The tendrils swirling at the base of the giant egg returned and resumed swirling around it. There were no visible marks where Merlin and Vetica had been swallowed by the dungeon. It was like they were never there in the first place.

Charlie tightened a fist. He had to save them and make this weird creature pay. He would get his friends back.

As soon as he figured out how.

His abilities weren’t working. That was a problem. Why couldn’t he manipulate the dungeon here? Why wasn’t convergence an option? There were too many things he didn’t know. He decided to do what Merlin would do. The creature wanted to talk, so Charlie would play along for now. He’d buy time to figure out a way to fight back.

“What did you do to my friends?”

The tendrils coiling around the egg suddenly whipped into a frenzy. “So, you are friends with the cultists? You disappoint me, little one.”

“Cultists? Merlin and Vetica aren’t with the cult!”

The vines snapped against the ground, lashing the earth, and leaving several inch-deep scars within it. “You lie! You were there with that insufferable witch! There was a fight, and then I lost her scent. Do not deceive me. The ones you brought with you were not present then. What did they promise you? Join me instead! We will crush them, little one!”

Charlie blinked. This was the most confused egg he had ever met. It thought his friends were with the cult because they hadn’t been present that day. Did he think Charlie was a hostage or something?

He gasped. With the dungeon collapsing all the time, rocks have probably fallen on top of the egg. It must have brain damage! Could eggs have brain damage?

“Wait, dungeon collapse…” Charlie thought to himself. He looked over his shoulder, remembering the rubble-filled tunnel behind him. He had tried to control the dungeon around him earlier, but Mousifer had said this part of the dungeon was different. The odd color, the tendrils penetrating the walls, and even this strange egg. Whatever this space was, Charlie’s powers were limited. But behind him, there was an entire tunnel filled with perfectly good dungeon material. A tunnel full of boulders, fragmented rocks, and earthen shrapnel. An arsenal of weapons.

“I’ll give you one last chance. Let my friends go,” Charlie said. He reached up and put Mousifer on his shoulder to keep him safe.

The tendrils turned to face him like hissing snakes ready to strike. A powerful gust of air rushed forward from the egg. Charlie covered his face to shield himself from the force. An explosion of magical energy filled the chamber. Whatever this creature was, it was powerful. “So, you’ve chosen to stand against me. I take no pleasure in crushing you, foolish little one.”

Charlie hissed at the egg. “Crush me? This is my dungeon! You won’t hurt my friends here. We all fought really hard to find each other again, and you won’t separate us. I won’t let you!”

“Insolence!” The tendrils shot forward.

“Dungeon Manipulation!”

Charlie closed his eyes. He could feel them dislodge and shoot forward. Even if he couldn’t see them, he knew they were coming. It had been a long time since he used his powers within the walls of his own dungeon. He’d forgotten how natural it felt. How powerful it made him feel.

The first rock smashed into the tendrils a moment before they reached Charlie. Charlie opened his eyes and lifted a hand into the air above him. As the boulders, sharpened rocks, and bullet-like pebbles reached him, he threw his hand forward.

The dungeon followed his command.

The tendrils desperately spun, snapped, and lashed. A pitiful attempt to protect the egg from Charlie’s fury. But luckily for the creature, Charlie wasn’t just aiming for the egg itself. He directed the smaller rocks directly toward it. The tendrils could handle those. His actual target was the tendrils anchoring the egg in place. It didn’t make sense that the egg was burrowing into the dungeon around it. It didn’t make sense that Charlie had somehow lost control of a part of his own dungeon. He thought the two things were connected.

So, what would happen if he severed that connection?

The larger rocks scattered around the egg and exploded into the wall behind it. They left behind a trail of torn and smashed tendrils. The color of the walls started to darken immediately. Charlie smiled. He was in control. He didn’t need to activate his ability again. Charlie was in sync with the dungeon now.

He could sense Merlin floating above and Vetica sinking. A just large enough space for each of them expanded into a more comfortable room. He left them there for now just in case the creature had some other trick prepared. Charlie copied the technique the egg had used on Vetica earlier. A small hole opened up and swallowed Bleedy and Orb. He beckoned his hand toward him, and his friends came rushing at him underground. The dungeon opened up and pushed them to the surface. Bleedy was still sleeping, and the tendrils that had pierced Orb dissolved inside him.

The blue marks etched on the egg’s surface started to fade. They grew dimmer and dimmer but did not disappear completely. The surging snake-like appendages began to whip the shell of the egg itself. They left behind blemishes and cuts in the shell, but the marks disappeared as quickly as they formed.

“I will not go back, never again! I will be a prisoner no longer! Even if it means I must destroy myself. Even though I was so close to the next stage. I would rather perish than become a mere vessel.” The creature’s voice was filled with anguish and lament.

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Charlie frowned. He crawled toward the creature. He didn’t use his powers to go faster, and he didn’t worry about whether or not the creature would attack him. Charlie moved painfully slow, one hand-slap against the ground after the other. Over and over.

When he got close, the tendrils reached into the air and threatened to strike him. But he ignored them and kept crawling. He crawled right up to the nest, where the tendrils seemed unsure in their movements. Like they couldn’t decide between getting out of the way and stopping him.

Charlie waved his hand to the side. They didn’t respond. He rolled his eyes and peered through them, looking for an opening. He leaned in and stretched his little baby arm as far as he could. A single finger grazed against the eggshell.

It was warm to the touch.

“What are you doing?!” the creature shouted in Charlie’s mind, as if it hadn’t noticed the baby’s approach.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. The cult is fully of bad guys. I’m not with them. I beat up Lusafeen and then met Vetica and Merlin later. They’re my friends. I don’t know what the cult put you through, but you don’t have to worry about them anymore. You can stay here and be safe from now on. Okay?”

The egg didn’t respond for a moment. “You truly aren’t with them?” it asked after a moment.

“Nope! And I plan to beat them up at every opportunity!” Charlie smiled.

The tendrils parted and slid out of Charlie’s way. “I apologize for my actions. I acted hastily. If that is true, little one, then why bring me here? For what reason did you seek out my power?”

Charlie tilted his head. He backed away from the large egg and sat back to look up at it. “Huh? I didn’t even know you were here.”

“Truly? But you offered such powerful sacrifices. Surely you questioned whose power it was that you were borrowing?”

Charlie yawned. “Well, I guess so. But that’s why Bleedy and Mousifer were exploring. You didn’t hurt them, did you?” he asked.

The egg rocked slightly. “I only captured them. There was a time when I would’ve considered absorbing them, but such an act would be pointless now. They have no meaningful power.”

“Squea,” Mousifer said in agreement.

Charlie frowned at that, but let it go. “Well, okay. Hope you have fun here!” He turned to crawl away.

A tendril hurried forward and barred Charlie’s path. “Wait! Tell me, little one, what is it you wish to do? What is it you seek in this life?”

“I’m going to Arcadeya! Well, technically you’ll be going to since you’re inside my dungeon.”

The egg sighed mentally. “I meant beyond that. What do you hope to achieve in life? What do you hope to accomplish?”

Charlie’s lips went to the side. That was a hard question. He was just a baby. Did he really have to figure life out right now? Couldn’t he take a few years to think about it like everyone else? He’d have something figured out by the time he was two or three. But he doubted the egg would wait that long. “Well, I don’t know. But I do want to get stronger. There are a lot of bad people in the world, and I want to make sure they don’t hurt the good people. I think if I had to pick something, I would pick that! But Merlin says I’m on my way to being a conman. So, I don’t know.” He shrugged.

The egg shook, and Charlie smiled as the creature inside projected laughter towards him. “An interesting answer. That is a worthy goal, noble little one. Will you hunt down the cult as well?”

Charlie nodded. “Of course! Those guys stink. Like dirty diaper stink.”

A sudden crack formed on the exterior of the egg. “Glorious. You have made good use of my power, but until now, that power has been borrowed. I ask you again, noble little one, will you form a bond with me? Allow me to become your core guardian.” There was another audible crack, and a few flecks of the egg fell off.

Charlie frowned. He didn’t know much about core guardians. The one in Sirra was strange looking and annoying. It kept regenerating and wouldn’t give until those tendrils shot out of Charlie’s palm and ate it. Then there was the Nae Glera. A powerful creature that had turned children into adults and made them do its bidding. Well, the dungeon core had taken it over, but still. Both of those creatures were really strong. “I don’t know…I think Merlin and Orb would be mad if I chose an egg. I was going to let Mousifer do it.”

“Squeak!”

Charlie turned to look at his furry friend. “Really? You don’t want the job? I bet you’d be good at it!”

Mousifer shook his head vigorously.

“The mouse?” The egg asked. It sounded surprised and slightly dejected. “Surely you jest, humorous little one. A Core Guardian is the final line of defense. A bastion against invaders. The sword that cleaves your enemies. Make no mistake, if you choose me, I will die before allowing anyone to harm you. I will hunt down your enemies and make trophies of their skulls.”

Charlie blinked. “I think Vetica is really going to like you.”

“The next phase was difficult to reach on my own, but I was close. If you bond with me, I will evolve alongside you. As you grow stronger, so shall I. My power will be yours. As well as the power of those we absorbed. My species is core reliant. We cannot reach our full potential without bonding with a dungeon. As your guardian, I would reach my true potential. If you wish to grow strong and dominate the wicked, I am the perfect partner. I will fight for you, noble little one. All I ask is that you allow me to destroy the cult alongside you, and that you never become someone I would despise dying for.”

Charlie smiled. He knew everyone would say this was a decision he should think about more. But the egg was growing on him, and it seemed like this bond thing meant a lot to it.

“Okay! I’ll form a bond with you, but I’m not going to let you die for me. You protect me, and I’ll protect you! Well, we’ll all protect each other. You should probably apologize for attacking everyone, too.”

“I… I’ll be your core guardian. It will be my job to keep you safe. You shouldn’t concern yourself with protecting me.”

Charlie shook his head. “If you’re the core guardian, then I’m the core guardian’s guardian.” He wasn’t sure if the creature inside could see him, but he smiled really big towards it, anyway. “That’s just how friendship works!”

The egg laughed again. “Amusing little one. Very well. I accept this offer of friendship.”

Notice

A Bond has been formed.

The Evolution Koi has acknowledged you.

The Evolution Koi has been designated as the Core Guardian.

Please stand back.

Charlie titled his head at that last part. “What?” he said.

The egg cracked all over. The dungeon shook. One moment, Charlie was staring at a gigantic egg.

The next, he was looking at his core guardian.