…
Dungeon.
A mysterious constructs that is also somewhat considered a living being.
Dungeons are formed via miasma.
Not many know what exactly miasma is or how it forms naturally, but one thing known about them is that they try to gather.
Dungeon.
They feed the dungeon.
But what if there is no dungeon in the area? What if the dungeon cannot reach the miasma?
Or what if the miasma somehow ends up gathering on its own?
This will force the miasma to collide with each other, forming and changing, resulting in the energy to gain a physical form.
A form of a gem that is also known as the "Dungeon Core".
Dungeon cores.
These gems like construct, are both an object and a living being.
A heart of a dungeon, simply put.
However, when the dungeon core is born, it will also act like a seed.
A seed that will grow, transform the territory around it, below it, above it, and then twisting it, absorbing everything around it and claiming it as theirs while also mutating them, forming a dungeon.
But that function only works at the start. This was an automatic type of process.
If the dungeon wishes to grow and survive, it will need somebody to manage it.
And that would be the start of the second stage of the "seed" state.
The second purpose of the "seed" phase is to create the mirror image, the other half of the dungeon, a being that would manage and rule the dungeon while being the dungeon itself.
The dungeon will give birth to itself, giving birth to a being known as the dungeon master.
A creature that would be the dungeon's brain and soul.
And here comes the question.
Why are some of the dungeon monsters sometimes slimes or sometimes beasts?
Well, it depends.
There are two cases [A] and [B].
When it comes to [A], the dungeon adapts and uses its own environment as a starting point, which would result in the dungeon creating a monster type dungeon somewhat related to the beings or the nature that is around it. For example, if the dungeon is in the forest surrounded by countless animals and such, the dungeon could end up producing beast-type monsters – This is the case [A].
What about the case [B]?
Well, [B] is kind of nothing like [A].
The dungeon core is born with a bit more chaotic nature that doesn't necessarily use its own environment as a "base example" and instead forms its own "base".
In short, a random.
An example would be of the sea type dungeon, in the middle of the rocky mountains. Doesn't make sense, right?
This is the current case [B].
The creature that was born, the other half of the dungeon, and its new ruler.
A nameless puppet monster known as the monster by the name [Mannequin Noble].
And this was also the birth of a dungeon that would be known as the [Puppet Dungeon].
"…"
The dungeon master.
Even though it was just born, it was provided with all the base information on how to operate and control the dungeon, as if the creature was born with that information.
However, the creature was just born.
It had "body", but no "consciousness".
Simply put, it was a "doll" that didn't really know anything.
It had the information, but couldn't know how to use it.
However, it was slowly developing a "consciousness".
But this information wasn't the only thing it had.
It had something that it understood, like an instinct.
The core, it was the "it" and "it" was "it", they were both the same being, but at the same time different beings.
And it understood that both of them were one.
If the core is destroyed, this dungeon, its being, all will be dead.
…
And so, the time went by.
The creature slowly started taking "baby steps" while also somewhat developing its consciousness, but not having a proper one yet.
Pretty much, the creature wasn't really doing anything, since it really didn't have any real mind of its own yet. In short, it didn't make any noticeable progress at all while it was still developing consciousness.
However, while the dungeon was still developing, it somehow managed to form in the area with very weak ground in a specific location…. A location where a rabbit creature lived and also tried using it as its hiding spot, only for the creature to accidentally cause its "home" to collapse and make the creature itself fall inside the dungeon.
Which in turn, caused the trio of young adventurers to discover the hole and in turn, the dungeon.
And what followed after words was the story where the trio of adventurers dived deeper into the dungeon in order to conquer it.
And then, they met.
The dungeon master met them for the very first time.
Humans.
And the thing that it felt was by instinct was-
[ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS]
This was the boss monster's first fight, and honestly speaking, it didn't really know how to fight.
Its body never fought or anything like that, so there were no muscle memories or anything else involved.
It just swung around its arms, trying to hit the adventurers, but so far, none of its attacks were working, while the creature itself was getting hit over and over again, causing its body to suffer more and more damage as the battle continued.
"…"
This caused the being to feel something, but it didn't understand exactly what that feeling was.
What was that feeling?
"Frustration"
This caused a small spark to appear in the creature's head.
However, this spark by itself didn't have any real effect.
What followed afterward was the party leader's command to focus the party attacks on the monster's stomach in order to accumulate the damage.
However, this action had a problem.
The creature at the time was still "Dump" and "mindless".
However, the nonstop attacks at the same spot caused the creature to once again feel this weird feeling - "Frustration".
But it wasn't the only feeling it felt.
There was a feeling that had a much stronger reaction at the time.
And that was-
"Curiosity"
The creature got curious and it had realized that it would get attacked in the same spot, causing the creature to counter and grab the boy's weapon.
This was the moment when the creature "consciousness" took on its first form.
A primitive consciousness, a childish one could be said, but conscious nonetheless.
And the creature was curious.
It stabbed the boy in the neck and the face, causing his blood to spill everywhere….. And it got curious.
(Is it dead?) – thought the creature while it observed the boy who bled on the floor.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
"…"
The creature stabbed the girl in her stomach, causing her to bleed out rapidly, while the girl herself stared at the creature with an expression filled with fear and tears.
The creature got curious.
(Why did it rushed at me like that?)
The girl didn't fight back any longer, which in turn resulted in the creature now changing its curiosity towards the mage boy.
It walked towards the boy who was trying to cast the spell, but wasn't able to chant the spell at all.
It got the creature curious.
(Why is it not attacking?)
The boy tried stepping back, trying to run away, but that alarmed the creature, which caused it to rush at the boy and try getting him, resulting in the creature grabbing and then accidentally slamming the boy against the wall.
And that got the creature curious.
(Why did it take damage?)
The creature realized that the boy was still alive and so, the curiosity took better of the creature, causing it to slam the boy against the wall over and over, until the creature realized that the boy had died.
"…"
[Curious]
(The it with a sword had died from getting pierced, but the it with a knife was still alive?)
Innocent curiosity.
This creature was curious.
But it didn't understand what "evil" and "good" meant.
Nor did it see anything bad in "killing the intruders".
An "innocent monster" in a sense….. But it didn't take long for that innocent monster to kill the girl.
But it didn't murdered the girl out of hate or anything like that.
It murdered her out of curiosity.
"…"
And now, the dungeon had fallen completely silent, with the last intruder's death.
But it was also the start.
Thanks to these adventures, the creature has finally developed "consciousness". It was now a "born for real".
And now, it was for the creature to finally start doing it work as the dungeon master.
…
However, the creature was still curious.
If anything, I find "curiosity" as something… "Interesting".
(Why?)
(Why?)
(Why?)
An innocent curiosity.
Even though it was only just born, it was curious.
It wanted to know.
…
It wanted to know what had happened during the fight.
How did the arrow worked? How was she able to fire them?
How did the boy with glasses used magic?
Why did the party leader died? Did he bleed out to death? Or did he died because of the damage?
Curiosity and questions filled the newborn creature's mind like an innocent child.
It wanted answers.
It wanted to understand.
It wanted to learn.
But the real question that should be asked should be this.
"What will this creature use the knowledge for?"
The answer?
Unknown.
Only time will tell what the creature will tell what it will use that knowledge for.