Chapter 341: Prompts

Words : 1362 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 341: Prompts But it was understandable, for how could it hold on for longer when the corruption wasn’t just leaking and taking space, but had also started prodding? It wasn’t subtle either. The black sludge, once a slow seepage, was now actively testing the weakened boundaries of the containment field. The corruption reared back and slammed forward like a battering ram made of liquid malice, its edges sharp, twisting into spires, spikes, and clawed fingers that scraped along the flickering barrier. The thing felt sentient. And it made Luca flinch. The protective barrier hummed harder, as if in protest, as another crack formed along its edge. "It’s going to breach," Xavier said grimly. That got the little cannon wielder out of his reverie and, with no time left to deliberate, fired the Purification Cannon. It was the familiar "Fwiishhh~", but the stakes were different because it wouldn’t take a genius to know that something bad was likely going to happen once this tree gets contaminated. Not like anything good has really come out of it, save for the CP. But even then, he was pretty sure that this tree being contaminated would be more than just the run-of-the-mill "bad". While the situation was dire and one suspected pyromaniac had an itch as he watched his brother fire a cannon that had no "boom", the sparkling dust eventually fell, coating the place like gentle rain. And to be fair, it was really gentle, if you could ignore the screeching sludge. It wasn’t literal, but the sound it made was something like a screech muffled underwater, gurgling and snarling as it shriveled under the radiant wash of purification. And as Luca watched the scene unfold, he was pretty sure that this was what the headmistress had been talking about when she once sprinkled holy salt all over the school to ward off the evil brought in by the awakened, or well, him. She must have expected him to writhe just like this. The blue crystals lit up in response, their glow intensifying to push the light even further outward. It seemed like it had worked and was holding because, unlike their battlefield with Tortie, this was an enclosed space. Xavier figured this was good enough. And so he stepped forward, raising his blade, eyes on the pulsing red core. "This should be the core, right? You said we just have to get rid of it, and we could clear the dungeon," he verified, voice calm and collected. Luca nodded, his video feed showing his hesitant face. That was what everyone said after all, and the faster they got on with it, the faster they could end this all. But just as Xavier was about to take a swing, he was stopped by a sudden prompt. The interface was similar to what D-29 usually uses to communicate with everyone else, but this one was flickering, unstable, and most definitely repeating. And it was just one symbol, pulsing red: [!] [!] [!] "What the—?" Asked Ollie who, like everyone, saw the prompt. Even D-29 was caught off guard, especially as the prompt shimmered, jittering in and out like a system on the verge of collapse. Then another flicker. A second prompt tried to form. It glitched at first, then stabilized for half a second: [ANNEX DUNGEON?] [YES][NO] Luca stared. This thing was prompting him like this. "Now it’s asking a question...?" "What?" Xavier asked, not seeing anything but the pulsing exclamation. Even D-29 sounded disoriented. "Host! This is...highly unusual. I am unable to access the interface while synced as a mecha unit. This request is outside my current permissions." "It’s asking me to annex the Dungeon." He said, telling them what he was seeing, since it seemed like only he could see it. "D-29, what would that mean for us?" verified the dungeon owner, who wanted to know the risks. Now, D-29 had no further access to its assigned dungeon, but its last information about such a thing was when the prompt for the Dungeon-Linked Space came up. "Host the last related information about annexing was when it came up as a condition for the existence of Dungeon-Linked Spaces." "One was when a dungeon assimilates after annexation. And the other was when the number of usable dungeons was too low," reiterated the little system. That was obviously a surprising discovery, which wasn’t even normal because D-29 said he didn’t find it in the standard manual, but it was filed under the emergency one. So this was likely considered an emergency. Well, it did look like one. Especially when the prompt flickered once more, this time becoming more unstable. [AN__X D_NGEON?] [YE_][_O] While the corruption no longer surged toward the tree, it was clear that the expanding barrier could no longer sustain itself. Luca thought back to the last Dungeon-Linked Space they activated. If this worked the same way, then maybe they’d have the time to study it more, right? Right. He hoped. It could be dangerous, but something about the way the prompt flickered—unsteady, desperate, unsettled him. It reminded him too much of D-29, and the idea that there could be someone like D-29 trapped in here made his chest tighten. And Luca didn’t like how this made him feel. So he bypassed his hesitation and pressed [YES]. Then everything around them froze. And it felt like time itself stilled, and for a moment, Ollie gawked. "It’s like we’re in one of those movies," he whispered. "Where time stops and we’re the only ones moving." Then the core lit up—blinding, radiant. Squinting wasn’t enough. The sheer brightness forced them to shield their eyes. The air screamed with raw data. Pulses of light shot outward in perfect rings, symbols none of them could recognize flashing before vanishing in an instant. The tree’s containment field flared to near combustion as if celebrating its release. And in that eruption, new prompts stabilized long enough to read: [Dungeon Core Annexation Approved.] [Initiating Transfer to New System Host.] [Thank you. Congratulations on annexing Dungeon D-64.] [Initiating System Reboot... 00:10:00] This time, they all saw the timer. Clear. Red. Counting down. But before they could register the implications, a sharp crack split the air. Then the massive red crystal in its center flickered suddenly and then fractured. And their heads turned just in time to watch a second crack race across its length like lightning. Just before the entire crystal shattered. A cascade of glasslike shards rained down as the red core broke apart. They didn’t know it yet, but the system, freed from its previous constraints, had finally released the last of its energy to reset the dungeon, no longer required to protect its original host. And what had it been protecting? Inside the crystal, suspended in stillness, was an ancient goat. The real deal this time, as Luca was the one who finally recognized what it was after being momentarily stunned. But the crew did not have time to dawdle and draw conclusions as the ground trembled, just as the ceiling groaned. "Master! This place might be coming down." Offered Sid, who had readings of massive ground movements. Cracks spiderwebbed across the dome’s shell, and Kyle decided to put off waiting as he scooped the goat up as gently as a mecha would allow. "We’re taking it?" Asked Ollie, who had reservations about anything labeled as "goat." "Yes, we’re taking it. It’s not dead. Mecha scan says it’s alive—barely," replied the adjutant, who was now concentrating on rushing after Xavier and Luca. "Host!" D-29 buzzed with renewed urgency. "We’re beginning to regain access to the dungeon system! The inventory is partially available!" "!!!" Luca gasped. "You’re serious?!" It was the best news they’d had all day. The three of them tore through the corridor, energy crackling as Luca siphoned every last trace of corruption within range he could reach. They couldn’t port yet, as Kyle tried sending the goat over, but if Luca could now use the inventory, then that just meant one thing. It was just a matter of time. Now, hopefully, they get to leave first before this entire thing comes crashing down!

Chapter 341: Prompts

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