Cattails rustle slightly as something moves between them. The faint hiss of the culprit reveals it to be a snake, one as black as night. Its beady eyes stare up at the blue sky overhead, whilst its sensitive nose tracks the scent of nearby prey. It slithers up from the riverbank and through a tangle of tree roots.

  A small rodent rests atop a knot in the bark of a tree. Its front paws work to clean its soft brown fur, ridding itself of smells that may lead predators to it. The creature's ears twitch constantly in an effort to pick up any sound that may alert it to danger. What this rodent doesn't see, is the black snake currently staring directly at it.

  The black serpent tenses its muscles silently as it studies its prey. Rodents like these are easily scared off, so it must be patient. No sudden movements until it is too late. The snake readies for a lethal strike--

  Thump.

  The rodent scurries off into a nearby hole, too small for the snake. The snake is agitated by this. Another thump follows the first, and the snake turns its head to see what's causing the fuss. Standing above the snake is a truly monstrous being. A human.

  "Go on. Shoo," The old woman says.

  She watches the black snake slither away with a subtle smirk on her wrinkled face. After the snake disappears from sight she raises her cane, and continues walking. The occasional thump of her wooden cane hitting the earth spooks the wildlife. She pays it no mind.

  Ambling along at a snail's pace, the old woman takes appreciative looks at the surrounding wilderness. Her hands trace the bark of ancient trees like a mother caressing her child's face. The old woman easily navigates the difficult terrain, as if having practiced this same walk many times before.

  She stops suddenly.

  The old woman's dark eyes flicker to look up at the sky. She eyes the remnants of clouds blowing overhead, and her nose twitches. She taps her cane on the ground three times, and clicks her tongue. The old woman voices her thoughts.

  "Something's different today, isn't it?"

  A gentle breeze blows through the swamp, ruffling the old woman's brown robes. Her eyes narrow as she looks in the direction of the wind. She sniffs the air, resembling a predator hunting down prey.

  The woman flashes a sinister smile, murmuring to herself.

  "Oh yes, very different. I smell a dungeon."

  ~

  Faint birdsong rouses the girl from her slumber. She stretches out on her cot, yawning languidly. When she rolls over only to fall onto the hard stone floor, she realizes she's not in her old bed. Shock and despair war for control of the girl's face.

  "Damn it, I was having such a good dream!" The girl curses.

  The girl stands. She can hardly see her surroundings, as the fire has long since burnt out. The only light filters in through the chimney overhead.

  Approaching the water basin, the girl splashes her face with the clean water. She stares intently at her reflection in the water. She's a mess. The tangles in her hair alone make her look like a wild beast, not to mention her state of undress.

  Her reflection distorts as the water in the basin ripples.

  "Hm?" The girl vocalizes.

  The ripples stop. She furrows her brow in confusion, wondering if she was just imagining things.

  Thump!

  An audible thumping sound catches the girl off guard. She whips her head around to look toward the source of the sound. It's the bare stone wall of her shelter. She approaches the wall tentatively, her eyes squinting at something on the wall. A tiny crack in the stone.

  Huh. Did I not build this place properly?

  Another loud thump scares the girl half to death, sending her stumbling back a few steps. The tiny crack in the stone has grown into a spiderweb of hairline fractures. Wide eyed, the girl watches in horror as the wall is broken apart by another impact. Huge chunks of stone break apart to let the sunlight in. Dust and debris cause the girl to choke.

  Another rumbling impact sends the girl falling flat on her ass. Slithering in through the massive hole in the shelter wall is a green vine, as thick as a tree trunk. The girl's eyes struggle to adjust as the bright light illuminates the shelter interior. She can make out several unnaturally large vines, each one pulling stone debris into the water outside.

  "You're not what I was expecting, girl," Someone clucks.

  The girl's eyes finally adjust to the light, giving her a good look at the one responsible for this destruction. Standing atop a massive vine is an old woman shrouded by an assortment of brown robes. Several writhing vines hover around her like an extra set of limbs.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  The shock wears off, and the girl's face begins to redden.

  "Y-You destroyed my house!" The girl shouts.

  A brief silence ensues. The two women size each other up, as if trying to discern the character of the other. Finally, the old woman's face is split with a wide smile. She cackles at the girl.

  "Haha! That I did, girly!"

  The old woman's light tone catches the girl off guard. The girl balls her fists, glaring at the old woman. If it wasn't for the presence of those oversized vines the girl would be giving this old hag a piece of her mind. Instead, the girl clears her throat before speaking as politely as she can manage.

  "Do you mind telling me why you destroyed my house?"

  The old lady smirks at the girl's question. The large vine the old woman stands upon carries her to the hole in the wall. The girl scrambles to her feet as the old woman steps into her shelter. The old lady gives the room a once over before clearing her throat.

  "What?" The girl asks incredulously.

  The old woman rolls her eyes. She raises her wooden cane with one hand, pointing it at the sleeping boy. The girl quickly finds her voice as she explains his presence.

  "Oh- He floated here yesterday, and I couldn't let him die, so I patched him up!"

  The old woman tilts her head at the girl's story. The way her eyes flicker between the girl and the boy makes her distrust obvious. The girl throws her hands up in defeat.

  "Look, I don't know what to tell you!" The girl whines.

  "Well you could start by explaining why you're naked." The old woman interjects.

  Turning red, the girl hurriedly covers her nether regions with her hands.

  "I-I woke up like this!"

  Clicking her tongue in disapproval, the old woman pulls one of her many brown robes off her own back and tosses it to the girl. The girl catches it mid air, gratefully slipping it over her bare body. The old woman waits for the girl to calm down before continuing her questioning.

  "So, now that you're decent, mind telling me what you're doing with that dungeon core?"

  The old woman's cane points at the gemstone atop the pedestal. The girl glances over at her gemstone, her eyebrows raising as she looks back at the old woman. She asks what feels like a stupid question.

  "What's a dungeon core?"

  "Hah? You mean you don't even know what it is, and you're sleeping next to it?" The old woman questions incredulously.

  The girl feels heat rising to her cheeks as the old woman speaks. From the sound of it, her gemstone is something dangerous. The girl swallows her pride, asking another question.

  "Are these uh, dungeon cores, dangerous?"

  The old woman laughs. It starts as a chuckle, and gradually grows. The girl watches awkwardly as the old woman hunches over, slapping her knee whilst guffawing. Finally the old woman stops her chortling to reply.

  "They're arguably the most dangerous thing in the realm! Haha, is it dangerous? That's a new one..."

  "Really? But it's super helpful, and I doubt I'd be alive without it," The girl replies earnestly.

  That wipes the amused look right off the old woman's face. She looks between the girl and the core suspiciously. Her next question is spoken cautiously.

  "By any chance... did it make you?"

  There's a chilling pause. The girl and old woman lock eyes for a fleeting moment. The girl's confused look of disbelief breaks the moment.

  "What? No, my parents made me, obviously."

  "...Just checking. Can you explain how it helped you, dear?"

  "Well I used it to create this house, push back flood waters, and start a fire. It's just super handy for everything."

  The old woman stares at the girl as if she's grown a second head. The girl laughs nervously, her voice unsteady as she questions the old woman's expression.

  "What's the matter? Did I say something strange?"

  "You spoke as if the core is a tool, not a being."

  "Well... I think of it like I do my arm, it's just a part of me, I guess?"

  The old woman shakes her head in disbelief. She walks toward the pedestal, her cane thumping along the stone steadily. Upon reaching the dungeon core, the old woman whispers something.

  "Greetings, dungeon core."

  The girl's eyes widen in shock as she hears the old woman's voice inside her head. She voices her curiosity eagerly.

  "How did you do that?!"

  Hearing the sudden exclamation, the old woman turns to regard the girl with a puzzled expression. She replies to the girl's question with a question of her own.

  "Do what?"

  "You spoke inside my head!"

  The old woman's jaw drops. She turns away from the girl to look at the dungeon core. Then back at the girl. An incredulous smile splits the old woman's face as she reveals the truth.

  "I spoke telepathically to the dungeon core."

  The girl shuffles awkwardly, not sure what to tell the old woman. She's pretty sure the dungeon core is part of her. Will the old woman try to harm her once she figures that out? The old woman's face softens as she speaks.

  "Ah, I see."

  "S-See what?"

  "I should have noticed it sooner. Your soul is housed in both the dungeon core and your human body," The old woman explains.

  The lack of surprise from the girl gives the old woman pause. She purses her lips in thought.

  "You already knew."

  "I had a hunch!" The girl raises her hands in surrender.

  "Haha, clever girl... most wouldn't take too kindly to a hybrid such as yourself."

  "Hybrid? Are there others like me?" Hope leaks into the girl's voice.

  "Not to my knowledge. You're the first human dungeon core hybrid I've heard of, and likely the only one in the world."

  The girl's face falls upon hearing the bad news. She is a unique existence, and one most people will react negatively to. The old woman pats the girl comfortingly on the shoulder, a surprisingly tender gesture. When the girl speaks, her voice comes out as a whisper.

  "What am I meant to do?"

  "You'll do what all dungeon cores do, you'll survive."

  "Dungeon cores... What exactly is a dungeon core?"

  The old woman chuckles, her expression growing wistful as she looks over at the girl's core.

  "That's a long story. You should take a seat, child."