As his creatures prepared to head out, Valterra finally decided to explore one of the rooms he had so far left alone. Moving quickly, his awareness flowed into the furnace room where a roaring flame could still be seen burning calmly within its black iron prison. Now that he was here, Valterra could see the plumes of heat rippling from the furnace before him.

  He began by scanning the whole room for any anomalies but found none. This was all to the good as far as he was concerned, but it didn’t explain the strange flame in the furnace. For one thing, the fact that the heat was still working was interesting, considering that the master of the cabin had been dead for some time. It was only when he looked inside that Valterra realized there was a good reason for the magical, never-ending heat.

  Hovering in midair was an Aether core, but it was immediately apparent to Valterra that this was not from a dungeon creature. The core devoured Aether in the truest sense, guzzling it down like some thirst-addled beast. Runes blazed vibrantly all along its uneven, jagged surface as the Aether it consumed was fed into them. As Valterra’s gaze passed over it, he felt the System buzz before golden text revealed itself.

  Heart of Flame (Rank B - Silver) - Artifact

  Crafted with immense skill from the monster core of an Ignis Lizard, this artifact retains much of that beast’s affinity for fire. Repurposed for heating purposes, this artifact is capable of producing truly intense amounts of heat and can do so indefinitely as long as the Aether supply lasts.

  Huh, it's just a heating implement? Valterra couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. I guess even an Archmage gets cold in the winter. Still, the core was outputting a tremendous amount of heat, to the point that Valterra turned to the furnace in confusion. It should have been melting now that he thought about it. On closer inspection, the furnace bore several runes that Valterra had never noticed before, with many of them being so carefully wrought that he confused them as just another part of his dungeon body.

  Now that’s more like it! Whether he liked it or not, Valterra was gradually finding the Archmage Calamvor to be rather impressive. The man had known his rune craft, and his memories often confused the Core. The man did not come across as power-hungry or ruthless; quite to the contrary, Valterra’s borrowed memories more often than not portrayed the man as a kind and generous individual.

  Laying aside his speculations on the character of his creator, Valterra dived into his dungeon sense to figure out what the runes on the furnace did. There were Runes of Holding that seemed to contain Aether for the furnace to use. Other runes seemed to accumulate the Fire-Attuned Aether that the Heart of Flames produced in abundance before passing that Aether off to another rune that used it to create the weird fire that hung suspended in the furnace. Still others went…other places.

  His dungeon sense expanded, following the connection between runes, and he found many of them scattered around the home. As he zoomed in, he realized that each one was emitting the same amount of heat, allowing each of the rooms to maintain a stable temperature. Valterra felt the air outside and confirmed that the inside was warmer than the outside by a few degrees. He wondered why that was.

  His creator’s memories were quick to supply an answer. Calamvor had come from the south, and the weather was much warmer down there than in the Far North Reaches. From the memories he had, fragmented as they were, Valterra quickly realized that he was in the midst of summer, the warmest time of the year, and that colder weather would soon be coming. He had already suspected that would happen, but it was nice to have confirmation.

  Still, he had come into possession of a decent amount of fire-themed Frameworks, and with the Heart of Flames as the inspiration, he was sure he could make something great. The first thing that he did was take the furnace and recreate it, but covering the whole room. His ability to both see and manipulate Aether made fashioning the runes a breeze. He kept them dormant even as he simultaneously moved the Heart of Flames out of its original containment and into the center of the new room.

  Valterra watched as the runes lit up and made sure that everything was working as it should. Satisfied that the house wasn’t going to go up in flames, he moved on to the next idea in his head. The Winterberry Holly had given him an idea, and he wanted to see if he could come up with something new. He might end up needing to wait until he had the Potential for it, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

  The first thing he did was scour his whole territory for the right kind of Framework. He knew they were there, and he was looking for a specific kind of plant, finding some at the very edge of his territory, right where the trees met the magical barrier his creator had established. Tree seeds. Some he chose not to claim, for the same reason he hadn’t done it before when he was expanding.

  He had no interest in a Mundane seed, but he was sure there were some Ascendant variants around. He found three.

  New Frameworks acquired!

  Northern Pinewillow (Rank F - Copper)

  A resident of the Far North Reaches, the Northern Pinewillow is an evergreen coniferous resinous tree that can survive even in harsh, cold environments. With heights ranging from 10 to 260 feet, depending on age, these giants are well known for their drooping branches. Sturdier than expected, these trees utilize their minor Nature Affinity to sustain themselves during the cold season.

  Title “Transcendent Tiny Dungeon” has gone into effect. When summoned by Valterra Unok’Davaas, the Framework “Northern Pinewillow” will be affected in the following ways.

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  Effect: Each Northern Pinewillow costs 90% less Aether to summon, but is reduced in maximum size by a factor of 1/24th. The maximum size, therefore, is now reduced to 10 feet 10 inches from 260 feet.

  Sylcyne Sugar Maple (Rank F - Copper)

  A deciduous tree known for its sugary sap. Utilized by mortal alchemists to create a number of tasty treats, this tree is sought after by forest denizens as well. Highly prized as a source of sugar-rich food, there will often be small communities formed around Sugar Maple groves. This Sugar Maple dwells within the Sylcyne Forest and has adapted to live within its verdant domain.

  Title “Transcendent Tiny Dungeon” has gone into effect. When summoned by Valterra Unok’Davaas, the Framework “Sylcyne Sugar Maple” will be affected in the following ways.

  Effect: Each Sylcyne Sugar Maple costs 90% less Aether to summon, but is reduced in maximum size by a factor of 1/24th. The maximum size, therefore, is now reduced to 4 feet 8 inches from 115 feet.

  Northern Mountain Ash (Rank F - Copper)

  Praised for its pale wood, Northern Mountain Ash is used by carpenters as far south as the Culdor Peninsula. Its Nature affinity has been tuned to resisting rot and disease, making it exceptionally easy to ship long distances. Its fruit, tiny little berries, provide sustenance to numerous kinds of birds and small mammals.

  Title “Transcendent Tiny Dungeon” has gone into effect. When summoned by Valterra Unok’Davaas, the Framework “Northern Mountain Ash” will be affected in the following ways.

  Effect: Each Northern Mountain Ash costs 90% less Aether to summon, but is reduced in maximum size by a factor of 1/24th. The maximum size, therefore, is now reduced to 1 foot 7 inches from 40 feet.

  Excellent. These will do nicely. I'm not sure what I'll use the ash for, but the other two I can use right now. First, the Pinewillow, and then the Sugar Maple.

  Perfect. He took the Framework of the Northern Pinewillow straight to the Helpdesk to modify it. He had no idea how long it would take a tree to Ascend normally, but just looking at the inner workings of the Framework had him believing it would take a long, long time. That was something he would have to change. To do that, he would need to go to the very beginning of the tree's life cycle.

  The first thing he did was isolate the seed of the tree, and he was astounded by the amount of detail it contained. Everything the tree needed in order to become a towering giant was contained within it. That was what allowed Valterra, or any other dungeon, to summon a whole tree out of Aether, fully grown and planted. Of course, in order for Valterra to get the same size, he would have to start with the seed and grow it naturally, due to his title.

  Still, while he could do that, Valterra had other plans. He had seen how the environment could change things, and his title, Transcendent Tiny Dungeon, allowed him to speed up the growth of plants with Aether as long as they started as seeds. Well, what if he made the growth aspect of the seed synonymous with Ascension?

  In theory, it would mean that he could speed through Ascensions by funneling Aether to make them grow. He didn’t know if it would work, of course, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try. He made the image of the seed central to his vision, and eyed all the Aether swirling around the Framework. All of that energy was directed toward growth in different ways, so it was rather simple to focus all of it on the seed itself.

  It took some time, but eventually he reduced the Northern Pinewillow Framework to the seed, making it the totality of the Framework itself. He wouldn’t even have had the idea if he hadn’t already had two examples of it. The Sylcyne Mountain Eft and the Sylcyne Caterpillar. Both of those Frameworks were juvenile stages on their Path of Ascension. The eft had reached adulthood with its Ascension and became a Sylcyne Mountain Newt. All of that had prompted a question in Valterra’s mind.

  Why can’t I do the same with a tree?

  Now, all he needed to do was answer the question. Deep within the Framework of the seed, he placed three runes. The first was the Rune of Holding, which he hoped would allow it to absorb Aether more readily; the second was the new Rune of Fire Affinity, and the third was the Rune of Fire Generation. He watched as the seed crackled, with the three runes flashing with power. When the flash ended, the three runes were gone, and yet the seed felt so different, he figured he had succeeded in some way. The notification that followed confirmed it.

  A new stage on the path of Ascension for the Framework “Northern Pinewillow” has been created! You have made a never-before-seen plant using your ingenuity. In acknowledgement of your imagination, the High Council has paid the potential costs for this Framework.

  New Framework acquired!

  Pinewillow Emberseed (Unique, Rank E - Bronze)

  A Pinewillow seed that has undergone tremendous changes to shift its natural Aether Attunement from Nature to Fire. Transformed by the changes, this seed requires an immense amount of time and Aether to reach its potential and sprout. Created by the dungeon core Valterra Unok’Davaas, this form of plant life exists nowhere else.

  “Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me, nephew. Continue the good work! I’m eager to see what this seed will grow into. Additionally, consider this an official apology from the High Council for the role that Trik’Weri played in allowing your enemies to escape. Rest assured that there is more to come. ” - Qual’Dorn, High Spirit of the Natural Order.

  Valterra let out a relieved sigh. It had worked, but the message from Uncle Dorn took some of his happiness. It was just another reminder of the situation he had just survived. Still, it had worked; now came the hard part. He formed one seed in the center of the Furnace room after creating a bed of rock and dirt for it to sit in. Then, he breathed deeply before funneling Aether to help the seed grow. He felt his title flex as he used it to speed up the seed’s gestation period. He was certain he wasn’t using it in the way the gods had intended, but he figured it would be fine.

  It wasn’t long before he felt his title strain at the improper use, but the divine aspect kept it going. It took a ton of Aether, however, and more time than Valterra would have liked. It took a full day with regular intervals of rest before the seed began to shine with the light of Ascension. Releasing his hold on his Aether, Valterra let out a sigh of relief. His Core felt strained, and somehow his title did too. He was unlikely to do that again.

  Even as he released his hold on the seed and received the notification that he could create its next Ascension, he felt his rats clamoring for attention. They were ready for their expedition and seemed to need help leaving his dungeon. Valterra gave the core impression of a nod. He should have anticipated that they would need assistance. It seemed that Geckodo had left already, which was all to the good. Feeling his excitement rising, Valterra hurried to answer their calls. He could practically taste the new Frameworks.