Dug, waking slowly, grunted as he woke in his armchair. He must have fallen asleep. He raised the staff on his lap and looked at the green spiraling gemstone set on top.

The Obulwaag (Awakened)

Sapient Dungeon Core F(1)

Before Dug could fully take in the words that flickered across his vision a young feminine voice spoke up shyly within his mind.

“Hello…father.”

Dug blinked, slowly, before patting the gem in front of him like he normally did. His staff had just talked to him like he was their parent and it was around a century too early for it but the old goblin was quite adept at rolling with life’s idiosyncrasies. After all, he was a walking idiosyncrasy himself.

“Hi-hi Obu, dis beez nice. Weez can finally ‘ave converzasions den.” He nodded to himself even as the feminine voice let out a girlish giggle. He stood up slowly and was relieved to find some his aches and pains to be less present. He had heard of ancient Shamaans getting a second wind once their staves had gained sentience. His Obu had skipped a few steps and gone straight to Sapience so perhaps it would be quicker in him than in his ancestors. Wouldn’t that be nice.

He yawned and then blinked rapidly again as he looked upon an entrance dug into the side of his cave where there hadn’t been one before. He could feel a nervous energy radiate from his daughter and spoke up to get to the bottom of it.

“Obu what dis beez?”

“That’s my Dungeon father…would you like to see it?” The nervousness he sensed skyrocketed but there was also some excitement present. Dug thought about for a moment before stumping towards the opening. If his daughter was excited then he might as well check it out.

As he entered he was struck by how much like a goblin cave it was. It reminded him of his youth before his tribe had moved to the Gitbog. Proper stalactites and stalagmites grew from the top and bottom respectively and his ears were treated to the sound of plopping water on rock. He made his way slowly through the room aware of the heightened attention of his new daughter. He rapped the bottom of his staff against one of the rocks and nodded.

“Dis beez nice. You do dis Obu?” Receiving the approximation of a shy nod, he nodded himself. “Good. Dis beez a proppah gobbo cave. Notta bad attall for dah first one.” He could sense the sheer relief his comments caused and he smiled kindly. He didn’t really know exactly what a Dungeon Core did but he knew instinctively that this room was part of it.

The room itself practically vibrated with Aether, all of it tinged with something distinctly Obu-like. It was a strange sensation to feel a whole new presence associated with the Aether but have it be so intimately familiar but Dug was unbothered. It was Obu’s and that was enough for him. In fact, he found himself becoming rather excited to see what his daughter would be able to create.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

It was at that moment that he caught sight of a creature and froze in his tracks. It was distinctly goblinoid with all the common features but it wasn’t this that caused him to freeze. It was the void within it. Nothing called out to him, the Waag was completely silent. There was no like calling to like. Blood to blood. This creature had been created without that which made gobbos...gobbos.

“Obu what dis be?” He said slowly as he walked up to the creature. He looked into its eyes and found nothing there beyond simplicity of purpose.

“A goblinoid father,” Obu said disappointedly. “I had some choices on Dungeon Monsters and goblinoid was an option. I didn’t think it would be this bad.” Then her voice regained some brightness. “But I think once I level up some more they will become stronger and better.”

Dug nodded, not wanting to diminish his daughter's hopes but he had his doubts. Without the Waag, these creatures would only be caricatures of gobbo greatness. He spoke up with that in mind. “Whys it not ‘ave da Waag.” At his daughter’s silence, he turned to her. “Obu?” He asked as he searched his bond with her for her voice.

“I don’t have access to Waag for my creatures.” She responded despondently. “The System doesn’t have access to it so I don’t either, despite my bond with you.”

At this, Dug puffed himself up in outrage. The System denied his daughter her birthright? Outrageous! Before he had worked up a giant head of steam, words began scrolling across his vision.

“My System has no power to give what it does not have. You yourself are not integrated so the System has no ability to manifest your magic. In this case, you already have the answer to your perceived problem. Use your Sub-Administrator privileges. This is what they are for, to mediate between you and the System. They are a tool. Please don’t break it.”

* The Administrator

Dug huffed, let the steam out of his ears, and tried to do what The Administrator had claimed he could do. He channeled Waag into Obu and he felt her mentally tense as the fire blazed around her. Then she did something and the flame was distorted, being drawn within her gem and internalized.

He then drew the little dagger he used for drawing blood and, placing Obu against a stalagmite for a moment, he sliced his right hand and let his blood drip over Obu. The blood was absorbed and he could feel Obu looking over it. The System must have done something because he suddenly felt a call to the blood within the creature. It was faint but the creature was much more of a gobbo now in all aspects than it was before. Its eyes brightened and its posture straightened although it was still diminutive.

The creature shambled off and Dug nodded in satisfaction. It wasn’t the paragon of gobbo’ness that he was but it was at least a passing grade. He felt Obu’s relief at his acceptance and chuckled.

“Dis beez a fine work and I beez sure dat youz will get bedder as youz go.”

“I’m still not as powerful as you,” she said sullenly, though with a hopeful lilt at the end. Dug blew a raspberry at her words.

“Dis not beez true. Yousa jus’ made a gobbo outta nudding. Dat something I notta able tah do. It notta good gobbo but yousa will get bedder.” He read her mood as she processed his words and felt her acceptance. There was also determination and he nodded in satisfaction. That was good. It wouldn’t do for his new daughter to be discouraged.

“Now,” He said firmly rubbing his proportionally large hands together. “Whatta can Isa do tah ‘elp.”