The second Val put the dungeon core in the pocket dimension of his Void Orb, it was separated from the dungeon. If Gruul’s theory was right, the dungeon should crumble.
However, nothing seemed to be happening. There was no sign of the dungeon decaying, no indication of it collapsing.
Was Gruul wrong? Val wondered.
Just then, a system notification rang in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have successfully cleared the Level 2 Dungeon. The dungeon is now destabilizing and will shatter in ten…nine…eight…]
“So, Gruul was right after all.” Val said, “This opens up a whole new level of possibilities.”
It was common knowledge in the Victoria Kingdom that dungeons were more than just repositories of dangers and treasures; they were living, breathing ecosystems powered by their cores. These cores were the heart and soul of the dungeon, providing the necessary energy to maintain the dungeon’s existence. It was also believed that the connection between the core and the dungeon was intrinsic, unbreakable except through sheer force.
Thus, common knowledge dictated that to collapse a dungeon, one had to destroy the core. 𝚘𝓋𝔩xt.𝑐𝒐𝚖
Destruction of the core meant the death of the dungeon, the end of its existence, and the prevention of a dungeon break, but it also meant sacrificing a great energy source. However, the theory Val just confirmed defied these common understandings, allowing the collapse of a dungeon without the need to sacrifice the dungeon core!
A thoughtful look appeared on Val’s face.
‘In this world, maybe only I know that if a core is removed from its dungeon and relocated to a different dimension, the essential connection between the core and the dungeon would be severed. Just as a heart, once removed from the body, would no longer pump blood to sustain the body’s functions, a core, once removed from its native dungeon, would no longer send the necessary energy to maintain the dungeon’s existence. As a result, the dungeon would destabilize and collapse, but the dungeon conquers would get to keep the core. It can power up the existence of a dungeon, so the energy inside it will by no means be small.”
‘This information is valuable and I can use it to my advantage in many situations.’
‘Moreover, armed with this knowledge, I can secure resources to power up the mysterious door-like artifact in the Evil Shrine.’
…..
“7!”
“6!”
“5!”
The countdown signifying the time left before the dungeon collapses continued.
With a stoic expression on his face, Val waited in the Hive, his gaze roaming around, taking in his surroundings. The vibrations of the destabilizing dungeon did nothing to unnerve him. He looked calm and confident as he waited for the will of the world to open an exit out of the dungeon that would lead him to safety.
Hrumm!
A second later, a portal, shimmering and wavering, materialized in front of him. Without a second thought, he leaped through it. After a brief moment of disorientation, he found himself back in the clearing with a rock formation.
With a smirk, Val murmured, “I wonder what my reward for clearing a level 2 dungeon will be.”
Suddenly, a book appeared out of thin air, floating before him. As he reached out and grasped it, the system notification chimed in once more.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have been rewarded by the world for successfully clearing a Level 2 Dungeon. Your reward is a book: ‘Purifying Cores with Wizardry.]
“Interesting,” Val smirked, “I have gained a guide to wealth creation.”
Due to his Unfeeling Trait, Val was immune to the Force of Corruption, allowing him to consume dungeon monster cores without any repercussions.
Unfortunately, this was not the case for others.
For most, consuming a non-purified core would lead to unbearable pain, and in the worst-case scenarios, it could cause them to explode or the individuals could be consumed by corruption, turning them into mindless monsters.
Typically, one would have to pay a hefty sum to the local church to purify these cores before consuming them.
This knowledge wasn’t shared. Thus, there rarely were fluctuations in the prices of purifying a core.
This book presented him with an opportunity to gain a foothold in the purification market.
Val laughed, “Now, I hold the knowledge to become rich from within the safety of the Frontier!”
There’s a saying that goes something like this: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” In Val’s case, the world had not merely given him a fish for clearing a level 2 dungeon; it had taught him how to fish big and become a wealthy merchant, a tycoon!
“Levare,” Val commanded.
Immediately, he was teleported into the Shrine of Evil.
“Master, you’ve returned. Did your expedition yield results?” Gruul asked.
“I have obtained a dungeon core. It’s from a Level 2 dungeon,” Val replied, his hand outstretched, presenting the core to Gruul. “I’d like you to use it to activate Morkus’s third artifact.”
“As you command,” Gruul said as moved forward and took the core from Val. He walked over to the massive black door, the third artifact of Morkus, and placed the dungeon core into a hole in the center.
Almost immediately, the core was reduced to ashes, its energy absorbed by the Door of Guidance. A section, around one-tenth, of the black door lit up in a brilliant gold, the aura pulsating with power. The rest of the door remained inert and black.
“What does this mean, Gruul?” Val inquired, pointing towards the partially lit door.
“The energy inside the Level 2 dungeon core has powered it up by one-tenth,” Gruul explained, his eyes fixed on the golden hue of the door. “Unless it’s fully powered, the artifact won’t work.”
“So, I’ll have to complete nine more Level 2 dungeons?” Val muttered, but Gruul overheard him.
“There’s another way, master,” Gruul proposed. “Higher-level dungeon cores will contain more energy. Therefore, fewer of them would be needed to power the artifact. I am estimating that tackling a few levels 3 dungeons should yield enough resources to get the door of guidance to work.”
“It’s easier said than done,” Val shrugged, “The Level 2 dungeon had pushed me to my limits. I had to devise an entirely new strategy to conquer it. Tackling a Level 3 dungeon is out of my capability… at least for now. But that won’t remain the case for long. With time, I’ll grow and become capable of challenging them.” Val didn’t even entertain the idea of joining a party to do the dungeon as he dared not reveal his secrets.
“As you wish, master,” Gruul bowed, showing respect towards Val’s decision. “Your safety should always be the priority. Make sure to adequately prepare and not rush into dangers beyond your current strength.”
“That’s the plan,” Val stated, nodding his head firmly.