The 6 mages stood next to each other in silent contemplation. What was there to be said. Ford had succeeded. He had actually bound a soul to a dead dungeon core. This incredible feat was known only to those in this room and not one of them planned on telling a soul. If the world at large learned about a sentient dungeon wars would begin overnight to control it.
A normal dungeon is already an incredible boon for a country, but a sentient dungeon would be even better. Usually dungeons are enslaved by one individual and their abilities are incredibly weakened during the process. Once enslaved a dungeon’s mana absorption rate decreases by an estimated 60% meaning the quality and number of raw materials is lessened. While unfortunate, a dungeon is still an everlasting resource of mana and tools given enough time, and everything that the dungeon produces can still be extracted with relative ease. Just send in adventurers every couple of days to harvest the new creatures that are ordered to spawn and drain any unabsorbed mana to the surface with mana batteries to power magic tools.
But imagine if a dungeon needn’t be weakened at all. Even with half their original strength dungeon cores are essential to the societal structure. But what if instead of enslaving dungeon cores they could be convinced and reasoned with? If deals could be made at 100% power the possibilities were practically endless.
Unfortunately the methods Ford had used to bind the soul were unknown, and the only records describing how were likely long absorbed by the dungeon itself. The old space mage had simply proposed the idea and ran off with a dead core to experiment. When he disappeared the council had simply assumed he’d blown himself up. Out of respect and desire to recover the core they’d pressured Mayor Isaac Simmons to investigate. Only a few days later their spies were hearing reports of a dungeon near Brooksdam. But it was too late to acquire the core themselves. News had already reached the King and he’d outlawed capturing the core.
This meeting was being held to discuss the guild’s actions moving forward. It would be relatively simple to take the core with the guild’s overwhelming strength, but in doing so all of Illia would declare war on them. Even with the guild master’s power that was a fight no one wanted to deal with despite the immense gains a core would bring.
To protect the identities of everyone in the council the exact location of where they were was unknown to all but the guild master. Every one of them is sent a powerful scroll of teleportation with added effects whenever the guild master wishes to meet. The scroll will not reveal what location they are being sent to when read, will lock their mana away for 2 hours after use, and automatically return them after 2 hours or when the guild master utters a key word. Of course they all wore identity cloaking, and voice changing magic items on top of all this to ensure that no one knew each other’s identity during the meetings and avoid conspiracy. Over the years some had managed to deduce who the other members were but the only one who knew them all was the guild master. Her name, face, and voice were completely unknown except to herself but no one would ever cross her. That’s just how powerful her self-taught Time Magic is. If she wanted you dead you wouldn’t even have time to realize she’d moved.
Breaking the silence she began “I’ve gathered you all here to discuss our plans for the sentient dungeon. Our spies in Brooksdam have reported the entrance is now open to delvers. Unfortunately news of the dungeon reached King Rylen before we could send out a capture team. At present we don’t believe he understands the dungeon’s true nature but that could change in the future. With the King’s orders we must resort to other methods of obtaining the core. Let me begin by saying war is not my preferred method. While I believe we could win that battle it would not be without heavy losses. Illia has several S class allies that would take my attention away from the battlefield. I wish to hear your thoughts on the matter.”
One of the figures answered in a voice matching that of a kind old grandma “Well I believe we must raid the dungeon as soon as possible. Two of my spies have snuck in at night using [Invisibility] and have mapped the first floor in full. It’s incredibly advanced. The longer we wait the more difficult it will be to capture.”
Murmurs of agreement filled the room before the guild master spoke “I agree that the dungeon’s extreme growth is cause for concern, but I implore you to remember our objective. We are not trying to necessarily clear this dungeon. We are trying to open favorable communications with it. To place this dungeon under our control with full access to its powers we need to appear friendly.”
“In that case do we even need to reach the core room?” asked a whimpering man.
“I think we should at least have access to it before we begin communications. In case our talks take a turn for the worst we can threaten it with enslavement. A dungeons’ information networks are surely quite poor. I doubt that it even understands how unique it is.” Said the guild master.
“Wouldn’t the soul bound to it though? Even the average farmer should understand the value of a thinking dungeon.”
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“No. In the few papers we have from Ford’s experiments he specifically tried to take souls from other planes, he was a spatial mage after all. In all likelihood the dungeon knows nothing of what exists beyond its own walls.” Answered a young maiden.
“Okay so we agree that we must reach the core room first but once we’re there how do we make it partner with us. Is there anything we can offer a dungeon?” asked the whimpering man.
“Come on. Think for a minute will ya. A dungeon only builds the floors above itself to stay safe. We offer it the guild’s protection in trade!” answered a kindergartner.
“That’s further reason to invade it now! We need to offer it protection before it gets too capable of doing that itself!” Said grandma.
Speaking loud enough to quiet their arguments the guild master said “Keeping tabs on the dungeon’s power is paramount to success. We’ll send spies into the dungeon under the guise of adventurers. They won’t be acting as members of the guild at all. We don’t want the dungeon to know we are pursuing it for now. Launching an invasion prematurely will make communications difficult. That said if the spies deem it necessary we’ll launch our attack plan.”
“And in the meantime? What would you have us do guild master?” asked the maiden.
“I for one will be ensuring those strong enough to oppose us won’t cause any issues should we forcefully capture the core. Most should remain neutral but it’s best to be sure. As for all of you, please help reinforce the infrastructure around Brooksdam as much as possible. When we eventually take over the town will become a new base for us, best make it tidy before we get there. For those of you in higher positions get as much info as you can about Illia’s other dungeon masters. Regardless of what the king orders they have the ceremonial right to declare war on this new dungeon. If the thought has even crossed their minds let me know.”
All members nodded in acknowledgement and the guild master teleported them away without a word.
---
“What are you doing Joseph!? I thought we were comrades!” Nora cried as she fell against the alley wall.
I kicked the hail battered form of Gus out of my way as I enclosed on the rogue. A pissed off sigh escaped my lips as I wiped the blood off my sleeve.
“Nora... You cannot seriously still fucking believe my name is Joseph...”
Iris’s darting wildly for an escape route she asked in fear “I-it’s not?”
Throwing my hands up in frustration I yelled in my drunkenness “I JUST MURDERED THE WHOLE TEAM! WHEN WILL YOU REALIZE I WAS A FUCKING TRAITOR!”
“A traitor...? Who would pay you to betray on us?”
Holding my arm out at my side to cast [Wind Scythe] I kept ranting “YOU WERE MY COVER! HONESTLY! YOU WERE ALL THE STUPIDIST MOST IGNORANT PEOPLE I’VE EVER MET!”
“But why kill us? You could have just left!” she said throwing the last of her throwing knives at me.
Without a conscious thought I fell into [Cloud Cover] before the blade could reach me. As the knife passed through the cloud copy of myself I appeared beside her in a puff of white.
“This is what I mean. Simply use your brain for the actual millisecond it would take to realize you are a loose end. God’s this is so stress relieving!”
“Don’t-!”
Swinging my hand towards her I released the [Wind Scythe] severing her torso from the rest of her. Soon as silence fell across the alleyway I began dismembering the bodies with [Tornado]. This was hardly my first hit in the guild’s name but it was easily the most cathartic.
“2 fucking months with these ingrates...” I murmured creating a tunnel of wind to carry the small chunks of flesh into the forest under the darkness of night.
“See you never, Giant’s Club party! It was hell pretending to like you.”
Disrobing in the alleyway I began getting a new disguise out of my Storage Ring. I’d already planted the evidence of the party running off into the woods and dying so the only remaining step was to make Joseph Jorgen disappear with the others. The new ruse would be that of a Lightning Mage named Bit Long looking for a new party to raid the dungeon.
I’d spent the last 2 months working as a caravan guard with the Giant’s Club party for the guild. Annoying as they were the party had been a great cover to take in rumors from. On long trips merchants are awful gossipers. But I received new orders just yesterday to begin entering the dungeon proper. I don’t get the details at my rank but the guild obviously wants to control the new resource. Other than reporting in about the dungeon’s strength and creatures, my only order is not to capture the core should I find it.
After changing my hair color from brown to blonde I slipped on a cheap black mage robe I’d picked up a few towns back. For my sanity I made the executive decision to use my normal voice instead of locking myself into one of the 7 accents I can consistently keep up. 2 full months as a rural northerner had almost driven me to insanity.
Emerging out of the localized cleansing rain I summoned in the alleyway I walked towards the bar as Bit Long. Goal for the night was finding a new cover party that has some level of prior dungeon experience and getting properly drunk. I could just delve by myself but a spy needs to keep a low profile. A group of 4-6 adventurers making significant progress in a dungeon is less conspicuous than a lone mage going in alone and making it through the first floor in a day.
Scratching my ass as I opened up the bar door my eyes, trained to spot gullible and useful people, immediately found 3 potential parties. Each was drunk not only on the alcohol but on the success they’ve found in the dungeon. Right now all dungeon materials are being sold for premium prices. Once the researches get everything they can out of the new resources and supply increases the price will return to reasonable rates. But the average uneducated adventurer probably hasn’t realized that yet. Meaning their properly distracted without any extra effort on my part.
‘Eeny meeny miny... you.’
Moving over to the side of the bar my chosen targets were sitting at I began planning my approach. In this atmosphere they’ll be easily persuaded but having a plan is always better.
‘Gods... when’s my next vacation? Guilds been running me fucking ragged recently. What I wouldn’t give to waste some time at Auntie Claire’s...’