Rise of the Irregular Dungeon

"MWA HA HA HA, FINALLY IT'S FINISHED! I'M A GENIUS! HA HA HA HA HA... ARZ!"

SLAM!

"HEY ARZ! WHERE ARE YOU, BOY?! COME HERE!"

I let out a sigh when I heard father's shout and looked reluctantly at the unfinished laundry before me.

(To think he'd call me again so soon… a new assignment? Nevermind, it's my own fault the laundry hasn't finished yet. I just hope it won't take too long this time, I've promised to help out at the meat shop this afternoon.)

Because I had a sudden inspiration for a new way to train my finesse in the Elemental Magic while doing the laundry, I spent a lot of time setting things up and thus my actual progress was lacking. Unfortunately, every time father called and gave me an assignment, it took me at least half a day to complete it. As such, I had no choice but to postpone the chore.

"COMING," I shouted back.

I stood up, cleaned my hands, and entered the house through the side door. I went straight towards my father's study on the second floor and saw the door wide open. A pungent smell of some solutions hit my nose as I got closer. When I finally arrived, I noticed the condition of the door and could not help but shake my head.

(Like I said again and again, why do you have to slam it every time? It seems it'll need to be replaced again soon, the third one just this year alone. At least control your strength a bit, will you?)

Secretly sighing, I moved my attention to my father, the big man who was examining something near the window.

"I'm here, father," I said, letting him know as I stood in front of the opened door.

"Hmph! Took you long enough, boy. Come here," he gestured without turning his eyes, which were still fixated on the thing that looked like a crystal of some sort.

"Excuse me," I said as I entered.

Because books and notes were scattered everywhere including the floor, I had to watch my every step. I also had to watch my hands, as any magic tool in the room might turn out to be dangerous. I did not want to trigger one by chance, I had learnt my lesson from the past experience.

When I was close enough, father finally turned his head. He had a weird grin all over his face.

(Uh, stop it, you'll make kids cry with that creepy smile.)

"Look, Arz! I'm finally able to perfect this," he exclaimed excitedly, pushing the fist-size crystal thing to my face. It was reflecting multiple colors under the sunlight, so pretty.

"Behold! This is the legendary artifact, the Soul Gem! Praise me now! Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha…"

"I see. Congratulations, father," I complimented. "But, what's so special about the artifact, if I may ask? Besides being pretty, I mean."

Father's laugh abruptly stopped, my supposedly simple question made him choke. After some coughs, he gave me a piercing glare.

Uh-oh.

SMACK!

"Ugh, it hurts!"

"Stupid boy! How could you, son of the great Mahzin, the greatest soul mage in the whole continent, don't even know what a Soul Gem is? Blasphemy!" he cursed, clearly annoyed.

(That's, uh, because I prefer to spend my time learning Elemental Magic? Compared to Soul Magic, it has more practical use in various fields, you know. Well, not that you don't know, but you just won't admit it because of your high pride.)

I rubbed my head, at the place father had hit me. "My apologies, father. Please enlighten this stupid son of yours," I said with a wry smile.

"Hmph! Of course. Listen, Soul Gem is the key to every man's dream," he answered vaguely. There was a spark in his eyes and the weird grin returned. "You can at least tell what every man's dream is, can't you, boy?" he asked in a low voice.

"Err... to become an adventurer?"

SMACK!

"Ughhh!"

"Stupid boy! Why would the great me want a trivia dream like becoming an adventurer?"

(Hey! Don't insult other people's dreams just because you don't want to!)

"Then... to have a harem full of beautiful girls?"

SMACK!

"AARGH! IT HURTS, DAMN FATHER!"

"YOU DARE TO TALK BACK!?"

SMACK!!

"AND WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

SMACK!! POW!! BAM!!

"Alright, alright, stop! I was wrong, ugh! My apologies!! Esteem father, mercy!!!"

"Hmph! Good if you understand. Listen, I'm fine with your late mother alone, and I won't remarry no matter what. Harem? What kind of answer was that?!" he claimed disdainfully while crossing his arms.

(Sheesh, if it's about you then say so from the start. But, hmm, what could it be? Every man's dream... Something that father wants and other men likely want as well…)

I looked at him carefully, trying to find a clue, any clue. And then I was able to spot them. Some ink stains on his wide forehead and bushy gray beard, I meant. It had to have been ages since the last time he took a bath. Unfortunately, those were the only things I managed to find out.

"Still can't tell? Hmph! I'll give you a hint. It has another name, the Stone of Life."

(Stone of Life? Stone of Life… No idea, what's that? I've heard Elixir of Life in my previous life, though, are they similar?

(… Of life, huh? Key for every man's dream. Dream… of life. Father's lifetime dream.

(Hmm, come to think of it, I suppose father did tell me about his dream before. What was it again…?

(… Oh, I remember now! Right, I've treated it as one of his eccentricities and have forgotten about it until now. I mean, is that even possible?

(However, assuming Stone of Life is something akin to Elixir of Life, it does match that dream he once told me.

(… Err, seriously?)

"Oh, it seems your brain has started to work," father smirked as he saw my expression changed.

Scratching the back of my head, I hesitantly answered, "… Could it be, immortality?"

"Mwa Ha Ha Ha Ha... Finally, that's my boy," he laughed while messing my hair with his large hand.

"Seriously, father? Immortality?" I asked again, still finding it hard to believe.

"Yeah. But it's too late for me, so I'm giving it to you," he said. Grabbing my arm, he pulled me. "Come over here."

I followed his lead to a chair and sat down. "Huh? What do you mean by too late, father? Why?" I was confused.

"Hmph! Can't you think of anything by yourself, boy? I no longer wish to live forever, not in a world without your mother. Is that so hard to understand?"

"I- I see…"

(Father… I know you love mother, but to think it's to this extent… This is your lifetime dream, no? How many years have you spent working on it? Several decades, at the very least. And now you're going to give it up to me, just like that? Not that I'm complaining.)

"Sit still. This may take awhile so bear with me. Now, hold this!" he commanded, handing over the Soul Gem.

Afterward, father picked a very thick and worn out book from the nearest pile and sat across me. The title was not too clear anymore but still readable, it was The Art of Soulbinding.

(Art of Soulbinding, huh? Sounds like a forbidden dark art to me, another reason why I'm not too fond of Soul Magic. Oh well…)

For a minute or so, father flipped the many marked pages and compared the content to a piece of note, making some checklists on the said note. I supposed he was double-checking everything for the last time.

When he had his attention back on me, he asked, "Ready?"

I took a deep breath before answering. "Yes."

He nodded and subsequently started to chant in what I assumed as Elvish while reading the note. It sounded like singing, very pleasant to hear.

Although it was not mandatory to chant in the elven language, Elvish was simply the best language when it came to magic. Or so I was told. One word could contain many parameters of a magic spell, thus what took many sentences in the human language could be accomplished in a short one in Elvish. The efficiency was high, the advantage would be more apparent in a fight.

That said, there were other methods to channel and convert mana into magic besides incantations, such as magic diagrams and runes. In principle, each of the methods functions to draw mana from a source and guide it through certain patterns and sequences, thus affecting reality in one way or another. This phenomenon was what everyone called magic.

While incantations were the easiest to learn and the most commonly used method, magic diagrams and runes had their own advantages - they could be prepared beforehand. Magic diagrams had a wide variety of applications, from a single-use magic scroll to a complex formation array that covered a large area. On the other hand, artifact-crafters and item-enchanters prefered runes to work with as they offered better precision on smaller and uneven surfaces.

(Since this Soul Gem is an artifact, did father scribe some runes inside this thing? Hmm, if there's any, I can't see it.

(But really, I never knew he's an artifact-crafter. I know he has some knowledge in alchemy, but artifact-crafting? And he must be a very good one, if this artifact really does what he said it does. Sigh. I still seem to underestimate him after all this time. The greatest soul mage in the whole continent, huh?)

Father was still chanting in the meantime I was musing. It was really a long chant considering he was already using the Elvish. As I took a better look at the bear-sized old man sitting in front of me, I realized how time flew.

(Father, you've grown old, haven't you? Clearly time has left its mark on you.

(… Mother has passed away and I don't know how much longer you'll be around. Well, it's too late with mother, but I often wonder if I should share my deepest secret with you.

(The problem is, I'm not sure how you'll react. Considering you can be very extreme more often than not, I'm afraid to take this step. If you can't accept me, will you go as far as killing me? Will you destroy this town in your rampage?

(Sigh. It'd be good if it's just me being paranoid, but I can totally imagine you do that. Unfortunately, mother's no longer here to stop you.

(You see, I was originally not from this world.

(In my previous life, I died at a young age due to a chronic disease. However, not long after my consciousness left my body, a magic circle appeared in the sky, followed by a vortex that pulled me in. The next moment I realized, I'd been reincarnated as your son.

(At first, I didn't understand anything. Yet, as the memories of my previous life returned bit by bit over the years, I was finally able to put everything together just a few years ago.

(People said you performed a miracle back then, reviving your stillborn son with Soul Magic. Contrary to what everyone believes, it's my soul that entered your son's body instead. That vortex in the sky, the bridge that allowed me to cross over into this world, it was created by your soul summoning spell, wasn't it?

(I don't know what went wrong with your spell, nor I know the original soul who's supposed to be your son - I wish him the best place in the afterlife. One thing for sure, I plan to use this second chance you've given me to the fullest and live a long life this time.

(My dream is to become an adventurer, to see and experience the vast world with my own flesh, to go through all sorts of adventures, something that I'd never been able to do in my previous life. And today, you told me you're giving me immortality. To me who yearn for a long life, it's really the ultimate gift, you know. How can I ever pay you back?

(Oh, I know! Since you can be clumsy sometimes, how about I take care of you until the end of your time before I pursue my own dream? Alright, I won't leave right after I turn fifteen like my original plan.

(Hmm…

(Come to think of it, powerful mages tend to have a longer lifespan and father seems to be one of this continent's strongest mages, according to his claim. Although he's quite old, what if… he lasts for another ten or twenty years, or even longer?

(Oh my god! No way! I can barely hold so far by telling myself I just have to endure until my fifteenth birthday, the day I'll finally be considered an adult and can decide my own path. And it's only three more months left until that day! How am I supposed to hold for another twenty years, a period longer than my current age? Argh, just thinking about it is driving me crazy!

(I mean, sure, I'm grateful to you, but I've had enough of your selfishness. All you cared about was your expensive research. You let mother tired herself, taking care of our family's expenses and the house chores while you were always occupied in your study. And after she passed away, those responsibilities somehow befall me. I'm still an underage, you know?

(There's also the case with mother's death. Well, it's an accident so I'm not blaming you, not anymore. I know you're the one who's been suffering the most from her sudden demise, that you truly love her deep in your heart despite your poor treatment. And I've seen how you're trying to become a better man after her death - you no longer shut yourself in your study all the time, calling me every so often and giving me all those assignments. Not that I'm fond of them, but I know it's your way to care for me.)

I secretly shook my head and sighed for God knew how many times already.

(Unfortunately, more interaction means more exposure to your absurd whims and impulses. I really really have enough, I don't want to end up hating you, father.

(… Alright, whether I'll leave in three months or stay I'll decide when the time comes. I promise I'll still repay you in one way or another, at the very least.

(In the first place, there's no guarantee that I'll successfully become an immortal, right? I mean, it's father after all. Rather, shouldn't I prepare something in case it turns into another accident?

(Err, that's right, why didn't I think of it earlier? Father's order came so suddenly that I failed to consider the risk.

(… It's too late to prepare anything at this stage, isn't it? Um, in that case, let's just hope everything will go according to plan and nothing goes amiss. Please hear my prayer, oh dear God.

(Huff…

(…

(By the way, how much longer will this take? Father only said it'll take awhile but he never specified.

(From what I can tell, it should be past noon already. I'll be late at this rate. As the temper of that meat shop's uncle is rather short lately, it may become a problem if I don't show up soon.

(Tch, whatever. What'll happen will happen. At the worst, he won't hire me again in the future, and I'll most likely lose the special discount. Haahhh…

(Anyway, this wait is frustrating. Father's note doesn't look that long, which part of the note are we in now?

(Can you hurry up, father? My butt's sore from sitting too long.

(No, wait, nevermind. It's okay to take your time, as long as we can go through this safely without any accident…

(…

(…

(Still, I'm bored…

(… Is it okay if I practice Elemental Magic while waiting for father to finish his spell?

(I already get the hang of folding soil and rocks to my will, I can shape them into whatever form with ease now. Fu fu fu… I must be a genius to achieve this much by learning from books alone.

(Well, there's a limit to learning by myself, though. While I'm confident that my proficiency in Ground-Element is better than most mage apprentices of my age, as I've been focusing my training on it, it costs me proficiency in the other primary elements. Moreover, I only know the most basic spells of Beginner-rank Elemental Magic, whereas my best friends Ves and Rheto have started to learn Intermediate-rank spells last time I heard. They may learn an Advanced one in five years if everything goes smoothly.

(Sigh. Ever since I got to know them at the Inner-Mana Awakening Course and through the Basic Mana-Control Course, I was always better than them. But everything changed after they became disciples to Mage Mer-Agneya who was visiting the town. And I know our gap will only widen with time, unless I find a way to close it somehow.)

I grimaced as I remembered my father's reaction on that fateful day. "Let me rephrase it," he said at the time, already frowning at my request. "You, boy, son of this great Mahzin, the greatest soul mage in the continent, want me to approve some random no-name elemental mage as your teacher? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?" he exploded. "NOT ONLY YOU'RE THROWING MY GREAT SOUL MAGIC FOR SOMETHING AS COMMON AS ELEMENTAL MAGIC, NOW YOU'RE LETTING THIS WOMAN CLIMBS YOUR HEAD AS WELL?! WAKE UP! SHE'S TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT YOU'RE MAHZINSON! WHERE'S SHE? I'LL MAKE SURE SHE KNOWS HER PLACE!!"

After that, father went to find Mage Mer-Agneya, who would have been dead by the time I arrived if not for my mother's timely interference. It was then I started to realize that father might be much stronger than he looked, that his claim as the greatest soul mage might carry more weight than what I understood.

I did not dare to mention about learning Elemental Magic ever again since then. However, my mother was able to convince him to let me learn whatever magic system I liked, on one condition; I should forget about appointing a no-name mage as my teacher. He would only reconsider if it was a powerful mage with a wide-spread reputation. It meant I was stuck with self-learning until I could get an opportunity to attract the attention of such a mage.

(Easier said than done. Mage Mer-Agneya wasn't really a no-name mage. She was the vice-captain of the 1st mage squad under the kingdom's 2nd army and was well respected. If someone of her caliber didn't even meet father's eyes, then people who qualify must be living legends like Siwa the Elementalist, who masters all four primary elements and more, or Ethoria the Lightning and Baya the Shadow Lord, who each master a secondary element.

(Yeah, right. Buying a higher-tier magic book and learning from it is more realistic than hoping to meet those above the cloud people, let alone having one of them accept me as a disciple. At least I'll be able to understand some parts from a higher-tier book, although I imagine I'll have to struggle hard to understand those parts.

(The high-tier magic book has to wait, unfortunately. It's expensive and my long-awaited journey will start soon, so I better save the money.

(Still, I don't regret choosing Elemental Magic. After I put together the memories of my previous life, I've become even more certain with my choice.

(My main advantage comes from the memories. I know a technology that no one from this magic civilization world is aware of. Although I lack technical knowledge, I understand the general principles. I believe Elemental Magic is the best magic system to supplement what I lack. Hehe, just wait until I reinvent firearms and electricity.

(With my current proficiency level in Ground-Element, I'm ready to make a gun. It'll be made of rock, but strengthening it to be as hard as steel wouldn't be a problem for the current me. Moreover, I can easily create another if the gun ever breaks. I may also jump straight to the big gun a.k.a. cannon once I solve the issue about the propellant, fu fu fu…

(Hmm? Oh, has father finished his spell? Since when?)

Father had ceased his chanting while my thought was wandering. He watched me curiously.

"Father, what-"

"Shh!"

He raised his hand, stopping me from talking. Soon, a magic circle appeared on the floor around the chair I was sitting on and his eyes could not hide his excitement. When the Soul Gem I was holding started to glow, he jumped from his chair and began to dance.

"IT'S A SUCCESS! YES!! I KNOW IT, I'M SUCH A GENIUS! MWA HA HA HA…"

(It's a success? Does it mean I'm an immortal now? The process doesn't seem to finish yet, though.)

I observed the gem that was getting brighter and brighter. All of a sudden, it began absorbing my mana at a very fast rate, causing me to try throwing the Soul Gem away by reflex. To my surprise, it stuck to my both palms. The strong suction force made me unable to let it go.

"What's wrong?" father asked as he caught my sharp movement.

"The gem, it sucks my mana."

"Your mana? Of course it does, how will it be bound to you otherwise. I didn't tell? Don't worry, it's part of the assimilation process. Once it's done, you'll become immortal," he said while messing with my hair.

"I- I see…"

"You wait here, I'll take some drinks. Do you want some?"

"N- No…"

With my mana being drained continuously, cold sweats began to flow like a river. Not long after, my clothes were all drenched and my breath became short. My condition was deteriorating fast.

(Not good. At this rate, I'll…)

"Fa- father…"

He, who was walking away, did not hear me. I bit my lip, I really wanted to smack the stupid grin on his face.

"Father… FATHER! HEY FATHER!!"

"What!? Hmm? Arz, what's wrong, boy? Why're you sweating so much?"

"My mana…"

"What's wrong with your mana? Didn't I tell you it's fine?" he said, nevertheless walking back.

However, I lost my last ounce of strength before he arrived. I fell from my chair, barely conscious. Fortunately, he caught me before I hit the floor.

"This… a mana depletion symptom?" father startled, finally realizing what was happening. His gaze quickly moved to the shining gem in my hands. When he touched it, his brows shot up. "It absorbs my mana too? This rate… no wonder my son collapses," he furrowed.

"Why won't it come off? Hmph, STOP!" he yelled.

Despite being too weak to move, my senses were still working. Actually, I might have become more sensitive to mana somehow. I could feel it, after father failed to release the gem from my hands, his mana was now spreading on the gem's surface, trying to halt the mana influx.

Two powers clashed, vying control over the mana flow around the gem that was connected to me. The gem was vibrating as a result, I was vibrating too. I felt myself resonating with the gem.

Father clenched his teeth, the clash between the two powers became more and more intense and, at some point, turned stalemate. It was suffocating. The vibration was getting stronger and stronger until… BLAST!

A strong shockwave bursted with the gem as the center, forcefully separating father and me. I was thrown and my head hit a wall, then everything turned blank.

***

…

(Uh…

(I passed out? What happened?

(Oh right, the shockwave...

(Wait, I can't move my fingers. Where're my fingers, why can't I feel them!?

(And why can't I turn my head!? I want to see!

(No, this isn't right. It's not just my head, I can't move my entire body!

(AHEM!

(Damn it, my voice won't come out either? What the hell happened here!?

(No no, calm down, me. Take a deep br- Shit, I can't even take a breath!?

(But I'm still conscious? What does it mean? Am I dead?

(Hmm. No, it's different.

(When I died previously, the soul that contained my consciousness left my body but I could still freely see my surroundings. This time I can only see what's in front of me. A fixed view, as moving my eyeballs is out of the question as well.

(And, although I can't move any part of my body, I can still feel them. Well, most of them, except my hands. Does it mean they're gone? Or is it just being numb?

(Anyway, I shouldn't be dead yet, though I wonder what's with my condition.

(It's so dark here, by the way. Where am I?

(A room? Oh, wait, I know this place, it's father's study! The center of the room is so clean that I failed to recognize it right away, although it's even messier around the edge.

(Wait, that means, the cold stones on my back aren't the floor but the wall?

(Uh, this is crazy. It must be the shockwave. Not only has it blown everything to the edge of the room, it also has pinned me on the wall?

(Shit.

(But it doesn't explain why it's so dark. Has the sun set? Too bad the window's outside my view.

(And father? Where's he? How come he left me alone in this state? He should at least turn on a light orb, sheesh.

(… Hmm? Is that a hand sticking out from under the wreckage there? Oh my god, someone's buried!

(Wait, that ring, that burn mark, is that you, father?

(FATHER!

(Crap, I forget I can't make a sound. Is he okay? Father, aren't you always said you're the greatest soul mage in the continent? There's no way such a blast could've done you, right? C'mon, wake up, will you?

(…

(… Huff, I give up. I really can't do anything, can I? Not even a single muscle…

(It's all because that damned Soul Gem, legendary artifact my ass. Where's that thing now?

(Haaaahh… It really turned into another accident, I knew it.)

…

"Urgh…" a groan came from the hand direction, father's voice. The hand moved, removing the wreckage and revealing father's disastrous appearance.

"Damn it," he cursed while rubbing his own temple, before abruptly stopping. "ARZ!" he exclaimed as he remembered me. Looking around, he quickly spotted me. His eyes widened. "No no no no no," he shook his head in disbelief, wobbling in his way to reach me. "This can't be! AAARZ!!"