Chapter 16 [Setting: Dungeon]
A dungeon is not just a living being itself; it is considered a single entity along with the creatures and monsters residing within. In this sense, rather than viewing it as an individual organism, it's more apt to see it as a symbiotic system, akin to a coral reef.
Dungeon Genesis
When magical energy or magical essence accumulates densely in a location, a dungeon seed arrives and, upon reaching that place, germinates and grows into a dungeon. Often, places like caves, abandoned buildings, or ruins become dungeons due to the easy accumulation of magical energy or essence. Simultaneously, to allow the entry of dungeon seeds and the "prey" for the dungeon, at least one entrance is necessary.
Dungeon Growth
The germinated dungeon seed reinforces the surrounding ground and walls to maintain its growth environment, creating the so-called "indestructible dungeon walls" (explained later). As dungeons absorb magical energy and essence from the surroundings through their surface, namely the "dungeon walls," larger wall surfaces result in higher absorption efficiency. Therefore, as dungeons grow, they form complex branching structures and numerous chambers. This is similar to the internal structure of land animal lungs, which have intricate structures to enhance gas exchange efficiency.
Dungeon prey consists of magical energy, but rather than directly absorbing released magical energy, dungeons often absorb it in the form of materialized magical essence. Dungeons primarily obtain the magical essence from the corpses of animals or monsters. Thus, any remains left within the dungeon are greedily absorbed, leaving no corpses behind. However, while dungeon creatures consume the bodies inside, the dungeon refrains from absorbing them. This is likely due to the magical energy waves released by creatures during ingestion, although details remain unconfirmed.
In essence, organic matter other than living beings can not exist within the dungeon (human possessions like food and clothing are exceptions, but storing food inside the dungeon is usually impossible). Consequently, the dungeon environment is somewhat clean and hygienic (excluding dungeon symbiotic creatures' parasites). Since there are no rodents or flies attracted to food scraps or waste, nobles have used certain sections of dungeons as summer retreats in the past.
Once a dungeon has gained a certain level of growth, it forms a strong crystalline shell to protect itself. At this stage, the dungeon gains some intelligence and magical abilities, generally recognized as a dungeon.
Dungeon Walls
Dungeon walls are commonly perceived as indestructible. Indeed, these walls, regardless of the original material, are extremely hard. The indestructibility of dungeon walls is largely attributed to the dungeon's nature of instantly absorbing the energy applied to it. Whether attacked with magical force or physical impact, the dungeon absorbs the energy immediately, rendering it merely a means of providing sustenance to the dungeon. Originally, this ability was the dungeon's feeding mechanism, later repurposed for reinforcing dungeon walls.
Dungeon Monsters
While magical energy or essence is essential for dungeon growth, dungeons themselves lack the ability to acquire these from the outside. This role is fulfilled by animals and monsters residing within the dungeon, collectively known as dungeon symbiotic creatures. The dungeon offers them a safe habitat in exchange for the creatures bringing back prey into the dungeon. Dungeon and dungeon monsters establish a symbiotic relationship of trading living space for food.
Leftovers or corpses are also absorbed by the dungeon. However, magical stones generated within the bodies of monsters or weapons made of certain materials may take some time to be absorbed (typically within ten seconds for dungeons with cores). As a result, when a monster is killed inside the dungeon, it appears as if the corpse disappears, leaving behind magical stones or weapons. This is commonly known as a "drop."
Dungeon Master
As the ecology of dungeons becomes clear, individuals emerge who seek not only to live within the dungeon but also to actively utilize its abilities for personal gain. Those who enter into a kind of contract with the dungeon core, controlling the dungeon's growth and the actions of dungeon monsters to some extent, are referred to as Dungeon Masters. They possess the knowledge to enhance the efficiency of dungeon foraging activities and contribute to the dungeon. The relationship between the dungeon and the Dungeon Master varies, depending on the power dynamics between the two. However, individuals strong enough to ascend on their own rarely seclude themselves within a dungeon, making Dungeon Masters venturing outside a rare occurrence.
From the perspective of Dungeon Masters, humans are nothing more than the dungeon's prey, while from the human side, Dungeon Masters are considered targets for subjugation. Therefore, many Dungeon Masters are hostile to human society, often leaning towards the side of magical beings. Despite this, a significant proportion of Dungeon Masters are of human descent.
Stampede
The simultaneous mass exodus of dungeon monsters from a dungeon is referred to as a "stampede." The causes of a stampede include:
1. When a dungeon's scale increases, Dungeon Masters may release dungeon monsters outside simultaneously to efficiently harvest the necessary magical essence. In this case, dungeon monsters, at least to some extent, return prey to the dungeon, limiting their range of activity. The impact on locations far from the dungeon is, therefore, limited.
2. Dungeon Masters may intentionally release numerous dungeon monsters for some strategic, hostile purpose. This type of stampede is usually the most dangerous, driven by hostile and strategic intentions, rather than benefiting the dungeon or Dungeon Master.
3. In rare cases, a stampede may occur due to the splitting of a dungeon. Dungeon seeds produced by a dungeon core usually disperse with the wind, increasing the chances of finding a suitable place for growth. However, if a dungeon core entrusts a dungeon seed to dungeon monsters, the movement and exploration abilities of these creatures significantly increase the likelihood of the dungeon seed reaching a suitable growth area. In this case, the number of dungeon monsters released is not significant, and the monsters often move in different directions, posing limited threats.