Chapter 1

Zion Pov:

Zion's awareness faded back in as he recalled what just happened, 'I just finished a job and so I went across the street to get some victory caffeine from the general store. Victory caffeine in hand I walked back across the street when, SCREE, the sound of skidding tires came out of seemingly nowhere, then a flash of intense pain and I black out.' 'So where am I right now, a hospital right but why do I feel no pain?' I tried to open my eyes only to be met with a strange situation, 360 vision all around me or what I assume is me since it is the center of my ' vision '. Confused I ' look ' around while trying to move but being unable to, Being unable to move I focus my environment, it looks like I'm in small cave and by me is a gem seeming about my size if i'm correct. The gem is a beautiful emerald green with long streaks of blue running throughout the gem.

I semi instinctually reach out to touch or absorb it is the word that pops in my brain, and as soon as I touch,' try to absorb?', the exterior a sharp shock of pain startles my senses.

"Ahh!" I said startled

"Ahhh!" Said another voice.

'Wait another voice? Could there be someone else in this gem?' I reach out to the gem this time making sure I'm not trying to absorb it and tentatively say "Hello?"

Neil Pov:

Neil's mind fades into consciousness as it was replaying the last events he remembered, he was up on the mountain near his home town, collecting some more rare herbs that he couldn't seem to grow in the lab, when he managed to spot some Delphinium glaciale, he had needed that herb desperately to complete a medicine he was working on. The herb was near a cliff he thought if he was careful that he should be fine. So he makes his way to the Delphinium glaciale and as he was carefully extracting the plant when he heard a sound he dreadied most, scrape scrape. He slowly, slowly, got up and turned around, back to the cliff, only to see his worst enemy, the mountain goat. The goat flared its nostrals and charged, throwing Neil strait off the cliff and down into the abyss below. His mind's last memory is of darkness and a sharp pain in the back of his head.

'Where am I? I should be dead, I fell as fast as my self esteem during middle school.' I look around and, 'Huh, cool 360 degree vision, I think.' I seem to be in a cave of some sorts, the only real object is next to the center of my 'vision', it's a beautiful scarlet gem and intermixing with the red are thin streaks of light blue that's almost white. As I'm admiring the gem I feel a shock of pain and cry out, only to hear another voice? And again a few seconds later a slight tingling sensation came, along with it came a tentative "Hello?"

Zion Pov:

"Hello!" The cheery voice replied "Did you know you're a gem?" It asks again

"Did you know you are one too?" I quickly reply "Anyway since we're possibly going to spend an eternity in this tiny cave, my name's Zion, I'm pretty sure I died and somehow came here." I said. "Oooo cool I hope I'm a good looking gem! But my name is Neil, died by the greatest evil. Mountain goats, he he." He chuckled "Oh how did you do that connectey thing? It seems pretty cool!" He asked near instantly after. "I kinda pushed my mind out at first to, on instinct, to absorb? Yeah it was originally to absorb you but the connection came after when I just reached out without wanting to absorb." I replied "Soooo like… This!" he said.

Seconds afterward I felt a slight tingling sensation along with that came a pop up like screen that was mildly transparent.

'Warning Create Core Bond?

Creating a Core Bond between 2 or more Dungeon cores will allow all cores involved to be able to interact with and change the Dungeons of all involved cores. Involved cores and monsters can no longer hurt each other and monsters will not attack each other on sight.

[Yes] [No]'

"I'm for it since apparently we are dungeon core things and being this close is probably dangerous because of that text at the end. How 'bout you Neil?"

"Sure! It'll make things much easier if we do dungeony things in the future so we don't have a turf war or somthin'" He chirped. I focused my mind on [Yes] when another warning pops up.

'Warning Creating Core Bond before Core classifications will result in shared classification and shared mana pool but it will also unlock unique classifications that are determined by the element of the core and, due to the unique situations of the cores involved, the interests of the cores. Create Core Bond?

[Yes] [No]'

The popup made me internally wince in the interest of not getting killed, I was willing to create the core bond with Neil but if it's like this I need to know more about him before I end up falling on a bed of spikes.

" Neil? I have a couple of questions for you before we create this bond."

"Sure boss ask away?"

"First, what did you do in your past life? Second, have you ever intentionally killed or harmed someone to a large extent? Third, what is your favorite activity? Finally, what is a hoodie to you?" After all I couldn't stay with hoodie hater and if he is I'll figure out how to move and get as far away from him as possible.

"Well I was a Herbalist / Plant biologist. Basically I made medicine from plants and did extensive study on them too. I've never intentionally killed or harmed someone, just some accidents when I was young that may have had me eating half a nightshade berry but that's beside the point. My favorite activity is drinking the blood of the innocent, just kidding, it's gathering herbs in the mountains. The air is always fresh and it's really beautiful once you get high enough. And Hoodie is love Hoodie is life. Now I'm going to turn this back on you since it's not like I have no suspicion of you after all, so what are your answers?" He replied.

"I was a White Hat hacker, basically I got paid to test people's cyber defense by hacking in. I technically have intentionally harmed someone but in my defense they swung first because I was standing in a corner that they wanted and didn't want to ask me to move. Favorite activity, hmmm, that would have to be either coding which puts me in a calm trance or creating small little robots for fun. And yes Hoodie is Love Hoodie is life." I said.

"Then I trust you… for now…" he said in response to my answer

I focused on [Yes] once again.

Creating Core Bond…

Complete

After the bond was complete I first felt that I didn't have to focus on keeping a connection to talk with Neil it was just… there. I also seemed to be able to 'Look' through Neil's 'eyes' and see what he's seeing if that makes sense.

A short while after the bond was complete a small fairy-like creature appeared in our little cave. They seemed female with long purple hair going down to their ankles as well as a dress going down to the knees seeming modeled after leaves or plants. They also shone a faint purple color.

"Hi I'm your assigned dungeon fairy Abby and, Oh, you formed a core bond, most young cores this close, fight to see who absorbs who and so there was a slight delay in my arrival for my safety and all that!" Abby said "Anyways I'm here to help you, both of you, become a full fledged dungeon. Now Since you guys bonded before you chose your classifications you should both decide on one now! First think, Core menu and then answer yes to choosing a classification.

I followed the dungeon fairy's instructions and was presented with a list of classifications from slimes to ghouls. "Hey Neil, do any stick out to you?" I asked.

"Yep, it's called Botic automata, it seems with this I could finally talk to my beloved plants!"

"I had my eye on that one too. The possibilities with these seem endless, let's go for it."

'Biotic Automata,

Robot-like living creatures that adapt heavily to the elements present in their environment. Depending on the elements present in there environment a simple stone automata can become a lava or magma automata. Chose this classification?

[Yes] [No]'

[Yes]