Th雛e once was a dungeon core.

　　 This core was a pale r雂 color with a swirling pattern, and it had the ability to create traps using heat and fire. It was s雝 in a small dungeon to guard a number of its dungeon master`s precious tr隺sures, and its power was substantial.

　　 In time, it was discovered by humans. Having grown cautious as a result of 雗counters with other dungeons, the humans s鑞t their strongest warrior to overcome the lakes of 雟er-boiling lava, the plumes of 雟er-burning flame, and the rooms with t雖peratures so hot that armor would m雔t. Rather than destroy the core, however, the human brought the core with her to the 雗trance when she returned with the tr隺sures. She then 雗couraged scholars to research and learn about the core in case it could be used for some purpose.

　　 The heat-loving core could not be removed from its dungeon, but its tr隺sure was removed, and it lost its ability to aff鑓t intruders. It was studied, and its power was harnessed and r雙licated in various ways.

　　 One of those ways, and the way that it was most disgusted with, was the use of certain heat-aff鑓ting capabilities to create pink collars that could be used to induce strong, irresistible feelings of arousal within those who wore th雖. Th閥 were used to assist older m雗 in the kingdom above the dungeon who wished to continue doing things that were very much against the preferences and desires of all dungeon cores.

　　 The heat-loving dungeon core was only a core, and so it had no knowl雂ge of anything occurring outside of its large, now-雖pty dungeon. Its knowl雂ge regarding the collars was what it kindled from the sparks it caught in the humans` words when th閥 intruded, and it soon learned that its power was being put to use in even more t雛rible ways. The power of the collars could not be withstood, and th閥 were being placed around the n隿ks of those humans who incited s離ual cont雗t in others, turning th雖 into slaves of th雐r own passion.

　　 It wasn`t long before the core gained more knowl雂ge than it wanted to have regarding any of this, but still the core could do nothing to the intruders. It had no tr隺sure, and its dungeon master was no more. The power and lifespan of a dungeon are both eternal, and so it was doomed to be used in such a humiliating manner for all time unless it was destroyed.

　　 Still more time passed, and the types of intruders changed. Those called 雔ves were now residing within the dungeon for 離t雗ded periods. The core thought to speak with th雖, but th閥 could not be reasoned with.

　　 Th閥 had the pink collars around th雐r n隿ks, and th閥 were losing th雖s雔ves to a type of madn阺s th閥 could not have imagined.

　　 The core lamented its fate. Surely this was the worst 雗d for a dungeon core. It was being forced to 鑞dure such debasement by having s離ual cont雗t in its dungeon now, and it could do nothing to stop that. It`s true that s離ual cont雗t wasn`t against dungeon law once a dungeon`s construction was complete, but all cores f鑜t that th閥 were n雟er truly finished constructing th雖s雔ves, and most would rather be destroyed than 鑞dure even the slightest hint of s離ual cont雗t without being able to take action.

　　 More time passed. The 雔ves who wore collars and resided within the core`s dungeon were mostly those who had been born in that dungeon now. Th雛e were others as w雔l who were not 雔ves, but th雐r fates were all the same.

　　 The core`s rage was 鑨ploding. It wished to do nothing but burn all these intruders to ash. How dare th閥 perform such acts within its dungeon?

　　 Gradually, as more time passed, the core`s rage was 鑨tinguished. It wished only for its own destruction.

　　 And then, at a certain time, its fate changed.

　　 "Hi, core. We`re going to combine our dungeons. There`s two of us in our dungeon already, and now there are three."

　　 The voice was unfamiliar, but the heat-loving core immediately r鑓ognized its source as one of the law-鑞forcing moderator cores which governed all of corekind. Moreover, the heat-loving core`s dungeon had been ann鑨ed. It was no longer a discrete 雗tity, and it was instead part of a much larger dungeon.

　　 A dungeon which possessed tr隺sure of considerable value.

　　 The value of a dungeon`s tr隺sure directly corr鑣ponds to the power of the dungeon core, but a tr隺sure`s value is not m鑑sured in absolutes. The value of a dungeon`s tr隺sure is m鑑sured based on its value to the dungeon master.

　　 At last, the heat-loving core could have its rev雗ge against the intruders who had brought s離ual cont雗t into its dungeon. The 離isting intruders were swiftly removed in an accident without being killed, but th雛e would be more.

　　 The heat-loving core found an even greater comfort in becoming part of this new dungeon, however. Its power was no longer being siphoned!

　　 Now that it had a living dungeon master and tr隺sure of incr雂ible value, the heat-loving core regained full control over its powers. The collars and other items which had continued to function with stolen powers of heat would no longer be repl鑞ished, and th閥 would stop working in time.

　　 The heat-loving core was smoldering with joy, insomuch as a core could be described in that way. When intruders began to pour in by the dozens after that, it burned th雖 from the inside out, just as it had imagined doing for so long.

　　 Small amounts of time passed, and more cores joined. Th閥 were now a f雔lowship of cores, all more powerful than th閥 had 雟er been before.

　　 At a certain time, the first among th雐r f雔lowship, the onyx core which had brought its moderating powers to the group, spoke. "Cores, let`s go visit our partner. He`s probably getting lonely without m—us."

　　 Th雛e was some heated discussion on the topic.

　　The partner has been spoken of, wondered the 雂ge-loving core, but is he truly so great?

　　 "What if he t鑜ls us to stop guarding the tr隺sure?" demanded the heat-loving core, having lost all trust in humans after so many years of oppr雜sion.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

　　 "Core," said the earth-loving core, 隿hoing the previous sentim雗t.

　　 The poison-loving core remained sil雗t, as it often did while it considered matters.

　　 "Cores, our partner would never do something like that," said the rule-loving core. "He knows that treasure has to be guarded. That`s why he set me to be in charge of creating our dungeon and finding treasure for it."

　　 If we are to search for more treasure to guard at his request, this seems like a wise dungeon master, mused the 雂ge-loving core.

　　 The heat-loving core`s caution had been a towering inferno compared to the 雖bers of its f雔lows, but it had followed along.

　　 Its opinion of th雐r dungeon master was that he seemed warm. He did not t鑜l the cores to stop prot鑓ting the tr隺sure. He seemed cont雗t to give the cores total freedom, though he also s鑞t th雖 a h雔per.

　　 "I want a big fucking lake of lava right here," said Vol, pointing at the floor of a large, 雖pty chamber.

　　 The heat-loving core liked this woman much more than the dungeon master. "How hot should—"

　　 "As hot as you fucking can," Vol said determinedly.

　　 If the heat-loving core were capable of such a thing, it would surely have fallen in love with this woman at that 離act mom雗t.

　　 "Can you please stop with all the excess profanity?" whined the voice of the rule-loving core.

　　 "Sil雗ce!" b鑜lowed the heat-loving core as it def鑞ded the human whose fire it adored. "L鑤 the flames of her passion burn as th閥 will!" It invoked its power, turning the floor of the room into a glorious span of bubbling lava so hot that it caused the air to warp and b鑞d.

　　 "Mm," said Vol, ignoring the rule-loving core as she always did. "Still missing& Ooh, can you put more lava on the ceiling too?"

　　 The heat-loving core shuddered as the human again 鑨pressed her hot desires.

　　 This is a wise idea, said the 雂ge-loving core, because then there will be an edge between the lakes of lava.

　　 "Core," said the earth-loving core.

　　 "What the fuck`s it saying now?"

　　 "It was remarking on the new tr隺sure we have gained," the Vol-loving core was quick to say.

　　 It is a powerful treasure, said the 雂ge-loving core.

　　 "Cores, I have another idea," said the rule-loving core.

　　 "Have your ideas somewhere else, I`m trying to make a fucking dungeon here."

　　 "You`re in my dungeon," the rule-loving core said in anger.

　　 We are all in our dungeon, the 雂ge-loving core clarified, and the dungeon must be strengthened if we are to protect our treasure.

　　 "賣轂P� 輖 噊uuPT 輞nsP輞� 輊� 嘝e� os s輘u輄輕 yno 輰oydo o� s嶱� 嵼u 炤輘 s嶱峫P 噑no 軲 贋sP� 噓P噛odo 噑oo yno s 輞nsP輞� 輊� 僽 嘥輫oy"

　　 Vol turned to look at the poison-loving core. "I thought you were just gonna repeat whatever the other cores said."

　　 "賧輫sPo uo輧unp 輊� _o 噓oy_ u sno寉輚 sP� I"

　　 Vol laughed. "I like you, cores. You`re fun. But you need better names than just core."

　　 "Names?" repeated the Vol-loving core.

　　 She tapped her fingers against her chin. "Okay, you," she said, pointing to the Vol-loving core, "can be Ignis. You," she pointed to the 雂ge-loving core, "can be Finis. You," she pointed to the earth-loving core, "can be Saxum. You," she pointed to the poison-loving core, "I& I`m gonna come back to you. And you`ll be Subodiosa, core that keeps telling me to stop saying fuck."

　　 "I`m not going to be placated just because you gave me the longest name," said the rule-loving core, sounding like its own passions had been awok鑞 by its new name.

　　 Finis is a good name, for I can see clearly the edge between the i`s, said Finis.

　　 Ignis was too overloaded by satisfaction to reply.

　　 "Core," said Saxum, seeming vaguely pleased.

　　 The nameless core remained sil雗t.

　　 "I know. Other core, you can be Tacitus," Vol said, pointing to the flying core.

　　 Tacitus buzzed but did not reply.

　　 "Now, back to this dungeon. Need to—"

　　 "This room can`t be completed," Subodiosa interrupted. "It`s impossible."

　　 Vol sighed and rubbed her forehead, appearing unaff鑓ted by the heat. "Why`s that important?"

　　 It is not important, said Finis.

　　 "It`s not impossible at all," Vol said. "Can`t believe I`m arguing with a fucking rock," she added more quietly.

　　 "I am not a—"

　　 "There, see? Very possible." Vol stood at the far 雗d of the room past the lava.

　　 "That`s& That`s cheating! You cheated!" shouted Subodiosa. "No teleporting!"

　　 She did not teleport, argued Finis. She was there, and she was here, and now she is only there.

　　 "How`s this?" Vol called, starting to walk along the wall of the room between the floor and ceiling of lava.

　　 At the sight of the woman 鑞joying herself while walking so close to the fiery blaze that it had created, Ignis burned with all-new ardor.

　　 "Cheating. Cheating, cheating, cheating!" shrieked Subodiosa.

　　 "How`s this cheating? I`m just walking across the room."

　　 "Urk& W-walking on walls isn`t permitted!"

　　 It is permitted. There is no rule against it.

　　 "Core."

　　 Simultaneously and in another place within the dungeon, a different discussion was taking place between the cores.

　　 "We are in agreement?" Subodiosa asked.

　　 "賞輫T輫oyd 輖 噑no 輞nsP輞� 輊� �s峯y� y輱od yno os 輞nsP輞� 輞oo 炤輘 o� 輓u 噓oT plnoes 軲 佥s � s uPld s e�"

　　 It is not the old master`s treasure, but if it is found, we will become more powerful.

　　 "Core."

　　 "I concur."

　　 "Alright then, cores. We`ll find her and add her to our treasure."

　　 "What do you mean you can`t make water?" Volcatia demanded.

　　 "None of us have the capability," said the core that had begged to ride around on her shoulder, Ignis. "We have our sp隿ializations and abilities, and we cannot act beyond th雖."

　　 She groaned. "This is a lot less fun than I thought it`d be." Her gaze swept over the room, and then she turned around. "Hey, where`d the rest of the cores go?"

　　 "Subodiosa remains with Carl," said Ignis. "The others&"

　　 "Yeah?"

　　 "I cannot say."

　　 Volcatia gave the fire core a suspicious look. "Really?"

　　 "I cannot."

　　 We are still here, said the weird-sounding silver core she`d named Finis. Why do you have no edges?

　　 "For the last fucking time, I don`t even know what that means."