The Core's Origin

Finally, the core was ready. It was prepared to reveal its new dungeon to the world and test out its latest creations. Multiple sections had been prepared, and this time the core had created clear levels to the dungeon with each descent becoming more difficult.

An entrance was opened near Sercen. It was important to the core that its work not be noticed while in process, but it also wanted the entrance to be found quite easily. There was no reason to wait or stall, as the only thing the core feared was having another sub-core destroyed, and it had taken proper precautions to avoid exactly that.

There was a small farming village just outside of the city. It was one of many, and they all helped to provide food for the masses in the city, as well as offer shelter near the provincial capital for travelers and traders before they reached the city proper. There was a surprising number of people who traveled through the farming villages, and the residents had learned to take advantage of such people.

This particular village had an inn and alehouse that stood at the edge of the village, right on the main road where it wrapped around a rather steep hill as it approached Sercen. For this reason, the alehouse butted up against a sharp incline, and that was exactly where the core placed the entrance to its newest dungeon.

***

Martín knew it was past time to head home, but he had been on a winning streak with his dice. On top of that, the other men in the game were hoping to win their money back, so they had kept buying him drinks, eager to see the alcohol impair his judgment enough that they could win back at least a bit of their rather substantial losses.

There had been free ale, decent music, and the pleasure of smooth victories, so how could Martín leave in the middle of all of that?

Unfortunately, the drinks had added up, and eventually, the call of nature had pulled Martín outside and away from the games. He only realized how drunk he was when he stumbled behind the building and failed to find the privy.

A bit confused, but still in high spirits, the man looked around for the outhouse, only to have the motion of turning his head make his vision spin, which caused him to stumble to the side.

He raised a hand to catch himself against the side of the hill that was practically a cliff this close to the alehouse, as had been his habit for years of visiting the local establishment. However, this time, there was nothing for his hand to land on, and after a few staggering steps to the side, he tipped over in the dark that had suddenly surrounded him.

Confusion mounting, and the need to get to the privy growing stronger, Martín picked himself up with his hands and looked around. He could see the large, nearby entrance he had stumbled through, but in the opposite direction, he saw a distant glow.

Uncertain of how things had changed so much behind the alehouse, but happy to have found a direction to go, the man rose to his feet and stumbled through the dark towards the distant light. He was lucky the path was smooth and level, as he would not have made it far otherwise.

Martín felt relieved when he fell into the brighter place at the end of the tunnel, but just as he was preparing to loosen up and finally get some relief, he noticed where he was. He was not behind the alehouse, and did not appear to even be near the village he had grown up in.

Even worse, when Martín raised his head, there was a pair of eyes looking straight at him.

He found himself staring into a pair of glowing yellow eyes.

***

The next morning, the morning kitchen shift arrived at the inn to prepare breakfast, and when the first of the bin boys took out a load of trash to the rubbish heap behind the building and found the new dungeon entrance. It was at least four paces tall and five paces wide and all perfectly carved local granite. There was some writing at the arch that topped the entrance, but unfortunately, the youth did not read.

***

In the days that followed, that small farming village was transformed. Farun might have tried to keep the dungeon and their super-soldiers a secret, and while they had partially succeeded with Tamar, the Savaren Empire was not the same. They had the most extensive intelligence network on the entire continent, and they had learned of the dungeon’s existence shortly after it had first been discovered. One of their informants was actually a soldier who actively trained in the dungeon.

They had also learned of the existence of the dungeon in Guilone’s sewers, and even the undead dungeon that had briefly appeared in Triple Falls, though they remained ignorant of many of the details surrounding that particular incident.

The bottom line was, the moment a dungeon appeared within the Savaren Empire, they were already prepared for it and they instantly started mobilizing.

Within a week, the village was gone, and a military base had been established. Scouting parties had sortied into the entrance to see what they could learn about the first section of the dungeon, but the dense foliage prevented them from seeing very much.

What they did see prevented any further exploration for the moment, as the only thing that had been clearly observed was that this dungeon was not like the others the Savaren Empire had learned about.

Most noticeable was the fact that the scouts had seen plants moving, but not with any sort of breeze. These plants were moving on their own, and more importantly, the plants were massive. In fact, the scouts had reported flowers larger than a man’s head, and leaves the size of a person. They had seen roots shifting through the soil, and flowers moving about like animals sniffing at the air.

Overall, the reports had been quite disturbing, and the military intended to wait for their elites to arrive and explore the dungeon.

Not to mention, the empire wanted their elites to enjoy the same benefits as Farun’s.

It took several weeks for the troops to make the trip to Sercen. The empire was much, much larger than any other nation on the continent, and unfortunately, that also meant much lengthier travel times.

Oscar and the rest of his squad knew what they were headed for. While the army was a mammoth organization, and at somewhat of a rivalry with the navy, news spread fast, and rumors spread even faster.

The foot soldiers had quickly heard rumors about Farun’s supersoldiers, though nothing about the dungeon had spread. Soldiers and nobles had different ideas of what was important, and that impacted which rumors spread through the various castes of the empire, as each group was most concerned with whatever posed a threat to them personally.

Nobles and officials were concerned about threats to national or regional power, and so they had been very concerned about the dungeons that had been found in their neighbors’ territories, while the soldiers were most worried about threats on the battlefield.

If another nation obtained new weapons, armor, or special tactics, the soldiers often heard rumors before their officers, as nothing spread a rumor faster than fear.

It also stood to reason that the soldiers spread rumors related to anything that might see them safer on the battlefield, so naturally, Oscar and his squad had heard that they were on their way to a place where they could receive the same benefits that Farun’s army was already enjoying.

They had raced back from the southern border, crossing more than half of the empire to reach the edge of the northern desert. They had seen their officers receive messages throughout their frantic race northwards, but nothing had been passed down to the soldiers.

Upon arriving in the camp that had once been a nameless village, Oscar was surprised by how tight the security was. There were usually the standard camp followers and hangers-on, yet there was no sign of any such people at this camp. A barrier had been erected that completely surrounded the camp, and guards were stationed at halved intervals.

On top of that, the newly arrived squad was kept separate and isolated, even from the other squads they could see arriving. There seemed to be at least a dozen different squads, and yet each one was placed on lockdown and not allowed to communicate with even the camp staff.

Oscar did not know what to think about everything, but fortunately, he did not have long to wonder.

After a single day’s rest from their exhausting journey, the soldiers were gathered together for a briefing, though they only saw their own lieutenant, David.

“Alright, I know you idiots have some idea of why you’re here, as you’re too dumb to keep quiet and I’ve heard you gossiping like old women when you should have been marching. The good news is you’re not as dumb as I thought, and you picked up on at least a bit of why we’re here.

“Here’s what you need to know: we’re heading into a cave that’s not really a cave. There’s a forest in there, and monsters. Our job is to get through, get as much information on what’s in there as we can, and get back alive.

“Before you ask, no, we don’t know what’s in there, and yes, when I say monsters I mean it. These aren’t beasts or humans, they’re animals and other creatures that are either unnatural, or can use magic. There are even reports that the plants might be dangerous, and I don’t mean by eating them or touching them and getting a rash.

“Bottom line: everything we see in this place will likely try to kill you. Trust nothing, and be prepared for anything.

“That’s all I can say, but if you’ve got any questions for me to shoot down, now’s the time. They want us in there before midday, ‘cause we’re the lucky ones that are getting sent in first.”

Oscar’s curiosity was piqued, but it was clear that they were being sent in blind. He did not like that, none of them did, but they had grown accustomed to working on little to no information long ago.

Their squad consisted of only veterans, and they all were able to read between the lines to understand what David was telling them: they were testing things out and would not be told anything more.

There were a few grimaces on the faces of his comrades, but Oscar saw that no one made any sign of even trying to get more from David. Instead, they all started to gather their things together and prepare for their mysterious mission.

Within an hour, the squad found themselves formed up in front of the entrance to the dungeon, staring into the dark. A few of them shifted nervously, but most were simply resigned to being sent on yet another mission that was not even close to being worth whatever compensation they would receive.

David waved a hand, and the two scouts moved forward, quickly followed by the other twenty-three men in the squad. Every third man carried a lit torch, but after just a hundred paces, they saw light up ahead, outlining the forms of Juan and Marcos, the two scouts.

One of the two hurried back, while the other stayed on watch, and Marcos went straight to David. “We can’t see anything inside, Lieutenant, but the plants are big and close together. There’s a trail, but it won’t let us go more than one at a time, and the undergrowth’s too thick for us to leave the trail, unless we blaze a new one by clearing a path.”

David nodded, and simply said, “Single-file for now. We’ll adjust if anything changes. Weapons out; combat ready.”

This was not a new or unknown formation for the soldiers, and Oscar moved up so that he was just behind Marcos, which was his standard position. They moved up to the end of the tunnel, and Oscar got his first look at the place they were supposed to map out and evaluate.

The cavern looked like they had gone back outside. The ceiling was bright and so far up that it was difficult to determine just how far away it was. Down on the ground, there were various trees, bushes, vines, and other undergrowth that looked somewhat similar to what Oscar had seen before in the southern forests where it rained nearly every day.

He hated those forests.

However, he also noticed that there was constant movement just out of sight. It caught the edge of his vision, but every time he turned to look, everything was still. It put him on edge, and he could tell from the tension that appeared in Marcos’s body, the lead scout felt exactly the same way.

They stepped into the underground rainforest, and things immediately started to get even stranger. There was a constant rustling noise all around them as they stepped down the narrow path.

Nothing attacked them, but Oscar could have sworn that there were plants and flowers that moved closer every time that he looked away. The path zig-zagged through the undergrowth, and they instantly lost sight of the cavern’s ceiling due to the thick leaves overhead.

After just a few dozen paces, Oscar heard a sudden shout from behind, followed by several more, and the sound of blades cutting through foliage.

He knew better than to turn around, and instead went on high alert and started looking around for any sign of an attack.

It took less time than expected for things to calm down behind him, though he heard a significant amount of swearing from Alejandro, though nothing that explained what had happened.

After a few more seconds, the expected message went up and down the line: watch out for roots.

There was more to it than just those words, but Oscar understood that he had to watch for plants that could grab his feet and pull him off the path.

This was just one more direction that they needed to watch as they moved forward. Oscar started to hear sounds of random blades striking plants, the same as his own was doing, as the soldiers had grown wary of various plants that looked suspicious to them.

Things went well for a few more minutes as they slowly moved forward, until the next incident happened right in front of him. As Marcos had been poking a vine to the side with his hunting knife, a large flower bud near his head suddenly blossomed, lashed out, and swallowed Marcos’s entire head faster than Marcos or Oscar could react.

Oscar had seen what looked like teeth inside the flower, and his sword flicked out instantly to cut through the vine that held the flower, but unfortunately, it was already too late for Marcos.

One of the teeth had severed an artery in the scout’s neck, and within seconds, he was unconscious, and soon, dead.

The first attack had been a bit of a scare and had put the soldiers on edge, but this second attack already resulted in a casualty. Things were not off to a good start.

Looking back, Oscar and a few men behind him quickly cleared out some of the undergrowth so that the soldiers could all gather around Marcos’s cooling corpse. They needed to regroup and evaluate how they would proceed.

They could not travel with a body, which meant either burying it, or taking it back. They were not actually behind enemy lines, which should give them a bit more freedom, but at the same time, they were in a strange place that none of them understood.

David walked up into the clearing, questions clear on his face, though he said nothing. They all understood standard procedures, and on top of that, the sight of the body explained everything. “Damn. Marcos? Oscar, what happened?”

“Flower, sir.”

Naturally, Oscar knew better than to leave his report at that, and he quickly showed the flower that had bitten Marcos, yet even as the soldiers were looking at it, the flower dissipated until nothing more than a single dark red petal the size of a man’s hand remained.

Oscar stared at his hand in shock as he held nothing but a solitary flower petal. “Bag that, soldier.”

Oscar nodded numbly to David, and then turned his attention to the rest of their updated orders. There was a bit of feedback from the soldiers, but overall, they stuck with David’s plan to have them go forward two or three in a row, clearing the sides of the trail as they moved forward. They would no longer dare risk allowing any of the undergrowth to get close to them.

There were a few more attacks, but none caused any additional casualties before they finally reached the end of the trail at the other side of the cavern.

David acted as though everything was proceeding as had been expected, and he stepped forward and collected a handful of stones from a short stone plinth that stood before the entrance to a tunnel.

He glanced back at the forest, looking a bit confused, but said nothing aside from ordering the men to continue onwards.

After passing through the curved tunnel, they arrived at another cavern with a forest inside, but this one looked more like an ancient forest. The trees were taller than any Oscar had seen before, and they completely blocked the ceiling of the cavern, even from the entrance to the cavern.

There was movement in the deep shadows of the forest, but these seemed to be animals. They caught glimpses of what seemed to be glowing eyes looking at them for brief moments, though the numbers did not always seem to add up.

Oscar could have sworn that he saw three eyes staring at him briefly before a large head looked away, but the shadows were so deep that he could not be entirely certain.

He gulped, as this forest was intimidating in a different fashion. It reeked of age, as each of the mammoth trees appeared to be thousands of years old. Even the smallest would take at least fifteen men linking hands to wrap around the trunk.

As they moved in, they heard the sound of a trickling stream, though the sound was a bit muted, due to the foliage.

They did not make it far before they came across their first oddity; they were attacked by the wind.

It was nothing they could see, and yet it was right there. It was a swirl of wind that seemed to be a vortex that somehow had arms. It was small and isolated, and it swept through their formation like the wind that it was.

They saw leaves caught up in the strange condensed wind, but when it blew past them, they felt blows land and saw gashes appear on their shields and armor.

Oscar thought he saw a vague knot of air at the center, and before their formation was completely broken, he stepped forward and thrust his sword forward, piercing the wind.

There was a howl, and then the wind died down and the leaves settled to the ground.

As they glanced at each other and looked around to see any other approaching attacks, a glowing orb of nothing but light rose up from the ground where the few leaves had fallen.

The soldiers stepped back, nervous of some other unknown attack, but David stopped them, “Oscar, grab it.”

He glanced at his lieutenant, but seeing both steel and excitement in the man’s eyes, stepped forward to grab the orb.

As soon as he was within reach, the ball of light ignored his hand and shot straight for his chest. Oscar was terrified, but seeing how David did not even react, understood that this was something that they had been sent for.

Nervous and uncertain as to what had just happened, Oscar looked around. All of his comrades’ eyes were large as they stared at him, and behind them, he could see figures made of earth moving in the deep shadows, as well as additional swirls of leaves, a glowing ball of bluish fire, and in the depths of the forest, what looked to be a white horse.

Only then did Oscar realize that his eyesight had improved to a shocking degree. He was seeing further through the shadows than he had ever seen in open daylight in a field.

He stared around, amazed at the gift he had just received, when David stepped in front of him. “Well? How do you feel? What’s changed?”

Only then did Oscar finally put the pieces together. This was how Farun had gotten their supersoldiers. This was how they were going to become the same thing.

“Sir, my vision’s better. I can see through the shadows under the trees here, and can see farther than ever.”

David just nodded, though the other men were obviously curious. Before anyone could say anything, David said, “You’ll all get your chance, so just stay quiet and wait your turn. I’ve been told to not say anything, as command is wanting to test some things, so keep quiet.

“Oscar, your vision’s improved? Then you’re on point. Lead us to something isolated that you think we can handle.”

Oscar nodded and moved to the front, next to their surviving scout, Juan. After glancing around, Oscar saw a lone lump of dirt that looked like a clay doll made by a child. Well, a blind child.

It was all alone, and also rather close to the soldiers. It should prove to be a decent target, given how slowly it was moving.

Silence reigned as they moved forward under Oscar’s direction. Once they all were able to see the moving earth, David quietly ordered, “Oscar, move back. You’ll get another turn after everyone else has had one.”

Oscar nodded, and watched as the other twenty-two men moved forward. Only three went for the figure, while the other surrounded the area and kept watch for approaching threats.

Unlike the wind they had faced, Oscar watched as the earth figure was cut and stabbed multiple times. Limbs were chopped off, its head was impaled, the place its heart should have been was pierced, and yet every single time, more dirt rose up from the forest floor and fixed the figure again.

Finally, one blade struck something a bit harder inside the figure, and when the soldier forced his blade through the resistance, the earthen figure shuddered, and then collapsed into a pile of dirt.

Once again, after a few moments, a glowing ball rose up from their fallen opponent, and this time, Arturo stepped forward to claim his prize.

David did not even need to say anything, and when he simply crooked an eyebrow, Arturo opened his mouth and stepped forward.

However, instead of saying anything, he awkwardly took a massive leap across the ground, nearly running into Manuel, and when Arturo tried to push himself up from the ground, he almost flipped himself over.

“Well, I think it’s pretty obvious what’s improved for you. Get yourself under control, soldier. We’re not done yet.”

Arturo grimaced and flushed deeply at David’s comment, but nodded and started moving much more gingerly. After a few minutes, they were moving on. Oscar still chose their path and their target, and Arturo carefully brought up the rear, trying to regain his former coordination.

Things then proceeded apace, and the soldiers took turns cutting down various animals and elementals. Earth and wind elementals were found everywhere, and they faced their first water elemental when they approached the stream they had been hearing.

They rotated with who made the kill, and not every opponent gave them anything.

They found horned rabbits, deer and stag, wolves and coyotes, and many more animals as well. While recognizable, each of the creatures was also slightly off from normal. Just as the rabbits had horns, the wolves had three eyes, and their howl disoriented the soldiers. The deer could occasionally run right through a tree or a person, and they had to time their attacks to keep from having their swords phase through the beasts as well.

There were minor injuries, but so long as they remained on guard, there were no further casualties or even major wounds suffered.

Finally, when it was David’s turn, he killed the alpha wolf of a pack that had attacked them. When this one had howled, not only had the soldiers become disoriented, they had been physically pushed back.

David had managed to land an attack from the side while the wolf had been howling, and his sword had ripped the beast’s throat out.

Instead of a glowing orb, a glowing book rose from the corpse, and it was clear that David knew what it was, based on the excitement that filled his eyes.

He reached out, and Oscar and a few others gasped when the book transformed into a stream of light that shot into David’s head.

Their lieutenant staggered in place briefly, groaning as he cradled his head. Still, he quickly recovered.

Glancing around, he said, “I’m the last one of us, so it’s time for us to head back. We’ve got enough for an initial report, so let’s get out of here. We’ll be back again, I promise.”

Nothing was said about what had happened to David, but the soldiers knew better than to ignore a clear dismissal of the matter. They reorganized themselves and started retracing their steps.

Fortunately, Oscar’s improved eyesight allowed him to quickly find their way back to the tunnel, and they left in a fraction of the time it had taken them to move through the ancient forest before.

When they returned to the rainforest, they were shocked to discover that not only had the wider path they had cleared regrown and disappeared, there was no path at all to be seen.

For the first time, even David seemed rather taken aback at what they were seeing, and he quickly arranged the soldiers to clear a path back across the undergrowth.

They were not set upon by any creatures, and they knew enough to recognize the plants that had attacked them before, though they still constantly heard things scurrying about just out of sight.

Finally, they saw the tunnel that would lead them back to the surface and the camp. There was an overall feeling of relief as they stepped forward and into the tunnel.

Oscar looked around at his twenty-two companions, satisfied and proud of their results.

Wait, twenty-two?

He quickly counted again, and then put names to the familiar faces. “Where’s Juan? Wasn’t he bringing up the rear?”

David spun around, and the relaxed chatting quickly died down as Oscar’s question was processed and passed along.

Even so, they quickly realized that Juan was gone, and no one could remember when he had disappeared. They could not even say for sure when he had last been with them. Had he returned to the rainforest with them? Had he been lost before that?

Disturbingly, no one could say.

They had lost a squadmate, and yet no one had noticed a thing.

David’s cussing echoed through the tunnel as they clomped back to the camp and the light of the setting sun. They needed to make a report, yet they all knew the mess they were in for not having complete information.

This was not going to be pleasant…