Before he was a cultivator, before he was a scholar, before he became infamous, Xu Han was just a boy from Cloud Lake Village. It was a small village, it’s name unknown to most. If anyone else knew the village existed, they would just call it ‘that village on the banks of Cloud Lake’. The villagers did not mind. Cloud Lake was a beautiful lake and most villagers, including Xu Han, had many fond memories of it.

  It has been over ten thousand years, but Xu Han still remember Cloud Lake. He remembered floating on its pure tranquil waters, watching as the clouds drifted past high above him. He remembered the sense of weightlessness, of peace and joy, as if the problems of life were from another world. He remembered the sense of belonging, like he was part of the world.

  Strangely, this was what he felt when he connected to the Dungeon Core Chat Group. As the chat spell washed over him and connected to the river of mana of the chat group, Xu Han felt a sense of peace and belonging. It was a strange feeling to the former cultivator. Despite the great empires, the numerous arts, and the wonderful culture, the Crimson Lands was a brutal world, and the world of cultivation was even worse. Xu Han had never felt a sense of peace in the dog-eat-dog world of cultivation and had never felt a sense of belonging even when he reached the highest echelon of it.

  It was different now. Xu Han felt comfortable being a dungeon core, and he wondered if this was why he had not felt an urgency to upgrade his dungeon. Was he too comfortable in his new life? The cultivator turned dungeon core did not know the answer to that, and did not care.

  For the first time in a long time, he was content.

  When Xu Han entered the chat group, chaos reigned. Several dungeon cores were speaking at once, and unlike the first time he entered the chat, no one stopped for him. The other dungeon cores noticed his entry but continued speaking among themselves, and Xu Han felt strangely comforted by that.

  No one was treating him as an outsider.

  However, he was still a newcomer, and some members of the chat group greeted him. Bookkeeper, dungeon core of The Scholarly Ruins, was the first.

  “Oh, is it Xu Han? You’re back already? I thought for sure we had scared you off.”

  “Bookkeeper, stop lying. Everyone knows you have been lurking in the chat just waiting for him to come back.” An unknown dungeon core with a gruff voice quickly shot back.

  “Mountain River, have I offended you in some way in the past? Why are you butting in when I am just being polite?”

  “Because I hate it when old cores try to take advantage of newcomers. Older experienced cores who should know better! Xu Han, I am Mountain River, dungeon core of Mountain Rest. A word of advice; do not trust cores pretending to be your friends.”

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  Xu Han was about to greet Mountain River, a core he had never met before, when Bookkeeper cut back in.

  “Mountain River, you are but an uncouth core whose dungeon is based around survival in the wild. Stop pretending that you are some-”

  “Both of you shut up.”

  An icy voice cut through the brewing argument, and both Mountain River and Bookkeeper immediately went silent. Xu Han suddenly realized that Snowy Grief was more powerful and respected in the chat group than he had suspected.

  “Xu Han, welcome back. We had not expected you to be back so soon. Are you here for something?” Snowy Grief asked in a soothing voice.

  “What Snowy Grief means is that if you are back to trade, you need to wait a little longer. Everyone is waiting for Challenger’s word on how good that Technique of yours is.” Mountain River said.

  “Speak for yourself. I have full trust in our new dungeon core and is willing to trade this very moment.” Bookkeeper countered.

  “What did I just say?”

  If winter had a voice, it would sound like Snowy Grief. Her voice was cold and came with a sense of power. It sounded like ice incarnated and any doubt Xu Han had about her power was gone in an instant. Sensing the danger, the whole chat went silent. For a moment, no one spoke. Everyone was waiting for the ice to thaw. Not wanting to be the source of conflict, Xu Han quickly greeted everyone.

  “Xu Han respectfully greet his seniors!”

  “Oh! They were right. You do talk funny.” Mountain River replied happily,

  “I am but a man of my former world. And I thank senior Mountain River for the earlier greeting.”

  Xu Han publicly thanked Mountain River but privately wondered about this senior. Mountain River had been warned twice by Snowy Grief, but he still spoke with laughter in his voice and a fearlessness in his soul. Xu Han wondered if Mountain River was brave, reckless, or just plain stupid.

  Maybe all three.

  “Actually, I am here looking for The Dungeon Master. Is he around?” Xu Han asked.

  “No, he is not. Why are you looking for him?” Snowy Grief asked in return.

  “To give thanks,” Xu Han smoothly replied. “He sent me a welcome gift, a wonderous one and I wish to thank him for it.”

  Several members in the chat group immediately responded with laughs and giggles.

  “The ancient one strikes again.”

  “Oh yes, I remember the gift the old core gave me.”

  “To be so rich to give things away, when will that be me?”

  If he had a mouth, Xu Han was sure it would be twitching. The reaction from the chat group was unexpected. “Seniors, are gifts from The Dungeon Master normal?”

  Several cores laughed out loud, and Xu Han sensed amusement from the rest. Bookkeeper was the first to answer him.

  “No, but he usually gives a welcome gift to any new core who enter the chat. Hope you got something useful?”

  “I am not sure if it is useful, but it is something new and wonderous to me.”

  “What was it?” A curious dungeon core asked.

  Xu Han was startled by the question, and the reaction from the other cores. In the Crimson Lands, such a question would be considered rude, but no one in the chat objected and Xu Han sensed no sense of offence from any of the dungeon cores. In fact, they were waiting for Xu Han’s answer.

  Although Xu Han understood that the culture of this new world was different, it was in times like this that Xu Han truly understood the difference between the two. He was saved from answering the unknown core’s question when he sensed a core entering the chat. An old and immensely powerful core.

  “It was a magitech carriage along with a book, The Basics of Magitech by Thomas of Savory.”

  The Dungeon Master had entered the chat, and Xu Han immediately respond to his presence.

  “Xu Han greet his elder. I thank you for the wonderful gift.”