Core of Knowledge

“They can’t destroy me if they wish to keep using the techniques I am granting them.” Xu Han said with a laugh.

“That was pretty smart,” Jemma admitted. “Granting a skill like a [King] or [Lord] will make that dwarf far less likely to kill you at least. I still don’t understand why you insist on calling it a ‘Technique’ instead of a ‘Skill’ though?”

“It is what it is called in my old world,” Xu Han said, before hesitating. Memories came back to the former cultivator, memories of his loss, his many failures, and many regrets. After a pause the former cultivator decided to ask the dungeon fairy another question.

“Jemma,you said I can absorb divinity from the adventurers. If I absorbed enough divinity, can I become a divine being? A God?”

“Technically, you can. But it is going to be very hard, almost impossible task.” Jemma replied after a moment of thought.

“Why?”

“Because it is very hard for a dungeon core to get powerful enough to reach divinity. I have only heard of it happening once before, and…well, it did not end well for that world.”

“What happened?” Xu Han asked, very puzzled by his dungeon fairy’s statement.

“It’s too early to tell you, maybe when you grow more powerful. Right now, the most important thing for you to do is to grow stronger.”

Seeing the fairy’s resolute face, Xu Han decided to change to another topic. “How much stronger do I need to be to be safe? Didn’t you say I was extremely powerful for a newborn? Does this mean I was born with a lot of divine power? Can it run out?”

“Well, yes it can but it is seldom a problem for dungeon cores. Cores only need a few Classed mortals near their location to gain some of their divine power. It is a lot slower than killing them, but you don’t need to kill adventurers to gain divine power from them. So, as long as there are adventurers and Classes mortals around, there is no need to worry about running out of divine power.” Jemma tried to assure the dungeon core, but Xu Han was focused on another thing she had implied.

“That means I am a divine being, right?”

“The fact that you are talking to me means you're not completely divinity-less. After all, you are just a stone but you are many steps lower than the Gods.” Jemma reluctantly answered. “Dungeon cores are technically demigods, but even mortals with high levels in their Class could beat you. Also, the mortals can go and ask for help from their Gods if they want. Dungeon cores like you can't do that.”

“Why not?”

“Well, you can but Caros would probably not respond unless you are important enough. Caros, the Dungeon God, is the only dungeon core that reached Godhood. It is alone and do not have pantheon. Even a god can’t be on every world at the same time.” Jemma explained.

“Can’t I ask other gods for help?” Xu Han asked once more. “From what you are saying, there are many gods in this land. Can’t I ask one of them for help?”

“You can, but why would they answer you? Gods mainly focused on their own followers. A god need the worship of the mortals to grow powerful, and most gods find dungeon cores too strange and greedy to make good followers.”

Xu Han frowned. That doesn’t make sense. As a cultivator who failed to be a god, Xu Han knew that gods are not all-powerful, but he was surprised by the god’s need for followers and worship. That wasn’t the case for the gods of the Crimson Lands. Are the gods in this land different? Is the source of their divinity different from the Gods of the Crimson Lands? Xu Han would not be surprised if that was the case. This was a strange world.

Xu Han had absorbed the two adventurers, and they were a warrior and a hunter. However, they were different from cultivators. Instead of Qi and meridians, they both have a Class. Though nowhere near as powerful as cultivators, the deceased humans were far more powerful than any mortal hunter or warrior Xu Han had ever met in The Crimson Land.

Xu Han believes that a cultivator at the start of his cultivation journey would be more powerful than the adventurers he absorbed but from what Jemma said, Classes could be a great equalizer. The dungeon fairy had informed Xu Han that mortals with high levels in their Class could be more powerful than dungeon cores, and Xu Han found that to be very interesting. Xu Han wondered when would some higher Classed individuals come to his dungeon. He want to make comparisons.

“Jemma, what are Classes? How do mortals get them?”

“Classes are a special kind of gift that the Gods bestow upon the mortals,” Jemma said. “Only some mortals have them, and those who do are called the Classed. They become strong and mighty, and like I said before, they can even rival the Gods. That is why they are considered the exceptional among mortals.”

“Power to rival the Gods? That’s insane! Why would the Gods give mortals the ability to challenge them?” Xu Han exclaimed.

“Who knows? It’s not like the Gods explain much of anything to me. At the end of the day, I am just a small dungeon fairy from Dreamwood Fairy Academy.”

Xu Han sighed. He had no choice but to drop the matter. Jemma was right is that gods seldom explain themselves. If they did, Xu Han would know why he was reborn as a dungeon core. No, they would explain why he was reborn at all.

“Jemma, why couldn’t all mortals get a Class? If Classes are so powerful, I assume everyone would want them.”

“They do, but not everyone is talented enough in war and magic to get a Class.”

“War and magic? Is talent in them important to get a Class?” Xu Han asked, not understanding.

“Oh yes.” The dungeon fairy said with a nod of her head. “So important that the mortals called it, the Systems of War and Magic. This is a dangerous world, full of powerful creatures and monsters. When the Gods first created the Classes, they were trying to find ways to keep mortals alive. So, the Gods focused on the things that could help the Classed beat back the tide of monsters threatening them. Mortals who were mages, warriors, hunters, assassins; the Gods gave these mortals a Class to help them fight and kill better.”

“And now?” Xu Han asked, careful to give no indication he was slightly outraged by this revelation. As a scholar, he was offended only those who could kill got a Class.

“It is still the case. Why?” Jemma asked. Linked with the dungeon core, she clearly knew Xu Han was angry about something.

“I just find that very unfair. Why should only those talented in War and Magic have Classes? What about the artists? What about those who help in daily life? Aren’t there Gods of Music, Painting, Poetry, the Hearth, and the likes in this world? Don’t these Gods give their followers Classes?”

“For what?” Jemma asked, then after several moments of thought she continued. “Well, there is the [Bard] class. A [Bard] can both fight and improve the fighting ability of their allies through their music. Winskull, the God of Music and Patron of Musicians, was the god who invented it, but how can painting and poetry help keep mortals alive from monsters?”

“I have some ideas.” Xu Han answered. “Jemma, you said that only the Gods can grant Classes. I take it that means I can’t?” Xu Han’s dungeon fairy nodded, and Xu Han continued. “If I want to create a new Class, what do I need to do?”

“You need the help of a God, preferably a God who holds the domain of whatever Class you want to create,” Jemma answered, softly sighing as she knew what question Xu Han was going to ask next.

“So, how do I get the attention of a God?”