ã€ŠThe Only Dungeonã€‹


 Crap this isnt good

    [Dungian]

    ¡°Oh infernal hell.¡± I said while looking down on the mortal world.¡± Dammit now I''ll have to do what those sissy britchessay for an eternity at least.¡± Looking back down upon the mortal world I see one of my most powerful creations the Godly ranked dungeon Sol destroying an entire human kingdom that had been built around it. Filvis I think it¡¯s called or was called, it¡¯s military just got wiped out and all the royal family just got ate. Wait, it seems like the prince and princess just jumped into a dimensional gate. Good job now I can pull some destiny crap and squeeze out as little punishment as possible.

    Sol my dungeon is a direct representation of me the goddess of dungeons Dungian and when it goes around destroying kingdoms and whatnot it makes me look bad and angers just about every other deity on this world.

    Oh infernal hell, I feel a dimensional gate opening up behind me. I''m not to worried its probably just Lilithian coming to yell at me for Sol destroying her church. Sol destroyed her church not me, I can''t really order my creations around all to well, but the rest of the gods don''t know that so. Ah the god or goddess is stepping out, time to see who is going to come yell at me first.

    Stepping out of the dimensional gate is a tall 7¡¯2 elvish women with glowing hair made out of pure energy, with skin of the fairest color that glows a soft golden aura, and eyes like diamonds that sparkle with radiant sunlight. She wears grey trousers of the finest silk, along with a long cloth shirt that stops at the middle of her thighs, buttons start halfway up to contain her medium sized breast. In all her glory the Elder Goddess of Essence, Magian. I freeze up, my whole body turns into a cold sweat. The most powerful deity on this planet Magian makes all the major decisions regarding our world Terra. She is in high sight my boss and also my mother.

    The 7¡¯2 elder goddess walks over too me without a word and stops right in front of me. I''m only 6 feet so she towers over me. I inherited some features from her like my eyes and hair, but I have a more human female look, a bigger rack and a more stylish red robe.

    ¡°Um, hello mother long time no see.¡± I manage to squeak out. Long time no see is a understatement, the last we saw each other was ten millennium ago when my dungeons first sprouted and I tried to stage a coup. I lost but did cause some major damage and name calling. She doesn''t respond just continually starring at me. We stay in this position for about three months. She didn''t even blink once, while my eyes slowly settled on the floor.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Finally the statue tenses her muscles and moves her right arm. I prepare for a slap, but instead she feels my hair that I keep up in a ponytail and is long enough to reach my calfs.

    ¡°What have you been using, your hair is so smooth and full of volume,¡± ask the elder goddess. Her voice is filled with power and wisdom of millions of years.

    That was not what I was expecting.¡± No I don''t really do anything with my hair.¡±

    Magian only nods and continues to feel my hair. Awkward silence starts again, but only last a week before she begins talking.¡± I''m remembering the last time we saw each other, you said some things that hurt me.¡± She begins to feel the hair in my ponytail.¡± Do you remember the words you used?¡± She ask me.

    That''s a trick question all deity¡¯s have perfect recall and the words I said were funny, at least to me. But, I''m going to play dumb.¡± Not really I was really emotional and was not thinking strait.¡± I sink my head low as if I was ashamed.

    She again only nods. After a few moments later she uses her left hand to grab my chin softly and tilt my head upwards to look at her in the face. Which is a very a high tilt.¡± Dungian,¡± she says softly. Hah I did it I lied my way out of trouble!¡± You area terrible liar.¡± Magian grabs my ponytail with her right hand and jerks it back. Then uses her left hand to clamp my mouth shut and also help slam my head into the floor. I immediately charge all types of essence into my body primary in my arms. I may not be able to defeat her, but with all my dungeons in the mortal world I can at least hold my own for a century or two to devise an escape plan. I jab with my right fist striking her in the temple making her head shoot to the left where my left fist is waiting to knock here in the forehead. Her hole body moves up but her grip on my face and hair doesn''t waver. Her huge left hand squeezes my face crushing it. I bring my legs up and cross them over her neck pushing her off of me, but my legs can''t match her height so she continues to bear down on me. I brace both elbows on the ground in an attempt to do a roll. But, something stops me. My arms feel so tired and my legs, she''s pushing them back down. My essence it''s leaving me. How? With all my dungeons I should have more power than this. I use my godly powers to check my dungeons. Nothing ¡­ absolutely nothing. WHERE ARE MY DUNGEONS! I begin to panic, has mother found a way to block my dungeons from me. She''s close to my face now, only a few inches away. My legs press down on my chest hard. Magian¡¯s giant left hand is still crushing my face.

    ¡°Oh, sweet Dungian don''t fret,¡±mother says to me in a soothing voice. Her right hand pushes stray pieces of hair of my face, while her left lessens its grip.¡± You have been led astray and I shall help you get back on the right path.¡±

    I look up at her in terror.¡± W-Where are m-my d-d-dungeons?¡±

    My body feels like it''s made of led I can''t move.

    Mother smiles as she responds.¡± All dead.¡±

    I break down and cry.

 Mother must know all

    [Dungain]

    Over the next few days mother manages to stop the downpour that was exiting my eyes by sitting me in her lap and stroking my hair and back. I''m a little ashamed that I was maneuvered into this position so easily and that I kind of like it sense my mother has a really comfortable lap. I still can''t move on my own though which is a problem.

    ¡°Don''t worry dear you¡¯ll get new dungeons soon don''t worry,¡± she said after I was done crying.

    I look up too her with hope surging through my body.¡± REALLY? WHEN?¡±

    ¡°After you tell me everything about your dungeons,¡± she said with that smile that scares me again.¡± You''ve managed to keep the inner workings of your creations a secret even to ME dear. Quite impressive, but after what just happened to Filvis I can''t let you make more dungeons intel I understand them as much as you do.¡± She says while twirling my hair in between her fingers.

    Death is probably better than this, but sense I''m immortal I don''t have that option.

    ¡° Okay, where do you want to begin?¡± I ask accepting the outcome. There''s no point in fighting I can''t even move and I really want my dungeons back, and her lap is really comfortable I''ll do anything she says at this point.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she crosses her legs over mine, wraps her arms around my tummy and rest her head on top of mine.¡± How about how you make the cores those really interest me.¡±

    I agree and start my explanation.

    ¡°First they are called Dungeon Souls. Earning that name because souls of the dead are the core, but are able to manipulate essence. I usually make them by getting souls of the damned from Mania and condescending the souls into a physical core. But not any soul will do because weak ones will create tiny cores the size of grains of sand.¡±

    Mother is quite for a few seconds before asking a question.¡± When you mean the souls of the damned from Mania do you mean the ones that did atrocities and committed genocides?¡±

    ¡°The same, the dungeon that destroyed Filvis was the General of the Death Army a while back,¡± I said smiling.¡± That one really hated people.¡±

    The smile from my mother is gone.¡± And why didn''t you use powerful souls that didn''t commit atrocities?¡±

    Oh crap, I just stepped on a landmine. How to diffuse this one?

    Before I can come up with a good lie mother grabs my jaw with her giant right hand. Seriously I now she''s 7¡¯2, but how can her hands be so big.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Quit scheming and tell me your answer.¡±

    ¡°They were easier to get than the good ones.¡± Ha take that it''s reasonable and only gives my down points for being cheap. Silence for a few moments while my mother processes my words.

    ¡°Dungian,¡± mother tells me,¡± I hate it when you lie, I have to punish now because of it.¡±

    I try to yell out but my mother¡¯s hand is already around my mouth.

    After I was punished I told mother everything about dungeons. Monsters, ecosystems everything. The entire process took about two years. I¡¯ve gotten some movement back into my body, but not enough to walk. If I ever will regain my strength I''ll need a dungeon. And not just me, yes dungeons where dangers places with unforgiving monsters that wanted to kill everything, but the loot that they dropped and their essence filled cores where unmatched. Actually major cities are probably running into their reserves right now, this world relies on dungeons without them it WILL fall apart.

    ¡°I have to say Dungian, your dungeons are just spectacular I can see why you like them so much,¡± my mother said while patting my head.

    Damn right they¡¯re spectacular and will this women stop patting my head, I''m already embarrassed enough just sitting on her lap, which I''m now facing towards her and to make matters worse are racks are touching I mean personal space please, patting my head just drives the nail through the coffin.

    ¡°You did say after I told you everything that I could get my dungeons back right?¡± I ask pouring every ounce of emotion I could into those words.

    ¡°Dungeon,¡± my mother holds up one finger,¡± just one. And your not getting back anything. Like I said before those genocide mad ingrates are all dead.¡±

    ¡°How did they die anyway?¡± I ask because I''m actually curious. Killing a dungeon is not a walk in the park, even the young ones. It would take someone of extreme power to kill off all of them at once, actually only a god ¡­ wait a minute.

    ¡°Oh, Lilithian came down and used her godly powers to annihilate them,¡± mother says with smile.¡± She''s half my strength now and her following tripled.¡± Mothers been using her divine sight to see what the rest of the world is doing, smart.

    Damn that Lilithian to hell. I have to devise a way to topple her, it''ll take time no drought but time is one thing we immortals have a lot of.

    ¡°Ahhh,¡± the hell, the back of my head feels like it''s being crushed by a ton of bricks.

    ¡°Stop scheming,¡± mother is in my face her right hand crushing the back of my head.¡± You''ll do nothing to any of the other deity¡¯s, or I''ll take away your ONE dungeon you understand me.¡±

    ¡° Y-yes, mother,¡± I stamper out feeling myself losing consciousness.

    ¡°Good,¡± mother smiles easing her grip on my head,¡± but what''s with all this mother nonsense. Call me what you used to.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± I deadpan her, no way in infernal hell I''m calling her that again.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°DO IT NOW,¡± mother¡¯s hair and eyes turn red and her aura intensifies to the max.

    ¡°Yes mommy.¡± I say immediately, Hugh I have officially no dignity left in me, I feel like a bitch.

    ¡°Now,¡± mother stands up, throwing me in the air in the process, then uses wind essence to carry me onto her back. I wrap my arms around her neck and mother grabs my legs.¡± I shall acquire you a soul.¡±

 Searching for a good soul

    [Dungian]

    Getting the right soul for a dungeon is extremely difficult. It needs to be smart, self reliant, and be able to take long periods of isolation, considering it''s a search just looking for smart souls it could take years. And with mothers no psychopaths rule it will only be longer. And Mania the death goddess, whose palace in the underworld where currently in, is getting a too big a kick out of my no walking predicament.

    ¡°My apologies Elder Magia for my incompetence I shall strive to better myself.¡± Says Mania bowing her head. Freaking boot licker, in your own throne room do you have no shame. Mania takes her job very seriously. Covering her entire 5¡¯11 frame in a black cloak, that covers her nonexistent chest, with the hody always pulled over her head and with a 6 foot scythe strapped to her back she''s has the pure presence of a death god. Plus she torments souls for fun, like what she is doing to me.

    ¡°And does the infant require a lollipop,¡± Mania points at me with a lollipop in her hand.

    ¡°You little bit-ugh.¡± Mania forces the lollipop into my mouth, its blueberry my favorite flavor. Damn that death goddess.

    ¡±That should keep her quiet for a little while don''t you think?¡± Mania ask sarcastically.

    ¡°Yes it should and Dungian dear,¡± mother turns her head towards me smiling that smiling that smile I¡¯ve been getting way too much of,¡± you almost said a rather distasteful word just then. Don''t. Say. It. Again.¡±

    Why does her glare have such fierceness ¡­ oh wait she''s an elder goddess who''s been around for millions of years. That probably helps someone improve their glare. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Yes moth-.¡± Magia¡¯s eyes and hair flash crimson warning of impending doom.

    ¡°Yes mommy.¡± I can feel my pride just gushing out now like a slash to the jugular. I''m just going to suck on my lollipop it doesn''t make fun of me, or make me do things I don''t want to do.

    ¡°If you do not have the soul we seek do you believe Filios will have it?¡± Filios is the god of heaven and killjoy. I mean I don''t know what''s stuck up his rear but it must be painful.

    ¡°No Elder Magia his souls wouldn''t be suitable for your purposes. They lack in intelligence which you want.¡±

    OOOOHHHH, Mania throwing some shade. I stifle my laughter by burrowing my face into the side of mothers neck, with the lollipop end sticking out the corner of my mouth.

    ¡°That is disappointing,¡± mother says deep in thought.

    Mania¡¯s boot licking instincts are kicking in.

    ¡°Elder Magia I could ask Death Gods from other worlds,¡± Mania suggest,¡± actually I believe a god named Hades put out an alert for a mass soul output.¡± Mass soul output means a bunch of souls are about to leave a planet, caused by either war, famine, war, floods, war and the biggest reason war. Gods put out these alerts because when a lot of souls leave a planet they tend to cause baby booms on others.

    ¡°That would be for the best Mania, I thank you,¡± mother smiles brightly causing Mania to almost collapse. What a kiss a- CRUNCH. Noooooo! I bit my lollipop off! I start thrashing around like crazy immediately getting the boot licker and my mothers attention.

    ¡°What ails you my child,¡± ask mother?

    I spit out the stick and make a grabbing motion with my hands.¡±Wowypop.¡± I say. Mania reaches into her rope and retrieves a raspberry flavor. Not as good as blueberry but I''ll take it. I open my mouth wide while Mania sticks the lollipop in.

    ¡°Good little girl,¡± Mania says while patting my head. I use the little strength in my arms to push off mother¡¯s shoulders and squeeze my breast together.¡±Bigger than you.¡± I smirked with the lollipop in my mouth. Mania¡¯s fist shakes in furry, then like lightning she grabs her scythe.

 Is this soul good enough?

    [Dungain]

    After mother dealt with Mania, by ordering her to reap all of the dead souls, she decided to personally talk to the god Hades via dimensional gate communication at her own palace in the sky. But, while that started up she wanted to have a little chat with me over how I will monitor my dungeon.

    ¡°Sense it shall be your only dungeon for the next 100 years, you are going to be monitoring its progress constantly and reporting any changes, to Scribios the god of books,¡± she explained while sitting on her giant loveseat with me on her lap AGAIN.¡±I shall be there also to monitor the dungeon AND you.¡± Yes mother I know you don''t trust me.¡±Once we talk to the soul and discover its affinity we shall assign a location. Also ¡­.¡± She''s quite for a few seconds, this can''t be good.¡± You''ve never mentioned if your dungeon souls have a gender, you''ve always prefer to them as it. Shall the one we choose have a gander or shall it be neutral?¡± Ah this question, I was wondering when it would come up. Actually the first dungeon I made I called¡­. um. Anyway moving on.

    ¡°They may if they choose to, but with no penis or vagina they don''t necessarily have a sex.¡±

    Mother nods in response. Right then the dimensional gate, that''s been hovering a few feet to are left, lights up signalling the god Hades from the other world is ready for communication.

    Perfect timing this one.

    Mother moves her left hand around beckoning the gate towards her. Then opens her hand palms out, saying.¡±Respond.¡± Finishing the connection between worlds. The dimensional gate is circular, floating 4 feet of the ground just head height for us sitting on the loveseat. Its circular shape begins showing a image of a red demon with horns sticking out its head.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Hello, Hades God of the Underworld speaking,¡± Hades says through the dimensional gate. Gods can¡¯t leave their world so any communication cross worlds uses dimensional gates.

    ¡°Hello, Magia Elder Goddess of Essence,¡± mother replies then points to me in her lap,¡± and Dungia Goddess of Dungeons.¡± Hades does a quick look at our current seating position then looks mother in the eyes. Once you¡¯ve been around long enough it takes more than two women lying on a couch together to distract you.

    ¡°We are contacting you for-.¡±

    ¡°Mania contacted me earlier giving the description of the soul you require. It should arriving in twenty minutes, I thank you and good luck in your endeavor, goodbye.¡± Hades shuts down the dimensional gate causing it to wink out of existence, but he made one mistake. He interrupted my mother. The Elder Goddess Magia does NOT get interrupted EVER. Even when I attempted a coup I never interrupted her when she spoke. I turn my head towards mother slowly. She''s still looking at where the dimensional gate is, her entire face is stoic, but it is hiding a internal fury. One no deity on Terra can match.

    ¡°Mommy,¡± I say pouring every ounce of concern into my voice. She looks down to me, and smiles. I damn near wet myself. That smile scars little children for life. Mother lays her right arm over my shoulders.

    ¡°I am going to have a discussion with Mania,¡± she gets up, slowly laying my upper body on the loveseat.¡±I shall return in twenty minutes.¡± I know better than to say anything, at this point Mania dug her own grave. And this will be the first time in two years I will be alone which is good. It takes mother less than a second to open up a dimensional gate and walk through it leaving me alone.

 NO!

    [Dungian]

    Waiting twenty minutes in silence gets boring especially when you can only barely move your arms, and when your lollipop is already eaten. But, it did give me time to reflect on ¡­. a lot of things. The main being my dungeons. When Sol destroyed Filvis there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Actually I hadn''t even spoke to it for at least two centuries so I don''t even know if it was even sane enough to talk too. My other dungeons weren''t favorites either, I did talk to the younger ones, but that was just to help them grow. My only gift as their Goddess. And what mother just ask about me calling them it¡¯s. That opened up a deep wound. My first dungeon, the one that gave me my domain, was the soul of a twelve year old boy Theseus. Though young his soul was monumental, allowing him to have a Dungeon Soul the size of a basketball, just being born he had a dungeon territory of a half a mile and he had three affinities. I spent centuries watching him grow and develop, in reality become a man.

    Then he found Demonic essence, I should have stopped him, should have made him banish that wicked stuff, but I didn''t. Instead I just sat and watched as he became consumed by the Demonic, as it warped his mind making him forget who he was, what he was. When I finally decided to do something it was already too late. He was no longer Theseus the dungeon, he was Diablo the demon dungeon. By then I had made several other dungeons each one strong in their own right. But none of them could match Diablo. Only I could defeat him. Being the dungeon goddess I could use the essence from all my dungeons even demon ones. So I Dungia Dungeon Goddess used my creations own essence to destroy his very soul. It was quick and painless. He was gone before he could even think about it. But my pain was endless.

    Being immortal I have eternity to think about ifs. What if I. Would this had happen if. Endless useless questions that do nothing, but cause pain. In my pain I lashed out making evil souls into dungeons. Attempting a coup against my mother. Causing destruction and misery where I was. Then Sol destroyed Filvis, my mother found me and Lilithian destroyed all my dungeons. Now I''m here. Lieing on my mother¡¯s loveseat unable to move, and my face is feeling wet so I must also crying.

    Damn.

    ¡°What a sorry excuse for a goddess I am.¡± I tell myself. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°No.¡± A voice says from above me.

    .........

    [Soul]

    I came into existence suddenly. One second I wasn''t there the next I just was. I appeared in a very beautiful place filled with many gorgeous things. But, one thing stuck out to me. It was a figure on a couch. I don''t know how I know that it''s laying on a couch, or even how I know it''s a figure. I just know. I stand, no I float above the figure. I don''t know how I know floating either, but it really doesn''t bother me. I just know. You know. I stay there floating above the figure for several minutes. Minutes? Yah minutes. I can''t really do anything, but float. Then I see the figure start to cry. Things cry when they are sad. No. No. Don''t be sad figure. I try to float down to the figure, but can''t. No, please don''t cry figure. That''s when it spoke.

    ¡°What a sorry excuse for a goddess I am.¡± It said crying even more.

    I hate that it sad. It makes me sad. No, you not sorry excuse for a goddess. No. No.

    ¡°No.¡±

    I finally manage to say. My body also feels like it''s been freed from invisible chains. I slowly float down, it''s still a struggle for me move like I have weights attached to me. Again I don''t know how I know these things I just do. I''m only a few inches above the figure or goddess as it says it was. It''s looking at me with shock in its eyes. Why shock. Am I not a common occurrence? It doesn''t matter I must make the goddess unsad. No happy, I must make the goddess happy.

    I must wipe away the tears, that should help I think. I try to force the tears away by sheer willpower, but that does nothing. What am I missing, how do I force the tears off the goddesses face. Force? THATS IT!!!! I start forcing the tears away by pressing them off her face, though I don''t have limbs. I''m not sure how it worked but it did. I wanted to speak again, but couldn''t. Speaking takes a lot of energy, and so does wiping away tears. Actually I don''t think I have any energy left in at all. My vision is beginning to fade. I can feel myself slowly falling apart.

    I''m about to die. I''ve been alive for less than six minutes and already am close to death. That''s terrible. Well at least I helped that goddess person.

    ¡°WAIT!¡± That goddess screams.¡±WILL YOU ACCEPT ME DUNGIAN THE GODDESS OF DUNGEONS AS YOUR CHOSEN DEITY.¡±

    Ha, well that''s something. I think I will take the goddess up on her offer. But, I''m out of energy. She''s waiting for my answer. I must give it, but my body is falling apart. I don''t have any energy to keep myself together, no. No excuses. Yes, I try to say. Yessss. Louder. YEssss. LOUDER!

    ¡°YES!¡± I scream back using my own body as an energy source.

 Becoming a Dungeon

    [Soul]

    My body starts falling apart at a much faster rate. I''ll be completely disintegrated in a matter of seconds.

    ¡°I DUNGIAN HEREBY ACCEPT YOU INTO MY DOMAIN. FROM THE TIME YOU ACCEPT ME TO THE TIME YOUR SOUL REENTERS OBLIVION YOU SHALL BE MY DUNGEON. THE DUNGEON ¡­. Z. NOW TRANSFORM INTO YOUR NEW BODY Z..¡± The goddess shouts back at me. Then my body starts rushing back to me, not all though most of it has disappear. What''s left of my body converges on a single point, I slowly harden into hexagon shape. I''m right above the goddess when I fully change. Completely white with a faint glow and from comparing to the goddess not that big, but I have a problem. With a new physical body I''m now falling. My body is incredibly tiny and falling from this height may kill me even if I land on the goddess.

    Falling is a new experience for me one I hope to never repeat again. I think it may be do to me now being a Dungeon Soul, but moving without control of my surroundings is terrifying. And even though the goddess looks soft I doubt the landing will be.

    The wind is rushing past me. The goddess is becoming larger so large it''s hard to see where she ends. Just how big is the goddess a mile, two. I''m getting closer. Just a few seconds from impact.

    Swish.

    Suddenly I''m in complete darkness with my body being squeezed to almost the breaking point.

    ¡°My Dungian that was spectacular,¡±a voice says. The voice radiated power, as if every word could wipe out a country. I feared the voice instantly, nothing that powerful should not not be feared.

    ¡°I am very impressed with you also Dungeon Soul,¡± light floods in and the face of the all powerful speaker appears. She produces power from every pore in her body. Her face is very beautiful with shining hair and eyes and pointed ears. I''m sitting on her index finger with with her giant face above me.

    ¡°Speaking must have taken a lot of your energy. Yet, you spoke nonetheless.¡± She moves me closer to her eye.¡±Tiny little thing aren''t you.¡±

    I try to respond, but I''m completely dry of energy. Not a single drop.

    The goddess or Dungian on the couch calls to the speaker.¡± It''s completely out of essence moth-mommy. It can''t respond.¡±

    The speaker turns her eyes towards Dungian.

    ¡°I know dear, I am just checking its affinity,¡± the speaker looks back at me.¡±Hello young one or Z as my daughter has named you. I am Magian Elder Goddess of Essence,¡± Magian moves over to the couch lifting up Dungian with one arm sits down then places Dungian on her lap. I have a feeling I''m witnessing one of the greatest things ever, but not so sure what.

    ¡°I''ve allowed your creation on an understanding with Dungian that you shall behave and follow our orders. I know you are only minutes old but try to comprehend what I''m saying. You do not have to do much else, but be yourself and grow. Though we shall intervene if we think you are being too ¡­ ferocious. Understand?¡±

    I have no idea what she''s talking about, but I don''t have any other options, or do I?

    ¡°Now I,¡± Magian said while gesturing towards herself,¡± shall teach you Essence gathering and later Dungian,¡± she pats Dungian¡¯s head,¡± shall teach you about being a dungeon.¡± Essence Gathering? Dungeon? I heard Dungian mention the latter earlier, but I have no idea to what they are.

    ¡°Your teachings with me shall begin immediately,¡± Magian says while rearranging her position on the couch. With me still on the tip of her index finger she begins her lesson.¡±Now youngling I need you to look inside yourself.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    I do what she ask and turn my field of vision all 360 degrees of it and look inside myself. I''m white on the inside with a perfect structure. And the center is glowing with must be my mind. Nothing else besides those things. I return my vision towards the goddess waiting for further instructions.

    ¡°No young one not like that. Focus not on your physical body, but on your spiritual one.¡±

    What is a spiritual body? Does this goddess not know I''m only a few minutes old.

    ¡°The spiritual body is where you collect and store essence. It is comprised of two Chambers. The shape of them differ from being to being. The first chamber is where you shall gather essence while the second is where your crowns reside. I''ll explain crowns later so just focus on the first chamber. Now young one in order to see your spiritual body you must feel it within yourself.¡±

    Why didn''t she start out with that explanation?

    So I must feel my spiritual body. How do I feel in the first place? Getting sidetracked I must feel, feeeeeel.

    I begin to feel myself. For some reason that sounds wrong. How about, I began to feel for my spiritual body. I don''t find anything for quite a while. I think it would be a year but I''m not quite sure. The entirety of my search Magian and Dungian sit without making a sound with my sitting on her index finger the entire time.

    .....

    [Dungian]

    Z¡¯s been searching for a long time now. Two years in fact. I understand what mother is doing with the training, though I have mix feelings about it. The training she''s putting him through is going to give veteran level control over his essence at fledgling. Which with him being a dungeon that is essential. But, there''s a good chance that he may not survive it. She''s been feeding him essence the entire time which is the only reason he hasn''t gone dormant. But, in order for him to start Gathering on his own mother will have to cut him off.

    That will be the most crucial time. If he doesn''t start Gathering essence immediately he will die.

    ......

    [Z]

    I FOUND IT! I think? My spiritual body is two spheres connected by a pathway. Though the pathway is blocked. I see something swirling in the top one, where is it coming from? I look at the trail of stuff, following it back outside to Magian.

    ¡°Good young one you found it.¡± She says smiling.¡± Now listen very carefully, I''m currently sending you essence in order to keep you alive. But you need to start collecting essence on your own. To do that you must grab the essence with your mind and pull it towards you.¡±

    I think I understand it, but I feel like it will be better if I have more explanation.

    ¡°Now I am cutting you off right now. Good luck I hope you survive.¡± She smiles like she didn¡¯t just cut off my only food supply. Dungian looks at her mother with a sharp gaze, but doesn¡¯t say anything. Wait like right now or in like five minutes.

    My mind starts to slow down and my body feels like it¡¯s losing its life force. Right now I guess. I start looking where to grab and what. There. There is something in the air. They are little particles of different colors scattered through the air. I reach out and grab on one pulling it in. I feel the energy replenish me. But it¡¯s not enough, I need more. I began to devour every piece of particle I can get my mind on. I can¡¯t eat everything only the brown particles, everything else just gets bounced off my top sphere. After a few minutes a steady stream is flowing into me without me having to concentrate though it increases substantially when I do.

    ¡°Great young one. You have survived your first of many challenges!¡± Magian exclaims excitedly. This woman is insane get me away from her now please. I look over at my goddess Dungian. She just shakes her head mouthing just go along.¡±Now I shall give you the quick explanation on essence gathering and usage then Dungian will tell you how to be a dungeon. First,¡± she scoots Dungian up and puts her on the ground,¡±natural cultivation is the natural speed a living being takes in essence. Sense you are a Dungeon you already have a high natural cultivation speed. Cultivation is when you consciously take in essence, which for you is earth essence one of the most common affinity¡¯s. Now you already know how to cultivate moderately well so I have no need to go into specifics with you on that,¡± she zones out for a second then comes back to the conversation.¡±I trust you to discover the rest out on your own. Dungian I will give you some power to transport him to a location of your choosing and I shall supply you continuously so you can keep accurate taps on him. Goodbye and make sure he doesn¡¯t go insane.¡±

    Magian disappears leaving me falling, but then Dungian shoots up catching me.

    ¡°Wahooo.¡± She scream jumping up and down.¡±I can move again.¡± She back flips off the couch somehow going through the floor. Now we are free falling down to the ground.

    AHHHHHHHH!

    ¡°WEEEEE!¡±

    Don¡¯t you wee me this is terrifying. She begins to fly horizontally away from the sun.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Z I already have the perfect place picked out, I¡¯ll explain on the way what it is like to be a dungeon.¡±

 Ant Hole

    A figure lands in a grassland in the middle of nowhere. No predatory animals come around here do to only small prey. The figure points her index finger in the air and speaks some words. Inaudible to any mortal ears. Then she turns her hand upside down dropping something miniscule into a ant hole in the ground.

    [Z]

    After Dungian gave me the last bits of advice on being a dungeon she dropped me into a ant colony disappearing in the wind.

    The fall felt like an eternity, but it is only due to my small sizes. Once I land an ant immediately comes and picks me up walking me down their maze like hallways. This ant brings me down far into the colony then at a random intersection jams me into the wall tapping me for good measure then it goes back to doing whatever it does.

    On the way here Dungian told me the basics of being a dungeon which now feel like instincts. Step one spread influence and cultivate, step two subjugate monsters. That¡¯s the basics.

    I begin to cultivate drawing in the earth essence from around me. I¡¯m not consuming everything and hoarding it, I release ambient essence from cultivation which replaces that I consumed. Every cultivator does this.

    I do this for several hours until I¡¯m satisfied with the amount I can play with. I can check the amount of essence I have by simply looking at my spiritual body. The first sphere is about twenty five percent full the second is still blocked.

    Okay so now I must spread my influence. The way Dungian explained it was like forcing my essence into the ground. I¡¯m the size of a grain of sand so any territory will be a dramatic increase for me. I go to the left of me where there is a grain of sand the same size as me. It¡¯s light brown and right for the taking. I grab my essence with my minds eye and force it into the sand. The sand blocks the essence I send to it but as I pore more essence at it it¡¯s defenses start breaking then finally it happens.

    My essence goes inside it then into it¡¯s being. I can feel it become apart of my body and my perception grows. I can see three hundred and sixty degrees around my core, but now it¡¯s like my eyes grew and I can see farther.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    I check my essence levels, I¡¯m at five percent. Spreading influence takes a lot of essence I won¡¯t be able to grow quickly at this rate. Uggh I was hoping to be summoning monsters by the end of the week. Well nothing I can do about it looks like I¡¯ll just have to grind for the foreseeable future. And grind I did.

    I don¡¯t need sleep in this form so I can constantly be doing something. I cultivate for about three hours then I spread my influence into the grains of sand near me, my fellow brothers of the wall. Doing this cycle I gain about eight grains of sand a day, to be honest I don¡¯t actually know how long I¡¯ve been doing this so it could be longer.

    But to my estimate over three months have passed sense I¡¯ve been dropped here. Making my total grain count to be 168. I¡¯ve got the entire hallway around me under my control or a segment at least. And I¡¯m three sand grains into the wall.

    I¡¯ve also noticed something I can¡¯t see beyond my influenced ground. When the rare ant walks through I can¡¯t see it until it is in my territory. I wonder why I could see Dungian and Magian. Is it because they are goddesses? I¡¯ll be sure to ask them when I see them next.

    With my time being completely taken up by cultivating I don¡¯t notice that the ants are coming around more often. What used to be one ant a week has turned into one ant a hour, but I don¡¯t notice like I said.

    Spreading influence has also become a bigger challenge. It now takes fifty of my essence pool to conquer a grain of sand. I think distance has a factor in how much essence it needs. I can go into the wall farther, but that won¡¯t help in seeing.

    An ant comes into my vision. I ignore it like always, but it does something weird. It starts picking at my walls with its pincer. Then another ant comes doing the same thing and another one and another one. Finally fifteen ants are in my room picking at my walls.

    What are they doing? Are they trying to take my sand? No you can¡¯t have it it¡¯s mine now! Fearing the worse I try to see if I can crush them with my walls. I can¡¯t I¡¯m not far enough into the dirt.

    Then another ant comes into my hallway. Carrying a small white sphere with a little black spot in the center. What is that?

    Some of the other ants leave coming back with the same sphere. What they do with it is also weird. The coat the bottom of them with a little bit of saliva the set them on the wall. Side by side and soon on top of each other. My entire hallway is covered with them within a couple of hours. Two ants stay and watch over them.

    What can they be? I look at them closely unable to see inside of them other than the black dot. I try to subjugate it but I¡¯m met with absolute resistance. I¡¯ll need way more essence if I want these things. And I will. I already have a plan in mind.

 Ant Eggs

    Dungian flies back to her mother¡¯s place. With a portion of her consciousness watching Z. Being a heavenly figure she can split her mind onto several different task. She arrives back into the living room where Magian is waiting.

    Magian consciousness is spread in many different places. Right now only a small percent of her is actually paying attention to Dungian.

    ¡°What did the meeting want with you?¡± She ask immediately.

    ¡°They requested that you be put in Hellian and that the dungeons be controlled by all the gods,¡± Magian replies stirring some sugar into her tea. The gods and goddesses hold a council to decide major events, in this case Dungian. There are diffrent views on its effectiveness. But it is better than nothing.¡±I denied them obviously. If I wanted to take the source of your divinity I would have done so long ago.¡±

    ¡°And what do you think they will do? Last I checked your the master of snuffing out threats before they even know they¡¯re threats.¡±

    Magian takes a sip of her tea smacking her lips slightly.¡±Nothing at the moment. Some of the braver ones will try to locate Z, but most are cowards. They won¡¯t lift a finger until they have a hundred percent backing.¡±

    She giggles slightly. Some of her already spread consciousness going away to particular funny event.

    ¡°Just do your job focusing a hundred percent on Z,¡± she says starting to disappear.

    ¡°Okay I can do that.¡± Dungian says already running a thousand simulations in her head.

    ¡°Also the meeting was really pushy so Lillithian will drop by on the occasion to check up on you.¡±

    Magian says disappearing completely.

    ¡°WHAT!¡± Dungian screeches at the empty space of air.

    .......

    [Z]

    A small creature struggles against the confides of its fleshy cell. Struggling with all its might it manages to break through the its cell and into the air. A creature called an ant goes over and picks it up gently with its mandible then carries it off.

    So that''s what they are. Eggs they are eggs. These are a whole lot of eggs.

    And they will all be mine.

    My plan is starting to come to fruition. I¡¯ve increased my dept of my influence to about twenty grains making a sort of sphere around me. I¡¯ve tried to influence the air, but that is like trying to grad well air. Now I¡¯m going to accomplish step two of my plan, subjugating a monster or an insect in this case.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    To subjugate these eggs I must fill them with my essence making them a part of me. Right now I don¡¯t have nowhere near the reserves I need to do this, but there¡¯s another way. First I¡¯m going to sumarge it in my sand then slowly pump my essence into it breaking it overtime. I choose a particular fatty egg one then I move my sand under it making it slowly fall. The ants taking care of the eggs don¡¯t notice until it¡¯s too late. Now in my ground with earth on top of it I start slathering it with essence not unlike influencing the sand, but this is a much smaller amount. The egg resistance is high I¡¯m not even getting into the first layer of skin, my essence is accumulating around it coating it like another skin. As my essence starts to get low I start to think about shutting it off, but I don¡¯t need to. I forgot the most important rule about life, things need air to survive. And underground they don¡¯t have much air. The ant inside the egg dies ruining my plan for subjugation, but something unexpected happens.

    I get a rush of essence much more than anything I¡¯ve gotten from cultivating. The essence fills my spiritual body to the brim and more I feel myself getting stretched to the point of tearing, then it stops. My body is sore beyond belief. I look around my pathway to see if I disturbed anything.

    The ants are moving around like normal not even noticing my distress. Slightly hurt I check myself to see if there is any damage. My core is sound and my spiritual body is also alright, but it looks different. I stare at it for a moment trying to figure out what has changed then it hits me. I¡¯m bigger. I¡¯ve gained about ten percent more essence storage and I can feel something in my mind. I can make an ant egg! This is great I¡¯ll just spawn them all over the floor and wait¡­ No! I need twice my storage just to summon one egg.

    Dreams ruined.

    Maybe I can kill a few more eggs and increase my storage? My instincts tell me that won¡¯t work. I think that I got lucky here just now.

    My original plan with the real ant egg will have to do.

    I know I seem to be moving fast and not considering all the options, but honestly¡­. There isn¡¯t anything I else can do. I can¡¯t expand indefinitely with my core size and I won¡¯t be able to subjugate a full grown ant even if I manage to trap it.

    So eggs will have to do. I select another egg away from the prying eyes of their caretakers. I move the sand under it just like last time. But as it falls into the earth I keep the top sand slightly apart allowing air to reach the it.

    Now take two!

    I begin to brush essence around it, at a rate of one percent essence per second with my bigger storage taken into account.

    I cover the entire shell with a fine layer of essence then slower build on top of that. After fifty seconds half of my essence is gone. I¡¯ll keep going until I hit twenty percent then I¡¯ll stop letting it slow cook.

    CREEEECH!

    What was that! All my focus has been on the egg I haven¡¯t been paying attention to the rest of the room. The ants have found the hole they are tearing apart my sand ground to get to the egg. No! I try to move the sand to block them but they push it aside with ease. They dig furiously reaching my egg within seconds. They yank the egg out of the ground. Pushing it in the air like a trophy.

    Maybe I can get it back. They¡¯ll probably just sit it in a different part of the room. Crunch!

    Please no.

    The two grown ants scuer the egg with their mandibles. Then they open them ripping the egg apart. I feel essence enter my spiritual body. The ants begin to pick up pieces of the egg then start carrying it. Once they walk out of my influence I lose sight of them.

    Well that was unexpected. So if I try to subjugate an egg they¡¯ll kill it and most likely any other ant too. This will make my job a lot harder.

    I need to come up with another strategy.

 The Two Mount Everest

    [Dungian]

    ¡°Well Z the best lessons are always the hardest to feel.¡± I say wisely. Like I know anything about it. The most boring thing someone can do whether they be goddess or mortal. Is watch someone learn when you know the answer but you can¡¯t say anything. Z is doing alright for a new dungeon, I¡¯ve seen several already killing grown men by this time but what can I do.

    I¡¯m lounging on a grass recliner I¡¯ve made with my mothers essence.

    Looking over Z is boring. He¡¯s progressing, but it will be awhile before things get interesting. Maybe I can send in a few carcasses in order to give him something easy to summon. He could summon a flea with some effort.

    No a flea wont help with ants. And mother probably wont like that. I wonder though, what evolutions will he come up with.

    Because at his current base I can¡¯t tell.

    Evolutions are fun they are upgraded versions of animals from the wilderness. Each dungeon has there own spin on how they evolve animals. Some allow the essence to flow naturally through the creature strengthening already prominent features or they take matters into their own hands and personally specialize it. Both ways cause a exciting new species to form.

    I look up towards the sky. This feeling the feeling of the unknown, of not knowing what something is going to do. This is what I love about my divinity. I love watching my dungeons explore endless possibilities into the unknown.

    I close my eyes relishing in this feeling for a while.

    I could have stayed this way for several day. But life happens.

    I feel a kick hit my chair.

    ¡°Get up DUNG ian,¡± orders a short blonde. Dressed in a very modest white dress with long sleeves with almost no cleavage showing. Almost I can see a little bit of her great valley. With two mount everest that valley is pretty large.

    ¡°Lilithian,¡± I say putting on the fakest grin on the planet.¡±What has blessed me with your presence?¡± I ask knowing exactly why she is her.

    ¡°The council has deemed it appropriate that I come and monitor you,¡± she says looking at me with disgust.¡±We need to make sure that Filvis doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°I thought Filvis was a great country,¡± I say shocked,¡±the woods there were spectacular and their cities always had great food.¡±

    Lilithian holds her tongue her legendary resolve kicking in.

    ¡°Yes is was. I was referring to the destruction now across the country caused by one of YOUR dungeons,¡± her eyes are glowing threatenly,¡± which killed 2.4 million people,¡± she leans into my face,¡±which I will stop from ever happening again.¡±

    I take a whiff of the air.

    ¡°You need a mint,¡± I say smiling. Her eyes glow even more threatening.

    ¡°Take me to the dungeon.¡± She orders her voice sounding like a man.

    ¡°Yes captain.¡± I get off my chair. Walking over to the ant pile.¡±Here is my only dungeon!¡± I shake my hands dramatically.¡±Z!¡±

    Lilithian looks down inside the ant pile. Using her power to find Z.

    ¡°He is small.¡± She states obviously.

    ¡°Nah sh-,¡± I feel the power leave my body,¡±oot.¡± The power returns.

    That gives her a grin.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    ¡°Is it intelligent?¡± She ask looking at my creation below her nose. My pride in my creations kicks in.

    ¡°Yes you can speak to him right now,¡± I say,¡±you¡¯ll find him to be very intelligent.¡±

    ¡°Okay then,¡± she says smiling not nicely.¡±Call him.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± I say. Moving my consciousness to Z with Lilithian following.

    ¡­¡­.

    [Z]

    Attempt seven has also been a failure. I never knew that ants were so difficult. Everytime I try to hide an egg they find it the moment I add essence. Do they have some type of essence radar that detects is the moment some happens to pass through? It¡¯s maddening.

    I sudden fear washes over my body. Two very powerful presences focus on me. One is Dungian the other one is unknown.

    ¡°Z.¡± Dungian calls inside my mind.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I respond quietly. I don¡¯t like this. My instincts tell me to run and hide for a very long time.

    ¡°This woman here,¡± I think she is gesturing to the unknown,¡±wants to know if you are a sentient creature. Please show her your competence.¡±

    How would I do that? I ask Dungian the same thing.

    ¡°You are doing a good job,¡± she says,¡±how about telling us what you are working on.¡±

    I mentally prepare myself then explain my blight.

    ¡°The ants, everytime I try to subjugate one of their eggs they somehow always find where I¡¯ve hidden it. And I can¡¯t move my sand fast enough to stop them from taking them.¡±

    Silence. I think I hear Dungian laugh slightly, but I¡¯m not sure. I feel the other presence come close to me. I stay very still like that will do anything if it gets mad. Then it vanishes.

    The tightness in my body vanishes. That thing was truly terrifying.

    ¡°Now Z about your predicament,¡± Dungian continues,¡±try hardening your sand by joining the essence together. Goodbye and goodluck.¡±

    She leaves as quickly as she appears.

    I stay silent for a few seconds making sure they are gone.

    ¡°That cannot happen again.¡± I say out loud. I had no idea that they were coming and I had no power once they entered the room. I need to be strong enough to make them respect me. Strong enough that they lesson to me. I feel something happen in the back of my mind. I don¡¯t really give it much thought going back to my new task. Hardening my sand.

    Dungian said I need to connect the essence of all the individual pieces of sand. But I thought they were already connected. My essence is in each grain should that not connect them.

    I look at each sand or more specifically its essence. The essence is brown it also has a string coming into me. Each grain of sand has this.

    But they don¡¯t connect¡­.oh that is what she meant. They all come to me and techinaly are together but each grain doesn¡¯t share essence making them seperate.

    I take two pieces of sand about three grains down as to not disturb the eggs. Then I use my essence inside of them to try to force a bond. This will probably take a lot of essence so I¡¯ll use ten percent to start out with. I only have thirty percent left so I won¡¯t play around much.

    I flood my essence in forcing a bond.

    CRUNCH!

    A shock wave rips through my body. All the grains of sound unite with only one percent essence then the leftover nine percent gets shot into more sand spreading my influence then the rest about a half percent goes into the air.

    Once my core stops vibrating I look at my new sand. It''s all connected even the new ones added which adds up to a total of thirty grains of sand. That doesn¡¯t make sense do to the amount of essence I used but I''ll come back to that later. The now connected sand is different. It has more earth essence in it making it stronger and it''s much smother now causing the walls to form into a perfect square. Some eggs where pushed aside so the ants are running around like crazy trying to find somewhere to put them. I believe the extension to myself shall suffice. My core now sticks out like a sore thumb. It¡¯s color has changed from white to a light brown.

    I try to control the essence I accidentally poured out into the air, but I am met with failure. It is like breathing out I can no longer use that essence. I wonder what it shall do to the ecosystem down here?

    I look back at the ants running around. The two stationed here have their mandibles full trying to reposition the eggs. So they aren¡¯t paying attention to those that haven¡¯t moved. A devilish smile crosses my nonexistent face. I make a small hole underneath one egg on the opposite end of the ants. My sand responds to my commands thousands of times better than before it actually feels like a part of my body now.

    As it slides down I cover the hole with sand with only a small opening for air. The egg lands on the bottom of the hole. I only have twenty percent essence left so I¡¯ll use five percent then cultivate. If the ants don¡¯t get it.

    Here goes nothing.

    I spread essence thinly over the entire surface of the egg then I add more to compress it. I quickly use up my self appointed amount of essence. Stopping I turn my concentration to the top of the hole. The ants are trying with all their might to dig into my sand, but its too hard for them. Their mandibles are bouncing off each time they try to dig.

    ¡°HAHAHAHA!¡± I laugh satisfied. Now that I have a chance, I will subjugate a egg.

 Fire Nymph

    [Z]

    It¡¯s been three days since I successfully captured the egg and it has remained sturdy against my essence. Every four hours I have been putting fifteen percent essence on the essence I already have on it. So right now I have something like ninety percent of my essence storage amount concentrating on the egg.

    The ants gave up on digging to the egg so now they are back to normal caring for their eggs. The number of eggs have actually increased since I expanded my influence to see more. I believe that the entire hallway is used to store eggs and I only have a small part of it. But now my influence is no longer a perfect sphere and its making me cringe. I¡¯ll start acquiring more sand as I break this egg.

    I take a look at the ants thinking how does the egg become that? Because the things that hatch look nothing like them. Do they have to grow? And if they grow does that mean they need food. Because I don¡¯t think something can completely live off essence. Yes essence gives them energy but a living being needs substance to form a body and repair itself. I¡¯m zoning out again.

    I think I have spent way to much time alone. I keep on going from one topic to the next without much thought.

    I wish I had someone to talk to. It will make mylife a lot better. Maybe something with a different affinity so we can help each other. Yeah that would be nice.

    I return to cultivating.

    ¡­¡­.

    [Third Person View]

    ¡°DIE YOU WITCH.¡± A heavily armor woman blast a water stream onto a giant flame. Inside the flame is a woman. No the woman is the flames every fiber of her being is flame.

    ¡°Never!¡± The woman screams viscously evaporating the water instantly. Around the flame woman is an army of people dressed in battle gear. Mostly water and earth users.

    ¡°You shall fall here flame nymph,¡± I tall warrior states his giant two handed blade in his hands. He is the leader of this band of soldiers. Their mission is to kill the fire nymph.¡±Earth users!¡± He yells pointing his blade.¡±Gage her!¡±

    The earth begins to move rapidly making a giant wall around the nymph. She blast fire melting the outer wall, but it does not stop it.

    ¡°Water users drown her!¡± A ocean of water rushes in the wall. Steam is created instantly chasing a small explosion, but it does not stop the water is endless. Soon the water has filled the wall like a cup.

    ¡°Did we get her.¡± Someone in the formation ask.

    ¡°Keep in formation,¡± the leader says approaching the wall cautiously. He waits for a few moments then he rest his hand on the stone. He jerks his hand back a sizzling sound echos. The smell of burnt flesh washes over the few standing near. He waits for few moments before giving his word.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    He turns to his soldiers sticking his sword into the ground and pulling off his helmet. His face covered in soot has a beaming smile.

    ¡°We got the witch.¡±

    His people roar with pride.

    ¡°Now that this terror has been slain we shall restore order to this-.¡± He never finishes.

    A blast a fire erupts exploding the wall.

    Giant rock shrapnel flings outward killing many of the soldiers.

    ¡°GET BACK INTO FORMATION!¡±

    The heavily armored woman takes control getting the remaining troops back into the battle.

    ¡°EARTH USER''S CREATE A SHIELD! WATER USERS KEEP THE FLAMES AWAY!¡± The remaining soldiers from around the new leader. They use they¡¯re combine power to form a dome over themselves with the water users spraying water to keep the heat down.

    ¡°You foolish humans mere water and dirt can never defeat me.¡± The woman struts to the dome swagerly. Her flaming hair making twirls in the air. She stops in front of the dome leaning towards it whispering.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll take my time with you unlike your little captain. I¡¯ll make you feel my flames before you die.¡± She grins evilly raising her arm above her head. A swirling ball of flames forms at the tip of her fingers growing to the size of a giant boulder.

    ¡°On the second thought I would just rather see you burn.¡± She slams the fire ball onto the dome vaporizing it in seconds. She steps into its wreckage examining the charred remains. But¡­. her bright red eyes narrow. There isn¡¯t even any dust.

    ¡°AHHHHHH!¡± The rock beneath her explodes upward a geyser of rocky water engulfs her body. Eight orbs of water form around the geyser. They rush around distinguishing the flames.

    ¡°YOU SHALL DIE HERE!¡± The woman jumps using the geysers momentum to carry her, her sword drawn straight with her body. She tackles the flame nymph who is stuck in the geysers turbulent waters. The flame nymph grabs the woman by the neck trying to boil her in the water. The woman users her sword to stab the flame nymphbut it burns on contact melting into the water.

    ¡°If you want to have your way with me you should have just asked.¡± The flame nymphkisses the woman sticking her tongue in her. The woman bites hard causing Bayle to jerk her head back. Bayle smiles her flame teeth shining brightly within the water.

    ¡°Well if you want it rough I¡¯ll give it to you too.¡± She grabs the woman feeling her up. The woman headbutts hard enough for the nymph to feel it.

    ¡°GO TO HELL WITCH.¡± The woman screams in the water.

    ¡°Already here.¡± She laughs hysterically.¡±Come on is that the best threat you ¡­.have?¡± Blood like napalm drips from her mouth. She looks down, the woman has used her own arm as a sword piercing completely through her body. Flames burn the woman''s arm viciously, but she does not show pain her eyes backed by resolve.

    ¡°No you haven¡¯t.¡± The geyser stops, for a brief second the flame nymph and the women are floating in air, but gravity brings them down with its harsh rule. They land with a thud separating. The remaining soldiers grab the woman putting out the flames that are savenging her arm. The flame nymph breathes deeply her life distinguishing before her eyes.

    ¡°No,¡± she says rolling onto her stomach,¡±I will not die like this.¡± Some of the soldiers charge at her weakened state but she throws fire at them keeping then away. Flames dimly coat her body her once long hair now almost completely gone. She looks at the soldiers and the woman who has put her in this state.

    Determination fills her. The proud flame nymph stands herself blood flowing from her wound like the geyser.

    ¡°You may have injured me,¡± she says pointing to the woman,¡±but I will return.¡± She gathers her last bits of strength and launches herself to the sky streaking like a star.

 The First Pact

    [Flame Nymph]

    I can¡¯t believe I have been reduced to this. I say to myself as I fly from the scene of my defeat. The hole in my stomach hurts badly and I can feel the reaper Mania looking at me as my life drains with my blood.

    I am not dying. I will find a way to survive like I always do.

    I fly into the the nameless grasslands. Maybe I can find a resting place here and cultivate, usually no one even bothers coming here. With hardly any essence besides earth its useless to even the weaklings.

    My fire begins to wane and I start dropping in altitude.

    Crap I need to land now. Maybe there will be something there that can help me?

    I slowly drop in height until I¡¯m barely skimming above the ground, then my flames leave me. My once beautiful and devastating flames disappear.

    I drop like a stone onto the ground rolling for an ungodly amount of time. As I stop I lay on my side blood flowing slowly out of me. It incenerates the grass around it to ash. I laugh.

    ¡°So I still have some power left I see.¡±

    Blood drips from the corners of my mouth.

    I exhale loudly my lungs starting to give. Nymphs are physical creatures with high affinity for certain essence. Usually my body is hot enough to to cauterize a wound and heal it instantly, but this one is too big and I¡¯m out of essence. I follow my blood as it flows through burning the area. It stops just before a ant pile. I laugh the ants will probably make use of my body. May even get the affinity of fire.

    I look up at the sky. It¡¯s a clear day the sun shining overhead. I really don¡¯t want to die, but I don¡¯t believe my soul is taking orders from me anymore.

    I close my eyes letting the dirt act like a comfortable bed. Maybe the soldiers will find my body and bury it.

    ¡°Hay what are you doing?¡±

    ¡­¡­.

    [Z]

    I¡¯m almost done cultivating for now. I decided to do it for longer this time so I¡¯ll have around fifty percent to play with.

    BANG! The ground around me shakes violently.

    What the? I haven¡¯t done anything why is there shaking. As the shaking stops I sigh in relief. What could have caused that? Is there something above me? I can¡¯t see anything outside my influence but maybe I can determine where it is by the vibrations. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    I listen closely taking in all sounds around me. The ants don¡¯t seem bothered only concerned with patrolling their eggs. I don¡¯t hear anything it most likely just walked by.

    I go back to cultivating but I''m interrupted again. The temperature just got hotter, by a lot. It won¡¯t affect me but my egg it¡¯s in danger! I am not letting that thing die I have worked too hard for it.

    I look up to see the source of the heat.

    A large amount of essence it directly above me it¡¯s bright red and is leaking everywhere. This is what is causing the temperature to increase I presume. I take a breath. If I were to compare my essence to that I would be a grain of sand next to a mountain.

    No I will stand up and demand for the temperature to be turned down. But how will I do that? I can¡¯t communicate.

    Perhaps if I poke it with my mind. I reach out with my mind''s eye trying to disturb it.

    I don¡¯t know how but I form a connection with it.

    Not like the sand. This is like a telephone thoughts can be transmitted between it. A mind link is what it is called. How did I know that?

    I need to talk with Dungian about what the abilities of a dungeon soul really are. But first talking with the thing.

    I take another breath preparing myself. I shall be firm with a mighty voice.

    ¡°Hay what are you doing?¡±

    I ask nicely.

    Don¡¯t judge me I can talk how I want to.

    ¡°Who is this! If you come near me I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    ¡°Sorry but you are on top of me and,¡± I sound like a nerd convincing the bully to stop picking on him,¡± can you please stop making things so hot, my egg will burn and it took me a while to get this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your egg now leave if you wish to live.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry but I can¡¯t. Dungeons can¡¯t move around freely can you just put your heat somewhere else please.¡±

    The thing stops responding. I feel it thinking through the bond, but I can¡¯t get anymore than that.

    ¡°All the dungeons were killed five years ago by the goddess Lilithian. How can you be one ¡­¡­¡± She goes quiet again.

    ¡°I was only born a few months ago so I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Did she just say I¡¯m the only one. I uh, I uh. My body gets cold even the heat coming from the being doesn¡¯t warm me.

    I am the only dungeon in this world.

    ¡°If that is true then make a pact with me.¡±

    The thing draws me out of my daze. I mentally slap myself. I need to focus, this is life or death.

    ¡°What is this pact?¡± I ask.¡±If you are trying to enslave me I won¡¯t do it I would rather die than be a slave!¡± Holy crap I¡¯m going to be chained to a wall and have unseemly things done to my core. DUNGIAN PLEASE SAVE ME!

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a slave bond you idiot. A pact is an agreement between a dungeon and a sentient being for equal partnership. I supply you with essence and protect you and you heal my body when injured and help me rank up.¡±

    Protection. I can use some of that, and I get essence out of this deal. Hell yes.

    ¡°I wish to accept this, but let''s discuss this in greater detail. Can we do a percentage exchange with you giving me a certain percent.¡±

    ¡°NO! ACCEPT THE PACT NOW! I a flame nymph hereby accept this dungeon to be my partner¡­..¡±

    Wait I¡¯m not ready for this type of commitment. This is too much too fast.

    ¡°I the dungeon Z accept this pact.¡±

    Well I can¡¯t let this opportunity pass me up. This can be my big jump were I soar through the levels and reach the rank of the gods in less then a year.

    Or not.

 Dissapointment

    [Z]

    A powerful bond forms between me and the flame nymph. Her essence shoots into me, not her red one for that is not my affinity. I am given the ambient essence that has no affinity, which is still way to much.

    I¡¯m filled to the brim and more with essence with much more coming in. I need a somewhere to put this or I¡¯ll shatter.

    I begin to drain the essence into the ground around me expanding my territory. It cost twenty five percent for each grain, but its still not enough.

    ¡°Stop sending me essence!¡± I scream at the nymph.

    ¡°Heal me.¡± She orders.

    ¡°I can¡¯t heal anything in this state slow down your essence or I¡¯ll die.¡±

    Seconds tick by as the essence continues to pour into me, subjugating has double in value to forty percent essence for one grain and I¡¯m still getting way to much.

    Finally the essence is dimmed.

    A wave of relief washes over. I¡¯m now receiving approximately one percent essence every ten seconds. Who is this nymph she must be a very powerful being in order for her to have this much essence. She may even be a match for the goddess.

    ¡°Now heal me dungeon core Z. We have a deal.¡±

    I look up at the mountain of essence above me thinking of a way to respond. I go with the truth.

    ¡°What is healing and how am I supposed to do it?¡± I have a very broad vocabulary but I don¡¯t know all words.

    ¡°You liar! You said you would heal me! I¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t.¡±

    Dying. Oh no is she dies the amount of essence she would give me would shatter my core in milliseconds. I need to find a way to postpone her death.

    Uh. DUNGIAN PLEASE COME HERE! I mentally shout outward hoping for her to answer.

    ¡°The gods won¡¯t save you now liar you shall pay for deceiving me.¡±

    I see her essence begin to move.

    Oh sh-

    ¡°I am here Z. My I never thought you would be so forceful,¡± I hear her malevolent voice echo through my mind,¡± what''s the problem. Oh a dying flame nymph. Z I didn¡¯t know you had such taste and at a young age no doubt. You turning into me.¡±

    I can¡¯t listen to her perverted fantasies at a time like this.

    ¡°How can I make her not die?¡± I ask simply, getting to the point.

    ¡°Well,¡± she says. I hear vibrations from above,¡±you can¡¯t heal her with your current power, but you could put her in your storage or dimensional room if we are getting specific. Though you won¡¯t be able to store anything else in there. For your size you can only store her body.¡±

    Again something I don¡¯t know about. I will talk to her later about this.

    ¡°How do I store her?¡± I ask quickly.

    ¡°Well you connect to her essence and say ¡®Store Object.¡¯ And it will store her.¡±

    I reach out through are recently made bond yelling.

    ¡°Store Object!¡±

    A vacuum like force attaches to the red essence and pulls it into my core. Like fitting a watermelon through a pin sized hole.

    I can feel the warmth of the essence inside me.

    It¡¯s fire essence, probably why she is called a flame nymph.

    ¡°Thank you goddess I would have died if you hadn¡¯t come here.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think me yet you have to deal with a scorned woman,¡± I hear her giggle.¡±And nymphs in particular have a temper good luck Z.¡±

    I feel her leaving my mind.

    ¡°Wait I want you to tell me more about dungeons! I keep on finding things out on the fly and barely getting by.¡±

    She is silent for a few moments.¡±Z I¡¯m glad you are taking objective into learning about yourself, but I don¡¯t think I can tell right now. Forces like Magian are keeping a close eye on you and will not hesitate to erase you from existent if they think you are acting to much like your predecessors.¡±

    ¡°But who are my predecessors!?¡± I scream.¡±I was just told by a flame nymph that I am the only dungeon and all the others were killed five years ago.¡±

    ¡°Z, I promise you that I will give you a full explanation on dungeons,¡± Dungian says invoking her godly voice,¡±but right now is not the right. You must prove to the gods that you are trustworthy.¡±

    ¡°But!¡±

    ¡°This is the end of this discussion,¡± she says her godly powers blasting me with her voice.

    I want to press the argument more. I want to find out more of who I am.

    But I stay quiet. Her voice gives away no weakness so I will wait and hold her to her promise.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Awkward silence fills the tunnel. Like what happens after a mother scolds her child which I guess is what just happened.

    ¡°Well I am leaving. I must report to Scribios about this new development and Z, talk with the flame nymph she will be able to tell you more things than I am aloud.¡±

    She leaves. The place her presence took up in my mind goes still like being in a whirlpool and now in stagnant water.

    I make a mental note to myself so that I will remember. Then I go to look at the flame nymph now resting in my storage I just learned about.

    She is a very complicated organism. She has a basic humanoid shape with hard skin surrounding her body, she is very skinny with a tiny waist with natural armor coating her muscles that protrude out of her skin on her shoulders, arms and back.

    I pretty interesting specimen. I wonder if I ¡­. no can¡¯t make more of her. I think something has to die in my subjugated area in order for me to make more of it.

    ¡°Is she gone?¡±

    A voice ask me quietly. The voice is the flame nymph. She is now in my core talking directly to my mind.

    I don¡¯t know how I feel about this. I wanted a friend yes, but not one this ¡­. Close.

    ¡°I can feel you thinking.¡± She says whispering into my mental ear.

    I gulp. I can already tell this is going to be a fun relationship.

    ¡°How are you doing?¡± I ask genuinely concerned.

    I¡¯m not receiving anymore essence from her so that leads me to believe that anything in storage can¡¯t interact with the outside world not even me. I¡¯m just the gatekeeper.

    ¡°Great.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good I thought you would be uncomfortable being-¡±

    ¡°Other than the fact MY BODY IS IN A FUCKING ROCK AND I¡¯M STUCK WITH A FUCKING TODDLER!¡±

    The whole core vibrates from her sudden shouting.

    ¡°You said heal you-.¡±

    ¡°THIS IS NOT HEALING YOU IGNORAMUS.¡±

    ¡°It was the only thing I could think of doing. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Even though I was basically forced into the agreement.

    ¡°First of all,¡±  she says the sound of a gun cocking goes off in the background,¡±you didn¡¯t think of anything your goddess had to come and save your ass, and yes you are sorry for putting me in this¡­. Where even are we?¡±

    I sit there taking the verbal abuse thinking of a way to get rid of her.

    ¡°We are in a ant colony cavern.¡± I say nicely¡±In a hallway to be more specific.¡±

    She is silent for a few moments as she looks around my place.

    "Ants make their walls square?" She ask looking around. Note that I can''t physically see her move around, but that is what I picture her doing.

    "No this was me," sense the chaos I haven''t gotten a moment to look at my expansion. I expanded further along the hallway basically getting more space to look at ant eggs. Speaking of ant eggs. I focus on mine I was sending it essence as I was getting flooded.

    My jaw drops. It has over two hundred percent essence concentrating on it.

    I can see a few new ants wandering into my vision to check out the essence concentration.

    ¡°Hay idiot quit spacing out!¡± The flame nymph tells startling me slightly.

    ¡°Yes what?¡± I ask. I take back what I said earlier being alone is just fine.

    ¡°I have more questions.¡± She says.¡±First of all what is your essence storage and essence regeneration rate? Second how big are the ants you have at your disposal?¡±

    I stay quiet for a few seconds thinking of a way to respond. Last time I told her the truth she got really mad and threatened to kill me. But, I look around my hallway, I don¡¯t really think that I can lie my way out of this one.

    And isn¡¯t the truth always the best way.

    ¡°What is essence storage, and essence regeneration rate?¡±

    ¡°Oh you have got to be kidding me.¡± She moans.¡±Please tell me you know what cultivating means.¡±

    ¡°Yes actually I do.¡± Hah see I¡¯m not an idiot.

    ¡°Then how big is your dungeon one floor or two? I figure that the ants that you grow here are about the size of of dogs or have you just started growing them?¡±

    Oh lord she is really not going to like this answer.

 Explaining The Basics

    [Z]

    To all the single men in the world. To all you lucky men let me give you some advice. NEVER let a woman move into your home and then tell her your poor.

    "YOUFUCKINGLITTLEPEICEOFSHIT!" The flame nymph yells so loud I think I''ve developed tinnitus.

    "No and please stop yelling. That won''t help anything."

    "Don''t. Tell. Me. What. To. Do." She growls.

    "Then don''t yell at me in my body," I say camly. But inside my mind I am scared beyond belief,"I saved your life whether you like it or not so don''t you dare threaten me."

    She stays silent for a few seconds. I leave her and go check over my hallway again. I have double in length allowing me to see more eggs and the end of my hallway. I have connected all the new grains of sands so this entire area is square with a smooth wall at the end.

    I expanded both right to the end, and left to the unknown so does that mean this is now formally considered a dungeon. The ants don''t act any different so I assume they don''t care. Actually there are about three times as many ants walking around now. They have moved all the eggs near the one I captured making a empty circle around it. All the other eggs seemed to be under consent guard. I won''t be able to capture more.

    "Hay Z!" The nymph yells though not as loud as before.

    "Yes?"

    "Damn you zone out fast. Lesson I will forgive you for the botched healing," I literally did not know what that word meant. And now that I think about it I still don''t,"If you promise me that you will completely heal me when you can. And once you get big enough I can get my own room."

    "That doesn''t sound like I get a lot out of this." I say wanting to go back to my egg.

    "Let me finish!" She screeches but stops herself from getting too loud."In return I will teach you about this world and more about essence."

    I sigh. At Least she is giving me something to work with.

    "Okay this is reasonable," I say giving her my full attention."What was it you asked me earlier. Essence storage and regeneration? Teach me about that please."

    "Allright first let me see your spiritual body," she says.

    "Okay."

    I go to my spiritual body with her following my mind. And then she ''helps'' me.

    "Aww," she says like looking at a puppy. From my experience with her so far she would probably incinerate it."It''s so small. Are all newborn dungeon this small?"

    I mentally shrug."I don''t know I am the only one in existence."

    "Anyway. To check your Essence Storage and Essence Regeneration Rate, or ES and ERR for short, go to your spiritual body and say Check Essence Status."

    "That''s it I just say a few words," I ask baffled. This is way too easy there has to be more to it than that.

    "You calling me a liar?" She ask threatenly. "No, no, no," I say a cold sweat going down my mental mind,"I''ll go do it right now." I focus entirely on my spiritual body saying the words carefully and with precision.

    "Check Essence Status."

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Affinity:Earth

    </td>

    <td>

    Rank: (Not Attained)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Essence Storage:4

    </td>

    <td>

    Essence Regeneration Rate: .2Per DayFind this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    What the? My jaw hits the floor. This is a complete game changer. With this I now actually have numbers to calculate with and can plan ahead the cost. Why was this not showed to me earlier. I recall the talk Dungian had with me earlier. Right I''m not trusted so they won''t tell me anything. Whatever I don''t need them I''ll be find on my. Going back to the status my regeneration rate is not very high so I can¡¯t rely on it to replenish me. And what is a rank? I remember her saying something about it when we made our pacted.

    ¡°Z!¡± the flame nymph shouts getting my attention.¡±Damn you zone out fast. I¡¯m not done pay attention.¡±

    I focus back on the flame nymph still thinking of new strategies.

    ¡°Now I can see your Essence Status because you have showed me your spiritual body. Normally you will not show either to anyone. Also, because you have no rank no one will be able to find you which is very good.¡±

    ¡°What is a rank?¡±

    ¡°A rank is where you place in regards for ES and affinity. From weakest to strongest they is Fledgling, Apprentice, Journeyman, Veteran, Expert, Legendary, and Godly. Each rank has four levels in it. You have no rank which means you don¡¯t meet the requirements for Fledgling. Which if I remember correctly is to have 100 ES.¡±

    ¡°What is your rank?¡± I ask. The amount of essence she has in her body is way more than 100.

    ¡°I am a Veteran,¡± she says,¡±or was I had to use some of my center to escape the people hunting me.¡±

    So she is being hunted. That explains why she was injured. I won¡¯t ask her about it, she¡¯ll tell me later.

    ¡°What is a center?¡±

    ¡°It will take too long to explain and it will be years before you come even close to worrying about it. Now I need to explain ES more clearly. You see it means the amount of essence you can store in total, not the amount youcurrently have stored. So it is useless in combat and is only somewhat useful for using essence. Which is also something we are going to talk about.¡±

    ¡°This is going to be long lecture isn¡¯t it?¡± I ask already knowing the answer.

    ¡°Yes. Usually it is years of study to learn all about essence. I¡¯m teaching you all I know in about a day or two. Now silence I must concentrate.¡± Yeah you need to concentrate not like I''m the one learning.

    I don¡¯t say that outloud for I wish to keep my hearing. I sit and listen to her explain.

    ¡°Essence usage is very complicated and very wasteful. To conjure a flame or to create an earth wall you must use a certain amount of essence. But you don¡¯t use all of it. For example to conjure a small flame will take fifteen essence yet only fourteen point five essence goes to the flame and the remaining point five essence gets spread out unused. This is much more for little conjurings and also if you have a low affinity. To check your affinity you go to Essence Status ond touch affinity. Go ahead and do that."

    I follow her instructions and once I click the affinity tab a new screen pops up.

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>Affinity: Earth(50%:100%)</td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    "The more affinity you have the less essence is wasted. If you ever get one hundred percent affintyyou waste no essence for that type of affinity, but that is exceptionally rare. I''m actually impressed with how high your affinity is with the amount of your earth essence in the air I thought you had something closer to twenty five percent."

    "My earth essence is in the air?" I ask startled. With what she just said that means that the reason the ants moved their eggs here and why there are so many ants patrolling so much is because they are feeding off my essence. Dungian told me when she took me here that animals will flock to my because of the essence I give off and that they will get stronger because of it. So I have basically been feeding the ants a free meal and caring for their eggs. Crap! I need to find a way to channel my used essnce somewhere else so that they don''t get the benifits and then become a threat. Argh I wish this flame nymph will hurry up.

    "Yes. Actually I''ve been wondering whar have you been using your essence for you seemed to have used quite alot for your size?"

    I explain to her that I need to spread my influence intothe grains of sand around me in order to see and move them. And that I''ve been trying to subjugate a ant egg, but it seems more resilient.

    "That would cause the amount I''ve detected. Also," she''s now going to start asking question. Crap again she''ll take forever!"From what I remember of the past dungeons anything that was killed in them they can make. Why don''t you kill an egg and just make more?"

    "I already have and I can''t make it because I don''t have the required essence. Which, now that I know of this screen, is eight essence."

    "Then expand your ES with your size it should be pretty easy."

    I respond with silence letting her figure out what my answer to that.

    "Oh right you don''t know anything forgot your only three months old," she says like a wise sage,"Okay in order to increase your ES you can either cultivate till you are completely full of essence then continue which expands it slowly or take in large amount of essence at once which increases it dramatically. The first is much safer and reallythe only way to increase your ES when you don''t have large amounts of essence available, the second can result in death if your spiritual body breaks."

    "Yeah I came close to breaking my spiritual body when I accidentaly killed an egg the amount of essence I recieved increased my ES by I think one essence." I already know what I''m going to do. I''ll cultivate continuously to increase my ES only stopping to add essence to the egg. I''ve already invested alot of essence into that thing I''m seeing it through to the end. I tell her my plan and the problem with my essence being in the air and she agrees.

    "I can''t send you essence from my body when it is in your storage so I will occupy myself with devising a plan to solve for your essence in the air and a plan to start raising an army."

    "Army?" I ask confused.

    "An army is a large group of creaturesthat fight other armies." She explains.

    "Thank you for the explanation, but why do we need an army?"

    "Because Z we are taking control of this ant colony," she says softly like talking to a baby,"then we will take control of this entire grassland." She finishesa sinister arua coming off her mind. One that I will not lie is kinda hot.

 Interlude: The God Of Books

    [Dungian]

    I fly to a giant library that stands on top of calm white clouds. Made out of red colored bricks with tall windows cutting square holes into them it holds every book ever written and the god who lives here Scribios has written his fair share too.

    I have only talked to him once in my long lifetime and it was only a hi who are you at some ball a centuries back. He is tall with short brown hair and classes. He doesn¡¯t need classes he¡¯s a god, but it fits his divinity so that¡¯s respectable.

    I land softly at his front door knocking on the darkwood. I hear it echo loudly through his halls. I stand there for several minutes before he opens his door book in hand.

    He only slightly turns his eyes up to me to acknowledge.

    ¡°Come in I already have the table ready.¡±

    ¡°Already. Man you must be raring to have a crack at me.¡±

    He just nods leading me through his home. Well that wasn¡¯t fun people need to have a reaction when I say something like that. That just means I need to try harder.

    In his home bookshelves are everywhere each one filled to the brim with books. The bookshelves have no order each one looks like it was placed where there was room to put them. Scribios leads me to a desk that has about bajillion books stacked on it only leaving enough space to see the other person at the end of the table on his side is a pin and a blank book. We sit on wooden chairs with no padding. Yep feeling more like a library already.

    ¡°Now please explain to me what has happened so far to your dungeon.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Oh well,¡± I say going on to explain that he has basically been growing slowly for the past few months and just recently have made a pact with a fire nymph. As I finish he seems a little confused. His eye brows arch and his mouth draws into a thin line.

    ¡°What you having the urge to splurge.¡± I ask. Maybe he has a fetish with librarians ones with thick glasses and big poofy hair.

    ¡°No I thought that your creations would be more¡­. Interesting. With much more making abominations of nature and experimentation.¡±

    I laugh slightly.¡±Trust me Scribios you haven¡¯t seen anything yet. Once he gets to a certain size that¡¯s when the fun parts begin.¡±

    He nods finally looking me in the eyes.

    ¡°Dungian may I come and observe when that time comes? The only books written about your dungeons are from people who only had the vaguest ideas of how they worked. It will also satisfy a curiosity of mine.¡±

    ¡°Sure the more the merrier,¡± at least now I¡¯ll have someone to defend myself with when Lilithian shows up.

    ¡°Allright that will be all for now, come by again if something big happens.¡± He shuts the blank book that has only a paragraph written in it and goes back to his other book not bothering to see me out.

    Well all right then. I faze through the floor just like in my mother''s house and then start flying back.

    I don¡¯t go terrible fast I need time to think. Z is terrible weak right now even with the help of the flame nymph. It will be over a year before he gets big enough to acquire the more dangerous creatures like the dire wolf and trolls. But he doesn¡¯t have that long, he needs to have at least one human size floor in three months. The reason behind that.

    Several gods are actively searching for him and two are tailing me right now, this time I can lose them, but in the future they won¡¯t care about being spotted. The others gods probably haven¡¯t told their mortal subjects there is a new dungeon, but they know something is up. Mortals have a keen awareness when there gods start doing something.

    I intensify my aura letting the trailing gods know I¡¯ve spotted them they disappear instantly.

    I let out a sigh.

    ¡°Z please hurry up and become strong so I can strike fear in the hearts of god''s again.¡±

 Increasing Essence Storage

    [Z]

    ¡°When is it going to do something?¡± Ask an impatient flame nymph.

    ¡°Soon just be quiet.¡± I say focusing all my attention on the egg. Over the course of a month I¡¯ve surrounded my captured egg with a total of twelve essence. And I can feel its defenses weakening. My essence is pressing against its outermost layer of skin like water charging at a dam.

    Then it happens one point weakens giving slightly. That¡¯s when I make my move. I press my essence on that point forcing my way in and it ruptures. I invade the egg subjugating the skin then I attack the insides. Yolk is what primarily makes up the eggs mass. It''s rich in vital nutrients and it is the food for the most important part of the egg the young ant. It lies at the center and is black. It makes an attempt to resist my assault, but my essence overcomes it in seconds. Finally I have fully subjugated the egg.

    I move my mind out of the egg telling the flame nymph I¡¯ve done it.

    ¡°Good now we can start primarily increasing your ES you are only two essence away from creating your own eggs.¡±

    In the last month I have increased my ES from four to six and I just subjugated my egg. Things are all going according to plan. Once I reach eight ES I¡¯ll start mass producing eggs to build up my army.

    ¡°Okay I¡¯ll get started right now.¡± I begin to cultivate, but something brings me concentration right back.

    ¡°The egg!¡± I yell surprise. Focusing back on my egg.

    ¡°What is it being attacked?¡± she ask following my mind.

    ¡°No its growing!¡±

    The ant in my egg grows exceptionally eating all the essence rich yolk then it starts on the egg itself devouring it. It doubles and triples in size becoming half the size of the ants above it. I have to expand its room to accommodate for it. Free from the egg it begins to move around soaking up my leftover essence. That gives me an idea. I widen the breathing hole allowing for more air to come in and essence. The the ant or larvae as it is called has just created a vacuum of essence that is being filled by that above it. Hah now the ants won¡¯t be getting a free meal. Speaking of which. They are swarming the air hole desperately trying to break it open with their mandibles.

    ¡°No you don¡¯t that ground is too hard for you.¡± That doesn¡¯t deter them though they are attacking it like their lives depended on it.

    ¡°Z! Look your ant is still growing you need to widen the room again.¡±

    She¡¯s right it¡¯s now the size of a full grown ant I quickly widen it to miniature cave that is about four times its size.

    It¡¯s still sucking up all my used essence. After a few seconds it grows again till it is twice the size of a full grown ant. It¡¯s in its pupa stage now which is right before it becomes a full grown ant which is happening right now.

    It¡¯s skin hardens into a shell. I can see my creation moving violently inside breaking its cage.

    Cracks begin to appear on its side then a ant leg jabs its way out followed by others. Then it arches is back causing the shell to break in half. Finally released from its former skin it gets to its feet spreading them out.

    And boy its a beauty. Twice the size of those smaller ants its black exoskeleton shines brightly and its mandibles look ready to slice my enemies in half.

    ¡°Wow that thing is huge.¡± The flame nymph commentates. I feel her checking out the ant too looking all over it.

    ¡°I thought yours would be the same size, but if they all turn out like this then we want need that big of an army. Maybe only like fifty or so.¡±

    I mentally nod to her thinking of something. I feel more energized for some reason.

    I go and look at my essence status.

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Affinity:Earth

    </td>

    <td>

    Rank: (Not Attained)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Essence Storage: 6

    </td>

    <td>

    Essence Regeneration Rate: .3 Per Day

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    My ERR has come up a point. Does that mean that the more creations I have the more essence that I take in. This can be interesting.

    ¡°Hay I rose a point in ERR I think having the ant did it,¡± I tell the flame nymph my theory.

    ¡°It is possible,¡± she says,¡±dungeons before were always packed with monsters. I thought that that was just how they were, but with this new information¡­.Change of plans let some of the ants in with yours.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°What!¡± This doesn¡¯t make sense she was real adamant about sticking to the plan.

    ¡°Hear me out. Remember when I told you that sudden burst of essence could have big increases on ES I think that now is the time to do that.¡±

    ¡°You also said that it could shatter my spiritual body if I took too much in. Why can¡¯t we just stick to the original plan.¡±

    ¡°Because it will take you months of cultivating to pull it off and I think that it will be better to get this done as quickly as possible. Think Z if one ant raises your ERR by a point then that means we will just need ten for your to get a essence a day then twenty to give you 2 then forty then fifty. You could grow exponentially fast.¡±

    ¡°I know but what if my spiritual body shatters if that happens we are both dead ¡­. I just released something I don¡¯t know your name.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic Z trust me it will be better in the long run if you do this.¡±

    ¡°I get that but what''s your name I feel bad for not learning it after all this time.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god fine I don¡¯t have a name can we please go back to the topic at hand.¡±

    ¡°You need a name,¡± I say,¡±I need to call you something what if I need to call on you.¡±

    ¡°Z now is not a good time for this.¡± She says her temper raising.

    ¡°I realize that, but you need a name. How about this you let me make you a name I will do what you want me to do.¡±

    ¡°Huuhg fine shoot away,¡± she groans angrily,¡± if it¡¯s stupid I will hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I say happily thinking hard.

    ¡°Hurry please I wish to do something this century.¡±

    ¡°I am. I¡¯m trying to think of something that matches your personality.¡± I think for a little longer then I come up with an idea.¡±Enkindle that sounds like a good one don¡¯t you think.¡±

    ¡°Peachy can we go back to the important thing now,¡±

    ¡°Yes Enkindle.¡± I give her my complete attention.

    ¡°Now let a few ants into the little cave with yours. As it kills them the essence will flow into you and because you are already full it will expand drastically. And if you feel like you are about to shatter start spreading your influencing into the earth. I Know it irks you that it isn¡¯t a perfect sphere.¡±

    I think about her idea going over all the parameters in my head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just do one ant to start it off with, but I¡¯ll have to make the room bigger which will cause the one above it to have a bulged which will no doubt create a disturbance.¡±

    ¡°That may work in are favour you said that the eggs give you about three essence from killing them so once your done with the ant the eggs will help you keep gaining ES.¡±

    ¡°Alright sounds like a plan,¡± I double the size of my ants cave by pushing the sand upward which like I said earlier pushes up the eggs up making the ants go crazy. The ones near the hole break away except one which stubbornly won¡¯t quit. He¡¯s the lucky customer.

    I widen the hole. The ant was about to strike with his mandibles flies in crashing into the cave. I quickly close it up before the others can come to their ally.

    The ant gets up quickly immediately finding my ant. They look at each other for a few seconds before charging. Both are run primarily by instinct so neither has the advantage of experience. They meet after a few steps were my ant rams hard pushing the other one back by brute force. The other ant snaps furiously with its mandibles trying to gouge out mins eyes. It doesn¡¯t work his are simple too short.

    Mine slams it against the wall cracking its exoskeleton but it doesn¡¯t give up it uses its legs to try to push off the wall. That''s when mine pulls back causing it to fall on the ground then it finishes it by clamping its mandibles around the other ones neck severing it¡¯s head. It twitches around for a few seconds before finally collapsing.

    I brace myself for the rush.

    ¡°Good luck Z don¡¯t die.¡± Were Enkindles words of encouragement.

    The essence hits me hard like filling a balloon already filled to the brim with water. Pain courses across my being. I scream out in agony as the incoming essence stretches my spiritual body. I can feel it forcing its way in pushing the essence already there to a dense circle.

    ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± I scream again. The essence it''s too much its starting to tear my spiritual body. I need to get rid of it.

    I start subjugating grains of sand quickly relieving the pressure. It takes about four before I¡¯m safe.

    ¡°Holly huhha huhha crap,¡±I say breathing heavily.

    ¡°You okay Z,¡± Enkindle ask,¡±I thought you were going to scream yourself hoarse there for a second.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say still taking in large gulps of air mentally even though we don¡¯t have bodies we still do bodily functions mentally it¡¯s somewhat calming.¡±That just hurt alot thats all.¡±

    ¡°Well get over it you have to do it again.¡±

    ¡°Right now!¡± I ask exasperated.

    ¡°Yes you need to be able to mass produce ant eggs so you will need more essence. Seriously we just had this discussion. Now go and start breaking those eggs they won¡¯t have as much essence as the full grown one so you shouldn¡¯t feel that much pain.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a slave driver.¡± I say moving my mind to the eggs.

    ¡°Think of me more as a personal trainer now. KILL THOSE EGGS.¡±

    I start creating holes under eggs quickly sucking them in, then covering them cutting off their air supply. They die within seconds their essence rushing towards me. I brace for the impact as new essence forces its way in.

    I do this several more times relieving the essence when it becomes to great. Finally when my spiritual body is sore beyond belief does Enkindle let me stop.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore,¡± I say to her.

    ¡°That is alright you should be good enough. Check your essence status to see how much your ES is now.¡±

    I sluggishly follow her command. Not directly looking at my spiritual body feeling like it would be mad at me.

    ¡°Check Essence Status.¡±

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Affinity:Earth

    </td>

    <td>

    Rank: (Not Attained)

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Essence Storage: 17

    </td>

    <td>

    Essence Regeneration Rate: .3 Per Day

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    ¡°I¡¯ve gain eleven essence.¡± I say astonished. This made the pain worth it by far.

    ¡°I told you that it would work,¡± Enkindle says.¡±Now start making eggs we need to build up our ranks.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± I say getting on the task. My hallway looks like an ant disaster zone with ants running everywhere and eggs thrown around to the side do to my movement of the earth.

    This destruction did not go unnoticed. The most powerful ant in the colony has been informed and she is not happy.

 Gaining The Okay From A Goddess

    [Worker Ant]

    Devastation. That is the only word that can describe what the ant saw. Eggs overturned then swallowed up by the ground. A lone ant was also swallowed up by the ground where an enemy lay in wait.

    This simple worker ant does not have the brain capacity to make decisions. She only follows the pheromone trail laid out before her, and she is following it right to the center of the colony where her queen lays.

    She enters the queen¡¯s chambers. Filled with guard ants that make the worker ants look like baby¡¯s.

    The queen sits on padded earth her egg sac pulsating with thick veins going throughout. Eggs are constantly being laid by her were a line of ants are waiting to carry them off.

    The simple worker ant goes to her queen bowing her head greatly.

    Ants do not speak they communicate using pheromones released from their bodies and they used their antennae to smell these pheromones. The worker ant releases an orchestra of smells to communicate the devastation caused by an unknown force.

    The queen receives this and begins to shake with anger. Her mentally capacity is far greater than those of her subjects so she can analyze the problem more clearly. Something has burrowed under their cavern.

    She remembers another ant colony doing this a while back. She only barely survived with her life and her forces were critically weaken. She will not make the same mistake twice.

    The queen begins to vigorously vibrate her antennas sending out waves of pheromones. All the ants in the colony begin to go into a frenzy. All the warriors immediately head to the designated hallway.

    ¡­¡­.

    [Z]

    After resting for a bit I sat to work creating two eggs. I placed them in the cave with my full grown ant who seems bored. She, yeah I figured out that I know everything about my creations if I focus on them, is sticking her head at the breathing hole taunting the ants above. They won¡¯t stop trying to force their way in. Even the ants that normally tend the eggs are attacking the hole. Wonder what got into them.

    I¡¯m alone right now Enkindle is sleeping. I think because she originated from a mortal body she still needs to sleep up to eight hours a day. That is fine it does give me some alone time.

    I won¡¯t do anything when she sleeps so I use this time to think about certain things.

    One being why do these ants kill those that I touch with my affinity. If they treated everything made of my affinity like the enemy they wouldn¡¯t come here and feed off my used essence. So why are their eggs different?

    A rumble starts going through the ground. It starts out feint but it grows bigger finally shaking the entire hallway.

    I focus on the entrance or the point where my vision stops. The shaking gets worse and worse until finally the causes rush into my home. Giant ants bigger than mine stomp into the room pushing the other ants out the way. Heading straight for the air hole.

    This is not going to be good.

    Twenty giant ants surround the air hole forming a complete circle around. The smaller ants all pick up the eggs and leave hurriedly obviously getting the clue what¡¯s about to happen. Once all the eggs are evacuated the big ants make their move. They gouge their bigger stronger mandibles into the hole and using their great strength rip out my sand from the ground throwing it aside. The moment the sand hits the ground I bring it to around my core hardening the sand arounded with it.

    I am in no danger from these things. I am sitting pretty on the wall watching all this. I could put the sand right back where it was making their effort pointless. But I have a better idea one I¡¯ve been brewing in my mind for the last month.

    It started when Enkindle said we should make an army. A great idea, but she didn¡¯t think it all the way through. What population of any species wouldn''t know that hundreds of forces are gathering inside their home and are about to attack. They would snuff it out on pure instinct like what the ants are doing. They¡¯ve made the hole almost big enough for them to fit through. I expand the miniature cave longways making my ant carry the eggs to the back.

    Enkindle¡¯s idea is still a great one. We will still need to use it if we want to take control of this entire colony. I will just modify it slightly.

    My ant keeps on trying to rush to the front challenging the aggressors. I keep on telling it to move back, but it only obeys for a few seconds. Stupid thing you¡¯ll ruin my entire plan if you keep this up. I move my presence right above the ant trying to make my orders stick.

    I don¡¯t know how, but when my presence touches the ant something weird happens.

    My mind gets sucked inside the ant. At first all I can¡¯t see anything then I start smelling my surroundings.

    Thousands of different smells assault my nose. The instinct of the ants is to charge head first into a distinctive smell. The only way I can describe it is red. While two other objects smell blue which the ant instinctively protects.

    Is this how the ants see, by smell? I thought the hallway was bright as day or was that just the essence I was seeing. I cannot think about his now I must focus on the plan.

    I believe the red smell are the enemy ants and the blue smell are the eggs. I walk to the eggs getting into a guard position. This ability will come in handy in the future.

    As the other ants break the last grains of sand away I keep still waiting.

    They begin to charge in single file heading straight for me and the eggs.

    Wait for it, wait for it. NOW! I release my hold on my ant letting her do what she wishes. She fights bravely instantly jabbing at the ant charging her. She catches the ant in the neck using her legs to pick up the ant then she twist her head snapping the its neck killing it instantly.

    While she does this she is swarmed by the others who rib her legs off and tear her body apart.

    I get a total of ten essence for their deaths. Filling me up to eleven essence. I cringe slightly my own monster¡¯s death only gave my two essence while the outside ant gave me eight. I figured I get more for how much I invested in it. No matter, but I am remembering this little detail.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Once the ants are done tearing apart my ant they move on to my eggs where the simple slam their heads down on top of them making them explode. All the invading ants are inside the cave awaiting the allclear to leave. I am sorry to say to them that is not happening. Ever.

    I close up the hole cutting off their escape path and air.

    The ones at the back notice first and immediately start to pick at the sand where the hole was. It¡¯s no use everytime that they rip a grain out I put it back to where it was. The other ants notice quick that something is amiss. They begin to jab at the ceiling trying to puncture a hole through.

    I wait letting time run its course. As they move around alot they consume enormous amounts of air exhaling an unbreathable byproduct. The biggest ones feel it first their bodies start feeling sluggish and no matter how much they breathe the cant get enough air.

    The first ant falls do to asphyxiation. Its body curls up into a ball and falls to the ground.

    Its essence hits me filling my spiritual body to the brim and a little more.

    I¡¯m still aggravatingly sore from when I did this earlier today, but I know this must be done. My plan hinges that I have large amounts of essence to call upon. This morning was a warm up to see what this process felt like.

    I brace myself knowing what is about to come is going to be a lot more painful then before. This time I will not relieve myself of any essence. I will take it all in. So far two of the twenty invading ants have fallen leaving only one hundred and forty four essence left.

    I didn¡¯t plan on this pushing me into the ranks. I laugh slightly Enkindle is going to have a shock when she wakes up. If she wakes up, if I die she goes along with me. No I can¡¯t think like that I will succeed. I must.

    I feel the rest beginning to die.

    I take a breath prepared for what¡¯s to come.

    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    [Dungian]

    I stare closely at Z monitoring all his vitals.

    If this little idiotic plan of his starts seriously threatening his life I¡¯m pulling the plug. I am not losing my only dungeon.

    I can¡¯t control my creations minds, but their essence is under my complete control.

    I notice a god enter the airspace around Z. It¡¯s Lilithian.

    I click my tongue. She always shows up at the damn greatest of times. I spare a small percentage of my consciousness to give her a greeting. I just hope that she doesn¡¯t cause too much trouble.

    She lands softly like the majestic goddess she is. Her outfit is different today. It¡¯s a flowing gown of pure gold with pure diamond as a highlight.

    ¡°Dungian,¡± she orders,¡±I am here for a status report.¡± She walks over to me laying on the same grass couch as last time.

    ¡°Everything is fine precious nothing new to report. Except a couple of ants are having a little conversation want to annoy them.¡±

    Her eyes narrow.

    ¡°Speak to me with all your consciousness Dungian when I speak to you.¡± Damn how did she notice so quickly.

    ¡°No can do Lilithian other things require my attention.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no idiot Dungian I can detect that all of you are focusing on is that thing.¡±

    She stops right next to me leaning right next to my face.

    ¡°You will show me respect you all but fallen god.¡±

    A cold vibrant anger seeps into my being. A fallen god. A god who has lost all their divinity and is completely powerless and most the times completely insane. To gods that is the most unholy of insults. Violent wars have erupted from that statement alone.

    ¡°Watch yourself Lilithian you do not want to say something that you will regret. Especially to me.¡± She steps across my body feet on both sides of my legs. She gets right in front of my face mere millimeters away from touching me.

    ¡°Fal. Len. God.¡±

    My hand grabs her neck squeezin with enough pressure to shatter mountains. She doesn¡¯t even register its presence. I¡¯ve shifted some consciousness over to her, but the majority is still monitoring Z.

    ¡°Still not giving me respect I see,¡± she says barely above a whisper.¡±Perhaps eliminating your thing will help you reclify that mistake.¡±

    She raises her hand towards the ant pile charging up a powerful attack.

    ¡°No!¡± I shove her to the ground her attack fires missing Z by mere inches. We struggle throwing punches and biting, but my power is no where near hers and she gets on top of me and pins all my limbs to the ground. I feel like this has happened before.

    And like a true god she isn¡¯t even breathing.

    ¡°You shall pay for this attack Dungian,¡± she charges up another attack over her head aiming right at Z.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever threatened one of my children!¡± I scream head butting her. She flies across the grassland landing head first sliding for several hundred feet.

    I want to go an destroy that wretched goddess where she stands, but I feel Z starting to get in trouble.

    The essence is reaching a critical point in his core I need to stop him from taking any more in.

    I take manual control of his essence getting ready to expel half of it. As I¡¯m about to release it two hands grab my shoulders pushing me face down into the ground.

    ¡°You shall pay for that Dungian,¡± Lilithian grows pulling my head up by my ponytail. I don¡¯t pay attention to her my entire focus is on Z trying to keep him from dying.

    ¡°The punishment shall be.¡± She picks me up off the ground turning my head towards her. I move Z¡¯s essence about to push it out of him.

    ¡°A kiss.¡± A pair of lips soft as cotton touch mine.

    ¡­¡­.

    [Z]

    I CAN DO THIS! I can take it. The last of the ants die giving me their essence. My already stretched spiritual body gets stretched painfully more. It¡¯s like pulling taffy it keeps on getting thinner and thinner.

    I let out another holler of pain. My very soul trembles in agony. I can do this I tell myself again.

    Slowly the essence enters my being forcing my spiritual body to grow bigger.

    Just one more left. My body is on the verge of tearing. The essence inside me starts turning around pushing against my sides.

    The last piece of essence pushes its way in. I feel a tear starting to form on my side.

    My mind freezes. Have I failed? Will I die killing Enkindle in the process?

    I feel the tear growing about to spill open my insides.

    Then a holy light engulfs my being. It has the texture of liquid gold and smells of the sweetest honey. It shines on the rip mending it instantly leaving it better than it was before.

    I look around earnestly for the source of the light, but I am left unable to to see past its glow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret little one,¡± a soft sweet voice says. I remember her presence from before she accompanied Dungian once when she checked up on me. I tell her the same and she responds in her glorious voice.

    ¡°You are correct little one. I have gifted you this healing for you have shown that you are better than your fallen brothers. But,¡± she says saden beyond imagine,¡±I can only give this gift once and because of the type of injury you had you can no longer collect essence they we that you were just doing ever again.¡±

    I¡¯m caught up in her voice not truly thinking over what she is saying.

    ¡°But you can still grow and become a mighty dungeon little one. One that your goddess is sure to be proud of. This is all the time that I can grant for our conversation. I the goddess Lilithian wish you a glorious and fulfilling life.¡±

    She leaves taking her light with her. I try to grab it but it is like smoke going through my fingers.

    Soon it is completely gone leaving my hallway dark and lonely. I sit here in quite.

    Not thinking about much. I feel strangely at peace right now not worried about anything or anyone.

    Then a certain flame nymph talks her sleep. Something about me being an idiot.

    I laugh coming out of the space of enlightenment.

    Then for the first time in my life I go to sleep, worn out by the long day.

 Dungian x Lilithian

    [Dungian]

    ¡°A kiss.¡± A pair of lips as soft as cotton touch mine. I freeze forgetting all about Z. Now I am an immortal and I¡¯ve been around the block a few times so this is not first time experience for me. But Lilithian on the other hand is a little different.

    Her exact title is Goddess of Purity and Virtue. To simplify this bitch is a virgin who just got her first kiss. I don¡¯t know how this is going to go down. Especially with Z being just over there I don¡¯t want him to see anything m rated.

    What? You think I wont hit that. Didn¡¯t I mention earlier the size of her breast and not too mention the fine posterior she struts. I don¡¯t mind taking her vCard hell she owes me after calling me a fallen god.

    Wait Z! Crap I need to expel his essence pronto.

    I reach out getting ready to expel his essence, but when I look at him he¡¯s perfectly fine. His essence has stabilize and the tear that was going to kill him has vanished.

    How in the hell?

    ¡°Do not worry about your child Dungian I used some of my power to heal him,¡± Lilithian says her hand moving down my side to my¡­..

    ¡°Woah there tiger,¡± I say grabbing her hand.¡±You better start making sense real quick or I¡¯ll.¡±

    ¡°The Council has no idea about this,¡±she says slowly fighting my grip on her hand,¡±This is my personal agenda here so don¡¯t you worry.¡± She flocks me on the nose with her other hand grinning devilishly.

    ¡°And what his your agenda,¡± I ask with some coldness in my voice.¡±Was it not you who destroyed all my creations five years ago.¡±

    She gets a pouty face like a child. Okay now I¡¯m really confused the Lilithian I know is strict with a stone set of moral guidelines. This one is a horny teenager. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Actual I think I wish to get up now. We are both on the ground with me on the bottom and her on top.

    I try to use my free arm to push her off but she takes it without budging in inch. Forget for a second that she is a thousand times my strength.

    ¡°Yes I destroyed your creations,¡± she says the word with disgust,¡±But I never will kill another god''s children which is what he is.¡±

    I give her the straight face expression insinuating that I am not satisfied by that mystic piece of bull answer.

    ¡°Dungian do you remember when you first dungeon came into existence?¡± She ask me her hand getting closer and closer to my promise land.

    The old wound reopens slightly but I cauterize it quickly.¡±I am a god I have perfect recall you know this Lilithian.¡±

    ¡°Well you should also remember how excited we all were by them. Even your mother was in pressed by them. Especially Theseus that one caused a great stir,¡± she gets a faraway look in her eyes. The ones we gods get when remember the past,¡±For a few hundred years you were thought to become the next elder goddess. Then one day you were just gone. Your dungeons started spawning everywhere and Theseus was nowhere to be found. And when your mother did finally find you she was terrified.¡±

    A sad look crosses her eyes.

    ¡°She thought you had gone insane or worse. It took almost all of us to restrain her from going to you. And then history happened and I thought that you were leveling out. But,¡± a hurt look crosses her.¡±Then you ordered Sol to destroy Filvis. The country I helped build.¡±

    I kept my face stoic not letting any emotion show.¡±Thank you for the history lesson now how does any of that relate to what you just did to Z.¡±

    ¡°So impatient,¡± she says lustfully it¡¯s taking all my strength to keep her away from turning this m rated.

    Note that if she does touch me the I will take it as permission to group the living hell out of her.

    ¡°The reason why I destroyed your creations Dungian and not your child Z is because you love him.¡± Lilithian tells me her face grinning softly.¡±And you did not love your creations. You have returned to your old self one that is beautiful, smart, intelligent and,¡± she lean in close.¡±Sexy.¡± She buries her tongue into my mouth going down my throat. I let go of her hand and she goes right to the promised land.

    ¡°Geuss I get to take a goddess virginity today.¡± I tease as she retracts her tongue.

    ¡°Who said I was a virgin,¡± she laughs flipping me over onto my belly. She lifts up my skirt and gets right into my.¡±I just love watching tall girls moan.¡±

    Oh and did I ever.

 The Mourning After

    [Z]

    ¡°Wake up.¡± A voice commands me. I turn over to my side trying to block away all the bad vibes.

    ¡°Wake up.¡± The voice commands more raising its voice slightly.

    ¡°No, go away.¡± I say closing my eyes shut.

    ¡°Z WAKE THE FUCK UP,¡± an all too familiar voice shouts out.

    ¡°Okay, okay I¡¯m up,¡± I cry in defeat opening up my eyes. My hallway opens before me. And the mind of Enkindle is there ready to interrogate me.

    ¡°You told me you didn¡¯t need sleep,¡± she says as I look over my terrain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t but a lot happened last time so I think my body just took over.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you mean by a lot,¡± she points to the ants that are trapped in the air type cave.

    ¡°Yes they invaded while you slept so I had to deal with them. They actually pushed me into the ranks.¡±

    ¡°What! Why didn¡¯t you start with that idiot? What¡¯s your ES now.¡± I go and check my spiritual body quickly.

    <table>

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Affinity:Earth

    </td>

    <td>

    Rank: Fledgling

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td>

    Essence Storage: 144

    </td>

    <td>

    Essence Regeneration Rate: 1 Per Day

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    ¡°WOOOW!¡± I yell this is better than I hoped for.¡±Are you seeing this Enkindle.¡±

    ¡°Yes I see it idiot,¡± she says.¡±How did you do this? Increasing this much is incredible dangerous you should¡¯ve torn something.¡±

    ¡°I did a goddess came by and saved me. Said something about not being like my past brothers and that I couldn¡¯t expand that rapidly anymore.¡±

    ¡°Who was the goddess Z?¡± Enkindle ask her tone slightly fearful.

    My excitement goes down slightly. Why is she so terrified?¡±I think she said her name was Lilithian.¡± As I say the name a odd feeling enters my mind. I feel like I¡¯ve heard that name before.

    ¡°Z,¡± Enkindle says softly,¡±she was the one that destroyed all the dungeons fived years ago.¡±

    My mind goes slack. How¡­.why?

    I feel nauseated which is hard since I have no stomach.

    ¡°Z.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I say.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Enkindle ask softly.

    ¡°Yes lets just move on,¡± I say brushing her off,¡±I think with this much essence we can make the army we need to take this place.¡±

    She is silent for a few seconds but decides to drop the issue.¡±Yes I agree. You should start by getting rid of those dead ants they are unsightly and depressing.¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡±

    I zoom in on the ants looking at their dead bodies. They are piled on top one another in a failed attempt to escape. I exorb them all then I make a air hole where it was before. None of the ants have returned with their eggs which is a good thing. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Enkindle I have a plan on how we are going to make the army.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to expand my territory to the brim then manipulate the dirt to create several chambers that will have an air hole to the surface. I¡¯ll use these as a breeding ground for the ants then once they are big enough I¡¯ll flood them into the colony conquering it in minutes.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t work,¡± she deadpans me with no sympathy.

    ¡°What why?¡±

    ¡°Z,¡± she ask,¡± do you know the birds and the bees.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Why is she making an analogy with things I know nothing about.

    ¡°Do you know how living things are born?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I say offended,¡±a male and female have sex and then females either lays an egg or gives birth to a live organism.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you expect to mass breed ants when you only have female ants to create.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± I go and check the ant eggs I can create and¡­..¡±Oh I see your point.¡± I say slightly defeated.

    ¡°I mean girl on girl action can be fun.¡± Several loud thumbs vibrate through the hallway.¡±But you are not getting a baby out of it.¡±

    ¡°I said I see your point, but what I can do then?¡±

    ¡°Nothing really,¡± she says,¡± you just have to cultivate and make more eggs slowly.¡±

    I give a mental nod to her then prepare myself.

    ¡°I¡¯m about to use the majority of my essence to expand,¡± I tell her grinning,¡± get ready for a much bigger view of the world.¡±

    I push my essence out into the earth. I start by making a complete sphere around myself, then I start expanding down the hallway, each individual grain requires approximately two to three essence to subjugate which eats up my reserves quickly but I¡¯m able to make it all the way to the end of the hallway and into a much bigger cavern. I run out of essence once when I reach there so I am only able to see things that pass right by entrance of the hallway.

    ¡°Wow this hallway is long,¡± I say. I wasn¡¯t able to go deep so I can¡¯t move the dirt around as I would like.

    ¡°For our current size I would say you are correct,¡± Enkindle says looking at the new walls. I haven¡¯t connected them either so they are ragged and uneven.

    ¡°What is my size by the way,¡± I ask.¡±I know I¡¯m small but what do you think my actual size is?¡±

    She thinks for a moment contemplating.¡±I say very small.¡± She says unhelpfully.

    ¡°Thank you for such helpful advice Mrs. Obvious.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get attitude with me I never went to school how am I supposed to know numbers.¡±

    ¡°....... What is a school?¡± I ask innocently.

    She sighs angrily.

    ¡°Moving on, I think I am going to subjugate all the dirt surrounding the colony eventually making a bigger sphere around myself. This will also allow me a complete view into the colony letting me track their movements.¡±

    ¡°Fa-ine.¡± She says with attitude.

    I roll my mental eyes and sit down to cultivate.

    [Dungian]

    I pull my red dress back on my body leaving a sleeping goddess of purity on my grass couch I pulled her long dress over her body as a makeshift blanket. I quietly tiptoe to the ant hole to check on Z. He¡¯s doing fine, actually better than I hoped. With this new upgrade he may be able to meet the three month deadline. Now he may need a few pushes here and there, but I won¡¯t tell him the specifics.

    I¡¯ve learned with dungeons its best just to let them grow, their natural instincts will propel them forward.

    But what pushes should I use. Putting a rare mineral where he is about to expand to or should injure a small creature and just let it happen to fall in his body.

    The rare mineral sounds like a boring one, but dungeons need to be able to summon different types of materials at a moments notice. The terrain here literally only has sand and poor quality dirt throwing in some iron or lead will drastically increase his defenses and he may get a ant evolution if he is smart enough.

    I stop myself from going into the possible outcomes of giving him different elements and how they could help him.

    I need to focus more on his progress and what Lilithian did to him last night. From what I can see she healed his spiritual body like she said she did, but ¡­.. Oh that little.

    With her healing she made it impossible for him to expand with sudden large amounts of essence thrusted at him, Which would have let him gain ES astronomically fast. Now the essence will go elsewhere most likely to expanding his territory or be given off as ambient essence used by cultivators.

    I throw the sleeping goddess a snake eye. She has hindered his development to a much slower rate, much to her liking no doubt. I don¡¯t care what she says she has some distrust to my children.

    Just because one destroyed a kingdom she thinks that they are all bad. This wasn¡¯t even the worse time another dungeon destroyed three kingdoms aw while back but did she complain. No they had different gods that weren¡¯t here so she was okay with them being destroyed.

    I stop my mental rant about her as I see her get up.

    I put on my smile and go talk to her. Just because she has excent skill with her fingers doesn¡¯t mean that I will be controlled by her.

 Big Steps Forward

    [Z]

    For two weeks I¡¯ve been grinding, like I have always been doing, but with the help of a bigger ES I¡¯m now making serious progress.

    I have almost half the earth around the ant colony under my complete control. After this last subjugation I¡¯ll have almost full knowledge of their locations at all times and the ability to make my own cavern like planned.

    On a different topic though, I¡¯m worried about Enkindle. All she does is sleep, with only waking up for a few hours to talk to me. I don¡¯t think that this is healthy for a living being to sleep this long, I need to give her something to do so that she doesn¡¯t eventually fall into a never ending sleep. Mabey have her lead the ants during the invasion? I think it will be better if she was the one leading because she has way more experience in battle than me.

    I check my spiritual body, I am about fifty percent full of essence so I think that I can afford to finish subjugating.

    I focus my mind to the spot I wish to claim then I start sending in essence. I have subjugated along one hallway that leads to the main cavern which leads to the exit of the ant colony. It¡¯s a vertical climb with two lines of ants constantly going in and out.

    Do to how far they are away from my core it takes me four essence just to subjugate one grain so it¡¯s going to be a very thin line of controlled earth for now. Then I reach the top grain, as I subjugate the last grain of sand something weird happens. An essence I have never seen before rushes to my senses. It¡¯s color is yellow and its bright, really bright. I have to turn my mind away from it because it¡¯s overloading my senses.

    I retreat back to my original cave and wake Enkindle, she cusses me out a little bit, but with not as much vigor as she used too. I really need to find her a hobby.

    ¡°There¡¯s this new essence I¡¯ve never seen before!¡± I tell her,¡±It¡¯s yellow and very bright!¡±

    She perks up slightly.¡±Did you say bright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s everywhere and-¡± Before I even finish she zooms off to the essence. I take off after her catching up once she reaches the exit.

    She is very quiet and keeps on staring at the stuff.

    ¡°Careful you may go blind if you look at it for too long.¡± I warn.

    ¡°Z do you know what this is?¡± She ask me quietly.

    ¡°No not really.¡± Why is she acting so strange? Is this essence bad?¡±Enkindle is this essence some type of dangerous energy? I think we need to get away from it you are acting weird.¡±

    ¡°Z,¡± she says turning towards me,¡±this is sunlight.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    She looks at me with something in her eye, not pride or anger. It¡¯s something weird I¡¯ve never seen her have.¡±Z this is the first time in my life I have ever pitied someone.¡± She says her voice barely above a whisper.

    ¡°What do you mean by pity?¡± I ask slightly offended.

    ¡°Look into the light,¡± she commands me turning my mind towards the light.¡±See into the outside.¡±

    ¡°Stop it hurts!¡± I turn away from it blocking my own vision.

    ¡°Please Z,¡± Enkindle says cuddling me slightly,¡±look at the light.¡±

    I have never seen her like this before, what is this light? Is it something I can use? I do what she asks and look up into it.

    It hurts my senses to look at directly so I look at it through a corner of my vision. Slowly adjusting myself to its intensity.

    ¡°Why are you so adamant about this?¡± I ask slightly irritated.¡±It¡¯s just another form of essence! One that hurts badly when I look at it.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Your eyes will adjust soon,¡± she says camly. For about an hour I look through the corner of my vision, slowly my senses adjust to the brightness and I¡¯m able to look at the new essence fully.

    It travels in a straight line bouncing off all the surfaces it touches, but it doesn¡¯t go that far into the colony stopping only after a few grains. Its kinda useless if you ask me.

    ¡°Do you see it?¡± She ask me excitedly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I say matching her enthusiasm.¡±It''s really weird I wonder what it does? Do you know?¡±

    Enkindle looks at me her eyes changing into another unknown way. I just want to say again that we don¡¯t have bodies in this state what I¡¯m describing is what her mind looks like if that makes sense.

    ¡°It, um, it allows us beings with eyes to see.¡± She says simple.

    ¡°Really? That is interesting.¡±

    I look at the essence or light essence as it is called for a little longer then go back to cultivating.

    ¡°Enkindle I forgot to mention something earlier,¡± I say just before I go into cultivating.¡±I can go into my creations and control them. I think you may share this ability when you are in this state.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay sounds great.¡± She replies somewhat unitrested.

    What¡¯s wrong with her now? I sigh to myself beginning to cultivate.

    [Dungian]

    ¡°Now I¡¯ll be back in twenty five days to check on Z¡¯s progress, and,¡± a short and busty goddess gropes my body.¡±To make sure you don¡¯t get too stressed out. Bye baby.¡±

    She flies off plowing me a kiss.

    I catch it as I lay sitting on my grass couch or more like paralyzed on my grass couch. Two weeks of ¡­. living with the goddess of ¡®purity¡¯ has left the bones around my promise land very sore.

    And I am beginning to wonder what her church practices in its monasteries, if it''s anything like this I think I know why she has such a popular following. But ignoring the pain in my waist I need to acquire the substance I want to give Z. I¡¯ve run all the necessary calculations and predict this one will give him the most gain in the long run and also the immediate.

    I straighten my left leg up then twist my upper body making me roll over. My left leg lands on the ground then I shimmy my right leg out spacing my legs apart so that it doesn¡¯t hurt.

    Even with my goddess regeneration abilities, which have been reduced do to my lack of essence and the type going through my body isn¡¯t my own, this little soreness is going to be gone for a while, maybe I¡¯ll just fly everywhere that would look majestic.

    I start flying to the east leaving part of my consciousness focused on Z. Can¡¯t be too careful especially now that he is ranked. Gods around the world are probably ancy since they haven¡¯t detected him yet.

    I fly across the landscape at a high rate of speed. I¡¯m completely invisible to mortals so there is no need for me to go into the clouds. I land in a small outskirt town about five hundred miles away from Z. I walk down the dirt road looking to see if there are any shops that have what I require.

    The people here look like they have seen better days. Ruff dirty faces are all that make up this town not even the children look like they are having fun.

    I walk by a essence using streetlight that¡¯s been picked clean for any sellable parts. This whole street has them going on throughout the entire town.

    A reminder of what has been lost. No doubt that most countries are in this state right now or worse. Without my dungeons everywhere there is nothing to power the lights or any other luxury. Most likely only the highest nobles have access to the remaining cores which they even have to ration at this point.

    I phase through the wall of a store that has what I require. Its walls are lined with boxes that store every type of anything that can be sold. An old man wearing a simple brown shirt and pants sits at a desk looking tired but not dusty. He has enough money to be clean.

    ¡°This town used to thrive you know,¡± he tells knowing of my presence the moment I landed in town.

    ¡°So did everything Economios,¡± I tell the god possessing the human body. I look through each box trying to find what I want.

    ¡°It was a dungeon town,¡± he says.¡±But after Lilithian and your mother lost their temper it was reduced to this.¡±

    ¡°You already know that the gods don¡¯t want me creations to skyrocket in strength like before so what do you want?¡± I find what I am looking for and walk to the front of the desk so I can pay.

    ¡°I want,¡± he says taking out a small package that he teleported to the human.¡±You to take this.¡± He hands me the package while I hand over some human currency that I teleported to my hand.

    ¡°Its a few oddities that your dungeon might like.¡±

    ¡°You know the council won¡¯t agree to this.¡± I warn him scanning the box to check what''s inside.¡±I¡¯m barely getting away with what I ciam her for.¡±

    ¡°To hell with the council!¡± The old man slams his fist on his desk making it shake.¡±They don¡¯t know how bad people are suffering down here. A few more years of this and war will be rampant across the entire world.¡±

    I just nod walking to the wall I phased through.

    ¡°And Dungian,¡± Economios calls just before I go through the wall.¡±Several gods have your back if you need to acquire more things for your dungeon just ask them they will help.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Economios. I will repay this in full when I have the power,¡± I take a step through the wall.¡±And you shall find my child Z where the grass grows rampant.¡± I walk completely through the wall and start flying.

    I know I said I was worried about other gods finding Z, but Economios is someone I trust. His domain was at its highest when my dungeons were around so we have had a fair number a discussions. No doubt he is already searching for Z devising a plan to rejuvenate the world.

 Preparing for War

    [Z]

    An ant colony is very confusing. It has many twist and turns that must only make sense to the ants themselves. I¡¯ve managed to subjugate all the dirt surrounding the ant colony and making a complete sphere around it in the process. An ocd win.

    There are a total of five chambers in the ant colony one is for eggs, two others are for the ants sorta like a meeting place, the fourth is at the bottom and has a very large ant that lays eggs constantly, this one is surrounded by very large ants much bigger than the ones I massacred, and finally the fifth one. This has personally peaked my interest because of whats inside, it has some weird white thing growing all along the floor and up the side of the walls. The smallest ants I¡¯ve ever seen walk along it giving it small green things.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably grass,¡± Enkindle says awaking from her slumber.

    ¡°You awaken!¡± I say shocked.

    ¡°Quiet puny, I¡¯ve just graced you with my presence.¡± She says with rampant mental bedhead.

    ¡°Not likely. What is grass?¡±

    ¡°A small green plant that is the only thing of interest that grows here.¡± She says examining the white thing.¡±I think this is some type of plant also, but I can¡¯t tell you which.¡±

    I nod taking it all in. I¡¯ve already tested the thing and there is now way I can subjugate it with my power. Just part of it would cost three to four hundred essence and I¡¯m not going through that wait again.

    A godly presence fills my senses making me want to run and hide. Dungian is here.

    ¡°Z I have gifts.¡±

    She says in a sing along voice. Enkindle shrinks back into my core like a mouse hiding from a hawk.

    ¡°Really!¡± I ask excited.¡±What?¡±

    ¡°You need to come to the entrance of your dungeon first.¡±

    I go to my entrance where Dungian is looming over my hole an entrancing smile on her face.

    ¡°What is a gift by the way?¡± I ask getting into a sitting position. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Its something someone gives to someone when they do something good.¡± She says cryptically.¡±Now here are you gifts!¡±

    A few seconds later something falls into me then as I rush to look at it a rush of essence enters me. It¡¯s about fourteen essence which fills me up slightly as am hovering on about thirty essence.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about the others after you examine the blueprint that must be filling your mind.¡± She says laughing slightly.

    I don¡¯t need to be told twice as I grope at the thing filling my mind.

    Its name is cave moss and it is a low level plant that grows in the harsh conditions of a cave.

    ¡°Plants will increase your ERR the best because of their natural growth patterns so you should grow this all over your dungeon. And this is.¡± She drops something else into my me.¡±A rock called basalt it is formed by volcanoes.¡±

    I exorp the rock quickly going over the structure in my head. It is a fine grain rock that is made when lava is heated and cooled quickly. Its fairly hard and is a dark black.

    ¡°I am burying several other gifts just outside your sphere of influence. Once you start growing you will get them as a prize. But be quick,¡± she says teasley,¡±because they may not last too long.¡±

    ¡°Wait! What?¡± I yell but Dungian has already disappeared.¡±Why do you only come around for a minute then decide to leave?¡± I ask the empty space.

    ¡°Because she is a goddess thats why!¡± Enkindle screeches from the original cave.¡±Show them respect or they will smite you idiot!¡±

    ¡°I doubt that, but moving on,¡± I say examining the things I can now create. I can vaguely feel that the moss will cost ten essence to create a three inch by three inch patch. Which is way to big for this colony.¡±I¡¯m going to start making the seperterate caves now. I think I have enough essence to fill them up with about thirty eggs. Do you think that I should make one cave or multiple?¡±

    ¡°You need more fear of the gods,¡± she says sighing.¡±Multiple. Spread the amount of ants you can make over the entire colony, so the attack will be simultaneous on all fronts. I think the biggest ant is called the queen and she lays all the eggs. She is the most heavily guarded one here so you should save her for last. What is the approximate number of ants in this colony.¡±

    ¡°From what I can count,¡± I zome looking over my entire body.¡± 15,652. Probably more counting the ants out scavenging.¡±

    ¡°Well damn Z you going to need more than forty ants to take these all on.¡± Enkindle replies slightly angry.¡±This will take you months to build up these kind of numbers.¡±

    ¡°I may not need that many. You see I got a plan.¡±I tell her my plan going into the specifics on what her part will be.

    ¡°And after you take the queen we would have won.¡±

    Enkindle is quite for a few moments processing the strategy in her mind.

    ¡°It will need to be tweaked slightly, but this is definitely what a dungeon of old would do.¡±

    I nod preparing to move the dirt around.

    I create three giant caverns each one separated by only a few grains of from the ant colony. I narrow the tunnels at one point expanding it to the entrance of the colony making small holes so that air can flow in.

    I start putting in eggs all over these tunnels stopping at 3 ES.

    The eggs will take a few hours to hatch so I¡¯ll spend that time cultivating.

    ¡°I¡¯m going off to bed,¡± Enkindle says yawning.¡°Don¡¯t wake me unless we are about to die.¡±