My head felt endlessly empty. For hours, I stared at the green boards floating in my field of vision, hiding the darkness. I had apparently won something called Dungeon Points, quite a lot it seemed, and the dungeon had lost all its floors. The mana, which I felt with every fiber of my being and still felt, made me feel great - or at least it should have. But while my body felt as if Cilia's gentle hands were caressing it all over, my head was not in for it.
I killed innocent people. Three of them in fact. And I couldn't even tell who was among the victims.
Did I perhaps kill the priestess by letting my emotions get the better of me? That's how it worked, right? The dungeon had collapsed because of me!
I hastily made the green boards disappear, pushing them away with my hands since I wasn't ready to deal with them yet. Instead, I laid down and hugged the dungeon core once more.
Again, the gentle warmth calmed my soul. Unfortunately, the crystal ball did little to fend off my guilt.
"Cilia…"
Just thinking of Cilia made a faint bell ringing in my ears. It was almost inaudible, but I knew she was listening. She was truly here with me.
"What should I do now…"
This time there was no bell. Instead, one of the green boards reappeared, this time with a different message.
『Quest 1: First Steps
Task: Create your first room
Reward: Unlock your starter monster
You don't want to be trapped in this tiny hole forever, do you?~』
There was nothing else on the board, but somehow I felt more than just a few words were conveyed. I felt love, a lively feeling of love, enough to momentarily forget my worries.
"She's listening to me…"
A faint smile appeared on my lips because I knew she was there for me. I slowly sat up, hesitantly letting go of my core, trying to lean against the board—or at least attempting to. My arms couldn't even touch it. It was as if it wasn't even there.
With a sigh, I focused instead on the impending task. This would allow for more messages from Cilia. I hoped, no, I knew it.
Of course, I had no idea what I was doing. There was no guide telling me what to do, and Cilia hadn't shown me any tricks either. But as soon as I thought about creating a room, a new green board appeared. This one looked smaller and thinner, but it seemed to want to guide me through the process.
「Create Room
Cost: 1 Mana/1000m³
Mana: 18199」
I immediately accepted what the board demanded, not even bothering to determine the size of the room it would create.
Before I knew it, a loud rumbling was heard, and the darkness around me seemed to recede quite a bit. I knew the dungeon—I—was now slightly larger, but I could barely see any of it.
As if they were an answer to my problems, two new boards appeared, one rather small, the other taking up most of my field of vision.
『Quest 1: First Steps
Task Completed: Create your first room
Reward: Unlock a starter monster of your choice
Good job!』
「Starter Monsters:
Fire Fox (F)
A weak vulpine monster that uses fire magic to attack enemies. Enjoys the warmth of nearby heat sources and loves spicy foods. Has a courageous character.
Air Fox (F)
A weak vulpine monster that can hinder enemies with wind magic. Loves chasing after gusts of wind and enjoys playful games with leaves. The air fox is a highly playful and mischievous monster.
Earth Fox (F)
A weak vulpine monster that can withstand severe wounds. When it is not currently digging or shaping the earth, this monster prefers resting in its den. The earth fox is as stoic and stubborn as its element.
Water Fox (F)
A weak vulpine monster with healing abilities. Enjoys swimming in calm ponds and watching small animals. Has a gentle and nurturing character.」
I couldn't help but laugh at the selection. Cilia had obviously done everything she could to provide me with nothing but foxes. There was no goblin, no slime, no wolf or zombie, simply nothing but foxes.
Thanks to the admittedly small selection, I had no trouble deciding. I didn't need a healer as long as there were no other monsters, and neither would a monster that could endure much damage help me if it dealt little damage in turn. An air fox was out of the question too since it only hindered enemies instead of actively defeating them. No, the fire fox was clearly the right choice.
Almost immediately, I was rewarded with a wave of warmth that flooded me. I couldn't help but start purring. Cilia was still here, watching over me.
"Fire Fox unlocked," a small, thin board told me.
『Quest 2: Foxy Ally
Task: Summon your first monster
Reward: Allows decoration of dungeon rooms.
Monsters disappear when killed, leaving behind a mana core and some loot depending on the monster killed. However, they will reappear after some time as your ley line nourishes them back to health, so don't you worry!』
Summoning the fox was quite simple. I just had to think about it, and a new small board appeared, listing all the monsters I now had access to—and it was just one. The fox would cost 50 points of mana if I calculated correctly, but with Cilia's blessing, the total cost was reduced to just 13 points instead.
As if to confirm my choice, the board disappeared in an instant. A faint blue cloud now emanated from within me; it spread out in the darkness before starting to swirl around me, faster and ever faster. After about a minute of this spectacle, the cloud slowly condensed into a spherical shape, only to, when it was just the size of my head, unexpectedly burst into flames. Four legs grew from the flames, then a head and a long tail.
Before I knew it, I was staring at a small creature with four legs that barely reached up to my neck while I was sitting. It had a body of pure fire that seemed to burn with the same intensity forever. Two ruby-colored eyes stared at me, waiting for some reaction from me.
At first, I was afraid of the creature; I feared it would burn me, but instead of painful heat, only a pleasant warmth awaited me, one that reminded me all too much of the goddess that had brought me here. I couldn't help but smile.
As if he had felt my emotions, the fox slowly approached me. It sat down beside me and snuggled up against my chest. Its touch was almost imperceptible, so light it felt. I couldn't help but hug the fox, gently so that my arms didn't slide through his body. Soon enough, I was rewarded with a soft purring sound, reminiscent of a cat’s. The fox was obviously feeling comfortable.
『Quest 2: Foxy Ally
Task Completed: Summon your first monster
Reward: Allows decoration of dungeon rooms.
Monsters don't have to be scary at all~』
Cilia was right. Monsters were not cursed to be scary; they were simply beings born of magic. Magic itself could not be evil! Sure, I couldn't say for sure when it came for undead, but still...
The goddess waited a few moments while I rested before letting a new, third quest appear.
『Quest 3: A Place to Call Home
Task: Use your dungeon points and mana to change and decorate your room.
Reward: Unlocks room themes
Just say "Room," "Floor," or "Dungeon," to get started!』
"Dungeon Points?"
As if to answer my question, a small green board appeared, showing me what seemed to be a large number: ‘DP: 4870.’ Unfortunately, I wasn't sure what that meant for me, except that it was some kind of currency, thus limited.
Mana was easier to grasp. I knew how mages could perform all sorts of tricks with its help. My father had also extensively researched it, having wanted to use it in connection to dungeons in some way. Unfortunately, not everyone was born with the same abilities, so some were never able to cast even a single spell. Even now as a dungeon, I seemed to have a limit, albeit one I couldn't quite understand.
「Mana: 18198 / 100
Hourly Regeneration: -25」
"I'm losing mana?!"
I wasn't good at math, but I knew very well what that meant for me. Right at this moment, I felt powerful, energetic, and invincible; I felt like nothing could wear me down. Even my previous problems seemed somehow forgotten - albeit slightly. This was the case ever since my core had absorbed the old floors. To think that this addictive euphoria would eventually come to an end was, to say the least, disheartening. Still, I had to make the most of the mana I had before it was gone, without me being able to do anything with it! But first, I had to make sure I saw what I was doing.
"Room!"
「Unnamed Room
Add or remove fauna
Add or remove flora
Add or remove traps
Change size and shape
Change time of day
Change weather
Mana: 18198, DP: 4870」
"Time of day… That must be it!"
As soon as I thought of this, a new board appeared, replacing the old one. I didn't even have to say a word. Somehow, the dungeon listened to my thoughts, just like Cilia had, and I had no reason to complain about it. If anything, it made my work easier.
「Time of Day
Morning: 50 DP
Day: 75 DP
Evening: 50 DP
Night: 25 DP
Changing Time of Day: 100 DP
Dungeon Points: 4870」
Choosing between these few options was easy. I wanted to see, so it had to be sunny at least. But when would I sleep if there was no night? I couldn't possibly sleep in broad daylight! So, of course, there was only one option:
"Changing Time of Day!" I demanded.
Suddenly, a blinding light appeared above me, becoming brighter and brighter until it forced me to close my eyes. It took a moment for me to get used to the brightness, but soon I embraced it with all my heart.
With the light of the artificial sun came a clear, blue sky in the shape of a dome that was held up seemingly only by the walls of my dungeon. It almost looked natural if you didn’t pay too close attention to it.
With the light done and dusted it was easy for me to explore the changes to my body. A quick glance at my backside and a hand reaching up was enough to confirm that I was indeed half-human, half-animal, possessing both large ears perched on my head and the tail of a monster or beastkin. Other than that - and my hair and fur color now being red - nothing had changed, for which I was more than grateful. I couldn't imagine what I would have done if I had turned into a real monster, not that the fox looked like one.
After getting a bit more familiar with myself and the fox, I turned my attention back to the dungeon itself. The room I was in was shaped like a cube, each side ten meters long. All around me were rocky walls supporting the artificial sky, which looked almost real if I didn't look too closely.
Of course, this room was not big enough if I were to live there for the rest of my life. It almost felt as if I could touch the sky if I really stretched and jumped! I had to try something out...
"Turn this room into a dome shape and enlarge it as much as you can!"
Hardly had I spoken those words when a cold shiver ran down my spine, and all the heat seemed to leave my body. I grew sleepy, more so from second to second, and soon I was resting on the bed of white fur that Cilia had given me. My eyes became heavier and heavier...
Poorly drawn Fire Fox [collapse] The AI overlord's Fire Fox [collapse]
My head felt endlessly empty. For hours, I stared at the green boards floating in my field of vision, hiding the darkness. I had apparently won something called Dungeon Points, quite a lot it seemed, and the dungeon had lost all its floors. The mana, which I felt with every fiber of my being and still felt, made me feel great - or at least it should have. But while my body felt as if Cilia's gentle hands were caressing it all over, my head was not in for it.
I killed innocent people. Three of them in fact. And I couldn't even tell who was among the victims.
Did I perhaps kill the priestess by letting my emotions get the better of me? That's how it worked, right? The dungeon had collapsed because of me!
I hastily made the green boards disappear, pushing them away with my hands since I wasn't ready to deal with them yet. Instead, I laid down and hugged the dungeon core once more.
Again, the gentle warmth calmed my soul. Unfortunately, the crystal ball did little to fend off my guilt.
"Cilia…"
Just thinking of Cilia made a faint bell ringing in my ears. It was almost inaudible, but I knew she was listening. She was truly here with me.
"What should I do now…"
This time there was no bell. Instead, one of the green boards reappeared, this time with a different message.
『Quest 1: First Steps
Task: Create your first room
Reward: Unlock your starter monster
You don't want to be trapped in this tiny hole forever, do you?~』
There was nothing else on the board, but somehow I felt more than just a few words were conveyed. I felt love, a lively feeling of love, enough to momentarily forget my worries.
"She's listening to me…"
A faint smile appeared on my lips because I knew she was there for me. I slowly sat up, hesitantly letting go of my core, trying to lean against the board—or at least attempting to. My arms couldn't even touch it. It was as if it wasn't even there.
With a sigh, I focused instead on the impending task. This would allow for more messages from Cilia. I hoped, no, I knew it.
Of course, I had no idea what I was doing. There was no guide telling me what to do, and Cilia hadn't shown me any tricks either. But as soon as I thought about creating a room, a new green board appeared. This one looked smaller and thinner, but it seemed to want to guide me through the process.
「Create Room
Cost: 1 Mana/1000m³
Mana: 18199」
I immediately accepted what the board demanded, not even bothering to determine the size of the room it would create.
Before I knew it, a loud rumbling was heard, and the darkness around me seemed to recede quite a bit. I knew the dungeon—I—was now slightly larger, but I could barely see any of it.
As if they were an answer to my problems, two new boards appeared, one rather small, the other taking up most of my field of vision.
『Quest 1: First Steps
Task Completed: Create your first room
Reward: Unlock a starter monster of your choice
Good job!』
「Starter Monsters:
Fire Fox (F)
A weak vulpine monster that uses fire magic to attack enemies. Enjoys the warmth of nearby heat sources and loves spicy foods. Has a courageous character.
Air Fox (F)
A weak vulpine monster that can hinder enemies with wind magic. Loves chasing after gusts of wind and enjoys playful games with leaves. The air fox is a highly playful and mischievous monster.
Earth Fox (F)
A weak vulpine monster that can withstand severe wounds. When it is not currently digging or shaping the earth, this monster prefers resting in its den. The earth fox is as stoic and stubborn as its element.
Water Fox (F)
A weak vulpine monster with healing abilities. Enjoys swimming in calm ponds and watching small animals. Has a gentle and nurturing character.」
I couldn't help but laugh at the selection. Cilia had obviously done everything she could to provide me with nothing but foxes. There was no goblin, no slime, no wolf or zombie, simply nothing but foxes.
Thanks to the admittedly small selection, I had no trouble deciding. I didn't need a healer as long as there were no other monsters, and neither would a monster that could endure much damage help me if it dealt little damage in turn. An air fox was out of the question too since it only hindered enemies instead of actively defeating them. No, the fire fox was clearly the right choice.
Almost immediately, I was rewarded with a wave of warmth that flooded me. I couldn't help but start purring. Cilia was still here, watching over me.
"Fire Fox unlocked," a small, thin board told me.
『Quest 2: Foxy Ally
Task: Summon your first monster
Reward: Allows decoration of dungeon rooms.
Monsters disappear when killed, leaving behind a mana core and some loot depending on the monster killed. However, they will reappear after some time as your ley line nourishes them back to health, so don't you worry!』
Summoning the fox was quite simple. I just had to think about it, and a new small board appeared, listing all the monsters I now had access to—and it was just one. The fox would cost 50 points of mana if I calculated correctly, but with Cilia's blessing, the total cost was reduced to just 13 points instead.
As if to confirm my choice, the board disappeared in an instant. A faint blue cloud now emanated from within me; it spread out in the darkness before starting to swirl around me, faster and ever faster. After about a minute of this spectacle, the cloud slowly condensed into a spherical shape, only to, when it was just the size of my head, unexpectedly burst into flames. Four legs grew from the flames, then a head and a long tail.
Before I knew it, I was staring at a small creature with four legs that barely reached up to my neck while I was sitting. It had a body of pure fire that seemed to burn with the same intensity forever. Two ruby-colored eyes stared at me, waiting for some reaction from me.
At first, I was afraid of the creature; I feared it would burn me, but instead of painful heat, only a pleasant warmth awaited me, one that reminded me all too much of the goddess that had brought me here. I couldn't help but smile.
As if he had felt my emotions, the fox slowly approached me. It sat down beside me and snuggled up against my chest. Its touch was almost imperceptible, so light it felt. I couldn't help but hug the fox, gently so that my arms didn't slide through his body. Soon enough, I was rewarded with a soft purring sound, reminiscent of a cat’s. The fox was obviously feeling comfortable.
『Quest 2: Foxy Ally
Task Completed: Summon your first monster
Reward: Allows decoration of dungeon rooms.
Monsters don't have to be scary at all~』
Cilia was right. Monsters were not cursed to be scary; they were simply beings born of magic. Magic itself could not be evil! Sure, I couldn't say for sure when it came for undead, but still...
The goddess waited a few moments while I rested before letting a new, third quest appear.
『Quest 3: A Place to Call Home
Task: Use your dungeon points and mana to change and decorate your room.
Reward: Unlocks room themes
Just say "Room," "Floor," or "Dungeon," to get started!』
"Dungeon Points?"
As if to answer my question, a small green board appeared, showing me what seemed to be a large number: ‘DP: 4870.’ Unfortunately, I wasn't sure what that meant for me, except that it was some kind of currency, thus limited.
Mana was easier to grasp. I knew how mages could perform all sorts of tricks with its help. My father had also extensively researched it, having wanted to use it in connection to dungeons in some way. Unfortunately, not everyone was born with the same abilities, so some were never able to cast even a single spell. Even now as a dungeon, I seemed to have a limit, albeit one I couldn't quite understand.
「Mana: 18198 / 100
Hourly Regeneration: -25」
"I'm losing mana?!"
I wasn't good at math, but I knew very well what that meant for me. Right at this moment, I felt powerful, energetic, and invincible; I felt like nothing could wear me down. Even my previous problems seemed somehow forgotten - albeit slightly. This was the case ever since my core had absorbed the old floors. To think that this addictive euphoria would eventually come to an end was, to say the least, disheartening. Still, I had to make the most of the mana I had before it was gone, without me being able to do anything with it! But first, I had to make sure I saw what I was doing.
"Room!"
「Unnamed Room
Add or remove fauna
Add or remove flora
Add or remove traps
Change size and shape
Change time of day
Change weather
Mana: 18198, DP: 4870」
"Time of day… That must be it!"
As soon as I thought of this, a new board appeared, replacing the old one. I didn't even have to say a word. Somehow, the dungeon listened to my thoughts, just like Cilia had, and I had no reason to complain about it. If anything, it made my work easier.
「Time of Day
Morning: 50 DP
Day: 75 DP
Evening: 50 DP
Night: 25 DP
Changing Time of Day: 100 DP
Dungeon Points: 4870」
Choosing between these few options was easy. I wanted to see, so it had to be sunny at least. But when would I sleep if there was no night? I couldn't possibly sleep in broad daylight! So, of course, there was only one option:
"Changing Time of Day!" I demanded.
Suddenly, a blinding light appeared above me, becoming brighter and brighter until it forced me to close my eyes. It took a moment for me to get used to the brightness, but soon I embraced it with all my heart.
With the light of the artificial sun came a clear, blue sky in the shape of a dome that was held up seemingly only by the walls of my dungeon. It almost looked natural if you didn’t pay too close attention to it.
With the light done and dusted it was easy for me to explore the changes to my body. A quick glance at my backside and a hand reaching up was enough to confirm that I was indeed half-human, half-animal, possessing both large ears perched on my head and the tail of a monster or beastkin. Other than that - and my hair and fur color now being red - nothing had changed, for which I was more than grateful. I couldn't imagine what I would have done if I had turned into a real monster, not that the fox looked like one.
After getting a bit more familiar with myself and the fox, I turned my attention back to the dungeon itself. The room I was in was shaped like a cube, each side ten meters long. All around me were rocky walls supporting the artificial sky, which looked almost real if I didn't look too closely.
Of course, this room was not big enough if I were to live there for the rest of my life. It almost felt as if I could touch the sky if I really stretched and jumped! I had to try something out...
"Turn this room into a dome shape and enlarge it as much as you can!"
Hardly had I spoken those words when a cold shiver ran down my spine, and all the heat seemed to leave my body. I grew sleepy, more so from second to second, and soon I was resting on the bed of white fur that Cilia had given me. My eyes became heavier and heavier...
Poorly drawn Fire Fox [collapse] The AI overlord's Fire Fox [collapse]
