The Stargazing Witch & The Dungeon Planet

Side Chapter Espoiramissa 0: Dungeon Planets

It was around the early periods after The Shift and the dungeonisation of Earth that another planet in a different galaxy also underwent the effects of dungeonisation.

Left alone to its own devices, it fully completed its development and became a complete Dungeon Planet. Without a single human nearby to hamper its progress. 

It was the only Dungeon Planet to have this luxury. While there were others to become completed, they appeared later in humanity's life after reclaiming Earth and had members of humanity try and stop them from being completed. Not that they were necessarily successful. 

So there it stood in the far reaches of an unpopulated galaxy, the oldest Dungeon Planet–Espoiramissa. 

In the current age, there were fifteen Dungeon Planets in existence and were all considered off-limits and banned from traveling to. Some have tried to conquer them. New advancements in technology have made the galaxy's militaries and hunters ever stronger. With high-grade military suits greatly increasing one’s physical strength, endurance and durability, and weapons with firepower many times greater than the last. About every three hundred years someone would try to conquer one and it had been six hundred years since an attempt was made on Espoiramissa.

Still even while possessing confidence in spades, they all ended in failure. Then a bunch of financial burdens were thrown on top of that failure because the act was illegal.

Even ignoring the immense power of the creatures on a Dungeon Planet, facing down a sentient adversary wasn’t going to go well. Especially when they could see every action the attacking force was making.

Well, that wasn’t exactly common knowledge. 

Only about fifty humans throughout history have learned that fact, but most didn’t live long after learning that fact.

So depending on how one looked at it, knowing that Dungeon Planets were sentient was either extremely lucky or unlucky event.

Dungeon Cores weren’t naturally sentient and Dungeon Planet Cores weren’t any different in that regard. It wasn’t until 50% completion a glimmer of that spark was achieved and not until 99% was it fully formed. The speed did vary and most of the high percent Dungeon Planets that were conquered were the ones who didn’t form a complete sense of self. 

So there it existed, Espoiramissa, the oldest Dungeon Planet. 

It watched the life on its surface formed and acted chaotically and orderly. Terrifying monsters and clever predators. 

But Espoiramissa did get a bit bored at times. 

Now being bored couldn’t be described in exactly human terms. As a normal human might go insane if they were bored like that for over a thousand years.

Espoiramissa did listen in on the changes and ongoings of the human races through its connections. And learning about their forward while simultaneously backward development did bring it a laugh once in a while. Having gained the knowledge of the Earth’s Dungeon Core after its defeat. 

However, it wanted something a little more exciting. It didn’t need to happen more than once, but just for something actually interesting to happen. Its planet's ecosystem had reached a state of equilibrium of stability. Life changed but it was always stuck in a cycle, it wanted to add some spice but from its experience, it wouldn’t bring any worthwhile change. 

Then along came a weak injured woman. 

Espoiramissa didn’t expect much but decided to help Ceella survive the crash after she was clearly left crippled after an assault by her own race. 

So after saving the re-newborn child, Espoiramissa decided to raise it. Only meaning that Espoiramissa didn’t try or order anything to kill it like it had done before with humans entering the planet. It had no plans to save her if she would die again, but it did think it would be nice for her to survive and grow. It might be a good spark after all for some interesting change and development to happen on Espoiramissa's stagnant surface. 

Then after nearly four and half years, Espoiramissa decided to make contact. It knew the human’s wish. It had watched her change over the years to becoming more suitable to live on the planet. And Espoiramissa did become a little fond of this now-grown Ceella. 

(“ I won’t let you leave that easily ”)

The wish to leave. 

For her family.

For revenge.

For a moment of peace.

Espoiramissa was happy to make that wish a reality. Technically it was the only one who could, without any input on its part Ceella would realistically be trapped there until the day she died. 

Espoiramissa wanted Ceella to belong to it and it wanted Ceella to grow. Both things could never happen if no attempt was made to change the current situation. 

Ceella was reaching the limits of her growth, not necessarily the physical limits, but any drive to progress further. While there were still many stronger than her, she had adapted to her new life and it was unlikely she would take massive risks in just the pursuit of strength.

So Espoiramissa planned and thought of a few different ways to achieve its goals.

The decided answer was the simplest and one of the most efficient. Give Ceella exactly what she wanted for a price. 

(“ It’s been fun so far ”)

Espoiramissa thought. Through a fragment directly connected to Ceella’s soul, it looked at the quiet city of Newcastle. 

As the Stella family got ready for the festival and the eventual cure for the youngest.

(“ Best be careful ”)

It warned Ceella multiple times. Through its connections, it knew trouble was brewing but lacked the ability to find out where or even how. If it did know those things and it would’ve told Ceella immediately, to get her moving again.  

(“ Or it will end in my reward of the deal coming to fruition much faster than either of us expected  ”)

While excited to reap the rewards, Espoiramissa was a little disappointed if it happened so soon. So it reminisced on the past five–nearly six–years they spent together. And what a joyous six years it's been.