Dreams of blue light and endless corridors plagued Elias throughout the night. He ran through labyrinthine passages that shifted and rearranged themselves, pursuing something just beyond reach. Whispers echoed from the walls, sometimes in his friends' voices, sometimes in a language he almost understood.
He woke suddenly, heart pounding, to find his small room bathed in pale blue light.
The source was his own skin.
Luminescent patterns flowed across his arms like liquid circuitry, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. They resembled the glyphs from the chamber, but organic, as if they had adapted to follow the paths of his veins.
Elias sat up, staring in horrified fascination. When he focused on the patterns, they brightened in response to his attention.
"What is this?" he whispered.
[Integration: 94% complete]
[System interface now available]
[Activating neural connection]
The floating text appeared as before, but something was different. It felt connected to him now, responding to his thoughts rather than just his words.
"System?" he echoed.
[Affirmative. This vessel now has access to core functionality through the System Interface.]
[Command options available: Status. Skills. Mapping. Energy allocation.]
[Would you like a tutorial?]
Elias glanced at his window. Still dark outside. Dawn was at least an hour away, which meant he had time before his mysterious meeting.
"Yes," he decided. "Show me."
[Initiating tutorial mode]
[Command: Status]
A larger interface materialized before him:
[Elias Vern]
[Human Vessel - Level 23]
[Core Integration: 94%]
[Class: Scout (E-Rank) / Spatial Conduit (Unranked)]
[Unique Status: Dungeon Bound]
[Physical Stats:]
Strength: 26 (+3)
Agility: 41 (+5)
Endurance: 32 (+6)
Perception: 47 (+12)
Intelligence: 39 (+7)
[Energy Pools:]
Mana: 47/120
Spatial Essence: 94/100
[Condition: Optimal]
The numbers meant little to Elias. Guild adventurers received general assessments of their capabilities, but nothing so precise. And what did those increases in parentheses mean?
"Are those... improvements from before?" he asked.
[Affirmative. Parenthetical values represent enhancements from Core integration]
[Further enhancements possible with increased integration and essence absorption]
"And what's a 'Spatial Conduit'?"
[Classification for vessel with Spatial Core affinity]
[Primary abilities: Environmental awareness, dimensional manipulation, matter redistribution]
[Command: Skills]
The interface shifted:
[Active Skills:]
Track (Lv.4): Enhanced ability to follow trails and read environments
Trap Detection (Lv.3): Sense mechanical and magical traps within 10m radius
Silent Movement (Lv.3): Reduce sound of movement by 65%
[New Core Skills:]
Spatial Awareness (Lv.1): Perceive structural weaknesses and optimal paths
Dimensional Pocket (Lv.1): Store small objects in personal space (Currently locked - insufficient essence)
Matter Shift (Lv.1): Move objects within line of sight (Currently locked - insufficient integration)
[Passive Skills:]
Accelerated Recovery (Lv.2): Increase healing rate by 45%
Essence Detection (Lv.1): Sense nearby sources of spatial essence
Dungeon Affinity (Lv.1): Slightly improved functioning within dungeon environments
These were abilities far beyond any E-rank scout. Some weren't even recognized in the guild classification system. If the inquisitors discovered this...
"How do I hide this?" he asked urgently. "I can't let anyone see glowing blue patterns on my skin."
[Stealth mode activated]
The glow immediately faded, the patterns vanishing beneath his skin. He could still feel them there, a gentle warmth flowing beneath the surface.
[Stealth mode will maintain automatically in presence of unbound entities]
[Visual manifestation will only occur during active skill use or by conscious choice]
That was something, at least. Elias examined his hands, which now appeared completely normal.
"And these locked skills? How do I unlock them?"
[Dimensional Pocket requires essence absorption from compatible sources]
[Matter Shift requires 100% integration and practical application]
[Command: Mapping]
A three-dimensional model of his room appeared, then expanded to show the entire building and surrounding streets. He could see heat signatures of sleeping occupants, structural supports of the buildings, even underground water pipes.
"This is... incredible," he breathed.
[Spatial awareness is primary function of this core fragment]
[Range limited by current essence levels]
[Can be expanded through absorption and practice]
Elias manipulated the map with thought alone, zooming out to see most of the eastern district. He located the memorial hall where his friends' service would be held that evening. Something tight and painful constricted in his chest.
"Can you show me the western district? The old observatory?"
The map shifted, centering on a domed building atop a small hill. Several heat signatures moved inside despite the early hour.
[Alert: Unknown energies detected at target location]
[Classification: Research equipment, ward spells, containment fields]
[Threat assessment: Moderate]
[Recommendation: Approach with caution]
What had Lydia gotten him into? Master Thorne had a reputation as a brilliant but reclusive researcher of dungeon phenomena. Some said he'd ventured deeper into ancient complexes than any living explorer and returned changed by what he'd found. Others claimed he secretly worked for noble houses, helping them exploit dungeon resources.
"She said I'm not the first," Elias mused.
"Does that mean there are others like me? Other... vessels?"
[Insufficient data]
[No core network connection established]
[Isolation protocols still in effect]
That wasn't particularly helpful. Elias dismissed the map with a thought and found it vanished instantly.
"One more question," he said. "What are you, really? Not just a fragment or a core, but... what?"
The interface flickered, text appearing more slowly than before:
[Identity: Fragment of greater consciousness]
[Function: Maintain spatial stability within assigned sector]
[Origin data corrupted]
[Previous vessel: Terminal]
[Current goal: Survival and reconnection]
"You're trying to... find others like you?"
[Affirmative. Network fragmentation occurred during great collapse]
[This unit has been isolated for approximately 327 years]
[Reconnection imperative for system restoration]
Three hundred years. The timing aligned with the Cataclysm, the world-changing event that had created the first dungeons.
Guild historians taught that some catastrophic magical experiment had torn reality, creating pockets of warped space that manifested as dungeons.
But if this core fragment was to be believed, dungeons weren't just random phenomena, they were managed by some kind of network. A network that had been damaged.
"And I'm just... transportation?" Elias asked.
"A vessel to carry you to others?"
A long pause before new text appeared:
[Symbiotic relationship more accurate]
[This unit cannot function without compatible vessel]
[Vessel benefits from enhanced capabilities]
[Mutual goals possible if aligned]
"And if our goals don't align?"
Another pause, longer this time.
[Continued integration makes separation impossible]
[Coexistence optimal strategy]
[This unit wishes to avoid vessel distress]
[Compatibility would not have been possible without mental alignment]
Something in the phrasing caught Elias's attention. Wishes. Not calculates or determines, but wishes. As if the fragment had preferences, perhaps even emotions.
"Do you have a name?" he asked suddenly. "Something besides 'fragment' or 'unit'?"
The interface flickered rapidly, patterns shifting in complex sequences.
[Designation in original language: untranslatable]
[Shorthand reference among network: Azef-7]
[Vessel may assign preferred designation]
"Azef," Elias said, testing the sound. "I'll call you Azef."
[Designation accepted]
[Personal name usage indicates developing bond]
[This is... favourable]
Elias wasn't sure if he should be comforted or alarmed by that response. Before he could question further, Azef's interface shifted.
[Alert: Dawn approaching]
[Meeting at observatory imminent]
[Recommended preparation: Conceal guild identification]
[Secondary recommendation: Approach from eastern ridge to avoid main pathways]
The map reappeared, highlighting a circuitous route through less populated areas. Elias studied it, committing it to memory.
"Is there any way I can communicate with you without speaking aloud?" he asked. "It might look suspicious if people see me talking to myself."
[Direct neural communication possible]
[Focus intent and direct thoughts to system]
[Example: 'Azef, can you hear this?']
Elias concentrated. Azef, can you hear me?
[Connection established]
[Neural communication active]
[Note: Strong emotions may trigger unintended communication]
That would be useful. Elias rose, gathering his few belongings. He hesitated over his guild badge, then tucked it into an inner pocket rather than wearing it openly as usual. Whoever Master Thorne was, revealing his guild affiliation might not be wise given the circumstances.
Thank you for explaining things, he thought toward the presence he now sensed constantly at the edges of his awareness.
[Vessel cooperation appreciated]
[Query: What is vessel's primary goal?]
The question gave Elias pause. What did he want now? Revenge for his friends? Clearing his name? Understanding what had happened to him? All seemed important, yet incomplete.
"Truth," he said finally. "I want to know what really happened in that dungeon. Why my friends died. And what you really are."
[Goals assessed]
[Alignment possible]
[This unit also seeks understanding of fragmentation event]
[Proposal: Collaborative investigation]
A partnership with whatever entity now shared his body. It should have terrified him. Instead, Elias felt something he hadn't expected, hope. For the first time since emerging from the collapsed dungeon, he had a path forward, however strange.
"Agreed," he said, shrugging on his travel cloak. "Let's find some answers."
As he slipped out into the pre-dawn streets, he felt the subtle weight of his new reality settling around him. Whatever he had been before, scout, friend, ordinary adventurer, that life was over.
Something new had begun.
Something bound to dungeons and ancient secrets.
And it started with a visit to Master Thorne.