Chereads / Becoming a Dungeon Core / Chapter 33 - Floor(1)

Chapter 33 - Floor(1)

Talk - " "

Think + abilities/passives names - [ ]

System - ( )

Author thought - [[ ]]

Action - * *

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"RAWWWWWWRRRRRRRR"

In front of the cave coveted by Alex stood a colossal, enraged bear-like creature. The term "bear-like" was an understatement, as Alex could discern the creature's composition – a massive amalgamation of rocks bound together by the roots extending from the tree on its back.

Drawing from his knowledge of various fantasy genres, Alex deduced that the creature before him was likely an earth/plant elemental assuming the guise of a bear. The situation escalated when the bear, for reasons unknown, attacked them aggressively. Even Alex's formidable Death Angel found itself struggling against this strong opponent.

As for the furious demeanor of the colossal bear-like creature, Alex remained in the dark about the cause of its intense anger. However, guessing from the sight of a sword lodged in the tree on its back, along with the blood-smeared surroundings and the creature's own injured state, a recent fight had taken place. It was evident that someone had attempted to engage the creature in combat and had met with failure, leaving the bear in a state of aggravated hostility.

The bear was physically weak, the Death Angel managed to catch the bear-like creature off guard with its exceptional speed, cleanly slicing off its head. However, this seemingly decisive action failed to halt the creature's relentless assault. The roots extending from the tree on its back swiftly seized the detached head, effortlessly reattaching it as if nothing had occurred. It became evident that the real challenge lay in the creature's formidable magical abilities rather than its physical resilience.

With a thunderous roar, the bear-like creature slammed the ground with its massive front paws, triggering violent tremors in the surroundings. Enormous spikes, crafted from rocks, erupted from the ground directly beneath the Death Angel. However, relying on its exceptional hearing and speed, the Death Angel adeptly dodged the initial wave of spikes.

Yet, the relentless assault continued, with an increasing number of spikes emerging from the ground, relentlessly pursuing the Death Angel. Alex attempted to counter with [Wind Cutter], but the spell proved insufficient, leaving only minor scars on the sturdy rock spikes. The magical onslaught intensified, posing a growing challenge for Alex and his Death Angel.

Alex and the Death Angel attempted to flee into the surrounding forest. However, a troubling development unfolded as the tree on the bear's back emitted a glow. Soon after, every tree in the vicinity transformed, shifting its form to obstruct any escape route.

The challenge escalated when roots and vines materialized almost out of thin air, attempting to ensnare the Death Angel. Although the spikes ceased their pursuit, the duo found themselves encircled by the now animated trees. Any endeavor to climb over the obstacles was met with resistance, as the trees employed their sturdy branches and roots to forcibly bring them back down. The magical onslaught and the sentient trees made escape increasingly difficult for Alex and the Death Angel.

As the Death Angel heavily attempted to break through the magical and animated obstacles, coming close to success, the bear caught up with them. Once it caught up to them, the ground around the bear began to deform and wrap around its body, creating armor composed of dirt and rocks. Slowly, the bear compacted all this to itself, fortifying its defenses.

Refusing to be mere spectators to the bear making itself stronger, Alex swiftly issued a command to the Death Angel. Taking heed of its master's directive, the Death Angel moved to strike the tree on the bear's back.

He also recognized a potential weakness in the bear's magical capabilities, Alex swiftly observed that the creature could only employ its stronger magic sequentially, allowing a brief window of vulnerability. Seizing this opportunity, and still clutched in the Death Angel's mouth, held in place by its teeth, Alex began charging up [Wind Cutter].

Despite the 12 seconds required to fully form the spell, Alex continued to concentrate and inject mana into it to make it even stronger, he hoped. Determined to exploit the bear's momentary limitation, he prepared to unleash the charged [Wind Cutter] once he found an opening.

The Death Angel surged forward with incredible speed, aiming to slice through the tree on the bear's back. However, their progress was slowed as the bear conjured a protective wall of earth, trying to thwart their attack.

Undeterred, Alex was still trying to find an opening with his charged [Wind Cutter], waiting for the opportune moment. However the spell reached an unstable state after a few more seconds, precisely five, so he had to unleash it at the wall with the hope of it cutting through the magically reinforced wall of rocks and dirt.

To his dismay, the [Wind Cutter] proved too weak to pierce the rock wall. Although it made some headway into the wall, it fell short of the desired impact. Fortunately, the Death Angel's strength shone through as it demolished the wall in just three strikes. Despite the bear's swift magical response, erecting more barriers between them, each subsequent wall weakened under the relentless assault. The tide of the confrontation was slowly turning in Alex and the Death Angel's favor.

Still, they were too slow. The bear was able to finish reinforcing itself. However, Alex still had one more heavy-ass trick as they were close to the bear. With a quick command of his system, a 64 ft tall, metal, heavy-weight class machine was dropped on the bear. Crushing it.

(

Minor Terianite(Earth) bear elemental killed

Minor Regal Hazel(Plant) elemental Killed

Tall-Neck is now level 3

Host is now level 7

+ 1 Common Summon Token

+ 1 Common Ability/Passive Token

+ 1 Common Item Token

+ 100 Shop Points(SP)

)

In a display of majestic grandeur, the Tall-Neck was summoned directly atop the bear. In an instant, the colossal creature met its demise, crushed beneath the towering presence of the summoned Tall-Neck. The remnants of bark and stone were all that remained in the wake of being crushed.

In a moment of alleged forgetfulness, Alex may or may not have overlooked the fact that the cooldown for summoning the Tall Neck had concluded an hour ago. However, a voice named Alexa in his super-duper intelligent mind graciously provided him with the idea at just the right moment. Naturally, all credit was due to Alex's great planning.

The aftermath revealed that the bear and the tree were distinct entities, raising the question of why the tree hadn't attacked during the bear's magical assault. Alex, not being an expert in such matters, decided to set that question aside for the time being.

Swiftly expressing his gratitude to Alexa for the timely suggestion, Alex proceeded to gather the spoils that had fallen from the defeated bear and tree. Among the loot, he found a C-ranked core, an item labeled as a Regal Hazel tree seed, and a minor Terianite heart, undoubtedly valuable resources in his adventure, he hoped.

With the C-ranked core, Regal Hazel tree seed, and minor Terianite heart secured in his [Inventory], Alex observed as the remnants of the defeated bear and tree elementals began to disintegrate. Their bodies slowly crumbled away, transforming into a fine dust that dispersed and returned to the embrace of nature. 

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Returning to his hard-won home, Alex ventured into the cave, a hidden gem concealed within a massive, thick tree. The entrance, shrouded in moss and partially concealed by small bushes, could accommodate eight people walking side by side. Once inside, the true charm of the cave unfolded.

To his surprise, the interior was remarkably well-kept. The typical stalagmites and stalactites found in many caves were absent, and the tunnel stretched about the length of two football fields, Alex guessed. Progressing through this passage, they eventually reached the heart of the bear's home, the cavern itself.

Alex found himself in a cavernous space that, aside from the three decaying bodies in one corner, appeared mostly empty. The remnants of what seemed to be a male human, a female feline demi-human, and a short, but stocky male dwarf lay in a state of decay, still clad in their gear. Hints of relatively fresh blood stained the cavern floor, but conspicuously, there were no "fresh" bodies to be found. So he just stored the bodies in his [Inventory] and focused on dungeon making.

But he needed guidance on how to proceed with creating his dungeon, so Alex turned to the voice within his mind.

[Alexa, how do I make the dungeon?] he inquired, uncertain of the next steps.

In response, the voice advised him to consult the Dungeon Beginner Guide. Slightly embarrassed that he had forgotten about the guide, Alex retrieved a brown book bearing the title 'Dungeon Beginner Guide'. As soon as he touched the book, it quickly transformed into blue dust and assimilated into his body. Soon, his mind was hit hard with the knowledge of dungeon-making, giving him a headache.

With the information from the Dungeon Beginner Guide now embedded in his mind, Alex wasted no time. Mentally rubbing his head in acknowledgment, he immersed himself in the task at hand, carefully following the steps outlined in his newfound knowledge. 

Step 1 was selecting the location for his dungeon, that was done so Alex proceeded to the next step.

Step 2 instructed him to position his main body in the center of the room, and so, with the assistance of his Death Angel, he was gently placed at the heart of the cavern.

Now, moving on to Step 3, it is said to continuously release mana into the surroundings and let the system take charge.

As Alex delved into Step 3, he found the steps after in his mind, but they remained a jumble of incomprehensible letters and words. He was going to focus on those weird steps once he was done.

With Step 3 underway, he suddenly experienced a complete blackout, his vision turned black. In that momentary darkness, two notifications emerged in front of him: [5/5 days until Dungeon completion] and [?/? days until Form Two was created].

After a brief lapse, a surge of mana, beyond anything he could manage or control at his current level, flooded forth in an instant. The overwhelming energy filled every inch of the cavern and extended into the passage, marking a transformative event in the creation of his dungeon.

The released mana was not only vast but also incredibly dense, exerting a force that expelled Alex's Death Angel from the entire cave. Despite the Death Angel's attempt to resist, it proved futile against the sheer intensity of the magical torrent. The struggle was as futile as a regular human attempting to halt a 25-ton semi-truck hurtling downhill at 120 mph with their body alone, certainly, an overwhelming force that left no room for resistance.

The expulsion of the Death Angel from the cave entrance was quick and forceful, propelling it beyond the confines of the cavern. It only managed to stop thanks to several now-broken trees.

Simultaneously, the released mana encountered an invisible barrier at the cave entrance, halting its advance. Strangely, bits of mana began to pass through this invisible barrier, creating a series of complex runes. These runes etched themselves into the surface of a colossal tree standing directly in front of the cave entrance.

Within moments, the towering tree, nearly as tall as the Tall Neck, responded to the magical influence. It shuddered and gradually transformed its entire form, assuming the shape of an archway that extended along the edges of the cave entrance. 

As the runes on the newly formed archway began to glow with a brilliant blue radiance, the entire structure, along with the cave entrance, underwent a quick transformation. The intense glow persisted for several seconds, captivating the surroundings with its ethereal brilliance. Yet, as quickly as it appeared, the luminosity vanished completely.

In its wake, the archway, the cave entrance, and the magical alterations to the mountain itself seemed to dissolve into an illusion. The only remnants left were the natural contours of the mountain, giving the impression that nothing unusual had occurred. 

Meanwhile, within the confines of the cave passage and the cavern, a complex array of runes manifested in abundance. These symbols, far beyond the comprehension of even lower gods within the realm, held a mysterious and profound quality. However, for those deities specialized in the domains of space, time, and runes, the unfolding scene would reveal a staggering truth.

The runes being crafted within Alex's newfound home were not merely simple symbols, they were catalysts breaking the very fabric of space and time. The completion of these arcane inscriptions had a transformative effect, shifting the entire cave into an alternate dimension.

Over the course of 5 entire days, the complex process unfolded, and Alex's dungeon underwent a profound transformation. Now existing in two different planes simultaneously, the actual dungeon found itself transported to a dimension characterized by the abundance of stone, minerals, and naturally occurring ores. 

No matter which direction Alex chose to excavate within this newly formed dimension, the persistent presence of geological formations and valuable minerals greeted his efforts. The magical prowess that had been channeled into the dungeon's creation had not only concealed its entrance but had woven a connection between dimensions, opening up remarkable possibilities for the aspiring dungeon master.

[[Search up on youtube, Modded Minecraft: Stoneblock, to get an idea on what Alex's dimension is, it's almost exactly like this, but there will be random veins of ore, minerals and other natural forming geological formations.]]

With the completion of the dungeon creation process, the entrance still persisted in the world of Zielyr, serving as the conduit between the two dimensions, the earthly realm and the newly formed dungeon plane. Anyone desiring to enter Alex's dungeon would need to locate this entrance and traverse through it, thereby being transported from the world of Zielyr to the dungeon itself. 

Having successfully completed the creation of his dungeon, the interior remained largely unchanged, with the addition of Alexa's meticulous cleaning, leaving the cave spotless and pristine.

As the dungeon master, Alex now held the reins to shape his dungeon. The power to add, remove, expand, or condense elements within the dungeon rested only in his hands. 

Still, in his slumber, Alex remained unaware of the final step unfolding within his dungeon's creation, the emergence of his second form. His primary form, initially a tiny dungeon core compared to the size of a pinky fingernail, had slowly grown by 1 centimeter since the day of birth. So the system decided to create a new body for Alex due to the fact he needed an actual body to act and for the fact that Alex also wanted his own body.

As the system initiated the creation of a new body for Alex, Alexa encountered an unexpected challenge, Alexa lacked control over this process. Moreover, she found herself powerless to intervene or prevent the system from utilizing items in Alex's [Inventory] to aid in constructing the new body.

While Alex's inventory did contain materials suitable for building a new body, it proved insufficient for the system's requirements. Additional, more suitable materials were deemed necessary for the construction. To address this problem, the system initiated communication with all of Alex's summons, requesting their assistance in gathering the required materials. Fortunately, Alexa possessed the unique ability to communicate with Alex's summons, regardless of distance or language barriers.

She could convey updates on Alex's well-being and receive reports on the summons' activities.

In response to the system's call for additional materials, only Ethan, the Death Angel, and the Tall-Neck were available to help. Alexa had specifically instructed Gastly, Trebor, and Anky to remain with Artin and Bella, ensuring their safety during this phase of Alex's evolution.

Utilizing the materials available in Alex's [Inventory], the system started the creation process for his new body. The primary components it managed to craft were an elemental heart and a frame for Alex's body. To assemble the elemental heart, the system employed all of Alex's beast cores/hearts and the blood extracted from the bodies he had stored.

With the blood and beast cores/hearts harvested for the elemental heart, the bodies that Alex had stored in his [Inventory] proved valuable for the remaining components of the new body. Each creature he had encountered in his adventures, be it the elven prince, the group responsible for Warren's death, fragments of the stone gargoyle, the Regal Hazel tree seed, and the shit ton of creatures like wolves, rabbits, goblins, and undead treants, contributed to the array of materials used.

Despite the wealth of materials gathered from Alex's encounters, the system found that many of the weaker bodies were of subpar quality. Recognizing their limitations, the system opted to employ these less viable components for specific tasks, such as reinforcing other sections of the frame. 

In some instances, the system chose not to utilize these lower-quality materials at all, ensuring that only the most suitable and durable elements contributed to the construction of Alex's new body. 

In response to the system's directive to acquire materials possessing magic or flesh, Ethan, the Tall-Neck, and the Death Angel started a mass hunt near Alex's new home. Over the course of three days, the trio engaged in combat against a myriad of creatures, ranging from wolves and bears to monkeys, rabbits, goblins, and even magical plant life. 

The relentless pursuit targeted anything that exhibited signs of magic or life, ensuring that each specimen encountered was thoroughly examined and, if deemed suitable, brought back to the dungeon.

The trio hunted everything that caught their eyes, and with each corpse, they brought to the dungeon, the system would either destroy the corpse if it had a terrible quality or integrate the corpse into Alex's new body.

Over 8 days, Alex been slumbering for the entire time, clueless on what was happening in the real world. And it wont be a couple more days till he awakens.

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Thanks for reading, comment on any mistakes or changes I should do.