Chương 38: Core Indigestion

Recap: You reached Level 3. A Dungeon Sub-Core Fragment door is activating. You have 2 Stamina. You voted to BITE THE DOOR (CONSUME). Hunger is a powerful motivator. But curiosity? Curiosity is what killed the cat. And the vending machine. And now, apparently, the door. The black stone was pulsing. Green light leaked from the cracks. It smelled like ozone and ancient dust. It didn't smell like food. It smelled like power. My instinct screamed: Eat. My brain screamed: That's a wall. My stomach said: Crunchy.

I had 2 Stamina. Bite cost 2 Stamina. It was an all-in bet. If I couldn't break it, I'd be stuck here, mouth open, waiting for the cultists to return. Let's do this. I lunged. My teeth sank into the black stone. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Skill Used: Bite Cost: 2 Stamina Current SP: 0/24 Target: Dungeon Sub-Core Fragment (Level?) Defense: Unknown CRACK. It wasn't like biting wood. It wasn't like biting bone. It was like biting into a lightning storm.

SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Damage Dealt: 1 HP (Structure) Damage Taken: 3 HP (Magic Backlash) Current HP: 7/19 XP Gained: 10 XP (Core Fragment) Current XP: 130/210 (Level 3) Pain seared through my lid. It wasn't physical pain. It was data pain. Images flashed in my mind. A dungeon core. A network of tunnels. Monsters spawning. A voice… The Voice.

"Unauthorized… Consumption… Detected…" The door didn't break. It shattered. Not into pieces. Into mist. The black stone dissolved into green smoke. The smoke didn't dissipate. It flowed into me. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Status Effect Acquired: Core Touched Effect: Dungeon Monsters (F-Rank) Neutral (Passive) Effect: Dungeon Core Awareness (Active) Warning: Core Can Track Location I fell backward. 0 Stamina. Immobile. Again.

The prisoners screamed.

"It ate the wall!" Renn yelled. He backed into the cages.

"It ate the magic wall!" Kara stared at me. Her staff was raised, but she wasn't attacking. She looked… awestruck.

"That wasn't normal mimic behavior. That was… assimilation." Torin sheathed his sword. He looked at the hole where the door used to be. Beyond it lay a tunnel. Smooth. Carved. Not natural.

"The dungeon…" Torin whispered.

"It's connected to the dungeon." He looked at me.

"You're not just a monster. You're… part of the system." I wanted to say No, I'm a graphic design student from Earth. But I was a box with 7 HP and 0 Stamina. The green smoke stopped flowing. The tunnel ahead was dark. But my tremorsense… it was different now. Stronger. I could feel the dungeon itself. The mana flow. The monster spawns. I could feel them. The cultists. They were coming. But I could also feel the rats. The slimes. The goblins. They weren't hunting me anymore. They were… ignoring me.

Like I was furniture. Like I was home. SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Stamina Regenerated: +1 (1 per minute) Current SP: 1/24 One point. I could twitch. I could close my lid. The prisoners were arguing.

"We go through," Kara said.

"The door is gone."

"It's a trap," Torin said.

"The box… it triggered something."

"We need supplies," Kara countered.

"And that box… it saved us. I'm not leaving it." Please don't leave me, I thought. I can't move. Torin walked over to me. He looked into my lid.

"Can you… follow us?" I vibrated. Buzz.

"Take it," Kara ordered.

"Renn, carry the box." Carry me? I'm 120 pounds of iron and wood! Renn hesitated. Then he lifted me. He groaned.

"Heavy…" They moved into the tunnel. I was being carried deeper into the dungeon. Toward the Core. Toward the Voice. And then… I felt it. A pulse. From deep below. Floor 7. It wasn't hostile. It was… inviting.

"Come… Home… Little… Mimic…" Current Stats (Level 3 - Ironband Mimic): HP: 7/19 (Magic Backlash) Mana: 6/14 (Undead Flesh Penalty Active) Stamina: 1/24 (Regen active) Inventory: 2 Pebbles, Metal Items (Fused). Mage Staff (Loot). Status: Core Touched, Being Carried, Dungeon Neutral (Monsters). What do you do? A) EMBRACE THE CONNECTION (LISTEN) Focus on the Core Voice. Try to communicate mentally. Learn what it wants. (Cost: 2 MP. Gain: Intel. Risk: Mental Domination.) B) RESIST THE CONNECTION (BLOCK) Shut down the Core Touched effect. Rely on your own will. Maintain independence. (Cost: 3 MP. Gain: Freedom. Risk: Monsters become hostile again.) C) CONSERVE ENERGY (SLEEP) Do nothing. Let them carry you. Regen HP/SP/MP. Wake up when safe. (Cost: 0 MP. Gain: Full Regen. Risk: Missed Opportunities.) D) SIGNAL DANGER (WARN) Use your last Stamina to creak loudly. Warn them of an ambush ahead (you can feel it via Core Link). (Cost: 1 SP. Gain: Ally Safety. Risk: SP Depleted again.) VOTING CLOSES IN 24 HOURS. Reply with A, B, C, or D. Most votes wins. [Author Note] Thanks for voting on Chapter 37! Option B (Bite Door) was chaotic! You consumed a Sub-Core Fragment and gained the Core Touched status! You're now being carried deeper into the dungeon by the prisoners!