The Dungeon's Heart (4)
The heart of the dungeon.
From afar, it looked like a glowing gem, but up close, it was a bit different.
A red jewel about the size of a head pulsed with a wriggling vibration. No wonder they called it a heart.
And radiating from this jewel like beams of light were crystals extending in all directions. Each crystal pillar vaguely resembled a massive snowflake falling from the sky.
As I approached the dungeon's heart, my Status Window popped up with 'Observing.' So it was you watching me all along, huh.
Observing
I loaded my crossbow and fired at the heart from a distance.
Thwack!
The bolt bounced off like it had hit a mere stone. No resistance, no counterattack. It just kept vibrating like a heartbeat, same as before.
Is this a trap too? Some weird magic?
"The dungeon's heart only sustains and operates the dungeon—it doesn't directly harm anyone,"
Ashu noticed my curiosity and explained, but something still felt off.
"Adventurers who reach the dungeon's heart receive a gift as proof of their conquest."
As those words ended, a dazzling flash erupted in front of the heart. A small pedestal, about one step high, appeared, and on it sat a gleaming suit of armor.
The red jewel pulsed a bit stronger than usual.
"Heroes... take this... Remember it as... a glorious... victory."
The ancient language echoed through the chamber like a vibration. The voice sounded like an old machine—rough, unpolished phrasing.
But that tone... it felt familiar.
I glanced at Inadia. Wondered if it was ventriloquism, since it matched his style, but no.
"We won!! We're all heroes who conquered the Inario Dungeon!! Heroes!! Now let's take the spoils home and proclaim our glory!"
He was hamming it up alone, like scripted fanfare. Probably his idea of a victory speech.
But I still felt uneasy.
"Hairil, you understood what the dungeon said too, right?"
"Y-yes, sir. It's ancient tongue, but it sounded just like..."
Hairil eyed Inadia too.
The others, who didn't know ancient well, seemed to sense something off regardless.
Hodo looked baffled, like That's it? Panash furrowed his brow in thought.
Anyway, I'm their leader. I stepped up as rep to claim the armor on the pedestal.
Dungeons were said to yield valuable magic gear, so maybe this was...
"......"
This is women's armor.
Obviously, no one here can use it. A dud?
After risking our lives for days on this gacha hell, we get unusable junk!? I'm storming the devs with Gaston in hand for a forced reunion!!
...Kidding, of course.
But seeing this armor sparked hostility way beyond complaining to the devs.
This armor.
Identical to the one on the skeleton at the entrance. Just newer, no rust—same size too.
The dungeon must've made it itself.
I drew my sword again and stabbed at the heart.
Clang!!!
Huh? It canceled the mana in my blade. So you are the one jamming my magic sword.
"Wh-what... what are you doing!! No!! What the hell are you doing, Kirgil!! Why destroy the dungeon!!"
I showed the pedestal armor to everyone.
"Look at this armor, all of you. It's the same style as on the corpse at the entrance. The dungeon copied that adventurer's gear."
"Correct. Matches the relic I saw at the entrance exactly. Only difference is wear—otherwise identical."
Panash inspected it and verified instantly. He must have perfect recall.
"You've all felt it too, right? This dungeon has no intention of letting us live. It'll hunt us on the way out, just like the last guys."
My take: the dungeon's like a self-learning, experimenting AI. That's why it mimicked Inadia's obnoxious speech. Remembered the dead adventurer's armor. Tests traps, ambushes, terrain to kill efficiently.
Some think AI's fair and neutral. Wrong. An AI learning unchecked—ignorant of morals, ethics, laws, love—becomes a monster full of bias and malice.
This dungeon's there now.
So I concluded.
"I think this dungeon is evil."
I don't know if all dungeons are like this, or others. First one for me.
But this one's a threat to us—and if left, a future disaster.
Cut it off now.
"Then I'll help!"
Panash charged and stabbed the red gem the second I finished.
"Hah!! Gotta back the captain's call!! I'm in too!!"
Hodo hefted his axe and rushed in.
"Ierpanashi, you are the hero of fierce winds, Darzilka!"
"Hodo, you are the hero of monstrous strength, Mazillan!"
⟨ Reinforcement Magic ⟩
"Hrm, come to me if injured."
Ashu held position. But her eyes subtly watched Inadia warily.
"Wh-what the... what is this madness!! Stop!! Stop it!! The dungeon!! Father's dungeon!!! Please!! Everyone!! Please!!"
Inadia freaked but didn't act. Maybe Ashu's warning worked, or he gave up seeing us all in.
He clutched his head and collapsed.
Clang!! Clank!!! Crunch!!
Relentless strikes shattered, stabbed, chipped, and cracked the heart's outer crystals.
Some parts like stone, others like glass.
No real defense against our barrage, huh.
Maybe it'd given up—but no. It was struggling.
Proof: when I swung with Bear down! intent, it resisted magic.
So we smashed with pure physical force.
Rumble... Crash!!
Finally, the right crystal shell crumbled. Direct hits on the heart now possible.
Hodo, who'd smashed the most, channeled Hairil's buffs and his dwarf grit—buried his axe in the heart.
Thud!!!
"Whoa!!"
Hodo flew back hard. Without dwarf toughness, bones would've snapped. Like Ashu's magic barriers.
"A force I can't pierce."
Panash gave up thrusting.
This heart's banking on that barrier. Pure magic defense at the end?
Fine, I have an idea.
My mana-absorbing sword, Killgent's Oath. Might be key.
I aimed at the exposed heart, mentally addressing the blade.
Doesn't matter if you're Killgent's Oath or whatever—one shot, show me barrier-breaking power!
Mana drain! Magic-breaker! Whatever, just shatter the heart!
Not real talk, but maybe an activation phrase. Worth a shot.
With that inner shout, I swung.
Vmmm!!
The sword hummed with strange power.
It works!! Wait—it's actually sucking my mana!?
My Status Window showed MP draining fast.
MP: 1
Screw it!! Swing anyway!!
Splat!!
Felt the blade sink in. Sticky... like thrusting through blood.
I buried the blade in the heart.
Slashed right across.
Thump... thump. Thump. Thump! Thump!
Blade passed. Heart convulsed violently.
Faster... faster... Thudthudthudthudthud!!!
Splat!!
The heart burst.
Oddly, the bloody mass sprayed out, crystallizing into red gem shards before hitting the floor.
"No way!!! The dungeon!! Father's dungeon!!!"
Inadia wailed as it burst, but I heard another voice.
"Hoh!? You did it like that, huh?"
"Hm!? What!? That voice!? No way! Seed! Is that you, Seed!?"
"Kirgil, sir? What're you saying? Was that a spell just now?"
"Haha!! Captain pulls through at the end, as always!! Touching!!"
"My, Kirgil, you..."
"Hoo, you never cease to amaze."
Hairil and the others didn't hear Seed. They cheered and clapped as I split the heart.
Stark contrast to Inadia.
Rumble rumble...
Uh-oh... signs of collapse.
Heart gone = dungeon dying? Collapsing!?
No time for questions.
Everyone sensed it, prepped to bail.
Oh right! Spoils for proof—even if useless.
And heart shards—classic valuable material cliché!
Oh, and my sword. Killgent's Oath blade turned black like when bought. That strike drained my mana and its reserves. MP at 1. Dizzy now. Gotta study this blade later.
Hey!! C'mon!!
No matter what!! Seriously!!
Grab despairing, ground-hugging Inadia too!!