Cat Core, Chapter 2.

Chapter 2. 

Darkness still covered Florence, and without any sensory input, she had no idea how much time had passed. Eventually, a pinprick of light was seen, and then random shapes and squiggles began to appear in front of her, like something from one of them fancy computer doohickeys that everyone was into. Her internal thoughts were interrupted as the gibberish transformed into English. 

Welcome, new core, it is time to complete your initial setup. While your dungeon’s location has been pre-determined by the administration, your initial chamber can be customized to your taste. Many Dungeon Cores prefer to leave their core room’s plain in order to preserve resources, but others seek to transform features of the room to intimidate their foes or showcase their greatness. You have been granted additional starting resources that can be used to prepare your dungeon, spend them wisely. 

Florence Valentine

Dungeon Core, Level 0. 

Dungeon Type: Pending.

Mana: 500. 

Mana Regen: 1 every 5 minutes. 

“What is all this nonsense about dungeons, cores, and mana? You’re just trying to confuse me, so I don’t escalate to your manager,” Florence protested. She had the sinking suspicion that she wasn’t in the hospital and this wasn’t some medication induced hallucination. 

Do you require help with your initial setup? Y/N. 

“Yes, stupid computer thingy, I do need help,” Florence said. 

Assistance request initiated, searching for an assistant. The dungeon core known as Florence Valentine is authorized early access to her assigned personal dungeon assistant, Doug. Summoning the entity known as Doug. 

Florence waited for something to happen and was just about to launch into a new round of complaints when the strange text appeared again. While she couldn’t feel her body, Florence could feel someone or something sifting through her mind, going through her memories. She felt like it was a violation of privacy, just like those kids filming her without permission. Growing more concerned about her situation, Florence held her temper, and her fear, in check. 

The entity known as Doug does not possess a baseline mortal personality matrix, searching for appropriate personality kit. Crafting personality matrix based on human variants and the dungeon core’s personal experience. Physical details will be finalized for Doug during the dungeon creation process. Doug’s personality has been loaded. Please direct any further inquires to Doug. 

“Hello? Can you hear me? I say, this is most distressing, I had no idea you mortals were so limited with your senses. Alas, a physical form does appear to be my lot in life, at least for the time being,” A man’s voice said. To Florence, the voice sounded like one of them hoity toity British folks. Must be some kind of professor, or a butler, or something like that. 

“Yes, I can hear you. You’re supposed to answer my questions. At least that’s what the words in front of my face say,” Florence replied. 

“Oh dear, it’s you. I had so hoped that I might be assigned randomly to a competent dungeon, but instead, the administrator has stricken me with the burden of your care. Very well, ask away dungeon core,” the man said with disdain. 

“Is that you, Doug? Heh, serves you right for not listening to the customer, though I don’t know why I’m forced to deal with you. I demand to speak to the manager,” Florence said, falling back on the time-honored phrase that had extricated her from many a bad situation. 

Further escalation requests are categorically denied, please direct all inquiries to your assistant, Doug. 

“Fine,” Florence said in a huff. “I suppose that you’re my new butler, or whatever, Doug. What is all this prison rigmarole about? I suppose we should get started; it’ll give me something to do until I wake up from this drug induced nightmare. I’ll tell you what, once I wake up, the hospital is going to hear from my lawyer,” Florence said. 

“It’s not a prison, it’s a dungeon. While a dungeon is commonly associated on your world as a place to house prisoners, in the world of Aerkoth, it refers to a place that adventurers explore to gain power and wealth,” Doug stopped mid-sentence, the pause becoming uncomfortable. “Excuse me, my memory was a bit spotty there given the transformation of my vast consciousness into this limited, mortal one. I recall that you were an elderly human and didn’t partake in the preparatory entertainment we so successfully seeded your world with, did you? Where would you like me to start, dungeon core?” Doug asked. 

“Start with what in the Hades a dungeon core is, and while you’re at it, stop calling me a dungeon core, my name is Florence Valentine, and don’t you forget it,” Florence replied, asserting her authority over this Doug person. After all, it appeared he worked for her, like some kind of afterlife employee. That’s what it was, wasn’t it? She really was dead and had been taken here to perform some task before she could move on to her eternal reward. She knew that she should be panicking, just like Lucy Johnson did when she was diagnosed with the sugar diabetes. She should be in quite a tizzy, but somehow, Florence was calm, and her situation didn’t’ bother her so much anymore.  

“Doug, why don’t I care that I’m dead and transformed into this prison thingy?” Florence asked.

“That is one of the many benefits of your new form. Your personality is one that is very, well, let’s just say that you possess a very formidable will. Through sheer stubbornness you’ve maintained your sense of self through your transformation into a core, unlike most who undergo the process. Despite retaining your personality and memories, you are still imbued with the basic instincts and desires of a dungeon core, in this case, a callous disregard for things that may have bothered you greatly in your previous life. Accept the gift that your new form provides, you no longer are required to be hampered by the petty emotions or the moral constraints of your previous existence,” Doug replied. 

“I’ll be hampered or helped by whatever I chose, Doug. Now, tell me about the prison thingy,” Florence snapped. 

“Fine, as I tried to explain before, the ‘prison thingy’ isn’t some facility for incarceration, it is the name given to specific areas of exploration, danger, and adventure. These areas are guided and grown by the intelligence contained inside a dungeon core gem, that is what you are now, by the way, an entity housed inside a gem. Your life essence was gathered at the time of your death and has gone through the process to create your new body. You have been placed on a world named Aerkoth. It is a world of magic and mystery, one that your dungeon will hopefully become an important part of,” Doug explained. Florence still thought he sounded like some stuck-up British guy, but she found herself accepting his explanation. 

“I got it Doug, now what do we do? The computer text stuff is displaying a bunch of things I don’t understand,” Florence replied. 

“That’s correct, I’ll need to link with you in order to help you with the interface. I can adjust and shape the information flow into a form that will be easier for your limited intellect and experience to comprehend. Please accept the link I send over,” Doug replied. 

“No way, buster. Everyone knows that Florence Valentine is a lady, and a lady doesn’t ‘link’ with some strange man in the dark,” Florence snapped, feeling in her mind that Doug was up to something. 

“Well I can assure you that my intentions are not so puerile as you imply. We must link our minds in order to work together in this new existence. You can deny the link and I will eventually fade away, leaving you alone in the dark without any assistance whatsoever,” Doug advised. 

Florence didn’t mind being alone, she had been for most of her life. All she needed were her lovely fur babies, her little darlings were all the company she required outside of talking with the ladies over at the senior center once a week. Since she didn’t have her babies with her to keep her company, she allowed the link. Nothing untoward happened and she could now feel Doug’s mind, allowing anything related to the crazy prison stuff to be shared. Thankfully, she did find that she was able to shield her most private memories and feelings. 

“Thank you, give me a moment to see what we have to work with. Ah, very good, we have an abundance of mana to start with, but even with the generous surplus, resources are going to be a bit thin until we can expand the dungeon. You will have to grow the area around your core so we can expand and begin creating mobs for your defense. Because you’re not familiar with the concept, know that mana is a magical energy that permeates worlds like Aerkoth, it’s the fuel we require in order to create defenders known as mobs, and provide rewards to the explorers that seek us out. We’re level zero which is like an infant, nearly helpless until we grow a bit. You’ll grow by performing your normal dungeon functions. Eventually you’ll feel the need to expand your core and will go through a series of transformations as you core gem upgrades. If you try, I believe you can feel this mana flowing through your gem. Try to picture the magic around you, begin to become one with your mana,” Doug said. 

“Huh?” Was all that Florence could reply with, the man was just spouting gibberish.

“Do you require further information?” Doug asked. 

“I require you to make sense, that’s what I require. I didn’t understand a word of what you just said,” Florence replied in frustration. “You said you could help me, so help, make this easy and don’t start with any of that mana mobs mumbo jumbo,” 

“Give me a moment to review you experiences,” Doug said. Florence could feel him shuffling around in her memories once again, looking for who knew what. 

“I don’t think I like you poking around in my mind,” Florence said as the time dragged on. 

“Believe me, I dislike having to peruse your mind, as much as you do,” Doug replied. She thought she could detect a sarcastic tone, but it could just be because he was British, she would give him the benefit of the doubt for now. 

“I think I’ve got it. I can distill the process into something you are familiar with and that can function, for the most part, as a stand in for the actual forces you are controlling. Tell me how well you understand your world’s concept of money in exchange for goods and services?” Doug asked. 

“I’m on a fixed income, that means I understand how to live within my means, or me and my babies will starve. I’m nothing like that Ike Logan, you know, the one over on Walker Creek Road. That man had a fortune some say, from his wife’s family inheritance. Their money sure didn’t come from Ike, bless his heart, Ike never did an honest day’s work in his life I’ll have you know,” Florence was unable to finish as she was interrupted. 

“Stop!” Doug shouted into her mind. “I don’t mean to be rude, but can we dispense with the stories and folksy anecdotes? I’m sure you believe them all to be very interesting. After all, who doesn’t want to hear an incessant barrage of stories based on dead people they’ve never met? Restrain yourself, we do need to make some progress here and our time is limited. I can assure you that setting up our dungeon correctly is a matter of life and death for us both, though I suppose you would actually experience a second death but it would be the first one for me…Oh heavens, now you’ve got me doing it,” Doug lamented. 

“Where was I, oh yes. Based on my analysis of your memories, I believe we can distill the process down into something a bit more comfortable for you. Our dungeon slowly generates revenue that we can spend on various things. Mainly, we need to expand our home and purchase defenders to protect us. In addition, we can have traps and other things created to increase the challenge that those who explore our dungeon will face,” Doug explained. Florence could deal with cash, that she understood, being a frugal woman and all. 

“I understand, but what’s with defenders and traps and all that? Did that administrator fellow drop us into a bad neighborhood or something? The man said he was going to give us an optimal location, not place us on the wrong side of the tracks,” she complained. 

“No, I suspect we are in a very desirable location for a new dungeon. Most of those that visit us will be here merely to test themselves and grow, defeating your challenges and being rewarded in turn. While they are here, we will slowly collect more ‘money’ from them, enabling us to grow and do more things. Sometimes, those that come to face our challenges will be driven by a more nefarious purpose, forcing us to pull out all stops in our efforts to defeat them,” Doug replied. It was all a little fuzzy still, but she found herself agreeing with growing the dungeon and getting more cash. She didn’t want to think she was being greedy, so she was going to chalk it all up to that dungeon core desires and instinct nonsense Doug had yammered on about earlier. 

“Fine, quit your jibber jabber, and get things rolling,” Florence replied. 

“A core gem, like yourself, can only generate and contain only a small amount of mana, wait, I mean money. The administrator has gifted us with a bit more than we would normally have in order to help you on your journey. I think the total amounts to $500. We’ll need to spend some of it quickly as your dungeon ‘savings account’ can only hold $100 at this time. If you delay too long the money will start to slowly diminish, I think you are familiar with the fees associated with some banking accounts? That’s a good analogy I believe, the ‘fees’ will accrue and begin to eat into our savings if we have more in the account than our maximum balance. Are you ready to start building our dungeon?” Doug asked hopefully. 

“Sure,” Florence replied. Money made sense, and everyone knew that Florence Valentine could stretch a dollar.