I wanted to smack myself in the face as the answer came to me and I did just that as I looked back at the conversations, I had had with Lubus in the core’s presence. Now that it was linked to us could it listen to our discussions? Could it read my mind? That seemed a little far-fetched if I remember correctly the text in my vision had stated that the dungeon only had a partial bond with me due to outside forces. That must have been Lubus doing, the purple light streamed out of the crack when I hit the core with a rock. I had more to thank Lubus for now, but that could wait till we both were free of this thing in my navel. What would it mean if the dungeon ever gained a full bond over me, cull it take full control, move my body like a puppet? I didn’t want to think about that, and I shivered as I shook my head to get rid of the thought. What I needed now were answers, and my best source was Lubus, even if the dungeon could listen in it had not reacted with anger when we had discussed freeing ourselves before, and I needed to confirm some things.

Lubus, are you still there? I thought and sent my question to the part of my mind where my sense of Lubus resided, not long after she answered me.

Yes, I’m here. I was just thinking why the dungeon seems so obsessed with categorizing you. I mean what’s the point of all these stats, shouldn’t it be more focused on finding a new location for its dungeon, or even gathering new materials? It boggles the mind.

That’s what I wanted to talk about actually, what is a dungeon exactly and what did you mean before when you said it was a good thing that this was a young one.

Oh, Lubus answered in my mind, sounding surprised. Don't you have dungeons where you come from?

No, not that I know of at least. I’ve never heard of precious rock absorbing people either.

Dungeons don’t usually do that, absorb people I mean, it was probably acting on instinct, trying to preserve itself. It bound itself to you to make you carry it to a new location where it could build a new dungeon now that this one has been discovered. At least that is what I thought its plan was before it started obsessing over these status reports, dungeons are truly strange, who could know what a living rock could be thinking?

This is interesting and all, but I still don’t know what a dungeon is, will you answer my question or not? I thought at Lubus, a bit of irritation seeping into my mental voice. Lubus seemed to have heard my annoyance as she quickly apologized.

Sorry, sorry, I’m sorry. I don’t usually get carried away like that, this mental communication is just astounding, everything is so quick compared to regular speech. Especially my speech, have you noticed I’m not stuttering anymore? What would my life be like if I could speak like this? I wonder if I could cast spells from in here? At the speed of thought, you could almost say. Lubus was quiet for a while after that, seemingly lost in thought, until I had to call out to her again to snap her out of it. According to my senses, Lubus was feeling incredibly excited for some reason.

Lubus, get back to me and answer my question properly.

Hm, oh, sorry again. I got a little excited about the possibilities, this might actually be a blessing in disguise. Not only do we get to interact with a dungeon personally, something I have never even heard of, but I might be able to cast spells by just thinking. If only I could get some mana and some… Lubus continued to rant to herself, but I had stopped listening. I had put up with a lot of new things on the mainland, and when I finally can communicate with a local, she goes off on weird tangents about things I don’t even understand.

LUBUS! I practically shouted in my mind and Lubus rant stopped mid-sentence. Get your shit together and answer my question before the dungeon, I didn’t get to finish what I was trying to say as pain shot through my body. I screamed out loud this time, and it echoed throughout the caves as I fell to my hands on the floor, my muscles spasming in pain. This was a step up from before, I thought Lubus had said that the core didn’t truly want to hurt me. ‘I guess it doesn’t matter if it hurts me a little when it can just heal me’ I thought as the pain stopped and a refreshing feeling washed through me starting at the gem. I got back up again, panting heavily from my ordeal, to be greeted by words hovering in my vision.

Failure to comply will result in pain

Objectives updated

Get to the lake southwest of here without touching the ground

Failure will result in pain

Hunt and kill a horned deer without it spotting you

Failure will result in pain

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Clear mental test. When ready say ‘mental test’ to start the trial

Failure will result in pain

Was this more of the dungeons categorization to determine my stats or whatever? The first two objectives were things I had planned on doing anyway, finding water and hunting for food that is, the thing about not touching the ground was a bit of a pain. It was doable though as we were in a forest the last time I checked. The last one was pretty strange though, I guess it was hard to see how smart or dumb someone was so the dungeon would test me itself.

What do you make of this Lubus?

Yes, this obsession is bizarre, perhaps something went wrong when it tried to possess you, and I intervened. Maybe dungeons normally use this kind of ranking system to rate and compare its monsters, but I don’t see why it should be focusing on it over all other things, even its own well being. Dungeons, like this core, normally dig out large tunnel systems and fill them with all sorts of monsters, traps, and treasure to lure in adventurers. This is a young dungeon, which means that it hasn’t become self-aware yet. It might be well on its way, though, as dungeons who observe people interacting gain a personality faster than others, so the faster we deal with it, the better. Great, now she decides to answer, hopefully, I wasn’t bonded to a crazy person. I was still undecided about the dungeon, sure it had bonded itself to me against my will, but it seemed logical ‘except for the fact that it seems hell-bent on learning all it can about you’ I reminded myself a moment later as a shiver went up my spine.

Thanks for the explanation, I would be more impressed, but I think my last astonishment left me when the two-headed giant monster showed up.

You must be from somewhere truly remote if you’ve never heard of mountain trolls before.

Yeah, I guess I am. Anyway, what do you think I should do?

Go along with it for now and fulfill these objectives, we need food anyway, right? I will find a way to break the dungeons connection to us.

Oh, and how will you do that? There was a pause, and I realized that that wasn’t the best idea. You know what, don’t tell me, in case you know who is listening. The dungeon might be a young one and not able to truly understand the concepts we were discussing, but I thought it was better to be careful. There was a pause again, and I could feel rye amusement coming from my bond with Lubus

I wasn’t planning to Eshanai, I wasn’t planning to. Lubus answered, and I started to make my way out of the caves. I had a chance to look around and take in my surroundings now that I wasn’t being carried in by some monster. These caves were a marvel to behold, the walls were completely smooth as if some great river had flowed through here and ground them down. I felt small as I slithered towards the exit up ahead, the ceiling being far above my head, if I extended my tail as far as it would go I still had a ways to go before I could reach it. It was to accommodate creatures the size of that troll of course, but still, dungeons were strange and amazing creatures if they could do all this.

I exited the large cave entrance to be greeted by the sunrize to my left, had it truly been only one night since we left the goblin camp in the woods, it felt much longer somehow. I was still in a forest, but the trees with needles were much more prevalent here. I had seen them before, after crashing my ship near Yhester, but there they had been rare, here leafy trees seemed to be a rarity. The cave seemed to exit out of a big mountain into the forest, and as I looked left and right it continued as long as I could see to both sides.

How long were we in there and where are we?

Just one night and if I didn’t know better I would say that we are at the northern mountain range. It's just that the journey from Yhester to here should take about five days, judge Lyle is going to be so mad at us unless the troll used some form of teleportation to get here faster. No, I would have noticed that maybe it was some type of gateway or… Lubus continued to speak to herself, but I stopped listening again. It could take a long time for here to get out of her own head so to speak, and if I waited for her to finish, we risked waisting the whole day.

I slithered out of the cave where I had been standing, but as soon as my scales touched the ground pain flared and I jumped back with a yelp of surprise. Then I remember the objectives and the thing about not touching the ground. If the core wanted to test me, I would show it a thing or two. First I needed to get rid of this armor again so it would not way me down, I decided to test something before removing it myself.

“Remove armor please,” I said out loud, but nothing happened, well it was worth a try at least. I was about to start untying the straps when words hovered in my vision.

Request granted

Absorbing armor

My newly repaired metal protection turned into red motes of light around me and shot towards my belly and into the crystal under the regular clothes I now wore. ‘I could get used to that’ I thought as more possibilities flashed before my mind's eye.

Ideas incorporated

Forming command phrases

Think the word “Bow” clearly in your mind to summon bow and arrows

Think the word “Spear” clearly in your mind to summon spear

Think the word “Shield” clearly in your mind to summon shield

Think the word “Heavy armor” clearly in your mind to summon armor

Think the word “Unequip” clearly in your mind to reabsorb any summoned equipment

My shoulders slumped, and I put my head in my hands after I had read those words and their meaning had become clear. It was not that this wasn’t amazing and all, it really was, with this, I could switch between fighting styles and different weapons with a simple thought. I was like Lubus in a way, except that it was the dungeon doing all the work and not me. I could fill the role of scout, hunter, and warrior all on my own now, but this also confirmed one of my fears. The dungeon knew what I was thinking, this would make it much harder to plan an escape attempt. Did I really want to get rid of this thing though? In the end, my goal was to help my people fight the goblins back on the island, this little gem could work just as well as Lubus would but in a different way. It seemed to me that this little crystal could craft any number of weapons if only it was provided the materials. Lubus could still come with us, only she would be trapped in the gem, but who knows, maybe she would find a way to free us given time. I would miss her if she didn’t come out, but my people would have to come first. The thing was that I didn’t know what the dungeon wanted, and it was a completely alien creature to me with a different way of thinking from other beings I had encountered. Who knew what was going on inside its mind?