The deepest part of a being’s magical core was normally meant to be filled with a swirling mess of orbs of power, one for each rank, with the more simple components of one’s power flowing through the space in between.

“Stats” for humans using a System, the various ways to allocate their power displayed as swirls of energy, a cultivator’s sea of energy, a mage’s mana reserves, and the like.

But like Elias had already said, innately supernatural species were more than a little weird. Dragons started at E-Rank with powers that warped the world around them, with abilities that would literally tear them apart from the inside if their innate power didn’t allow them to tell the laws of physics where to shove it.

And Dungeons started with all of their powers frontloaded, the matter deletion and creation, the gift of life, the ability to guide the evolution of species and the creation of new ones wholesale. All they got was enhancements on their starting powers.

Increased fidelity when shaping.

More champions.

A higher minion rank and number cap.

And so on.

A Dungeon’s innermost core was simply an ever-growing sphere of power, akin to a Russian nesting doll, with each rank adding another layer to the surroundings. A mere expansion of what he already had.

At D-Rank, that meant the ability to somewhat hybridize materials and creatures, allowing him to add simple and purely biological extra powers. But only ones that were already found in other creatures.

Venom glands. Thick skin. More damaging fangs. Anything his inner Dr. Frankenstein felt appropriate … except that any of that experimentation would not have any of the automatic adjustments that champion creation would bring with it. He could easily create abominations he’d have to mercy kill immediately afterward.

And he’d get some more control over his matter creation, enough to write as long as the font was large enough.

However, what Thomas saw in his innermost being was more than just that.

System initializing, displaying status

Applying appropriate subtype, Museum

… error, Dungeon Subtype: Museum not found.

Restarting … Assimilating alternate Data source …

External System Data integrated …

Dungeon Subtype: Museum not found.

Restarting … Museum Definition found.

Creation Dungeon Subtype: Museum …

Checking historical data … Dungeon Classification as per Dretolara System: Slaughterhouse

Slaughterhouse Definition incompatible with word definition “Museum”

Dungeon Classification as per Wyrmroost System: Wildlife Management

Wyrmroost System Definition incompatible with word definition “Museum”

…

It continued on like that for a while, as the System kept trying to define him via his past actions using other Systems … or were they even separate entities anymore, or a singular System comprised of many other versions?

And was the fact that one of the Systems belonged to Elias’ homeworld a coincidence, due to the fact that he was here, or did it mean that one of the magical areas that had supposedly been transplanted onto Earth?

Also, why was the home of Alaxia Mystscale second in line?

Coincidence? Shmaybe. Something possibly worth looking into, but low on the priority list. After all, the order the System put something didn’t necessarily have that deep of a meaning behind it.

Either way, at the very bottom of that list, he finally saw something that made sense.

System cycles without Resolution/Advancement … excessive.

Resetting process.

Ex-nihilo creation of Dungeon Subtype: Museum commencing.

Museum: Place of Learning

Dungeon: Place of Advancement through combat.

Proposed Subtype Purpose: Education Integration into standard Dungeon Practices … accepted.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Museum Subtype Dungeon singular existence.

Value of Education … incalculable.

Implementing Solution: Subcore Creation

So, that seemed nice. Though Thomas was very glad to see that it was also providing him with an explanation.

Dungeon Core (Museum Subtype), you have gained new abilities beyond the normal capabilities of a standard Dungeon Core. Therefore, you will receive an explanation.

Your Arcane Signature has gained the additional type of “Education”. As such, you will gain a small measure of advancement by educating delvers.

(Note: “Education” is a less potent magic type than “Challenge”, and will therefore give lesser rewards)

You have gained the power of “Subcore Creation”. This is a unique ability granted to the only Museum Dungeon in existence to grant access to “Education” to as many people as possible. It may only be placed within a Museum.

Once placed, a Subcore will gain the ability to generate minions from the exhibits, should they not already be suitable for minion creation (i.e. stuffed animals). Each Subcore will have a Command Authority and Mana Pool equal to half that of Main Core.

The Main Core will gain the Subcore’s patterns, but Subcores will not have access to Main Core patterns.

Each Subcore must be emplaced via a Champion. Once a Subcore has been placed in a given location, it cannot be moved, and should it be destroyed, cannot be recreated.

You currently have 1 Subcore to place.

Well, wasn’t that something?

Sure, the new ability to gain energy was worse than his existing paths of growth, weaker, but it should be far more constant.

And Subcore Creation … awesome. Beyond awesome. And he had just the place to target. Once he figured out how to get a creature that far from his core while keeping control over it.

Dungeon Core (Museum Subtype), you have reached D-Rank and gained increased fidelity with your matter and minion creation, which includes the ability to fuse patterns.

View detailed explanation?

Y/N

Thomas did look at that explanation, but it was literally the stuff that Elias had already told him about.

System has registered you as Dungeon Core (Museum Subtype), created appropriate abilities, and stabilized with regards to you. You may now view your Status Screen whenever you wish.

Hell to the yes. Finally!

He pulled up the screen immediately.

Name: Thomas Stettin

Species: Dungeon Core (Museum Subtype)

D-Rank (0% progression to C-Rank, see ability list?)

Mana: 330/500 -> 1,000

Creature Patterns: 27 (1,162 unused, see list?)

Command Limit: 489/500 -> 750

Material Patterns: 1,742 - 100,000, depending on definition (see list?)

Champions: 2/3 (Cheshire, Dexter)

Subcores: 0/1

Educational Exhibit Requirement: Barely Met

So, the Education part wasn’t optional. That was his first takeaway, and he wasn’t exactly happy about that, but thankfully, he was in a building that had been a Museum before, and he hadn’t messed with the exhibits where it hadn’t been necessary. He could just add a few extras, plus some fancy decorative stuff when he felt inspired.

Fusing two living organisms would be tricky, but combining the concept of a taxidermied animal with a monster pattern to create a stuffed whatever-the-hell he-wanted should be a piece of cake.

And with increased control over the particulars of manifestation, those stuffed monsters would become part of elaborate scenes, encased in heavy transparent material to prevent looting or collateral damage. Diamond should be viable. Make the walls out of those exhibits and presto, they’d gain the durability boost that all walls got.

However, that would be a vanity project for later.

Right now, he needed to prepare for a conflict with an effectively infinite number of dragons.

That meant reconfiguring his Dungeon and adding some more nasty surprises.

And he should probably contact the authorities to warn them about the empress and ask them for help finding her. Defeating her may or may not be within his capabilities, but for him to do anything, she’d have to attack him directly. Dungeons, though powerful, were not particularly suited to fighting wars of aggression.

Projecting power beyond the bounds of these walls was also a requirement for being able to do anything with his subcores. Well, subcore, singular, for now, but he’d have to figure this out at some point.

Sending creatures just outside the museum worked just fine, he just wouldn’t get any rewards when they killed something, and he wouldn’t necessarily be able to stop them from doing something contrary to his interests. For example, if a human decided to piss off a monster, he might not be able to prevent said human from being shredded.

And the further they went, the worse his control got, until it eventually failed entirely, a few hundred meters out.

Eventually, he decided to just ask.

“Hey, Elias, how do I send creatures out of the Dungeon while keeping proper control over them?”

“Give your champions the Dungeon Relay power. It’s an enhanced version of the regular Avatar power, but can only be added to champions,” the fairy mentioned off-handedly.

It was that simple, now was it?

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Thomas asked.

“I thought I did.”

“Just make sure you think really hard about every piece of information that I might be able to use, and consider whether or not you already told me, ok?” Thomas sighed.

Unfortunately, it seemed he wasn’t a good enough actor to pretend to have forgiven the fairy and have it be accepted. By the time the capuchin with the cup of ice water was within striking distance, Elias had already fled to the roof.

All that being said, though, Thomas wasn’t sure he would have given that Dungeon Relay power to one of his existing champions even if he had known it was a possibility. Or at least, he shouldn’t have.

Cheshire, the Apex Sabertooth would not have been anywhere near as deadly without both her abilities, her claws and speed might have been good separate, but were absurd when combined.

And Dexter, the Juggernaut Sloth likewise drew his power from a combination of powers. Rubber physiology for reach, and personal mass manipulation for enhanced impacts.

Would he even still be here without them as they were?

No, his “ambassador” would be his new champion, the one he’d unlocked upon hitting D-Rank.

… Which he’d choose once he’d basically rebuilt his defenses from the ground up.