Fantasia: I Am the Dungeon

Jimbo thinks a name for the girl.

«Dimp, Pimp, Glimp, Wimp, so many choices»

The imp continues looking at him with eyes big and bright with anticipation. Jim coughs to clear his intangible throat, and after understanding that for the girl this is important, decides to try a little more.

«How about Rose? It's pink in French, and well, your hair is that color»

Jim doubts the imp knows what a Frenchman is, but that doesn't stop the little girl from nodding repeatedly.

«Do you like it?»

"Yes"

«But it's a little superficial, don't you think?»

"Superficial...?"

Jimbo closes the eyes and meditates again. If imp is supposed to be important from now on his life, he wants something more specific to set her apart than hair color. Opening his eyes Jim comes up with a new option.

«How about Dowmy? It's something like helper in Korean, and since you'll be something like my assistant, the name suits you great»

The imp's wings and face decay a bit.

"I liked Rose better..." Dowmy says in a weak voice.

Jimbo doesn't hear the little complaint, he's too busy reading a new system prompt.

Dowmy the Imp LV 3

-Health: Full.

-Ether: 10/10

-Strength: Minimal.

-Agility: Medium.

-Endurance: Minimal.

-Condition: Hungry. Malnutrition symptoms. Stinky. Scarred. Endurance to pain.

Jimbo's eyes open wide as he realizes what the Imp's stats are. The girl's best attribute is mediocre.

«She has ether, it means the potential to use magic is there. But it's still pathetic»

Maybe if Dowmy had full wings it would increase her agility, but before Jim can investigate further on how to help her, hear footsteps coming from the hallway leading to the cells.

The woman from before appears, with the patch and long blonde hair, dressed in armor. She is followed by an old man who nevertheless looks much healthier than Jim in his previous body. King Marc arrives, and closing the march comes a knight with a golden helmet.

The two soldiers guarding the core room are startled and with hurried steps approach to kneel down. King Marc gives them permission to get up and asks for Arrax and his disciples. The soldiers tell him that the magicians are still in their bedrooms, suffering and recovering from the aftermath of yesterday's ritual.

"In that case we will proceed without Arrax” says King Marc. "Open the doors and bring in the imp"

Jimbo returns to the crystal.

The monarch and the knights enter the core room. The soldiers pull the imp by the arm until she is lying on the pit's edge. The girl is left sitting with legs spread, stroking with a hand the arm area where she was dragged from. The older man's mouth hangs open, his face illuminated by the blue glare of the crystal. The guy in the golden helmet whistles in awe.

«With those reactions you'll make me blush»

"This is the first time I've ever seen one of these outside a dungeon," Lynel says. "I still can't believe Arrax is able to create them"

"The limits of magic are always flexible and capricious” says Claus with a subtle smile.

"I find it abhorrent” Hilda says with a grim look on her face.

«I don't like you either, woman»

No one in the room besides Dowmy understands the sounds blooming from the crystal surface. The king keeps his eyes fixed on the core. The atmosphere is tense, Jimbo has already lost faith that they were going to congratulate him, and instead begins to look sideways worried about how medieval-minded people might react.

«Maybe I should have used this time to run away or something»

The king speaks:

"Dungeon Core, you proved to be smart enough to understand our words. Now I let you know that we find ourselves in a predicament. I don't know if you are capable of lying, but I will ask you a question and I want you to answer it. What do you think of humanity?"

Jimbo wields an ethereal bitter smile, feeling odd and amused in equal parts that he's being labeled as someone alien to humanity, when until recently he was an ordinary human, considered even more civilized than the people in front of him.

«Let's just say that I get a certain amount of curiosity and sympathy from them»

Dowmy translates as best she can:

"C-Curiosity... Sympathy"

Lynel takes a step back and opens his mouth again in surprise. Hilda frowns. Claus waits with his peaceful smile. King Marc nods looking serious and calm.

"I thought all Dungeon Core hated humanity, it's unbelievable!" Lynel exclaims with admiration.

"They hate us," Hilda says. "Is lying, your majesty. He wants to play with our minds to strengthen himself and destroy us from within"

"If he wanted to destroy us, it would have been as simple as letting the dark elves enter” says Claus.

Jimbo nods, pleased to have an intelligent person in the room. Perhaps if Arrax had been the master of such an argument, Hilda would have exploded and rejected the words, but as she has great respect for the first captain, she concedes the opportunity to debate.

"Captain Claus, maybe the core had no choice... Arrax did not explain us the details of its creation, but surely it possesses some way to force it to obey" Hilda answers.

"Maybe... But Arrax isn't here, right? The Dungeon Core has been free for a while,” says Claus. "If he wanted to hurt us, it would have been as simple as killing the soldiers at the entrances and setting a trap or two"

"With all due respect, Captain, I can't believe you feel sympathy for a monster maker” Hilda says.

"I feel sympathy for the kingdom savior, nothing more"

«That's it, that's it, tell her» Jimbo nods as he floats behind Claus' back, supporting him.

King Marc listens to their discussion in silence, assessing the weight and strength of each opinion, and when he decides he's heard enough, returns to speak to the Dungeo Core:

"I'm still not sure what to make with you. You are a powerful instrument, that much is clear... But power as such does not always bring benefit or is healthy, sometimes it implies a greater responsibility... It is like this crown I wear, the power it confers on me is above my values and desires, and even goes beyond the lives of the inhabitants of this kingdom"

The monarch sighs, for a moment looking very tired.

"Until Arrax recovers, and we decide what to do with you, I'll let you be... That's my way of thanking for your contribution, Dungeon Core. Just keep your influences to a minimum and we'll be in peace until further notice"

Until further notice.

Does that mean peace is not assured? Hilda's withering look is proof that Jimbo's stay inside the castle is not 100% appreciated.

«And that I saved you bastards!»

King Marc turns around to retreat. Jim feels a rush of urgency, swallows his wounded pride and hurries to speak.

«Wait!»

Jim's urgency is transmitted to Dowmy who translates with the same impetus.

King Marc turns and looks at the crystal curiously.

Jimbo takes a deep breath.

Rather than stand by and let random chance manipulate his fate while he crosses the fingers that Hilda's arguments don't gain publicity, he prefers to make an effort to keep scoring points with the likes of Claus and Lynel, who seem to be more receptive to his goodwill. In the end is the king who has the final say, but so far he seems to be a leader open to the opinions of his subordinates.

«I was created to help - that's what I want to do!»