Chapter 1

Jack didn’t know the last time he saw sunlight. All he knew were these four gray walls and a heavy steel door. Then there was the hole in the floor where he had the fun of pissing and shitting. Can’t forget about that little luxury. He could still remember the time when he was a newly minted artificer fresh out of his apprenticeship with his master. His poor master… His master was a human much like himself. His master, Master Artificer Quincy, was a genius and one of the kindest people one can hope to meet.

Jack was just a street kid when Quincy found him and took him under his wing. Jack had been some dumb punk kid with more balls than brains. Jack had been stabbed and blacked out in an alley propped against a wall. When he woke up in Quincy’s workshop lying on a cot with a hearty bowl of soup and a healing potion sitting nearby it shocked him. Jack couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory of his surprise. Of course, that surprise was immediately dwarfed by the one that followed once he got a good look at the wonders that surrounded him. The wonder he felt at the sheer majesty of all that surrounded him.

Machines of brass, bronze, steel, iron, and copper. Tools that he could never imagine as they were both beautiful and scary. Pistons, pumps, and pipes hummed and growled with the hiss of escaping steam. Then there were the magic items, neatly organized and set on pegs or stored in cases yet open for anyone to see. Jack could still remember how he could feel the magic energies radiating off them.

Then there was his Master, the closest thing Jack had to a father. He was past middle age, his deep brown skin with a bald head. His face had smile lines and a short snow-white beard. Always dressed in a heavy leather craftsman apron and a belt with all manner of tools and devices attached to it. Quincy was old but he didn’t carry himself like he was.

With a jovial smile and a firm pat on his shoulder that made his entire body move. Even now, Jack still couldn’t believe how strong the old man had been. He hated it at first since what snot-nosed teen liked having their bones rattled like that. He left that day confused but grateful. Quincy for his part asked no questions nor gave any words of disapproval. Only wished him good travels, friendly words of advice, and a hot meal waiting for him if he wanted it. Before Jack knew it, he had a room of his own. Not long after that, Jack was helping Quincy with simple tasks like washing or putting tools away. Despite the work being hard and the tools heavy, it was honestly some of Jack’s most fond memories. Quincy even paid him for his help despite already being taken under his wing. When Jack tried to refuse his master only laughed and told him, not as the kid who didn’t know his ass from his elbow. But as an equal, a friend, and maybe even a wayward nephew.

“Anyone that does honest work should get fair and honest pay! Nobody cheats me for my work and I’m not going cheat you for your work.” His master said with that ever-jovial smile and a firm pat on the back that made Jack stumble.

On that day, Jack swore to himself that he would pay his master back, not only for saving him. No, his master gave him a far more precious gift that Jack never realized he had until much later. His master was giving him hope and a future.

Since that day Jack had become obsessed with learning as much as possible. To not only become an artificer but to be the very best of them all. To be just like his master before him and be a good and honest man. To make tools and machines that improved people’s lives, to get that look of surprise from his master when he learned a new skill faster than expected. It took him years, and some nights were hard when he couldn’t master something as fast as he wanted. Yet Quincy was always there, giving him words of wisdom that helped him through those hurdles.

Then Jack had made it. He had not only passed the Artificer Guild exam and made it into the guild. Jack had become one of the highest-scoring people to enter the guild. Soon after Jack had his own workshop and for three years he worked mostly with repairing or making tools. Though he only made a few magic items, his customers always gave him glowing recommendations.

The pride he saw on his master’s face was all the validation Jack needed to know that he was doing the right thing. Even when Jack jumped up in the roster in the guild, built himself a shop of almost equal measure to his old master, Jack just could never bring himself to call Quincy anything but his master even when they met for drinks.

Jack reminisced those happy memories while sitting in his cell. At least until the latch at the bottom of the thick iron door opened for a tray of food to come in.

“He’s your food human.” The elven guard said with disdain.

Jack forced himself to pick up the tray and looked at the hunk of stale bread along with a tankard of water.

Jack sighed since he really missed the taste of steak. Hell, he’d strangle someone just for some boiled vegetables at this point instead of this hunk of sawdust his jailers call bread.

“Hey key shaker, where’s the butter? This shit needs butter, or at least some spit.” Jack called out wanting to irritate the guard. It was his only form of entertainment.

“Enjoy it human. Your days are numbered unless you tell us what we want.” The elven guard demanded.

“Sorry, what was it you want again?” Jack said with a mock voice of confusion. “It’s so hard to remember, you know with all the blows to the head and all that.”

At this, the guard slammed a mailed fist against the iron door. Using mana to enhance their strength judging from how the heavy iron slab rattled.

“The chaos shard your dead master made! The one we know you helped make! You will tell us where the Artificial Dungeon Core is you fucking worm!” The Guard snarled and oh how Jack wished he could see the elf’s frustration.

Jack knew full well what it was they wanted and he was not going to give it to them. It was Quincy’s last great project, the last thing he and his master made together, and the very thing that his master had hoped would change everything for their town, and maybe turn it into a city. Dreaming of a bright future for everyone who called their growing town home. Now that shared dream was dead just like his master and their town…

The least he could do now was make sure they never found it and they never will. After all what better way to hide something than under someone’s nose?

“Essy dar. He ain’t worth da frustration.” The gruff voice of Jack’s dwarven jailer said.

“Oh cool. The one without honor makes his voice heard!” Jack said with false cheer. “So, did you shave your beard off yet? After all a dwarf without honor can’t have a beard. Can’t have betrayers and backstabbers be confused with good and proper dwarfs.”

Jack could already imagine the dwarf turning a few shades of red at that comment, or at least hang his head in shame. Especially since he can’t deny it. The local dwarf clans and the principality were originally allies and trading partners to the town. Many elves and dwarves even came to his and his master’s workshop to either buy magic items or even have their weapons and armor repaired. Yet here they were. Conquers and betrayers all when they somehow found out what he and his master were working on. Attacking the town to corner its people before killing all of them outright. All to make sure there were no witnesses. Luckily Jack and his master burned all their research materials as a nice little act of spite.

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The dwarf was silent after Jack’s remark. Either too angry or too ashamed to respond. Didn’t matter to Jack either way, so long as his words stung.

“Enjoy ya games lad… its comin to a end soon enough.” The Dwarf said in a low voice before the latch in the slammed shut.

Jack just sighed before a predatory smile crept on his face. Especially since the dwarf didn’t know just how right he was. As his master said, may the gods welcome his soul in paradise, there is a solution and tool for every problem.

Once sure the two were no longer interested in his cell he choked down the food and drink and used the metal tray to start scraping once more. It had taken him over a month though tonight would be the last night. Taking a deep breath, Jack blew the stone dust off the ground and out glyph lines. It took him close to an hour to get all the stone dust out of the magic circle. All over the floor, alchemy and arcane circles and lay lines have been shallowly carved into the floor. In his time when enchanting magic items, Jack had made a fair number of circles.

But this one… this one was by far the most elaborate and complex glyph he had ever made and filled it with terrible purpose. Never before did Jack think he would have made something like this. Though much like inspiration, imagination, curiosity, necessity of the moment, and yes some boredom were the seeds of invention. Rage, spite, depression, desperation, and grief were also sources of the invention as well though those sources tended to result in a far more malicious product. And that was exactly what Jack wanted.

By the time Jack had finished the last of the lines, using the edge of his tray as an improvised carving tool. Jack finished the last of the lines and double-checked everything to make sure it was just right. Once he was sure there wasn’t a single mistake he moved to sit right in the center and activated it.

The lines and runes lit up as if glowing water was steadily filling them to get ready to release its terrible power. As the circle that encompassed the entire floor filled with mana, Jack laced his hands together just under his rib cage. Right where he had hidden his master’s and his last great work. It was a painful experience trying to swallow the damned thing. Yet it worked the betrayers hadn’t thought to cut people open to try and find it. If Jack had any regrets, it was that he would not live to see it work.

It had taken longer the Jack expected for the magic circle to fill, then again, this one was much bigger than the ones he was used to working with. Which was fine. Jack had waited this long, what was a little longer. Besides, he made sure to include something into the circle to make sure no one could stop it and that part of the circle was already charged.

As the circle was charging and filling with enough mana to power an enchantment to cover the town, the slot to the door opened.

“Eat up hu-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” the Elf screamed and tried to throw the door open as the dwarven compatriot cursed and struggled with the keys.

Huh… the circle must have taken longer to charge than I thought. Jack thought to himself. Oh well, I could use a show before the end.

By the time the iron slab swung open, it was too late and Jack didn’t care since the dungeon core was now glowing so bright that the light showed the bones of his ribs as dark bands through his skin. Jack just smiled at them as they looked on in horror.

“Are you mad?! Stop!” the elf screamed in terror as he tried to dive for Jack.

In mid-dive, a shimmering half-dome shined in the air as the elf crumpled against it.

“What are ya doin lad!?” The dwarf yelled, unsure of what to do as the elf held the broken nose.

“This? Yeah, I decided between the beatings, the interrogations, the killing of this town that I’m going to kill everyone here.” Jack said with a smile as he enjoyed their horrified shock.

“You filthy ingrate!” The elf yelled as he tried casting a spell to break the barrier only for nothing to happen. “You would use such evil power!”

“Ya can’t do this!” The dwarf shouted, beating his fists on the barrier. “Think of da people! You would kill so many?”

Jack just shrugged as he enjoyed the show while waiting for the last of the circle to absorb the last of the power it needed.

“Being a bit hypocritical, aren’t we?” Jack laughed for the first time in a long time. “Didn’t you guys come here and start killing pretty much everyone in sight? Sure didn’t seem all the bothered about death when it wasn’t your lives on the line.” Jack chuckled darkly.

Neither could say anything as knew they had killed over three thousand men, women, and children. Everyone that they killed were mostly farmers, shopkeepers, and craftsmen. They were helpless against the heavily armed and armored dwarves or the magical bombardment from the elves.

“We… we had orders.” The Dwarf said lamely.

“WHO ARE YOU DO JUDGE US?!” The elf shrieked while still uselessly attacking the barrier. “YOUR RACE IS A FUCKING SPECK TO TIME! SHORT-LIVED AND GREEDY FOR POWER YOU DON’T DESERVE!”

Again, Jack just shrugged. He didn’t really care since they were all going to die anyway.

“What do ya want!” the Dwarf shouted desperately while other jailers could be heard rushing down the hall. “What will it take ta get ya to stop this madness?!”

At this, Jack couldn’t help but let out a predatory smile that made the elf and dwarf grow pale at the sheer hate they saw in his eyes. The glowing in his body made more of his bones visible as they could see his ribs in detail and his skull appeared through his glowing flesh.

“That. That right there is what I want.” Jack said as he saw the circle was almost done as it needed only a few seconds more. He might as well have what fun he can. If he was going to die then he should at least give one of those needless villain monologues like from one of those storybooks he used to make fun of with his late master. “I was taught by a good man to be a good man. But you and your fucking asshole countrymen came here, walking in like you’re some untouchable hot shit. You killed everyone here and took everything I wanted here and the people who gave a damn about me. The people here only wanted to grow and better themselves. I took great pride in my efforts to help build this town and, hell let’s be honest, I enjoyed fixing and enhancing the equipment of the dwarf clans while trading magic tools and items with the elves.”

Jack took a second to remember the time with a hint of whimsy, seeing there were only a few seconds more left.

“We traded with you in good faith and welcomed you as friends. But the moment you found out we were about to actually better ourselves, you cut down everyone in this town. The terrors of the wilds may be monsters, but you. You are so much worse. I’d like to remind you of what I said at the start of this rant.” Jack said as a hateful snarl took over his visage as his flesh grew brighter while his bones were now clear to see as if highlighted by a dark outlining. “I was TAUGHT by a good man, to BE a good man,” Jack said as he saw that the circles were now filled, time to end it. “The effect of this circle will have a two-and-a-half-mile radius so no point in trying to run. As for what I want, is to see the hope in your eyes die like how you killed mine. Kind of like this.”

Jack activated the magic circle and that was when he saw it. He saw all their hope shrivel and die.

***

The town that was once home to thousands of humans and a few other races Erupted with raw unfiltered mana. The shock wave covered and suffused everything within a two-and-a-half-mile radius from the center of the eruption. All the animals, bugs, plants, dwarves, and elves were completely saturated with this rogue mana. Every living thing the mana touched would feel as if ready to burst into flames while some were already showing signs of mana poisoning. Then all the mana that had been rushing out as fast at possible to latch onto any and every living thing stopped. Hanging in the air for a second before it all came rushing back to the center of the source. Ripping out all the life energy of every living thing it touched. Everything living withered in moments as the chaos shard hungrily devoured it all.

Once every last drop of life energy and mana was sucked into the stone. With all that mana and life energy now in the stone, it came to life.

***

Jack watched as the elf and dwarf withered before his eyes as he felt all the magic energies getting sucked through him and into the core. And as he watched his form jailers withered to hollow shriveled husks, he then felt his own life energy getting sucked out. He watched as his arms became thinner and his muscles became weaker as he seemed to age over a century in seconds. He didn’t feel pain per se, only weaker by the second. But he did it, he got his revenge and denied them the prize they murdered a town for.

With what little strength he had left, Jack laid down on the stone floor and closed his eyes. His breathing became more labored before it stopped when he took his last breath.

As Jack felt himself fade from this world. A message passed before his mind.

User has been identified.

Attempting to bind dungeon core to user’s soul.

Attempting ….

Binding successful!

Congratulations!

You have become a new Dungeon Core!