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A merchant stumbles on a grotto, lost. He eats his last apple. The merchant plants the seeds the next day to provide food for future lost travelers. 

And so, the nymph Theanore is born.

She would grow from a tiny seed to a splendid apple tree. She would meet many friends. Theanore will try her hand at being a merchant like her father. And she will get to know her lifetime companion, the merman Marinus.

But as every farmer can tell you, apple trees live only for about 150 years and so, with her tree dried up, so will Theanore die.

 But before that, she will live.

The Apple Grotto Nymph (Dungeon Core Fairy Tale)

"My name is Luca, and I'm here to hide from the bad merfolk," the dungeon core said, and Marinus smiled reassuringly at him.

"Nice to meet you, Luca! My name is Marinus. Not all merfolk are bad, you know. And Lady Alba isn't either!" Marinus said, and Luca snorted.

"Sure, she is!" Luca countered. "She keeps threatening to smash my crystal! But I can't let her go. I used up all of my mana to create her. And I used the rest to make my defenses."

"Do you wish to remain a dungeon core, Luca?" Marinus asked. It was not unheard of for dungeon cores to stop being such.

The predecessor of grandpa Thinker had given up and summoned grandpa Thinker from another world. This boy was unsuited to be a dungeon core. He needed to let go.

Chapter 71: Luca