I Hate Dungeon School

"What exactly do you mean by planting?" I asked.

"So, according to some texts we dug up in the archives, some research done in other countries, and some educated guesses, a young dungeon core can be taken to a location that would be ideal for a dungeon, such as a ruin, and left there. It may bond with the location and start becoming a dungeon proper." Calderon explained, his hands animated and expressive. It was kind of hard to keep from watching.

"So, dungeons don't always just form? Can they be moved?"

"Not so much moved, but if one hasn't been bound, it's possible to move it to a location conducive to binding. Your core has grown a great deal since it devoured the others, which admittedly is going to fascinate the research community for years to come, but that's besides the point. We think it might have hit the point it needs to find a home, and something about the Anomaly Core is causing it to reject the area. It might even be the presence of the Corridor on top of everything else." He continued.

"Too much competition? Like animals fighting for hunting territory?" I offered. Danica snapped her fingers and gasped suddenly.

"That would make sense! Whatever resource that dungeons feed on must be finite, and whatever that is has too much competition in the area! We have the Anomaly Core, the Corridor, and the 12 border dungeons where we train students. A new core can't properly manifest into a new dungeon anymore." She muttered more things to herself as she kept following a line of thought that the rest of us weren't privy to.

I sat and thought about it for a while. We needed to find a place new for my core, and even though we weren't connected, or at least I thought we weren't connected, it might need me there. I was in a weird way, its parent, even though it seemed such concepts didn't truly apply here.

There was one big question that bothered me.

"With so much competition, where can we take it?" I asked, interrupting Danica's muttering and Calderon's note-taking. Andritch looked grateful. How she put up with those two, I'd never know.

"For that, I have an answer. We have to take it up to the mountains on the border of Burgotova." She said.

I couldn't hold back the look of disgust on my face. I never wanted to see those lands ever again.

"Why there?" I sputtered.

"There is a fortress on top of one of the mountains, nestled deep in the forest. Revenstahd and other adventuring guilds have kept tabs on it in case it becomes a dungeon, but best as we've been able to tell, it has never manifested one. It's far enough out of the way that the core has room to grow without too much risk in case it runs rampant." Andritch continued.

I hated to admit it, but it did make sense. I knew the fortress she spoke of, though its name escaped me at the moment.

"That's a hard trek, though, even at the best of times. Do you think I'm up to it?" I asked, reaching for any excuse, even though I knew I would be going anyway. I felt responsible for all of this in a way, and I felt a strange protective urge towards the little core. It looked so sad, like a melting snowball in spring.

"You'll have to be. We can't let this core die. A core death is...traumatic. It affects the magic of an area, the creatures, and more." Danica looked at the other researchers and me. "A core death is the origin of Chaos Dragons. A chaos dragon is born from the death of a dungeon core. You understand what that means, I trust."

I was stunned. Chaos Dragons were horrors upon the face of the world. There had been fewer than a handful in recorded history. They spread across the land like a living blight, and any slain by them turned into undead or other monstrosities. I had never been so glad that we hadn't known how to destroy that basement core than I had right at that moment.

"Wait, so if my core was devouring other cores, does that mean what I think it means?" I asked, the horror of this situation truly dawning on me.

"It would likely become a chaos dragon unlike any we have ever seen. That is, of course, pure conjecture." Calderon cut in.

"When do we start? We can't wait, can we?" I climbed out of the bed and stood. Any weakness gone, replaced by determination.

"Soon. Within a few days. We found the process slows within the containment vessel, so as long as it's sealed, we're not in immediate danger, but better to get it taken care of soon." Andritch looked exhausted as she said this. How long had she been trying to find a solution, I wondered. Dwarves were notorious for their stamina, but she seemed at the end of her rope.

"Other than me, who is coming?" I asked. I wasn't keen on going on a mission with people I didn't know or trust, considering the danger. Andritch looked at me, like she could see the thoughts running through my head.

"How do you think your roommates would like some extra credit?" She smiled warmly.

-

The next day, my roommates as well as Eira gathered in my room. I was sitting up and finally dressed in some proper clothes, my strength returning to me, save for my mana. That problem still confounded me.

I was unsure why Eira was here, but her presence was always welcome. I felt myself blushing whenever I looked her way, and when she caught me doing so, she'd give me a playful wink.

Andritch spoke to them all quietly away from me. I could only guess at what they were thinking, judging by their expressions they were confused, which is understandable. I could tell that Andritch wasn't giving them the entire story, my guess being the Anomaly Core being a deeper secret than anything else. I would have to watch my words for a long time, it seemed.

Their huddle ended, and I could see their concern for me clear on their faces. I had basically disappeared a few days ago, and then the next thing they knew they were being called on a secretive extra credit assignment, requiring them to go off into the mountains in the dead of winter.

"So this is a lot to take in, Alta." Cori broke the silence first.

"Sure as hell is, girl. I swear we take our eyes off you for five minutes and you're neck deep in madness!" Myth laughed, the sound lacking mirth. She was actually irritated at me. I couldn't blame her.

"Smitty does not mind the trip though yes yes. Smitty home near there! Want to show friends my home!" Smitty said with a wuff, her tail wagging.

We all looked at her with surprise.

"You...live there?" I asked.

"Yes, yes! Smitty's village is near there! Home is good, and friends will enjoy visit! Big feast time soon! Smitty missed Home, so is good to take trip with friends yes yes! Save friend Alta too while at it! Smitty will be hero and tell tales to pups and aunties and brothers and father and eat kebabs!" Her eyes twinkled with delight.

"Well, that makes me feel better, I admit. Having someone more familiar with the area will help out a great deal. I haven't been up in those mountains in decades." Andritch said suddenly.

"You're coming with us, professor?" Cori asked.

"Of course. I need to grade you all after all." She winked at her. "Besides, part of this is my fault in a way, and in a strange situation like this, you might need a more experienced hand backing you up."

Myth let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I was worried we'd be stumbling our way through this. I was not looking forward to us accidentally finding some brand new way of messing this up."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Mithramanda. It warms the cockles of my heart." I drawled at her, leveling my best dagger-like glare at her.

"You have to confess, she has a point. Troublemaker, like we said." Cori nodded, folding her arms authoritatively.

"Yes yes. Friend Alta like pup who lacks the sense of danger yes yes." Smitty nodded her head.

I made a show of being grumpy about their comments, but I couldn't help but laugh anyway.

"Ok, ok, you're all correct. I am an absolute trouble magnet aren't I?" I couldn't help but smile. It felt good knowing my friends were going to be at my side for this. The pall of gloom I had felt had lifted.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"Not that I don't appreciate it, but why are you coming along, Eira?" I asked, the thought suddenly occurring to me. She was a second-year student, almost done with the dungeoneering program. She was more experienced than all of us, but her studies were more focused on dungeon extraction.

"I figured she could use the practice, just in case things get nasty," Andritch explains.

"Nothing like practicing for a dungeon extraction like helping a bunch of first years do a real delve in the wilds!" She piped up. "It's like doing the springtime exercises but early! And with bigger stakes! And with more people! Ok, it's not really that much like it, but when Andritch asked if I would help, I kind of jumped at the chance. No way I'm letting my girlfriend face danger and possible death and doom alone with her weird yet loveable friends!" She grinned and winked at me, putting her arms around the shoulders of Smitty and Myth.

"You all are the best. Thank you. And I truly mean that! You too, Professor!" I felt happy tears forming, but despite the closeness I was feeling with them, I wasn't going to let myself get that vulnerable.

"Now that we've got the touchy-feely stuff out of the way, let's get planning!" Andritch clapped her hands together twice, and the door opened.

Calderon and Danica, the researcher and the treasure assessor respectively, entered with a covered cart between the two of them.

"We have a few little toys for you all to take with you! Can't be too careful after all!" Danica grinned, her sharp teeth no longer bothering me. At one point, I would have to ask her what was going on with those chompers.

"And I have maps! Maps are always a good time!" Calderon added, holding up a rolled-up sheet of parchment.

"Couldn't we have had this meeting somewhere other than a healing room, thought?" The thought popped into my head and out of my mouth without thinking about it.

Everyone stood there in silence for a moment before letting out a collective sigh.

"Ok yeah. Lets reconvene in a meeting room. There's an open one near my office. I got caught up in the moment, sorry." Andritch blushed as she said this, something I never expected to ever see.

I clapped my hands together. "Ok, let's meet in what, thirty minutes?"

We all nodded in agreement, and everyone filed out, except for Eira, who stayed for a moment to give me a kiss. This time on the lips instead of the head or cheek. I, of course, blushed deeply, still unused to such affection. I enjoyed it though.

She left quickly to catch up to everyone else while I gathered my things.

I had a good feeling about this.

I hoped that feeling would pan out this time. I could use a win.