The numbers blurred before Jade's eyes, and the darkness claimed her once more as she passed out.
When she finally regained consciousness, no natural light streamed from the cavern entrance, only the soft, pervasive glow emanating from the large crystal... no, not just a crystal... Therian.... "Jade! It worked! I am here." Jade's eyes flew open, her breath catching in her throat. His voice wasn't just in the air; it was inside her head. She could almost feel his elation, a burst of pure joy that resonated within her own mind. Until, with an abruptness that was almost jarring, those foreign emotions slammed shut, leaving her with only the disembodied sound of his voice. "I apologize; I didn't mean to project so much. I am... new to this," Therian said, his mental tone sheepish. Jade froze, her eyes darting wildly towards the pulsating crystal in the center of the cavern. "How... how did you get in my mind?" Her voice trembled, betraying the whirlwind of fear and confusion churning within her. She heard Therian sigh in her thoughts, the sound strangely intimate. "You are my keeper, Jade. As long as you are within my domain, we are... connected. The nature and strength of that connection could change depending on the decisions we both make. Help me grow, allow me to flourish, and in return... we could build something significant. We can search for answers if you wish, and maybe we can find answers together. Dungeons used to be a thing of legend, places of wonder and peril; adventurers used to travel far and wide to traverse our depths, seeking glory and untold riches. I didn't choose you, Jade, not consciously, but perhaps... perhaps we can make the most of this unexpected... arrangement together?" Jade paused she didn't know where she was. Those weird screens made no sense to her, and since Therian didn't seem to be a threat at the moment, the honest idea of striking out alone was a definite no. Desperate for information, even just the direction to the nearest town, Jade fixed her gaze on the crystal. "What do you know? And what exactly is a Dungeon Keeper?"
A soft chuckle resonated within her mind. "A Dungeon Keeper," Therian's thought echoed, "is the key for me to access the Dungeon Interface. With your help, we choose the path of my evolutionary track, all with the purpose of luring the strong to revitalize our depleted resources. Their spent magic here nourishes the land around us, allowing it to flourish."
A garden... a magical garden fertilizer? The realization sparked in Jade's mind, her eyebrows rising.
A wave of excitement washed over her. "Precisely!" Therian's mental voice exclaimed. "But without a keeper, we've been unable to cultivate this growth, and the lands have withered. Now that you're here, try to open the interface. Focus your thoughts on it and send that image over to me."
A garden... a magical garden fertilizer? The realization sparked in Jade's mind, her eyebrows rising.
A wave of excitement washed over her. "Precisely!" Therian's mental voice exclaimed. "But without a keeper, we've been unable to cultivate this growth, and the lands have withered. Now that you're here, try to open the interface. Focus your thoughts on it and send that image over to me." Jade took a moment to organize her thoughts and then pictured wanting to see the dungeon keeper interface. A screen appeared, but this one looked different. The borders were more elaborate, the same color as Therian's crystal. It read
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> {Dungeon Keeper of the Mirrorstone Caverns}
> { Basic choices available for purchase level 1 Dungeon.}
> {? Keepers Quarters upgradable starting 50+ dp}
> ? Choice of 1 basic mob type 100 Dp}<
> ? Limited choice basic traps 150 Dp}<
> ? Pitfalls and trip wires 75 Dp
> ? Monster mash ups 400
The list went on. Different skills and room upgrades, blacksmithing and robotic, were listed. The dungeon had cosmetic changes as well, and most were fairly low in price unless you were making large changes like an entire lake or forest. Jade could also change how the room was arranged, like building houses in Sims. She could change almost anything as long as she had the dungeon points to pay.
>{In the right-hand corner, the number of Jade's available Dungeon points blinked}<
> {1000 Dp available to spend}
Therian interrupted the overwhelming amount of information and reminded me to share the screens with him. "Wonderful," he said. "We should start with getting you a basic room and bathroom setup so that you can get some rest, and we can break down everything else tomorrow." Jade nodded, and he walked her through how to pick out everything for a basic room and bathroom she could tweak everything later. Jade walked through the doorway that appeared behind Therian's crystal and closed the dungeon up for the night in total, spending 110 dungeon points. Her room was round with a nest of pillows and fuzzy leathers in a make-shift bed. The bathroom was basic with a simple bath. The cabinets came pre-filled with a variety of soaps, oils, and bathroom necessities. Another cabinet had towels and basic clothes that all looked her size. Jade yawned, took a quick rinse in the tub, relaxing for just a minute in the hot water before dragging herself over to the bed of furs. She heard Therian say something in the back of her mind about thinking of him when she woke, but she was too far gone to know for sure. Her body took the rest it needed.
Later, she stretched awake, feeling well-rested for the first time in a long while. As the world came into focus, she was hit with the realization that it wasn't all a horrible nightmare. She was not in her bed back in California, safely tucked away from all the chaos of the world. She was god knows where. She felt her chest tighten like a familiar vice slowly cutting off her air supply. Gasping, she lay her head back against the wall. she thought No no, no, don't panic, just breathe in.... out.... in.... out....
Jade knew she needed to busy her mind before she went down a rabbit hole that she might not be able to get out of. Quickly, her mind grasped at something to keep her busy...Therian's shifting form popped in her head but she was not ready to deal with him just yet, her mind drifted to the strange screen he'd mentioned Instead, her HUD (head up display) it was a specific screen to show her growth, and as she grew, more skills would become available. Therian had said he would explain more in the morning, but she should check it out whenever she was ready. Jade took a deep breath and willed the mental screen up.
>[ Jade Burk level 2]
>[Title: Dungeon Keeper +1 to all stats ]
>[ strength 14 ]
>[ Dexterity 13 ]
> [ Intelligence 10 ]
>[ Wisdom 13 ]
>[ Constitution 15 ]
>[ Charisma 10 ]
She chuckled when she saw that her Constitution was her highest stat. Her grandmother used to say she came from resilient stock. While Jade had played video games, she didn't know if 10 charisma or 14 strength was a good starting spot or bad. She continued to explore the screen, no health or mana bars to be found. Jade sighed it was about time to check in with Therian. Hopefully, he could answer some of her questions.
