Doyle slowly came to as his mind once again settled down. While he hadn’t been able to observe, the scene created by his sea of consciousness was astounding. As if the world has reverted to some primordial pre-world space from mythology. A time before the heavens and the earth were separated. The separation between the ocean, air, and land was removed creating a space of chaos, except ordered.

  Yes, ordered. For at the center of it all was one triangle that with the chaos became as if a 2d shape and around it, fragments from far and wide began to crystalize onto it. And yet, the shape never grew bigger. In fact, it shrank with the passing of time. Each additional layer of instinct causes all the previous layers to fold in on themselves just a little bit tighter.

  Now though, as he awakens, the ocean, air, and land once again separate out. The hardened triangle settles once again onto the sea of consciousness as it springs upward, revealing the volcano’s shape as greenery once again spreads. Then as the last piece falls into place, the three great retaining walls, Doyle snaps to being fully aware.

  A quick check of the surface tells Doyle that a significant amount of time has passed. Well, significant for him at this point. Anyway, shocked at how long this [Self-Actualization]...

  Doyle pauses halfway through that thought as the familiar yet unknown word passes through his mind. While trying to repeat it only results in saying “self actualization” and a few similar phrases, the actual word escapes him. It described the process so perfectly and yet with every second that passes, the word fades from his mind.

  In the end, he can’t recapture that encapsulation of what he just went through and so can only turn to other things. First being a quick chat with Ally, who is more than happy that he finally woke up.

  Ally shakes her head, ‘You do realize dungeons aren’t supposed to be able to sleep? Thankfully, we have the soul connection or I would have been worrying so much!’

  Doyle nods, ‘Fair enough. Not that I exactly got a choice in the matter. Can you get me up to speed?’

  Ally shrugs, ‘Well, people made it to your fifteenth floor, even if they didn’t get all that far within the floor itself. Though whatever you just did managed to up quite a few patterns to the point that they got pushed back out of the floor. Oh, and a couple weeks ago the town spent a ton of money on you.’

  Doyle, ‘How could they spend money on me? It’s not like I need specific things to get better. Well, I guess technically better stuff would allow me to make better loot, but the actual advancement wouldn’t be the most obvious beyond maybe a few variances in a basic weapon’s shape.’

  Ally nods, ‘That is normally the case. However, they went and bought an expensive little trinket. They’re hoping it will help you with the instances. How they found out about dungeon beads and specifically the “of dimensions” variety is beyond me. I guess someone got in good with their tutorial guide or they restructured the tutorial big time from what I know of them.

  ‘Anyway, dungeon beads are to mineral based sapients what elixirs are to animal-based sapients. Oh, and elixirs are just potions with a permanent effect. However, the dungeon bead of dimensions is an analogue to a path opening elixir. Which for the most part do not appear on the market or even in auctions.’

  Doyle tilts down and dims, ‘While that sounds interesting, the fact the town could afford one means something isn’t right. Am I in debt to someone else or just deeper in debt to the System?’

  Ally shakes her head, ‘This specific bead is heavily subsidized for anyone buying it to use on an eligible dungeon. Though, if you did fail to use it before a hundred years are up, then it will be forced on you and cost a good bit. Don’t worry though, from how I understand it, the System will force you to spend more reasonable resources first. Stuff like path points if you had simply not bought in time. Though yeah, you can certainly wrack up some debt to the System if you aren’t careful.’

  Doyle, ‘So I assume it’s already been absorbed and will show up in my Paths?’

  Ally nods, ‘Yes. Oh, and one more thing. As with any consumable that grants an effect related to Paths that is more than just cosmetic, it requires more than just physical ingredients to make. Worse, for even you to create one will require those esoteric ingredients. Which means that even with the pattern, you’re unable to make them right now.’

  Doyle tilts to the side, ‘Can’t I just throw quintessence at it? From how I understand it, quintessence is literally the building blocks of everything.’

  Ally, ‘Yes, but no. Quintessence, as far as True Immortals have been able to suss out, do make up literally everything including soul cores. However, making your patterns and making the esoteric part of a path potion is like the difference between molding clay and putting together a clear crystal from a pile of table salt. It is much easier if you can put that salt into water and then use a seed crystal to get it to grow just right. Right now? You do not have that seed crystal to work off of.

  ‘The easiest way to make a path potion is for someone with the desired path to sacrifice a piece of said path. Which, while sometimes fixable if they put in multiple paths points to repair the path, won’t always be. Besides, a path potion does not even guarantee that the person taking it will unlock that exact path.

  ‘A dungeon bead of dimensions is no different. Except, somehow, the System has access to a bunch of seeds for the path and isn’t afraid to hand them out. It is honestly really weird.’

  Doyle’s core dims, ‘Well, I can think of any number of reasons why the system would have that and a few of them aren’t all that nice. Though I assume the actual number of them is still relatively low. Oh well, nothing I can do about it. Was there anything else of interest?’

  Ally shrugs, ‘Eh, depends I guess? There are new delvers pushing deeper than ever, even if they can’t quite match those from the inner ring. Plus all the usual drama that goes on in a town. Not really my thing, but it sometimes feels like watching a non-stop melodrama mixed with one of those ridiculous romance novels. Really weird if you ask me, but when dealing with a place whose main attraction is literally a pit people fight monsters in, you’re bound to have some drama as tensions run high.’

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Doyle shakes his core, ‘Not my type of thing. Never has been, not really. Though I guess that means I can spend time on going over what feels like it should be pretty foundational changes to my patterns.’

  Ally nods, ‘Ace and friends did manage to be pushed out of your last floor. I haven’t been watching too closely, but when I had noticed what happened, I made sure to keep a snapshot of the before. Not that the system couldn’t have done it, but it would have been frustrating as you didn’t specifically set a point. After all, it isn’t like the changes all happened at once.’

  Doyle sighs, ‘Does the system make it hard to track things like that long term on purpose? Like, why can’t I just tell it to show me all the chances between two points or some such? That shouldn’t be too hard.’

  Ally smiles, ‘You’re not unreasonable for expecting that, especially not with how your world’s computers worked. Keeping track of exactly when something happens was just a matter of course. However, the system does not have infinite storage space. Should it keep track of exactly when each ant in your dungeon is grown up enough to gain the teamwork skill? When each ameba in existence is born?

  ‘Sure, the system will keep track of some things. Especially if they’re important, but you certainly aren’t there yet. So no, it isn’t on purpose, the system just doesn’t actually store all that much.’

  Doyle, ‘Then how does it keep track of all those path effects and such? Like, I have paths that affect not just me and my monsters, but the town outside as well.’

  Ally shrugs, ‘By not keeping track of it? The system’s cheat isn’t keeping track of everything, but rather an all powerful ability to detect things and look at souls. Because all that path stuff? That’s yours. This isn’t a computer system where everything is stored on the drive and the system has to make everything work.

  ‘Your soul has your paths and they just work. Maybe if you were a normal sapient and went to another dimension, there might be a problem that a system could smooth over. However, you’re a dungeon and an extra-dimensional one at that. Could there be friction between you and another dimension? Sure, but that wouldn’t change you like it would others.’

  Doyle nods, ‘Fair enough. I guess I’m just used to stories where the system is some all knowing mcguffin. Oh well, let’s take a look at my growth. Pull up that snapshot and we’ll compare it to my current status. The system should be able to do at least that, right?’

  Ally laughs, ‘Very much so. Though it will refuse for things unrelated to a person’s status. Both its creator and the system itself does not want the system to be reduced to a fancy word processor for everyone in the universe.’

  Then, after Ally brings up her snapshot, Doyle instructs the system to compare it to his current status.

  {Skills [6/10 Class, 4/5+1 General]: Territory Control lv99, Dungeon Rules lv83>99, Universal Deconstruction lv99, Dungeon Pattern Database lv53>99, Creation(Energy Powered, Pattern Based) lv99, Conceptual Reinforcement lv99, Biosphere Balancing lv75>81, Psychology lv84, Village Planner lv39, Root Rune Use lv1

  Dungeon Patterns: creature patterns lv99, food patterns lv43>70, material patterns lv30>63, shrubbery lv21>56, weapon patterns lv52, grass lv6>47, vines lv3>41, gem patterns lv32>40, mystic energy storage patterns lv33, potion patterns lv30, vial lv27, array patterns lv21, wooden hinged box of preservation lv12>21, kobold trap patterns lv14, armor patterns lv11, clothes lv5>11, seaweed lv1,? ?r?o?o?m? ?p?a?t?t?e?r?n?s? ?l?v?2?2?

  Weapon Patterns: axe lv50, sword lv50, dagger lv50, bow lv50, arrow lv50, mace lv50, staff lv50, wand lv50, spear lv50, pickaxe lv10

  Armor Patterns: gauntlets lv10, greaves lv10, boots lv10, tunic lv10, helmet lv10, shield lv10, cloak lv10

  Material Patterns: strange dungeon stone lv20>62, wood lv30>58, clay lv13>55, water lv21>42, glass lv27>32, metal patterns lv21>22, dungeon soil lv6, leather lv6, cloth lv5, volcanic rock lv4, Earth standard air mix lv3, wax lv1

  Metal Patterns: mithril (lv20) lv20, gold lv20, silver lv20, copper lv20, iron lv5>17, tin lv2>16

  Food Patterns: sugar lv7>70, herb patterns lv43>54, wheat lv9>48, sunflower lv15>42, olive lv6>40, salt lv2>32, bread lv1>16, lemon lv1>14, strawberry lv1>14

  Herb Patterns: clover lv10>53, tea lv2>49, sage lv6>47, aloe lv6>45, pepper lv4>44, peppermint lv4>44, mint lv3>44, rosemary lv3>44, lavender lv3>44, maiden's tear lv40, mage’s delight lv40, springleaf lv40, meditation lotus lv40, royal lingzhi lv40

  Potion Patterns: coagulant lv27, flesh mending lv27, regeneration lv27, healing lv27, antidote lv27, cure disease lv27, fire resistance lv27, cold resistance lv27, wind resistance lv27, poison resistance lv27, lightning resistance lv27, thunder resistance lv27, blunt trauma resistance lv27, stab resistance lv27, cut resistance lv27, climbing lv27, jumping lv27, invisibility to animals lv27, invisibility to non-sapient undead lv27, oil of magic weapon lv27, oil of silver weapon lv27, Moota’s coagulant lv27, minor cure all lv27, pauper’s fix lv27

  Gem Patterns: pure quartz pattern lv30>38, amethyst pattern lv30>38, blue quartz pattern lv30>38, citrine pattern lv30>38, milky quartz pattern lv30>38, rose quartz pattern lv30>38, smoky quartz pattern lv30>38, green amethyst pattern lv30>38

  Mystic Energy Storage Patterns: mana stone lv30, spirit stone lv30, monster stone lv30, psicrystal lv30, karma star lv30, luck stone lv30, elementally energized crystal lv30, prana lotus lv30, bloodstone lv30

  Kobold Trap Patterns: kobold pitfall lv13, kobold murder hole lv13, kobold rock fall lv13, kobold trip wire lv13, and kobold dart trap lv13

  Array Patterns: simple world energy gathering array for individuals [lv14] lv21

  Enchantments: Preservation [lv12], Unbreaking [lv10, 12, 20], Sharpness [lv10, 20], Impact [lv10, 20], Piercing [lv10, 20], Magical Efficiency [lv10, 20]}

  Creature Patterns: goat patterns lv99, ant lv27>99, kobold lv7>99, plant and fungus monster patterns lv23>74, cattle patterns lv7>45, wolf patterns lv8>38, golem patterns lv33, windcutter axebeak lv20>31, axebeak lv6>28, prey insects lv11>21, horned rabbits lv6>17, horned lizard lv2>13

  Wolf Patterns: lesser shadow wolf lv2>38, wind wolf lv6>23, dungeon wolf lv5>23, stone wolf lv4>23

  Cattle Patterns: dungeon cattle lv5>43, mad cattle lv5>40, longhorn cattle lv5>40, earthen cattle lv5>40, sea cattle lv5>40, ashen cattle lv5>37, herb cattle lv5>27, cattle lv5

  Plant and Fungus Monster Patterns: myconid patterns lv22>73, Assassin Vine lv20>28, Shrieker lv15>27, Violet Fungus lv15>26, Udoroot lv15>21

  Myconid Patterns: myconid sprout lv6>72, myconid lv20>66, lesser myconid lv20>62, lesser myconid troop guard lv20>53

  Golem Patterns: plated crystal core crystal clay hexape golem lv13>33

  Goat Patterns: goat lv21>99, grassen goat lv57, wooden goat lv30>52

  R?o?o?m? ?P?a?t?t?e?r?n?s?:? ?c?a?v?e? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?7?,? ?p?l?a?i?n?s? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?v?i?n?e? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?f?a?r?m? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?c?a?m?p? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?b?o?u?l?d?e?r? ?p?l?a?i?n?s? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?m?y?s?t?i?c?a?l? ?m?o?u?n?t?a?i?n? ?v?a?l?l?e?y? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?p?a?s?t?u?r?e? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?m?o?u?n?t?a?i?n? ?s?i?d?e? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?c?l?i?f?f? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?f?o?r?e?s?t? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?,? ?a?n?d? ?h?e?r?b? ?g?a?r?d?e?n? ?r?o?o?m? ?l?v?2?0?}

  Doyle, ‘Huh, what's up with room patterns?’

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