On the side of a steep mountain cliff, a large horned, mountain sheep, was bounding along. It leapt mightily, from one tiny hoof hold to another. At times, the animal seemed to be defying gravity, as all four hooves clung to one small rock, jutting out of the cliff face. It is half way across, it's destination is a wide path leading to sweet grass. As it takes another leap, the rock it was just balanced on topples free. The rock bounces down the side of the mountain, breaking up as it goes. Until what's left of it hits the banks of a small stream, barely a trickle. Amongst the debris, was a small pale green crystal, it looked no different from all the other pieces of pale coloured rocks.
A storm caused the stream to swell it’s banks, the Crystal was tumbled around with all the other small stones. It was baked, in the hard sunlight of summer, then frozen in winter, for many years. Gradually, a change came over it, it was becoming more translucent. Each time the mountain stream was swollen, by rain or snow melt, the Crystal was carried down the mountain.
Eventually it was deposited on another rocky bank, this time a small earthquake, caused a tree to fall, which dislodge a cascade of soil and clay with it, that blocked the streams passage. It changed its course, forever, leaving the Crystal behind.
A bird attracted to the Crystal by a shaft of sunlight, causing it to shine, dropped down. It seem to study the stone, then picked it up and flew with it high above the trees.
The bird flew for miles with the stone. Until a bigger predator, streaked out of the sun, narrowly missing the small bird. This near miss, startled the small bird into dropping the stone.
It plummeted down, landing near a large ants nest. Hitting the ground so hard, it created a small crater with the Crystal in the centre.
There it sat for yet more years. Slowly being covered by leaves and mud. Until an event, likely to only happen once, in anyone’s lifetime, occurred.
In the middle of a monstrous storm, amidst the lightning, fought a magician and a dragon. Magic of the likes, unseen, before this day, flashed and boomed in the sky. The mighty dragon was losing, heavily wounded, it landed in the clearing that held the Crystal.
Dragon blood, it’s said, is nothing more than pure liquid magic, just one drop can fuel Magic’s for centuries and forever change anything it touches. It is however just ordinary blood to the dragon itself, for dragon's are magic.
The beast stood, shaking with exhaustion, it’s proud head drooping, blood and foam crusting it’s sides. Floating above it was the Mage, nearly as exhausted, but ready, in case the beast would fight again.
Below the dragon, in the little crater was the Crystal. Slowly being covered by the dragons blood, which was pooling under it.
This final ingredient, boiled away the leaves and mud around the Crystal, hastened up the slow growth. The blood was being absorbed by the Crystal. Lights were flickering deep inside of it.
As the blood disappeared into the Crystal, it began to change shape, a definite form was emerging of the dragon standing over it. Perfect in every detail, it stood under the real dragon. It's colour changing, becoming the rich red, almost black of dragons blood. Under the enormous stomach, of its unorthodox parent, a tiny fragile life. A baby dungeon core, not yet able to do more then just live, was born.
The drama that birthed-it, continued above, as the Mage formed magic’s of binding, and capture around the dragon. Unaware of the birth they had caused. They left, one triumphant, the other sagging in defeat.
The little Core flickered, and flashed, burbling in infantile glee. Around it great changes were happening, the ants too, had been coated by the dragons blood. They grew, changing, becoming monster ants, the size of house cats. Trees became bigger, in a few minutes, then they had been able to grow in fifty years. The clearing was getting crowded, transformed into a deep dark forest,that radiated outwards with the Core at its centre.
The Ants, discovered the little Core, and carried it under ground. Leaving it in a chamber, that was lit up by the little Cores enthusiasm. The Core liked this and reaching out, not really understanding what it was doing, claimed the ants and their nest as it’s dungeon. In this way the Core became hidden, protected by the ants.
Again countless years went by, the Core was becoming more aware, it changed its monster ants even more, they were now the size of a large dog. The tunnels were big enough, that a child of ten, could walk comfortably in them. Other animals like squirrels and rats, but much bigger then normal, had joined the ants in dungeon.
Vague, dim thoughts, emerged from the Cores mind. "Stonger, must be stronger!" These urges continued to drive the Core, it sent out ants, to the surface with the urge to collect. They came back with bits of rock, plant and insects, even small animals. The Core eagerly absorbed these, information flowing into its mind, that it could barely comprehend.
Other ants, were driven to dig, constantly improving the tunnels, digging more chambers. The first floor of the dungeon was getting bigger. Mana from the surrounding country side, began to gather in the dungeon. This in turn changed the amount, and danger level, of the wild monsters in that area. Lessening the threat towards all. It wouldn’t be long before this safety zone, would be notice.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Indeed, only fifty years had passed, a blink for the Core. Rangers, running from danger, stumbled into the area. At first they didn’t notice, in their fear, as they tried to escape the danger following them. That fear, turned to wonder as they explored, then excitement, as they realised. After they returned to whence, they came from. Others followed their directions and started to settle the peaceful land.
The Core wasn’t aware of the danger. It continued to expand and improve the first floor, which was now miles of twisting tunnels and chambers. Some of the chambers, had ore veins twisted through them, others were caverns of crystals growing up over the floor, glowing white, blue or pinks.
Beautiful places of flowering shrubs, clear sweet brooks and small fruit trees. All throughout this roamed ants as big as pony’s, monstrous squirrels, with distorted strong muscular body’s. Spiders almost a foot across, and rats the size of sheep.
No the Core didn’t know, it’s consciousness was of an animal, formed from absorbing the beasts around it. You are what you eat, was a very real description, as to how Cores evolved.
That simple innocents, was about to change. A few woodsman had stumbled across the opening to the dungeon. They cautiously ventured in a little way, all had instantly identified it as a dungeon. Just inside, they paused.
“It’s a Dungeon, a young one,” stated the oldest of the group. “I was with a group, when I was younger. We entered a Dungeon, this feels the same, to much mana around.”
“What happen to your group?” asked another. “Did you find anything in it?”
“No only death, eight of us entered,” the elder remembered, his eyes distance and haunted. “I was one of three that survived. That dungeon is one of the most dangerous discovered, even now only silver and gold rank adventurers enter it.”
“We shouldn’t enter then,” the youngest said, nervously backing up. “We should go back and report what we have found.”
The elderly one nodded in agreement, but they were too late. Ants don’t leave the entrance of their nests unattended, the alarm had already spread. They boiled up from inside, a mass of black and red carapace, rushing down onto the three woodsmen.
The elder knew they were dead, he turned to the youngest, he was almost outside the dungeon.
“Run!” He yelled. “Run! don’t look back, warn them! Run!”
Most of the ants swarmed the two remaining, a few charged after the younger one. But stopped, and turned back, when he continued to run out of their immediate territory.
The youngster ran with the dying screams of his friends, echoing in his ears. He ran until he dropped, then staggered to his feet, somehow managing to always move forward. When he reached the small Village, he was so out of it, he couldn’t talk. He collapsed into the arms of an alarmed guard.
Back at the dungeon, the remains of the two woodsmen, had been placed with everything else the monsters had collected. The Core started to absorb the mound of different offerings, in short order there was nothing left. Everything body, clothing and weapons had become part of the Core.
The reaction was instant, every creature linked to the Core froze. The Core itself was pulsing, at first gently, each successive pulse becoming faster and brighter. With one last brilliant flash it went dark, every creature collapsed, like puppets, who’s strings had been cut.
The Core started to glow again. It’s glow would remind people, of the soft pink light that shines on a forest path. In the late evening, a gentle sunset, just forming, after a spring shower.
"What…happen…” the Core was confused, it remembered everything. From it first awakening, after soaking up the dragon’s blood, to the absorption of the body’s. It knew those strange things had changed it, human and the other one an elf.
Absently, it woke up the dungeon. Every beast stood up, going about its business as if nothing had happened. The Core examined the minds of the two, especially the mind and experiences of the Elf, what it found in that one was unsettling.
“So they will come, the one that survived, he will tell them.”
Quickly, the Core sent a pulse out, to alert all that dwelled in the dungeon, that danger would come. The little Core commanded the ant queens to breed more soldiers, then turned its attention to the spiders. They weren't big enough. Selecting the biggest of the females, it changed the spiders, coursing dragon magic throughout their bodies.
The spiders grew, their limbs and bodies began to take on a crystallised structure, as the Dragon Core changed them into living diamond. When it was satisfied, the Core examined its creation. They were beautiful, in a horrific, dangerous way. Clearly designed to deal death, to all that crossed their path, yet almost hypnotic in their beauty. The Core set the command to breed into its new monsters.
Then, it turned its attention to the rats, they didn't need changing. The Core just needed more of them, every female rat went into sudden heat. The sounds of combat echoed throughout the dungeon, as the male rats began fighting for the rights to breed. Only the strongest would succeed.
Satisfied for now, the Dragon Core monitored the proceedings, it sent out ant scouts, to track the lone human that escaped. Making sure they stayed concealed, it needed information. Everything it had set in motion, would need a little time.
As it waited patiently, the little Dragon Core, mustered worker ants, and began to change the tunnel structure of its dungeon. It had seen foremost in the minds of the two it had absorb, greed. If it used that greed to its advantage, it just might survive the coming encounters.
Therefore, it changed the tunnels so some of the richer, more appealing rooms had tunnels leading from the entrance almost straight to them. Here it stationed the squirrels, foxes and bats, they were all monsters. Changed in some way, but still the weakest of the monsters in the dungeon.
Dragon Core didn't want the people that would come, to see just how strong it was, it would be better if they thought the dungeon would be useful to them. So it split its first floor, the first half had the weaker monsters. Hidden passages would allow the stronger monsters, to fall back into the main part of the first floor. Which would also hold the Dragon Core.
Knowing the human had seen the ants, Dragon Core, changed a few of the ants and one queen to be just a little stronger then the weaker monsters. It then set them roaming in the first part of the dungeon, with their queen in the center room laying eggs.
Hopefully this would convince the invaders, that this was the full dungeon. If it worked, the main section would be undiscovered, giving Dragon Core time to dig out a second larger floor below the first.