I gave the so-called Chosen One a final smile as the half-troll led Ralph out from my dungeon at the point of her halberd.
I gritted my teeth and wrapped my hands around the sword’s hilt. With a swift tug, I wrenched the blade free from my stomach. Blood spattered to the floor, and my elf’s vision quickly started to spot with black. I laid the sword and the dungeon core I’d stripped from Ralph’s pocket on the dais. Then I returned my consciousness to my jewel, and Von Dominus dissolved to mere essence. I absorbed every last ounce of him. He felt weaker in my dungeon core, but he healed as his being merged with the other Infernal energy lurking within me.
A combination of Infernal and Soul Essences swirled around my chambers, tendrils of energy begging me to consume them. Items lay scattered throughout my floors, delicious blueprints lying within the new crafting materials. Ralph’s powerful sword took second place in the spoils of this campaign.
And there was something greater.
I peered at the jewel lying on the dais, and my entire being shuddered. The stone’s facets were a deep electric blue, and I could feel the voice lurking behind its fractal surfaces. I didn’t want to speak to it just yet; I wanted to savor the thought of who or what might lurk within it.
Another dungeon core. Another one like me. A terrified female, but finally safe.
My second defense of Zagorath was a success.
Now it was time for even greater power.
And to make a new friend.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Before I could introduce myself to the other core, a notification screen took shape in my consciousness.
Von Dominus killed Half-Orc Scalpers x28!
Infernal Essence +5,621
Penalty: Infernal Essence -803
Total Infernal Essence earned: +4,818
Soul Essence +183
Penalty: Soul Essence -13
Total Soul Essence Earned: 170
Von Dominus killed Alaxon the Sigil Artist!
Infernal Essence +1,023
Soul Essence +405
Lilith’s magical programming had summarized all my kills except the old man, and I was glad I didn’t have to read through thirty boxes of after-battle text. I puzzled over the negative numbers for a second before assuming that Ralph had left with the missing essence belonging to me. In the future, I’d have to either pay more attention after an adventurer died or come up with a way to absorb essence passively.
Maybe there’d be a sigil in the future that would siphon wayward essence while I spent my time guiding my minions? There were probably thousands of sigils I could discover with all kind of effects. The thought made my mind reel with potentials as I studied the readout for Alaxon.
I’d thought the old man was a priest, but it turned out he was a sigil artist. I assumed he marked adventurers so they could wield enchanted Infernal equipment. Perhaps I shouldn’t have killed him; it might have been worth testing whether my avatar or my champions could also be imbued with magical sigils.
For now, I had more important things to worry about, like meeting another dungeon core.
“You’re safe now,” I projected my words to the other jewel as it glittered in the red light of my own.
I extended my consciousness into the gem’s depths, yet I couldn’t grasp it. Electric energy seeped from every facet of the dungeon core, a different kind from Infernal Essence. This one snapped, crackled, and tingled. She was a real live-wire. But I couldn’t contact her, at least not with my consciousness. My dungeon core ate away at the container surrounding the other jewel, and then the sapphire-blue core burst with a sudden brightness. Ethereal clouds seethed from its surfaces before coalescing into a figure. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the foreign core summon an avatar. The process fascinated me even though I’d seen it plenty of times myself.
I was right about the her part.
A young woman swam into view, sitting on the step, her mouth set in a firm line. She was human, and damn, was she beautiful. Electric-blue clothing clung to her supple form and wonderfully complemented her tanned skin. Her garments were of typical fantasy fare—baring her taut midriff, slim hips, and smooth thighs. Soft golden-brown hair spilled free of a pristine white cowl and framed her delicate facial features. Sky-colored tights began halfway up her thighs and slipped effortlessly into knee-high boots that looked better built for dancing than fighting. Opera-style gloves covered her hands, forearms, and slender biceps, reaching almost to her shoulders. Between pupil-less eyes the color of her jewel, was a dainty nose that slid to a fine point.
I barely glimpsed those sapphire-colored eyes when she hid them from me, peering down at her feet.
“You’re safe,” I repeated, sitting down beside the core’s avatar, close but not too close.
She didn’t say anything, but I saw a slight tremble in her shoulders as she tried to keep it together. Something had broken her—I didn’t know what it was, but instinctively reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. Providing her with some kind of simple, warm, non-threatening comfort seemed important. She flinched at my touch, but, encouragingly, didn’t try to struggle, or hit me.
“My name is Von Dominus,” I told her, keeping my voice soft, careful. “What’s yours?”
Her slender jaw worked as if she was chewing over the words, yet she said nothing. Her eyes found mine for the first time; my smile widened and I gestured toward the First Floor.
“This is Zagorath, my dungeon; I’m a core, like you. These raiders were carrying you when they came in here—and this is what is left of them,” I said, squeezing her shoulder in a comforting gesture. “Whatever they did to you, whatever you’ve endured, you’re protected from this moment on.”
Finally, her sweet voice cut into the silence.
“Abigail. My name is Abigail.” There was magic in her voice; it was soft, breathy, and
