I wake up to a feeling of something tapping me. Without even extending my senses I’m pretty sure who it is.

“Lilly, why does it hurt so much every time the system transports me?”

“It is so naughty young cores will eat their vegetables.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“Just a joke that I guess is lost on you. If you think transporting your core is painful you really don’t want to get killed. The cores I’ve talked to seem to think that the pain of transportation is a comfortable backrub compared to death. That’s why every time a Dungeon Core gets reborn it does everything with the goal of surviving longer than before. It’s also why some of them just decide to die. They felt they built the perfect dungeon and still got killed so they just don’t want to suffer any more pain.”

“That’s depressing. Something so painful you rather wish to die permanently.”

“Well us non-cores only have one chance at life unless you somehow get lucky and a god intervenes to give your soul another shot at life. But hoping for that is like hoping to find a specific corn of sand in the desert. Anyway, little pebble. Good job on finishing the basic structures of your very first floor. I flew around a bit while you were moving to look at it with my own eyes. Maps never tell you about the feel of the place you know. Give it some more decorations, some doors maybe, a few traps some monsters and maybe a little light so you can actually see anything and it’s almost ready for adventures to come explore.”

“It sounds like you’re saying I still have a lot to do. Also, what do you mean ‘so you can actually see’?”

“You certainly do have a lot left to do and not everyone can see inside your dungeon as you. You need light to see anywhere. You can see everything fine without light since essentially this dungeon is your body. Anyone else however will still need some source of light to see passed the first room.”

“That’s so strange.”

“Maybe for you, it’s normal for everyone else. Now check your status screen. Maybe you’ll figure out what we’ll do next.”

“Really? Open Status.”

Name Unknown Age 23 hours Race Dungeon Core Health 1 health Mana 610 mana Combat races Fairies Number of Tier 1 creatures 0 Size 1 floor Fame Unknown - Newborn dungeon undiscoevered by any sentient race.

My mana has certainly increased a lot. To think I started out at just 90 mana and now I have over 600. I do some quick math and it does seem to check out. Every room gives me 25 mana capacity and all the hallways give me 10 each. I’m a little sad my two hallways that diverge only counts as a single hallway but I can’t really complain. I’m sure no other core has ever done that so the system probably doesn’t know that it should really count as two.

However, all my mana isn’t really a hint of what Lilly and I is going to do next. I look over it again and then I spot it.

“I’m almost a day old. That’s the hint, right? I’m about to get my first upgrade according to what you’ve told me. Also, did I spend so much time building? I swear it took a lot less time.”

“Very good pebble. That’s what we’re doing next. Now we just sit around and wait. Should I tell you a few more names while we wait?”

“Please no. I mean, I rather spend the time looking over my first floor. If it’s as you say, my body, I should get to know it better.”

I shift my attention away from my new Core room to the entrance. Hopefully Lilly won’t mind me fleeing her. I’ve spent so long just listening to her telling me what to do and then doing the things she told me to I’ve never had time to be alone. I know she’s still mind-linked and can hear my thought but I want to pretend for just a little while.

I decide to pretend to be an intruder entering me for the very first time. “What’s this cave? It looks so scary.” I move into the first room. “Gasp, the path. It splits in two. Wherever will I go? It’s so hard to pick.” I go to my right and advance down the hallway until I reach the next room. “I see two more hallways. What mastermind designed this place. I’m afraid if I go any further in, I’ll get lost.” My imaginary explorer decides to pick the right path again. The hallway this time takes a very sharp turn left after a bit. “Oh no, what if a monster is just around the corner? I can’t see. I’m so very scared.”

I spend a few more minutes getting pretend lost in my dungeon before a blue box pops up. Before looking at it I know Lilly will start tapping me again so I abandon my little game and return my attention to the Core room where Lilly is waiting without having read the box.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I’m back, I’m back.”

“Hope you had fun playing. Now hurry up and see if me spending hours telling you names worked or not.”

I take a moment to collect my thoughts. I’m not sure what I want. Either the option shows up and I’ll have to do what Lilly says or she’ll be angry with me or it doesn’t show up and I have to listen to her telling me names for days. She said it could take almost seven days for some cores to get a second upgrade. Never mind, I really hope the option shows up. I can’t stand listening to names for so long.

Congratulations!

You've survived your first full day as a Dungeon Core in the wild. As a reward you have been given a chance to upgrade your dungeon as you wish from a list of options. Keep in mind that after today the system will only notify you when you've gained a 'upgrade point'. To apply it you will need to go to the 'Dungeon upgrades' in the main menu.

May this be the first of many days to come.

Possible upgrades Description Mana upgrade (1) Gain 100 additional mana to your mana pool. Health upgrade (1) Gain 20 heath to your Core. Mana regeneration (1) Gain 5 mana/hour regeneration. Additional floor (1) Grow by expanding down to another floor. Fairies (Tier 2) Unlock stronger Fairies to fight and guard you. More combat races (1) Unlock one more race to fight and guard you. Loot Create and set loot to drop when your creatures are killed. Trap upgrade (1) Gain access to more complex traps. Treasure Gain ability to create chests with loot for those lucky enough to find them. Locked doors Gain ability to place locked doors in your dungeon. Note that key must always be accessible before the door. Cheaper summoning (1) Summon combat creatures for 1 mana/summon less. More critters Bring life to your dungeon by unlocking ability to summon more critters. More plants Bring life to your dungeon by unlocking ability to summon more plants. Fairies named when summoned Thanks to your extensive knowledge of fairy names, gain ability to summon named fairies. Note that this does not increase the battle power of your summoned creatures. Donation altar Some adventurers gives an offering to the dungeon before they enter. With the altar at your entrance they can now give donations to you and you can absorb the items right away.

This is a long list and there’s so many good things to pick from. I can even get more health. I haven’t told anyone this but having just a single point of health is something I’m a little concerned with. There’s also the floor option. I’m guessing this is how I will grow from now on. I wonder if I could get away with picking it right now? I keep going down the list and seeing more things I want. Higher tier fairies, that sweet, sweet promise of more races to summon. There are even useless things here. More critters and plants? Pass please. Treasure? Why, just why? That does nothing for me.

My heart or whatever I have instead of a hearth drop however when I reach the end of the list. I got what Lilly wanted. I curse you, system! Why lure me with so much good stuff and then give the naming option at the end? That’s mean. Mean I say! I already hear Lilly laughing.

“Hahaha! We did it. This is excellent. Quick little pebble, pick the naming option. Hurry, hurry.”

“Are you sure? Can't we pick something else? Maybe another combat race?”

“Hush little one. I’ve already been here a day. I can’t guard you forever and don’t you want to start summoning your own guards?”

She does make a good point. I’ll finally be allowed to summon creatures to guard me. I would feel a lot safer that way. I can always get more upgrade points later. Let’s get that horrible upgrade for now.

Upgrade gained: Fairies named when summoned.

As a reward for selecting your very first upgrade you will recieve an additional upgrade from the same upgrade tree.

Revive named creature.

Upgrade gained: You can now re-summon named combat creatures after they die for a slightly higher mana cost. They will retain the memories and skills they had before death.

I read through everything and almost begin to cry. If these messages mean what I think they mean Lilly just tricked me in a horrible, horrible way.

“Lilly! Why did you make me select that awful upgrade!?”

“What do you mean? This is even more perfect then I could’ve wish for.”

“What do I mean!? I could’ve gained not one but two more combat races. I could even have gained the ability to summon Tier 3 fairies. I could’ve gained access to two more floors. Instead I got two useless upgrades.”

“Useless? Oh, the ignorant are truly lost without elders to guide them. Your useless upgrades will serve you far better in the future than anything else on that list. Why don’t you try summoning your first guardian and I’ll explain to you why you’re wrong?”

I’m still angry but the chance to finally summon my first creature is too attractive to hold off. I open the Life section from the main menu and see the ‘Summon’ button calling out to me. I even spot a ‘Revive creature’ option. Now I’m getting slightly mad again. Stupid option, I never wanted you!

“Summon one ‘Young Fairy’”

A small trickle of mana leaves me and slowly takes shape before my core. It takes a moment before I can finally see the result of my first summoning. I see before me a smaller version of Lilly. I really hope this one doesn’t lecture me as much. I focus on it and text appear above her head. I guess that’s the name. I read it and... never mind. I love this upgrade!

I’m the best core ever for picking it all my own.