Chapter 53

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 53: Core

The massive fireball from the airship landed in the forest, but thanks to the efforts of the temporary firefighters, not many trees were burnt down. After the flames were extinguished, Tasha unexpectedly found something left behind.

The airship’s pilot had turned into a charred skeleton, and the intricate mechanisms inside the airship had melted into an unrecognizable metal chunk in the dragon’s flames. Yet, there were still fragments that retained their original form within the wreckage. Among the scrap metal, the Ghost uncovered some items that couldn’t be pierced through, with fine lines engraved on the metal that glowed with a hidden blue light. These carvings reminded Tasha of something familiar – at first, she thought of circuit boards, but then she remembered the runes around the Magic Pool.

Neither of the two, yet both alike.

Even with just a few fragments remaining, they looked incredibly exquisite, nothing like handmade crafts. They did not bring to mind artisans forging metal with thick glasses on, nor did they remind of hearths, small cottages, or craftsmanship. Instead, the sharp, cold lines emitted a taste of the industrial era, with intricate patterns resembling electroplating or the precise creation of a factory assembly line. They did not resemble mystical magical diagrams but seemed to represent logical circuit diagrams.

But the dark blue residue in the "circuit board" is just like the droplets in the Magic Pool.

By shrinking the contained power, extending the time it takes for the liquid Magic Stone to flow, repeating this many times, these traces can be said to be almost the same, like the difference between a dried-up riverbed and a mighty river. The magic contained in this is too diluted, if Tasha wasn’t a very sensitive dungeon to magic, ordinary people or creatures wouldn’t be able to see or feel that hint of blue.

The runes on the floor of the dungeon library may be closer to it, but when Tasha asked, Victor denied it outright.

"The ones in the library are magic runes and magic arrays," Victor said, "what you have in your hand can’t even be called magic, right? It’s just at this level, unable to store any spells, just decorative patterns."

"They look very similar," Tasha said.

"Humans and monkeys also look similar to me," Victor said rudely, "you just haven’t seen enough things."

The Book of Dungeons completely disagreed with her guess, maybe he had a point.

Tasha might have this association, probably because she hasn’t seen many similar patterns so far. Similarly mysterious patterns, the fragment in the ghost’s hand has a completely different atmosphere from the four major runes of the Dungeon Core.

Each stroke of the runes around the Magic Pool is as thick as a finger, the pattern is bold and expressive, compared to the fragment, it’s like cursive and regular script… No, maybe it’s like cursive and Arial. Any being that sees these four runes can associate them with all kinds of colors, different levels of solidity of earth, or flowing and calm water, gentle or fierce wind, from warm to scorching fire. It’s a more abstract universal language than the Forest Convention, a primitive sound, the most basic of ideas. The four runes are powerful, bold, and rooted in chaos, unadorned, like natural traces born in the creation of heaven and earth.

The marks on the metal scrap didn’t have such strong power. They were more like a complicated and precise language, where each stroke carried a precise meaning, requiring a long study to master. It appeared indifferent to those lacking knowledge, like looking at a corner of countless gears in a huge machine, or gazing at a floating city in the clouds.

In simpler terms, the runes in the dungeon series were seen as art, while the metal runes here were seen as advanced mathematics.

"At the very least, they are not decorative patterns," Tasha said, "otherwise nothing would have remained."

Dragon fire is not your ordinary fire.

Centuries ago, during the era when the dwarf master could charge into dragon dens with a great hammer, "dragon fire quenching" was considered the highest craft for top-tier weapons. If not made with the best materials and techniques, any weapon would turn into thin air in the dragon fire, leaving nothing behind.

The dragon created in the dungeon could not compare to the dragons of the past, but according to Victor and Oak Elder, who had encountered real dragons, apart from lacking the wisdom and dragon language magic, this new dragon was quite similar to a real dragon, surpassing any lesser dragon. Before the official battle, the Dragon Knight tested the dragon’s breath. In fact, Douglas was overly excited, like a mischievous child with a lighter, lighting fires everywhere.

"We mean no harm! We just wanted to try out the legendary Dragon Flame Sword and cook dragon breath barbecue… Who would have thought that both furnaces would melt?" Douglas pressed his hat against his chest and said to Tasha in a serious tone. He looked innocently cute, like a mischievous husky who destroyed a sofa.

Marion, who missed supper, and the Amazonian seeking justice for the Craftsman Dwarves, would surely teach him a lesson at the Training Ground.

In short, mere steel could not survive dragon fire.

The airship’s outside covering was completely burnt, but it’s unknown what material was used. Some mysterious parts and even human bones remained, suggesting something protected them. Among the wreckage, there were unexploded grenades and nearly intact bombs, resembling a robot vacuum when held.

Tasha couldn’t understand half of the writings, and had no interest in decoding them, but there were members in the dungeon enthusiastic about it.

"I’ve seen this before!" Chief Hogan of the Craftsman Dwarf tribe said, clenching his fists in frustration for not remembering some parts, "Our ancestors carried similar things when migrating to Wanderer Camp, but lost them on the run."

The knowledge was quickly lost among the nomadic races, the Craftsman Dwarves aged similarly to ordinary humans, with the oldest unable to explain. Oak Elder vaguely remembered something similar, but expecting an old tree to learn advanced mathematics was asking for the impossible. ("Forgive me, I’ve never been keen on things beyond nature…")

These dwarves lost ready-made knowledge, but not their talent and interest in these devices. From the day they obtained them, they studied day and night. Much earlier than Tasha anticipated, she got results.

"Degraded Mana Bombs: Due to long neglect or other reasons, degraded versions of mana bombs explode directly under intense horizontal displacement, impact, and high-temperature conditions. They are noticeable, have a long startup time, cannot tolerate intense horizontal movement, but still pack a punch."

It seems this is why mana bombs aren’t widely used on battlefields in the north. These mana bombs cannot be thrown horizontally, or they’ll harm their own people. They appear only suitable for carefully placing and slow aerial deployment from airships.

No gunpowder is used in mana bombs.

The core’s energy comes from a thumb-sized Magic Stone surrounded by intricate circuit-like patterns. Craftsmen can only replicate it now, requiring more samples to analyze and dismantle. It’s hard to imagine that a Magic Stone with some runes can produce such a massive effect.

Speaking of which, the beginning of nuclear fusion is simply the collision of tiny atomic nuclei. To those lacking knowledge, it seems no different from magic.

Tasha faintly saw another technological system.

The captured magic bombs and mechanical birds contain some Magic Stones inside. When the Craftsman Dwarf successfully dismantled the metal lump in the airship, Tasha flew over immediately.

The container, which contained a large number of remaining runes, was pried open. It felt like a seal being broken, and she immediately sensed a familiar energy. Inside was a small piece of Dungeon Core, the energy source driving the airship, it was a Dungeon Core.

Tasha and Victor didn’t show any joy.

"This is better." Victor grunted, "Ideals that are unseen and intangible can last for generations, but when it comes to interests, no matter how many generations pass, people can still be attracted to it."

Like a hungry wolf seeing meat in an abandoned hut, this was more than just good news to fill the stomach.

"I will merge the core now, and will have fewer opportunities in the future." The ghostly figure held onto the dungeon fragments cleared from the airship, "If enemies show up during this time…"

"I know, it’s a contingency plan, you’ve said it many times." Victor urged, "Hurry, there are no plans to harm your little cat or dog for now."

"You’d better not," said Tasha, half-jokingly and half-threateningly.

Red fragments flew towards the Dungeon Core.

Since coming to this world, Tasha had two dreams.

The first dream was colorful, with a base of emerald green. Various lights were dancing on green grass under green trees, creating a colorful and kaleidoscopic scene. The second dream was tinged with gold and red, with red scales shimmering like gemstones. The friendship between the Dragon Knight and the dragon radiated a golden light along with the sunlight. Even though the details of the dreams had faded, the brilliant colors stayed on the canvas.

The third dream was iron gray.

The flames in the furnace licked the hearth, the fire crackling in the cave, casting light on the dwarf craftsman. At first glance, it looked like a workshop in a dungeon, but upon closer inspection, there were significant differences.

It was spacious, but only one person was working there. Tasha saw mechanical arms on a nearby table, and in the distance, there seemed to be more, quietly lurking in the background. The entire background was blurry, making it hard to see what was hidden. Many identical half-human devices were laid out on the flat ground, extending outward, with exposed metal shells intricately inscribed with runes.

The latest open device, and the craftsman was removing something from the furnace with tongs.

When the furnace was opened, an extremely dazzling light appeared. Tasha subconsciously closed her eyes, forgetting she wouldn’t be hurt by the sparks. The brightness made her shiver, reminding her of the moment when the Magic Cannon erupted. Only when she saw what the tongs were holding did she realize where her instinctive fear came from.

It was just an instinctive reaction to the shiny and smoking thing, which was a Dungeon Core.

It wasn’t in its original state, intricate gold lines shimmered on the dark red core, like glowing iron wires twisted around a heart. A dwarf wearing a welding mask shone a light on it, let out a sigh of relief, and carefully placed it into the open apparatus.

The door was pushed open.

A young dwarf rushed over, grabbing the arm of the dwarf craftsman, letting the hot iron tongs scorch his coat. He desperately dragged the craftsman outside, shouting, "Enough, father! Let’s go!"

"I have things to do!" the craftsman said gruffly, shaking off the younger dwarf. He was much stronger than the young dwarf, "Don’t bother me!"

"There’s nothing left to do!" the young dwarf shouted sharply, "We’ve lost!"

It was only at this moment that Tasha realized it was a "she." Different from the unmistakable Craftsman Dwarf, the female dwarf looked sturdy and strong, with solid arms. Windproof goggles shielded her eyes, the reflective lenses as round as a clock, Tasha couldn’t see her gaze.

The old dwarf stubbornly shook his head, "We still have!" he muttered, looking at the neatly arranged machinery on the ground, "Look! We still have so many airships…"

"The airships that can’t fly are just stones!" the female dwarf roared, her hand gesturing forcefully, pointing to various corners of the underground workshop, "Open your eyes and look around! How many golems do we have that can move? How many alchemy workshops can still operate? It’s just you left here, father! You can create a hundred or a thousand power machines, but we can’t even light up extra lamps!"

Without even looking, Tasha could feel her despair echoing underground. She suddenly realized that the things blocking her view were not walls. They were countless machines.

The mechanical arms stood still, surrounded by many large machines. There were no lights, no movements, just silent figures. Despite many lamps on the ceiling and walls, only one next to the craftsman was lit, its flickering flame weaker than a fire. The dwarf craftsman, stunned by the roaring sound, lifted his welding mask and looked around, as if just awakened.

"Let’s go! Please, let’s go!" his daughter pleaded. "If we don’t leave now, it will be too late!"

The dwarf craftsman let out a roar like a trapped animal, then rushed to the furnace and grabbed a huge iron hammer by his side. With the hammer as big as himself, he charged towards his creations.

Tasha saw the blue patterns glowing on the hammer, realizing it was not an ordinary one but a special weapon or tool. The dwarf craftsman swung the massive hammer among the machines, muscles bulging, veins popping on his forehead. Bang! The crawling mechanical core was easily smashed flat. Boom! The Iron Golem standing nearby shattered with one blow. The world shimmering with gray iron light crumbled like paper under the blacksmith’s hammer.

He kept shouting, his voice turning into sobs, as the old craftsman wept and shredded his creations apart. The female dwarf rushed into the fray as he began gasping, restraining the head of his hammer.

"Let’s go," she said wearily. "Leave them behind."

"Our kingdom is lost!" the craftsman howled. "What’s the point of keeping them! Leave them for the enemies?"

"Leave them for the future," the female dwarf said. "The pride of dwarves will forever remain in our creations, as it always has been."

Always like this, will be the same in the future.

Even if there are no more kingdoms or dwarves, this magical technology and its powerful force still continue to be passed down, becoming a legend.

Tasha saw a sandbox.

A blue sea surrounded this green continent, with countless races as tiny as chess pieces on it. She saw pointed ears and people with wooden staffs leaving, small dwarves and even smaller dwarves fighting, then the smaller ones scattered and fled. A dragon that looked like a lizard and a bat flew away and gradually disappeared. Tasha watched them fly into the unknown void. When she turned back, the furry race had just been scattered by the small dwarves. In the blink of an eye, the tiny humans built a city. Their brilliant light shone brightly, spreading the same color to every corner of the continent. Other colored pieces scattered more and more, becoming fewer and fewer, swallowed by this strong light.

Tasha felt a force pushing her towards the sandbox.

What is she?

Maybe because she had felt too many forms, Tasha didn’t know what state she was in. Was she a person? A city? A ghost? Or something else? She swayed towards the sandbox, closer to it, her body approaching reality. By the time she landed, she hadn’t figured out what she was, so she stopped thinking about it altogether.

Tasha looked at the increasingly fewer colored dots and knew exactly what she had to do.

Compared to the tiny things in the sandbox, she seemed so huge. She felt invincible, even the bronze walls built by humans couldn’t withstand her light touch. She was a towering giant, a mischievous child who ran past sandcastle cities by the seashore, and the destiny of all things lay within a single thought.

But Tasha knew exactly what she wanted to do.

She was slowly getting lighter and smaller, just as she wished. Her gentle landing did not harm any living beings, she carefully collected all the tiny specks of light from the human stream, and placed them in her own city, where the dim lights could grow freely.

This beautiful world should not have only one color.

Is this your choice? Is this your answer?

Unseen spectators stared back at her. Tasha’s hands, as she sorted through the crowd, were turning into claws, her arms enveloping the territory were growing long and wide. She saw a huge dragon waking from slumber, its sharp claws on its treasure, they locked eyes, as if looking into a mirror.

The flames burning her bones felt good.

The Dungeon Core was pulsating, after the second fusion, its shape no longer resembled a planet, but more like a living heart. Magic flowed through its veins, making some parts of the core especially bright, as if lava was flowing within.

Tasha was lying somewhere, her body covered in sticky liquid, the cool sensation penetrating her bones and muscles. Ah, it was "that body", didn’t it feel warm like in a womb before, why is it cold now?

It was her body that was getting hot.

The flames melted Tasha’s strong bones, no iron could cut her body. Hot blood flowed in her veins, even throwing a torch on her wouldn’t affect her.

Tasha saw the sky in a deep blue color, saw a red heart floating above the pool. A new body was forming in the Magic Pool, and now it was time for it to be born.

She slowly climbed out of the pool filled with blue liquid, blue drops falling from her naked skin. It was hard for her to stand up, like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon or a newborn deer trying to stand, but the drops in the Magic Pool did not make her choke or suffocate. It took Tasha a while to balance herself, she lifted her head and looked towards the core.

The irregular shape of the Dungeon Core did not entirely reflect her face, but one thing was certain – the imprint on the core was not a wolf skull.

Maybe a mirror should be installed here? Tasha thought. She could see through the dungeon’s perspective, but she chose not to. Tasha stood in the pool water up to her waist, looking down, for the first time she saw her face in this world on the calm surface of the water.

It was a Western-style face, not her old face, but there was a subtle resemblance between them, whether it counted as resemblance. Her hair had grown long to her back, a bit curly, still black. Tasha tucked her hair aside and saw the ears of an ordinary person.

How does the element extraction mechanism work? Tasha wondered, because the human proportion was relatively heavy, does she look purely human? Good, she didn’t have animal ears or pointed ears, it wouldn’t be a problem to blend in with the crowd. Thinking this, she pressed down on the edge of the Magic Pool and leaped up.

Tasha fell backward.

The moment Tasha lost the buoyancy of the pool water, she suddenly felt the weight on her back. The center of gravity was not where she thought it was, her previously agile body suddenly became clumsy, her arms flailed in vain in the air, then a strong gust of wind lifted her body. Splash! Huge wings flapped on the water surface, the reaction force suddenly lifted Tasha off the ground.

Tasha had red dragon wings growing behind her.

"No ‘cancel key area,’ but seems to have some dragon talents?" Victor said in amazement, "Your luck is truly remarkable."

"You should start with saying ‘good morning,’ ‘pleased to see you safe and sound,’" Tasha calmly said, landing on the ground and trying to stand steady, "or complimenting my beauty."

"This is not within the scope of the contract requirements." Victor snorted twice, sounding somewhat smug.

Tasha walked towards the Book of Dungeons that had been moved here, pinching the pages.

"Pleased to see you safe and sound, beautiful and charming this morning," Victor quickly said.

"Pleased to see you as well," Tasha replied kindly.

The evolved dungeon made a stop to the jokes, checking itself, realizing the current situation was not just luck.

"New title: [Dragon]

"A Legendary Ancient Dragon once left its blessings and part of its spirit in the bloodline of a dear friend. An invisible dragon soul has been guarding the friend’s descendants for generations, until you touched the soul it was protecting, then the dragon opened its sharp eyes – Congratulations, you have passed the dragon soul test and gained the approval of the giant dragon."

Tasha was not quite sure what the test standards were, but she had already passed, so there was no need to worry about what would happen if she failed.

Tasha’s character card had also undergone some changes.

Broken dungeon-Tasha

Title: Keeper (Drawing on elements being protected to form the body), Dragon (You guard your territory and subjects like a dragon protects its treasure – additional dragon attribute bonus)

Attributes: Abyssal Breath Severance – a powerful force has severed your connection with the abyss, Dungeon Core comes from the abyss, but you do not belong there / Natural Aura Affinity – Keeper of the Heart of Nature has contracted with you, the Will of Nature once glanced at you / City Dominated by the Giant Dragon – the residual will of the Legendary Ancient Dragon acknowledges your existence Character Card: Intelligent gnome Ahuang (?), Book of Dungeons Victor (?), Hybrid Worgen Marion (Nature), Oak Guardian (Nature), Quarter-elf Mavis (Nature), Dragon Knight Douglas (Dragon), Minstrel Jacqueline (Magic)

Contracting Groups: Craftsman Dwarf (Magic), Amazonian (None), Remnants of Captain Halite’s troops (None), Druid (Nature)

Buildings: Kitchen lvl 2, residence, watchtower, forging room – workshop lvl 2, graveyard lvl 3, Training Ground, Medicinal Herb Garden lvl 2 – pharmacy lvl 2

Skills: [Master of the Dungeon] [Suspicious Salesman] [Magic Healing Spell] [Full Moon – Call of the Wild] [Heart of Nature (False)] [We Workers Have Power] [Excellent Reserve Soldier] [Military Atmosphere] [Add One More Spoonful of Sugar] [Dragon Blood Bath] [Increase Volume] From "broken dungeon" to "Broken dungeon," it was indeed a significant improvement. Is the function of the dragon attribute to enhance the power possessed by the "entities" created? The parentheses added after the character and group cards are referring to the racial traits they belong to? So, the question marks after Ahuang and Victor, are they due to mixed attributes or inability to determine? These questions will need some time to figure out slowly.

New information about the dungeon kept flowing into Tasha’s mind, causing some changes that touched her heart.

Things that were previously impossible became possible, which means that maybe some plans could be altered now.