Entry Twenty One

Dear Diary,

I decided to try something different with my next room. I know it seems a bit wasteful to use my limited dungeon resources to make things besides challenge rooms and monster fields, but I don't want to live my life only thinking about that. I can't leave the dungeon, so I need to ensure that I make it a place I don't mind living. That means creating some rooms just for the beauty and relaxation it can bring into my life.

In this case, I am planning to build a room to house the jade tree frogs and koi fish I previously gained access to. I haven't really made any round rooms before, this will be the first one. However, I feel like it will go well with the pond I plan to put in the middle of the room. I'm even going to place an island in the middle so I can place a beautiful willow tree on it. I'm pretty sure it will end up being one of the most peaceful rooms in my entire dungeon, possibly even better than the garden meadow rest area I made before.

Honestly, I'm still struggling with the balance between building up dungeon defenses and my desire to make the first floor safe enough for locals, young aspiring adventurers, etc. I can't afford to leave myself completely defenseless or else my dungeon could disappear from this world and I'd likely end up dying for good in the process. Well, there is no guarantee I wouldn't be reincarnated again, but I doubt I'd get to keep my memories this time. Theodore did say that I was the only one he had ever heard of who got to retain their memories.

I don't know that I'm ready to give up my memories of Lee and my family. I used to think that I didn't have a reason to fight for my life in this world. That it was torturous to be forced to remember a life that I can't return to. However, as time passes, I can't help but find myself changing my mind. The longer I live, the longer I can keep their memories alive. I can even share the joy that they brought me with the people of this world. By making challenges in their memory, my loved ones can live on in this world. It would be a shame if I ruined that by dying too quickly and giving up this chance.

Most of the rooms I make in the future will likely be more subtlely based on my loved ones. Maybe I'll have a challenge reward that incorporates a gift someone once gave me. I could also just as easily write a poem on a sign that used to be my mother's favorite without it having to be related to anything in the room. Just little things like that can help make this dungeon feel more mine, more like home.

It isn't like I'm lacking inspiration or like I have to worry about my memory fading either. That's one of the peculiar things about being bonded to this dungeon. My dreams are always memories of the past and I can always recall even the smallest details in perfect clarity. If I want to recreate a store-bought treat, I just have to think about it and any memories of nutrition labels and ingredients lists will immediately pop into me head. I never really paid too much attention to that stuff before, but even a glance at that sort of thing is enough for me to remember it now. It certainly helps with building the dungeon now, which is likely why its even a thing.

I'll write more later, it seems my friend Elivyre just arrived. I always look forward to her visits so much, she really is becoming my best friend in this whole world.

-Violet