Faran’s Soul Domain

I slowly awakened from the forceful sleep my rank-up put me in. Taking a look around I noticed something weird, I saw my mushy avatar that was supposed to be within my divine soul domain. The way I looked around felt strangely natural, unlike the way I have yet to get fully used to the all-compassing view as a dungeon core. Then it struck me.

I’m looking around as if I had my human body. The hell is going on?!

I quickly tried to look myself, and noticed I had a small body formed from mana, albeit blurry and gender neutral one.

No! I refuse to have problems with my gender like that bastardly hermaphrodite! No matter how I got here, this is a problem I must solve before anything else!

I started to circulate my mana like when I was still human, yet it didn’t budge. Instantly changing to the innate way I control mana as a dungeon, I felt the mana forming my body twitch. As I tried to force it to move, twitching continued, yet nothing else happened. Remembering how mages use mana in this world, I changed my method and formed a mental image of a lean man with well defined muscles around 1,8 meter tall.

He had a short hair and a full-beard reaching his chest, wearing hooded robes and holding a staff. Staff was formed from a gnarled wood as tall as the man, curving to a three quarters of a circle with shining orb floating middle of the hole. Yet I left the face shrouded. Then I willed the mana forming my body to solidify according to the image. Feeling the strain as mana slowly started flowing, it felt like I was trying to cast a spell over my capacity.

I slowed the flow of mana and went for an endurance race. Slowly but surely the mana flowed to a new shape, yet I also felt the strain on my mind. Soon I felt headache forming, turning into a full blown migraine as my new form was nearing completion. Migraine soon turned to a blinding one, yet I was almost there. As I felt a snap within my body of mana, I knew the form had stabilized. Relaxing my focus in relief, a presence appeared within my soul domain. Powerful, yet benign and soothing. Victorious grin plastered upon my face, I started to black out.

“Congratulations young dungeon, and…”, the presence started speaking with a warm, motherly tone before noticing my state.

“Oi! Don’t you dare to fall…” I heard the voice turning to indignant tone as I kept falling unconscious from exertion, grin still plastered upon my face. I got my manly features back!

Hah! I… got… my… balls… I thought with satisfaction as I blacked out.

***

Waking up a second time in my divine soul domain, this time with a form I could accept. I stood up and started checking my new body of mana, satisfied how the changes stayed even when I fell unconscious. As I was quickly checking if I still had my manly bits, I felt the earlier presence appearing again I was groping myself.

“Ah I see you woke… THE HELL YOU ARE DOING?!” The voice turned from benevolent mother to an outraged fishmonger’s wife faster than you can snap your fingers.

After a last look, I let my robe of mana to drop down and cleared my throat. “Ahem, testing testing. Haa-ah. Finally I can speak again with something else than my mind.” Looking around, and not seeing anyone, yet feeling the presence growing angrier by the moment, I quickly took a more dignified stance with right hand over my heart while holding the staff in my left, and gave a small bow.

“This one is known as Faran, and I was checking if I managed to form working male-parts from that disgustingly gender-neutral blob of mana. May I know who I have the pleasure to welcome upon my soul domain?”. I asked politely, while totally ignoring my earlier indecent exposure, stunning the female voice to a stupefied silence with my lack of shame.

After a minute of silence, the presence turned from angry to a disbelieving one. “You were supposed to be a newly advanced dungeon of a second rank, yet you have a clear identity, fully formed, shameless personality, AND you know of a soul domain?”. Turning suspicious she kept questioning. “What are you? Certainly you don’t expect me to believe you’re a dungeon core? Out with it, before I smite you!”.

Sighing, I shook my head and decided to just rile her up for the heck of it, as she felt like a deity, and they don’t seem to be allowed to mess up with either my dungeon, or soul domain. Otherwise I would be seeing an avatar already. Or being smited. I was already having a second bad day within a row after my rank-up, and I needed to blow some steam. I now had a stuck-up target that can’t hit me back, unless I agree to it.

Maybe I’ll could cause some trouble for Trendal while at it. I thought with a glee.

I decided to steal moral high ground with an aggrieved tone, and keep her from thinking straight. “The hell you’re talking about! I just fully grew the central area to fill my core, woke up in my soul domain, reformed this body of mana and fell again unconscious from the strain. Then you intrude here, act high and mighty, throwing a fit and accusations like a overripe wife finding his hubby having an affair with a younger woman. You’re the intruding here, casting blame without reason or right! If you have any business with me, then stop the bullshit and get on with it. You have as much of a right to demand something from me as a pile of shit from a dung-beetle! Go harass Trendal, the God of Darkness, if you have to.”, I finished with a huff, mentally grinning that Trendal will get unwanted attention soon.

As I started looking around for the exit, I felt the presence turn into one of a total stupor. Must have been first time for a mortal soul to bash her. Ignoring the now silent deity of something, I headed towards the exit, only to feel my new instincts screaming against leaving when I stepped near the exit. With an exasperated sigh, I turned around.

“Now, I feel like I’m supposed to do something here as a part of my rank-up. Can we get on with the business, or can I lodge a complaint somewhere to get someone else to do this?”.

Upon hearing my latest comment, owned of the voice awoke from her stupor and started muttering with mostly indistinct words, with occasional insulting terms and curses being just clear enough for me to hear. Clearing her throat, the voice continued with a huff.

“If I wouldn’t be bound to do this job, I would not help a freak bastard of a dungeon like you. You’re worse to deal with than those twisted, malicious cores, or worst of the humans! They at least treat divinities with a proper respect!.”.

“I’ve been called worse, and respect is earned, not demanded.”, I replied with a shrug, continuing with a grin. “Besides, I wasn’t the one breaking the conundrum first, acting like an owner within the soul domain of others. I haven’t had many pleasant experiences when dealing with the divines.”.

She growled at me before stating her business. “I have come here to give you necessary skills for a rank two dungeon core, and proving you have advanced enough personality, to explain the process.”.

“You will be granted new basic skills upon each rank-up, and a chance to choose a knowledge to summon lowest tier of monster from a race of your choosing. Upon higher rank-ups, you can choose to learn to summon higher rank monsters of previously chosen race. For now you will gain knowledge how to modify atmosphere and how to change the behaviour of your summons. So quickly tell me what race you want, so I can get rid of your presence.”, she ended with a sneer.

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I snorted, “I doubt you don’t have to provide information about the races, try to cheat me again and I will make sure to ask about every possible race with agonizing details. Besides, if method for changing behaviour is done by modifying souls upon summoning them, I already learned how to do it. Can you swap knowledge entailing it for something else?”, this time it was my turn to sneer as the presence turned muddled.

Stuttering, she asked with disbelief, “H-how d-did you learn it?! You shouldn’t know how to interact with souls! And I don’t want to explain all the races to you! Just pick something so I can finish this already.”

I grinned with glee, “You’re too naive to try to cheat me in this fashion. You said you’re bound to this “job”, and were obviously forced to explain me more than you wanted to do. You couldn’t deny it when I wanted to swap already learned skill to another I have yet to learn, and lastly, you said you “don’t want to”, instead of “have to”. Thus, I assume you’re not allowed to lie to dungeon cores.”. Judging from sullen silence, I got it right.

Why couldn’t all the deities be this naive and easy to handle? If so, I wouldn’t have any of these troubles with them.

“Now, either do your job properly, or we’re going to stuck here for a looooong time. I am certain that my core is absolutely safe for as long as we need to spend here. Hell, I might even pray to Trendal to forward my plight to your superior, as you certainly don’t seem to act like one of the main Divinities.”, I could feel her blanching from my threat. Apparently her boss isn’t forgiving type with intentionally botched jobs. Even divinities seem to have a lot of work. Expect that eternally bored pain-in-the-ass. Or he is intentionally ditching his work.

Sounding dejected, she said, “Fine, you guessed right. I can change the knowledge to the next one that’ll teach you how to form monster cores, or how to grant soul to plants, making you able to give them a set of simple commands. As for the races, depending on specifications, I can give a list to choose from. They’re the initial race for monsters, with limited intelligence, a state previous to forming monster cores.”.

Considering for a moment, I thought about what kind of dungeon I want to make. Not going for the traditional route of fighting fairly was already obvious. I also needed something capable of ambushes. I guess I can try to learn how to make monster cores on my own, if I can observe how they form when an animal or insect evolves to a monster. Besides, I still have some holes in knowledge about forming souls. More advanced knowledge on the subject might bridge these gaps, or when I can start testing modification of animal souls, instead of insect ones.

“Give me the knowledge on how to form plant souls, and a list of races capable of living in a dark with a tendency to ambush or trap their prey.”, I voiced my decision.

“Fine.”, she said with a sullen tone. “Gnolls and goblins can see in low light easily and like to ambush or swarm their prey, kobolds do the same, but they also use crude traps and see in the dark. Different snakes follow different attack patterns, and all have a thermal vision. Then there are the slimes, various bugs, and some plant monsters. Rest are more advanced races.”, the voice finished curtly.

I absolutely will not pick first three races. Cowardly, weak, and they stank. Most of all, they breed like rabbits. Slimes are brainless, I can slowly grow up a choice of bugs if I so decide. Plant monsters have same weakness as everything in my dungeon now. Slow, vulnerable to fire and a low lethality.

“If I pick snakes, do I get one of each type, or only one?”, I asked before deciding.

“All basic types such as, large constrictor type, highly poisonous, yet territorial one, and one with weaker poison that lives in communities. All three varieties have types for both wetlands and grassland.”, she answered curtly.

“Splendid, I choose snakes as a starting race, along with knowledge for creating souls for plants, and atmosphere modification.”, I declared with mirth as I bowed with a flourish.

“Finally. This knowledge is transmitted through after a simple soul contract is formed to prevent spreading knowledge provided by me to to other mortal races, excluding dungeon cores. Do you understand?”, She finished with a relief as this disastrous meeting for her was going to end soon, obviously growing lax as the it was almost over.

However, I noticed that as this contract was originally between normal dungeon cores, and a deity, the contract would originally be one-sided, as only one whose soul contain divine power can contract divines, while divines can contract anyone. This would prevent dungeon cores spreading the knowledge to their dungeon helpers or other races, excluding dungeon cores, as they would most likely lose said knowledge upon trying to do so.

I rushed to use my, slightly so, modified version so we would both be included in contract before she would have the chance to do so.

Nodding, I assumed serious attitude, fitting for the gravity of the situation I feigned to show in tone as I said, “Fine, keep my peculiarities as a dungeon core to yourself, and I will receive the knowledge containing full knowledge of creating souls for plants, modification of atmosphere within dungeons, and aforementioned set of snakes as a starting race. I will keep said knowledge secret from other mortal races, besides other dungeon cores.”.

“I agree.”. Being too hasty to leave my splendid company, she immediately agreed before feeling the tendril of a soul contract reaching her, falling into my trap.

Yet as soon as she said so, she gave a loud cry disbelief, denial, and anger. No wonder, she just got toyed and screwed by a mortal. And I even followed the conditions for the contract she mentioned to the letter, while she can’t forward information about me being special to anyone.

Ah. What a glorious feeling. I was wrong about lately having only shitty mornings. Screwing a deity over a deal so that she can’t even tell anyone details about me, can cure all your misgivings about shitty days. I now stole the trademark shit-eating grin of Trendal, and used it with a great relish.

“Now that the contract is done, please provide the information as contract stated.”, I said with the grin still on my face.

Atmosphere was filled with anger, shame and bloodlust, and she gave an almost feral snarl before the needed knowledge was implanted in my mind, filling it with the knowledge on how to permanently adjust the atmosphere in my dungeon, and how to create variety of snakes with souls.

With a smile filled with schadenfreude, I threw my last jab at the deity. “I guess I never mentioned possessing a smidgen of a divinity in my soul, when I mentioned my soul domain, you never bothered to check whether or not it was a normal soul domain for mortals. I’ll trust you keep what you learned today about me a secret.”, I turned around, stepping through the portal with a joyful laugh without waiting for a reply.

***

Faran’s dungeon, Elan’s POV

It has been a few days since Faran started his rank-up. His core has grown slightly while it slowly pulses with mana. He could awaken at any moment now. Purple color of the core keeps growing deeper, as does the azure veins within.

I might as well go and check if some smaller animals have been lured in. For the last two days plenty of smaller animals have come to the entrance, yet fled back to the forest after a moment.

Quickly flying through the tunnels in a shadow-form, I arrive to the entrance. As it is still a daytime, I avoid going to the outside. I have occasionally seen a hawks flying in the sky when I check the surroundings from the doorway. This time I see a pleasant surprise. A pair of squirrels have entered the cave, and are eating some of the bugs. I had suggested to keep aggressive bugs away from the first cave, so animals don’t leave straight away. I don’t mind killing humanoids and monsters, but I like watching these harmless, fluffy critters going on with their life.

I watch how the squirrels run along the walls and crystal vines on the ceiling. As I focused on squirrels, I didn’t bother watching if there were any other animals coming near entrance. Not until the squirrels froze in their running and looked towards the doorway.

I saw a bunny, carefully sniffing the fern near the entrance. As the squirrels started moving again skittering, and causing small scratching noises upon the rock, bunny froze and flicked its ears. For a tense moment I thought it might run away, yet bunny kept sniffing the fern and took a tentative bite freezing again.

By the divines, I hope Faran didn’t do anything too weird to the ferns with during his testing. Like adding a strong sedative or paralyzing poison.

As soon as the thought came, bunny was already voraciously devouring the fern in large bites. I floated above it, shocked of the voracity it showed upon eating a simple plant. While I was still a little stunned, Bunny stopped feeding frenzy it was in, tensing and preparing to bolt. A small growl and a yip sounded from outside, and a she bolted towards the inner caves with full speed, fox chasing behind it.

With a start, I flew after the bunny that was speeding through the caverns, as we neared the central caves. Flying as best as I could, I weaved between the rocks, ducked underneath the vines and stalactites, and made sharp turns to avoid bushes and large ferns. I heard a yelp of pain as the fox had stepped upon a thorn and stopped pursuing the bunny.

It whined pitifully and started to limp towards the exit, with a bloodied paw. Not seeing the bunny, I worriedly flew to the to the next cave, letting out a relieved breath seeing it unharmed even after that mad rush. Smile grew upon my face as I flew closer to the slightly heaving bunny.

Suddenly the bunny let out a small screech of pain, as a half a meter long centipede had bitten she on the leg. Panicking, the bunny kicked the centipede off, and bounded towards the deeper caves.

“BUNNY, NO!” I yelled as the ground cracked when it landed, and ground fell from underneath it, dropping it down to the doom of first of the traps Faran made. A classic pitfall trap with a wickedly sharp, jagged spiked. Instantly painful wailing sounded from the pit as the bunny screeched. I rushed to the pit, hoping that it wasn’t a serious wound. My hopes were ruthlessly trampled upon, as I saw the bunny.

Jagged spike had speared through the stomach, and the intestines were wrapped around the spike, that glistened darkly in the shadows from the wet blood. Bunny was kicking around wildly in pain, spilling the blood and intestines all over herself, while screeching pitifully. Soon bloody foam started coming out of her mouth, while screaming gained choking undertones to it, muffling the sound with occasional gurgling. As she started started frothing and convulsing, I paled and couldn’t look anymore at the suffering of the bunny. Soon the sounds of the last moment of the bunny ended with a thumping kick, and a gurgle. I landed next to the pit and sat down.

The moment I did so, I heard Faran mentally hollering, “Yee-es! Rank-up complete!”. Instant later I felt the presence of his focus upon the pit as he started laughing.

“Fantastic job! It’s a fine congratulations gift. I just learned how to summon snakes and was wondering what they would eat, but you solved all of my problems before I even knew it! Bunnies are just what I needed for a them as a prey.”

As I groggily flew upwards, my thoughts still in shock, saw him absorbing the corpse of the bunny and said with a frosty expression. “You monster.”.

I felt him grow confused as he asked me “Umm, what did I do? I just woke up. It wasn’t me that splattered that bunny all over the pit this time.”

Hearing that I stumbled in my flight, crashed to a stalactite, and kept flying like a drunken bee toward my hidden bed in the core room..