--- (Dungeon Archelaus POV)

[Dungeon Core Archelaus has constructed its seventh floor!]

[You may place one free room. You may place one free corridor.]

[Please select a free monster model.]

[1. Owl Bear (Rare) 2. Nymph (Rare) 3. Huge Slime (Rare) 4. Living Construct (Unique)]

Where did my Core run to? Ah yes, the base of the stairwell as always. Well, first things first, add the free corridor and then terminate the corridor with the room and relocate my Core to the room.

Having done the necessary, I consider the free monster options, which don’t excite me. The Owl Bear is a combat monster, brute force. The Nymph and Slime I considered previously and rejected. The Living Construct is a mystery and a unique monster, never can I create two. How different from a Golem is a Living Construct? Could the Living Construct harbour its own purpose and perhaps need a Dungeon to serve it rather than augment a Dungeon. Is it worth the risk I ponder?

I don’t ponder long, I choose Owl Bear, the monster is a pure combat orientated choice, and if it isn’t suitable to develop further, I don’t need to invest any more time and mana. Whereas the Living Construct is a mystery possibly requiring high maintenance at best, serving its own purposes at worse, otherwise why is it classified as unique. Importantly as a Dungeon Core, I claim the position of being the sole unique sentient existence in the Dungeon unless I specifically create a named monster serving my objectives and purposes, worshipping me.

--- (Dungeon Epsilon POV)

I welcome Ruk and Kob back, sending them warm greetings and they sense my relief at their safe return. As they empty their bags and arms, I absorb the items they faithfully fetched. This includes a shovel, a dead spider, two live spiders, three flowers, four nuts from the same tree, and a round of cheese. A round of cheese; unusual where did they find it? Distracted for a moment I return to checking the other items, which includes a book, lumps of coal, and a fence paling. Then a rabbit escapes joined shortly after by another.

I consider allowing both rabbits to hop free and escape, they arreee cute and all; then thought no, if I absorb them, I can make many more utilising their blueprint.

Absorbing the first rabbit I obtain its blueprint and resources; I absorb the second rabbit for resources.

Instead of a clean stone floor, a bright and shiny ring remains, unusual and unexpected. I absorb it, breaking down the gold, the silver, and finally the crystal, which rolls free from its non-existent setting.

My mana total skyrockets from 32 to 169 and a box materialises.

| “Polymorph has been added to Monster menu due to magic element”

| “UNLOCK Unique Monster added to Monster menu due to Polymorph”

Unique monster, my imaginary eyes lit up with excitement. I quickly flick through the Monster Menu.

| Monsters

| * Goblins (chosen beginner monster): 10 mana

| * Mushroom Spitters: 13 mana

| * Living Construct (Unique): 150 mana

Oh dear, 150 mana and the monster is unique. Is this a once-only opportunity? Will I ever collect 150 mana again? If I purchase it, will I maintain my influence over it; after all, my Dungeon is a fun-challenging Dungeon I don’t want to kill people and Living Construct sounds brutal. What if the monster has a mind of its own, will I need to keep it in line and watch it to make sure it behaves? I check, and I lose 9 mana while considering this. I decide to purchase a Mushroom Spitter, which lowers my mana to 147 and after checking the Monster Menu again, the Unique Monster is gone from the listing.

I shudder; well, I would if I possessed a body. You understand what I mean. Did I pass on a once-in-a-Dungeon opportunity or have I saved my Dungeon from being coerced by a unique temptation?

--- (Dungeon Smet POV)

I meditate on my purpose; time doesn’t register with me as I absorb qi and mana. I marshal what I absorb and manipulate it, owning it, solidifying it, and finally conquering it. I fret slightly as I am deeply engrossed, and I am barely aware of my surroundings as my growth consumes much attention and skill.

The strain on my mind is immense, being a Dungeon Core, am I able to endure. I also realise my past life as a stubborn old gnome of over five hundred cantankerous years has provided me with the mental fortitude to stay on task and grind towards this masterpiece. I align the effort of increasing my rank with the effort required to create a jewelled crown for a King, building upon the whole, piece by piece, gathering the components, and assembling. I am skilled in the craft. I revel in it.

Finally, I achieve it!

[“Congratulations! You have gathered the required energy to rank up, rank up initiated.”]

[“Congratulations! By cultivating yourself with superhuman determination and willpower, your mind and spirit strengthen. Hidden conditions met, bonuses applied. New title gained {Master of Concentration."]

[“Second breakthrough accepted. New species have become available for creation. General improvements for all abilities and skills have been taken place.”]

[“Alert, due to vastly increasing your repertoire of creatures available to you for creation through brutally evolving your creatures, you have met hidden requirements. Bonuses to evolution and species manipulation have been applied.”]

[“Due to successfully advancing to the next dungeon rank in a record time while maintaining balance within the dungeon ecosystem, an award has been unlocked. Rare species {Elemental Spirits} awarded. Unique species {Living Construct} awarded.”]

I grin as I open my eyes and savour the power and knowledge flowing into me. I am a butterfly finally escaping the chrysalis, the same although much more!

Elemental Spirits and Constructs as a species are rare and by their nature are difficult to evolve. The Elemental Spirits would provide versatility, although initially limited to set and forget type situations. To say it another way they are basic, therefore, small, weak, and unintelligent. Constructs were different although the same.

A Living Construct, a unique one, what did that mean, I ask myself. Selecting it provides me with more information.

[“Living Construct Selected. Warnings: Will be a Named Monster. There can be only one. No tailored enhancements are permitted, only evolutions. Select Yes/No?”]

I select No quickly. Relief washes over me when I do, not comprehending why. I guess, perhaps the fact it manifests as a named monster, a name I don’t provide, I would doubt its loyalty. Being a construct, which isn’t my creation, which I cannot enhance, lacking my touch, it would never be a true member of my family; a tolerated outsider at best and I couldn’t permit that. My choice is now made easier and somewhere inside my memory the Gnome Crafter, one who creates, celebrates.

--- (Dungeon Azizos POV)

My purpose is lost, my mana generation weak and I hoard the crumbs I accrue. I stare at the blue screen and the latest “offer” from the system as I scratch my way to oblivion. My low mana is condition normal ever since the last invasions many cycles ago destroyed and wrecked many zones.

{Stagnation Warning Three! Rank Increase in now beyond three standard deviations. New Zone growth is now beyond five standard deviations.}

{Unique Species available (Living Construct: 0 Mana)}

Selecting it provides me with more information.

{Living Construct Selected. Warnings: Will be a Named Monster. There can be only one. No tailored enhancements are permitted, only evolutions. Select Yes/No?}

I click yes using my will. The system is offering an end to the deadlock, the end to my stagnation and therefore regardless of my apprehensions I accept the offer. I wait.

{Mandatory System Patch Required. Warning: Accepting Unique accepts System Patch. Warning: Dungeon Closed. Warning: Patch mandatory and initiated immediately.}

I would have dropped my jaw; no time and I didn’t possess one.

---

I retain no sense of the number of cycles, which passed while the system ‘patched’ me. I reach out to my Dungeon Zones and my pitiful few creatures, and they continue, unaware of the interruption. I sense no additional creatures within and try to consider what if anything changed.

My final guardian, my Room Boss responsible for my protection senses and shares my nervousness. While as a Dungeon Core, I don’t possess a gender I identify as male and favour male denizens. Within a Dungeon, monsters can respawn therefore there is no need for female denizens as any new monsters, I will spawn with mana. The perfect ecosystem, with the strong leading the strong and always will.

I send Nehal my peace; his pace slows, although it doesn’t stop. His muscles ripple under his blue skin as he continues to pace, an echo of my nervousness, as my peace is a farce. I am different.

“Master, when will it spawn?”

I delay answering; distracted, trying to find an extra non-existent limb, the opposite of when you sense a lost limb, I guess. I don’t know the answer myself, although I should, still, I cannot admit that, and I keep my scrambled thoughts to myself. I recover enough to realise I am awake from the 'patch', yet I am not my old self. I mentally slap myself and it changes nothing. I am aware my champion is restless and his presence in my mind keeps me from an imaginary edge.

His face grows angry, his teeth grind, and he growls. His deep black moustache and beard frame his set mouth. He is my pride, my first evolved to his current magnificence and patience is not one of his virtues. I review his evolutions, proud of the mana I fed him, my favoured son.

[Goblin Warrior -> Goblin Warrior Elite -> Hobgoblin Warrior -> Hobgoblin Warrior Elite -> Bugbear Warrior -> Bugbear Warrior Elite -> Ogre Warrior -> Ogre Shaman -> Ogre Shaman Elite -> Ogre Mage -> Ogre Mage Elite]

He senses the new arrival a moment after I, he is magnificent, and I expect no less as he positions himself in front of the distortion in an instant and observes.

The creature is entirely black, light bouncing from its surface, shining. The creature is humanoid, although three meters in height, shorter than Nehal who stands proudly at four meters and straightens to ensure he dominates the new arrival, I inwardly smile. The shape solidifies, hairless, with no weapons, no clothes, and no equipment of any kind, the creature hides nothing, what can it achieve, and how will it remedy my situation? It forms and I spot breasts and no penis, it is a female of its kind. I share my minion’s anger and immediately wish it removed from my presence, unfortunately leaving the interpretation and hence method of how to my servant.

Nehal steps forward drawing his blade in one swift, flowing motion, he would usually cast at least one spell, his assessment the same as mine, suspecting she is nothing. He strikes low aiming for her leg at the knee; disable, and then dispatch. She either doesn’t realise or is too slow. The force behind his scimitar’s swing forces her back half a step. Surprising Nehal and I, his blade cuts and draws a minute trace of her dark blood. This angers him. I don’t quiet him, as I am curious.

“Master?” she asks.

Her voice is sweet and high, the single spoken word annoys me. The annoyance is intuitive. I realise why. It is feminine. I voice not endure within my Dungeon for centuries.

Her core is unusual, and I don’t follow what it means, although I accept her fealty and recognition of me as her Master.

Name: Aphrodite Culture: Greek Mythos Race: Human Superior Spirit: Human Body: Living Basalt Soul: Whole, Growing Sentient Dominate: 10% Monster Dominate: 11% Dungeon Dominate: 49% Hominine Essence: Level 10 Avine Essence: Level 10 Strength: 65 Grasp: 65 Toughness: 65 Constitution: 65 Vigour: 65 Endurance: 65 Dexterity: 15 Agility: 25 Quickness: 15 Wisdom: 25 Perception: 15 Mettle: 15 Intelligence: 45 Willpower: 20 Power: 20 Charisma: 20 Glamour: 50 Beauty: 100

When I don’t respond she instinctively tries to defend herself and swings her fists. Nehal smiles wolfishly as he easily dodges and moves inside her inept swings slicing each breast in turn and stepping back. An impossible manoeuvre considering their height difference although he bends and flows like the wind, artistry.

I consider stopping Nehal. I witnessed his three strikes and while effective, she doesn’t outwardly reveal any signs of pain and her blood loss is insignificant, if the fluid that seeps is blood, as it is black. Instead, I coach her to improve, be better, reason, anticipate, strike faster, target and hit. Nehal dances around her, it is sad and too easy. I question the wisdom of the system.

I perceive she heeds me as she tries to follow my barracking. In my assessment, she fights poorly and after an extraordinary number of cuts, she falls, toppling into her pooling black blood. After the usual grace period, her body and blood vaporise from the Core Room’s cold stone floor. Hands-on-knees and drenched in sweat, Nehal is exhausted.

{“Respawn Living Construct: 0 Mana? Select Yes/No?”}

I consider the screen prompt before me, at zero mana what is her value if the System requires zero mana to respawn her. I mentally wave the screen and its question away as I continue to sense futilely for intruders. I utilise the time to rebuild my mana, to enable worthwhile respawns. I call up the screen and notice Living Construct is one of the possibilities and shake my head or would if I possessed one. That joke is old; even so, it reminds me of my old self.

I read the screen before me and consider it in disbelief. Written on the screen are three quantities, two of which never existed before. The amount of mana, the most seen in many cycles and frustratingly access is denied.

{Available Mana: 0 Pending Mana: 450 Queued Mana: 4500}

I question the System.

{Available Mana: mana generated available and usable by the Dungeon Core.

Pending Mana: mana that is yet to be generated and will be queued as soon as it is by the System according to the Dungeon Core directive.

Queued Mana: mana generated and committed waiting for target respawning by the Dungeon Core.}

Nehal swivels around to stare at me, the Dungeon Core, as my sense of confusion consumes those linked to me and permeates unbidden across the Dungeon and its inhabitants. Nehal, meters away, affected more than my other minions it seems, as I observe his behaviour.