.

I was still greeted with more mixed feelings by everyone.

“If it helps, then maybe we can go to some sort of authority after and explain the situation. Maybe ‘turn myself in’.” I said. I then got another notification.

Quest Update!

Destroy the Root or all life on Dirt is forfeit.

“Umm guys? Does the world watch what we do? Because it just updated the quest telling me that if I do not do this then all life on ‘Dirt’ is forfeit.” I said.

I received shocked and startled expressions in return, then I came up with an idea. If this thing can somehow hear us.

“World? Please show them all the same prompt I was just given.” I said, there was a very long pause.

Everyone jumped, and I was greeted by wide eyes and astonished expressions.

“More Concrete?” I asked.

“Y…Yeah….” Root said.

“Already, so what happens when a dungeon dies? Anyone know?” I asked.

"It sort of falls apart from what I have heard and read." Iser said

"Right… Everyone should collect their stuff and someone else please carry mine.” I told them.

We quickly gathered everything, then Iser and Orlo both left the Dungeon.

“Umm I think everyone might want to go, I suspect this is dangerous but if people can get stuff out of this then I should be able to make it out. The door out is right there anyway.” I said.

Root, and Turnip looked at each other nervously then nodded.

“I'm not leaving without you. I'll wait right here for you to exit that room.” Lluvia said.

Seeing that I had some support both Root and Turnip nodded and left.

“Well thanks for ruining my courageous last stand.” I told her in a sarcastic tone.

“O fuck you!” she said with a smile and tears in her eyes.

“You ready?” I asked and she nodded.

“Alright, I'll be right back.” I said.

I then hopped back into the core room and worked my way over to the very core of the dungeon. I could feel the magic energy suffusing my body as I walked my way over the roots.

I quickly got to the core itself, which was a bright glowing ball of shining white sphere like object. I could feel a sense of serenity near the core itself, it felt good… great even but I could also feel my own energy vibrating within me.

“Fuck I need to hurry up.” I told myself.

Then I had one more thought.

“World can you still hear me?” I asked quietly.

Quest Update!

Destroy the Root or all life on Dirt is forfeit.

“I’ll take that as a yes… This is affecting everywhere isn't it?” I asked.

New Quest

Destroy the Root pledging the world of Dirt.

“I'm going to need some additional assistance in the process. How about a unique skill as a reward for assisting in cleanup duty, or additional Points or something?” I asked.

Quest Update!

Destroy the Root or all life on Dirt is forfeit.

Reward: One (1) x Unique Skill

Reward: Four (4) X General Skill points

“Alright, let's play exterminator.” I told the world.

I held up my vambrace directly at the core and fired a 30 point shot of force into the thing.

The core shattered.

Dungeon Warning

Dungeon Stability Failing.

Evacuate.

“O fuck” I said to myself as I pushed mana into my limbs to speed myself up. I shot out of the core room and back into the Throne room where Lluvia helped pick me up.

“Fuck! JUST Run!” I yelled, we then bolted through the open door into the dungeon entry zone.

Past that we could still feel the shaking and crumbling of the ground as the two of us ran. It continued on through the passageway and all the way up to the ‘transitional layer’ between the dungeon and the rest of reality.

It took me a moment to realize we had made it out of the dungeon and back into the sewer system. I could still feel hints of the destruction of the dungeon rumbling below us at the intersection.

“Ok…. now we know what happens when one is broken. The whole place kind of just falls apart.” I said.

“Is everyone Ok?” I asked the group.

I got shaky nods from everyone… it's not everyday that a ‘god’ tells you to do something so directly… at least I figure that's what's going through their minds right now.

“Ok can we please get out of here? I want to eat, sleep, then process a bunch of suppressed feelings.” I told the group.

The party agreed and we headed home for the evening.