Fantasia: I Am the Dungeon

Drops of sweat stain the floor of the core room. Hilda keeps one hand against the floor and the other curled into a fist behind her back. She flexes her arm, over and over. The movement is slow but steady, highlighting the lines of her muscles.

Given how the woman's golden hair falls, Jimbo is unable to see her expression.

Being an invisible watcher, he's already used to learning the routines of the castle's inhabitants. He sees them come and go, gather, chat about life outside of work, make plans, and get ready to enjoy the festivals. In short: Socializing. An activity in which Jimbo, being a near-hermit gamer, never excelled. But since neither the internet nor video games exist in this world, watching how people interact has become one of his few sources of entertainment, aside from upgrading the dungeon.

For a while, he thought that Dowmy, after all the abuse she went through, would have trust issues. But the imp soon proved otherwise; she spent her time playing with the garden goblins or the cavewomen from the hot springs, eating in the middle of the hallway, or pranking the soldiers. Jim also found her one day studying and practicing magic with Marnie.

The true solitary shadow, the individual who only went out to work and came back to rest, only to repeat it the next morning, turned out to be Hilda. Jimbo tried to spy on her, to see what she did in her free time, to figure out what amused her or made her let her guard down. But Hilda didn't even crack a smile for herself, and she always kept her sword within reach.

Once, in his past life, Jimbo had to go out to buy supplies and completely forgot it was Valentine's Day. Walking through the park with grocery bags in hand, the sight of sappy couples on benches or holding hands made him hyper-aware of his loneliness, and he grumbled the whole way home. Only mugging and running over pedestrians in Grand Theft Auto X washed the bad taste out of his mouth.

Hilda doesn't grumble or bury her face in her pillow when she arrives, but she does avoid looking at couples and discreetly quickens her pace so they won't notice her.

«It's probably nothing and I'm just the idiot projecting without knowing. She's an inquisitor, a very badass woman. I bet she doesn't even have feelings!»

Jim told himself that to make excuses and avoid talking to her. But he understands it's pure cowardice, and if Hilda turns out to be as lonely as he is, maybe it wouldn't hurt to chat a bit about something other than their responsibility to the kingdom.

«Hey again, Hilda! Ready to go crazy?» Jim exclaims, wiggling his ethereal limbs, immediately feeling stupid.

The captain stops her workout dead in its tracks, plants both hands, and stands up. She sweeps the hair from her face with her fingers; beads of sweat varnish her forehead.

"I do not comprehend your meaning. I was trained to resist any madness effect, be it magical or physical," Hilda replies with all the seriousness in the world.

«I meant that the festivals start in a few hours! I bet you've got a ton of plans.»

"To protect the royal family, and ensure no strangers attempt to breach the castle."

«I'm not talking about work, I mean having a good time with friends.»

"I have no friends. They are not something I require."

Even Jimbo felt that one.

In his past life, he also claimed to be comfortable alone. Once, during a World Cup final, he uploaded photos online showing off his apartment's living room: a wide sofa, a low table loaded with bowls of snacks, and a TV whose screen took up the entire wall. The haters showed up—Jimbo always expected them—but what he didn't foresee were the accusations of having a bunch of luxuries and no one to share them with. Jimbo countered by calling them poor and jealous, but deep down he accepted they were right. Though he never did anything to fix his isolation.

«What about Sir Lynel, or Marcus?»

"Captain Lynel is a comrade in arms; I respect him greatly. Marcus is a subordinate whom I consider promising, but if it confused you that I offered him my favor, it should not have. You also decided to support him, did you not? And I repeat what I have already told you: notify me before making unilateral decisions, especially if that decision entails keeping a giant chicken taking up space in the stables."

«Okay, forget friends. What about love? I bet you've got some suitor, right?» Jimbo wiggles his ethereal eyebrows up and down.

"No."

«Any ex you wanna tell me about?» Jimbo is desperate to find any proof that Hilda isn't a lonely soul like him and to confirm that his own attitude is just silly.

"Not really." The captain narrows her single eye. "Where does this strange curiosity of yours stem from?"

«Nothing, nothing! I'm just trying to learn more about people and your weird relationships. You humans are super interesting creatures and very different from us dungeon cores!» Jimbo forces a laugh.

The captain maintains her serious demeanor. Jimbo turns around to leave, but the woman's voice stops him.

"Do you wish to know why I am so solitary?"

Jimbo slowly turns his ethereal face back, meeting the captain's stoic countenance once more. The blue light from the floating crystal bathes the woman's features, giving her an ashen hue.

"I had a fiancé once, but that was long ago, during my past life." A wave of her hand accompanies her words, sliding her eyepatch upward, exposing the socket she always keeps hidden.

Jimbo, his eyes wide open, carefully leans in and looks.

A tear as black as ink slides down the woman's cheek, coming from a dark hole where hundreds of viscous creatures writhe like a nest of leeches. Jimbo loses his voice.

"It is an incurable curse. I am rotting from the inside," Hilda says, putting the eyepatch back in place and wiping the black tear away with her thumb. "I do not blame my fiancé for leaving me. He had a lineage to maintain, and I had a war to wage against the evil that destroyed my family. My personal crusade lasted for years; I sacrificed everything necessary, including any personal ties, and in the end, I emerged victorious. I decided to spend my remaining years of life here in Stoicus, serving His Majesty."

«D-Does it hurt?» Jimbo tries to control his voice but fails.

"All the time. I am already used to it."

Jimbo wanted to ask who did that to her and why, but Hilda bends down to resume her exercises, an unmistakable sign that she has no desire to continue the chat. Jimbo opens his ethereal mouth to tell her to touch the crystal so he can cure her with Skill: Minion Heal 2, but the System stops him.

Note: Hilda's current level is too high compared to the Dungeon Core's.

Jimbo checks his status window.

---Jimbo the Dungeon Core LV 4

-Ether: 140/400

And then he checks Hilda's level.

--Hilda the fourth captain LV 31

He made up his mind then.

In the future, when he was powerful enough, he would cure her curse.

---

A few hours before sunset, six armies gather at the Ten Hills, southeast of Great Conquistia. The place isn't named for the number of hills in the landscape—which has far more than ten—but for the inn and relay station located halfway down the dirt path crossing the area, connecting to the neighboring kingdoms. The inn, for obvious reasons, was evacuated as soon as news arrived of military forces approaching. The owners earned well enough to afford war insurance.

On the hills to the left is the army of Jo and Caido, 5,000 soldiers from the former and 3,000 from the latter, 8,000 in total, flying the cherry blossom banners and the triangle of weapons buried in brown rock (Sword, spear, and axe) taking a prominent place in the vanguard.

Lynel's eyesight is somewhat weary from age, but in the distance, he recognizes Queen Aori's wingless dragon, a chubby beast with albino scales dragging its immense chest against the ground, leaving a deep furrow. Behind Aori, Lynel catches a glimpse of a man in a green suit with a ponytail, along with the glare of glasses; he assumes it's George, who looks rather scrawny when near his lover dressed in blueish plate armor.

For now, Lynel doesn't see Valor for the Heart. But it would be naive, and even desperate, to assume that Aori and George won't use the legendary greatsword in the battle.

The third captain orders a faster pace, and soon they join the army waiting on the right side of the landscape. Crossing a high hill, he notices the first tactical error: the sun blinds him, and during combat, it will be right in their faces. He turns to his allies and frowns upon spotting an army without banners—at least a thousand soldiers with blond hair and features typical of the northern savages, complete with pelts and rustic accents, most likely mercenaries paid by Platia. The mere thought of trusting his life to men and women whose loyalty dances to the jingling of coins gives Lynel heartburn.

He counts the banners that are present. He isn't a scholar of heraldry, but he recognizes the flags of Ludopedia, Aquas, and Great Conquistia. At least 900 soldiers from Ludopedia, 600 from Aquas, and 2,000 from Conquistia. So far, they have amassed a total force of over 4,500 soldiers. They are at a clear numerical disadvantage against the rebel forces, but...

"I have fought worse battles," Lynel mutters before turning to his soldiers and shouting at the top of his lungs. "Form ranks on this hill! Have the rearguard open up space for the potential arrival of reinforcements!"

Adobencha, Gorgon, Zombra, the druids... He doesn't rule out them showing up at any moment. But given how prepared Jo and Caido's army looks, Lynel assumes his allies will find them in media res, when the grass is already splattered with red.

On one of the lower hills sits a table surrounded by the banners of the present kingdoms. Lynel, accompanied by a young standard-bearer, approaches and greets the three commanders scanning the table. The looks he receives are intense and varied.

"Warriors of Stoicus, at this point I assumed you wouldn't show up," says a woman with messy reddish hair and heavy bags under her eyes. Her long nails urgently trace the lines of the makeshift map and the stones used to represent the various assembled forces. Her tunic is light blue and her staff is rugged, made of coral. She is a priestess of Aquas. "I trust you brought enough men to tip the scales in our favor."

"Er, ahem," Lynel coughs with a fist near his bushy mustache to clear his throat. "I brought 150 strong and vigorous soldiers."

Hearing the number, the priestess snorts and rolls her eyes.

"We heard of the dark elf invasion," says a surprisingly soft voice, coming from a small head perched atop a body as obese as it is muscular, with a practically bare chest save for a steel strap that runs from his shoulder across his enormous belly. "Was it as terrible as the rumors claim?"

Lynel nods with a grim expression.

"Stoicus is built to fight the abyss, and the abyss is a harsh adversary. I am grateful to have you here, even if it is just to accompany us in a battle that never should have happened," the warrior of Ludopedia concludes.

"Who knows? Perhaps we can count on another unknown miracle," the priestess says, giving Lynel a sidelong glance.

Before the third captain can reply, a hand lands on his shoulder, and as he looks, he is blinded by the gleam of gold-plated armor. The ornate helmet frames an elderly face with a meticulously groomed, wavy mustache, and from the tip of the morion, right at the crown, twelve colored ribbons fall all the way down to his waist.

"We shall need no miracle beyond our own capability!" exclaims the commander of Conquistia, confidence overflowing in his voice. "Those traitorous rebels outnumber us two to one, but they will soon discover that won't be enough to defeat us. I, Goro the Eight-Times Undefeated, swear it by the glory of the Mage King!"

A war horn echoes far and wide across the Ten Hills, followed by a few seconds of silence that are soon shattered by the restless murmurs of the soldiers.

"Destiny comes for us. Time to show it we are prepared," Lynel says, furrowing his brow. "By the way, who chose this position to begin the battle?"

"It was I!" announces Goro, thumping his chest.

"I recommended dividing our meager forces, attacking them from different flanks and falling back, to slowly wear down the enemy until our reinforcements arrive... If they arrive today," the priestess says.

"I will do nothing you recommend, you aquatic witch, daughter of a harlot." The Ludopedia warrior's calm demeanor vanishes the moment he interacts with the priestess.

"Attack like ruffians? Leave such scoundrelly behavior to the savages hired by Platia!" Goro shakes his head. "I positioned our army to meet them face to face! We shall fight like heroes, like my father and his father before him! Death to the traitors, glory to the United Kingdoms!"

Lynel starts to suffer a headache. And he hasn't even traded blows with the first enemy yet!