All at once things rush in, a voice asking me things in a language i don’t understand, the sounds of thunder and rushing water, a chaotic display of color for a brief moment making me think of those old paintings being scrambled randomly every instant, and then as if i slammed into a wall while walking around without paying any attention, i see a strange environment. This place looks ethereal, as far as the eye can see there is an expanse of water, incredibly calm and only barely glistening with countless spots of light seemingly reaching from far below. There isn't any sky in here but I can see things pretty clearly, which leads me to notice several pedestals scattered frequently throughout the expanse, each one looking to be made of a very smooth gray stone lined with a silver accent.
I’m left with no context so I simply wander and observe the pedestals, each one seems to have an object resting atop them, sometimes floating a tiny distance above them. Some items seem benign, like a basic looking skeleton bone as if ripped out of an RPG, but some of them seem really specific like the scrap of cloth with an eternally burning fire at 2 of its edges…
I have to wonder where I am, and why I'm here for that matter. My most recent memory is that I was at home, listening to some people online discuss theoretical programming applications for animation. I remember enjoying the topic so I'm not sure why I would have fallen asleep…
That being said, if this were a lucid dream it sure is an uneventful one, I feel more like I'm exploring a personal museum rather than experiencing a lucid dream. I want a refund if this does turn out to be a lucid dream, i can’t even have lucid dreams commonly enough to enjoy them and this is the one i manage to be given?
I spend what feels like an hour just wandering around and looking at all of the items that are just left here. Thankfully, after a while, I begin to hear faint voices, I would say whispering but the tone makes it obvious they are just trying to speak normally. The voice grows quiet after a few discordant and indistinguishable statements, only to come back a few minutes later, this time with far more clarity, “Can you hear me spirit? If so please respond to me, for I have a few vital questions to ask you.”
Honestly I'm not sure if I should respond but it beats wandering in silence as far as I’m concerned. “Yeah I can hear you, but before you ask me anything I have to ask you something. What exactly is going on? Is This a dream? Am I dead? An explanation would go a long way here.” I know I’m probably not coming across as patient to whatever this entity is but after a while of just wandering and not waking up I'd like at least some kind of answer even if it turns out to be wrong.
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The voice responds as if my tone didn’t bother it at all, “I can’t quite answer that for you completely in detail, however, I can tell you that you have left your old life behind in some measure.” This calls to mind what the voice referred to me as, ‘spirit’, I suppose I should have seen this answer coming. “I am a being that is capable of pulling compatible souls to my realm in order to assist me in performing my function, although it requires the soul to agree to assist me with all conditions that apply. There is a great power to be earned in getting a sentient mind behind my plans.”
“What exactly are you talking about here?” The voice seems to be keeping their statements vague, almost like they’re gauging my responses. Can this entity see me somehow?
“My function is that of a dungeon crystal, the realm I exist in is one that very closely resembles some of your realms’ entertainment. Particularly of note, high-fantasy fiction. The people of my realm are made up of numerous species and sub-races, if you can think of a body type that can match a sentient mind, then be assured they exist.” A dungeon huh? If this thing is sapient then that implies it’s already capable of doing things strategically so why would it need another sentient creature?
“As a dungeon in my realm, my purpose is to expand and absorb something I know as: “Narath” Although you can call it whatever you prefer as the name of it is contextual. The important thing about it is that everything our realm can do is sourced from Narath and consumes it upon realization. Your role, if you accept my offer, would be to serve as commander to the common minions inside of the rooms I create. You will appear as whatever you like at my deepest floor, directly outside my core room, and serve as the final boss regardless of how many floors I end up creating.”
This doesn’t sound too complicated but I wonder if I'm going to be stuck in a boss room for god knows how long, and I'm not sure how death will feel as I don't remember dying before getting here. “Okay so that sounds like it won’t be too bad, but can I, like, leave and explore or wander or whatever? I do not want to sit in one room for an unknowable amount of time.”
The voice seems to pause for a moment, hopefully it remains honest with me. “There are a few methods that allow sentient creatures to exit the dungeon outright actually, for starters, since you are a fully intact soul, you can outright possess any creature in the dungeon in order to fight runners personally or just wander. If you fully intend to leave the dungeon there is something to keep in mind as I say this, if someone is clearing the floor that you would be defending, I must pull you back immediately as your primary purpose would be for my defense. As for how you would exit, you would simply need to request an avatar and get a runner party to agree to let you join them as strange as it sounds. There is another way but I simply cannot provide it currently as I lack the Narath to do so.”
I stand in silence for a moment, and the voice patiently waits for my next question. “Then consider my complaints nonexistent, I think I can learn the rest later. Where do I sign?”