After realizing that the spawning option only provided a static and uneventful display of a rice-sized dot on the map, I soon grew bored. I decided to change the spawn behavior, switching it from "Guard" to "Patrol." The moment I made the switch, the dot representing my Spectral Reaver started moving back and forth within the dungeon. It might have been a small thing, but it filled me with an unusual sense of pride and accomplishment.
Oddly enough, as I observed the dot gently traversing the map, it felt like a delicate caress passing through me. In that moment, I not only perceived its subtle motion but also sensed a specific weight—a sensation I associated with my Mana Available (M.A.)—steadily increasing.
This curious experience, coupled with the sight of the dot symbolizing a living creature, solidified a singular belief within me. It became undeniably clear that I had transitioned from being an individual entity into a dungeon capable of harboring entities similar to the very creature I had just spawned.
"This may not be much, but it's not bad at all," I thought to myself.
At that moment, I wished I could have a visual representation of what the dungeon and the Spectral Reaver looked like. While I could somewhat imagine it based on my knowledge of the Spectral Reaver's appearance and the layout of my domain—which I had a clear, if not absolutely perfect, visualization of—it wasn't the same as having a real visual perspective. At the very least, it wasn’t quite the same.
As my thoughts gravitated around that idea, an idea sprouted in my mind—or to be exact, I recalled the existence of an interface that could help me with that. But before I could scroll back to that particular interface, a screen appeared before me—a notification.
"Huh?"
_____________________________
[ Dungeon Core Interface ]
System Notification:
Congratulations, 「???」. A cycle has run its course.
Harvest Successful.
+7.7 G.P earned.
_____________________________
“Huh?”
For a while, I wondered what a cycle meant. Why was it so generously rewarding me G.P.? I had expected acquiring G.P. to be a more… tedious task. But as I listened to myself—and particularly once I realized that I didn’t know enough to explain what a cycle was—I understood that I had been complaining about being handed free G.P. So I stopped bitching and thanked the goddess for this glorious blessing.
***
Maybe it was my hoarding nature that got the better of me, or perhaps it was simply my tendency to organize things the way I thought they should be, but seeing that single dot alone on the map, like a lone chess piece on a vast chessboard, I couldn't help myself. Especially when I got that additional G.P falling on my lap. I ended up acquiring more Spectral Reavers.
Four of them to be exact.
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[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawnable Entities
Spawns
Spectral Reaver Level 1 [En Guarde: Change Behavior
Spectral Reaver Level 1 [En Guarde: Change Behavior
Spectral Reaver Level 1 [Patrolling: Change Behavior
Spectral Reaver Level 1 [Patrolling: Change Behavior
Spectral Reaver Level 02 [Ready to Spawn: Change Behavior
_____________________________
With the acquisition of these four additional spectral reavers, I decided to distribute them across the dungeon in various “key” locations. Two would remain close to what I could only assume to be the entrance, acting as guardians to deter intruders; I didn't have one thus far yet, but from the look of all this, I'm clearly expected, as a dungeon core, to prepare a "warm" welcome to anyone entering these grounds. That much, I didn't even need to be shown or told.
Anyway, another spectral reaver would patrol simultaneously, along with another, the corridor passage of the dungeon that I was in, keeping a tight and simultaneous watch. The third would also be on guarde hide, conserving its energy and resources until summoned as a surprise for potential threats, serving as a sort of ambush unit. And the fourth would take up a position in the deepest part of the domain.
Stolen story; please report.
With now five spawns under my shallow control, the map suddenly became more lively. The rice-sized dots multiplied, and now they moved in an intricate dance across the dungeon. It was a satisfying sight, watching them patrol and guard different areas.
As I observed their movements, a thought crossed my mind: "What if I could customize them further?"
“Cool, cool. But how exactly do I do that?”
Sure, the system and its interface, in their entirety, gave me a sense of authority, as if I were the boss. However, at this moment, my control over my creations is rather limited, merely involving their assignment to a specific pattern of actions and observing the aforementioned patterned actions. While this does align with the typical responsibilities of a boss, I believe there should be more depth and engagement available, or at the very least I would want it to. The current experience feels akin to playing a game of chess, albeit a solitary one. While it is intriguing to watch my creations act autonomously, there is a sense of something missing in the overall experience.
***
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Name: ???
Entity: Dungeon Core
Designation: Dungeon Master
Status: Idle
[ Ressource ]
- Raw Manacyte Cluster (R.M.C): 2▲ / 2▲
- Mana Available (M.A): 923▲ / 988.1▲
- Godhood Potential (G.P) Earned: 86.9 GP
_____________________________
The passage of time in this new existence of mine was strange—very strange, to say the least. I couldn't put a finger on how much of it had gone by. My sense of time felt so warped, and I could only blame two things for it. It could either be my condition as a Dungeon Core, which was most likely the case, or it was something unique to this world.
Anyway, in the middle of this warped sense of time, the only thing I could rely on to pinpoint how much had passed was my increasing Mana Available (M.A.). As unreliable—to not straight-up say inaccurate—as that steady increase was, it was still my only measure. Because yes, yes, yes! There were times when it would suddenly spike, and always when I looked away.
I once looked away for what felt like a couple of dozen minutes—not even an hour—only to see my M.A. jump from 434 to 647.4, then to 900+. In a sense of progression, it was a very positive thing, and I wasn’t complaining. The problem was that for something I was using like an hourglass, these erratic jumps made me feel like someone was messing with my only available means of tracking time.
It was annoying at times, but it was what it was.
Anyway, all that to say that 665 M.A. after my coming to consciousness—since I don’t think I’ve been birthed—the stat known as Raw Manacyte Cluster (R.M.C.) had increased from 1 to 2, which brought about quite the change.
Yes, if I went to the Dungeon Visualization section of the interface, I would see two things—well, one actually, but I had two ways of looking at it. If I opened the interface without choosing the Holographic 3D visual, I would see an icon—a manifestation, I assumed, of the additional R.M.C. I had acquired. But when I activated the Holographic 3D visual, I didn’t see an icon. Instead, I saw a 3D visual of what the icon represented—a crystal cluster.
Yes, one.
Why not two, since R.M.C. mentioned 2? Well, my supposition—yes, another supposition (I only live off those recently)—was that the second R.M.C. was still forming and would only manifest once fully formed. That would likely happen when my R.M.C. reached 3, which I guessed would take at least another 988 M.A. to acquire.
So I better hold on tight to what’s currently available to me. Which is why I moved two of my guardian spawns to guard my sole Manacyte Cluster—because it was clearly something worth protecting. If I had to guess—no, if I were 100% certain—this cluster was where Mana Available was stored, which meant it was also where my spawns were drawing their energy from.
So yes, pretty much all my stats—Raw Manacyte Cluster, Mana Available, and Godhood Potential (G.P.)—were on the rise. I had no idea how, but hey, you wouldn’t catch me complaining. That didn’t mean I planned to be complacent either, especially when it came to acquiring this particular stat—Godhood Potential.
It was a resource I felt a strong connection to, yet I had yet to witness it grow through any active action of my own. This made me wonder if I was missing something—if there were actions I needed to take to increase it.
I had already invested a considerable portion of my Godhood Potential into the creation and customization of my Spectral Reavers—an investment I did not regret. Not that I thought I ever would. I was many things, but I definitely wasn’t the type to regret things I had done.
Okay, I admit—when you’re being roasted alive by searing flames, it’s difficult not to feel regret. But otherwise, I’m a pretty unapologetic guy. Lamenting the choices I'd made wouldn't get me anywhere.
If I were to stumble upon a situation where I felt regret over that investment, the logical thing would be to focus my energy on fixing it to the best of my ability rather than wasting time on something as trivial as regret.
In fact, I should do that right now. That’s all there is to do—it’s not like time is an issue at the moment.
***
Left without a reliable means to tell how much time had passed, I found myself adrift in an existence where my sole anchor—Mana Available (M.A.)—flowed unpredictably. Moments slipped away unnoticed, and every time I turned my attention elsewhere, then came back I would always be surprised to see how much my M.A. and Raw Manacyte Cluster (R.M.C.) had increased. It was always in one such instance when I was looking away, that something inevitably pulled my attention back to my stats.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
Ressource
- Raw Manacyte Cluster (R.M.C): 3▲ / 3▲
- Mana Available (M.A): 1002▲ / 1967.1▲
- Godhood Potential (G.P) Earned: 107.6
_____________________________
My ressources had increased yet again, with my R.M.C. reaching three and my M.A. nearing the 2000+ threshold. And I’m sure they would have continued climbing some more unnoticed, had it not been for the notification that interrupted my scrolling through the seemingly endless monster catalog. No, it was not another notifying me of the completion of another cycle—whatever that means—but another notification, one very different from the one I’ve ever had this far.
_____________________________
[ ???'s Interface ]
System Notification:
[ ??? Dungeon Domain invaded by Verdenkind, Barbarian, Level 3 ]
[ ??? Dungeon Domain invaded by Verdenkind, Knight, Level 2 ]
『Expand』
_____________________________
