Enya stirred awake to the quiet creaks of shifting stone and the soft patter of loose pebbles skittering around her. The stillness of the dark pressed in on all sides, a heavy silence only broken by the faint, unsettling noises.

Struggling against her own body, she forced her eyes open, though barely managing a flutter. The dungeon had gone quiet, the clamor of the world around her settling into eerie calm. She found herself lying on her side, half-buried between two massive stone slabs, wedged tight. Every inch of her body throbbed, sore and battered, and there was a sticky sensation on her arms—dried blood, half crusted.

Her head pounded, and her vision blurred with black specks dancing at the edges. As she pushed herself up, the weight of the stone pressing against her sent a shiver down her spine. A few centimeters more, and she would’ve been crushed. The thought made her stomach sink.

A cough broke from her lips as she crawled free from the tight space, the air thick with stone dust, replacing the usual suffocating stench of death that lingered in the dungeon.

Shaky, she staggered to her feet, pushing weakly off her knees. Her whole body screamed in protest, every movement bringing a fresh wave of ache. Then, the memories flooded back—the dungeon boss, claiming the core, the rush of mana surging out of her, and then… nothing.

Her heart skipped a beat. The core—where was the core?

Her gaze shot around, searching desperately for where it had fallen to. The pedestal, once gleaming and beautifully whole, lay in ruin—shattered marble sinking into the ground, buried under rubble. But off to the side, was what she had come here for, a spherical orb pressed up against rock.

Her eyes tightened. There it was—the dungeon core, still intact. A faint pulse of light flickered from its murky interior.

With staggering steps, she crept towards it, all the while avoiding the sharp, jagged edges of stone that were waiting for their opportunity to stab at her.

The core had stopped the dungeon quake—a phenomenon that Pell said was the result of either a damaged core, or one that had run out of mana.

Whatever the boss had done—whatever powerful spell was etched into the arena—had siphoned away the dungeon core’s last reserves of mana, leaving it completely spent. The tremors she had felt were likely a dungeon-wide quake, echoing through all the floors. The first quake she had ever experienced hadn’t brought nearly as much destruction, nor had it lasted for so long.

She finally approached the dungeon core. It lay in eerie stillness, unbroken, and unblemished, save for a fine layer of stone dust that clung to its surface. Glancing backward, she looked towards the entrance of the room and her body tightened. The grand ornate doors had collapsed entirely, leaving only a heap of rubble—a mountain of dirt and stone that completely blocked her way in, and her way out.

Her minions—Walnut, Dummy D., Stupidface, and Bonehead—were likely lost to her now. She had caught a fleeting glimpse of it earlier, a system notification that informed her Bonehead had ‘returned to the grave.’ At that moment, she had flicked it away, too focused on the glowing dungeon core to dwell on anything else. There had been more pings after that, surely notifying her of the demise of everyone else.

“Summons,” Enya rasped, her voice dry and creaky.

Spell: Summon Skeleton [D-]

Summons Active: 0/4

That confirmed it. Everyone was gone. Either taken down by the boss or, more likely, crushed beneath the weight of the rubble that now buried them.

“Status.”

Name: Enya Empyria

Health: 18/100

Mana: 4/30

Soul-Energy: 73

Level: 8/1

EXP: 106/244

Her face soured as she read the numbers. Both her level and experience remained unchanged, stagnant in the face of calamity. The boss still lived. Or perhaps, if it had perished under the rocks, it didn’t count. Even with her minions pinning it down, the damage they had managed to inflict amounted to little more than a minor fracture on its arm.

But the boss didn’t matter now. There was no way for it to reach her, not with hundreds—maybe even thousands—of kilograms of stone and dirt trapping her inside this dark tomb.

She turned her gaze back to the orb before her, and memories of Pell rushed back like a tide—his yelling, his playful insults, his moments of weakness, and his heartfelt apologies.

With a heavy heart, she crouched down, finally sitting on the cold ground to give her weary legs a moment’s respite. Her palm brushed against the smooth, cool surface of the core, and a small tingle shot through her—a fleeting sensation, reminiscent of the connection she shared with her minions.

The system menu flared to life in front of her, hovering gently in the air.

Sanctum: Tower of Sable

Claimed by: Enya Empyria

Current Status: Critically Damaged

Dungeon Coordinates: -1822, 2839, 742: 32PY

Dungeon Type: Undead

Mana Capacity: 19/4000

Layout: Maze

Floors: 6

Would you like to view Core Functions?

[Accept/Decline]

As she hovered over the shimmering text, a cascade of parameters and information danced before her, detailing the statistics of her newly claimed dungeon, or, she supposed, sanctum. Enya was now the proud owner of Sable’s ‘Tower of Sable’—a title that sounded quite peculiar in her mind. The critically damaged status of the dungeon was glaringly obvious, with devastation in every direction her gaze fell.

With a mental nudge, she tapped Accept.

[Repair Dungeon]

Restore the structural integrity of the dungeon, sealing cracks, mending walls, and rebuilding any destroyed structures.

[Restructure]

Modify the structures, material type, or layout of the dungeon.

[Manage Entities]

Create, remove, or oversee dungeon entities.

[Manage Access]

Modify access privileges for the dungeon.

There were four options to choose from, all relating to how the dungeon operated. Enya selected the first option, just to see what it would show.

[Repair Dungeon]

Dungeon Integrity: 25%

Floor 1: 40%

Floor 2: 34%

Floor 3: 28%

Floor 4: 26%

Floor 5: 19%

Floor 6: 8%

Estimated cost for full repair: 1632 mana

Estimated Time: 4 days, 3 hours, 22 minutes, 28 seconds

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Enya stared at the screen for a few moments, absorbing the stark values laid out before her. If a dungeon integrity of 0% signified complete destruction, then the Tower of Sable was teetering on the edge of annihilation. It appeared that the closer the floors were to the core, the more damage they had suffered, and her current floor was already down to a precarious 8%.

With a swift motion, she swiped back to the previous screen and selected ‘Manage Entities.’

[Overview]

Check all entities currently in the dungeon.

[Create entities]

Create and view entities from current registered creature list

[Remove Entities]

Remove all entities or specific entities from a floor

The monster—the boss that she had just fought, was called a skeletal noble knight. It did resemble how the books described knights: imposing, armor cladded, and radiating intimidation and power. It was nothing like the regular skeletons in the halls that carried dull or broken blades. That monster was overwhelmingly strong, even when it was a five on one fight.

Enya tapped the remove entity option, curious as to if she could do something specific that just crossed her mind.

Please select a floor to edit.

[Floor 1]

[Floor 2]

[Floor 3]

[Floor 4]

[Floor 5]

[Floor 6]

She continued on, choosing the sixth floor.

[Current Entities]

Skeletal Noble Knight x 1

Remove and store [Skeletal Noble Knight x 1]?

[Accept/Decline]

Enya gazed at the new screen, a mixture of surprise and skepticism dancing across her face. After enduring such a fierce battle and witnessing the fall of all her minions, now she could simply erase the boss with a mere thought?

With a decisive mental nod, she accepted the prompt.

[Skeletal Noble Knight x 1] Has been removed from the dungeon and stored back into the registered creature list.

And just like that, the formidable boss was dealt with—all in under ten seconds.

Turning back to the previous screen, Enya selected Create Entity. This option would also allow her to view the registered creature list, and if there was anywhere Pell’s soul might be revealed, it would surely be here.

Please select one from the [Registered Creature List]:

Zombie Rabbit x 14

Flaming Skulls x 26

Corrupted Flesh Walker x 37

Spectre Wisps x 8

Humanoid Zombie x 57

Humanoid Skeleton x 75

Young Bone Wolf x 7

Soul Slime x 6

Noble Skeletal Knight x 1

[Bound Souls]

Soul of Tim x 1

Soul of Kidirge x 1

Soul of Pell x 1

There it was, shining like a beacon at the very bottom of the list—Pell’s name, nestled under Bound Souls. Alongside him were other names: skeletons, flaming skulls, and the imposing noble skeletal knight. Enya also spotted other curious creatures, like young bone wolves and something dubbed a Soul Slime. ‘Tim,’ and ‘Kidirge,’ seemed like names, and Enya could only assume they were people like Pell, whose souls were trapped within the dungeon core.

She mentally tapped on Pell’s name.

Select what you would like to do with [Soul of Pell x 1]:

[Create Entity]

[Release Entity]

[Transfer Soul]

[Absorb Soul]

‘Release Entity,’ or ‘Transfer Soul’ seemed like the correct options to choose, if she wanted to bring back Pell. Release entity seemed very… final. Instead, Enya chose ‘transfer soul.’

Please prepare a host body for the transfer of [Soul of Pell x 1]

That didn’t seem quite right. Earlier, when she attempted to use the summon skeleton spell on Pell’s body, the system had informed her that his soul remained under the dungeon's control. This meant his soul was still somehow tethered to his body—more specifically, to the skull she held in her hands. She didn’t want to transfer his soul to another skeleton; she needed to repair his current one.

With a sigh of resolution, she navigated back and selected ‘Release Entity.’

[Soul of Pell x 1]

This entity will be released from the dungeon’s [Registered Creature List] and be restored back to its original host if available.

[Accept/Decline]

Her heart raced as her eyes widened. This was it! The dungeon core was granting her the chance to move Pell’s soul! She could finally bring him back!

Without a moment's hesitation, she dropped to her knees and yanked off her backpack. The once-sturdy leather bag was now a tattered mess, soaked with red and blue liquids, and littered with shards of glass. Thankfully, Pell’s skull remained safely tucked away in the large compartment, separated from the debris.

As she pulled it out, her fingers tightened around the fragile object, and her gaze fell upon the now fractured and broken skull. The previous split that had run diagonally from his eye to cheek was no longer a mere line but a jagged edge. The skull had shattered into two distinct pieces, with other fragments scattered at the bottom of her backpack.

Only one challenge remained—the restoration of Pell’s body. Somehow, his skull still clung to his soul, which remained inexplicably tethered to the dungeon. This meant that if she released his soul now, Pell would return to his… shattered skull.

From what she had learned about skeletons during her time in the dungeon, she knew this would be a death sentence for Pell. If he returned to a broken skull, he would instantly perish. However, if it was merely detached from his body, he might have a chance. She recalled the moment when Pell had managed to communicate for a few fleeting seconds, even after his skull was sent flying by the demon rat's vicious attack.

However, she remembered another skeleton she had defeated—one that she had felled by severing its spinal cord and decapitating it. That had led to its instant demise. Enya found herself caught in a dilemma; either Pell would perish as just a skull, or perhaps he could survive without a body.

Her fingers curled tightly around the edges of Pell’s skull as she wrestled with her two daunting choices. There was truly nothing else she could do. She couldn’t mend Pell’s entire body with her summon skeleton spell since it remained bound to the dungeon. If she chose to release his soul, he would undoubtedly die instantly, considering his skull was in fragments.

Then, a glimmer of hope sparked in her mind—the Gravemoss Poultice!

Enya quickly delved into the deeper compartment of her backpack and retrieved the damp, purple moss. Though it was now slick with the remnants of mana and health potions, she hoped it wouldn’t hinder its effectiveness.

Kneeling on the ground, she placed Pell’s skull before her, using her knees as a brace to keep it steady. She then picked up two smaller shards of his skull, still substantial enough to help reassemble the skull’s overall shape. Carefully, she maneuvered the pieces into place, sliding them along the edges until they fit snugly.

Once the shape appeared mostly correct, she took her free hand and smeared the outer part of the skull with the Gravemoss Poultice, spreading it evenly. As she worked, she felt the mana and her own soul energy from within the moss. The moss began to flow and spread like a curious little creature, completely enveloping the skull and slipping into the cracked holes and hollow eye sockets.

After a minute, Enya’s mesmerized eyes narrowed as she watched the tiny cracks in Pell’s skull begin to vanish. The areas where holes had existed slowly closed up, the bone expanding and knitting back together until it formed a whole piece once more.

In the span of two short minutes, the moss completely dissipated, and the skull regained its pristine shape, as if it had never suffered any damage at all. Enya let out a long, relieved breath, turning the skull over in her hands to inspect it from every angle.

With renewed hope swelling in her chest, she tapped the dungeon core again.

[Soul of Pell x 1]

This entity will be released from the dungeon’s [Registered Creature List] and be restored back to its original host if available.

[Accept/Decline]

“Accept,” she said, a wave of determination washing over her. If this didn’t work, then nothing would. Worst-case scenario, Pell’s soul would simply be drawn back into the dungeon core. No, actually, that wasn’t the worst-case scenario. The worst would be if his soul shattered and vanished instantly, leaving no trace behind for the core to bind it again.

Her body tensed as she watched the dungeon core briefly shine, activating its functions at her command. Subtly, the skull nestled between her knees began to tremble. Her eyes flickered with a bright yellow as her mind locked onto the skull, a white mist swirling into existence around its surface before slowly being drawn into the darkness within.

Enya’s fingers tightened around the skull, gripping it so hard that they began to ache.

Sparks. Two tiny sparks.

They grew larger, radiating a beautiful, nostalgic purple. From mere orbs of light, they transformed into large purple flames that danced with the longing she had yearned for so long. The flames steadied, the rumbling around her ceased, yet her grip only tightened further.

“P-Pell…?” Enya choked out, her voice raspy and so soft that even she could barely hear it.

The skull shook for a moment, its jaw opening as it pressed against the ground, slightly lifting the base upward.

“Brat? What the hell is going on—”

Pell’s words were abruptly cut off as Enya bent down, wrapping her arms around his skull. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed with a fierce loudness that matched the earlier tremors of the dungeon. Her entire body shook, a mix of fear and relief flooding her as she realized the spell hadn’t failed.

Muffled by his own jaw, Pell struggled to voice his discomfort. “Hhhey!! Leht gho off—”

“Don’t leave me… don’t leave me…” Enya pleaded through her sobs, each word woven with the raw fibers of pain, regret, and sorrow. She pressed her forehead against the ground, her body surrendering to the moment as she fought to keep Pell close.

Pell wanted to protest again, utterly bewildered by the chaotic emotions swirling around him. But deep down, he sensed that now wasn’t the time for questions. He relented, allowing the weeping girl to clutch his skull tightly, and he waited. He waited patiently, until her tears finally began to subside.