The Coliseum air hung thick with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid scent of ozone, a testament to the brutal clash. Trixie, the Alpha, stood alone, her fur matted and stained crimson, her breath ragged. The remnants of her pack lay scattered, broken, their howls silenced by the relentless onslaught of the Golem.

  The Golem, a monolithic construct of iron and arcane energy, loomed over her, its form a grotesque parody of a human warrior. Its metallic limbs, dented and scarred, pulsed with an inner light, a silent promise of further destruction. The arena, carved deep within the mountain's heart, echoed with the clang of its heavy footsteps, a rhythmic cadence of impending doom.

  High above, in a gilded box overlooking the carnage, sat Randy, the Ringmaster. His crimson velvet jacket, adorned with gleaming golden buttons, contrasted sharply with the dust-laden top hat perched precariously on his head. But it was his face, or rather, the lack thereof, that commanded attention. A perfect, miniature moon, complete with its own craters and shadowed valleys, occupied the space where a human face should have been. A swirling, obsidian vortex, a dark spiral, marked the center of the moon, a chilling void that served as his gaze. The moon itself rotated, a slow, unsettling dance, the spiral shifting, its center locking onto Trixie with an unnerving intensity.

  The air crackled with ambient mana, a resource Trixie instinctively drew upon. Her wounds, though grievous, began to knit, the flow of energy a soothing balm against the searing pain. The Golem, however, was relentless. It moved with a surprising agility for its size, a heavy, iron fist aimed at Trixie's head.

  With a desperate burst of speed, she evaded the blow, the force of the impact sending tremors through the arena floor. Seizing the momentary advantage, she lunged, her jaws clamping down on the Golem's arm. The force of her bite, amplified by her Alpha strength, caused the iron to buckle and groan, the metal twisting and deforming under the immense pressure.

  The Golem, enraged, shook its arm violently, flinging Trixie away like a ragdoll. It retaliated with a flurry of blows, each strike a thunderous impact that sent shockwaves through the arena. Trixie, agile but weakened, could only dodge and weave, her movements a desperate ballet of survival.

  She unleashed a desperate howl, a piercing cry that echoed through the mountain, a plea for aid. The Golem, unfazed, pressed its attack, its relentless pursuit a terrifying display of its unwavering purpose. It moved with unnatural speed, circling and charging, its metallic limbs a blur of motion.

  Each glancing blow tore at Trixie's already battered form, reopening wounds and inflicting new ones. She was a whirlwind of fur and teeth, a desperate dance of evasion, but the Golem's relentless assault was taking its toll.

  Finally, a crushing blow sent Trixie sprawling, her body slamming against the stone floor. The Golem, its metallic eyes glowing with an eerie light, raised its massive hands, ready to deliver the final, crushing blow. A desperate, high-pitched whine escaped Trixie's throat, a last, fading plea.

  Suddenly, a wave of fur and teeth engulfed the Golem. The remnants of Trixie's pack, battered but not broken, surged forward, their bodies a living shield against the Golem's wrath. They crashed against the metallic giant, a chaotic mass of fur and fury.

  Trixie, seizing her chance, lunged. Her jaws clamped down on the Golem's head, the metal groaning and buckling under the force of her bite. She shook her head violently, the iron crumpling and fracturing. With a final, savage twist, she tore the head from the Golem's body.

  The Ringmaster, Randy, rose from his seat, his gloved hands clapping together, the sound echoing through the silent arena. "Excellent! Truly excellent!" His voice, though devoid of visible lips, resonated with an unnerving clarity. He materialized within the ring, his touch surprisingly gentle as he stroked Trixie's fur. "Well done, Trixie. Very, very nice. One more level and you'll be able to evolve. Your skills have grown nicely too."

  Behind him, the Golem's dismembered parts began to reassemble, the iron reforming with a soft, metallic hum. "Next time, I'll have to increase the difficulty."

  He vanished, reappearing in his box, his attention already shifting to the next contenders, a group of nervous Acolytes. He paid no heed to the wolves' weary retreat, their spirits dampened by the promise of a stronger foe. His focus, his obsession, was on the acquisition of levels, the fulfillment of his master's command.

  As the Acolytes shuffled into the arena, their faces pale with apprehension, Randy reached for his cane, a sleek, obsidian staff tipped with a brilliant white diamond. But it was gone. He frowned, his moon face tilting slightly. "Hmm. I swear I left it right here." The cane, a symbol of his authority, had vanished, leaving a subtle unease in its absence.

  Dungeon Stories Volume 2

  How about that! Just when you think shit is about to get dire, it turns into a mountain of gold. Not literally, but with my own fully-fledged Categoriser, not to mention Katrina and her new pal Anon, I'm making some serious waves right now.

  I'm pretty sure that Kat has my back. After what she went through, Light and Dropper are literally her heroes. There's no reason she would ever want to hurt or betray them and by association that includes me too. Anon, I haven't had a chance to talk to yet, but I'm sure he'll follow Katrina's lead. I mean, he's already doing it, so he's not a problem really.

  It's Simon that's the wild card. He was shining rather brightly after he accepted my contract and I have no idea what he might end up advancing to. For now, it's nothing serious as my menu lists him at level 27. It's when he eventually reaches rank 40 that we're going to have problems. I'm not even sure if a Categoriser has ever risen that far?

  Under my breath, I secretly send thanks to the magical Lord residing inside the Bale of Fortune before reading the skill description for Divinity's Creation. Apparently, I can use it as much and as often as I want now without restriction. Which is ridiculously amazing, I might add.

  Thanks to that, I had a good laugh after whooping out a ton of gold in front of Simon. The poor man almost collapsed from excitement. And with the expression plastered across his face, I knew he was hooked. Although, I still can't believe it was that easy to recruit myself a Categoriser without any issues.

  Even though they're meant to be a dungeons sworn enemy, I think we played that rather smartly. How many other Cores can boast of having, not one, but multiple Categorisers on the payroll?

  Money really does remove all barriers.

  With Simon, Katrina and Anon, I should be able to dissuade any other Categorisers from starting shit with my dungeon from now on and hopefully without any issues. Better yet, if I can get even more on my books there'll be nothing to worry about in my future. This dungeon's going to have more Categorisers than anyone else on the whole-damn planet.

  Fact.

  It's relaxing knowing that, what could have been, my greatest enemies have now become my own personal assets. Super relaxing. It's also a bit off the ridiculous scale, but who's nitpicking over classes?

  Certainly not me. I'm living this shit up to the max and there's nothing that could kill my buzz.

  Take the moment to enjoy my bright-looking future, I teleport to my tower at Academy central. Taking in the city below basking in the setting sun, I still can't believe that all this came about through my own efforts.

  OK. Maybe not all my own efforts. I'm only able to take the glory thanks to the hundreds of Assassins summoned through my crazy-ass Dungeon Core powers. I'm still waiting in answer about that from The System, but then again I'm waiting on a lot of things from her so...

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Yeah, not expecting anything soon. She must have a lot in her plate to only offer me sarcastic snippets and tiny bouts of encouragement. Even when she does... It doesn't matter. Not even she could kill the buzz I've got going on right now.

  Hovering above my futon, which has more stuffed animals around and on it than anything else, I smile happily to myself. Being a Dungeon Core isn't a bad deal. Sure, the early days are dark and there's no torches to see your arse from your elbow, but it does get better. The prospect of creating myself a human body, the very thing I've been doing since day fucking one, is no longer a dream.

  Better yet, it's going to be that strong, I'm going to be like final-of-final last bosses. Abi he Boss is in town so you better watch out lest she obliterate you. This chick doesn't need to eat every stray going anymore so fools best be treading carefully now. Someone's got a super red soul? Better know they're getting obliterated and reincarnated as a pile of dung. Enjoy your new life you piece of shit.

  Phew. I better rein myself in. I'm just super psyched. Plus, being the boss is the absolute best. There's no one to tell you to stop slacking.

  Damn it, Me.

  Cut me some slack will you. The Hay Bale actually evolving took everything I had. It's about time, right? Plus, the stupid thing granted the first thing I said. Not wished for, but said! I needed a break after that happened, but then a fucking Categoriser went and showed showed up, didn't he? Seriously. Prince Sillybollocks was about as much as help as... Light did OK.

  We need to talk about his carefree attitude at some point though, but yeah. We had to go through the contracting and... OK, that was pretty sweet, but I need a moment to myself, Me. I just want to watch the sunset in peace. Me and my cuddlies.

  Can't a woman relax in peace without her partner calling her out on it for once? Apparently not. Me teleports to the tower and flops down on my Royal Futon, earning my ire and destroying my good vibe.

  "What the hell, Me? It's bad enough that I can't enjoy the damn thing myself, but I don't need you rubbing its comfort in my face. Get off it, now!" Glaring at him, Me returns my furious gaze with a cheesy smile. Only irritating me even more.

  "I'm only doing what you told me to, Abi. Eating, drinking... Relaxing," His grin grows even bigger. In my anger, I summon him an orange futon next to mine with a ginger Direwolf.

  "That's yours. Move."

  "I don't like that one. I'm going to stay here." How old is he? Is he doing this on purpose as revenge for all those times I teased him. That was different. I was trying to get him to understand his own feelings. To reconcile with his System-created humanity or whatever it is he has.

  Right now, he's just being a bitch. Like that annoying sister that won't leave the room even though you've told her a bazillion times.

  I swear to the gods, Me. Get off my futon now or I'll slap you that hard, your soul will feel it!

  Playtimes over after Me's "Hmph." and I slap him as hard as a spirit can slap anyone. Which is actually pretty fucking hard it turns out. I've never been able to touch anyone before and without realising it would happen, I actually knock Me's System-created soul out of his body. Which then collapses to the ground an empty husk.

  "Me!?" Panicking, I keep screaming my partner's name. I'm not angry anymore and he can have my futon. Me doesn't have a soul form and I can't help but worry that I've just killed my friend.

  Until he voices his complaints that is. Then I'm just relieved.

  "Thank the gods. I'm sorry, Me. I didn't mean to do that. I'm really sorry. Not that it's my fault. When has something like that ever happened before! That was absolutely an accident." Hearing his voice eases my mind and conscience.

  "Don't be like that, Me. Look," I transfer his consciousness back to the lifeless husk and put on my best smile as he stands up. "See. Good as new. And we know that you can leave and return to your body now. So it's all good. I was still worried about it to be honest. I wonder if it will work for me?"

  "A Dungeon Core with a body?" Me lets out a chuckle, but soon breaks into an uncontrollable laughter. It's not that funny. After Me settles down, he puts his hand up and watches as he turns it around. Wiggling his fingers, his smile never falters. "You are indeed a very strange... Person, Abi."

  "Not as strange as you, buddy. You were cleaning Mimics. Remember?" At my statement, we both start to laugh. Although mine is drawn short when I catch sight of Me rolling around on my futon. I let it go though as to not spoil the mood.

  "Quite. That was a pointless endeavour. They just... Two Mimics down the line and Colin was filthy again, so I gave up. Defeated by drool. How pitiful." Hanging his head in shame, I still don't know what possessed him to even attempt Mimic cleaning.

  "Don't worry about it, Me. It's what they do. It gets absorbed eventually with everything else, so don't worry about it. There are bigger problems than saliva." Trying to cheers him, the sentiment is not reciprocated.

  "Quite. Like spending points before they go to waste?" Even with his new state-of-the-art carrot-topped body, Me is and forever will be my Voice Activated User Notification System.

  "They don't go to waste. They level up Overstock so even if I forget to spend them, it's all good. Even if I don't continue to grow, surely I'm at a level now where my income is sufficient enough to let me laze around for a few months, right?" Me looks at me as though I'm spouting blasphemous nonsense.

  "Come on, Me. I know the reason you were created was to help me grow, but you need to cut me some slack on the spend, spend, spend routine. You know better than I do that no one else is pulling in the numbers that I am. Hell, I'm probably taking in more than a hundred Dungeon Cores combined at this point. Sure, some of it was luck, but we're still rolling in DP and will be as long as everyone stays happy. The city will grow slowly and so will my income, so just... Chill your beans. You did your job well and I will probably have a million more questions at ask by tomorrow, so for tonight let's just relax. Let's get Ali to cook up a meal to eat with everyone at the sanctuary. What do you think?"

  "Hmm. I do like the sound of Ali's cooking. Although something inside is still urging me to make you spend points, I will suppress it for tonight. Eating together is the best." I can't help but laugh at the honesty coming from my partner. He's certainly adapting to human life, that's for sure.

  "You're not wrong, Me. It is the best." I only wish I was. Although, I'm in my own way this time. I could create myself a body like Me's, or even Anya's, to partake, but I'm still reluctant to do so.

  A few hours later the System-created room on the first floor of my dungeon is bustling with activity. The place we call sanctuary is aptly named because it's only for the dungeon borne and those contracted to me. No normies are invited. I don't know how Ali manages to cater for hundreds of people on such short notice, but she does it every time without fail and to standards that exceed expectations no less. She truly deserves the title of Chef.

  Me is sitting with Katrina and Anon. The third and highest level Categoriser stands behind them in a state of disbelief. He's watching as Harpies, Bats and a few other different species fly past while throwing short and sneaky glances in Veris' direction.

  Not knowing the hurricane that he's unknowingly about to walk into, I feel sorry for Simon and appear beside the man. My appearance doesn't go unnoticed and he jumps in fright, making my own heart jump in glee.

  "Hi." I can't help but chuckle whenever I catch people off guard and it always works best with new faces.

  "Please don't do that. I almost had a heart attack. Miss Dungeon Core, I can't believe you control all of these monsters. It's... Nothing like I've read. I mean, I've seen some of these creatures before, but never like this. This dungeon is truly something else." His eyes stop on Veris, the white-haired, leather-clad Assassin catches his gaze, before he turns back to me, hoping to have gone unnoticed.

  "I'm not blind, you know? In fact, I'm more intuitive than you would think and I'll tell you right now, Veris... That Assassin you're peeping at, is a wild one. She will break you and... I don't think you'll ever be ready for that. I could be wrong. Doubt I am though, but it's just friendly advice nonetheless. Anyway, enjoy your night, Simon. Make sure to try some of Ali's food. I've heard it's amazing." I skip back over to Me as Simon flushes red. He must think I can read his mind after that. Although, men make it too easy to know what they're thinking.

  Trying to muster up the courage to introduce himself to the resident sadomasochist, Simon fails epically and returns to take a seat next to me. In comparison, however, it could be called a blessing in disguise. He wouldn't be the same man after spending ten minutes with Veris.

  "When we were at your tower earlier, I noticed Eddie wasn't there. Did you move him somewhere?" At Me's question, the atmosphere dies as everyone turns silent. Only the new Categorisers seem puzzled by his statement.

  "Who's Eddie?" and "What tower?" Are the questions asked by Anon and Simon. Both look at one another in confusion as Katrina shakes her head.

  "Eddie the Teddy, or so she named him," Me's response is any but simple to both the Categorisers and myself. What does he mean Eddie wasn't there? I'm sure I saw him. Panic sets and I disappear in a flash, only to return twenty seconds furious as hell.

  My hands are shaking, my body trembling, and I'm about to rip someone a new one for taking my shit. The scarlet hue of the Dungeon Mist rises from the ground and blankets everything in sight. Just as I'm about to lose control, I pause. The mist hangs in the air like a cloak of blood as I pick up the smallest feeling.

  I can feel him?

  I can feel Eddie!