Jour 0
Dans une chaîne de montagnes, à l'orée d'un royaume, à l'intérieur d'une grotte profonde.
"boom"
Une explosion retentit, pas assez grande pour secouer la grotte mais assez pour jeter un tas de robes noires et argentées à quelques mètres de là. Sous ces robes, nous pouvons voir un vieil homme mince aux cheveux blancs.
"Tsss a encore raté"
L'homme se lève et malgré ses cheveux ébouriffés et le sang qui coule de sa lèvre éclate, il dégage une aura de sagesse et de noblesse. Avec un regard déçu, il regarde le résultat noirci de sa millième expérience pour tenter de produire l'œuvre des dernières décennies. Un regard d'étonnement apparaît alors sur son visage puis d'excitation. Au milieu de la roche brisée, on distingue un morceau de verre ou de cristal à moitié fondu mais coloré de veines de mana enchevêtrées.
Le scientifique se précipite pour l'examiner et prend la roche brûlante dans ses mains froissées, il ne semble pas remarquer la chaleur et place le cristal sur son établi. Avec divers instruments de son invention, il examine en profondeur son échec. Et dit avec un visage satisfait:
«Je me rapproche enfin, en modifiant légèrement les runes de concentration et la quantité de métal divin que j'y arriverais».
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Il n'y a rien de divin dans ce métal, cependant, c'est simplement le plus grand conducteur magique trouvé dans ce monde, il ne se forme que dans les profondeurs des donjons les plus dangereux.
“702 come clean” the door to the room opens to let in a human-like creature, but her skin is a blackish color, hairless and very thin she moves jerkily and can't seem to speak. For any magician she would be a masterpiece of alchemy, a homunculus, but for me it is only an unfinished experience. I have passed the age of 304 this year, an advanced age even for mages, this is the reason why I had this experience my initial goal was to recreate a body and to transplant my body into it. Unfortunately I seem to have reached the limit that a human can create, refusing to live in an imperfect body, 80 years ago I began to actively seek to extend my life.
I am afraid of death like many old mages and powerful people in general. So I wanted to find a method, inevitably my research pushed me towards necromancy, the magic of death. This is what got me into exile, and I'm still actively sought after by the Church of the Holy Empire. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a solution, and my lack of affinity with death magic quickly limited my options.
Until 70 years ago, when I came across a book detailing the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. Being myself the greatest alchemist of my time, I know this stone capable of transmuting lead into gold for some and granting eternal life for others. I know it's not really doable, but there is one ingredient in the book, dungeon cores, and this recipe got me thinking about creating one and even becoming one.
Dungeons are widespread although rare on all known continents. They are large underground constructions with crystal cores hidden at the bottom. They feed on mana and create monsters and traps from it, they attract animals and men to kill them by recovering their mana. They are slow growing sources of precious wealth. They are known to be without personality but with a strong instinct and great intelligence for the older ones.
Becoming a dungeon for all scholars is a dream, almost unlimited access to mana, unparalleled precision and manipulation of it. And for me, immortal life, they can also create any item with enough mana.
So I started my research since I became an outcast among the mages, obtaining the materials was complicated but I have amassed considerable wealth as an alchemist and enchanter. First I had to get myself a dungeon core to experiment and then tried to recreate one to finally put my soul inside. And that's what I've spent the last decades on. To get to today.
Once 702 was in the room, I called it 702 because it is the 702 -th test on the homunculus experiment, so I went out myself. My current home is in one of the highest mountains of the Andalusian massif, named after an old dragon who lived there a few millennia ago before dying at the hands of some hero. This massif serves as a border between the Delouis kingdom where I am and the immortal empire. This empire has always been belligerent since its inception 150 years ago. The two were at war 50 years ago but not since. They are part of a loose alliance that aims to defend the Empire from a potential invasion.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The world is divided into 5 continents, a continent where we find countless demons constantly fighting, able to sweep the central continent if they unite they never did and only attack small groups every time. It is large but not very fertile.
A lost continent that once housed a flourishing empire of several races until a magical experiment went wrong and the dungeons went mad, today it is a land divided into 6 parts each under the chaotic rule of 'a dungeon, no human can survive there and it is estimated that the dungeons have reached more than 200 floors by dint of engulfing their congeners.
A desert continent, no one really knows what happened but legends say that a king would have wanted to achieve immortality by sacrificing the entire continent. Or an invasion of insects that would eat everything before starving themselves.
A mountainous continent where there is a huge underground kingdom of dwarves, small beings, very numerous and very skilled in the arts and the forge but devoid of magic, are undeniably the richest. We sometimes meet dwarves on the central continent.
Finally the central contains, it is called like that because it is several times larger than the others. It is the one who welcomes all kinds of races, intelligent to the step. The dominant race is humanity, but we are generally weak individually.
I walk in a hallway and head towards my room on the right, on the left is a library and behind me a laboratory, further next to my room there is a storage room and opposite a storage room and the apartment of 702 Once home I change and put on another identical black silk dress with silver filigree. I take a chest of gold and head for the exit. At the end of the corridor, the cave opens onto a vast grassy plateau, the cave is carved out of a 100-meter cliff which encircles the plateau in an arc. Under the plateau a vast forest and the slope of the mountain continues I am at the height of it.
I have to renew my stocks of materials before my next test which should be the right one. I specifically chose this location because it is located on the border and the mountain being a natural barrier, the nearest village is a two day walk away. However, I have to go to the capital of the duchy located a week away to find what I'm looking for.
My last horse died, killed by a bear on my way back from my last trip so I have to walk at least to the next village. I decide to leave now.
Day 3
Three days later I arrive in the village, I cannot afford to be seen even by ordinary villagers, so I stay outside as usual. Once night has fallen I head for the only stone house, that of the village chief. I know he is already sleeping with his wife but I cast a sleeping spell on the house as a precaution. I then go inside and cast a hypnotic spell on him. The level of his spells and more than enough to manipulate any of these villagers.
The next day at the exit of the village a man on a cart passes then stops at the first bend. I get into the cart and cast an endurance and speed spell on the horse. Without a word, the village chief walks towards the capital of the duchy.
Day 10
Ten days later, I pull up my hood and get out of the cart as I approach town and walk towards a tree in front of the north wall. I knock softly and wait a few seconds before a voice comes from inside:
"Who is it"
I answer “Edgard” , a borrowed name, and I hand out a silver coin. The currency is divided into iron coin, silver coin and gold coin, one gold coin equals 10 silver coins and one silver coin equals 100 iron coins. A piece of silver and the price necessary to enter this city illegally, it is a high price since it is equivalent to 4 months of work for a peasant! The duke who governs this territory is attentive to the security of his city and severely limits the local underworld.
A trap door then opens in front of me and I enter a long corridor leading out into the slum. I attract attention in this district but I have always taken care of my image and I do not fear these inhabitants. I then go to an herbalist store in the shopping district. I enter the empty shop and go to the counter, greet the owner and hand him a list:
“Hello, can you sell me this”
The list contains many ingredients, all expensive and several questionable or even downright illegal. The owner recognized my dress but made a face and said:
“I can supply most but I have divine metal and the mana crystals are too big, I'm afraid you will have to wait”
This is not the first that I have come here and he knows that I am rich, I am rather stingy but I am too impatient to finalize my experience and I answer him
“I am ready to pay 20% above the market price”
He seems rather surprised because the requested materials are already expensive, but he quickly gives a soft smile seeming satisfied with his scam and disappears behind a door. He returned several minutes later, followed by sturdy quarter-men carrying two large trunks that seemed heavy.
“Here sir, you can check,” he said, motioning for the men to open the cocks. I check their content and quality and I motion for them to close and lock the boxes. I then run successively for several minutes several minutes. dozens of spells on them before placing the gold chest I was carrying on the counter. Opening the lid, her eyes shine upon seeing the large gold coins struck by the royal seals. Each of these coins can be exchanged for 1000 gold coins from the royal bank. The safe contains 40. The sum is significant but they are of the first quality black market. With this delivery I only have one left. hundred thousand gold coins.
“That should be enough”
“Yes yes, gentlemen would you need anything else”
“Yes a cart and two horses, also if these slaves are for sale”
«Bien sûr, je vais faire préparer la charrette, les esclaves sont de bonne qualité et bien formés mais je vous les laisse»
«Je reviendrai» Il y a peu de chances que, si je réussis, je serais un donjon et sinon je mourrais.
Une fois que le marchand m'a donné le code des colliers d'esclaves, je quitte la ville par la porte principale avec la charrette. Les gardiens ne contrôlent pas les sorties. J'ai ensuite jeté les sorts pour le voyage en entrant dans mon futur donjon.