by Dante King
And painful it was.
I screamed as my entire being was ripped apart from the inside out. A loud slurp pounded against my eardrums, and I felt like the last drop of water being sucked down a drain. My spirit cried out in agony for what felt like days upon end, and then everything vanished inside a split second.
When I’d been a disembodied spirit, I’d still had some semblance of human-like senses, but now I had a strange feeling of omnipresence. I was everywhere at once, yet completely displaced. I had no sense of self, no understanding of my surroundings.
“Do you hear me, Dominic?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“What do you sense?”
I wanted to tell the goddess I couldn’t feel a damned thing. My entire mind felt imprisoned, incarcerated within a cell of complete nothingness.
Absence. An abyss.
Then something flickered inside the darkness, and I focused upon that center of light. No bigger than the head of a pin, but it expanded when my consciousness targeted it. Soon, I was feeling what I’d become. My faces were rock-hard, my edges sharp enough to slice through skin. The more I studied my surface, the more I learned of my nature.
I was a tiny jewel, formed of the same crimson material as Lilith’s throne room.
“This is you,” Lilith explained. “You are now a dungeon core.”
“I feel weird.”
“You have undergone an incredible transformation. It is normal to feel like you want to escape. But you cannot.”
“You’re saying I can’t log out?”
“Log out? Oh, I realize now what you have come to believe. This is not a game, Dominic. The magical relic we delivered to your house summoned me, and I have taken you with me to the Sinarius Realms. You cannot return home. You are forever sealed to the dungeon core. Fulfil my desires, and you might be able to seal your soul to another being, but you will never return to Earth.”
Holy shit.
I should have been afraid, but all I felt was excitement. There were too many things I couldn’t explain to doubt the goddess’ words. I knew for certain I hadn’t turned on the VR terminal even though I’d struggled for hours; I’d pulled the power plug from the socket because it was a stormy night and didn’t want to risk a power surge destroying the terminal.
Not to mention the incredible sensations I was now experiencing. A VR terminal couldn’t imitate the experience of real life like this; it was technologically impossible—unless some gaming studio had invented technology even the military didn’t have access to, but that was ridiculous.
As fucking crazy as it sounded, I’d been sent a magical relic that had summoned a demon goddess to transport me to this world.
And, according to Lilith, I was literally the heart of a dungeon.
I had some idea of what my new existence entailed from the goddess’s earlier explanation, and I’d fought against thousands upon thousands of dungeons from the confines of my living room. Surely those experiences would help me?
Hell, I wasn’t sure whether I was in way over my head.
Fuck it. I always worked best under pressure.
Slowly, the fog cleared away from the jewel, and the stone’s center pulsed like a glistening heart. I took assurance in the many faces of the beautiful precious stone, and the light seemed to grow stronger until it illuminated the rest of the chamber. I realized we were no longer inside Lilith’s throne room. She must have transported me here before merging my soul with the glowing jewel. This was a small cave with a narrow entrance and stalactites reaching down from the ceiling. The rock was obsidian, dark and slick.
“Where am I?” I asked.
“Inside the caverns of Shadow Crag,” Lilith answered. “It is the largest mountain in all the Infernal Realm, home to a dwindling population of creatures under my dominion. Before you can venture to more fertile grounds, you must name your dungeon. What great and mighty name shall you assign it?”
My fear vanished as I considered my current state. Living inside a dungeon core was a whole lot better than getting kicked out of my apartment and finding a food service job. My name had been tainted by the media, and nowhere worth working would hire me.
Satisfied with this train of thought, I recalled the name of the most difficult Hell Dungeon from Enter the Dark Realm.
“Zagorath,” I answered as nostalgia filled my consciousness with warmth.
“A fitting name,” Lilith said. “I have created your realm. You should see—”
“Whoah!” A pop-up window appeared beside my jeweled heart.
Zagorath
Type: Infernal Core
Essences: None
Champions: 0/2
Abilities: Spring Trap (Physical)
“I thought this wasn’t a game?” I asked the goddess.
“I have made your interactions with this world much like the games you enjoy. I believe it will make your current circumstance more palatable. You are my Viceroy, and I want to make this experience . . . pleasurable.”
Chapter Three
The way Lilith’s tongue slid over the word pleasurable still wasn’t close to the excitement swelling inside my small, new, shining form. I was thrilled with the change of scenery. I’d lost my job, damaged my future career prospects, and had been just one month’s failed rent payment from getting evicted.
This was basically like dying and going to heaven.
Well, maybe it was more like going to hell, but this was a version of hell where I’d become the most powerful dungeon the realms had ever seen.
“So when can I get started?” I asked Lilith.
“There are a few things to be completed before you can start building your dungeon. You must not try to take in too much sensory experience at once. Your dungeon core is weak. Soon, you shall see in ways you never thought possible, but for now, you are a newborn. Your senses must adjust.”
Adjusting would take time, but it wouldn’t stop me prioritizing dungeon-building as soon as I could.
“What’s next?” I asked.
“You must choose an avatar.”
“Is that my first summon?”
“It is a type of summon, the only one you can fully control by inserting the totality of your consciousness inside its mind.”
The pop-up box of my dungeon core vanished, and another box replaced it.
The Superior Infernal Races
Obsidian Imp
Tiny and nimble race widely despised by almost all other races
Greater Agility
Flight
Chance to dodge spells
Gifted with Smelter
Devilkin
Children of the Dark One
Greater Intelligence
All fire spells are increased by 1 level
Succubi/Incubi
Progenitors of lesser demonic races that can produce offspring with many different races
All summoning spells are increased by 1 level
Gifted with Fruitfulness
Tainted Elf
Descendants of wood elves taken by the Dark One and infused with her demonic powers
Greater Charm
Permanent night vision
Gifted with Enthrall
Voidfiend
Warriors of the Dark One
Greater Might
Gifted with Intimidation
The Obsidian Imp was a race perfect for rogues and the flight ability seemed neat. Devilkin was suited for sorcerers with a penchant for pyromancy while the Succubi/Incubi fitted a summoner class. The Tainted Elf probably worked as a kind of vampiric bard, and the Voidfiend was a go-to race for warriors and tanks. I had a preference for tanks, but that was mostly while playing in a party.
But this was different. I wanted to fully embrace the demonic flavor of this fucked-up world I’d hurtled into.
At least from the descriptions, the Tainted Elf was probably the most human-like of the Superior Infernal Races. With Greater Charm and the Enthrall ability, I could make an avatar to take
my roleplaying ability up to the next level. I couldn’t tell exactly what those two abilities did, but I knew enough about fantasy RPGs to make accurate inferences.
I’d never really focused on charisma-style builds before, but this was the perfect situation to play one. The consequences of my actions and how people interacted with me mattered a lot more since this wasn’t a game.
“So, which race will you select for your avatar?” Lilith asked me.
“Tainted Elf,” I said without hesitation.
“Then you shall now be granted access to your race’s classes.”
Tainted Elf Classes
Lord
Ruler of all
Increased chance of enthralling a target
Granted the Vampiric Expertise perk
Hemomancer
Adept in the use of blood magic
Increased life leech
Early access to hemomancy seals
Granted the Blood Drainer perk
Magus
Master of subterfuge magic
Increased duration of illusion seals
Granted the Double Vision perk
Infernal Champion
Battle general of infernal creatures
All Infernal Soul Forges have 10% decreased resource costs
Granted the Greater Void perk
All the classes were different flavours for a dungeon avatar, and I struggled to settle on one. The various classes brought me to the conclusion the Tainted Elf race was some kind of vampire. The Hemomancer sounded the most vampiric, but also a bit generic. The Magus appeared to be an illusionist, but I wanted to better balance slaying enemies in the thick of battle with the art of subterfuge. A Magus was unlikely to allow me to do both with equal effectiveness. The Infernal Champion was a summoner-based class specializing in minions, but I much preferred an avatar who could fight alongside minions.
I stared at the Lord row for a few seconds and considered what ‘Vampiric Expertise’ might mean. The perk might be a blood-drinking type skill, but then it would be indistinguishable from the Hemomancer’s Blood Drainer perk.
“What does the Vampiric Expertise perk do?” I asked the goddess.
“It allows you to gain access to minions of other realms.”
“Interesting.” It sounded like an overpowered ability entirely dependent upon how many dungeon cores existed and how easy it was to activate the perk. “Do I have to drink their blood or something?”
“No. You must conquer dungeon core avatars.”
“Conquer?” It was hard to miss her stress in the word.
Lilith’s lips tweaked upward. “You must either shatter their jeweled hearts or seduce their avatars. Either option will grant you access to their special abilities.”
Killing other dungeon cores sounded positively evil—the whole point of an Infernal Dungeon. I always jumped head-first into roleplaying, and this was no different. Despite Lilith’s jab at my ‘ravenous’ sexual appetites earlier, I’d never taken to the whole ‘sleep with avatars’ feature in the games I’d played. Then my mind flickered back to Lilith, poised on her throne, gazing at me with naked lust.
Fuck it. When in Rome, right?
The concept of being a ‘Lord’ also tied into the way I wanted to act in this world. If I could enthrall adventurers and turn them on each other, it would lead to absolute mayhem in their ranks.
Impale, eviscerate, decapitate, Lilith had said. I could give her that and so much more.
And all at the same time, if I felt like it.
“I’ll be a Lord,” I said after no more thought.
“A promising choice,” the goddess purred.
“Choice? Can I multi-class?”
“No, but there are Esteemed Classes. Hundreds, as a matter of fact, but they only become open to you after your feats grow sufficiently notorious. You need not consider them now. They will become known to you in time.”
“You really like the whole you’ll learn in time aspect of your job, don’t you?”
"I am enjoying myself, yes.”
“If this was a game, then I’d think you were keeping a level of mystery to stop people from theorycrafting during the beta so they don’t get a head-start on release.”
“Unfortunately, my powers have been . . . restricted,” Lilith said, her tone almost sounding disappointed. “Part of this limitation means I cannot immediately translate everything into a manner you will understand. A simple mental command should be sufficient to summon your avatar.”
I concentrated on my center, and the warmth of my jewel surrounded me. A scalding heat lashed against my being, and I focused on it. I could feel something else inside of me, a ball of existence that I pushed outward.
Then a silhouette presented itself, a lean figure of about six feet set against the backdrop of the cavern’s slick walls.
I couldn’t see a much of the Tainted Elf in the darkness, but then Lilith held out her palm and a ball of light appeared.
My demonic elf stood almost motionless, feet shoulder-length apart. His chest slowly rose and fell, and I felt I was gazing at a character creation screen. Beneath thick eyebrows, a vacant stare showed black where the whites of his eyes should have been, and tiny black pupils sat in the center of silver irises. Black hair grew to his broad shoulders, and pointed ears peaked out from either side of his head.
Pale skin pulled against high cheekbones, and his lips were a blood red. The sphere’s light touched my avatar’s elongated fangs, and the bleached white teeth became more pronounced when the elf produced a confident and charming smile. A simple black tunic covered his lithe torso, and matching pants wrapped his slender legs. The clothing fitted well and showed the muscular physique beneath; he was lean and athletic but not a powerhouse of muscle. The avatar was actually somewhat similar to my appearance on Earth, and I wondered whether that was purposeful.
“Firstly, what shall you name your demonic servant?” Lilith asked.
“Hmmm . . . how about Von Dominus?”
“Mmmm . . . “ The goddess moaned a little, repeating my chosen name with a sexy drawl.
“You like it?”
“I love it. A fitting name for my Viceroy’s avatar. You will have to use him sparingly. He can only be summoned for a total of sixty minutes per day,” Lilith said.
“Does your world have twenty-four hours per day?”
“Yes.”
“And I can summon my avatar as many times I like within that period?” I asked.
“As long as he is not active for longer than sixty minutes in total.”
“That’s quite the shortcoming.”
“You can extend this time as you grow stronger,” Lilith answered.
“Is there a stat screen for my avatar? I need to look at it.”
Suddenly, a text box appeared in front of me.
Von Dominus
Core: Infernal
Race: Tainted Elf
Class: Lord
Sigils: None
Skills: Enthrall
Perks: Vampiric Expertise
“I have my avatar now,” I said. “What next?”
“You need to plant your jewel,” Lilith said. “Special locations where your core can be planted will call out to you. They are enriched with magical minerals that will make your dungeon more powerful. Find one and plant your seed.”
“Any problems with planting my seed right here? I could think of a few places nearby.”
“I would not advise sowing your oats here,” Lilith said with a small smirk.
“It was just a suggestion.”
“There are better places outside these caverns. I cannot state the exact location because I fear the Others might be listening even now. They would try to stop you. But you will find the one. I know you are very capable.”
“Why not whisper it to me?” I asked. “Better yet, do your telepath thing and state the location directly to my mind.”
“They can hear MindSpeak,” she said.
“Sounds like you ha
ve quite the powerful enemies.”
“Indeed. They would not like me meddling. I did not want them to see I have brought you to the Sinarius Realms, but I fear they might already have learned of your existence.”
“Isn’t bringing souls into your world and sealing them to dungeon cores part of your job?”
“It was,” Lilith answered. “I have since been prohibited from exercising that privilege.”
“You’re a naughty little goddess, aren’t you?”
"I would be annihilated if the rest of the Pantheon learned the purpose of my actions.”
“What exactly is your purpose? Getting the inside scoop on Entropy can’t be your end goal.”
“I have my own designs. Remember your place, Viceroy,” Lilith said.
“So, I have to mine the information from you?”
“I am not so easily cajoled.”
“Like my old man used to say, nothing worthwhile comes easy,” I added.
“Your father sounds like a wise man,” Lilith said.
“Sounded. He’s dead.” My origin story was quite the combination of tropes. An orphaned kid is transported to a fantasy world and given powers beyond his wildest dreams. I also had a quest to go along with my trope-laden origin, but at least my story would involve butchering adventurers rather than journeying through fantasy lands with a white-bearded wizard for a companion.
“Ah, humans are so fragile. Was it a brutal death?” Lilith asked.
“If you can call a heart attack brutal, then sure.” I might have been annoyed by the goddess’s questions, but I knew she didn’t intend to offend me. I wasn’t easy to upset either; Discord servers had eradicated any sense of being offended a long time ago.
“He did not die in battle?” Lilith pressed. “He was not slain by the hand of a great warrior, consumed by the magefire of a renowned pyromancer?”
