Adrian’s mind swirled in disorientation. He could still feel the shock of impact, the burst of energy resonating through him. The sensation was exhilarating yet unsettling. Whatever had just happened, it was… powerful. And yet, without vision, he couldn’t see what kind of mark he’d left on this world. The emptiness frustrated him.
A new System Message materialized in his mind:
Suitable location for dungeon installation detected. Initializing dungeon installation. Claiming dungeon territory.
He felt a strange pull, and suddenly, his crystal seemed to lift into the air. He had no choice but to let it happen; there was nothing he could do to stop the transformation unfolding within him. Fine strands emerged from the base of his crystal, stretching downward and outward, threading their way into the ground below him. It was as if his very essence was branching out, seeking to root itself into this place. The feeling was alien—a pulling, stretching sensation, yet strangely painless.
The tendrils split, multiplying and expanding, forging an intricate web of connections across the ground. Time lost its meaning as they spread further and further; it might have been hours, or only minutes, but finally, the strange pulling sensation ceased. Adrian found himself oddly relieved, as if he’d just endured a bizarre, visceral process—like someone pulling veins from his body without any physical pain.
Suddenly, an electric jolt shot through his crystal, igniting the strands that now sprawled beneath him. His senses flared to life in response. He could feel it all: the weight of the earth pressing from above, the residual heat in the ground after his landing, the tiny disturbances around him. He felt… connected.
Another System Message interrupted his amazement:
Dungeon territory claimed as per Reverse Tower specifications. Initializing terrain seeding.
As the message faded, a fresh wave of sensation began to course through his new “nerves.” The ground around him cooled rapidly, the heat draining away as if soaked up by an unseen force. Adrian noted how the earth itself seemed to dry, transforming beneath him as new impressions started flowing through his awareness.
Taps—gentle, countless taps from every direction. It was like soft pattering, and it resonated everywhere across the territory he now sensed.
“Rain… that has to be rain,” he thought, his consciousness stretching out in wonder as he felt it falling all around him. It was a sensation he could hardly fathom, and it made him acutely aware of the sheer size of his dungeon. A perfect circle, almost twenty square kilometers of space.
“That’s… bigger than I thought,” he mused. “And if this repeats downward with each floor…” A thrill ran through him. “I’ve got serious space to work with here.”
The terrain shifted further as some of his tendrils extended upward, feeling their way into new shapes. The texture of wood—a distinct sensation he recognized almost immediately. Trees. These must be trees, rising up and covering the landscape, their roots mingling with his network of nerves, grounding him in an unfamiliar yet invigorating way. The ground softened as more rain fell, transforming the landscape into wet, muddy earth.
Small pools formed, with hills becoming islands amid shallow, murky water. The sensations were exhilarating, filling him with a mix of excitement and longing. He couldn’t see it, but he could feel it: a vast swamp emerging around him, teeming with the unpredictable energy of life.
“I wish I could see what’s happening…” he murmured.
Another System Message appeared:
Begin animal seeding.
All around, he sensed taps, skips, and the faint scurry of movement. Tiny vibrations echoed across his territory, like a thousand steps, big and small.
“Are those animals?” He marveled at the sensory input. “This dungeon initiation system has serious power… It really does feel like a rainy swamp here.”
A sense of satisfaction settled over him, deep and resonant. His new domain was taking form, and it felt thrillingly real.
System Message: Warning! Sentient mind detected! Dungeons automatic systems are unable to function with sentient mind! Initiating deletion of sentient mind...
Adrian’s mind froze in terror, the meaning of the message sinking in like a weight dragging him into a dark abyss. “No! No! This can’t be happening! That’s not what the dark gods promised me!” he shouted, though there was no one to hear.
Suddenly, a heavy, suffocating pressure filled his mind, pushing against him like he was being squeezed out of his own existence. It felt like an unbearable force trying to eject him from his crystal core, an invisible hand prying him away from his very being. He fought back with every ounce of will he could muster, but it was like trying to swim against a tidal wave.
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But then, just as quickly as it began, the pressure vanished.
System Message: Error! Deletion of sentient mind failed. Divine intervention detected!
Adrian’s mind raced, heart pounding—or at least, what felt like a heartbeat pulsing through his crystal core. Divine intervention? The words echoed in his mind as the system seemed to glitch, fragments of code and broken symbols flashing erratically.
Out of the chaos, an eerie message appeared, breaking through the scramble of symbols:
%2A9GIFTED#£ARE*4&gP6YOU@¥q^W8!cN1$ADRIAN3(0Fz7R)
Then, the characters faded, the code returning to its usual clean, neutral format, as if whatever had just happened was erased from the system’s memory.
If Adrian had lungs, he would have gasped in relief, “Oh shit! That was close! You could have warned me about that, gods!” He had a feeling they might hear his thoughts, but no answer came. Instead, a new System Message blinked into his awareness:
New Action Initiated through Divine Intervention. Applying Divine Gifts!
New Skill Gained: Berserker Rage
New Gene Strain Acquired: Explosive Gas Sacks
Adrian couldn’t hold back his elation. “Uhhh. Free skills! Thanks, gods!”
A new message followed, cold and unfeeling, yet monumental:
Divine Race Change. Dungeon Core Race Evolves to “Dungeon Heart.” Level is retained.
Then came the pain.
It was a wrenching, tearing agony that he could not escape. Every strand, every molecule seemed to blaze with a scorching fire, and in his mind’s eye, he felt as if he were disintegrating, only to be reshaped again and again. His atoms pulled apart, rearranging, reshaping in ways he couldn’t fathom, over and over—relentless and unyielding. The pain refused to end, stretching into an eternity of blinding agony.
Lukas:
As Lukas climbs the steep path, he moves carefully along the narrow animal trails that wind up the mountain. Every step forward feels like venturing deeper into an unknown world. The mountain air is crisp and cold, each gust of wind pressing against him as he ascends. From time to time, the distant sound of thunder rumbles above him, the lightning splitting the sky above the dark storm cloud blanketing the mountain’s peak. It looms ominously, an unnatural darkness stark against the cloudless, blue sky.
He glances up, feeling a slight chill that has nothing to do with the temperature. Whatever’s happening up there… it must be huge.
A memory floats into his mind, and he smiles despite himself. He thinks back to the inn, to the warmth and light of that evening with Karry. Her worry had been etched in her face as he told her about his mission from Twain. She’d given him a free beer, but it was more than that. When he’d reached for the handle of the mug, her hand had touched his, soft and warm. She’d looked at him, eyes deep and serious, and whispered, “Be careful up there... Promise me you’ll come back.”
And he had promised. There was no way he’d break that promise.
But then, just as quickly, she’d pulled her hand away and hurried into the back room, leaving him momentarily baffled. She’d come back with her arms full—bandages, healing herbs, dried food, even extra water. He couldn’t help but laugh at her determination, at the little things she’d insisted he bring “just in case.” His backpack was heavier than he’d like, but there was no way he could refuse her. He could never refuse Karry’s care.
A sharp crack of thunder jolts him back to the present, and he tightens his grip on his bow. The closer he gets, the heavier the air seems, thick with an energy that prickles against his skin. Whatever awaits him up there, he knows he can’t afford to let his guard down.
Lukas continued his climb up the rugged mountain path, the trail winding and steep, yet familiar. He moved with caution, eyes scanning for any signs of movement. Every now and then, he glanced up toward the storm cloud that loomed higher above, its inky mass stark against the otherwise clear blue sky. Lightning flickered within it, and the distant roll of thunder broke the quiet serenity of the mountain air. The further he climbed, the colder the wind grew, biting through his cloak, but something else caught his attention—a strange, earthy scent riding on the breeze.
Wet… and warm? Lukas frowned, puzzled by the contradiction. As he climbed higher, he noticed the rocks growing damp beneath his boots, slippery and slick, even though he’d left the lower trails far behind. He was nearing the cloud's underside now, the rain beginning to fall in thick, slow droplets that paid no mind to the gusts of wind sweeping around the mountainside.
Then, finally, Lukas reached the top. He took in the view, eyes widening in disbelief. Where the mountain peak once stood, there was now a vast, perfectly circular crater—its shape too flawless to be natural. It reminded him of tales he’d heard from adventurers who had traveled south, speaking of massive volcanic craters, yet… this was different. There was no lava, no smoke rising from charred earth, no heat. Just wet, clinging warmth, and a swamp, stretched out below him in a sprawling, eerie expanse.
The crater was filled with waterlogged land, mud and reeds twisting through pools of stagnant water, scattered islands peeking above the swamp’s murky surface. It was midday, yet the raincloud overhead cast everything in a shadowed, gloomy haze. It was as if dusk had settled within the crater, leaving only muted light to filter through. Lukas listened, hearing the rain blend with sounds he hadn’t expected: the croaks of frogs, the constant buzz of insects, and distant, more unsettling noises echoing through the swamp.
He stood on the rim, staring down at the swamp below, his heart torn. A part of him wanted to descend into the strange landscape, to see what lay hidden in those waters and among the reeds. But the other part, the wiser part, warned him to stay back. There was something wrong here, something deeply unnatural. He hesitated, fingers tightening on his bow as he wrestled with the choice.
Lukas took a deep breath, steadying himself as he whispered, “Alright… what now?”