Core of Knowledge

After watching the new creature tried out his new Skill, Xu Han felt a sense of relief. He had been unsure of the deal he made with Carda, and he was glad that it seems to be working out. Xu Han now regretted ever asking questions on how to contact the Gods; making deals with them was a stressful affair.

In his sole interaction with the so-called Lords of Cards, Xu Han found the new god to be whimsical, and he was not certain that it was an act. As a former scholar, Xu Han was more than a little surprised that such a being could become a god, but Carda clearly was one. The god’s power and presence were overwhelming, and Xu Han had no choice but to accommodate the higher being.

That does not mean he liked it.

Sighing silently, Xu Han turned his attention away from the new resident of his dungeon and found himself back in his body, a black floating gem floating about a meter above the ground. He remembered when the gem was a tiny thing, but it has grown as he built his dungeon. Now, it was the size of his fist.

Well, the size of his fist back when he still had a human body.

It was strange to remember. In his old life, Xu Han was a cultivator who was on the verge of breaking into Godhood. His failed ascension led to his death, and when he regained consciousness, he found that he had been reborn. Not as a human, an animal, or even a demon, but as a dungeon core.

It was not exactly what Xu Han had expected. At the end of his previous life, Xu Han understood that he was a failure. He knew that his death was deserved, and had expected oblivion. A reincarnation as a magical creature who was semi-divine was more than he could hoped for.

“Congratulations on getting your first contracted creature!” a squeaky voice says from his side.

Xu Han looked over and saw a tiny human-like figure with wings hovering above him. Jemma, Xu Han’s dungeon fairy, was looking at him with a big smile. When Xu Han was reborn, Jemma was there waiting for him, and though he found the dungeon fairy to be a little nagging at times, Xu Han was glad for her presence. Dungeon cores were a strange, magical species, and it would have been a chore to figure out everything for himself.

From what Jemma told him, he was not the first dungeon core to feel this way. Long ago, some matured dungeon cores understood that newborn dungeon cores were often overwhelmed by their powers and decided to do something about it. The dungeon cores decided to approach the fairies and offered them a deal. In return for protection, the weak fairies would guide new dungeon cores on how to use their powers and the various methods to grow their dungeons. In the view of Xu Han, this ancient pact between their two species was a marvellous thing and he gave his thanks to the dungeon core ancestors who thought it up.

“Thanks Jemma, but I have to admit to being a little surprised by how smooth things went.” Xu Han said.

“Really? What do you think was going to happen?”

“I thought he would be angry, mad that he was changed without being informed. Maybe even scream and throw things around.”

“You thought he was going to be angry that he is now a Catkin, when he doesn’t even remember his life before the change?” Jemma sounded shocked, and Xu Han was quick to clarify.

“No, I knew the former [Knight] would deal with the change eventually, I just didn’t expect him to be…so understanding so quickly. I was expecting some sense of loss and helplessness, not immediate acceptance.”

“Well, it’s not like he has a choice. He needs to accept his new life or die. And between life or death, people almost always pick life. Not to mention the new class and species he is getting, so he’s not getting a bad deal.” Jemma laughed before quickly sobering. “Though you may have a point. Do you think Carda did something to the human’s mind when he changed the human?”

“Maybe,” Xu Han replied.

Jemma stopped hovering and landed beside Xu Han. She got into her thinking pose. “Now that I think of it, I think it’s very likely Carda did something. It is hardly unknown for Gods to mess with the minds of mortals.”

“Another thing to worry about. That and the fact a god could just change the species of someone like that. I wonder if a visiting god could change me into a human, or an elf?”

“Oh, that’s not going to happen. Dungeon cores are powerful. You are like demi-gods, so it’s not easy to change you. Even for a god. Besides, it’s not that difficult to change the species of someone. You just need time, and power. As dungeon core, you can probably do it.”

If he still had his body, Xu Han would be shaking his head. In the Crimson Lands, changing your species was a thing of legend. In his ten thousand years as a cultivator, Xu Han had never seen anyone changed his species. It was a thing of legend. In this world, it was much more common. Then, something Jemma said struck him.

“Wait. Jemma, what do you mean I can change the species of someone?” Xu Han asked.

“Well, maybe not you but it is not unheard of for dungeon cores to do that. It’s one reason why there are so many species in this world.”

“Dungeon cores are the reasons for that? How? Does this mean I can create this ‘Vial of Change’ potion Carda created?” Xu Han asked, fighting to tame the excitement growing within him.

“Oh no, changes by dungeon cores are far messier.” Jemma laughed. “A potion like that is something only a god can create. A dungeon cores need to capture delvers and experiment on them. It is a very bloody messy process.”

Xu Han waited for a moment, but the dungeon fairy did not continue. “And?”

“What do you mean?” Jemma asked.

“Well, what is the process? How do the other dungeon cores do this? What kind of experiments do they do? Do they merge two species together or is there a ritual or spell they cast when they want to change someone to something completely new? Do they request help from the gods? How are the changes done in this world?”

The questions came out of Xu Han at speed, and his dungeon fairy merely shrugged. “How would I know? It’s not like dungeon cores shared this sort of information.”

Xu Han groaned in frustration as his dungeon fairy informed him that dungeon cores do not share their knowledge. Xu Han would complain, if he did not realize the hypocrisy of the act. Xu Han did not have a leg to stand on as he was much the same in his past life. Seeing the frustration in her dungeon core, Jemma threw Xu Han a bone.

“You can ask.”

“What?”

“You can ask.” Jemma said again. “You just need to contact another dungeon core and offer to trade for the information.”

Silence reigned in the large, square chamber that housed the dungeon core. After several moments, Xu Han finally came back to his senses and asked.

“Jemma, how do I contact the other dungeon cores?”