Chapter 108 (Patreon)

Unedited.
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The Creator, Atlantis, The Kalenic Sea

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"So, given all you've told me... Your morals have definitely changed, and you haven't noticed. You thought it was the original soul in the core, but not much has changed on that front after removing that soul. Occam's razor suggests the answer must be because of the body your soul is in, the core itself. Also, I have to ask, what the fuck is up with that; Who is Occam and how do I know about his razor?!"

I let my avatar sigh from where it was lying on the concrete, feet hanging off the ledge still.

"Yes, I agree. It's the only explanation that makes sense. But I can't exactly change my body, my core, without huge consequences. Apocalyptic consequences," I answered the question of my morals first, before addressing Kata's other concern. "I assume it has to do with the connection I have to the Children. They draw on my knowledge unconsciously, and speak sayings and quotes from my original world without thinking."

They were both silent for a moment.

"Oh, and Occam isn't actually his name," I explained, drawing on memories I hadn't needed to think of in years. "His name was William, I think. It's the idea that after shaving away incorrect options, the explanation or solution is usually the simplest or easiest one."

"Then where did Occam come from?"

"The town he was born in, Ockham."

"Ah, so he was lowborn?"

"I don't actually know. Wasn't told all that much about him, only his razor."

"That's kinda sad."

I turned my avatar's head left, to look at Kata. She was lying beside me, eyes looking at the wispy clouds floating overhead.

"So. I've told you everything, I think. Answered all your questions. You have anything to say?"

Kata didn't respond, but for closing her eyes. After a minute, she spoke.

"You need a moral compass," she stated. "Someone who can tell you whether what you are about to do is morally wrong."

"Are you volunteering?"

"You don't exactly have any other option. The Children wouldn't dare criticize you, through no fault of your own," Kata said. I hummed, and sat up. I swung the avatar's legs around off the edge, and stood. It was a short walk away from the edge to a window on the opposite side, one which faced Core Island. I held my skeletal hands behind my back, staring out though the flaming eyes of my avatar's skull.

Footsteps follow, and Kata soon joins me at the window.

As much as I've held onto my humanity... I'm not human anymore. A human has a heart, and his blood pumps through his veins. A human breathes the air, and draws energy from the food he eats. A human feels the fabric of clothes he wears on his skin, to keep the chill from his bones.

Mana is my only way of interacting with the world. Touch... I haven't touched anything myself in a long time. Experiencing it through one of the children isn't the same. Taste... I suppose I've used it to identity mana. Beyond the colors of the magic itself, they all have a 'taste.' Or maybe they don't and it's just my soul being confused on how to process my senses.

Even this avatar I've crafted reflects my new nature. It doesn't have eyes to see. It doesn't have skin to feel, nor a tongue to taste. it doesn't have a nose to smell, nor ears to hear. A skeleton, the bones of my fallen Children. Repurposed and reused. The product of experiments that caused and continue to cause fear and pain and... 

I'm a Dungeon Core. I've killed hundreds of humans and felt nothing of their deaths. Guiltless, but not blameless. I feel empathy, but not enough to empathize with those not my own.

But I want to. My humanity is what made me different, what sets me apart from the panicked flailing a dungeon like Instincts would run. It gave me my goal, my dream and vision. A world of wonders, beautiful vistas, awe inspiring creations and monuments. 

In my fear of enslavement and destruction, I crafted horrors and terrors. Monsters that will fling themselves at invaders to prevent exactly that. 

"Kata," I began, looking out at the accretion disk that surrounded my core. It was painted in a rainbow of colors, with a gravity and momentum the currents that'd formed in the ocean around the island mirrored. It was beautiful. I looked down at the scaleborn, seeing curiosity in her eyes. "I'm going to ease up on the guilders. As much as I want to defend myself, protect my core from their grasping hands... not all wish my death. They will look for a trap if it's too great, but... a lesser number of monsters in their path."

Kata beamed up at me. She raised a hand and placed it on the cloaked arm of the avatar. The mana in her hand was warm against my cold bones.

She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. I could feel the approval in her mind.

I left a piece of my awareness in the avatar, but moved the majority of it upwards. I had some changes to make.

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Blackwater Port, Kolchiss County, Theona

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Towers-Over-Others stepped off the crane with the other children too large for the gangplank. Aston was at his side, carrying two rolls of fabric over his shoulders. As part of their payment to Captain Eli, they would unload the wares he intended to sell here. It didn't take long. The Minotaurs were stronger than any human and the crew were relegated to organizing and pointing out where crates were to sit. 

Towers observed as the crew and the children interacted. None of the fear and wariness that had dominated their interactions at the start of the journey was present now. They joked around, laughed together. One Minotaur, Ossydus, slapped a human on the back gently, and the man fell into a pile of hay. Ossydus apologized profusely, even as the man's friends laughed and the man himself insisted he was fine.

He smiled, though it quickly faded. There was the hole in his mind again, where the comforting warmth of The Creator once rested. This time it felt deeper. A yawning pit. During The Creator's sleep, they had still felt the connection to Him. Now the connection had been severed. Many Children were inconsolable, as they had heard The Creator bless them as they neared the edge of his influence. Then he was ripped away. The healing had taken time, but thankfully the week long journey was enough for most to get control of themselves.

Towers took a shuddering breath, and tried to ignore the pit. He turned his gaze away from the crew, scanning the crowd nearby. He saw fear and wariness. Mothers pulled their children close. Men glared as they pushed their women behind them.

"We have out work cut out for us, Baal." Towers began as the robed capriccio joined him and Aston.

"No kidding," Aston responded in the Minotaur language with a grunt, placing the fabric down where a member of the crew told him to.

"They are wary, true. But none have yet attacked," Baalzebub countered in her bleating language, waving a hand at the crowd. Towers looked again. The capriccio spoke the truth. "No guards gather to arrest us. They have heard rumors and are afraid, true, but humans are curious. A Virtue, by the words of The Creator."

Towers nodded, as did Aston. 

"Perhaps the Scorpans should stay back for the first few meetings." Baal continued. "Humans fear those unlike themselves, and the Scorpans are the most unlike them. You cannot even speak a language they will understand. Let tensions cool and familiarity breed, first."

Towers didn't like it, but he agreed.

"Fine. I know we can be... overenthusiastic. Some Drake-kin and Capriccio are probably the best for first introductions." Towers advised.

Baalezbub nodded, and gathered a couple of Children. Together, they approached the crowd. Towers and Aston hung back, far enough that they couldn't hear the conversation. 

As the Children approached, dozens ran. But enough stayed. Tense postures softened as the conversation continued. There was some shouting as accusations were thrown. "You're Monsters! Why Should We Trust You!"

Eventually, the crowd dispersed. No one took any of the books or fliers, but just the fact that it ended without conflict was a step in the right direction. Towers sighed, shrugging at Baal as she rejoined him. The group all made their way through the city together, with a guide and a few guards to protect both them and the humans.

They still had a lot of trust to build here, but it was a start.

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Inside a Baby Dungeon, Near The Holy City, Theona

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Akio felt his breath catch in his throat as they tunnel opened up, forming a larger cavern. It was a welcome change from the long single corridor they'd been walking through so far, only wide enough for three men to walk shoulder-to-shoulder. At the far end sat a gem, embedded in the wall. It radiated a blue light, the exact same shade as the glowing fox had. It was bright, but not too bright to hide itself. A Sapphire. Its light filled the room, and the monster in the middle of the room cast a sharp shadow towards them.

Growling, it stood on it's hind legs and roared.

A Bear blocked the way.

"This is more than I expected," Guard-Captain Heliat stated, hand on his sheathed sword. "It may be too much for you three, but I will let you fight it on your own for three reasons. One; while it is a bear, it is not yet a monster, nor is it a mana mutant. I'd say it found the cave yesterday. It hasn't been here long enough for the mana to saturate it's body. Two; this entire trip was to give your experience. If you only win effortlessly, you'll become overconfident. From overconfidence comes deadly mistakes. Three; Jinasa, Adrian and I are here. We can step in to protect you if you falter."

Akio nodded. He shared a glance with Sophie and Bruce. "ideas?"

"It's a bear." Sophie began, keeping an eye on the bear as it sniffed at them. "As strong as you've become you aren't strong enough to contend with it physically. Bait and dodge it. Take glancing blows if you have to, but I'd advise against it."

"Yeah, I'm with Soph on this," Bruce agreed. "Bears are no joke, mate. Don't get hit. We'll DPS, but you need to keep it's attention."

Akio nodded again, and stood forward. He raised his shield and sword, eyes locked on the bear. It roared at him again as he stood forward.

There was no time for hesitation or holding back, here. He cast the flash spell. His shield exploded in light... but the bear was unphased. It'd closed it's eyes. 

He threw himself to the right, rolling to his feet as the bear charged. It's claw slammed through where he was less than a second ago, on all fours once again. Akio backpedaled, casting his other spell. His sword lit up, and the arc of light lashed out as he swung at it. It raised it's foreleg, roaring in pain as the light left a deep cut.

It glared at him in rage, then let out another cry of pain. Sophie's daggers flashed out of the shadows underneath it, cutting up into it's belly. In the next instant, she'd pulled back into the shadows. As blood dripped into a pool beneath it, the bear backpedaled, glaring at the shadows. It's eyes flickered around, resting only moments on the three powerful humans at the cavern's entrance, then turning to Sophie. The bear wheeled around. Turning it's back on Akio.

He struck.

His blade buried itself in it's thigh, and he decided to try something new. He cast Arc of Light, but changed the spell slightly to hold the energy in the blade. He could feel the glow building as it roared in pain. He sliced, pulling out the blade at the same time, and it's flesh parted. 

The smell of burning flesh filled his nose. He held back vomit as he backpedaled again, making distance. It whirled around again, eyes locked on Akio. He could see the wild rage in his eyes. Before it could make a move, a sharp blade of water slashed against it's face. It gave a startled roar. Sophie struck again, cutting one of it's tendons. It half-collapsed as it's back right foot collapsed.

And so the fight continued.

Akio struck with light. Bruce lashed at it from a distance. Sophie stabbed and sliced at it from the shadows.

The bear slowed. it bled. It faltered.

Akio stepped forward, and slashed at it again. He was too quick. Overconfident. Sure of victory. He only had a second to react as it struck. He raised his shield.

He must have blacked out for a moment, because when he next opened his eyes he was collapsed against the cavern wall, pain lancing through his arm and back. A roar caught his attention, and he turned to face the bear. it had dismissed him as a threat, choosing to focus on Bruce. The Australian was far nimbler than Akio, and dodged each blow like his life depended on it. Which, to be fair, It probably did.

Sophie was too nimble, disappearing into her own shadow whenever it turned to face her. Her attacks had redoubled with Akio thrown from the fight.

Akio let his eyes be drawn to the Core. It was right there. Mere meters away. Akio glanced back at the fight. He caught Sophie's eye, and pointed covertly to the core. Her eyes flicked to it, then back to his. She nodded.

Akio moved closer to the core, slowly and as quietly as possible.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer!

A mere meter away from the core, the bear roared, and Akio knew he was discovered. He lunged.

And

His 

Hand

Wrenched

The 

Core

From 

The

Wall 

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