1 - 5. Give Me a Lever and Call Me Archimedes.

Dungeon Management. Nyx’s hand hovers in front of the newest menu - it was alright to call these informational messages and screens menus, right? - and then retracts as she shakes her head. As much as it calls to her to push the button and get lost in yet another explosion of information, she bites her lower lip and steps out of her cave instead.

It’s not normal. She doesn’t have to be a genius or even have all her memories to know that the screens and menus she had seen weren’t normal. The skill menu especially had been the worst. It had been filled with so much information that she couldn’t parse even one fragment of it, not to mention that parts of the menu had been written in a different language.

If she were more optimistic, she might have been excited about the prospect of being able to master every skill on the list. She isn’t though. It’s just to trip her up. She’s fairly confident that the menus don’t lie, but they are often full of subjective ideals or statements. One look at the plethora of horrible insults related to her ‘Cosmic Fault’ title had been proof enough.

Yet, she had also been able to argue with the status screen, convincing it to change her name field. Do menus have the ability to reason and argue? Can she bully the menu into being kinder to her? Her smile turns a little wicked as she laughs softly under her breath. She’s hesitant to pick a fight recklessly, but she had to draw the line somewhere. The informational screens weren’t transparent anymore either, so if she pulled up a menu in a critical situation, it could completely blind her - the skill screen had done just that.

Closing her eyes and putting her palms over her eyes, she sighs and rests her eyes. Slow breath in, slow breath out… Nyx lets out a languid sigh and rolls her head in a circle. Snagging her lower lip with her right canine tooth, Nyx nibbles and ponders. Can she understand why the menus and systems were being antagonistic and perverse? No. After all, she’s the Cosmic Fault - she’s being picked on. Whoever put that title there made certain she knew she was going to be harassed.

The menus don’t lie. They had not lied thus far, at least. No, the menus did two things. They omitted information, giving her very limited information on her own status or why the Alraune was… is dying. She slaps her cheeks. That creature is dying, even if she can’t do anything about it. Her eyebrows crease down as she takes another set of slow, calming breaths. The second thing the menu did was flood her with garbage. None of the garbage had been untrue, but it was like being told how far away her cave was down to the nanometer. It was deceitful. On top of that, there had been a timer on the skill menu, as if to tell her she was being given limited access to information she shouldn’t have. She scoffs. Obfuscating information by hiding it underneath a wave of other information or simply concealing it outright - that was what the menu was doing.

And that was why it could be argued with.

After all, it had a will - a desire to be antagonistic towards her. Then, at a minimum, she should be cautious of believing that any information was the whole truth. Resting her cheek on one hand, she waves her fingers in front of her and cracks a wry, irritated smile as she calls a new word to mind.

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Passives

- | Sleep Immunity (On)

- | Hunger Immunity (On)

- | Aging Immunity (On)

- | Metabolic Immunity (On)

...

======================================

How completely effed. So this is why her fingernails did not grow, sleep did not come to her, and why she did not need to eat, drink, or anything else. The list of immunities went on, disguising themselves as boons. Her thin smile deepens as she moves her slender fingers forward, focusing on turning off the first immunity. Beads of sweat begin to drip down her brow as pain shoots up her spine, clawing against her back. It feels like pushing a boulder, but something finally snaps and she sees ‘Sleep Immunity’ turn off. She’ll have to carefully adjust a few of these passives later.

Before she moves back to Dungeon Management, however, she calls back the skill menu very briefly. There are about seven minutes left on the clock, but this time she knows what she’s looking for. It should be here, after all. One screen floats down, proudly presenting the words ‘Dungeon Management (MAX)’ to her. Just as she expected, deceit. Various menus flash as she waves her hand this way and that, sending clusters of light across the rippling screens. Things are happening, look at me, look at me, the screens call to her. She frowns and focuses on the skill further.

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Dungeon Management (MAX)

- | Acquisition (MAX)

- | Mastery (0)

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Irritated, her fingers pull at the choker around her neck. Her nose wrinkles as she shakes her head. Conditions for acquiring this magic? How high her mastery can go? Any milestones or subskills? All missing. It’s deceit, pretending she’s mastered a skill she’s an apparent novice in. Worse, the clock on these screens has less than five minutes on it, so she cannot check her growth -

Her eyes light up as she gasps, eyes fluttering in realization. That’s why the clock is there. This set of screens is an attempt to articulate her growth over all possibilities and all possible skills, including every action she takes. That’s why screens are always flashing. The act of walking builds her legs, which then improves her ability to perform kicks. The skill menu is simultaneously a useless and godlike feature.

And she has three and a half minutes left on it. She snaps the menus closed, pinching the bridge of her nose. The Dungeon Management magic is calling to her, but now that she can actually sleep… Mister Wall is calling her home. She has such a deep relationship with Mister Wall at this point, Nyx was certain its rocky embrace will cradle her to sleep.

・

Smiling ear to ear, Nyx stretches her hands out above her head and walks to the top of the mountain. There’s nothing in the world like a good nap, she thinks, finding a nice spot of shade where she can plainly see the horizon. Sleep or no, she can still see the chasm that surrounds her island on all sides, reminding her of her situation. Still, she’s feeling rather optimistic as she pops open the menu.

[ Dungeon Management: Activate the Dungeon Core? ]

[ Warning: Destruction of the Dungeon Core results in death for the Dungeon Master. ]

Her mood immediately drops as she rests her head in her hand, sighing. So this is the losing condition in the game she’s in. It’s her only move anyway, unless she intends to spend eternity on this island with nothing to keep her company but Mister Wall. She grimaces slightly, shaking her head. As she confirms her choice, the choker wrapped around her neck glows.

Slipping off her neck, it spins in front of her. The dark, embroidered fabric glows brighter and brighter until it becomes impossible to look at, letting out one final pulse of light. Floating upward as if carried by the wind for an instant, Nyx’s neck accessory has transformed. A large, translucent, crystalline sphere full of stars and nighttime orbited by a ring of glittering dust and light greets her. Reaching out, she catches the sphere as it begins to fall.

The light vanishes and the dark of night expands and, before she can blink in surprise, she is within that dark cave prison full of stars. She gasps, dropping the sphere - it hits the ground, cracking both its surface and the dark walls around her. She feels something snap within her as well, the sound of glass cracking filling her ears. Lying there innocently, one large fault line across its perfect surface, the sphere full of nighttime shimmers. Fading, it reappears around her neck as a choker once more, embroidery scratching lightly against her skin. It’s shifting hard against her, tight against her neck - no, that’s her panicked breathing.

Clutching her chest, Nyx closes her eyes and counts backwards, sweat dripping down her forehead. Her teeth grind against each other as visions of dark walls and endless monotony claw and scrape against her heart. When at last her breathing settles, she exhales and wipes her head with the back of her arm. Nyx digs her fingernails into the earth beneath her, not able to cause a dent in the ground or her stress. She instead scratches the back of her neck, hissing.

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Dungeon Management

PP: 1200.

- | Shop

- | - | Summoning

- | - | Items

- | Living Quarters

Several features are still locked.

======================================

Her nose wrinkles as she mockingly mouths the last sentence. Several features are still locked, haha, look at me, I’m a garbage menu. At least the menu was acknowledging it was hiding information from her this time. She half expected - of course. Her right hand slides into her bangs as she stares at the item shop. The entire screen is filled with rectangular boxes with grayed out icons and blurred text, each covered by the word ‘LOCKED’ in red text. Like a candy store that was locked and shuttered, the menu teases her with only one available option.

[ Fate-Cutting Scissors: 1,000,000,000 PP - Scissors that can cut fate. ]

Which part of this do I comment on? Is this a comedy show? After having so many conversations with Mister Wall, she feels she’s talking to herself a bit too much lately, but it’s better than going crazy. First of all, why is it a billion PP. Second, the description might as well be empty, it’s just reiterating the name of the item. What next, Nyx’s poison, described as the poison for Nyx? And worst, worst of all, is that everything costs ‘PP’. It’s as though the system was designed by an immature preteen.

[ PP - Purchase Points. Used for purchases. Also penis. ]

The menu isn’t even pretending anymore. Her hands drag over her face in anguish before she drops her face into her knees. Lacking any knowledge of a better term, she grits her teeth and glares. If the menu acknowledged her name is Nyx, it’ll acknowledge her demands again. The screen shifts slightly.

[ P - Points. Used for purchases. Also - ]

She immediately closes the screen, not wanting to know what comes after also. Good enough. It’s short enough that she doesn’t need the abbreviation either, so she focuses on the adjustment and fights against a headache.

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Dungeon Management

Points: 1.2 x 1000

- | Shop

- | - | Summoning

- | - | Items

- | Living Quarters

Several features are still locked. Also -

======================================

She waves the screen closed and moves onto living quarters instead. Even if summoning isn’t another menu designed to aggravate and humiliate her, cold cave floors were becoming less appealing. Nervously, she opens up the menu, not sure what living quarters look like in this world.

The only option that greets her is ‘Starter Dwelling - 200 Points,’ so she clicks that. Her vision flashes and she’s suddenly in an empty room. Behind her is a solid white wooden door with no knob and a small mat. To her left is a small hallway that leads to a standing shower bathroom and a bedroom. As she sneaks through the building, furniture shimmers into place. A bed, a side table, toiletries, and even a small futon couch in the main room. Stepping in past the hallway wall, the room opens up into a kitchen with a stove and a sink.

[ Nothing generated by the Starter Dwelling may be removed. Confirm Starter Furniture for 200 Points? ]

What excellent marketing. Her dwelling, previously empty, was now full of amenities. If she didn’t buy, then she’d lose everything from a bed to a toothbrush. Rubbing her head, she tries to open up the Summoning menu, worried she’ll miss something important if she buys here.

[ Leaving this screen ends the Starter Furniture offer. You may not select Starter Furniture again. Really quit? Really, really, really quit? Are you sure? You’re absolutely certain you don’t need - ]

Her ears heat up as she heaves a sigh into her hands, covering her lips. Nyx furrows her brows, takes a deep breath, and confirms the purchase. A pleasant chime fills her ears as she leaves her dwelling, a fluttering wind teleporting her away as she steps on the welcome mat. Back atop the mountain, a small eight sided jewel greets her. Flat on one side and deep purple, it shimmers and her neck warms. Before it can find its place on her choker, however, Nyx clutches at her neck and glares sharply. The thought of a system accessorizing her turns her stomach and the choker is already more than she can stand. She isn’t a doll or a toy. The very principle of the thing irritates her and has been irritating her since the choker… no, since the dungeon core wrapped itself around her neck. Her headache grows as she instead puts the gem up to her ear. Holding back tears, she grits her teeth and hisses until finally the pain subsides and a small dangling earring hangs from her left ear.

Nyx heads down the mountain slowly as she fiddles with the earring. When she taps it, she can feel a wind beginning to carry her, but she also sees the translucent sphere of nighttime appear at her feet. She can’t take the core with her or perhaps more accurately, she cannot put the core somewhere it cannot be reached. It’s not a game if she can’t lose. Her loss condition, destruction of the dungeon core, appears each time she thinks about hiding away in her dwelling. If she can’t take it with her, couldn’t anyone stumble upon it while she was in her house?

Her worried look twists into a self-deprecating smile. No one had entered her island in days anyway. Sighing, she shakes her head, knowing that isn’t enough proof to keep her safe. Shoving her trembling hands in her pockets, she calls up the menu again, this time seeking some sort of map function. If she’s a Dungeon Master, then she should at least understand what part of the area was her dungeon. Even if she really doesn’t want to kill to defend her core, will she have to? Words and memories echo behind a fog in the back of her head as the map appears.

Only the mountain itself was highlighted in a faint yellow glow, with the small cave she had slept in marked as ‘1F’. A few paces out, right where she couldn’t pick up sand anymore, the glow ended. When she focused a little harder, despite the dull throbbing in her head, she could see video projections of the front of her cave and various parts of the mountain. Hopping into her house, she confirms if the surveillance still works, pleased with the results. It isn’t perfect, but she won’t be completely unaware in case there’s an unexpected intruder. Walking down the slope that leads to the mountain, she opens the menu again.

[ Warning: Certain features are limited outside your dungeon. Summoning is not usable. ]

She nods, not surprised. If summoning is what it sounds like and she can summon hostile creatures… She can easily imagine a malicious person summoning monsters inside a settlement. Walking into her small cave, she finds a place where her core will remain out of the way and returns to her dwelling. Sitting down on the couch, Nyx pops open the summoning menu.

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Summoning

PP, P, Points: 8 ( Hundreds )

- | Basic Summons ( Locked: Select a boss monster for your dungeon )

- | Boss Summons

- | - | Random Lower Boss ( 600 Points )

- | - | Random Medium Boss ( 1000 Points )

- | - | Random Higher Boss ( ??? Points )

- | - | Special: Random Discount Lower Boss 2x ( 800 Points )

- | - | Boss Listing ( Locked )

======================================

A few things catch her attention immediately. First, the unparalleled marketing prowess of the menu had most certainly taken advantage of her. She’s certain that some people would choose to sleep on the floor in return for a medium level boss. She isn’t one of them. Second, she can apparently roll for a higher boss, but the option is grayed out and the points needed are unknown. In other words, she can’t do it right now, even if she didn’t buy a dwelling. So… at some point in the future, she would be able to? Then what would happen to the previous boss? A chill rolls down her spine. Third, the Boss Listing is locked and the menu that pops out is just like the item menu - full of options she can’t see and can’t buy.

Her choices are realistically only to buy the special and get a 33% discount, or to buy one lower boss and spend a portion of the remaining points on basic summons once they unlock, or to do absolutely nothing and not buy anything. A special promotion sounded good to her when she saw it, so she flips back to that option.

[ Random summons are based on the Dungeon Core and Dungeon Master’s psyche and personality. A boss monster will help characterize and define your dungeon. All purchases are final. No refunds. ]

She isn’t sure what to make of that, except that on some level the random lottery is influenced by the summoner. She’s the Cosmic Fault, after all. It wouldn’t surprise her for things to go terribly wrong. Still, her options are few. As her hand stretches out, she hesitates briefly.

Free will is not to be trifled with.

The space between her eyes folds into deep valleys and mountains as she pulls her hand back. She can remember the briefest glimpses of that conversation between the goddess and the lady made of stars. Friendship cannot be forced. Then what was this summoning? Her eyes close as she tries to remember more of that vision, but words and appearances begin to fail her. Nervously, she taps the button.

[ Summoning Discount Lower Boss from bargain bin. Prepare to receive rejects. ]

Nyx tilts her head, blinking. Discount referred to the strength, not the cost? Wait, more importantly, that message was horrible. She’s definitely going to keep her summons safe from the system, the menus, and all the relevant nonsense.

“Hmm.” A low, rumbling voice fills the air to her right as a tall humanoid shape shimmers into view. As the light dims, she’s greeted by a skeleton. An actual skeleton. Nyx jerks backwards into the couch, scrambling back as she stares wide-eyed. The skeleton, robed in a dark purple sheet, turns its head towards her as two small blue flames light up the insides of its eye sockets. In a panic, she activates Minor Analysis, expecting to see some sort of information on the skeleton. The screen flickers for a moment, then disappears.

“That’s impolite, Summoner. It’s customary to ask permission before viewing details on other creatures, even us.” The skeleton’s blue eyes turn to Nyx’s left where another humanoid was taking shape through shimmering lights. The Dungeon Master herself is too shocked. A skeleton best characterizes me?

“Oh my. Greetings, my Lady.” A voice in a velvet alto fills the room as a feminine shape appears. Nyx holds back the urge to analyze, even as reddish-pink hair that drips to her shoulders and gleaming red eyes stare back at her. It’s a woman, tall, with a tail swaying back and forth behind her. Peeking out from just above both temples are horns that curve backward, then up slightly at the tips like a crown. Nyx has seen this at the border, this is a demon.

Stunned and silent, she stares at both the people in front of her. The skeleton coughs slightly, waving its bony hand in front of Nyx’s face. She pushes herself further back into the couch, her head turning back and forth between each person as if broken.

“Summoner? I’m Jun. As you can see, I’m a skeleton.” The skeleton, Jun, pulls his hand back and returns it underneath his robe. He takes a step backwards, turning his will-o-wisp gaze to the side.

“I’m Noel. I’m a succubus. Jun, is it? It’s a nice name.” Noel laughs good-naturedly under her breath, then crosses her arms over her slender body. She turns around to look over the house, her light and somehow regal voice filling the room as she hums. Jun’s deeper tones rumble underneath, somewhat insistently.

“Summoner, won’t you tell us your name?”

“Jun, have some tact.” Noel’s voice is cold as it cuts in, her red eyes staring a hole into the skeleton’s head. Jun’s head rotates, left, right, left, right, then down.

“It seems I was the impolite one.” His voice is brusque, almost rough, contrasting Noel’s crystalline interjection. Seeing him dip his head towards her, Nyx sheepishly waves her hand back and forth, gesturing that it’s fine. Thankfully, Noel had understood quickly and explained it for her.

That she can’t speak.

End of Arc 1 - Fill Up These Empty Spaces.