Chapter 2: Marcus Dungeon
Chase was a man that grew up in a war-ridden world. With the five kingdoms in the continent of Tui constantly battling with each other for supremacy, his everyday life was filled with nothing but series of struggles for survival. He had long come to the conclusion that the world was not kind to everyone.
In such a vast land that seemed to encompass an eternity, dungeons numbered in absurdly large numbers. Thankfully, the unending hundred thousand years war devoured such dungeons one by one. As of the moment, the total number of dungeons in the entire continent numbered less than a hundred, with the high ranking ones numbering just a single digit.
The young sprout of adventurers made the dungeons a convenient make-do training ground. With the vast study of dungeon monsters, lay-out and their traps, the number of dungeons continued to dwindle in number. This was a fact also known by Chase.
So I am a dungeon huh?
Chase muttered. Though he was speaking to the creature called Fate, those words were intended more to himself. He still found it hard to believe that he had become a cave that would soon be conquered—that was if he was not careful.
[Yes. I have instilled within your body the basic information that you would need.]
[The book of the void will work on a person’s soul only once.]
[Once you die in your current form, the law of Fate and Karma would no longer be able to resurrect you.]
[You will be dragged into the endless abyss along with the innumerable souls of those that had passed away—waiting for almost an eternity; waiting for the coming of the Day of Judgment.]
[May the law of Fate and Karma bless you Chase Marcus.]
[Goodbye.]
After those words, Chase felt the presence of Fate fade away. Somehow, he felt empty and alone. The mixture of sorrow, anxiousness, fear, emptiness—such emotions twirled inside him. Although without a human body, he still felt emotions.
So I’m all alone now huh?
(Author’s note: [ ] will be used for Chase’s dialogue from now on. Encoding for italics is taxing to my brain. Really.)
Chase Marcus scrutinized his newly acquired body. Though he was left with emotions, he was not sure with his other senses. He tried sniffing the stale air inside his dimly lit cave. Surprisingly, he was also left with his sense of odor. He then immediately tried his other senses.
[Hmm…I see.]
Marcus uttered. If he had a human body, he would have vigorously nodded a number of times by now.
[I was left with most of my senses. I could even sense the temperature inside my frustratingly minute cave. Interesting~]
Marcus deemed that the sense of pain was one of the sensory mechanisms that were taken away from him. Still, he was not in such bad situation. He was even utterly stunned when he found out that he was able to taste the metallic flavor of his perpetually silver-black wall.
[I am left with most of my humanity after all. The problem is I’m now an unmoving dungeon. Wait…unmoving?]
Chase willed the status panel of the dungeon to appear once more.
Dungeon OverviewName:Marcus DungeonLevel:1Number of Floors:1Miasma:150Pulse:0%Biologicals:0Non-Biologicals:0SkillsWill of the DungeonPassiveAllows [Chase Marcus], master of the dungeon, to manipulate miasma. Enables the master to control all of the dungeon at will.Floor CreationMiasma: 1750Creates another dungeon floor.
Miasma consumed increases per level.
Variety of floors that can be created increases per level.ReconstructMiasma: 3/meterAllows [Chase Marcus] to reconstruct the dungeon at will.
[I see. This skill called ‘reconstruct’…I might be able to use this.]
Chase had an idea of using ‘reconstruct’ to lengthen the reach of his dungeon. Though it might not be capable of creating another floor, it might be feasible to reach a city that he desired. The puzzling betrayal of his guild master still lingered on his mind.
[Though before that, I would have to realize the exact location I am currently at.]
[The creature called Fate told me that I am still in the same world. The continent is vast. Let the distance hinder me as it likes, but I will have the answer to my question no matter what.]
Chase did not have a fist that he could have clenched to materialize his resolve to. Still, his thoughts were filled with iron-hard will. The mysteries of the void century, the mysteries behind the book, and the unforeseen betrayal—he would not stop until he found the answers to all of his questions.
[Hyacinth…she touched the book of the void too…is she alright? I mean…]
He wondered whether his friend had the same fate as him. He wondered whether the creature called Fate also gave her the option to reject her death. Those were the thoughts he pondered but was unable to come up with a concrete answer. In his current state, it was impossible after all.
[For now…a more concerning problem needs to be taken care of.]
Chase muttered to himself. Being a former rank A adventurer, he had dived into countless dungeons. He, along with his guild, had conquered even the so called most difficult dungeons. As far as he could remember, the only high ranking dungeons that were left unconquered were those that were level 90 and above. Such dungeons were now only eight in number.
[I need to close the entrance before someone comes and destroys my defenseless core.]
Chase tried to close the only entrance towards his mockingly small dungeon.
You cannot close the only entrance to your dungeon.
Creation of another entrance is required for you to close the main entrance.
Chase was flabbergasted. Though the basics of the dungeon were instilled into his body by the creature called Fate, he was too anxious and fear-filled that he was not able to think clearly. It was only after a few more moments that he was finally able to calm down.
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[What do I do? There is no guarantee that no adventurer would try to conquer this place. I can’t die yet. Not yet. Not again. Not again.]
Chase repeated his mantra-like chant. He continued surveying the interior of his dimly lit dungeon until his whole being was shaken by green-red eyes at the entrance. It was only when he realized that it was a rat that he was finally able to feel a big wash of relief.
[A rat. *Phew* That scared me to death.]
~Scurry
The rat scurried away from the entrance of the cave. Surprisingly, it must have felt the ominous aura that filled the literally minute space of the dimly lit hole.
[Damn!]
Chase reprimanded himself. With the basics of the dungeon now in his body, he realized that the rat could have been his first ever catch. He knew that over time, the miasma that perpetually twirled inside the dungeon would sooner or later make a creature lose its sanity. That would be the exact moment where he would attack—the moment he would take over the body.
Stupidly, he had let the prey get away. Chase repeatedly reprimanded himself for letting such a golden opportunity slip away. Filled with uncertainty, he was not sure of his survival. Right now, time was synonymous to his survival as a dungeon. The faster he was able to equip himself with proper defense, the higher would be his chance of survival. That much was sure.
Being a dungeon, he was not affected by the human weakness called fatigue. Though his mind would love to wander off sometimes, he himself does not need sleep, which was a big bonus.
With the ominous wind brushing by his opened entrance ever so frequently, he vigilantly waited for any peculiar movement from the outside. It was too dark for him make out anything significant from the outside world. The darkness of the outside world coupled with his dimly lit cave embraced him with fear.
Just like that, his first night as a dungeon had passed.
****
It was now morning. With his mind still fully alert, a creature entered his dim abode, making him squeak in joy.
[Oh! Finally!]
He was frantic to test out the effect of the ever so invading substance called miasma. Unseen by a mortal’s eyes, the ominous aura that was said to have originated from the underworld corrupted everything it had come into contact with.
~Shhzzz
A mosquito that was so small that it was almost naked to the human eye entered his cave. The mindless creature continued to buzzing subtle sound as it landed unto a mound near the entrance. Chase monopolized the situation to his advantage. Using the ‘Will of the Dungeon’, he forced his mind into the creature.
A biological has been acquired!
Chase was thrilled of the newfound acquisition of a biological. Though the pesky creature was minute, it was still a step forward. Using the ‘Will of the Dungeon’, he viewed his newly acquired minion.
Name:Brainless MosquitoA mosquito that does seem to have any particular use.
Number of species: 1
Chase inwardly frowned at the description. Still, he was in euphoria from his first successful acquisition of a minion. He diligently waited until another three of those little creatures entered his abode. Still in ecstasy, he excitedly forced his will into the weak-willed creatures.
He then opened up his status window.
Dungeon OverviewName:Marcus DungeonLevel:1Number of Floors:1Miasma:146Pulse:0%Biologicals:4Non-Biologicals:0SkillsWill of the DungeonPassiveAllows [Chase Marcus], master of the dungeon, to manipulate miasma. Enables the master to control all of the dungeon at will.Floor CreationMiasma: 1750Creates another dungeon floor.
Miasma consumed increases per level.
Variety of floors that can be created increases per level.ReconstructMiasma: 3/meterAllows [Chase Marcus] to reconstruct the dungeon at will.
As expected, his Biologicals increased from zero to four. On the other hands, his Miasma had decreased by four. Inwardly grinning, the dungeon called Marcus willed one of the mosquitoes to go out of the cave. With his will inside the creature, he also shared the vision of his tiny minion.
Endless forest that formed thick canopies was what greeted him at the outside. The scorching sun illuminated the weed-filled forest ground that was ornamented with occasional boulders. Along the horizon was a mountain that had a shaved top.
[That mountain.]
Chase was stunned. He knew that mountain very well. It was a mountain located near the Kingdom of Taiga. The shaved top of the mountain was testament to his newfound conclusion. Right now, he was currently at the place that bordered the Kingdom of Taiga and the Kingdom of Kalus. A place called Rei Mountains.
A Brainless Mosquito has died
A status panel popped up in his head.
Chase was not surprised. He knew that such tiny creature, when converted by the miasma, would last only a few seconds when exposed to the outside. If he wanted to have a more thorough exploration of the area, he would need to have a stronger minion to do his bidding.
With newfound hope from finding out his approximate location, Chase Marcus uttered, his formerly anxious voice was now filled with excitement.
[The sky library. Helveina guild. I’ll get to you soon. I swear.]
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Author's note: Hooray!