Core of Knowledge

Pos the dwarf woke up face-first on the cold ground of the forest floor, which was the worst way to wake up in the history of the world for a dwarf. He lay there for a while, blinking. Then he remembered where he was and how he come to be here.

His party had found a dungeon and entered it. They had been separated the moment they entered the dungeon and when he managed to exit the dungeon, Pos found that he had a new Skill, and that he was alone. Being the responsible adventurer that he is, Pos waited for some time outside the hole that served as the entrance of the dungeon, but to no avail.

No one else exited the dungeon.

With no choice, Pos decided to return to town. The dwarf held out the dim hope that he was not the sole survivor of the dungeon and that the others had returned to town before him. The dwarf realized this was a long shot, and with a heavy heart, he got up with his pack and his weapons slung over his shoulder. Pos continues his walk towards town.

Pos plodded along the lonely forest path. Walking through a dense forest below trees so tall he could not see the top of used to cause him unease, but after years of living above ground, Pos had adapted to the strange plants. Once the dwarf reached the end of the path, he saw the town.

The town of Viaggia was built on a small hill that offers the town guards a good view of the surroundings. Small and quaint with less than a hundred houses, Pos could see smoke curling up from the chimneys of the wooden buildings with their low-slung roofs. The dwarf could almost smell the fresh bread warmth from the hearth fires. Pos knows that most of the people had lived peacefully in Viaggia for generations. Well, that was about to change.

“By the Stones, let’s get this over with,” said the dwarf.

It had been a two-day journey from the dungeon to the town, and Pos quickened his steps towards the town. The guards saw him well before he reached the gates, but no one stopped him. Pos was a well-known adventurer in town and with his beard, the colour of autumn, hanging in tangled knots and his long hair matted with dirt, it was clear he had met with trouble on his quest. No one wants to get in the way of an irate adventurer.

Once he passed the gates, Pos headed straight for the Adventurers' Guild. The sense of unease within the dwarf rose as he got closer. As usual, the Guildhall was a bustling hub of activity when he entered. Adventurers of all levels were sharing stories, planning expeditions, and seeking new quests. Pos ignored them all and approached the receptionist manning the quest counter.

“Adventurer Pos! What happened to-”

Pos did not allow the receptionist to finish. “I need to speak to the Guildmaster right now. I wish to report the existence of a new dungeon in the area.”

***

“So, cultivators just sat and gained power?”

“Not exactly,” Xu Han absently replied as he concentrated on the bodies of the two dead adventurers he had just absorbed. The bodies were buried within his dungeon, and his fairy told Xu Han to scan the bodies. Thus far, it was a more time-consuming process than the dungeon had anticipated. “Cultivators can draw in Qi from the Crimson Lands, but they still need to do something with it. Cultivators need to cycle the Qi through their meridians to cleanse their body, mind, and spirit.”

“And each cycle makes them more powerful?”

“In a way.” Xu Han admitted. “A cultivator needs to cycle the Qi over a thousand times just to break through the lowest tier of Qi Condensation realm. Each realm has nine tiers. So, even though each cycle brings the cultivator closer to a breakthrough to the next realm, it is still a long process. Depending on the Cultivation Art a cultivator is using, sometimes he or she can only complete one or two cycles a day.”

“You mentioned that before. What do you mean by ‘Cultivation Art’? And how is it different from a Cultivation Technique?”

“A Cultivation Art is the foundation of a cultivator. It isn’t a technique, but a blueprint for the cultivator. Most low-end Arts do not give the cultivator any extra power, but they are important because they tell the cultivator how to cycle the Qi they draw in, how to improve their mind, body, and soul, detail the things the cultivator need to do to advance to the next tier, and what kind of techniques are suitable with their cultivation.”

Jemma rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Core, please remember I have never heard of cultivation before I became your dungeon fairy. Your explanation is making no sense to me.”

“This is why I never had disciples,” Xu Han sighed. “Think of a Cultivation Art as the Class of the cultivator.”

“What?”

“From what you told me, a person’s Class is the role assigned to him by the Gods, and the designation determines the person's abilities and fighting style.” Xu Han waited for Jemma to give him a nod before continuing. “Cultivation Art is somewhat similar. A cultivator’s Art determines how the cultivator could progress in his cultivation, how he fights, and how he can gain power. Only it is a choice. Cultivators choose the Cultivation Art they practice; they do not depend on the whims of the Gods.”

“Somehow, I think you are exaggerating how much freedom a cultivator has. Is this why you say cultivators challenge the Heavens?” The dungeon fairy grumbled before putting a hand under her chin. Xu Han recognized this as Jemma’s thinking pose. “So, the Cultivation Art is like the powerset of a cultivator, and the techniques a cultivator has are like the additional Skills and Spells an adventurer can pick up as they advance in levels.”

“Only more flexible because a cultivator can switch their Cultivation Arts if they wish to. They are not fixed to a Class like the adventurers in this world are.” Xu Han said.

“No, you’re wrong there. I think the Class System is more flexible.” Jemma said.

“In your dreams.” The dungeon core laughed, but his fairy was unfazed.

“An adventurer’s Class changes as he levels. Most adventurers start as a basic [Fighter], [Mage], or [Rogue], but their Class will change based on how they fight and live their lives. If a [Fighter] wishes to be a [Knight], he can put on armour and pledge himself to one of the knightly orders. If a [Mage] wishes to be a [Fire Mage], he can start learning fire spells. This flexibility is far superior to your Cultivation Art.”

Xu Han, the former cultivator, did not know much about the System of War and Magic, only what Jemma had told him, and was unable to argue with the dungeon fairy due to this. From what his dungeon fairy had said, there was a certain flexibility to the Classes that cultivation does not possess, but Xu Han felt a need to defend his former world.

“How can you say that when the System of War and Magic forces people to kill in order to grow stronger. In cultivation, there are various ways to increase your tier. That alone makes it better than the Class system you have here.”

“Nope, that’s not how leveling works. It is not the act of killing that level up people. It is the overcoming of adversity.” The dungeon fairy explained.

Xu Han scoffed. “Which mostly comes from killing things?”

“Core, you know that’s not the case.” Jemma huffed in return. “Remember that dwarf who escaped your dungeon? If I didn’t miss my guess, he probably levelled once or twice in your dungeon, and he didn’t kill a single thing while inside.”

“Yeah, he just has to escape death in a poisonous fog to achieve that.”

“That’s right! No killing required, just facing adversity and overcoming it.” Jemma said, totally missing the sarcasm from her dungeon core.

If he had eyes, Xu Han would have rolled them. “And the higher the adversity, the higher the level ups. Sounds like a good way for people to seek death.”

“Hardly. Most adventurers are very careful about the risks they take in order to level up. However, if a Classed individual wishes to take more risks to level, their Class will change to accommodate it. [Deathseeker] and [Berserker] are two Classes that spring to mind.”

“Wait, there are Deathseekers here? What does that Class do? Does it make them harder to kill? How do people get that Class?” Despite his defence of cultivation, Xu Han was constantly surprised by the concept and diversity of Classes.

“It is an advancement class that boosts the health and endurance of a Classed, giving them Skills like [Pain Resistance] and [Keep on Going]. Classed individuals who have classes like [Survivor], [Daredevil], and a few others can gain it. Are you done yet?” Jemma finally asked.

“Yes,” Xu Han said. “Now, what do I do with them?”