A Demon's Core

There is a lot to process with all the information the humans shared. There are also many more questions I wish I had asked, but unfortunately did not think of until after they had left due to already being almost overwhelmed as it was. It is difficult to gauge, but I feel like my mental processing may also have been negatively impacted by the black spot on my core, which, sadly, has so far shown no signs of recovering. I do not regret making Rose a guardian, despite the cost, but it does mean I cannot afford to do so again for anyone else.

The biggest thing I wish I had asked them about was driving. The fact that they came here in a car means at least one of them must have known how to drive. I have had my imps check on the car we got from the Honey Badgers occasionally to make sure nothing happens to it and it was still there the last time they looked. So I missed a perfect opportunity to ask them to teach Igneous how to drive. Perhaps I will make a list of things I want to ask so I do not forget next time they are here. Driving will be right at the top of that list.

But even if I did not ask everything I should have, I still gained a lot from them; like boxes. The imps had a lot of fun playing with the boxes the humans left behind. At one point they had the idea to take them out to the stairwell and try to fit as many imps as they could in each box and ride them down the stairs. It did not go well, but at least no one got seriously hurt. It did work a little better with the antenna box due to it being longer than the other. It was not a smooth ride, but at least it did not simply tip over and send the imps tumbling down the stairs.

I am thinking it might be necessary to accelerate Rose’s English lessons as she is the one who will need to operate the radio since I cannot communicate verbally; at least, not in a way that anyone else seems able to hear. She is making good progress, I think, but is still a long way from being able to have a conversation with a human in their language. Maybe for now it will be enough to teach her some specific set phrases to use when talking over the radio.

I take some time to ask all of the imps present what they know of the other demons. Unsurprisingly, almost all of them are familiar with the vak, but there are mixed results in regards to the other two. Only some of them know about the brutes, though the ones that do refer to them instead as giants, which is understandable; if William’s description of their height is accurate, they certainly would seem that way to the imps.

Even fewer of them have knowledge of the sucubirus. That does make sense given what I was told about how the vak and sucubirus apparently avoid each other. If this is true even in their world, then sucubirus would have been a rare sight for them.

There were a few answers that surprised me. Such as from the newest imp who does not speak Balkret. It was not easy getting the questions across, even with the help of Igneous, but I think we managed in the end. She does not appear to know anything about the vak or the giants, but she is familiar with the sucubirus. This may explain why she does not speak Balkret. If, rather than coming from the same place as the vak, like most of my imps seem to, she instead comes from where the sucubirus originated, perhaps she is speaking their language instead.

Then there is Coal. He knows nothing of the vak or sucubirus, but when I ask him about the giants, his response is interesting, to say the least.

“Yes. Eat giants. Good.” He declares.

I try to clarify the question, just to be sure that we are talking about the same thing, but his answer does not change. He has eaten them and thinks they taste good. It is hard to get more details from him, but I suppose I should not be shocked that even a giant would be in danger when faced with a pack of tiny teleporting savages.

However it is actually Violet’s response that grabs my attention the most, when I ask her about sucubirus.

“I have seen one before. She wasn’t very nice, but she was so pretty. I wished I could be more like her.” She pauses and looks down at her body before breaking into a wide smile. “I guess I am now,” she cheers.

Is it possible that this could merely be a coincidence? I would need more information to make a definitive judgement, but it certainly would explain some things about Violet’s transformation; I had questioned some aspects of it after I learned more about guardians. Becoming larger and stronger made sense to be better able to defend the dungeon, but there was no practical benefit that I could see to gaining a more voluptuous figure or a longer tail. But if the transformation is also influenced by the desires of the individual, conscious or subconscious, that would answer those questions and also raise some new ones.

I have never noticed anything particularly out of the ordinary like that with Noctis though. Of course, she is bigger, stronger and smarter than her peers, but that may just be standard for guardians as Violet is also all of those things. Although, for a species with a strength based social hierarchy, as hellhounds seem to have, maybe that was enough and she did not desire anything else.

The only other data point I have is Rose, but I cannot be entirely certain of its reliability given that the circumstances under which she became a guardian are a little different from the others. She did become stronger, which is expected of a guardian, but her size remained the same, though she also made it clear that she did not want to become any larger, which could support the theory about individual desire. The most significant change for her was a sudden improvement in her mana control. It might be a good idea to ask her opinion. When I look for her, she is in her room, practising some of her basic magic skills.

Rose, I am sorry to interrupt your training, but I have some questions regarding the changes you experienced when you became a guardian.

“What would you like to know?” She inquires.

Was there anything in particular that you desired when becoming a guardian?

“I wanted to be stronger so I could do more to defend my friends and my home,” she replies.

Of course, but were there any specific changes that you wanted to occur? She thinks for a moment before replying.

“Can you explain the context of the question so I know what you’re trying to figure out?” She requests.

Yes, sorry. It is about what Violet said when I asked her about sucubirus.

“How she wanted to be more like them and now she is?”

It made me wonder if the changes to her body were just a coincidence or if the transformation really was trying to make her more like a sucubirus; if a person’s desire can affect how they change.

“I see. That’s certainly an interesting idea. I suppose I did want to be better at magic.” She puts forth.

Which you definitely are now, but that could also be attributed to simply becoming stronger to defend the dungeon.

“Hmm, that’s possible. I did also say that I like Violet’s purple skin, which I sort of have now,” she says, holding up her hands to show off their different colours.

But that may also be standard for guardians. Jenna did say that a guardian's skin can change colour, in a way that I assume is influenced by the colour of the core.

“So we don’t really have a lot of information to go on right now other than Violet’s experience.” Rose confirms.

Unfortunately, the only way to get more is to wait for one of you to die and observe what changes occur when I bring you back. But that is not something I am willing to actively experiment with.

“We are simply left with speculation for now then.”

So it would seem.

Silence descends between us as I process this.

“Is there anything else you have questions about?” She asks after I remain quiet for a while.

There is actually; something tangentially related even. William mentioned a dungeon in the river. What do you think are the chances that its guardian is a giant lizard?

“You mean the one we’ve seen around the river,” she exclaims with wide eyes.

Precisely.

“That seems plausible, but we can’t exactly ask it. It doesn’t seem capable of communicating. Even when River talks to it, it doesn’t respond, despite her insisting that it’s her ‘friend’.”

But it has never shown any hostility towards her or any other imps, right?

“Not so far.” She confirms.

Then I think we should try to make contact with this other dungeon. If that lizard is its guardian, then perhaps the dungeon will also not be hostile. If that is the case, we might be able to gain a valuable ally; if it is anything like me, that is.

“What do you mean ‘like you’?”

Sentient.

“Is there a reason why it wouldn’t be?”

I am not sure. My interactions with the humans have made me wonder. Multiple times now, they have asked what I am. It does not seem like the idea that they are communicating with a self aware, sapient dungeon core has even crossed their minds. Surely they would have at least considered it if it is something they had encountered before. I could be overthinking it, but that is the impression I got.

“I can see why you’d be unsure with that. How should we make contact?”

In this case, I think we should follow the human’s example by sending an envoy, along with a gift. That said, how would you like to lead an expedition to find an underwater dungeon?

“That sounds like it could be fun,” Rose says, the corners of her mouth curving into a slight grins. “Who else will be going with me?”

You are welcome to pick your own team if you would like, though I could make a few suggestions.

“Considering where we’re going, River is an obvious choice, especially given her familiarity with the lizard,” she begins. “If she is going, then Aster will likely follow. Violet won’t want to be left out of something like this and Coal will also probably tag along. Is there anyone else you’d recommend?”

That seems good for the core team, though I might also suggest Igneous. It is possible he might be able to communicate with the lizard and he might even be necessary for the dungeon. Even if it is sentient, it might not understand Balkret.

“That’s a good point, I hadn’t thought of that.” Rose agrees.

Violet might also want to bring Fuzzy and there may be some others who also want to join, just for the adventure. I do not see a problem with bringing any others, but I will leave the choice to you.

“I should go talk to them then, to let them know what we’re planning. Where are they now?”

Violet is up above, probably on the roof. I cannot sense River and Aster right now, but I think it was River's turn to be on watch so they should also be on the roof. Coal is currently napping in his box.

Coal had claimed the box that the radio came in as his new place to sleep after everyone was done playing with it. I was a little surprised as it is the first time since he was summoned that he has taken anything for himself.

Rose speaks to Igneous first since he is in his customary place and he agrees to join her. She then heads up to the roof to recruit the other members of her team and soon returns with Violet by her side, bouncing with excitement.

“Is there really another dungeon out there?” She asks

According to William, yes.

“Do you think that dungeon also has imps?” Violet ponders.

No. If there was another dungeon with imps in the area, then I am sure the humans would have already been aware of imps before finding us here.

“Oh, what do you think we’ll find there then?”

I suspect there will be lizards, but beyond that, I cannot say.

“Did William mention how far away this dungeon is?” Rose asks.

No, just that it is in the river. Unfortunately, I neglected to ask for more details at the time. I do not even know for certain what direction it is in, though I suspect that it might be downstream, beyond the bridge.

“What makes you think that?” She questions.

When Violet followed the humans, that was the direction they were heading when they became wary of the water.

“Not exactly conclusive evidence, but it gives a place to start at least,” Rose agrees.

“Why don’t we just use the radio to call William and ask where it is?” Suggests Violet.

For now at least, I think it would be best if the DMO does not know that we are looking for this dungeon.

“Since we don’t know how far away it is, how long should we spend searching?” Inquires Rose.

Follow the river as far as you can go in a single day. If you cannot find it in that time, come back and then you can try going the other direction.

“So we should be prepared for this to possibly take a couple of days then. What should we do if we encounter humans on the way?” She queries.

It would probably be best to avoid them. Not letting them see you at all would be ideal. If they do see you, I would suggest running, but I trust you to decide what you believe to be the best course of action, should such a situation arise.

“What if the big lizard isn’t the guardian? Should we still try talking to the dungeon?” Violet asks.

Then it depends on how the dungeon reacts. If it shows any hostility at all, please leave immediately, I do not want you to put yourselves in unnecessary danger for this or to pick a fight with another dungeon. If it is peaceful, then proceed with the plan of making contact.

“When are we going?” She inquires, now even more excited than before for the adventure to come.

Once River has finished her watch, I suppose you can leave as soon as everyone is ready. You could use the time until then to ask if anyone else wants to come along. Violet’s eyes light up at that suggestion.

“Can we bring Fuzzy?” She entreats.

“Not this time. It will be easier for a smaller group to remain undetected,” Rose states.

“But Fuzzy is small, she can hide if needed,” pleads Violet, earning a chuckle from Rose.

“She may be small compared to the other hellhounds, but she is still quite large.” Rose points out.

“Igneous is large, but you said he’s coming,” Violet retorts, beginning to pout.

“He is big, but he’s also better at hiding than anyone else here. I’m sorry, but I just don’t think Fuzzy is suited for this mission. Maybe next time though,” Rose insists, much to Violet's dismay.

But Violet still accepts Rose’s judgement, despite her disappointment. At least until the hellhounds return from whatever adventure they had been on today, prompting Violet to make one last appeal for Fuzzy’s inclusion in the upcoming mission. However, Rose remains firm in her refusal.

While they are waiting for River and Aster, I have Rose teach some of the other imps how to operate the radio, in case it is necessary to use it while she is gone. None of them have even the slightest knowledge of the English language, so I just have to hope that if something does come up, the radio operator on their end will have the presence of mind to seek out Cassandra.

When Rose sends the next pair of imps to the roof for their turn on watch, which I now realise I am going to have to organise while Rose is away, River and Aster soon appear, excited for the mission ahead and they all start preparing to leave.

As it is already late in the afternoon, I suggest waiting until later tonight, after they have all taken some time to sleep, so they are well rested for the journey, but they are all eager to get started as soon as possible. Rose assures me that it will not be a problem, they can find somewhere hidden to sleep if necessary, but she wants to do as much as they can while under the cover of night to minimise the risk of running into humans.

Accepting her reasoning, I instruct her to fetch one of the mana crystals from the collection to offer as a gift to the dungeon. Once they are all ready to go, there is nothing left for me to do but wish them luck.