Veronica felt uncomfortable when she began to stir from her long rest. She didn't know how much time had passed by, but she also had no reason to suspect that an entire month had passed her by. Even despite there being no saying about not disturbing a sleeping bear, Seraphina had been careful to ensure Veronica was able to sleep well. So, it was only the fact that she had found herself sleeping on the stone floor of the dungeon core room that had given away the fact that something was amiss.

"Is this some kind of prank you've decided to pull on me, Seraphina? I don't find this funny one bit. If I go to sleep in a soft, comfortable bed, I expect to wake up in it!"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to cause you any discomfort."

Feeling quite taken aback, she nearly fell over as she took a comical double take. She wasn't expecting the, usually, quite dismissive and carefree elven woman's reply. However, her answer had only confused Veronica more as she tried to get her bearings.

"Alright, well, just don't do it again."

"Yes, Lady Veronica. I'll be sure to keep your preferences in mind."

"Okay, what gives? You aren't usually like this."

The title was one thing as she had been called by it ever since she had made the stupid remark about it when they first met. However, the rest of it was so unlike Seraphina that it was obvious something was wrong. The elven woman seemed hesitant as she took her time answering.

"Well... You see, you've been asleep a lot longer than you may have been anticipating. It's been a month now since you were last conscious, but I promise I didn't have anything to do with it!"

Veronica just shrugged as she replied

"So, what? I overslept a little. Well, maybe more than a little, but it isn't like I have an alarm clock, but you could have woken me up."

Veronica did find the amount of time that had passed a bit jarring, but what did she know? She didn't, technically, require sleep now, so it was entirely possible that sleep was determined more by the state of the dungeon rather than whatever usually determined such things. She was perfectly content to see it as a sign that the dungeon core hadn't been in danger and her new challenges were doing their job. Perhaps, she would even have enough dungeon points to put some extra care into her next set of rooms. That would certainly be nice.

"I'm afraid that's just it. The dungeon core forced you into a state of hibernation, it isn't normal for you to sleep so long against your will. It would be one thing if you chose to hibernate and ended up sleeping far longer than you had been expecting. That could be explained away by no one getting close enough to the dungeon core room to be a danger to you and the dungeon. However, even if I could wake you up, it would go against regulations as a dungeon diplomat to interfere with the natural processes of the dungeon. I did my best to keep Bo away while you were resting, though. He has certainly been eager to have a rematch with you, though."

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Well, that certainly changes things! Veronica felt the blood rush to her face as she was overcome with an overwhelming amount of anger. When a strange pulse began to move through the dungeon, forcing her to calm down, she only became more enraged.

"What the h_ll?! I didn't agree to this b_llsh_t! First I get put to sleep against my will for some ungodly reason and now the d_mn dungeon is trying to control my emotions?"

Seraphina grimaced as she allowed her the space to continue to rant and rave, even stepping aside when she began to angrily pace back and forth. It wasn't until she began to calm back down that she replied

"Lady Veronica, I'm sorry that you're having a difficult time right now. It isn't like anyone is trying to restrict your free will. You have to understand, there is a way things have to be done in this world. The dungeon core can become corrupted if you let your emotions get too out of control. Both you and it feed off of each other's energies and anger can easily turn to bloodlust, which can lead to me having to destroy your dungeon core and you with it. The dungeon core doesn't want that, so it's trying to help you cope with your emotions, but there is only so much it can handle."

Veronica snorted disdainfully as she snapped

"Oh yeah? Then what's your excuse for an entire month of my life being wasted?!"

Seraphina sighed, sitting down on the stone steps below them. Shaking her head, she replied

"I tried to warn you, but you didn't listen. There isn't much I can do or say without you asking for my help first and, even then, I still might have to get it approved by the council of elders first. You've been building your dungeon too fast and you've been very heavy-handed in how you've been going about it as well. No one-"

Veronica was practically spitting in Seraphina's face as she angrily interrupted to say

"What the f_ck do you mean? I can't just leave my dungeon defenseless! If anyone makes it to the dungeon core then they can destroy it, just like you so kindly reminded me, and then I'll be dead! It's bad enough being taken away from my home, my family, and the only life I ever knew just to be confined in this d_mn dungeon for eternity without then being expected to leave everything up to fate. This isn't some story, this is my life! I can't just depend on plot armor to save me like I'm some heroine in some novel!"

Seraphina's expression was pinched as she struggled to maintain her composure. If she were to be honest, the elven woman's overly polite attitude as she tried to placate her only made her want to punch something more. It was annoying and it felt like she was being talked down to rather than being treated like she was on equal footing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure you've been having a difficult time adjusting, Lady Veronica. However, as I was saying, no one expects you to leave your dungeon defenseless. There is a reason why I was sent to train you in martial arts and protect the dungeon core. It was supposed to ensure you could take your time, adjust to your new circumstances, and learn how the dungeon system worked. I've, honestly, been quite worried that I won't have enough time to complete your training and that I won't be around when you have questions you need answered.

I'm not always going to be around, you know. I have other Dungeon Masters I've been tasked with helping. There are other responsibilities I have as well, which have all been put on hold while I help you. However, once you unlock your second floor, I may not see you for weeks or even months at a time. Both Dungeon Masters and Dungeon Diplomats have long lifespans and, when you live hundreds of years, a few days feels more like minutes or hours. It really isn't normal for me to spend so much time helping any one person and it seems like such a shame for you to squander this opportunity."

Veronica bit her tongue, she was going to need some time to digest this information. Deciding she needed some space, she turned around and left the room, leaving Seraphina by herself.