Ethan stood in the middle of the void, his head pounding while the glowing blueprint of the dungeon whirled around him, an intricate web of corridors and chambers. It would take some time to digest the burden of this new reality, but somehow, the pull felt so natural, as if the Dungeon Core-his core-was a home to which he had always belonged and was meant to be at the heart of this enormous, labyrinthine world.
He could feel it in his bones now: the power coursing through him, raw and untamed, waiting to be shaped. A flicker of thought sent a surge of energy through the air, and the blueprint before him shimmered, shifting like a living thing. The walls of the dungeon began to take form, ethereal and translucent at first, before solidifying into cold stone. A mix of excitement and dread overwhelmed him as it dawned on him what was going on.
"Alright," he whispered to himself, taking small steps forward, "let's get this 'Dungeon Core' thing going, then."
His hand reached out, and the air hummed as if reacting to his touch. His vision focused, and before his mind's eye hovered the glowing icon of the "Tutorial Quest".
Build your first trap. Reward: 10 Core Energy.
A trap. It felt. simple enough, but how was he supposed to create one? He had no experience in this kind of thing. He was just a player, a survivor. But now, he was the creator of death itself.
"Build your first trap," he mumbled again, as if just speaking it aloud would unlock the procedure. The dungeon around him responded. The blueprint flickered and a set of options appeared: spiked pits, flame jets, crushing walls-classic dungeon traps.
Ethan's eyes had narrowed as he considered his choices. It wasn't enough to simply set a trap, he had to think of its placement, its effectiveness, its ability to hurt-to kill. He was no longer a player seeking to escape; now he was the one in control, the one who could shape death to his whim.
His fingers hovered over the blueprint. A thought, a spark, appeared in his mind. He thought of a pit trap-something simple, something deadly. He could almost see the room-dark and narrow-where he would place a thin gap in the floor, almost imperceptible. His pulse quickened as he envisioned the trap springing, the victim plummeting into the pit, helpless and exposed.
The blueprint shifted, and a jagged hole appeared in the ground of the dungeon, its edges glinting with sharp spikes. Ethan nodded with grim satisfaction. A pit trap, set just right.
10 Core Energy spent.
The voice in his mind echoed with confirmation of his creation. "Trap construction complete. New Dungeon Feature: Pitfall Room unlocked. Power Level: Basic."
Ethan felt a surge of energy flow through him, as if the dungeon itself was feeding him, growing stronger with each choice he had made. His heart was hammering against his chest, but there was no time to be wasted. The quest wasn't over yet.
"Next," he muttered. "Next trap."
The blueprint shifted once more; this time, he could see a narrow passageway, both its left and right sides lined with intricate, ancient runes. The perfect place for something more elaborate: a flame jet trap, perhaps, something to really catch the unwary traveler off guard. He could already envision it-a puff of heated air, flames roaring across the walls, incinerating anybody who dared to wander too close.
He focused. The runes on the walls began to pulse, glowing with an eerie, red light. Far away, he saw a faint flicker-flames igniting, roaring to life as if they were birthed from the very air itself.
20 Core Energy spent.
"Flame Jet Room unlocked. Power Level: Moderate," the voice intoned.
Ethan exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He could feel it, the power of the dungeon growing, his control over it expanding with every decision, every trap he placed. It was intoxicating, this sense of power.
"Alright," he whispered to himself. "This is working."
But as the last trap was set, a new notification flashed before him. It was different from the others-more urgent, more unnerving.
Warning: Dungeon Core Stability at 20%. Incoming threat detected. Preparing Countermeasure.
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. Threat? Was the system… warning him of something? He looked at the blueprint, searching for any sign of danger; all he saw was corridors, traps—his domain. There was nothing that screamed danger.
Then the voice in his mind came once more, this time colder, stern.
Incoming Player Detection: Level 50 Adventurer approaching. Time remaining: 10 minutes.
His breath hitched in his throat. A player. A level 50 adventurer. That was high-level. Too high for the basic traps he had just set. The panic set in. His dungeon was weak. He was weak.
He looked again at the glowing blueprint. He needed more-more traps, more defenses, more power.
"Darn it," he hissed. "I don't even know what I'm doing."
But as the clock ticked down, something in him hardened. He wasn't just going to let this player break through. Not after all he had been through. He wasn't just a dungeon core now. He was a force, and he wasn't going down without a fight.
Ethan's hand shot out once more, and the blueprint shifted. His fingers hovered over the icons, focusing on something that could stop the intruder.
Something deadly.
A new thought stirred-poisonous gas. It would be cruel, silent, and deadly. The player would never even know what hit them.
The dungeon responded to his beckoning. The air rippled with the noxious fumes, the gas seeping through the walls and floor. It was a last-ditch resort, but perhaps it would be enough.
Poison Gas Room created. Power Level: High. Cost: 40 Core Energy.
Again, the voice spoke up. Dungeon defense mechanism activated. Prepare for battle.
Ethan stood in the center of his domain, racing in his heart. In under ten minutes, his first real test would come. He was no longer a player; he was the dungeon-and he would make this adventurer sure regret stepping inside.
"Let's see how they like it," he muttered, as the sound of footsteps echoed down the halls of the dungeon.
The game had changed. And now, he was the one calling the shots.