In the forest of Marlwald, lived a necromancer. He was not your typical necromancer, for he didn't have undead hordes on his mind. Nor did he want to plunge the country he was in, Velvetia, into darkness and war. 

No, Constantine just wanted to live peacefully and harvest his dungeon. He was great friends with the dungeon core, Adam, and he guarded the dungeon. Adventurers were Constantine's greatest problem.

They came to the Dungeon of Herbs and tried to find treasure inside, when the only treasure to be found were the herbs. Mandrake grew side by side with mint and Angel's tear, a sure cure for the black plague.

The herbs were priceless, and Constantine was a master at gathering and selling them. With the money, he covered his expenses and he bought new herbs for Adam to add to his greenhouse caverns.

This bright March morning, Constantine was woken by a racket. Before his door was an adventuring party, and they looked peeved. Constantine sighed and put on a robe. With a sure step, he went and picked up his staff, ready to curse these busybodies who wanted to rob both him and his friend. 

“What do you all want?” This was quite the standard party. A sword wielder, an archer, and a healer. Constantine wanted to make sure they all had indigestion, or something.

“There is a barrier before the dungeon's entrance. Do you know who put it there?” Snapped the sword wielder. Constantine smirked.

“That would be me. And I am not removing it. Furthermore, I challenge you all to an honor duel!” The adventurers shared looks and the archer snickered.

“You are just one man,” he began, tone condescending. “You will never defeat us.”

“Oh, Aurora,” called Constantine in a sing-song voice. The three adventurers turned around to see a giant dragon with rotting skin and red, glowing, eyes shamble its way to them. “Still think I can't take you?”

The adventurers took one look at the dragon, which had smoke coming out of its maul, and ran. Constantine chuckled. Sure, a day may come when the ancient dragon mount that was located right next to the Dungeon of Herbs would fail him, but today was not that day, it seems.

With a sigh, Constantine took his washing supplies and a change of clothes and headed to Adam's dungeon. The only body of water in the entire forest was located inside the dungeon. So, that was where Constantine took his baths.

When he entered the dungeon, he checked on the back pain curing moss that grew by the entrance. One had to smoke it to feel better. It sold perfect in the town of Waldstadt. The elderly people in the town even had reservation lists with priorities on who got to get the moss each day.

So far, there was a bit of it missing, so, Constantine had to wait for it to regrow. That meant that he would need to sprinkle it with water to make sure that the moss colony grew healthy and strong. But the necromancer didn't mind. He loved gardening.

He made it to the pool cavern and undressed. The pool was a hot spring, so it was always a pleasant experience getting inside.

Adam had made a water filtering system consisting of pipes to cool the water for his plants, and that was how Constantine got his water. The necromancer heard a splash behind him, and he turned around.

Adam, the dungeon core, was relaxing at the edge of the pool and looking at Constantine expectantly.

“Adventurers came again,” supplied Constantine, taking in the naked form of his friend. Adam was a Naga, with a human upper half and a snake tail. Hit tongue was a human one, but his canines were pointy. Adam was dark haired, his hair being streaked with azure, and had green eyes, which was a stark contrast to Constantine's blonde hair and golden eyes.

“I wondered where the racket came from,” Constantine felt Adam's tail wrap around his torso and let himself be brought closer. “My valiant protector.”

“Adam, I am trying to wash,” Constantine chastised when the tail wrapped itself around his ass, the tip probing his entrance.

“Meh, you can always wash afterwards,” suggested Adam with a smirk.

“Aren't you worried? These were the third adventuring party this week. What if someone placed a bounty on you?” Adam shrugged.

“You will protect me, won't you, Tine?” Adam placed his arms around Constantine's shoulder and brought him closer for a kiss.

Constantine knew that Adam was just acting out of loneliness. He was bound to the dungeon and Constantine was his only company, if one didn't count the plants. And, while Adam did talk to them, it had been a lonely existence for him before Constantine had come one September morning.

“Adam, you don't really want this. Honestly, I should have never given you that book,” Constantine wiggled into the hold and Adam let him go.

“I want the same as what I have read. You are the kindest man I know, Tine. Do you not like me because I am a Naga? Or, is it because I am a dungeon core?” Constantine shook his head. No, Adam was attractive, honestly. But he was cursed to remain in this cave forever. And, while Constantine had a couple of more thousands of years ahead of him, he knew he couldn't give Adam the eternity he deserved. Besides, Adam was a recent dungeon. Just fifteen years old. Constantine felt dirty for letting Adam have a romance book, let alone not resisting enough when Adam made his advances.

“You are a wonderful child, Adam,” Adam frowned at him.

“Naga are considered adults at five,” reminded him, Adam and Constantine poked his nose.

“Look, ask me again in five years, if you haven't outgrown your crush,” Adam huffed and got out of the pool. He slithered deeper into his dungeon and Constantine took a bar of soap.

It would have been better, for his piece of mind, if Adam didn't look like an adult and if he wasn't sculpted like a god. But things were as they were. The only thing he could do was try to raise the dungeon core and let him find someone who was closer to his age than Constantine himself.