Lucas was on his way home when an accident occurred that led to his reincarnation in another world as a dungeon core.

  Where am I? Am I dead? The last thing he remembered was a truck heading straight for him, and then... am I in a hospital?

  Lucas tried to open his eyes, but nothing happened. He reached out to sense his surroundings but felt only emptiness. I can't feel my body. Did the truck hit me so hard that I'm in a coma?

  After what felt like an eternity of doing nothing, a sudden flash of light appeared in front of him—a screen materializing in the air.

  What is this? How is this possible? Lucas's mind raced as he stared at the text on the screen.

  "Congratulations! You have been selected to be reincarnated as a dungeon core in this world. Based on your achievements in your previous life, the system has granted you the ability to spawn automatons. The system wishes you luck on your new life and journey ahead!"

  Lucas was in a state of shock and denial. His life had been better than most, slightly successful in certain aspects, and he wasn’t ready to give it all up just yet.

  What?! Is this a prank? Hello? Is someone out there?

  His mind raced, but then a thought occurred to him. If this system is real, then there must be some sort of game-like mechanics in this world. If that's the case, I just need to finish the game or beat the system to return to my old life.

  Filled with determination, Lucas tried to assess his situation more seriously.

  It says I’m a dungeon core now. From all my knowledge of fiction, dungeons are sources of power where heroes come to defeat creatures. So, I must be in danger right now!

  Panic began to rise within him. How do I summon something?

  Just as he thought about it, a surge of energy filled the space around him.

  [Summoning: Automata. 10... 20... 30... 60... 70... 100%]

  [Automata summoned. The system has detected that no dungeon type has been selected. A default dungeon (cave) has been created. You are unable to change the dungeon type.]

  After reading the notification, Lucas could finally make sense of his surroundings.

  Wow, it's so bright. Wait, am I in a cave? He looked around and realized that the light came from himself—well, his new form, to be exact. Oh, there’s my spawn.

  Looking at the newly summoned automaton, Lucas analyzed its structure. It resembled a wooden robot or droid. So, this is an automaton? The name makes sense—it’s supposed to move on its own. Perfect, a self-moving robot.

  Now, how do I make this automaton move? Should I just order it? Let’s try.

  "Take one step forward."

  To his surprise, the automaton obeyed, moving a single step forward. I see, I see. Now, what should I make it do next? As Lucas pondered, he noticed a minimap appearing in his vision. Below it was the number "1/10." He assumed this was the number of automatons he could summon, so he decided to spawn more.

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  "Summon 9 Automatons."

  [Summoning 9 Automatons]

  [Summoning completed]

  Nine more automatons appeared, forming a straight line in front of him, with one stepping slightly forward.

  Now what should I do? As a dungeon core, I need to command my spawns to protect me. Lucas realized the automatons were unarmed. Can I spawn weapons or items? Let’s try.

  "Spawn Sword."

  "Summon Sword."

  "Create Sword."

  [Unperformable action detected.]

  It seems I can’t spawn items. It only mentioned I could summon automatons, not objects. Well, that makes sense. So, how can I protect myself from intruders? Maybe I can arm the automatons with rocks?

  Lucas then had a thought. Wait, if the system can detect my attempts at actions, I should just try and experiment with my abilities. That way, I can figure out what I can do.

  [Player thought detected. The following abilities are now available: Summoning, Link, Possess, Dungeon Customization, and Command.]

  Oh, the system can read my thoughts? Lucas thought, feeling a bit exposed. Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m trapped here anyway. Let’s try these abilities out.

  Summoning: The player can summon entities assigned to them.

  Link: The player can see and hear through their summoned entities, one at a time.

  Possess: The player can enter and control their summoned entities for a limited time.

  Dungeon Customization: The player can improve and upgrade their dungeon.

  Command: The player can give orders to their summons indefinitely.

  Wow, these are some powerful abilities. For now, let’s try to explore the dungeon.

  "Explore dungeon."

  One by one, the automatons exited the cave chamber and began exploring the cave system. Lucas didn’t need to explore himself since the minimap provided a detailed layout, but he wanted to see the dungeon firsthand to come up with ideas and tactics.

  As the automatons spread out in separate directions, Lucas used the Link ability to see through their eyes. After a while, the dungeon was fully explored, and one automaton stood at the entrance/exit of the dungeon.

  There’s a forest outside. Lucas thought. That’s great for hiding the dungeon. But eventually, someone will find it. I just hope there are humans in this world. But wait... can we leave the dungeon? If we can, that would be a game-changer.

  "Automaton, go and explore the exterior of the dungeon."

  The automaton walked outside and began exploring the forest. Wow, so this is what it feels like to be outside. I’ve never been in a forest like this before.

  As the automaton continued to explore, Lucas had another idea. Let me try using Possess.

  "Wow, it’s nice having a body again. If I could go outside, I might be able to find a civilization, but... wait. I’m an automaton. People would probably freak out if they saw me. And I can only use Possess for a limited time. How long can I use it, though?"

  Lucas checked his heads-up display and saw a timer counting down, with the color of the text in green. When the timer hits zero, I lose control of the body.

  Why can’t the system just set a simple limit instead of making it complicated? Well, maybe it has its reasons.

  [Player thought detected. You can improve the time you can possess by using the ability more frequently.]

  Ah, so that’s how it works, Lucas mused. The more I use it, the better I get.

  After several minutes of exploring the forest, Lucas suddenly heard something.

  What was that?

  He looked around cautiously. As he turned his head, a large wolf pounced on him, its claws scraping against his body.

  "Ow!" Lucas yelled, but quickly realized he felt nothing. Oh, wait... I’m an automaton!

  The wolf wasted no time and attacked again.

  I have to protect the automaton!

  With all the imaginary strength he could muster, Lucas shoved the wolf away, sending it flying several meters back. He stood his ground as the wolf growled and prepared to strike again.

  Now, Lucas and the wolf faced each other, both poised for what would come next.

  What will Lucas do next? Follow this story to find out!