CH.21 The Core
<span style="font-weight:400">As we were making our way through the dungeon I realized how awful it really looked. This was not some hunting area. This was an extermination house. I think Alice might even throw up. Even the knights were a little spooked. The only ones rtively unaffected were the members of Prime Rib. I guess an adventuring party has destroyedrge amounts of weak monsters before.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey Brian, is it just me or were these monsters trying to make their way deeper into the dungeon? Most of them are facing towards the deeper parts of the dungeon.” Zayaan made the observation.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s because I sneaked my way to the core room without them noticing. After the core was eliminated they all became aggressive towards me because I broke their food source and home. After that I had a summoned monster make a way for me to escape.” I answered with something I came up with a little earlier. With a spell like Darkness approaches I could have done it, so while it is a lie, I could do it. Probably.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why would you sneak in, instead of just destroying the goblins as you go along?” It was Rico who asked that.
<span style="font-weight:400">“There are kobolds here as well, if you didn’t notice. But I did it that way to make sure I could save any hostages the goblins might have. I didn’t want my summon to stomp all over them.” I answered. I think that sounds like a decent excuse.
<span style="font-weight:400">“How thoughtful of you.” Rico said sarcastically. “Or you just wanted the fame of bing a dungeon founder.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wow, passive aggressive much, mister ‘will do anything for money’. I didn’t even know what a rogue dungeon was until I gained system support. I thought this was only a goblin’s nest.” I try to bully Rico back a little. I’m actually not sure if he really loves money, or if that is just my observation.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You little jerk. Get over here and I’ll…” Well I might have been correct considering Ricos reaction.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Rico! Shut up!” Zayaan said in an angry voice.
<span style="font-weight:400">Everyone was quiet for a second after that. I guess Zay can be really scary.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brian may I ask a question?” Alice asked me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Go for it.” I answer her. “Also isn’t what you just asked a question in itself.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, it might be.” She muttered before asking. “What kind of monster did you summon to kill all these monsters?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, that was Uraby.” I say. Everyone looks confused. I guess that doesn’t really tell much. “Arge lizard thing that walks on two legs. Has ck hide and attacks with sharp ws and teeth.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, I see. So you can summon some powerful monsters.” Alice seemed impressed. “Could you teach me?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m not sure. My summoning is kind of unique.” I answer.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is there some harm in teaching her?” The baron asks.
<span style="font-weight:400">“As I said, my summoning is unique. As in it originates from a unique skill. I’m just not sure I could even teach it to her.” I mean I could probably give a card to someone else and they might be able to use it, but that doesn’t really teach them summoning. It would be more like borrowing my power.
<span style="font-weight:400">““A UNIQUE SKILL!?”” Both Zay and Rico yelled out. Others didn’t freak out nearly as much. I guess it would be unexpected that I have something like that. At least the baron didn’t freak out, but next to system support, a unique skill might not be that rare.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is that why you hid your skills?” The baron asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. I just really wasn’t sure I should talk about it. But I think I can trust you all.” I said. Then I look at Rico and say. “If I hear you leaked this information I will find you, and I will kill you.” God, I have wanted to say that line.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why are you saying that to me? Any one of us could be the one to leak it.” Rico tried to defend himself.
<span style="font-weight:400">“But you are the only one that will sell it for a gold coin.” Zay said to Rico.
<span style="font-weight:400">“At least some of us have standards.” Alex pressed on.<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">—<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“These kobolds have been killed by a sword. How did that happen?” It was one of the knights that asked that.
<span style="font-weight:400">“They were ones that survived Urabys rampage. They were dealt with by another summon.” I answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So you can even summon monsters capable of using weapons?” The baron asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah I can. Prime Rib has already seen one.” I tell the baron.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That little imp with a spear, right?” Zayaan confirms.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, that one. It wasn’t the one that killed these kobolds, but that’s not really important.” <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">—<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">“The core room is up next.” I say as we make our way from thest dungeon room into the tunnel that leads to the core. “There will be a lot of monster corpses here so watch your step.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I remembering out of here and just walking on a carpet of corpses so I decided to warn the others.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That really is a lot. Do you know how many there are?” The baron asked me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I think it was a little over 100.” I answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s quite a lot. Your lizard summon must be really strong to be able to kill that many.” The baronmented.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, it’s strong.” I give an offhandment to hide the fact that most of these guys were killed by Sparks.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s difficult to walk here.” Aliceined. Don’tin to me, I didn’t bring you along. I also did warn you.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Try to walk where you see the footprints of Brian’s summon. The ground is a little more solid there.” Zayaan gave her a tip.
<span style="font-weight:400">“And get my bootspletely covered in blood. No thank you.” Alice refuses the advice. Miss fancy girl doesn’t want to get bloody.
<span style="font-weight:400">“They already are so what’s the harm?” I tell her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t call me dirty!” She explodes back.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I didn’t. I said your boots already are bloody so you can’t really prevent them from getting bloody.” I say back to her. Are we having a lover quarrel?
<span style="font-weight:400">“You say that as if your shoes aren’t. You are just walking through the blood with no care whatsoever.” She really wants to keep going. Luckily we made it out of the tunnel and into the core room.
<span style="font-weight:400">“As you can see,” I say and point at my shoes. “My shoes are clean. So where is your excuse now?” I taunt Alice a little.
<span style="font-weight:400">“HOW?! That’s impossible!” Alice seemedpletely taken back by my shoes and the rest of my clothing. I mean, I’m the only one without a drop of blood on me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Magic, duh.” Another line I have wanted to say. Not that it’s true.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Your clothing must be very well enchanted to be able to avoid all the dirt and grime.” The baron seemed interested in my clothes.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I am not selling them if that’s what you want. I also don’t know who made them, since they were a gift from my mom.” I gave him a lie and a truth. I do know what manufacturer made my clothes, but they don’t exist in this world. And the hoodie and the jeans were a gift from my mom.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. That’s a shame.” He answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Can we just focus on what we came here for.” Zay said, trying to get us back on track.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course.” The baron said. “So that is the core pedestal. The rogue core seemsrger than I would expect for a dungeon this size.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Agreed.” Zay said. “That looks more like an s-rank core than a b-rank one. In a dungeon of this size the core should be smaller.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Perhaps this dungeon was still in its early stages of growth.” I offer up some bullshit that sounds reasonable.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That could be.” The baron seems to agree with me. “Brian, remove the old core from the pedestal.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure.” I walk up to the pedestal and do as I’m told. I expect it to be heavy but it really isn’t. I still enjoy the feeling of its smooth surface against my hand. I ce the old core gently on the floor next to the pedestal.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good.” The baron said. “Make sure there is no rubble on the pedestal.”
<span style="font-weight:400">As I run my hand over the surface of the pedestal, it feels good to me. It’s not as smooth as the old core but still feels fine. I don’t feel anything that could get in the way so I say: “I think it’s fine. I don’t feel anything weird on it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Now Henry, bring out the monster core.” The baron gives an order to his butler. Henry walks up to me and from his item box outes a shining stone evenrger than the old core.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s not an A-rank core. Baron, why are you using an S-rank core for this?” Zayaan was the one to ask that. I actually also want to know. Arent S-rank cores super expensive. Where would you even get one?
<span style="font-weight:400">“That is the core of the lesser Behemoth that Alexander Watchman hunted on the Alewatch ins before founding the town there. It has been our family treasure since then. I decided that a dungeon near the town would be the best ce to use it.” The baron gave his reasoning.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you sure this is fine?” I ask the baron to confirm.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Do it.” He answers. Come on. You didn’t do it in the Emperor''s voice. I demand a redo. <span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">I take the core from Henry and gently ce it down on the pedestal.
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Brian Wood has founded the dungeon 22_090</td>
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