Th?re once was a dungeon core.

  This core was a pale r?d color with a swirling pattern, and it had the ability to create traps using heat and fire. It was s?t in a small dungeon to guard a number of its dungeon master's precious tr?asures, and its power was substantial.

  In time, it was discovered by humans. Having grown cautious as a result of ?ncounters with other dungeons, the humans sènt their strongest warrior to overcome the lakes of ?ver-boiling lava, the plumes of ?ver-burning flame, and the rooms with t?mperatures so hot that armor would m?lt. Rather than destroy the core, however, the human brought the core with her to the ?ntrance when she returned with the tr?asures. She then ?ncouraged scholars to research and learn about the core in case it could be used for some purpose.

  The heat-loving core could not be removed from its dungeon, but its tr?asure was removed, and it lost its ability to affèct intruders. It was studied, and its power was harnessed and r?plicated in various ways.

  One of those ways, and the way that it was most disgusted with, was the use of certain heat-affècting capabilities to create pink collars that could be used to induce strong, irresistible feelings of arousal within those who wore th?m. Théy were used to assist older m?n in the kingdom above the dungeon who wished to continue doing things that were very much against the preferences and desires of all dungeon cores.

  The heat-loving dungeon core was only a core, and so it had no knowl?dge of anything occurring outside of its large, now-?mpty dungeon. Its knowl?dge regarding the collars was what it kindled from the sparks it caught in the humans' words when théy intruded, and it soon learned that its power was being put to use in even more t?rrible ways. The power of the collars could not be withstood, and théy were being placed around the n?cks of those humans who incited s?xual cont?nt in others, turning th?m into slaves of th?ir own passion.

  It wasn't long before the core gained more knowl?dge than it wanted to have regarding any of this, but still the core could do nothing to the intruders. It had no tr?asure, and its dungeon master was no more. The power and lifespan of a dungeon are both eternal, and so it was doomed to be used in such a humiliating manner for all time unless it was destroyed.

  Still more time passed, and the types of intruders changed. Those called ?lves were now residing within the dungeon for ?xt?nded periods. The core thought to speak with th?m, but théy could not be reasoned with.

  Théy had the pink collars around th?ir n?cks, and théy were losing th?ms?lves to a type of madnêss théy could not have imagined.

  The core lamented its fate. Surely this was the worst ?nd for a dungeon core. It was being forced to èndure such debasement by having s?xual cont?nt in its dungeon now, and it could do nothing to stop that. It's true that s?xual cont?nt wasn't against dungeon law once a dungeon's construction was complete, but all cores fèlt that théy were n?ver truly finished constructing th?ms?lves, and most would rather be destroyed than èndure even the slightest hint of s?xual cont?nt without being able to take action.

  More time passed. The ?lves who wore collars and resided within the core's dungeon were mostly those who had been born in that dungeon now. Th?re were others as w?ll who were not ?lves, but th?ir fates were all the same.

  The core's rage was èxploding. It wished to do nothing but burn all these intruders to ash. How dare théy perform such acts within its dungeon?

  Gradually, as more time passed, the core's rage was èxtinguished. It wished only for its own destruction.

  And then, at a certain time, its fate changed.

  "Hi, core. We're going to combine our dungeons. There's two of us in our dungeon already, and now there are three."

  The voice was unfamiliar, but the heat-loving core immediately rècognized its source as one of the law-ènforcing moderator cores which governed all of corekind. Moreover, the heat-loving core's dungeon had been annèxed. It was no longer a discrete ?ntity, and it was instead part of a much larger dungeon.

  A dungeon which possessed tr?asure of considerable value.

  The value of a dungeon's tr?asure directly corrèsponds to the power of the dungeon core, but a tr?asure's value is not mèasured in absolutes. The value of a dungeon's tr?asure is mèasured based on its value to the dungeon master.

  At last, the heat-loving core could have its rev?nge against the intruders who had brought s?xual cont?nt into its dungeon. The ?xisting intruders were swiftly removed in an accident without being killed, but th?re would be more.

  The heat-loving core found an even greater comfort in becoming part of this new dungeon, however. Its power was no longer being siphoned!

  Now that it had a living dungeon master and tr?asure of incr?dible value, the heat-loving core regained full control over its powers. The collars and other items which had continued to function with stolen powers of heat would no longer be replènished, and théy would stop working in time.

  The heat-loving core was smoldering with joy, insomuch as a core could be described in that way. When intruders began to pour in by the dozens after that, it burned th?m from the inside out, just as it had imagined doing for so long.

  Small amounts of time passed, and more cores joined. Théy were now a f?llowship of cores, all more powerful than théy had ?ver been before.

  At a certain time, the first among th?ir f?llowship, the onyx core which had brought its moderating powers to the group, spoke. "Cores, let's go visit our partner. He's probably getting lonely without m—us."

  Th?re was some heated discussion on the topic.

  The partner has been spoken of, wondered the ?dge-loving core, but is he truly so great?

  "What if he tèlls us to stop guarding the tr?asure?" demanded the heat-loving core, having lost all trust in humans after so many years of oppr?ssion.

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  "Core," said the earth-loving core, ?choing the previous sentim?nt.

  The poison-loving core remained sil?nt, as it often did while it considered matters.

  "Cores, our partner would never do something like that," said the rule-loving core. "He knows that treasure has to be guarded. That's why he set me to be in charge of creating our dungeon and finding treasure for it."

  If we are to search for more treasure to guard at his request, this seems like a wise dungeon master, mused the ?dge-loving core.

  The heat-loving core's caution had been a towering inferno compared to the ?mbers of its f?llows, but it had followed along.

  Its opinion of th?ir dungeon master was that he seemed warm. He did not tèll the cores to stop protècting the tr?asure. He seemed cont?nt to give the cores total freedom, though he also sènt th?m a h?lper.

  "I want a big fucking lake of lava right here," said Vol, pointing at the floor of a large, ?mpty chamber.

  The heat-loving core liked this woman much more than the dungeon master. "How hot should—"

  "As hot as you fucking can," Vol said determinedly.

  If the heat-loving core were capable of such a thing, it would surely have fallen in love with this woman at that ?xact mom?nt.

  "Can you please stop with all the excess profanity?" whined the voice of the rule-loving core.

  "Sil?nce!" bèllowed the heat-loving core as it defènded the human whose fire it adored. "Lèt the flames of her passion burn as théy will!" It invoked its power, turning the floor of the room into a glorious span of bubbling lava so hot that it caused the air to warp and bènd.

  "Mm," said Vol, ignoring the rule-loving core as she always did. "Still missing… Ooh, can you put more lava on the ceiling too?"

  The heat-loving core shuddered as the human again èxpressed her hot desires.

  This is a wise idea, said the ?dge-loving core, because then there will be an edge between the lakes of lava.

  "Core," said the earth-loving core.

  "What the fuck's it saying now?"

  "It was remarking on the new tr?asure we have gained," the Vol-loving core was quick to say.

  It is a powerful treasure, said the ?dge-loving core.

  "Cores, I have another idea," said the rule-loving core.

  "Have your ideas somewhere else, I'm trying to make a fucking dungeon here."

  "You're in my dungeon," the rule-loving core said in anger.

  We are all in our dungeon, the ?dge-loving core clarified, and the dungeon must be strengthened if we are to protect our treasure.

  "˙u???? ?q ?ouu?? ??ns???? ??? ???? os s?su???p ?no ??o?d?? o? s??? ??u ???s s???l? ?sn? ?M ˙?s?? ?u???od?? ?so? ?no s? ??ns???? ??? ?u?????o??"

  Vol turned to look at the poison-loving core. "I thought you were just gonna repeat whatever the other cores said."

  "˙???s?? uo??unp ??? ?o ?uo?? u? sno???u s?? I"

  Vol laughed. "I like you, cores. You're fun. But you need better names than just core."

  "Names?" repeated the Vol-loving core.

  She tapped her fingers against her chin. "Okay, you," she said, pointing to the Vol-loving core, "can be Ignis. You," she pointed to the ?dge-loving core, "can be Finis. You," she pointed to the earth-loving core, "can be Saxum. You," she pointed to the poison-loving core, "I… I'm gonna come back to you. And you'll be Subodiosa, core that keeps telling me to stop saying fuck."

  "I'm not going to be placated just because you gave me the longest name," said the rule-loving core, sounding like its own passions had been awokèn by its new name.

  Finis is a good name, for I can see clearly the edge between the i's, said Finis.

  Ignis was too overloaded by satisfaction to reply.

  "Core," said Saxum, seeming vaguely pleased.

  The nameless core remained sil?nt.

  "I know. Other core, you can be Tacitus," Vol said, pointing to the flying core.

  Tacitus buzzed but did not reply.

  "Now, back to this dungeon. Need to—"

  "This room can't be completed," Subodiosa interrupted. "It's impossible."

  Vol sighed and rubbed her forehead, appearing unaffècted by the heat. "Why's that important?"

  It is not important, said Finis.

  "It's not impossible at all," Vol said. "Can't believe I'm arguing with a fucking rock," she added more quietly.

  "I am not a—"

  "There, see? Very possible." Vol stood at the far ?nd of the room past the lava.

  "That's… That's cheating! You cheated!" shouted Subodiosa. "No teleporting!"

  She did not teleport, argued Finis. She was there, and she was here, and now she is only there.

  "How's this?" Vol called, starting to walk along the wall of the room between the floor and ceiling of lava.

  At the sight of the woman ènjoying herself while walking so close to the fiery blaze that it had created, Ignis burned with all-new ardor.

  "Cheating. Cheating, cheating, cheating!" shrieked Subodiosa.

  "How's this cheating? I'm just walking across the room."

  "Urk… W-walking on walls isn't permitted!"

  It is permitted. There is no rule against it.

  "Core."

  Simultaneously and in another place within the dungeon, a different discussion was taking place between the cores.

  "We are in agreement?" Subodiosa asked.

  "˙p?????o?d ?q ?sn? ??ns???? ??? ˙s?o?? ???od ?no os ??ns???? ??o? ???s o? ?nu??uo? plno?s ?M ˙?s?? s? u?ld s???"

  It is not the old master's treasure, but if it is found, we will become more powerful.

  "Core."

  "I concur."

  "Alright then, cores. We'll find her and add her to our treasure."

  "What do you mean you can't make water?" Volcatia demanded.

  "None of us have the capability," said the core that had begged to ride around on her shoulder, Ignis. "We have our sp?cializations and abilities, and we cannot act beyond th?m."

  She groaned. "This is a lot less fun than I thought it'd be." Her gaze swept over the room, and then she turned around. "Hey, where'd the rest of the cores go?"

  "Subodiosa remains with Carl," said Ignis. "The others…"

  "Yeah?"

  "I cannot say."

  Volcatia gave the fire core a suspicious look. "Really?"

  "I cannot."

  We are still here, said the weird-sounding silver core she'd named Finis. Why do you have no edges?

  "For the last fucking time, I don't even know what that means."