What the maiden said nearly gave me a heart attack, even though I don't hear the beating or pressure of one. I apparently have a week before a disaster knocks on my door..hmm... Cave?

"Miss Q'illtress, please explain things to me clearly. All I remember is my time on earth, and how or why I am here eludes me at the moment."

The panic, fear, disorientation, and loss of most of my senses had me out of sorts before. Now that I had my thoughts together I needed to know where, and who, or what I am now. Q'ill

"Oh dear, the ego you've awoken has truly merged with your original mind. Let me explain! Since your mind is that of a young adult it shouldn't be a problem for you to understand. First of all you're a Prismatic Dungeon core, a one in a million miracle, most Dungeon Cores only have one color, rarely two or three corresponding to their Elemental Affinity."

What she said was a bit confusing at first, but I understood almost instantly, Dungeon Cores are the heart and soul of the murder labyrinths from video games and novels. Their whole purpose is to lure adventurers like food to their waiting stomach; Baiting them with shiny gems and rare metals, the core itself included.

To better protect itself the Core crafts a progressively more dangerous murder house. One with many monsters that require far more mana than any single area on the surface could naturally produce one.

Serving as both another lure for the invader and as cannon fodder, the monsters too drunk on mana to even question why they must protect the source over their own lives. The maiden that I could now clearly identify as some sort of fire Dungeon fairy from games and novels continues talking.

"As a prismatic core, you can control all elements, among the cores you can be considered Royalty in human terms... speaking of which. Dear can you not remember your duties as a core?"

"The inherent memories you awaken seem to be from a human that lived somewhere underground? you said you lived in a town or city called Earth. Places with earth, gems, or metals in their names are normally from subterranean countries like the Diamondback Imperial City"

I was starting to wonder if Dungeon Cores have problems with their memories. It would seem that they will sometimes forget their original self in the process of learning from this hidden wisdom most Cores are born with. I came to the conclusion that being taken over by the echo, for lack of a better word, of the wills knowledge was common.

If a young core had a high enough intelligence to know that this information is useful or life-saving but not enough wisdom to worry if that person's color and personality would completely cover its white and clean mind..... The thought made me think that there are probably many mentally broken Cores out there.

Luckily I was able to completely merge myself with the memories of my past life if only fragmented ones. Using my experience from Dungeon Core games I should be able to pass as a decent Core with slightly missing memories, at least enough to not have her kill me thinking I'd fooled her and really used that whatever mind control spell.

"Miss Quill thank you for your explanation, I feel that many of my questions have been answered. My memories do seem to be mostly from that human boy, although I feel like I lost something, my mission as a core seemed untouched." I gave her a run-down of what a Dungeon Core would normally do while sounding hesitant but firm.

"It is Q! ill!! Q'ill ok? dear," she sounded angry and annoyed. "You really seem to have a good grasp of your task. However protecting yourself to soothe your hunger is not your only goal, that is mostly a biological need like humans need water, food, and shelter to keep on living."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Your goal is to purify Elemental mana. This planet produces Mana from its core, however, due to human wars, the death of powerful ancient creatures, or the natural workings of the planet, the mana in the air becomes polluted, this corrupted mana prevents the further growth of the planet as well as it's inhabitants."

"This is a contradiction that happens due to the planet's will, The planet uses living creatures to absorb and purify its polluted Mana, however, only about 10% achieves the intended effect the rest is nearly impossible to be purified by normal creatures. This concludes in the planet not having a way to remove the poison, preventing new life from achieving its predecessor's past might."

"The lack of clean mana weakens the planet and its creatures, making them smaller and preventing the planet from using them as waste bins like the miles-long ancient beast. In the miracle of life, or the planets will own desperate attempt to save itself Mana cores were born. Inorganic, having 100% mana conductivity they became whales that absorbed copious amounts of corrupted mana."

"Thanks to them, the planet managed to grow and its creatures became stronger, however, apart from the beastmen, all other sapient races began to panic. The giant beast needed purified Mana to continue growing stronger but Mana itself can't be used it must be given form, in the way of a Elements, however, this was exactly what needs to be purified for the planet's growth."

"The planets Elemental Mana is a byproduct of its workings, be it volcanos from the planet growth, producing Elemental Fire, reorganization of the planet's lay lines creating earthquakes producing Elemental Earth, the winds spreading the mana for the planet's use, similar to how red blood cells spread oxygen to a body, The hurricane from these exchanges producing Elemental Wind, or the raging Waters that supports and nurtures all life as well as other Element and those yet to be discovered, The clashes and death of the ones it nurtures producing Elemental water."

I was shocked by the amount of information, thinking more clearly it is true that Dungeon Cores eat the mana and body of the adventurers that walk into it, as well as absorbed the mana from the outside their entrances. However, something seems wrong in her explanation to quenched my curiosity I ask.

"Miss Q'i il you said that the planet uses its natives to purify mana for its growth but the rate is only 10%, you also said that Elemental mana is the remaining 90% that can't be used for the creatures growth. From the information so far it means that people need to use the small amount of mana they purified to power themselves up allowing room to purify more so what is the rest of the mana used for? I thought it was poisonous."

"IT'S Q'ILL!!.... one word," she grumbles and sighs in annoyance. "Remember that I said other than the beastmen all other sapient races panic? Well that 90% of the Elements is based on that person's Elemental Affinity, those who are favored by Fire can use spells like the fireball I want to throw at you each time you call my name wrong..."

She looked at me like I was lucky she's such a nice person or I would have eaten a few already, the Fire Element had definitely given her a short temper. In my defense, her name is not easy to pronounce, especially seeing as I no longer had a mouth."I-I see-e, sorry"

"Good!" mhmm... "As I was saying, those that are favored by the Elements can use them to attack others or strengthen their body to defend against attacks. Although there are only four base Elements confirmed by the Archmages council; They Have proven that more are yet to have been discovered."

"There are records of compound elements used by past genius mages with double or even triple Elemental Affinities."

Now it made sense! The living creatures use their bodies to store the mana they're attuned to, purifying 10% of it and using it to improve themselves therefore increasingly expanding their storage room as their power increases. The remaining mana acting as fuel for their spells or skills, most likely martial arts.

And that is when it hit me... Wait she mentioned that all races but the beastmen panic so doesn't that means the Cores hurts their benefits somehow? they were most likely only one or two Elemental Dungeon Core, I am an all elements Core, other cores would just absorb one or two Elements leaving some cake for others, she said I'll suck up all the Elemental mana in a 500 miles Area won't that mean that I swallow everyone's meal and become public enemy number one!!