-”Please let me sleep! It’s another day already….” I’ve felt that I’m slowly losing consciousness from the exhaustion.
-”You know you could just think instead of shouting? Anyway after you wake up we will finalize the deal” The core’s voice resounded in my mind. Suddenly the antish monster picked me up and placed me on the back of their cool carapaces, after securing me with magic that obliterated Theo they skittered off more quickly than I thought was possible for their small frames.
After a bumpy and short lived journey I arrived at a dark but cozy room made out of roots. I had 2 beds both for my size, one that looked like it was made for a human, the other was made out of twigs, branches and fluffy looking material. I think they didn’t know how my people sleep so they gave me options.
Besides beds there was a desk with a stool placed in the corner, a fireplace that emitted heat from a crystal placed where the hearth should be and on it was placed a very weak illusion of flames. Next to it were placed some cushioned chairs that were made with people with long tail feathers or tails in mind. On the opposite side of the fireplace there was a door that led to a smaller room with some stools and water crystal, I think they tried to make a bathroom.
There wasn’t any hole under the stool with a hole in it but I suppose it’s a dungeon so It will just absorb it. I didn’t explore anymore and went straight to the nest-ish bed.
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Next Day
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I awoke in panic seeing a different ceiling and surroundings than usual, I in first hazy thought I tried reaching for my weapon but I found nothing. After a while hazy memories returned of what happened to me and why I can’t return to the Formation Master.
Before I managed to even make a step towards the door to the outside it was opened by one of those monsters that took me here. It was standing there expectantly when I neared it. It moved one of it’s limbs pointing towards its back and then to me.
I realized that it was trying to say that I need to get on. I complied seeing other monsters floating by above us. No point in getting myself killed now that I promised to live here. When I sat comfortably the monster took off at first slowly but it was accelerating without any visible effort. That means that the core is either honorable or I still hold value to it, I’m not sure what kind of value because I’m pretty sure I spoke about everything.
The journey was mostly boring since we were traveling in the tunnels. Once I adapted to the speed of my temporary mount I thought that living here with these mounts might not be so bad. Core said something about finalizing the deal when I wake up, maybe I’ll be able to get some of these to live comfortably.
We didn’t go to the same room from yesterday, but to what I can only call a throne room of a human king. The core sat on a nice pedestal in a big hall made out of stone that bore the marks of careful and masterful craftsmanship. The hall itself was a bit barren but it was spacious. In front of the core was a chair made out of the roots that often attached to me during my night excesses.
My mount basically dropped me off on top of the chair and then just left. I felt that roots began attaching to my arms and legs and even torso, so I quickly made myself as comfortable as possible fearing that this would be a long discussion.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Once the big blueish root touched my neck I heard him.
-”Have you slept well? Sorry about the roots but we aren’t exactly sure what your preferences are when it comes to food and this will be a long discussion to you but fear not it won’t take a whole day!” The core explained while trying to sound friendly for some reason.
-”Yes, I did sleep well. We can talk about my food later but I’d like to ask why are you trying to be friendly with me? When I arrived we were ready to shatter you if you were to be a menace to surrounding lands.” I said curiously, I didn’t fear that it might kill me here, because of my value to it.
-”I still hold my memories, at least fractions of them from the time before my death and becoming a dungeon. They helped me grow but you can imagine that living as a stationary being with memories of exploring mysterious island isn’t that great.
I managed to hold on to my sanity but I’m a little lonely, also you and your party wouldn’t be able to shatter anything even if you reached the true core room!” The core exclaimed with cheer, telling me that the crystal in front of me is just that, a random crystal it found.
-”If you want we can talk later, I have a LOT of time. I wanted to talk about our deal and specify some things. I will provide you with food, a cozy room/house, and an authority to go around the dungeon freely.
But in echange you will be subjected to blood letting once a 30 day period, you will spar with my dungeon helpers to give them some combat experience, during your night fun you will allow me to use your bodily fluids however I see fit, you won’t leave territory of a dungeon without permission and you will allow me to observe you in my spare time.
The house when it’s eventually built will be outfitted with some dungeon helpers acting as servants/mounts/guards and If I manage to create other beings from your species they will be delivered to you, once I study them.” The core surprisingly gave me a good deal, too good but If he really has some memories of the past then his story and this deal makes some sense.
I think I would go insane after remembering who I am and being a dungeon. But being observed whenever he has time? He said he has a lot of it, normally I would be opposed but he can do it even if I disagree and he at the very least asked.
-”I agree” I answered simply, no point in mincing words, this is too good of a deal to pass up.
-”This root touching your neck acts as a mental connection between two of us once it’s cut off the connection will break. When you heard about the house I scanned your mind to see some of your dreams about it. I’m sorry that I invaded your privacy without asking but this was faster than talking and you seem a little uncomfortable staying in the same position for so long.
The roots that feed your body with necessary nutrients will soon detach. OH and also If you don’t mind I plan to make a helmet or something like an earpiece that will act as a weaker connection to me, so we could talk outside of the ‘throne room’.
Also I plan to make it so that you will be able to talk to dungeon helpers. Most of them are sapient like yourself.” This was a lot of information to digest, while I was thinking about the bombshell he dropped on me the roots holding me in place detached themselves.
Then some root touched my head and changed into a helmet made out of thin pieces of leather. It looked like it was designed for bird folk, since it didn’t cover my eyes in any way and had holes for feathers.
I wore it and felt that it began attaching to myself. It felt weird but I soon felt a strange connection with the dungeon itself. I felt where everything is. It was like having your own sphere of perception except it was static and only showed what was happening in the dungeon.
Even stranger feelings soon assaulted my mind, I gained an ability to command some dungeon helpers to some extent and was able to understand what they were saying. The information overload was too much and I lost consciousness. The last image I saw was an insectoid healer running to help me.