(Matt's pov)
Matt watched through the shadows, fearfully watching through the shadows of his mind's eye as the Adventurer party got closer and closer to his core, defeating monster after monster, fear filling him as they did so.“Tam?”The one whom Matt had heard the rest of his fellows referred to as Jaret, or just simply Jar, said.
“Yes, boss?” The blue-eyed, dark orange/green-skinned woman, whose gigantic frame and tusk's
very much reminded Matt mutch of the fictional accounts of Orcs, face seemingly flusteried for some unforeseen reason, unknown to matt.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jaret asked, asking the same question for the thousandth time over.
“Yes, boss,” Tam said tightening her grip faced upon the gigantic battle axe that had destroyed so many of his creations, her face directed forwards towards the 7 or so small army of bug’s, that was made up of mega spider, ants and one extremely irritated snake, all that was left of the 100 or so odd bugs that he had created, all that remained of his small yet ever so lovely army of bugs, intent on using the reset stone to reset herself., ‘I’m sure screwed….’
“Ok, Abb’s if you would be so kind,” Jaret said, face forward, looking left to right, sword and shield in hand, a blue light surrounding him as he did so.
“Sure boss,” The almost exotic, red-haired, pointy-eared wand welding woman said, her voice coming out soft yet clear, straight out from her what seemed to be red lipstick-filled lips. Suddenly waving her hands forward and a wave of fire was emanating from the woman's hands. Scorching hot. Hitting the meagre army of Bugs that he had remaining. Killing them in two seconds flat.
‘Wow, Bob was right, I really had no chance against them’ Matt thought sacred out of his mind as the four-man team and one scary giant of a girl walked forwards, stomping through the last corridor of his dungeon, with every stomp pushing more and more fear into his heart as she did so.
“You don’t have to do this Tam” Jaret said walking straight besides the big half part green/part red-skinned gigantic sized woman who had destroyed, killed, and beaten bloody so many of his creations, the golden decked out paladin like person having been at her hip ever since she’d first revealed her intentions to the rest of the group.
“Yes I do” The horned woman said taking out the tiny little stone that to matt like his core, her voice seemingly as high pitched as could be with a slight grit matt hadn’t heard before echoing out from her teeth, seemingly gritting her death, preparing herself ready for what was to come.
“Ok I at least I can say I tried, I won’t stop you” Jaret the dark-haired man said, indicating his hand at Matt’s core which now stood only feet away from them.
“Thankyou” Tam said, softly bowing her head to Jaret and before her companions could say another word Tam went to step forward, stepping forwards and heading directly towards Matt's new body, overwhelming fear and panic filling him as she did so, his imagination rearing its head, filling his mind with images of all that she could do to his core if she wanted to do him harm.
‘Welp nothing I can do about it ' Matt thought, filled with defeat, Tam quickly reaching him, Matt anxiously watching as the gigantic Titanic woman-like hands reached forward, heading out on a direct path towards his core, the peble-like stone on her palms. A notification suddenly appearing as her hands finally made contact with his core.
Berserker tameraanoraflasmore the third would like gift you 200000000000000000 energy do you accept:
Y/N
‘Hell yes I would,' Matt thought mentally clicking on the Y button on the notification that had just appeared the very next moment. Purple mist coming out from the huge barbarian-like woman, who Matt now knew to something be called a Berserker, exiting itself outwards from her body and into his core,waves after waves of energy sudenly hitting him all at once pressing downwards into him him, pain, not pleasure quickly filling him as it did so.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...” Matt screamed as pain, burning pain suddenly enveloped him as the energy hit his core.
Pain.Burning.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...”
Pain. Burning.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...”
Pain.burning.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...”
Pain Burning.Screaming.For a while, that was all Matt knew. Pain.Burning. Matt growing hotter and hotter in ways that he couldn't even begin to describe as the energy continued flowing through him. Like a tornado that would not end, the wildfire that was Tam's energy seemingly intent on not stopping till it had consumed him whole. But then.
The voice came…....
“Master……..A faint whisper whispered. Master……..Master……..” The voice whispered. growing louder and louder in it’s intensity till finally growing so loud, reaching such a pitch, that he could help but hear it, distracting him, granting him some slight retrieve. Allowing him to focus on something other than the burning overwhelming him that he even now felt,
. “Master………..!” It shouted turning from a slight pitch to a small thump. “Master……..!”“Master……..!”“Master……..!”“MASTER!………………..” It shouted changing its tune ever so slightly..“MASTERLl…………………………………………...” Growing louder and louder.“MASTER…...” Till finally, he heard it in full. “MASTER YOU NEED TO LEVEL BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE...!”.The voice shouted. Shouting. Becoming the loudest it had ever been. Forcing Matt to recognise it for what it was. The voice of Bob.
“.................” Matt said, unable to say or do anything, it took all that he had to keep the pain at bay.
“Master” I know you're hurting. I know you're tired. I know the pain is most properly overwhelming. But You have to focus now. Fight.Otherwise, you’ll most likely die.Fight Master! Fight!.``
‘He’s right.’ Some small part of Matt’s subconscious whispers.’We have to fight’ And so unsure of what he was doing. Yet knowing he had to do something Matt let his instincts fly, letting his instincts, the natural dungeon instinct that he had as a dungeon core, take over. Pushing all of his senses, all of his mind, of all his soul inwards. Using all of his concentration and effort that he had left to push his senses outwards into the very structure of his core itself. Matt for the time ever seeing the universe for what it truely was. Bonds colorless-sized bits appearing out before him.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
And so. Seing. For the time ever seeing. Truly seeing his core for what it truly was. Millions upon millions of molecules made shape. Matt began to push. Drawing upon the energy that was even assaulting him to push against the tiny mixture cracks that connected the coluless bits together. Drawing the energy to places where the molecules collide against each other. Cracks spring as they do so.
Pushing. Pushing. Compressing the energy into the cracks. Ignoring the pain that followed.It being nothing compared to the pain that he was even fighting against. Spreading the energy. Filling in the cracks as they came. That was all he knew.
Pushing.Pushing.Compressing. Pushing.
Pushing.Pushing.Pushing.Pushing.PushingPushing.Pushing.Pushing.Pushing………………………………..And on and on it went. A endless cycle that knew no end.
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Abb's Pov:
Race: (Cardinal)Dungeon core
Rank: Cardinal/unique
Level:1
Specialization:N/A
Archetype: Bugs
‘A cardinal dungeon, What……How……’ she thought amazed by what she was seeing. Having never thought to see such a sight even in all her many lifetimes.
“Wo,” Ash’s voice said. The dark caped masked merman appeared out from nowhere. Matching her amazement word for word. “A cardinal dungeon….”
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Jaret's Pov:
“Wo,” Ash’s voice said. The dark-caped masked merman Arose out from nowhere. “A cardinal dungeon.....”
‘What’“What!”Jaret said dumbstruck by Ash's words, and so knowing that he to see this for himself Jaret began to pray. ‘, Oh great lady of truth, mercy, fire, blood and justice. I call upon thou. Gift me with your sight and reveal what is hidden. Jaret preyed to the great Lady, denoting 10 energy points to her most glorious Majesties and focusing on the grey-blue core as he did so, Smiling as a sudden notification window appeared in front of him.
Race: (Cardinal)Dungeon core
Rank: Cardinal/unique
Level:1
Specialization:N/A
Archetype: Bugs
‘Wow….’ “Wow…” Jaret sighed amazed, dazzled by the sheer impossibility of this sight before him.
“How is this possible?” Tam said, slumping to the floor. A level 0 Bar somenly hanging over her head marking over her head. Having finally finished her transformation. Slumping to the floor before them having obviously overheard what they had been discussing.
“I don’t know,” Jaret said. “What I do know is that this is more than enough for the guild to declare me a Guildmaster’ He thought staring upon the core that made him a star, so enamored by these facts that he accidentally let the words loose and spoke his thoughts out loud.
(Tam)“What.......” (Ash) “Your......” (Abb’s)“Guildmaster......” They all stared
“Oh didn’t I mention'' ‘May as well tell them now’ Jaret gulped, shouting his news to the world. “I’m gonna be a Guildmaster! Isn’t that amazing?”
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‘Finally’ Matt sighed. The last of the pain.Last of the energy. Last of the nursing. All leaving. All at once. Full consciousness finally returned to him as it did so. Mentally looking around himself only to find. a bunch of notifications awaiting his attention.
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 4,
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 5, you now have access to new skills, abilities and schematics
Congratulations you have unlocked the ability dungeon seed
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 6
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 7
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 8
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 9
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 10, you now have access to new skills, abilities and schematics
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 11
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 12
Congratulations you have levelled up you are now level.....
And on and on it went. The notifications continuously piling up with no end seemingly in sight. ‘Hmm I wonder what those adventures are doing….’, Matt thought, shifting his Mind's eye to them, intent on looking at something other than these Damn blue screens for a bit.
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Jaret's Pov:
“Wow, Guildmaster huh?” Ash said, a smile on his face as they continued to climb out from the gigantic hole that was the dungeon. “Does that mean we’re getting a raise”
‘A rase, ha-ha’ “Hmm, no, no, sorry Ash no rase for you”, Jaret said, eyes front, inwardly laughing at Jaret's words moving his hand upwards, carefully holding onto the two rock faces that were the only keeping him up as he did so.
“It’s ok just messing with you,” Ash said with a grin growing larger as he moved his foot upwards, 3 feet across from where Jaret’s hand now lay.
“Ugh, I still don’t get why we do this,” Alan said carefully keeping hold of the rope harness that was attached to a similar one on tam and Jaret who was using his master rank strength to keep them both steady and ready to pull them up, preventing them from falling to there death from the long fall that would now surly kill Tam now that she was mortal levels again. “Why can’t we just teleport out?”
“Because...” Jaret said, “...as I said before young masterling”, phasing out the young masterling words as a spite as far as they could possibly go. “Abbshacin” He said wincing from the glance that Abb’s gave for using her full name in public. Something she very much hated with a passion. Fully knowing that given, her personality, that give the chance she would properly get back at him. As, Guildmaster or not Abb’s always got her revenge. “Does Not have the EP right now to waste on your petty demands.”.
“But….”The boy said the sounds of whining emerging out of his voice.
“But, but” Jaret said shuhing him. “But nothing, now do as I say and we’ll out of here in no time”
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Congratulations you have levelled up you are now level 19
Congratulations you have leveled up you are now level 20, you now have access to new skills, abilities and schematics
Congratulations for achieving 10 levels in one go you have earned the title high climber. No longer shall you fear from such heights. No, you brave them instead.
‘Finally’ Matt thought watching the adventuring party finally reach up to the end of what made up his domain, the damn blue notification screen having ultimately come to an end as they did so.
“Well, Bob that was quite the adventure” Matt chuckled inwards slightly at the words adventure.
“Yes master, I would say so,” Bob said. “I would say so indeed”
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Jaret's Pov:
‘All mine’ Jaret thought, looking over what would soon be his new domain filled with so many emotions, pride, happiness, bitterness, and more that he could not even begin to describe.
The...Flowers, trees, rocks. The very valley itself.All of it. Soon it would all be his.
‘I’m amazed that I even got this far’ He thought, looking over his new domain, watching over the rest of the party as they set up camp for the night. Thinking of the path that had led him here. ‘I mean, Marko, the war, joining the guild, getting this assignment even, it was all down to chance, no not chance’ He realised. Divine intervention.
'Thank you great lady fate, you may not be my lady, but thank you, thank you for pushing me down this path, wherever it may lead now I do not know but know I will never regret what you have gifted me with. So thank you. Thank you very much.'.
“Jaret!….” Jaret heard Tam shout, helping as she was with whatever meagre task her now meagre mortal body could help with. “...We’re done!... You coming in or what?”
“Yeah! Ok!....” he shouted back, too tired with the freezing temperatures to argue. Walking as fast as he could in the direction of the newly raised tent glancing back into the distant cavern hill where the newly formed dungeon entrance now lay. Giving it one last look before turning away, intent on snuggling into the warm bed that hopefully awaited him.