We didn't had much to do when the next day came, so with everyone, we quickly decided to delve into the mysterious Yggdrasil Dream Dungeon. I remember only clearing the first Floor, but I don't really remember how many it had. It was certainly immense though.
"Alright, ready?" I asked my family.
"As ready as I can. Been a while since we've had a nice warmup." Benladann said.
"Yeah, enough slacking around!" Miranda agreed.
"Fighto!" Benladra was excited as well.
"Tree? Dungeon?" Kate wondered.
"Yep, this is a dungeon I created myself! I acquired the ability not so long ago. Apparently melding Dreams with Dungeons make for some very amazing and interesting dungeons themed after the place I create the dungeon." I said, the gates opened as we all flew inside the dungeon without further ado.
It felt as if we had reached a different space. It as still something of a pocket dream realm or dungeon dimension, not bigger than its own boundaries.
When we opened our eyes again, we found ourselves standing in the middle of an enormous grassland. Surrounding me there was a sea of blue water waving peacefully. Yeah, this is the big island I remember from the first visit I gave to this place.
And in front of us, there was a tree, bigger than the one back home by far, it was so big and glorious it extended over the entire island- no, this was as continent. There was a desert to the west, ice lands to the east, jungles to the north, and this grassland in the south. The sky was blue and peaceful, but I noticed birds flapping their wings around. Could they be real or mere dreams?
It felt like a world on its totality, not just a dream… Is this the power of a Dream Dungeon? The realism is completely shocking. But I wonder if this is all, at the end, truly real… I could perhaps explore the rest once we're done here. But it feels like once I finish the dungeon, things might change. This place… this "seed" might develop further.
"Woah… this is another world or something?" Wondered Benladann.
"The air is so fresh and there's a sea over there!" Miranda said. "But I cannot detect a single person."
"Wooow! Jungle!" Benladra said.
"Desert…" Kate pointed at the faraway deserts.
And right as we were admiring this place, something happened, there were some new notifications. These were not directly related to the System at all. It almost seemed as if the Dungeon itself was able to speak to us through the System instead.
Everyone that had my Dragon Mark had access to the System to an extent, where they can see their Status and also Abilities, which was first given to everyone through the Job and Skill System through the Dragon Marks.
[You have entered the [Dream Nightmare Dungeon Labyrinth of Yggdrasil]!]
[The [Challenge of the Dungeon] has started]!
[Whenever the [Challenge of the Dungeon] is completed, you can acquire the Dungeon on its totality, and acquire wondrous rewards!]
[Defeat the Final Boss and understand the history and secrets behind the Dungeon to reach the end of the Challenge!]
"I-Is everyone seeing the same thing I am seeing?" Benladann asked.
"I am!" Miranda said.
"Hmm! Words…" Benladra was trying to discern them but she had yet to fully learn how to read.
"Ooohh… Dungeon… challench." Said Kate.
"Yeah, this is the Dungeon Voice. The first time I stepped here, the same message popped up. It shows though my System Unique Skill. All of you are connected to the System through my Dragon Marks." I said with a smile. "The Dungeon's in the very tree, so let's go explore it!"
"A-Alright, wait, don't go so fast Drake!" Benladann sighed. "Dears come with mommy."
"Oway!" Kate followed obediently, but Benladra was getting distracted with all the scenery.
"Benladra, don't get so sidetracked, come with me." I called her.
"Oohh!" Benladra quickly flew back to us.
"This tree is almost the same size as the one back in the divine realm, right? No… it is way, way bigger!" Miranda said.
"Yep, it is like ten times as big…" I laughed while admiring the beauty of the tree, even if it was dreams, it was truly an awe-inspiring sight.
CREAAK!
Suddenly, the branches started moving, eyes emerged from them, glowing bright green, and larger figures started popping out of the tree's branches.
"Wait, what's that?!" Asked Miranda. "The tree's branches are moving?"
"No, they're monsters!" Benladann said. "And tons of them! Like over ten!"
"Plant monsta!" Said Benladra.
"Salad…!" Kate said.
"Yep, these guys… I remember them quite well." I sighed.
[Yggdrasil's Falcon Guardian] [Rank: 7 (Middle Stage)] [Status: Watching, Alert]
A Guardian of the Yggdrasil Tree, taking the shape of enormous Falcon, they can easily fly across the skies, evade attacks and maneuver wondrously. They seek to protect the tree from invaders and are capable of viciously attacking with both magic and physical combat. Their watchful eyes always will spot an invader.
[Fortune]: [C-]
[Physical Strength]: [C+]
[Magical Power]: [C+++]
[Dexterity and Agility]: [B]
Abilities: [Watchful Eye] [Yggdrasil's Endurance] [Divine Leaf Feather Storm] [Piercing Wood Spears] [Berserk Fury] [Divine Barrier]
I guess they haven't gotten stronger or anything. They're still pretty weak, perfect warmup for the family. Even though I completed this Floor, the Monsters still continue to emerge once we get closer. I guess that's for the better, we can get a lot of fighting experience this way.
Though I had never tried absorbing divinity from them. But it might be dangerous, if I end up absorbing the divinity of the whole dungeon then it might end up getting destroyed. I better be careful while we are here, Divinity Absorption can be a double-edged weapon sometimes.
"CRAAAAAH!"
The Gryphons cried furiously, flying towards us boldly, even without fearing that everyone in my family were a whole and a half rank higher than them, and I was two ranks higher. I guess they're really just birdbrained.
