The Tower in the Shadows

"Well, that was interesting."

The elves had just left the Dungeon and it was resetting. My focus was with Larry in the rafters again. The resetting was automated and did not need my full attention. He had just returned from hiding in another part of the building to his favourite spot.

"The two teams who have cleared the fifth suffer similar injuries in the same rooms."

Larry was uninterested, but I was really talking to myself anyway.

"I would have thought the outcomes would have been more varied with the different racial and team makeup."

Larry rolled over, showing me his back.

"That alchemist fire is something I need to get my hands on."

That was a surprise and gave me downright evil thoughts about what I could do with it. Additionally, the elves had missed one of the piercing arrows, which I now had added to my inventory. With the essence gained, it was a visit that got me thinking.

"I never understood what they were saying but got the feeling that they were looking for my Core at the end."

The next team came into the Dungeon, an Iron group I had seen before. A group of six with a good mix of classes. They would be going after the boars on the third. Hides and meat were the main sources of income for many such groups, and most Iron groups were involved in the trade.

I was aware of them bypassing the first and second flights of stairs. They continued to the third and kept walking down the stairs.

"What are you lot up to?"

This drew my attention to them. I watched as they went to the fourth. Their conversations as they walked informed me that they were after the webbing on the floor that was used to make spider silk.

They went into the cavern and had a bad time with the spiders. They won and killed the spiders, but now they were nursing their own injuries. They went around collecting the webbing.

They were inexperienced at this task, and I was entertained watching them. They got wrapped up and covered in webbing. They cursed and swore at each other and the webbing. They eventually collected the webbing but decided not to carry it onto the floor.

"They would never have gotten to the third room."

They went out of the Dungeon.

I watched the rest of the groups coming and going.

"I need to start thinking about the next floor. What will floor six be."

No other teams were brave or stupid enough to try the floors beyond their abilities.

"Ogres?.... No, not yet, but soon."

The third was getting farmed aggressively today. The boars were not going down easily but were going down. There were injuries and close calls, but not one death…. yet.

"Minion first, then environment. So, what do I have."

I opened my minion list screen, even though my memory did allow me to recall the whole list and I reviewed what I had.

"Nothing is jumping out at me."

What to do? Bigger wasps? New boars? More threatening toads…. Maybe not. I could have more traps as well. That is something.

I mull over my options as the adventurers wander about my Dungeon.

## ## ## ## ##

Elian was at her desk when Albrot swept into her office. The towering man was like a force of nature. Everywhere he went, everything was thrown into chaos. This was a combination of his stature and personality. Today was no different.

"I have arrived!"

She was so surprised that she fell out of her chair as they fell back.

"Gods damn it, Elian! You must be ready for anything as a Guild Leader." He roared as he slammed the door. The man was different in his communications, as they are normally monitored and he needed to sound professional. In person, he was far more …. loud.

"Albrot, can you ever bloody knock?" She shouted back as she got up and straightened her chair. Albrot threw himself into the chair in front of her desk, and Elian sat back into hers behind the desk. She was not concerned with her tone as he demanded competence, not deference, from his underlings.

"Why am I here, Elian."

Elian took a moment and motioned to the room and her ear. He rolled his eyes and pulled out something from his coat. It was a crystal wrapped in a silver wirework sphere. He channelled his mana into the object, and it started to glow. He placed it on her desk.

"There, we can talk now."

She let out a sigh as she leaned back in the chair.

"Well, it's nice to see you too, Albrot." He snorted at that.

"Elian, you have dragged me to the ass end of the continent to speak about something that you will not address about through a message scroll about this Dungeons Core. I ask again, why am I here?"

Elian took a moment before speaking. She needs to be careful here as disaster could follow for everyone.

"You have asked me about the Core." He nodded, acknowledging her words. "I was with Doltum when he discovered the Core."

"I knew that old goat would find it. Where is it?"

"I made a promise not to disclose the location."

Albrot frowned at this. It was not normal for this to be done by the Guild leader.

"Why?"

"Doltum had me agree to his terms as the Core would not welcome its reveal."

"Again, I ask, why?"

She sighed and tried to find the right words.

"We found the Core, but its appearance caused some issues." Albrot said nothing, but his body language said, "Get on with it!". She jumped right in.

"The Core was black."

For the first time in the years she knew him, Albrot was lost for words.

"Black?" He asked, shocked and confused.

Elian remained silent, letting him work through the implications of what she had said. His body posture suddenly changed as he focused.

"Tell me what you can." People who had met him often saw him as brash and loud, but she and now the real Albrot, One of the Kyber continents Adventurer Guild Masters, spoke.

Elian swallowed her fear as the air in the room became charged.

"The Core has hidden itself by location and manipulating the essence flows through the Dungeon. When it was revealed, the Core was black, not just black but a depth of colour that seemed to absorb light around it. Along its surface, I noted several specks of different coloured lights. It looked like staring at the night sky through a lens." He was silent through the explanation but stared at her intently.

"I have explored five Dungeons, viewed their Cores for the guild and read about dozens of others in the archives. I have never heard of a black Core or the strange things that it has been doing with the Dungeon."

She fell silent, allowing her superior time to think.

"I have read your reports on the strange goings on. Have you had an opportunity to consult with the Dungeons companion?" He asked.

"At this time, no…" Another thing she was unsure of.

"But?" He pressed.

"I do not think there is one." She blurted out her suspicion.

Albrot fell silent again. So many things to consider. Elian understood some of the things running through his mind. She had been wrestling with many of them since she arrived first to explore the Dungeon. One or two quirks could be explained away, but this Dungeon was too intelligent, too different, and attracting the wrong kind of attention. Throw in the appearance of the twisted Ogre and the strange rules when dealing with them.

The divine rules they thought were the foundation of all Dungeons were not applied here.

That alone was terrifying.

"What has the church of Astraus said on this?"

"Publicly. This is all within their patrons will."

"Privately?"

"I even think they have no idea of what is happening."

"What of the others? I know your community has quite a few present."

"All."

"Sorry, what did you say?" He was momentarily confused, wondering if he just heard her correctly.

"All of the pantheon is here, Albrot." She gave that a moment to sink in. "I have learned that the priests and clergy are just as much in the dark as us."

He was silent in thought again. Elian got comfortable in her chair and waited.

"Who else knows?"

"Including you four."

"Good, keep it that way."

He became silent again.

"This will change everything if it becomes known." He said quietly. Elian was unsure if he was talking to her or himself. "Another Folly would surely follow."

He had closed his eyes, and Elian knew he was looking at the problem from every angle. His examination had already revealed the problems and dangers she faced, including a hundred she had never considered.

"Elian, you have done well to keep this a secret. We cannot allow the Core to be seen if we can avoid it. The problem is that the Dungeon would have attracted attention by its existence if the Core became known… Gods know the results."

"What will you tell the Guild council?"

"At this time, nothing. I will consult the Paragon and see her thoughts on this."

Elian shivered at the use of that title. Each Guild had a council of masters on each continent that ran the Guild, which the Paragon led. The Paragons sat in the world council that dictated the laws of the Guild for every race and land. Things might escalate quickly when she finds out.

"I will continue here for a few days to make it look like an official visit to check up on this newest Guild branch. Then I will be away to the Capital."

Cythia was the centre of the old empire and was still called the Capital by most. It was still the largest city on the continent but was a shadow of what it was once. Many were the capitals of their successor kingdoms but none could challenge that city.

"Right then, young Elian. Let's see your books….."

Elian groaned, knowing that she was going to be bogged down in paperwork for hours.

## ## ## ## ##

Rickle was the God of Luck.

Most in the world knew it to take the aspect of a male or female depending on the worshipper. On the continent of Kyber, Lady Luck was fickle, but most knew Rickle as a male God who laughed at you at the worst possible time with a (un)healthy dose of bad luck given without malice (well, most of the time).

Would this God be laughing if it could see all that was happening?

The divine sight was good but not all-seeing.

Across the world, things have always been in motion.

Action and reaction. Cause and effect. Fate or Destiny. Name it what you would.

Things are constantly in motion.

The Dungeon in a mountain range on the continent of Kyber was having spreading effects. The locals were coming to terms with it and the races further abroad were becoming more interested. Strange things were happening around it.

However, the most significant effect was something that Oda should have added to his list of errors if he had fully understood what he had created.

The Core was designed to act as a beacon to attract the void corrupted to it. This had already happened with the corrupted ogre called Thrugg. What he did not know was the range of the effect of the Core.

As soon as the Core arrived, all the corrupted in their lairs and hiding places felt its presence.

Worldwide.

What was his mistake?

He truly does not understand what he is fighting against in his fear, desperation and arrogance.

The Void.

As the Core grew, so did the pull. Thrugg was the first, but most resisted worldwide. Others moved, unable to ignore the call. It was something that they could not deny, so they followed the siren song, pulling them towards their goal.

They were affecting the world in so many ways. Battles were being fought as the corrupted intruded on the territories of others. If the corrupted moved on with victory, they would get stronger, spreading their corruption in their wake. If they lost, they would pass on their corruption anyway to the victor to become like them.

The natural patterns of the world were changing and those who watched such things were seeing the disruption.

The world's races were becoming aware of the dangers as these creatures struck out at small communities and travellers. At the moment, they could only see strange creatures and monsters randomly striking out at easy targets.

No one could see the big picture. They had pieces but were ignorant of the scale of what was happening.

There was a method to the attacks. The corrupted were moving in a singular direction. They had a purpose.

This was the monsters and beasts. What of the intelligent races that were corrupted?

The Void sought to claim all.

They were few in number, but the void was slowly claiming them. In time, they spread the corruption, allowing the claiming of more.

They felt the call and the weakest started to move.

Plots and plans were put into motion.

Others just killed or revelled in their madness, but still, they started moving and affecting the world around them in more subtle ways.

It was said that Rickle laughed at the plans of mortals when facing the world.

Would Rickle laugh at the plans of a God facing the Void?