Surrounded by a mixture of mud, gravel, soil, and other random earthen mixtures native to the mountains, a small crystal similar to a grain of sand settled into its new home. Its behavior was nonexistent as it remained fixed in place without the ounce of intention or desire behind it.

Just as the rock cousins encased in the earth around it, the crystal settled further in place until the ground surrounding it was compacted enough to seal off its original entrance. Sealed in without an air flow, a mysterious phenomena started to reveal itself.

Though in negligible amounts, the minuscule crystal appeared to emit microscopic amounts of pure energy into its immediate surroundings. Hours passed followed by days as this process continued at a fixed pace.

The first nudge of movement occurred as the surrounding energy built up, creating a small cavity that the crystal rolled to the bottom of. The surrounding energy mixed with the earth as it permeated the compacted crust and developed an affinity for the earth. As its affinity warped, the energy saturated the ground at a decreased pace.

The days continued to pass by with the crystal unaware of such concepts. Its current home remained only a few millimeters in diameter; massive for the crystal's size, however negligible to anything else.

Pressure continued to build within that small cavity until it started forcing the small dome wider once more. The energy output of the crystal remained fixed, and yet the surrounding pure energy permeated the surrounding earth at an ever decreasing pace.

From an outside perspective, one would deduce a feedback occurring where the crystal emitted energy that increased the pressure in the cavity which in turn forced the energy into the surrounding earth. Such a forced penetration into the earth warped its affinity which slowed down creating an artificial wall that backed up the energy behind it.

Under such influences, the once few millimeters sized cavity grew to a centimeter. Days passed further, however the ground no longer gave way to the energy's pressure.

Rather, the mountainous composite that the crystal embedded itself into was already compacted to a massive degree prior to the crystal moving in. Without the ground to give way, the pressure increased until the crystal showed its first sign of activity.

[ Criteria Met: Attempting skill unlock of Lesser Energy Circulation... ]

[ Success. Acquired Lesser Energy Circulation 1. ]

Driven by the instincts of a dungeon core, the crystal understood the increased pressure represented a danger to it. As the pressure increased, the crystal started to feel suffocated. What it unlocked was nothing more than a reaction. A bare necessity that every creature knew of from birth.

Though late to the manipulation game, the crystal utilized the skill and did what any weak being faced with danger would do. It attempted to run with the only skill it knew.

Though utilizing [Energy Circulation], the pure energy emitted by the crystal seemed immune to manipulation. Luckily, the energy that took up earth affinity was drawn into the crystal. The earth energy circulated within the crystal, traveling through specific unfathomable paths which soaked it up as a loose soil would the first rain after a drought. It felt its internal circuitry mutate and with it, a sense of release.

[ Criteria Met: Attempting skill unlock of Lesser Terra Assimilation... ]

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[ Success. Acquired Lesser Terra Assimilation 1. ]

The crystal experienced a sudden boost in its absorption rate, though an outside observer would write out such gains as non-existent. However, to the crystal, with its small size, that small boost changed its world. The crystal found that as it circulated the earthen energy inside itself, the pressure in its small home decreased.

Without a motive to improve further, the crystal remained stagnant once more for days on end satisfied with its current state. That was however, until it found itself unable to absorb the energy. As if filled to the brim, the crystal reacted once more, its size growing from a grain to the size of a seed.

[ Criteria Met: Attempting reclass to Lesser Unknown Nucleus... ]

[ Success. Reclassed to Lesser Unknown Nucleus Level 1. ]

[ Criteria Met: Attempting skill unlock of Lesser Energetic Growth. ]

[ Success. Acquired Lesser Energetic Growth 1. ]

[ Criteria Met: Attempting skill unlock of Lesser Energy Resistance. ]

[ Success. Acquired Lesser Energy Resistance 1. ]

[ Criteria Met: Attempting skill unlock of Lesser Energy Manipulation. ]

[ Success. Acquired Lesser Energy Manipulation 1. ]

A series of circuitry rewiring ripped through the crystal's internals. Though incapable of understanding the notifications presented to it, the adapted instincts of the dungeon nucleus shouldn't be underestimated. The circuits that reacted to its plight days earlier twitched to life once again.

Earth aligned energy flowed into it at a continuous rate once more, however instead of storing it, [Energetic Growth] converted the energy into crystalline layers that appeared to layer over the crystal's surface. Each layer expanded the crystal's diameter to the most minor degree.

It was clear that it'd take years before such a skill grew the crystal beyond a couple centimeters. Fortunately, the crystal itself held only the most basic understanding about the concept of time and as such, was content to let the skill work on its own.

The crystal absorbed the earth energy within the ground providing a passage for the pure energy to escape from. The energetic ether pushed into the ground below the crystal expanding the spherical cavity into an oblong shape.

As if trapped in a pit, the crystal followed the new slant until it reached the bottom. It remained there until the dense energy reached a point where the pressure could no longer compress the ground. Pressure built up over the course of days once more until it felt threatened once more.

No longer was it consuming the earth energy enough to maintain its survival. The crystal's instincts tapped into [Lesser Energy Manipulation] and attempted to push the pressurized energy away from itself.

Though it worked in bursts, even if to a minor degree, the crystal restructured its internal circuitry on every attempt to further refine its methods, slowly building up responses to the external stimuli and results.

[ Criteria Met: Attempting trait unlock of Lesser Reactor. ]

[ Success. Acquired Lesser Reactor 1. ]

The crystal felt something change within it. Different from the natural processes that rewired its internal circuitry, this was a change to something more fundamental, though it had no way of understanding what that change was.

All it ‘understood’ was that its instincts and reactions could be controlled rather than just be purely reactive. The more subtle method of thinking pushed it to use [Lesser Energy Manipulation] in new ways.

Rather than push the pressure away, the crystal tried to push the energy under it and dig further. Such naive attempts failed from the start, however the mere fact it was able to focus the energy in such a way could be seen as further improvement.

While the attempt failed, the experience remained. Each subtle rewiring of the crystal’s internal mechanics increased the little motor memory it started with into something more profound.

Memory. The crystal developed a form of accessible memory for the first time. There was little will to drive such a thing or properly utilize it, however the crystal understood the purpose of such a thing instinctually.

Such improvements were both good and bad as the crystal now had memories of the constant threat the energy pressure applied on it.

It continued to experiment with [Lesser Energy Manipulation], sometimes pushing the energy away from it, other times pulling. Sometimes it compressed the energy, other times it tried to disperse it.

Regardless of its attempts and efforts however, the pressure continued to build within the cavity. The encroaching death by suffocation pushed a new form of panic into the crystal who started deviating from normal experiments.

Compressed energy was pushed downward forcing the crystal to tumble about in the air for brief moments. The energy was held for longer periods than normal as the crystal lashed at its surroundings with feeble strength.

[ Criteria Met: Attempting skill unlock of Lesser Energy Tendrils. ]

[ Success. Acquired Lesser Energy Tendrils 1. ]