“Ok.” I say with a quiet voice.

“Let’s start this off slowly. I’m bismuth. This here is diamond. You to are alexandrite and jet.” They nod.

“Diamond and I are the same race as you two. We think. I’ve looked over your forms, and it’s like mine, but, only one crystal. Our gems are, magical? I guess. I created diamond and mine, but you were born? With them. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what we are, or what we’ll become. I do know, though, that we are who we are. We can accept that, and move on to discovering more about ourselves, and each other, then maybe we can find out what we are.” They nodded.

“I believe you said something about a fight.” Said jet.

“I think a fight is an excellent idea. Brilliant to find out more about ourselves.” Continued alexandrite.

“Holdup,” shouted diamond,” we don’t know what you are, and you could get hurt, or damaged or anything...” before she continued I stopped her.

“I actually think a fight would be a great idea. I scanned their gems. They have the same ability as us. There bodies are but an illusion. As well as that, I think they know how to summon there weapons.” I looked at them and they nodded. Lights shined out, and in each of jets hand were long curved daggers. In alexandrites hands was a bow, which she then separated into a whip.

“I am proficient in both.” She told us.

“You see. If anything, you shouldn’t be allowed on the raid. You have no weapon, no magic, and we would be forced to protect you. “She started stuttering,” but I’m not stopping you because I respect you. Now let’s go.” She sighs.

“You just have to put your hand on the crystal and wish to attack someone. A screen will appear and show you who you can. “ I nod.

“Get behind me everyone. Unsummon your weapons and get ready for the other side.” They nod, and jet, alexandrite and diamond gathered behind me. I put my hand on the crystal and wished to attack someone. In front of me was a list of 205 people. I was shocked. As their was only five of us, and one of us was not powerful, I limited it to purists, cause why not, and at least one race as wisp. Eventually I found the perfect person. Why hello hyacinth, long time no see. I tell diamond that’s who I want to attack. She nods. She goes to the crystal and starts tapping on it before another portal appears.

“Step through there.” I nod and step through. Alexandrite and jet follow behind me.

When we arrived, I was in an octagonal room, with each wall being two meters in length, and a passage way leading out. The lady’s had about 30 minutes while we figured the gems out. That’s our race now, by the way. We’re gems.

“This is not an optimal position.” Said alexandrite. We all nodded.

“I think we go down that passage way there.” Jet pointed towards the one directly in front of us. I shrugged and said

“Why not. Let’s go about the information gathered. Her main mana type is plant, and her two races are plant wisp and imp. Imps set traps and favour ambushes. We’ll enter like this. I’ll go first, alexandrite comes second, diamond third, and jet last. Jet, you focus on our backs, we don’t want to be in a fight and lose because something came from the sides. Diamond, you keep an eye out for traps, and alexandrite, you look for enemies. Diamond, if we lose will they...” She just nodded. With that I firm my decision, I don’t care if they are just part of my dungeon, they are my creations, they are at least partially sentient, and they will survive.

“Jett, stay at the back, do not, under any circumstances come to the front.” He nods while we form up. except for diamond, We all summon our weapons. We start walking down the corridor. After a couple of seconds we see a wisp. I slash at it, but nothing happens. I look at diamond and she tells me I need to drain its mana. I decided to try something. My weapon is, me, so why can’t I channel mana through it. I tried to do it, and the mana just flowed straight through it. It gained a shiny, polished look. I focused on the intent of draining the wisps mana, and stabbed my bō into its centre mass. Slowly the mist portion drained away into my staff, but i felt something wrong with my spell, making a few changes sped up the spell by quite a bit. After all the mist disappeared, a seed dropped to the ground. Looking at it, I decided to be a dick and take it. That is why I killed the wisp.

We continued walking down the path for awhile, and drained about five more wisps, when, in the midst of draining the sixth, an arrow shot over my shoulder, hitting an imp I didn’t even notice. There were three of them, and one on the ground, bleeding from its stomach. I let the shock hit me, and flow over me. I ran forward to meet them. Another arrow flew, hitting the downed imp, finishing it. I reached the other three and clashed. They were all green, reflecting their plant attribute. I hit one on the head with a downward stroke before twirling my staff, and slashing it into the side of the second imp. Instead of using the rebound to hit the other imp, I continued with the slash, putting extra wait into it to move the imp into the thirds path. This had the clever, if unintentional effect of blocking a ball of green mana shooting towards me. The imp it hit immediately dropped to the ground, paralysed. I guess that was the plants version of a fireball. I jabbed towards the one that had been hit on the head, which made it double over. A whip flew over my shoulder and wrapped around it, before throwing it into the path of a second paralysis ball. It to dropped, motionless. I ran towards the trouble maker, and saw it gearing up to throw another paralysis ball. I decided to try using my mana, as if I didn’t I’d be toast. I let my mana flow through my bō staff and imbued it with the image of a crystal shooting up to impale the imp. I jumped up and slammed my staff into the ground. The mana flew through the ground and did as intended, forcing a pillar of quartz to shoot up and impale the imps head. Woohoo, it worked. I stood there breathing heavily.

“Thanks.” I Said over my shoulder.

“No problem. The space available makes it hard to use my bow. I will continue with my whip from now on.” I just nodded. We all stood like that for a bit.

I walked over towards the paralysed bodies and shot a spike of crystal into each of them. I then focused on dissolving the crystals.

Diamond hovered over towards the bodies before feeding her mana into them. After awhile they disappeared. I looked at her and she shook her head. Guess that’s an explanation that I’d only get after we left.

“Let’s go.” I Said, and we set off. It wasn’t long until we reached the end of the corridor. We set off back down it with jet leading is this time.

Slowly and methodically, we cleared every tunnel, checked every hiding place, and destroyed every monster. Some of the tunnels weren’t even tunnels, just a couple of metres of clear space, a turn, and a dead end. It took us about thirty minutes to complete all the tunnels (there were only three proper ones). Finally we found the core room. Inside it was hyacinth, and she was seething with rage.

“WHAT DID YOU DO!!!” She screamed.

“HOW DO YOU HAVE SUCH POWERFUL MONSTERS! HOW DO YOU HAVE A WEAPON! WHY DI...” before she could continue, an arrow came over my shoulder and nailed her in the eye. I looked behind me and saw a grinning alexandrite.

“She was taking forever. I thought I’d take a slight risk.” I laughed. Slowly, everyone else laughed as well, before jett shot over my shoulder and nailed a black imp to the wall with four daggers. I looked, nearly shat myself, and said thank you. He grinned at me before killing the imp. It was quick. We walked over and shattered the core. A portal opened up in front of us, and we stepped through.

“What the fuck!!!” I screamed as we got through, dropping to the ground and curling into a ball.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“What have I done?” I murmured, not responding to anything.

“Bismuth. BISMUTH!” Screamed diamond.

After we stepped through the portal, everything fell apart. I couldn’t get over the fact that I’d killed sentient life. Diamond was trying to bring me back to consciousness. Alexandrite went and sat in a corner, wrapping her arms around her knees, and jett just looked at his hands, summoned his daggers, unsummoned them, and repeat.

What had I done. I had probably traumatised hyacinth. Even if she was a slaver, did she deserve this? I had killed all those imps, even her assistant. Did they deserve this. We didn’t even leave them a body to bury. Why did I do this? How could I do this? unanswered questions that tore at my being. Before this, the worst I’d killed was a fly. I’d gotten into a few fights in school, even broken someones nose. But never had I killed someone. What’s next? Massacring orphanages? Mass genocide? I’d died, and that, experience is something I never ever want to go through again, and yet, I’d brought this experience upon another. Would she even come back. I, I can’t not do this. I have to snap out of it. I HAVE TO SNAP OUT OF IT! Slowly I started to hear diamonds voice.

“Come back. Please bismuth its ok. Just come back. Come back. We need you. Please.” I sat up.

“What was that.” I asked. “ I felt no remorse during the raid. I even felt happy. Why?” I Said this all in an emotionless voice.

“It was the sages. I promise, I didn’t know about this. I-I-I-...” before she could continue, I just shook my head. I looked over to jett and alexandrite. They were just as effected as me. I walked over to jett, and said.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to go through that. You have barely been alive for an hour, and you went through something I dreaded going through for, forever really. You won’t ever have to do that again. I, i will make a room defended and impenetrable. You and alexandrite can stay there during raids, and come out after. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” he nodded.

“I need some time to, process this.” I nodded back.

Walking over to alexandrite, I just sat next to her. She looked at me before leaning against me. I put my arm around her and squeezed. She buried her head in my shoulder and started weeping. Slowly that turned to full on sobbing, before calming down again. After that, jet came and sat on the other side of me, and I put my arm around him to. Diamond came and sat on my shoulder.

We sat like that for awhile. Be it a minute, or an hour, I don’t know. I do know, however, that it was a long time, and it felt right. I sighed internally, hating that I had to break the peace, but we had to talk.

“We need to talk.” I Said. “We had no control. We were forced to kill, and worse, we were forced to enjoy it. Please explain diamond.” In felt her shift.

“I promise, I didn’t know about it. I would never have put you through that. I would never have...” she said before I interrupted her.

“Diamond, I, no, we know that you wouldn’t have. Just explain it.”

“Yeah,” Said jett in a muted voice. Diamond continued.

“It was the sages. They, control the system. I don’t know how. They do it to make rules, protections and influence us. Like the rules are the point systems. And hyacinth didn’t die. She did feel pain, however.” I felt alexandrite start weeping again. With a hurried voice diamond said.” But it was only a one hundredth of the actual pain. It would have felt like a strong punch to the head.” Alexandrite weeping slowed, but the wet patch on my shoulder didn’t stop growing.

“They, influence is by imitating the feelings of adventurers and normal dungeon instincts. They made us feel the joy a pun adventurer would feel in defeating a dungeon , and killing monsters. When an attacker raids your dungeon, you will feel an increase to your need to protect. You will physically and mentally need to protect the dungeon.” I look at her and nod.

“Can we, turn it off?” I asked.

“No, only a sage can.”

“And those are?”

“Tiki, willow and flare.”

I growl. How dare they. They even made me bring along innocents.

“What other surprises are there? Why were you dissolving the bodies? Why do we do this?” I machine gunned the questions.

“I dissolved the bodies because it’s a way to gain extra points. 1 point per the tier of the monster. I didn’t want a purist to know. There assistants aren’t very helpful.

We do this because it’s training. Out in Alesia, dungeons are either incredibly helpful, or murderous, greedy scum. When a new dungeon is found, it is aloud to live for three floors. The adventurers will then try to communicate. should they not be able, they assume it is feral, and it is killed. No inBetween, no nice, shy dungeons. Either you benefit them or you are dead. But if you can build up a dungeon powerful enough before they duping you, what can they do?

There aren’t many. Besides the behavioural changes, nothing really changes. That can also be controlled, now that we know about it. I will get to understand it and use our connection to defeat it.” I nod. There really is nothing we can do. But there is something else I can do.

“I don’t want you two fighting anymore.” I Said, addressing the new gems.

“You a young, you need to live. From now on, I’ll focus on building a village level. You and all other gems will live here. You will only fight if you want to, but you can live a relatively safe life.”

“Wha...”

“No!” They both interrupted.

“I want to fight. I don’t want to lose control, and I don’t want to enjoy it, but I want to stand with you. You created me. You are my king. I want to defend you. I will protect you.” Jett Said with a fierce persona.

“Me to.” Said alexandrite. They were both so, convincing. I couldn’t understand it.

“I agree, under one condition. I will build the floor, and I will put my core there. Your initial jobs will be to patrol the dungeon for humanoid gems. You will then help them settle. After a week of this, tell me if you want to protect me, or your people, or just settle in. In all these ways you will be protecting me, by protecting the dungeon core.” They both nodded. I looked at diamond on my shoulder, and saw her furiously plucking strands of mana. I picked her up and placed her on alexandrite. She didn’t even notice. Slowly I started to dig. I made a long passage way, before creating a sharp turn. I rested a bit so as to avoid mana exhaustion. I walked through the dungeon, and noticed more wisps then before. I also noticed crystal plant life and animals, way more then before. I went to find diamond, and saw her to, taking a small break.

“Why are there more wisps?” I asked her gently.

She jumped a bit before looking around.

“I don’t know. And there are more then just 60 of everything. Wha...” she said, before flying around. I followed her, and eventually heard a squeal of excitement.

“Bismuth, they’re making more. The plants make both life and crystal wisps, instead of pollen look.” I did, and indeed saw no buds, but I don’t think that’s what she meant. I felt with my mana, and was shocked to see multiple wisps forming around the plants.

“They create more wisps, which create more plants and animals. It’s a simple ecosystem. Amazing. And look at this.” She squealed. I walked over and saw the original amethyst bush, the one covered in thorns, was different. It’s thorns had grown less numerous, but sharper, and more variety towards them, such as some filled with barbs, while others are small needles. It ps purple leaves were bigger, and seemed to gather more mana. It’s roots were attached firmly to the ground, but when I went closer to take a better look, two of them whipped up and gripped my hand. It wasn’t painful, more like a child looking for it’s fathers attention. I laughed a little, and scratched it. The bush let out a rustle, and the roots retreated back towards the ground. I smiled.

“What the...” Said diamond.

“I don’t know.” I replied.

“You know it’s not your fault right?” I asked her.

“What do you mean?” She replied.

“We could never have known that would have happened. Now that we do, we can prevent it. Don’t beat yourself up about it.” She looked at me, wiped her eyes, and just sighed.

“Follow me.” I Said. We started walking towards the soon to be village, and I started carving out the cavern.

“Do you know how I was transferred?” I asked her, referring to my death on earth. She nods.

“And you heard how the others were recruited?” She nodded again.

“At first I thought it was a coincidence, but now, knowing they would go as far as to allow slavery, and manipulate our thoughts. Somethings going on here. One is strange, twos a coincidence, three is a pattern.

One, I died, and was then transferred to a dungeon core.

Two, I felt no regret over choosing i the choice. Looking back, i was idiotic, there were way to many questions I didn’t ask, that I know I would have.

Three, the raid.

I don’t know what it is, but I’m going to confront your father soon. What they are doing is wrong. If I find out that they purposely killed me, and then manipulated my thoughts to make me choose this. I will kill him. I protect my own, and defeat those that stud in my way. We’ve fond that to be a part of my very being. It will be nasty, and it will take years, but it will happen. Do you accept this?”

Looking back, a lot of things don’t make sense. A heart attack!thats bullshit. I was healthy. My family had no history of such problems, and I saw the gash on my bodies head. Heart attacks don’t cause that. Simple things, like my way of speaking, and my thought process were just, off. And why did they manage to capture my soul. From what I’ve seen, even a powerful magician would need a couple of hours to capture my soul. The flapping! Ashley was that flapping, and the weird wind. They planned my death, and now I need to know why. They messed with the wrong person, and they messed with my gems. They better not lie.

“Bismuth.” I heard alexandrite shout. Looking back I saw three things. First, I had hollowed out a cavern twenty meters by twenty meters in the last ten minutes. I guess I’m a very efficient auto pilot.

Second I noticed the small cracks on the ceiling, and Immediately sent up a crystal pillar, stopping the cave in.

Third I noticed alexandrite had five humanoids with her. A ruby, a sapphire, a angel aura quartz, a peridot and a lapis lazuli.

“I found some gems, Jetts busy searching for more.” I nod. Time to get them settled in, create the gem sanctuary, and confront tiki, what could possibly go wrong. Sigh.