Worthy Core Chapter 361: A Seed of an Idea

"Well, I can definitely confirm - this is a dungeon core." As Sincere makes his pronouncent, Xenia narrows her eyes at the man. The two of them are currently sitting in Xenia's office, alongside Lollyp and a hovering Guy, and in the center of them all sits the green-gold orb that triggered this eting.

"Thanks, Sin-man. Guy was already able to confirm that for , though. It's all of the questions that follow from that which made call you in, you know? Like...what the fuck now?"

Lollyp raises a gooey hand. "Also, why am I here? I get Sincere is like a dungeon expert, but I never even saw a core before I saw yours, you know?"

"Hey, you're sort of a dungeon expert! I an, you lived in one for years, right?" Xenia shakes her head. "But mostly I had you join in 'cause you're my Dragonlord expert. Like...the whole dungeon network thing they've set up and all that. You've got the most experience with how that works, and why they might've given us this."

The demon had kept his golden eyes focused on the core, but raises them to et Xenia's after that comnt. "Did this 'Dave' friend of yours not explain the reasoning? Incidentally, I'd like to et him myself. Any reason he's not invited to this discussion as well?"

Xenia sighs. "I love the guy, but he's a bit, uh...distracting when it cos to serious matters. Don't worry though, he'll be sticking around for a while, so I'm sure you'll all get the chance. Maybe even do a dinner thing tonight, or sothing. Not that he eats. Though yeah, speaking of, that's what he said the reasoning for the gift was. I an...that I'm supposed to eat it, I guess."

"Interesting...I can't say I've ever heard of a dungeon consuming another's core, before. They'd never have the opportunity to try, under most circumstances. Although I suppose I wouldn't be surprised if the Dragonlord had experinted with such a thing at so point - they certainly have access to enough dungeons in the Domain." Sincere turns towards Guy. "Do we believe that this is sothing that could actually work?"

The screen bobs. "I believe so. When Challengers destroy a dungeon's core, they absorb the mana and skills contained within it - with so level of efficiency loss, depending on the power of the core and their attunent to the skills on offer. It stands to reason that a dungeon could perhaps do the sa - and perhaps with no losses at all, save for duplicated skills. I cannot guess what abilities this core may possess, however."

The reincarnator raises an eyebrow. "No guide colleague for this one that you could just call up and ask?"

"The core is only a piece of a dungeon system - it requires the rest of the physical dungeon to actually perform any functions. Including calling up its guide. As you recall, you had sothing of a little nap when the 'Elental Empire' briefly kidnapped you."

"Yeah..." Xenia taps her chin in thought. "Is there a way to wake it up sohow and talk to it? Charge it up with mana, or sothing?"

Lollyp appears doubtful. "What would you want to talk about with it, even if you could?"

"Well, the sa question I guess I'll ask you, Lolly Pop. Why would the Dragonlord decide to turn an entire-ass dungeon into a snack? Is this a dungeon that decided not to join Team Dragonlord?"

The sli chuckles. "That'd have to be the least of it. Actually, not every dungeon in the Domain is a collaborator dungeon, just most of them. I an, the benefits of the deal are pretty good for the dungeon, right? But so say no, and that's fine too. Not like they don't still have their uses! When it cos to core-cracking, the Domain follows pretty similar standards as the Challenger's Association."

"And what are those?"

Sincere handles this question. "In rare cases, location can be a factor. A dungeon appearing in a highly-populated area, or next to a strategic fortification, or such. Usually however it's because a dungeon is far too aggressive about killing intruders. Burning its mana on resummoning monsters as soon as possible, finding 'exploits' in the accessibility rules that make a dungeon far more lethal than it ought to be, and so on. Or...dungeons that take joy in the torture and abuse of its Challengers. The so-called 'Ravager' dungeon, for instance, which was likely the inspiration behind so of the more-questionable achievents we've received."

Xenia had heard a little of that one from Sely, and had not been inclined to ask for more details. "Yeah...those definitely sound written from the assumption that if a mortal and a monster are shacking up, it's not exactly consensual all-around. Is that what we're dealing with then? So sort of dungeon delinquent?"

Lollyp nods, although she doesn't seem happy about it. "Probably. And probably a young dungeon, too. Like, less than five years, I an, maybe a lot less. Normally dungeons don't go bad, they start out like that. Poorly socialized, I guess? And a dungeon like that wouldn't last long in the Domain. So...are you gonna eat it, then? Or are we worried that it's a trick of so sort?"

The dungeon master grimaces at her guardian's last question. "Well I wasn't until you said that! But even then...like, this is a person, sort of. Even if young dungeons aren't fully, I dunno, adapted to normal conversation or whatever. It's not like we haven't killed a ton of people these past two years, but they ca to us, y'know? This...I feel like I gotta know more before I make a decision like that. It feels like I'd be eating a kid or so shit."

Sincere purses his lips before shaking his head. "Unfortunately, I don't believe I can really help you with that. With close study, I might be able to identify so of the spells this core has learned. But its mories? Personality? I wouldn't know where to begin." The demon rubs his chin. "We'll need outside assistance. I could...write so letters, request so literature perhaps, or for an expert to pay a visit...if there is such an expert..."

Xenia considers that for a mont but shakes her head. "Requesting outside support in the middle of everything else going on right now? Even if there's soone we could ask, it'd take months for soone to swing by, and we might end up needing it sooner than that. But...there is an outside expert I could ring up right now."

Lollyp voices the collective confusion. "Eh? Who's that?"

"When in doubt, request divine assistance." Xenia turns towards her guide. "Guy, ping Her Fertileness - I could use a eting."

This ti it takes half an hour for Xenia's request to be granted, but eventually the reincarnator does find herself upon Kahlia's grassy fields once again. The curvaceous, brown-skinned deity is seated in her usual throne of plant matter, smiling down at her favorite dungeon as Xenia's consciousness finishes its teleportation.

"Dungeon Master Worthy. I take it you have a matter that concerns you? We're rather off-schedule for Sir Flopsy's next romp around the hills, if I'm not mistaken."

"Not urgently, maybe, but probably still pretty important, yeah." Xenia gives Kahlia a respectful bow before proceeding with her request. "Not sure how much you're aware of recent events, but uh...the Dragonlord recently gave a new dungeon core as a snack. And given everything, I'm not really comfortable with just taking a gift like that at face value, y'know? Maybe there's so sort of trick involved, or...I don't know, maybe the dungeon master living in that core is actually kind of cool, and doesn't deserve to be turned into a cheeto. I was hoping I could get so advice from you about it?"

"I see." Kahlia's smile continues briefly, but soon turns into a frown. "Unfortunately, I am not one of the gods who manages the dungeon core network. While I can sense the core sitting in your dungeon right now, I cannot tell you where it originally ca from, or why the Dragonlord may have decided to...displace it. I could perhaps analyze it for magical trickery...but I must be honest. Dungeon magics are not my specialty, and it's entirely possible the Dragonlord knows such things better than I do."

"I suppose that would help, but I was actually hoping for sothing else." Xenia scratches the back of her head, while her other hand rests on her hips. "The gods create the cores, right, and direct souls into them? I was wondering if maybe you could at least, like...access the damn thing, just long enough to talk to it? Find out what sort of person they are, or what their story might be."

"That is also not part of my domain, I'm afraid. Although...allow one mont." The Goddess of Fertility rises from her throne and steps forward before raising one arm. There's a swirl of energy in her palm which results in the green-gold core appearing in the pocket realm, and Kahlia pulls it closely so that she can peer into it. It all looks fairly opaque to Xenia, but the goddess treats it like a crystal ball, turning it left and right as if she's divining the secrets of the universe from within it.

Eventually, her attention returns to her guest. "I believe I can arrange matters so that you may speak to the spirit of this dungeon core. However, I do not believe you will like the thod. Well...perhaps you would enjoy certain aspects of it..." A smile returns to her plump lips, and it's one that makes Xenia feel a little nervous.

"What thod are we, uh, talkin' about here, exactly?"

"I will need to get you pregnant."

The statent is delivered in such a matter-of-fact manner that it takes several seconds for the full impact of it to register in Xenia's mind. When it finally does, her response is a shocked stamr. "Uh, you - uh, excuse !?"

The goddess ignores Xenia's tone, and moves on to explaining her reasoning. "Gods of a similar level of power may often share so similar abilities. The ability to bless, the ability to create pocket realms like this one, and so on. But our powers are not generic. The vast majority of our strength is tied to our portfolios, and as you know, mine is Fertility. I believe I can give this soul a voice - but I must do it via my thods for such a thing."

"Okay." Xenia closes her eyes and shakes her head before quickly continuing. "I an, not okay! I just an, okay, let's...theorycraft this out, or whatever. If we did do...that, how exactly would that work? And how does it solve the problem?"

"Well, we would mate, as divinities and embodied dungeon master souls do - I imagine I do not need to explain that portion of the process." Kahlia chuckles. "But at the critical mont, rather than passing on a seed of my own divinity to you, I would transfer the soul energy of this dungeon core instead."

"And...how does that help us, exactly?"

"While I am not an expert in dungeons, I do have quite good foresight when it cos to offspring. The soul would incubate within you for a ti - I cannot say exactly how long - and in that ti I believe it would integrate into your own dungeon system. I cannot say exactly what form it would take in the end, but I believe your system would adapt for it, making it an entity much like your guardians, or an associated champion like Valkyrie Brightsky. You would probably gain its skills and power in so manner, and also be able to speak to your new child - all without needing to permanently consu them."

"Uh, cool, cool." Xenia raises a finger. "One issue, though. This core might be young by dungeon standards, but it's not actually a baby. ...Right?"

Kahlia peers at the core again. "I am not a dungeon expert, as I have said, but I can sense the effect that severing has had on this...entity. It has been removed from its dungeon for quite so ti at this point, and I would assu that by this stage its ho dungeon is entirely withered. Perhaps so stone and empty rooms remain, but little more. Young dungeons can be child-like to begin with, and this one has been damaged by its isolation. Should it be reborn, it would certainly be more intelligent than a human newborn, but I suspect it would be nearly a fresh start for its personality. The mories might remain, but little more."

"So...a little toddler dungeon core kid." Xenia swallows and licks her lips, unsure how to proceed. "Is there, uh...one of your god buddies who might have another thod? Just out of curiosity's shake."

The goddess answers with a giggle. "I do not believe so, no. Palain could attempt to plant it like a seed...but there is no soil nor climate suited for raising a dungeon crop. Taina could perhaps attempt to draw from it a history of its loves, but a young dungeon would likely have none. And the true experts in dungeon cores...to be honest, I suspect they would rather destroy it than risk having you break their system by rging your skills together in an untested way. So."

"So?"

"You feast." Kahlia's grin turns wide and toothy. "Or we breed. I certainly know what my preference would be."

"I..." Xenia shakes her head, a little unsteady on her feet. "I'm not sure I'm ready for a commitnt like that, y'know? I an...just to answer so questions, or get a few skills...feels like the wrong reason to have a kid."

Kahlia's expression turns more serious as she nods. "You've been a parent many tis, of course."

"A father, tons, yeah. A mom? Just...just the once. And..." Xenia sighs before shaking her head. "I'm not saying no. Just...I need to think about it?"

The core disappears from Kahlia's hand. "Of course. If you need , I'll be here. Ready to knock you up, day or night."

"...Thanks, your grace."

As Xenia's avatar reappears in the dungeon office, Lollyp and Sincere are quick to ask for an update. "So!? Did you learn anything?"

Xenia sinks back into her seat with a sigh. "That our patron goddess has a breeding kink? Think I knew that one already..."