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Another Dungeon Core
Chapter 27: A Motivated Dungeon

Chapter 27: A Motivated Dungeon

Eternal Dungeon POV

I felt my attention narrow and a white hot rage build up within my core as I saw what was contained within the box. They would DARE to torture a young core, effectively a child, in this manner?! When I find out who did this to this poor core I’m going to personally crush them and everything associated with them!

I’M GOING TO KILL THEM ALL!

I can feel the mana I control start to rage in tune with my sudden emotional shift. My feelings echoing out into my dungeon. I feel through my connections as all of my creatures go into a bloodthirsty frenzy. The limitations I imposed on them being lifted by my enraged state.

Through the anger and rage I feel a sudden twinge of something else. A calming effect is starting to worm its way into me. At first I go to lash out at this new source of mental influence, however I pause when I see it's my connection to my Chosen and Spiritkin. I can hear my two Chosen, doing their best to act as anchors within the storm that is my rage.

I can’t lose myself to my anger. The entire dungeon relies on me. If I let this continue all that will happen is that I’ll end up as another Kill Dungeon, one that won’t be stoppable by the mortals of this world. I can’t let that happen.

I pull in a deep wave of mana before pushing it back out. This expands my aura slightly, but more importantly it's my closest action to breathing. I `breathe` several times before regaining a more calm composure, however there is an underlying current of anger beneath it. My rage is contained, it is not gone. I refocus my mind onto the task at hand.

I can no longer just watch, I’m going to be dealing with the intruders more directly now, but first I need to deal with this poor dungeon core.

The young core attempts to expand its domain, normally this would cause a fight for dominance with the loser being absorbed by the winner. However it has a barely developed mind and I am a True Core. I flex my aura and will to restrain the core so it can’t hurt itself with its own resistance. I then use my administrative authority to place it into a stasis, similar to a deep sleep, so that it doesn’t have to feel the agony of being unconnected to the Ley Lines.

I then turn my attention to the bandit leader who is still channeling a spell, not knowing that the core fight is already over. I hyper accelerate my time frame and examine the spell closely for several subjective hours. Not even a full second has passed in objective time by the time I’ve finished. It appears to be a potent empowerment spell designed to pump the target full of mana and enhance their overall power in all ways.

I might as well use this as a learning experience. I’ve never really tested the deeper intricacies of magic within this world. My instinctive ability to manipulate mana is something all dungeon cores have. Having a deeper understanding of magic and mana could be useful in the future, especially if I’m going to start taking a more active role in the world from now on.

I grab onto all the mana in and around the bandit leader before reversing the flow of the mana on his entire spellwork just to see what will happen. I watch in satisfaction as massive amounts of mana are pumped into him causing him to begin to glow before exploding in a violent shower of gore and viscera. Then a large chunk of perfectly round solid mana thunks to the ground from where the center of his body was. Interesting.

I turn my attention to the remaining bandits. A dozen of them still live. I take control of all the mana around them and then forcefully teleport them into separate holding cells. No need to let garbage human beings go to waste after all, they might as well contribute to my continued research and growth.

With that done I then move my gaze back outside my dungeon. The fight between the Guildmaster and the four high level corsairs is still ongoing. I have no way of effectively interfering without using system assistance, and even if I did interfere it would likely give up my ruse of being restricted by the same rules as other dungeons.

I need to be stronger.

The continent I’m on is known as Aveneast, The Eastern Continent. It’s also a Three Star continent. A continent's star rating is solely derived from the quality of dungeons, in other words all being on a three star continent means is that there is at least one three star dungeon. Which from what I hear from adventurers is a metal dungeon owned by the Adventurers Guild.

The fact that there is only one three star dungeon also means that three star individuals are the peak of power here as there is no easy way to continue advancing. Not only that, but most people that reach a high enough level would rather leave for another continent to continue growing as opposed to being stuck at three star.

If I can reach level 31 I’ll be able to create endless three star monsters which would easily be enough strength to deal with any local powers. I’ll also need to expand my aura enough to gather information and find out who it was that gave these bandits this dungeon core. I find it highly unlikely they managed to get a hold of it themselves considering that the Adventurers Guild has enough three star members to take on most small nations.

Plus their leadership are all corsairs which implies they are working for another faction. I need to be strong enough to deal with whoever or whatever is supporting them. I refuse to let dungeon cores be treated like this, they are essential to the world after all.

Hmmm. . . I’m still not sure exactly why I feel so strongly about this. System manipulation maybe? If the system can suppress emotions perhaps it can enhance them as well? Since this is a matter that could be compromising my judgment I directly ask the system.

“System, are you actively manipulating my emotional state?” I directly ask the entity

User: Mark does not have sufficient administrative authority to make this request

Suspicious. If the system wasn't, wouldn't it just tell me no? This certainly lends some credence to my theory that the system is doing something to me.

“What do I need to do in order to gain the authority to have that question answered?” I ask, making sure to word it as carefully as I can so that the system doesn’t just give me the same line again.

User: Mark must reach level 100 and have a (Error: CONDITION REDACTED)

* * * * Processing error * * * *

User: Mark must receive special permission to learn of redacted conditions early

I sigh, causing a wave of mana to expand from my core and fill my core room. What a pain. At least I learned one of the requirements I need to meet. I could always use my favor from the Executioners to try and learn more, but that seems like a waste. The system said `to learn of the conditions early` that implies that I’ll eventually learn them on my own.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Well at least I have some new goals now. My main goal is to gain more administrative authority so that I can ensure that my emotions and my mind are my own. My secondary goal is to get strong enough to enforce my will upon the world. Although that secondary goal is being partially driven by both my main one and what I assume is system emotional manipulation.

User: Mark has met the requirements to unlock the quest system

Personal Quests will now be generated

* * * * Personal Quests Successfully Generated * * * *

Mythical Quest: The Strength to Learn

Reach level 100 in order to meet the requirements to learn more of the system and of the universe at large.

Quest Reward: Learning the redacted condition to increase your Administrative Authority

Superior Quest: The Machinations of Defiers (Chain)

Learn the identity of the person or people behind the severing of the dungeon core.

Quest Reward: One Greater Perk

* * * * World Quests Unlocked * * * *

Mythical World Quest: The Corpses of Gods

The mana of the world is being forced towards chaos by the remnants of dead Gods. These beings who once tried to defy Unity were struck down for their hubris, yet even now their corpses remain in rebellion. Find a way to purify the Magical Wastelands created by the corpses of these dead Gods and return the mana of the world to order.

Quest Reward: Increased Administrative Authority and an Evaluation for a potential promotion

Legendary World Quest: Reseeding Order (Repeatable)

Many dungeons in this land are barely hanging on by a thread. The Ley Lines have grown weak and unattended. Magical phenomena corrupt the land and disrupt the order of mana. Connect with other Dungeons to help reinforce the Ley Lines.

Quest Reward: A random perk from each Dungeon you connect with

Wow. That’s certainly a lot. Guess I definitely have some things to start working towards. First I need to clean up the remnants of this fight.

“Aika I have need of you”

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Second Floor of the Eternal Dungeon

Aika POV

Moments before

I watch as the human phases out of existence for a moment, just in time to avoid the lethal blow of Bellator’s bite. Infuriating. This entire fight has been infuriating. This human is like a gnat or perhaps a mosquito from the southlands, an annoying buzzing insect that excels at escaping. He has been expertly keeping me out of range of my innate ability, rendering me unable to directly stop his movements.

The human has also proven to be an expert at dodging, maneuvering out of my bladed whip everytime I think he’s trapped. The way he does it makes me assume it's less because of training and more due to a skill or innate ability of some kind. He seems to know the exact moment my intent is focused on him and he’s been unconsciously keeping just out of my ideal range. I can tell it's something he's doing naturally since if it was due to training he’d be exploiting it more instead of just dodging.

As the human phases back into existence he crashes into a large box. One that his group brought with them judging by its design and the strange mana I feel emanating from it. I begin to charge towards him, readying one of my few proper skill attacks when I feel a massive discharge of mana from the human.

I stumble as I feel a sudden spike of intense rage flow through my connection with lord eternal. I can barely sense that the normal dungeon creatures are all driven into a sudden frenzy, however it appears that Bellator and myself aren’t being directly affected. Even in this enraged state Lord Eternal doesn’t wish to harm us.

I feel tears well up in my eyes and roll down my cheek as I feel the righteous fury and sorrowful hatred behind the Lord Eternals sudden emotional spike. I’ve never felt anything like this before, but it’s clear that whatever the human did is affecting Lord Eternal. I do my best to latch onto the bond I share with the Lord and act as an anchor so that he doesn’t lose himself to his rage.

I send waves of calming and positive emotions doing my best to pull the Lord out of whatever state he’s ended up in. My lord is not a bloodthirsty killer, he is a fair and righteous god. I do my best, but it's not enough. The Lord's rage continues anyways and I can feel things getting worse for the other dungeon denizens as well.

Suddenly I feel another helping me in my actions. Bellator, despite his own bloodthirsty nature, is attempting to help me calm the Lord as opposed to relishing in violence. I feel more connections start to do the same. I feel the power of dozens of linked spiritkin reaching out to help me.

The Lord’s rage begins to calm. Slowly he regains control and the dungeon begins to turn back to normal. The Prowlers who joined in the rage disengage from their opponents and flop to the ground in exhaustion, it appears that the frenzy they were in was causing them to completely disregard damage to themselves.

I continue to send positive feelings down my connection with Lord Eternal as I can still feel his anger simmering beneath his now calm presence. I turn to the human who started this intent on annihilating him only to watch in amazement as the mana shifts around him.

The massive outpouring of mana he was doing into the strange box suddenly reverses, causing hundreds of mana to pour unrestrained into his body. The human begins to shed light, causing him to glow. He also begins to scream in agony, a horrifying scream only made worse by the unnatural effects of mana on his vocal cords. Then he explodes.

Blood and gore shower over the area where the human once stood. A massive wave of mana shooting outwards and then collapsing back inwards onto a solid core. I gape at the scene. I knew that those not of the dungeon were different, but I’ve never seen something explode from too much mana before. It’s as though the human’s body was rejecting the mana, but there was so much of it that the rejecting ended up killing it.

I hear a loud plop sound and look to see a large sphere of solid mana drop into the pool of viscera. It appears to be the human’s core, mutated due to the sudden mana influx. I know it’s mutated since my mana sight has perceived what a normal human’s core should look like. I then feel a massive flux of the mana in the area again and watch as the remaining humans are teleported away somewhere.

I suppose Lord Eternal has done everything himself. I always knew he was powerful, but now I truly understand the difference between a mortal like myself and a god.

I feel myself sit on the ground as I just stare around the now mostly empty battlefield. Bellator has gone to check on his Prowlers and I feel a bit lost. We had come here to deal with the humans for Lord Eternal, but now I just feel a little useless after seeing him do everything himself.

At least I was able to help him against whatever that box did to him. A small smile finds its way onto my face as I think about how I was able to help Lord Eternal. I’ll repay him one bit at a time, for everything he’s done for me and my people. I’ll always be there for him so long as he has need of me.

“Aika, I have need of you” Lord Eternals voice sounds within my mind.

My smile grows wider.

“How can I serve, Eternal Lord?” I ask

“Pick up the human’s core and bring it to my core room, I do not wish to teleport it without knowing what effects that much mana will have on spellwork.” The Lord commands

“As you will it” Is my response

I move towards the pool of liquid human and use my innate ability to fling the mana core into my hands. My ability isn’t spellwork and since it interacts with natural energies without using mana as the medium I have faith that it will work, which it does.

As soon as the mana core leaves the pool all of the blood and viscera simply fall off of it like water falling off of a hydrophobic material. This leaves me thankfully unstained by the human’s remains. With my objective in hand I begin a casual jog towards Wyla, as the World Tree is the only method of physically reaching the core room.

This will likely take me awhile, the dungeon is quite large after all. Even going at a full sprint I think I’ll need a day or two to reach the core room.