Blue Core

Day 108 - Blue

Ow. Just...ow. Having a bunch of high-level people fighting each other in your innards is not pleasant. Nothing had hurt that much since I was a tiny little dungeon and a knight broke one of my walls. Even after Id fixed the damage it still smarted, though the overlay claimed that I was still at full hitpoints. That was Core HP, though, so maybe there was some hidden stat for my everything else. Or maybe I was just imagining it, something like a phantom limb.

That wasnt the only weird thing though. I was pretty sure Id run into another instance of dungeon-system-supplied emotions. The moment the moils had gotten into range and been registered by the overlay, Id gotten angry. Not just mad, but enraged. Completely pissed off. I bet if Id had my own monsters Id have sent them out. If I had normal traps Id have triggered them.

But I didnt have monsters or normal traps, so I retained enough presence of mind to let the moils and foremost goblins, all of which had been given some sort of heat resistance to judge by the Affinities I could see attached to them, into the tunnels to cut them up with pressurized water. The land mines had been shockingly effective for the rest of the army. Even if actual direct deaths were fairly low, they still made it impossible to escape when I pushed the lava Id been using for the steam pressure to the surface and set everything on fire.

Annoyingly I didnt actually get any experience for the whole fight, since I no longer got anything from killing enemies. Apparently too many people died for the few mercenaries who escaped to trigger [Merciful]. Sure, I still had over a hundred thousand experience banked but at this point that would rank up [Spatial Control] all of one time. So the only benefits I got from the victory were the non-overlay kind.

I was pretty happy with the fight overall, though actually watching fourth-tiers in action made me increase my standards for protection yet again. Stonesteel didnt seem to be particularly impressive despite its description. Sure, nothing normal harmed it but Ansae and Yamal and people like that Ironbound seemed to be able to tear through it like paper. I needed to be able to do something with metal, probably, but I had yet to figure that out.

Not like I didnt have enough to do. Id dusted off the nearly-forgotten boring beetles and sent them off in the direction of Meil. I just needed the tiny tunnels they carved and I could do the rest without much thought. Making tunnels was tedious, as Id found out when I was trying to rescue Shayma and Iniris group. The beetles at least I could set and forget for a while, assuming they didnt need to be recovered once they hit the water table. Which was good because I needed to focus for the other thing I had planned for the day.

The audience with Ansae.

Even though she was seeking audience with me, it sort of felt like the other way around. After all, she was the one who knew what she was doing. At least it seemed so to me. Shayma just had basic adventurer-wear and Ansaes stuff was probably worth a kingdom or two. Shayma also wasnt all that keen to meet her again, but Ansae seemed more in control of herself this time. The dragon had requested, rather than demanded, a meeting, which was an encouraging sign.

Nevertheless, I kept my metaphorical finger on the core recall.  Id only used it the one time, but that one time had created a hell of a feedback effect between Shayma and I. She just felt tingly, but I felt awful and it sucked up something around eighteen thousand mana by the time it died down, besides.  The effect was worth it though, since it made me feel a lot more confident as Shayma went down to talk to Ansae.

She clearly saw Shayma coming well before the door opened, but I figured that would be the case. If she could somehow see through half a mile of stone to comment on both my disposal of the idiot adventurers and of the army of goblins and moils, she could tell if someone was coming down the hall.

By the time Shayma opened the door she was upright in her chair rather than sprawled across it, and I could swear shed lengthened her horns. Her armor was certainly looking slightly fancier, though it had never looked particularly unkempt despite the days shed spent waiting around without food or drink or anything. At her levels, she probably didnt need that kind of thing, though she hadnt been shy about raiding my kitchen the very first time shed come.

Ansae gave Shayma a nod as she arrived, and Shayma nodded back as she sat down. We were both somewhat at a loss for how to open the discussion.

So, uh, I guess -

I wish to enter negotiations with you, Ansae said, somewhat stiffly. What would it take to repair the relations between us?

I think an apology would be a good start. To you, Shayma, not to me. Im not the one who was attacked, after all.

Shayma hesitated for a moment, then spoke. Blue says that he would like an apology for your behavior toward me.

Not him? Ansaes response wasnt as intense as her conversation the first time, only mildly interested rather than ravenous.

No, he says that Im the one you attacked, so, me.

I see. I, Ansae Ziir, do apologize for my unwarranted and violent behavior. I will not lose my control like that in these negotiations, rest assured.

Thank you, Shayma said, relaxing a fraction. That was suspiciously easy. I figured that someone like Ansae would be super prickly about her dignity and apologizing to lesser mortals or whatever, but she didnt hesitate nor sound like she was forcing the apology out. The extra promise helped, though I did take note that she restricted it to these negotiations. A word choice I actually found encouraging, because if she intended to break her word she wouldnt be so careful.

So what exactly did she want? I know what I want, but better to find out what shes interested in first.

Blue wishes to know what you had in mind when you requested the meeting.

Ansae laughed. Direct. Blue has a way of curing Depletion. I want to be cured.

Oh. Well. I would, but...her Depletion is so high itd take seven hundred thousand mana. Shayma, nodding along as I spoke to her, nearly choked on that number. Now, if I can figure out a way to reduce that to something more reasonable, or do it piecemeal, I will, but for now Im just not powerful enough to Purify her. Also make sure she knows its a breeding option. Dont want to spring that on her later.

I let Shayma explain that, watching Ansaes expression. Oddly, what she reacted to most was not that shed have to climb into a breeding station, but that I knew how much Depletion she had.

You know both my Depletion and my name. How do you know these things? I have gone to some trouble to protect myself from most forms of divination and appraisal.

It just shows up for me when youre inside. Name, health, stamina, mana, Depletion. Everything else is hidden though, including level. Looking over the overlays report, I noticed now that her health and stamina hadnt gone up at all since the first time shed arrived. Or if it had, it was only by a point or two. Her mana pool seemed to have gone down slightly, no doubt from whatever spells or natural abilities she was fueling to see the goings-on inside my walls.

...interesting. Ansae regarded Shayma, then glanced around at the walls, seeing more than just the nearest stone faces, no doubt. If youre not yet powerful enough to cure me, I can wait. I have been patient enough so far, another century or two wont hurt me.

Century? Uhh, I hope itll be sooner than that. I just need some chances to study it. Im over two-thirds of the way to what I need for Iniri, assuming shes the next one I [Purify]. I could do Annit and Keri now but, uh, I dont think theyd want to. Not sure I want to offer and make things weird. The last was just thinking out loud for Shaymas benefit. I wasnt actually willing to fuck any female that wanted it, despite the reputation dungeons had, especially since for most it would just be to [Purify] them. Shaymas friends were definitely on the list wed made of worthwhile or deserving people, should their Depletion rise too high. Given that Ive gotten this far in three months, theres a good chance Ill be able to do something in the reasonably near future.

Ansae had difficulty controlling her expression as Shayma translated into something less rambly. Youre...three months old?

Well, this dungeon is. Clearly I had some existence other than being a dungeon, but I wasnt sure it really counted.  It wasnt like it had done much to prepare me for dungeonhood, or all the rules that governed this world.  Oh, there were some familiar things in play, like Ansae having a hoard, but for the most part it seemed irrelevant.  I hadnt even mentioned it to Shayma, since I figured itd only confuse matters.

If you could do all this in three months, that does imply you might be able to expand yourself significantly in just a few years, Ansae agreed after pausing to digest the fact. But until then, I should stay. You may have been able to deal with that army but there are more potent threats around, and I am not going to leave my only route to a cure unguarded.

Thats great, actually! I can make you a new, larger lair to live in, and more access to the rest of the dungeon - but I also need information and training. For myself and for Shayma.

Wait, training for me? Shayma blinked.

Shes a shapeshifter. Im hoping she can help you with [Combat Shapeshifting], and maybe general spellcasting? And who knows what else. Shes crazy high level, so she has to know all kinds of things.

Mm Shayma nodded reluctantly, relaying the message.

Training? Ansae was amused. Though I suppose the more able you are, the more likely it is I get what I want. I have to admit that was a nicer place to stay than the cave I dug.

Don't forget you can come visit upstairs, too, Shayma said. Im sure Queen Iniri would love to meet you!

I wasnt sure about that. In fact, I wasnt sure I was happy that Ansae knew about the human...ish guests, but it was too late at this point. I should probably make it a point to inform everyone in the future and make sure they knew not to fight. I might need to host other factions in the future and it was best to make the rules clear.

I was also wondering if I could trade for gold. I need it, but I cant find any. Im pretty sure I have something worth trading.

I waited until Shayma had delivered the message before putting one of each of the Primal sources I had on the table. By now the room was fully repaired, which I guess just sort of happened at some point while we were talking, but that was fine. It was annoying having a messy room anyway.

What are these? Ansae stared at them, reaching out her hand but stopping short of touching the glowing stones.

Primal Sources. Um, so, take this stone. I lifted up a stone pillar next to the table, letting Shayma narrate, then compressed it into Stonesteel. I did that to Source gems. Given the name I thought you might appreciate them? Or know whats happening with them more than I do, anyway.

...you cant do that to Source material. Ansae half-complained. Mana of the proper Affinity goes through it, everything else just bounces off or damages it. But She reached out again, this time scooping up the even dozen stones, six to each hand. Unlike with other people whod touched the stones, they didnt seem to change. Primal mana is different. The mana most people use is processed by their Class, tamed but limited. Reach past that, touch the raw source behind it, and maybe -

She stopped as something happened with the gems. Shed flickered her own mana over them, ever so briefly. With my mana perception I could only see that she had, it was too fast for me to figure out what she was doing. But that seemed to be enough as it sparked something like, but not quite the same as, the attunement process that happened with everyone else. The gems shivered, then slid into each other as if they were water droplets.

It didnt stop there, though. The two combined gems, one in each of her hands, pulled together as if magnetized and, when Ansae didnt let them go, actually flowed right through the flesh of her hands to meet in the middle. She caught the resulting gem as it dropped. It was far smaller than it had any right to be, maybe the size of a cherry, and entirely clear save for a few points of light floating about the interior.

Well. Thats new.

Um, Shayma agreed.

I had...some idea of what had happened. Ansaes magic wasnt just one Affinity like most people, it was many. Or most, or even all. I couldnt really tell. But because of that, the tendency for the Primal sources to try and mimic the individual mana meant that even though each of the gems was of a different Affinity, they wanted to be the same...thing. How that translated into them merging into one physical object, I wasnt sure.

What an astounding little trinket. Ansae held the gem up, peering into it. I dont have anything like it in my hoard. The closest I do have is this beauty. She patted the dagger at her side, the one that shone so brightly to mana-sight that it hurt. And she took an ocean over a thousand years to make. She regarded a moment more, then popped it into her mouth.

Shayma stared. I...well, the stare was there in spirit, anyway. What the hell was Ansae doing?

The question was answered when she swallowed and, a moment later, her horns went from steel to a diamond-like lustre. They already resembled a crown, curled about the front of her head, and now they seemed even more like one, humming with power and authority. Somehow, shed integrated the Source into them, maybe into her entire body. Casually, in an instant.

Well, thats scary impressive.

Which was probably the point. Hopefully I wasnt about to get into a one-upmanship contest with a dragon, because I was pretty sure Id lose.

Shayma repeated my maybe-compliment, and Ansae laughed, showing her teeth. "It has been some time since I've gotten to show off."

Shayma nodded politely, a little spooked still, and Ansae waved her claws. "If gold you want, then gold you shall have, but this thing is worth more than mere metal trifles." Spatial magic appeared from her clawtips and a dizzying array of runes appeared in the air. One of them lit up, flying to hover over the surface of the table while the rest of them vanished. Then, suddenly, it popped, bursting to reveal several massive gold ingots, weighty enough to make the stonesteel table groan.

It all happened too fast for me to really take in the magic itself, but I could tell it was far more complex than anything I was doing. It seemed that she was pulling things from some other space, kind of like my inventory or material stockpiles, but with a lot more finesse. I couldnt read the runes, which was odd because everything Id seen so far was the same language as the overlay or Status, but I would bet they organized Ansaes inventory pretty nicely.

Even if I couldnt really profit from the magic, the gold was very, very welcome. Especially so much of it. I pulled it into my system but still had to park most of it in one of my holding rooms, as only a tiny chunk filled in the one hundred fifty unit cap. I could finally build those resource crystals!

So what do you want besides gold? My honor compels me to give you something else, and I do have quite the hoard.

Hmm, samples of magic exotic materials would be nice, in case I can manage to replicate them. But first, why dont you ask for something, Shayma?

Me? She blinked.

Of course.

...Blue wants me to ask for something for myself, but honestly, he provides pretty much everything I need. I would like to know if my parents are okay, and get a message to them if possible. They were out in the Wildwood forest the whole time I was over there, I think. Thats the direction [Seeker] pointed, anyway.

Ansaes smile softened. They do say a child should honor their parents. A divination, then. Not an issue, though it will be easier if Blue takes down the [Warding] for a moment.

To be honest, aside from the [Warding] around my core room, I didnt really need it anymore. My location had been found out anyhow, and so far as I could tell dungeons did have some natural defenses against anyone looking too closely at them. With that being the case I dropped it while Ansae did her thing and started working on the new lair, as well as placing a bunch of the storage crystals in my test area since I had the materials for them now.

I planned to fill most of them with mana. With the amount of gold Id gotten from Ansae, I would be able to reach the required mana levels for Iniris [Purification] just on the strength of the storage crystals. She needed almost twenty-two thousand, I was up to sixteen at this point. But I also wanted to put some of my other materials into them. Notably iron, because I was actually generating it and a single crystal would give me half again the storage space for it.

That turned out to be a good decision.

[Metalworking] learned. Allows integration of stored metals into dungeon elements.

...Oh.

...I could have done this ages ago. I did have a single gold for a very long time, I just hadnt wanted to spend it when I only had the one. But if I had, then I would have gotten the Ability and been able to do something with all this iron I was piling up! Though to be honest, iron by itself, in pure form, wasnt a very strong metal. What I really wanted was steel.

I did have coal. No forges, though, but maybe I didnt need them. A moments experimentation showed me that the storage crystals didnt want to take more than one resource, but that didnt mean I couldnt try and force it. I filled up a large-size storage crystal with iron, until there was only one unit left, and then tried to shove coal in there. Steel was about one percent carbon, after all.

I figured that mana would solve the problem, but I hadnt figured on the crystal exploding when I tried too hard. I could recover the fragments to get back most of the iron, but not the gold, which would have been really annoying if Ansae hadnt given me so much. So, once again, but this time holding the crystal together with [Customization]. Between trying to force in that single unit of coal and constantly resealing the cracks in the storage crystal, I blew through over three thousand mana before something happened.

[Metallurgy] learned. Unlocks Metallurgy category.

I hadnt unlocked an entire category for a while. This was awesome! Since it started out at base level five, it had a number of entries, and I immediately dumped my banked experience into it to get another two levels, though to no avail. Still, what it had was well worth it.

Crucible Crystal (size 100): 20 Gold, 50 Iron, 150 Stonesteel, 3 Fire Affinity Source Gems: Converts metals to liquid version.

Alloy Crystal (size 200): 50 Gold, 50 Iron, 250 Stonesteel, 5 Kinetic Affinity Source Gems: Mixes liquid metals into alloys.

Infusion Crystal (size 100): 20 Gold, 50 Iron, 150 Stonesteel, 10 Purifying Gems: Allows mixing of stored non-metal material with liquid metals.

Hardening Crystal (size 100): 20 Gold, 50 Iron, 150 Stonesteel, 10 Alchemical Diamonds: Converts liquid metals into solid form.

That was amazing. Not only did it do what I wanted to do, but it looked like my dungeon ecology actually fueled the unlocks. The purifying gems and alchemical diamonds were some of the non-Source fruits from my various flowers, finally giving me an actual use for them. I wanted to dive right into it.

But I didnt. Id completely missed Shaymas message to her parents while I was messing around with my own toys, and now I felt too guilty to allow myself to be any further distracted while Shayma and Ansae were still talking.  I caught maybe the last ten words or so of the message, inviting her mom and dad to come up north where I was located. Fair enough. How long do you think itll take them to get here without teleportation?  Are they as fast as you?

It will probably take a couple weeks. Moms only quick over short distances.

Aw, well, I suppose I can wait that long. Anyway, you can tell Ansae Ill have her new lair ready by tomorrow. Ill leave it up to you two how and when you want to do shapeshifting training...but I have some questions for her right now, if she doesnt mind.

Certainly. I have all the time in the world. There seemed to be some personal meaning behind the flippant phrase but it was probably something to do with her being an, at minimum, centuries old dragon.

I can see and manipulate mana but its got no Affinity, and I have no idea how to turn it into any of the Affinities myself. How do I do that?

Oh, now thats interesting. Ansae eyed Shayma, leaning back in her chair. Pure mana, lacking any sort of Affinity, is extremely difficult to make. To have the opposite problem...hm. She considered. The fact that I had a different issue from everyone else made sense to me, because I was pretty sure dungeons werent supposed to have spellcasting to begin with. They had features, and while I hadnt unlocked any that converted the mana, more normal dungeons likely did. By now it was pretty obvious I was well off the rails so far as what was normal for dungeons.

Or maybe that was [Tempered Wisdom] talking.

What causes mana to take on an Affinity is...truth. Ansae said at last. A combination of understanding and intent. You need to understand what the mana must be and what it must do. For most, their Class and Skills are all they need for this. Even those without spellcasting have their bodily mana converted into some type of Affinity, because they envision themselves to be or do things.

If yours isnt doing that naturally, youll have to gather it up - with [Mana Control] or whatever skill you have - and push your concepts and images onto it. Ansae snorted. Its rather like telling someone how to breathe. Be glad that I actually know how it works since I reached into Primal mana myself.

Thats why I asked! Though there were still tremendous gaps in the explanation, I wasnt sure I was going to get anything better because it was so reflexive for everyone but me. I did see what Ansae was getting at though, and while Id tried to push and prod mana in various ways, I hadnt tried anything like what she had said. In fact Id assumed that Affinities were something mechanical, like a phase change or something, and been massaging mana shape and density. To no avail, and now it was obvious why.

Before I spend however long fiddling with that, what do you know about Powers? People keep saying Im one, and Im all for it, but I dont know what Im supposed to do if I am.

You do whatever you want. Ansae chuckled dryly. Nobody is exactly sure what makes a Power, but were all unique. Youre a thinking dungeon. Im a primal dragon. Enkinden is a living storm. Tok is a roving mana spring. We all have our own pursuits and interests, and theres no real overlap between us. Nor is it usual for Powers to interact, She added, her eyes narrowed. One of the few commonalities we have is the ability to make Bargains, and we know better than to Bargain with each other.

I guess its really important if youre bothering with me, then.

You can see my Depletion. What do you think? For the first time Ansae showed actual anger, though I didnt take it personally. Especially since it wasnt aimed at Shayma. The comment had been a little flip for what had to be a mortal danger. I didnt know what happened if Depletion reached the cap, but even without that the sheer amount she had could not be pleasant.

Youre right, Im sorry. Ill see what I can do to start working on yours. Since it looked like Id be ready for Iniri in the next few days, I could try and figure out what was actually going on during [Purification]. I needed to know not just for Ansae, but because I really wanted a non-breeding method to address Depletion. Otherwise, Id only be helping out a select few women.

Apology accepted. Ansae relaxed slightly, idly running her claws over the table. I...appreciate that youre willing to help me despite how I acted in the past. That youre willing to do so without asking for some guarantee that I would cooperate. Then she snorted. Or even payment in advance, though Im not sure thats so much gracious as foolhardy.

Mostly Id rather be on good terms with you. It tickles my vanity to house a dragons lair, if nothing else, and Im so brand-new here that Id really appreciate having someone with a little bit of wisdom - not the skill - I can ask about things. So to speak.

Thats a refreshing attitude. She smiled, more relaxed now. Not one most people have toward me. In the past its been mostly running, screaming, begging for mercy - that sort of thing.

...should I be worried? Shayma asked, looking more than a little uncertain.

No, youre quite safe. Ansae waved it away. Not only are you Blues, but I got all my rampaging done centuries ago. Until this Depletion is fixed, Im fairly well stuck anyway. Im sure Blues already noticed, but I dont regenerate at all. I have to be careful.

That sounds...terrifying.

Yeah, I have a regeneration field I can add to your lair. Im not sure how much good itll do but it cant hurt. Actually, Id gotten an upgrade to it by plugging it directly into the mana dynamo. [Rejuvenation] reduced my mana income pretty significantly but it was far more effective than regeneration, and included mana restoration. But it was a multiplier, so it wasnt likely to do much for an already-anemic regeneration rate.

Thats kind of you, Ansae said, amused for reasons that were entirely her own. For myself, I should see if I can figure out a way to speak with Blue directly. Youre very charming, Shayma, but you can only be in one place at a time.

Oh, I think Blue would like that, Shayma said, an impish smile touching her features. Itll give him someone else to wake up in the middle of the night so he can pester them with bad jokes.

It was just the one time!

Three times.

It was just the three times!

You have an interesting way with your servants, Ansae said, muzzle stretching into a toothy grin. If I hadnt seen what you did to that army, Id wonder if you were too soft.

Oh, Im totally soft on Shayma, I said cheerfully, and watched her blush and then glare in the general direction of my core.

This is another reason you need to figure out a way to talk to him, Shayma appealed to Ansae. Its not fair that he expects me to repeat his flirting.

Yes, it seems hes a thorough scoundrel. The grin was permanently stuck at this point. Ill have to be cautious dealing with him.

Good idea. Shayma nodded sagely.

Okay, Im going to break this up before this turns into a conspiracy against me. Besides, Ive got Annits and Keris area nearly done. Oh! I need to make Annits blowgun for her.

Shayma giggled. All right, Blue is afraid were going to start conspiring against him. I need to go back and talk to some other people anyway, and Im sure Queen Iniri would be happy to meet with you any time. Though I think well be attacking Meil in a week or so? We wont be around then.

Ah, I remember the last time I razed a city. Do have fun. Ansae smiled cheerfully, and Shayma laughed before bowing to her and leaving.

You do realize she wasnt joking, right?

Im still going to pretend she was. Shayma said firmly.

Thats fair enough. Anyway, I need to finish Annits weapon while you show them around.

You gave them their own room, and Ansae too...how big are you now?

Most of the time when a woman asks how big you are, they mean something entirely different. Shayma just snorted in reply. Uhh...pretty big. Though Ive been growing more slowly of late since Im taking over the mountain and want to keep from accidentally collapsing it.

I appreciate not having a mountain collapsed on me. Shayma swished her tail from one side to the other. Sometimes all this still catches me by surprise. Just, that youre this enormous dungeon and youre dealing with dragons that are also Powers and...its daunting.

Actually youre doing more dealing with them than I am. Youre making me sound actually diplomatic and coherent, but I understand. Its strange even if I think about it too hard. But you know I wont make you do it if you really dont want to, right? I can dictate letters or something.

I know, she said. Thank you.

While Shayma rounded up her companions I considered Annits blowgun. It might have been a touch hasty to promise that, since Id never done anything like it before, but I was pretty confident it was possible. I just needed a large enough Source gem.

Fortunately, the wind-Affinity Source gems had been growing for nearly a week and one of them was big enough that I thought I could manage it. I was able to use [Customization] on the gems while they were still attached to the plants, and considering a blowgun was just a single piece I thought I could manage it.

I used Annits current weapon as a reference, minus the artistic flourishes and the charms chained to the tube. I was pretty sure that it was a simple design, but didnt want to take any chances by doing it freehand. The end result was a thin shell of swept gray, recognizable as a blowgun but maybe more fragile than Id like. Still, it was a weapon.

[Fabrication] learned. Unlocks Fabrication category.

Wait, what?

I pulled up the tab in question and found that it was incredibly expensive, experience-wise, to upgrade, and had only one entry in the category.

Assembler: 1000 Biomass, 10 Gold, 10 Steel, 100 Stonesteel: Allows Dungeon to assemble items into more complex products.

The material cost wasnt cheap either. Id have to build some of the metallurgy stuff first just to get the steel, and once again I mentally thanked Ansae for the massive amount of gold. I wasnt sure why these things took gold, and so much of it, but at least it wasnt asking for things I didnt have. Plus that hefty biomass requirement suggested whatever this looked like, it was going to be huge.

But worth the investment. The description was as lacking as usual for dungeon skills, since assemble was a pretty vague descriptor. Fine, coarse, quick, slow. Maybe it only fit opposing shapes together, or perhaps it could join with nails or other fastenings. It also didnt have a level, so I wasnt going to be able to advance it directly, but I didnt care. I could finally make things.

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