Dungeon of Chance: Even Odds: A Dungeon Core Novel (Serious Probabilities Book 1) Jonathan Brooks (book recommendations txt) 📖

Dwight?  What kind of name is that for a dragon?

The dragon *hmphed* and a small spark of a flame burst out of its mouth.  “For the last time, I’m not a dragon.  I’m a baby dragonling and I was designed to take the appearance of a monster that looks fierce but is actually quite gentle, so as to help Heroes acclimate to their new life as a Dungeon Core.  Oh, and DWIGHT is actually an acronym for Diminutive and Winged Interactive Guide, Helper, and Teacher.  That’s essentially what I am: your Guide as you transition to your current state.”

Clay was speechless and his thoughts had ground to a halt.  Much of what the dragon was saying was unfamiliar to him, but he at least knew what Heroes were.  When he could finally put some thoughts together, he thought towards the dragon, hoping it would hear him since he hadn’t found a way to speak otherwise.  Yet, at least.

You said that you help Heroes acclimate to their new life as a…Dungeon Core?  We’ll get back to what exactly that is in a moment; but I have to tell you, I am not now nor ever was a Hero.

“Impossible,” the dragon said immediately, and it was only when Clay was looking at its mouth as it spoke that he realized that the sound wasn’t actually coming from its mouth – but was directly implanted in his mind.  Freaky.  “The only souls that inhabit Dungeon Cores are those of Heroes that fall in defense against a World Threat.  So, as you are obviously here, then you must be a Hero.”

While he could sort of consider himself a “hero” for saving his sister from the same fate that befell him, Clay could hear the emphasis on the word Hero that the dragon was talking about.  They were two different things; one was a title given to normal people who performed actions that could be considered “heroic”; the other was an individual who absorbed a Tier 0 Class Orb to become a Hero – and that was about all Clay knew about the subject of Heroes.  He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he wasn’t a “Hero”.

Unfortunately, someone must have messed up.  I think I was supposed to move on to the afterlife, not end up here as a…Dungeon Core, whatever that is.  So, if you could kindly send me on my way, I would appreciate it.

“There is no way to send on a soul that has been recreated as a Dungeon Core.  Your soul is no longer recognizable as a Human soul, so you will no longer be transferred to the afterlife.  This is your life now.”

Clay couldn’t believe it.  Some mistake had landed him as this Dungeon Core thing, and now he’d never be able to move on.  Anger surged up in him again, though it wasn’t directed toward Dwight or whoever messed up and put him there by mistake; no, he was mad at a black and red-spotted cat.

Blast you, demon cat!  Your torment knows no end!

And then, despite not having done it since he was a young child, Clay wept internally, sorrow finally filling him as he acknowledged what had been done to him…and what had been taken away.

Chapter 3

Clay wasn’t aware of the passing of time in his current form, but he figured it had been at least a month of internal weeping at his fate.  The extreme length of his weepiness was only overshadowed by the fact that he apparently didn’t need to sleep—

“It has been a total of 6 minutes and 34 seconds since you started to sob uncontrollably inside your Core.”

What?  That was impossible. It felt like it had been even longer than a month to him – not just a few minutes.  Regardless, his temporary depression over his current state seemed to have passed; of course, Clay was still angry at what had happened to his soul, so he took it out on the only thing he could.   Yeah, and who asked you?  Why don’t you just leave me alone?

“No one asked me, I’m here to help guide you and teach you in your new stage of life.  As to your second question: No, I can’t leave you alone, because I am intrinsically a part of you.”

That made Clay pause in his scathing reply.  A…part of me?  What does that even mean?

“It means that I’m not actually here; I’m an internal component of a new Dungeon Core, and only appear as an image to your mind,” Dwight, the baby dragonling, responded.  “And before you go trying to turn me off, I have to let you know that until you reach Core Stage 20, I will remain visible and audible to your senses at all times.  If you reach that point, however, you can decide on whether to discontinue my services…but until then, you’re stuck with me.  Get used to it.”

Clay was still livid, but knowing he was being unfair to Dwight, he…sort of…apologized.  Oh.  Okay.  Fine with me, I guess.

He was quite aware that it was a pretty lame apology, if it could even be considered one without actually saying sorry, but he didn’t want to argue with a figment of his imagination that was destined to stick with him until whatever this “Core Stage 20” was.

“Again, I’m not a figment of your imagination – I’m a part of your Dungeon Core.”  The dragon—dragonling—flapped its wings angrily, letting out a tiny jet of flames and a puff of smoke at the same time.  “Which brings me back to your job.  Are you ready to listen, or are you going to continue arguing with me?”

Clay couldn’t help but think that Dwight sounded a lot like his mother when he was younger and didn’t like to listen to her explain his duties in the store.  It