Draconic Karma Dungeon

Chapter 59: A Question of Life or Death

For a long while Sarzina Acacia simply stared blankly at her notebook. After the run through the first half of the 10th Floor, the Party had split up with the dungeon mistress returning to her office at the Dungeon Guild. She had her own living quarters consisting of half the top floor of the building with the other half being offices for herself and her future workers.

How?

The requests she had gotten from the Dungeon - for how could it be considered hers when it was both sentient and could lie to her - didn't match what had appeared in the Dungeon. Never once had it requested a 'karmic elemental amphiptere - Lightning' or a 'karmic elemental lightning drake - Buff'. Yet these species were the only ones to be seen in the first 5 rooms of the 10th Floor. The Dungeon hadn't ever requested a unicorn either and if it had she would have had to contact Professor Cercis before she could even hope to understand the repercussions for granting such a request.

So, how had the Dungeon managed to both lie to me about its actions but implement them as well?

Had it simply found a way to make me think it requested one thing, while really requesting another? I never saw any reason to deny any of its requests so that's definitely an option.

… Except…

The System had still relayed the requests, which could only mean the System approved or at least accepted the lies.

Why would the System approve of a Dungeon lying to its master?

Several minutes passed with Zina in uncharacteristically silent depression before a thought pulled her back up. Wait! When did the Dungeon start lying to me?

It didn't do it in the beginning. I might not have gotten the full details of the 9th Floor but it was undoubtedly already halfway finished before I became its dungeon mistress, so I hadn't expected to know everything about the Floor before entering. And what knowledge I did get about the 9th Floor did end up being true.

So, as far as I can tell, the Dungeon has only lied to me about its 10th Floor. Why did it do that?

Leaning back in her chair Zina began staring at the wall instead with her arms falling to her lap.

No. Why would it tell the truth?

A normal, tamed Dungeon tells the truth 'cause it has to. After all, if it makes a request about a monster it doesn't want to make, then that becomes the monster it can make once the request gets accepted.

But this Dungeon is not normal. And Fader Ginkgo has confirmed its abnormality is due to the System taking special interest in it. With the System guiding it, there's no need for guidance from a dungeon master like with normal Dungeons.

…

Zina leaned forward, placed her elbows on the table in front of her, and hid her face in her hands.

Of course the System would allow the Dungeon of Karma to disregard my guidance! I'll never be anywhere near as smart and knowledgeable as the Holy System itself!

… But why all the false requests?

Zina straightened her back again as she once again looked over the various false requests she had gotten.

Maybe…? To make me think I still had control?

Had anyone else been in her office with her they would have heard yet another heavy sigh.

I normally love puzzles but… this one isn't any fun…

At this point I would normally ask for a hint or guidance or something but the only one I can ask for help with this particular puzzle is the Dungeon and I apparently don't have any guarantee its answers will be truthful.

… I'll just have to chance it then. Though I really wish I had an alternative!

Zina took one more deep breath before she began sending out requests for answers. Starting with how it was able to create monsters, puzzles, and traps without her permission.

The reply took only 10 or so seconds to arrive, but was a simple rejection of her request.

Request denied

Not surprising. At least it can't lie to me while rejecting my requests for information…

The next request was simply a formally worded 'Why did you lie to me?'. The answer took a bit longer to arrive but at least this time it came with an actual answer:

Request accepted

Your linked Dungeon Core made fake requests to keep its ability to create Dungeon creatures, puzzles, traps, and Rules without approval of its linked activator from said activator for as long as possible. Your linked Dungeon Core fears its linked activator will demand its destruction upon realizing its continuous independence.

Not a single word was written down, though Zina desperately wanted to. The reply contained several pieces of valuable information: The Dungeon of Karma could feel fear, consider what the future would bring, and find a solution that could delay the problem even if it couldn't find a way to truly solve it.

And a delaying tactic had been a smart move too! Now the Dungeon had an additional Floor to protect itself behind. Its 10th Floor even, which meant it had an additional Boss too!

And all those unicorns too…

It all served to confirm the fact that this particular Dungeon was sapient.

Okay then. What exactly is my response to this? Should I do as the Dungeon feared and demand its destruction?

The idea didn't sit well with her. Such an act would be going against not only her life goal but the will of her god as well.

Pros and cons: Destroying the Dungeon would rid the world of an untamable Dungeon.

…

… Is that really the only point I can come up with for destroying the Core? Am I being biased?

I'll have to discuss it with Fader Ginkgo later. And make it really hypothetical.

Cons: It would also rid the world of a good source of loot. The best perhaps! Double loot with no danger involved?!

And that's another one: Despite apparently being untamable it has been acting unnaturally pacifistic of a Dungeon after the initial run. And it even explained why that was!

… That is… If it was actually telling me the truth…

Zina gave yet another sigh as she shook her head. Being able to communicate with a Dungeon has been very exciting and all, but without being able to trust that it tells me the truth…

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

The Lightning Mage had been unnaturally quiet after she realized all my requests had been faked, leaving me clueless to her thoughts. The only sounds I could hear from our connection was that of her many sighs and frustrated grunts, the sounds of pages being turned, and clothes moving around because the Lightning Mage did.

The silent wait made me more and more anxious.

Then finally she began asking me questions, the first of which I had no intention of ever telling anyone about. Still, I took the time to think my reasoning through before I rejected her request: The Fake Core can only keep me safe as long as no one knows it is fake. As such, I won't explain how I can create things without her approval.

Her second request was much more reasonable and was thus granted.

But then my information lockdown resumed.

Then I could hear the Lightning Mage getting up from her chair and packing her notebook away before exiting the room and power walking somewhere.

"Fader Ginkgo? I need some advice when you have the time."

Asking the priest for advice? I suppose that makes sense. They do think I'm their god's, the System's, chosen one or something like that.

"Of course, mistress Acacia. I'll come find you once I've guided mister Ilex through his troubles. Can I be safe to assume I will be able to find you in your office when time comes?" The priest asked, to which the Lightning Mage confirmed.

This time the walking had slowed to a more normal walking speed, and she even took the time to answer a couple of questions from passersby. So by the time she arrived in - what I had to assume was - her office, she didn't have to wait long before the priest came by.

Finally I get to hear at least some of her thoughts on the matter! She'll have to state them out loud to get his opinion.

Though of course she'll have to speak in metaphors for most of it, so I'll have to be prepared to translate.

With greetings given and tea served - so that was what she was doing while she waited! I couldn't figure out what all the different sounds had been for - the Lightning Mage began trying to explain the situation without revealing any of my secrets. To do this she actually started out by stating there would be a lot of details she would be unable to tell him, but that she would do her best to still get her dilemma across to him.

Which… was fine…

It wasn't like she had revealed why there were certain things she couldn't say, so all my secrets would still be hidden.

Then came her attempt at an explanation in which she called me 'a dangerous, untamable creature, who had yet to actually show aggression'.

Which… was a fair description… I have shown a bit of aggression, mostly during their first visit, but for simplicity's sake it's a decent, yet abstract, description of me.

The Lightning Mage then asked for advice on how to deal with me: Kill me to be on the safe side as taming wasn't an option, or let me live with the hope I wouldn't someday turn aggressive. She even added that letting me live would help the town thrive as long as I stayed peaceful.

The priest's answer? Essentially that killing without any reason was a sin and that 'we mustn't let fear of the unknown control us'. Having said that he questioned if it was perhaps possible to let 'the creature' live but prepare a response should it one day become aggressive. The suggestion made the Lightning Mage pause before she had to shoot the idea down, stating that 'just like true dragons, as the creature ages it grows stronger'. Any response they prepared would thus have to grow stronger in force at the same pace I did.

For a while the silence was only interrupted by the sound of tea being drunk.

Having considered the dilemma presented, the priest decided to ask for more information. What exactly would happen should they choose to do nothing? Would people die or property be damaged?

To which the Lightning Mage thoughtfully replied that 'the creature', while dangerous and untamable, was unable to move. As such, only those who got near it 'wanting its hoard and power' would be in any danger.

Hearing that, the priest was no longer in doubt: 'Let the creature live and aid the town, but remind the people getting near it of its wild and unpredictable nature.' After all, I hadn't done anything wrong yet.

Her response to this? Most likely a nod, as she didn't say anything out loud. So while the priest's words had given me much relief, in the end it wasn't for him to decide, so some worry still remained.