The labyrinthine depths of dungeons, those enigmatic scars upon the world's surface, hold secrets as dense and inscrutable as the rock from which they are hewn. Beyond the growling beasts and treacherous traps, a far more perplexing enigma lingers: the capricious nature of their rewards. How do these subterranean realms, devoid of visible artisans or forges, conjure forth treasures and trinkets, dispensing them with an apparent, if unsettling, discernment?

  The prevailing theory, a whisper carried on the wind of countless expeditions, suggests that dungeons possess an uncanny capacity for assimilation. They are not merely hollow spaces, but living entities, absorbing and processing the essence of whatever falls within their grasp. Knowledge, experience, and even the intangible echoes of emotion become woven into their very fabric, shaping their future manifestations.

  Consider the tale of Cair Orn, once known as the Swordsmith, a dungeon whose depths echoed with the clang of phantom steel. For decades, it yielded only weapons, each forged from an unseen hand, a testament to martial prowess. Then, a fateful encounter transformed its nature forever.

  Eric Tibur, the fiery Crown Prince of Elda, sought to prove his mettle within its shadowy confines. His ambitions, however, were momentarily derailed when his coin pouch, a cherished gift from a loyal friend, slipped from his grasp and vanished into the dungeon's maw. The prince, consumed by a tempest of rage, unleashed a torrent of threats, vowing to raze the dungeon to its foundations.

  The dungeon, a silent observer of the prince's fury, responded with a gesture of calculated appeasement. It conjured forth a chest overflowing with riches, not merely gold and silver, but a multitude of coin pouches, each meticulously crafted to replicate the lost treasure. The prince’s rage subsided, replaced by a stunned awe. The dungeon, now christened the Dungeon of Fortune, had not only saved itself from destruction but also discovered its new identity.

  To this day, adventurers flock to its depths, drawn by the promise of wealth, emerging with pouches heavy with coins, a testament to the dungeon's enduring fascination with the concept of currency. The Dungeon of Fortune, now under the royal aegis of Elda, stands as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of these subterranean entities.

  Such anecdotes are not isolated occurrences. Whispers circulate of dungeons that manifest specific monsters, their forms and abilities mirroring the fears and desires of those who dared to trespass. A forgotten bard's lament might give rise to spectral musicians, while a warrior's nightmare could conjure forth monstrous reflections of their deepest anxieties. Dungeons, it seems, operate on a logic that transcends human comprehension, a realm where the improbable becomes reality.

  This capacity for adaptation and response suggests an intelligence beyond mere instinct. Dungeons, driven by a primal imperative for survival, appear to possess a form of sentience, capable of assessing threats and responding accordingly. This necessitates a nuanced approach to their management, a recognition that their threat levels are not static, but fluid, influenced by the actions and intentions of those who venture within.

  Yet, the fundamental question remains unanswered. Do dungeons bestow their treasures as a reward, a calculated incentive to lure adventurers deeper into their depths? Or do these offerings serve a more sinister purpose, a means of replenishing their own reserves, absorbing the life essence of those who fall within their grasp? The true motivations of these enigmatic realms remain shrouded in mystery, a puzzle that continues to challenge and confound those who dare to delve into their depths.

  Dungeon Lore. Chapter 4, The Clever and Unknown. Written by Pontisa Ponti, Scholar of the Eldan Magistrate.

  Some good progress has been made in a relatively short period of time.

  And I thought dungeon life was going to be slow. As it turns out, I'm making remarkable speed. Or Barry is, should I say?

  He's managed to refill my points four times just by excavating his tunnel, which is now over 40 feet in length. It takes Barry 20 minutes to fill my DP and his tunnel is 8 feet longer by the time he's done.

  Even I didn't expect this when I first had the idea. What a guy. Or maybe I should say, What a Golem!

  Either way.

  That doesn't mean I've been idle while the tunnel-creating machine has been gruelling away.

  No, no, no.

  I've been racking my brain over what I should purchase next. There's no way in hell I'm summoning any Goblins. They're ugly, evil and notoriously smelly if we're being honest. It's similar circumstances for the wolves. Except they're not ugly, evil or smelly. They're vicious by nature and scary as hell when there's a pack of them.

  That only leaves me with two options. A Pitfall Trap or another Rogue. I can no longer use the Gacha to get low-cost sweet deals, which is a shame really.

  If the random mechanics are meant to leave it up to luck, does that mean that mine's actually good? If so, how did I end up in this situation in the first place?

  They were my thoughts as I watched Barry plough through me. Dropping his load and injecting 2 DP into my pool every couple of minutes. At the end of his first cycle, my points were full. That didn't stop him from dropping off another load and my total went over the limit by 2. It didn't stay there though unfortunately and slowly ticked back down to 20.

  Each time that happened, I was quickly reminded that I should be spending those points instead of letting them go to waste. Doing what other dungeons do and not just attempting to hoard them.

  Not that that's what I was doing.

  Me's wishes fell on deaf ears because I just couldn't see a benefit to either choice. I'd either have a third miserable-looking Rogue with nothing to do, or a Pitfall Trap that one of them may, or may not, fall in since there's only one rook to put it in.

  In the end, my indecision turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I managed to learn a new skill. Which in turn, helped me come to a decision.

  I know it doesn't sound so great right now, what with my measly 20 DP and all, but just you wait. When this skill is maxed, it should be extremely beneficial.

  Anyway, the decision I made was to do nothing. Repeating the current trend to level up Stockpile. Least to say, Me is not impressed. He keeps banging on about how I'm wasting time and not acting like a proper Dungeon should.

  Well, whatever Me. I'm pretty sure that your proper Dungeon would be asleep right now, waiting to build their tunnel or whatever whilst a Goblin scratches their arse in the Core Room. They wouldn't even have the points Barry is bringing in, so screw proper dungeons!

  This shit's already hard enough without being compared to something I don't want comparing to.

  After quite a few more disagreements on how best to spend my time, Stockpile had managed to go up two more levels and was at sexy 3. Now I can hold 30% more than my current capacity says I can. 26/20 and it's all thanks to my Golem and his hard dug efforts.

  Now that his shaft is long enough, I call Barry out as it's time to make my first big purchase. It also gets a certain helper of my back over the lack of anything happening. Looking through the list of options Me so helpfully provided, I select a new room for 20 DP. Immediately, I feel disorientated as my viewpoint switches from normal to aerial and I see the layout of my dungeon below.

  Woah. That was weird.

  The small room that houses the five of us is adjoined to an awkwardly-shaped tunnel. The crude hole that Barry dug looks dull, but I try placing a room on the end anyway.

  A slight pain shoots through my non-existent body and I notice my Core has a hairline fracture running up the tip. I'm starting to wonder whether Barry's tunnel was such a good idea after all? Maybe I shouldn't use the areas he digs out. I can still earn DP from them though and potentially use them as traps.

  With that settled, I hesitantly place my room. Unlike taking control of Barry's tunnel, this time it's much smoother. Before the feature finalises, I'm able to alter the width, length and height to a certain extent, just like Me said. I make it twice as large as the first room making it feel like a palace. Even Barry is able to fit inside comfortably and I won't have to worry about him getting too close to my Core.

  Oh? XP. What's that for, Me?

  What about the clay and soil I keep absorbing, why doesn't that give XP?

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  Well... No. Alright, I get it. It was a stupid question. Don't be like that, Me.

  My first room. I still can't get over the fact that I'm a Dungeon now. I've got to admit though, I feel very content after placing that room. Still, I don't have time to spare for pleasant feelings. I have 6 DP left to spend.

  Not wanting to break my own heart any further, I buy a tunnel and place it across from Barry's. Easy to place, just like the room, all it took was a little bit of willpower and it was done. A full-length tunnel just like that.

  It left me with 1DP, but I'm extremely happy now that everyone can move out of the starting room. It holds memories, but getting stronger and levelling up is always the best course of action.

  Even if I do have to do it as a Dungeon Core.

  Leaving my Core in the first room, for the time being, I ship everyone off to the spacious room down the corridor.

  Why would I do that?

  Mainly because it's a good way to keep my Core safe from any accidental damage. I'm not saying that Barry's clumsy, but he did almost squash one of the Rogues.

  Also, I don't know anyone who likes being confined to small-cramped spaces. Especially when they're not able to move around without fear of breaking the one object keeping everyone alive. How nerve-racking would that be?

  Once everyone's relocated, I set Barry off to dig out a new cave system and... The Rogues take a seat. I feel bad, but there still isn't anything for them to do. Other than warm the floor of my dungeon. Colin doesn't seemed phased though and is just chestin' in the corner.

  If Barry digs far enough in, maybe people won't associate him with us. His tunnels aren't exactly part of the dungeon, are they? It even hurts me to take control of them. Then again, how would anyone other than us know that?

  As long as he's dropping those loads in me and not somewhere else, I won't complain where he's digging. He'll still help me if we get attacked though, right?

  The idea of losing my Mythril Golem scared me for a second there. Barry will be a great help if I need to defend against any try-hard Core killers. However, the panic is alleviated as I'm reassured by Me.

  Don't be ridiculous. He's staying with us. Colin is super cute. No one in their right mind is going to attack him... OK, that might have been too far. Still, he can stay with my Core because he's small and cute. If anyone reaches it once we open then we're off to the reincarnation cycle anyway, right?

  Ok, it's time to begin the plan. First, I need to work out how far in I can get in the time I have left.

  I do, and this is it. I wasn't able to work out how much DP I could earn without having data to do the calculations, could I?

  Oh, I'm so glad you asked, Me.

  You said before that a normal Dungeon would do things differently than me, right? They would probably build a tunnel, summon a monster and then meditate until they were able to create a room what... 16 hours later?

  Ok, so right now I've got the starter room, my new room, two tunnels and four monsters, correct?

  Really? You really didn't get it from that?

  I thought I was supposed to be the less attentive of the two of us? If you want to claim the title, however, it's fine by me.

  Well, how long has it been since I awakened and how long do we have until my door opens? Then run what I have against what another dungeon would have by now and tell me I'm not doing good.

  ........

  There you go, Me. I take it your silence means that you've figured it out. I'm already doing a lot better than a regular Dungeon would. Aren't I?

  Sure you do. You were here while I did it all, weren't you? Well, you might have been complaining the whole time, but you saw everything. It hasn't even been that long really and I'm already making leaps and bounds.

  I didn't realise it bothered you?

  What? Are you crazy, Me?

  Barry the Golem is a stellar name. Masses will adore him for his superior digging skills, his courageous defiance in the face of hard rock and most of all for his shiny body. He's a Rockstar, Me.

  Just out of curiosity though, what would you have named him?

  A Brian?

  Are you kidding me?

  Brian makes him sound like somebody's grandad.

  Barry is a Rockstar!

  Yep, that's the plan.

  Yep, that's also the plan.

  Was that another joke? Way to go, Me. They do say, third time's a charm.

  As we wait for my DP to be filled by diligent efforts, I can't help but wonder what happened to my friends. Those that ventured inside the Goblin Dungeon with me. There were only three of us. Kal, Anya and myself.

  Kal is a large sword and shield user and his class is Defender. He tanks the front line and is the strongest of our trio. Anya's our Cleric and stays at the back. Capable of healing grievous wounds with her spells while also being proficient with a staff, she's a valuable asset to our party. And my best friend.

  Then there's me. The sneaky Rogue. Attacking stealthily from either behind Kal or from the shadows, always making sure to hit vital points. I keep a close eye on Anya too. Not that she needs it, but just in case she ever wants my support.

  We have great cohesion and have been together for the past three years so I really hope they didn't kick the bucket too. Me doesn't know what happened to them. According to him, he was created at the same time I reincarnated and only possess knowledge relevant to helping my Dungeon.

  Letting out a sigh and dismissing memories of my past, I bring my focus back to the present. Barry is working hard, but Rogue 1 and 2 seem to be anxious about something.

  I see them, as I see everything else in my dungeon, as though I'm watching moving pictures. If I imagine myself in front of them, the pictures get closer and more become available to look at. That awkwardness symbolises me moving and it sucks.

  Sensing my will, the anxious Rogues feel my presence and prostrate themselves on the floor. They seem shocked that I would take time from being the busy Dungeon Core I am to give them my attention. Don't worry about it guys, I'm super easygoing. There's no need to act like that.

  Things are already awkward enough.

  I don't really want this type of reverence, but it feels kinda nice so I'll take it. It makes me feel like a Queen. I get them to stand up and they both place a fist over their chest instead, as though pledging allegiance. Now I definitely feel like a Queen.

  Ahem. Rogue man. From now on and so forth etcetera, you will be known as Light.

  As I name the Rogue, both of them shiver slightly and the smaller of the two fumbles at her dagger.

  Ahem. Cough, cough, cough. Female Rogue. From now on and so forth etcetera, you will be known as Ali.

  Aww. It sounded good though, right? I wanted to come across as regal, as I was feeling rather Queenish.

  Well if I just said it, doesn't that make it a word?

  The banter between myself and Me went on like that for quite some time whilst Barry filled me up with muck. Before I knew it, it was purchasing time again.

  I know I don't get to spend my points on anything dazzling, but Dungeons are always making purchases. In a strange way, it's not too bad of a job for someone like me. I can't wait till I have the dungeon cash to splash. But right now, another room is calling.

  A warm feeling flows through my Core. 1 XP is all I need to level up. I feel giddy, but sad at the same time.

  When I was still human, I was level 17 and had been just a fraction away from leveling up. It proper sucks to be back at level 1. More so now that I'm a Dungeon, but I will try to make the best of a bad situation and persevere. It's better than being dead after all.

  The room I create is exactly the same as the last, with no features to mention and nothing notable inside. I wonder if I can unlock some type of glamour, or cosmetics? That would be nice.

  Once again, I place another tunnel continuing straight on. It's the same length as the last, adding another 50 feet to my total distance. Beyond my entrance, I have two rooms in a row and a tunnel ready for the next one to be added on.

  That's what they call progress. Now I just need to wait another twenty minutes for my DP to fill up again.

  I still haven't created any more monsters yet. I do want to create more, but I also don't. I've got nothing for them to do so there's no point summoning a bunch of space invaders that are just going to be bored.

  I'm going to use the time I have before the door opens to move my Core as far away as possible and maybe level up my Stockpile a little. I know it might be a waste right now, but these are points that no other dungeons would have. What difference does it make if I spend them on what I want?

  I'm still undecided either way and only time can tell what choice I'll make.

  I only hope they're good ones. Please choose wisely future me.

  For now, I better settle in for the long haul. It's definitely going to be a productive day.