I awoke in a vast expanse of pure white, the space stretching endlessly before me. Sitting calmly in front of me was a man in a pristine suit with dark black hair, appearing to be somewhere in his 30s. I observed in silence as he meticulously sifted through a towering stack of papers, his focused demeanor unwavering.
After a long moment of contemplative silence, I gathered my courage and addressed the man.
"Um, excuse me. Who are you? And where am I?"
The man paused, setting down the stack of papers with an air of surprise evident on his features as he looked up at me from across the polished desk.
"Oh? I didn't anticipate your arrival so soon. My apologies for any inconvenience."
"Well, that's okay, I guess. But I still don't understand why I'm here," I replied, strangely calm while my confusion was evident in my tone.
"Ah, of course. You wouldn't know," the man responded thoughtfully. "Allow me to explain. I am here to inform you that you've been chosen to be reincarnated as a dungeon core in one of the many fantasy worlds under our jurisdiction."
I stared at him in disbelief, the implications of his words sinking in. A dungeon core? Like the ones from the games and novels I've read? And reincarnated? How did I die?
As I tried to process the unexpected revelation, the man in the suit returned his attention to the paperwork before him.
"While I would love to linger and allow you to fully grasp your situation, time is of the essence. I will provide you with a brief explanation before sending you on your way."
I focused my attention, ready to absorb whatever information he had to offer.
"You will be reborn into a fantasy realm as a dungeon core. Your primary responsibility will be to construct a dungeon to challenge the inhabitants of this world, preparing them for any potential cataclysms. As a dungeon core, your core will be indestructible, and your soul will be safeguarded by the system governing the world. Those who perish within your dungeon will be resurrected outside its confines, albeit with penalties to dissuade them from a hasty reentry. You will possess the creative liberty to craft your dungeon as you see fit and to confront invaders according to your discretion."
I listened intently, committing every detail to memory as best I could.
"Now, do you have any questions?" the man inquired.
I paused, considering my questions carefully. After a moment of reflection, I started to speak, only to be abruptly interrupted by a brilliant pillar of light enveloping me, accompanied by a weighty pressure that soon followed.
"That's unfortunate. It appears our time is up. Enjoy your new life and endeavor to construct the finest dungeon possible," the man remarked as I was enveloped by the radiant beam, my conscious fading.
- - -
I awoke with a splitting headache, I try to look around with my groggy mind but only see gray walls surrounding me. After a moment, my headache subsides and I'm finally able to take in my situation. Looking around, I find myself in a small cave with rays of sunlight leaking in through the entrance, the faint sounds of birds entering from outside.
Before I can keep looking around at my surroundings, bright text appears in front of my vision.
[SYSTEM BOOTING…]
[Initializing Core Systems…]
[Loading World Engine…]
[Checking Dungeon Parameters…]
[Assigning Player Profile…]
[Verifying Core Integrity…]
[Connection to Fantasy Network: Established]
[Reincarnation Process Complete]
Welcome, Dungeon Core #0457
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System Status: Stable
All Systems Normal
[PLAYER PROFILE]
Name: [William]
Species: [Dungeon Core]
Core Type: [???]
[Abilities]
Dungeon Construction: Ability to create and modify dungeon environments and traps from base blueprints.
Create Minions: Ability to summon and modify creatures and monsters you have created from blueprints to defend the dungeon.
[Special Skills]
Resurrection: Resurrect anything that dies in your dungeon with varying penalties applied to the Resurrected.
System Protected: Your body, mind, and soul are protected by the system
“Wow, that’s a lot.”
After a bit of fumbling with the system window, I managed to dismiss the wall of text with a thought and finally began to look around. I started by examining my body—or, I guess, the lack of one? Who cares? I look down to see a large red orb, about twice the size of a basketball, sitting snugly on a stone pedestal. It glows eerily, casting a red hue across the stone walls of the cave.
Next, I turned my gaze toward the entrance of the cave. Outside, I saw a lush forest. The forest was a vibrant tapestry of greenery, with towering trees draped in thick foliage that filtered sunlight into dappled patterns on the forest floor. Soft moss carpeted the ground, and vibrant wildflowers peeked through the underbrush, adding splashes of color. The air was rich with the earthy scent of damp soil and the sweet fragrance of blooming plants. Birds flitted between branches, their cheerful songs echoing through the canopy, while small animals scurried among the ferns, creating a lively, tranquil atmosphere. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, casting a warm glow that invited exploration.
“Now that I’ve looked around a bit, I should probably start making my dungeon before people start showing up. I’ll start by creating my first floor.”
With that statement ringing in my head, I sit there for a few minutes. After this brief moment of contemplation, I came to a shocking realization.
“How do I even build things? I didn’t get a tutorial on being a dungeon core!”
After voicing my complaints to the empty cave, I began poking and prodding the system with my mind, trying to extract any information about how to construct my dungeon. As I browsed the system menus, searching for explanations on dungeon building, I found a few and started reading.
As time passed, the sunlight streaming through the cave entrance gradually transformed into a soft, silvery glow that bathed the cave in a calm, ethereal light.
“All of these tutorials are useless! What does ‘force your will upon the world and bend the laws of the world using your magic’ even mean?”
I close the system windows and look around, noticing that it is now nighttime.
“Dang, all that reading for a bunch of gibberish. Well, I guess I should at least try it since I have nothing better to do! The cave is too small to work with, so I should start by making it bigger. But I don’t want to just carve out the whole mountain. Maybe I can make it bigger on the inside, like one of those magic bags from those video games.”
I focused my attention on the small cave, attempting to change it. Subconsciously, I began pulling from the massive well of magic resting in my core. The rough walls of the cave started to smooth out, and the once small, cramped space expanded until it was large enough to comfortably fit 30 people.
I stopped focusing on the expansion and looked at my handiwork.
“Wow, that was easier than I thought. I must be a natural! Okay, let’s try to make it even bigger with some space magic now!”
Focusing on my core once more, I pulled from my pool of magic, willing it to transform into space magic and coat the room. Then, I command the space to expand the inside of the room to a massive scale. In moments, I watch as space rapidly distorted and stretched, transforming the room into a vast, empty space that spanned miles.
“Nice! I think I should make the first floor of my dungeon into a forest level. I just need some dirt, trees, plants, monsters, and a few other things.”
I start by summoning a large, deep layer of dirt. “Oh yea, I need some kinda sky. I want entering my dungeon to feel like walking through a portal into another world!” I start to play around with some illusion magic and after a few long hours, manages to recreate a super accurate day and night cycle, with a hot sun that beats down during the day, and a cool, dark sky with a full carpet of stars and one big, shining moon during the night.
Next, I go to fill the first floor with trees and other various fauna’s and flora’s, only to be interrupted by a large system message.
[Error]
You do not possess the required blueprints to create the desired structures, items, or monsters at this time.
Please acquire blueprints to proceed with creation.
Looking at the system message, I froze for a moment.
“Right, nothing has actually entered my dungeon except for a few bugs that probably died in here before I arrived. Maybe I should create some and have them gather some things from outside? Opening the short list of blueprints, I decided to pick the only spider blueprint available to me. Something called a [Cave Widow], selecting it brought up a short description.
[Cave Widow]
The [Cave Widow] is a common spider species found within dark caverns and underground tunnels. It has a sleek, dark exoskeleton that blends seamlessly into the rocky surroundings, and its long, spindly legs allow it to move silently across the cave floors and walls. Cave Widows are known for weaving large, intricate webs in hidden corners, often spanning entire cave entrances. Though not highly venomous, their bite can cause temporary paralysis in small creatures. Their eerie, glowing eyes are often the only sign of their presence, watching patiently from the shadows for unsuspecting prey.
“Nice, I’ll create a few and send them into the forest outside to collect some materials.”
Focusing on the blueprint, I created 5 [Cave Widow]’s near the entrance. It takes a minuscule amount of magic to do as they all appear in a small flash of light, upon looking at them, i discover a slight problem.
“They're kinda small, how are they going to carry anything back?”
Looking through my system menu, I use my [Create Minions] ability and select all five [Cave Widow]’s. A large menu appears in front of my vision with a long list of various sliders and pre-made changes I can use to modify my creatures.
After playing with the sliders for about an hour, I confirm the changes and look at my newly modified spiders. The modified, black [Cave Widow]’s have been changed to be around the size of small dogs, and have also been given slightly more intelligence so that they can follow some simple order I give them.
After checking to see if the changes look good, I give them a mental command. “Go and gather items and small creatures from the forest, then bring them back to the dungeon!” I then watch as the 5 modified [Cave Widow]’s skuttle out the dungeon and into the lush forest.