Leah, Reincarnated As a Dungeon Core!

We walked along the street anddd⁠— nothing! Absolutely nothing, this collector guy was acting as if everything was normal, I mean… I guess it was normal for him, but still! At least tell me something, be more informative, anything is fine, I mean, really! How annoying, please just say something, you can't act as if nothing happened...

 

“Looks like something is bothering you.” He said as he carried my hand, I was still being treated like a kid. 

“What’s collecting, and why did that person have to die?!” Luckily we were not in the near street yet, otherwise, I’d probably be in trouble for questioning him in such a loud manner.

 

“It’s simply part of the job…” Hah. 

“What about the computer code then!?” 

 

“Computer?” He tilted his head hearing the unfamiliar word, whoops. “The code is provided to us by the major, he really likes order. Although I don't understand it.” So…

“Are you the collector because of the major as well, as in named collector?” He nodded. “Then… what about the hypothesis you talked about?!” At least he did confirm this one was his.

“Monsters decompose their own victims and use them for growth. I figured you’d have something similar going on namely ⁠— what happened to the man when you touched him.” Ha… Was I a body disposal service now? Because growth certainly wasn't happening.

 

I guess I had become a bit more calm, although what part of the job was it? Was it simply self-defense, well asking more questions can help me understand — behaving like a kid, being a kid, it was the same, since he treated me like one. I did get the answer to his hypothesis, I guess it’s time to ask about the reason he killed him. 

 

“So… he died due to self-defense code or something?” Well, not really the question I was going for and more of a speculation...

His eyes widened for a moment. “Yes, that’s correct. You are quicker than I expected.” Wow, did he actually praise me? Do it more! Do it more! Actually— I was just getting bored, I felt as if I was starved for human interaction now that I was kind of normal. But well, I did see something rather interesting, the new title I had gotten.

 

“Umm… Collector, I want to ask. But what’s a universal title?”

“You got one?” I nodded. “It’s basically a title that applies to all members of a race, or a group. People are generally born with them.” So basically I had to acquire it because I am mediocre or something? No use thinking about it...

 

“Well, whatever you got is unique to your race.” Oh, huh, so unique to the uh… archetype? I mean, I think that’s what it was called… Hah, sub-type or something? 

 

The collector stopped before a bigger house, this one was still in a deplorable condition, but it wasn’t that bad. At least I thought so. He knocked on the door and spat out a random error code once again, well it was a code. But again, it certainly felt very computer-like to me. 

 

Knock, knock… He knocked once again.

“Collector Code: XF0058B79 - District B. Pay u⁠— 

He was interrupted by the door creaking. 

 

A frail woman peeked from inside, rugged skin and messy-dry hair. Completely in batters, she was in a very poor state. 

 

“What is it that you want?”

“You have an active loan of 6000 Rwyd. It’s time to pay or we will make you pay.” He was still as cold as ever.

 

The woman, on the other hand, was visibly shaken and moved her mouth about but did not say anything. 

 

The woman let out a dry laugh. “This has to be a joke…” The collector shook his head. “Sigh… My husband TOOK THAT LOAN! Just look at us!” She opened the door, there they were, two kids in rags and while in a visibly better condition they weren’t particularly in a good state. “You will take the little I have?! Just because of him?! HE RAN AWAY!” She was at wits' end.

 

I was feeling terrible for her, and yet… “They are orders from the major. It’s just… protocol.” How could he lead such a job?! 

 

“Go away!” The woman screamed and shut the door. I felt absolutely horrible as I heard her cry and her kids telling her it was okay. It was… upsetting for a lack of a better word, my cheeks felt warm and my eyes got itchy. 

 

SMASH!

 

“W-what are you doing?!” One of the kids yelled out in panic.”Y-You have to go!” The kid rushed to the collector and tried to push him back, but albeit it was like trying to stop an unstoppable force, the kid’s feet simply slid on the floor as the collector walked inside. I guess he was going to do things by force...

 

“Jack, just stop. Those people have no soul…” The mother said with a dryly-angered tone. She looked at me. “I am surprised you can do such a thing, were you raised like this? That’s funny...” I felt attacked— why me? I didn’t do this by choice… 

 

“I⁠—” There I was, trying to justify myself. “I-I⁠— 

 

BANG! 

The collector had started to smash things inside the house, is this akin to taking people’s possessions just because they owe money?! Wait⁠— It’s literally what’s happening! I didn’t choose this line of work… I simply got dragged into it. 

 

“See?” The woman smiled at me with clear hatred in her eyes. “You are nothing but a monster… Soulless and with no purpose to live! Just following orders!” I… 

 

I suppose… I had no purpose⁠— I wanted one… here I was, being a tool. And yet, I wanted to remain as a tool⁠— part of me wanted to at least. The outside world was scary; it was something I did not want to face after what had happened previously, perhaps it was bad luck, or perhaps it was reality. 

 

In the end… It was something I wanted to avoid. I simply had a desire⁠— a selfish one, and yet. It was something that I wanted, a choice of my own volition. Something I never had— I was going to live, even if I was purposeless, even if it was lacking a purpose. I was going to live. It was something that was decided back in that room. It’s something I am deciding now… so...

 

“Yeah…” I had made my decision.

“Huh?” The woman was disgruntled. “What are you saying?”

 

“.. You are right, I have no purpose to live! I am nothing but a tool serving a specific purpose! But you know what?" Anger suddenly filled me. "I want to live, there are things out there that I want to experience! That's why I am standing here! What’s the point in existing then?! What about you? You have two kids and you are rotting inside a house just because your husband left you! Are you simply going to be that miserable?! Tell me⁠— ANSWER ME!” I had snapped. 

 

Her eyes had widened. “... Don’t get so carried away…” Her mutter was barely audible.

“Mom?” 

“Mom are you okay?” 

 

Both of the kids asked out of concern.

 

“Yeah… you are right… I am miserable…” She stood up as she looked at me with bloodthirsty eyes. “You know, right? Collector is a rather dangerous job…” Her hostility did not fade away, my senses were screaming at me. 

 

I gulped seeing my mistake, but I had to owe up to it. And so, I readied myself for what was about to come.