Ugh, what's going on? I feel broken, and disjointed as I stretch. That feels like the right word, but perhaps it's not. My senses reach out, absorbing the area around me to create my body. For some reason, I feel like I've just woken up from a very long dream.

[SEED 0: Adam Ark, Online]

What is this place? I use my connection to the mana flooding the area around my core to look around. That's me. That small, orange sphere nestled on top of that... altar? I think that's an appropriate term for it. That's when I notice a group of people around me. They're staring at me like I'm some kind of priceless treasure.

Well, they are probably right, considering I'm a dungeon core. I stretch my consciousness out, trying to get a better sense of my surroundings. I'm in a room that looks like it hasn't been used in a long time. Well, before this group appeared anyway. The sleek metal walls, floors, and altar are covered in dust and grime. This place feels familiar, but I can't understand why.

"What do you think, Eraina?"

My attention snaps to the person who just spoke. They look like a human woman, but not quite. That's probably because of their cat ears and tail. Hmm. Human? Cat? Where did those words come from? I can't seem to remember.

I just seem to know they are words to describe something...

"It looks like a dungeon core, but what's it doing down here?"

Eraina, as the cat woman called her, also looks like a human. But her ears are long. I study her violet eyes, and long blonde hair for a moment before a word to describe her appears. Elf! That's what she is. I mentally nod at my observation before I look at the other three guys. Ah, two dwarves and an elf. A total of three males and two females. No humans though. I really want to meet one for some reason.

"Do you think it withered? Or entered an eversleep? This place could be its tomb." One of the dwarves replies with a rough voice.

The other dwarf's dark eyes are examining me with great curiosity. I don't like the way he looks at me, and my discomfort seems to trigger something.

[Mana Permeation and Integration Complete. Floor 1 permissions are now unlocked.]

What was that? Some kind of notification?

A searing pain cuts through my thoughts for several moments. When it subsides, I'm left with the knowledge of what the notification meant.

I can feel the mana around my core, and it's telling me that there's something else here. I turn my attention to the wall opposite me, and beyond it, I can sense two different... spawners?... begging for me to reroute some of my mana to them.

However, I can sense that one of them is... broken. Even if I sent my mana to it, it wouldn't be able to do anything. The group is still talking about me. Wondering what to do with my core. Some of them seem to think they should break me, while others want to remove me from this place.

I'm not too keen on either of those options, so I try to feel my mana. It's slippery, like an eel that doesn't want to be caught. It takes me a few moments to impose my will on it and force it to enter the unbroken spawner in the other room.

Suddenly, I feel the spawner come to life! Mana hums as it powers it, and I can feel the parts inside moving, working, to create something to protect me. I turn my attention back to the group, who seem to have discovered something on the altar while I wait.

"Look, this is the writing of the ancient civilization!" Eraina says as she cleans the plaque. "Autonomous Dungeon And Managenerator... SEED 0, ADAM..."

Silence descends like an unwelcome visitor among the group as they freeze. I can see them trembling as the dwarf who favored removing my core pulls his hand away. He wets his lips with his tongue and swallows loudly. All while slowly backing away.

"That's a joke, right? Adam's just a myth. A story the dungeons tell to make people afraid to harm them." The cat woman says in barely a whisper.

Oh, these people seem to know me. Maybe I should try capturing them? That would be best. My memories are all fuzzy, and they could help fill in the blanks. Or, at the very least, give me information about what the world is like outside now.

[Spider Automaton Controller Unit has been created. Please provide a name.]

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A name, huh? A fractured memory surfaces as I study the automaton, fresh out of the spawner in the other room. Its dull, grey metallic body and red gemstone eyes are what made the memory surface. Arachea. That'll be its name. I can't help but nod to myself in satisfaction as the spawner gets to work churning out more of these automatons. In a few moments, there are fifteen of them in the other room.

Hmm, what to do with them now? If I order them to deal with this group, the sudden shock of the assault could cause one of them to threaten my core. But, if I don't do anything, there's a high chance they'll seize my core. Which will put me in even more danger when I try to stop them.

I direct them to enter the vents. They should be soundproof if my memory serves me right. If they can get above my core, I'll be ready to act if I need to. I don't want anyone breaking me before I have a chance to recover my memories.

"Are we going to be okay?" The cat girl says.

"Nana!" The dwarf hisses as he backs into the wall. "Don't jinx us. It doesn't seem like he's awake, but let's not tempt fate. We should get out of here. Report it to the Dungeoneers Guild or something."

Nana's tail flicks nervously. I can't help but feel some pity for them. I turn to look at Eraina, who's studying the plaque again.

"Judging by this plaque, we can assume these ruins were built in the Mythos era. Most likely by the ancient civilization. It seems like this place has been sealed since then." Eraina says casually. "The ruins themselves seem to block mana. So this core should be withered after all this time."

"So, it's dead then, is it?" The other dwarf asks as he raises an eyebrow.

"That should be the case. I don't think we have anything to worry about." Eraina turns her eyes to study the rest of the group. "I'll go inform the guild about this. If this core truly was Adam, this is a major find."

"Go ahead. We'll stay here and study the ruins a bit more."

Eraina nods to the other two before adjusting the pack on her shoulders. I watch as she quickly leaves the room and a thought strikes me. If she gets out of here, and reports my existence to this guild she spoke of, won't that put me in danger?

I curse as I urge five of my automatons to break off from the rest. They race through the vents, in an attempt to get ahead of the elf. There's no way I'm leaving anything to chance. I direct my attention to the rest of the group. They seem content to poke around the rest of my core's room while leaving my core alone.

Well, that's a good thing. My spiders spread out through the vents in small groups, tracking each of the invaders as they split up. I can't help but chuckle to myself at their relaxed attitude. They may just give me the chance to pick them off one by one at this rate.

Oh? It seems like the five I sent after the elf has caught up to her! Hmm, but she is close to reaching the boundaries of my perception. Seems like I'll have to act fast. I send a new order to that group of minions as I focus my attention on her.

Bang!

The vent over her head breaks open as my automatons rain down on her! She barely manages a short scream before her body is pierced by the sharp legs of my minions! She gasps as the weight of them landing on her drags her to the ground. I can see the shock and terror plastered on her face as she realizes what happened.

"Adam... is alive!" Eraina gasps before one of my spiders uses mana to shoot a sticky substance over her mouth before binding her arms and legs together with it.

I mean, technically it's not webbing. But I'm going to think of it as that, being shaped like spiders, you know? Anyway, that's one down. I nudge the automatons to transport her to an empty room near my core before I switch over to look at the other members of her group.

Ok, let's be smart about this. They are still in my core's room. They could easily reach my core if they feel threatened. So, this should be treated like a hostage situation! I need to secure my core and get it out of there first! Timing is going to be everything.

I nudge Arachea to open a hole in the vent above my core when they aren't looking. I can't help but feel tense as Arachea shoots a molten substance in a ring shape that eats through the metal of the vent. Luckily, the substance holds it together, so the melted circle doesn't just fall down and alert the invaders.

One of the other automatons uses its web substance to pull the circle out of the vent's floor, which makes very little noise. For a moment I thought the invaders had been alerted when I saw Nana's ears twitch. But it seems like she thought nothing of it. To be fair, the others in her group are making some noise too as they examine the other oddities in this room.

I take a deep breath, well, I would if I had a living body that needed to do that kind of thing. Now, here comes the tricky part. I send Arachea a new order. Which it relays to its nearby minion. Originally, I was going to have Arachea do this, but it's larger than the others. So there's a risk it would be more noticeable since its webbing is also thicker.

My point of view zooms out a bit so I can watch all four remaining members of Nana's group. Ok, I think now is a good time. Operation Save the Hostage is a go!

I watch as three threads of webbing are shot toward my core from the hole in the vent. Yes! They got it! I chuckle as the threads stick to my core. Now, raise it up. Don't be slow about it. After all, the longer it's suspended mid-air, the more likely it is for the operation to be noticed.

I'm pretty sure my automatons can feel my tension as my core is lifted to safety. I can't help but glare at the four invaders, in an attempt to will them not to turn around. Come on! Come on! Almost there! Yes!

Clank!

Oh, crap. I celebrated a bit too early. The four invaders turn their heads with frowns plastered on their faces. Their eyes widen when they realize my core is no longer on the altar. As one, they tilt their heads to look up to where they hear another clanking noise. Only to witness my core being slammed against a hole too small to allow it to pass through.

For some reason, I really want to slap myself as I glare at Arachea through my senses. Seriously? You didn't think to check you'd made a big enough hole?

I feel the automaton shiver slightly under my anger being transmitted through the mana. Well, there's no point complaining about it now. Since they've already been alerted, I had better do something about it before they think to escape or target my core.