The Dungeon of Eternal Embers' Point of View

Chapter 26 - Post-Vacation Blues

Cole had only been gone for a day, two at most, so why had it taken him almost a week to recover from all the chaos his absence had caused? It was like the entire dungeon had rebelled. Traps weren't running properly, loot wasn't refilling, and the monsters, gods, the monsters were so unbalanced. They'd taken a cue from the walking trees and decided to become overpowered and run rampant. Honestly, what had his automatic system programming even been doing?

His flames sputtered, weak and exhausted. This was not how he'd planned his little break to end. He was supposed to go off on an adventure, have fun, and come back refreshed. But instead he'd abandoned his post, almost got Hazel killed, and completely screwed everything up. He was a failure of a dungeon core, playing at being human.

Hazel had trusted him, believed in him even, and he'd still taken her to a floor that was far beyond her capabilities at the time. He was the one who'd set up the levels, so he knew how difficult facing a higher-leveled monster could be. His overconfidence had done nothing but hurt her. She might have forgiven him, but he had a ways to go before he forgave himself.

He was a dungeon core. His place was here, running the dungeon from behind the scenes.

But even so, he hadn't disposed of his human avatar yet. It was locked away in a magical box that would keep it sustained on the off chance that he needed it again...

"You look awful," Dave said as he added some more coal to the fire. "I know I said you shouldn't shirk your responsibilities, but don't you think you've been pushing yourself a little too hard? Even a dungeon core needs to rest sometimes. That's why the automatic system exists."

Using that was what had gotten him into this whole mess in the first place. It didn't have enough reasoning capabilities to tell the difference between jokes and reality. It had even started running a system diagnostic right in front of Hazel! If she'd seen the whole thing, she'd have learned way too much about how the dungeon worked. Too much about him...

Dave frowned. "The automated system does seem a bit rough around the edges, but that's why it's supposed to only be used in short spurts, not for days at a time. It'll be fine to use it again."

Cole considered it, but devoured the new fuel instead and brightened his flames even more. He was a dungeon core and the gods were trusting him to do his duty.

"I understand," Dave said, "but I just don't like seeing you rundown like this. I hate to admit it, but you seemed happier with Hazel. If we planned your next outing better, I'm sure you could visit her again soon."

Hope surged through his flames, but he clamped down on it. Visiting her was too risky. If she ever found out who he really was, then her falling off a cliff would seem like a drop in the bucket of the pain she'd be going through. He relayed that to Dave, making sure he knew to never reveal the secret of who Cole really was. If the gods found out, they'd wipe her memory again. She'd forget about the slimes, her cafe, and about him too. Nothing was worth risking all her hard-earned progress like that.

She deserved to level up and progress through this dungeon just like everyone else. And then...she deserved the best reward he could give her.

Cole felt his mind wandering to the cafe as Hazel played with a few dirt slimes in the garden, harvesting the new tea. He remembered the taste of it, the warmth. She'd been doing nothing but baking and working in the garden since he left, leveling up three whole levels in such a short time. At level 8, she seemed more determined than ever. That was how things should be. Her leveling while he watched from the sidelines, helping her however he could.

"My Lord?" Dave asked softly. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

He pulled himself away from the ember shards outside Hazel's cafe, focusing on Dave instead. The satyr straightened his shoulders that had been slumped with exhaustion and anxiety lately, then took a deep breath.

"I don't know why the gods chose you to run this dungeon," Dave said, "but their rules are too harsh. All these secrets are weighing on me and I'm tired of getting yelled at by frustrated adventurers. I think I'd like a break."

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A break? Cole's flames flickered, casting shadows on the stone walls. Did Dave want to quit?

"No, no, nothing like that," Dave assured him. "Just, maybe, you could make another Dave for a bit and I could...explore or something. See what else is out there. Ever since Hazel got here, things feel different. She's done nothing but break the rules, and yet, it feels like she's winning at something bigger. And then there's you, you'd never have run off to play adventurer like that in the past. Things are changing and I think that I," he paused, wringing his hands, "that I might want to change too."

Ah, so it was already that time for him. It was happening much faster than with the others, but Dave was evolving. Every NPC created by the dungeon could gain a soul if they so wished and become more than just a pile of parts. They could become real, with feelings and desires just like anyone else. It was one of the things he loved about the dungeon, seeing how everyone evolved and grew. But he was oddly sad to see this Dave leaving so soon. He'd grown attached to him. Something about his nagging just felt kind of nice, like Cole always had somebody checking in on him.

Without tutorial Dave, the dungeon core would need to take on a lot more responsibilities again. Getting a new Dave up to speed would take time, especially since the tutorial zone was the hardest to deal with. Adventurers were always so grumpy in that zone, not wanting to listen to an NPC even for a moment. They skipped past most of the Daves after a minute or two, leaving them feeling unhelpful and alone. But this Dave had been different. He'd forced his training on the adventurers, keeping them safe and sound as best he could. He didn't let himself be skipped over.

And maybe that's why he was evolving so quickly.

Cole's flames dimmed as he relayed through the ember shard in Dave's mind that it was more than fine if he went out adventuring on his own. Cole would make another Dave to take his place, just like all the other Daves before him. It would be fine. Dave deserved his own life if he was ready to reach out and grab it. Funny how Hazel had sparked that in him so thoroughly. It was like her being here was changing the very concept of the dungeon. Changing its core.

His flames surged at the thought. Meeting somebody so amazing that they could change things just by existing was like a new kind of magic. One he craved more and more of.

"So you're okay with this?" Dave asked softly. "I promise I'll come back when you need me."

It was fine, the dungeon relayed to his most trusted Dave. Go, explore, and find out what you truly want to do.

Dave let out a deep sigh. "Thank you. I was worried you'd say no."

Cole would never refuse a request from such a hardworking supporter. Dave had leveled up in his own way today and the dungeon core was proud of that fact.

"That means a lot, thank you." Dave scratched at his horns, glancing back at the door. "Well, I guess I should get going then?"

The dungeon core sent all his support and best wishes through their ember shard connection, but where would he go first?

Dave sat down on the stone ring around Cole's fire. "Honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe I'll see if Hazel needs a hand at the cafe. Or see how that new seamstress NPC is doing. I could even hire myself out as a guide, I guess. For the first time, it feels like I have options."

Cole didn't want to lose one of his best workers, but he knew the feeling of wanting to be somewhere else all too well. His mind wandered back to Hazel as she replanted what looked like hundreds of glowing mushrooms along the path to her cafe, a brightly glowing blue roadmap to her business. If he could laugh in this form, he would.

"She's just so weird," Dave said, leaning over to watch Hazel too. "I'd never think to use glowing mushrooms like that, especially since they're poisonous, but look at her go. It's going to be eye-catching, that's for sure."

It really would be. Now if only he had a way he could help her set up for the grand opening too. Maybe make a quest for adventurers to--

"Nope, no way." Dave shook his head, ears flapping. "No more big group quests like the attack on the walking trees. Try sticking to cafe upgrades and rewards for her skills. Keep her busy, keep her leveling, and keep her happy." He stared into Cole's flames. "Think you can handle that?"

Cafe upgrades, hmmmmm, now that gave him a good idea. The only reason she'd needed to go after the goats was for milk, but if she had easy access to basic ingredients like that, she could focus on improving her skills without worrying about disappointing customers. He could give her an unlimited pantry upgrade!

It would need to be balanced, of course, so she couldn't gain XP for using those ingredients, but at least it would let her cook freely. He should make it kind of tough to unlock too, maybe have her visit those walking trees again and see just what her overenthusiastic fertilizer had done to them.

Dave chuckled, patting the stone around my flames. "Sounds like you're on the right track. I'm going to head out for real this time then." As he walked out of the core chamber, he turned back, eyebrows knit together. "Are you really going to be okay on your own?"

Cole's flames sparked. He was the core of this dungeon. Of course he'd be fine on his own. Besides, Dave wasn't quitting, remember? Cole expected him back eventually, even if it was just to update him on all his adventurers.

"Deal." Dave smiled, waving goodbye. "I'll be back soon."

And with that, Dave left, and the room felt a bit chillier. Cole would have to work even harder now and do what he did best: create a challenging, but rewarding dungeon. His human avatar would just have to stay tucked away, safe in its box. That was the best for everyone involved.