(Curator POV)

Absorbing tea from my cup, I watch on as adventurers rip and tear their way through the first floor with a fervent vigor that bordered on rabid desperation. Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to a horde of people suddenly storming in and making a mess of the place.

Honestly, the whole thing had me worried at first, I thought they were going to spearhead their way through both floors and break into my core room. But so far the mob seems content with occupying the first half of the floor, choosing to set up their camps around the lake just a little ways off from the clearing.

... Someone reaching my core, that is something I haven’t thought about since that day. I can still feel the warmth radiating from Keith's hand as he almost snatched the dungeon core, me away.

Helplessness, fear, despair, repulsion were all things I felt that day, they weren't all mine... No, that's wrong, it would be more accurate to say they were all mine, but some didn't come from a human perspective.

It wasn’t the human part of me that felt so repulsed with the notion of being touched by human hands. Rather it came from the dungeon core part of me that wanted to escape, inflamed by a fear far more primal than anything my lizard brain could muster.

Tch, that aspect of me still shudders at the mere thought. Hah, I need to stew on this for a while longer, so enough of that. Before this whole exploration of the self, I was trying out this new ability I created.

Observing the human-shaped blobs of mana called adventurers, each one quivered with life. Vibrant colors, muted shades the variation between people was dazzling. There was also something to be said about the varying intensity of their mana, some were thin and concealed while others flared outwards proclaiming their presence.

But despite the countless differences, all held one distinct thing in common, it was this speck of white floating gently within them stewing in their mana.

It has to be their soul, right?

There’s no other way of construing it, the thing is floating dead center inside the body and it looks important enough to pass as something like that. I mean mana seems to explode from the little thing.

Eh, I guess it’s only a matter of time until I get my answer...

Well, continuing on with this messy out of order retelling of my chaotic morning. Seeing as there were so many visitors, I thought I would try out this new mana vision of mine. (creatively named, I know.)

This new form of sight was created from me playing around with DP while experimenting last night. Attempting to push the boundaries I was curious to see how far I could take my newly found wrapping prowess.

My first idea was to see if I could absorb a wolf similar to how I did that barrel, I know it would probably end up as a zero-sum game but curiosity had me going. However that idea ended up a resounding failure, the wolf was unaware of my attempts and went about its day.

Undeterred I quickly moved on to the next thing that popped into my core. ‘If I can wrap DP around stuff, it wouldn’t be weird if I could form it into different shapes.’ Quickly spinning up a solid lump of DP I meticulously weaved it into a crude imitation of an eye.

Nothing happened at first, but as I stared upon my new creation nitpicking at its imperfections, my vision started growing fuzzy and unclear.

By the time my sight returned, I found myself staring up at my own core. Then it hit me, I was possessing the DP eye!

In this form, I couldn’t hear nor see a thing, although amidst my eerily silent solitude I could vaguely make out obscure blobs of mana. Alice, Red, The wolves, my very own core all had the same greyish mana, monotone compared to the adventurers, but appealing in their own way. Especially against this backdrop of darkness.

Needless to say, it became very easy to locate individuals within my domain. Exiting the eye, my senses returned.

“Curator?”

“Huh? Yep, Alice, I’m here, did anything happen?”

“It seems like a pair of adventurers have pushed their way past the halfway point of the first floor and has come into contact with one of the three little pigs.”

“Alice... hurry to grandma’s house, bring Big Bad and Red with you, we have a show to watch!”

“Do we have to wear hats?”

“Hats are always a must when drinking tea!”

(Zhenya POV)

Reaching the top of the hill we found that its other face was a steep drop into a circular valley of flowers. It was a small location sequestered away from the rest of the dungeon, along with this hill it was surrounded on all sides by similarly steep walls.

Surveying the fields we spotted a pink head in the distance. “Is... Is that a pig wearing clothes and walking on two legs?” Fredrica froze up at the surreal sight.

“Yep.” This wasn’t a pig beast-man, it was an actual pig walking upright and wearing clothes. How did we even find ourselves witnessing this spectacle?

The pig in question was lazily milling around the outside of its straw cottage smelling the flowers without a care in the world. Looks friendly enough, jumping down from the hillside, I tried approaching the odd creature. “HEY!! YO-” Landing next to me with a resounding thud, Fredrica forcefully seized the scruff of my armor yanking me back. Silencing me with a well-placed hand.

“What are you doing? We are in a dungeon. Who knows what this thing is, it could be a trap for all we know.” She glances at the beast(?) who was now sunbathing in a bed of flowers, “Look at it acting all cute-like, I won’t be fooled by its charade.”

Before I could even get a word out, the sound of squealing followed by the pounding of hooves caught our collective attention.

We watched in silence as the little pig desperately fled from a monstrous wolf-like being. The stalking beast stood tall on it’s two hind legs like a man. Lanky in stature it served to accentuate how long its arms were, each one ending in five sausage-like fingers, adorned with blade-like claws.

Whereas the pig scampered for its life, the wolf pridefully strode forward with a confidence of a predator who knew their prey was already caught. Each stride was enough to match five of its prey’s own, it was already a forgone conclusion. This pig wasn’t going to survive.

Reaching its cottage the poor swine swung the door shut in the monster wolf’s face. Unperturbed by its prey defiance the wolf calmly bent its massive frame down and politely knocked on the door.

“Little pig, little pig let me in.”

The monster spoke in prefect common with a tone that could only be described as gentlemanly but the beastly snarl behind the last three words, let me in, belied his dandy facade. Afraid and alone the pig only managed to sputter out. “Not by the hairs on my chiny chin chin!”

Looking almost amused by his prey’s antics the monster’s mouth opened, a feral grin revealing a large set of saliva-coated fangs.

“Than I’ll huff”

“And I’ll puff”

Between each declaration the beast sucked in more and more air, bloating what should have been his lungs and by extension its chest to a ridiculous degree.

“And I’ll blow your house down!”

With this final declaration, it unleashed all the air stored within its lungs in one devastating whirlwind sweeping up both straw house and inhabitant along with it. Flower petals stirred up from the wind pressure, obscured our view of the monster.

Turning to each other, we knew what had to be done and what we would be getting into if we did.

Strutting up to the hapless pig, relishing in its preys desperation and fear, pinned down and struggling under its own house come pile of straw. The beast loomed over its meal jaw unhinged, ready to feast. Before it could chomp down I charged in and stabbed the ravenous monster in its side, howling out in pain it lashed its massive claws down at me.

The massive hand was intercepted by Fredrica who was a step behind me. Her shield rasped under the monster’s strength but the wood and metal held true. Seizing the opportunity she struck at the monster with her sword, which it sadly dodged by leaping backwards and disengaging from us.

This marked the end of the fights opening act, our sneak attack only managing to score a single wound.

Huffing and puffing our foe sucked in air and fired them off at us in short rapid bursts. Fredrica took the lead steadily advancing forward, weathering the flurry of air bolts with her shield.

The monster, which I should have honestly expected to be smarter than the average beast. Deeming its blows ineffective let out a snarl and unleashed the rest of its air supply at the ground disappearing behind a quickly expanding veil of stirred flower petals.

“Get the pig!” Fredrica shouted but I was already on the move. Bracing myself against the harsh storm of petals, I spot the pig crawling out from under its ruined house, disorientated but unharmed. Pulling him out of the wreckage, I felt the gale abruptly die down. “Get behind me!” Putting myself in front of the pig, my instincts proved correct. Not a beat later, through the breezily raining petals came the beast charging at me while on all fours.

Tch, picking the pig up I make a run for it while carrying him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Fredrica, cover!”

With heavy thudding stomps, Fredrica crashed into the monster’s re-bloated chest with her shoulder quite literally knocking an air blast out of it. The sudden impact followed by all the air leaving its lungs left the monster staggered, breathless.

The stray blast of involuntary air went hurtling towards the straw pile scattering it to the winds. Taking advantage of the situation Fredrica and I ran away under the cover of straw as the monster huffed and gasped trying to take in air.

“T- The woods, help there...” the pig shakily pointed north still weak from everything that has happened.

Dashing across the field we quickly reached the outskirts of the valley. “Here! Jump!” Fredrica put her back to the rocky wall, shield out and at the ready. Putting the pig down while keeping pace towards her, I use the upturned shield as a jumping board to reach the ledge.

Kicking myself off the rocky cliff face I pull myself up. “Alright pass the piggy up!”

Fredrica gingerly picked up the pig and tossed him up to me in one swift motion to make sure he wasn’t harmed, well too much.

Catching the flying porker and laying him softly on the grass, I turn around and offer Fredrica a helping hand. Taking me up on the offer, she started climbing as I do my best to pull her (heavy ass) up.

While pulling my eyes wandered ultimately stopping on the monster, who was hunched over and drooling like a starved beast, it’s erratic breathing had calmed.

Ah crap, it's staring right back at me hatred burning in its eyes. Getting down on all fours the beast sprinted at us, kicking up flowers and dirt behind it.

Damn, can’t waste any more time. Gathering all my strength I hoisted Fredrica up to the ledge almost dislocating my arm in the process. “Run. Now!” Passing the pig to Fredrica we started running towards whatever direction our pink tour guide squealed out.

Through the woods and past a river we ran. Our pursuer’s panting was ever-present no matter how far we went, it always seemed to be right behind us.

Soon we broke into a clearing which contained a wooden cabin smack dab in the centre. Its owner another pig slightly bigger than the one we were carrying, laid in the grass soaking in the sunlight.

“Quick get in!” I hurriedly screamed at the clueless ham.

Fredrica shoved the first little piggy into the wooden cabin than threw the second one in before it could even squeal.

Just as Fredrica slammed the door shut, our pursuer exploded on to the scene, looking as top heavy as ever. “Little pig, little pig let me in.” It gurgled from behind its inflated chest, all gentlemanly pretense now dropped.

The second pig replied all the same “Not by the hairs on my chiny chin chin”.

We both knew what was coming and moved to intercept the air blast. Fredrica took point, of course, and I positioned myself right behind her, ready to help brace if the initial impact proved to be too much to handle.

Looking like a balloon, the monster with its chest so bulbous it now combined with its neck to the point it could no longer turn its head took us up on our challenge.

“Than I’ll huff”

“And I’ll puff”

“And I’ll blow your house down!”

Hearing it utter those final words we braced ourselves.

*BOOM*

A thunderous blow smashed into Fredrica’s shield, unable to even offer up an ounce of resistance we were sent flying into the cabin destroying it. I felt it at the moment impact, water droplets, dampness. It hit me both physically and mentally, that crafty bastard inhaled in water from the river we passed to give it the extra punch needed to knock us down!

“A- Are you okay?!” The pigs smacked us in the face with their hooves.

“Ugh yeah, I’ll be okay. Fredrica how are you holding up?”

I only felt a few minor cuts and bruises on me after flying through the shoddily built cabin walls, which probably was a good thing for me since I went through it like butter. But Fredrica, on the other hand, took the water blast head-on.

“Mostly fine but I don’t think I’m gonna be able to take any more hits like that.” Shakily holding her arm up she showed me her mangled shield and gauntlet.

The shield was basically shattered, bearly held together by the underlying leather. While the gauntlet behind it had a huge crater gouged into it with fractures running rampant throughout.

Groggily getting up I make out the monsters hazy form casually strolling towards us, ready to claim his prize.

“Fredrica, take the pigs!” Quick on the draw I charge at the monster sword poised, in a last-ditch attempt to make something happen.

Flourishing its claws the foul beast attacked, I ducked underneath and slashed at its flank in one clean motion while keeping on the move. Behind it, on it’s left now right I used the monsters large frame to my advantage, attacking it anywhere I could, my primary goal was dodging its strikes and generally making myself a nuisance.

In my frantic game of run around the wolf, I caught a glimpse of Fredrica sprinting into the woods with the pigs trailing behind her. Good, they’ll have an easier time escaping now.

I know the beast saw them running into the woods too, its starving eyes lingering on the pigs, desiring them. NOW! With its attention switched, I ran like mad into the woods hoping it was distracted long enough for me to make it. I can only guess where the others may have gone but I do know the direction they headed in, east.

Weaving between the trees and brushes I ran and ran. Even as the trees behind me were torn apart, even as I felt the monster’s hands closing in on me, even as my legs gave up and actively sought to trip me, I ran.

How long has it been a couple of seconds? Minutes?

Everything went... floaty in my head as I ran, all thoughts gone replaced with the simple act of keeping my rebellious legs in line. Left, right, left, right.

Then I saw it, a glimpse of something red in the endless green, it had to be something, anything!

Bursting through the tree line I came face to face with a red brick house remarkably well built when compared to the previous pig’s houses. Although the house was only three of me in height, it was a mansion considering the pig’s height.

Shit, I should be running right now, shouldn’t I?

It was too late the monsters panting caressed the back of my neck, its hands enclosed around me, fingers obscuring my sight.

“ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Before it could shred me to pieces in its grasp, Fredrica jumped down from god knows where plunging her sword into the monster’s neck.

“Damn beast, this is the end for you!” Using her sword like a control stick Fredrica drove her newly acquired steed into the side of the red-bricked house screaming at the top of her lungs. “Now!”

As Fredrica jumped off her impromptu ride a window directly above the monster flew open. “-three!” Was the last thing I heard before a cauldron of boiling water went soaring out the windowing dousing the monster.

Screaming and thrashing around the beast melted, starting from the cuts and stab wounds inflicted from our earlier skirmishes. its legs, waist, and neck broke down, reduced to a viscous goop. In one last desperate bid for survival, the monster Inhumanly swiveled its torso around on its newly formed gooey base wildly flailing its arms.

“You okay?” Fredrica slapped me on the back.

“Yeah let’s finish this.”

Running headlong towards the blob, I easily dodge the wide predictable swipes and bring my blade down on its sloughing shoulder, severing its arm off. Not finished yet, I turned my blade upwards driving it through the monster’s snout pulling it downwards into range for Fredrica to deliver the decisive blow, decapitating the monster.

With its head severed and skewed what little structure its body had left collapsed into a blob, trembling and warbling until finally going still.

Panting Fredrica and I gazed over the corpse of our bloby adversary for a few seconds.

...

I think It’s over.

..

.

It's finally over!

Allowing our fatigue to get the better of us, we dropped to the ground letting out a constipated sigh of relief.

The trio of pigs happily trotted out of their immaculate mansion thanking us for saving them. The biggest and oldest pig produced a picture book from inside his mansion giving it to us as a thank you gift for saving his younger brothers.

The book was quite similar to-, and that was as far as my brain went before the paralyzing muscle pain set in. The two younger siblings not having much to their names due to a surprise housing collapse told us where the entrance to the second floor was located. It was remarkably close by.

Not wanting to dilly dally, the moment we had feeling back into our legs Fredrica and I scavenged what we could from the monsters bloby remains and hobbled north, where the entrance should be located.

The entrance? Took the form of a decently large lectern that jutted out of the ground, standing in the middle of a grassy field with nothing else to either side or behind it. Little to say, it was fairly hard to miss.

On it laid a thin book opened to the first page, without even thinking I turn it to the next page. In doing so all the world around us turned, day became night, the woods behind us disappeared and a new landscape popped up in front of us.

“Want to go back and set up camp by the book?” Fredrica asked stoned faced, too tired to deal with this shit right now, eyes flickering everywhere scanning our unfamiliar surroundings for threats.

“Yeah... I can get behind that.” Turning back to the first page, we were back on the first floor when a thought formed inside my exhausted mind.

“Don’t.” Fredrica already knew where this was going.

I didn’t even think I could form this big of a shit eating-grin but I somehow managed it. Grabbing the page I quickly flip it back and forth between the two rapidly switching between floors.